Our thoughts and prayers are with you both.
Volume 15 • Edition 7
April 6, 2022
Delivering to over 17,000 homes & businesses including all of Fort Lupton and Lochbuie city and rural routes.
“Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pains taken to bring it to light” George Washington “If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed” Thomas Jefferson
Nebraska Wants to Build a $500 Million Canal Over the Border. Can Colorado Stop It? Remnants of the last time the Huskers tried this, in 1894, pock the landscape of far northeastern Colorado. Experts say there’s a difference between water rights and what’s right. by Michael Booth, The Colorado Sun
Interstate 76 and U.S. 385 intersect near the South Platte River in Sedgwick County. (Olivia Sun, The Colorado Sun via Report for America)
JULESBURG — If Nebraska does indeed try to dig a $500 million canal across its border and take water from the South Platte River on the Colorado side, it will have to be over the dead bodies in this town’s cemetery. Or perhaps under them. At the very least, extremely close. That includes the great-great-grandparents of Jay Goddard, whose big white Suburban is fishtailing around the edges of the cemetery and through the muddy remnants of the last canal Nebraska tried to dig in Colorado. Goddard, a fifthgeneration farmer, points out century-old footprints of the canal Nebraska wants to revive. Goddard’s ancestors likely got a kick out of watching 600 Nebraskans with shovels, struggling to sculpt the rolling hills into a waterway before they finally gave up and went home in 1894. Nebraskans are Goddard’s friends and neighbors, and employ his wife as a schoolteacher a few miles away in Big Springs. Nebraska may even have a legal right to buy up Julesburg land and send the bulldozers over, he admits. But water is gold on the increasingly dry high plains. And a water war among friends is still a water war. Nebraska’s rich fields need water as much as Colorado does, Goddard said. But as a regional bank president, he sees prosperous Sedgwick County farmers expanding, developers buying land, and Fort Collins and Greeley to the west growing relentlessly. Colorado’s 6 million people could be 12 million before the canal fight is settled. “These guys were trying to do the same thing back in the 1890s. And here we are 100 years later,” Goddard said, his arm sweeping across the cottonwoods lining the South Platte River through Julesburg and on to the Nebraska border a mile beyond. “We’ve got to figure out how to make it work for the next 100 years.” Why is Nebraska lining up bulldozers? Eroded berms and meandering, overgrown ditches from Nebraska’s 1890s canal effort are familiar marks on the landscape along 24 miles on the south flats of the South Platte River, from Ovid to Julesburg, and then east from the cemetery toward the state border 12 miles away. Nebraska water officials say a healthy 7% of the supply in the agriculture-heavy state comes from the South Platte, before it joins its northern branch at North Platte. A 1923 compact settlement with Colorado guarantees Nebraska a flow of 120 cubic feet per second from April 1 to Oct. 15 where the South Platte leaves Colorado just northeast of Julesburg. For the other half of the year, the compact allows Nebraska 500 cubic feet per second, but only through a canal that would leave the South Platte near Ovid and crawl east. Absent a canal, Colorado from Oct. 16 through March can use South Platte water without worrying how much gets to Nebraska, though in recent years records show it has usually sent significant winter water to its neighbor. But Nebraska leaders say they no longer trust Colorado to deliver the water without a Nebraska-dug canal. Gov. Pete Ricketts, flush with federal stimulus cash, suddenly announced in January he would seek legislative approval for reviving the canal, at a Nebraska Wants to Build a $500 Million Canal Over the Border. Can Colorado Stop It? continued on page 11...
United Power Should be able to Leave Tri-State for Less Than a Tenth of a Proposed $1.6B Exit Fee, Federal Report Says
An energy economist for Tri-State’s federal regulator called the energy association’s exit-fee calculations flawed and unreasonable. by Mark Jaffe, The Colorado Sun
United Power’s Rattlesnake Solar Farm sits on 175 acres near Platteville, Colorado. The ability to generate additional power using renewable resources is one of the motivators for the company to break up with Tri-State Generation. (Carl Payne, Special to The Colorado Sun)
In the running battle over how much a suburban Denver electric cooperative must pay to leave the Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, the co-op picked up some ammunition in a report by a federal energy economist that calls the association’s exit fee calculations flawed and unreasonable. The exit fee for Brighton-based United Power should be less than a tenth of the $1.6 billion Tri-State is seeking, according to Greg Golino, an economist with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. “We know we owe something, because we are participants in a contract, but it should be just and reasonable and the FERC analysis shows that,” said Mark Gabriel, United Power’s CEO. In an extensive rebuttal, Tri-State, a power wholesaler serving 43 rural electric cooperatives in four states, warned that low exit fees could stress its operating system and create an incentive for big co-ops to depart, leaving its smallest members stranded. “This economic incentive creates a dangerous and unstable situation and can lead to the unraveling and eventual bankruptcy of Tri-State,” Joseph Mancinelli, an expert witness for the association, said in a FERC filing. “The only winners will be a few members like United Power, who are first to leave the system.” Why United Power and Tri-State don’t get along Tri-State’s six largest cooperatives, based on association exit fee calculations, account for 47% of the association’s revenue. The fight between Tri-State and its largest member, United Power, has been going United Power Should be able to Leave Tri-State for Less Than a Tenth of a Proposed $1.6B Exit Fee, Federal Report Says continued on page 12...
WHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE
Page 2: Way of the World Page 3: United Power Board of Directors Candidates Page 4: Fort Lupton Booster Club Solicitation for Prom 2022 Page 5: Town Easter Egg Hunt Fliers Page 6: Meet Hannah Chambers – FFA Member Page 8 – 10: Weld RE3J Update Page 13: Sheree’s Seniors Christmas 2021 Page 14: CCA Science Fair 2022 Page 16: Lily Fresh Farms Bridal Show
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Lost Creek Guide
Way of the World
by Bob Grand, Lost Creek Guide It has finally come to me that there is far too much good material worth sharing than I can ever hope to cover in Way of The World. Over the next few months, we will be working with a bunch of folks developing a broader online approach to sharing good stories. These relationships take a bit of time to develop so it will be a work in progress for a while, but I think, in the end, it will be worth it as we all deserve better information. It is important to present various views as citizens deserve to hear and see different perspectives. Saying that, over time some folks will not agree with everything we share. Think of it as an ongoing learning process. You should be interested in what and the whys of what other folks are thinking. That might make it a bit easier for most of us to at least begin a dialogue, with the goal of working towards solutions. I believe that 80% of us fall into that category of reasonableness. There are 10% on either extreme that will not appreciate what we are attempting to do. To them I say, do not read it, you will not like it. We will keep you updated as the effort evolves. Vladimir Putin is having an unpleasant time with the conflict in Ukraine. President Zelensky and his people are turning out to be not such an easy mark. We will never know the real details of the what and why of the Soviet Army’s problem in not delivering the early results that were expected. It has also given China a bit of a pause, in certainly not seeing what they had been led to believe would occur. Sometimes the best lessons are the ones that impact you the toughest. No one has started talking about what the Russian government will be responsible for to the Ukrainian people and government. Rebuilding Ukraine, a country devastated by a vicious, unwarranted act of war and a people subjected to such inhumane treatment is incalculable, but I am sure someone will try. In the end the Russian people will pay, not fair either, but who said life was fair. Sheriff Steve Reams wrote a letter to the editor in this issue on the fact that elections have consequences. Read it, it is on point. As we march ahead through the election process it is important to remember that we, as citizens, have a responsibility to vote. This last November the voter turnout of registered voters, not counting folks that are not registered, was a little over 40% in the state of Colorado. In Weld County, one of the purported bastions of liberty in Colorado, the turnout was a little over 30%. Not very impressive, but what have you heard or seen from our county officials, either elected or Republican Party officials. The silence is deafening. Maybe because they would rather you did not vote as it allows an exceedingly small minority of people in Weld County control who runs for office, which in Weld, at the moment, means who gets elected. Unfortunately, most of the old media outlets in the County will not address this issue as they do not want to offend the establishment. Aggravated by the steady eroding of print distribution and the short info clips on social media venues, no attention is given this and is off people’s attention screen. That is dangerous for a democracy. What are we leaving to our future generations? Is there no moral accountability? Been following the reaction parents are having to the teacher’s union leadership and the bureaucracy that supports it and its effects on our young people? There are a lot of mama bears out there that are incensed. They are activists and the politicians that ignore them will pay the price at the polls, because they vote. If you do not think so, ask Donald Trump. A record number of people have been detained at the border. The bad news is they are mostly released into the country. They disappear. They get into the social welfare system and our schools, all of which offer levels of care far superior to where they came from. Do not blame the people they want a better life for themselves and their families. Ignoring this issue is not a solution. We, as a country, have a moral responsibility to address this in a fair and equitable way. The country let them in, right or wrong, we have a responsibility. Why doesn’t our politician face this issue? As always, your thoughts and comments are appreciated, publisher@lostcreekguide. com.
