What began as a simple idea during a drive through Loma has grown into an online directory connecting thousands of Western Slope residents with local farm stands, farmers markets and food trucks.
Matt Wharton, owner of Western Slope Digital, launched an interactive farmstand map on www.westernslope. digital/farmstands earlier this year after realizing many small food producers are difficult to find unless customers already know where to look.
“About a year ago now, my wife and I were driving around Loma and saw a farm stand on the side of the road, and I said, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if there was a map of all these?’” Wharton said.
The idea sat on the shelf for several months before Wharton decided to put his web development skills to work. While browsing a local Facebook discussion about finding homemade sourdough bread, he realized the same problem applied to many small-scale food producers.
“I saw a thread on a local Facebook page about sourdough bread sellers and just thought it would be a good time to put my skills to use and whip something up,” Wharton said.
He initially added four farm stands mentioned in the discussion, contacted the owners and shared the map online. Interest grew quickly.
See story Page 5
End of road for bike shop
The words on the storefront windows tell the story as Brown Cycles, 549 Main St. in downtown Grand Junction, is in the middle of a going-out-of-business sale. Owner Chris Brown, who opened the store in the fall of 2000, also sent an email to other area bike-shop owners, letting them know he’s selling tools and equipment.
Photo by Tim Harty.
‘You just have to make the hard call’
With revenue and hope diminishing, owner of Brown Cycles decided he will shutter his business after 25 years
Tim Harty The Business Times
There was no “woe is me” from Chris Brown when he agreed to talk about his decision to close his bike shop, Brown Cycles, after a quarter century operating the Main Street pillar.
He made the announcement with a mid-June news release and said he’ll close in the coming weeks, possibly with a July 17 swing-dance party at the store, 549 Main St. Although, on June 16 he said the store closing might happen sooner than he thought, as the 50-percent-off sale on new items is pulling in customers.
“The way things are going, we’ll be cleared out of inventory in like the next three days,” he said. “So, I don’t know when the honeymoon of going out of business ends.
“I’m leasing the building right now, so I have the building till August 8th. I guess I can do whatever I want to with it, so even if it’s empty, we’re still gonna – we do swing dances on Friday nights. We’ll just combine our closing party with our swingdance party that we normally do anyway, because that’s super fun.”
Instead of bemoaning his fate, Brown was candid and at times comical in talking about the end of Brown Cycles, saying industry trends in recent years are not favorable for mom-and-pop bike shops.
buy it online in the middle of the night.”
MORE ABOUT BROWN CYCLES CLOSING
“Well, it’s not a sustainable business model, this thing we do in bike shops,” he said. “We’re competing against our own vendors for price, and the internet, obviously, which we always knew was coming. But I think we were hoping for a better handshake.”
He said bike shops still have value to a community. There’s value in the blood, sweat and tears that a local shop can provide and an online store can’t. He summed it up with powerful simplicity when he said, “We do things.”
Brown Cycles did all of the things that most bike shops in the Grand Valley do. They sold bikes. Repaired bikes. Rented bikes. Hosted fun biking events. But the store started doing a little less of each year after year.
“All of our things have been going down the last two, three years,” Brown said. “Our rental bikes have diminished a lot. Our service department in volume has gone down a ton. Bike sales, obviously. Pieces and parts sales, because you can just
The internet has done to bike stores what it has done to many retail businesses.
“I get it,” Brown said. “You know, it’s convenient. It’s easy. It’s fast. American capitalism at his best, which is great, you know, so we just have to adapt or die.”
The one thing Brown Cycles didn’t do was sell electric bikes, which stands in stark contrast to other Grand Valley bike shops. That was Brown’s decision, and he stands by it.
Where the changes in the industry left Brown in recent years was in the red and facing a decision about his bike shop’s future.
“If you lose 20 or 30,000 dollars a year for three years, then you gotta review it and say, ‘What are we gonna do?’ Or do something different. Or shut it down,” he said. “And you can kind of suck it up for a little bit and hope things get better. But after a while, hope diminishes. You just have to make the hard call.”
Brown chose to close.
See BROWN CYCLES on Page 6
The Ever-Quotable Chris Brown
Brown Cycles owner Chris Brown said a few other things worth noting when discussing the coming closure of his bike shop at 549 Main St. in downtown Grand Junction. Such as:
Everyone’s getting old
Brown chose not to sell electric bikes, so his clientele remained the people who actually want to pedal a bike.
