Delta County Independent, Issue 50, Dec. 14, 2011

DELTA COUNTY 75

INDEPENDENTwww.deltacountyindependent.com

NORTH FORK TIMES SPORTSSURFACE CREEK NEWSTHE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD

Paonia foundry casts massive globe for Tulsa Rotary Club, 3B

YOUNG AT HEARTSkiers age 50+ enjoy camaraderie on the slopes of Powderhorn, C7

TAKE DOWNPaonia tops competition at Delta

Wrestling Tourney, B8

Accent ........................... A4Activities ....................... A9Back Page ................. D10Bruin Tracks ................C3-6Business ........................ A6Church ..................... D6, C8Classifieds .................. D1-2Editorial ......................... A2Legals ......................... D3-5North Fork Times ........B1-5Obituaries ..................... A8School Zone .................. A7Service Directory ........ D9Sports ........................B5-10Surface Creek News ...C1-7TV Listings ................. D7-8

INDEX Toys pile up slowlyThe Marine Corps Foundation Toys for

Tots program plans to distribute toys to over 300 children this Friday, but is strug-gling to fill the toy boxes placed at many Delta area businesses. A giving tree at the Delta Area Chamber of Commerce also has many names. Area residents are urged to stop by the chamber office at 3rd and Main to select a name from the tree, donate a toy at area businesses, or make a monetary donation at www.toysfortots.org. Checks can also be mailed to 235 S. 3rd Street, Montrose, CO 81401. Please designate DELTA in the memo line.

DECEMBER 14, 2011VOL. 128, NO. 50

Fight ends with arrestJames Moulton, 49, was arrested Dec.

7 after allegedly threatening his neighbor with a fi rearm, then hitting the man be-hind his ear with the fi rearm. The alterca-tion occurred at about 7 p.m. at a trailer court on Rogers Mesa where Moulton and the victim, Kenneth Shockley, live. Sheriffs deputies report both men ap-peared to be highly intoxicated. Moulton was charged with second degree assault, assault using a weapon, menacing, pos-session of an illegal weapon (a sawed off 12-gauge shotgun) and prohibited pos-session of a weapon due to alcohol.

Energy audit plannedAn extensive energy audit of city facili-

ties will be conducted by Ennovate. The $33,198 contract was awarded after inter-views with three short-listed companies.

The audit costs 30 a square foot and will cover city hall, waste water treatment plant, golf course clubhouse, golf main-tenance building, museum, library, po-lice department, Bill Heddles Recreation Center, ML&P, chamber building and se-nior center. Each facility has budgeted the money for 2012 for the project. Any projects identifi ed for energy savings will require additional city council approval.

BY PAT SUNDERLANDManaging Editor

The Colorado Department of Education has released its annual district performance frameworks which gives Delta County Joint School District 50 an accredited rating.

The district performance frameworks are designed to provide a snapshot of the districts level of attain-ment on academic achieve-ment, growth, growth gaps and postsecondary readiness based on ACT scores and graduation rates.

Districts receive one of five accreditation ratings, the highest being accredited with distinction. Thats the goal for Delta County Joint School District 50, which was rated one level lower at accredit-ed. This rating indicates the district approaches or meets statewide attainment on the performance indicators.

Lower on the rating sys-tem are accredited with improvement plan; accred-ited with priority improve-ment plan; and accredited with turnround plan.

Connie Vincent, director of assessments/curriculum for Delta County Joint School District 50, said this years

score of 68.3 percent actually dropped a bit from last year because year-to-year individ-ual student growth slowed. Growth in the previous year was so high it was difficult to sustain, Vincent said.

To be accredited with dis-tinction, the school district will have to score 80 percent or higher. Vincent said two areas which have been tar-geted for improvement are high school math and com-posite ACT scores.

Were hoping the new curriculum, where were teaching the same things at the same time, will help us zero in on what needs to be improved.

As the accreditation pro-cess moves forward, the school board will use the same criteria academic achievement, growth, growth gaps and postsecondary read-iness to determine ratings for each school within the district.

Despite these tough bud-get times, were still expe-riencing a lot of success, Vincent said. Our teachers are doing the best they can with a lot less, because we all want to give our kids the best possible opportunities.

School districtaccredited


After more than two hours of testimony, Stephan Schweiss-ing, the attorney defending Nathan Yager, conceded there is probable cause for Yager to be tried for second degree murder. He also renewed Yag-ers previous plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.

Judge Charles Greenacre presided at the preliminary hearing in Delta District Court Wednesday, Dec. 7.

Yager is charged with the murder of his estranged wife Melinda on Jan. 7. Her body was found along the railroad tracks in Paonia, near the home she once occupied with Nathan.

Sgt. Shawn Sanchez of the Paonia Police Department tes-tified that Nathan reportedly snapped when he entered the home at 427 Delta Avenue despite a restraining order and saw his possessions had been removed. Sanchez obtained that information dur-ing a phone call with Nathans father in South Dakota. In the same conversation, which took place just moments after the tragic event, Nathans father told the sergeant he believed Nathan had killed Melinda.

Nathan left Paonia and turned himself in to an offi-cer at the Montrose Police Department shortly after 3 p.m., about an hour and a half

after the murder occurred. Collin Reese, an investigator with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, testified how blood evidence was taken from Yagers pants leg and boot, from his vehicle and from the scene of the crime. Those samples are still being processed, so district attor-ney Dan Hotsenpiller stopped short of definitively identify-ing the evidence as Melindas blood.

Agent Reese said Yagers boots were also taken into evi-dence because they appeared to match the very distinctive sole prints found around and underneath Melindas body.

Melinda did not move after suffering extremely deep wounds to her neck. As Agent Reece expanded on the graphic details contained in the autopsy report, Schweiss-ing objected. Judge Greena-cre sustained his objection, saying the report speaks for itself. Reece did add that Melindas face showed signs of blunt force trauma, and that Nathan told the arresting offi-cer to be careful with his left hand, because he thought it was broken.

Also testifying at the pre-liminary hearing were two of Melindas friends. One had accompanied Melinda to a restraining order hearing in Delta earlier that morning; the other stayed behind in

Paonia but sent an urgent text message to Melinda when she spotted Nathan on the railroad tracks behind the house. Nathan had also been in Delta for the court hear-ing.

Melinda and her friend were just entering Paonia when Melinda received the 911 text message. She imme-diately phoned the Paonia

Police Department. Sgt. San-chez responded to 427 Delta Avenue, where he checked the windows and doors of the house, but found no evidence of entry. In the meantime, Melinda had driven up to the end of Rio Grande Avenue. She took off on foot, asking her friend to take the car and meet her back in front of the house on Delta Avenue.

The two friends met briefly, exchanged information with Sgt. Sanchez, then began searching for Melinda. Dur-ing the search, Sgt. Sanchez received a phone call from Nathans mother, a call from South Dakota relayed by the dispatch center in Delta. He reportedly told the friend, I dont think this is going to

Yager stands by plea of insanity

Photo by Dale Russell Smith

Moon over Grand MesaDale Russell Smith took this photo from his home on Cedar Mesa the morning of Dec. 10, as the moon set on Grand Mesa. A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon is positioned just right in its orbit to pass through the earths shadow. Another total lunar eclipse will not occur until December 2014.


The City of Delta is backing off site development standards which were implemented at the height of a growth spurt, in the interest of making the city more attractive to new and expanding businesses.

Community development director Glen Black reviewed the requirements for landscap-ing, architectural standards and paved parking during a work session Dec. 6. Discus-sion centered on regulations developers have found most onerous. Council members agreed with the developers on nearly every point, and instructed city staff to begin researching business-friendly alternatives.

The first topic of discus-sion concerned a requirement that businesses landscape a certain percentage of their lot. The municipal code further specifies that the landscap-ing must consist of at least 80 percent living material (trees, shrubs and grass) and 20 per-cent inert material such as

gravel or paving stones. Black said many munic-

ipalities have shifted away from the 80 percent require-ment because of the potential for water shortages. Council member Robert Jurca said he believes xeriscaping should be promoted, and Mayor Mary Cooper said she agreed, as long as it is attractive. Council member Guy Pfalzgraff said xeriscaping may not be any less expensive to install, but it should cost less to maintain.

The code also specifies that landscape plans must be approved by a certified land-scape architect, which also increases the cost to develop-ers.

Architectural standards are applied for commercial development along Highways 50 and 92 and Crawford Ave-nue west of 1800 Road. If council upholds architectural standards, Black said they should probably also apply to Confluence Drive, once it is completed.

He then showed a series of slides illustrating how con-

trasting materials, contrast-ing colors and architectural elements have been required to avoid a monolithic look.

After viewing buildings that were designed to those standards, alongside others which would be out of com-pliance if held to those same standards, council members agreed the standards should be less restrictive.

Were just spending other peoples money, observed Mayor Mary Cooper. If we want to attract business, we need to get a little more friendly.

It seems to me these regu-lations can be loosened up without turning it into a free-for-all, council member Bill Raley said.

Black said he would put together some ideas for coun-cil to review.

A third major area of con-cern is a requirement that parking spaces and maneu-vering areas be paved when six or more parking spaces are required.

