Delta County Independent, Feb. 7, 2018 by Delta County Independent

NORTH FORK TIMES

SURFACE CREEK NEWS

NEW MEETS OLD

Crawford residents find common ground at community potluck, B1

SPORTS

A GIRL WITH A DREAM

STATE HOPEFULS

CHS senior relishes her role as school mascot, C1

DELTA COUNTY

14 wrestling teams to compete in regional tournament at DHS, B5 FEBRUARY 7, 2018 VOL. 135, NO. 6

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50J ramps up suicide prevention efforts BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

Delta High School has been rocked by two student deaths in three weeks. The most recent, the result of suicide, prompted school administrators to reach out to law enforcement and to the Center for Mental Health early Sunday. The goal was to discuss how to respectfully address immediate concerns from students, staff and families, and also to heighten awareness of suicide prevention efforts. “We must unite as one community to take care of one another — to help break the silence when someone is struggling, and be the connection to spread hope, help, and strength in all corners of our school and community,” school superintendent Caryn Gibson said following the crisis team meeting Sunday morning. At that meeting, DHS principal Derek Carlson called for a sensitive, yet strongly directed response that addresses the issue of suicide and grief head-on. With the death of the first DHS junior, the school emailed a letter to parents, read a statement to all students during their first-hour classes, and made school counselors, youth pastors and mental health professionals available throughout the week. Students filled a locker with handwritten notes for

the student’s family. That process took a lot out of counselors and teachers who have close relationships with their students. On Sunday, they shared concerns about their own abilities to deal with the most recent death. The DHS junior was described as a student leader who excelled in chemistry and engineering, and who had built strong relationships with peers, counselors and teachers who maintained a watchful eye. Bullying was not an issue; on the contrary, counselors said the student was surrounded by love and acceptance. Earlier in the day he had been in an AP study session, then at the home of a staff member. “You guys did everything right, but sometimes even in the face of doing everything right, this still happens,” said Shelly Spalding, chief executive officer of the Center for Mental Health. “You can’t stop somebody from taking their life if that’s their goal. That’s a really hard reality to live with.” “Death by suicide is difficult to understand, especially because it is sudden and it will never make sense,” said Gibson. “Delta High School and multiple agencies will work diligently to provide numerous interventions and supports to all students and families.” “I think all the kids are

asking themselves the same questions as the adults,” said Willyn Webb, a therapist who serves as director of Vision Charter Academy. “What could I have done? How could I not have seen it?”

A statement was developed to start the conversation in first-hour classes Monday morning, with the understanding both teachers and students would need time to grieve and to process their

Blanket of snow

feelings. “When we hurt, we grieve, and it’s important for kids to see that,” said Ed Hagins, chief operations officer of the Center for Mental Health. Center for Mental Health SUICIDE PREVENTION TO A3

Photo by Pat Sunderland

A brief storm bringing much-needed moisture swept through Delta County overnight Monday. While snow blanketed Grand Mesa and the mountains of the North Fork Valley, the lower valleys were blessed with a gentle rain.

County, watchdog haggle over transparency BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

On Jan. 31, Delta County Citizen Report (DCCR), an apolitical, nonprofit media organization reporting on Delta County government activities, moved to vacate a temporary protection order hearing in its lawsuit against Delta County Commissioners. In a press release issued last week, DCCR president Jo Ann Kalenak said she believes this action will provide the time for direct negotiations with the commissioners before a permanent protection order hearing date April 6 in Mesa County Court. While the county insists it is not in violation of any state statutes, as alleged in the lawsuit, it has agreed “to sit down to educate Delta County Citizen Report on our policies, procedures and state statutes.” In a press release issued Monday, county attorney John Baier said, “We believe there is value in better documenting our policies and procedures, and working with any interested citizen or citizen group in improving access to public information.” Delta County Citizen Report states the goal of the lawsuit is to “improve government transparency and open meeting practices.” Among the changes DCCR

INDEX

Accent ........................... A4 Activities ....................... A9 Back Page ................... D6 Business .......................A10 Church ............................C6 Classifieds .................. D1-2 Editorial ......................... A2 Legals ......................... D3-4 North Fork Times ........B1-4 Obituaries .................. A7-8 School Zone .................. A6 Service Directory ........ D5 Sports ..........................B5-8 Surface Creek News ...C1-5 TV Listings ..................C3-4

would like to see: • The county website included as an official posting site, not just “a courtesy when time and technology allows,” as stated by county administrator Robbie LeValley. • Additional agenda public posting locations including the North Fork Annex and local public libraries. • Public documents intended to be entered into the record at public meetings be available online at least 24 hours prior to each meeting. • All commissioner agenda action items and business will be represented by topic and placed under a specific, scheduled time. • No changes and/or additions made to an agenda within the 24-hour notice period will be allowed. Baier said the county’s current processes and procedures comply with state statutes. “The county is not allowed to designate the website as the official posting location,” he explained in the press release. “There have been numerous efforts in recent years to amend state statutes to allow counties to designate their websites as an official posting location, however this legislation has failed each time it has been brought forward to the state Legislature. Though the county cannot designate the website as an “official posting

location,” we use the website as much as possible to share information about numerous county activities, meetings, and other relevant information.” In addition, anyone interested in specific issues or topics can sign up for email notifi-

cations on the county’s website at www.deltacounty.com, or visit the county’s official designated posting location, now located in the window at the front door of the courthouse. Meetings of the county commissioners are open to the public. Questions, com-

ments and concerns can also be emailed to the county commissioners (email addresses are on the website) or be voiced by phone at 874-2100. For more information on the Delta County Citizen Report, visit www.citizen report.info.

Ordinance limiting marijuana plants takes effect Feb. 10 BY ANNETTE BRAND Staff Writer

A county ordinance limiting marijuana plants to 12 on residential property will take effect on Feb. 10. To provide clarification concerning the number of marijuana plants a grower is authorized to cultivate, grow or produce, the Colorado General Assembly enacted HB 171220, which took effect Jan. 1. By adopting Ordinance 2018-01, the commissioners implement Colorado HB 171220 limitations of 12 marijuana plants that can be cultivated, grown or produced on or in a residential property, regardless of whether the plants are for medical or recreational use. The county ordinance expressly forbids and prohibits cultivation,

growth or production of any marijuana plants on or in all property other than residential property. The ordinance declares it unlawful for a patient, or primary caregiver, to possess or cultivate on a residential property more than 12 marijuana plants, regardless of the number of persons residing — either temporarily or permanently — at the property. The first reading of the ordinance occurred on Jan. 2, and the ordinance was published in full in the Delta County Independent on Jan. 10. The ordinance applies throughout the unincorporated area of Delta County. Any officer of the Delta County Sheriff ’s Office is authorized to enforce the provisions of the ordinance. Sheriff Fred McKee said,

Drought forces Powderhorn to reduce hours

With snowpack far below average at Powderhorn Mountain Resort, the continued drought has forced the return to a reduced Thursday through Sunday operating schedule to preserve current snowpack higher on the mountain. The season-to-date running snowfall total at Powderhorn is 45 inches which is almost nine feet behind the 2016-17 season snowfall pace and nearly 15 feet below this point in the 2015-16 season. The resort’s base depth is minimal as well. Powderhorn’s current base depth is 16” which is approximately 25 percent of the resort’s average base depth this time of year. “Reducing our operating schedule has been an incredibly difficult decision but based on the minimal amount of natural snowfall this season, it has become necessary to preserve the current snowpack for higher traffic days of the week,” said Sam Williams, general manager at Powderhorn. “We are striving to provide the best possible on-hill experience for our guests considering the current weather pattern we’re experiencing.” For season pass holders who may not have visited the mountain as much as usual this season, Powderhorn is offering a bonus to those with current winter 2017-2018 passes in the form of a complimentary summer 2018 season pass.

“If compliance becomes an issue, a deputy will be sent to that address, who will talk to the growers and make them aware of the statutes. The deputy will issue a warning. “After the warning, a deputy will go back in 10 days to see if the property is in compliance. If it is not in compliance, we will start a criminal investigation, which could lead to the matter going to the district attorney. “If a significant number of plants are being cultivated, the deputy may issue a summons, make an arrest or get a warrant for an arrest.” Sheriff McKee reminds growers that the 12 marijuana plants must be enclosed in a permanent or semi-permanent area, covered on all sides, with the ability to lock all entry ways.

Shots fired At about 1:09 a.m. on Feb. 2, Delta Police Department officers were dispatched to 1144 Bluff Street for a report of shots fired. Witnesses reported hearing five shots and seeing a vehicle leaving the area. No injuries were reported. Officers are following up on leads and this continues to be an active investigation.

A2 Wednesday, February 7, 2018

OPINION

LETTERS New residents strive to be part of the community Dear Editor: Recently a letter was posted regarding a welcome and tips for newcomers to Paonia. In my opinion, this letter was less than welcoming and rather more conforming. I am glad that, as a “newcomer,” I have met many more welcoming people than was represented in this letter to the editor. When we arrived seven months ago, we rented a post office box immediately and visit it shortly after noon almost every day. I tend to be shy about conversing, but am never shy about smiling at people, saying hello, and holding the door. I check the bulletin boards there and around town, and attend events when we can. To date only one person at the post office (not sure if they were local or not) has started a conversation

with me, but that is how life is. We seem to grow our networks through mutual relationships, and these days social media. My husband and I are hard-working people, and we understand more than many how difficult it is to make a living in a small town, therefore we try to spend local whenever possible. For those who have never relocated before, it often takes a while just to get acclimated to an area, much less the people. One has to discover all the resources available, and in a small town often there are hidden treasures that are not advertised and only found by asking around. Everyone we have talked to so far has been very helpful and accommodating, but I’m sure there is much to be discovered. We have to ask the “right”

questions, and ask the “right” people. As a newcomer I appreciate those who can direct me to the best local eating establishment, point me to the hair salon, and recommend a local dentist or repair man. Finding the grocery store was a challenge when we first arrived. We often take these things for granted when we are longtime residents of an area. I appreciate the simple effort put forth by the USPS to put a welcoming packet in my post office box, but these fall far short of local resource advertising. Paonia is a wonderful example of the melting pot of America. We appreciate the diversity here, and strive to become a valuable part of this community. Thank you for welcoming us. Pamela Rowley Paonia

Hotchkiss firm builds foundation for Elevate Fiber

Dear Editor: Elevate Fiber has had a significant impact on the communities in our corner of Colorado. And yes, I say this as a proud member of the Elevate Fiber board. You’ve most likely heard a few us talk about how much affordable and reliable high-speed internet will mean for economic development, health care, education, and so much more. That big picture is captivating and impor-

tant. But so are the small everyday impacts we’re already seeing in DMEA’s communities. Recently, we’ve been asked about local employment opportunities during Elevate’s intensive construction phase. As we build our network, we need a lot of boots on the ground boring in conduit, stringing fiber on poles, excavating, installing equipment, and even connecting customers. I’m proud to say that 85

Please keep your dogs on a leash Dear Editor: How fortunate we who live in Delta are to have Confluence Park.It offers opportunities for fishing, boating, dog walking, bike riding and now playing frisbee golf. Unfortunately an increasing number of people have chosen to disregard the posted rules and do not have their dog on a leash while walking the trails. Last week my dog was attacked by a vicious dog not on a leash. No owner

was in sight. When she did appear she was unable to stop the attack. I had to cover my dog with my body so she could get her dog under control and and on a leash. There is a large area designated for dogs to be loose. Those of you who choose to walk on the trails with your dog, for the safety of your dog and other dogs and human walkers, please keep your dog on a leash. Esther Miller Delta

percent of the individuals working in the field for Elevate, through both our general contractor and subcontracted companies, are local, DMEA members. One of our longest running partnerships is with Lightworks Fiber & Consulting, a family-owned business in Hotchkiss. Not only is Lightworks vital to us maintaining our current success, it has also been able to hire local individuals who lost their previous jobs after the closure of the coal mines in Delta County. DMEA’s board recognizes that Elevate will propel this area forward, equipping our communities with the foundation to support new businesses, a remote workforce, and the ever-growing need for more bandwidth. We’d be remiss if we didn’t recognize the men and women who are, quite literally, building that foundation, right here, right now. Thank you, members, for supporting Elevate Fiber. John Gavan Elevate Fiber Chair Montrose

Study shows fossil fuel development costs taxpayers Tourism, agriculture losses outweigh oil, gas revenues in Delta County BY NATALIE LEGER Interim Director, Citizens for a Healthy Community

A proposed oil and gas development in Colorado’s North Fork Valley would be a net loss for local taxpayers and could negatively impact a regional economic hub by driving down property values and sales tax revenues, according to a new study. In an updated economic analysis, Citizens for a Healthy Community shows Delta County taxpayers would see an estimated loss of up to $400,000 a year from the development. County revenues from the property tax, state severance tax revenues and federal mineral royalties from the proposed 20,000-acre project would be far outweighed by the potential loss of property and sales tax revenues to local agricultural and outdoor recreation businesses, harmed by natural gas wells, pipelines, roads and other industrial infrastructure. “The oil and gas industry routinely inflates the economic benefits of their developments. This is why it’s so important that our elected officials independently calculate the costs and benefits of proposed projects” said David Inouye, chair of the CHC board of directors. “Taxpayers and local businesses in our com-

munities have a right to clean air and water. This study shows that the current policy of encouraging development would actually cost the county money while the fossil fuel companies reap the financial benefits. And we haven’t even taken the health risks of this activity into account yet.” The new study, “Economic Impact of Natural Gas Development on Delta County,” found that Delta County would receive about $70,000 a year in severance tax revenues and federal mineral royalties. That’s a far cry from the millions of dollars some industry representatives claim the county would reap annually from a proposed 35-well project north of Paonia. But the proposed development, sought by Gunnison Energy, could cost Delta County an estimated $810,000 in lost property and sales tax revenues from agritourism and outdoor recreation industries harmed by oil and gas development in the area, the report shows. Property tax revenues from the project, associated equipment and pipelines would bring in less than half of that, at roughly $370,000. CHC has also released a guidebook on how to conduct a cost-benefit analysis to help other communities follow the money and challenge the economic benefits claimed by the fossil fuel industry and local governments. The CHC study shows that these projects are not

the economic boon that the fossil fuel industry claims. The North Fork Valley is nationally recognized for its agritourism and outdoor recreation. It has been successfully transitioning away from extractive industries, with a local economy built on organic and sustainable agriculture, recreation, creative arts, ranching and tourism. Delta County’s 1,250 farms and wineries generate more than $55 million in sales. Outdoor recreation has an economic impact of $36 million a year in Delta County. Together outdoor recreation, agriculture and agritourism contribute more than $3 million a year to Delta County in sales and property taxes. “We’ve always known that oil and gas is not compatible with our region,” said Jeff Schwartz, who owns Big B’s and Delicious Orchards. “Now we know this project doesn’t live up to the economic promises made to Delta County. It’s high time that our elected officials start doing their due diligence and stop shoving these projects down our throats.” Citizens for a Healthy Community (CHC) is a grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the air, water and foodsheds of Delta County, Southwest Colorado from the impacts of oil and gas development. CHC is located in the North Fork Valley of Colorado, which is home to the largest concentration of organic farms in the state. Learn more at chc4you.org.

Delta County Independent

Reauthorization of lottery division encouraged Dear Editor: I am submitting this letter of support for Great Outdoors Colorado on behalf of the Interpretive Association of Western Colorado (IAWC). IAWC, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, that recently took over the operations of Fort Uncompahgre, a replica of a historic trading post built in the 1820s, located in Delta. Over 2,000 fourth graders come to the Fort each year to learn about the history of the Ute Indians, traders, trappers and the folks that oper-

ated the Fort between the 1820s and 1840s. Funds from GOCO have been instrumental in helping to expand the educational footprint of the Fort to allow for more opportunities for kids to experience the outdoors. We are in the process of creating outdoor tipi classrooms and overnight camping experiences for kids and their families. The Fort will also be the official location of the Nature Connection gear hub also funded by the lottery funds. The Fort was recently designated

a Colorado Parks and Wildlife Schools and Outdoor Learning Environment (SOLE), a program funded by Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO). IAWC supports the Conservation Trust Fund, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and Great Outdoors Colorado and encourages lottery division reauthorization from the Colorado General Assembly. Visit https://www. keepitco.org/ for details. Chris Miller IAWC Executive Director

Law enforcement blotter From the Delta rant. 11:07 p.m.: Officers Police Department: responded to 37 Stafford Lane for a wanted perJan. 28: 5:01 a.m.: Officers son. Geri Williams was responded to 101 High- arrested on a warrant. 12:19 p.m.: Officers way 92 on a report of shoplifting. James C. responded to 215 West Hollis was issued a sum- 5th street for a report of an identity theft. mons. 11:41 p.m.: Officers 11:45 a.m.: Officers responded to an aban- responded to 37 Stafford doned vehicle call at 430 Lane for a report of a posWest 8th Street. The sible shoplifting. Crystal D. Reinbold was issued a vehicle was towed. 12:35 p.m.: Officers summons for shoplifting conducted a traffic stop and trespass. 2:59 p.m.: Officers on the 100 block of Confluence Drive. The driver responded to 875 Terrace was issued a proof of ser- Street for a report of burvice and driver’s license glary. 7 p.m.: Officers was confiscated. A verbal warning was given for responded to 2125 Pioneer Road #5 for a report the traffic infraction. 12:40 p.m.: Officers of an assault. Jasmine responded to 122 Gun- Knarr was arrested. nison River Drive for a Feb. 1: 12:04 a.m.: Officers report of shoplifting. James C. Bonati and responded to 215 West Daniel J. Winter were 5th Street for a report of possible criminal misissued a summons. 1:14 p.m.: Officers chief. arrested James Bonati on Feb. 2: 7:28 a.m.: Officers a warrant with a $1,500 responded to 1501 East bond. 5:41 p.m.: Officers 3rd Street for a report of responded to 122 Gun- an assault. David Baker nison River Drive for a was arrested charges of report of shoplifting. assault in the second Ashley M. Clements was degree. 8:45 a.m.: Officers issued a summons. responded to the interJan. 29: 6:43 a.m.: Officers section of Hwy. 92 and responded to Hwy. 92 for North Main Street for a a traffic accident. Janet two-vehicle accident. 10:01 a.m.: Officers Stewart was issued a summons for careless responded to 7108 Hwy. #B for a report of crimidriving. 10:11 a.m.: Officers nal mischief to a vehicle. 2:55 p.m.: Officers responded to 104 Meeker Street for a report of responded to 110 Hwy. theft. A warrant has been 92 on a report of theft. 5:01 p.m.: Officers issued for David Lepiche. 11:18 a.m.: Officers were dispatched to 180 responded to 900 Main Gunnison River Road for Street for a report of an attempted suicide. The individual was transtheft. 11:46 a.m.: Officers ported to the hospital. 1:09 a.m.: Officers responded to 100 Cedar Avenue for a possible were dispatched to 1144 Bluff Street for a report theft. 12:01 p.m.: Officers of shots fired. This inciassisted Child Protective dent is still under investigation. Services. 12:27 p.m.: Officers Feb. 3: 11:14 a.m.: Officers responded to 765 1600 Road following a 911 call. responded to 1024 Main Tyler Saenz was issued Street for a report of a a summons for trespass- burglary. 11:33 a.m.: Officers ing. 1:49 p.m.: Officers responded to 184 Garnet responded to 1720 East Avenue for an unattended death. 5th for a report of theft. 1:57 p.m.: Offi10:16 p.m.: Officers responded to 794 1575 cers responded to 824 Road for a report of sus- Crawford Avenue for a picious activity via social report of vicious dogs running around the area. media. Siria P. Pacheco was Jan. 30: 9:14 a.m.: Officers issued a summons. 2:49 p.m.: Officers received a call of a possible theft at 260 Meeker responded to 1325 Hwy. 50 on a report of theft. #1. 9:36 p.m.: Officers 11:30 a.m.: Officers responded to the lobby contacted a vehicle with for a report of a possible fictitious plates. Zachary A. Hooker was arrested theft. 11:39 a.m.: A break- and jailed on charges in was reported in the of DUI, fictitious plates parking lot of 1402 Villa and drove with license revoked. Street. Citations: Six tickets 12:32 p.m.: Officers received a phone call were issued this week for regarding a possible various traffic violations. assault which occurred at From the Delta 612 Silver Street several County Sheriff’s Office months ago. 1 p.m.: Officers were (partial list): informed of a juvenile female who had run away Jan. 29: Deputies interviewed from a facility in Grand a Cedaredge resident Junction. 7:04 p.m.: Officers regarding three new responded to 37 Staf- flat screen TVs she had ford Lane for a report pawned, part of an invesof shoplifting. Maximil- tigation into the theft of iano Alverez was issued a six TVs from Walmart. The information was summons. 8:55 p.m.: Officer was turned over to the Delta dispatched to 727 Dodge Police Department. A special agent from Street for a report of the U.S. Department of criminal mischief. 9:45 p.m.: Officers Energy requested the responded to 581 West assistance of deputies Apple Street for a welfare while interviewing a check. Rhonda Gonzales Hotchkiss man about the was arrested on a war- use of federal funds. The

man was reported to be cooperative and the special agents left without making any arrests. A Hotchkiss man reported the theft of several inexpensive items. He blamed a neighbor, but after interviews, deputies were convinced the neighbor was not involved in the incident. Jan. 31: Tyler Scheetz, 23, of Eckert was charged with criminal mischief involving domestic violence after an incident on Vaca Drive. He is accused of breaking the windshield out of his wife’s car. A woman on Buena Vista Road, Delta, reported mailboxes had been broken into. Feb. 1: The death of a 54-yearold Hotchkiss woman was determined to be a suicide. A contractor hired to cut trees near Paonia’s Volunteer Park reportedly loaded his truck iwith firewood, then left without repairing the fence or picking up all of his equipment. The contract dispute was determined to be civil in nature. Feb. 2: At about 3 a.m., Paonia firefighters were dispatched to a home at 43011 Bowie Road, Paonia. The occupant of the home woke up, found the house filled with smoke and went to a neighbor’s to call 911. By the time firefighters arrived on the scene the mobile home was fully engulfed in flames. The cause is unknown, but a woodburning stove is suspected. The Red Cross found a motel room for the occupant until other arrangements can be made. A 17-year-old Paonia girl was taken into custody after allegedly assaulting her mother. The teen was also in possession of a knife. She was charged with menacing and third degree assault and transported to Grand Mesa Youth Services Center in Grand Junction. Feb. 3: A man was burning leaves on 2165 Road, Austin, at about noon when the wind picked up and the fire spread to a neighboring hayfield. The fire was extinguished by Cedaredge firefighters. Some gated pipe was melted; the two parties involved in the incident said they would work out payment for damages. No charges were filed. A resident of F Road, Delta, complained about a neighborhood dog that frequently wanders onto the road and has caused several near accidents. A Hotchkiss man reported his girlfriend had stolen his wallet, which contained his paycheck. DELTA COUNTY

