May 10, 2023

5/10/2023
President Gary Fitzpatrick opened the meeting at 10 am.

Jerry Norton moved to approve the minutes from last month and Bob Noble seconded the motion. The motion passed.

Treasurer Bill Gates said we have $6,523.54 in money market and $3629.14 in checking. Last month’s raffle brought in $47, which helps to offset the cost of our coffee and goodies for each meeting. Tanya Davis and others are now making the treats and coffee for our meetings. Thank you all!

Pres. Gary recognized April birthdays. Happy Birthday all!

Linda Ash of the We Care committee said everyone stayed healthy and no cards were sent out.

Membership committee said we had some new members! They are:Teresa Ann Bell; Neil and Bobbie Usselman; Elsa Francis; Barb Hofecker; Terry Furtney; Janet Hejl; Dawn and William Weigand; and Roger and Ellora Stanton. Welcome all!

Mike Avery said there were no updates for the website and Dale Gates had no updates for the newsletter.

Nile Leach of the Tour and Lunch group reminded everyone of the Fire Department tour the next day. It was filled! He also said on the 23rd of May they are going to the Ute Museum in Montrose and touring the petroglyphs. It was so popular they opened up June 8th as a second trip to the Museum as well.

Armchair Travelers is on hiatus until Sept. 7 at the library. It has MOVED to Thursdays from Mondays!!!!

Ken Seitz announced the next happy hour on the 31st will be at Base Camp in Fruita.

Susan Norton filled in for Tizza Chace for the wine tasting evening. The next event is at the Art Center from 4 to 6-ish pm on May 25. Cost is $25 per person. It will be on Italian wines.

Susan also mentioned the Two Rivers Stray Grass concert for the 16th is SOLD OUT! The next concert is June 20 with Exit 42.

Our speaker today was John Marshall, the 11th President of Colorado Mesa University. John reported that CMU strives to think outside the ideological monolith box in which ideas tend to harden and instead create an educational environment that centers on common values. Seven values at the center of the university’s “Forming the Future Initiative Core” are: love, dignity, resiliency,
humility, courage, curiosity, and power. These values are woven into the curriculum of all classes. The university strives to function on a “human scale.” That is, it endeavors to offer the community the courses it needs while remaining small enough so that students feel they belong.

Only one in five students in our community achieves a college degree as compared to one in three in the rest of the state.

John also described the university’s innovative and cost-saving geothermal heating system and the new performing arts center that will bring off-Broadway as well as local productions to the community. Note: Look for the upcoming Tour and Lunch event at CMU later in June.

Pres. Gary closed the meeting out at 11:08.
                                             - Suzan Fournier, Secretary

2/8/2023
Pres. Bob Noble called the meeting to order at 10 am. Bob acknowledged the coffee committee of Les and Tizza. Thank you for the goodies!

Happy Birthday to all February birthdays!

Terry Adcock made a motion to accept the Secretary’s minutes from the January meeting. David Austin seconded that motion.

New Treasurer Bill Gates told us we have $2948.27 in checking and $6518 in our money market. Pres. Bob said, as Susan Norton always said, “We have money!” Lois Leach made a motion to accept the Treasurer’s report and Les Slowik seconded that motion.

Bob let the members know that next month there will be no speaker as we have an election of new Officers. Currently the folks running for office are as follows:
    * Gary Fitzpatrick for President
    * Tom Politzer for 1st Vice President
    * Nile Leach for 2nd Vice President
    * Suzan Fournier for Secretary
And Bill Gates who is already elected as Treasurer.

Gary Fitzpatrick spoke for a few minutes to let us know that when he lived in Ohio (go Buckeyes) that he was involved in Rotary, served on a hospital board, and was involved in the Chamber of Commerce. So he does have experience in helping to lead a group and looks forward to grow and lead our Newcomers Group.

Tom Politzer was unable to attend as he had travel plans but will be there in March.

Pres. Bob thanked Carolyn White for her MANY years performing the newsletter and website tasks.  She did a great job and has passed that onto Dale Gates for the newsletter and Mike Avery for our Webmaster. Mike has lots of IT experience. Thank you both for taking on these tasks!

Bob introduced Cheryl Click with Hilltop, a nonprofit organization that has provided human services for over 70 years. The 400 paid employees aided by 100 volunteers offer 20 programs for children, youth, and seniors. Hilltop manages 90 facilities in Grand Junction, Delta, and Montrose. Volunteers have contributed 14,000
hours reading to clients, assisting instructors, playing instruments, or just talking to patients. Opportunities to volunteer are nearly unlimited. If you are interested in looking into their volunteer program you can go to their website at http://www.htop.org to find out more.

Stan Zygmunt of New Dimensions mentioned the
midday meeting for the following day at the library.  There will be a presentation on the History of Teller
Indian School.

Bob mentioned that our Armchair Travelers presentation at the library was well attended. There were 83 folks there.

Les Slowik said the The Venue where they have been having the wine club meet is closing down. He is looking into other places to hold this group. Fisher’s Market closes at 7:30 and Les was asking for a show of hands if folks would attend at this hour. Several hands were raised at this suggestion. Someone mentioned looking into Eureka as a meeting place. Les is going to check that out. We need to bring in our own wine and food.

Douglas Grodt of the hiking group mentioned that in addition to hiking he is knowledgeable in astronomy, native plants, and history. The next walk is an easy one along the riverfront trail at Las Colonias and through Watson Island. Hikers can visit the nearby botanical gardens after the hike. If you want to be put on the email list, get with Douglas.

