Delta County Independent, Dec. 9, 2015 by Delta County Independent

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DELTA COUNTY

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Competition heats up for wrestling, basketball, swimming, C1-9 DECEMBER 9, 2015 VOL. 132, NO. 49

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City manager search ends with Torgler BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

After three rounds of applications and interviews, consuming much of 2015, the City of Delta has hired David Torgler as city manager. For the past five years, Torgler has served as city manager of Hayden, a town of just 1,800 residents on Highway 40 between Craig and Steamboat Springs. His 30-year career in public administration has taken him from coast to coast, from South Carolina to Washington state. At a community reception held for the four finalists, he explained he and his wife Carmen made a deliberate decision to return to Colorado because this is where they want to live. He said they like Delta because it’s a larger community similar to the types of communities in which they’ve lived, with strong roots in mining, agriculture and ranching. Carmen works from home. They have two grown daughters, both with husbands in the military. One lives on the Atlantic Coast and the other

in Hawaii. In his letter of application, Torgler explained, “Delta has challenges similar to those in other cities where I have served including Hayden and Burlington, Wis. Those cities also faced the challenges of an aging infrastructure, decline in some of the major local industries, tax limitations, uncertain future revenues, a declining agricultural business environment, and the challenges of developing a government that is responsive to the business community. I believe that in partnership with Delta’s elected officials, staff and business community, my experiences in these other communities will be beneficial to the city.” He described himself as an “innovative, results-oriented leader that strongly encourages teamwork, individual performance and a collaborative environment to achieve organizational objectives and promote community prosperity.” At the community reception TORGLER TO A3

Photo by Pat Sunderland

A magical time of year

Oscar Campos, 4, was at the head of a line waiting to visit with Santa Claus following Delta’s Parade of Lights last Friday. Santa makes a return visit to Delta this Saturday for “Breakfast with Santa” at Bill Heddles Recreation Center.

Shelter offers a safe, warm refuge BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

An open house at the Abraham Connection homeless shelter was a festive celebration befitting the holiday season. Live music from Beth Williams filled the air, while shelter volunteers and community members enjoyed appetizers and mingled in the common area. No one could have guessed that a temporary certificate of occupancy had been issued just hours prior to the celebration. Cheryl Oeltjenbruns provided welcoming comments for Abraham Connection’s board of directors. “As we have said over and over, this is a shelter built for the community, by the community. As a board we know we could not do this without the support of everybody in this room, as well as everyone in the community. We just want to give you a great big hand of thanks for that.” She pointed to a large marker board headed, “What is home?” The marker board is used during volunteer training to identify what home means to every individual. “What is it that makes you feel comfortable in your home?” Oeltjenbruns asked. “Watching the Broncos, a warm bath ... those things you take for granted every day but make you feel safe and secure. That is the environment we’re trying to provide for the guests who come into our shelter. What we want to do here is create a home.” Before ambassadors from the Delta Area Chamber of Commerce joined board members for the ribbon-cutting

INDEX

Accent ........................... A4 Activities ....................... A5 Agriculture ...................C10 Back Page ................... D8 Bruin Tracks ................B5-8 Church ........................ D5-6 Classifieds .................. D1-2 Editorial ......................... A2 Legals ......................... D3-4 North Fork Times ........B1-4 Obituaries ....................B12 School Zone .................. A8 Service Directory ........ D7 Sports ..........................C1-9 Surface Creek News .B9-11 TV Listings ..................C5-6

ceremony, Oeltjenbruns recognized board member Dick Kirkpatrick, who served as general contractor for the building. Volunteers gathered at the building again Saturday to

help finish the move from the basement of the Delta United Methodist Church. Within hours, the shelter was ready for its first guests — and word had apparently quickly spread, as the shelter opened

its doors to 18 guests. The facility serves men, women and children of all ages, from all walks of life. The new building is located at 480 Silver Street. More volunteers are always

needed in a variety of capacities. The next volunteer training session is Thursday, Dec. 10, at 6:30 p.m. at the Presbyterian Church of Delta. More information is available by calling 773-8290.

Pearl Harbor Day remembered BY HANK LOHMEYER Staff Writer

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day was observed in Delta on Monday, Dec. 7. Members of Lee Marts VFW Post and Ladies Auxiliary #3571 conducted ceremonies at the Confluence Park river access ramp. Representatives of the Delta County Sheriff ’s Office and the Delta Police Department also participated in the observance. Delta Mayor Ed Sisson, himself a Navy veteran, attended, representing the City of Delta, and also delivered some short remarks. He told the guests that he had visited Pearl Harbor many times during his Navy career and that he had also visited the USS Arizona memorial. More than 1,100 sailors lost their lives when the Arizona was sunk during the Pearl Harbor attacks. VFW Post #3571 Commander Dave Rowland explained that young generations of Americans need to learn from the lessons of Pearl Harbor and to heed the warnings it conveys about maintaining eternal vigilance. Among the attendees was another Navy veteran who

Breakfast with Santa Kids are invited to “Breakfast with Santa” Saturday, Dec. 12, at Bill Heddles Recreation Center. This event is sponsored annually by the Kiwanis Club of Delta and the Delta High School Key Club. Pancakes will be served from 9 to 10 a.m. Don’t forget your camera for photos of the kids with Santa Claus. From 10 a.m. to noon, parents may sign in their children for activities with Key Club members while they do their holiday shopping in town.

said he served on the USS Pasadena, a light cruiser, in the South Pacific during the war. He told the gathering that he hopes to be able to honor the memory of those lost at Pearl Harbor by thinking of them every day. Following the remarks, seven of the guests carried seven memorial wreaths to the edge of the Gunnison

River and cast them into the water as a tribute to the lives lost in the attacks. A color guard of three post members stood by bearing the American flag, the Colorado flag, and the POW/MIA flag. Four other post members conducted a three-round military salute from their World War II vintage M1 Garands. Chris Weldon performed

Taps with the clear notes of his solo trumpet tribute piercing the chilly December air. The day following the Pearl Harbor attacks, then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt said the date Dec. 7, 1941, would “live in infamy.” Last Monday, the date was observed in Delta, living on in remembrance, honor and tribute to bravery and sacrifice.

Photo by Hank Lohmeyer

Participants in the Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day in Delta on Monday, Dec. 7, prepare to cast seven memorial wreaths into the passing waters of the Gunnison River as a tribute to those lost in the surprise attack 74 years ago.

Nobody should go hungry

The goal of the Delta Food Pantry is that “Nobody should be hungry!” Five days each week, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., volunteers distribute grocery bags filled with canned goods, frozen meat, staples and fresh produce for emergency assistance from the back of St. Michael’s Catholic Church. The Food Pantry is a community effort supported by individuals’ donations, churches, service groups and local businesses as well as Food Bank of the Rockies. Interest in volunteering and financial contributions may be sent to The Delta Food Pantry, 1140 Howard Street, Delta, CO 81416. Donations of canned goods may be dropped off at the Delta Food Pantry during open hours.

Pedestrian hit

A 24-year-old pregnant woman was struck by a car while crossing Main Street with her boyfriend Monday morning. The accident occurred at the intersection of 5th and Main at about 10:15 a.m. The woman suffered only minor injuries but was transported to Delta County Memorial Hospital as a precaution. She was released the same day. According to the Delta Police Department, Donald D. Rickerby, 83, of Cedaredge was issued a ticket for failure to yield right-of-way to a pedestrian in the crosswalk. The vehicle involved was driven from the scene.

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OPINION

LETTERS

Climate change hypocrisy

Like Walters, ‘Fum’ McGraw was an outstanding athlete Dear Editor: I enjoyed reading the article on the “Back Page” about Taylor Walters and his family. His grandmother and I are second cousins. I have really enjoyed watching Taylor and his teammates the past four years. It has been a great run. In a recent Daily Sentinel article, McRae was asked if Walters was the best football player to ever play for Paonia High School. That got me to thinking. What about “Fum” McGraw? “Fum” McGraw was a 1945 graduate of Paonia. The football team at that time may well have been one of the best ever; however, World War II changed all that as the boys left school as soon as they were able, to enlist in the armed forces. Let me tell you about “Fum.” Some of the information is from Wikipedia and Colorado State University - Programs and People and some from personal experience. Thurman “Fum” McGraw was born in Garden City, Kan., in 1927. The nickname “Fum” came about when a young family member could not pronounce Thurman and “Fum” stuck with him for the rest of his life. At some point the family moved to Paonia. McGraw was fresh from action with the U.S. Marine Corps in WWII when he enrolled at Colorado State University in 1946, when it was Colorado A&M. Working diligently at his game, McGraw called upon lessons learned as a boxer and wrestler to fashion himself into a special breed of football player. His arm strength was crushing to opposing players and his agility developed through wrestling served him well when fending off enemy

linemen. Colorado A&M finished 2-7 in McGraw’s freshman season, but things would change quickly. As a sophomore, McGraw helped his Rams post a 5-4-1 mark, the team’s best record in 11 years. Then, in 1948, the Aggies posted upsets over rivals Utah State, Wyoming, BYU and arch rival Colorado. The 1949 campaign, McGraw’s last as a four-year letterman, saw the Aggies log a 9-1 record marred only by a loss to Wyoming. “Fum” is perhaps the most renowned athlete in CSU”s history, competing as a Ram in football, wrestling and track and field. After graduation, McGraw joined the Detroit Lions and captured Rookie of the Year and All-Pro honors. He was an all-league tackle with the Lions when they were world champions in 1952 and 1953. In 1971, he was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame and in 1981 was honored with induction into the National Football Foundation’s College Football Hall of Fame. McGraw joined CSU’s athletic department in 1955 as an assistant football coach, wrestling coach and physical education instructor. From 1965-1970, he was assistant director of athletics. He served as the school’s athletic director from 1976-1986. In 1999, the McGraw Athletic Center was dedicated and named after the legendary Ram. In the spring of 1978 “Fum” was the speaker at Paonia’s all sports ban-

quet. On a personal note, my most pleasant memory of “Fum” was in the summer of 1979. My daughter was a cheerleader for PHS, and I accompanied the girls and their sponsor to a camp at CSU. Upon arrival they found there was some kind of mixup and the girls had not been assigned rooms and there were none available. The sponsor was at a loss to figure out what to do. I decided to see if I could help and set out for the athletic offices. Fortunately, “Fum” was in his office. My sister Vivian and her husband Clair, 1944 PHS grads, knew “Fum” well both from high school and college. So I introduced myself as Vivian’s little sister. I explained the problem with the cheerleaders, and he started singing the Paonia school song. I had to laugh. How many former alumni can remember the words to the school song? He said, “Oh, this will never do, we Paonians have to stick together.” Within two hours the girls had rooms. That was the last time I saw him. He was a giant of a man with a heart to match. He had two older brothers, Bill, PHS 1940, and Hershel, PHS 1941. Bill was the athletic director of schools in District 51 for a time and I was told that Hershel aspired to play football also, but lost an arm in World War II. “Fum” passed away in 2000. Earlana Sims Paonia

ISIS is the real worry Dear Editor: I listen to those who feel as the president does, that climate change is a more serious threat

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Delta County Independent

to us as a nation than the threat of ISIS coming here to take over. I fail to see how climate change is to blame for everything from ISIS domination to our out-of-work status. Now I hear fish are swimming the streets of Miami. That could be, for I’ve seen them swimming in Virginia when the rains are so heavy low roads are flooded and fish swim back and forth between bays on each side of the road. To sum this up, let me say that although climate change is a problem, will we really worry about it when faced with ISIS staring us down demanding you to swear allegiance to them or die? I think not. God bless you. Gary Herby Delta

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 News: editor@deltacountyindependent.com Advertising: ads@deltacountyindependent.com

Dear Editor: Yes, climate change exists. It always has. There have been ice ages, and there have been periods so warm that dinosaurs roamed. These variations happened before man began using fossil fuels, and, in fact, before man even existed. What caused climate change back then? In the 1950s, the alarmists shouted “global cooling!” Twenty years later, they were shouting “global warming!” Neither were proven to exist. But that never stops the environists (environmentalists without the “mental”). When they couldn’t back up claims of global warming or cooling, they just coined a new term: climate change. If environists are so worried about climate change being caused by fossil fuels, why do they burn so much fuel jetting to so many global meet-

Climate change is not the biggest threat Dear Editor: Who do you think he is trying to convince? The blood was barely dry in Paris when our commander-in-chief said the biggest threat to our country is climate change. Tom Anderson Paonia

ings? Why not just “Go to Meeting” by computer instead? Until it was publicized, climate-change guru Al Gore’s main mansion used more fossil fuel in a month that the rest of us use in a year. He has gasburning vehicles, several mansions, and his own private jet. It’s evidently okay for the elite to live and travel as they please, but we peons must curtail our energy usage to “save the planet.” Gore-The-Hypocrite sold his Current TV network to Al Jazeera for a reported $100 million profit even though the bulk of the purchase money came from the sale of fossil fuels. The main thing “green” about

On the road to recovery Dear Editor: On Sept. 13 of this year Ron suffered injuries from a fall at the cleaners building. We would like to take this opportunity to give heartfelt thanks to the North Fork Ambulance, Paonia Fire Department, Delta County Memorial Hospital, Transcare Ambulance, St. Mary’s Hospital, Rocky Mountain Orthopedics and Paonia Care and Rehab for professional care and rehabilitation along with continuing therapy. We feel so fortunate to have these organizations. What ini-

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tially was thought would be a partial recovery is becoming a full recovery. We also wish to thank friends, family and employees who stepped forward to help us. The thoughts and prayers are appreciated, and we will be forever grateful to all who offered encouragement. Thank you to our customers who understood the delays in some of our services. We are back in full service with the exception of carpet cleaning which will return in the spring. Ron and Deb Rowell Paonia

Law enforcement blotter

Adam A. Kasamis, 26, From the Delta of Delta was arrested and Police Department: jailed for alleged criminal mischief and violation of Nov. 30: Ronald L. Brenner, 77, a protection order. Christopher D. Guyer, of Delta was issued a ticket for alleged exceeded 36, of Crawford was safe speed for conditions arrested and jailed for after being involved in a alleged violation of a proone-vehicle crash in the tection order. Citations: 15 tickets 1700 block of G Road. No injuries were reported or for traffic violations were observed. A tree, utility issued this week, 12 for pole and a fence sustained speeding. Please remember: All damage. The vehicle was removed from the scene criminal charges are merely an accusation by another person. and the defendant is preDec. 1: Keith L. Kincaide, 33, sumed innocent until or of Crawford was issued a unless proven guilty. ticket for alleged shopliftFrom the Delta ing and trespass. County Sheriff’s Office Dec. 2: Lacy M. Murray, 37, (partial list): of Grand Junction was issued a ticket for alleged Nov. 30: Karan Haag of Delta theft and driving a motor vehicle while license was not injured when her pickup struck a deer under suspension. Eloy O. McLaughlin, shortly after 8 a.m. The 44, of Delta was arrest- deer was killed. A Delta area woman ed and jailed for alleged menacing, third degree reported the theft of a assault, and two counts laser Christmas light of violation of a protection from her home on 1740 Road. order. At about 6 p.m., Andrea Dec. 3: Stephanie L. Ellis, 33, Hutson, 55, of Montrose of Delta was issued a tick- and an unidentified paset for alleged shoplifting. senger were involved in an accident on 1600 Dec. 4: A 17-year-old male of Road. The vehicle came to Delta was arrested and rest in a ditch; extrication jailed at Grand Mesa was required from Delta Youth Services for alleged firefighters. One female third degree assault and was transported to the illegal possession of mari- hospital. The Colorado State Patrol handled the juana. Mikel G. Sheets, 31, of investigation. Delta was issued a ticket Dec. 2: Three vehicles were for alleged careless driving after being involved involved in a crash in the in a two-vehicle crash on vicinity of 8037 Highway Highway 50 in front of 65. John Wolverton was City Market. No injuries reportedly making a rightwere reported or observed. hand turn when he was Both vehicles were driven rear-ended by a vehicle driven by Michael Chavez, from the scene. 55, of Grants, N.M. His Dec. 6:

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Gore and many environist leaders is the color of their money. Although there are some souls who really believe humans are causing climate change, in reality it is about power and money. Gore and compadres have made millions from this issue. Scientists have gotten millions in research funding. Government agencies have gotten increased power and funding. Government wants a new funding source — carbon tax — regardless of the fact that utility companies will only pass that tax along to we the customers. Follow the money. Angie Many Eckert

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vehicle was then hit by Virginia Warner. Sheriff ’s deputies, Cedaredge Fire Department, Delta County Ambulance and the Colorado State Patrol responded to the scene. No one required transportation to the hospital. Dec. 3: An 80-year-old Cedaredge woman reported someone broke into her home on Ward Creek Road and stole her prescription medications. Dec. 4: A Hotchkiss man reported the theft of two guns from an unlocked camper on J Road, a Marlin .22 long rifle and a 12-gauge shotgun. Dec. 5: Kasha Culver, 19, of Delta was involved in a single-car rollover on Hart’s Basin Road near Eckert at about 11 a.m. She was transported to the hospital. The Colorado State Patrol handled the investigation. Sheriff ’s deputies responded to a minor accident at the Stop ’n Save in Paonia. Two vehicles were involved; there were no injuries. The Montrose Police Department requested assistance with locating a stolen vehicle, believed to have been abandoned in the ‘dobies. Sheriff ’s deputies could not locate the car at the address provided. Dec. 6: Lynette Taylor, 30, swerved to avoid a deer on Highway 133 near Paonia at about 8:30 p.m. She escaped injury, even though she lost control of her vehicle, and it flipped into a ditch. The Colorado State Patrol arrived on the scene to handle the investigation. A Hotchkiss area woman reported a possible prowler outside her home after she heard a loud noise and her animals, inside and out, became agitated. Sheriff ’s deputies searched the area but were unable to locate any evidence of a prowler. The sheriff ’s department reports the recovery of a Bobcat skid steer stolen from a Delta business last week. The skid steer had been dropped off at the Bobcat dealership in Grand Junction. Two suspects have been identified; charges are pending for the theft of the skid steer as well as a large boxed trailer with landscaping equipment which was previously recovered.

LOCAL NEWS

Delta County Independent

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

BoCC endorses pay hike plan BY HANK LOHMEYER Staff Writer

The Board of County Commissioners on a split vote Monday has endorses a legislative proposal that will raise the pay of newly elected county officials by 20 percent. The Colorado General Assembly had already adopted a measure calling for pay increases of 30 percent for newly elected county officials. Pushback to that plan spawned movement to sponsor an alternative bill in the upcoming session that would allow individual counties to “opt out” of the 30 percent pay plan. If the alternative bill is passed, counties would be able to choose from among three other options: zero raise, 10 percent raise, or 20 percent raise. If counties take no action to endorse an alternative, they will have chosen by default to pay their newly elected county officials 30 percent more. The raises apply to the offices of county commissioner, county sheriff, county clerk, county treasurer, county assessor, county coroner and county surveyor. In Delta County, the two county commission-

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ers elected next November (Districts 2 and 3) would be the first newly elected county officials to get higher pay. County officials elected at the following general election would then also get the higher pay. At Monday’s BoCC meeting, term-limited commissioners Bruce Hovde and Doug Atchley voted in favor of endorsing the 20 percent pay raise amount. First term commissioner Mark Roeber voted no.

Photo by Pat Sunderland

Home sweet home

Chamber ambassadors joined the board of directors of the Abraham Connection homeless shelter for a ribbon-cutting ceremony last Thursday. The shelter ofﬁcially opened its doors Saturday, Dec. 5. The shelter, now in its sixth year of seasonal operation, was housed in the basement of the Delta United Methodist Church until the completion of a permanent shelter at 480 Silver Street.

City awards bids for house demolitions, ML&P truck BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

A bid to demolish two city-owned houses and outbuildings has been awarded to Wells Excavation and Farming. The house at 1390 East 3rd Street is located across from Stafford Lane and is on the route proposed for future extension of Stafford Lane to Pioneer Road. Steve Glammeyer, utilities/public works director, reports the house was recently vacated and is not in good condition. The property at 602 West 4th Street is located next to the public works building and is on the proposed future extension of Kellogg Street to 5th Street. The house was purchased in July at the price of $45,000. “The city took on the first step of the demolition process by hiring an asbestos inspector to

evaluate the condition of each property,” Glammeyer said in a memo to city council members. “The 1390 East 3rd Street property was found to have minimal asbestos that requires removal prior to demolition. The 602 West 4th Street property was found to have extensive amounts of asbestos requiring an asbestos abatement contract for removal prior to demolition.” Wells’ low bid of $35,697.77 includes asbestos abatement, as well as demolition of both homes. The project won’t be completed until 2016. A total of four bids were received, the highest coming in at $64,100. At a recent council meeting, Glammeyer was congratulated for saving the city a considerable amount of money on the purchase of used

equipment. A new digger/derrick truck for municipal light and power was slated for purchase in 2016, at a budgeted cost of $180,000. Glammeyer and Rod Myers, fleet/facilities manager, located a used digger at a cost of $76,900. Staff members traveled to Denver to inspect the 2007 truck, which has 52,423 miles and 869 PTO hours. They determined it would fit the city’s needs. Glammeyer said the department has money left to cover the purchase in 2015. “Replacing the truck will lower maintenance/ repair costs and provide safe and dependable equipment for city staff ’s use,” Glammeyer said. Council members were pleased to free up $180,000 for other expenses in 2016.

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Architect selected for city hall renovation design

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BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

Architect Michael Oney has been awarded the bid to draw up plans for the renovation of Delta City Hall. The project grew from the need to replace the building’s heating, air conditioning and ventilation system. Discussion soon expanded into the building’s other needs — improved energy efficien-

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cy, better use of space, handicap accessibility (including elevator), better security for municipal court and the possible consolidation of the police department. The goal is to maintain the historic qualities of the building. A portion of the cost will be covered by a DOLA grant. The city put out a request for bids earlier this fall and six firms attended the mandatory walk-through. Of the three which actually submitted bids, Oney’s was the lowest at $55,920. In addition, he has dealt with similar projects. Councilmember Robert Jurca questioned whether the city has the funds to follow through on the project. Inter-

im city manager Glen Black explained the city has already budgeted $350,000 for the HVAC alone, and will likely pursue additional grant funds. If nothing else, Black said, the architect will furnish construction documents that will provide a realistic estimate of the cost.

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Correction

In a Dec. 2 article about the Delta Food Pantry, the address for contributions was inadvertently scrambled. The correct address for financial contributions is: The Delta Food Pantry, 1140 Howard Street, Delta, CO 81416.

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HUGE SALE!

Photo by Pat Sunderland

Jo Rosenquist gets acquainted with Carmen and David Torgler at a community reception for the four city manager ﬁnalists.

Torgler FROM PAGE A1 he referred to his experience in developing infrastructure, downtown redevelopment, working with the railroad and state highway department, and working with industry to ensure a friendly business environment. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Western Michigan University and a master’s of public administration from Northern Illinois University. He is a member of the Lions Club and a former Rotarian.

On Dec. 1, Delta City Council voted 5-0 to complete negotiations with Torgler. Councilmember Mary Cooper said he will fit into the commuinity very well. “We picked an amazing man,” said Mayor Ed Sisson. “He and his wife both love Delta — they’re already looking for a house.” Torgler’s first day on the job will be Jan. 25. His annual salary is $108,000 with a car allowance of $400 per month. He will not receive a housing allowance.

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A4 Wednesday, December 9, 2015

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ACCENT

Senior centers holiday schedules

The senior center meal sites at Delta, Cedaredge, Hotchkiss, Paonia and Olathe will all be closed Fridays, Dec. 25 and Jan. 1 for the Christmas and New Year’s Day holidays, respectively. On Thursdays, Dec.

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24 and 31, senior centers at Cedaredge and Olathe will be open and serving meals. The senior center meal sites at Delta, Hotchkiss and Paonia will be closed Dec. 24 and 31. On closure dates, no meals will be served by Senior CommUnity Meals, there will be no Meals On Wheels deliveries, and the Delta Senior Center’s Thrift Store will also be closed. The boards of directors of the five senior centers, the Delta County Council on Aging, and Senior CommUnity Meals wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

BIRTHS Camden and Nikki Welt of Hotchkiss are the parents of a son, Brantlee William Welt, born at 2:41 a.m. Dec. 3, 2015, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction. He weighed 7 pounds, 11.4 ounces and was 20 inches in length. Grandparents are Terry and Kathy Welt, Bill Hunt and Debbie Caywood, all of Hotchkiss.

Hospital volunteers needed ��

Want to advertise in the DCI? Contact one of our ad reps at 874-4421.

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Delta County Memorial Hospital needs hospital volunteers. There are currently openings in the emergency room, oncology, gift shop and some additional areas. If you are interested, please contact volunteer coordinator Joyce Picard at 874-3841 for an application.

