Sign O' The Times 6

There's another community garden sprouting up in Downtown GJ. This one is in the 200 block of White Avenue, and will be overseen by the residents of St. Benedict Place, the housing complex operated by Grand Valley Catholic Outreach.

The garden is on land owned by the Catholic Diocese of Pueblo, and is directly adjacent the Frank Lloyd Wright-influenced rectory of St. Joseph's Church.

This is an ad for the Airmall, the shops that occupy the concourses of the Pittsburgh Airport.

My mother worked in several shops there.
Every time I see it, my first reaction is, "Wow, I feel kind of sad for you".

This is in a highly visible location in Downtown Grand Junction.

Well, I liked you OK, even if I didn't support you the first time I got to vote for President in 1980. I realize that others have a much lesser opinion of your presidency, but either way the essential premise of this billboard is true.
After 8 years of George W. Bush, all doubt has indeed been removed.



My first car was one of these, without the camper features.
I miss it. The message is excellent.

I'll have some more examples of this type of expression soon. Have a great day.

And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street..

No, I don't think I'll apologize to Dr. Seuss. This was fun..

Saturday marked the long-awaited return of the Hot Tomato Cafe to the increasingly diverse commercial landscape that is downtown Fruita. According to friends who had been there most of the day, people were lined up at the door at 11:00, and kept streaming in until evening.

The interior of the new cafe',  with its custom-made wood tables and recycled- metal floor accents, was packed, along with the enclosed patio and convenient beer window, with overflow onto the surrounding sidewalks and alleys. The street had been closed for the event, and the live music from the stage in the middle of North Mulberry was excellent.

The cafe ran out of pizza dough at about 7:30 PM, so myself, Evan, and his friend Ben pigged out on some excellent stromboli. It didn't really matter what we ate; it was satisfying enough to see Jen and Anne's enterprise back in full swing after the events of last year.

As several media outlets reported in advance of the opening, the Hot Tomato is truly an example of community, government, and private enterprise in action to enhance quality of life. KJCT led off their Saturday newscast with the opening; instead of a slow news day, it was a good news day.

Props go to U.S. Bank, which according to press reports provided the financing necessary for the transformation of an empty former dry cleaning store into the reincarnation of the Hot Tomato. I would have been tempted to ask which banks were approached and said no; I'm hoping they didn't include those local banks that pride themselves on community reinvestment.

There are intangibles at work here; droning on about a sense of community may sound repetitive to some, but you can really feel it working in the finished product, and the slight change of venue seemed to have no effect on it. The cafe' has a rather active Facebook page for fans and others interested in the restaurant and its rebirth. It's worth checking out.

Fruita and the surrounding communities will benefit from this kind of collaboration and cooperation, so long as those in the community continue to recognize and encourage the nature of the efforts made in this instance.

The Hot Tomato's former home, just down the street on the corner, sits empty and available for rent. I'm also tempted to ask the Fruita Masonic Lodge how that's working for them, and whether or not the current condition of their rental space is justified by the means they undertook to empty it.

Would it have just been easier for the Masons to work with the Hot Tomato, instead of against them? Time will certainly clarify the answer to that question, but in the short term, it's time to celebrate a little.

Best wishes to the Hot Tomato, and to Fruita, for continued prosperity and community growth. From the looks of the picture below, the neighborhood weathered the additional activity with little or no notice or inconvenience.

Have a great week ahead.

Homage to the 'Birdman'

“If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men.”

- St. Francis of Assisi

As the change of seasons continues to take shape in our area (we've already had our first human-caused wildland fire of the year), sometimes it's good to take a look around and get a closer look at those things that take a piece of our field of vision, but that we take for granted or just don't really notice.

Thanks to reporter Troy Sides of the Mesa State Criterion, we now know a little bit more about one of Grand Junction's most enigmatic personalities.

In a recent story and associated audio slideshow, Mr. Sides introduces us to the 'Birdman', AKA one Edward Gillman. A widowed California transplant with two grown daughters, Mr. Gillman stated he's been walking the same regular route between the college area and Downtown for the last 27 years, feeding the birds along his way.

Mr. Gillman said that he got his start when he took an injured sparrow home and it got better. Like with the famed Robert Stroud, an avian avocation was begun.

I see the Birdman at the Downtown Post Office in the late afternoons, before he walks east on White Avenue, flocks of pigeons and starlings following him. He lives in an apartment in town.

Seeing someone who is content with spending his days in this manner runs counter to the pulse of our society and culture, but I can sense that the Birdman has a good idea of what he wants to do, and is at peace with himself and his life.
He enjoys a freedom that few of us can comprehend.

Pax et Bonum.




Photo Credit: Troy Sides, Mesa State Criterion

Thanksgiving Week in Review

Evan and I spent Thanksgiving at home this year. I cooked a complete holiday dinner for the first time; although most if not all of the fare was not complicated, it was rather satisfying. Nothing like green bean casserole, you know. BTW, if you like garlic, Campbell's also makes a Cream of Mushroom soup with roasted garlic in it. It makes the casserole that much better.

Prior to starting dinner I helped to deliver Thanksgiving dinners as part of Canyon View Vineyard's efforts to feed over 800 shut-ins and others in need of a meal that day. As was the case last year, the logistics of this effort appeared to go off without a hitch.

Sunday I attended church at the Downtown Vineyard, in their new location at the Avalon Theater. I'm still getting used to going to church in the same theater where I saw Towelhead, but the message is what matters, not the venue. And the message is a good one.