INDEPENDENT DELTA COUNTY INDEPENDENT (UPS 152-700) is published weekly on Wednesdays at 401 Meeker St., Delta, CO 81416. Second class postage paid at DELTA, CO. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: DELTA COUNTY INDEPENDENT, PO BOX 809, DELTA, CO 81416 401 Meeker St. Delta, CO 81416 (970) 874-4421 News: editor@deltacountyindependent.com Advertising: ads@deltacountyindependent.com

LOCAL NEWS

Delta County Independent

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Blake Field celebrates 2017, prepares for runway work BY ANNETTE BRAND Staff Writer

Cheryl Husmann presented the 2017 year-end report for Smiling Aviation at Blake Field at the county commissioners’ Feb. 5 meeting. Earlier in the meeting the commissioners approved the application to Federal Aviation Administration for federal assistance in the reconstruction and resurfacing of the runway at Blake Field to FAA standards. The work will begin in the latter part of 2018. The design for the reconstruction was laid out by

FAA and Armstrong Consultants. The total cost of the reconstruction and resurfacing of the runway will be $6,899,144. The county’s share of the cost will be $689,916, and the state’s portion will be $344,958. Husmann reported that takeoff and landings at Blake Field in 2017 were 3,677, up 28.6 percent over 2016. Total fuel sold was 42,535.93 gallons, up 91.6 percent. Rent collected was $19,303, up 12.8 percent, with many inquiries for space. Aircraft based at Blake

Field as of Dec. 31, 2017, totaled 63, consisting of one helicopter, one motorglider, several single and twin engines, and numerous experimental aircraft. Husmann said she and husband Mark have been able to keep their fuel pricing competitive and stable. They had the main ramp crack sealed and slurry sealed, which improved the surface considerably. They continue advertising on pilot planning websites such as AirNav, Global Air, 100LL & Flight Aware. They main-

tain exposure on Google — the pilots’ favorite — and update and improve their information on Google maps. They maintain exposure on Yahoo and Yelp also. “We are updating web photos and information on a regular basis for the airport as well as for Smiling Aviation,” Husmann said. “Looking forward, we have seen an increase in traffic and inquiries for space on the field. At this moment, we do not have any hangar space for rent, only two or three tie-down spaces for

monthly renters and two or three tie downs left open regularly for transients,” she said. “The option that is available is for people who want to build their own hangar.” In January the com-

missioners approved agreements with Benjamin Lowe to operate Ultimate Skydiving Adventures from Blake Field and an agreement with Lowe to operate Rocky Mountain Air Tours, LLC, also out of Blake Field.

Grant, sheriff’s office fund shooting range improvements Delta County Undersheriff Mark Taylor was able to secure a generous grant from the Colorado Peace Officers Standards and Training Board (POST) for the Technical College of the Rockies to upgrade its law enforcement shooting range with the addition of concrete lanes and yard markers. The grant is managed by the West/Central POST training region which consists of law enforcement agencies from Mesa, Delta, Montrose, Ouray, San Miguel, Gunnison and Hinsdale counties. The Delta County Sheriff ’s Office also con-

tributed $1,000 toward gravel for this project. This range has been in use in excess of 20 years with little improvements over the years. It is used by multiple law enforcement agencies in Delta and Montrose counties as well as the police academy at the Technical College of the Rockies. These much-needed upgrades are part of efforts to improve the training facilities for law enforcement officers in the area and police cadets at the college. Without grants such as this and the continued support of law enforce-

ment agencies in the 7th Judicial District, upgrades such as these would not be possible. For additional information on the POST grant for this project and the involvement of the Delta County Sheriff ’s Office, contact Taylor at 874-2000.

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Suicide prevention FROM PAGE A1 therapists encouraged the adults to be “real,” to be transparent and authentic in their conversations with students. But because not all teachers feel comfortable discussing suicide, CMH therapists, school psychologists, law enforcement officers and pastors were also available throughout the day, and arrangements were made for support to continue throughout the week and the month. To encourage students to reach out to trusted adults, to get help for classmates who may be leaving warning signs on social media viewed primarily by teens, the firsthour message for DHS students included information about the 741741 24-hour crisis text line. Planning efforts also included a thoughtful discussion about how to pay tribute to the stu-

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dents while taking a strong stance on the issue of suicide. Resources were provided for staff and students who wanted to learn more. Across western Colorado, the issue of suicide touches upon all males and females of all ages. In the six-county region served by the Center for Mental Health, there were 42 completed suicides in 2017. Last week, Delta County Sheriff ’s Office responded to two completed suicides, one teen and one adult, plus a number of mental health crises. Suicide Warning Signs According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, most people who take their lives exhibit one or more warning signs, either through what they say or what they do. • People may talk about killing themselves, feeling hopeless, having no reason to live, being a burden to others, feeling trapped or unbearable pain. • Behaviors that may signal risk, especially if related to a painful event, loss or change, include increased use of alcohol or drugs; looking for a way to end their lives, such as searching online for materials or means; withdrawing from activities; isolating from family and friends; sleeping too much or too little; visiting or calling people to say goodbye; giving away prized possessions; aggression; and fatigue. • Mood. People who are considering suicide often display one or more of the following moods: depression, anxiety, loss of interest, irritability, humiliation, agitation, rage, aggression and fatigue. Visit afsp.org or www. centermh.org for additional resources. For 24-hour crisis services, call 2526220 or 1-844-493-TALK (8255). Crisis counselors are also available 24/7 via text at 741741. “Our love and support goes out to the families in this extremely difficult situation,” Gibson said.

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A4 Wednesday, February 7, 2018

ACCENT

Delta County Independent

Journaling class offered Kathleen Ray is teaching a journaling class at Delta County Memorial Hospital. The class focuses on earth-centered awareness as a strategy to ease the stress and fear during life’s challenges, and is open to anybody affected by cancer. The first class is Wednesday, Feb. 7, at 3 p.m. in the Crag Crest classroom of the oncology building. Subsequent classes follow at 3 p.m. on Feb. 21, March 7 and March 21. Ray explains, “We have become disconnected from a vital source of contentment and I believe we are all trying to find it but our fast-paced lives and busy-ness keeps us away from the peace found in

the natural world. Nature journaling brings us back to quiet and contemplative moments which we can carry with us in our daily work/our daily walk.” The class “Awakening the Quiet Within” focuses on associating and living

Free tax service available from AARP Through April 17, AARP Foundation is providing free tax assistance and preparation through its Tax-Aide program. AARP Foundation TaxAide, celebrating its 50th year, is the nation’s largest free tax assistance and preparation service. Since its inception, the

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with the natural rhythms and patterns of Earth. Participants are encouraged to come to the workshops with an open mind. For additional information, contact Ray at 856-7133.

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program has served more than 50 million taxpayers. Foundation AARP Tax-Aide started in 1968 with just four volunteers working at one site. Today, nearly 35,000 volunteers serve low- to moderate-income taxpayers at 5,000 locations in neighborhood libraries, malls, banks, community centers and senior centers nationwide. There’s no fee, and AARP membership is not required. “One of the most gratifying things is to see the look on people’s faces when they know they are getting a badly-needed refund,” John Meredith, AARP CO Foundation Tax-Aide state coordinator, said. AARP Foundation Tax-Aide volunteers are trained and IRS-certified each year to ensure they know about and understand the latest changes to the U.S. Tax Code. For an appointment in Delta call the Delta Senior Center, 247 Meeker, at 874-7837.

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Photo by Don Benjamin

Mallach, a four-year-old bouvier herding dog, waits patiently to meet residents of Crossroads Senior Living in Delta last month as his owners, Marlin and Tanis Stinson (far right) describe the history of the large and gentle animal.

Mallach goes visiting BY DON BENJAMIN Staff Writer

How to begin? First, it must be expressly understood that Mallach is not a bear (although he was once mistaken for one). And it must also be recognized that (although he’s only four years old) he is nevertheless a sizeable dog. Even so — at 120 pounds, 2’ 5” tall and 39 inches from nose to tail — he is small for his breed. Mallach is pronounced ‘mal-lick’ and his name is a Viking version of the biblical Malachi. He is, as the French say, a Bouvier des Flandres — literally “a cow-herding dog of Flanders.” Two nations lay claim to the bouvier (pronounced ‘boo-veeay’): France and Belgium. And two wars threatened to extinguish the breed, first because bouvier were rescue dogs on the front lines of World War I, and then because the dogs were pressed into less noble service by the Nazis. The bouvier are thought to be descended from Viking war dogs

which were later domesticated by farmers to drive cattle, herd sheep and pull carts. Eventually the handsome animals were bred for show, winning honors in the herding dog category. The breed is gentle, even-tempered, and intelligent and all of these traits were on display last month when Mallach’s owners, Marlin and Tanis Stinson, took the obliging dog on a visit to Crossroads Senior Living on Aspen Way in Delta. As Marlin told about the dog’s history, Mallach sat patiently surrounded

by fascinated residents. When it came time to meet the dog, residents petted and shook hands with the gentle giant. Pamela McGee, activity director for Crossroads, said that residents thoroughly enjoyed Mallach’s visit and hopes he will come again soon. She encourages other dog owners to share their pets with residents but anyone interested in doing so must contact her in advance by calling 970874-1412. Service dogs are preferred since these animals are trained to be around people.

BIRTHS Hso Gay Paw of Delta is the parent of a son, Ehku Gay, born Feb. 1, 2018, at Delta County Memorial Hospital. He weighed 7 pounds, 10.8 ounces and was 20 inches in length.

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2nd Annual February Triple Dip Sale ��

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Photo by Don Benjamin

Bob Dawirs, a resident at Crossroad Senior Living in Delta, meets Mallach, a sturdy bouvier herding dog. Owner Tanis Stinson led the gentle animal around to meet residents when she and husband Marlin brought the four-year-old dog for a visit last month.

Delta County 2018 ��

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LOCAL NEWS

Delta County Independent

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Sheriff honors employees’ outstanding work election. New employees were introduced, 2017 statistics were reviewed, policies concerning social media were discussed, and the department’s mission statement was reiterated: “Delta County Sheriff ’s Office is committed to providing the citizens of Delta County

BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

A drug interdiction conducted in late September with the assistance of Delta Police Department, Montrose Sheriff ’s Office K-9 unit and Colorado Bureau of Investigation resulted in the seizure of approximately 29 grams of methamphetamine and the arrest of the driver transporting the illegal controlled substance. In addition, a search warrant was obtained for a house in Austin, where deputies located approximately five pounds of suspected methamphetamine and approximately $21,000 cash allegedly associated with the distribution of the controlled substance. The Delta County patrol deputies and the investigators who worked the case — Norm Dishaw, Jason Warth, Quinn Archibeque and Kris Stewart — were recognized during a department meeting Feb. 2. Also recognized were Kris Stewart and Priscilla Macfarlane, who

with effective and efficient public safety services, while adhering to the principles of the constitutions of the United States and the State of Colorado.” The sheriff ’s department employes 64 men and women in dispatch, jail, patrol and administration.

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Photo by Pat Sunderland

Sheriff’s investigators Norm Dishaw, Jason Warth, Quinn Archibeque and Kris Stewart are credited with the largest non-marijuana drug seizure in Delta County’s history. are involved in the labor-intensive process of moving and auditing thousands of pieces of evidence; Theresa Garcia, for error-free and timely crime reporting; Harry Shiles, who is retiring after 10 years on the courthouse security detail; Bea Wolfe, who

handles prisoner transports for the sheriff ’s office; and Norm Dishaw, a rotational investigator for the sheriff ’s office. The meeting began with a prayer for the families of fallen officers Zackari Parish, a Douglas County deputy, and Heath Gumm, an Adams County deputy. Delta County Sheriff Fred

McKee asked for bravery, courage and compassion for the dispatchers, deputies and detention officers gathered for the department meeting. This is McKee’s final year in office, and the upcoming election/transition was among the items addressed during the meeting. So far, only Undersheriff Mark Taylor has declared candidacy in the November

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Photo by Pat Sunderland

Deputy Harry Shiles is retiring this month after 10 years on the courthouse security detail. Also pic- The Delta County Shertured is Delta County Undersheriff Mark Taylor. iff’s Ofﬁce recognized Bea Wolfe, transport ofﬁcer, for more than 10 years of employment with zero incidents and zero accidents. Wolfe has saved the county thousands of dollars by coordinating transports with other law enforcement agencies.

Photo by Pat Sunderland

Theresa Garcia was recognized for error-free, ontime case entry into the statewide crime reporting database.

Photo by Pat Sunderland

Kris Stewart and Priscilla Macfarlane have audited thousands of pieces of evidence during the move to a new evidence room. The project proved to be far more labor intensive than anyone imagined, said Delta County Undersheriff Mark Taylor (right).

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A6 Wednesday, February 7, 2018

SCHOOL

Delta County Independent

DCMH Volunteers to award scholarships for health studies

Delta County Memorial Hospital Volunteers are offering scholarships to graduating seniors from Delta County high schools. The main scholarship is for students pursuing postsecondary education in a health care-related program. Letters and applications were emailed to high school counselors in Paonia, Hotchkiss, Cedaredge and Delta.

Students host site visit

A second scholarship is for Junior Volunteers actively working with the hospital volunteers, and who is a graduating high school senior majoring in a health-related field of study in college. The average size of scholarship awarded is $500. Scholarship applications must be received by DCMH Education Department, PO Box

10100, Delta, CO 81416 by April 13 for scholarship committee review. No late scholarship applications will be considered under any circumstances. Students will be notified by May 1. Contact Patti Kalahar, manager, education/marketing, at 874-2291 or pkalalahar@ deltahospital.org for applications or additional details.

Photo submitted

Lincoln Elementary students welcomed a Flippen Group (Capturing Kids’ Hearts program) representative to their school Wednesday, Jan. 24. Students gave the representative a tour of the school highlighting parts of the Capturing Kids’ Hearts program. Lincoln Elementary is in the running to be a National Showcase School for Capturing Kids’ Hearts. Schools chosen for this distinct honor will be notiﬁed in April.

Garnet Mesa’s Terriﬁc Kids

Photos submitted

The following Garnet Mesa students earned a Terriﬁc Kid Award from the Kiwanis Club of Delta for their efforts to be a responsible citizen and student. Pictured above are kindergarten and ﬁrst grade students (back row, left to right) Landon Wrich, Parker Velasquez, Jamie Burkdoll, Jaden Burkdoll, Jeziel Marin; (front row) Armani Almanza, Hsa Moo, Sydney Yanish and Kelston Harris. Below are second and third graders (back row) Josias Ramirez, Addison Weaver, Jordan Reed; (front row) Jasiah Alvarez, Alakie Carlyle, Scott Floyd and Candace Edmonds.

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coaching, officiating, ter at 874-0923. sponsoring or participatRegistration deadline ing please contact Bill for participants is Feb. Heddles Recreation Cen- 18. Practices will begin in mid-March. There will be two practices a week for one hour each (U6 may be less). Games will begin near the end of March or at the beginning of April. Games are played on some Thursday and Friday evenings and Saturdays. Six �� games will be played in �� Delta, Hotchkiss, Paonia, �� Orchard City and Olathe. �� All coaches are volunteers. Anyone inter�� ested in coaching a team �� is encouraged to call the �� recreation center. A man�� datory coaches meeting will be held March 5 at �� 5:30 p.m. at Bill Heddles �� Recreation Center. �� Referees are also need�� ed to make the program �� possible. Officiating is a paid position and applications can be obtained from Delta City Hall. �� Each player will be given a reversible jersey �� that must be returned at the end of each season. Players will need to have their own shin guards, cleats and shorts (shorts provided for U14 and U12). Each athlete will receive a team T-shirt, soccer socks, and a 5x7 team photo. For questions or more �� information, contact Whitnee Lear at 874-0923 �� or whitnee@cityofdelta. net.

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The City of Delta will be running the youth recreation soccer program. If you are interested in

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Performers sought for talent show The Delta Middle School performing arts program is looking for acts to perform in a talent show. Students who attend Delta schools are invited to compete for fantastic prizes and bragging rights. If you are a student in grades 612, and have a talent to share, this event is for you! Auditions will be held at the Delta Performing Arts Center on Feb. 19, with the show following on March 9. For more information, contact Andrew Bruington at Andrew. bruington@deltaschools. com.

LOCAL NEWS

Delta County Independent

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

28 days to love your library BY TRACY IHNOT Delta County Libraries

The public libraries in Delta County are in high demand. From the child attending weekly storytimes to the elder having books delivered to a care center, the libraries reach so many people in so many different ways. As of January 2018, there are 8,605 active library users in Delta County, up by 674 at the same time last year. Library users checked out over 126,000 print

items, nearly 85,000 movies and over 20,000 e-materials in 2017. The libraries offered nearly 1,100 programs attracting over 27,000 people. These usage numbers are very telling of a healthy active library district and a community that benefits from its services. February is a great time for those library users to show their love and support for the libraries and library staff that have made a difference in their lives.

“There are so many ways that the community can get involved and make a difference,” says Lea Hart, district director of Delta County Libraries. “During Library Lovers Month, we would like to highlight all of the ways our patrons, supporters, and friends are already showing their support, and also to encourage more people to get involved.” Each day in February represents a way that patrons can take action

Taste and learn how to cook wild game meat in Delta If you’re a novice hunter and want to taste and learn how to prepare wild game meat, you’re invited to attend a “wild game cocktail party” sponsored by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The event is set for 6 p.m., March 3 at the Needle Rock Brewing Company in Delta. “Wild game meat is excellent and highly

nutritious, but it’s helpful to get some tips on how to prepare it,” said Mark Richman, a district wildlife manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife in Delta. The event is a recruitment effort aimed at novice hunters to highlight the conservation benefits of hunting and the flavor and nutritional qualities

Archaeologist discusses ‘The Gateway Tradition’ Colorado Archaeological Society meets Monday, Feb 12, in Grand Junction. The speaker is Rand Grubel,with Alpine Archaeology in Montrose. He will be talking about the mixing of Fremont and Anasazi cultures in our area archaeologists know as “The Gateway Tradition.” The meeting is 6:30 - 9 p.m. at Redlands United Methodist Church, 527 Village Way, and is open to the public at all levels of interest, novice to professional. There is no charge, though a small donation is appreciated for the meeting space. For more details see www.cas-gjEvents.org or call 970-433-4312, Doug

Van Etten, president Colorado Archaeological Society Grand Junction Chapter.

The tasting party is aimed at new and novice hunters. The price is $12 and includes a sampling of beers.

If you’d like to attend, please contact CPW’s Montrose wildlife office at 970-252-6000, or stop in the office at 2300 S. Townsend Avenue in Montrose. The deadline to apply to participate in The League of Women the event is Feb. 19. Voters presents “Is our democracy for sale? Judicial decisions, lobbying and money in politics.” Learn about PACs, super PACs, 527s and 501(c)4s at this meeting, to be held at noon Thursday, Feb. 8, at the Montrose Library community room.

Is our democracy for sale?

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of game meats to a new generation of foodies, Richman said. Upwards of 15 different wild game dishes will be served, including bear, mountain lion, pheasant, deer heart and many other unusual items. Kenneth Kinser, chef at Needle Rock, will talk about pairing wild game meat with beer and wine. CPW staffer will talk about cooking techniques and the special qualities of wild game meat.