Nile Leach who helps with the Tour and Lunch group said that on March 15 they are visiting the curbside recycling facility at 333 West Ave. at 10:30 am. Lunch will follow at a soon-to-be decided location.

Feb. 15 at 10:30 am is the tour of the Community Food Bank at 28 1/2 Rd., between North and Hwy 50. Lunch will be at Randy’s Southside Diner unless someone else has a better idea!

Nile thanked everyone who attended the Armchair Travelers at the library. It was very well attended. The next one at the library will be Dan Leeth who was a photojournalist for several travel magazines. The program will be Winter in Quebec City.

Dale Gates requested photos of our groups for the newsletter. PNG, GIF, or JPEG formats are best. Send photos to dale.gates1@gmail.com. Mike Avery offered to post pictures on the website if there are too many for the newsletter.

Linda Ash of the We Care committee sent out two cards this month. One was to Cynthia McCalla who has been feeling bad and Wayne McCalla for breaking an ankle.

Larrayne Zygmunt of the Membership Committee announced several visitors at our meeting! Thank you all for visiting. We also have 4 new members: Lynne Sommers, Jessica Ipnar, Jan Wilslev and Debbie De Roo. Welcome all!

The raffle was held by Les Slowik. He proposed we do a silent auction for the raffle to speed things up. He asked if everyone thought that was a good idea and there was a BOO from the crowd. The raffle will stand as is! Nice try, Les!

Les Slowik called for meeting to be adjourned and Alec Fournier concurred. Meeting adjourned at 11:08!

                                               - Suzan Fournier, Secretary

1/11/2023
President Bob Noble called the meeting to order at 10 am. A motion to approve the minutes from the November meeting as published in the December newsletter was made by Linda Ash and seconded by Jerry Norton. They were accepted by acclamation. No meeting in December accounts for the time lag.

Treasurer Susan Norton announced, “We still have money,” specifically in $1854 in our checking account and $6,516 in our money market account. The November raffle brought in $52. The holiday party was very successful with about 93 attendees. The club subsidy was only $305. Proceeds from the auction of the centerpieces were donated to Hope West and Kids Aid with each receiving $88. Sue Slaughter and her committee did a fabulous job in putting everything together. Jerry Norton made a motion to accept the Treasurers report and Tanya Davis seconded it. It was accepted by all.

President Bob thanked Les and Tizza for their wonderful contribution of goodies and coffee. We do appreciate it!

Birthdays for the month of December and January were recognized. Happy Birthday all!

Membership committee Larrayne Zygmunt introduced guests Mike and Lea Shay from Loveland and Tammie Vickery from Illinois. New members are Beverly Bailey, who made the move here from Pueblo and is living with her daughter, and  Steve and Kathy Smeirciek from Silverthorne.

Linda Ash of the “We Care” group let us know we have all been so healthy! She did send out two cards to a couple of guys with shoulder surgeries: Jerry Norton and John Mead. She is in the directory if you know of anyone who needs a card for any reason.
Dale Gates is the new newsletter editor. She would like information for the newsletter no later than the 20th or 21st of the month.

Bob introduced our speaker, Joy Thompson, executive director of Mesa County Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program. The program began in Seattle, WA, in 1977 and there are currently about 400 programs across the nation. The role of the CASA volunteer is to be the voice for the child. Volunteers are appointed when a child is removed from the home because of abuse or neglect and involvement continues until the case is resolved. Joy described the training volunteers receive, she outlined the duties, and Joy emphasized the need for volunteers. More information about the program or volunteering can be found at casamc.org.

Les Slowik reminded everyone of the wine tasting on Jan. 17 with Spanish wines and tapas. The next tasting will be in March with roses.

Joan Robinson thanked everyone for contributing to a successful donation program for the Salvation Army. Thirty families received donations. Thanks, Jan, for taking this on! It is a great program.

Several interest group leaders gave reminders about upcoming events.

Stan Zygmunt announced New Dimensions' winter/spring session. Registration for 70 classes runs Jan. 27 - 31, with classes Feb. 6 - March 24. Full information is at newdimensionsgj.org.

Douglas Grodt told hikers of a change to next day's hike.

Nile Leach said the February Armchair Traveler presentation would be by Mike Perry, former executive director of the Museums of Western Colorado, on a river trip in Peru.

Roger Bain said he'd lead the Jan. 18 Tour and Lunch of the Colorado Welcome Center in Fruita. Lunch will follow at Munchies.

Lois Leach will be a speaker at 5:30 at Love Recital on MLK day. She is involved in the League of Women Voters, which will speak about information disseminated to schools regarding MLK.

Pres. Bob reminded everyone about the ELECTION OF NEW OFFICERS coming up at the February meeting. Candidates will be announced next month in February. Please step forward right away and let Bob know if you are interested in any of the officer duties.

Susan Norton said Bill Gates has offered to take over the Treasurer position. It is necessary to get bank signature cards signed now so Susan requested a vote to accept Bill as Treasurer so the result can be published in the minutes. Susan made a motion to accept Bill Gates as Treasurer. Alec Fournier seconded and Bill is Treasurer by acclamation.

Susan also announced the Art Center’s Wildflight concert on Jan. 28. She has tickets or you can buy them online. They are $25.00 in advance and $30.00 at the door. This is a very fun and lively band.