City hopes to make regs more business friendly

CITY REGS TO A3

YAGER TO A3

A2 Wednesday, December 14, 2011 OPINION Delta County Independent

Bear Ranch is a good neighborDear Editor:

I feel compelled to write this letter in defense and support of my neigh-bor the Bear Ranch who has seemed to become the target of some very inaccurate criticisms because of their request to improve their ranch management operations through a legal, public land exchange with the federal government. I read the letter to the edi-tor by Tony Prendergast expressing his opinions about the proposed land exchange and I think he has obviously been away from the Forest Service far too long. Bear Ranch is a good neighbor and in fact has a long-term wildlife restoration plan. Bear Ranch doesnt try to publicly claim credit for their conservation efforts, but they have replanted numerous native plant species and worked hard to improve habitat for the local elk herd. The coop-eration between Bear Ranch and the USFS to install fish gates for cut-throat trout has given local fisherman many reasons to say thanks. Moreover, it is clear Mr. Prendergast has not been up Deep Creek in the summer because that creek is dry as a bone most of the time, and is not capable of supporting

fish populations. Other detractors to

Bear Ranchs proposed land exchange are Doug Gill and Ed Marston. Both have argued for the public so they will not lose access through the strip of BLM in question to the supposed Deep Creek Trail. Well, here are the facts about this road, to the trail, that doesnt officially exist. I purchased the ranch above the Bear Ranch in 1999. The previous owner of the Bear Ranch (before Mr. Koch) only used the ranch in the summer, because the BLM strip and road from the Paonia Reservoir to the picnic area are impassable in wet weather. Not diffi-cult to drive mind you, but completely impossi-ble to use. I graveled the road and cleaned out the ditches and culverts at my own expense.

When Mr. Koch bought the Bear Ranch they made several additional improvements, including a guard rail. If it were not for Bear Ranch, which spends hundreds of thou-sands of dollars to main-tain County Road 2, there would be no access to the BLM road. In addition, while they do not main-tain the roads, I (as I am sure the Bear Ranch and other land owners in the

area) have to pay a right of way rental fee to the BLM annually. They will not waive this fee, so I would be happy to share this expense with Mr. Marston and Mr. Gill. I have been told that Mr. Marston told the Gun-nison County Commis-sioners (Trail Committee) that if not for his rabble rousing, there would be very little traffic up the BLM road. Well, I am here to say that if not for the Bear Ranch and myself, there would be no road to rabble rouse about!

Finally, no matter what attempts are made to play the class war-fare card, this proposed exchange really comes down to a ranch trying to improve their manage-ment practices and pro-tect their private prop-erty rights, while making several offerings that will benefit federal agencies and the public in several counties and two states. Ronald Reagan once said, ...facts are funny things. Mr. Prendergasts alli-ance with Doug Gill, Tom Chapman, Ed Marston, and his merry band of naysayers has blinded him to the facts.

Joe ZaninAspen

North ForkLand Owner

LETTERSLETTERS

Why is the land exchange such a hot topic?Dear Editor:

On Nov. 30 a letter from Tony Prendergast was printed in the let-ters to the editor. With due respect to Tony there are some statements that need to be addressed. I have monitored and worked on the trails and recreation opportunities in that area for 15-20 years and find some of what he wrote to be mis-leading or in error.

The proposed reroute of the ATV trail at the Spring Creek Trailhead is very much in the public interest. People trained in engineering and experienced in lay-ing out trails have looked at it and say it is imprac-tical to reroute the trail

in the steep confines of the BLM at that point. I have talked to people who refuse to attempt riding that portion of the trail. It can be a bit scary for some and I dont con-sider it safe for general use.

Also consider the present access to the Jumbo Mountain area. The owners of the pres-ent access seem to be willing to let the pub-lic cross their land but owners and attitudes can change quickly. Bear Ranch offers a guaran-teed access.

I am a lifelong resi-dent of the Paonia area, love the mountains and have spent time there every chance Ive had for

the last 60 years. I dont like to see an access closed off but in this case it is in the greater public interest. The access in question is only one of four access points to the forest in that area. Yes, it provides an easier route but once on the national forest there is no forest maintained trail to con-nect the hiker or eques-trian to the forest trail system. What you find are ditch easements and unmaintained cowboy trails. Also with easy access to an area comes a corresponding degra-dation in the quality of hunting, fishing, and opportunities for soli-tude.

Tony states that once hunting season starts the elk will move onto the enlarged Bear Ranch. Sorry, that has already been happening for a long time. Some-where around 1995 I was on what is now the Bear Ranch with the previ-ous landowner during hunting season. I saw between 300-500 elk that day and Im told that is generally the case. Add-ing the BLM land to the Bear Ranch holdings is unlikely to change that well-established elk migration pattern.

There are other things that I could comment on but in the interest of brevity I will close with a recurring thought of mine. Could the real issue concerning the land exchange be some-thing other than the present BLM access? I noticed that Tonys letter began by calling atten-tion to Bill Koch as being amongst the top tier of wealthy Americans and he later mentioned Koch and his congres-sional hunting buddies. At Congressman Scott Tiptons town meeting in Paonia on Nov. 19 one of the leading and more vocal opponents of the land exchange, Ed Mar-ston, told the Congress-man that the rich were his enemy. Those of you who were at the town meeting witnessed that.Why has a previously lit-tle known and little used access to the national forest suddenly become such a big deal? I won-der. Maybe, just maybe, could it really be about class envy?

Vic Ullrey Paonia

Book must be a work of fictionDear Editor:

I enjoyed Tamie Mecks Back Page on Wednes-day, Dec. 7, however I do hope that Denas book Mr. Carlinis Goats is labeled as fiction. The setting that she proposes to describe, North Fork Valley shortly after the Civil War, did not exist during that time frame.

Larry M. HeadHotchkiss

Help needed to restore, protect GMES greenhouseDear Editor:

Imagine lush green plants hanging from the ceiling of a brightly lit and cozy room. Fragrant blooms scent the air with a sweet aroma. The smell of ripe tomatoes makes your mouth water; and the crunchy snack of a snap pea tides you over till lunch as you record the average high and low temperature and make observations about your plant. A perfectly sym-metrical ladybug lands on your clipboard.

Does this sound like a worthwhile vision for education? In October, Garnet Mesa Elementary hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for a sparkly new greenhouse that the students purchased after raising over $6,000 from a read-a-thon earlier this year. Just two weeks ago, some unknown vandals destroyed our green-house and our home for our seedlings. The stu-dents and staff were dev-astated. We need help restoring our greenhouse project and protecting it from future cruel attacks of vicious vandalism.

Most importantly, the greenhouse is an out-standing opportunity for learning.

It teaches respect for nature and coopera-tion amongst students and grade levels. In this inspiring learning space students can study about the life cycles of plants and even animals. As they learn about plants and animals, the kids are motivated to read, write, and learn more about the

natural world. This next spring classes are hop-ing to learn how to grow herbs and vegetables for food, flowers to beautify our world, and generate ladybugs and butter-flies. We need to fix and provide security for our greenhouse for this to happen.

An equally important fact is that the green-house provides a stylish learning place. The stu-dents find it stimulat-ing to leave the class-room and visit another location to learn; a field trip right on campus. In the greenhouse there is ample square footage for hands-on learning and experiments. We hope to create a beautiful living ecosystem with picnic tables in the center for journaling, a sanctuary right on the schoolyard. The additional space also creates a place for multiple classes to get together to learn. Recent-ly, fourth-grade students taught a kindergarten class how to plant grass seeds. The fourth grade students were thrilled to teach their younger peers.

The students are cer-tain the greenhouse must be repaired and protected out of respect to all those in our community and at our school who donated and raised money dur-ing our read-a-thon even though reparations may be costly and time con-suming. In class discus-sions students expressed that hard work and dedi-cation made the project happen, and the same

hard work and dedica-tion can help resurrect it. To prevent further attacks we must install a fence, some sort of sen-sory lighting or alarm, and a camera. We under-stand that the green-house must be protected if time and resources are spent in repairing it; oth-erwise, another attack could occur and sabotage our project and vision again. The schools steer-ing committee and main-tenance team are active-ly investigating the costs and legalities involved in repairing and fencing the area.

The man who has planted a garden feels that he has done some-thing for the good of the world, says Vita Sack-ville-West. Dont we also want the students in our community to feel like they have done some-thing good for the world? At Garnet Mesa Elemen-tary we paved the way for that opportunity, but now our greenhouse is destroyed. We humbly ask that members of our community that are able and willing to support our efforts to repair and protect the Garnet Mesa Greenhouse Project to come forward. Please support us in doing the right thing for our kids and our community.

If you would like to make a donation at this time, please send to Gar-net Mesa Greenhouse Project, 600 A. St., Delta, CO 81416.

Jaime OgdenFourth Grade

Teacher, GMES

Make sure youget an honestcord of woodDear Editor:

A cord of firewood measures 4 feet high by 4 feet wide by 8 feet long, packed solidly, not loose. This would be cab-plus high tightly stacked in a standard 4x8-foot pickup bed with 4-foot sides. Make sure your dealer gives you an hon-est cord have them stack it upon delivery if it is loose. Cheaper is not always better.

Bridget SmithDelta

Comment period for oil/gas exploration is inadequateDear Editor:

Last Wednesday, the Bureau of Land Manage-ment announced plans to lease 22 parcels/30,000 acres for oil and gas development on the out-skirts of the communities of Hotchkiss, Paonia and Crawford, including land in our watersheds. The announcement opened a 30-day comment period to allow for public input.

On the same day, the Environmental Protection Agency released the find-ing of a three-year study of groundwater pollution in Pavillion, Wyo. The report links hydrofrack-ing to groundwater pol-lution in the tiny ranch-ing and farming com-munity where extensive gas drilling has occurred and health officials have advised residents not to drink their water. EPA test wells found levels of the toxic chemicals ben-zene, toluene, ethylben-zene, and xylenes.

The purpose of the BLM comment period is

to allow citizens, local offi-cials and municipalities to provide information that will guide the agency in its review process.

