Craig Daily Press

Repeating for one more time, Local American Legion Post 62 has arranged with the Moffat County Sheriff’s Office to assist city and county senior citizens and/or disabled veterans by establishing a courtesy snow removal service, using inmates from the safety center.

In order to get service set up, contact Mel Shockley, the American Legion commander, at 824-3625. This service is limited to seniors older than 65 who cannot shovel snow and do not have an able-bodied family member in the household to do it for them.

If there are local family members in this community, they should do it unless their employment or health prevents it.

If you are a service-connected or nonservice-connected disabled veteran and cannot clean your walk, driveway or access to your mailbox, contact Mel as soon as possible.

“Soldiers’ Ride”

The Northwest Colorado Snow Machine Club and members of the Colorado Snowmobile Association are working together to provide a program called “Soldiers’ Ride.”

This state association and its local clubs are going to provide a free, one-day snowmobile ride/tour for disabled veterans, active duty personnel home on leave, or family members of active duty military units, Reserves or Guard members.

The local club, NOWECOS, along with Elkhorn Winter Adventures of Craig, Dick Dodd, owner and Dave Watson, guide, are going to sponsor a guided day tour in Northwest Colorado for up to three couples on two-rider machines.

They are looking at Saturday, Feb. 2, as the probable tour date. If you are eligible or know of servicemen/women home during that period, contact Jan Tonso of NOWECOS at 824-5821 for more information.

New LVER on site

Jonny A. Murray has been hired as the new Local Veterans Employment Representative for the Northwest Region of the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. He started this week and is housed at the Craig Workforce center at 480 Barclay.

Jonny has been married for 26 years and has two daughters. One lives in Texas and the other currently is a student in Portland, Ore.

Jonny was born and grew up in Meeker, living at the fish hatchery near Buford. He graduated from Meeker High School in 1976 then attended college for a year and a half.

Jon joined the Army in February 1978 as a Morse code interceptor/identifier/locator.

His first duty location was in Augsburg, Germany. He volunteered for and was assigned a hardship tour at a remote outstation near the Danish border where he spent the remainder of his four-year enlistment.

He then returned to Colorado, living in Rifle for a year before rejoining the Army as an artillery-locating radar operator/repairman, spending the next 16 years in Field Artillery.

His duty locations were: 197th Infantry Brigade at Ft. Benning, Ga.; C 333rd FA, 8th Infantry Division at Idar-Oberstein, Germany; Somerville Recruiting Station, Somerville, N.J.; B 26th FA, 1st Cavalry Division, Ft. Hood, Texas; Field Artillery Branch, PERSCOM, Alexandria, VA; and A Battery 3/29 FA, 4th Infantry Division, Ft. Carson.

He retired in 1999 from the U.S. Army after 20 years of service. He has being living in the Colorado Springs area and jumped at the chance to work and move back to western Colorado. His wife will follow him as soon as they can tie up loose ends. He is extremely happy to be back in Moffat and Rio Blanco counties.

Veteran Flu Shots

Flu shots for Northwest Colorado veterans enrolled in the VA Healthcare system are still available at the Telehealth Clinic in Craig. Call Dave at 824-6721 to see if you are eligible for services and can receive the shot here in Craig.

For information on these programs and/or other veterans’ benefits, call or stop in the Moffat County VSO office at 480 Barclay St. (west of the Bank of Colorado parking lot). Call 970-824-3246 or use the fax 970-824-7108. Our e-mail address is veterans@moffatcounty.net. The office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Other times can be arranged by appointment only.

Bring a copy of your separation papers (DD-214) for application for VA programs and for filing at our office.