Nile mentioned that the Tour and Lunch Club typically does not go to places that require an admission fee but they are planning some day trips. A June 6 trip is planned to the Ute Indian Museum in Montrose with a private tour of the petroglyphs. Cost will be about $30. Another day trip is to the sheep dog trials on Sept. 7, followed by a visit to the Meeker museum for a fee of about $20. There will be more information in the future.

President Bob Noble called for a motion to dismiss at 11:07. Jerry Norton motioned to dismiss and Les Slowik seconded. All were in favor and agreed!

Submitted by,
Suzan Fournier, Secretary

11/9/2022

Pres. Bob Noble called the Nov. 9th meeting to order.
 
Motion to approve minutes from last month was made by John Mead and seconded by Alberta Husch. Minutes were approved by acclimation.
 
Treas. Susan Norton announced we have $1541.00 in checking and $6514.00 in money market. Our checking will increase soon with the dues from the members. Last month’s raffle brought in $60.00. This helps offset the cost of the goodies we have for our meetings.
 
Big thanks to Les Slowik and Tizza Chace for the goodies and coffee. They must have been delicious because they are about gone!
 
Bob recognized 4 folks with birthdays in the month of November. Happy Birthday!
 
Lorraine Zygmunt of Membership committee announced guests Mark and Camille Jochimsen, Dee Ann Gates and Vicki Cursman. The Jochimsens joined as members.
 
Linda Ash of We Care announced one card she sent out to Lily Shanabarger, whose husband Mickey passed away. She is in South Lake Tx 76092. The address to send a card if you would like is 1208 Timber Ct.
 
Carolyn White of the Newsletter and Webmaster duties did have an announcement! Dale Gates has offered to take over the newsletter. There was also an inquiry about a “meet up” group for non-club events such as concerts, and such. If anyone is interested in taking this on as the contact person to coordinate such interest talk to Carolyn. She can steer you in the right direction to get this going.
 
Sue Slaughter, the coordinator once again for our Annual Holiday Party announced it will be on Dec 13th at the Masonic Center. Social hour will begin at 5:45 and dinner served at 6:30. It will be a Little Italy theme with pasta bar, chicken Marsala, meatballs etc. and tiramisu and chocolate mousse for dessert among other foods. The party is catered by Sodexo thru CMU. They will provide set up but Sue needs 4 volunteers to help serve the food and set up the tables and also take down of the tables. Reservations need to be in by Dec 3rd!!! Cost is $30.00 per person which includes the subside amount the Club is providing. Tanya Davis is in charge of the decorations for the tables. If you would like to get your creative mojo going let Tanya know you will be providing a centerpiece. They will be voting on favorite centerpiece.
 
Jerry Norton will provide music again and Les Slowik will be MC. With that combination what could go wrong?
 
Pres. Bob said it is one of the major events for the Club and a great way to meet new people.
 
Since Veterans Day is just a couple days away Bob asked all Veterans to be recognized and thanked them for their service. Thank you all!
 
Les Slowik announced they had 34 folks for the wine tasting. The next one will be in Jan. since the holidays are a busy time. They are looking for suggestions for Spanish wine to pair with tapas.
 
Next week happy hour is at Tiara Rado.
 
Nile Leach of Armchair Travelers said he will be speaker on their trip through Maine for the Dec. 5th presentation. There is no Armchair in Jan.!!!!
 
In January on the 18th there is a Tour and Lunch to the Fruita Visitor Center/CDOT location. Lunch after will be Munchies.
 
Lunch and Tour group will do the Art walk on Main St. next Wed the 16th of Nov. Lois Leach said they will meet in front of the Buffalo on Main St. and end up at Goat and Clover where they will have lunch. If it rains or snows there will NOT be a tour.
 
THERE IS NO LUNCH AND TOUR IN DECEMBER!
 
It was voted on not to have a Club meeting in Dec since it would fall on the day after the Holiday Party. So do NOT show up in Dec. for a Newcomer meeting!!!!
 
Joan Robinson is heading up the Angel Tree again this year. She has a list of children with some “wishes and needs” on their list. If you would like to help a child have a nice Christmas please call Joan. She does have some names left to give you. The gift can be dropped off at Salvation Army or the mall by Dec. 15th.
 
Douglas Grodt said after a few weeks of no hikes they will be meeting tomorrow to hike Rustlers Loop. He hopes to see some yellow cottonwoods if the leaves haven’t blown off!
 
Stan Zygmunt said on Dec. 8th there is a presentation through New Dimensions and the Library on the History of Irrigation Systems in the Valley. Sign up through the libraries website.
 
Susan Norton put in her pitch for Music in Grapevines for an indoor concert that will be happening in Jan. If you are not on Susan’s email list to receive these notices call her or email her to get on the list. Look for announcements about these great concerts that benefit the Art Center.
 
Pres. Bob introduced our speaker - Alicia Wenger who is Exec. Dir. of the Community food Bank. She said the Pantry has been open for 45 years of service. It’s the largest non-profit supplier of food to this area on 28 1/2 rd.
 
There is no qualifications to come through and get food. Their goal is nutritious food. You can shop Mon, Tues and Thurs from 12:30 - 5:00. It is now set up like a grocery store - you take a cart and shop which has improved the dignity of the program and saved on food items that folks don’t want.
 
They have a home delivery program Thurs and Fri am. There are 2 bilingual staff members and they do tastings and healthy recipes on site.
 
67% of the food comes from Food Bank of the Rockies. They get food from the groceries and restaurants which is 25% of their inventory. They spend $17,000 with Rockies. There are 25 routes a week they run collecting the food.
 
