Senior day couldn’t have gone better for the Durango High School girls soccer team as the Demons won 3-0 over Fruita Monument It was a beautiful spring afternoon for a soccer game and the Demons played a beautiful brand of soccer Durango moved the ball through the midfield and up the middle for some fantastic scoring chances Fruita couldn’t get anything going offensively against the stout Durango defense kicking long balls and praying a Wildcat would be on the other end The Demons played plenty of players as they cruised to victory for their 12th consecutive win and a perfect 10-0 league record “I’m extremely proud about the performance both the whole season and this game in general,” Durango head coach Zac Keeler said “They worked hard this week trying to make sure Fruita didn’t have a chance with us and they played the game plan perfectly.” Durango improved to 12-3 overall and 10-0 in the 4A/5A Southwestern League The Demons won the league for the first time since 2021 and have the most wins in a season since 2022 Durango scored 43 goals in league play and only gave up three Seniors Bella Saren and Emma Hyder scored for the Demons and sophomore Annika Lundquist also had a goal Fruita fell to 8-4-3 overall and 5-2-3 in the 4A/5A Southwestern League “We’ve been playing together for so long that it all came together It was really good to win as a team with all of us out there.” The Demons struck four minutes into the game Scott played a pass to Lundquist on the right side Lundquist dribbled the ball toward the keeper and slotted the goal home for the first goal Durango did a great job limiting Fruita’s attempts early on with strong tackles in the middle of the field and intercepting passes Fruita and Durango mostly battled in the middle third of the field with neither team able to connect on the final pass into the attacking third The Wildcats’ main source of offense was playing long balls from the defense or the midfield to the Wildcats’ speedy center forward Brook Cox She threatened to break away but Scott did a good job of using her body to either shield Cox from the ball or go in with a strong tackle Junior goalkeeper Ryne Neiman got off her line with about 15 minutes left in the half to clear the ball away to keep the clean sheet Durango had some fantastic passing in the final 15 minutes in the midfield and its excellent passing paid off Emma Hyder played a beautiful through ball down the center from the middle of the field to Saren She split the two center backs and ran onto the ball Saren dribbled in a perfectly placed her shot in the lower right corner for a 2-0 lead with 5:49 left in the half “We were testing out how they wanted to hold their (defensive) line and we practiced it a bit on Thursday,” Keeler said “When our give-and-gos weren’t going to work we wanted to make those through passes and they had their high line there on the attacking third The Demons continued to dominate possession in the second half Fruita’s long ball tries disappeared and Durango moved the ball well in the middle of the field Hyder used her height to score the Demons’ third goal A cross came into the 18-yard box and Hyder headed it into the right side of the net with 27:40 left as Hyder rolled her ankle and was down on the field Durango dodged a bullet only a few minutes later split two Durango defenders and was taken down inside the top left of the 18-yard box She skied the kick over the crossbar and the game remained 3-0 with 25 minutes left The Demons continued to attack up the middle A crowd surrounded the ball around the 30-yard line and a short through ball was played through the middle to Saren Saren hit a shot that was heading for the top corner The Fruita goalkeeper had other ideas and dove through the air to make the stop with 17 minutes left Fruita didn’t have any offensive chances in the last 15 minutes Durango’s defense was strong and in unison to preserve the shutout “The off the ball press on their goal kicks not allowing them to have much more than a long hit to Ryne … we’ve been working on that and it’s been making a lot of teams hit it hard and long for us to gobble it up,” Keeler said Durango will find out its seeding and matchup in the 4A bracket on Sunday The Demons are expected to have the fourth or fifth seed in the bracket and should have at least two home games the Demons were upset in the first round and look to avenge that loss and make a deep playoff run “There’s a lot of chemistry on our team this year and we’re taking everything we do in practice and applying it really well on the field,” McVaugh said “We’re really good at adapting to who we go against I’m really proud of this team this season.” Choose from several print and digital subscription packages Sign up for our daily email newsletter or to receive breaking news delivered to your inbox: The email "' + userEmail + '" could not be added Please try again or email Shane at shane@durangoherald.com for assistance We use cookies to 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By using our site, you consent to our policies Classes had been conducted for two years before