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Today's library workers frequently struggle to overcome stereotypical images of librarians from the past. While the public is finally becoming aware that library staff does not spend all day silently reading books and shushing people, the prevailing image of a librarian is one sitting behind a desk or a computer, working diligently.

The City of Delta is alerting citizens about a capital improvement project that involves the alleys between Main and Meeker streets from 2nd to 5th, and between Main and Palmer from 2nd to 5th.

The project will begin in the alley between Main and Meeker from 5th to 4th and progress one alley at a time north until 2nd Street, then cross over to the west side of Main Street and continue from south to north.

Kris A. Thomas, 32, of Delta was arrested and jailed for alleged violation of a restraining order and harassment.

Larry D. Montgomery, 73, of Delta was issued a ticket for alleged disregarded a stop sign after being involved in a two-vehicle crash at 1st and Palmer streets. One person reported minor injuries. One vehicle was towed from the scene.

At its annual meeting of members on June 16, Delta-Montrose Electric Association (DMEA) will introduce Elevate Fiber and demonstrate the fastest Internet service on the market. Elevate Fiber, powered by DMEA, is the co-op's new fiber broadband company that was recently established to bring fast, reliable, and quality Internet service to members in Montrose and Delta counties.

HopeWest received perfect results for the second consecutive time on an unannounced, onsite survey of hospice organizations conducted every three years by the Health Facilities Division of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).

"We are thrilled to have received notice that no deficiencies were cited for our survey," said Terri Walter, chief administrative officer and senior vice president.

A two-mile stretch of the Gunnison River between Confluence and Cottonwood parks has been the subject of a study intended to spur economic development in the Delta area. Community members are invited to preview a conceptual draft of the study and to provide feedback Thursday, June 9, at Bill Heddles Recreation Center.

Linda Sorenson, chairman of the Delta County Republican Party, has responded to the furor caused by a Facebook meme of Ronald Reagan bottlefeeding a chimpanzee. The caption, "I'll be damned ... Reagan used to babysit Obama!" spurred outcries of racism that spread rapidly across the entire nation.

Ballots for the June 28 primary election have been mailed to registered Democrat and Republican voters in Delta County. Unaffiliated voters may participate by affiliating with one of the major parties any time prior to Election Day.

The "use it or lose it" feature of Colorado water law is often blamed for discouraging farmers and ranchers from taking efficiency and conservation measures that could benefit the environment or ease the supply/demand imbalance on the Colorado River. However, a report released in February by the Colorado Water Institute argues that misinterpretations of the law are a bigger disincentive than the law itself.

Water managers for the Gunnison Basin are saying that with predicted inflows to Blue Mesa of 525,000 to 580,000 acre feet, this year's water yield is classified as an "average dry" year.

Information on the current state of the Gunnison Basin water supplies was provided by state and federal officials at the annual Gunnison Basin State of the River report in Montrose on Monday.

Touch of Care recently had three unannounced surveys by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). Touch of Care-Delta, Touch of Care-Montrose, and Touch of Care-In Home Support Services (IHSS) recently completed onsite surveys and for the second three-year-cycle in a row were all deemed deficiency free.

The Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests has issued a forest supervisor's order to restrict dispersed camping in the area known as the "Gothic Corridor" from June 15 to Aug. 15, annually.

The Grand Mesa Visitor Center is open for the summer. Seasonal Forest Service staff are on hand 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, including holidays.

Congratulations to the staff of the Delta Library in the exciting new contemporary art exhibit. The installation addresses the importance of reading, and in fact the humanities, in a digital age.

I have just found out that a screwball proposal has been made by Paonia trustee Dave Bradford to cover the park ditch with a sidewalk.

In my opinion this project would be a total misuse of the sidewalk funds especially when there is a sidewalk right-of-way on the south side of the street.

We think it is interesting that Delta County GOP chairperson Linda Sorenson is being criticized by the NAACP for racial bias against Barack Obama, yet not one peep was made by the NAACP when the left made unprintable racial slurs against the Bush administration's secretary of state, Condoleeza Rice, who is black.

