AUGUST 26 - SEPTEMBER 2, 2026
THE DEFINITIVE SOURCE FOR GRAND JUNCTION BUSINESS & COMMUNITY NEWS SINCE 1994
Brandon Leuallen The Business Times
he Mesa County Sheriff’s Office says automated licenseplate readers have helped investigators identify suspects, recover stolen property and solve cases, while residents who spoke during an Aug. 18 meeting raised concerns about privacy, the Fourth Amendment and the potential for misuse. Sheriff’s Office Operations Division Chief Art Smith gave an informational presentation about the technology to the Mesa County commissioners. No vote was taken. Smith said automated license plate readers, commonly known as ALPRs, are one of several tools the Sheriff’s Office uses to investigate crimes. The agency has used Motorola license-plate-reader technology for about 15 years and began installing Flock cameras about a year ago. When all equipment is deployed, the Sheriff’s Office has 11 Motorola units and leases 11 Flock cameras located at strategic intersections around the county. The cameras capture still images of passing vehicles and license plates and record the location, date and time. The system compares plate numbers against law enforcement “hot lists,” including lists involving stolen vehicles, Amber and Silver alerts and qualifying investigations involving people with active warrants. See story Page 5
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Alternatives to alfalfa?
Sheriff’s Office details usage of Flock cameras
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VOLUME 33, ISSUE 34
Alfalfa is entrenched in area agriculture, but drought drives search for alternative and complementary forage — See Page 2 CSU Extension Professor Perry Cabot explains field-monitoring equipment at the Western Colorado Research Center in Fruita. The sensors help researchers estimate evapotranspiration and compare the water use of alfalfa, sainfoin and other forage crops. Through a partnership with T-Mobile, researchers can access the equipment and its data remotely at any time. Photo by Brandon Leuallen.
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Researchers explore drought alternatives to alfalfa While alfalfa is vital to Western Slope agriculture, sainfoin could help as drought persists Brandon Leuallen
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lfalfa has long been a vital part of Mesa County’s agricultural economy. It grows well in the region and provides farmers with a dependable, unsubsidized, cash crop that can be sold directly to dairy and other producers without relying on the grain infrastructure largely absent from the Western Slope. As drought and uncertain irrigation supplies limit some growers’ ability to produce alfalfa, Colorado State University researchers are studying the crop while revisiting sainfoin, a forage crop widely grown throughout the United States before alfalfa became dominant. Researchers are examining whether sainfoin could help fill part of the resulting forage and income gap. Sainfoin is a perennial forage legume that may use less water and remain productive through intermittent shortages. It could also provide dairy and livestock producers with high-quality feed earlier in the season and remain productive for more years without replanting. Perry Cabot, a CSU Extension professor specializing in irrigation and water resources who is helping lead the research, said sainfoin is being examined as a complementary or alternative forage during ongoing water shortages. Cabot emphasized the research is not intended to criticize alfalfa or pressure farmers to change what they grow. Instead, researchers are exploring additional crops and management practices that could CSU Extension Professor Perry Cabot examines sainfoin at the Western Colorado Research Center in Fruita help Western Colorado farmers remain productive and and demonstrates the forage crop’s hollow stems, a characteristic researchers are studying as they evaluate profitable through potentially ongoing intermittent its potential feed quality. Photo by Brandon Leuallen. water shortages. CSU Tri River Area Agronomist Todd Ballard Ballard pointed to the inactive grain elevator near Interstate 70’s Exit 19 as an said sainfoin covered more acres before World War II. After the war, seed companies example of what Western Colorado is lacking to be able to increase grain production. He increasingly concentrated their forage research and breeding efforts on alfalfa. estimated it has been unused for 15 to 20 years. “Eighty years of focusing genetics work on alfalfa has made it a great crop,” Ballard said. Ballard said expanding Western Slope grain production would likely require a private Generations of experience and established varieties have also made alfalfa difficult company to operate an elevator and collect enough grain for rail shipment. Without one, to replace. transportation costs make grain difficult to grow profitably, limiting farmers’ options of Cabot said water shortages can be particularly difficult for producers with junior what to grow when water is scarce. water rights, because their irrigation supplies may be curtailed partway through the “If you’re going to grow grain out here, you have to ship it somewhere,” Ballard said. growing season long before those with senior water rights. “For the most part, if you grow grain, you’re shipping it to Denver or shipping it to Salt Dairy crop and major export Lake because there’s no rail that picks it up here.” Although alfalfa is frequently associated with beef production in public discussions Although rail lines cross the region, no local operation aggregates and loads grain. about agricultural water use, Ballard said much of the alfalfa grown in Western Colorado Ballard said bean growers near Cortez and Dove Creek may receive about $2 less than is sold as feed for dairy cows. Texas and California are major destinations for the locally a commodity benchmark price because their crops must be hauled to rail service in produced crop. Albuquerque, N.M. Horses and beef cattle also consume alfalfa, but dairy cows require particularly highAlfalfa’s ability to be shipped by truck directly to the customer and strong prices allow quality feed to support milk production. Western Slope farmers to earn money from the crop without depending on that infrastructure. “Dairy is, other than racehorses that are super high-value animals, most demanding Ballard said hay prices also have been near a 10-year high amid basin-wide drought. of the feed quality of any of the animal producers,” Ballard said. Revisiting sainfoin Alfalfa from the region is particularly sought after