Pastor Paul Watson gave an excellent message around the concept of spiritual gifts, and how they can take hold of a church community to such an extent that the unifying and love-centered message of Christ can be corrupted and forgotten. This was the main theme of 1 Corinthians 13,
where St. Paul admonished the church at Corinth about the value, or lack thereof, of gifts such as prophecy or faith in the absence of love.

On the way out to the car I noticed the familiar red plastic bags covering the parking meters, meaning that the city has waived feeding the meters for the holiday shopping season. While I understand that the City and the Downtown Partnership want to do everything they can to encourage downtown shopping during what will likely be a lean holiday for retailers, I still feel that an opportunity was missed to provide better services for those without homes, or unable to provide for themselves or their families. I wrote about this earlier in the year. I hope they'll think about this for next year.

During the service my cell phone messaging kept going off. Afterward I read about the senseless killing of four police officers in Washington State. My prayers and thoughts go out to those affected by this tragic and truly evil act. In the context of this, and the fickle nature of the 24-hour news cycle, shame on those media outlets that made a spectacle of the misadventures of a billionaire golfer.

This week my co-producer Linda and I recorded 93 more students for the Words program. This was our second trip to the school in the last 2 months, and we got to see some of the fun that our first group of kids had with being part of the experience. A large wall display in the 7th grade section of Grand Mesa Middle School heralded some of this excitement.

It's been a good few days working with these kids. Speaking to them about their interests and favorite things to do, and helping to craft an experience that reflects who they are, has been enjoyable and rewarding in an intangible way for the last 3 years. The staff at KAFM has been supportive and accommodating as well.

Airfares are interesting things to track. Sometimes all it takes is something to do in Denver to create an opportunity that is met by a favorable price. I have an interview in Denver on Monday, but have managed to parlay that into a long weekend in Pittsburgh, thanks in part to jetBlue and Southwest Airlines.

As a result, I get to see Leslie for a few days, and may try to get some cheap seats to see the Pens on Saturday night. I would like to see one more game in the Igloo before it goes away next season. The Pens host the Avs tonight. Enough said; there are still people around here that are a little sore over the Steeler victory in Denver almost a month ago.

Have a great weekend.

Busy Week in Review

Denver - This last week was busy for me. Intense material review and two tests, and it doesn't look like it will let up for this week either. I've been told this is one of the hardest weeks, as there is a lot of math and detail-oriented work involved. I was doing problems for homework yesterday and I see what they mean. I almost need a ruler to make sure I'm reading the right column or row on a conversion table. The reading glasses are helping.

Several occurrences and observations were noteworthy this past week, and I'd like to share a few of them.

The Seventh Street Historic District Overlay went over like a lead balloon at the City Council level, and rightly so. Council "continued", perhaps indefinitely, additional consideration of the overlay to the City's zoning code.

Not resting on their laurels, the resident activists of the 7th Street area are setting their sights on what they perceive as flaws in the City's proposed Comprehensive Plan. In an e-mail sent earlier this week, 7th Street resident Kathy Jordan cited portions of the "Comp Plan" that "increases density in some areas by 100 percent". Ms. Jordan also asserted that the overlays and Strategic Plan that were continued last Monday will be a moot point if the Comprehensive Plan is approved.

The plan calls for as many as 8 dwelling units per acre (RSF-8) in my corner of Downtown GJ.
It appears from what I can find in the online plan documents that there really isn't anything specific set aside for the 7th Street Historic Corridor, roughly from Grand Avenue to Teller Avenue. The latest Comprehensive Plan Future Use Map puts a big black and white picture over the specific zoning for the Downtown; I wonder why...

It sounds like there may be a groundswell of opposition to the city's intentions for the Downtown area as a whole, not just 7th Street. While I'm reserving judgment on this until I have the time to learn more, the solution for many of these residents may be a simple and personal one; live well enough now so that you and your heirs have the ability and resolve to control your individual properties, and their current use, for as long as possible.

*******

It was heartening to see a willingness on the part of two valley fire departments to sit down and talk about the future of their areas, and how they might work together to provide appropriate protection for them.

The initial dialogue between the Grand Junction Fire Department and the Clifton Fire District was described in the Sentinel's account as an "open thought process", and that "there is no timetable for reaching any decisions". Still, it's good to see the Fire and Emergency Medical Service providers for the bulk of the county's population start talking about better ways of working together.

One point in the Sentinel article required clarification. The GJFD and Clifton service area boundaries were described as meeting "in the Pear Park area", where there are reported response time issues. To be more accurate, the district boundary runs the length of 30 Road, from the Colorado River to I-70, and further north into the desert for EMS calls.

Common sense has affected how the two departments handle calls in this boundary area. For example, GJFD will respond to calls at the Grand Junction Speedway, which lies just east of the 30 Road boundary in the desert north of I-70. This is because the only road serving the track originates from the end of 29 Road, in GJFD's district.

One other suggestion regarding boundary responses would be the establishment of what is called an "automatic aid area", extending perhaps 1/4 mile on either side of the 30 Road boundary. Calls received that fall into this area would be responded to by both departments simultaneously. I wouldn't be surprised if something like this were in the works already, but it sure would be helpful to alleviate the headache in dispatch when trying to ascertain which side of 30 Road an accident or other incident occurred on.

Here's to success in their efforts, and may they help set a positive example that other public safety agencies can follow.

*******

I saw some interesting things while in Denver last week. I attended a gathering sponsored by the ACLU of Colorado regarding the protection of murals as free speech and works of art.
This discussion stemmed from the City of Englewood's attempts to prosecute the owner of a smoking accessories shop and a used car lot for painting murals on their respective buildings in alleged violation of the City's sign ordinance.

