Delta County Independent, March 21, 2018

Page 1

NORTH FORK TIMES

SURFACE CREEK NEWS

A HOME RUN

BACK TO ITS ROOTS

GOCO grant makes dream of Hotchkiss fields a reality, B1

SPORTS HOSTS FINISH THIRD

Resurrection Land Cruisers is back in business in Austin, C1

Delta Invitational draws 14 track and field teams, C6-8

DELTA COUNTY

MARCH 21, 2018 VOL. 135, NO. 12

75¢

INDEPENDENT

www.deltacountyindependent.com

ENGAGE pursues ag partnerships BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

The sweeping scope of the ENGAGE initative — a combination of programming intended to promote energy, agriculture and entrepreneurship, along with a physical presence in Delta, is proving to be a lot to bite off. Technical College of the Rockies is spearheading this initiative with support from the school district, Delta County Economic Development, the City of Delta, Delta County and Region 10. The ENGAGE initiative was the result of an extensive study conducted by Better City that examined how to capitalize on Delta County’s assets to spur economic growth. As part of the focus on agriculture — production, manufacturing and export — and under the umbrella of the Technical College of the Rockies, the study proposed a culinary arts program. To make that program a reality, a commercial kitchen was to be included in the renovation of the former City Market

store at 6th and Main. But as Michael Klouser, TCR director, and Shawn Gardner, ENGAGE Center director, discussed the realities of the building renovation with school district administrators, they realized any new offering at the technical college would require in-depth study prior to implementation. While the commercial kitchen, culinary arts program and a retail and food distribution center were projected as the biggest revenue producers in the Better City study, they also carry the biggest risks. So to fully utilize the 26,000square-foot vacant building, TCR is proposing to move health sciences classes downtown, along with the business classes and auto CAD courses originally envisioned to give the technical college a downtown presence. The building will also eventually house tech support for the entire school district, office space and business incubation services from ENGAGE staff, Delta County Economic ENGAGE TO A3

Photo by Pat Sunderland

Friendly competition

The annual matchup between the Delta Globe Trotters, the local Special Olympics Team, and first responders is a much anticipated event every spring. After they’d worked up an appetite on the basketball court, participants were served dinner. Pictured with the Special Olympians are firefighters Fred Kraai and Daniel Cano.

DMS students weigh in on construction BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

A major construction project at Delta Middle School is providing learning opportunities for the school’s sixth, seventh and eighth grade students. Delta County Joint School District #50 obtained a BEST grant for the project, which will include replacement of the cafeteria and the sixth grade wing on the south edge of the campus. A new structure to be attached to the main building will include classrooms, a band/choir room and cafeteria. The first phase of the

project will involve demolition of the sixth grade wing and remodel of the second floor of the old middle/high school to temporarily house sixth grade students for the 201819 school year. In conjunction with the project, the school district is reconfiguring the campus layout to maximize student safety. A single, secure entrance, new bus loop, parent dropoff/ pickup area and parking area are in the works. With relocation of the bus loop and parking lot, the area between the gym and main DMS building will be left open for a court-

yard. The school’s eighth grade students were tasked with creating scenarios for an outdoor learning center that would ideally incorporate some type of renewable energy. They also came up with suggestions for landscaping. A total of 55 Algebra I students from James McHugh’s class worked on the assignment, and in teams presented their ideas to school administrators and a representative from Kissner G.C., which was awarded the bid for construction. A handful of students

were also invited to present their ideas at the March 15 school board meeting. With models in hand, they pointed out the features they came up with — an amphiteater, pond, river, greenhouse, grow boxes, bike pumps, digital weather station, solar panels and wind turbines. As the students outlined design features, infrastructure requirements and costs, it was evident they’d put a great deal of thought into their proposals. Several incorporated recycled bricks from the sixth grade wing into their designs.

