Delta County Independent, Dec. 2, 2015 by Delta County Independent

NORTH FORK TIMES

SURFACE CREEK NEWS

A LABOR OF LOVE

SPORTS

COMMUNITY BLESSING

Feeding the community is an honor for Larry Jakubiak, B1

Volunteers help Creekside Café serve free Thanksgiving dinner, C1

DELTA COUNTY

THE FIGHT IS OVER Delta, Paonia come up short in football playoffs, C7

DECEMBER 2, 2015 VOL. 132, NO. 48

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INDEPENDENT

www.deltacountyindependent.com

Hwy. 92 overpass nears completion BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

A major road construction project on Highway 133 between Delta and Hotchkiss is nearing completion. The $13.1 million railroad overpass at Stengel’s Hill was funded from a variety of sources — $3.6 million in FASTER safety funds, $4.1 million in railroad crossing funds, $4.3 million in Regional Priority Project (RPP) funds and $1.1 million in surface treatment funds. The project was determined a priority due to the at-grade railroad crossing and sight distances for private driveways and the road to the Gunnison River Pleasure Park. While mine slowdowns in the North Fork have reduced concerns about the at-grade railroad crossing, Tracy Trulove, communications manager for Region 3, Colorado Department of Transportation, said the project still addresses safety concerns. “This project got a lot of attention because it went to advertisement and then the mine closed,” Trulove said. But a traffic safety assessment conducted from 2007 to

and super-elevation alignment being in conflict with the highway curve and super-elevation alignment,” she explained. “Those two alignment differences caused the highway traffic to ‘twist’ as a vehicle crossed the railroad tracks. At slow speeds, this could be described as alarming, however at higher speeds, it could cause loss of control.”

2011 shows 99 accidents were reported in that narrow stretch of highway. Trulove provided a breakdown of accidents that includes 88 involving property damage (to the driver’s vehicle or someone’s fence, for instance), 10 injury accidents and one fatality during the five-year period. “One of the best benefits of the project from a safety aspect is for the property on the south side of the highway at the top of Stengel’s Hill. The realignment has greatly improved the sight distance of this access of two homes that was almost blind with traffic flowing at 55-60 mph,” Trulove said. In addition to improving sight distance, the project provides shoulders, turn lanes to the Gunnison River Pleasure Park, and an eastbound climbing lane which will hopefully reduce high speed passing on Rogers Mesa. Trulove said CDOT looked at many alternatives, including maintaining the existing at-grade railroad intersection. “A major challenge of maintaining the Stengel’s at-grade railroad crossing was a combination of the railroad curve

Delta County Sheriff Fred McKee said the road project will allow quicker response during emergencies. “That’s one less railroad crossing to worry about being on the wrong side of,” he said. “Anything that gets done to Highway 92 is an improvement in my mind,” said county commissioner Mark Roeber. “I can’t wait for the next phase,

which is Rogers Mesa. CDOT is still talking plans, but at the least hopefully they’ll extend the shoulders so people have more room to get off the road to make turns. “I know there have been a lot of complaints about all the money spent on that overpass,” Roeber continued, “but we think there’s still going to be trains.”

Photo by Pat Sunderland

Construction crews work on the overpass at Stengel’s Hill. During a recent report to the Delta County commissioners, Colorado Department of Transportation ofﬁcials said the ﬁnal mat of asphalt will not be laid down until 2016.

Abraham Connection hosts open house BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

Abraham Connection is just a few days, and a few dollars, short of completing the new permanent homeless shelter at 480 Silver Street in Delta. A community open house is planned this Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m., with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 5 p.m. Volunteers were putting finishing touches on the building early this week, painting the trim on the doors to the office and conference rooms, wiping down the counters

hin the spacious kitchen and arranging furniture in the common area. There are three spacious sleeping areas — the largest for men, a medium-sized room for women and the third for families with children. The men’s and women’s dorms are essentially large spaces where mattresses can be laid down, piled up and arranged however guests desire. Space is a bit more defined in the family room, where shelves contain books and toys for the little ones. Bryce Simler, a homeschooled student from

Chamber has new exec. director, board president BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

Holly Piatek has been named the executive director of the Delta Area Chamber of Commerce. She replaces outgoing director Leslie Workman, who accepted a new job at Delta County Memorial Hospital. Piatek is described as a real “go-getter” by Heather Redden, the new chamber board president. Elections were held at the same meeting where three new directors were seated — Chris Cox from Bank of Colorado, Jessica Carlson from DeltaMontrose Technical College and Angel Blanco from Taylor Funeral Service & Crematory. Kylynn Wilson of Crossroads Assisted Living and Dave Beneteau of Plati-

INDEX

Accent ........................... A4 Activities ....................... A7 Agriculture .....................C4 Back Page ................... D8 Business ........................ A8 Church ............................C5 Classifieds .................. D1-2 Editorial ......................... A2 Legals ......................... D3-4 North Fork Times ........B1-5 Obituaries ......................B8 School Zone ...................B7 Service Directory ........ D7 Sports ..........................C7-8 Surface Creek News ...C1-3 TV Listings ................. D5-6

num Relations agreed to additional three-year terms on the board. Wilson is board vice president and Beneteau is financial officer. Piatek, a personal banker at Wells Fargo in Delta, has familiarized herself with chamber activities as a chamber board member. She will be resigning that position to become a full-time employee. “She will bring a lot of enthusiasm to the job,” Redden said. She said Piatek’s strengths lie in sales and personal relationships. Redden said five candidates — all local residents — were interviewed for the position. Piatek’s first day on the job is Dec. 9.

Cedaredge, made collecting books and toys an Eagle project — just one of many examples of how the community has supported the Abraham Connection since the decision was made to proceed with construction. In all three rooms, freshlylaundered blankets, pillows, sheets and towels are neatly stored on shelves. The men’s and women’s bathrooms are each handicap accessible and have two

showers, another convenience for guests who were previously provided with passes to shower at the recreation center. The bathrooms also contain coin-operated washers and dryers; currently all the towels and bed linens are laundered offsite by volunteers. The common area includes couches and chairs for sitting, reading or watching movies, and also serves as the dining room with tables and chairs.

Cheryl Oeltjenbruns, Abraham Connection board president, said delivery of a large stove was expected Tuesday, to complete the commercial kitchen. Final inspection and a certificate of occupancy will hopefully fall into place just in time for moving day on Saturday. At that time, the pots, pans, utensils and dinnerware will be moved from the basement of the Delta United Methodist HOMELESS SHELTER TO A3

Suppes runs for District 2 county commissioner seat BY HANK LOHMEYER Staff Writer

Orchard City’s two-term mayor, Don Suppes, has announced as a candidate for District 2 county commissioner. Suppes served as an Orchard City town trustee two and a half years before winning election as the town’s mayor in 2008. His current term as mayor will end in April next year. The upcoming election for commissioner will be held Nov. 1, 2016. Suppes hosted a reception for a dozen friends and supporters to make his official announcement. In a short address during the event held at Daveto’s, Suppes, referring to his run for state office in 2014, said that he promised his family he would go one year without campaigning again. “I got to

a year and 10 days,” he said as his wife, Beth, added, “I’ll take it!” Suppes won over 72 percent of the county’s vote in his bid for the state Senate in 2014. However, strong Democratic turnout in the resort counties that are part of Colorado’s big Senate District 6 carried that election for his opponent from Vail. “I won’t need to win any ski town votes this time,” Suppes said. Suppes is running for the District 2 commissioner spot that is being vacated by the term-limited Bruce Hovde of Cedaredge. No other candidates had filed required paperwork with the Colorado secretary of state’s office as of the time of Suppes’ announcement. Still, Suppes said, “I’m sure there will be somebody else” to enter the race.

A Colorado Christmas

Housing sales jump

Celebrate “A Colorado Christmas” at the Parade of Lights organized annually by the Delta Area Chamber of Commerce. This year’s event is sponsored by Volunteers of America and begins at 6 p.m. The parade route is from 9th to 2nd streets on Delta’s Main Street. After the parade, Santa Claus will be at Wells Fargo Bank. At 4th and Meeker, the Presbyterian Church will host a dessert potluck. Hot chocolate and hot apple cider will be served, as goodie bags for the Delta prison ministry are decorated and filled.

According to a report compiled by Heritage Title Company, real estate transactions jumped 40 percent in the third quarter of 2015 in Delta County. There were 262 sales compared to 187 for the same period of 2014. Year to date, 682 sales have been recorded in 2015, compared to 525 in 2014, a 30 percent increase. In dollar volume, the third quarter reported $48 million in real estate sales, compared to $39 million in 2014. The resale of foreclosed property accounts for 8 percent of all sales year to date, a significant decrease over 2014.

Economic issues are a key focus of the campaign. “Delta County is facing a tough and uncertain future,” he said. “Our current commissioners have done a great job with the county finances. Things are going to get tough, and I will do my best to fight that fight.” He pointed to the county having to begin picking up a big cost for expanded Medicaid beginning in 2017. Suppes notes, “Unfunded mandates and overreach from the state and federal agencies are crippling our way of life.” Those mandates cause concern on the local level where ag producers are worried about water and the future of their industry; businesses have rising employment costs and regulatory burdens; and parents have new concerns SUPPES TO A3

Seat belt use lags

A new study on seat belt usage conducted for the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) reveals that 85.2 percent of the state’s roadway users are buckling up. But a team of trained observers estimated the usage rate in Delta County at just 70.8 percent. Baca, a rural county in the eastern plains, had the lowest usage rate of 67.1 percent. According to CDOT, rural counties on the Western Slope and eastern plains generally have lower usage rates. These rural counties also have a higher proportion of pickup trucks, which tend to have lower seat belt use rates.

A2 Wednesday, December 2, 2015

OPINION

LETTERS Paonia’s water woes are self-inflicted Dear Editor: As you read this, Paonia will have adopted a 2016 budget that, in the words of one trustee “is full of padding!” (They think this is good.) Starting in January,å utility rates will go up at least $18-20 monthly. In midyear, rates will increase again, probably by $20 to $30 or more per household. Businesses will be paying much more than this and some may fold. Out-of-town users will also see disproportional increases. The primary rationale offered is debt service on about $6 million in loans for state-mandated upgrades to the town’s infrastructure. However, almost $3 million of this is over and above what the state required. It is not tied to any project. It was just such a good deal town hall couldn’t pass it up. The payments on this money is an elective expense passed on to the people of the community. Another elective expense in the new budget is $140,000 for new water meters, “the cash registers” of the town. They have based water rate increases on revenue from old faulty meters that tend to read low and are going to bill on higher readings from new

meters. This amounts to a third rate increase. It could average another $4 month, but not all the existing meters are faulty, so the individuals that do see their usage go up can expect increases of double this or more. It’s like roulette. No one will argue for faulty water meters, but Paonia is already changing meters out at a rate that will give us all a new one within a few years. The point is: The trustees could save $110,000 by keeping to the current program of meter replacement and return the loan money that is not already spent, and we wouldn’t need any rate increases at all. This is an example of the smoke and mirror manipulations that have close observers of town business grinding their teeth. The recent water breaks are a convenient excuse for town hall’s mission to replace the entire town water system ASAP. This haste will result in much waste and rate increases over and above everything revealed so far. What no one other than Trustee Watson will tell you is, the big reason for all the recent water breaks (and water heater failures) is management of the system that has jacked the

It’s best to be prepared Dear Editor: Climate change by nature is acceptable, but weather by the bureaucrats in D.C. is not, to my way of thinking. Science DELTA COUNTY

INDEPENDENT DELTA COUNTY INDEPENDENT (UPS 152-700) is published weekly on Wednesdays at 401 Meeker St., Delta, CO 81416. Second class postage paid at DELTA, CO. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: DELTA COUNTY INDEPENDENT, PO BOX 809, DELTA, CO 81416 401 Meeker St. Delta, CO 81416 (970) 874-4421

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is unpredictable, especially when directed by the New World Order and placed in human hands. Congress is no help. Weather change, modified, is a new science and has not been proven. The goal of the New World Order is to reduce the world’s population. Go to GeoEngineering Watch.org — it may help you. One thing on weather you can go by: “Red sky in morning, sailors take warning; red skies at night is sailors’ delight.” Do not panic; just be prepared. Lack of food production is near. Water is the answer, so save it! Less than .02 percent of the world’s water is potable. Bob Sargent Hotchkiss

pressure in the lines far above anything they could be expected to handle. It’s another self-inflicted wound. With proper management and the end of the current water projects, pressure will return to normal, and with it will go the extreme numbers of leaks. There are more surprises revealed at the budget hearings. The money collected from the 1 percent sales tax that is supposed to pay for street repairs is going to be used for LED street lights, a tree survey in the park and maybe new vehicles. Third Street from Grand Avenue to the east end of town will be dug up to replace the water main. However, there is no plan to repave the street. Perhaps the idea is to get citizens to complain about dust from the gravel and then raise taxes, again, for paving. The citizens of Paonia are either going to quickly take an active interest in what their town government is doing or else keep writing those checks. Very soon town hall will have us locked into contracts that will leave us broke and dissatisfied for years to come. The super majority of the current town board just doesn’t care how hard it is for you to pay your bills. They act like Paonia is one of those “fancy” towns. Truth is, we are looking at more layoffs and another long, cold winter. Bill Brunner Paonia

Common sense has left us Dear Editor: A new Rasmussen survey shows that over one in four Democrats (27 percent) favor prosecuting those who don’t agree with global warming. Only 11 percent of Republicans agree. And I’ll bet all of them agree that smoking a cigarette is the same as driving a car. Freedom of speech has gone the way of common sense. Bill Sutton Delta

You can do something about climate change Dear Editor: I am incredibly hopeful that the upcoming Paris Climate Conference can bring about a strong commitment among nations to put firm limits on carbon emissions. This is not only a tardy international need, but the harbinger of an improved economy as we transition to renewal energies rather than rely on depletable or non-usable fuels (due to climate change). We are grateful that the presi-

Dear Editor: I urge your publication to publish an editorial urging Congress to pass important Medicare Part D and prescription drug bills. Passage of the Medicare Prescription Drug Savings and Choice Act (H.R. 3261 and S. 1884) would create one or more Medicare-administered prescription drug plans to compete with the expensive, privately administered prescription drug plans currently offered under Medicare Part D. The bill would also require the secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate for lower drug prices. Or, passage of the Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act (S. 31 and H.R.

3061) would empower Medicare to negotiate for the best possible prices of prescription medications for Medicare Part D. Passage of the Personal Drug Importation Fairness Act of 2015 (H.R. 2623) would give access to safe, reasonably priced prescription drugs by allowing importation and reimportation of prescription drugs from countries with safety standards that are at least as strong as those of the United States. Or, passage of the Safe and Affordable Drugs from Canada Act (S. 122 and H.R. 2228) would allow individuals to import safe prescription drugs from our northern neighbors. Robert Peebles Cedaredge

Dec. 6, at 2 p.m. at the Montrose Library conference room. Our hope is to start interest in promoting transition to renewable energy in this country. We welcome interested people. Wayne Quade Montrose

Generosity of Creekside owners much appreciated Dear Editor: Thank you very much to the owners and staff of the Cedaredge Creekside Café for the wonderful Thanksgiving meal. It was so generous of you to support our community with this free meal. And we truly appreciate the donation of diners to our Give ‘Em Shelter building campaign. The campaign aims to allow us to replace the trailer portion of the Surface Creek Shelter. The project is expected to cost $120,000 and we hope to build in the fall of 2016. Every contribution helps! Thanks to all! Jacki Dapkus Secretary The Friends of Cedaredge Animal Control Board

Law enforcement blotter From the Delta degree assault. Nov. 26: Police Department: Edward L. Whitaker, 57, of Delta was arrested Nov. 23: John R. Silva, 70, of and jailed for alleged drivDelta was issued a tick- ing on roadways laned for et for alleged overtaking traffic and DUI. on the right after being Nov. 29: Deyanira Ruiz, 18, of involved in a two-vehicle crash in the 600 block of Delta was issued a ticket Grand Avenue. No injuries for alleged failed to yield were reported or observed. right of way at a stop sign Both vehicles were driven after being involved in a two-vehicle crash on E. 3rd from the scene. Britteny D. Farmer, 27, Street at Riley Lane. No of Delta was arrested and injuries were reported or jailed on a warrant with a observed. One vehicle was towed from the scene. $500 bond. A 17-year-old male of Nov. 25: Robert W. Lightner Jr., Delta was issued a ticket 59, of Delta was issued a for alleged careless drivticket for alleged violation ing after being involved in a one-vehicle crash in of a protection order. Bessie P. Botello- the 300 block of E. 4th Gomez, 45, of Delta was Street. No injuries were issued a ticket for alleged reported or observed. The third degree assault and vehicle was driven from the scene. criminal mischief. Citations: Eight tickets Nov. 26: Christian Martinez, 34, for traffic violations were of Delta was arrested and issued this week, four for jailed for alleged third speeding. Please remember: All criminal charges are merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until or unless proven guilty.

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dent understands this, and has committed to his participation in this conference. I would support a moon landing type national goal or target to transition to renewable energies. On a local level, we have a group forming a Citizens’ Climate Lobby chapter to promote the politically neutral and nonpartisan concept of carbon fee and dividend. Our introductory workshop will be Sunday,

In favor of prescription reform

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Delta County Independent

From the Delta County Sheriff’s Office (partial list): Nov. 23: Larry Lowell, 55, of Cedaredge was transported to Delta County Memorial Hospital after his Ford Explorer rolled at the intersection of T50 Road and Highway 50. The Colorado State Patrol handled the investigation. Nov. 24: A temporary resident of Gateway Youth Services was reported as an escapee after he ran away from a court appearance in Mesa County. A storage unit at the intersection of Highway 65 and Highway 50 was broken into, but the renter could not find anything missing. A rollover accident occurred on Highway 133 just east of Hotchkiss at about 4 p.m. The driver, Joanna Tucker of Paonia, was transported to DCMH. Hotchkiss Fire District, North Fork Ambulance, sheriff ’s deputies and Colorado State Patrol were on the scene. A Delta area resident reported the theft of a shotgun, a Mossberg 12gauge with a slide action bolt. The case was found in its usual place, but the shotgun was not inside. It was last seen about two weeks previously. Nov. 25: Devin Franklin was arrested in Eckert on out-

standing warrants. After he was taken into custody, neighbors keeping an eye on his mother’s home found a huge mess. Sheriff ’s deputies returned to the home and took into custody suspected drugs and drug paraphernalia. Charges are pending. A Delta County resident stopped in at the front desk of the sheriff ’s office to file a complaint about trash dumped in the ‘dobies. He handed over identifying information he located with the trash. A complaint was received about damage to a headstone, possibly caused by the groundskeeper. A resident of Pansy Road, Delta, reported damage to a fence and four mailboxes. It’s possible the damage was a deliberate act of criminal mischief. Nov. 27: A small shed was destroyed during a fire at the residence of Martin Roach, on Minnesota Creek Road outside of Paonia. The Paonia Fire Department extinguished the blaze. Roach told sheriff ’s deputies the blaze was likely caused by a discarded cigarette. Nov. 28: A resident of 25 Mesa Road, Delta, reported a pickup backed into her driveway, apparently in an attempt to steal her snowmobile trailer. She was able to provide deputies with a description of the vehicle. The theft of a 1999 box trailer containing landscaping equipment was reported from 1600 Road. The trailer was later recovered at 1600 and D25 Road with most of its contents, which included chainsaws, hedge trimmers and miscellaneous tools. A white two-speed Bobcat skid steer valued at $65,000 remains missing. Delta County Undersheriff Mark Taylor says it appears the skid steer was driven out onto 1600 Road to the old Jim Keune place at 3888 1600 Road, where it was loaded onto a trailer and hauled away. Anyone with information is asked to call Crimestoppers at 874-8810. Nov. 29: Kathy Grimland was involved in a single car accident at milemarker 56 on Highway 50. Her Ford Ranger reportedly struck the concrete divider between the lanes of the highway. She was not injured. The Colorado State Patrol handled the investigation.

LOCAL NEWS

Delta County Independent

Suppes

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Homeless shelter

FROM PAGE A1 about the education their children are getting. Suppes notes that he is a lifelong resident of the county; that he has served for almost eight years as a “fiscally responsible mayor for Orchard City,” that he is a successful small businessman, and that he has “proven leadership” ability. Delta County Sheriff Fred McKee was at the announcement. He told

the candidate that he (Suppes) “would make a great commissioner, I look forward to working with you. You are a man of integrity.” Suppes’ campaign literature states: “We all have a combined interest in our community and want to see Delta County’s economy grow and all residents prosper. I have a proven record of standing up for the taxpayer and property rights.”

Photo by Hank Lohmeyer

Don Suppes of Orchard City made his announcement as a candidate for the District 2 county commissioner seat with his wife, Beth, and twin sons, Christian and Harrison, at his side.

FROM PAGE A1 Church. All meal preparation will take place on site in the shelter’s commercial kitchen, Oeltjenbruns said. Previously, guests were required to leave the basement shelter early in the morning and seek breakfast elsewhere, often at one of several churches that took turns providing an early morning meal. Now breakfast will be served at the shelter, but the Abraham Connection will still be relying on its dedicated corps of volunteers to provide breakfast and dinner. The shelter is fortunate to have so much help, some volunteers provide a meal just once a month. In the new facility, guests won’t have to leave until 7:30 or 8 a.m., Oeltjenbruns said. On the way out the door, they’ll be handed a snack bag with a granola bar and fruit. When they return at the end of the day, they’ll have access to an anteroom where they can wait for the shelter to open, out of the elements. The need for volunteers continues, Oeltjenbruns said. The board is especially in need of an individual who can be on hand for intake from 6 to 8 p.m. several nights a week.

