[March 2011] [September 2011]
Growing grass for stadiums and backyards
[contents]
August 2011 [features] 14 Beyond the Swirl
F ederal regulations spur research into new lighting magic for the future
16 Major League Turf
Graff’s Turf Farms in Fort Morgan grows grass for stadiums and backyards
14
[columns] 20 Pack Fun for Lunch Sod from Graff’s Turf Farms is laid as soon as it arrives at a sports stadium, even if that is in the middle of the night.
16
ute food adds bite-sized, fresh C nibbles for happy kids
22 Are Trees the Answer? That would depend on exactly
what question you are asking
24 Outdoors
Bob’s Fly Tying shop in Loveland
[departments] 4
closes after 34 years
25 Energy Tips
Viewpoint
Colorado’s electric co-ops are on the cutting edge of energy generation
5 6 7 12 29 30
et efficiency benefits with glass G or plastic block windows
Letters Calendar Co-op News NewsClips Funny Stories Discoveries
[cover]
29
30
20
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Cover design by Donna Norris COMMUNICATIONS STAFF: M ona Neeley, CCC, Publisher/Editor@303-455-4111; Donna Norris, Associate Editor ADVERTISING: Kris Wendtland@303-902-7276; NCM@800-626-1181
The official publication of the Colorado Rural Electric Association Volume 42, Number 09
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]; 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]
Energy Innovation
Colorado’s electric co-ops are on the cutting edge of energy generation BY KENT SINGER CREA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR KSINGER@COLORADOREA.ORG
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It’s hard to keep track of all of the innovative energy projects and initiatives that are coming on-line in co-op country. Local electric co-ops are joining a variety of individuals and communities throughout Colorado to develop locally owned and operated distributed generation power sources and energy efficiency programs. Yes, the co-ops are required to provide 10 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020, but that is not what is driving most of these projects. Most, if not all, have been implemented because of local support and local decisions, not because there is a statewide mandate. Here are just a few examples of local renewable energy projects that electric co-ops have implemented: • Grand Valley Power, headquartered in Grand Junction, recently energized a new solar farm to allow its member-owners who don’t want to buy an expensive solar photovoltaic system to invest in solar power. Grand Valley Power member-owners can make a one-time lease payment and receive a monthly credit on their bill corresponding to the power produced by the solar panel. • Holy Cross Energy, headquartered in Glenwood Springs, has developed two community solar arrays through a third party developer. The current capacity of the solar farms is approximately 1.5 megawatts. Holy Cross is also exploring additional opportunities for solar generation, small
hydropower generation and other renewable sources of generation within its service territory. • San Luis Valley Rural Electric Cooperative, headquartered in Monte Vista, recently celebrated the completion of a new 310-kilowatt hydroelectric generation facility. San Luis Valley and its power supplier Tri-State Generation and Transmission, teamed to buy power from the Humphreys Hydroelectric Plant at the historic Wagon Wheel Ranch near Creede. The project added a new hydropower generator to an existing system that was completed in the early 1920s. • Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association, headquartered in Fort Collins, has also recently announced a new agreement to purchase hydroelectric power from Carter Lake through an arrangement with the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District. The project will include two 1,300-kW turbines and will produce 7 to 10 million kilowatthours of power annually, enough to power about 1,000 homes. All of these projects are incorporating the latest in technology. Other projects on the drawing boards at local co-ops are looking ahead to future developments. We are doing the same thing at the Colorado Rural Electric Association as we work to keep our member co-ops up to date on what our options will be in
the future. We are sponsoring our second annual Energy Innovations Summit October 14 in Denver. This impressive dayKent Singer long conference will explore the innovative thinking that is happening in Colorado as it relates to the production of electricity. We have a vast pool of intellectual firepower here in Colorado. New energy-efficient products are being developed; new generation technologies are being studied; new ways to provide electricity through distributed generation are being explored. We plan to showcase that local talent at the October summit. Sessions this year will include discussions on the use of natural gas in energy production, the advent of electric vehicles and their impact on the grid, and the challenges associated with carbon sequestration. Our all-star lineup of speakers will also address other energy topics. The electric industry is changing and Colorado’s electric co-ops are at the forefront of what is happening, leading the way in many instances. The CREA Energy Innovations Summit is another way they are preparing for what is coming. Join us.
October 14 • 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Denver Marriott City Center Hotel Register at www.crea.coop; click on Energy Innovations Summit ColoradoCountryLife.coop 4 September 2011
[letters]
LAST CHANCE
Future Investments
It seems obvious to me that we need to be investing in greater use of conservation and renewable energy. This can be coupled with coal and nuclear generation; it is not an either-or choice but rather an honest partnering of all of these options. Be a true leader; invest more now in solar, wind, biomass and conservation so future generations are not strapped with our lack of responsibility. Your vision of “affordable energy” is at best a short-term illusion. I believe that all but the most shortsighted of our members will accept a reasonable increase in rates if you are truly investing in an environmentally sound electrical generation future.
Steve Kawell, Durango
Better Question
Wouldn’t your feedback request on page 12 (News Clips, August ’11) be better stated as: Would you change when you use electricity if you knew when it would cost LESS. Or are you trying to frighten your customers into more conservative use of electrical power? We are seniors living on a fixed income. We are conservative in everything we do, yet our electric bills consistently average about $100 per month. Where would you suggest we cut, with or without smart grid technology?
2011 HAWAII DREAM VACATION Drawing October 12, 2011 at 6 p.m. Tickets are $10 each. Send Checks for tickets to: Liz Fiddes • % Colorado Rural Electric Association 5400 N. Washington St. Denver, CO 80216
Send a self-addressed stamped envelope, and return address labels for each ticket purchased with phone number along with your check. (Make checks payable to CWTF Raffle.)
John Rivers, Cotopaxi
Fire Questions
This letter is in regard to “Fire Whips Through Colorado Ranch Lands” (July ’11). Apparently the writer was with the Las Animas County Commissioners and the Las Animas County Sheriff the day she wrote the article. They didn’t know where the fire was either.
Ira Bader, Kim
Thank Your for Book
The Swink school and public library thank Colorado Country Life and Southeast Colorado Power Association for the books that were donated.