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April 6, 2022
Letter to the Editor: Elections Have Consequences
Elections have consequences; we hear it all the time. The last few years have proven to have some very dire impacts on our lives in Colorado. Many people will point to the most obvious factor since March of 2019; Covid-19. While the Global Pandemic can certainly not be ignored, the way that our elected officials operated during that same time was probably just as impactful as the underlying virus. The 2018 election ushered in a “blue wave” of democrats elected to the positions of Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Treasurer and many State House and Senate seats. Ironically, that same election cycle had a, now forgotten, proposition on the ballot; proposition 112. In simple terms, the voters were asked if they wanted to enforce very aggressive regulations on oil and gas exploration and the measure was rejected. In one election cycle we saw the state swing to the liberal side of the ledger for it’s elected officials but seemed to remain more conservative with regards to ballot initiatives impacting statewide policy. Beginning with the convening of the 2019 state legislative cycle, an immediate shift began to occur in Colorado. We saw the introduction of Senate Bill 19-181 that went directly against the will of the voters from Proposition 112. SB19-181 ushered in massive changes to the oil and gas industry and almost immediately caused a dramatic downturn in the State’s economy but most specifically the Weld County economy. With the passage of SB-181, the democrat lead legislature told the citizens of Colorado that they were going to impose their will (and their agenda). In 2019 we also saw the introduction of House Bill 19-1177, commonly known as the red flag law. HB19-1177 remains highly controversial as it infringes on a person’s 2nd and 4th amendment protections while masquerading as a “mental health” bill. The 2019 legislature also passed HB19-1124 making Colorado a sanctuary state for illegal immigration while virtually banning local law enforcement’s ability to have a cooperative working relationship with Federal ICE authorities. And let’s not forget HB19-1032, the Comprehensive Human Sexuality Education bill; a title that speaks for itself and flies in the face of conservative values. House Bill 19-1263 was also passed, reducing the penalties for drug possession, down to a misdemeanor, for any drug in a quantity of less than 4 grams (including fentanyl). 2019 set the stage for what was to follow in Colorado. In 2020, the Colorado Legislature utilized the Covid Pandemic and the George Floyd tragedy in Minneapolis to usher in radical legislation against peace officers with the passage of SB20-217. Senate Bill 20-217 was a multifaceted bill aimed at “police reform” that had a massive impact on the ability for law enforcement to work in a proactive manner to reduce crime in their communities. 2021 ushered in House Bill 21-1250 which broadened the restrictions on law enforcement introduced by SB20217. At the same time Senate Bill 21-62 was introduced which attempted to create further restrictions on law enforcement’s ability to arrest suspects for most crimes with exceptions for Domestic Violence incidents and Class 1-3 Felonies. Luckily, the public came out in huge opposition of SB21-62 and the bill was killed by the sponsors. Let’s not forget, these radical legislative shifts, and many more, were occurring at a time that our state was wrestling with a Global Pandemic as we watched Governor Polis issue hundreds of executive orders that shut down most small businesses, closed schools and forced them to remote learning, and elevated health orders over constitutional freedoms. Now in 2022 we are feeling the effects and understanding what it means when we say elections have consequences. In Weld County, we have been fortunate to have many elected officials who remember that their job is to serve the citizen. As your Sheriff, my job is more challenging than ever before, but my agency has never been more committed to its mission. My hope is that when you approach the ballot box this year, you do so with the intention of bringing balance back to this State as we have now experienced almost 4 years of one-party control. Crime is up, the economy is down, the homeless population has exploded and enough is enough. We have a chance to save our State, but it won’t happen until every voter realizes that they must always elect people who are committed to serve the people and not a radical agenda. Steve Reams
Letter to the Editor: Thank you Lost Creek Guide
28 March 2022 Kindness comes in all kinds of packages. Sometimes it can be paying for someone’s meal at a restaurant; bringing flowers home to your spouse for no reason at all; helping someone out who is stranded on the side of the road; all manner of things. Some can be big, or some can be small: washing the dishes without being asked; cleaning up your room; passing out indiscriminate hugs; a smile and a hello to a stranger on the street; or any other random act of kindness. One kindness that was offered to me today was given by Bob Grand, Editor and Publisher of the Lost Creek Guide, who sent it my way. You see, I am the Coordinator of the Fort Lupton 9Health365 Fair, where anyone can receive affordable and local health screening. During the pandemic, for the past two years, no Fairs were held. With the pandemic winding down, we WILL have a Fair this year on Saturday, May 7th, from 8:00 am to Noon at the Fort Lupton Rec Center! As there is a very minimal budget to run the fair, Bob Grand was kind enough to offer a free ad for our fair! And that kindness needs to be thanked! So, thank you, Bob, for all the incredible work you do with the Lost Creek Guide, and for running our 9Health365 ad! It is good to know that as your areas increase, a great newspaper, with local and national news, will reach more and more households! And we know that under your direction, the Lost Creek Guide will flourish for many years to come! Respectfully Submitted, Perry Wm. Bell 9Health 365 Site Coordinator
April 6, 2022
United Power 2022 Director Candidate Profiles
Lost Creek Guide
There are three director seats up for election this year. One position in the East, South and West districts is up for a three-year term. Be sure to read about each of the candidates before casting your ballot. District E (East) Steven “Steve” Douglas I’m running for the United Power Board East District and would appreciate your vote. As an experienced Public Servant who has served on many professional boards and commissions, I am ready and prepared to lead with dedicated commitment to understanding and implementing ways to better serve the people of United Power. I would also bring diversity to the board as the first African American Director. My wife and I have been proud members of the United Power Family for nearly 20 years. As a Councilman I was very actively engaged with United Power. That said, I already feel a strong connection and I understand how well United Power serves our community. Community and family mean a lot to me and I’m proud to say that I’m a family man, married with 5 awesome kids and 5 incredible grandkids! Having served as a Councilman At-Large for the City of Commerce City for 2 terms, I know the importance of serving the public and working as a team-player. I promise to be a good steward for all of the members throughout United Power, both urban and rural. As a United Power Board Member, I will work to increase locally generated renewables. I will also seek different ways in which we can save on our energy costs by making solar, wind, hydro, and thermal energy affordable. Clean energy will be the heart and soul of our futures and I believe United Power should lead the way – always as an investment in the way we live as a community, both for today and for our future. The future of energy is happening now, and we need to take advantage of that fact. I believe the next energy solution will include super-capacitors which can support or replace substations giving communities a much-needed new clean power supply which will also include relief during blackout conditions. I would like to thank you for your support, and look forward to serving as your next United Power East District Director. Thanks again for your time! STEVE DOUGLAS EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATIONS FOR UNITED POWER DIRECTOR • Commerce City Councilman At-Large 2011-2019 • Governor Appointment: RAQC (Regional Air Quality Council) 2019-2020 • E-470 Board Treasurer/Secretary 2015-2019, Alternate 2011-2015 • King Soopers 1977-Present, UFCW Local #7 Union Member 44 years • Arapahoe Community College Undergraduate, Accounting, Business Management and Economics 1983-1984 • National League of Cities Diamond Cum Laude Leadership Regent 2011-2019 • Colorado Municipal League Policy Committee 2011-2019 • Prairie View High School of Business Board 2017-Present • Numerous Community Service Awards, currently actively involved in several community organizations including Landing Place Church, Commerce City • Active NAACP Member and Democratic African American Initiative Naptali A. Lucks Hi, my name is Naptali Lucks. I have been a Colorado resident for almost 20 years, living in many parts of the metropolitan area over the years. I have a master’s degree in counseling, bringing years of experience in human behavior and understanding, as well as vast interpersonal skills developed by an array of challenging situations. I was the executive director of Street’s Hope, a residential rehabilitation program for victims of human trafficking. I have been a caregiver, a teammate, mother, leader, a pacesetter, a businesswoman and currently a real estate agent for EXIT Realty Cherry Creek. My daughters and I have enjoyed being a part of the community here in Brighton the past several years and may be observed frequently in the community enjoying the outdoors. I approach this position for a director position with United Power as a community member who recognizes our communal interconnectedness and needs to further advance our technological scope for providing energy to the community. I have been very proud of the leadership’s choices of United Power to leave dysfunctional associations and choose what is in the greater good of not only the members but what is most effective for the survival of our planet. Maintaining an environment that is conducive to human habitation by choosing energy methods that consider all relevant factors rather than the acquisition of wealth by a few. With my passion for sustaining a healthy planet, I decided that complaining about what is going on would not improve the situation, and to make an impact I needed to do something. Therefore, I am running for this position as a well-educated, insightful innovator who intends to help improve our quality of life by participating on the board of directors. United Power is an important business that greatly impacts the world, and I am willing to learn and expand in any way necessary to help the global success of this business. As a director I would advocate for the members and work to maintain ethical business practices that are effective and fair to all. I bring spirit, passion and a new unique and diverse perspective that will make me an excellent co-collaborator to the team. I see it as an honor to serve our community by being on the board of directors. Elizabeth “Beth” A. Martin Beth Martin is a licensed real estate broker and owner of Red Shoes Real Estate Company. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She received her real estate education from Jones Real Estate College and holds many advanced designations. As a Director she has earned certificates as a Credentialed Cooperative Director, Board Leadership designation and is one of the very few in the nation to receive the new “Gold” designation from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Martin is a member of the National, Colorado and Women’s Association of Realtors. She served as Mayor Pro-Tem (1988-1990), and Finance and Administration Officer
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from 1988-1990 for the Town of Hudson. She is past President and a Director of Brighton Kiwanis, past Director and Secretary of Kids Quiltz and a director and founding member of the Hudson Harvest Festival. As a United Power Director she has served in every officer position since 2011 and currently serves as Vice-Chairman. She also represents the cooperative at Basin Electric Power Cooperative and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association meetings. I celebrate electric cooperatives’ unique business model and feel so fortunate to be served by a local, truly “not for profit”, member-owned cooperative giving us a voice and a vote. As one of the eleven “Regulators” I am committed to safe, reliable power at the lowest possible cost utilizing a reliable base power and a diversity of renewable options. By using sound judgement, vigilance, commitment and remaining informed and engaged – I will do my utmost to ensure United Power serves her members while being the best steward of our resources (both human and energy) at an affordable cost. BethMartin@BethsRedShoes.com District S (South) Keith Alquist Hi, I’m Keith Alquist and I am currently one of your directors from the South District. I have represented all of the members of United Power for the last four and a half years and I want to continue to represent you for this next term. These are exciting and challenging times, but the electric distribution business is a serious business. Our expanding communities require and demand safe and reliable service at affordable rates. I ask for your support and vote to continue representing you, our member owners, for this next term. I have attended every board meeting and regulatory meeting and I have put all of my energy into fulfilling my responsibility as a director to do my duty to represent you in the governance of United Power. Recently, I completed my training in the Director Gold Program. I firmly believe in learning and keeping up-to-date in the electric distribution business. I previously completed the 15 training courses required for the Credentialed Cooperative Director Program and the Board Leadership Program. I am a member of the National Society of Accountants for Cooperatives and have been so for 30 years. I have used this experience to be an active member on the board audit committee and I am currently the Board Treasurer. My wife, Julie, and I have lived in Brighton for over 29 years and we raised our four children here. Previous to being semi-retired, I was the Vice President and CFO of American Pride Co-op for 20 years until it was merged into Agfinity Inc in 2012. I am an active member of the Rotary Club of Brighton and am involved in a number of projects helping the community. My favorite projects are the dictionary project for 900 third grade students and the U.S. Constitution project for almost 900 fifth grade students in Brighton and Henderson. Many changes have been completed in the last few years which are positioning United Power to continue to serve its members to the highest level possible. AMI meters, solar farms, residential solar, net metering, electric vehicle charging stations and the Tesla battery project for peak shaving to help save members money are all great projects. The world of generation is changing from the carbon based to more renewable sources like solar, wind and hydro. So we must keep ahead of governmental mandates and keep up-to-date in using the changes in technology to best serve you, our member owners. I want United Power to continue to be a strong and nationally respected leader among electric distribution cooperatives. I respectfully ask for your vote. Remember, it’s all about your power. District W (West) Ursula J. Morgan Ursula J. Morgan is running for re-election to the United Power’s Board of Directors representing the West District. She has been a member of United Power since 1995. At United Power, Morgan is currently serving as Chairman. In the past, she has served as Vice Chairman, Treasurer, and the Assistant SecretaryAssistant Treasurer. Morgan is a wife and mother of two who has worked as a real estate appraiser and in e-commerce. She attended the University of Northern Colorado, completed the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s Director Gold Program, Board Leadership Program, and the Credentialed Cooperative Director Training Program. Morgan has also completed the Elected Officials’ Training, and the Advanced Training programs through the Colorado Municipal League. She is a volunteer for the Children’s Hospital Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and The Children’s Miracle Network. Morgan currently serves on United Power’s Audit Committee. She also serves as the representative for United Power to the Cooperative Response Center Inc., the National Cooperative (Financial) Services Corporation, and the National Rural Telecommunications Council. She previously served as a representative for United Power at the National Information Solutions Cooperative. Previously, Morgan served on the Board of Trustees for the Town of Mead (Mayor Pro Tem) and as a Planning and Zoning Commissioner. Morgan also served on the Board of Directors for the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG), as a Policy Setting Committee Member with the Colorado Municipal League, and on the Transportation and Air Quality Planning Councils for the Upper Front Range and North Front Range of Colorado. “It is a privilege to serve as your Director. I am seeking re-election because I am committed to our co-op and our community. My priority is direct and open communication with you, our member-owners. My focus remains financially responsible production and distribution of reliable, safe, and affordable power. This includes maximizing existing generation sources as well as continuing to support the development of new technologies and environmentally sound resources. I hope to continue building your trust through accountability, fairness, and integrity. As always, I am available to respond to questions or concerns at ursula@ursulajmorgan. com, or you may call me directly at (303) 709-4523.” The above statements are those of the candidates and have not been altered or verified by United Power.
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Lost Creek Guide
Colorado Plains Medical Center Community Health Fair Scheduled for April 9
Fort Morgan, CO (March 23, 2022) –Colorado Plains Medical Center is happy to announce that the date for the 19th Annual Community Health Fair has been set for Saturday, April 9, 2022, from 7-11 AM. The Community Health Fair, “Home Run for Health” will be held in the City of Fort Morgan Fieldhouse in the east end auxiliary gymnasium. Plenty of on-street and lot parking will be available and easily accessible. For close to 20 years, Colorado Plains has partnered with community agencies to provide low cost and free preventative care and health awareness during the Community Health Fair. One of the biggest advantages to participating in the Community Health Fair is the low-cost blood chemistry draws. Once again, Colorado Plains Medical Center will be offering a Complete Metabolic Profile (CMP) with Lipid Panel for $40, a thyroid screen (TSH) for $35, a prostate screening (PSA) for $35, and an A1c diabetes screen for $25. These tests do not require insurance and can be paid for using cash, check or card (debit, credit, FSA or HSA). Early blood draws will be taking place at Colorado Plains Medical Center in the main lobby of the hospital from 6-8 AM each day Monday, April 4 through Friday, April 8, 2022. Blood draws, the day of the health fair, will be at the City of Fort Morgan Fieldhouse from 7-11 AM. A 12-hour fasting prior to your blood draw is recommended for the most accurate results. No appointments are necessary for any of the days. Individuals who participate in the early blood draws Monday thru Friday will be able to pick up their results at the health fair on Saturday and have the opportunity to discuss them with medical professionals. Additionally, Colorado Plains Medical Center is looking for Community Health Fair sponsors - businesses and organizations wanting to showcase their support for health care within the community. Sponsorship levels range from 1st Base to Home Run with each level offering unique advertisement and promotional opportunities, including a general event participant level that can be secured for no cost for nonprofit organizations. In order to take advantage of related advertising opportunities and to receive a preferred booth location, sponsors are urged to act early. For more information regarding sponsorships, booths, or general inquires, please contact Cara Draegert at cara.draegert@lpnt.net or by calling 970-542-4440.
