Volume 13 • Edition 22
November 18, 2020
Serving rural Adams, Morgan, and Weld Counties
“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
Field of Honor ® Veterans’ Day November 11th, 2020, Fort Lupton Colorado
An Army Veteran and his dog attending the event.
By Bob Grand It would have seemed difficult to redo the opening day of the Field of Honor ® but the Citizen’s Advisory Committee were successful. Mayor Zo Stieber of Fort Lupton welcomed everyone again. The innovation was given by Pastor Keith Besel, of Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church. The colors were presented by the Firestone Fire Department, with the Gilcrest Fire Department presenting the flag folding ceremony. The National Anthem was song by Ms. Amber Ramirez, who, again, did a very nice rendition. Col. Michael Cobb, Commander of the U.S. Army Pueblo Chemical Depot, gave a very nice address celebrating the day to the attendees, many of whom were veterans who appre4ciated his kind words. Mike West, the Lone Piper, of the Colorado Emerald Society Pipes & Drums, gave quite a rendition of melodies which were in the spirit of the day. Closing remarks were made by Duanne Russel, retired volunteer firefighter & U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, who is President of the Legion Riders out of the Firestone American Legion Post 1985. Duanes comments were very fitting for the day and explained in detail many of the events and efforts that the American Legion sponsors in the community. An excellent presentation that was appreciated by all. The effort by the City of Fort Lupton and the Citizen’s Advisory committee was impressive. The broad support, across all levels of the community was apparent. Hats off to an effort that shows we can work together to make our community a better place to live, remembering those who have served and those that continue to serve. A job well done by the Committee and all the people of Fort Lupton.
City of Fort Lupton Field of Honor Opening Ceremony
Col. & Mrs. Michael W. Cobb and Nancy Sue Lash, WAC Veteran.
Mike West, Lone Piper, Colorado Emerald Society Pipes & Drums.
Mike West, the Lone Piper from Colorado Emerald Society Pipes & Drums with attendees.
Ronnie and Judy Cerretto
Weld County Commissioner At Large Elect Perry Buck and Zo Stieber, Mayor of Fort Lupton.
Col. Michael W. Cobb, Commander U.S. Army Pueblo Chemical Depot, Pueblo, Colorado
Nancy Sue Lash, Womens Army Corp (WAC) Veteran and Mayor Zo Stieber of Ft. Lupton
WHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE:
See more Pictures on Page 16
Page 2: Way of the World Page 3: Morgan County Unofficial Election Results Page 4-5: Weld County Unofficial Election Results Page 7: The Imperative a Constitutional Presidential Election Page 9: Lockdown Count Restaurants at Risk Page 13: It’s Time for Us to Get Mad Page 13: The Trump Vote Page 16: Ft. Lupton Field of Honor Ceremony
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– Way of the World –
Lost Creek Guide
by Bob Grand The Presidential election is ending, I hope. The most votes ever cast, which is a plus. It is so close nationally that there is no call yet. Trump is going through the motions he is legally entitled to do. He has that right. Voting has never been perfect, but it rarely has been so close in so many states. The answer is yes there probably are dead people who vote, there are probably people whose ballot is handled by other people, there are examples of fraud where, to be generous, overzealous people do things that are questionable. Counting the ballots, and recounting, where appropriate should be done. When that is completed, and all the reasonable legal challenges are exhausted we should have a result. Then we need to move forward. If Biden wins there is no massive mandate to radically alter how our government functions. Contrary to what the extreme left thinks the country is split about 50 50, how is that a mandate? More to the point it looks like the Republicans will maintain the majority in the United States Senate. Georgia has not elected a Democratic Senator in over 70 years. Nobody is speaking about the United States House of Representatives where the Democrats not only did not pick up seats, but they also effectively lost more than a few. They still hold a majority but barely, possibly as few as 4, depending on races that are still too close to call. Talk of a mandate is certainly being a bit overzealous. The real world says that the Democrats have a particularly good chance of losing control of the House of Representatives in 2022. If Joe Biden turns out to be the winner, he will not be looking at a mandate from the people, as his extreme left was expecting. The reality is that life will be a challenge for the Democrats for the next two years, Our elected officials. At all levels, work to be addressing our major issues, of which there are many. The COVID 19 issue is still here, cases are up but average hospital stays are down as well as deaths per unit of measurement. That still does not mean it is resolved. It looks like there will be vaccines available, something the President had said. That does not stop the Governor of New York, Mario Cuomo, from saying that New York will have their own criteria for evaluating the vaccines. Like it or not, the hatred for the President runs very deep in the Democratic Party and their extreme leftist base. The President has not stepped back from the fight and that probably cost him some votes, how many we will never know. The bottom line is the actions of the Democratically controlled areas, especially the major cities, will result in unpresented loss of revenue. Either services will have to be reduced or taxes raised. With margins so close in the Senate and the House it is really questionable whether the federal government will be willing to bail out the urban areas in a way they would have expected with a Democratic President. The State of Colorado will have its own challenges to face. The reduction in revenue from the travel & tourism trade and especially, oil & gas will give the Governor and his party a mighty challenge. The test will be how they address it. Unlike the federal government, Colorado has to have a balanced budget. We all, as citizens, have a responsibility to be aware of what our elected officials are doing. In the past this was helped by our news media organization, either print or digital. Today that is just not true. The bias that exists is not that of a free democracy. The media highlights the bad issues of who it opposes and, for the most part ignores stories that are negative about the people they support. That is just not a healthy environment for any of us. Today it is one set of opponents, who will it be tomorrow? I am a free market person, but I believe that elected officials should be looking hard at the anti-trust considerations involved in today’s media, both print and social media. We need to make sure we take some responsibility for holding our elected officials accountable. Sorry but that is how the system is supposed to work. Unfortunately, we, the people, have allowed the two-party structure to deteriorate into party operatives making decisions that have far reaching consequences, for the country, our county and each of us individually. As usual I appreciate your thoughts and comments: publisher@lostreekguide.com Thank you for those that have responded, some interesting ideas.
November 18, 2020
PUC to Take Written Comment Until Dec. 23 on Area Code Overlay Plan
DENVER — A Public Utilities Commission (PUC) administrative law judge will accept written comment until Dec. 23, 2020, on a request for approval of a new area code overlay to provide numbering relief for Colorado’s current 303/720 area code. The North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA), the neutral, third-party numbering relief planner, filed the request in May on behalf of the Colorado telecommunications industry. Absent the relief, the 303/720 area code is projected to run out of useable numbers during the second quarter of 2023. In order for relief to be implemented before numbering exhaust occurs, the industry is requesting the PUC issue an order no later than fourth quarter of 2021 approving a ninemonth implementation schedule. Adherence to this schedule will allow the new area code to be implemented six months prior to the projected exhaust, according to the petition. The 303/720 area code covers the north-central portion of Colorado, including the Denver metro area. Colorado had just one area code (303) until 1988, when 719 was introduced in southeast Colorado. In 1995, the 970 area code was added to serve the northern and western part of the state. Then, in 1998, the 720 area code was overlaid on top of the 303 code to provide number relief in the Denver metro area. The proposed all-services overlay would superimpose a new area code over the same geographic area covered by the existing 303/720 area code and is projected to last 25 years. All existing customers would retain their 303 or 720 area code and would not have to change their telephone numbers. The current dialing pattern – 10-digit local calling and 1 + 10-digit long distance calling – would remain the same. Industry participants reached consensus to recommend to the PUC a nine-month schedule for implementing the all-services overlay. That period would include customer education and network preparation by telecommunications providers. Activation of the new area code would take place no later than the fourth quarter of 2022. Members of the public may submit written comments until Dec. 23 regarding the overlay relief plan and the industry’s joint implementation proposal by using the PUC’s on-line comment form under proceeding 20V-0192T. About the PUC The Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) serves the public interest by effectively regulating utilities and facilities so that the people of Colorado receive safe, reliable, and reasonably-priced services consistent with the economic, environmental and social values of our state. About DORA The Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) is dedicated to preserving the integrity of the marketplace and is committed to promoting a fair and competitive business environment in Colorado. Consumer protection is our mission. Visit www.colorado.gov/dora for more information or call 303-894-7855/toll free 1-800-886-7675.
The Lost Creek Guide, Llc Bob Grand - Publisher 303-732-4080 publisher@lostcreekguide.com Our deadline is 7 working days before publication
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R OGGEN T ELEPHONE
November 18, 2020
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Lost Creek Guide
Morgan County Unofficial Election Results, Nov. 4, 2020
Editorial Comment
What do John Hickenlooper & Lori Saine Have in Common?