“My market is diminishing,” Brown said. “You know, all these guys that have been riding for the last 40 years, whatever, since 1976, all just turned like 82 years old. So, that market that’s been powering the bike industry is gone.”
Then, he added, “And the kids, a handful of them ride, but not anything – like, we grew up doing this. We didn’t have PCs or computers or even Ataris. We were just out around the neighborhoods, dorking around on our bikes. This is how we live.
“Those kids are all playing with digital whatevers and having Bluetooth hooked up to things, so it’s a different world. And it’ll come back someday. Somehow, some way, something will kick it back in.”
He’ll find something to do
Asked what he’ll do next after closing his bike shop, Brown said, “I kind of got a cushion of time here, I guess. ... I’m looking for a job. But this is also gonna take two or three months to unwind.
Continued on Page 6
Brown Cycles owner Chris Brown stands by a bike in the back room of his store, where service work is done. He said revenue was down in all areas of the store in the past two, three years, including the service department, where “volume has gone down a ton.”
Photo by Tim Harty.
Ninth Street gets serious look for bike corridor
Brandon Leuallen The Business Times
The Grand Junction City Council signaled support for a proposed bicycle and pedestrian corridor along Ninth Street during a June 15 workshop. The corridor would connect Colorado Mesa University, downtown Grand Junction and the Las Colonias development while keeping cyclists separated from some of the city’s busiest traffic corridors.
The concept represents a significant departure from a previously proposed active-transportation corridor along Seventh Street that generated substantial opposition from residents, Colorado Mesa University, St. Mary’s Medical Center and historicpreservation advocates. They were concerned about lane reductions, traffic impacts and changes to one of the city’s most recognizable corridors.
City staff said during the council workshop the Ninth Street alignment emerged in a presentation by Colorado Mesa University President John Marshal after those concerns prompted officials to reconsider the original concept.
The proposed route would connect CMU, Washington Park, downtown, the Riverfront Trail and Las Colonias through a combination of cycle tracks and multi-use paths. The corridor also aligns with long-term plans by Colorado Mesa University, which is studying moving the North Avenue traffic signal from 10th Street to 9th Street as part of future
campus redevelopment.
A major theme of the discussion was asking what makes the Ninth Street proposal different from the original Seventh Street concept and the city’s recent Fourth and Fifth Street projects.
Several council members said one of the biggest advantages is the route would place cyclists and pedestrians on a quieter corridor while separating them from vehicle traffic whenever possible.
Council member Cody Kennedy said the approach is exactly what the city should be pursuing.
“In my opinion, this is what we should be focused on when it comes to multimodal infrastructure,” Kennedy said. “Keeping the bikes, keeping the pedestrians separate from the vehicles.”
Kennedy also mentioned Intermountain Health St. Mary’s Regional Hospital had concerns about a lane reduction causing potential issues for emergency vehicles coming to the emergency room from Seventh Street.
See NINTH STREET on Page 8
A concept map presented to Grand Junction City Council shows a proposed bicycle and pedestrian connection through Washington Park. The design would allow cyclists and pedestrians to continue through the corridor while requiring vehicle traffic to divert around the park, a feature supporters said would help prevent Ninth Street from becoming a major through street.
Matt Wharton, Blessed Orchard stands, by Brandon
Web developer creates maps connecting customers with farm stands, food trucks
maps that help residents locate farm
and food trucks
Continued from Page 1
Building directory for local producers
Since launching March 24, the website has expanded to include 74 farm stands and 31 farmers markets across the Western Slope. According to Wharton, approximately 95 percent of the farm-stand listings have been verified by their owners.
During the first two-and-a-half months, the farm-stand map received approximately 6,400 views, including about 5,000 unique visitors.
The website allows users to search for products such as eggs, honey, baked goods and produce while providing locations and schedules for participating farm stands and farmers markets. Owners can claim and manage their listings, while community members can submit locations that may not yet appear on the map.
Highlighting small businesses
Among the farm stands featured on the website is Blessed Harvest Homestead, operated by Lori Ybarra. What started as a few backyard hens and a love of baking has grown into a small homestead offering fresh eggs, baked goods and other locally produced items.