for its quality. The crop grows If prolonged shortages leave farmers without enough water to grow profitable crops, especially well in the irrigated, dry-climate regions of the West. Dry conditions during and if no viable alternatives are available, some could face pressure to sell their farms. harvest also help preserve hay quality, because rain can leach proteins and soluble CSU’s research is intended to provide information that producers can use before reaching carbohydrates and cause the loss of protein-rich leaves. that point. Together, Western Colorado’s dry climate and irrigation systems are actually part of Sainfoin has a history of U.S. production and is grown in places such as Montana. the reason local farmers are able to profitably produce the crop. Ballard said some Colorado producers are growing 40- to 50-acre fields for their livestock Why don’t more Western Slope farmers switch to grain? or for sale. The CSU Extension estimates seasonal consumptive water use near Fruita at At the research center, multiple sainfoin varieties are being compared with approximately 44 inches for alfalfa, compared with 19 inches for winter wheat and 22.2 conventional alfalfa. Researchers meter irrigation applied to the plots and measure yield, inches for spring grains. forage quality, water consumption and responses to reduced irrigation. Some plots receive However, unlike grains, hay does not have to be delivered to an elevator and loaded full irrigation, while others receive partial irrigation or have water discontinued during onto trains to be profitable. Alfalfa growers can feed it to their animals or sell it directly the growing season. CSU is also studying Kernza, peas, wheat and other forage options. to customers for truck transport. See ALFALFA ALTERNATIVES on Page 6
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They’re better together
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Hair stylist and lash/nails tech combined their individual businesses into one: Luxe Oasis x Mad Lash Tim Harty
It might have happened sooner, but finding the right location proved challenging, and it wasn’t for lack of trying. Kaitlyn Fournier and Maddii Pink owned separate small businesses, but had quite a “We were like crackheads, checking listings every day, multiple times a day,” Pink said. few shared customers, thanks to the nearby spaces they occupied in Sola Salon Studios “Once our leases were up, we really started hammering down on finding a building, in Mesa Mall. and we found a couple,” Fournier added. That made it relatively easy for “We looked at multiple properties, but it customers to go to Fournier to get their hair wasn’t really like the one that we thought styled at Luxe Oasis and go to Pink to get would benefit us and that was big enough their eyelashes and nails done at Mad Lash. for us to expand services. But that base of shared customers got “Then, when this one came up, it was the duo, best friends who met eight years just kind of a fluke that it came up, and I’ll ago through their husbands who are best never forget, the Realtor, she was like, ‘OK, friends, thinking maybe they should share do you guys want to think about it?’ And we something else: a combined salon. both looked at each other, like, ‘No, we want “We say we’re the dynamic duo, because it.’ Like, this is it. We can envision ourselves she handles all of the stuff that I don’t like in here and this is the building for us.” doing, which is nails and lashes, and then I The fluke, Pink explained, was do the hair, which she doesn’t enjoy doing,” Fournier saw the Independence Ave. unit Fournier said. “So, it was really just a way listed for rent and sent it to her to look at, that we could have our clients come into one but Pink drove past it and saw previous space and get the full experience.” tenant Fixture Studio was still occupying They said the idea surfaced about the space. a year ago, and it became a reality Aug. “I was like, ‘Kaitlyn, there’s someone 10, when they opened Luxe Oasis x Mad in there. Someone’s renting it,’” Pink said. A solar-p Lash at 1048 Independent Ave., A-101, in Fournier’s reply was: “No, it’s on (thenear Lin Independence Plaza. listing). It says it’s available,” and she said,against l They didn’t overthink the salon name, “I’m just gonna reach out and see whatorado w simply combining their existing business happens.” names. From there, Pink said, “It was maybe “We kind of smushed them together 15 minutes later, and she calls me back, and into Luxe Oasis x Mad Lash,” Fournier she’s like, ‘You want to go look at it today at said. “That way we weren’t having to think like 4 o’clock? And I was like, ‘OK, sure.’” of a whole new name, and we had already Fournier said the unit’s lease was done all this marketing for our individual more than they had wanted to budget for, businesses, so it just kind of made sense to “but when we saw the space, we were like, do it that way.” ‘No, we want this one.’ It’s like, ‘We will Just like the salon itself made sense to make it work. We’ll make it happen.’” them. They expect to fill the extra space by “We were in separate suites together Maddii Pink, left, and Kaitlyn Fournier stand between the two hair-washing sta- renting booths. Because while Fournier and before we started here, but we had always tions at Luxe Oasis x Mad Lash, which they opened on Aug. 10 at 1048 Inde- Pink are versatile and can do a little bit of kind of had a big dream to create something pendent Ave., A-101. Photo by Tim Harty. everything, their plan to grow the business together,” Pink said. “I don’t have anything will be to offer more services, such as spray to do with hair, and she’s the hair behind tans, “so we have a well-rounded salon where GRAND OPENING FOR NEW SALON this side of things. … We share a lot of we offer kind of everything,” Fournier said. clientele, so bringing it to one area where “Kind of like a one-stop shop for most Luxe Oasis x Mad Lash, 1048 Independent Ave., A-101, will host its they can come and get all of the things done things,” Pink added. grand opening Saturday, Aug. 29, beginning at 10 a.m. at once was kind of convenient for them.” That will develop in time, though, as Salon owners Maddii Pink and Kaitlyn Fournier said a tattoo artist Plus, she added, “We enjoy hanging out Fournier said, “We just moved in here, so and a permanent-jewelry artist will be on hand, and there will be brunch, with each other, and having a salon together we’re not really in a rush right now.” snacks, mimosas and raffles. was a dream, so we just made it happen.” See NEW SALON on Page 6 The Business Times
August 26 - september 2, 2026