Given the scale of this proposal, a 30-day com-ment period that falls over the holidays is inad-equate. Leasing this land could ultimately result in the injection of thousands of gallons of water laced with fracking chemicals into the ground, endan-gering the quality of our groundwater. Our com-munities should urge the BLM to do the following:

1. Extend the 30-day comment period ending Jan. 9 to a 60-day com-ment period ending Feb. 9.

2. Prepare an Environ-mental Impact Statement

(EIS), not an Environ-mental Analysis (EA), due to the significant impacts these leases could have on water quality, air quality, our property values and our communities.

3. Host a public hear-ing to gather public com-ment for the record.

Citizens, the county commissioners, town trustees and boards of water districts should request that the BLM provide these avenues for adequate input. E-mail, write or call district man-ager Barb Sharrow at the Uncompahgre BLM Field Office: [email protected]; 240-5300; 2465 S. Townsend Avenue, Mon-trose, CO 81401.

Robyn MorrisonVia e-mail

DMEAs base rate is not fair Dear Editor:

I am another customer writing to criticize the DMEA proposed increase to residential base rates. I have lived in a 30-year-old all-electric home on a small lot in Paonia since moving here from the Midwest. My past life includes more than a decade in the HVAC industry so I know that, short of winning the lot-tery, the heating system in this house cannot be adapted to forced air, hot water or another fuel source. While I have a stash of incandescent light bulbs because I resent being told what I can and cannot use, my husband and I have CHO-SEN to purchase and use LED and CFL bulbs as much as possible. We have also spent most of

our savings to seal and insulate our home and have taken other steps to reduce energy consump-tion overall.

Like Mr. Vanderwist and Mr. Williams cited in the Dec. 7 DCI article, I feel that base fee increas-es penalize all residen-tial users unfairly and that higher rates should be assessed strictly for USAGE rather than the mere privilege of having a service connection and a meter. We are prisoners of the arbitrary position that because there are more residential users, we should pay more. After years of promoting energy saving tips and incentives, I think resi-dential users are being hosed.

Jakki TaylorPaonia

DELTA COUNTY

INDEPENDENTDELTA COUNTY INDEPENDENT (UPS 152-700) is pub-lished weekly on Wednesdays at 401 Meeker St., Delta, CO 81416. Second class postage paid at DELTA, CO. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: DELTA COUN-TY INDEPENDENT, PO BOX 809, DELTA, CO 81416

401 Meeker St. Delta, CO 81416 (970) 874-4421News: [email protected]

Advertising: [email protected]

MANAGEMENTPublishers .... Norman & Gladys SunderlandGeneral Manager ........... Randy SunderlandManaging Editor ................. Pat SunderlandAdvertising Manager . Roxanne McCormickProduction Manager ......... Ron Sunderland

YEARLY SUBSCRIPTION RATESDelta County (includes Olathe Somerset & Maher) ....$25.00Seniors in Delta County (65 and over) ....................................$22.00In-State ............................................$29.00Out-of-State .....................................$33.00

Help Us Plan our Future as a Memberof the Library District Board

Our mission: Informing and empowering the community

Providing resources for life, leisure, and learning

Delta County Libraries, the District,is seeking to fi ll two Board vacancies:1. County At Large, term ending 1/31/2016

2. Hotchkiss Area, term 1/31/2012 to 1/31/2016

Are you community minded?

*Do you take a keen interest in the

development of library servicesin Delta County?

*The Board adopts and oversees the budget,

bylaws and policy; conducts long range planning;and hires and supervises the library district

director. The Board meets once a month on aweekday afternoon, rotating among the

libraries in our district.

Applications are available at theDistrict libraries and on the District website,

www.deltalibraries.org.

Return applications to aDelta County library or mail to:

Board PresidentDelta County Libraries Board of Trustees

P.O. Box 858, Delta, CO 81416

Alan M. KingFinancial AdvisorBranch Manager

874-0789 or Toll Free 866-893-3813www.RaymondJames.com/AlanKing

338 Main Street Delta

Delta County Independent LOCAL NEWS Wednesday, December 14, 2011 A3

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BY HANK LOHMEYERStaff Writer

The county on Dec. 5 adopted an ordinance that imposes penalties on construction that takes place without county per-mits.

The ordinance states in part, If so directed by the Board (of County Commissioners) a crimi-

nal prosecution may be brought against the owner of construction that has not received required county permits.

The ordinance applies to new residential and commercial construction that takes place in unin-corporated areas of the county.

The ordinance does not establish building permits in Delta County, said county planner Dave Rice. However, the ordi-nance gives the county authority to bring crimi-nal charges against any new residential or com-mercial construction that takes place without first obtaining the countys required access permit, address permit, and sep-tic permit.

Builders of new residen-tial or commercial projects as of Jan. 1 must obtain the permits before begin-ning construction or be subject to the ordinances criminal penalties.

There are no new per-mits required by the ordi-nance, said Bob Basher of the engineering depart-

ment. But new permits may be added to the required list in future.

The lengthy ordinance was introduced on first reading at the BoCCs Nov. 21 meeting. That was just days after the county attorneys office issued a cease and desist letter to halt construction work on Powell Mesa that had not complied with coun-ty Specific Development stipulations.

The ordinance will take effect as of Jan. 1 and will apply to work done after

that date. Violations are punishable by a fine of not more than $600.

There are also other sanctions that can be imposed by county staff. Those include withhold-ing permits, placing vari-ous conditions on permit issuance, revocation of permits, and stop work orders. The ordinance also provides for the countys pursuing various types of civil action including injunctions and abate-ments for actual removal of construction.

County establishes criminalpenalties for construction work

Yagerturn out good.

Just minutes later, the other friend discovered Melindas lifeless body in the deep snow along the railroad tracks. Hosten-piller characterized Melin-das injuries as vicious, deep and deadly.

Sgt. Sanchez spotted Nathans white Toyota pickup leaving the neigh-borhood, but lost sight of the vehicle when Nathan allegedly drove around a lowered railroad crossing barricade and squeezed through the intersec-tion in front of a passing train.

At the conclusion of the hearing, Judge Greenacre established deadlines for filing motions and set aside three weeks in May for a trial. Because of Yag-ers insanity plea, Hot-senpiller and Schweissing said they expect extensive expert testimony.

We intend to work together to see if we can narrow the issues, but we believe the trial will take three weeks, Hostenpill-er said.

Yager has been in cus-tody since his arrest in Montrose and subsequent transfer to the Delta County Jail.

FROM PAGE A1

HELD OVERTHROUGH TUES., DEC. 20

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Since his mothers death in 2009, Cedaredge resident John Moore has filed 32 cases in the Delta Combined Courts, all of which have been dis-missed for one reason or another.

At a hearing before Chief Judge J. Steven Pat-rick last week, Moore was given the opportunity to explain why he should be allowed to continue to file civil and criminal charges against physicians, the hospital and other parties he believes responsible for his mothers death.

Im just trying to get the courts attention, Moore said. I want jus-tice for my mothers

well, I will use the word even though people dont like hearing it murder.

Nobody would listen. I had to do something. Only you can bring jus-tice.

I understand your concerns, Judge Pat-rick said, as he patiently explained the court is not an investigative body. I appreciate your frustra-tion and unanswered questions, but there is a fundamental misunder-standing of what the court can and can not do.

He continued his les-son by explaining that only the district attorney can file criminal charges. Thats why two of Moores cases were dismissed. In other lawsuits, Moore

who has represented him-self throughout the legal proceedings did not fol-low the protocol for tak-ing legal action against governmental entities and health professionals.

The judge continued, Im not trying to mini-mize your loss, but you are not going about this the right way.

The court is open and available for anyone to use, Judge Patrick said, but there has to be some balance. Moore has also

filed lawsuits in federal court and has incurred thousands of dollars of court costs which have not been paid.

Moore appeared to accept the judges recom-mendation that he run his argument by an attor-ney to determine if there is a meritorius basis for future legal action.

I wont file any more cases, Moore promised. All I wanted was a day like this to talk to the court.

John Moores search for justice tempered by Judge J. Steven Patrick

SHANE & AMANDA KIERS RANCH

10211 TONGUE CREEK ROADAUSTIN, (CORY) CO

From Delta, head east on Hwy. 92, turn north on Hwy. 65, turn west on Fairview Rd., turn north at the bottom of the hill on Tongue Creek Rd. and look for the yellow house on the left. We are meeting in the large white covered area.

COME AND JOIN US FOR A COWBOY KINDOF CHRISTMAS EVE CELEBRATION

SPECIAL GUEST PERFORMERS:STACY JENSON GARY LEAR & COMPANYDANNY & JENNI NEIL MIKE SANDRIDGE

OUR OLD FAITHFULS:DEWAYNE EILER TOM MULLENSSHELDON WARE BOB WILSON

LETS COME TOGETHER AND CELEBRATEJESUS BIRTH THE COWBOY WAY

Everyone Is Welcome!(You dont have to be a cowboy or even own a horse)

OH! BY THE WAY, WE WILL HAVE IT SOMEWHAT WARM IN THERE SO Bring The Whole Family!

Sponsored by: GVC Contact, Pastor Terry at 970-778-8516

A K R

Cowboy at the CrossCamp Meeting

Christmas Eve Service 5:30 p.m.

City regsAgain, Black used

slides to illustrate how some businesses provide an asphalt apron around the exterior of their build-ing, but leave the driveway approaching the business in gravel. In those cases, the paving requirement is not meeting its intent to reduce dust and the likeli-hood of mud being tracked onto the public streets.

He pointed out a num-ber of existing businesses that do not have paving of any type, including Delta Timber, Doughty Steel and Slaughter Plumb-ing & Heating. When a change of use occurs, the building must be brought up to code. Small commer-cial developers interested in purchasing the vacated pawn shop on Highway 92 and the old DMEA building south of town have backed away from their plans because of the expense of paving the parking areas, Black said.

