Delta County Independent, April 25,2108

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NORTH FORK TIMES

SURFACE CREEK NEWS

FOODIE FRIDAYS

LOOKING FORWARD

Edesia Kitchen is cooking up some fun for food entrepreneurs, B1

SPORTS WINNING STREAK ENDS

Historical society hopes to draw newer, younger members, C1

Paonia breaks 35-game streak with loss to 5A baseball team, B4-6

DELTA COUNTY

APRIL 25, 2018 VOL. 135, NO. 17

75¢

INDEPENDENT

www.deltacountyindependent.com

Officers sharpen shooter response BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

The day after the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., local law enforcement responded to the campus of the Technical College of the Rockies in response to the report of a 15-year-old student with a gun. Officers from the Delta County Sheriff ’s Office, Delta Police Department and Colorado State Patrol responded to the 911 call fully expecting the worst. Fortunately, no shots were fired and no one was injured, but the incident heightened the need for additional active shooter training. That training took place at Delta High School during spring break and involved every law enforcement agency in Delta County as well as the Colorado State Patrol. DPD Commander Jesse Cox, who led the exercises on April 20, said no matter where the threat occurs, response will be immediate and widespread. “Everybody will be coming from everywhere, and it’s important we’re all on the same page.” And while the training was conducted in a school, active

shooter incidents can occur anywhere, as news headlines have proven. Cox said law enforcement was quick to respond to the 911 call at Grand Mesa Choice Academy — and no one hesitated to enter the building immediately. “Everybody was doing something, but everybody was doing something different. It was kind of hectic and that’s the last thing we need,” he said. So he developed a two-hour training session based on the tactics he’s learned through his 23-year career and from classes offered by the DEA, FBI and U.S. Marshal’s Office. In one class, an Army Delta Force commander taught the tactics anti-terrorist teams use in active shooter scenarios. “Those are the tactics we still use for multiple officer response,” he said. During the training sessions, he also addressed solo officer techniques he learned in a National Tactical Officers Association class. Since Columbine, officers no longer wait on the perimeter for the SWAT team to arrive. “We can’t wait around,” he said. “We go in immediately. “The hardest thing for us

is threat identification,” he explained. In a school setting, students may be screaming

and rushing out of the building while alarms are going off. Most of those students

will have something in their hands, and officers have to ACTIVE SHOOTER TO A3

Managing Editor

An upper midscale hotel may stop “leakage” to neighboring communities, but to really draw visitors to Delta, local resident Scott Schaible envisions an indoor/outdoor water park. He shared his idea with the Delta Urban Renewal Authority earlier this month, as commissioners were discussing a memorandum of understanding with MARS Hospitality, the developer selected for the hotel project. Schaible prefaced his comments by outlining his career with Marriott Hotels. An entrepreneur, he also holds a patent and secured venture capital for his own firm. He said he came away from a city council work session with the realization that the city desperately needs to figure out how to increase revenue, to avoid being “upside down” in a few years. He believes a water park would generate property and sales tax revenue, and draw guests to the hotel. A lively exchange followed, with comments growing more favorable as the discussion unfolded. DURA commissioner Bill Crank said he’s always viewed the hotel as the first step. “If things like Mr. Schaible’s idea aren’t brought in after this first step, then this first step is a failure,” he said. As the mother of two, DURA commissioner Jill Jurca said she thinks Schaible is on the right track. She believes a

INDEX

Accent ........................... A4 Activities ....................... A7 Back Page .................... D8 Business ........................ A8 Church ........................... D6 Classifieds .................. D1-2 Editorial ......................... A2 Legals ......................... D3-4 North Fork Times ........B1-3 Obituaries ..................... A6 School Zone .................. A5 Service Directory ........ D7 Sports ..........................B4-6 Surface Creek News ...C1-5 TV Listings ..................C3-4

water park would bring people in and also give local kids something to do. The hotel and a water park could work flawlessly together, she said. DURA commissioner Ron Austin said it’s no secret he’s been involved in Schaible’s efforts. He went so far as to survey a small group of teens about their vision for Delta and a water park was of high interest.

Photo by Pat Sunderland

With simulated Glocks in hand, officers from the Delta County Sheriff’s Office and Delta Police Department move down the hallway of Delta High School as DPD Commander Jesse Cox (center) stresses the strategies he shared for multiple officer response to an unknown threat. In the case of an active threat (i.e., shots being fired), officers would move quickly to the source.

