2012 Grand Valley Echo January

• Serving the Grand Valley since 2008 •

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

Volume 4 Number 4

Mid-January / Mid-February 2012

Welcome 2012!

Boy Scout Troop 255, from left, Conner Sproles, Cayden Sproles, Andrew Kingen, Anthony Smith, Alex Schuckers, Jonathan Smith, Kellen Jansen, and Nathan Kelty.

Photo courtesy of Charlie Hornick

Boy Scout Troop 255 holds Court of Honor

Our Schools pages 18 & 19

To Your Health page 15

Around the Valley page 5

2nd Time Around page 3

Inside

A number of Boy Scouts were honored for their rank advancements and received Merit badges at their Court of Honor for Troop 255 on Dec. 10 at Grace Bible Church. The boys cooked and served dinner for their parents and other family members, scout masters, scout committee members, and others interested in seeing the scouting program advance in our Parachute/Battlement Mesa area.

The scouts in attendance recited the Scout Oath, the Scout Law, and the Scout Code. Scout Andrew Kingen gave the prayer as part of the opening ceremony.

After the meal, Jim Graham, district executive for the local Three Rivers District of Boy Scouts of America, spoke on “Friends of Scouting” and challenged the boys and their parents in their commitment to the scouting program. He related how proud he was of Troop 255, which is a young troop but has already begun to stand out for their enthusiasm and work in area scouting events and local community assistance.

Scout Master Travis Sproles along with Assistant Scout Master Michael Brain

then recognized the boys for their achievements and hard work. Conner Sproles received rank advancements to Star Scout, Cayden Sproles to First Class Scout, Andrew Kingen and Anthony Smith to Second Class scouts, and Kellen Jansen, Jonathan Smith, and Alex Schuckers received the status of Scout.

Alex Schuckers, Conner Sproles, Andrew Kingen, Jonathan Smith, and Cayden Sproles also earned the Toten Chip.

The Boy Scouts of America have had a major impact on the lives of countless young men. A recent survey revealed that 89 percent of class presidents were scouts and 85 percent of student council presidents. Sixty-four percent of team captains were scouts. Also, 64 percent of Annapolis graduates were scouts, as well as 58 percent of West Point graduates. Of Rhode Scholars 72 percent were scouts.

Troop 255 is cosponsored by the Grand Valley/Parachute Kiwanis and Grace Bible Church and meets weekly on Mondays at 6 p.m. at Grace Bible Church.

Boys from ages 11-17 along with their parents who are interested in learning more about being involved in scouting can contact Scout Master Travis Sproles at 2502584. Those who have questions about the Boy Scout Program can contact Executive Director Jim Graham at 625-9999.

Park and Rec news page 7

By Charlie Hornick, Echo contributor

Page 2, GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-January 2012 / Mid-February 2012

LETTERS TO THE ECHO

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 Echo welcomes 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 Echo reserves the right to edit and proofread letters. Send your words to The Grand Valley Echo, gve@crystalvalleyecho.com, or 274 Redstone Blvd., Redstone, CO 81623. Please be sure to include your name, title if necessary, and where you live. Thanks.

Thanks for the new sidewalk Dear Echo: I often walk to work. During the past year, it has been a little too adventurous at times as I've trudged through the snow up the hill without a sidewalk, and at times just walking in the dark while donned with my reflective vest.

Why take that risk? For a few reasons. For FUN (I get to slow down enough to enjoy the beautiful countryside), FITNESS (it is about the only time I get exercise), and FINANCES (because I'm not able to afford a second car yet).

I once witnessed a mother with a child in a stroller attempting this dangerous walk. Recently, the sidewalk was completed to allow us walkers a safer path.

To all that have been involved in helping with that process, I want to say "THANK YOU!" Sincerely, "Dr. H" Bruce W. Hoggan DDS H~Dentistry Parachute

Community Park project will take time, money and effort Dear Echo: Obviously, many proposed community projects

designed to improve the community and provide amenities will have a number of opinions regarding the efficacy of these projects. The Community Park initiative is no different. But if citizens of Parachute and Battlement Mesa are to have a meaningful dialogue regarding this issue, then it is important to distinguish opinion from fact.

Granted, there are several “open spaces” in Battlement Mesa that some have suggested should be used as park sites. In reality, the only site that is actually designated as a park site is the 5.3 acres adjacent to Grand Valley Middle School. This site has the necessary size to accommodate parking, is centrally located, and is visible. Most importantly, the Parachute/Battlment Mesa Park and Recreation Department has earmarked funds specifically for use in the development of this particular park site.

Certainly, important issues of both short-term and long-term funding, maintenance and so forth are legitimate questions to be asked. These important questions will absolutely need to have satisfactory answers. We recognize that it will take time, money and a great deal of effort to resolve each of these important issues. If we are to develop a unique community park as a centerpiece of our twin communities that families, individuals and visitors can be proud of, then it would be absolutely foolish and detrimental to “rush” this process.

We laud the suggestion that Common Ground work to enhance the amenities we already have available to us. We welcome any thoughts or ideas that will enhance our communities. Common Ground is

certainly willing to consider assisting in any practical project that will be of benefit to the residents of Parachute and Battlement Mesa.

However, it should also be noted that Common Ground has absolutely no authority beyond our volunteerism. We can’t do anything about the rocks on private land adjacent to Kum ‘n’ Go nor do we have any input as to improving water temperature at the activity center’s swimming pool or as to how the activity center intends to use their surrounding space. Resolution of these concerns would be best addressed to the corporate offices of Kum ‘n’ Go and the Battlement Mesa Metropolitian District respectively.

Common Ground is comprised of citizens from Parachute and Battlement Mesa who are committed to working together for a better community. In addition to volunteering to assist with the Community Park project, Common Ground has helped organize and fund the Family Food & Flick Fest this summer and the Veterans Day banquet. We welcome any resident of Battlement Mesa or Parachute who is interested in contributing their time and energy for the betterment of our two communities to attend our monthly meetings, which are held every fourth Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. at the activity center.

Jerry Mohrlang Common Ground member Battlement Mesa

echonewspapers.com Thank you to this month’s contributors: 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.

Parachute Valley Senior Center, Jeanne Miles, Annick Pruett, Renee Langstaff, Anne Huber, Mitzi Burkhart, Jill Lacy, Kathy Germano,

MISSION STATEMENT To provide a voice for local schools, nonprofit groups and civic organizations; to bring attention to the 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 Echo is published monthly, and is distributed throughout Battlement Mesa and Parachute.

Subscriptions are available for a $35 annual fee.

Jim Klink, Betsy Leonard, Dick Ciprich, PUBLISHER/DESIGNER ALYSSA OHNMACHT EDITOR CARRIE CLICK ADVERTISING SALES BARBARA PAVLIN

285-7634 DISTRIBUTION/CIRCULATION STEVE PAVLIN Dawn Distribution • 963-0874

274 REDSTONE BLVD., REDSTONE, COLORADO 81623 970-963-2373 • gve@crystalvalleyecho.com

Charlie Hornick, Keith Lammey, Chuck Hall, M.E. Denomy, Battlement Mesa Metropolitan District, Dr. Scott Lybrook, Sarah Hunter, Rebecca Ruland, Luke Runyon, Kiwanis Club, Tanny McGinnis, Mary Anderson, Whitney Manning, Barbara Barker, Ken Haptonstall, Veronica Duran, Nancy Chromy, Eric Sarno

GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-January 2012 / Mid-Febrauary 2012, Page 3

Recycle outlet has lots in store 2nd Time Around has moved to a larger location in Parachute

By Dick Ciprich, Echo contributor There’s no reason why perfectly good, used construction materials can’t be recycled and used again.

That’s what’s behind The 2nd Time Around Recycle Outlet, which recently moved to a larger location on First Street in Parachute.

“We have now completed our move to have more space and provide our customers with a lot more items on display,” said store owner Ron Casto, who said he decided to start the business when he saw that many people he knew were recycling items from remodeled or demolished homes and buildings.

Ron is proud of the experience he and his staff share, and he’s happy to be creating local job opportunities.

“We feature a staff that has more than 40 years of experience working with construction and redecorating items,” he said. “It’s experience you can trust.

We’ve created one full-time job and three part-time jobs already!”

Ron said the store’s mission is to provide customers with mostly free pickups and disposal of unwanted items that are recyclable, as well as to provide quality products at highly discounted rates. The store gives locals an opportunity to upgrade homes and offices on a budget with recycled home and construction materials, and there’s a wide variety of available items, both new and gently used, plus building resources, too.

“Our business offers tons of items for builders and private individuals,” Ron said. “Right now, we can refer you to an installation expert who will work for a fair price. In the future, our operations will expand to handle most installations ourselves.”

The outlet carries a big selection of bathroom fixtures, sinks and tubs, and a huge array of cabinetry, both new and used. A wide selection of doors and windows is available, which feature beautiful interior and exterior models, wood, metal or glass, and some very ornate.

There are fireplaces, toilets, tubs, Jacuzzis, lighting fixtures new in boxes, a new furnace, air conditioners, coolers, heaters, stainless sinks, mirrors, storage counters, shelving units, and even a stainless steel commercial grill unit. In the lumber area, tongue and groove siding is neatly stacked. Many different kinds of wood are available, including trim, siding and flooring, and studs of varying sizes. And a full wall of hardware items, nuts, and bolts is on site as well.

Ron said the store re-sells items to people looking for unique windows, lighting, and bathroom fixtures and many other items that have both character and affordability. If you are looking for something specific and do not see it, ask Ron or one of his staff. They might just have it available at a discounted retail price.

Whether you are remodeling your home or just looking for a new door, The 2nd Time Around has numerous items for your needs, and the inventory changes nearly every day. You never know what you will find.

The 2nd Time Around Recycle Outlet is at 243 First St., Parachute, 285-5656. Business hours are Monday-

B U S I N E S S

The 2nd Time Around Recycle Outlet recently moved to a Photos by Dick Ciprich large space.

Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; closed noon - 1 p.m. for lunch.

The website is being reconstructed to reflect the store’s new location; it’s at the2ndtimearoundrecycleoutlet.com.

