The Tributary Where opinions & knowledge flow!
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Volume 11, Issue 40
In This Issue:
October 7, 2020
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Benefits of Driving Electric Vehicles Celebrated at United Power’s National Drive Electric Week Event
A free virtual event to learn more about electric vehicles and to ask an EV expert all your questions Brighton, Colo. – Electric vehicle drivers, supporters, and intrigued United Power members are invited to attend United Power’s “United We Drive EV” webinar on Sun., Sept. 27th from 2-3 p.m. During the live webinar, United Power will take members on a safe, virtual test drive of an electric vehicle. EV Outreach & Education expert, Nigel Zeid of Boulder Nissan will be on hand to walk you through the finer points of EV ownership, and United Power representatives will discuss how to make the most of an EV with United Power’s rates. Learn more and register for the free event at www.unitedpower.com/ DriveEVWeek. “With more electric cars than ever before on the market and a larger, more accessible charging infrastructure, owning and driving an EV is within reach for more drivers,” said Joel Danforth, United Power New Business Director. “We want to help our members looking to make the transition to electric vehicles by providing trusted information, and information about rates and programs that make driving an EV even more attractive.” Today, you’re more likely to see multiple electric vehicles while you’re driving to work or the grocery store than not, and it’s becoming more common for gas stations and public spaces to install charging stations to accommodate electric vehicle drivers. You probably support a business with an electric vehicle fleet or know someone who has invested in either an electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid. “There’s a perception that electric vehicles aren’t capable of meeting the average person’s needs,” Zeid says. “Every main concern can be boiled down to that root perception. With a little information, we can turn hesitation into excitement. Electric vehicles have all the benefits of any other vehicle without much of the cost.” Cont. on Page 2, See Electric Vehicles
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Gardner Introduces Bill to Desiignate Ports to Plains What is at Stake in District 3 Commissioner Race
Tommy Holton Endorses Mike Welch for County Commissioner District 3 Seat
This is an important election. I ran for County Commissioner because I was, and still am, concerned about the direction of the Weld County Board of Commissioners. As the past Mayor of Fort Lupton I understand the importance of working together to solve the issues that a community faces, not in a partisan way, but by working together in a bi partisan way so that a consensus is reached resulting in the best solution overall for all the citizens. Over these past few years, the Board of County Commissioners has become more and more focused on the Greeley area. Unfortunately, the balance that should be there with two at- largecommissioners has not been there, with a very obvious slant towards the greater Greeley area. Considering that most of the Weld County revenue comes from outside the Greeley area this presents a disparity. The current Republican candidate for County Commissioner for our district is a product of the old guard Republican party in Weld County. A group that does not represent the majority of the Weld County electorate. I am a strong believer in the rights of the unborn and certainly, the second amendment, but those beliefs do not solely qualify you to be an effective County Commissioner. In today’s world we, the citizens of District 3 need an advocate at the table for us. I seriously question Lori Saines ability to stand up for District3 among the group responsible for her nomination. Given what Weld County is facing from a revenue shortfall due to the oil & gas issues where do you think District 3 will fall in the Commissioners priority list in a system that already penalizes the District ? We are facing tougher times and now, more than ever, we need to work together as a County to solve the issues that face us in a way that does not discriminate against citizens because of the geography of where they live. We need an independent voice, representing District 3. I do not believe that Lori Saine can fulfill that role, and she has shown truly little to convince me otherwise. I am endorsing Mike Welch for Weld County Commissioner for District 3 as a person who will stand up for the citizens of District 3. We need leadership, not a follower of the crowd. I remind you that your vote is important. Use it. A bipartisan effort to support Mike Welsch can be productive but everyone’s vote is important, unaffiliated, democrat and independent republicans. Let us send a message that south Weld County deserves a real seat at the table. Please make sure you vote and vote for Mike Welch for County Commissioner for District 3, our District. Tommy Holton, Fort Lupton
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T H E T R I B U TA R Y
Gardner Introduces Bill to Designate Ports-to-Plains as Future Interstate