Oeltjenbruns said it takes 15 volunteers to provide one night of shelter, from intake to meals to laundry. The nonprofit has just one paid staff member, a part-time employee who covers the midnight to 6 a.m. shift four nights a week. Eventually, the homeless shelter will need a paid administrator, but until the building is fully paid for, that’s not in the budget, despite a recent $10,000 operating grant

from the Anschutz Foundation. When the shelter opens, hopefully on Saturday, Dec. 5, there will still be some work to be done on landscaping and the parking lot, but Oeltjenbruns said the Abraham Connection is lacking only about $5,000 for total completion. Otherwise, the project has been fully funded through grants, community donations and in-kind support from the city and county. In addition to monetary contributions, the homeless shelter welcomes donations of office supplies (particularly copy paper), pantry staples, cleaning supplies, paper

towel and toilet paper. Oeltjenbruns expressed gratitude to the Delta United Methodist Church for continuing to house the homeless, but will be grateful when everyone is under one roof. Trying to operate in the church basement while finishing up the building has been “completely overwhelming,” she said. Already, at the beginning of its sixth season, the shelter has been averaging 10 to 15 guests a night. “We hit 1,133 bed nights last year, and it’s already looking like we’ll exceed that number this winter,” Oeltjenbruns said.

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Photo by Pat Sunderland

CDOT provides county with regional road update BY HANK LOHMEYER Staff Writer

Engineers and managers from CDOT reported to the Board of County Commissioners recently on the much improved railroad grade crossing at SH 50 in Delta, and on other road issues in the region. The report is an annual review of CDOT activities

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in the sprawling Region 3 that includes Delta County and 14 other counties, and that is the largest CDOT region in the state. The region includes over 5,000 lane miles of state highway, according to the CDOT report. While vehicle passage across the SH 50 grade crossing at Delta has been greatly improved, the railroad’s construction contractors on the project raised the grade level by nine inches, more than the two-inch increase that road planners had expected. The more abrupt rise and fall when traveling across the tracks is probably felt more by vehicles pulling trailers, like semis, than by passenger vehicles. The additional and unexpected increase in height also created drainage problems. A temporary fix has been applied to the drainage problem, but more work is needed, commissioners were told. “We realize we’ve got some things to clean up,” Dave Eller, transportation director, told the commissioners.

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CDOT reported that it spent $884,083 on maintenance operations in the county during its last fiscal year. Snow and ice removal took the largest share of that amount at $329,440, followed by road surface work costing $274,625. The CDOT report included Delta County projects included in its Regional Priority Program. On the list is preliminary engineering on the SH 92 corridor across Rogers Mesa. CDOT has allocated $1.5 million to that engineering work with an estimated project date of 2025. The SH 92 corridor across Rogers Mesa was called “a tough design section” by the CDOT engineers. Also included on the regional priority list are improvements at SH 92 and 65 intersections with SH 50, and also work on SH 133 from Hotchkiss to Paonia. There is design funding money of $200,000 allocated for SH 133 intersection improvements at Samuel Wade Road and Stevens Gulch Road at Paonia. On the Stengel’s Hill overpass project, top mat asphalt paving is scheduled for 2016, according to the CDOT report. CDOT revenue for fiscal year 2015-16 (the state’s fiscal year begins in July) shows all money from various sources at $1.37 billion, up from last year with the aid of the Senate Bill 228 general fund transfer of $102 million. The proposed project list presented for those SB 228 funds doesn’t include any work in Delta County. Nine of the 12 projects which are proposed are in the intermountain region including the counties of Eagle, Summit, Garfield and Pitkin. The only one of the SB 228 proposed projects in the local transportation region is a $15 million passing lane improvement north of Ridgway. The road building agency’s goals for the 2015 fiscal year in Delta County were new sidewalks at the railroad crossing; replacement of three culverts on SH 348; building shoulders on SH 92 at mileposts 16 to 18 and 33 to 35; brush and tree clearing on SH 92 from Delta to Hotchkiss segment; and continuing to partner with Delta County weed sprayers on targeting noxious weeds.

Dwain Bush and other volunteers from the Delta United Methodist men’s group painted trim at the homeless shelter Monday night.

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2015

Christmas Home Tour

Friday, December 11th 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. Tour begins at

Delta United Methodist Church 477Meeker Street

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Enjoy the Christmas ambiance of beautifully decorated homes

Come one.. Come all Shop for Christmas

HOLIDAY CRAFT FAIR

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5

9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Bill Heddles Recreation Center Delta

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LOTS

CHRISTMAS

ITEMS TOO!

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A4 Wednesday, December 2, 2015

ACCENT

Delta County Independent

Delta Food Pantry needs assistance

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The Delta Food Pantry participating business. may be mailed to The Howard Street, Delta, needs assistance. People A financial contribution Delta Food Pantry, 1140 CO 81416. in need of food are at their door every day and some of the pantry shelves are empty. For the first time in its 30-year history, this year the Delta Food Pantry has spent $3,000 more than funds received. While local churches and businesses are always generous contributing food, few, if any, seem to include the Food Pantry in their budgets. It takes both dollars and food to keep the shelves stocked. Food Bank of the Rockies, a sponsor of the Delta Food Pantry, states that one in seven Coloradans worry where they will find their next meal — nearly half are children. The Delta Food Pantry looks to the community to help families through this cold winter. Please donate your nonperishables through a church, service club or

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For a quote on all your printing needs call Randy Crespin at 874-4421.

Photo submitted

Dance the night away Dec. 5 Come dance the night away at a holiday community evening dance Saturday, Dec. 5, at Bill Heddles Recreation Center. Chuck Gregory will provide the music for this fun event, which runs from 7 to 10 p.m. Bring a friend and a snack to share. Coffee and lemonade will be provided. The cost is $5 at the door. For more information, call 874-0923.

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BIRTHS

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Heather and Cody Suckow of Delta are the parents of a daughter, Averie Brooks Suckow, born Nov. 17, 2015, at Delta County Memorial Hospital. She weighed 9 pounds, 7 ounces and was 20.75 inches in length. Chelsey and Alejandro Corona of Olathe are the parents of a daughter, Izabell Kareli Corona, born Nov. 17, 2015, at Delta County Memorial Hospital. She weighed 7 pounds, 4 ounces and was 21.5 inches in length.

Many of the shelves are bare at the Delta Food Pantry. An appeal is being made for food and money to help keep families fed throughout the winter. Pictured are Barbara Workman, Jennifer Quinn, June Kathrein, who volunteer every Tuesday.

VFW post plans Pearl Harbor memorial service On Monday, Dec. 7, at noon, members of Lee Marts VFW Post 3571 and its auxiliary will present a service in memory of the 74th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. This service will be held on the banks of the Gunnison River in Confluence Park, just north of Bill Heddles Recreation Center. For the fifth year, the members of the post and auxiliary will join other veterans’ service organizations around the nation in the Wreaths upon the Waters ceremonies. In Delta, seven wreaths (symbolizing the seventh of December) will be thrown into the Gunnison River, as thousands of American naval personnel were thrown into the waters of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. For many years, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and its auxiliary have remembered Dec. 7, 1941, “The Day which will live in infamy!” A wide variety of memorial services

Bryan and Cassie Vest of Delta are the parents of a daughter, Genevieve Bee Vest, born Nov. 17, 2015, at Delta County On Thursday, Dec. Memorial Hospital. She 10, at 6:30 p.m., Taylor weighed 7 pounds, 14 � ounces and was 19 inches Funeral Service & Crematory will host a holiin length. � day remembrance pro� gram for all those who � have lost someone special to them this year. � � The holidays can be a particularly difficult time �� to cope with the loss of � �� a loved one. It is TaySponsored by: �� lor Funeral Service & Crematory’s hope that its holiday remembrance �� program will provide a � comforting forum in which families can come �� together to express their �� grief and to find peace during this challenging season. The program will include special music, memorial readings and a lighting of candles in remembrance of those who have passed on. Families in attendance will also be presented �� with a complimentary glass/crystal snowflake �

bor catapulted the United States of America into World War II. Every member of the community is invited to attend, to observe, to reflect, and to remember. All World War II veteran and their spouses are especially invited so they can be recognized for their service to the United States.

Elks to sponsor holiday meal for Delta seniors The annual holiday dinner at the Delta Senior Center will be served on Tuesday, Dec. 8, starting at noon, at the center, 247 Meeker Street in Delta. This meal is sponsored by the Delta Elks Lodge #1235 and the Delta Senior Center, and is offered free to seniors in the Delta area and patrons of the senior center. The menu will include turkey and many delicious trimmings. Calling for reservations will help

provide a head count. Those who call in advance will be served first. Call 874-7837. This is the final meal this year sponsored by the Delta Elks Lodge, through a grant from the Grand Lodge. Elks volunteers will be present to personally serve the food trays. The board of directors of Delta Senior Citizens, Inc., would like to thank the Elks for the special meals they have sponsored this year for our patrons.

Taylor Funeral Service announces holiday remembrance program

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to their comrades killed or wounded that fateful day have been performed. Five years ago the Wreaths Upon the Waters concept was born, and has grown as a symbolic and widespread solemn remembrance of the death and destruction of the day when the attack on the United States Navy Fleet in Pearl Har-

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or angel ornament that can be personalized with the name and life dates of their loved ones. The ornament can be hung on a Christmas tree or displayed elsewhere in the home in commemoration of the loved one. The program is open to all in the area who

have lost loved ones, not just those who have been served by Taylor Funeral Service & Crematory. For more information, to RSVP or to reserve a personalized ornament, contact Taylor Funeral Service & Crematory at 874-9988 or marge. taylorfs@gmail.com.

Crafts, cookies on the calendar for Friday Mark your calendars for Friday, Dec. 4, for the Delta United Methodist Women’s annual craft and cookie walk. The event will be 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Delta United Methodist Fellowship Hall, 477 Meeker Street. The room will be filled with tasty Christmas cookies and many crafts, so plan to come and find just the special item you

are looking for plus cookies to share for the holidays. If you are ready to sit and visit with a friend, you may purchase a hot cup of your favorite beverage and a couple of cookies. The Delta United Methodist Women will use the proceeds for several mission projects that are local, national and global.

Colorado Gives Day is an opportunity to help HopeWest HopeWest is participating in the sixth annual Colorado Gives Day, an annual statewide initiative to celebrate and increase philanthropy in Colorado through online giving for a 24-hour period. People throughout Colorado are encouraged to donate online on Tuesday, Dec. 8, to their favorite nonprofit through the GivingFirst website. Donations can be prescheduled at any time on the ColoradoGives.org website, but all donations will be pro-

cessed during the 24-hour period on Dec. 8. Every donation on Colorado Gives Day will qualify for the Community First Foundation and FirstBank $1 Million Incentive Fund that increases the value of every donation made. At the completion of Colorado Gives Day, the Foundation will determine each nonprofit’s share of the incentive fund. “Because of the community’s generosity, more families are supported in their time of need, more

patients receive quality end-of-life care and more volunteers are recruited to help with our efforts,” said Christy (Whitney) Borchard, president and CEO of HopeWest. “The generosity and compassion shown by donors and participants in Colorado Gives Day make it possible for us to continue to meet the needs of patients and their loved ones. Whatever the nature of a contribution, we deeply appreciate it because it makes a difference right here in our community.”

LOCAL NEWS

Delta County Independent

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

City composts leaves, branches BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

The ultimate recycling project is underway at the city’s wastewater treatment plant, where the bags of leaves and piles of branches picked up during the City of Delta’s fall cleanup campaign are combined with biosolids to create compost. Andy Mitchell, chief

wastewater plant operator, said the organic matter from the plant is tested to prove volatile solids reduction has occurred through the use of mechanical and biological methods. The resulting sludge is then combined with the leaves and chipped branches, mixed with a tractor to incorporate air and piled into

windrows (pictured in the background). A combination of heat, moisture and oxygen kills off any remaining pathogens. After ensuring compliance with applicable state and federal regulations, the city applies the compost to city-owned fields adjacent to the wastewater treatment plant in North Delta. The fields

are leased to a rancher for grazing purposes. “The compost grows great grass and the cows seem to love it,” Mitchell said. The process is highly regulated, he added. One of the site restrictions limits on-site compost storage to two years, so the compost is applied to the fields regularly. Fall cleanup is conducted by city crews with the assistance of a Delta Correctional Center work crew under the supervision of Lester Severson. “The compost is going to good use,” said Steve Glammeyer, utilities/public works director. The other alternative is transporting the leaves and branches to the county landfill, where they’d be buried, incurring tipping fees for the city, unnecessarily taking up space and cutting into the life of the landfill.

Photo by Pat Sunderland

The leaves and branches picked up during the City of Delta’s fall cleanup campaign are composted with biosolids from the city’s wastewater treatment plant. Andy Mitchell, chief wastewater plant operator, stands next to a pile of leaves and chipped material; in the background are windrows of compost.

Managing Editor

A number of residents of the Orchard Estates subdivision off G Road have been advised they’re blocking the neighborhood drainage system by filling in their “roll over” curb and gutter with gravel or concrete. Among them is a tenant of Pat Stroud’s who is battling cancer. Stroud appeared before Delta City Council to request a variance for her house at 569 W. Apple Drive. She called the depression that runs along the front of the property a “bump gutter” because “you bump up to get across it, and you bump up to get out.” The jarring movement caused her terminally ill tenant a great deal of pain, so he filled in the depression. “We actually identified six properties in this neighborhood that had obstructions in the gutter,” utilities/public works director Steve Glammeyer told councilmembers. All six received notices of non-compliance of city code, which prohibits any type of blockage of drainage ways. Curb and gutter is a drainage way system, Glammeyer clarified. After receiving one of those letters, Stroud decided to seek council

MOPS meets Dec. 3 Delta MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) is meeting Thursday, Dec. 3, and some fun crafts are planned! Participants will be making Delights in a Jar, and also Cabin Fever Kits that will give you some fun activities to do with your kiddos when the weather outside is frightful. MOPS meets at the Delta First Baptist Church, 1250 Pioneer Road, and all mommies of little people ages 0-6 are welcome to come. Sadly, due to lack of interest in evening meetings, MOPS now only meets in the morning from 9 to 11:15 a.m. A tasty potluck brunch, hot coffee and child care are provided! Please call Amanda Perez at 7785272 for more information.

approval for a temporary solution that would allow her tenant to drive himself to and from medical appointments without suffering excruciating pain. “Amazingly enough, today when I was supposed to come here and talk with you, your efficient city crew removed the gravel,” Stroud said. So instead of asking for council approval to block the storm gutter, she asked council for permission to put in a pipe that could be covered to allow the tenant smooth access to the house while maintaining drainage. The removal of the gravel was a “horrible coincidence,” Glammeyer said, that occurred when the city street sweeper “who had no knowledge of this situation” was conducting routine street sweeping activities on Garnet Mesa. “We received a call, and Glen (Black, interim city manager) and I immediately went up and yes, the gravel had been removed. It wasn’t directed by us to have that happen. I apologize that it happened but it is what it is. If you grant a waiver tonight, we’ll certainly be up there first thing tomorrow to install gravel or whatever you would allow,” he told councilmembers. Glammeyer used a series of photos to help council understand the issue. Some homeowners had filled the dip in with gravel or concrete; another had placed a pipe at the end of his driveway, then

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City council sticks to drainage requirements BY PAT SUNDERLAND

Email ads to: ads@deltacountyindependent.com

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ramped concrete over it to extend his driveway. “That certainly allowed some drainage through, but does not carry the drainage the curb and gutter is intended to carry,” Glammeyer said. Additional photos illustrated how, following a recent snow/rain event, the blockage forced the drainage out into the street and around the obstructions. In the same subdivision, one homeowner has installed what the city considers to be a legal mitigating option. Again, using photos, Glammeyer pointed to a driveway cut that, with proper slope, has the same carrying capacity as the curb and gutter as it existed prior to removal and replacement. The option of installing a driveway apron is available to all citizens, Glammeyer said. A permit and proper fees are required. Stroud reiterated she is looking only for a temporary solution that would make her tenant more comfortable over the next few months. Councilmembers struggled with the unfortunate circumstances, but could come up with no viable temporary solution, particularly since there’s a legal mitigating option available to the homeowner. Although reluctant to look “hardhearted,” they declined to act on Stroud’s request. “Although I feel for the man, that ordinance is there for a reason,” said Mayor Ed Sisson.

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* Reward Card eligibility is limited to tire purchases from participating dealers only. See redemption form for complete offer details. Offer expires 12/20/2015. Void where prohibited. The Reward Card cannot be reloaded with additional funds, nor can it be used at an ATM. Reward Card expires six (6) months after issuance. For complete terms, conditions and fees, see the Cardholder Agreement in your card package. Reward Card issued by U.S. Bank National Association pursuant to a license from MasterCard International Incorporated. MasterCard is a registered trademark of MasterCard International Incorporated. This is an in-store dealer promotion. Copyright © 2015 Michelin North America, Inc.

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A6 Wednesday, December 2, 2015

LOCAL NEWS

Delta County Independent

DMEA retires capital credits this month Delta-Montrose Electric Association (DMEA) members will receive approximately $2 million in capital credit retirement checks this month. The DMEA board approved a $2.6 million capital credit retirement during its October meeting. “To really help our members when they need

it most, we are issuing a retirement in December. Everyone likes some extra money during the holiday season,” explained Bill Patterson, DMEA board president. An exciting change in the retirement process is also taking place. DMEA will issue checks to members for their portion of the retirement, rather

than only offering bill credits. “By giving the members their refunds in check form, we really put the money back into their pockets. Each member who receives a capital credit check can use their money how they see fit. We feel that this will have a greater impact on our local economy, rather than simply offering a bill

credit as we have in the past,” said Jasen Bronec, chief executive officer of DMEA. DMEA is issuing checks in order to help members understand the real benefits of cooperative membership. A capital credit check is a tangible example of what makes cooperatives different. By issuing checks, the cooperative allows members to decide how they want to use the money, whether for a latte or a tank of gas. Plus, if spent locally, the capital credit checks have double impact: they boost the local economy. “The economic impact of the $2 million in capital credits being given back to our local citizens could be equated to a company employing more than 50 individuals with an average salary of $40,000. These dollars, if spent in our local economy, would have an economic impact of over $10 million. In addition to the benefit seen by our local businesses, our local governments will also see added revenues through sales tax collection. These dollars, given through capital credit returns, demonstrate the value of having a local, memberowned utility,” explained Sandy Head, executive director of the Montrose Economic Development Corporation. What are capital credits? As a not-for-profit member-owned cooperative, DMEA doesn’t work to earn profits for shareholders. The cooperative works for the people it serves — its members. Individuals who purchase electricity from the cooperative are consid-

ered members. This also means that any profits (or “margins” as they are called in the co-op world) DMEA earns are returned to the member-owners. DMEA typically returns margins on an approximate 25-year schedule. Who will get a check in December? DMEA is retiring capital credits that were allocated in 1990 and some from 1994. Everyone who was a DMEA member in 1990 or 1994 will receive a capital credit retirement. Retirements $10 or greater will be mailed as checks. Retirements less than $10 will be issued as bill credits. The total value of the checks to be mailed out to members is $1,977,300. How does DMEA determine how much you get? At the end of each year, all of the margins DMEA has earned are allocated back to each active member from that year. The amount allocated to each member is based on the amount of investment they made into the cooperative through the purchase of electricity. The more electricity a member purchased, the more they invested into DMEA, which means that member’s allocation will be greater than another member who purchased less electricity. Once the margins have been allocated to the members, they are used by DMEA for a period of time for reliability and system improvements. At the end of a set period of time, allocations are returned to members in the form of capital credit retirements. “This process literally represents our members’ investment

into the company they own,” explained Bronec. What happened to the additional $600,000? Although DMEA’s board of directors approved a $2.6 million retirement, the cooperative is only mailing $2 million in capital credit checks. There are several reasons for this: • Members with a refund of less than $10 will not receive a check; rather they will receive a bill credit. This accounts for $4,500. • If a member leaves DMEA with bad debt still on the books, their capital credit retirement goes against that bad debt. This accounts for $71,000. • If a member is inactive and has a past due bill (but not yet bad debt), their capital credit retirement goes against their past due bill. This accounts for $4,000. • Finally, members who have left the system and no longer have a correct address on file with DMEA account for $579,000. DMEA will post listings of these members in an attempt to reach them, so they can claim their capital credits. After a period of five and a half years, any credits left unclaimed will be transferred into the cooperative’s unclaimed capital credit fund. This fund is used only for charitable and educational causes in the local communities. For more information on this year’s capital credit retirement, your capital credit checks, contact the co-op at 1877-687-3632 ext. 391 or capital.credits@dmea. com<mailto:capital. credits@dmea.com>.

Christa Coats pegged as PACE nurse manager Senior CommUnity Care, Volunteers of America is pleased to announce the appointment of Christa Coats as the new nurse manager of Senior CommUnity Care’s Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). Coats earned her bachelor of science degree in nursing from Colorado Mesa University and her master’s of science in nursing from Walden University. She began her

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nursing career on the telemetry floor at St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction where she worked as a floor nurse then charge nurse for eight years. She has also held the position of LPN program director for Colorado Mesa University and LPN and CNA program director for Delta-Montrose Technical College. Coats has been employed as a nurse with Volunteers of America since 2013 and was promoted to nurse manager in October. Coats said she chose to apply for the management position because she enjoys being in a leadership role. “I saw the opportunity to grow within an organization that I believe is the future of health care in western Colorado,” she said. Her goal for the program’s nursing department is to build on the diverse skills present and create a solid team. Coats said, “I believe we have some of the best nurses that I have ever had the opportunity to work with. They are all incredibly smart and very proficient in their individual nursing practices. My goal is to unite them as a team. One of my favorite nursing quotes is ‘no nurse is an island.’ I believe VOA nursing can only grow and improve through unity of the fabulous nurses we have.” Coats is a Colorado native who grew up in Paonia and is now living in Hotchkiss and believes big things are in store for this part of the state. “Western Colorado is developing some ‘big town’ ideas in our small communities such as the healthcare model of PACE and the Montrose Makerspace,” she said. “I feel that nobody in this area should believe they can’t do something, because with a little creative thinking, anything is possible around here.” Coats enjoys taking part in numerous outdoors activities, especially snowmobiling and riding horses with her husband

Christa Coats and four boys. The PACE model is centered on the belief that the well-being of seniors with chronic care needs is better served by providing health care and supportive services that enable them to remain living in their home whenever possible. There are three PACE day center locations (Montrose, Eckert and Paonia). The PACE Day Center is a physical location where medical and support services are provided to participants in addition to individual and group social activities. PACE serves individuals who are age 55 or older, certified by their state to need nursing home care, are able to live safely in the community at the time of enrollment, and live in a PACE service area. For more information about Senior CommUnity Care, visit www.seniorcomm unitycare.org.

