Are there market-based options on the horizon to make homeownership more attainable?
n Social Security changes with new act
The Social Security Fairness Act will provide benefits to some people who were previously ineligible.
5
n Mesa County gets $800K from GOCO
The Great Outdoors Colorado board awarded $800,000 in grants for two Mesa County projects.
n HopeWest hires new CFO
HopeWest hired Carter Bair to be its chief financial officer.
9
n New business: Rides Bar in Fruita
Rides Bar and Grill plans to bring small town feel to the new bar in Fruita.
Pizza and a Pour Wall
Co-owner Russell McBreen stands next to the pour wall with 40 taps at Palisade Pizza &
which is in a nearly 13,000 square-foot building that also is home to Deroco Cellars, which boasts it has the largest selection of Colorado wines in Western Colorado. “There’s such a wide selection, where if you were to bring your wife or a friend and they only wanted to drink wine, they can, or a mixed cocktail, and you can sip on whatever beer we have on the wall,” McBreen said. “And if the wall isn’t to your liking or there’s other things, we’ve also got the winery, you can bring wine over.” Photo
PourHouse,
by Tim Harty.
Palisade Pizza & PourHouse provides drinking options with 40 taps on its pour wall See story, Page 2
Employee Jamie Christine pulls a pizza from the oven in Palisade Pizza & PourHouse’s kitchen on March 18. The previous three days were busy at the new restaurant and bar, which had a soft opening March 1, then had its grand opening March 15-17, concluding with St. Patrick’s Day. “The first week was rough, and it wasn’t because of food. A lot of our issues were with the beer wall, because we’re new with it, just trying to learn it,” said Russell McBreen, a co-owner, kitchen manager and front of house at Palisade Pizza & PourHouse. “The very next week after, we had fixed everything and found new things, and so officially now we’re ready. ... I think we’ve worked out the kinks enough where when things come up, they’re very small and easy to handle.”
Pizza, a pour wall, a patio & Palisade
They have 40 taps for you to pour your own beer. Or wine. Or mixed-drinks. But mostly beer. And what pairs better with beer than pizza?
Don’t think too hard about that one. Just say nothing pairs better with beer than pizza, and let’s move on.
Palisade Pizza & PourHouse, which opened March 1 and had its grand opening the weekend leading to St. Patrick’s Day, brought a pour wall to Palisade. It also found what appears to be a perfect business pairing in the building at 785 Elberta Ave., which has two suites. Suite A is where Deroco Cellars took up residence after James and Laura Sanders bought the nearly 13,000-square-foot building and accompanying 4.73 acres for $2.9 million in mid-December 2022.
Deroco Cellars partners with Colorado wineries, many of them in the Palisade area, to sell wines, and seven of those are on tap at Palisade Pizza & PourHouse.
The idea for the pour wall, according to James Sanders’ youngest brother, Russell McBreen, was inspired by a trip to Denver. McBreen, part of the ownership trio with Sanders and middle brother Aaron Woolsey, said they were struggling to determine how the approximately 7,000-square-foot space next to Deroco should be used.
“We didn’t really know what to do with the whole
space,” McBreen said, “because we don’t make wine, because we’re peach farmers. And we were traveling up in Denver and saw this idea of a pour wall and just fell in love with it. And that’s kind of how it started off for us wanting to start a restaurant.”
The beers on tap include a variety of local and in-state brewers, such as Palisade Brewing Company and The Rock Slide Brew Pub locally, and Breckenridge Brewery and New Belgium Brewing Company.
The variety of beers is wide in order to satisfy most preferences.
Then, there’s the pizza, which McBreen seemed more excited to discuss than the beer, and he was plenty excited about the beer.
For starters, he said, the pizzas use an Italian flour, Caputo, to make the crust. One of the nice things about it, he said, is even though it’s not gluten-free, many people with gluten sensitivities can eat it.
“If people travel over to Europe or overseas, and you’re eating a lot of bread over there and you’re gluten sensitive, you can eat bread all over the place, because it’s not so high in gluten,” McBreen said. “We’re using the same flour, and that’s what gives (Palisade Pizza & PourHouse’s crust) such a good, rich, high quality. And that’s where we start with our
STORY BY TIM HARTY
Palisade Pizza & PourHouse decided letting
customers pour their own beers was the way to go
pizzas is a high-quality flour.”
He said a family member with high sensitivity to gluten ate pizza made with the Caputo flour “and loves it,” then added, “We do have gluten-free options, but we have a lot of people who have come in who have eaten the pizza and are gluten sensitive and haven’t had issues with it.”
From the dough, McBreen turned to the red sauce, which is made in-house, and told the story of its selection.
“It was trial and error,” he said. “We went around town and tried a lot of pizza sauces. We tried making them off recipes online, and what we found is we came up with 20 different samples that we just made in house and tried them all and had our whole family – so there’s 50, 60 of us – that came out and all tried them.”
Then, they all voted on their favorite, and the winner was nearly unanimous.
“It was like 48 to 2,” McBreen said of the vote in favor of a sauce that uses peeled, whole, plum tomatoes and a mix of ingredients that includes a hint of paste, “just enough to kind of help thicken it up a little bit.
“I don’t really know what everyone in the family (liked about it), why it’s so good. Everyone was just like, ‘This is it. This is the one.’”
See PIZZA on page 7
Photo by Tim Harty.
Market alternatives for attainable housing
Brandon Leuallen
The Business Times
Homeownership in Mesa County is becoming increasingly out of reach for first-time buyers due to rising material costs, stricter regulations, higher local fees and an inventory struggling to keep up with the area’s growth, largely fueled by an influx of retirees, according to census data.
