Delta County Independent, Feb. 28, 2018 by Delta County Independent

NORTH FORK TIMES

SURFACE CREEK NEWS

SCHOOL HONORED

Paonia Elementary named finalist for $15,000 Succeeds Prize, B1

SPORTS

PROGRAM EXPANDS

COURTSIDE

Volunteers needed to provide ‘A Little Help’ for seniors, C1

DELTA COUNTY

Regionals will determine who advances to state, B5-8 FEBRUARY 28, 2018 VOL. 135, NO. 9

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INDEPENDENT

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Caucuses kick off 2018 general election BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

Precinct caucuses — the first step in the process for selecting party delegates, endorsing candidates and setting party platforms — take

place across the state Tuesday, March 6. Precinct caucuses are meetings of registered electors within the Republican and Democratic parties. Only voters affiliated with one of those

Photo submitted

On Feb. 22, Karl Hanlon, Democratic candidate for the 3rd Congressional District seat currently held by Scott Tipton, Karl Hanlon took time to meet local Democrats at Needle Rock Brewery in Delta. He shared his values, thoughts, ideas and concerns with voters prior to the March 6 precinct caucus. Hanlon is from Carbondale, where he practices water law.

parties are allowed to vote, but the caucuses are open to the public. The caucuses begin at 7 p.m. at the following locations: Republicans — Precincts 114, Delta High School, 1400 Pioneer Road; Precincts 15-20, Hotchkiss High School, 438 Bulldog Street. Democrats — Precincts 1-8, Technical College of the Rockies, 1765 Highway 50, Delta; Precincts 9-14, Cedaredge Civic Center, 140 NW 2nd Street; Precincts 1516, Memorial Hall, 151 1st Street, Hotchkiss; Precinct 17, Crawford Town Hall, 425 Highway 92; Precincts 18, 20; Paonia tech college campus, 218 4th Street. At the caucuses, delegates will be chosen for the county assemblies. The Delta County Republican Assembly will convene at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 24, at the Delta Performing Arts Center. Delegate check-in runs from 8 a.m. at 9:45 a.m. Alternate designations will be selected for delegates not present at 9:45 a.m. For more information, visit www.deltagop.com. The Delta County Demo-

cratic Party County Assembly is also Saturday, March 24. Registration begins at 9 a.m., and the assembly starts at 10 a.m. at Memorial Hall in Hotchkiss. Additional information can

be found at www.delta dems. org. If you have questions about your voter registration, call the Delta County clerk’s office at 874-2153 or 874-5903, or visit govotecolorado.com.

Photo by Pat Sunderland

Cary Kennedy, Democratic candidate for governor, also visited Delta last week. Kennedy, former state treasurer, was gathering support from local Democrats prior to the caucuses March 6. A recent media report lists nearly a dozen candidates, of all afﬁliations, for governor of Colorado.

City candidates talk marijuana, finances BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

On Monday, a community forum on the “Effects of Marijuana on Our Community” drew a sparse crowd, but the topic of marijuana still figures largely in the upcoming municipal election. The communities of Delta and Orchard City are both asking voters to consider taxation of retail marijuana and marijuana products, although the sale of marijuana is not legal in either community. Delta City Council members explain they’re being “proactive.” They’ve also devoted numerous work sessions to discussions about zoning for marijuana establishments. An ordinance prohibiting the sale of marijuana in the City of Delta has been on the books since 2013. City council members have the authority to reaffirm or repeal that ordinance without a vote of the citizens. But all three city council candidates — Nathan Clay, Kevin Carlson and Jay Stooksberry — said they would be reluctant to take that step. They would, however, be willing to put the question before voters. “I think it’s worth reexamining this issue,” said Jay Stooksberry. “Marijuana could be a viable source of tax revenue, but I recognize it’s a contentious issue. It’s worthy of a public vote, and I would respect the results of whatever that would be.” If voters are overwhelmingly in favor of the two taxing questions on the April ballot, Stooksberry said he would consider that an indication

INDEX

Accent ........................... A4 Activities ....................... A7 Back Page ................... D6 Church ............................C6 Classifieds .................. D1-2 Editorial ......................... A2 Legals ......................... D3-4 North Fork Times ........B1-4 Obituaries ..................... A6 School Zone .................. A5 Service Directory ........ D5 Sports ..........................B5-8 Surface Creek News ...C1-5 TV Listings ..................C3-4

that people believe marijuana could be a revenue-generating activity, which means they would be open to supporting marijuana sales if that question appeared on a future ballot. Kevin Carlson, who is running opposite Stooksberry, said he believes marijuana would likely generate a “meaningful” amount of revenue. But he also believes it would create additional expenses for policing and enforcement of regulations. “We need to educate ourselves, for or against,” he said. And the decision should be made by the voters. “Three people [council members] should not have the power to allow the sale of marijuana inside city limits.” Nathan Clay is unopposed in his quest for the District #3 council seat. “I personally believe that the tax on marijuana would be a nice injection of cash, but it’s a huge hot button issue. It’s one I would vote for, but it has to be a mandate of the people. I won’t push this through.” During recent interviews, the candidates also voiced their thoughts on city finances. All three have been sitting in on a series of staff/council sessions addressing the city’s financial prospects. “It’s pretty grim,” Stooksberry said. The options laid out by staff and city council include raising taxes, raising utility rates, cutting services, or a combination of two or more. “I’m not a big fan of any of those options,” Stooksberry said. “Reinstituting property

taxes would be a huge detriment to small businesses here in Delta. Increasing utility rates is just passing the buck. Those rates are already inflated because we transfer so much money out of those funds to make up for lack of revenue in the general fund.” The focus of city council should be on increasing the tax base, not the tax burden, he said. The first step is to determine why Delta has earned a reputation as a tough place to start a business. “Whether that’s too many regulations or building code enforcement, we need to take a close look at how we can make it easier to set up shop in Delta,” he said. Although he recognizes the city operates on a thin mar-

gin, he would also like to see a detailed analysis of overall spending, to see if the city can cut overhead in any areas. Carlson said he is hopeful Delta Urban Renewal Authority’s efforts to attract a riverfront hotel will kickstart efforts to generate more economic activity. He is concerned, however, about subsidizing competition for existing hotels. For that project, and for development in general, Carlson said the playing field has to be level. He also thinks the city should make the process of starting a business easier. He cited a recent example where an established business owner requested a change in zoning so he could display modular homes on a lot he purchased

in North Delta. The zoning change was discussed in work session, but a final decision was tabled for two weeks. “I wish council hadn’t hesitated,” Carlson said. “That guy stood up and answered every one of the questions they had. I don’t think we should string this guy out. That’s the first step to countering the perception Delta is not business friendly.” Clay also weighed in on city finances. He said it’s alarming to consider that a huge portion of city sales tax revenue comes from one business. On the other hand, municipalities really don’t have the ability to create new revenue, other than through taxation. “I think the answer in the CITY CANDIDATES TO A3

County urges relocation of BLM headquarters to the Western Slope BY ANNETTE BRAND Staff Writer

County Commissioners Doug Atchley, Mark Roeber and Don Suppes recently sent a letter to Ryan Zinke, Secretary of the Department of Interior. They supported the secretary’s efforts to reorganize the various agencies housed in the Department of Interior to achieve efficiency. They recommended engaging local stakeholders in a more meaningful fashion. The commissioners expressed appreciation for Zinke’s efforts to streamline the NEPA process. As a county

which has endured numerous project delays due to extended NEPA review in a multi-jurisdictional project, the commissioners suggested Zinke designate a lead agency to conduct the necessary NEPA analysis. They urged the secretary to consider the relocation of the national headquarters for the Bureau of Land Management to the Western Slope of Colorado, pointing out that Delta County is home to the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area and that Delta, Montrose and Mesa counties surround the DominguezEscalante National Conservation Area.

The commissioners noted that both these National Conservation Areas had strong community support when they were put forward for congressional approval. All three counties continue to take an active role in the partnership of management. With the BLM national headquarters located on the Western Slope these two National Conservation Areas would enable the National BLM to have a strong connection to the lands they manage and would provide easy access to transportation amenities located in the surrounding areas.

Beef roast planned

Nominations due Friday

Candidate forum

The 69th annual Delta County 4-H Beef Roast will be held in two locations Sunday, March 4. The county’s 4-H’ers will be serving a meal of smoked beef or pork, mashed potatoes and gravy, coleslaw, vegetable, cheesecake and a beverage at the Delta Middle School and at Hotchkiss High School. Serving times are noon to 3 p.m.; takeout will be available. Prices are $10 for adults and $7 for children 12 and under. For more information, call the Delta County 4-H Office at 874-2195.

Delta County Memorial Hospital is seeking nominations for three directors to serve four-year terms on the hospital board. A self-nomination form must be filed with attorney Aaron Clay, the designated election official,or the county clerk by Friday, March 2. The Delta County Ambulance District (874-7001) will also fill three seats on the board of directors. Two directors will be elected to four-year terms and one director will be elected to a two-year term. Other special districts conducting elections on May 8 include Delta County Fire Protection Districts #1, #3 and #4, North Fork Pool, Park and Recreation, North Fork Mosquito Abatement District, Delta Conservation District and Bone Mesa Domestic Water District.

A city council candidate forum is scheduled Thursday, March 1, 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Delta Performing Arts Center. This event is hosted by the Delta Area Chamber of Commerce. The discussion will be moderated; audience members will have an opportunity to submit questions to be answered by the three candidates — Nathan Clay, Kevin Carlson and Jay Stooksberry.

A2 Wednesday, February 28, 2018

OPINION

LETTERS Support for DHS ‘appreciated beyond measure’ Dear Editor: Delta High School would like to thank all those who have responded to support us through the recent tragedies that have so deeply impacted the students, staff and families of our beloved school. This support has come to us in so many ways and from so many people we feel it is impor-

tant to express our gratitude and be sure that we all recognize that we are truly a part of an amazing community. Local pastors/clergy, alumni and residents responded immediately by providing their time to individually connect with students and offer themselves as a trusted adult to listen to the

Caucuses are open to all Dear Editor: Thank you for posting the format of both major political parties’ caucus process as defined by Colorado state law. The Republican Party caucus will be held in two locations: Precinct 1-14 will be held at the Delta High School Cafetorium and Precinct 15-20 will be held at the Hotchkiss High School cafetorium. All caucus meetings will begin at 7 p.m. on March 6 with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. In addition to the guidelines of the state, we will be accepting resolutions for the Republi-

can Party. These resolutions must be presented at the caucus in typewritten form with author’s name, address, and phone number. All resolutions will be referred to the resolutions committee for consideration and clarification. We welcome any person to attend our caucus, and we will credential their voting status in accordance with state and county voter registry. This process is the grassroots of the representative form of our government. Roger W. Bentley Delta County GOP Chair

heartache our students are experiencing. They sent food, flowers and notes of love and encouragement that impacted our entire Panther Family. Area schools from our local district and schools from our neighboring districts of Mesa and Montrose counties have reached out to us and offered support. Our local police and sheriff departments both had officers and deputies on hand to help us that day, and regularly for the weeks following. The Center for Mental Health has volunteered countless hours and resources sending numerous counselors to work with our students and staff. District 50-J administration has provided tremendous support and care throughout the past weeks. Community is vital in the process of educating our young people, and the love and care this community continues to pour out to Delta High School is appreciated beyond measure. Derek Carlson Principal Delta High School

It’s time for rural farmers, businesses to cry wolf! Dear Editor: Rocky Mountain Wolf Project is making progress toward reintroduction of wolves in Colorado. Mike Philips, biologist, former US Fish & Wildlife Service employee, presently state senator in Montana and executive director of the Turner Endangered Species Fund, recently held a meeting in Carbondale to win support for reintroducing wolves in Colorado. A front page article in the Daily Sentinel entitled “Wolves at Colorado’s door?” was published on Feb. 9. The Carbondale meeting to promote reintroduction was rebutted by Eric Porter, who said in the Fence Post’s Feb. 5 edition “a lot of what was said in

the meeting is not backed up by facts.” Eric’s family has been very involved with the wolf reintroduction program in Oregon; he owned a ranch right in the middle of the first wolf pack, the Imnaha pack program. “The Real Wolf” by Ted B. Lyon and Will N. Graves documents with scientific evidence the savagery and brutality that wolves inflict on livestock and the Defenders of Wildlife’s opinion that ranching should become a thing of the past in areas where wolves are prevalent. In Yellowstone, the elk herd went from 19,000 to 4,900 after introduction of the wolf. The “Real Wolf” book makes you aware of

diseases and hazards to human life as well as the economic impact on rural areas with the decimation of wild game. Additionally, the goal of 10 breeding pairs in Montana has changed drastically — no one knows how many wolves there are now. In Oregon, three environmental groups are suing the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife to force them to put wolves back on the endangered species list! Get the book “The Real Wolf” and start writing articles and encouraging ranchers, farmers, sportsmen and businesses in rural areas to wake up and cry wolf. Al Rozman Paonia

Risks outweigh economic benefits of oil/gas Dear Editor: On Feb. 21, the president of Gunnison Energy tried to tell our community that oil and gas development does not conflict with our existing local economies of agriculture and outdoor recreation, and won’t affect our brand or quality of life. As a local resident, farm worker, search and rescue EMT, biologist, and avid outdoor enthusiast, I see things much differently. I don’t want to ski, hike, bike, hunt, or fish next to an oil pad. Does he really think people are going to travel to our area to recreate among gas wells when they have so many other destinations to choose from? I don’t want to eat food grown and raised among and downstream of gas wells. Does he think buyers of North Fork Valley food products won’t go elsewhere because they believe our products are contaminated? I don’t want to buy a home among or downstream of gas wells. Does he think other home buyers, espe-

cially those looking to raise a family here, won’t feel the same way? For the past 15 years, the number of oil and gas wells upstream of the NFV has never exceeded 20 active wells. With the newly-approved Bull Mountain Plan, and the proposed North Fork Mancos Master Development Plan, we’re looking at the number of wells increasing to over 200, plus at least four wastewater injection wells. The industry and regulators cite a potential for over 2,000 wells being developed in our watershed, the lifeblood of the valley. Compatibility between our existing economies with a dozen active wells does not “prove” compatibility when the number of wells is increased by 10 to 100 times. Contrary to what some highly-paid industry executives proclaim, those of us opposed to large-scale oil/gas development in our headwaters are not “activists.” We are not paid to fight oil and gas. We are not “eco-snobs”

KUDOS Food bank relies on community Dear Editor: We, the volunteers at the Cedaredge Food Bank, extend our gratitude to our community at large: religious, veterans, and nonprofit organizations, fraternal groups, local businesses and schools. Thank you for your continued support of monetary funds, food drives and donation, and volunteerism. With your continued assistance, we reach the people in our community who rely on food bank assistance. Thank you DCI for the publicity. Sincerely, Maria Nakai Secretary/Publicity

or “eco-elites.” I am just a normal concerned resident of Delta County, trying to scratch out a living and enjoy the high quality of life here that includes outdoor recreation, hunting, fishing, gardening, raising livestock, drinking some of the cleanest water in Colorado, and enjoying the breathtaking views this valley has to offer (especially those sunsets!). The cost/benefit analysis published by Citizens for a Healthy Community shows us that the assumptions used by our county commissioners and other supporters of oil/gas development to back their claims of an economic benefit to our county may not be correct. I think it’s very important to make sure that if we’re putting our future at risk, then we are absolutely certain we are actually going to realize an economic benefit out of the deal. Even if it was determined that there would be some economic benefit, how large the economic benefit would have to be for it to be worth risking our water and air quality, our agriculture and recreation, our health and our way of life? Nicole Carpenter Hotchkiss 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

Delta County Independent

Efforts to preserve miners’ memorial are admirable Dear Editor: In the Feb. 14 edition of the Delta County Independent we saw a paid announcement by Bill Brunner criticizing Dave Bradford and a committee of Paonia citizens for the upgrading of the miners memorial statue and entrance to the Paonia Park. We heard a few weeks ago from Mr. Bruner’s wife and now we hear from Mr. Bruner. I sincerely hope as you have read her comments and also her husband’s that you can really see how much both of them DO NOT care about Paonia. At the town trustee meeting the committee on upgrading the memorial had a presentation

along with pictures and a map as to what the completion of the memorial would look like. Also there was a presentation by John Poulos (born and raised in Paonia). I am excited to see the entrance to the park preserved. The memorial means a lot to many of us who grew up in this town and remember what the statue reminds us of. Several gave their lives while mining, many of whom spent their whole lives underground to provide a living for their families. We need to preserve this part of our park for generations to come. I have attended many council meetings. I have seen the trustees work togeth-

er and I have seen one person disagree and disrupt meetings constantly. Please be careful as you vote this year because some who have been on the council before and did nothing but criticize and disturb the meetings do not belong as a trustee. I would like to thank Dave Bradford, John Poulos and all the committee for the work they are doing to preserve this memorial. The Paonia Board of Trustees as it stands now and our mayor work together completely for the good of Paonia. I know, I attend these meetings because I love my hometown. Lynne Bear Paonia

Park improvements have been openly discussed Dear Editor: This will be my second response to accusations made about Paonia trustee David Bradford’s ethical lapses, and I certainly hope it is the last. There IS a committee to propose and review the proposed improvements at the park entrance and either of the Brunners could have volunteered for it if they found it so worrisome. Funds to be used are RESTRICTED and only for use for public property improvements. Every point made by letters written by Bill and Jen Brunner was discussed publicly and at open town hall meetings. No letter has been so blatantly irresponsible or disingenuous as Jen Brunner’s attack on Dave Bradford. Ethics and oversight? The Kristen Chesnik affair has nothing to do with the current board and should not be compared with the park improvement plan. I am told that the subject of the park entrance was originally brought up in the spring of 2017 by our

public works department. A member of that department then submitted a generic plan to replace some shrubbery with colored, stamped, concrete at an estimated $20,000. I understand the subject was brought up for public discourse in October. I was in the audience in November when several gentlemen offered to serve on a committee regarding preservation of the statue. No one spoke against it, offered design advice or other observations at that meeting. Trustee Bradford did present some historical research on how the park became town property and how the statue came to be placed there. I attended a meeting in December where the park entrance was again discussed, and no members of the public spoke or objected. To say the public was deprived of the opportunity to offer an opinion is flat out dishonest. Bill Brunner, Jen Brunner or any one of the employees of the ornamental iron works business that they oper-

ate could have spoken up at any time. At the Jan. 23 meeting there were not only no objections, Trustee Watson declined to speak or vote. As to Paonia being “Space to Create,” we are also members of Colorado’s North Fork Creative District along with Hotchkiss and Crawford. No local artists were in anyway excluded. Ira Houseweart is from a family that has been on Rogers Mesa for more than 100 years and it’s Hotchkiss, not Denver. The funding for the park improvements, including ornamental iron work, are from the Conservation Fund to be used solely for parks maintenance, but sadly, the fund is insufficient to have maintained the contract with Mike Altenhoffen. I think it is darned sad that the Brunners find it easier to expend energy slinging mud than examining the facts. I hope voters will remember that fact in April. Jakki Taylor Paonia

Reply from oil/gas consultant is ‘shameless’ Dear Editor: David Ludlam is at it again. He appears to believe so deeply in the primacy of the oil and gas industry that he allows those convictions to cruelly smother any shred of common sense that a human being should muster when assessing potentially profound threats to one’s home and way of life. His recent letter in the DCI exposes his willingness to blatantly lie or at least to heavily bend his truths in service of his insatiable industry. His piece errs on many accounts. First, most Delta County residents rationally oppose mixing energy and agriculture, understanding on a core level that healthy food cannot be grown in tainted air or with polluted water. In fact, it is really just the Delta County Board of Commissioners who, opposing a majority of county residents, ardently push the notion of such co-existence under the tutelage of industry. Next, by repeatedly raising the pejorative notion of self-funding “eco-activists,” Ludlam deliberately casts those whose exclusive motivations are healthy, functioning ecosystems, clean air, water and food as entirely shameless in their pursuits. In reality, it is Mr. Ludlam, a well-paid, contentious and unapologetic industry consultant, who is shameless. He thinks nothing of taking money from an industry eager to drill near watersheds and reservoirs, eager in a major drought to permanently remove millions of gallons of water from the hydrologic cycle, relentless in attempts to drill in otherwise pristine areas, lands home to Colorado’s wildlife, regularly accessed by hunters, equestrians, hikers, and anglers, people who would greatly prefer never to see drill rigs, collection

lines or fetid waste ponds during their excursions. Mr. Ludlam is quite skilled in his attempts to sway us into believing that his industry greatly benefits the county. His enumeration of programs where oil and gas royalties have supposedly benefitted Delta County and its residents is long and replete with alleged examples of industry largesse. Well, here too, hyperbole trumps reality. One example is the $4 million figure he quoted in which he implies that those funds came directly from industry royalties. No, sir, they did not. I challenge him, in any screed he may next pen, to prove with clear, irrefutable data, his assertions of the financial

benefits of the project in question to Delta County. I challenge him to prove that oil and gas development is good for a real estate economy based on clean air, water and food. I challenge him to prove that such development is good for wildlife and watersheds. I challenge him to prove that it is worth it for the residents of Delta County to make the sacrifices his industry inevitably exacts. Finally, Mr. Ludlam states he’s hired a “renowned economist” to review the study you so disparage. Wouldn’t any findings offered by that consultant be equally subject to the criticisms he so readily levels? Mitchell Gershten, MD Paonia

Save our peaches! Dear Editor: Fracking our wilderness and agricultural watersheds will contaminate our ecosystems, similar to the ancient practice of the sowing of salt. Hundreds of proposed fracking sites litter the headwaters of the North Fork of the Gunnison River, which supplies water to some of Colorado’s most productive agricultural lands. Fracking spills, leaks and dumps of fracking produced water are unavoidable. Sodium chloride or brine is a major component of spilled and leaked produced water — salt content is often several times saltier than seawater. Produced water may also contain toxic fracking chemicals and potentially toxic agents that occur naturally in the rock formation, including radioactive isotopes, organic compounds (such as benzene), ions (such as bromide, calcium, and chloride), and metals (such as cadmium, lead, and mercury). There is

no effective technology for removing frack brine salt from soil. David Ludlam and the West Slope Colorado Oil & Gas Association continue to demonstrate a lack of understanding and respect for agriculture and the food we eat and water we drink. Frackers’ major financial contributions have been to politicians to include sensitive and inappropriate parcels of land for fracking. Fracking must not be allowed in our sensitive watersheds if we are to prevent the long term devastation of the agricultural ecosystems, similar to the ancient practice of sowing salt on conquered cities to curse their habitation. No amount of money can restore agricultural lands once they have been saturated with produced frack water. The West Slope Colorado Oil & Gas Association assurances lack credibility! Lawrence Herbert Paonia

LOCAL NEWS

Delta County Independent

City candidates of his work, Clay said he could live anywhere but he chose to move back to Delta with his family. He’s proud to be a resident of Delta, and he wants the community to share that pride. “We have to be superattentive to the way we communicate to employees and to our citizens,” he said. “We need to try to be a better version of Delta.” Voters will have an opportunity to ask questions of the candidates at a forum moderated by the Delta Area Chamber of Commerce Thursday, March 1, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Delta Performing Arts Center. A complete report on the discussion about marijuana, as well as the Join fellow commu- candidate forum, will be nity members at 6 p.m. published in the March 7 Wednesday, Feb. 28, at Bill edition.