Another listing, Lyon Den Homestead on L 1/2 Road, offers fresh eggs and canned goods daily, fresh baked bread and treats on weekends, seasonal vegetables and flowers, and even handmade earrings, bows and bracelets created by the family’s children.
Wharton said businesses like these are exactly the type of small producers he hopes to help connect with customers.
Expanding into food trucks
The project has continued to expand. In May, Wharton launched a companion foodtruck map designed to solve a similar challenge.
“It’s tough to know where food trucks are,” Wharton said. “One day you see one, and the next day they’re gone. Then you’ve got to try to track down their socials.”
Since launching May 7, the food-truck map has attracted approximately 3,200 views from 2,500 unique visitors and
includes 36 participating food trucks.
The platform functions as more than a simple directory. Participating vendors can upload photos, provide catering information, post schedules and update their locations in real time.
Examples on the site range from Armando Tacos, which regularly serves at Gemini Beer Company on North Seventh Street in Grand Junction and specializes in authentic street tacos, mesquite-grilled meats and catering services for weddings, parties and corporate events, to Hawaii Street Food, located at 310 N. Seventh St. in Grand Junction, which serves Hawaiian-inspired cuisine and publishes a weekly operating schedule showing customers exactly when and where the truck will be serving.
Designed for owners and customers
Wharton said the goal is to give independent food vendors a simple way to connect with customers without requiring them to constantly update multiple socialmedia platforms.
Food-truck operators can create accounts and manage recurring schedules, add special events or use a live check-in feature that instantly updates their location on the map. Users also can report outdated listings, which automatically notifies the business owner.
In addition to individual listings, the website includes a comprehensive farmersmarket schedule that covers communities throughout the Western Slope. Market managers can claim listings, and vendors can request to be added to specific market pages.
Even with the platform’s growth, participation remains free for farm-stand owners, farmers-market organizers and food-truck operators. Wharton said he has no plans to charge businesses for listings and instead accepts voluntary donations from users who want to support the service.
“People always think there’s some kind of catch,” Wharton said, “but I’m trying to keep everything 100 percent free for farmstand owners and food-truck owners.”
Matt Wharton, left, owner of Western Slope Digital, stands with Lori Ybarra of Blessed Harvest Homestead at Ybarra’s farm stand at 2790 Carter Court in Orchard Mesa. Wharton created online
stands, farmers markets
throughout the Western Slope. Photo by Brandon Leauallen.
Brown Cycles
Continued from Page 2
“It’s better to go out on your own terms than have a banknote screaming at you, telling you,” he said. “Or the state locking your door with a big chain, and then you can’t get your glasses or your coat out.”
Brown said he’s 59 years old, so thoughts of retirement didn’t factor into his decision.
“No, I would love to stay here for another 10 years,” he said, “but I can’t do it if I’m gonna live on the streets after that.”
An uncertain future awaits after Brown locks up the store for the final time, and he’s OK with his days as a bike-shop owner coming to a close. It’s been a fun ride.
“It’s just business. It’s not personal, although it feels like it,” he said. “I’ve done a lot of things. I’ve gotten a lot of freedom to pull shenanigans in this town. And so I’ve gotten away with a lot of stuff. So, I’ve had a great time. It’s OK. It’s a stepping stone to the next thing.
“So, what’s that? I don’t know. We’ll find out. But I’ve never had another job that wasn’t better than the one I gave up.”
MORE ABOUT BROWN CYCLES CLOSING CONTINUED
Continued from Page 2
“After you get rid of everything, you gotta go sit down and pay your taxes early, and reconcile all the accounts, and move all this stuff, and then move it again, and then move it again, because that was a bad idea. And where are you gonna put it?
“So, I got a couple months. It would be silly to go look for a job today. Then I wouldn’t be here.”
The joy of implementing weird ideas
Brown’s answer regarding the best part about owning a bike shop was a fun one.
“For me personally,” he said, “it’s to go out for a long bike ride and come up with a weird idea and then implement it the next day and then see if it works out. So that’s, I mean, the creativity part of entrepreneurship, to solve problems or to create problems or, I don’t know, create things that haven’t been done before.
