Homeless organizations collaborating as winter approaches
Brandon Leuallen The Business Times
s Grand Junction’s largest homeless shelter, HomewardBound of the Grand Valley, prepares to consolidate its two locations into one in January, The Business Times sat down with Joseph Center Director Mona Highline to get an in depth look at what collaboration is happening.
Highline first talked about smaller community-based programs that can shelter as many as 16 people at a time and how they will play a role in helping during the winter months. These smaller sites, often located in churches or nonprofit buildings approved under fire code and with a temporary-use permit, provide some shelter options during the winter months.
Even when HomewardBound is fully operational, the smaller programs fill critical gaps for people who might otherwise be left without shelter.
Highline said one program run by Grand Valley Peace & Justice shelters up to 16 men experiencing homelessness each night in approved church and nonprofit spaces.
See story Page 5
Finding a North (Avenue) star
RM Construction was looking
for
an area in GJ with great potential, and it thinks it found it on
North Avenue. — See Page 2
RM Construction co-owner Bob Gibson stands outside a strip mall in the 300 block of North Avenue, where his company owns six of the commercial units. After doing major renovations to units that now house home-improvement contractor DaBella and Kim Kerk Land Consulting & Development, RM Construction is renovating the fire-damaged unit that will become its office. Photo by Tim Harty.
RM Construction co-owner Bob Gibson sits beside a charred and melted printer/copy machine behind the commercial office at 344 North Ave. The machine was damaged by an arson fire in the unit on July 4, 2024, and it was left behind by the previous tenant. RM Construction bought that commercial unit and five others in a strip mall in the 300 block of North Avenue, and the company has been renovating units as part of an overall plan to make the building vibrant and give it “a little bit of character that looks modern, too.” Gibson said the renovation at 344 North Ave. is nearly complete, and when it’s ready, it will become RM Construction’s Grand Junction office. Photo by Tim Harty.
MORE ABOUT RM CONSTRUCTION
What you can do with 100 bucks
Based in Glenwood Springs, RM Construction & Development got its start with a mere $100 in the bank, according to co-founder and coowner Bob Gibson.
And that along with a whole lot of savvy was enough to turn the company into what Gibson calls “one of the largest builders for custom homes between Glenwood and Aspen.”
“I was a real estate agent at the time, and a friend of mine bought Lakota Golf Course,” Gibson said. “There was a bunch of lots to sell there, a bunch of them, so he had me come up and try to sell them.
“Well, it was during the downturn, and lots weren’t selling, but houses seemed to, so we decided to build one. And we hired a builder. Halfway through, it was just a total wreck. I mean, he put a used fireplace in there. That was the straw that broke ...
“So, we kicked him out, and I decided, ‘Well, I’ll just finish it,’ because I had a background in it. And then that’s how it started. And we went crazy and literally just through luck or whatever – I don’t know what it was – about the last 10 years, there’s one lumber yard up there that has like an 85 percent market share, and we’re always in their top five for production, how much we buy from them.
“So, we do a fair amount up there, mainly through word of mouth. We’re starting to advertise now, but yeah, it’s been pretty good.”
Seeing beyond the facade
RM Construction bought and renovated units in a North Avenue strip mall, including one that will become its new office
Tim Harty The Business Times
After years of flourishing in the Glenwood Springs and Aspen area as a builder of custom homes, RM Construction & Development decided it was time to put an office in Grand Junction.
RM Construction set up its office at a couple different locations while co-owner Bob Gibson said he looked at different areas of Grand Junction, seeking a property that had rentable space.
He found what he was looking for in the 300 block of North Avenue, where first RM Construction (340 North LLC) bought a property with three commercial units in March 2022. Then, in July this year, RM Construction bought another block with three commercial units in the same strip mall.
The strip mall has some oddities. From the street it looks like one building with everything connected. But the backside tells a different story: separate buildings with varying rooftops. One property in the middle, Gibson believes, was a home built in 1941.
Gibson said of the units he now owns, “We found the building, got it for a good price. It had a lot of challenges – it was rough as heck – but we’re working on it.”
Well, he owns the right kind of business to have that attitude. And he sees something, not just in the building, but in that section of North Avenue.
“We felt like that between First and Seventh (streets) on North has great upside to it,” he said. Because you got the college pushing this way, and everything’s getting redone down there (to the east), and then you got Sam’s Club and all the nice stuff down there (to the west), so it’s kind of sandwiched in the middle. So, we felt like this was a good place to be.”
That’s why he said RM Construction plans to invest more in the area, and he hopes it’s not alone.
“We just see a lot of potential in this area, and we hope the other property owners do, too, and start putting some money into their investments,” he said.
The strip mall in the 300 block of North Avenue has a longstanding, respected tenant in Quality Meat Co., 340 North Ave., and it was a relief to have such an established, reliable tenant. Likewise, IronBeard Vapes, 350 North Ave., has anchored the east end of the building since 2017.
With no worries there, RM Construction
could focus on the things that desperately needed attention.
For starters, an adult-gaming business at 342 North Ave., where Kim Kerk Land Consulting & Development now resides, was evicted because the lease listed a different use, and the tenant wasn’t conforming.
Gibson was glad to say good-bye and renovated the unit, paving the way for Kerk.
At the same time, he was renovating the space at 338 North Ave., which he said was “ugly as sin, it was terrible. There was no plumbing, heating.”
There also was no occupant.
“Literally this whole thing was piled high with junk,” he said.
So, RM Construction cleared it out, renovated the interior and gave it a new facade, resulting in a clean, spacious, modern office space. RM Construction operated its office in the unit for a bit, but Gibson admitted it was now a much larger and nicer space than a construction company needed, meaning it could be put to better use. That’s when homeimprovement contractor DaBella entered the picture.
