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Community News Briefs – June 6, 2013

Shelly Hoffman/Contributed Photo
Staff Photo |

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Natural gas meetings today



The Northwest Colorado Oil & Gas Forum and Garfield County Energy Advisory Board will meet separately on Thursday, June 6, in Rifle.

The forum, 10 a.m. to noon at Colorado Mountain College in Rifle, 3695 Airport Road, will include updates from gas operators, agencies and others, along with information on two bills approved by Colorado lawmakers: HB 13-1278, Oil Spills Gas Releases Reporting and SB 13-202, Additional Inspections Of Oil And Gas Facilities. Also scheduled is an explanation of an executive order from Gov. John Hickenlooper, directing the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to review, propose regulations and adopt guidance regarding its enforcement and penalty-assessment procedures.



The energy advisory board meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the Rifle Branch Library will feature an educational presentation by the U.S. Geological Survey on findings from two recently published assessments of Piceance basin water quality.

‘Remembering Rifle’ debuts at museum

Longtime Rifle resident John Scalzo will kick off the Rifle Creek Museum’s inaugural “Remembering Rifle” monthly series of gatherings from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, June 8, at the museum, 337 East Ave.

Scalzo will reminisce about the earlier days of Rifle and the community he has taken pride in for decades.

“Remembering Rifle” is designed to educate and entertain residents and visitors about the past, changes and growth that’s happened in and around the city.

July’s featured guest is planned to be Gracie Petrakian, author of “Land of Tall Grass,” which tells the history of Piceance Creek.

Shred Day nets donations for LIFT-UP;

recycles 3.6 tons of paper

Alpine Bank hosted its annual on-site document shredding event on Friday, June 1, at its downtown Rifle and West Glenwood Springs branches. Individuals brought unwanted personal documents to the free Shred Day, along with donations of cash, nonperishables and canned goods to benefit LIFT-UP.

Combined, the two locations collected nearly 250 pounds of food, along with $336 in cash donations for LIFT-UP. Alpine Bank staff and volunteers shredded and recycled a total of 3.6 tons of paper, representing a resource savings of 60 trees, seven barrels of oil, 10.5 cubic yards of landfill space, 14, 350 kilowatts of energy and 24,500 gallons of water.

E. Dene Moore gets a perfect score

The E. Dene Moore Care Center recently underwent its annual state survey and received a perfect score, something less than 1 percent of long-term care centers achieve in Colorado.

State officials conduct unannounced, regulatory compliance surveys at 247 long-term care centers every year to determine if they are meeting hundreds of regulations. The average Colorado care center has around 16 deficiencies each year.

So far, E. Dene Moore is the only care center on the Western Slope to achieve a perfect survey in 2013.

Jim Coombs, CEO of the Grand River Hospital District, which oversees the center, said, “With an aging population here in the United States, we have 10,000 people a day turning 65, this trend will continue for the next 30 years. This will cause the need for more long-term care to grow with each passing year.”

“We hope to be able to bring additional long-term care capacity to support the community and to help care for an aging population,” said Kenda Spaulding, director of person-centered care at the center. “It is difficult to turn away individuals who want to stay in their home community when the time comes that they need long-term care.”

Ladies deliver Meals on Wheels

Employees from American Family Insurance – Jim Lord Insurance Agency in Rifle and New Castle Family Fitness helped spread some senior cheer at the Grand River Meals on Wheels’ Meals on Heels event on Friday, May 31.

This women-only delivery day brought meals, conversation and awareness about this program as meals were delivered to all Meals on Wheels clients in Parachute, Rifle, Silt and New Castle.

Grand River Meals on Wheels recently received the 2013 Friend of Seniors Award for Garfield County and currently provides more than 1,000 meals a month.

Thanks for the surprise

I want to express my thanks to each and every one who attended my 90th surprise birthday party on Sunday, May 26, at the Rifle Senior Center. Your expressions of love, through gifts and cards given, were overwhelming. To each of you, thanks and love to you all.

Mae Liggett

Rifle

Rifle chamber scholarship winners

Rifle High School graduates Taylor Walters and Eli Boone recently received $1,000 Rifle Area Chamber of Commerce scholarships, awarded for academic excellence, commitment to community and a strong desire to move forward in furthering their education. Both recipients plan to attend Colorado Mesa University in the fall.

This is the 10th year of the chamber scholarship program. Monies for the program come from the annual Chili Cook-off in October each year.

Arthur ranch subject of new book

A new book, “The Arthur Ranch on East Divide Creek: Memories of Western Colorado in the 1960s and 70s,” was recently released for sale at area book stores and on Amazon.com.

Author Kathleen Arthur began writing stories of her childhood on the ranch for her children and grandchildren. This book is a culmination of that effort, including many of those stories. When it was sold in 1974, the ranch had been in the Arthur family for 72 years.

Arthur evokes a powerful sense of what it was like to grow up as a member of the fourth generation of a cattle ranching family. Her detailed descriptions provide insight into a lifestyle that is quickly disappearing as family ranches are sold and subdivided into housing developments.

Grand Valley teachers honored

The Grand Valley Educational Foundation held its sixth annual Teacher of the Year awards ceremony on Friday, May 24, at Grand Valley Middle School in Battlement Mesa.

