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| Community-based organizations accept the Workforce Development Month proclamation during the Mesa County Commissioners' public hearing Monday morning. Among those receiving the proclamation were: Mesa County Workforce Center, Grand Junction Chamber of Commerce, Mesa County Library, Western Colorado Community College, Colorado Mesa University, School District 51 and CareerWise. Mesa County Commissioners recognize that a skilled and flexible workforce is vital to business performance and supporting Mesa County’s competitive advantage, which is why they proclaimed September 2019 as Workforce Month. |
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| Joe Kellerby (center-left), Director of Child Welfare at Mesa County Department of Human Services, several staff members, and Jerry Hubbard, a local kin provider accept the Kinship Month proclamation presented by the Board of Mesa County Commissioners on Monday. Sept. 9, 2019. Commissioners proclaimed September 2019 as Kinship Month to encourage collaboration and support by community members and to commend the hard work, love and time kinship parents give to the children in their care. |
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| This week, Commissioner John Justman is in Washington D.C. talking about the importance of Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) payments and trying to get permanent funding for Mesa County. Commissioner Justman wrote on a Facebook post "Mesa County is 73 percent Federally owned, and these payments help the County cover its cost for law enforcement and rescue work." |
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| As part of Suicide Prevention Month, Mesa County Public Health encouraged and participated in “Connect over Coffee.” Social connectedness has been identified as a strategy in suicide prevention. On September 10th, community members were encouraged to stop in and have a conversation with someone at a local coffee shop. Six shops offered free coffee during the community event. Connectedness is the degree to which a person or group is socially close, interrelated or shares resources with others. |
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| Mesa County Public Health hosted emergency preparedness agencies from across the state at a workshop to kick off the contract year for Emergency Preparedness Response (EPR). The group ran drills, listened to webinars and collaborated about the coming year. |
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| The Mesa County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) hosted a training day at Highline Lake State Park for Rural Area Deputies. The MCSO Rural Area Deputy Program (RAD) began in 2000. Over the years, the RAD program has built long-lasting partnerships with many government agencies operating in the rural areas of Mesa County. |
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| MCSO RAD spent the day training with rescue boats on Highline Lake. If someone needs to be rescued on one of our local waterways, this is the unit that responds along with our search and rescue volunteers. |
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| MCSO RAD deputies train to be able to safely maneuver in all kinds of water conditions. |
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| Megan Moore of Angels in the Making (left), and Mesa County Animal Services Director, Doug Frye (right) present to a group of Mesa County Public Health (MCPH) employees during a lunch and learn about the difference between service animals and emotional support animals. The presentation is part of the Know the Difference campaign, a collaborative effort with MCPH, Animal Services, and Roice Hurst Humane Society. |
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| From left to right: Senior Transportation Planning Engineer Dean Bressler, Mobility Manager Sarah Martsolf-Brooks, and Regional Transportation Planning Office Director Dana Brosig hosted a community workshop on the 2045 Regional Transportation Plan, at Factory, 750 Main St., Monday, Sept. 9, 5:30—7 p.m. |
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| Do you have an opinion about transportation in the Grand Valley? Tells us about it! We are seeking public input for the 2045 Regional Transportation Plan. Take the survey (https://gv2045rtp.com/survey/) by Sept 22. |
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| Mesa County residents check out information and make suggestions for the 2045 Regional Transportation Plan at Factory on Monday, Sept. 9. |
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| Help shape the future of transportation in the Grand Valley take the survey — https://gv2045rtp.com/survey/. Ipads were available for residents to take the survey at the workshop hosted at the Factory. |
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| Mesa County Regional Transportation Planning Office is looking for your vision, priorities, & challenges to transportation in the Grand Valley. Citizens were invited to share their input at community workshops around the County this week. |
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| Regional Transportation Planning Office Director Dana Brosig pauses for a picture before discussing the Grand Valley 2045 Regional Transportation Plan with citizens. |
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| The 2045 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) team works with the community to develop a framework for a balanced multi-modal transportation network, building off the Grand Valley’s existing transportation system, and addressing the region’s transportation needs and opportunities. |