Open house planned A ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house are planned Wednesday, Dec. 2, at Good Vibrations Books & Gifts, 326 Main Street, Delta. Located in the Columbine Mall, the store offers a variety of uplifting inspirational books and cards, fair trade merchandise, new and vintage jewelry, original artwork and handcrafts. The open house runs from 2 to 4 p.m.

Delta County Independent

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ACTIVITIES

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Grand Mesa Nordic Council turns 25

Special celebration planned Grand Mesa Nordic Council kicks off its 25th anniversary season with a special celebration Saturday, Dec. 6, during “WinterStart,” the first race of the 2015-16 GMNC race series. The race will be held at Skyway, just off of Colorado Highway 65 on top of Grand Mesa. “WinterStart” features a 5k classic and freestyle race, hot soup provided

by GMNC, special treats from sponsors such as REI and prizes for the winners. Stay tuned for other special 25th anniversary events by visiting gmnc.org and checking GMNC’s Facebook Page for updates (www.facebook.com/Grand-MesaNordic-Council). It seems like just yesterday when the Grand Mesa Nordic Council

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Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Ray Carpenter

Carpenter presents a cowboy Christmas The Chapel of the Cross is happy to announce that its annual Christmas concerts will be presented Saturday, Dec. 5, at the chapel. Performing this year will be local favorite singer and guitarist, Ray Carpenter. His program will be “Cowboy Country Christmas Music.” Carpenter is the son of a Protestant minister and a native Coloradan. He was exposed to a vast selection of music from gospel to classical to country. Although he began playing trumpet in fourth grade he eventually turned his attention to the guitar, country and western music and in

Craft fair draws 50+ vendors This year’s City of Delta Holiday Craft Fair is Saturday, Dec. 5, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Bill Heddles Recreation Center. About 50 vendors will offer Christmas decor, handbags, framed photos, stained glass, gift baskets, pottery, antler carvings, trout flies, jewelry, fleece, head bands, handpainted glassware, barbecue tools, garden art, candles, scrapbooks and quilts. There will be clothing, purses, scarves, items for babies, embroidery, handstitched work, soaps, wreaths and horseshoe art. This is just a small sampling of what you’ll find at the free craft fair. For more information, call Bill Heddles Recreation Center in Delta at 874-0923.

particular, cowboy music. He always delights his audience. There will be two concerts, at 4 and 7 p.m. Tickets are free for these popular concerts but must be obtained in advance at either Leisure Time Sports or Gazebo Florist & Boutique.

was formed and the first trails were groomed. This 25th anniversary season celebrates the vision of GMNC founders Tom Ela, Winslow Robertson, Chuck Bodie and Will Worthwine. These four avid Nordic skiers worked together at Powderhorn Nordic before it went out of business. The group was not ready to see Nordic skiing on the Grand Mesa come to an end and decided to form GMNC. They received a Grand Junction Lions Club grant to purchase the initial grooming equipment, an Alpine Town Track snowmobile, and the first groomed tracks were made. Ela and Robertson, “the heart and soul of the GMNC,” have been dedicated board members since the beginning. Many other committed individuals over the years have helped keep our organization going. “This year, we celebrate continuing GMNC’s tradition of providing 54 kilometers of Nordic ski-

ing without trail use fees. We couldn’t have done it without the fantastic work of our operations and grooming crew, the financial support of members and grants, plus the careful financial oversight of current and past board members,” said David Knutson, GMNC board president. The “WinterStart” race is one of five races in the Grand Mesa Nordic race series. The Grand Mesa Nordic Council also offers adult lessons and special kids’ programs throughout the season. Visit gmnc.org for more information.

Advent mini-concerts continue at St. Luke’s The Advent (preChristmas) season is being celebrated with mini-concerts at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 5th & Palmer in Delta. The concerts run through Dec. 22, and are scheduled from 12:10 to 12:55 p.m. to fit within the lunch hour. The concert Tuesday, Dec. 8, features “Harps in Motion.” Robin Freed and her students will share

their holiday program. On Tuesday, Dec. 15, a mixed vocal ensemble, “Roses and Thorns,” will perform accompanied by Sharon Clark. A men’s choir will offer the final concert Dec. 22. Plan on enjoying this annual tradition of preparing for Christ at Christmas. Contact St. Luke’s Church, 874-9489, or Nyla Storch, 874-9485, for further information.

Enjoy Christmas at the Fort on the Old Spanish Trail Fort Uncompahgre, 440 North Palmer Street, Delta, will recreate Christmas as it was celebrated in the 1830s, Friday, Dec. 4, from 7- 9 p.m. following the Parade of Lights. Santa will arrive at 8 p.m. and will be in the trade room area. Please plan to attend this special Christmas celebration. Historical interpreters will be depicting the celebration of Christmastime as it was celebrated in the 1830s, including traditional music and lighting of the Christmas tree. The Fort will be decorated for the holidays with “period-correct” candles, lanterns and 300 luminarias. You’ll learn about the history of the Christmas tree and listen to local schoolchildren perform Christmas carols. A visit to the Fort on the Old Spanish Trail is a step back in time. Authentic trade goods and piles of furs and animal hides fill several of the rooms. Every aspect of the fort is maintained as authentically as possible. You will see the trade room where Indians and trappers exchanged furs for guns, knives, beads and other prized trade goods and learn about the history

of the American long rifle developed for the American frontier. You’ll be able to gather around the fireplaces in the “cocina” (kitchen) and the trade room and listen to stories and learn about the history of Antoine Robidoux and the Fort on the Old Spanish Trail. Robidoux became involved in the fur trade and established Fort Uncompahgre in the late 1820s a short distance from the confluence of the Compahgre (Uncompahgre) and the Blue or Eagletail (Gunnison) rivers. Furs were brought to the fort by local Indians and trappers and were traded for goods that had been brought in from both Santa Fe and St. Louis. Robidoux

built the fort in its original location because of the close proximity to the Old Spanish Trail and an historic Indian trail. The gift shop will be open and will allow you the opportunity to purchase books and authentic trade goods similar to those used at Fort Uncompahgre. Refreshments will be served including authentic Mexican cocoa and hot cider. Outdoor activities will depend on the weather. Admission is $1 for adults, free for those who bring a canned good for the fort’s annual food drive. For more information, please call 874-6695 or 640-7076.

Community band to perform holiday music Join the Montrose Community Band on Sunday, Dec. 13, at 3 p.m. at the Montrose Pavilion auditorium for a free concert. The band will take you back to an old-fashioned Christmas with songs including “Sleigh Ride,” “Christmas Festival,” “Joy to the World,” a narrated version of

“Twas the Night Before Christmas” and more. The Jazz Band will start the concert off and the Oak Grove Elementary School music students will also take the stage to show off their holiday musical talent. For more information visit www. montroseband.com or call 596-1188.

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A8 Wednesday, December 2, 2015

BUSINESS

Delta County Independent

Winter farmers’ market explored A group of home business owners and farmers’ market vendors met at Fourth and Main Exchange in downtown Delta on Friday, Nov. 20, to discuss the possibility of a business incubator or inside winter farmers’ market. Also considered was an artist coop in the upstairs of the historic Hillman Building above the exchange. Special guest was Delta County Economic Development director Trish Thibodo. She shared her experience as director of an art organization in Denver for at-risk youth. Included in the discussion were several scientists who create healing tinctures as well as the grower of hardneck garlic. Two were wood carvers, including one who sells turkey calls to a national market. The discussion included everything from the performance of vintage instruments such as accordions, where there is growing interest, to an increasing market for items for seniors. Thibodo affirmed that studies show this as a viable market in the Delta area. Jo-an Barnett, orga-

nizer of the meeting, discussed her background in working with farmers’ markets in three states as well as with arts and retail development projects. She shared her experiences visiting indoor markets. It was agreed to continue meeting socially until a project or organization evolves. In the meantime, Sherry Christie, owner of Fourth and Main Exchange, is offering small space for food vendors holding a cottage food license. The opportunity will be on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For further information contact her at 874-3270 or 874-3227.

New member welcomed

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The Delta Area Chamber of Commerce recently welcomed new member ARC of West Central Colorado with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Pictured are Kylynn Wilson, chamber vice president/Crossroads Assisted Living; Heather Redden, chamber president/Delta Cabinet Company; Angel Blanco, director/ Taylor Funeral Services; Connie Loy and daughters Kynlee & Kaycee, ARC treasurer; Trey Gronenthal, ARC secretary; Josh Applegate, director/Farmer’s Insurance; Mitchell Gronenthal, ARC vice president; Mayor Ed Sisson; Danielle Angotti, ARC president; Rick Granger, chamber ambassador/360 Insurance Company; Scharee Atchison, ambassador/Western Slope Long Term Care Solutions; Jesse Messenger, ambassador/All Windows & Doors Plus; GW King, ambassador/King Retirement Solutions; Kira Pierce, director/Pierce Construction; Kami Collins, Mortgage Solutions Financial.

Gallery prides itself on a big heART BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

Chile Pepper Pottery, located at the corner of 1st and Palmer in Delta, is now sharing space with a new business. Fred and Ann Honchell have opened Gallery de la Luz, an artist’s studio where both can express their cre-

ative talents while showcasing artwork produced by other area residents. The Honchells also accept consignments of art and collectibles, particularly items from the ’50s. Fred Honchell is a wellknown watercolor artist who uses vivid colors to capture local landscapes.

New member welcomed

Photo submitted

The Delta Area Chamber of Commerce welcomed new member Growing of Joy with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Pictured are Kira Pierce, director/Pierce Construction; Lisa Martinez, chamber staff; Phyllis Hoffman, ambassador/Western Slope Long Term Care Solutions; GW King, ambassador/King Retirement Solutions; Patty Robinson, store manager; Dan Krajack with daughter Joy and son Sonny, owner; Scharee Atchison, ambassador/Western Slope Long Term Care Solutions; Melissa Vanderhout, store staff; Nancy Wood, director/Remax Today; Jesse Messenger, ambassador/All Windows & Doors Plus; Holly Piatek, chamber director/PTK Ranch; Kylynn Wilson, chamber board vice president/Crossroads Assisted Living.

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Ann is using her experience as a costume designer to transform ties into stylish covers for stools, ottomans and benches. Both previously worked from home, but now enjoy having a working studio that, for Fred, is warm (his workspace at home is unheated). For Ann, there are fewer household distractions and she enjoys interacting with artists, collectors and customers. Many of the items currently on display come from Ann herself, who has collected jewelry, ’50s memorabilia and household items made of anodyzed aluminum. Hanging on the walls are many of Fred’s beautiful watercolors, as well as pieces of art by Mary Key and other members of Delta Fine Arts. John York has put together a display of knives he’s crafted from used saw blades paired with handles of natural, local materials. Ann explains the “de la Luz” in the gallery’s name is meaningful on several levels. It was her grandmother’s middle name, and it seemed fitting recognition for a woman who Ann said was always very supportive of her creative efforts.

Second, “de la luz” means “of the light” in Spanish. The interplay of light and dark is an essential element of art. Ann says the light should also be allowed to shine on the many talented artists in the community. “We need more of them stepping out of the shadows to share their art,” she explained. She hopes Gallery de la Luz will be a place where people can gather, much as they do at the Blue Sage in Paonia or the Creamery in Hotchkiss.

“This is a place for people to be,” she said, “a place for people to stop in, to sit and chat, to bring their art.” Art classes, receptions and edible art classes will help make Gallery de la Luz the gathering spot Ann envisions. “There’s so much potential. It’s going to be cool,” she said. The “Little Gallery with a Big HeART” is open Tuesday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and can be reached by calling 209-5293.

Photo by Pat Sunderland

Ann and Fred Honchell invite you to stop by the art and collectibles showcased in their new venture, Gallery de la Luz. The Honchells are sharing space with Chile Pepper Pottery at the corner of 1st and Palmer. “It’s a nice blend,” Ann said.

Free business consulting service adds two advisors Region 10 and the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) continue to expand services in the Delta area. Using a new shared space with Delta County Economic Development (DCED), SBDC recently added two locally-based business consultants — John Angelo and Jay Stooksberry — to support small business owners and entrepreneurs in Delta and surrounding municipalities. Angelo and Stooksberry will provide consultation on a variety of fundamental business strategies — writing a business plan, developing a marketing strategy, etc. — to local Delta residents. The service is free to participants. Separate from their work with SBDC, Angelo and Stooksberry are both established business owners with diverse sets of

skills and expercorporate world. tise. Stooksberry from Angelo is a seamoved soned financial Denver to Delta with his wife, expert who brings Carrie Boyd, to over a decade of start CB’s Tavexperience to ern on Main this new role. “I have a passion for Street. helping people in Jay Stooksberry “I’m very business,” states familiar with Angelo. “It’s what the struggles of drives me every small business day.” owners and After 11 years what it takes to in the bankthrive,” states ing and finanStooksberry. “I look forward to cial industry, he helping other branched out on businesses navhis own, creating Angelo Business John Angelo igating through Advisors, LLC. some of the triHis business specializes als and tribulations that in financial advising and we faced when we opened planning for businesses our business.” and agricultural producStooksberry’s specialty ers of any size. is marketing — particu“Business owners are larly online, content-drivfaced with many challeng- en marketing campaigns es and just keeping up that improve search with the day to day oper- engine optimization. “Now, more than ever, ations is difficult. They often lack the time or companies need an online resources to deal with the presence,” he adds. “Withstrategic financial plan- out it, many businesses ning of their company,” are losing potential leads Angelo continues. “My to other businesses that business provides them a do.” resource to bring in on a As a freelance writer, level and cost that is cus- he works closely with tomized to their specific clients to craft messaging that can be used for needs.” Angelo is a board either website copy, social member for DCED, and media, e-newsletters, contributing member of press releases, or blogs. Kiwanis and HopeWest. “With so much technolSigning on to SBDC is ogy around us these days, a continuation of Angelo’s it is really easy to get your charitable side. company’s message out,” The other SBDC addi- Stooksberry adds. “It’s tion, Jay Stooksberry, also just a matter of finding possesses a diverse pro- the right combination of fessional background to words and the right avebe leveraged by local busi- nue for your message.” nesses. He has worked in For more information a variety of industries, or to sign up for a free ranging from small start- consultation session, visit up nonprofits to a brief www.region10.net/smallstint in the Fortune 500 business.

NORTH FORK December 2, 2015

TIMES

Section

www.deltacountyindependent.com

Weekend full of holiday events From art fairs, a book sale and even a bike race, the holiday spirit can be found in Paonia

The Paonia Chamber of Commerce compiled a list of festivities and events in Paonia this weekend. The CAWS Kids’ Bazaar happens from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily beginning Monday, Nov. 30 through Saturday, Dec. 5, at Barkin’ Bargains, 211 Grand Avenue in Paonia. Proceeds benefit the Citizens for Animal Welfare and Shelter (CAWS). The Town of Paonia will host a Tree Lighting ceremony at Poulos Park from 7-7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4. Book lovers can peruse a litany of publications during the Friends of the Paonia Library annual holiday book sale from 1-4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4 and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5. Shish KaBikes in Paonia will host a holiday open house Friday, Dec. 4, from 10 a.m.8 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 5, from 10-2. Enjoy homemade cookies and locally pressed cider. Enter for a drawing for a bicycle while you’re there. Need not be present to win. Elisabethan will host its ninth annual Shin Diggy studio event from 4-8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, featuring locally made eco-fashions and a selection of local artwork. Stone Cottage Cellars will offer wine tastings. Revolution Brewing will tap “Three Dog Night,” a new winter lager, while Foxy Moron offers up-cycled one-ofa-kind wearable art from 4-9 p.m. Friday. The Art Den Trunk Show

happens from 5-8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, featuring locally made jewelry and artwork. Doorbusters will be announced every hour on the hour. The Hive Paonia will host the Holiday Bazaar from 5-8 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4 and 5., featuring a variety of local arts and crafts, goods, services and virtual services. Come sip some local wine and enjoy. Lizzy’s Market invites everyone to enjoy locally sourced hors d’oeuvres and taste wines from Mesa Winds Winery from 5-8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4. Enjoy hot cider and cookies Friday, Dec. 4, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Paonia Farm and Home third annual Ladies’ Shopping Night. Door prizes will be awarded every 15 minutes. The Art Den, 136 Grand Avenue, will feature jewelry by Catherine Bagley, Tamara Spano and Mystery and Me, and artwork by Dana Bradley from 5-8 p.m. Friday. Doorbusters will be featured every hour on the hour. The fun continues on Sunday, Dec. 6. The Black Peach Brawl Bike Race will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6. Registration is from 8-9 a.m. at Town Park. The $20 fee includes race entry, a bonfire and chili feast. The race begins on private land near Stucker Mesa. Contact Shish KaBikes at 527-4614 for details. The Bross Hotel will host a decorating party from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday. Come participate in decorating Paonia’s “Historic Victorian Lady,” the Bross Hotel. Refreshments are included. David Sheppard and the Matrical Singers will each perform twice throughout Sunday at the Alfred Eames Barrel Tasting.

Take a hay ride with Chip and Dale BY TAMIE MECK Staff Writer

In what has become a tradition in Paonia, the annual holiday hay rides through downtown on a horse-drawn wagon will happen this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Steve Kossler, one of the local ranchers with event sponsor Mt. Lamborn Ranches, said the tradition began about 14 years ago after Homestead Market opened at the south end of Grand Avenue, and eventually became part of the Paonia Chamber’s holiday fes-

tivities (see related story). The ride begins and ends at Lizzy’s Market (formerly Homestead Market), and will take riders out to the Paonia Library and back. Chip and Dale, black Percheron draft horses, will pull the wagon, weather permitting. If the streets are icy and slick, it’s just not safe for the horses, said Kossler. In that case, a tractor will be used to pull the wagon. Rides are free, but the photo opportunities will be priceless.

Photo by Tamie Meck

Enjoying the sun

A chickadee suns itself Sunday morning following a fast-moving storm which left a light blanket of snow.

Holiday art fair celebrates 23rd year in Paonia BY TAMIE MECK Staff Writer

When Susie Lowe needed a name for her handmade beaded jewelry business, she turned to her grandmother. Lowe is the talent behind Theoni Designs. “Theoni,” says Lowe, is her grandmother’s name and the Greek word for “divinely gorgeous,” which she used for her tagline: “Divinely Gorgeous Jewelry.” Theoni Designs is one of more than 20 booths setting up in the Blue Sage this Friday and Saturday for the 23rd annual Holiday Art Fair. This is the fourth show for Lowe, a graphic designer who also created this year’s fair poster, to display her jewelry. Lowe said she creates her designs using AAA quality semi-precious stones, with the goal of making beautiful things that are also affordable. Lowe’s obsession with beads began in high school. In 2004 she completed her BFA from the internationally accredited Art Center College of Design, where she delved in painting and sculpture. But beading was her passion. She stayed in the Los Angeles area, working as a massage therapist while making jewelry on the side and attending small fairs and trunk shows. Using natural, cut stones from fiery andalusite to crystal-clear quartz, she marries graceful gold and silver wire and gemstone to create grace-

Photo submitted

Jewelry maker Susie Kaldis Lowe will be among the more than 20 local artists whose works will be featured in the 23rd annual Paonia Holiday Art Fair. The fair is open from 3-8 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday at the Blue Sage Center for the Arts. ful, simple-yet-elegant eyecatching art. “I want women to exude beauty,” says Lowe. Lowe moved to Paonia in 2011 and put all of her energy into her jewelry business. She now works full time out of her studio on Stucker Mesa, where she lives with husband Jimmy. Her first year in the North Fork Valley she created the Renegade Art Show for artists

unable to get into the Blue Sage show, and in 2012 was recruited by the Blue Sage to coordinate the fair. Lowe also joined the North Fork Valley Creative Coalition, and in March 2013, became its first executive director, obtaining Creative District certification for the North Fork area from the Colorado Creative Industries. HOLIDAY ART FAIR TO B3

Feeding the community an honor for Jakubiak BY TAMIE MECK Staff Writer

Since 2007, the annual Thanksgiving and Christmas day meals served at the Hotchkiss Senior Center have provided a holiday meal to more than 1,000 citizens. How many meals were served during the 17 years before records were kept is anyone’s guess. Since 2006, Larry Jakubiak has been the driving force behind the free annual holiday meals. Last Thursday’s meal drew 89 diners, not including those who opted for the take-out service. Jakubiak, a former Hotchkiss mayor and current trustee, has spent much of his life in the restaurant business, so it was a natural move to assume the tradition. Meals were first put on by two local families, the Borthwicks and the Scubbs, said Jakubiak. Family members eventually moved away, and a generous lady, Mary Ruth Dunham, took over. She eventually became unable to do the job. In 2006, Jakubiak received a call early Thanksgiving morning from the Elks Lodge, where the meal was scheduled to be held. The caller told him that no one was there to prepare the meal. Jakubiak, who was at the time

Photo by Tamie Meck

Larry Jakubiak, ﬁfth from right, and the volunteers who helped put on last Thursday’s annual free community Thanksgiving day meal pose for a photo before the start of the meal at the Hotchkiss Senior Center. Jakubiak has coordinated the event, now in its 24th year, since 2006. Jakubiak also coordinates a Christmas day meal. Take-out and delivery are available. owner of the North Fork Valley Restaurant and Bar, knew he had to do something. “I’ll never forget that day,” said Jakubiak. He got on the phone to his bar patrons, telling them, “I know you’re hung over, but can you help?” He arrived at the Elks to find four frozen turkeys, and nothing else. With no money in his pockets, he ran to City Market to see if they would help, and came back with all kinds of food. While the turkeys thawed under running water, he made dressing. His patrons brought enough food to fill the

menu. “Some woman brought a big can of green beans,” he recalled. By the scheduled 11 o’clock start, the place was filled up, said Jakubiak. Everyone understood, and dinner was on the table by noon. “It was amazing,” said Jakubiak. The meal was a hit. The next year the meal was moved to the senior center at City Hall, where it’s still held today. The meal is truly a community effort, said Jakubiak. Zack’s Bar-B-Q smokes the turkeys. Volunteers bring sal-

ads and desserts, and this year someone brought a big box of winter squash for people to take home. The Town of Hotchkiss also donates annually to both meals, and Crawford has also donated funds. About $1,000 in donations, enough to pay for both meals, have already come in this year. As with the Thanksgiving meal, the Christmas dinner includes all of the trimmings, plus smoked ham. It couldn’t all happen without the volunteers, said Jakubiak. While many of the faces

change from year to year, a small core keeps coming back every year. Casey Stengel has volunteered all 24 years and mans the dessert table. “He told me he’ll be here every year until he can’t,” said Jakubiak. Stengel’s son, Chris, also volunteers every year, and another lady volunteered annually until moving away two years ago. While everyone is welcome, the meal is intended to serve those who don’t have family in the area or who otherwise would not get a holiday meal, said Jakubiak, whose extended family lives in California. While most of the diners are senior citizens, more and more young families are coming in with their children, and grandparents with out-oftown visitors bring families to the dinners. This year Jakubiak said two elderly ladies really stood out. Neither had family in the area or the resources to cook a holiday meal. One politely asked if she was putting too much food on her plate, and the other asked if it would be too much to ask if she could take some home. He made sure she had plenty to take home. Said Jakubiak, it’s those ladies, and others like them, “that make it all worthwhile.”