In addition, paving adds to the citys storm drain load. As a propos-al to implement a storm water utility moves for-ward, developers will be faced with a monthly fee for the areas theyve been required to pave, a real Catch 22.

Moving to the residen-tial areas of the city, Black discussed the placement of storage sheds. Although any structure of 200 square feet or less is exempt from the citys building permit requirements, the munici-pal code does specify where the storage sheds may be situated in rela-tion to property lines, the principal residence and neighboring homes.

Gerald Roberts, chair-man of the citys planning commission, estimated that 25 percent of the storage

sheds in the city are out of compliance. Black said that when storage sheds are found to be situated incorrectly, homeowners are asked to move them. Recently, a resident had to move a storage shed that had been in place since 1994.

We need to make the codes simple to interpret, and simple to enforce, Black said. Council may also wish to limit the number of storage sheds allowed on a single par-cel, he said. Planning and zoning was tasked with reviewing this issue and bringing recommenda-tions back to city council for final approval.

FROM PAGE A1

Hey, my

grandpa

and

grandma

are open

ing a

new cof

fee house

and art g

allery!

Open Open HouseHouseDecember 16 December 16 5:00 p.m.5:00 p.m.

Just in time for Christmas, they must have been very good to get a coffee house and art gallery. My grandpa is a great artist and

most of the work will be his and some is for sale. He is also opening it up to other artists to show their work. I know Im only a kid but I

think you would really have a lot of fun and good food... Oh Yea, and I will be there to meet and greet. Now who wouldnt want to come and

meet me? So come one, come all to my grandparents new place.

The Artist MichaelsThe Artist MichaelsCoffee HouseCoffee House& Art Gallery& Art Gallery326 Main Street #102 Delta874-7229 Cell 424-2960

Artists:Artists:If youd like to show or If youd like to show or sell your work please sell your work please

bring it by or callbring it by or call424-2690 by424-2690 by

3:00 p.m. on Dec. 163:00 p.m. on Dec. 16

A4 Wednesday, December 14, 2011 ACCENT Delta County Independent

MIXED NUT BRITTLEPeanut brittle is done one

better when prepared with mixed nuts instead. This im-pressive candy is simply deli-cious. I like to pack some in pretty plastic bags to give as gifts.

Servings: 20

1-1/2 cups sugar 1 cup light corn syrup 1/3 cup water 4 cups mixed nuts 2 teaspoons plus 2 table-

spoons butter, divided 1 teaspoon Spice Islands

pure vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and water. Cover and bring to a boil

over medium heat. Uncover andcook until a candy thermometerreads 290 (soft-crack stage).

Meanwhile, grease a 15-in. x10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with 2teaspoons butter; set aside. Placenuts in two ungreased 15-in. x10-in. x 1-in. baking pans; bakeat 325 for 10-15 minutes or untilwarm. (Keep warm until ready touse.)

Remove sugar mixture fromthe heat; carefully stir in the nuts,vanilla, salt and remaining but-ter. Quickly spread into preparedpan. Cool completely; break intopieces.

Each Issue of Taste of Home,a friendly, full-color food maga-zine, includes over 85 taste-tempt-ing recipes. For a sample copy,send $2 to Taste of Home, Suite4321, PO Box 990, Greendale WI53129-0990. Visit our Web page atwww.tasteofhome.com.

First State Bank of Hotchkiss First State Bank of DeltaPaonia State Bank Crawford Country Bank

RedeemerLutheran Church

presents a

LIVE NATIVITYSaturday,

December 17 Shows at 6:00 and 7:00 p.m.

Chili Supper 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.(Freewill Offering)

Tiny Treasures Preschool Programwill have a

Christmas Cookie/Bake Sale FundraiserProceeds to benefi t Tiny Treasures Preschool.

Redeemer Lutheran Church1000 Pioneer Road Delta 874-3052

563 Main St. 874-3624563 Main St. 874-3624

Delta

Lodge #1235

BiNgOEVERY THURSDAY

7 P.M. Open to the Public

FRIDAY NIGHT

Enjoy Munchies, Good Times& Holiday Spirit!

ALL ELK MEMBERS & THEIR GUESTS WELCOME

ClubroomChristmasParty

Starts at 6:00 p.m.

Employee,Officer & PERCHRISTMAS PARTYCHRISTMAS PARTYSUNDAY, DEC. 18

Clubroom Closes at 6 p.m.

SAVE THE DAT E

Saturday, Dec. 31 New Years Eve Extravaganza for Youth -11:00 a.m -1:30 p.m. New Years Eve Dinner & Dance (RSVP by Dec. 27)

For those who are grieving, the holidays can be difficult.

You may feel angry when you see others cel-ebrating or you may feel deep sadness when find-ing a gift that would have been perfect for the loved one that you have lost. Remember, you need to let your emotions flow, so that you can deal with them. Share these feel-ings with a friend who is a good listener, said Jane Dupree, Delta-based chaplain, Hospice & Pal-liative Care of Western Colorado.

Holidays in themselves are often stressful and exhausting without the added pain of grief.

The best thing you can do is to be prepared for the holidays. Sit down with your family now and make a plan. Remember, you have the right to cel-ebrate the holidays differ-ently this year. There is no law that says you must always do everything the same way.

Remember to make time for yourself. Use this time to listen to music, pamper yourself, take a hot bath, write in a jour-nal, or just sit quietly reminiscing about your loved one. Taking time for yourself is especially important in stressful sit-uations so be sure to schedule time alone and to call a time out when you need a break, says Dupree.

As the Hospice Foun-dation of America empha-sizes in its website (www.hospicefoundation.org) one of the most important things to remember dur-ing the holidays is this: Do what is comfortable.

Kenneth Doka, Ph.D., senior consultant for Hospice Foundation of America, recounts a grief therapy session with a group of widows: One woman whose husband recently died asked, Who should sit at the head of the table? taking her hus-bands place. I asked the group how they had han-dled it. One woman placed her youngest grandchild there to remind the family of its continuity. Another said her eldest son sat there. Another woman said that she sat there since she was now the family leader.

Which response was right? They all were,

says Doka. Each response met the needs of the per-son, and each was a com-fortable choice.

This is the key to coping with the holidays find the way that is right for you. The great stress of bereavement, along with the additional strains of the holidays, can create unbearable pressure, Doka says.

Hospice & Palliative Care of Western Colorado offers grief support for anyone in the community who has lost a loved one. Services include:

Individual and family counseling

Ongoing weekly Mending Hearts grief groups

Monthly bereave-ment newsletters

Consultation with churches, service clubs, schools and organizations

Educational in-ser-vices on grief

Grief in the Work-place consultation and training for businesses

Lending library of resources

Specialized services for grieving children and teens

For more information about the bereavement services offered through Hospice & Palliative Care of Western Colorado, call 874-6823 or visit www.hospicewco.com.

Holiday grief

Jeremiah and Kayrell Moore of Olathe are the parents of a daugh-ter, Audriana Kaylee Moore, born Dec. 6, 2011, at Delta County Memori-al Hospital. She weighed 8 pounds, 2.8 ounces and was 20 inches in length.

Holden and Brook Ware of Hotchkiss are the parents of a daugh-ter, Adalynne Kynzlie Ware, born Dec. 3, 2011, at Delta County Memori-al Hospital. She weighed 5 pounds, 13 ounces and was 18 inches in length.

Sacha Sostenes and Robert Wagner of Delta are the parents of a son, Jaycion Robert Wag-ner, born Dec. 2, 2011, at Delta County Memorial Hospital. He weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces and was 19.5 inches in length.

Karen and Michael Long of Delta are the par-ents of a daughter, Oliv-ia Suzanne, born Nov. 21, 2011, at Delta Coun-ty Memorial Hospital. She weighed 6 pounds, 3 ounces and was 18.5 inches in length.

BIRTHSBIRTHS


The Delta County Health Department has recognized MacKenzy Wells as the most recent graduate of the Baby and Me Tobacco Free pro-gram.

Smoking increases the risk of low birth weights, and, because the habit can be kicked, pregnant women are referred to the program which includes cessation counseling, support and CO monitor-ing. If, after random sali-va tests, a mother tests tobacco free, she receives a $25 a month voucher for diapers for up to 12 months after delivery.

Between the savings on diapers and the sav-ings on cigarettes, Wells says she was able to do a lot more Christmas shop-ping this year, beginning with Black Friday.

MacKenzy didnt make a conscious choice to start smoking as a sophomore in high school it was simply something all her friends did. But after learning that low birth weight babies are likely to have serious health issues, including sight and hearing problems and learning difficulties, she decided it was time to quit smoking. She gave birth to Kadynce on May 23, 2010, and realizes its important to continue to refrain from smoking, so Kadynce can grow up in a smoke free household.

The smell of ciga-

rettes really bothers me now, she commented.

The Baby and Me Tobacco Free program is available in the majority of Colorado counties. The program has been funded by the Colorado Health Foundation to provide incentives (vouchers for free diapers) for low-income pregnant women who quit smoking and participate in carbon dioxide monitoring dur-ing pregnancy and after the delivery of the baby.

More information is available by calling the Delta County Health Department at 874-2165.

Mom gives up smoking for her babys health

www.devinnyjewelers.com

321 MainMontrose249-3231

Delphine Meadand Dahlgren Andrews

Saturday, Dec. 17 2-4 p.m.at Hotchkiss Senior Citizen Center

The Craig girls were born and raised in Lazear withan older sister Maxine, who is now deceased.

Dahlgren has a son, Robert, who lives in Denver.Those unable to attend the open house may

send birthday cards to Dahlgren Andrews atP.O. Box 76, Lazear, CO 81420, or to

Delphine Mead at 7130 Ellsworth, Alamosa, CO 81101.