the Fruita Schoolhouse was built, when Elijah Cutler Behunin donated land for a school building in 1896. He and other early Junction (later called "Fruita") settlers constructed the building Even though only eight families lived in Junction The Behunins raised thirteen children themselves She taught children in the Behunin home before the schoolhouse was built These were sometimes used to quiet unruly students The teacher would seat a troublesome boy with a girl and the resulting blow to his ego would often bring him under control Teachers taught the "three-Rs" to the eight grades at the one-room school If a teacher felt qualified and had enough textbooks Being a new teacher at the Fruita schoolhouse wasn’t always easy as Janice Oldroyd Torgerson reflects on her year teaching in 1934 She was paid $57 a month and moved from her home in Lyman Torgerson describes pranks by her students as well as moonlit walks among the Fruita cliffs Download the NPS app to navigate the parks on the go By on April 28, 2025No Comment Desierto Rojo will open in former home of Mike’s Famous Chicken on a busy Fruita weekend Grab some street tacos and mingle in the street That’s what the husband-and-wife ownership team of Jeff and Marlen Orehek are going for with Desierto Rojo the Mexican restaurant they’re opening May 2 at 233 E In the building where Mike’s Famous Chicken previously resided basically the only thing that’s changing indoors is some new paint Nothing’s changing in the kitchen and dining areas except what kind of food is made and served is probably not what most people are expecting it to be “It’s not going to be a traditional sit down and eat with beans and rice “It’s going to be more geared toward modern grab some street tacos and mingle in the street whether they’re alcoholic or non alcoholic “And so you can continue to do your Fruita thing go to the Headless Chicken or go to the bike festival or hit the road and go.” “It’s just not going to be typical beans and rice with your enchiladas.” We’ll have things that are geared to be easier.” Ease is why the menu will be “mostly tacos He said Desierto Rojo will have items that aren’t offered at most of the Grand Valley’s Mexican restaurants Jeff emphasized their chicharrones will be nothing like “the things you buy at the grocery store.” He said Desierto Rojo’s chicharrones will have meat on them and the pork skin will be a little less crispy Other items to look for will be street corn “Who would think you would eat cactus?” Jeff said and most of the recipes being used at Desierto Rojo are hers “They are delicious,” Jeff said of the nopales “And I was scared the first time my wife served them to me For another menu rarity in the Grand Valley Jeff said Desierto Rojo will have cheese tortillas “It’s like when you accidentally get cheese on your skillet We’re going to have a whole tortilla like that,” Jeff said The only place I’ve seen that is in Cabo.” The Oreheks think seeing their food will sell customers on it if someone takes their food outside and eats it perhaps a friend will see it and decide to get it “I’ve been in the industry for most of my life so the biggest thing we’re going to try to do is sell you with your eyes,” Jeff said “Because I am aware from my marketing degree and from my experience in the restaurant industry that people eat with their eyes more than they do their mouths you’re gonna be 10 steps ahead of the next guy.” on May 2 coincides with Fruita Fat Tire Festival That means downtown Fruita is going to be busy a soft opening for a few days or a week prior would seem to be in order but Marlen Orehek said May 1 will be the lone day to prepare for the chaos the weekend is likely to bring Jeff Orehek added there is no soft opening and he and Marlen will be cooking and playing around in the kitchen She’ll be doing what she does and being the face and the polite one and I’ll be the one in the background yelling and getting things done.” Jeff wanted to call the restaurant Red Desert or Red Desert Restaurant and Brewery And he thought that was the end of the story I think we should call it Desierto Rojo,” Jeff said because we’re going to let the customers decide.’ And so I took that poll which one of these two places would you rather go eat You have to choose which one of these places you would prefer to go eat New Fruita restaurant’s focus is tacos added by on April 28, 2025View all posts by The Business Times Staff → and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. The Business Times Newspaper609 North Avenue Suite #5 Grand Junction Left photo (apricot blooms and black dog): NPS/Ann Huston Middle photo (apple) & right photo(baskets of peaches): NPS/Jamie Mansfield Feb 19, 2025YouTuber Ron Sanderson takes us on a 10-minute rip of Fruita, Colorado’s newest trail, the PBJ (Pumps, Bumps and Jumps). The 2.2 flowy and fast route was finished last year as an alternative to parallel trail PBR (Pumps, Bumps and Rollers) that is sometimes closed to public riding during events at the 18 Road Trail System.  