Contributors Opinion Bold predictions for 2015 Nothing government gets built Taking of extra steps A newa lot year affords Business Briefs more likeornot-so-bold repeats in a day ... at a regular price in efforts to help children a new opportunity Business People Almanac to meet local needs THE he BUSINESS usiness T T Times IMES
SPAGE eptember 22 30-OctOber 13, 2021
Doug and Melinda McCaw are willing to take extra steps to help children. Quite literally, a lot of extra steps. The Grand Junction couple ran the length of the Colorado Trail — 490 miles from Denver to Durango — in just 18 daysalways in 2020 as part a fund-raiser Elevate A new year almost brings anofopportunity forfor a fresh startKids, and an they founded to help charities that help children. renewed ambition toorganization do things better. For those want to do the division, McCaws In business, that usually boils who downdon’t to providing customers betterthe products ran at anlower average 27 miles — morePart thanofa marathon 18 and services faster and costofthan competitors. the process—must in a row. Moreover,what theythey did so while need contending with include listening to days customers to determine actually and then the ups downs of good the Colorado Traillatest and and a total of 87,000 meeting that need. After all,and it does little to offer the greatest if vertical of elevation nobody actually wants what feet you’re selling. gain. When news release McCaws and Just like the businesses thatI received belong toathe group, the about Grandthe Junction Area theirinvariably effort, I couldn’t kind ofaa reassessment physical, mental Chamber of Commerce starts outimagine the newthat year with of Phil Castle and emotional challenge. jog athey couple of times a week and the services and resources it provides and howI well match with members backpacked Pass Loop, a 25.7-mile trail around needs. Jeff Franklin,once the new chairmanthe of Four the chamber board of directors, the Maroon Bells west of Aspen with 7,752 feet of elevation gain. It took me more personifies this approach in describing what he considers his role for the coming than The Fourdetermine Pass Loop is plenty and steep by myneeds. standards, year:three listendays. to members, their needs long and then meet those It’s a but proverbial mole hillasinmarket comparison to the Trail. Less, in roleconstitutes with whichaFranklin is familiar president of Colorado Bank of Colorado. fact, The thanprocess a typical daytake in the of the McCawsapproach along their trip. the chamber will on alife more structured in what I wasofeager to learnaptly more aboutListening the McCaws and accepted plansConsequently, as the resumption a program called to Business. Under the their invitation to attend media premier of “Chasing the Sky,” a documentary program, business ownersa participate in in-depth interviews to identify barriers to about growththeir and journey. other problems they encounter. The two-hour details their and other preparations, then The nearly new year offers afilm good time to jointraining the proverbial club. offers day-by-day of the trip. blow-by-blow account Asa an advertiseraccount or reader, what do It’s youmore need like froma the Business Times? givenWhile the injuries, and fatique they endured. They repeated a simplenews to businesspain journals traditionally gather and report the relevant statement summarizing their the effort: “This is theespecially hardest thing readers, communication isn’t assessment necessarily of a one-way street. That’s true as I’ve Web ever sitesdone.” and e-mail make the dialogue more convenient than ever. How, did theydon’t ultimately complete theirThey quest? They explained that, Good then, publications exist in a vacuum. respond to the needs of too. One step at and a time. By putting one footwhat’s in frontneeded. of the other, day after day. But then advertisers readers. They provide another question arises: Why? Why embrace that kind of hardship? In part, they So what do you need? said,Istothere proveadditional to themselves could.that would help keep you informed about newsthey coverage been thinking about that analogythat to the stories I’ve heard or from localI’ve business developments? Are and thereitsfeatures would be interesting entrepreneurs what go through to start grow their ventures. useful? Is thereabout advice thatthey would make your jobs and a little easier? There’s another common motivation, and With that’slimited a desiretime to give It’s equally important to ask what you though, don’t need. to back. The McCaws wanted to raise money for charities that help children. The produce content and limited space in which to publish it, would time and first spacetwo be beneficiaries efforts else? are Kids Aid, which provides backpacks filled with better devotedoftotheir something foodWhat’s to students in What Mesa isn’t? County School District 51 schools good? What’s needed? What isn’t? who might otherwise go hungry weekends, and theComment Intermountain Academy, a school Let us over know.theSend us an e-mail. onlineAdventist on the Business Times Web for in kindergarten throughYou eighth grade. site students at www.thebusinesstimes.com. could even write an old-fashioned letter to Publicifshowings “Chasing the Sky” scheduled for Oct. is 14valued at the and the editor you’d like.ofYour feedback, both are positive and negative, Colorado Mesa University will be carefully considered.Center ballroom and Oct. 27 at the Picture Show movie theater in Grand are Junction. Profits from ticket sales will go tostaffs, Kids Aid Good publications the result of not only the efforts of their but and also the Intermountain Adventist Academy. More collaborative efforts involving advertisers andinformation readers. about Elevate Kids is available Like at anyhttps://elevatekids.org. other good business, we want to listen to our customers, find out what they need and then meet those needs. Phil It’s Castle is editor of the Business a new year. Please help us toTimes. do so. Reach him at 424-5133 or phil@thebusinesstimes.com. ✦ F
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Editor: Phil Castle
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Subscribe or submit press releases online at www.thebusinesstimes.com The Grand Valley Business Times, a subsidiary of Hall Media Group LLC, is published twice monthly and distributed throughout Grand Junction, Fruita and Palisade. Advertising rates and deadlines are available upon request. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, editor, staff or advertisers. Copyright © 2015 — AllCopyright rights reserved. © 2021 — All rights reserved.
