Colorado Country Life K.C. August 2011

[August [March2011 2011 ]]

Posted with Penguins Coloradans support research in Antarctica

[contents]

August 2011 Adelie penguins live along the Borchgrevink Coast of Antarctica. The Admiralty Mountains can be seen in the distance.

[features] 14 When the Lights Came On

The first of Colorado’s electric co-ops

celebrates 75 years of service

16 Posted with Penguins PHOTOGRAPH BY JESSY JENKINS, NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Coloradans live and work in Antarctica,

supporting international research

14

[columns] 20 Prize-Winning Recipes

Competition cooks up delicious

dishes at the Colorado State Fair

16

22 Durable Plant Selections The best landscape and garden

plants for Colorado’s diverse regions

24 Outdoors

[departments] 4

Letters Calendar Co-op News NewsClips Funny Stories Discoveries

[cover]

20

25 Energy Tips

Viewpoint

Heat pumps have a short time

Join other electric co-op supporters and make your voice heard

5 6 7 12 29 30

Use care fishing rivers or opt for reservoirs

before they pay back

30

22

29

These Antarctic Gentoo penguins are distinguished by the white stripe across the tops of their heads.

COMMUNICATIONS STAFF: M ona Neeley, CCC, Publisher/Editor@303-455-4111; Donna Norris, Associate Editor: Laura Magzis, Administrative Assistant/Writer ADVERTISING: Kris Wendtland@303-902-7276; NCM@800-626-1181

The official publication of the Colorado Rural Electric Association Volume 42, Number 08

OFFICERS: Chris Morgan [Gunnison] President; Bob Bledsoe [Tri-State] Vice President; Bill Midcap [Fort Morgan] Secretary; Don Kaufman [Sangre de Cristo] Treasurer; Kent Singer [CREA] Executive Director BOARD OF DIRECTORS: John Porter [Empire]; Sylvia Spangler [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]; Jack Schneider [Poudre Valley]; Joseph Costa, Reg Rudolph [San Isabel]; Mike Rierson, John Villyard [San Luis Valley]; Marcus Wilson [San Miguel]; Paul Erickson [Sangre de Cristo]; Mark Grasmick [Southeast]; Jim Jaeger [United Power]; Bill Jordan [White River]; Stuart Travis[Y-W]; Sam Haslem [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]

Politics From the Grassroots Up

Join other electric co-op supporters and make your voice heard

BY KENT SINGER CREA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR KSINGER@COLORADOREA.ORG

T

The electric cooperative program that brings you electricity today traces its roots to an Executive Order signed by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1935. The next year Congress established the Rural Electrification Administration and charged it with implementing the program.

The electric co-op program was born in politics, and today, more than 75 years later, it lives by its politics.

Those politics have changed over 75 years with political contributions playing an ever increasing role. Communities of interest with a legislative agenda give money to candidates who will champion their causes at the state and federal level. In the 2010 election cycle alone, $28 million was given to congressional candidates from energyrelated political action committees.

We as Coloradans and electric cooperative supporters can participate and join this system to make sure the voices of rural Coloradans are heard at the state and federal levels, but it takes money. That’s why electric co-op supporters have created our political action committees, Colorado Advocates for Rural Electrification and the Action Committee for Rural Electrification.

CARE® and ACRE®, respectively, are composed of people with the common goal of supporting candidates for public office who support the electric cooperative business model as well as our mission of providing reliable and affordable electric power to rural Colorado. CARE supports candidates for state office in Colorado while ACRE supports candidates running for federal office.

CARE and ACRE are exclusively opt-in programs.

Rest assured that none of the dollars collected by the cooperative through your electric bills go to political candidates. Furthermore, staff resources at the local cooperative do not go to implementing and managing either of these programs. The Colorado Rural Electric Association collects the money from individual CARE and ACRE members and keeps the records.

CREA tracks which co-op board members and employees have decided to join. And, now, through a new program called Co-op Owners for

Colorado. A group of 11 individuals sit on the CARE Committee and represent the various geographical areas of Colorado. When deciding who to send contributions to, the CARE Committee considers candidates’ positions on issues critical to the electric cooperative program, votes on critical legislation, public statements, a candidate’s committee assignments and leadership position, a candidate’s financial need and the strength of his or her opponent.

The candidate’s political affiliation is not critical in deciding who to support. CARE and ACRE give to both Republicans and Democrats and support those candidates who support electric cooperatives.

CARE and ACRE are exclusively opt-in programs.

None of the dollars collected by the cooperative through your electric bills go to political candidates.

Political Action, electric co-op members themselves are invited to join ACRE. But why would you want to join CARE and ACRE? The most important reason is that it gives you a way to help elect state and federal officials who support your cooperative and your community. By joining CARE and ACRE you become a member of a team dedicated to helping electric co-ops provide reliable energy at an affordable price. In addition, you receive the ACRE Action newsletter and Colorado’s Energy Lines newsletter, which will keep you up to date on federal and state issues respectively.

CARE and ACRE have established a system that ensures your dollars will go to candidates who support the electric co-op program and rural

Simply stated, politics is one of the key factors in determining the price of your electricity bill. Increased rules and regulations drive up the cost of electricity. CARE and ACRE are working on your behalf to ensure that co-op consumers are heard loudly and clearly.

The new CARE and ACRE year begins September 1, 2011, and we already have people eager to renew their memberships. If you are already a member, thank you for your commitment to affordable energy and sound legislative policies. If you have never joined before and are interested in doing so, please don’t hesitate to contact me at ksinger@coloradorea.org.

Contributions to the NRECA Action Committee for Rural Electrification® (ACRE®) are not tax deductible. Contributions to ACRE are voluntary and will be used for political purposes.

No corporate contributions are accepted. You have the right to refuse to contribute without reprisal. Any contribution guidelines presented are merely suggestions. You are free to contribute more or less than the suggested amounts, or not at all. NRECA will not favor or disadvantage anyone by reason of the amount contributed or a decision not to contribute.

ColoradoCountryLife.coop 4 August 2011

[letters] Photo Credits

EDITOR’S NOTE: In the July issue we failed to credit all of the photographers who provided great photos for the story on the Meeker Classic sheepdog trials. Our apologies to photographers Piper Worcester, Dale Hallebach and R. Montgomery.

Thank you for the use of your photos.

No Interest in Smart Meters

It is clear from your article on electric cars (March ’11) that there is no good economic case for an electric vehicle at the current prices. You similarly provide cost-benefit data on wind farms and solar cells.

Then, on page 12, you describe smart meters as part of leadership. It would be nice if someone could explain the economics of smart meters.

I cannot see where a smart meter would have a reasonable payback. I have no idea what we could turn off at times of peak demand that would make a significant difference. If it requires manual intervention, I do not see myself continually turning fixtures on and off at the command of a meter.

I have no economic interest in any of these developments.

Congratulations to our winners!

In July, to coordinate with our focus on the Meeker Classic sheepdog trials, Colorado Country Life gave away four whimsical art prints by former Colorado artist Conni Togel.

Winning the prints were: Jill Baumgartner, winner of #1 “Happy Endings,” is from Holyoke and a member of Highline Electric Amanda Shay, winner of #2 “Lost in the Woods,” is from Wray and a member of Y-W Electric Leslie Booth, winner of #3 “Passing Gas,” is from Clifton and a member of Grand Valley Power Mary White, winner of #4 “Baaap-corn,” is from Buena Vista and a member of Sangre de Cristo Electric More than 150 readers entered the contest.