Sanderson accesses PBJ by riding up Prime Cut trail (2 miles, 444 feet of climbing) that starts from the 18 Road Events parking area PBJ then drops 584 feet over 2.3 miles back to the parking area It can also be accessed by climbing Grinder from the parking lot for 2.8 miles with 493 feet of elevation.  An official website of the United States government Open Search  Mobile Menu OVERVIEW: BLM and Mesa County are working with the Federal Highway Administration on a project to reconstruct and pave about six miles of 18 Road to improve public safety and access to BLM-administered lands that are popular for mountain biking and OHV recreation activities The completed project will provide a 30-foot paved road with two 10-foot lanes for vehicle traffic Federal Highway Administration, funded through the Federal Lands Access Program is leading the 18 Road Project construction work Project managers expect to complete the work in late fall of 2025 To sign up for updates on the project please email MesaCounty18Rdproject@gmail.com or call the project hotline 970-892-1834 BLM will also provide project updates on this web page Attention Cyclists: For your safety and the safety of construction personnel cyclists must obey the same traffic management rules as other vehicles This includes lane closures and pilot car escorts Thank you for your patience during this ongoing project to improve access to your public lands Traffic control continues in a pilot car operation during daylight operations–please drive slowly through the work zone Temporary traffic signals are installed and operational Monday through Thursday North Fruita Desert Campground (w/map) 18 Road/North Fruita Desert Interactive Map Colorado Mountain Biking Opportunities: Fruita Trails North Fruita Desert Special Recreation Management Area Map (pdf)  North Desert Extensive Recreation Management Area: 12 Road to 21 Road Map Federal Highway Administration Project Page BLM, Mesa County project upgrades well-traveled portion of 18 Road Improvements to 18 Road will offer safer access to recreation area An official website of the Department of the Interior The Board of Mesa County Commissioners will join the City of Fruita Council Members at their regular public meeting at 7 p.m in the 2nd floor Council Chambers at the Fruita Civic Center WHO: The Board of Mesa County Commissioners and the City of Fruita Council Members   WHERE: 2nd floor Council Chambers at the Fruita Civic Center We encourage residents to mark their calendars for the opportunity to ask Fruita and County leaders questions at this collaborative town hall.  This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page The Capitol Reef Natural History Association in cooperation with the National Park Service has renovated and refurnished the Gifford farmhouse as a cultural demonstration site to interpret the early Mormon settlement of the Fruita valley The house depicts the typical spartan nature of rural Utah farm homes of the early 1900s The original home was built in 1908 by Calvin Pendleton He and his family occupied it for eight years The original house had a combined front room/kitchen and two small bedrooms An outside ladder accessed two upstairs bedrooms Pendleton also constructed the barn and smokehouse as well as the rock walls near the house and on the mesa slopes above it The second residents of the home were the Jorgen Jorgensen family who resided here from 1916 to 1928 and Jorgensen sold the homestead to his son-in-law in 1928 The Gifford family occupied the home for 41 years (1928-1969) Gifford added a kitchen in 1946 and the bathroom the Giffords also built a small motel for people visiting Capitol Reef The Giffords raised dairy cows, hogs, and sheep, as well as chickens and ducks. They also ran cattle in the South Desert They used the smokehouse to preserve meat for their own use and for sale Dewey Gifford also worked for the State Road Department and later for the National Park Service The garden produced a variety of vegetables including potatoes The family also had orchards and grew sorghum They preserved fruit and vegetables for later use by bottling or drying Bottled foods were stored in the cellar below the front of the house were kept in the root cellar on the back side of the house Water was carried to the house from the Fremont River and was used untreated A two-hole outhouse served the family until an indoor bathroom and plumbing was installed in later years The Giffords frequently got together with other Fruita residents, especially the Chesnut and Mulford families, for suppers, singing, games, cards, baseball, reading, and quilting. The families were good friends and helpers to each other, an important relationship in a small isolated community like Fruita. Listen to Gifford reflect on his life in Fruita (below) Dewey Gifford calls Fruita “paradise” as he remembers his time farming and ranching in the area from 1928 to 1969 and pears in the orchards while his children attended school at the Fruita Schoolhouse Gifford lived in what is now the Historic Gifford Homestead The former kitchen (a non-historic addition to the original house) has been converted into a Natural History Association sales