Photo by Pat Sunderland

Giving kids a hand

With donations of $1 at a time, Taco Time customers helped the franchise come up with nearly $1,300 for the Partners’ mentoring program. The popular Delta restaurant has been the top seller of “turkey hands” for the past 20 years. “Nobody has ﬁgured out how to beat them,” said Partners director Betsy Shepherd, pictured above with owner Orval Proctor, manager Joyce Ulrich and the top-selling employees, DeAnn Gabriel (279) and Jacob Davignon (305). Between 20 and 25 community-minded businesses like Taco Time sell the turkey hands in the fall and Easter eggs in the spring to support Partners. This year, Humdinger’s in Montrose came in second. “We appreciate all the support, as well as the opportunity to get our name out there,” Shepherd said.

Tour festively decorated homes in Delta this Friday The Delta United Methodist Church is hosting the Christmas Home Tour this Friday, Dec. 11, from 4 to 8 p.m. The tour will start at the church at 477 Meeker Street where you will view the historic beauty of the 105-year-old building with its battlement towers, the steeply pointed gables and pediments, intricate stone and brick work and the classic stained glass windows. After touring the church and having refreshments, continue the tour to five festively decorated, personal residences. Tour participants

will travel on their own, at their own pace to each home. Directions and information will be given at check-in at the church. There will be a van with limited seating available departing the church at 4:15 p.m. if you would like someone else to do the driving. Reservations must be made through

the church office for the van. Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 at the door. Tickets are available at the Delta Area Chamber of Commerce office and the Delta United Methodist Church office. Please call 874-9501 or 209-0803 for more information.

Glenwood Springs ‘65 grads sought

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Delta County Independent

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The Glenwood Springs High School Class of 1965 will hold its 50-year class reunion (one year late) Sept. 16-17, 2016, and information is sought on these classmates: Jean (Moore) Albro, Karen (Smith) Barnes, James Collier, Jim Crook, Edward Harvey “Skip” Davis, Howard Halsey, Wilbur Harrington, John Juaregui, Matthew Kapushion, Ralph Kraig, Roger Laurence, Mike McGinnis, Ken McGuire, Dale Mecham, Aaron Mitchell, George Motichka, Patty (Coryell) Ogan, Duane Palmer, Charles Prellwitz, Vicky Price, Kathy (Juaregui) Rendon, Margaret Scholz, Martie Sebastian, Tom Selhime, Jack Stortz, Gloria (Godeski) Strouse, Frederick Thompson (formerly Rick Bianco), Sharon (Yoder) Trauger, Sam Weimer and Bob West. Please email contact

Aqua Studio

Holiday Sale ��

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information to Linda (Tekoucich) Fromm at: lindafromm@mac.com; direct a personal message to Linda on Facebook, or call Dixie (Strode) McClenahan at 360-797-1622. If you are a married lady, please include your maiden name with your contact information.

Photo submitted

This classic Victorian home, featuring period details throughout its historic walls such as the original cast iron claw foot tub and copper ceiling features, will be one of the ﬁve residences on the Christmas Home Tour this Friday, Dec. 11.

Photo by Pat Sunderland

Handcrafted holiday

On Dec. 5, artists and craftsmen ﬁlled the recreation center lobby, gym and conference room with an amazing variety of goods, from soap and lotions to afghans and holiday home decor. The Holiday Craft Fair is sponsored annually by the City of Delta Recreation Department. This year’s event featured over 50 vendors.

2015

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

Delta United Methodist Church 477Meeker Street

Enjoy the Christmas ambiance of beautifully decorated homes ��

Delta County Independent

ACTIVITIES

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

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Photo submitted

Holiday favorites

A local choral group, Roses and Thorns, will present a concert of Christmas music at the Chapel of the Cross on Sunday, Dec. 13, at 6 p.m. The group consists of “Roses” Nancy Carlson and AnnaMaria Turilli. Representing the “Thorns” are Bob Clark, Dave Devinney, Dan Hawkins, John Shriver, Al Smith and Bob Wear. Accompanying the group will be pianist Sharon Clark. Admission is by donation.

Bird counts yield valuable information The Black Canyon Chapter of the Audubon Society (BACS) and the Bureau of Land Management are teaming up to conduct this year’s Audubon Society annual Christmas Bird Count and invite anyone interested in bird watching to join them. This is the 116th anniversary of the count which has provided over a hundred years of valuable information throughout the world to help scien-

Dance to be held at Montrose Pavilion The Montrose Pavilion Dance Club is hosting a dance at the Montrose Pavilion, 1800 Pavilion Drive, on Saturday, Dec. 12, from 7:30 to 11 p.m. Music will be provided by Route 66. Admission is $5 per person. Bring refreshments to share if you wish. For information, call 252-7172.

Advent concerts continue 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. 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.

tists monitor the health of bird populations. “We are encouraging anyone interested, regardless of experience, to help us with the count,” said Jon Horn, president of the BCAS. “It not only provides critical information on bird populations, but also is just a lot of fun.” Inexperienced birders will be teamed up with those with more experience to cover specific geographical areas. The counts often go into the afternoon so people are encouraged to dress warmly, bring binoculars, pack a lunch and bring plenty of water. The counts are usually not physically strenuous. Interested persons can call the persons listed below in advance to sign up and get more specific information. Delta — Meet at 8 a.m. Dec. 19 at the City Market parking lot. Contact:

Amy Seglund, 252-6014 or amy.seglund@state. co.us. Montrose — Meet at 8:30 a.m. Dec. 20 in the BLM conference room at 2465 S. Townsend; counters will reconvene at the Two Rascals Brewing to compile the data. Contact: Missy Siders, 275-6639 or msiders@blm.gov. Gunnison: Meet at 7:30 a.m. Dec. 20 at Hurst Hall,

Room 130 on the Western State Colorado University campus and reconvene at Arden Anderson’s house to compile data and to enjoy a potluck. Contact: Arden Anderson, 641-5322 or kankan@frontier.net. Hotchkiss — Meet at 8 a.m. Jan. 2 at the City Market parking lot. Contact: Jason Beason, 310-5117 or jason. beason@rmbo.org.

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.

Taylor Funeral Service announces holiday remembrance program On Thursday, Dec. 10, at 6:30 p.m., Taylor Funeral Service & Crematory will host a holiday remembrance program 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 Taylor 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 or angel ornament that can be personalized with the name and life dates

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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. To RSVP or to reserve a personalized ornament, contact Taylor Funeral Service & Crematory at 874-9988 or marge. taylorfs@gmail.com.

Master Gardener class begins in January The Colorado State University Extension, Tri River Area, is now accepting applications for the Master Gardener training class. The Tri River Area includes Mesa, Delta, Montrose and Ouray counties. Trainings will be held in Grand Junction on Wednesdays, for 11 weeks, starting in midJanuary. Green industry professionals and public members who do not wish to volunteer can take this class outright and earn the Colorado gardening certificate. People who

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wish to become Master Gardeners take the class at a reduced rate in exchange for volunteering for the Tri River Area Extension. The Master Gardener program was developed to help disperse researchbased information to the public in regard to noncommercial (mainly residential) landscaping and gardening. For more information on this program, contact our Mesa County office at 244-1834 and ask for either Susan Carter or Susan Honea.

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A6 Wednesday, December 9, 2015

PARADE OF LIGHTS

Delta County Independent

Delta’s Parade of Lights Photo by Julie Mulford

Black Canyon Barbershop Chorus members add a festive note to the parade.

Photo by Pat Sunderland

Montrose County fair royalty

Photo by Pat Sunderland

Delta High/Middle School choir members

Photo by Julie Mulford

Photo by Pat Sunderland Photo by Pat Sunderland Pickles the pig catches a ride with Scott and Donna Keadle. Their ATV was among several The marching Bruins from Cedaredge A vintage U.S. Forest Service truck carries Photo by Pat Sunderland in the Thunder Mountain Wheelers’ entry High School keep the beat along the Smokey Bear, Woodsy Owl and a number This mountain man was of their younger friends. featuring snowmen of all shapes and sizes. parade route. on his way to “Christmas at the Fort,” a recreation of Christmas as it was celebrated in the 1830s held following the parade.

Parade Winners First Place City of Delta

Second Place U.S. Forest Service

Photo submitted

Vision Charter Academy Student Council prepares a float for Photo by Pat Sunderland Delta’s Parade of Lights. Pictured are (left to right) Allyson Quinn, Realistic whistles sound the arrival of the City of Delta float as Joseph Resendez, Krysta Gregory, CJ Braddy and Michael Quinn. it chugs its way to a first-place finish.

Third Place Thunder Mountain Wheelers

Ma ke it a

Homespu n Christ mas

YOUR GUIDE TO LOCALLY-MADE PRODUCTS FOR YOUR CHRISTMAS GIFT GIVING ��

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•African Baskets •Gift Coins a.k.a. Certiﬁcates (Great Stocking Stuffers!)

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Saturday, Dec., 12th

Printing and Shipping Open ‘til noon!

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North Fork Pool!

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HOMESPUN CHRISTMAS

Delta County Independent

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Ma ke it a

Homespu n Christ mas

YOUR GUIDE TO LOCALLY-MADE PRODUCTS FOR YOUR CHRISTMAS GIFT GIVING ��

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Turquoise & Silver Jewelry Plus More!!

Open Daily

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Unique Selection of Gifts

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Refreshments PUB SPECIAL ��

A UNIQUE BOUTIQUE

Gifts New & Old Face Painting ��

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We will be running this feature in the December 16 issue.

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Our Homemade Fudge made with real creamery butter.

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If you have a locally made product that you wish to advertise for gift giving, this space is available for $25. Call 874-4421 to reserve. DELTA COUNTY

INDEPENDENT

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A8 Wednesday, December 9, 2015

SCHOOL

Delta County Independent

DOS partners with Safeway to provide full Thanksgiving dinner It was a great day for Food for Thought when Mary Saunders called and said she had been contacted by Safeway about donating Thanksgiving dinners for needy families. Saunders explained that Safeway needed an outlet, a way to connect with needy families to provide donated Thanksgiving dinners. Saunders, who had partnered with DOS Food for Thought for a summer food distribution program, automatically thought of connecting Safeway and Delta Opportunity School. Food for Thought currently provides weekend food for 125 families in

Delta and Cedaredge schools. DOS was thrilled with the idea of Safeway donating full Thanksgiving dinners and being able to offer them to Food for Thought families. So a flyer was sent home in the Food for Thought bags on the Friday before Thanksgiving with an invitation to call and reserve a dinner. DOS secretary Joyce Long took calls all day Monday. That Tuesday, DOS students picked up the meals at Safeway, put names on them and made them available for families to pick up at a central location. It was a very meaningful afternoon

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Shop Locally.

as DOS students got to give out the meals to the families. A few meals were delivered Wednesday to those who couldn’t get to town to pick them up, and who had elementary students unable to carry a big frozen turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy and stuffing onto the school bus. Safeway was very generous in providing the meals, and the Food for Thought families, along with the DOS students who worked the distribution, were very thankful. It provided a wonderful dose of perspective and gratitude to begin the Thanksgiving break. A big thank you to Safeway and all of those who donated Turkey Bucks to their charity program. Donations to the Safeway Santa Bucks program would be greatly appreciated and will help DOS partner in providing Christmas dinners to Food for Families. DOS students are currently selling Santa Bucks for the Safeway program. Please call 874-6505 for details.

Terriﬁc Kids

Photos submitted

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) Jasiah Alvarez, Brooklyn Hughes, Anjara Randria, Aidynnea Erickson, Cole Neumiller; (back row) William Lawrence, Abbie VanZomeren, Tyler Hurd. Below are second and third graders Abby Zmiewsky, Aniston McFarland, Destiny Jaramillo, Robert Smith, Naveah Huff, Ivan Nava Marin, Twila Campos and Rylee Griswold.

Western State offers courses in Delta Western State Colorado University in Gunnison has expanded its partnership with DeltaMontrose Technical College (DMTC) to host six undergraduate courses at DMTC beginning in January 2016. Western, one of America’s Colleges of Distinction, is targeting students who are ready to begin pursuing a bachelor’s degree close to home. For the spring semester, courses offered include Introduction to Art, Business of Life, Academic Writing, Physical Geology, U.S. History to 1865 and General Psychology. All of these university courses are approved as meeting either Colorado Guaranteed Transfer or Western General Education requirements. Courses will be delivered using a hybrid model, combining faceto-face instruction on the DMTC campus, with online instructional elements facilitated through Western. “Convenient course scheduling for working adults and competitive tuition pricing provides a great opportunity for citi-

zens of Delta County to get started on a university degree,” states Western Associate Vice-President for Academic Affairs Dr. Kathleen Kinkema. Registration for spring

courses has begun and classes begin the week of Jan. 11. Both part-time and full-time students who are working toward a degree will be eligible for financial aid. For addi-

Virtuous Kids

tional information please contact Western Admissions at 800-876-5309 and to apply and learn more about course offerings visit www.western. edu/delta.

Photo submitted

Lincoln Elementary and the Kiwanis Club of Delta recently recognized the Virtuous Kids pictured above: (front row, left to right) William Delasancha (kindness), Landon Hulet (on task), Brayden Morgan (kindness/helpfulness), Drake Brickey (respect/responsibility), Noah Kehmeier (diligence), Claudia Gonzalez (cooperation); (back row) Gabino Miramontes (on task/hardworking), Zachary McCullough (safety), Nay Kue Soe (diligence), Terry Yarbough (respect).

NORTH FORK December 9, 2015

TIMES

Section

www.deltacountyindependent.com

Cocker holiday house sale nets $99,000 BY TAMIE MECK Staff Writer

Everyone was feelin’ alright when the doors opened to the Cocker Kids Foundation holiday house sale last Friday morning. More than 300 people lined up early to pay $5 to get first pick of thousands of items belonging to the late Joe Cocker and his wife, Pam. “I think everyone really enjoyed it,” said Pam Cocker on Sunday after the last items were auctioned off. “It was like a big adventure for the community.” By the end of the three-day sale, only a few wooden folding tables remained unsold. The sale netted $99,000 for the foundation. “We were very pleased,” said Cocker. “The sale was so awesome,” said foundation board member Pam Bliss. By closing time Saturday, very little remained, and a final auction was held Sunday. Among items were books, dishes, linens, clothing, furniture, fine jewelry, Christmas items and artwork. A chinchilla bedspread, which didn’t sell, and memorabilia related to the late rock singer’s decades-long career were the only items not offered at auction, although most of the memorabilia sold, said Bliss. Pam’s fine jewelry was put on display at noon Friday and was gone before 1 p.m. A lot of people left the sale with “a bit of glitz,” said Bliss. Other unique items, including a collection of lead soldiers and books on Antarctica and World War II represented the many interests of Joe Cocker, said Bliss. Hundreds of DVDs represented his membership in the Screen Actors Guild. With a little help from their friends, the sale went off without incident. Cocker said that about 40 volunteers, including security, worked opening day,

and a core of about a dozen worked around the clock the last two weeks to put the sale together. Since 1998 the Cocker Kids Foundation has provided more than $1 million to North Fork area youth. The CKF has funded technology needs for area schools, recognized outstanding teachers and helped to support summer sports programs. Former coach Steve Swartzendruber, who along with wife Cindy were among the first in the door Friday morning, said CKF has been very generous to the community over the years. The foundation supported his summer baseball teams. “They made us work for it,” said Swartzendruber. CKF also supports Camp Good Grief! for children who have lost loved ones, and the Dream Catchers scholarship program for graduating high school students. Most recently, the foundation funded a solar project at Paonia High School, which students taking a course in solar photovoltaic systems through Solar Energy International will build and install. While Pam Cocker has listed the 243-acre Mad Dog Ranch in Crawford for sale, the foundation “will continue to fund the needs of youth in the North Fork Valley,” said Bliss. “This is not going to end.” Bliss is one of five founding members still serving on the board, which says a lot about their dedication, said Bliss. “It says a lot about the graciousness of Pam and Joe.” Cocker said she will remain active in the foundation for as long as she remains in the area. Giving has been a lifelong passion, said Cocker, who worked with children for 15 years prior to moving to Colo-

Santa Claus to visit Hotchkiss Fire Station Santa Claus will make his annual visit to the Hotchkiss Fire Station between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19. Children are invited to visit with Santa and give him their holiday wish list in a peaceful, noncommercial environment. Everyone is welcome to tour

the station and check out the equipment and trucks while enjoying refreshments. As always, Santa will bring gifts for all of the children. Hotchkiss Fire Department personnel will take photos that will be available on the station’s Facebook page.

rado with Joe. She learned the art of giving from her mother, who, she said, was also very generous. “We love this community,” said Cocker. “Joe and I felt so welcomed when we moved here. It’s been a real pleasure for me, and for Joe.”

The Cockers have also been big supporters of KVNF public radio. Joe Cocker’s custom 1995 Jaguar V12, with 31,500 miles, was auctioned off through eBay as part of the KVNF holiday auction, with a winning bid of $25,705

being awarded Sunday night. “Joe would have been really thrilled,” said Cocker. According to eBay, the last three CDs he was listening to, which were not named, remain in the six-CD changer for the new owners to enjoy.

Photo by Tamie Meck

The ﬁrst wave of shoppers comb through items owned by Joe and Pam Cocker of Crawford Friday morning during the Cocker Kids Foundation Holiday Sale at Heritage Hall in Hotchkiss. The sale attracted about 1,100 shoppers and raised about $99,000, which will beneﬁt North Fork Valley youth.

Coordinated holiday festivities a big success BY TAMIE MECK Staff Writer

In the days leading up to last weekend’s Paonia holiday festivities, Mike Drake was feeling pretty good. “I just had a feeling this was going to be really great,” said Drake, president of the Paonia Chamber of Commerce. By all indications, said Drake, the event was a huge success. Downtown was bustling as local businesses and organizations held open houses Friday evening and all day Saturday. Shoppers took advantage of samples of food and drink and sales of local products including ceramics, artwork, jewelry and more. Restaurants were busy. Traditions were enjoyed, and at least one new tradition was born. While the festivities — open houses, Santa’s visit

to the Eccentric Artist gallery, wine tastings, and sales galore — have been part of the Paonia holidays for years, what changed is that those who have participated on their own year after year made a decision to join in an effort to market the weekend as one big downtown holiday event, said Drake. After enjoying last year’s festivities, the chamber realized that the early holiday celebration, held annually on the first or second weekend of December, lacked coordina-

tion, said Drake. He saw a lot of individual events, and a lot of individual advertisements in local papers. “The chamber saw an opportunity,” said Drake. If businesses would agree to it, the chamber could market the festivities under one name. A lot of things are happening with the chamber, including the hiring this year of an office manager. When the Paonia Library called to get a sense of which weekend would be best to hold its annual holiPAONIA FESTIVITIES TO B2

Water quality study provides baseline data for North Fork Well users urged to perform independent tests BY TAMIE MECK Staff Writer

A recently completed twoyear study shows surface, spring and groundwater samples collected throughout the North Fork area testing below method federal detection limits for a list of major ions, metals and volatile organic compounds that can occur during the process known as hydraulic fracturing. The results of the study are contained in the recently released “2014-2015 Water Quality Monitoring Report.” The study was funded by the Paonia-based Western Slope Conservation Center (WSCC) in partnership with the Colorado Water and Energy Research Center (CWERC), based at the University of Colorado Boulder. Samples for the study were collected throughout the North Fork of the Gunnison River basin, including Oak Mesa, Leroux Creek and the Muddy Creek drainage above Paonia Reservoir. CWERC provides scientific-based information on the links between water and energy development. CWERC members presented the study’s findings last Thursday at the Paonia Library. Water samples were collected from two surface water sources, three springs and 12 domestic wells, including in watershed areas near and below where gas drilling is already occur-

ring on a limited basis. Samples were collected in September 2014 and June 2015. Methane, which can occur naturally in area groundwater and is not hazardous to human health, according to the report, was found in “low concentrations in some samples” collected during September when water flows are low. The study aims to build baseline information that can be used for future comparisons, said Alex Johnson, executive director for WSCC. While all land uses, such as highway construction, have potential to affect water quality, at this time, “the biggest concern is oil and gas.” WSCC, which came into existence due to concerns over the coal mining industry’s effects on water quality some 38 years ago, has collected more than 13 years of data on surface water through its River Watch volunteer water monitoring program. Those studies include data on roughly 40 “elements of concern that have been associated with mining, wastewater treatment, and agriculture,” according to the organization’s website. The recent study also aims to expand upon that program. In the event hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking”related analytes — chemicals tested for during the study — were to affect area wells in the future, “the responsibility falls on the well user” to prove the contamination is a direct result of fracking, said CWERC researcher Katya Hafich. “The baseline

data is the beginning of that process.” Hydrologist and former CWERC director Dr. Mark Williams has studied the effects of mining and other human activities on water and the environment since the 1990s. Williams spoke of the risks of contamination by explaining the migration of ground water sources using the Durango area as an example. “There is a very low incidence of ground water contamination” associated with hydraulic fracturing, said Williams, but there are examples, including a recent bubbling up of methane in West Divide Creek near Rifle that was traced to drilling activity. With about 100,000 wells drilled in the state, about half of them active, and more drilling proposed, “What will happen over time?” asked Williams. The current cost to test a single water source for a full index of analytes runs about $500-$700, said Hafich. CWERC offers a step-by-step guide for well users, “Monitoring Water Quality in Areas of Oil and Natural Gas Development: A Guide for Water Well Users,” on its website. CWERC also recommends regular follow-up testing to document changes over time and at different times of the year. WSCC will continue to seek funding for future studies, and plans to continue building baseline data, said Johnson. That information “can be very empowering.” The full report is available at cwerc.colorado.edu.

Photo by Tamie Meck

Ross Allen drives black Percherons Chip, right, and Dale onto Third Street from Grand Avenue during Saturday’s annual free hayrides. The hayrides have become a holiday tradition in Paonia.

Photo by Tamie Meck

Revelers enjoy the Town of Paonia tree lighting ceremony Friday night. Mayor Neal Schwieterman welcomed the crowd to “what I hope is the ﬁrst annual tree lighting in Poulos Park.”

B2 Wednesday, December 9, 2015

NORTH FORK TIMES

Delta County Independent

First Colorado National Bank, schools team up for food drive First Colorado National Bank is partnering with local schools to collect canned food and award $1 in cash for every can collected to Helping Hands and local food pantries in Paonia and Hotchkiss. Canned food dropoff locations include Hotchkiss K-8 and Paonia Elementary School, as well as, First Colorado National Bank in Paonia on Grand at Second Street and in Delta behind McDonald’s. Canned food and cash will be awarded the week of Dec. 21. Each December, First Colorado National Bank sponsors a canned food drive to gather food for Paonia’s Food Pantry. “Since both the bank and the local schools organize a holiday can drive each year, we thought it would be great to team up with the schools,” stated bank president Brad Harding. “We hope that by part-

nering with these enthusiastic students, we can further impact the total donations collected and money awarded to benefit those in need this holiday season.” Both schools will be holding a friendly competition to see which class can contribute the most canned goods. Students will be able to donate nonperishable food items until Thursday, Dec. 10, for Hotchkiss K-8, and Friday, Dec. 18, for Paonia Elementary. The bank will match each donation with $1, up to $3,000, to be used for perishable items and other needed items. Additionally, canned goods will be accepted at First Colorado National Bank, Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., until Dec. 21. The Food Pantry is an outreach ministry of Paonia Christian Fellowship and three other

churches to people of the North Fork Valley in providing basic food and personal items. The shelves are stocked by the donations of people in the various churches, and are offered free of charge. The Food Pantry is open from 9 to 11 a.m. every other Wednesday morning. For more information regarding the pantry, or to make food donations, please call the church at 527-3161. Helping Hands is a dedicated group that puts together baskets of food for local students who have a hard time getting access to food during the Photo submitted weekends, over holidays, Delta County Libraries hope the holiday village on display at the Crawford or when school is out for Library will inspire a poem or short story. vacations.

Annual dodgeball fundraiser is Thursday The fourth annual Winter Warrior Dodgeball Tournament will be held this Thursday at Paonia High School, starting at 7:15 p.m., or immediately following the Eagles wrestling dual with Palisade. A bake sale and auction will be held during the event. PHS will host the “Warriors Wall,” and members of the community are encouraged to bring photos of warriors past and present, to be honored during the event. Admission is $2, and free for veterans and members of the military. All proceeds will go to the local Outdoors Alive Program, a nonprofit supporting the Wounded Warrior Project and promoting safe enjoyment of outdoor recreation through educational programs and humanitarian services for disabled veterans. Call 527-4882 for more information.

