Local Motion

This week's program is about outdoor recreation, and how Western Slope cities like Grand Junction and Montrose are working to expand that segment of their economies. First, KVNF's Jodi Peterson hears from the president of Colorado Outdoors, a development along the Uncompahgre River in Montrose aiming to bring in outdoor recreation businesses.  Then she talks to a director at the Grand Junction Economic Partnership about how his city is pursuing outdoors-oriented companies. Then she interviews the owner of one of those companies, RockyMounts.

In this edition, we talk about public transit. Here on the Western Slope, distances between towns are long, and we end up mostly driving our own cars to get where we need to go. But the state of Colorado is working to make it easier to leave the car at home for trips between towns, and even to the Front Range, with its Bustang bus service. KVNF's Jodi Peterson interviews a public transit expert, the head of CDOT's Bustang service, and several passengers and drivers.

Soil health is the hot topic in agriculture as consumers become more aware and concerned with the quality of food that they're eating. 

On this edition of Local Motion, we'll have a conversation about death, dying and hospice services available on the Western Slope. KVNF News interviews Dorothy Pew of Hope West and Carrie Lerner, a death doula from Crawford, and the North Fork Valley chapter of the Threshold Choir sings for us.

Delta Brick & Climate Company was founded by Christopher Caskey, a scientist and entrepreneur who is passionate about energy, sustainable business development, and innovation. Caskey's business aims to make a difference in several big picture environmental challenges at once. This piece was produced by Alan Wartes as part of The Flyovers podcast. Through his discussions with various entrepreneurs, Wartes reveals the challenges, opportunities, and the importance of founding a business in a rural community.

Tri State Generation and Transmission Association made several announcements over the new year that will facilitate the energy co-op's efforts to create renewable power sources. Some 600 jobs will be lost, two coal mines will be closed, and the Craig power station will be shuttered within the next decade as Tri State moves to be competitive in the new energy market. KVNF News spoke with Tri State and Grand Junction Daily Sentinel writer Dennis Webb to get the story.

This week’s edition focuses on services available on the Western Slope to help people who have some type of disability. We hear from state agencies and local organizations that offer everything from translation services for deaf people to assistance with finding a job, including the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Center for Independence, and Mosaic. The program starts with an interview with Cindy La Joy of Montrose.

The 2020 Legislative Session is set to open January 8th, and on this edition of Local Motion, we'll hear just the beginning of many election stories. KVNF News goes to Delta to speak with Republican State Representative Matt Soper, and we spoke with Democrat State Senator Kerry Donovan on the eve of the lawmaking session. Also, local candidates for Delta County Commissioner spoke with KVNF News.

The International Dark Sky Association was founded in 1988 with the intention to protect the night skies for present and future generations.

Perhaps you’re celebrating Christmas, or perhaps you observe Hanukkah instead, or Kwanzaa, or have some other way to mark the season.  We all observe holidays in our own ways and with our own customs, and on Local Motion this week we have Christmas memories to share from some of our local seniors, at Colorow Care Center in Olathe and Crossroads Senior Living in Delta. This edition also includes a segment on Christmas music and memories from "With Good Reason."

On this edition of Local Motion, KVNF News takes a look at the state of recycling in Delta County. We have interviews that offer municipal, local, private sector and government perspectives. Delta County Commissioners are talking about ending a long-standing pilot program that subsidizes residents for recycling collection at the transfer station.

Colorado is home to thousands of artists, artisans and creators of all kinds – musicians, potters, painters, to name just a few. Twenty-six Colorado cities have state-certified Creative Districts, and today we’ll talk about what those creative districts are, and how they benefit the communities they’re located in. We’ll hear from a state official and the North Fork Valley Creative Coalition, and we’ll pay a visit to Ridgway’s Creative District.  On the Western Slope, creative districts are also found in Grand Junction, Telluride, Carbondale, Salida and Steamboat Springs.

In this Local Motion, KVNF News goes to Montrose to visit with Governor Jared Polis. The Governor came through Montrose on November 23, promoting his Rural Economic Blueprint. He also attended a football game at Montrose High School and appeared at a job fair at the Montrose County Event Center. KVNF News caught up with him there to talk about his trip to Montrose.

As the holiday season approaches, many people think about charitable donations. Philanthropy can take many forms, and one common outlet is foundations.  These organizations are typically nonprofits, and manage donated money and assets to provide grants for community projects.

In this edition of Local Motion, we'll feature the last interview Felix Belmont did with KVNF News. Felix and fellow longtime DJ Dennis Grunkemeyer played their last radio shows on November 17th, and Felix talked to KVNF's Eric Goold about the early days and his legacy as the world's oldest working DJ. Also in this Local Motion, two stories from the Rocky Mountain Community Radio exchange talk about water usage in hemp agriculture and in Utah homes.

This week's edition is about programs that get Western Slope youth outdoors to enjoy the beautiful open lands that surround us. Such opportunities benefit kids, and their families, in many ways. KVNF's Jodi Peterson interviews various people who run these programs, and parents and kids who participate.

