NORTH FORK TIMES
SURFACE CREEK NEWS
NEW MEETS OLD
Crawford residents find common ground at community potluck, B1
SPORTS
STUDENTS WEIGH IN
WINDING DOWN
What’s working, what’s not in schools and the community, C1
DELTA COUNTY
Girls’ swimming season ends with state championships Feb. 9-10, B8 FEBRUARY 6, 2019 VOL. 136, NO. 6
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Marijuana taxes and public education BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor
Since Colorado voters approved the sale of marijuana to adults 21 and older, a portion of the state tax revenue derived from those sales has been dedicated to education.
Delta County is currently the recipient of four marijuana-funded grants that were awarded through a competitive process. The largest, to the tune of about $10 million, is the BEST grant that’s covering much of the cost of the Delta
Majestic mammals
Middle School addition/renovation. The first $40 million in retail sales and excise taxes is reserved for school construction through Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) grants. These funds are awarded annually and in
Photo by Tamie Meck
Two bull elk watch over a small herd of Rocky Mountain elk Saturday morning above Highway 133. Rocky Mountain elk have the largest antlers of all elk subspecies, according to the Rocky Mountain Elk Network. Due to recent popularity in collecting deer and elk antler sheds, the state recently released a new set of rules, which are clearly posted on the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website, https://cpw.state.co.us/.
Rescue teams recover two bodies from Island Lake BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor
The bodies of two men, presumed to be those of Ryan Wells, 30, and Richard “Ricky” Colton, 30, both of Delta, were retrieved from Island Lake Monday afternoon by members of two Summit County Search and Rescue teams using a remote operated vehicle, or ROV. The ROV was able to locate the snowcat the men were reportedly driving across the lake, as well as the two bodies, in approximately 65 feet of water. The two men had been reported overdue Sunday, Feb. 3. At about 11 a.m., deputies were dispatched to Grand Mesa Lodge, where they met with the owner, Michael Wenner. Wenner advised the deputies that three males and a female had come to the lodge Saturday afternoon and requested to rent a room for the night. Wells booked the room; the other two parties, later located safely at home, were Dustin Gray, 30, of Delta, and Kandi Casaus, 38, of Cedaredge. Deputies learned Wells and Colton failed to check out at 10 a.m. and all their belongings were still in the room. Wenner advised the deputies
INDEX
Accent ........................... A4 Activities ....................... A9 Back Page ................... D6 Business .......................A10 Church ............................C6 Classifieds .................. D1-2 Editorial ......................... A2 Legals ......................... D3-4 North Fork Times ........B1-4 Obituaries ..................... A6 School .......................... A8 Service Directory ........ D5 Sports ..........................B5-8 Surface Creek News ...C1-5 TV Listings ..................C3-4
that Wells had brought up a privately owned snowcat to the lodge and asked questions about taking it out on the ice. Wells was advised that was not a good idea due to the weight of the snowcat (approximately 15,000 pounds). The owner also advised deputies that at about 1 a.m. Sunday he woke to the sound of the snowcat starting. Later that morning, when he noticed the snowcat missing from the area, he assumed it had broken down, stranding the two men somewhere on the mesa. Delta County Search and Rescue was notified and responded to the lodge. According to a press release issued by Delta County Sheriff Mark Taylor, a family member of Wells also responded to the lodge with a snowmobile. He located tracks from the snowcat leading onto the ice of Island Lake. The family member followed the tracks approximately 150 yards to the middle of the lake and located a large hole in the ice, indicating the snowcat had broken through the ice. Delta County Search and Rescue combed the lake and shore looking for any indication the two missing men had gotten out of the snowcat
before it broke through the ice. No evidence was located that would indicate anyone walked away from the broken ice. At that point, the sheriff reached out to the Colorado Search and Rescue Board for assistance. Members of the Summit County rescue teams arrived on Grand Mesa midafternoon Monday. The Delta County SAR team maneuvered the ROV close enough to extend a retractable arm and retrieve the two bodies. They were brought to the surface where SAR team members were able to remove them from the lake. The bodies of the two men were transferred to the Delta County coroner for positive identification. Sheriff Taylor thanked the Summit County Sheriff Jamie FitzSimons and the Summit County SAR team for responding so quickly and professionally to assist with this tragic incident. He added his thanks to the Delta County SAR team, an all-volunteer team comprised of Delta County residents for their hard work and dedication in extreme weather conditions to bring some type of closure to the families of these two men.
