Delta County Independent, Oct. 25, 2017

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NORTH FORK TIMES

SURFACE CREEK NEWS

REPAIRS COMPLETED

SPORTS

HAUNTED HOLIDAY

Paonia Reservoir is beginning to refill following repairs, B3

PHS TEAMS QUALIFY

New events add up to a “spooktacular” Halloween, C1

Cross-country runners pick up the pace for state competition, C4-5

DELTA COUNTY

OCTOBER 25, 2017 VOL. 134, NO. 43

75¢

INDEPENDENT

www.deltacountyindependent.com

Input invited on Escalante trail system west of Delta Dave Wasson and Timoteo Gallegos have seen firsthand how mountain bike trails in Fruita and Montrose draw outdoor recreationists from far and wide. They believe outdoor recreation opportunities not only draw visitors, but can drive economic development by providing the kind of experiences that appeal to employers and employees alike. Wasson and Gallegos are members of the Delta Area Mountain Bikers Association, which has been working with the BLM and Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Association (COPMOBA) to develop a multi-use trail system in the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area just west of Delta. While they are avid mountain bikers, they recognize the desire for a diverse trail system that will serve hikers and runners, as well as bike riders. They invite outdoor enthusiasts to join them Saturday, Oct. 28, to begin forming a vision for the Escalante Triangle. The kick-off celebra-

tion will provide an opportunity to tour and provide input and ideas for the new non-motorized trail system, in what the BLM has designated the Escalante Triangle Recreational Management Zone (RMZ). COPMOBA will provide refreshments and lunch, and prizes and giveaways provided by REI and other sponsors will be raffled to participants. DAMB and COPMOBA received a grant from REI, a national outdoor goods wholesaler, which was then matched by the Bureau of Land Management, to begin the planning of this new trail system. The granted funds will be used to develop a comprehensive plan of 30 miles of non-motorized singletrack trails for hikers, bikers and horseback riders. The trails will utilize the public land that extends from the Escalante Rim Road north to the Gunnison River and from the Cactus Park area west to Escalante Canyon. The tract features scenic gulches and majestic views.

DELTA COUNTY SCHOOL ENROLLMENT

2017 Achieve Blended Academy 19 Backpack Learning Academy 247

This event is an opportunity for the public to view the area, identify the type of trails they would like to see, and provide comments and suggestions to the professional trail designers who will be on hand to listen to the public comments. Participants are encouraged to bring their mountain bikes and hiking shoes to participate in guided tours and a camp chair for the social gathering that follows. The event will begin at 11 a.m. with an informational gathering at the event site and staging area, which will be near the intersection of Sawmill Mesa Road and Escalante Rim Road. To get to the site, leaving Delta taking 5th Street (which turns into Sawmill Mesa Road) west approximately five miles. Personnel from COPMOBA, the BLM, DAMB, REI, trail design team, and other partners will be on site to provide in-depth information about the Escalante Triangle, to gather feedback, and to answer questions. Individuals TRAIL SYSTEM TO A3

2016 Difference 7 12 227 20

Cedaredge Elementary Cedaredge Middle Cedaredge High

412 216 298

371 200 267

41 16 31

Garnet Mesa Elementary Lincoln Elementary Delta Academy/Applied Lrng Delta Middle Delta High Grand Mesa Choice

557 507 20 509 574 83

561 537 19 492 615 98

-4 -30 1 17 -41 -15

Hotchkiss K-8 Hotchkiss High

341 197

380 190

-39 7

Paonia Elementary Paonia Junior/Senior North Fork Montessori NF School Int. Studies Vision Charter Academy

204 246 158 46 457

198 228 148 37 449

6 18 10 9 8

5,091

5,024

67

TOTAL

Delta County Joint School District #50 provided the student count from the official October count period earlier this month. While district enrollment is up, state equalization funding will drop slightly, due to five-year averaging of enrollment numbers. Per-pupil funding is $7,440.

City asked to double DCED investment BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

Delta County Economic Development is asking the City of Delta to double its investment in economic development in 2018, with the funds going primarily to create an attractive salary/benefits package for the new executive director. The city budgeted a total of $35,000 for DCED in 2017, although $15,000 has not yet been allocated. Those funds were also on the table for discussion at the city council’s

Oct. 17 work session. DCED’s third request — for a portion of the vendor fee once paid to businesses submitting city sales tax — was stymied when city finance director Tod DeZeeuw explained the vendor fee was repealed in 2001 and all sales tax revenue is pledged to the truck route bonds. The city’s investment in DCED is currently funded through utilities, not sales tax, the reasoning being that economic development will increase the demand for city

Community’s help sought to locate Arby’s suspect BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

Through videos and photos posted to Facebook, the Delta Police Department has identified a possible suspect in the Oct. 14 robbery of the local Arby’s restaurant. The Delta Police Depart-