While no single solution can fix the crisis, the question remains: Are there market-based options on the horizon to make homeownership more attainable? Can new ideas emerge to build homes priced at 100 percent of the area’s median income, often referred to as the “missing middle” housing market?
Emilee Powell, executive director of Housing Resources of Western Colorado, says a home priced around $300,000 is considered affordable for those at 100 percent of the area median income (AMI). However, homes at or below that price point are limited in Mesa County.
According to developer Kevin Bray, building homes above this price point increases supply and creates a “ladder effect” in which buyers move up “the ladder” to higher-priced homes and free up some lower-priced homes for others to enter the market. However, the lack of new homes being built in the “missing middle” leaves first-time homebuyers competing for an increasingly smaller pool overall of available homes in their price range.
Cottage Courts: A Potential Solution
One potential way to address the “missing middle” is through cottage court developments, which consist of small homes typically ranging from 800 to 1,200 square feet, facing each other across a shared sidewalk, without the need for standard-sized lots. A cottage court can be built in pockets of subdivisions or planned communities.
The City of Grand Junction has a Use-Specific Standard (USP) for cottage courts, requiring a minimum project size of half an acre and a maximum of five acres. The maximum footprint per cottage is 1,200 square feet.
While no developers have attempted cottage court-style developments in Grand Junction, Laurel Cole, executive director of Habitat for Humanity, is interested in pursuing this model.
“We have been inundated with calls from people wanting to own a home, asking if we could just build them a small home to purchase,” Cole said.
If Habitat were to pursue a cottage court, the homes would be evaluated and priced at market rate, potentially serving as a benchmark for other developments.
Modular and Tiny Homes
Modular homes have long been considered an affordable housing option. While Grand Junction has a Clayton Homes dealership, there are no modular manufacturers in Mesa County, and no new mobile home parks are planned at this time.
At this year’s Home Builders Association Housing Summit, local builders discussed incorporating modular homes into developments but noted high delivery costs from out of town make them more expensive than traditional stick-built homes.
Mosaic Housing, a large modular manufacturer, purchased land south of Community Hospital to build a factory. Despite plans to begin construction in 2022, Mosaic has yet to break ground. The company focuses on modular multifamily housing rather than single-family homes.
In Mesa County, there are multiple companies that build tiny homes, often purchased as accessory dwelling units (ADUs) for rental purposes. However, no planned tiny-home communities for sale to buyers currently exist in the county.
Eco Dwelling: Affordable, Eco-Friendly Homes
One company pushing the envelope on the Western Slope is Eco Dwelling, based in Rifle. Eco Dwelling is building eco-friendly, twobedroom homes in Rifle and Parachute, with lots included, priced around $300,000. The homes are framed with recycled metal studs, making them lightweight during construction while ensuring durability.
Site manager Seth Myers says two crew members can have a house ready for electrical and plumbing in less than two days. With pre-cut, labeled holes for plumbing and electrical systems, the process is efficient for workers. The goal is to complete a home in about five weeks.
“A lot of people talk about building affordable homes, but nobody is doing it,” said John Kuersten, longtime Rifle developer and Eco
Dwelling investor. “If we don’t do something, our kids and grandkids will never own a home and miss out on building personal wealth through homeownership.”
Eco Dwelling homes are energy-efficient, come with appliances and feature solar hookups for easy installation of solar panels
Kuersten said Ecodwelling has had challenges with the city of Rifle trying to get the developments up and running, lamenting that although the city of Rifle is making efforts to build subsidized housing, the city has been less responsive to Eco Dwellings efforts to build more attainable market rate for sale homes in the community. He said planning meetings over the projects drew a considerable amount of local residents who supported a development.
Despite these challenges Eco Dwelling is poised to roll out its first homes in Rifle’s Marketplace development on Railroad Avenue, across from City Market, in less than a month.
Homebuyers in Mesa County can set these homes up as primary residences on their own lots as well, even doing some of the work themselves and completing them in a much shorter amount of time
Eco Dwelling homes are sold as kits, with pre-labeled parts and instructions, enabling quick assembly on site without heavy equipment. Two-bedroom kits can be purchased for about $94,000.
ratio of any building material.
Ecodwelling house kits include pre-fabricated walls with pre-drilled, labeled holes, allowing for a shorter and more predictable construction timeline without the need for heavy equipment. Photos by Brandon Leuallen.
Education, Sweat Equity Can Help FirstTime Homebuyers
Brandon Leuallen
The Business Times
For first-time homebuyers, education, creativity and planning are essential in today’s market.
Emilee Powell, executive director of Housing Resources of Western Colorado, emphasizes the importance of early education and counseling. She said some buyers come to them after trying to move toward home ownership on their own and having a lack of success.
“We encourage people to come to us early so they are more informed consumers,” she said. “We can put them on the right path and save them a lot of time.”
Housing Resources offers an eight-hour class, available both in person and online, that covers the home-buying process. The in-person class is free, while the online version has a fee. The course covers topics such as homeownership, loan types and the buying process.
In addition, the organization provides free, one-on-one, pre-purchase counseling. This service helps potential buyers assess their credit, budget and income to improve their chances of qualifying for a mortgage.
“Improving their credit score can help them get a better rate,” Powell said.
Clients can attend multiple sessions over time to work on their credit and financial plans.
Housing Resources also assists with understanding credit reports and disputing errors. Powell stressed the importance of reporting rent payments to boost credit scores, a practice that is increasingly recognized by credit bureaus.
In addition to education, sweat equity can help reduce costs for first-time buyers. Some loan products, such as the Freddie Mac HomePossible program, allow buyers to contribute labor for part of their down payment when purchasing homes that need repairs.
