[June 2012]
MOUNTAIN THEATER
[contents]
June 2012 [departments]
[features]
4 Viewpoint
14 Sun Screening
5 Letters 6 Calendar 7 Co-op News 12 NewsClips 29 Funny Stories 30 Discoveries
16 Mountain Theater
Legislature misses chance to cut greenhouse gas
Understand solar options before making a choice Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre is big business in a small town
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30
29
Funny Stories
[columns] 20 Recipes
The Hotbox Girls
16
Pinterest offers another way to collect great recipes online
22 Gardening
New book teaches how to grow organic veggies in Colorado
24 Outdoors
Float your (belly) boat whichever way you like
25 Energy Tips
Maximize your cooling system by keeping the attic cooler
20
22
24
[cover]
“Luck Be a Lady” takes center stage during a previous summer at the Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre in Grand Lake. Photo courtesy Scott Haden. COMMUNICATIONS STAFF: Mona Neeley, CCC, Publisher/Editor@303-455-4111; mneeley@coloradocountrylife.org Donna Wallin, Associate Editor; dwallin@coloradocountrylife.org • Amy Higgins, Administrative Assistant/Writer; ahiggins@coloradocountrylife.org ADVERTISING: Kris Wendtland@303-902-7276; NCM@800-626-1181
The official publication of the Colorado Rural Electric Association || Volume 43, Number 06
OFFICERS: Bob Bledsoe [ Tri-State] President; Bill Midcap [Fort Morgan] Vice President; Don Kaufman [Sangre de Cristo] Secretary; Jack Schneider [Poudre Valley] Treasurer; Kent Singer [CREA] Executive Director BOARD OF DIRECTORS: John Porter [Empire]; Don McClaskey [Grand Valley]; Jim Lueck [Highline]; Michael Glass [Holy Cross]; Dan Mills [K.C.]; Tom Compton [La Plata]; Stan Cazier [Mountain Parks]; B.D. Paddock [Mountain View]; Joseph Costa, Reg Rudolph [San Isabel]; Mike Rierson, [San Luis Valley]; Marcus Wilson, Kevin Ritter [San Miguel]; Mark Grasmick [Southeast]; Jim Jaeger, Ron Asche [United Power]; Bill Jordan [ White River]; Stuart Travis [ Y-W ]; Charles
Perry [Yampa Valley]; Basin Electric, CoBank, Moon Lake Electric, Wheatland Electric [Associate Members] EDITORIAL: Denver Corporate Office, 5400 N. Washington Street, Denver, CO 80216; Phone: 303-455-4111 • Email: MNeeley@coloradocountrylife.org • Website: coloradocountrylife.coop • Facebook: Colorado Country Life • Twitter: @COCountryLife Colorado Country Life (USPS 469-400/ISSN 1090-2503) is published monthly for $9/$15 per year by Colorado Rural Electric Association, 5400 N. Washington Street, Denver, CO 80216. Periodical postage paid at Denver, Colorado. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Colorado Country Life, 5400 N. Washington Street, Denver, CO 80216 Publication of an advertisement in Colorado Country Life does not imply endorsement by any Colorado rural electric cooperative or the Colorado Rural Electric Association. Editorial opinions published in Colorado Country Life magazine shall pertain to issues affecting rural electric cooperatives, rural communities and citizens. The opinion of CREA is not necessarily that of any particular cooperative or individual.
[viewpoint]
Wasted Opportunity
Chance to cut greenhouse gas emissions fails in last days of legislative session BY KENT SINGER || CREA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR || KSINGER@COLORADOREA.ORG
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This legislative session, Colorado’s electric co-ops worked hard on a bill that would have resulted in reduced greenhouse gas emissions from coal mines. The bill, HB 12-1160, would have expanded Colorado’s renewable portfolio standard to include electricity from coal mine methane. Incredibly the environmental groups that usually support greenhouse gas reductions worked against us. Let me start at the beginning. Back in 2007, Colorado’s electric co-ops supported a bill in the legislature (HB 07-1281) that requires Colorado’s electric co-ops to obtain 10 percent of their power supply from renewable resources by the year 2020. The bill expanded 2004’s Amendment 37, which created the Colorado renewable portfolio standard, or RPS, but originally only applied to utilities with over 40,000 meters. HB 07-1281 extended the 10 percent renewable requirement to all of the state’s electric co-ops. Although electric co-ops have always been cautious with respect to the added costs associated with renewable energy, we collectively agreed in 2007 that a 10 percent RPS was a reasonable standard for co-ops. Since then, the co-ops have been working to integrate new wind, solar, biomass and small hydropower resources withour electric generation sources. Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, the wholesale power supplier to 18 of the 22 distribution co-ops in Colorado, has secured long-term contracts with largescale wind and solar projects to enable the Colorado co-ops to meet their renewable energy requirements. The four distribution co-ops that get their power from Xcel Energy are entitled to count their load ratio share of Xcel’s renewable fleet. In other words, all of Colorado’s electric co-ops have been working vigorously to find reasonable, cost-effective ways to increase the use of renewable energy and decrease the greenhouse gases emitted as we keep your lights on.
ColoradoCountryLife.coop 4 June 2012
Fast-forward to the 2012 legislative session. A bill was introduced to expand the types of power-generating resources that would count as “eligible resources” under the RPS. HB 12-1160 would have amended the RPS to include electricity produced from coal mine methane as an eligible energy resource. The bill was sponsored by a Republican (Rep. Randy Baumgardner) in the House of Representatives and a Democrat (Sen. Gail Schwartz) in the Senate. Although the electric co-ops did not initiate HB 12-1160, we supported the bill because it was simply good public policy. By incentivizing the development of these methane-to-electricity projects, HB 121160 would have created Colorado jobs for workers involved in these projects; it would have taken an energy resource that is currently escaping into the atmosphere and converted it into a beneficial use; and it would have resulted in the reduction of methane emissions, which are 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Many different stakeholders testified in favor of the bill, including the Governor’s Energy Office. Randy Udall, a highly regarded energy expert and environmental advocate, also testified in support of the bill. He testified that HB 12-1160 would likely have more greenhouse gas benefits than all of the solar installations in Colorado to date. So the bill must have sailed through the legislature, right? Well, no. While the bill passed the House of Representatives and a Senate committee with bipartisan support, Senate leadership refused to bring the bill to a floor vote (“second reading” in legislative parlance). Why? Here is where the plot thickens. Even though the bill would have resulted in significant environmental benefits in terms of greenhouse gas reductions, there are some environmental groups that are more interested in preserving market share for big wind and solar projects than actually reducing greenhouse gases. Lobbyists for Environment Colorado and Western
Resource Advocates worked hard to kill the Kent Singer bill and were ultimately successful. Was the bill really a threat to wind and solar? Hardly. The amount of capacity of methane-to-electricity projects likely to be developed in Colorado in the next 10 years is, optimistically, in the range of 5 to 10 megawatts. In fact, the proponents of the bill even agreed to a 50 MW total cap on production in an effort to save the bill in the Senate. This is in comparison to the more than 2,000 MW of wind and solar capacity that exists in Colorado today. As the 2012 legislative session was winding down, we did our best to amend another bill to include the provisions of HB 12-1160. Sen. Lois Tochtrop (D) was helpful in working with us to save the bill. We had more than enough votes in the Colorado Senate to pass the bill (including most of the Republicans and five or six Democrats), but Senate leadership simply would not bring up the bill because they knew it would pass and some in the environmental lobby did not want that to happen. So, a bill that would have been good for jobs and the environment was killed, ironically, at the hands of the environmental groups that frequently criticize the utility industry for carbon dioxide emissions. Instead of embracing a bill that had obvious environmental benefits and taking advantage of a rare opportunity to work with the electric co-ops and others, the environmental lobby chose instead to work to protect big wind and solar. Like the methane that is currently venting into the atmosphere from Colorado coal mines, the legislature’s handling of HB 12-1160 was a wasted opportunity.
