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THIS PAGE IS COLOR
DELTA COUNTY 75
INDEPENDENTwww.deltacountyindependent.com
NORTH FORK TIMES SPORTSSURFACE CREEK NEWSMAKING A
DIFFERENCEHotchkiss chamber pays tribute
to community leaders, B1
TOP-NOTCH DELIVERYCedaredge postal carrierearns top state honor,
C1
COMPETITION HEATS UPDelta, Paonia football teams
post convincing wins at home, B5
Accent ........................... A4Activities
....................... A7Agriculture .....................C6Back
Page ................... D8Business ........................
A8Church ........................... D4Classifieds
.................. D1-2Editorial ......................... A2Health
& Fitness .........C4-5Legals ............................
D3North Fork Times ........B1-4Obituaries
......................B8School Zone .................. A5Sports
..........................B5-7Surface Creek News ...C1-3TV Listings
................. D5-6
INDEX Meet the finalistsCommunity members are invited to
meet the four finalists for Delta city man-ager Monday, Nov. 23.
A reception will be held at Bill Heddles Recreation Center from
5:30 to 7 p.m.
The four finalists are Don Gaeddert of Larned, Kan., Dan
Hamsmith of Parker, George Korthauer of Petoskey, Mich., and David
Torgler of Hayden. They were selected from a group of 46
applicants.
The candidates will be in town Mon-day and Tuesday for
interviews with pan-els comprised of city council members and city
department heads.
NOVEMBER 18, 2015VOL. 132, NO. 46
Community dinnerA community Thanksgiving dinner will
be hosted by Delta Christian Church, 795 1600 Road, on Thursday,
Nov. 26. Meals will be served from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Deliveries
will be made from 10 to 11 a.m., and can be requested by calling
Michael Frazier at 270-2524 or Carrie Fra-zier at 260-1945.
Delta Elks Lodge is providing the tur-keys and potatoes. The
remaining food items are being donated and prepared by members of
Delta Christian Church, First Baptist Church of Delta and Calvary
Baptist Church.
Road work plannedThe Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and
Gunnison National Forests have contract-ed for work to occur on
the Lands End Road from the forest boundary for 9.3 miles, up to
the boulder fields. The work will improve the sight distance and
reduce brushy vegetation for 20 feet on each side. Weather
depending, work will take place Nov. 16-Dec. 15, six days a
week.
The Lands End Road will remain open to the public until the
seasonal closure on Dec. 1. Citizens are asked to use caution and
slow their speed for contractor and public safety.
BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor
Dr. Sam Jahani, 52, faces up to four years in prison after
pleading guilty to a sin-gle charge of conspiracy (con-trolled
substance violations, health care fraud violations and/or money
laundering vio-lations).
Jahani was initially charged with multiple, individual counts of
those numerous vio-lations, and was accused of causing the deaths
of three patients through the practice of overprescribing. He will
be sentenced in U.S. District Court on Feb. 8. The federal
government is recommending two years imprisonment.
The plea agreement lays out the governments case:
Dr. Jahani opened a medi-cal office in Delta in 2003, and an
urgent care clinic in Montrose in 2005. As the patient base grew,
Dr. Jah-ani expanded his business. In November 2007, he hired Dr.
Eric Peper.
Many patients traveled from Grand Junction to Delta to obtain,
and were prescribed, scheduled controlled substanc-es, so Dr.
Jahani opened a third clinic in Grand Junction in November 2008.
The clin-ics closed shortly after search warrants were served on
the businesses and residences of Drs. Jahani and Peper on Oct. 14,
2009.
Prior to obtaining the search warrants, federal agents conducted
numerous interviews of health care pro-fessionals, former
employees, patients and family members. Pharmacists reported that
Drs. Jahani and Peper were prescribing large quantities of powerful
controlled substances to patients. Some pharmacists indicated they
could not keep
controlled drugs such as oxy-codone in stock because of the
demand by Jahani and Peper patients. In addition, many of these
patients were paying cash for their prescriptions. Some pharmacists
refused to fill the prescriptions; others called the doctors to
question prescriptions.
Emergency department personnel and jail doctors reported
numerous Jahani and Peper patients on high levels of narcotics,
making it difficult to treat them. Mem-bers of the community
com-plained to law enforcement that their loved ones were being
overprescribed and could not function due to pre-scriptions
obtained from Drs. Jahani and Peper.
A Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) investigation concluded that Dr.
Jahani and Dr. Pepers actions were
Overprescribing lands docs in prison
Photo by Pat SunderlandJerry Allen discusses the unique seed mix
used to create a cover crop on a eld in the Pea Green area.
Producers are encouraged to mix their own cocktails to address
specic issues.
BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor
For five years, Ahlberg Farms has been disking under corn stalks
and onion tops soon after harvest, then reseeding with a unique
blend of seed mixes to produce a cover crop that provides for-age
for livestock and nour-ishes the soil.
The practice is one that has many benefits, according to the
experts on the Uncompahgre Soil Health Team.
Last week team members hosted a tour of six farms that are
employing cover crops to increase organic mat-ter, increase
nutrient cycling, suppress weeds, reduce soil
compaction, provide forage for livestock, provide cover for
wildlife, and potentially break disease and pest cycles.
The team points to the four practices that promote soil
health:
Keep the soil covered for as long as possible.
Minimize soil distur-bance.
Keep a living plant on/in the soil throughout the year (or as
long as possible).
Diversify the types of plants growing on the field through crop
rotations and cover crops.
Three out of four of those practices involve cover crops,
described as annual and semi-annual plants grown for sea-sonal
vegetative cover as part of a planned rotation to provide soil
health benefits. There are also benefits to the principle cash
crop, as evidenced by the higher yields, quicker matu-rity and
larger onions/ears of corn the Ahlbergs have been harvesting since
they began the practice of planting cover crops.
Zach Ahlberg has refined the seed mixture over the years. His
most recent mixture consists of triticale, sorghum, sudangrass,
hairy vetch, Aus-trian pea, purple top turnip and Daikon
radishes.
As the cover crop matures, cows are let out to graze on the
nutrient-rich mixture. Their droppings further add to the organic
mix in the soil.
Adding organic matter to build carbon is the key to soil health,
said Katie Alexander, a soil conservationist with the National
Resource Conserva-tion Service.
Steve Woodis, NRCS biol-ogist, points to the cottage cheese
quality of the soil, referring to the loose soil structure that
results when deep-rooted plants like rad-ishes, canola and some
annual
grasses are planted. These plants can reduce the need for
mechanical deep ripping.
Another benefit, said Dave Dearstyne, is that the soil holds
moisture better than a fallow field.
The composition of the cover crop is specific to the individu-al
need, and can change each year to address common issues such as
weed control, disease control or nitrogen balance.
The cost of the seed is often covered by the grazing value,
noted Jerry Allen of the Sha-vano Conservation District. Increased
yields also make
cover crops worthwhile.The goal of the Uncompahgre
Soil Health Team is to help producers maximize soil health by
increasing organic matter through cover crops, green manure,
grazing, com-post, entomology and other sustainable practices.
The team also helps put on the annual Western Slope Soil Health
Conference, which will be held Feb. 11-12 at the Delta Center for
the Perform-ing Arts and Education. More information can be found
at www.westerncoloradosoil health.com.
Cover crops build soil healthJAHANI TO A3
BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor
The Colorado Cattlemens Association and Delta Coun-ty Livestock
Association are joining forces in search of the individual or
individuals who have shot calves to death in the Black Mesa grazing
allotment.
Since late September, three dead calves have been discov-ered,
two with small caliber bullet holes and one shot by a large caliber
rifle. Placement of trail cams nearby led to the speculation that
perhaps unscrupulous hunters were killing the calves and leav-ing
their carcasses as bear bait, but that theory appears to be
unfounded. Crawford area rancher Danny Todd says the owner of the
trail cam has been identified and while he admits placing the
camera near the carcasses,
he denies any involvement in their deaths. It is not illegal to
place a trail cam on public land near a carcass to cap-ture images
of game in the area.
Since the calves were located just off roadways, the cattlemen
believe the perpetrator may be a mali-cious individual out to cause
trouble. No meat has been taken, as was the case in an incident
earlier this summer on Grand Mesa.
The $5,000 reward offered by the cattlemen is in addi-tion to
the $1,000 offered by CrimeStoppers for informa-tion leading to the
arrest and conviction of the perpetra-tors. Anyone with
informa-tion is asked to call the Delta County Sheriff s Office at
874-2000 or CrimeStoppers at 874-8810, if you wish to remain
anonymous.
Cattlemen offer $5,000 reward
BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor
The coal industry remains in a period of distress due to strict
governmental reg-ulations, oversupply in the global coal market,
increased competition from natural gas, and low coal demand and
prices, among other fac-tors.
This management analy-sis has led Arch Coal to warn that a
significant financial restructuring will be required for the
publicly traded com-pany to operate as a going concern over the
long term. Underscoring the immediacy of action is a reported net
loss of $2 billion for the quar-ter ending Sept. 30.
Arch Coal operates coal mines in Colorado, Wyoming, Illinois,
West Virginia, Ken-tucky, Virginia and Mary-land. It is the owner
of West Elk Mine, the only local mine operating at full capacity.
It employs about 350 coal min-ers.
A filing with the Securities
and Exchange Commission warns that it may be neces-sary to file
a voluntary peti-tion for relief under Chapter 11 of the U.S.
Bankruptcy Code to restructure debt obli-gations.
On a positive note, Arch delivered an exceptionally strong
operational perfor-mance during the quarter, according to John W.