“As a construction company, we don’t need that that nice of an office, so we rented it out, and they were the first people to look at it, and they took it,” Gibson said.
RM Construction had its new home available a few doors down at 348 North Ave. with this summer’s purchase of the units at 344, 348 and 350 North Ave.
RM Construction immediately had a new, pressing need: the unit at 344 North Ave. with its charred interior from an arson fire on July 4, 2024, courtesy of two molotov cocktails.
That fire chased away previous tenant Mountain Temp Services, which relocated to Valley Plaza, but what remained, be it a mess, was salvageable.
“Just getting the smell out, first off, that was tough. (Used) a lot of Kilz, stuff like that,” Gibson said. “But the fire, it didn’t do any structural damage, which was nice. They (the Grand Junction Fire Department) got it out pretty quick.”
But the unit needed all new electric, all new plumbing, all new heating and cooling, and it got it.
“Everything’s brand new, because it was just unusable at that point,” Gibson said. “We redid the roof. That wasn’t from the fire, but ...”
See RM CONSTRUCTION on page 10
Stella’s
‘Nostalgic
Fried Pork Tenderloins
Tim Harty The Business Times
Throughout their three years of operating Stella’s Fried Pork Tenderloins inside The Brass Rail Tavern, 476 28 Road, Mike Button and Tyler Polley were always looking for what they really wanted.
No offense, Brass Rail, you’ve been wonderful, but having your own place for your business …
That’s what Button and Polley now have in the renovated building at 811 S. Seventh St., former home to several other restaurants over the years, the Sunrise Restaurant being the most recent predecessor.
The former University of Iowa rugby teammates are grateful to Brass Rail owner Adam Krosky for letting them open Stella’s in his restaurant. That gave them the start that was otherwise eluding them after they determined they wanted to go the friedpork-tenderloin route with a restaurant in Grand Junction.
“We had looked for spaces for quite some time and just nothing, you know,” Button said. “Either something was seriously wrong with the building, or it just kept kind of falling through on us.”
So, when all else failed, Krosky, despite some hesitancy, said yes to Polley and Button’s pleas of: “Just give us a chance; we won’t let you down.”
They were true to those words, but Button said they also told Krosky up front they ultimately wanted their own place for Stella’s, and they’d keep looking until they found it.
In January, Polley and Button closed up shop at The Brass Rail to begin renovating Stella’s new home. Nine months later, Stella’s Fried Pork Tenderloins was ready to debut its grander facility.
The site’s previous restaurateurs won’t recognize much inside the building. It’s changed. It had to change for what Stella’s Fried Pork Tenderloins required and the Midwestern feel two Iowa natives wanted to instill inside its walls.
The two-man show at The Brass Rail has graduated to what must seem like Broadway.
They now have room for staff, a big staff, hiring 74 employees at the outset, and retaining 70 after the first week of being open, a soft opening they called it, if that’s even possible in the age of social media omniscience. That led them to the “official” opening on Oct. 27.
Breakfast and lunch are the meals being served, and fried pork tenderloin remains the star, but the menu has expanded, because now it can. And that means Polley, the restaurant’s executive chef, gets to create while drawing upon those Midwestern roots.
Button characterizes the menu as “nostalgic Midwest comfort food.”
“I think one of the trends that’s always
Midwest comfort food’
now has a building of its own and the ability to do more than before
been in restaurants,” Button said, “is taking these old classic dishes and making them your own by putting a little twist on it. And we thought there was a demand for some old dishes to taste exactly how people remembered them as a kid. And so that’s kind of why I call it nostalgic.
“Nostalgia is a feeling that people get, and it’s a strong one, and I don’t think enough restaurants tap into it.”
The lunch menu offers four different fried pork tenderloin sandwiches, each named for a sports mascot of a Midwest-rooted Big Ten university: the Hawkeye; the Hoosier; the Badger; and the Husker.
Polley spent a few years postcollege working in kitchens in Chicago. So, guess what that means: At some point Italian Beef will be on the menu.
Meanwhile, Button hails from Marshalltown, Iowa, where Taylor’s Maid Rite restaurant dates back to 1928. So, expect a loose-meat sandwich on Stella’s menu down the road.
But not everything pays homage to the Midwest. Hence, the Cuban sandwich, and the Brass Rail burger is about as all-American as a hamburger gets.
Nor is everything fried, albeit Stella’s is using beef tallow, not cooking oil. Customers can order grilled pork tenderloin or grilled chicken sandwiches.
Button said business has been pretty well split between breakfast and lunch, but the most popular item so far has been a breakfast offering: the smothered fried pork tenderloin.
See STELLA’S on Page 16
ABOVE — Stella’s Fried Pork Tenderloins co-owners Tyler Polley, left, and Mike Button stand in front of the building at 811 S. Seventh St., which they renovated to house their restaurant and officially opened there Oct. 27. Behind them is a deck
— Polley, the restaurant’s executive chef, trims the fat off a pork
— Half of a Hawkeye fried pork tenderloin sandwich at Stella’s with a side of potato salad. The sandwich is topped with onion, pickles and mustard.
Homeless organizations collaborating as winter approaches
Continued from Page 1
The Joseph Center is also looking to partner with Grand Valley Peace & Justice to help offer similar winter shelter for women.
Highline said the idea grew out of broader discussions among local nonprofit organizations and faith-based leaders about how to fill service gaps after HomewardBound began weekend closures earlier this month.
“We’re working with the fire department right now, so we can get those 16 beds open for women,” Highline said. “That’s our goal, not just for the weekends, but also through the winter.”