KVNF explores Equine-Assisted Therapy aka "Horse Therapy" at Dream Catcher Therapy Center in Olathe, CO. The therapy center houses over 50 rescued horses and works hand-in-hand with End of the Trail Rescue which rescues horses and cares for them until "the end of their lives." Equine therapy offers a different approach to trauma related therapy as well as physical and mental health treatment. Therapy programs are offered to ages two and up.

Thirty-three Western Slope immigrants became official citizens of the United States in September, during a ceremony at Colorado National Monument. KVNF's Jodi Peterson interviews several of them about their stories, and what becoming a naturalized resident means to them.  She also talks to federal and academic experts about the process of becoming a citizen, and why citizenship is important for our communities and the nation.

In this edition of Local Motion, we'll have discussion about two local ballot measures, the mill levy increase for Delta Schools transportation and the sales tax increase for public safety in Delta County. We'll also have a story about statewide ballot proposition DD. And on this Local  Motion, we'll have an interview with Hinsdale County's newest, history-making county commissioner. Also in this program is a story about agriculture in the San Luis Valley.

The Delta County Library District is asking for help to maintain current programs and add new technology, resources and materials. Delta County Public Library Ballot Issue 7A asks voters to approve a 2.7 mill levy increase on the November 5th ballot. Two library representatives and a longtime library patron speak with KVNF News to talk about the issue.

This week’s program is about oil and gas regulation, and a new Colorado law giving  communities greater control over drilling inside their borders.  SB 181 will result in a new set of state-wide regulations for oil and gas. It also lets local governments develop regulations that are more stringent than the states, if they choose, and many are doing so. Here on the Western Slope, communities are taking different approaches to regulating the industry.

KVNF celebrates 40 years on October 5th, 2019! On this special edition of Local Motion, Kori Stanton interviews many of the "OG's" of KVNF. That's "Original Gangstas". Kori speaks with her father and KVNF’s Founder, Campbell Stanton, orginal Program and Music Director, Patrick Webb, former GM, Sally Kane, Liz Lilien, Candy Pennetta, Danny Perkins, Don Foster, Betsy Marston, a previous interview with Ed Marston,  Bob Pennetta, Dea Jacobson and the one and only Felix Belmont.  Thank you for helping KVNF celebrate 40 Years!!

This edition of Local Motion focuses on mental health. Many Western Slope residents struggle with depression, anxiety, substance abuse and even thoughts of suicide. The Surgeon General of the U.S. has said that one in four people experiences some form of mental illness, and the rates of those illnesses are highest in the American West. Fortunately, resources ranging from therapists to treatment centers are available in many communities.  KVNF's Jodi Peterson interviews various mental health experts about what assistance is out there.

In the September edition of the Delta County Commissioners Report, Felix Belmont and Eric Goold for KVNF News speak with District 2 Commissioner Don Suppes. Much of their discussion is about the Commissioners' decision to repeal Delta County's oil and gas regulations in favor of state control.

Our Western Slope forests provide a home for birds, big game and other wildlife. They furnish timber for building and firewood. They hold soil in place and prevent erosion, and filter rainwater and snowmelt flowing into streams and rivers. But our forests are in trouble. In parts of the Western Slope, aspens have died out, and conifers have turned reddish brown. To find out what’s affecting these trees, KVNF's Jodi Peterson spoke with forestry experts from Colorado State University and the US Forest Service.

The month of August was tough on nonprofits and charities that serve the homeless and veterans in Montrose. KVNF News visited the Warriors Rest, which provides a family-style home for 10 veterans who are down on their luck. But the building's owner is now trying to sell it. Christ's Kitchen, a food service for the homeless, recently closed while Lighthouse Ministries and Shepherd's Hand were denied a zoning permit to open a homeless shelter. KVNF News interviews service providers who are looking for help.

Western Slope children are heading back to school. More and more of them, though, are attending charter schools, independent public schools that offer more flexibility and autonomy. In this edition of Local Motion, Jodi Peterson interviews the directors of three local charter schools, and talks to a parent and student about why they chose this alternative form of education.

Farmers on the Western Slope often struggle to find enough workers. More and more of them are turning to hiring foreign farmhands through a federal program, H-2A. This program provides a legal way for workers to come to the U.S., earn money on farms, and return home. KVNF's Kori Stanton talks to H-2A agent, Kim Noland from Palisade, CO to get a better understanding of the program, how farmers can apply and how she assists farmers and foreign workers through the entire process.

In the August edition of the Delta County Commissioners Report, District 1 Commissioner Mike Lane sits down with Felix Belmont and Eric Goold for KVNF News. Topics for discussion include possible county action on oil and gas regulations; local annexation issues; economic forecasts in the county; and, the Delta County Fair.

The Remote Area Medical Clinic, a non profit based in Tennessee, visited Colorado for the first time August 3rd and 4th at the Paonia Energy Tech building. Volunteer medical practitioners provided medical, dental and vision health care services at no expense. KVNF News visited with volunteers, board members and participants to get the story about this unique health services provider.