By Bob Grand Way too much! Both were elected in this past election. Hickenlooper as the U.S. Senator from Colorado and Saine as the Weld County Commissioner for District 3. Both were supported strongly by forces from outside the District they were elected to represent. Both received way more donor money from people outside the District they represent. Both displayed a distain to meet with their constituents or explain what they planned to do to be advocates for their constituents. Strangely they are from different parties. Another similarity is they were promoted by their respective party establishment drivers. Ask Andrew Romanoff or Tommy Holton. The sad part is that the party establishments, believe that is ok. What it says is that they do not care about the electorate, it is all about control. In Hickenlooper’s case New York United States Senator Chuck Schumer strongly supported him with both California and New York money. The aim was to oust Cory Gardner. The travesty is that Cory Gardner was recognized as one of the best bi-partisan U.S. Senators in Washington. His record of real accomplishment and achievement for all the people of Colorado was impressive. Combined, Senator Bennet and Senator Hiockenlooper will be hard pressed to achieve a fraction of what Cory Gardner did. Gardner’s sin was that he worked with the Trump administration. Well how do you think things get done? But no, getting things done was not the measurement he faced. It was the ingrained hatred of Trump that Gardner had to deal with along with a Colorado Republican party that has a hard time conversing with anyone who is not true red. Be careful when God gives you what you ask for. This past weekend Ken Buck thanked all the folks supporting the Republican effort. Proudly announcing all the contacts that were made. Well the measurement is the results. Ask Cory Gardner if it was as effective as the picture Ken Bucks paints. he picture. Joe Biden will probably be our next President. But he will not have a Democratically controlled Senate and the House of Representative majority is thin at best with the Republicans picking up more seats than the Democrats ever dreamed of. All signs are the Republicans will pick up the House in the next election cycle. Biden will have won by a hair. Nowhere near the mandate that the polls said he would have. We have many issues to be resolved that really require a serious bi-partisan effort. I am not optimistic, As far as Hickenlooper goes, his election night statement that “ Washington is broken he plans to work on fixing it” sounds good but what will he do? Wave a magic wand or just dance to Chuck Schumer’s tune. As for Lori Saine the same can be said, except in her case it is not Chuck Schumer but the establishment Weld County Republicans. In either case, we have nobody to blame but ourselves. The good news is we had a record voter turnout The message is we can get the vote out. Our next challenge is to get the voters to be informed. A challenge. I have to say that Hickenlooper and Saine had other thing in common to mention. Both were endorsed by the Greeley newspaper. The Greeley newspaper was founded on November 16th, 1870. So on Tuesday, November 16th, 2020 it is 150 years old. Quite a record. Unfortunately, the Greeley paper of the last few years has not yet earned the journalism track record that the history of the paper has shown. We, as citizens, have an obligation to be informed. Thomas Jefferson said: “ If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed”. It just would help if our media folks, both print and radio, and all social media remembered that they are supposed to report the news, not try to make or influence it.
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Lost Creek Guide
November 18, 2020
Weld County Unofficial Election Results, Nov. 4, 2020
November 18, 2020
Lost Creek Guide
Weld County Unofficial Election Results, Nov. 4, 2020
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Wagoneers News
October 12, 2020 Meeting
By Wyatt Wilcox Unfinished Business Discussed: Mardi Gras 2020 - Mardi Gras this year will not be in-person due to COVID-19. This year’s theme is Riding Out the Rona. As of this writing, the following have been scheduled: Traeger Grill Raffle - Raffle Tickets must be dropped off at the Extension Office by November 6. The 4-H club, council, or group who sells the winning ticket will be awarded $100 and two runner-ups will receive $50. Half of the funds raised from the raffle will go back to the group that sold them. Silent Auction - Clubs are welcome to bring something for the silent auction! Auction items need to be dropped off at the Extension Office by Nov. 13 or earlier. Club Basket Challenge - 4-H Clubs can design baskets and enter them to raise funds for the 4-H Foundation. Baskets are due by Nov. 13 or earlier. 4-H Website and Enrollment - The online 4-H Platform and Enrollment site will be closed from September 14, to loosely November 1 for maintenance. Members are asked to please re-enroll for this upcoming 4-H year (Oct. 1 – Sept. 30). Demonstration Sign-Ups- Club members can now sign up for their demonstration projects. Trick or Treat Street - This year’s Trick or Treat Street will be happening on Saturday, Oct. 24 at the Southeast Weld County Fairgrounds from 4-6. There will not be a concession stand, or games this year. New Business Discussed: Officer Nominations - Next month the club will be taking member’s officer nominations. Members New Cloverbud Leader - Thank you to Mrs. Erin Bydalek for volunteering to be the new Cloverbud leader!
8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
$15.50
$1.29 per gallon will call or route
$3,535.00 $2,183.00
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It’s Winter Driving Time
Lost Creek Guide
By Master Trooper Gary Cutler Well we have a couple of snowstorms under our belt already this year and we have had our standard crashes that come with those storms. Just as you need to get used to your sea legs when sailing, you need to be ready for snow when driving and how your vehicle will respond to different surface textures. So, these are the topics I want to hit on in this article this year: freezing rain, windblown snow, and compacted snow. Freezing rain scares me the most. I’ve been doing this job for 17 years now and in my opinion this one catches drivers off-guard the most each year. Because a driver sees the road, speeds are usually faster and the resulting crashes are more extreme. It comes down to how drivers perceive road conditions when the roadway surface, whether it be asphalt, or concrete, is visible. So, this means speeds remain too fast because drivers don’t consider the road surface may be slick. Just because you can see the roadway doesn’t mean its safe for fast speeds. If it’s raining and the temperatures are low, that rain can quickly turn to black ice. Windblown roads. This is when it has snowed, but no longer snowing and there are wind gusts blowing snow over the roadway. Sometimes this is only happening in specific areas, so the perception is the road surfaces are dry. But in fact, this area will ice up a road almost immediately. Especially as the snow blows across the roadway and vehicles drive over and compact the snow even more turning it icy. Drivers assume that since it’s no longer snowing and the roads are clear, speeds can be higher. Not always so. Compacted snow roadway surfaces. This is when the snow on the road has a visible amount of snow on it and has been compacted. This can cause traction to be a problem. There can also be a layer of ice that is hidden causing driving on it to be even more dangerous. Treat it as a slick surface. When driving in adverse weather and you are around other vehicles, make sure to give your self more distance for stopping. There is no reason to be so close that when your tires don’t grab, you end up meeting your fellow driver in a fender bender. Try to double your usual distance. That may seem a lot, but it helps prevent unintentional crashes. To all of my 4-wheel drivers out there. I know, I have a truck too, but just because you have better traction doesn’t mean you won’t end up off the side of the road or hitting someone because the truck slid into them. We cover many truck crashes in the winter due to over confidence in how they handle in bad weather. Also try not tot get too close to vehicles going slower then you due to road condition. One last thought. Anytime the roads look wet, from either water or snow on them, never use your cruise control. If you hit standing water, snow, or ice, and you have cruise control on you are more than likely going to wreck. It’s a mixture of slower reaction time and braking when you shouldn’t be braking that late. Remember to use my favorite saying. If it’s raining, treat the road as if it’s snowing. If it’s snowing, treat the road as if its ice. If the road is icy, just stay home. Drive safely, arrive alive. As always, safe travels!
November 18, 2020
Colorado FFA Foundation Announces 2021 Farm Credit Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame Inductees
The Colorado FFA Foundation announced today three inductees into the Farm Credit Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame. Mr. Bob Dineen, Fort Lupton, Mr. Al Gerace, Arvada, and Mr. Nick Gray, (posthumous) formerly from Montrose, will all be formally honored and inducted into the Farm Credit Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame in February 2021 at the annual Hall of Fame Banquet. “We are excited to honor and recognize all three of these gentlemen this year. Their accomplishments are remarkable and have been impactful. We continue to be so impressed with the quality of candidates submitted each year” said Jenna H. Keller, Chair of the Colorado FFA Foundation. Plans are underway to continue to hold The Farm Credit Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame banquet in February of 2021. The Colorado FFA Foundation will continue to work to find the best way possible to honor the accomplishments of these men while adhering to guidelines as required to hold public events. In one way or another, friends, peers and business associates will recognize the three inductees during the Farm Credit Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Feb. 24, 2021. The honorees will join 94 other outstanding Colorado agriculturists who have been similarly honored since 1989. All Agriculture Hall of Fame members’ portraits are displayed in the Farm Credit Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame in the CoBank Center for Agricultural Education at Colorado State University. Hosted by the Colorado FFA Foundation, the induction ceremony is held yearly to induct members into the Agriculture Hall of Fame who have significantly contributed to Colorado’s second largest industry. A unique, multi-media presentation will highlight the life of each new inductee during the ceremony.