A volunteer group of students known as Gang Green would be tasked with maintenance — watering the flowers in the flower boxes, feeding the fish in the pond, keeping trash picked up and protecting against vandalism. “I am honored for you guys to let us have a say in this, and not just doing it yourselves,” said Aiden Hutto. The eighth grader worked with his dad, a contractor, to scale his model with AutoCAD. “It’s cool how we got to use our creative side to put CONSTRUCTION TO A3

Paonia contingent demands reinstatement of Sanborn BY ANNETTE BRAND Staff Writer

Photo by Pat Sunderland

Sydney Gerle, Aiden Hutto, Luke Hutto, Oaklee Hughes, Melania McCormick, Kurtis Nethington, Emma Wise and Mia Yost represented the Delta Middle School Algebra I students who came up with proposals for an outdoor learning center. With a major construction project on the horizon at DMS, students were given an opportunity for real-world problem solving. Above, they outline their ideas for an outdoor amphitheater.

INDEX

Accent ........................... A4 Activities ....................... A7 Back Page ................... D8 Business .......................A10 Church ........................... D4 Classifieds .................. D1-2 Editorial ......................... A2 Legals ......................... D2-3 North Fork Times ........B1-4 Obituaries ...................B4-5 School Zone .................. A5 Service Directory ........ D5 Sports ..........................C6-8 Surface Creek News ...C1-3 TV Listings ..................C4-5

At their March 5 meeting Commissioners Doug Atchley, Mark Roeber and Don Suppes made two appointments to the county planning commission. Steve Shea was reappointed for a three-year term. Jen Sanborn’s three-year term had expired and Lucinda Stanley was appointed to that vacant seat. Sanborn lives in Midway; Stanley lives in Cedaredge. When the county planning commission met on March 7 a group of North Fork residents attended the meeting claiming the North Fork had lost its representation on the planning commission and demanded that Sanborn be reinstated, at least for the

10 months remaining in the Master Plan update. Planning commission chairman Bob Stechert devoted the first 30 minutes of the meeting to addressing the North Fork residents’ questions. Stechert explained that the appointments to the planning commission are the responsibility of the Board of County Commissioners. A year ago, the county commissioners, in order to balance representation on the planning commission across the county, decided there would be equal representation from each of the three commissioner districts. They determined that, as terms expired, they would fill some of those empty seats with new members from areas not then represented.

The North Fork residents resisted that explanation. Stechert told them the planning commission did not make the appointments; the county commissioners made the appointments. They would need to take their complaints to the commissioners. At the March 19 meeting of the county commissioners, the North Fork residents arrived in force. Five of them spoke to the commissioners during constituent time. There was applause after their comments and some residents called out comments while North Fork residents and commissioners were speaking. Jen Sanborn, the first to speak, said she felt disrespected. She had participated SANBORN TO A3

Seed ready to plant

BHRC turns 25

Yager case goes to jury

Did you know that Delta County Libraries offers a seed library countywide? Beginning in March, patrons can start checking out seeds to grow their gardens! The seed library, which originated as a pilot program out of the Hotchkiss Library in 2013, has been steadily growing to reach patrons countywide. Seeds donated by local patrons are sorted and packaged and ready for spring. Contact or visit any of the five libraries in Delta County to learn more.

Bill Heddles Recreation Center is celebrating 25 years in the Delta community. The facility opened at 531 N. Palmer Street on March 27, 1993. On the anniversary of that date, which falls on a Tuesday, admission will be free during the recreation center’s regular hours, 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. You’re invited to celebrate with the staff. Snacks and door prizes will be offered throughout the day. The celebration will continue throughout the year. Watch the DCI for details about upcoming events.

After a lunch break on Tuesday, jurors began deliberations in the case of Nathan Yager, the Paonia man charged with second degree murder in brutal slaying of his wife Melinda in January 2011. Yager has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, which means prosecutors must not only prove he’s guilty of the crime, but also that he was sane at the time. The jury was also provided with a third option — that the act was provoked and sudden, conducted in the heat of passion. The Yagers were in the midst of divorce proceedings when Nathan brutally slashed Melinda’s neck, a fact that’s never been disputed. Updates will be posted to the DCI Facebook page.


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Delta County Independent, March 21, 2018 by Delta County Independent - Issuu