NORTH FORK TIMES
SURFACE CREEK NEWS
FUNDRAISING SUCCESS Kids’ Pasta Project has generated $100,000+ for worthy causes, B1
SPORTS
TEAMING UP FOR HUNGER Grants recognize hunger relief teamwork in Cedaredge, C3
DELTA COUNTY
MAKING THE CUT
Delta, Cedaredge golfers qualify for state competition, B5 SEPTEMBER 19, 2018 VOL. 135, NO. 38
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INDEPENDENT
www.deltacountyindependent.com
North Fork residents feel ‘disenfranchised’ BY ANNETTE BRAND Staff Writer
On Tuesday, Sept. 11, the Delta County Board of Commissioners called a special meeting to consider the board’s response to the Bureau of Land Management’s preliminary Environmental Assessment (EA) concerning the lease parcels proposed for the December BLM sale. Several people from the North Fork were present to provide input. Lesandre Holiday, having read the board’s proposed response, said it needed to be rewritten. “I am disappointed that you commissioners didn’t reach out to Paonia,” she said. Holiday told the board it governs by the consent of the governed and she supports the board’s original (July 16, 2018) scoping document. Natasha Leger of Citizens for a Healthy Community (CHC) read a letter from Douglas Peale, who asked the board to honor the will of the people and consider recommending that the parcels affecting Paonia be withdrawn. Leger also said the board did not reach out to Paonia for its comments and sent a letter that contradicted what the community of Paonia sent in its letter. She expressed concern about landslides in the areas of the Paonia Reservoir. Leger requested that the CHC comments be included in the board’s current letter to BLM. She asked the board to step up regarding the issue of local control and the public’s safety, health and welfare. David Livingston, who moved to the North Fork Valley two years ago, said he is a farmer who relies on availability of clean water. He is concerned that the BLM’s requirements permit such a short time frame to consider the risks the people have to endure. He said he feels completely unrepresented, dis-
enfranchised and that North Fork voices are being completely disregarded. Michael Straub is also a farmer who’s concerned about water pollution and lack of water. Straub said, “The main issue is taxation without representation. We don’t have a voice, are not ‘allowed’ to be heard. You have disenfranchised us. We’re part of the U.S. and deserve a voice. Consider all the voices, not just certain voices.” Prima Merry has farmed in the North Fork for 20 years. She is concerned about oil and gas affecting the watershed. She referred to the beauty of the North Fork Valley, saying, “We want to keep our jobs, people are moving in, and where we are now is no place for oil and gas.” Commissioner chair Doug Atchley told those present that Governor John Hickenlooper was notified by letter that the BLM had “removed the parcels under the Paonia Reservoir.” Commissioner Don Suppes said, “In our contacts with the BLM, we ask for responsible development, protection of water and roads. Everyone in Delta County uses these resources. This is not a NIMBY (not in my backyard) matter. Some of these leases are privately held property; the owners have rights. “We did not speak from a municipal standpoint. The county’s municipalities speak for themselves; each has an autonomous elected board. “We have worked hard with the North Fork Coal Mine Methane Working Group to develop a useable resource, and those leases (8389, 8390, 8391) have been yanked from the group,” Suppes said. Commissioner Mark Roeber added, “Commissioners have worked over years to develop a methane plan and now it’s debatable whether we can continue. BLM LEASE SALE TO A3
U-pick adventure
Sheldon and Jared Martin joined their mother, Joyce, and siblings, Curtis and Jennika to pluck Golden Delicious apples from the Cunningham Orchard off Pioneer Road. The family filled several boxes with plans to turn the apples into applesauce.
Sales tax increase sought for city parks, recreation, golf BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor
The City of Delta’s Parks, Recreation, Open Space and Trails Master Plan, completed in June 2017, identified a lengthy list of deferred maintenance needs. The projects — from playground improvements to meet safety and accessibility standards, to restroom upgrades, to irrigation and pump repairs — add up to roughly $1.5 million. That just about matches existing revenues of $1.8 million, generated annually through a 1 percent sales and use tax dedicated to parks, recreation and golf. While the need to address deferred park maintenance is
Pair arrested after barricading themselves in Delta hotel room
On Sept. 12, at approximately 7:19 p.m., officers with the Delta Police Department assisted the Mesa County Sheriff ’s Department street crimes unit and Mesa County SWAT team with the arrests of Jay Dee Linkenhoger and Alexandra Jae Gomez. Lingenhoger and Gomez barricaded themselves in a Delta hotel room for about two hours after they learned law enforcement was outside the hotel. They surrendered only after a window was broken to gain access to the room. Both suspects were transported to Delta County Jail. Inside the room, officers found a firearm, schedule I
INDEX
Accent ........................... A4 Activities ....................... A7 Back Page ................. D10 Business ........................ A8 Church ........................... D8 Classifieds .................. D1-2 Editorial ......................... A2 Health & Fitness ...... C6-8 Legals ......................... D3-7 North Fork Times ........B1-4 Obituaries ..................... A6 School Zone .................. A5 Sports ..........................B5-8 Surface Creek News ...C1-3 TV Listings ..................C4-5
and II controlled substances, drug paraphernalia and possible burglary tools. Linkenhoger, a 36-yearold resident of Grand Junction, is charged with possession of a controlled substance — special offense, possession of a weapon by a previous
Linkenhoger
Gomez
Photo by Pat Sunderland
offender, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of burglary tools x3, possession of marijuana paraphernalia, criminal mischief, tampering with physical evidence and failure to leave premises. He was also arrested on three felony warrants and one misdemeanor warrant with a bond of $13,500 and multiple no bond warrants. Gomez, 19, of Grand Junction, has a bond of $2,500. She is charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of burglary tools x3, marijuana paraphernalia, criminal mischief, tampering with physical evidence and failure to leave premises.
