Welcome to Montrose Fresh, from The Montrose Daily Press. It’s FridayJanuary 29th, and we’re here with local news, events, announcements, jobs, and more that matter to us here in Western Colorado. 

Today - According to state officials, masks and social distancing are still needed in Colorado for the months to come.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Elevate Internet. Whether it’s for your home or your business they offer the best speeds at the best price. Right now, if you refer a friend you can get $25 off! Give them a call for more information at 844-386-8744 or visit them at www.elevateinternet.com.

Before we begin, we’d like to highlight Johnson Elementary School Principal Cheryl Gomez.

Gomez started her career in the business realm, where she wrote training manuals for companies and trained colleagues. She continued to find herself training others and writing course guidelines, which helped her realize her passion was for teaching.

Gomez has taught at high needs, poverty-ridden schools and served as vocational director for School District 70 in Pueblo County. Within her first two years in teaching, Gomez was selected as teacher in charge, meaning if the principal was out of the building, she was in charge. She realized she needed to earn her master’s degree, thinking it was inevitable to get her principal’s license. 

Now, at Johnson, Gomez enjoys praising her staff and students for trying a new teaching method or getting more involved in classroom discussion. This school year, students have also inspired Gomez.

As COVID-19 vaccine shipments continue to trickle into Colorado, state officials continue to stress the importance of social distancing. According to them, social distancing and mask wearing will remain the best tools available to fight the pandemic for months to come.

During a recent press conference Governor Jared Polis said that if people get a little bit more lax, it will resurge before the vaccine has time to kick in. He noted that vaccine distribution is rapidly happening, but there’s still a lot of danger in people socializing or getting together or not wearing masks right now.

This will likely remain true for much of the first half of 2021, according to public health modeling presented by state epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy. 

At the state’s current level of transmission, an estimated 700 more Coloradans could die from COVID-19 before June 1st. And with effective vaccine distribution that number may be reduced to around 500. But if Colorado’s transmission control level drops significantly, that number could climb into the thousands.

According to Herlihy we really don’t see the full effect or benefit of the vaccine for many months to come, so during this time, all of the strategies we have in place continue to be important.

Colorado providers have administered nearly a half million first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. And luckily, Polis has confirmed that the supply has been stable enough that second doses have remained on schedule.

Polis again urged drugmakers and the federal government to speed up production and shipments to Colorado and other states. He says that providers have the capacity to vaccinate up to five times as many people as they are now. 

And now, with many of its highest-priority, front-line health care workers having received the vaccine, Colorado has entered Phase 1B.

The state is laser-focused on getting vaccines into the arms of Coloradans aged 70 or older. Phase 1B will continue with many essential workers, including teachers, receiving the vaccine next. 

Recently, case rates have fallen off since a dramatic spike that threatened to overwhelm Colorado hospitals. Colorado is currently faring better than many other states, with the 11th-lowest number of cases per capita in the country.

Now, some local history. This week's local history is brought to you by England Fence. England Fence is family owned and operated, and they're ready to help you build your dream fence, archway, gate, or deck. Right now they're offering their best prices of the year Give them a call at 970-249-4430, or head over to their website englandfence.com.

Robert LeRoy Parker, better known as Butch Cassidy, was an American train and bank robber and the leader of a gang of criminal outlaws known as the "Wild Bunch". Cassidy's first bank robbery took place in 1889, when he robbed the San Miguel Valley Bank in Telluride. 

And finally, before we go we’d like to take a moment to remember the life of Jimmie Salaz. Jimmie was born in 1935, in Montrose. He proudly served his country in the Marines. After serving he returned home and worked in the mines, concrete and carpentry.

He met and married his first wife Julia where he had four children. Later in life he met and married his wife Erma. With this second marriage he gained three stepchildren.

Jimmie was a very loving and happy man. When you saw him, he always had a big smile on his face. He enjoyed spending time in the outdoors hunting, fishing, and camping. 

Nothing brought him more happiness than spending time with family and friends. Jimmie will be dearly missed by all those that knew him.

Thank you for taking a moment today to remember and celebrate his life.

That’s all for today, thank you for listening! For more information on any of these stories visit us at montrosepress.com.

And don’t forget to check out our sponsor, Elevate Internet. Visit them at elevateinternet.com to learn more.

For more than 137 years, The Montrose Daily Press has been dedicated to shining a light on all the issues that matter to our community. Go to montrosepress.com to subscribe for just $1.99 per week for our digital edition. You’ll get unlimited access to every story, feature, and special section. Thank you and remember to tune in again next time on montrosepress.com or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Support the show: https://www.montrosepress.com/site/forms/subscription_services/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good morning and welcome to Montrose Fresh, from The Montrose Daily Press. It’s Wednesday January 27th and we’re here with local news, events, announcements, and more that matter to us here in Western Colorado. 