Eaves, Archs chairman and chief executive officer. Our results
reflect the actions we have taken to respond to the chal-lenging
market environment, including reducing costs and enhancing
efficiency across the company. Thanks to the efforts of our skilled
employ-ees, we increased cash mar-gins in each of our three
oper-ating regions and continued to build on our industry-lead-ing
safety and environmental stewardship records. Despite these
efforts, however, the difficult conditions impacting the coal
industry persist, and we expect they will continue throughout
2016.
Challenges to coal industry persist
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THIS PAGE IS GRAYSCALE
A2 Wednesday, November 18, 2015 OPINION Delta County
Independent
Veterans deserve more than lip serviceDear Editor:
Truly responsible indi-viduals (most actually consider
themselves as such) who incur obliga-tions should be not only
willing, but should feel themselves obligated to face up to them.
That is true of everything, even that which they incurred to those
who served in the military. And, in doing so, they should not be
deceived into believ-ing that in doing so that they are in any way
charitable or engaging in charity work.
Today we see cam-paigns to help veterans in need, especially the
wounded and/or dis-abled. Two of those are the Wounded Warrior
Project and the other
for Disabled American Veterans. While those operating those
organi-zations, as well as those who donate to them with only $19 a
month or 63 cents a day, while well intended, they are allowing
others to shift their own obligations and responsibilities onto the
backs of others. That these veterans are in need of assistance (in
particular the disabled ones) is not in question. However, that is
every-ones responsibility, and not just those who can or want to
donate. Neither is doing so at all chari-table.
Some of us like to compare issues and, in this case, we look at
members of the House
of Representatives, now under a so-called Free-dom Caucus. Their
cal-endar is set up such that they will be in session slightly over
100 days. (Being in session, by the way, does not mean that they
even have to show up which many dont). Some of us would ask the
following: What are they doing during the remain-ing 265 days?
Should they not be present, and actually working at their job and
meeting their obligations and respon-sibilities to the people, many
of those veterans. Oh, those politicians will show up at every
event which presents them with an opportu-nity to thank veterans;
i.e. How patriotic and wonderful you were and thank you, thank you!
Those are just words and their own actions belie their words. They
will go back to Washington and do everything they pos-sibly can to
cut the Vet-erans Administrations budget, or condemn the entire
organization for its failings, then use that to cut the budget even
further.
One of the complaints we frequently hear from veterans (among
others) is that others dont lis-ten. In that conclusion I concur.
There is also no problem with help-ing others out, in this case
veterans. However, those truly concerned about veterans (and
vet-erans themselves) should not restrict themselves to raising
funds to help out but get in the face of those politicians who,
while they give lip ser-vice to veterans and their service, will do
every-thing they can to avoid doing what needs doing most of it by
them. If there is an example of empty words, what these so-called
conserva-tives preach, then look-ing at what they actually do, this
is one of them.
Robert I LaitresDelta
Tough oil/gas regulations serve joint interestsDear Editor:
These comments were submitted to the Colora-do Oil and Gas
Conser-vation Commission, as it conducts hearings on pro-posed
rules addressing oil and gas development near residential
areas:
Energy development is not abstract to me. I have lived for 41
years within 10 miles of three large underground coal mines that
until recently employed 1,000 miners and produced 1.5 percent of
the nations coal. For 40 years, I heated my house with coal from
those mines. Trains carrying that coal to market pass within 0.7
miles of my house. Tragically, those mines are now in termi-nal
decline. More than half of the jobs are gone, with the rest doomed
by the enormous changes in fossil fuel energy produc-tion and
use.
Thanks to intense fed-eral and state regulation, coal mines are
excellent neighbors. For over a century, coal mining in my North
Fork Valley has not just coexisted with our rural area and pub-lic
lands, but enhanced them. As a result, we supported the mines and
we mourn their passing.
By comparison, oil and gas extraction is so light-ly regulated
as to not be worthy of the word. As a result, the industry is a
threat to the life, limb and health of its workforce and a threat
to the physical and men-tal health of those of us who have the
tragic mis-fortune to live near this rogue industry. It imposes
heavy truck traffic on our lightly constructed roads and bridges,
it destroys the tranquility and clean-liness of residential areas
with industrial activity, and it converts our fed-eral lands into a
single, sprawling, industrialized, ugly-beyond-description
landscape.
Living in rural areas is not easy. Jobs are few and usually low
paid. As a group, we tend to be older, poorer and less well
educated than urban and suburban people. Our major compensation for
this difficult life is the beauty and recreation
potential of the federal lands we live among. But now our
federal lands are threatened by industrial-ization. These lands
will be impossible to reclaim not just in my lifetime, but in my
grandchildrens lifetime. Drilling, given present regulations, makes
the ruling theme of federal lands mul-tiple use a joke. You can
graze and log and develop water and mine coal underground with-out
violating the princi-ple of multiple use. But oil and gas
production represents the expropria-tion of the land from all other
users.
These lands are not just important and valu-able to those of us
who live among them. People come from around the country and world
to hunt and fish and gawk at the mountains. The snowmelt coming off
the central Rockies irrigates land that produces fruit, grapes,
vegetable and grains. Cattle and sheep graze the mountainsides in
the warmer months. We are an amazingly pro-ductive place. All this
is threatened by the mas-sive industrialization this industrys
present way of operating requires.
The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Com-mission is charged by
law with the twin fiduciary duties of encouraging the industry and
pro-tecting communities and the environment from industry abuses.
Instead of balancing its respon-sibilities, the commission has
become a captive creature of the industry. The irony is that this
cap-tivity is causing a reac-tion that tough but rea-sonable
regulation could avoid. By ignoring the public health and welfare
and by failing to protect the wildlands that over-lay oil and gas
deposits, the COGCC is dooming the industry it seeks to
protect.
Regulations that allow drill pads to be placed next to
schoolyards, for example, or close to residential areas, or in
beautiful wild landscapes guarantee unending opposition from local
and eventually national con-
stituencies. If these non-regulatory regulations are made final,
the Com-mission will have set the stage for a fight-to-the-death.
Either the indus-try will destroy our rural areas by making this a
barren and unproductive place (except for liquid and gaseous Btus),
or we will destroy it. The com-mission will have given us no
alternative.
Governor Hickenloop-er, a proponent of drill-ing, saw this
unhealthy fight coming, and tried to head it off by appointing a
Task Force to reach a compromise. The Gover-nors Task Force failed
and judging by its draft regulations, now the Com-mission has
failed. We will soon be back fighting it out through referenda at
election time.
As fate would have it, the industry would have been in better
shape if the governor had let the battle go forward last year, when
the industry was economically strong and many jobs depended on it.
Now the industry has gone bust; gas and oil prices are flat and
according to the financial futures market likely to remain so for
the foresee-able future. Communi-ties threatened by future drilling
and communities already damaged by drill-ing and now economically
abandoned by the indus-try both have reason to be receptive to
strong regulation or outright bans.
If the commission could understand that tough regulations are in
the joint interests of both the industry and the pub-lic, it still
has time to respond to citizen com-ments and produce reg-ulations
that give local government the power to site pads, to phase in the
pace of drilling, to keep drill pads long distances from schools
and resi-dences, and so on. Unless the commission imposes such
regulations, it is going to doom the indus-try. Powerful though the
commission may be, it cannot protect the oil and gas industry from
an enraged public.
Ed MarstonPaonia
We all bleed redDear Editor:
With all the racial hate and controversy going on in this
country, I felt this might be a good time to share some thoughts
that came to me which I titled The Earthly Play:
God is the main char-acter in this play on earth and throughout
the uni-verse; without the red blood shed by Jesus there would be
no one freed from sin regardless of skin color. We all bleed red.
No
one, and I mean no one, has a choice where, when or what color
their skin will be when they are born. You are, however, given a
choice to love Him (God) and share His love with all the characters
in this play.
Another thought about the political race: I think it is time to
trim the Bushes and let the Clin-tons go bankrupt.
Alice M. FowlerCedaredge
From the Delta Police Department:
Nov. 7:Jose B. Suazo, 41, of
Delta was issued a tick-et for alleged disobeyed a red signal
light after being involved in a two-vehicle crash on Highway 92 at
Stafford Lane. One driver was transported to Delta County Memo-rial
Hospital by the Delta County Ambulance Dis-trict with unknown
inju-ries. Both vehicles were towed from the scene.Nov. 9:
Aaron T. Grange, 27, of Delta was issued a ticket for alleged
child abuse.
Lionel G. Cruz-Vil-lalobos, 33, of Montrose was arrested and
jailed for alleged possession of a Schedule II controlled substance
and placed on parole hold.
James R. Wich, 30, of Montrose was issued a ticket for alleged
care-less driving after being involved in a two-vehicle crash on
Highway 50 at Pioneer Road. One driver was transported to Delta
County Memorial Hospi-tal by the Delta County Ambulance District
with unknown injuries. One vehicle was towed from the scene.
Nov. 10:A 17-year-old female
of Eckert was issued a ticket for alleged failure to yield right
of way from a stop sign after being involved in a two-vehicle crash
at E. 3rd Street and Riley Lane. No inju-ries were reported or
observed. Both vehicles were driven from the scene.Nov. 11:
Octavio Rodriguez, 24, of Delta was issued a ticket for alleged
driv-ing a motor vehicle while license cancelled/denied.Nov.
12:
Richard T. Farabee, 26, of Lehi, Utah, was issued a ticket for
alleged careless driving and driv-ing a motor vehicle while license
suspended after being involved in a two-vehicle crash on Highway 50
at 1600 Road. Minor injuries were reported. Both vehicles were
towed from the scene.Nov. 14:
Derrick L. West, 20, of Delta was issued a ticket for alleged
unlawful acts and destruction of prop-erty.Nov. 15:
Nicholas P. Rios, 29, of Delta was arrested and jailed for
alleged DUI, DUI per se, speeding (71
in a 40), careless driv-ing and prohibited use of a firearm
after being involved in a one-vehicle minor crash on Highway 50 at
1550 Road.
Spencer D.L. Bach-man, 26, of Delta was arrested and jailed for
alleged violation of a pro-tection order.