They have grown 4 times since 2019 and service 6,000 folks /mo with 80,000 #’s of food.
 
There are USDA experts that help them follow all the guidelines for storage, temperature of food etc. They try to have pet food, some baby and diaper items. Their per meal cost is 23 cents. So monetary donations are helpful as well.
 
100 volunteer slots are open per week to fill. Call or stop by if you are interested. Susan Norton said she volunteers there so if you have any questions she would be glad to talk with you.
 
The raffle was held by Susan Norton and Martha Potyondy.
 
Pres. Bob called for a motion to adjourn. Tanya Davis and Alec Fournier motioned and accepted. Meeting adjourned!
 
Suzan Fournier, secretary
​

10/12/2022

President Bob Noble began the meeting at 10:00 am. We had 54 people in attendance. The minutes from last month’s meeting were approved by acclamation.
 
Treasurer Susan Norton said again, “We have money,” specially $1,578 in checking $6,512 in our money market. Until renewal dues are collected starting in January we will be spending down our checking account money. The treasurer’s report was approved by acclamation.
 
The coffee and pastries prepared by Tizza Chace and Les Slowik were greatly appreciated as usual.
 
Among the October birthdays recognized was that of Susan Norton, turning over a new year today.
 
Jean Greenfield of the membership committee introduced guests Maryann and Loren Benoit, longtime Grand Junction residents, and Les and Colleen Seamans, who arrived here from Salt Lake City in April. Bill and Dale Gates had been to a coffee earlier as visitors and now are members.
 
Linda Ash of “we care” read a card she received from Paula Struckman that acknowledged the card she had sent to Paula on learning of the passing of her husband Keith. Paula and Keith were Newcomers for many years before moving to the East Coast to be closer to family.
 
Carolyn White announced that with the February 2023 issue of the newsletter she would be stepping down as editor. In the next four months she will ready files and documentation for someone else to take over. She stressed, however, that the new editor will be free to make the newsletter his/her own. Carolyn will continue to update the website and directory for a period of time.
 
Special groups reports
 
Sandy Siletto said we would see “bugs in action” at the Oct. 19 tour of the Palisade Insectary. Lunch will follow at 357 Bar and Grill in Palisade.
 
Lois Leach followed with information on the Nov. 16 Lunch and Tour. Sarah Dishong  project coordinator for Downtown Grand Junction, will lead tour of Art on the Corner works on Main Street. This will be a somewhat shorted version of the tour she has done for New Dimensions. Lunch will be at Goat and Clover afterwards. Sign-up will be at the Nov. 9 meeting.
 
Douglas Grodt reminded us that the hiking group is every Thursday, not just once a month. This week they will have an easy hike on the Grand Mesa and will expect to see spectacular color. Contact Doug to get on the list for him to email you.
 
Les said that plans are coming along for a holiday party on Dec. 13. We have the location, another large room here at the Masonic Center. Two different caterers are under consideration, and both will have servers. Experience has shown that buffet service doesn’t work for our group. The committee needs a volunteer to take the lead in table decorations, as well as help in setting up before the party. Contact Les or Sue Slaughter if you can help.
 
Les also spoke about our first wine tasting in many years. It will be at the VENUE by Fisher’s Liquors starting at noon on Oct. 27. Many members have signed up, and Les expects this will be the first of many more.
 
Tanya Davis urged anyone interested in Dinner Club to give her a ring. The first dinner of the season was at Ruth and Larry Anna’s home in September with all dinner club members, and dinners now are in homes with eight at table.
 
Bob read an announcement from Stan Zygmunt of New Dimensions about its free program Midday at New Dimensions. Scott Perrin will present “Reading the Stars—Current Observations on the Universe” at the Central Library at noon tomorrow, Oct. 13.
 
Nile Leach recapped some Armchair Travelers programs. Toni Austin had presented “Where in the World is Singapore” based on her ten visits there to visit grandchildren. Bob Noble will give a talk on a visit to Vietnam and Cambodia on Nov. 7. For the Dec. 5 program Nile will talk about a recent trip to Maine.
 
Other Information
 
Marjorie Demel-Maynard told us about an upcoming art and craft fair at the Palisade American Legion on Oct. 29 from 9 am to 4 pm. All proceeds go to veterans and their families.
 
Ruth Anna reminded us of the Senior Expo at the GJ Convention Center until 2 pm today.
 
Pres Bob introduced our speaker Andreya Krieves, president of the Grand Valley Parks and Recreation Foundation. The foundation started in February 2020 and is a volunteer non-profit organization with three goals:
 

• Provide community fund-raising for programs and scholarships. For example, GVPARK has raised money toward a sculpture on the Redlands roundabout.
• Work with Grand Junction Parks and Recreation on big-ticket items that call for grant-writing. Doing this shows that the grand applicant “has skin in the game.”
• Local fund-raising for scholarships to summer camp, after-school programs and such.

 
Andreya had copies of the Parks and Rec Activity Guide and a flyer on an event on Oct. 15. “Water Lights at Night” will launch water lanterns on the Butterfly Pond at Los Colonias. You can find more information on their website www.gjparf.org.
 
All the items were claimed in the raffle.
 
Before the meeting closed members were urged to think about what role they could play on committees or on the executive board. Bob will not serve again as president, and the other board members will not necessarily serve again. Fresh energy and ideas are welcome.
 
 
 
Meeting adjourned at 10:45 am.
 