Executive Director
[letters] Heartwarming Story I do enjoy the magazine and all the featured articles. The story on Lorraine Melgosa was heartwarming to know she is committed to honoring veterans who have served in any conflict and have made their journey from this world to the next. — Mrs. Milfard Rasmussen, Lamar
Replacing Coal I am very concerned with President Barack Obama’s goal to forcefully phase out coal (by 2035) for our electricity supply. The jobs that our coal supply generates, which are already in place, will end. Coal is less expensive (than nuclear) and it decomposes into fertilizer. Our right to choose is being taken away, and the affordability is being taken away with this mandate. — Polly F. Petry, Simla
Co-op Donation Appreciated Thanks to Highline Electric and Colorado Country Life for your generous donation of books to the Haxtun school libraries. The books are a wonderful mixture of fiction and nonfiction. Everyone wants to read them. — Debbie Wolff, Haxtun Schools
Discovery Close to Heart Thank you for sharing your Discovery (April ’12) of the double duty diaper bag. My daughter, born in 1978, came into this world with a birth defect. Then, there were no Ronald McDonald Houses nationally. I spent many miserable nights sleeping on a cot in the playroom at the hospital while she was hospitalized during her first two years. Grown now, she is expecting a baby in August. This diaper bag will make a perfect gift with a portion of the cost going to an organization close to my heart. — Ruth Swanty, Loveland Send your letter to the editor by mail or email. You must include your name and address to be published. Letters may be edited. ColoradoCountryLife.coop June 2012 5
[calendar]
[ June] June 10 Rye American Indian Festival Home United Methodist Church 719-489-2779 June 10 Silverthorne Mountain Home & Outdoor Expo Silverthorne Pavilion summitcountybuilders.org June 10 Wellington Quilt Show Historic Buckeye Elementary School 10 am-4 pm • 970-568-3401 June 14-17 Buena Vista Colorado State HOG Rally Mt. Princeton Hot Springs Resort 303-252-4815 • costatehog rally.com June 15-16 Durango “Beehive, the ‘60s Musical” Durango Arts Center 8 pm • durangoarts.org June 15-16 Holyoke Dandelion Daze Car & Bike Show Various Holyoke locations holyokechamber.org June 15-16 Monte Vista Rally in the Valley Ski Hi Park sites.google.com/site/ mvrallyinthevalley June 15-16 Pagosa Springs Great Golden Retriever Roundup Downtown Pagosa Springs 970-264-2360 • pagosa chamber.com
June 16 Durango Durango Motor Expo Main Avenue 9 am-3 pm • 970-247-8761 June 16-17 Golden Goose Fest Colorado Railroad Museum 9 am-5 pm • coloradorail roadmuseum.org June 16 Mancos “An Evening With R. Carlos Nakai” Mancos Opera House 7 pm • 970-759-9716 June 19-22 Beulah Little Kids Camp Mountain Park Environmental Center hikeandlearn.org
June 24 Elbert All-you-can-eat breakfast Russell Gates Mercantile Community Hall 8 am-1 pm • townofelbert.com June 24 Grand Lake “Tops of The Rockies” Grand Lake Yacht Club 5:30-8 pm • 970-627-3718 June 24 Briggsdale Biggsdale Community Picnic Harry Green Gymnasium 12:30 p.m. • 970-656-3529
June 22-23 Durango Library Book Sale Durango Public Library 970-375-3380
June 27 Grand Lake Victorian Tea Rapids Lodge 2 pm • 970-627-9644
June 22 Elizabeth Chamber Golf Tournament Spring Valley Golf Club 8 am • 303-646-4287
June 30 Durango Meet the Trucks La Plata County Fairgrounds 10 am-3 pm • skillsfor livingandlearning.org
June 22-24 Salida Artwalk Historic downtown salidaartwalk.org June 22-24 Salida Quilting in the Fourteeners Salida Middle School 719-539-2075 June 23-24 Colorado Springs Parade of Ponds Various Colorado Springs locations 9 am-5 pm • purelyponds.com
June 15 Pueblo West Military Appreciation Golf Tournament Desert Hawk Golf Course 8 am • www.pwchamber.com
June 23 Durango Wine and Music Fest Durango Discovery Museum 6-9 pm • 970-764-8412
June 16 Cuchara Cuchara Country MusicFest Main Street 1-8:30 pm • cucharacountry musicfest.com
June 23-24 Estes Park Scandinavian Midsummer Festival E. Elkhorn & MacGregor 9:30 am • estesmidsummer. com
ColoradoCountryLife.coop 6 June 2012
June 23 Winter Park Chocolate Festival Village at Winter Park 10 am-5 pm • winterpark resort.com
June 30-July 1 La Veta Art in the Park Festival La Veta Town Park 10 am • lvartinthepark.com June 30-July 1 La Veta Quilt Show and Sale La Veta Community Center 10 am-4 pm • 719-250-5692 June 30 Monument GospelGrass on the Divide The Church at Woodmoor 10 am-5 pm • 719-488-3200
[ July] June 30- July 1 Vallecito Lake Arts & Crafts Fair Below dam 970-884-2300 •vallecitolak echamber.com
July 3-8 Meeker Range Call Celebration Various Meeker locations meekerrangecall.com July 4 Pueblo West 4th of July Community Celebration Joe Martinez and Civic Center Drive www.pwchamber.com July 4 Buena Vista Art in the Park, McPhelemy Park 719-395-6232 July 4 Trinidad Queen City Jazz Band Southern Colorado Repertory Theatre 2 pm • scrtheatre.com July 4 Walsh Art Show Gem Theater 719-324-5694 July 5-8 Copper Wanderlust Festival Copper Mountain wanderlustfestival.com July 6-8 Durango Gem & Mineral Show La Plata County Fairgrounds 10 am • durangorocks.org July 7-8 Pagosa Springs Summerfest Craft Fair Pagosa Lodge 970-731-4560 July 7 Rye Mountain Aire Festival Brush Canyon Ranch 719-489-2266
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SEND CALENDAR ITEMS
TWO MONTHS IN ADVANCE TO: Calendar, Colorado Country Life, 5400 N. Washington St., Denver, CO 80216; fax to 303-455-2807; or email calendar@coloradocountrylife.org. For more information on these and other events, visit coloradocountry life.coop
K.C. ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION
[Country News] [what’s inside] n Mind Your Manners n Remembering Dick Thomas n Tornado Safety Tips n Country Kitchen n Irrigation Meter Reading
HUGO OFFICE P.O. Box 8 Hugo, CO 80821-0008 STRATTON OFFICE P.O. Box 285 Stratton, CO 80836-0285 HUGO ADDRESS 422 Third Avenue Hugo, CO 80821 STRATTON ADDRESS 281 Main Street Stratton, CO 80836 719-743-2431 [Hugo] 719-348-5318 [Stratton] www.kcelectric.coop [web] BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kevin Penny [president] Robert Bledsoe [vice president] Terry Tagtmeyer [secretary/treasurer] Danny Mills [asst. secretary/treasurer] James Lewis [director] Jim Michal [director] Luanna Naugle [director] Dave Ritchey [director] Marvin Thaller [director] STAFF Tim Power [general manager] Chance Briscoe [office manager] Ben Orrell [member services specialist] Paul Norris [line superintendent]
K.C. Loses a Great Friend BY TIM POWER || GENERAL MANAGER
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On April 16, 2012, Larry Shutte passed away while being treated for cancer. Larry first started working at K.C. Electric Association as a lineman in 1980. The past six and half years he had served as our operations manager. His passing wasn’t just a loss of friendship for us at K.C. Electric, but also one of knowledge. Larry knew K.C. Electric’s system and many of its members better than most. That kind of knowledge is irreplaceable. I only knew Larry for the Larry Shutte, operations manager two years I have been here, but I can tell you I lost a good friend and K.C. Electric lost a great did whatever it took to get the job done employee. Larry was a pleasure to work correctly. with. He always came to work with a Larry will forever have a place in K.C. smile on his face and never complained Electric’s history. He exemplified dedicaabout work or non-work things going on tion and played a major role in how this his life. He treated people well and was organization has grown over the years. very willing to help in any way he could. Larry will be missed by all of us at K.C. His job came with a lot of responsibility Electric, but the impact he had on many and Larry performed extremely well. He of us will never be forgotten.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR — K.C. ELECTRIC’S ANNUAL MEETING JUNE 7 Kit Carson High School Registration starts 6:30 p.m. Meeting begins 7 p.m. Grand prize $1,500 cash. Must be present to win.
ColoradoCountryLife.coop June 2012 7
[Country News]
Mind Your Manners … Please BY BEN ORRELL | | MEMBER SERVICES SPECIALIST
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Talk to the old-timers (my age and older) and you will likely hear that the youth of today don’t have manners like in the old days. Well, one school in eastern Colorado is doing something about that. Recently I was invited to the Bethune School to attend a “Manners Meal.” I had no idea what I was in for, but I just had a feeling I didn’t want to miss it. On the appointed day I arrived early so I could ask questions and take a few notes. First, I met with Kristi Craig and she said that the Manners Meal is served to kids in grades nine through 12, staff and invited guests. It is prepared by the school cooks and served by the seventh and eighth graders. The program started as a preparation for college, prom and job interviews. Bethune has a unique mentoring program. At the beginning of the year the kids are divided up into small groups, and a faculty member is assigned to each group. The group meets together all year and the faculty member is there to help with study methods, testing techniques, general problem solving and much more. Each of those groups is assigned a portion of the Manners Meal to plan and execute. Items to be planned for include menu, dress code, table setting, table decorations, manners and proper etiquette. Each group will come to the entire student body and make a presentation on its portion of the project. (WIN* Jerry Smith 506800000) The menu is designed to be different enough to challenge students to eat something new and to be somewhat challenging to eat without getting it on you. At the group presentations one group gave a demonstration on what not to do. Sometimes that is more effective than showing people what to do. The group that is in charge of dress sets the standards of dress for the day and will approve each individual when he or she arrives at school. If a student does not have formal attire, such as shirt and tie, it will be provided. Immediately prior to going in for the meal all invited guests met with Superintendant Shila Adolf. She said this was her favorite day of the entire school year. She observed that once the students get into their formal attire a change comes over the school — the kids are more professional and have more pride in
The wait staff was scored on dress, manners, etiquette, serving protocol and overall performance.
