Voices of Western Colorado: Groundwork

We Asked These Western Slope Locals to Weigh in on This Topic.

RONDO BUECHELER

An outdoor entrepreneur, Rondo is the co-owner of Rapid Creek Cycles and the Powderhorn Mountain Resort ski patrol director. 

“Groundwork is commitment, sacrifice and preparation. Satisfying my financial and adventurous needs required planning. My experience as an adventure entrepreneur taught me that big risks yield big rewards. Commitment, hard work and passion lead the way for groundwork to be made. 

Riding the Mesa, others and I had big visions that led to The Palisade Plunge. Groundwork is forward movement and innovation in your field. With the help from your community and a unique perspective an impact can be made for the future groundwork to be laid.”

ASHLEY CHASSEUR

Ashley is the co-owner and general manager of Pêche Restaurant in Palisade.

“As a mother of three young children and owning and managing a restaurant, every day is a balancing act. Groundwork is preparation, blood, sweat and tears. Preparation is what we live by. The work we put in is the foundation that our team here at Pêche and myself follow daily. In order to create stability, we put forth the effort. But groundwork is also the work that the majority do not see. It is what makes the magic happen and seems to be effortless. 

If it were not for those behind me, I would not be as organized and grounded as I am today. Groundwork means support from those important in your life and learning from them. They allow me the time to mentally prepare for each day or task. Most importantly, if I need help they are all behind me 100%.” 

BARRY LAGA

Barry is a professor of English and the department head for Languages, Literature and Mass Communication at Colorado Mesa University.

“Groundwork is an on-going recursive process. It suggests the basic and essential work we perform to establish foundation and the growth that follows. In my educational work, groundwork takes the form of examining basic assumptions, investigating premises and interrogating long-held beliefs. Groundwork is what we turn to when trials come our way or we feel lost in the world. 

While ignoring groundwork doesn’t stop us from getting coffee with friends, talking a walk or a ride, groundwork ultimately forms and sustains us. Groundwork suggests a serious and consistent attempt to question what we take for granted and build something new. This work allows us to make sense of our experiences and find meaning and connection in the world.” 

Compiled by Olivia Lyda

Originally published in the Spring 2021 issue