Linda Scott, librarian
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 September 2011 5
[calendar]
[September] September 7-11 Meeker 25th Annual Sheepdog Trials 970-878-0111 www.meekersheepdog.com September 9 through October 30 Littleton Corn Maze Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield 8500 W Deer Creek Canyon Rd • www.botanic gardens.org September 9-10 Meeker Quilt Show Meeker Elementary School Friday 3-8 pm • Saturday 9 am-5 pm • 970-878-3143 September 9-11 Yuma Old Threshers Festival 970-848-2507 (Tim or Cindy) September 10-11, 17-18, 24-25 Golden Day Out With Thomas the Tank Engine Colorado Railroad Museum 17155 W 44th Ave 9 am-5 pm 303-279-4591 • 800-365-6263 www.coloradorailroad museum.org September 10 Akron National Radial Engine Exhibition Air Show and Car Show 7:30 am-3 pm • 800-945-0161 970-345-2624 • www.nree.net September 10 Cortez Beerfest Parque de Vida Pavilion 4-9 pm • 970-565-1664 www.montezumaland.org September 10 Orchard Dutch Oven Cook-Off Jackson Lake State Park 970-645-2551 Darby.shanks@state.co.us
ColoradoCountryLife.coop 6 September 2011
September 10 Westcliffe Bike With Pike 110 Rosita Ave • 719-783-3229 www.bikewithpike.org September 13-18 Carbondale National Sheepdog Finals Strang Ranch 393 Cty Rd 102 www.sheepdogfinals.com September 15-18 Aspen Ruggerfest Aspen Rugby Fields 1-8 pm • www.aspenrugby. com/ruggerfest.html September 16-18 Delta Council Tree Pow Wow Confluence Park 970-874-1718 September 16-18 Steamboat Springs OktoberWest www.steamboat-chamber.com September 17 Lake City Wine & Music Festival Gates open 10 am Music starts 11 am Wine tasting • 12-7 pm www.lakecityfestival.org September 17-18 Fort Collins Sustainable Living Fair Legacy Park 300 Woodlawn Dr Saturday 10 am-6 pm Sunday 10 am-5 pm www.sustainablelivingfair.org September 17-18 Brighton Mountain States Bird Show Al Lesser Building • Adams County Fairgrounds 8 am-4 pm • 303-663-0399 September 23-24 Pueblo Colorado Wire Collectors Show CSU Building • State Fair Grounds • 9 am-4 pm 719-738-1365 • 719-989-0201 barbedwire5@aol.com
September 23-24 Golden Doll Sale Jefferson County Fairgrounds 15200 W 6th Ave Friday 1-7 pm Saturday 10 am-5 pm 303-988-8591 • 303-985-2770
October 1-2 Palmer Lake Arts and Crafts Fair Palmer Lake Town Hall Saturday 9 am-5 pm Sunday 10 am-4 pm 719-487-1329 seagmArt@compdsn.com
September 23-25 Mancos Balloon and Art Festival Boyle Park • 970-560-0203
October 7-9 Durango Heritage Celebration Downtown Durango www.durangoheritage.org
September 24 Longmont Grass at the Grange Concert Altona Grange Hall 39th & Nelson Rd • 7-10 pm www.altonagrange.org September 24-25 Westcliffe Alpaca Farm Days Westcliffe Library Community Room 209 Main St • 9 am-4 pm 719-783-0886 www.westcliffealpacas.com September 24-25 Fort Collins Medieval and Fantasy Festival Alperose Ranch 7300 N County Rd 15 www.eponaentertainment. com September 29-October 2 Grand Junction Dog Show Mesa County Fairgrounds South US Hwy 50 www.grandvalleykennelclub. org/showinfo.html
[October] October 1 Grand Junction Quilting Seminars by Ricky Tims American Lutheran Church 626 26-1/2 Rd 10 am and 2 pm www.sunsetslopequilters.com October 1 Fruita Piano Concert by Ricky Tims Victory Life Church 2066 Highway 6 & 50 7:30 pm www.sunsetslopequilters.com
October 8 Grand Junction Marching Band Festival Parade Downtown 10 am Field Show at Stocker Stadium 1 pm www.mesa.k12.co.us/ departments/music/ cwmarching.cfm October 8 Loveland Author Presentations, Luncheon Sandi Ault, John Shors, Helen Thorpe • Embassy Suites 9:30 am-2 pm • 970-663-7710 October 8 Fort Morgan Arts and Crafts Festival United Presbyterian Church 1300 E Riverview • 9 am-2 pm Lunch 11 am-1 pm 970-867-2910 October 8-9 Littleton Pumpkin Fest Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield 8500 W Deer Creek Canyon Rd • 9 am-5 pm www.botanicgardens.org October 8-9 Calhan Slavic Fest St. Mary’s Holy Dormition Orthodox Church 19485 N Calhan Hwy 719-347-2526 • www.holy dormition.net
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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MOUNTAIN VIEW ELECTRIC
EPA Regulations Provide No Additional Benefit Despite an Extreme Financial Investment Additional expenses will be paid by MVEA members BY JIM HERRON GENERAL MANAGER HERRONJC@MVEA.ORG
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Through our wholesale power provider Tri-State Generation and Transmission, Mountain View Electric Association continues to face environmental legislation and regulations both on a federal and state level. MVEA Board President Joe Martin shared at the Annual Meeting this June that by the end of 2011, Tri-State will have invested more than $500 million in various types of environmental controls on their facilities with an annual expense of about $90 million. These investments have led to significant reductions in air emissions.