themselves. She related to us that the program came about because graduating seniors going off to school indicated that they felt uncomfortable in formal social settings. The teachers and the school cooks said let’s do something about this and the program was born. The reason for inviting people from outside the school was to ensure that each student had the opportunity to eat a formal meal in the presence of a total stranger and be challenged to engage in conversation. We were also given score sheets so we could score the individuals at our table and score the waiters. Items scored were seating manners, conversation, and eating manners. The wait staff was scored on dress, manners, etiquette, serving protocol and overall performance. Prizes were given for the best male and female in each group. The food was wonderful. Hors d’oeuvres consisted of unique types of cheese, figs and hummus. The salad contained a variety of things that students hadn’t previously tasted. The main course was eggplant Parmesan and shish kebab. Yes these presented unique challenges in a formal setting. I must say that the kids in Bethune are fortunate to have cooks of that caliber. The waiters took their jobs very seriously and it went extremely well. Water glasses were filled in a timely manner. Every server was professional and seemed to be able to relate with those being served in a natural manner. The entire experience took a full two hours, but the time went by in a flash and was completely enjoyable. (Phaedra Piper 642100004) Congratulations to Bethune for seeing a problem and finding a solution. If students are there in the seventh grade, they will have six years of training before they graduate. I know a lady who grew up in a small town and in her life experiences had the opportunity to dine with a Prime Minister, a prince and numerous very wealthy people. “Thank goodness,” she said, “that someone took the time to teach me some manners in my youth.” We never know where life will take us but for the kids at Bethune, they will be ready.
Congratulations to Bethune for finding a great and lasting solution. ColoradoCountryLife.coop 8 June 2012
[Country News] Remembering Dick Thomas BY KEVIN PENNY | | K.C. ELECTRIC BOARD PRESIDENT
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At last year’s annual meeting, we honored our retiring longtime attorney, Dick Thomas. Dick was a vital part of K.C. Electric for 37 years, and we wanted to publically recognize his contributions. This past year, Dick’s health began failing and Dick died on April 20 of congestive heart failure at the age of 87. Dick and his father, Thornton, were the only staff attorneys that K.C. Electric had since its beginning. Besides being an attorney, Dick loved horseback riding for both pleasure and competition. He was very active in the Arabian Horse Association. He will be missed by us as a caring attorney, but most of all as a good friend.
Dick Thomas
BE ALERT TO AVOID LIGHTNING
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Did you know lightning can strike even when it’s not raining? Lightning strikes kill 55 to 60 people every year, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. And more than 400 people are hit by a bolt each year. If you prepare before an outdoor event and know how to protect yourself, you can keep your family safe from lightning. Follow these tips from NOAA: • Plan ahead. Just as you have an emergency plan for fires and weather events such as tornadoes, form an action plan for lightning. Choose a safe shelter and time how long it takes to get there. • Check the weather. A simple forecast can tell you whether you should delay outdoor activities to avoid a dangerous situation. • Look to the sky. Dark skies, whipping winds and lightning flashes are all signs that you should seek shelter. • Seek shelter. As soon as you hear a rumble of thunder, head for a safe place, such as an enclosed structure — one with plumbing and wiring is best — or a car. Open-air shelters, sheds and covered porches are often not safe places. Avoid tall trees that stand alone, towers, poles and metal fences as well as other conductors of electricity. Keep out of open areas so that you’re not the tallest object in the vicinity. • Wait it out. Leaving safe shelter too quickly makes you vulnerable to lightning strikes. Wait at least 30 minutes after the last rumble of thunder before you head back outdoors. • Avoid corded phones and appliances. If you’re indoors when a storm hits, do not use corded phones or appliances. Lightning can travel through your home’s wiring. Also, water is a great conductor of electricity, so don’t take a bath or shower. If someone near you has been struck by lightning, call 911 immediately. If you or someone with you is certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, begin performing the procedure right away if it is necessary. The victim would not have an electric charge and would be safe to touch. For more information on how to stay safe in a lightning storm, visit www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov or K.C. Electric Association.
“Congress is so strange; a man gets up to speak and says nothing, nobody listens and then everybody disagrees.” — Will Rogers ColoradoCountryLife.coop June 2012 9
[Country News] COUNTRY KITCHEN FROZEN CHOCOLATE CRUNCH 8 squares (1 oz. each) German sweet chocolate, chopped 2/3 cup light corn syrup 2 cups whipping cream, divided 1 1/2 cups coarsely crushed cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (about 12 cookies) 1 cup chopped walnuts Additional chopped walnuts and sandwich cookies, optional In a heavy saucepan or microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate with corn syrup; stir until smooth. Stir in 1/2 cup cream. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until cool. Stir in crushed cookies and walnuts. In a mixing bowl, beat remaining cream until stiff peaks form; fold into chocolate mixture. Spread into a 9-inch square dish, cover and freeze for 4-6 hours or until firm. Sprinkle with additional walnuts and crushed cookies. (Steve Short 1100030002) Alice Jensen, Hugo
CLAIM YOUR CREDIT ON YOUR BILL Each month, K.C. Electric offers consumers a chance to earn a $10 credit on their next electric bills. If you recognize your 10-digit account number in this magazine, call 719-743-2431 and ask for your credit. It couldn’t be easier. In April Luanna White of Stratton and Randy Humrich of Bethune called to claim their savings and Todd Messer of Hugo called to claim his prize. Get acquainted with your account number, read your Colorado Country Life magazine and pick up the phone. That’s all the energy you’ll need to claim your energy bucks. You must claim your credit during the month in which your name appears in the magazine (check the date on the front cover).
FRESH TOMATO SOUP Saute garlic and onion. Add fresh tomatoes (mashed), white wine, salt and pepper. Heat in large pot heat — don’t boil. Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches. Paula Nusser, Cheyenne Wells
TIPS TO BEAT THE HEAT
Energy Conservation Recommendations q Dry laundry outside on the line. q Turn off lights and computers when not in use. q Wash clothes in cold water if possible; wash only full loads and clean the dryer’s lint trap after each use. (Scott Webb 303950009)
Want to beat the heat? Run appliances like dishwashers and dryers late in the evening to keep the heat from affecting your comfort. Use cold water to wash clothes, and remember to unplug electric chargers, televisions and any appliances when you are not using them. Learn more ways to save at TogetherWeSave.com. (Amber Davis 932800003)
q When using a dishwasher, wash full loads and use the light cycle. If possible, use the rinse only cycle and turn off the high temperature rinse option. When the regular wash cycle is done, just open the dishwasher door to allow the dishes to air dry. q Replace incandescent lightbulbs with energy-efficient compact fluorescent lights.
ColoradoCountryLife.coop 10 June 2012
IRRIGATION METER READING Irrigation meters will be read on the following dates: July 2, August 1 and 30.
ColoradoCountryLife.coop February 2012 11
[newsclips]
Electric Co-ops Protect Systems Against Cyber Attacks on the Grid
T Attaching objects to power poles puts lives on the line BY MONA NEELEY || PUBLISHER/EDITOR
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The power pole is standing right at the corner, right where you want to post that garage sale sign. It wouldn’t hurt to tack it up on the pole for the weekend, would it? Yes it would. It could cause injury to a lineman or put you or your kids in danger. It may seem innocent, but line crews throughout Colorado climb utility poles at all hours of the day and night, in the worst of conditions. Anything attached to utility poles can create serious hazards for these line personnel, especially sharp objects like nails, tacks, staples or barbed wire. These sharp items can puncture rubber gloves and other safety equipment. And any puncture, even one as small as a pinhole, can make the line worker vulnerable to electrocution. Line workers have reported poles used as community bulletin boards, satellite mounts and even as support legs for deer stands, lights and carports. Not only do these attachments put line crews at risk, anyone placing these items on poles also comes dangerously close to the energized power lines. These lines can carry thousands of volts of energy. You, your kids or whoever is posting these signs or climbing on stands or carports attached to these poles is in danger from that electricity. Unauthorized pole attachments are also illegal. They violate the National Electrical Safety Code. These fixtures and signs do not belong on your electric co-op’s power poles. Let’s keep the poles free from signs and lights and structures and keep everyone safer.
ColoradoCountryLife.coop 12 June 2012
Threats from cyber hackers or the curious, mischief-minded and terrorists alike are an increasing concern for the electric utility sector, including electric cooperatives. While computer and telecommunications technologies allow electric utilities to serve consumers more reliably and efficiently, they also open up potential gateways for the possible sabotage of critical electric systems. While news reports about the potential for cyber attacks have raised public awareness about the issue, there is no documented instance of a cyber assault damaging North American power facilities. Why? In part, because utilities, including electric co-ops, started addressing these issues years ago by working with the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, the nation’s electric grid watchdog, and federal agencies to update procedures, standards and alerts that contribute to protecting the grid from physical and cyber incidents as well as natural disasters. Electric co-ops are moving forward to erect cyber defenses and fashion robust plans for addressing current and future dangers. At the same time, co-ops recognize that in a rapidly evolving cyber environment, there’s no such thing as perfect security. Risk mitigation must become an ongoing process requiring constant adaptation and evaluation. The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s Cooperative Research Network, through its groundbreaking nationwide CRN Smart Grid Demonstration Project, has created a set of online tools that are helping co-ops strengthen their cyber security posture with a particular focus on smart grid technologies. This effort, heralded by U.S. Department of Energy as a model for other utilities to follow (and endorsed by the head of grid security at IBM), marks the first approach to advancing cyber security at the distribution level. It also recognizes that electric cooperatives have pioneered a broad range of solutions to keeping electricity flowing reliably and electric bills affordable.