FROM PAGE A1 short term is to make it easier for businesses to grow and prosper here. “I also think we can really start to focus on what we have here, particularly natural resources like the Gunnison River and Grand Mesa. “Do we want to grow or do we want to stick? To me, we have to be able to spin into something new or we will continue to stagnate.” Civic pride lies at the heart of Clay’s vision for the city. Due to the nature

Join the conversation about suicide

Heddles Recreation Center for a forum entitled “Community Conversations on Suicide.” This community meeting is hosted by the Safety, Education & Wellness (SEW) Coalition, which consists of partnerships between the Delta County School District, the Center for Mental Health, Delta Police Department, Delta County Sheriff ’s Office, A Kidz Clinic, Delta County Memorial Hospital, Delta County Health & Human Services, and numerous faith-based organizations.

Shop Locally. ��

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Conference keeps focus on soil health Keynote speaker Dr. Allen Williams, Ph.D., discussed the keys to healthy, complex soils during the Soil Health Conference held in Delta last week. Regardless of soil type, he said there are approaches farmers and ranchers can take to quickly rebuild soils. “The Western Colorado Soil Health Conference continues to attract the who’s who of soil health speakers,” said Paul Stockwell, program director for Delta County Economic Development, administrator of the conference. “Dr. Williams’s combination of farming and education makes him one of the foremost speakers in livestock integration and soil health topics. His

presence at this year’s conference accounted for an increase in attendance by local ranchers as well as folks from Wyoming, Kansas and throughout Colorado that came specifically to see him speak.”

Staff Writer

Tom Alvey, the Delta County representative on the Colorado River Water Conservation District (CRWCD) board, met with the county commissioners Feb. 20 to give them a summary of the activities of the CRWCD for the past year. Alvey spoke first of the new general manager for CRWCD, Andy Mueller. “Andy has a legal background, with water experience from around the West Slope. He will be a committed advocate for Western Slope issues,” Alvey said. Mueller replaces Eric Kuhn, who spent 40 years with the CRWCD. Alvey said, “Eric shaped the Colorado River Water Conservation District as the entity we know today, a trusted source of accurate information about water issues.” Big river issues. Alvey said the CRWCD pushed for and coordinated efforts to perform risk analyses of the water supply in the Colorado Basin, with emphasis on dangers of curtailment — a call on the river — under the Colorado River Compact. The original focus was to evaluate and understand effects of curtailment on the different sub basins of the Colorado River and the Front Range. There was political push back from the Front Range, so the study was broken into parts. Phase I determined there is an increasing likelihood of triggering a compact call because of further development and the effects of climate change. In addition, the new risk of overuse of water in Lake Mead and falling levels in Lake Powell could disrupt power generation and the revenues that produces. Even if Upper Basin deliveries are sufficient under the compact, the falling levels of Lake Powell could cause disastrous consequences. Phase I showed that, without other action, it is a matter of when, not if, this will occur. Storage levels are so reduced that in a 2002-2003 degree of drought, the level of Lake Powell would fall below the ability for power generation. Alvey said, “There are actions underway to prevent this from occurring. Both the Upper and Lower Basins are developing drought contingency plans and are talking about demand management, which includes water banking.” The CRWCD pushed

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for Phase II of the study to look at consequences and effects of shortages on the river. The study scope was limited to consider just the question of whether the large-scale Colorado River Simulation System model the Bureau of Reclamation uses could work with the CRWCD state model to deliver accurate projections for individual basins. Hydros Engineering succeeded in getting the models to work together. CRWCD is now in Phase III, studying the actual effects of any more diversions on deliveries to Lake Powell and the effects on individual basins of a call on the river. Water banking. Water banking is the planned, voluntary and compensated reduction in use of water rights to allow unused water to be sent downstream, or stored as a saving account against shortages in deliveries to Lake Powell. The water district has participated in pilot projects in the Grand Valley, as well as studies of the amount of water potentially available for this kind of program. The work so far shows there is potential to lower the chances of a call on the river, but not enough to be the main solution. CRWCD believes a water bank must not make Western Slope agriculture the target for

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ACCURATE TAX

& ACCOUNTING SERVICE �� Dr. Allen Williams, Ph.D.

Alvey reports on Colorado River Water Conservation District BY ANNETTE BRAND

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

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reducing use; any demand management must be shared by Front Range agriculture and municipal use as well. Gunnison Basin. The river district has been instrumental in securing funding for several infrastructure improvement projects in the Gunnison Basin. Major expenditures will be occurring on the Fire Mountain system, the Fruitlands Reservoir system and the Uncompaghre system. The Bureau of Reclamation committed funds toward the repair of the Paonia outlet works. This will be a multi-year project to improve the operation of the reservoir and to reduce sediment buildup. Alvey said, “Overall, in Delta County there will be over $20 million invested in improvements over the next several years.” Litigation. The River District recently won the Busk Ivanhoe case at �� the Supreme Court level, limiting transmountain �� diversions by Colorado �� Springs. CRWCD has a �� full-time legal staff of two lawyers and a paralegal. �� Cases pending involve the Northern Water Conser�� vancy District Windy Gap �� Firming Project, from �� which the river district �� has achieved concessions. �� There are also several cases pending between the Western Slope and Colorado Springs and �� Aurora. ��

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A4 Wednesday, February 28, 2018

ACCENT

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BIRTHS Sarah Hancock and Justin Falck of Delta are the parents of a son, James David Falck, born Feb. 17, 2018, at Delta County Memorial Hospital. He weighed 7 pounds, 6 ounces and was 20.5 inches in length. Calvin and Eulie Bloodgood of Delta are the parents of a son, Calvin Kyle Bloodgood Jr., born Feb. 21, 2018, at Delta County Memorial Hospital. He weighed 9 pounds, 10.6 ounces and was 21.5 inches in length.

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Gillilands celebrate 70 years of marriage Loren and Melba Gilliland celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on Feb. 22. They met at a nursing home in December, went on their first date in January, were engaged by the end of the month and were married in February. Loren had finished serving four years in the Navy in 1947 and Melba was attending nurs-

Amy Garcia and Matt Hubbs of Olathe are the parents of a daughter, Dailyne Hubbs, born Feb. 21, 2018, at Delta County Memorial Hospital. She weighed 6 pounds, 14 ounces and was 20.5 inches in length.

Daniel and Courtney Castle of Eckert are the parents of a daughter, Quinn Harper Castle, �� born Feb. 22, 2018, at �� Delta County Memorial �� Hospital. She weighed 7 �� pounds, 5 ounces and was �� 20 inches in length.

Medicare seminar planned Region 10 and the State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) are offering “Medicare & You,” an informational seminar on how to navigate the Medicare system, on Thursday, March 15, at 6:30 p.m., at Grand Mesa Oncology, 1501 E. 3rd Street, Delta, just north of the hospital. Seminars are free and no registration is needed. SHIP counselors are also available for one-on-one sessions in the Region 10 service area. To schedule an appointment call 970249-2436, ext. 213.

Delta County Independent

Melba and Loren Gilliland

ing school. Both were 20 years old when they were married in Quincy, Ill., on Feb. 22, 1948. The ceremony was held in a Methodist parsonage with a handful of family members present. When they couldn’t find a house for sale, they moved in with Loren’s parents for the first three months. They owned two homes before moving to the country where they raised three-quarter an acre of strawberries. They moved to Olathe in 1994. Loren enjoyed hunting and horses; Melba was active in the women’s auxiliary. They have three children, Cassandra Oenning, Gregory Gilliland and Michelle Gilliland. They also have four grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and three great-

great-grandchildren. They celebrated their anniversary Feb. 24 at the Delta First Baptist Church.

Celebrating 70 years of marriage

Delta County Women’s Connection presents “Nailed It!” Delta County Women’s Connection is excited to host its March 8 event for the women of Delta and surrounding areas. A fun power-point presentation by manicurist Cassidy Bucher will teach us everything we want to know about nail care. Focusing on providing a quick retreat from the hustle and bustle of the everyday, the DCWC event is a great place to unwind, laugh, learn, share, and re-charge in the company of other women. Because this is a catered event, reservations are appreciated.

Reservations for children will be needed as well, and moms are asked to bring a sack dinner for each child. This month Linda Roush will be speaking about “The Life You Always Wanted.” Live performance will be by local favorite Victoria Kasper. The $12 cover charge includes all of the above plus a dinner catered by Daveto’s. Please RSVP by March 5 by phone, email, or text to Carol Martinson at 970-201-6612 or landcmartinson@yahoo. com, or visit the events

link on our Facebook page and reserve on the event. Founded in 2008, DCWC provides a safe, caring environment where Delta County women of all ages and backgrounds can come together for a good meal and some girl time. DCWC meets every other month for a catered dinner, live entertainment, friendly conversation, a fun activity, door prizes, and a wonderful inspirational speaker. Free child care is always provided. Delta County Women’s Connection is an outreach of Stonecroft.

Senior CommUnity meals listed for the month of March Senior CommUnity meals are served at four dining sites in Delta County — Cedaredge Community Center (MondayThursday), Delta Community Center (MondayFriday), Hotchkiss Senior Center (Monday-Thursday) and Paonia Senior Citizen Center (Monday, Wednesday and Friday). Meals on Wheels are also delivered from each location. More information is available by calling the Cedaredge meal site, 856-3636; the Delta meal site, 874-7662; Hotchkiss Senior Center, 872-3494; and Paonia Senior Citizen Center, 527-3435. The menu through March 30 follows: Thursday, March 1 — Baked chicken breast on fettucine alfredo, candied bacon Brussels sprouts, roll and apple crisp. Friday, March 2 — Beef, cheese and rice burrito with green sauce, lettuce/onion/tomato, potato wedges, baked beans and fruit cocktail. Monday, March 5 — Chicken pot pie, onion roll, three-bean salad and tropical fruit. Tuesday, March 6 — Chili con carne with cheddar cheese and diced onion, pea and cheese salad, cornbread and fruit cocktail. Wednesday, March 7 — Roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy, kidney bean salad, broccoli, wheat roll and birthday cake. Thursday, March 8 — Barbecue chicken breast, potato salad, bell pepper, carrots and onions, oatmeal roll and cinnamon roll. Friday, March 9 — Cheeseburger on whole wheat bun, lettuce/onion/ tomato, potato wedges, baked beans and fruit cocktail. Monday, March 12 — Italian chicken breast, pea and cheese salad, potatoes O’Brien, stewed tomatoes, roll and apple crisp with vanilla ice cream. Tuesday, March 13 — Potato crusted cod, fish house coleslaw, potato

wedges, whole wheat roll and fresh apple. Wednesday, March 14 — Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, fresh veggie salad, whole wheat roll and fruit compote. Thursday, March 15 — Roast turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, California blend veggies, bacon ranch pea salad, whole wheat roll and birthday cake. Friday, March 16 — Beef and sausage lasagna, tossed salad, green beans, garlic bread and peaches. Monday, March 19 — Chicken enchilada casserole, Spanish rice, hot black bean salad and pineapple tidbits. Tuesday, March 20 — Beef stew, Italian vegetable salad, oatmeal roll and peach crisp with vanilla ice cream. Wednesday, March 21 — Pizza mac casserole, garbanzo bean tomato salad, Italian bread and honey fruit dessert. Thursday, March 22 — Meat loaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, threebean salad, broccoli and carrots and Greek yogurt with blueberries. Friday, March 23 — Ham and beans, cornbread, cottage cheese and

mandarin oranges, parsley carrots and oatmeal raisin cookie. Monday, March 26 — Chicken noodle casserole, marinated carrot salad, broccoli, wheat roll and bread pudding. Tuesday, March 27 — Beef, cheese and rice burrito with green sauce, lettuce/tomato/onion, refried beans and churro. Wednesday, March 28 — Oven-fried chicken breast, whipped sweet potatoes, green beans, wheat roll and deluxe banana pudding. Thursday, March 29 — Spaghetti with meat sauce, tossed salad, Italian vegetables, breadstick and diced peaches. Friday, March 30 — Pork and green chili stew with corn tortilla, pinto beans, fiesta veggies and PBOK cookie.

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SCHOOL

Delta County Independent

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

DHS, PHS qualify for state speech Eleven schools participated in a regional speech and debate tournament hosted by Delta High School coach Danielle Lopez and Central High School coach Britny Walker at Central High School. Participating schools included Ouray High School, Summit High School and several in between. Delta High School qualified five students to the state competition which will be held in Fort Collins in mid-March. Chris Hufman qualified in first place in international extemporaneous speaking, Mairany Jaracuaro placed second in informative, Caleb Frazier and Lucy Streich tied as regional champions in informative speaking, and Corban Burns won the fourth qualifier in humor. Paonia High School, coached by Bret Hamilton of Delta Middle School, also boasts a regional champion, Jordan Denison in the humorous interpretation event. Good luck to all of these regional standouts. Delta High School would like to invite your participation in the annual speech and debate fundraiser, Desserts and Diversions. This performance-based event high-

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Pictured are state qualiﬁers Mairany Jaracuaro, Caleb Frazier, Lucy Streich and Corban Burns. Not pictured: Chris Hufman, DHS, and Jordan Denison, PHS.

lights unlimited desserts great food. Speech and events, please email your �� and unlimited entertain- debate matter! For more inquiries to daniellelopez �� ment. The performances information on upcoming @deltaschools.com. are family friendly and door prizes are awarded if you are present (or not). This year’s event will be held Monday, March 12, at 7 p.m. Contact Dani�� elle Lopez at Delta High School if you need more information. �� The DHS speech and debate team expresses �� its gratitude for the support from the community. �� This program thrives on volunteerism. Please con�� sider volunteering as a �� speech and debate tournament judge or anything �� else you could contribute to the team. Training �� is provided, as well as

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After-school program launched

After years of working in different school settings, it became apparent to Andrea Thomas, founder of Growing Minds Incubator, that the demand for mental health services in children was on the rise. “With economic factors more frequently necessitating a dual income household, fewer parents are with their children in the after-school hours, which means there is more unsupervised time in which children easily to slip into unproductive habits,” she noted. “This is valuable time for children to develop. In school, we nurture them with academia and social interactions for nearly eight hours a day, and then they go home alone, to decide on their own what to eat, watch, or do. Children need direction. Children need boundaries, and if there is no one present to aide in guiding them, the choices are often not productive nor safe.” So, in January, Andrea and her husband, James, started the Growing Minds Incubator. The Growing Minds Incubator is a whole health initiative guiding children toward complete well-being through discovering their innate value. By being part of the incubator, learners actively “hatch” themselves on a journey to “me.” Participants focus on a variety of healthy lifestyle choices regarding nutrition, exercise, peers, cultural perspectives, mindfulness and establishing community, all while spending their after-school hours in a fun, safe place. Held on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Lincoln Elementary gym for children ages kindergarten-

fifth grade, the program is off to a great start. Ironically, most of the current participants actually wouldn’t be home alone — their parents just felt it was a good investment to have their child participate. “Our community has been hit hard recently with tragedy in our schools,” Thomas said. “While you can never completely prevent such happenings, it is our hope to play a part in our community’s rally around our kids by hatching children into intentional observers and proactive interpreters of the world around them. We are empowering the world’s most valuable resource: people.” The incubator has received great support from teachers, parents, and administrators. However, there is a discrepancy between the interest in and need for this concept and the ability for parents to pay for the session. In order to sustain the future of our community for generations to come, it is imperative we grow open, stable, and powerful minds to make positive, proactive, and responsible choices. “The litmus test that this program is working come from the kids,” says Thomas. “Each week the children give an ‘I am’ statement at the end of class. The first week I heard things like, ‘I am six’ or ‘I am a girl.’ Four weeks later I was hearing ‘I am brave’ and ‘I am grateful.’ That is the proof of a growing and resilient mind!” For more information about the program, to make a donation, or to register, visit www.grow ingmindsincubator.com or call Andrea Thomas 901-1936.

Photo submitted

With the establishment of Growing Minds Incubator, children kindergarten-ﬁfth have a fun, safe place to spend their after-school hours.

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A6 Wednesday, February 28, 2018

OBITUARIES

dez. Taylor Funeral Service and Crematory is handling the arrangements. Visit the internet obituary and sign the online guest registry at www. taylorfuneralservice.com.

HopeWest at www.hope westco.org/donate/. Taylor Funeral Service and Crematory is handling the arrangements. Visit the internet obituary and sign the online guest registry at www. taylorfuneralservice.com.

Hope Fernandez

Hope M. Fernandez of Delta died Feb. 22, 2018, at Willow Tree Care Center. She was 78. Rosary will be recited at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28, at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Delta. Mass of the Resurrection will follow at 10 a.m. Inurnment will take place at the Delta City Cemetery. Hope Munoz was born in Delta Nov. 7, 1939, to John and Mary (Vasquez) Munoz. At an early age, the family moved to Santa Ana, Calif., where she graduated from Mater Dei High School. In 1978, she married Gilbert Fernandez in Las Vegas, Nev. They moved to Delta in 1980. She was a member of St. Michael’s Catholic Church. She volunteered with many community organizations, including St. Michael’s and the Delta Food Pantry. She enjoyed cooking, reading, especially detective novels, and spending time with her family and her pets. She is survived by her husband, Gilbert of Delta; daughters, Monica Chavez of Los Angeles, Calif., and Barbara (Gil) San Nicolas of Indiana; son, Roman Chavez of Hailey, Ind.; eight grandchildren; three greatgrandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by two sons, Raymond and David Chavez; a brother, Fred Munoz; and a sister, Ruby Val-

Patrick Groom

Patrick Lee Groom of Carbondale died Feb. 20, 2018, in Hotchkiss. He was 69. He was born Jan. 31, 1949, to Dean and Wilda Groom. His family moved to Carbondale in 1959. A 1967 graduate of Roaring Fork High School, he started PECO Equipment of Carbondale and later established Groom Excavating. He enjoyed the outdoors, horses, hunting and flying. He is survived by his siblings, Mike (Kathi), Tim, Benton (Sandy), Erin and Charlie; the mothers of his children, Karen Holgate and Debby Davis; his children, Jeff (Amy) Groom of Basalt, Steve (Monica) Groom of Carbondale, Sara Groom of Delta and Charles Bullhide Groom of Texas; and eight grandchildren, Drake, Reagan, Laiken, Dylan, Logan, Landan, Dalton and Bowen. He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers, Curtis and Gary. A memorial service will be held Saturday, March 24, at 1 p.m. at The Orchard in Carbondale. All are welcome. Memorial contributions may be made to

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Thomas Pacheco

Thomas Luis Pacheco of Delta died Dec. 17, 2017. He was born May 2, 1958, in Uravan to Albert and Virginia Pacheco. He is survived by three brothers, Mike Pacheco, Robert Pacheco and Lance Pacheco; four sisters, Florence Sisson, Alberta Pacheco, Roberta Sandoval and Kathy Brown; and extended family. He was preceded in death by his parents. At his request, there will be no services.

Miles Slagg

Miles Jay Slagg died unexpectedly Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2018. He was 60. He enjoyed fishing, camping, shooting his BB gun, potato salad, building furniture, Tom Petty, The Who, sitting in the sun, Escalante Canyon and most of all, friends and family. He is survived by two daughters, Alysce (Sean) Christian and Ileen Slagg; sister, Marsha Slagg; grandchildren, Connor Christian and Alx Weatherford. A celebration of life will be held in the summer, time and place to be determined.

Custom Engraved.... Granite Memorials Stone Signs Address Rocks Pet Memorials & Much More ��

Diana Phillips

Paonia resident Diana Fay Phillips died Feb. 18, 2018, at her home. She was 56. She was born in Delta Nov. 1, 1961, to James and Janet Reich of Paonia. She spent her childhood in Paonia and graduated from Paonia High School in 1980. She enjoyed listening to music, scrapbooking, sports and spending time with her family. She is survived by her

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Delta County Independent

mother, Janet Reich of Paonia; brother, Dennis Reich of Paonia; sister, Denise (Mike) Holland of Aurora; two daughters, Natasha Brown of Cedaredge and Nicole (Robert) Potts of Elsie, Neb.; five grandchildren, Christa Brown, Courtney Brown, James Potts, Brysun Potts and Jocelyn Potts. She was preceded in death by her father, James Reich; and a son, Christopher. Taylor Funeral Service and Crematory is handling the arrangements. Visit the internet obituary and sign the online guest registry at www. taylorfuneralservice.com.

