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December 2022 PUBLISHER

Scott Fairbanks | scott.fairbanks@citylifestyle.com EDITOR IAL COOR DINATOR S

Garrett Gross | garrett.gross@citylifestyle.com

LIFESTYLE LETTER

Best of Season’s Greetings from Grand Junction Lifestyle

AD DESIGNER

Whitney Lockhart LAYOUT DESIGNER

Kelsi Southard CONTR IBUTING WR ITER S

Amy Bradley, Lori Ruiz, Jodie Olmstead I’ve always loved the feeling I get when doing something kind for another person without them knowing I was the one behind the gift. As the magic of the Christmas Season and the abundant giving opportunities of the Holidays descend on us each year, I’m inclined to think of Santa Claus. He represents gifts that come unearned and often undeserved. Perhaps he’s so jolly because he feels that joy of giving constantly. The opportunity to be a little more patient, a little more kind, to give others a little more grace than we might normally do really does advance the cause of Peace on Earth. I hope this feeling of kindness and gratitude for those unearned gifts finds its way into your hearts and homes, your workplaces and close associations. May you find joy this Season in giving and in gratitude for gifts that come your way.

CONTR IBUTING PHOTOGR APHER S

Lisa Kral, Tiger Mike Photography, C.W. Morgan

Corporate Team CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt

SCOT T FAIRBANKS, PUBLISHER @GRANDJUNCTIONLIFEST YLE

CHIEF SALES OFFICER Matthew Perry CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER DeLand Shore CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Randy Radosevich DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA Mindy Hargesheimer ART DIRECTOR Sara Minor OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Janeane Thompson AD MANAGER Chad Jensen WEB APPLICATIONS Michael O’Connell

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Proverbs 3:5-6 Grand Junction Lifestyle™ is published monthly by Lifestyle Publications LLC. It is distributed via the US Postal Service to some of the Grand Junction area’s most affluent neighborhoods. Articles and advertisements do not necessarily reflect Lifestyle Publications’ opinions. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent. Lifestyle Publications does not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. Information in Grand Junction Lifestyle™ is gathered from sources considered to

L I F E ST Y LE LE T T E R

be reliable, but the accuracy of all information cannot be guaranteed.

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DECEMBER 2022

inside the issue The Holiday & Giving Issue

F E ATU R E D

D E PA RTM E NTS

12 Our Growing Ballet Community

Lifestyle Letter

City Scene

Back Stage

Giving Back

Our Town

Culinary Creations

Inspired By

Realty Report

Seasonal Setups

Cinderella, The Nutcracker, and Peter Pan

18 The Art of Giving

The Westslope Collective and BAM! Partner up.

22 Good Ol' St. Nick! The Man, The Myth, The Legend

34 The Blue Lights

A Beloved Grand Junction Tradition Has Been Retired

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DECEMBER 2022

city scene

Where neighbors can see and be seen. 1

4 2

1-7: The Palisade Chamber and Fruita Chamber got together at The Ordinary Fellow for a fun evening! It was fun to get together with other businesses in our communities. 1: Young Professionals Networking 2: Jerry Felt and friend 3: Palisade and Fruita Chamber Staff members 4: The Clarks of Defiance Electric, Paula Rohr with Berkshire Realty and friends. 5: Spencer Frost, Cliff Kramer 6: The Munchies by LeSnackPalisade.com 7: Big Smiles Photography by Lisa Kral

C I T Y SC E N E

Want to be seen in the magazine? Tag your Instagram photos with @grandjunctionlifestyle

12 9

8-14: The Palisade Chamber of Commerce put together the Community Over Coffee event. It was a great chance to meet and share in conversation with those currently serving in & running for public office. Thank you Palisade for putting that together! 8: Palisade Town Administrator – Janet Hawkinson 9: Good Conversations 10: Matt Soper 11: Networking at Sauvage Spectrum 12: Some Local Leaders 13: Conversations with local leaders over lunch 14: Demonstration of beverage making process Photography by Lisa Kral