 Today -- A sprawling ranch located along the scenic West Elk bypass is now conserved

Today’s episode is brought to you by Elevate Internet. Whether it’s for your home or your business they offer the best speeds at the best price. Right now, if you refer a friend you can get $25 off! Give them a call for more information at 844-386-8744 or visit them at elevateinternet.com

But before we begin, We’d like to highlight the dancers at A Time to Dance. For them, dance is a way to not only express, but to connect during a time when connecting has been entirely reinvented.

The dance group recently held its Winter Showcase, dancing in the theme of spreading kindness to the people around us.

Dance director and A Time to Dance owner Catherine Frates described the rehearsal performance as “informal.” and said it was a rough draft to the recital in May.

The dance company is entering its 15th year in Montrose, serving a wide range of community members from dancers as young as 2 years old, to older adults.

For everyone, being able to dance is helping to bridge the gap between safely social distancing and continuing to dance.

Frates said although the dance company has always been attentive to cleaning, the members are being even more careful now due to COVID risks.

Now, our feature story. A sprawling 1,200 acre ranch located along the scenic West Elk bypass is now conserved -- thanks to efforts by the property owners and Colorado West Land Trust.

The Meek Ranch, in the Crystal Valley, is a mosaic of irrigated meadows and pastures, mountain shrublands, and woodland that covers gently rolling terrain. Crystal Creek runs for nearly 2 miles through the property and provides significant habitat for wildlife.

From the West Elk Scenic and Historic Byway, one may now look out over this beautiful ranch with assurance that it will never be developed or subdivided in the future.

Sandy McLaughlin, who now owns the ranch with Roy McLaughlin said that the Meek family started ranching this land in 1915. The McLaughlins purchased the property in 2014 and used it to graze livestock.

The ranch is surrounded by privately owned open space and National Forest land that connects to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park to the southwest. This area provides forage, cover, breeding grounds, and migration corridors for a diversity of wildlife. 

Conservation of the Meek Ranch builds on previous efforts by CWLT to protect unique natural and agricultural characteristics in the area. To date, the organization has protected nearly 9,500 acres of ranch land along the West Elk Scenic Byway.

Additional funding to complete this project was provided by Great Outdoors Colorado and Colorado Parks and Wildlife, two organizations that have worked alongside CWLT on many projects to conserve open space on the Western Slope.

Colorado West Land Trust is a private, charitable nonprofit organization. They have conserved over 125,000 acres across six Delta, Gunnison, Mesa, Montrose, Ouray and San Miguel counties.

Its mission is to protect and enhance agricultural land, wildlife habitat and scenic lands in western Colorado to benefit the community at large, enrich lives, provide opportunities for outdoor recreation, and ensure our connection to land for generations to come. 

Thanks for listening, finally, we’d like to take a moment today to remember the life  Glenn Watts of Grand Junction. After Glenn married his first wife Betty, he was drafted into the U.S. Army for the Korean War. Upon discharge he returned to Colorado to start Watts Construction. Some of his custom log homes can be seen on the Western Slope of Colorado.

Glenn lived mainly in Montrose, where he met and married his third wife Lynnda. They resided in Montrose for a few years until they relocated to Grand Junction, Colorado.

Glenn and his brother David were rough stock riders in the very first Little Britches Rodeos. Glenn acted as an angel by saving his brother’s life by loading him on his horse and racing home for help after David was accidentally shot by a friend during a camping trip. He also saved a young man from an electrocution death while on a job site.

Glenn was happiest being outdoors. He loved rifle hunting, bow hunting, and fishing. Glenn also never missed a Denver Broncos football game and he lived for football Sundays. Glenn also was an avid reader of Western novels and loved collecting “The End of The Trail” and Native American art. His eyes twinkled when enjoying a good laugh. He loved the music of his grandchildren’s laughter and enjoyed watching his grandsons play football.

Thank you for taking a moment today to remember and celebrate Glenn’s life.

That’s all for today, thank you for listening! For more information on any of these stories visit us at montrosepress.com

And don’t forget to check out our sponsor, Elevate Internet. Visit them at elevateinternet.com to learn more.

For more than 137 years, The Montrose Daily Press has been dedicated to shining a light on all the issues that matter to our community. Go to montrosepress.com to subscribe for just $1.99 per week for our digital edition. You’ll get unlimited access to every story, feature, and special section. Thank you and remember to tune in again next time on montrosepress.com or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Support the show: https://www.montrosepress.com/site/forms/subscription_services/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good morning and welcome to Montrose Fresh, from The Montrose Daily Press. It’s MondayJanuary 25th and we’re here to bring you a closer look at our top stories, events and more that matter to us here in Western Colorado. 

Today -  Despite the restrictions due to the pandemic, multiple businesses have opened in downtown Montrose.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Elevate Internet. Whether it’s for your home or your business they offer the best speeds at the best price. Right now, if you refer a friend you can get $25 off! Give them a call for more information at 844-386-8744 or visit them at elevateinternet.com

Before we begin, a quick announcement.

Colorado agricultural producers are encouraged to be part of the 2021 Farm Fresh Directory, published annually by the Colorado Department of Agriculture.

