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NORTH FORK TIMES
SURFACE CREEK NEWS
SPORTS
PROACTIVE APPROACH
SKIERS COMPETE
HITTING THE MAT
North Fork plans to counter BLM oil/gas sale with alternative plan, B1
Nordic event moved to Grand Mesa due to lack of snow across state, C2
Paonia, Delta place first and second at wrestling tournament, B8
DELTA COUNTY
DECEMBER 12, 2012 VOL. 129, NO. 50
75¢
INDEPENDENT
www.deltacountyindependent.com
Truck route construction begins BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor
With a groundbreaking ceremony Dec. 7, construction has officially begun on the city’s long-awaited alternate truck route. Still, it will be the first of the year before Hamon Contractors tackles the job in earnest, a company representative said following the groundbreaking ceremony at the corner of Palmer Street and Gunnison River Drive. Project completion will require about 15 months and will entail the construction of a new four-lane truck bypass to be known as Confluence Drive as well as bridges over a rail spur and 1st Street (which includes a pedestrian undercrossing), drainage and water quality improvements, and railroad realignment. “This has been a long time coming and we’re excited to be getting started with actual work,” said city manager Justin Clifton. At the groundbreaking ceremony he joined other city and county officials in praising public works director Jim Hatheway for his leadership. “There are so many phases to a project like this . . . an endless list of tasks to make this go smoothly. Jim has put forth tremendous effort.” Since an alternate truck route was first suggested to city council in 1947, removing truck traffic from Delta’s historic downtown corridor has been a top priority, Hatheway said. The other primary
goal is to provide better emergency response to residents and businesses on the north side of the railroad tracks. As an added bonus, school buses will be able to transport students without having to deal with an at-grade crossing. The capacity of the city to grow will be enhanced, and a better detour will be in place for downtown events such as the Parade of Lights. “I am looking forward to the challenge that lies before us to take this project from paper and put it into physical infrastructure,” Hatheway said. “I am looking forward to the time when we can cut the ribbon and put the first trucks on this route.” Mayor pro-tem Mary Cooper reiterated the council’s concern for the health, safety and welfare of the community. “That’s what this truck route is predominantly about,” she said. “I personally know some people who almost didn’t make it to the hospital on time because a train was blocking the highway.” County commissioner Bruce Hovde offered the congratulations of Delta County, Susan Polappos shared comments from Senator Mark Udall, and Scott Streit represented Congressman Scott Tipton’s office. “You can definitely tell this is a government project; it’s been in discussion since 1947,” Streit said. “That’s okay because you did it right, GROUNDBREAKING TO A3
Photo by Pat Sunderland
Delta City Council members, staff and contractors associated with the alternate truck route toss a shovelful of dirt at the end of a ceremony commemorating the start of the project. The contract has been awarded to Hamon Contractors, which reports construction will begin in earnest after the first of the year and will require about 15 months.
Construction job fair draws hundreds BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor
Job seekers lined the halls of Bill Heddles Recreation Center last Friday, anxious
Joint Gunnison River project promises ‘Relief’ BY HANK LOHMEYER Staff Writer
For the second time this year, Delta County’s Gunnison River has provided the setting for celebrating a major river restoration project made possible only by the participation and collaboration of varied river water interests. Last Thursday, Dec. 6, the start of the Gunnison River/ Relief Dam reconstruction project was commemorated with several dozen people representing agriculture, outdoor sportsmen, recreationalists, environmentalists, and state and federal agencies. It has taken a remarkable collaboration of those diverse interests, and up to ten years of determined and visionary effort to begin the $800,000 river improvement project east of Austin. Members of a local sport fishing group, the Gunnison Gorge Anglers, were singled out for their individual advocacy and club support of the project which led to participation of the Trout Unlimited national organization’s endorsement and support of the project The river project will
remove dangerous obstacles and water flow patterns that have threatened river rafting uses. It will increase the efficiency and reliability of irrigation water delivery to ag producing owners of the Relief Ditch. It will increase habitat for several “sensitive” native species of river fish. It will increase and improve sport fishing opportunities on the river. It will restore unnaturally silted and eroded sections of the river channel. And, it will provide for other natural riparian zone enhancements. Start of construction work on the collaborative effort that has made the project possible comes just a few months after completion of the Hartland Dam reconstruction project located a few miles down stream. The Hartland project similarly brought benefits to a variety of water use interests, and it marked the coming together and cooperation of various river interests and individuals that some people believe would have been unlikely just a few years ago. The innovative plan of the Relief Ditch diversion was described by design associate
