March 2017 Battlement Mesa, Colorado What a …seniorhousingoptions.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/MVNews3-17.pdfwas a fun place to grow up. We knew everybody and everybody ... Walter

Introducing . . .

Brad was born in Carmel, California. He moved to Rifle at age 6,

where he attended school from first to eighth grade. “It was

great. I played baseball, golf, rode my bike. We’d go to the Hot

Springs Pool in Glenwood. I worked in my grandparents’ hydro-

ponic tomato sheds. Sometimes I’d also work at local farms. It

was a fun place to grow up. We knew everybody and everybody

knew us. I started skiing in sixth grade,” he said.

The family moved to Aspen in 1968, where Brad attended Aspen

High. “My first year I was in a ski race at Snowmass and broke

my humerus. By that summer I was able to play baseball. I was

a catcher for the high school team, but would play other posi-

tions if needed. We had a lot of fun. We thought we owned the

town. I worked as a hod carrier from my sophomore year until

1976, then also part time as a mason,” he said. Brad ski-raced

throughout high school, also playing baseball, football and was

on the track team. He went to State in track. “We won State in baseball my senior year,” he said.

Brad graduated from Aspen High in 1973. After that he played Rugby competitively with the Gentlemen of As-

pen team for 22 years. They toured the British Isles in 1976 and 1982. He also played on the Santa Monica

team from 1982 to 1984, and coached and played Rugby at Southwest Texas University from 1986 through

1988. “We won Ruggerfest 6 times when I was on the Gentlemen of Aspen team,” he said. After Brad retired he

Mesa Vista News

March 2017 Battlement Mesa, Colorado

What a Difference a Year Makes February 2016 February 2017

Despite reports of above average to soaring snowpack measurements throughout the Colorado

mountains, including McClure Pass at 130%, Grand Mesa at 135% and Schofield pass at a whopping

172%, we have been enjoying a very mild winter here at Mesa Vista and the surrounding area. That

seems to be just fine with most of our residents.

No one is sure exactly when it got started, but the

tradition of decorating the tree in the activities room is

alive and well at Mesa Vista. Each month the tree is

decorated by residents to reflect a current theme:

Halloween, Forth of July, Christmas, or in this case

St. Patrick’s Day.

“We had the bare tree and it needed something to bring

it alive. I thought it would be a nice idea to decorate it

differently each month. The first time we decorated it

all in flowers,” Marcelle remembered. The current

shamrock idea came from Allison. “She had the idea and

did most of the work making them.”

was asked to play in the Rugby National Tourna-

ment, which they won. During Winterfests of 1976

through 1979 Brad also skied on the Coors Pro Tour.

All of the rugby and skiing began to take a toll over

time. Brad has had 3 major knee surgeries and one

minor knee surgery.

Aspen was a fun place to live, but by the 1990’s Brad

felt that it had changed. “The billionaires were buy-

ing out the millionaires,” he said. Until this time he

had worked as a waiter at the Charthouse, and then

with his father’s plumbing business. His dad retired

and Brad moved back to Rifle.

He started working part time as a skycap at the

Eagle/Vail Airport during the season, golfing in the

summers and traveling the world on free airline

flights he received as a benefit from his job. In 2001

he got a job as a Fueling Line Service Tech, fueling

airplanes at Grand Junction Airport. “We had the

military contract so we got to work with all of the

military planes coming through,” he said. After that

he returned to Rifle where he delivered water for the

Clear Mountain Water Company. He eventually had

to retire when he developed Peripheral Neuropathy

in his legs and feet.

In retirement, he took care of his mom for the next 4

years, until she moved into a nursing home. Shortly

thereafter he fell backwards and split his head open.

After a month stay in the hospital, Brad had to un-

dergo 14 months of rehab in a skilled nursing center.

Brad moved into Mesa Vista in January of this year.

“I like it. I’m looking forward to the warmer weather

when I can get outside more and exercise, ride my

bike and fly a kite,” he laughed. “The staff is profes-

sional and friendly. The food is very good. The other

residents are nice, I just hope they like my sense of

humor!”

Adult Day Program

The Mesa Vista Adult Day Program is now

certified to accept Medicaid

Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, from 10

am until 4:30 pm. Members participate in a full schedule

of activities, with snacks, soft drinks and coffee always

available. A hot lunch is served daily.

For further information call 970-285-1844

Page 2 Mesa Vista News

(story continued from page 1)

Wellspring of Life Church to visit

Mesa Vista on second Sundays

We are blessed to have the Grace Bible Church

service, The Lighthouse Church service and the

Gethsemani Youth group visits to Mesa Vista on

Sundays each month. Thank you all very much for

your dedication to our residents!