Page 4, GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-January 2012 / Mid-February 2012

GO GRAND VALLEY

Your calendar for goings on in and around Parachute and Battlement Mesa Help our calendar grow; let us know. Send public event items to gve@crystalvalleyecho.com. Be sure to include the five Ws (who, what, when, why and where), contact info, cost and anything else readers need to know.

• Jan. 17: 10 a.m.-12 p.m. A paper-folding workshop is at the Parachute Branch Library. Limit of eight so call to reserve a spot. 285-9870.

• Jan. 17: 12-2 p.m. Ladies Who Do Lunch Bunch feature “The Kabul Beauty School” at the Parachute Branch Library. 285-9870.

• Jan. 18: 10 a.m. Toddler Story Time is at the Parachute Branch Library. 285-9870.

• Feb. 14: 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Tackle it Tuesday project work day at Parachute Branch Library. Drop in for as much time as you want, but dinner reservations required. Call the library at 285-9870.

• Feb. 14: 7 p.m. The Page Turners Book Club features “Bride’s House” by Sandra Dallas, at the Parachute Branch Library. 285-9870.

• Jan. 18: 2-3:30 p.m. Meet the author Marilyn Barnewall, of “When the Swan’s Neck Breaks,” and “Flight of the Black Swan” at the Parachute Branch Library. Sign up at 285-9870.

ONGOING

• Jan. 18: 10 a.m. Bilingual Story Time is at the Parachute Branch Library. 285-9870.

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

• Jan. 20: 11 a.m. Ready to Read Story Time at the Parachute Branch Library. 285-9870.

• Jan. 21: 2-3 p.m. A resume-building workshop is at the Parachute Branch Library. Pre-register, 2859870.

• Jan. 21: 2 p.m. The Grand Valley Historical Society holds its winter meeting, featuring author Robert Silbernagel who will discuss his book “Troubled Trails,” about the Meeker Massacre, at the Battlement Mesa Schoolhouse. Donations requested for non-members; free to members.

• Jan. 25: 10 a.m. Toddler Story Time is at the Parachute Branch Library. 285-9870.

• Jan. 26: 10 a.m. Bilingual Story Time is at the Parachute Branch Library. 285-9870.

• Jan. 27: 11 a.m. Ready to Read Story Time at the Parachute Branch Library. 285-9870.

• Feb. 2: 10 a.m. Bilingual Story Time is at the Parachute Branch Library. 285-9870.

• Feb. 2: 6:30-9 p.m. Battlement Mesa Activity Center hosts ladies night out, featuring dinner and dessert, fitness class demonstrations, craft projects and activities. $15/person. Sign up and pay at the front desk by Jan. 26. 285-9480.

• Feb. 3: 11 a.m. Ready to Read Story Time at the Parachute Branch Library. 285-9870.

• Feb. 4: 8:30-8:45 a.m. CARE Pet Food Bank distributes food to those needing help feeding their dogs and cats, at the Kum ‘n’ Go parking lot at Tamarisk Trail and Stone Quarry Road in Battlement Mesa.

947-9173.

• Feb. 8: 10 a.m. Toddler Story Time is at Parachute Branch Library. 285-9870.

• Feb. 9: 10 a.m. Bilingual Story Time is at the Parachute Branch Library. 285-9870.

• Feb. 9: 12 p.m. Parachute/Battlement Mesa Chamber of Commerce meeting is at the Battlement Mesa Firehouse. Pizza and drinks compliments of the Chamber.

• Feb. 10: 11 a.m. Ready to Read Story Time at the Parachute Branch Library. 285-9870.

• Feb. 14: 10 a.m. The “Love Your Pet” program features Sandy Sekeres of Rifle who trains therapy dogs at this Tips, Topics and Talks on Tuesday event at the Parachute Valley Senior Center, 540 N. Parachute Ave.

• Starting in 2012, the Battlement Mesa Company’s Community Coffee Talks will take place on a quarterly basis. The next gathering will be in March.

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

• Every Monday from 12-1 p.m. the Grand Valley United Methodist Church serves a free soup lunch at the church at 132 Parachute Ave. • The fourth Monday of every month, the Grand Valley Sew and Sew Quilters meet at 9:30 a.m. at the Battlement 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 caregiver support group meets from 10-11 a.m. at the Grand Valley United Methodist Church, 132 N. Parachute Ave., 800-272-3900, 987-3184.

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

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

• Seniors age 60 and older and disabled of any age may ride The Traveler, a wheelchair-accessible van with door-to-door service from Parachute to Glenwood Springs and to various towns and locations in between in Garfield County. Suggested donation is $8 round trip. The Traveler also travels from Parachute to Grand Junction the second Thursday of the month. Donation is $20 round trip.

Call 48 hours in advance for reservations and information at 625-1366.

• The second Tuesday of every month at 3:30 p.m. the Battlement Mesa Service Association’s Oil and Gas Committee meets at the Battlement Mesa Activity Center.

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

• Grand Mesa Chorus rehearses every Tuesday from 6:30-9:30 p.m., at the Redlands United Methodist Church, 527 Village Way, Grand Junction. All women age 16 and older are welcome to audition. Call Shirley at 255-9419, grandmesachorus.org.

• Neighborhood Watch meets the second Tuesday

of the month at 7 p.m. at Parachute Town Hall, 222 Grand Valley Way, Parachute. 285-7630.

• The Glenwood Springs Chapter of HEARTBEAT – Support for Survivors After Suicide – is open to anyone who has suffered the loss of a loved one through suicide – no matter how long ago. This peer group meets the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Glenwood Springs. Use the Bethel Chapel entrance of the church, 824 Cooper Street. Call Pam Szedelyi, 945-1398, e-mail pamsz@sopris.net.

• The second Tuesday or Wednesday of every month at 6:30 p.m., the Parachute/Battlement Mesa Park and Recreation District Board of Directors meets at the recreation district office, 259 Cardinal Way, Parachute, 285-0388, parachutebattlementparkandrecreation.org.

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

• Every Wednesday at 11:30 a.m., the Parachute Valley Senior Center hosts a luncheon prepared by the Rifle Senior Center. $2.50 for those over 60. Reservations taken Mondays 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 Committee meets at the Battlement Mesa Activity Center. Open to the public. 285-9432.

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

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

• Common Ground meets the fourth Wednesday of the month at 3:30 p.m. at the Battlement Mesa Activity Center. The group is comprised of citizens from Parachute and Battlement Mesa who are committed to working together for a better community.

All residents interested in contributing their time and energy for the betterment of Battlement and Parachute are encouraged to attend.

• Every Thursday at 10 a.m. (except the first Thursday of the month), the Prayer Shawl Ministry meets at the Grand Valley United Methodist Church, 132 N. Parachute, Parachute. Call Sharon, 2852318, or the church, 285-9892, to join in.

• Every Friday from 9-9:30 a.m. “Community Connections” hosts interviews with community members on KSUN 103.9 FM. • Saturdays at 7 p.m., the Parachute Valley Senior Center hosts Bingo Night with cash prizes. Players bring a snack to share; come and bring a friend. The senior center is at 540 N. Parachute Ave., at the intersection of County Road 215 and North Parachute Avenue, 285-6492.

GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-January 2012 / Mid-Febrauary 2012, Page 5

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VA L L E Y

Chuck Hall and Bob Arrington check the time to determine when to begin the Cash for Christmas Raffle on Dec. 16, while Dusty Richards waits to start selecting the winning tickets.

Kiwanis Club holds successful Cash for Christmas Raffle

By Chuck Hall, Kiwanis Club of Grand Valley/Parachute The Kiwanis Club of Grand Valley/Parachute recently completed its annual Cash for Christmas Raffle. The Kiwanians began selling this year’s raffle tickets at the Parachute/Battlement Mesa Park and Rec's annual craft fair on Nov. 19. Tickets were also sold several times a week at the City Market in Rifle and Clark's Market in Battlement Mesa. The last of the 1,500 tickets were sold on Dec. 16.

Several Kiwanians and several members of the public gathered at Alpine Bank in Battlement Mesa for this year’s drawing of the five winning tickets. Dusty Richards of Alpine Bank agreed to select the tickets. The results were: First place - Opal Morganthaler - $650 Second place - Zoe Lindauer - $350 Third place - Lynn Shore - $250 Fourth place - Kaitlyn Randol - $150 Fifth place - Laurel Koning - $100 The proceeds from the Cash for Christmas Raffle will be used for scholarships and youth projects within the community.

Dusty Richards draws the first place ticket as Chuck Hall looks on.

Photos courtesy of Kiwanis Club

Encana supports senior center

On Dec. 7, Sher Long, stakeholder relations advisor for Encana Oil & Gas, center, presented a $1,500 check to Jim Ervin, vice president of the Parachute Valley Senior Center, right. Treasurer Jeanette Osmon, left, also was on hand to receive the donation, part of Encana's ongoing Community Investment Program.

Photo courtesy of Mitzi Burkhart

New movie theater gives back

In December, John Brenden, left, owner of the new Brenden Theater Rifle 7 movie theater, donated $4,000 to Meals on Wheels, which delivers more than 10,000 meals annually to western Garfield County residents through his Brenden Mann Foundation. The foundation also donated $8,000 to Grand River's Mammography Program, which provides funding to women who qualify for the program. Both programs are administered through the Grand River Hospital District (GRHD). Here, GRHD CEO Jim Coombs, center, and Grand River Meals on Wheels Manager Kaaren Peck, right, accept their donations from John Brenden. For more information about these and other programs, go to grhd.org.

Photo courtesy of Annick Pruett

Page 6, GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-January 2012 / Mid-February 2012

H I S T O RY

New ASE Mechanic Gunther Boldt

Grand Valley Historical Society meeting features “Troubled Trails” author The Grand Valley Historical Society (GVHS) is holding its annual winter meeting on Jan. 21 at 2 p.m. at the Battlement Mesa Schoolhouse. The program will feature Robert Silbernagel, the editorial page editor for the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. Robert is also the author of "Troubled Trails,” the recently published historical book that traces the events that led up to the Meeker Massacre and its aftermath.

Mike Perry, director of the Museum of Western Colorado, calls "Troubled Trails" "a powerful and provocative story that draws us into the time and mind of western Colorado during the 1870s and ‘80s." Robert will discuss these events and have on hand copies of his book for purchase.

