Delta County Independent, March 29, 2017

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NORTH FORK TIMES

SURFACE CREEK NEWS

TOP TIER SCHOOL

Hardworking students, staff bring honors to Paonia Elementary, B1

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

Spring

EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE

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Postal carrier’s caring action earns commendation, C1

HOME IMPROVEMENT Spring into action around your home and yard, Inside

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DELTA COUNTY

MARCH 29, 2017 VOL. 134, NO. 13

75¢

INDEPENDENT

www.deltacountyindependent.com

15 kids treated for minor injuries after bus accident BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

Bus driver Audie Woods was on his second-to-the-last stop on his route Monday morning when his 50J bus was struck from behind while picking up children along Highway 50 in North Delta. The bus was rear-ended by Samuel R. Rascon of Hobbs, N.M., who suffered serious injuries in the accident. He is being treated at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Grand Junction. After impact, Woods and the 41 children on the bus were able to evacuate the bus through the front door. Woods said he didn’t even have a chance to get his cell phone out before the first Delta Police Department officers arrived on the scene. They were followed quickly by ambulance personnel from both Delta and Olathe. In total, the Delta Police Department reports, 15 children were seen by medical staff at Delta County Memorial Hospital for various minor injuries. All were released. The bus was carrying stu-

dents of all ages, from elementary to high school age. The uninjured students were taken to Bill Heddles Recreation Center. School officials contacted parents by phone, and several opted to pick up their children from there. The remaining students were loaded onto another bus and taken to school. The accident occurred in the eastbound lane of Highway 50 shortly before 7:30 a.m. Woods said he had stopped his bus, with the stop sign extended and lights flashing, to pick up three students from the side of the road. Two were on the bus and he was waiting for the third when the bus was hit from behind. His attention was on the students, so he never saw Rascon’s pickup approaching. Hospital CEO Jason Cleckler said Delta County Memorial Hospital was able to mobilize the needed resources in the emergency department to take care of the influx of patients and family members. “Hospital employees are routinely trained for these types of multiple patient incidents,”

Cleckler said. “ER physicians and clinical staff worked closely with other community partners including EMS, law enforcement and school district representatives to assess and treat the children in a timely fashion. I commend our experienced ER staff for taking care of these children and keeping their parents informed quickly and professionally.” The DPD reports alcohol is not a suspected cause of the accident. The investigation continues; charges are pending. The Delta Police Department thanks the following agencies for their assistance, support and services during the initial incident and continuing investigation of this accident: Colorado State Patrol, Delta County Sheriff ’s Office, Colorado Department of Transportation, Delta Fire District, Delta County Ambulance District, Delta County Memorial Hospital, Bill Heddles Recreation Center, Delta County Joint School District 50J, Olathe Ambulance, Montrose Police Department, Care Flight and St. Mary’s Medical Center.

Photo provided by Delta County Joint School District

A Delta County school bus was rear-ended during a stop to pick up schoolchildren along Highway 50 in North Delta. Up to 15 children were treated for minor injuries; the driver of the vehicle that hit the bus suffered serious injuries and is being treated at St. Mary’s.

County projects receive GOCO grants The Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) Board has awarded two grants totaling $103,000 to Delta County projects. The City of Delta received a $75,000 planning grant to develop its first parks, recreation, open space and trails master plan, and the Town of Cedaredge received a $28,000 mini grant for improvements to and an extension of Surface

Creek Trail. GOCO planning grants help local governments gather public input, evaluate conditions, and develop strategic plans to meet the outdoor recreation needs of Colorado communities. The City of Delta’s planning grant will allow the city to hire a professional consultant to coordinate an extensive public input and stakeholder engagement pro-

cess driving the development of its first master plan. The master plan will help parks and recreation staff members balance opportunities for expansion with ongoing maintenance needs of existing facilities. It will also allow various key partners, including Delta County commissioners and representatives from Delta County Economic Development and Delta County Tourism, to weigh in on the plan. In Cedaredge, a $28,000 GOCO mini grant has funded the first phase of an effort to improve and extend Surface Creek Trail. The town received a land donation from Deer Creek Village Homeowners Association, which will help

make the improved Surface Creek Trail, the longest public nature trail in the area. The trail, which is already popular with residents, will be extended and widened, and drainage improvements will increase the trail’s safety and year-round usability. Hazardous trees will be mitigated and uneven surfaces repaired. The trail is used by students walking to and from school, school sports teams, commuters, and locals for exercise. A recent study conducted as part of planning efforts by a local GOCO Inspire Initiative coalition found that 72 percent of adults and 45 percent of students in Delta County regularly hike or walk on trails.

