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"We are listening," school superintendent Caryn Gibson assured high school students last week, as school board members, district leadership and county planners solicited input from a cross-section of students in Hotchkiss, Paonia, Cedaredge and Delta. This is the third year the school district has conducted listening sessions with students, but the first four individual sessions were held. A fifth takes place this Thursday, with students from the district's alternative schools.

On Sunday, Dec. 10, members of Lee Marts Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 3571 of Delta and Montrose VFW Post 784 met three incoming aircraft on the ramp of Atlantic Aviation in Montrose. The three planes were part of the joint Holiday Airlift sponsored by Colorado Aviation Business Association (CABA) and the VFW, airlifting thousands of pounds of food and toys throughout the state to help brighten the holidays of many veterans and their families.

Delta City Council members readily agreed to supplemental appropriations for 2017, but hesitated when making appropriations for the coming year.

Tod DeZeeuw, explained the unanticipated revenues and expenditures contained in the supplemental appropriations ordinance considered by council members Dec. 5.

Dec. 6:

Elizabeth A. Webster, 55, of Hotchkiss was arrested and jailed on a warrant with a $500 bond.

Cable Z. Rhode, 40, of Delta was arrested and jailed on a warrant with a $2,500 bond.

Delta High School collected over 1,535 items and over 1,228 pounds of food during a food and toy drive sponsored by the student council in partnership with the Delta Police Department, Jerry Reiher State Farm and Kevin Parks State Farm.

An announcement about The Nature Connection's GOCO Inspire Grant award will be made at the Backcountry Film Festival at the Paradise Theatre next Monday (see story on page A9).

The target date for placing a marijuana question on the April ballot has passed, but proponent Christi Prettyman plans to continue gathering signatures into the early part of next year.

Prettyman has 180 days to obtain a sufficient number of signatures from registered electors in the City of Delta.

Delta County Joint School District #50, and its special counsel, Jon Olafson, have responded to the complaint filed by Cidney Fisk, a 2016 Delta High School graduate. Fisk has filed suit in federal court, accusing DHS teachers, guidance counselors, administrators and school district leadership of retaliation after she spoke out against religious activities during school hours on school property.

The senior center meal sites at Delta, Cedaredge, Hotchkiss, Paonia, and Olathe will all be closed Mondays, Dec. 25, and Jan. 1, for the Christmas and New Year's Day holidays, respectively.

On Dec. 11, Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forest Supervisor Scott Armentrout signed the Record of Decision (ROD) for Federal Coal Lease Modifications COC-1362 and COC-67232. The ROD outlines Armentrout's decision to consent to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) modifying two federal coal leases with terms and conditions to protect forest resources.

A wild ride -- and a second incident of eluding law enforcement officers -- earned Pedro Lopez a five-year prison sentence Monday.

Lopez, 30, of Grand Junction was arrested after a twisting trek through Delta on March 19.

Thank you to the Delta County Commissioners and Planning Department for the amount of time they spent on the public hearings, review of citizen comments and for their careful deliberations on the "change of use" and specific development application submitted by Paonia Holdings LLC. The process took seven long months, and the Board of County Commissioners reached a decision to deny the application on Dec. 4.

In the Nov. 29 DCI, Ms. Wilmot asks how nullifying the estate tax benefits the masses.

First of all, the chance of a complete repeal of the estate tax is highly unlikely.

Just a shout out to my angels who took their time and equipment to rescue my doxie dog, Harry. He got caught up in a buried water pipe and was missing for almost 24 hours.

The Paonia girls are now 3-1 following last week's games against 3A Western Slope League teams. On Dec. 5 the Eagles hit 30 percent of their field goal attempts and had single-digit scores in all four quarters in their 35-28 loss at Olathe (2-2).

Craig Cerise, and the Cedaredge Bruins, played four games away from the friendly confines of Cedaredge High School and made the most of playing on the road with three wins and a single loss.

Cedaredge began the week in Ridgway with a game on Dec. 5 with a 47-24 victory.

The Hotchkiss girls basketball team is 4-1 heading into this week's First Colorado National Bank Delta County tournament, which opens Friday at Delta High School.
A 21-point second quarter boosted Hotchkiss to a 54-33 non-conference win over the Miners last Thursday at Telluride High School.

Despite missing wrestlers at four weights, the Delta Panthers scored 103 points to place fifth Saturday at the 13-team Panther Invitational.

Delta produced one tournament champion.

A promising 2017-18 hoops season didn't look that promising in the early going against either Hotchkiss or Basalt last week for the Delta High School boys basketball team. Hotchkiss was determined to stay with the Panthers in the early going of a game played on Dec. 5, but couldn't keep pace in an 84-62 loss at Delta.

Delta's Panthers picked up a pair of dual wins last week with matches against Rifle and Olathe on Dec. 7. Delta scored a 45-35 win over Rifle and notched a 51-12 decision against Olathe.