-ObituarySHIRLEY (ARNOLD) GRAYBILL Shirley Lee (Arnold) Graybill, 85, of Keenesburg passed away November 11, 2020. Shirley was born on September 3, 1935 to George and Ida Arnold in Adams City, Colorado. She graduated from Keenesburg High School, the Skippers, in 1953. Shirley loved cheerleading and dancing. She taught dance lessons in Keenesburg for years and traveled the state with a dance troupe. She was featured on television and even danced at the Stanley Hotel. She proudly represented the Southeast Weld County Rodeo as Queen in 1949 and later she and Bill were recognized as Grand Marshalls. On October 25, 1953 she married William Richard Graybill at the Community United Methodist Church in Keenesburg while he was home on leave from the Army. In February of 1957 they welcomed their daughter Jeanette Elaine. In May, 1958, William David was born. Four years later son Alan Eugene arrived. Gary Lee was born September 1963 and Gerald Ray completed the family in July, 1969. In the 1950s, Shirley and Bill made a home south of Keenesburg on the dryland. She was integral in the chicken business, gathering thousands of eggs and candling them while she cared for her young children and cooked for the farm employees. Many of the farm hands would forego their pay just for a meal from Shirley. While they lived on the dryland, she became a member of the U and I Club. She cherished her friendships with these ladies and nothing could interfere with “Club”. She was a lifelong member. Later in life, she was a member of the Shirley’s Club of Greeley and the Shirley’s Club of Denver. She loved her interactions and friendships with other Shirleys. In 1963, they moved from the dryland to their home on Road 49. They lived there for 53 years before relocating to Keenesburg. Shirley worked on the farm, irrigating and baling hay. She was also a professional seamstress and operated a drapery business with her mother. In her spare time, she baked and decorated wedding cakes. She was a Mary Kay consultant for 27 years and valued time spent with her customers and her Mary Kay family. Shirley’s hands were never idle and were always helping anyone in need. She was blessed with a servant’s heart and left an imprint of it on everyone she met. She was known for her amazing talents in the kitchen and she was always the consummate hostess. You could never visit without being offered a cup of coffee and a cookie or piece of cake. Bill and Shirley loved to travel and were fortunate enough to visit all 50 states and Mexico and Canada. Many of their favorite memories revolve around travel adventures with their friends. She loved cruising, train travel, and road trips. Shirley’s greatest legacy is her family. She was proud of her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She and Bill rarely missed a game or an event they were involved in and she taught all of them to dance in the kitchen. The ideal day for Shirley included a houseful of family, a table brimming with food, lots of laughter and card games galore. Shirley is preceded in death by her parents, her brothers Daryl Arnold and Claude Arnold, sisters Marie Beckett and Stella Meints and brother-in-law Bob Graybill. She is survived by her husband of 67 years, Bill and their children, Jeanette (Brent) Beichle of Greeley, David (Sherrie) Graybill of Roundup, Montana, Alan Graybill of Keenesburg, Gary (Jandale) Graybill of Greeley and Gerald (Kelly) Graybill of Keenesburg; grandchildren Mindy (Ty) Frost, Jordan (Nicole) Beichle, Julie Beichle, Stephanie (Zach) Robinson, MacKenzie Graybill, Jessica (Uly) Johnson, Maddison Graybill, Jamie (Jesse) Bowden, and George Graybill; great grandchildren Kaden Frost and Quinn Frost. Siblings Pearl Whitman, Larry (Sharon) Arnold, Pam Timm, siblings-in-law Chuck Graybill, Jim Graybill and Shirley Hopkins survive Shirley as do numerous nieces and nephews. A viewing will be held on November 16 from 3-5 at Adamson’s Mortuary, 2000 47th Avenue, Greeley. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, a private celebration of life will be held with family. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Community United Methodist Church, PO Box 195, Keenesburg CO 80643.
November 18, 2020
Lost Creek Guide
The Imperative of a Constitutional Presidential Election
by Newt Gingrich Before a single state had certified the election, the propaganda media coronated Joe Biden as President-Elect. Before the vote counting had even finished, the media closed ranks and rallied around Biden. Before lawsuits had even been filed in six different states – and long before they would be resolved in court – the anti-Trump media had rejected them sight unseen and created the drumbeat that Trump should concede. (Of course, this is the same media that had been 93 percent negative in its coverage of his administration.) Before the various states held canvasses and validated their vote counts, the news media began to complain that President Trump was refusing to play his role and surrender. Yet, these complaints, this rush to judgement, and the creation of a psychological lynch mob mentality all miss the key point about a presidential election – it is a constitutional process with a deliberate, determined sequence of events designed to protect the presidency from mob rule. Federalist No. 68 explains the importance of an ordered sequence to take the passion of the mob and the manipulation of interest groups out of the presidential election process: “the election of the President is pretty well guarded. … It was also peculiarly desirable to afford as little opportunity as possible to tumult and disorder. This evil was not least to be dreaded in the election of a magistrate, who was to have so important an agency in the administration of the government as the President of the United States. But the precautions which have been so happily concerted in the system under consideration, promise an effectual security against this mischief. …” “Nothing was more to be desired than that every practicable obstacle should be opposed to cabal, intrigue, and corruption. These most deadly adversaries of republican government might naturally have been expected to make their approaches from more than one querter, but chiefly from the desire in foreign powers to gain an improper ascendant in our councils. How could they better gratify this, than by raising a creature of their own to the chief magistracy of the Union? But the convention have guarded against all danger of this sort, with the most provident and judicious attention. They have not made the appointment of the President to depend on any preexisting bodies of men, who might be tampered with beforehand to prostitute their votes; but they have referred it in the first instance to an immediate act of the people of America, to be exerted in the choice of persons for the temporary and sole purpose of making the appointment. And they have excluded from eligibility to this trust, all those who from situation might be suspected of too great devotion to the President in office. No senator, representative, or other person holding a place of trust or profit under the United States, can be of the numbers of the electors. Thus without corrupting the body of the people, the immediate agents in the election will at least enter upon the task free from any sinister bias.” So, the Founding Fathers anticipated that each state would have an election and choose electors who would be protected from mob rule and from foreign manipulation. Remember: The Founding Fathers had lived through British and French efforts to manipulate the American political system and undermine America’s independence. They would not have been surprised at the danger of Russian and Chinese interference. To achieve freedom from the mob, corrupting interests, and foreign influence, the authors of the US Constitution set up a system of checks and balances. First, they put control of the process in the hands of state legislatures. As the Constitution says: “Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors.” Note that the Constitution puts the power in the hands of the state legislature – not the state courts – and thus provides the legal basis for the legislatures in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada, and Arizona to intervene and thoroughly investigate potential problems in their voting process – and determine whether fraud on a grand scale has been committed. This power of the states is emphasized in Federalist No. 45: “The State governments may be regarded as constituent and essential parts of the federal government; whilst the latter is nowise essential to the operation or organization of the former. Without the intervention of the State legislatures, the President of the United States cannot be elected at all. They must in all cases have a great share in his appointment, and will, perhaps, in most cases, of themselves determine it.” The Constitution does reserve the power to set the election to the United States Congress: “The Congress may determine the Time of chusing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes; which Day shall be the same throughout the United States.” (Read as a strict constitutionalist, this might pose a problem for all early voting – and extended voting. It is something which needs to be thoroughly explored.) Finally, if no outcome is clear, the power reverts to the Congress to choose the president. The Federalist makes this clear: “But as a majority of the votes might not always happen to centre in one man, and as it might be unsafe to permit less than a majority to be conclusive, it is provided that, in such a contingency, the House of Representatives shall select out of the candidates who shall have the five highest number of votes, the man who in their opinion may be best qualified for the office.” When you look at the various steps the Founding Father created to ensure no presidential election could be corrupted or stolen, you can appreciate how far the propaganda media and its allies have gone in trying to rush the process and eliminate the constitutional system. Every American should demand that their rights be protected by insisting on the constitutional process being followed.