Carolyn White, for Suzan Fournier, secretary
​

9/14/2022

Pres. Bob Noble began the meeting at 10:00 am. We had 54 people in attendance. John Mead and Tanya Davis first and seconded last month’s minutes. The group concurred. August minutes were accepted.  
Treas. Susan Norton announced that 108 were signed up for the barbecue and 103 attended. We subsidized $132.00 for the meals. We have $2078.96 in checking, $6512.76 in money market and $87.00 in raffle money which helps to pay for our meeting goodies. Motion was made by Ruth Anna to accept the minutes and David Austin seconded. 
 It was a great Labor Day picnic. Bob said it was a hot day but plenty of water kept everyone well!  
 Pres. Bob recognized all the September birthdays. Happy Birthday everyone! 
 Larrayne Zygmunt of Membership committee announced several new members: 
Beverly Bailey of Pueblo - has been here 2 months! 
Susan Reeves - has been here several years 
Jean Knight - retired teacher 
Nick Durant - been here 3 yrs. From Albuquerque 
Porcia and Cris Silverberg - 6 weeks from Chicago 
Frank and Tracy Louis-Marie 
Jim & Mary Beth Cowie 
Kris & Don Ami 
Jonathon & Caroline Ely 
Vince & Cara Fendel 
Fred & Winona Schwartz 
Welcome all! 
 Linda Ash of “we care” sent out a card to Carol Leche on the passing of her sister.  
Carolyn White of the Newsletter and Webmaster group said the 6-month updated directory will be going out soon. Please look at it and make sure the information is correct. There are no updates on the website. Take a look at it to find the newsletter and other information. 
 Special groups reports: 
 Nile Leach said the 2nd movie club is coming along and will be forming soon. Judy Neste will get that going at next month’s meeting. 
 Armchair Travelers had their first presentation at the library in Sept. The second one will be our own Toni Austin talking about Singapore - a place she has been to 10 times and where her son and his family reside. David Austin said Toni will be able to give you an idea of what life is like living there as a resident and a tourist!  
 
Nile also reminded us a week from today is the Flying Miata tour and then lunch after at the bakery in Palisade. As Pres. Bob told us they are known for doing business around the world with replacement parts for Mazda cars. They can customize anything you want or need! 
 Octobers tour will be to the insectary. They have developed a wasp that will kill the insects that kill the fruit trees and many other things! You can sign up at Oct. meeting.  
 Ruth Anna mentioned to get to the library early for the Armchair travelers presentation. It starts at 6:30 but folks get there by 6 to get their seat and then peruse the library. 
 Suzan Fournier reminded the new members that there is a knitting/crocheting group that will be meeting Monday at Sherwood Park at 1:30 for those interested.  
 Douglas Grodt of the Hiking group will be hiking through a forest tomorrow morning. He is our plant guru and will point out species of flowers, etc. Contact Doug to get on the list for him to email you. 
 Stan Zygmunt of New Dimensions said the new semester begins Oct. 3rd through Nov. 11th. The course catalogue will be out Sept. 19th. There are almost 80 classes and half being new ones! Make sure to look at the catalogue. Some great new items listed!  
 Tanya Davis gladly announced the Dinner Club is back at 40 members! They will have a get together of all members at Larry and Ruth Annas home this Sat. Then they will meet monthly in smaller groups at individual homes. This is a great way to really get to know folks in a more intimate setting and enjoy some great drinks and food!  
 Pres Bob introduced our speaker Kristi Knowles who is a fraud specialist with the GJ police department.  
* More than 3.5 million older adults are victims of financial exploitation each year.
​

* Seniors targeted by fraudsters suffer an average loss of $34,200. 
* Here are some resources to look up to get educated about fraud: 
stopfraudcolorado.gov 
FTC.GOV 
IC3.GOV 
SSA.GOV (this will show you if your soc. Sec is being used by others) 
OnGuardOnline.gov 
www.fbi.gov/scams-safety/frad 
 
This was a very enlightening presentation and a good reminder of what not to do! 
 
The raffle was held by Les Slowik and Carolyn White and goodies were given out. 
 
Les Slowik made a motion to adjourn at 11:15. Everyone concurred. Another meeting adjourned! 
 
Suzan Fournier, secretary 

8/10/2022

2nd Vice President Nile Leach called the meeting to order at 10 am on Aug. 10, 2022.
 
Janice Shepherd and Jerry Norton made 1st and 2nd motion to accept the minutes from the last meeting. Everyone concurred.
 
Nile asked Susan Norton if we had money and she responded with a resounding “YES” we have money! We actually have $2569 in checking
account, $6512 in money market and a huge $91.00 from a great raffle! Jerry Norton made a motion to accept the Treasurers report and Tanya Davis seconded. Treasurers report was accepted.
 
Nile was going to ask Carolyn White the report on Web and Newsletter but she is traveling, so Susan Norton said “everything is good” in Carolyn’s place!
 
Nile recognized our hardworking coffee and pastry committee which is Les Slowik and Tizza Chace. Another yummy social time for the Newcomers.
 
August birthdays were recognized and there were many! Happy Birthday!
 
Larrayne Zygmunt of Membership Committee welcomed several new visitors. We also have new members Erin and Terry Gabreath. Welcome all!
 
Linda Ash of the “we care” committee did send out 2 cards this month. One was to Ingrid Leland who had hip surgery and to Ann Bradley’s family on her passing. She was a long time Newcomer.