Electric Co-ops Continue Fight to Keep Coal Ash From Being Deemed Hazardous
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency could force coal ash and coal combustion byproducts to be defined as “hazardous waste.” Electric co-ops across the country are fighting against this designation. The issue of whether or not coal combustion residuals should be treated as hazardous under federal law has been thoroughly researched and evaluated for nearly three decades. Overwhelmingly, the conclusion has been that the coal ash should be treated as a nonhazardous substance. In fact, in previous reports to Congress, the EPA has affirmed that a hazardous designation is not necessary to protect public health and the environment. A hazardous designation would add huge costs to consumer electric bills and eliminate the beneficial recycling of coal ash into usable products. Senate Bill 1751 strikes the right balance between both environmental protection and impoundment safety in a way that also protects human health, jobs and electricity consumers. During a recent visit to Washington, D.C., electric co-ops representatives asked that senators support this bill.
[newsclips] SCHOOL ON THE LINE Several hundred line workers from utilities throughout Colorado, the Midwest and the West trained at Mesa Hotline School during two week-long sessions offered the first part of May in Grand Junction. Colorado’s electric co-ops are an integral part of this program that helps workers update and expand their knowledge. Your local electric co-op sends instructors as well as students to this annual program put on in cooperation with Colorado Mesa University.
“Of the one-third of Americans who are members of cooperatives, nearly 80 percent feel cooperatives can be counted on to meet their needs. Only 67 percent feel the same way about for-profit businesses.” — Survey by the National Cooperative Business Association and the Consumer Federation of America
YEAR OF THE CO-OP
QUESTIONS FOR READERS
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It was nearly unanimous. Readers gave a resounding “No” in answer to last month’s question asking if electric utilities should raise their rates so people would use less electricity. This is not an idea being promoted by Colorado’s electric co-ops. Electric co-ops strive to provide the lowest cost, most reliable, most environmentally friendly electricity that is feasible. But some who would like to see electric co-ops get less electricity from coal-fired power plants and more electricity from renewable energy, which is often more expensive, have suggested that pushing prices for power higher is not a bad thing. None of those people, however, participated in our informal survey. Here are a few comments from those
who did answer the question: “That tactic would be another step in the continuing process of increasing the gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots.’” “Charging more for electricity to make people use less is a moot point. Charging more to create and provide more renewable energy makes sense.” “This will only hurt those who already conserve and have energy efficient, smaller homes.” “Any time the price of a needed commodity goes up, it will have a negative effect on an economy.”
READERS QUESTION
Q.
Are you interested in driving an electric vehicle? What would it have to have so that it would be beneficial for you? Send your thoughts to info@coloradocountrylife.org.
Electric co-ops are taking time during 2012 to celebrate the International Year of Cooperatives. Member-owned electric co-ops have transformed the landscape of rural America, delivering safe, reliable and affordable electricity for 75 years. Did you know that electric co-ops serve more than 42 million people in 47 states? They work hard every day, with their members, to build a better community right where they serve.
HELP CO-OPS BATTLE COPPER THEFT
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Soaring metal prices have been blamed for an increase in thefts of copper and aluminum, primary components of electric distribution lines. Recent thefts of copper wire and equipment from electric utilities have been responsible for power outages, additional maintenance and expenses, diminished service reliability and, in some cases, serious injury or death. If you see anyone around electric substations or electric facilities other than co-op personnel or contractors, call the police. Help prevent these thefts. ColoradoCountryLife.coop June 2012 13
SUN SCREENING
Understand solar technology to find which options truly shine for you BY DOUG DANLEY || COOPERATIVE RESEARCH NETWORK
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Whether you’re listening to the radio, surfing the Internet, watching television or driving by billboards, you have probably seen or heard some of these phrases:
How does solar fit into your energy mix? ColoradoCountryLife.coop 14 June 2012
“Go solar for zero dollars down with our solar lease.” “Install a solar system on your home for free!” “Save with solar. Start for as low as $0 down!”
With residential solar electric systems (also called “photovoltaic” or PV arrays) dropping in price, new marketing ideas are being generated faster than the panels produce electricity. As a result, consumers need to practice a few “sun screening” techniques to weed out fly-by-night operations and find offers that truly shine. First and foremost, remember to talk with an expert at your local electric cooperative about what would work best for your home and climate. There are three main trends in solar financing: solar leasing, consolidated purchasing and community solar. Here’s a look at each one:
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Solar leasing
This has emerged as the most common alternative to buying a PV system yourself. A leasing company installs panels on your home, sometimes at no cost, and charges a monthly fee that’s at least partially offset by savings on your electric bill. Of course, this financial model only works if your electric cooperative allows “net metering” — that is, if the leasing company can sell any extra energy produced back to your co-op. Colorado’s electric co-ops do allow net metering with the price paid by the co-op for the electricity varying according to each individual co-op’s plan. Solar leasing has advantages and disadvantages. Pros include a low barrier to entry (fancy words for “zero dollars down”) and a simplified process — the leasing company typically takes care of all of the paperwork as well as taxes and other issues. Cons are more subtle. First, terms of the lease may require transfer of the equipment and the lease if your home is sold before the lease expires — so whoever buys your home has to buy the solar lease, too. This could introduce complications into the already stressful process of selling a home. Second, any “distributed generation” connected to the electric grid requires an interconnection agreement, typically signed by the owner of the house. If a separate company “owns” the PV system, it could introduce complications into this process. In many states, including Colorado, the home owner must acquire and maintain insurance for a PV system.
Consolidated purchasing
Spawned from social networking principles, companies such as One Block Off the Grid (1BOG) provide a portal for potential customers to indicate their interest in solar. If enough interest is generated in any given area, 1BOG will negotiate a group rate for solar installa-
Delta-Montrose Electric Association’s community solar array encourages co-op members to support solar power and get credit for the power panels produce.
United Power in Brighton was the first co-op in the nation to add a solar farm to its energy mix. It sold its first panels three years ago. tions. It’s motto is “Join today for safety and savings in numbers.” While this sounds like a great idea, the PV market changes so rapidly that other, more cost-effective options could become available, leaving you locked into an unfavorable deal. As with any large home improvement project, get multiple bids before deciding on a specific contractor.
Community solar
Under this setup, electric cooperatives or other entities install and operate a single large solar array. Individual co-op members purchase or lease a portion (as small as a quarter panel), with the electricity generated credited directly to the member’s electric bill. While the financial payback may or may not cover the monthly lease or upfront payment, consumers can support renewable energy without making permanent changes to their home. In Colorado, this type of community solar program is offered or will soon be offered by Empire Electric Association in Cortez; Grand Valley Power in Grand Junction; Holy Cross Energy in Glenwood Springs and Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association in Windsor in cooperation with the Clean Energy Collective in Rifle and Windsor; San Miguel Power Association in Ridgway; United Power in Brighton; and Delta-Montrose Electric Association in Montrose. Remember, always contact your cooperative before installing any renewable, backyard distributed generation system. Specific interconnection rules will apply and are designed to protect the safety of the electric grid and line workers, especially during outages. Your electric cooperative can also help you sort through these financing options to ensure that you make the right decision. Doug Danley is a senior program manager for Cooperative Research Network. ColoradoCountryLife.coop June 2012 15
Big Time Theater in Small Town Colorado
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BY KRISTE N HANNUM
Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre’s trustees in Grand Lake have been in a flurry all spring — they are every spring, actually. It’s the usual chores trustees of any board might take care of: raising money, setting priorities, raising more money, voting on budgets, raising yet more money and working with management. And then there are the cabins that need cleaning. That’s not a task people usually associate with boards, but these trustees adopt the cabins where the company’s performers will live for the summer. “My cabin is number six,” says Bob Scott. “I never give up cabin number six. Nothing says love like cleaning the toilets for them.” Scott and the other hands-on, down-to-earth trustees also fill refrigerators with food for the newly arrived young artists, invite them for dinner, and sign on for everything from ushering to sweeping backstage. Board member Reed James, whose family owned the historic
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Grand Lake Lodge for decades, is the theater’s bartender for the first part of this summer. Doctorate candidates have written dry dissertations on the link between community-building and the arts. Here, that theory comes to life. “Grand Lake’s year-round population is 450; winters can be brutal,” says Susan Sidell Brandt, vice president of the board of trustees. “But when spring comes and these kids arrive, literally within days they put on the first show. It breathes life into the town, economically and artistically.” The trustees’ pride in their new $5.2 million, 11,000-square-foot facility, and the elite quality of the shows performed here, is hard to escape. “The caliber of what we’re doing is professional,” says Brandt. “Most of our actors have graduated with degrees in theater or are pursuing a master’s in theater, and our artistic director, Michael Querio, is a magnet for excellence.”