most cases must be supplemented with local district matching funds. The program prioritizes health, safety and security issues such as asbestos removal, new roofs, building code violations, and poor indoor air quality. Smaller grants come from the Marijuana Tax Cash Fund (MTCF). The legislation that created this fund restricts allocation to programs that monitor the health effects of marijuana, health education, substance abuse prevention and treatment programs, and law enforcement. This is the pool of money that funds school health professionals, early literacy programs, and dropout prevention in Delta County. Connie Vincent, data and grants coordinator for Delta County School District #50, says the school health professional grant is funding a counselor for Garnet Mesa and Lincoln elementary schools, and a social worker for Garnet, Lincoln and Delta Middle School. “She also does some work with Delta High School
and Garnet Mesa Choice Academy, but we don’t want her to get too spread out,” Vincent said. Using the LifeSkills program, the school health professionals deliver substance abuse prevention lessons that incorporate self-esteem and good decision-making, and teach kids how to stand up for themselves and their values. Kelso’s Choice is a conflict resolution curriculum used with younger students to teach them the difference between big problems and little problems. With high school students, the focus is on the adverse health effects of tobacco, alcohol and marijuana use. The school health professionals are also available for individual or small group student counseling sessions, schedules permitting. Vision Charter Academy uses its $80,000 annual grant to fund a licensed school counselor, for the LifeSkills curriculum, and to implement RULER, an evidence-based MARIJUANA TAXES TO A3
Code enforcement officer joins DPD BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor
With the restructuring of the City of Delta’s community development department, code enforcement and animal control are moving back to the police department. The transition also coincides with the retirement of code enforcement/animal control officer Roger Christian. Mark Bowen is now handling those duties. He can be reached at the Delta Police Department, 874-7676. Bowen was previously the code enforcement and animal control officer for the community of Telluride. He is certified through Colorado Code Enforcement Officers Association and has completed Module A of the National Animal Control & Humane Officer (NACHO) Academy through Code 3 Associates. Bowen is a 2002 graduate of Montrose High School. He lives in Olathe with his wife
Mark Bowen
and four children. He is also a volunteer firefighter and EMS driver with the Olathe Volunteer Fire Department. DPD Chief Luke Fedler said he is in complete agreement with the decision by city manager David Torgler to move code enforcement and animal control back to the police department. “I’m not sure why it was moved in the first place,” the chief said. “They go hand-in-hand.” As readers of the law enforcement blotter have likely noticed, Bowen is being very proactive to address junk, littering, long-term occupancy of travel trailers and dogs at large. According to the city code, travel homes may be occupied as temporary dwellings on private property for a period not to exceed 30 days in any calendar year. Any travel home used in this manner must be located within the minimum setback requirements for the district in which it is placed. Concerning the keeping of junk, the code states the junk must be totally enclosed within a building, screened by a fence or other enclosure, or kept within a receptacle for such purpose with a tight-fitting lid. “Junk” shall include but not be limited to discarded, unusable or broken machinery, appliances, furniture, furnishings, or sporting equipment; used building or construction materials; inoperable motor vehicles; vehicles without current license plates; vehicles which do not comply with safety equipment requirements CODE ENFORCEMENT TO A3
Substance abuse prevention training
Dems to reorganize
Delta County Joint School District is hosting substance abuse prevention training Thursday, Feb. 7. The workshop will be held at the Technical College of the Rockies from 6 to 7:30 p.m. This workshop is for law enforcement, probation officers, school administrators, treatment providers, counselors, parents and interested community members. Officer Jermaine Galloway, the instructor of “High in Plain Sight,” will discuss alcohol and drug concealment methods and containers, as well as new trends among our youth — alcoholic energy drinks, alcopops, non-traditional alcoholic beverages, e-cigarettes, inhalants, concentrates, synthetic drugs and popular party drugs. He will have over 120 visual aids, including logos, stickers and drug paraphernalia that may be unfamiliar to many adults. It is important for all who are involved in prevention, education, treatment or enforcement to understand these sweeping changes in the drug culture. The workshop is free. To register for the evening session, call Connie Vincent at 874-4438 or email connie.vincent@deltaschools.com.
The Delta County Democratic Party announces a Central Committee reorganization meeting at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 9, at the Paonia Campus of Energy Tech Center, 218 4th Street. The agenda will include the election of officers for the 2019-2020 term, including the offices of chair, first and second vice chairs, secretary, treasurer and district captains, as well as approval of committee chairs. The public is welcome, and any registered Democrat in Delta County may run for an office, however only members of the Central Committee may vote. Any questions may be directed to David Jacobson, 970-209-7242.