Ed Storey, Falcon

Proud of Meeker

I want to compliment you on a nice, accurate article on the Meeker Classic sheepdog trials. Meeker has a population of around 2,200 people and over 200 of these fine folks volunteer to make the trials a success every year. If you have witnessed the trials, you know how intelligent the dogs are. If you haven’t made it to the Classic, put it on your bucket list. It is a weekend to be in awe.

Connie Kelley, Meeker

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 August 2011 5

[calendar]

[August] August 4-25 Paonia Pickin’ in the Park Summer Concert Paonia Town Park • 6 pm-dark www.pickinproductions.com August 5-6 Ault Antique Engine and Machinery Show 9 am-6 pm • Liberty Park 970-224-3957 August 6-14 Lamar Sand and Sage Round-Up Prowers County Fairgrounds www.sandandsage.org August 9 Breckenridge Salida Circus “Around the World” 2 pm • Riverwalk Center 150 W Adams 970-547-3100 August 11 Steamboat Springs Free Music on the Green Yampa River Botanic Park 5-10 pm • 970-879-5056 August 11 Durango Arborglyphs (Tree Writings) 7 pm • Free Animas Museum 3065 W 2nd Ave www.animasmuseum.org August 11-14 Buena Vista Contin-Tail Rock and Gem Show 9 am-5 pm • Rodeo Grounds www.coloradorocks.org August 13 Salida-Poncha Springs Historic Hutchinson Homestead Ranch Tours 1-3 pm • 719-539-6177 August 13 Drake Big Thompson Canyon Volunteer Fire Department Fire Days 8 am-5 pm • 970-203-0348 www.bigthompsoncanyonvfd. org

ColoradoCountryLife.coop 6 August 2011

August 13 Winter Park Beer Festival Hideaway Park • 970-726-4118 www.playwinterpark.com

August 19 Durango World Fast Draw Shoot 10 am-4 pm • Train Depot 970-247-2733

August 26 Fairplay TGI Fairplay Free Concert 7-9 pm • Fairplay Beach 719-836-2622

August 13 Kiowa Kiowa Street Fair Chili Cook-Off AF Norman Park and Kiowa High School 303-621-2366

August 19-21 Craig Moffat County Hot Air Balloon Festival Loudy-Simpson Park http://mcballoonfestival.com 970-756-6626

August 26 Longmont Festival on Main 6-9 pm • Main St between 3rd and Longs Peak http://festivalonmain.com

August 13 Gunnison Night Hike at Dillon Pinnacles 8:30-11 pm 970-641-2337 ext 205

August 20 Greeley Super Hero Saturday Ice Skating 12-1:30 pm • Greeley Ice Haus 900 8th Ave 970-350-9402

August 13-14 Fairplay Bead and Fiber Show 417 Front St www.backroombeads.com August 13-14 Frisco Annual Main Street to the Rockies Art Festival 10 am-5 pm • Main St www.artfestival.com August 14 Granby Run the Ranches: Grand County Trail Running Series Drowsy Water Ranch 970-726-1013 www.runtheranches.com August 16 Rocky Ford Blackwood Legacy Contemporary Gospel Concert 7 pm • Grand Theater 719-254-6064 August 17-21 Rocky Ford Arkansas Valley Fair www.arkvalleyfair.com August 18-20 Gunnison Carvin’ Up Colorado Chainsaw Carving Competition Legion Park 970-901-6215 August 18-21 Palisade Peach Festival www.palisadepeachfest.com

August 20 Cortez Verde Fest — Four Corners Sustainability Fair 10 am-4 pm www.m-can.org/VFest_2011. html August 20-21 Mancos Renaissance Faire Cottonwood Park www.mancosrenaissance.com August 20-21 Westcliffe Wet Mountain Western Jubilee Westcliffe Event Center, far west end of Main St, under the big tent. www.wetmountain westernjubilee.com 719-371-3838 August 21 Estes Park Draft Horse Show Fairgrounds at Stanley Park 8 am • www.visitestespark. com August 25 Trinidad Ranch Romance Art Show 5:30-8 pm • AR Mitchell Museum • 150 E Main St 719-846-4224 August 25-26 Windsor Rocky Mountain Irish Festival Boardwalk Park http://fortcollinsirishfestival. com

August 27 Trinidad Trinidaddio Blues Fest Central Park www.trinidaddiobluesfest.com August 27 Elizabeth Arts and Music Festival Main St • www.elizabeth chamber.org/calendarM.htm August 27 Segundo Ice Cream Social and Craft and Gift Sale 10 am-2 pm • Segundo Senior Center • 719-868-2024 August 27-28 Deer Trail Motorcycle Racing www.highplainsraceway.com August 30 Silverthorne Country Dancing with Live Band Silverthorne Pavilion 8-11 pm • 970-468-2403

[September] September 3 Kit Carson Kit Carson Day 719-962-3394 or 719-962-3295 September 10 Yuma Old Threshers Festival 970-848-2507

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

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K.C. ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION, INC.

[Country News] [what’s inside] n n

Highlights of the Annual Meeting Country Kitchen Keeping Pets Safe From Electricity

HUGO OFFICE P.O. Box 8 Hugo, CO 80821-0008 STRATTON OFFICE P.O. Box 285 Stratton, CO 80836-0285 HUGO ADDRESS 422 Third Ave. Hugo, CO 80821 STRATTON ADDRESS 281 Main St. 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 [assistant secretary/treasurer] James Lewis [director] Jim Michal [director] Luann Naugle [director] Dave Ritchey [director] Marvin Thaller [director] STAFF Tim Power [general manager] Chance Briscoe [office manager] Ben Orrell [member services specialist] Larry Shutte [operations manager] Paul Norris [line superintendent]

PHOTO COURTESY OF STRATTON SPOTLIGHT

n

Dick Thomas (left), K.C. Electric’s attorney for 38 years, accepts Board President Kevin Penny’s kind words and appreciation for his work at K.C.

K.C. ELECTRIC RECOGNIZES ATTORNEY DICK THOMAS AT ANNUAL MEETING

BY TIMOTHY J. POWER GENERAL MANAGER AND CEO KCHUGO@K.C.ELECTRIC.COOP

T

This year’s annual meeting was held on June 9, 2011, at the Stratton High School.

It was a special meeting, as K.C. Electric Association recognized the valuable work of its attorney, Dick Thomas. Dick will be retiring this year after serving as K.C. Electric’s attorney for the past 38 years.

Kevin Penny, board president, prepared and played a touching video tribute to Dick and presented Dick with a gift on behalf of K.C. Electric.

In addition to recognizing Dick’s service, here are other highlights from the meeting: (Win# Galen Travis 1102060001) • Attendance was just over 150, including representatives from the following: — Rep. Corey Gardner’s office — Tri-State Generation and

Transmission — Colorado Rural Electric Association —W estern United Electric Supply Corporation — Mountain View Electric Association Kent Singer, CEO of the Colorado Rural Electric Association, gave a short recap of the legislative sessions at the state and federal levels.

Elections were held for two board members from Kit Carson County and one from Cheyenne County. Up for election in Kit Carson County were Danny Mills, Wayne Parrish and Kevin Penny. Mills and Penny were reelected. Bob Bledsoe ran unopposed in Cheyenne County and was also reelected.

[continued on page 8] ColoradoCountryLife.coop August 2011 7

[Country News]

There is a good turnout in Stratton for the K.C. Electric Annual Meeting.

K.C. Electric Association’s 2011 Annual Meeting in Stratton General Manager Tim Power reviews the progress that K.C. Electric has made over the year.

