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Citizen Telegram Community News Briefs – April 10, 2014

Rifle Elks honor top volunteers
Contributed Photo |

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Bike & Walk to School Challenge



Garfield Clean Energy and CLEER (Clean Energy Economy for the Region) will host the 2014 Bike & Walk Challenge, April 15–17, at elementary and middle schools throughout Garfield County.

The challenge is a three-day competition between classes at each participating school, as well as a higher-level competition between schools across the county. The winning school in the county will get a $750 prize to buy or repair playground or gymnasium equipment. Cash awards of $300 or $150 will be given to the second and third place schools. The challenge provides cash rewards for the top three classrooms at each school.



The purpose is to promote and encourage healthy student behavior through active transportation.

For more information, visit GarfieldCleanEnergy.org and look for the link under the “Transportation” tab. Sponsors are also sought for the 2015 event. If interested, contact Maisa Metcalf at 704-9200.

Superhero Lever-Action swoops into Rifle

The Boomtown Players will debut their original two-act comedy, “Lever-Action,” Friday through Sunday, April 11-13, in the Rifle High School auditorium. This comic book-style tale tells the story of “Rifle’s incredibly handsome and enduringly talented vigilante superhero,” who is now retired. When the citizens of Rifle find themselves caught in the cross hairs of the villainous Big City, Lever-Action must rise again to fight for small business and small town values.

Friday and Saturday night performances begin at 7 p.m. and Sunday’s show is a matinée starting at 2 p.m. Advance tickets are $12.75 adult/$8.50 student before April 10, or $15 adult/$10 student at the door. Advance tickets can be purchased at boomtownplayers.org and use coupon code BOOM15. Tickets are also available at Zoe Life Soapworks or Miller’s Dry Goods in downtown Rifle.

Established in 2012, the Boomtown Players are the Western Slope’s newest acting troupe. Based in Rifle, the troupe brings live, original, often side-splitting entertainment to the community. Follow the Boomtown Players on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and learn more at boomtownplayers.org.

How-to Festival issues call for presenters

Last year, 25 presenters volunteered their time and demonstrated their talents to 150 community members at the Parachute Branch Library’s How-To Festival. The second annual festival is scheduled for Saturday, May 31. Hobbyists, business leaders and entrepreneurs are welcome to share their talents and knowledge. Contact the library at 285-9870 by May 9 if you are interested in offering your time and talents.

April library closures

All six branches of the Garfield County Libraries will be closed Wednesday, April 16, for a staff training day. Normal library hours will resume at 10 a.m. Thursday, April 17. You can still browse and request books, movies, and more on our website, gcpld.org, during the closure.

In addition to the four Garfield County Libraries which are usually closed on Sundays, the Rifle Branch Library will be closed on Sunday, April 20, in celebration of Easter. Normal hours will resume at 10 a.m. Monday, April 21, for all six libraries.

Free income tax preparation and filing

If you are a senior, disabled or your household income is less than $49,000 per year, High Country RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program) can prepare and electronically file your federal and state income taxes free of charge.

Volunteers are certified by the IRS and can prepare returns with credits, such as the earned income, child tax, child and dependent care and the elderly and disabled credits. (Persons with complex business issues and rental properties must seek a paid preparer.)

Appointments are available 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday through April 15. We are an AARP Tax-aide site and serve clients from Aspen to Parachute, and Craig. Call 384-8740 to schedule an appointment. RSVP is a sponsored program of Colorado Mountain College.

River cleanup planned

The Middle Colorado Watershed Council is hosting its first annual Colorado River cleanup and needs help picking up litter along the public river banks from South Canyon to Silt on Saturday, April 26. Many areas will be accessible to volunteers on foot, but boaters are especially encouraged to participate. Registration starts at 8 a.m. at Grand River Park in New Castle.

The cleanup will be followed by a community barbecue and picnic for volunteers, with burgers and bratwurst and more food, donated by local restaurants, starting at noon.

