Grand Junction, CO May 2023

Inspiring Women, Tremendous Impact

Greetings Grand Valley Neighbors, Each May it is the honor and privilege of the team here a Grand Junction Lifestyle to feature a few individuals and to highlight organizations led by inspiring women in our community. May is the month we think of Mothers and those who have provided that kind of nurturing and mentoring experience so often associated with motherhood. There are also tremendous achievers in our community in art, the sciences, business, public leadership and education. From all ethnic origins, all walks of life and all kinds of skills and training, come the women in our neighborhoods whose impact is felt now and will be felt for generations to come.

The stories shared in this issue hardly scratch the surface in terms of the impact so many remarkable women have upon our community's well-being.

With that in mind, may we suggest a big "thank you" from you to your favorite women of influence: from your mom and grandma to aunts, cousins, sisters, teachers and close, inspiring friends.

My own sister - the only girl in a family of six children - completed her journey in this lifetime on Dec. 17th, 2022. Since then her impact and that of other women in my life has been much more noticed and appreciated. To all the inspiring women I get to work with, be inspired by and serve with in the community: a big thank you from me.

Happy Mothers' day to the moms and grandmothers and best wishes to creators, leaders and teachers of our community!

Best regards,

SCOTT FAIRBANKS, PUBLISHER @GRANDJUNCTIONLIFESTYLE

May 2023

PUBLISHER

Scott Fairbanks | scott.fairbanks@citylifestyle.com

EDITORIAL COORDINATOR

Garrett Gross | garrett.gross@citylifestyle.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Rick Voss, Faith Rodriguez

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

C. W. Morgan, Bronson Henriquez, Lisa “Moose” Kral, Fruita Chamber of Commerce

Corporate Team

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt

CHIEF SALES OFFICER Matthew Perry

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER DeLand Shore

DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA Mindy Hargesheimer

ART DIRECTOR Sara Minor

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Janeane Thompson

WEB APPLICATIONS Michael O’Connell

AD DESIGNER Whitney Lockhart

LAYOUT DESIGNER Kelsey Ragain

city scene

Where neighbors can see and be seen.

1-7: Take the Leap 2023 Fruita Area Chamber of Commerce, annual Women’s Conference, had a great turn out!

8-14: Thank you Talbott’s Farm Market and Tap Room for hosing the Palisade Chamber’s after hours event! CONTINUED

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Tag your Instagram photos with @grandjunctionlifestyle

14-21: The Spring Equinox event, Sing up the Sun, had a warm welcome in Palisade with food trucks, a bonfire, and fun outfits!

business monthly

A round-up of exciting news from local businesses.

Partners Foundation Capital Campaign

Partners Foundation supports Mesa County Partners. Established in 2002, this 501c3 Foundation supports Partners' mission, serving Mesa County's youth. The Foundation provides ongoing grants to Mesa County Partners. The Foundation board set a goal to raise a $1 million principal base by Partners' 50th anniversary in 2027. Funds raised by this important campaign will ensure resources for our youth for the foreseeable future. To contribute, contact mesapartners.org .

BizMix

Grand Valley BizMix, our business community raised enough donated goods and cash in just 90 minutes to provide 2,517 meals to our community.

Community Over Coffee

There were many guest speakers and all who came had fun learning and connecting with our local Colorado Tourism Experts at the Palisade Chamber Community Over Coffee.

Want to be featured?

Get in touch by heading over to our landing page to connect: CityLifestyle.com/GrandJunction

Photography GJ Chamber of Commerce

Photography Palisade Chamber of Commerce

Meet Anna Nichols

2023 WOMEN'S CONFERENCE KEYNOTE SPEAKER

ARTICLE BY GJ LIFESTYLE STAFF

PHOTOGRAPHY BY C. W. MORGAN/ BRONSON HENRIQUEZ

We had a chance to sit down and enjoy some Enstrom’s ice cream with Anna Nichols, who was the keynote speaker at the Fruita Area Chamber of Commerce Women’s Conference. It was amazing to get to know her and the incredible things she is doing for people locally, as well as all across the United States!

Anna’s parents were immigrants from Poland. They moved to Chicago in search of living the American Dream. Her parents ran several businesses during their lives, but she reports that their motel in Colorado impacted her the most. Helping with the business while growing up shaped her values and work ethic in a valuable way.