D ECEMB ER 2 0 2 2 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/GRA N DJ UN C T I O N

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B ACK STAGE | EN TERTA INME NT

Our Growing Ballet Community CINDERELLA, THE NUTCRACKER, AND PETER PAN

Live artistic performances such as a symphony, opera, and ballet are part of the human experience that has been around for centuries. There is something so classic and comforting about enjoying these performances even in contemporary settings and stylings; they are an important part of our culture. Over the years, especially with Covid-19, it has been harder to experience these types of recitals, but they are certainly making a comeback in the Grand Valley. In the dance world, that includes the first-ever professional ballet company here in Grand Junction, thanks to the extensive efforts of Theresa Kahl. CONTINUED >

ARTICLE BY AMY BRADLEY PHOTOGRAPHY BY TIGER MIKE PHOTOGRAPHY

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However, many dancers found great appeal in a company based in a smaller city, with many opportunities to spread awareness of the art form, become mentors to younger dancers, and create a healthy environment where dancers at all levels and age groups could thrive.

Theresa grew up in the Grand Valley and has been around dance nearly all her life. From years of lessons with Colorado West Ballet under Trudy McCraenor, and Dance Center West under Diane Moon, Theresa grew a passion for the art form. She decided to make it her career, eventually opening her own studio, Absolute Dance and Performing Arts in 2007. When she first began Absolute Dance she had five employees and an average of 100 students. Now there are nineteen employees and nearly 450 students. It is clear that interest in dance has grown and it is wonderful to see that studios are able to grow as well to accommodate all who are interested. Having grown up in the valley, Theresa was often frustrated by the lack of opportunity in the valley compared to bigger cities, not just for students but for those wishing to seek employment in the world of dance. That is why when Covid-19 freed up a bit of her schedule, she focused on her next endeavor – starting her own professional company. When the pandemic was at its peak, dance classes, performances, and travel for competitions were put on hold. The time typically spent in the studio was then able to be used to develop Theresa’s dream of starting a company, along with the efforts of her fellow co-artistic director, Nicole Wilkinson. The two spent many hours researching and filing paperwork for

B ACK STAGE | EN TERTA INME NT

the non-profit, Colorado West Performing Arts Company, which was approved in December of 2021. Once that hurtle was tackled, the next step was recruiting dancers. The biggest challenge with being a new company was getting the name out there for dancers to audition. However, many dancers found great appeal in a company based in a smaller city, with many opportunities to spread awareness of the art form, become mentors to younger dancers, and create a healthy environment where dancers at all levels and age groups could thrive. The first performance from the company was Cinderella, performed recently at the Avalon Theater. There was a remarkable turnout and support from the community. Upcoming performances include the classic: The Nutcracker in December, Peter Pan in March, and Romantics, Classicals, and Contemporary Works in April. The company is currently relying on the support of the community through ticket sales and donors hoping to support this beautiful and timeless art form here in the Grand Valley. I myself was a ballet dancer for over a decade and am thrilled to see the progress ballet has made in Grand Junction. I look forward to the future performances put on by Theresa, Nicole, and the rest of their remarkable team.

D ECEMB ER 2 0 2 2 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/GRA N DJ UN C T I O N

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The Art of Giving THE WESTSLOPE COLLECTIVE AND BAM! PARTNER UP.

This winter, The Westslope Collective in conjunction with BAM! (Business Art Mentorship), is collecting new or gently used art supplies for underserved teens in western Colorado in. BAM! is a local non-profit that empowers youth through art and business mentorship. While BAM! provides art supplies at their weekly art club meetings at the Clifton Community Hall, they have found that many of these kids lack resources to continue their creativity at home. Teens involved in BAM! are met with diverse challenges including mental health, poverty, and broken family systems. These supplies will be directly distributed to individual youth, to allow them to get creative at home. Supplies will be collected at The Middle Wellness Center, 546 Main Street. Donations will be accepted up until December 23. The Westslope Collective is a group of over 1200 artists in Western Colorado. You can find The Westslope Collective and BAM! Business Art Mentorship on Instagram for more information.