Enrollment dips countywide Early enrollment figures indicate the student count in Delta County Joint School District #50 is down across the county. Although the “official” student count will not take place until early October, administrators have been gathering student numbers and comparing them to the October 2017 count. Countywide, enrollment dropped 74, with each community reporting a loss: Delta, 26; Hotchkiss, 18; Cedaredge, 11; and Paonia, 8. The total of 63 reflects enrollment in the traditional schools in DCSD. Alternative schools added to the total loss, with the exception of the Delta Academy of Applied Learning, which gained six students. Since school funding is based on per-pupil enrollment in early October, administrators hope to see the numbers pick up through the end of September.
the highest priority, the Master Plan process also brought out a desire for additional trails, better access to the Gunnison River and improved soccer fields, among other projects. The consultant hired to complete the Master Plan concluded, “It is clear that additional revenue is required to keep the city’s park system from further decline, and also to fund new projects.” Delta City Council agrees, and in November will be asking voters for an additional half penny sales tax to be dedicated to parks, recreation and golf. An issue committee calling itself “Half Penny for Parks and Recreation” has been formed to advocate for the first sales tax increase in the City of Delta in 27 years. The committee is headed by former city council member Mary Cooper, who said the benefit of a sales tax increase is that it is spread among everyone who shops in Delta, whether they’re residents or not. The City of Delta does not have a property tax, instead relying primarily on sales tax revenues to fund city operations. Other revenues come from fees, rentals, grants and transfers from the city’s utility funds. “I’ve been on council for a lot of years, so I’m aware how difficult it is to maintain the standards people have come to expect,” Cooper said, adding that she knows staff has been “very, very cautious” with its $2.67 million budget.
Wilma Erven, director of parks, recreation and golf for the City of Delta, says the parks staff has been cut to a bare minimum, with just four full-time employees to maintain 416 acres of parks with the assistance of some seasonals and an inmate labor crew. That staff also maintains the cemetery and the city’s popular flower program. The increase in minimum wage has been a big hit to the budget, she added, particularly for seasonal help and the younger employees at the recreation center. She continues to pursue public and private grants, but says they do not cover the cost of operations and maintenance. Many also require matching funds. She is hopeful the city will receive a grant for playground replacement at Cleland Park, one of those projects on the deferred maintenance list. Project cost is estimated at $437,000, and the city has applied for a GOCO grant of $350,000, or about 80 percent of the cost. The match required from the city is about $87,500, which represents just about the entire amount of lottery proceeds set aside annually in the Conservation Trust Fund. With the additional half penny, Cooper says other deferred projects could be completed. “If we can get this half penny, we can remove the burden on the utilities, help improve our facilities. and keep our parks, recreation and golf course in good operating condition,” Cooper said.
West Nile virus update
The Delta County Health Department is reporting several human cases of West Nile virus. The cases are residents from the North Fork area, and include four individuals, ages 60-69 and 70-79, who are all recovering from West Nile virus uncomplicated fever. Delta County environmental health director Ken Nordstrom said, “Mosquitoes are still active in September and human cases of West Nile virus have been reported in Colorado until the first hard killing frost. Don’t let your guard down and protect yourself from mosquito bites.” Health officials say most people bitten by a West Nile virus infected mosquito show no symptoms of illness; however, some people may develop symptoms 3 to15 days after being bit by an infected mosquito. About 1 in 5 will have mild illness with fever, and about 1 in 150 infected people will become severely ill. Physicians are urged to test patients for the West Nile virus if they show signs of fever, altered mental status, suspected meningitis or encephalitis, or sudden painless paralysis in the absence of stroke, in the summer months.