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Sheriff’s Office defends Flock cameras as community raises privacy concerns Lash
A solar-powered Flock Safety license-plate reader monitors passing vehicles near Lincoln Park in Grand Junction. The camera compares license plates against law-enforcement hot lists and can alert authorized agencies across Colorado when it detects a listed vehicle. Photo by Brandon Leuallen. Continued from Page 1 When a camera detects a listed plate, authorized users can receive an alert and direct deputies in the area to look for the vehicle. Investigative successes The Sheriff’s Office reviewed 108 cases in which investigators conducted ALPR searches between Jan. 1 and July 29, 2025. The agency reported that the technology provided some benefit in 95 cases, or about 88 percent, while 13 searches generated no leads. ALPR information helped locate or apprehend 40 offenders, establish 37 investigative leads, locate 10 missing people and recover stolen property in eight cases, according to the agency. The figures include searches via the Motorola and Flock systems and represent the Sheriff’s Office’s analysis of its own cases. The Sheriff’s Office also reported a vehicle-theft case in Mesa County was about 3.5 times more likely to be solved in 2025 than the statewide average, based on Colorado Bureau of Investigation information presented at the meeting. Smith highlighted a case involving a man accused of entering a woman’s home with the intention of sexually assaulting her. Her surveillance system provided a general vehicle description, but no clear image or readable plate. Investigators combined the footage with other techniques and used ALPR information to identify a matching vehicle. “We were starting from zero,” Smith said. “We were able to identify that person and have that person in custody in less than 24 hours from the time that the crime was reported to us.” Commissioner Cody Davis said the technology warrants skepticism, criticism and transparency, but he supports the Sheriff’s Office’s use of the cameras. “It gives the good guys the tools to
catch the bad guys,” he said. Commissioner Bobbie Daniel said the commissioners do not oversee the Sheriff’s Office, and the sheriff is an elected position. Search restrictions and auditing Smith said Mesa County restricts ALPR searches to official law-enforcement investigations. The Sheriff’s Office prohibits searches conducted solely for immigration or routine traffic enforcement, along with harassment, personal use, unauthorized searches and searches targeting people solely based on race, sex, religion or another protected classification. Smith said the office is responsible for ensuring proper use, just as it is with other law-enforcement equipment. Users must enter a case number and explanation for each search, while Flock records who conducts it and when. Misuse could result in discipline, termination, loss of peaceofficer certification or criminal prosecution. “We can’t tell you how every other agency uses this technology. We’re not responsible for every other agency that uses this technology,” Smith said. Participating Colorado law-enforcement agencies can search data collected by Mesa County cameras. Smith said the county does not make its locally collected data directly searchable by federal agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or agencies outside Colorado. In an Aug. 13 announcement on its website, Flock recommended reducing its default retention period from 30 days to seven days, saying more than 90 percent of searches without a complete plate number occur within a week. Existing customers may retain previously approved periods, while information needed for an active investigation may be preserved longer. See FLOCK CAMERAS on Page 8
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Alfalfa Alternatives Continued from Page 2 Field sensors help researchers estimate evapotranspiration, the water transferred to the atmosphere through evaporation and plant transpiration. The work compares how much forage and potential income each crop produces for the water consumed. Cabot said previous data showed an established sainfoin field using approximately 10 percent to 30 percent less water than neighboring alfalfa fields over four years. However, researchers did not measure yields in that comparison, and the current controlled study is not complete. He cautioned that lower water consumption does not automatically mean greater water-use efficiency. A crop that produces less biomass may also consume less water. The economic question is whether lower water use, reduced planting costs and potential price premiums could allow farmers to earn comparable net income despite harvesting fewer tons. “If a guy is making the same amount of money off of consuming less water, then that matters,” Cabot said. Researchers are examining several potential economic advantages. One is timing. Ballard said sainfoin may be ready for harvest about two weeks before alfalfa, when livestock producers are more likely to need hay and may be willing to pay a premium. Another is its reduced potential to cause bloat. Alfalfa’s nutritional characteristics can cause dangerous gas buildup when animals graze it directly,
requiring producers to manage how it is fed or mix it with other forage. Sainfoin presents a lower bloat risk. Sainfoin also has a more hollow stem than alfalfa, which becomes woody and fibrous as it matures. A third potential advantage is the longevity of the stand. The research is investigating whether sainfoin could remain productive for about five years in situations where an alfalfa stand might begin declining after three years. “If you look at your planting expense over a 10-year, 20-year window, then you are better off planting every five years than every three,” Ballard said. Cabot said observations so far suggest treating sainfoin and alfalfa identically may be a mistake. Applying irrigation practices developed for alfalfa may overwater sainfoin and reduce its productivity. Cabot said the controlled study is ongoing, and researchers have not yet published findings comparing the crops’ water use, yield and forage quality, and he is also gathering input from farmers that have started to grow the crop. The university is distributing sainfoin seed to selected producers interested in trying the crop. Cabot hopes those growers will provide additional observations about its performance under real farming conditions. “We didn’t invent this crop,” Cabot said. “We’re bringing it back and acknowledging the inflection point that we’re at right now.”