The presenter also stated that the headshop owner had the mural (see photo) painted on his building in response to the building being repeatedly tagged with graffiti, and Englewood's refusal to assist with removal. Maybe someone should tell Englewood officials about the excellent resource-sharing efforts of Grand Junction and Mesa County to remove graffiti at the request of property owners.

This gathering was held at The Other Side Arts, a Denver gallery and support center for local artists that was also in the news last year, after Denver Police arbitrarily painted over a graffiti art mural on the side of their building in advance of the Democratic National Convention. The City of Denver is now paying for the replacement of that mural.

On the media front, the Huffington Post has introduced a page devoted solely to Denver and Colorado news. They have signed up numerous publications across the state as partners in this effort (this includes the GJ Free Press), and GJ blogger and curmudgeon Ralph D'Andrea wrote a column that was featured prominently alongside stories about water. It looks really good so far.

Also, I've thoroughly enjoyed the redesigned Westword, Denver's alternative weekly paper. It looks more like a slickly-produced magazine now, with excellent graphics and writing on significant local issues. An example of both is this past week's cover story on the surgical tech who infected dozens with Hepatitis C while employed at Rose Medical Center in Denver.

I've also found a small, Denver-based restaurant chain that has me wandering by at least every other day for something healthy. Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill boasts four locations in south and west Metro Denver, and serves an excellent falafel plate with hummus, lettuce, tomato, chicken or beef if you want, and warm, fresh-baked pita for a reasonable price.

I hope they succeed enough to consider a jump over the mountains to Grand Junction, like Smashburger was able to do. This kind of quick, healthy dining out is something that GJ could really use.

*******

At my mother's urging, I rented an older movie this weekend, 1997's The Rainmaker starring Matt Damon, Danny DeVito, Mickey Rourke, and Claire Danes, written (from John Grasham's novel) and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The story includes some topics that are still highly controversial today, and that put forth a reminder about what's left in the balance when profit is the only consideration. DeVito's character put it best; "There's no feeling in the world like putting it to an insurance company" (or something like that).

I was also saddened by the death of Patrick Swayze, who broke the tough-guy mold as an actor when it suited him, and produced some excellent work in the process. While Ghost is the most recognized example of this, City of Joy and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar stand out to me as well.

I think I'll spend the rest of the evening trying to figure out how Jay Cutler and "Da Bears" beat the Steelers today. I hear it had something to do with missed field goals, but that's not enough. I was hoping that Cutler would have been humbled today, but I guess you can't win 'em all.

Back to the books tomorrow. Have a great week ahead.

Downtown Development - Dichotomy, Diversity, Duplicity

Tonight the Grand Junction City Council will consider a zoning change in the Downtown area, what is called an overlay zone in the area known as the 7th Street Historic Residential District.

This past June, Council approved an application for a Bed and Breakfast in the Historic District, much to the chagrin of several homeowners there who believe that a 1984 plan establishing the district, and maintain single-family residential zoning in the area, was not being honored. The City responded that the agreement was not incorporated into the current Zoning and Development Code, and therefore had no bearing on the B&B or future development applications. Visions of Rose Mary Woods and the 17-minute gap were in my head when I heard this.

As very competently reported by Mike Wiggins in this past Saturday's Sentinel, the owners of these homes are loading up their inflatable turkeys and preparing to do battle.

As a resident of the Downtown, I enjoy the diversity of the community and the uniqueness of what has been done with many properties. I welcome some of the changes that are proposed for my corner of Downtown, which include multi-use structures for business and residential use. I also thought that a B&B on 7th Street was not a harmful or inappropriate use of the property involved, and I said so in June. I still believe that today.

However, the proposed changes that the City is considering would establish a process for approving applications that does not include enough opportunity for public comment before an application is approved. Adequate publication and solicitation of comment are essential components of any process that manages the alteration of the landscape of any neighborhood.

Additionally, I believe that the 8 property owners who have secured legal representation over the absence of any enforcement of the 1984 plan have a point. If their assertions bear any weight of truth at all, I believe that they are being disenfranchised, and that the plan 'preserving' the historic character of their neighborhood has been conveniently set aside by the City in a bit of procedural legerdemain. I also believe that they are prepared to sue the City if necessary.

I attended a community meeting on August 29 at what was once Washington Park (it's now owned by District 51), and heard this and many other concerns voiced to the organizers, as well as City Planning and Public Works Director Tim Moore, who was solidly engaged in the proceedings and very professional in his approach.

Some residents are very concerned about so-called "transition zones" that abut their properties proximal to the North Avenue commercial corridor. These could conceivably allow for commercial structures to be built alongside their residential property. Yeah, they're right.

Other voices at the meeting voiced opposition, if not animosity, toward the presence of any multi-family housing going up in areas close to the 7th Street corridor and elsewhere. Some of these comments, as well as comments about "what kind of people" would frequent the recently approved B&B, smacked of classism to me, and I called at least one person on it.

As much as the residents of the historic district may have a case against the City for the way they have been treated, those kinds of attitudes did not endear some of them to me, and threaten to derail any meaningful discussion of a development issue before it begins. To me it sounds like someone yelling about death panels at a meeting about health care reform.

I'm at school in Denver, otherwise I'd be there tonight. Even with as much thought and research that has gone into these proposals, they need to go back to the Planning department for some re-tooling, and the City owes at least an explanation, if not more, to those it made a commitment to in 1984.