Prom and After Prom Celebrations
As a leader in your company/organization and in our community, you no doubt understand the need for support in our schools and with our youth, especially in 2021. I am sending this letter to let you know of the Fort Lupton High School Booster Clubs plans to provide our students an opportunity for a safe and sober evening by hosting the annual After Prom celebration. We are coming to you to request your assistance in our efforts. Plans are underway for an exciting evening of safe activities; however, we are in need of donations for the event. This can include monetary donations to help support the event or merchandise to be given away as prizes. Our efforts to provide this event cannot take place without the amazing support from our community. That is where you come in! We are writing to ask for you to donate/contribute in some way. Items such as Gift Certificates, Product Donations or Monetary Contributions are needed. By donating, you will be helping us provide this safe alternative on Prom night. We are anticipating at least 150 to 200 students to attend the evening’s festivities. We have opportunities for sponsoring in the areas of food, the casino or activities provided to the students, prizes and more. The Prom is scheduled for April 16th, 2022. If you would like to mail a contribution, please mail to the following address. Fort Lupton Booster Club PO Box 516 Fort Lupton, CO 80621 If you would like to sit down and have a discussion about your donation, you can contact me directly at 720-313-8389 or mbetter89@gmail.com. You can also give me a call if you would like a representative from our organization to stop by your business/organization to pick up your donation. We would love to share with you what we provide for our students, what we are doing in 2022 to keep it safe for all attending and what an impact your support has. I hope to hear from you soon and thank you in advance for your generosity. Thank you for helping us in our effort to make this a memorable After Prom and safe alternative for our students. Sincerely, Michelle Bettger After Prom Chair Person President Fort Lupton Booster Club Home of the Bluedevils!
April 6, 2022
Next Year’s State Budget Looks Strong — If War and Inflation Don’t Put the Squeeze on Finances by Megan Verlee
Hart Van Denburg/CPR News The Gold Dome atop the Colorado Statehouse on a cold winter day, Jan. 19, 2022, seen through a tree decorated with holiday lights on the 16th Street Mall in Denver.
It’s looking like a pretty good year to be a state budget writer — or a lawmaker hoping to fund a priority. However, looks can be deceiving. Colorado is projected to go into its next fiscal year with a 20.7 percent surplus over what the state budgeted this year, and to end up refunding more than $1.6 billion back to taxpayers. “The economy continues to recover and show growth across most sectors,” said legislative economist David Hansen in a presentation to the Joint Budget Committee Thursday. “Labor markets continue to improve, spending activity continues to grow and business investment has improved.” Revenue figures from a forecast crafted by nonpartisan economists will be used to set the final numbers in next year’s state budget, which the full legislature will debate in the coming weeks. The analysts predict Colorado’s tax collections for sales and income — which supports much of the state’s discretionary spending — will level off in the coming fiscal year, after growing by more than 11 percent this year and last , growth state economist Kate Watkins described as “remarkably strong.” Hansen acknowledged that most of the economic data used in the forecast came from January and February, and the recent international situation could cloud that sunny forecast. “The war in Ukraine has brought new and elevated risks to the economic recovery… The war is expected to weigh heavily on US economic activity in the first and second quarters (and) promises to exacerbate many of the challenges already facing the recovery,” he said. The big “I” First and foremost among those challenges — inflation. The word “inflation” appears 114 times in the 91-page forecast. Energy, housing, transportation, and food have seen the greatest price hikes, nationally and in the state. Economists expect it to limit consumer and business spending in the coming year, at the same time rising interest rates also cool economic activity. Inflation will also put pressure on the state budget, making things the state needs to buy — from construction materials to gas for state vehicles — more expensive and possibly pushing public sector salaries higher to compete with increasing private sector wages. And Colorado lawmakers are required by law to pass a balanced budget every year. If the economy doesn’t grow as quickly as projected — and so, if tax revenues are lower than forecast — Colorado does have a bit of a cushion. Under the current forecast, the state will be required to send tax refunds back to residents under the rules of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. If it doesn’t bring in enough money, those refunds will disappear before any budget cuts are necessary.
April 6, 2022
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Lost Creek Guide
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April 6, 2022
Meet the FFA Member - Hannah Chambers
Article by Madison Richmann 14 year old Hannah Chambers says, “My favorite part of showing has to be the memories that you make and all of the friends you can make that love to do the same thing as you. It is an amazing experience and is a great way to get closer to those around you and with the animal you are showing,” when asked her favorite part about showing. The sophomore at Weld Central High school has been showing horses for 12 years and been a part of 4-H and FFA for four. She shows at open shows, Arabian shows, Weld County fair, and the Southeast Weld County fair. She is a part of the Weld Central FFA chapter with advisors Mrs. Madsen and Ms. Curtis. Hannah grew up riding horses. Chambers owns several horses, two of which were rescues. When asked about her horses, Hannah says, “Our horses are M. Geronimo (Nemo) who is a five year old half Arabian gelding. ‘Amirat Allayl (Lyla) who is a 2 year old half Arabian filly. Sierra Anna (Sierra) who is a 24 year old half Arabian mare. Romeo who is a mini shetland cross and is around 20 years old. This year I showed my two mares Lyla and Sierra. I took Lyla to her first ever show and showed at open shows and multiple fairs with my primary show horse Sierra.” Hannah enjoys showing at all of her shows, but Southeast Weld County fair will always be one of her favorites. She explains that her favorite part of the Keenesburg fair is rinsing her horse off at the wash rack at the end of the day after a long day of hard work. Hannah gets to show alongside many of her friends at the SEWC fair. I asked Hannah about her greatest accomplishments. The Southeast Weld County Fair has helped her achieve a lot in her showing years. Hannah explained, “My biggest accomplishment is placing top five both years at Weld County fair as well as winning grand champion halter horse, reserve champion showmanship, and overall grand champion at SEWC fair.” 4-H and FFA have so many opportunities that go along with them, so I asked Hannah if she would recommend the experiences to others. Hannah said she would recommend that everyone that has interest in FFA and 4-H to pursue it. She said that she has gotten to meet so many great people. Hannah states, “I guarantee that you will have fun while being involved.” When not with her horses you can find Hannah playing volleyball or raising her goats. Hannah is on the Weld Central volleyball team. She also raises Nigerian dwarf dairy goats and hopes to start showing her goats soon. After high school Hannah hopes to attend West Texas A&M university and eventually transfer to Texas A&M. Here she will continue her love of horses on their equine team and continue her education. Hannah hopes to earn a veterinary degree. After this she is undecided where it will take her, however joining the army as a veterinarian is one idea that interests Hannah. When asked who her biggest inspiration is, Hannah without a doubt said her mom. “She has also shown horses her whole life. She has helped me out so much over the years and brought me into the horse world and started my passion for horses.” Hannah goes on to say, “I would like to say thank you to everyone who has helped me to get this far and who have helped me to continue doing what I love! I would like to thank my mom for being my inspiration each and everyday, my brother for coming to all of my shows and supporting me even if it is boring to you at some points, and my grandma and grandpa Kearns for being my biggest support and always helping me with anything I need.” We wish Hannah the best of luck in the rest of her 4-H and FFA career and beyond.
Make sure to come and check out great prizes! (Raffle tickets will be one per adult, must be 18 years or older)
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FRIDAY, APRIL 8TH 5AM -12PM MARKET STREET MART
1ST ANNIVERSARY PART Y Come and Celebrate with Us! Free coffee, fountain drinks, Krispy Kreme donuts, Santiago’s Burritos, and pizza
SAMSUNG 65-In Crystal UHD Smart TV ──── 4 Colorado Avalanche Tickets for 4/18 versus the Washington Capitals [$360 Value OR $100 cash] ──── Five $100 Shell Gift Cards 2 Large Avalanche NHL Sweatshirts Madden 22 Game for the XBOX Series X Just Dance 2022 Game for the PS4 Marvel Spider-Man Game for the PS4
MARKET STREET MART 165 N Market St Keenesburg, CO 80643 Right off of I-76
Cookies, Treats, Prizes, and More!