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and show support for the libraries. Day one of the 28-day countdown started simply with “Visit Your Library.” “Our libraries remain vital and valuable because of the people that walk in the door,” says Hart. “The first and most important thing that the community can do in support of the libraries is use them.” Other days in the countdown encourage people to join a local library friends group, volunteer, check out a book, attend a program, make a donation, get a library card, use the online library and spread the word to others. “Library advocates are essential in helping us engage new users,” states Hart. “Introduce a neighbor to what the libraries have to offer, bring a friend to a library program, or help someone get their first library card.” The final day of the 28-day countdown is a one-time countywide fine forgiveness day that will clear overdue fines for all patrons. “In 2018, fine forgiveness marks the end of Love Your Libraries month and serves as an invitation to a fresh start and a new relationship with many library patrons moving forward,” explains Hart. To learn more about Love Your Libraries month, fine forgiveness day, or to participate in the 28-day countdown, visit your local library, www.deltalibraries.org, or www.facebook.com/ deltalibraries/.

Photo submitted

Drug-free winners

Clarence Mansker from the Delta Elks Lodge presented Lincoln Elementary students Joachim Jones and Aadrey Fraser with second and third place in the lodge’s drug-free poster contest. Their posters are currently at the state competition. Both are ﬁfth graders.

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Singing Valentine ��

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A8 Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Donna Palmer

Donna Mae Palmer died Jan. 27, 2018, at Colorow Care Center. She was 76. She was born in Cortez Dec. 9, 1941, to Claude and Jewel (Stanford) Maslen. She spent her childhood in Cortez and Dove Creek, graduating from Dove Creek High School in 1959. She attended college in Alamosa. On Feb. 3, 1984, she married John Palmer in Cahone. She enjoyed being a homemaker, watching television and RVing with her husband. She is survived by her husband of 33 years, John Palmer of Delta; two sons, David Palmer of Florida and Tucker Palmer of Delta; two daughters, Linda Phillips of Florida and Jewelene Phillips of Delta; eight grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by one brother and two sisters. Taylor Funeral Service and Crematory is handling the arrangements. Visit the internet obituary and sign the online guest registry at www. taylorfuneralservice.com.

Maxine Matthews

Cedaredge resident Maxine Matthews died Feb. 1, 2018, at Crossroads Living Center in Delta. She was 86. Funeral services were held Feb. 6 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints in Cedaredge. Interment followed at Elmwood Cemetery in Fruita. Maxine Jeanette Sievers was born in Gunnison Aug. 5, 1931, to Max and Mary (Seely) Sievers. She spent her childhood and attended school in Gunnison. She graduated from Gunnison High School and she attended Western State College. On Sept. 6, 1952, she married James Jackson Matthews III in Gunnison. After his death on July 14, 2010, Mrs. Matthews moved to Cedaredge. She was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day

OBITUARIES

Saints in Cedaredge and served as a missionary in Spain. She was also a member of Tri Sega Ma and special music groups. She enjoyed children, reading, family history and music. She is survived by five daughters, Sandra (Richard) Coxson, Linda (Norman) Gifford, Patricia (William) Phillips, Barbara (Jeffery) Reiher and Pamela (Eric) Potter; 26 grandchildren; and 54 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, James Matthews; and a sister, Katherine Boyd. Memorial contributions may be made to HopeWest, PO Box 24, Delta, CO 81416. Taylor Funeral Service and Crematory is handling the arrangements. Visit the internet obituary and sign the online guest registry at www. taylorfuneralservice.com.

Tommie Lee Lane

Delta resident Tommie Lee Lane died Feb. 3, 2018, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction. He was 80. A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, at First Baptist Church in Delta. Visitation will be held one hour prior to service. Interment will follow at Delta City Cemetery with Pastor James Conley officiating. Tommie Lee Lane was born in Delta Sept. 20, 1937, to Troy and Juanita (Fewell) Lane. He spent his childhood in Delta and graduated from Delta High School in 1955. He attended Mesa College for two years. On May 7, 1961, he married Gilberta Johnson in Delta. He was a member of First Baptist Church in Delta, the Elks, Cattleman’s Association and 4H. He enjoyed coffee with friends, spending time with his family, the outdoors, fishing and gardening. Roses and gladiolas were his favorites. He is survived by two sons, Gregory (Patty) Lane of Delta and Brent (Larry) Lane of Kittridge; one daughter, Melissa (Scott) Floyd of Delta; brothers-in-law, Kenneth (Barbara) Johnson and Alvin Pfifer; two sisters-in-law, Leona Lane and Lyndall Johnson; six grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and extended family. He was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Gilberta; two brothers, Kenneth Lane and Donnie Lane; and one sister, Louise Weber.

Memorial contributions may be made to HopeWest, PO Box 24, Delta, CO 81416. Taylor Funeral Service and Crematory is handling the arrangements. Visit the internet obituary and sign the online guest registry at www. taylorfuneralservice.com.

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Roy Long

Roy H. Long of Cory died at his home on Monday, Feb. 5, 2018. Funeral services are set for 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9, at Taylor Funeral Service Chapel, with burial to follow at the Mesa View Cemetery. Survivors include his wife, Lucile Long of Cory.

He is survived by his wife, Irene Morris; and children. Services are pending with Taylor Funeral Service.

Michelle Clements

Michelle Suzette Marie (Kelly) Clements died at her home Feb. 1, 2018, after years of painful medical complications. Survivors include Donald Morris her mother and stepfaDonald Morris died Feb. 5, 2018, at his home ther, Marcella Ann and in Cedaredge. He was Dr. Richard Truchses; former husband, John 76.

Clements; son, William Dalton; brother, Michael Crawford and former wife, Leigh; sister, Maureen Meriam (Penny), and Richard Crouse; an informally adopted daughter, Jenna Rovelstad; several grandchildren; and extended family. She was preceded in death by a daughter, Angelica; and her grandparents. Cremation has taken place. A private gathering of family and friends celebrated her life.

Charles Robert “Bob” Hicks July 19, 1952 ~ Jan. 12, 2018 Don Case

Don Case died Jan. 30, 2018, at Colorow Care Center. He was 88. A memorial service was held Feb. 3 at the Taylor Funeral Service Chapel in Delta with James Gall officiating. Inurnment took place at the Olathe Cemetery. Don Lee Case was born in Montrose Aug. 19, 1929, to Roy and Phyllis (Driggs) Case. He spent his childhood ranching in the Ridgway and Montrose areas. On July 2, 1950, he married Jo Ann Beieler of Olathe. They operated a farm outside of Olathe. Mr. Case was a pioneer in the sweet corn production that has become an economic driver for the Uncompahgre Valley. He collaborated with plant breeding experts to develop the seed stock that led to the types of sweet corn best adapted to local growing conditions. He and his wife served as grand marshals of the third annual Olathe Sweet™ Sweet Corn Festival. He is survived by his children, Lee Ann (Dennis) Fadler of Smithville, Mo., Martin Case of Bloomington, Ill., Donna McNeil of Dartmouth, Justin Case of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and John (Kathy) Case of Olathe; a sister, Helen Ferguson of Wichita, Kan.; 10 grandchildren; and five greatgrandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife of 58 years, Jo Ann; his daughter-in-law, Sally Case; and his son-in-law, Daniel McNeil. Memorial contributions may be sent to the College of Crop and Soil Sciences, Colorado State University, 1170 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523, or the charity of the donor’s choice. Taylor Funeral Service and Crematory is handling the arrangements. Visit the internet obituary and sign the online guest registry at www. taylorfuneralservice.com.

Charles Robert “Bob” Hicks, 65, a husband, brother, father, grandfather, and dear friend, passed away Jan. 12, 2018, at Hemet Valley Medical Center. Bob was born July 19, 1952, in Delta Colo., the son of Jack Hicks and the late Charlie Lea Hillis Hicks. While a Colorado coal miner at heart, 26 years, Bob completed his education and moved to California to pursue a career as a Home Appraiser. An avid baseball enthusiast, Bob enjoyed watching, playing and officiating the game. He also enjoyed riding his Harley, home improvement projects, football, fly-fishing, and hunting. He loved giving back to the youth of community and felt rewarded when

he rode with the Patriot Guard Riders to honor our fallen soldiers. On St. Patrick’s Day of 2006, Bob went on his first date with the love of his life, Sylvia. They married shortly after and have enjoyed the life they have created for themselves in sunny California. Surviving is his wife, Sylvia Hicks; father, Jack Hicks; mother-in-law, Lawren-

cia Marquez; children, Shelly Wright, Robert Hicks, Dawn Bivens, and Kimberly Kellerby (Troy); stepsons, Aaron Waterman and Kyle Waterman (Noelle); brothers, Greg Hicks (Glenda), Paul Hicks (Melinda) and Benjamin Marquez (Lori); sisters, Roxie Hodson, Cindy Shields (Joe) and Elisa Benefield (Jeff); eight grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his mother, Charlie Lea Hicks and father-in-law, Ralph Marquez. The scattering of his ashes in Colorado on the Grand Mesa will be planned for this summer 2018. Online condolences may be made to Miller-Jones.com. Paid obituary

Benjamin Philip Caleb Hayner May 2, 2001 ~ Feb. 3, 2018 On Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018, Benjamin Philip Caleb Hayner chose to leave this world. His struggles were too hard. He was never meant for this world in the first place. He chose to go home. He said in his baptism, “I am not of this world. My home is in heaven. I am just passing through on borrowed time.” A candlelight vigil will be held at 6 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 7, at Delta High School. Memorial services are set for 10 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 10, at the Delta Performing Arts Center with Rev. Greg Teele officiating. Ben was born on May 2, 2001, in Normal, Ill., to Gary Philip and Stella Lynn (Burlingame) Hayner. The family moved to Delta when he was in third grade and he attended schools in Delta. Ben, a junior, was

very active and an exceptional student at Delta High School including a member of the track team, knowledge bowl and the computer program. He was a lifeguard at Bill Heddles Rec Center and volunteered for the Food Bank. Ben enjoyed making people laugh, woodworking, computers and electronics. He had a great need for knowledge and to learn in sci-

ence, math and physics, always creating and making things. He was a free spirit and a child of God. Ben is survived by his parents, Gary and Stella Hayner of Delta; two brothers: Dillon of Bloomington, Ill., and Eric (Caitlyn) formerly of Normal, Ill.; three sisters: Sophia of Okinawa, Japan, Naomi and Linda of Delta; his grandparents, Rick and Deanna Bilyeu of Normal, Ill.; and many cousins and friends. Ben was preceded in death by his grandparents, Albert and Eloise Hayner and Linda Burress. Arrangements are under the care and direction of Taylor Funeral Service and Crematory. View the internet obituary and sign the online guest registry at www.taylorfuneralservice.com. Paid obituary

Eugene “Gene” Lyle Moe May 15, 1932 ~ Jan. 22, 2018

Debrra Wallace

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Delta County Independent

Longtime Paonia resident Debrra “Debby” Faye Wallace died Jan. 30, 2018. She was 62. She was born Sept. 6, 1955. Ms. Wallace enjoyed cooking, refurbishing and redecorating homes, gardening, fishing and caring for her cats, Merlin, Button, Rudy Mouse and Zorro. She also enjoyed the Ragged Mountains, eating pie, writing poetry and breaking out into song. She is survived by two children, James Margrave and Desiree’ Mabe. A memorial service will be held in summer 2018. Taylor Funeral Service and Crematory is handling the arrangements. Visit the internet obituary and sign the online guest registry at www. taylorfuneralservice.com.

Eugene Lyle Moe passed away peacefully at home in Austin, Colo., on Jan. 22, 2018, at the age of 85. Gene was preceded in death by his parents, John and Beulah; brothers, Ted and Doyce; and son, Gary. Gene is survived by his wife, Dorothy; children, Carla, Tanya (Kelly), Randy and Rex; grandchildren, Isaac (Jacki), Jacob, Rachel (Brian), Elisha (Karly), Brianne, Josh (Nicole), Jason (Kelsey), Ashley and Nikki; and greatgrandchildren, Denise, Alyssa, Oliver, Evander, Skyler, Cooper, Layton and Maxlynn. Gene was a religious man and did love the Lord and is rejoicing in Heaven with his brothers and son now. Gene was born in Sanford, Mich., on May 15, 1932. He graduated from high school at Midland, Mich., in 1950. Gene married Dorothy on Feb. 3, 1953, at Brooks Air Force Base in Texas. He joined the Air

Force in 1952 and was honorably discharged in 1956. Gene and Dorothy have been married for 65 years. He was a dedicated man, father, grandfather and husband. His sense of humor was always present and we learned at an early age to not be surprised of what he may say or do. His love of playing cards was passed down to family members and we had a lot of card games with family and relatives while hunting up in the mountains. Gene and his brothers, Ted and Doyce, purchased Tawas Golf and Country Club in

the early ‘60s and then learned to golf. In June 1974, Gene moved to Colorado with his wife and children. Gene loved the outdoors and mostly hunting which is why the move to Colorado. There were many memorable deer and elk hunts in the mountains with family and relatives. Gene did keep his sense of humor up to the last. He was surrounded by his family at his passing. He told us all, “I am not afraid of the end because I know where I am going.” He donated his body to Science Care so that others could learn from his situation. There will be a Celebration of Life for Gene sometime in May 2018. A memorial service is planned at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, at Grand Mesa Bible Church in Delta. The family would like to thank Hospice and VA caregivers for their efforts. Paid obituary

Delta County Independent

ACTIVITIES

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

�� Hunter ed classes listed for 2018 ��

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A traditional hunter education class will be offered Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 12 and 13, and Thursday and Friday, Feb. 15 and 16, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Classes are held at the Technical College of the Rockies. Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1949, must have successfully completed an approved hunter education course sanctioned by the state before applying for or purchasing a hunting license. Unless an emergency occurs, it is required that a student attend all of the class time. An absence may require that the hunter education class be repeated. The traditional class

Community dance set for Feb. 17 Route 66 will provide music for the community evening dance Saturday, Feb. 17, at Bill Heddles Recreation Center. The dance takes place from 7 to 10 p.m. Bring a friend and a snack to share. Coffee and lemonade will be provided. The cost is $5 at the door. For more information, call 874-0923.

Cribbage players compete Feb. 25 It’s time for the City of Delta/Lee Martinson annual February cribbage tournament. This event is scheduled Sunday, Feb. 25, from 1 to 6 p.m. at Bill Heddles Recreation Center. All players must play singles; doubles are an option. Bring your own boards if you have them. It is helpful to register in advance but not necessary — you may register the day of the event prior to 12:30 p.m. The tournament will start promptly at 1 p.m. All ages are welcome. Come show off your skills and win prizes! The fee is $10 per person and $5 per person for doubles. Bring a snack to share. Register at Bill Heddles Recreation Center, 874-0923.

is held over a four-day period with approximately 14 hours of instruction, exam and range time. The class will be repeated March 12-15, June 11-4 and Aug. 6-9. In addition, an online course is available. To receive a hunter education card, you must attend an internet conclusion course. The conclusion class is a two-day course with approximately seven hours of instruction, exam and range time. An internet conclusion course will

The Harlem Wizards are coming to Delta High School Tuesday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m. The evening promises to be a fun-filled event that is great for kids and adults and is guaranteed to put a smile on your face! This event is hosted by DHS Student Council, Delta area schools and the Delta Police Department. They have brought The Wizards into town as a community unity event to celebrate and show our love of our great Delta community, just in time for Valentine’s Day! The Harlem Wizards have a unique mission: create awe-inspiring events throughout the country. At a Wizards game, fans will witness amazing basketball talent combined with hilarious comedy. It’s two hours of family time where parents, grandparents and kids can all laugh together. When you’re in the stands, you’re more than a spectator; you’re part of the show with loads of audience participation. Throughout the game,

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Bill Heddles Recreation Center is taking registrations for the 2018 Racquetball Rumble. The singles/doubles racquetball tournament will be held Feb. 8-11. Players must be available Thursday if they are playing in more than one division. The fee is $35 for the first division and $15 for the second division, per player, and includes a tournament jacket, lunch,

On Wednesday, Feb. 21, the Colorado Archaeological Society Chipeta Chapter will have its second annual members’ potpourri meeting where chapter members will present short illustrated talks about their own adventures. Come and experience a tour of Southern France’s cave paint-

ings by Annette Butts, Aboriginal Quinkan cave paintings of Queensland, Australia, with Dr. Carol Patterson, and Bill Harris brings us highlights of Uncompahgre Plateau chapter field trips to locate several enigmatic architectural “hogan” sites that were excavated 75 years ago by Harold and Betty Huscher, Colorado archaeologists, and then “lost” to science. Refreshments will be served; public is invited. The free presentation will leaving from the down- be held at 7 p.m. at First town City Market park- Methodist Church, 19 S. Park Street, Montrose. ing lot at 8:30 a.m. All the trips will go to 2-3 in the afternoon. Those joining the trips are asked to bring their own binoculars, a lunch, something to drink, and Registration is underto dress warmly. Last year over 100 way for a five-on-five raptors of seven different flag football league. A species were seen each 10-game season will be played Thursday nights day. For more information beginning in late Feband to reserve a place on ruary and concluding the Montrose trip contact with a single-eliminaBill Harris, 970-615-7166 tion tournament in May. or trlgpa48@gmail.com, Games will be played at for the North Fork area the Confluence Commutrips contact Jim LeFe- nity Fields and Mountain View. The team fee vre, jimlef@paonia.com.

refreshments and tournament drawing. Breakfast burritos and snacks will be provided by the Phil Schmidt family. For more information, call Gary West at Bill Heddles Recreation Center, 874-0923, or email gary@cityofdelta.net.

Camera club holds day, evening meetings The Black Canyon Camera Club will meet at 11 a.m. Feb. 13 (second Tuesday of the month) at the First Church of God in Delta. Daytime meetings have been reinstated for those who do not drive at night. There is also an evening meeting on the first Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. in the same place, which is better for members who work. After a short meeting, a webinar on Lightroom and photo evaluation will be viewed. The public is welcome to attend free of charge. Contact RaeAnn Simmons at raeanns@live.com for more information.

Registration opens for adult flag football league

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Delta High School or online at www.Harlemwizards.com, from now until the day of the game, Feb. 13. Tickets will also be available the day of the game at Delta High School beginning at 6 p.m. The cost at the door is $12 for adults and $10 children. For more information contact Shawna Magtutu at shawna. magtutu@deltaschools. com or 970-874-8031.

Rec center hosts Racquetball Rumble

Members share archaeological finds

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fans will experience a magical display of tricks, coordinated ball handling, fancy passing and aerodynamic athleticism combined with high-energy comedy and audience interaction. The experience can only be summed up in two words: aweinspiring. purchased Tickets before the event are $10 for adults $8 for children. Tickets can be purchased at the following locations:

Birders will look for raptors on field trips The Black Canyon Chapter of the Audubon Society is offering four field trips to look for raptors (eagles, hawks, owls, and falcons) in the Montrose and North Fork areas. The trips will be limited to 12 people per day on a first come, first serve basis. No previous experience is required, just an interest in the birds of these areas. Two field trips will be held in the North Fork area Feb. 10-11. Both will be leaving from the Hotchkiss City Market at 9 a.m. The field trips for the Montrose area will be Feb. 17-18 and will be

last two to three hours of every scheduled class is used for review. The final test is shooting a .22 cal. Rimfire to determine gun handling skills. The shooting exercise takes place at the Technical College of the Rockies shooting range. If the range is not available, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife shooting trailer is utilized. See the hunter education website at www.cpw. state.co.us for more information and instructions.

Harlem Wizards provide laughs for the entire family

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be offered March 23-24 and Aug. 21-22. Other allowable hunter education delivery options include test-out 50+, test-out U.S. military personnel, and apprentice license. To sign up for any class, or for more information about options, go to www. cpw.state.co.us and navigate to About Us; Education; Hunter Education. Classroom space is limited to a maximum of 35 students per class. Approximately the

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is $250; each player also pays a $20 player fee the first night. Registration deadline is Feb. 11. Registration forms may be obtained at the recreation center or from the city website, www.cityofdelta.net. For more information, contact Whitnee Lear at 874-0923 or whitnee@cityofdelta.net.

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A10 Wednesday, February 7, 2018

BUSINESS

Delta County Independent

Nebraska native purchases Dr. Scott’s dental practice BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

Photo submitted

Exemplary provider

DCMH Urgent Care was recently recognized for providing outstanding health care delivery practices for a rural health clinic. Pictured are staff members (front row, left to right) Shari Barclay, RN, Nellie Myers, clerk, and Katie Thacker, LPN; (back row) Kyle Rice, NP-C, Rachel Slogar, LPN, Jane Rosen, FNP-C. The award was presented by The Compliance Team of Pennsylvania, which provides accreditation services across the U.S. The Exemplary Provider Award is granted when a clinic receives 90 percent on a comprehensive onsite evaluation that reveals evidence of ongoing compliance with program standards that establish safety, honesty and caring as core patient relationship goals.

Soil Health Conference returns to Delta Feb. 22-23 The eighth annual Soil Health Conference will be held Feb. 22 and 23 at the Delta Center for Performing Arts, located at 822 Grand Avenue in Delta. This conference is the premier area educational and networking event designed to educate producers, orchardists, ranchers, government officials and the broad community about ways to increase organic matter and increase the health of our soils by using cover crop, green manure, grazing, composting, entomology and other sustainable practices. Nationally renowned speaker Dr. Allen Williams will highlight the 2018 conference. The conference will feature a mixture of keynote speakers, 2017 local cover crop data and testing information, as well as breakout sessions.