The directory, which will be released in June, promotes Colorado farmers’ markets, roadside stands, u-picks, Community Supported Agriculture producers, agritourism activities, wineries, and farms and ranches that sell direct to the public.

The fee to be included in the directory is $25, and the listing deadline is Feb. 15. For more information, contact Loretta Lopez at 303-869-9175.

Now, our feature story.

It’s no secret the downtown area in Montrose experienced a significant lull shortly after the heavy restrictions.

Some popular locations closed, like The Vine Market and Bistro and The Ginger Cat. And the owners of Roosters also put a pause on operations to focus efforts on their Grand Junction locations. 

But despite all of this, the area hasn’t lost its appeal. Downtown has been infused with a slew of new businesses just in the past few months.

City of Montrose Community Program Manager Kendall Cramer said that there’s quite a bit of interest in the downtown area. 

The entrepreneurial efforts are coming from local citizens eager to keep the vibrancy of downtown Montrose.

In just the past few months, businesses like Sidelines Sports Bar, Synergy One Lending and Mosaic opened their doors. Joining them are San Juan Brews, Double Barrel Taco and an upcoming venture --- Reign, a beauty salon.

It’s not done there. Cramer and the city anticipate a few more businesses will open in the area in the subsequent months as details are finalized.

Thanks to what Cramer calls a “strong economic climate” in the downtown area, the benefits of either relocating or opening in the area are showing. The shops enjoyed an exceedingly successful holiday shopping season, one in which saw the City of Montrose run out of its physical cards through its Montrose Bucks program.

Cramer also praised the locals for an entrepreneurial spirit while commending their ability to partner with one another, especially when restrictions during the pandemic.

There’s also been some support - like that from the Colorado Yurt Company, which teamed up with the Montrose DART program, to provide tipis for outdoor dining. Jimmer’s BBQ and Grill, Rio Bravo and downtown’s Storm King Distilling, to name a few, are some that took advantage of the service.

Cramer said people in the community have really stepped up to support the downtown area, helping to keep doors open.

Additional plans to innovate the area are in the works as well. The city’s proposed Block 93 Alley Project intends to convert the alley located in the block on the corner of the Main Street and Townsend into a local amenity, acting as a commercial and retail space.

And though certain restrictions are still in place, future planning remains prevalent for the local shop owners. 

“Whatever we can do to attract businesses to help them grow and be profitable, we’re going to try to do that,” Cramer said. “... it’s only going to get better as we move forward.”

To learn more about this story, visit us at montrosepress.com.

And before we go,  the choral sounds that echo through the halls around the choir room at Montrose High School have sounded different since last March.

Students are required to wear face masks while on campus, and performing in choir class is no exception. Add the face coverings, a drop in program enrollment and a lack of any public performances allowed and Choral Director Monica Phillips had a unique situation that required her to change her approach to teaching.

To address the effects of the masks on the vocal sound, Phillips worked with her students on placement of their sound, how to listen to others and how to adapt to hearing themselves more loudly than usual. 

Phillips says she has a deep desire to see students recognize their own strength and ability to overcome any adversity that comes their way. The pandemic could be looked back on as a test, and Phillips can only hope she can be a spark that ignites those passions.

That’s all for today, thank you for listening! For more information on any of these stories visit us at montrosepress.com.

And don’t forget to check out our sponsor, Elevate Internet. Visit them at elevateinternet.com to learn more.

For more than 137 years, The Montrose Daily Press has been dedicated to shining a light on all the issues that matter to our community. Go to montrosepress.com to subscribe for just $1.99 per week for our digital edition. You’ll get unlimited access to every story, feature, and special section. Thank you and remember to tune in again next time on montrosepress.com or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Support the show: https://www.montrosepress.com/site/forms/subscription_services/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Montrose Fresh, from The Montrose Daily Press. It’s FridayJanuary 22nd, and we’re here with local news, events, announcements, jobs, and more that matter to us here in Western Colorado. 

Today - Colorado Parks and Wildlife is launching a management plan to reintroduce gray wolves in the western half of Colorado.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Elevate Internet. Whether it’s for your home or your business they offer the best speeds at the best price. Right now, if you refer a friend you can get $25 off! Give them a call for more information at 844-386-8744 or visit them at www.elevateinternet.com.

Before we begin, a quick announcement.

CASA of the 7th Judicial District received a healthy chunk of change for its latest supportive housing project to benefit youths aging out of the foster system. It was just one of many area nonprofits to win grants from the El Pomar Foundation. Among them include the Delta County Public Library District of Hotchkiss, the Delta Montrose Youth Services, the Gunnison Valley Animal Welfare League, and the Midwestern Colorado Mental Health Center. In all, the El Pomar awards total $136,000.

Now, our feature story.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is launching a management plan to reintroduce gray wolves in the western half of Colorado. Under Proposition 114 they’re required to achieve this by December 31, 2023.

The Colorado Wildlife Commission has voted to begin creating the management plan. CPW Director, Dan Prenzlow said they’ll be doing so with a flexible approach.

