l’s 50 or etal he m ta
10 al so
NORTH FORK TIMES
SURFACE CREEK NEWS
COMMUNITY ASSET
Paonians transform gravel pit into an amazing resource, B2
SPORTS
STUDENT LEADERSHIP Ken Gates is building character at Cedaredge High School, C2
DELTA COUNTY
IN THE FINAL STRETCH Paonia, Hotchkiss cross country runners advance to state, B6
OCTOBER 28, 2015 VOL. 132, NO. 43
75¢
INDEPENDENT
www.deltacountyindependent.com
All Points Transit expands services BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor
Sharon Fipps, executive director of All Points Transit, updated Delta City Council members and staff on new transportation initiatives in the Delta area. The city funds the program to the tune of $17,430 a year. All Points Transit provides transportation for disabled and senior citizens throughout Delta County. The service can be used for medical needs, senior meals, shopping, errands, socialization or volunteer opportunities. Fipps said to increase ridership, specifically medical ridership, All Points added two drivers, bringing the number of drivers in Delta County to six. A minivan was added to assist passengers with larger wheelchairs that could not be accommodated by the bus lift. The minivan can also be used when there are just a few passengers. The effort paid off — medi-
cal riders, January through August, were up 39.6 percent, Fipps said. “What we’re doing is working, and I’m thrilled,” she said. All Points also expanded hours in Delta County, to accommodate medical appointments later in the day. In January, a new medical shuttle will begin providing service three days a week. Service will be dedicated to a specific area of the county, bringing riders from Paonia/ Crawford, Hotchkiss and Cedaredge to the hospital and clinics in Delta. All Points also delivers patients to the River Valley Family Health Center in Olathe. Currently, All Points Transit averages 791 rides a month. At that pace, Fipps said All Points Transit will provide 9,945 rides this year. Contributions from Delta County and its municipalities fund 40 percent of the cost of ALL POINTS TO A3
Photo by Pat Sunderland
Fall palette
The reflection of trees and sky on a still pond in Confluence Park caught the eye of watercolor artist Fred Honchell. Working “en plein air” can make it a bit more difficult to control artistic elements, Honchell said, but it’s a wonderful way to get out and see what God has created. Fortunately, weather conditions were ideal — the wind was calm, skies were partly cloudy and the temperature was in the low 70s.
Broadband focus turns to anchor sites BY HANK LOHMEYER Staff Writer
The anchor institutions designated for inclusion in the Region 10 broadband plan are a key element in the overall project vision. The county is working to arrange a discussion of anchor institution issues among local officials at the courthouse on Nov. 2. Actual costs of the broadband plan are based to an extent on the number of anchor institutions that local communities want to see served by the proposed fiberoptic network. Anchor institutions are described generally as government entities that would
have some need for super-fast Internet access. They would include schools, health care facilities like hospitals and clinics, first responder headquarters, libraries and others. Region 10 has distributed a list of over 60 possible anchor institutions in five Delta County municipalities (excluding Orchard City). Region 10’s broadband consultant, NEOFiber of Carbondale, includes the following explanation of anchor institutions’ role in the overall system and its associated costs: “Some grant programs will not pay for customer premise equipment, i.e. equipment that the customer owns. How-
Courthouse closed for training exercise BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor
The Delta County Courthouse was closed late Friday, Oct. 22, for training designed to test the emergency notification system at the courthouse. Training was conducted by the Delta County Sheriff ’s Office with the assistance of Delta Police Department, and was designed to test the emergency notification system’s “ready opps” and the countywide all page system. Delta County Undersheriff Mark Taylor said the exercise also tested each department’s response to an emergency notification. “In this case a message was sent utilizing the ready opps that an active shooter was in
INDEX
Accent ........................... A4 Activities ....................... A7 Back Page ................... D8 Bruin Tracks ................C3-6 Business ........................ A8 Church ............................C8 Classifieds .................. D1-2 Editorial ......................... A2 Legals ......................... D3-4 North Fork Times ........B1-4 Obituaries ......................B5 School Zone .................. A5 Service Directory ........ D7 Sports ..........................B6-8 Surface Creek News ...C1-7 TV Listings ................. D5-6
the courthouse,” Taylor said. “Approximately 2 minutes later another message utilizing the internal all page system was sent also notifying employees that an active shooter was in the courthouse.” The Delta Police Department helped the sheriff ’s office complete a walkthrough of the building checking doors and looking for proper response to the notification by employees. “I am extremely happy the way everyone involved responded and took this exercise/training serious,” Taylor said. “This is the base training that we can build on and eventually leading up to a full exercise in the future.”