Actors in Residence
The 20 or so actors win their places in the company through brutal auditions in Chicago, Memphis and St. Louis. Querio selects each summer’s troupe from about 1,200 competing for the spots, all hoping to come to Grand Lake for a summer of hard work, both on stage and backstage. Usually there are a handful of returning players, and actors may come back for five to eight years. Theatergoers, too, come back year after year, sometimes for decades. And the performances are knockouts. “It’s magical,” says Lisa Jenkins, executive director of the Grand Lake Chamber of Commerce. “I love the Repertory Theatre, and it is a strong economic driving force in the community. When they can come close to selling out every performance, that’s not bad for our community.” Some of the 46-year-old theater’s alumni have gone on to careers on Broadway. A few have been lucky enough to stay in Grand Lake: Clare Arena and Scott Haden, for instance, met here as actors, fell in love and married. She’s now the company director and director of the Repertory Theatre’s youth workshops; he’s managing director. “At the end of each season, when we have the going-away party, there’s not a dry eye,” says Brandt. “We don’t know if we’ll ever see these kids again. We hope we’ve given to them a foundation for fulfilling their dreams.” The actors are the stars of this mountain town. James remembers golden midsummer days when, after the players had rehearsed all the shows and knew their lines, there might be 15 of them pool side at Grand Lake Lodge or heading up to the Grand Lake golf course. The Repertory Theatre’s national reputation for excellence lures actors, but its spectacular setting at the western gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park is another bait. They don’t need a car for this summer home: Their cabins are an easy stroll from the theater and the rest of the town including its wildlife, another star attraction in Grand Lake. The surrounding area is home to nearly half the state’s estimated population of 1,200 moose; it’s common the see moose grazing near town and even ambling down its streets. They can also boat and fish on Grand Lake and Shadow Mountain Lake; they can hike and ride mountain bikes or horses on the trails; and they can white-water raft on Clear Creek and the Arkansas and Colorado rivers. In town, there are restaurants, bowling, tennis, miniature golf and, of course, theater. Behind all that there’s the encompassing love and support this little community gives its summer celebrities. “We let them know that we love them,” says Scott. “We tell them, ‘We loved you before you got here and we love you even more now that
you’re here.’” Locals and visitors alike especially love seeing the actors in costume — pirates, princesses, gangsters and showgirls — on those days when they’re on the sidewalks or in the park handing out flyers for the next show or perhaps just taking a break from a dress rehearsal to grab a hamburger. “People treat them like rock stars,” says Brandt. “We want them to feel like we can’t do enough for them, and they feel that back.”
VARIETY ON STAGE
The “repertory” in Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre means the company performs several plays in rotation. Querio auditions actors who not only have perfect timing for the summer’s musical comedy but also can sing and dance in a different role in a different musical. The same actors perform in all three productions, staged on various nights at the height of the summer. Repertory actors joke that they know which play they’re in on any given night by which costume has been set out for them. They come to town in late May and immediately set to work getting the first production up and running — “Anything Goes” this year. While they’re performing that show in the evenings, they’re already rehearsing the other two by day. This year “Jekyll & Hyde” opens a week after “Anything Goes” opens, and “The Drowsy Chaperone” two weeks after that. The company juggles those three shows throughout the rest Beth Lanza meets of the summer. That leaves the fourth with adoring fans following the 2011 play of this season, “The Marvelproduction of ous Wonderettes,” running solo in Disney’s “Beauty September. and the Beast.” The company always schedules a family-friendly hit. James, who spent his summers growing up in Grand Lake, remembers “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Gypsy” and “The Sound of Music.” Now his own children have seen “Shrek,” “Horton Hears a Who” and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” There’s also always an edgier show in the lineup. This year’s musical, “Jekyll & Hyde,” delves into its hero’s dark side. Last year’s “Chess” was about a Cold War Soviet chess champion’s love affair with an American. “By the end of the summer it was maybe my all-time favorite,” Scott says of the quirky musical tragedy. This summer’s calendar shows 62 performances from June 15 through the end of August then 16 more in September. There are also a handful of special offerings, including the popular youth workshop productions. The young actors don’t just sign up for being on stage. They teach in the theater’s youth workshops, which includes local kids and the children of summer residents, who boost the town’s population tenfold. [continued on page 18]
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The Youth Theatre Workshop’s hit production As idyllic what a new building in 2011 was “The Rockin’ Tale of Snow White.” as Grand Lake is (and that’s might look like, how despite the beetle-killed pines much it might it that scar many slopes), no one cost and how much disputes its isolation. Scott money they might be pointed out that it’s 90 miles in able to raise. any direction before you come The site the to another good-sized town. trustees set their The workshops have changed hearts on was a individual young people’s lives. prime piece of Grand “As a result of the workshops, Lake real estate, on we’ve had a number of kids go the corner of Grand on to college and study theater,” Avenue and Vine says Brandt. “We think that’s Street. Grand Lake’s noteworthy, partly because we historic Smith-Eslick live in the most rural county in Cottage Court motel, Colorado.” the oldest automoThe young teachers lead exercises in self-confidence. The bile motel in the country, had stood there since 1911. Rocky students (more than a thousand over the past dozen years) get Mountain Repertory Theatre bought the property and then sold the chance to write plays and perform in them. Families fill the the moldering but historically significant motel to the Grand theater for the productions. “It provides opportunities for the Lake Area Historical Society. The historical society moved the children that are equal to or better than in the big city,” Scott old motel to a nearby site. (A number of the theater’s trustees are says. “You can’t imagine what it does to integrate the theater into also on the board of the historical society and are dedicated to the community.” saving the old motel building.) That’s essential, since it takes more than actors to keep a Then the Repertory Theatre trustees got started. “We didn’t theater alive. “The infrastructure alone is mind-boggling,” says take out a loan,” says Scott. “We said we would not break ground Scott, who adds that most of the town’s residents volunteer to until we had the money to pay for it.” help with the productions in one way or another. After a pause The money began coming in right away, however, with an he corrects himself. “I can’t think of one person who hasn’t anonymous donor giving $720,000. helped,” he says. “We had thousands of donations, running the gamut from kids with piggy banks to a million dollars,” says Brandt. “We Community supported no sooner got started then the economy went south. We could They say love is its own reward, but the Repertory Theatre’s have said this isn’t the time; if that thought was out there for a supporters say it’s more than that. “Anything I ever did for millisecond, I’d be surprised.” the theater I did for selfish reasons,” says Scott. “It’s because I “The way all of this worked is like a miracle out of the Scripwanted the theater in Grand Lake.” tures,” says Scott, never one to soft pedal a good thing. James, still sounding like a lodge owner, explains that the Trustees especially praise Judy Jensen, who served as presiTheatre brings visitors who don’t only spend money on their dent of the board and chaired the Raise the Curtain Capital theater ticket. “People maybe drive up from Estes Park for dinCampaign; Chad Scott, former managing director and also the ner and a show. Sometimes they spend the night.” campaign manager; and Carol Wolff, the theater’s executive In years past, fans in the know advised friends to buy tickets director. James notes that they’re still fundraising, this time for a early for the Repertory Theatre’s shows, since they sold out fast. capital reserve fund that will cover the theater’s maintenance for It got so bad that the theater, which performed in the old Grand its next four decades. They won’t need to move again, however. Lake community house, was turning away about 80 disap“We did what it takes to make this happen,” James says. “It’s pointed would-be theatergoers every night. unbelievable.” That got the trustees thinking where they could build a bigger theater building. They knew it had to be in Grand Lake, home to Kristen Hannum is a Colorado native who remembers the glory the Repertory Theatre (except for a brief interlude in Colorado days of Hidden Valley (Ski Estes Park) just over the pass from Springs) since its beginning in 1966. They began talking about Grand Lake. She is now a freelance writer living in southeast Denver. This is her second article for Colorado Country Life. [continued from page 17]
For information on other theater gems in Colorado’s mountains, visit coloradocountrylife.coop. Click on Living in Colorado, then on Feature Story, then look for the sidebar in the upper right. Left: The Hotbox Girls from “Guys and Dolls” — 2011. ColoradoCountryLife.coop 18 June 2012
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[recipes]
CCL Is Rolling With Kitchen Pins
Pinterest offers new ways to gather recipes from across the Internet BY MONA NEELEY || PUBLISHER/EDITOR || MNEELEY@COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.ORG PIN YOUR PICKS With Pinterest, you have unlimited options. Food, kitchen décor, cookware options, cookbooks — it’s all at your fingertips. Join Pinterest at pinterest.com.
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Do you know about Pinterest? It’s one of the latest content-sharing services to explode across the Internet. This new social media allows members to view pages of images, videos and other objects and then “pin” their favorites to their own collection of images. We’ve loved finding and pinning a wide variety of recipes. You’ll find what we’ve collected at pinterest.com/ cocountrylife/kitchen-creations. Here’s a couple of recipes we found in various forms on Pinterest and modified to make them our own.
Pepperoni Pizza Rolls 2 tubes refrigerator pizza crust dough (don’t use thin crust) 1 teaspoon garlic salt 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning 1 cup sliced pepperoni 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce for dipping
CORNY IS COOL When you want corn on the cob taste but don’t want the icky mess between your teeth, the Corn Zipper can help. We found this little doohickey from Gardeners Supply on Pinterest. It quickly cuts corn kernels off the cob so you can scoop them instead. CCL pinned it on its Products We Love board.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Using a rolling pin, roll one tube of pizza dough on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle with half of the garlic salt, Italian seasoning, pepperoni and cheeses. Starting at a short end, roll dough tightly to form a log. Slice into 1-inch pieces. Place rolls on lightly greased baking sheet. Repeat with second tube of pizza crust dough. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until browned on top. Serve with warm marinara sauce for dipping.