Holiday village provides inspiration for writing contest BY LEAH MORRIS Delta County Libraries

There is a beautiful village in Crawford that many Delta County residents have never seen, even those who live in the area. Lights twinkle in houses frosted with snow, people sing carols and cross country ski and chop wood, animals wander freely through pleasant snowy streets, and, despite the weather, no one seems cold. While this ideal scene could be anywhere in Crawford, it is, in fact, on display at the Crawford Library, where librarian Jan Ryan has arranged the tiny figurines every year for the holidays since the library moved into its current location. This year, Ryan plans to make her dreamy village even more special, inviting people to write about it in a contest put on by the Delta County Libraries. Ryan explains that a patron came up with the idea for the contest last year. She says, “Participants can take a look at the village and concoct a poem or story about one or more of the characters, about a particular building, or about the whole village.” While Crawford Library staff would love

to have people from all over Delta County visit the library to examine the scene up close, they understand that a trip to Crawford may be too far out of the way for some, especially with winter weather settling in. To make the contest available to everyone, Delta County Libraries has photos, contest rules and an online entry form available at http://www. deltalibraries.org/holi day-village/. Library staff members are always happy to help patrons access this information and enter the contest. “It is a lot of fun to give library patrons a chance to get creative and get involved,” says interim district director Lea Hart. “We offered a haiku contest over the summer that was very successful, and we loved reading the poems that people contributed. I look forward to seeing the entries for this contest.” If the holiday village contest ignites the desire to write and patrons wish to enter another writing contest, Delta County Libraries is working with the Blue Sage Center for the Arts in Paonia to gather submissions for the ninth

annual Write On writing competition. This contest is open to a much broader selection of poetry and prose and winners can expect to have their work published in an anthology of contest winners. Details for this contest can be found at http://www.bluesage.org/ events/2016-write-onanthology/ and the deadline for submissions for the Write On contest is February 1, 2016. Holiday Village participants will need to write a bit faster, with a deadline of December 31, 2015. The Friends of the Crawford Library have agreed to sponsor some great prizes and local celebrities will be handling the judging. It will be worth the time for students to try writing over break and adults to work writing into their busy schedules. Ryan is confident that after seeing the village, participants will have no trouble finding motivation. She encourages, “Visit Crawford Library and be inspired by the colorful magic of this miniature holiday village. Your imagination will dream up all sorts of stories about the tiny villagers and their homes and businesses.”

Photo by Tamie Meck

The new owners of the former video store in Paonia were among the many business owners holding open house Friday night as part of the Paonia holiday festivities. The building has recently undergone extensive renovation.

Paonia festivities FROM PAGE B1 office manager Courtney Mullins responded, and she and chamber director Annette Pretorius with the Blue Sage Center for the Arts began contacting

businesses and coordinating efforts. “Everyone bought into it,” said Drake. The community did all the work. “We were the catalyst.” The concept was tried during this year’s Mountain Harvest Festival when the chamber hosted “Downtown Day” on Friday of the three-day festival. That was also a big success. They are now looking to apply the concept to the 2016 Cherry Days. With three annual, major, multi-day events happening, “more people are getting involved,” said Drake. “And more people are coming to town.” One partner was the Town of Paonia, which hosted a tree-lighting ceremony Friday night at Poulos Park. Mayor Neal Schwieterman, also an airplane pilot, shared a story about a bush pilot who said there are four things one needs to check before takeoff: fuel, flaps, magnetos, and attitude.

“Any one of those things goes wrong, and you end up in the drink, and it’s not good results.” While traditions may vary from household to household, “What we have here in Paonia is a really cool thing,” said Schwieterman before the lighting of the tree adorned with old-fashioned lights installed by the Delta Montrose Electric Association. “Here in Paonia we have FFC: family, friends, and community … Those are the important things in life,” he said before the tree was lit and the crowd broke out in singing. “Enjoy your holiday.”

Correction Due to a reporting

error, an incorrect date was given for the Paonia Chamber of Commerce annual meeting. The meeting will be held Jan. 14. The DCI regrets the error.

NORTH FORK TIMES

Delta County Independent

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Variance request tests board of adjustments BY TAMIE MECK Staff Writer

Last September, Randy and Mara Derryberry were planning to build a gabled cover over a section of their sidewalk on Poplar Street. For five years they traveled from their home in Grand Junction to spend weekends remodeling the interior of Mara’s family home, once owned by her parents and grandparents. Early this year they started on the exterior. In winter, snow dumps from the porch roof directly onto the front steps and sidewalk, where it freezes and creates a safety hazard, explained Randy Derryberry at a Nov. 20 hearing of the town Zoning Board of Adjustments. The project would allow snow to dump on either side of the walk and eliminate ice buildup. It was the final step of a long remodel process, and they wanted to do everything right. The house, built in 1908, precedes the town’s zoning ordinances, also referred to as the Land Development Rules (LDR). When they applied for a building permit, they were advised by building official Chad Gartman to measure 20 feet from the curb. They determined the setback and put their

Photo by Tamie Meck

A cover over a set of porch steps nears completion late last week following removal of a stop order on the project by the Town of Paonia after the couple who owns the home on Poplar Avenue was incorrectly advised of setback regulations in September. contractor to work, setting posts on the edge of the setback and framing the structure. When they submitted photos of the project, town manager Jane Berry realized there was a problem. Per the LDR, the setback should be measured from the sidewalk. A stop order was issued while they removed the structure and petitioned for a variance that would allow them to set posts five feet into the no-build zone, allowing them to

still cover the steps. “If we had known, we would have applied for a variance from the start,” said Randy Derryberry. Town code requires that the board of adjustments make determinations on variance requests. Over the last several years, the board of trustees has handled variance requests, and the zoning board had, in essence, ceased to exist. Before the Derryberrys could get a hearing, the board needed members.

Photos submitted

Farm sights

BELA preschoolers visited the chicken farm on Redlands Mesa owned by Dr. Dave Kuntz. The kids were amazed at all the chickens, but the outing was also full of others sights — elk, buffalo, a hawk, goats, sheep, a tree farm and four wild turkeys crossing the road in front of the van. The day was very educational from beginning to end. Pictured above is the morning class (back row, left to right) Dr. Dave Kuntz, Valentin Elizalde, Clay Hollembeak, Aspen Lloyd, Finley Ihnot, Manuel Espinoza, Logan Lovelace, Mariah Pipher; (front row) Kanon Andregg, Nolan Long, Ian Morris, Rachel Smith and Dal Adam. Below is the afternoon class (back row, left to right) Bentley Farmer, Katrina Jacquez, Charlie Miller, Jynae Scott, Alysia Beyette, Addy Harrison, Emily Ludwig and Tyler Kuntz; (front row) Parker Kenniger, Marion Miller, Christopher Glimpse, McKenna Peebles, Nathan Strong, Dani Beall, Macy Mitchell and Quinn Price.

By late November trustees had recruited enough members for a quorum, and a hearing was held on Nov. 20. The Derryberrys arrived to learn that, due to new members being out of town, the board lacked a quorum. “The Derryberrys have been very patient,” said Berry, who requested that, in all fairness to the applicants, the two members present and town staff hear the case and indicate their intentions. Two neighbors spoke in favor of the variance. Bob Rasmussen said he’s lived in the neighborhood 52 years and believes the Derryberrys shouldn’t be required to make any changes. “It was the town’s fault,” he said. “Deal with it.” Zoning board member Constantine Hirschfeld said he regrets that the mistake has cost the Derryberrys money, but he’s hesitant to approve any variance, because then “everyone wants one.” Berry replied that this matter is one of due diligence. Variances are considered only after all options are exhausted, and in this case, a variance is the last option. In addition, said Berry, each case stands on its own merits, and this one is the town’s fault. If the request is denied, their only recourse is through the courts. “I’m going to have to say ok,” replied Hirschfeld. “It’s not their fault.” Newly elected board member Jim Normandin said it is his understanding that this case is not setting a precedence, and expressed his approval. Town staff also recommends approval, said Berry, adding that she is comfortable with removing the stop order. “The town will stick its neck out on this one,” said Berry. Despite the hardship, “I would like to thank Chad and Jane,” said Randy Derryberry. “They have been very helpful.” While Berry helped create the problem, she also worked to make it right, he said. The Derryberrys have been very patient and willing to compromise, said Berry. “We’re appreciative of that, too.”

With the project almost complete, Randy Derryberry said he and Mara want the public to know they understand that Gartman and Berry were doing their job. Berry has

only the best interests of the town in mind, he said. It was that level of cooperation and professionalism that made being patient a whole lot easier.

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Winter concert at HHS The public is invited to attend the annual Rustic Winter Concert beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15, at Hotchkiss High School. The event includes a silent auction of art works made by the students of Jamie Roeber, which begins at 5:30 p.m. The concert features performances by the high school band and choir, under the direction of Jeannette Carey.

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B4 Wednesday, December 9, 2015

NORTH FORK TIMES

Delta County Independent

Solarize project installs 22 systems in the North Fork BY GERALD ESPINOSA Solar Energy Internatioanl

Solar Energy International (SEI) is proud to announce that the round of Solarize North Fork Valley resulted in over $400,000 in local investment through the installation of 120 kilowatts of solar in 22 new systems. For our tiny community of Hotchkiss, Crawford and Paonia, this is significant and only the beginning. Solarize North Fork Valley was created to help stimulate the local community where SEI’s headquarters is based. This program began as local coal mines began to close and lay off hundreds of local folks. “SEI is located in a community that once mined over 1.5 percent of the nation’s coal. As our coal mines closed and local families were being forced to leave to find jobs, our community began to suffer. As an organization, we asked ourselves, ‘What can we do to drive economic development through solar?’ ” stated Kathryn Swartz, SEI’s executive director. With the support of our Americorps VISTAs, Kristen O’Brien and Pete Mueller, Solarize North Fork Valley was launched. After an extensive RFP process, Empowered Energy Systems, in partnership with Sunsense Solar, was selected as the official installer. During Solarize North Fork Val-

Photo courtesy Laura Palmisano, KVNF

The ﬁrst Solarize North Fork Valley install on Stewart Mesa Road, showing racking and copper wire, with Mount Lamborn in the background. ley’s three-month enrollment, 14 educational sessions were held with over 164 residents of Paonia, Hotchkiss and Crawford participating. These educational events explained not just how solar works, but how the Solarize model could help save on the price of the system. This first round of Solarize North Fork Valley resulted in the creation of three new, goodpaying local solar jobs. “I’m the busiest I have ever been in my life, even when I was farming,” commented Empowered Energy System’s owner and SEI alumni, Brad Burritt. Solarize North Fork Valley was created to drive economic development and jobs, and to

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ensure that our young people had opportunities for meaningful employment. SEI partnered with the Delta County School District to launch an Introduction to Photovoltaics course at Paonia High School. The class introduces students to renewable energy and solar installation practices. Thirteen juniors and seniors will graduate from this program later this month. Solarize North Fork Valley is part of a much bigger vision. “Our communities have been energy producers for over 100 years. As the energy market changes in response to climate change and a diminishing nonrenewable resource, there is an incredible opportunity in western Colorado to develop one of the region’s greatest resources — its solar resource. When you combine this with our skilled local workforce, you begin to see how much of a game-changer renewable energy truly can be for our communities,” Swartz stated. “SEI’s vision statement is a world powered by renewable energy, and we can use our community as a model of this vision. Our ultimate goal is 120 megawatts of local renewable energy. It’s an ambitious goal but yet

achievable because we live in a community that has fantastic solar, coal mine methane, biogas and hydro resources. This would not be possible without our progressive local rural electric coop, Delta-Montrose Electric Association.” In a recent ruling, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) cleared the way for Colorado’s Delta-Montrose Electric Association (DMEA), along with other electric co-ops, to step outside the bounds of a 40-year power supply contract with Tri-State Generation & Transmission Association and tap into local renewable energy supplies. With the ruling, FERC opened the door for DMEA and other co-op members to tap into cost-competitive renewable energy resources right in their backyards. SEI is working collaboratively with local organizations in the development of large utilityscale solar, in addition to expanding its residential and small commercial PV program. Under the leadership of Gerald Espinosa, SEI’s Americorps VISTA, SEI is actively planning for the next round of Solarize, which will begin in early 2016 and will include lowinterest financing and a community solar garden. “Many of our neighbors are still prohibited from going solar, particularly low and fixed income populations,” stated Espinosa. “With green loan programs and the potential of a community solar garden, we can really make clean energy costeffective and accessible to more in our community.” The journey to power our community with renewable energy continues. Be sure to tune back in early 2016 to learn more about how Solarize round II is working to make solar more accessible and affordable for our neighbors in the valley.

Selﬂess act

Photo submitted

Colton Farmer showed amazing Bulldog Pride and was a SUPER example to Hotchkiss K-8 kids of friendship, sharing, thoughtfulness and being helpful. He has been working on this Jeep all fall for this mom, using his own time and money to get it running.

Hotchkiss fire, theft remain unsolved BY TAMIE MECK Staff Writer

Two incidents that occurred in Hotchkiss early in the year remain unsolved. According to Marshal Dan Miller, cause of a March 8 fire at Tucker’s Pizza, Pub and Arcade, 221 W. Bridge Street, suspected to be arson, remains under delayed but active investigation by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Neither the marshal’s office nor the CBI has any leads in the case. Also last March, theft of upwards of $20,000 in

professional sound equipment, including amplifiers, microphones and other equipment, was reported stolen from beneath the grandstands of the Delta County Fairgrounds. The exact date of the theft is unknown. The case remains open and unsolved, said Marshal Miller. A partial list of equipment, including serial numbers, has been entered into a criminal database, but no activity has been reported. Anyone with leads in either of these incidents can contact the marshal’s office at 872-3848.

Hotchkiss lighting displays will be judged Dec. 15 Hotchkiss residents and businesses are reminded to finish their holiday decorating. The Hotchkiss eighth grade National Honor Society will judge lighting displays on Tuesday, Dec. 15, beginning at 6 p.m. They should be finished by 7 p.m.

Sponsored by the Hotchkiss Community Chamber of Commerce, there will be a total of $200 in prizes offered in this year’s lighting contest. The best display in either the business or residential category will win $75; the runner-up in each category will receive $25. The chamber reminds everyone that Dec. 12 is Shop Hotchkiss Second Saturday. Look for happenings, sales, art events and classes and more. One such happening is BLM_Information/nepa/ the North Fork Holiday ufo.html/. Market Place, at Heritage In fiscal year 2014, Col- Hall on the Delta County orado received more than Fairgrounds from 9 a.m. $169 million from royal- to 3 p.m. Free admission. ties, rentals and bonus bid payments for all federal minerals, including oil and gas. Statewide, more than 22,900 jobs are tied to mineral and energy development on public lands. For more information, contact Thane StranaThe BLM and Gunthan, BLM project coornison Gorge National dinator, at 240-5300. Conservation Area have implemented seasonal road closures within the Gunnison sage grouse area of critical environmental concern. Under the annual closures, C-77 (Green Mountain), Black Ridge and percent of revenues be Red Canyon Road are closed to motorized and spent annually. The capital improve- mechanical uses effecments fund revenues, col- tive immediately through lected largely through a May 15, 2016. The closures are 1 percent city sales tax and property taxes, are intended to protect senprojected to be $240,600, sitive Gunnison sage with total available fund grouse habitat, reduce revenue at $540,688; stress and disturbance to expenses are projected wintering deer and elk at $392,240. Anticipat- herds and protect soils ed projects include new from excessive erosion asphalt ($95,000), conver- and damage. Areas affectsion to LED street lights ed by the road closures ($20,000), curb and gut- include portions of Black ter ($45,000), equipment Ridge and Fruitland purchase ($17,000), paths mesas east of the Gunand trails ($64,000), vehi- nison Gorge Wilderness, cle purchase ($40,000), west of the Black Canand sidewalk replace- yon Road, south of the ment ($30,000). The town Smith Fork drainage and north of Black Canyon projects an ending fund of the Gunnison National balance of $148,448, Park. All of the affected although the budget did areas will remain open to not yet reflect an estinon-motorized recreation mated $50,000 line item such as hiking and horsefor the town’s 2016 share back riding. of bringing high-speed For additional informabroadband Internet ser- tion and a complete list of vices to Hotchkiss. closures, go to www.blm. The meeting begins at gov/co/st/en/fo/ufo.html or 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. contact the Uncompahgre 10, at Town Hall. Field Office at 240-5300.

Natural gas development OK’d near Somerset ��

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The Bureau of Land Management Uncompahgre Field Office and the U.S. Forest Service Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests posted Decision Records granting Gunnison Energy LLC and SG Interests, Ltd. the approval to develop up to 25 natural gas wells north of Somerset. This decision includes the approval of 10 of 25 anticipated applications

for permit to drill allowing for wells to be drilled on an existing multi-well pad and construction of four new multi-well pads and associated infrastructure. Overall, this project decision includes up to 32 surface use acres located on a mix of federal and private lands. The Environmental Assessment, Decision Record and associated documents are posted at www.blm.gov/co/st/en/

Hotchkiss council to approve 2016 budget BY TAMIE MECK Staff Writer

The Hotchkiss Town Council is set to approve the 2016 budget during this week’s monthly public meeting. The draft budget estimates total available revenue of $1,970,246, based on estimates prior to certification of the fiscal year 2015 mill levy by Delta County. According to town clerk Marlene Searle, the levy was certified last week at 7.3 mills, and figures will be adjusted accordingly. General funds are anticipated to be lower than in 2015, with estimated revenues at $788,375 and total available revenues at $1,988,605. Total general office expenses for 2016 are projected at $233,666, public works department expenses are projected at $364,710, and police department expenses for 2016 are projected at $279,190.

Projected water fund revenues are $399,580, down from an estimated $400,780 in 2015, with expenses projected at $380,765, up from a 2015 estimate of $318,140. Some of the biggest rises in costs include water tests, up from an estimated $4,747 in 2015 to a projected $10,000 in 2016, and costs associated with water treatment. Sanitation fund revenues are projected at $2,303,302, of which $2,057,082 is from grants and loans for the ongoing sewer line upgrades project. Sanitation fund expenses are projected to be $2,307,667, of which $2,068,010 is related to sewer line upgrades. Garbage fund revenues projections are at $117,005 and expenses are projected at $114,000. The Conservation Trust Fund anticipates total revenues and expenses of $10,785. CTF statute requires that 100

Seasonal road closures

BRUIN TRACKS

Delta County Independent

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

C EDAREDGE HIGH SCHOOL

575 Southeast Deer Creek Drive

Boys Basketball

By: Jacob Lewis Staff Writer

The boys basketball 2015-2016 is approaching fast and is highly anticipated by our entire school. Senior Shane Gates says, “The team has been working hard to get into shape to be able to compete at a high level.” He believes that because the entire team is willing to work hard, they will be able to have a successful season. One of his goals for the team is to have a competitive presence at the regional tournament and hopefully make it to state. Shane said, “Because it is my senior year, I am excited but sad that my basketball experience is coming to an end. Head coach, Kevin Dunbar, is also very excited about the upcoming season. He says that the preparations for this season are going fantastic. With hard working practices and two long days of productive scrimmages, the coach believes that both the JV and Varsity teams will continue to improve. Coach Dunbar believes that the team could be contender for a trip to the state tournament. To him, the future for basketball in Cedaredge is bright. Coach Dunbar said, “There are a lot of young, talented players who have been willing to put in time and effort to improve their skills and ultimately their team play. With their continued commitment, the program will have the ability to be a regional contender for many years to come.” Cedaredge hopes for an extremely successful season this year.

The Delta County Girls’ High School Swim Team has started their season with high hopes, Megan Huggett and Olivia McCrackin are both participating.

970 856 6882

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Boys Basketball is off to a strong start. Christian Reynolds jumps up for a rebound against an Olathe Pirate. Cedaredge won the game.

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Athletics Arrive

Girls Basketball

By: Alyssa Kissner Staff Writer

The Cedaredge High School girls’ basketball team prepares for yet another successful season. Ending last year with a record of 22-4 and taking 6th place at state, the girls push for a higher state placement through hard work every day at practice. Senior, Nellie Freeman, explains the team’s conditioning during practice. “We usually run down and backs or ladders between every two or three drills, and we run at the end to finish up practice.” During practice, this talented group of athletes pushes one another to better themselves each day, and make each other feel welcome while strengthening their team unity as well. Asking freshman, Courtney Freeman, what has made the transition into her first high school basketball season so easy, she states, “The support from the upperclassman, and having them to push me to be my very best.” There is outstanding dedication coming from every player on the team, and it’s going to pay off once the season officially starts. Coach Hilbig, along with the other coaches, are doing a great job working with the girls and helping them become as competitive as possible in hopes of advancing to the state playoffs at the end of this season.

Girls Basketball, coached by Drew Markley and Mr. Hilbig, has high hopes Toby Waddell for another successful season. compete in Hannah Gilmore reaches for Wrestling’s a layup, the girls also won Cedaredge Blue and against Olathe. White Scrimmage.

By: Colton Hoerr Staff Writer “The 2015-2016 wrestling team has the potential to enjoy a very successful season. The four returning state qualiﬁers are thrown into a gang of guys who are all hungry to compete and win. The progress from the off season is evident; we just need to embrace the grind of the sport and sharpen our skills. I believe if we stay focused and push one another, as a team we can jump to higher levels,”Coach Garrison says. This year the team consists of 33 wrestlers. Many of these wrestlers returned from last year, but several new freshman and beginners that have joined the team. “ I think there is a lot of competition in the room and if it continues our line up is going to be hard to beat this year,” Zach Anderson says. Overall, the athletes are very excited and ready to begin competition. The 2015-2016 team is preparing to have a very victorious season.

Cedaredge Wrestling

chs.deltaschools.com

WHAT’S BRUIN INSIDE

Frigid temperatures drive people indoors... thank goodness for basketball and wrestling. Band marches to “An American Christmas” in the Cedaredge and Delta Christmas parade. Knowledge Bowl still searching out the intelligentsia at Cedaredge, contact Ms. Milburn if you are interested in competing. Students all tremble at the word FINAL, right around the corner. Wrestling makes a stellar showing at its first dual, with a good showing they are off to a great start. Delta County Girls’ Swim Team ready to take the plunge, they had their first meet in Gunnison last Saturday. First AP Study Session in Delta well attended, students dedicate themselves to excellence in reading and writing. NHS members hold their breath in anticipation of the upcoming El Niño. College application deadlines have arrived, students scramble to compile portfolios, gather recommendations, and with fingers crossed submit their applications. Christmas Band and Choir performance on Monday December 14th at 6 pm, the entire community is invited to attend.

B6 Wednesday, December 9, 2015

BRUIN TRACKS

Delta County Independent

Students

Bruins Cedaredge High School

D r e s s F or S u cc e s s

Salem Shenold cuts metal for his table that he is creating in Mrs. Greenwood’s class.

By: Samantha Ribbens Staff Writer

The way one dresses shows the world who they are. On the last Friday before school was out for Thanksgiving break, student council organized an event they called “Dress for Success”. The day allowed everyone to dress in an outﬁt that demonstrated what they wanted to have for a career or what they saw as an idea of success. From Freshmen to Seniors, students dressed in anything from a nice suit and tie to nurses’ scrubs. For an entire day, teachers, nurses, lawyers and businessmen wandered the halls and attended classes. Clarity Call dressed as a psychologist in a nice black outﬁt. She stated that “It was fun to have a look into my career for a day.” Clarity looks forward to the position of a psychologist so she has the opportunity to help people in every way she can. This day gave students an opportunity to showcase their dreams and passions for the future with their classmates and school. Overall, Dress For Success Day was, well, a success.

at i on a l

onor

ociety

I n d u c t i o n

Senior Inductees: Brittany Chlarson, Brianna Morton, Andrew Reynolds, Tyler Reynolds, Kerry Ribbens, Angela Saenz, Selbi Shenold, Jacob Small, Cheyenne Stone Junior Inductees: Kaeli Baugh, Tre’ LaBossiere, Brandon O’Hern, Daniel Roberts, Cole Stumpf, Brooke Toothaker, Megan Toothaker, Sarah Tullis, Colter Wagner, Callie Wasser, Alexeea Wilson, Tory Wilson Returning Members and Ofﬁcers President: Shane Gates Vice President: Nellie Freeman Secretary: Kenzie Henderson Treasurer: Lydia Knutson STUCO Representative: Cole Stumpf -Shawn Badding, Sierra Baldozier, Amber Jenkins, Noah LaVau, Mckenzie Moore

Fall Athletics End Successful Seasons for All Teams

By: Kenzie Henderson Staff Writer The seasons have come to an end. Champions. Head coach Heather A highly successful fall season has Dunbar earned WSL Coach of the wrapped up. Football, volleyball, Year. All Conference was awarded to softball and golf continued into the Nellie Freeman, Kenzie postseason with all sports making an Henderson, Amber Jenkins, and appearance at state. Kendall McHugh. All Conference Football kicked off the season Honorable Mention was awarded to with a 6-0 record. They continued Hannah Gilmore and Lydia Knutson. the tradition with their fourth straight Softball also ended their season winning season, and another trip to at the state tournament. For the the postseason. Football ended with third year in a row, they entered a record of 7-2, and represented well the postseason and competed at the with All Conference selections. First state level. Their coach Matt Hall team All Conference was awarded was named Coach of the Year for to Anthony Antuna, Tyler Cooper, the WSL. Shayna Dale earned with Ethan Fritchman, and Christian All Conference honors along with Reynolds. All Conference several teammates from the North Honorable Mention was awarded to Fork area. Tre’ LaBossiere and Jacob Ostrom. The golf team had a successful For the second time in school season, sending three athletes to history, the volleyball team state. Duncan Campbell, Peter participated in the state tournament. Carlson, and Jacob Lewis competed Going 1-1, the team lost to Yuma, at the state tournament. All three who went on to be the state boys are young, and now with the champions. Ending their season on a experience under their belts, they win by beating Kiowa, the can use it to place even higher next volleyball team held their heads high year. with a winning record of 22-5. Congratulations to all coaches Volleyball was presented with a and athletes on a wonderful start to plethora of awards. They were the 2015-2016 school year. League, District, and Regional

Jacob Ostrom prepares to launch the ball down the ﬁeld as the Bruins attempt a touchdown.