April 6, 2022
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Lake Powell Drops Below Critical Threshold for the First Time Despite State and Federal Attempts to Avoid It
by Michael Elizabeth Sakas, Colorado Public Radio Lake Powell on the Utah-Arizona border has dropped below a critical threshold of 3,525 feet for the first time, shrinking the protective buffer of water the reservoir needs to produce hydroelectric power for millions of people in the West. The reservoir is the second-largest in the U.S., and it’s a key piece of the Colorado River storage and supply system. Powell is fed mostly by snowmelt that collects in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. A 20-year megadrought and a hotter climate, fueled primarily by greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels, has contributed to Powell’s levels dropping to all-time lows. As Powell continues to dry up, there’s growing concern that there won’t be enough water in the reservoir to keep spinning the turbines that create electricity at Glen Canyon Dam. Colorado and the other states that share the Colorado River agreed to work together to keep Powell above this critical threshold with the Congressionally approved 2019 Drought Contingency Plan. That agreement creates a 35-foot buffer of water before the reservoir hits “dead pool,” when reservoir levels are so low, the hydroelectric generators can no longer produce energy. Water levels in Powell quickly started to drop after years of back-to-back drought. In response, the federal government in 2021 took emergency action and sent water from reservoirs in Colorado and other states to prop up supplies in Powell. Blue Mesa Reservoir outside of Gunnison lost eight feet of water as a result. Ultimately, those releases did not prevent water levels from dropping below the critical threshold. But U.S. Bureau of Reclamation hydraulic engineer Heather Patno said the additional release did add about six feet of water to Powell, and any extra buffer helps protect Powell’s ability to produce energy. Patno said the drop should be temporary as the snow in the mountains starts to melt and recharge the river and reservoirs. She said 2021 was the second-driest year on record for the Colorado River basin, and a very dry first few months of 2022 eroded the snowpack collecting in the mountains. Each month the bureau releases updated projections forecasting water levels in Lake Powell over the next two years. Patno said Powell dropping below 3,525 was first seen as a possibility only in a worst-case scenario. Then, with warmer temperatures and less snow, the projections shifted to show the reservoir could fall below that level in early 2022. Today, that projection came true. “We have been trying to avoid it, but at the same time we’ve been living in a drought for the last two decades,” Patno said. Powell hit its lowest level on record in the summer of 2021 and has continued to drop. Patno said back-to-back dry years have hit the Colorado River before, but reservoirs like Lake Powell were full of water. Now 20 years into a drought, those reservoirs haven’t gotten the chance to catch up, and Patino said that means the system is now hitting critically-low levels. Powell is less than 25 percent full. New research suggests there might be even less Colorado River water in the future than what’s forecasted. A recent report from the Center for Colorado River Studies found that the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s projections can be too optimistic, partly because it’s based on the average water inflow into Powell from 1991-2020, a period that includes an abnormal decade in the 90s that was much wetter than the last 20 years. Patno said those findings are important, and it and other studies should be considered when federal and state governments decide how to adapt their water operations to drought. She said Powell projections did improve when the bureau recently switched to using the last 30-year average, but that Powell forecasts rely on models that have a level of risk and uncertainty. Powell’s worst-case projections show its level could drop below 3,525 feet again as early as August of this year. Patno said emergency water releases from Blue Mesa and other reservoirs might be needed again as one of the tools to keep Powell propped up, especially as the current snowpack continues to decline. Inflow forecasts into Powell expect about 69 percent of average. The ongoing drought also means dry soil will soak up a lot of that water before it reaches rivers and lakes, Patno said. Colorado Water Conservation Board director Becky Mitchell said the potential of another emergency reservoir release illustrates why Colorado and the other states upstream of the Colorado River are currently working out a way to keep Lake Powell’s levels above 3,525 feet. The plan is an attempt to avoid the need for similar federal emergency action in the future. “When we know that these dips or declines are coming, we’ll have the measures in place to take action in a unified way,” Mitchell said. A draft of that plan is expected in the spring. States are also looking into the possibility of paying farmers, ranchers and other Colorado River users for their water to help shore up levels in Lake Powell. Mitchell said Colorado is still studying this possibility and noted that all four states upstream of the Colorado River agreed in 2019 to take a unified position on whether or not to move forward with the idea. Mitchell said the Upper Colorado River Commission is currently coordinating with upper-basin states on a potential water demand management plan. It could announce next steps in the fall.
Aims College For Kids Offers Learning, Fun This Summer
GREELEY, CO – March 17, 2022 – What do improv, astronomy, and fencing have in common? They’re all new classes offered during College for Kids (C4K) this summer at Aims Community College. C4K offers learning opportunities on Greeley, Fort Lupton, Windsor and Loveland campuses. Registration opens at 8 a.m. on March 28 at aims.co/C4K. The four-day program allows students to “go to college” and is a low-cost, unique, enriching program for learners 9-15 years. Participants choose two classes to take during their College for Kids experience. In addition, C4K offers participants morning and afternoon classes, two snacks and lunch. C4K instructors developed the classes to be fun, captivating and hands-on. Students work with technology such as 3D printing, robotics, digital cameras, computer coding and more. There are also opportunities for growth in art, music and theater. Participants can also explore potential career fields such as business, medicine, agriculture, science, law, and more. Youth ages 13-15 can participate in the junior leaders program, assisting instructors in the classroom while taking their own courses. Junior leaders must participate in training the Friday before their program begins. “It’s a really fun, out-of-the-box program that’s highly interactive and gives kiddos a chance to experience what it’s like to be a ‘college student’ by taking classes on a college campus,” explains Katherine Jacobs, lifelong learning program coordinator at Aims. “Students will get to come and learn lifelong skills while making new friends.” The cost of tuition is $75 for the full four days on the Greeley, Windsor and Loveland campuses. Thanks to generous supporters, the program at Fort Lupton is subsidized and costs participants $25. For more information, including course descriptions and to register, visit aims.co/C4K. About Aims Community College Aims Community College is one of the most progressive two-year colleges in Colorado. Founded more than 50 years ago in Greeley, Aims has since established locations in Fort Lupton, Loveland and Windsor. Curriculum now includes 4,000 day, evening, weekend and online courses annually in more than 200 degree and certificate programs. Aims Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Aims Community College is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and an Equal Opportunity Educational Institution. aims.edu
Auto, Home, Farm & Commercial
Agents Mark Kinnear Devon Kitchell 303-732-9700 20 S. Main Keenesburg, CO
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Nebraska Wants to Build a $500 Million Canal Over the Border. Can Colorado Stop It? continued from page 1... price of at least $500 million. The legislature is serious about appropriating the first $50 million this year to start engineering studies and land purchases, said Nebraska state Sen. Dan Hughes, a Republican farmer whose district abuts Colorado. Colorado’s official answer amounts to, “What was that, now?” We’ve got to figure out how to make it work for the next 100 years.