“We may really need churches to open their doors again, like they used to,” she said, referencing a pre-COVID overflow program that once rotated unhoused guests between churches during the winter months. “We don’t want to see a publichealth crisis on our hands.”
That overflow model ended around the start of the pandemic, according to Sherry Cole, program coordinator at Grand Valley Peace & Justice. Cole said the organization replaced it with the
Shelter, which provides overnight stays for up to 16 individuals each night at approved churches and other sites.
“We take people from the streets, not just from the shelter,” Cole said. “Our guests are screened and must be drug and alcohol free. Each location is inspected and approved by the city and fire department.”
The program fills up quickly, and the nightly locations are not posted publicly, a measure taken to prevent overcapacity through walk-ins. Cole said this year’s program begins Dec. 14 and will run for three months under a temporary-use permit, rotating between churches and nonprofits that volunteer space.
“We think of ourselves as peers,” she said. “They are also participating; we’re not just doing it for them. We are helping them move forward.”
Cole said volunteers often go beyond their duties and give from their heart, such as helping a guest fix his car to attend a funeral or preparing Christmas breakfast for all participants.
“When people feel cared for, they start to see they do belong in this community,” she said.
HomewardBound of the Grand Valley put out a news release on Oct. 30 to announce it will vacate the North Avenue Emergency Shelter in early January and consolidate services into the Pathways Family Shelter. Above is the news release that was posted on Facebook in its entirety.
Getting out of the kitchen
Jitterz
Coffee Hut and Monumental Coffee are sticking to making coffee and letting third parties make their food items
Tim Harty The Business Times
Jitterz Coffee Hut owner Alexandra Ruppe wanted more sleep.
Monumental Coffee owner Landon Balding wanted to keep up with volume demands.
Both businesses were doing some of their own food prep, but each owner recently decided it was time to let someone else do it.
For Jitterz, which was making its own egg-potatoonion-pepper mix for its breakfast burritos and egg patties for its bagel sandwiches, the answer was contracting with downtown Grand Junction restaurant Cafe Sol.
For Monumental Coffee, which was baking its own pastries, mostly the sweet variety, the answer was Mountain Oven Organic Bakery in Paonia.
Jitterz Coffee Hut
Jitterz Coffee Hut, 644 North Ave., has been using a third party for baked goods such as muffins since Ruppe and her brother, Jaden, bought the business in 2020 (Alexandra became sole owner in early October). Jitterz recently switched to Be Sweet Cafe & Bakeshop, 150 W. Main St., for its baked items.
Cooking savory elements for its breakfast burritos and bagel sandwiches had “completely outgrown us,” Ruppe said, so a few months ago she began the search for someone to take over that operation. She wanted that third party making burrito mix and egg patties the way Jitterz did and “delivering it to us and not having to worry about it.”
She determined the best option was Cafe Sol, which assumed its role about two months ago.
“I just knew they had a good product and they care about their product,” Ruppe said. “That was really a highlight for me. Also decent pricing, that’s a big one for me, so I don’t have to charge crazy amounts to the customers.”
She said the breakfast burritos and bagel sandwiches are probably a little better now, because Cafe Sol brings consistency, and all of its ingredients are fresh.
“They use local eggs, and instead of frozen potatoes, they use fresh potatoes,” Ruppe said.
Nick Santos, who owns Cafe Sol along with Joel Kuxhausen and Craig Dobson, said having a wholesale license allowed its restaurant to take the job with Jitterz. He said the work requires about a half-dozen more hours each week for a Cafe Sol employee.
“It’s going really well,” Santos said. “She gave me her recipe, and we basically just follow the recipe. … It’s a lot of food to do in that little hut without a full, proper kitchen, so I think it’s probably a lot easier for us than it was for her.”
Not having to spend extra time making food each day during Jitterz’ off-hours is feeling pretty relaxing for Ruppe.
“It’s been so nice,” she said. “The eye bags are slowly going away.”
Monumental Coffee Co.
Balding and his wife, Jackie, opened Monumental Coffee, 575 32 Road, on May 27 and started with an in-house baker. As much as they wanted to make that work, they realized the job would be better left to a business that specializes in baked goods, and Mountain Oven Organic Bakery, 395 Clark Ave. in Paonia, took over around the beginning of September. See KITCHEN on Page 14
Manager Harlee Hennerman puts a breakfast burrito in the microwave at Jitterz Coffee Hut, 644 North Ave. Jitterz used to make the potato and egg mix for its burritos, but it recently contracted with Cafe Sol to take over those duties. Photo by Tim Harty.
Braid your hair, take a selfie
Adding photo backdrops for braiding clients led to selfie side business at Braid & Beauty Bar
Tim Harty The Business Times
Desaray Hutto thought she was merely doing something nice for the customers of her hair-braiding business when she added a half-dozen backdrops to take photos of her work at Braid & Beauty Bar.
Turns out, she created an extension of her business.
That’s how Selfie Lounge came to be, and she made it official with a grand opening on Oct. 25.
Hutto said she moved Braid & Beauty Bar from Orchard Mesa to Solarus Square, 2829 North Ave., Suite 212, about four months ago.
The new space had some extra room, and she envisioned creating backdrops for shooting photos, because she does “unique styles” and “crazy extensions,” and she wanted to have examples of her work for herself, plus something fun for her customers.
She also had two swings that weren’t being used, so she incorporated each into a backdrop area at the salon. So, a customer with freshly braided hair could be photographed on a swing hanging in the clouds.
“It was just kind of having unique backdrops to take pictures of my work that I do here at Braid & Beauty Bar,” she said. “That’s kind of where I created the Selfie Lounge was for my clientele.