The controversial Proposition 114 passed by a statewide vote in November 2020. But it worries local livestock communities and officials.

Under the new law, CPW must develop the reintroduction plan for designated lands west of the Continental Divide. They also must hold statewide hearings concerning scientific, economic and social considerations, and get public input.

Rob Edward, the strategic adviser for the Rocky Mountain Wolf Project, says that he’s encouraged, and that if paws aren’t on the ground by 2023, the state will have failed to obey the law.

The species was extirpated in Colorado in the 1940s. But last year, CPW confirmed at least six wolves in Moffat County. And it remains illegal to kill a wolf in Colorado, despite the animal’s delisting as a federally protected species.

Montrose County Commissioner Keith Caddy is among those who are concerned about reintroducing the wolf to Colorado.

Caddy said the 2023 timeline is too hurried and more time should have been allowed to study where and how to best reintroduce wolves — for the animals’ sake, too.

According to Caddy, the state needs to go about reintroduction properly, with in-depth studies that cannot be completed within just a few years.

He asks -- if you're introducing an animal to an area it’s been removed from for nearly 100 years, how do the other entities in the area compete with the wolf in that environment?

But Rob Edward insists there is well-established science behind wolf reintroduction. To him, the human element will require continued work and cooperation.

Edward says that in places where wolves have been reintroduced, the basics of balancing wolves, livestock production, and hunting are also fairly well established.

CPW will begin with a stakeholder process for input. 

In addition to public meetings for input, questions and concerns, the state is creating a technical working group and a stakeholder working group to serve as advisory bodies.

The stakeholder advisory group will represent a range of viewpoints and geographic areas across the state. It’ll also contribute to the plans the technical working group develops.

The Wildlife Commission is the decision-making body for plan development and is ultimately responsible for approving the plan. 

Caddy is still concerned though, and said “They’ll throw the wolves to the wolves in a lot of ways,” 

But to Edward’s the ballot measure is not going to be re-litigated and it is time to move forward.

CPW will be holding a virtual education and listening tour about wolf reintroduction from February through May to share information with the public and provide opportunities for public input on wolf conservation and management.

Now, some local history. This week's local history is brought to you by England Fence. England Fence is family owned and operated, and they're ready to help you build your dream fence, archway, gate, or deck. Right now they're offering their best prices of the year, 20% off of all installed jobs through the month of January. Give them a call at 970-249-4430, or head over to their website englandfence.com.

The Gunnison Tunnel is an irrigation tunnel that was constructed in the early 1900’s. The nearly 6 mile long tunnel diverts water from the Gunnison River. When it was completed, it was the longest irrigation tunnel in the world and quickly made the area around Montrose into profitable agricultural lands.

And finally, before we go we’d like to take a moment to remember the life of 

Charles Hecht. After high school, Chuck joined the United States Army and served in the Korean War. Upon returning, he married Eloris June Smith in Delta, Colorado. They celebrated 34 years of marriage until June’s passing in 1997. Chuck and June lived in Arizona, Nebraska, and in Greeley, Julesburg, and Montrose, before moving to Clifton, which was home until they passed. 

Chuck enjoyed spending quality time with family, going fishing, taking walks around his neighborhood, and doing what he said he does best — nothing. He was deeply loved and will be missed by all. Thank you for taking a moment today to remember and celebrate Chuck’s life.

That’s all for today, thank you for listening! For more information on any of these stories visit us at montrosepress.com.

And don’t forget to check out our sponsor, Elevate Internet. Visit them at elevateinternet.com to learn more.

For more than 137 years, The Montrose Daily Press has been dedicated to shining a light on all the issues that matter to our community. Go to montrosepress.com to subscribe for just $1.99 per week for our digital edition. You’ll get unlimited access to every story, feature, and special section. Thank you and remember to tune in again next time on montrosepress.com or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Support the show: https://www.montrosepress.com/site/forms/subscription_services/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good morning and welcome to Montrose Fresh, from The Montrose Daily Press. It’s Wednesday January 20th and we’re here with local news, events, announcements, and more that matter to us here in Western Colorado. 

Today -- Coordinated teamwork can provide long-term housing and care solutions for those in our community who need it most.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Elevate Internet. Whether it’s for your home or your business they offer the best speeds at the best price. Right now, if you refer a friend you can get $25 off! Give them a call for more information at 844-386-8744 or visit them at elevateinternet.com

But before we begin, even though we might not be able to have the larger gatherings that we long for, perhaps we can look on the bright side. A smaller group means we can up the ante on what we cook.

We’d recommend a version of a classic — Beef Wellington, with a French Bordelaise sauce. Now, at the core, beef wellington is beef wrapped in puff pastry and baked — perhaps a little simplistic, but true, nonetheless. The key to this is a crispy, buttery puff pastry.

Visit us at montrosepress.com for the full step by step recipe.

Now, our feature story.

That was a message from Volunteers of America’s Home Health of Western Colorado 

And as most of us are currently aware, affordable housing is not plentiful in our rural Western Colorado counties. It’s challenging enough to locate housing options when you are healthy and up to the search. But imagine attempting to find new housing when you are dealing with chronic health conditions.