This proposal, if passed, has an immediate threat to the supply of electricity derived from coal-fired generation. The industry and Tri-State are concerned about the ability to retrofit environmental controls or build replacement capacity in three years to comply with the Utility MACT rule. Working for you, Tri-State Senior Vice President for Policy and Environmental issues, Ms. Barbara Walz, testified to the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in June about the impact of proposed EPA pollution regulations on Tri-State and the 44-member system electric cooperatives and public power districts Tri-State’s Craig Keep in mind when you Power Plant representing approximately hear of increasing costs 1.5 million consumers. She due to EPA regulations they argued that the EPA failed are eventually passed on to consider the benefit of to the ultimate user — you. certain emissions reductions. She said that, the EPA’s focus Tri-State currently owns and operates since 1998, has been on the need to reguthe Craig and Nucla power stations in late mercury emissions from power plants western Colorado. These power stations and found that there were no incremental play an important role in sustaining and benefits associated with addressing any developing our communities in Colorado. other “hazardous air pollutants” (HAPs) Regulated heavily by state and federal from the power sector other than mercuagencies, Tri-State is routinely inspected ry. In the past 13 years no additional data for environmental requirements and has been added to the agency record that is consistently in compliance with the asserts any specific benefits to regulatbroad array of rules and regulations that ing for non-mercury HAPs. And yet, as are already placed on coal-fired electric proposed through the Utility MACT, the generating units. Our power generating EPA seeks to regulate these non-mercury stations all have state-of-the-art air pollu- HAPs at great expense for no additional tion controls that work to meet or exceed benefit. federal and state clean air and clean water Walz further testified that the EPA has standards. The stations already have charged ahead unnecessarily and inapscrubbers to remove more than 90 percent propriately by imposing regulatory burof the sulfur dioxide and baghouses that dens on the coal-fired electric generation remove up to 99 percent of the particulate sector by disregarding the amendments matter. These controls also result in a coof the Clean Air Act (CAA) of 1990. The benefit of mercury emission reductions amendments require the EPA to study any ranging from 65 to 95 percent. hazards to public health reasonably anThe U.S. Environmental Protection ticipated to occur as a result of hazardous Agency has now signed a proposal for air pollutant emissions from electric utila new Maximum Achievable Control ity steam generating units, after considerTechnology standard for the electric utility ing the impact of the other provisions of industry, known as the Utility MACT. the CAA on this source category. As part
of that evaluation, Congress directed the EPA to “develop and describe” alternative control Jim Herron strategies for emissions that may warrant regulation. Finally, Congress directed the EPA to determine whether regulation is “appropriate and necessary” of these units after considering the results of a public health hazards study. Although the economy is still recovering, Tri-State’s 44-member system’s demand for energy continues to increase about 3-4 percent per year. Therefore, Tri-State needs to plan for new generation stations and continues to look at all fuel options with a focus on affordable, reliable electricity that is environmentally sound. Under the proposed MACT rule, new coal-fired units cannot be constructed due to the fact that technology does not exist to meet environmental limits, vendors will not give guarantees to meet these limits, and financial institutions will not support new projects that are not able to ensure compliance. Walz concluded her testimony by stating Tri-State supports good environmental regulations but firmly believes that the MACT rule goes beyond EPA authority and overregulates coal-fired power plants. Existing Tri-State stations generally meet the mercury emission limits in the MACT rule through existing controls. Tri-State believes the proposed rules for the Utility MACT are not reasonable, and are not based on sensible data collection and are not readily achievable using generally available emission control technologies. The MACT rule will result in adding additional controls at Tri-State facilities to meet particulate matter and metals limits which are non-mercury HAPS. The EPA should not regulate non-mercury HAPS until a study and determination is ColoradoCountryLife.coop September 2011 7
MOUNTAIN VIEW ELECTRIC
EPA REGULATIONS [continued from page 7]
made that a public health threat exists as required in the CAA of 1990 which has not been completed. It is clear that the EPA’s Utility MACT is costly and unachievable with current technology. Keep in mind when you hear of increasing costs due to EPA regulations they are eventually passed on to the ultimate user — you. I want to take this opportunity to thank Walz and the environmental team at Tri-State who supports the application of existing emission controls that were designed to protect public health and the environment.
Get Light at Night From New Solar Cells
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Solar cells that work at night? When it’s dark? It sounds like a joke, but it isn’t. Scientists at the Idaho National Laboratory report that they’ve developed a new solar cell that is capable of storing infrared radiation, allowing it to generate energy even at night … When it’s dark. The scientists said that a complete system utilizing these new solar cells would have an efficiency rating of approximately 46 percent, nearly doubling the amount produced by currently used silicon solar cells, which achieve only about 25 percent. Roughly half the energy in the solar radiation spectrum is in the infrared wavelength band. This energy travels back from the earth’s surface, taking the form of heat emitted at night. When the infrared radiation is captured, it’s possible to harvest some energy even when sun isn’t shining at a given point on the earth.
[Country Kitchen] Here’s an electricity-saving recipe that’s perfect for those warm fall days when you still don’t want to turn on the oven. Peggy Haynes* of Colorado Springs shares this perfect end-of-summer treat, stating “I struggled with sharing this recipe with others, but getting the $10 credit on my electric bill won out! LOL!!” We will truly enjoy! Thanks Peggy!
NO-BAKE BUTTERFINGER DESSERT CRUST: 1 cup butter crackers, crushed (such as Ritz crackers) 1 cup graham crackers, crushed 4 Butterfinger candy bars, crushed ¾ cup butter, melted Combine above ingredients and set aside ¼ cup for topping. Press remaining ingredients into a 9- by 13-inch glass baking pan.
*Chef’s Note: I collect spiral-bound community cookbooks from all across the United States. I have over 300. (But who’s counting?) This recipe comes from one of the innumerable cookbooks in my collection. It always gets rave reviews. And it’s so easy, but don’t tell anyone.
FILLING: 1 ½ cups milk 2 small packages instant vanilla pudding 1 pint (2 cups) chocolate ice cream or chocolate yogurt Combine above ingredients and spread over crust ingredients.
TOPPING: 1 tub Cool Whip Spread over pudding layer. Garnish with reserved crumb mixture. Refrigerate and enjoy.
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If you have a recipe you would like to share, please send it to MVEA, Attn: Sarah Schaefer, 11140 E. Woodmen Road, Falcon, CO 80831. You will receive a $10 credit on your electric bill the month your recipe appears in Colorado Country Life magazine.
ColoradoCountryLife.coop 8 September 2011
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MOUNTAIN VIEW ELECTRIC
Attention High School Juniors Win a all-expense trip to Washington, D.C. or a week at Leadership Camp in the mountains
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For over 40 years, electric cooperatives have sponsored high school students from across America to visit the nation’s capitol and meet their members of Congress. If you are a high school junior, you could be part of this tremendous opportunity. During your all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. in June 2012, you’ll have the opportunity to connect with approximately 1,500 other high school juniors from around the U.S. Students gain a personal understanding of American history and their role as a citizen by meeting their representative and senators and exploring the sights around the nation’s capitol. Don’t be surprised if you run into a former Youth Tour participant who is a congressional aide on Capitol Hill. Over 40,000 students from cooperatives like MVEA across America have participated in this unique program. It is an opportunity to make some great new friends and the experience of a lifetime. Or you could win a trip to Clark, Colorado, located just outside of Steamboat Springs, in July of 2012. High school juniors from Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and Wyoming will gather at a beautiful
resort located on the Elk River and spend the week at an outstanding Leadership Camp. You’ll participate in activities to improve personal goals, set up and run your own cooperative and get an inside view of the state and national legislatures. There is plenty of time for swim parties, barbecues, dances and banquets during the week. Many of the attendees call this camp a “life changing experience.” All you have to do to enter is write a 500-word essay on the following topic: “How the Smart Grid would, or would not, benefit a rural electric cooperative?” High school juniors must also meet these qualifications: Your parents or guardians must receive electric service from MVEA and you must be at least 16 years old by January 1, 2011. Entries must be received or postmarked by January 1, 2012. Information can be found at www. ourenergy.coop and your own opinion is important. So have at it. Attach the entry form located below to your essay and send it to: MVEA, Attn: Sarah Schaefer, P.O. Box 1600, Limon, CO 80828. Don’t miss out on these two great trips. Call Sarah Schaefer at 800-388-9881, ext. 2670 or go online to www.mvea.coop if you have questions. Good luck.