B2 Wednesday, December 2, 2015

NORTH FORK TIMES

Delta County Independent

Fruitland Mesa Club still going strong land Mesa Club was founded sometime in the While no one knows 1930s, the ranch women the exact date it hap- living on the agriculturpened, when the Fruit- ally rich mesa were quite

BY TAMIE MECK Staff Writer

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secluded from the rest of the world. They formed the club as a way to overcome that feeling of isolation and provide support to one another. Today’s women are far more mobile, but the club lives on. Today it boasts about 30 members, and some of them are the daughters of some of its founding members, said club treasurer Donna Cochran. The club’s original purpose of providing companionship and support when getting out and about was anything but easy has evolved over the years, but members still meet monthly to enjoy food, drink and conversation, make crafts and enjoy each other’s company. Meetings are often held at member homes, and usually carry a theme, said Cochran. For example, a recent theme was soup tasting, and members all brought a different soup to share. Two or three meetings a year are devoted to family, and every February the club invites the community for a pot-

luck meal at Crawford Town Hall. White Elephant Bingo takes up one meeting per year, October is a Halloween theme, and in November the club holds a drawing for a turkey. The club also hosts a Memorial Day dinner at the Methodist Church following the annual American Legion ceremony at Crawford Cemetery. There was a time when the Maher/Onion Valley and Needle Rock women’s clubs took turns hosting the dinner, but now the Fruitland Mesa Club hosts and the other clubs contribute to the effort. Ingredients for the meal are purchased locally wherever possible, said Cochran. As it has from its early days, the club also strives to support the community. Money raised throughout the year helps support numerous organizations, including the Crawford Public Library, Volunteer Fire Department and North Fork Ambulance. The club has plans for 2016, including upgrad-

Photo by Tamie Meck

The Fruitland Mesa Club ﬂoat is a staple in the annual Parade of Lights. The women’s club was founded sometime in the 1930s and its members remain active in the Crawford community today. ing the big sign boards on Fruitland Mesa and updating all of the names. Last weekend the club held its annual Crawford Craft Fair in the community room of the newlyremodeled Crawford Town Hall. The fair coincides with the annual Parade of Lights and Festival of Trees. While the fair has traditionally been held the Friday and Saturday

after Thanksgiving, club members are considering moving it to the following week, because people generally have plans for the Thanksgiving weekend, said Cochran. The Town of Crawford waived the rental fee for the room this year, in part because the club donated money toward the $1 million renovation project. “We really appreciate that,” said Cochran.

Holiday scenes from Crawford

Photos by Tamie Meck

Just a sample of the trees and crafts on display during the Festival of Trees and the Fruitland Mesa Santa Claus makes his ﬁrst appearance in the North craft fair at Crawford Town Hall. Drawings for trees Fork Valley Friday night, riding atop a Crawford Fire and wreaths, along with live entertainment and the Department engine during the Parade of Lights in Crawford holiday potluck, all happen this Friday. Crawford. After the parade Santa and Mrs. Claus, who also rode in the parade, greeted children at Town Hall.

Crawford potluck is this Friday

The annual Crawford holiday potluck happens from 5:30-7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, at Crawford Town Hall. The community is invited to bring a favorite dish and share in the community spirit. David and Tamara Hauze will perform acoustic music from 5-7 p.m. From 6The Crawford Fire Department decked its trucks 7 p.m. the North Fork out in holiday ﬁnery for the annual Parade of Lights Montessori at Crawford last Friday night in downtown Crawford. school will present its

Winter Music Program at the school. At 7 p.m., dessert will be served at Town Hall. The event also marks the final evening of the annual Festival of Trees. Drawing for trees and wreaths will take place at 7 p.m. Tickets are $2 each, or 6 for $10. Call Lynne at 921-5252 or email tristan.pfeffer@gmail. com for details.

NORTH FORK TIMES

Delta County Independent

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Town of Paonia considers 2016 projects BY TAMIE MECK Staff Writer

As the Town of Paonia prepares to pass the 2016 budget, discussion at the Nov. 24 public budget hearing turned toward anticipated construction and upgrades projects. The town has set aside $95,000 in capital outlay funding for replacement of sewer line crossings on Third Street. Grants and loans will be sought for repaving of streets once the project is complete, said town manager Jane Berry. Whether the project will take place depends on what the board of trustees decides, and on bid submissions. The most problematic intersections for sewer lines are the alleys between Delta and Rio Grande streets and Delta and the railroad crossing, said public works director Travis Loberg. “There definitely could be projects taken off the list, and Third Street could be one of them,” said Berry. “It might be too cost-prohibitive at this point.” The town is still considering construction of a half-million gallon water storage facility, includ-

Photo by Tamie Meck

Members of the Paonia Public Works Department meet with divers last July ahead of inspection of the 2 million-gallon water storage tank. Water projects are among the top three priorities that town trustees have set for 2016. ed in the original $6.1 million water system upgrades and enhancement project, but is leaning toward putting the money into water main reconstruction following more than 90 water main breaks that occurred thus far this year. The budget calls for $1.85 million in water project expenditures for new water distribution projects, to be funded with the funds remaining from state grants and loans designated for the enhancement project. Of the estimated

$147,000 the town will collect for the general fund on an existing 1 percent sales tax, approximately $134,000 is budgeted for capital improvements, including parks projects, a proposed upgrade in street lighting to LED bulbs, and the town’s share of the anticipated high-speed broadband Internet project. The town is also considering replacement of old water meters. Bill Brunner, one of two citizens attending the budget hearing, inquired about the estimated return on investment for such projects. Berry replied that, based on prior experience, it’s about four to six years. “The water meter is the cash register, if you will, to the water utility,” said old skis to a new home Berry. If meters aren’t or find an affordable new pair for the season. Ten percent sales will go to the PPPC Bike Co-op, a program of The Learning Council. Contact Alex Johnson at director@ theconservationcenter. org with any questions.

Ski swap is part of holiday festivities The PPPC Bike Co-op and the Western Slope Conservation Center are co-sponsoring a ski swap Saturday, Dec. 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Paonia Town Hall. All are welcome. This is a great opportunity to pass along your

measuring properly, “not only are we not billing the customer properly, we don’t have an accounting of how much water is lost to the system...” Water meters are anticipated to be addressed in a pending rate study, said Berry. The town also anticipates spending $30,190 on sidewalk repairs, funded through a $3/month sidewalk fund fee added on each water/sewer/trash account. The town is considering contracting out its trash collection service. If the board decides to continue providing the service, an estimated capital outlay cost of $35,000 for a new truck and toters is in the 2016 budget. The purchase would result in a more efficient collection system and allow the driver of the truck to be the entire crew, said Berry. The amount reflects about one year of a 10-year loan on a new truck and purchase of toters. The town views the 2016 budget as “the benchmark for multi-year budgeting and capital improvement planning as we provide for a sustainable future and continued improvement for our fiscal vitality,” according to the budget message. The town board will revisit the goals set forth in the budget message in the coming year. The budget message

and draft budget are available on the town website, www.townofpaonia.com, under “Budget and Financial Documents.”

The board of trustees anticipates approving the budget at the regularly scheduled Dec. 8 board meeting.

Wine Tasting - Fri., Dec. 4th - 5 to 7 p.m. Open House, Wine Tasting & Hay Rides Sat., Dec. 5th - 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. ��

Turkey, Ham, Prime Rib for the Holidays

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Holiday art fair FROM PAGE B1 The Holiday Art Fair is one of her favorite events. “This show is really special,” said Lowe. “It’s 100 percent local.” Paonia photographer Celia Roberts created the fair. Roberts moved to the area from Boulder in 1992. Boulder offered a similar show the first weekend in December, “and I missed it,” said Roberts. In 1993 the first Holiday Art Fair was held in a then-vacant office space on Grand Avenue. About three years later, the show was moved to what is now the Blue Sage Concert Hall. “We floundered for a little while,” said Roberts, and a core group of about 10 artists persisted, eventually obtaining funding to purchase the hall space. Roberts, known for her striking images of nature and the people and cultures of the U.S. and developing countries, said she’s only missed one fair in 23 years. While she won’t attend this year’s show, her photographs will be on exhibit in the Blue Sage Gallery, and a sale bin will be part of the main show in the concert hall. This year’s show will be one of the biggest yet,

said Lowe. In addition to jewelry and photos, artists will feature pottery, original art work and prints, bees wax and honey, hula hoops, mosaics and ornaments, wreaths and center pieces, and many children’s items. The North Fork School of Arts and Science will be serving soup and bread. Lowe also worked with the Paonia Chamber of Commerce on the marketing campaign for a long list of other holiday events happening in Paonia this Friday and Saturday. “It’s two solid days of a good time and an opportunity to support small local businesses.”

VOGA potluck is Dec. 2 The annual VOGA (Valley Organic Growers Association) potluck will take place today, Dec. 2, from 6-8 p.m., in the Wheeler Room at Hotchkiss Memorial Hall. The evening features a program by John Cowan of Elemental Farm, “The Tide of the Seasons: Light, Life and Food.”

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B4 Wednesday, December 2, 2015

NORTH FORK TIMES

Delta County Independent

HK-8 recognizes academic achievements At an academic awards ceremony Nov. 17, Hotchkiss K-8 School recognized Red, Blue and Gold Club members. Red Club members are students who have shown an improvement in their semester grade point average. Students who are in the Red Club academic level receive a certificate of recognition, a pencil, a success Frisbee and 10 tokens from Bananas Fun Park. Blue Club members are students who have a semester grade point

average between 3.0 and 3.699. Students who achieve the Blue Club academic level receive a certificate of recognition, a pencil and a coupon for a go-kart ride and 10 tokens from Bananas Fun Park. Gold Club members are students who have a semester grade point average between 3.7 and 4.0. Students who achieve the Gold Club academic level will receive a certificate of recognition, a coupon for one unlimited wrist

band from Bananas Fun Park, a pencil, and a GRIT (growth, resiliency, integrity, tenacity) Bulldog T-shirt. Cake and tea were served to students and parents following the awards ceremony for students. Pictured are the seventh and eighth grade Red, Blue and Gold Club members from the second semester of the 2014-15 school year: Red Club Seventh grade — Tristan Andregg, Steffen

Brodie, Zac Doose, Hector Elizalde Robles, Kade Harward, John Lofley, Jordan Manzanares, Joseph Saiz and Anthony Scanlon. Eighth grade — Phillip Barnes, Hunter Bryant, McKenzie Cockroft, Adam Kasper, Kyle Luginbyhl, Jade Miller, Kiley Olson, Ethan Owens, Jacob Palecki and Jerome Reed. Blue Club Seventh grade — Jakira Barnett, Jerica Barnett, Jaden Borgman, Connor Bronkan,

Tessa Griffith, Damin Harrison, Jazmyn Hart, Joslyn Kendall, Ivy Kirk, Electra Lovato, Ellieyana Lowe, Teresa Martinez, Nathaniel Mattler, Christian Matus, Alex Ross, Candace Siebler, Kyra Stevens, Ava Taylor, Andrew Thomson and Abigail Vespia. Eighth grade — Shayne Bayles, Joseph Burris, Kristal Camacho, Cooper Caudle, Jaycie Duncan, Shay Glaser, Dana Keil, Malykai Klaseen, Autumn Luginbyhl, Evan Mattison, Ally-

Seventh Grade Blue Club

Seventh/Eighth Red Club

Seventh/Eighth Gold Club

Eighth Grade Blue Club

son Regelman, Rebeka Scheiderer, J.P. Scriver, Grady Simpson, Jason Strong, Tycee Taylor and Zachary Ziemer. Gold Club Seventh grade — Izabella Brezonick*, Micah Cooper-Sponseller, Traycer Hall, Lauryn Kiefer, Tawny Roberts*, Adam Smith*, Isabella Spano and Ian Van Horn*. Eighth grade —Ethan Guy, Gillian Knott, J.D. Miller*, Grey Neal*, Jace Peebles, Elsie Vazquez Mendoza and Sydnie West.

Paonia renews parks contract with Altenhofen BY TAMIE MECK Staff Writer

He’s up before dawn, and out after dark. He’s pulled picnic benches out of the creek, cleaned up after vandals, picked up more than his share of dog poo, and manicured Dan Lawrence Field ahead of two state championship football games. Now the Town of Paonia has said thank you by renewing its annual parks maintenance agreement with Mikel Altenhofen. The 2016 contract is for $39,900, payable in 12 monthly installments, “even though the bulk of the work is performed during the spring and summer months,” according to the contract. Altenhofen’s contractual obligations include Town Park, Apple Valley Park, Poulos Park and Lee’s Park and require that he provide all of the machinery, fuel, oil and other equipment to carry out his work. He is also obligated to perform maintenance during fall and winter and is responsible

for watering of trees on Grand Avenue and care of Town Hall grounds. The town’s responsibilities include providing materials for cleaning and repairs, fertilizers and herbicides, scheduling of events, and keeping Altenhofen informed of upcoming events in a timely manner. The contract does not reflect an increase in compensation from 2015. Photo by Tamie Meck Town manager Jane Paonia parks maintenance man Mikel Altenhofen Berry praised Altenhofen receives thanks for his efforts during the 2015 BMW for his continued dedi- Rally at Paonia Town Park. cation. “He is willing to continue to accept the terms of the existing contract going forth in 2016,” said Berry at the Nov. 24 meeting of the board of trustees. “Mike’s done an outstanding job and it’s our recommendation that �� this contract be extended �� for another year.” �� “I appreciate the con�� fidence that the board �� shows in me to do the �� job,” said Altenhofen, who told the board he loves �� his job. “It’s the highest �� compliment they could �� pay me.”

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Former Paonia clerk takes town, manager to court BY TAMIE MECK Staff Writer

Former Paonia town clerk Barbara Peterson has filed a civil rights lawsuit in Colorado District Court against the Town of Paonia and town manager Jane Berry. The suit was in U.S. District Court for the Colorado District. Peterson seeks compensatory damages of $100,000 for humiliation, $250,000 for anxiety, depression and other physical and mental injuries, and $350,000 for loss of reputation, according to a court document filed Oct. 30 with the U.S. District Court in Denver. The suit stems from Peterson’s termination last March. Peterson, who was hired as town clerk in May 2003, claims she was wrongfully terminated in violation of civil rights guaranteed under the

First and 14th Amendments. Marni Nathan Kloster, an attorney with Nathan Dumm & Mayer, P.C., in Denver, will act as attorney for the town and Berry. Kloster was appointed special council to the case by the Colorado Intergovernmental Risk Sharing Agency (CIRSA), a Denver-based organization providing pool insurance coverage and risk management services to state public entities. Peterson, who declined to comment on the suit, is being represented by John W. McKendree, a Denver-based employment law and criminal defense attorney specializing in wrongful termination. Town attorney David Marek and Berry also declined to comment on the case, citing pending litigation.

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NORTH FORK TIMES

Delta County Independent

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Crawford set to approve 2016 budget BY TAMIE MECK Staff Writer

The Crawford town council is scheduled to pass the 2016 budget at the regularly scheduled Dec. 9 work session. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. The town general fund is anticipated to have revenues of $125,015 and expenses of $118,702, according to the draft budget, although an additional $5,500 is being set aside in anticipation of paying the first of two installments of the town’s share of the high-speed broadband Internet project, according to Mayor

Susie Steckel. The town also has $9,000 set aside in emergency reserves. Water revenues are expected to be at $82,500, with expenses of $75,879, leaving the town an estimated $6,621 in available resources. The sewer fund budget anticipates $95,800 in revenues and $89,979 in expenses, and the Conservation Trust Fund, funded by sales of Colorado Lottery tickets, is expected to have revenues of $2,295 and expenses of $2,000 for park improvements. Due to decreasing income, including a loss of severance tax dollars

from decreased activity at local mines, “We’ve really tightened our belts,” said Steckel. Loss of mineral revenues “has really hurt.” The only capital improvement project on the table thus far for 2016 is a sewer line improvement project on Cedar Street. In the future, said Steckel, the town needs to budget for re-lining of one of the water storage tanks, and eventual replacement of the tank. “I think we’re very happy” about the budget, said Steckel. “We’re in the black, and that’s always good.”

Paonia continues to refine water, sewer ordinances BY TAMIE MECK Staff Writer

Paonia trustees are leaning toward continuing a moratorium on sales of out-of-town water taps until a proposed rate study is completed sometime in 2016 and in light of problems associated with the town’s aging water delivery and distribution systems. The town had anticipated lifting the moratorium, established in 2007, once storage could be increased as part of the recent water systems upgrades project. Due to numerous factors, that part of the project was put on hold. The town’s water ordinance currently limits the town to the sale of eight out-of-town taps per year. Proposed changes to the ordinance ahead of passage of the 2016 budget would reinstate the moratorium and maintain sales of up to five taps per calendar year, available on a first-come, first-served basis to private water companies currently serviced by the

town. Those applications must be approved by the town board of trustees on a case-by-case basis, with cost determined by the size of the service line. proposed Under changes, cost of taps sold to water companies will range from $15,000 for a three-quarter-inch line to $750,000 for an eight-inch water main. Water companies wanting to increase the size of their service line would be charged the difference between the cost of the existing water line and the new line. In-town applications, “stand-by” accounts, water companies and properties being annexed into the town would not be affected by the moratorium. No limit is being proposed on the number of in-town water taps that can be sold. Cost of a residential tap will remain at $6,000. In-town commercial tap fees range from $6,000 to $156,200, depending on the required size of the

Program focuses on water quality findings Over the last year, the Western Slope Conservation Center has worked with the Colorado Water and Energy Research Center (CWERC) at CU Boulder to address water quality concerns through a groundwater monitoring project. The public is invited to the Paonia Library meeting room Thursday, Dec. 3, from 6 to 8 p.m., to learn about the findings of the study from the researchers themselves. The title of the presentation is “Water Quality and Oil & Gas Development in the North Fork Valley: What We Know, What We Don’t Know, and How to Find Out More.” The goal of the project was to create a baseline for water quality in the North Fork Valley, with a specific focus on groundwater quality of private wells and springs. Over a dozen local well owners participated in the study, with the published findings remaining anonymous.

Paonia chamber meeting is Dec. 9 The Paonia Chamber of Commerce will host its annual membership meeting from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9, at the Paradise Theatre. The evening begins with a reception, followed by the business meeting from 6-7 p.m. During the meeting the chamber will announce the citizen, business and nonprofit winners for 2016 and elect chamber board members. For more information call 527-3886 or email naturally@ paoniachamber.com.

The speakers at Thursday’s presentation will include Jessica Lewand, CWERC staff, who will present on the results of the local water quality study. Dr. Mark Williams, CWERC/CU Boulder faculty, will present findings on impacts of oil and gas development on water quality in the Denver-Julesburg and San Juan Basins. Katya Hafich, CWERC staff, will also present a short training on the CWERC Groundwater Monitoring Guide for people to learn how to monitor their own groundwater quality. For more information on the study, report, or upcoming presentation, contactAlex at 527-5307 or director@theconservation center.org.

service line. The proposed 28 percent increase in base rates for all water accounts — in-town and out-of-town residential and commercial — and proposed increases in volume charges, based on a cost-per-thousandgallons basis, will go into effect upon approval of the board of trustees. Trustees are voting next week only to approve increases in water tap, base rate and volume fees, with the entire ordinance and its other revisions to be discussed and adopted at a later date. Monthly wastewater/sewer service charges within the town are anticipated to increase from $26 to $31 per unit, while out of town fees are proposed to increase from $44 to $50 per unit. If approved, the town’s trash collection fees will increase by $4 per month for all accounts. A proposal of $3 per month was increased to $4 after Delta County announced it would increase its tipping fees from $25 to $28 per ton. Proposed ordinances are posted on the town website.

Photo by Tamie Meck

An aerial view of Crawford taken in June during a ﬂight with Lynn French with the Crawford Airport. Town trustees are preparing to pass the 2016 budget at the next council meeting.

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B6 Wednesday, December 2, 2015

LOCAL NEWS

Delta County Independent

$100,000 total funding awarded to nonprofits The Western Colorado Community Foundation (WCCF) announced grant awards totaling $15,000 to nonprofits serving Delta County from its Western Colorado Community Fund. Grants from the Community Fund combined with funding from foundation donor-advised funds total over $100,000 invested in

Delta County by WCCF in 2015. Community Fund grants are allocated by WCCF’s regional board of directors and are designed to tackle unmet needs, help programs expand, seed new projects and encourage collaboration to solve community problems. Delta is one of seven counties managed

by WCCF that receives grants from its regional Community Fund. Grants of $3,000 each were allocated to Delta-Montrose Partners for youth mentoring programs and to North Fork Valley Public Radio Inc. (KVNF) for its locally-focused, community programming. In Cedaredge, WCCF along with a donor-advisor

allocated $2,000 each and challenged the community to raise an additional $2,000 to create a larger grant pool. The successful “match” challenge resulted in a total of $7,300 to award to Cedaredge nonprofits. Grantees include the Cedaredge Community Gardens Association, Cedar Mesa Community Club, Friends of Cedaredge Animal Control, Surface Creek Saddle Club, Surface Creek

Senior Services,Surface Creek Community Services and Cedaredge Music Boosters for the high school band’s trip to Washington, D.C. WCCF works closely with individuals, families and organizations to create charitable legacies to benefit residents and improve the quality of life in western Colorado. For more information on creating a charitable fund or scholarship opportu-

nity for Delta County, contact Anne Wenzel at 243-3767. The Western Colorado Community Foundation serves seven counties in western Colorado, managing charitable funds for community good. Currently, the Community Foundation manages over 250 charitable funds totaling $50 million in assets and awards nearly $2 million in grants and scholarships annually.