Matthew Smelser carefully lines up for a swing while paying attention to his form.

Nellie Freeman and Lydia Knutson go up on a block against Yuma in the 2A State Tournament.

BRUIN TRACKS

Delta County Independent

School

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Bruins

Cornucopia of Blessings By Megan Huggett Staff Writer “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them,” John F. Kennedy. Thanksgiving is the time of year to show appreciation and gratitude, when family and friends gather together, the one time of year to really count your blessings. Along with Thanksgiving dinner, the laughter that ﬁlls the air, and love that is shared, comes the Thanksgiving traditions. Shelby Stone is one of the many with a thanksgiving tradition that is shared every year. Shelby Stone travels with her family to visit her grandma in New Mexico. They spend the entire day making tamales, and bonding as a family. Sierra Baldozier is another

person who has the opportunity to share a Thanksgiving tradition. Sierra and her family, like many other families, enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner. They eat foods such as turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie, the traditional Thanksgiving feast. Not only this, but also every year Sierra and her family participate in entertaining games, including the game 31, and many others. Whether it’s simply coming together as a family feasting on all the delicacies Thanksgiving has to offer to making tamales with grandparents in New Mexico, every family celebrates Thanksgiving their own memorable way. Thanksgiving day is especially the day to be grateful for all that you have been blessed with, and every year your gratitude can be expressed.

Sierra Baldozier frames a leaf she labeled with one word which describes what she is thankful for this Thanksgiving.

‘Tis the Season

Mrs. Gillis celebrates the Christmas spirit in her classroom by hanging ornaments, such as a Santa doll, around her classroom.

By Lexi Anderson Staff Writer It’s December! The means the Christmas spirit can officially ignite! Students have been looking forward to this since last year. They finally can enjoy two weeks of break and are excited for all the adventures they will experience during it. Although most of us set up our Christmas tree back in November, other students are preparing themselves to go into the cold weather to find one. Hannah Hatheway is one of those students; “I plan on setting up my tree in a couple of weeks. We get a live tree at a farm in Mon-

Nellie Freeman & Amber Jenkins stand by the Thankful Tree after hanging their leaf of thankfullness on the tree.

trose.” Aaron Good is not only ready for break, but the cold weather and snow that comes with it. “I snowmobile and snowboard over break, and I am excited for it this year.” With Christmas coming, it brings all the music with it. “Christmas music is one of my favorite parts about Christmas,” Hannah Hatheway shares, “my favorite song is “Mary Did You Know.” Break is coming quick, and with that, half of the school year is over, along with a new year, 2016 will bring more challenges and accomplishments with it.

•Meet Me at the Top• •Race You to the Bottom•

Skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, sledding...the Grand Mesa has a slew of winter activities to do! There are countless snowmobiling trails, sledding hills, and skiing trails, along with Powderhorn, located less than an hour away from Cedaredge. The outdoor activities located on the Grand Mesa and surrounding areas are world class! So go on an adventure and try something new!

B8 Wednesday, December 9, 2015

BRUIN TRACKS

Delta County Independent

School

Bruins

Bruin Territory The Modest Moose By Angela Saenz Staff Writer

And… Lights Up! The Cedaredge High School theatre program impressed the community with their melodrama, “She Was Only Marginally Modest”. The

students performed the show twice for the community and once for the student body at Cedaredge High School. The play earned many laughs, and the

actors enjoyed portraying hilarious characters! All the proceeds from the play

go to support the Cedaredge High School Marching Band. Mckenzie Moore, a senior, played Prunehilda Pincher in the play. She expressed her happiness for the

play and the experience that came with it. “The play was so much fun to put on and even hanging out backstage makes for really good memories!” Students had to come after school to

practice the performance numerous times. Director Nick Parsons wanted to make sure that the students not only remembered their blocking and lines but to

make their characters come to life. The students express themselves

through their character and let their creativity emerge in the play. Nick Parsons and the drama program hopes to see everyone back next semester for their next great performance!

LEFT: A handful of thespians give a ﬁnal bow to end the performance. TOP RIGHT: Mr. Parson With a round of applause, students headed off for a cast party at Mr. directs his students during Parsons house, a yearly tradition that eceryone enjoys. play rehearsal.

BELOW RIGHT: Lynzie Stratman peaks over her guests’ shoulders while they play poker.

Letter from the Editor By Drew Markley

Assistant Editor Slurping and smacking lurks in the hallways of Cedaredge High School. Those two sounds are too common. Public Displays of Affection are increasing. As the year progresses, students get into the groove of school. This leads to the students trying to ﬁt in some lip action. PDA ranges anywhere from holding hands to full on smooching in the halls. The

BRUIN TRACKS Editor-in-Chief Lydia Knutson

Assistant Editor: Drew Markley Photography Editor: Lydia Knutson Advertising Editor: Kaeli Baugh Staff Writers:

Lexi Anderson Sierra Baldozier Kaeli Baugh Brittany Chlarson Hannah Hatheway Kenzie Henderson Colton Hoerr Megan Huggett Jared Hulteen Alyssa Kissner

Lydia Knutson Jacob Lewis Drew Markley Max Moore McKenzie Moore Sam Ribbens Angela Saenz Niala Stair Brooke Toothaker

The views expressed in the Bruin Tracks do not necessarily represent the opinions of Cedaredge High School or its staff. The Bruin Tracks is a public forum for student expression, striving for journalistic excellence; it is created as part of the Journalism class at Cedaredge High School. Bruin Tracks thanks all the advertisers and other community supporters. We welcome all comments.

lower end of the spectrum such as holding hands is a more acceptable form of PDA at Cedaredge High School. Speaking on behalf of everyone who walks the halls in Cedaredge, however, no one wants to walk and catch a couple in a lip-lock. If a person would like to tongue wrestle with his lover, please do so in the privacy of a house. School isn’t the place to be demonstrating PDA.

Delta County Independent

SURFACE CREEK December 9, 2015

SURFACE CREEK NEWS

NEWS

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

www.deltacountyindependent.com

Angel Tree helps families have a better Christmas BY HANK LOHMEYER Staff Writer

A long-standing holiday tradition of special caring and giving is again providing Christmas happiness to Surface Creek Valley children and their families. But in many instances, explains Peggy Bathie of Cedaredge, who is helping coordinate the Angel Tree project this year, the community’s caring is being asked to go beyond providing delights for wide-eyed kids on Christmas morning with a present to unwrap. “Local families are asking for basic survival items on their Christmas lists to Angel Tree this year,” Bathie said. “You see the need is so great when parents are asking for bottles and diapers for their kids.” Along with her daughter, Heather McGovern, Bathie has been working with the Angel Tree project to adopt entire families for the Christmas season. For groups want-

Photo by Hank Lohmeyer

The Angel Tree was offering gifting ideas for wouldbe local Santas last week at Cedaredge FoodTown.

ing to adopt entire families for the season, Peggy’s phone number is 856-3306, and McGovern’s is 970-778-0366. The Angel Tree was at Cedaredge FoodTown, with opportunities for caring shoppers to play Santa for a youngster this year. Requests for gifts this year as found on the tree last week included: “Anything John Deere;” “Transformers, dinosaurs, games, puzzles;” “Toy cars, toy guns;” “Makeup, perfume and lotion;” “CDs and books;” “coat and gloves;” “Snow boots and jacket;” “Legos, Ninja Turtles.” Local Santas need to have Angel Tree gifts at the offices of Blair and Associates, 105 SE Frontier, Ste. 105, by this Friday, Dec. 11. Bathie’s tree-themed enthusiasm for community holiday spirit has gone beyond the Angel Tree project. Bathie organized an unofficial community Christmas tree lighting last Thursday that was attended by about 20 people. Bathie even supplied cookies for her guests. “This is a beautiful community. So why don’t we have a community Christmas tree?’ she asked. She answered her own question by organizing the carolling and cookies treelighting event at a 60-foot-tall conifer located at the corner of SE Buffalo and South Grand Mesa Drive, across from the AppleShed. “Next year it will be one of the trees in Town Park, and we will light it following the Parade of Lights,” Bathie said. Last Christmas, the Chamber of Commerce had hoped to stage a community tree lighting using one of the big spruce trees in front of the Masonic Lodge building. Some technical difficulties ran afoul of those plans.

Photo by Hank Lohmeyer

About 20 people came out for a holiday event of lighting an unofﬁcial community Christmas tree last week, organized by Peggy Bathie.

A most memorable parade

Part of the winning parade entry judged “most memorable” was this ﬂoat by the Thunder Mountain Wheelers showing a tractor clearing snow, along with some authentic “tire” snowmen. The ﬂoat was accompanied by 18 decorated ATVs ridden by club members. For more on this year’s parade, please turn to B11.

Young author pens children’s books BY HANK LOHMEYER Staff Writer

A young Surface Creek writer who has had three of her children’s books published says she is planning more stories about the exploits of her reptillian protagonist — her pet, Sepren — a bearded dragon. Twelve-year-old Winnie Hirsch has written three adventure stories about the exploits of Sepren. The stories are set in the holiday environments of Christmas, Easter and the Fourth of July, and Winnie is already planning future Sepren adventures set around New Year’s Eve, Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day and Halloween. “I was inspired to write by my bearded dragon, Sepren,” Winnie said. “He likes to be dressed up. He was a wizard for Halloween. He likes wearing little capes and stuff.” Last week, Winnie paid a visit to the Hunsicker Library at Cedaredge Elementary School for a reading of her work to students and guests from Little Sprouts Preschool. She read from her first book, “Sepren’s Christmas Adventure.” The slim volume is produced on high-quality stock with glossy photos and illustrations. As with the other adventures in The Sepren Series, Winnie took the photos illustrating the story. “Sepren’s Christmas Adventure” was published before Christmas last year. In his Christmas adventure, explained the author, a caped Sepren is found proving his heroic mettle by the kind act of lending his garment to a salamander who needed it for protection from winter’s cold, and thus earning the honor of being Santa’s helper. In Sepren’s second adventure of the series, “Sepren’s Easter Adventure,” the hero is found ready to assist anoth-

Photo by Hank Lohmeyer

Winnie Hirsch conducts a reading of her children’s books for fourth graders and Little Sprouts preschoolers last week at Hunsicker Library. As she read the Christmas adventure in her current trilogy, she paused to show the photos which she also took to illustrate the story. er iconic character of holiday events — the Easter Bunny. Sepren finds himself needed to help vanquish the story’s villain — the Bad Bunny. The author then took an imaginative leap in plot design for her third book — “Sepren’s 4th of July Adventure.” Winnie says, “I have a pretty good imagination. I just think up the plots before I begin to write.” The third book involves time travel, with Sepren taking a trip back through time to the American Colonies as they struggled for independence from Great Britain. Winnie’s plot brings Sepren to the signing of the Declaration of Independence where he makes his mark on that historic testament to freedom “for all the animals.” The books are each about 20 to 26 pages long. Winnie is being homeschooled. She attended CMS through the fifth grade. While she has written and photographed all the material for her Sepren Series books, she

Bulky gear vexes Orchard City staff BY HANK LOHMEYER Staff Writer

The Orchard City Town Board may be close to deciding what to do with a new piece of equipment the town bought earlier this year that isn’t performing as promised. The town purchased the $6,900 road shouldering side dresser with expectations that it would cut in half the number of man-hours need for the labor-intensive task of maintaining road shoulders. But the machine has given public works staff nothing but headaches as fix after fix intended to adapt it to existing town equipment has ultimately failed. The side dresser is supposed to mount to the bed of a dump truck. Using a sidedirected conveyor, the device lays down a seamless course

of gravel along the sides of roads. Trustees saw huge savings in manpower costs and hoped to cut the job of shouldering roads from four men and three pieces of heavy equipment to two men and the truck-mounted side dresser. But for various reasons the equipment simply doesn’t work with the town’s trucks. After many discussions and failed workarounds, trustees are now looking to buy a used truck that the side dresser can be successfully mounted to. It is simply not designed to work on any of the town’s current fleet of vehicles, trustees have at last concluded. As a result, even though the town is still looking forward to eventual cost savings, a $60,000 item has been added to the 2016 budget to buy a heavy truck that works

Photo by Hank Lohmeyer

with the side dresser. The proposed budget includes $30,000 from the road fund and the same amount from the water fund to pay for the truck. Trustees are scheduled to adopt the 2016 town budget on Dec. 9. During a work session on Dec. 2, trustees also reflected on the condition of some of the town’s older equipment and considered sending it to the used truck market. In other action at the Dec. 2 work session, the following items were discussed. • A town board complaint about advice from the Colorado Municipal League on dealing with effects of humancaused global warming has brought a response from the CML director, Sam Mamet. He asked if he could come in person and make a presen-

tation on the programs the CML offers its member local governments. The visit is scheduled for after the first of the year. Town staff has been directed to withhold payment of the town’s $1,292 annual CML dues until after they hear what the CML’s director has to say, even though by doing so the town will lose a $38 credit for early payment of its annual dues bill. • The Centennial Wall rebuilding project will not be completed until next year due to the onset of winter weather. • Trustees will consider removing pavement crack sealing from the budget for town hall parking lot and two subdivisions in favor of spending money on road work that is more pressing.

needed some help from Mom and Dad when it came to getting them published. Her parents are Susie Hirsch, who grew up in Grand Junction, and Jeff Hirsch who is from Phoenix. They are both local veterinarians. They chose a firm in Grand Junction for the job of producing the books. There were 100 copies of each one published in the first editions. Copies are available at Winnie’s website, WinnieHirsch.com. (Note: A search engine inquiry might turn up a different author with the same name as Winnie’s. So a search for “Winnie Hirsch Sepren Series” is recommended.) Winnie was confident that by this week her mom would have been able to arrange having the books in the Sepren Series made available through Amazon.com. People who have ordered her books all asked for autographed copies, and Winnie says she is glad to comply with the request. Winnie donated a set of her three books to the school library last week following her readings, “so that the kids can check them out.”

Photo by Hank Lohmeyer

Sepren, the caped bearded dragon protagonist of Winnie Hirsch’s children’s books, is shown with Santa from the cover photo of “Sepren’s Christmas Adventure.”

B10 Wednesday, December 9, 2015

SURFACE CREEK NEWS

Delta County Independent

Six seek seats on chamber board BY HANK LOHMEYER Staff Writer

The Cedaredge Area Chamber of Commerce has six people seeking four open positions on its board of directors. At the December meeting held last week, the candidates introduced themselves to the sitting board members and to members in attendance. They are the following: • Dottie Whitlock, who served previously as a chamber board member and wants to be involved again; • Nancy Hovde, a former member and president of DMEA’s board; • Carol Jarbo, a businesswoman who organizes the chamber-sponsored ice fishing derby each year; • Stacy Morton, a businesswoman with experience in retail, promotions and events planning; • John Whitney of Keystone Design Masonry, who lives north of town; • and businessman, musician and music promoter David Starr. According to chamber board member Bill Miller, the four new directors were to be selected on Tuesday, Dec. 8, at a morning meeting. Miller said the chamber officers for 2016 will be selected at the board’s January regular meeting. Other matters dealt with at the December meeting included the following: • A discussion of making revisions to the chamber membership fee schedule;

• A discussion of using member contributions to pay for a redesigned website. Member businesses may be asked to pay $100 for their name listed in boldface lettering on the website business roster. It will take 30 businesses to sign up at $100 each to cover the project. The chamber board doesn’t want to dip into its own funds to pay for the project, Miller explained. • A possible revision of the bylaws will spell out duties for chamber board members. More participation and active involvement in planning projects and staging events are among the duties that may be added. In the past, getting board members to volunteer for projects has been difficult, it was noted. The chamber wants to have a more active board of directors than in the past. • Board member Phyllis Hoffman read a proposal she drafted for establishing an “ambassador program” that would function similar to the Montrose Chamber of Commerce Red Coats to promote the chamber and the community. • A report on the Delta County Tourism Cabinet was presented by one of the cabinet’s two Surface Creek representatives, Patricia Luna. • The AppleFest made $14,681. However, the Golden Gala, which precedes the big two-day AppleFest, was a money loser once again, draining $12,097 from the chamber’s finances. As of Nov. 4, the chamber reported $22,474 in available funds.

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Outstanding CMS students honored

Photo submitted

Cedaredge Middle School inducted 33 members into the newly chartered National Junior Honor Society. NJHS is the nation’s premier organization to honor outstanding middle school students. The foundation of NJHS is built on the pillars of scholarship, leadership, service and character. Students who are inducted into NJHS show excellence in these areas. It is an honor to recognize the charter members pictured above: Issac Blair, Conner Brooks, Jacob Brown, Sam Campbell, Hannah Carlson, Elizabeth Cole, Owen Craig, Sean Dale, Victoria Fowler, Aspen Furubotten, Violet Gonzalez, Kammie Henderson, Hannah Hohenstein, Ryan Imhoff, Joshua Jenkins, Makayla Kehmeier, Elle Lewis, Abigail Lozano, Sophia McCrackin, Reganne McIntire, Jamie Meyer, Kimberly Milholland, Kiele Rains, AJ Robidoux, Colby Rupp, Skyler Sakala, Katelin Seale, Emma Stumpf, Joaquin Tillman, Kaitlyn Toothaker, Brody Wagner, Shyler Walker, Olivia Wick and Connor Brooks.

Gingerbread houses a big hit for Habitat for Humanity BY HANK LOHMEYER Staff Writer

Another big Delta County Habitat for Humanity gingerbread decorating event took place at the Civic Center for kids and their families. The third annual event got a lot of support and volunteer help from members of the Delta County Board of Realtors which had personnel on hand to help with everything from signups to cleanups. This year’s silent auction included dozens of attractive and valuable items donated by businesses, individuals and anonymous benefactors. Habitat board member Perry Hotz of Cedaredge

Photo by Hank Lohmeyer

Crawford / Hotchkiss face painter and artist Annette Murray joined in the fun of decorating kids for Christmas at the Habitat gingerbread house decorating event.

Land Company was busy tracking the silent auction bidding online, a new addition to the silent auction this year. The gingerbread event is a fundraiser for Delta County Habitat for Humanity. Families arrived Saturday afternoon and picked up their pre-erected gingerbread houses. They then set themselves to the fun of decorating the tasty structures with a range of yummy building materials including everything from jelly beans to pretzels. There were cookies and other holiday sweet treats for everyone, and free books were available for the kids. Youngsters lined up for more fun at the face painting station. There, artist Annette Murray of Crawford (Murray Arts Face Painting and More) decorated faces for more holiday fun. Murray also participates in the Hotchkiss 2nd Saturday events and has Grandma Jo’s Attic in Hotchkiss. Christmas carols played in the background and helped everyone get into the holiday spirit — but not a lot of help was needed for that. Parents and kids arrived primed and ready for a good family time of building traditions together made of gingerbread, candy and love. The importance of the event to the community is evidenced by the many sponsors and donors who contributed to support it. Event organizers provided the following list: Big John’s Ace Hardware, Cindy Starr, Mona Hill, Susan Lorenz, 5680 Vineyard, Ace Hardware, Benson Brothers, Cedaredge Food Town, Cedaredge Golf Club, Cedaredge Land Company, Clubb’s of Delta, AppleShed, Daveto’s Restaurant, Dea Jacobson – Blue Heron Yoga, Ace Hardware Delta, Devil’s Thumb Golf Course, Dollar Tree, Grand Mesa Massage, Hellman Ford, Janie Henderson, Judy Fairchild,

Photo by Hank Lohmeyer

Sweet fun at the Habitat for Humanity gingerbread decorating event was had by, from left, Elizabeth, 16, Zoe, 14, and Cadence, 11, daughters of Vince and Emily Wood of Cedaredge. Kissner GC, Lily and Rose Home Furnishings, Lisa True, hair stylist, MHP Funds LLC, Mona Hill, Helping Hands Ministry, Walmart, City Market Hotchkiss, RJ’s Steak House, Safeway, Short Branch Liquor, Starr’s

Guitar, Sunflower Room, Tara’s, Western Family, Winnie Hirsch, 4 B’s Brewery, Angela Fedler, Bert Sibley, Greg Stratman, Jan Pappas, Janice Jones, Jo and Bill Dickes, Linda Bledsoe and Taylor Funeral Service.

Photo by Hank Lohmeyer

Main Street attraction The Methodist Women’s ThrIft Shop became the scene of a living Christmas card for the Parade of Lights as volunteer Jo Ann Price staged a demonstration of expert gingerbread house decorating.

SURFACE CREEK NEWS

Delta County Independent

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

B11

Parade of Lights excites young and old BY HANK LOHMEYER Staff Writer

Dozens of entries lighted up like — well, like a big Christmas parade — and a crowd of excited people lining Main Street to share the holiday spirit marked a successful Parade of Lights in Cedaredge last Saturday. The parade entry that best expressed the event’s theme of “A Cowboy Christmas” was created by the Best of the West 4-H Club. The club was awarded the grand prize in that category by the Cedaredge ARea Chamber of Commerce. Another local entry from the Excess Balloon Team earned the “Most Unique” award

Photo by Hank Lohmeyer

Participating in the Parade of Lights at Christmas with their much admired vintage Chevy work truck, GMUG forest managers said they are glad to express pride in the community they are a contributing part of all year long. from contest judges. The team’s entry was a trailer-mounted balloon gondola that with a huge

Photo by Hank Lohmeyer

Fair royalty never miss a local parade event, and they were a smiling part of the Parade of Lights last Saturday, Shown are Delta County queen Rachel Huerkamp, center; princess Kaitlyn Sharpe, left; and junior princess Jessie Stillings.

flash and roar shot giant flames skyward from its gas-fueled inflator as it made its way along Main Street. The entry provided some real parade excitement for spectators. The “Most Memorable” prize for this year’s parade went to the Thunder Mountain Wheelers ATV group. Its impressive and very cool parade display included an abundantly lighted trailer followed by 18 ATVs proceeding with military-like precision, each one brightly lit and decorated. Making another crowd-pleasing appearance in the parade this year was the U.S. Forest Service’s vintage GMUG Chevy dually work truck. The completely restored classic was brightly lit up for the parade. The local forest managers attending noted that everyone in their agency takes

Carpenter concert set the stage for holiday fun BY HANK LOHMEYER Staff Writer

The Chapel of the Cross music committee wanted to provide a fun musical event for people during the Parade of Lights festivities. They succeeded with a

concert by local western balladeer Ray Carpenter. He led his two audiences through a program of favorite holiday sing-a longs and fun and funny Christmas carols and stories. Carpenter’s program

New Hope offers seasonal musical The Cedaredge New Hope E-Free adult choir and children’s department will share the “Silent Night, Holy Night” musical/drama on Sunday, Dec. 13, in the 10 a.m. service. “The community is going to enjoy this spirited seasonal presentation filled with classic carols, hymns and drama, along with stirring new songs,” said Carma Grimes, New Hope music director. “It’s one of the most beautiful musicals I’ve ever heard, and I am certain others are sure to agree.” Admission is free.

New Hope E-Free Church is located at 17464 Surface Creek Road, just past the rodeo grounds in Cedaredge. For more information, call the church office at 8564458.

took his audience through an entertaining musical journey that scaled the heights of the sacred with a sing-along of “Silent Night,” to the forlorn and earthy reflections of a cowboy spending Christmas Eve alone in a southern California hotel room. Along the way, listeners learned how the angel came to be set atop the Christmas tree. The fun, holiday flavor of the chapel concert events this year “were just exactly what we wanted!” said event coordinator Nancy Carlson. The audience was especially delighted when, as Ray strummed and sang his way through seasonal favorites from singing cowboy Gene Autry including “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,” a deer made its way toward the panoramic glass wall at the front of the chapel. It was a surprising and appropriate treat that brought the spirit of Christmas even closer to the concert audience.

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great pride in the opportunity to participate with the Parade of Lights and demonstrate that the Forest Service feels itself to be a strong part of the community. The parade included many great, creative entries that took a lot of planning and work, and the judges wondered if the public would understand how truly difficult it was to pick winners. The parade was the big attraction of a day filled with activities: • The Methodist Church homemade chili and baked potato dinner at the Masonic Hall. The event included a kids’ winter coat and jacket giveaway; • An appearance by Santa Claus at the Chamber of Commerce office; • A demonstration of woodworking craft by Walt Anderson at Munson’s Main Street Gallery; • A “Living Christmas Card” at the Methodist Women’s Thrift Shop including a display of expert gingerbread house decorating skills; • The grand opening of Impressionz next

door to Gazebo Florist. Impressionz is an artists’ co-op gallery that is part of a larger vision for the community to develop a “creative district.” • Town offices were open and elected offi-

cials, staff and members of Surface Creek Valley Lions Club served warm, locally made apple cider to help chase whatever winter chills might have occurred on a nearly perfect December evening.