There will be a short business meeting held prior to Robert’s presentation and refreshments will be served after the program. All are welcome to attend. Non-members of the GVHS are asked for a donation, and as always, members are free.

The GVHS hopes that you can make this informative and interesting presentation on a bit of local Colorado history.

“We will treat your vehicle like it’s our own… with your safety in mind.”

– Owners, Bonnie & Bobby Hancock

Hours: Mon. - Fri., 8 am to 6 pm Sat. by appt.

– Jim Klink, Grand Valley Historical Society

We have 3 bays open for auto repair & a 4th bay coming soon!

We do brakes, exhaust, struts, shocks, front end & rear end work. We offer fleet management.

CORRECTION The correct spelling of last month’s Student of the Month is

Zach Kelty Shommy’s Restaurant is proud to sponsor the Student of the Month

Shop locally and support your local chamber businesses!

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

The Colorado Heritage Group 73 Sipprelle Drive Suite J-1 Battlement Mesa ,CO 81635

MARY LEE MOHRLANG Cell (970) 216-5058 MaryLee@KW.com BRANDY SWANSON Cell (970) 319-3574 BrandySwanson@KW.com

February 9, 2012 Parachute-Battlement Mesa Area Chamber of Commerce General Meeting 12:00 p.m.

Battlement Mesa Firehouse Pizza and Drinks compliments of the Chamber Guest Speakers: Donna Gray and Susan Alvillar Topic: Williams Production and WPX Energy Reservations Required: call Sue @ 618-6056 JOIN THE PARACHUTE-BATTLEMENT MESA CHAMBER FOR 2012 Call Mary Lee @ 216-5058 for a membership form.

GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-January 2012 / Mid-Febrauary 2012, Page 7

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PARACHUTE/BATTLEMENT MESA PARK AND RECREATION DISTRICT - “WHERE THE FUN BEGINS”

Eric Sarno joins Park and Rec as new program supervisor

By Parachute/Battlement Mesa Park and Recreation District Executive Director Mary Anderson

Programs

Introducing Eric Sarno, Parachute/Battlement Mesa Park and Recreation District’s new program supervisor My name is Eric Sarno. I was born and raised in Fort Collins, Colo. I have an older sister, Amy, 26, and a younger brother, Adam, 19. I graduated in May from Fort Lewis College with a degree in sports administration and a minor in coaching.

Sports has always been a passion of mine, soccer being my favorite. I have soccer coaching experience with the Durango Youth Soccer Association, Durango High School, and most recently served as the Grand Valley boys head coach this fall. I also have been involved in youth programs/missions in Uganda, East Africa along with Central and South America.

I am new to the Western Slope and am excited to spend the next chapter of my life here. This is a great community and I am looking forward to building the park and recreation district's programs. My fiancée, Brittany, is an accountant in Glenwood Springs.

I look forward to meeting many new friends and acquaintances during the next few months.

Volleyball Team Medina: Back row, Danny Medina, Ike Pittman, Chella Davis; center row, Holly Gardner and Cher Medina; laying down, Tyler Radel.

Adult Coed Volleyball: Seven teams are playing against each other each Tuesday night at the Battlement Mesa Activity Center gym. Games are held at 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. There’s fun for everyone, and a babysitting service available during the games for participants’ children. This began on Jan. 10 and will continue for approximately eight weeks.

Youth Girls Volleyball: Third-eighth graders are welcome. Practices are held on Mondays and Tuesdays at St John Elementary’s gymnasium and began on Jan. 9. The games will be held on Saturdays in February. Marilyn Bulger is the head coach.

Youth Basketball for Boys: Youth basketball for boys began on Jan. 9 and will run through the first weekend in March for third-sixth grade boys. This is a league with the other area towns. Practices are held twice a week with games held on Saturdays. Teams are full, with one third-fourth grade team that is being coached by Juliene Metcalf and two fifth-sixth grade teams, one coached by Doug Pfau, who is being assisted by A.J. Buffington and the other coached by Mike Higginbotham.

Youth Wrestling: Pre-registration is encouraged and is open now. Kindergarten-sixth grades is held March through May annually. Open to both boys and girls. Tony Serna will be the head coach. Fee to participate is $100, which includes fees into six league tournaments.

Youth Spring Soccer: Registration for spring soccer is due by Jan. 19. Fees are $65 per participant. This is a competitive league. This program begins with practices in March. Early registration is required due to the large number of teams to be scheduled throughout the league. There are two divisions: a boys division and a girls division.

These are for ages 8-13 years old and are classified as U10, U12 and U14 divisions. There will be no coed teams.

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

Tiny Tot Basketball participants with Coaches Cher and Danny Medina, and Program Supervisor Danny Manzanares.

Mountain Temporary Services Volleyball Team: From left, Jace Braun holding his daughter, Tod Smith, April Norwood, and Luis Murillo; front row, Lyndsey Anderson.

Tiny Tots Coach Cher Medina with, from left, Jimmy Keif, Uriel Delarosa, Devin Reid, and Aarya Tanner.

Sponsored by Parachute/Battlement Mesa Park & Recreation District 285-0388 • Where the Fun Begins"

Page 8, GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-January 2012 / Mid-February 2012

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Coexisting with the energy industry An Aspen Public Radio series looks at Battlement Mesa

By Luke Runyon, Aspen Public Radio Editor’s note: The Grand Valley Echo is partnering with Aspen Public Radio (APR) by publishing a threepart series that recently aired on the community radio station, which serves Rifle to Avon, Glenwood Springs to Aspen. We think it’s important that Parachute and Battlement Mesa residents are aware of what is being broadcast about their communities, and we believe that Aspen Public Radio reporters are offering fair and balanced reporting. We thank APR for allowing us to print the script for these broadcasts. For the January Echo, here is the first of APR’s three stories.

Drive west on 1-70 and a change in the landscape is evident almost as soon as you pull out of Glenwood Springs: natural gas wells dot the highway. Their prevalence is not new, but the industry is growing and with that growth comes serious public policy debates.

We looked into what’s at stake for the industry and for residents concerned about their health. Here is one example of what happens when oil and gas operations attempt to coexist in a densely populated neighborhood.

"Here in Colorado we climb, raft, and sleep beneath our state's natural resources,” declares a recent television ad airing throughout the state. “Now these resources can power our future too. We're sit-

ting on top of large reserves of abundant, affordable, reliable natural gas.”

If you’ve watched any TV in the past few years, that probably sounds familiar. The message of reliable natural gas accompanies images of families sitting in front of the fireplace and serious guys in hard hats "With Colorado natural gas, our energy future looks bright,” the ad continues, “and our economic future does too."

The message is simple: Drilling creates jobs... it jump starts the economy... and weans the US off foreign oil. But in Battlement Mesa, some residents are unconvinced.

Paul Light is a longtime resident of Battlement Mesa. He’s 79 and moved to Battlement from Pennsylvania. Retirement brought Paul to this small community of homes just across the river from Parachute.

Battlement Mesa sits atop a rich supply of natural gas but most of the residents won’t stand to benefit.

The mineral rights below their homes are owned by oil and gas companies, some of which are actively pursuing development. And the mesa’s reserve of natural gas could draw a new wave of drilling, literally in their backyards.

Two years ago Antero Resources, a drilling company, proposed some new wells, but unlike past proposals from other companies Antero wants to drill inside Battlement Mesa’s limits. Up until now, most wells were outside the community’s boundaries. Antero’s proposal is expansive: 200 new wells.

Some of Battlement Mesa’s retirees are not keen

on the idea, and not just because the wells are eyesores. They are afraid for their health. This is where the story changes from community concerns versus oil and gas riches to a test of political will.

It begins with something called the Battlement Mesa Health Impact Assessment, or HIA. It's a long title, but a central part of the debate over the future of Antero’s planned 200 wells.

Dr. Roxana Witter is with the University of Colorado's School of Public Health. She led a research team that compiled data and eventually wrote the HIA. It was billed as one of the first studies of its kind in the country to link natural gas drilling to negative long-term health problems.

"We found that it was possible that citizens would be exposed to air emissions and that there is a possibility of having health effects as a result of those air emissions,” said Dr. Witter.

Witter says her team looked not just at drilling, but what other environmental impacts come with it, among them, truck traffic, road construction and increased water use. The report found that if Antero is allowed to proceed with the drilling plan, “it has the potential to pollute the air and hurt public health.”

The report was meant to be a guide for the Garfield County Commissioners on how to handle this fast growing industry, but it was never finished.

Commissioners voted to quash the study last year.

Nearly everyone I spoke with, on either side of the issue, cited politics as the culprit. Whose politics were at play depends on who you ask.

Continued on next page

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GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-January 2012 / Mid-Febrauary 2012, Page 9

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O I L

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G A S

GRAND VALLEY ENERGY A monthly column by M.E. Denomy, CPA

Scratching the surface

Happy New Year, everyone – let’s make it a really good one. I’d like to start this year by going through some of the rules that the oil and gas industry must follow during their use of our lands.

The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission has extensive rules covering the use of our lands. These rules include many different facets of the disturbance that oil and gas companies have to make in order to drill.

For example, energy companies must segregate soil and save it to be used when the well is reclaimed. They are to minimize land use and erosion. Dust control is also required. They are encouraged to consolidate facilities and pipeline rights of way to minimize adverse impacts to wildlife, wetlands and riparian habitats.

Companies have to implement and maintain best management practices concerning storm water runoff. They are required to clean up debris and reclaim the site within 12 months after drilling is completed. Reseeding with species consistent with the plants or grasses in the area shall be done in the first favorable season following the last rig removed.

Our state also has a Noxious Weed Act that covers the responsibility that the oil and gas companies have to control weeds on their well sites during drilling, production and reclamation. There are also requirements concerning the final treatment of the pits that are used to store drilling and fracking fluids.

A lot of the rules also require that oil and gas companies submit their surface use and reclamation plans directly to the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. So before the companies can even break the surface to get to the oil and gas underground, they spend a lot of time analyzing, planning and working out the kinks so that they can begin drilling for the pot of gold underground.