outlet Items for sale include reproduction utensils and household tools used by Mormon pioneers in their daily tasks These unique handmade items are made by local artisans and craftsmen and include such things as quilts and locally baked fruit pies and homemade ice cream The Gifford Homestead is located 1 mile (1.6 km) south of the visitor center on the Scenic Drive. The Gifford House is typically open from March 14 (Pi Day) to late November (closing dates and operating hours may vary) A small parking lot is adjacent to the Gifford yard Parking for oversized vehicles is available at the picnic area Follow the signs and trail from the picnic area News | Apr 11 The Battle Mountain boys lacrosse team fell to Fruita Monument 7-5 on Thursday in Edwards 13-ranked Huskies (4-4) will try to end a three-game losing streak on Saturday at home against No Kentucky Derby Parties The 151st Kentucky Derby is set for Saturday at 4:57 p.m and here are a few places you can go for watch parties: Lookout Bar at Westin Riverfront in Avon Celebrate the Kentucky.. Easter events in the Vail Valley Church services An Easter tradition that’s been going on for over 30 years is the Vail Mountain Easter Sunrise Service bright and early on Sunday morning Après Madness Championship Party at Avanti F&B The NCAA College Basketball Tournament may have crowned a champion on Monday but Friday is when you can congratulate this year’s winner of Vail’s own form of competition:.. Après at The Amp For its third year in a row Ford Amphitheater has proven that it’s not just a summer venue the Swedish pop band that took the world by storm in the 1970s and early 1980s with its hits “Waterloo,” “Take a Chance on Me” and “Dancing Queen,” will virtually.. By on March 24, 20252 Comments it can pertain to so many things: Bicycles “Anything you can ride with two wheels or four wheels,” said Micheal Repp who was then reminded to include four hooves Repp and fellow owner Riley Richter opened Rides Bar and Grill on March 14 at 152 S If the address seems familiar to Fruita residents that’s because it has been a multitude of bars and restaurants over the years: Koko’s Tavern; FatJar Cannery & Brewhaus; The End Zone Sports Pub; and Blue Lotus Vietnamese Restaurant But Repp said one previous bar/restaurant inspired what’s taking shape in Rides Bar and Grill Repp grew up in the Mack area and knows Fruita well and he knows the building where Rides now resides started as a gas station in 1963 And in 1980 Charlie Greager opened Charley’s Place was the first establishment in Fruita to get a liquor license And Charley’s Place was around for the longest stretch of any business in that building he surmises anyone who has lived in Fruita for a while knows of it did a bunch of renovation to bring it back to the open dance floor the concept of just having more of a hangout adding the renovation of the approximately 5,400-square-foot building has been four months of 15-hour days every day The renovation includes the 2,000-square-foot patio in front of the building but it won’t be a finished product until late April Repp hopes he can keep Rides going long enough to rival Charley’s Place’s tenure at 152 S “The building has always been some establishment in Fruita for something,” he said “We’re hoping that we’re able to establish the longest run it will not try to be all things to all people Some craft beer from local brewers will be for sale in cans and bottles free-range cattle from the Lazy 3X Ranch in Mack adding he’s not trying to compete with any other restaurants “I sat on the Midtown District Development Board in Salt Lake and brought home some knowledge about how to really integrate community activity into your business and how to respect the environment and the socioeconomic development area of how you engage.” So what he and Richter ultimately want Rides Bar and Grill to be is a representation of Fruita’s core residents “Rides is paradigmed on locals supporting locals,” Repp said “As someone who has grown up in this valley and appreciated the small-town feel my entire life even when I moved away and owned businesses out of the state the sole purpose of this bar is to restore the small-town feel for the Fruita locals.” and Rides will try to provide some regular promotions “We’ll do a Sunday morning brunch/karaoke,” Repp said “We’ll run Western night on Fridays and Top 40 on Saturdays.” Rides Bar in Fruita seeks small-town feel added by on March 24, 2025View all posts by The Business Times Staff → Did you make your way to Fruita Farm and Ranch Day last weekend at the event hosted by Fruita Co-op Country/Ace Hardware with a booth set up to educate our community on Japanese beetle eradication and noxious weeds.  