INDEX

Accent ........................... A4 Activities ....................... A7 Back Page ................... D6 Business ........................ A8 Church ............................B8 Classifieds .................. D1-2 Editorial ......................... A2 Legals ......................... D3-4 North Fork Times ........B1-7 Obituaries ..................... A6 School Zone .................. A5 Service Directory ........ D5 Sports ..........................C4-8 Surface Creek News ...C1-3 TV Listings ..................B4-5

ment is requesting assistance with locating Michael Wayne Marin, 35. He is described as a white male, 5’7” in height with brown hair and hazel eyes. He may be armed. Anyone with information concerning Michael Wayne Marin, is asked to contact their local law enforcement agency or dial 911.

water, sewer and electrical power. DCED representatives John Gavan and Tom Huerkamp told council members it’s absolutely critical for DCED to find the right person to fill Trish Thibodo’s shoes, if the momentum generated over the past couple of years is to continue. For DCED to find an executive director of the same caliber, or a level above, a competitive benefits package that includes health insurance

and retirement is a must. One of the reasons Thibodo took a position with the state, they said, is because DCED did not offer any benefits. DCED has received 11 applications for the executive director position and has already begun the interview process. “We’re going to hire the best person we can regardless of any of the commitments from any of the people we’re asking money from,” Huerkamp said.

Gavan added that the DCED board believes it has no choice but to take that risk. “We’re willing to make this commitment as an organization, so we can continue to move forward,” Huerkamp said. “If this board wants DCED to continue to be a champion for the projects of the City of Delta, we’re asking for you to help us out. We’re going to ask the county to up the ante too.”

US 50/SH 92 intersection improvements are planned BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

The Colorado Department of Transportation is planning to address safety, sidewalks and drainage at Delta’s busiest intersection. Stolfus and Associates, project engineers, outlined the Highway 92/50 intersection improvement project for the Delta City Council Tuesday and at an open house on Wednesday of last week. The biggest change will actually take place south of the intersection, where the “tricky” left turns out of City Market and Ute Street onto the highway will be prevented by the construction of a raised median. Drivers will be restricted to “right in, right out” movements, but will be able to make u-turns at both Gunnison River Drive and the 92/50 intersection. CDOT officials emphasized the project is not currently

funded, so it will be two to three years before any work takes place. They hope to have the final design wrapped up by March, so the project will be ready when funding is procured. The cost is estimated at $2 million. Among the safety improvements outlined by CDOT were: • Addition of a second leftturn lane from southbound US 50 to SH 92. • Construction of a raised median along US 50 to restrict left turns into and out of Ute Street and City Market (implements the City of Delta US50/ SH 92 access control plan). • Replacement of old traffic and pedestrian signals. The overhead sign structures are considered “oversized” for current application. They create roadside and median obstructions, and are expensive to maintain. Simplified signs,

Chamber vacancies

Library closure

The Delta Area Chamber of Commerce has notified its membership of three individuals to be seated on the chamber’s board of directors — Jessica Good, 1019 Designs; Cecelia Tafoya, Delta Family Fun Park/Chili Pepper Pottery; and Bobbie Carmichael, Jerry Reiher State Farm. Good was named to the board in March 2017; Tafoya has served as a chamber ambassador. Openings include a one-year seat and three full three-year terms. The chamber is currently accepting nominations for business members to fill the fourth vacancy. For details, call 874-8616.

Delta County Libraries will be closed on Wednesday, Nov. 1, for an all-staff training. No items will be due on Nov. 1. All five after-hours drop boxes will be open. Public internet can be accessed near all libraries with a personal device. The online library is available 24/7 for ematerials, downloads, research and more by visiting www.del talibraries.org, “Databases and Research.” All libraries will reopen Thursday, Nov. 2.

including brown destination signs for Grand Mesa and the North Rim of the Black Canyon, will be placed on signal mast arms and along the roadway. City officials had some suggestions for improved signage directing motorists to Confluence Drive, the city’s alternate truck route. Sidewalk construction involves: • Reconstruction of the four intersection corners to meet ADA compliance. • Addition of a sidewalk connection across the east side of the railroad tracks from the Maverik to Ute Street. Additional drainage facilities and replacement of damaged pipe is also anticipated. One-on-one stakeholder meetings are planned in November, to be followed by right-of-way acquisition, once funding is identified.

Drug Take-Back Day

The Delta Police Department will participate in the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day Saturday, Oct. 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Drop off medications at the DPD, 215 West 5th Street. Illicit drugs, needles and sharps, mercury (thermometers), oxygen containers, pressurized canisters and chemo/radioactive substances will not be accepted. The DEA’s Take-Back Day events provide an opportunity for Americans to prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths. According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, a majority of abused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.


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