NORTH FORK TIMES
SURFACE CREEK NEWS
SMALL-TOWN LIVING Paonia’s Cherry Days celebrates 73 years, B1-8
SPORTS
PATRIOTIC PARADE
BOUND FOR STATE
Cedaredge Chamber sponsors July 4 festivities, C1
Delta All-Star baseball to play at the next level, C7
DELTA COUNTY
JULY 3, 2019 VOL. 136, NO. 27
75¢
INDEPENDENT
www.deltacountyindependent.com
Delta land swap is off the table BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor
Delta city manager David Torgler reports that proposals and counterproposals for the potential swap of Cottonwood and Riverbend parks have come to naught. The city had been discussing the exchange with Bill St. James, owner of several parcels of land near the intersection of Highway 92 and 50, on the south side of the Gunnison River. The intent was to exchange the city-owned land on the north side of the river for property considered to be more visible and accessible. The city had explored both recreational and commercial uses for the land. Although St. James withdrew his proposal, Torgler said St. James continues to work with the city as he explores opportunities for developing the entire parcel through other partnerships. He’s reportedly also open to discussions with the city about river access and the development of trails on the south side of the Gunnison River. The city still desires to spur
commercial development on the north side of Highway 92, and is working to acquire the water system presently owned by Tri-County Water. City service currently stops at the end of Ute Street. Tri-County provides water service from that point, but its system is not built to accommodate fire suppression services. That’s hampered development along Highway 92 east to Stafford Lane. Kit Johnson, owner of Valley Sunset RV, has been working with city staff on a plan to expand his business, but can’t proceed until the water system has been upgraded. During a previous discussion on water line needs for that business and others, the Delta Fire Department related stretching hoses across Highway 92 to deliver water to a fire in a house on 1675 Road. The city has expressed a willingness to acquire and upgrade the water system to increase fire flow for all homes and businesses in the area, including Valley Sunset RV.
Photo by Tamie Meck
Ag air show
A Bell 47 helicopter from Olathe Spray Services contrasts against the backdrop of Grand Mesa and the adobe hills. In addition to spray services, according to its Facebook page, the company also flies its helicopters for search and rescue and in air shows.
Compost site clears planning hurdle BY KATHARHYNN HEIDELBERG Montrose Press
Several minutes of silence passed Thursday evening, before Montrose County Planning Commissioner Dennis Murphy made the motion to advance a proposed composting facility on Amber Road. Although applicant 3xM Grinding and Compost nixed its original plans to bring in biosolids to the intended Thunder Mountain Organics site, neighboring property owners who spoke Thursday maintained concerns about dust, traffic and property values. “I had some problems with the biosolids stuff,” Murphy said, after public comment. “I think the applicant has made a fairly diligent effort to accommodate most of our concerns. I think we’ve listened to a lot of the public comments at the last meeting and incorporated those into conditions, that, at this point, I’m feeling fairly confident that we could proceed with something that would protect the health, safety and welfare of citizens. ... At this point, I could support the proposal.” Murphy’s motion went to a vote after Dave Frank’s second. With a 4-1 decision, planning commission sent the application for a special use permit to the Montrose County commissioners for further consideration on July 17, with Rob Smith the lone nay. The permit, if ultimately approved, would not change the zoning from general agriculture, but rather, would allow composting at the site as a special use. Brothers Keith and Kirt Mautz sought the special use
INDEX
Accent ........................... A4 Activities ....................... A7 Back Page ................... D6 Business ........................ A8 Cherry Days ................B4-8 Church ........................... D4 Classifieds .................. D1-2 Editorial ......................... A2 Legals ............................ D3 North Fork Times ........B1-3 Obituaries ..................... A6 Service Directory .......... D5 Sports ..........................C7-8 Surface Creek News ...C1-6 TV Listings ..................C4-5
permit to operate the former Thunder Mountain Speedway site as a green waste composting business. The Mautzes operate another composting facility, using manure from their own feedlot, on Banner Road. Following neighborhood outcry, the family met with concerned residents and decided to no longer seek to compost biosolids — human sewage already anaerobically treated — at the Amber Road site. Neighbor Gordy Diers said on Wednesday he was pleased with the news and cautiously optimistic. Thursday, he said he was concerned at the prospect of manure also being composted at the Thunder Mountain/Amber Road location. New special use conditions Planning Director Steve White earlier enumerated barred “animal waste,” language the Mautzes wanted clarified so that it would not be read as precluding manure, but instead, would mean animal-processing waste. “The Mautzes currently process (manure) at their feedlot. I don’t think they need this additional facility to process more animal waste. Because it smells. There’s no question about it,” Diers said. “The odors would be nearly obnoxious from animal wastes as they are from human wastes. ... If that’s allowed, I’m as against it as can be. I am not against it for composting, because composting is a good thing.” The Mautzes do not require a permit to compost the manure from their own lot, but do in order to accept such
Fabulous Fourth The Delta Volunteer Fire Department will present its annual Fourth of July fireworks display at Confluence Lake. The show — the only public fireworks display in Delta County — begins as soon as the sky is dark. The fireworks show is funded entirely by donations, so please be generous when firefighters pass the boot the night of the show. Donations will be accepted at deltafire.org/donate or by mail at 285 E. 5th St., Delta, CO 81416.
