Delta County Independent, March 23, 2016

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NORTH FORK TIMES

SURFACE CREEK NEWS

CORPORATE HQ Hotchkiss is home to a business with a global market, B1

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

GOWN EXTRAVAGANZA Pre-prom fundraiser touches many lives, C1

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DELTA COUNTY

FOCUS ON BUSINESS Local businesses are in the spotlight, Inside

MARCH 23, 2016 VOL. 133, NO. 12

75¢

INDEPENDENT

www.deltacountyindependent.com

Atheists force 50J to defend open forum BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

After Gideon Bibles were made available to students in Delta County schools, Delta County Joint School District #50 fielded complaints from the Western Colorado Atheists and Freethinkers, a member of a national nonprofit organization, the Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF). School district attorney Aaron Clay responded to the complaints on the behalf of the school district. He explained the school district policy that makes available to students noncurricular material such as flyers from the Girl/Boy Scouts and registration information about community athletic programs. Before any noncurricular materials are placed in the schools, the literature must go through an approval process. Examples of “unacceptable” materials include hate literature, obscene or pornographic materials, or commercial advertising without any educational value. In all cases, distribution must take place outside of school time and outside of classrooms. As a public school district,

Clay explained, 50J treats all noncurricular materials equally, and must remain neutral on the issue of religion. “If we open the facility to anybody, we open it to everybody,” he explained during a recent school board work session. “We have to treat everybody the same.” In response, FFRF sent a formal letter requesting the distribution of its materials, including a brochure, “It’s Okay to Not Believe in God,” authored by the Western Colorado Atheists and Freethinkers. The Western Colorado Atheists then went to local Facebook message boards, seeking help with the distribution of its “atheist and Satanic” materials in the schools. The message quickly spread throughout the county, prompting concerned parents to phone the school district with questions. Though the details are still being worked out, the school district confirmed the materials will be made available, possibly on April 1, in all Delta County middle and high schools. They will not be placed in students’ hands, but

students will have the option of picking them up if they choose. “As a district we believe that our mission is to provide information to our students and teach them to think critically,” assistant superintendent Kurt Clay said. “We want to be able to get information to our students that will be meaningful and help them. With this belief comes some consequences.” The other option is prohibiting noncurricular materials altogether, and that is the stated goal of FRFF. A letter to the school district states: “Please note two important things. First, DCSD 50J is not required to maintain this open forum and is free to close it rather than allow FFRF to distribute materials. That is the preferred solution for all the groups submitting literature. We do not think schools should be a battleground for religious ideas. But when schools allow the Gideons to prey on children, their message of eternal damnation for any who don’t believe in their god must be countered. “Second, public schools

GOP will have primary; Dem enters District 3 race BY HANK LOHMEYER Staff Writer

The Delta County Republican Party Assembly on Saturday set the stage for a primary election in the District 3 county commissioner race. Also, there is now a Democrat, Jere Lowe of Paonia, in the District 3 race. He officially became a candidate with his state filing on March 16. He also has received the Delta County Democratic Party’s nomination for District 3 commissioner, according to his website. At Saturday’s Republican county assembly, 197 delegates who were selected at precinct caucuses on March 1 gave incumbent Mark Roeber 131 votes in his District 3 nomination bid. Challenger Roger Bentley got 66 delegate votes. Bentley’s vote tally was over the 30 percent required to place his name on the June 28 primary ballot. In the contested race for Republican nomination in commissioner District 2, Don Suppes won 155 delegate votes and his opponent Nancy Hovde got 41 votes. Hovde’s total was below the threshold needed to qualify for the primary ballot via the county assembly. However, she still has the option of petitioning onto the primary ballot. Hovde told the DCI this week that she had not yet decided whether to mount a petition drive. According to the county elections department, it would take 588 valid petition signatures for her name to be placed on the primary ballot.

INDEX

Accent ........................... A4 Activities ....................... A7 Agriculture .....................C8 Back Page ................... D8 Bruin Tracks ................C3-6 Business ........................ A8 Church ........................ D5-6 Classifieds .................. D1-2 Editorial ......................... A2 Legals ......................... D3-5 North Fork Times ........B1-3 Obituaries ..................... A6 School Zone .................. A5 Sports ..........................B6-8 Surface Creek News ...C1-7 TV Listings ..................B4-5

Both Roeber and Suppes have earned top line designation on the primary ballot, the county elections department said. On the Democratic side, District 3 candidate Lowe told the DCI that he has been a

county property owner for 10 years and has lived here full time for eight years. He has an 80-acre organic ag operation, Earth Friendly Farms, on Lamborn Mesa. He also operates Earth Friendly ELECTION TO A3

have previously attempted to deny FFRF permission to distribute literature included on this list. That resulted in a lawsuit that cost the Orange County (Fla.) Public Schools nearly $90,000 and they ended up approving all the literature for distribution anyway. Shortly after approving all the literature they closed the

literature distribution forum — what FFRF had been asking for (and what FFRF has been asking DCSD 50J for) from the beginning.” Kurt Clay stated, “The district still believes that making noncurricular material available to our students is the correct thing to do.” OPEN FORUM TO A3

Photo by Pat Sunderland

After Bibles were made available to students in Delta County schools, atheists asked the school district for permission to place an assortment of pamphlets in the district’s middle and high schools. The pamphlets will not be handed to students, but simply made available if they choose to pick them up. In keeping with the First Amendment, and its own policies, the school district maintains it must remain neutral on the matter of religion.