It’s that time of year when I’ve been doing some research on resolutions prognostications abound. big buildingand projects and came across this My favorite sayingIapplied New Year’s little ditty because like thetocomparison resolutions is in saying they’re basically a for the purposes of this column: bunch of promises “The Taj Mahalto break the first week of January. while I won’t predict a is located onAnd the right wholeoflot, can pretty much accurately bank the IYamuna nail a in few things that without question River a vast will make the news. Mughal garden that You will see these are pretty, well, predictable: encompasses nearly ■ Prediction 17 hectares in the one: ThereDistrict will beinsome Agra Uttar sort of weather event, Pradesh. It was built by natural disaster Mughal EmperororShah heinous occurrence Jahan in memory of his Craig Hall where someone will wife Mumtaz Mahalm, be interviewed with constructionand say the following: starting in 1632“I’ve and completed in 1648, with never seen anything the mosque, the guest house and the main like that on in the my south, the outer courtyard gateway lifetime.” It’s aswere if this and its cloisters added subsequently and Craigof Hall person is ainrequired completed 1653. The existence several attendee at newsinscriptions in Arabic historical andevery Quaranic reporting While I understand most script haveevent. facilitated setting the chronology people’s perspective can indeed be limited of Taj Mahal. For its construction, masons, by, or contained within, their painters, own personal stone-cutters, inlayers, carvers, experiences, it is too much and to ask to calligraphers, dome builders other consult were somerequisitioned historical perspective before artisans from the whole saying such aand thing? response of the empire alsoYes, fromthis Central Asia can apply to some events. But when comes and Iran. Ustad-Ahmad Lahori wasitthe main to weather andTaj natural disasters, I’m pretty architect of the Mahal.” sure And this is history repeating it simply cost a boatload of bucks itself. to Same this as itlevel has for millions and millions of build of excess. years. More important, the planet made it! Now in the above, replace Taj Mahal WhatGrand didn’tJunction were certain How’s with High species. School and every that for perspective? reference to the emperor with Mesa County ■ Prediction it comes to of a School District 51,two: and When you’ll get the gist crime orplan something between the new to buildthat ouroccurs local version of humans, the other required attendee at High all the Taj Mahal, the new Grand Junction news reporting is thehere person who School. After all,events I’ve been 21 years says— this: “They just the and voila! — we’re that’s how longnicest it took people, in no way did and I seethat’s something to finallyand complete the Taj how like this coming.” Exactly. Nobetters one does long it’s taken for our elected on the mostboard of thetotime when it comes to more D51 come up with an even neighbors and exorbitant planacquaintances. to erect anotherPeople wondershould of be surprised whatone goespriced on from to the world, thisatlocal two time to three time inhigher their than neighborhoods, times the average towns cost toand build a with school people in they know because people are high Colorado. good.But And that athey shouldn’t to for be the fair,times let’s use quote from be shocked —of like with politicians, another piece research I did, thisrepeat one offendersfrom and District terrorists51—itself where’s the coming on its interview thatwebsite says, “This doesn’tfor surprise promotional at Citizens D51: me in thelistened least.” to your concerns ... And “We’ve Prediction three: Something we’re■proud to now fight for a newgood school will happen economically, thethe most that successfully addressesand only government will take needs.” credit for it. The most urgent and essential recent example gasconsider prices, where And those is they to be people ask me why I conscious won’t credit the president for “community citizens” have put gastag prices. My answer simple: needs” alow price on “urgent and is essential Government makes priceany of of us at about $150never million. Butthedon’t something downresearch and simply credit dare do anygomore and takes discover for good news. Gas subject tocost the AVERAGE highpricing schoolisbuildout many global there are in the is about $50 factors. million Now to $60 million government answers to addressing of United States. And most of those some include them to keepofprices stable for large tracts land needed toAmericans, be purchased but ourfull government has none of them in AND athletic facilities. place.But The onlydothings it has in never place in the what I know? I’ve