Crystal L. Church, 32, of Delta was issued a ticket for alleged
running at large prohibited.
Citations: 19 tickets for traffic violations were issued this
week, 15 for speeding.
Please remember: All criminal charges are merely an accusation
and the defendant is pre-sumed innocent until or unless proven
guilty.
From the Delta County Sheriffs Office (partial list):
Nov. 9:A baggie containing a
suspicious substance was reported by an Orchard City business,
where it had apparently been dropped accidentally. The substance
field tested as methamphetamine.Nov. 12:
A disturbance was reported at a Crawford residence. A woman
reportedly banged repeatedly on the door of a home on Cedar Ave-nue
while shouting about money owed by the occu-pants son. Eventually
she broke out a window. By the time deputies arrived she had left
the premises. The son would not identify the woman and his father
was not interested in filing a complaint.
A Delta area resident reported the theft of a 14-foot, two-axle
utility flatbed trailer from his home on 2200 Road.Nov. 13:
A woman on Cou-gar Mountain Road, Hotchkiss, called dis-patch
after a vehicle pulled into her driveway in the middle of the
after-noon. The female driver got out of the vehicle and seemed
confused about where she was. When deputies arrived they noted an
odor of alcohol. The driver was taken into custody.Nov. 14:
A serious accident was reported at High-way 50 and G50 Road
north of Delta at about 5 p.m. Brandon Marti-nez, 18, of Denver was
on G50 Road attempting to make a lefthand turn onto Highway 50 when
he struck a vehicle trav-eling eastbound on High-way 50 in the left
pass-ing lane. That vehicle was driven by Jebidiah Delhagen, 38, of
Rifle. Delhagen skidded 119 feet before colliding with the left
side of Marti-nezs vehicle. The Mar-tinez vehicle rolled one time,
coming to rest on its wheels in the center median. The two drivers
and a 26-year-old female passenger in the Marti-nez vehicle were
trans-ported to the hospital by Delta County Ambulance District.
Delta firefight-ers and sheriff s deputies remained on the scene to
assist the Colorado State Patrol with traffic con-trol. Martinez
was cited for careless driving caus-ing injury.
Law enforcement blotter
LETTERS
DELTA COUNTY
INDEPENDENTDELTA COUNTY INDEPENDENT (UPS 152-700) is published
weekly on Wednesdays at 401 Meeker St., Delta, CO 81416. Second
class postage paid at DELTA, CO. POSTMASTER: Send address changes
to: DELTA COUNTY INDEPENDENT, PO BOX 809, DELTA, CO 81416
401 Meeker St. (970)
[email protected]@deltacountyindependent.com
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Delta County Independent LOCAL NEWS Wednesday, November 18, 2015
A3
BY HANK LOHMEYER Staff Writer
The Board of County Commissioners on Mon-day discussed a pay
raise proposal for county elect-ed officials that could amount to
30 percent. But the board has not approved any increase.
The General Assembly has approved a 30 per-cent pay hike for
county elected officials, and pay increases for state offi-cials as
well, but other
options allow for a 10 per-cent or a 20 percent raise, county
staff explained.
The commissioners want to get more infor-mation about the plans
before making a final decision.
In other business at its Nov. 15 regular meet-ing:
The board approved purchase of a Caterpil-lar four-yard loader
for the District 1 Road and Bridge Department at a price of
$230,469. The county had budgeted $242,000 for the pur-chase.
At a budget meeting on Monday, commission-ers heard a report
from staff that 2017 revenues will be cut by $500,000 due to loss
of personal property tax and produc-tion tax revenues from the
Bowie layoff.
Staff reported that the West Elk Mine opera-tions will not be
impacted by Arch Coals reschedul-ing of its debt.
Commissioners awarded a contract to Blair and Associates for an
annual audit to cost $29,500.
The county will cover increased health insurance premium costs
for employees next year
equivalent to a 3 per-cent pay increase, said Robbie LeValley,
county administrator. County
workers will also get a 1 percent cost of living increase across
the board next year.
Commissioners ponder pay increase
BY HANK LOHMEYER Staff Writer
Ten county employees were recognized for their
years of service to the county by the board of commissioners on
Mon-day.
Receiving recognition for 10 years of service were the
following:
Heather Lashmett,
child welfare caseworker for the county Health and Human
Services depart-ment; Lisa Orona, an eli-gibility technician for
the county Health and Human Services department; Jan Speas, county
useful pub-lic service coordinator; Jaimie Thomason-Smiles,
administrative assistant for child support, county Health and Human
Ser-vices department; Chris Wagner, road and bridge equipment
operator; Teresa Weaver, Health and Human Services eli-gibility
team leader.
Recognized for 15 years of service were Rene Beck, general
management assistant for child welfare, Health and Human Services;
Leo Beltran, lead custodian; Stephanie Graham, cook for the
detention facility; and Ron Pearce, road and bridge equipment
opera-tor.
County workers earn recognition
Photo by Hank LohmeyerCounty employees receiving service
recognition from the commissioners on Monday are, front from left,
Jan Speas, Rene Beck, Teresa Weaver, Lisa Orona and Heather
Lashmett. Employees receiving recognition but not pictured were
Jaimie Thomason-Smiles, Chris Wagner, Leo Beltran, Stephanie Graham
and Ron Pearce. Pictured in the back row above are commissioners
Doug Atchley, Bruce Hovde and Mark Roeber.
Scattered outages began affecting members of Delta-Montrose
Elec-tric Association (DMEA) as winter weather rolled through the
co-ops ser-vice territory late Mon-day night and early Tuesday
morning. The weather system dumped heavy, wet snow onto
trees, many of which had not yet lost their leaves, snapping
tree limbs which fell into DMEAs power lines. Power was restored to
the majority of affected members by 10 a.m. Tuesday.
DMEA reminds mem-bers to report trees caught in power lines,
downed power lines, and outages by calling 1-877-687-3632. It is
important to remember, email and social media are not reli-able for
reporting out-ages, as they are not con-tinuously monitored.
In Orchard City, Eckert and Cedaredge, approximately 1,295
members were affected by the outage.
Approximately 572 members in and around Crawford experienced a
power outage beginning at 6:12 a.m. and ending at 8:30 a.m.
In Hotchkiss, a num-ber of trees leaned over onto power poles
from the weight of the snow, and three caught on fire. The trees
were smoul-dering and eventually went out on their own, although
the Hotchkiss Fire District had crews on the scene at 3rd and
Orchard early Monday.
A real-time outage map is available online at
http://www.dmea.com/content/outage-informa tion. DMEA also works to
regularly update our Facebook page www.face book.com/DeltaMontose
ElectricAssociation< http://www.facebook.com
/DeltaMontroseElectric Association> during large or prolonged
out-ages.
Weather causes power outages
Jahaniinconsistent with the usual course of medi-cal practice.
Specifical-ly, patient history was scant, physical exams were
rarely conducted, and there was a lack of individualized treatment
planning. Instead, treat-ment typically involved the prescribing of
a fixed set of controlled drugs, including oxycodone, hydrocodone
or fentanyl. The DEAs medical expert used the word relent-less to
describe the doc-tors escalating rate of prescribing controlled
drugs. Analysis of patient records revealed three patients, while
suffering legitimate health issues,
ultimately died of poly drug overdose.
Financial records revealed Dr. Jahanis debts outpaced his income
each year. To cover the cost of clinic operations, build a home in
Montrose and purchase multiple vehicles, Dr. Jahani billed
Medicare, Medicaid and Rocky Mountain Health Plans for office
visits associated with the act of prescribing the narcotics. The
DEA expert deter-mined there was no legiti-mate medical purpose or
medical need in many of the patient files he ana-lyzed.
Dr. Peper entered a guilty plea in July. He will be sentenced
Feb. 24.
FROM PAGE A1
BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor
State-level results are back from the first administration of
Colora-dos new tests in English language arts and math. The tests
were admin-istered last spring, and were submitted electroni-cally
with the intention of providing schools and parents with timely
feed-back. But in the first year of implementation, school-and
district-level results wont be released to the public until
Decem-ber.
From what I gather from recent training, next years tests wont
be available the first of June either, said Kurt Clay, assistant
superintendent of Delta County Joint School District #50.
Given to public school students in grades three through high
school in spring 2015, the tests were the first statewide measure
of the more rig-
orous Colorado Academic Standards, which were fully implemented
in all schools in the 2013-14 school year. The Colora-do Academic
Standards set rigorous, grade-level expectations in 10 content
areas, and they include the Common Core State Standards for English
language arts and math.
Test scores to be released in December
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THIS PAGE IS COLOR
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THIS PAGE IS COLOR
A4 Wednesday, November 18, 2015 ACCENT Delta County
Independent
More than 8,500 Al-Anon members recently took part in a
member-ship survey to share how participation in Al-Anon meetings
has improved the quality of their lives. As part of the survey,
respondents were given the opportunity to pro-vide comments about
the benefits they have expe-rienced as a member of Al-Anon. Of the
5,875 comments received, over-whelmingly, Al-Anon saved my life was
most frequently cited.
Al-Anon saved my life and the lives of oth-ers around me, said
an anonymous respondent in the survey. They contin-ued, I was so
angry with my alcoholic that I actu-ally thought of killing him and
myself. Out of desperation I went to an Al-Anon meeting, and in
that meeting I met people who were laughing and seemed to be at
peace, even though they had
lived with or were living with an active drinker. I wanted that
peace, too. So I kept going back.
Another anonymous respondent said, I no longer recognize the
depressed, anxious and fearful man who first came into Al-Anon. My
outlook in almost every area in my life has changed for the good. I
believe Al-Anon saved my life.
