Tag: local scut

Local concerns, Local gossip, Local scut, Mesa County, Weird western slope stuff

Concern growing about Grand Mesa Nordic Council

by Anne Landman • August 14, 2023 • 10 Comments

Grand Mesa Nordic Council grooms cross country ski trails on the Grand Mesa, to help the public enjoy them. (Photo: GMNC website)

A storm is brewing over the governance of the Grand Mesa Nordic Council (GMNC), as longtime members set off alarm bells about the way the group has been operating recently.

GMNC is a nonprofit group made up of local cross country skiers. It was founded in 1990 to groom and maintain popular ski trails on the Grand Mesa and work with the National Forest Service to develop new trails. Over its 40+ years of existence, it has been remarkably successful.

Originally, GMNC was made up of volunteers and operated on a shoestring budget of donations from skiers and businesses that support the sport. Their pursuit of their mission was driven by members’ love and passion for the sport. But after growing steadily over the years, donations increased to the point where the GMNC now pulls in about quarter million dollars a year, and for the first time, the group was forced to hire paid staff to manage its affairs.

The result has been worrisome to many.

What’s going on with the Tennis Bubble next to Sam’s Club?

by Anne Landman • August 13, 2023 • 0 Comments

SAD SACK: The deflated Tennis Bubble by Sam’s Club

If you’ve entered Sam’s Club’s parking lot using the driveway off 25 1/2 Road lately, you’ve probably noticed a sad sight.

The longstanding “Tennis Bubble,” an inflatable structure otherwise known as the Junction Indoor Tennis Center at 535 25 1/2 Road. which houses four tennis courts inside an inflatable vinyl bubble that protects players from the weather, has deflated.

So what happened to The Bubble?

Did somebody stab it? Did the owners forget to pay their electric bill? Are the tennis courts being converted into pickleball courts?

The answer is, none of those.

Great Greek Mediterranean Grill, where are you?

by Anne Landman • August 9, 2023 • 9 Comments

Sign promising the arrival of a Great Greek Mediterranean Grill at 2566 Patterson Rd.

Ever since the sign went up last spring at 2566 Patterson Road next to the new Coffee Trader announcing “The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill” would be “Coming Soon,” foodies have been watching with great anticipation, thrilled at the prospect of having delicious new Greek/Mediterranean cuisine in town.

Employees at the Coffee Trader said the place expected to open in September, but we’re going to have to wait for our lamb, chicken, beef or shrimp souvlaki, spanakopita, avgolemono soup, gyros, falafel plates, tzatziki, lemon potatoes and more.

After the sign went up, nothing else happened.

Trouble at the Blue Pig Art Gallery in Palisade

by Anne Landman • May 3, 2023 • 9 Comments

The long-established Blue Pig Art Gallery in Palisade features quality art by local artists

Something’s going on at The Blue Pig Art Gallery at 101 W. Third Street in Palisade.

In January of this year, Darin Carei sold the building and the gallery to Charles and Heather Nowak for $1,135,000.

Things seemed pretty normal for awhile after the sale, with great local art continuing to be on display and art classes being offered in the building.

But things took a grim turn last Friday, when the new owners suddenly fired longtime Gallery director Kay Anglim Crane and the Gallery’s longtime bookkeeper, Sue Keddy.

Local Business owner weighs in on rec center, affordable housing, the workforce, development

by Anne Landman • March 23, 2023 • 18 Comments

Octopus Coffee on Horizon Drive

Alexis Bauer owns Octopus Coffee on Horizon Drive. Last week she emailed me to talk about the proposed community recreation center on the upcoming April ballot. (We differed on what we think about it. I am for it). As we got into a longer conversation, Alexis sent a follow-up email in which she offered a variety of insights from her standpoint as a western slope resident and local business owner. She talked not only about the Rec Center, but also other issues facing Grand Junction, like the housing shortage, the cost of doing business, her experience with the local workforce, City Council’s recent approval of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and what it portends for the City, the buzz she hears from customers, and more.

I found Alexis’s insights interesting and felt they deserved a wider forum, so with her permission I am sharing her email to me below, edited slightly for clarity, in hopes others find it enlightening as well.