Volunteers can sign up online at midcowatershed.org/rivercleanup.html and should wear sturdy shoes, sunscreen, a hat, and work gloves and bring drinking water.

For more information, call (303) 204-4164 or email midcoriver@gmail.com.

Final month for seedling tree sales

The Bookcliff, South Side and Mount Sopris conservation districts are offering seedling trees, for a nominal fee, to landowners who own one or more acres and live in Garfield and Pitkin counties. The seedlings and small potted trees can be used for wildlife plantings, reforestation, windbreaks, snow fences and erosion control. The last day to order trees this year is April 29 and distribution will be on May 8. Some species have already sold out.

Call 945-5494, ext. 105, to receive an order form or go to the website at southsidecd.org.

Small business help

The Northwest Small Business Development Center, hosted by Colorado Mountain College, combines information and resources from federal, state and local governments with those of the educational system and the private sector to meet specialized and complex needs of the small business community.

Low cost or free services are available to business owners looking for information about regulatory, management, financial and marketing. Free certified consultants work in partnership to provide entrepreneurs with crucial information that can mean the difference between success and failure.

Register at https://www.coloradosbdc.org or email NorthWestCO@ColoradoSBDC.org.

How to become a Girl Scout

Girls from kindergarten through 12th grade can sign up for Girl Scouts and earn their way to lots of fun and adventure.

Girl Scouts in Colorado are forming new troops and need adult volunteers. Girls can also sign up as an individual member until a troop becomes available. Members can sell Girl Scout Cookies and also earn funds to pay for summer camp, community service projects and other leadership programming.

To enroll and for more information, go online to girlscoutsofcolorado.org.

YouthZone offers parent consultations

A parent consultation is a one-time, 50-minute meeting with a youth and family specialist at YouthZone. A family’s issues and needs will be identified. Parents leave with a plan that includes various options and resources to meet the family’s needs. Call YouthZone at 625-3141.

Community volunteers needed

Garfield County’s Retired Senior Volunteer Program, or RSVP, is looking for people 55 years and older to volunteer for local youth, health, arts, environmental, senior, and education projects or RSVP’s Tax Assistance and Helping Hands for Seniors programs. Call 947-8462 for more information.

Free addiction help

Narconon reminds families that abuse of addictive pharmaceutical drugs is on the rise. Learn to recognize the signs of drug abuse and get your loved ones help if they are at risk. Call Narconon for a free brochure on the signs of addiction for all types of drugs. Narconon also offers free assessments and referrals. Call 1-800-431-1754 or go online to DrugAbuseSolution.com.

Computer instructors needed

Volunteers are needed in Silt and Glenwood Springs to work with adults with intellectual disabilities to learn basic computer skills.

Computers are provided and volunteer are asked to spend an hour or two a week to help these individuals operate a computer, IPad, or Android phone. Call High Country Retired Senior Volunteer Program at 947-8462 or 947-8461.

LIFT-UP takes part in hunger challenge

Now through April 30, LIFT-UP will participate in the Feinstein Foundation’s 17th annual Challenge to Fight Hunger, which offers $1 million to be divided among qualified hunger relief agencies nationwide, based on the amount of food and money they collect during the two-month period. Last year, more than $211 million was raised by 1,857 hunger-fighting agencies. Over the previous 16 years, the annual campaign has generated more than $2 billion.

As an added incentive this year, the locally-managed Stone Foundation has offered an additional $10,000 in matching funds for the first $10,000 that LIFT-UP raises from this campaign through April 30, a dollar-for-dollar match.

LIFT-UP’s services are offered year-round and they serve between 2,000 and 2,500 people per month from their seven area food pantries. More than 1,600 meals per month are served from LIFT-UP’s Extended Tables in Rifle and Glenwood Springs.

In 2013, LIFT-UP received $1.8 million in donated food from individuals, food drives and local grocery stores, which is distributed from its food pantries to families in need. LIFT-UP also purchases food from Food Bank of the Rockies in Grand Junction, and from local grocery stores as needed. People may request assistance up to four times in a calendar year, and receive four days of food for their family size.


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