Respondents in the survey also answered questions about how
their health has improved after attending Al-Anon meet-ings. Across
the board, in all areas of health cov-ered in the survey,
includ-ing mental, physical and emotional health, partici-pants
reported improved well-being.
More than one in three Americans report they have experienced
alcohol-related family trouble, according to a Gallup poll
conducted in July 2014.
Al-Anon Family
Groups are for families and friends who have been affected by a
loved ones drinking. Nearly 16,000 local groups meet throughout the
U.S., Can-ada, Bermuda and Puerto Rico every week. Al-Anon Family
Groups meet in more than 130 countries, and Al-Anon literature is
available in more than 40 languages. Al-Anon Fami-ly Groups have
been offer-ing strength and support to families and friends of
problem drinkers since
1951. Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc. acts as the
clearinghouse worldwide for inquiries from those who need help or
want information about Al-Anon Family Groups and Alateen, its
program for teenage members.
For more informa-tion about Al-Anon Fam-ily Groups, go to
al-anon.org.
Find a local meeting by calling Elizabeth at 874-9832 or
toll-free 1-888-4AL-ANON.
Family, friends find strength with Al-Anon
Join HopeWest and become a part of a heart-felt ceremony
dedicated to remembering those who have touched our lives. Light up
a Life will take place on Thursday, Dec. 3, at 5:30 p.m. at
Heir-looms for Hospice, 521 Main Street in Delta.
This beautiful cere-mony honors loved ones and celebrates the
hope that HopeWest brings to patients and families.
The evening will feature holiday music, remem-brance of loved
ones, an inspiring holiday mes-sage and refreshments.
Celebrate the lives of friends and family with the purchase of a
person-alized pewter heart orna-ment, luminary, greeting card or
make a donation in honor of a loved one. Find out more about these
options by visiting www.HopeWestCO.org.
Celebrate those you love this holiday season
of
Taste of Home
Sponsored by:
Wild Flower Bistro
WildFlowerBistro
WINTER HOURS:M, W, TH, F 11A-4P
SAT. SUN. BRUNCH 8A-4PCLOSED TUESDAYS
305 MAIN STREET DELTA, CO(FORMERLY BRICKWALL EATERY)
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK
Photo by Pat Sunderland
Leaving their markThe Delta Police Department and VFW Post #9221
joined forces to n-gerprint kindergartners at Lincoln and Garnet
Mesa elementary schools. The ngerprints were placed in an ID kit
that was sent home for parents to add photos and a physical
description of the child. Parents retain the ID kits and share them
with law enforcement only in case of emergency. Above, Charles
Kettle, interim police chief, and Commander Jesse Cox gently take
impressions from Namiyah Huff and Sophia Siennicki; below, VFW
volunteers wipe the ink from students hands.
Shoeboxcollectionweek runsthroughNov. 23
Calvary Baptist Church, 1290 A Street, Delta, is a collection
site for Operation Christmas Child.
A shoebox, or similar-sized box, is filled with gifts for a boy
or girl. Toys, stuffed animals, hygiene items and school supplies
are all suitable for packing a box. Some people include a personal
note or photo, plus $7 for shipping costs.
The boxes are collected in a central location for distribution
by Samari-tans Purse to children throughout the world.
Samaritans Purse is a nondenominational evan-gelical Christian
organi-zation providing spiritual and physical aid to people who
are victims of war, poverty, natural disas-ters, disease and
famine, with the purpose of shar-ing Gods love.
A small shoebox can have a big impact. What goes into the box is
fun, but what comes out of it is eternal. Learn more about the
power of Oper-ation Christmas Child at www.samaritanspurse.
org.
The senior center meal sites at Delta, Cedaredge, Hotchkiss and
Paonia will be closed Thursday and Friday, Nov. 26-27 for the
Thanksgiving holiday.
No meals will be served by Senior CommUnity Meals, there will be
no Meals On Wheels deliver-ies, and the Delta Senior Centers Thrift
Store will also be closed.
The Hotchkiss Senior Center will be open on Thursday, Nov. 26,
for a community Thanksgiv-ing dinner, but it is not organized by
the seniors there.
Senior meal sites close for holidays
Dance thenight awayNov. 21
Come dance the night away at the next com-munity evening dance
Saturday, Nov. 21, at Bill Heddles Recreation Cen-ter. Chuck
Gregory will provide the music for this fun event, which runs from
7 to 10 p.m. Bring a friend and a snack to share. Coffee and
lemon-ade will be provided. The cost is $5 at the door. For more
information, call 874-0923.
Delta United Meth-odist Church is hosting two special Advent
Bible studies. On Wednesdays, beginning Nov. 25, Pas-tor Carol Rhan
will lead participants through The Journey. In a five-week study,
these jour-neys will capture the stories of Mary, Joseph,
Elizabeth, and the road from Bethlehem to Naza-reth to today. There
are two opportunities, from
1:30-2:30 or 5:30-6:30.Karl Gaiser will lead a
small group study on the book, Jesus Apprentice - Doing What
Jesus Did. Combining four sessions into the study will be on
Saturdays, Dec. 5 and 12, from 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Both are free but a free will offering would be appreciated.
Please call the church office for more information 874-9501.
Two Advent studies planned at Delta UMC
Show your Colorado pride in style by light-ing up an entry for
the Delta Parade of Lights. This years theme is A Colorado
Christmas.
Applications are avail-able from the Delta Area Chamber of
Commerce at 301 Main Street, Delta,
or on the chambers web-site. There is no entry fee for
participants, thanks to the sponsorship of Senior CommUnity
Care.
The parade will be held on Main Street Friday, Dec. 4, starting
at 6 p.m. Contact the chamber at 874-8616 for details.
Celebrate A Colorado Christmas in Delta
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THIS PAGE IS COLOR
Delta County Independent SCHOOL Wednesday, November 18, 2015
A5
BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor
Five members of a health occupations orga-nization from Delta
High School attended a fall leadership conference in Denver last
weekend. They sat in on sessions to develop leadership skills,
explored competitive
events, learned about professionalism and dis-cussed fundraising
oppor-tunities for the national HOSA charity, Leukemia and Lymphoma
Society. They also cheered on the Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi
Center.
Health Occupation Students of America, or
HOSA, is in its second year at DHS. Its struc-tured much like
Future Farmers of America or Future Business Lead-ers of America,
but its geared toward students who are interested in any type of
medical career.
Julie Boyd and Robin Liston sponsored the club
in its initial year. Ben Magtutu, a physics teach-er at DHS, is
now co-advisor with Boyd. Boyd teaches college anatomy at DHS, as
well as science at the Delta Opportuni-ty School and an online
health course at Delta-Montrose Technical Col-lege.
Boyd said HOSA gives students an opportunity to explore a
variety of career opportunities, from nurs-ing to pharmacy to
veteri-nary medicine. Along the way, they participate in
leadership, public speak-ing and teamwork build-ing activities.
They learn skills expected by those working in the medical field,
such as CPR, first aid, hygiene and the prop-er transfer of
patients.
Medical math, ter-minology, spelling and cultural issues are
addressed. As individuals or members of a team, they prepare for a
con-stantly expanding series of health care-related competitive
events. Com-petition is held in Colora-do Springs in the
spring.
The future health professionals also per-form community service,
conduct fundraisers and have time for fun and socialization during
the twice-monthly meetings.
Their course load typi-cally includes classes that will prepare
them for careers in health care, such as college anatomy and
college biology.
The need for com-
petent, compassionate health care providers is expected to
continue to grow, Boyd said. HOSA provides students an opportunity
to learn about career opportunities they may not have considered,
while moving DHS toward graduation guidelines that expect students,
by the year 2021, to demon-strate postsecondary and workforce
readiness.
Delta High School students explore health careers
Photo submittedShanaya Deuschle, Haylee Curry, Jaspe Arias,
Joyclie Webb and Missa Webb represented Delta High School at a HOSA
leadership conference in Denver.
BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor
Veterans were honored at an assembly hosted by Delta Middle
School on Nov. 11. Honored military included Randy Charles-worth,
U.S. Air Force; Jerry Harding, a com-bined 26 years with the
Marines and Army; Mike Stahly, a 20-year Army veteran; Louis Webb,
U.S. Air Force; Noah McCul-ley, U.S. Air Force; Pat-rick Wear, U.S.
Army; and David Rowland, 22 years, U.S. Air Force.
Guest speaker Tom Jones, a lieutenant with
the Civil Air Patrol cadet program, was the guest speaker. Three
members of his squadron Senior Airman Jonathon Lyons of Palisade,
Cadet Air-man Jayd Gardner of Clifton and Master Sgt. Jack Jones of
Delta (a DMS student) comprised the color guard.
Lt. Jones talked about three military organiza-tions that are
rarely recog-nized WASPS (Women Air Force Service Pilots), Merchant
Marines and the Civil Air Patrol.
Two DMS students read their entries in the VFW Patriots Pen
essay contest. The winners will be announced in Decem-ber. James
Goff and Jez-zie Couch addressed the theme, What Freedom Means to
Me.
Goff s essay embraced the right to bear arms; Couch said
thinking free-ly is a vital part of what she considers freedom. The
freedom to own a firearm and the ability to practice her religion
are also two of the greatest freedoms one can have.
The assembly was also attended by the BELA preschoolers; their
class-rooms are adjacent to the gym where the event took place.
DMS celebrates Veterans Day
Closed on Thanksgiving!
A place where you can bee yourself
Follow us on
Photos submitted
Terric KidsThe following Garnet Mesa students earned a Terric
Kid Award from the Kiwanis Club of Delta for their efforts to be a
responsible citizen and student. Pictured above are kindergarten
and rst grade students (front) Hailey Wachowicz, Cali Duran, Bailee
Hernandez, Sophia Siennicki; (back) Sarah King, Paola Solis
Martinez, Lilyanna Borgerding, Liam McFarland. Below are second and
third graders Tyson Hughes, Hunter Proctor, Alyssa Rule, Merissa
Floyd, Abby Campas, Leilani Rundle, Teddy LIng and Kiva
Hartung.