Wagoneers News
Page 7
Saturday November 7, 2020
Wyatt Wilcox The Wagoneers 4-H Club met on Saturday, November 7, 2020. Unfinished Business Discussed: Trick or Treat Street – Thank everyone who came to Trick or Treat Street this year! Thank you to all our sponsors for making this year successful! Here are the top favorite booths: 1. Joe Exotic – Dever Family 2. Area 51 – Hall Family 3. Scooby Doo – Bydalek Family Mardi Gras – The Mardi Gras theme for this year is Riding Out the Rona and will not be in person. Some events that will still be happening are: • Traeger Grill Raffle – The Traeger Grill Raffle tickets have been sold. Half of the funds from ticket sales will go back directly to the club who sold them. The group who sold the winning ticket will receive an additional $100. Two runners-up will receive $50. • Silent Auction – Items for the silent auction must be dropped off by November 13. They will be actioned online by Rocky Mountain Estates. • Club Basket Challenge – Clubs are welcome to create a basket and enter it. All baskets are due by Nov 13 as well. Prizes will be given to the club winners and the funds will go directly to the 4-H Foundation. The baskets will also be sold via RM Estates. 4-H Online Platform Update – The 4-H website has undergone many changes. The website now looks different, signing in is easier and quicker. However, some may need to reset their password because of new password requirements. Clubs and projects will also need to be selected again. But the ID for animal and dog projects is not available yet. 4-H Enrollment – A 4-H year is from Oct 1 to Sept 30, this year, enrollment can only be done online. 4-H requires a fee of $35 per regular member and $25 for Cloverbuds. Our additional club fee is only $10. New Business Discussed: Meat Quality Assurance Program – Market and breeding livestock projects, plus small animal projects require a passing and current Meat Quality Assurance class test score. Members who are taking an MQA class required project for the first time, those with expired MQAs, and other members who took the online MQA only good for the 2020 year will need to retake the MQA. MQA meetings will be in person with COVID-19 guidelines in place. COIVID-19 Waiver – New and existing 4-H families/members need to sign the COVID waiver that expired on September 30th. Club Officer Nominations - Wagoneers officer nominations were taken for the 2021 year. The vote will be held at the December meeting after nominees present their speeches. Song Leader: Current: Courtney Bydalek Nominated: Garret Hall, Courtney Bydalek, and Addison Powers Treasurer: Current: Wyatt Hall Nominated: Wyatt Hall, Emma Wilcox, and Cody Bydalek Reporter: Current: Wyatt Wilcox Nominated: Wyatt Wilcox, Cody Powers, and Emily Spayd Secretary: Current: Sydney Vaughn Nominated: Sydney Vaughn and Courtney Bydalek Vice President: Current: Cody Bydalek Nominated: Cody Bydalek and Stacy Patton President: Current: Elizabeth Spayd Nominated: Elizabeth Spayd
Keene Craft Mercantile
A Special Place Where Talented People Bring Their Home-made Crafts to Sell Booths are $25 and Tables are $20 We are open Tuesday through Saturday from 1 pm to 6 pm 65 Main Street, Keenesburg, Colorado 303-910-0640
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Lost Creek Guide
3 Reasons America Is Great
COMMENTARY BY Jarrett Stepman@JarrettStepman Jarrett Stepman is a contributor to The Daily Signal and co-host of The Right Side of History podcast. Send an email to Jarrett. He is also the author of the new book, “The War on History: The Conspiracy to Rewrite America’s Past.” Independence Day in 2020 will have great meaning to many Americans. As we’ve seen many symbols of America’s past get literally smashed by mobs, it’s important for those who still love their country to reflect on why it is exceptional and worth fighting for. America has always been great and can be greater still. This is certainly not an exhaustive list of why America is great, of which there are almost countless examples big and small. Two regimes are fighting an ideological war in America today. But what side are you on? And how can you sharpen up on how to defend your position? Learn more now >> But these examples are more unique to America, unique to why America rose from nothing to become the world’s preeminent superpower in such a short amount United States flags blow in the wind in Malibu, California. of time. (Photo: Lynne Gilbert/Getty Images) 1. A Culture of Self-Government Americans, even before the birth of the United States in 1776, have always been a self-governing people. One of the first orders of business for the Pilgrim settlers when they arrived on the shores of Massachusetts was to create the Mayflower Compact, a basic statement of selfgovernment and loyalty to the British crown. The Jamestown colony in Virginia set up the House of Burgesses in 1619, the first legislative assembly in the New World. Following their heritage, the British colonies in America almost immediately established institutions of self-government where community participation in the creation and upholding of laws was extensive. But in the almost two centuries between the arrival of British colonists in America and the American Revolution, the colonists’ attachment to self-government deepened in comparison to their cousins back in England, where representation was often more symbolic rather than actual. Amid Parliament’s ultimately foolish attempts to ham-handedly rein in the colonies at the end of the French and Indian War, it was the Crown that triggered the separation, the drive for total independence. The thought of losing their grip on self-government made the colonists believe that they would soon end up in the vice of absolute tyranny. After years of discontent and pleading with British authorities to loosen their grip of control, the colonies rebelled. The Declaration of Independence, a remarkable and timeless document, did not just lay out the essential God-given rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in its most famous lines. It also lays out the blow by blow steps of the British government and the colonies to establish that it was not just the rights of the colonists that had been violated, but that the very tools of self-government that could have rectified the situation had been arbitrarily stripped from them.
Americans were a people fitted for liberty and would tolerate no less. 2. The Constitution and the Rule of Law When the Founding Fathers set about creating our own system of government, they codified the principles of self-government to serve countless generations unborn. After the false start, so to speak, of the Articles of Confederation, the Framers wrote, and the American people ratified, the Constitution of the United States. This remarkable document created a framework of America’s federal system that lasts still today despite the countless societal changes that have occurred in the last two centuries. And while, in many ways, that constitutional and federal system has been eroded over time, Americans have remained committed to the idea of the Constitution as the glue that defines our government and binds Americans under a single system with many parts. This is the cornerstone of liberty and order that defines our republic, ensures that we have an energetic but ultimately limited government. Certainly, other nations have codified their laws and created founding documents of many stripes, but none matches the enduring legacy of the Constitution of the United States. The American civilization may be young, but our system of government is quite old, and has excelled through the test of time. 3. The American Dream Self-government and the Constitution have made America strong and adaptable to changing circumstances. Just as importantly, they’ve created a system whereby the average person can thrive and prosper. The country’s strength lies in the millions of free-born, self-governing, and self-sufficient people who have taken the protections our unique government provides and created the most wealthy and prosperous nation in human history. Americans are, and have always been, an enterprising people. But more than just create wealth, we have used our wealth and prosperity. America’s attachment to the rule of law and defense of private property has allowed the growth of an expansive middle-class. Yes, America has produced many titans of industry, but the real source of our strength is the fact that the average American has had opportunities to generate wealth and prosperity and create a vibrant civil society. Many homesteaders went West to get rich, but many more went West to build families and ensure that their children would have a better life than they had. That’s the spirit of America. We have used our tremendous resources not only to improve our own lives but the lives of others. And because of our enormous prosperity Americans remain, by far, the most generous people on Earth. This Fourth of July, as with every Independence Day, we should be thankful and grateful to be Americans, we should be proud of what our country—though imperfect as all of mankind is imperfect—has accomplished. It is important and essential that at this time we remember, defend, and pass on what has made this country great. A Note for our Readers: These are trying times in our nation’s history. Two regimes are fighting an ideological war in America today, with polar opposite viewpoints on public policy and the government’s role in our lives. Our friends at The Heritage Foundation asked world-class speaker, educator, and researcher David Azerrad to walk you through his research and outline the differences between the “two regimes” in our society today—conservatism and progressivism—and their primary differences. When you get access to this course today, you’ll learn key takeaways like what it means to be a conservative, what “modern progressivism” is, how a conservative worldview differs from a progressive one, and much, much more. You will come away from this online course with a better understanding of the differing points of view, how they align with your principles, and how to defend your beliefs. Don’t wait—start taking “The Case for Conservatism” course online now.
kinnearinsurance@outlook.com
November 18, 2020
November 18, 2020
-Obituaries-
Lost Creek Guide
WILLIAM PATE STONNER II William Pate Stonner II (Bill) (Bo) of Brighton February 26, 1971 - October 29, 2020. Dad, Son, Brother, Uncle, Nephew and Friend. Bill passed away Thursday morning of a heart attack after a forty-six-year battle with type 1 Diabetes. Bill was born at Valley View hospital in Thornton, Colorado to William Pate Stonner and Loretta Pearl Stonner (Thompson). He spent his early childhood in Lochbuie Colorado. Bill attended Hudson Elementary and Weld Central Jr. & Sr. Highschool from where he graduated in 1989. He married and has two children, a son William Pate Stonner III born in 1997 and a daughter Alexis Michelle Paige Stonner born in 2001. Bill was involved in the the Boy Scouts and achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in 1989. Bill was an avid collector if comics, (particularly Spider-man) ceramic dragons and Sunday paper recipes. Bill loved attending his children’s sporting events and school activities. Bill was always quick with a joke and had a quick wit about him. He had a different take on life. He was most loved and will be missed by many. Bill is survived by his parents Bill and Lorie Stonner, his children Will and Alexis, his brothers Jason (Kristina Heinmiller) Stonner of Plattsmouth Nebraska and Michael (Jodi Miller) Stonner of Keenesburg, nieces Arizona (Joel), Taylor, Dilynn and Grace, nephews Jaden, Logan and Odin and great nephew Aiden. Bill is also survived by his uncles Dan and Gary Thompson, both of Hudson, Jeff (Linda) Stonner of Aurora and aunt Peggy Eversole of Thornton. Services will be held at Coyote Creek Ranch, 28376 WCR 6, Keenesburg, CO, on November 28th at 11am. Officiated by Pastor Rick Hernbloom of the Longs Peak Church in Brighton.
