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Category: Local concerns

MAGA customer spews racist insults at employees of 5 Guys hamburger restaurant in G.J.; restaurant fires employees


A customer wearing a Trump “Never Surrender” T-shirt hurled racist insults at employees at 5 Guys hamburger restaurant at 2480 U.S. Highway 6 in Grand Junction on the evening of Election Day, Nov. 5, calling them “beaners” and “f*cking invaders.”

Aiden Renova, who worked at the restaurant and was present during the two minute-long confrontation, told KJCT that the man came into the establishment on election night to pick up an order and then asked one of the employees for whom he was voting.

“That‘s kind of a weird thing to bring up to someone [who’s] making your fries,” Renova told KJCT.

The employee replied that he voted for Kamala Harris. The man then called the employee a racial slur under his breath, and that’s when the employee pulled out his phone to record.

The incident was posted to “X” (formerly Twitter) and can be seen here.

A fuller report about the incident was published by The Daily Sentinel on November 7. It says Mario Quijano was one of the employees who video recorded the encounter. The Sentinel also says the woman who accompanied the man who insulted the employees is “associated with [Community Hospital] through their work with one of the hospital’s clinics.” The day after the incident, Five Guys fired the employees who had been harassed, essentially capitulating to their racist attacker who told employees in the video that he was going to get them fired.

Renova posted the following video on Instagram the next day with his account of the incident (WARNING – Profane speech):

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Aiden Renova (@aidenrenova)

Comparison of interchange projects elswhere in Colorado shows taxpayers are getting a raw deal in Ballot Issue 1A

With other highway interchanges being built elsewhere in Colorado, the developers who will benefit from these projects kicked in millions of dollars towards their completion, or paid the total cost of construction up front and will get reimbursed from the future taxes generated on the retail development it stimulates on the rest of their property.

That’s not the case with the proposed I-70 interchange at 29 Road. The owners of the land the interchange would be built on haven’t pledged a dime towards its construction, even though their land around it would likely skyrocket in value after it is built, and generate income for them far into the future.

ACLU accuses Grand Junction Municipal Judge Tammy Eret of constitutional violations on the bench

City of G.J. Municipal Judge and School District 51’s in-house legal counsel and Tammy Eret

On September 23, 2024 the Colorado ACLU sent a 5 page letter (pdf) to Grand Junction officials notifying them that Grand Junction Municipal Judge Tammy Eret has been engaging in “blatantly unconstitutional” and “harmful” practices in City court sessions. The letter accuses Eret of “persistently and illegally” denying incarcerated people access to court-appointed counsel, coercing uncounseled guilty pleas, and imposing “lengthy, uncounseled, illegal jail sentences.” The letter gives detailed examples of such instances, even including some of the the in-court dialogue between Eret and the people who were before her in court.

Interactive map shows donors to Harris/Biden and Trump in Mesa County in the 2024 presidential race as of 10/24/24


This fascinating interactive map from the Washington Post shows a surprising number of people in our area are Harris supporters, and that Mesa County has continued to trend more “blue” politically since 2020. 

Mesa County Ballot Issues 4A & 4B: School District 51 Bond issue and Mill Levy Override

Ballot issue 4A asks if School District 51 can take out a bond (loan) for $190 million with a maximum repayment cost of $410 million and use the money to renovate, make additions to existing school buildings and upgrade classroom technology. Plans include doing high-priority repairs like roof replacements, adding fire sprinklers, upgrading classroom technology, making schools more secure and making it easier for disabled kids o access all school facilities.

Many of the local public schools were built in the 1950s-1960s and need maintenance and upgrades to keep them functional, up-to-date and safe into the future.

The bond measure won’t raise taxes because it replaces an existing bond that will be fully paid off on December 1, 2024.

Ballot Issue 4B authorizes the school district to extend the current mill levy override so the District keep getting a tax already in place that was approved in 2017 and keep the $6.5 million it generates annually to continue paying for additional student instruction days, updated instructional materials, teacher training and priority maintenance to extend the life of its buildings. (A “mill levy override” is a voter-approved increase in property taxes that provides a school district with additional funding.)

New group forms to oppose 29 Road/I-70 interchange ballot measure

29 Road just north of Patterson, as it currently looks. Residents along 29 Road could find themselves living on a busy route to and from I-70 if Ballot Issue 1A passes. If it passes, the measure would approve the City and County taking on $80 million in debt, with a repayment cost of least $173,438,202, to fund the design and construction of a new I-70 interchange at 29 Road.

Concerned citizens of Mesa County announced September 23 that they have formed a local group called “No on 29 Road Debt” to educate the public about the financial, transportation safety and road design problems with the 29 Road Interchange proposal and oppose the upcoming ballot issue, which will be Issue 1A on the ballot. Grand Junction City Councilor Dennis Simpson is an organizer of the group. Simpson is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). John Traylor is a spokesperson for the group.