MVEA ESSAY CONTEST ENTRY FORM “How the Smart Grid would, or would not, benefit a rural electric cooperative?” Student’s name:___________________________________________________________________________________ Address:___________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Parent/legal guardian:_ ___________________________________________________________________________
It’s MVEA Scholarship Time Don’t miss out on the 14 college scholarships available through MVEA! SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE: 10 - $1,000 MVEA scholarships 1 - $1,000 MVEA vocational/ technical scholarship 1 - $1,000 Tri-State Generation and Transmission scholarships 1 - $1,000 Basin Electric scholarship 1 - $1,000 E.A. “Mick” Geesen Memorial scholarship
TO QUALIFY FOR THESE SCHOLARSHIPS: • Your parents or guardians must receive electric service from MVEA • You must be a graduating high school senior • You must meet ACT or SAT and GPA requirements (these vary according to which scholarship you apply for) • Applications must be received by January 15, 2012 Applications are currently available on our website at www.mvea.coop, at either MVEA office or by calling Sarah Schaefer at 719-775-2861 or 719-495-2283.
Don’t miss out on the cash!
Name of school:_ _________________________________________________________________________________ Phone:_____________________________________________________________________________________________ MVEA account #:__________________________________________________________________________________
MVEA ColoradoCountryLife.coop September 2011 9
MOUNTAIN VIEW ELECTRIC
MVEA FOCUSES ON MISSION, VISION AND VALUES
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BY BARRY SPRINGER, MVEA DIRECTOR
On your next visit to MVEA facilities, of trust. Being fair-minded you may notice new plaques in involves balancing interests the lobbies and conference rooms of individual members with showcasing MVEA Mission, Vision and interests of the membership as Values. So, why are we making make a a whole. The old western phrase big deal about this? for this was simply — be fair Last fall, the board of directors and square. embarked upon a strategic planning process. This process begins with SAFETY. Regard safety of emidentifying key issues that will influployees, members and the public Barry Springer ence the future of our industry and as a primary objective in all policy our association. From these issues, goals and objecand business decisions. tives will be identified to guide future planning and High voltage power and the facilities that convey prepare us to deal with impacts that may arise from it through our territory can pose significant hazards. those issues. We will strive to deliver power to our members The strategic planning process is guided by a set with the greatest safety possible. of basic defining statements: why does our association exist — our Mission; what is our future — our RELIABILITY. Anticipate and mitigate risks that Vision; and what principles will shape our decision might cause or prolong interruption of electrical processes — our Values. services. In May 2011, the MVEA Board adopted the folAchieving high reliability requires that we lowing Mission, Vision and Values statements. constantly assess our infrastructure and anticipate events that might interrupt service. Our goal is to MISSION: keep the lights on under all TO PROVIDE OUR MEMBERS RELIABLE AND foreseeable circumstances AFFORDABLE ELECTRIC SERVICE CONSISTENT and restore them as quickly WITH SOUND BUSINESS AND ENGINEERING as possible when they do PRACTICES. occasionally go out. Our mission statement clearly identifies that our primary task is to provide electric service that is both reliable and affordable. We will achieve reliability through sound engineering practices. We will achieve affordability by minimizing our costs through sound business practices.
VISION:
TO MAINTAIN AND EVOLVE A SOUND MEMBER-OWNED ORGANIZATION BASED ON THE COOPERATIVE BUSINESS MODEL. We will evolve our organization in response to future developments in accordance with cooperative business principles, which are built around representing and serving our members.
VALUES:
INTEGRITY. Be honest, open and fair minded in
the conduct of all Association matters. Honesty and openness are the basic ingredients ColoradoCountryLife.coop 10 September 2011
AFFORDABILITY.
Provide the lowest cost power consistent with safety, reliability and responsible environmental stewardship, while anticipating and mitigating risks that might threaten the financial health of the Association. Affordability is one of our toughest challenges and greatest balancing acts. We must constantly seek the most cost-effective ways to deliver safe, reliable power while carefully balancing our responsibility for environmental quality and satisfaction of financial obligations.
SERVICE. Reflect respect for members in all policies and member relations and maximize member service consistent with safety, reliability and affordability.
Our cooperative is organized on the principles of cooperation and service to our members. We will strive to be service-oriented in all that we do.
COMMUNITY. Support member communities through policies and business decisions that sustain and enhance local economic vitality and quality of life.
In our business decisions, we will be mindful that our strength as a cooperative is drawn from the vitality of the communities in which we live. We will constantly strive to preserve and enhance our communities. So, that is what the new plaques are all about. Strategic planning based on Mission, Vision and Values is another way that Mountain View Electric is looking out for you — our member-owners. Barry Springer serves on the MVEA Board of Directors from District 6
ColoradoCountryLife.coop September 2011 11
[newsclips]
Learn About the Future of Electricity
Electric co-op trade association sponsors October technology summit Developing technologies and interesting ideas that could be part of the future of electricity generation and distribution in Colorado will be the focus of the CREA Energy Innovations Summit Friday, October 14. Anyone connected to the state’s energy landscape is invited to attend and learn more about what is happening in this changing industry. A few of the topics expected at the daylong event will include energy policy in Washington, D.C.; micro-hydropower
projects in Colorado; energy storage; and electric cars and how they will affect the grid. Experts from various energyrelated fields will share their knowledge on panels and as individual speakers. A variety of vendors will also be on hand to share information on their new products and services. To register, go to www.crea.coop and click on the Energy Innovations Summit block on the right side of the home page.
For more information, contact Leanne Arrant at 303-455-2700, ext. 105 or larrant@coloradorea.org.
Co-op Golf Tourneys Raise Funds for Communities
CO-OP MANAGER PARTICIPATES IN BIOMASS GROUP
Many Colorado mountainsides are filled with dead trees — the result of beetles that have worked their way through the forests during the last few years, killing the trees and turning the evergreens a rusty brown. These trees need to be cut. It would be best if they could be cut and then put to productive use, perhaps as biomass that can be burned for energy generation. But how can that be done? The Forest Health Act of 2011 established a working group to look at that question. Joe Pandy, general manager of Mountain Parks Electric, the co-op headquartered in Granby, has been named to that working group.
ColoradoCountryLife.coop 12 September 2011
GOLFERS AND THEIR LOCAL ELECTRIC CO-OPS CAME TOGETHER to raise some money this summer. In July, golfers raised more than $5,000 in the Southeast Colorado Power Association’s 24th Charity Classic. Combined with proceeds from previous years, the tournament has brought in over $155,000. Proceeds from the tournament are used to fund requests from organizations throughout SECPA’s service territory. More than 60 different organizations have been helped through this fund. In August, it was 134 golfers in Morgan County raising funds for the Morgan County Rural Electric Association’s line worker scholarship program. This two-day tournament, celebrating its 10th year, provides the funds for two $7,500 scholarships awarded each March. Those interested in the scholarships should check the MCREA website later this fall for information on scholarship applications.