Our area’s older adult population often runs into situations like that. 

Jack Morris, whose name we’ve changed to protect his identity, was a patient at San Juan Living Center. And last summer he was discharged. Volunteers of America’s Home Health of Western Colorado provided his safe transition with in-home skilled nursing care. A nurse met with Mr. Morris weekly. The nurse managed medication, and other duties related to his cancer and diabetes.

Not long after returning home, Mr. Morris was told he had to vacate the mobile home he owned since the landowner was selling the property. While he continued to receive supportive healthcare services, two eviction notices arrived. Then, a final notice to vacate. He ended up making an agreement with the landowner to leave his mobile home behind since he could not afford to have it moved off the land. 

Mr. Morris was then referred to the Senior Community Care Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly. Montrose County Enrollment Specialist, Kirk DeVincentis began working with him to locate housing options. 

One resource was the Montrose Housing Authority. So he completed an application and was placed on the waiting list for housing. Fortunately, Mr. Morris was able to move into a one-bedroom unit at Olathe Meadows Senior Apartments. H.U.D subsidizes the apartments, so the rent is very low. 

Mr. Morris now receives a variety of support services, which include light housekeeping, weekly laundry assistance and linen change. He now has showering assistance, physical therapy to improve balance and strength training to minimize falls, occupational therapy to promote home safety, nursing care for chronic pain management, and diabetic testing and skin checks to ensure skin integrity. His dietary needs are being met with diabetic nutritional education as well as diabetic meals delivered to his new home five days per week.

Thanks for listening, finally, we’d like to take a moment today to remember the life  of Robert Allen Williams. Bob was born in Hastings, Nebraska. He grew up in Waverly, Nebraska, where he graduated from Waverly High School in 1962. In 1964, he received an associate degree in electronics from Nebraska Vocational Technical School. Then, in 1966, he enlisted in the Nebraska Air National Guard, and was honorably discharged in 1972.

In 1965, he married his high school sweetheart, Marilyn. They celebrated 55 years of marriage last June. Together they had two children. The family made their home in Lincoln, Nebraska, where Bob was employed as a metering technician for Lincoln Electric System. In Lincoln, they were members of First Baptist Church. The family enjoyed their many trips to Colorado for summer vacations and winter skiing. Finally, they achieved their dream of moving to Colorado. He retired from Tri-State Generation and Transmission in 2008.

Bob and Marilyn enjoyed nothing more than hooking up the travel trailer and heading into the mountains for camping, 4-wheeling, hiking and biking. These were Bob’s happiest memories. He was eventually diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and vascular dementia. Marilyn took care of him at home until he became a resident of San Juan Living Center. They had dinner together every evening until COVID-19 brought it to an abrupt halt. Even then, in the warm months of 2020, they had dinner together, Bob dining inside the patio window and Marilyn dining outside the window. Bob will be greatly missed, thank you for taking a moment today to remember and celebrate his life.

That’s all for today, thank you for listening! For more information on any of these stories visit us at montrosepress.com.

And don’t forget to check out our sponsor, Elevate Internet. Visit them at elevateinternet.com to learn more.

For more than 137 years, The Montrose Daily Press has been dedicated to shining a light on all the issues that matter to our community. Go to montrosepress.com to subscribe for just $1.99 per week for our digital edition. You’ll get unlimited access to every story, feature, and special section. Thank you and remember to tune in again next time on montrosepress.com or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Support the show: https://www.montrosepress.com/site/forms/subscription_services/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good morning and welcome to Montrose Fresh, from The Montrose Daily Press. It’s MondayJanuary 18th and we’re here to bring you a closer look at our top stories, events and more that matter to us here in Western Colorado. 

Today - Western Slope leaders are calling on Congress to investigate newly sworn-in Lauren Boebert.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Elevate Internet. Whether it’s for your home or your business they offer the best speeds at the best price. Right now, if you refer a friend you can get $25 off! Give them a call for more information at 844-386-8744 or visit them at elevateinternet.com

Before we begin, congratulations to Jordan Jennings of Montrose! Jennings will play golf for Colorado State University beginning next season in Fort Collins. He committed to the Rams’ nationally ranked, Division one golf program last year and was scheduled to have had a celebratory signing ceremony at Montrose High School. Then it was pushed to a reception at The Bridges. Finally after three quarantines and COVID diagnosis, all the public hoorah faded. Such is life in the pandemic.

Yet in many ways, it’s been a terrific senior year for Jennings. He won the individual state medalist honors at the 4A championship in October. The Colorado High School Activities Association named him Player of the Year. And he led the MHS golf team to 10 victories. 

More than five dozen officials from local governments in the 3rd Congressional District are calling on House leadership to investigate newly sworn-in Lauren Boebert.

Boebert has pushed back strongly against allegations that she live-tweeted the location of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi during the January 6 siege on the Capitol. 

Boebert was also among lawmakers who objected to the certification for Biden.