Dr. Williams will present “Diversity in Livestock Integration,” with a link between soil health and food quality. He will also be part of several breakout sessions. Local experts Katie Alexander, Jerry Allen and Steve Woodis will discuss the local cover crop results, which will provide details on a number of local producers who utilize cover crops. Additional speakers will discuss multispecies livestock integration, a case study on no till soybeans, soil health for backyard gardeners as well as a number of other topics. Soil health is critical to the future of agricultural production. With a contingent of concerned farmers as well as community groups and government officials the soil health conference has been able to take soil health edu-

cation and implement techniques and specifically adjust them for the local area. As pressure on agricultural production increases, soil health practices can insure that the agricultural needs are met with sustainable production, quality and economic viability. Delta County Economic Development is the fiscal and administrative agent for the Soil Health Conference. Understanding that soil is a treasure, DCED in conjunction with NRCS, Delta Conservation District, Shavano Conservation District as well as individuals active in the agricultural community have come together to prepare the annual Western Slope Soil Health Conference. For more information visit www.westerncolorado soilhealth.com or call DCED at 970-874-4992.

Nebraska’s loss is western Colorado’s gain. When the Richman family moved from Imperial to Delta, DCMH Family Medicine gained a primary care physician in Jonathan Richman, M.D., and the communities of Olathe, Delta and Montrose gained a dentist. Rachell Richman, DDS, purchased the practice of Dr. James Scott in Olathe and is providing a full spectrum of dental services for children and adults. Both the Richmans are graduates of the University of Nebraska. After obtaining a community college associate’s degree, Rachell worked briefly as an administrative assistant before continuing her education. A growing number of females are entering the dentistry profession. In Rachell’s class of 40, just five were women. The next year, 18 of the 40 class members were women. This year, she said, the majority of Nebraska dental graduates were female. Rachell and Jonathan grew up in the same small community in Nebraska. The early years of their marriage were split between Omaha, where Jonathan was attending medical school, and Lincoln, where the UN College of Dentistry is located. Rachell graduated in 2000 and obtained a position in a Catholic charity clinic in Topeka, Kan., where Jonathan was doing his residency. The pace at the charity clinic was brisk. “I learned how to work really fast,” Rachell said. The Richmans returned to Nebraska, settling in Imperial where Rachell purchased a practice and Jonathan joined a clinic providing

family medicine, obstetrics and gynecology. In the summer of 2017, they made the move to Delta County with their two children, ages 16 and 12. Both attend school in Delta. While Jonathan settled in at DCMH Family Medicine, Rachell searched for her niche. She visited with a number of dentists in the area before locating the ideal opportunity. Dr. Scott was ready to retire after 30-plus years, and his practice was for

Rachell Richman, DDS

sale. says the Rachell Olathe location is perfect for serving patients in both Delta and Montrose counties. Like Dr. Scott, she accepts Medicaid/ Medicare, most types of dental insurance and private pay. She also offers some financing options and is in the process of developing an in-house membership program that would cover cleanings and exams, and offer discounts on other services. Those services include X-rays, fillings, root canals, crowns, dentures, partials, extractions and restoration of implants, in addition to routine checkups. Dr. Richman is known for her gentle touch, as well as her honesty and integrity. “I don’t overdiagnose,” she said. Appointments are available Monday-Thursday and can be made by calling 323-6828. The clinic is located at 601 Main Street in Olathe.

Participants sought for capital conference U.S. Senators Cory Gardner and Michael Bennet together with Colorado Mesa University, the University of Colorado and Colorado State University invite all Colorado residents to apply to the Colorado Capital Conference held in Washington, D.C. June 12-14. One hundred Coloradans from a diverse cross-section of our state will be selected through a highly competitive application process to participate in this bipartisan conference. During the event, they will have an opportunity to hear from and interact with our nation’s leaders in an

informal setting. Colorado Mesa University President Tim Foster is pleased that the university is again a sponsor. “This conference gives Coloradans an audience with key decision-makers in Washington, D.C.,” he said. Applications must be received no later than March 21. Participants are responsible for their own accommodations and airfare. There is a $375 registration fee, which covers most meals and conference materials. For more information or to apply, visit www.colorado mesa.edu/capital conference or call 970623-9388.

Know Your Neighbor

Starbeam Studios not only teaches theater and dance, but builds relationships to last a lifetime

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Kayln Bruington is excited to share her passion for musical theater and dance with young students in the Delta area. She loves being able to pass on the same “spark” given to her by her mentors, and seeing how it grows far beyond anyone’s imagination! Kayln is the owner of Starbeam Studios, located at 1533 Highway 50 in Delta. She has been a contractor with Starbeam Studios for almost eight years, but only recently opened the Delta store. She worked for other dance studios and musical theater businesses in the area and saw the need for a studio of this quality and style in Delta. “Although every place that I have worked has been amazing and has made me a better person, I always wanted the freedom to inspire others in the way that I had been inspired as a child,” she says. In addition to technique, Kayln’s mentors shared life lessons — how to treat people, self pride, the ability and skill to stand up for what you believe in, and knowing when to walk away. “These are just a few of the lessons that were taught and are much more important than being able to do a triple pirouette on cue,” Kayln said. Now, with a studio of her own,

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Kayln has adapted a curriculum that focuses on technique along with the skills to be a better person. Her approach is reflected in her slogan, “It’s all about the relationship!” Starbeam Studios offers musical theater, dance classes, and private music, voice, acting and dance lessons. Students can learn ballet, tap, jazz, poms, theater jazz, contemporary and more dance styles. Kayln, who has a master’s in per-

Starbeam Studios offers a variety of musical theater and dance classes for students of all ages and skill levels.

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forming arts and trained with DVIDA in Las Vegas, is assisted by her husband Andrew, the middle school band instructor. Together, they are able to provide a variety of classes for students of all ages and skill levels. If your young student has a passion for theater and dance and you’d like to learn more, give Kayln a call at 823-0160 or visit Starbeamstudios delta.com.

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NORTH FORK February 7, 2018

TIMES

Section

www.deltacountyindependent.com

Mandate could hit Paonia businesses in pocketbook Property owners may need to install backflow devices to meet state water regulation BY TAMIE MECK Staff Writer

A Colorado safe drinking water program policy adopted in 2015 could result in one-time and annual costs for some commercial property owners serviced by the Paonia Water Department. In response to the state’s “Backflow Prevention and Cross-Connection Rule Implementation Policy,” town trustees recently passed a resolution establishing “cross connection and backflow prevention” rules and regulations for businesses and multi-family units serviced by the water department. Based on Colorado Revised Statues and the Colorado Primary Drinking Water Regulations, the purpose of the resolution “is to protect the public water system from contaminants or pollutants” that could enter the town’s distribution system by backflow from a customer’s water supply through the service connection. The state describes a cross connection as “any connection that could allow any water, fluid or gas such that the water quality could present an unacceptable health and/or safety risk to the public, to flow from any pipe, plumbing fixture, or a customer’s water system into a public water system’s distribution system or any other part of the public water system through backflow.” Passage of the resolution is the first step in backflow cross connection control, said Paonia Public Works Director Travis Loberg. Under the resolution, properties that are out of compliance will be required to install backflow prevention assemblies. Loberg said that out of the town’s roughly 130 commercial accounts, “most will not have to comply,” and some, including the local schools and the Paonia Care and

Rehabilitation Center, are already in compliance. Depending on the size of the service line and the type needed, backflow devices run between $100-$500. While property owners can install the units themselves, they must pass inspection by a certified backflow specialist, said Loberg. Mayor Pro Tempore David Bradford, who also serves on the town Public Works, Utilities and Facilities committee, emphasized that “this is an unfunded state mandate,” and costs will be passed on to water customers. “This is going to be difficult. This is not a pleasant thing,” said Bradford. According to the state website, Colorado.gov, there is no “grandfather clause” to the mandate, and multifamily properties of fewer than eight units may apply for an exemption. The mandate does not currently apply to single family residences. The non-compliance issue was revealed last October during a state inspection of the wastewater system, said Loberg. The resolution is “the first step” in addressing the regulations. It’s more of a precaution, in that the town has not had any incidences of backflow contamination, said Loberg. Under the resolution, the Public Works Department will have the authority to survey all connections within the distribution system to determine whether each connection is a cross-connection; to control all service connections that are crossconnections; and to collect all fees for the administration of the program. To determine where the devices are needed, the town will conduct a survey this year. Once the survey is complete, all property owners whose businesses are out of compliance will be notified by mail and will have 120 days to comply with the resolution. The town will also be required to complete annual surveys and submit to the Colorado Department of Health to ensure ongoing compliance. The only cost of the survey, said Loberg, is time and paperwork.

Longhorns in the North Fork

Photo by Tamie Meck

A pair of Texas Longhorns blends in with the vegetation near Hotchkiss on a recent sunny Sunday morning. According to thecattlesite.com, after reaching ‘their historical heyday’ in North America, numbers rapidly declined. In 1927, the U.S. government stepped in to save the breed.

Demolition of baseball park marks end of an ‘ERA’ BY TAMIE MECK Staff Writer

In late January the Town of Paonia leveled most of what was left of the old baseball field at Paonia Town Park. And while it didn’t look like much in recent years, the history of the little baseball field goes way back, said Paonia native Ron Rowell. It was, for years, the Paonia High School Eagles’ baseball field and a source of pride for the town. “Baseball used to be far bigger 60 or 70 years ago than it is today,” said Rowell. “Especially in summer.” For many years, Old-Timers and American Legion Baseball games filled the park on summer evenings. And for many years, said Rowell, who remembers playing baseball there in high school, and later, coaching his own kids at the park, fans watched games from a nice set of wooden bleachers. “It used to be a beautiful field,” said Rowell, “but it took a lot of work.” Sometime around 1989, the backstop, with help from a high lift provided by DMEA, was built where the bleachers stood. The batting cage on the east side of the park was built

Photo by Tamie Meck

The backstop is all that remained last week at the site of the former baseball ﬁeld at Paonia Town Park. The Paonia Public Works department removed the two dugouts and batting cage on the east side of the park, and leveled the ground in late January. in the mid-1980s in memory of Dawn Cher’ee Elliott, who in the summer of 1985 was killed in a car wreck at the age of 17. According to her mother, Donna Reedy, Dawn’s grandparents, Mary and John Threewit, used the money donated in her memory to build the batting cage. When Volunteer Park was built out on Mathews Lane, the park was pretty much forgotten, said Rowell. The batting cage grew thick with

weeds and vines, and the dugouts began to crumble. Goathead weeds thrived in the dust. In 2011, efforts to revive American Legion baseball in Paonia failed. The dugouts and batting cage are now gone, and the backstop will be the last thing to go. According to Public Works Director Travis Loberg, DMEA will remove the power lines so that it can be safely removed, and will re-install the lines once it’s taken down.

Oldtimers, newcomers in the spotlight at Crawford chamber’s awards potluck BY RANDY SUNDERLAND General Manager

More than 80 folks turned out Saturday, Feb. 3, for the annual Old Timers, Newcombers Potluck hosted by the Crawford Area Chamber of Commerce. A celebration of community, the event is also a night of awards to local businesses, non-profits, teachers and volunteers. The newest member of the communty to attend was

Mike Weigel, who became a resident 11 days before the potluck. He was awarded a wooden Crawford poster donated by Crawford Country Keepsakes. On the other side of the spectrum, Pat Bennett was recognized as the Oldtimer, having called Crawford home for 63 years. She received two cups, also donated by Crawford Country Keepsakes. The Business of the Year

Photo by Jaquita Watters

Crawford Chamber secretary Collenette Vervloet awards the Oldtimers Award to Pat Bennett, a Crawford resident for 63 years. She received two cups from Wild Country Keepsakes for being the longest resident in attendance at the potluck.

was awarded to the Desperado. In 2005 Bonnie Cotten Hess and Jerry Hess, along with Misty and Gary Hess, came to Crawford looking for a home and a job. What they found was the foundation of a burned down building, and from there they built up a business. The Desperado offers gas, groceries, sporting goods, liquor and many other necessities. A new award for 2018, the Teacher of the Year was presented to Cami Bair. She has been teaching in the North Fork Valley since 2000, the same year the North Fork Community Montessori began operating. Bair was praised for her hard work and dedication to her students. She is often visited by former students, greeting her with a big hug. The Crawford Fire Auxiliary was named the Non-Profit of the Year. The brainchild of Hazel Clark and Orpha Albright 41 years ago, the auxiliary was formed to help the firemen when called out to a fire, and to help the victims of these fires. Over the years this group of volunteers has produced three cookbooks and hosted countless fundraising events. They are the “boot people” for the annual fireworks display at Crawford State Park as part of Pioneer AWARD WINNERS TO B2

Photo by Jaquita Watters

Crawford Chamber secretary Collenette Vervloet awards Mike Weigel a Crawford poster from Wild Country Keepsakes for being the newest resident. He has been in Crawford 11 days at the time of the Oldtimers, Newcomers Potluck. For photos of other award winners, please turn to page B2.

B2 Wednesday, February 7, 2018

NORTH FORK TIMES

Delta County Independent

Award winners FROM PAGE B1 Last year’s display cost $9,000 and it is only through the generous donations that the auxiliary is able to bring the only fireworks display to the North Fork Valley. The group also raised more than $17,000 to help fund a bathroom at the fire station so the firemen would not take potentially contaminated clothing home. The auxiliary board was introduced, including president Tristan

Pfeffer, vice president Cathy Cheatham, secretary Merri Britt, treasurer Donna Cochran and board members Carol Inman, LaVerne Love, Candy Nyholm and Liz Heidrick. It was noted the fire department consists of only 10 firefighters and are in desperate need of more volunteers. Tristan Pfeffer was named the Volunteer of the Year. She and her husband, Lee, moved to Crawford in 2012 just in

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time to attend the Pioneer Days. They quickly felt welcome to the community, and soon were involved in many ways. Tristan was praised for her boundless energy and deep love for Crawford. She has served as president for many organizations, and helped organize the chamber’s “Wine, Cheese and Chocolate Night.” After the event, chamber secretary Collenette Vervloet said, “It was great fun ... hearing all the stories people shared about their lives during the open mic portion of this event is always favorite.” She also thanked all of the award recipients, noting, “These folks work

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hard to give back in this community and our lives are more enriched.”

Photo by Jaquita Watters

The Crawford Business of the Year is the Desperado. Accepting the award from Collenette Vervloet is Bonnie Cotten Hess (right) and her daughter-inPhoto by Jaquita Watters law Misty Hess. Tristan Pfeffer was selected as Volunteer of the Year.

Photo by Jaquita Watters Photo by Jaquita Watters The Crawford Fire Auxiliary was named the Non-

Crawford Chamber president Nicole Reasoner and proﬁt of the Year. Accepting the award were auxilchamber secretary Collenette Vervloet presented iary vice president Cathy Cheatham and president Tristan Pfeffer. the Teacher of the Year Award to Cami Bair.

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Photo submitted

Eighteen Delta-Montrose county teachers took the Colorado Parks and Wildlife class on winter adaptations and interactions in late January. The next class will train teachers about desert habitats, entomology and bears.

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Outdoor education for teachers ��

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Eighteen teachers participated in a winter adaptation and interaction workshop offered by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Outdoor Understanding for Teachers (CPW OUT) program on Saturday, Jan. 27. Hands-on winter animal adaptation activities were offered at The Nature Connection hub in Hotchkiss and at Crawford Lake State Park. One of the highlights of this training was ice fishing with CPW personnel. Ice fishing materials can be checked out by the public free of charge at Crawford State Park. CPW OUT classes are geared to giving teachers the skills to take their kids on field trips using curriculum related hands-on activities and site-based outdoor education. These one-day classes are offered four times a year in our area by the Southwest CPW

Photo submitted

Teachers learn the finer points of ice fishing from Colorado Parks and Wildlife personnel. education coordinator, school districts, and also Cathrine Brons. Anita by housing hands-on curEvans and The Nature riculum materials for Connection assist with teachers to check out for the coordination of these use with their classes. classes by publicizing Teachers can become these continuing educa- CPW OUT “qualified” tion classes for teachers teachers which allows through the Delta Coun- them the opportunity to ty and Montrose County apply for 1/2 bus funding for up to three site-based CPW OUT approved field trips. The transportation stipend is a huge plus, as transportation to nature spaces is one of the most costly components of connecting youth to outdoor experiences. Teachers are considered OUT qualified if they have attended at least three CPW OUT classes. The next CPW OUT classes this year will train teachers about desert habitats, entoPhoto submitted mology and bears. For more information, con- After training with Colotact Cathrine Brons at rado Parks and Wildlife personnel, Jim Frasier catherine.brons@state. co.us or Anita Evans at pulled two fish out of Crawford Reservoir. asevans54@gmail.com.

For a quote on all your printing needs call Randy Crespin at 874-4421.

NORTH FORK TIMES

Delta County Independent

Valentine potluck planned for Feb. 15 Fruitland Mesa Club is hosting a Valentine potluck at noon Thursday, Feb. 15. Community members are invited to join the gathering at the Crawford Community United Methodist church annex. For more information, call Judy Fletcher at 3995405. Photo submitted

Hotchkiss FFA chapter members attended the District Leadership Conference last fall in Collbran, where they were named the outstanding district chapter. Almost half of Hotchkiss students are involved in FFA. The annual member auction and Alumni Association dinner will be held March 21.

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

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Hotchkiss FFA chapter is growing strong BY TAMIE MECK Staff Writer

Conservation Center annual meeting Feb. 11 The Western Slope Conservation Center will hold its annual meeting on Sunday, Feb. 11, in the Hotchkiss Memorial Hall at 175 1st Street, Hotchkiss from 3 to 6 p.m. A chili potluck will be served after the business meeting and keynote talk

by documentary filmmaker, author and Regis University faculty member Susan (Suez) Jacobson. The public is invited. Bring chili, bread, sides, salad drinks or dessert to share. RSVP at westernslopeconservation. org/2018AnnualMeeting or call 527-5307.

trips, fundraising is a big part of FFA. Hotchkiss’s biggest fundraiser is the annual Labor Auction. Chapter members each commit to performing eight hours of labor and are auctioned off to the public. Work might include cleaning windows or staining fences, working in the garden, mucking out barns, and even branding. Funds go to a number of events, including the annual Washington Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. During the auction the Hotchkiss FFA Alumni Association hosts an allyou-can-eat Rocky Mountain oyster fundraiser dinner (and for those who aren’t fans of the “oysters,” chicken tenders are also available), with proceeds going to the Alumni Scholarship Fund. This year’s auction and dinner will be held Wednesday, March 21. (More information can be found on the Hotchkiss FFA Alumni and Hotchkiss FFA Chapter Facebook pages.)

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National FFA Week happens Feb. 17-24. To celebrate the organization’s past, present and future accomplishments, chapters across the nation are gearing up for a week of activities. Because it falls during the week of winter break, Olathe, Delta, Cedaredge and Hotchkiss high school chapters will celebrate FFA Week Feb. 24-March 3. Hotchkiss High School’s FFA chapter has a full week of activities planned, said Coley Wondra, now in his fifth year of teaching agriculture at HHS. Events include an Agriculture Olympics, stick horse races, a movie night (John Wayne’s “The Cowboys”), Quiz Bowl (Knowledge Bowl, but with agriculture-related questions), and the annual Junk Yard Wars, where classes compete in making objects from recycled materials. Catapults and levers, sculptures, a helicopter, a dog, “And everything in between,” have come from past competitions, said Wondra. It all depends on what materials are available. Throughout the week chapter members perform community service projects, serve all of the teachers a pancake breakfast, hold a Corn Toss tournament, and compete in dodge ball with Cedaredge and Delta chapter members. One interesting activity is called “The Escape Room,” where students are locked in a room and can only escape by solving a series of puzzles. The activity promotes teamwork, critical thinking and other skills. FFA, short for Future Farmers of America, began in the early part of the 20th century as a way to provide agricultural training and education to youth and adults living in rural parts of the country. At the time, according to the FFA website, FFA. org, America’s youth were losing interest in working on the family farm. Its inaugural meeting was held in 1928 in Kansas City, Mo. Today, FFA’s mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. The organization boasts 8,568 chapters spread across all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and roughly 650,000 members aged 12-21.