Now, Anna is a professional business coach and mindset mentor for people that want to excel in their careers and for those seeking to be successful entrepreneurs, “You have the power to turn your dreams into reality”.

Anna knows first-hand of the power of mentorship, as her own career path started with her being mentored. She values the learning that came from those experiences. She also understands and shares the power of shifting your

mindset from what you can’t do, to what you can do. A shift from ‘I’ll never have that’ to ‘How can I have that?’

Anna shares, “There is this saying that each new level in your life in business will require a new version of you and I love helping people discover those new versions of themselves and helping them reach their goals in the same way that my mentors helped me reach my goals of financial and time freedom. It was terrifying to pay people to coach me, but it was the best decision I made in my life.”

“When I started Instagram, putting ‘iamAnnaNichols’ as my handle deeply shook me. Who am I to be Anna Nichols? These were actual thoughts I had!” It can be scary to dream big dreams and get out there and accomplish them, but she wants people to know that they can dream big and make those dreams come true. “I want to be on stage and inspire other people. Because having the dream is one thing, believing you can achieve the dream is next level.”

She relishes in turning those valuable mentorship experiences around and mentoring others. “It is really fun to help the people I help, because they are really big dreamers.” Anna said with a smile. “I love to help people unlock their entrepreneurial mindset. Failure is not failure - you just tried something that didn’t work, so now you know what doesn’t work, and you need to keep trying different things and tweaking things until you find what does work.”

If you want to learn more from this amazing woman, she will be speaking at an upcoming Mesa County Women’s Network luncheon on May 9th at Ocotillo Restaurant + Bar at the Redlands Mesa Golf Course. You can purchase tickets online at mcwn.us

You can follow Anna on Instagram @iamAnnaNichols or go to her website www. AnnaNicholsCoaching.com

“Because failure is not failure - you just tried something that didn’t work, so now you know what doesn’t work...”

ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY MESA COUNTY PARTNERS

Partners' - Conservation Corps

THE ALL WOMEN FIRE CREW

The Western Colorado Conservation Corps (WCCC) all-women's fire crew is a unique and inspiring program that provides young women with an exceptional opportunity to learn and participate in wildland firefighting. This program, started in 2020, and offers a 10-month experience for women ages 18-25. During this period, participants receive a living wage and are provided with housing and food while on the crew.

The program is designed to teach young women about wildland firefighting and how to operate in challenging conditions effectivly and safely. The crew members work together as a team and with local communities to educate them about wildland fire and how to protect themselves from it. In addition to fire suppression and hazardous fuels reduction, the program also offers trail maintenance tasks.

As part of the program, crew members are taught how to use firefighting equipment like fire hoses, chainsaws and more. The program provides hands-on experience to the young women

The crew members work together as a team and with local communities to educate them about wildland fire and how to protect themselves from it.

Crew members of the all-women’s fire crew also participate in local conservation projects with the Western Colorado Conservation Corps when not needed for fire suppression.

and teaches them about the importance of safety, communication, and teamwork in the firefighting profession. This program is an excellent way for women to learn and grow while making a difference in their communities.

The all-women's fire crew collaborates with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), a federal agency that manages public lands in the United States, on various projects. The partnership between the two organizations is a fantastic example of how nonprofit and government agencies can collaborate to protect the environment and provide opportunities for young adults to learn and grow.

The crew members of the all-women's fire crew also participate in local conservation projects with the Western Colorado Conservation Corps when not needed for fire suppression. These projects include trail maintenance, invasive species removal, and prescribed burns. The crew members work on these projects to help protect the environment and ensure public safety for us to enjoy.

The Western Colorado Conservation Corps is a non-profit organization founded in 1995, as part of the “Partners” organization. It has created several programs that have provided conservation and service opportunities to over 2,000 young adults in Colorado. These programs include the all-women's fire crew and so many more that all service our local community and conservation efforts.

Overall, the Western Colorado Conservation Corps all-women's fire crew is a remarkable program that provides young women with an exceptional opportunity to learn and grow. The program is designed to teach young women about wildland firefighting, safety, teamwork, and the importance of conservation. The crew members of the all-women's fire crew are making a difference in their communities and the world. They are also helping to ensure the protection of public lands and the environment through their partnership with the BLM.

ARTICLE BY GJ LIFESTYLE STAFF

Golf Season is Coming!