Anonymous letter sent to local media alleges wrongdoing by members of School District 51’s senior administration

by Anne Landman • March 22, 2023 • 11 Comments

Letter about D-51 senior Administrators, Pg. 1

An incredible Red Rock dealership story from a 21 year old

by Anne Landman • December 29, 2022 • 3 Comments

Got a crazy Red Rock dealership ripoff story? Send it to anne@annelandmanblog.com. If we use it, we’ll keep you anonymous if you prefer.

I got an email yesterday from yet another Red Rock Hyundai customer who had a story that was so incredible, I had to share it. It includes yet another charge of forgery, as well as the addition of thousands of dollars in extras to the contract without the customer’s knowledge or approval. I spoke to this person on the phone to verify that they were a real person, get more details about their story and clarify some of the terms they used in the email.

The person who wrote this is 21 years old and came from out of town to purchase the vehicle. The name is redacted to keep the sender anonymous, upon their request:

7th Street Deli threatened with eviction

by Anne Landman • January 18, 2022 • 2 Comments

You’ve seen it…you drive by it all the time. After 15 years in this location, the much-loved 7th Street Deli, a woman-owned and operated family business that makes home-made food, has been threatened with eviction.

The 7th Street Deli just south of St. Mary’s Hospital may soon be forced to close its doors.

The restaurant has been there for 15 years, and has been owned and operated by Debbie Allen and her daughter for the last 8 years. It is woman-owned business and the only restaurant close to the hospital. Their food is damn good and now they might have to close.

On January 5th, the landlord who owns the Medical Arts complex where the deli is located threatened Debbie and her family with eviction by the end of the month for non-payment of rent. The eviction notice comes after the restaurant was faced with a long series of unfortunate events starting in 2018. It has been struggling to come back, and just as business is finally starting to improve again, now this.

How did they get into this position after having so much success for so long?

Grand Junction’s political landscape continues to trend more blue

by Anne Landman • February 6, 2021 • 4 Comments

A New York Times’ map of 2020 election results across the country shows more of our area trending blue than ever before.

A November, 2018 analysis of Mesa County’s political landscape found that based on the race for Governor, Mesa County was no longer a “hard-core red” county, and that our area was starting to trend bluer, towards Democrats. At that time, Grand Junction’s older downtown area had turned solidly blue, but was still surrounded by a sea of red, with few to no area races being competitive.

Getting bluer

An analysis of the 2020 election results shows the trend towards area voters leaning Democratic continuing, and accelerating.

Report about Mesa County Clerk Elections Office praises employees, pans the Clerk

by Anne Landman • August 8, 2020 • 1 Comment

Eagle County Treasurer and Public Trustee Teak Simonton (pdf) produced a report to the Colorado Secretary of State (pdf) on August 7 reviewing and making recommendations to improve the operations of the Mesa County Clerk’s Elections Office. The Colorado Department of State hired Simonton as a consultant to observe the Elections Division during the June 30th primary and make recommendations for improvement. Simonton, who has 14 years of experience in administering elections, concluded that while there is a lack of experience among the staff, numerous problems that need fixing and best practices that are not being employed, the Mesa County Clerk’s Elections staff as a whole is a dedicated and capable group of employees.

Her review of the Mesa County Clerk herself, though, was not good.

Columbine Liquors in Palisade temporarily closes; former owner said to have “obtained the business illegally”

by Anne Landman • April 27, 2020 • 5 Comments

Columbine Liquors at 210 W. Third in Palisade was recently seized from former owner Bill Carlson, and as of April 27, 2020, the store is under new ownership by Thomas Lewis Goerke.

A liquor store employee answered a call to the store and when asked about the store’s closure, said Bill Carlson “got the company seized from him” because he had “obtained the business illegally.” The employee didn’t know how Carlson had obtained the business. The store will reopen after the new owner obtains a liquor license. An application for the new license has been submitted.

Bill Carlson (from PeachTownNews.com)

Bill Carlson won a seat on Palisade’s town Board of Trustees in the April 7, 2020 election. Palisade Town Administrator Janet Hawkinson said Carlson so far has not resigned from the seat.