Scholarships were presented to the following:

Basin Electric Scholarship •D ustin Corliss, Stratton High School K.C. Electric scholarships •N athan McKinney, Weskan High School • Chelsea

Flynn, Stratton High School Tri-State scholarships •P atrick Halde, Cheyenne Wells High School (Joseph Michal 1107050004)

ColoradoCountryLife.coop 8 August 2011

• Kayla Nestor, Genoa-Hugo High School Nobody won the grand prize drawing of $1,000, but five people went home winning $100 each. (Kenneth McCaffrey 813450001) Thank you to the following companies that donated gifts for door prizes: • Kriz-Davis Company • Masters Backhoe and Trenching • Peak Power • Irby Supply

K.C. Electric’s attorney Dick Thomas and his wife, Ruth, visit with folks at the annual meeting.

• ESC Engineering • Western United Electric Supply Corporation • J.F. Beaver Advertising • East Central Colorado RC&D • Tumbleweed Specialties, LLC (Pete and Dotty Peterson) Thank you to the Stratton Church of God for the great-tasting pies.

Next year’s annual meeting will be held June 7 in Kit Carson.

[Country News]

Board member Dan Mills presents the Basin scholarship to Connie Korbelik, grandmother of Dustin Corliss, who is the winner of the award. Dustin was unable to attend the meeting.

Haley and Corbin Notter watch as Corbin’s dad receives an award from K.C. Electric.

Kayla Nestor receives the Tri-State scholarship from board member Marvin Thaller.

Board President Kevin Penny presents the 15-years-of-service award to lineman Chris Notter.

The Church of God youth group provides refreshments for the evening.

Pie for everyone. The Church of God ladies make and serve pie for the meeting.

Florence McConnell (left) and Irene Owens enjoy visiting at the meeting.

K.C. Electric employees greet members at the registration tables at the meeting.

Jacque Schmidt and Sue Dutro Dee Ann Blevins and Jennifer Fager

Kristie Constance and Denice Evans

ColoradoCountryLife.coop August 2011 9

[Country News] Country Kitchen

Patsie Smith and Julie Joffe sent in the picture of their chicken sleeping on one of the pigs. It was a perfect match for the recipe that follows.

HAM AND EGG PIZZA 1 tube (8 oz) refrigerated crescent rolls 3 eggs 2 tablespoons milk 1/8 teaspoon pepper 2 cups finely chopped, fully cooked ham 1 cup frozen shredded hash brown potatoes Grated cheddar cheese 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese Unroll crescent roll dough and place on ungreased 12-inch pizza pan. Press on bottom and 1/4 inch on sides sealing seams and perforations. Bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile in a bowl beat eggs, milk and pepper. Sprinkle ham, hash brown and cheddar cheese over crust. Carefully pour egg hash brown mixture over ham and cheese. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake 25-30 minutes or until eggs are completely set. Serves 6. (Virginia Trainer 623980001) Ruth Hudnall, Limon

KEEPING YOUR PETS SAFE FROM ELECTRICITY PUPPIES AND KITTENS ARE CUTE AND CURIOUS, BUT CUTE WON’T HELP THEM IF they begin to chew on or play with electrical equipment: Doing that can put your pet in danger of injury or death and create a shock or fire hazard in the home. Spending a little time evaluating your home will help you avoid a pet-related accident.

• If your pet demonstrates an interest in electrical cords, check the cords frequently for signs of fraying and replace any damaged cords immediately. If you must leave your pet unsupervised, make sure any loose electrical cords are unplugged or tucked out of sight. If your pet continues to seek them out, coat the cords with bitter-tasting pet deterrent available at your local pet store. Some stores also offer pet-proof cords that serve the same purpose.

• Appliances near sinks and bathtubs should be plugged only into outlets equipped with ground fault circuit interrupter protection in case an electrical appliance is knocked into the water. If your cat enjoys playing in the sink, make sure no electrical appliances (like radios or curling irons) are left plugged in or unattended in the bathroom. (Carla Heermans 201465002) • Lamps with exposed bulbs — especially halogens — can reach high temperatures. Do not allow pets to play near lamps. If the lamp is knocked over, a fire could break out.

• Some pets, especially cats, will often seek out warm, secluded spots in the home. Do not allow your pet to hide or sleep behind your computer or television where numerous electrical connections are housed.

• If you have a fenced outdoor area for your dog, be mindful of any underground electrical or cable lines running through that area. Make sure the lines are buried at appropriate depths, especially if your dog likes to dig. In the event of an electrical storm, bring all pets indoors immediately.

• Take special care during the holiday season. Pets may be tempted to chew on or play with decorative light strands.

If you think your pet may have suffered an electrical shock, approach it with caution to keep from being injured by the same electrical danger and to keep from being bitten. Inspect the animal for injuFollow precautions to keep your ries and get your pet to an animal playful pet and your home safe. hospital as soon as possible.

FIND YOUR NAME — IT’S MONEY IN YOUR POCKET

IRRIGATION METER READING Irrigation meters will be read on: August 1 and 31 September 29 October 31 ColoradoCountryLife.coop 10 August 2011

Each month, K.C. Electric offers consumers a chance to earn a $10 credit on their next electric bill. 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 June Margaret Bandy of Hugo, Lawrence Munsch of Cheyenne Wells and W.B. Grimes of Vona called to claim their savings, and Keith Myrick of Stratton called to win a 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).

ColoradoCountryLife.coop August 2011 11

[newsclips]

Utilities Revise Power Corridor

Work continues on the plans for a transmission line from Pueblo to the San Luis Valley in south central Colorado. Electric co-op supplier Tri-State Generation and Transmission and Xcel Energy are proposing the line as a way to export wind and solar power from southern Colorado and to improve reliability in the San Luis Valley.

The route for the line has created controversy and earlier this summer, the utilities agreed to eliminate corridors near Blanca, Fort Garland and south of Gardner, as well as make a number of other smaller changes.

The changes have been proposed based on additional studies and analysis of the area. More revisions are expected as the proposed line moves through the approval process.

Sources of Power

Electric cooperatives, public power districts, and public utility districts use a diverse mix of fuels to supply members with safe, reliable, and affordable power.

58 Coal PERCENT

17 PERCENT

Nuclear

13 12 PERCENT

PERCENT

Hydro, Other Renewables Natural Gas

Source: 2009 U.S. Energy Information Administration, Rural Utilities Service, and National Rural Electric Cooperative Association data.

ColoradoCountryLife.coop 12 August 2011

SOLAMAPS LINKS SOLAR POWER USERS Millions of homes in dozens of countries use solar power. However, most users are oblivious to each other.

A new social network website, www.solamaps.com, is changing that. As each person joins SolaMaps free of charge, his or her chosen avatar is placed on the site’s interactive map.Various avatars differentiate those with solar panels and solar hot water systems, allowing members to communicate with each other through varying options.

Smart Grid Needs Consumer Buy-In The success of the smart grid will be determined by how much consumers are willing “to accept a paradigm shift in energy use management and embrace new technologies,” according to a report released last month. As a result, utilities must focus on strategies that achieve smart grid consumer adoption Give Us Some Feedback and satisfaction.

Would you change when you use electricity, if you knew when it cost The report, by publisher Energy Busimore? ness Reports, focuses on tactics utilities can use to gain smart grid customer buyin and includes the results of a survey of 240 industry professionals.

“Overwhelmingly, respondents believe that educating the customer is the key to adoption, and includes informing the customer just what the smart grid is, how use of various aspects of it will benefit the Email your answer to info@coloradocountrylife.org consumer directly and showing the customer the potential savings through real-life pilot programs,” the report said. Smart grid adoption strategies highlighted by the report include: • Offering financial incentives: About 30 percent of respondents favored offering consumers incentives of one kind or another to implement smart grid technology in a home or business.

• Converting consumers through education: Provide good explanations to consumers of how they will benefit from smart grid technology.

• Showing financial savings: A major element of converting consumers is to show actual savings achieved through pilot programs.