GJ Golf Gave Us Some Tips

Between the wonderful spring days, good times with friends, and a favorite drink or three, golf season is always something to look forward to. Especially when a friend may be getting into the sport, or if you're looking for some new “kit”. We swung by GJ Golf in Grand Junction to put together a list of items that the beginner or the pro could benefit from.

1. Lessons are never a bad idea. For $75 you can get 3 thirty minute oneon-one lessons to help improve your game!

2. Little tools to fix a divit on the fairway, mark your ball, or keep the cleats on your shoes on, are always handy to keep the game going.

3. Clothes!!! You can never go wrong!

4. A fresh golf bag is definitely nice to have, to keep everything together and organized.

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5. You need a cute pair of shoes for sure! (Think form AND function.)

6. Did you know there are different types of golf balls? Some are better for beginners while others are better suited for seasoned players.

7. There is all kinds of cool tech. From rangefinders to Garmin watches made for golf. The features and tools are endless!

8. Did you know that you can be fitted to golf clubs? Everything from the length of the club to your swing speed. GJ Golf is set up to help you get set up with the best gear to match your style of playing.

Of course this is a short list. But there is so much to learn that it’s really worth going into the store to learn from Ty and Mellissa Antonides. Have fun out there this year!!!

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Getting to know Holly Oberle, PhD

Associate Professor of International Politics

ARTICLE BY GJ LIFESTYLE STAFF

PHOTOGRAPHY BY C. W. MORGAN/PROVIDED

You may remember the September 2022 article “Learning abroad GJHS/CMU Style”. If not, we talked about how Grand Junction High School and Colorado Mesa University partnered up to send students to Kenya to learn, deliver books to schools, and earn college credit. Well, we had the chance to catch up with Dr. Holly Oberle and learn more about her and her ambitions of creating a much bigger study abroad program for CMU.

Dr. Oberle is a Colorado native but never made it west of Vail while growing up on the front range. “I love the outdoors”, she said with a smile when asked about what she likes to do. Interestingly, during her 15 years of living and working abroad, she didn’t find the outdoor scene to be as prevalent as it is in the western United States especially here in our valley, which was one of the big reasons she moved here.

The other big reason is that she found her dream job at Colorado Mesa University. “I saw

the very job I was looking for, which was amazing, because I was hoping to find an International Relations/Political Science position. Not only was it stateside, it was in Colorado”. At this time, Dr. Oberle was working for the Wenzhou Keun University (a branch of New Jersey University located in China). “I only worked at the university for a few months. I thought I was going to have a regular, fun winter vacation in Thailand. But COVID hit and getting back into China was extremely difficult”. Dr. Oberly then shared that leaving Asia was going to be a big challenge also, so she booked one of the last flights headed for the United States. When she got home, she worked remotely for Wenzhou Keun University until she found CMU.

Dr. Oberle had so many great experiences to share from getting her doctorate degree from Frie Univercitat (a university in Berlin) to fellowships in Isreal, to teaching at the Asian University for Women and several other abroad stories. With all these experiences, she hopes to build opportunities for CMU students and bring more international experiences to them, to create personalized experiences, and a yearly study abroad program that is affordable to the average CMU student.

"I thought I was going to have a regular, fun winter vacation in Thailand. But COVID hit"

Holly Oberle, PhD

EMPOWERED WOMEN EMPOWER WOMEN.

That is the first statement you see on the website of The Cycle Effect and it’s the first feeling you get at one of their practices.

In 2010, The Cycle Effect was created as an opportunity for local girls (ages 10-18) with the idea that committed and driven girls should be able to participate in a sport they are passionate about, no matter what their background is.  The program is designed for girls to ride bikes while building self-esteem, improving their fitness, and learning about nutrition. These adventurous girls receive mountain bikes and equipment, are trained by professional coaches, and compete in race events.  Mountain biking provides the means for these girls to escape the stresses of high-school life while learning lifelong skills. The program had incredible outcomes in Eagle County so in 2020, the Founder Brett Donelson and Co-Founder, Tamara Donelson, decided to expand the program to Mesa County.

One of the participants, Alessandra, shared with The Cycle Effect Team how she has grown from their program and why getting more girls on bikes is so important. Alessandra smiled when she said “you get to experience a lot of new things that you wouldn’t have tried before - like going up into the mountains, seeing beautiful views, or just struggling up a hill and finally getting to the downhill, or going really fast and having the time of your life”.