When asked about sweat equity, Jack O’Neal of Guild Mortgage said, “Sweat equity can help with concessions and help someone get into a home.”
In the current market buying a smaller home and/or an older home that needs TLC may be the only option for first-time homebuyers who wish to get started in home ownership.
For new construction, builders such as Ron Abelo of Chaparral West work with buyers willing to do some of the labor and have a range of finish options to reduce costs.
This two-bedroom Ecodwelling home is constructed from recycled steel, roughly equivalent to two scrapped automobiles. It boasts the highest strength-to-weight
New act allows Social Security benefits for formerly ineligible
Tim Harty The Business Times
Before former President Joe Biden exited the White House, he signed the Social Security Fairness Act, which repealed the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) and benefits some people who previously did not qualify for, or had a reduction to, Social Security retirement benefits.
The disqualifying or benefit-reducing factor was they had a pension through an organization such as Colorado’s Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) or the Civil Service Retirement System; they were covered by a foreign social security system; or they worked in a job that did not pay into Social Security. Sometimes their working career was split between jobs that paid into Social Security and jobs that did not pay into Social Security.
If such people have a spouse who receives Social Security benefits; survived a spouse who received Social Security benefits; or had their Social Security benefits significantly reduced because they also received a pension, they may now through the Social Security Fairness Act be eligible to receive benefits that previously were denied.
If you think you now may qualify but never submitted an application for Social Security retirement benefits, your next step needs to be filing an application online at SSA.GOV. That’s the extremely important first step, according to Barbara Traylor Smith, a senior independent wealth advisor who offers advisory services through Foundations Investment Advisors.
“A lot of people, I think, just didn’t apply, because they thought they don’t get any Social Security. ... And I let them know, ‘Go apply, it’s important,’” she said.
Traylor Smith said she recently received an email from the Social Security Administration, and it said about 3.2 million people are affected by the Social Security Fairness Act. The email said the SSA has processed a little more than 1.1 million instances of affected people.
That, Traylor Smith said, means about 2.1 million people still have benefits they can claim, so she wants to spread the word to anyone in Grand Junction who stands to benefit.
To help identify people who now are qualified for benefits, Traylor Smith gave a few examples:
• For the person who worked 20 years in a job that paid into Social Security and worked 20 years in another job that didn’t pay into Social Security, they previously saw their Social Security retirement benefit cut substantially.
They’re the ones who were harmed the most by the Windfall Elimination Provision, Traylor Smith said, “because they had some in both plans. They would get basically the full reduction of their Social Security, even though they worked 20 years in Social Security.”
WANT TO LEARN MORE?
Go online to www.ssa.gov to:
• Get more information about the Social Security Fairness Act and its repeal of the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset.
• File an application with the Social Security Administration.
With the repeal of that provision, that reduction is no longer taken out of the retirement benefits.
• For married couples in which one worked a job that paid into Social Security, and the other worked a job that never paid into Social Security, the Windfall Elimination Provision reduced the payment to the person who never paid into Social Security substantially. With the repeal of the provision, that spouse whose benefit was reduced now can receive the full spousal benefit equal to half of the spouse’s full retirement-age benefit.
“It really makes a difference if they have a spouse,” Traylor Smith said. “Because the way Social Security works is even if they didn’t work in Social Security at all – let’s say they never had a Social Security job – they’re entitled to a spousal benefit under their spouse.
“So, let’s say their spouse’s Social Security is $2,000 a month. They are entitled to half of that. They’re entitled to $1,000 a month. So, if they thought they never got anything because it wasn’t on their record, and they never applied because they didn’t claim the spousal benefit, that could be $1,000 a month to them.”
• Another example, this one benefitting from the repealing of the Government Offset Provision, is surviving spouses.
If a person never paid into Social Security, but their spouse who died had received Social Security retirement benefits, the surviving spouse is entitled to 100 percent of the survival benefit.
“If the husband had been getting $2,000 a month, and the wife never claimed it, now because of the Government Pension Offset (being repealed), they now could add $2,000 a month to their monthly income,” Traylor Smith said. “And you think about these people that never spent money on anything. And here they are, they’re going to get this kind of additional payment, it’s huge.”
There’s one major difference in applying for the survivor benefit, though. Instead of applying online, the application process for this benefit needs to be done via phone, calling 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. MST. Tell them you are calling regarding the Social Security Fairness Act, and they will direct you to a group that understands what to do.
The challenge in such an instance, Traylor Smith said, “is most of these people could be pretty old. And so this is going to be very confusing for them, and, of course, Social Security help may be limited. So, their children or friends or someone is probably going to have to help them.”
GOCO grants $800K for Mesa County projects
The Great Outdoors Colorado board awarded $800,000 in grants for two Mesa County projects. A $500,000 grant will help the City of Grand Junction develop its community recreation center. A $300,000 grant will help Mesa County expand the Grand Valley Stewardship Crew.
The first grant is part of GOCO’s Community Impact program, which develops and revitalizes parks, trails, school yards, fairgrounds, environmental education facilities and other outdoor projects that enhance a community’s quality of life and outdoor access.
The City of Grand Junction will develop outdoor facilities at its recreation center at Matchett Park. Planned amenities include a synthetic turf field, a pavilion and overflow parking. The project is expected to be completed in 2026.
“GOCO is a strategic partner that has been crucial in this effort to bring the City of Grand Junction its first multi-purpose Community Recreation Center,” Parks and Recreation Director Ken Sherbenou said. Mesa County launched its Grand Valley Stewardship Crew in 2020, and it has completed stewardship work such as trail maintenance and restoration, revegetation and invasive-species control, river-habitat enhancement, wildfire-risk mitigation, and public education on responsible recreation practices.