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Source: Adapted from Tidy Mom at tidymom. net/2010/how-to-makehome-made-pizza-rolls
Cinnamon Roll Cake 3 cups flour 1 cup sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 4 teaspoons baking powder 2 eggs 1 1/2 cups milk 2 teaspoons vanilla 1/2 cup butter, melted Topping: 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons flour 1 tablespoon cinnamon Glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar 5 tablespoons milk 1 teaspoon vanilla Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9- by 13-inch glass baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside. Mix together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, eggs, milk and vanilla. Once these are combined, slowly stir in the melted butter. Pour into pan. For the topping, in a large bowl, mix the butter, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon until creamy. Drop tablespoonfuls evenly into the batter then swirl a knife through the batter marbling the topping. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out nearly clean. While cake is cooling, mix the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla together with a whisk. Drizzle glaze evenly over the warm cake. Source: Found on several sites; this is our version
More delicious Pinterest recipes at coloradocountrylife.coop.
ColoradoCountryLife.coop March 2012 21
[gardening]
Gardening in the West
Author teaches how to grow organic veggies in Colorado gardens BY EVA ROSE MONTANE || ABUNDANTEARTHGARDENS.COM
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In the newly published book, Organic Gardener’s Companion: Growing Vegetables in the West, author Jane Shellenberger reveals how to succeed in organic vegetable gardening in Colorado. Shellenberger’s 12-chapter book not only provides information on how to work with Colorado’s climate and soil, but she also reveals how to create healthy soil and deter undesirable critters. She explains how our surrounding nature affects vegetable gardens and offers her outlook on how we can save life on earth by gardening organically. Early in the book Shellenberger acknowledges that gardening in the West can seem much more difficult than it really is, especially to someone lacking prior experience. While there is complex and detailed information
in its 200 pages, she states that it is meant to “explain a few things, give some context or spark your curiosity.” In other words, use the parts that are helpful and don’t feel daunted. She explains her intent by saying, “I hope to give beginner western gardeners the confidence to get growing, plus the tools and understanding to start raising healthy, tasty food while building better soil every year and creating better conditions for bees and other creatures in the yard. At the same time there should be plenty of material and tips for those with more gardening experience.” I would describe it as broad, yet comprehensive and friendly. Perhaps my own honest reaction to this lovely new addition to my library might be the best testimonial I can give. Although I consider myself strictly an ornamental gardener these days, I began my gardening path as a gung ho organic-vegetable farmer in college. After moving to Colorado, I became discouraged with the conditions that seemed poor for growing vegetables. My few attempts failed miserably. It’s been roughly a decade since I last tried in earnest to grow vegetables, and that was on the north coast of California where the soil is
rich and it never freezes. For the first time since then, as I read through Organic Gardener’s Companion, I found myself intently thinking about which perennial bed I could convert for vegetable growing. Or maybe my neighbor would let me use that one side bed she never uses … In short, when you pick up this book be prepared to be inspired by its stunning photos and educated on what is possible with growing food in a healthy way in the West. Be ready to learn more than simply how to grow vegetables in the Centennial State because this book will teach you about some of the deeper issues and history affecting our area and this art. And, perhaps most importantly, plan to expand as you see that growing vegetables in the West can be very rewarding and community building, and not as difficult as you might have thought. Eva Rose Montane is a garden coach, consultant and designer. Send your questions for her to gardening@ coloradocountrylife.org. Read more gardening advice at colorado countrylife.coop. Click on Living in Colorado and then Gardening.
ColoradoCountryLife.coop 22 June 2012
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[outdoors]
Whatever Floats Your (Belly) Boat
One-person fishing devices come simple or with lots of extras BY DENNIS SMITH
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A few days ago I finally got my float tubes put together. I make a big deal of assembling, inflating and checking them for leaks, so it can take a full day before I get them all clean, wrinkle-free and ready to go. I have three belly boats. Or, should I say, I have one conventional float tube and two pontoon-style kick boats. The float tube is your standard donut-shaped, nylon-covered inner tube with accessory pockets and mesh seat. It’s an oversized, deluxe model as belly boats go, but still quite ordinary. The kick boats, on the other hand, remind me of something you might find in a military supply catalog under the heading “Inflatable, one-man, self-propelled, piscatorial assault vehicle.” This would be, by the way, a fairly accurate description were it not for the snazzy color schemes, and the fact that one of them can be outfitted with an electric trolling motor. A surprising number of “gearheads” enjoy this power option, but it seems like severe overkill to me, never mind self-defeating. I mean, what’s the point in buying a 60-pound portable watercraft, and then lugging along a 30-pound motor and another 47 pounds of battery acid just to make the thing go? If you want to fish from a bass boat for crying out loud, get a Tracker. The whole idea is to avoid the weight and maintenance associated with “real” boats, right? I bought my first belly boat many years ago out of sheer admiration for its simplebut-elegant engineering and strength of construction. I saw a 300-pound man jump on an inflated demo unit at the Fly Tackle Dealer show in Denver and was immediately impressed. The guy fell on his butt, but the boat bounced around like a drunk on a pogo stick. I decided on the spot I could probably trust it to keep me afloat on our windy western trout lakes — no matter what. That has since proved to be true, thank goodness. The storage pockets on this model are huge. If I wanted to, I could stuff the contents of my vest, your vest, your friend’s
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Outdoors writer Dennis Smith enjoys a day using one of his belly boats on a Colorado lake.
vest and part of the hall closet in those cavernous pouches and still have room for more. As it is, I try to keep the load to a minimum. I wear my vest and stash the pockets with miscellaneous tackle, a couple of fly boxes, a camera, a raincoat and a water bottle.
[
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I bought my first belly boat many years ago out of sheer admiration for its simple-but-elegant engineering and strength of construction.
The other two — the piscatorial assault vehicles — are straight out of a Jules Verne novel. I got them from the manufacturer in exchange for some catalog photos. Both are dual-bladder pontoon boats. One is a backpacker model and can be carried comfortably on your back while the other is definitely a car top-
per. It’s about 8 feet long and has a steel rowing frame, suspension seat, footrests, removable soft-sided tackle bags and a cargo deck. It could float the fat lady in the Barnum and Bailey Circus, yet is easily propelled with swim fins. The rear cargo deck will hold a medium-sized picnic cooler, which I sometimes stock with candy and cold drinks, though occasionally I’ll go overboard and pack pastrami, onion and roasted pepper sandwiches on kaiser rolls, tins of smoked oysters, some homemade elk jerky and iced beverages. My fishing buddies then refer to it as the “Mother Ship” or “Buffet Barge” because when the fishing is slow, they tend to congregate around it like piglets around a sow at feeding time. Regardless, it’s a fine go-anywhere, one-man fishing platform: lightweight, reliable, stable and easily propelled — everything you’d want in a one-man piscatorial assault vehicle.
Miss an issue? Catch up at coloradocountrylife.coop. Click on Outdoors.
[energy tips]
BEST WHEN CHILLED Air-conditioning efficiency BY JAMES DULLEY
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Is there a way to reduce the heat flow coming through the ceiling?
Colorado Country Life has BEen AROUND FOR 60 YEARS. TELL US A STORY ABOUT YOU AND HOW THE MAGAZINE HAS MADE AN IMPACT on YOUR LIFE. Send your story to colorado country life, 5400 Washington sT., Denver, Co 80216 or EMAIL TO INFO@COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.ORG.
A roof can get extremely hot on a sunny summer afternoon, especially if it is a dark asphalt shingle roof. That heat can radiate downward through the attic floor insulation and into your house. If your ceiling feels much warmer than your walls, it can significantly increase your electric bills. Even with your air conditioner running and air in the room reasonably cool, you may still feel uncomfortable under a warm ceiling. This heat often causes you to Courtesy of Cor-A-Vent set the air conditioner thermostat even lower, which further increases your electric bills. If your house will need a new roof soon, replace it with light-colored shingles to reduce the roof temperature. Metal roofs, particu- This schematic shows larly aluminum ones the hot air flow from an attic through a rigidwith heat-reflective type vent. Notice it is (not visibly refleccovered with shingles for a nice appearance. tive) paint, stay even cooler and minimize heat transfer down to the ceiling below. Other than replacing the roof, adding more insulation and adequate attic ventilation can help significantly. Putting in extra insulation will also cool ceilings that meet attic space because it blocks heat transfer. Attic vents, whether they are continuous ridge vents or soffit inlet vents, work best. This allows cool air to move low over the insulation, become less dense as it warms up and then flow out the ridge vent. Your attic and roof will still be hot, but extra insulation and ventilation will help cool the living space underneath your attic. For more information on maximizing your cooling system efficiency, visit colorado countrylife.coop. Click on Energy Tips .