Both tournaments benefit co-op members and are part of the electric co-ops’ “concern for community,” the seventh cooperative principle that co-ops operate under.
[newsclips]
Investment in Renewables Grows Around the World Global investment in renewable energy jumped to an annual record of $211 billion in 2010, up 32 percent from the $160 billion invested in 2009 and the $159 billion in 2008, according to a study by Bloomberg News Energy Finance. China led all nations with almost $50 billion in investments. Germany and the United States rang in as the second- and third-largest investors, putting $41 billion and $29.6 billion toward renewables, respectively. Italy followed the United States with $13.8 billion. For the first time, developing nations — led by China, Brazil and India — invested more than developed economies. Large-scale projects in those countries were dominated by wind generation. In the United States, investments in large-scale projects moved from $16 billion in 2009 to $25 billion, with $15 billion of that going toward wind projects. Investments likely would have been higher had natural gas prices not dropped, according to the report. “The price of natural gas was far less than it was in much of the mid-2000s, before it peaked at $13 [per thousand cubic feet] in 2008,” the report said. This gave generators in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere an incentive to build more gas-fired power stations. Although corporate research investments were down 12 percent at $3.3 billion, government investments in renewable energy research and development grew by 120 percent to more than $5 billion, according to the report. “The continuing growth in this core segment of the green economy is not happening by chance,” United Nations Under-Secretary-General Achim Steiner said. “The combination of government target-setting, policy support and stimulus funds is underpinning the renewable industry’s rise … .” The full report is available at www.fs-unep-centre-org. — Solutions News Bulletin
[Electric Fact About Smart Meters] There were 21 million smart meters deployed in 2010. This number is expected to almost triple to 57.9 million as more than 90 utilities are planning deployment of smart meters.
— Pike Research
Give Us Some Feedback Would you change when you use electricity, if you knew when it cost more?
READERS FAVOR SMART METERS Last month we asked readers a question: Would you change when you use electricity, if you knew when it cost more? Most said yes. As of press time, 75 percent of those who responded said yes they would change their behavior; 21 percent said no; and 4 percent wanted more information or said it would depend on how much more and what they needed the electricity for.
NUCLEAR ENERGY STILL FAVORED Pollsters began asking Americans about their support for nuclear energy right after the March 11 nuclear accident in Japan. The polls have continued. What they are showing is a heightened concern about nuclear energy and some reduction in support for building new power plants. But they also show that the public understands the value of nuclear energy. A recent CNN public opinion poll showed that 57 percent of those surveyed approve of using nuclear energy to generate electricity. In a Gallup poll, 58 percent said U.S. nuclear plants are safe. A Harris poll noted that 59 percent said it would be okay to build nuclear power plants today. — Nuclear Energy Insight
Give Us Some Feedback Do you approve of using nuclear energy to generate electricity? Yes or No? Email your answer to info@coloradocountrylife.org
ColoradoCountryLife.coop September 2011 13
BEYOND THE SWIRL
Federal regulations spur research for new magic in lighting BY MEGAN MCKOY-NOE, CCC
High in the Colorado mountains on warm fall nights children and adults can lie back and gaze up at an ink-black sky dotted with countless tiny pinpricks of light. Away from the city’s glow and farm and ranch security lights, those tiny stars are magical.
T A GE Energy Smart CFL saves energy without the swirl design.
ColoradoCountryLife.coop 14 September 2011
hat same sense of magic can also be found in labs across the country as scientists work with their own tiny lights, known as light-emitting diodes. Those highly efficient LEDs have come a long way and are now piercing the dark in more and more places, just like the stars in a night sky. This research is all part of a national effort aimed at redefining household lighting. By law, starting in January 2012, 100-watt incandescent bulbs must become more energy efficient.
when it’s on, you know much of the energy (90 percent) is released as heat. This leaves a lot of room for improvement. To tackle this issue, Congress passed the Energy Information and Security Act of 2007. Under EISA, by 2014 household lightbulbs using 40 to 100 watts must consume at least 28 percent less energy than traditional incandescents, saving Americans an estimated $6 billion to $10 billion in lighting costs annually. EISA also mandates that lightbulbs become 70 percent more efficient than classic bulbs by 2020. LEDs already exceed this goal.
Federal mandate
Look for labels
Why is the government shining a light on lighting? The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates we use 13.6 percent of our nation’s energy supply to keep the lights on, and a lot of that power is wasted. If you’ve ever touched a traditional lightbulb
Such a massive product change means consumers must switch from thinking about lightbulbs in terms of watts (amount of energy used) to lumens (amount of light produced). “Lumens, not watts, tell you how bright a
lightbulb is, no matter the type of bulb,” explains Amy Hebert of the Federal Trade Commission. “The more lumens, the brighter the light.” The FTC’s new “Lighting Facts” label and shopping guide compares new bulbs being purchased with traditional incandescent lightbulbs based on wattage and equivalent lumens. Beginning in 2012, labels on lightbulb packages will emphasize a bulb’s brightness in lumens, annual energy cost and expected life span.
Schuellerman. “Currently, most residential LEDs are used for outdoor lighting where fixtures are left on for extended periods and changing bulbs is not easily done. LEDs are also great for linear applications like under-cabinet lighting, where light sources with thin profiles are needed.” LEDs do have issues. They’re more expensive than other options: A replacement for a 60-watt incandescent bulb costs between $30 and $60. But costs will fall as manufacturers respond to growing consumer demand.
Is this a bulb ban?
Contrary to popular belief, EISA does not ban incandescent bulb technology; it requires that bulbs use less energy. “It’s equivalent to standards passed in the 1980s to make refrigerators more energy efficient, and we’re reaping those benefits,” remarks Brian Sloboda of the Cooperative Research Network, a division of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the national trade arm of local electric co-ops. “Refrigerators use less than one-third of the electricity today than they did in the mid-1970s, but consumers can’t tell a difference in how their food is cooled. The premise is, why not do the same for lightbulbs?” EISA halts manufacture of inefficient lightbulbs, but stores will not immediately yank incandescent bulbs from shelves. They’ll be sold until the supply is exhausted. The improved-efficiency requirements apply only to screw-based lightbulbs. Specialty bulbs for appliances, heavy-duty bulbs, colored lights and three-way bulbs are exempt.
Explore your options
When traditional incandescents are no longer available, residential bulbs will largely fit in three categories: Halogen incandescents: Use 25 percent less energy, last three times longer than regular incandescent bulbs Compact fluorescent lamps: Use 75 percent less energy, last up to 10 times longer LEDs: Use 75-80 percent less energy, last up to 25 times longer “CFL, halogen and LED technologies all offer energy savings, but at different intervals, and all with their own pros and cons,” says Schuellerman.