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO), a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, introduced S. 4701, the Ports-to-Plains Highway Act, legislation to designate the Ports-to-Plains Corridor, which travels through Colorado, as a future Interstate. The bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX). “With Colorado’s population growing at one of the fastest rates in the country, it is critical that we are making necessary investments in our state’s infrastructure,” said Senator Gardner. “The Ports-to-Plains Corridor is key to Colorado’s connectivity and the movement of goods, and it’s important we understand and consider our long-term infrastructure needs in the future. I appreciate the work of local stakeholders to support the corridor, and I will continue my efforts to support Colorado’s infrastructure needs at the federal level.” “Texas is already the largest state exporter of goods, and adding an artery connecting us to Mexico and Canada will mean better access to markets for Texas farmers, ranchers, and producers,” said Senator Cornyn. “I look forward to working with my colleagues representing states all along the Ports-to-Plains Corridor to bring this plan to fruition.” “We are thrilled for this momentous legislation which will designate a future interstate along the Ports-to-Plains Corridor and bring a significant economic impact to the region as well as safety improvements for travelers on I-25,” said Cathy Shull, Executive Director of Pro 15 and member of the Ports-to-Plains Alliance Board of Directors. “Once completed, the infrastructure will alleviate heavy congestion by redirecting freight traffic east, paving the way for future economic development in eastern Colorado and increasing the productivity of drivers transporting Colorado exported goods to Mexico and Canada.” The Ports-to-Plains Corridor in Colorado aims to facilitate an additional key North-South route to bolster the transportation of goods and people. The Department of Transportation’s (DOT’s) Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) has projected nationwide freight moved by trucks could increase by 44 percent from 2015 levels by 2045, and according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), Colorado exported $1.3 billion in goods to Mexico in 2018. Trade between Colorado and Mexico is expected to increase because of the United StatesMexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which went into effect on July 1, 2020. The Ports-to-Plains Corridor is currently designated as a High Priority Corridor on the National Highway System. Previously, the Colorado Department of Transportation joined State Departments of Transportation from Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico in releasing a Corridor Development and Management Plan for Ports-to-Plains. Gardner’s bill serves as a companion to H.R. 7151, legislation introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Representatives Jodey Arrington (TX-19), Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Kay Granger (TX-12), Mac Thornberry (TX-13) and Ben Ray Lujan (NM-3). Cory Gardner is a member of the U.S. Senate serving Colorado. He sits on the Energy & Natural Resources Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee, the Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee, and is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy.
Electric Vehicles
Cont. from Page 1 United Power’s event is one of almost 300 across the country where electric vehicle owners, government and community leaders are celebrating the clean-air benefits and cost-savings of electric cars by holding Drive EV Week educational and informational events. For more information about United Power’s “United We Drive EV” event, visit: unitedpower. com/DriveEVWeek. For a complete list of National Drive Electric Week events, visit: DriveElectricWeek.org About Plug In America: Plug In America is the nation’s leading independent consumer voice for accelerating the use of plug-in electric vehicles in the United States. Formed as a non-profit in 2008, Plug In America provides practical, objective information collected from our coalition of plug-in vehicle drivers, through public outreach and education, policy work and a range of technical advisory services. Our expertise represents the world’s deepest pool of experience of driving and living with plug-in vehicles. The organization conceived National Drive Electric Week and has advanced workplace charging by pioneering ride-and-drive events at such leading corporations as Google, Mattel and Paramount Pictures. We drive electric. You can too. pluginamerica.org About the Sierra Club: The Sierra Club is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots environmental organization with more than 2.4 million members and supporters and chapters in all 50 states. The Sierra Club’s national electric vehicles initiative advocates for a switch to EVs as one important way to reduce emissions and cut oil consumption. Sierra Club is proud to have been one of the three national groups organizing National Drive Electric Week since its inception in 2011. www.sierraclub.org/EVGuide.