Imelda Jones, preschool teacher at The Center for Family Learning, was the primary level (preschool to grade one) teacher of the year; Robin McMillan, fourth and fifth grade teacher at Bea Underwood Elementary School, was chosen at the intermediate level (grades 2-5); Van Merritt, instrumental and vocal teacher at Grand Valley Middle School, was the middle school (grades 6-8) teacher honored; Alison Teter, English teacher at Grand Valley High School, was the grades 9-12 teacher; and classified person of the year was Teresa Snyder, head secretary at Grand Valley Middle School.

Each teacher received a Golden Apple trophy, a certificate, bouquet of flowers and $1,000. The classified employee received the trophy, certificate, bouquet and a check for $500. An additional $8,000 was presented to Superintendent Ken Haptonstall to be distributed equally to each winner’s school. The principal and the recipients of the awards will allocate the funds for special programs.

GVHS grad finishes basic training

Air Force Airman Michael D. Jones, a 2011 Grand Valley High School graduate, completed basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in San Antonio.

Jones, who also earned an associate degree in 2012 from Colorado Mountain College in Rifle, completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.

Jones earned distinction as an honor graduate. He is the son of Brad Martin of Battlement Mesa.

GVHS scholarships awarded

Four Grand Valley High School students and a GVHS graduate college student were awarded scholarships from the Grand Valley Educational Foundation on Wednesday, May 22.

Nelys Gonzalez received the Pam Brock Teacher Scholarship for $2,000 over a two-year period, Tanner Zimmerman received the Carl H. Bernklau Scholarship for $2,500, Jordan Quinn received the American Legion Ward Underwood Post #114 Academic Scholarship for $1,000, Michael Salazar received the American Legion Ward Underwood Post #114 Vocational Scholarship for $1,000, and GVHS graduate Brittney Garcia was awarded the Carl H. Bernklau Continuing Education Scholarship for $2,500.

Family night thanks

Wamsley Elementary School would like to thank two businesses for their donations of prizes for the First Grade Family Night held on May 1: the Rifle Little Caesars for pizzas for two family meals and the Rifle Kum-n-Go on Colorado Highway 13, and manager Kurt Larson, for a gift card.

We greatly appreciate the continued commitment of these local businesses. Their support of our students and staff is always much appreciated.

Parent and family committee

Wamsley Elementary School

Rifle

PHOTO: GarCo Fair logo (need to rename & drop)

Fair board seeks crafters and merchants

Merchants and professional craft makers have the opportunity to participate in the 75th anniversary Garfield County Fair, Aug. 5-11, at the fairgrounds in Rifle.

For years, the fair’s Merchant Village has featured an assortment of goods ranging from cooking supplies to jewelry, kids clothing and toys to unique handcrafted items. This year’s village will also offer two new areas: a crafters tent and a demonstration station.

The crafters tent is where smaller artisans can exhibit and sell their wares. Fair staff will provide an eight-foot banquet table per crafter, one chair, and lighting during evening hours for each artisan. Space rent is $20 per day.

The demonstration station will be available at no cost to vendors or other fair participants to demonstrate their products, cooking, and art and crafts, or to educate attendees. Electricity, tables, and audience seating will be provided under a tent.

Traditional booth spaces in the Merchant Village are also available. Spaces sized 10 feet by 10 feet are $100 for either the week or the weekend.

Applications for the Merchant Village are available online at garfieldcountyfair.com.

For further information, visit garfieldcountyfair.com, or call Fair Coordinator Krista DeHerrera at (970) 309-6214.

Klenda reports for field exercises

Navy Petty Officer 1st Class David A. Klenda, a 1998 graduate of Rifle High School, and other sailors assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 11, recently deployed to Camp Shelby, Miss. to begin their evaluated field exercise.

Klenda joined the Navy in June 1998.

The exercise consists of scenario based training and assessments to certify the battalion as the “ready battalion.”

The battalion must build up their self-contained operations at Camp Shelby with everything from command posts and a combat operations center to a galley and shower facilities. Operations will run 24 hours per day, including fighting positions and watch-stations.

Once the battalion has demonstrated required proficiency in all areas of evaluation, they can return to Gulfport as the ready battalion.

The Seabee battalion specializes in contingency construction, disaster response and humanitarian assistance.

Rifle Rotary seeks host homes

The Rifle Rotary Club is lining up host homes for the 2013-2014 school year. Hosting a Rotary exchange student is a great way for families to learn about the world first hand. Families host students for three months of their year-long exchange.

Go to rotary.org for an overview of Rotary International and Rotary Youth Exchange. Contact Kaaren Peck at (970) 355-4859 for more information on hosting a student.

YouthZone offers free 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.

Teen volunteer orientation programs

Garfield County Libraries will host teen volunteer orientations for anyone between the ages of 12 and 18 interested in becoming an active volunteer at a library.

Orientation programs will be held at the Rifle Branch Library at 1 p.m. Saturday, June 1; the Silt Branch Library at 4 p.m. Tuesday, June 4; and the New Castle Branch Library at 1 p.m. Thursday, June 6. For more information, call Lo at 625-4270.


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