• Increasing the ease of use: With a smart meter, consumers should be able to easily get more detailed information on how they are using electricity, which should help them find ways to save money.

• Promoting flexibility: Offering different plans with incentives or discounts for reduced usage will increase buy-in. ­— Solutions NewsBulletin

[newsclips]

ELECTRIC CAR RACES HELD IN AUGUST

NASCAR, LOOK OUT. A CHALLENGER IS COMING UP ON YOUR BUMPER, DRIVING AN ELECTRIC, ZERO-EMISSIONS VEHICLE. It’s called the EV Cup, which organizers said will be the first race car circuit to feature only zero-emissions vehicles. Seven races are planned for later this year, with four dates already confirmed for racetracks in England, beginning August 6. Other races are planned in the United States, Spain and Portugal, though no details have yet been announced.

The races will be divided into two classes. In the City EV cars class, drivers will compete in specially equipped cars made by Think, a Norwegian electric car company that also has a plant in Indiana. The Sports EV class will feature the iRacer, an electric sports car made by England’s Westfield Sportscars. The iRacer is capable of going 115 mph.

“Green motor sport is a reality,” declared Sylvain Filippi, EV Cup director. “The electric car is already changing the world and soon will begin to revolutionize the face of traditional motor sport across the world.”

Each race will also include a third, nonracing class. Called the Prototype EV class, it will spotlight new, non-production model PHOT O CO electric cars going through time trials.

URTE SY EV CUP —ECT.coop

Lighting the Way to Efficiency So far there is no turning back when it comes to new lightbulbs. A Bush administration law requiring lightbulbs to be more energy efficient is due to take effect in 2014. In July, U.S. House Republicans tried to reverse that legislation.

The lawmakers fell short of the necessary two-thirds requirement needed to pass repeal of the lightbulb requirements.

The measure would have repealed the new standards, including requiring conventional 100-watt incandescent bulbs to use no more than 72 watts, or 30 percent less energy.

The standards apply only to most ordinary incandescent lights.

OUR NEIGHBORS NEED HELP! The city of Minot, North Dakota, and rural areas along the Souris River Valley have been devastated by the area’s most castastrophic flood in all recorded history.

An estimated 4,000 homes in the Minot area have had water up to the rooftops.

Our neighbors in North Dakota need our help.

Send your contribution to: Minot Area Community Foundation Wells Fargo Center 152nd Ave SW, Suite 102 Minot, ND 58701 Visit www.centerforcommunitygiving.com or www.ndcf.net for more information.

ColoradoCountryLife.coop August 2011 13

The first of Colorado’s electric co-ops celebrates 75 years

WHEN THE LIGHTS CAME ON

BY RUTH CARAPELLA

If you live in rural Colorado, someone in your family, neighborhood or community remembers the day the lights came on.

Grand Valley Power line workers in 1966 climb poles and help to provide safe, reliable service just like the line workers today.

ColoradoCountryLife.coop 14 August 2011

You see, electricity is a newcomer to rural America. This year, Colorado’s first electric cooperative, Grand Valley Rural Power Lines, celebrates its 75th anniversary. Next year, three more cooperatives, San Luis Valley Rural Electric Cooperative, Morgan County Rural Electric Association and Southeast Colorado Power Association, will celebrate their 75th anniversaries. In 2013, an additional seven cooperatives will join the 75-year club, but it will be another decade before Colorado’s youngest cooperatives, K.C. Electric Association and Mountain Parks Electric, reach this milestone.

Does that surprise you? For many of us, electricity is such an integral part of our daily lives that it is hard to imagine life without it. In fact, people were quick to embrace the power of electricity at the turn of the 20th century.

Colorado was at the forefront of change. In 1881, the Colorado Electric Company was founded. That same year, the first generation station west of the Mississippi was built in Denver using direct current, or DC, technology. In 1887, Aspen became the first town in Colorado to provide power to all its residents.

On June 19, 1891, the Ames Power Plant, at the Gold King mine near Telluride, became the first modern alternating current generation facility. A well-designed plant, it still produces power today.

Grand Valley Power crews set line in Glade Park with state-of-the-art equipment of the day.

Of course, Coloradans weren’t the only Americans who saw the advantage of electricity. Cities and townships around the country embraced electricity and the benefits it brought.

By the 1930s, electricity was commonplace. In addition to lighting, many people enjoyed labor-saving electric ranges, refrigerators, vacuum cleaners and washing machines.

However, the rush to embrace electricity didn’t extend beyond most municipalities. In 1934, less than 11 percent of U.S. farms had electricity. Contrast that with Germany and France, where close to 90 percent of all farms had electricity.

Writer Odette Keun, in his 1937 book on the Tennessee Valley Authority, said, “There are districts [in rural areas] … where the mode of material existence is not different from that of the first settlers, over a century and a half ago.”

Why? The Great Depression hit rural America hard. Private utility companies, which supplied electric power to most of the nation’s consumers, argued it was too expensive to string electric lines to isolated rural farmsteads. Essentially, they saw no profit in building miles of line to serve sparsely populated areas. Something had to be done.

On May 11, 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 7037, creating the Rural Electrification Administration. A year later, in 1936, the Rural Electrification Act passed Congress, creating the funding source. REA served as a bank, lending money to cooperatives, money that would be repaid at prevailing interest rates. Roosevelt hoped access to electricity would stimulate economic growth in rural areas. It was part of his New Deal.

Farmers were ready for the challenge. REA was swamped by hundreds of loan applications from newly organized cooperatives around the country. The Grand Valley Rural Power Lines application was at the top of the stack.

“The idea of forming an REC was initiated by the Grand Valley Water

Users Association,” said Bill Byers, public relations manager at Grand Valley (now known as Grand Valley Power). “It suggested taking a look at forming a cooperative. The administrator of REA, Morris Cooke, came out and looked the area over and agreed our area was a promising candidate for the REA loan program.”

On August 12, 1936, the GVP cooperative officially formed, and 13 months later, at 10:05 a.m., September 27, 1937, the first co-op lines in Colorado were energized. Four hundred rural families in the Grand Valley had electricity.

It sounds easier than it was. Some didn’t embrace change; others like those in the San Luis Valley felt they couldn’t afford it, noted Web Allison, one of that local cooperative’s first employees and later a well-known cartoonist for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

“When the line was first extended to the 13 original farms, 20 others within feasible distance rejected service,” Allison said.

Other families planned in advance, wiring homes for electricity long before distribution lines were even built in their area. Longtime San Luis Valley resident Larry Coombs remembers running home from school every day to see if the “lights were on yet.”

The day the lights came on transformed life for many families. “It was really exciting for us,” one co-op member said. “We pulled a cord with one lightbulb and it came on. It was like another world to us to have a bright light. It was quite a change.”

In addition to lights, electricity brought refrigeration, pumps and

other equipment, helping to modernize farms and increase prosperity.

Progress slowed during the war years. But in 1945, when workers and supplies became available again, the effort to bring power to rural areas resumed. On June 11, 1945, the Colorado State Association of Cooperatives, precursor to the Colorado Rural Electric Association, was incorporated.

The same year, a new law included a section preventing cooperatives from serving areas where public utility companies had a power line. Private utilities built short segments of line to lay claim to potentially lucrative service areas. “Spite lines,” as they were known, thus enabled for-profit utilities to reserve these areas for future development. Fighting this section of the law was CREA’s first great challenge.

The fledgling organization rose to the task, encouraging co-op members from around the state to help. Co-ops won the battle in 1949.

The tradition of working together has continued for 75 years. Co-ops, with the support of CREA, have remained a strong, vital force in Colorado, protecting the interest of rural Coloradans.