Colorado Gives Day

Senior CommUnity meals aims to raise $10,000 Senior CommUni- invites Coloradans to ty Meals, a program of support its efforts to Volunteers of America, combat senior hunger by donating to the program on Colorado Gives Day, Dec. 8. Presented by Community First Foundation and FirstBank, Colorado Gives Day is an annual statewide movement to celebrate and increase philanthropy through online giving. The event is powered by Colorado Gives.org, a year-round, online giving website. Giving is easy — simply search for the Senior CommUnity Meals profile on the site or go directly to the profile by entering this link: http://colorado gives.org/SeniorComm UnityMeals. Safe and secure donations can be made in a few easy steps and are accepted at any time. “The donations we receive on Colorado Gives Day will help us do more to ensure seniors �� in our area receive good nutrition. There are �� many older adults who go without food because �� of income, mobility or �� other reasons,” said Al Shonk, Senior CommUni�� ty Meals program director. “Our goal is to raise �� $10,000 this year, which �� would go towards feeding more homebound seniors �� with meal delivery and by feeding more seniors �� at our seven community dining sites. We also wish �� to be included in the $1 Million Incentive Fund to �� increase the amount of donations we can receive. �� We are grateful for the opportunity to potentially �� receive matching funding �� for our program.” The Incentive Fund is one of the largest gives�� day incentive funds in the �� country. Community First Foundation and FirstBank each contributed $500,000 to create a $1 million fund. Every nonprofit receiving a donation on Colorado Gives Day receives a portion of the fund, which increases the value of every dollar donated. For exam�� ple, if Senior CommUnity Meals receives 10 percent

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of the total donations made on Colorado Gives Day, it will also receive 10 percent of the $1 Million Incentive Fund. To increase awareness of the nonprofit organization, Senior CommUnity Meals is assembling emergency “blizzard boxes” to distribute to their clients in December. “In past years we have provided these boxes during the harsh winter months in the event we were not able to deliver or otherwise provide meals at the meal sites due to severe weather conditions. The boxes are filled with non-perishable food items and will contain enough food for six meals,” Shonk said. Products like individual cans of chili, spaghetti, ravioli, tuna, fruit cups, individual juice boxes, packs of peanuts, sunflower seeds and crackers are some of the items sought to fill the boxes. Over the past year, approximately 75,000 hot and frozen meals have been provided through Senior CommUnity Meals to the senior citizens of Delta, Montrose and San Miguel counties. Community First Foundation, an Arvadabased foundation dedicated to fueling the power of community to drive positive change, and FirstBank, Colorado’s largest locally owned bank, have partnered to present Colorado Gives Day for the past six years. By making fundraising simple for nonprofits and giving easy for donors, Colorado Gives Day is one the most successful events of its kind in the nation. Last year, $26.2 million was raised for Colorado nonprofits in just 24 hours. Since its inception in 2010, $83 million has been donated on Colorado Gives Day. For more information about Senior CommUnity Meals, visit www.senior communitymeals.org. For more information about Colorado Gives Day, visit ColoradoGivesDay.org.

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SCHOOL

Delta County Independent

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

City of Delta observes Arbor Day with belated tree planting

Photo submitted

Due to several construction projects in the spring, the City of Delta Parks and Recreation Department wasn’t able to have its annual Arbor Day tree planting until Nov. 19. Above, DHS students shovel dirt around a Greenspire Linden tree in the new parking area across from the recreation center.

Special needs transition students from Delta High School have been gaining community work experience by helping city parks staff at Confluence Park. “They came down and cleaned up the edge of Confluence Lake three separate days and we planted the tree on their fourth visit … they have been a great help to us and were a lot of fun!” explained parks manager Tony Bohling. Christina Curtis is the students’ supervisor/ teacher. Bohling explains the Arbor Day tree planting was delayed until Nov. 19 this year, due to several construction projects in the spring. A Greenspire Linden was planted at Confluence Park.

Photo submitted

Virtuous Kids

Lincoln Elementary and the Kiwanis Club of Delta recently recognized the Virtuous Kids pictured above: (front row, left to right) Kaila Dowell (on task), Boone Byers (enthusiasm), Jazlyn Naranjo (responsibility), Anna Jones (working hard), Claudia Gonzalez (kindness), Antonio Deleon (respectful); (middle row) Micaela Mendoza (responsibility and caring), Madyson Fenimore (consideration), Stephanie Ponce (responsibility), Christian Baker (commitment), Jaiden Pena (on task), Elisha Blair (self-discipline); (top row) Ember Hatter (on task), Jacob Leib (hard work and on task), Brooke Suppes (respect and kindness), Katelyn Madrid (generosity), Izabella Valdez (diligence) and Ismael Zeferino (responsibility). The awards were presented by Kiwanians Hayley Suppes and James Conley on Nov. 16.

CMU presents Best of the West festival Dec. 3–5, Music at Mesa and Karen Combs will present the 16th annual Best of the West Music Festival featuring three public concerts and two days of workshops for over 200 talented high school musicians from Colorado and Utah. On Dec. 3, guest artist Lisa Pegher will present a percussion recital at 7:30 p.m. in the Love Recital Hall. Tickets for her guest recital are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and $5 for students. On Dec. 4, the Wind Symphony will take to the stage at 7:30 p.m. in the Robinson Theatre and will present the world premiere of Julie Giroux’s new composition “Vortex.” As a composer of film music, one of Giroux’s favorite movie scenes for which to compose music is a chase scene. But in a movie, chase scenes often jump from one event to another, never really giving the composer a sense of completion. Conceived as a chase scene from a movie, “Vortex” is an exciting piece of music from start to finish. The Wind Symphony also is performing Giroux’s “Riften Wed,” a slow, beautiful work inspired by the video game Skyrim. The featured soloist in Friday’s concert is percussionist Lisa Pegher, who is performing Brett William Dietz’s “Concerto for Percussion and Symphonic Band.” This threemovement work explores the timbres of a variety of percussion instruments, vibraphone and marimba composed in a grandiose manner with exciting rhythms, bright colors and dissonant harmonies. Rounding out Friday’s concert is a standard piece from the wind band repertoire, Gordon Jacob’s “Original Suite.”

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Composed in 1924, “Original Suite” is considered one of the most important works composed for wind band, and will be conducted by Ray Cramer, professor emeritus from the University of Indiana (retired). Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $5 for students. On Saturday, Dec. 5, at 3 p.m. in Robinson Theatre, a free final concert will be presented, featurPhoto submitted ing a variety of music by current composers, Ben Abbott, Kristine Giron, Morgan Giron, David played by three different Burns and Shea Chosvig display the city’s Tree City USA banner. student bands.

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Terriﬁc Kids

The following Garnet Mesa students earned a Terriﬁc Kid Award from the Kiwanis Club of Delta for their efforts to be a responsible citizen and student. Pictured above are kindergarten and ﬁrst grade students (front) Kaydence Sadler, Lily Gallegos, Angel Nieto, Gisel Vargas, Lizzie Wrich; (back) Dominik Teal, Cassidy Ballard, Trentin Munyon, Karena Barajas. Below are second and third graders Izabella McLendon, Rachel Young, Xavier Gonzalez, Alex Mack, Liliani Rodriquez, Victoria Medina Luna and Chloe Sharpe.

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Karate offered for kids ages 5-8 Boys and girls ages 5-8 will learn discipline and respect while building self-esteem when they take karate classes at Bill Heddles Recreation Center. Little Dragons karate classes are taught by Sensei Rodney Grantham, sixth degree black belt - Okinawa Seidokan. The cost of the five-week session is $20. Classes will be held Saturday mornings, Jan. 23 to Feb. 20, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Please register by noon Jan. 22. For more information, contact Bill Heddles Recreation Center at 8740923.

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B8 Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Bruce Barker

Eckert resident Bruce Otto Barker died Sunday, Nov. 22, 2015, in Delta. He was 26. A memorial service was held Tuesday, Dec. 1, at Taylor Funeral Service Chapel in Delta with James Gall and Laura Gartner officiating. Mr. Barker was born in Salem, Ore., Dec. 20, 1988, to Duane Barker and Florence Carr. He spent his childhood in Salem, Ore., Butte, Mont., and Eckert. He graduated from Cedaredge High School in 2008. In 2007 and 2008 he participated in the state track meet. He specialized in the 300yard hurdles. He enjoyed his dogs, riding his Harley motorcycle, playing in the mud and spending time with his nieces and nephews. Mr. Barker is survived by his parents, Marie and Joel Torstveit of Eck-

OBITUARIES

ert; his fiancée, Kristen McCarty of Cedaredge; six brothers, William Barker and Mike (Laura) Gartner, all of Cedaredge, Daniel Norris of Butte, Mont., Joey Torstveit of Paonia, Ben Torstveit of Grand Junction and Jesse Torstveit of Cortez; six sisters, Deanne Yniguez of Olathe, Melessa Norris of Portland, Ore., Danna Elderman of Oregon, Kimberley Hicks of Fort Collins, Autumn Owens of Clifton and Veronica Pozuelos of Andrews Air Force Base, Md.; and extended family. He was preceded in death by his father, Duane Barker. Taylor Funeral Service and Crematory handled the arrangements. View the Internet obituary and sign the online guest registry at taylor funeralservice.com.

Pamela Bordes

Pamela Marie Bordes died of cancer Nov. 19, 2015, at her parents’ home in San Antonio, Texas. She was 56. She was born in Abilene, Texas, March 11, 1959, to Thomas and Mary (Dicamillo) Clark. She married Kerry Bordes Jan. 3, 2009, in New Braunfels, Texas. Mrs. Bordes is survived by her husband, Kerry; a daughter, Tina (Jason)

Harless; her grandchildren, Kyle and Heather; her parents, Thomas and Mary Clark, formerly of Delta; two brothers, Tom (Debbie) Clark of Delta and Richard (Lisa) Clark of Shawnee, Kan.; and a sister, Joyce Ortega of San Antonio, Texas. A memorial was held in New Braunfels, Texas, Nov. 25.

Carol Herman

Carol Herman, a former resident of Delta, died Thursday, Nov. 12, 2015, at Colorow Care Center in Olathe. She was 86. Mass of Christian burial will be at 11 a.m., Friday, Dec. 4, at St. Michael Catholic Church, with Father Mark Bettinger officiating. A private interment will follow at Delta City Cemetery. Mrs. Herman was born July 23, 1929. On Aug. 3, 1953, she married Dale Herman in Aberdeen, S.D.

She was a member of St. Michael Catholic Church and the Lady Elks from Glenwood Springs Elks Lodge #2286. She enjoyed reading, sewing, gardening, dancing and all things feline. Mrs. Herman is survived by her son, retired Col. Michael Herman of El Dorado Hills, Calif.; three daughters, Roberta “Birdy” Herman-Anderson and Patricia “Patti” Barela, both of Delta, and LuAnne Herman of Cortez; two sisters, Betty Riley of Billings, Mont., and Phyllis Swanda of Beaverton, Ore; and four grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Dale Herman; three sisters; and one brother. Memorial contributions may be made to HopeWest, P.O. Box 24, Delta, CO 81416. Taylor Funeral Service and Crematory is handling the arrangements. View the Internet obituary and sign the online guest registry at taylor funeralservice.com.

Georgine Carré

Georgine Marie-Louise Carré of Hotchkiss died Sunday, Nov. 22, 2015, at her home. She was 90. She was born in Brussels, Belgium. She attended an art academy and

Delta County Independent

made art her vocation. She met her husband, John Carré, in Europe after World War II and they traveled and worked as artists, using a variety of media. Mrs. Carré enjoyed wildflowers, the western Colorado landscape and watching birds. She is survived by five daughters; 12 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, John Carré. A memorial service is planned for May.

Donald Osborne

Donald Kessell Osborne of Paonia died Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015, at Hospice Care Center in Grand Junction. He was 92. A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Monday, Dec. 7, at First Christian Church, 2nd and Oak Street in Paonia, with military honors by Wilson Head American Legion Post #97. Inurnment in Dalton, Ill., will take place at a later date. Mr. Osborne was born in Mattoon, Ill., Oct. 9, 1923, to Rastus and Irene (Kessell) Osborne. He lived in Illinois, Georgia and Colorado.

He was a sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps, serving in Hawaii and Okinawa during World War II. He worked as a railroad electrician for the Illinois Central Railway. He married Linda Todd Shaw on July 6, 1997. Mr. Osborne enjoyed traveling and baseball, especially the Boston White Sox. He attended First Christian Church in Paonia where he served as a deacon. He is survived by his wife of 18 years, Linda Osborne; a son, Don (Char) Osborne; two daughters, Debra Dallesandro and Dawn (Bob) Sprout; three grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; 12 stepchildren; 26 stepgrandchildren; and 48 stepgreat-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by eight brothers and sisters; a son-inlaw, Rich Dallesandro; a granddaughter, Kimberly Keys; his first wife, Margaret; and his second wife, Elaine. Memorial contributions may be made to HopeWest, P.O. Box 24, Delta, CO 81416. Taylor Funeral Service and Crematory is handling the arrangements. View the Internet obituary and sign the online guest registry at taylor funeralservice.com.

LOCAL NEWS

Making space for makerspaces at the libraries BY LEAH MORRIS Delta County Libraries

There are many ways to use a library: bring a child to a story time, access resources through the library website, check out a towering stack of books, format a

document on a library computer, attend a teen event, enjoy the summer reading program, read the newspaper in a warm corner. In recent years, many libraries have added a new element to library services which

Custom Engraved.... Granite Memorials Stone Signs Address Rocks Pet Memorials & Much More ��

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brings together creativity, education, entertainment and group dynamics, appealing to users of varying ages. This concept has been so popular that some libraries and other organizations consider it a movement — the makerspace movement. Defining a makerspace is challenging, as the movement encompasses a vast array of materials and projects, but generally a makerspace teaches a skill through hands-on experience. Some libraries focus on technology, utilizing 3D printers, robot parts, LED lights and computers. Others focus more on constructing with hand tools or craft supplies. Often with makerspaces, outcomes are not as important as the process of learning through experimentation and collaboration. Eager to embrace new trends and fun ideas, Delta County Libraries is becoming part of this movement. Recently, several branches have offered ongoing creative projects to encourage patrons to try something new and hands-on while spending time in the library. These projects include opportunities such as chalkboards and colored chalk which Crawford Library had available over the summer, sewing classes at the Paonia Library, a sticky-note “graffiti wall” in the Hotchkiss Library, and an ongoing makerspace series at the Cedaredge Library. Cedaredge librarian Cara Morton has been experimenting with makerspace programming to

see how well the library community participates. She started in September with a simple technology project. In October, she invited people to decorate gourds with paints and other materials. During the month of November, interested patrons could come to the library to learn to make pasta noodles. Library staff provided the dough and the pasta maker, but did also include a disclaimer that read, “We don’t recommend eating any of your creations; this is more of a chance to play and have fun with the process.” Morton has definitely made some discoveries in the last few months. “Some things are way more popular than others,” she says, describing how more effective

makerspaces seem to be those that have all the materials ready and obvious for patrons to use at any time. Upcoming opportunities will reflect this, as she plans to have card-making supplies available on a table in the middle of the library for the entire month of December, and painting materials for January visitors. Inspired by the success in Cedaredge, Delta Library staff is about to join the makerspace fun with an ongoing program in the teen area, where Delta teen librarian Shayna Peters is preparing duct tape for artistic manipulation. Teen participants are invited to stop by any time the library is open between Dec. 14 and 23 to create unique gifts from differ-

ent kinds of duct tape. Peters will set up a table with a variety of craft supplies and plenty of ideas. “I am hoping that if the teens are here in the library during break, they will sit down and make something,” says Peters. “I want them to use their imaginations and have fun with it.” Makerspaces provide opportunities for library engagement and creativity. They also allow for patrons to learn new skills in a safe and simple environment. As long as visitors participate and enjoy the projects offered by Delta County Libraries, staff will continue to incorporate makerspaces into the long list of library resources available to Delta County patrons.

Photo submitted

The Hotchkiss Library sports a sticky-note grafﬁti wall.

Christmas tree permits available The Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests is now selling Forest Service Christmas tree permits. A permit allows the public to cut a Christmas tree for personal use on national forest system lands as authorized on the permit. Tree cutters must have a valid permit with them while cutting a tree. Permits are $8 per tree and come with information explaining regulations and helpful tips. Some areas of the forest are restricted from cutting trees and these are depicted on available maps. No cutting is permitted in campgrounds or other recreation/facility

sites, in wilderness and/ or near lakes, streams or in wetland areas. Also this year, as part of the More Kids in a Park (MKIP) program, students with a valid fourth grade pass or paper voucher are able to receive a free permit to cut a Christmas tree on the national forest. The fourth grade free permits are ONLY able to be acquired at Forest Service offices. This is a great opportunity for a family outing and to get outdoors. More information on how fourth graders can obtain a MKIP pass is available at: www. everykidinapark.gov. Forest Service Christmas tree permits are

available in Delta at the USFS office at 2250 Highway 50, in Hotchkiss at Weekender Sports, 141 W. Bridge Street, in Montrose at the Montrose Public Lands Center, 2465 S. Townsend Avenue, in Paonia at the ranger district office on North Rio Grande Avenue or the Paonia Flower Shop, 301 Grand Avenue. Please plan ahead and be prepared for winter conditions and keep vehicles on the road (or appropriate parking area). Some walking through snow may be necessary to get your tree; wear warm clothes and boots. Pack emergency supplies, carry the appropriate map and leave word

with friends or relatives of your planned destination. Vehicles equipped for winter conditions with four-wheel drive, snow tires or chains are encouraged. Start early, since winter days are shorter. Many national forest roads are not plowed for snow removal and even if backcountry roads are not blocked by snow, ice conditions may exist. Please be aware of standing dead trees that could fall and/or drop branches, causing severe injury. Citizens are urged to avoid and/ or use extreme caution in these areas, particularly in areas affected by spruce beetle and other bark beetles.

SURFACE CREEK December 2, 2015

NEWS

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Parade of Lights hits Main Street Saturday at 6 p.m. The annual Parade of Lights will begin making its way down Cedaredge Main Street at 6 p.m. this Saturday, Dec. 5. But before all of the fun celebrating a “Cowboy Christmas” begins this year, there are a lot of other events taking place and everyone is invited to participate and join the holiday excitement. Those special events are featured in other stories on page C3. This year’s event theme — a “Cowboy Christmas” — is likely to bring out plenty of cowboys and cowgirls in the celebration’s parade. The biggest parade of the year always creates a hustle-bustle of excitement in downtown

Cedaredge, and this year will be no different. Santa will visit the Chamber of Commerce office beginning at 4 p.m. Parents are encouraged to bring their kids and their own cameras for a holiday tradition snapshot of the youngsters with the Jolly Elf. Before the parade begins, there will be hot cider available at the town offices to help chase any wintery chills. Those wanting to be a lastminute entry in the parade still have time to do so by calling the Cedaredge Area Chamber of Commerce office at 856-6961 during business hours: 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

‘Living Christmas Card’ bakes up holiday cheer Main Street businesses will be open for the Parade of Lights, and many of them will have special activities planned for the event. There will be an activity to help people get into the Christmas spirit this year at the Parade of Lights thanks to the creative, energetic ladies at the Methodist Women’s Thrift Shop on Main Street. The attraction will be a “Living Christmas Card” display, explains coordinator JoAnn Price. For the Living Christmas Card, ladies from the church will be engaged with con-

structing holiday gingerbread houses in the front window of the store. Everyone is welcome to come by and watch the fun which begins at 3 p.m. on Parade Day. And, as an added holiday bonus, Price said, the completed, 100 percent sweet and edible gingerbread houses will be available for purchase by someone looking for a unique decorating idea or a fun, holiday dessert, or by families wanting to begin a new Christmas tradition by celebrating the season with a handmade gingerbread house constructed by friendly local elves.

Rotary needs help with Christmas meal The Cedaredge Rotary Club and Les and DJ Mergelman are organizing the free community Christmas dinner again this year and volunteers are needed to help with things like setup, clean-up, service and meal take-outs. As in the past years, it will be held Christmas day at the Stolte Shed at Pioneer Town, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

If you would like to volunteer or help out in any way, call Marsha Bryan at 2348800. All volunteers are also welcome to enjoy the dinner. Donations for the event may be sent to the following: Les and DJ Mergelman, 380 N.E. Shady Oak Ave. Cedaredge, CO 81413; or, Cedaredge Rotary Club, P.O. Box 750, Cedaredge, CO 81413.

Portrait of county ag

Photo by Hank Lohmeyer

Neatly tended grape vines, grass hayﬁelds and scenic vistas from a mesa-top perch compose a portrait of Delta County and its agriculture as the winter season approaches. This view is seen near Orchard City.

K&C wants to end lease at golf course restaurant BY HANK LOHMEYER Staff Writer

Cedaredge trustees heard during a special meeting on Monday, Nov. 23, that the manager of K&C’s Local Grill, the restaurant at Cedaredge Golf Course, intends to terminate his lease on the facility at year’s end. Town administrator Katie Sickles told the trustees that restaurant manager Doug Coburn had notified the town that he wants to terminate his lease at the restaurant effective Jan 1. Coburn was not present at the meeting. The meeting’s agenda included a discussion item, Golf Course Restaurant. Judging from comments made by trustees at the meeting, the news hadn’t come as a big surprise. According to a copy of the lease document, it automatically terminates “if a new lease is not executed at least 180 days prior to the expiration of [the current] lease.”

The current lease was scheduled to terminate at the end of February. The 11-page lease has been in effect since March of last year. The document called for lease payments to the town on a sliding seasonal scale totaling $9,900 per year. The lease money is deposited in the town’s golf course fund as non-golf operations. “We are looking at options,” Sickles told trustees at the meeting. Coburn took over the restaurant management when the previous occupant, Wild Fire Pizzeria, closed. Coburn had been the lead chef for the pizzeria. The restaurant has undergone a series of different managements over the past decade. Coburn’s decision to step into the management was the only response the town received from its 2014 request for proposals for a new manager, according to town records. However, at that time one

of the possibilities trustees had been presented with was a city-run restaurant operation. Golf pro Larry Murphy outlined the idea to trustees for his taking reigns of a scaled-back food and beverage service there. The town board wasn’t really interested at the time in going into the restaurant business. But with the record that private enterprise has established at the restaurant, the eventual necessity of taking the business fully under the town’s wings to keep it operating has never been far from town hall’s consideration. In fact, the lease agreement with Coburn provides that if the restaurant were to close down during busy golf months, the town itself could step in and take over a noontime lunch service there. The trustees were not scheduled to take any final action on the notice of termination at their Nov. 23 meeting.