Please jointwin sisters

Delphine Meadand

Dahlgren Andrewsas they celebrate their

90th Birthdaysat an

Open House

Photo by Pat SunderlandPublic health nurse Kelly Beard and tobacco program coordinator Karen OBrien congratulate MacKenzy Wells on her determination to give up smok-ing for her babys health.

Girls 5-17invitedto joinGirl Scouts

In Girl Scouts, you real-ly can change the world. Every girl can make a dif-ference. Whether across town, across the country or across the world, you discover that people have more similarities than dif-ferences. Make a change in your neighborhood, in your country and in your world. Join other amaz-ing girls now who are making a difference. Girl Scouts can make every day a step toward reach-ing heights you never imagined. There are now more flexible ways to be a Girl Scout than joining a troop. For more infor-mation, visit girlscoutsofcolorado.org, e-mail [email protected] or call 1-877-404-5708.

Kids, enjoyfun inthe snow

The Grand Mesa Nor-dic Council and City of Delta Recreation Depart-ment have teamed up to offer cross-country ski programs for children ages 5-8 and youths 9-16. Getting out on skis and having a good time will be emphasized for all ages. All lessons will be offered at Skyway on Grand Mesa on Satur-days in January.

For program informa-tion, call Bill Heddles Recreation Center at 874-0923.

Delta County Independent LOCAL NEWS Wednesday, December 14, 2011 A5

Electric Tree Decorations

25% OFFREGULAR PRICE

Brachs Christmas

Hard Candy2 for $3Terrys

Chocolate Oranges

$3

Fuzzy Posters16x20

$3.99

Shrinky DinksBUY ONE GET

ONE FREE

Everyday Low Priceson Everything for

ChristmasStretch your holiday dollars withbig deals on all you want forgiving, decorating and entertaining!

Ho-ho-hurry; special offers end December 24th at 5 p.m.

ChristmasDecorations

& Wrap

GiftsGalore

SeasonalTreats

Christmas Tree Trimming

Non Electric


Alpine Christmas Trees


Christmas Floral Bushes


Ashley Lighted Pine Garland and Wreaths


Royal Dansk Butter Cookies

2 for $6

100 Sq. Ft.Gift Wrap

$4.97

Boxed Christmas Cards


ChristmasGift Bags

$1

44 ct.Tissue Paper

2 for $5

ZacharyMints

5 for $5

Hersheys Holiday Kisses

2 for $5

Tabletop Framesby Burnes

Choose form all Burnes stock on ohand. Sizes 4x6, 5x7, 8x10. In

woo or metal styles


Coral Fleece Plush Throw

50x60 soft microfiber

$8.99

Credit Card Coin Purse or Flip Open ID

Key Chain$5.99

Designer Fashion Scarves

$7.99

Models20% OFFREGULAR PRICE

ChristmasPuzzles


ScratchMagic Art

BUY ONE GET ONE FREE

Buy any combination of Zhu Zhu or Kung Zhu Accessories over $15 and receive one Zhu Zhu Pet of your choice from our stock FREE

5th & Main Delta 874-3596www.clubbstore.com

Hours: Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday Noon-5 p.m.

All items are available unless previously sold. Limited to stock on hand.

530 Gunnison River DriveDelta 874-0923

STOCKING STUFFERSPECIAL

Purchase a20-Punch Card

GET 5 PUNCHES FREEMust be used within one yearof purchase date. No rollovers.

Offer expires December 31, 2011Limit one per person

The way to aHealthy Holiday

HOLIDAY HOURS Christmas Eve 8:00 a.m.Noon Christmas Day CLOSEDNew Years Eve 8:00 a.m.NoonNew Years Day Noon4:00 p.m.

Great Gift IdeaMOVIEPASSES

make greatstocking stuffers.

EGYPTIAN THEATRE452 Main Delta 874-9770

www.deltaegyptiantheatre.com

MOVIE

PASS

970-874-WOOD (9663)595 HIGHWAY 92, DELTA

Locally Handcrafted Wooden Gifts

Holiday Ideas Start Here

Stop in and see the BlackCanyon Wood Carvers Guild

Thursday, December 15 1-3 p.m.

Dont forget yourhome for Christmas!We love selling beautiful quality furniture.

COLORADOS OLDEST FURNITURE FAMILY

3rd & Main Delta 874-4491Monday-Friday 9:30-6:00 Sat. 9:30-5:00

BY HANK LOHMEYERStaff Writer

The Christmas holiday season reached a sym-phonic crescendo on Dec. 10 when the Valley Youth Orchestra performed its Winter Concert at Del-tas United Methodist church.

Under the direction of conductor-director Debra TenNapel, the orchestra performed holiday favor-ites and classical selec-tions from J.S. Bach, Tchaikovsky, Mozart, and Vivaldi.

The performance was highlighted by an appear-ance of the Dance West Repertoire performing the Dance of the Reed Flutes from the Nut-cracker under direction of Gena Rose.

The Valley Youth Orchestra is comprised of musicians from Delta and Montrose counties, along with members from Placer-ville, Ridgway, Grand Junction and Rifle.

Members from Delta County and Olathe are

the following:From Paonia Ava-

lon Brinton, 8, violin; Elie Tentori, 10, cello; Seth Brinton, 10, violin; and, Jacob Helleckson, 16, cello.

From Hotchkiss Cara Littlefield, 12, vio-lin, and Annie Stechert, 17, violin.

From Cedaredge Allison Sullivan, 11, violin.

From Eckert Chris-tian DaCosta, 10, cello, and Patrick DaCosta, 14, violin.

From Delta David Kniskern, 13, violin; Gabby Staats, 17, violin; and Leda Stinson, 17, violin.

From Olathe Julian Varela, 12, cello; Alexan-dria Bentler, 16, cello; Kate Roth, 17, violin; and, Josie Varela, 14, violin.

Winter concert cheers Delta

Photo by Hank LohmeyerMembers of the Dance West Repertoire perform to Tchaikovskys Dance of the Reed Flutes from the Nutcracker Suite as performed by the Valley Youth Orchestra at Deltas United Methodist Church.

Competitionshowcasesdribbling,shooting

The Denver Nuggets Basketball Skills Chal-lenge is coming to Bill Heddles Recreation Cen-ter Saturday, Dec. 17. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m., with the com-petition starting at 10 a.m.

This free basketball skills competition is open to boys and girls ages 7 through 14. Participants will be divided into gen-der and age groups (age as of April 30, 2012).

Youngsters will show-case their talents in drib-bling, passing and shoot-ing. This youth program is produced by the Den-ver Nuggets and Colora-do Parks and Recreation Association with support from the City of Delta.

Top scorers from each age group advance to sec-tional competition, and from there to state com-petition.

For more information, call Whitnee Lear at 874-0923.Department of Agri-

culture commodities will be distributed Thursday, Dec. 15, at the following locations:

Delta First Assem-bly of God gym, 762

Dodge Street.Cedaredge Mason-

ic Hall, 295 W. Main Street.

Hotchkiss Heritage Hall, Delta County Fair-grounds.

Distribution begins at 9 a.m., and ends at 1 p.m., or earlier if items are no longer available.

To receive commodi-ties, you must be a resi-dent of Delta County and meet income eligibil-ity guidelines of $1,679 monthly for a family of one, $2,268 for a family of two, $3,446 for a fam-ily of four, and $4,624 for a family of six.

A typical household will receive the following as long as the items are available: frozen pork, frozen chicken, apple-sauce, grapefruit juice, cream corn, beef stew, canned apricots, milk, rice, tomato juice, cere-al, vegetable soup, pinto beans and tomato sauce.

Please bring some form of identification. If picking up commodi-ties for another house-hold, an ID and a note from that household is required.

For more information, call 874-2039.

Commodity distribution scheduled

Photo by Hank Lohmeyer

Mr. and Mrs. ClausMr. and Mrs. Santa Claus visited with local chil-dren Dec. 10 at Bill Heddles Recreation Center during the annual Breakfast With Santa. Olivia Hines, 3, daughter of Holly Hellman, visits with Santa.

Youth and adults can learn hand position, picking, strumming and chords on the guitar at Bill Heddles Recreation Center. Professional

John McCoy will offer classes on Saturday mornings from Jan. 21 through Feb. 18. For more information, call 874-0923.

Kids, adults can learn to play the guitar in 2012

A6 Wednesday, December 14, 2011 BUSINESS Delta County Independent

Delta Montrose Home Health Services has announced that it has been named to the 2011 HomeCare Elite, a compilation of the top-performing home health agencies in the United States. Now in its sixth year, the HomeCare Elite identifies the top 25 per-cent of agencies and fur-ther highlights the top 100 and top 500 agen-cies overall. Winners are ranked by an analysis of performance measures in quality outcomes, pro-cess of care measures and financial performance.

It is increasingly challenging to manage the cost/quality equation. The 2011 HomeCare Elite winners demonstrate a commitment to provid-

ing patients with the best possible care while man-aging their business effi-ciently and effectively, said Amanda Twiss, CEO of OCS and My Inner-View. This year, we updated our methodology to reflect industry focus and based on this rig-orous analysis, we con-gratulate Delta Montrose Home Health Services on being one of the top home care agencies in the coun-try.

Delta Montrose Home Health Services direc-tor Charlene Minnard RN credits outstanding customer service and her dedicated and expe-rienced staff with the companys ability to rank as one of the HomeCare Elite.

The HomeCare Elite designation continues to gain significance given the regulatory changes and challenges that agen-cies face. Agencies that have earned recognition among the HomeCare Elite demonstrated that they not only can adapt to an evolving marketplace but continue to excel in both clinical and financial outcomes, said Marci Heydt, product manager for the post-acute care business group, Decision-Health.