Lt. Tom Jones
Civil Air Patrol Cadet Color Guard
Speech isoff to astrong start
The Delta High School speech and debate team did extremely well
in Paonia on Nov. 7. Senior Rodolfo Contreras and freshman Claire
Corbas-son took first place in duo interpretation. Fresh-man Elena
Melgoza and sophomore Audrey Mayes took fourth place in duo
interpretation. Junior Sheali King took third and junior Hannah
Bran-son took fourth in humor interpretation. Sopho-more Allison
Castrejon took third and sophomore Maddy Tracey took fourth in
original oratory. Soph-omores Logan Freed and Jaspar Carmichael
took fourth in public forum debate. Juniors Hannah Owens and Lydia
Stal-cup and seniors Cidney Fisk and Anthony Streich served as
presiding offi-cers in the congressional houses. Cidney Fisk was
also named outstanding speaker in her house.
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THIS PAGE IS COLOR
A6 Wednesday, November 18, 2015 LOCAL NEWS Delta County
Independent
BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor
At the Delta County Museum, a World War II exhibit showcases
activi-ties on the home front to support the war effort. Theres
also a memo-rial for William Billy Bellmire, the Delta pilot who
was killed in a train-ing exercise at Deland Naval Air Station in
Florida. Fragments of his aircraft and some person-al effects were
recently recovered and passed along to museum direc-tor Jim Wetzel,
along with a shadow box Wet-zel presented to two of Bellmires
distant cousins, Frank Pace and Susanne Bellmire Schultz. Includ-ed
in the shadow box are a parachute buckle/cord, a belt buckle and
gold chain.
Ensign Bellmire is buried in the Delta City Cemetery next to his
par-ents, Clarence and Shir-ley (Roady) Bellmire. He was 25, an
only child and unmarried at the time of his death, Feb. 1, 1944.
Additional artifacts are displayed at the Deland Naval Air Station
Muse-um, an all-volunteer not-for-profit organization dedicated to
commemorat-ing the men and women who have served in Amer-icas armed
conflicts. The museum occupies the bases former master-at-arms
quarters and is a historic landmark.
Fallen airman remembered
BY MATT SOPER Delta County Historical Society
Bill Rea, a medic, landed with his platoon at Easy Red on Omaha
Beach on D-Day plus-one.
Rea, a retired teacher and former Orchard City trustee, was
drafted into the Army at age 19.
As the LST (landing ship tank) approached the beach, Nazi
hedge-hogs and mines in the water meant that Rea
and others had to jump, shoulder-deep, into the icy Atlantic
water and wade ashore. Rea said he distinctively remem-bered a dead
soldier with a flame-thrower lying on the sand, his pack shot open
and photographs of his family lying beside him.
A German tank broke the American lines and fired rounds past
them, hitting a boat and debris behind them in the water. The sound
was like a handful of gravel hitting a tin roof.
The first night in France Rea spent in a fox hole with .50 cal
tracer rounds buzzing just feet above him and anti-air-craft
shooting at bombers overhead. Rea said the fear was not always
bul-lets, but shrapnel falling from the sky.
As the Americans pushed further inland, the medics followed,
establishing a camp in an apple orchard. On one occasion Rea
watched a pilot eject from a P-49 and his chute opened only a few
feet above the ground. At the same time, the bomb from the plane
landed less than 30 feet from where Rea had been observing the
incident.
Due to the planes low altitude, the bomb didnt explode.
As a medic, Rea said, venereal diseases were the most commonly
treat-ed. After liberating Paris, treating syphilis and gon-orrhea
became the main objective of the non-front line medical.
On one occasion some of the soldiers thought cans labelled
poison were really alcohol. So they mixed it with grape-fruit juice
and within an hour 10 soldiers were dead and 75 were en route to
the hospital after having consumed muri-atic acid, a chemical used
for cleaning typewriters, Rea recalled.
A victory ship trans-ported Rea and a couple thousand of his
fellow soldiers back to the U.S. in 1945. As the ship came into
Boston harbor, Rea said hed never forget a tugboat coming by with a
Christmas tree lit up, White Christmas play-ing from the intercom,
and a giant sign that read: Welcome home a job well done!
Rea said his only regret was not being able to spend more time
on the front lines treating the real heroes, the ones taking
bullets for their nation. After the war, Rea used the GI Bill to go
to college and become an educator with a spe-cialization in
teaching reading, later serving on the Orchard City Board of
Trustees.
This is the third in a series of firsthand accounts from Delta
Coun-ty residents who served as soldiers in World War II, supported
the troops on the home front and feel the costs of war today. The
series coincides with a special exhibit which can be seen at the
Delta Museum.
Remembering World War II
A medics perspective
Bill Rea
Photo by Pat SunderlandMore than 300 pieces from a downed World
War II Navy aircraft were discov-ered on private property in
Osteen, Fla., and later associated with a pilot from Delta County.
Some of those artifacts are displayed in the Delta Museum;
additional pieces were collected in a shadow box and presented to
two of Bellmires family members, Frank Pace and Susanne Bellmire
Schultz, by museum director Jim Wetzel.
Delta County Historical Society photoMedics help a wounded
soldier during the Battle of Normandy in 1944.
Like us.DELTA COUNTY
INDEPENDENTwww.deltacountyindependent.com
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THIS PAGE IS GRAYSCALE
Delta County Independent ACTIVITIES Wednesday, November 18, 2015
A7
Alan Stands Alone Bryant, of Tsalagi (Cher-okee) descent, will
pres-ent a program concerning Cherokee Families and Ceremonies at
the Delta Public Library, 211 West Sixth Street, on Satur-day, Nov.
21, starting at 1:30 p.m.
Bryant has been an improvisational actor at the Renaissance
festivals for 15 years and involved in major films such as True
Grit, Jonah Hex and Mandrake. Also, he has modeled for book
covers.
As a speaker, Bryant has lectured on Native
American history at museums, libraries and Scout meetings, as
well as performed on stage with the well-known native musical
group, Brule. Recently he pre-
sented a similar program at the Paonia Library with a
standing-room-only audience. Families with children are encour-aged
to attend, as he is well-received by young people.
Stands Alone is to be presented by the Native American Cultural
Pro-grams - Delta County Affiliate in celebration of Native
American Heri-tage Month. The year-old organization has part-nered
with Delta County Libraries on a number of educational
presenta-tions.
Program celebrates Native American Heritage Month
Alan Bryant
Music,laughterare on tap
A Colorado Adven-ture or Camping Sweet Adeline Style is sure to
make you laugh this Saturday at the Delta Christian Church.
The Del-Rose Cho-rus has put together a great mix of old and new
songs. Some songs have been pulled out of the archives to help
promote the beauty of Colorado; others are longtime favorites with
the chorus and the audience. As in many years past, the Black
Canyon Chorus will participate in the show, along with DeJaVu, a
guest quartet from the Denver area that has entertained audiences
since 2005.
Bring a friend and enjoy an afternoon of great music Saturday at
3 p.m. An afterglow follows the show with more entertainment, soup
and sandwiches.
Tickets to both events can be pur-chased at Heirlooms for
Hospice in Delta and Montrose, the Delta Chamber of Com-merce, and
the Gazebo Florist in Cedaredge.
For more informa-tion, call 256-9763.
Quality is the hall-mark of the many items offered at the
upcoming show and sale by the San Juan Weavers Guild. The public is
cordially invited to the 38th annual event Saturday, Nov. 21, 9
a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Holi-day Inn Express, 1391 S. Townsend
Avenue in Montrose (next to Safe-way). Admission is free, and
shopping temptations will be abundant!
Montrose-area resi-dents have come to con-sider the weavers show
as a tradition for holi-day shopping, with hand-crafted yarns and
textiles not available elsewhere in the region. Household items
such as towels, run-ners, placemats and rugs will be available in a
vast assortment of colors and patterns. Scarves and fiber jewelry
are wonder-ful accessories for person-al use, and handwoven
clothing such as vests and shawls are also offered.
Even your cat will appreciate your shopping; pet toys are
traditional-ly included in the sale! Handwoven dolls for chil-dren,
holiday ornaments and dcor, and baskets
made by guild members are popular. Fiber for spinning and
felting, and beautiful handspun yarn will be featured. Woven and
felted bags will make wonderful gifts for family, friends or
yourself.
As in the two previous years, the guild will sell beautiful
baskets made by members of an African crafts cooperative. The San
Juan Guild sponsors the efforts of the Ngurunit Basket Weavers from
Kenya by paying for their membership in Weave a Real Peace, an
interna-tional organization that helps revive traditional weaving
techniques and provides fair-trade mar-keting opportunities and
income to women in many communities around the world. Profits from
the basket sales in Montrose help support the families of the women
who craft the baskets.
Education is a big part of the show and sale, and children and
adults are encouraged to try spin-ning and weaving, under the
guidance of guild members. Materials and instruction are free, and
the equipment is pro-
vided. In addition, there will be ongoing demon-strations of
various fiber arts throughout the day. Discover the pleasure and
satisfaction of creating your own yarn and fabric. These skills are
easy to learn, and they are not lost arts!
Every year, the guild exhibits the results of cre-ative
challenge projects, and this year there will be two special
displays. Some members took on a challenge called weavers poker,
where they were assigned four topics at random to use as
inspira-tion for a finished piece: colors, patterns, tech-niques,
and geographic landmarks were among the assignments, and options
for nonweavers were included.
For a separate project, members were challenged to use thrums
leftover bits of yarn as a sig-nificant part of a finished piece,
and the spectacular results will be on display.