Can you see a difference? GE’s first 9-watt smart LED lightbulb looks a little different. Halogen incandescents are an easy first step in the transition to lightbulb efficiency. They use a simple capsule of halogen gas around the bulb’s filament. Some are similar in appearance to traditional incandescent bulbs. “Halogen offers a big efficiency advantage over standard incandescent bulbs,” says John Strainic, global product general manager, GE Lighting. “It consumes fewer watts while delivering a precise dimming capability and a bright, crisp light.” The most familiar, most economical option on the market today is the CFL. Its technology operates in the same way as the fluorescent tubes used in offices, schools and stores. Some CFLs can be dimmed. CFLs are generally best used where lights are on for extended periods and full brightness is not immediately necessary, such as family rooms, bedrooms and common areas, says Schuellerman. Like all fluorescent bulbs, each CFL contains a small amount of mercury (one-fifth of the amount contained in a watch battery), and spent CFLs should be recycled. The final choice is LEDs. Although the technology is still developing, LED lights and some lower-wattage replacement bulbs are available on store shelves. “As they come down in price, home owners will embrace them,” predicts
Some consumers believe more efficient bulbs won’t provide the same warm look and feel as classic bulbs, but Schuellerman disagrees. “Lighting technologies are advancing at such a rate that consumers won’t notice a marked difference in the color of light from different technologies or how that light is dispersed,’ he says. “You also won’t necessarily see a difference in bulb shape. Some consumers don’t like the look of twist-shaped CFLs, for example, so we offer covered CFLs that look just like incandescent bulbs. We also have an LED bulb that is a replacement for a 40-watt incandescent as well as halogen bulbs that are both housed in incandescent-shaped shells.” The difference will be found on your monthly electric bill. More efficient bulbs use 25–80 percent less energy than traditional incandescents, and last much longer. The U.S. Department of Energy claims each household can save $50 a year by replacing 15 incandescent bulbs. “With these new technologies, home owners will be spending less on electricity bills for lighting and changing fewer bulbs,” says Schuellerman. To learn about lighting options, visit www.energysavers.gov/lighting. For details on the change and shopping tips, visit, www.ftc.gov/lightbulbs. Megan McKoy-Noe, CCC, writes on consumer and cooperative affairs for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the Arlington, Virginia-based service organization for the nation’s electric cooperatives. ColoradoCountryLife.coop September 2011 15
BY BRENDA ROHN
ColoradoCountryLife.coop 16 September 2011
Top photo: Folsom Field — Boulder Lower photo: Coors Field — Denver
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Coors Field, Target Field, Kauffman Field, Wrigley Field, Invesco Field (now Sports Authority Field) — all are major league sports stadiums. Some, such as Chicago’s Wrigley Field, are legendary. Others, such as Target Field in Minnesota, are newer but already making a name for themselves. What do they have in common? • Grows in sun or up to Grass grown in Colorado. Who could 80 pecent shade have known back in the late ’70s that • Reduces mowing a small sod farm in northeastern • Has a long growing season Colorado would grow to become one of only a few growers in the country to keep our nation’s pro and college sports stadiums green? This small, local company didn’t start out answering calls from groundskeepers for the Chicago Cubs or Notre Dame and other National Collegiate Athletic Association colleges. Graff’s Turf Farms started with Randy Graff, who is now retired and serving as a Morgan County Rural Electric Association board member. He was a young man back then, looking for his life’s calling when he found a love for growing things while working on a Fort Morgan farm. He enjoyed the work and longed for a farm of his own. It wasn’t an easy dream to realize. There were some difficulties and when opportunity knocked in the form of a job at a sod farm in Denver, Randy took it. For a couple of years, he learned a new kind of farming. “I enjoyed my time spent working for a sod farm and decided to come back to Fort Morgan and start my own sod farm,” Randy remembered. When Randy and his wife, Betsy, founded their sod farm in 1979, Randy worked to build his knowledge of the business and help his business take root. He signed up for classes at Colorado State University and attended seminars and conferences to learn about the grasses and products associated with sod farming. His efforts paid off and everything was ready when Graff’s Turf Farms landed its first job as a business laying grass for a residence in Brush, just northeast of Fort Morgan. Everything grew from there. With each new project, Randy and his employees developed new skills and gained more experience, allowing them to perfect their particular process for laying turf. According to James Graff, Randy and Betsy’s son who is now co-owner of the company with longtime employee Marty Thiel, each step of the process is crucial in determining the quality of the grass and the level of success when the turf is laid. Experience has taught them that the most important part of the process is the soil. “The reason soil preparation is so important is because lots of grasses are available, all serving different purposes,” said James. “With each type of grass, quality turf is recognized through
adequate soil preparation. Soil preparation determines the quality of the turf once laid. Therefore, lots of explanation and training goes into soil preparation here at Graff’s Turf Farms,” said James. As he explained, if there are difficulties when the turf is laid, it’s usually because of the soil. “Sometimes the soil is in poor • Needs less water shape or condition, making it • Is disease resistant difficult to work with. For • Is dark green instance, heavy clay and rocky soil • Grows farther south are very difficult to work with, than other bluegrass but it can be done,” James said. The Graffs found ways to get it done and to get it done well. With a growing reputation, the company did some work close to home in Greeley, resodding the University of Northern Colorado sports fields. Those were the fields where the Denver Broncos practiced. Word started spreading that the sandy composition of the soil on their farm was excellent for growing the perfect turf for sports facilities and golf courses that need to drain quickly and keep their durability. At the same time, sports turf standards were changing. The Fort Morgan company’s high-quality grasses thick-cut in wide rolls were proving to be just what sports stadiums needed. “In the sports turf world, word of mouth travels well,” said James. “When the quality is good — good color, good texture, good sustainability — the word travels to other stadium owners who are looking for quality grass, and one field leads to another.” That is how Graff’s Turf Farms got to lay the sod for all of Colorado’s pro sports stadiums and fields as well as numerous others nationwide. Graff’s Turf Farms landed its first major league contract at the old Mile High Stadium, the previous home of the Broncos. Once the word spread about the job they did at Mile High, the Graffs heard from three other major league stadiums that wanted their turf. The first to call was Coors Field, which was under construction as the new home of the Colorado Rockies baseball team. Up next was Kauffman Stadium where the Kansas City Royals play baseball. The third stadium to call was Soldier Field where the Bears played football in Chicago. Laying the grass for Soldier Field was a big break because this field was set to hold the opening games for the 1994 World Cup series in soccer. “This is when we realized this was a big deal, that we had something special,” Randy said. From there, the work expanded and Graff’s Turf Farms was hired to lay the turf for the remaining Colorado professional sports stadiums and fields, as well as Folsom Field in Boulder and numerous college and pro stadiums throughout the Midwest. And the relationships continue. “We do repairs for [all of the fields and stadiums] after different events happen or after normal wear and tear,” James noted. “Sometimes the fields [continued on page 18]