The 2011 HomeCare Elite is the only per-formance recognition of its kind in the home health industry. The 2011 HomeCare Elite is brought to the indus-try by OCS HomeCare, the leading provider of homecare information, and DecisionHealth, pub-lisher of the industrys most respected indepen-dent newsletter Home Health Line and the Com-plete Home Health ICD-9-CM Diagnosis Coding Manual. The data used for this analysis were compiled from publicly available information. The entire list of the 2011 HomeCare Elite agencies can be viewed by visiting the OCS HomeCare web-site at www.ocshomecare.com.

Delta Montrose Home Health Services has been a regional non-profit service of Delta County Memorial Hos-pital for over 25 years and serves individuals in Delta, Montrose and Gunnison counties. As a locally owned entity, they are accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Health-care Organizations and are also Medicare and Medicaid certified.

Delta Montrose Home Health Services provides skilled nursing services, physical, occupation and speech therapy, certi-fied nurse aides, medical social services and case management for all med-ical needs. These services are available for both

Delta Montrose Home Healthnamed to 2011 HomeCare Elite

Benson BrothersBenson Brothers21240 Austin Rd.

Austin

To cherished friends, old and new,Thank You for your business.

We Wish you happiness, prosperityand joy in the coming year.

Merry Christmas

Gary Burnetts bookWHY OUR CONSTITUTION

CAME TO BEThursday, December 15 (Bill of Rights Day)

~ 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. ~Millers Deitch House 820 Hwy 92, Delta

Call Gary for information at 874-2942

BookSigni

ng

Photo by Hank LohmeyerCommemorating the award of a grant for small business and small agricul-ture operations energy audits are, from left, Pattie Snidow, northwest area director, USDA Rural Development; Phil Zimmer, DMEA key accounts supervi-sor; Alison LePage, FORE Alliance; Sarah Carlquist, Delta County Economic Development (DCED); Glen Black, DMEA board member; Ed Sisson, City of Delta councilman; Abbie Brewer, FORE Alliance executive director; and Dan McClendon DMEA general manager at the announcement of the USDA-RD grant award to DMEA.

USDA Rural Develop-ment has awarded DMEA a $97,325 grant to enable DMEA to help local small businesses and small ag operations buy down the cost of professional, in-depth energy audits by 75 percent. An ener-gy audit is a detailed analysis of a businesss energy use that makes recommendations for cost-effective energy effi-ciency upgrades.

This grant is particu-larly beneficial to increas-ing DMEAs ability to help our member businesses at a time when energy costs are rising, noted Dan McClendon, DMEAs general manager.

Im also pleased that the grant can also assist businesses in the City of Delta, thanks to the col-laborative effort of the FORE Alliance and the contribution made by the City of Delta to the grant application, said McClendon. As busi-nesses across Delta and Montrose counties save energy and money, it will help recharge our local economy.

Reducing energy waste can brighten a small businesss bottom line, according to Phil

Zimmer, DMEAs energy services supervisor. An energy audit is the key first step for any par-ticular business so that the best opportunities to save energy and money are identified.

This grant will help DMEA put together a Business Energy Assis-tance Team (B.E.A.T) that can help business-es beat the high cost of energy, Zimmer said. He added that the grant pro-vides funds for a limited number of audits 75 of them.

A key component of DMEAs Business Energy Assistance Team (BEAT) will be local, professional commercial energy audi-tors who will perform the work analyzing a busi-nesss energy use, accord-ing to Zimmer. DMEA is looking to quickly identify local commercial energy auditors qualified to per-form an ASHRAE (Amer-ican Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) Level 2 commercial ener-gy audit. Auditors should be either a licensed pro-fessional engineer or a C.E.M. (Certified Energy Manager).

Local businesses inter-

ested in exploring a pro-fessional energy audit at a substantially reduced cost should look for an application on DMEAs website, www.dmea.com, or contact Zimmer at 240-1217.

Once an audit is com-pleted and energy sav-ing measures identified, theres the possibility of additional resources from USDA Rural Develop-ment to help a business become more energy effi-cient through the USDAs Rural Energy Assistance Program (REAP). REAP can provide a business with a grant of up to 25 percent of the cost of a businesss energy effi-ciency project and can loan up to an additional 50 percent of the projects cost.

REAP grant applica-tions will be individually scored and funds will be awarded on a comple-titive basis, Snidow said.

An audit is valuable in the application for a REAP grant. USDA Rural Development will explain their Rural Ener-gy Assistance Program (REAP) at an upcoming seminar, to be held at DMEAs Montrose office on Jan. 27.

Grant pays costs of ag,business energy audits

Cleary Building Corp. congratulates Randy Drayer, branch manager of the Delta sales and construction office, on receiving his masters of branch administration certification from Steel Wood University.

Steel Wood University is an extensive train-ing program designed to teach both new and veteran employees the fundamentals of success at Cleary Building Corp. The week-long course includes training on leadership, accountabil-ity and customer service.

Cleary Building Corp. is a nationwide leader in customized pre-engi-neered buildings. Build-ing applications include commercial, residential, suburban, farm and equine facilities along with metal roofing and re-roofs. The buildings consist of a wood frame with pre-painted steel panels used for roofing

and siding. Cleary Build-ing Corp. is proud to offer a lifetime paint warranty. This type of building pro-vides for a long-lasting, low-maintenance and cost effective structure.

Cleary Building Corp. is a family-owned com-pany in business since 1978. The corporate

office and manufactur-ing plant are located in Verona, Wis. Additional manufacturing facili-ties are located in Grand Island, Neb., and Hazel-ton, Idaho. Cleary Build-ing Corp. employs over 800 full-time employees throughout the United States at its 80 offices.

Cleary manager receives certification

250 S. Grand Mesa Dr.Cedaredge 856-7007

This is a FREE concert presented bythe youth of Cedaredge Elementary.

ALL ARE WELCOME!!

Thursday, Dec. 1Thursday, Dec. 1551:00 p.m.1:00 p.m.

At The AppleShedAt The AppleShedCedaredgeCedaredge

Please Join Please Join Us ForUs For

Christmas

Caroling

ClassicChristmas

Carols

Class for Parents of Teen DriversLearn about...

Risks teen drivers faceParents role in learning-to-drive process

Graduated Drivers license rules

Thursday, December 15 6-7 p.m.or

Wednesday, January 25 6-7 p.m.at Bill Heddles Rec Center Activity Room

530 Gunnison River Dr. Delta

Class taught with the help of a Colorado State Patrol Of cer

Cost: FREEReserve a seat at:

www.wretac.org/occupant-safetyor call 249-5685

The Doctors & Staff ofColorado West Ophthamology

wish our patients, our medical colleagues,and the community

Happy Holidays and Best Wishesfor a clear and bright

New Year!!!

Photo submittedRandy Drayer is congratulated on completion of advanced training at Steel Wood University. Drayer is the branch manager of Cleary Building Corpora-tions Delta offi ce.

Delta County Independent SCHOOL Wednesday, December 14, 2011 A7

Wellellmakemake youryour

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Blessings Of The SeasonBlessings Of The Season

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Thur., Dec. 15 Class Finals; Freshman Basketball vs. Olathe, 4:00 p.m.

Fri., Dec. 16 Class Finals; Girls Swimming at Montrose Invitational, 4:00 p.m.; Wrestling at Warrior Classic; Boys & Girls Basketball Bank of the West Tournament; CFES Full Court Press Coat Drive.

Sat., Dec. 17 Girls Swimming at Montrose Invitational, 9:00 a.m.; Wrestling at Warrior Classic; Basketball Bank of the West Tournament; CFES Full Court Press Coat Drive.

Dec. 19-Jan. 2 Christmas Break.

Kevin Parks Insurance Agy. Inc.Kevin Parks, AgentDelta, CO 81416Bus: 970-874-5701www.kevinparksinc.com

Photo submitted

Virtuous KidsLincoln Elementary and the Kiwanis Club of Delta recently recognized the Virtuous Kids pictured above: (top row) Tyler Rumble (respectful), Caleb Miramontes (diligent), Bethany Weaver (helpful and considerate), Kaitlyn Sharpe (responsible), Sierra Robinson (diligent), Jack Jones (coopera-tive), Alexis Govea (responsible), Xzavier Baty (helpful), Abby Carlson (responsible), Alexis Espinoza (successful); (middle row) Erika Kuta (cooperative), Dan Weaver (respectful), Charlie Costopoulos (responsible and compassionate), Laisha Aleman (respectful, responsible, compassionate), Abigail Barber (responsible), Nathan Scharnhorst (responsible), Britney Garcia (respectful), Juan Carlos Gaucin (cooperative), Norma Gonzalez-Lozano (respectful); (bottom row) Adriana Zavala (respon-sible), Alejandro Vargas (diligent), Antonia Sheetz (generous and compassionate), Alex Ward (help-ful), Wyatt Garrison (loyal), Olivia White (responsible), Uriel Aguilera (diligent), Andrew Wilcox (kindness).

Photo submitted

Ready to take fl ightThis month, the third graders at Garnet Mesa Elementary are engaging in the unit of life cycles. Throughout the past two weeks, Mrs. Tilellis third grade class observed the life cycle of a butterfl y. They have seen their caterpillars form a chrysalis and are eagerly awaiting their transformation into butterfl ies (above). Mrs. Theobalds class has also been busy working on their own life cycle projects. They developed posters and presented a variety of life cycles to their class. In has been a great learning experience for everyone and they are so excited to share their observations!