page 27 JANUARY 15-28, 2015
long run always hurt consumers. Another fact unemployment a certain Butis that don’t any ofreaches us dare level based on the economy. And while do any more research the government might brag the number is low, and it’s morediscover than likely thethe government did something to causehigh that number being low AVERAGE school — and not in a good way. Conversely, buildout cost is about when business picks up, it’s because the people $50 million to $60 million who need to buy widgets who were not buying widgets becauseStates. the economy was in the United contracting due to natural (or unnatural, government caused) reasons, decided we betterelected buy some government been to a widgets. position The of power and had nothinglike to do with this. knowledge a school board, city council ■ Prediction four: where In keeping with or county commission, all knowledge things the government does, are I predict is bestowed once the ballots in. the government will manipulate Well, I know this: D51 the hasnumbers been to make the this claim the economy is getting ignoring community need for the better because of how hard it ismaking working 21 years I’ve been here after theto help all of us “working Americans.” Nowa horrible decision to build a school with you might always saylong this lifespan ofsay, less“Craig, than 50you years not so about—President because don’t ago damned Obama near within my you lifetime. like him.” You’re right in has a sense. I don’t This willful negligence our kids going know the man, laden, but what I know of him and to an asbestos roof leaking, bricks his thinking, don’t like it or him one iota. falling out ofI walls, basement flooded Before you floor go off,upheaving, however, Ideath didn’ttrap like constantly, President Bush andnow his it’s bailouts, stimulus for decades. And demanding and his abandoning market to save $150 million dollarsthe to free fix the problem it the free market. And Iare don’t knowfor him caused? And parents falling it? either. WhatI arrived the government does,annual and the Since here, D51’s only thing can do,doubled. is hurt the budget hasitalmost Itseconomy. student Unless it does nothing criminals in population hasn’t, but or itsput staff has grown jail instead of partnering with them, nothing exponentially. We’ve approved hundreds themillions government does will help. Always look of of dollars above and beyond at itbillions this way,the whatever the district the hasgovernment received, says it is doing,allowing whateverthe thedoubling name of the lawdebt it including of its is passing, or whatever the name or goalput of just a few years back. Yet, D51 hasn’t the bureaucracy it is presenting to the ONE PENNY towards what I’ve been told people, expect the polar opposite to occur. is its most pressing need: a new Grand I guess what I’m saying that Junction High School. Nope,isthe most it’s perhaps it’s Taj timeafter to get out of done is put Mahal onour the own ballot perspective. There’sso plenty history only to be defeated it canofblame the books and historical research voters call us child hatersout andthere anti-to begin to understand all done of this education — a movethat that’s ashas much happened before. in And will again, than to sever relations thisit community whether topic is experts people or government. any evil the satanic in the federal The besthave recommendation government come up with.is to find someOne books or that’s try that wholeme Google thing amazed since thing. There’s aeverything lot of information on the understanding in this country Great Depression. truththe is itsame wasn’t is political: people The wanting folks even caused a good the oneproblem until theand government got who are hurting involved. There’sfix also of research you to somehow theplenty problem and help on the period the you. If medieval one lookswarm through that when lens, they’d planettowas much the warmer than today have conclude last place to lookwith for whole lotisless people (and a solution government. Forwarmer the lovewell of before man heredown at all). yep, Gia, just takewas a ride anyAnd road and people beenYou killing other surprised tell me have it’s fixed. can’t. people history need was first written. Wesince desperately a new Grand Maybe research willthere’s help some stop Junction Highsome School. But until all of on these trends. bethe sanity price — sayOtherwise, $60 millionwe’ll due to saying we’ve never seenthis anything like it in swamp thing — let’s put latest proposal ourthelives. notwas in aintended: good way. in placeAnd the Taj a tomb. publisher of of the the Craig Hall is owner and publisher Business Times. Times. Reach Reach him at 424-5133 or publisher@thebusinesstimes.com. ✦ F