New Salon
Continued from Page 4 Luxe Oasis x Mad Lash also eventually will have an area set up for kids with toys, books, snacks and drinks. Fournier is a mother of three boys, and Pink has a daughter and a son, so they understand what moms go through. They also emphasize their salon is a judgment-free zone. “They say that hairstylists or lash techs are the closest thing you get to a therapist,” Fournier said. “And so it’s just a place where they can come and they feel safe, and they feel like we’re gonna listen and not judge. And whether they want to turn up the music and just kind of zone out or they want to talk about their day, we’re here for them.” Pink echoed that and said she limits herself to three to five clients per day, “because I want to be able to take my time and personalize their experience,” rather than process them like a transaction. Pink said she can’t tell you what she had for breakfast yesterday, but she’s determined to provide her clients a “very personalized experience.” “Some of my clients will giggle at me,” she said, “because I try my best to remember all of their stories and all of the vacations that they take, their kids’ names,
Luxe Oasis x Mad Lash owners Maddii Pink, left, and Kaitlyn Fournier, shown in the salon’s lash room. Photo by Tim Harty. how old their kids are.” Both owners mentioned honesty and trust are another cornerstone of their salon. They said it’s better to have the hard conversation than to ignore it, and such honesty builds trust. “We do it because we care about your overall well-being,” Pink said.
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Flock Cameras
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Continued from Page 5 Smith said Colorado law generally requires ALPR data to be purged one year after it is collected unless it becomes evidence in an active investigation. Residents raise privacy, misuse concerns All residents who addressed the Flock system during public comment opposed its use or raised concerns. They argued the cameras collect information from motorists who are not suspected of crimes and create a searchable record that could be used to reconstruct people’s movements. They also questioned whether Mesa County can ensure other Colorado agencies will use locally collected information only for appropriate purposes, and they pointed to documented cases of abuse elsewhere. In Georgia, three former Bibb County sheriff’s deputies were arrested Aug. 10 after allegedly using Flock data to track people with whom they had personal relationships. The accusations involve personal searches rather than legitimate law-enforcement purposes.
Residents also raised concerns about technological and human errors. In Aurora in 2020, police mistakenly connected the license plate on Brittney Gilliam’s Colorado SUV to a stolen motorcycle registered in Montana. Officers detained Gilliam and members of her family, including children, at gunpoint. Aurora later agreed to a $1.9 million settlement. No cases involving misuse by Mesa County personnel or wrongful local stops resulting from ALPR errors were identified during reporting for this article. The Sheriff’s Office did not report any during its presentation. Smith acknowledged that technology intended for legitimate purposes can also be misused, but he said the Sheriff’s Office is accountable for its own employees. “In the meantime, we do know how we use this technology,” Smith said. “Our intent is simply to continue to use ALPR technology responsibly, ethically and within the confines of the law to solve crimes committed against citizens of Mesa County.”