“So, that’s what kind of keeps me going. I’m kind of a project-oriented guy, so we built a bicycle. We wrote a book. We went to Taiwan. Took some cruises in Greece. And we’d done some bike rides up to Glenwood on 1902 bikes. We did a lot of things. We did bike festivals in the street. We swing dance on Friday nights. Like, we have resources, and so we use them. We weld stuff. We make special-needs bikes.”
Sell good stuff that will last
There wasn’t much Brown didn’t like about operating a bike shop, so he didn’t have a ready answer for the things he won’t miss.
“Oh, I don’t know,” he said. “I like bookkeeping. I like sitting here and find out where the nickels – I’ll spend four hours trying to find a penny on a transaction. I enjoy that. I like the people part. I like the retail part.
“I was always personally more into innovation, into creation than retail. Like, I don’t sit around at night trying to figure out how I can rephrase ‘clearance sale’ and still make money at it. Some guys just drink that stuff in.
“I mean, I can display things on the wall and have a vague idea of what people might buy. But constantly playing that game, whether it’s honest or not, or truth or not: It’s the finest quality for the lowest price; I mean, that’s impossible. You can’t have the best quality for the lowest price. That always feels kind of dark and dirty to me. I don’t like to do that.
“I like to sell people good stuff that they know is gonna last. Or at least let them know that what they’re buying is junk. I’ll sell it to you, but I’m not gonna lie about it; you’re going to have to come back in six weeks and buy another one.
“Anyway, I don’t miss that side of the retail part of it; the games feel kind of dishonest a lot of the times.”
Brown Cycles owner Chris Brown works on a bike in the store’s service area on June 16. His lease at 549 Main St. expires Aug. 8, which will mark the official end of Brown Cycles. Photo by Tim Harty.
Ninth Street
Continued from Page 4
Not every council member viewed the concerns surrounding Seventh Street the same way.
Council member Jason Nguyen pushed back on the argument that bicycle infrastructure on Seventh Street would necessarily interfere with emergencyresponse vehicles. Nguyen said emergency vehicles could potentially use bicycle lanes or cycle tracks during emergencies, arguing that multimodal improvements and emergency access do not have to be mutually exclusive.
“I just kind of want to push back on that idea that those things have to be in tension,” Nguyen said.
Even so, Nguyen said he generally supports the proposed Ninth Street alignment.
Council member Ben Van Dyke said the quieter character of Ninth Street is one
The intersection of North Avenue and Ninth Street could become a key gateway into Colorado Mesa University under a proposed multimodal corridor plan discussed by the Grand Junction City Council. The concept would connect CMU, downtown Grand Junction and Las Colonias with bicycle and pedestrian facilities while relocating the North Avenue traffic signal from 10th Street to Ninth Street.
“I know as a father, I would much rather take my kids down a separated pathway without a bunch of vehicles around than try to fight down Seventh Street and hope for the best and try to get out of the way of emergency vehicles,” Van Dyke said.
Council member Anna Stout brought up concerns from residents that moving the plan from Seventh street to Ninth street could increase car traffic on Ninth Street and affect home owners on Ninth.
Grand Junction Transportation Director Trent Prall described Washington Park, about three blocks south of North Avenue, as a “modal filter,” meaning cyclists and pedestrians coming from CMU down Ninth Street can continue through the corridor while vehicle traffic must divert onto surrounding streets.
Kennedy also pointed to the corridor’s ability to connect key destinations throughout the city. Kennedy said the route would provide direct access between CMU, Washington Park, Lincoln Park, the skate park, downtown and the Las Colonias riverfront area.
“I really want people down to the riverfront,” Kennedy said. “Whether people are coming down for concerts or just trying to get down into that trail system.”
No formal vote was taken during the workshop discussion, but staff indicated they plan to return to council with a resolution establishing a preferred alignment moving forward.
viewed the Street the Nguyen that bicycle Street would emergencyemergency bicycle lanes or arguing that emergency exclusive. back on to be in generally alignment.
Dyke said Street is one
much rather pathway around than and hope the way of said. brought moving the street could and affect Director Washington Park, Avenue, cyclists and down Ninth corridor divert onto corridor’s destinations said the between Park, the Colonias down to the “Whether people just trying
taken during but staff council preferred
Writers symposium features Colorado wordsmiths
The 2nd annual Grand Mesa Writers’ Symposium is set for Sept.11-13 and will feature four individuals with deep Colorado connections.