Thirty-three swimmers are keeping the water at BHRC in constant motion during practice times for Delta High School's swim team. The participating team members are from all four Delta County schools.

The Paonia Eagles sent five into the championship round, and emerged with five champions -- Sackett Chesnik (138), Clay Campbell (145), Rockley Grey Neal (152), Anthony Felice (170) and Jaden Miller (182).

Last week's basketball games were similar in the way they began and similar in the way they ended; with big victories. The Panthers hosted Hotchkiss on Tuesday, Dec. 5, and pulled off a 64-38 win.

Last week's report of an all-state soccer player's selection was incorrect.

Cedaredge Community
United Methodist Church
3rd & Aspen

Sunday, Dec. 17 -- Christmas cantata, 10 a.m. Blue Christmas service, 4 p.m.

Hawk-eyed volunteers are invited to count birds during the annual Audubon Christmas bird count Dec. 14 through Jan. 5.

Each year, the bird count mobilizes over 70,000 volunteers in more than 2,400 locations across the Western Hemisphere to track the health of bird populations at a scale that professional scientists could not accomplish on their own.

Karena Atchley and Lanny Trumble of Delta are the parents of a daughter, Taylor Raelynne Atchley-Trumble, born Dec. 1, 2017, at Delta County Memorial Hospital. She weighed 8 pounds, 4.4 ounces and was 20 inches in length.

James "Jim" Buie turns 90 years old on Dec. 13.

A student at Garnet Mesa Elementary School was so impressed by the carousel created by art teacher Bobbie Hutchison, she interviewed her teacher for the DCI.

Student: What inspired you to create this beautiful carousel?

Delta resident Bernice "Bernie" Musser died Nov. 30, 2017, at HopeWest Care Center in Grand Junction. She was 95.

Bill Glenn Carson died Dec. 5, 2017, at Delta County Memorial Hospital. He was 88.

Lifetime Delta resident Craig Triantos died Dec. 11, 2017, at the San Juan Living Center in Montrose. He was 68.

Gunnison and Delta County resident George William Volk Jr. died Dec. 11, 2017, at Delta County Memorial Hospital. He was 95.

Delta resident James "Jim" W. Anderson Sr. died Dec. 8, 2017, at his home. He was 75.

Johanna ("Hanni") Pfluger, of Cedaredge, passed away Dec. 7, 2017. She was 84 years of age.

Cedaredge resident Morty Baran died Oct. 6, 2017, while visiting his daughter in Massachusetts. He was 81.

Paul David Smith died Dec. 7, 2017. He was 51.

Longtime Cedaredge resident Pernie B. Matthies died Dec. 10, 2017, at her home. She was 88.

Raymond H. "Ray" Werner of Delta died Dec. 11, 2017, at the San Juan Living Center in Montrose. He was 83.

Paonia Junior-Senior High School students believe their school and community are supportive of them. They also want fewer homework assignments, more class options, and more job opportunities.

The Town of Paonia is seeking a certified police officer after two officers left the Police Department within days of each other to work for other departments.

As of Nov. 30 the department is down to two and a half officers after officers Stewart Byrge accepted a position at Cedaredge and Taffine Patterson accepted a position at Dinosaur.

If money were no object, Hotchkiss High School students would update technology, bring more options into the classroom, buy new shop tools, and build a path connecting their school to their community. They'd also build a recreation center.

The Town of Paonia is seeking to hire a building official after current building inspector Dave Coleman was released from his duties last week. Coleman was hired as a part-time building inspector in April 2016.

Long ago, when Martha Mohan and I went to the Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival in Olympia, Wash., I saw for the first time in my life sea scoters. There were three of them, and I had a difficult time figuring them out.

The Cedaredge Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors will have three vacant seats available Jan. 1, 2018. Letters of interest are now being accepted for those in the business community who wish to serve on the board.

Cleo the fish is sad as the holidays approach. He is alone at the bottom of the lake, anticipating the festivities that will go on without him. Will Cleo have a blue, blue, Christmas this year?

Ask and ye shall receive. Last week, the Delta County Planning Department and the Delta County School District joined forces and solicited the opinions of Cedaredge High School students in an effort to better direct strategic planning within both entities. Administrative staff from the two agencies got what they asked for -- an earful, from a group of engaged, thoughtful and refreshingly honest kids.

Organizers report that the Grand Mesa Arts and Events Center's first fundraiser was a great success. Tickets sold out quickly and more than a hundred supporters packed into RJ's Steakhouse in Cedaredge on Dec. 4 to mingle, bid on auction items, and celebrate the arts.

The Orchard City Board of Trustees held a workshop on Dec. 6. All trustees, except for Mayor Ken Volgamore, who was ill, attended the workshop. There were also four Orchard City constituents in attendance.