to put in an application with Hamon Contractors, the firm building the alternate truck route in Delta. Hamon is looking for bridge carpenters, heavy equipment operators, pipe laborers, truck drivers, general laborers and flaggers. Personnel director Candice Weston estimated the number of applicants at 300 to 350; roughly 20-30 will be hired, depending on the skills they bring to the job. Hamon will bring in about 10 employees from the Front Range, including three who will call Delta home for the duration of the project. Brad Davis is the project manager, Dave Aupperle is project engineer and Tony Selvage is the site superintendent. A number of subcontractors will also be on site, including Your Way Safety & Sign Supply. Estimator Kirk Knowles participated in
the job fair Friday. “For us it’s been great,” he said. “In addition to this project, we’re looking for help for a number of other construction projects in this area.” Knowles’s firm specializes in providing flaggers and traffic control devices for construction projects. Certified flaggers can earn $12.50 to $12.63 an hour; laborers make $14 to $15.63 an hour. By mid-morning he had spoken to more than 40 applicants. “It’s good to see a good strong turnout but it’s also sad in its own way because there are so many good people looking for work right now,” Knowles said. “We’re glad to do our small part to put people to work.” Ashley Alberts is one of the applicants interested in landing a job as a flagger “or JOB FAIR TO A3
Jeff Crane, an early advocate of the project who began working toward it ten years ago. The design will create water pressure to divert river flow into a new, on-river headgate for the Relief Ditch. The headgate is designed to accommodate automatic controls to meter water flow. The company’s new headgate is also designed to divert water to the Relief Ditch while shunting trash and silt back into the river’s main channel. The Relief Ditch company will save an estimated $3,500 per year in maintenance costs formerly spent on its old diversion structure. Those funds have been pledged in future to maintain the new diversion and related installations, company board member Doug Hamilton told the DCI. The diversion structure will be constructed almost entirely of below-surface boulder placements that will create a safe flow channel for boaters and areas for fish passage. The project began in earnest a few years ago with Photo by Pat Sunderland the support of the Gunnison Gorge Anglers, a local chapter A job fair sponsored by Hamon Contractors drew hundreds of job seekers from a broad area. Many said they’ve been unemof Trout Unlimited. RELIEF DITCH TO A3 ployed for months.
INDEX
Bicyclist hit, killed
Miracle on Main Street
Sign up for toy drive
Accent ........................... A4 Activities ......................A11 Agriculture .....................C8 Bruin Tracks ................C3-6 Business ........................ A6 Church ............................B5 Classifieds .................. D1-2 Editorial ......................... A2 Legals ......................... D3-6 North Fork Times ........B1-4 Obituaries ................ A9-10 School Zone .................. A8 Sports ........................B8-12 Service Directory ........ D7 Surface Creek News . C1-3 TV Listings ..................B6-7
Craig Warren Hampton, 63, of Delta, died last week after being struck while riding his bicycle. The Delta Police Department reports Hampton was riding his bike east on Highway 92 crossing the highway near Henrie Street when he was struck by a pickup truck driven by a 60-year-old male of Eckert. The accident occurred shortly before 8 p.m. Dec. 5. Hampton sustained serious injuries and was transported to St. Mary’s Hospital by Care Flight where he later passed away. The investigation is continuing.
Olathe’s annual Christmas celebration, “Miracle on Main Street,” takes place Friday, Dec. 14. A chili dinner will be hosted by Rebekah Lodge #99 beginning at 4 p.m. Free gloves and mittens will be handed out to all who need them, and Mrs. Claus will be present. The cost is $5 for adults and $3 for children under 12. At 5:30 p.m., the parade begins. After the parade, kids of all ages will have an opportunity to visit with Santa Claus. Free hot chocolate and candy will be provided by the Olathe Area Chamber of Commerce.
The deadline is nearing for the toy drive sponsored by the St. Nicholas Project. Families residing in the Delta area who are in need of gifts for children 0-13 may fill out an application at the Delta County Independent, 401 Meeker Street, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. A letter will be sent out informing parents when and where the gifts may be picked up. Collection coordinator MaryAnn Hennessey estimates up to 500 children are in need of gifts. Donation boxes can be found at many Delta businesses.