With the GOCO funding, the county will continue to develop a skilled, year-round crew to complete priority projects and provide crew members with professional development opportunities and pathways to careers in natural-resource management.
“The Grand Valley Stewardship Crew would not be possible without the support from GOCO. This funding has opened up a whole new world of application for our crew, covering many responsibilities across recreation and conservation,” said Ross Mittelman, Mesa County’s trails program supervisor.
The crew serves various community partners working across private and public lands, including lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and local municipalities.
Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) invests a portion of Colorado Lottery proceeds to help preserve and enhance the state’s parks, trails, wildlife, rivers and open spaces. GOCO’s independent board awards competitive grants to local governments and land trusts and makes investments through Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Created when voters approved a constitutional amendment in 1992, GOCO has since funded more than 5,800 projects in all 64 counties of Colorado without any tax-dollar support. Visit GOCO.org for more information.
Mesa projects
Colorado board two Mesa grant will develop its $300,000 expand the
GOCO’s which parks, trails, environmental outdoor community’s Junction will recreation amenities pavilion and expected partner that has the City multi-purpose Parks and Sherbenou said. its Grand and it has such as trail revegetation river-habitat mitigation, and recreation the county skilled, priority members with opportunities natural-resource Stewardship Crew the support has opened application for responsibilities conservation,” said County’s trails community and public managed by the U.S. Forest Wildlife, and (GOCO) Lottery enhance wildlife, rivers independent to local and makes Parks and approved a 1992, GOCO 5,800 projects without any GOCO.org for
Customer Jamie Thompson bites into a chicken wing at Palisade Pizza & PourHouse, which co-owner Russell McBreen refers to as PPP. McBreen said indoor capacity is a little more than 200 people, and the outdoor patio can seat about 120. Plus, the property’s 4.7 acres will be developed with a playground, nets for volleyball or badminton, pits for horseshoes, an area to play cornhole, etc., and a variety of fruit trees will be planted for a small orchard. Photo by Tim Harty.
Pizza
Continued from Page 2
McBreen said the menu includes 12 pizzas at the moment, plus a build-yourown option, and the pizza offerings will grow. In addition to the ones with red sauce, Palisade Pizza & PourHouse has ones based on pesto, peanut Thai Sauce, barbecue and Buffalo chicken.
“We’re gonna do seasonal pizzas,” McBreen said. “I know eventually we’re gonna make kind of an Alfredo-based pizza. We might make a Philly cheese pizza. We’re gonna do a margherita pizza. We’ll do a taco pizza. But a lot of those will kind of be filling in seasonally.”
McBreen figures the pizza, beer and wine will do the heavy lifting to bring in customers, but there are other elements he expects to be a draw, such as the large, elevated patio with beautiful mountain views to the north and east.
“The valley, right here on our upstairs patio it’s a perfect view,” he said. “Like yesterday (Sunday, March 16), the weather was beautiful, 5 o’clock and our whole
patio was stocked to the brim, full upstairs and downstairs of just people, enjoying a beer outside, having a good pizza, just having the time of their life.”
Then, there’s the large outdoors area where customers will be able to hang out, and Palisade Pizza & PourHouse plans to fill it with activities.
“The biggest thing that makes this place stand out compared to anywhere else is we’re on five acres of grass,” McBreen said. “We’re gonna put volleyball nets outside, we’re gonna build a playground outside, there’s gonna be horseshoes, badminton, I think we’re gonna do cornhole, and we’re gonna plant trees out there.
“Because again, like I was saying, we’re peach farmers. We do a lot of U-Pick tours with our peach farm (Palisade Peach Shack). … We’re gonna plant an acre of nothing but apples and pears. So, you can come and sit in the orchard, on a picnic table and enjoy the day, or go out there and pick some fruit that’s fresh right here.”
F
Bair joins HopeWest as Chief Financial Officer
HopeWest hired Carter Bair to be its chief financial officer. In his new role, Bair will oversee financial operations, compliance, strategic planning and information systems for HopeWest, a resource for families on the Western Slope facing serious illness, aging and grief.
Before joining HopeWest, Bair spent 22 years at Hilltop Community Resources, where he managed multimillion-dollar budgets and optimized financial operations. His expertise includes financial planning, government funding and program management. Bair also has taught accounting at Colorado Mesa University and the University of Phoenix.
“I look forward to being part of HopeWest’s efforts
to continually adapt and evolve as we become more diverse in our service to those in need,” Bair said. “I have always been passionate about serving others, and HopeWest is an example of an organization that compassionately supports some of the most vulnerable individuals in our community.”
Deneen Silva, HopeWest president and CEO, said Bair is a natural fit for HopeWest, adding, “Carter’s financial acumen and strong leadership will be key as HopeWest continues to focus on our financial sustainability and growth.”
For more information about HopeWest, visit HopeWestCO.org or call 970-241-2212.
Carter Bair
Colorado energy effeciency is 7th in nation
Colorado’s policies and programs that advance smart energy use helped it climb to seventh in the nation for energy efficiency, according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy’s 2025 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard.
Colorado is also among the most improved states since the last scorecard in 2022, jumping six spots in the rankings. ACEEE noted Colorado’s significant progress in the transportation sector, which included adopting clean vehicle and truck standards that make more zero-emission vehicles available to Coloradans. The report also mentions Colorado’s applianceefficiency standards, building performance standards for large buildings, and firstin-the-nation clean heat standards for regulated gas utilities as key improvements.
“Our improvement in these rankings highlights Colorado’s national leadership in energy efficiency and clean energy,” said Colorado Energy Office Executive Director Will Toor. “We are committed to pursuing innovative strategies to achieve net-zero emissions in Colorado by 2050, while saving Coloradans money on energy costs, improving air quality and creating new economic opportunities and goodpaying jobs across the state.”