I am urging you to vote for Olen Lund, who is running for re-election for the District 3 DMEA board seat. I've known Olen since he was in middle school.

Warning: This is the kind of letter I wish I'd seen back when my husband I were looking for a retirement home in Delta County in the 1980s, because maybe we would have been aware that some trees that grow in this area should be avoided. If they are not, there can be many regrets.

By now you have received your ballot in the mail. Before you mark it, think about who you will vote for and why.

This year's track and field athletes from Delta County have proven themselves beyond a doubt. Many have achieved goals set prior to commencing their track season.

Whitnee Lear of Bill Heddles Recreation Center has released an announcement for this year's Colorado Rockies' Skills Challenge.

This free baseball skills competition is held at Confluence Community Fields in Delta for boys and girls ages 6-13.

Josh and Dea McMillan of Montrose are the parents of a daughter, Aspen May McMillan, born May 31, 2016, at Delta County Memorial Hospital.

Raeona Peraza and Hector Medina of Delta are the parents of a son, Uriel Adrian Medina, born May 23, 2016, at Delta County Memorial Hospital. He weighed 6 pounds, 10.8 ounces and was 19 inches in length.

James and Arlene Trautman of Delta are celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary

Paige Bowling, a 2013 Delta High School graduate, is running for the title of Miss Colorado America June 9-11. Bowling is a junior at Colorado School of Mines pursuing degrees in chemical and biochemical engineering and another in biochemistry.

The following area students were named to Fort Lewis College's Dean's List for the spring 2016 semester. These students took at least 15 credits of gradable hours and achieved a 3.60 or higher grade point average.

Hannah Howard of Delta and Kacey Kropp of Paonia were among the 1,306 undergraduate and graduate students who received degrees from the University of Northern Colorado during spring 2016 commencement ceremonies May 6-7.

Jack and Ruth Porter celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on June 3. They both attended Western State College in Gunnison (now Western State Colorado University) and were married in Westcliffe.

Robert and Frances Tuttle of Eckert will celebrate their 62nd wedding anniversary on June 13.

They were married in Fort Collins in 1954.

Chastin Ellington of Austin and Tyrell Clock of Paonia have accepted membership in The National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS).

Delta resident Alice Faye Thompson died Saturday, June 4, 2016, at St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction. She was 75.

Bobbie Jo Ellen Hammer died Tuesday, May 31, 2016, at her home in Delta. She was 44.

Crawford resident Christopher M. Young died at his home Sunday, May 29, 2016. He was 56.

Thomas Owen "Cowboy" Gray died June 3, 2016. He was 71.

Harold Eugene Haining died Wednesday, June 1, 2016, at his home in Delta. He was 92.

James Everett Cooley died June 2, 2016, at Delta County Memorial Hospital. He was 81.

Jerry Lewy Cobb died April 11, 2016, at St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction, due to complications from a massive heart attack suffered on Feb. 22, 2016. He was 73.

Paonia resident Kenneth Hilton died Monday, May 30, 2016, at Paonia Care Center. He was 91.

Delta resident Lillian M. Shreeves died Monday, May 30, 2016, at Delta County Memorial Hospital. She was 86.

Ruth Marie Nelson Foote died Sunday, May 29, 2016, in Delta. She was 91.

Shari L. Sampson died June 1, 2016, at the home of longtime friend Jane Poulos in Paonia. She was 85.

Walter James Roy Sr. died at his home in Eckert June 2, 2016. He was 93.

The beleaguered population of coal miners in the North Fork Valley and their families received more bad news last Thursday when Arch Coal announced another round of layoffs.

The West Elk Mine near Somerset reduced its workforce by 80 employees. West Elk is the latest Delta County mine to severely restructure after Oxbow Mining's Elk Creek Mine closed and the Bowie No. 2 Mine was idled.