Yes, many challenges have faced rural Colorado; it is certain more will come. As history has shown, these challenges are more easily solved when people work together. That was the promise of cooperatives in 1936 when REA formed, and that remains the promise of electric cooperatives today.

Ruth Carapella is a freelance writer from Alamosa.

ColoradoCountryLife.coop August 2011 15

Gentoo penguins watch the research vessel Laurence M. Gould near Petermann Island. The Gould is one of two research vessels operated by the National Science Foundation.

POSTED WITH PENGUINS

BY MIKE COPPOCK

S

Coloradans live and work in Antarctica, supporting international research

taff members at Raytheon Polar Services Company in Centennial on Denver’s south side were frantic. They needed to know where their fellow employees were.

It was February 22, 2011. Christchurch, New Zealand, had been hit by 6.3-magnitude earthquake and the devastation of the city was immense. Much of the downtown area had fallen, including the famous cathedral and many of the hotels and pubs frequented by the Raytheon staff. At that time, the number included about 600 U.S. Antarctic Program staff members who were traveling through Christchurch, the “Gateway to the Antarctic.”

Luckily, the USAP’s New Zealand office is located just across from the Christchurch International Airport, about 5 miles from the city center, and damage was minimal.

ColoradoCountryLife.coop 16 August 2011

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRISTINE HUSH, NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

The quake had hit at the end of the austral summer (October to February) after a busy season of scientific research in Antarctica. During the previous few weeks, hundreds of staff had been flown from the “Ice” (an international nickname for the White Continent) to Christchurch. Most were vacationing in New Zealand after completing their six-month contracts to work at the bottom of the world. Others were preparing to leave forAntarctica.

Both Centennial and Christchurch employees worked feverishly following the earthquake, using email, Facebook and Google to verify the location of people; provide food, shelter and temporary travel documents; and arrange flights off the southern island. Within three days all of the staff members had been accounted for and only a couple had minor injuries.

Emperor penguins are rarely found north of the Antarctic Circle.

They are majestic birds, walking with stately purpose at speeds around 5 miles per hour.

PHOTOGRAPH BY MARTIN REED, NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Many of those staff mem“All kinds of personality bers were from Colorado. types apply for all types of “I’d guess that last positions,” said Carroll, who season we sent at least 120 has made more than two Coloradans to Antarctica,” said dozen trips to Antarctica.

Valerie Carroll, spokesperson “First we look for the required for Raytheon Polar Services. job skills and experience, and “More of our workers are from then we try to learn about Colorado than any other state.” their personality. They must Carroll proudly explained be flexible, able to deal with a that while scientists and supcamp-like environment and port personnel come from each adapt to all the changes that of the 50 states, the headquarters Mother Nature tosses in to and most of the 350 or so fullthe plans. Our retention rate time staff are here in Colorado. hovers at about 70 percent.”

For over a decade Raytheon Colorado resident Laura Jo Polar Services, a small business of Pfaff was inspired to go to Raytheon Company, has held the New Zealand by her firstcontract with the National Science grade exchange teacher who Foundation’s Office of Polar was from New Zealand Programs to provide station operand had worked in New ations, logistics, construction and Zealand’s Antarctica maintenance on the most remote, program. The stories the coldest continent on the planet, in teacher told about Antarctica PHOTOGRAPH BY GLENN GRANT, NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION essence providing a “home town” filled her 6-year-old mind for international rewith awe about the place and searchers posted to the bottom of the world. a determination to get there.

Antarctica is one and half times the size of the United “My first deployment included a four-week stint at States and contains nearly 70 percent of the planet’s fresh McMurdo Station, aka the brown side of the White Conwater and 90 percent of the planet’s ice. Though 98 pertinent,” reflected Pfaff. “I had waited my whole life to be cent of the continent is covered with ice, it is one of the able to visit this unique place, and then I spent the next driest spots on Earth. Winter is essentially one long dark 28 days with a $500 camera wondering if the mighty skua night while summer is one continuous day. Passports are [a bird] and an occasional sponge on display were going not required since Antarctica is not part of any nation to be my only wildlife opportunities worth capturing. and it is governed and shared by an international treaty.

“My second deployment included a five-week experience at The United States is one of 20 nations with research Palmer Station, aka the rain forest of Antarctica. The smaller, stations in Antarctica. Of the three stations, McMurdo more intimate community in conjunction with the breathtakis the largest. It has a summer population of 1,100 and a ing views and constant exposure to all forms of Antarctic life winter population of 120. South Pole has 250 residents fulfilled my preconceived notions of what an Antarctica in the summer and 55 in the winter. Palmer Station experience should be.” on the Palmer Peninsula, which snakes its way toward South America, has a year-round population of 35. [continued on page 18] Depending on the year’s projects, Raytheon Polar hires about 1,000 contract workers. There are more than 100 different job types — just Diver Rob Robbins (left) about every job you’d find in a small town.

Pay is comparable with what one would find helps diver Steve Rupp in the Denver area. Airfare, food, housing and into the water to assess a completion bonus are part of the package.

Most personnel live in dormitories with the underwater structure roommates. Everyone must pass background of the McMurdo pier. checks and stringent physical and dental exams.

There is plenty of training ranging from safety and survival skills to information security.

ColoradoCountryLife.coop August 2011 17

[continued from page 17]

A crabeater seal lounges on an ice floe near the Antarctic Peninsula.

Crabeaters are the most numerous seals in the world, with populations over 15 million. While they do not eat crabs, they do eat krill and other crustaceans. They will reach a length of more than 8 feet and a weight of 500 pounds.

Pfaff went on to serve six more weeks at McMurdo and two days at the South Pole.

She commented that liking the cold is a good start if you are applying for Antarctic jobs.

TO FIND MORE Colorado resident Peter ReINFORMATION jcek, now editor of the online newspaper The Antarctic Sun, ABOUT THE would agree.

U.S. ANTARCTIC He followed his wife to AntPROGRAM, VISIT arctica for the 2002­– 03 season. [coloradocountrylife.coop] She eventually went to work for the human resources and PHOTOGRAPH BY JEFFREY KIETZMANN, NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION finance department at South Pole Station where he was hired on as a carpenter’s helper.

“So my first time was 12 months at the South Pole where Kristie Yeager studies the Adelie it got down to minus 107 F during the winter,” Rejcek penguins at Humble Island. Yeager recalled. is a member of Dr. Bill Fraser’s Long “If you end up at Palmer it’s quite fun to Zodiac to Term Ecological Research team.

Fraser’s work can be followed one of the nearby islands or watch penguins,” Rejcek said.

“McMurdo Station has some great trails for hiking. People at www.polaroceans.org. play in bands, and there are lots of DVDs to watch and plenty of social activities.”

Rejcek admitted he would be hard-pressed to return to traditional journalism. His position as online editor for the Sun has enabled him to travel to Antarctica seven times now.

A military aircraft flies participants from Christchurch to the Ice after they arrive in New Zealand from the U.S. on a commercial carrier. Those assigned to South Pole Station continue on from McMurdo Station on a ski-equipped PHOTOGRAPH BY PETER REJCEK, NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION LC-130 aircraft. Those assigned to Palmer Station fly commercially from Denver to Santiago, Chile, and on Bija Sass, field coordinator, Julie Grundberg, camp manager, and Paul to Punta Arenas where a reMurphy, helicopter pilot, confer at search ship transports them the central Transantarctic Mounto Palmer Station. tains field camp. The U.S. Antarctic Program requires a wide variety of The roots of Raytheon job skills, including people to run Polar being located in Denremote field camps such as this one. ver go back to 1990, when The CTAM camp was a small town comprised of tents and temporary the previous contractor, shelters, constructed in November Antarctic Support Associand dismantled at the end of ates, moved to Denver from January. It took 18 days to build.