October 7, 2020
TRIVIA What was in the bottle that Irene Dunn used to christen Disneyland’s Mark Twain? WATER What’s Steamboat Willie’s steamboat - a side wheeler or a stern-wheeler? A SIDE-WHEELER Which were added to automobiles first - radios or speedometers? SPEEDOMETERS What kind of weapon at Walt Disney Worlds Ft. Sam Clemens has a sign reading: “Use cott’n when shootin”? A CANNON What branch of mathematics has a name meaning “earth measuring”? GEOMETRY What kind of animal is known as Buff at Disneyland’s Mile Long Bar? A BUFFALO What does a cheery Italian mean when says “Buon giorno” to a tourist? GOOD DAY What folk hero declares: “Hammer’s gonna be the death of me, Lord, Lord”? JOHN HENRY How many warts does the disguised Queen have on her nose, in Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs? ONE Does a jackal’s heartbeat slow down when it’s playing dead? YES What kind of dolls did Coleco introduce in 1985 to compete with G.I. Joe? RAMBO DOLLS What fruit is Panama’s biggest export? THE BANANA Who “makes the world taste goo”? THE CANDY MAN Did Japanese women once enhance their beauty by painting their teeth black? YES Does Donald Duck have a tail? YES
October 7, 2020
Also on This Day
CIVIL WAR 1864 A Confederate attempt to regain ground that had been lost around Richmond, Virginia, is thwarted when Union troops turn back General Robert E. Lee’s assault at the Battle of Darbytown and New Market Roads. 21ST CENTURY 2001 A U.S.-led coalition begins attacks on Taliban-controlled Afghanistan with an intense bombing campaign by American and British forces. Logistical support was provided by other nations including France, Germany, Australia and Canada. ART, LITERATURE, AND FILM HISTORY 1975 ANew York State Supreme Court judge reverses a deportation order for John Lennon, allowing him to remain legally in his adoptive home of New York City. INVENTIONS & SCIENCE 1913 For the first time, Henry Ford’s entire Highland Park, Michigan automobile factory is run on a continuously moving assembly line when the chassis–the automobile’s frame–is assembled using the revolutionary industrial technique. COLD WAR 1949 Less than five months after Great Britain, the United States and France established the Federal Republic of Germany in West Germany, the Democratic Republic of Germany is proclaimed within the Soviet occupation zone. AMERICAN REVOLUTION 1780 During the American Revolution, Patriot irregulars under Colonel William Campbell defeat Tories under Major Patrick Ferguson at the Battle of King’s Mountain. ART, LITERATURE, AND FILM HISTORY 1955 Poet Allen Ginsberg reads his poem “Howl” at a poetry reading at Six Gallery in San Francisco. The poem was an immediate success that rocked the Beat literary world and set the tone for confessional poetry of the 1960s and later.
T H E T R I B U TA R Y
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This Day in History - October 7, 2003
Arnold Schwarzenegger Becomes Californa Governor On October 7, 2003, actor Arnold Schwarzenegger is elected governor of California, the most populous state in the nation with the world’s fifth-largest economy. Despite his inexperience, Schwarzenegger came out on top in the 11-week campaign to replace Gray Davis, who had earlier become the first United States governor to be recalled by the people since 1921. Schwarzenegger was one of 135 candidates on the ballot, which included career politicians, other actors and one adult-film star. Born in Thal, Austria, on July 30, 1947, Arnold Schwarzenegger began body-building as a teenager. He won the first of four “Mr. Universe” body-building championships at the age of 20, and moved to the United States in 1968. He also went on to win a then-record seven “Mr. Olympia” championships, securing his reputation as a body-building legend, and soon began appearing in films. Schwarzenegger first attracted mainstream public attention for a Golden Globe-winning performance in Stay Hungry (1976) and his appearance in the 1977 documentary Pumping Iron. At the same time, he was working on a B.A. at the University of Wisconsin, from which he graduated in 1979. Schwarzenegger’s film career took off after his starring turn in 1982’s Conan the Barbarian. In 1983, he became a U.S. citizen; the next year he made his most famous film, The Terminator, directed by James Cameron. Although his acting talent is probably aptly described as limited, Schwarzenegger went on to become one of the most sought-after action-film stars of the 1980s and early 1990s and enjoyed an extremely lucrative career. The actor’s romantic life also captured the attention of the American public: he married television journalist and lifelong Democrat Maria Shriver, niece of the late President John F. Kennedy, in 1986. With