In addition to the State Energy Efficiency Scorecard, the ACEEE also ranked Colorado third in its 2023 State Transportation Electrification Scorecard. Colorado currently leads the nation in electric-vehicle sales, with EVs making up 31.5 percent of new car sales in the last quarter of 2024.
F
programs that it climb to efficiency, Council for an 2025 State the most scorecard in rankings. significant sector, which and truck zero-emission Coloradans. The applianceperformance and firststandards for improvements. rankings leadership energy,” Executive committed to to achieve by 2050, on energy creating and good-
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Colorado Transportation currently sales, with new car sales
Rides Bar in Fruita seeks small-town feel
Tim Harty The Business Times
When you name your new Fruita bar Rides, it can pertain to so many things: Bicycles, motorcycles, allterrain vehicles, trikes, tractors, scooters, horses, bulls, and the list goes on.
Rides is a nod to all of them.
“Anything you can ride with two wheels or four wheels,” said Micheal Repp, who was then reminded to include four hooves, so he did.
Repp and fellow owner Riley Richter opened Rides Bar and Grill on March 14 at 152 S. Mesa St.
If the address seems familiar to Fruita residents, that’s because it has been a multitude of bars and restaurants over the years: Koko’s Tavern; FatJar Cannery & Brewhaus; The End Zone Sports Pub; and Blue Lotus Vietnamese Restaurant, to name a few.
But Repp said one previous bar/restaurant inspired what’s taking shape in Rides Bar and Grill, and that’s Charley’s Place.
“As active on-premise bar owners, Riley (Richter) and I feel that it is vital to support every patron who comes to the bar, and we have a motorcycle crowd that likes to come in. We had a rider who had one beer too many, and I asked him not to ride his bike home, and he said he was concerned about leaving it in the parking lot, so I pulled it inside the building to keep it safe.” — Michael Repp, co-owner of Rides Bar.
Repp grew up in the Mack area and knows Fruita well, and he knows the building where Rides now resides started as a gas station in 1963. And in 1980 Charlie Greager opened Charley’s Place, which, according to Greager’s 2011 obituary, was the first establishment in Fruita to get a liquor license.
Photo courtesy of Rides Bar.
And Charley’s Place was around for the longest stretch of any business in that building, Repp said. Thus, he surmises anyone who has lived in Fruita for a while knows of it.
“We gutted the building, restored it to what Charlie had it as. ... Pulled the bar back, did a bunch of renovation to bring it back to the open dance floor, the concept of just having more of a hangout, dancing, fun, vibrant atmosphere,” Repp said, adding the renovation of the approximately 5,400-square-foot building has been four months of 15-hour days every day.
The renovation includes the 2,000-square-foot patio in front of the building. The patio is usable now, but it won’t be a finished product until late April, maybe May.
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Repp hopes he can keep Rides going long enough to rival Charley’s Place’s tenure at 152 S. Mesa St.
“The building has always been some establishment in Fruita for something,” he said. “We’re hoping that we’re able to establish the longest run, of course.”
While Rides welcomes all people, it will not try to be all things to all people. Rather, it will keep things simple. Look for the big-name brewers, such as Coors, to be on tap. Some craft beer from local brewers will be for sale in cans and bottles, but it won’t be on tap.
For the grill portion of the business, the menu is extremely simple: hamburgers, french fries and a couple appetizers. Of the five kinds of hamburgers, four will be one-third-pound burgers, and one will be a half-pound, and the beef is from grass-fed, free-range cattle from the Lazy 3X Ranch in Mack.
“We’re running with what works in Fruita, which is ranch food,” Repp said, adding he’s not trying to compete with any other restaurants.
Repp worked in Salt Lake City for a while, and he said, “I sat on the Midtown District Development Board in Salt Lake and brought home some knowledge about how to really integrate community activity into your business and how to respect the environment and the socioeconomic development area of how you engage.”
So what he and Richter ultimately want Rides Bar and Grill to be is a representation of Fruita’s core residents.
“Rides is paradigmed on locals supporting locals,” Repp said. “As someone who has grown up in this valley and appreciated the small-town feel my entire life, even when I moved away and owned businesses out of the state, it always was home to me.
“So, Rides, the sole purpose of this bar is to restore the small-town feel for the Fruita locals.”
That means relaxing and having fun, and Rides will try to provide some regular promotions.
“We’ll do a Sunday morning brunch/karaoke,” Repp said. “We’ll run Western night on Fridays and Top 40 on Saturdays.”
Deal with negative team members before they affect your business
In any organization, the attitude and behavior of team members significantly influence the work environment and overall productivity. A negative team member can have a detrimental impact, spreading discontent and lowering morale. Addressing negativity promptly and effectively is essential to prevent it from affecting your business.
Marcus Straub
Here are some strategies to deal with negative team members and maintain a positive workplace.
The first step in addressing negativity is recognizing it. Negative team members often exhibit certain behaviors:
• Constant complaining about tasks, colleagues or company policies.
• Frequent involvement in conflicts with other team members.
• Lack of enthusiasm and motivation, leading to poor performance.
• Spreading rumors or engaging in gossip that undermines team cohesion.
• Resistance to change and unwillingness to cooperate with others.
By identifying these signs early, you can take proactive measures to address the issue before it escalates.
Effective communication is key to resolving negativity. Approach the negative team member privately and discuss your observations. Use “I” statements to express your concerns, such as “I have noticed that you seem unhappy with your tasks.” This approach prevents the conversation from feeling accusatory and encourages a more open dialogue.
