Delta hit hard by inflation, residents hope new growth could solve economic disparities

DELTA — People who truly care about their communities are what makes rural Utah so great. That care is driving concern for many residents in Delta, who would like to see sensible growth in their community, bringing in more people and more businesses in a responsible way.

Delta is just one of those places with deep traditions, and residents say it’s worth fighting for.

Things have always been kind of quiet in Delta, with open fields, open roads, and a small-town feel. It’s what keeps many people there. But locals report things have been tough lately.

“I love Delta. I’ve been here my whole life and this is home, Pat Stefanoff, owner of Pat’s Place Bowling Center & Arcade, said.  “That’s what communities are made of. That sense of pride, that that’s where I’m from.”

Inflation has hit Delta hard.

“This summer, our business was down probably half of what it was the summer before. Just because the money isn’t as free as it was,” Stefanoff said.

Owning a bowling alley, as Stefanoff does, made it easy to understand the roughly 4,000 people who live in Delta are spending their money on needs, instead of wants.

“There are days that no one comes in,” Stefanoff told KSL TV.

Stefanoff, who is also the vice-chairman of the Delta Chamber of Commerce, would love to see a little more growth in the area.

“I have this conversation with people all the time,” Stefanoff said. “Sometimes I say, ‘God, we need 2,000 more people,’ you know? And maybe that’s way too much. Maybe that’s not enough. I don’t know.”

More people could mean a few more businesses adding to the local economy. It would also mean schools would most likely grow, with students and staff.

Robert Banks has been a teacher at Delta High School for 23 years and has seen the school’s population grow and shrink, and shrink and grow.

“We’re constantly trying to hire people to, you know, drive busses and be student aids in our schools,” Banks told KSL TV. “Right now, we’re booming only because we have an additional 1,200 or 1,500 construction workers at the power plant.”

Soon, those construction workers will be gone. The Intermountain Power Plant, which has provided jobs in Delta for decades, is being transitioned from coal to natural gas.

Many people are still wondering what that will mean for jobs, schools, and the students who stay.

“People are willing to just kind of do things to make things happen in our areas, just like they do all over the state when it comes to education,” Banks said. “Well, most of our educators are willing to put in that extra time to help our kids be successful.”

In this close-knit community, care for each other always shines through, because it has to.

“You have to have something for your kids to come back to,” Stefanoff said. “If we’re just worried about what we’re doing today, that does not leave a very good future for Delta.”