– Jay Goddard Department of Natural Resources Executive Director Dan Gibbs said Ricketts gave Gov. Jared Polis a courtesy call the morning of his January news splash but offered no details. The media has heard more about Nebraska’s current plan than the Colorado state engineer, said Kevin Rein, the Colorado state engineer. Nebraska’s Department of Natural Resources details what it calls accelerating plans by Colorado to divert more South Platte water before it gets to Nebraska’s canal marker at Ovid, which would have a 1921 water right. Colorado interests with rights dated before 1921 could still take out their water regardless of the canal. Ricketts, whose office declined comment to The Sun, wrote in an op-ed that Colorado’s 2021 update to its South Platte plan includes potentially hundreds of projects and “threatens to choke off the flow of water into Nebraska.” The thing is, Nebraska’s not paranoid if Colorado really is out to get them. The Lower South Platte Water Conservancy District and Parker Water & Sanitation District, in fast-growing Douglas County, have teamed up for a new reservoir near Akron and pipeline plan that would indeed take more water from the river that is currently being sent downstream to Nebraska. Their PowerPoint presentation to the Colorado legislature and other interested parties includes a slide showing “Water Delivered to Nebraska in Excess of the Compact.” In other words, perfectly good water for Colorado is there for the taking. Colorado is a growth monster to the west. Nebraska needs to protect its rights, Hughes and others argue. And this is not the first battle in a long cold war over water. Colorado has been accused of draining the crucial Ogallala Aquifer supplying agriculture from deep beneath eight states. Colorado farmers “mine” the Ogallala’s water, Ricketts’ editorial claims, while Hughes notes that Nebraska farmers have had meters monitoring their Ogallala pumping for 40 years. Rein responds that while it’s true Colorado did not meter its wells until 15 to 20 years ago, it has long limited well withdrawals by controlling the irrigated acreage attached to well permits. Besides, he said, all the states over the Ogallala — Nebraska included — are “mining” the aquifer without fully replacing their take. Colorado is also obligated to provide water to both Nebraska and Kansas to comply with a separate compact in the Republican River basin. Northeast Colorado farm interests lament the state’s obligations under a 2016 settlement with Kansas, which requires drying up 10,000 Colorado farm acres to put more water back into the Republican. “The value of water is only going to increase,” Hughes said. “If we look at the water projects that were built 100 years ago, the amount of money that was spent then was exorbitant. But in retrospect, that was money well spent.” Would Nebraska’s move be a legal invasion? Nebraska points to the 1923 compact and says, “read the fine print. We’re building a canal.” Colorado is reading from the same compact, but points to a different paragraph. “Without that canal, there is no right that Nebraska has to that water during the non-irrigation season,” said Rein, Colorado’s state engineer. “Matter of fact, the language of the compact says that Colorado has the full and uninterrupted use” of the river until a canal is built, he added. Does anyone actually envision Nebraska condemning and buying Julesburgarea farmland, and sending backhoes over to start digging? Nebraska certainly does. Hughes, helping to shepherd the canal project through the legislature, says authorization to buy real estate will be in the initial appropriation. If we look at the water projects that were built 100 years ago, the amount of money that was spent then was exorbitant. But in retrospect, that was money well spent. – Neb. State Sen. Dan Hughes Hold onto your legal briefs, Colorado responds. “There’s a lot to understand on the historical use of eminent domain from one state over another,” said the DNR’s Gibbs. “Has that ever been done? And so we are analyzing all that.” Nor is it clear, if Nebraska wants to use any federal money for the project, whether U.S. agencies would look kindly on spending it in a neighboring state that opposes the idea. It’s not even clear yet whether one county can spend federal money in another county — water developers are asking thirsty Douglas County officials to spend $20 million in stimulus money as a down payment on their pipeline from the San Luis Valley, to enormous opposition. Who will get final say? “Even that is not decided yet,” Rein said. “Is it a Colorado water court? These compacts operate under the direction of the U.S. Supreme Court. That’s still an open question.” Local farmers keep a wary eye on the eastern horizon Farmers and ranchers in the fertile wedge from Denver northeast along Interstate 76 and the South Platte to the Nebraska corner will keep tabs on the debate while making hay. Ag prices have finally stayed ahead of costs to a point where local landowners are making real money, said Goddard, who sees the balance sheets as a banker and in his own Black Angus operation. “It was rough for about eight years and then this last year was tremendous,” Goddard said. Reservoir operators who store water for Colorado farm shareholders stayed busy diverting late winter flows into their reservoirs, like Prewitt and North Sterling. Local farmers have called Joe Frank, who runs the Lower South Platte Water Conservancy District, about whether Nebraska can take their land through eminent domain. He tells them there are years of questions to be answered before that happens. What current Nebraska politicians might not appreciate, Colorado water experts
say, is how Colorado agriculture makes the South Platte a much more reliable river than nature made it. Before settlers moved in and altered the landscape, the river’s flow was intermittent at best, said Jim Yahn, manager of the North Sterling Irrigation District, taking shelter from a sleet storm in the dam keeper’s shed at Prewitt Reservoir. “After the big flush of water would come in the late spring from snow melt, the river would actually go dry at Fort Morgan, which is 120 miles from the state line,” Yahn said. “it would actually disappear into the sand.” Regular irrigation of fields, seepage from unlined canals, and recharge for the augmentation of wells, all return water into the river channel throughout the year, Yahn said. Sterling and Julesburg, and Nebraska towns on the other side of the border, “they’re always getting some water down there, which they never would have until the development in Colorado,” he said. If Nebraska did manage to build its canal at Ovid, in a dry year, it would still have to defer to river water rights holders with older priorities, Yahn noted. After the big flush of water would come in the late spring from snow melt, the river would actually go dry at Fort Morgan. Jim Yahn, manager of the North Sterling Irrigation District And as long as Colorado delivers 120 cubic feet a second to the border in summer, it can continue to build new reservoirs to capture spring and summer runoff claimed by Colorado districts. The Lower South Platte/Parker partnership’s proposal for a Fremont Butte reservoir near Akron is among those proposals. Nebraska finishing a canal and taking water from its turn in line would not deprive old reservoirs upstream like Prewitt and North Sterling, Yahn said. They hold water with priorities of 1910 or earlier. Nebraska’s drain, though, could impact Logan and Sedgwick County-area recharging ponds meant to augment area wells. Still, Yahn said, he doesn’t know how the canal idea even works, physically. The quirky contours of the hills lining the south bank of the South Platte make ice dams a regular winter thing in Colorado’s far northeast. Goddard, driving his pickup in the abandoned canal bottoms, has seen local pools of water flow backward toward Greeley. An iced-over canal would make Nebraska’s water claim largely meaningless. Can’t we all just get along? And please, don’t take the windmill. Jay Goddard’s pasture for his Black Angus stretches from his house on the river just west of Julesburg, east past a storied set of caves dug by an Italian immigrant, under his old wooden windmill — still working — that Julesburg high school seniors use for their graduation photos, around the Teepee Colorado State Welcome Center, under I-76 and past the cemetery. His land encompasses 2 miles — or 10%, as his bank brain likes to point out — of the 24 miles of old Nebraska canal. The seniors would rather not see his windmill come down for a new canal. Goddard wonders how he’ll drag feed to his cattle or maintain the trees planted as a snow fence for I-76 if Nebraska takes some of his land and finishes a ditch. But he’s pretty sure there will never be a hot war with Nebraska. Farm interests are too similar on both sides of the artificial border. “There’s nothing magical that happens at the state line,” he said. “It’s not like there’s this animosity toward Nebraskans. There’s a lot of people here that are current Cornhusker fans rather than Colorado Buffaloes. We’re obligated to honor what we said we would honor and, and we’ll do it.” Maybe what Coloradans can get out of a little cross-border water sniping, Goddard said, is a greater appreciation for the state’s breadbasket. The value of cattle raised from Fort Collins east is in the billions of dollars, he said. Meanwhile, the farmers he works used to raise 170 bushels of corn an acre but now are using plant genetics, precise irrigation and far less water to raise 250 to 300 bushels. “They’re doing everything they can,” Goddard said, “to be efficient and still feed the world.” The Colorado Sun is a reader-supported news organization that covers Colorado people, places and issues. To sign up for free newsletters, subscribe or learn more, visit ColoradoSun.com
Barbara Kirkmeyer Qualifies for State Primary Ballot
The Elections Division of the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office announced today that Barbara Kirkmeyer, Republican candidate for United States House of Representatives, District 8, has submitted the required number of signatures to appear on the June 28, 2022 State Primary ballot. Candidates for U.S. House of Representatives are required to collect 1,500 signatures (or 10% of votes cast in the last election in the district, whichever is smaller) in their district, a requirement outlined by 1-4-801(2)(a.5), C.R.S. Kirkmeyer submitted 1,721 valid signatures, eclipsing the 1,500-signature threshold. Petition Verification Summary: Number of qualified signatures submitted 2,425 Number of entries rejected 704 Number of entries accepted 1,721 Number of valid signatures required 1,500 For a complete statement of sufficiency, click here. For an updated list of 2022 State Primary petitioning candidates to date, click here. A record of all accepted and rejected signatures, including reasons for each rejection is on file with the Secretary of State.