Have a good week ahead.

The Media and the Homeless - Part 2

I went down to Whitman Park on Tuesday to observe the first meeting of Housing First! No More Deaths. While attendance was what I would consider light, it appeared to come close to the numbers that assembled at the June 29 City Council meeting.

The local mass media was well represented at the gathering. Kate Renner from KREX and Courtney Jones of KJCT did some comprehensive reporting on the event, including interviews with some of the local homeless that attended. The Sentinel's Emily Anderson and Wyatt Haupt of the Free Press (strange to type that) weighed in with good accounts as well.

Conspicuously absent from the event was KKCO-TV. "The Ones to Watch" appear to be approaching the issue from a different angle. One of their lead stories Tuesday night at 5:30 was about a Mortgage Credit Certificate program for first-time homebuyers and others. It was almost as if the station was trying to say, "This is how you get housing".

A search of the station's website (using a very robust new search tool) using the term homeless resulted in only one story hit, and that involved the homeless in Aspen. To the station's credit, their Monday special report on Bridges Out of Poverty was well-conceived, competently reported, and contained lots of useful information.

These two stories give me the distinct impression that KKCO is only willing to report on programs that give those in disadvantaged situations the opportunity to educate themselves, and assimilate into the work world so that they can pull themselves out of the cycle of poverty, crime, and in some cases, homelessness. They don't appear to be interested in anything outside of that somewhat narrow focus.

So what about the foundational benchmarks behind Tuesday's effort to begin organizing and empowering the homeless community? My interest was sparked by the civil liberties and effective governance aspects of the issue.

The groups involved are attempting to leverage the momentum from a victory at the City Council level into constructive change and meaningful dialogue with City government. At the same time, they decry what they perceive as police harassment, and threaten the use of civil disobedience to bring attention to their demands.

I believe that they can best move toward accomplishing their end with cooperative efforts first. Homeless advocate Jacob Richards stressed this among many points in a 15-minute speech to the crowd on Tuesday. Other things that Jacob touched upon included providing education on the rights of citizens when contacted by police, assuring that transients arriving in Grand Junction are communicated with about the services available and the behaviors to avoid, and strategies to address what they perceive as an overzealous police presence and the 'warrant-go-round' that I've mentioned previously. Jacob went so far as to encourage anyone receiving a 'petty ticket' to plead not guilty and exercise their right to trial, with the intent of bogging down the municipal court system.

Yesterday Jacob reported to me that he had received three reports of police contacts with transients in Whitman Park on Tuesday afternoon, in which officers chided those that they contacted for having the meeting that morning. Phrases such as "you have the wrong idea" and
"you don't know the trouble you have started" were reportedly used. Judging from the GJPD's response to media queries on Tuesday, they believe that they are doing the job they are paid to do, and claim that the laws on the books apply equally to everyone. That's to be expected.

As a citizen and taxpayer I also expect that the PD will continue to exercise their duties in a professional manner, regardless of the segment of the population they are dealing with at any given time. Despite the rhetoric being bandied about, I have faith in our police to do the right thing when necessary. I believe, as I believe many citizens do, that it is a disservice to a society of laws when that doesn't happen.

With regard to civil disobedience, I believe that is a last resort tactic, and not one to be used without significant provocation or evidence of some sort of injustice. Hopefully Jacob and his crew have learned something from the Palin motorcade incident last fall; not all publicity is good for the cause.

Councilman Tom Kenyon was quoted by KJCT as saying "We are willing to work with them. We're willing to solve problems. But, if they go down the road of illegal behavior then they will be dealt with." If he's true to his word, that's a reasonable approach.

One segment that hasn't ventured to speak in a public forum are those who hide behind online aliases to spew hate and discontent, or insults from moving vehicles. That's one voice I didn't hear at the park on Tuesday. Like cockroaches and vampires, these kinds of attitudes can't survive the light of day.

In fairness, the community at large also needs to recognize the need for better, more accessible alcohol, substance abuse and and mental health treatment, and those among the homeless community that are so afflicted need to make some life choices. The City and the Police are right about one thing; a drunk on the street is a danger to themselves and to others.

Tuesday's meeting was hopefully the start of meaningful dialogue and a positive step toward our community uniting to address a long-standing problem. A sense of commitment and honesty, a focused approach, and sincere attempts at compromise are keys to making effective change happen, hopefully before it gets cold outside.

Our local media can help in this process by continuing to report on the issues at hand. With one possible exception, they're off to a good start.

Have a great day.

Creative Comments License

Over the last couple of days I've noticed several stories in the Daily Sentinel that I thought merited some additional comments. On some of these stories, there is no capability to leave comments, while on others there is.

Instead of scratching my head and wondering why, I thought I would just comment here.
By the way, Denny, why is that? Never mind, here goes...

Gas group sponsors cattlemen's meeting in valley this week

Aside from the headline, which borders on something Jay Leno might have been interested in, I thought immediately about intense discussions to collect bovine flatulence, not to mention a lot of the hot air coming from the energy types inside Two Rivers this week.

Seriously, if ranchers and drillers are trying to work together then that's a good thing. Maybe these energy companies would like to use this example to work more amicably with the citizens of Battlement Mesa.

Opponents of B&B seek public hearings

In this story and previous reporting, those who have leveled complaints and/or retained counsel to voice them to the city have not been identified.