The San Juan Weav-
ers Guild is celebrating its 38th year in 2015 and currently has
more than 50 members from the Montrose and Delta areas and beyond,
includ-ing Grand Junction, Paonia and Telluride. The guild normally
meets in Montrose the third Sat-urday of the month dur-ing the
school year. (The sale replaces the Novem-ber meeting, and a
holi-day potluck is scheduled earlier in December.) An informal
spinners gather-ing and potluck lunch is held monthly year-round in
Delta.
The guild welcomes anyone interested in the fiber arts, at any
level of experience. Many monthly meetings fea-ture special
programs and sharing sessions, and workshops offer new learning
experiences. Educational outreach is included at some public
events. For information, contact Bobbie Irwin, 249-2981 or
[email protected].
San Juan Weavers Guild celebrates38 years of quality
workmanship
Photo submittedDeanna Grider, left, and Linda Brown, right,
weave during a workshop sponsored by the San Juan Weavers
Guild.
Ever want to make your own Christmas cards? Then Delta United
Methodist Church has something for you. On Saturday, Dec. 5,
1:30-3:30, the community is invited to come and make three to four
handmade cards to share with your
friends and family. There is no charge but attendees need to
bring their own glue or adhesives and col-ored pencils if they have
them. Call to reserve your spot by Friday, Dec. 4.
For more information, call the church at 874-9501.
Make your own Christmas cards
The Western Slope Concert Series will pres-ent two concerts with
con-ductor Alejandro Gomez-Guillen and a 19-piece chamber ensemble
on Saturday, Nov. 21, at 7:30 p.m. in the recital hall at Colorado
Mesa Uni-versity, and on Sunday, Nov. 22, at 3 p.m. at the Montrose
Pavilion. Tick-ets are available online at
www.JunctionConcerts.com, and at Roper Music in Grand Junction and
the Montrose Pavilion. All seats are reserved, and start at $9 in
advance
and $12 at the door for adults.
Gifted young conduc-tor Alejandro Gomez-Guillen will lead a
19-piece chamber ensemble of leading musicians in fascinating music
for strings and wind, includ-ing Coplands famous Appalachian Spring
in the original chamber ver-sion, John Adams bril-liant and driving
Son of Chamber Symphony, and Schoenbergs late-roman-tic
masterpiece, Cham-ber Symphony #1.
Call 241-4579 for more
information, or buy tickets online at www.Junction
Concerts.com.
Concert series showcases large chamber ensemble
Gomez-Guillen
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THIS PAGE IS COLOR
A8 Wednesday, November 18, 2015 BUSINESS Delta County
Independent
Residential & CommercialInteriors & Exteriors
New ConstructionCustom Matches
RemodelsEntry Doors
Garage FloorsLog Home Protection
Stains, Polys & EpoxysLicensed & Insured
We use allSWP
Products
Liquor Tasting Events
Crossroads Senior Living was established in 2000 with one
building and 32 rooms. A few years later, the building was expanded
to incorporate 17 additional rooms. In 2006, 16 independent living
cottages were built, followed by 10 more. In 2014, the kitchen and
dining room were expanded and ground was broken on a memory care
facility.
Each step in the growth of Crossroads Senior Living has been
geared to serve residents who dont need a nursing home or skilled
care, but would benet from some protective oversight.
In addition to independent living, assisted living and memory
care, Crossroads provides adult day care during the day and respite
stays for those needing a short-term stay.
Independent living consists of two-bedroom, two-bathroom
cottages, each with a one-car garage. These residents receive
assistance with chores and maintenance, freeing them to focus on
themselves and the things they enjoy doing.
Assisted living residents also receive assistance with chores
and maintenance, as well as help with daily activities such as
bathing, grooming, dressing and medication management. The assisted
living residents occupy their own apartments, with help just steps
away when needed.
Our community preserves the rural culture so important to our
residents,
yet provides the comprehensive assistance desired, said facility
director Diane Obermeyer. We focus on wellness and keeping
residents as independent as possible by providing a tailored plan
of assistance.
Memory care is still assisted living, but it specializes in
dementia care in a secured building. There is a lot more one-on-one
care in memory care than you would nd in your standard assisted
living.
We strive to assist our residents while keeping them as
independent as possible.
Obermeyer has been with Crossroads since its opening in
2000.
She is proud of the warm and welcome community, where residents
and staff feel like family.
Crossroads is owned by Maranatha Volunteers International, which
builds churches, school campuses, hospitals and day care centers in
communities all over the U.S. and the world.
Crossroads is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365
days a year. Visitors are always welcome, and tours are available
for those who would like to learn more about the wonderful options
at Crossroads Senior Living. Learn more by calling 874-1421 or
visiting www.crossroads alc.org.
Know Your Neighbor
Crossroads expands to meet the growing need for assisted living
facilities, services
The memory care building was completed this fall. Every detail
is geared toward those with dementia, from the layout of the
building, to meals, activities and care. Families can be assured
their loved ones will receive the best of care.
Photo by Pat SunderlandCynthias is a family venture for Deon and
Anine Appelgryn and their two daughters, Corrini and Amor, who
plays the piano Friday and Saturday nights. The Appelgryns also
have two grown sons living in Texas.
BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor
Great food ... good friends ... unforgettable memories. Thats
the vision that forms the basis for Cynthias, the restau-rant
operated by Deon and Anine Appelgryn. The large cedar-clad
restau-rant on Highway 92 has had several names over the years, and
was even closed for a short time before the Appelgryns found the
location theyd been searching for. They were living in Dallas,
Texas, ready for a break from the corporate world, when they
decided to go into the restaurant busi-ness. A year-long search
brought them to western Colorado, where they were told Delta needed
a decent restaurant.
Since then, theyve been trying to identify what makes a decent
restaurant in the eyes of Delta residents. Theyre still learning,
but believe theyve got the right foun-dation a menu featur-ing
steaks and seafood, food thats consistently well prepared, and a
staff that has the ability and passion to provide a
memorable dining expe-rience.
It all starts the min-ute our customers enter the front door,
said Lisa Stanley, the front of the house manager. The dcor, the
music, the food all combine to create an ambience that fulfills a
vision the Appelgryns have had in the back of their minds since
they were newly married and still living in South Afri-ca. On their
first anniver-sary, they had an amaz-ing night out at a res-taurant
called Cynthias. That evening set the bar by which they measure all
other restaurants, and its why they named their own venture
Cynthias.
Although they most recently lived in Dallas, the Appelgryns grew
up in a small agricultural town similar to Delta. Theyve worked
through the bumps in the road typical of a new business venture and
are now hosting special events in the banquet room. The next step
is to get more connected to the com-munity. They recognize theyre
outsiders, and so rely heavily on input from
their customers. We lis-ten to what people have to say and we
adapt, said Deon, who makes it a point to seek feedback, both good
and bad, from restaurant patrons.
The restaurant opens at 11 a.m. Monday-Friday and at 4 p.m.
Saturday.
Steak, ribs and prime rib (available Friday and Saturday nights
only) are customer favorites. Seafood entrees include fish and
chips, shrimp scampi, salmon and scal-lops. Or choose one of the
restaurant specialties bow tie chicken, chicken fried chicken and
chicken fried steak.
The menu also includes appetizers, salads and sandwiches. The
Philly cheese steak is a popu-lar lunch choice. Daily specials have
included a Guinness stew and chick-en pot pie.
All menu items are available in the pub, where patrons gather to
watch sports or enjoy ladies night out.
Check out the full menu at www.cynthias.restaurant. Reservations
can be made online or by calling 874-7688.
Cynthias dishes up a memorable dining experience
BY LEAH MORRIS Delta County Libraries
Clearly, Lea Hart knows libraries. Her resume reflects years of
interesting library jobs and incredible experi-ence, from working
in the special library of the mining company, AMAX Extractive
Research and Development, Inc., to serving as a librarian for the
organization that built the Hubble space satellite, Ball Aerospace
in Boulder. She received her masters degree in library science from
Emporia State Universi-ty in 1993 while raising a family and
working. She has run printing press-es and provided public library
programming for all ages from babies to college students.Her name
can even be trans-lated to the verb read in Spanish, although she
pronounces it Lee.
In the past six years, Hart has worked for the Delta County
Libraries, and her experience here is also varied, as she has spent
time in every library in the district. I started as a Delta
volun-teer, then became a sub-stitute. I was willing to do what I
needed to get my foot in the door, she explains.
Soon after becoming a
substitute in 2009, Hart started to travel around the county to
provide story times in each library. She then spent three months
substituting in the cata-loging department in Hotchkiss, covering
for a staff member on mater-nity leave. Hart eventu-ally moved into
an open position managing the Delta Library, then took on Cedaredge
as well, becoming the regional manager for the Delta and Surface
Creek areas.
Such broad knowledge and willingness to help out where she is
most needed has served Hart well, as has her unwav-ering commitment
to the public. She explains, My focus in libraries has always been
empower-ing people, whether it is staff, patrons, or other
team members. Being the regional manager gave me the ability to
do that. I felt like I was making a difference.
Recent events have placed Hart into the posi-tion of interim
district director for the Delta County Libraries. She is working
with staff and the board of trustees to ensure that the needs of
all library employees are met and that the district continues to
offer the high levels of quality pro-gramming and services that
patrons have come to expect.
Outwardly calm and easygoing, Hart makes light of her experience
and drive, saying, What can I say? Im a worker bee!
Visits to Harts various offices around the library district
reflect her peace-able demeanor. Cute kitten calendars adorn walls
otherwise holding key district information. However, in much the
same way as the calen-dars casually conceal vital district
documents, Harts affinity for soft, helpless creatures belies a
woman with a powerful work ethic, a keen sense of right and wrong,
and an intense compassion for her staff and her com-munity.