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United Power Should be able to Leave Tri-State for Less Than a Tenth of a Proposed $1.6B Exit Fee, Federal Report Says continued from page 1...
on for more than three years, spilling into district court, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission and the FERC, which will be the final arbiter on the exit fees. United Power has chafed under the long-term contracts, which run until 2050, and require the co-op to buy 95% of its electricity from Tri-State. That has limited the cooperative’s ability to develop local, renewable generation. The co-op has four solar farms and 3,000 rooftop solar installations in its service territory, as well as 4 megawatts of utility-scale battery storage, but it is at its limit. United Power and other co-ops have also criticized Tri-State’s heavy reliance on coal-fired power plants, which provided more than half the association’s electricity in 2021. In addition, the contract makes it impossible to take advantage of cheaper power on the open, wholesale market, Gabriel said. Tri-State charges $75 a megawatt-hour for electricity, while on the open market a comparable price is around $55 a megawatt-hour. “There is a big gap between TriState’s prices and the market,” Gabriel said. Generating and transmission associations, like Tri-State, were created to serve far-flung and often small, rural electric cooperatives, building generating stations and stringing thousands of miles of electric lines. Tri-State has nearly 5,800 miles of transmission lines. How Tri-State calculated its exit fee Tri-State’s position is that any departing association member must pay for its share of all those investments and assure that the remaining members are not left with an unfair financial burden. While United Power, with more than 100,000 accounts, may have options, the North Rio Arriba Electric Cooperative, in Chama, New Mexico, the smallest in the association by revenue, with 3,100 customers, has fewer. “The make-whole approach simply enforces a departing member’s obligations in a long-term contract executed by willing members of Tri-State for the joint benefit of all members,” Metin Celebi, a principal at the Brattle Group, a consulting firm, and a Tri-State expert witness, said in testimony. It is this tug between innovation and open markets on one hand and long-term commitments on the other that is at the heart of the battle — and the calculations over exit fees. “This case reflects a tension a lot of cooperatives will face,” said Gabriel Chan, a professor at the University of Minnesota’s Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, who is studying rural electric cooperatives. Those long-term commitments are based on the fixed or embedded costs of all that infrastructure, while power on the wholesale markets is more supple and based on higher or lower prices at the margin. “Generally, what we’ve seen through the maturation of wholesale markets, through the declining price of renewables, and the volatility of fuel prices is a really big gap between wholesale energy prices, based on marginal costs, and long-term contract prices, based on embedded costs,” Chan said. In its calculations of a contract termination payment, or CTP, Tri-State tallied the portion of the overall debt a cooperative is responsible for based on its revenues, plus the cost of all the electricity it would have bought between now and the end of the contract in 2050. That is how Tri-State determined United Power’s $1.6 billion exit fee — and the fees for the 42 other members. Federal report questions Tri-State’s methodology But Golino, the FERC economist, questioned whether this “lost revenue” method was appropriate and even if it was, he said it lacked “any checks on Tri-State’s motivation and ability to inflate the exit fee.” The Tri-State method does not have the safeguards found in a lost revenue exit calculation approved by FERC years ago, Golino said, such as giving the departing member the option of brokering or remarketing its share of the electricity and generating capacity. “Without these safeguards built into the language of the Modified CTP, there is nothing to prevent Tri-State from once again artificially inflating its exit fees,” he said. Golino also faulted Tri-State for not including more robust figures for the association selling that extra capacity, which would also reduce the exit fee, or accounting for downsizing operations to reduce costs. “An exit fee that is too large creates an unreasonable barrier for a member to exit a cooperative and enter the market,” Golino said. “Such barriers suppress competition and ultimately lead to inefficiencies such as higher prices.” Using a methodology focused on assuring debt repayment, Golino calculated an exit fee for United Power of $154 million, before adding the cost of agreements to purchase power from third-party generators. Golino did concede that “an exit fee that is too small will not only make rates increase for remaining co-op members but cause the co-op to unravel as more and more members leave and expenses for remaining members spiral out of control.” It was this last point that Tri-State representatives hammered home in rebuttal testimony filed with FERC on March 25. “A CTP that is too small would increase rates for remaining members, trigger a rush to the door, and ultimately may well result in financial dissolution of the Tri-State enterprise,” the Brattle Group’s Celebi said. And as for downsizing or marketing the excess power, Tri-State’s options are limited, Brad Nebergall, the association’s senior vice president for energy management, said in a filing. The Tri-State system due to its expansive reach — it covers cooperatives in Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico — and the need to reliably serve every member has limited flexibility in retiring generating capacity, Nebergall said. Nebergall also pushed back on Golino’s criticism that the association underestimated the value of selling the electricity freed up by a United Power departure. “United Power’s load is almost exclusively served with Colorado and Wyoming generation resources,” Nebergall said. “There are transmission limitations precluding the movement of this energy and capacity into and from other regions.” The investment community is watching
While invoking the specter of bankruptcy may seem histrionic, it is a possibility on which the investment community is keeping watch. In January, S&P Global Ratings, one of the three major bond rating agencies, dropped Tri-State’s rating to BBB+, a lower-medium grade, and revised its outlook to negative from stable. It came as eight cooperatives formally asked for exit fee calculations — including five in Colorado. Two cooperatives — the Kit Carson Electric Cooperative, in Taos, New Mexico, and the Delta-Montrose Electric Association, in Delta — have already left. Kit Carson paid a $37 million exit fee in 2019 and DMEA paid $136.5 million in 2020. Golino said the exit fees for both were about double their annual billings, not eight times annual billings as Tri-State is seeking from United Power. “We revised the outlook to negative to reflect our view that the utility faces more pronounced governance exposures following the initiation by three of Tri-State’s members of the two-year notice period for withdrawing from the utility,” S&P Global Ratings credit analyst David Bodek, said at the time. Tri-State’s response to criticism Tri-State has responded to some of the criticism. It is closing coal-fired plants and plans to add 2,375 megawatts of renewable generation by 2030, with 59% of its electricity coming from renewable sources by 2030. It has lifted the 5% cap on local generation and is offering partial contracts. The La Plata Electric Association, in Durango, for example, has signed a contract to get 50% of its electricity from Tri-State and 50% from clean energy provider Crossover Energy. It will have to pay an exit for half of its long-term contract. La Plata is one of the cooperatives that had asked for an exit fee. Tri-State has also cut its wholesale electricity rates 4% and said it will hold them steady through 2030. Still, S&P Global said, “We believe the utility faces significant governance risks. Over more than a decade, three CEOs have struggled to placate members that are expressing dissatisfaction with the level of rates and the utility’s carbon intensity. The notices of intent to withdraw compound these risks.”
The Colorado Sun is a reader-supported news organization that covers Colorado people, places and issues. To sign up for free newsletters, subscribe or learn more, visit ColoradoSun.com
Holy Week Services at Community UMC
April is here, and Easter will be here soon. Community United Methodist Church will have two special services during Holy Week. We will have a Maundy Thursday service on Thursday, April 14, at 6:30 pm. The service will include the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Everyone who attends the service is welcome to receive Communion. A Good Friday service will be held on Friday, April 15, at 6:30 pm. It will be a “Tenebrae” service, a service of meditations as we journey together to the cross. Please join us for these special services, and our Easter worship service on April 17. Our regular worship is 10:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings, including our Easter service. Community UMC is located at 195 S. Main Street in Keenesburg, across the street from Keene Clinic. For more information, please contact the church at 303-732-4319, or email pastorcumc18@gmail.com.