“And then just really being here and having the people look in and be interested, and my client’s friends talk about it, and everybody’s wondering where they’re getting these pictures at. So, I decided to open up to the public and just allow people to come in and take little selfies.”
Selfie Lounge is open two days per week, Friday and Saturday, but appointments are required, and they can be made online at booking site Square by going to selfieloungegj.square.site.
Rates vary depending upon: the length
of the session, 30 minutes or 1 hour; number of people, one or two; and whether an actual photographer takes the photos for the client.
For example: It costs $15 for one person taking selfies for 30 minutes; $30 for one person for an hour; or $30 for two people for 30 minutes. A photographer and one guest will be charged $70 for 30 minutes.
Hutto said she will rotate in some different backdrops, especially when holidays approach.
Hutto said she hadn’t seen a business like Selfie Lounge before, so she thought the novelty would help bring in business.
“I decided to bring something that we don’t have around here, that people would enjoy and that you don’t ever see in a salon,” she said.
She will consider expanding if the Selfie Lounge is a hit.
It’s off to a good start. Hutto said a woman came in for a maternity shoot. There was a back-to-school shoot for a preschooler. Someone did a Halloween shoot, plus another Halloween shoot was booked.
Meanwhile, Hutto keeps busy braiding hair, which she has been doing for about five years.
She said she is a licensed cosmetologist who taught herself how to braid in beauty school.
“I just enjoyed it,” she said “It’s an art itself, just creating designs and adding extensions. I have people that have no hair and walk away with 30 inches, so it’s a really creative thing.
“I don’t do color anymore. I kind of taught myself how to braid in beauty school and did color for a little bit and just have been strictly braiding pretty much my whole career. I just braid about six days a week.”
Hutto said she averages about 15 to 20 braiding customers per week, depending on the length of the service, which may be a half hour or may be four to five hours.
Above and Right, Shauna Mcclanahan served as a model for professional photos that Selfie Lounge owner Desaray Hutto had taken for advertising/marketing purposes. Selfie Lounge provides six backdrops for taking photos and is set up inside Hutto’s hair-braiding business, Braid & Beauty Bar, 2829 North Ave., Suite 212, inside the Solarus Square building. Photos courtesy of Goldene Nelson Photography.
Burtard receives frontline tourism worker award
Joseph Burtard, a Visit Grand Junction board member and owner of JR’s Carriage Service, was selected as a 2025 honoree in the Frontline Tourism Worker category during the Colorado Governor’s Tourism Conference in Colorado Springs on Oct. 23.
The award honors individuals for their outstanding contributions to the tourism and hospitality industries in Colorado.
With a career rooted in service, leadership and storytelling, Burtard has
built from within the community, and Joe personifies that perfectly. We are honored to have Joe on our board and in our community.”
The 2025 Governor’s Awards for Outstanding Colorado Tourism Efforts recognized seven individuals and four organizations.
“The Colorado Governor’s Tourism Conference is a powerful platform that underscores our collective commitment to advancing Colorado’s tourism industry
Joe Burtard, owner of JR’s Carriage Service, stands next to two of his horses during a guided horseback ride. Burtard was recently honored during the Colorado Governor’s Tourism Conference with a Frontline Tourism Worker award. JR’s Carriage Service offers a wide variety of horse-drawn carriage services in western Colorado. Photo courtesy of JR’s Carriage Service.
become a respected ambassador in Grand Junction’s tourism landscape, Visit Grand Junction said in a news release. Through JR’s Carriage Service, Burtard offers guests an authentic connection to the region’s heritage, pairing scenic carriage and trail rides with rich local history and genuine Western hospitality.
Beyond his business, Burtard is recognized for his enduring commitment to community development, youth mentorship, public advocacy and preserving Colorado’s cultural identity, the news release said.
“Joseph Burtard embodies the heart of tourism both in Grand Junction and throughout Colorado, welcoming visitors with authenticity, pride and a true sense of place,” said Elizabeth Fogarty, director of Visit Grand Junction. “His contributions remind us that tourism is not just about destinations, but the people who bring them to life. The Grand Junction brand is
with a focus on innovation, stewardship and inclusivity,” said Timothy Wolfe, director of the Colorado Tourism Office. “This year’s award ceremony has once again highlighted the forward-thinking work that’s helping ensure Colorado remains a top destination for travelers worldwide for generations to come.”
“Colorado’s tourism industry contributes $28.5 billion to our economy and supports over 470,525 jobs across the state. We are grateful to this year’s honorees’ work to elevate this important part of our culture and economy,” Gov. Jared Polis said.
JR’s Carriage Service, which was founded by Burtard, provides carriage experiences throughout Western Colorado, blending scenic charm with the region’s deep cultural and historical roots. The service celebrates the area’s traditions while welcoming visitors to experience Colorado’s western heritage firsthand.
RM Construction
Continued from Page 2
As of this Business Times edition’s publishing, RM Construction may be moved into the unit. And once it’s out of 348 North Ave., RM Construction will clean it up, paint it and look for a new tenant.
“If you know someone, send them my way,” he quipped.
Whether more renovation is required in 348 North Ave. will depend on the tenant.
At this point, Gibson estimates RM Construction has invested at least $1 million in its units in the strip mall, and the number may be closer to $1.5 million.
There’s more to do with the building, though.
“In the next three years, we plan on redoing this whole little stretch,” he said. “Next year, we’re gonna do something to this whole exterior. To me, it looks boring, bland.”
It’s an old building, and there is some character from yesteryear Gibson would like to retain.