Kenny Alevy reminded us of the Labor Day picnic at Canyonview Park at the Pavilion. It is on Sept. 5th at 5:00. They will service from 5:30 to 6:00 pm. It is $12.50 for Newcomers and $15.00 for guests. Have Cooker Will Travel is the provider for our meal – chicken and beef main meats. There is a vegetarian option if you need. Newcomers will be providing the water, and silverware for the meal. If you want to bring alcoholic beverages make sure there is no glass and you are discreet. You can also bring some nuts or goodies to share beforehand. This is a great time to meet new folks and catch up with others.
 
Nile Leach of Armchair Travelers let us know Sept 12th a gal from Eureka math and science, Christina Lead will be doing a presentation at the library about her 4 months abroad during covid in the Balkan Islands and Columbia. This should be a very good presentation.
 
Stan Zygmunt of New Dimensions also mentioned the hour-long presentation at the library on Aug. 11th regarding the topic “supreme court - a political entity or not?” The speaker was a lawyer for 44 years and has appeared before the Supreme Court. The fall term is coming up on Oct 3rd thru 11/11. There are 70 courses of which 40 are new!
 
Miriam Singer announced the Brazilian Bossanova at the Avalon on Sept. 14th. It is called “an evening in Rio.” It will have wonderful lively music and great musical performances. Her deceased husband helped work on this event.
 
Karen Huber will be leading the lunch and tour group on Sept. 17th at 10:30 am at Moon Farm. Karen is a volunteer for the Equine Leaning Center there. She will show you where the horses are stabled and other animals. Please wear close toed shoes. Her disabled grandson has grown so much through this center not only with posture but mental wellbeing. Afterword they will go to Munchies in Fruita for lunch.
 
Septembers tour will be the Flyin’ Miata.
 
Doug Grodt of our Hiking Club is leading the hike on Thursday through Crag Crest on the Mesa. It will be a two-hour hike. He will point out the pika which live in the crevices and have to store 50#’s of flowers to make it through the wintertime. Doug is now requesting reservations so they can leave on time when they know everyone is there. They meet at Coronado Shopping Center at 8:45 am in Clifton.
 
New Chairwoman of Dinner Club is Tanya Davis. She would like to welcome new folks to the monthly dinner group. This is a wonderful way to make new friends in a much smaller group. They meet on Fridays and the groups are generally 6-8 folks. Sept. meeting will be their kickoff dinner at Ruth and Larry Annas home. Let Tanya know if you want to join.
 
Nile announced that after many years of faithful service as President Bob Noble has decided to step down next year. The Board is forming a search committee to talk with folks who might be interested in this position. The Club bylaws are on the back table if you would like to see them or you can find them on our website. If you have any questions or interest in this position please see a board member. We have so many wonderful new members from all walks of interesting backgrounds. This is a great way to refresh the club and keep us moving forward.
 
Our guest speaker today is Megan Eckert who is the HR Director for Riverside Educational Center. It is a nonprofit tutorial program currently at 9 schools in Grand Junction. It is for kids not only for academic success but enrichment programs as well. The hours are usually 2-6 pm after school. It is 4 days/ week. Typically it is for children that are low income, IEP, need social interaction or a safe place to go after school. They usually have 10 kids or less in a class.
Jana Delcamp is a tutor there (she is in Newcomers) and spoke about their needs as well. She would LOVE to have a volunteer for her group at Chatfield Elementary. They also have paid positions open as well. She spoke how the kids love to be read to and love to read as well. It’s a very rewarding position with lots of children who appreciate being there. See Jana if you are interested or call the Center.
 
Susan Norton held the raffle for all the goodies to give away.
 
Nile called for motion to dismiss - Alec Fournier made a motion and Don Leche seconded. Meeting adjourned at 11:05!
 
Good job Nile!
 
Suzan Fournier, secretary

7/13/2022

Pres. Bob Noble started the meeting at 10 am. We have 71 people in attendance.
 
The June 8 minutes were accepted as published in the July newsletter.
 
Treasurer Susan Norton reported $2,555  in checking and $6512 in the money market account. Last month’s raffle and concert ticket auction brought in $69. Her report was accepted by acclamation.
 
Bob recognized the coffee committee of Tizza Chace and Les Slowik, who consistently arrive early to prepare coffee and set out the selection of pastries that Tizza bakes.
 
Only two members admitted to having July birthdays.
 
In a departure from the usual agenda, Bob ceded the microphone to our guest speaker, Mesa County District Attorney Dan Rubenstein. This was to assure that he would have ample time for what was a very interesting presentation.
 
He introduced himself as, “I’m your lawyer,” and “I have the greatest job there is.” His job is not just to prosecute cases, but to determine which cases to prosecute, what bond should be set, and when might diversion work.
 
Regarding plea bargains, his office has the lowest percentage in the state. He discussed why plea bargains may be in the best interests of all parties involved.
 
For decisions on bond, whether personal recognizance or cash bond, consideration is given to high/low risk (as with a drug offender) and high/low stakes (as with a child sex offender).
 
His office also actively works in diversion programs, such as Lighthouse for kids who are chronic truants. This is a joint program with the DA’s office, D51, Partners and CMU.
 
A lively Q&A session followed his talk.
 
Larrayne Zygmunt of Membership committee introduced guests Dale and Bill Gates, who are in the process of moving from Oregon  John Miller, a long-ago Newcomers member, was there with his son Mark Miller. Mary and Dennis Dingman, who joined earlier this year, were attending as their first meeting.
 