Measure 1A as it appears on the November ballot. Note the full repayment cost for the measure is estimated at $173,438.202. The federal government has so far not pledged any funds to help with the project.

No on 29 Road Debt is a non-partisan community organization dedicated to promoting transparency, safety, and financially responsible transportation plans in Mesa County. The group’s mission is to empower citizens with the knowledge they need this November to make a decision on this proposal. As the ballot issue approaches, No on 29 Road Debt will provide clear, factual information to help voters make an informed decision.

Photos indicate community support for 29 Rd. interchange vs. saving the Orchard Mesa Pool

Crowd that turned out at a mid-September, 2024 kickoff at Edgewater Brewery for the “Finish the Loop” campaign to build the proposed 29 Road interchange on I-70. The project would cost in excess of $80 million. (Screenshot: KREX-TV/YouTube)

 

Crowd that turned out at a February, 2024 rally at Eagle Rim Park to save the Orchard Mesa Pool. The indoor public pool provides a year-round opportunity for kids to learn to swim and enjoy water recreation safely out of the river, helping to keep local kids from drowning. Saving the pool would cost fraction of the 29 Road interchange. (Photo: Marianne Taigmann/Facebook). 

State opens case into alleged forgery at Red Rock Hyundai

Subpoena related to a 2022 transaction at Red Rock Hyundai in which allegedly forged signatures were discovered by a credit union on purchase documents for a used 2020 GMC Sierra truck. Mr. Acevedo, the customer who tried to buy the vehicle, was the victim in the case.

The Colorado Attorney General and Auto Industry Division are subpoenaing documents related the alleged forgery of signatures discovered during a customer’s attempt to purchase a used truck at Red Rock Hyundai in 2022. 

Jesus Acevedo, the victim of the alleged 2022 forgeries in the case, received a subpoena dated 8/29/2024 in the state’s case.

In January, 2022 Mr. Acevedo attempted to buy a 2020 GMC Sierra pickup from Red Rock Hyundai. He was never shown any of the documents from his purchase while he was at the Hyundai dealership. He saw them for the first time at the Sooper Credit Union, where he went to arrange financing. A loan officer printed out the documents from the sale and saw four signatures that didn’t look like Mr. Acevedo’s signature. He showed the signatures to Mr. Acevedo, who affirmed they were not his. One of the questionable signatures was on an agreement to buy a $10,000 extended warranty that Mr. Acevedo wasn’t told about and did not approve.

How to find out what’s causing the smoke in the air on hazy Grand Valley days

Sample of the Air Now Fire and Smoke Map showing regional air quality. The map is continuously updated and is provided by the EPA and U.S. Forest Service

What caused the dense haze in the Grand Valley air a couple of days ago that obstructed scenic views of the Grand Mesa and Colorado National Monument?

Now you can easily find out.

SNAP participants: New program adds $60/month to SNAP benefits for fresh fruits and vegetables

Updated with additional information on 9/2/24 @ 9:57 a.m.-

Thanks to a grant from the Biden administration’s U.S. Department of Agriculture, Colorado’s Department of Human Services started a new program August 1, 2024 to boost healthy eating called the Colorado SNAP Produce Bonus. The program gives SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) participants a 100% reimbursement for any qualifying purchase of fruits and vegetables credited directly back to their EBT card at the time of purchase. The bonus provides for up to $20 per transaction and a maximum of $60 per month. Notice that only fruits and vegetables qualify for the SNAP Produce Bonus reimbursement, but the reimbursed funds that get credited back to your EBT account can be used to buy any SNAP eligible items.

The person most likely to benefit financially from the proposed I-70 interchange at 29 Road

Red outline is the land around the area of the proposed I-70 interchange at 29 Road that is owned by N70 Tech LLC, whose sole registered agent is local oil and gas consultant and land developer Quintin Shear. The City and County are planning a ballot measure to ask area taxpayers to subsidize construction of the interchange. The project is expected to cost $80 million and would be split evenly between the City and County.

The person in Mesa County who stands to benefit the most financially from the proposed 29 Road/I-70 interchange, if it gets built, is the owner or owners of most of the land surrounding the spot where the interchange will be built.
That person, or those people, include Quintin Shear, who is the sole registered representative of a company called N70 Tech LLC, which owns almost all the land surrounding the location of the proposed interchange. N70 Tech LLC has no website. It’s operating address is listed as 330 Grand Ave., Unit B, Grand Junction,  CO 81501, which happens to also be the address of the headquarters of Shear, Inc., Quintin Shear’s personal business. Shear, Inc. is listed as being in Unit A at the same address.