I'm wondering if this group of opponents includes Daily Sentinel retiree and historical columnist Kathy Jordan, who along with her husband owns the conspicuously well-maintained yellow house at the southeast corner of Seventh and Ouray. If so, then I believe that the paper has an obligation to disclose this to the readership if they choose to report on the controversy.

For me, there needs to be some practical trade-offs in the North Seventh Street Historic District if it is to remain an integrated and vital part of a changing Downtown Grand Junction.
Recognition of the fact that Seventh is a major north/south arterial through the city center would be a start. Providing for a long-overdue southbound left turn lane from Seventh onto Grand Avenue would be another. Recognizing that cobbled flagstone crosswalks don't necessarily lend themselves to use by disabled citizens is yet another.

With their opposition to some creative use of a very large space, the naysayers on "Historic" Seventh Street are basically trying to act like a government-sanctioned HOA. The final quote by their attorney was the last straw:

"Some neighbors view the bed-and-breakfast proposal as a lever “to justify a higher sale price,” Behrmann said."

Uh, if the owners of the proposed B&B meet the city's requirements to develop their business, then what business is it of yours how much they sell it for?

After helping in fundraising, Grand Junction couple makes personal donation

This story allowed for comments, and one particular comment drew my attention. It compared Ken Leis and Kathy Hall's philanthropy to that of Andrew Carnegie, "in more ways than one".

No one seemed to pick up on the meaning behind that comment. I think the writer may have intended to bring forth Carnegie's involvement in the bloody Homestead Strike of 1892, as well as his membership in the South Fork Hunting and Fishing Club, whose neglect of the dam that created the club's lake resulted in the 1889 Johnstown Flood.

I believe that this comment was intended to disparage Mr. Leis and Ms. Hall because of their involvement in local politics and the energy industry. Other comments were less subtle in their criticism. That's bad form; we should appreciate their generosity, and let God sort out the rest.

Have a great day.

Getting Back to Church

I had the opportunity to get to church yesterday for the first time in several weeks, and the experience was a very good one.

Canyon View Vineyard Church's satellite campus in Downtown GJ has been steadily growing since establishing regular Sunday services in the Roper Music Ballroom at 5th and Rood. As of the beginning of this month they've added a second service, and have also taken the vacant storefront on the 5th Street side of the Roper Music building. Advertising free coffee and Internet service, it looks as though the storefront will serve as a church office and place to "hang out" during the week.

Since last October, Pastor Paul Watson and his staff have been using systematic theology to go through the essential Christian belief structure, and from there glean practical lessons in living from those basic teachings. This week the focus was on James 1:1-27; Paul provided the following talking points to go along with the scripture:

• Know who you are in Christ. When you know, you will be able to determine what in the world you stand for.
• Your physical troubles are an opportunity for physical growth. How you respond reveals what you believe about God. God is as interested in your response as he is your circumstance.
• True and lasting religion is based in Jesus and faith in God. Believe that God has the ability to change your circumstance.
• Show your faith in God in how you live. People believe what you live, not what you say.
• Lasting religion makes a difference in people's lives.

This lesson continues to validate, at least for me, why I find this particular church's message appealing. They present their truth in a calm, non-judgmental way. Pretense and ritualistic formality are deliberately minimized; come as you are, for you are one of God's children and deserving of His love, as manifested by His earthly followers.

It's good to see this ministry begin to flourish in the way that it has. Being able to walk there on Sunday mornings is a blessing that I'm going to take advantage of more as the weather becomes more hospitable. I only wish that I had my loved ones next to me.

The church has its' own page on the CVVC website, which will hopefully have more information available on it in the future. Recorded sermons, maybe (hint, hint). In any case, if you're looking for a church to go to in the central valley, it's worth checking out.

On a related note, I was fortunate this weekend to speak with a couple of acquaintances who attend St. Matthew's Episcopal Church. They have a new Rector that has just started, and from the looks of their website and newsletter it seems that the congregation is energized and engaged in God's work for others. It's been about 8 years since I was last there; based upon these chance meetings, another visit is probably a good idea.

Have a blessed week ahead.

Quiet Weekend

- Daily Sentinel - Christopher Tomlinson

"My boss will like it that I got Sentinel Square in the background."

- Daily Sentinel photographer Christopher Tomlinson,
overheard shortly after taking the above photo

Friday night after work I headed Downtown to the Post Office. While going down Main Street, I noticed a lot more activity than you might expect on a winter Friday evening. Many stores were open, there were carolers singing, and there was a general feeling of the community being out for something special.

I found a big part of it in the 600 block of Main Street, as the statue of Walter Walker was formally unveiled. It was a very nice ceremony, and the sculpture and it's presentation are whimsical and impressive all at once. I particularly enjoyed the commemorative program that was distributed, a small 4-page tab produced by the Free Press that included many facts about Mr. Walker and his role in shaping our area. It also included some detail of the role of the Klan in Grand Valley politics. Fortunately, there were no protests at the ceremony.

In case you're wondering why the Free Press would print a commemorative program about the one-time publisher of the Daily Sentinel, here's a quick history lesson. Walter Walker's son Preston (also featured in the sculpture) owned the paper until his death in 1970, at which time he left it to employee Ken Johnson. Johnson sold the Sentinel to Cox Newspapers in 1979. They remain the owners to this day. Ken Johnson then partnered with others to start the Free Press in 2003. They sold the paper to Colorado Mountain News Media in 2005.

Mr. Johnson was also instrumental in having Mesa State's new soccer complex named 'Walker Field' earlier this year.