One of the goals of The Cycle Effect is to teach lessons both on and off the bike. For Alessandra, her biggest lesson from the trail has been perseverance. She explained, “The Cycle Effect is an amazing group that pushes you really hard, but also shows you what you can do and brings out your full potential”. Alessandra applies the strength, confidence, and perseverance she has gained in the program throughout her life, especially with schoolwork and tests. She shared, “I know classes are going to be really hard, but after being a part of The Cycle Effect, I now have that belief in myself that I can get it done”. Alessandra’s coaches have seen her thrive both on and off the bike- as a dedicated student pursuing a 4.0 GPA and as a dedicated

ARTICLE BY FAITH RODRIGUEZ PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY THE CYCLE EFFECT

DRIVEN GIRLS SHOULD BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN A SPORT THEY ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT, NO MATTER WHAT THEIR BACKGROUND IS.

athlete showing up to every practice, volunteering her time, and serving as a role model for the younger athletes in the program. This past summer she served as a Jr. Coach, which provides older athletes with an opportunity to take what they’ve learned and apply it to mentoring younger athletes. Alessandra says the experience pushed her out of her comfort zone to become a leader, “It’s gotten me to think about how what I do impacts others too…..because everyday people look up to you. You have to check how you act and be the best person you can be”.

The Cycle Effect is an asset to Mesa County. Their ability to enable more girls to reach their full potential in mountain biking and in life is exactly the type of opportunity local girls need. The next time you see a Cycle Effect jersey out on the trail, you are absolutely going to see a girl with a smile on her face wearing it.

“You get to experience a lot of new things that you wouldn’t have tried before - like going up into the mountains, seeing beautiful views, or just struggling up a hill and finally getting to the downhill, or going really fast and having the time of your life”.

Fellowship of Christian Athletes

ARTICLE BY ALEXA JO WILLMS

BY TALLIN NIEMAN AND OTHERS

LOCAL ACTIONS OF FCA

If you have ever been to a Fellowship of Christian Athletes meeting on any campus before, I bet that you walked away with a new friend, some godly encouragement, and some food to feed your belly. If you’ve never heard of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, then you’re in the right place! Fellowship of Christian Athletes is an on-campus ministry, and our mission is to see the world transformed by Jesus Christ through the influence of coaches and athletes. Our clubs are called “huddles” and we meet at the elementary school, middle school, high school, and college level. In Mesa County, we are currently in middle schools, high schools and at Colorado Mesa University. Our huddles serve as a place where students can go and meet with their peers on a weekly or monthly basis and be encouraged through devotional time and discussion about their faith. Our staff is made up of some amazing people, but I would love to take this article to focus on our women on staff that make this ministry special. Tina Snover is our multi-area director, Lindsay Icenogle is a part-time area representative, Jamie Robertson is a part-time collegiate representative, Michelle Umberger is an ambassador for the Grand Junction area and Alexa Jo Willms is an ambassador for the Fruita area. Together, we serve God and bring the ministry to campuses across Mesa County in hope to make a difference in the lives of our students through the word of God.

Fellowship of Christian Athletes started back in 1954 when Don McClanen formed an organization with 19 athletes that would “endorse” Christianity in a world where athletes

PHOTOGRAPHY

Alexa Jo Willms

Worship Time

FCA Fields of Faith

were known to endorse shaving cream, razor blades and cigarettes. These athletes would go on to be the first FCA huddle which would snowball into the 19,431 certified huddles nationally and internationally in 114 countries that we have today. Mesa County officially started FCA in 2014 and has been growing ever since. We have nine middle school (Fruita Middle School, Redlands Middle School, West Middle School and Orchard Mesa Middle School) and high school (Fruita Monument High School, Fruita 8/9, Grand Junction High School, Central High School, and Palisade High School) huddles and one big huddle that meets at Colorado Mesa University. Our huddles have anywhere from 10 to 100 students that attend, and each huddle has a group of student leaders that help lead the discussion with their peers. The huddle usually begins by burning off energy by playing games such as dodgeball, knockout, spike ball, volleyball, kickball, etc. Huddles will have people from the community such as pastors, youth group leaders, teachers or school alumni speak at their huddles, while others pick a devotional from our FCA Athlete’s Bible and read scripture and answer questions that go along with the story. Students end their huddle by praying for one another and spending time in fellowship. FCA Soccer and FCA Tennis are two club sports that we have in Mesa County that provide another way for our students to participate in a huddle while also pursuing a competitive sport. These huddles are more structured as a team that have practices like any other club sport but there is an additional devotional time added on to the practice. Students can leave practice feeling encouraged and empowered not only in their sport, but also in their faith.