Listen actively to their grievances and acknowledge their feelings. Sometimes, negative behavior stems from underlying issues, such as personal problems or dissatisfaction with their role. Understanding the root cause can help you address the problem more effectively.
social events can help build trust and camaraderie, making it easier to address negativity when it arises.
As a leader, your behavior sets the tone for the rest of the team. Demonstrate positivity, resilience and a solution-oriented mindset in your actions and decisions. By modeling the behavior you expect from your team, you can inspire them to adopt a similar attitude.
Regular feedback is essential for personal and professional growth. Provide constructive feedback to the negative team member, focusing on specific behaviors and their impact on the team. Offer suggestions for improvement and highlight their strengths to encourage a balanced perspective.
When the team member shows improvement, recognize and reward their efforts. Positive reinforcement can motivate them to continue striving for better behavior and performance. Recognition can take various forms, such as verbal praise, written acknowledgment or tangible rewards.
Effective communication is key to resolving negativity. Approach the negative team member privately and discuss your observations.
Use
“I” statements to express your concerns, such as “I have noticed that you seem unhappy with your tasks.” This approach prevents the conversation from feeling accusatory and encourages a more open dialogue.
Once you have identified the issue and communicated with the team member, set clear expectations for behavior and performance. Clearly outline what is acceptable and what is not and explain the consequences of continued negativity. Providing specific examples of positive behavior can help them understand what is expected.
Create a plan to help the team member improve their behavior. This plan may include:
• Setting short-term and long-term goals to improve performance and attitude.
• Providing resources for professional development, such as coaching, training or mentoring.
• Regular check-ins to monitor progress and address any ongoing concerns.
Involve the team member in creating this plan to ensure they are committed to the changes.
Fostering a positive work culture can help mitigate the impact of negativity. Encourage team collaboration, celebrate successes and recognize individual contributions. Creating an environment where employees feel valued and supported can reduce the likelihood of negative behavior.
Organize team-building activities to strengthen relationships and improve communication among team members. Activities such as group projects, workshops or
Despite your best efforts, some team members may not change their negative behavior. If the negativity persists and continues to affect the team, it may be necessary to consider more severe actions, such as reassignment or termination. Protecting the overall wellbeing of the team and the business should always be a priority.
Keep detailed records of all communications, feedback and actions taken regarding the negative team member. Documentation is crucial if you need to escalate the issue to higher management or take disciplinary action.
Involving Human Resources can provide additional support and guidance. HR professionals can offer insights into handling difficult situations and ensure that you follow company policies and legal requirements.
Dealing with negative team members is a challenging but necessary task to maintain a positive and productive work environment. By identifying negativity early, communicating effectively, setting clear expectations and fostering a supportive culture, you can address negative behavior before it affects your business.
Remember to lead by example and provide ongoing feedback to encourage positive changes. If all else fails, prioritize the well-being of the team and the business by taking appropriate disciplinary actions.
Marcus Straub owns Life is Great Coaching in Grand Junction. His personalized coaching and consulting services help individuals, business owners, executives and companies build teams, organizations and lives filled with happiness and success. Straub is winner of the International Coach of the Year Award and author of “Is It Fun Being You?” He’s available for free consultations regarding coaching, speaking and trainings. Reach Straub at (970) 208-3150, marcus@ligcoaching.com or through the website located at www.ligcoaching.com.
Steps to take for stronger future as the year progresses
What financial, business or personal priorities should you focus on this year?
Barbara Traylor Smith
Now is an excellent opportunity to evaluate your investment strategies, savings plans and budgeting techniques. Whether your goal is to bolster your retirement fund, refine your estate planning approach or strengthen your overall financial standing, there are numerous paths you can explore.
Here are a few key areas to consider:
Maximize Retirement Contributions
Could you contribute more to your retirement accounts this year? In 2025, the contribution limit for both Roth and traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) remains at $7,000, with an additional $1,000 allowance for individuals over 50 years old who are eligible for «catch-up» contributions. Your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) may impact the amount you can contribute to a Roth IRA. In the case of a traditional IRA, you are permitted to contribute if you (or your spouse, if filing jointly) earn taxable income. However, income thresholds will determine if those contributions qualify for tax deductions. (Source: IRS.gov, 2025)
Once you turn 73, you are required to take minimum distributions (RMDs) from a traditional IRA. These withdrawals are considered taxable income, and if withdrawn before age 59 1/2, they may also incur a 10 percent federal penalty.
Roth 401(k)s offer tax-free and penalty-free withdrawals under certain conditions. To qualify, you must meet the five-year holding requirement and be at least 59½ years old. Withdrawals may also qualify under specific circumstances, such as the account holder’s passing. It’s
essential to note that employer-matched contributions are pre-tax and will not be tax-free when withdrawn in retirement. Unlike traditional accounts, Roth IRAs do not require minimum distributions for the original owner.
Charitable Contributions
If you’re considering charitable giving, you may be eligible for a tax deduction, provided you adhere to IRS regulations. Proper documentation is crucial – bank records, payroll deductions, credit card statements, or written acknowledgments from the receiving organization can serve as proof of your donation.
Before adjusting your charitable giving strategy or record-keeping approach, it’s advisable to consult with a tax, legal or accounting expert.
Strategic Asset Location
Asset location plays a vital role in an investment strategy and refers to the placement of different assets in taxable, tax-deferred or tax-free accounts. It differs from asset allocation, which focuses on diversifying investments to manage risk. While asset allocation does not eliminate investment risk, it is a fundamental component of a wellbalanced financial plan.
Review Withholding Status
Would adjusting your withholding status benefit you?
