🌱 D51 Responds To Threats + Super 8 On Fire + Seth Ritchey Rocks

Good morning, neighbors! Today’s the International Day of Light; did you know it commemorates the first successful laser use in 1960? It's Tuesday in Grand Junction, and I'm back in your inbox with updates on...

• 🆒 Get to know your city.
• 🧹 Shoutout to Seth Ritchey.
• 🌊 Melting snow leads to flooding.

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☀️ But first, today's weather: Mostly sunny and comfortable. High: 83 Low: 52.

⛽ Three of the Cheapest Gas Stations Around Grand Junction

• Sinclair at 2903 North Ave., $2.99
• Sam’s Club at 1040 Independent Ave., $3.02
• Circle K at 599 29½ Road, $3.07

🍷 Hobby Poll!
Everybody has hobbies. If time and money were no object this summer, which new hobby would you like to learn or take up? We have some preliminary results.

• 20.7 percent - traveling
• 9.3 percent - flying
• 6.9 percent - ballroom dancing
• 3.4 percent - fly-fishing, crocheting, Mahjong, basket making, dog training & showing, surfing, watercolor, pickleball, line dancing, pottery, reading, horseback riding, wine collecting, car collecting, playing guitar, kickboxing, golf, roller skating

📰 Here are the top stories today in Grand Junction:

1. At the tail end of the weekend, someone made unspecific threats to Colorado school districts. Montrose County School District noted that a school shooting threat was received separately. In an abundance of caution, D51 increased law enforcement presence across campuses on Monday. (NBC)
2. The Super 8 by Wyndham at 728 Horizon Drive caught on fire Saturday in the early morning hours. Firefighters pinpointed the location as the laundry room and were able to contain it before the flames had a chance to spread. (NBC)
3. The snowpack’s melting, and Grand Junction sits smack in the middle of possible flooding. As it warms up and the Western Slope thaws, be careful when approaching the major rivers — the Colorado, Gunnison, and Yampa rivers – because conditions may change rapidly from reaching to exceeding flood stage. (KKCO)
4. Did you know that Seth Ritchey and his band of merry cleaners take trash head-on? So far, he has collected more than 3,000 trash bags, which translates to about 500 bags each year. The cleaning territory reaches from “29 Road all the way to the Loma boat ramp.” However, not all the unhoused living there are necessarily backing his effects. That said, Grand Junction’s public works director is highly appreciative of the service Ritchey provides and credits him and his team with improving water quality. (Western Slope Now)
5. If you’re looking for something fun to do today, consider heading up to the Grand Junction Police Department’s second floor. It’s time for the “Get to Know Your City Event.” Between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., rub elbows with the folks who make the city hum along. Find out what city workers do and explore what you can do to help out. (City of Grand Junction)

📆 Today in Grand Junction:

• Not Going Quietly Coffee Hour at Spoons Bistro & Bakery (10 AM)
• Learn about Cash Flows For Small Business Startups at the Business Incubator Center (12 PM)
• Community Movie Night: "Three Year Soil" at the Western Colorado Community College (6 PM)
• Community Yoga Class at Lincoln Park (6 PM)
• Crossroads United Methodist Church hosts Weekly NA Meetings (7 PM)

🖊️ From my notebook:

• "Country Jam is a three-day country music festival featuring 20+ bands on two stages, surrounded by Colorado’s awe-inspiring red rock landscape. Country Jam Colorado was founded in 1992 after the promoters successfully produced a country music festival by the same name in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Country Jam is one of the longest-running festivals in the country! Check out this great festival and buy your tickets today." (RV Share)
• "This summer, Roice-Hurst Humane Society’s Furry Friends Kids Camp is back! Children ages 6-12 will learn all about dogs and cats, from how to greet them to how to care for them, make treats and toys, practice positive reinforcement training for dogs and cats, and spend quality time interacting with our animals. Our team will open the wonderful world of animals to your child with activities that emphasize safety, empathy, and compassion. July 24-27 – 8:45 a.m.-noon. Space is limited to 21 kids. Cost is $100 for the four-day camp. Scholarships are available." (Roice-Hurst Humane Society)
• "A new show with breathtaking implications, always poised between fun and the most uninhibited fear that will transport you to a dark world inhabited by creatures with incredible circus art abilities. A crazy yet fun fusion between Circus, theatre, and cabaret in perfect harmony with the evolution of a show that brings you back to when we dream... and when we had nightmares and fantasies. Scare, encompass, amuse and surprise are the ingredients for a mixture of emotions impossible to forget." (Paranormal Cirque)
• "Join us for the 55th Annual Kiwanis Pancake Day & Kids Fun Fest!! This is one of the biggest family events in the Grand Valley. Enjoy the world's best pancakes, live music & entertainment, Fun booths, and games for all. $6 for adults and kids under 12 eat free!" (Kiwanis)
• "The West Entrance of the Mesa County Libraries Central Library in downtown Grand Junction will be closed Monday and Tuesday, May 15 and 16, while the doors and glass storefront are replaced. The West Entrance faces the intersection of Fifth Street and Grand Avenue. During the project, all Central Library visitors should use the East Entrance, which faces Sixth Street." (Mesa County Libraries)

You're officially in the loop for today! I'll see you soon.

— Sylvia Cochran

About me: Christ follower. Wife. Book dragon. Proud supporter of the Oxford comma.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Grand Junction Patch newsletter? Contact me at grandjunction-co@patch.com