The most important reason that we do what we do with Fellowship of Christian Athletes is to help make the name of Jesus known. We give God all the glory and bring Him into our sports so that we can use our platform as coaches, officials, players, family members, friends, and fans to spread love the way that Jesus did. The women on our staff at Fellowship of Christian Athletes

go above and beyond to be at every single one of these huddles throughout the semester and pour into the students so that they know that somebody cares for them. Not only do we have amazing staff, but we couldn’t do any of the things that we get to do without the support from our volunteers and teachers who offer up their classroom every week to host our club and provide a space for God to move in our schools. Because of them, students

We give God all the glory and bring Him into our sports so that we can use our platform as coaches, officials, players, family members, friends, and fans to spread love the way that Jesus did.

FCA Community

Huddle Time

FCA Staff/Volunteers

on our campuses have a place where they can go and engage with Jesus, be equipped with the knowledge of the Bible, and empowered to share it with others. We want to see disciples making disciples and continuing to spread the Good News about Jesus across Mesa County and beyond! But we can only continue to do that with support from our community and a continued faith in God to grow His kingdom through the work of Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

FCA is not an athletic club. It is a Christian ministry that hopes to see transformation in our world through

Jesus Christ, starting first with our students who want to use their platform for good. If you want more information about Fellowship of Christian Athletes, visit www. westerncoloradofca.org or fca.org . If you are interested in donating to Mesa County FCA, please visit my.fca.org/ mesacountydevelopment . You can also contact Alexa Jo Willms at awillms@fca.org or 316-640-8826 if you’d like to learn more about Fellowship of Christian Athletes or get involved! We are always looking to grow our ministry and plant new seeds wherever God leads us, so don’t hesitate to reach out! May God bless you and those around you.

CMU FCA Retreat

events

A curated selection of the most intriguing upcoming events in our area.

Fruita Fat-Tire Festival

FRUITA | 12:00 PM

The Fruita Fat Tire Festival is one of the nations longest running, non-race Mountain Bike events; focused on celebrating bikes, gear and trails.

Co2uT Gravel Ride

FRUITA | 8:00 AM

What is Desert Gravel?

Newly discovered, seldom ridden, incredle roads throughout the Colorado Utah borderlands. Incredible, beautiful, amazing variety and "endless" fun through a vast wonderland of wild animals, people and topography.

Jim Gaffigan

THE AMP AT LAS COLONIAS | 7:30 PM

Jim Gaffigan is a six-time Grammy nominated comedian, actor, writer, producer, two-time New York Times best-selling author, three-time Emmy winning top touring performer, and multi-platinum-selling recording artist. He is known around the world for his unique brand of humor, which largely revolves around his observations on life.

• A Boutique All Memory Care community

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• Moments Program: A complete-person approach to care and engagement

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For more information or to schedule a tour, please contact us today.

AT WESTERN SLOPE MEMORY CARE, THE IDEA THAT THE PERSON COMES FIRST INFLUENCES EVERYTHING WE DO AND CREATE.

MAY 20TH

John Crist

AVALON THEATER, GRAND

JUNCTION | 6:00 PM

John Crist is one of today’s fast-rising stand-up comedians, with more than one billion video views, over five million fans on social media and sold-out shows from coast to coast making Pollstar’s Top 100 Global Tours list in 2019 with over 197,000 tickets sold.

MAY 29TH

Memorial Day

UNITED STATES | 12:00 AM Memorial day is a special holiday that honors those who died serving our country throughout our nation's history.

JUNE 9TH

Palisade Bluegrass and Roots Festival

PALISADE | 9:00 AM

Palisade Bluegrass And Roots Festival will provide the opportunity to some of the country's top bluegrass artists as well as Colorado's favorite emerging stars for three days of non-stop, festival vibes.

Want to be featured?

Get in touch by heading over to our landing page to connect: CityLifestyle.com/GrandJunction

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