“It’s got to have some character to it,” he said. “I mean, it just looks so bland and nothing now. … We’re coming up with plans right now to where we can bring it back to where it has a little bit of character that looks modern, too.”
that, because it’s going to look totally different. We’ll do that probably next summer, next spring, somewhere in there.
The facade will likely continue with the treatment that DaBella’s unit got.
“It’s going to be something very nice, upscale, storefront windows,” Gibson said. “That’s why we put
“And then we’ll start working on a bunch of stuff in the back. We’ve got probably 8,000-9,000 square feet back there we need to start working on.”
When all of that is done, or even while that’s
happening, Gibson said RM Construction will be looking for more opportunities between First and Seventh Streets on North Avenue and beyond.
“We’ve got some other stuff we’re looking at,” he said. “We haven’t done a a lot (in Grand Junction) traditionally. … We’ve got some things in the works and subdivisions we’re trying to get approved and things like that.”
RM Construction co-owner Bob Gibson stands in the middle of the commercial unit at 344 North Ave., which RM Construction bought this summer and is almost done renovating. The unit was damaged by an arson fire on July 4, 2024, but Gibson said the fire didn’t do any structural damage. The unit will become RM Construction’s Grand Junction office. Photo by Tim Harty.
Continued from Page 5
Joseph Center’s Expanding Role
For nearly a decade, the Joseph Center has developed a network of programs aimed at helping people move from homelessness to independence.
Highline said the Family Center supports unhoused pregnant women, families and domestic-violence survivors with life-skills training and case management.
The Golden Girls Project offers transitional shelter for women 50 and older, with nine residents permanently housed this year and a waiting list for its 15 beds.
The Integrated Financial Services Program manages Social Security and VA benefits for clients across 15 counties, maintaining a 98 percent success rate in keeping them stably housed.
The Joseph Center’s Day Shelter an Services provide meals, computer access and help with job searches and housing applications, needs that have grown since HomewardBound’s weekend closures.
“We have a big cowbell out there, so when anybody gets a house or a job or whatever, they have to ring the bell,” Highline said. “Then the whole building stops, and everybody cheers.”
Highline said the Joseph Center doesn’t just help the homeless; it also helps what she calls “The Working Poor” to move through struggles and into a better place in life. She gave an example of one client who was able to buy a house, because the center was able to help the person utilize an insurance plan that the client didn’t know how to use at the time.
“The Joseph Center isn’t just a day shelter feeding people and singing kumbaya,” she said. “We’re helping families get back on their feet, paying bills, managing money, connecting them with caseworkers and helping them stay housed.”
She said many staff members are former clients.
“All of our programs are designed to move people forward,” she said. “It’s not a handout. It’s about stability, recovery and hope.”
Collaboration and Compassion
Although HomewardBound is shutting down its North Avenue shelter and consolidating it with Pathways Family Shelter, Highline said collaboration among local nonprofits has been growing to find ways to meet the needs.
“I’ve been in this valley 37 years, and I’m very impressed with how we’re rallying together,” she said. “We all want the same thing, to make sure no one freezes out there.”
Kitchen Homeless
Continued from Page 6
“The main reason for choosing somebody else to do the baking is we learned that in order to survive as a bakery, we would be a volume business, and we just weren’t able to keep up,” Landon Balding said. “We didn’t have enough volume in sales to make sense for the labor and the cost of ingredients and that sort of thing for baking in-house.”
The Baldings discovered Mountain Oven’s baked goods at a store in Fruita and liked what they tasted.
“We gave them a try for a couple weeks and really liked their product and decided that was going to be our transition into a new baking program,” Landon said. “One of the reasons that we really were excited with Mountain Oven is that they also use sourdough.”
Monumental Coffee offers several Mountain Oven items each day.
“We’re trying to keep fairly consistent with what we’re bringing in,” Landon said, “so we always have at least two cinnamonroll-type options. We sometimes rotate
between cinnamon buns, morning buns, pistachio cardamom buns and sticky pecans buns. So those are kind of the four. Pretty much always we have the cinnamon bun and rotate out the morning bun, the pistachio and the sticky buns.
He added, “We’re always trying new things if they offer something new.”
Mountain Oven also provides some savory items, such as a ham-and-cheesecroissant.
Landon said Monumental Coffee will occasionally make a couple items inhouse, “but we’re finding it easier to stick with Mountain Oven. And not that we’re trying to be easier, it’s just more consistent, and we like that for our customers.”
New hours at Cafe Sol
Santos said Cafe Sol changed its hours as of Oct. 6.
Cafe Sol used to be open at 8 a.m. seven days a week, but now the restaurant opens on weekdays for lunch at 10 a.m. and closes at 3 p.m. On weekends it opens at 9 a.m. for brunch and closes at 2 p.m.
programs aimed families and with nine benefits for stably housed. computer access grown since whatever, they cheers.” what she life. She was able to the time. kumbaya,” managing money,
“It’s not a consolidating nonprofits has we’re rallying there.”
Stella’s
Continued from Page 4
“It’s our best seller,” Button said, “and you get an option of smothering it in house-made sausage gravy that (Polley) makes every morning or our housemade pork green chili. … You can do half and half as well, and it’s been our top seller, by far, actually.”
If one meal has been easier to prep and serve, it’s lunch, because Polley and Button danced that dance at The Brass Rail.
“There’s less moving parts as far as stations and everything,” Button said, “and we’ve had three years of doing the lunch menu that really allowed us to figure out what worked and how to quickly execute dishes and still have them maintain their integrity as a dish.”
Button said at some point Stella’s Fried Pork Tenderloins will serve dinner at the restaurant, but
don’t hold your breath waiting for it. He estimates it will be at least a year and maybe two years before that day arrives.