Restaurant serves up free holiday meal BY HANK LOHMEYER Staff Writer

People who live in Surface Creek Valley know they have a lot to be thankful for. To that list of blessings the community can add a local business that demonstrated last Thursday how it understands the meaning of Thanksgiving day in a small community. The Cedaredge Creekside Café hosted a free Thanksgiving day turkey dinner with all

the traditional trimmings and served hungry local people. Owner Codi Nelson told the DCI that last Thanksgiving she was preparing to buy the business and helped with the free dinner that year. “I thought it was really great what it did for the community and for all the people who came in,” she said. So she decided to host another free Thanksgiving dinner this year. This year’s dinner was more

than a community event — it was an event for close friends and family as well. Codi’s family, staff and friends, and their families all contributed to helping with the considerable amount of work it takes to put on the banquet like that — everything from preparing the food, to serving it and cleaning up afterward. In addition to Codi’s own work on the event, she was helped by her two children, Bailey and Tayton; by her

Photo by Hank Lohmeyer

Holiday helpers who contributed time from their own Thanksgivings to help provide a free community turkey dinner for local residents at the Cedaredge Creekside Café above are, back row from left, Jerry Huggett, Anthony Medrano, Gordon Kemmerer, and Nagie McIntire. middle row from left are Sheila Versey, Sharon Burks, Andrea Bray, Matti Lowrey, Codi Nelson and Tammy Huggett. The young helpers on the front row include Kacey McIntire, Logan McIntire, Tayton Nelson, Bailey Nelson and Reganne McIntire.

brother and his wife, Jerry and Tammy Huggett; by Tammy’s mother, Sharon Burks; by three siblings of the local McIntire family, Kacey, Reganne and Logan along with their mother, Angie; by Anthony Medrano; by Andrea Bray and her mother, Sheila Versey; and, by two friends, Gordon Kemmerer and Matti Lowrey. Lowrey’s contribution to the occasion was itself kind of special to the Creekside’s Thanksgiving celebration of family, friends, great food and community; that is because Lowrey isn’t related to anyone who was there helping out that day, she doesn’t work at the business, and she doesn’t even live in Delta County. She is from California, a friend of the family, and said that she came all the way from her home just to help out with the event this year. Codi is quick to give thanks to some other special helpers who donated to the event. They are Red Mountain Ranches which donated real apple cider for the guests. Also, her food vendor, U.S. Foods, gave considerable inkind contributions. A private couple in Cedaredge donated $100 and another couple in Delta gave $50. Both of those contributions were completely unsolicited. Most of the people who attend various free Thanksgiving dinner events do make donations of their own for the meal. Those donations are often used by the sponsoring organization to help pay costs. But the Creekside’s event was

special in another way also. Instead of keeping the donated money to help her business or tip the helpers, Codi and her crew decided to donate all the money to the Surface Creek Animal Shelter. “I think we just have a really great animal shelter in Cedaredge,” Codi explained. All of the food had been prepared by 10 a.m. on Thanksgiving day and the serving prep area was the center of activity as turkey was deboned, sliced, separated into light meat and dark meat portions, and sides were readied for the first guests. The kitchen and food handling areas at this restaurant were in top shape. The restaurant’s regular customers have come to expect a spotlessly clean operation in addition to the good tasting, fair-priced, and generous-portioned meals that Codi and her staff have made their signature style. The kitchen is as clean as the neat and comfortable dining room, and the Cedaredge Creekside Café has earned “excellent” status in the county’s restaurant inspection ratings. Guests began to arrive a bit early for the 11 a.m. opening. A party of ten people were there right on time, and as tables and chairs were positioned to accommodate them, other guests began to arrive in singles and small groups. As the day went on to the planned 2 p.m. closing, the Cedaredge Creekside Café and staff had served 150 free Thanksgiving meals.

C2 Wednesday, December 2, 2015

SURFACE CREEK NEWS

Delta County Independent

School music program opens holiday season BY HANK LOHMEYER Staff Writer

The holiday season was off to a musical start on Nov. 23 when the Cedaredge High School and Middle School bands and choirs presented

their combined fall concert at the school. The Commons area was standing room only for the event which began with performances by the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade choir presenting

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music by John Williams and Katy Perry. The CHS Concert Choir followed with the all-seasons favorite “What a Wonderful World” and two more selections including a score by Mozart. Accompanist was Lesley Lewis. Next it was time for the school bands to show what they have learned. An entertaining medley of pieces punctuated with student narration about their progress through music instruction gave the Beginning Band members their first chance to see what playing before a real audience was like. Their selections included nine short pieces illustrating the music education journey that music director Melissa Gross has been guiding them on this year. The pieces included familiar tunes of “Hot Cross Buns,” “London Bridge,” and “Shoo Fly.” The advanced band’s performance included a tribute to veterans in its

program, along with a piece titled “Korean Folk Rhapsody.” The evening program’s finale came compliments of the Cedaredge High School Concert Band, a

group whose sound is like that of a professional symphonic wind ensemble. They chose a piece by Mendelssohn with a Shakespeare theme, and then concluded the

program that ushered the community into the Christmas season by performing the perfectly appropriate classic Christian hymn “Amazing Grace.”

Photo by Hank Lohmeyer

A concert hall setting was provided by the CHS Commons area as the community gathered on Nov. 23 to hear the fall concert presented by the Cedaredge High School Music Department along with the singers and musicians from middle school and high school choirs and bands.

Birds of the Western Slope A look at local birds with Evelyn Horn Northern Harrier I’ve been watching the horses and sheep in the pasture across the road. It’s a lovely day, doesn’t look like November at all. Clear blue sky without a single cloud and the trees all dull looking, losing their leaves. A flock of starlings just “fell” out of our west cottonwood tree. They do seem to fall out of the trees, but now they’ve gathered up again and are headed for the reservoir. And it’s time to do the breakfast dishes. But wait! There’s a large bird flying low over the pasture … the wings are tilted upwards and I can see the white rump patch. A harrier? We’ve

Photo by Dollar Photo

Northern Harrier often had a pair down es), whitish beneath and at the reservoir. Watch. brownish above. Female Now my bird flies over harriers are brownish the fence to the west, while males are gray. So, across the lane, and it I probably saw a female disappears over to that northern harrier. As is often the case with rappasture. Out of sight. Now think: what did I tors, the females are see? Clearly a raptor from larger than the males. its size (over 15 inches, Why? Various theories wingspan about 40 inch- include that the smaller

Kids’ coats giveaway Saturday at Masonic Hall A new feature event has been added to the annual chili and potato dinner at the Cedaredge Masonic Hall. There will be a free winter jacket and coat giveaway for the kids taking place beginning at 3 p.m. on Parade Saturday. The free winter jacket and coat giveaway is

being hosted, along with the chili and potato dinner in the same location, by the Cedaredge Community United Methodist Women. The free kids’ coats giveaway will be downstairs in the Masonic Hall where the dinner is taking place. It will start one hour before the food service. The church

Food bank plans Christmas drive BY SURFACE CREEK COMMUNITY SERVICES

The Surface Creek Community Services Food Bank in Cedaredge is seeking your monetary donation to help cover the costs of a generous Christmas box dinner for families. With the aid of wonderful volunteers, the food bank serves over 200 families per month. The unselfish donation you make today will bless someone who may be your neighbor during the holiday season. The food bank is open

Mondays from 9 to 11 a.m., and Thursdays from 1 to 3 p.m. This year’s annual Christmas box distribution will take place on Saturday, Dec. 19. To participate in the distribution, sign up at the food bank.

ladies have arranged racks of coats for families to peruse and take their picks from. “These are clean, winter coats,” said JoAnn Price of the Methodist Women. “Some of them are in just-like-new condition.” There will be many garments to choose from. To participate, a child must be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult. Price added that the project has gotten a lot of support from the Little Sprouts Community Preschool. The students and their families at the school held a coat drive of their own and donated many good, warm winter coats they hope will find their ways to other kids and help their winter holiday activities be warm and cozy.

male can fly after prey in tighter situations. And the heavier female can protect the nest better than the smaller male. I’ll check their diet in my Birder’s Handbook. And there’s always information that I forgot! I recalled about the voles, mice, snakes and carrion, but I forgot about other birds and insects. These birds are monogamous (more or less!) and the handbook states that with high vole populations there is evidence of polygynous mating. I remembered that the female feeds and broods the chicks, but I’d forgotten that she excludes the male from feeding areas during the non-breeding season. I’m still looking out the north window, and here she comes … the wings seem to barely move … but I know that her progress is rapid. Cranes have been reported. Keep your eyes and ears open. Please call my number (8358391) if you see or hear them. THANKS!

More things to do in Cedaredge Saturday • At the east end of Main Street, a new artists’ co-op is planning to have a grand opening event on Parade Day beginning at 11 a.m., so there will be something brand new for families to experience. • There is a display and mini-seminar on woodworking scheduled at Munson’s Main Street Gallery by Walt Anderson.

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Shapes and landforms

Photo by Hank Lohmeyer

A light overnight snowfall reveals a landscape of varied shapes and forms seen viewing into the George Creek drainage with Grand Mesa in the early morning background. Grand Mesa Lodge is reporting 21 inches of snow since Thanksgiving for a total of 67 inches in November.

SURFACE CREEK NEWS

Delta County Independent

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Chili and potato dinner a pre-parade tradition The annual homemade Chili and Baked Potato Bar with all the fixins — like grated cheese, diced onions, jalapeños and more — has become another of the family traditions that are part of the Cedaredge Parade of Lights. The popular event will be back again this year, hosted once again by the Cedaredge Community United Methodist Church. At 4 p.m. the doors will open at starting time for the dinner. Service is set to continue until 7 p.m. to give folks a chance for one last bite after the parade. This great supper feast

comes with “all the fixin’s” that anyone could want for making a delicious meal. The featured menu item, chili with potato and all the fixin’s including dessert and drink is $8. Other menu options are available, too. They include • $6 — potato with just the fixins, dessert and drink. • $6 — chili, dessert and drink. • Children under 10; $3 for potato or chili, dessert and drink, or $5 for potato, chili, dessert and drink. The church volunteers

Cookie Walk to benefit preschool Holiday events will get off to an early start on Parade of Lights Saturday when the Little Sprouts Preschool holds its annual fundraiser Cookie Walk. The school’s Cookie Walk is the best place to load up on homemade treats that are a perfect gift for friends; that make great stocking stuffers; and, that are a holiday season must-have to set out for company that will be dropping by. It is a big fundraiser for the school, an institu-

tion that is the first step for many Surface Creek Valley children as they begin the process of growing up and venturing out into the world with positive experiences of academics and social interaction to guide them. The Cookie Walk will take place in the basement of the Cedaredge United Methodist Church. It will begin a 9 a.m. and continue until noon. Everyone is welcome to attend, participate and enjoy.

Ray Carpenter to be at the Chapel Just a few steps away from Main Street at the Chapel of the Cross in Pioneer Town this year the traditional two-concert performances for Parade of Lights Saturday will echo the overall theme of “A Cowboy Country Christmas.” This year’s music will feature the Surface Creek Valley’s favorite cowboy balladeer, Ray Carpenter. Ray’s authentic western voice will fill the chapel to the rafters with

western-style holiday music fitted to the Parade of Lights theme and to the Christmas season. Ray’s performances will be at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. As always, admission to the chapel music events is by donation; but for this special event a ticket is needed to make sure there is enough seating for all. Organizers report that the free tickets are available at Gazebo Florist and at Leisure Time Sports.

who put on this great feast say, “Come see the Parade of Lights and enjoy the meal.” There will be a new feature added to the event this year by the Methodist Women. A kids’ winter jacket and coat giveaway will be taking place in the Masonic Hall beginning at 3 p.m. and is scheduled to run until 7 p.m. Kids’ coat project assistant JoAnn Price tells the DCI that the Methodist Women had some help from the Little Sprouts Preschool families who conducted a coat drive for the event. There will be lots of quality, clean and, in some cases, practically new coats and jackets for any kids for the asking. However, to qualify for a free winter coat or jacket the child must be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult.

Photo by Hank Lohmeyer

Santa visits Cedaredge Saturday

Santa is a busy fellow as he makes appearances around Delta County this week. Saturday the jolly old elf will visit Cedaredge, posing for photos with kids at the chamber ofﬁce beginning at 4 p.m., and he’ll have a prominent spot in the Parade of Lights later that evening. Don’t miss all the fun, food and bargains in Cedaredge on Saturday, Dec. 5.

Online bidding underway for Habitat’s silent auction An event that has become a Christmas tradition for area families will be taking place again this year at the Civic Center. It is the Gingerbread Decorating Event to benefit Habitat for Humanity of Delta County. And this year there is online bidding for some of the really nice items in the silent auction, items that include a vacation weekend at Ouray. The third annual event is set for 1-3 p.m. Organizers promise a family event. It will offer the fun, family bonding activity of building the family’s Christmas gingerbread house. This activity has turned into a holiday tradition for many families here. There will also be door prizes, face painting, snacks and free books. Online bidding for items in the silent auction began on Nov. 23. As if the wonderful holiday treats for the gin-

gerbread house builders weren’t enough, local businesses have donated some fabulous gift baskets and other items for the fundraiser auction. Online bidding is easy, organizers say: “Like Us” on Facebook – Habitat for Humanity of Delta County. Then, click on the silent auction event. Bidding will continue through 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 5, according to event organizers. Anyone may also come to Cedaredge Land Company, 160 W. Main Street, to see some of the items and place a bid. There is admission by ticket to the event, and tickets cost $30. They can sell out early, so it is best to call as soon as possible to reserve one if your family wants to participate. The number to call is Cedaredge Land Company at 856-3173 If tickets are sold out, this occasion is still a great holiday treat to

attend just for the fun and excitement, to watch the gingerbread house builders at work, and to place a bid or two on silent auction items.

It all goes to a good cause — 100 percent of the proceeds go toward Delta County Habitat for Humanity, organizers say.

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C4 Wednesday, December 2, 2015

AGRICULTURE

Delta County Independent

Habitat replacement funded by salinity projects BY BETH KARBERG Salinity Field Coordinator, Lower Gunnison Basin Colorado Dept. of Agriculture

Major improvements to local irrigation ditches began in 1998 with the piping of laterals off the South Canal in the Uncompahgre Valley Water Users delivery system and now include over 100 miles of pipeline. The Grandview Canal outside Crawford received Bureau of Reclamation funds in 2008 to install a section of pressurized pipeline, the first such project in the North Fork area. Federal funds from the Bureau of Reclamation are available for ditch lining and piping projects as part of the Colorado River Salinity Control program. Controlling high salt levels in the lower Colorado River is expensive, costing water users in Nevada, Arizona and California in the range of $250 to remove each ton of salt from the river. Irrigation improvements to prevent water from percolating through the high salt shale in the upper basin states of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico are a relative bargain, typically costing $50 to $100 per ton of salt kept out of the Colorado River. The Colorado River provides municipal water supply to over 40 million people, and irrigation water to support production of much of the county’s winter vegetables. Population growth and drought create an increasing demand for a supply of clean water in the Southwest. This water demand, along with a record of meeting water quality goals, means the Salinity Control Program is likely to continue into the foreseeable future. To date, this program has funded over $55 million in improvements to

Photo courtesy Colorado Department of Agriculture

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation biologists Lesley McWhirter and Jennifer Ward, along with Barb Osmundson, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist, monitor a wildlife habitat replacement project created with funding for the Stewart Ditch system improvements. irrigation delivery systems in the Lower Gunnison Basin. While these projects are funded with the goal of reducing salt in the Colorado River, these pipelines and lined canals also reduce the annual maintenance work needed compared to earthen canals, and allow irrigation delivery systems to function in a more efficient manner. Using our water supplies more efficiently supports local agriculture to continue thriving into the future, and helps avoid the devastation of “buy and dry” water rights transfers that have occurred in other parts of the state. The Bureau of Reclamation’s Basinwide Salinity Control Program recognizes that wildlife habitat created by willows and cottonwoods along open canals is lost when ditches are put into pipelines. A portion of the funds for each pipeline project are dedicated to wildlife habitat restoration nearby. Since 1998, the UVWUA has spent nearly $2 million for invasive weed control and other improvements to over 190 acres in the Escalante State Wildlife Refuge along the Gun-

nison River just north of Delta. In the North Fork and Crawford areas, besides converting 57 miles of

open ditches into more water-efficient piped delivery systems, the Salinity Control Program has funded $1.4 million

of habitat improvements on over 140 acres, including invasive weed control, construction of wetlands, and planting of native trees and shrubs. These wildlife habitat replacement projects must be on public lands, or private property protected by a conservation easement. All habitat restoration areas are required to be maintained for 50 years. “The original habitat impact was when these ditches began diverting water out of the streams, so I really like to see the habitat replacement work occur along riparian areas,” states Barb Osmundson, the salinity program coordinator for the Fish and Wildlife Service, who is part of a team of biologists responsible for approving these wild-

life habitat projects. Studies currently underway along Surface Creek and the Smith Fork may provide an opportunity for more wildlife habitat restoration to happen along the original water sources. The Western Slope Conservation Center in Paonia is currently overseeing assessment of these riparian areas. A report listing priority areas for wildlife habitat improvement is expected to be completed in December. With over $1 million committed to additional habitat restoration projects in the Lower Gunnison Basin over the next years, we will have the opportunity to make additional improvements benefiting local wildlife along local streams and rivers in the near future.

Big-game survey flights planned for the Uncompahgre Plateau In order to better track the population trends of mule deer and desert bighorn sheep in and around the Uncompahgre Plateau, Colorado Parks and Wildlife will be conducting helicopter flights and trapping in the area starting as early as Dec. 1.The flights aid biologists in surveying biggame herds, and allow efficient trapping and radio-collaring of animals. Trapping work will continue through midJanuary. Near Montrose, the helicopter could be visible to the public because deer are concentrated on winter range areas just south and west of town. By trapping deer across low-elevation winter range, CPW will gather valuable data on how deer move on the Uncompahgre Plateau.

The radio-collars also help biologists understand survival rates for deer. Helicopter flights for deer will also be occurring in Game Management Units 61 and 62 on the west side of the Uncompahgre Plateau. CPW prefers to avoid flying during the late hunting seasons, but flight days are dependent on the weather and when the helicopter is available. Deer trapping and collaring started on the Uncompahgre Plateau in 1997. Each year 60 fawns are captured to monitor over-winter survival. The collars automatically fall off in about eight months. A certain number of does are also captured to maintain 90 active collars for the area. Since the program

started, 1,118 fawns and 1,852 does have been monitored. Fawns have shown an average survival rate of 73 percent; the average survival rate for does has been 83 percent. Flights to trap desert bighorn sheep will occur west of U.S. Highway 50 in the canyon areas between Delta and Grand Junction. CPW hopes to capture five desert bighorns and fit them with radio tracking collars. Only about 160 bighorns inhabit that area. CPW is working with the BLM to monitor desert big horn habitat use in proximity to domestic sheep allotments and recreational activities. Since 2013, CPW has collared 20 desert bighorns in order to monitor their movements. In addition to helicop-

ter capture flights, CPW will also be conducting classification flights to monitor big game populations throughout southwest Colorado. These flights, which usually continue into February, are focused on classifying deer, elk and bighorn sheep by sex and age to monitor overall productivity and health of a population. Most classification flights are not focused on determining a total count of animals; rather they are used to evaluate population trends in herd areas. Classification data, along with survival data and hunter harvest data are used to estimate big game population sizes and help to determine the number of licenses that will be distributed in game management units for the following year.

CHURCH

Delta County Independent

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Enjoy snacks, activities at Senior Connection Calling all seniors! If you’re looking for a new way to get out of the house and enjoy the company of other seniors, the Senior Connection at Delta United Methodist Church is for you. The next gathering is Thurs-

day, Dec. 3, at 1:30 p.m., and will include games, puzzles, conversation and companionship. Refreshments will be served. For more information call the church at 874-9501. Come and see if Senior Connection is for you.

Make your own Christmas cards

Ever want to make your own Christmas cards? Then Delta United Methodist Church has something for you. On Saturday, Dec. 5, 1:303:30, the community is invited to come and make three to four handmade cards to share with your

friends and family. There is no charge but attendees need to bring their own glue or adhesives and colored pencils if they have them. Call to reserve your spot by Friday, Dec. 3. Contact the church office for more information, 874-9501.

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Celebrate the birth of Christ

Come celebrate the birth of Christ in a live nativity performance at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 1000 Pioneer Road, Delta on Saturday, Dec. 19. The ﬁrst performance by Tiny Treasures students will be at 6 p.m., followed by a soup/chili supper. The second performance will be presented by adults and youth at 7 p.m. A freewill offering is requested for the supper.