Consider evaluating your tax situation if:
• You consistently owe taxes at the end of the year.
• You typically receive a substantial tax refund.
• Your marital status has recently changed.
• Your job or income level has shifted. It’s wise to consult a tax, HR or accounting professional to determine the best course of action before any modifications.
Key Life Changes
If you got married recently, it might be time to update
the beneficiaries on your retirement accounts and insurance policies. Additionally, if you’re changing your last name in 2025, you’ll need to request a new Social Security card. Updating your legal and financial records ensures that your assets and benefits are correctly allocated.
For individuals returning from active military duty, it’s essential to check your credit status and ensure all financial obligations are in order.
Consider Upcoming Financial Transactions
Are you planning to sell real estate, launch a new business, or receive commissions or bonuses in 2025? Do you anticipate selling an investment held outside of a tax-advantaged account? These financial moves can have tax implications, so it’s worth evaluating their potential impact in advance.
Prioritize Financial and Physical Wellbeing
Committing to healthy financial habits in 2025 is just as important as taking care of your overall wellbeing. Regularly reviewing your financial plan and seeking professional guidance, when necessary, can help you achieve long-term stability.
By focusing on these steps, you can set a strong foundation for a prosperous year ahead.
It’s important to remember that this article is purely for informational purposes and should not be used as a substitute for professional financial or tax advice.
F
Barbara Traylor Smith, CFP, ChFC, CLU, can be seen on KREX Saturdays at 6 p.m. and KJCT Sundays at 8 a.m. or heard on KNZZ Saturdays at 8 a.m. She has been featured in Bloomberg Business Week, Entrepreneur and Fortune magazines. Contact her at 970-256-1748 or retirementoutfittersllc.com. Investment advisory services offered through Foundations Investment Advisors LLC, an SEC registered investment adviser.
All this over a lousy couple of hundred million?
At least when it comes to the federal government, it’s over $7 TRILLION (OK, some $2 trillion of that is made up out of thin air) or so, we can see why all the dirty pool is going on.
But in Grand Junction, we’re not even talking about real money at our budget levels.
The lengths some folks are going to obtain for part-time, volunteer jobs on Grand Junction City Council are beyond our imagination. After all, filling potholes, picking up trash, running a few softball, golf and pickleball leagues, mowing and trimming lawns at our parks and hiring enough cops shouldn’t take more than a few hours a month to manage.
Because isn’t that what a city councilperson should do? Just make sure the few services the city should provide its citizens run smoothly. And even if one doesn’t want the city to do some of what it’s doing, like running golf courses, swimming pools, theaters and the like, people should agree it runs those things efficiently and transparently with our tax dollars.
After all, when it comes to government, especially local government, the government will be doing something individuals like and demand along with other things individuals think government shouldn’t be in our back yards about, let alone within 100 miles of.
Now, we’ll admit when it comes to things like the swimming pools, parks and golf courses, the problems associated are few and far between, and they usually result from inefficiencies and oversights all government is subject to for one reason or another. After all, our publisher takes full advantage of the City of Grand Junction’s ownership in two golf courses, and he sees concerns he’d prefer they’d address with our tax dollars. But as we said, it comes with the territory.
And let’s be honest, these kinds of inconveniences affect only a small number of people within a confined area of the city’s responsibilities.
The real problems, however, come when a few in government do what a few in the citizenry demand, which affect us all. Which brings us full circle to the current city council races. After all, it can’t be over a measly couple of hundred million bucks. At this level it must be about one thing: Control.
After all, most of the $200 million or so that the city spends is already accounted for before next year’s budget begins. Why else does the city council have to go to the ballot box for anything extra it wants to do or, worse, design bike lanes into every grant request it writes, or try to figure a way to grift off federal government dollars?
Where do you think all the bollards, the immediately over-budget facilities come from even after a specific-dollar tax issue is approved by the voters, the convoluted mess with the “resource center” along with so many other agenda items the people know nothing about come from?
Now you might say the voters had a voice in the rec center, and we’d agree to a point. But the fact is: Before the final vote was announced the city was already looking for more dollars, and an expanded center was in the plans. Of that, we can only come to one conclusion: The current majority on city council have no concern for citizens’ input outside of their votes.
And that concerns us greatly. After all, one just needs to look at the petition paperwork of three candidates with the common threads of about a dozen names to know whose input is valued by the current city council and these chosen candidates.
Reelecting Cody Kennedy on council is not enough, even though he has been a strong and effective voice of reason and transparency. We also need to elect Ben VanDyke, Laurel Cole and Robert Ballard.
The alternative is to be ruled by a few doing whatever they, and their benefactors, want. As we’ve seen recently, that never works out well for the citizens.
A political hit piece by any other name is still a political hit piece
And that’s whether you declare it as a news story or make it an agenda item for a city council meeting or whether that “agenda item” basically became a doxxing for “up to 20” people who are indeed at risk in their lives.
For those of you on the left who believe themselves to be the rulers of the lesser, I’m referring to the all of the sudden, most-important, breaking news of Cody Kennedy owning an investment property that has been leased to a nonprofit named “A Special Place.” I’ll further help these folks in letting them know Cody has other properties leased to this same nonprofit working with “at-risk” folks for the past several years.
So what makes this one different?
For that, we need to look at the other obvious reasons this particular story has legs. Considering this should have been written in January when things first became known about the property. Then again, that would require a story that would read 180 degrees opposite the stories in local media where they praised Cody for his work in providing properties for lease for this, and other, nonprofits.
As with all political things, it comes down to timing, where the story came from and what’s being reported.