“I’d like to eventually be open for dinner, but I really want to get breakfast and lunch dialed in,” he said.
And before Stella’s expands to dinner in its new home, it will go back to its old home.
“We’ll go open the Brass Rail location again and do dinner there,” Button said.
He added Krosky is on board with that.
Button said The Brass Rail has gotten used to serving food, and he understands if Krosky can’t wait and needs to put a different restaurant in the bar. Button said Krosky’s response to that sentiment was: “I’d rather have you guys come back. I’ll wait.”
Stella’s Fried Pork Tenderloins co-owners and former University of Iowa rugby teammates Tyler Polley, left, and Mike Button stand next to a framed Iowa rugby jersey displayed in the restaurant. Instead of their own names, the Hawkeyes’ rugby players put Stella on the back of their jerseys in recognition of their unofficial mascot, a golden hawk that frequently flew over Iowa’s rugby pitch or perched in a grove of trees nearby. The players named the hawk Stella, and Polley and Button named their restaurant after her. Photo by Tim Harty.
The currency of time: Choosing a life you won’t regret
A few years ago, as I watched my youngest daughter graduate from high school, I was struck by the energy and anticipation in the eyes of the 240 students dressed in caps and gowns. Some were eager to close the chapter on school, while others leaned into the promise of what’s next.
Marcus Straub
Regardless of their path, some will be swept up in the demands of work and ambition, while others, by intention or luck, will discover a rhythm that honors both life and labor. That second group is more likely to find enduring happiness, deeper success and fewer regrets.
One of the most common regrets voiced at the end of life is this: I wish I hadn’t worked so much.
Of all the things a person might look back on with sorrow, this one stands out. It’s a quiet but powerful truth that invites us to reconsider how we spend our time, before it’s too late.
Those who carry this regret often speak of missing out on time with spouses, children, family, friends and even themselves. They let personal dreams and adventures slip away in the pursuit of success. And once those moments are gone, they’re gone for good.
The truth is: Time is the one currency we can never earn back. We can accumulate wealth, build businesses and chase recognition, but we cannot rewind the clock.
In business, we’re taught to chase profit, outperform competitors and climb as high as possible. There’s a
prevailing mantra: Make as much money as you can, be the best, win at all costs. But we rarely ask: At what cost?
When business owners focus solely on financial gain, they often expect their teams to do the same. They forget that these people have lives, dreams and desires too. The relentless pursuit of success can lead to burnout, disconnection and a culture where people are treated as tools rather than human beings. The irony is that this approach often undermines the very success it seeks to achieve. When people feel unseen, overworked and undervalued, performance suffers and so does the spirit of the organization.
Financial success and the recognition that comes with it can be intoxicating; it feeds the ego. But like any addiction, it can distort our view of what truly matters. When we lose sight of the bigger picture, we lose balance and with it, the very joy and fulfillment we’re chasing. We become so focused on the summit that we forget to enjoy the climb.
In my work with business owners, I help them pause and reflect. I ask them to consider what they truly value and whether the sacrifices they’re making align with those values. Often, they’ve never asked themselves these questions. They’ve been running so fast, for so long, they’ve lost touch with the deeper reasons behind their drive.
Once they begin to build life/work balance skills, their choices shift. They still achieve financial success, often more than before, but it’s no longer the only measure. This shift ripples outward, creating healthier, more humancentered workplaces.
And the impact is profound. When leaders prioritize balance, their teams feel it. They feel supported, respected
and empowered to pursue their own version of success. The workplace becomes a space where people thrive, not just survive. And that, in turn, fuels innovation, loyalty and long-term growth. It’s important to understand that once your children are grown, your youth has faded, and your health has declined, the dreams you postponed for “someday” may no longer be possible. We all know people who worked tirelessly to earn the freedom to enjoy life, only to find that, by the time they got there, they had waited too long. The vacations they dreamed of, the hobbies they hoped to explore, the relationships they meant to nurture all became distant memories of what could have been.
Your life is happening now. There is space within it for everything you desire: meaningful work; financial gain; and the simple pleasures that bring you joy. You don’t have to choose between success and fulfillment. You can have both if you’re willing to be intentional.
When you approach life and work with clarity and balance, you won’t need to grind endlessly to feel successful. You’ll begin to measure success not just by what you earn, but by how you live. You’ll find joy in the everyday moments, pride in your contributions and peace in your choices.
And when your time comes to look back, you’ll do so with gratitude, not regret.
Marcus Straub owns Life is Great Coaching in Grand Junction. He’s available for free consultations regarding coaching, speaking and trainings. Reach Straub at (970) 208-3150, marcus@ligcoaching.com or through the website located at www.ligcoaching.com.
Yeah, it was bound to be a big story, but it isn’t ‘breaking news’
Well, it is breaking news, I suppose. It just didn’t happen overnight.
Whatever, pray tell, are you talking about Craig? Obviously, I’m talking about HomewardBound of the Grand Valley’s announcement that it’s closing its emergency shelter on North Avenue early next year. The announcement hit Facebook on Thursday night (don’t these folks know you always announce bad news late on a Friday???) with a PR letter explaining the woes and hardships of being in the homeless business in today’s world. Wow, that’s a little harsh, Craig, you may say. Maybe. But as Sonny Corleone might say, “There’s a lotta money in that $#!T, Pop.” And for folks in the homeless business in our country, the words could not ring truer. Don’t believe me? Just have a quick look-see into what’s been going on in California and Los Angeles and the missing billions and sizes of salaries of the folks in charge and come back and try to convince me homelessness isn’t seriously big business in the good ol’ USofA.