As many of you know, Father EJ from All Saints

Episcopal Church retired at the end of the year.

Father EJ generously conducted a service at Mesa

Vista for our residents on the second Sunday of each

month. Starting this month, Pastor Dave from the

Wellspring of Life Church has graciously volun-

teered to take over this monthly Sunday service.

Pastor Dave’s first visit will be Sunday, March 12th at

1 pm. Please give him a warm welcome! “Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud”

- Maya Angelou

Tradition of the Tree

Pictured above, from left to right: tree-tenders

Allison, Mitzi, Marcelle and Agnes.

Evie Kriz - March 7th

Georgianna - March 8th

Bev Williamson - March 8th

Ernestine Adams - March 8th

Kathy Germano - March 19th

Jeff McFadden - March 23rd

Al Kulisan - March 28th

Fred Fiereck - March 30th

Page 3 Mesa Vista News

Mesa Vista Assisted Living 72 Sipprelle Drive, Parachute Colorado

(970) 285-1844 fax 970-285-6351 [email protected] http://seniorhousingoptions.org/properties/

mesa-vista/

Kathy Germano, Administrator

Tami Hammond, Resident Services Director

Michael Farrell, Activities Director, Adult Day Program Director, Editor

Crossing the Divide

Migrating animals – bison, elk, deer, bighorn sheep –

first established the trails across the Continental Divide

at Independence Pass. Stone Age hunters may have

followed, though their crossings are lost to the shadows

of prehistory. Millennia passed before men crossed the

Pass in hobnail boots, dragging sleds, shouldering loads,

laboring mightily in the thin air [12,100 feet].

These seekers were often hungry, thirsty, hot, wet and

cold. They endured sun, rain, hail and snow. They were

struck by lightning, cowed by thunder, blasted by wind,

imperiled by avalanches, harassed by insects, chased by

bears, benighted and lost. They were blinded by winter

white, dazzled by autumn gold, welcomed by spring

green and warmed by summer verdure.

Prospectors crossing the Pass in the late 1870’s reported

seeing blazes on trees they guessed were from the

1860’s. There was one earlier claim by a man thought to

have been one of the first white men to cross Independ-

ence Pass. He was known simply as the Old Pioneer.

According to an article in the Aspen Daily Times,

September 1885, he was “a poor, old, dilapidated-looking

specimen of humanity, with tattered clothes that had

seen a good many summers and several winters.” He

was noticed sitting on a beer keg in front of a Cooper

Street saloon. “His hair was uncombed, his beard long

and shaggy. He looked, indeed, like Rip Van Winkle. His

friendless look of desolate demeanor was such as to

soften a newspaperman’s heart.”

The curious reporter began his interview with the usual

question: “Who are you?” “My name is Henry Gleason,”

replied the Old Pioneer, “and I am the first man to ever

put a foot in the valley of the Roaring Fork. I passed

down this valley in the summer of 1850, and I feel

confident that no white man had ever been here before.”

If the pioneer’s words were true, he made the crossing 20

years before the Hayden Survey team, when the Utes

were still supreme in Colorado, when the land west of

the Divide was pure wilderness. Stunned by his claim,

the reporter asked about the old man’s origins. “I was

born in Spencer County, Kentucky, but I left home

young and have been a wanderer ever since. I have no

kindred ties in the world that I know of, and I reckon if I

had, they would not be very proud of me because I ain’t

no beauty, to say the least of it.”

Onlookers had gathered to listen to the aged relic, and

someone invited him to take a drink, as the reporter

noted: “He rose from his seat on the beer keg and sham-

bled into the bar, where he swallowed a glassful of whis-

key.” “Ah, that makes one almost feel young again,” mut-

tered the old man.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________———————————————————————--—____—___________________—-___________________

Mesa Vista News has received special permission to

reprint stories from the books written by author Paul

Andersen. Mr. Andersen’s engaging books provide a

wealth of information about the history and ecology

of Colorado. The following essay was taken from

his book, The High Road To Aspen. Mr. Andersen is

also the author of Aspen’s Rugged Splendor and Elk

Mountain Odyssey.

Happy Birthday!

March 2017

S U N M O N T U E W E D T H U F R I S A T

1 Salon is Open

10:00 Vitals Clinic

11:00

Crafts Workshop

2:00 Shopping Walmart

3:30 Rummy

6:30 Bible Study

2 Salon is Open

10:00 Morning Walk and Exercises

11:00 Skin Care and Make-up with

Brenda 1:30 Bingo with

Grace 3:30 History of the

West with Al 6:00 Coloring with

3

Salon is Open 10:00

Bible Reading 10:30

Paws to Love 11:00 Morning

Walk & Exercises

1:30 Bingo with Grace

3:30 Baking

4

10:00

Coffee Klatch

2:00 Bingo

6:00

Roundtable with Fred

5 1:00 Coloring

with Diane

2:30 Grace Bible

Service

4:00 Club Suzie

6 10:00

Horseshoes

11:00 Exercise Fun with Grace

2:00

Popcorn Classic: The Secret Life of

Walter Mitty

4:30 Jenga

7 10:00

Art Workshop

11:15 Wii Bowling

1:30 Bingo with June

3:30

Word Search

6:00 Poker Night Happy Birthday

Evie!