Photo by Hank Lohmeyer

The winning ﬂoat in the Best Theme category of last Saturday’s “Cowboy Christmas” Parade of Lights was the work of Best of the West 4-H Club. Pictured are club members Aspen Hilterbrand, left, and Bailey Rogers.

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B12 Wednesday, December 9, 2015

OBITUARIES

the arrangements. View the Internet obituary and sign the online guest registry at taylor funeralservice.com.

Cora White

Mary Heath

Eckert resident Mary Heath died Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015, at home. She was 64. A funeral service was held Monday, Dec. 7, at Cowboy at the Cross Church in Cory with Shane Kier officiating. Mary Charlene Hayes was born in Camp Lejeune, N.C., Oct. 10, 1951, to Charles and Helen (Browning) Hayes. As a U.S. Marine’s child, she lived in several places and spent most of her childhood in Riverside, Calif. On April 3, 1970, she married John Heath in Riverside, Calif. Mrs. Heath enjoyed gardening, her dogs, hiking, raising and breeding quality horses with her family, playing guitar and singing. She was a member of the Cedaredge Assembly of God, Tandem Families and Al-Anon Family Group. She is survived by her husband of 45 years, John Heath; two sons, Matthew (Julianne) Heath of Wellington and Jack (Mariah) Heath of Cedaredge; three sisters, Lois (Robert) Phillips of Brentwood, Calif., Sue (Jack) Dennis of New Mexico, and Peggy Hayes of Eugene, Ore.; one brother, Tom Hayes of California; and five grandchildren. Taylor Funeral Service and Crematory handled

Cora L. White of Hotchkiss died Saturday, Dec. 5, 2015, at Horizons Care Center in Eckert. She was 90. Visitation will be from noon to 1 p.m. and a funeral service at 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11, at Callahan-Edfast Mortuary Chapel, 2515 Patterson Road, Grand Junction. Burial will be in the Odd Fellows section at Orchard Mesa Cemetery in Grand Junction. Mrs. White worked as a finance supervisor for the City of Grand Junction. She is survived by a son, Doug Rushing of Grand Junction; three daughters, Connie States of Grand Junction, Teresa Torrens of Denver and Patricia Faas of Hotchkiss; a sister, Zella Wilson of Hotchkiss; 13 grandchildren; and 21 great-grandchildren. Callahan-Edfast Mortuary is handling the arrangements.

Marjorie Sullivan

Cedaredge resident Marjorie Sullivan died Sunday, Dec. 6, 2015, at Delta County Memorial Hospital. She was 73. Viewing and visitation will be from 5-7 p.m., Fri-

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day, Dec. 11, at Taylor Funeral Service Chapel in Delta. Funeral services with Ron Howard officiating will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 12, at Taylor Funeral Service Chapel in Delta. Interment will follow in Mesa View Cemetery in Delta. Marjorie Dianne Bandimere was born in Denver April 18, 1942, to Horace and Marjorie (Guy) Bandimere. She graduated from Golden

High School in 1961. On Sept. 3, 1961, she married Earl Sullivan in Golden. They moved to Cedaredge 15 years ago. Mrs. Sullivan enjoyed spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren and greatgrandchildren, singing, knitting, artwork and playing the piano. She is survived by her husband of 54 years, Dean Sullivan; a son, Maury (Vanessa) Sul-

Delta County Independent

livan of Delta; four daughters, DeAnn (Don) Morfitt of Delta, Colleen (Kevin) Frovarp of Colorado Springs, Denise (Matthew) Furubotten of Cedaredge and Kizy (Roger) Melvin of Pueblo; five brothers, Fred (Donna) Bandimere of Spiro, Okla., Sam (Judy) Bandimere and Ben (Micki) Bandimere, all of Arvada, Marjoe Bandimere of Westminster and Kenny (Sandy) Ban-

dimere of Sugar City; three sisters, Anna Bell (Denny) Uhls of Fort Collins, Christine (John) Bauer of Littleton and Darlene (Duane) Junker of Golden; 13 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren. 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

What’s up 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 for Storytime 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. Maker Space: Holiday Card Making. Visit the Cedaredge Library anytime during open hours and make a special holiday card. Supplies, tools and ideas will be provided. Available for the month of December. 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 for Storytime Babies, Tots and Preschoolers at the Crawford Library. Stories, games, songs, activi-

ties 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. 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. Friends of the Delta Library. Holiday party at the Wild Flower Bistro. If interested in attending, please contact the Friends at 970-2010260. 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!

Movie. The Delta Library will be showing a holiday movie directed by Robert Zemeckis and based on children’s author Chris Van Allsburg’s modern holiday classic. The movie revolves around Billy, who longs to believe in Santa Claus but finds it quite difficult to do so. This all changes, however, on Christmas Eve, when a mysterious train visits Billy in the middle of the night, promising to take him and a group of other lucky children to the North Pole for a visit with Santa. Wear your pajamas and enjoy delicious hot cocoa and cookies! Wednesday, Dec. 23, at 1 p.m. 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 Baby, Storytimes. 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.

Water district accepting grant applications now The Colorado River District is now accepting applications for grant funding to assist projects that protect, enhance or develop water resources within its 15-county region. Applications are due Jan. 29. The total amount available for the 2016 competitive grant program is $150,000. Projects eligible for the grant program must achieve one or more of the following objectives: • develop a new water supply • improve an existing system • improve in-stream water quality • increase water use efficiency • reduce sediment loading • implement a watershed management action • control invasive riparian vegetation • protect pre-Colorado River Compact water rights (typically includes those in use before 1929). Previous successful grant-funded projects include financial assistance with the construction of new water storage, enlargement of existing water storage or diversion facilities, rehabilitation of water storage/delivery/diversion structures, implementation of water efficiency improvements, water quality projects and watershed enhancements. By policy, successful grantees can receive up to

a maximum of $150,000 (or approximately 25 percent of the total project cost; in the case of smaller projects, this percentage may be slightly higher) for their project. Qualifying projects must have either been completed within the last 12 months or are on track to be constructed within the next 18 months.

To access the Water Resources Grant Program application, instructions, guidelines, ranking criteria, policies and other details visit www.Colorado RiverDistrict.org. More information can be obtained by contacting Dave Kanzer or Alesha Frederick at 970945-8522 or by email to grantinfo@crwcd.org.

A day of remembrance

Hotchkiss Gingerbead Contest. Children, family, adult entries. Open to the public for viewing Dec. 7-17. Winners will be announced Dec. 21. Entries need to be picked up by Dec. 30. Hotchkiss Book Club. This month’s selection is “Let Me Be Frank with You” by Richard Ford. Hotchkiss Book Club meets on the third Thursday of each month (September-June) at 3 p.m. For more information and this month’s location, please contact Diane Winchester at 8723745. Thursday, Dec. 17, at 3 p.m. 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. Teen Program: Bey Blades. Teens and tweens, join us for some serious competition and a lot of fun! Friday, Dec. 18, at 4 p.m. Family Holiday Movie. Join folks of all ages for a special Paonia Library celebration of winter with refreshments and a movie directed by Robert Zemeckis and based on children’s author Chris Van Allsburg’s modern holiday classic. The movie revolves around Billy, who longs to believe in Santa Claus but finds it quite difficult to do so. This all changes, however, on Christmas Eve, when a mysterious train visits Billy in the middle of the night, promising to take him and a group of other lucky children to the North Pole for a visit with Santa. Tuesday, Dec. 22, at 6 p.m. Movie for Break. Paonia Library will show a hit animated movie about the popular small, yellow, cylindrical, creatures who have one or two eyes. More information is available on the libraries calendar at www.delta libraries.org. Wednesday, Dec. 30, at 2 p.m.

Photo by Hank Lohmeyer

Mayor Ed Sisson offers a few comments on the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor during observances Monday at Conﬂuence Park. A color guard from Lee Marts VFW Post #3571 stands by.

SPORTS

Section

December 9, 2015

www.deltacountyindependent.com

DHS boys win 3 on hardwood BY WAYNE CRICK DCI Sports Editor

This year’s Delta High School boys’ basketball team will make fans, and coaches, smile a lot. The Panthers will be inexperienced but talented as they continue their season following last week’s 3-0 start. Delta defeated Coal Ridge, 5651, on Thursday to start

its 2015-16 season. On Friday the Panthers put together a solid game for a 54-36 decision over Olathe. A come-frombehind win, 48-43, over Cedaredge on Saturday completed Delta’s sweep of tournament competition. Delta 56, Titans 51 A rough start against Coal Ridge left the Pan-

thers behind, 18-10, after one period of action. The Titans scorched the net for four 3-point goals in the opening quarter. Jake Solinger and Hunter Gerber had a 3-pointer and a 2-point goal to pace the Titans’ 18-10 start. Delta freshman Kyle Mock matched the two Titan scorers with five

points of his own. Mock and sophomore Jaspar Carmichael scored seven and four points, respectively, in a 13-11 run by the Panthers who still trailed, 29-23, at halftime. Delta’s offense added new scorers to its arsenal to begin the second half. Carmichael continued to score effectively with five

Paonia boys 3-0 in hoops BY ERIC GOOLD DCI Sports Writer

The Paonia High School boys’ basketball team appears to be a very motivated bunch. After making it to the regional championship game the past two seasons, the experienced Eagles began their quest for the state tournament with three straight wins. At the First Colorado National Bank Tournament last weekend, Paonia showed flashes of athleticism and teamwork that has its fans thinking this might be a special season. Paonia 51, MHSJV 12 Even for a bunch of football players playing basketball, the first game was little more than a scrimmage as Paonia took a 24-0 lead over the junior varsity Montrose Indians after one quarter. “It was a good first game for us,” Paonia coach Chase Roeber said. “We’ve only had about two nights in the gym, a couple of guys only got

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one night, and a bunch of football players just finished up football.” Roeber worked the bench, and the Eagles led 38-7 after the third quarter. “This was a good opener to get one under our belt, get one out of the way, get back in basketball mode a little bit,” Roeber said. “We take it for that and move on.” Paonia 60, NHS 40 The Eagles came out flying against the No. 8 1A Norwood Mavericks. Junior Colby Simpson showed his range, nailing three 3-pointers to go along with Dagan Rienks’ bucket as Paonia jumped ahead 11-7 four minutes into the contest. Alex Lozano fired a 3pointer, then Francisco Lopez stole the ball and scored for the Eagles. Taylor Walters connected at the buzzer and Paonia led 18-9 after the first quarter. Simpson canned another 3, Rienks drove to the glass and scored,

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and Cameron Van Vleet had a couple of buckets as Paonia upped its lead to 31-13 at halftime. Rienks scored 10 points off a variety of post moves and free throws, and the Eagles led 46-23 after three quarters. Lopez completed a 3-point play, Van Vleet scored inside, and Rienks hit four free throws down the stretch and the Eagles finished off the Mavericks. Paonia 65, Titans 50 The Titans offered the Eagles their biggest challenge on the last day of the tournament, but Paonia showed that the team is coming together fast. “I like that we were able to get up and down the floor in a hurry. We were able to play with a fast team like that,” Roeber said. “You got to give them a lot of credit. They fought back and we were able to hold them off at every opportunity.” Trevor Plymale hit a 3-pointer from the top of

the arc, Rienks brought the house down with a big dunk, and Simpson scored two more 3-pointers as the Eagles led 21-9 after the first quarter. Brandon Herrera got the Titans going the second quarter. He hit a 3pointer and drove through the lane and scored, then Hunter Gerber scored right before the buzzer, and Coal Ridge won the second quarter 15-11. The Titans kept coming back and cut Paonia’s lead to 36-34 in the third. Paonia regained the momentum with a threepoint play from Rienks, a bucket in transition from Walters and three 3-pointers — two from Plymale and another by Simpson. The Eagles led 55-36 after three quarters. “Playing a little more disciplined helped us,” Roeber said. “We didn’t have nearly as many fouls as we did last night. The less we can put people on the line, the better we’re PAO BOYS TO C2

points, while new shooters Jonny Ponce scored five points, and Beau Byers found the range for four points. The Panthers used the added offense to tie the game after a 1913 run by Delta. Carmichael sparked a 14-9 run in the final quarter with his trey and three of five from the free-throw line. The Panthers had nine made shots from beyond the 3-point line with Mock leading the way with four. Carmichael and Ponce had two each and Blake Reiher had the ninth. Mock was the game’s leading scorer with 18 points, followed by teammate Carmichael’s 15. Grayson Keener and Gerber finished with 13 points each for the Titans. Delta’s final game of the tournament may be found in the Cedaredge boys’ tournament game results on C4.

Photo by Eric Goold

Paonia senior Francisco Lopez dribbles and looks to attack the Montrose zone in a recent win at Paonia High School. Lopez is one of four experienced seniors looking to lead Paonia to state this year.

2015-16 Basketball Action

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Photo by Wayne Crick

Delta freshman Kyle Mock scores over the defense of Coal Ridge’s Greyson Keener in ﬁrst round tournament play.

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C2 Wednesday, December 9, 2015

SPORTS

Delta County Independent

Bruin girls 3-0 in tourney BY WAYNE CRICK DCI Sports Editor

There were some slow segments of their game, but the Cedaredge girls’ basketball team, once it got rolling, was nearly unstoppable. Olathe’s Pirates had the most success against Cedaredge but fell, 41-33, in firstround action of the First Colorado National Bank basketball tournament last week in Delta. Cedaredge’s second game, against Coal Ridge, was a rout from the start with the Bruins coasting to a 54-22 win. In game three Delta was no match for the quickness and savvy of the guard play by Nellie Freeman and Kendall McHugh. The Bruins raced to a 50-20 decision. Bruins 41, Pirates 33 Cedaredge’s slowest start of the tournament was against Olathe in game one. First-game jitters, adrenaline rush, over anxiousness … call it what you want; the Bruins were unable to generate the high-octane thrust they’re accustomed to in the first quarter of play. Still, Cedaredge owned the first quarter with an unimpressive 8-6 score. Hannah Gilmore scored four of her gamehigh 13 points to lead the way for Cedaredge. Freeman came alive in the second period to drill a pair of treys to go with a 2-point goal and two free throws for 10 points in a 15-8 run. Gilmore finished the scoring in the quarter with five more points. After the break, both teams fell back to their first-quarter style of play,

with the Bruins claiming a 7-5 advantage and a 30-19 lead with eight minutes left in the game. Olathe found success from the charity stripe with an eight of 11 performance to spark a 1411 fourth-quarter surge for the Pirates. Joining Gilmore in double figures for the Bruins was Freeman with 11 points. Taylor Brown scored eight points for Olathe, and Miranda Pacheco had six. Bruins 54, Titans 22 Friday’s ball game against Coal Ridge revealed a potent Bruins team that used a blistering pace to bolster its press and fast break to cruise to an easy, 54-22, win. Cedaredge used just four players to roll up 54 points, with three of the four scoring in double figures. Freeman had a great day shooting the ball with three treys and seven 2pointers for a total of 23 points. McHugh chipped in another 14 points, and Gilmore finished with 13 points. Alyssa Kissner picked up baskets in each of the middle quarters for four points. Coal Ridge scored four points in each of the first three quarters and rallied for 10 points in the final period. Cedaredge put together quarters of 15, 16, 21 and two points for its 54 points. Freeman led the way in Cedaredge’s 21-point third quarter with 10 points, while McHugh contributed six. Jenny Call was Coal Ridge’s top scorer with six points. Bruins 50, Delta 20

Turnovers, and an opportunistic defense, helped Cedaredge complete its sweep of opponents in last week’s First Colorado National Bank basketball tournament. A pesky defense forced numerous miscues by Delta’s offense which were converted into points far too often in last Saturday’s final game for both teams. Cedaredge’s defense limited the Panthers to four points in the first and third quarters while a total of six points were allowed in the second and fourth quarters. The Bruins scored 15 points in the opening quarter and fed off mistakes produced with a pressing defense to score another 17 points in the second frame. Cedaredge’s point-

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BY ERIC GOOLD DCI Sports Writer

“Stay Close To Home and Family, We Are Here For Your Health”

slowed down because we weren’t running it the right way.” In her first basketball game wearing the Eagles colors, junior Sophia Anderson scored a game-high 20 points in the win. “It felt really good,” Anderson said. “We did well in volleyball so we only had a week to prepare for this. Most of our girls play all sports but we can switch gears pretty quickly.” The Eagles shut out the Montrose Indians in the third quarter and upped their lead to 48-7. Paonia displayed the fullcourt pressure defense that Rienks’ teams are known for and the junior varsity squad had no answer for it. “I backed the press off last year, but this year with the athletes that we have we feel like it’s an advantage for us,” Rienks said. “I’m not going to say we’ll never back off the press, but it’s what I like to do.” With a roster full of upperclassmen who have run this system every year they’ve been in high school, the Eagles enjoy a strong chemistry and team attitude. “We get along really well out on the floor,” Anderson said. “We all like playing fast paced.” Paonia 56, NHS 28 In game two of the tournament last Friday, Paonia used much the same formula it used the day before: get a big lead early, use the press to get turnovers, then run a deliberate offense to close out the win.

Anderson opened the contest by running the floor for an uncontested layup. She later hit a 3pointer, then stole the ball and scored at the buzzer to put Paonia ahead 22-2 after the first quarter. Taylor Carsten dropped a dime for Emily Pieper late in the second, then went 2-for-4 from the charity stripe as the Eagles took a 35-15 lead at halftime. The game was already well in hand when Anderson hit a pull up jumper and drained a 3-pointer in the third. Brianna Van Vleet’s bucket made it 46-19 for the Eagles going into the fourth. Senior Marisa Edmondson drove the lane and scored the final hoop to put away the Norwood Mavericks. Paonia 51, Titans 20 The Eagles’ toughest test in the tournament came in game three last Saturday. The scrappy Titans handled the press better than the other previous squads, but Paonia was still able to overwhelm them in a sluggish game. “We played probably our worst of the three games,” Rienks said. “Part of it is when you press for three straight days this early in the season our legs weren’t under us, and we missed some easy shots. We didn’t have the right spacing against their zone.” After taking a 9-3 lead after the first quarter, Carsten got very active and helped the Eagles build their lead. Carsten

hit a free throw and a jumper, then later had a steal and score to put Paonia ahead 20-5. Brittany Kendall set up Brianna Van Vleet for a nice layup and Anderson connected on a 12footer to send the Eagles into halftime leading 3224. “As far as defensive intensity, I thought we did well, I thought we worked hard,” Rienks said. “But we just have to make sure we execute better on offense.” Pieper scored six points on three jump shots and Paonia extended its lead in the third quarter, which was highlighted by Rienks’ first technical foul of the year. “I’ve been known to get one once in a while,” Rienks said. “It’s just one of those things that I thought was a correctable error. It was a miscommunication. It’s not a big deal. Just one of those things.” Paonia showed its range in the fourth quarter as Anderson, Kendall and Chey Christian all connected on 3-pointers to seal the win for the Eagles. The first week couldn’t have gone better for the No. 2 Eagles, who are already looking forward to the games against a familiar Delta County rival. “We have goals,” Rienks said. “Us and Cedaredge are two of the top four teams in the state. If we play up to our potential all year we should be in the top four at the end, and I think Cedaredge should, too.”

Delta girls 1-2 in hoops BY WAYNE CRICK DCI Sports Editor

Delta High School’s girls’ basketball team got its first taste of a new season with a new coach and new offensive and defensive systems. The results were not totally successful, with the Panthers winning just one of three games played in last weekend’s First Colorado National Bank

Pao boys

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Photo by Wayne Crick

Teams who face Cedaredge are constantly working to avoid the scene above. Cedaredge senior Kendall McHugh swipes the ball from an Olathe player while teammate McKayla McKinney watches the theft. Cedaredge won the game 41-33.

PHS girls No. 2, no limit

If the first week of the season is any indication, the Paonia High School girls’ basketball team is going to be celebrating quite a few wins this year. Many of the Paonia girls are still making the transition from volleyball to basketball, but the natural athletes that make up the deep Eagles roster showed no ill effects of a late start during the First Colorado National Bank Tournament last weekend at Paonia High School. First Colorado National Bank is in its fourth year as sponsor of the event, which builds off of the old-school Delta Tournament that used to be held in December. Back in the day it was a true tournament of Delta County teams which would all play each other when college kids came home for the holidays. Now it is an eight-team extravaganza played over three days at two different venues — this year at Paonia High School and Delta High School. Paonia 56, MHSJV 22 In the first game of the tournament last Thursday, the Eagles poured it on early and often, taking a 24-0 lead after the first quarter. They slowed down the pace a little bit and took a 33-7 lead at Photo by Eric Goold halftime. Paonia junior Sophia Anderson looks inside after “We definitely learned passing the ball to Emily Pieper. that we’ve got a lot of work to do,” Paonia coach Scott Rienks said. “We came out and we pressed fine and got going there, but once we got in the half court our offense kind of

DELTA COUNTY 2015-2016 GIRLS SWIMMING

production dropped off slightly in the third quarter with 14 points being scored. The Bruins scored four points in the final period. Hailey Henrie and Freeman knocked down a pair of 3-pointers and shared game-scoring honors with 12 points each. McHugh finished with nine points. Emily Nortnik was Delta’s leading scorer with six points. The Panthers play in Palisade on Dec. 11 at 6 p.m. On Saturday, Dec. 12, Delta is in Basalt for a 6 p.m. tipoff. Looking ahead to next week, Delta plays Roaring Fork, in Carbondale, at 6 p.m. Cedaredge plays at Roaring Fork this Saturday with a 3 p.m. starting time.

CONTINUED FROM C1 going to be.” Simpson drove through the lane and scored, then Lopez found Triston Mautz with a perfect bounce pass that led to a bucket as Paonia secured the win. The Eagles are off to a 3-0 start and have the No. 10 ranking in 2A. “We got a few guys that just love basketball, that just love it, and that’s contagious,” Roeber said. “Those guys get in and get guys going and help us get off to a fast start, and then we just kept going.” Paonia was on the road last night in Olathe and is at Telluride on Friday night.

basketball tournament. The Panthers began play with Coal Ridge on Thursday night. Both teams showed signs of jitters, with the Titans weathering the storm better to score a 37-26 victory. Friday’s second-round game against Olathe proved to be a better experience for Delta as the Panthers overcame their first-game loss to defeat the Pirates 44-39. On Saturday, Cedaredge’s Bruins thumped Delta with an aggressive pressure defense and some good outside shooting. The Bruins won that contest, 50-20. Titans 37, Delta 26 Both teams were working hard to solve the puzzle of being consistent in their first games of the 2015-16 prep basketball campaigns. Coal Ridge, on the strength of four points each from Santana Martinez and Aiyana Castorena earned a 10-4 lead after one period of play. The Panthers found the same groove in second-period action where they turned the score around for a 10-4 edge and a 14-14 halftime

score. A 23-12 second-half advantage was enough for the Titans to claim the win. Coal Ridge scored eight points in the third frame and finished with a 15-point effort in the fourth quarter. Alexys Holder was Coal Ridge’s leading scorer with seven points. Three other players had six for the Titans. Delta’s top scorers were Lily Lockhart and Mykayla Music with six and five points respectively. Delta 44, Olathe 39 Olathe had an early advantage and threatened to pull away before the Panthers’ defense dug in to keep the score at 8-5 after one quarter. The Panthers got a 3-point goal from Music and five points from Lockhart in the second stanza to match Olathe’s 13 points in the period. Game momentum shifted in the second half, albeit not much, with the Panthers taking a 27-25 lead. Delta outscored the Pirates 17-14 and stretched its lead to five, 44-39, by game’s end. Jenna Sutliff spearheaded Delta’s biggest

offensive output, in a quarter, of the weekend with eight points. Sutliff made two field goals and was four for four at the free-throw line. Lockhart had a single field goal DHS GIRLS TO C3

Photo by Wayne Crick

Delta senior Mykayla Music shoots over Cedaredge’s Kendall McHugh last Saturday. The Bruins beat Delta 50-20.