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Photo by Pat Sunderland

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C6 Wednesday, December 2, 2015

LOCAL NEWS

Delta County Independent

What’s happening at your library? The Delta County Libraries offer many educational and entertaining activities and events for you and your family to enjoy. If you want to know what else your library is offering, please contact the library or visit the Delta County Libraries website at www.delta libraries.org. Check out these programs: Cedaredge Storytime for Babies, Tots and Preschoolers at the Cedaredge Library. Thursdays starting at 10:30 a.m. Parents and tots are invited to participate in a reading time together. Genealogy. Who’s Who in Whoville ... find out who you really are. Friday, Dec. 4, at 10:30 a.m. Teen Scene. Come and make a Christmas gift or two with the other “elves.” Don’t forget to bring a white elephant gift (something you already have) to exchange! Friday, Dec. 4, at 4 p.m. Cedaredge Friends

Meeting. The public is welcome! Thursday, Dec. 10, at 3 p.m. Computer Class. Create a greeting card with Photoshop Elements. Friday, Dec. 11, at 10 a.m. Crafts Group. Crafters meet each Tuesday at 10 a.m. to share ideas and show and tell. Contact the library at 3997674 for details. Tech Soup Saturday. Bring your devices and your questions. Our expert “techies” will do their best to answer your questions. Saturdays, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Crawford Storytime for Babies, Tots and Preschoolers at the Crawford Library. Stories, games, songs, activities and crafts for kids 0-5 and their parents or caretakers. Thursdays starting at 10:30 a.m. Contact the library at 399-7783 for details. Holiday Card Making and Gingerbread Houses. Bring your family to the Crawford Library for some holiday

cheer and fun craft projects! Thursday, Dec. 3, at 1 p.m. Holiday Card Making. Get inspired for the holidays! Jan Ryan will provide tips and supplies to make exceptional holiday cards this season. Friday, Dec. 4, at 1 p.m. Computer Tutor. Librarians will be available to help you with questions and problems about computers or mobile devices. Just drop in during regular library hours or call ahead for a specific time. Contact the library at 399-7783 for details. Delta Storytimes. Storytimes for babies, tots and preschoolers are Wednesdays starting at 10:30 a.m. Free Heart Health Screenings. Free heart health screenings are being offered at the Delta Library every Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Decorate a Gingerbread House. Come and decorate your very own gingerbread house. Par-

ticipants are invited to enter their creations into the gingerbread contest or take them home to enjoy. This event is free and all supplies will be provided, but signup is required. All ages are welcome, but children under 8 should be accompanied by an adult. For more information call the Hotchkiss Library at 399-7781. Thursday, Dec. 3, at 4 p.m. Friends of the Delta Library Meeting. Public is welcome and encouraged to attend. Wednesday, Dec. 9, at 5:30 p.m. Reading - The Night Before Christmas. Delta’s own Felicia Sabartinelli reads from the humorous collection of “The Night Before Christmas” books. Saturday, Dec. 12, at 1:30 p.m. Duct Tape Creation Station. Procrastinating on gifts this year? Come get crafty at our duct tape creation station. Supplies and project ideas provided. The creation station will be located in the teen area of the Delta Library Dec. 14-23. Come in any time to make a unique gift for yourself or someone special in your life! Talk & Tangle Yarn. This is a group of knit and crochet enthusiasts who get together to talk and work on their individual projects. Anyone is welcome to join. Mondays starting at 5:30 p.m. Tech Talk. Bring in your devices and get help from our tech-savvy staff! Every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. Call the library to find out about this week’s class at 874-9630. Hotchkiss Storytimes. Baby,

tot and preschooler storytimes are Wednesdays starting at 10:30 a.m. Join us for stories, activities and crafts downstairs. Contact the library at 399-7781 for details. Knitting Group. Do you knit or crochet? Join us for ideas, help and good company. Anyone is welcome to join. Call the Hotchkiss Library to get more information on this group. Wednesdays at 4 p.m. Decorate a Gingerbread House. Come and decorate your very own gingerbread house. Participants are invited to enter their creations into the gingerbread contest or take them home to enjoy. This event is free and all supplies will be provided, but signup is required. All ages are welcome, but children under 8 should be accompanied by an adult. Thursday, Dec. 3, at 4 p.m. Hotchkiss Gingerbead Contest. Participants are invited to enter their gingerbread house creations into the gingerbread contest. Categories: children, family, adult entries. Deliver entries to the Hotchkiss Library any time during the first week of December. All entries must be submitted by Thursday Dec. 3, at 5 p.m. Open to the public Dec. 7-17. Winners will be announced Dec. 21. Entries need to be picked up by Dec. 30. Tech Help. Librarians will be available to help you with questions and problems about computers or mobile devices. Tuesday–Thursday by appointment. Contact the

library at 399-7781 for details. Paonia Storytimes. Baby, tot and preschooler storytimes are Tuesdays starting at 10:30 a.m. Contact Paonia Library at 3997881 for information. Holiday Coloring Contest. For all ages. Pick up your age group coloring pages at the Paonia Library, Blue Sage or Paonia Farm and Home Store. Contest runs from Nov. 23-Dec. 5 at 2 p.m. when library closes. The winners in each age group get to pick out a new book up to $25 value. Holiday Book Sale. The Friends of the Paonia Library will have a wonderful selection of gently used materials available for purchase. Stock up on winter reading material, find some great gifts, and have fun with the friends! Friday, Dec. 4, at 1 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 5, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Holiday Puppet Show. Join the Paonia Library Puppeteers for another delightful puppet show the whole family can enjoy. Shows will take place at 11 and 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 5. Movie for Grownups. Paonia Library presents a movie for grownups, about the world’s first consulting detective. Garnering great reviews, Ian McKellan stars as Sherlock in his later years (struggling with early dementia but still possessing most of that remarkable mind), with Laura Linney as his housekeeper. Tuesday, Dec. 8, at 6 p.m.

Use these tips from LEAP to save on home heating costs

The holidays can be tough on a family’s budget. Gifts and festivities cost a lot, and higher monthly heating bills pile on. This winter Colorado’s Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) wants to encourage all of the state’s residents to make small changes in energy-usage habits so they can save on their home heating costs. LEAP is a 100-percent federally funded program administered by the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) that provides cash assistance to help Coloradans pay a portion of winter home heating costs. The program pays the highest benefits to those with the highest heating bills and lowest incomes by family size. Applicant income cannot exceed 165 percent of the federal poverty level, which equates to $3,334 per month for a family of four. This year’s average LEAP benefit is expected to be $370 per household. “Home heating is crucial for Colorado families, but there’s no denying that it’s expensive,” LEAP manager Aggie Berens said. “Every family can follow a few small steps to reduce their home heating costs without greatly impacting their day-today lives.” There are many free

ways to save money on energy bills this winter. These include: • turning down the thermostat at night or when you’re not home; • opening blinds and curtains to take advantage of Colorado’s purported 300 days of annual sunshine; • lowering the hot water heater’s temperature to 120 degrees; • closing the fireplace damper when not in use; • checking the furnace filter monthly for cleanliness; and • ensuring that furnace ducts are unobstructed. LEAP-eligible households may also qualify for Colorado’s Crisis Intervention Program or Weatherization Program to help with heatingsource repair and efficiency. LEAP applicants must be responsible for pay-

ing heating costs directly to an energy provider or fuel dealer, or as part of their rent; and be permanent legal residents of the United States and Colorado, or have household members who are U.S. citizens. Colorado also offers a rebate of property tax, rent, and heat expenses to low-income seniors and individuals with disabilities. Please visit the Colorado Department of Revenue’s website at https:// www.colorado.gov/pacific/ tax/property-tax-rentheat-credit-ptc-rebate-file for more information. To find out if you qualify for LEAP, call toll-free at 1-866-HEAT-HELP (1-866-432-8435) or visit http://www.colorado. gov/cdhs/leap to view the current program application requirements. Applications will be accepted until April 30.

Lavender fair and festival The Lavender Association of Western Colorado, which has several members in Delta County, will host its Christmas Fair and Festival on Saturday, Dec. 5, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Redlands Community Center, 2463

Broadway, Grand Junction. Celebrate the holidays and experience lavender through displays, cooking demonstrations, seminars and lavender hot chocolate. There is no admission charge.

SPORTS

Delta County Independent

SPORTS December 2, 2015

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

www.deltacountyindependent.com

Eagles blanked in second half

Paonia’s title hopes dashed BY ERIC GOOLD DCI Sports Writer

For the first time in three years, the Eagles came up just short. Buena Vista shut out the Eagles in the second half of the 1A state championship football game and prevented Paonia from winning its third consecutive title after the Demons won 27-20 last Saturday in Buena Vista. In a rematch of last year’s state title game, Buena Vista (13-0) put all the pieces together and found a way to contain Player of the Year Taylor Walters. The Demons won state after finishing as runner up in two of the past three seasons. “It feels really good,” said Buena Vista coach Matt Flavin. “These guys have worked really hard. They all deserve it, and not just for the team we have right now, but this is for all the other ones that came so close. We’re bringing it back home to BV.” It was a tale of two halves as Paonia started the game determined to achieve the coveted 3peat. Senior Jeramiah Hillman took the opening kickoff back for what looked like a touchdown, but a blocking in the back penalty set up the Eagles inside the Demons’ 20yard line. The Eagles (11-2) ran a six-play drive that ended with Walters tossing a 6-yard touchdown to Dagan Rienks, who stretched out to his full height and pulled the ball down while just staying in bounds for the score. Colby Simpson booted the extra point and the two-time defending

champions took an early 7-0 lead. Both teams traded possessions that ended after being stopped on fourth down running plays. Then Buena Vista put together a long drive featuring a screen pass to Cooper Eggleston and several runs by quarterback Keegan Wentz, who ran for a 4-yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter. Wentz was as good as advertised, finishing with a game-high 153 rushing yards and several times almost single-handedly keeping the Demons in the game.

After Ty Koch tied the game with his extra point, Paonia reclaimed the lead, 14-7, less than two minutes later. Hillman galloped 61 yards for a touchdown, bursting through the line and splitting the Demons’ defense right up the middle. Paonia’s offense got the ball right back as the ensuing Buena Vista drive was stopped on three plays and a punt. The Eagles mounted a 56-yard drive that ended when Walters barreled four yards into the end zone and Paonia took a 20-7 lead after a nearly perfect first half.

After that it was all Demons. Flavin said that a halftime pep talk about last year’s loss in the title game got Buena Vista’s players motivated to dominate the second half. “I think our guys just refocused and rallied around each other,” Flavin said. “We started getting a little tired and got in that slump like we did last year. We kind of reminded them of that and then our guys just battled in the second half. Every single one of them stepped up and played hard.” Paonia only got the ball

a 6-yard touchdown run as the home team cut Paonia’s lead to 20-14. Paonia’s first possession of the second half saw the Eagles string together several plays before Walters was stopped by Josh Yates, a senior cornerback who made a couple of key tackles in the second half for the Demons. Buena Vista got the ball back and chewed several minutes off the clock before Wentz connected with Yates on a 6-yard slant for a touchdown. Koch’s kick put the Demons ahead for good 21-20 with 9:29 left in the contest. The Eagles answered by driving right down the field and setting up a fourth-and-inches play from the Demons’ 16. Walters and Jaden Miller misplayed the exchange on a handoff, however, and Paonia was stymied. “Just a good high school ballgame,” McRae said. “Their kids made plays and we didn’t. Most of the time we just hurt ourselves, but they kind of put us in a position to do that so you got to give credit to the other side.” Paonia’s defense rallied one last time and got the ball back for the offense. On their own 30 with 1:57 left, the Eagles succumbed to Buena Vista’s constant pass rush, and Walters was sacked twice for big losses. On third down, Walters was hit as he attempted a deep throw, and Wentz intercepted the ball and returned it for a 45-yard Photo by Eric Goold touchdown, providing the Paonia junior Dagan Rienks reaches for the skies, and the ball, in the ﬁrst quarter against Buena Vista. final margin and handing He caught Taylor Walters’ pass for the ﬁrst touchdown of the game, but the Eagles would go on to fall Paonia its third loss in three seasons. just short of their quest for a third straight state championship. three times in the second half and couldn’t get its potent ground game going against a hard-hitting Demons defense. “That’s what we wanted. We wanted a game with only a few drives for both sides,” Paonia coach Brent McRae said. “But when we got the ball, we didn’t execute and when they got the ball, they did. And that’s why they won.” Buena Vista recovered a squib kick to open the second half with great field position on the 48. Wentz started the drive with a 19-yard scamper and then finished it with

Panthers beat themselves BY WAYNE CRICK DCI Sports Editor

Turnovers dictated last Saturday’s Class 3A semifinal football game outcome between Delta’s Panthers and the Roosevelt Roughriders in Johnstown. A promising beginning for Delta turned into a 30-23 loss which eliminated the Panthers from this year’s 2015 state football championships. Delta opened the game with a first-possession drive that covered 58 yards in just four plays for a 7-0 lead with 10:37 left in the first period. A.B. Ontiveros took

the opening kickoff from near the Panthers’ goal line and returned it to Delta’s 42-yard line. Jonny Ponce, Class 3A runner-up in rushing, snapped off a 14-yard gain to Roosevelt’s 44. His next run was for just 1 yard to the 43. From there, Kole Roberts and Beau Byers hooked up for a 43-yard touchdown. With Ontiveros’ extrapoint kick, the Panthers silenced the home crowd with a 7-0 lead. The Roughriders had the ensuing kickoff, that looked like a touchdown, called back on a holding penalty, placing the ball

on their own 11-yard line to begin play. Roosevelt picked up one of its 16 first downs of the day with quarterback Cameron Hurtado scurrying for 22 yards. Delta’s defense took advantage of the situation and held the Roughriders to three more plays and a punt. Neither team was effective on their next possessions. On the first play of Delta’s third possession, a pass to Beau Byers was caught and then fumbled following a hard hit. Roosevelt recovered the ball at Delta’s 37 to begin its third possession.

Photo by Wayne Crick

Delta captains Kory Mills, Jonny Ponce, Tristan Brown and Stephen Davignon look on as the coin toss is completed. The Panthers won the toss and elected to receive the ball ﬁrst. Delta took little time scoring with Beau Byers hauling in a 43-yard scoring strike from Kole Roberts with 10:37 left in the opening period. A.B. Ontiveros kicked the extra point, giving Delta an early 7-0 lead.

Big Christian Maijszak started the drive with a 27-yard run to Delta’s 10. From there, runs of 7 and 3 yards by Hurtado got the Roughriders on the board. Kevin Vargas’ try for point sailed wide right, leaving Delta on top, 7-6, with 5:23 left on the first-period clock. Roosevelt forced the Panthers to punt near the end of the first period and began a drive from its own 49-yard line. Play began on Delta’s 15 to begin the second quarter. Hurtado ran for 41 yards in the drive and capped a 13-play effort with a 10-yard plunge with 10:46 left in the sec-

ond frame. A try for two points failed, leaving the score at 12-7. Delta moved the ball on its next possession with runs from Ponce and Byers’ catches of 10 and 8 yards. Back-toback penalties, one each for both teams, left the ball at Roosevelt’s 40yard line. Roberts’ next pass attempt was picked off by Olando Rivera and returned to the Roughriders’ 26-yard line. The Panthers’ defense held and forced Roosevelt to punt the ball back to them, where Delta’s offense began its next series from its own 28. Delta used 10 running plays, and a 12-yard pass

to Byers, to get the ball to Roosevelt’s 6-yard line. Rivera read Roberts’ eyes and was able to intercept his (Rivera’s) second pass of the game and race down the right sideline to Delta’s 25yard line. With 4.4 seconds left in first-half play, Vargas drilled a 42yard field goal, putting the Roughriders on top, 15-7, at halftime. Third-quarter play began with Roosevelt getting the ball. A good return was again negated on a big penalty, pushing the ball back to the Roughrider 20-yard line. On the first play of the possession, Hurtado PANTHERS TO C8

Photo by Wayne Crick

Delta’s Jonny Ponce follows the blocking of his offensive line and reels off a big gain against number two Roosevelt in last weekend’s 3A state football playoffs. Delta spotted the Roughriders a lead by committing ﬁve turnovers before making a game of it late. Delta, 11-2, ended its season and Roosevelt, 12-1, plays Saturday at No. 1 — and 12-1 — Pueblo East, for the 3A title.

C8 Wednesday, December 2, 2015

SPORTS

Delta County Independent

PHS seniors’ legacy not lost BY ERIC GOOLD DCI Sports Writer

There were plenty of tears to go around for the Paonia Eagles after they lost 27-20 to Buena Vista in the 1A state championship game last Saturday in Buena Vista. Paonia attempted to become the 20th high school team in Colorado history to win three state titles in a row. While the Eagles fell short and it

hurt bad after the game, all the players knew they had a lot to be proud of. “All I can do is tell them how much I love them. It’s gonna hurt. It will hurt for a few days, but they’ll bounce back,” Paonia coach Brent McRae said. “I’m just so proud of them. Hopefully we’ll look back on these past three years and know we did a good job, but right now it’s hard

to say.” The loss was particularly painful for Taylor Walters. The senior quarterback completed his Paonia career with 125 touchdowns, fourth alltime in Colorado history. He is the seventh leading rusher of all time with 6,658 yards. “It’s kind of sinking in,” Walters said. “It’s upsetting because these are my friends, my best friends, and I’ll always love them and it just hurts to go out and lose the last one with them.” In a rematch of last year’s state title game, Buena Vista used four down linemen and a swarming secondary to stop Paonia’s vaunted

rushing attack. “They knew our defense and offense better, and they knew how to stop all of our key plays,” Walters said. “And they were really physical this year.” On at least four different running plays in the game, Walters was gangtackled by what seemed like the entire Demons defense as the home team focused on stopping the Player of the Year. Walters finished with 78 rushing yards in the game. After jumping out to a 20-7 lead at halftime, the Eagles were not prepared for the Demons’ dominant second half. “They came out more

fired up than us, and I think we kind of let down a little bit and thought we had it won,” Walters said. “Then they just started scoring on us.” Fellow senior and best friend Jeramiah Hillman led the Eagles with 149 rushing yards in the game. Walters and Hillman started playing together as early as the second grade. Trevor Plymale, Willy Darling, Austin Katzer and Tyler Dennison were the other Paonia seniors playing in their final prep game. “Taylor’s a blast to coach. He’s a very humble kid. All of them are. All of our kids are so humble, and they play so hard. They all love each other

so much and Taylor’s a big part of that and so are all of the seniors,” McRae said. “Hillman and Darling, and Katzer coming on this year. Dennison is another senior who did a hell of a job, and Trevor Plymale came out and was physical today. They all just really helped the program move along.” The sting of defeat was softened by the knowledge that these seniors left a lasting legacy on future generations of Eagles. “It makes me feel like I left a legacy for this school and that my class did, too,” Walters said. “Hopefully they’ll follow in our footsteps and make it back here on this field again next year.”

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Photo by Eric Goold

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Taylor Walters pitches to fellow senior Jeramiah Hillman during the ﬁrst quarter of the 1A state championship football game played last Saturday in Buena Vista. Josh Yates (8) tackled Walters on the play.

Panthers

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Photo by Eric Goold

Taylor Walters is surrounded by Demons as Keegan Wentz (4), Sabyn Diamond (59) and Keenan Barr (2) converge to help make the tackle. Walters was held to 78 yards and a touchdown against Buena Vista, whose defense led the team to the 1A state title.

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FIRST COLORADO NATIONAL BANK

BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT December 3, 4 and 5 at Delta High School and Paonia High School

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Come show your support of our area basketball teams.

Photo by Wayne Crick

Delta’s A.B. Ontiveros watches the ball approach on the game’s opening kickoff. A good return set up Delta’s ﬁrst score.

FCNB hoops on Dec. 3-5 The 2015 First Colorado National Bank Tournament will begin play Thursday, Dec. 3, at two locations, Delta and Paonia. Teams playing in Delta include Delta, Olathe, Cedaredge, Hotchkiss and Coal Ridge. Teams playing in Paonia include Paonia, Hotchkiss, Norwood, Montrose J.V., Olathe and Coal Ridge. See the adjacent chart for times and opponents each day. Only CHSAA passes will be accepted, with ticket prices set at $6 for adults and $3 for students. There will be a 10-minute warm up before games with the next game being played as soon as the previous game is finished. Delta and Paonia will always be home and wear white uniforms.

CONTINUED FROM C7 coughed up the ball and was recovered by Delta at the 25. After a 14-yard run by Ponce, the Panthers’ offense stalled, setting up a 25-yard field goal by Ontiveros with 9:32 left in the third period. Delta’s deficit closed to five at 15-10. Roosevelt used a potent running game to grind out 70 yards on six plays to score its next touchdown. Hurtado was good for 28 yards on three runs and Austin Smith scooted for 15, following a penalty, to Delta’s 20. Carlos Ortega, a diminutive scatback, broke off an outside play to run straight up the middle for the final 20 yards. After the PAT, Roosevelt held a 22-10 lead with 7:33 left in the third period. Delta, beginning from its own 20, put together another promising drive that provided 44 yards that eventually placed the ball at Roosevelt’s 31. Roosevelt’s biggest weapon of the day, Rivera, was there again to stop Delta’s drive with his third interception, with a return that set the Roughriders up at their own 40 to begin their next possession. This time, however, Delta’s defense was solid and forced the Roughriders to turn the ball over on downs at the 39-yard line of Delta early in the fourth quarter. From there, the Panthers used seven plays to cover the needed 61 yards for another score. Byers caught a 19-yard scoring strike from Roberts to cut Roosevelt’s lead to 22-17 following Ontiveros’ extra point kick. With 8:36 left in the game, Delta needed the ball back quickly. Delta’s defense did its job when the Roughriders started on Roosevelt’s 20. Unfortunately, the punt, which would have given Delta a great chance to take the lead, hit a Delta defensive player and was recovered by a Roosevelt defender at Delta’s 46. Roosevelt capitalized on Delta’s misfortune to score on a 15-yard run by Maijszak with 2:39 left in the game. This time, a

two-point run was good, making the score 30-17. Delta’s final drive included six penalties, 18 plays an untimed down to move the ball 80 yards, and the game’s final six points. A defensive penalty against Roosevelt extended the game one play with no time showing on the game clock. Delta called time out to discuss options and came up with a handoff to Ponce who ran to his right and then pulled up to throw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Tristan Brown. With the game out of reach by more than one point, the PAT was not allowed, leaving the final score 30-23. Delta coach Ben Johnson made no accusations as to blame for Saturday’s loss. In talking about his team’s final game of 2015, Johnson had some disappointments that determined the final outcome. “There were a few disappointments that stood out. I felt we were in it all the way but mistakes went their way. The first one was when we had the ball at the 5 ready to score and they get a pick and return the ball to their own 25-yard line. From there they kicked a field goal with 4.4 seconds left before half.” Johnson knows his play selection was hurried and maybe not the most appropriate one to call. “It was just before halftime and we were out of timeouts on that play.” One of the key disappointments came in second-half play following a touchdown that brought the Panthers to 22-17 with 5:32 left in the game. “We needed a stand and got just what we wanted to force a punt. Unfortunately, the ball hit our defender and Roosevelt recovered the ball. They scored after recovering the ball and it seemed we lost some of the umph we had previously.” “Our kids have been really good all year under pressure games where we were behind, especially games with Central and Palisade where we came back to win,” noted Johnson. Johnson summed up

the loss with, “We hindered ourselves more than anything else did.” It’s tough to single out players who contributed the most, but Johnson mentioned the play of some of the Panthers who have been so strong all season long. “Byers had a fabulous game for us. He went up between three defenders and caught the ball.” Johnson praised the play of his senior group, with just 10 on the roster, to provide leadership. “Players like Kory Mills who was the vocal defensive leader for Delta while Ponce was more quiet but led by example. The play of Stephen Davignon was exceptional as his smaller build belied what he brought to each game. “In all, a great season for us,” stated Johnson. Statistically, the Panthers had one of their better seasons, finishing with an 11-2 record and the number four ranking in Class 3A football. Competition becomes fierce with the state’s best teams playing for supremacy. Delta’s Panthers have proven they are definitely in that classification. Ponce finished as the 3A runner-up in rushing yardage with 1621 after missing two games this year. What if? Fort Morgan’s Tate Kembel ended the year with 1707 to finish first. Junior Beau Byers was ninth in receiving in Class 3A with 880 yards and an 80 yard per game average. Each reception for Byers equated to a 16.6 reception average and he finished with seven touchdowns. Roberts, a junior, was seventh in passing with 1915 yards. That was good for an average of 174 yards a game with 11 touchdowns and a quarterback rating of 112.6. Brown was 12th in tackles for the season with 135 (62 solo and 73 assists). Sophomore Cameron Schall finished eighth in interceptions with five. The Panthers are young, with plenty of talent returning for next year’s run at a state title.