Jeanette Kunkel

Jeanette Kunkel of Cedaredge died Feb. 23, 2018. She was 89. A memorial service will be held at First Baptist Church in Cedaredge at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 3. She is survived by three sons, Gregory (Deb) Kunkel of Red Lion, Pa., Geoffrey (Susan) Kunkel of Cedaredge and Jonathan (Lltanya) Kunkel of Houston, Texas; two daughters, Kristal (Chris Crawley) Allbritten and Laurie Thornton, all of Cedaredge; 17 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; and one great-greatgrandchild. She was preceded in

death by several siblings and a son, Zane (Julie of Montrose) Kunkel. Taylor Funeral Service and Crematory is handling the arrangements.

Dorothy Smith

Lifetime Delta resident Dorothy M. Smith died Feb. 20, 2018, at Four Corners Health Care in Durango. She was 93. Funeral services were held Feb. 27 at Taylor Funeral Service Chapel in Delta. Interment followed at Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Grand Junction. Taylor Funeral Service and Crematory is handling the arrangements.

Barbara A. Smalldridge March 4, 1937 ~ Feb. 21, 2018 Eckert resident Barbara A. Smalldridge went to be with the Lord on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018, at the HopeWest Care Center in Grand Junction, Colo. Barbara was 80 years old. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Barbara Ann Grove was born March 4, 1937, to Philip and Mary Elanore (Kehl) Grove in Waco, Texas. Barbara spent her childhood in Waco until 1953 when she moved to Mission, Texas. Barbara attended Mission High School where she sang in the choir and was on the tennis team during her senior year; she graduated from Mission High with the Class of ‘55. Barbara went on to further her education at 4c Business College in Waco but later went to finish her degree in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1957. On March 12, 1958, Barbara married Ronald Eugene Smalldridge in San Benito, Texas. To this union five daughters were born. In 2008

the couple moved from Monte Vista to Delta County, Colo. The couple would have celebrated 60 years of marriage in March. enjoyed Barbara working puzzles, knitting and crocheting. She made many sweaters and other items for family members, and she also enjoyed oil painting. Our mom loved to do yard work and raise a garden. She was an excellent cook. Mom loved to play board games especially Scrabble; she was one tough competitor at that game. Barbara is survived by her husband, Ronald Smalldridge; five

daughters, Suzanne (Kent) Telinde of Delta, Colo., Gwen (Ki) Nelson of Delta, Colo., Brenda Bookout of Delta, Colo., Ann Marie (Hampton) Lester of Glade Park, and Sarah Dick of Alamosa, Colo.; two sisters, Martha Barber of Brenham, Texas, and Phillis Boyea of Cypress, Texas. Barbara is further survived by 18 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, and two greatgreat-grandchildren. Barbara was preceded in death by her parents. Memorial contributions can be made in Barbara’s name to HopeWest Hospice PO Box 24, Delta, CO 81416 or to Cedaredge Animal Shelter, 795 S Grand Mesa Dr., Cedaredge, CO 81413. 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

Miriam Hartig June 17, 1919 ~ Feb. 23, 2018 Miriam Hartig, wife of Irvin, mother of Karyn (Dave) Troudt, Tom (Marion) Hartig and Polly Jo (Andy) Wick joined our heavenly family on Feb. 23, 2018. Miriam’s mother and father, Frank and May Klassen, welcomed this baby girl into their family on June 17, 1919. She had two older brothers, Robert and Phil, an older sister, Phyllis, and eventually, a younger brother, Deane. Loving family relationships with a little bit of orneriness, hard work and Christian ethics were the base of her childhood family. Miriam graduated from high school in Loveland, Colo., and then pursued a teaching license at Central College in McPherson Kan. After teaching three years in a oneroom school house, she returned to Denver. While walking along a sidewalk, a city bus passed her by. On that bus was a soldier, Irvin, who was instantly taken with her. He told his buddy that he was “going to marry that girl!” Then he quickly got off the bus, asked Miriam if he could walk with her and that was the beginning of their courtship and eventual marriage of 60 years. Their first years together were spent living in Fort Thomas, Ky., followed by 18 years in Granby, Colo. In 1966, Irvin and Miriam purchased a dairy farm near Austin, Colo. Upon their retirement from the dairy in 1981, Miriam and Irvin built a house on the south end of the dairy where they could try to “keep an eye” on all the

ongoing dairy activities. In their retirement years, they enjoyed gardening, fishing, playing cards and travelling. Irvin passed away in 2006. Miriam had two passions — teaching and art. Miriam’s career began teaching grades 1-8, and then first grade during her time in Granby. After their move to Delta County, Miriam continued teaching first grade at Garnet Mesa Elementary followed with two years of fourth grade at Cedaredge Elementary before her retirement in 1975. Miriam was a gifted artist; many friends and all the family have loved her pictures through the years. At the age of 90, she was commissioned by the Town of Orchard City to paint a mural depicting the Orchard City area. This mural is hanging in the conference room at the Town of Orchard City office. Gardening was an additional love of Miriam. With the help of many people, she was the force behind the garden that is still enjoyed by residents and visitors at Horizons Care Center. Of course, her own yard was always a showcase, as well. Miriam loved her Eckert Presbyterian Church family. She was an active member with

the Eckert Presbyterian Women — always full of ideas for grand fundraisers. Miriam recently was honored as a 45year member of Delta Kappa Gamma, a sorority that promotes professional and personal growth of women educators and excellence in education. Miriam spent countless hours making items with the sale proceeds going into the DKG scholarship fund, which benefits a local woman each year who wishes to pursue a college degree in education. Miriam was also a member of Orchard City Women, VFW Auxiliary and Business and Professional Women. Miriam loved and adored her family. She was blessed with nine grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren, her brother, Deane and his wife, Madge, and many nieces and nephews. Plans for a private graveside service are pending. The family will host a Celebration of Life mid-summer. Although the family only wishes for loving thoughts of our mother and grandmother, it was Miriam’s request that memorial donations, if desired, be given to the Eckert Presbyterian Church, PO Box 7, Eckert, CO 81418 or to Delta Kappa Gamma, Chi Chapter, c/o Madaline Lake, 1952 Bordeaux Ct., Montrose, CO 81401. 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.taylorfuneralser vice.com. Paid obituary

Delta County Independent

ACTIVITIES

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

�� Broadway star comes to Delta ��

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Broadway star J. Mark McVey comes to the Delta Performing Arts Center on Saturday, March 10, at 7:30 p.m. as a part of the Delta-Montrose Community Concert Association’s current series, to perform a program of familiar Broadway favorites and some pops standards. J. Mark McVey made his Broadway debut as Jean Valjean in “Les Miserables” after having won the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Actor while on tour. He was also the first American to perform the role in London’s West End. He reprised the role with the Los Angeles Philharmonic to sold-out crowds at the Hollywood Bowl. He has won several

other awards on his way to eclipsing 3,268 performances in Les Mis. J. Mark made his Carnegie Hall debut with Marvin Hamlisch and continues to perform with numerous symphonies around the country and the world. His TV credits include America’s Got Talent, Huckabee and All My Children. He made his PBS debut with the special for the U.S. military troops where he was featured with the National Symphony Orchestra. He also appeared in the PBS special “A Tale of Two Cities in Concert.” McVey earned a double platinum record for his participation on the Trans-Siberian Orchestra

CD, “The Lost Christmas Eve.” In addition, a collaborative touring project between Mark and Ernie Haase & Signature Sound included a recording entitled “Inspiration of Broadway.” The CD and DVD were recently released, as was anoth-

Rock Wranglers host ‘show and tell’

J. Mark McVey

Reserve your spot in the Kiwanis’ poker tournament The Kiwanis Club of Delta is holding its seventh annual poker tournament at Bill Heddles Recreation Center on March 17. Registration is at 4 p.m. with tournament play beginning at 5 p.m. and lasting until

approximately 8 p.m. The tournament is a partnership between the Kiwanis Club and Western Slope Poker Tour LLC, owned and operated by Chris Rajotte. Approximately $1,000 worth of prizes will be raffled off throughout the evening, and the Key Club from Delta High School will be serving food at a nominal cost. Cold beer will be provided for the evening fun. Businesses can sponsor a table for $200 which allows all their employBlack Canyon Cam- ees/guests to receive era Club has two member meetings each month now: the first Tuesday (March 6) at 6 p.m., and the second Tuesday (March 13) at 11 a.m. “Mars in 2018” is the at the First Church of discussion topic at the God on 11th & Howard meeting of the Black Canin Delta. This allows yon Astronomical Society those who work during (BCAS) at 7 p.m. Tuesday, the day and those who do March 6, in the Partners’ not drive after sunset to meeting room, 511 East attend the meetings. The 10th Street, Delta. groups team up for field During July and August trips and club projects. 2018, Mars will be closer The after-meeting pro- and brighter than it has gram for March is photo been in 15 years. It will be evaluation: identifying the characteristics of a “good photo.” The presentation will start approximately 30 minutes after Synthesis continues to the meeting starts. The public is welcome to dazzle audiences around the globe, leaving its attend free of charge. Contact Rae-Ann at mark on the world of jazz rae-anns@live.com or music. The award-win970-856-7809 for more ning instrumental jazz ensemble from Brigham information.

Camera club hosts 2 monthly meetings

er solo CD “Finding My Way.” His exquisite voice produces very evocative, personalized singing that connects to every audience member. Single performance tickets will be on sale at the door beginning at 6:30 p.m. The auditorium opens at 6:45. For further information please contact Bob Brown, 8354480 or visit the website at www.deltamontrose concerts.com.

their first $100 in poker chips for free. Contact Clay Speas at 970-3612950 to sponsor a table or pre-register for a spot at a table. Money donated at the event stays in Delta County and is used to establish and maintain youth programs and activities to assist youth in Delta County including college scholarships, sponsorships for Key Club members to attend leadership conferences, and grants to numerous youth-related activities in the community.

Rock Wranglers will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 1, at the Calvary Baptist Church, 1290 A Street, Delta. The program will be a show and tell. All are welcome.

Concert celebrates the west Saddle on up and join the Montrose Community Band on Sunday, March 18, at 3 p.m. at the Montrose Pavilion for a free concert with a fun western theme. Dust off your boots and come ride off into the sunset with us. For more information visit www.montroseband. com or call 970-596-1188.

Discussion turns to Mars amazing to view our reddish, neighboring world as it brightens up our nights! Space probes have recently discovered lava caves and shallow water ice on Mars. And, emerging technologies may soon enable low-cost interplanetary travel. Will these findings and advancements make it possible for humans to

colonize Mars? The BCAS stimulates public interest and knowledge of astronomy in the local area. Monthly meetings are held in Delta or Montrose. The BCAS also holds public sky viewing events. Find more info at BlackCanyonAstronomy. com or phone 970-8567716.

Synthesis jazzes things up

Young University will perform at the Montrose Pavilion at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 30. The group’s repertoire consists of a variety of jazz styles including swing, jazz, blues, rock, fusion, gospel and Latin styles. Synthesis takes you on a journey through the timeless numbers from jazz legends like Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Glenn the bear harvest takes Miller, and Louis Armplace in September when strong as well as modthe animals are foraging heavily for acorns and berries in preparation for their winter hibernation. Areas throughout Montrose and Delta counties offer ideal habitat for To celebrate the 25th bears; so hunters in this anniversary of Bill Hedarea have a good chance dles Recreation Cenof harvesting — if they ter, the City of Delta is know where to look. bringing back the Easter The class will be held Eggstravaganza Saturfrom 6-8:30 p.m. Wednes- day, March 24, 10 a.m. day, March 7, at the Tech- to noon. nical College of the RockThe celebration will ies, 1765 US Highway 50. include indoor activities The class is limited to 50 — egg decorating, games, people and registration crafts and the Easter is required. To register, Bunny. Remember to call the Montrose wildlife bring your camera for office at 970-252-6000. photos with the Easter

Learn to hunt bears at Delta workshop If you’ve ever wanted to hunt bears or if you want to improve your chances of harvesting one, plan to attend a workshop sponsored by Colorado Parks and Wildlife March 7 in Delta. Wildlife officers from Colorado Parks and Wildlife will lead the presentation on hunting black bears. They’ll discuss bear biology, hunting tactics, field dressing, rules and regulations, and human-bear conflict issues. Bear populations are healthy in western Colorado, providing hunters a unique hunting opportunity. The majority of

ern numbers from current legends like Gordon Goodwin, Alan Baylock, and Mike Tomaro. And the group even performs original pieces composed by members of the group. Synthesis musicians create an engaging night of jazz music you’ve been waiting to hear. Tickets are available at tix.byu.edu (scroll down to Synthesis). Cost is $10/person plus a onetime service charge.

Easter Eggstravaganza returns to Bill Heddles

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Bunny. At about 11:45 a.m., the kids will hop outside for an Easter egg hunt on Confluence Fields. Included with your admission to this event is an option to enjoy the pool until 2 p.m. for no additional fee. Advance registration is $3 per child ($5 the day of the event). To register, stop by Bill Heddles Recreation Center.

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A8 Wednesday, February 28, 2018 ��

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Email ads to: ads@deltacountyindependent.com

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LOCAL NEWS

Delta County Independent

Local artists included in water media show The 26th annual Rockies West National Exhibition at the Art Center in Grand Junction features artists from 17 different states. Among those artists are several from Delta County — Fred Honchell, Mary Bollig, Judy Chapman and Dani Tupper from Delta, Wanda Brunemeier from Cory, and Betty McKin-

ney from Crawford. The exhibit will hang through all of March with the opening reception being Friday, March 2, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The public is invited to attend the reception or visit the exhibit any time during the month of March.

Locking up the Past by Betty McKinney

Forgotten Dreams by Judy Chapman

Delta Police, sheriff’s blotter From the Delta traffic accident. Officers took a report Police Department: of possible felony menacing. Feb. 18: Cabel Z. Rhode, 41, Officers were dispatched to 721 Hwy. of Delta was arrested 50 for a call of reckless and jailed on charges of endangerment, criminal unlawful possession of mischief and throwing a controlled substance (Schedule II), possession missiles at vehicles. Officers responded to of drug paraphernalia the intersection of East and violation of a protec3rd Street and Grand tion order. Darrell G. Anderson, Boulevard on a report of 40, of Delta was arrested a dog bite. Breyah C. Finn, 21, of and jailed on a warrant Montrose was issued a with a $300 bond. Bradley D. Long, 48, of summons for shoplifting. Breyah C. Finn, 21, of Austin was arrested and Montrose was arrested jailed on a warrant with and jailed on a warrant a $0 bond. Feb. 24: with a $300 bond. Andrew W. Muth, 47, Christopher D. Bynum, 45, of Delta was arrested of Delta was arrested and and jailed on a warrant jailed on a warrant with a $1,000 bond. with a $1,099 bond. Jennifer M. Barnett, Christopher D. Bynum, 45, of Delta was arrested 23, of Delta was issued a and jailed on charges of summons for shoplifting. Officers responded to possession of a controlled substance, drove vehicle Munro Street for a report when license restricted/ of theft. Deniece E. Dayton, cancelled/denied, and dis58, of Delta was issued a played expired plates. summons for disorderly Feb. 19: Officers responded to a conduct. Brenda K. Roberts, call regarding a possible 54, of Delta was issued a theft of medication. Officers responded summons for disorderly to West 4th Street and conduct. Aaron S. Kasamis, 30, Palmer Street for a trafof Delta was arrested on fic accident. Officers responded to charges of criminal misColumbine Circle for a chief. Richard K. Walker, 57, report of a fire. Officers responded to a of Delta was arrested and jailed on a warrant with hit and run accident. Officers responded to a $1,000 bond. Citations: Three tickVine Street on a report of ets were issued this week a disturbance. Officers took a lobby for various traffic violareport of a possible bur- tions. glary/criminal mischief From the Delta Donald W. Price, 69, of Delta was arrested and County Sheriff’s Office (partial list): jailed on two warrants. James C. Hollis, 35, of Delta was issued a sum- Feb. 19: Deputies were asked mons for criminal misto do a welfare check on chief. a 16-year-old female with Feb. 21: Officers took a lobby mental health issues. Feb. 20: report of a theft. Abreak-in was reported Officers responded to 101 Hwy. 92 for the at Country Bear Antiques in Eckert. A window was report of a hit and run. Officers responded to broken on the back of the East 5th Street in refer- building to gain entry. ence to a mental health A small amount of cash was taken. While depuissue. Officers responded ties were on the premto Palmer Street for the ises, they received word report of a mental health of a break-in at Americar. A small amount of cash issue. Officers responded was also taken from that to Kellogg Street for a business. Several commercial report of trespass. and residential burglarFeb. 22: Officers responded to ies have taken place in the intersection of East the Orchard City area. 3rd and Hartig Drive for The sheriff ’s office is asking for help in identifya traffic accident. Officers responded to ing this suspect. Surveil900 Main Street for the lance video can be seen on the DCSO Facebook report of theft. Officers assisted in the page. If you can identransport of a juvenile tify the suspect, call the female to a facility out of sheriff ’s office at 8742000 or Crimestoppers at the area. 874-8810. Feb. 23: A two-car traffic acciOfficers responded to East 7th Street at Leon dent was reported at G50 Street to the report of a Road and Highway 50

at about 1:30 p.m. The drivers, Livan Santander and James Berger, were not injured. The Colorado State Patrol handled the investigation. Deputies took possession of drugs found in a classroom at Grand Mesa Choice Academy. Deputies investigated the theft of a coin collection from a residence on E Road, Delta. Entry was gained by forcing a French door open. The suspect then cut into a safe to get the coins. Feb. 21: At about 1 p.m., a fire was reported at a home on L50 Road outside of Hotchkiss. Hotchkiss firefighters quickly contained the blaze, but there was some damage to the house. The source of the fire was traced to a stove pipe. Feb. 23: At about 1 a.m., the Federal Aviation Administration requested that deputies be dispatched to the airports in Delta, Crawford and North Fork to check for an overdue airplane. The small plane was later located near the Utah/Colorado border, where it had crashed; all four passengers were killed. Deputies followed up on a call to a crisis line made by the friend of a 16-year-old male who was

threatening suicide. At about 12:30 p.m., a fire was reported at a residence on Highway 92 outside of Hotchkiss. A shed was destroyed and the hog inside was killed. A heat lamp is being blamed for the fire. Feb. 24: Firefighters from both Crawford and Hotchkiss battled a barn fire on Fruitland Mesa Road outside of Crawford. The barn was destroyed. Feb. 25: The sheriff ’s office received of a missing Delta resident who had gone on a date Friday after work but had not returned by Sunday. A family member reported they were heading to Escalante Canyon, and deputies searched the roads in that area with no success. The search continued by air Monday morning. The man’s vehicle was located down a steep ravine, where it’s believed it crashed Friday night. The man was deceased; his female companion, who stayed warm in a nearby cabin, was transported to the hospital. The investigation is being handled by the Bureau of Land Management; the Mesa County coroner’s office is conducting an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

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NORTH FORK February 28, 2018

TIMES

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www.deltacountyindependent.com

Hotchkiss candidate forum scheduled Hotchkiss voters will have an excellent opportunity to hear from the mayoral and trustee candidates on Wednesday, March 7, 6-7 p.m., at the Hotchkiss Town Hall. Mayoral candidates Tom Wills and Larry Wilkening and candidates for the board of trustees Mary Hockenbery, Pat Medina, Esther Koontz and Sheila Maki will be participating. The candidate forum will be

moderated by Robbie Winne of the Hotchkiss Area Chamber of Commerce, and will use submitted questions. Submit your questions for the candidates to Marlene Searle, town clerk, at the Hotchkiss Town Hall prior to March 7. For more information, contact Searle at 8723663. Be informed. Come out for the Hotchkiss candidate forum at town hall on March 7.

Bridge repairs to begin March 5 On Monday, March 5, the Colorado Department of Transportation will begin a bridge maintenance project on Colorado Highway 92 over the North Fork of the Gunnison River near Hotchkiss. Work is scheduled through late May, weather permitting. Work on this project will include the removal and replacement of three expansion devices, deck repair and a new concrete overlay. The goal is to extend the life of the bridge and improve traffic conditions and safety to motorists. ABCO Contracting is the prime contractor for this $542,288 project. Crews will work from 7

a.m. to 5:30 p.m. MondayFriday. These hours may be extended and weekend work may occur. The schedule may change depending on weather. During working hours, traffic on Highway 92 (milepost 21 to 22) will be placed in a single-lane configuration and crews will hold traffic for up to 10 minutes. Motorists should expect delays when traveling through the area. There will be a 10-foot width restriction through the work area. See https://www.codot.gov/ projects/co-92-bridgemaintenance-north-fork or call 970-833-5264 for more details.

Photo courtesy Colorado Department of Transportation

Rumblin’ along

A coal train rumbles along Mathews Lane toward Somerset early Sunday morning, Feb. 25.

PES named finalist for Succeeds Prize BY TAMIE MECK Staff Writer

Paonia Elementary School has been named one of nine finalists for The Succeeds Prize. Now in its second year The Succeeds Prize recognizes transformational public schools throughout the state, and is sponsored by Colorado Succeeds, 9NEWS/KUSA, and mindSpark Learning, a nonprofit dedicated to impacting and evolving education through educators. The $45,000 prize will be shared between one elementary school, one middle school and one high school winner. “The Succeeds Prize gives us the opportunity to celebrate Colorado educators and recognize what is working in our schools,” said Steve Carter, general manager of 9NEWS/ KUSA TV, in a press release.