And no, I’m not saying homelessness is something the government shouldn’t address. Quite the opposite. My problem is how government addresses it. But for many of you who believe me to be a right-wing, fascist, dictator wannabe, you’re going to go on your tangent the way you go anyways, and to that I say, I just don’t care.
About you, not the homeless. So, let’s get into the heart of the matter.
Which brings me back to the Thursday night announcement. The one every local news organization was posting about except, of course, The Business Times. Which initially bothered me as I went to bed. Mainly because we are on deadline Thursday night and finishing the coming paper on Friday morning for our printer. Now other media outlets in town might say, “See, they can’t do breaking news like we can!” To which I will give the same reply I’ve given for 25 years, “Correct. We don’t do breaking news. We do accurate and in-depth news.”
And in this case, we don’t know what we don’t know from the little we do know.
Here’s the flip-side. I have no idea what Tim and Brandon are looking to put to print on any of this – as a good publisher shouldn’t, because I don’t dictate what goes into the paper – but I did ask Tim this morning if we had something on it, to which he indicated we did. So HomewardBound gets a mention. But a mention only because that’s all we have. We’ll follow it up for the next paper because we certainly have questions for HomewardBound and its chief benefactor: The City of Grand Junction. So, as we’ve done for the past 25 years
we’ll ask questions and then print the answers with attribution to whoever said what.
As for the conspiracy theories that folks think The Business Times dabbles in, that’s reserved for this space. Yes, that’s tongue firmly implanted in cheek, although more than a few of you (again, from both sides) will say, “Look, Craig even admits it!”
Anyways, here goes another “theory.” It’s also what I think we’ll find out as we investigate the story.
HomewardBound is in this current situation because of its management. And it has no one to blame. Many will buy into the “lack of government funding” (which has an element of truth, but not what you think it is) and “donations” that were the gist of its press release. The fact is HomewardBound is in the homeless business. And in order to be in that business what does one need? That’s right, homeless folks.
And I don’t mean families who’ve hit hard times and need help for a short time. I don’t know a person not willing to help there. I’m talking about the ones who were attracted to Grand Junction by the tented day spa and salon funded by tax dollars on which HomewardBound designed its new business plan. Now add on the multi-million dollar property HomewardBound was counting on the city to buy it for it to expand its operations, and you have what? A business plan that was depending on getting every penny it could from the government to exist.
And those dollars don’t just come from the city; they need to come from the state and the feds. Make no mistake, HomewardBound relied on city dollars.
After all, didn’t HomewardBound just ask the city for its entire budget for homelessness? It’s almost like HomewardBound had an insider or two on city council knowing all the money would be directed its way. Coincidentally, our homeless population doubled in the past two years as that’s occurred.
In HomewardBound’s letter it talks about Pathways’ mission to the community to help those experiencing homelessness, who everyone has a heart and charity for. But that vision appears to have gotten lost in the big business of homelessness.
Fact is cities across the nation have the same problem. But the problem is the need for more money, not the mission. We would do well to understand the economic concept of “what the government subsidizes the people always get more of,” and that usually comes with more of a problem. This certainly applies to homelessness.
Ironically, the opportunity now is that our homeless problem gets the attention, and prayerfully, the solution it deserves.
In Truth and freedom.
F
Craig Hall is owner and publisher of The Business Times. Reach him at 424-5133 or publisher@thebusinesstimes.com
Common sense still works — Colorado just needs to use it
In the business world, there’s one principle that separates success from failure: You can’t spend what you don’t have. If a company tried to launch a dozen new initiatives without funding them, investors would walk, creditors would call, and the board would be out by morning.
the effort. When something is this unsustainable, reality eventually wins.
Yet somehow, that’s exactly how the State of Colorado has been operating. Each year, new laws are passed that sound good on paper but come with no money to make them work. Those costs get quietly pushed down to local governments — and ultimately to taxpayers. We call them unfunded mandates, and they’re the public-sector version of bad business.
Here in Mesa County, we’ve been tracking these costs for two years, and the numbers tell the story. This year alone, unfunded mandates are expected to cost our community nearly $10 million. That’s not a one-time expense — it’s an annual hit. Across Colorado’s 64 counties, the total yearly price tag is estimated to exceed $360 million.
If a private company ran that way, forcing its branches to take on new projects without covering the costs, it wouldn’t last a quarter. But that’s what the state has done to counties and cities for years.
Here’s the difference: Local governments, like local businesses, must live within their means. We can’t print money, run deficits or move decimal points. Our books must balance, our budgets must be transparent, and every dollar is traceable to the penny. In Mesa County, we refunded $11.5 million last year because that’s what accountability looks like under TABOR.
So, when the state passes laws and leaves the bill on the counter, it’s not just poor policy, it’s bad economics.
Under Colorado law (C.R.S. 29-1304.5), if the state requires a service but doesn’t fund it, that mandate is optional for local governments. That isn’t a loophole; it’s common sense written into statute. You wouldn’t expect employees to hit a sales quota if you refused to stock the shelves.
When people say counties are “picking and choosing” which laws to follow, let’s be honest: It’s the state that’s picking and choosing which laws to fund.
That’s why Mesa County became the first in Colorado to formally tell the Governor and legislative leadership: Fund it or fix it. Since then, nearly 45 counties — ranging from rural to urban, and including both Republican and Democratic areas — have joined
This isn’t about politics; it’s about principles, the same ones that drive every successful business. You don’t expand until you can afford it. You don’t make promises you can’t pay for. And you don’t offload your costs onto someone else’s balance sheet.
When the state overspends, the bill doesn’t vanish. It shows up in fewer local dollars to meet the unique needs of each county. Every dollar the state doesn’t pay is a dollar that comes out of your community.