GLEN ARDEN Glen Arden, a young 91, of Hudson, Colorado, born in Burlington, Colorado on November 19th, 1928, passed away, peacefully, at home on October 17th, 2020
United Power Board of Directors Allocates an Additional $300,000 to Co-op Cares Fund to Support Members Economically Affected by the COVID 19 Pandemic
Brighton, CO – United Power’s Board of Directors approved an additional $50,000 to add to the $250,000 allocated earlier in the year to be earmarked for members financially impacted by COVID 19 through the remainder of 2020. The board has also generously authorized another $250,000 to help members in 2021. The money for this fund is allocated from the cooperative’s unclaimed capital credits. The Co-op Cares Fund is designed to assist members who have been directly impacted by COVID 19 – particularly those who have been affected by illness and job losses. “The Co-op Cares Fund has been an important pillar in our strategy to provide support to our members during this difficult time and complements the many other ways United Power is helping our members weather this situation,” stated Bryant Robbins, interim CEO. “Through this program, United Power is providing $550,000 in direct assistance to our members who are being financially impacted by COVID-19. We are proud to have already provided more than $270,000 in assistance to more than 1,500 members so far this year.” In addition to the Co-op Cares Fund, United Power has various means of helping members stay on top of their electric bills including payment arrangements, extensions, prepay, budget billing, and assistance from local agencies. United Power encourages members to contact us so we can connect them with the most appropriate assistance program for their situation. “United Power has several ways to help members when they are having difficulty paying their electric bills,” stated Robbins. “All we are asking our members to do is pick up the phone and call us if they are having difficulty paying their bill. We can’t help you if we don’t know you are struggling.” The Co-op Cares Fund will be available for assistance through the end of 2021, or when the fund is depleted. United Power members who are impacted by the current health emergency or any other situation can reach our Member Services department at 303-637-1300. United Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative delivering electricity to more than 95,000 meters at homes, business, and farms in Colorado’s north central front range. For more information about the cooperative, visit www. unitedpower.com or follow them on social media at facebook.com/unitedpower or twitter.com/unitedpowercoop.
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Another Lockdown Could Put Colorado Restaurants At Risk Of Mass Closure
By Sarah Mulholland Hart Van Denburg/CPR NewsRestaurants along Main Street in Longmont have moved seating onto the sidewalks, while also requiring social distancing rules so they can stay open during the coronavirus pandemic, Friday, Oct. 2, 2020. Roughly one in four restaurants would consider closing permanently within a month if indoor dining were shut back down, according to a new survey from the Colorado Restaurant Association. About 80 percent of dining establishments would close within six months, according to a survey of 170 operators conducted this month. Almost half of restaurants would be forced to shut down within three months if capacity is restricted to 25 percent, the survey found. Almost threequarters said they would shut down within six months. The pandemic has taken an enormous toll on restaurants. The industry has shed nearly one-third of its jobs – which equates to more than 63,000 jobs, Colorado Restaurant Association data show. Revenues declined about 40 percent on average from last year, the data show. The likelihood of stay-at-home orders, either at the local level or statewide, is rising as cases climb. Gov. Jared Polis is encouraging Coloradans to cancel plans in the coming weeks as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches. Denver and Pueblo counties have put a 10 p.m. curfew in place. Restaurants got a partial reprieve during the warm months with cities and towns across Colorado setting up outdoor dining programs. More than half of restaurants’ revenues this summer came from expanded patio dining, according to survey results. Outdoor dining is no longer an option for many restaurants as the weather gets cold. The restaurant association estimates it costs more than $17,000 to prepare for outdoor dining in the winter, including such things as heaters and tents. About one-fifth of restaurants won’t attempt to institute outdoor dining for winter, citing the cost, according to the survey.
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Lost Creek Guide
November 18, 2020
Colorado Coronavirus Live Updates: Closures, Case Counts and other Major Pandemic News
More than eight months into the coronavirus pandemic in Colorado, cases and hospitalizations are rising once again. State health officials have warned that if the trend doesn’t abate, Colorado’s hospital capacity could be overwhelmed in a matter of weeks. To help you stay updated as the situation evolves, The Colorado Sun has launched this live blog with updates on closures, restrictions, and other COVID-19 developments. You can also check out our map of Colorado coronavirus cases and deaths here, as well as charts showing the national and international COVID-19 situation. That page is updated daily. (Email questions, comments, concerns and/or tips to newsroom@coloradosun.com)
Herlihy also offered new insight into one of the pandemic’s more hopeful trends. While hospitalizations have reached an all-time high, the percentage of those patients who are being treated in intensive-care units in Colorado has hit a new low — about 19%. Doctors who are members of the GEEERC said this is due to treatment advances such as new medications and greater comfort with treating people with oxygen in regular hospital beds rather than moving them to ICU beds for intubation. Dr. Michelle Baron, an infectious disease specialist at UCHealth University of Colorado
A slide from a Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment presentation on Nov. 12, 2020, shows how the state’s increase in hospitalizations due to COVID-19 have exceeded previous modeling forecasts. (Screenshot)
A slide from a Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment presentation on Nov. 12, 2020, shows Colorado ranked 17th in the nation for highest incidence rate of new COVID-19 cases. The smaller inset chart shows Colorado ranked 31st just one month prior. (Screenshot)
Colorado’s top epidemiologist says state’s coronavirus case surge is getting worse, not better In a stoic presentation to a group of state health leaders on Thursday, Colorado’s top epidemiologist said the state is seeing a “week-over-week acceleration” in the increase of new cases of COVID-19, each day bringing worse and worse news for the state’s control of the coronavirus. “To me this is a clear indication of exponential growth in the state,” said Dr. Rachel Herlihy, the state epidemiologist at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. “We’re not even seeing a hint of a plateau at this point.” Her comments came during an update to a group of health experts called the GEEERC, for Governor’s Expert Emergency Epidemic Response Committee. The group offers guidance to Gov. Jared Polis on how to respond to the pandemic. Herlihy said the state has reached all-time highs for the number of coronavirus outbreaks currently underway, the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and the number of new cases reported to the state. Over the past week, more than 3,000 new cases have been reported per day. Cases have grown so rapidly, Herlihy said, they now exceed the state’s capacity to do investigations and contact tracing for all of them. She also said the state’s trajectory continues to exceed earlier projections. “We’re trending in the wrong direction,” she said. A month ago, when the GEEERC last met in full, Herlihy said Colorado ranked 31st among all states and the District of Columbia in the incidence rate for new coronavirus cases. At that time, the state’s 7-day average per-capita case rate was 72 new cases per 100,000 people. Since that time, the case rate in Colorado has more than quintupled to an average of 412 new cases per 100,000 people. Colorado now ranks 17th in the country for highest incidence rate. “This is a really clear indication of how quickly things have changed in the state,” Herlihy said.