waste from others. During the hearing and after, Keith and Kirt pointed to other similar operations that also generate odor from manure, including one whose site work is not complete. Theirs would be an engineered facility that keeps manure from seeping into groundwater, Keith said. Some of those who spoke were mollified after learning biosolids won’t be permitted under the new conditions — as long as that was a certainty, and provided dust is taken care of. “I’m really glad they took
out the bio(solids). I’m for the facility, as long as the dust doesn’t come to me,” said Don Taylor, who previously circulated petitions opposing the site. “My big concern is the traffic on the road. ... If this place sells, will this no-bio be permanent forever and ever, till death do us part?” The special use permit and all of its conditions, if ultimately approved, go with the land, White said. Others who took their turn at the mic also asked about dust and traffic, as well as
property values. A resident on nearby 5900 Road, Ken Wilson, asked the county to go to bat for him, by making sure the road is treated with magnesium chloride to keep down dust. Another Olathe resident told planning commissioners “we can fire you all if you let it in,” before being reminded that the planning commission is a volunteer body, appointed by the elected county commissioners. “Is it going to be in your backyard? Well, it’s sure going COMPOSTING SITE TO A3
Dylan Huston bound for prison in baby’s death BY KATHARHYNN HEIDELBERG Montrose Press
A Delta County woman trusted “the most precious life” to Dylan Huston when she left her newborn baby girl in his care in 2014. He betrayed that trust, inflicting serious bodily injury on Jenabelle Carrera Ross, who was about two weeks old when she died. Tuesday, more than five years later, Huston was formally sentenced to 16 years in prison for child abuse causing serious bodily injury and criminally negligent homicide. The sentence won’t bring back Jenabelle, or even shed much light on what happened to her baby, the mother indicated in a written statement read into the record by Aimee English, victim servic-
es supervisor for the District Attorney’s Office. “What gets me through is that Jenabelle has a voice and I am here to forever let her be heard. Five-and-a-half years ago, my world changed. I trusted Dylan with the only precious life that I have ever been able to call my daughter, and he took her from me,” the woman said, enumerating the days since she last touched the baby — 1,966. “Because of one little anger issue, one little mistake, one little whatever excuse he wants to call it, my child is now just a box on a shelf. Now, just a memory. Now, just a blanket I cry into at night.” Huston was alone with Jenabelle on Feb. 2, 2014. According to a 2015 indictment, the mother returned home to hear
“popping sounds” coming from the baby’s chest. She took her to the hospital in Delta, where it was determined Jenabelle was too fragile to be flown to Denver for treatment. Instead, she went to St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction, where doctors found a 3-centimeter tear in her stomach. She died on Feb. 5, 2014. The indictment says Jenabelle sustained fractured ribs, along with the stomach tear, and died of complications arising from it. Investigators doubted Huston’s varying explanations, including that the baby might have been hurt pre-birth, when her mother was in a car crash; been swaddled too tight, or injured when mediPRISON BOUND TO A6
Check campground, road status in GMUG Due to warm weather and abnormally high snowpack, GMUG forest officials are warning that due to this year’s abnormally high snowpack and late spring thaws, many forest roads and campgrounds remain inaccessible due to flooding, mud or snow. Travel on wet, muddy, or snow-covered forest roads can cause serious, long-term resource damage, such as rutting, and presents serious safety concerns especially if visitors are unprepared. Motorized and mechanized vehicle users are responsible for knowing when and where they can drive or ride. The public is asked to respect gates and
closed areas and find alternate locations to recreate while muddy roads and trails dry out. Before traveling on public lands, contact ranger districts for current conditions and camp area closures, and find alternate locations to recreate. “Currently we have over 67 percent of our campgrounds open and are working diligently to open more,” said GMUG forest services staff officer Cory Wong. “We encourage visitors to be prepared prior to their visit to the GMUG and realize they may not be able to camp at their favorite spot this year due to the conditions.”