ARTICLE BY LORI RUIZ PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIMBERLY CRIST

G IV IN G BAC K | LOCA L SERVI CE S

BAM! is a local non-profit that empowers youth through art and business mentorship.

CONTINUED > D ECEMB ER 2 0 2 2 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/GRA N DJ UN C T I O N

G IV IN G BAC K | LOCA L SERVI CE S

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GOOD OL' ST. NICK! THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE LEGEND

O UR TOWN | L IFE + CU LTURE

CONTINUED >

D ECEMB ER 2 0 2 2 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/GRA N DJ UN C T I O N

The man, the myth, the legend. The story of Santa Claus can be traced back hundreds of years to the monk named St. Nicholas. It is believed that he was born around 280 A.D. in modern-day Turkey. He is admired and loved for his kindness and generosity to children from 1 through 92. But rather than read about him, we thought we would sit down and ask Good Ol' St. Nick himself a question or two! What is your favorite candy - skittles Where do you like to vacation? I like to go to different places, especially in May when I get to pick. Mrs. Claus picks our fall vacation before we start loading the sled. How long does it take to load the lead? A long time. I have a whole team of elf engineers who puzzle the gifts together. What is your best advice to grown-ups? Call your mother more. What is your best advice to kids? The best way to learn is to try! What is your favorite holiday? I'm biased but I love Christmas. Mrs. Claus and I like to celebrate Christmas the way the British do with a Thanksgiving-style meal at the end of Christmas day. What do you like to do in your free time? I love driving my car and moped. I'm also quite fond of building ships in a bottle, and reading letters to me that got lost in the mail.

O UR TOWN | L IFE + CU LTURE

What is your reindeer's favorite treat? Carrots. What music is your favorite? Classic rock and classic folk music What's your favorite breakfast? French toast, but the last month I've been big on yogurt and fruit. Do you love Christmas lights? Oh course! I love the creativity that people have. But I don't miss tinsel, it would always stick to my clothes. What do you think is weird? Pinecones in potpourri. Do you have a favorite cookie? Fake or real trees? They are both nice. What was your favorite gift from Mrs. Claus? She finds the best ugly ties. So that begs the question, when do you wear all your ugly ties? I travel a lot to keep tabs on people and I have to be a little incognito. How do you feel about the Elf on the Shelf? If your kids like it I'm for it, but personally, I think it's a little silly.

CONTINUED >

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“I love driving my car and moped. I’m also quite fond of building ships in a bottle, and reading letters to me that got lost in the mail.” — ST. NICK

O UR TOWN | L IFE + CU LTURE

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A C ULIN A RY C R E AT ION S | F OOD + BE VE RAGE

organic, ARTICLE GIA LUCIANO

FILLING + 6-8 Granny Smith apples (depending on size) + ½ cup of organic coconut sugar + 2-4 tablespoons of organic unbleached flour + 1 tablespoon of cinnamon + 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice + 2 tablespoons of organic butter finely chopped Peel and cut the apples into thick slices, place in a bowl and toss with lemon juice. Add coconut sugar, organic butter, cinnamon and organic

CRUST + 2 ½ cups organic unbleached flour

unbleached flour and mix. You should see the apples starting to sweat and form a coating. Let sit while you make the crust

all -

+ 10 tablespoons organic butter (very chilled and cut into tiny cubes) + ½ cup organic all vegetable shortening + 4-6 tablespoons cold water (I usually put ice cubes in a small bowl of water and let it sit) + 1 pinch of organic pink salt Place flour in a food processor with cutting metal blade, add butter and shortening, slowly pulse your processor to cut up butter and shortening. Add two tablespoon of water at a time and

american

pulse a few more times. After four tablespoons of water, check to see if the flour holds together. The dough should look crumbly if it does not add two more tablespoons of water and pulse again.