A selection committee comprised of education, government and business leaders will decide the award winners by reviewing information and conducting interviews with school leaders, teachers, parents and community members during site visits to each school. Of the more than 20 committee members, 95 percent have taught in a classroom, led a school building, served on a school board or charter school, or worked in a district or state agency. Interviews and site visits will take place through April. PES is one of three elementary school finalists, joining Henry Elementary School in Colorado Springs District 11, and Rocky Mountain Prep Creekside in the Denver Public Schools district. “We’re super excited,” said

Miners statue project goes to bid BY TAMIE MECK Staff Writer

Plans to upgrade the Miner’s Statue area at Paonia Town Park are moving forward after trustees approved the issuing of requests for proposal for the project. Included in the plans are five separate concrete projects. Up until now the town has considered several ideas for improving the area, said trustee David Bradford, who is spearheading efforts to revitalize the southwest corner of the park. Planning began last fall when the town was considering ideas for reducing maintenance costs in the park. The area around the statue is considered a highmaintenance area. Trustee Bradford compiled a history of the statue and other memorial markers in the area, and a committee was formed to come up with a plan for the area. Members include Bradford; town administrator Ken Knight; public works director Travis Loberg; trustee Bill Bear; Don Emmons, who served on the original Miners Statue committee; Bob Bushta, liaison to the BMW Motorcycle Club of Colorado, which has funded prior projects including a memorial bench in the Miner’s Statue area; and John Polous and Adam Camacho, who represent the mines and miners. Poulos donated his time and expertise to draft plans for contract bids. While details have not been finalized, construction of a miner’s commemorative wall, a separate, “non-miner” commemorative wall, relocation of the Melvina Clark pedestal (installed as a fountain, and which has been out of commission in recent years), and the laying of about 2,000 square feet of stamped concrete and stamped flagstone are included in the

plans. A metal archway will mark the entrance. Metal artist Ira Houseweart was selected by town trustees for the project and is working with the committee on design and placement. While existing concrete and surrounding vegetation will be removed to make way for the new project, the peonies and a plaque located in the southwest corner will remain. The project hasn’t been without controversy. Bradford addressed what he called rumors and misinformation circulating about the project, including that the public is being left out of the process. That’s why a citizens’ committee was formed, said Bradford. “We’re trying to be as open as possible about this project.” There have also been numerous public discussions, which are included in board minutes, said Bradford. In response to concerns from trustee Suzanne Watson that concrete work and excavation will affect nearby trees or tree roots, trees already growing next to the ditch, said Poulos. “The concrete proposed for this project will not hamper the trees... anymore than the concrete ditch and pavement.” In addition, said Bradford, no trees will be removed to make way for the project. The purpose of the project, said Bradford, is to create an attractive park entrance, minimize maintenance of the area, and to make the park more useful and friendly. Another rumor, said Bradford, and one on which he received a pointed email, is that the section of concrete irrigation ditch flowing past the statue will be covered over. “We are not touching the ditch,” said Bradford. “The ditch is something inviolate,” said Poulos, who

Photo by Tamie Meck

was born and raised in Paonia. “You do not play with the ditch.” Bid proposals are due at Town Hall by March 16 and will be considered by trustees at the March 27 board meet-

ing. Work is to be completed by May 11, with a dedication of the space to take place on Memorial Day, May 28, which also marks the 35th anniversary of the dedication of the Miner’s Statue.

PES principal Sam Cox. “It’s wonderful, wonderful news.” It was also unexpected in that the school didn’t apply for the award. Rather, the selection committee based its decisions on blind studies of growth and achievement data received from schools throughout the state. Once the field was narrowed down, the names of the schools were revealed. PES learned about the Succeeds nomination about a month ago. “When we shared the news with staff, they were all super thrilled,” said Cox. “It just goes to show the quality of teachers and support staff and the support from the community” in providing the best educational opportunities possible. The Succeeds Prize is the most prestigious award and recognition event for Colorado’s public schools and educators and honors the transformational impact the state’s public schools and educators are leading across the state, according to the press release. PES was one of two schools, and the only elementary school, on the Western Slope to make the list of finalists. Carbondale Middle School in the Roaring Fork School DisSUCCEEDS PRIZE TO B2

Paonia water tank continues to dog town BY TAMIE MECK Staff Writer

A water storage tank lining that caused the Town of Paonia headaches in 2015 and 2016 is again causing problems. During a recent sanitary survey of the town’s drinking water system by the Colorado Department of Heath and Environment, the one million-gallon Clock water storage tank on Lamborn Mesa was deemed a risk for contamination due to failures in the tank’s lining. Sanitary surveys are routine on-site reviews of public water systems to identify deficiencies and violations. In spring of 2015 the tank’s floor and liner were heavily damaged by underground water pressure that occurred while the tank was drained during repairs to the roof. Repairs were completed in 2016. Following the sanitary survey, the state ordered the town to shut the tank down until the lining is repaired, according to Public Works Director Travis Loberg. Since the two-million-gallon Upper Lamborn Mesa water storage tank is sufficient to service the entire delivery system, the closure does not affect service to town water customers, said Loberg. But with the ongoing drought, if flows from the springs that

feed the system get too low later in the year, the town will need the facility in order to service the entire area. Loberg said the town is waiting on recommendations from engineers on how to rectify the problem. At the Feb. 13 board meeting, trustee Bill Bear, who serves on the public works, utilities and facilities committee, asked that the committee research options and make a recommendation to the board, “Especially with the upcoming

drought and the chance that we won’t be able to use it.” The town is also working with engineers on two in-town water line projects, according to Loberg, including upgrades to the storm drainage system and sewer line in the 100 block of Clark Avenue, for which the town was awarded a grant. Another project involves installation of a pressure release vault (PRV) in the water delivery system. Both projects are slated for completion this year.

File photo

A Paonia public works employee wades through water during repairs to the ﬂoor and lining of the one-million gallon water storage tank on Lamborn Mesa in August 2015. The tank was off-line for months while repairs were completed. The state health department recently ordered the tank closed after identifying problems with the lining.

B2 Wednesday, February 28, 2018

NORTH FORK TIMES

Delta County Independent

Blue Sage hosts wind ensemble Succeeds Prize for Modern Music Festival The Blue Sage Concert Series is pleased to present a Modern Music Festival featuring wind ensemble Splinter Reeds with concerts on Saturday, March 10, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 11, at 5:30 p.m. Saturday’s concert features works by modern

composers including Sky Macklay, Marc Mellits and Eric Wubbels. Sunday’s concert features a world premiere by American composer Paula Matthusen commissioned for Splinter Reeds by the Blue Sage Center for the Arts’ Concert Series.

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Splinter Reeds is San Francisco Bay Area’s first reed quintet, comprising five innovative musicians with a shared passion for new music. The ensemble is committed to presenting top tier performances of today’s best contemporary compositions, showcasing the vast possibilities of the reed quintet, commissioning new works, and collaborating with fellow musicians and artists. The festival will feature a newly commissioned piece by composer Paula Matthusen, utilizing a live collaboration between a broadcast from KVNF to a live performance by Splinter Reeds onstage at the Blue Sage Center with audience interaction via transmitting devices such as digital phones, tablets and radios. This new work, entitled “Antenna Studies,” is made possible by support from New Music USA, The National Endowment for the Arts, Amphion Foundation, and The Copland Foundation. Special thanks to the

FROM PAGE B1 trict 2 is one of three middle school finalists. “Educators across Colorado are doing incredible work in their schools, yet they rarely have the chance to connect with and support one another,” said Scott Laband, president of Colorado Succeeds. “The Succeeds Prize not only rewards their efforts, it also shares these effective and scalable practices so educators statewide can benefit. We have learned so much for our 2017 winners and finalists, and the business community is coming together once again to recognize and reward these unsung heroes.” In addition to the $45,000 in cash awards, The Succeeds Prize is offering a $15,000 Excellence in Education Innovation Award, a $15,000 Excellence in STEM (Sci-

North Fork Valley Rotary Club for sponsoring Splinter Reeds’ outreach training and performances in Hotchkiss and Paonia public schools. Composer Paula Matthusen writes about her new work for Splinter Reeds and the Blue Sage, “Antenna Studies explores geometries of transmission, between FM radio signal, cell phone streaming of original audio files, and between acoustic instruments and live electronics. This piece involves multiple layers of sound that may be tuned into by performers and audience members at different points, either by radio or smart phone. The hope is to forge different forms of intimacy across different spaces and the devices used to bridge them.” Tickets ($20-25) are on sale now at the Blue Sage Gallery located at 226 Grand Avenue in Paonia, open Tuesday through Saturday 12The 69th annual Delta 4, by calling (970) 527- County 4-H Beef Roast will 7243, or online at blue be held in two locations sage.org. on March 4. The county’s 4-H’ers will be serving a meal of smoked beef or pork, mashed potatoes and gravy, coleslaw, vegetable, cheesecake and a beverage at the Delta Middle School

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ence, Technology, Engineering and Math) Award, and a $15,000 Excellence in Education Leadership Award, to be presented by 9NEWS. Separate committees will also select the winners of these awards. Award winners will be revealed at a ceremony on Sept. 18.

Discussion on hemp The Learning Council and Valley Organic Growers Association will host a hemp panel discussion at 7 p.m. Monday, March 5, at the Paradise Theatre in Paonia. The public is invited for an educational discussion on hemp with local experts. Topics include growing, processing, local regulations, uses of hemp and more.

4-H’ers offer beef and pork March 4 and at Hotchkiss High School. Serving times are noon to 3 p.m.; takeout will be available. Prices are $10 for adults and $7 for children 12 and under. For more information, call the Delta County 4-H Office at 874-2195.

KPP dinner to fund humanitarian trip

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Splinter Reeds

Kid’s Pasta Project kids are planning a trip to Jamaica to volunteer at the Mason Hall Primary School and are holding a KPP dinner at 6 p.m. Monday, March 5, at Edesia Kitchen, 395 Clark Avenue, Paonia. While in Jamaica the kids will perform cement work and cinder block construction, work with

students on math and English skills, and create educational decorations for the new Basic School in Mason Hall. Cost is $14 for adults, $8 for kids, and includes salad, lasagna and dessert. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are available. For reservations, call Joyce at 970778-8424.

NORTH FORK TIMES

Delta County Independent

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Harry Shiles retires after 45 years in law enforcement BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

Throughout four decades in law enforcement, Harry Shiles has maintained a reputation as a kind, decent, humble and compassionate individual. Those traits will be highly missed at the Delta County Courthouse, where Shiles has provided security for the past 10 years. Previously, he was a patrol captain and law enforcement officer with the U.S. Forest Service. Shiles grew up in Hotchkiss and after graduating from high school in 1971, attended Mesa Junior College. That’s where he met his wife and number one fan, Kathy. Shiles finished his degree at Colorado State University, earning double majors. He started his professional career in resource management with the U.S. Forest Service. The USFS did not have a paid law enforcement staff at that time, instead using seasonal, unarmed personnel to

Photo by Pat Sunderland

Deputies Terry Taylor, Harry Shiles and Jimmy Logan formed the core of the courthouse security detail. Taylor has been with the sheriff’s ofﬁce for 14 years, Shiles for 10 and Logan for four, including six months at the courthouse. write tickets for minor violations. As the agency found itself dealing with more serious issues on public lands, the decision was made to establish a professional law enforcement arm. Shiles, who had wanted to be in law enforcement since watching Ranger Corey Stuart on the TV series “Lassie,”

Harry and Kathy Shiles

volunteered to attend the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Ga. He graduated in 1981 and returned to his job in resource management, with collateral duties as a forest ranger. His career took him and his growing family to Mancos, Fort Collins, Rifle, Dale, Ore., Worland, Wyo., Creede and finally Paonia. The Shiles describe the U.S. Forest Service as “one big family,” and they keep in touch with co-workers from every one of their assignments. One of the most memorable occurrences in Harry’s career was the arrival of the Rainbow Family in the GMUG in 1992. The influx of thousands of visitors prompted Bob Storch, then-forest supervisor, to expand law enforcement. Shiles and a couple of co-workers basically established the

full-time law enforcement program on the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests. Shiles retired as patrol captain based in Delta, overseeing 13 law enforcement officers on six forests. Shiles greatly enjoyed getting out into the forests on horseback, ATV or snowmobile, but faced mandatory retirement at age 57. Unfortunately, his forced retirement coincided with the Great Recession and financially, he wasn’t able to quit working. He accepted a job offer from Delta County Sheriff Fred McKee to join the courthouse security detail. While Shiles had federal certification, the sheriff also expected his staff members to be POST certified, so after clearing that hurdle, Shiles became a sheriff ’s deputy. He was one of three deputies providing security for the courts and all of the offices in the courthouse. While his scope narrowed from federal lands issues to county operations, he gained a higher appreciation for what county officers do. “There’s a lot going on,” he commented. A five-year commitment to the sheriff stretched to 10, and it was again time for Shiles to again retire. After working for 45 years, he is looking forward to devoting more time to nature photography, a favorite pastime. He’s also got a lot of projects around

Drought: Hoping for the best, preparing for the worst Lack of snow in December and January has everyone wondering what the year will bring and how to prepare if a major drought is on the horizon. As of Jan. 30, the National Integrated Drought Information System has upgraded southwestern Colorado from moderate drought conditions to severe drought conditions. According to the Colorado Climate Center, many of the SNOTEL stations in the Upper Colorado River Basin have precipitation percentile readings this water year that are the lowest on record. This doesn’t mean that the year will end in drought, but the large deficits of precipitation we have had this year are more difficult to make up the farther we get into the season. Agriculture

tends to feel the effects of drought first. So how can farmers prepare for a dry year? On March 9, Shavano Conservation District is hosting its annual banquet with guest speaker Kevin Rein, state engineer for the Colorado Department of Water Resources. The banquet will be held at the Holiday Inn Express in Montrose and tickets are $15 and are available online at https:// www.eventbrite.com/o/ shavano-conservationdistrict-16809544872 or by calling or e-mailing Mendy Stewart, 970-9643582, mendy.stewart@co. nacdnet.net. Rein’s presentation will be on water law in Colorado, specifically “use it or lose it,” a topic that becomes more critical as

Crawford looking for new town attorney BY RANDY SUNDERLAND General Manager

The search is on for a new attorney for the Town of Crawford. Longtime attorney Jim Brown informed the town council several months ago that he was stepping down after the April election. At its work session on Feb. 21, the council reviewed proposals from two firms, J. Davis Reed, P.C. in Montrose and

Hoskin Farina & Kampf P.C. in Grand Junction. It was pointed out during discussion that the law office of J. Davis Reed is working with the towns of Hotchkiss and Paonia. Mayor Wanda Gofforth asked council members to review the proposals, and to be prepared to vote on a new town attorney at the regular meeting on March 7.

Learn to hunt mule deer in Montrose If you’re interested in learning how to hunt mule deer, plan to attend an evening class 6-8:30 p.m., March 6 at the Colorado Parks and Wildlife office in Montrose. The class will be taught by biologists and wildlife officers from Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The class is aimed at novice hunters — new hunters and those without a lot of experience. It will focus on deer biology, tracking and hunting tips and strategies for hunting based on habitat type and season. CPW officers will also explain the process

for obtaining a mule deer hunting license. Starting this year all limited hunting licenses will be sold online through the CPW website. Paper applications have been discontinued. The deadline for applying for a limited hunting license this year is April 3. Space is limited for the class. Those interested should contact the Montrose wildlife office at 970-252-6000. The class will be held at the Montrose wildlife office, 2300 S. Townsend Avenue.

water becomes scarcer. In addition, the conservation district also presents awards to Conservation Farmer/Rancher of the year and a Conservation Educator of the Year. Tickets for evening include a barbecue dinner, entertainment, door prizes and a silent auction. Each year the Shavano Conservation District also provides the community an opportunity to communicate to state and national leadership what we see as our natural resource concerns and the best solution to the

concern on the local level. The feedback obtained at the local work group meeting is used to determine how conservation dollars are spent by the federal government in the next Farm Bill. If the lack of precipitation continues on into the year, the local work group meetings will be crucial for drought assistance funding. These local work group meetings are open to anyone in the community and everyone is encouraged to attend. The date for the 2018 meeting has not yet been set.

the house, and is anxious to get back out in the woods to camp and fish. He wants to learn chain saw carving, and he and Kathy plan to spend a lot more time with their nine grandkids and four greatgrandchildren.

“We appreciated the experience and professionalism that Harry brought to our court security department. We wish him the best and thank him for his service,” said Delta County Sheriff Fred McKee.

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B4 Wednesday, February 28, 2018

NORTH FORK TIMES

Delta County Independent

HHS lines up fun events for National FFA Week As the 2016-2017 bers spent their summer vention. school year wrapped up, wisely by attending the The 89th Colorado the Hotchkiss FFA mem- Colorado State FFA Con- State FFA Convention was held in Pueblo in June 2017. We had over 20 members attend this past year. Before the convention even got started, Coley Wondra, Hotchkiss FFA advisor, planned a trip to the Royal Gorge �� Bridge. Everyone really enjoyed themselves and �� they can’t wait for �� said more trips! State Con�� vention consisted of the state officers’ retiring �� addresses and keynote �� speakers. Apart from the actual convention, mem�� bers had activities they �� could participate in such �� as the volleyball tournament. The most exciting �� part of state convention was Morgan Miller, 2017�� 2018 Hotchkiss FFA �� chapter president, who �� participated in the public �� speaking contest. Mor�� gan didn’t finish in first �� place, but had a good run.

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We also had two of our members, Morgan Miller and Corbin Beck, achieve their state degree. State Convention is always a great FFA experience for the new and old members. With the new school year starting up, we have a new officer team in place — Morgan Miller, president; Colton Peebles, vice president; Ashley Ziemer, secretary; Amber Mattler, reporter; Bruce Turnbull, treasurer; Ruby Shiftlet, sentinel; and Teagan Sommer, executive committee. The new year started with our annual family barbecue. All members and parents were welcomed to come hang out, visit, and enjoy well prepared food. Then, the new freshmen FFA members appeared at the “Becoming Involved as a Greenhand” (BIG) Conference in Montrose. This was a really fun and successful event, considering this assembly is a freshman’s first chance to really experience the family effect FFA has. October also held events for the FFA members to enjoy and experience. On Oct. 4, District Leadership Conference (DLC) was held in Colbran. We had over 16 members come along to this conference along with the two district officers from Hotchkiss, Morgan Miller and Amber Mattler. DLC is a great way to get into the FFA lifestyle. The district officers prepared a great set of workshops about leadership, influences on people, and more. At the District Leadership Conference, the Hotchkiss FFA chapter won best chapter and received a plaque. In the last full week of October 2017 we had seven members attend the 90th National FFA Convention and Expo. We left on Sunday, Oct. 22, and spent the entire week in Indianapolis, Ind. This convention is the cherry on top of FFA conventions. Tens of thousands of members attend every year and to experience that was breathtaking. Aside from the convention we set out to visit Churchill Downs, Keeneland and Claiborne Farm. With

State degree recipients Morgan Miller and Corbin Beck October wrapping up we held our local Halloween party again. Every year it is a big hit and personally I think it gets a little better every year. With 2017 coming to an end, we had our local speech contest on Nov. 10. We had six members move onto the district level that competed a week later on Nov. 17. We did not have anyone place first and qualify for state, but everyone was very well placed and they all had a great time. In December we had the district parliamentary procedure contest. Hotchkiss won second with Cedaredge in first. It was a very close contest, so Hotchkiss and Cedaredge had to have a rematch. That was the end of 2017 for Hotchkiss FFA. Starting off the new year strong we had the quiz bowl contest on Jan. 31. Hotchkiss didn’t win,

but all said it was one of the most exciting and fun events they might ever do. FFA Week is Feb. 26 through March 2 and Hotchkiss has a week planned full of fun. We will be having a movie night, stick horse races, hay bale relays, and much more. Also coming up is our annual labor auction on March 21. Advertising will be out shortly for this event. Please be sure to be involved with our chapter by liking our Facebook page “Hotchkiss FFA Chapter” to be informed of all upcoming and current events. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via email at AmberMattler@gmail. com or phone at 970-4621186 or the Hotchkiss High School at 970-8723882. Amber Mattler Hotchkiss FFA

National FFA Convention

Hotchkiss FFA Alumni supports HHS chapter and its advisor The purpose of the Hotchkiss FFA Alumni affiliate is to support and promote FFA, FFA activities and agricultural education on local, state and national levels; to provide engagement opportunities to former FFA members and supporters

of FFA and agricultural education; to promote greater knowledge of agriculture and support education in agriculture; to cooperate with the local FFA chapter, and FFA at the state and national level; to promote and maintain an appreciation of the American free enterprise system; and to promote the personal development aspect of FFA. Hotchkiss FFA members are celebrating National FFA Week the week of Feb. 26-March 2. The Hotchkiss FFA Alumni will be joining the chapter members March 21 at Hotchkiss High School for the annual alumni Oyster Fry and Member Auction. Tickets are available from FFA

members and FFA Alumni for $16 for adults and $7 for children. Money from the dinner is used by the Hotchkiss FFA Alumni for leadership and scholarship opportunities. There will be many opportunities to support our local chapter this spring, summer and fall. Please consider joining the Hotchkiss FFA Alumni in our support of Mr. Wondra and the FFA Students at Hotchkiss High School. To be a member of the alumni you only need to have a desire to follow our purpose; you are not required to have been a member in the past. Contact alumni president Nancy Carlson at 970-640-1163 or ncarl sonag.ed@gmail.com for more details.