Hospital, said during Thursday’s meeting that most ICU patients today are in such serious condition when they arrive that they are admitted straight to the unit. This is different from the first surge of the virus in spring, when many ICU patients were first admitted to a general ward before their deteriorating conditions forced them to move to the ICU. But, overall, the worsening situation has state health leaders increasingly urging people to adopt stay-at-home-like behavior, even if Polis has signaled he does not want to issue a new stay-at-home order. “For the rest of November,” said Jill Hunsaker Ryan, executive director of the state health department, “we’re recommending people only interact with their own households.” Inmates at Colorado’s El Paso County jail were not routinely given masks to stop the spread of the coronavirus until last week when it turned into the site of the state’s second-
A slide from a Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment presentation on Nov. 12, 2020, shows that the percentage of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 who are in intensive-care units has hit an all-time low. Doctors said advances in medications and changes in how the disease is treated have made the difference. (Screenshot)
largest outbreak, a jail spokesperson said. The jail in Colorado Springs, which has has held 1,200 detainees on average daily lately, previously only gave inmates masks if they were moving around the facility, going to to court or if recommended by medical staff, El Paso Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Deborah Mynatt told The Denver Post. The jail initially did not issue masks to all inmates because there was a limited supply of face coverings that suitable for detention facilities. Mynatt said she did not know why suitable masks were not procured later. “I’m not sure on who made the decision or why, but I know that the entire time we were taking recommendations from public health,” she said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises detention facilities to provide all inmates with masks at no cost and to frequently wash them. Officials first reported the jail outbreak on Oct. 26 when eight inmates who were asymptomatic tested positive for COVID-19. The El Paso County jail. (Handout) According to the sheriff’s office, 90 jail workers and 863 inmates have tested positive since the pandemic began, all but 14 of them since mid-October. The number of inmates with the disease who were considered infectious dropped to 148 on Wednesday because some inmates have left the jail and others are past the 10-day window when they are able to spread the disease. Colorado’s largest coronavirus outbreak is at the University of Colorado in Boulder, where there have been 1,766 cases. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some — especially older adults and people with existing health problems — it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death. — The Associated Press
November 18, 2020
Lost Creek Guide
Economic Impacts of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission Series 1200 Proposed Oil and Gas Setbacks
Recently, the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC), citing new authorities under Senate Bill 181 of 2019, recommended a set of new rules which would quadruple the standard residential setback distance and place additional regulations upon wells built near areas of environmental interest. Soon, the COGCC may enact these rules by internal vote and without the electorate’s approval. Currently in Colorado, developers are prohibited from establishing new oil and gas drilling operations within certain distances of residential complexes and protected areas. This effort represents the fifth attempt to dramatically increase setback distances after a failed series of proposed ballot
measures in 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2020.[i] In this analysis, the Common Sense Institute examines just one of the rule changes within the broader package of setback regulations: State-determined wildlife habitats.
Under currently recommended rules 1202.c and 1202.d, soft setback distances of between 300 feet and 1.25 miles would be triggered by different habitat areas, as determined by state officials with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. In some habitat areas, the proposed rules would also limit oil and gas development to one location per square mile, unless an energy firm wins state approval for additional wildlife mitigation actions. According to the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, the upstream and downstream value of Colorado’s oil and gas industry was worth about $19b in 2017 and contributed over $1b in state and local tax revenue.[ii] CSI’s research on the impacts of Proposition 112 showed that if that proposed setback had passed, an average of 85,000 to 110,000 jobs would have been lost over the first 10 years, along with $7b to $9b in cumulative tax revenue.
Given there is an alternative proposal offered to the COGCC to make the 1200 series setback rules hard, CSI modeling the economic impacts of this alternative proposal using the past three years of production data, i.e., 2017 to 2019. In effect, we asked the following question: If all the 1200 series habitats had been considered hard setbacks between 2017 and 2019, how would the Colorado oil and gas sector and the broader state economy have been impacted? Our findings are summarized below: Summary of Key Findings If all the 1200 series habitats had been considered hard or restricted surface occupancy from 2017 to 2019, Over 22,000 Colorado jobs, 87% of which are from outside the oil and gas industry, could have been lost, including a total of 8,610 in professional and scientific services, retail trade, construction, and health care from the induced and indirect impacts (Figure 10), Mineral rights owners in the Denver-Julesburg and Piceance Basins would have lost up to $600m in royalties between years of 2017 and 2019, Colorado’s 2019 GDP would have been between $2 billion and $2.7 billion below its actual 2019 value (Figure 9), and State government and local governments would have collected up to $180 million less in total 2019 tax revenue, or about 88% of the anticipated cost of full-day kindergarten (Figure 9), Up to 8.5% of total new oil and gas production between 2017 and 2019 would not have occurred (Figure 7), and The total 2019 output of Colorado’s oil and gas industry would have been between 7.1% and 9.2% lower than its historical value (Figures 7 and 8). The impact is disproportionately felt in the Piceance Basin as over 73% of new production value in 2019, fell inside the 1202.c and 1202.d surface setback areas (Figure 5). Policy Background and Detailed Findings While the economic stakes are still high, the set of rules being discussed by the COGCC
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are different from those in Proposition 112. Committee members have promised that permitters will consider and grant individual exemptions to some of the new rules; thus, some new wells will still be permitted to drill within these “soft” setback areas, while no new drilling will be permitted within “hard” setback areas. Figure 1 summarizes the different setback rule changes and whether they are assumed to be effectively hard or soft. CSI undertook only to model the economic and fiscal impacts of proposed setbacks within the 1200 series of rules, as the other rules have already been debated and will be enforced with unpredictable exemption rates. Current COGCC staff recommendations are to impose hard surface setbacks surrounding the features outlined in rule 1202.c and softer setbacks around those specified by rule 1202.d. Considering recent statements from external interest groups suggesting that 1202.d’s exemption rate will be close to zero,[iii] CSI’s modeling reflects both the direct oil and gas–production and the indirect economic and fiscal impacts of rules 1202.c and 1202.d as though they will be enforced as hard setbacks. The results in this report reflect production within the Denver-Julesburg and Piceance Basins. Due to data constraints, the estimates only cover the counties of Weld, Arapahoe, and Adams in the Denver-Julesburg Basin, and Garfield, Mesa, and Rio Blanco in the Piceance Basin. They also reflect the original distance for hard setbacks of 300 feet for certain high priority fish and other aquatic species habitats. Figure 2 shows the two regions, their new well locations, and the proposed rule 1202 setback areas. The modeling estimates that if the 1200 series setback rules had been in place as hard setbacks starting in 2017, the cumulative loss of new production it would have caused by 2019 would have been worth as much as $3b (Figures 7-9). The total volumes and esti-
mated values of new production that occurred inside the 1200 series setbacks between 2017 and 2019 are shown below. The values were estimated using annual production volumes and the annual prices reported by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). Figures 3–5 show the new production within the impacted areas as shares of all new production within each region. CSI used the REMI Tax-PI Colorado model to determine the dynamic economic impacts in 2019 if the 1202 setbacks rules had been in place for three years. The modeling inputs were derived from new production values since 2017 and their rates of decline since then; these are displayed in Figure 6. It is assumed that producers will be able to access some of the resources below the new setback zone using techniques such as horizontal drilling. CSI’s two scenarios reflect the assumption that between 10% and 30% of the production in those areas would still have occurred if the rule were approved in 2017. Because of these adjustments, the value of 2019 production that would have been lost under this rule is between $1b and $1.4b. Figures 7 and 8 show these values and their constituent parts. These were used to construct CSI’s impact modeling, the results of which are summarized in Figures 9 and 10. Figure 10 shows the employment impacts to other industries outside of just the oil and gas sector. These impacts occur due to the reduction in intermediate demand for businesses that supply the oil and gas sector as well as the reduction in induced consumption from the loss
of income across all sectors. Approach to Impact Modeling To determine the amounts of production between 2017 and 2019 that took place in the rule 1202 setback areas, Noble Energy analysts overlayed Series 1200 mapping layers published by COGCC with COGCC production data available through RS Energy’s data subscription.[iv] The map for the 1202.c high priority habitats covers the original 300-foot distance for cutthroat trout, native fish and other native aquatic species, and sportfish management waters. The revised 500-foot distance would increase the impacts modeled here. The resulting totals of production from wells situated within what would be inaccessible areas under rule 1202, were adjusted for the two scenarios to account for some degree of continued access to the natural resource below the surface setback area through horizontal drilling. The resulting estimates for the loss in new production were run in the REMI Tax PI Colorado model to generate the numbers in Figure 9. Additionally, since the Tax-PI model only calculates impacts to state tax revenues, CSI used assessment and mills data from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs and external assumptions about oiland-gas property netbacks to estimate impacts upon local property tax collections; these estimates are shown as the “Tax Revenue” in Figure 9. Conclusion The COGCC’s proposed setbacks for wildlife habitats, under rules 1202.c and 1202.d, are just one part of a much broader overhaul of setback restrictions for Colorado’s oil and natural gas industry. However, a review of this proposal and recent historical data shows the implementation of a hard wildlife habitat setbacks alone has the potential to significantly impact both the energy sector and the broader economy. Cont. on Page 12, See Economic Impacts