Paonia native Paolo Bacigalupi is an international bestselling author of speculative fiction. His works include The Windup Girl and two young adult novels: Ship Breaker and Drowned Cities.
Telluride Poet Kierstin Bridger has won multiple poetry prizes for her books including Demimonde and All Ember.
A chronicler of the geography and history of the American Southwest, Craig Childs has earned numerous accolades for his nonfiction works including The Secret Knowledge of Water and The Wild Dark: Finding the Night Sky in the Age of Light.
Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer is a Western Slope poet, teacher, speaker and writing facilitator who co-hosts Emerging Form, a podcast focusing on the creative process. Her recent poetry collections are
All the Honey and The Unfolding. She will be the closing keynote speaker on the final day of the symposium. A weekend pass is required to attend her presentation.
Tickets for the symposium are available on the Grand Mesa Arts & Events Center (GMAEC) website. A weekend pass, which includes all events Sept. 11-13, can be purchased for $160. Tickets for a Saturday, Sept. 12 single evening event, which showcases featured writers Bacigalupi, Bridger, and Childs can be purchased for $25 between now and Sept. 11.
This year’s presenting sponsor is Chill Switch Wines. The symposium continues to seek additional supporting sponsors. Any organization that wishes to support this event is encouraged to contact the Grand Mesa Arts & Events Center at 195West Main Street in downtown Cedaredge or telephone 970-856-9195.
For details and registration information visit the website, www.grandmesawriters.org.
Children’s book celebrates July 4th
The Grand Junction Barnes & Noble Bookstore, 2451 Patterson Road, will host a book-signing event on July 4, 1 to 5 p.m., for “Toliver in Time for a Fourth of July Celebration.”
Two Colorado residents produced the children’s book: author Connie Hein of Windsor; and artist Denise Theobald of Delta. The book focuses on America’s formative years. The character Toliver is a young squirrel who meets a mole who owns a time machine. The two animals travel back in time to the late 18th century
to observe the people and events that forged America.
The book has gone into a second printing. In addition to being available on the Fourth of July at Barnes & Noble, the book can also be purchased at the online Amazon marketplace.
In addition to their popular Fourth of July book, the writer/illustrator team produced another book in the Toliver series. “Toliver in Time for a Journey West” tells the story of America’s westward expansion.
Mesa County seeks resident input via survey
Todd Hollenbeck
Mesa County is inviting residents to participate in the 2026 Community Survey, which is open now and will remain available through July 2. The survey provides residents an opportunity to share feedback on county services, community priorities, quality of life and issues that matter most to the community.
The county said in the news release the survey is part of its ongoing commitment to transparency, public engagement and informed decisionmaking.
“We want to hear directly from the people we serve,” Mesa County Administrator Todd Hollenbeck said. “Resident feedback helps us understand what is working well, where improvements may be needed and how we can continue providing services that support a strong and thriving community.”
The survey is open to Mesa County residents age 18 and older, takes approximately 15 minutes to complete and is confidential.
Residents can take the survey by going online to www.research.net/r/ COMesaCom26_Web.
The survey is being administered by Magellan Strategies, an independent research firm. Survey results will be compiled and analyzed by Magellan Strategies and shared with Mesa County to help inform planning, services and decision-making.
A summary of the survey results will be published on the Mesa County website following completion of the survey.
residents Community and will available 2. survey residents an to share county community quality of issues that to the the news ongoing transparency, public decisiondirectly from County Hollenbeck helps us working well, needed providing strong and County older, takes complete survey by www.research.net/r/ administered independent will be Magellan with Mesa planning, survey results County completion of the
Prioritizing mental health in the workplace
The American Institute of Stress estimates that job stress costs the United States economy $300 billion annually due to absenteeism, decreased productivity and employee turnover.
Elliotte Schroeder
This is deeply felt at the local level as Mesa County continues to navigate an extreme mental-health-care shortage.
To relieve these challenges, Mesa County Public Health’s Behavioral Health Division, in partnership with the Mesa County Suicide Prevention Coalition and the Counseling and Education Center, developed a Workplace Resiliency tool kit for employers.