Mary Ellen Denomy, CPA, is a Battlement Mesa resident and an accredited petroleum accountant She has been nationally recognized as an expert in oil and gas issues. Mary Ellen is the immediate past president of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the National Association of Royalty Owners. If you have questions, contact her at the naro-us.org website or through the Echo.

Coexisting continued from previous page www.bmac-co.org 970-285-9480 MAKE JANUARY YOUR “BACK TO FITNESS” MONTH! BALLROOM DANCE, Instructor Laurel Koning INDOOR CYCLING, Instructor Cheri Brandon BELLY DANCE with Nylena BEGINNING YOGA, Instructor Debra Streit WATER, POWER, SCULPT, Instructor Michelle Bargas EVENING WATER AEROBICS, Instructor Debbie Wolchek TAEKWON DO, Instructor Bob Haynes “STEP IT UP”, Instructor Kyle Grambley PICKLE BALL, For more info: Jack Elsea 285-1200 KUNG FU, Instructor Tom Doudy ZUMBA AND TOTAL BODY FITNESS WILL BE RETURNING SOON - CALL FOR INFORMATION

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

David Ludlam runs the West Slope office of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association. He’s worked closely with the researchers to come up with a report the industry felt was fair. David says that didn’t happen.

"I think unfortunately the health impact assessment became politicized in a way that was not helpful,” said David.

To David and the oil companies he represents, the HIA was hijacked by drilling opponents. He claims it was being used as a weapon by environmentalists and what he calls fringe groups. In fact even in its draft form, the report started showing up as evidence in lawsuits against the industry.

David questions the report’s merits and he dismisses it as non-scientific.

Paul Light believes heavy lobbying backed by deep pockets in the natural gas industry quashed any chance of having a final and definitive report. Leaving it in draft form, they say, diluted its power.

Nevertheless the study might have had an effect. Antero has temporarily shelved its proposal and no drilling permits are slated to come before the county commissioners any time soon. We tried repeatedly to reach someone at Antero Resources to comment, but our calls were not returned.

Despite the project’s pause, some of Battlement Mesa’s residents are not resting. Last fall, a class action lawsuit was filed against Antero on behalf of the entire community of Battlement Mesa. A focal point of the suit is that drilling 200 gas wells near homes will hurt residents’ health.

Next month: Some of Battlement Mesa’s retirees begin to take the complex science of public health into their own hands.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Page 10, GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-January 2012 / Mid-February 2012

GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-January 2012 / Mid-Febrauary 2012, Page 11

Echo Briefs Two board positions to be open at Battlement Mesa Metropolitan District The Battlement Mesa Metropolitan District (BMMD) will hold a regular election on May 8 to fill the positions of two outgoing board members. Upon election, the new directors will both serve one four-year term.

If you are interested in running for a director position, a self-nomination and acceptance form or letter must be filed with the designated election official of the district on or before the close of business on March 2.

Self-nomination and acceptance forms and an affidavit of intent to be a write-in candidate forms are available upon request from: Battlement Mesa Metropolitan District Manager, 401 Arroyo Dr., Parachute 81635, 285-9050.

– Battlement Mesa Metropolitan District

Rig moves in December and January In late December, the Echo received the following notice from the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office.

WPX Energy has quite a few rig moves going on.

• Frontier 10 has moved down County Road 5 and Highway 13 in Rio Blanco County to the Highway bypass around Rifle, onto the interstate at West Rifle and west to Utah.

• Cyclone 30 has moved down West Divide Creek across the Silt River Bridge onto the Interstate, exiting at Rulison and will be located on the north side of the interstate.

• H&P 278 has moved down Spring Creek over the Una Bridge, east on Highway 6 through the Town of Parachute and onto eastbound I-70, exit at West Rifle, around the bypass, north on Highway 13.

• Nabors 573 has moved from Rulison west on 309 Road, north on 323 Road onto the Interstate eastbound at Rulison, exiting at Silt, crossing the River Bridge, up West Divide Creek onto the Kokopelli lease.

Starting Jan. 2: • H&P 271 has moved west on 301 Road to Battlement Parkway, through Parachute to the Highway 6 frontage road to just past the 301 Road.

If anyone has issues with these moves, please call Tanny McGinnis’ cell phone at 216-3878 at the sheriff’s office. If you have a complaint, please provide information about time, place, what happened, and the names on vehicles.

– Tanny McGinnis, Garfield County Sheriff’s Office

Ski bus to Sunlight running on Saturdays The annual ski bus to Sunlight has already been transporting riders from Parachute to Sunlight Mountain Resort on Saturdays. The bus leaves at 7:15 a.m. from the old Kum ‘n’ Go on Tamarisk Trail in Parachute and returns to the same location at 5:40 p.m.

You must pre-register to ride the bus by calling 6656570. Seating is limited. Season passes are $15. Leave your name, phone number, pick-up location, date of the ride, and any special instructions.

The Parachute/Battlement Mesa Park and Recreation District is helping to sponsor this weekly bus to Sunlight.

– Mary Anderson, Parachute/Battlement Mesa Park and Recreation District

G O V E R N M E N T

The Battlement Mesa Service Association

The status quo

By Battlement Mesa Service Association President Keith Lammey

Welcome to 2012! Like most of you, I look forward to a new year because new years are a good time to reflect and evaluate the past year and to plan for the new year. The new year is our new, fresh start.

Every year I adopt a new theme as part of my new year’s planning. My theme for 2012 is, “The status quo is just not good enough.” I chose this theme because sometimes it is very hard to push yourself beyond the status quo, so I need to be reminded. You see, I have discovered that, when things are hard, the status quo feels like it’s good enough. It’s just too hard to do more. Hopefully the new theme will serve as a constant reminder that I need to stay focused and moving forward.

I invite you to join me in this new theme because what we’ve been doing simply isn’t good enough for Battlement Mesa. We can do more, we should do more, and we need to do more to improve our community, to develop our community and to take advantage of all of the opportunities that we have to make this not just a good, but a great place to live. In short, the status quo just isn’t good enough.

Recently I reread one of my favorite books, which was written by the adventurist and author Alan Hobson. His book, “Power of Passion… Achieve Your Own Everests,” tells the story about his attempts to climb Mount Everest. In 1991, he and his friend, Jamie Clark, attempted to climb Mount Everest. His critics would say that his 1991 attempt was a failure but Alan would just tell you that “they weren’t successful in their 1991 attempt.” He wouldn’t say that they failed. In 1994, they came back with another plan, but still were not successful. In 1997, however, they make it to the top of Mount Everest which, of course, is simply the highest point on this planet – 29,028 feet.

According to Alan Hobson, it is more important to have a dream than to have a way to achieve it because if the power of our passion is strong enough, we will figure out a way to make our dreams a reality. I think that Alan is right. First you have to have the dream then you have to believe that it can happen.

Breaking out of the status quo is a two-step process. First, we have to define our dream. What is it that we most want to do? What is it that we most need to do in order to achieve success, however we define it? Once we have defined our dream, there is a very important second step.

We need to find our passion. We need to figure out why the dream is important and dig deep to make it happen.

I don’t know about you, but I believe that Battlement Mesa IS “The Colorado Dream” and I think that, together, we can make the dream come true. We just need to find our passion for the dream.

When we’re temped to settle for the status quo, I hope that we’ll remember Dr. Heartsil Wilson’s poem, “A New Day.” This is the beginning of a new day.

God has given me this day to use as I will.

I can waste it – or use it for good, But what I do today is important, because I am exchanging a day of my life for it.

When tomorrow comes, This day will be gone forever, Leaving in its place Something that I have traded for it.

I want it to be gain, And not loss; Good, and not evil; Success, and not failure; In order that I shall not regret The price that I have paid for it.

The status quo just isn’t good enough when you’re trading a year of your life for it. I invite you to join me in my 2012 slogan. Let’s come together. Let’s find our Dream! Let’s pursue our passion of making Battlement Mesa, Colorado the place where our dreams come true.

echonewspapers.com check us out!

Page 12, GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-January 2012 / Mid-February 2012

N O N P R O F I T S

Mt. Callahan Community Fund Advocate Safehouse Project serves Parachute and Battlement Mesa communities

The Colorado Heritage Group FIRST CLASS LIVING Beautiful patio setting, easy care exterior. Luxurious home- vacation, full time or part time living.

Battlement Mesa - $199,900

By Whitney Manning, Advocate Safehouse Project Community Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator In this column, the Mt. Callahan Community Fund (MCCF) invites representatives of local nonprofits that MCCF has funded to write about their organizations so you can get to know about these groups and how they benefit Parachute and Battlement Mesa.

The Advocate Safehouse Project (ASP) wishes to sincerely thank the Mt. Callahan Community Fund for their financial support of our services. Due to the generosity of our community and foundations like Mt. Callahan Community Fund, ASP is able to offer all of our confidential services completely free of charge to our clients.

As the only organization in Garfield County to provide services for victims and survivors of both domestic violence and sexual assault, the Advocate Safehouse Project works diligently to ensure that all communities in the county are informed of our presence and able to access our services.

Beyond our Safehouse program, ASP offers a 24-hour Help Line that links callers to our services and other community agencies while providing peer support and guidance to callers experiencing the difficulties and isolation of victimization. Our Help Line is often the first connection a victim makes with ASP but often, a call to our Help Line can begin a journey towards healing the trauma of abuse.

Client advocates at ASP are available to support each client in discovering their personal steps towards safety, empowerment, and a life free from the fear of abuse. Whether the client’s focus is to obtain legal assistance, long-term housing, counseling for themselves and their children, or simply to voice their struggle to another, ASP’s advocates are passionate about meeting individual clients’ needs.

Other services include support groups that meet weekly in Rifle and Glenwood Springs as well as our Outreach program. Outreach efforts are aimed to prevent domestic violence and sexual assault by educating students and community groups on these issues while focusing on reaching minority groups such as the Latino community, young adults and male victims, who all too often suffer in silence. To best serve the Latino community, Spanish-speaking advocates are available on our 24-hour Help Line and in the office.

In spite of the underreported nature of domestic violence and sexual assault, the confidentiality of all our services eases the concern for victims in need of a trusted support system. In 2009 and 2010 combined, ASP worked with 1,062 clients, 80 of whom resided in the communities of Parachute and Battlement Mesa. In 2010 alone, the Safehouse Program sheltered 26 families with 28 children for a total of 1,450 nights of safety.