BELLA BLUEGRASS
ColoradoCountryLife.coop September 2011 17
[continued from page 17] will host concerts or other sporting events and these events tend to damage the fields, making them in great need of repairs. Through either minor repairs or major repairs, we have a continued relationship with all the fields and stadiums.” While the turf farm was making a name for itself in the exciting world of pro sports, it never overlooked the residential and business customers in its own backyard. And those customers benefited from the expertise that was growing as the company’s reputation expanded. As James pointed out, it doesn’t matter whether the company is providing sod for a home, a business or a sports stadium. “The concepts are the same for all types of turf laying,” he said. “It’s the soils that are different, giving you different outcomes. For instance, sports stadium turf is built on sand to allow for drainage, which means quicker and better playability after weather whereas residential turf is laid on the pre-existing native soils so you must compromise to meet the kind of soil you have.” Another difference between laying turf for the different sectors of the business is time. Highly detailed planning goes into laying turf for the sports stadiums in order to provide turf that will withstand the competitions, concerts and other events held on those fields And for sports, the sod chosen must provide the best playability for each sport. For these reasons, commercial and residential jobs are considerably quicker and easier than sports jobs. In its 32 years in the sod farm industry, Graff’s Turf Farms has provided the green grass for countless homes, businesses and fields. Each job has been special for that specific customer, but James does admit some are more exciting than others. While the employees at Graff’s swear they don’t have a favorite field, the work at Wrigley Field in Chicago and the Colorado sports stadiums and fields have always held a special place in the employees’ memories. “Wrigley Field was one of my favorite fields to lay turf for simply because there is so much history at the field,” James said. “So many great players within the history of baseball have stepped foot on those fields, making it a great opportunity to be at such a field.” And then there is home. “All the local Colorado sports stadiums and fields are also very special to us because it is great to give back to our home state,” James added. Giving back is part of every job Graff’s Turf Farms completes. “Our farm is founded on all sectors,” James noted. “Here at Graff’s Turf Farms, seeing a satisfied family with a new yard is just as gratifying as seeing sports teams pleased with the grass they have to play and compete on.” This approach toward conducting business and serving people by upholding the values of quality, service and customer satisfaction is at the heart of everything Graff’s Turf Farms does. It is the reason the company has a great reputation for the perfect turf for yards of all kinds. Brenda Rohn, a 2011 graduate of Wiggins High School in Wiggins, was editor-in-chief of her school newspaper for the past two years and has written for her local newspaper. She will study journalism this fall at The University of Denver in Denver.
ColoradoCountryLife.coop 18 September 2011
THE BEAUTY OF SOD
This is one view of what the yard looked like early in the season. The grass is sparse and the yard is unwelcoming
Graff’s Turf Farms is hired to beautify the yard and brings in a crew of specialist to roll sod onto the prepared yard.
The yard is finished and ready for a season of picnics and mowing, thanks to the experts at Graff’s Turf Farms.
ColoradoCountryLife.coop September 2011 19
[recipes]
Pack Fun for Lunch
Cute food adds bite-sized, fresh nibbles for happy kids BY MONA NEELEY MNEELEY@COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.ORG Tips for fun lunches • Make sure little hands can open the containers • Use any bitesized leftovers • Use soft bread or tortillas when using cutters to cut sandwiches shapes • Use mini cupcake papers to separate items • Add raisins, blueberries, banana chips for extra flavors
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School is back in session and with school days come school lunches, often the tried and true peanut butter and jelly or a few carrot sticks and some chunks of cheese. More often than not, those lunches come home uneaten or are tossed in the trash in the lunchroom. How can you change that and make sure the meals you pack are eaten? Try making the lunches more fun. One place to look for inspiration is Japan where bento boxes are a tradition. These box lunches include bite-sized foods arranged in a specific, artful way. Often they include traditional rice balls shaped into animals or other fun shapes. Sometimes it is boiled eggs that are shaped using special egg presses. Or cheeses, meats and vegetables are cut into stars and flowers using cookie-cutter like cutters. You’ll find all kinds of ideas in Yum-Yum Bento Box: Fresh Recipes for Adorable Lunches, a book by Crystal Watanabe and Maki Ogawa available on amazon.com. There are hints on how to put happy faces on just about any food, information on rice ball animals and how to add veggies to a lunch kids will eat. Another book, Cute Yummy Time by La Carmina, uses more common American ingredients to create the same kind of fun-to-see, fun-to-eat lunches. Some of these lunches will pack well for school. Others work better for after-school snacks or meals at home.
Win tools to make lunches
Want to try these fun lunch ideas? Win one of our books, 2 lunch boxes and some of the tools used to create the lunch on page 21. Send your name, address and phone number to contests@ coloradocountrylife.org. Winner will be drawn
Rice Balls [Onigiri] Onigiri, the cute little rice ball, is an easy, fun way to fill a bento lunch box. These rice balls must be made with sticky, short- or medium-grain rice. If you cannot find Japanese or japonica (commonly sold as sushi rice), Italian medium-grain rice used for risotto can be used. Wash the uncooked rice thoroughly by placing it in a colander and covering it with cold water. Stir the rice until the water becomes cloudy. Drain and repeat until the water stays clear. Once the rice is cooked, sprinkle rice with salt (to taste). Mix, tossing to cool. Scoop rice into center of 6-inch by 6-inch square of plastic wrap; wrap up. Shape into triangle, ball, oval or other shape. Unwrap, add decorations and place in lunch box. A square (or any shape) of nori (seaweed) can be folded over one edge to keep the rice
Funky Lunch: Happy Food for Happy Children by Mark Northeast is another fun food book, but better for those at-home meals. The ideas he shares are amazing and fun, but a little more complicated. Kids will love to build some of these sandwiches themselves before they gobble them up.
September 19.
from sticking to your fingers as you eat it. A dab of water will help the nori stick to the rice. Rice balls can be tinted by adding food coloring to the water used to cook the rice or you can stir in coloring, herbs or spices after the rice is cooked. You can add seaweed faces, cheesy flowers and other decorations to these basic balls.
ColoradoCountryLife.coop 20 September 2011
[recipes]
[Building a Bento Box] Pretzels, cheddar cheese, turkey pepperoni, olives and raisins (for the eyes) and seaweed (for the mouth)
Bento containers are sold online. Ziplock makes a similar container that would be easy to find at your local market
Cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and edemame (soy beans) on decorative picks can add fun and color to a lunch
Include an orange or berries for something sweet.
[Hard-boiled egg happiness]
Use one of the egg molds available online. Boil your egg, rinse and peel. Immediately put the hot egg lengthwise into the bottom egg mold. Line up the top mold and gently press down on the egg until the top and bottom lids touch. Latch the lids together and refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes.
