The New Castle Town Council passed a resolution designating a Dennis J. Mahan Memorial Scholarship Fund, which was established to honor Mahan, who served as administrative captain and records and evidence clerk in the police department from 1999 until his unexpected death in March of 2006. Mahan served as the chief of police in New Castle from 1990 to 1998.

"The fund was established as a memorial and tribute to Dennis and things that he valued in the law enforcement profession," said New Castle Police Chief Chris Sadler.

Funds from the scholarship can be awarded to civilians who wish to attend the police academy at Colorado Mountain College, or to current New Castle police officers who want to take advanced training classes. A portion of traffic fines in New Castle already goes toward a training fund for the police department, but the memorial funds would be awarded to a someone selected by a three-member scholarship committee who exhibits qualities that characterized Mahan's service.

Anyone wishing to contribute to the memorial scholarship can submit a donation earmarked for the Mahan fund through New Castle Town Hall.

See art in the land of OZ

Mark your calendar for Jan. 8 through Feb. 9 to see the ruby slippers and more!

Plant Earth and The Four Directions Gallery at 524 Colorado Ave. in Grand Junction opens the new year with "The Artists of OZ," featuring works by eight outstanding contemporary artists who have been making waves ever since they formed a loose alliance at OZ, The Artists' Workshop in New Castle.

Unique photography and collage by Kelley Cox, free-standing "alter etui" by Ardith Robinson, mixed media by Winnie Johnson and Wild Woman Terry Muldoon, watercolors by Carmel Walden, oils by Jaquita Green and edgy mixed water medias by Patty Ringer and Ellen Zagoras will please anyone looking for a fresh take on art.

Meet the artists at a reception at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 18. Maybe you'll even come across some ruby slippers.

Group seeks active citizens

The New Castle Environmental Advisory Committee serves as an advocacy, advisory and informational group for environmental awareness.

The group is currently focusing on recycling promotion and education throughout town, advocacy for more energy efficient building codes and presenting the town's second annual Earth Day Expo for Earth-friendly awareness.

The group is in need of active citizens who want to help make New Castle citizens environmentally responsible. The group welcomes all areas of expertise and enthusiastic volunteers at its monthly meetings, which begin 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 14, at the OZ Studio, 331 W. Main St. in beautiful downtown New Castle. On the agenda is the prioritization of the year's advocacy and education issues and planning the Earth Day Expo coming up this April. For questions, call Suzie at 984-0502.

Humanitarian award nominees

Those of you who have children who have attended the New Castle Easter Egg Hunt in the past 25 years may wish to honor Rhonda Coller, who has been nominated in the volunteer category for the 2007 Garfield County Humanitarian Awards. The awards will be given at the Humanitarian Service Award Dinner, to be held at 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 28, at the Hotel Colorado.

Besides Rhonda, there are 33 more nominees, including Shirley Lawson, Barbara Jean Barker, Virginia Knittle, Michael Harman, Teo and Carolyn Prinster, Sharon Andersen and Alex De La Garza, Theresa Zelenka, Alice Bell, JoAnn Duffy, Lesa Russo and Donna Fell in the volunteer category. In the staff category, Bill Tabor, Siobhan "PeeWee" McMillan, Susan McKeon, Barb Donily, Neyma Rodriguez, Mickey Neal, Bobbie Dungan, Lynn Alsdorf, Mildred Alsdorf, and Jerilyn Nieslanik have been nominated. Hector Parra and Logan Piccolo have been nominated as a team in the youth category, along with other youth nominees Katie MacGregor, Kerry Rippy and Arrick Peck. And in the senior category, Alice Jones, Ruth Pickard, Zona Hayes, Stella Bianco and Rusty Burtard are the nominees. Congratulations, all!

Call 384-2357 for reservations, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday only. I'll see you at the Humanitarian Dinner. It will be wonderful.



Kay Vasilakis' column, "New Castle News," appears every other Thursday. To contact her with news tips and local inspirations, e-mail kvasilakis@postindependent.com or call 384-9118.