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SPORTS

Delta County Independent

SPORTS February 28, 2018

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

www.deltacountyindependent.com

Bulldog boys 2nd at districts in De Beque BY WAYNE CRICK DCI Sports Editor

The Hotchkiss Bulldog boys’ basketball team played inspired basketball in last week’s 2A District 5 tournament. A 68-63 win over fourth-seed Paonia in quarterfinal play marked the third game between the two rivals in 201718 with Hotchkiss (fifth seed) winning two of the three match-ups. Hotchkiss continued its march to the title game with a Friday afternoon battle with top-seeded Rangely. The Bulldogs pulled off a major upset with its 58-46 win over the Panthers. In a battle of miniruns, Meeker’s Cowboys (second seed) were able to withstand Hotchkiss’ runs to score a 60-55 win and secure the 2A District 5 title in championship

play. Third seed Vail Christian handed Rangely its second loss in tournament play (68-65) to earn thirdplace honors. Paonia bounced back from its loss to Hotchkiss with a close 66-63 decision (see related story) over number six Plateau Valley for fifth place and a bid to the 2A state tournament. Meeker 60, HHS 55 Both teams were tentative in first quarter play resulting in a 9-9 tie after eight minutes of play. Each possession was critical with Meeker (174) using a powerful lineup to gain an 11-point advantage in the second quarter following a 2514 run, sparked by nine points each from Zach Dinwiddie and Logan Hughes. There was only a two-

point scoring difference between the two teams in third quarter play, but with Meeker’s earlier advantage, the Cowboys took a 46-33 lead to the fourth quarter. Jonathan Gonzalez lit a fire for Hotchkiss’ 22-point fourth quarter by scoring nine points. Jacob Stucker contributed another seven counters and Sam Rodriguez another five in the Bulldogs’ run. Meeker’s lead was just too big for the Bulldogs to overcome. Gonzalez finished the night with four 3s and 18 points for the Bulldogs. Stucker and Eli Patrick finished with double-figure scoring for Hotchkiss with 13 and 11 points, respectively. Dinwiddie’s 15 points paced Meeker’s offensive effort with Hughes close

behind with 13 points. Valentine Rosas had 12 points to give the Cowboys three players with double-digit scoring numbers for Meeker. Hotchkiss finished the regular season, and district play, with a record of 14-8 overall and a number 22 seed for this week’s Class 2A regional playoffs. The Bulldogs play at 8:15 p.m. in Ignacio and face 11th seed Limon (16-5) in the first round. Number six Ignacio (174) plays 27th seed Denver Christian (10-12) at 4:45 p.m. Winners play in the championship game on Saturday, March 3, at 2:45 p.m. with a berth in the state tournament, March 8-10, on the line. The 2A State Tournament will be held at the Budweiser Event Center in Loveland March 8-10.

Photo by Tamie Meck

Slater Podgorny takes a jump shot in Paonia’s 68-63 district quarterﬁnal loss to Hotchkiss. Both teams will compete in regional tournaments this weekend.

Photo by Wayne Crick Photo by Wayne Crick Hotchkiss senior Sam Rodriguez is sandwiched

The Hotchkiss boys’ basketball team poses for this team photo following its second-place finish in the 2A District 5 tournament played in De Beque. The Bulldogs upset top seed Rangely 58-46 in semifinal action on Friday to reach the final game against second-seeded Meeker. The Cowboys were too strong and took advantage of Hotchkiss mistakes to win the District 5 title, 60-55 on Saturday.

between Meeker’s Doak Mantle (12) and Logan Hughes (23) in the title game of last week’s Class 2A District 5 Championship game, won by the Cowboys, 60-55.

Bruin ladies finish third BY WAYNE CRICK DCI Sports Editor

Photo by Wayne Crick

Cedaredge junior Hannah Gardner (21) disrupted Delta sophomore Sara Geddes’ shot last week.

Photo by Wayne Crick

Bruins sophomore Makayla Kehmeier follows through on an outside shot against Grand Valley Friday afternoon in 3A district play.

Though Cedaredge High School’s girls basketball team stumbled in the semifinal round of last weekend’s 3A district playoffs on Friday, the Bruins managed to bounce back to secure a third-place finish in the tournament and advanced to the first round of this year’s 3A state tournament. Cedaredge opened the week with a playin game win over Roaring Fork 36-29 on Feb. 20 in Cedaredge. In the tournament’s semifinal round, held at Central High School Friday and Saturday, the Bruins tripped themselves in a 31-26 loss to the secondseeded Grand Valley Cardinals. Saturday morning’s third-place game against Delta (4th seed) was a 45-36 victory. Bruins 36, Rams 29 Roaring Fork served notice in the opening quarter it would like to play in this year’s district tournament and outscored the Bruins 10-5 to start the game. A nine-point second quarter gave the Rams a 19-11 halftime lead and Cedaredge fans became even more nervous. Cedaredge reversed the momentum in the second half with 14 points in the third quarter and another 11 in the final period to outscore the

Rams by 15 points and win by a 36-29 margin. The win sent Cedaredge to district playoff quarterfinal action on Friday. Junior Courtney Freeman dumped in 16 points and hauled down five rebounds to lead the Bruins to victory. Senior Grace Andrews provided seven points in the win with freshman Kammie Kehmeier grabbing five rebounds. Senior Jade McGovern contributed four assists and three steals in the victory. GV 31, Bruins 26 Friday afternoon’s contest against Grand Valley was a slowly moving offensive game with both teams playing good defense causing their opponents to turn the ball over numerous times and miss normally easy shots. The first half was closely contested with Cedaredge sneaking to a 12-11 lead at the break. Neither team found a great deal of success on offense following halftime. A slim 9-7 advantage for Grand Valley gave the Cardinals a 2019 lead with eight minutes left to play. An 11-7 fourth quarter stretched the Cardinals’ final margin of victory to 31-26. Sophomore Makayla Kehmeier topped Cedaredge’s offensive scoring statistics with 12 points and finished the game

with six rebounds. Henderson scored six points for the Bruins and senior Grace Andrews had five rebounds in the win. Bruins 45, Delta 36 This was the case of a good defense keeping an offense in check. There was enough offense from the Bruins to indicate a year-end scoring slump might be over for Cedaredge in the third place game. Cedaredge charged to a 16-2 first-quarter lead with Delta mistakes contributing to the scoring differential. A slow second quarter for both teams led to a 21-8 halftime lead for Cedaredge. Delta was more motivated on offense in the third quarter and outscored the Bruins 14-10 to trim Cedaredge’s lead to 31-22 by quarter’s end. Cedaredge took advantage of more Delta miscues down the stretch and made a 14-9 run to make the final score 45-36. Delta junior Jenna Sutliff spread 12 points over four quarters to lead the Panthers’ offensive effort with senior Aubrey Jones adding nine points. Freeman was the game’s leading scorer with 15 points. Andrews chipped in nine counters with Henderson adding seven points and five rebounds. Kehmeier fin-

ished with six points and senior Addison Schwarz pulling down four rebounds. Cedaredge coach Ryan Hilbig was pleased with his team’s finish in lieu of some rough recent games. When asked about moving on in the coming first round of the 3A regionals, with the possibility of not having to face a Delta County team (Delta), Hilbig’s response was, “I wouldn’t mind playing them again (Delta). It means we might be playing for the state title.” Despite Hilbig’s concerns over the Bruins’ placement, and a site to play, Cedaredge (18-3) enters this week’s first round of the 3A regionals as the number six seed and will host a regional site March 2-3. Four teams will participate in Cedaredge this Friday and Saturday with the Bruins taking on No. 27 Liberty Common (12-10) and No. 11 Jefferson Academy (16-6) facing No. 22 The Vangard School (14-8). Friday’s winners will play for a berth in the Sweet 16 to be played on Saturday (March 3) with the winner moving on to next week’s Great 8 round at Denver University’s Hamilton Gymnasium in Denver on March 8. March 8 winners play in the Final Four on March 9 with a state title to be determined on March 10.

B6 Wednesday, February 28, 2018

SPORTS

Delta County Independent

Delta boys 3rd in 3A districts at Central BY WAYNE CRICK DCI Sports Editor

Delta’s boys basketball team opened the week with a purpose in mind. A chance to redeem losses suffered earlier in the season, and a raise in seeding rankings, were goals targeted by the Panthers. Tuesday’s start against Olathe in quarterfinal action proved to be a solid effort to get the ball rolling toward a desired goal. Delta made short work of the Pirates in a 73-22 win. Second seeded Roaring Fork changed Delta’s plans in semifinal action on Friday in a shocking 52-49 win which sent the Panthers to the thirdplace game on Saturday morning. Delta came from behind against Grand Valley to score a 50-48 win and claim third place. Delta 73, Olathe 22 A track meet broke out during Tuesday’s quarterfinal round game between Delta and Olathe with the Panthers racing to a 26-2 opening quarter and racking up 48 points by halftime. Dylan Hollenbeck fueled the 26-point surge by the Panthers in the first quarter with eight of his 12 points. Sophomore Felipe Bedoy followed with an eight-point second quarter to help Delta score 22 more points. Delta’s second half produced another 25 points to make the final score 73-22. Logan Freed scored a game-high 15 points, spread over four periods,

to lead three other Panthers with double figures. Bedoy and Hollenbeck finished with 12 points each and Andrew Baier scored 11. Olathe’s Giovani Padilla had eight points for the Pirates. Rams 52, Delta 49 Things were moving in a positive direction in the first half of play and Delta took a 35-21 at the break. Third-quarter play was nearly even with Roaring Fork claiming a 14-12 advantage at the end of the period. Delta seemed to have control of the game as the fourth quarter began. A sudden lack of offensive presence handed the Rams an opportunity to seize momentum and take charge with a 17-2 run and a stunning victory, 52-49. The loss landed Delta in Saturday’s third-place game against Grand Valley, a team the Panthers had recently defeated 6362. Delta 50, Cardinals 48 Delta had extended its lead to double-digits against Grand Valley the last time these two teams played (Feb. 17). The Panthers owned a 51-40 lead heading to the fourth quarter. A determined, and hot-shooting Grand Valley team, made the game more interesting than Delta fans wanted with a 22-12 run which left the Cardinals a point short on a last second shot, 63-62. The most recent game, Grand Valley got the quicker start and was

leading at halftime 27-21, paced by Kade Hurst’s 10 points. Delta found the right ingredients for its missing offense in the game against Roaring Fork, and put up 20 points to take a 41-34 lead with one period left to play. Hurst tried singlehandedly to forge a win with eight points in the fourth quarter of a 149 Cardinal run. Jaspar Carmichael’s three for four from the charity stripe helped preserve Delta’s 50-48 win, and a third place finish. Hurst was the game’s leading scorer with 20 points and Freed was Delta’s leading scorer with 15 points. Delta coach Rob Ames was somewhat dismayed with the way last week’s tournament played out for the Panthers. What he has going for him is deep belief in his team and its belief in each other. “To me it’s obvious the players trust what they’re doing. We’ve become an offensive team with a good defense. We’re trusting what we are doing and we can be better. We haven’t played our best yet.” Delta finished district play with a 15-7 overall record and drew a 16th seed to enter the 3A state basketball tournament beginning March 2. Delta travels to No. 1 Sterling (22-0) and is scheduled to face 17th seed Arrupe Jesuit (17-4) at 8 p.m. On the other side of the bracket, Sterling will play 32nd seed Ridge View Academy (148). Winners of these two games play on Saturday (March 3) in the Sweet 16 round. Sweet 16 winners play in the Great 8 at Denver University (Hamilton Gym) on March 8 with those winners advancing to the Final Four March 9. The 3A state title will be determined on March 10 at DU.

Photo by Wayne Crick

Delta junior Joe Bules (32) blocks the shot of Grand Valley’s Justin Smith (3) during action in the third place game of last weekend’s 3A District tournament held in Central High School. Delta won the game, 50-48, and travels to Sterling to play in regional action as the number 16 seed and will play against 17th seed Arrupe Jesuit at 8 p.m. Delta’s Felipe Bedoy and Nate Workman look on.

Hotchkiss tops Paonia boys in district play BY TAMIE MECK DCI Sports Writer

After placing in the top five in the district, Hotchkiss and Paonia will compete this weekend in regional tournaments for a shot at the Great 8 state champion-

ship tournament in Loveland. Hotchkiss opened the district tournament last Wednesday with a 68-63 quarterfinal win against rival Paonia. A lot was on the line, as the winner was guaranteed a region-

Contact the DCI: Website: www.deltacounty independent.com Email ads to: ads@deltacounty independent.com Email articles and Photo submitted letters to the editor to: Sean Devlin ﬁres off a three-point shot in Paonia’s editor@deltacounty 66-63 win over the Rangely Panthers Saturday at the 2A District 5 tournament at De Beque. Devlin independent.com

sank a three-pointer at the buzzer for the win, which qualiﬁed Paonia for this week’s regional tournament at Ault.

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al berth, and the loser needed to win two games to advance to regional play, and was sure to have to travel. It was important to come out strong against Paonia, be ready, and have a halftime lead, said Hotchkiss head coach Eric Hollembeak. “Paonia has a bunch of fighters. They never give up and will come out firing.” The message going into the game was defense, said senior Eli Kirk. “They shoot the three ball well, so we had to shut that down.” While they won the game and the defense did its job in the paint, the plan didn’t go well, said Hollembeak. The idea was to prevent seniors Sean Devlin and Enoch Kropp from shooting threes. “They’re two really good ball players,” said Hollembeak. “I give credit to them.” Hotchkiss scored early and often, and never relinquished the lead. Jonathan Gonzalez, who scored eight points in the first quarter, opened the game with two consecutive 3-point goals. In the second quarter, Hotchkiss attacked the rim and held Paonia to four goals and 10 points to take a 37-25 halftime lead. Paonia trailed, 3549, to start the fourth period and narrowed the lead to five points on two goals by Sean Devlin. In the final minutes of the game, point guard Sam Rodriguez hit 11 of 12 free throws to secure the win for the Bulldogs. With every shot, he said, “I was ready to hit the next one.” “It’s huge to have a point guard that can shoot the free throws well,” said Hollembeak. It felt good to win this game, said Kirk. “But I definitely don’t want to be done yet. Our season has a long way to go.” In semifinals, Hotchkiss defeated No. 1 seed Rangely, 59-46, to advance to the championship game against Meeker. The upset came on the heels of a 10-point league loss to the 15-7 Panthers on Feb. 2. Paonia clinched the regional berth on a 66-63 win over Plateau Valley, with Sean Devlin scoring a 3-point shot at the buzzer for the win. In consolation semifinals the Eagles defeated Vail Mountain, 61-43 Of the 32 teams vying for a state berth, Paonia is seeded 19th. It travels to Ault this Friday to face No. 14 Del Norte in the Region 3 tournament at Highland High School. The winner will face either third seeded Highland or No. 30 Front Range Christian. Hotchkiss is seeded 22 and will open the Region 6 tournament at Ignacio this Friday night against No. 11 Limon (16-5, 3-0).

SPORTS

Delta County Independent

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Delta girls lose two games BY WAYNE CRICK DCI Sports Editor

After finishing the regular season in fourth place, Delta’s girls looked to improve on a final standing with games at last week’s district tournament in Grand Junction Central High School. The Panthers made sure they would play in this year’s district tournament with a big 51-36 win at home over Gunnison Feb. 20. Delta stubbed its toe in a semifinal round game against No. 1 seed Moffat County, 45-29, on Friday and then lost in the third place game on Saturday to Cedaredge (for the fourth time this season; see related Cedaredge girls story, B5), 45-36. Even with the losses, Delta made the final cut as the 17th seed and will travel to the campus of Kent Denver High School for Round 1 play in this

year’s 3A state tournament. The Panthers will face 16th seed Resurrection Christian (17-5) on Friday, March 2 at 6 p.m. On the opposite side of the bracket, top seed Kent Denver (19-3) and the 32nd seeded Eagle Ridge Academy (12-9) will play to see who advances to play the winner of the Delta/Resurrection Christian game in a Sweet 16 game on March 3. The remaining portion of this year’s 3A state basketball tournament will take place on the campus of Denver University (Hamilton Gym) March 8-10. Delta 52, Gunnison 36 The Panthers defeated Gunnison twice in regular season play and made it three in a row with Tuesday’s 52-36 win. Delta started with a 14-7 first quarter and had to hold on in the second quarter to earn a

22-20 halftime lead. Play in the second half was controlled by the Panthers with 13 and 16-point efforts in the third and fourth periods, respectively. Junior Missa Webb tossed in 17 points (16 in the first three quarters) to pace Delta shooters. Delta senior Aubrey Jones scored 10 points, had six rebounds and made three steals in the win. Sophomore Sara Geddes was good for nine points, 12 rebounds and four steals while junior Jenna Sutliff had nine points, seven rebounds and five steals. Freshman Alexa Huff pulled down six rebounds for the Panthers in the win. Gunnison’s Jenna Wise scored nine points and Kylie Travis added seven in the loss. MCHS 45, Delta 29 Delta got to the Bulldogs, 54-25, on Feb. 16

but had no repeat performance for Moffat County on Friday. The Bulldogs gained an early advantage in the contest and held on for a halftime lead of 28-20. A two-point third quarter was devastating for the Panthers and eventually resulted in a 45-29 loss and a fourth-place finish in the tournament. Geddes’ 12 points was the most scored by a Delta player while Jana Camilletti was Moffat County’s top gun with 17 points followed by Tiffany Hildebrandt’s 11 counters. “Too many turnovers and missed shots,” was Delta coach Kyle Crowder’s post-game remark. “There were too many mental mistakes. We’re young and hopefully we will get better. Turnovers are always the key. We had too many to overcome against good teams like Moffat County and Cedaredge.”

Photo by Wayne Crick

Delta guard Kaley St. Peter (5) drops a pass into post player Sara Geddes during Friday’s 3A game against top-seeded Moffat County. The Bulldogs lost a 54-25 decision to Delta recently but had the offense to score a 45-29 win on Friday.

Paonia edges Dogs for 5th BY TAMIE MECK DCI Sports Writer

Photo by Wayne Crick

Delta junior Missa Webb shoots from the corner against Gunnison’s Laura Hanks in a game played Feb. 20 at Delta High School. The Panthers eliminated the Cowboys with a 52-36 victory and earned a berth in last week’s district tournament.

In their closest game in more than a decade, the Paonia Eagles edged out rival Hotchkiss in the District 5 consolation round Saturday at De Beque High School to qualify for this week’s regional basketball playoffs. Seniors Kassidy Rapke scored a game-high 13 points for Paonia, and Andi Todd scored 12. Paonia head coach Scott Rienks credited Hotchkiss and head coach Haillie Taylor for a job well done. With only eight players on the roster and playing their third game in four days, “They were very tired,” said Taylor. Hotchkiss was down by 11 points at the half, then put the pressure on to outscore Paonia in the

last two periods. Taylor said that with about two minutes remaining in the game, Hotchkiss senior Yasmine Gaub hit a three-pointer, then hit a second three-pointer with a minute remaining, putting a win within reach. Paonia had 23 fouls called on it, most of them in the second half, said Rienks. One of those calls came in the final minute, and at the three-point line, giving Hotchkiss three free throws. Both coaches disagreed with the call. Hotchkiss hit two of three shots to trail by two points. The Eagles defense dug in, and Paonia won the game, 4644. “They never gave up,” said Rienks. Hotchkiss junior Carson Collins scored a team-high 11 points and was 5-for-5 from the line.

Freshman Amelia Hickham shot 4-of-5 from the line, and sophomores Shay Glaser, who scored six points and was 4-for7 from the line, and Elsie Vasquez, who scored nine points, “really stepped up,” said Taylor. Paonia opened the tournament Wednesday on a 44-37 quarterfinal loss to fourth seeded Vail Christian. It advanced to the fifth-place game on a 38-17 consolation win over Hayden. Rienks gave credit to Hayden for its determination. Paonia rotated 12 players in and kept the press going throughout the game, at one point leading by 18. With a roster of underclassmen, Hayden is a very young team and was tired after playing a come-from-behind win over Plateau Valley in

the pigtail (elimination) round of the tournament. While pigtail games were played Monday, Hayden played Tuesday and didn’t have a day of rest before facing secondseeded Meeker Wednesday in quarterfinals, a game it lost, 66-25. Only 32 teams remain in contention for a state berth. Paonia will be seeded 24th when it opens Region 8 play Friday evening against ninth-seeded Denver Christian (17-4). The winners will face either No. 8 Ignacio, or No. 25 Sanford. In looking at the tournament, Rienks said he’s not worried about his team’s defense, which consistently holds teams to lower than average scores. It’s the scoring that needs to improve. Once the regional tourPAONIA TO B8

Bruin boys in 3A regionals BY WAYNE CRICK DCI Sports Editor

The Cedaredge Bruins didn’t make the 3A district tournament held at Central High School this past week. A 64-43 loss to first seed Coal Ridge in a quarterfinal game Feb. 19 seemed to be the final game for the Bruins. But, the selection committee had the Bruins (9-12) listed at 31 and penned them in to play this Friday evening at 6 p.m. against the 3A second-seeded Alamosa Maroons (18-3). Cedaredge had Coal Ridge’s number in first quarter play and outscored the Titans 13-10 in the game’s first eight minutes of action. The high-powered Titans were in a groove in second quarter play and took a halftime lead (29-18) on a 19-5 run. Cedaredge kept the score within reach in the third quarter by scoring three more points than the Titans to trail 44-36 with one quarter left to play. Coal Ridge earned the top seed in 3A WSL play by having a potent offense and solid defense. The Titans went on a 20-7 fourth quarter run sealing a 64-43 win over Cedaredge. Peter Carlson led the Bruins’ offense with 18 points, including four 3pointers. Jacob Lewis finished the game with 11 points. Kevin DiMarco was Coal Ridge’s, and the

game’s, leading scorer with 20 points. DiMarco added seven rebounds for the game as well. Other double-figure scorers for the Titans included Jan Hernandez (12) and Brandon Herrera finished with 11 points. Cedaredge coach Craig Cerise was asked if he was surprised with his team’s selection to play in the opening round of 32. “No, I wasn’t surprised that we got in because we had a strong strength of schedule. The kids are excited and we know we have a tough opponent ahead of us, but we’re going to do our best to make the most of the opportunity and see if we can get a big upset.” The Bruins will travel to Alamosa to play in the opening round of the 3A state tournament which begins March 2 with regional pairings in eight locations around the state. Joining the Bruins and Alamosa this weekend are 15th seed Grand Valley (17-5) and 18th seed Colorado Springs Christian (15-7). Winners of the March 2 game will play on Saturday, March 3, to move into the Sweet 16 round. Sweet 16 winners advance to Denver University (Hamilton Gym) to play in the Great 8 (March 8) with hopes of landing berths in the Final Four (March 9) and a shot at the state 3A title March 10.

The Delta County Independent publishes engagements, anniversaries and wedding stories free of charge.