Cooks, carpenters and mechanthe East Coast. The prime ics are just a few of the required support contract with skills needed to run a camp.

Raytheon Polar Services PHOTOGRAPH BY PETER REJCEK, NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION expires March of 2012. The next contractor has not been announced yet, but most hope that the headquarters will remain in Colorado.

Mike Coppock is a freelance writer from western Oklahoma, To learn more about the USAP or employment, who dealt with the Northern Hemisphere’s snow and cold as he visit www.usap.gov. worked from Alaska this year.

ColoradoCountryLife.coop 18 August 2011

ColoradoCountryLife.coop August 2011 19

[recipes]

Prize-Winning Recipes

Competition cooks up delicious dishes at Colorado State Fair

BY LINH TRUONG RECIPES@COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.ORG Colorado State Fair Although the exposition did not receive cash assistance from the state until 1903, the first exposition that preceded the state fair was held on October 9, 1872, when the Southern Colorado Agricultural and Industrial Association held its first show.

Colorado Proud

The Colorado Department of Agriculture developed COLORADO PROUD in 1999. It is a free marketing program designed to help consumers, restaurants and retailers identify and purchase Colorado food and agricultural products.

C

County and state fairs feature some of the best cooks and bakers and their culinary creations in contests and displays.

One popular Colorado State Fair contest is the Dueling Cooks Challenge, which will be Sunday, August 28, at 1 p.m. at the fair in Pueblo. In this challenge, teams with a professional chef and a home cook are each given a mystery box of Colorado products and a time limit. The result is great food and lots of fun for fairgoers watching the competition.

Here are winning recipes from last year’s Dueling Cooks Challenge.

First Place — Strider Swope (Pueblo West) and Chef Dedric McGhee (Millennium Harvest House, Boulder)

Beef Paillard 1/4 pound green beans 1 pound thinly sliced top sirloin, pounded to 1/4-inch thick butter 1 tablespoon oil 2 ears sweet corn, kernels cut from cob (reserve cobs) 1/2 onion, minced 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 tomato, chopped splash white wine 1 teaspoon sour cream 1/4 cup cream salt and pepper Blanch green beans. Wrap sirloin around green beans.

Melt butter in pan with oil. Sear beef rolls and roll over, then bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

Melt more butter, add corn kernels, onion, garlic and tomato, and sauté until soft.

Boil corn cobs in water for 5 minutes. Discard cobs.

Add 1/2 cup corn water to corn mixture. Add wine, sour cream and cream. Reduce, simmering, for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon corn sauce on plate. Cut rolls in half and arrange on corn sauce.

ColoradoCountryLife.coop 20 August 2011

Sausage Siu Mai 1 pound sausage 1/2 cup onion, minced 1 teaspoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon honey 2 1/2 cups flour 1 egg 1 teaspoon salt water Mix first four ingredients and set aside.

Mix remaining ingredients and form a soft elastic dough. Roll dough to 1/4inch thickness. Cut into circles. Put 1/2 teaspoon meat mixture in center and wrap dough around it. Steam for 20 minutes.

Poached Peaches 3/4 bottle white wine 1 cup honey 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 2 peaches, peeled and halved cantaloupe, balled ground cinnamon Mix wine, honey and vanilla in stockpot.

Boil until honey dissolves. Add peaches and poach for 20 minutes, until tender. Place peach in center of plate and garnish with melon balls and syrup. Top with a dash of cinnamon.

For the second place recipes from this competition, visit www. coloradocountrylife.coop. Click on Recipes.

ColoradoCountryLife.coop August 2011 21

[gardening]

Colorado desert blue star

Blonde ambition blue grama-grass

Baby blue rabbitbrush

Russian hawthorn

Golden storksbill

Avalanche white sun daisy

New Durable Plant Selections

The best landscape and garden plants for Colorado’s diverse regions

BY EVE GILMORE WWW.XERISCAPEGARDENS.COM

T

The Plant Select program has reliably dished out several more dazzling selections for 2011 to thrill and delight western gardeners. Plant Select is a cooperative program administered by Denver Botanic Gardens and Colorado State University in concert with area horticulturists and nurseries. Using 12 criteria, they identify and distribute the best landscape and garden plants for the intermountain region and high plains. I suspect you will find these as compelling as I did when I fell in love with this program. You’ll want to plant all the durable plants in your garden.

This year’s introductions are: Colorado desert blue star (Amsonia jonesii) Deer resistant, hardy to zone 4 and happy to grow in clay, Amsonia is also just as happy to grow in a xeriscape as it is in a more traditional garden to zone 4.

Blonde Ambition blue grama grass (Bouteloua gracilis “Blonde Ambition” PPAF) Another plant that doesn’t mind growing in clay or sand, this is not your typical blue grama grass. Blonde Ambition achieves a height and width of 3 feet.

It’s a beauty at that size with its characteristic “eyebrow” seed heads held above the foliage from summer through winter.

This one is not to be missed; it’s a season extender and crowd pleaser to be sure.

ColoradoCountryLife.coop 22 August 2011

Baby blue rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus (Ericameria) nauseosus var. nauseosus) Rabbitbrush attracts birds and pollinators and will easily grow in sandy or clay soils. It’s hardy to zone 4 and is a cultivar of the native rabbitbrush also known as chamisa, but unlike the native wild variety this selection keeps a nice tidy shape and stays much smaller when mature.

This plant offers a great way to integrate the natural look of our surroundings with a more manicured domestic space.

Russian hawthorn (Crataegus ambigua) This small tree is the perfect choice for a specimen offering interest throughout the year in the not-so-big yard. Hardy to zone 4, it is also perfectly adapted to Colorado’s climate and will grow in clay or sandy soils.

Golden storksbill (Erodium chrysanthum) A variety of this is my new favorite plant of the season — well, one of them, anyway. Billed as a “bulletproof beauty,” it needs little to no supplemental water once established and produces flowers throughout the season. Great for zone 4. In full sun or light shade it continues to perform well even when neglected.

Avalanche white sun daisy (Osteospermum “Avalanche” PPAF) An African version of the much adored white daisy, this plant blooms April

through late summer and can be fun to plant on a terrace or in a raised planter where the pale peachy undersides of the petals can be appreciated. It’s happy in clay or sandy soils to zone 4.

Grand Mesa beardtongue (Penstemon mensarum) This showstopping deep blue penstemon native to western Colorado blooms for two months in early spring atop a dense mat of evergreen foliage that turns a stunning red-orange in fall. This plant Grand Mesa beardtongue is hardy to zone 3, attracts birds and pollinators and is xeric.

Well, folks, these are the higlights. There is more about these great plants and others on Plant Select’s website, http:// plantselect.org, and in its book, Durable Plants for the Garden. Experiment and enjoy.

Love gardening? Read

previous gardening columns at www.colordocountrylife.coop.

Click on Gardening.

FIND MORE AT coloradocountrylife.coop Visit our website for:

a monthly feature story energy saving tips • archived outdoor adventures • current calendar listings

• •

You’ll also find:

gardening tips • energy industry information • featured web-only recipes • new monthly book reviews

•

NEXT MONTH — Laying Sacred Ground:

Colorado turf farm specializes in grass for hallowed ball fields

[coloradocountrylife.coop]

ColoradoCountryLife.coop August 2011 23

[outdoors]

Where to Fish When Rivers Run Fast Use care on rivers or opt for quiet reservoirs

T

The Cache La Poudre River continues to run out of its banks, thundering through its namesake canyon at the roaring, boulder-rolling velocity of 3,110 cubic feet per second. As of this writing, two people have already been killed in its violent currents; rafters, tubers and swimmers have been ordered off the river; and public access points are underwater and off limits. It’s completely unfishable — unless, of course, you’re a maniacal adrenaline junkie or harbor a secret death wish.