If anyone thinks there isn’t much interest in the future of agriculture, think again. Started in 1981 by Teresa Burns, the Hotchkiss chapter now has some 80 student members, of whom about 40 are actively involved in all aspects of the chapter. “Agriculture is a huge part of the community,” said Wondra, and FFA is a big part of the school. Cedaredge and Delta high schools also have very active FFA chapters, said Wondra, and chapters often work together on events and projects. “As chapters we’ve done a good job of unifying students,” he said. FFA is also about more than agriculture. Through its diverse programs, members can prepare for careers in science, education, horticulture, production, forestry and other fields. One of the most important things to know about the organization is that all students are welcome to join, “Whether they are involved in agriculture or not,” said senior chapter president Morgan Miller. Students work yearround to prepare for state FFA Career Development Events, individual and team skills contests based on agricultural education instruction. Among its 19 contests are ag technical and mechanical systems (covering 14 skill areas), employment skills, farm and agribusiness management, Parliamentary procedure, veterinary science, and a freshman Quiz Bowl. Last year Hotchkiss placed third in the Livestock Evaluation event. This year, they are aiming for first. Student participation in FFA extends beyond the school year. During summer months members participate in the FFA state convention in June, then focus on the Delta County Fair held each August, giving them an opportunity for community service and putting to use a long list of skills learned throughout the years. Many participate in showing animals and crafts through 4-H. “Then it’s back to school,” said Wondra. As part of FFA’s public service component, the Hotchkiss chapter also hosts an annual Easter Egg hunt at the Delta County Fairground, which this year happens March 31, and an annual Halloween party at the fairgrounds. Both events are free and open to the public. To pay for all of their events, activities and

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B4 Wednesday, February 7, 2018

NORTH FORK TIMES

Delta County Independent

Crawford residents invited to DMEA info meeting The Crawford Area Chamber of Commerce is urging area residents to attend a meeting on Friday, Feb. 9, hosted by

Delta Montrose Electric Association and Elevate Fiber at Diamond Joe’s from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The meeting is an

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opportunity to preregister for internet service through Elevate. Because DMEA divides its territory into zones based on power lines, and Elevate places its fiber along these paths, Crawford is divided into three service zones. Each zone has specific preregistration goals, or the number of people signing up before Elevate will build out its network. In Crawford 56, they need an additional 28 preregistrations; in Crawford 57 they need 256 more preregistrations; and in Crawford 58 they need 193 more preregistrations.

Letters to Paonia policemen

The Paonia Police Department recently gave a tour of the facility to Mrs. Simpson’s second grade class at Paonia Elementary School. Students sent hand-written letters to the department and former Ofﬁcer Stewart Byrge to thank them for their service. Here is a sampling of the letters, which are hanging in the breezeway at Paonia Town Hall.

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Photo by Jaquita Watters

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During last weekend’s Oldtimers, Newcomers Potluck Susie Steckel encouraged Crawford residents to sign up with Elevate Fiber for faster internet service. Elevate, a division of Delta Montrose Electric Association, is hosting an informational meeting in Crawford at Diamond Joe’s on Friday, Feb. 9 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

What’s up at your library? The Delta County Libraries offer many educational and entertaining activities and events for you and your family to enjoy. If you want to know what else your library is offering, please contact the library or visit the Delta County Libraries website at www.delta libraries.org. Cedaredge Storytimes. Storytimes for babies, tots and preschoolers are Thursdays starting at 10:30 a.m. Blind Date with a Book. Visit the Cedaredge Library for a blind date with a book during the month of February. Books of all genres for all age groups will be wrapped and patiently awaiting someone to connect with. Choose a book based on genre and age group and then fill out the “Rate Your Date” book review after reading the book. Bottle Cap Maker

Space. Create your own bottle cap magnet at the maker space station. All supplies provided. Adult supervision necessary for young children. All month in February. Crafts Group. Crafters meet every Tuesday at 10 a.m. to share ideas and show and tell. Tech Soup Saturday. Bring your devices and your questions. Every Saturday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Crawford Storytimes. Storytimes for babies, tots and preschoolers are Thursdays starting at 10:30 a.m. Contact the library at 399-7783 for details. Valentine Card Making. Make your own Valentine card for a friend or loved one! All supplies provided. Feb. 7-10 during library hours. Tech Help. Wednesday through Saturday by appointment. Contact the library at 399-7783 for details.

Delta Storytimes. Storytimes for babies, tots and preschoolers are Wednesdays starting at 10:30 a.m. Contact the library at 874-9630 for details. Valentine Craft Day. Make a valentine for someone special using paint, straws, marbles, and other creative materials. All supplies provided. Saturday, Feb. 10, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Delta Book Club. Meets Saturday, Feb. 10, at 1 p.m. at Delta Library. Roger Hutchison Art Display. During the month of February, Delta Library will be displaying the works of local artist Roger Hutchison. The display will feature Hutchison’s abstract metal structures. Hutchison is a retired local art teacher who inspired many students during his teaching career. Heart Tower Maker Space. See how high your heart tower rises at the Heart Tower Maker Space! All month long in February in the children’s area at Delta Library. Scavenger Hunt. Find the hidden pages in the children’s area and build a book for Library Lovers Month. All month long in the children’s area of Delta Library. Teen Game Night. Board games and card games will be available in the teen area every Wednesday night at 4 p.m. Genealogy One-onOne. Get the help you need researching your genealogy in this ongoing class taught by Mickey Watts. Meets the second and fourth Monday of each month at 5 p.m. Talk & Tangle Yarn. This is a group of knit and crochet enthusiasts who get together to talk and work on their individual projects. Anyone is welcome to join. Mondays starting at 5:30 p.m. Hotchkiss Storytimes. Baby, tot and preschooler storytimes are Wednesdays starting at 10:30 a.m. Contact the library at 399-7781 for details. Knitting Group. Do you knit or crochet? Join us for ideas, help and good company the second Thursday of every month

October through April at 10:30 a.m. Anyone is welcome to join! Thursday, Feb. 8, at 10:30 a.m. Hotchkiss Book Club. February’s book is “The Underground Railroad” by Colson Whitehead. Thursday, Feb. 15, at 3 p.m. Blind Date with a Book. Don’t judge a book by its cover. Go on a blind date with a book and perhaps it will be love at first sight! All month long in February. Tech Help. Librarians will be available to help you with questions and problems about computers or mobile devices. Tuesday–Thursday by appointment, 399-7781. Paonia Storytimes. Baby, tot and preschooler storytimes are Tuesdays starting at 10:30 a.m. Contact library at 399-7881 for details. Valentine Card Maker Space. Come to Paonia Library and make a sweet card for your sweetie. All supplies provided. Feb. 1-14 during library hours. Armchair Travel: Seven Months in Myanmar. Kate Redmond will share experiences and photos of Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). Tuesday, Feb. 13, at 6 p.m. Knit Crochet Day. Enjoy the camaraderie of fellow knitters and crocheters; share projects and browse our library of craft books for use or purchase. Always tea and cookies too! Saturday, Feb. 17, from noon to 1:30 p.m. Garden Volunteer Day. Build your resume with a volunteer day. Bring gloves and some muscles as we prep the garden beds for this spring. For teens. Saturday, Feb. 17, at 2:30 p.m. Exploratory Art Class. Local art teacher Natalie Haines will provide a guided art activity for children age 3-5 and their parent or guardian. Bring your own snack and clothes to paint in. Sign up at Paonia Library. Every Friday from 3:45 to 4:45 p.m. through the end of March. Tech Café. Tech assistance for all ages and skill levels. Every Wednesday from 2 to 4 p.m.

SPORTS

Delta County Independent

SPORTS February 7, 2018

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

www.deltacountyindependent.com

Delta to host regional meet BY TAMIE MECK DCI Sports Writer

This Friday and Saturday, wrestlers from around the state will compete at one of four regional meets for a chance to wrestle at the 82nd annual State Wrestling Tournament, scheduled for Feb. 15-17 at the Pepsi Center in Denver. In Delta County, 14 teams will compete in the Class 2A Region 1 tournament at Delta High School. Delta County’s three Class 2A teams are in the top 10 in state On the Mat team rankings. For most of the season, Cedaredge has been ranked at No. 2. Paonia heads into the tournament ranked fourth, and Hotchkiss is ranked sixth. Other Region 1 teams include Wray, ranked third, eighth-ranked Soroco, Meeker, Nucla, Hayden, West Grand and Norwood. All are bringing some of the top wrestlers in the state to the mat. Only the top four placers in each of the 14 weight divisions qualify for state. This is also the first time in recent history that a regional tournament has been held in Delta County. Even if you’re not a fan of wrestling, consider taking in a few matches. Each of these wrestlers has worked hard all season, and in many cases, year-round for four years or more, to prepare for the next two weeks of wrestling and a place in wrestling history, be it a place on their school wall of fame, or a line in Colorado’s wrestling history books. Some of them are carrying a family tradition of wrestling that began in 1936 with the first state tournament. That year, according to the late Darrel Hafling’s book, “Faded Glory: The Colo-

rado High School State Wrestling Tournament 1936 through 1986,” nine teams and 45 wrestlers competed at the meet, held at Greeley State and won by Greeley High School. Western Slope teams Montrose, Olathe and Grand Junction all sent wrestlers to that first state meet. According to Faded Glory, in 1951, Hotchkiss scored its first state point, and in 1953, Delta was among the scoring teams at state for the first time. In 1955, Paonia scores its first state point. In 1957, competition was divided into two divisions. That year, Cedaredge made its first state appearance when Ken Mahannah wrestled in the 95-pound division. This Friday and Saturday, wrestling history will be made and locals will have an opportunity to see some of the best of the best in the state without traveling hundreds of miles. It’s worth the cost of admission. (Please note that wrestlers and their weight divisions are subject to change. Brackets are expected to be released this Friday at trackwres tling.com.) CEDAREDGE The Bruins will take 14 wrestlers into the Region 1 tournament, and all are healthy and ready to wrestle, said fourth-year head coach Cutter Garrison. Five Bruins are ranked first in the region. Of them, Adrian Nieto (113, 19-4), Trey Geyer (120, 29-4) and Derek Sanchez (285, 19-12) are freshmen, and Sean Dale (126, 36-4) is a sophomore. Dale placed third in the region as a freshman and went on to place fourth at state. They are young, but Garrison believes his underclassmen are

“ready for the big stage.” With a good mix of upper and lower classmen, they have good senior leadership in wrestlers like returning state qualifiers David Schippman (138, 21-11), and Jered Hulteen (160, 27-9). Colton Hoerr (152, 32-15) is a two-time state qualifier, and Alex McCracken (132, 31-7), who is the likely No. 1 seed, will wrestle for his fourth state qualification. Senior Drew Markley (170, 19-18) is a likely top-four seed and will wrestle in his first state appearance. Junior Taj Van der Linde, who slimmed down from a sophomore heavyweight to today’s 220 division, is 30-7 for the season and is ranked second in the region. Junior Zach Nold (145, 1-9) will wrestle his first regional matches Friday, and freshman Sam Campbell (14-16) will represent the Bruins at 106 pounds. PAONIA First-year head coach Nate Wiggins takes 13 into the regional tournament. Five are returning state qualifiers, and one a regional champion. Sophomore Zeb Etter (126, 20-17) pulled off some upsets to win the 106-pound regional division as a freshman. One of two Eagles ranked first in the region, Clay Campbell (145, 387) is a three-time state qualifier who last won a regional title in 2015. At 152, Grey Neal (32-8), a sophomore who last year placed third in the region, has significant wins this year that include a fall of the No. 1 ranked 145pounder from Region 4 Rocky Ford. Senior Jaden Miller is a two-time state placer and the 2017 regional runner-up at 182. After holding the No. 2 rank-

ing at 182, Miller will wrestle in the 195-pound division. At 106 pounds, Reagan Todd (14-18) is one of two freshmen on the varsity squad and is the likely No. 3 seed. Freshman Anthony Miller (182, 21-11), younger brother to Jaden, has wrestled most of the season at 195 and will compete at 182 pounds. Sophomore Soul Connolly will represent the Eagles at 120. Caden Meilner, a dual-sport athlete and varsity basketball player, will represent the Eagles at 132 pounds, where he is currently 7-2. Meilner didn’t wrestle his junior year; as a sophomore he was one win away from a state qualification. Senior Cyrus Malek Madani (11-4) will wrestle at 220, and sophomore Levi Peterson (24-10) wrestles at 285. HOTCHKISS Coach Richard Flores will take 12 wrestlers into regionals, nine of whom are ranked in the top four in the region by On the Mat. Three are returning state qualifiers. At 106, junior Landon Mayberry placed third in the region in 2017, and finished a respectable fifth at state. He is one of the rare upper-classmen to remain at the lowest weight division and is ranked first in the region. Senior Devin Curtis (195) also is the likely top seed for regionals. A four-year varsity wrestler, Curtis placed fourth in the region as a sophomore and junior. Junior Sergio Campos (120) is a two-time top-three placer in state and two-time defending regional champion. Ranked in the top four in the region are freshmen Robert Cochran (113) and Trayer Hall (132); junior

Presley Pene (126); sophomore Jace Peebles (152); and seniors Kevin Chavez (220) and heavyweight Nolan Egging (285). Senior Karsen Sommer (138), freshman Kaleb Lovelace (145) and junior Jake Lange (160) are all wrestling in their first regional tournament. DELTA While the Class 2A regional meet is going on at Delta High School, the Class 3A Panthers will travel to the 3A Region 1 tournament Alamosa High School. Delta head coach Clayton Curtis is no stranger to Alamosa High School, where he was a threetime state champion. The Panthers have had their ups and downs this season, said Curtis after last Friday’s three-point dual loss to Paonia. Delta will take 12 wrestlers to Alamosa. Senior heavyweight Logan Church, whom Curtis described at last December’s Warrior tournament as “a true wrestler,” is undefeated this year. A

two-time state qualifier, as a junior, Church finished second on a 3-2 loss to a senior and defending state champion. Aiden Barrios, a 170pound junior, placed fourth in the region as a sophomore. This year he’s ranked second in the region and sixth in state and upset a higher-ranked wrestler from Paonia at last Friday’s final dual of the season. Senior Drake Horn (160) placed third in the region as a junior. He is ranked third in the region, and seventh in state. Four more Panthers are ranked in the top five in the region: freshman Ben Koch (120), Brendon Starr (145), Brandon Harper (152), and sophomore Gauge Lockhart (195). But wrestlers don’t always place where they’re ranked or seeded. Church provides a good example: At last year’s state tournament he was seeded 12th.

WHO: Cedaredge, Hotchkiss and Paonia WHAT: CHSAA Class 2A Region 1 wrestling WHERE: Delta High School, 1400 Pioneer Road WHEN: A rolling schedule beginning at 5 p.m. Friday: First and second round and consolation bracket 9 a.m. Saturday: Championship semi-final/consolation quarterfinals. Consolation semifinals. LUNCH BREAK Third/fourth and fifth/sixth place matches wrestled concurrently Beginning at 2 p.m. (approximately): Championship matches and awards. Wrestle-backs to immediately follow. Admission: Only CHSAA and CHSCA passes will be honored. Full tournament: $20 adults, $15 students and seniors; under age 5, free Friday only: $7 adult, $5 students/seniors; under 5, free. Saturday All Day: $15 adult, $12 students/seniors; under 5, free. Hotchkiss High School will run concessions throughout all sessions. Programs and T-shirts are available for purchase at the main doors.

Photo by Tamie Meck

Delta’s Brandon Harper (right) maintains an edge in his 6-5 win over Paonia’s The referee signals two points for Paonia freshman Anthony Miller in hs win Grey Neal Friday night. Harper and Neal are ranked 12th and fourth in state, over Delta’s Gauge Lockhart last Friday night. Miller won eight of his last 10 respectively, in their class. matches and debuted this week at number 10 in state rankings.

Etter’s pin seals mat win BY TAMIE MECK DCI Sports Writer

With one match remaining last Friday night at Delta High School, the host Panthers were leading by a slim three points against Paonia. For Class 2A Paonia to win the annual dual against the Class 3A Panthers, 126-pound sophomore Zeb Etter needed at least a major win over Ayden Tucker. One minute and one second into the match,

with the score tied at 2-2 (a takedown for Delta and a reversal for Paonia), Etter stacked Tucker and won by fall, giving Paonia the 39-36 dual win. “He gotter done,” said Eagles head coach Nate Wiggins. “I told him to go out there and pin him... I guess he’s coachable.” The dual also marked the end of the regulation season for both teams. Panthers head coach Clayton Curtis ends the dual season with a 13-4 record; first-year Paonia

head coach Nate Wiggins ends the dual season at 14-2. “We knew it was going to be a close dual, whether there were forfeits or no forfeits,” said Curtis, who was disappointed with the loss. The silver lining for the Panthers was in two wins where they’d lost earlier in the season at the Panther Invitational. At 152, Panther Aiden Barrios, who previously lost by pin against Anthony Felice, won by a 6-1

decision. “Barrios is an end-ofthe-season wrestler,” said Curtis of the junior. “He gets better as the season goes on.” In the 152-pound match between senior Brandon Harper of Delta and Paonia junior Grey Neal (32-9), Harper led, 6-1, after a three-point near fall early in the third period. Neal scored four on a reversal/near fall combo, but ran out of time. Paonia won four

matches by pin. At 182, freshman Anthony Miller (21-11), who debuted this week at No. 10 in state rankings, defeated junior Kolby Keller by fall in the second period. Senior Jaden Miller, who has remained all season at number two in On the Mat state rankings, pinned 14th-ranked Delta sophomore Gauge Lockhart in 2:50. At 106, freshman Reagan Todd won by a 4-1 decision over Panther sophomore Alonso Saenz.

In the shortest match of the night, Eagles senior Clay Campbell won by fall Delta’s Brendon Starr in 31 seconds, marking his 35th pin of the season. With wrestlers out with the flu or at State Choir, Paonia was open at 285, 113, 120, 132, and at 138, where Sackett Chesnik, who is ranked second in the state, would have been favored to win but failed to make weight. “We went with the guys we had,” said Wiggins.

B6 Wednesday, February 7, 2018

SPORTS

Delta County Independent

Paonia boys 9-1 in league BY TAMIE MECK DCI Sports Writer

The Eagles upped their winning streak to five games and their conference record to 9-1 last week with wins over Vail Mountain, North Park and West Grand. The North Park and West Grand games marked the first starts for junior Elan Maulhardt. After their Jan. 30 7364 conference win at Vail Mountain, senior starter Riley Simianer was sick and missed a day, pushing Maulhardt into the starting position, said head coach Chase Roeber. “Elan is playing really well on both ends,” said Roeber. Paonia 66, NP 41 Against North Park Friday night, Sean Devlin scored nine of his 11 firsthalf points on threes and Enoch Kropp added six points to give the Eagles a 33-22 halftime lead. Midway through the third period, with Devlin and Kropp in foul trouble, North Park lead scorer Nic Martin put six unanswered points on the board, bringing the Wildcats to within nine points of a tie. With the starters back in, a trey by David Lozano put Paonia up by 11, and a buzzer shot by Simianer gave Paonia a 10point lead heading into the final quarter. Martin scored the first four points for the Cats, who quickly narrowed the lead to six. Lozano hit another three, Devlin shot two unanswered three pointers and Kropp scored from the paint to give Paonia a 57-40 lead.

In the fourth, Devlin, Kropp and Lozano came out firing. Two consecutive treys by Devlin gave the Eagles a 15-point lead, a goal by Kropp boosted the lead to 17 point, and in the final two and a half minutes, the JV players finished the game. Paonia 73, WG 44 West Grand came out strong in the first quarter against Paonia, quickly taking a 14-8 lead. Kropp put a three-point play together, and scored from the arc to narrow the lead to two. On a fast break, Devlin connected with Kropp under the net to end the first quarter in a 16-16 tie. In the second half, early goals by Kropp and Podgorny put Paonia up by six, and Devlin upped the lead to eight, then shot another trey for a 27-17 lead. West Grand chipped away at the lead, and at the half, Paonia trailed, 32-30, on a buzzer shot by Simianer. They knew West Grand played a fast game, “and their transition points were hurting us early in the game,” said Roeber. After some defensive adjustments, Paonia broke open the game in the third, scoring 11 unanswered points and holding West Grand to six points. The Eagles led, 55-38, heading into the final period. Devlin and Simianer each opened the fourth on a three-pointer; again the defense held the Mustangs to six points for the period. Defense made all the difference between the first and second half, said Maulhardt. Toward the end of the first half the

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offense wasn’t effective and wasn’t transitioning well under West Grand’s press, allowing the Mustangs to control the floor. “We slowed ourselves down and started moving our offense more,” said Maulhardt. When Paonia switched its defense from zone to man, “That kind of rattled them.” The Eagles also cleaned up their turnovers in the second half, said Roeber. Between that and some good shooting, “that made a difference in the game.” In the final two minutes, the bench came in to hold the Mustangs scoreless, and Logan Green and Landon Thliveris each scored a goal. The toughest tests of the season are still ahead. With Paonia, Meeker and Rangely filling out the

top three spots in this week’s MaxPreps standings, the next two games will determine the number one seed heading into the 2A District 5 tournament on Feb. 20. Paonia travels this Friday to Meeker (10-3, 6-1). Both teams have losses against 3A Coal Ridge and Grand Valley, and Meeker lost by 16 points to Rangely. Paonia will host the final regulation game against Rangely on Feb. 16. The Panthers lost, 64-47, Saturday to Vail Christian, which was coming off of a 13-point loss on Jan. 26 to Paonia. “Hopefully we’re peaking at the right moment,” said Roeber. “We’re cleaning some stuff up from Photo by Tamie Meck earlier in the year” and Paonia’s Riley Simianer ﬁres a shot over North reaching the level they Park’s Brock Follet in last week’s 66-41 win in need to be at for districts. Paonia.