Mesa County Elections will soon contact all active registered and preregistered voters ages 17 to 25 years old who have fewer than one reference signature on file in the statewide voterregistration database. Mesa County said in a news release this proactive outreach supports ballot security and helps ensure seamless signature verification in upcoming elections. The elections office is doing this to comply with Colorado Election Rule 7.7.14, which requires counties to contact active registered and pre-registered voters ages 17 to 25 who have only one, or no reference signature on file. Voters subject to this rule will receive official notices by mail or email containing detailed instructions about how to submit an updated signature sample. The outreach will be sent to about 4,000 voters, starting next week. Mesa County voters’ options for updating their signature record include:
• Online: Check registration status and access update options via GoVoteColorado. gov or through Mesa County Elections. • In Person: Visit the Elections Office, 200 S. Spruce St. in Grand Junction. • By Mail: Fill out and return the form enclosed with the official notice. • By Fax: Send completed forms to 970-255-5039. “We’re taking proactive steps to ensure every voter has a smooth experience,” Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Bobbie Gross said. “Having multiple signature samples on file helps protect each voter’s ballot and supports accurate, secure elections.” Even voters who already have multiple signatures on file are encouraged to submit an updated sample if their signature has changed over time. For voter registration status checks or general information on voting processes, visit GoVoteColorado.gov or contact Mesa County Elections directly at 970-244-1662. F
Mesa County to notify voters about signature updates
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Guardian Storage brings its ‘A’ game to Grand Junction Tim Harty
all of the self storage in Grand Junction today is industrial zoned/located product. Self storage is a retail business. People want their self storage to be Guardian Storage didn’t need to say a close to where they live and shop and to feel like thing to express its belief that Grand Junction it’s a very safe place to be whenever they visit. had room for another large, personal-storage Our location checks all the boxes.” facility. She added the proximity to F 1/2 Road and the Instead, it showed it, as its confidence extension of the road that is taking place will funnel about entering the Grand Junction market is more people by Guardian’s site, and “visibility is on display at 640 24 1/2 Road. That’s where very important to the success of our business.” it built a complex with six buildings, housing In addition to being a newly built facility, a variety of storage-unit sizes that add up to Guardian Storage differentiates itself with its selfabout 85,000 rentable square feet, including storage offerings. Puzak said the existing storage drive-up, climate-controlled drive-up and properties in Grand Junction tend to fit one of two interior climate-controlled storage. The unit categories: long-established local operators; and sizes range from 5-feet-by-5-feet to 10-feettruck-rental companies that also rent units. by-30-feet. “What the valley didn’t have much of was a Guardian Storage Director of Marketing purpose-built, climate-controlled property run on Candice Puzak wrote in an email interview the systems of an established multi-state company that Guardian found the Grand Junction but staffed by a manager who lives here,” she market appealing for many reasons, including Guardian Storage Property Manager Brandy Asenavage shows a 10-foot by wrote. “That’s the gap we built into. “a historic and vibrant downtown, a growing 30-foot storage unit, the largest available at the new, self-storage facility at “Most storage in the Grand Valley is university, redevelopment and apartment 640 24 1/2 Road in Grand Junction. Photo by Tim Harty. uninsulated, metal drive-up, which is hard on growth, attractive for young remote workers wood, leather and paper in a place that hits a and retirees, drawn to the access of more affordable living than the Denver metro area, hundred degrees with almost no humidity. So, 80 percent of our storage units are climate world-class recreation and great weather.” controlled — including drive-up units with insulated doors, which is uncommon anywhere Puzak said Guardian Storage identified a lack of “quality Class A self-storage options” and rare here. We also provide tenants with a phone-based Bluetooth access and daily 6 in the Grand Valley. According to Inside Self Storage’s website, www.insideselfstorage. a.m.–10 p.m. entry, in addition to a manager on site.” com, Class A self-storage facilities are “newer, with modern designs, premium amenities Puzak said Guardian Storage has had “a very receptive response” from Grand and very strong curb appeal. They’re also associated with five-star customer service and Junction since it opened in May. sophisticated security systems. These properties are often found in prime locations and “We have brought a self-storage property to the market that is unmatched in terms along major thoroughfares.” of the amenities provided – DU climate controlled, climate controlled, covered loading, Building the Guardian facility on 24 1/2 Road meets that location qualification. conference room for businesses to use, carpeted hallways, extensive security cameras, “First and foremost, we want to be where people live, shop and work,” Puzak said, etc. – and the demand we have seen in the first few months since opening reflects this,” “and the proximity to the Mesa Mall and the multifamily development is appealing. Nearly she wrote. The Business Times
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20 young professionals receive NEXTGen Awards at summit
The Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce bestowed BestSlope NEXTGen Awards on 20 young professionals during its YP Summit on Aug. 19 at Colorado Mesa University. The recipients represent industries that span business, banking, construction, education, media, nonprofit leadership, economic development, the arts and more. They are being recognized for showing leadership, innovation and commitment that is making a lasting impact across Mesa County. The 2026 BestSlope NEXTGen honorees are: • Micah Adams — Dynamic Program Management. • Kate Avery — ProSpace Interiors. • Matt Bell — Grand Junction Economic Partnership. • Leonela Castellon — SEA Strategy & Design. • Nikki Clark — Alpine Bank. • Giselle Genova — Grand Valley Creative Alliance. • Cody Iden — FCI Constructors Inc. • Adrianna Jacobsen — Food Bank of the Rockies. • Tosha Long — Dog Dynasty. • Laurel Lutz — Habitat for Humanity of Mesa County. • Natalee Machuca – Ute Water Conservancy District. • Chris Masters — HomewardBound of the Grand Valley. • Emily McConnell — Mesa County Libraries. • Andrew Price — Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra. • Pascual Ramos — Kooler Garage Doors. • Kristof Reiter — Reiter USA. • Sean Rubalcaba — Colorado Mesa University. • Stina Sieg — Colorado Public Radio. • Ian Skrine — The Christi Reece Group. • Danielle Sterle — Mesa County Regional Transportation Planning Office. The event was presented by Community Hospital, Alpine Bank and FCI Constructors and hosted by the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce in partnership with theYoung Professionals Network of Mesa County. F