In their January 12th letter, 68 leaders from communities allege Boebert associated with the right wing groups that supported the insurrection of the Capitol Building.

The letter noted that they had heard from constituents that there is deep concern about her actions leading up to and during the protests that turned into a violent and deadly mob.

The letter, addressed to Pelosi, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, asks for a thorough investigation and “appropriate disciplinary actions.”

No official from Montrose or Montrose County signed the letter.

Boebert also has attracted attention for wanting to carry a gun beyond U.S. Capitol grounds and also in chambers. 

Boebert now says that her office has been flooded with death threats and hundreds of vile phone calls and emails.

To learn more about this story, visit us at montrosepress.com.

Before we go, we’d like to take a moment to highlight  The Governor’s Residence Preservation Fund. They just launched a new, interactive website at colorado-leaders.com which focuses on State of Colorado history.

The new website will be used by students throughout Colorado learning state history as well as by people eager to learn more. It aims to help people understand how Colorado became a state and how it continues to prosper. The site looks at the ripples of events, leadership, and legacies of three generations of Colorado history.

That’s all for today, thank you for listening! For more information on any of these stories visit us at montrosepress.com.

And don’t forget to check out our sponsor, Elevate Internet. Visit them at elevateinternet.com to learn more.

For more than 137 years, The Montrose Daily Press has been dedicated to shining a light on all the issues that matter to our community. Go to montrosepress.com to subscribe for just $1.99 per week for our digital edition. You’ll get unlimited access to every story, feature, and special section. Thank you and remember to tune in again next time on montrosepress.com or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Support the show: https://www.montrosepress.com/site/forms/subscription_services/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Montrose Fresh, from The Montrose Daily Press. It’s FridayJanuary 15th, and we’re here with local news, events, announcements, jobs, and more that matter to us here in Western Colorado. 

Today - How the Montrose County Sheriff's Posse has coped during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Elevate Internet. Whether it’s for your home or your business they offer the best speeds at the best price. Right now, if you refer a friend you can get $25 off! Give them a call for more information at 844-386-8744 or visit them at www.elevateinternet.com.

Before we begin, a quick announcement.

The Montrose County School District COVID-19 Response Team determined that the Montrose and Johnson Early Childhood Center campuses will temporarily transition to remote learning. This decision was made due to COVID-19 staffing impacts, increasing student positive cases, and a lack of substitute staff coverage. To learn more visit us at montrosepress.com.

Now, our feature story.

The Montrose County Sheriff’s Posse weathered COVID-19 in 2020, but the all-volunteer organization was busy. In addition to helping the county respond to the pandemic, they helped with several wildfires and customary search and rescue operations.

That was MCSO Posse Director Mark Rackay.

The posse needs community support to conduct its thousands of hours of volunteer work. So, again, they’ve sent out an annual fundraising letter to help its operations.

Rackay said that Covid has changed their stance a little bit on the way they have to operate. 

The pandemic prompted Montrose County to open a call center at the Emergency Operations Management building, which the posse staffed for the first few months.

They were working six days a week. They were going back and forth to Grand Junction, getting supplies from the emergency stockpile. They even set up cots at schools. 

The sheriff’s office and WestCO dispatch are integral to posse success.

And Rackay said that the support they’ve had from this administration has been phenomenal. 

According to him the communication is very good between the agencies.

Overall, volunteers with the Montrose and West End posse divisions contributed about 3,700 hours of work. That’s work that the taxpayers did not have to pay for.

As we mentioned, the posse even lends a hand for wildfires on private property and last year, helped on four.

The posse provides and maintains its own equipment and supplies. Some of the vehicles are more than 20 years old and much of the equipment, including a trailer, needs a lot of maintenance.

But they work off the support of the citizens. And they could surely use the help this year. 

The fundraising letters will come directly from the posse. The posse does not call people directly or contact them directly online for money. 

The new year has already been busy, but, fortunately, — two saves this past Saturday alone.

Rackay said they saved three people. They saved three dogs. And that’s a good way to start the year.

Now, some local history. This week's local history is brought to you by England Fence. England Fence is family owned and operated, and they're ready to help you build your dream fence, archway, gate, or deck. Right now they're offering their best prices of the year, 20% off of all installed jobs through the month of January. Give them a call at 970-249-4430, or head over to their website englandfence.com.

Montrose was originally founded to provide supplies to nearby mining communities. But, with the mines' decline, agriculture soon took over as the major economy.

And finally, before we go we’d like to take a moment to remember the life of Jimmie L. Salaz. Jimmie was born in Montrose. He also proudly served his country in the Marines. After serving he returned home and worked in the mines, concrete and carpentry.

He met and married his first wife Julia where he had his children Derald, Cheryl, Geraldine and Jamie. Later in life he met and married his wife Erma. With this second marriage he gained three stepchildren, Alberta, Jeff and Andrew.

He was a very loving and happy man. When you saw him, he always had a big smile on his face. He enjoyed spending time in the outdoors hunting, fishing, and camping. Nothing brought him more happiness than spending time with family and friends.