Eagle girls beat 2A foes BY TAMIE MECK DCI Sports Writer

With two weeks remaining in regulation play the Eagles upped their 2A/1A Western Slope conference record to 7-2 with wins over North Park and West Grand. Paonia 42, NP 37 Paonia’s conference win Friday over North Park (10-5, 3-5, 1A WSL) wasn’t pretty, but it was a win. Head coach Scott Rienks said he knew that despite its 2-4 conference record coming into the game, North Park would be a challenge. Early in the season they defeated West Grand by 32 points. Paonia maintained the lead throughout the first three quarters, but in the fourth, let North Park back in the game. Halfway through the period, the Cats trailed by four. Rienks called a timeout with 1:31 remaining in the game, and North Park forced a turnover and called a timeout. Senior Andi Todd took a trip to the foul line to up the lead by six. North Park responded with a goal, and with less than 10 seconds on the board. An intentional foul by the Cats sent Paonia to the line to score a final point and end the game at 42-37.

Paonia 35, WG 23 After a slow first half, the Eagles pulled away in the second half to defeat West Grand. With four Mustang players standing 5-10 or taller, players were coming up short on their shots and turning the ball over on passes. “I think that was definitely the most height we’ve seen,” said senior Mckenna Palmer, the team’s 6-foot post player. “We kind of panicked because of that height.” Rienks said he wasn’t sure going into the game how to match his players against the Cats’ height. At the end of the first quarter, Paonia led, 7-4. By the half, players were gaining confidence, penetrating the key and taking shots, said Palmer. Once they got comfortable, “I think that’s where we beat their defense.” At the half, Paonia led, 22-17. As they have all year, the Eagles played well on defense, said Rienks. In the second half they allowed West Grand a total of six points, and led, 35-23, heading into the final period. Rienks said the game was an opportunity to see what the team would do with the lead and allowed them to work on their offensive skills rather than battle for points. And they definitely finished better against

West Grand than against North Park the previous day, he said. At 11-5 overall and 72 in the 2A WSL, the Eagles are fourth in MaxPrep standings with two games remaining before the District 5 tournament begins on Feb. 20. They travel to No. 3 Meeker (10-4, 6-1) Friday. On Feb. 16, they host the final regulation

game against 7-1 Rangely, currently in second place behind 9-0 Soroco. Rienks said he’s confident in the team’s defense, but where it finishes the season and the next two games “will basically come down to getting the ball in the hole. The defense has played well all year long. Now they just need to score.”

Photo by Tamie Meck

Kassidy Rapke out-maneuvers the defense to score Saturday in Paonia’s 35-23 win over West Grand. The Mustangs defense was among the tallest teams the Eagles have faced this season.

Delta hoopers win on road BY WAYNE CRICK DCI Sports Editor

Delta High School’s varsity basketball teams were successful over the past week with victories at Aspen and in Gunnison. The Panther girls defeated Aspen, 51-19, on Feb. 1 and scored a 5449 win in Gunnison on Feb. 2. Delta’s boys also earned wins in Aspen (70-50) and Gunnison (58-43). Delta Girls Panthers 51, Aspen 19 The Panthers are currently one of the 3A WSL leaders following last week’s action. Delta is 6-0 in league play and has a 12-3 record overall. Moffat County is 5-0 and 12-3 giving the league two unbeaten teams in league play. Aspen (0-5 and 1-14) did not pose a serious threat but remained close for the first half by taking advantage of Delta’s errors and poor shooting. The Panthers took control of the game in the third quarter after outscoring the Skiers 17-3 to take a 39-19 lead to the fourth quarter. Aspen’s offense failed to score in the final stanza while Delta put together a 12-point quarter to make the final score 51-19. Delta’s Sara Geddes led a trio of double-digit scorers with 11 points. Missa Webb and Keely Porter finished the game with 10 points each. Zulieka

non Murphy finished with 12 and Hayden Powers had 10. Gunnison sits in sixth place with a record of 2-3 in league play and 7-8 overall. Delta Boys Delta 70, Aspen 50 Delta got off to a fair start against the pesky Skiers and led 20-12 heading to the second period. post-player Delta Andrew Baier sparked the Panthers’ offense in second quarter action with eight of his 12 gamepoints coming in the second frame. The Panthers’ offense became sporadic in the third quarter and lost a couple of points to the Skiers (13-11). Logan Freed was fourfor-four at the free throw line and finished with six points in the fourth quarter to lead Delta on a 23-12 finish in the final eight minutes. John Ames added five points in the run. Freed’s 14 points (nine in the fourth quarter) topped all scorers in the game with Baier’s 12 counters next and Jaspar Carmichael’s 10 the third best number. Sam Kahn was Aspen’s top scorer with 11 points and teammate Nick Willson had 10. The Skiers are currently seventh in the 3A WSL with records Photo by Wayne Crick of 1-2 and 3-11. Delta freshman Keely Porter knocks down a shot Delta 58, Gunnison 43 Delta’s first-quarter against the Skiers in Aspen last Thursday. Porter ﬁnished with 10 points in Delta’s 51-19 win. DELTA BB TO B7 Hanson was Aspen’s top scorer with six points. Delta 54, Gunnison 49 This contest was an evenly-played affair for the first two quarters with Delta leading 17-15 at halftime. Neither team gained an advantage in the fourth quarter with both teams scoring 17 points and keeping the Panthers in front by two, 34-32. Porter netted 11 of her

team-high 15 points in the quarter. Webb’s six-point fourth quarter sparked a 20-17 run for the Panthers and helped preserve the fivepoint win, 54-49. Webb finished with 12 points with teammates Geddes and Alexa Huff collecting 11 and 10 points, respectively. Kylie Travis had 13 points to lead the Cowboys’ offense and Shan-

SPORTS

Delta County Independent

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Bulldogs lose close games BY WAYNE CRICK DCI Sports Editor

A weekend trip to Rangely on Friday and a home contest against Meeker were close losses for both the girls and boys basketball teams. The girls’ game in Rangely was tied after three periods (26-26) and a 20-11 Rangely run in the final quarter netted the Panthers a 46-37 victory. Saturday’s game at home was a 22-21 affair at the half. Meeker outscored the Bulldogs 21-20 in the second half to win the 2A District 5 matchup 43-41. On the boys side, Rangely led 31-23 at the half and held off the upset-minded Bulldogs who came up in a 3331 second half to leave Rangely the victor 64-54. Girls Rangely 46, HHS 37 Hotchkiss had the better first half offensively, though not by much, as

the Bulldogs eased to a 15-13 lead going to the third quarter. The Panthers outscored Hotchkiss in the third period to tie the game at 26-26 and set up what looked to be an exciting finish in Rangely. A 20-11 run by Rangely negated hopes of a closer finish with the Panthers (7-1, 13-3) and it walked away with the 46-37 win. Shay Glaser scored 12 points to lead Hotchkiss scoring and added six steals to her statistics. Kaiya Firor netted seven points and also finished the game with six steals. Elsie Vazquez had five points to go with her six offensive rebounds, three blocks and four deflections. A determining factor in the game was Hotchkiss’ 36 turnovers. Meeker 43, HHS 41 The Bulldogs were not overmatched against the third-place 2A Dis-

trict 5 Meeker Cowboys on Saturday afternoon in Hotchkiss. Many of Meeker’s points came off the Bulldogs’ 45 turnovers. Even with the turnover factor, Hotchkiss led (9-7) after one period and trailed by one, 22-21, at halftime. Meeker got the upper hand in the third period with a 12-5 surge and led 34-26 with one quarter left to play. The Bulldogs (3-5, 78) outplayed Meeker (7-1, 12-4) in the final stanza and won the quarter 15-9 to come up just short, 4341, at the final buzzer. Meeker ’s Victoria Lasker led all scorers in the game with 14 points and pulled down nine rebounds in the game. The Cowboy’s Megan Shelton recorded 17 rebounds for the winners. Hotchkiss’ Glaser and Vazquez led the Bulldogs offense with 11 points each and Firor chipped

in seven points and had seven rebounds. Carson Collins finished with nine rebounds and Vazquez grabbed six caroms. Boys Rangely 64, HHS 54 Rangely lost its firstplace standing in the 2A District 5 race following last Saturday’s 64-47 loss to third-place Vail Christian (7-2, 11-3). Paonia (91, 12-5) took over the top spot in the league standings with Rangely and Meeker (8-1, 12-4) filling the next two spots. Vail Christian sits at number four and Hotchkiss (63,10-6) is fifth. In Rangely on Friday the Bulldogs couldn’t match the Panthers’ scoring and trailed 31-23 at the halftime break. Hotchkiss picked up its offensive output in the second half but found themselves on the short end of a 33-31 finish to lose by 10, 64-54. Kobe Broome scored 20 points (14 in the sec-

ond half) to lead Rangely and all scorers in the game. Patrick Scoggins and Cam Filfred chipped in 12 points each for the winners. Hotchkiss got 12 points from Eli Sawatzky and 10 points each from Sam Rodriguez and Jonathan Gonzalez. Eli Kirk had nine counters for the Bulldogs. Meeker 66, HHS 58 The Cowboys started strong but couldn’t pull away from Hotchkiss in the early going. A twopoint lead for Meeker after one period became a 36-all tie by halftime.

Meeker’s 17-7 run in the third quarter was the difference in the game as Hotchkiss was unable to make up the difference in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs were hampered with foul trouble as three players fouled out, including seven-footer Jacob Stucker whose presence in the middle had made a difference in the game. Rodriguez’s 19 points led Hotchkiss, and all other scorers in the game. Rodriguez and Kirk added 11 points each to Hotchkiss’ totals. HOTCHKISS TO B8

Bruins on opposite paths BY WAYNE CRICK DCI Sports Editor

While the Cedaredge girls are on a new winning streak, the Bruin boys are working hard to end an end-of-the-season funk which includes losses in the last five games (from Jan. 20 through Feb. 3) the Bruins have played. The latest losses were to Olathe (59-50) and Gunnison (65-49). Cedaredge’s girls’ only loss was to Grand Valley (38-34) on Jan. 26. Prior to that loss the Bruins had won 10 straight games. The new winning streak includes wins over Basalt, Olathe (27-16) and Gunnison (37-29). Girls Bruins 27, Olathe 16 Against Olathe Feb. 2, the Bruins got off to one of their slowest starts of the season and were outscored by Olathe 7-3 in the first quarter.

Courtney Freeman ignited a mini-run with a pair of 3s and two free throws in the second quarter helping Cedaredge take a 14-12 halftime lead. Ryan Hilbig’s defense took over in the second half to limit the Pirates to four points in the third quarter and no points in the fourth. Meanwhile, Cedaredge’s offense was less than spectacular with eight points in the third frame and just five in the fourth to preserve the 27-16 (the lowest point-production of the season) victory. Freeman finished with two free throws in the third quarter and had 10 points for the game to lead all scorers. Olathe’s top point-producer was Mariah Garcia who had eight points. Bruins 37, GHS 29 In Gunnison on Sat-

Photo by Wayne Crick

Delta’s Andrew Baier takes a shot to the head but manages to score two points and make a free throw on the foul. Delta ran past Gunnison 58-43.

Delta BB CONTINUED FROM B6 against the Cowboys last Friday night all but sealed the win. The Panthers scored 26 points while their defense limited Gunnison to seven points. John Ames led the charge for Delta (third place in the 3A WSL, 5-2 and 11-4) with nine (three treys) points and four other Panthers scored at least four points in the run. Gunnison (1-4, 2-12) was held to another single-digit number in the 11-9 second frame and trailed the Panthers 3716 going to halftime. Scores were reversed in the third quarter with the Cowboys holding the 11-9 advantage.

Hunter Wood hit a pair of threes and had a pair of free throws to score eight points in a 16-12 fourth-quarter run to make the final score 58-43. Ames was Delta’s leading scorer with 14 points followed by Freed (12 points) and Baier (11 points). Delta enters its next to last week of regular season play with a third game against Cedaredge played on Feb. 6 and a Saturday contest with second-place Roaring Fork (5-1 and 12-2) in Carbondale on Saturday, Feb. 10. The girls varsity action is set for 2:30 p.m. and the boys play at 4 p.m.

urday the game’s winner was in doubt after a 74 first quarter with the Bruins holding the lead. The Cowboys (2-3, 78) put together an 11point second quarter and owned a 15-13 lead at halftime. Following the break Cedaredge was three points better than the Cowboys and took a 2524 lead after three quarters of action. The Bruins added seven more points to its lead in the final stanza to forge a 37-29 3A WSL victory. Cedaredge (4-1, 13-1) received 10 points from Freeman and eight counters and six rebounds from Addison Schwarz. Makayla Kehmeier was good for six points and 12 rebounds for the Bruins in the win. Boys Pirates 59, Bruins 50 Cedaredge looked as though it might end its losing streak against the Pirates with an 18-7 first quarter against Olathe. That thought soon vanished when the Pirates countered with a 20-5 run in the second frame to take a 27-23 halftime lead. The mid-game break seemed to help the Bruins in the third quarter. An 18-13 surge lifted the Bruins to a 41-40 lead with one quarter left to play. Olathe (3-2, 8-7) got hot in the fourth quarter and stole the game with a 19-9 run and a 59-50

decision. Peter Carlson’s 23 points and 15 rebounds highlighted Cedaredge’s efforts but were not enough to secure a win. Baylee Piper scored 13 points and had four assists for the Bruins. Olathe’s Jorge Gonzalez continued his torrid shooting spree with 24 points, including four 3s, with Dawson Walraven contributing 10 points and eight rebounds to the Pirates’ win. Cowboys 64, CHS 49 Gunnison worked a fast-paced first quarter to score 20 points and a 12point lead after the first eight minutes of play in Gunnison. An 11-11 second quarter left the Cowboys in charge with a 31-19 lead at the break. Gunnison came out firing following halftime and stretched its lead to 23 points on a 21-10 run in the third quarter. The Bruins did not quit and exacted some revenge with a 20-12 fourth quarter to make the final score 64-49. Cedaredge (0-5, 6-8), following Tuesday night (Feb. 6) play against Delta, has two games scheduled for the rest of the week. Vail Christian (7-2, 11-3 in 2A District 5) visits the Bruin Den Feb. 9 for varsity games at 5:30 and 7 p.m. Cedaredge travels to Aspen (1-2, 3-11 3A WSL) on Saturday for 2 and 3:30 p.m. games.

Photo by Wayne Crick

Hotchkiss’ Shay Glaser (13) looks to take advantage of Meeker’s Tori Lasker should she make a defensive mistake in last Saturday’s 43-41 loss for the Bulldogs at home.

B8 Wednesday, February 7, 2018 WRESTLING The following wrestling statistics include weight, name/grade, place in 2017 state meet (if applicable), regional place in 2017 (if applicable) and 2018 record. CEDAREDGE 106 Pounds Sam Campbell-FR, Record 2018, 14-16 113 Pounds Adrien Nieto-FR, Record 2018, 19-4 120 Pounds Trey Geyer-FR, Record 2018, 29-4 126 Pounds

SPORTS

Sean Dale-SO, 4th at state 2017, 3rd at 120 in region 2017, Record 2018, 36-4 132 Pounds Alex McCracken-SR, DNP at state 2017, 4th in region 2017, Record, 31-7 138 Pounds David Schipmann-SR, 3rd in region 2017, Record 2018, 21-11 145 Pounds Zach Nold-JR, Record 2018, 1-9 152 Pounds Colton Hoerr-SR, DNP at state 2017, 4th at 145 in region 2017, Record 2018, 32-15 160 Pounds Jered Hulteen-SR, DNP at state 2017, 4th in region 2017, Record 2018, 27-9

170 Pounds Drew Markley-SR, Record 2018, 19-18 182 Results Toby Waddell-JR, Record 2018, 21-18 195 Pounds Pedro Madaleno-SR, Record 2018, 8-6 220 Pounds Taj Van der Linde-JR, 6th in region 2017, Record 2018, 30-7 285 Pounds Derek Sanchez-FR, Record 2018, 1912 DELTA 106 Pounds Alonzo Saenz-SO, Record 2018, 10-7

Bulldogs win Norwood wrestling tournament BY TAMIE MECK

DCI Sports Writer

Hotchkiss wrestlers scored 136 points to win the Norwood Maverick Wrestling Tournament Saturday. Host school, Norwood scored 103.5 points to finish second at the seven-team tournament. The Bulldogs placed wrestlers at 10 weights. At 113 pounds, freshman Robert Cochran won

three matches by fall. In the championship match, Cochran upset ninthranked Harley Workman from Norwood in a 4-1 tiebreaker. Jace Peebles (145) and Devin Curtis (195) won their respective division, winning all three matches by fall. JD Miller (120), Presley Pene (126), Traycer Hall (132), Kylar Massano (138), and Jake Lange

(160) all took silver in tournament action. At 126, Adam Smith was 2-2 to place fifth, and at 145, Kaleb Lovelace finished sixth. Pene, who is ranked ninth in state, lost, 3-1, in sudden victory against seventhranked Hunter Wilson of Norwood. Hall, who is ranked eighth, lost by major decision to ninthranked Tad Sickles of Nucla.

OPEN

Delta County Independent 113 Pounds

120 Pounds Ben Koch-FR, Record 2018, 22-5 126 Pounds Aiden Tucker-SR, Record 2018, 11-20 132 Pounds Colby Wilson-SO, Record 2018, 6-11 138 Pounds Cody Suave-SO, Record 2018, 24-17 145 Pounds Brendon Starr-SR, Record 2018, 1410 152 Pounds Brandon Harper-SR, Record 2018, 18-7 160 Pounds Drake Horn-SR, DNP at state 2017, 3rd in region 2017, Record 2018, 26-7 170 Pounds Aiden Barrios-JR, DNP at state 2017, 4th in region 2017, Record 2018, 22-12 182 Results Kolby Keller-JR, Record 2018, 11-14 195 Pounds Gauge Lockhart-SO, Record 2018, 18-16 220 Pounds Ethan Lawrence-SO, Record 2018, 7-9 285 Pounds Logan Church-SR, 2nd at state 2017, 2nd in region 2017, Record 2018, 29-0 HOTCHKISS 106 Pounds

Landon Mayberry-JR, 5th at state 2017, 3rd in region 2017, No record 113 Pounds Robert Cochran-FR, No record 120 Pounds Sergio Campos-JR, 2nd at state 2017, 1st at 113 in region 2017, No record 126 Pounds Presley Pene-JR, 6th in region 2017, No record 132 Pounds Traycer Hall-FR, No record 138 Pounds Karsen Sommer-SR, No record 145 Pounds Kaleb Lovelace-FR, No record 152 Pounds Jace Peebles-SO, No record 160 Pounds Jake Lange-JR, No record 170 Pounds OPEN 182 Results OPEN 195 Pounds Devub Curtis-SR, DNP at state 2017, 4th in region 2017, No record 220 Pounds Kevin Chavez-SR, No record 285 Pounds Nolan Egging-SR, No record PAONIA 106 Pounds Reagan Todd-FR, Record 2018, 14-18

120 Pounds Soul Connolly-SO, Record 2018, 12-19 126 Pounds Zeb Etter-SO, DNP at state 2017, 1st in region 2017, Record 2018, 20-17 132 Pounds Caden Meilner-SR, DNP at state 2017, Record 2018, 7-2 138 Pounds Sackett Chesnik-SR, 2nd at state 2017, 2nd in region 2017, Record 2018, 36-2 145 Pounds Clay Campbell-SR, DNP at state 2017, 2nd in region 2017, Record 2018, 38-7 152 Pounds Grey Neal-SO, DNP at state 2017, 3rd at 132 in region 2017, Record 2018, 32-8 160 Pounds Jesse Burns-JR, DNP at state 2017, Record 2018, 27-15 170 Pounds Anthony Felice-JR, Record 2018, 24-6 182 Pounds Anthony Miller-FR, Record 2018, 2111 195 Pounds Jaden Miller-SR, 3rd at 182 at state 2017, second in region 2017, Record 2018, 29-7 220 Pounds Cyrus Malek-Madani-Sr, Record 2018, 11-4 285 Pounds Levi Peterson-SO, Record, 24-10

Delta swimmers to state BY WAYNE CRICK DCI Sports Editor

Delta senior Kendra Hillman was the top 50 yard freestyle swimmer last weekend on the campus of CMU in the multi teams and Southwester Conference League Championships. Teams competing in the competition included Fruita Monument (361), Glenwood Springs (359), Grand Junction (291), Gunnison (255), Durango (246), Aspen (246),

Summit (245), Montrose (156), Delta (75), Moffat County (58) and Montezuma-Cortez. Hillman was seventh after preliminary rounds in the 50 yard freestyle with a 26.87. Her winning time for the race was 26.02. Montrose’s Madeline Chandler qualified second and finished second in the finals (26.33). The Panthers placed in the 200 yard medley relay, 200 yard freestyle

relay, 100 yard backstroke and the 100 yard breaststroke. Delta swimmers headed to Thornton (VMAC) this week (Feb. 8-10) include Kendrick in both the 50 yard freestyle and the 100 yard breaststroke. The Panthers’ 200 yard freestyle will also make the trip this weekend. Members of the relay team include Kaitlyn Neeley, Hillman, Jordan Tamayo, Olivia McCracken, Sami Wollert and Lene Meneley.