Flows in the Big Thompson, however, peaked in June at 949 cfs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

But there’s still a lot of snow above and this number is certain to fluctuate throughout the summer. Unlike the Poudre, however, the Thompson is fishable — provided you exercise caution and an equal dose of common sense.

Fish will seek refuge from the harsh currents by moving to the slower water found near bank edges, in back eddies and behind significant boulders or other obstructions. They don’t like fighting

BY DENNIS SMITH

the fast water any more than you or I do, so look for them in places where they can escape the raging currents.

It is possible to take fish on dry flies under these conditions, but you’re more likely to tempt bigger trout by fishing large streamers, stone fly nymphs or even night crawlers where permitted. Flashy spinners, spoons and floating crank baits come into their own under these conditions as well. A considerable amount of subsurface food is churned up by the heavy flows, not to mention the variety of terrestrial critters such as unwary lizards, moths, hoppers and earthworms that are swept into the flow. Trout, being opportunistic feeders, are more than happy to take advantage of the new menu. Just be careful wading, avoid undercut banks and pick your spots with the greatest caution.

On the other hand, you might consider the high-water runoff alternative: Our

local lakes and reservoirs are “on fire,” as some fishermen like to say. Most are at or near capacity, and reports of bass, bluegills, catfish, wipers and walleyes are

Mark Zehr with a nice smallmouth bass from Horsetooth Reservoir.

rolling in from anglers on lakes around the state. Farm ponds and gravel pits are producing some nice largemouth bass with perch, bluegill and crappie in the mix.

I had the opportunity to experience the runoff alternative recently when former tournament angler Mark Zehr invited me and a friend to join him for some smallmouth bass fishing on Horsetooth Reservoir. We launched his boat shortly after sunup and motored to a serene, quiet cove at the north end of the lake where Mark instructed us to tie on tiny sliding bullet weights and 4-inch soft plastic worms rigged “Texas style.” Twelve hours later we’d caught more smallmouth bass than we wanted to count, and the closest we came to danger was falling out of the boat from laughing too hard.

Miss an issue? Catch up at coloradocountrylife.coop.

Click on Outdoors.

ColoradoCountryLife.coop 24 August 2011

[energy tips]

TRAVEL TIME HEADING OUT WITH KIDS? BRING ALONG A Frisbee — great for some quick exercise when making a stop. Also can be used for a handy tray for eating on.

Plastic Boxes — one for each child, to hold their supplies; the lid makes a great desk.

Fill with crayons, mechanical pencils, highlighters (great for word search games).

Clean Water — several bottles of water work best for drinking, a quick wash up, cleaning a scrape and so on. Buy a case for the trunk or refill at rest stops.

Lightweight Blanket — small child’s blanket for cuddling with at nap time, blocking the sun or using as a pillow.

Paper Towels — for quick clean ups.

Snacks — saltines, goldfish crackers, any kind of lightly salted dry cracker. Hard candy, such as life savers or mints.

Compass — fun for the kids if they want to help navigate.

Zip Lock Bags — bring several different sizes.

These come in very handy for collecting items (shells), storing food, wet clothes, etc.

Trash bags — for storing laundry, wet items or for keeping the car clean. ­— www.activitiesforkids.com

PUMP UP EFFICIENCY

Heat pumps have a short payback BY JAMES DULLEY

T

I have an old central air conditioner and electric furnace. I want to install a heat pump but cannot afford a geothermal one.

What are the newest designs of standard heat pumps?

A geothermal heat pump is one of the most energy-efficient heating and cooling systems. It may pay for itself, but installation costs are higher than for standard air-source models. Also, depending upon the yard and soil type, it may not always be practical.

A standard airsource heat pump looks like a central air conditioner and is basically a central air conditioner with some extra parts.

It literally pumps heat out of your house (cooling mode) or into your house (heating mode).

Recent developments in standard air-source heat pumps include the modulating multistage output rotary compressor design, first introduced in central air conditioners. This design produces extremely efficient heating and cooling. You can get $2 to $3 worth of heat for each $1 on your utility bill.

This heat pump uses a rotary compressor with inverter technology, allowing it to vary its heating or cooling output from about one-third to full capacity. Twostage heat pumps also improve efficiency over standard single-stage models.

Another new two-stage heat pump design couples a solar panel and outdoor unit. On a sunny day, this solar panel produces enough electricity to operate the condenser fan for up to 8 percent electricity savings. When it isn’t sunny, or at night, the outdoor condenser fan runs on electricity like any heat pump.

For more information about heat pumps, visit coloradocountrylife. coop. Click on Energy Tips.

ColoradoCountryLife.coop August 2011 25

[marketplace]

Tweet tweet!

Follow us on Twitter @COCountryLife

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Send Checks for tickets to:

Drawing October 12, 2011 at 6 p.m.

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Proceeds benefit: Washington,

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ColoradoCountryLife.coop 26 August 2011

Liz Fiddes % Colorado Rural Electricfor Association Send Checks tickets to: 5400LizN.Fiddes Washington St. Denver, CO 80216 % Colorado Rural Electric Association Send a self-addressed stamped 5400 N. Washington St. envelope, and returnCO address labels for each Denver, 80216

Sendticket a self-addressed envelope, purchasedstamped with phone number and return address labels for eachchecks along with your check. (Make ticket purchased phoneRaffle.) number payable with to CWTF along with your check. (Make checks payable to CWTF Raffle.)

Call Kris, 303-902-7276 to advertise in MarketPlace.

[marketplace] BECOME A FAN Follow Colorado Country Life on Facebook and find great activities happening across the state.

ColoradoCountryLife.coop August 2011 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

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ColoradoCountryLife.coop 28 August 2011

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REAL ESTATE

ART TEACHERS wanted for summer classes. Rocky Mountains. Call 941623-3720. (892-08-11)

35-ACRE PARCELS, overlooking North Sterling Reservoir, ideal for custom home, exc. hunting, 970522-4600. (899-10-11)

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, dyeing, felting, crocheting, weaving, spinning. www.tablerock llamas.com Colorado Springs, 866495-7747 (791-11-11) GRAND LAKE, CO., ARTS ON PARK AVE., 1117 Park Ave. Art classes. Kids $20, ceramics $10 ea., paint & frame $10. Adults: watercolor $40, oil $75, acrylic $65, pastels $65, drawing $55, includes supplies. 970-531-0139 Karen Norberg (892-08-11)

HOUSEHOLD HELPS LOOKING TO REPLACE AMWAY PRODUCTS? Lose your distributor?

I can ship to your home, no hassle, no salesman. Monika Cary 970-7242912. (982-11-11)

IMPROVEMENTS & REPAIRS BEE REMOVALS & HOME IMPROVEMENTS, jack of all trades. Northern & central Colorado. Scott, 970-5810400. (975-09-11)

LIVESTOCK FOR SALE OREO CATTLE. Black Belted Galloways. Loveland, CO. Registered and crossbred. 970-667-5333. Donaten@ mesanetworks.net (694-08-11)

APARTMENTS $299, RESTAURANT $750, 6 acres fenced $1250, Motel Baron, Roggen, 303-934-2677. (97609-11) ELIZABETH, 36.5 acres, agricultural, half mile north of Walmart. Will carry at 4% on $450,000 – 303-2493218. (977-09-11) 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, Gin.5@NetZero.net (946-11-11) GRAND LAKE LAKEFRONT handhewn 5 BR log home and boathouse, $2,600,000, 713-8067478 (971-09-11)

PLACE AN AD IN CLASSIFIEDS and watch your business grow OR get it sold!