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B8 Wednesday, February 28, 2018

SPORTS

Delta County Independent

Photo courtesy Lois Jump

Cedaredge’s Grace Andrews shows determination as she denies Roaring Fork’s Caroline Wisroth the baseline in last week’s quarterﬁnal round of 3A district playoff action in Cedaredge. The Bruins assured themselves of a spot in last weekend’s semi- and ﬁnal-round action with a 36-29 victory. Cedaredge defeated Delta 45-36 to win third place in the tournament.

BASKETBALL Photo by Wayne Crick

Delta senior Jaspar Carmichael lets the ball roll off his fingers on a three-point shot against Roaring Fork’s Rams in semifinal action of the 3A WSL district tournament held at Central High School in Grand Junction. The Panthers went stone cold in the second half of the game and lost a double-digit lead, and the game, 52-49. Delta rebounded to finish third (50-48) over Grand Valley.

Paonia CONTINUED FROM B7 nament opens, he said,” anything can happen... If they hit their shots, they can be in it.” RHS 58, HHS 42 Hotchkiss opened district play on a 58-42 quarterfinal loss to number three Rangely, then advanced to Saturday’s fifth-place game against Paonia on a 52-41 win over seventh seed West Grand. Sophomore Elsie Vasquez scored a gameand season-high 14 points. As with Paonia, the Bulldogs struggled to score in the opening period throughout the tournament, said Taylor. Against West Grand,

they trailed by four to start the second period, then tied the game at 1919 to end the half. The Bulldogs opened the tournament with a 58-42 loss at Rangely, which was seeded third. To end the season on a two-point loss to Paonia was a tough way to go out, said Taylor. Hotchkiss’s 10-11 record marks a big improvement over past years. Three years ago, in her first year as head coach, they ended the season with a 1-19 record; in 2017 they improved to 6-15. The team also met several goals this season, including a district qualification without having to play a pigtail game,

and playing strong in the second half, which was a big problem last season. After losing 10 players in January, they canceled their C-team and JV games. The eight players who stayed, said Taylor, worked hard for the remainder of the season, didn’t have to play a pigtail game, and earned a good seed in a very competitive league. “They really turned the program around,” said Taylor. This year they will lose one senior. The team is already planning its summer, said Taylor. Among the plans, it wants to host a summer tournament.

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——— STANDINGS ——— Western Slope Conference (2A) District 5 (Boys) TEAM LEAGUE OVERALL Rangely 11-1 15-7 Meeker 11-1 18-4 Vail Christian 10-2 17-5 Paonia 9-3 14-8 Hotchkiss 8-4 14-8 Plateau Valley 6-6 15-8 West Grand 6-6 10-12 Vail Mountain 5-7 8-14 Hayden 1-11 2-17 Caprock Academy 1-11 1-19 Soroco 1-11 4-16 District 5 (Girls) TEAM LEAGUE OVERALL Meeker 10-1 17-5 Rangely 10-1 19-3 Soroco 10-1 17-5 Vail Christian 7-4 14-8 Paonia 7-4 14-8 Hotchkiss 5-6 10-11 Hayden 3-8 6-15 West Grand 3-8 5-17 Plateau Valley 3-8 10-10 Caprock Academy 0-11 0-20 Vail Mountain 0-0 0-0 Western Slope Conference (3A) (Boys) TEAM LEAGUE OVERALL Coal Ridge 9-0 20-2 Roaring Fork 8-1 19-3 Delta 6-3 15-7 Grand Valley 6-3 17-5 Basalt 4-5 6-14 Gunnison 3-6 4-16 Olathe 3-6 8-12 Aspen 2-6 4-16 Cedaredge 2-7 9-12 Moffat County 2-7 10-11 TEAM Moffat County Grand Valley Cedaredge Delta Coal Ridge Roaring Fork Gunnison Olathe Basalt Aspen

(Girls) LEAGUE OVERALL 7-2 15-5 7-2 14-6 7-2 18-2 7-2 15-5 4-5 10-11 4-5 11-8 4-5 9-11 3-6 7-14 2-7 5-15 0-9 1-19

——— SCORES LAST WEEK ——— District Playoffs 2A District 5 Girls Play-in Games 2/20/18 7 West Grand 57, 10 Caprock Academy 19 9 Hayden 40, 8 Plateau Valley 39 Quarterfinals 1 Meeker 66, 9 Hayden 25 2 Soroco 51, 7 West Grand 37 3 Rangely 58, 6 Hotchkiss 42 4 Vail Christian 44, 5 Paonia 37 Consolation Semifinals 2/22/18 5 Paonia 38, 9 Hayden 17 6 Hotchkiss 52, 7 West Grand 41 Consolation Finals 2/24/18 5 Paonia 46, 6 Hotchkiss 44 (5th) Winners’ Bracket Semifinals 2/23/18 1 Meeker 53, 4 Vail Christian 42 4 Rangely 50, 2 Soroco 40 Third Place 2/24/18 2 Soroco 42, 4 Vail Christian 40 Championship 2/24/18 3 Rangely 52, 1 Meeker 51 District Playoffs 3A Girls Play-in Games 2/19/18 7 Coal Ridge 49, 10 Aspen 23 8 Olathe 44, 9 Basalt 36 Quarterfinals 2/20/18 1 Moffat County 54, 9 Olathe 27 2 Grand Valley 34, 7 Coal Ridge 31 3 Cedaredge 36, 6 Roaring Fork 29 4 Delta 52, 5 Gunnison 36 Semifinals 2/23/18 1 Moffat County 45, 4 Delta 29 2 Grand Valley 31, 3 Cedaredge 26 Third Place 2/24/18 3 Cedaredge 45, 4 Delta 36 Championship 2/24/18 1 Moffat County 43, 2 Grand Valley 34 District Playoffs 2A District 5 Boys Play-in Games 2/20/18 6 Plateau Valley 65, 11 Hayden 32 7 West Grand 63, 10 Caprock Academy 29 8 Vail Christian 60, 9 Soroco 48 Quarterfinals 2/21/18 1 Rangely 62, 8 Vail Mountain 34 2 Meeker 58, 7 West Grand 39 3 Vail Christian 59, 6 Plateau Valley 47 5 Hotchkiss 68, 4 Paonia 63 Consolation Semifinals 2/22/18 4 Paonia 61, 8 Vail Christian 43 6 Plateau Valley 55, 7 West Grand 40 Consolation Semifinals 2/22/18 4 Paonia 61, 8 Vail Mountain 43 6 Plateau Valley 55, 7 West Grand 40 Consolation Finals 2/24/18 (5th) 4 Paonia 66, 6 Plateau Valley 63 Winners’ Bracket Semifinals 2/23/18 5 Hotchkiss 59, 1 Rangely 46 2 Meeker 62, 3 Vail Christian 51

Third Place 2/24/18 3 Vail Christian 68, 1 Rangely 65 Championship 2/24/18 2 Meeker 60, 5 Hotchkiss 55

42 vs North Park 2/2/18 37 35 vs West Grand 2/3/18 23 54 @ Meeker 2/9/18 69 37 vs Montrose JV 2/13/18 16 56 vs Rangely 2/16/18 61 37 @ Vail Christian District Tny 2/21/18 37 38 vs Hayden District Tny 2/22/18 17 xx vs Hotchkiss District Tny 2/24/18 xx Record: 7-4, 13-8 Up Next: 3/2/18 at Ignacio vs 9 Denver Christian

District Playoffs 3A Boys Play-in Games 2/19/18 9 Cedaredge 55, 8 Aspen 47 10 Moffat County, 7 Gunnison 45 Quarterfinals 2/20/18 1 Coal Ridge 64, 9 Cedaredge 43 4 Grand Valley 69, 5 Basalt 51 2 Roaring Fork 70, 10 Moffat County 36 3 Delta 73, 6 Olathe 22 Semifinals 2/23/18 1 Coal Ridge 62, 4 Grand Valley 39 2 Roaring Fork 52, 3 Delta 49 Third Place 2/24/18 3 Delta 50, 4 Grand Valley 48 Championship 2/24/18 1 Coal Ridge 53, 2 Roaring Fork 51 ——— RESULTS ——— Girl’s 3A Western Slope League Cedaredge Head Coach: Ryan Hilbig 52 at Meeker Tny vs Aspen 11/30/17 8 38 at Meeker Tny vs Meeker 12/1/17 37 43 at Meeker Tny vs Soroco 39 57 @ Ridgway 12/5/17 5 50 vs Hotchkiss @ FCNB 12/15/17 32 47 vs Delta @ FCNB 12/16/17 (OT) 43 40 @ Olathe 1/5/18 15 43 @ Rangely 1/12/18 34 41 @ Delta 1/16/18 (OT) 39 51 vs Coal Ridge 1/20/18 42 34 vs Grand Valley 1/26/18 38 40 @ Basalt 1/27/18 31 27 vs Olathe 2/2/18 16 37 @ Gunnison 2/3/18 29 34 vs Delta 2/6/18 30 36 vs Vail Christian 2/9/18 35 41 @ Aspen 2/10/18 10 30 vs Roaring Fork 2/16/18 27 32 @ Moffat County 2/17/18 43 36 vs Roaring Fork District Tny 2/20/18 29 26 vs Moffat County District Tny 2/23/18 31 45 vs Delta District Tny 2/24/18 36 Record: 7-2, 18-3 Up Next: 3/2/18 at Cedaredge vs 21 Liberty Common Round 1 3A Regionals Delta Head Coach: Kyle Crowder 64 vs Hotchkiss 12/5/17 38 62 @ Basalt 12/7/17 25 53 vs Olathe 12/12/17 45 48 vs Paonia @ FCNB 12/15/17 36 43 vs Cedaredge @ FCNB 12/16/17 (OT) 47 55 vs Roaring Fork 1/5/18 39 32 vs Montrose 1/12/18 43 51 vs Gunnison 1/13/18 25 39 vs Cedaredge 1/16/18 (OT) 41 53 vs Telluride 1/19/18 17 56 vs Basalt 1/20/18 54 63 @ Coal Ridge 1/26/18 51 46 @ Olathe 1/27/18 28 51 @ Aspen 2/1/18 19 54 @ Gunnison 2/2/18 49 30 @ Cedaredge 2/6/18 34 56 @ Roaring Fork 2/10/18 48 54 vs Moffat County 2/16/18 25 41 @ Grand Valley 2/17/18 59 52 vs Gunnison District Tny 2/20/18 36 29 vs Moffat County District Tny 2/23/18 45 36 vs Cedaredge District Tny 2/24/18 45 Record: 7-2, 15-7 Up Next: 3/2/18 at Kent Denver vs Resurrection Christian Round 1 3A Regionals Girls 2A District 5 Hotchkiss Head Coach: Haillie Taylor 44 at Paonia Shootout vs Nucla 11/30/17 25 67 at Paonia Shootout vs Rid 12/1/17 11 61 at Paonia Shootout vs Nor 12/2/17 38 38 @ Delta 12/5/17 64 54 @ Telluride 12/7/17 33 32 vs Cedaredge @ FCNB 12/15/17 50 32 vs Paonia @ FCNB 12/16/17 35 72 @ Caprock Academy 1/5/18 7 45 vs Plateau Valley 1/6/18 41 40 @ De Beque 1/13/18 44 39 @ Paonia 1/18/18 55 37 vs Hayden 1/26/18 27 42 vs Soroco 1/27/18 53 37 @ Rangely 2/2/18 46 41 vs Meeker 2/3/18 43 54 @ West Grand 2/9/18 42 33 @ North Park 2/10/18 43 40 vs Vail Christian 2/16/18 38 58 @ Rangely District Tny 2/21/18 42 52 vs West Grand District Tny 2/22/18 41 xx vs Paonia District Tny 2/24/18 xx Record: 5-6, 10-11 Up Next: Season over. Paonia Head Coach: Scott Rienks 42 at Paonia Shootout vs Nor 11/30/17 60 vs Ridgway @ Paonia TNY 12/2/17 28 @ Olathe 12/5/17 26 vs Coal Ridge 12/8/17 36 vs Delta @ FCNB 12/15/17 35 vs Hotchkiss @ FCNB 12/16/17 47 @ Plateau Valley 1/5/18 61 vs Caprock Academy 1/6/18 22 @ Soroco 1/12/18 39 @ Hayden 1/13/18 55 vs Hotchkiss 1/18/18 21 @ Grand Valley 1/23/18 32 @ Vail Christian 1/26/18 46 vs De Beque 1/27/18

11 9 35 25 48 32 23 8 55 19 39 43 44 24

Boys 3A Western Slope League Cedaredge Head Coach: Craig Cerise 57 @ Ridgway 12/5/17 24 53 vs Rangely @ White River Tny 12/7/17 39 38 @ Meeker @ White River Tny 12/8/17 71 75 vs Soroco @ White River Tny 12/9/17 58 69 vs Hotchkiss @ FCNB 12/15/17 63 54 vs Delta @ FCNB 12/16/17 71 71 @ Olathe 1/5/18 80 64 @ Rangely 1/12/18 63 49 @ Delta 1/16/18 45 56 vs Coal Ridge 1/20/18 66 41 vs Grand Valley 1/26/18 78 59 @ Basalt 1/27/18 63 50 vs Olathe 2/2/18 59 49 @ Gunnison 2/3/18 64 62 vs Delta 2/6/18 52 52 vs Vail Christian 2/9/18 57 30 @ Aspen 2/10/18 44 34 vs Roaring Fork 2/16/18 56 48 @ Moffat County 2/17/18 41 55 @ Aspen District Tny 2/19/18 47 43 @ Coal Ridge District Tny 2/20/18 64 Record: 2-7, 9-12 Up Next: 3/2/18 at Alamosa vs 2 Alamosa Round 1 3A Regionals Delta Head Coach: Rob Ames 84 vs Hotchkiss 12/5/17 59 64 @ Basalt 12/7/17 58 70 vs Olathe 12/12/17 45 62 vs Paonia @ FCNB 12/15/17 30 71 vs Cedaredge @ FCNB 12/16/17 54 47 vs Roaring Fork 1/5/18 59 43 vs Montrose 1/12/18 49 53 vs Gunnison 1/13/18 22 45 vs Cedaredge 1/18/18 49 69 vs Telluride 1/19/18 43 60 vs Basalt 1/20/18 50 48 @ Coal Ridge 1/26/18 70 84 @ Olathe 1/27/18 70 70 @ Aspen 2/1/18 50 58 @ Gunnison 2/2/18 43 52 @ Cedaredge 2/6/18 62 48 @ Roaring Fork 2/10/18 60 80 vs Moffat County 2/16/18 43 63 @ Grand Valley 2/17/18 62 73 vs Olathe District Tny 2/20/18 22 49 vs Roaring Fork District Tny 2/23/18 52 50 vs Grand Valley District Tny 2/24/18 48 Record: 6-3, 15-7 Up Next: 3/2/18 at Sterling vs. Arrupe Jesuit 3A Regionals Boys 2A District 5 Hotchkiss Head Coach: Eric Hollembeak 77 at Paonia Shootout vs Nucla 11/30/17 27 31 at Paonia Shootout vs Rid 12/1/17 28 69 at Paonia Shootout vs Nor 12/2/17 21 59 @ Delta 12/5/17 84 82 @ Telluride 12/7/17 78 63 vs Cedaredge @ FCNB 12/15/17 69 43 vs Paonia @ FCNB 12/16/17 60 77 @ Caprock Academy 1/5/18 26 61 vs Plateau Valley 1/6/18 53 45 @ De Beque 1/13/18 54 55 @ Paonia 1/18/18 50 50 @ Vail Mountain 1/20/18 33 65 vs Hayden 1/26/18 44 66 vs Soroco 1/27/18 39 54 @ Rangely 2/2/18 64 58 vs Meeker 2/3/18 66 60 @ West Grand 2/9/18 51 75 @ North Park 2/10/18 25 49 vs Vail Christian 2/16/18 (OT) 52 68 @ Paonia District Tny 2/21/18 63 59 vs Rangely District Tny 2/23/18 46 55 vs Meeker District Tny 2/24/18 60 Record: 8-4, 14-8 Up Next: 3/2/18 at Ignacio vs 11 Limon 2A Regionals Paonia Head Coach: Chase Roeber 54 at Paonia Shootout vs Nor 12/1/17 34 54 at Paonia Shootout vs Rid 12/2/17 18 52 @ Olathe 12/5/17 66 55 vs Coal Ridge 12/8/17 64 30 vs Delta @ FCNB 12/15/17 62 60 vs Hotchkiss @ FCNB 12/16/17 43 68 @ Plateau Valley 1/5/18 37 70 vs Caprock Academy 1/6/18 20 70 @ Soroco 1/12/18 42 54 @ Hayden 1/17/18 37 50 vs Hotchkiss 1/18/18 55 37 @ Grand Valley 1/23/18 74 80 @ Vail Christian 1/26/18 67 73 vs De Beque 1/27/18 53 73 @ Vail Mountain 1/30/18 64 66 vs North Park 2/2/18 41 73 vs West Grand 2/3/18 44 54 @ Meeker 2/9/18 69 56 vs Rangely 2/16/18 61 63 vs Hotchkiss District Tny 2/21/18 68 61 vs Vail Mountain District Tny 2/22/18 43 66 vs Plateau Valley District Tny 2/24/18 63 Record: 9-3, 14-8 Up Next: 3/2/18 at Highland vs 14 Del Norte 2A Regionals

SURFACE CREEK February 28, 2018

NEWS

Section

www.deltacountyindependent.com

Town, chamber partner to improve business services The Town of Cedaredge and the Cedaredge Area Chamber of Commerce have teamed up see how the two entities can better partner with businesses in the Surface Creek area, as well as learn the barriers local consumers face for shopping locally, and what steps businesses can take to earn more of the local shopper business. A survey is now open to anyone in the Surface Creek area, both business owners/managers as well as community members who live, work, shop or play in the area. The short, two-part survey asks questions of consumers — those who shop in any stores here or who use service providers here (massage therapists, auto mechanics, CPAs, or others) — as well as business owners. “We know that a local business lives and dies by the amount of local support it gets in the way of shoppers or service-users,” said Kami Collins, the executive director of the chamber. The survey, she explained, seeks answers to questions local consumers face as they make purchasing decisions. “We want to know what barriers our community faces when it comes to shopping locally,” she said. Additionally, from the business perspective, the survey aims to figure out how the community, the town and the chamber can be more effective in supporting local business. “We are asking for your very honest feedback on how we can improve,” Collins said. “Your opinion is very important to us — we want to make sure we are giving our businesses the best support possible, and that we’re helping our businesses better serve the local clientele,

so that we can all enjoy a more robust, thriving Surface Creek Valley.” The survey is available online at www.surveymon key.com/r/SurfaceCreekArea. Links to the survey can be found on the chamber’s and the town’s Facebook pages and on their websites (www. CedaredgeChamber.com or www.CedaredgeColorado.com). Paper copies are also available at both the chamber office or the town hall. The survey should take no more than 10 minutes to complete. The survey will be open until March 19. On Tuesday, March 27, at 6 p.m. at the Civic Center, the two entities will hold a community meeting to discuss the results of the survey and to make plans for how we, as a community, move forward to make positive change for our businesses. For questions or more information, please contact Kami Collins at the Cedaredge Area Chamber (cedaredgearea chamber@gmail.com; 856-6961) or Greg Brinck with the Town of Cedaredge (manager@ cedar edgecolorado.com; 856-3123).

Road work ahead

Things are getting complicated in downtown Cedaredge as traffic is re-routed to bypass the Highway 65 and Main Street enhancement project. The goal is to make the intersection — which contains the town’s one and only stoplight — more pedestrian friendly and improve traffic flow while maintaining historic aesthetics. Construction is projected to be completed by May 15.

Volunteers needed to provide ‘A Little Help’ for seniors BY DON BENJAMIN Staff Writer

It was a simple idea that began in the hearts of a diverse group of Paonia residents. They asked themselves whether residents in the North Fork Valley would be willing to perform small

tasks that, when added together, would help senior citizens keep active, engaged with their community, and remain householders. Soon volunteers were assembled to rake leaves, shovel snow and drive their older neighbors to appointments.

Irrigation system master plan is in the works at the golf course BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

At the golf course, a new inline filter and pump house repairs were budgeted for 2018. With the changing of the guard at the golf course, newly-appointed clubhouse operations director Erik Hansen is now recommending that a portion of those budgeted funds instead be spent on an irrigation system master plan. Town administrator Greg Brinck said the master plan will be prepared by Irrigation Technologies, the same firm that did an audit at the golf course several years ago. “We want to make sure we’re taking the right steps, and not causing future problems,” Brinck told town trustees at their Feb. 15 meeting. For a fee of $2,450, Irrigation Technologies will spend one day on site to review and examine the existing irrigation infrastructure and operational procedures. The irrigation assessment report developed in 2013 will be referenced and used as a general guide for the development of an irrigation system master plan. As outlined in the contract with Irrigation Technologies, the report is expected to examine the history of the golf course, identify the average annual water use, current water rights, available storage, other users on the system, identify the estimated remaining life of key irrigation system components, identify potential cost and/or water saving opportunities, estimate the cost to design and implement each master plan phase/ component, identify phases that may be completed by golf course staff and identify a logical progression to implement the recommendations. Agreeing the master plan is “a wise idea,” trustees unanimously approved the contract with Irrigation Technologies. They also agreed to reallocate $2,500 budgeted for carpet upgrades in the pro shop. At Hansen’s recommendation, the funds will instead be used for new driving range balls and for rental golf clubs. “They

Photo by Don Benjamin

are both revenue generators for the town,” Hansen said. Hansen said he has done a little remodeling in the pro shop and is placing orders for personalized merchandise with local firms, rather than ordering directly from the manufacturer as has been the practice. Hansen also provided an update on golf course operations. During the unusually mild month of January, the golf course saw 365 golfers, compared to zero over the past three years. The golf course is closed on Mondays. Use of golf carts is restricted to Wednesdays and Fridays to accommodate older Century Club golfers. The rest of the week, golfers must walk

to protect the greens and fairways. Hansen also talked about marketing efforts, saying he is turning his focus to Grand Junction because the golf course has seen an increase in the number of golfers traveling from that area. “I’ve got a very positive outlook on this year,” Hansen told the trustees. Steve Pierce, a resident of the golf course neighborhood, said eight new taps in the developments surrounding the golf course have generated $160,000 for the town. He has formed a nonprofit, OB Promotions, to promote the course and get kids involved in the sport.