Photo courtesy Dwight Siverson

Cedaredge’s freshman 120-pounder Trey Geyer stacks Meeker’s Jacob Pelloni in dual action Feb. 2 in Cedaredge. Geyer entered the season ranked third and is now ranked ﬁrst heading into this week’s 2A Region 1 tournament hosted by Hotchkiss at Delta High School, Feb. 9-10.

Bruins end with a win BY TAMIE MECK DCI Sports Writer

Cedaredge ended the dual season Friday with a 10-5 record after defeating the Cowboys, 58-19, at Meeker. “I think it was good for our boys to end the season on a win,” said head coach Cutter Garrison. “The guys wrestled well.” Of the nine matches wrestled, the Bruins won five. At 120, freshman Trey Geyer, ranked first in the state, pinned number three Jacob Pelloni in the final seconds of the first period for the win. At 120, Colton Hoerr won by fall over Meek-

At 195, Meeker’s Ridge decision over David er’s Jacob Shelton, and at 160, Jered Hulteen Williams won by major Lopez. won by fall over Meeker’s James Amick. At 170, Drew Markley won by major decision over Colby Clatterbaugh, and at 182, Toby Waddell pinned Kesston Hobbs. Meeker won three consecutive matches starting at 132 with Garret Frantz winning by an 8-2 decision over Alex McCracken. At 138, No. 1-ranked Tannen Kennedy won by fall over Dakota Williams, and at 145, Tevin Pelloni was the match winner by way of a fall Photo courtesy Dwight Siverson over Zach Nold. Cedaredge senior Jered Hulteen (160) pins James Amick in Cedaredge’s 58-19 dual win over Meeker. Hulteen will wrestle this weekend for his second state wrestling berth. The Bruins are ranked second in Class 2A.

2nd Annual

Heartfelt Thanks

Photo by Wayne Crick

WITH THE FIRST 50 CUSTOMERS RECEIVING A FREE DRINK MUG

Hotchkiss’ Braxton Trujillo (23) gets inside Meeker’s Logan Hughes for a shot in a key game which was won by the Cowboys, 66-58, last Saturday in Hotchkiss.

Hotchkiss CONTINUED FROM B7 Doak Mantle paced Meeker shooters with 18 points followed by Eli Newman’s 14 and Logan Hughes’ 12 counters. In the latest 2A rankings, Hotchkiss is 25th with an RPI rank of 32. In other 2A rankings, Vail Christian is 10th (RPI-19), Meeker 13th (RPI-17th), Paonia 15th (RPI-15th) and Rangely

17th (RPI-20th). Hotchkiss’ schedule has the Bulldogs on the road for a pair of contests this week at West Grand (Feb. 9, 5:30/7 p.m.-varsity games) and in North Park (Feb. 10, 2:30/4 p.m.-varsity games). The Bulldogs will host Vail Christian Feb. 16 to conclude regular schedule play. Games are set for 6 and 7:30 p.m.

SURFACE CREEK February 7, 2018

NEWS

Section

www.deltacountyindependent.com

Dreams come true for Bruin mascot BY DON BENJAMIN Staff Writer

Photo by Synhorst Photography

It’s been a fairy tale ride for high school senior Elizabeth Wood who wanted since childhood to become CHS’s mascot. Not only did she become the Bruin, she was also voted homecoming queen and earned a school letter for her mascot work.

Spoiler alert: If you are a child, or a young-at-heart adult, who is unaware that there is an actual person inside Cedaredge High School’s bruin mascot costume — stop reading now. Otherwise, read on to learn the story of some pesky mice, a fairy grandmother, and a girl with a dream who became a queen and set off to travel the world. Once upon a time, a fairy grandmother — Peggy Bathie — was attending a high school tournament in Grand Junction to support the CHS girls varsity basketball team. Peggy was there to cheer for her granddaughter, Jade McGovern, and she noticed that all the high school teams had mascots — except for Cedaredge. There were tigers and eagles and panthers and every animal you can imagine but no bruin. Peggy spoke

CMS students ‘shelter in place’ STAFFF REPORT

On Thursday, Feb. 1, Cedaredge Middle School was put into a “shelter in place” status. That afternoon at around 2 p.m. the Cedaredge Police Department posted the following statement on its Facebook page; the same statement was re-posted on the CMS Facebook page: “Earlier today the middle school was put in a shelter in place due to activity outside of the school. At no time were any students or staff at risk from the incident. The shelter in place restricted any students from leaving the building and allowed for the school to be secured from anything outside. The incident causing this has been resolved and the school is back to nor-

mal operations. Chief Sanders was actually on campus conducting presentations to students during the shelter in place adding to students’ safety. Questions or concerns please contact Chief Sanders at the police department.” Chief Sanders did not respond to DCI requests for additional information, but Cedaredge Middle School Delaine Hudson said, “On Thursday we had a concern about the location of a couple of students and wanted to be sure all students on campus were safe. We did for a short time go into a shelter in place, which was to lock the doors and continue school as normal inside the building. Once the situation was resolved we lifted the shelter.”

with the head bruin at CHS (principal Randy Brown) and learned that the school’s bear costume had been eaten by pesky mice so she enlisted the help of sponsors to help pay for a replacement. Once a new suit was on hand, the search began for brave students willing to wear the large furry costume. Elizabeth Wood had dreamed of becoming a dancing bear since first grade when she saw the original bruin mascot performing at a high school game. When Elizabeth grew up and became fully involved in high school activities at CHS, the hopeful girl heard about the opportunity to become mascot and she immediately applied. Lynne Sederstrom, CHS registrar, recalls, “After the suit was purchased, we gave all students the opportunity to apply to be the Bruin. Elizabeth was the first to apply and had solid reasons why she wanted to be the mascot.” For the first year, Elizabeth shared mascot duties with Austin Meyers. Austin, BRUIN MASCOT TO C2

Cedaredge man converts Gator to electric power BY DON BENJAMIN Staff Writer

Staff Writer

The Town of Cedaredge board of trustees held a special meeting on Feb. 1 to pass an emergency ordinance to bring the town’s municipal code “into conformity with amended deadlines contained in the Colorado Municipal Election Code of 1965.” Interim town administrator Greg Brinck discovered the code discrepancy while reviewing what action to recommend to trustees regarding the upcoming April municipal election. The emergency ordinance makes technical changes to bring the town into line with Colorado code. It passed unanimously with trustee Al Smith absent and not voting. Regarding the April 2018 election, deadlines for declaring candidacy for open trustee

cold Colorado mornings was a challenge and running it stopand-go all day at slow speeds was hard on the engine and the battery. Not only that but running at low speeds tended to foul spark plugs and cylinders and required frequent oil changes. Then there was the fuel pump to worry about and the radiator. What to do? Craig decided to put his engineering degree from the University of Colorado to work. He removed the Gator’s gasoline engine to make a hole and to fill that hole he contacted a supplier who sells equipment for sailboats. Yes — sailboats. But Craig wasn’t after canvas or tillers or booms or spars. What he had in mind was acquiring one of the efficient and compact electric

Henry Ford had a good idea but that didn’t stop Cedaredge resident Craig Andrews-Jones from improving on the internal combustion engine. It all began when he was using a gas-powered John Deere 6x4 Gator — a standard mediumsized farm and ranch utility vehicle. The gasoline-powered Gator is a common sight on Delta County farms and ranches and the “6x4” means the vehicle runs on six tires: two for steering and four engaged for driving traction. The gas-Gator was a hardworking vehicle and powerful enough to do what Craig needed which included towing machinery and plowing positions have come and gone snow plus hauling rocks, hay, with only incumbents Ray- and manure. But starting mond Hanson and Patricia the gas-powered vehicle on Michael returning nominating petitions. No other citizens submitted petitions or declared themselves as writein candidates. Lacking sufficient candidates, the trustees will discuss the April election at their next work session and take action regarding this matter at their next regular meeting. Both the work session and regular meeting are open to the public and town citizens are encouraged to attend. The work session is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 8, and the regular trustee meeting for Thursday, Feb. 15. Both Photo by Don Benjamin meetings start at 5 p.m. in the Cedaredge Civic Center, Craig Andrews-Jones sits in his Gator utility vehicle which he Grand Mesa Room, 140 NW has converted from a gasoline-powered engine to an electric motor. 2nd Street.

Emergency ordinance updates election codes BY DON BENJAMIN

Photo by Don Benjamin

CHS mascot Elizabeth Wood has a bear’s-eye-view of the action at girls’ varsity basketball home games. Three sponsors helped pay for the new bear costume when the old one was eaten by mice: Cedaredge Chiropractic, Blair & Associates Accounting of Cedaredge, and Beyond the Salon of Delta.

Water provider looking for solution to water quality issue BY RANDY SUNDERLAND General Manager

The Upper Surface Creek Domestic Water Users Association (USCDWUA) informed its more than 2,700 customers of a violation of drinking water requirements in a notice with this month’s billing. Users were informed that on Jan. 25, 2017, the water provider was notified by the Colorado Department of Public Health, which monitors water quality, that its treatment system had exceeded the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for HAA5 — Total Haloacetic Acids. These are the byproducts of treatment, said operation manager Dayton Myers. “These are from chlorine reacting with organic carbon, naturally occuring in the water and usually plant based.” The EPA website explains that haloacetic acids occur when naturally-occurring

organic and inorganic materials in the water react with the disinfectants chlorine and chlorimine. The maximum level is set at 60 parts per billion, while the average level for the USCDWUA treatment plant over the past year was 63.7 parts per billion. The state issued two notice of violations to USCDWUA in 2017, for violating the HAA5 levels in quarterly samples taken in March and June. The users were informed of these notice of violations. In May 2017 the notice to water users explained the situation, including recent changes in water quality standards required USCDWUA to maintain higher concentrations of chlorine, which enhances HAA5 formation. To correct this the association commissioned an engineering study to develop ground water sources to augment or replace

the creek water as needed. “We are working on the problem,” said Myers. On Jan. 15 the board of directors met with a representative from Filter Tech to evaluate options for correcting the problem. Filter Tech will conduct tests beginning in March to see which option will be the most effective and economical to eliminate the problem. At this point, there is no estimate of the cost to correct the HAA5 problem. Myers stated this should not be anything for water users to worry about at this point. The notice to customers noted: “You do not need to boil your water, use bottled water, or take other actions.” The notice did point out that some people who drink water containing haloacetic acids in excess of the MCL over many years may have an increased risk of getting cancer. It further cautions, “If you

have an infant, severely compromised immune system, are pregnant, or are elderly, you may be at increased risk and should seek advice from your doctor about drinking this water.” In addition to the notice, water customers found their rates had increased to a base rate of $45 per month. Myers said the increase was approved by shareholders at the annual meeting, held last December, and are not related to this problem. Myers said if anyone has questions about their water system to call him at 856-7199, or email daytonmyers@uscdwua.com. The office is located at 17257 Meadow Drive in Cedaredge. More information is available at their website at uscd wua.com, including notices of violation and minutes of the December 2017 annual meeting.

engines that sailboats use to navigate in and out of harbor. A high-torque sailboat engine is designed to operate at slowand-go speeds making it ideal for farm and ranch work. And to be certain it would be powerful enough, he told the supplier that the battery-powered motor must match the muscle of the Gator’s 18-horsepower Kawasaki gasoline engine. When the sailboat kit arrived, Craig went to work on the Gator. An early challenge was to make the 48volt motor compatible with the Gator’s 12-volt system. He wanted to keep the 12volt system intact to operate lights, the rear-end dump lift, and the front-end plow but the new motor required four deep-cycle batteries — which added up to 48 volts. To make the two electrical systems compatible, Craig moved the existing 12-volt battery a few inches back to make room for the new battery array. Then he removed the old alternator and wired-in a converter to link the 12-volt and 48-volt systems. With a battery charger installed into the space where the gas tank used to be, Craig was ready. He turned the ignition, and presto: an electric Gator. Craig hastens to add that John Deere makes an electric version of the Gator but he feels his version is better. In practical terms his Gator is easier to start and cheaper to run since he can say goodbye to gasoline, oil and antifreeze. As for the philosophy behind the electric Gator, one of its most appealing characteristics is it doesn’t pollute. Gas-powered gators used on farms, ranches, orchards, or vineyards are usually kept running in a typical work sequence of off-loading feed, or checking ditches, or pruning trees and vines, etc. These slow-moving stop-and-go operations tend to burn a lot of fuel during a working day and generate a lot of fumes. The electric Gator emits no exhaust and it only runs when the operator presses the pedal so the batteries are unlikely to run down. Born in Leeds, England, to an English father and a mother from Colorado, Craig’s family eventually relocated to Golden where he grew up on a 120-acre spread in the Front Range foothills. Trained as an applied engineer on the CU Boulder campus, Craig ended up working as a computer engineer then moved into computer programming. He currently works as a contractor for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Anyone interested in learning more about his electric Gator application is welcome to contact Craig at jonesandrews.craig@gmail.com or by calling 303-275-2305.

C2 Wednesday, February 7, 2018

SURFACE CREEK NEWS

Delta County Independent

Bruin mascot FROM PAGE C1 who graduated in 2017, served as football mascot and Elizabeth took on the role of helping Cedaredge boosters cheer for girls

playing varsity volleyball and basketball. What does Elizabeth like most about being the mascot? “I really like to be out in the gym with

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Valentine’s Special

Wednesday, February 14 ��

Special Dessert just for Valentines

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the teams. They really support what I do,” she said. What does she like least? “It gets hot inside the suit and I have to move carefully because my vision is obscured.” She hopes other students will follow in her paw-prints and decide to become the mascot after she graduates this year. Her advice to future bruins: “Don’t worry about the dancing. If you’re not sure what to do when the music starts, just make it up as you go along. The most important thing is to be yourself.” Despite her advice to improvise, Elizabeth was always very serious about preparing for her mascot role. She spent hours watching professional mascots on television and the internet to practice her moves. Her parents, Vince and Emily Wood, are Elizabeth’s biggest fans. “We are amazed and proud at every game,” her mother said, “The girls have been very welcoming and Elizabeth loves feeling like part of a team.” The athletes and coaches definitely appreciate Elizabeth and last spring at the end-of-year basketball banquet, the teams made their affection for her official. “I had no idea why I was invited to the banquet,” Elizabeth remembers. “Then I heard people talking about the mascot and I was so surprised when it happened.” That night she learned that she had earned a team letter for her work as mascot.

Elizabeth proudly displays her earned letter on her blue and white jacket. And, if you look closely at the jacket sleeves you will see that her proud mother has added some additional patches to commemorate her daughter’s remarkable high school career. On Elizabeth’s right sleeve are bear paw-prints and a thespian symbol — the faces of tragedy and comedy — with an inscribed motto. On the left sleeve are two patches commemorating her years as mascot for girls’ varsity volleyball (2015-2017) and girls’ varsity basketball (2016-2018). And below those patches is a crown. Yes — a crown — which celebrates the fact that Elizabeth was voted homecoming queen last year. Now the girl who dreamt of being a mascot is a high school senior about to graduate. By last week she had already accomplished much but the surprises continued to accumulate as her very real fairy tale held two more unexpected honors. First, after several years of auditioning, Elizabeth was thrilled to be selected as a supporting actor in the upcoming CHS production of “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” “It’s a real part,” she points out, “Not just ‘crowd member’ or ‘bystander’ but a real scene with a character with an actual name!” And her second surprise came that same day when the school added a giant poster of

Photo by Don Benjamin

CHS bruin Elizabeth Wood, poses with ﬁve-year-old Emmie Joy Meyers of Cedaredge. Elizabeth was her young friend’s age when she ﬁrst saw the CHS dancing bear and began hoping that she would someday become the mascot. her to the gymnasium wall where it will hang alongside portraits of this year’s senior basketball players. For Elizabeth, high school has been an amazing experience but her adventures are just beginning. After graduation she will take time off and travel to Australia and Italy where she will stay with family friends. Then she will return to start school in culinary studies at Western Colorado Community College

Plants of the Western Slope A look at local flora with Evelyn Horn Cottonwood II I remember riding my little pony and listening to his hooves rustling through the cottonwood leaves. And later there was a real horse ... a sorrel mare named Cin-dy, I was a bit older by then, so Cindy and I rode wherever we wanted (almost). Over the sandhills, along the South Platte River, down to the neighbors a quarter mile or so and then over to our other neighbors seven miles away. And I remember the golden cottonwoods along the Amtrak route when I traveled to Denver to help Mom after Daddy passed away, So much gold. But, now our trees are gone. Although cottonwoods occur throughout North America, perhaps those of the West are best known. For early explorers and settlers knew these common trees marked the waterways, providing shelter in a land of few trees. They grow easily from cuttings and so they were planted across the

Photo by Al Schneider©

Cottonwood in fall. country. Today they play a significant role in our environment by harboring birds and wildlife. And as I write this column, I think of the wildlife. My, but I hate to see the trees go! I think of the robins and the western meadowlark that sang nearly all winter long for me. I remember the great horned owls that sang in duet as soon as darkness came. And the brown creeper that gleaned his way up the tree only to fly to the base and begin all over again. Of course the

down-gleaning whitebreasted nuthatch is in that picture too. The squirrel with his antics, the raccoon that delicately walked along the top rail, the quail family that marched along the base in the shelter of the lower rail, the scrub jay that visits every winter, the dog walkers along the road, the friends that stop to gaze for Lewis’s woodpecker. My heart aches even though I know that it’s time for the trees to go. JANUARY 23, 2018

in Grand Junction — the place where, thanks to a fairy grandmother — this whole story began. And so our tale draws to a close with one final thought — you might call it Elizabeth’s motto. The inscription on her right sleeve next to her thespian symbol sums up the philosophy of a girl who dreamed of becoming the bruin mascot, then accomplished that goal and so much more. The inscription says: “There are no small parts.”

Community garden meeting on Feb. 10 The Cedaredge Community Gardens Association kicks off its 10th season with its annual meeting on Saturday, Feb. 10, at 9 a.m. at the Creekside Cafe. “Anyone interested in the activities at the garden is welcome to attend,” said Dea Jacobson, treasurer. “We have a few plots available and membership is $25 per 10’x20’ plot. The garden provides water, mulching materials, organic manure and all the equipment necessary on site for successful gardening at one low membership fee.” In addition the garden has dedicated space to supply fresh produce to the local food bank. Garden president Mary John reported that the garden has donated approximately 700 pounds of fresh local produce to the food bank since the 2014 season. All surplus produce from the garden is made available to Food Bank patrons. The Garden can be reached through Facebook and can be reached by calling Dea at 970210-8587.

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Delta County Independent

SURFACE CREEK NEWS

Delta County Independent

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Eckert Presbyterian welcomes interim pastor Nancy Howarth BY ANNETTE BRAND Staff Writer

In October 2017 Eckert Presbyterian Church welcomed Rev. Nancy Howarth as interim pastor, and her husband, Steve Howarth, also a pastor. “We appreciate being able to share life and ministry with Eckert Presbyterian. It is a privilege to be able to work with this responsive congregation,” Rev. Howarth said. Incorporating a children’s sermon into morning worship, Rev. Howarth said, “I think children, as children, are a vital part of the Body of Christ now — who we are as the Family of God now — not just down the road when they mature.” Nancy Howarth earned her undergraduate degree at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., and her master of divinity degree at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. She and Steve met in baptism and eucharist class in seminary. They were married at the beginning of their senior year. Nancy and Steve graduated from seminary in 1982 and moved to Edwardsburg (Mich.) Presbyterian Church for Steve’s first call to minis-

Photo by Annette Brand

Rev. Nancy Howarth is serving as interim pastor at Eckert Presbyterian Church. Her husband Steve, also a pastor, is taking a break from fulltime ministry. try. Nancy became director of Christian education at nearby Niles, Mich. The Howarths’ son Jim was born during this time. When expecting the birth of their daughter Kate, Nancy resigned her position to stay home with their children for five years. In 1991 the Howarth family moved to Chicago and Steve and Nancy became co-pastors at Norwood Park Presbyterian Church. During this time

Steve moved through training in pastoral psychotherapy and Nancy returned to school to earn teaching credentials for elementary education. In 1995 Steve returned to full-time ministry as pastor of Western Presbyterian Church in Palmyra, N.Y.; Nancy served as director of Christian education. When a teaching position opened in a local elementary school, Nancy accepted the position and taught for the next five years. Steve accepted a call to a church on the east end of Long Island, in Amagansett in 2005. Considering tuition cost for two children in college, Nancy took a fulltime job in the accounting department of Wolffer Estate Vineyards and Stables, working there for eight years. In 2014 Nancy became interim pastor at East Hampton First Presbyterian Church until East Hampton called its new pastor. Nancy then accepted a call as parttime temporary supply pastor for Springs Community Presbyterian Church in East Hampton Town. During the Howarth family’s 12 years on Long Island, son Jim and

daughter Kate finished college, worked for a while on Long Island and then moved to Telluride. In the summer of 2017 Steve and Nancy felt the time was right for them to move west. After 35 years as a pastor, Steve welcomed a break, so Nancy sought a full-time interim pastoral position. Nancy said, “Steve, Kate and I visited Eckert in July. I loved the church building and the manse, and enjoyed the people we met.” She was particularly drawn by the beginning of the mission statement: “The mission of the Eckert Presbyterian Church is threefold: to our congregation, to our community and to the wider world. Among these three there is no priority, our intention being to attend faithfully to each.” Rev. Howarth added, “I love the sense of space, the majesty of mountains and mesas, the real presence of the Grand Mesa. There is so much sky! It’s a blessing to be here.”

