NORTH FORK TIMES
SURFACE CREEK NEWS
AN INDOMITABLE SPIRIT Celia Roberts championed human rights through photography, B1
MONEY & TAXES
URBAN WILDLIFE
EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS
Cedaredge residents reminded: Don’t feed the deer, C1
Find out how to get the most bang for your buck, A7-8
DELTA COUNTY
JANUARY 31, 2018 VOL. 135, NO. 5
75¢
INDEPENDENT
www.deltacountyindependent.com
Real estate market rebounds in 2017 BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor
Higher sales prices and fewer days on the market are clear indicators the real estate market in Delta County is rebounding. Statistics provided by the Delta County Board of Realtors illustrate that the housing market made a huge
turnaround in 2017. Average sales price increased 14.6 percent countywide, and prices have topped the pre-recession levels of 2008, observed Portia Vigil. Vigil, a mortgage loan originator with Guild Mortgage, said many of the folks who were “burned” in the Great
Nature Connection photo
Getting kids outdoors
In partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and Colorado Parks & Wildlife, the Nature Connection is getting kids onto cross-country skis and out into the forests for hands-on learning. With the Skis for Kids program, The Nature Connection has expanded to serve youth groups across the Western Slope, from Ouray and Ridgway to Glenwood Springs and Mesa County. Pictured above are students from the Montessori School at Crawford.
Recession have cleared up their finances and are coming back into the market. “Things are moving really fast right now,” said Vigil, who predicts a hike, or perhaps two, in federal interest rates in 2018. She works with a large number of firsttime home buyers who are often able to find low-down, no-down options, but then face a shortage of houses in the $200,000 and under price range. Low inventory in all price ranges is a new phenomenon for real estate agent Marsha Bryan, who recently returned to Delta County. She is with RE/MAX Mountain West in Cedaredge. “In all the years I’ve worked here, I don’t remember being low in inventory,” she said. “Everything is selling pretty fast, and if you don’t make a decision on a purchase you might lose out on it.” Bryan said homes in all price ranges sell very quickly, but there’s a definite need for homes in the $200,000 to $300,000 price range. She says that’s the range most retirees — the folks moving here from the Front Range — like to be in. She also works with a large number of first-time buyers, many of whom are pre-approved up to $200,000, “but we’re having a really hard time finding something decent in that price range. We need more inventory in that market, more properties that are affordable.” Katie Chapman Schmalz of Chapman Real Estate agrees. Homes in the $150,000 to $200,000 price range spend very few days on the market. REAL ESTATE MARKET TO A3
Mike Lane announces candidacy for commissioner BY ANNETTE BRAND Managing Editor
Mike Lane, a Delta County native, announces his candidacy for the District 1 seat on the Board of County Commissioners, representing the Republican Party. He is seeking the seat currently held by Doug Atchley, who is term limited. Lane’s work and life experiences are related to many matters that come before the commissioners. “I like challenges, addressing challenges as they arrive. I like anticipating issues before they come up and become challenges,” he said. Lane has experience in agriculture, banking and oil and gas. He grew up on the family farm in Delta County. When he was eight years old he helped out at Delta Sales Yard, then owned by his grandfather, dad and uncle. Mike owned the sales yard when it was sold in 1996. Lane was bank lending offi-
INDEX
Accent ........................... A4 Activities ......................A11 Back Page ................... D6 Business .......................A12 Church ............................C6 Classifieds .................. D1-2 Editorial ......................... A2 Legals ......................... D3-4 Money & Taxes ........ A7-8 North Fork Times ........B1-4 Obituaries ................ A9-10 School Zone ............... A5-6 Sports ..........................B5-8 Surface Creek News ...C1-6 TV Listings ..................C3-4
cer at Farm Credit Services in Montrose, an ag lending bank, and worked for Halliburton for nine years. He retired in October 2016 after working in North Dakota, Wyoming, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Utah and Colorado. He said, “A lot of math, science, hard work goes into the production of a gallon of gas.