A recent client of ASP’s came into the Safehouse after years of suffering abuse from the hands of her husband. The seriousness of her most recent injuries caused her to finally leave the relationship with her 5-year-old child in tow. Frightened yet hopeful to find a better life, the family was able to receive the medical attention they needed and to receive counseling during their stay. The determination of this young woman helped her to find work and affordable housing.

By continuing counseling and remaining in contact with the ASP staff, she works to heal her traumatizing past and to create a future of promise for herself and her daughter.

The courage and hope in each of our clients is truly their key to break out of the cycle of violence. At ASP we strive to actualize our clients’ hope by providing tangible assistance and an empowering network of support. We are so grateful to the Mt. Callahan Community Fund for their financial assistance in helping us achieve our mission of promoting healthy relationships free from violence through education, empowerment, advocacy and safehousing in Garfield County.

Thank you!

If you are interested in learning more about our services or donating to our cause, please call our confidential 24-hour Help Line at 285-0209 or 945-4439. You can also visit our website at advocatesafehouse.org.

GRANITE COUNTER TOPS Large eat-in kitchen with center island. Five bedrooms- three up and two down with large rec. room.

Battlement Mesa - $325,000 PRICE REDUCED! MOVE IN CONDITION New interior paint and carpet.

Eat-in kitchen, laminate flooring.

Garage has 500 sq. ft. of extra storage.

Rifle - $139,900 MF HOME WITH WONDERFUL LOT Large detached garage with an attached covered breezeway. Nice MF home with fenced backyard.

Battlement Mesa - $120,000 RELAXING SURROUNDINGS This townhome could be a weekend retreat or full time residence.

Low maintenance, move-in ready.

Battlement Mesa - $115,000 RANCH ON A QUIET CUL-DE-SAC Vaulted ceilings, walls of windows, large walk-in shower in master.

Floor to ceiling rock fireplace.

Battlement Mesa- $248,000 ADJACENT TO GOLF COURSE Pristine ranch, open airy floorplan with lots of windows. Chef's kitchen with island, oak cabinetry.

Battlement Mesa - $415,000 UPGRADES GALORE / COUNTRY SUBDIVISION MF home with great master suite, lots of TLC and tons of storage.

Covenant free subdivision.

Rifle- 154,900 GREAT VALUE MF HOME Updated and ready to move in.

Efficient kitchen with pass thru bar and eat-in area.

Battlement Mesa - $99,900 GREAT VIEWS / GREAT PRICE Move in ready MF Home on spacious corner leased lot.

Split floorplan, new carpet, all appliances included.

Battlement Mesa - $29,900

XERISCAPED EASY CARE YARD Covered porch and patio, cul-de-sac lot and great views. Sun-lit den, eat-in kitchen, fireplace.

Battlement Mesa - $175,000 COZY BUNGALOW CHARM Enclosed front porch entry.

Large country kitchen.

Flooring and lighting upgrades.

Rifle - $139,000 A CLASSIC CUSTOM HOME Hardwood floors, high ceilings, open sun-filled loft and lovely grounds accent this elegant home.

Battlement Mesa - $390,000

LAND: START WITH THE WORKSHOP Finished shop on 8.38 acres in a covenant protected rural subdivision.

Fantastic scenery, borders BLM Battlement Mesa - $235,000 SPECTACULAR VIEWS FROM 160 ACRES Unimproved, partially fenced, borders some BLM. Zoned single family or agricultural, modular allowed.

DeBeque - $215,000 WONDERFUL WILDERNESS Two parcels of mountain property near Harvey Gap. Great views of the Grand Hogbacks.

Currently landlocked.

Silt - $25,000 and $45,000 A GREAT TIME TO BUY A LOT Lot in Eagles Point with scenic views, open space, walking trails.

Site specific soils available.

Battlement Mesa - $59,900 GET READY TO BUILD YOUR FUTURE Covenant protected community.

Impact fees paid, utilities on site.

Many lots to choose from in two great subdivisions. Building plans and owner financing available.

Battlement Mesa Starting at $69,000 BREAK GROUND THIS SPRING Views in all directions with many options to locate your new home.

Water and sewer tap fees paid.

Battlement Mesa - $59,000 IMAGINE THIS...

Building your dream home on this flat view filled lot located on the 17th green of Battlement Mesa Golf Course. Tap fees have been paid.

Battlement Mesa - $79,900

mohrlang • swanson The NAMES that mean EXCELLENCE in Real Estate…

Sponsored by: Mac & Sara McCurdy

Sponsored by: Barbara Pavlin

Sponsored by: Mary Lee Mohrlang

Sponsored by: Sherry Johnson

Mary Lee Mohrlang, CRS, GRI 970-216-5058 Brandy Swanson, 970-319-3574 73 Sipprelle Drive, Suite J-1, Batlement Mesa, CO 81635

Virtual Tours www.MohrlangJones.com

GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-January 2012 / Mid-Febrauary 2012, Page 13

FUEL Up Your FLEET! AUTOMATED PROPRIETARY CHARGE CARD SYSTEM Available 24 hours daily Car Wash Fleet Card Program Available at the following Phillips 66 Stations

PARACHUTE GRUB N SCRUB

Echo Brief January Is Cervical Health Awareness Month Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers, yet each year more than 11,000 new cases are diagnosed in the United States, and more than 4,000 lives are lost. Pap tests find abnormal cells years before any cancer exists. It’s a simple test and it can save lives.

Last year, the Women’s Wellness Connection, a national women’s health organization, provided more than 12,400 free cervical cancer screenings to eligible women 40-64.

For more information about the program, which also provides free breast cancer screenings, call 866-061-9355 or visit womenswellnessconnection.org or locally, call Jill Lacy at 970-254-5587.

28 Cardinal Way • Parachute

– Jill Lacy, American Cancer Society

Car Wash / Dominos / Shommy’s Restaurant Shommy’s Restaurant Now Open – Asian/American Cuisine

RED RIVER QUICK MART 1-70 at South Rifle • 702 Taghenbaugh Blvd.

Dominos Pizza - 625-0505

THE CORNER STORE & LASER CAR WASH 9th & Railroad • Rifle

Touch Free Carwash / Convenience Store

BOOKCLIFF CAR WASH 1st & West Ave • Rifle

Touch Free Carwash / Convenience Store

Celebrate your Sweetheart

on Valentine’s Day with a Candlelight Dinner at VJ’s

MENU CHOICES: Parmesan Chicken Breast w/Alfredo Pasta $15.95 or VJ’s Special Cut Ribeye Steak for 2 @ $49.95 Dessert included.

SWALLOW OIL COMPANY • 945-8823 WHOLESALE GAS & OIL

Rifle - 970-625-1467 • Eagle - 970-328-7788

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. 81635 970-285-1917 • catering 970-285-7091

Treating Adults & Children Specialist in orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics

NOW SERVING PARACHUTE & BATTLEMENT MESA Brian J. Burton DMD,MS Affordable monthly plans available Most Insurance and credit cards accepted

• Complimentary initial exam • Clear or metal traditional braces • Surgical cases • Invisalign • Temporary Orthodontic Implants • Damon Orthodontist system

101 CARDINAL WAY IN PARACHUTE, CO •

285-6664

TANNING - We have high intense bronzing beds for you serious tanners. Check out our newly installed lamps! Great 12 minute beds, great atmosphere, friendly and attentive staff, clean salon, along with an assortment of tanning lotions for sale.

YOU WON’T BE DISAPPOINTED. MEN’S AND CHILDREN’S HAIRCUTS $15.00 It doesn’t have to be a struggle to get your child a haircut... all children under 12 years of age receive a free gift with their haircut! Most men do not like to make appointments and we do take walk-ins. Please stop by and we will get you in and out.

DRY SKIN - We have a great line of moisturizing salt and sugar scrubs, lip balms, Shea butter and soaps made locally by “Sensory Rehab”. Check out our great selection and scents for sale.

SENIOR DISCOUNTS – for those over 60 receive $3.00 off your haircut any day we are open. Please mention our senior discount.

970-243-6455 225 Callahan Avenue • Parachute, Colorado

Open Mon. - Fri. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. • Sat. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. • Closed Sunday

Page 14, GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-January 2012 / Mid-February 2012

Take a Hint Household How-to Hints by Barbara Barker

Rub onion on your windshield • Your child will find it easier to swallow a pill if you place it in a teaspoon of applesauce rather than giving it to him with water.

Elementary school carolers visit the residents of Mesa Vista.

Mesa Vista News

• Got a knot in a neck chain? Put a drop of salad oil on a piece of wax paper, lay the knot in the oil and work it loose with two straight pins.

• Canvas or rope-trimmed shoes will look newer longer if you spray them with Dri-Fab water repellent spray before the first wearing.

Happy Birthday George Aitkins and Virginia Holub

• Try mixing a chopped apple into cornbread batter for a moist, delicious treat.

By Mesa Vista Assisted Living Residence Activity Director Kathy Germano

• For deliciously different barbecued baked beans, sneak some canned dark sweet cherries into the beans and bake as usual.

• Add a half cup of honey to any coleslaw recipe.

• Popcorn kept in the freezer will stay fresh longer and also helps eliminate “old maids.”

• Always look in the oven before turning it on; you never know what has been placed in there for safekeeping (from those household pets). It is also smart to cook on the back burners when little ones are around. Also turn pot handles towards the back of the stove.

• After putting the kids in the car and fastening their seat belts, have them put their hands on top of their heads and you will know just where their fingers are when you shut the door.

• Never leave children alone in the car; they seem to know instinctively how to release the emergency brake.

• To separate two glasses that are stuck together, put the bottom glass in warm water and pour cold water in the top glass. They will pull apart easily without breaking.

• To prevent the tops sticking to the tubes of glue, rub petroleum jelly around the rim; this also works for paint lids.

• “Dry clean” the dog during winter months by rubbing baking soda into its fur and brushing it out with an old toothbrush.

• Use a soft cloth to apply baby oil to the shower door. This keeps the door shiny and clear and prevents scum build-up from dirt and soap. And hard water spots won’t appear for several months.