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Lost Creek Guide
November 18, 2020
Economic Impacts of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission Series 1200 Proposed Oil and Gas Setbacks
Depending on how the wildlife habitat setbacks are implemented, total oil and natural gas production in Colorado could be curtailed over a three-year period by roughly 7% to 9%, resulting in an annual loss of $2 billion to $2.7 billion in GDP, and a $122 million in state and local tax revenue. In terms of employment, potentially 22,000 jobs could be lost
At a minimum, these findings suggest that additional setbacks from state-determined wildlife habitats deserve closer scrutiny during the development and implementation of these new rules. While it can be argued that the proposed wildlife setbacks have the flexibility to allow for continued growth in oil and natural gas production, this will depend on the willingness of regulators to actually use this flexibility. The approach that regulators ultimately take will have significant implications for Colorado’s recovery from today’s highly challenging economic conditions. [i] https://commonsenseinstituteco.org/research-issues/energy/ [ii] https://www.coga.org/uploads/1/2/2/4/122414962/coga_economic_fiscal_ impacts_-_final.pdf [iii] https://coloradosun.com/2020/09/09/colorado-oil-gas-setback-2000-feet/ [iv] https://dtdapps.coloradodot.info/otis/catalog, https://www.rseg.com/ [v] https://www.cbre.com/research-and-reports/Downtown-Denver-Energyacross the entire economy, not just the energy sector. The effects would be felt beyond just the localities of the lost production, too. In downtown Denver, for example, 14% of the office space is leased by energy companies.[v]
United Power to Move Forward with Lawsuit Against Power Supplier Colorado Public Utilities Commission Declines to Rule on Corporate Law Issue
Brighton, CO - Yesterday the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (CoPUC) dismissed without prejudice United Power and La Plata Electric’s complaint against TriState. The Commission acknowledged that the decision on whether Tri-State lawfully admitted the three non-utility partners, an action that allowed them to claim that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) had exclusive jurisdiction over their rates, was a corporate law matter and should be decided by the courts. In May United Power filed a case against Tri-State in Adams County courts asserting that Tri-State fraudulently induced United Power to champion a 2019 Bylaw amendment to permit partial requirement membership. The admission of three non-utility members allowed Tri-State to apply for oversight with FERC, effectively setting aside the months of work by the CoPUC and suspending the administrative law judge’s ruling that favored a buyout methodology developed by United Power. “We know the PUC was put in an awkward position of having to rule on a corporate law decision,” stated interim CEO, Bryant Robbins. “We greatly appreciate the hard work of both the Commission and their staff. The need of having the District Court hear the case was not unexpected. We will continue to move forward in our efforts to lower the rates of the 97,000 meters that we serve.” In November of 2019, United Power filed a complaint with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) seeking a fair buyout charge. This summer, United Power received a favorable ruling from the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) assigned by the PUC to hear the case. Then on August 28th, FERC reversed an earlier decision and determined they have sole jurisdiction over the exit fee matter, even while acknowledging that they have not determined that Tri-State’s proposed methodology represented a “just, reasonable and nondiscriminatory exit charge”. “While we are disappointed that the commission is unable to rule on this issue, we believe our case in Adams County will show that the non-utility members were unlawfully added according to both State Statutes and their own bylaws,” stated Robbins. United Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative delivering electricity to nearly 97,000 meters at homes, business, and farms in Colorado’s north central front range. For more information about the cooperative, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow them on social media at facebook.com/unitedpower or twitter. com/unitedpowercoop.
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November 18, 2020
It’s Time for Us To Get Mad
Lost Creek Guide
by Newt Gingrich, November 6, 2020 It’s time for us to get mad. This is what I came to after spending the last several days puzzling over what we are seeing in the 2020 election. When Callista and I left the White House at 3 a.m. after election night, I was confused by the various things that were going on, and I couldn’t quite figure out how to emotionally or intellectually deal with it. After a few days of digesting, it has become clear to me that there has been breathtaking systemic corruption during this election. It runs through the whole process. You have the Biden family corruption, dealing with China, Russia, and Ukraine – which the national media has almost entirely refused to even consider investigating. It goes to the big technology companies who have been censoring people. Rush Limbaugh had four out of six tweets censored just yesterday. I have been censored. The President of the United States has been censored. Facebook has apparently hired about a half-dozen Chinese algorithms specialists who have been helping the company perfect censorship in the style of the Chinese Communist dictatorship. You have the corruption of incredibly rich liberals, who spent an amazing amount of money to defeat Republicans. It’s one of the few things I really liked about the election. They spent $75 million trying to beat Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and lost. They spent $105 million trying to beat Sen. Lindsey Graham and lost. They may have spent $43 million trying to beat Joni Ernst and lost. You go through the corruption of the elite news media, which for five years has been waging war on President Donald Trump and did everything it could to convince us that there was a giant blue wave coming. Then, the wave didn’t show up because they’d all been lying to themselves and to us. So that was a framework in which I started looking at all this. I talked about it on a short podcast episode I released Thursday. Now, we are seeing states which President Trump had been leading suddenly finding tranches of votes for Joe Biden in Democrat controlled urban centers, which have been just enough to push him into the lead. We’ve seen it in Atlanta, Savannah, Philadelphia, and elsewhere. At the same time, states which the Trump campaign (and most observers) expected Trump to win are slow to report figures and keeping quiet. So, I believe we’re at a key decision point in American history. And, make no mistake: This is about America – not the president or any elected leaders. This is about whether or not we as Americans are willing to look the other way while a system of elite leftwing corruption undermines our Democracy. In addition to constantly attacking the president, major elements of the political and media establishment have tried to suppress millions of Americans who share the president’s core values. Those who salute the flag, stand up for the pledge of allegiance, believe deeply in America, want jobs and opportunity for all Americans, and want the United States to be concerned first for American interests have been silenced or canceled for the last five years. If we are going to continue to be America, every legal vote must be counted and certified, illegal votes must be tossed out, and the American people must be allowed to make their choice for President of the United States.
Skunk in Fort Lupton Neighborhood Tests Positive for Rabies
Weld County, Colorado – A skunk found on a residential property in the Aristocrat Ranchettes neighborhood in Fort Lupton has tested positive for rabies. A concerned citizen noticed the skunk early in the morning on November 6, 2020 and notified Weld County Animal Control. Colorado Parks and Wildlife picked up the skunk and submitted it to Colorado State University laboratory for testing. Although there were no known exposures, Colorado Parks and Wildlife agreed to test the skunk for surveillance purposes. Public health officials are asking that if you or someone you know, touched or handled the skunk, or if any pet had physical contact with it, to contact the Weld County Health Department at (970) 400-2290. Rabies is nearly 100% fatal if left untreated. Rabies can infect any wild animal, including foxes, skunks, raccoons, coyotes, and bats. Bats and skunks are the two main sources of rabies in Colorado. It’s important to note that not all skunks have rabies. If a skunk is acting strangely, however, such as lying on the ground, out during daylight hours, exhibiting loss of motor skills, or acting aggressively, it may be sick. Health officials stress that all domestic animals, such as cats, dogs, horses and livestock should be vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian. Over the past several years, a variety of animal to human contacts has resulted in several dozen Weld County residents requiring rabies immune globulin for post-exposure treatment. Rabies is a disease caused by a virus that affects the nervous system. Rabies causes inflammation of the brain and spinal cord and is nearly always fatal. It is transmitted in saliva through the bite of an infected animal. The virus can also be transmitted in saliva to an open cut, scratch, or wound. If a person suspects they have been exposed to rabies, they should contact their medical provider immediately. Effective vaccination treatment is available to prevent rabies if started before symptoms appear. There have been no human deaths related to rabies exposure in Weld County. To prevent exposure to rabies: • Do not feed, touch, or handle any wild animals. • Have dogs, cats, horses, and livestock vaccinated regularly by a licensed veterinarian. • Spay or neuter pets to reduce the number of unwanted or stray animals in the neighborhood. Contact the Health Department at (970) 400-2290 for questions or if anyone had contact with the skunk. For after-hours (outside of 8am-5pm, Monday-Friday), contact Weld County Dispatch at (970) 350-9600 and select option 4.