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Prosperity has to be produced before it can be shared
Something happened in Colorado politics this summer that’s worth the attention of hurt worst are rarely the wealthy. They’re the ones who depended on the promise. anyone who cares about how communities pay for the things they value. Our governor, Which is why the other side of this story matters. Two years ago, Argentina had a Democrat, spent several weeks publicly making the case for inflation above 200 percent, a poverty rate over 40 percent, and a government spending capitalism. far beyond what it collected. The reforms that followed were painful and remain Jared Polis put it plainly. He supports universal health care and controversial: deep spending cuts; deregulation; hard fiscal discipline. Reasonable people a strong safety net, and he argued that the only way to fund them, as still debate the human cost of how fast it was done. But the results are not in serious he said history has proven, is through the free-market system and the dispute. Inflation has fallen from around 211 percent to roughly 33 percent. The economy prosperity it creates. grew 4.4 percent last year. Poverty dropped to its lowest level You can agree or disagree with where since 2018 (28.2 percent). A country that had been managing he’d set the safety net. The underlying point is “When a system owes more decline is, for now, producing again. harder to argue with, and it’s one worth sitting each year to people who’ve The lesson isn’t that one country’s medicine fits every patient. with regardless of party. Prosperity has to be It’s that you cannot distribute what you haven’t produced, and no stopped producing than it produced before it can be shared. The wealth amount of good intention repeals that. A safety net is only ever as collects from the people that funds a hospital, a school or a pension strong as the economy holding it up. Dalida Sasdoesn’t arrive by decree. Someone has to still working, the promise The demographic squeeze straining those pension systems soon Bollig create it first. eventually comes due and isn’t a foreign problem. It’s ours, too, and it’s arriving here. That sounds obvious. It turns out to be the there isn’t enough behind it. Colorado’s birth rate has fallen sharply over the past several years, central economic question of the moment, and several countries And the people who get hurt among the steepest declines in the country. Our labor force has are being forced to answer it the hard way. been shrinking. The state’s own projections show fewer young worst are rarely the wealthy. Look at the United Kingdom. This July, the Office for Budget people entering the workforce for years to come. That means the Responsibility, Britain’s official and independent fiscal watchdog, They’re the ones who ratio every prosperous community depends on, people producing released its annual sustainability report. Its conclusion was blunt. depended on the promise.” value versus people drawing on it, is tightening right here, in -Dalida Sassoon Bollig, CEO of the Colorado, not just in Europe. In nearly all the scenarios it examined, British government debt eventually moves onto an unsustainable and ever-rising path. We can’t set national tax policy or reform anyone’s pension Business Incubator Debt sits near 100 percent of the economy today and, on current system from Grand Junction. But we can decide, locally, to be a trends, is projected to climb toward 270 percent or higher over the place that produces. That means taking seriously the businesses next fifty years. The drivers aren’t mysterious: an aging population; a state pension that that generate real value here, the ones that make things, grow things, build things and grows faster than the economy; and health costs rising as the population gets older. employ people at wages a family can live on. It means treating entrepreneurship not as France is further down the same road; public debt has reached roughly 114 percent of a nice-to-have, but as the actual engine that funds everything else we say we care about, GDP. The government already collects more than half of the entire economy in revenue, from schools to parks to the services we want for our neighbors. And it means being among the highest levels in the developed world, and analysts across the spectrum note honest that a community, like a country, has to create wealth before it can share it. That’s not a partisan position. A Democratic governor and a rural business advocate there’s little room left to raise taxes without hurting the very growth that generates them. Meanwhile, the pension system runs a widening shortfall, because more people are can arrive at it from opposite directions and land in the same place, because it isn’t really drawing from it and fewer are paying in. When a government tried modest reforms, the about left or right. It’s about whether the promise is backed by anything. The parts of the world confronting that question honestly, whatever their politics, politics proved so difficult that the reforms were suspended and a prime minister resigned. Britain and France aren’t cautionary tales about socialism as a slogan. But they are are the ones with a future they can actually pay for. The parts avoiding it are quietly cautionary tales about the welfare state as it was built, a bargain in which the government borrowing that future from their own children. Western Colorado gets to choose which promises a growing pool of retirees more than a shrinking pool of workers can produce. kind of place it wants to be, and we get to choose it one business, one job and one The demographics are what’s tipping it now, fewer people paying in, more people produced dollar at a time. drawing out. Underneath the demographics, though, is the design itself, a welfare model Prosperity has to be produced before it can be shared. Everything else we want that assumed the producers would always outnumber the promises. depends on getting that order right. But that assumption is exactly what’s failing. When a system owes more each year F to people who’ve stopped producing than it collects from the people still working, the Dalida Sassoon Bollig is chief executive officer of the Business Incubator Center, 2591 promise eventually comes due and there isn’t enough behind it. And the people who get Legacy Way, Grand Junction.