• After a good light snow, take those silk flowers that have gathered dust indoors and swish them around in the snow. The snow pulls off the dust and barely dampens the flowers.

• If your car is going to be outside all night in frigid weather, pull up the windshield wipers and coat the windshield with sulfuric compounds – in other words, cut an onion in half and rub the glass with the onion’s cut surface. The coating will prevent the formation of ice on the windshield. Don’t forget to ‘onion-up’ the side view mirrors.

Barbara Barker of Battlement Mesa has lots more of these hints, which she’ll reveal in future issues of the Echo.

Greetings and Happy New Year from Mesa Vista! We had a wonderful holiday season, thanks to so many wonderful people in our community that volunteered their time and resources.

Our annual holiday party was a great success and enjoyed by all who attended. The food was delicious and the entertainment

by Ula on her accordion was delightful.

Thanks to the 4-H Club, the residence was beautifully adorned in holiday décor. We attended the live Nativity scene at Beasley Park and were treated to a visit by Baby Jesus and two baby goats, only 24 hours old. We went on a holiday light tour of Battlement Mesa and the decorations were beautiful. What a show of holiday spirit!

January involves the usual shopping outings and mainly inside activities. If there are any community members who have anything of interest to share with us, please contact me so I can add you to our calendar. Charlotte White provides us with reminiscing at the Good Ol’ Days get togethers every month.

January birthdays are George Aitkins on Jan. 2 and one of our newest family members, Virginia Holub, on Jan. 24. Happy Birthday!

Until next month, stay warm and have a safe and Happy New Year!

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

Senior Center News "Love Your Pet" on Feb. 14 at the senior center

By Mitzi Burkhart

**

**Not valid on Valentine’s Day

What better day than Feb. 14 for the "Love Your Pet" program at 10 a.m. at the Parachute Valley Senior Center? Everyone is welcome to learn how Sandy Sekeres of Rifle trains therapy dogs and how she takes them to schools, libraries, hospitals and nursing homes. This is another Tips, Topics and Talks on Tuesday event.

Sandy, who is retired, will bring a therapy dog to the Tuesday meeting and will explain how she started training both therapy dogs and service dogs 20 years ago. Now 20 other volunteers work with her in the "Paws to Love" and "Paws to Read" programs in the Grand Valley.

Everyone should bring a picture of their pet to the meeting.

There will be time to share pet stories, ask questions and even decorate cookies for refreshments. Don't miss this event, and bring a friend.

The Parachute Valley Senior Center is at 540 N. Parachute Avenue.

GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-January 2012 / Mid-Febrauary 2012, Page 15

H E A LT H

The Tooth of the Matter New Year's resolution: Take care of your oral health

By Dr. Scott Lybrook, DMD Every year, we ring in New Year’s with the intention of adopting a resolution. The logic behind this tradition is to chase away the bad habits of the previous year, leaving a clean slate that provides for good health and fortune in the coming year.

The new year is a great time to resolve and follow through to establish or re-establish good dental health habits for your family. Good dental health requires only a few minutes a day.

Here are five practical suggestions on how to make good on your resolution to improve your smile and overall oral health:

1) Visit the dentist regularly.

Regular dental visits are important to overall dental health.

Be sure to tell your dentist about any medications (new or existing) that you or your children are taking. Parents should make sure their children see the dentist for the first time around their second birthday. Also, ensure every visit includes a comprehensive oral screening and exam. Make sure you have a preventive plan in place for 2012.

2) Eat a nutritious and healthy diet.

Good nutrition plays an important role in dental health.

Eating an orally healthy diet should include a variety of foods from the five main food groups, and limit in between snacks.

Continuous contact with foods and beverages that are high in sugar can negatively affect the teeth and gums. Make a resolution to cut down on the number of sugary drinks and sticky, sugary snacks. Instead, offer your children water and fruits and vegetables for snacks. Also, offer water to your children to drink after meals to help cleanse the teeth.

3) Brush your teeth at least twice a day.

Learning proper brushing techniques is an essential part of maintaining good oral health and preventing gum disease.

Daily brushing helps remove decay-causing plaque from tooth surfaces.

4) Floss daily.

Flossing cleans areas between the teeth where the toothbrush can't reach. Dental floss should be used to floss between teeth at least once a day for two-three minutes. It is important to floss between all teeth in the mouth. Start in the same place each time and work around the mouth. For children, flossing should begin when there are two teeth in the mouth that touch together, usually around age four or five years of age.

Parents can help floss children's teeth until they are able to floss by themselves.

5) Throw away old toothbrushes and replace them with new ones.

It is recommended that a toothbrush be replaced every two or three months or after an illness. Start the new year with a new toothbrush.

Start off the new decade with healthy resolutions that will make you smile and create healthy habits that can last a lifetime for you and your family. Happy New Year from Lybrook Dental Center!

Dr. Scott Lybrook and his wife, Dr. Carol Lybrook, operate Lybrook Dental Center in the Southgate Plaza in Parachute.

Is it really an emergency?

By Sarah Hunter

Emergency rooms aren’t generally the most pleasant places to be. However, reports are streaming in that the American public has started a bizarre and costly trend of foregoing scheduling a doctor’s appointment in favor of simply walking into the ER. More than half of emergency room visits fall short of the standards for emergency and urgent care. Routine emergency room visits can cost upwards of three times as much as a visit to your primary care provider and co-payments are considerably higher. This can amount to a large bill, insured or not. In hard economic times, an unnecessary visit to the ER can hurt your budget substantially.

There are things you can do to prepare yourself for a medical emergency, allowing you to make an informed decision about whether a visit to the ER is appropriate.

• Have a primary care physician – regular checkups and screenings can be your best defense against medical emergencies.

• Check with your insurance carrier – unfortunately, not all emergencies are covered by all health insurance providers. They may have restrictions or instructions attached to them, so do your homework.

Conditions that call for an ER visit include: • Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath • Chest or abdominal pain or pressure • Fainting, sudden dizziness, weakness • Changes in vision • Confusion or changes in mental status • Any sudden or severe pain • Uncontrolled bleeding, including cuts that require stitches • Broken bones • Severe or persistent vomiting or diarrhea • Coughing or vomiting blood • Suicidal feelings • Difficulty speaking • Unusual abdominal pain Conditions that generally do not call for an ER visit include: • Earaches • Colds, coughs, a sore throat or flu symptoms • Minor cuts in which bleeding has stopped • A sprain, rash, sunburn or minor burn • Fever

If you have symptoms that you aren’t sure are an emergency but are causing you distress, there are other options. Grand River Primary Care in Rifle has an After Hours Clinic on weekends. From 5-8 p.m. on Fridays, 10 am.-5 p.m. on Saturdays, and 12-5 p.m. on Sundays, you can get yourself seen without paying emergency rooms costs.

If you do go to the emergency room, depending on the severity of your symptoms, you may wait awhile. To make the visit as easy as possible, remember to bring a list of medications and allergies, know your immunizations, and remain calm.

For children and seniors, it is recommended erring on the side of caution. You know your body and tolerance level better than anyone else, so if you think something could be or become an emergency, it’s best to be seen. Most doctors would rather tell you that you will be fine than ask you why you waited so long to come in.

There is a lot that can happen in this cold weather, from falls to the flu. It’s important to know where to go and who to see if something should happen. Save yourself time, money, and frustration by knowing your options.

Sarah Hunter writes about health issues for the Echo from Rifle.

Have a story idea?

Contact the Echo gve@crystalvalleyecho.com

Page 16, GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-January 2012 / Mid-February 2012

Nature at Home and Afield

By Betsy Leonard 103.9 FM

TUNE IN!

Some thoughts about population There are good reasons why the importance of population growth to the loss of nature is little studied and rarely remarked upon. It is next to impossible to quantify or otherwise separate out the impact of demographic scale from the many other reasons the environment seems to be crumbling around us.

Yet, these are not reasons to totally ignore the issue of population growth. Today, for every human death there are about 2.5 births. We have already reached the milestone of more than seven billion people on this earth. We don’t know what the upper limit of population growth is that our earth can support. As long as the birthrate remains even slightly above the death rate, a population will grow. If the rate remains constant, the population will grow exponentially. This is a situation we face today.

Clearly, there must be factors in nature that limit population growth. (Happily you will never be trampled to death by a billion rabbits when you walk through the woods.)

However, these factors can fluctuate considerably over time.

As population increases in size, the same resources must be shared by a greater and greater number of individuals. The decreasing supply of resources may lower the birthrate, increase the death rate, or both, until births and deaths are in balance. As long as the resource supply remains constant, the population should stabilize at some equilibrium size, called the carrying capacity of the environment.

For most of our existence as a species, human population growth has been slow. It is only in the last two centuries that there has been an astounding increase in the rate of population growth.

So, why has this growth rate increased so dramatically? There are three possible reasons: 1. We steadily developed the capacity to expand into new habitats and new climatic zones.

2. The carrying capacities of the environments we already occupied were increased.

3. A series of limiting factors was removed.

Fifty thousand years ago, the human species had radiated through much of the world.

Through the development of learning and memory, humans know how to build fires, assemble shelters, create clothing and tools, plan a community, and hunt, etc. And learned experiences were not confined to individuals, but spread quickly from one human group to another because of language.

As people began to shift from hunting and gathering to an agricultural way of life 10,000 years ago, agricultural management of food supplies bypassed the natural carrying capacity of the environment from the old hunter-gatherer way of life. Through the development of irrigation, metallurgy, social stratification (which provided a labor base), and later use of fertilizers and pesticides, the limits were expanded and were met with a resurgence of human population growth. With the domestication of plants and animals, the carrying capacity has risen abruptly for human populations.

And, what about limiting factors? As societies have advanced, malnutrition, contagious diseases, and poor hygiene are, in some areas, being controlled. Vaccines, antitoxins, and drugs such as antibiotics have been developed. The success of human beings in conquering their environment has lead to the vexing problem of how to control human population growth.

Although we in Battlement Mesa do not feel this pressure of expanding populations as much as other places, we still must do our part. The twin pressures of expanding populations and resource consumption contribute to stress on the earth’s resources. We can shop wisely and constantly monitor the ecological footprint we make.

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

BROADCASTING 24/7!