SPORTS

Delta County Independent

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

HHS boys struggle to finish BY ERIC GOOLD DCI Sports Writer

If all of the Hotchkiss High School boys’ basketball games play out like their first week did, head coach Eric Hollembeak is in for a lot of sleepless nights. The Bulldogs battled through four games in five days last week. While they struggled in all four games at some time or another, they did find the winner’s touch in their last game against Olathe in the annual First Colorado National Bank basketball tournament. Hotchkiss showed that with some experience, more wins are going to start coming. Demons 54, HHS 51 In the first game of the season last Tuesday at Hotchkiss, the Bulldogs stayed close and had a chance to tie the game late but faltered, establishing a pattern that would repeat itself later in the week. Clayton Oxford nailed a long 3-pointer and Zack Allen posted up for two as Hotchkiss jumped ahead 5-3. Oxford scored a bucket, and Allen hit a free throw later on as the home team led 15-14 after the first quarter. Sam Rodriguez hit a 3pointer, and the Bulldogs upped their lead to 22-20 at halftime. “We had a lot of great effort. The kids played outstanding defense in the first half, they boxed out really well,” Hollem-

beak said after the game. “We got a little tired in the second, and they beat us on the boards a little bit in the second half because of our fatigue, I believe.” Ronemus Thor rebounded and scored for Ridgway as the Demons took their first lead, then Ronemus scored again at the buzzer for a 38-33 advantage for the visitors at the end of the third. Oxford went out with a foot injury, and Gabe Rodriguez fouled out, challenging the Bulldogs’ depth. “We had some younger kids step up and play really well,” Hollembeak said. “I was proud of those guys for stepping up and keeping us in the game.” Allen led all scorers in the contest with 21 points. Sam Rodriguez had eight, Oxford scored seven and Jonathan Gonzalez netted five points for the Bulldogs. Hotchkiss had the ball on the last possession and could have tied it with a 3-pointer, but a turnover in transition ended its hopes. Hasten Beamer led the Demons to the win with 18 points. Norwood 65, Hotchkiss 57 In the first game of the First Colorado National Bank Tournament last Thursday in Paonia, Hotchkiss fell to Norwood, the No. 8 team in 1A. The contest was tied

11-11 after one quarter and was knotted 24-24 at halftime. The Bulldogs got a strong third quarter from Allen, who scored the period’s first two buckets. Gabe Rodriguez had a putback, and Sam Rodriguez nailed a jumper as Hotchkiss took a 44-40 lead after three quarters. Kade Brantingham made two free throws that gave Norwood its first lead, 52-51, halfway into the fourth quarter, and the Mavericks held on to win. Indians JV 52, HHS 42 Hotchkiss led the Montrose Indians’ junior varsity 24-14 at halftime but could not seal the deal in the second half. “We just needed to make some key shots,” Hollembeak said. “We’ve got to step up and play. We have to take advantage of opportunities when we get them.” Gabe Rodriguez hit a jumper, and Oxford threw in a free throw. Hotchkiss led 27-25 midway through the third. Kalob Mott had a nice underhand scoop for a score and tossed in a 3pointer as the Indians took a lead they would never relinquish, 35-33, at the end of the third. Montrose outscored the Bulldogs 17-9 in the final quarter to wrap up the win. “We’ve had some decent chances but have not converted in the fourth quarter,” Hol-

Hotchkiss girls get a win; look for chemistry BY ERIC GOOLD DCI Sports Writer

The Hotchkiss High School girls’ basketball team played four games in five days last week and showed signs that the Bulldogs are building a solid foundation for the season. The Bulldogs have two games this week, playing at Aspen on Thursday and then hosting Vail Christian on Saturday. Hotchkiss will be tested early and often before getting some time off for the Christmas break. Hotchkiss 45, RHS 20 The Bulldogs opened the season the right way and won their first game last Tuesday at home, defeating Ridgway 45-20. Senior Mae Anderson scored the first two buckets of the season as Hotchkiss jumped ahead 4-0. “We still have a lot that we need to get into place before we’re officially ready for the season,” said first-year Bulldogs coach Ginger McPherson. “But I feel like we did good.” Anderson had a steal and two free throws that made it 6-0, then senior Sam Galley stole the ball and scored to make it 8-0 4 minutes into the contest. Emma Copp’s baseline drive and score put the visitors on the board at 8-2, but the Bulldogs scored the next six points behind Galley’s 3-pointer and Anderson’s free throw and bucket at the buzzer that made it 14-2 after the first quarter. “We’re definitely doing what we set out to do on offense, making our fast breaks and keeping our momentum going,” McPherson said. Hotchkiss upped its lead to 30-9 at halftime and never looked back. Galley, in her first game back from season-ending

knee surgery last year, poured in a game-high 17 points. “I was excited. Honestly, I was way nervous,” Galley said. “I was way too nervous, but my post moves felt good. I found the basket and just put it in, I didn’t really think about it. Just went with the flow.” Anderson contributed 13 points to the Hotchkiss win. Freshman Kiaya Firor scored eight points in her first game. Andi Todd netted four points, Lacey Rodriguez had a bucket and Carson Collins sank a free throw to round out the Bulldogs’ scoring in the win. Wendy Woods led the visitors in scoring with 10 points. Copp scored eight and Alize McCarty had a basket for the Demons. NHS 71, Hotchkiss 35 The Norwood Mavericks, ranked No. 5 in 1A, came to the First Colorado National Bank Tournament and showed that they can look forward to a very strong season. On Thursday last week in Paonia, the Bulldogs held the Mavericks close in the first quarter but then the taller and hottershooting Norwood team took over. Norwood led 18-13 after one quarter and had a 56-28 advantage after the third. The Mavericks trio of Cortney Lemon, Amber Padgett and Macie Magallon proved too tough for the Bulldogs’ defense. Indians JV 40, HHS 26 On Friday last week the Bulldogs played 4A Montrose’s junior varsity squad. Hotchkiss was plagued by a ton of missed shots, which is going to happen early in the season as teams adjust to playing every day and face quality defenses.

“We learned a lot defensively speaking,” McPherson said after the game. “What we’re lacking is experience, and it showed today. We’re a young team that doesn’t have a lot of time playing together.” Anderson made two free throws at the end of the third quarter, and Hotchkiss trailed 28-21 going into the final session. The Bulldogs managed only five points in the frame, however, — all free throws — and Montrose followed the lead of sophomore Alyssa Dixon to put Hotchkiss away in the end. “For the most part the girls are playing hard,” McPherson said. “They’re learning about each other. We’ll learn as we go through these games. It’s good competition.” Olathe 61, HHS 28 Hotchkiss completed its very busy first week with a game against Olathe at Delta High School last Saturday. Olathe held the upper hand in the opening quarter with a 13-5 run and never looked back. The foul-plagued contest had 23 fouls whistled against the Bulldogs and another 17 on Olathe. Anderson, the Bulldogs’ leading scorer with 17 points, scored six of Hotchkiss’ eight points in the second quarter. The Pirates tallied another 13 points to take a 26-13 halftime lead. Olathe cranked up its offense another notch to outscore the Bulldogs 3515 in the second half. Miranda Pacheco had 18 points to lead the Pirates, with teammates Taylor Brown and Shelby Anderson adding 17 and 10, respectively. Hotchkiss is in Gunnison on Wednesday, Dec. 15, for a varsity contest beginning at 5:30 p.m.

DHS girls CONTINUED FROM C2 and was four-for-six from the line for a total of six points in the quarter. Olathe’s Brown was the game’s leading scorer with 12 points. Sutliff finished with 11 points,

and Lockhart had 10 for the Panthers. Delta’s 50-20 loss to Cedaredge is detailed in a story found on page C2. Delta’s girls will play in Palisade on Dec. 11

at 6 p.m. and again on Saturday in Basalt with another 6 p.m. start. On Tuesday, Dec. 15, the Panthers are on the road to Carbondale for a 5:30 p.m. contest against Roaring Fork’s Rams.

lembeak said. “At times we’ve passed the ball well and executed stuff, sometimes we’ve had some different kids step up in different games and play really well. We just have to have everybody play well on the same night instead of just one or two.” HHS 57, Olathe 50 Hotchkiss completed play in the First Colorado National Bank Tournament last Saturday afternoon against Olathe in Delta. Hollembeak expressed concern prior to the game, but his Bulldogs took care of business on their way to a 57-50 win over the Pirates. Oxford paced the Bulldogs, with a pair of 3balls, to a 13-11 lead after one quarter. The wheels nearly came off the wagon in second-quarter play as the Pirates outscored Hotchkiss 9-6 to take a 20-19 lead to intermission. Whatever Hollembeak told the Bulldogs at halftime worked wonders. Oxford and Sam Rodriguez dumped in seven points each, and Jonathan Gonzalez added six more to pace Hotchkiss to

a 24-15 run in the third frame. Braxton Trujillo contributed another four counters in the scoring explosion. Olathe’s Daniel Vernon hit a pair of treys in the fourth quarter, but the damage had been done. The Bulldogs matched Olathe’s 14 points in their final stanza, behind Oxford’s eight points, to win going away, 57-50. Oxford was the game’s

leading scorer with 25 points, and Gonzalez finished with 15. “We’ve got to practice and get better. We’ve got to run a lot of defensive drills, we’ve got to rebound better,” Hollembeak said. “The simple things are what’s hurting us.” The Bulldogs are at Aspen on Thursday and host Vail Christian on Saturday.

Photo by Eric Goold

Hotchkiss junior Gabe Rodriguez (25) rebounds the ball while Norwood defender Kade Brantingham (34) closes in. Bulldogs sophomore Sam Rodriguez (2) follows the play during tournament game action last weekend in Paonia.

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Good Luck Pirates!

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C4 Wednesday, December 9, 2015

SPORTS

Delta County Independent

CHS boys battle late losses BY WAYNE CRICK DCI Sports Editor

The Cedaredge boys’ basketball team played three games last week, all in the annual First Colorado National Bank basketball tournament played in Delta and Paonia. Play began on Thursday, Dec. 3, for Cedaredge with a game against Olathe. Cedaredge won that contest, 56-35, and looked to be in good form to start the 2015-16 hoops campaign. Unfortunately for the Bruins, there were two more games that didn’t turn out the way the first game did. Friday’s contest was with Coal Ridge and the Titans came back from a first-half deficit of 19-23 to claim a 4643 win. Saturday’s game with host Delta was also a loss, 48-43, after leading for most of the game. Bruins 56, Olathe 35 Neither team could get into a solid rhythm offensively to start with. Olathe had just enough to take a 9-8 lead to the second quarter and stretched that one-point lead to a deuce after a 7-6 second quarter. Olathe’s Daniel Vernon finished the first half with nine points to lead all scorers in the game at that point. The Bruins netted 18

points in the third quarter to sneak out to a 32-27 lead heading to the final period of play. Cedaredge got four points each from Isaac Swoffer, Garrett Meyers and Christian Reynolds to help the Bru-

ins separate themselves from Olathe. Reynolds poured in nine points in the fourth quarter with Swoffer and JP Morgan adding four counters each to help the Bruins take charge with

Photo by Wayne Crick

Cedaredge junior Christian Reynolds battles Olathe’s Kevin Pacheco for a rebound on opening day of the First Colorado National Bank Tournament in Delta. The Bruins went on to score a 56-35 decision over the Pirates.

a 24-8 run to seal the win, 56-35. Vernon finished with 14 to lead the Pirates’ offense, while Reynolds recorded 18 points and Meyers chipped in 10 for the Bruins. Titans 46, Bruins 43 Cedaredge shot seven free throws in a slowmoving first quarter against Coal Ridge. The good news was the Bruins made six of the seven attempts and held a 13-11 lead after eight minutes of play. Meyers finished the quarter with six of the eight points scored by the Bruins and had four free throws in five attempts. Second-quarter action was another seven free throw performance by the Bruins with a less favorable result as Cedaredge connected on only three of the attempts. Still, the Bruins owned a 23-19 lead at the break. Meyers was, again, the top scorer for Cedaredge in the quarter with four points. In the third quarter, Shane Gates picked up some of the scoring slack with six of the 10 Cedaredge points. The edge no longer went to the Bruins as Coal Ridge’s Hunter Gerber seared the net for all 19 points scored by the Titans in third quarter play.

The game went back to a snail’s pace in the fourth quarter, with Cedaredge claiming a 108 edge to make the final score 46-43 in favor of Coal Ridge. Gerber was the game’s leading scorer with 24 points for the Titans and Meyers finished with 14 to pace Cedaredge’s offense. Delta 48, Bruins 43 Play in the first half of this contest was tilted toward the Bruins as Cedaredge jumped out to a 17-7 first-quarter lead and held onto the lead, 31-24, as the two teams went to their locker rooms for halftime. Gates and Meyers had six points each in the first quarter for the Bruins. Beau Byers led Delta’s offensive numbers with five points over the same time span. The tide turned for Delta in the second quarter. Suddenly, many of the shots that failed to find their marks in the first quarter were falling. With the turnaround, Delta closed the gap slightly with its 1714 run. Freshman Kyle Mock begin hitting a variety of shots and led Delta shooters with six points in the second period. Halftime adjustments by the Panthers enabled

Delta to close to within four, 39-35, by the end of the third quarter. Delta kept applying pressure in the fourth quarter. With the Bruins forced to commit numerous fouls, Delta was able to get a big enough lead to hold off a late-quarter rally for the 48-43 win. The Panthers shot 14 free throws in the final period and converted on nine of them. Byers and Jaspar Carmichael shot six free throws each and and connected on four each to account for eight of the 13 points scored by the Panthers in the final frame. Byers scored 17 points to earn the game’s scoring honors for Delta. Carmichael and Mock contributed 12 each to the winning effort. Cedaredge’s leading scorer was Reynolds who had 13. Gates was next high with 12, and Meyers finished with 10. The Bruins are in Carbondale on Saturday, Dec. 12, for a 4:30 p.m. tipoff with Roaring Fork’s Rams. Delta is at Palisade on Dec. 11 for a 7:30 p.m. contest and then plays in Basalt on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The Panthers face Roaring Fork on Dec. 15 with game time set for 7:30 p.m.

‘Dogs, Eagles look for fast start, trip to state BY ERIC GOOLD DCI Sports Writer

Walk into the wrestling room behind the gym at Paonia High School and instantly you can tell: the Eagles are back. Even though Paonia had its streak of 2A state championships halted at three last year after the Eagles finished third, enthusiasm and energy burst through the room as the grapplers returned for the 2015 campaign last week. As always, the source of that enthusiasm and energy was veteran coach Andy Pipher, who said that nothing changes even if the Eagles aren’t the defending champs this year. “Nothing changes. It’s just practice,” Pipher said. While the Eagles ran laps around the mat and jumped rope and limbered up for practice, Pipher talked about the wrestlers he’s got to work with this season. “Trevor Smith is ranked No. 1 right now. The No. 2 kid is from Norwood/Nucla and they’ve been back and forth, and there’s a couple of other tough kids in that bracket,” Pipher said. “Trevor will be our 220 pounder. He’s an upperclassman this year and that makes a huge difference, going

from sophomore to junior year is always a huge step. “Jaden Miller is returning; tough, state qualifier last year, sophomore; he’ll be a 182 pounder. Cyrus Malek-Madani is a great kid who just keeps improving every year. He’ll probably be our 195 pounder. Nick Brewer is returning from state last year; he’ll be our 160 pounder. “Our 152 pounder will be Anthony Felice, a freshman. At 170 is gonna be Tim Helmer, then we’ll have Bo (Pipher) at 145. At 138 will be Clay Campbell, a returning qualifier from last year who won a match or two at the state tournament. “At 132 and 126 this weekend (at the Maverick Duals) we’re going to split the matches between two kids. We’ve got Caden Meilner and Sackett Chesnik, they’re going to fill those weights. We’ll move them back and forth and then next week we’ll have some wrestleoffs and see who’s going to wrestle where. “At 120 is Gabe Ferguson, then at 113 is Eli Etter, a homeschool kid who wrestled for me for two years in junior high. He’s just a great kid. Louis Chavez will be our heavyweight once he gets in wrestling shape.”

Pipher added that at 106 the Eagles might have an open weight, but he is actively recruiting and might get someone to fill that slot. Paonia finished third to Rocky Ford and Meeker last year at state. “We’re ranked third in the state right now,” Pipher said. “We’ve got a lot of kids out here. I’m really surprised to see so many. I’m real happy with the numbers for as small of a school as we are.” A constant storyline this year will be senior Bo Pipher’s pursuit of his third individual state championship. He’ll be going for the title at 145 pounds after finishing first at 132 and 138 and as a runner up at 126. Bo Pipher competed in a prestigious national tournament in North Carolina during the off season. He won his first three matches, then lost to the eventual winner in a great match, then wrestled again 20 minutes later and lost in overtime. “He wrestled really tough and did a great job,” his father and coach said. Other changes in the wrestling room have a new coach on board. Brad Anderson, an alterPAO. WREST. TO C7

Photo by Eric Goold

Paonia head coach Andy Pipher gives marching orders in the wrestling room at Paonia High School last week. The veteran coach, and former state champion at Hotchkiss, will lead an Eagles squad that ﬁnished third at the state tournament last year, snapping its string of consecutive state championships at three.

High hopes for boys’ hoops at Hotchkiss BY ERIC GOOLD DCI Sports Writer

The Bulldogs boys’ basketball team has a mix of veterans and young talent that it hopes will achieve new heights of glory at Hotchkiss High School. Now the test will be putting all of the pieces together into a winning mix for the Bulldogs. Coach Eric Hollembeak, who moved to the boys’ bench this season

after spending a couple of years leading the Hotchkiss girls’ team, leads a team that is loaded with talent but might suffer from a lack of experience. “That is kind of a challenge,” Hollembeak said after the first game of the season. “We’re learning on the fly. If you look at it, we have three players coming back with varsity experience, so we’re going to have to learn fast.”

Senior Clayton Oxford returns to lead the Bulldogs and has good height and speed. Will Drbohlav is the only other senior on the Bulldogs’ roster. Hollembeak expects good things from the Bulldogs’ two juniors. Zack Allen might be the tallest player on the team, and Gabe Rodriguez is a versatile player who can score and defend. The biggest group of BOYS’ HOOPS TO C7

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SPORTS

Delta County Independent

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Hotchkiss girls want hoops success BY ERIC GOOLD DCI Sports Writer

The Hotchkiss High School girls’ basketball team has a new coach but the same old winning attitude as the Bulldogs hit the hardwood for the 2015 season. Ginger McPherson is in her first year on the Bulldogs bench and also is teaching mathematics at the high school. She takes over a team that is short on experience but long on positive attitude. “We have some high goals,” McPherson said after the first game of the season. “We want to get into some playoff games, we want to accomplish

that. We hope to see them reach their full potential and see what they can do on the court.” Some of the players have been teammates for a long time while some of the other Bulldogs are just at the beginning of their basketball careers. It was new for everybody during the first week of practice. “The first day of practice was kind of hectic,” Bulldogs senior Sam Galley said. “We didn’t know anything, we didn’t know anyone. Now we feel like we can make a pass with eye contact. We know each other. Practices have been really good

since then, our conditioning is better, we’ve been pushing each other.” Leading the way for the Bulldogs will be seniors Galley, Mae Anderson, Kenley Derby, Chase Bizer and Alondra Gallegos. “They are the leadership, they are the glue that holds our team together,” McPherson said. Galley is just happy to be back on the floor after a knee injury knocked her out for the season last year. She is excited about playing her senior season with Anderson and the rest of the Bulldogs seniors.

“Me and Mae have played together since, like, the third grade,” Galley said. “We kind of know each other. There’s a lot of talent on this team. This year we should be set.” The Bulldogs’ roster has depth, and McPherson will have options when choosing the lineup. Junior Lacey Rodriguez is a starter and plays a vital role on both sides of the floor for the Bulldogs. Sophomore players Andi Todd and Mikayla Helm also figure to get important minutes throughout the season. Rounding out the Hotchkiss varsity squad will be freshmen Carson Collins and Kiaya Firor. Both are natural athletes. Collins was a varsity volleyball player, and Firor qualified for state in cross country before switching to basketball. Mayberry at 120, Bran“They’re really good don Harper at 132, Shaun athletes,” McPherson Staats at 145, Dillingham at 145, Drake Horn at 145, Roberts at 152, Mills at 182, Livan Santander at 195 and Logan Church at 285. There is a wealth of CONTINUED FROM C4 quality wrestling pro- Bulldogs are sophomores grams in the 3A ranks, who will each see considand Curtis believes erable playing time this Eagle Valley is one of season. Sam Rodriguez, the top teams because it Eli Sawatzky, Jonathan has 10 returning state Gonzalez, Braxton Truqualifiers. Curtis also jillo, Eli Kirk and Darrin mentioned Eaton, Brush, Young will all play key Lamar, Platte Valley and roles for Hotchkiss this Berthoud as being tough season. teams. “We’ve got a lot of No matter what is out young kids who have there, Curtis believes the been playing hard,” HolPanthers can finish in lembeak said. “We have the top three in regionals lots of potential. We have and top 10 in state.

Panther grapplers to be strong in Class 3A BY WAYNE CRICK DCI Sports Editor

This year’s Delta High School wrestling squad is beginning to shape up. With the run through state playoffs in football over, the Panthers welcomed a big number of athletes to the mat. According to the preseason information sheet, there are 30 hopefuls in the mix for varsity and junior varsity starting spots. An experienced coaching staff will attempt to get the most out of a talented Delta team that placed high in last year’s 3A state championships. Head coach Clayton Curtis begins his 13th season in Delta and has 16 years

overall. Luis Meza will have 10 years in Delta and has 14 years of experience overall. Tyler Morfitt is in his sixth season as an assistant for the Panthers, and Rudy Fantin has five years. Mark Bejarano is working in his second year. The Panthers will have several athletes who attended the state meet last year. Kory Mills placed second and Luke Anderson was fifth. Chance Dillingham was a state qualifier, while Kole Roberts was one match away from placing. Curtis is optimistic the Panthers will be contenders. A solid group of athletes begins with Luke Anderson at 106, Logan

said about the young Bulldogs. “I don’t think for sure they know how good of athletes they really are. But they will be good. They’ll be program builders for us.” The Bulldogs hope the team-building process yields some big wins for the squad this season. “I just hope they can finally reach their full potential, as players and as a team,” said McPher-

son. “Now they just have to go out and play.” The Bulldogs hope that working on the easy things will pay off in the end. “We want to come together as a team,” Galley said. “We want to play all the way to the last day of the season, and we want to beat our rivals. We have simpler goals. Love each other. Work together.”

Photo by Eric Goold

Hotchkiss girls’ head coach Ginger McPherson talks with Chase Bizer (35) while Lacey Rodriguez (5) checks in during a game last weekend in Paonia. McPherson is in her ﬁrst season on the Bulldogs bench and also teaches mathematics at HHS.

Boys’ hoops big upside.” The Bulldogs will have to earn their stripes in a highly competitive league. The preseason poll released by CHSAA online ranks Meeker No. 7 and Paonia No. 10 in 2A. Hotchkiss will get at least four games against those teams as well as two against Cedaredge. The tough schedule and the Bulldogs’ young team does not deter the enthusiastic first-year

coach nor do they change the usual high standards at Hotchkiss. “We definitely hope to be in the top three of our league,” Hollembeak said. “We want to be able to make the regional tournament, and if we’re peaking at the right time, knock somebody off at regionals and make it to the state tournament. That would be a great season for us if we could do that.”

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Photo by Wayne Crick

Members of the Delta High School wrestling team go through some basic moves and techniques prior to starting practice. The Panthers will have good numbers and plenty of athletes to ﬁll the various weight classiﬁcations.

Pao. wrest. CONTINUED FROM C4 nate on the 1988 Olympic wrestling team, will help Pipher lead the Eagles this year. “He’s going to really help our big guys,” Pipher said. “We’re just thrilled to have him here.” This season is unusual for Pipher, and he’s not sure how it’s going to work out on the mat. “It’s gonna be a different team. I’m not sure exactly what to expect,” Pipher said. “Of course we want to win everything, but it’s gonna be a little tougher with a younger team. But you know we don’t rebuild, we just reload.” Among the toughest competitors Pipher expects to see at state this season are Rocky Ford, Meeker, Hotchkiss and Centauri. “There’s a lot of great teams out there,” Pipher said. “It’s gonna be a battle. Hopefully this year we can be the ones pulling off the upset instead of the ones getting upset.” Bulldogs Have Bite The Hotchkiss wrestlers finished in 9th place last year at the 2A state meet and seven of those grapplers return this sea-

son to lead the Bulldogs. Third-year coach Richard Flores has an experienced team to lead. Senior Colton Cordova will wrestle at the 106 slot. At 132 is senior Austin Todd, who finished fifth last year and is a threetime state qualifier. Fourth-place finisher Wade Katzdorn looks to have a strong season at 160. Junior Parker Katzdorn will wrestle for the Bulldogs at 170, and two-time state qualifier Conner Collins will be at 285. Junior Colton Hall will fill the slot at 120 for Hotchkiss and Colton DeLuzio, a junior, will compete at 126. Other Bulldogs expecting a big season on the mat are Chris Lovato (113), Kale Litzelman (152), Devin Curtis (195), Sergio Campos (106), Owen Mattison (138), Joe Nault (220), Kayden Owens (152) and Chase Hiatt (120). Maverick Duals Paonia and Meeker joined Olathe as the three teams to finish 5-0 at the Maverick Duals this past weekend at Colorado Mesa University.