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SILENT AUCTION & Event: Habitat for Humanity of Delta County is having its annual Gingerbread House Event 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. on Dec.. 5th at Cedaredge Community Center. The Silent Auction will be at the site and available online until 3:30. Bid now online at www.charityauctionorga nizer.com/auction/habitat fordelta For tickets to the event, call (970) 216-5068 or Cedaredge Land Company at (970) 856-3173. (1x48) WANT TO MAKE A QUICK sale, advertise in the Delta County Independent's Classifieds. Call 874-4421

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D2 Wednesday, December 2, 2015 HELP WANTED MEMBERSHIP/UNDERwriting Services Manager. Your local community radio station KVNF is looking for a Membership/Underwriting Services Manager. This is a part-time hourly position (28hrs/wk) requiring strong computer, communication and organizational skills along with the ability to work effectively on your own. Training will be provided for specialist software but learning the software is a critical component for the successful candidate. A love of community radio and desktop publishing experience a plus. Responsibilities include but are not limited to: Maintaining the membership database using Allegiance Membership Software. Working with the General Manager to plan and implement membership recruitment and retention strategies. Being part of the on-air fund-raising coordination team. Maintaining underwriting records including scheduling, billing and reconciling using Natural Logs Software. Producing reports using Allegiance, Natural Logs, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word. Representing KVNF both internally and externally. To apply, send a resume, list of three references and cover letter to jon@kvnf. org by close of business on December 15, 2015. KVNF is an Equal Opportunity Employer. (1x48)

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PUBLIC SERVICE IF YOU LOVE BOOKS, you will love the Downstairs Bookstore in the basement of the Delta Public Library. NARCOTICS ANONYmous meets at 9th and Palmer, Delta, Mondays and Fridays at 8 p.m. (tfnx5)

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To place a 25-word COSCAN Network ad in 83 Colorado newspapers for only $350, contact your local newspaper or call SYNC2 Media at 303-571-5117. HELP WANTED UNITED QUALITY COOPERATIVE at Parshall / New Town ND is seeking a qualiﬁed CEO / General Manager. This is a multi-location energy, grain, agronomy, and farm retail cooperative with sales of $350 million. Business degree and or successful agricultural business management experience desired. To Apply: http://tinyurl.com/o3yxchx - For more info contact Larry Fuller, 701-220-9775 or Email larry.fuller@chsinc.com SYNC2 MEDIA Buy a 25-word statewide classiﬁed line ad in newspapers across the state of Colorado for just $350 per week. Ask about our Frequency Discounts. Contact this newspaper or call SYNC2 Media, 303-571-5117

PUBLIC SERVICE THE DELTA COUNTY Independent runs these items as a public service free of charge for non-profit organizations, if no fees are charged. However, each group is asked to please keep them current by calling 874-4421. HOSPITAL VOLUNTEERS Wanted! Delta County Memorial Hospital needs hospital volunteers. Days and hours are flexible. There are currently openings in the ER, Oncology, Gift Shop and some additional areas. If you are interested, please contact Volunteer Coordinator, Joyce Picard at (970) 874-3841 for an application. (4x27) WOMEN ONLY AA MEETings, Delta. Wednesdays, 5:00 p.m., closed (Alcoholics only) at Friends of Bill W. Club, 897 Palmer. Saturdays, 11:00 a.m., open (others may attend) at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 5th & Palmer (back door). (tfnx3) FREE DIAPERS FOR UP to one year! Pregnant women in Delta County can now get help to quit smoking and get something they can really use after their baby arrives — free diapers. Healthy moms have healthy babies. Enroll in the Baby & Me Tobacco Free program today. Contact the Delta County Health Department at 874-2165 or your local physician. (TFNx2) SUPPORT THE DELTA Public Library. Give a gently used book in the Downstairs Book Store. SELLING YOUR HOUSE? Advertise it in the DCI Classifieds. 874-4421.

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PAONIA AMERICAN Legion runs a year round non-perishable emergency food pantry. This is for the North Fork area. For information, call 527-6252. (tfx49)

SAVE EYEGLASSES, OLD jewelry and silver or bits of BECAWS! DONATIONS gold and silver scraps. The needed. Credit cards Grand Odd Fellow Lodge is accepted. Call 970-527- sending them to: New Eyes 3350, or visit cawsonline. for the Needy, 549 Millburn org. Delta County Citizens Ave., Short Hills, NJ 07078 for Animal Welfare and or send them to: Gale Shelter (CAWS) Conger, Secretary of IOOF DELTA FOOD PANTRY Lodge #116, 544 St. Hwy. needs meals for Delta 548, Delta, CO 81416. families who are temporar- THE AMERICAN RED ily in need. Donations of Cross needs you. Become non-perishable food may one of the Red Cross volbe brought to 628 Meeker. unteers who says, “We’ll Be (tfx36) There, Because Help Can’t HELP!!! KEEP THE Wait!” Call your local Red animal population under Cross Chapter at 970-242control, and SAVE an ani- 4851 or 1-800-HELP NOW mal's life. Adopt your new for information on the difcat or dog from the Delta ference you can make in County Humane Society. someone’s life as a disaster Adoption fee is minimal. volunteer. ((TFNx4)) Call 874-2149. (DCHS) DELTA HAS A BOOKTHERE IS A VFW MEETING store in the basement of on the first Monday of each the library featuring gently month. At 6 p.m. there is a used books and magazines. potluck and the meeting is at Come check it out! 7 p.m. at the IOOF Hall, 860 UNEMPLOYED? JOIN Hwy 92, Delta. For further others for a time of netinformation, call 874-8172 working, encouragement, Jim Baker, Quartermaster. and skill improvement. (tfx12) Latent Resources meets BECAWS! ADOPT A DOG the first Thursday of each or cat today. Call 970-527- month at 6:30 at the Delta 3350, or visit cawsonline. United Methodist Church org. Delta County Citizens (5th & Meeker). Attendants for Animal Welfare and and visitors are encouraged to dress professionally Shelter (CAWS) and bring a note pad and CHAPTER, UNITS OF DAV a willingness to learn and regular meetings on the be challenged. Find us on second Monday of each facebook.com & twitter.com month at 7 p.m. at the - search "Latent Resources", Veterans Building, 15th & or call James at 970-901Howard, Delta. For further 9463. information, call Paul Carter HEALTHY BABIES START 874-5150. (tfx19) with early prenatal care. ARE YOU NEW TO THE Delta County Health Delta area? Stop by the Department. Offers access Delta Area Chamber of to immediate, temporary Commerce at 301 Main St. Medicaid for pregnant for you FREE Welcome Bag, women who qualify. 874filled with goodies, sam- 2165. (tfx25) ples, discounts and community information, courtesy BOOKS MAKE GREAT of Chamber members and stocking stuffers. Find sponsored by Kim Guthrie- books at great prices in the basement of the Delta Burch of Re/Max Today. Public Library. YOU HAVE THE POWER TO DISCOUNT change a child's life! BECAWS! Children are waiting for spay and neuter coupons senior partners in Delta available. Call 970-527County right now! Can you 3350, or visit cawsonline. spare 3 hours a week? We org. Delta County Citizens need your help! Call today for Animal Welfare and for more information. Please Shelter (CAWS) volunteer to spend time with FARM WORKER HEALTH a child in our community. Services: We offer assisPartners of Delta, Montrose tance with medical, dental and Ouray, 874-4661, www. and medicines. If you work partners-west.org. or www. in agriculture you may deltayouth@montrose.net. qualify for our services. For (tfx13) more information call 3230538. (tfx12)

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SERVICIOS DE SALUD PARENTS — FREE De Campesinos: Ofrecemos information and referrals ayuda con doctores, dentis- for licensed child care protas, y medicinas. Si trabajas viders. Call Bright Futures en agricultura puedes califi- Child Care Resource & car para nuestros servicios. Referral at 877-728-5613. Para mas informacion llame (TFNx1) al 323-0538. (tfx12) BECAWS! VOLUNTEERS THINK YOU'RE PREG- needed. Call 970-527-3350, nant? Abused? Need help? or visit cawsonline.org. The Pregnancy Resource Delta County Citizens for Center in Delta offers free Animal Welfare and Shelter service, support and advice (CAWS) to all teenagers and women in crisis pregnancy situa- PLEASE HELP! VOLUNtions. For Christian help, teers needed to help get new animal shelter in Delta anytime, call 874-5733. off the ground. We need YOU CAN QUIT. WE CAN temporary or long term help. Colorado Tobacco foster homes, foot soldiers, Quitline offers free, confi- light research, paperwork dential assistance. Call 1- and phone people. Many 800-QUIT-NOW. (TFNx28). hands make light work. Thank you! Another Chance FAMILIES BELIEVING Critter Haven. 874-9011. in families: Tandem Families is an innovative, DEDUCT IT FROM YOUR private non-profit mentor- taxes! Donations of: pet ing program providing ser- food, old blankets, towvices for at-risk children of els, kennels, carriers, pet Delta and Mont-rose coun- beds or dishes, and money ties. Anyone interested in always appreciated. Another volunteering their services Chance Critter Haven. 874or donating usable items 9011. 501 (c) (3) should call 874-3000 or 252JOIN FORCES WITH US! 7445. (TFNx8) Animal lovers rescue THE AMERICAN LEGION groups, shelters: let's band Post 97 Paonia is seeking together and get a countythe names and addresses of wide shelter built! We all persons currently serv- are here for the animals. ing on active duty in the Another Chance Critter military from the North Fork Haven. 874-9011. Valley in order to contact DOG/CAT them and show our sup- BECAWS! port. Send addresses to foster families needed. Call American Legion Post 97, 970-527-3350, or visit cawPO Box 277, Paonia, CO sonline.org. Delta County Citizens for Animal Welfare 81428 or call 527-6552. and Shelter (CAWS) PARENTS FREE! INFORMation and referrals to COLORADO QUITLINE IS licensed child care provid- a free, confidential teleers, call Bright Futures Child phone coaching service Care Resource and Referral, for anyone calling from a Colorado area code. With 1-877-728-5613. (TFNx4) QuitLine, tobacco users can SUPPORT THE DELTA receive free supplies of the Public Library. Give a gently nicotine patch as they work used book in the Downstairs with trained coaches who Book Store. create a personalized quit plan just for them. To conFOSTER GRANDPARENT tact the QuitLine, call 1-800Program enriches the lives QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) of senior volunteers while or visit www.coquitline.org. improving the education of children with special needs. BECAWS! DO YOU HAVE Volunteers, 55 and older, an animal rescue sucneeded to assist in class cess story to share? Call rooms tutoring and mentor- 970-527-3350, or email ing children. Low-income rescuemagazine@gmail. volunteers may qualify for com. Delta County Citizens a stipend. Teachers in Delta for Animal Welfare and area class rooms request Shelter (CAWS) "Grandparents" to come in and work with students THE DELTA COUNTY who need the extra help to Democratic Party invites achieve their best. For infor- you to visit their Facebook mation on how you can use page for announcements, your talents to help kids call information and intelligent discussion of issues. You Tanya at 263-9091. (tfx7) are not alone! Contact NEW ADDRESS? PLEASE www.facebook.com/pages/ notify the Delta County CO-Delta-County-Democrat Independent 10 days prior s/109082339170167 to moving. PO Box 809, Delta, CO 81416 or 970-874- YOUR LISTING HERE! call now... 874-4421 4421.

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Delta County Independent

B A C K P Family ties bind A Paonia’s sports heritage G E

Photos by Eric Goold

George and Kathy Meader show their school pride in front of their home on Delta Avenue in Paonia. Kathy was in junior high school in 1959 when Paonia won the Class 1A state championship and she has rooted for Taylor Walters, her grandson, as well as many other Walters athletes over the years.

BY ERIC GOOLD

Staff Writer

ere on the Western Slope of the Rockies in Colorado, you can tell the history of a town through the history of its prep sports teams. In 1902, the town of Paonia was founded by Samuel Wade. Like many of the pioneers who forged a new way of life here in the North Fork Valley, he was a veteran of the Civil War and was a man who was cut out of a different cloth than most of us. Wade fought Indians during the Civil War and was an architect and a fruit grower. He was with the original party, led by Enos Hotchkiss, that went over the Black Mesa and found its way to the North Fork Valley. Among the first settlers of the Paonia area in the winter of 1881 were Wade, his brothers Ezra and George Wade, the itinerant preacher William Clark, Joe Brown, Sam Angevine, Albert Goodenow and E.W. Quakenbush, who was said to have gone crazy after a winter alone talking with animals and what he called, “All the ghosts in the Valley.” On Nov. 1, 1923, we got the first glimpse of what Paonia could be when coach Dan Lawrence and the Paonia High School football team demolished Delta by a score of 45 to 0. Lawrence was a science teacher at Paonia High School. If there is anyone who began the lineage of fine football coaches and teams in our history, it is Lawrence. On Sept. 2, 1926, Lawrence told the Paonian, the local newspaper at the time, that he expected the Eagles to be a good football team for the season. He was proven correct when Paonia defeated Cedaredge 620 on October 7 of that year. 1926 turned out to be an unusual, epic year for Paonia football. The Western Slope Conference played out to a threeway tie between Paonia, Delta and Grand Junction. Each team played two full quarters against each of the others, making a complete game for each team, with 15-minute intermissions. A special train took fans to Grand Junction on Dec. 3, where the tangle was ironed out. Fans bought roundtrip train tickets to Grand Junction from Paonia for $2.50. Tickets to the game were 75 cents. Paonia fans were not disappointed. In the first game, Grand Junction beat Delta 320. The second game resulted in a Paonia 6-0 triumph over Grand Junction. And in the third and final game, Paonia beat Delta 13-0. Paonia was the champion. The 1926 Paonia championship team was comprised of Paul Hofer, Clayton Cox, Bob Clements, Phil Rule, Bill McMichael, Kenneth Grove, Ray Parks, Don Dickson, Alfred Bennett, Jim Haley, Glen Allison, Kenneth Carnine and Claude Snook. In 1929, Lawrence took a position as science teacher and assistant coach at Loveland High School. Then after selling insurance for several years in Delta he was appointed in 1942 as director of athletics and football coach at Pueblo Junior College. On Nov. 12, 1936, the football field was dedicated in his

Taylor Walters with his parents Jeff and Nicole Walters. Taylor is a direct descendant of Paonia town founder Samuel Wade and the senior takes pride in representing his town and his school. “My family was among the ﬁrst ones here, so I’m really proud to represent my home,” Taylor said. honor. The proper name for the Eagles’ home territory is the Dan Lawrence Field at Paonia Town Park. The next time football becomes a driving force in Paonia occurs in early December 1959. The Eagles won their first state championship after beating Windsor 7-0 to claim the 1A crown. The celebration caravan began somewhere around Midway, where something like 300 cars were lined up to welcome home the victorious Eagles. Car horns and shouts greeted the players as the team bus was escorted all the way to Grand Avenue and then to the high school. The Paonian described the game this way: “After a somewhat shaky first half, Coach Granville King’s charges came back on the field with a roar and later in the third period pushed the ball by sheer weight and determination to the Windsor one, from where the staunch Paonia line opened a slight gap thru which fullback Gary Schroeder was able to bull his way to paydirt. Placekick artist Danny Cholas sent the ball right thru the center of the uprights for point number 7.” One of the finest offensive backfields in the state propelled the Eagles to the win. Schroeder, Kinky Stratton and Danny Cholas ran the ball behind the expert signal calling of quarterback Bob Sunich. The Eagles front line sparkled with the play of Bob Shaeffer, Johnny Mraule, Bob Holt, Harry Taylor, Ray Wardlaw, Dubbie Schroeder, Cliff Davis, Bill Wiening, Bob Wood, Dennis Richards, Albert Rozman and other stalwarts. One person in Paonia who remembers that team and that time is Kathy Meader, who was in junior high at the time. Kathy is the grandmother of 1A Player of the Year Taylor Walters. “My family has always been sports minded. My grandsons, my one daughter played a lot of sports. The family has just been very sports minded for a long time,” she said. “I was born and raised in Paonia. My family goes back to Sam Wade. He was a great-great-grandfather of mine. So I’ve been here all the time. My life has been right here.” Kathy remembers how well the team was supported by the community back in 1959. Football gave the boys in town some-

thing to do, she recalled, as well as provided a common goal that everyone in the community could rally around. Kathy said that very early on, the family could tell that Taylor Walters was a unique talent and person. “There’s just been something special about him since he was little. He wants to do things the right way,” Kathy said. “He’s not the one that says, ‘I’m the one that’s doing it all.’ His whole team is doing it.” Kathy works at the Diner, where the wait staff wears Paonia colors and T-shirts on game day. A longstanding tradition, established before the Eagles went on their three-year championship run, has the boys eating breakfast at the Diner on Friday mornings before home games. “They’ve been doing that for a long time,” Kathy said. “It’s a good way for us and for the town to get to know the boys. It’s a special thing we get to be a part of.” Many fans have wondered, why now? Why is this Eagles team the one that stands out among so many others in Paonia’s past? Jeff Walters, Kathy’s son and Taylor’s dad, offered his own take on that. Standing on Paonia’s sideline before the state championship game last Saturday in Buena Vista, he talked about the history of this team. “I think it’s the kids are a really good team and the coach has brought them together as a family, that’s the big thing,” Jeff said. “And a lot of these kids have played together for a long time, so they kind of know what they’re doing.”

All great high school teams have their foundation in peewee leagues, and this Eagles team is no different. Taylor Walters and Jeramiah Hillman have been playing together and have been best friends since the second grade. They won back-to-back peewee championships in the fifth and sixth grade. Jeff Walters helped out as a coach off and on over the years, and little league coach Adam Mendoza played a huge role in the formation of this Eagles team. “I really think Adam Mendoza had a lot to do with this when they were younger, because Adam taught them a lot. He’s a real good technique teacher. Over 20 some years he’s been doing it,” Jeff said. “He and Chris Solaas coach those teams. They see a lot in these kids and they’ve done such a good job with them.” Once the foundation was set, the group of kids went to Paonia High School, where coach Brent McRae polished them into the cohesive championship team that put together a 36-3 record over the past three seasons. “Adam started it and then when they hit the high school, McRae just brought it on out,” Jeff said. “They are a great bunch of kids. They brought together a lot of the family feeling, I keep bringing that up. Just a lot of family. That’s the cool part.” Family atmosphere and a true community are the foundation of success for the Eagles, along with a once-in-a-generation group of players who are just physically bigger than any of their predecessors. “Obviously size is something you can’t teach,” Jeff said. “And it helps that we have a small school. Everybody knows each other and there’s a real community there.” Jeff and his family have been a part of Paonia High School athletics for almost as long as the Eagles have had sports teams. He played multiple sports in 1987, 1988 and 1989, getting to the football semifinals two years in a row. His wife, Taylor’s mom Nicole Walters, was also a standout volleyball and basketball player at Paonia. He is in a rare position to analyze the cultural trends in Paonia that swirl around the Eagles and he thinks that the football team especially takes pride in representing its home town. “Paonia used to have a really

rich history in football, and they still do, of course, but it kind of died off there for a little while,” Jeff said. “The Eastern Colorado teams for 20, 25, 30 years were just so dominant. I don’t know why, but they just were. And now history is coming back, it’s bleeding back into us. And these kids are stepping up to the plate and showing that hey, there it is, there’s a reason we go here. You know, that’s awesome.” Perhaps that’s what Bleed Black refers to. Everyone saw the signs around town and the T-shirts that said, “All In! Eagles Bleed Black!” The town of Paonia is all in it together as a family, and history on the football field is bleeding black once again. The score of last Saturday’s championship game was almost secondary to the overall theme. The fact that the Eagles earned a chance to play for the 20th 3-peat in Colorado history was what mattered, and they did it with class. “It’s like I told Taylor today,” Jeff said. “Two state championships is awesome. Going to the third one is amazing. Most kids dream of just going to one. You guys have already won two and you’re going to a third. That just doesn’t happen very often.” After three straight Western Slope Conference championships, back-to-back 1A state titles and 36 wins, it’s natural to wonder if this is the high water mark for Paonia football. Participation in the local peewee league has dropped dramatically. When Taylor Walters was there they’d get 30 or so kids playing; this year there were 14. The closing of mines and layoffs of miners is just one of the factors that has the population at the high school going steadily downward. If it is the case that the Eagles will never be this good again, we can be thankful that these boys provided so many great memories on the gridiron and represented our town with respect. They made us all proud to be from Paonia. The 1959 Paonian article concludes with a paragraph that could easily apply to the 2015 Eagles team. It was as true then as it is now. “We take this means of congratulating the members of the squad and to commend them for the manner in which they conducted themselves. Paonia school patrons and football fans can well be proud of the gentlemen who comprise the Paonia

A huge crowd of Eagles fans made the journey to Buena Vista for the state championship game last Saturday. Coaches and players remarked how great it was that such a loud, large crowd of fans came to the game. Paonia has expressed that kind of strong support for the Eagles over the years.