Vote yes on Issue 7B for Grand River Health

As a community member, former Grand River Health Board member and patient, I believe we have an incredible opportunity to meet the health care needs of our growing population — and to do so without a new tax.

The proposed 2025 bond initiative, Issue 7B, is a forward-looking investment in our community. It will expand access to care, reduce wait times and keep health care local by funding a new three-story medical clinic on the Rifle campus and improvements to the existing hospital. This expansion will enhance services in physical therapy, mental health, primary care, emergency care and surgery.

Let’s be honest — no one wants to make a two-hour round trip to Grand Junction or Glenwood Springs for a physical therapy appointment. Grand River Health already offers an impressive range of services, and this initiative will make it even better.

Issue 7B also brings economic benefits. For every new doctor Grand River Health hires, it’s estimated that nine additional jobs will be created — from nurses and technicians to housekeepers and support staff. This could mean up to 200 new jobs.

What makes Grand River Health special is that everything is local — the staff, the leadership and the care. A yes vote on Issue 7B strengthens that local connection and improves the quality of care — all without a new tax.

We never know when we’ll need Grand River Health, but at some point, we all likely will. Now is the time they need us.

That’s why I’m supporting Issue 7B, and I encourage you to do the same. Acting now also helps avoid rising construction costs due to inflation. Issue 7B is a practical, cost-effective solution to meet the health care needs of Rifle, Silt, Parachute, Battlement Mesa, New Castle and surrounding areas.

Please join me voting yes for Issue 7B. Local access to health care is worth protecting.

Lee Martens, Rifle

A climb that reveals community needs

Yesterday my wife and I visited the bustling town of Glenwood Springs. Of all the attractions available in Glenwood, we decided to challenge ourselves on the Glenwood Springs Incline.

The Incline is located in West Glenwood behind Lowe’s on Wulfsohn Road. It is accessible by RFTA bus at the Glenwood Meadows stop. We climbed the Incline to the top to the new apartments located on Flat Top View Drive. It was a strenuous climb. I can’t imagine doing it while carrying two bags of groceries.

My wife sprinted past me on the first switchback. I’m 79, the same age as the president. Melania is 55. They were very upset when the escalator stopped working at the U.N. and had to walk up one flight. Maybe someday they can do the Glenwood Incline.

Then they can see what everyday workers, living at the Flat Top View Apartments, are facing every day that use public transportation. I’m sure after working all day they will appreciate the workout they will get climbing the Incline to get home.

RFTA will be offering free bus service next month. I hope many people will take advantage of free ridership and visit the Glenwood Springs Incline. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Robert Beauchamp, Carbondale

Ballot Measure 7A is a must for families with children

No one told us as expectant parents that to secure child care for our baby, and a spot in preschool three years later, we were supposed to add him to waitlists long before he was born. Sadly, that’s the truth in cities and towns across the country, and is felt profoundly in our community.

When we moved back to the Roaring Fork Valley with our then 1-year-old, we quickly learned that we had missed the boat in finding affordable and accessible child care. Like thousands of other families in our area, we muddled our way through with flexible work schedules and the invaluable help of grandparents until our son started preschool two years later.

Knowing that our children are in the safe, caring hands of trained providers allows us the freedom and flexibility to contribute meaningfully to our family and our community. Yet many working parents don’t have this luxury and are forced to choose between employment and staying at home to care for their children, paying more for child care than for their rent or mortgage, or worse, moving away.

When our teachers, first responders, nurses and shop owners are squeezed out by the myriad pressures of this valley, we all miss out.

We are voting yes on Ballot Measure 7A this November to help balance the scale. 7A will guarantee increased capacity and capabilities of our local child care providers and provide support for families to cover ever-rising child care costs.

We are blessed with the opportunity to raise the next generation of our family in the Roaring Fork Valley, to show our two young boys the beauty of Western Colorado and the warmth of our mountain communities. Let’s take this opportunity this November to provide a pathway for families to prosper and thrive in this uniquely beautiful place. Join us in voting yes on 7A.

Jessie Goff and Marco Salmen, Glenwood Springs