The Western Colorado Conservation Corps is scheduled to start working on the trail in May 2017, and the project is projected to be completed by the end of summer 2017. The town is also planning future phases to extend the trail to a scenic overlook and connect it to other existing trail segments. To date, GOCO has invested $7.2 million in Delta County projects and has conserved more than 600 acres of land there. GOCO funding has supported Crawford State Park, Delta regional youth sports complex, and the Delta County Fairgrounds, among other projects. Greater Delta County was also named a GOCO GOCO TO A3

Liquor license issues dominate council meeting BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

Photo by Pat Sunderland

Over the winter, city parks crews continued efforts to clean out tamarisk, Russian olive trees and encroaching vegetation from Confluence Park. The north side of the park has a much more open feel, which makes walkers feel more comfortable, and both the Gunnison and Uncompahgre rivers are more visible. This spring, parks crews will be installing an 18-hole disc golf course in the area cleared over the winter. The baskets are on order and will be installed as soon as they are delivered.

INDEX

Accent ........................... A4 Activities ....................... A7 Back Page ................... D6 Business .........................C6 Church ............................C5 Classifieds .................. D1-2 Editorial ......................... A2 Legals ......................... D3-4 North Fork Times ........B1-4 Obituaries .................. A5-6 School Zone .................. A8 Service Directory ........ D5 Sports ..........................B5-8 Surface Creek News ...C1-2 TV Listings ..................C3-4

Open house set

Delta County has partnered with CDOT and Stolfus & Associates Consulting to prepare an access control plan on Highway 92 on Rogers Mesa.The project reviews existing access in the area with the intention of developing a plan for improving safety and access to the highway. A public meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, April 5, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Hotchkiss High School to unveil the draft project plan to the public. The presentation explains the scope, need and process for the project, the proposed schedule, and some draft design concepts under consideration.

A number of restaurants and retail liquor stores in Delta were issued violations after selling alcohol to an underage enforcement officer in November. Devil’s Thumb Golf Club, Daveto’s, CB’s Tavern, Uptown Wines and Green Valley Liquor were cited in the sting. “They cleaned house,” said Delta Police Department Chief Luke Fedler of the state licensing authority. “It’s a black eye for the city.” As a result, the city is look-

ing at a resolution to require server training for any establishment found to be in violation of the state’s liquor laws. Carrie Boyd, co-owner of CB’s Tavern, said she is totally on board with that requirement. At the March 21 meeting of Delta City Council, she said the changing look of Colorado driver’s licenses makes checking customers’ ages challenging. State laws are also subject to change. In the case of bars and restaurants, the state is now ticketing the server as well as the license holder for providing alcohol to minors.

Server training can be accomplished online or by a business contracting for onpremise training, but the city would like to bring in a certified trainer for a class to be offered to all of the city’s liquor licensees. While CB’s, Daveto’s and Uptown Wines have operated for years without any violations, that’s not the case with Green Valley Liquors. Shortly after a transfer of ownership in December 2015, Green Valley Liquors, 750 Main, was cited for selling liquor to an underage LIQUOR LICENSES TO A3

Don’t miss Spring Expo

Multi-use trail eyed

The Delta Area Chamber of Commerce’s Spring Expo takes place at Bill Heddles Recreation Center this Friday and Saturday. Expo hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, March 31, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 1. Admission is free this year! The expo features businesses to help with the inside and the outside of your home. The kids will love spending time in a bouncy house while you poke around the expo. For more information contact the Delta Area Chamber of Commerce at 874-8616 or check out the special supplement in this week’s issue of the Delta County Independent.

A proposed multi-use, non-motorized trail system to be located west of Montrose in the BLM Dry Creek travel management planning area will be the focus of an open house Thursday, April 6. The Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association (COPMOBA) will host the open house from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the Centennial meeting room adjacent to City Hall, 433 South 1st Street, Montrose. The Uncompahgre Singletrack Plan is a conceptual trail plan for approximately 27 miles of new trail open to hiking, mountain biking and equestrian uses.


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Delta County Independent, March 29, 2017 by Delta County Independent - Issuu