I mean, what if the complaints in the “news story” originated from a registered agent of a candidate for city council in another race who happens to live down the street from the property in question? Or if one looks at the donor list of Cody’s “out of nowhere,” surprise opponent until the weekend before deadline, you’d see residents and spouses of the same neighborhood of the registered agent along with the names of current council members (including the mayor) and their spouses and the husband of the registered agent, although he seems to have a nondescript address close by.
So let’s look at the reporting that has been blown out of proportion by local media and the anti-Cody majority on city council. As I’ve mentioned, Cody’s business has been reported on before and in a very positive, benefitting-the-community kind of way. But that was before Cody was in the way of the GJ Politburo and its agenda. And we all know how that usually ends in the old Soviet Union. Luckily, some of us in media don’t belong to TASS.
And yes, I realize the current “story” was first printed in the Colorado Sun. Perhaps because the locals needed an excuse to take what they’d been covering as a positive and make it negative. I wonder why?
Well, let me tell you. That’s why you’ll find nothing in local reporting other than basically a regurgitation of the Colorado Sun story. And that’s because when a story elsewhere fits the agenda, there’s no sense in looking into it.
That’s why you read the constant repeating of the term “up to 20 residents” even though the home had never had 20 residents. You’ll read about a neighbor complaining they had “witnessed theft” because a shopping cart was in the front lawn of the residence. Nothing like a good stereotyping of the kinds of people shopping carts are associated with while claiming to not exercise intolerance or discrimination or make a political statement.
How about the commentary of a couple asking if they should carry “bear spray” for protection? Don’t they mean pepper spray? Well, bear spray does play better, because we all know folks on the left trust bears more than men.
Then there’s the neighbor who claimed a resident was smoking pot (I thought democrats thought pot cured all?), one “screamed obscenities (did someone’s teenager move in with them?), and the worst, someone walking their dog was stared at – apparently they’ve never taken a stroll in any neighborhood, dog or no dog?
What’s worse in the “reporting,” little of Cody’s responses with the Sun were reported. Locally, hardly any of Cody’s 14-page response has been reported.
Are these legitimate complaints? Perhaps. But do they rise to the level of we need a Delta House style “double secret probation” hearing at city council? Yet that’s what city council did. But that’s only part of what made this a political hit job.
It’s a political hit job because it was created as a political hit job. It walks, talks and squawks like a political hit job. And its cast of characters are from the local democrat party, even though our council elections are “nonpartisan” – all while hiding under the guise of saying all races should be contested. Finally, the timing screams it.
The Business Times would never run this kind of story so close to an election – no matter how many times the local, democrat chair used to push this kind of tripe. And he tried mightily the past few years.
And you may complain The Business Times did a hit job with its editorial on HomewardBound and city council. But you’d be wrong.
Just ask Cody. Even with his well-thought-out response to this electioneering, I told him we’re too close to the election to do a story or letter to the editor. We have rules and ethics.
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But I couldn’t resist a column. This needed to be called what it is.
In Christ and freedom.
Craig Hall is owner and publisher of the Business Times. Reach him at (970) 424-5133 or publisher@thebusinesstimes.com.
Craig Hall
n FUNDRAISER FOR CONFLUENCE CENTER IS MARCH 29
A fundraiser for the Confluence Center of Colorado and its building that is being constructed at 2600 Dos Rios Drive will take place March 29 at Monument Vista Place, 1785 Broadway Ave., from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The building is designed to unite six key nonprofit organizations: RiversEdge West; EUREKA! McConnell Science Museum; One Riverfront; Colorado National Monument Association; Colorado West Land Trust; and Colorado Canyons Association. These organizations are creating a shared space to foster collaboration, conservation and community engagement in the Grand Valley and beyond.
The fundraiser will feature live music with Kathryn Mientka Farruggia on piano and Javier de los Santos on guitar. Restoration Vineyards will provide wine, and hors d’oeuvres will be served.
“With every note played and every dollar donated, we are building a legacy of conservation, collaboration and education,” said Johanna van Waveren, Colorado National Monument Association executive director. “Thanks to the incredible generosity of our supporters and the matching fund, every contribution will have twice the impact, bringing us closer to making the Confluence Center a reality. We invite you to join us for this unforgettable night of music and giving, where together, we can create something truly lasting for future generations.”
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.coloradonma.org/events or call 970-858-2808.
To learn more about the Confluence Center, its mission, or ways to donate, visit www.confluencecenterco.org.
n BRAY CARES PROVIDES EMERGENCY HOUSING GRANTS
Recognizing the ongoing housing crisis and the increase in people seeking shelter and transitional housing, the Bray Cares Foundation awarded $500 emergency-housing grants to three local nonprofits.
“We understand that emergencies don’t wait for grant cycles,” said Robert Bray, CEO of Bray and Company and founder of the Bray Cares Foundation. “These grants are designed to provide rapid assistance to those facing immediate housing instability, ensuring no one is left without shelter when they need it most.”
A Special Place received funding to address the surge in housing needs for individuals with severe behavioral health challenges following the closure of West Springs Hospital. Mutual Aid Partners and Solidarity Not Charity were granted funds to support transitional housing for homeless women and assist with deposits for sober-living facilities.
These emergency grants are in addition to the Bray Cares Foundation’s annual grant cycle, which distributes more than $30,000 for housing and shelter-related initiatives. The foundation welcomes local nonprofits with individuals facing urgent housing needs to apply for the remaining emergency funds.
“If your organization is working to address immediate housing needs, we encourage you to reach out,” said Kevin Bray, Bray and Company’s director of development and co-founder of the Bray Cares Foundation.
The Business Times welcomes submissions for free publication in Business Briefs. Email stories and headshots to publisher@thebusinesstimes.com or submit a news release online at www.thebusinesstimes.com.