Linda Ash said she did not send out any cards this month to members who were ill or otherwise needed a cheering note. But former member Ann Bradley passed away on July 10. Ann was 93 years old.
 
Carolyn White said she had nothing new on either the newsletter or the website.
 
Plans are underway for the Labor Day BBQ. We will use the same caterer as last year, and the cost of food will remain the same. After the board decides on how much the club will subsidize the event, emails with details will be sent out. Sign-ups and payments will start at the next meeting, August 10.
 
Becky Chesnut gave Bob a summary of Armchair Travelers plans. The first presentation will be on Sept. 12 by Christina Lee, education director of Eureka!. She will talk about her four-month trip that took her from the Balkans to South Africa to Colombia. The committee has lined up presenters for seven of eight months; May is yet to be filled.
 
Carl Zimmerman said people could still sign up for the Lunch and Tour on July 20. For the tour of the Food Bank of the Rockies in Palisade, attendees should wear closed-toe shoes only.
 
The planned tour in August of Reynolds Polymer Technology has fallen through. However, Linda Zimmerman said we visit the Grand Valley Equine Assisted Learning Program at the Moon Farm. Bring water and dress for the weather. Lunch will follow at Munchies in Fruita.
 
Patti Luscombe Zapf urged us to sign up of any of the many events of the Western Colorado Senior Games, August 22 – 28. Information is available of the GJ Parks and Recreation website.
 
Stan Zimmerman announced a second Midday with New Dimensions lecture at the Central Library. On Aug. 11, Glenn Whitaker will present “U.S. Supreme Court – Impartial Umpire or Political Entity.” Because seating is limited, reserve a spot on the library’s evens page or call.
 
The dinner club will start up again in September. Tanya Davis said, “If you like to have fun and eat” this group is for you.
 
Douglas Grodt is leading Thursday hikes on the Grand Mesa now that temperatures are soaring. Hikers will be on the Skyway area tomorrow and expect to see plenty of wildflowers. Let him know if you’d like to be added to the email list to learn of hikes.
 
Ginnie Baikewicz told us of music every night at Bailey’s in the Grand Vista on Horizon Drive, from 5 to 8 pm. You can pick up a schedule of bands in the hotel.
 
We had a good selection of raffle items and ticket sales were brisk. Two tickets to the July 19 Music in the Grapevines concert went at a bargain $20.
 
Meeting adjourned at 11:15 am.
 
Carolyn White, for Suzan Fournier, secretary

6/8/2022

​Pres. Bob Noble started the meeting at 10 am.
 
Ruth Anna made a motion to accept the minutes as published from May and Tanya Davis concurred. Minutes accepted.
 
Susan Norton gave the Treasurers report. We have $2493.93 in checking, $6512.04 in money market and $30.00 in raffle. The Treasurers report was accepted by Nancy Hollmaier and Alec Fournier.
 
Larrayne Zygmunt of Membership committee announced our new members. They are Bob & Nancy Wirtanen from Farmington, Kim Briggs from Pueblo. Welcome all!
 
Pres Bob let us know that Jack Wheeler passed away about 3 weeks ago. A card has been sent out to Kathy his wife.
 
As always thanks to Les Slowik and Tizza Chace for some fantastic goodies! Where does she get these recipes?
 
Carolyn White, our webmaster and newsletter editor said there was nothing new to report on these items
 
Nile Leach of Armchair Travelers said the next year’s season is all set and ready to go in Sept! It runs through May except for a short hiatus in December.
 
Douglas Grodt who is our Hiking guru reminded us of the hike on the Mesa for the following day. He has been up there, says it is beautiful, no crowds, no mosquitos yet and should be a nice hike. They will meet at Coronado shopping center in Clifton and carpool up to the Mesa.
 
Nile Leach of Movie Club said he is continuing to get names for another movie club since the current one is at maximum capacity. Let him know if you would like to be added to the list.
 
Nile of Lunch and Tour (NIle you are a busy guy!) said the signup sheet were out for the upcoming tour of the Board of Elections on June 22 at 10:30. They will meet up about 10:15. Please remember to bring your ID. Lunch after will be at the Goat and Clover Tavern. Currently the tour is at maximum, however if interested put your name down. He might be able to get more folks in.
 
Linda Zimmerman also of Lunch and Tour informed us of the July 20th tour to the Food Bank of the Rockies in Palisade then off to lunch at Palisade Brewery. There is a limit of 25 and you can sign up at the July meeting.
 
Nancy Hollmaier of the Mah Jongg club said the club is now able to go back to the Pavilion. They do have to be out of there by 11:30 for the workers to eat lunch. They start at 10 am. There are folks there of all abilities so let her know if you are interested.
 
Ruth Anna announced, “she is not moving!” However she did her kids symphony seats so now she is selling some tickets she had. The only one left is for Oct. 16th at 3 pm. It is row 7 and the tickets are $75.00 for 2 seats. Let her know if interested.
 
Tanya Davis of the Dinner Club said they knew committee will be meeting at the end of the month to restructure some things for the club. It is a great way to meet new people on a more personal basis, enjoy some food and drinks and socialize.
 