That was three years ago. Since that time the concept of creating supportive communities by connecting seniors and volunteers has mushroomed until the notion of providing a little help to others has expanded into Chaffee County, Jefferson County, and the Denver metro-area. And next month, the grassroots non-profit organization known as ‘A Little Help’ — the heartfelt idea that originated in the North Fork Valley — will launch an effort to serve the rest of Delta County. To introduce the concept, Kathy Edwards, Delta County coordinator for the organization, has invited residents from Delta, Orchard City, Austin, Cory, Eckert, and Cedaredge to attend a party next week to learn about ‘A Little Help.’ The ‘What the Help?’ party will be held on Wednesday, March 7, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Volunteers of America senior community care facility at 11485 Hwy 65 in Eckert. All interested Delta County citizens — especially those interested in volunteering — are encouraged to attend. Snacks and drinks will be served. To help with planning, those interested in

attending are asked to RSVP by emailing kathy@alittlehelp. org, or by calling 527-3482. “Volunteers are the key to our operation,” Edwards said. Once a solid base of volunteers is established and trained, the organization can begin reaching out to seniors in need of support. As a preview for prospective volunteers, Edwards outlined the process of “how it works:” 1) Those interested in volunteering complete an application and indicate the type of service they are willing to provide. Examples are driving a senior to an appointment or to shop for groceries; shoveling snow; providing occasional pet care; or doing light yard work. 2) Volunteers go through background screening and, after clearance, receive training and mentoring. 3) Once screened and trained volunteers are in place, applications are obtained from seniors in need of assistance. As part of the application process each senior indicates how much he or she can contribute toward an annual membership fee. (The service is not free but contribution amounts A LITTLE HELP TO C2

Delta County vets answer the call BY DON BENJAMIN Staff Writer

The Welcome Home Alliance for Veterans held a first-ever coffee event in Delta County on Feb. 20 and the turnout was encouraging. Forty-five veterans assembled in downtown Cedaredge to meet and greet others and learn about services. The Pondy provided the room for the event and served free coffee while Stacy’s on Main provided free treats. Plans are to hold the event in the same place on the third Tuesday of every month. During the event, Frank McPherson was presented with a hand-carved cane created by the Woodworker’s Guild of Western Colorado and the Montrose Area WoodTurners. The alliance’s EagleHead Cane Program continues a tradition begun after the Civil War of presenting canes to returning veterans. Veterans can be nominated to receive a cane or be nominated for the honor by contacting the alliance in Montrose at 970-765-2210. The next Welcome Home Alliance veterans’ coffee will be held at the Pondy from 10 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, March 21. The event is a meet-

Photo by Don Benjamin

Frank McPherson of Hotchkiss received an eagle-head cane as part of The Welcome Home Alliance for Veterans coffee held last week in Cedaredge. The presentation of handmade canes to honor returning veterans is a tradition that dates back to the Civil War. Pictured left to right are Welcome Home Alliance administrative assistant April Heard; Alliance executive director Mike Trickey; McPherson; and Brian Ayers, Delta County veteran service ofﬁcer. and-greet affair and veterans are welcome to drop in at any time to socialize with their comrades and inquire about services. Every month alli-

ance representatives and veterans service officers will be on hand to answer questions and make referrals. All veterans attending are requested

to bring a copy of their DD214 discharge documents or other military identification so they can be added to the alliance’s service base. For information and questions prior to the next alliance coffee, Delta County veterans can contact Brian Ayer, county veteran service officer. He works part-time at the Delta County Courthouse, 501 Palmer Street, Suite 106, in Delta. His office hours are the first ten working days of every month from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. At other times Ayers is available by phone at 970874-2082 or through email: bayers@deltacounty.com. All Delta County veterans are urged to attend the March 21 meeting and return on the third Tuesday of every month for further interaction. For questions, contact the alliance at 970-765-2210. Veterans can also visit the Montrose office at 11 South Park Avenue although they are in the process of moving to a new location at 2 Hillcrest Plaza Way in Montrose. In fact, if Delta County veterans want to pitch in and help with the move, the alliance would welcome their assistance. Call ahead to sign up to help with the move.

C2 Wednesday, February 28, 2018

SURFACE CREEK NEWS

Delta County Independent

A Little Help FROM PAGE C1 are tailored to the circumstances of each individual senior.) If a senior is accepted for membership, organization representatives conduct a home visit to further explain services.

After enrollment in the program, a senior needing assistance contacts ‘A Little Help’ with a request. Volunteers are alerted and each volunteer can choose whether to respond. Requests for assistance and responses

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are coordinated and negotiated until a match is achieved. Volunteers are not required to keep a regular schedule and can respond to help as their schedules allow. For this reason, having a sizeable group of volunteers is essential to the program’s success. In addition to initial training, volunteers receive regular continuing education in the form of online videos. Volunteers also meet periodically to receive information and mentoring from organization staff. And there are opportunities for volunteer and senior member interactions. These include neighborhood picnics and other social gatherings as well as occasional ‘Service Saturdays’ during which community members — especially high school students — help seniors with spring and fall yard work. ‘A Little Help’ sums up the program’s potential impact on volunteers and senior members in its information brochure: “The simple act of helping can make someone’s day. With A Little Help, you can help build a stronger community with a bit of your time and effort. Our team brings together people just like you — great neighbors who care.” To learn more, call 970527-3482, visit their website: www.alittlehelp.org, or contact them by email: office@alittlehelp.org.

Photo by Randy Sunderland

Bundled up for a late afternoon deer count, Cedaredge residents receive maps and instructions from Cody Purcell (center in uniform). Purcell serves as district wildlife manager for Colorado Parks & Wildlife. The winter deer count is the ﬁrst stage of data-gathering to create a scientiﬁc plan to manage the town’s growing mule deer population. Pictured left to right are: Bob Stine, Purcell, George Pfahl and Gerry Mendralla.

Deer count begins for Cedaredge herd BY DON BENJAMIN Staff Writer

Last Friday, Cody Purcell, district wildlife manager for Colorado Parks & Wildlife, assembled 14 citizen volunteers and six CPW staff to conduct a count of the Cedaredge mule deer population. The purpose of the count was to gather data on the increasing number of

deer that are congregating in and adjacent to town. The survey was a follow-up to Purcell’s winter campaign to remind local residents to stop feeding wild deer. Deer are clustering in and around Cedaredge, in part because local residents are feeding them. Feeding wild deer is bad for their health

Miller is student of month BY RICK SMITH Contributing Writer

Jayden Miller, a Cedaredge High School student, was recognized by Mayor Ken Volgamore and the Board of Trustees as Orchard City’s Student of the Month in February. Jayden is a senior and maintains a 4.0 GPA.

She is a member of the National Honor Society and has been recommended for membership for science scholars. Jayden has received academic achievement awards in Spanish and math. She also has been

honored as a Lion’s Club Student of the Month. Jayden has had a part time job throughout high school. After graduating, she plans on attending Colorado Mesa University to major in criminal justice.

Photo by Rick Smith

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Mayor Ken Volgamore presented the student of the month award to Cedaredge High School senior Jayden Miller.

and it is illegal under Colorado law. Deer cannot digest unnatural food and eating it contributes to poor health and sometimes kills the animals. Violators are subject to citations and fines but Purcell hopes that community awareness will decrease the likelihood that local residents will be cited. To conduct the deer count, Cedaredge and areas near the town limits were divided into eight zones. Counters were given zone maps and instructed to record the number, gender, and location of animals spotted between 4 p.m. and dusk. Purcell emphasized that the winter count represents the early stages of CPW efforts to develop a scientific management plan to deal with the town’s growing deer population. Another count will be conducted in the summer to get an idea of deer movements during diverse seasons. Preliminary count totals may be released after they have been analyzed but the overall goal is to continue gathering data in order to prepare a comprehensive management plan to guide future actions.

Delta County 2018 ��

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SURFACE CREEK NEWS

Delta County Independent

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

What’s bugging you? Local gardening questions and answers BY JIM LESER Cedaredge Tree Board

In this week’s column I am going to give you a preview of some of the creepy crawler garden dwellers

True scorpion

I will be talking about at the March 16 meeting of the Plant and Dig Garden Club. If you are interested in more information, I am sure they would love to have you attend. This group of “creepies” is the scorpions and lookalikes. The first is the true scorpion, of which there are many species. They all have pinchers and a long tail with a stinger on its tip. Scorpions sting in self-defense and most stings are not very serious.

Their size in our area averages two to three inches in length. A neat characteristic of scorpions is that they fluoresce in the darkness when exposed to black light (UV light). North American windor sun scorpions are generally smaller than most scorpions, averaging about one inch in length. They have large jaws but are

Sun scorpion

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tailless. They are nocturnal and excellent predators of beasties we consider pests. Leave them alone! There is a myth that continues that Middle Eastern camel spiders (close relatives to our sun scorpions) are as large as humans and can run up to 25 mph. Total hogwash! They do however get larger than ours, up to 6 inches in length. Whip scorpions, also known as vinegarones have pinchers and a whip tail but no stinger. They are quite large averaging three to five inches long. They are dark in color and have a gland that gives off a spray containing acetic acid when disturbed, hence

their name including the word, vinegar. They are nocturnal, have poor vision and locate prey mainly through vibrations. The pseudoscorpions are the midgets of the scorpion world, averaging 1/8 to 1⁄4 inch long. They have pinchers but no tail or stinger. They too are predators but their inconspicuous size makes them almost invisible where they live in leaf litter and under rocks or tree bark. So there you have it, four kinds of “scorpions,” all considered by most people as creepy crawlers but I find quite fascinating. But then again, I’m a bug guy; we’re different.

Vinegarone

Pseudo scorpion Jim Leser retired to Cedaredge in 2007 after a career with Texas A&M University Extension in entomology. He is on the Cedaredge Tree Board and a Colorado Master Gardener.

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C6 Wednesday, February 28, 2018

CHURCH

Delta County Independent

Help keep Chaplain Tim in prison A favorite saying of the Chaplain Support Team, a local outreach of the national organization Good News Jail and Prison Ministry, which has placed Chaplain Tim Bergstrom at the Delta Correctional Center, is “We need to raise money in order to keep Chaplain Tim in prison.” Although the Department of Corrections provides a beautiful place for the chaplain to conduct his ministry, the Chapel of Hope, originally built on prison grounds using both private and prison labor but financed by donations from the community, the DOC does not provide any financial assistance or salary

to the chaplains in their various institutions. The salaries and expenses of the chaplains in Colorado prisons are raised by the chaplains, much like missionaries, from donations and contributions of individuals and churches and through fundraisers like the one coming up on March 9. On that evening, the Chaplain Support Team will provide a dessert banquet and host a talent show to help support Chaplain Tim and “keep him in prison.” The organization is very pleased with his ministry and wants to make sure he can continue the work without the distraction of constantly looking for

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money. The festivities start at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, March 9 (doors open at 6), at the Delta Christian Church, 795 1600 Road, Delta, with the serving of cheesecakes, strawberry drizzle cake, tarts and other favorites, along with coffee, tea and punch. After an opportunity to fellowship and enjoy the goodies, guests will be treated to some superb entertainment, including Del and Laura Smith of Ridgway (formerly of Delta), Kathy Kolman of Delta, Doug Martin of Ridgway, and a very unique group of singing men and musicians. Tickets are $10 each,

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mandatory. Good News Jail and Prison Ministry is also seeking monthly donors to help support the ministry of Chaplain Tim at the Chapel of Hope. For further

information or to purchase tickets or sponsor a table, call Brad Kolman at 970-275-0006 or Chaplain Tim Bergstrom at 970-874-5880 or 253678-1416.

Learn to shape your brain and body by your thoughts The Center for Spiritual Life will host a class based on Dr. Joe Dispenza’s book “You Are the Placebo.” Transform your life through the power of thought and the practice of meditation and access a higher level of consciousness. Release illness and

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disease and understand how the brain works to heal your body. You are shaping your brain and body by the thoughts you think, the emotions you feel and by the intentions you hold. Learn how to harness the knowledge to create a new body and a new life for you.

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Penny Rubala RN, MSN will present this five-week class on Mondays beginning March 26. The class will run from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at 658 Howard Street, Delta. The cost is $125, plus the cost of the textbook. For more information, call Rubala at 778-0562.

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or $50 for a table of six. Those who are not able to attend and businesses may also sponsor a table for $50. As always, additional donations will be requested, but are not

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Classifieds

February 28, 2018

Real Estate

D SECTION

Delta County Independent

BUY • SELL • TRADE

Real Estate

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WORLD

in Your Hands Every time you read the newspaper, you open up a world of interesting and informative facts, figures and features. ALL THE NEWS YOU CAN USE Government Opinions Sports Weddings Obituaries Upcoming Events

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401 Meeker St. Delta • 874-4421

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Commercial Rentals OFFICE FOR RENT. CEDaredge, 4 room office, 600 square feet plus bathroom. Great location, right on Hwy. 65 in town. Plenty of parking. $660 per month, includes electric and water. Call 970-856-3032. (4x8)

Yard Sales

Rentals CREEKSIDE 3 BEDROOM 2 bath in Cedaredge, totally remodeled, 2 decks, laundry hookups, double garage, non-smokers only, $1,120/ mo + utilities, First and last month plus $1,200 deposit, 1-Year lease (360) 929-5155. (1x9)

Yard Sales

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For Sale LARGE GREENHOUSES, great prices. Made in Colorado, for Colorado. 970-726-9555, altitudegreenhouses.com. (4x9)

Help Wanted

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CRAFTSMAN LAWNmower. 19.5 horsepower, 6 speeds, 2 blades, 42 inch cut, 2 grass catchers. Asking $900. Call 970-3235474. (2x9)

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1975 CADILAC DE Ville (low miles), roll-away bed (very nice), 2 resin patio chairs (new condition), Haier handwash type washer, free love seat. 970216-6045. (2x9)

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THE CITY OF DELTA Police Department in Delta, Colorado is now accepting applications for Police Officer. Under direction of the sergeant or assigned supervisor, patrols an assigned area in the enforcement of law and order and prevention of crime; takes intensive field and basic training in the early period of employment. Necessary special requirements are: High School Graduate; possess a valid Colorado driver’s license; State certified or certifiable in Law Enforcement through the Colorado Peace Officers Standards Training (P.O.S.T); must be 21 years of age or more at time of hire; will be required to pass a detailed background and criminal record check, a psychological exam, physical agility, written test, pre-employment drug test and a pre-employment fit for duty exam. The starting salary is $21.93 per hour plus an excellent benefits package. Please submit application and the supplemental application to: City of Delta, Attn: Human Resources, 360 Main Street, Delta, CO 81416. Deadline for applications is 5:00 p.m. March 9, 2018. Applications, supplemental applications and a complete job description are available at address listed above, or at www.cityofdelta.net. Applications received after the deadline, or incomplete, will not be accepted. EOE. (2x9)

HELP WANTED: THE City of Delta is now accepting applications for a Project Manager in the Public Works Department. Position is Full-Time, FLSA Exempt with excellent benefits. Salary is based on �� qualifications with range of �� $59,446 to $72,069. Under �� general supervision of the �� Director of Public Works �� and Utilities, performs �� professional level planning �� and management of �� construction; replacement and repair projects for �� City infrastructure such as �� streets, sidewalks, bridges, �� utility improvements and �� extensions; identifies, �� drafts and manages grant �� opportunities; collaborates �� with City departments and �� outside agencies to draft �� and update master plans; �� tracks and updates asset �� management systems; maintains records, maps �� and computer files for �� projects. Requirements �� include a Bachelor’s degree �� in Engineering, Construction �� Management or related �� technical field of study; up �� to 5 years of progressively responsible work in civil �� infrastructure construction �� or related experience; public �� sector work preferred, �� but not required. Will be �� required to successfully �� pass a pre-employment �� drug screen, physical and �� background check. Submit �� completed City of Delta �� employment application �� to the City of Delta, Attn: �� Human Resources, 360 �� Main St., Delta, CO 81416 by first review date March 12, 2018. Applications and CLYDE'S CAFE IS TAK- SEEKING PART TIME a complete job description ing applications for ex- Hygienist in a friendly work are available at the above perienced server. Apply in environment. If interested address or online at www. person, 326 Main, Delta. No please call Paonia Dental at cityofdelta.net. This posting (970) 527-4853 (4x6) phone calls please. (2x8) will remain open until filled. Incomplete applications YOUR LISTING HERE! PEOPLE LOOK FOR JOBS will not be considered. EOE in the classifieds. 874-4421 call now... 874-4421 (3x8)

�� LOCAL TRACTOR AND Trailer Dealership looking for a parts associate. You must have computer experience, great customer service, and knowledge of farm equipment. You must also have the ability to diagnose small issues with farm equipment and trailers. Some responsibility would be answering phones and ordering parts for customers, inventory and our shop mechanics. ______ an hour... it is dependent upon skill level. If interested please apply in person at Varner Equipment at 1375 Highway 50 Delta, CO 81416 (3x8) VARNER EQUIPMENT IS taking applications now for a yardman. Experience in driving a skidsteer and forklift. Must be self-motivated and focused to complete jobs on your own. Starting pay is $10/hour. Apply in person at 1375 Highway 50 in Delta or call 970-8740612. (3x8)

FULL-TIME AGRICULTURAL mechanic needed for tractor and trailer dealership. Must have experience with farm machinery, a knowledge of tractor hydraulics, PTOs, transmissions, etc. Must have tools and some computer experience. $15$20 an hour, dependent upon skill level. If interested please apply in person at 1375 Highway 50 in Delta or call 970-874-0612. (3x8) WILBUR-ELLIS IN DELTA is looking for an Administrative Assistant who is also comfortable working as needed in the warehouse. Keen eye for details necessary. Must be proficient with computers/ order entry & have ability to lift bags/boxes up to 80 lbs. Excellent interpersonal/customer service skills required. Collaborative team environment, good company, pay, & benefits. Apply online at www.wilbur ellis.com. (2x9)

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D2 Wednesday, February 28, 2018 Help Wanted ��

CLASSIFIEDS

Help Wanted JOB OPENING: DISTRICT Conservation Technician. This position is offered through the Delta Conservation District (DCD) in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), located in the Delta Field Office on the western slope of Colorado. The position will provide engineering/survey technical assistance on agricultural irrigation projects, specifically the NRCS Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP). This is a one-year, grant funded position, which may be extended as funds allow. Duties: Complete feasibility determinations and preliminary quantity estimates, conduct field surveys, prepare engineering designs and drawings, initiate and maintain contact with landowners who are interested in and/or qualify for federal government soil and water conservation plans/projects. Requirements: Proficiency in using Windows OS, MS Excel, Word, Outlook, AutoCAD Civil 3d, and principles of mathematics; knowledge and skill sufficient to conduct engineering surveys, interpret acquired data and develop plans through application of controlling criteria principles; knowledge of hydraulic principles of water, agricultural and community land-use operations and practices, and agricultural irrigation systems; familiarity with construction equipment; possess excellent organizational, communication and interpersonal skills. Qualifications and Skills: Bachelor of Science Degree preferred, or course work relevant to the position AND experience in designing irrigation systems, pipelines, pumps, surveying, AutoCAD Civil 3d, mathematic principles, clean, valid Colorado Driver’s License. Salary starts at $15/hour, Full-Time, Vacation, Holiday, Sick Leave. Please mail resume with cover letter to DCD, 690 Industrial Blvd., Delta, CO 81416 or email to deltaconservationd@gmail. com. (2x9)

Help Wanted THE TOWN OF HOTCHkiss is now accepting application for a full time position with Public Works Department. Requirements include the following: Minimum of D water and D wastewater operator’s license or ability to acquire within one year. Minimum of a class 1 water distribution and class 1 wastewater collection license or ability to acquire within one year. Minimum of a class B CDL driver’s license or ability to acquire within one year. Ability to perform physical labor. Successful applicant must be able to pass preemployment drug screening and background check. Experience with equipment operation, computer, mapping, map and blue print reading, electrical, plumbing, pipe laying, construction and mechanical skills are all great assets to the Public Works Department. Employees must perform rotating weekend assignments. Public Works is considered part of the emergency response team for the Town of Hotchkiss. Employees must be able to accept on call status and respond within 20 minutes. Town of Hotchkiss employment applications are available on line at w w w. t o w n o f h o t c h k i s s . com or can be picked up at the Town of Hotchkiss Town Hall, 276 West Main St., Hotchkiss, CO, 970872-3663. Compensation is based on experience and includes benefit package. Applications are due by 3:00 p.m. on March 16, 2018. Please send to Town of Hotchkiss, 276 W. Main Street, P.O. Box 369, Hotchkiss, CO 81419. EOE. (2x9)

THE TOWN OF CEDARedge is accepting applications for Town Clerk and Economic Development Coordinator. This position is responsible for managing and maintaining all town records, minutes of Board of Trustees and other committee meetings, and responsible for the town seal. This position also represents the Town of Cedaredge’s economic interests in local and NIGHT & WEEKEND regional organizations. The help wanted. Apply in ideal candidate will have person - FirstLight Home municipal experience and Care, 122 Park Ave., be an energetic self-startMontrose, CO 81401. (3x8) er. A detailed job description is available at Town Hall. The position is full time with a defined benefit plan. Hiring range is $15-20 hourly. Interested persons submit a resume and Miscellaneous Miscellaneous may cover letter or a Town of Cedaredge Employment Application to Town Hall on or before 4:00 p.m. March Colorado Statewide 19, 2018. Applications may �� be obtained at Town Hall, Network 235 W. Main, (P.O. Box 398 To place a 25-word COSCAN Network ad in 91 Colorado for mailing), Cedaredge, newspapers for only $300, contact your local newspaper or CO 81413, www.cedaredge call SYNC2 Media at 303-571-5117. colorado.com or by call�� ing (970) 856-3123. The Cash for Mineral Rights �� Town of Cedaredge is �� an EOE/ADA employer. Call:�� (3x9) Write: ��

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Search the classifieds for bargains!