The goal is to shift workplace culture in Mesa County toward actively supporting employee mental-healthcare access and promoting collaborative teams built on connection.
Root causes of workplace stress
Numerous studies over the past few decades have shown an increase in job-related stress impacting millions of Americans. This stress is influenced by factors such as demanding workloads, lack of control over processes, and workplace relationships.
When stress goes unmanaged, employees often experience difficulty focusing, decreased effort and lack of motivation. These factors significantly impact employee mental health, leading to burnout and the search for other opportunities.
Now more than ever, implementing resiliency practices is a business necessity.
Employer and employee benefits
Investing in workplace resiliency directly benefits all individuals in an organization. For every $1 invested in mental health, employers see an average $4 return in productivity and reduced turnover (National Safety Council and University of Chicago, 2019). Financial strain is mitigated as retention and attendance improves.
For employees, a cultural shift prioritizing mental health relieves them from burnout. When staff feel supported, they experience higher job satisfaction, stronger company loyalty and increased productivity.
The Workplace-Resiliency Continuum
Incorporating mental health practices doesn’t have to be strenuous or costly. Mesa County Public Health’s framework has been developed with organizational capacity in mind.
Behavioral Health Division Director Jennifer Daniels explains, “We want to provide organizations with simple and efficient strategies that are easy to implement in everyday workflows. Each workplace is unique and encounters varying levels of mental-health challenges, so it’s important that we provide practical guidance tailored to our businesses.”
The handbook includes four levels of workplace resilience, offering actions from everyday practices, to conversation scripts, to a post-crisis debriefing guide:
• Level 1: Everyday Resilience – Ways to build a culture that ensures employees feel valued and supported each day.
• Level 2: Early Support – Techniques for recognizing strains and stepping in to prevent problems from growing larger.
• Level 3: Crisis Response – Support in developing a clear, written plan for responding to a crisis.
• Level 4: Post-Crisis Recovery (Postvention) – Approaches to helping staff recover, restoring operations and rebuilding trust.
Next steps
Mesa County Public Health plans to collaborate with businesses directly and present benefits of the toolkit implementation. Mesa County Public Health also encourages employers and their employees to take the organizational self-assessment linked within the toolkit to identify opportunities for improvement.
For additional mental health information and resources, visit our behavioral health webpage at mesacounty.us/health. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to access the Colorado Mental Health Line.
When employers prioritize mental health in the workplace, they aren’t just boosting morale. They’re building a culture that supports a healthy, resilient community.
Elliotte Schroeder is the communication specialist at Mesa County Public Health.
Three years and counting, much to the chagrin (either way) of a few
Last year about this time I wrote about something a friend told me I had to do. Normally, when someone tells me I must do something it is more than enough reason for me to simply not do it. But when a friend says something of importance, we are all best to take it under advisement. And I’m glad I did.
Here’s what my friend said to me: “You’ll never get another chance to write about your second anniversary in being alive after open-heart surgery. So, you should write about it.”
Given society’s penchant for making some things more important than others, I would have to say as those things go, second anniversaries fall under “not very important” for any event. And to be honest, that’s where I was with that anniversary related to my heart. I honestly don’t really know how (although here I am trying again) to put it into words, as most days I don’t even realize I had open-heart surgery in the same way many readers were surprised to learn Craig Hall actually has a heart.
I don’t know how to describe it. The whole event makes literally no sense to me. Especially when I go to the doctors and they tell me everything is going great. That, and maybe it wouldn’t hurt if I lost a few pounds. I mean, that part hurts a little more than the off-and-on aches I still get. But as many have said over the centuries, “Life goes on.” As does mine. And I suppose I have more than a speck of personal chagrin related to it.
And it’s more so for some reason as I come to my third anniversary of surviving open-heart surgery on June 30 of this year. Maybe that’s because this year my doc simply stated something along the lines of having a little ache here and there is a good tradeoff for someone who almost died three years ago. That one hit me.
Fact is, I should have died three years ago. I didn’t. Again, much to the chagrin of more than a few folks. I keep saying it, because I know it; I have the messages saved. As another matter of fact, some of these folks don’t care when I die, just that I do, having missed my chance in 2023. I have those saved as well.