Meet Lea Hart, interim Delta County Libraries director
Lea Hart
10-year employeesLynda Brew, Paula Carter and Jennifer Phillips
were recently recognized for 10 years of service at Delta County
Memorial Hospital.
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THIS PAGE IS COLOR
BY TAMIE MECK Staff Writer
Walter Elias Disney said that Our greatest natural resource is
in the minds of our children.
Maybe that was the think-ing a few years back when members of
the Hotchkiss town council and Hotchkiss High School student
govern-ment began holding joint meetings on a semi-annual basis. In
what has become an annual tradition, the two enti-ties shared
responsibilities last Thursday at the regularly
scheduled council meeting. Student Council spon-
sor Matt Cavanaugh said seniors are studying a unit on the
structures of govern-ment. This week begins the local governments
part of the unit. Sitting in on the meet-ing provides an
introduction of sorts on what they will be discussing in the coming
days, said Cavanaugh, and gives students a reference point and
practical experience for their student council duties at school.
The meeting allows them to witness how decisions
are made at the town level. They get to see how exciting local
government can be, said Cavanaugh.
Student body president Sophia Schelle co-chaired the meeting and
was joined at the front table by senior class president Andrew
Oviedo, junior class treasurer Roggen Frick, sophomore class
presi-dent Nolan Egging and fresh-man class president Bruce
Turnbull. About 20 mem-bers of the senior class also attended the
meeting. Atten-dance wasnt mandatory, said
Cavanaugh, but students do receive extra credit.
The tradition of having stu-dents join council began about four
years ago, said Mayor Wendell Koontz. Its a way to get kids
interested in town government, and vice versa.
Among the agenda items was an application for a water tap on
property located near Back River Road northeast of town. The access
line doesnt provide a lot of volume, which can affect service, said
public works director Mike Owens. Applicants Tom Curry and
Mike Pitt said they under-stand that because of the low volume,
they may find them-selves without water on occa-sion. The only fix,
which is not in the immediate plans due to limited growth, is to
install a bigger water main, said Owens. Following dis-cussion,
trustee Thomas Wills made a motion to approve the request with the
provision that purchasers acknowledge awareness of the possible
lim-itations of the tap, and that the conditions be disclosed on
documents related to the property to avoid problems with future
buyers. Lets not get in the habit of doing such a stand-alone,
suggested town attorney Bo Nerlin.
Owens and town engi-neer Joann Fagan provided an update on the
wastewa-ter rehabilitation project. Owens showed photographs of the
9-foot-deep trenches where sewer pipes are being replaced, and
explained how steel supports prevent the sides from caving in on
pipes and workers. With much of
Trustees, students share seat at the table
www.deltacountyindependent.comTIMESNORTHF O R K
November 18, 2015
BSection
BY TAMIE MECK Staff Writer
It was fitting that the Hotchkiss Community Cham-ber of Commerce
held its Nov. 11 annual meeting at Memo-rial Hall. The nonprofit
was named the chambers Non-profit of the Year.
The building is used by the community about 450 times per year,
according to board member Sue Whit-tlesey. Board member Paul
Schmucker gave a brief his-tory, from the pouring of the foundation
in 1949 to the present. Schmucker read a long list of names
involved in its inception, which he said was by no means a
com-plete list. The $1,400 for the community rooms Michigan maple
floor was donated by Ola Taylor. Youre walking on it, said
Schmucker. Its still here.
Thanks to community gen-
erosity, the property has seen numerous upgrades in recent
years, including installation of new energy-saving windows made
possible by a $25,000 donation from Oxbow Mine.
Schmucker takes personal pride in the building. I just feel at
home in here because I feel like Im walking around with the guys
who put it together. A few of them and their descendents are still
around, added Schmucker. He considers the building one of the best
in Hotchkiss in terms of construction, and said its as good as when
it was built. And were going to keep it around as long as we
can.
Business of the Year typi-cally goes to a business thats had a
really good year, said chamber president Nathan Sponseller, but
this years award honors TDS Telecom for its sustained commitment to
the community.
I kind of feel like this is a TDS Telecom/Bill Long award, said
Sponseller. Long, TDS field services manager for Colorado, Arizona
and Winterhaven, Calif., is also chamber vice president.
Spon-seller said Long works for the betterment of both TDS and the
chamber. Bill has really given a lot of time to the chamber, and
TDS has pro-vided a lot of good service to the community on an
on-going basis, said Sponseller. As an example, he said, the
welcome sign at the south entrance to town was blown down last
spring. Long took the initia-tive to have it replaced.
Gates Shaklee was named Citizen of the Year. The Hotchkiss High
School gradu-ate and deputy marshal for the Town of Hotchkiss
origi-nally showed interest in edu-cation, said Carrie Yantzer,
Hotchkiss K-8 principal and chamber board member, in presenting the
award. Shak-lee is a volunteer sports coach at HK-8 and his alma
mater. He does that on his own time and gives of his heart, said
Yantzer. So many kids tell me how much they trust and value Deputy
Shaklee. Just to have that, in this day and age, is really
incredible.
At the monthly town coun-cil meeting, Marshal Dan Miller praised
Shaklee for his involvement in the commu-nity.
Shaklee said when he and wife Anna, who was also his high school
sweetheart, were preparing to graduate from Adams State in Alamosa,
they decided to return to Hotchkiss. We wouldnt change it for the
world, said Shaklee. This is our home, this is our commu-
nity, and its a pleasure being back here.
In the annual report on the chamber, Sponseller said the
organization had a success-ful year, increasing member-ship 14
percent to 108 mem-bers. Sponseller gave credit to chamber board
members. I think Ive got the best board I could ever hope for, said
Sponseller. They really work well together.
Among the 2015 highlights, Ride the Rockies brought 3,500
cyclists and support crew to town. While the chamber about broke
even on the event, said Sponseller, it brought good exposure to the
town and the valley. And we like to believe they left a lot of
money in the process.
The Colorado Grand clas-sic car rally donated $7,500 to the
chamber, as well as a $7,500 scholarship that will be awarded to a
Hotchkiss senior this coming spring. If for nothing else, its worth
put-ting on just for that scholar-ship, said Sponseller. Were very
proud to work with the Colorado Grand.
Looking to 2016, Spon-seller said there will be no shortage of
activities. The board is partnering with Delta County and others to
consider improvements at the Delta County Fairgrounds in Hotchkiss.
The Hotchkiss Downtown Improvement Committee has also made great
strides with beautifica-tion and other projects.
Chamber applauds community leaders
Photo by Tamie MeckGates Shaklee gives a thumbs-up for being
called a cheese-head by chamber board member Carrie Yantzer during
the annual meeting of the Hotchkiss Community Chamber of Commerce
last Thursday at Memorial Hall. Shaklee, a deputy for the Town of
Hotchkiss and volunteer sports coach, was named 2015 Citizen of the
Year by the chamber.
Photo by Tamie Meck
TDS Telecom employees Bill Long, center, and Ray Vasquez accept
the Hotchkiss Community Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year
award for many years of exceptional service to Hotchkiss and the
North Fork Valley, from cham-ber president Nathan Sponseller.
Photo by Tamie Meck
All in a days workMichael Brown clears snow from the sidewalk in
front of Hightower Cafe Monday morn-ing. Brown, an employee at
Hightower, said shoveling snow isnt in his job description, but he
doesnt mind the task because he likes his job. Paonia received
about an inch of snow by the time businesses opened Monday
morning.
Photo by Tamie MeckIn what has become a tradition, Hotchkiss
trustees and Hotchkiss High School seniors and student council
members held a joint meeting last Thursday. Next April the students
will host a council meeting at the high school.
BY TAMIE MECK Staff Writer
After considering public comments regarding proposed hefty
increases in water rates at a Nov. 5 special meeting on water,
sewer and trash ordi-nances, the Town of Paonia announced at a Nov.
10 spe-cial meeting that the proposed change to the water ordinance
will now reflect a $6 across-the-board rate increase. While the
Nov. 5 meeting attract-ed about 70 citizens, most of whom
represented out-of-town users and some of the 32 private water
companies serviced by the town, a half dozen attended the Nov. 10
meeting, which preceded the regularly scheduled meeting of the
board of trustees.
A proposed $100 admin-istrative and services fee for water
companies was removed from the draft ordinance in
response to public comments at the Nov. 5 meeting.
The new rates will bring the town closer to meeting its debt
obligation for loans on recent state-mandated water filtration
upgrades at the 2 million-gallon Upper Lam-born Mesa Water
Treatment Plant. Under the current rate structure, the town can
meet about half of that debt obli-gation. Town manager Jane Berry
has recommended to trustees that the ordinance be passed under an
emergency provision. Trustees can decide when to vote on the
ordinance, and when the new rates will go into effect.
The rate increase provides an interim measure pend-ing results
of a water study, which Berry said would likely be completed no
sooner than April or early May. Once the
Paonia changes course on water rate increases
WATER RATES TO B2
AT THE TABLE TO B2
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THIS PAGE IS COLOR
BY TAMIE MECK Staff Writer
Of the five cases that came before Paonia Munic-ipal Court Judge
Bradley Kolman on Nov. 12, two of the defendants were no-shows. One
had a good excuse: he was in jail on a town warrant after an
earlier failure to appear on shoplifting charges.
Thats how court began for Judge Kolman, who has served as
Paonias judge for about 20 years. Kolman also served as Delta
County attorney from 1990 to 2011. Prior to 1990 he performed
con-tract work for the Health and Human Services Department.
Last weeks session was Kolmans second this year, not because
citations arent being issued. Read the Paonia Police Departments
semi-monthly blotter posted to the town website and youll see the
department is very busy. Most of those on the receiving end of a
citation pay the fines, and some choose to come before Judge
Kolman, who has the power to impose a maximum fine of $1,000, a
prison sentence of no more than one year, or both. If defendants
disagree with
his final decision, they can appeal to the Delta Dis-trict
Court.