BILL’S WEEKLY COLUMN
The Trump Vote
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By: Bill O’ReillyNovember 7, 2020 More than 70 million American citizens voted for President Trump, the most in history. Except for Joe Biden. He got four million more. At least that’s what the “official” popular vote tally is at this point. But some of those Biden votes may be bogus. However, hard evidence is needed to define that. Back to President Trump. It is incredible that he received so many votes. That is a true statement. It’s incredible. Even if he loses, he can go down to Palm Beach knowing he got more votes than Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and Warren Harding. But why did Mr. Trump get so much validation? Two reasons: first he succeeded in putting money in the pockets of working people. The Trump economy allowed more reward in the marketplace. Can Joe Biden duplicate that? Second, millions of Americans despise the Trump-haters who are on display every hour on the hour. It’s amazing but some anti-Trumpers are so vile, they have made the bombastic Trump look sympathetic. We all know the hit list: phony Russian allegations, irresponsible impeachment, defamatory media, looters and arsonists, socialist politicians. Let me be very clear: the “get Trump” and destroy traditional America movements motivated the pro-Trump vote. Now there is wreckage. The entire election is suspect because some liberal places presented a massive amount of Biden votes AFTER election day. Many believe the fix was in. The old saying goes like this: “perception is reality.” The election of 2020 is tainted forever. Also, the corporate media is finished. Companies like Disney, which owns ABC, allow commentators to smear any American who even voted for Trump. Would Disney have allowed irresponsible broadcasters to attack Obama voters? No. Regular folks of all political views now understand the media is corrupt, generally speaking. Older Americans have a basis of comparison because they watched Cronkite and Mike Wallace. CNN? Sure. AT&T must be very proud. So tens of millions supported President Trump largely because they are angry about how he was treated. Yes, you can make an argument that he brought some of it on himself, but that hypothesis falls apart when the “Russian collusion” fiasco is evaluated. And the Hunter Biden blackout. And the unending chaos that the Washington establishment along with their media allies tried to impose on the Trump administration. So more than 70 million voters essentially said “blank you” to the establishment. That may not console the President or his supporters but it is a fact. And anti-establishment anger is growing. With every newly discovered mail-in ballot.
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Lost Creek Guide
November 18, 2020
It’s Official: Voters Decide to Reintroduce Wolves in Colorado Proposition 114 passed as a flurry of Front Range-votes widened the initiative’s margin of victory, paving the way for the animals’ return to the Western Slope.
Proposition 114 was decided Thursday as votes from heavily populated Front Range counties pushed the wolf reintroduction plan to victory. The measure, which tasks Colorado Parks and Wildlife with crafting a plan by the end of 2023 to reintroduce wolves into the Western Slope, was too close to call on Tuesday night and all day Wednesday. The tightest statewide ballot issue in Colorado’s 2020 election, Proposition 114 was ahead by a narrow margin that veered close to triggering an automatic recount. Opponents of the measure conceded the race on Thursday. Even though there were more than 300,000 votes yet to be counted, a lead of more than 20,000 votes out of 2.97 million cast appeared insurmountable. Coloradans Protecting Wildlife, the group opposing Proposition 114, said in a statement that it believed “forced wolf reintroduction” into Colorado is bad policy that should not have been decided by voters. “All along, our opposition campaign was led by those who would be directly impacted by this measure, including real Coloradans, sportsmen, farmers and ranchers, outdoor enthusiasts, and more,” the statement from the group’s spokesman Patrick Pratt, reads. “Despite a small group of wealthy, and often out-of-state, activists spending in excess of $2.1 million to pass this measure, our campaign, with less than $800,000 was able to illustrate why forced wolf introduction is wrong for Colorado.” Few issues raise hackles in the West more than wolves. Farmers, ranchers and hunters fear the return of wolves could damage rural economies that are based on livestock and hunting. Advocates who have pushed to introduce and protect wolves in Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, New Mexico and Arizona argue that Colorado is a final step in a 40-year effort to return wolf populations that were hunted into extinction in the 1920s. Colorado is the first state to reintroduce wolves at the direction of voters rather than federal wildlife biologists working under the Endangered Species Act. Last week, Interior Sec. David Bernhardt announced that the gray wolf population in the U.S. was recovered and no longer needed protection under the Endangered Specials Act, which has protected the canines since 1978. The federal delisting transfers management of wolves to states. A delisting of wolves in the Northern Rockies in 2008 legalized hunting and trapping of the predators. Colorado already has a law protecting wolves as a “species of concern,” making it illegal to kill the animals. Supporters of Proposition 114 said the delisting emphasizes the need for additional protection of wolves that comes with reintroduction. Opponents argued the federal delisting proved that wolf populations are healthy enough in the Northern Rockies to migrate south and establish packs in Colorado. Earlier this year, Colorado wildlife biologists confirmed the presence of a wolf pack in the northwest portion of the state. The Colorado Wildlife Commission in 2016 rejected a proposal to reintroduce wolves, pointing to potential threats to the state’s big game population and livestock industry. More than three dozen rural counties in Colorado opposed Proposition 114. But voters in the state’s six most populated counties along the Front Range anchored the 13 counties that supported Proposition 114, illustrating a divide over wolves that fell largely along urban-rural lines. Opponents of the measure hope the narrow margin factors into policy discussions as Colorado Parks and Wildlife gathers public input and assembles a plan for reintroduction. That plan, per the ballot language, requires statewide hearings and includes building a system to reimburse ranchers who lose livestock to wolves. “The election results demonstrate that nearly half of Coloradans agree with us. We hope these election results show proponents, lawmakers and Colorado Parks and Wildlife that next steps must be taken in a measured, responsible way,” the statement from Coloradans Protecting Wildlife reads. The group said it would continue to work to protect wildlife, ensure diverse groups — “not just activists and regulators from the Front Range” — are including in wolf-policy development, and to defend ranchers and “prepare the West Slope for the realities of introducing a new apex predator.” Supporters of Proposition 114 say the margin doesn’t matter and welcome their oppo-
nents to the next step. “The bottom line is that Proposition 114 is not based on how close the vote was. It’s the law. We need to all get our heads around that fact and lean into the work ahead, which is fashioning a future for wolves in Colorado that we can coexist with,” said Rob Edward with the Rocky Mountain Wolf Action Fund. “We need to go forward as neighbors and adversaries and friends and create a future for wolves.” Edward dismissed the notion that Proposition 114 passed solely on the back of Front Range and urban residents. He points to San Miguel, La Plata, San Juan, Summit and Pitkin counties, where a majority of voters approved the measure. “We would not be having this conversation today had it not been for people on the Western Slope voting for wolves,” he said.
St. Brigit Episcopal Church to Celebrate Winter Solstice
There is no doubt this holiday season will look different from previous years. Do you need a break from the stress of all the changes in our lives due to the pandemic? If so, come relax at a special contemplative service in celebration of the Winter Solstice on Sunday, December 20, 6:00p.m. on Facebook (www.facebook.com/StBrigit). All are welcome to attend. The Winter Solstice Celebration is part of St. Brigit’s Áit Caol (Gaelic for “A Thin Place”) series inspired by The Wilderness service at St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral in Denver. Áit Caol services mark the Winter and Summer Solstices as well as the Spring and Autumnal Equinoxes. These unique services incorporate ethereal music, meditation areas designed to reflect the chosen scriptures and a contemporary liturgy (order of service) combining Celtic spirituality with Christian theology. All aspects of the services reflect the seasonal theme, and are quite different from St. Brigit’s regular services. Although the ancient Celts regarded Winter as the season of dormancy, darkness and cold, the coming of lighter days after the Winter Solstice brought a more festive mood. To the Celts, this return of the light was a reason to celebrate nature’s continuing cy-cle. Some believe Christmas, celebrating the birth of Jesus, the Light of the World, was set in synchronization with the Winter Solstice because, from that point onwards, the days began to have more daylight. The tradition at St. Brigit is to observe the Solstice by reflecting on God’s presence with His people, even in the midst of darkness. Christmas also is referred to as Yule, a pre-Christian festival observed at the time of the Winter Solstice. Fires were lit to symbolize the heat, light and life-giving properties of the returning sun. St. Brigit’s Winter Solstice Celebration will end with a virtual bon-fire. Attendees will be invited to symbolically release into the fire anything that repre-sents darkness in their lives or the world. Please visit www.stbrigit.org or www.facebook.com/StBrigit for more information.
November 18, 2020
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Lost Creek Guide
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Self Storage
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Lost Creek Guide
November 18, 2020
City of Fort Lupton Field of Honor Opening Ceremony Introductions: Zo Stieber, Mayor City of Fort Lupton, Colorado Invocation: Fr. Grzegorz Wojcik, St. Williams Church, Fort Luton, Colorado, Color Guard: Buffalo Soldiers, American West Colorado Emerald Society Pipes & Drums The 13 Folds of the American Flag: American Legion Post 111, Louisville, Colorado The National Anthem: Ms. Amber Ramirez Community Appreciation: Chief Phil Tiffany, Fort Lupton Fire Department Honored Guest: Col (retired) Kenneth Chavez, Colorado Army National Guard 21 Gun Volley: American Legion Post 111, Louisville, Colorado