But reflecting in my sixties is way different than reflecting in my forties, looking back at my teens and twenties and thirties, when I really should have died given the “adventures of Craigy.” Heck, I gave those years of my life plenty of opportunity to remove my opportunity of life. But those are the stories of (personal) lore, or chagrin, as I look back on things experienced and all life throws at you.
I guess what I’m rambling about is how my one-year anniversary differed from my two-year anniversary to today’s three-year anniversary, especially when I look at the reality I almost never experienced any of them. Cause being dead would have prevented it. Then again, rambling might be just as good a description of my life and the column word of the day simply because rambling about chagrin is much more fun than having chagrin on what I’m rambling about – although I do have that feeling after pressing send on many an occasion.
Like today. But I digress.
So, here are the differences on my “heart-aversaries.”
Year One. Literally happy to be alive after such a whirlwind. I mean, making an appointment and telling the doc I “just don’t feel right,” and then the blood test came
back and I got the call to go to the ER “STAT,” and before you know it, I’m split down the sternum to get some new and right leg-replacement parts so the engine keeps humming. Yet, the only emotion I had was one of being happy (but not gratitude?) to be alive.
Year Two. It was more a feeling of none of this really happened. The biggest problem I had a year ago was feeling my Tell-Tale Heart beating out of the wall of my chest every time I went to bed. Yes, it is a “side effect” of one of the meds I’m on for life, but like Poe’s character, it was pretty much driving me insane along with the achiness side effects. Other than those, my life was as normal as pre-heart surgery. Even with the changes at the paper, I was running things as I had in the past decade from work to home to everything in life.
But like the brain I-gor grabbed from the morgue, that life was “Abby Normal.”
Year Three? I have most of the heartbeats under control now, except for the occasional flare-ups of PVCs I’ll have until the day I do die. Yes, I realize I joke about death all too casually, but what else does one do when one faces it; this time not in some “I’m never gonna die” youthful years? Oh, I still fear it a little bit, but not like I used to. After all, it’s the road we all will travel. I’m just on a much happier detour after my “recalculating” in the summer of 2023.
Back to this year’s anniversary. This is the year of, “Why am I here?” Probably the question I should have asked while I was cheating death all those decades ago. But if we’re all honest, there are very few who ask that when they should. All part of God’s humor and timing, I suppose. After all, He’s the one you gotta ask. If you’re only asking yourself, you’ve not only missed the point of life, but you also have the wrong God. Which leads to the other reason we never ask on time.
We don’t want to know the answer.
Well, like it or not, if you ask the real God (you know, the one of the Holy Bible), He will give you the honest, truthful answer. Honestly, I’m not sure how much I like the one He keeps giving me. How else can anyone explain why God at that exact moment put a doctor’s appointment in my life to get me to the ER (after I avoided it for over a week) and into the hands of the surgeons, so that I’m alive today to not only battle the changes of Fourth and Fifth streets, but also be around for the lunacy that is Tina Peters having her sentence commuted by Jared Polis, if not to put sunlight on the insanity of the folks running our city and state, along with my favorite, fun reminders of the crazy that is Washington D.C., all to my chagrin?
The key? Doing all this “no one puts a candle under a basket” stuff and staying in business at the same time, because none of these folks, left or right, want anyone to know what they are up to. Because that’s my unique talent: getting the same quality letters from the left and the right when it comes to the evil that exists in folks who have the belief they were put on this Earth to rule over the masses. Just so they know, I think they’re asking the wrong god, “Why am I here?”
Which is why I’ll keep writing about why they’re not. Year Four might be a doozy. In Truth and freedom.
F
Craig Hall is owner and publisher of The Business Times. Reach him at 424-5133 or publisher@thebusinesstimes.com
Craig Hall
n Cross Orchards Farmers Market starts new season
The Cross Orchards Farmers Market makes its season debut June 27 and will take place every Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon, through Sept. 19 at the Museums of Western Colorado’s Cross Orchards Historic Site, 3073 F Road.
The farmers market will feature fresh produce, baked goods, handmade products, specialty foods, artwork and more. Train rides, live music and historic demonstrations will be featured on select Saturdays throughout the season, making each visit a little different and offering something for every member of the family.