“An accident waiting to happen” – Volunteer says Grand Rivers Humane Society needs reform

Akita, shown for breed. Not the actual dog involved in the incident.

A Grand Rivers Humane Society volunteer recently contacted AnneLandmanBlog with information about a traumatic and horrifying incident that occurred at a July 13, 2024 dog adoption event at Lincoln Park held by Grand Rivers Humane Society (GRHS), under the supervision of the organization’s president, Nan McNeese. The incident involved a vicious dog fight that ended with two dogs who were in Grand Rivers’ care being euthanized. The volunteer took several steps to try to address the incident after it occurred, and since then has put considerable thought into proactive measures that GRHS could have taken at the event, and that the organization can take in the future, to prevent similar incidents from happening.

The Trump campaign’s most recent blatantly racist social media post

Racist post by @TrumpWarRoom on Instagram on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024

On Tuesday, the official Instagram account of Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, “@TrumpWarRoom,” posted a blatantly racist meme implying that if Vice President Kamala Harris wins the presidency in November, placid suburban neighborhoods will be overrun with hordes of Black people and immigrants.

It can’t be a mistake because the Trump campaign tweeted the exact same post on X.

The meme showed a peaceful middle class neighborhood next to a photo of mostly Black recent immigrants waiting outside the Roosevelt Hotel in New York in hopes of securing shelter. The nice neighborhood is labeled “Your neighborhood under Trump,” and the photo with Black people is labeled “Your neighborhood under Kamala.”

Trump’s comment accompanying the post is, “Import the third world. Become the third world.”

Trump has a long, well-documented history of racism and emboldening racist ideology.

29 Road interchange debt service would “decimate” city capital: Grand Junction City Finance Director

A vision of the proposed 29 Road interchange on I-70, with roundabouts (Illustration by FHUeng)

Photo: City of Grand Junction

7/25/24 @ 3:39 p.m. – Note: an earlier version of this blog attributed the quotes criticizing the finance director’s use of the word “decimate” to Engineering and Transportation Director Trent Prall. I’ve been informed that was incorrect. They were actually said by City Councilman Cody Kennedy. I have corrected the blog.

In a Grand Junction City Council workshop discussion July 15 about the proposed 29 Road interchange on I-70, City Finance Director Jennifer Tomaszewski, a Certified Public Accountant, told Council members that given the amount of revenue the City takes in from sales taxes, and the City’s current expenses and financial obligations, including its existing transportation debt and maintenance of parks and facilities, the proposed $2.5 million/year in debt service over 30 years that the City would take on to build the project would “decimate our city capital, basically.” [Tomaszewski made this statement is at 1:12:46 in the above-linked video.]

No help for flooded out Paradise Hills homeowners after massive June 20 deluge

An intense and fast-moving storm on June 20, 2024 in Grand Junction caused a massive flood in the Paradise Hills subdivision, filling residents’ homes, back yards, basements and crawl spaces with muddy water, ruining their drywall, carpeting, cupboards and flooring, crashing down fences in yards and drowning backyard chickens. Senior meteorologist Tom Renwick of the National Weather Service in a story on Colorado Public Radio called the storm “incredible.” He said, “We couldn’t see more than maybe five feet out the door. It was remarkable.”

Remarkable, indeed.

One affected resident, Darla Green, attended a Paradise Hills HOA meeting right after the flood and estimated that 60-70 homes were involved and the damage they described cost well over a million dollars.

So far though, Paradise Hills residents have been left totally on their own to recover from what was essentially a man-made flood caused by totally inadequate drainage.

Red Rock elevates former owner, who presided over frauds and arrests, to General Manager over all five dealerships

Red Rock Nissan at 2582 Highway 6 & 50 in Grand Junction

In February, 2024, the sole local owner of Red Rock Auto dealerships, Bryan Knight, was removed from the Auto Industry Division’s list of owners of the business. The change came about after two years of customers and former employees  speaking up about the questionable business practices the dealerships were found to be using under Knight’s ownership. Yet despite Knight getting booted as an owner, he was reportedly still present and working at the dealerships. So with all that has been revealed about how Red Rock was operating in Grand Junction to the detriment of the community, why would the other owners of Red Rock Auto decide to push Knight out, only to keep him around with a hand in the business?

New information explains why.

New York jury convicts Donald Trump on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records

A New York jury has found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 criminal counts of falsifying business records in his so-called “hush money trial” about payments he made to porn star Stormy Daniels to keep her quiet in the run-up to the 2016 election. He is the first U.S. President to be convicted of  felony crimes.

Trump will be sentenced July 11 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time by Judge Juan Merchan, who presided over the case.