ColoradoCountryLife.coop June 2012 25
[marketplace]
Get Out and See the Sites This Summer Looking for someplace fun to travel? How about one of the nearly 400 national parks spread across the United States? Admission for national parks varies from $3 to $25 (good for an entire carload of people for a week). Annual passes, good for more than 2,000 federal recreation sites are also available, including one for seniors for only $10. And, if you plan it right, the National Park Service has fee-free days at more than 100 national parks. Those dates are:
TRAVEL COLORADO THIS SUMMER
• June 9 — Get Outdoors Day • September 29 — National Public Lands Day • November 10-12 — Veterans Day weekend
To find out which parks are holding fee-free days, visit www.nps. gov/findapark/feefreeparksbystate.htm (search by park’s name or by state). Many park-related hotels, restaurants, shops and tour operators also offer specials on fee-free days. For more, visit the National Park Hospitality Association at www.parkpartners.org/SpecialOffers-for-2011.html and National Parks Promotions Council at www. nationalparksonline.org/special-offers/.
“Love is like a butterfly, it settles upon you when you least expect it.”
— Anonymous
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[marketplace]
Got something you don't need?
Sell it by calling
303-902-7276 "I can believe anything, provided that it is quite incredible." — Oscar Wilde
Advertise in MarketPlace
facebook.com/COCountryLife ColoradoCountryLife.coop June 2012 27
[classifieds] TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD Please type or print your ad on a separate paper. Indicate how many months you would like your ad to run and which month to start. There is a minimum of 12 words at $1.63 per word/month. Be sure to include your full name and address for our records. Check MUST accompany this order or call to pay by credit card. Send your ad to: mail: Colorado Country Life 5400 N. Washington St., Denver, CO 80216 phone: 303-902-7276 fax: 303-455-2807 email: classifieds@coloradocountrylife.org
ANTIQUES
BOOKS
1946 KOKEN BARBER CHAIR. Great condition. Red upholstery. Hydraulics work. Headrest, ashtray, razor strop. $3800. 303-823-5615 (053-06-12)
IZZY AULD’s incredible e-Books. Download mysteries, intrigue, suspense, from Amazon or B&N, www.izzyauld.com (014-12-12)
ANTIQUE RESTORATION STUDIO – Antique conservation. Quality craftsmanship since 1974. Bayfield, CO, www.antiqueresdurango.com 970-884-1937. (988-08-12)
RODEO ROOTS to Modern-Day Cowboys is a fine, fun book about rodeo. Great gift! $20. Bulk order discounts. Call 303-455-4111 to order one today. (106-12-12)
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
ANTIQUES IN CHEYENNE, WY, Frontier Park, June 9-10. An antique show/sale you will not want to miss! Saturday 9-5, Sunday 10-4, Admission adults $3. Great selection of fabulous finds, furniture, rare treasures, pottery, glassware, jewelry of many decades, and so much more! Glass grinder on duty. Info: Jo Peterson 719-596-1022 (510-06-12)
(These opportunities have not been investigated by Colorado Country Life.)
BUY, SELL, TRADE, RESTORE antique woodstoves, cookstoves, early gas heaters, always looking for stoves, parts. Bob 303-902-7709 (049-09-12)
FOR SALE – INDOOR SHOOTING RANGE and gun store. Cortez. Owner has health issues. 970-5652474 (052-09-12)
CHAIR CANING, hand caning, machine caning, fiber rush caning. Pueblo West, 719-547-0723. chaanita@q.com (858-04-13)
ANTLERS ANTLER CHANDELIERS made only from REAL antlers. We are the manufacturer and we sell all of our products at wholesale prices; save as much as 60% from store prices. Many other antler products and mounts, including giant 5’ moose mount, 56” elk mount and giant moose paddles. Showroom open May 15 through October 15 in Granby, CO. 15 years at this location, over 900 satisfied customers! 970-627-3053. (105-11-12) ColoradoCountryLife.coop 28 June 2012
14 SPACIOUS MOTEL ROOMS, beauty shop (rented), studio apartment, lovely owners’s quarters. Good Business. Many repeat guests. Completely remodeled. Call Betty 719-263-4773 or cell 719-251-1554 (025-08-12)
LEGITIMATE WORK AT HOME opportunity. No sales, investment, risk. Training/website provided. Weekly/monthly income plus bonuses, benefits. Call Carrie 303579-4207, www.workathomeunited. com/ourabundance (932-06-12) LOTTERY – guaranteed income producing system. FREE BOOKLET. Call toll-free 24 hours a day. 1-877526-6957 ID#S4465. (911-07-12) PIANO TUNING PAYS. Learn with American School home-study course. Tools included. Call for info. 800-497-9793. (158-01-13)
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
FOR SALE
LIVESTOCK
START YOUR OWN BUSINESS – home/internet. Simply the highest quality candles/beauty/fundraising. Enter free drawing. www.natures best.scent-team.com (831-07-12)
GRASSFED BISON MEAT for sale. Delicious and nutritious. Delivery available. Fourth, half, or whole. 720-256-3364 (029-07-12)
SURI ALPACAS – Show or pets. Easy care. Cedar Mesa Alpaca Ranch 970-749-0860 cmaranch2@aol.com (041-07-12)
HEAVY DUTY CATTLEPENS. Portable or permanent; 32x45 working pen w/16’ crowding tub, $3,325. Call Kenneth 580-876-3699, www. cccattleequipment.com (882-08-12)
MACHINERY & PARTS
CARS/TRUCKS/BOATS 50 SUBARUS! (1995-2011) Outbacks, Foresters, Imprezas, Tribecas & more! Great prices! One-year warranty! Dealer: www.Monument Motors.com 719-481-9900 (574-08-12) 2005 40’ ALFA GOLD MOTORHOME, 2 slides, loaded, nonsmokers, low mileage; 1985 Cadillac Barritz Eldorado conv., mint: 1932 Model A, 4 door, restored. 970-5224600 (047-19-12)
CLOCK REPAIR & RESTORATION DURANGO AREA. CLOCKS of all kinds repaired. Antique and modern. Clocks bought and sold. Call Robert 970-247-7729, bob.scott@ usa.net (109-09-12)
EDUCATION HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS/ PARENTS: Looking for a different approach? Want something exceptional? Biblical perspective, wilderness adventure, college prep, close Christian community, housing provided. www.emhweb. org (035-08-12)
EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES COMMERCIAL WEED AND FIRE spray equipment. 307-660-8563 or visit us at www.oldwyomingbrand company.com (024-08-12)
EVENTS QUID NOVI 3RD ANNUAL INNOVATION CONFERENCE - October 20, 2012, 970-267-0959, QuidNovi Festival.com “Where creativity meets” (994-09-12)
FOOD FILL YOUR PANTRY with delicious THRIVE freeze-dried food. Cook with it everyday! Lasts 25+ years unopened. Prepare2Thrive@yahoo. com 719-371-3160 Preparation. ShelfReliance.com (044-08-12)
FOR SALE FIREWOOD. $3/Bundle. Free delivery within 50 miles of Trinidad. 719-846-8498 www.socowood products.com (037-06-12)
OXYGEN CONCENTRATORS - $380 with warranty. Also sell portable concentrators and oxygen supplies. Repair and service of equipment. Aspen Concentrators Repair Service 719-471-9895 (040-08-12)
FREE FREE BOOKS/DVDS. Soon the “Mark of the Beast” will be enforced as Church and State unite! Let the Bible reveal. The Bible Says, POB 99, Lenoir City, TN 37771. thebiblesaystruth@yahoo.com 888-211-1715. (814-08-12) FREE SERMON: What is the world’s age? Does original sin exist? No! Does God love all? No! Is there reincarnation? No! Sacramentarian Christian Assembly, 2210 Main St, #304, Longmont, CO 80501, 303-7728825 (995-06-12)
HEALTH & BEAUTY MARK. THE SEASON’S FRESHEST new fragrance to the hottest runway trends, it’s all here at Mark. Kay Fisher, Sales Representative, 719-547-7808. www.mymarkstore. com/kayfisher. (033-07-12)
HELP WANTED $400 WEEKLY ASSEMBLING PRODUCTS FROM HOME. For free information, send SASE: Home Assembly – CC, Box 450, New Britain, CT 06050-0450.