8 Salon is Open

10:00 Crafts with Penelope

3:30 Dealer’s

Choice

6:30 Bible Study with Marie

Happy Birthday Georgianna, Bev &

Ernestine!!!

9 Salon is Open

10:00 Morning Walk and Exercises

11:00 Skin Care and Make-up with

Brenda

1:30 Bingo with Grace

3:30 History of the West with Al

6:00 Coloring with Allison

10

Salon is Open 10:30

Paws to Love

11:00 Morning Walk & Exercises

1:30 Bingo with Grace

3:30 Ice Cream Social

6:00 Poker Night

11

10:00

Coffee Klatch

2:00 Bingo

6:00

Roundtable with Fred

Daylight savings time: Turn clocks ahead one hour

at bedtime

12

1:00

Wellspring of Life Church

Service

2:30 Coloring With Diane

4:00 Club Suzie

Full Moon Tonight

13 10:00

Horseshoes

11:00 Morning Walk & Exercise

2:00 Travelogue:

Alaska

3:30 Hangman

14 10:00

Assisted Living Food & Resident

Council

11:15 Wii Bowling

1:30 Bingo with June

3:30

Wits End

6:00 Poker Night

15

Salon is Open

10:00 Art Workshop

11:00 Crafts with Penelope

2:00 Shopping Walmart

3:30 Rummy

6:30 Bible Study with Marie

16 Salon is Open

10:00 Morning Walk and Exercises

11:00 Skin Care and Make-up with

Brenda

1:30 Bingo with Grace

3:30 History of the West with Al

6:00 Coloring with Allison

17

Salon is Open 10:00

Bible Reading 10:30

Paws to Love 11:00 Morning

Walk & Exercises 1:30 Bingo with

Grace

3:30 St. Patrick’s Day

Party with live Irish music

18

10:00

Coffee Klatch

2:00 Bingo

6:00

Roundtable with Fred

19 1:00 Coloring

with Diane

2:30

Gethsemani Youth Group

Visit

4:00 Club Suzie

Happy Birthday

Kathy!

20 10:00

Horseshoes

11:00 Morning Walk & Exercise

2:00 Popcorn Classic:

3:30 Word Search

Spring Equinox

21 10:00 The Good

Old Days with Charlotte &

Michelle

11:15 Wii Bowling

1:30 Bingo with June

3:30 Wits End

6:00 Poker Night

22 Salon is Open

10:00

Crafts with Penelope

11:00 Lunch at the Senior Center

2:00 Shopping local

3:30 Dealer’s Choice

6:30 Bible Study with Marie

23 Salon is Open

10:00 Morning Walk and Exercises

11:00 Skin Care and Make-up with

Brenda 1:30 Bingo with

Grace 3:30 History of the

West with Al 6:00 Coloring with

Allison

Happy Birthday Jeff!

24

Salon is Open 10:00

Bible Reading 10:30

Paws to Love

11:00 Morning Walk & Exercises 1:30 Bingo with

Grace 3:30

Table Topics

6:00 Poker Night

25

10:00

Coffee Klatch

2:00 Bingo

6:00

Roundtable with Fred

26 1:00 Coloring

with Diane

2:30 Lighthouse

Church Service

4:00 Club Suzie

27 10:00

Horseshoes

11:00 Morning Walk & Exercise

2:00

Hangman

3:30

Travelogue: Brazil

28 10:00

Art Workshop

11:15 Wii Bowling

1:30 Bingo with June

3:30

Wits End

6:00 Poker Night

Happy Birthday Al!

29 Salon is Open

10:00 Crafts with Penelope

2:00

Shopping Walmart

3:30 Rummy

6:30 Bible Study with Marie

30 Salon is Open

10:00 Morning Walk and Exercises

11:00 Skin Care and Make-up with

Brenda 1:30 Bingo with

Grace 3:30 History of the

West with Al 6:00 Coloring with

Allison

Happy Birthday Fred!

31 Salon is Open

10:00 Resident Boards and Tree

10:30 Paws to Love

11:00 Morning Walk & Exercises

1:30 Bingo with Grace 3:30

Ice Cream Social

6:00 Poker Night

Schedule is

subject to

Change