The Business Times 609 North Ave., Suite 5 Grand Junction, CO 81501 (970) 424-5133 www.thebusinesstimes.com The Business Times is published weekly and distributed throughout Grand Junction, Fruita and Palisade. Advertising rates and deadlines are available upon request. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the writers and don’t necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, editor or advertisers. Copyright © 2026 All rights reserved Reach advertising at: publisher@thebusinesstimes.com Letters to the editor at: publisher@thebusinesstimes.com Submit stories or story ideas to: stories@thebusinesstimes.com
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august 26 - sePtember 2, 2026
Finally, for the Western Slope, X Marx the spot for Victor Notice I didn’t say victory, I said Victor. As in Marx And yes, I used Marx in the title that way on purpose. Because apparently, Victor Marx just discovered there are real, live – not fictional – folks living on the other side of Galt’s Gulch. And apparently all of the sudden, these same folks actually mean something to the Republican nominee for governor. By meaning something, I mean potential votes. Hey, if we voted for Boebert and Peters, apparently we’ll vote for anyone. So, you just know Victor felt the need to share his testimony and snake oil with a just discovered, hopeful, unsuspecting crowd just clamoring to touch Victor’s tzitzit. The second coming is indeed strong with this one’s mind. Sadly, we built it, and now he will come. Yes, this is a column about Victor. And many of you will find it harsh. So will I. But what else is a father, business owner and renowned Craig Hall (occasionally in his own mind) pundit to do when the second he hears someone speak and his gut insists, “There’s something wrong with this one.” As a father, you wouldn’t want them around your kids. As a business owner, you wouldn’t want to do business with them. And as a pundit, it’s your job, even a sarcastic sacred duty, to write about it. Sorry folks, that’s Victor Marx to me. Now, I’ll just wait for my cell to ring with his exorcism-by-phone service. I’m guessing he sees a needy new client. I don’t want to write this column. I want to like the guy. But since first hearing him speak and announcing his candidacy and then the primary, I never found a reason to. Maybe it just comes down to this: He doesn’t like to be around regular people, and I’ve never cared for folks who don’t care about us regular folks. I certainly don’t vote for them. But I have been tricked into voting before I knew what I now know. See above. That said, I realize there’s an argument to be made that Victor is the only vector to beat Phil (none the) Weiser in the general election. I’m hear to tell you, he’s not. I don’t think the republicans had a candidate who could beat the state’s Ambulance Chaser in Chief, who’s only claim to fame is suing companies he already allowed to rake in billions for an agreed upon “settlement” to be budgeted from those profits. Oh, he also sued the president. A LOT. And let’s face this fact: Colorado is chock full of folks who hate (yes, I don’t like using that word, but it fits perfectly here) President Trump way more than folks recycling Victor’s elixir bottles. Please note, none of this is a postmortem endorsement of Victor’s main primary opponents: one seemed nice enough who no one knew and the other a bully by proxy given his entourage. In other words, they weren’t gonna beat Nunthawiser either. And to think I just got a text from a local republican insider talking about republicans and strong candidates, which can only lead to one question: Wheredeyat? Because a strong candidate that Western Slope (and especially Mesa County Republicans – and former Mesa County Republicans) folks could get behind wouldn’t have to be sold like this, which I read on Facebook: “The West End is one of the most rural and isolated parts of Colorado. Too often, candidates hear about us from Denver but never come here to meet us, see our country or understand the challenges we face. “That is why I invited Republican candidate for Governor Victor Marx to the West End. “He accepted.
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“We will show him our beautiful landscape and talk honestly about public lands, natural resources, agriculture, mining, energy and the future of rural Colorado. Most importantly, he is coming here to listen.” OK. First off, what the hell is “The West End?” I’ve been here 26 years in the newspaper business and never heard the term. Second, don’t call us that. Third, maybe that’s one of the reasons people like Victor and Phil don’t care two wits about anyone over here, because we demand to be called something other than Coloradans. Then again, even after 26 years here, many don’t consider me “native,” so it’s a problem for more than just folks on the Western Slope. The PR material went further into reasons to not vote Victor besides his “campaign promise” to pardon Peters. There’s this ditty: “This is your chance to meet the Republican candidate for Governor face to face and help him leave with a clear understanding of who we are, what we have endured and why rural Western Colorado matters.” Color me cynical (yes, many do), but I’m a guy who thinks Marx would have at least had an inkling or two about who we are, what we’ve endured and why rural Western Colorado matters – and not be dumb enough to admit he doesn’t. Hell, even a little about these things on the “West End.” Makes me wonder if the Colorado republican Party knows about any of it. I’m not writing this because I want to get the local republicans – well, given how the party has treated me whenever I went against the party rulers’ ways, maybe I am a little. And if you want to write in and tell me how wrong I am in all your unique ways, you are welcome to, as always. After all, saying Tina was guilty got me and my kids death threats (guess from which side they came?). But my job is to write my take on things, even the ones you think I shouldn’t wade into. With that, I’m saying I can’t vote for someone who doesn’t know we exist and needs an invitation to “understand” us and grace us with his presence. And even then, he tends to hide behind a pulpit instead of sitting in a diner. I hope the community center down there can fit all those folks and Victor’s ego. As for the local church given the party’s split, it might be too big. Hey Victor, finally coming all the way over here and dropping into Nucla to give your testimony before heading off to service in Junction isn’t gonna change much. As my old Lutheran pastors were prone to say, “You’re late for church.” Oh, and tell me when the last time adding a soldier no one ever heard of as a running mate ever worked to win? Imagine, Marx and Washington on the same line on the ballot. I guess it’s at least name recognition. In Truth and freedom. F Craig Hall is owner and publisher of The Business Times. Reach him at 424-5133 or publisher@thebusinesstimes.com
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August 26 - september 2, 2026
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The Business Times
n Alpine Bank promotes 3 employees in Mesa County Alpine Bank announced recent promotions for Nikki Clark and Carissa Crawford in its downtown Grand Junction branch and Brandon Cummings in Alpine’s Clifton branch. Alpine Bank said in a news release that Clark was promoted from banking officer to assistant vice president for the Mesa County region. Clark joined Alpine Bank in 2020 and specializes in residential and commercial lending. In her expanded role, Nikki Clark Carissa Crawford she will take on additional branch-management responsibilities while continuing to support customers and business partners and advancing Alpine Bank’s mission of relationship-based banking and community engagement. Crawford was promoted to banking officer following her successful completion of the bank’s officer-trainee program. Known for her commitment to leadership and community involvement, Crawford will focus on residential and commercial lending in her new role. “Watching employees take on new challenges, develop their skills and step into leadership roles is an important part of our culture and reflects Alpine Bank’s commitment to investing in our people,” Brandon said Tom Oliver, senior vice president and manager of the downtown Cummings Grand Junction branch. “Seeing someone realize their potential and make an impact in their community is what it’s all about.” Cummings recently completed Alpine Bank’s officer-trainee program and has been promoted to banking officer. In his new role, Cummings will focus on residential and commercial lending. “Having started my own Alpine Bank journey in the officer-trainee program, it’s especially meaningful to see others reach this milestone and continue building their careers here,” said Jerry Gryglak, vice president and manager of the Clifton branch.