Mesa County declared the Japanese beetle a public nuisance in 2023 and began strong efforts to eradicate the harmful pest posing a significant threat to our environment and local economy We celebrated an 85% reduction in Japanese beetle population after the successful 2024 summer treatment plan through support from our Mesa County Noxious Weed and Pest Management team our partnership with the City of Grand Junction Colorado State University Extension Office the Colorado Department of Agriculture and community members The Noxious Weed Program aims to control noxious weeds non-native aggressive invaders that replace native vegetation These efforts try to reduce noxious weeds in our area as much as possible to minimize their potential damage Find resources on noxious weed identification and learn more We love opportunities to join our community to support agriculture and educate residents on ways to protect our rural landscapes.  Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device shoots a 3-pointer shot against Ralston Valley during a Class 6A first-round playoff game on Saturday Emerson made three 3-pointers in the Wildcats’ 63-35 loss reaches past contact to lay the ball in for two points on Saturday Fortunato is one of five seniors who played the final game of their careers for the Wildcats on Saturday dribbles past a Ralston Valley defender on Saturday fights for a rebound against Ralston Valley during a first-round playoff game at Fruita Monument High School on March 1 dribbles the ball on offense against Ralston Valley during a first-round playoff game at Fruita Monument High School on March 1 instructs her teammates on offense against Ralston Valley during a first-round playoff game at Fruita Monument High School on March 1 Celebrating a legacy and mourning the end of an era is a tricky balance to find The Fruita Monument High School girls basketball team is looking for that after its season unceremoniously ended with a 63-35 loss to Ralston Valley in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs at home on Saturday It’s the second straight season in which the Wildcats were bounced out of the first round after winning the Southwestern League title Peyton Willford and Kenzie Mason suited up for Fruita “They’re leaving a legacy where their class has been part of four champs or part champs of the SWL one tie,” said third-year coach Jeff Johnson They have proven over four years that they’re the team to beat in the valley that they’re the team to beat in the SWL.” Those five seniors have made an impact in some form whether it be in the starting five or coming off the bench Campbell has stolen the show since she was a freshman leading the team in scoring in three of her four seasons and crossing the 1,000-point milestone averaged double figures in her sophomore through senior seasons Bird and Mason were all dynamic players for the team They were sophomores when Johnson took the program reins from Michael Wells and continued the winning tradition “You knew stepping in that there was a high expectation,” Johnson said The Mustangs’ 13-11 record is misleading as many of their losses came against some of the best teams in 6A They entered Saturday’s game battle-tested The 12th-seeded Wildcats (17-7) scored six of the game’s first eight points 21 Mustangs woke up and scored 18 of the final 23 points in the first quarter scored 11 points in the first quarter alone and had 21 at halftime Sabus entered the game averaging 18 points and finished with 27 Campbell led Fruita Monument with 10 points and fouled out late in the third quarter Spirits were somber in the locker room hallway after the game Players hugged each other and coaches as they exited the locker room for the final time But that’s not how Johnson chooses to remember the group of girls He will remember the many wins and highlighted ringing in the new Grand Junction gym with a 67-35 win “As much as this hurts and pains us for a few us they’re going to remember the four SWLs,” Johnson said you have left an expectation … The expectation is that you are competing for SWLs Fruita Monument will be three years removed from its last playoff win once the 2026 postseason starts and the team is in transition Fruita lost to visiting Denver East 38-32 in the first round of last season’s playoffs Johnson still believes that Fruita is the team to beat in the SWL Three league titles in the past four seasons support that case Fruita has also proven to be a machine and will return the talents of Emerson and Hailee Wagner next season both of whom established themselves as key cogs in the machine we shot ourselves in the foot more often than not focused in when you have a long break like that It’s hard to stay focused that long in between games.” 