Call 303-902-7276 for more information.

[funny stories] REAL ESTATE

VACATION RENTAL

WANTED TO BUY

LAND WANTED — cash buyer looking to purchase 500-20,000 acres in Colorado. Will consider bail outs, foreclosures, joint ventures, condo/ commercial projects. Will close quickly. Call Joe @ Red Creek Land 719-543-6663. (648-08-11)

KAUAI VACATION RENTAL, 2bdr, full kitchen. Minutes from beaches. $600/wk. 808-245-6500; makana crest.com; kauaiweddings.com.

(756-05-12)

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. (519-11-11)

RELIGION BECOME AN ORDAINED Minister by correspondence study. Founded in 1988. Free info. Ministers for Christ Outreach, PMB 207, 7549 W Cactus, #104, Peoria, AZ 85381. http://www. ordination.org (441-12-11)

SPECIAL SERVICES LAKE OR POND? Aeration is your 1st step toward improved water quality. Complete systems $199 to $369!! Waterfall? 7,000 gph super hi-efficiency waterfall pump, just 3 amps! $399.99! www.fishpond aerator.com, 608-254-2735. (879-12-11)

TICKETS 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. (912-11-11)

ORLANDO, Nov. 12-19, 19-26, 1-3 bedroom 5-star resort condo; pool, golf; $800 to $1600. Centrally located between ALL 3 major theme parks, 602-989-0316 or 602-989-1774.

(981-09-11)

WANTED TO BUY I WILL BUY YOUR German daggers, helmets and other military items.

Don Simmons, PO Box 4734, Springfield, MO 65808, 417-881-5645.

DSimmons@corpranet.net (470-12-11) NAVAJO RUGS, old and recent, native baskets, pottery. Tribal Rugs, Salida. 719-539-5363, b_inaz@ hotmail.com (817-10-11) 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. (871-09-11)

RODEO BOOK SALE Price cut: $20 includes shipping.

Order your Colorado’s Rodeo Roots to Modern-Day Cowboys.

Call 303-455-4111.

Don’t miss this great deal.

OLD POCKET WATCHES – working or non-working and old repair material. Bob 719-859-4209 watchdoctor@hotmail.com.

(870-06-12) VINTAGE FISHING TACKLE. I buy rods, reels, lures, creels, etc. Call Gary at 970-222-2181 (960-11-11) WANT TO PURCHASE mineral and other oil/gas interests. Send details to: PO Box 13557, Denver, CO 80201.

(402-02-12) WANTED: JEEP CJ OR WRANGLER. Reasonably priced. No rust buckets.

888-735-5337. (227-09-11) WE PAY CASH FOR minerals and oil/ gas interests, producing and nonproducing. 800-733-8122. (227-09-11)

I was celebrating my 69th birthday with my neighbors when a 5-year-old girl asked me how old I was. I told her 22. She looked at me, thought for a moment and then said, “You look like you’ve lost a lot of weight!”

Zita Huffman, Denver

My son, my daughter and I are all die-hard Kansas City Chiefs fans. Unfortunately, their spouses are Broncos fans, and so is my 7-year-old grandson, Ethan. One day we were shopping in a sports store. Ethan wanted me to buy him everything Denver Broncos. I told him, “I’m not buying that stuff.” His mother came around and it began again: “Mommy, I want, I want.” She said the same thing. Then his Aunt Kasi came around. Ethan looked up at her and said, “Aunt Kasi, these Chiefs fans won’t buy me anything!”

Robyn Bragg, Cortez

A 6-year-old girl asked her mother a question.

Mother told her, “Just a minute, honey.” The daughter replied, “Is that a mother minute or a real minute?”

Wayne Kleinman, Pagosa Springs

My 4-year-old grandson, Mason, was watching me put on makeup. He asked me why I put “that stuff” on my face. I told him, “So I can look pretty.” I put my face close to his and said, “Am I pretty?” And he said, “Not yet!”

Lydia Weigel, Grand Junction

Several weeks after a young man had been hired, the personnel director confronted him. “What is the meaning of this?” he asked. “When you applied for this job, you said you had five years’ experience. Now we discover this is the first job you’ve ever held.”

“Well,” the young man replied, “in your advertisement you said you wanted somebody with imagination.”

Anonymous

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 2011 stories to Colorado Country Life, 5400 N. Washington St., Denver, CO 80216 or email funnystories@coloradocountrylife.org.

ColoradoCountryLife.coop August 2011 29

[discoveries]

[Custom Rods Honor Vets] Littleton craftsman Kevin Proctor is gaining renown for his beautiful, handmade fly rods. An Army National Guard veteran, Proctor creates rods decorated with Army, Navy, Air Force or Marine Corps insignia on the butt end.

The rods are further personalized with colors just above the grip representing the uniform ribbons that recognize the service member’s achievements.

Proctor made his first commemorative rod for his half brother, a Vietnam War vet, and has been selling his rods for only two years, following his previous incarnation as a maker of custom western saddles. See photos, learn more and place orders at www.coloradocustom flyrods.com.

BUTTERY DELICIOUSNESS Snacks! Portable snacks! Portable nut butter snacks! Justin’s Nut Butters are available in nifty little squeeze packs, handy for athletes, kids and campers, and delicious for everyone. Eight delicious varieties include chocolate peanut butter blend, maple almond and chocolate hazelnut. If you’re into food that you have to chew, this Colorado company also makes organic peanut butter cups.

Order online at www.justinsnutbutter.com.

Bird’s-Eye View Frustrated trying to get good photos of the birds at your feeder?

The BirdCam 2.0, a digital camera housed in a weatherproof case, takes high-resolution photos automatically via a motion sensor. It’s easily mounted on a tree, tripod or feeder pole and is simple to use, yet also boasts advanced options. The photos can be downloaded to your computer via a memory card or USB cable, and you can even view the pictures on a television by using the included televison cable. Find more information at www.wingscapes.com.

ColoradoCountryLife.coop 30 August 2011

[CRANK IT UP] Summer heat making you cranky?

The 13th annual Monarch Crest Crank mountain bike ride is coming. In Salida on August 21, mountain bikers of all abilities will gather to raise funds for the Chaffee County Alliance Against Domestic Abuse.

Experienced riders can tackle the Monarch Crest Trail, navigating killer singletrack above tree line and enjoying spectacular Salida scenery. Intermediate and beginning cyclists can ride the Salida Mountain Trails, an easier and shorter route than the Monarch Crest Trail. The technical level can still be somewhat challenging, but it’s easy to step off your bike and walk through those sections.

For those who choose to cruise, there’s the new Historic Salida Cruiser Tour for all ability levels. Winding through the streets of Salida, you’ll take in some of the area’s most interesting historical spots. Want to learn about ghosts, gunfights and historical architecture without breaking a sweat? This is the ride for you.

Entry fees are $75, plus pledges, for the Monarch Crest Trail ride; $50 for the Salida Mountain Trails ride; or $30 for the Historic Salida Cruiser Tour.

Your entry fee gets you the ride, guide, shuttle, T-shirt and, of course, the legendary post-ride party in Riverside Park. The top fundraiser bringing in more than $500 of pledges wins a stylish new cruiser bike.

Space is limited, so register soon.

Sign up online and get more information at www.monarchcrestcrank.com.

Kids learn by example. Make sure you’re setting a good one. Find out how your local electric cooperative can help at TogetherWeSave.com.

THEY’RE NEVER TOO YOUNG TO START SAVING ENERGY.

TOGE T HERW E S AV E .C OM