his film career beginning to stagnate, Schwarzenegger, a staunch supporter of the Republican party who had long been thought to harbor political aspirations, announced his candidacy for governor of California during an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Aside from his well-known stint serving as chairman of the President s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports under President George H.W. Bush, Schwarzenegger had little political experience. His campaign, which featured his use of myriad one-liners well-known from his movie career, was dogged by criticism of his use of anabolic steroids, as well as allegations of sexual misconduct and racism. Still, Schwarzenegger was able to parlay his celebrity into a win, appealing to weary California voters with talk of reform. He beat his closest challenger, the Democratic lieutenant governor Cruz Bustamante, by more than 1 million votes. Schwarzenegger served two full terms as governor, and returned to acting in 2011. He and Shriver separated in 2011.
SUDOKU
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T H E T R I B U TA R Y
October 7, 2020
What is at Stake in Weld County Commissioner District 3 Election ?
Weld County is a big old place. Emphasis on old. The longer I live here, (since 2005) the more I realize that the groups, families and interests that have done things here in Weld County, in the past, are still in operation today. The agrarian utopia that the Union Colony settlers start out with as a vision in their minds eye isn’t completely gone, but it has been changed. Competing interests from ranching, farming, oil and gas, and even more by land development have been at war, if not in name then certainly in spirit. Issues like water rights, land usage, road construction and even believe it or not disease management have been and will continued to be used to enforce underlying monetary and political fighting among faction of the Republican party. They are out to settle scores and enforce discipline among party members, as a matter of control, not political ideas. Voting a straight party line is considered a matter of course, not a matter of choice. My opponent like to hide her true intentions. She frequently mentions her love of the 2nd Amendment and her pro-life stance that she tried repeatedly, and with remarkable lack of success, to foster while she was term-limited out of the state assembly. They will not appear as choices to be made by the county commission. What will appear again and again, are issues related to money and what priorities the county budget will set. My priorities will be the infrastructure and training that Southern Weld County needs. Job training for residents and for Weld County employees so they can create value with fewer employees. Dark economic times are coming to the oil patch. We will see County revenue shrink dramatically and cuts will have to be made to the county budget that previous administrations have not saved for. My opponent’s true intentions are that she needs a job. I would encourage her to do as I have done, and for once in her life get a job that isn’t related to with her political connections. Walk the walk, talk the talk of working in private industry and make your own way. Ask yourself, why do the same names keep appearing on the ballots? Is it because they’ve done such an excellent job, or is it because this is their career and have nothing else they are capable of doing? I’ve spent a lifetime working in industries like oil field services and information technology, for large and small businesses and know what they need and how governmental budgeting works. I’ve observed the Weld County government’s budgeting and administration process first hand over the last 14 years as an outsource employee with Xerox and a direct employee. Current County Commissioners like to brag about their lack of debt. They take credit for oil and gas deposits that were laid down million of years ago. If you are blessed to be born into immense wealth, please have the tack not to brag that you somehow earned it. The next few years are going to be difficult for Weld County government as they’ll have to learn to survive on a much reduced revenue stream. I’m the only candidate who has first-hand knowledge of how this can be done, and I’ll promised that this is not a stepping stone to some higher political office. I’ve had my career. I want to spend the rest of my life making a difference in something that I believe in. I would appreciate your support on November 3. I ask you to vote and I ask that you vote for me, I plan to work for all the citizens of Weld County, especially those in the District 3. Thank you, Mike Welch, Candidate for Weld County Board of County Commissioner District 3