| Howdy from the Grand Canyon! The views out here are stunning, of course. While I love the massively sprawling canyon here, it does make me a little homesick for Black Canyon. If you visit our own national park/canyon this week, snap a photo for me! Let's get to our happenin' and news roundup! - Cassie
Bestselling author Matt Eicheldinger returned home to Montrose Matt is a Montrose-native and a New York Times bestselling author of the book, "Matt Sprouts and the Curse of the Ten Broken Toes." He stopped by the Montrose Regional Library recently to share his new novel with his hometown.
Cinco de Mayo is coming up Montrose is gearing up for more Cinco de Mayo celebrations. The festivities include a 5K walk/run starting at noon on Sunday at Secret Creek in Colorado Outdoors. Head out there and enjoy the scenic trails along the Uncompahgre River. For those not interested in the run, a free family-friendly block party will be held from noon to 4 p.m. at Secret Creek, featuring live entertainment, bounce houses, food trucks, and more. The "Cinco de MADA Duck Race" starts at 1 p.m., where you can race rubber duckies as they float down the river. Ducks can be purchased for $5 each, with the chance to win prizes. To participate, call 970-249-4774 or visit the provided link to order ducks.
Learn about ranching struggles on the Western Slope If you're interested in learning more about Western Slope ranching challenges, you may want to look into this documentary. "Losing the West" is an independent documentary screening on May 10 // 7 p.m. at the Grand Mesa Arts & Events Center in Cedaredge. The film delves into the challenges faced by small ranchers and farmers on the Western Slope, focusing on the life of Howard Linscott, a legendary Colorado cowboy known as "the original Marlboro Man." Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Dare to Dream, a nonprofit equestrian-assisted learning center founded by one of Linscott's daughters. Visit www.gmaec.org for tickets.
Montrose Wine & Food Fest is back! The annual festival is back at Cerise Park on May 11. The event will feature local vendors, and live music by Neon Sky Band, a silent auction, and more. In similar news, you can attend Bubbles & Bliss on May 3 at The Temple Events to enjoy sparkling wines with sommelier Andrea Lowe. Proceeds benefit the Black Canyon Boys & Girls Club.
Have you seen the dog walker decked in yellow around town? We here in Montrose do love our fluffy pals, and professional dog walker Jill Downs knows this. In fact, it's why she moved her new Elite Dog walking business to Montrose last year. You've probably seen her walking around town with dogs in tow, while decked out in her yellow cowboy hat, vest and gold shoes. If you have a dog in need of play space, check out Jill's Sniffspot service located off Landfill Road in Montrose.
Check out our weekly business roundupEach week, we compile a list of the latest business news in and around Montrose. Do you have business-related news you want to share with the community? Let me know! Email me at cassiek@montrosepress.com
We're accepting "Thank you" letters and notes for our newsletters! This new section, "Our Community Cares" is the perfect place to include your notes of gratitude that may not fit in our Letters to the Editor section. Email your notes to me at cassiek@montrosepress.com and I'll include it in our next newsletter. We may edit for length and clarity.
Let's talk more on NABUR! As a news organization, it's our duty to inform. That said, news is made richer by the communities it represents. With that in mind, I encourage you to hop on over to NABUR and share what's on your mind: What is important to you? What isn't important to you? What are you excited for/hesitant about? Let us know! You can email us at editor@montrosepress.com or me directly at cassiek@montrosepress.com As always, stay in the loop on events around town by visiting our calendar page. | 
