 |
| The Board of Mesa County Commissioners proclaimed November 2018 as National Adoption Awareness Month to acknowledge foster parents, volunteers, child welfare professionals, and other members of the community who help children in foster care find permanent homes. All children deserve a safe, loving family to protect and care for them, which is why children waiting for adoptive parents, and families who have adopted these children, require and deserve community and public agency support. Mesa County urges all citizens, community agencies, religious organizations, businesses, and others to celebrate adoption, honor families that grow through adoption, further awareness of the challenges and issues of adoption and focus attention on those children who live in the shadow of an uncertain future while they await permanent families. Pictured here: Mesa County Department of Human Services personnel—Joe Kellerby (left) and Kim Espindola (center left) accept the proclamation. |
 |
| Mesa County Commissioners proclaim Nov. 12-18, 2018, as Apprenticeship Week. Cynthia McLain (center right), State Director for the Colorado Office of Apprenticeship accepts the proclamation along with Shawna Grieger (center left) with Western Colorado Contractors Association and Georgia Hoaglund (left) with Western Colorado Area Health Education Center. The demand for skilled workers continues to increase in the Grand Valley and apprenticeship programs are a crucial method to meet the demand. Apprenticeships are a unique, flexible training system that combines job-related technical instruction with structured, paid, on-the-job learning experiences. |
 |
| Mesa County Public Works was honored with the Public Works Project Award by the Colorado Chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA) at the chapter's conference in Denver, Oct. 29 for the Veterans Memorial Detention Pond. The award recognizes the alliance between the managing agency, the contractor, the consultant, and their cooperative achievements. |
 |
| Mesa County Public Works Director Pete Baier recognizes and thanks personnel and the contractor for all their hard work and dedication in making the Veterans Memorial Detention Pond project a success. |
 |
| Veterans Memorial Detention Pond project: The one-of-a-kind vision and effective use of resources used for the 30.2 acre-foot detention pond increased the capacity of the Orchard Mesa drain system, while aesthetically enhancing and incorporating the Veterans Memorial Park, which has multiple uses, including flood reduction (as a primary purpose), walking trails and a wetlands area. Read more about the award and project at https://bit.ly/2PjsdEG. |
 |
| It's Law Enforcement Records Personnel Week! Join us in recognizing the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office records personnel for their crucial role in the criminal justice system. Governor John Hickenlooper declared November 5, 2018, through November 9, 2018, the first-ever Law Enforcement Records Personnel Week to honor the vital service this dedicated group of individuals provide. Records personnel assist law enforcement by helping with identifying suspects, relaying vital information from other criminal justice agencies, as well as processing and maintaining the agency’s criminal justice records. |
 |
| Here is one of the many reasons why Colorado has dedicated an entire week to say THANK YOU to law enforcement records personnel! This incredible group of professionals helps provide the public with various services, and they help patrol and detention deputies too! Here is a glimpse at the amount of work they did in 2017. https://www.mcsonews.com/2018/11/law-enforcement-records-personnel-week.html |
 |
| Meet Jeremy Caudle, Mesa County budget manager, this is his first week on the job. Welcome aboard, Jeremy! |
 |
| Carey Awe with Mesa County Elections smiles as she helps voters Tuesday morning. |
 |
| Lily Thorpe answers calls about voter registration and voting. |
 |
| A busy Election Day morning for Elections staff and volunteers. |
 |
| A Mesa Couty resident makes his voice heard by voting Tuesday afternoon. |
 |
| Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Sheila Reiner reminds citizens to vote before 5 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 6. |
 |
| Elections Coordinator Brian Williams greets and holds the door open for voters Tuesday morning. |
 |
| Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Sheila Reiner takes phone calls and assists citizens on the evening of Election Day. |
 |
| It's 6:30 p.m. on election night and there is still a line of citizens waiting to casts their votes before the doors close at 7 p.m. |
 |
| It is almost down to the wire and Becky White and Carey Awe are still helping residents who want to vote on the night of the election. |
 |
| Mesa County Employee Association hosted their 13th Annual Employee Craft Fair, the Autumn Shoppe. |
 |
| The Autumn Shoppe featured great crafts from local artisans (many of them are county employees). |
 |
| The craft fair was hosted at the Mesa County Workforce Center, 512 29 1/2 Road. Did you check out Connie Robinson's booth? Connie (second to the left) had many Christmas decorations. |
 |
| Bernice Stogsdill with the Mesa County Sheriff's Office had handmade jewelry for sale at the Autumn Shoppe. |
 |
| This year's Annual MCEA Employee Craft Fair featured a flu clinic with these nurses. How convenient! |
 |
| 13th Annual Employee Craft Fair. |
 |
| This year's Annual MCEA Employee Craft Fair, not only featured a flu clinic, they also hosted a cookie harvest and competition. |
 |
| Meet the cookie judges: Barret Jensen (left), Rudy Bevan and Paul Mitts. |
 |
| Many employees participated in the MCEA First Annual Cookie Harvest and entered the bake-off. |
 |
| The bake-off featured a variety of cookies made from scratch. Employees (or employee's family members) entered into the contest for a chance to win a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, a Kitchen Aid hand mixer or a Cuisinart untensil set. |
 |
| MCPH Data Analyst Shane Chatfield, an independent official not affiliated with the MCEA, tabulates the judges' cookie scores to keep track of the winner so that the process isn't biased. |
 |
| The winners of the bake-off are, 1st Place: The Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer— Avalanche Cookies, Jennifer Cook with DHS. 2nd Place: Kitchen Aid Hand Mixer— Cranberry Orange Christmas Cookies, Michelle Harmon, Spouse of Sheriff ‘s Office Deputy David Harmon. 3rd Place: Cuisinart Utensil Set—Salted Caramel Shortbread Cookies, Rene Romero with Administration. |
 |
| Cookies were sold for $5 for half a dozen or $8 for a dozen. All proceeds from the event will fo to MCEA to help fund future events. |
 |
| On the 1-year anniversary of the repairs and renovations to the Mesa County Animal Services Facility, 971A Coffman Road in Whitewater, county officials, engineers and contractors gathered to inspect the building for any structural shifts. Read more at https://bit.ly/2JVC9hG. |
 |
| The renovations to the building include an elevated concrete poured steel pan deck floor that is structurally anchored with 61 drilled caissons to a depth of 31’ creating a crawl space with weather protection and drain line access. The new building, so far, has been able to withstand the movement of the expansive soils underneath. |
 |
| Through Nov. 23, there will be a detour due to a culvert replacement on 1725 10 Road in the Mack area. Use the above alternate route. |
 |
| Road safety improvement construction on Kimball Creek Road and the intersections of 59.9 Road and 58.7 Road just got underway. This is a full depth reconstruction road project to address safety issue along Kimball Creek (58.6) Road on the north side of the Town of Collbran from the intersection of Buzzard Creek (58.9) Road to the intersection of 58.7 Road. |
 |
| Mesa County Fair Ambassador Program is now accepting applications. Learn more here. |
 |
| Many Mesa County offices will be closed Monday, Nov. 12, in observance of Veterans Day. View a detailed list of closures at https://bit.ly/2D6EswS. |