Candidates quizzed at forum BY HANK LOHMEYER Staff Writer

At a forum last week in Hotchkiss that was open to all candidates, four Republicans seeking their party’s nomination to run in the November general election responded to questions from the public. Participating in the forum hosted by the Delta County Republican Women were District 2 candidates Nancy Hovde and Don Suppes, and District 3 candidates, incumbent Mark Roeber and Roger Bentley. There was broad and sometimes very specific agreement on some of the issues raised (see related story) while discussion of other issues revealed differences. • Issue: The recently announced DMEA FTTP fiber optic (broadband) initiative. Suppes: He said that the options becoming available are “absolutely incredible.” He noted there are other private sector entrepreneurs also in the business locally, but added that fair competition “is good.” Hovde: She said the DMEA

option will be the “most reliable.” Bentley: He said there is a lot of fiber optic cable installed in the county already. There are private Internet service providers that will want to participate in the broadband marketplace. The private sector and the free market should not be ignored. Roeber: He said DMEA is doing a service. There are “negotiations needed” concerning the county’s $750,000 commitment to the Region 10 middle mile system. “The private sector is the way to handle it.” • Issue: The most viable sectors for future economic growth. Hovde: She said she voted against marijuana [growing]. “Is it an economic benefit or too big of a risk? It may be time to talk about it.” She noted broadband, cottage industry, and DMTC as other economic drivers. Bentley: “The people are the economic growth. Those who want to work will work. Those who don’t want to won’t.”

Roeber: He said that agriculture is an important part of Delta County and will continue to be. The county needs to become a regional hub for agriculture as it has been in the past. Tourism is an option for growth, but not the main one. Suppes: He is in agreement with Roeber on the issue. Coal used to be number one here and ag number two. Now ag will become number one again. We need to focus on ag in Delta County and make Delta County a brand for produce grown here. • Issue: Unfunded federal and state mandates on local government. Bentley: He said he would have to see specific examples of this issue in the budget process to offer a fully informed view. Roeber: He stated simply that the local level does not have a lot of control over unfunded mandates handed down from higher levels of governmental authority. Suppes: He said he sees unfunded mandates as a major issue. As a mayor, he has seen bureaucrats actu-

ally dictate to the town what ordinances and wording it will adopt while prescribing penalties for non-compliance. “We need to fight back; it can be done.” Hovde: “Mandates are completely out of control.” • Issue: Local influence and control over public lands policies. Roeber: He said he has always fought for local control. Getting state ownership of BLM/Forest Service managed lands is probably not feasible. Suppes: More local control over public lands is absolutely necessary. Also, getting state ownership of BLM/Forest Service managed lands is probably not feasible. Hovde: She said she “believes in local control, but they are federal lands.” Bentley: The federal government has mis-managed public lands. What’s needed is a state legislature that will fight for state ownership. • Issue: Bringing jobs to Delta County. Suppes: “Get government CANDIDATE FORUM TO A3

Easter egg hunt

Fire destroys shop

Sunrise services

The Delta Lions Club invites area children to an Easter egg hunt in Cleland Park Saturday, March 26. The tennis courts will be filled with treats for youngsters 5 and under. The rest of the kids will line up along the west edge of the park. When the signal is given promptly at 9 a.m., they’ll race across the grass, filling their baskets with candy eggs. Bring a camera — the Easter Bunny will be on hand for photos and to make sure everyone has plenty of goodies.

The cause of a fire that destroyed a shop in North Delta late Monday afternoon is under investigation. Shannon Crespin, station manager, reports that 20 of the Delta Fire Department’s 30 volunteers battled the blaze at 755 1600 Road. When they arrived on scene, the shop was fully engulfed in flames. Gusting winds spread the fire to a field behind the shop, forcing firefighters to battle the blaze on two fronts. They also extinguished flames that were headed toward the house about 15 feet from the shop. The fire destroyed a car, some furniture and other items stored in the shop, which ultimately caved in, Crespin said. The property is owned by Samuel Williams.

On Sunday, March 27, a community SonRise Resurrection Service will take place at the pow wow arbor across from Bill Heddles Recreation Center at 7:05 a.m. Following the service, breakfast will be served at the Gunnison Valley Church of the Nazarene. North Fork Baptist Church in Paonia, Mountain View Bible Church in Lazear and First Baptist Church in Hotchkiss are also planning sunrise services. See the details on pages D5-6.


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