I’m haunted by the ghosts of Christmas. It’s an experience that’s delightful, not frightful — one of fond memories, grateful appreciation and optimistic expectation. To plagiarize a bit more, I’d like to imagine I’m like Ebenezer Scrooge, the protagonist of the famous Charles Dickens tale. Not the miserly recluse, mind you, but the benevolent extrovert […]
For years, Christmas came early for Mesa County businesses. And we’re not just talking about the holiday shopping season and retailers. Annual reports invariably forecast continued economic growth in the year ahead. The report for 2020, for example, characterized the outlook as not only positive, but exceptionally positive. That didn’t happen, of course. But who […]
When I jotted down my notes on what to write for this last edition of the Business Times before a new year, two words appeared above all the topics — and they are myriad, more for a book than column — I wanted to address: BE POSITIVE. Given my writing style, that’s not a goal […]
The celebration of Christmas in America follows an interesting journey. In the 1600s, Puritans weren’t allowed to exchange gifts, light a candle or sing Christmas carols. Many traditions observed today trace their roots to pre-Christian winter festivals. According to Celtic legend, mistletoe brings good luck, heals wounds and wards off evil spirits. The tradition of […]
’Tis the season. For, among other things, holiday newsletters. You know, those annual missives you receive, typically from distant relations. You only met once, and that was at a family reunion 15 years ago in Iowa. But every year since, they’ve confided in intimate detail what’s occurred in their lives. And it’s always amazing. Too […]
As many of you know, I’m a member of the Grand Junction Lions Club. In fact, I’m second vice president — barring a coup, second in line to the throne, where I will reign supreme in less than two years. That’s Lions humor for you. We don’t take ourselves too seriously — except when we […]
Levi Njord, Kelsey Glatt and Lindsay Powers As managers at Monument Health, we see the signs of COVID fatigue all around us. Nine long months of pandemic protocols and politicized responses have left people tired of compliance, low on compassion and deaf to new calls to action. The timing couldn’t be worse as the number […]
Some call it common sense, although you’d be hard-pressed in today’s world to find it very common or sensible. COVID-19 has been the elixir snake oil barkers have sought to destroy individual freedom in their lust to rule over the masses. One idea has made this country great: the idea every person has the same […]
I fight as a newspaper journalist to write tight. I endeavor to reach a conclusion without using too many words to get there. I prefer lean, muscular prose to corpulent bloviation. Compared to some writers, though, I’m a profligate who squanders words the way a drunken sailor spends money. I’m talking about you, Theodor Geisel. […]
Small Business Saturday is a relatively new American tradition. While Black Friday has been an informal holiday for more than 60 years, it wasn’t until 2010 the Saturday after Thanksgiving earned its official title, designating it as a day to shop local and support hometown retailers. In a year when businesses have faced profound challenges […]