n 6-day training cohort for nonprofit directors A six-day intensive cohort for newer and seasoned nonprofit-organization executives is coming to Grand Junction. “Executive Director Accelerator” will begin Sept. 23 at the Gem and Mineral Club, 2328 Monument Road in Grand Junction. The six full-day sessions will take place Wednesday-Friday, September 23-25 and October 14-16. The cost is $750 and includes materials, lunches and snacks. The training will be provided by Third Sector Innovations, a nonprofit consulting and support firm based in Grand Junction. For more than 30 years, the firm has helped nonprofits grow organizational capacity and sustainability.
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Attendees will hear from Third Sector staff and some of the region’s leading nonprofit executives during interactive, all-day sessions designed to give them the knowledge and confidence to run an effective nonprofit organization. Participants will receive practical tools such as: • Insight into resource development and communications. • Guidance on how to achieve financial and operational clarity. • Organizational leadership and team strengthening skills. • Building a cohort network through connections with peers and veteran nonprofit leaders across the region. For more information or to register, go online at communityimpactcouncil.org/copyof-events, or call 970-208-6484.
n Oktobertfest coming Sept. 19 to Cross Orchards The Museums of Western Colorado will host Harvest the Moment at Oktoberfest on Sept. 19 from 1 to 6 p.m. at Cross Orchards Historic Site, 3073 F Road in Grand Junction. Admission is free, and Oktoberfest will feature musical performances by Izzy Burns and Keith McCloud, traditional polka music, train rides, lawn games, food, local vendors and festival competitions, including women’s and men’s stein-holding competitions and children’s and adult costume contests. Guests ages 21 and older can purchase wristbands ($10 presale, $15 at the door) for craft beer from Ramblebine Brewing Company, while a limited number of VIP Beer Garden experiences are available for $100 and include reserved, shaded seating, a commemorative stein, a beer pass and an Oktoberfest meal. “Oktoberfest is an opportunity to bring our community together to celebrate local music, breweries and traditions, while enjoying a beautiful historic setting and supporting the Museums of Western Colorado,” said Shenna Hayden, executive director of the Museums of Western Colorado.
n Intermountain Health tabs Peek as new region president Intermountain Health selected Scott Peek to be the new region president to oversee business and clinical operations across the enterprise’s markets in Colorado, Montana, Eastern Wyoming and New Mexico, known as the Peaks Region. He officially begins his new role on Aug. 16. Most recently Peek served as the operational lead for the region and as the market president for the Colorado Front Range. In addition to overseeing the business and clinical operations, Peek will serve as the strategic leader responsible for Intermountain’s Catholic assets. Peek will also represent Intermountain Health on the board for the recently announced joint venture with AdventHealth in Colorado’s Front Range.
n Central Library holding off developing vacant lot
In an update about Mesa County Libraries from Executive Director Michelle BoisvenueFox, she said the Central Library is holding off developing the vacant lot next to the library. She said the library received community input and conducted surveys and determined: “Construction costs have climbed and pushed the cost beyond what our budget can currently handle.” In other updates, Boisvenue-Fox shared: • The Orchard Mesa Branch Library worked with the landlord to extend the branch’s lease through November 2031. She added, “We’re planning to make some changes to the library layout to improve the flow of activity and program offerings.” • Fruita has outgrown the Fruita Branch Library location over the past 15 years, and the branch will remain open while Mesa County Libraries looks for alternative locations in the coming years. • Mesa County Libraries’ 2026 community survey is open until Aug. 31 to gather input on these and other library services.
Business Bite
Chase Bank targets Q2 opening: The Chase Bank branch that is being built at 2405 Patterson Road in Grand Junction, next to Natural Grocers, is expected to open early in the second quarter next year as part of Chase’s expansion through its American Dream Initiative.
August 26 - september 2, 2026
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The Business Times
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