Mike Lane
“I feel fortunate to have worked in the oil and gas field, to know how rigs operate, how other contractors operate, how rig workers do their work. “And with my background in agriculture, bank lending and oil and gas, I am qualified to represent District 1,” Lane said. He added, “All of my jobs have been customer service jobs. I have always worked with people, and as a commissioner I will keep the best interests of the people of Delta County in mind. Commissioner will be my full-time job.” Lane said he wants to bring more jobs to the county and more revenue from tourism. “Progress is coming and I want to work with it, to listen to the people talk about their issues and address those issues as they come up,” Lane said. Lane welcomes contacts from people interested in his candidacy. He can be reached at 970-361-6859.
Some tax bills have error
If you have not received your 2017 tax bill, you should be seeing it soon. For those who receive a credit for the senior/veterans exemption, county treasurer Lisa Tafoya has pointed out a discrepancy in the actual valuation credit amount shown on tax bills. The old residential rate of 7.96% was used to calculate the “actual” valuation credit amount for this exemption, instead of the new residential rate of 7.2%. “This value does not affect any of the payment or mill levy data detailed on your tax bill,” Tafoya said. “If you have questions or would like to verify the correct amount of the actual valuation credit amount for your senior/veterans exemption, visit www.delta county.com or contact the treasurer’s office at 8742135 or the assessor’s office at 874-2120.
2017 REAL ESTATE MARKET UPDATE Provided by the Delta County Board of REALTORS@ and Colorado Association of REALTORS®
KEY METRICS
2016
2017
Change
New Listings
811
770
-5,1%
Sold Listings
572
620
+8.4%
$174,750
$185,750
+6.3%
Average Sales Price $192,127
$220,257
+14.6%
96.2%
96.8%
+0.6%
148
130
-12.5%
Median Sales Price Percent of List Price Days on Market
New sign placed at the Ute Council Tree A new sign has been placed at the Ute Council Tree. The previous sign, in place for 30 years, was not only deteriorating but had some inaccuracies. The new sign was provided by the Colorado Sign Studio in Delta. “As everyone should know by now, the Ute Council Tree was cut down to a 23-foot stump on Aug. 25, 2017, because of the risk of additional limbs dropping from the crown of the tree,” Delta Museum director Jim Wetzel wrote in his quarterly newsletter. “The last limb to fall from the trunk occurred on Aug. 1, 2017, and weighing several tons, caused some damage to the adjacent home. Since the historical society owns the land under the tree, we felt that, because of the liability, that it was urgent that the remaining crown and upper trunk be removed as soon as possible, keeping a large portion of the lower trunk as a
memorial,” Wetzel writes. “We are not opposed to the three Ute tribes creating some sort of lasting memorial at the tree, but to date have had no indication from the Tri-Ute Council that anything is planned. Some have suggested that some sort of chainsaw carving be done on the remaining trunk, but the trunk is hollow, and the possibility of serious damage to the trunk has precluded pursuing this idea. “The Delta County Historical Society has decided to leave the trunk as is, and to update the sign as a fitting reminder of the Ute cultural heritage of the site.” Slabs of wood cut from the Ute Council Tree are available from the museum. The Delta County Historical Society also has a branding iron to stamp each piece with “Ute Council Tree, Delta, Colorado.” Contact the museum at 874-8721 for prices and sizes.
Delta County Historical Society photo
The Delta County Historical Society has updated the sign at the Ute Council Tree as a reminder of the cultural heritage of the site.
Fire investigated
On Thursday Jan. 25, at approximately 4 a.m., the Delta Police Department was called to 755 1600 Road for a structure fire. The structure was not occupied. Delta Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire. Investigators are currently working this case with the assistance of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Just under an hour later, officers were called to 738 1575 Road for a house fire. After investigation it was determined that a woodburning stove had started the fire. Delta Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire. There were no injuries.
Shifting gears Delta County has released an updated draft of the county’s Master Plan vision, goals and strategies. The Delta County Planning Commission is now working to create a Future Land Use Plan. Another round of community input will take place in late winter. See https://www.deltacountyplan. com/single-post/2018/01/25/ Updated-Vision-Goals-andStrategies-Released for more details.