Itâs been an interesting few weeks. Especially for a lifelong news junkie. My first three columns of 2021 were, understandably I think, about the ugly insurrection in our nationâs capitol, the aftermath of that deadly rioting and then the issues we face as a country in getting past all that. Finally, Iâd had enough. âNo column,â I messaged editorial page editor Andy Smith the Friday after President Joe Bidenâs inauguration despite an obvious and easy topic. âGonna bask in normalcy this morning.â Hence my absence from the opinion pages of the Daily Sentinel week before last. It felt different in a very good way last week, writing a celebratory piece about the Grand Valleyâs Riverfront efforts, the way my friends Larry Jones and Brian Mahoney finally made years of wishful thinking real by convincing our Grand Junction Lions Club to ante up the first real dollars for the project and also naming at least some locals whoâve spearheaded prior and subsequent efforts. That change of pace, away from constant national political turmoil to more positive topics, has carried over into other parts of life at the Spehar household.