ever, if the network owner or Region 10 maintains ownership of the equipment that is placed at the customer anchor institution, there would be the opportunity to have the grant pay for the equipment. “Once fiber is built within a community, it is much easier
to continue to build out further into the community. The networks within each community have been designed so that either the ISPs can further build out within the community or the cities or towns themselves can build further into the community. Equip-
ment at each of the anchor institutions would also need to be purchased to light the fiber. These costs are included in the Phase 1 of the DOLA grant submission.” At a meeting of county municipal officials last ANCHOR SITES TO A3
Physics students put buoyancy to the test BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor
Using just corrugated cardboard and duct tape, science students from across Delta County demonstrated the physics of buoyancy at Bill Heddles Recreation Center last week. The “boats” could not exceed four feet in width and eight feet in length, and they had to fit through the doorway. They were carted to the edge of the pool, where two oarsmen climbed in. If they mastered the first test — keeping the watercraft from tipping when they got in — they then attempted to paddle the length of the pool and back. Each team was timed. Style points were awarded for the most dramatic sinkings. Creativity was also judged, with boats sporting names such as Moby Dick, The Bomb, PHS Titanic, Gone Fishin’, USS Molly Brown, Easy A+ and 50 Shades of Tape. The key to stability, one team member explained, was adding cross supports so the sides of the boat didn’t collapse. Cardboard was layered
for the bottom of the boat. The duct tape not only held the assembly together, it also added strength and, in some cases, a decorative element. Delta High School physics teacher Ben Magtutu organized the event for students from Cedaredge, Delta, Paonia and Hotchkiss. For his AP Physics I students, the cardboard boat regatta precedes
a unit on force and mechanics. Buoyancy is a wonderful example of a supportive force that behaves differently under varying circumstances, Magtutu explained. It’s up to the students to figure out why. AP Physics II students just finished a unit of fluids. They were encouraged to apply Archimedes’ Principle PHYSICS TO A3
Photo by Pat Sunderland
“The Craftsman” goes down with Kory Mills and Josh Reeder aboard. The name for their boat came from the Craftsman box they used for its construction.
Election is winding down
Financing college
Trick-or-treat
Delta County election officials advise voters it’s getting late to return your ballots by mail. To ensure your votes count, drop off your ballots at either the Delta County Courthouse at 501 Palmer Street in Delta or the North Fork Annex at 196 W. Hotchkiss Avenue in Hotchkiss. Both locations are equipped with a 24-hour drop-off box. Both locations will also be open Election Day (Nov. 3) from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. In addition, the polling center in the county courthouse will be open Saturday, Oct. 31, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Election results can be viewed at www.delta countyindependent.com or the DCI’s Facebook page.
“Paying for College: FAFSA and Other Financial Options” is the topic of a Parent Academy at Delta High School Tuesday, Nov. 3, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Dinner will be served, but you must pre-register at dhsparentacademy.weebly.com. Two keynote speakers have been invited to educate parents and guardians about the options for financing education beyond high school. For more information, contact DHS at 874-8061.
Kids between the ages of 1 and 12 are invited to trick-or-treat Delta’s Main Street from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30. At 5 p.m., kids and adults alike will gather at Westminster Hall at the Presbyterian Church of Delta, 4th and Meeker, for a costume contest. Certificates will be awarded for the best boy’s and best girl’s costumes in four age groups (0-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12), as well as for the best group effort, best adult costume and best business. To be judged earlier in the day, businesses can call the Delta County Independent at 874-4421.