Photo submitted

A sweet opportunity

“Date Night at the Movies” is one of several gift baskets available for the silent auction at “A Sweet-Art Evening” scheduled for 7-9 p.m. on Feb. 14 in Cedaredge. Tickets are still available for the Valentine’s Day event which is a fundraiser for the Grand Mesa Arts and Events Center. The evening will be a meet and greet affair with opportunities to bid for a wide variety of romantic adventures including a jeep trip for two from Ouray to Telluride; a dine-in Italian dinner; a movie night out; and private yoga sessions. The event will take place at the Apple Shed at 250 South Grand Mesa Drive. Tickets for the evening can be purchased in Cedaredge at Réve Portraits or Starr’s Guitars.

Photo submitted

Rotary student of the month

Jessica Craig of Cedaredge High School received the Cedaredge Rotary Club Student of the Month award for January. The award is given to recognize students for their Academic Achievement, Community Involvement and Leadership Ability. Jessica is pictured above with her parents, Doug and Jenn Craig; CHS counselor Amanda Scerise; and Steve DeFeyter, Rotary Club president.

CMS students recognized

Cedaredge Middle School is pleased to recognize the students who were named to the honor

roll or made Breakfast of Champions for the second quarter of the 201718 school year. Photos of

the sixth and eighth were published in the Jan. 31 issue of the Delta County Independent.

As a co-op member, 30 percent of the electricity you use comes from renewable resources. Renewables are an

important part of Tri-State’s diverse energy mix. A fact that may help you sleep a little easier. Just make sure you don’t snooze past breakfast.

Together, we generate possibilities. Photo submitted

Pictured above are (in alphabetical order) seventh grade students Elyxa Belveal, Nathan Black, Jackson Brown, Kyle Brown, Laura Carey, Megan Conway, Jackson Cooper, Mackenzie Crawford, Rhiannon Dillie, Harlyn Gray, Ezra Hawbaker, Hailey Hayes-Pursley, Kade Henderson, Victoria Hirsch, Ayralin Hoffbauer, Kole Hawkins, Anita King, Nikolette McKinney, Faith Morrow, Graceanne Prosser, Jocelyn Rivera, Keona Rodriguez, Breanna St. Hilaire, Tommy Stallings, Faith Williams, Hope Williams and Sophia Williams.

Visit Randy at www.tristate.coop/renewables

C6 Wednesday, February 7, 2018

CHURCH

Delta County Independent

Concert review

Main Street Souvenirs with Scott Kirby

BY CHARLIE HUFF

Delta-Montrose Community Concert Association

It is not likely that many of us had heard of Scott Kirby prior to his performance Feb. 3 at the Delta Performing Arts Center. However, after experiencing his show here, I doubt that any of our audience will soon forget the special impact of his delightful projected images with his extremely talented and coordinated piano accompaniments and narratives. Born in a rural town in Ohio, Scott started his music and piano study at the age of six, continuing through his college study at Ohio State University, then moving

on to begin his career in New Orleans as a “street performer.” During the next few years, he became a devoted fan of Scott Joplin — the father of ragtime music — and eventually recorded his entire works. Soon he made his debut in the circuit of ragtime festivals throughout the country and the world. All the while he has had a latent passion for the history and peoples of the rural middle West and of the high prairies of the Great Plains and the heritages of the small towns that sprang up along the ever-expanding railroad lines. His fascination with these pioneering farmers and set-

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tlers, their society, their daily lives, their work and entertainments, their homes, businesses, schools, and churches, much of which has vanished, leaving only scattered remnants of their one-time struggling yet flourishing existence. A great part of his almost spiritual passion is to bring to us a remembrance of the great struggles, accomplishments, and relics of those days even up to and including our modern-day smalltown neighborly spirit that survives in many a smaller town throughout this, our “fly-over” country. Scott accomplishes this work through his

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of his own mural-like full color artwork, all depicting some aspect of the rural/small town life and its history, all with his expressive personal narration and his absolutely wonderful piano accompaniments throughout, most of which are of his own composition. In summary, Scott Kirby presents a uniquely pleasing show with great historic nostalgia, great piano music from superior ragtime and other favorite, early-American music to his own compositions depicting such musical images as the sweet winds of the high country prairies, then on to the ever-famous bands of John Phillip Sousa

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imaginative art depicting life on the prairies, as it was and even as it yet is in many surviving towns and villages that dot the land. His video presentation even featured a portfolio of the many expansive wall murals that beautify our own town of Delta. He arrived in town early to photograph all that he could to include them among his video features in the show! The show was divided into about 10 “chapters,” each dealing with an aspect of the prairie life of yesteryear. Each chapter included a variety of videos and still photographs often captioned as to the location. Interspersed were works

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performing in small town parades and the town square park bandstands. The performance brought a thoroughly pleased audience to a rousing and well-deserved standing ovation. The Delta-Montrose Community Concert Association (DMCCA) has yet two concerts this season, the next of which is just over a month away with pianist and vocalist J. Mark McVey, world renowned for his performances. The concert will be on Saturday, March 10. For further details, see our website at delta montroseconcerts.com. I’m sure you’ll be happy that you took the time and made the effort!

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Classifieds

February 7, 2018

Real Estate

D SECTION

Delta County Independent

BUY • SELL • TRADE

Real Estate

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Rentals CREEKSIDE 3 BEDROOM 2 bath in Cedaredge, totally remodeled, 2 decks, laundry hookups, double garage, non-smokers only, $1,200/ mo + utilities, First and last month plus $1,300 deposit, 1-Year lease (360) 929-5155. (1x6)

DCI DEADLINES Space Reservation for ALL Display Advertising Copy for Display Advertising Legal Notices Classified Ads Too Late To Classify Calendar Of Events Items

Fridays (5 p.m.) Mondays (noon) Mondays (10 a.m.) Mondays (10 a.m.) Mondays (noon) Tuesdays (10 a.m.)

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For Sale Help Wanted

2 CEMETERY PLOTS FOR sale Cedaredge Cemetery Sec. F. $600.00 for both. Call HIGH COUNTRY NEWS Billy, 970-812-2971. (2x5) (hcn.org) seeks a dynamic 1994 KENWORTH T600 and creative person to help 21-foot flatbed truck, N14 grow our subscribers and Cummings engine. 10 donors. Our future digital speed transmission, tires marketer will have proven and brakes in good con- experience in marketing, dition, also 24-foot flatbed digital engagement strattrailer. Both in good condi- egies and the creation of tion. Together or separate. web and email campaigns. 970-203-5040 or 970-523- A love of the West is a must. Generous benefits 2004. (2x6) package offered. Starting USED OFFICE FURN- salary range DOE: $36,600iture for sale. Cole Steel, 5- $55,000. Remote work condrawer desk. 61” wide, 31” sidered for the right candideep, 29” tall. Two, 2-draw- date. To apply, email letter er wooden, horizontal file and resume to Gretchen cabinets, 30 14” wide, 19 King at gretchenk@hcn. 1⁄2” deep, 28 1⁄2” tall. Two, org. For information, visit: vintage chrome/red-uphol- http://hcn.org/digitalmarstered reception chairs with keter. (4x3) arms. PVC work desk and hutch, 84” wide, 16”-23” SEEKING PART TIME (adj) deep, 84” tall. 970-835- Hygienist in a friendly work environment. If interested 3821. (2x6) please call Paonia Dental at (970) 527-4853 (4x6)

Help Wanted

RNS, ARE YOU LOOKing for a different type of nursing? How about working for the State of Colorado in the Department of Corrections? We are looking for dedicated, energetic people to join our team. Call 970-874-5838 for information. (2x6) HINSDALE COUNTY is looking to fill the following position: Building and Enforcement Officer. For a full job description and requirements, contact the Hinsdale County Administrator’s office at administrator@hinsdaleco untycolorado.us, 970-9442225, 311 N. Henson St., P.O. Box 277, Lake City, CO 81235. Salary is commensurate upon experience and qualifications. (2x6) ADVERTISE!

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You’ll find lots of interesting things in your newspaper…

ESTATE SALE 12365 East Spring Circle, Eckert. Lots of stuff. Kitchen goodies, bedding, living room sofa and chairs, lamps, table and chairs, storage and gun cabinets, old sewing machine, garage miscellaneous, nail gun, generator, chain saw, lawn mower, grill, boat and old VW. Lots of stuff. Feb. 9, 10 and 11. 8-5. No early birds. (1x6)

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D2 Wednesday, February 7, 2018 Public Service

CLASSIFIEDS

Public Service

HOW DO I SELL MY Cottage Food products? You may sell your products directly to the consumer from your residence, roadside stand, Farmers’ market, community supported agricultural organizations, or other similar venue. If you have any questions, please call: 874-2165. Delta County Health Department. (4X3) CO FATHER’S NETWORKdedicated to providing community and education to fathers of special needs kids. Meets twice monthly on the 1st Saturday at 11 a.m. and the 3rd Monday at 6:30 p.m. - 511 E. 10th St, Delta. See our website for more details: www.codads. org

Public Service

THE DELTA COUNTY Independent runs these items as a public service free of charge for non-profit organizations, if no fees are charged. However, each group is asked to please keep them current by calling 874-4421.

Public Service

ALCOHOLICS ANONYmous meets Thursdays at 7 p.m. Friends of Bill W. Club. 897 Palmer Street, Delta.

AL-ANON AND ALATEEN: Hope and help for families and friends of alcoholics meets in Delta: Al-Anon and Alateen, Tuesdays at 7:30 WANNA PLAY A ROUND? pm, St. Luke’s Episcopal Golf with a fun group of Church, 145 W. 5th St., conladies. Two membership tact Elizabeth 970-874-9832 options available. Sign up or Shirley 970-323-5067. at www.cedaredgeladies golf.com. Get to know us AL-ANON: HOPE AND on Facebook at “cedar help for families and friends of alcoholics edgeladiesgolfclub” meets in Paonia: Al-Anon, PAONIA AMERICAN Wednesdays at 7 pm, Legion runs a year round United Methodist Church, non-perishable emergency 3rd & Onarga, contact Lisa food pantry. This is for the 970-395-3608, Chris 970North Fork area. For infor- 527-3366 or Marjorie 970mation, call 527-6252. 433-1856

your

Public Service

CARING FOR CAREgivers, C4C - supporting hearts that care. Open to ANY caregiver. Meets monthly in Delta, 2nd Tuesday at 11 a.m. - 511 E. 10th St, Delta. PARENTS FREE! INFORMation and referrals to licensed child care providers, call Bright Futures Child Care Resource and Referral, 1-877-728-5613. WELCOME RETURNING Veterans, Post 9221 VFW meets at 5:00 p.m. on the 4th Thursday of each month in Cedaredge. To find out how to participate in promoting patriotism and assisting veterans, contact Wayne Hamrick, (970) 250-1180.

Why advertise should

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Delta County Independent

Public Service

FREE DIAPERS FOR UP to one year! Pregnant women in Delta County can now get help to quit smoking and get something they can really use after their baby arrives — free diapers. Healthy moms have healthy babies. Enroll in the Baby & Me Tobacco Free program today. Contact the Delta County Health Department at 874-2165 or your local physician. SUPPORT THE DELTA Library. Give a gently used book in the Downstairs Book Store. DELTA FOOD PANTRY needs meals for Delta families who are temporarily in need. Donations of nonperishable food may be brought to 628 Meeker.

Community Newspaper

Community newspapers are read by a majority of the community *

74%

of adults read community newspapers each week

73%

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CHAPTER, UNITS OF DAV regular meetings on the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Veterans Building, 15th & Howard, Delta. For further information, call Paul Carter 874-5150.

AL-ANON: HOPE AND help for families and friends of alcoholics meets in Cedaredge: Al-Anon, Thursdays, 8 pm, Wick Hall behind First Baptist Church, 370 W. Main St., contact Mary M. 970-856-6123 or Jim 970-874-7855.

YOU HAVE THE POWER TO change a child's life! Children are waiting for senior partners in Delta County right now! Can you spare 3 hours a week? We need your help! Call today for more information. Please volunteer to spend time with a child in our community. Partners of Delta, Montrose and Ouray, 874-4661, www. partners-west.org. or www. deltayouth@montrose.net.

HOTCHKISS-CRAWFORD Historical Museum. Winter hours, Saturdays 1-4 p.m. $3 admission or free to members. Come see our museum at 2nd & Hotchkiss Streets in Hotchkiss. 8723780. CHECK OUT THE BOOK store at the Delta Library. You'll find a great selection of paperbacks at reasonable prices. IF YOU LOVE BOOKS, you will love the Downstairs Bookstore in the basement of the Delta Library. NARCOTICS ANONYmous meets at 9th and Palmer, Delta, Mondays and Fridays at 8 p.m. HELP!!! KEEP THE animal population under control, and SAVE an animal's life. Adopt your new cat or dog from the Delta County Humane Society. Adoption fee is minimal. Call 874-2149. THERE IS A VFW MEETING on the first Monday of each month. At 6 p.m. there is a potluck and the meeting is at 7 p.m. at the First Baptist Church, 1250 Pioneer Rd., Delta. For further information, call 874-8172 Jim Baker, Quartermaster. HILLTOP COMMUNITY Resources offers free services and support to victims of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. There are also ongoing support groups. Please call our office at 970-773-2251 for more information or if you are in crisis please call our 24 hour crisis line at 1-844990-5500. AL-ANON: HOPE AND help for families and friends of alcoholics meets in Hotchkiss: Al-Anon, Mondays at 6:30 pm, Methodist Church 285 N. 2nd, contact Elsie 970-2108090 or Marjorie 970-4331856.

SAVE EYEGLASSES, OLD jewelry and silver or bits of gold and silver scraps. The Grand Odd Fellow Lodge is sending them to: New Eyes for the Needy, 549 Millburn Ave., Short Hills, NJ 07078 or send them to: Gale Conger, Secretary of IOOF Lodge #116, 5516 Hwy. 348, Delta, CO 81416. THE AMERICAN RED Cross needs you. Become one of the Red Cross volunteers who says, “We’ll Be There, Because Help Can’t Wait!” Call your local Red Cross Chapter at 970-2424851 or 1-800-HELP NOW for information on the difference you can make in someone’s life as a disaster volunteer. DELTA HAS A BOOKstore in the basement of the library featuring gently used books and magazines. Come check it out! HEALTHY BABIES START with early prenatal care. Delta County Health Department. Offers access to immediate, temporary Medicaid for pregnant women who qualify. 8742165. BOOKS MAKE GREAT stocking stuffers. Find books at great prices in the basement of the Delta Public Library. THE AMERICAN LEGION Post 97 Paonia is seeking the names and addresses of all persons currently serving on active duty in the military from the North Fork Valley in order to contact them and show our support. Send addresses to American Legion Post 97, PO Box 277, Paonia, CO 81428 or call 527-6252.

Miscellaneous Colorado Statewide �� Network

* 2011 Community Newspaper Readership Survey. Based on a nationwide telephone survey of adults in markets served by newspapers of 15,000 or less circulation, the National Newspaper Association examined the relationship between Main Street America and its newspapers. Center for Advanced Social Research, Reynolds Journalism Institute, The Missouri School of Journalism.

INDEPENDENT

AARP DRIVER SAFETY Course. Save on insurance, keep up on newer traffic laws, learn defensive driving techniques. For details and schedule contact John Loring (970) 856-6924 or (970) 424-1778.

Miscellaneous

of those readers read most or all of their paper

DELTA COUNTY

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401 Meeker St. | Delta 970.874.4421

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To place a 25-word COSCAN Network ad in 91 Colorado newspapers for only $300, contact your local newspaper or call SYNC2 Media at 303-571-5117. �� Cash for Mineral Rights �� Call:�� Write: �� Email: ��

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PUBLIC NOTICES

Delta County Independent

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Wednesday, February 7, 2018

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PUBLIC NOTICES

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Delta County Independent

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

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D6 Wednesday, February 7, 2018

BACK PAGE

Delta County Independent

B Ice ﬁshing in A the winter sunshine C K P A G E T

BY DON BENJAMIN Staff Writer

Photo by Don Benjamin

Look closely and you can see David Stott of Grand Junction (left) taking a souvenir photo of Bekah Scalero and the catch she pulled through the ice at Crawford Reservoir. Scalero, who relocated to Hotchkiss from Florida, is used to landing much bigger ﬁsh. But she learned from Stott (an experienced Colorado angler) that her pan-sized perch was a resilient creature with a sharp dorsal ﬁn and bite marks near its tail proving it had eluded a marauding northern pike.

he folks at Crawford State Park hosted their annual ice fishing clinic on Jan. 27 and they couldn’t have ordered better weather. With clear skies, no wind, and temperatures in the mid-40s fishermen young and old enjoyed a sunny day on the ice. Thirty enthusiasts attended the classroom portion of the clinic conducted at the park visitor center by Senior Ranger Scott Rist. Then the group fanned out on the 400-acre reservoir to try their luck. During the indoor clinic, Ranger Rist explained that Crawford Reservoir is essentially a sprawling meadow that has been dammed for irrigation purposes. Consequently the reservoir — though large — is fairly shallow and featureless. This causes the fish — especially the reservoir’s many perch and crappie — to “school up” and swim around in search of shelter while

they strive to feed and avoid predators like northern pike. The bad news is the fish are constantly on the move; the good news is, once an angler locates a school, there should be multiple fish present. In addition to nervous perch and crappie and predatory pike, the diverse reservoir also contains bass, catfish and trout, all of which have different preferences for water temperature and feeding. Rist outlined a strategy for ice fishing. He suggested drilling multiple fishing holes and moving frequently in case the fish aren’t biting in one location. It’s also a good idea to periodically jig the line up and down to attract fish but not too much because strikes from fish in cold water can be subtle and difficult to detect. By the same token, the hook should be set with a steady pull rather than a sharp yank. And if a lure isn’t working, it’s best to switch to bait (meal worms or regular worms or power-bait) or try a different

Photo by Don Benjamin

As part of an ice ﬁshing clinic, Colorado Parks and Wildlife senior ranger Scott Rist, displays a hand-powered ice auger, part of an ice ﬁshing kit available for free checkout at the Crawford State Park Visitor Center.

lure. He also recommended changing the depth, starting at the bottom then reeling up to try shallower depths to discover where the fish are feeding. A helpful aid for determining the ideal fishing depth is a fish-finder specifically designed for ice fishing. Rist demonstrated the use of various fish-finders. Rist stated that, “Ice fishing is a fun family activity that you can enjoy with relatively little equipment.” He listed basic equipment needed for ice fishing, most of which can be purchased inexpensively: • A short rod and lightweight reel with two to sixpound test line • Lures including tear-drop spoons, or Ratfinkee™ jigs, or Gulp™ minnows • An auger for drilling ice holes • An ice scoop for clearing ice chips out of a drilled hole • A utility bucket to carry gear and fish and to sit on • A sled to carry gear Although there will be no more clinics offered this year, ice fishing kits which include everything but a sled are available for free check-out from the Crawford State Park visitor center. Fish-finder devices are also available for checkout. The kits and fishfinders are limited in number and available on a first-comefirst-served basis so they tend to go early, especially on the weekends. Participants in the Jan. 27 clinic enjoyed the event and found it helpful to learn the basics. Dave and Cathy Brown of Cedaredge said, “The rangers were fun and very knowledgeable. The weather was beautiful and we learned a lot about equipment.” The Browns agreed the clinic was worthwhile and Cathy added that the hot dogs and s’mores served at lunchtime were great! Reflecting back on her experience another participant, Bekah Scalero of Hotchkiss said, “I have been telling everyone I’ve talked to about

how stoked I am to get out ice fishing again soon. I love that the state park is able to check out ice fishing equipment free to the community!” Including the clinic participants there were over a hundred fishermen trying their luck on Jan. 27 and the folks at Desperado gas station and general store near the reservoir reported a busy Saturday. As for the rest of the winter, the ice on Crawford Reservoir remains solid for the time being but warming temperatures may cut the ice fishing season short. Before traveling to the reservoir the public should call during regular business hours to check on ice conditions. Winter hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily and the phone number is 970921-5721. The Crawford State Park Visitor Center is located at 40468 Highway 92, a few miles south of the town of Crawford. Call for more information, or visit the Crawford State Park Facebook page.

Photo by Don Benjamin

Dave Brown of Cedaredge checks his fish-finder before lowering his line. A limited number of fish-finders and other ice fishing equipment are available for free public checkout.

Photo by Don Benjamin

Bekah Scalero of Hotchkiss quickly masters the art of using a hand-powered auger to drill an ice ﬁshing hole.

Photo by Don Benjamin

Howard Horton (left), Colorado Parks and Wildlife angler outreach coordinator, helps Cathy Brown of Cedaredge supplement her fishing rod with a fish-finder device.

Photo by Don Benjamin

After attending classroom instruction, a group of beginners makes tracks across snowcovered ice to apply their newly learned ﬁshing skills.