HOBBIES & CRAFTS AWARD WINNING LONG-ARM QUILTING — reasonable rates, quick turnaround. Karen Niemi, 303-470-9309, http://creative. stitching.home.comcast.net, creative.stitching@comcast.net (846-08-12) BOOKS, PATTERNS, CLASSES, knitting, felting, crocheting, weaving, spinning, natural dye extracts, Jacquard and Gaywool dyes. www. tablerockllamas.com Colorado Springs, 866-495-7747 (791-09-12)
SAWMILL EXCHANGE: North America’s largest source of used portable sawmills and commercial equipment for woodlot owners and sawmill operations. Over 800 listings. THE place to sell equipment. 800-459-2148 www.sawmill exchange.com . (267-09-12)
MISCELLANEOUS PUT YOUR OLD HOME MOVIES, slides or photos on DVD. 888-6099778 or www.transferguy.com. (465-12-12)
MUSIC LEARN TO PLAY GUITAR from the convenience of your own home. Fast, fun, and guaranteed. www. LearnGuitarCentral.com. (106-12-12)
POULTRY/GAMEBIRDS FREE – 5 EXOTIC CHICKS or 3 ducks with 100 frypan special @ $36.95 plus shipping. Also Cornish Cross, standard breeds, fancy chicks, ducks, geese, turkeys, bantams, guineas, pheasants, quail, supplies, video. FREE COLOR CATALOG 417-532-4581. Cackle Hatchery – PO Box 529, Lebanon, MO 65536. www. cacklehatchery.com. (876-07-12)
REAL ESTATE GRAND JUNCTION HORSE FARM, 3130 A 1/2 Rd, 3550+ sq. ft. home on 14 acres. Newly remodeled, new central air, new boiler, new water heater, new roof, half brick ranch w/new vinyl siding. 5 bdrm, 3 1/2 bath, living room, dining room, large kitchen, large family room. New carpet/tile/wood floors. Full horse barn w/indoor stalls & outside runs. All steel fencing, arenas, loafing sheds on large pastures. Additional fencing around home & inground heated pool. RV building (50x28’), two large ponds, etc. Ginny 970-260-9629, Terry 970-261-3001, Gtraudt@edbozarth. com 3% to 6% to any REALTOR w/ buyer (946-06-12) HOWARD, COLORADO. Tree covered residential home site. Year round access. Owner finance. 719276-7294 (050-10-12)
[funny [funnystories] stories] REAL ESTATE
TICKETS
WANTED TO BUY
LAND WANTED — cash buyer looking to purchase 500-20,000 acres in Colorado. Will consider bailouts, foreclosures, joint ventures, condo/ commercial projects. Will close quickly. Call Joe at Red Creek Land 719-543-6663. (648-08-12)
NFR & PBR RODEO TICKETS – Las Vegas. All seating levels available. Call 1-888-NFR-rodeo (1-888-6377633) or www.NFR-Rodeo.com. *BBB Member; Since 1990. (912-11-12)
OLD COWBOY STUFF–hats, boots, spurs, chaps, Indian rugs, baskets, etc. ANYTHING OLD! Mining & railroad memorabilia, ore carts! We buy whole estates. We’ll come to you! Call 970-759-3455 or 970-5651256. (871-11-12)
LARGE CUSTOM HOME, 3.57 acres, between Bayfield & Ignacio. Rural, quiet, National Forest nearby. Completely fenced, landscaping, great well. OWC $350k. 970-5639327 (043-06-12) ROCKY FORD 20 ACRE FARM, call 303-995-2005 or email dan@afinc. net for details. (027-09-12) VACANT LAND – within city limits Cripple Creek, 18 R-2 zoned lots, great views, all utilities available. $155,000 Call 970-247-4113 (03007-12) WANTED: Property to lease for hunting, fishing. We can offer landowners numerous benefits. 303-460-0273 (029-07-12)
RELIGION BECOME AN ORDAINED Minister by correspondence study. Founded in 1988. Free info. Ministers for Christ Outreach, PMB 767, 6630 W Cactus, B107, Glendale, AZ 85304. http:// www.ordination.org (441-06-12)
VACATIONS Join us! IRISH HERITAGE PUBS AND CASTLES TOUR Oct. 3-11. $1898 pp. Fully guided, includes accommodations, sightseeing, meals, transfers, entertainment. Book by June 30, receive $100 off! For itinerary/ pricing details, phone Cortez Travel 970-565-9295 or visit www.cortez travelonline.com (038-06-12)
VACATION RENTAL KAUAI VACATION RENTAL, 2bdr, full kitchen. Minutes from beaches. $600/wk. 808-245-6500; makana crest.com; kauaiweddings.com. (756-05-13)
WANTED TO BUY BACKPACKER WANTS to buy working older revolver, any caliber, 719-542-9905 (032-07-12) NAVAJO RUGS, old and recent, native baskets, pottery. Tribal Rugs, Salida. 719-539-5363, b_inaz@ hotmail.com (817-06-12) OLD COLORADO LIVESTOCK brand books prior to 1975. Call Wes 303757-8553. (889-08-12)
RENTALS FOR RENT – 2BDRM CONDO, Granby Ranch Ski/Golf Resort, June-December 2012. Utilities paid, $900/month, $500 deposit, no pets. 303-525-3499 (048-06-12)
OLD GAS AND OIL items: Gas pumps, advertising signs, globes, etc. Pieces, parts, etc. considered. Also 1932-34 Ford cars and trucks, parts and pieces too. Any condition. Brandon, 719-250-5721. (519-11-12) OLD POCKET WATCHES – working or non-working and old repair material. Bob 719-859-4209 watch doctor@hotmail.com. (870-06-12) VINTAGE FISHING TACKLE. I buy rods, reels, lures, creels, etc. Call Gary at 970-222-2181 (960-06-12) WANT TO PURCHASE minerals and other oil/gas interests. Send details to: PO Box 13557, Denver, CO 80201. (402-02-13)
of them seemed to hiss all the time. My little bother kept telling me that we needed to get it a “dis-temper” shot. Thomas Harrison – Ellicott
A bank manager saw a new employee eagerly counting $100 bills. “You look like an industrious young man,” the manager said to him. “Where did you receive your financial education? “Yale,” said the young man. “Excellent,” said the manager as he shook the worker’s hand and introduced himself. “And what’s your name?” “Yim Yohnson.” Sarah Krening, Fort Morgan
As I secretly watched my 3-year-old daughter matching WEDDING HAVE YOU CHOSEN A LOCATION for your wedding? Beach weddings have become wildly popular with soon-to-be-married couples, and with good reason. Download the Beach Wedding Planning Guide from www.beachwedding magic.com/guide and find out how practical and inexpensive a beach wedding can be.
Visit us at coloradocountrylife.coop throughout the month. You’ll find: • extra information about our feature topic • new recipes • additional energy tips • contests In June, click on Contests and find out how to win a set of wine punt glasses and more.
We had a mama cat that had a litter of kittens and one
the male and female animals in her Noah’s ark play set, I heard her say to herself, “Here’s the peacock … now, where did that poo-poo cock go?” Paige Wiersma, Pagosa Springs
One Sunday, a friendly usher greeted an elderly woman as she approached the church and helped her up the steps. “Where would you like to sit?” he asked politely. “The front row, please,” she said. “You really don’t want to sit there,” he said. “The pastor is incredibly boring.” “Do you know who I am?” the woman asked crossly. The usher shook his head. “I’m the pastor’s mother,” she said. “Do you know who I am?” asked the usher. “No,” she responded. “Good,” he said. Andy Taylor, Fort Collins
A class of 5-year-olds was discussing brothers and sisters. One little girl said sadly, “I don’t have any sisters. Just two brothers and a baby, and he’s turning into a boy, too.” Taylor Hudnall, Fort Collins We pay $15 to each person who submits a funny story that’s printed in the magazine. At the end of the year, we draw one name from those submitting jokes and that person will receive $150. Send your 2012 stories to Colorado Country Life, 5400 N. Washington St., Denver, CO 80216 or email funnystories@ coloradocountrylife.org.
ColoradoCountryLife.coop June 2012 29
[discoveries]
Pinning Your Favorites
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Georgianne Holland’s fiber-art pillow creations piqued our interest while exploring Pinterest. With eye-catching colors and intricate stitching with natural fibers, she brings new life to nature with designer pillows and wall art highlighting trees, flowers and birds. Based in Westminster, her Nestle and Soar Studio Shop also features more works of art, such as handmade mugs, scarves and note cards, created by other talented artists. Nestle and Soar art pieces sell for as little as $10 or as much as $595. For more information or to order, visit nestleandsoar.com.
JUST MELT AWAY
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If you don’t already know about Melt Bath & Skincare, you should get acquainted. The company offers a slew of luxurious items including body butter, fizzy balls, foot scrub and bath salts that are all handmade in Colorado. And, ahhh, the smells! From gardenia with tuberose, to ginger with pear, to fig mixed with berries and sandalwood, your scent is sure to be sensational. Find Melt products in Westminster, Aurora and Steamboat Springs. For exact locations, more information or to buy, visit meltproducts.com.
[Darling Clementine]
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Clementine Art products caught our eye on Pinterest because they are terrifically bright and look fun to use, but upon investigation we found that they’re also wonderfully safe. The Boulder-based company’s all-natural modeling dough, paint, glue, crayons and crayon rocks are certified nontoxic and are made entirely from recycled and reusable materials. With items like soy, beeswax and cream of tartar on the ingredients labels, you need not worry if your little one decides to take a lick. Products start at $5.99 and are available at clementineart.com.
ColoradoCountryLife.coop 30 June 2012
WINE PUNTS
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Pinterest pointed us in Wine Punts’ direction when we searched for exciting made-in-Colorado products. This Colorado Springs-based company makes beautiful glasses from the base of recycled wine bottles. Other companies manufacture drinking glasses from wine bottles, but Wine Punts Drinking Glasses are annealed and have fire-polished rims, two production processes that set it apart from the others, the company touts. Available in five colors, these drinking vessels are not only attractive, but they are also super sturdy, which means they’re less prone to breakage. Wine Punts Drinking Glasses come in 12- and 16-ounce sizes and cost between $24 and $34 per four pack. For more information or to purchase, visit winepunts.com.