Colorado entered last year’s legislative session facing a $1.2 billion deficit. Even a special session didn’t solve it; it merely sought new ways to raise revenue without cutting costs. That may be the culture under the gold dome, but it’s not how things work in the real world.
Businesses adapt, streamline and find efficiencies. Local governments do the same, but we can’t keep shouldering the cost of state expansion while being told to “do more with less.”
The good news is this issue is finally reaching the capitol. Western Slope legislators — Sen. Janice Rich, Rep. Rick Taggart and Rep. Matt Soper — have stood beside Mesa County and 45 other counties from the start. They understand that fiscal discipline isn’t partisan; it’s the foundation of trust in any enterprise, public or private.
They also know something every businessperson understands: When you misprice risk and hide costs, the system eventually breaks. Transparency isn’t the enemy of progress; it’s the precondition for it.
The solutions are straightforward:
1. Produce accurate fiscal notes for every bill in consultation with the counties that must implement them.
2. Tie each new program to a dedicated funding source. If the State can’t pay for it, it shouldn’t impose it.
3. Establish a review commission to repeal outdated or underfunded mandates that waste taxpayer money.
Colorado doesn’t have a revenue problem; it has a spending-discipline problem. The same rules that guide a healthy business — budget before you build, pay before you promise, measure before you mandate — should guide state policy, too.
The private sector calls that stewardship. The public sector should start calling it governing.
Common sense still works — Colorado just needs to use it. If not, Colorado’s counties are right to say: Enough is enough.
F
Bobbie Daniel serves on the Mesa County Board of County Commissioners and helped lead the statewide “Fund It or Fix It” initiative on unfunded mandates.
Craig Hall
Bobbie Daniel
weekend of festivities, beginning with the Palisade Parade of Lights on Dec. 5, at 5:30 p.m.
n Veterans Day ceremony slated for Nov. 11
The Western Region One Source is partnering with the Western Slope Vietnam War Memorial Park to present a Veterans Day ceremony with the theme of “Service to our Nation” at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11 at the Western Colorado Vietnam War Memorial Park.
The park is located at the Colorado Welcome Center in Fruita, just off Interstate 70 at the Fruita exit.
The ceremony will feature: performances by the Long Family and the Rocky Mountain Scots; a keynote speech by Brigadier Gen. Michael Bruno; a welcome speech by Administrator of the Western Region One Source Darin Collazo on behalf of the Colorado Division of Veterans Affairs; and an invocation and benediction by Army Reserve Chaplain Jeremy Fisher.
The event is open to the public and is expected to last about an hour. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own seating.
n DWC’s Lewis earns CPA designation
DWC CPAs and Advisors announce Brooke Lewis recently earned her Certified Public Accountant designation and obtained Colorado licensure after successfully passing the Uniform CPA Examination. Originally from Craig, Lewis got her bachelor’s degree in public accounting at Colorado Mesa University. She joined DWC’s Grand Junction office in June 2023 and primarily works with farming and ranching clients and clients with real estate rentals. She is a member of the Colorado Society of CPAs.
n Palisade Christmas/winter event taking vendor applications
The Palisade Chamber of Commerce is accepting vendor applications for the annual Olde Fashioned Christmas & Winter Faire, which takes place Dec. 6 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown Palisade.
The outdoor market on Palisade’s Main Street features local artisans, makers, food vendors and small businesses offering unique, handcrafted goods. The day is part of a
From left to right, D51 Board chair Andrea Haitz, Business Incubator Center CEO Dalida Sassoon Bollig, AgriWest Fellow Janie VanWinkle, D51 Foundation Executive Director Angela Christensen and D51 Board Secretary Angela Lema are shown with the check the D51 Foundation received from the Business Incubator Center.
n Business Incubator donates $1,210 to D51 Foundation
The Business Incubator Center presented a check for $1,210 to the D51 Foundation at the District 51 School Board meeting on Oct. 21. The funds were raised through ticket sales from a community event featuring public speaker Mark C. Perna, held in partnership with the D51 Foundation, School District 51 and Colorado Mesa University.
According to a news release from the Business Incubator, supporting education and workforce development is fundamental to the mission of growing businesses and creating economic opportunity. By partnering with organizations like the D51 Foundation, the incubator helps cultivate the next generation of entrepreneurs, innovators and skilled workers who will drive the regional economy forward.
“We are growing as a community. We have amazing generational expertise, and we have youth here that we are hoping to help give them purpose to stay and root here and find opportunity,” said Dalida Sassoon Bollig, CEO of the Business Incubator Center.
Angela Christensen, executive director of the D51 Foundation, said the funds will go straight back into the foundation’s programs, which work to support academic growth, achievement and outreach.
“It’s inspiring the next generation workforce, and that’s what we’re all about,” she said.
Employment Opportunity
Legal Assistant/Paralegal must communicate w clients to obtain relevant info & docs; meet w client to prepare & sign immigration filings; draft & prepare immigration filings for attorney review; coordinate tasks w other legal assistants & managing attorney; maintain organization of existing client matters. HS Diploma, Bilingual in English & Spanish – ability to speak, understand, read, & write both English & Spanish in a profess environment. Hartman Law Firm, LLC, 2500 North Ave, Suite 1, Grand Junction, CO 81501. $54,538/yr. Includes PTO, employer-paid health insurance, and participation in a 401(k) plan. Email resume to admin@ abogadofred.com
Brooke Lewis
5:30 p.m.
Foundation through ticket partnership education and and creating Foundation, the and skilled expertise, and we here and Center. funds will go academic growth, she said.