32 Grand Junction’s season ended with a 76-19 loss to No 1 Air Academy in the 5A playoffs on Saturday The Tigers were limited to two first-quarter points and trailed 45-8 at halftime Grand Junction finishes 9-16 under first-year coach Mary Doane the most wins for the program in six years 24 Discovery Canyon 50: The Red Hawks (20-4) scored 60 points for the first time since December to beat the Thunder (12-12) to advance to the Sweet 16 8 Durango on March 5 with a trip to the Great 8 on the line Email notifications are only sent once a day Cloudy early with partial clearing expected late A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible Two players really stand out for the Fruita Monument boys basketball team Durango had trouble stopping either of them as Fruita pulled away in the second half to beat Durango 58-42 on Friday night Fruita junior guard Jett Wells and senior forward Daniel Thomason combined to average 38 points per game before Friday night’s matchup with Durango lived in the paint on offense and finished easily to keep Fruita ahead for most of the night Wells lived at the free-throw line and went 13-14 from the charity stripe in the second half to help Fruita pull away “It was a battle,” Durango head coach Alan Batiste said “The score doesn't dictate how the game went we didn't get a timely bucket when we needed it I'm still proud of our defense; it’s our staple.. we kind of settled on the perimeter again and didn’t put the pressure on their defense.” Durango fell to 11-6 overall and 2-2 in the 6A/5A Southwestern League Senior guard Noah Miles led Durango with 19 points; he was the only Demon in double figures Batiste said the key to getting other Demons going offensively is by getting out in transition Fruita improved to 14-4 overall and 5-0 in the 6A/5A Southwestern League Wells finished with 20 points and Thomason finished with 14 points Fruita got off to a strong start with two 3-pointers from Gavin Bradshaw Miles hit his first 3-point attempt but Durango struggled in the middle of the quarter against Fruita’s zone defense Sophomore guard King Kerlin and Miles hit 3-pointers toward the end of the quarter but Fruita still led 15-11 after the first quarter The Wildcats increased their lead to 28-21 with 1:30 left in the second with a strong inside presence Fruita ran its offense well and finished strong inside off some good sets Durango settled for 3-pointers during this time and was cold from beyond the arc Fruita went inside to Thomason in the third and had success with two and-one opportunities Durango started the third by getting inside but started to settle for 3-pointers again Miles hit one to keep the Demons within striking distance at 35-30 with 3:22 left Thomason continued to cook in the paint and had two late baskets to put Fruita ahead 44-33 after three quarters “We were overhelping a little bit too much,” Batiste said about Thomason “We had a little strategy and we'll play him again in three weeks he’s hard to stop so we can't let him get that low We need to push him out and make him shoot perimeter shots.” Durango started the fourth quarter with a string of good defensive possessions but the Demons struggled to make shots and Fruita maintained a healthy lead Durango started to foul and Wells made them pay The Demons play Grand Junction on Saturday at 3 p.m Wells put on his best Steph Curry impression with eight three-point shots made lets out a celebratory scream after drilling a three-point shot to add to his 36 total points during the Wildcats’ 73-40 first round playoff win over Liberty at Fruita Monument High School on Feb The Fruita Monument High School boy’s basketball team celebrates in the locker room with team supporter Jackson Steele after the Wildcats’ 73-40 first round playoff win over Liberty at Fruita Monument High School on Feb Photos by Larry Robinson/The Daily Sentinel Fruita Monument’s Jhett Wells shoots a 3-pointer during the Wildcats’ 73-40 first round playoff win over Liberty on Friday night Wells made eight 3-pointers and scored 36 points to carry Fruita into the Sweet 16 of the Class 6A playoffs Fruita Monument fans react after a three-point shot by Jhett Wells during the Wildcats’ 73-40 first round playoff win over Liberty at Fruita Monument High School on Feb The Fruita bench celebrates after a three-point shot by Jhett Wells during the Wildcats’ 73-40 first round playoff win over Liberty at Fruita Monument High School on Feb fights for a rebound under the rim during the Wildcats’ 73-40 first round playoff win over Liberty at Fruita Monument High School on Feb Fruita Monument’s Daniel Thomason hangs on the rim after dunking the ball during the Wildcats’ 73-40 first round playoff win over Liberty at Fruita Monument High School on Feb lets out a celebratory yell Friday night after scoring a basket with a foul to add to his 36 points during the Wildcats’ 73-40 first round playoff win over Liberty at Fruita Monument High School left dribbles the ball on offense during the Wildcats’ 73-40 first round playoff win over Liberty at Fruita Monument High School on Feb middle,is fouled at the rim but scores the basketball through contact to add to his 36 total points during the Wildcats’ 73-40 first round playoff win over Liberty at Fruita Monument High School on Feb Fruita Monument’s Jhett Wells poses for a photo in the locker room following a 36-point performance where he shot eight three-point shots during the Wildcats’ 73-40 first round playoff win over Liberty at Fruita Monument High School on Feb The Fruita Monument High School boy’s basketball team cheers on local pastor Tim Smith as he folds a metal frying pan in celebration of the Wildcats’ 73-40 first round playoff win over Liberty at Fruita Monument High School on Feb goes up for a layup during the Wildcats’ 73-40 first round playoff win over Liberty at Fruita Monument High School