Bo Pipher (145), Trevor Smith (220), Caden Meilner (126 and 132) and Gabe Ferguson (120) all posted perfect 5-0 individual records at the tournament. Pipher won all five of his matches by pin. Four other Eagles posted 4-1 individual records: Cyrus Malek-Madani (195), Nick Brewer (160), Anthony Felice (152) and Sackett Chesnik (132 and 126). Hotchkiss finished 4-1 as a team in the duals and got perfect 50 records from four different Bulldogs: Conner Collins (285), Wade Katzdorn (152), Colton Hall (138) and Sergio Campos (106). Local fans can get a glimpse of the Bulldogs for the first time this Friday night at the Hotchkiss gym, where the Bulldogs will host a Tri Meet against Moffat County and Rangely. The matches are slated for 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. starts. Paonia hosts two duals this week. The Eagles face Palisade on Thursday and grapple the always-tough Buena Vista Demons on Friday. Both duals start at 6 p.m.

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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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C8 Wednesday, December 9, 2015

SPORTS

Delta County Independent

CHS girls to be a force in hoops BY WAYNE CRICK DCI Sports Editor

Photo by Wayne Crick

Cedaredge junior Hannah Gilmore drives the lane by getting past Olathe’s Taylor Brown on opening night of the First Colorado National Bank Tournament in Delta. Gilmore and the Bruins won all three of their games last week.

Last year’s Cedaredge Bruins girls’ basketball team had a marvelous season and finished with one of the best records in Class 2A basketball, 204. Three of the four losses came against league foe Paonia. The Bruins finished sixth in last year’s state tournament after a 45-36 loss to Paonia in consolation play in Pueblo. This year’s squad is poised to make yet another run at post-season play with plenty of talent returning from last season’s squad. Third-year Bruins’ coach Ryan Hilbig will have an experienced team that will be led by seniors Nellie Freeman and Kendall McHugh and junior Hannah Gilmore. Other seniors on this year’s roster include Sierra Baldozier and Lacey Love. Junior contributors will be Hailey Henrie,

McKayla McKinney and Callie Wasser. Make no mistake about the Bruins being in the hunt for league and state honors, as they will feature plenty of backup players who will contribute heavily to this year’s team. Back to assist Hilbig in the coaching department is Carrie Berger (four years), Haley Benson (four years) and volunteer assistants Greg Medill and Kayla Jubert. Hilbig is confident in his team’s ability and has high expectations for the Bruins. “Our team is competing for the top spot in the state and in league play.” The Bruins swept through last week’s First Colorado National Bank tournament with three wins over Olathe, Coal Ridge and Delta. Next on Cedaredge’s schedule is a road contest against Roaring Fork on Dec. 12 at 3 p.m.

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Bruin boys big and physical

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BY WAYNE CRICK

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DCI Sports Editor

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Photo by Wayne Crick

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Delta junior Emily Nortnik goes up for a shot against Cedaredge’s Sierra Baldozier (closest) and Nellie Freeman (11). The Panthers were unable to score often enough against the hustling Bruins and fell by the score of 50-20 last Saturday afternoon.

The Cedaredge head boys’ basketball coach will bring a staff that enters its sixth season with the Bruins. Joining head coach Kevin Dunbar will be assistants Derek Kehmeier and Dave Boyd. The Bruins were 7-5 in the 2A WSL last season and 9-12 overall. A first-round win over West Grand in district play looked promising in Cedaredge’s bid to reach post-season play. But the Hotchkiss Bulldogs ended the Bruins’ season with a six-point win in the second round. There are 28 players looking for starting roles throughout Cedaredge’s hoops program, with six seniors leading the charge. Tyler Cooper, Shane Gates and Garrett Meyers will be part of the senior leadership team as the season gets underway. Junior Christian Reynolds is expected to add

to a volatile offense that could be in the hunt for league honors. There are eight juniors who are also looking for varsity playing time to make competition keen. Three of those juniors, Reynolds, Chris Lindley and Isaac Swoffer are listed on this year’s varsity roster. Dunbar’s thoughts on teams to beat can generally be the same nearly every season. “Top teams in the league are always Paonia, Hotchkiss and Meeker. If we can compete with these teams, we will have a successful season.” As for team goals for the season and how the Bruins will fare, “our ultimate goal is always to reach the state tournament, and to do that we will have to finish as a top team in our league. We have a team that can compete for a top spot and emerge as a contender at the regional tournament.”

Delta boys a solid team BY WAYNE CRICK DCI Sports Editor

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Photo by Wayne Crick

Junior Isaac Swoffer soars for a rebound against Olathe’s Pirates on Thursday last week. The Bruins won this game handily but dropped the next two for a 1-2 First Colorado National Bank Tournament record.

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Delta boys’ head basketball coach Von Mitchell knows this could be a rewarding season for basketball at Delta High School. With just two seniors, Easton Metcalf and Jonny Ponce, listed on this year’s varsity roster, the Panthers will be building a more experienced team that potentially has the ability to finish high in the 4A WSL. Mitchell, in his 16th season, will be assisted by former girls’ head coach Matt Hamm, in his 13th season as a basketball coach, and Rob Ames who enters his 23rd season as the wizard of freshmen coaches. Blake Velasquez also joins the staff at his alma mater for his first year. Delta finished last year’s season with an 8-12 record and did not make the playoffs. There are 36 players who committed to basketball, with 13 of them slowed down by the recent football playoffs. Delta has a talented and skillful freshman squad that is 18 strong. Kyle Mock has already made his mark and is currently a starter on the varsity team. There are several more who are capable of playing at multiple levels within the program. This year’s sophomore class contributes three to the varsity squad, led by Jaspar Carmichael. Dylan Hollenbeck and Logan Freed are also expected to see valuable

time on the floor for the Panthers. From the junior class expect big results from Beau Byers, one of only two returning lettermen. Blake Reiher and Nathan Sanders are also valuable contributors, as is Tre Johnson. Players whom Mitchell believes can impact his team the most are his two returning letter-

men, Byers and Carmichael. “Beau and Jaspar are fantastic leaders and savvy players. Beau led us in assists last year, and Jaspar shot around 84 percent from the freethrow line as a ninth grader. They are helping us spread the message of hard work and team play to our very young team.” There are three teams Mitchell believes to be

the most competitive in the 4A WSL. “Palisade should have a good team with a lot of talent. Rifle’s going to be tough. They will be tough as long as Roger Walters coaches them. Glenwood has the returning player of the year, so they are going to be good as well.” Delta began its season with a 3-0 record in last week’s First Colorado National Bank tourney.

Photo by Wayne Crick

Sophomore Jaspar Carmichael knows no fear and likes to try the unexpected. The photo above shows a nimble Carmichael testing the defense of Cedaredge senior Shane Gates in a game played on Saturday. Delta squeaked by the Bruins, 48-43.

Delta’s Beau Byers shows off his shooting form on a shot from the left side. Byers helped Delta come from behind Cedaredge for a 48-43 win.

SPORTS

Delta County Independent

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Delta girls adjusting to new coach and systems BY WAYNE CRICK DCI Sports Editor

The Delta girls’ basketball program has a new head coach and will be striving to make a successful transition to Craig Cerise’s new offense and defense as the season progressses. Cerise, a former head coach for the Lady Panthers for two seasons, will be in his third season at the helm for the program. Overall, Cerise has nine years experience. Assistant coaches include Jessica Varner, Kyle Crowder and Wayne Crick. Varner is making her high school coaching debut but has had some experience at the middle school level. Varner will guide Delta’s junior varsity team in 2015-16. Crowder comes to Delta from Hotchkiss where he

held the head boys’ coaching position for the past several seasons. Crowder is the freshman coach at Delta High School. Crick returns to continue working with the Panthers on a volunteer basis. Delta did not make the post-season last year, as Palisade defeated them in district playoffs, and finished with a 10-11 record. This year’s player list includes two seniors, nine juniors, six sophomores and 10 freshmen. Coach Cerise notes there are several players who will be instrumental in Delta’s success this season. Senior Mykayla Music will provide length with some outside shooting for the Panthers. She is tireless and gets up and down the floor quickly. A wealth of juniors

make up the core of this year’s team. Perimeter players include Joyclie Webb at point guard and a shooting guard and Emily Nortnik who can play all five positions on the floor and is tenacious on both offense and defense. Manning the post positions for Delta are Lily Lockhart and Megan Sandoval. Both are strong players who can rebound at either end of the court. Throw freshman guard Jenna Sutliff into the mix and the Panthers have the makings for a solid team once the bugs have been worked out in Cerise’s new offense and defense. Cerise is hoping his team will gain needed experience in time to make some noise in the 4A WSL. “We hope to be competitive and chal-

lenge the top teams in our league. The players are picking up the new systems well, and we have some athletic girls that work well with each other.” The 4A WSL will be a challenge for Delta and its inexperienced squad. There is plenty of potential that will eventually lead to success in a big way. As far as teams to beat in the 4A WSL, “probably all of them, but Palisade is one team that finished high last year, and they have a lot of players back. Glenwood is another team that seems to always compete for first place every year in our league,” noted Cerise. The Panthers opened their season last week and went 1-2 in the annual First Colorado National Bank Tournament.

Photo by Wayne Crick

Delta’s Dani Sakala is doubled by the Bruins’ Hailey Henrie (right) and Hannah Gilmore as she takes a shot in last Saturday’s ﬁnal girls’ game of the First Colorado National Bank Tournament. The Bruins were too much for Delta who fell 50-20.

Paonia boys’ team has high ranking and hopes BY ERIC GOOLD DCI Sports Writer

Photo by Eric Goold

Paonia coach Chase Roeber surveys the ﬂoor during a Paonia boys’ basketball game last weekend at Paonia High School. Roeber leads the No. 10-ranked team in Class 2A and said that it’s state tournament or bust for the experienced Eagles.

Paonia High School boys’ basketball coach Chase Roeber doesn’t mince words when asked about goals and expectations for the 2015 version of the Eagles hoopsters. “Nothing short of making the state tournament,” Roeber said after the first game of the year. “If we don’t get to the state tournament, it’s a bust.” Roeber has reason to be optimistic, and the Eagles are highly regarded throughout the state. In the first CHSAA online poll, Paonia is ranked No. 10 in 2A. Sanford is No. 1 and is the defending 2A state champion. “We’ve been to the

2nd ranked Eagles poised BY ERIC GOOLD DCI Sports Writer

The Paonia High School girls’ basketball team came back from the 2A state tournament last year with a trophy, just maybe not the one it really wanted. “We finished as the consolation champs,” Paonia head coach Scott Rienks said. “We beat Cedaredge in that game so we came home with a trophy. This year we’re looking to improve upon that.” A veteran group of returning players combined with a flashy newcomer has the Eagles on everybody’s radar, including the CHSAA preseason online poll, which ranked Paonia as the No. 2 team in 2A behind No. 1 Yuma. “We still have athletes

out there and for the most part we’re going to be pretty good,” Rienks said. Pretty good may be understating it as the 2015 Eagles boast one of the deepest, tallest, most talented rosters the school has had in a while. “We’ve got quite a few girls that are going to be good,” Rienks said. “The seniors will provide leadership, and the juniors are going to be a huge part of this team, and we’ve got some sophomores that I think are going to be pretty good.” Four veteran seniors return to lead the Eagles. Ashley Van Vleet, who recently signed to run track at Idaho State University, is a force in the paint. Marisa Edmondson is a quick guard, Tay-

Photo by Eric Goold

Paonia girls’ head coach Scott Rienks calls out the defense in a recent game at Paonia High School. The Eagles were consolation champs last season in 2A state play. Paonia is setting its goals higher this year, believing this to be a special season.

lor Carsten can score the ball and defend, and Chey Christian is a standout on both sides of the floor. Paonia’s junior class has both quality and quantity. McKenna Hartigan, Emily Pieper, Brittany Kendall, Brianna Van Vleet and Courtney Van Vleet give Rienks depth throughout the lineup and enable him to employ his full-court pressure defense virtually the entire game. Every game. Junior Sophia Anderson didn’t take long to make her presence felt after moving to Paonia from Hoehne last year. Anderson has good height, is a strong defender, can shoot the 3 and can drive to the basket. Anderson has what they call basketball savvy. “We’re adjusting as a team,” Anderson said. “Everything is new this year. We’ve been working on it the past week because most of us just got out of volleyball. I think we’re meshing pret-

ty well. I like my team. We’re fun to play with.” Three sophomores bolster the Eagles’ lineup. Randi Rapke, Kassidy Rapke and McKenna Palmer will get time with the varsity and junior varsity squads this year. With so much talent to choose from, finding playing time for all of the Eagles is going to be a challenge that Rienks described in one word, “Difficult.” Rienks expects tough league competition this year, led by a team Paonia is becoming very familiar with. “Cedaredge of course will be good,” Rienks said about the No. 4-ranked Bruins. “With the seniors they have they are going to be very tough.” Regardless of who they play, the Eagles know that the recipe for success at Paonia is always the same. “We can go far as long as we keep working as a team and keep working our butts off,” Anderson said.

regional championship game twice,” Roeber said. “These guys have played in both of those games, a couple of guys saw a lot of minutes in those games. So we’re hoping we can ride out some of that experience and get past that point this year.” As has been the case for now three years, this year’s basketball team will be working out the transition from football on the fly, and Roeber knows he has to be patient while the Eagles get their basketball legs back. Paonia has a promising blend of upperclassmen and young talent on this year’s roster. A group of five seniors will be the foundation the Eagles are built upon. Cameron Van Vleet is tall and quick. Trevor Plymale is a solid shooting guard, and Jeramiah Hillman will break out his speed on the hardwood once he gets in basketball shape after playing football. Taylor Walters is the senior captain of the team. Walters is a force in the paint and uses his size effectively on the defensive and offensive boards. And Francisco Lopez shows the benefit of an offseason spent in the gym as he is taller, stronger and playing with more confidence than he was last year. “We’re gonna be tough to match up with because of our height,” Roeber said. “I expect we’ll see a lot of guys play zone on us because it’s hard to match up. We are fairly tall, but we’re athletic, too, so we can stretch the

floor.” The seniors will be supplemented by a standout group of Paonia juniors. Alex Lozano and Triston Mautz are two quality guards who can handle the ball and shoot it. Colby Simpson has sparkled early in the season, showing deep range when he shoots the 3 and also showing an impressive ability to drive to the basket. Dagan Rienks is the tallest and perhaps the most athletic player on the Eagles roster. The junior center looks two inches taller than last year and has shown an improved skill set around the rim and is only going to get better as the year goes on. Sophomores Sean Devlin, Enoch Kropp and Anders Schopp will spend time on both the varsity and junior varsity squads this year for the Eagles. Competition will be tough, as always, for Paonia. Perennial league contender Meeker is ranked No. 7 in 2A. “I expect Cedaredge to be really tough. The rivalry we have with Hotchkiss always turns out to be a good game,” Roeber said. “And then Meeker always has a good squad that plays hard and is always in the mix. So on our side of the league I think those three will be the ones to look out for.” This year’s version of the Eagles has all the right players. Now they just have to play. “This is a very special team,” Roeber said. “We just have to play consistent and do our job every night.”

Contact the DCI: Website: www.deltacountyindependent.com E-mail ads to: ads@deltacountyindependent.com E-mail articles and letters to the editor at: editor@deltacountyindependent.com

C10 Wednesday, December 9, 2015

AGRICULTURE

Delta County Independent

Register now for food/farm forum The fourth annual Western Colorado Food and Farm Forum, the state’s premier gathering of farmers and ranchers, and others involved in the sustainable farm community, announced its lineup of workshops and speakers. The conference on Jan. 23 at the Montrose Pavilion has a wide array of breakout sessions, which convey vital, regionally specific agricultural information in areas including maximizing crop and livestock production, innovative agricultural marketing and management strategies, and specialty crops. The conference theme is Farming the Future: Tools, Tips, Talent. Workshops will focus on using innovative practices and technologies to manage people, land, and finances. Among other topics, the latest techniques in drip irrigation, cover cropping, electric fencing, minimum till, integrating livestock and cover cropping, marketing, financial planning and advocating for policy that supports the next

generation of farmers will be addressed. Keynote speaker Owen Hablutzel will present Farming Futures — Human Landscape Transformations for the 21st Century. He will address how to transform agriculture to meet the challenges of rapid change by combining a mixture of older and newer practices to support an economically, socially and ecologically regenerative future. Owen states that, “the way we humans practice agriculture has the highest ‘leverage’ of any other sector in terms of both local and global outcomes for ecosystem and human health.” Brendon Rockey, recipient of the 2014 National Environmental Steward award will present on Rockey Farms practices in developing soil health using cover crops and other innovative techniques. Marc Caitlin, wellknown Colorado water expert, will clarify ramifications of the newly adopted Colorado Water Plan. Additionally, attendees can choose from

Cattle rustlers strike in Cimarron Montrose Regional Crime Stoppers and the Montrose County Sheriff ’s Office are seeking the help of citizens to locate and apprehend the perpetrator(s) involved in the following incident involving the theft of cows and calves from a corral in Cimarron. On or about Oct. 10, person or persons unknown stole 18 cows and 71 calves from Forest Corral on Cimarron Road in Cimarron. On or about Nov. 3, three additional pair of cattle were

taken. The cattle were all branded with “S” and had yellow ear tags in the right ears with the same brand. Anyone with information about the suspect(s) or the location of the stolen cows and calves can call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 970-2498500. Crime Stoppers and the Montrose County Sheriff ’s Office want your information, not your identity. If the tip results in an arrest, the caller may receive a significant cash award.

among 18 breakout sessions such as: Integrating Cover Crops with Livestock, Scaling Up Row Crop Production, Marketing Your Values, Planning for Profit, Garlic and Compost Tea Production, Innovations in Drop Irrigation, New Electric Fencing Options of Friends or Foes, Livestock Health Management, Advocating for the Next Generation of Farmer, and more. On Jan. 22 the forum offers two preconference options: No Till/ Minimum Till Equipment and Management Options and Sustaining or Regenerating Our Agricultural Lands? Principals, Practices, and Complementary Methods in Regenerative Agriculture. The educational con-

ference offers registration discounts to those registering by Dec. 20. Attendees also receive discounts when they attend both the preconference workshop and the forum. Scholarships are available by application to FFA, 4-H, and beginning farmers or ranchers. The Valley Food Partnership, CSU Extension, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, National Young Farmers Coalition and Shavano Conservation District organize the Western Colorado Food and Farm Forum collaboratively. For a complete list of topics or to register for the conference and preconference workshop please visit: www.food farmforum.org or call 249-3935.

Photo by Hank Lohmeyer

A cagey critter

Ringnecks are a very visible wildlife in the area, but a type whose cagey nature can make them a challenging subject to photograph. One was sighted standing alert along an open county roadside last week in a real holiday setting as he was momentarily distracted by the presence of a potential rival.

Plants of the Western Slope A look at local flora with Evelyn Horn Glacial Lily Today the sky is clear … what a nice change! It’s been gray day after day, but it isn’t warmer. In fact, it feels colder! And I prefer warm weather: that’s why we lived in Las Vegas, Nev.! From the dining room window I can see the top of Crag Crest gleaming white in the bright sunlight. The snow is down to the pinyon-junipers. The juncos flit back and forth in the evergreens by the west windows. And I remember summertime with its glorious wildflowers. We drive up Old Grand Mesa Road with bright sunshine and wildflowers everywhere. Red paintbrush, purple and blue lupines, yellow sunflowers and white daisies. We arrive

Glacier Lily

at the junction with Forest Road 124 and here are my flowers! There’s a bit of water trickling down on our left to pool a few feet below the road. I scramble out of the car and stand in the gravel to admire them. My little garden has a couple dozen blossoms of brilliant gold — glacier

lilies! But now I see more … there are buds and spent blooms plus many in seed already. Two leaves occur with each flower stalk and some plants support upsidedown yellow blossoms (“nodding” in botanese). I can see buds on other plants. On a closer look, I find that the stems range from a few inches tall to nearly a foot. The lovely turnedback petals are about one-and-a-half inches each. If I were to spread the blossom out flat, it would be about three inches wide … very large for a wildflower. The small, reddishpurple seedpods seem difficult to spot, but then I’m looking for the anthers. Sometimes the anthers are reddish (as pictured

in Al’s photo) instead of yellowish which leads to the botanical label of Erythronium grandiflorum. Greek “erythro” is a prefix meaning red and “coma” refers to hairs as on the anthers. But other names are numerous! Glacier lily, avalanche lily, trout lily, fawn lily, dog-tooth violet, and adder’s tongue. Most references note that the plant may be found in early spring at lower elevations and that it follows the snow melt to appear in June at the base of snow banks, as I’ve seen it near Eggleston Lake. And our time was up. I’d found my glacier lilies so I was content to go home. I know that my glacier lilies will be there next spring.

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December 9, 2015

874-4421 • Fax: 874-4424 www.deltacountyindependent.com E-mail: ads@deltacountyindependent.com

REAL ESTATE

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FOR SALE

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DELTA VITAMIN & Health and Upscale Resale going out of business soon! Now 50% off storewide on all antiques, furniture, jewelry and our Vitamin room! Think Christmas & Stocking Stuffers at 1/2 the price! Please bring cash only for purchases! 128 Main St., Delta, (970) 399-3374. (1x49)

TRAILER SALES TRAILER FOR SALE. 2014 TNT 7x14 enclosed trailer. Dual axle. Side door w/pull-down ramp. Factory warranty. (970) 856-7221 (2x48)

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CAWS ADOPTION CENter in Delta, Colorado seeks a CVT to manage a small shelter operation for a 17 year-old non-profit, private 501(c)3 organization. Familiar with behavioral testing, PACFA shelter regulations and "open" facility practices as defined by the Asilomar Accords, a plus. Computer skills including internet, email a must. Familiar with Facebook and google docs, a plus. Hours are M-F, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., $13.50/hr, no benefits, seven days paid vacation. Email resume to: CAWS@CAWSonline.org, or mail to: CAWS, PO Box 1736, Paonia, CO 81428. (4x49)

Give a gift they can open 52 times a year! Stop in or call the Delta County Independent to order a

CROSSROADS ASSISTed Living is taking applications for Cook/Dietary Aid and QMAPS (Qualified Medication Administration Person) Pick up application at 1380 Aspen Way, Delta. (2x49)

ADVERTISE 874-4421

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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. WELCOME RETURNING Veterans, Post 9221 VFW meets at 5:00 p.m. on the 4th Thursday of each month in Cedaredge. To find out how to participate in promoting patriotism and assisting veterans, contact Wayne Hamrick, (970) 2501180. (tfnx23) AARP DRIVER SAFETY Course. Save on insurance, keep up on newer traffic laws, learn defensive driving techniques. For details and schedule contact John Loring (970) 856-6924 or (970) 424-1778. LOOKING FOR QUALITY employees? Advertise here in the DCI Classifieds.