It turns out that Friday evening was also the annual Spirit of Christmas Walk, held along with the annual Chocolate Walk. I walked through the Main Street Shopping Park and surrounding areas, and found several interesting shops that I would otherwise not have noticed had they not chosen to be open that evening. Among them are:

• Author's Gallery Bookstore, 537 Main St. Loaded (literally) with used books. One afternoon I am going to have to work my way through all the stacks and beef up my collection, as well as look for those special things that hide amongst the vastness of the ordinary.

• Planet Earth and the 4 Directions Gallery, 524 Colorado Ave. For those into local art, vintage and imported clothing, antique and custom-made jewelry (with an artist in residence) and a taste of the generally eclectic and offbeat. The owner was going through some new clothing arrivals from Peru. I thought I saw a Raspberry Beret among all of the new stuff. It was a fun visit.

• Triple Play Records, 530 Main St. Rock Cesario's place continues to carry some of the coolest stuff in town. I've got my eye on at least 2 or 3 CDs in there, and if I can get my turntable going again the vinyl section looks equally enticing.
  

Since I got back to the house on Friday evening I have not been outside, except to marvel at the snowfall on Saturday night, and the manner in which the ambient light reflects off of the clouds and falling snow to give an eerie but fascinating illumination. It was 3:00 in the morning, and it looked like twilight outside.

I've been fighting the lingering effects of a cold, while finishing some online Christmas shopping and cleaning up the house for my mother's arrival on Tuesday. She'll be with us through Christmas. About the only things I haven't done are get cards mailed out and put up the lights and the tree. These are things a teenager could help with. Hmmmm.....

I'd like to thank the Denver Broncos for quietly submitting to the Carolina Panthers today in such a quick fashion. This enabled CBS to fill the remaining time with the Steelers' excellent comeback against Baltimore. What's that? Just wait 'til the playoffs? OK then.....

I'm trying to keep the holiday rush somewhat subdued, at least as much as I can. Tomorrow I will venture outside to do some shopping, get a haircut, and hit the library for a while. I may also stop in at the City Council meeting tomorrow evening.

I hope that peace and joy are more prevalent for you than the hectic nature we humans make out of the season. Have a great week ahead.

Forgive Us Our Trespasses...

I believe I've passed the age
of consciousness and righteous rage,
I've found that just surviving was a noble fight
I once believed in causes too,
had my pointless point of view,
Life went on no matter who was wrong or right.

- Billy Joel, 'Angry Young Man'

Local activist Jacob Richards wrote a letter to the Sentinel over the weekend criticizing this week's dedication of a statue commemorating Sentinel owner and publisher, aviation pioneer, and local political figure Walter Walker. Mr. Richards cited several sources in highlighting Mr. Walker's affiliation with, and support of, a well-known organization given to racial and religious intolerance.

Throughout history, there are those that have distinguished themselves in the community or the world through their actions for the common good. These individuals, by definition, were all flawed in some way.

Walter Walker was one of these people. Like all of us human beings who make mistakes and do regrettable things, it is apparent through historical record that Mr. Walker did indeed embrace the Ku Klux Klan. He also backed away from that endorsement.

When the statue of Dalton Trumbo was dedicated last year, several in the community were critical of both Trumbo's alleged duplicity as a member of the 'Hollywood Ten' and his open embrace of Communism. Among many older, long-time Grand Junction residents, his skewering of early 20th Century Grand Junction in 'Eclipse' was also not forgotten.

Yet the community at large embraced Trumbo's considerable accomplishments as a screenwriter and novelist, and the now-famous 'bathtub' sculpture now sits near the Avalon Theater.

Mr. Richards' attempts to remind the community of Mr. Walker's less-than-admirable past associations is interesting, but not unexpected. It's also irrelevant to the task at hand, which is to honor Mr. Walker's contributions to the community, which far exceed his temporary lapse of reason that Mr. Richards brought attention to.

Mr. Richards will likely continue his efforts on the public stage later this week. I would hope that he will not endanger himself or others, and that he will exercise his First Amendment rights in a responsible manner. I would personally enjoy reading a special edition of The Red Pill dedicated to this issue.

I'm hopeful that Mr. Richards will overcome his tendencies toward self-righteousness and trying to bring attention to himself to understand the proceedings this week. I also hope that he will eventually learn the value of calm, reasoned public discourse, working with others across ideological boundaries, and achieving compromise for the good of as many citizens as possible.

Perhaps he will, and use his considerable intellect to achieve great things, for which future community leaders will erect a statue of him. It might be dedicated with hardly a mention of Sarah Palin's motorcade.

As High Country News contributor Michelle Nijhuis so eloquently wrote about Dalton Trumbo's tribute two years ago:

"In reprinting "Eclipse,'' and embracing the truths of Shale City, Grand Junction deals a blow to the blacklist mentality. It also shows that small towns -- despite their many faults -- can be generous of heart, and large of mind."

It sounds to me as if the community is about to do the same thing with Walter Walker, and that sounds good to me.

Business Briefs...and Boxers

Over the last week I've had occasion to pass by or stop in at several local businesses. Some are thriving, others not. Some are just getting off the ground, others are finished or are preparing to be. I thought I would share some of these observations. No 'Biz Buzz' here, just one set of eyes and ears.

I stopped into Quilter's Corner to order a quilt hanger. This store on Colorado Avenue has expanded greatly after moving from its' original Main Street location. Original quilts adorn the walls of the large, well-stocked business; there is ample off-street parking, and a good-size classroom for the many classes that are conducted there.

In speaking with one of the employees, the store has quite a regional following, with regular customers traveling in from Delta, Montrose, and Moab. They also have a robust web presence, and their online catalog is reported to be very popular.