CAM ELECTRIC IS seeking licensed Journeymen. We offer top pay, health, dental, and vision insurance, sick and vacation pay, and a simple IRA. Email a resume to janihcam@aol. com or call 970-249-6617. (2x8)

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Help Wanted DCED IS LOOKING for an Executive Assistant to provide a high level of administrative support to the Executive Director. Will conduct a wide range of administrative duties in a professional business office management and administrative support needs. Requires exemplary customer service skills, solid understanding of confidentiality, proficiency in organizational skills, development and maintenance of office systems. High school graduation or GED equivalent, plus five years of experience. Or a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college plus a minimum of two years progressively responsible experience working with the public/ non-profit entities. Valid Colorado Driver’s License. Flexible hours (30 min.), $16-$19 hourly, Email letter of interest and resume to info@deltacountyed.org, by March 5th. (1x9)

Delta County Independent

Public Service

AL-ANON AND ALATEEN: Hope and help for families and friends of alcoholics meets in Delta: Al-Anon and Alateen, Tuesdays at 7:30 pm, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 145 W. 5th St., contact Elizabeth 970-874-9832 or Shirley 970-323-5067. 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. THE ABRAHAM CONNECtion homeless shelter, located at 480 Silver St., Delta, offers emergency overnight shelter and food to men, women and families in the Delta area midOctober- April. Call us at 970-773-8290 to make a referral, or for information on how to volunteer or donate. www.Delta AbrahamConnection. org.

HOSPITAL VOLUNTEERS Wanted! Delta County Memorial Hospital needs hospital volunteers. Days and hours are flexible. There Public are currently openings in the ER, Oncology, Gift Service Shop and some additional areas. If you are interested, please contact Volunteer WHAT TYPES OF Coordinator, Barbara Hall at Cottage Foods Can I 250-2105 for an application. Produce? Whole eggs, spices, teas, dehydrated pro- WOMEN ONLY AA MEETduce, nuts, seeds, Honey, ings, Delta, Saturdays, 11:00 jams, jellies, and preserves, a.m., at St. Luke's Episcopal fruit butter, candies, certain Church, 5th & Palmer (back bake goods If you have any door). questions, please call: 874- FREE DIAPERS FOR UP 2165. Delta County Health to one year! Pregnant Department. (4x7) women in Delta County can THE DELTA COUNTY now get help to quit smokIndependent runs these ing and get something they items as a public service can really use after their free of charge for non-profit baby arrives — free diapers. organizations, if no fees are Healthy moms have healthy charged. However, each babies. Enroll in the Baby & group is asked to please Me Tobacco Free program keep them current by call- today. Contact the Delta County Health Department ing 874-4421. at 874-2165 or your local DOMESTIC VIOLENCE physician. Support Group for Adults and Children: Every SUPPORT THE DELTA Wednesday in Delta from Library. Give a gently used 5-7 p.m. there will be a free book in the Downstairs support group for adults Book Store. whose lives have been WELCOME RETURNING impacted by domestic vio- Veterans, Post 9221 VFW lence and a separate group meets at 5:00 p.m. on the for children at the same 4th Thursday of each month time. Please call 970-874- in Cedaredge. To find out 4941 to sign up. how to participate in proWANNA PLAY A ROUND? moting patriotism and Golf with a fun group of assisting veterans, contact ladies. Two membership Wayne Hamrick, (970) 250options available. Sign up 1180. at www.cedaredgeladies AARP DRIVER SAFETY golf.com. Get to know us Course. Save on insurance, on Facebook at “cedar keep up on newer traffic edgeladiesgolfclub” laws, learn defensive drivALCOHOLICS ANONY- ing techniques. For details mous meets Thursdays at 7 and schedule contact John p.m. Friends of Bill W. Club. Loring (970) 856-6924 or (970) 424-1778. 897 Palmer Street, Delta. 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

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.

HOTCHKISS-CRAWFORD Historical Museum. Winter PARENTS FREE! INFORM- hours, Saturdays 1-4 p.m. ation and referrals to $3 admission or free to licensed child care provid- members. Come see our ers, call Bright Futures Child museum at 2nd & Hotchkiss Care Resource and Referral, Streets in Hotchkiss. 8723780. 1-877-728-5613.

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Public Service

CHECK OUT THE BOOK store at the Delta Library. You'll find a great selection of paperbacks at reasonable prices.

AL-ANON: HOPE AND help for families and friends of alcoholics meets in Paonia: Al-Anon, Wednesdays at 7 pm, United Methodist Church, IF YOU LOVE BOOKS, 3rd & Onarga, contact Lisa you will love the Downstairs 970-395-3608, Chris 970Bookstore in the basement 527-3366 or Marjorie 970of the Delta Library. 433-1856 NARCOTICS ANONY- THE AMERICAN RED mous meets at 9th and Cross needs you. Become Palmer, Delta, Mondays and one of the Red Cross volFridays at 8 p.m. unteers who says, “We’ll Be DELTA FOOD PANTRY There, Because Help Can’t needs meals for Delta fami- Wait!” Call your local Red lies who are temporarily Cross Chapter at 970-242in need. Donations of non- 4851 or 1-800-HELP NOW perishable food may be for information on the difference you can make in brought to 628 Meeker. someone’s life as a disaster HELP!!! KEEP THE volunteer. animal population under control, and SAVE an ani- DELTA HAS A BOOKmal's life. Adopt your new store in the basement of cat or dog from the Delta the library featuring gently County Humane Society. used books and magazines. Adoption fee is minimal. Come check it out! Call 874-2149. HEALTHY BABIES START THERE IS A VFW MEETING with early prenatal care. County Health on the first Monday of each Delta month. At 6 p.m. there is a Department. Offers access potluck and the meeting is to immediate, temporary at 7 p.m. at the First Baptist Medicaid for pregnant Church, 1250 Pioneer Rd., women who qualify. 874Delta. For further infor- 2165. mation, call 874-8172 Jim BOOKS MAKE GREAT Baker, Quartermaster. stocking stuffers. Find HILLTOP COMMUNITY books at great prices in Resources offers free ser- the basement of the Delta vices and support to vic- Public Library. tims of Domestic Violence THINK YOU'RE PREGand Sexual Assault. There nant? Abused? Need help? are also ongoing support The Pregnancy Resource groups. Please call our office Center in Delta offers free at 970-773-2251 for more service, support and advice information or if you are in to all teenagers and women crisis please call our 24 hour in crisis pregnancy situacrisis line at 1-844-990-5500. tions. For Christian help, AL-ANON: HOPE AND anytime, call 874-5733. help for families and YOU CAN QUIT. WE CAN friends of alcoholics meets help. Colorado Tobacco in Hotchkiss: Al-Anon, Quitline offers free, confiMondays at 6:30 pm, dential assistance. Call 1Methodist Church 285 N. 800-QUIT-NOW. 2nd, contact Elsie 970-2108090 or Marjorie 970-433- THE AMERICAN LEGION 1856. Post 97 Paonia is seeking the names and addresses of CHAPTER, UNITS OF DAV all persons currently servregular meetings on the ing on active duty in the second Monday of each military from the North Fork month at 7 p.m. at the Valley in order to contact Veterans Building, 15th & them and show our supHoward, Delta. For further port. Send addresses to information, call Paul Carter American Legion Post 97, 874-5150. PO Box 277, Paonia, CO YOU HAVE THE POWER TO 81428 or call 527-6252. change a child's life! FOSTER GRANDPARENT Children are waiting for Program enriches the lives senior partners in Delta of senior volunteers while County right now! Can you improving the education of spare 3 hours a week? We children with special needs. need your help! Call today Volunteers, 55 and older, for more information. Please needed to assist in class volunteer to spend time with rooms tutoring and mentora child in our community. ing children. Low-income Partners of Delta, Montrose volunteers may qualify for and Ouray, 874-4661, www. a stipend. Teachers in Delta partners-west.org. or www. area class rooms request deltayouth@montrose.net. "Grandparents" to come PAONIA AMERICAN in and work with students Legion runs a year round who need the extra help to non-perishable emergency achieve their best. For inforfood pantry. This is for the mation on how you can use North Fork area. For infor- your talents to help kids call Tanya at 298-9091. mation, call 527-6252. — FREE SAVE EYEGLASSES, OLD PARENTS jewelry and silver or bits of information and referrals gold and silver scraps. The for licensed child care proGrand Odd Fellow Lodge is viders. Call Bright Futures sending them to: New Eyes Child Care Resource & for the Needy, 549 Millburn Referral at 877-728-5613. Ave., Short Hills, NJ 07078 THE DELTA COUNTY or send them to: Gale Democratic Party invites Conger, Secretary of IOOF you to visit their Facebook Lodge #116, 5516 Hwy. 348, page for announcements, Delta, CO 81416. information and intelligent SUPPORT THE DELTA discussion of issues. You Public Library. Give a gently are not alone! Contact used book in the Downstairs www.facebook.com/pages/ CO-Delta-County-Democrat Book Store. s/109082339170167.

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PUBLIC NOTICES

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Wednesday, February 28, 2018

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PUBLIC NOTICES

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SERVICE DIRECTORY

Delta County Independent

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Insured, Reliable, Professional

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BENCHMARK ROOFING

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LICENSED • INSURED ALEX MEHDER HOTCHKISS, CO

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Delta County Independent

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A C K P A G E T

Ellinger strikes a new key as recording artist

BY TAMIE MECK Staff Writer

Photo submitted

Classical pianist Susan Ellinger is the artistic director for the Blue Sage Center for the Arts in Paonia. Last summer she recorded her ﬁrst CD, “The Viennese Style: Late Sonatas of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven,” in Germany.

he North Fork area is steadily earning a reputation for producing some of the best wines, produce and coal in the world. But here’s a little secret: It also has its own world-class concert series. Each year the Blue Sage Center for the Arts brings classical, world music and other premier performers to the historic Curtis Hall in downtown Paonia through its annual concert series. Behind that series is Susan Ellinger. As the Blue Sage artistic director, since 2011 she has attracted some of the biggest names in classical, baroque and other genres to the North Fork area. Ellinger is also a worldclass concert pianist. Throughout her career she has worked with composers of new music including Tan Dun, Bright Sheng and Nils Vigeland, and garnered numerous accolades as both a soloist and chamber musician. She has been described as “one of America’s musical treasures,” and “a virtuoso pianist with a deep, creative and facile music mind.” Last summer she took a big step, traveling to Germany to record her first album: “The Viennese Style: Late Sonatas of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven.” Ellinger recorded the album last June 21-24, at the JesusChristus-Kirche (the Jesus Christ Church) in Dahlem Berlin, Germany. It’s a beautiful church and produces a beautiful sound, said Ellinger. After World War II the church was home to the Berlin Philharmonic, and is where the Philharmonic recorded the music for the BBC documentary, “Earth.” Ellinger knew from a young age that she would be a musician. Growing up in Vermont, she essentially learned to read the alphabet and music

at the same time. At age 4 she began playing her Steinway. It wasn’t a musical household, she said, but her parents were very supportive of her interests. At age 13 her solo recitals earned her the National Baldwin Junior Keyboard Achievement Award from the Music Teachers Association of America in Washington, D.C. In a recent “Meet the Artist” interview she described her first concerto appearance at age 15 as “an incredible connection to the orchestra I was performing with. It was like riding the top of a giant wave that went on and on. It was so surprising, powerful, aweinspiring and humbling.” Ellinger went on to earn degrees from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and the Manhattan School of Music. Her career as both a soloist and chamber musician has included recitals at Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln Center Bruno Walter Auditorium, the Caramoor Music Center, Harvard University, Oberlin Conservatory, and numerous other concert halls and venues. She has had solo performances with The Chelsea Chamber Players in New York, and as a featured soloist in a series of concerts with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra. In 2011, Ellinger arrived at the Blue Sage. The non-profit arts organization was in the process of establishing a concert series and needed someone to see it through. She and a group of volunteers quickly raised $27,000 and purchased a concert piano, and the Blue Sage Concert Series was born. In January, 2012, she was named concert series artistic director. The current 2017-2018 series lineup includes a brass quintet and a modern music festival. This April, violinist Midori, accompanied by Özgur Aydin on piano, will

perform at a gala fundraiser for the Blue Sage. “We were so happy to get her,” said Ellinger. As do most of the concerts in the series, this show quickly sold out. Also as part of the 20172018 concert series, Ellinger will perform “Music for One Piano, Four Hands” with pianist/composer Adam Cohen. They will give two performances — on June 8 at The Wright Opera House in Ouray, and on June 9 at the Blue Sage. (At press time, a limited number of tickets were available for both shows.) Ellinger said the idea to record an album arose a couple of years ago while planning the concert series. “Honestly, it was as simple as, I’m playing a bunch of solo repertoire. I have some concerts scheduled. I should make a recording, because I don’t have any solo recordings.” The album includes Sonata in E flat Major, Hob XVI:52, by Franz Joseph Haydn; Sonata in D major, K. 576, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; and Sonata in A flat major, Opus 110, by Ludwig van Beethoven. With numerous classical composers to choose from, Ellinger said she selected these three for many reasons. “I think for a classical musician there is this certain fascination with this group of three composers, and also this genre of classicism in late 18th-century Vienna,” she said. During the Classical period, “there was this burgeoning style and genre” that resulted in a great deal of music written and composed for keyboard. And of the many artists of the time, these three artists, arguably among the greatest of all time, crossed paths during their lives. It’s very unlikely, she said, “that a trifecta of so much genius in three individuals will ever occur again in the history of civilization.” Imagine, she said, if only one of them had been a woman. While it wasn’t common, women did compose and perform music during the classical period. Those women, generally, “were born into wealth and nobility and had freedom and opportunity.” In looking at them in the context of music history, “If you think about it, women were only able to be their own entity and not feel pressure of family and marriage without association, only for maybe 50 years.” In some ways, she said, “Women are still rising up from those societal pressures.” For Ellinger, the time to record was right. She received

grant funding from Colorado Creative Industries, and support from the Blue Sage and more than a dozen individual sponsors. Within a few weeks of her decision, she received a call from producer, pianist and friend Mario Grigorov. He organized the recording session, brought Ellinger to Berlin, and produced the album. For her, it was a matter of getting to Berlin and making a record. Berlin, she said, “was a beautiful place to retreat and have a quiet space to work and get into the zone.” For the recording, Ellinger played a Bösendorfer Concert Grand piano. “It has an amazing sound,” she said. The Bösendorfer company was founded in 1828 in Vienna by Ignaz Bösendorfer and his son, Ludwig, according to the Bösendorfer website. On a side trip to Vienna she toured the Bösendorfer factory, which remains one of the few factories in the world to craft pianos by hand. While she’s been to other piano factories, “I don’t think I’ve been to a piano factory like that before,” said Ellinger. “It kind of makes me want to go to some other ones and just compare.” Recording the CD has “been a real gateway for me,” said Ellinger. She found recording to be more of a challenge than just playing piano for a few hours. Among those challenges were the pre-production process, and making recordings of herself and deciding what the final product should sound like. To record about an hour of music (the CD is just under 55 minutes in length) took about four days. “Some people might do it in three; some people might do it in six,” said Ellinger. “But it takes quite a lot of time. A little more complex than you’d think.” She learned “a tremendous

amount in the process, and I’m very proud of the product. To choose this moment in time to burn onto a digital medium is interesting.” For the cover design, Ellinger went to her “go-to designer,” Paonia graphic designer Andrea Lecos. “She’s really easy to work with, she’s flexible, and she also frequently nails it on her own without too much direction,” said Ellinger. Paonia photographer Devon Meyers shot the cover photograph. After the Blue Sage series wraps up in June, Ellinger has performances scheduled on the Front Range and in the Eastern U.S. In July she plans a collaboration with the Aspen Music Festival’s outreach program. Board president John Coombe said that to show appreciation, at the last meeting the board promoted Ellinger from concert series artistic director to artistic director for all of the Blue Sage. “We gave a great appreciation of her and her abilities and all she does for the Blue Sage,” said Coombe. As for recording, Ellinger said, “I can say that I’m looking forward to doing more.” She’s considering the music of Franz Schubert, which she performed at the Blue Sage last December as part of the concert series, and perhaps Beethoven and Brahms, “Like a kind of Arc of romanticism.” Whatever she chooses, “I’m kind of gravitating toward Vienna and dreaming of my Viennese piano.” “The Viennese Style” is available at the Blue Sage in Paonia; the album and downloads can be found on-line at iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby, Bandcamp.com. Ellinger is giving 50 percent of sales back to the Blue Sage.

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sale

$9 per yd.

Home Grown By Moda

Farmhouse style does not have to stay on the farm anymore. Free pattern available with purchase.

sale

$5 per yd.

Premium Cotton Quilters Prints

Flat Folds in Earth Tones, Naturals and Blues Flat Folds 44/45” wide. 100% Cotton.

$10

Fiskars Easy Action Scissor

A full size 8” scissor designed for comfort and accurate cutting with fabric or mixed media. Winner of the Ease of Use commendation from the Arthritis Foundation. #101406.

24x44” 66 8 Panel

Blenders $9 per yd.

Mountain View

Start with the digital panel and add Ro Gregg’s natural and landscape blenders.

sale

% 50 Spring Holiday Craft Prints OFF

Cutouts for stuffed animals, craft projects and apparel for St. Pat’s, Easter, and Spring. Reg. $5.99-$9.99 per yard. Sale price $3-$5 per yard.

Minimum One Yard Purchase

sale

$5 per yd.

Outdoor Upholstery

Large selection of acrylic solids, prints and popular colors. 54” wide. Reg. $6.99-$11.99 per yard.

sale

BUY 1, GET 1

FREE Mettler Thread

Art 961. All purpose polyester. 161 yards

sale

97 3 Poly-Fill

20 oz. 100% polyester ﬁberﬁll.

sale

% 50 Art Advantage OFF

sale

% 50 Winsor Newton Galeria Acrylic OFF

50 Princeton

% OFF

Brush Sets

Canvas Value Pack

2 pack. 8x10”, 9x12”, 11x14”, 16x20” and 18x24”. 4 oz. stretched cotton canvas with acid free acrylic gesso ﬁnish.

37ml.

sale

% 25 Iron Orchid Stamps OFF

and Decor Molds

Easliy used with plaster, paper, clay or even chocolate.

sale

25 Collage Frame % OFF

7 - 4x6” openings. Sale retail $18.74.

sale

2/$4

Pigma Pens

sale

Fiskars All Purpose Shears

8” stainless steel blades. Fiskars quality at a great price.

sale

99 3 Engraving Art

sale

Utility Craft Box

Colored base has 6 compartments for organizing and sorting loose craft pieces. Clear hinged latching lid. 5.25x3.9”.

sale

99 7 Fluttering Butterﬂy

Latching Box

Innovative latch allows lid to lift as if it were hinged for easy access with one hand. White Flutters in the sunlight or uses a AA battery. New lid with blue latches on clear base. Recessed Hummingbird is also available at the same price. styling of the lid allows for secure stacking. 14 1/8” L x 7 5/8” W x 4 7/8 H.

699 Switch Mat Insert 99Floor Mat 15Vinyl

$699

Make mud season attractive all year long.

Show some color for spring.

Buy any ﬂoor mat and receive a switch mat at 1/2 price.

sale

99 12 Camp Chairs

Holds up to 300 lbs. Assorted colors.

sale

Sassafras Floor Mats

sale

Evergreen Garden Flags

99 9 Crazy Plant Stand

Holds up to 6 pots of decreasing sizes. Pots and plants are not included.

Flag stand sold separately...$5

sale

12 ct. Selection may vary.

15x25”. 100% cotton. Assorted colors.

Birthday, Baby, Wedding or Everyday. 20 sq. ft..

Boxed Greeting Cards

Checked Kitchen Towel Brights

Premium Wrapping Paper

SALE STARTS TODAY, ENDS SUNDAY, MARCH 18TH

502 Main Street • Delta, CO • 874-3596 • www.clubbstore.com

Open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat., Sun. 12 noon to 5 p.m. • Keys Cut • Photocopies • Layaway • Gift Wrapping • Balloons • Roller Blind Window Shades Cut • Scissors Sharpened

Clubb’s Furniture & Frame Shop located at 425 Main Street • Clubb’s Fabric located at 417 Main Street VARIETY/CRAFT VERSION - Sale ID #3A - 2018 VARIETY DISTRIBUTORS, INC., HARLAN, IA 51537 100% Member Owned Distributors & Merchandise. All products may not be available in all stores: see your local stores. Because this circular is prepared months in advance by our distributor, merchandise illustrated may not be immediately available upon demand. At times, manufacturers have delivery problems. However, we try to have all advertised merchandise for this circular. Pricing errors do occur occasionally, regretfully. See store postings. This circular is distributed by Variety Distributors, Inc. Members own and operate their own stores and set their own retail prices. This store reserves the right to limit quantities.

sale

Solid Milk Chocolate Rabbit 2.25 oz. Boxed.

sale

99 5 Superior Mixed Nuts

18 oz. Contains up to 65% peanuts.

sale

99 7 Russell Stover Mini Eggs

16-20 oz. Large bags. Reg. $9.99.

sale

99 3 Hershey’s 6 pk Chocolate

6 pk. Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs or Hershey’s Chocolate Bunnies.

We make our own fudge with real creamery butter from Troyer. Our Featured Flavor Is

Carrot Cake BUY 4 PCS., GET 2 PCS.

FREE

sale

99 2 Easter Hershey’s Kisses 8.5 oz. Pastels.

sale

4/$1

American Seed Packets

Vegetables and ﬂowers all at one low price.

Value Pack Size...$1