Syndicated Radio Programs • Local Programming

YOUR SOURCE FOR EMERGENCY WEATHER AND AMBER ALERTS Thank you to all that made the 2011 Christmas Gala a huge success!

With the help of noted chefs Alian Senac and Margaret Cooke, all that attended enjoyed a fantastic dinner. Thanks to all of our committee members! It will be a challenge to exceed this year's event in 2012 - but we will sure try.

Also a huge thank you to those that generously became members of KSUN. Your membership dues will be wisely used as we go forward into the 2012 year. But if you're not a member, it is never too late to join. For membership information, call Floyd at the radio station @ 285-2246.

We would love to have you support our station!

KSUN COMMUNITY RADIO 398 Arroyo Drive, Battlement Mesa • 285-2246

www.ksunradio.org

GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-January 2012 / Mid-Febrauary 2012, Page 17

Looking up: Scout Troop 255 at the Merit Badge Rally in Rifle – Rock Climbing.

Photo courtesy of Charlie Hornick

Page 18, GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-January 2012 / Mid-February 2012

O U R

S C H O O L S

From District No.16 Mill levy survey results help the district learn how to improve

By Garfield School District 16 Superintendent Ken Haptonstall, Ph.D. A new year is upon us, and school is back in session after our winter break. During the winter break, the governor announced that new revenues might be used to reduce or eliminate any further cuts to public education.

This news is a welcome relief from the past two years, where the state has cut $1.5 million dollars from our budget. With a slight increase in student enrollment, the district may have the opportunity to increase our capacity to meet the needs for the students we serve.

Discussions concerning the budget will take place throughout the spring with our school board. Look for information on our website (garcoschools.org) including surveys that are intended to gather information for the decision-making process.

Another significant change to our school district is the replacement of three school board members. David Higuera, Cheri Witt-Brown, and Dora King have left the board, and new members, Dr. Kevin Coleman, Michelle Bargas, and Megan Alstatt will be taking their places. I would like to thank those retiring board members for their service and leadership they provided to our district. I would like to welcome our new members and invite community members to support them in their efforts to make our school system the best it can be for our children.

Finally, I would like to thank all of you who provided feedback on our mill levy survey. The results of that survey will be posted on our website (garcoschools.org) in the upcoming weeks. We had almost 250 responses to the survey and learned a lot about how voters felt about the mill levy and how we can improve our district.

THIS PAGE SPONSORED BY:

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

GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-January 2012 / Mid-Febrauary 2012, Page 19

O U R Grand Valley Center for Family Learning Involving Parents and Children

New programs, kindergarten status, and a meeting on Jan. 19

S C H O O L S

Terrific Kids for December The Parachute/Battlement Mesa Kiwanis Club sponsors Bea Underwood and St John elementary schools’ Terrific Kids. The program promotes character development and self-esteem. “TERRIFIC” is an acronym meaning Thoughtful, Enthusiastic, Respectful, Inclusive, Friendly, Inquisitive and Capable.

By Rebecca Ruland, Grand Valley Center for Family Learning Director Save the Children is coming to Parachute. Save the Children is known internationally for its global work on behalf of young children. Domestically, one of their programs is called Early Steps to School Success, and they’ve selected the Center for Family Learning as one site to house an office for a program officer who will be conducting home visits with up to 20 local families. For more information about this program, call 274-0572.

• Raising a Reader is offering a three part series for parents to learn more about literacy and assuring their children’s success in school. The sessions are offered at the Center for Learning. The first session was held Jan. 12; future sessions will be offered in February and March. Call 285-5702 for more information.

• For the second year in a row, Encana is contributing to the costs of operating full-day kindergarten. The Center for Family Learning also offers two halfday kindergarten classes.

For many folks, the perception is that full-day kindergarten is not necessary for the benefit of children academically, and that it equates to extended-day childcare. We have seen tremendous growth among children who attend fullday kindergarten. For example, another academic benefit of full-day kindergarten is it allows teachers to teach more extensively in multiple subject areas, such as math and writing.

In addition, statewide, the legislature has determined full-day kindergarten is an effective way to improve a child’s academic performance. Many districts have chosen to support early learning and are committed to it as one of the most important things they can do to increase achievement and invest in the academic success of their students.

Bea Underwood Elementary School (BUE) December’s Terrific Kids from Bea Underwood are, from left, first row, Kaylae Medina, Niyna Cruz; second row, Opal Morgenthaler (Kiwanis representative), Andrew Hemmert, Justin Miller, James Blair, Christopher Wells, Matt Piquette (BUE counselor); third row, Faith Humphrey, Alexandra Mendoza, Cameron Underhill, and Chico Pennington.

• Our advisory team is meeting for the third time this year on Jan. 19 from 34 p.m. We would like to dedicate the majority of time to discussing parent questions. We will do our best to answer your questions.

St John Elementary School (SJE) December’s Terrific Kids from St John are, from left, first row, Allen Hoggan, Madison Godwin, Hunter Covert, Cecilia Borja, Austin White, Bobby Dupras; second row, Opal Morgenthaler (Kiwanis representative), Justin Andrew, David Chavez, Angel Garcia, Ana Malta, Kendra Hock, and Kathy Keeling (SJE principal).

Santa’s visit on Dec. 15 was sponsored by the local Kiwanis.

Congratulations to all of December’s Terrific Kids!

THIS PAGE SPONSORED BY:

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

Page 20, GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-January 2012 / Mid-February 2012

Echo Briefs

Sports Briefs

Grand River offering cancer survivor program

Bowling leagues begin at Rifle Fireside Lanes

Grand River Hospital District (GRHD) is teaming up with Oncology Rehab Partners beginning in January to address the unique health and quality-of-life issues of cancer survivors who are undergoing treatment or living with its aftermath.

The Survivorship Training and Rehabilitation (STAR) Program is a nationally recognized cancer survivorship program that focuses on helping cancer survivors regain as much of their former level of functioning as possible.

The STAR Program utilizes an interdisciplinary approach in which clinicians from different specialties team up to help patients increase strength and energy, better manage pain, optimize health, and improve their tolerance to activities of daily living. Most of the survivorship services integrated in the STAR Program are reimbursable by health insurance providers.

Oncology Rehab Partners was co-founded by Julie Silver, MD, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, and herself a cancer survivor. She developed the STAR Program after going through cancer treatment and realizing that she desperately needed rehabilitation in order to return to her former level of function.

“Survivorship services, including oncology rehabilitation, are imperative to cancer care,” she said. “Every cancer survivor should be offered the opportunity to heal as well as possible and function at an optimal level whether their cancer is cured, in remission or they live with cancer as a chronic disease.”

The STAR Program is part of a continuing effort to provide the best possible care for GRHD’s patients. An informational open house is being held at Grand River Hospital and Medical Center on Jan. 26 from 5:30 -7 p.m. in the Grand River Conference Center located at 501 Airport Rd. in Rifle. For more information, visit grhd.org.

– Annick Pruett, Grand River Hospital District

GRHD offering scholarships to local high school and college students Grand River Hospital District is offering seven $1,000 scholarships to local high school and college students.

Any person who lives in Grand River Hospital District or is a full time student in one of the three in-district high schools (Rifle, Grand Valley or Coal Ridge) may apply.

Students must be pursuing a career in the medical field, and planning to attend or are currently attending a college, university, or technical school in the fall of 2012.

Both graduating high school seniors and individuals who have previously graduated high school may apply.

Awards will be given only to those who have not previously received a scholarship from Grand River Hospital District.

Applicable healthcare related fields include nursing, radiology, pathology, pre-med, physical therapy or other medically related vocations. Scholarships must be used in the fall of 2012 and are exclusively for payments of tuition, books, and other fees necessary for attendance.

Awards will be paid to the institution of the student’s choice, not to the recipient of the scholarship.

Applications are due April 4 and are available at Grand Valley, Rifle, and Coal Ridge High Schools and online at grhd.org. Applicants are asked to include a written essay, letters of recommendation, high school or college transcripts, and information about the student applying.

For more information about the scholarship program, call 625-6423.

– Annick Pruett, Grand River Hospital District

Two new bowling leagues are starting on Wednesdays in January at Rifle Fireside Lanes in north Rifle.

One is an afternoon bowling league every Wednesday from 1-3 p.m., and the other is a night league every Wednesday night from 7-10 p.m.

The Wednesday afternoon league, the Old Bowlers Club, runs from 1-3 p.m. and is open to all ages. Teams are four person and the league runs for 12 weeks starting Jan. 11.

And for those who’d like a tattoo of their own, the Wednesday evening league, which runs from 7-10 p.m. is for you. Called Branded Bowling, each week a $200 voucher redeemable at Mountain Ink Tattoo in Glenwood Springs will be awarded.

For more information about both leagues, contact Rifle Fireside Lanes at 625-2231.

– Renee Langstaff, Rifle Fireside Lanes

Ladies night out at Battlement Activity Center on Feb. 2 Ladies, are you ready for a fun night with friends? Then join us at the activity center on Feb. 2. Homemade soups and breads will be served for dinner at 6:30 p.m. followed with dessert.

Instructors of the activity center’s fitness class demos will be given by, and who knows; maybe you will find a new class to try. There will be craft projects and activities following dinner for all to enjoy and we should wrap the night up around 9 p.m. Entry for the evening is $15 per person. Sign up and pay at the front desk by Jan. 26.

– Anne Huber, Battlement Activity Center

GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-January 2012 / Mid-Febrauary 2012, Page 21

As I See It More like the devil

By Pastor Charlie Hornick, Grace Bible Church We are never more like the devil than when we elect ourselves judge, jury, and executioner over others. The Bible calls Satan the “accuser of the brethren” and there is a propensity in all of us to join him in this endeavor.

From political campaigns to community gossip to church and family squabbles, it would appear that the devil has a lot of willing students. Thankfully there are crime stopping and prevention techniques available to us.

A few years ago I read a question in the book, “Prayer, a Holy Occupation,” by Oswald Chambers that convicted me. “Do I spend more time complaining about what is wrong with people than praying for them to be right with God?” I had to confess an “ouch.” I recalled that many times I had whined to others about what someone was doing to me or could do to me. I am afraid we have all campaigned against a friend or family member we perceived as a threat.

That same week I came across Job 42:10, “The Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends.”