The Farmers Market is free to attend, and visitors looking to deepen their experience can purchase museum admission to explore the historic site and join one of two guided tours offered each Saturday. Guests can stroll through the orchard with a horticulturist to learn about the fruit varieties that built the Grand Valley’s agricultural legacy or join Curator Matt Darling for an in-depth look at the people, places, and stories that shaped Cross Orchards and the region’s farming history.
n AGNC offering early-bird registration for economic summit
Registration is open for Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado’s 11th Annual Economic Development Summit, which takes place Aug. 19, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Grand River Health Event Center in Rifle.
The theme of this year’s summit is “The Next Frontier: Pioneering Advanced Industries.”
community involvement includes serving on the boards of the Community Resource Center, as well as the Alliance Foundation and serving on the Rose Community Foundation Professional Advisor Council.
• For more than 30 years, Palmer has advised businesses, investors and organizations on tax strategy, financial consulting, business valuation and long-term planning. Through his work with PBG Advisors and as a certified public accountant with advanced credentials in business valuation and taxation, he has guided clients through complex decisions involving growth strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and succession planning.
Palmer has contributed to professional and community organizations including the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Colorado Society of Certified Public Accountants, and Family Health West.
• Van Waveren brings a great deal of nonprofit leadership and management experience, and a longstanding commitment to strengthening western Colorado communities. Her experience with EUREKA! McConnell Science Museum and the Colorado National Monument Association helped van Waveren build strong relationships across the region and develop a thoughtful understanding of the nonprofit landscape.
Join local leaders, entrepreneurs and industry experts as the summit takes a deep dive into how rural regions can navigate the next frontier of advanced industries. This year’s summit will highlight real tools, real stories and real solutions to grow Northwest Colorado’s workforce, strengthen its communities, and ignite the resources that power the next frontier.
Lunch will be provided. Early-bird registration costs $55. Prices increase to $75 after July 15. To register go online to pci.jotform.com/form/261585710795164.
Anyone interested in sponsoring the event can find out more online at agnc.org/ images/uploads/ED_Summit_Sponsorship_Levels.png.
n WCCF board brings on 3 new directors
The Western Colorado Community Foundation welcomed three new members to its board of directors: Lorni Sharrow; Ken Palmer; and Johanna van Waveren. In its June newsletter, the foundation said the following about each new member:
• Sharrow brings a strong background in fiduciary services, estate and trust planning, and philanthropic advising to the board. She currently serves as vice president and senior fiduciary officer at Alpine Bank Wealth Management and previously practiced as an attorney and mediator with Sharrow Law & Mediation, PLLC and as partner at Moye White LLP.
Sharrow recently relocated from Denver back to Glenwood Springs. Recent
Seppie hired, Benson retires as WCCF operations manager
Western Colorado Community Foundation announced Operations Manager Terri Benson is retiring, and Kyra Seppie will become the new operations manager.
In its June newsletter, the WCCF said Benson played an essential role in the foundation’s day-to-day care and business operations and was instrumental in helping guide the organization through the move into its new building in 2023. Her attention to detail and willingness to tackle countless behind-the-scenes responsibilities helped ensure a smooth move and created a welcoming, functional space for staff, partners and the community.
According to the newsletter, Seppie grew up in Wyoming and graduated from the University of Wyoming, where she studied communication and sustainability. She brings experience in event coordination, nonprofit marketing and program management. Seppie moved to Grand Junction in 2022 and was an event coordinator for Downtown Grand Junction, then community impact and outreach manager for United Way of Mesa County.
Business Bites
• Incubator, Ramblebine unveil IPA: The Business Incubator Center officially launched its 40th Anniversary celebration June 4 with a packed house at Ramblebine Brewing Company, marking the beginning of a year-long recognition of BIC’s impact and legacy. According to the Business Incubator, the event drew the largest turnout Ramblebine ever experienced for a nonprofit beer-launch event, unveiling “BIC BIC Hooray,” a special-edition IPA and commemorative anniversary beer created in partnership with Ramblebine.
• Mineral-lease grant workshop: The Mesa County Federal Mineral Lease District will host a free, grant workshop July 9 from 2-4 p.m. in the Community Room of Home Loan State Bank. The workshop is designed to guide applicants through the district’s grant-application process. For any questions, contact grant administrator Dusti Reimer at dusti@mesafml.org.
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Kyra Seppie Terri Benson
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