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| Jennifer Richardson, Solid Waste Director (right) speaks with Greg St.Martin, Code Compliance Services Officer and community members at Kimwood Park in Clifton about how to manage junk, trash, and other items in the area that may cause public health issues. |
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| Mesa County employees from Environmental Services, Code Compliance Services, Solid Waste Management, and the Sheriff's Office met with residents to plan a local clean-up event that will address areas experiencing illegal dumping and junk ordinance violations to improve the health and safety of the community. |
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| Tuesday evening, multiple Mesa County agencies and non-profit organizations met at Kimwood Park with Clifton residents to plan a coordinated effort to clean up a four-square-mile area around Rocky Mountain Elementary School. Stay tuned for more details. |
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| Teresa Nees with Mesa County Hazardous Waste Collection Facility, Amber Swasey with Community Development, and Sid Martinez with Code Compliance Services met with residents to discuss a new pilot program that will be launched in that area. |
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| Regional Transportation and Planning staff members met with residents to discuss the intentions of the 2045 Transportation Plan at the Mesa County Central Library, 443 N 6th St. on Tuesday afternoon. |
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| Residents share their opinion about transportation in the Grand Valley at a workshop for the 2045 Regional Transportation Plan. |
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| Residents stopped by Clifton Community Hall, 126 2nd St., Tuesday, Sept. 10, to learn more and share their thoughts and priorities on the 2045 Regional Transportation Plan. |
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| A Palisade resident attends the 2045 Regional Transportation Plan Workshop at Clifton Community Hall, 126 2nd St., on Sept. 10 to learn more about developing a framework for a balanced multi-modal transportation network. |
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| Crews replace a broken window on the annex side of the old Mesa County Courthouse, 544 Rood Ave. on Monday morning. |
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| Approximately 40 volunteers joined Mesa County, Colorado Baby and Clifton Sanitation District at a Clifton Nature Park clean-up event. They checked up on the native plants that volunteers planted last year and took a nature walk while picking up trash and pulling weeds along the way. |
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| A large bird's nest sitting high above the Clifton Nature Park. |
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| Colorado Baby was the event sponsor for the Clifton Nature Park cleanup, which brought 20 children and about 20 adults including parents, staff, and other volunteers from the community. |
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| The volunteers picked up trash, checked on the native plants transplanted last October, looked at the Blue Heron nests and nearby Ospreys, talked about weeds and talked about what is healthy and unhealthy for our environment and our community at Clifton Nature Park. |
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| A big thank you to all of the hardworking volunteers and agencies that collaborate and host Clifton Nature Park clean-up events. |
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| Mesa County and City of Grand Junction officials met for a joint Persigo Board Workshop on Thursday afternoon. |
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| Informing our community about the dangers associated with vaping and other e-cigarette products is a focus for Mesa County Public Health (MCPH). This week, MCPH staff presented with Colorado Mesa University nursing students about some of the known health impacts, and statistics about the use of these devices in our community. |
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| Mesa County Public Health hosts a Hepatitis A clinic at Whitman Park. Nurses from the public health clinic offered the free vaccine to residents experiencing homelessness. Lunch was provided, and through our community partnerships, Mesa County Animal Services provided rabies, parvo and distemper vaccines for pets, too. |
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| Doug Frye with Mesa County Animal Services provided rabies, parvo and distemper vaccines for pets at Whitman Park. |
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| Savannah Herland administers free vaccines offered to residents experiencing homelessness at a Hepatitis A clinic at Whitman Park hosted by Mesa County Public Health. |
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| Mesa County District Attorney Dan Rubinstein alongside his staff members slipped on high heels to compete in the 10th annual Men in Heels Race. The race benefits Hilltop’s Latimer House, which provides emergency shelter and vital services to those affected by domestic violence and sexual assault. |
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| Mesa County Sheriff's Office gets ready to participate in the Men in Heels Race on Thursday, Sept. 12th, at the last Downtown Farmers’ Market on Colorado Avenue between 4th & 5th streets. Remember, this is all to support Hilltop Community Resources, Inc.’s Latimer House. |
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| Paul Mitts, Information Technology Technical Support, is ready for Friday the 13th and the full moon! |