Pres Bob announced our speaker for the day. Ashton Peternaus is with the Atomic Legacy cabin. A few bullet points she shared with us:
*. The Manhattan Project was developed in 3 areas - Hanford, WA, VA and Oak Ridge TN
*. They were testing the world’s first nuclear reactor underground at the University of Chicago
*. Grand Junction was involved in the production of Uranium
*. Atomic Energy Commission started after WWII to continue devoting uranium for stockpiles
*. The government was subsidizing this effort which caused prospectors and others in the “uranium boom”
*. The Atomic Age started after that and even had a “Miss Atomic Energy” contest - the prize being a 1-ton uranium ore which she sold back to the government
*. Atomic energy toys were created - fireballs, comics such as Amazing Hulk, Spiderman and Godzilla
*. in the 50’s private businesses were processing uranium such as Climax Uranium Mill
*. Las Colonias Park also had a mill which closed in the 70’s. Dept. of Energy did a “clean up” of 4000 properties in Grand Junction. This ended about 1998.
*. The Legacy Cabin is on the national registry and now a museum you can tour. It continues to look after these sites and monitor our water etc.
 
Thank you for a wonderful presentation! Make sure you tour this cabin in Orchard Mesa if you get a chance.
 
The raffle was held, followed by an auction of two tickets to the June 22 Music in the Grapevines concert. Nile Leach outbid himself for those.
 
The meeting was concluded at 11 am.
 
Suzan Fournier, secretary
 

5/11/2022

Pres. Bob Noble called the meeting to order at 10 am.
 
Ruth Anna made a motion to accept the minutes from last month and Tanya Davis concurred. Minutes were accepted by the group.
 
Treas. Susan Norton was not present at the meeting so Bob announced our financial situation. We currently have $2884.93 in checking, $6561.93 in money market and made $30.00 in the raffle. Bob said, “we have money!” He asked for a motion to accept the Treas. Report. John Mead made the motion and Alec Fournier 2nd the motion. Treasurers report was accepted.
 
Pres. Bob thanked Larry and Ruth Anna for getting everything set up for snacks and coffee. He thanked Tanya Davis for the wonderful goodies. Thanks to everyone!
 
Jean Greenfield of the Membership Committee announced a new member Debbie Marker. She moved here from most recently Las Vegas. Welcome!
 
We had Tim and Carol as visitors. They moved here from Washington. Tim said he was a paramedic/firefighter and most recently a nurse. Glad you visited!
 
Linda Ash of the We Care group said she sent out one card to Don Trowbridge to get well. Otherwise the group seems to be doing well.
 
Bob said Carolyn White was not at meeting but she said the newsletter and website had no new updates. Thanks for the recent new directory Carolyn and get better!
 
Stan Zygmunt of New Dimensions announced they will be offering a free one-hour class every other month on the 2nd Thursday of the month at the library. The June 7th lecture will be on the history of the national parks. You can go to the library website to register for that one. The next lecture will be someone from CMU.
 
Nile Leach said Movie Club was at capacity so he has been taking names of folks interested in adding another Movie Club group. When that group reaches 10 folks he will help get that group organized. You can contact John and Judy Neste for more information as well.
 
Nile updated us on Armchair Travelers that will start up again in Sept. They have all the months filled except May of 2023. If you know of someone that wants to share their travels let him know. Also if that month didn’t work out some of the folks are flexible so be aware of that.
 
Martha Potyondy reminded everyone of the next lunch and tour on May 18th. It will be at the CSU extension which is now called Research Station. It is at 31 3/4 rd and D 1/2 rd in Orchard Mesa. They will meet there at 9:30 and learn about the important work they do growing food. A lot of it goes to our local food banks. Afterword lunch will be at Las Marias. Contact Martha if interested.
 
Lois Leach let us know that on June 22nd, they will be touring the Mesa County Election Office. They will be meeting there at 10:30. Be prepared to show ID for secure areas and be enlightened on our election process. Lunch after will be at Goat and Clover.
 
Douglas Grodt is our Hiking guide for tomorrow at Echo Canyon in the Colorado National Monument. It should be about a 2-hr. hike with a slight climb of elevation.
 
Pres. Bob announced our speaker for today. It is Chuck McDaniel, who is Pres. Of City Council and known as our Mayor. There were many interesting things he told us so I am going to bullet point them.
 
*           GJ is a home rule city - power to adopt its own rules & regs which started in 1909
*           City mgr. is CEO of the city. Council makes the policies and staff carries those out.
*           City council has 7 members - there are 5 districts and 2 at -large. They are elected by voters and serve for 4 years.
*           Strategic priorities for 2021-2023 are:
Transportation & infrastructure, Economic Development, Housing, Public Safety and Quality of Life (which is parks & rec, community health, community center)
*           Marijuana Licensing - voters approved 4/21 election. Sales tax is 6%. Only 10 licenses are allowed.
*           Community center - survey showed residents largely supported building indoor Rec center, preference was for Matchett park
*           City got 10.4 million from the government to help fund projects.
*           Orchard Mesa pool will start getting renovation and brought up to date
*           24 & G rd. - creating new bridge which will have pedestrian underpass. That work will start in fall and probably last at least a year.
*           Bonsai biplane has gotten a location and set to finish that in early fall.
*           City has significant water resources for drinking water. Some water rights are in the rivers and haven’t been utilized yet.
 
            There were many great questions asked and answered. It was a good presentation about our Council.
 
Ruth Anna offered some of their symphony tickets for the upcoming year. Ruth said the tickets are $37.50 each and are on Sundays at 3:00. Get with her if you are interested.
 
The last concert for the season was at the Methodist church on White Ave. It is a 45 min . Concert and is free.
 
Pres. Bob asked for a motion to adjourn. Alec Fournier made the motion and Ruth Anna concurred. The group accepted the motion.
 
Meeting adjourned at 11 am!