He is at peace now and will be dearly missed by all those that knew him. Thank you for taking a moment today to remember and celebrate Jimmie’s life.

That’s all for today, thank you for listening! For more information on any of these stories visit us at montrosepress.com.

And don’t forget to check out our sponsor, Elevate Internet. Visit them at elevateinternet.com to learn more.

For more than 137 years, The Montrose Daily Press has been dedicated to shining a light on all the issues that matter to our community. Go to montrosepress.com to subscribe for just $1.99 per week for our digital edition. You’ll get unlimited access to every story, feature, and special section. Thank you and remember to tune in again next time on montrosepress.com or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Support the show: https://www.montrosepress.com/site/forms/subscription_services/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Montrose Press Podcast

Good morning and welcome to Montrose Fresh, from The Montrose Daily Press. It’s MondayJanuary 11th and we’re here to bring you a closer look at our top stories, events and more that matter to us here in Western Colorado. 

Today - Montrose County is seeing a take rate of about 50% among people who were eligible to receive the vaccine.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Elevate Internet. Whether it’s for your home or your business they offer the best speeds at the best price. Right now, if you refer a friend you can get $25 off! Give them a call for more information at 844-386-8744 or visit them at elevateinternet.com

Before we begin, Police this week are warning Montrose County residents of a phone scam that has already defrauded at least one local.

According to Montrose Police Chief Blaine Hall, the scammer is calling locals, using Hall’s name, and threatening arrest if the victim doesn’t deposit money into an account.

There have been seven to 10 reports of this scammer in the past week-and-a-half. The victim who was defrauded, had $2,200 stolen.

Hall added that the best thing to do when someone receives such a scam call is to decline giving out any personal information, like name or bank account information, no matter how convincing the scam is. Second, he said, those who receive such calls should call dispatch and ask to make a report with a police officer.

Now, our feature story.

Montrose County Public Health and its medical partners are eager to vaccinate as many residents as possible against COVID-19. But first, they need to navigate a slim supply and a reluctance among about half of those eligible.

Dr. Joe Adragna, pandemic specialist for the county said that they think they can do around 5,000 doses a week.

But. the county has received nowhere near sufficient supply of the Moderna vaccine. The most recent shipment was, at 200 doses, far below what was requested. 

Adragna said that we need vaccines. Right now it’s completely dependent on the state shipping it, which is dependent on the federal government shipping it to the state.

Montrose County is following the state priority guidelines for who gets the vaccine and when. Phase 1A, the inoculation of frontline health care workers, nursing home staff and residents, and staff and residents of similar facilities, began on December 22nd. Members of law enforcement and the fire district have also begun receiving vaccines.

And so far, the county is seeing a take rate of about 50% among people who were eligible to receive the vaccine. According to Adragna, nursing homes saw an acceptance rate of about 55% among staff.

He thinks that this is far too low. 

Adragna stressed that a vaccine does not transmit COVID-19. It contains MRNA, which then sends a message to cells to make proteins that fight diseases. MRNA does not change a person’s cells or alter DNA.

The vaccines recently approved provide a critical tool in fighting COVID-19. Other options are just not ideal.

Adragna has also seen some eligible people hesitate to receive the vaccine because they don’t want to take it from someone else who might need it more.

But despite not everyone eligible for a vaccine opting for one, there is still high demand in the community. More than 3,000 people have pre registered. 

The vaccine is a powerful and welcome weapon, according to Adragna.

In his words, we can finally go on the offensive. We don’t have to hide anymore. We don’t have to wait for a tool we can use to fight back with. We have that now. We need to encourage our friends and neighbors to take this vaccine.

Before we go, we’d like to take a moment to highlight  Al Warnock, a retired South Dakota police chief who moved to Montrose about five years ago. Warnock recently donated several wooden toy cars to the Montrose Police Department to be given to kids who are involved in police encounters as victims or witnesses.

Warnock, who was a police officer for 22 years, said he got the idea from a similar program in South Dakota.

He said that it’s an attention diversion. They’ve got a toy to play with. They can try to escape the bad part of whatever is going on.

Warnock recently delivered 18 handmade wooden cars to the MPD for distribution. He spends about 20 to 30 minutes making each car and is making more that might go to another agency.

According to Police Chief Blaine Hall any time we have donations that we can actually personally give out to our kids, it always helps build rapport.

That’s all for today, thank you for listening! For more information on any of these stories visit us at montrosepress.com.

And don’t forget to check out our sponsor, Elevate Internet. Visit them at elevateinternet.com to learn more.

For more than 137 years, The Montrose Daily Press has been dedicated to shining a light on all the issues that matter to our community. Go to montrosepress.com to subscribe for just $1.99 per week for our digital edition. You’ll get unlimited access to every story, feature, and special section. Thank you and remember to tune in again next time on montrosepress.com or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Support the show: https://www.montrosepress.com/site/forms/subscription_services/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Montrose Fresh, from The Montrose Daily Press. It’s FridayJanuary 8th, and we’re here with local news, events, announcements, jobs, and more that matter to us here in Western Colorado. 