“We need to open our minds. We need to be receptive that there are other things that can work,” he said. Schaible said he’s not looking for a job or a hobby; he’s simply looking at the big picture and trying to figure out how to get people to visit our community. He said he’s done a lot of research and talked to a lot of people, and is willing to finance a feasibility study

himself. Among the folks he’s been talking to are representatives of a design firm with experience in water parks and aquatic centers. Schaible said he’s not looking to build a “monolith” in the middle of Delta, but to come up with a design that can grow. Visitors who are drawn to Delta for the water park will be exposed to the many

other activities available in the area, from wine tastings to canyon adventures. Austin, who was elected mayor of Delta at the city council’s April 17 meeting, commented at that meeting, “A project like this will not only provide much needed revenue through tourism, but fill a gap in the available wholesome family activities in Delta.”

Tech college doubles career pathways for high schoolers BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

To make a more seamless transition for high school students interested in career and technical training, Technical College of the Rockies (TCR) is making some scheduling changes. First, the school year will be aligned more closely with the district’s calendar. Second, classes will be offered in blocks in either morning or afternoon sessions, to minimize conflicts with core classes required for graduation, as well as after-school activities. With the scheduling changes, secondary students will have a “true college experience” because they’ll be in a classroom with postsecondary students, learning the same competencies and being held to the same standards. For their efforts, they will receive both high school credit and

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Water park envisioned for Delta BY PAT SUNDERLAND

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college credit. The goal, said TCR director Michael Klouser, is for every student to graduate with a high school diploma, plus an industry-based credential that’s offered in every area of study. He cited as an example the Automotive Service Excellence, or ASE, credential for automotive mechanics. Ideally students will also be able to pick up some work experience. At a school board work session, Klouser said TCR is increasing opportunities for high school students by expanding the number of student slots from 51 to 142. He explained the slot system is used to evenly apportion career readiness opportunities among the four high schools in Delta County. In support of career and technical education, the school district will pay TCR a negotiated price

for each slot, using funds from the Colorado Career and Technical Act. The school district will also purchase text books and lab manuals. Students can enroll outside the predesignated slots, but will be charged full tuition and fees, unless some openings are available after postsecondary enrollment has closed. Fields of study available include automotive technology, cosmetology, early childhood education, drafting and certified nurse assistant training. All students will be required to apply for admission to TCR. Transportation is up to the student. “The technical college is such an asset,” said school board president Pete Blair. “We want it to take off.” The school board also approved a 6 percent tuition increase for all fields of study

with the exception of law enforcement and health programs. That puts TCR at $93 per credit hour. The two other technical colleges in Colorado, both on the Front Range, charge $116 and $117 per credit hour. Western Colorado Community College, an affiliate of Colorado Mesa University, is at $299.08 per credit hour. Further, to remain competitive, the school board approved salary increases for staff trained in high-demand programs. School board members also reviewed a schematic for the design of the Engage Center in downtown Delta. Because there’s a wait list for most of the tech college’s health programs, current thinking has those programs being moved into the old City Market TECH COLLEGE TO A3

Comment extension

Volunteers sought

Death investigated

The Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forests’ initial scoping period for forest plan revision has been extended by 30 days to June 2. The GMUG is currently requesting feedback on the scoping material, which includes three initial elements of the revised Forest Plan: key needs for changes; vision and distinctive role and contribution of the GMUG; proposed management area framework. Helpful resources can be found on the planning website at www.fs.usda.gov/ goto/gmug/forestplan.

Delta County is finalizing the update to the Master Plan and will be moving into the land use regulation phase of county planning. Two areas of conflict have emerged — confined animal feeding operations and the county’s oil and gas regulations. Volunteers are being sought to serve on working groups addressing these specific areas of interest. Both working groups will convene in May. Additional information can be found on the county website, www.deltacounty. com. Interested applicants are asked to submit a letter of interest.

The Delta County Ambulance District responded to a call from the Montrose Dispatch Center at 5:16 p.m. Saturday, April 21, regarding an injured turkey hunter on the Uncompahgre Plateau. Deputies and EMS responded and found Kyle Cody Duran, 23, of Montrose deceased on arrival. At this time, the death is under investigation by the Montrose County Sheriff’s Office and the Montrose County Coroner’s Office of Medical Investigations. More information following the cause and manner of death will be released following the autopsy.


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