Sept 21, 09 - Colorado Monument

Bob Hoffman, Lucy Hoffman, Sandy Rolling and Wendy and Jim Hoffman

Operation Melody donates musical instruments to vets

"By MELINDA MAWDSLEY/The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel"

Friday, September 11, 2009 Earlier this summer, veteran Randy Williams attended the American National Bank Downtown Farmers Market and saw a booth advertising Operation Melody. The program was created about three months ago to pair veterans with musical instruments. Williams filled out an application to receive a free instrument donated by a member of the public. “When I heard about it, I couldn’t believe it,” said Williams, who served in the U.S. Navy from 1987 until 2007. “I’ve been learning to play the fiddle, but I want to learn to play the guitar.” Williams will soon get that chance. Sept. 1, Williams picked up his tuned guitar from Wendy Hoffman, president of the Grand Valley Blue Star Mothers. The Blue Star Mothers is overseeing the program. Although the local chapter of Blue Star Mothers is accepting donated instruments from the public and applications for instruments from area veterans, Hoffman did not take credit for creating Operation Melody. That idea, Hoffman said, came from Doris Harper of Fruita, a 74-year-old musical fanatic who called in June to donate her used guitar, banjo, mandolin and accordion to veterans."
More... Operation Melody donates musical instruments to vets:

2009 hurricane predictions, plus storm names | Yahoo! Green

"2009 hurricane and tropical storm names - Atlantic
Ana
Bill
Claudette
Danny
Erika
Fred
Grace
Henri
Ida
Joaquin
Kate
Larry
Mindy
Nicholas
Odette
Peter
Rose
Sam
Teresa
Victor
Wanda


2009 hurricane and tropical storm names - Eastern North Pacific
Andres
Blanca
Carlos
Dolores
Enrique
Felicia
Guillermo
Hilda
Ignacio
Jimena
Kevin
Linda
Marty
Nora
Olaf
Patricia
Rick
Sandra
Terry
Vivian
Waldo
Xina
York
Zelda"

The Rev. Hermon Gaylord Wood | Parish History | St. Andrew's Episcopal Church - Ayer, Massachusetts

"HERMON GAYLORD WOOD, son of Hiram and Mary (Sprague) Wood, was born 19 Jan 1831 in Camillus, New York. He was known throughout his life as either H. Gaylord Wood or simply, H. G. Wood. His father was a farmer and a miller, and for nearly 40 years Senior Warden of Trinity Church in Fayetteville, New York. He prepared for college at Cortland Academy in Homer, New York."

The Rev. Hermon Gaylord Wood Parish History St. Andrew's Episcopal Church - Ayer, Massachusetts:

Tornado briefly touches down in Mesa County

"GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) Meteorologists have reported a rare occurrence in Mesa County: a tornado.
The National Weather Service in Grand Junction says a tornado briefly touched down in a rural area near Mount Garfield before dissipating shortly before 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. Mount Garfield is northeast of Grand Junction.
Meteorologist Jeff Colton says a Weather Service employee was driving in the area and saw it happen. No damage or injuries were reported.
Colton says it's just the ninth tornado to be documented in Mesa County since 1950.
The Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for northern Mesa County and southern Garfield County but canceled it around 3:50 p.m."
Colorado Wire - cbs4denver.com:

Its a.... BABY!

11 weeks 6 days

Grandchild number 4

Spring snowstorm shuts down Colo., Wyo. roads

"DENVER (AP) — More than a foot of wet, heavy snow closed highways and canceled flights in parts of Colorado and Wyoming on Friday, snarling traffic and forcing school closures and flight cancellations.
The American Red Cross was looking for more space Friday night after the shelter it opened for stranded travelers in Idaho Springs filled to capacity with more than 200 people.
Power lines weighed down by snow tripped system circuit breakers and knocked out electricity for more than 16,000 customers in Colorado.

Up to 3 feet of snow was expected by Saturday night in the mountains above 6,000
feet, forecasters said. Nearly 3 feet already had fallen in Rocky Mountain
National Park about 60 miles northwest of Denver. "

The chilly weather forced a return to heavy coats and snow boots for some who
already had packed away their winter clothes.

The Associated Press: Spring snowstorm shuts down Colo., Wyo. roads:

More People Want to Pack Heat on Streets

"In Mesa County close to 3,000 people have been issued a concealed weapons permit. But while Amanda Davis and her dog Heineken aren't packing heat today she could if she wanted to.
'I do think they are a good idea, I have one of my own,' says Davis.
And she is not alone. 'My husband just got a concealed weapons permit,' says Tammy Reece.
In February of last year 53 people applied for concealed weapons permits. Last month that number almost tripled to 147. Heather Benjamin with the Mesa County Sheriff's Office says, 'there is absolutely no concern.'" Video

More People Want to Pack Heat on Streets:

Radon: The Silent Killer

"Every year more than 20,000 Americans are diagnosed with a terminal disease caused by a radioactive gas known as radon. Experts say in most cases those people didn't even realize they were being exposed to the gas, or that it was happening right in their homes. While deadly if left untreated, they say it can easily be fixed.
Radon -- it's odorless, tatsteless, colorless, and deadly.
'It is the second leading cause of lung cancer, first for non-smokers,' said Anna Maylett Rice, Mesa County Indoor Air Quality Specialist.
Health experts from Montrose to Mesa County say it's all around us here in Western Colorado. They say radon forms as uranium decomposes below the ground -- and because the Western Slope has a lot of uranium in the ground naturally, the chances of residents being exposed to radon is much higher than other parts of the country."
More
Radon: The Silent Killer:

Proud of your name? Join the club

"HAYLEY MICK
From Friday's Globe and Mail
March 5, 2009 at 9:59 PM EST
Wendy Russ says it started back in elementary school. Classmates chimed 'Wiinndy' every time it got blustery outside. After that, it only got worse.
Teenage boys snickered when the Wendy's fast-food chain came out with the slogan: 'Where's the beef?' Then came the 'hot, juicy burger' campaign. 'You can imagine how that went over,' says Ms. Russ, who lives in Arkansas.
Still, she loved her name because it's different 'but not weird.' So as the Internet heated up in the early 1990s, she snapped up wendy.com — which soon became a beacon for Wendys worldwide."

"So those Freds are going to have to watch out," Ms. Russ says.

The site now represents an organization of 90 members who've bonded over nicknames (Wendikins, Wendorama, Wendy Lou Who) and favourite movie characters (Wendy Darling of Peter Pan). A revamp of the website is now in the works; there's even talk of a Wendy convention.

globeandmail.com: Proud of your name? Join the club:

(Note: I have been a member of the World Wide Wendy's since 1996 -- http://www.wendy.com/)