D2 Wednesday, December 9, 2015 PUBLIC SERVICE HOTCHKISS-CRAWFORD Historical Museum. Winter hours, Saturdays 1-4 p.m. thru December 24. $3 admission or free to members. Come see our museum at 2nd & Hotchkiss Streets in Hotchkiss. 872-3780. (tfx44)

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SAVE EYEGLASSES, OLD jewelry and silver or bits of gold and silver scraps. The Grand Odd Fellow Lodge is sending them to: New Eyes for the Needy, 549 Millburn Ave., Short Hills, NJ 07078 or send them to: Gale Conger, Secretary of IOOF CHECK OUT THE BOOK Lodge #116, 544 St. Hwy. store at the library. You'll 548, Delta, CO 81416. find a great selection of paperbacks at reasonable PAONIA AMERICAN prices. Legion runs a year round non-perishable emergency IF YOU LOVE BOOKS, food pantry. This is for you will love the Downstairs the North Fork area. For Bookstore in the basement information, call 527-6252. of the Delta Public Library. (tfx49) NARCOTICS ANONY- THE AMERICAN RED mous meets at 9th and Cross needs you. Become Palmer, Delta, Mondays and one of the Red Cross volunFridays at 8 p.m. (tfnx5) teers who says, “We’ll Be BECAWS! DONATIONS There, Because Help Can’t needed. Credit cards Wait!” Call your local Red accepted. Call 970-527- Cross Chapter at 970-2423350, or visit cawsonline. 4851 or 1-800-HELP NOW org. Delta County Citizens for information on the diffor Animal Welfare and ference you can make in someone’s life as a disaster Shelter (CAWS) volunteer. ((TFNx4)) DELTA FOOD PANTRY needs meals for Delta DELTA HAS A BOOKfamilies who are temporar- store in the basement of ily in need. Donations of the library featuring gently non-perishable food may used books and magazines. be brought to 628 Meeker. Come check it out! (tfx36) UNEMPLOYED? JOIN HELP!!! KEEP THE others for a time of netanimal population under working, encouragement, control, and SAVE an ani- and skill improvement. mal's life. Adopt your new Latent Resources meets cat or dog from the Delta the first Thursday of each County Humane Society. month at 6:30 at the Delta Adoption fee is minimal. United Methodist Church (5th & Meeker). Attendants Call 874-2149. (DCHS) and visitors are encourTHERE IS A VFW MEETING aged to dress professionon the first Monday of each ally and bring a note pad month. At 6 p.m. there is and a willingness to learn a potluck and the meeting and be challenged. Find us is at 7 p.m. at the IOOF on facebook.com & twitHall, 860 Hwy 92, Delta. ter.com - search "Latent For further information, Resources", or call James call 874-8172 Jim Baker, at 970-901-9463. Quartermaster. (tfx12) HEALTHY BABIES START BECAWS! ADOPT A DOG with early prenatal care. County Health or cat today. Call 970-527- Delta 3350, or visit cawsonline. Department. Offers access org. Delta County Citizens to immediate, temporary for Animal Welfare and Medicaid for pregnant Shelter (CAWS) women who qualify. 8742165. (tfx25) CHAPTER, UNITS OF DAV regular meetings on the BOOKS MAKE GREAT second Monday of each stocking stuffers. Find month at 7 p.m. at the books at great prices in Veterans Building, 15th & the basement of the Delta Howard, Delta. For further Public Library. information, call Paul Carter BECAWS! DISCOUNT 874-5150. (tfx19) spay and neuter coupons ARE YOU NEW TO THE available. Call 970-527Delta area? Stop by the 3350, or visit cawsonline. Delta Area Chamber of org. Delta County Citizens Commerce at 301 Main for Animal Welfare and St. for you FREE Welcome Shelter (CAWS) Bag, filled with goodies, samples, discounts and FARM WORKER HEALTH community information, Services: We offer assiscourtesy of Chamber mem- tance with medical, dental bers and sponsored by Kim and medicines. If you work Guthrie-Burch of Re/Max in agriculture you may qualify for our services. For Today. more information call 323YOU HAVE THE POWER TO 0538. (tfx12) change a child's life! Children are waiting for SERVICIOS DE SALUD senior partners in Delta De Campesinos: Ofrecemos County right now! Can ayuda con doctores, dentisyou spare 3 hours a week? tas, y medicinas. Si trabajas We need your help! Call en agricultura puedes califitoday for more informa- car para nuestros servicios. tion. Please volunteer to Para mas informacion llame spend time with a child in al 323-0538. (tfx12) our community. Partners THINK YOU'RE PREGof Delta, Montrose and nant? Abused? Need help? Ouray, 874-4661, www. The Pregnancy Resource partners-west.org. or www. Center in Delta offers free deltayouth@montrose.net. service, support and advice (tfx13) to all teenagers and women DO YOU HAVE A HOUSE in crisis pregnancy situaor apartment for rent? Get tions. For Christian help, results through the DCI anytime, call 874-5733. Classifieds. HAVING A YARD SALE? Advertise it in the DCI ClasADVERTISE TODAY! sifieds.

PUBLIC SERVICE YOU CAN QUIT. WE CAN help. Colorado Tobacco Quitline offers free, confidential assistance. Call 1800-QUIT-NOW. (TFNx28). FAMILIES BELIEVING in families: Tandem Families is an innovative, private non-profit mentoring program providing services for at-risk children of Delta and Mont-rose counties. Anyone interested in volunteering their services or donating usable items should call 874-3000 or 2527445. (TFNx8) THE AMERICAN LEGION Post 97 Paonia is seeking the names and addresses of all persons currently serving on active duty in the military from the North Fork Valley in order to contact them and show our support. Send addresses to American Legion Post 97, PO Box 277, Paonia, CO 81428 or call 527-6552. PARENTS FREE! INFORMation and referrals to licensed child care providers, call Bright Futures Child Care Resource and Referral, 1-877-728-5613. (TFNx4) SUPPORT THE DELTA Public Library. Give a gently used book in the Downstairs Book Store. FOSTER GRANDPARENT Program enriches the lives of senior volunteers while improving the education of children with special needs. Volunteers, 55 and older, needed to assist in class rooms tutoring and mentoring children. Low-income volunteers may qualify for a stipend. Teachers in Delta area class rooms request "Grandparents" to come in and work with students who need the extra help to achieve their best. For information on how you can use your talents to help kids call Tanya at 263-9091. (tfx7) PARENTS — FREE information and referrals for licensed child care providers. Call Bright Futures Child Care Resource & Referral at 877-728-5613. (TFNx1) BECAWS! VOLUNTEERS needed. Call 970-527-3350, or visit cawsonline.org. Delta County Citizens for Animal Welfare and Shelter (CAWS) PLEASE HELP! VOLUNteers needed to help get new animal shelter in Delta off the ground. We need temporary or long term foster homes, foot soldiers, light research, paperwork and phone people. Many hands make light work. Thank you! Another Chance Critter Haven. 874-9011. DEDUCT IT FROM YOUR taxes! Donations of: pet food, old blankets, towels, kennels, carriers, pet beds or dishes, and money always appreciated. Another Chance Critter Haven. 8749011. 501 (c) (3) JOIN FORCES WITH US! Animal lovers rescue groups, shelters: let's band together and get a countywide shelter built! We are here for the animals. Another Chance Critter Haven. 874-9011. YOUR LISTING HERE! call now... 874-4421

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PUBLIC SERVICE BECAWS! DOG/CAT foster families needed. Call 970-527-3350, or visit cawsonline.org. Delta County Citizens for Animal Welfare and Shelter (CAWS) COLORADO QUITLINE IS a free, confidential telephone coaching service for anyone calling from a Colorado area code. With QuitLine, tobacco users can receive free supplies of the nicotine patch as they work with trained coaches who create a personalized quit plan just for them. To contact the QuitLine, call 1800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-7848669) or visit www.coquitline.org. BECAWS! DO YOU HAVE an animal rescue success story to share? Call 970-527-3350, or email rescuemagazine@gmail. com. Delta County Citizens for Animal Welfare and Shelter (CAWS) THE DELTA COUNTY Democratic Party invites you to visit their Facebook page for announcements, information and intelligent discussion of issues. You are not alone! Contact www.facebook.com/pages/ CO-Delta-County-Democrat s/109082339170167 BECAWS! DONATION items needed for Barkin' Bargains Thrift Store in Paonia. Call 970-527-5111. Delta County Citizens for Animal Welfare and Shelter (CAWS) ALZHEIMER'S ASSOciation Caregivers' Support Group, Cory/Austin. All Saints Lutheran Church, 20101 Deer Creek Road. Last Wednesday of every month, 1 p.m. ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCiation Caregivers' Support Group, Delta. Hospice and Palliative Care of Western Colorado, Grand Mesa Oncology Center, 1501 E. 3rd Street, Tuesdays at 2 p.m. BECAWS! SHOP BARKIN' Bargains Thrift Store in Paonia. All proceeds to to CAWS. Call 970-527-5111. Delta County Citizens for Animal Welfare and Shelter (CAWS) IF YOU THINK YOU have a drinking problem... Alcoholics Anonymous can help. There are weekly AA meetings throughout the North Fork area and beyond. For meeting times and locations call AA at 970-245-9649 or 888-3339649. Or go to the website www.aa-westerncolorado. org. Alcoholics Anonymous can help!

Delta County Independent

PUBLIC SERVICE

MISC.

AL-ANON MEETINGS BY day of week. Sunday: Woman's Al-Anon in Montrose 3:30 p.m., All Saints Anglican Church, 2057 S. Townsend, contact Peggy, (970) 9644970. Monday: Al-Anon in Hotchkiss 6:30 p.m., Methodist Church, 285 N. 2nd, contact Kay, (970) 2085257 or Chris, (970) 5273366. Monday: Al-Anon in Montrose 7:00 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, 1840 E. Niagara, contact Diane, (970) 964-4417. Tuesday: Women's Al-Anon in Eckert 1:00 p.m., 13596 Hwy. 65, contact Sandy, (970) 8567348. Tuesday: Al-Anon in Delta 7:30 p.m., St. Luke Episcopal Church, 145 W. 5th St., contact Mark, (970) 874-8965 or Elizabeth, (970) 874-9832. Tuesday: Alateen in Delta 7:30 p.m., St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 145 W. 5th St., contact Elizabeth, (970) 874-9832 or Shirley, (970) 323-5067. Wednesday: Al-Anon in Paonia 7:00 p.m., United Methodist Church, 3rd and Onarga, contact Kay, (970) 208-5257 or Chris, (970) 527-3366. Thursday: Al-Anon in Montrose 12:00 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, 1840 E. Niagara, contact Diane, (970) 9644417. Thursday: Al-Anon in Cedaredge 8 p.m., Wick Hall behind First Baptist Church, 370 W. Main, contact Vicki, (970)589-9290. (tfnx16) HUNGRY? PLEASE JOIN us for a free meal. Tuesdays, 5:30 - 7 p.m., and Saturdays 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Served at Westminster Hall, 135 E. 4th St., Delta, across from the post office. No income restrictions - if you're hungry, please feel free to join us. For questions, to donate or to volunteer, please call the Abraham Connection, (970) 773-8290.

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

MISC.

Colorado Statewide Classiﬁed Advertising Network 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. SPORTING GOODS SYNC2 MEDIA GUN SHOW DEC. 12-13 SAT. 9-5 & SUN. 9-4 COLORADO SPRINGS MORTGAGE SOLUTIONS FINANCIAL SERVICES (3650 N NEVADA) BUY-SELL-TRADE INFO: (563) 927-8176

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

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PUBLIC NOTICES

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Delta County Independent

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Area churches celebrate the birth of Christ All Saints Lutheran Church 20101 Deer Creek Road, Austin Thursday, Dec. 24 — Christmas Eve candlelight worship service, 7 p.m., led by Pastor Paul Rosin. Eckert Presbyterian Church 13025 Highway 65 Thursday, Dec. 24 — Christmas Eve candlelight service, 6:30 p.m. St. Philip Benizi 290 NW Cedar Avenue Cedaredge Thursday, Dec. 24 — Prelude, 6:30 p.m.; Mass, 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 25 — Mass, 9 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 31 — Service, 6 p.m., followed by a potluck dinner in St. Ann’s Hall at 7 p.m. Cedaredge Community Methodist Church 3rd & Aspen Sunday, Dec. 20 — Christmas cantata, “Tell the World Jesus is Born,” 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 24 — Family service at 5 p.m., featuring “Oh Come Ye,” a drama written by one of our own, Karen Cline. Traditional Christmas Eve candlelight service,

7 p.m. Grand Mesa Southern Baptist Church S.E. Jay Avenue, Cedaredge Sunday, Dec. 13 — Choir will present the cantata “Arise Shine! Your Light Has Come” along with other music at the morning service, 10:45 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 24 — Christmas Eve service at 6 p.m., with congregational carol singing, highlights from the cantata, additional music and brief readings. New Hope Church 17464 Surface Creek Road, Cedaredge Sunday, Dec. 13 — The Cedaredge New Hope EFree adult choir and children’s department will be sharing the “Silent Night, Holy Night” musical/drama during the 10 a.m. worship service. This spirited seasonal presentation is filled with classic carols, hymns and drama, along with stirring new songs. Admission is free. Saint Andrew’s Orthodox Church 298 Bert Street Delta Thursday, Dec. 24 —

Christmas Eve vigil service, 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 25 — Christmas Day Festal Divine Liturgy, 9 a.m. Saint Andrew’s Parish welcomes all. St. Luke’s Episcopal Church 5th & Palmer, Delta Every Tuesday — Advent concerts, 12:10 to 12:55 p.m. through Dec. 22. Thursday, Dec. 24 — Christmas Eve carol service begins at 8 p.m. Christmas Eve Holy Communion Service begins at 8:30 p.m., with reception after service. Friday, Dec. 25 — Christmas Day Holy Communion service, 10 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 31 — New Year’s Eve Holy Communion service, 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 1 — New Year’s Day Holy Communion service, 10 a.m. First Baptist Church of Delta 1250 Pioneer Road Sunday, Dec. 20 — Morning worship, 10:30 a.m. The message is “Faith Requires Worship.” At 6 p.m. enjoy a visit from St. Nicholas

as church members interpret the origin of Santa Claus. Thursday, Dec. 24 — Christmas Eve candlelight worship, 6 p.m. The message is “This Changes Everything.” A special offering will be taken for the Salvation Army. Saturday, Dec. 26— Meet at the church at 12:30 p.m. to go sledding on Grand Mesa. Garnet Mesa Baptist Church 863 A Street, Delta Sunday, Dec. 20 — During morning worship at 11 a.m., the church will be looking at the birth of our Savior. The children’s Christmas play will take place during the evening service at 6:30 p.m. Delta United Methodist Church 5th & Meeker Tuesday, Dec. 22 — Blue Christmas service, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 24 — Candlelight service, 6 p.m. A simpler service takes place at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 25 — Christmas Day service, 9:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 25 — Annual community Christmas dinner, 11:30

a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Everyone welcome! If you would like to volunteer to help serve, clean up, or prepare food, please call the church office, 874-9501. Friday, Jan. 1 — Annual devotional exchange. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Delta Christian Church 795 1600 Road Saturday, Dec. 12 — Kids with a King present the musical “A Tree Lot Christmas” at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20 — Morning worship, 10 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 24 — Christmas Eve candlelight service, 6 p.m. Redeemer Lutheran Church 1721 H Road, Delta Wednesday, Dec. 9 and 16 — Midweek Advent services at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19 — Live Nativity program, 6 and 7 p.m. A chili/soup supper will be offered between performances. The Tiny Treasures Preschool will also be having a bake sale. Thursday, Dec. 24 — Christmas Eve service, 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 25 — Christmas Day service, 9 a.m.

Presbyterian Church of Delta 4th & Meeker Sunday, Dec. 20 — Fourth Sunday of Advent with children’s puppet interpretation of Jesus’ birth, 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 24 — Christmas Eve candlelight communion service, 6 p.m. Center for Spiritual Living 658 Howard St., Delta Sunday, Dec. 20 — Winter solstice service, 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 24 — Taize candlelight Christmas Eve service, 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 30 — Burning bowl New Year’s ceremony, 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 31 — World peace prayer service, 5 a.m. (yes, 5 a.m.). Mountain View Bible Church Lazear Sunday, Dec. 13 — Children’s Christmas program and Christmas fellowship, 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18 — Christmas caroling and chili supper, 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20 — Noel service, “The Hope of Christmas,” 11 a.m. SCHEDULE TO D6

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Delta County Independent

Call for artists for benefit art show

Schedule FROM PAGE D5 Sunday, Dec. 20 — Candlelight communion service, 6 p.m. Paonia United Methodist Church 3rd & Onarga Sunday, Dec. 13 and 20 — Services celebrating Advent, 10 a.m. Sunday school begins at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 24 — Candlelight Christmas Eve service, 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 25 — Christmas potluck luncheon, noon. For more information, call 5273348. This free listing will be updated for the Dec. 16 and 23 editions of the DCI. Additional church information can be emailed to editor@delta countyindependent.com.

Celebrate the birth of Christ

Redeemer Lutheran Church, 1000 Pioneer Road, Delta, is presenting two live nativity performances Saturday, Dec. 19, at 6 and 7 p.m. A chili/soup supper will be offered between performances. The Tiny Treasures Preschool will also be having a bake sale with Christmas goodies.

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home. The show is open to artists of any age and ability who live in Delta County. Artists are asked to register with their intent to showcase by Jan. 8 by calling the gallery at 209-5393 or emailing gallery owner Ann Barker at AnnMBarker@hotmail. com. Submissions are due by Jan. 29 at 5 p.m. at Gallery De La Luz, 128 Palmer Street, Delta. Size limitations on artwork apply; please call or email for questions and clarification. The show opening will be Feb. 5 from 5-8 p.m. A portion of show sales will be donated to The Abraham Connection Homeless Shelter.

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Recognizing that we’re all connected in some way within our community, Gallery De La Luz in Delta has issued a call for artists for its upcoming benefit, “The Ties that Bind.” Artists are asked to create a piece featuring or showcasing neckties. Hit the thrift stores, visit your uncle who retired from corporate life, and dig out those long-forgotten Father’s Day gifts to pay homage to the forgotten piece of clothing … the necktie! In addition to the traditional showpieces of paintings, sculpture and photography, this show will be a great outlet for the amazing textile/fiber artists who call Delta County

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SERVICE DIRECTORY

Delta County Independent

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

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D8 Wednesday, December 9, 2015

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Delta County Independent

B A C K P A G E

Investing in paradise Photo by Tamie Meck. Historic photos submitted.

A crowd gathers last July at the Paradise Theatre in downtown Paonia. The non-proﬁt Friends of the Paradise Theatre, which now controls the theatre, recently announced the “Take a Seat in Paradise” fundraising campaign to pay off loans and make it a true community-owned theater.

BY TAMIE MECK

Staff Writer

ince the early part of the 20th century, seeing movies on the big screen has been an American tradition. The big screen came to Paonia in October 1928, when an enterprising citizen named Tom Poulos opened the Paonia Theatre on Grand Avenue. On opening day adults paid 50 cents and children 25 cents to see the silent film, “What Price Glory.” The local theater was in jeopardy of disappearing in 2013, but thanks to a generous community and a dedicated group of patrons, future generations can still experience the big screen at the theater that Tom Poulos built. According to a historical narrative by Tom Stevens, the original Paonia Theatre replaced the Gayety Theater, which was destroyed years earlier by fire, in 1928. The building still bears the Poulos name, but has since changed ownership a few times, survived the advent of the VCR and DVD, and went dark a time or two. But in 2013, the Paradise Theatre was among more than 1,000 small-town theaters facing closure. The operators weren’t renewing their lease, the owner considered selling, and conversion to digital technology was forcing small theaters across the country to choose between expensive upgrades and closure, recalled Elaine Brett, current board president of the non-profit Friends of the Paradise Theatre. “Everything was pointing to closure.“ That wasn’t an option, said Brett. “We want kids to have that shared experience of seeing a movie on the big screen,” including classics like “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “The Wizard of Oz,” and “Fantasia,” which was shown admission-free last weekend, “It’s different and it’s special, and we’re losing that.” The Paonia Chamber of Commerce took on a sponsorship role, and a “Digital or Dark” Kickstarter campaign raised $100,000 to fund digital conversion, concession stand renovation, removal of the steep stairway leading to the projection room, and a fresh coat of paint. A small group of local investors helped purchase the building, and in June 2014 the doors reopened. That September, the Friends of the Paradise Theatre (FOPT) was given non-profit status. FOPT applied to the

Paonia’s original theater, the Gayety, burned down and was replaced in 1928 with the original Paonia Theatre. Board of County Commissioners for historical designation, and last May the Paradise was declared a Historic Landmark. That designation opened doors to grants and other opportunities. FOPT now has a five-year plan to make those opportunities a reality. “There’s a lot more we’d like to do with the place,” said Brett. “There’s stuff behind the walls that I don’t even know if I want to know about.” The new Belgium-made Barco projector has greatly simplified the movie projection process, said Brett. All the steps that used to require manpower and coordination, down to operation of house lights, is preprogrammed. “This pretty much assures that it’s going to be a nice clean run.” The Barco is also compatible with an array of electronic gadgets, allowing for greater flexibility in live performances and community events, said Brett. FOPT’s wish list for the future includes upgrades of the audio and lighting systems and other technical improvements, and construction of a back stage so that performers, currently staged at the KVNF studios, don’t have to enter through the alleyway. FOPT is also exploring collaborations with more than a dozen local organizations and businesses. “How can we provide the best venue for the community” and give people who don’t attend movies a reason to come to the theater? asked Brett. “I think it’s really important for us to honor everybody who lives here and to try and provide something for almost everyone.”

The Paonia Theatre shown with the old ticket booth.

Poulos likely saw his theater in much the same way. A community-minded man, he made it a hub of the community, including during the Great Depression, where meetings and gatherings were held and children saw Santa Claus. In its early days it doubled as a dance hall until sometime in the 1930s when the floor was slanted for better movie viewing and permanent seating was installed, according to Stevens’ narrative. Paonia native Lynne Bear and her late husband, Charlie, were the theater’s second owners. Lynne still has the abstract, which shows ownership of the theater and two adjoining Grand Avenue properties changing hands beginning in 1925, with Poulos purchasing the property for $2,200 in 1935. “I was not happy with Charlie when he bought it,” said Lynne, who at the time was preparing to sell her restaurant and stay at home. “I’m grateful now that we did.” The Bears took over operations in 1968, and in 1970, purchased the three buildings for $35,000 from Poulos’ daughter, Stephanie Poulos. They changed the name to the Bear Theatre, reconstructed the marquee, and added balcony seating. The theater was mostly open weekends and offered special kids’ movies. “We always had lots of kids,” said Lynne. The now-grown moviegoers still tell her today how much they enjoy those memories. While Charlie worked at the mine she ran a hair salon, and later a dress shop by day, and ran movies at night. Getting first-run films was expensive, but they managed to get many of them, said Lynne. Movies arrived at the post office in huge canisters. Films were then spliced onto a big reel — an art form few mastered. An interruption in the film usually meant trouble in the projection room. Years after they sold the theater Lynne said she had a good laugh while watching a movie and the projectionist had some trouble. “I remember those times and the challenges,” said Lynne. She was very happy to know the theater would remain open and attended a FOPT board meeting to express her gratitude. Along with the schools, museum and Paonia Senior Center, where she now volunteers, “I just think it’s the cen-

ter of town.” Unfortunately, converting to digital hasn’t made first-run film more affordable, although the Paradise has shown several since the digital conversion. Small theaters aren’t high on the list for getting first runs, but like the Bears, “We try,” said Brett. “The whole industry is not very fair to little independent houses like this, but we’re stuck with it.” A true theater experience includes a trip to the concession stand, and the Paradise has a robust concession where traditional theater fare is sold alongside local items like Big B’s juices. “If somebody made candy (locally), we’d probably sell it,” said Brett. The gourmet popcorn is topped with real butter. For the 21-and-older crowd, they offer a selection of alcoholic beverages, most of which are produced locally. “We’re not in the business of being a tavern or a bar,” said Brett. However, people are very grateful to be able to enjoy a glass of wine with their movie. “It is unique.” The theater can also be rented for private events. New technology allows for live streaming, and in September Harvest of Voices reading was streamed to a full house from the Blue Sage Center for the Arts, marking the first live streaming of an event. FOPT recently announced its “Take a Seat at the Paradise” campaign through Colorado Gives (ColoradoGives.Org). In one month the campaign has raised $25,000 toward a goal of $150,000 - $200,000. Funds will go toward paying off debts. Once those are honored, said Brett, the theater will truly belong to the community and provide a space for a variety of cultural events into the future. The board would eventually like to purchase one of the adjacent buildings to increase space. While looking to the future, FOPT is not forgetting the past, said Brett. They are currently in talks with Jim Wetzel from the Delta County Historical Society about a theater exhibit. Some of the items would come from the collection at the Paonia Historical Society, which lacks space for the special exhibit. The Paradise is garnering a great deal of attention from beyond the North Fork area. By invitation from the Colorado Office of Film, Television and Media, on Feb. 4, Rocky Mountain PBS will screen two films, “Cinema on the Plains,” about Colorado’s small theaters in the early days of statehood; and “Ladies of the Mines,” about

the challenges faced by ladies in the state’s remote mining towns in the late 19th century. A Q&A session will follow the screenings. On Feb. 6 the theater will play host to a TEDx event, with the theme “Pushing Through the Pavement.” “It’ll be a day of new and brilliant ideas,” said Brett. About 20 carefully selected speakers will deliver 15- to 18minute talks on various subjects, interspersed with creative performances. The event will be recorded and posted to the TEDx website, which has potential to bring the world to Paonia. “We’re telling other people we’re here, and they’ll be interested in seeing who we are,” said Brett. “That’s a good thing, I think.” Organizers hope to attract people from as close as Delta and Montrose and as far away as the Front Range and beyond. The event may also be streamed live at other venues. The TEDx event “isn’t just about Paonia,” said Brett. “It isn’t about the North Fork Valley … it’s about Delta County.” FOPT recently received confirmation of a $7,500 grant from the Anschutz Family Foundation and a matching $6,000 grant from the Colorado Tourism Office for marketing the fourth annual Paonia Film Festival on April 28-30. FOPT is reaching out to the county and beyond to bring people to the festival, and requests for film submissions, due in January and February, have gone out across the state. Included on the wish list for 2016 are humanities scholar and Thomas Jefferson impersonator Clay Jenkinson, and a live streaming of a Broadway show. Downtown Colorado, Inc. wants to offer a Downtown Institute workshop training program for businesses and local government in collaboration with the Town of Paonia and Chamber of Commerce. “The change to digital was a tough hurdle that many small theaters didn’t make,” said Brett. But the Paradise survived and represents the great potential for revitalization. “People are coming to small towns to get away. If they come, they need something to do. A theater, I think, is a mark of something alive.” Upcoming events at the Paradise Theatre in December: Dec. 12 — The Scones “Light in the Forest” CD release party and performance. The 3 Tinkers will open. Dec. 18-19: Dark Night with author Craig Childs.

A 1950s-era photo shows how popular the theater has been with local kids.