On Sunday I took advantage of an ongoing sale at Dahle's Big and Tall Shop, on 24 1/2 Road near Mesa Mall. The store's website describes the chain as "the largest independent retailer of big and/or tall men's fashions in America".

Unfortunately, this is no longer the case. An updated web page announced that Dahle's was recently acquired by Casual Male XL, another large big and tall chain. According to the local manager, this will mean the end of the store in Grand Junction.

It seems that a store in a market our size made sense for a family-owned (and Salt Lake City based) company like Dahle's, but not a larger corporation like Casual Male. As a result, the local store will close down sometime in January. If you're a big guy like me, this is a great opportunity to get some quality clothes that fit for a reasonable price.


While driving out toward the mall, I noticed that the former Quizno's Subs building near the intersection of 1st and Grand will open as a walk-in Urgent Care center starting tomorrow. This is part and parcel of what appears to be a disturbing trend locally, that being a lack of physician practices willing to take new patients. As a result, places like this one have been cropping up. It will be interesting to see how they fare. Best of luck.


Speaking of new businesses downtown, this past weekend was the grand opening of the White Hall Village, located at 600 White Avenue in what were rental offices. This space appears to have attracted at least one established business, and spawned some new ones. Heart of the Dragon has relocated from 12th and Patterson to the White Hall location. There is a Peruvian import store there, as well as a candle shop.

The busiest place when I was there was Confluence Books, a "Community Center and Radical Bookstore" operated by Grand Junction Alternative Media, publishers of The Red Pill. When I was there on Sunday, they had just finished a seminar on knowing your rights when contacted by the police.

Confluence Books is described, among other things, as "a place to read, hangout, have coffee, talk politics, build community, hold a workshop, screen a movie, have a meeting or plot the revolution". Browsing through there was certainly interesting. I wish them the best of success.


On a bittersweet concluding note, I have to pay homage to Bill Hill, who I used to go to church with and is best known in Downtown Grand Junction as "The Junque Man". His shop on South 3rd Street (next to his son Bruce's business, Superior Alarm) was a place to disappear into when you had a couple of hours. Classic, eccentric, and (mostly) junque-y, all at the same time.

The shop has been closed for a while now, and a call I placed to Superior today confirmed that Bill has retired. As far as the contents of the store, I didn't ask, but I'd be very curious at what Bill and his family will fetch for what is probably the most extensive collection of Playboy magazines this side of Utah. Not that I looked at those too much, but they dated back to the 50's.

Have a good rest of the week.

Won't You be My Neighbor?

"All of us, at some time or other, need help. Whether we're giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world. That's one of the things that connects us as neighbors - in our own way, each one of us is a giver and receiver".

- Fred Rogers

This evening, the Grand Junction City Council will officially recognize the Hawthorne Park Neighborhood Association. Our neighborhood is benefiting from the influx of several new residents who are purchasing older properties, renovating them, and living in them. This increase in owner-occupant households has resulted in an equally increased sense of community, not so much in a tangible way but in a more human way.

There are two young couples in my block who have been active in establishing the association, and have taken advantage of some of the grant funding available for special projects to improve the area. In our case here, that has meant city-funded beautification of the "park strips" between sidewalk and curb, with labor contributed by the property owner.

Where once was gravel or dirt, we now have irrigation, new trees, and attractive xeriscaping. It's rather impressive (and will become more so as the plants grow), and a credit to the owner-occupants who put forth the effort.

Combined with some of the wonderful things being done by other residents that I've written about previously, the potential for continued improvements to the cohesiveness and beauty of the Hawthorne Park neighborhood is greatly enhanced by the initiative of these neighbors to approach the City about such a designation.

The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because they are generally the same people.

- G.K. Chesterton

To be truthful, I have neighbors that have enriched my life to a point where things would have been much harder without them, and I have neighbors that I have not spoken more than a few words to in over 9 years. Despite the trivial human frailties that all of us possess, we all seem to watch out for each other, but are respectful of each other's choices and limitations.

If the neighborhood association turns out to be a facilitator for assistance and developing those community efforts and human intangibles that I referred to above, then it stands to do a great service to our area. However, I will be watchful for signs of intolerance, such as those that tend to populate many HOA's, here and elsewhere. Neighborhood associations should exist for the betterment of the community at large by promoting improvement strategies, not attempting to impose them by ostracism or other means.

There are several things that I can think of that would enhance the quality of life and sense of community in our neighborhood. One is a neighborhood watch program, which again can be a slippery slope if not managed properly.

Another idea concerns those vacant lots at the corner of 5th and Chipeta, several of which are owned by the Library District. If the library isn't planning on expanding anytime soon, those lots might be a great place for a community garden, much like what is happening in the 1000 block of Main Street. That's a project I'd be interested in, even though I seriously lack any kind of green thumb. I guess I'm more driven by the divine inspiration provided by fresh red bell peppers and Roma tomatoes.

The impersonal hand of government can never replace the helping hand of a neighbor.

- Hubert H. Humphrey

The City, while being commended for its' efforts to forward the development of neighborhood groups, should nonetheless be cautious about continued actions which threaten to dilute the quality of service provision to our little part of the "original square mile" as well as other established neighborhoods. This activity consists mostly of automatic annexations of properties under the Persigo Agreement with Mesa County.

This agreement needs to be re-negotiated, and/or more stringent, individualized consideration given to development applications that involve annexation. The effective quality of life of all current city residents is at stake.