Today - Despite opposition, the Little Blue Canyon Highway 50 project will go on as scheduled.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Elevate Internet. Whether it’s for your home or your business they offer the best speeds at the best price. Right now, if you refer a friend you can get $25 off! Give them a call for more information at 844-386-8744 or visit them at www.elevateinternet.com.

As we enter the new year we also encourage you to visit montrosepress.com to take a look at the Top Moments and Top Stories of 2020 that we’ve compiled. 

Now, our feature story.

Despite a protest this past summer, the Little Blue Canyon Project will go on as scheduled. John Knowles, the Central Federal Lands Highway Division manager for the project said that the project has been awarded to American Civil Constructors of Littleton.

But, district 6 Colorado Senator Don Coram intends to put up a roadblock.

According to Coram, it’s not over. 

Coram said he’s working with the leadership in the Senate to try and develop a worthy solution.

According to Knowles the decisions for how to handle traffic on the road during the construction is primarily the call of ACC. The contractor is a familiar entity in the infrastructure development arena in Colorado. It has actually been the primary contractor for the I-70 construction around Glenwood Springs.

The project is backed by the FHWA and CFLHD, as well as the USDA, the Department of Interior, and Colorado Federal Lands Access Program. CDOT got a $20 million grant through FLAP to initially fund the project and then added another $20 million in state money to get it done.

While Colorado owns the highway, the federal government is doing the project. 

And the decision on the road closure schedules was very much left to the contractor

Knowles said the closures expected over the next two years are the same ones that were announced last summer. 

Back in August this announcement drew strong criticism of Western Slope ag producers as well as stakeholders like Arrowhead Mountain Lodge. 

The lodge expects a major, if not business-killing, impact from the project. Others adversely affected include ranchers, Montrose Forest Products, and the entire tourism industry. And the tourism industry has already been damaged by the pandemic.

The project affects about 3 miles of the vital east west link in western Colorado. Work will straighten the road between mileposts 123 and 126.8. 

To skirt the project, motorists could go through Delta, Hotchkiss, Crawford and over the Blue Mesa dam, which adds about 90 minutes to the trip.

To learn more, or to find the full list of the closures - which without action by the Legislature - would begin in April of this year on our website.

Now, some local history. This week's local history is brought to you by England Fence. England Fence is family owned and operated, and they're ready to help you build your dream fence, archway, gate, or deck. Right now they're offering their best prices of the year, 20% off of all installed jobs through the month of January. Give them a call at 970-249-4430, or head over to their website englandfence.com.

In 1905 Dalton Trumbo was born in Montrose. He also lived in Grand Junction and worked for the Grand Junction Sentinel. He became a screenwriter in Hollywood, but was fired on suspicion of Anti-american sentiments. Even after he was blacklisted he still wrote screenplays - including Roman Holiday. 

And finally, before we go we’d like to take a moment to remember the life of 

Ronald Kenneth Dellen Darling. He was born and raised in Indiana, and then moved to Glendale, California, at the age of 11. He was accepted to Los Angeles Valley College on a football scholarship, and then served in the Army - stationed in Alaska. Together with his first wife, Sharon, he had two children, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

While working as a manager at Sears he met his second wife, Suzanne, with whom he raised Stephanie and Kristian. Together they had three children, four more grandchildren.

Ron had a beautiful friendship, full of adventure and love, with Etta Walker, and played a very important part in the life of her daughter.

He continued to enjoy special times, full of family and fitness, with his third wife, Sara, and had the privilege of being part of the lives of her children.

In his most recent years, he enjoyed many happy times and dances with his dear friend Maryanne Love.

Ronald always had a knack as an entrepreneur, and began his own business flipping houses and developing shopping centers. He also had a deep love of travel, and enjoyed taking in different cultures around the world in a way that made him feel like a local. He traveled by train all over Europe, hiked Machu Picchu, skydived over the plains of the Las Vegas desert, and went paragliding off the coast of California. He was immersed in the culture of Miramar, gazed over Lake Como in Italy, went on safaris in South Africa, and explored the beauty of Iceland. He found joy in riding camels in Egypt, making friends all over Scotland, going on a road trip around Australia, and sampling specialty pastries all along the coast of Italy.

Montrose was Ron’s beloved home for the last 19 years. He lived a full, vibrant life and was proud to have done it his own way. Thank you for taking a moment today to remember and celebrate his life.

That’s all for today, thank you for listening! For more information on any of these stories visit us at montrosepress.com.

And don’t forget to check out our sponsor, Elevate Internet. Visit them at elevateinternet.com to learn more.

For more than 137 years, The Montrose Daily Press has been dedicated to shining a light on all the issues that matter to our community. Go to montrosepress.com to subscribe for just $1.99 per week for our digital edition. You’ll get unlimited access to every story, feature, and special section. Thank you and remember to tune in again next time on montrosepress.com or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Support the show: https://www.montrosepress.com/site/forms/subscription_services/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.