Grease and flour the pie dish and place the one

I find I usually use six tablespoons, be sure that it

circle on the bottom. Poke several holes with a fork.

does not get wet and sticky if it is too wet add a

Pour apples into the pie dish and cover with the

little flour and pulse. Pour out dough onto a cut-

other dough circle. Press the edges together with a

ting board that is floured and press together to

fork. Cut several slits around the pie.

form a ball and knead the dough. Bake pie at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. 5 minDivide the dough in half and roll out each half of

utes before it's done you can brush melted butter and

the dough and cut two circles that are 2 inches

sprinkle organic coconut sugar on top, pop back in

wider than you pie dish. I use a 9-inch pie dish.

the oven for remaining 5 minutes to form a glaze.

APPLE PIE D ECEMB ER 2 0 2 2 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/GRA N DJ UN C T I O N

The City Lifestyle

Giving Campaign Now in its third year, the City Lifestyle Giving Campaign will give away $300,000 this holiday season to help individual community members who would benefit from a helping hand during their time of need. But they need YOUR HELP to make it happen! Maybe you know of a single parent struggling to provide, an elderly person who has experienced loss, a child enduring a health issue, a co-worker suffering a sudden, unexpected tragedy or a neighbor with a financial hardship who has fallen between the cracks of getting assistance. Chances are you know someone with a specific need—even if nobody else does. To preserve and protect the dignity of every recipient, the City Lifestyle Giving Campaign is completely confidential. No identities will be revealed or publicized in ANY way. (Even those who nominate others may remain anonymous if they choose.) Last year, City Lifestyle was able to give to more than 70 recipients all over the country by sending checks in the mail through New Year’s Eve. (This year, the goal is to double that number with checks ranging in amounts up to $3,000 each.) With nominations flooding in from community members and leaders such as judges, police officers, teachers, nurses, social workers, mentors and readers like you, we were able to reach people who might otherwise go unnoticed. “We believe in giving back and serving the communities where we live in a real and tangible way,” says Steven Schowengerdt, CEO and founder of City Lifestyle. “This Giving Campaign is all about personally impacting the lives of people we know with an unexpected check in the mail just to say that someone thought of them this holiday season.” Together with Matthew Perry, Chief Sales Officer, Steven adds that the outpouring and gratitude from the recipients was overwhelming and affirmed that this is a tradition they want to continue. “We believe God has blessed our company with continued success,” Matthew adds, “so we in turn want to be a blessing to others.” City Lifestyle has also enacted an internal giving program whereby every employee in the company receives $100 to give away to someone in the community. “The idea is to encourage our employees to keep doing it on their own,” Steven says. “Taking care of one another and blessing others is so rewarding that it perpetuates a cycle of giving. It’s extremely important to me as a person and as a company to foster that culture of generosity.”

I NSP IR E D BY | L IFE + CULTURE

“This Giving Campaign is all about personally impacting the lives of people we know with an unexpected check in the mail just to say that someone thought of them this holiday season.”

W here ha s t he c a mpa ig n g i f t e d?

Scan Code to

Nominate between Dec. 1 – 15, 2022

Follow @citylifestyle on Instagram for reminders! To submit a nomination, follow @citylifestyle on Instagram and fill out the form found in the bio link. All entries will be read, and because this is not a raffle, there is no need to nominate someone more than once. The amount given to each recipient will be based on need. D ECEMB ER 2 0 2 2 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/GRA N DJ UN C T I O N

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The Blue Lights A Beloved Grand Junction Tradition Has Been Retired ARTICLE BY GJ LIFESTYLE STAFF | PHOTOGRAPHY BY C. W. MORGAN There are many holiday traditions we are all looking forward to this year. Unfortunately, the iconic Blue Light Forest will be missing. Marc Cadez started the blue light tradition back in 2006. That year he used nearly 40,000 Lights. The attraction grew each year, taking 10 weeks to set up and using 600,000 lights. Unfortunately, Marc passed away in April 2019. However, his niece, Nicole, inherited the house and was able to continue the tradition for several years. If you can, string a strand of blue lights in Marc’s memory this season. His legacy of love for Christmas will continue in our hearts.

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