The young DHS speech team earned their first sweepstakes trophy of the season by plac-ing third at the Duran-go Demon debate and

speech meet Dec. 9 and 10. The award is espe-cially significant as 10 of the 13 member squad are novices, just enter-ing their second month of

competition!Congress was Deltas

most successful event, with Linh Nguyen being awarded superior speak-er honors in her chamber.

Sawyer Keeline, Javier Romero, Paige Bowling, and Haley Donathan were also nominated as exceptional speakers in their houses. Jeremy Dziubasik was elected presiding officer in his house. Overall, Delta placed second in Con-gress.

Sawyer Keeline and Ridge Green earned sec-ond place in public forum debate with a 2-1 record.

Paige Bowling was fourth in extemporane-ous speaking.

In interpretive events, Sawyer Keeline took fourth in poetry and Taylor King was sixth in humor.

The team will be off for the next three weeks to celebrate the holidays, returning to competition at Palisade Jan. 6 and 7.

DHS earns sweepstakes trophy

Photo submitted

Top readersThese Garnet Mesa students received awards for scoring the most Accel-erated Reader (AR) points for their grade level: Kayla Miller, second grade; Aubree Andre, third grade; Nathan Workman and Sara Geddes, fourth grade; Elena Melgoza, fi fth grade.

Want to advertise in the DCI?Contact one of our ad reps at 874-4421.

A8 Wednesday, December 14, 2011 OBITUARIES Delta County Independent

Wyatt TietzWyatt Estes Tietz of

Eckert died Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2011, at his home. He was six.

A celebration of life will be held Friday, Dec. 16, at 2 p.m. at Delta Christian Church.

Wyatt was born Dec. 16, 2004, in Lancast-er, Pa., to Daniel and Heather (Funk) Tietz. He and his family moved to Cedaredge when he was 18 months old. He attended Cedaredge Ele-mentary School.

He enjoyed trains, SpongeBob SquarePants, nature and sunsets.

Wyatt is survived by his parents, Dan and Heather Tietz of Eckert; his sisters, Autum and Lydia, both of Eckert; his grandparents, Chuck and Kay Tietz of Dumont, and Deane and Debbie Funk of Washington Boro, Pa.; his great-grandparents, Myra Tietz of McCook, Neb., Helen Taylor of Bowling Green, Mo., Jake and Lois Hostetter of Conestoga, Pa., and Edgar and Jean Funk of Washington Boro, Pa.; three uncles, Jesse Tietz, Adam Tietz, and Ryan Funk and his wife Amanda; two cousins, Connor and Tyler Funk; and many great-aunts, uncles and cousins.

Memorial contribu-tions may be made to the Wyatt Tietz Benefit Fund, c/o Surface Creek Bank Center, 945 South Grand Mesa Drive, Cedaredge, CO 81413.

View the Internet obit-uary and sign the online guest registry at taylorfuneralservice.com.

Taylor Funeral Ser-vice and Crematory is handling the arrange-ments.

Alice BauerAlice Mae Bauer of

Cedaredge died Wednes-day, Dec. 7, 2011, at Delta County Memorial Hospi-tal. She was 69.

Visitation will be Fri-day, Dec. 16, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Taylor Funeral Chapel in Delta. A funer-al service will be held Saturday, Dec. 17, at 10 a.m. at Eckert Presbyteri-al Church with Reverend Marion Hofman officiat-ing. Interment will follow at Cedaredge Cemetery.

Mrs. Bauer was born Sept. 4, 1942, in Boulder, to Carl and Evelyn (Pier-son) Ogren. She spent part of her childhood in Idaho before she and her family moved to Boul-der where she graduated from high school.

She lived in Califor-nia before moving to Cedaredge 45 years ago. She was a member of Eck-ert Presbyterian Church. She enjoyed pottery, fab-ric painting and spending time with her family.

Mrs. Bauer is survived by her son, Michael Bauer of Delta; three daugh-ters and their husbands, Jeanetta and Louis Nes-bit, Marilyn and Kenny Myers, and Melissa and James Hofius, all of Cedaredge; eight grand-children, Krystal Myers, Patricia Anderson, Aman-da Nesbit, Stephanie Nes-bit, Carl Nesbit, Brigitte Hofius, Rebbecca Hofius and Devan Hofius; three great-grandchildren, Christoferr Myers-Ander-son, Jacob Anderson and Dixie Anderson; and sev-eral nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by a brother, Paul Ogren.

Memorial contribu-tions may be made to the Delta County Memorial

Hospital Volunteer Asso-ciation, 1501 3rd Street, Delta, CO 81416.


Taylor Funeral Service and Crematory is han-dling the arrangements.

Craig RavnikarCraig Thomas Ravni-

kar of Delta died Nov. 25, 2011, at his home. He was 41.

Inurnment will be held Friday, May 25, 2012, at Farmington City Cem-etery in Farmington, Utah.

Mr. Ravnikar was born Feb. 9, 1970, in Bounti-ful, Utah, to Elwood and Malinda (Pollard) Ravni-kar. He spent his child-hood in Bountiful, Utah, and graduated from Viewmont High School in 1988.

He lived in Portola, Calif., before moving to Delta in August 2006. He enjoyed scary movies, planting and yardwork, and working with the employees and custom-ers at the Acorn Travel Plaza.

Mr. Ravnikar is sur-vived by his mother and stepfather, Malinda Linda and Doug Nelson of Delta; three sisters, Kellie Chester of Casper, Wyo., Holly Leany of Kearns, Utah, and Heath-er Hendricksen of Salt Lake City, Utah; a step-brother, Cabot Nelson of Salt Lake City, Utah; a nephew, Zachary Beck-stead of Grand Junction; two uncles, Darrell Wil-cock and his family, and Leonard Wilcock and his family, all of Utah; and a nephew, Zachary Beck-stead of Grand Junction.

He was preceded in death by his father, Elwood Ravnikar; two grandmothers, Myrtle Raines and Sybil Pollard; two grandfathers, Eugene Pollard and Delbert Wil-cock; an aunt, Betty Wil-cock; and an uncle, Law-rence Ravnikar.

Memorial contribu-tions may be made to the American Heart Associa-tion or Colorado Indigent Care Fund.



Velna RenfrowVelna Miretta Ren-

frow of Kansas died Sun-day, Dec. 11, 2011. She was 105.

Mrs. Renfrow was a retired department store sales clerk. She was a longtime member of Cen-tral Community Church.

She is survived by a son and his wife, Ken-neth and Marge Renfrow of Carmichael, Calif.; a daughter and her hus-band, June and Norris Thomson of Wichita, Kan.; a daughter-in-law, Felicia Renfrow of Jacksonville, Fla.; eight grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; and 17 great-great-grandchil-dren.

Mrs. Renfrow was pre-ceded in death by her husband, Ernest Ren-frow in 1971; a son, Ron-ald Renfrow; and two sisters.

A funeral service will be held Friday, Dec. 16, at 10:30 a.m. at Central Community Church K-Chapel. Burial will take place at Delta City Cem-etery.

Memorial contribu-tions may be made to Central Community Church Missions.

Amy PhillipsAmy Lucille Phillips

of Delta died Thursday, Dec. 8, 2011, at Delta County Memorial Hospi-tal. She was 91.

A memorial ser-vice was held Dec. 12 at Cedaredge Commu-nity United Methodist Church with Reverend Debra Edwards officiat-ing. Inurnment followed at Cedaredge Cemetery.

Mrs. Phillips was born Nov. 13, 1920, in Placerville, to Otis and Emma (Hicks) Williams. She spent her childhood in Cedaredge. When she was a sophomore she and her family moved to Ouray. She graduated from Ouray High School

in 1938.She married Roger

Phillips on Feb. 13, 1942, in Cedaredge. He died Jan. 11, 2004.

Mrs. Phillips lived in Cedaredge before moving to Delta in 2004. She was a member of Cedaredge Community United Meth-odist Church. She was a past member of United Methodist Women and had served as secretary and treasurer for the church. She was a seam-stress and enjoyed nee-dlework, cross stitching, crossword puzzles, read-ing and watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. She was an avid Rockies and Broncos fan.

She is survived by a son and his wife, David and Vicki Phillips of Arvada; a daughter, Lynn Williams of Delta; a brother-in-law, Rob-ert Phillips and his wife Joan of Grand Junction; a sister, Lenore Cham-plin of Montrose; four grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren.

Mrs. Phillips was pre-ceded in death by her husband, Roger; and two sisters, Pearl and Ethel.

Memorial contribu-tions may be made to Cedaredge Commu-nity United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 369, Cedaredge, CO 81413.


Taylor Funeral Service and Crematory handled the arrangements.

Margaret MarkleyMargaret Anstice Mark-

ley of Cedaredge died Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2011, at Horizons Health Care in Eckert. She was 96.

Mrs. Markley was born Jan. 10, 1915, in Neame, La., to Edward and Evaline (Moeller) McClure. She and her family moved to Galena, Kan., in May 1924, and to Kansas City, Mo., in August 1928. She gradu-ated from Central Senior High School in Kansas City, Mo., in 1934.

She married Lester Markley on Aug. 14, 1935, in Kansas City, Mo. They celebrated 61 years of marriage. He preceded her in death.

Mrs. Markley moved to Cedaredge in 1968. She attended First Bap-tist Church in Cedaredge. She traveled extensively throughout North Amer-ica. She enjoyed art, music, fishing, gardening and genealogy research.

She is survived by two sisters, Rose Finsch of Castro Valley, Calif., and Beverly Long of War-rensburg, Mo.; and many nieces and nephews.

Mrs. Markley was pre-ceded in death by three brothers, Louis McClure, Charles McClure and James McClure; three sisters, Susan Grunden, Mary McClure and Mar-celine McClure.