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Sheree’s Seniors 2021
Thank you, everyone for all of your generous donations and help for this years, Adopt a Senior Program. We were able to bless Five senior homes in the Keenesburg, Ft. Lupton and Brighton areas. 215 Seniors in all of the facilities were beyond grateful to receive a special gift this year! As this project grows and grows, so does the awesome support from friends who help make this blessing happen. Thank you, Debby Trupp and the Zoar Baptist Church in Prospect Valley for all of the handwritten notes to the Seniors! Thank you, Helen Sirios, Clara Smith, Lynda Pruett, Lori Burkmeyer, Cathy and Peyton Yauger for your help in putting all of the bags together. Thank you, Mary Wafel and Stacey Moler for helping me deliver all of the special gifts! Thank you, Bob Grand for always working with me to get needed exposure and recognition to the public! Seniors have so much wisdom and stories to share, if we only reach out and take the time to listen! They make you laugh and make you cry but, their sprits usually exude kindness and appreciation. As my sponsor base grows, I will be able to reach out to more facilities and of course more Seniors! I have a plan for 2022. I’ve decided to start collecting donations now and throughout the year. That way it won’t be such a financial crunch at the end of the year. I’ll know if I can add more Seniors towards the holidays. Remember it is a tax deductible donation. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for making this program the success that it is. Clara Smith Helen Sirios Lauren Kirchoff Kayla Reed-Baum Nancy Nulholland Patty Cook Lisa Proksch Rhonda Pippen Jessica Wurtsbaugh Nancy Musselman Jaguar/Land Rover Hanks Hardware A Step Back in Time Market Street Mart Margaret Klausner Alan Graybill Christine Weisenborn Paul Shindledecker Pam Heckard Shelly Nelson Mary & Wilber Wafel Kathy Kovanda Kylene DeFrate Dave Bell Rhona Parker
Jody Nighwsonger Debby Trupp Barb Osborne Janet Sauter Carol Kauffman Nicole Hurtado Marlene Stieber Mary Athearn Christina Roskop The Pepper Pod Tim’s Car Clinic High Plains Bank Kinnear Ins. Agency Hudson Grocery Store Teresa Shindledecker Helen Ries Lori Wise Linda Blackston Rena Oster Monica Strosnider Dorothy Gurtler Paula Amen Sue Kitzman Fred Hallda Scott Loechtel
Progress Update On High Plains Bank Construction In Wiggins – Photo submitted by Allois Soucie
Debby Lewton Helen Arnold Linda Jensen Dale Boehner Denise Kilker Lori Burkmeyer Rob Pippen Marcia Wolff Janeen Hill Keene Market Roggen Elevator TBK Bank Henrylyn Debbie Swank Tara Dreiling Lacee Haffner Lynda Pruett Jennifer Mitchell Linda Jones Johanna Abbott Earlene Becker Roxanne Lang Luanne Andrews Renee Fielder
8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
20#, 30#, 40#,100# Bottle Refills
$2.55 per gallon will call or route
$5,100.00 $3,950.00 $2,950.00
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- Obituary -
Eugene Benjamin Hagans January 10, 1929 ~ February 20, 2022
Eugene B. Hagans passed away at 93, on Sunday, February 20, 2022. He joined his beloved wife, Alta, in heaven who passed away in 1994. Gene was born in Lander, WY on January 10, 1929, to Verne and Grace Hagans. His father worked in the oil fields. Gene was the youngest of three siblings, Bessie (Hagans) Dowdy and Elwin Hagans. At age 10 the Hagans family moved back to the Fort Lupton area to run the family farm northeast of town. Gene met the love of his life, Alta, on a blind date, in 1954. The couple wed in June of 1955. They produced three children, Neena, Gary and Laurie. Gene was active in the Mountain Empire Dairy Association, the Fort Lupton Lions Club and the Fort Lupton United Methodist Church. He and his brother Elwin bought the family dairy farm from their parents and continued on with it until selling out in the 1980’s. Gene went on to work at The House of Smoke in Fort Lupton. His final career choice was to drive a fuel truck for Don Imhof, in Fort Lupton, delivering fuel to farmers and oil rigs. Gene enjoyed fishing, camping and going to church. He has four grandchildren: April (Hagans) Burns of Evanston, WY, Levi Hagans of Loveland, CO, Jacob McCartney of Evans, CO and Kelsey McCartney of Kersey, CO. He also has one great granddaughter, Hailey. Gene was preceded in death by his parents, Verne and Grace (Peckham) Hagans; sister, Bessie (Hagans) Dowdy of Thermopolis, WY; brother, Elwin Hagans of Fort Lupton; and his beloved wife, Alta (Douglas) Hagans. He is survived by his daughters, Neena Hagans of Fort Lupton and Laurie (Bill) McCartney of Kersey; son, Gary (Pam) Hagans of Hudson; four grandchildren and one great granddaughter. Services will be at the Fort Lupton United Methodist Church, 306 Park Ave, in Fort Lupton, CO 80621, on Saturday, March 19, 2022 at 10am. A reception will follow the service. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Gene’s name to the church. Tabor Funeral Home, Brighton, CO handled arrangements.
2022 CCA Science Fair
by Madison Richmann On March 9th all of Cardinal Community Academy middle schoolers presented science fair projects to a panel of judges. Middle school science teacher, Mrs. Sarah Johnson, organizes this annual event for the middle school students of CCA. Minus a few exceptions, the 6th grade class works in groups of three students, the 7th grade class works in pairs, and the 8th grade class works individually. The students presented a slideshow with their project, and outcome following the scientific method. The students also got to choose their projects and get them approved by Mrs. Johnson. The research, tests, etc was conducted throughout the first semester and the first part of the second semester prior to the presentation day. The scores were tight, and judges had a very difficult decision to decide the placings of the projects. Students and the projects were judged by difficulty and complexity, presentation, accurate information, ability to answer questions, understanding of the project and the scientific method, and visual pleasure of slideshow presentation. Results of the 2022 CCA Science Fair 6th grade 1st place: Marin Cantrell and Rylan Barr 2nd place: Hugh Thoene, Drake Young, and Vivian Regelado 3rd place: Vincent Rossi, Ethan Rupple, and Jaydin Harris 7th grade 1st place: Connor Rosling and Mac Kalcevic 2nd place: Dawson Dever and Jeremiah Huck 3rd place: Mae Baker and Anastyn Perez 8th grade 1st place: Isaac Federer 2nd place: Courtney Bydalek 3rd place: Audrey Koehn 4th place: Jackson Epple Overall Reserve Grand Champion: Conner Rosling and Mac Kalcevic The two seventh graders tested how using ratchet straps in different ways will affect how much weight they can hold (straight, twisted, wet.) Conner and Mac called their project “When will it break.” Overall Grand Champion: Isaac Federer The 8th grader tested how different salinities of water would affect brine shrimp eggs hatching. Isaac called his project “ Brine Shrimp with Different Salinities.” Grand Champion, Isaac is pictured. Congratulations to all of the 2022 CCA Science Fair winners!
April 6, 2022
15
Lost Creek Guide
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Lost Creek Guide
April 6, 2022
Lily Farm Fresh Event Center Holds 4th Annual Bridal Show
On Sunday, March 13th, 2022, Lily Farm Fresh Event Center held its 4th Bridal Show. Turn out was fabulous with over 100 people, including 30 brides. There were 15 vendors in attendance: Beauty by KK from Hudson Rooster Entertainment from Platteville Cowgirl Catering from Platteville High Country Catering from Brighton Infinitus Pie Truck from Broomfield Kristens Cottage from Thornton Kevin Robertson Photography from Doug Naes Photography & Video from Lakewood Littleton TeeLee Floral from Golden The Bridal Pantry from Keenesburg Glam 5280 from Thornton Pitstop Liquor from Hudson JD Security from Keenesburg Colorado Resins Floral from Highlands Bake My Day from Westminster Ranch Adore Florals from Brighton Best Western Hotel from Hudson “We love having the barn weddings here and they love getting married here, they are especially fund of the stunning prairie and mountain views”, says Jana, with the Bridal Pantry. Lily Farm Fresh Event Center opened in October 2018. The roots of the event center come from Lily Fresh Farm Skin Care, the pioneer and first organic skin care company in Colorado, since 1986. When our skin care customers came out to our farm in Henderson, they all wanted to get married and have their celebration on our farm. In 2015 we bought 80 acres in Keenesburg. “Our goal was to build the premier event center to host Colorado Budget Barn Weddings”, Lily said. We have easy all inclusive packages for all budgets. Brides can customize all-inclusive packages or choose their own vendors. We work hard to make our venue extremely affordable for our brides on a budget. Not only do we have the best prices, but brides can also save thousands by BYOB and brining their own food said Dana, the General Manager. Lily says,” It is the Bride’s Day and she should have it her way.” Customer Service & Support: 303 – 455-4194 Lily Farm Fresh Event Center & Lily Farm Fresh Skin Care
HYBRID ANNUAL MEETING
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2022 4:30 P.M. REGISTRATION | 6:30 P.M. MEETING BEGINS The 2022 Annual Meeting will be held as a hybrid event that members may attend either online or in person. All members are invited to attend and engage with cooperative leadership and connect with fellow members. The in-person meeting will be held at the Riverdale Regional Park & Fairgrounds on April 13 and livestreamed on United Power’s website. Registration opens at 4:30 p.m. and the official business meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. The virtual stream will begin at the start of the business meeting at www.unitedpower.com/annual-meeting.
VOTING YOUR BALLOT IN THE 2022 DIRECTOR ELECTION Three positions on United Power’s eleven-member board are up for election, one seat in the East, South and West Districts. This year, members may vote in the director election electronically through their online account or return it by mail. Voting online is a fast and secure way to submit your ballots and avoid delays in mail handling. Ballots must arrive at the P.O. Box by noon on April 12, 2022. United Power is monitoring COVID-19 restrictions. In the event conditions do not permit an in-person event, the virtual format will still be available. Visit www.unitedpower.com for updates and current health department requirements.
Hudson, fiber is coming.
LC_CVInd_4.625x6.875_AnnualMeeting2022.indd 1
A Special Place Where Talented People Bring Their Home-made Crafts to Sell We are open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 12 noon to 5 pm, and Saturday 10 am to 5 pm 65 Main Street, Keenesburg, Colorado 303-910-0640
2/24/2022 9:32:50 AM