The Bureau of Land Management's Uncompahgre Field Office announces the release of a draft plan for managing BLM-administered surface land and mineral estate in southwestern Colorado. The draft Resource Management Plan revision (RMP) features a wide range of alternatives reflecting different visions for administering these lands and seeks public review and comment to help refine the draft into a final plan to guide the overall management of these resources for the next two decades.

There is hardly a person in the North Fork area who hasn't been affected by a wreck at the intersection of Crawford and Stewart Mesa roads.

On May 18, Paonia resident Doug Griffis was involved in one.

Crawford may be rural, but it has many desirable features and hidden gems. In addition to being near Crawford Airport, Black Canyon National Monument, Crawford State Park and some of the most beautiful scenery in the state, Crawford has a rich arts community that includes world-class glass studios K Dahl Glass and North Rim Glass.

The Town of Paonia will hold a special board of trustees orientation session from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, June 9. The agenda will focus solely on the adopted 2016 budget and associated financial issues and the town's goals and priorities related to the budget.

Two topics being considered by the Crawford town council will be discussed at the June 15 work session.

Council members are considering placing a mill levy increase before voters this November.

On May 28, North Fork father, husband and all around great guy Michael Hillman was in an accident that resulted in a debilitating and life-changing spinal cord injury and quadriplegia.

Fundraising efforts are underway to help the family with immediate and long-term needs, including a remodel of their home and purchase of a van and a wheelchair.

The Maher-Onion Valley Community Club will host an open house from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, June 12, a the Maher Schoolhouse on Highway 92.

At the turn of the 19th century, one-room schoolhouses were common among rural communities.

At the May 24 town board meeting, Paonia trustees passed a resolution to accept a petition for annexation of two parcels on Samuel Wade Road.

The petition was submitted by Andrew Thliveris. The two parcels, located across from the Paonia Library, total about 2.54 acres and are currently zoned agricultural.

During her regular town manager's report at the May 24 board meeting, Jane Berry informed trustees that the town is facing potentially big cuts in its annual payment of severance tax and mineral leasing dollars.

The issue was one of many addressed at a recent meeting of the Colorado Municipal League.

According to government census data, America's population is getting older. By 2030, Colorado's 65-and-older population is expected to grow from 555,000 to 1,243,000; Delta County is expected to increase its 65-and-older population an estimated 50- to 80-percent.

The Cherry Days committee is seeking bakers to showcase their recipe with cherries.

On the 4th of July, from noon to 12:30 p.m., bring your "cherry" item to the Cherry Days booth, located by the playground in Paonia Town Park.

President Barack Obama congratulates Air Force Academy 2016 graduate Michael Barnosky at the USAFA commencement ceremony on June 2. Michael, a Delta County resident, graduated from Cedaredge High School in 2012 where he was a high school All-American swimmer.

People in Cedaredge accused by a neighbor of code violations would not have to face their accuser in municipal court under a concept called "complaint plus."

The procedure was discussed by the Cedaredge Town board during its regular meeting on May 19.

The Plant & Dig Garden Club of Cedaredge enjoyed the activity of planting large pots in the courtyard at Horizons Care Center for its May meeting.

Members of our club met at Mile High Greenhouse first and purchased flowers.

Roy Martin and David Starr opened the Chapel of the Cross 2016 concert season on June 2 with an hour-long performance of 14 songs.

The pair, who together have entertained local audiences for years, enlivened their concert with lots of good-natured banter and kidding around as they sang and played their amplified acoustic guitars, performing original songs and some popular covers.

A feral cat found on Hanson Road near Cedaredge tested positive for plague over the Memorial Day weekend. This is the first plague activity detected in Delta County this season.

The public is invited to tour the Cedaredge wastewater treatment plant and to celebrate its completion on Wednesday, June 15, at 2 p.m.

Join in the dedication of the plant building.

I am back after suffering through knee replacement surgery and physical therapy. Not that I am fully recovered nor without pain.