Somehow I had missed this key verse that describes when Job’s horrendous test finally ended. If Job could pray for his friends, then anybody ought to be able to.

The devil, who is an equal opportunity destroyer, did all he could do to get Job to curse God to his face. And he used Job’s three friends to make life much more difficult for him when he was down. Job had lost all his possessions and his 10 children had died suddenly. Rather than pick Job up, his friends judged him, convinced that Job must have done some horrible evil. They called him a liar and twisted his words. One told him he deserved what he got and blamed him for his children’s deaths.

Another told him he was a hypocrite and deserved even worse. One even accused Job’s 10 children of sinning and therefore causing their own deaths. With the graves still fresh, I am amazed that Job did not strike them. With friends like these who need terrorists?

We could easily justify Job’s right to be bitter. But bitterness is like swallowing poison and hoping the other person dies. Rather than slinging mud back at his friends, he told God on them and God accepted his prayer on their behalf.

Rather than the judgment they deserved God extended them mercy. It was also at that time Job’s trial ended.

Reflecting on Job’s ordeal and the final outcome is a resource for valuable life lessons. The devil had made an attempt to force Job to act just like him, to curse God to his face. And if he could not get him to curse God, at least he wanted Job to find justification in cursing others who are made in God’s image. While Job was not perfect in every way he passed the test.

God had purposes in allowing Job’s trial, some of which are obvious, while others are not. But Job, by praying for his friends, became like Christ instead of the devil.

Christ is the great intercessor who prayed not only for his friends, but also for his enemies. “Father, forgive them.

They do not know what they are doing.” God’s goal in our trials involves making us more like his Son. We are never more like Christ than when we pray for others.

I believe that if Christ were among us now, we would hear him pray for those in office, for those running for office, for those who are failing, for those who have wounded him and us, etc. We would see him grieve when people try to stretch the truth, play the blame game, pit others against each other, and make war with their words.

When we pray for others in God’s presence we are reminded of our own need of grace and forgiveness.

Somehow the air is cleared for us to see the truth more clearly and others more compassionately and life more realistically. And we have to decide who we want to be like.

FA I T H

• The Echo Worship Directory • To be listed in The Echo Worship Directory, please contact gve@crystalvalleyecho.com to set up an account, there is a small monthly fee of $10.

All Saints' Episcopal Church 150 Sipprelle Dr. Battlement Mesa 285-7908 Pastor's mobile: 985-5797 The Reverend Edmond-Joseph Rivet, Priest-in-charge Website: allsaintsepiscopal.info Church e-mail: office@allsaintsepiscopal.info Pastor e-mail: frej@allsaintsepiscopal.info SUNDAY Sunday Eucharist: 10:30 a.m.

Choir: 9:30 a.m.

Children's Godly Play: 10 a.m.

WOW: Worship On Wednesday Contemplative Eucharist: 6 p.m.

Soup Social: 6:30 p.m.

Episcopal Theology: 7 p.m.

••• Crown Peak Baptist Church 101 W. Battlement Parkway Parachute 285-7946 crownpeakbaptist.com Rick Van Vleet, Senior Pastor Dan LaRue, Associate Pastor Matt Loftin, Youth Pastor Brian 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 & Youth Groups) Small groups meet throughout the week ... Visit our website for more information.

Grace Bible Church

The Lighthouse

755 Spencer Parkway P.O. Box 6248 Battlement Mesa 285-9862 Charlie Hornick, Pastor Jed Johnston, Family Life Pastor Chastity McGillivray, GBC Child Care Missionary Intern, Amy Hamilton

(Assembly of God) 1833 S. Battlement Parkway Battlement Mesa 285-7236 or 379-5947 (Pastor's cell) Pastor: Dr. Robert C. McNew

SUNDAY Blessing Up for Church Broadcast 8 a.m. - 103.9 FM Sunday School: 9:30-10:15 a.m.

Morning Worship: 10:30 a.m.

Evening Service: 5:30 p.m.

Youth / Children’s Activities Grace Bible Church Child Care: Mon – Fri. Boy Scouts – Call for days/times Awana: Tuesdays 6:30pm (Sept.

– April) High School Youth: Sundays 5:00-7:00 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.com 24-Hour Prayer Line: 256-4693

••• Grand Valley Christian Church Second Street & Parachute Avenue Parachute Richard Counts, Pastor 285-7597, 260-1080 e-mail: office@mygvcc.info Church Office 285-7597 Sunday worship 10:00 a.m.

••• 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 Church 235 N. Railroad Ave. Parachute John Yadloski, Pastor 285-7424 Sunday Sunday School: 9:45 a.m.

Morning Worship: 11 a.m.

Children’s Church: 11:15 a.m.

Wednesday Bible Study: 7 p.m.

•••

Grand Valley United Methodist Church

SERVICES Sunday 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.org Bill Cornelius, Pastor 987-3093 Youth Directors: Kristy and Rory Roder, 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 Battlement Mesa Schoolhouse on County Road 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 Church at Grand Valley Middle School

132 N. Parachute Ave. Parachute

0364 Sipprelle Drive Parachute

Dr. Bob Toll, Pastor Pastor David Bartlett Sunday Worship Service: 10 a.m.

Contact Us P.O. Box 125, Parachute, CO 81635 285-9892

Sunday Service Time: 10 a.m.

Youth and Children’s Sunday School 210-5795 210-5849

••• grandvalleyumc@qwestoffice.net

•••

Page 22, GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-January 2012 / Mid-February 2012

Where’s Redstone?

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

By Carrie Click, Echo editor

Have you ever snowshoed? Families, individuals and couples all have an ideal opportunity to try a new sport at Redstone’s Snowshoe Race and Fun Walk on Feb. 4.

The snowshoe race is one of this year’s Redstone Community Association (RCA) fundraisers benefitting Hospice of the Valley, which serves patients and their families from Aspen to Parachute/Battlement Mesa.

The race starts at 10 a.m. at the Redstone Inn. Registration is available on the morning of the race at the Church at Redstone on Redstone Boulevad starting at 8 a.m.

The 5K (approximately three-mile) course takes place on a private road accessing the Redstone Castle – Redstone’s historic mansion built at the beginning of the 20th century – and circles the castle’s grounds.

Sanctioned by the United States Snowshoe Association, registration is $20 and includes a raffle ticket for one of many donated prizes.

So give snowshoeing a try. You can rent snowshoes at the Redstone General Store if you don’t have any, so there’s no excuse not to get out there and have some fun. For more information go to redstonecolorado.com.

Just getting to Redstone is a pleasant experience (though drive slowly and carefully as you maneuver through the snow). Redstone is located on Highway 133, 18 miles south of Carbondale. Take I-70 to Glenwood Springs and Highway 82 to the junction of Highway 133 at Carbondale.

Hope to see you in Redstone!

New this year…

Back by popular demand…

Winter Trail Rides

Winter Sliegh Rides

CALL NOW FOR YOUR WINTER ADVENTURE!

Book your winter adventure by calling 963-1144 or 963-2526

redstonecolorado.com

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THE HEART OF REDSTONE WITH A UNIQUE SELECTION OF CENTERPIECES FOR YOUR HOME! REDSTONE CASTLE TOUR TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE! OPEN YEAR ROUND • OPEN DAILY

970-963-1769 225 Redstone Blvd. • Redstone

REDSTONE CASTLE TOURS Saturday, Sunday • 1:30 p.m.

Tickets: $15 adults, $10 seniors, children 5-18 Children under 5: FREE (FOR GROUP TOURS CALL 970-963-9656) Tickets available at Tiffany of Redstone, and the Redstone General Store CASH OR CHECK ONLY

www.redstonecastle.us

GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-January 2012 / Mid-Febrauary 2012, Page 23

THE ECHO CLASSIFIEDS FOR RENT: FOR RENT: BATTLEMENT MESA – 3 BD/2 BA condo, washer/dryer, AC, 1 car garage, lots of storage; activity center dues included. First month rent ($1,200) and security ($1,200) due upon signing. NS, pets considered. Call 7040373.

SERVICES: SERVICES: Mike's Home Maintenance Service - Providing home service for the Battlement area. Lawns mowed from $15-35. Leaf removal/gutters cleaned. General home maintenance. Minor plumbing. House painting. Tree trimming and clean-up, $45-70/tree. (Note: Globe willows shed multiple limbs and excess leaves - this can be controlled with correct trimming.) Call Mike 285-9330.

THE GRAND VALLEY ECHO CLASSIFIED ADS Only $10 for up to 40 words!

(25¢/word after that).

Classified ads MUST be prepaid.

Mail your check to: 274 Redstone Blvd., Redstone, CO 81623 and E-MAIL YOUR AD COPY TO: gve@crystalvalleyecho.com

SERVICE DIRECTORY For all your professional plumbing needs Service Work • Boilers • Water Heaters Furnaces • Coolers • Remodels • Leaks Gas • Controls • Radiant Heat

Rocky Mountain Pizza & Cones WINTER SPECIALS Any large pizza, 12 wings and a 2 litre drink for OR Two Family Pepperoni Pizzas only $1999

Parachute, Rifle and Silt

970-285-2253 • 71 Tamarisk Trail

Steve’s Painting & Decorating Inc. New Construction, Commercial & Mold Prevention

#1 IN A #2 BUSINESS 24 HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE! DEBEQUE TO ASPEN RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • MUNICIPAL • Electronic locate • Rooter work • Unclog lines and drains • RootX Treatments • Hydro-jet of lines/grease traps • Septic tank inspections • Camera/Video inspection of lines 2” to 36” CALL RICK or SCOTT

Carrie Click Writer + Proofer + Editor • Basic and Full Service Oil Changes • Automatic Transmission Flushes • Tire Sales • ASE Certified Mechanic on duty full-time

970-930-0124

285-9217

P.O. BOX 1349 • RIFLE, CO 81650

120 S. Columbine Ct. • Parachute

Help for any writing project

970-930-0056 clickintoplace@yahoo.com

TO RUN YOUR AD IN THE GRAND VALLEY ECHO SERVICE DIRECTORY CALL 285-7634 TODAY!

Page 24, GRAND VALLEY ECHO • Mid-January 2012 / Mid-February 2012