On a greater political scope, please take note of the author of the above quote. This man's presidential aspirations were dashed in part by a divisive convention peppered by violent outbursts. In this context, and especially on the eve of the events in Denver 40 years later, perhaps Recreate68, Code Pink, and those entrenched Hillary supporters should be re-thinking their plans. As much as the Democratic Party is a political establishment, with all of the negative connotations of that term, it may very well be better than the alternative.

On the other side of the coin, here's hoping that the Democratic establishment and the Denver Police will exercise prudent judgment in monitoring and addressing protest activities. I know that the ACLU, CopWatch, Denver Open Media, and other organizations are geared up to document, publish, distribute, and litigate over controversial or openly abusive police tactics.

The good neighbor looks beyond the external accidents and discerns those inner qualities that make all men human and, therefore, brothers.

- Martin Luther King, Jr., from Strength to Love (1963)

On both sides, restraint is the order of the day. Let's be good neighbors.

Downtown Beauty Broken?

Dodge City, Kansas - The drive from Grand Junction along US-50 was uneventful and remarkably pleasant. Evan and I both like Salida, so driving through there was nice, as was the drive over Monarch Pass that preceded it.

Traveling east across the plains from Pueblo was interesting, especially driving through the small towns along the way. It was much more stimulating than driving the Interstate. So much more to see, to explore, to smell...There is a monstrous feedlot just east of the sign that says "Welcome to Prowers County". You can smell it about 3 miles before you even see it.

I was very interested in the Sentinel article about the first day of the Grand Junction City Council's retreat, especially in relationship to my post yesterday. Some of the "broad, familiar themes", as Mike Wiggins termed them, included a couple that I have been thinking about:

• Securing Public Safety - A laudable goal, so long as there is an understanding that such security will only come with a continued commitment to working together with the remainder of the county's public safety agencies. This includes the exploration of both consolidation and diversification to improve efficiency from both an operational and fiscal standpoint. One example is the county's Emergency Manager, who remains the only such professional in Mesa County, despite several examples of similarly-sized Home Rule cities in Colorado seeing the need to employ their own Emergency Management personnel.
  

• Preserving the Grand Valley's agricultural community and open spaces - I believe that the completion of this goal is highly dependent upon significant review and revision of the Persigo Agreement.

I was also intrigued by some of the comments attributed to City Council members regarding their stated preference for the development of taller buildings in the Downtown core, perhaps not unlike the new parking garage with its' associated space advantage and impressive vistas.
Impressive at least if you are on the inside looking out, not so much the other way around.

Teresa Coons may want to "be able to lean out the window and yell at somebody", but some people don't necessarily want others looking out their windows at them, witness the IRS Special Agent who approached me as I was descending the garage stairs on Wednesday about why I was taking pictures from up there. I wonder how much the Feds really like that vantage point across the street from their building, or if anyone even asked them about it.

And when Gregg Palmer was quoted as saying that the city should be “trying to push things in and up rather than let them spread out", I couldn't help but think that he was trying to sell brassieres instead of development plans.

Sorry, but I just can't envision a bunch of buildings between 5 and 10 stories, or between the size of the new garage and the Alpine Bank building, enhancing the quality of the experience of the Downtown area, especially when, as I've shown before, such structures, if not meticulously planned with regard to their outside surroundings, will likely interfere with the aesthetic connection between the Downtown and the natural beauty that surrounds it. Frank Lloyd Wright called this concept Organic Architecture.

Maximizing the density of Downtown through taller buildings may be one way to prevent a growing city center from sprawling into areas unintended for such things, but there are other ways as well. Like saying no, especially when considering the likely effect of more employees and residents in taller buildings. That means more traffic through the neighborhoods that flank the Downtown "core" on at least two sides. And that's where residents of those neighborhoods, like myself, begin to have serious concerns.

Onward to eastern Oklahoma tomorrow. Have a great day.

Downtown Beauty Break

This is one of the prettiest places in Downtown Grand Junction. The picture doesn't do it justice, but I didn't want to intrude any further. The varieties of plants and flowers that adorn the yard are intricately irrigated and meticulously maintained. The porch and rockers are inviting reminders of a friendlier time.

The display is a lot more striking when walking down the sidewalk through the variety of plant life on either side. It's a wonderful transition into something unexpected.

Try doing this in a cookie-cutter subdivision with a fascist HOA.



The same thing carries on to the house next door. The sunflower at the front door may need to be gently guided off to the side, and I would trim back some of the larger bushes by the house, but it's not my house, is it? It's theirs.

Yesterday I took the camera up to the top level of the City's new parking garage to see how Downtown looks from up there. For the most part, the garage shows how Downtown complements its' exterior surroundings, and vice versa.
Here's Grand Mesa with Downtown buildings in the foreground, the Qwest communication tower
at 8th and Main Streets being most prominent.















I wish that the lighting was better, but there was some rain showers approaching. Here's a view of the Justice Center with the Redlands and the Monument beyond.

Looking to the southwest past the St. Regis up toward Little Park Road, with the showers approaching.

These are examples of how Downtown Grand Junction is part and parcel of its' natural surroundings. This is why I believe that any expansion or re-development of the Downtown has to respect the connection to nature that helps to define our area.


Here's a shot of the new St. Mary's Hospital construction, with the Book Cliffs in the background.

The building dominates the city's skyline, especially when looking at it from the west or east.
It kind of reminds me of the machine from the movie Contact.

Evan and I will be on the road in the morning. More to see and say from afar.

Have a great weekend.