on Feb celebrates with teammates during a timeout after drilling a three-point shot to add to his 36 total points during the Wildcats’ 73-40 first round playoff win over Liberty at Fruita Monument High School on Feb celebrates with the Fruita Monument High School boy’s basketball team celebrates in the locker room after the Wildcats’ 73-40 first round playoff win over Liberty at Fruita Monument High School on Feb The Fruita Monument High School boy’s basketball team celebrates Friday in the locker room with team supporter Jackson Steele after the Wildcats’ 73-40 first round playoff win over Liberty there are no recent results for popular commented articles Forty-three people applied for Fruita’s city manager position and Cortez City Manager Drew Sanders is one of four finalists “I do want to be clear with the community that he is not being pushed out nor does he want to necessarily leave,” said Cortez Mayor Rachel Medina Medina said that Fruita “would be a good place for him and his family Sanders has been in his position as Cortez city manager he was chief of police at the department in Page There’s a meet-and-greet event at the Fruita Community Center on Thursday, Jan. 9, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. for people to meet the candidates and offer feedback to the Fruita City Council, as the council makes the hiring decision, according to a news release “The position is extremely competitive right now so there’s no guarantee that Drew will get it,” said Medina “But I do think he would do a fantastic job no matter where he goes.” By on January 14 2025Comments Off on Xcel Energy and Fruita at impasse over power lines Plans to replace a 65-year-old stretch of power lines currently running through Kingsview subdivision on the south side of the Colorado River in Fruita have hit a snag The City of Fruita has denied part of Xcel Energy’s application specifically the proposal to run overhead power lines through Snooks Bottom public park Xcel Energy representatives said if the city wants the lines placed underground Fruita would have to cover the estimated $9.7 to $11 million cost Xcel presented its case to the Fruita City Council on Jan The appeal cited three main arguments: inconsistency with Fruita’s code; a violation of Colorado case law; and the high cost of installing underground lines Xcel is simply trying to put these power lines in as cheaply as they can,” Emery said “Underground power lines are far safer and better it wouldn’t even be a rounding error on their quarterly budget.” Fruita City Planner Henry Hemphill detailed the planning department’s decision to deny the portion of the application affecting the park He explained that no parks in Fruita currently have overhead power lines and placing them in Snooks Bottom would be inconsistent with the city’s comprehensive plan Hemphill also pointed out other businesses had to meet compatibility standards in their applications including noise restrictions and additional landscaping “We have been consistent in our code in applying compatibility standards not only with land use but also with conditional-use permits Xcel area manager Brad McCloud said the utility had engaged in good faith efforts since 2021 including hosting two public meetings to discuss alternative options McCloud noted the proposed alignment avoided the Kingsview subdivision as a concession “You would still bear the cost of the $9.7 to $11 million extra burden per current Public Utilities Commission policy.” Xcel’s senior manager for siting and land rights highlighted that about 32 miles of alternatives had been considered and public feedback primarily came from Kingsview Estates residents Chester also presented examples of overhead power lines coexisting with parks trails and disc-golf courses in other parts of Colorado emphasizing that undergrounding is about 10 times more expensive than overhead lines “The CSR zone allows for above-ground transmission lines and the code defines compatibility as the ability to coexist with surrounding land uses,” Chester said Fruita City Attorney Mary Elizabeth Geiger clarified the appeal only involved the transmission lines in the Community Services Recreational zone district She said if Xcel is dissatisfied with the council’s decision the company could file a Rule 106 action in district court to challenge whether the decision was arbitrary or capricious Geiger said alternative alignments outside the CSR or Kingsview areas could be explored likely triggering another land-use process Council members questioned the dollar amount in Xcel’s presentation then asked for clarity on the likelihood taxpayers would end up paying for the underground lines Council members ultimately decided they were only there to vote on whether the planning commission acted within its rights in the initial ruling to deny that portion of the application the council voted unanimously to deny the appeal leaving Xcel Energy to revisit its plans or to pursue potential legal action Xcel Energy and Fruita at impasse over power lines added by on January 14, 2025View all posts by The Business Times Staff →