A memorial service will be held Monday, Dec. 19, at 10 a.m. at

First Baptist Church in Cedaredge. A funeral ser-vice will be held Friday, Dec. 16, at 2 p.m. at Flo-ral Hills Funeral Home in Raytown, Mo. Burial will follow at Floral Hills Memorial Gardens.

Memorial contribu-tions may be made to Hospice and Palliative Care of Western Colora-do, P.O. Box 24, Delta, CO 81416, or Gold Camp Fishing Club, c/o City of Victor, P.O. Box 86, Vic-tor, CO 80860.



Paul DunfordPaul Dunford of

Olathe died of a massive heart attack on Monday, Dec. 5, 2011, at his home. He was 55.

A funeral service was held Dec. 9 at Taylor Funeral Service Chapel in Delta. Inurnment took place Dec. 10 at Price City Cemetery in Price, Utah.

Mr. Dunford was born June 13, 1956, in East Carbon, Utah., to Avery and Helen (Scovill) Dun-ford. He spent his child-hood in East Carbon, Utah, and graduated from East Carbon High School and CEU, then Utah State University with a masters degree in finance.

He married Iris Mill-er. The marriage ended in divorce.

Mr. Dunford was employed at First State Bank of Hotchkiss. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, his daughter, his black lab Molly and sports. He spent his spare time offi-ciating high school foot-ball and basketball.

He is survived by his daughter, Shannon Mott and her husband Natha-nial of Lakewood; a sister and her husband, Shir-ley and Bert Pressett of Orem, Utah; a niece, Lori; two nephews, Chad Dun-ford and his wife Leanne of Orem, Utah, and Jer-emy of Cedar City, Utah; and a sister-in-law, Kaye Manhart of Orem, Utah.

Mr. Dunford was pre-ceded in death by his parents and a brother, Donald Dunford.


Taylor Funeral Service and Crematory handled the arrangements.

For your friendship and support we feel truly blessed, and wish you and your family all the very best at this joyous time of year. Thanks!

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When You Need Us, Well Be Here.105 S.E. Frontier, Suite FCedaredge, CO 81413

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682 1725 RoadDelta, CO 81416

874-9988874-8633

209 Bridge St.Hotchkiss, CO 81419

872-3151

311 Grand Ave.Paonia, CO 81428

527-3836View our online obituariesat taylorfuneralservice.com

Funeral Service & CrematoryMesa View Cemetery

Chalmer & Marge SwainPhoto by Hank Lohmeyer

Young entrepreneurFourth grader Natalie Ross set up for business along with dozens of other local youth at the kids garage sale held in Bill Heddles Recreation Center in conjunction with the annual Breakfast with Santa event on Dec. 10.

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Delta County Independent ACTIVITIES Wednesday, December 14, 2011 A9

Wednesday, December 14FREE HEALTH CLINIC FOR UNINSURED CHILDREN, 9 a.m.-2:30

p.m., Cedaredge High School. Also application assistance for CHP+ and Medicaid. For an appointment call Sarah, 874-9517.

LINCOLN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HOLIDAY PROGRAM, 6:30 p.m., Delta Center for Performing Arts.

HOTCHKISS HIGH SCHOOL CHOIR AND BAND CHRISTMAS CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Hotchkiss High School.

HOTCHKISS K-8 K-2 WINTER CONCERT, 6 p.m., in the gym.

Thursday, December 15CRAWFORD SCHOOLS WINTER PROGRAM, 6 p.m., at the

school.PAONIA JUNIOR/SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL BAND/CHOIR HOLI-

DAY CONCERT, 7 p.m., Paonia High School commons.CRAWFORD AREA GUNNISON SAGE-GROUSE WORKING

GROUP MEETING, 1:30 p.m., Delta County annex building, Hotchkiss. Agenda: review of this past seasons habitat work, transplanted birds monitoring, USGS study and review of strategies and tactics in the conservation plan. Also joint lek count effort for next spring and a volunteer work day to install perch deterrents on fences around the seeps. Public invited. For more information, call Doug Homan, 872-2175.

BINGO, every Thursday, 6:50 p.m., American Legion of Paonia. Come early for hamburgers and hot dogs. This week progres-sive is 56 numbers for $327, blue is 51 numbers and grey is 53 numbers for $250. For more information, call 527-6252.

DEL-ROSE CHORUS SWEET ADELINES INTERNATIONAL REHEARS-ES every Thursday, 6:30 p.m., Delta Methodist Church, corner of Meeker and 5th Street. For more information, call Leslie, 970-256-9763.

BINGO, every Thursday, 7 p.m., Delta Elks Lodge, 563 Main Street. Open to the public. For more information, call 874-3624.

December 16 & 17THE WIZARD OF OZ, 7 p.m., Cedaredge High School. $5 for

adults and $2 for students through 12th grade. Presented by Cedaredge elementary, middle school gifted and talented and general education students.

Friday, December 16OLATHE MIRACLE AND MAIN STREET PARADE AND VISIT WITH

SANTA, 5:30 p.m. Parade line-up at 5 p.m. on Highway 50 Business Loop in front of Olathe High School. Heads west on Main Street, south on Church Street and east on Highway 348 ending at Olathe American Legion Post 24 where kids of all ages can talk to Santa. Also chili dinner offered by Olathe Rebekahs at Legion Hall. For more information, call Olathe Activities Department, 323-6006.

Saturday, December 17SANTA VISITS, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Hotchkiss Fire Station, 195 West

Hotchkiss Avenue, Hotchkiss. Everyone welcome.DELTA HUBWHEELER SQUARE DANCE CLUB MEETS, 7:30 p.m.,

Lincoln Elementary School, 1050 Hastings Street, Delta. Main-stream. Christmas dance. New dancers welcome. Announced Plus tips and one Round between tips. Club caller is Larry Schulz. Cuer is Maxine Springer. Prerounds/instructions at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call Loren, 970-249-4858 or Gwen, 970-856-4157.

LIVE NATIVITY AND COMMUNITY CAROLS CHORUS, 5-7 p.m., near the chapel, Pioneer Town, Cedaredge. All welcome to sing or to view. Park at Visitors Center and follow luminary lighted path to the stable. To drive through: enter West Chapel drive and exit at machine shop. For more information, call Jo Ann Price, 835-3065. Sponsored by Cedaredge Community United Methodist Church.

LIVE NATIVITY AND CHILI SUPPER, Redeemer Lutheran Church, 1000 Pioneer Road, Delta. Performances at 6 and 7 p.m. Chili dinner begins 6:30 p.m.

SATURDAY NIGHT DANCE, 7-10 p.m., Bill Heddles Recreation Center, Delta. Music by North Fork Country. Coffee and lemon-ade provided. $4 at the door. Bring a snack to share. For more information, call 874-0923.

Sunday, December 18SACRED HEART CHOIR FREE CHRISTMAS CONCERT, 7 p.m.;

music begins at 6:30 p.m.; refreshments served afterwards at Sacred Heart Church, 3rd and North Fork, Paonia.

Tuesday, December 20ADVENT MINI-CONCERT, 12:10-12:55 p.m., St. Lukes Episcopal

Church, 5th and Palmer streets, Delta. Public invited. For more information, call Nyla, 874-9485 or St. Lukes, 874-9489. Todays concert: Singer and guitarist, Jeri Arbaney, performs.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, ST. MICHAELS MEETINGS, 1st and third Tuesdays, 7 p.m., rear of St. Michaels Church. For more information, call Juan Pablo Gallegos, 314-3602.

Wednesday, December 21CELEBRATION OF THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF HOWARD BERK-

MAN with Mike Gwinn and the North Fork Flyers, The Strolling Scones, Big Bottom with Johnny O and friends and others, 7 p.m., Blue Sage Center for the Arts, Paonia. Silent auction and donations for a music scholarship.

Thursday, December 22DARK NIGHT with author Craig Childs, 7 p.m., Paradise Theatre.

Multimedia presentation of spoken word, music, and images with live musicians and transition into a DJ Smyth dance party celebrating the longest night.

Sunday, December 25FREE COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS DINNER, 12 noon-2 p.m.,

Hotchkiss Senior Center. Volunteers bring salads and desserts by 11 a.m.

FREE CHRISTMAS DINNER, 12 noon-2 p.m., Stolte Shed, Pioneer Town, Cedaredge. Bring a salad or dessert if possible. For more information, call Jo Ann Price, 835-3065.

COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS DINNER, 12 noon-3 p.m., fellowship hall, Delta United Methodist Church. Free. No donations for meals accepted.

Saturday, December 31THE GREAT GATSBY NEW YEARS EVE GATHERING, 8 p.m.-1 a.m.,

Blue Sage Center, Paonia.

Tuesday, January 3KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, ST. MICHAELS MEETINGS, 1st and

third Tuesdays, 7 p.m., rear of St. Michaels Church. For more information, call Juan Pablo Gallegos, 314-3602.

Tuesday, January 10FRESHSTART TOBACCO CESSATION CLASS SERIES, 6-7 p.m.,

Delta County Memorial Hospital. Positive, supportive group sessions facilitated by an instructor. Classes free, but pre-reg-ister by calling, 874-2412.

Tuesday, January 17KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, ST. MICHAELS MEETINGS, 1st and

third Tuesdays, 7 p.m., rear of St. Michaels Church. For more information, call Juan Pablo Gallegos, 314-3602.

Items for the Community Calendar may be faxed to 874-4424, mailed to P.O. Box 809, Delta, CO 81416 or

emailed to: [email protected]

Community CalendarCommunity Calendar

Happy HolidaysHappy Holidays

Christian ScienceSociety, Delta

welcomes you to our Church Services.Our Pastor is the Bible and the Christian Science

textbook, S

Documents

Delta County Independent, Issue 50, Dec. 14, 2011