If how Kolman handled his cases last week is any indication,
people charged with an offence of town ordinances and wind up in
court are treated fair-ly. And he has a sense of humor. When a
defen-dants cell phone went off, twice, he requested that the
caller be informed that the judge is unavailable.
Going through the docket, Kolman dismissed charges against a
female after her alleged victim was uncooperative. Kol-man politely
asked the
defendant if she had any problems with that, to which she
politely replied no, then thanked the judge and left.
In a case involving keeping of junk, the defen-dant was
cooperating with the Paonia Police Depart-ment, said Investigator
Neil Ferguson. The indi-vidual has made signifi-cant improvements
on her property, and Ferguson requested she be given another 30
days to bring her property into compli-ance with town code.
In another case, a male driver was going 31 mph in a 20-mph zone
and
failed to present proof of insurance when stopped by Officer
Taffine Patter-son. After pleading guilty to both charges, and in
the absence of any prior legal history, Judge Kol-man reduced his
speed-ing charge and loss of four points off his driv-ers license
to 29 mph in a 20-mph zone and the associated one point off of his
license. The defen-dant didnt bring a paper copy of his proof of
insur-ance, but Judge Kolman accepted an email from the insurance
company after reviewing it on the defendants phone.
These tickets arent cheap. The driver was ordered to pay $242
$90 for speeding ($10 for every mile per hour over the speed
limit), plus a $27 surcharge, $200 for failure to produce proof of
insur-ance, $100 suspended on condition of no further speeding
infractions, and a $25 court cost.
Hopefully we wont see you again here, said Kol-man.
As for the other failure to appear, he will likely appear at a
later date. Prior to ending the ses-sion, a warrant was issued for
his arrest.
It is never dull when municipal court is in session
B2 Wednesday, November 18, 2015 NORTH FORK TIMES Delta County
Independent
Water ratesFROM PAGE B1results of the study are known, the town
would amend the rates later in the year, if necessary.
Loan payments are currently $197,000 per year. The town is
required by law to maintain 110 percent of the coverage of those
payments. The town also has an obliga-tion to make payments of
$128,000 per year on loans pertaining to state-mandated upgrades to
the lower (Clock) water treat-ment plant.
Keep in mind the $6 only covers debt service, said trustee David
Brad-ford, who also serves on the town public works committee. The
town also needs to address costs for maintenance and depreciation.
Past boards have consistently put off addressing those needs until
tomorrow, said Brad-ford. Tomorrow is here.
The revised water ordi-nance will raise the per-thousand-gallon
usage fees and create a fee sys-tem that is more equi-table.
Under the proposal, per-thousand-gallon rates for all water
users are fol-lows: 0-10,000 gal.$1.75 10,001-20,000
gal.$2.0020,001-30,000 gal.$3.5030,001-100,000 gal.$4.50100,001+
gal.$5.50
Regarding water tap fees, the cost of a basic residential
(3/4-inch) water tap fee remains at $6,000, and in-town com-mercial
tap fees will be $9,790 for a 1-inch ser-vice line, up to $156,200
for a 4-inch line. Taps for water companies will cost $15,000 for a
3/4-inch line, up to $750,000 for an 8-inch line.
Changes to the pro-posed town trash ordi-nance reflect increases
in monthly costs for weekly pickup services. Weekly collection of
one 33-gallon container will rise from $12 to $15 per month; from
$15 to $18 per month for two or three 33-gallon containers; and
from $22 to $25 for four or five con-tainers. A $3-per-contain-er
fee will be charged for each additional 33-gallon container that
exceeds category limits. Addi-tional fees may apply for oversized
items.
Weekly dumpster charges will be $33 per month per 2-cubic yards
dumpster and $35 for a 3-cubic-yard dumpster.
Rates were considered prior to the announce-ment that Delta
County will raise its landfill fees in 2016 (see Nov. 4 DCI article
Landfill fees are going up in 2016). Berry noted that the increase
is significant enough to
raise the towns trash fund expenditures. That fund was balanced
to the penny.
Proposed changes to the sewer ordinance reflect a monthly
in-town service charge of $31, up from $26, and an out-of-town rate
of $50, up from $44; rates for new in-town connection fees will be
$5,000 per unit, up from $3,750, and out-of-town rates will
increase from $7,500 to $10,000.
Draft ordinances are posted online at townof
paonia.com/news/news-announcements/
Adoption of ordinance changes is necessary for completion and
passage of the 2016 budget, noted Berry. We havent even talked
about the actual budget yet.
In October the town adopted a schedule of spe-cial meetings to
address the budget and associ-ated ordinances, includ-ing a special
meeting on Nov. 17. The next special meeting, a budget study
session, will begin at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24, proceeded by the
regu-larly scheduled board meeting at 7 p.m. Final adoption of the
budget is scheduled for the Dec. 8 board meeting. The draft budget
is available on the town website under the Government heading.
At the tableFROM PAGE B1the system dating back to 100 years ago,
the project has its share of surprises, said Fagan.
Trustees also approved four requests for dona-tions. Billie
Marta requested $500 to help Hotchkiss Memorial Hall pay for
repairing the front steps, which will largely be completed by
volun-teers and is estimated to cost about $1,000. The hall sees
about 450 com-munity uses per year, said Marta.
Council also approved an annual donation of $500, $250 each for
the community Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners organized by
trustee Larry Jakubiak. Mayor Koontz told the students that the
events provide great volun-teer opportunities that are both
rewarding and look good on scholarship appli-cations.
Pam Bliss received $200 for the 24th annu-al Childrens Christmas
Party. The $200 will pro-vide support for four chil-dren in the
North Fork area. And we, too, need a lot of volunteers for that
party, said Bliss.
Trustees also voted to
approve a donation of $500 to the Center for Mental Health,
which provides services in a six-county region, and awarded $500 to
Delta County Economic Development.
Anita Evans, with the Delta County School Dis-trict Foundation,
gave a presentation on The Nature Connection, an environmental
educa-tion center to be located on Bulldog Street in the former
Montessori School building and funded by a $75,000 planning grant
from Great Outdoors Colorado. Evans asked students and trustees to
consider creative ways to get local students to spend quality time
outdoors, and the equipment that might be needed.
Koontz also reminded students that the town awards two $500
Hotchkiss Community Scholarships annually. These are not academic
scholarships, but are based on commu-nity spirit, volunteerism and
involvement in the community, said Koontz. Applications will be
avail-able in January. We do this to let you know that the town and
the commu-nity supports our seniors,
said Koontz. Trustees anticipate
approval of the draft 2016 budget at the regularly scheduled
Dec. 10 public meeting. In looking at this years budget as year-end
approaches, Mayor Koontz stated that projected gener-al fund income
for the year is $788,000 and expense projections are $785,000. Were
about $3,000 in the black, Koontz told coun-cil and town staff.
Well done.
Student council mem-bers said they enjoyed the experience. It
allows students to get comfort-able with walking into this kind of
situation, so that if they ever have to come before a board or
council, theyll have an idea of how things work, said
Cava-naugh.
Freshman class presi-dent Bruce Turnbull said he was encouraged
to get involved in school government by his older brother and that
Schelle and others have been very supportive. The experi-ence gave
him more of an understanding of how a town government is run. Its
good to know whats happening in town, said Turnbull.
Photo by Tamie MeckPaonia Municipal Court Judge Bradley Kolman
prepares for court on Nov. 12, at Paonia Town Hall. Kolman has
presided over the Paonia municipal courtroom for the last 20
years.
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THIS PAGE IS COLOR
Delta County Independent NORTH FORK TIMES Wednesday, November
18, 2015 B3
BY TAMIE MECK Staff Writer
The six Paonia High School students who shared lunch with
Viet-nam veteran Joe Kaputa on Veterans Day paid close attention as
the for-mer Marine told of how he enlisted, his tours, and about
spending time on the island of Okinawa. Much like the USO, said
Kaputa, Okinawa was a place where members of the military could go
and relax.
When Kaputa realized the five students at his table were
football and volleyball players head-ing into state playoffs, he
told them he was hon-ored.
Kaputa was one of three veterans who dined with students on
Veter-ans Day. All three are members of the American Legion Wilson
Head Post
97 in Paonia.Dave Hiney served in
the Marines as an elec-trician for three years, and twice was
headed for Vietnam. Both tours were canceled, including the first
tour after he broke his leg and was sent to Okinawa for 13 months.
He told students that joining the military is a good option these
days. It teaches you self-disci-pline, self-confidence, and
teamwork, said Hiney.
Lonnie Trujillo, a 1982 graduate of PHS and the son of PHS
graduates, served 11 tours of duty in his 26 years as a muni-tions
systems expert in the U.S. Army, and is a retired master sergeant.
He has served as com-mander at the Ameri-can Legion the past four
years. After giving a brief synopsis of his 26 years, he shouted Go
Eagles!
Kaputa also reminded students that the national holiday that is
Veterans Day began as Armistice Day, marking the signing of the
armistice to end World War I on Nov. 11, 1918, at 11 oclock.
PHS recognizes Veter-ans Day every year, said science teacher
Tracy Campbell. World War II veteran Norm Shetley is often invited
to speak, and this year, all area veterans were invited to join
students for lunch.
Following lunch, the veterans visited their fel-low veterans at
Paonia Care & Rehabilitation. The local American Legion
Auxiliary hosted the legions annual din-ner last Friday.
Trujillo said the legion provides food boxes on Thanksgiving and
holds a toy drive and food box event for Christmas. The
legion also awards annu-al scholarships, and in 2014 awarded 12
scholar-ships to area students. The legion also spon-sors Boys
State and the
Legion Auxiliary sponsors Gi