Is your nonprofit selling cookbooks? Send us your cookbook and we’ll share recipes from a selection of these cookbooks with our readers and promote the chosen cookbooks. Send your cookbooks to Colorado Country Life, 5400 N. Washington St., Denver, CO 80216.
ColoradoCountryLife.coop September 2011 21
[gardening]
Are Trees the Answer?
That would depend on exactly what you are asking BY EVE GILMORE MONTANE WW.XERISCAPEGARDENS.COM
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Many of my neighbors and other wellmeaning folks have recently adorned their bumpers with a sticker that reads “Trees are the answer.” I don’t know what the question is, but I can tell you what the question is not. The question is not “What plant form naturally inhabits the ecotype referred to as steppe that covers about one-third of Colorado?” Steppe is dominated by shrubs and grasslands. Some of the shrubs may be large, such as our junipers and piñon pines, but they are not technically classified as trees. Look at old photos of your Colorado town. Old pictures of Durango include few, if any, trees. The difference is dramatic. The question is not “What classification of plants requires the least water to get established and grow successfully?” Bigger plants like trees need more water. But if you ask a different question then, yes, trees are the answer: “What plant type is responsible for our vanishing short- and tall-grass prairies?” The tall-grass and short-grass prairies in eastern Colorado and beyond are a unique ecosystem. They are fire adapted, meaning that fire makes a crucial contribution to their health. When fire burns out encroaching trees, the whole ecosystem is rejuvenated. Without the contribution of fire — long suppressed by humans as a threat — ecological succession occurs and prairies turn into forests. It’s easy to love and want to fight for forests, but the preservation of prairies is also important. Many of Colorado’s favorite garden plants hail from the prairies: Liatris (gayfeather), Callirhoe (wine cups) and Mirabilis (desert four o’clock), not to mention Echinacea (coneflower), Rudbeckia (black-eyed Susan) and other daisies. My point here is to encourage you to take a broader view when assessing good and bad and to realize that trees might not belong everywhere. Bob Nold, author of High and Dry: Gardening with Cold-Hardy Dryland
ColoradoCountryLife.coop 22 September 2011
Some places are dominated by trees, such as this spot in Florida. Plants, described Americans as the most _____ crazed people on earth. Can you fill in the blank? The answer: tree-crazed. He asserts that because many Coloradans grew up in the Midwest or in coastal areas, they crave those lush forests that are not ecologically appropriate here. From a design perspective, trees should tie in with the rest of the landscape. Too often you see a single tree just plunked down in a sea of turf on the north side of a house. Be strategic. If you want a tree, have a reason for wanting (shade? privacy?) And make it fit. Select a size of tree proportionate to the house, other components of the landscape and the size of your property. Then locate it in a functional place. I am by no means against trees. I simply like to probe the assumptions we often make and to encourage thought about issues from a new perspective. Thanks for playing along and exercising your mind with me.
A third of Colorado was originally dominated by shrubs and grasslands. Eve Gilmore Montane is a garden coach, consultant and designer with Gardens by Eve, LLC in Durango. Follow her blog at www.xeriscapegardens.com.
Love gardening? Read
previous gardening columns at www.colordocountrylife.coop. Click on Gardening.
ColoradoCountryLife.coop September 2011 23
[outdoors]
Last Cast at Bob’s Fly Tying Specialties Loveland shop closes after 34 years
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A life’s collection of fly-fishing tackle, antique gear and memorabilia are piled on tables and hang from pegs in this quaint little shop. For nearly four decades and under three names, the shop, most recently known as Bob’s Fly Tying Specialties, has been the gathering place for Loveland’s fly-fishing and fly-tying faithful. Hebert Miner rooster hackles, timeworn packets of authentic Ray Bergman dry fly hooks, archaic bamboo rods with tarnished reel seats of German nickelsilver and primitive cast-iron fly-tying vises abound. They share equal space with the latest custom-built graphites, modern fly-tying tools and framed, autographed posters of Colorado angling authors John Gierach and Todd Hosman. A quintessential example of fly-fishing Americana, the hole-in-the-wall store with the bright yellow paint job closed its doors forever on August 31, marking the end of an era. The shop opened in 1977 as Bob’s Reel Service, a base of operations for original owner Bob Paul, who was then building and delivering fishing rods for Junior Bennett, a name still well known in some Colorado and Wyoming angling circles. Soon a young ColoradoCountryLife.coop 24 September 2011
BY DENNIS SMITH
amateur flytier, Julie Ray, began hanging around. She pestered Bob to stock some basic fly-tying tools and materials. This so annoyed Bob that he finally put her to work developing a fly tying inventory. “He did it pretty much to shut me up,” Julie said when I talked with her, Gregg Sheets and local supporters about the store closing. Eventually, Bob turned over the entire store to Julie. “Look, this is not a bad thing. I don’t see it as the end of something so much as a new beginning. For the first time in I can’t remember how long, I’ll actually get to go fishing again.” — Julie Ray
She convinced Bob to focus on the fly-tying business. He changed the name to Bob’s Fly Tying Specialties, a wise move by all accounts. Soon Julie, still a teenager, was filling orders for custom-tied flies by day and teaching fly-tying classes in the evening. The store’s growing clientele reflected the indisputable demand for both services. In 1991 Gregg Sheets, another amateur flytier turned shop rat and quasiemployee, persuaded Bob to add custom
rod-building classes to the store’s list of personalized services. “It took some convincing,” Gregg said, “but it turned out to be a real shot in the arm for the store.” Julie, who assumed full ownership of the store in 2000, produced a handwritten ledger listing the nearly 400 rod-building customers gained during this period. Julie and Gregg reminisced about past customers, their eyes moistening with the memories and the knowledge that it was all coming to an end. Julie recovered, forced a smile and said, “Look, this is not a bad thing. I don’t see it as the end of something so much as a new beginning. For the first time in I can’t remember how long, I’ll actually get to go fishing again.” She plans on tending her garden, catching up on home projects, playing with her grandkids and getting back to the river where this all started so many years ago. With any luck, we’ll be able to catch her out there, casting to rising trout on some cool autumn evening.
Miss an issue? Catch up at www.coloradocountrylife.coop. Click on Outdoors.
[energy tips]
CLEAR SAVINGS See the benefit with blocks BY JAMES DULLEY
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How do traditional paned windows compare with block windows in terms of efficiency and security?
NEXT MONTH CCL WILL FEATURE THE JONES FARM IN CORTEZ. CELEBRATE AUTUMN WITH DICK AND BOBBE, PUMPKINS, CUPCAKES, BALES OF HAY AND A PETTING ZOO — ENTERTAINMENT FOR THE YOUNG AND OLD.
As people become more concerned about security, they are replacing old, inefficient windows with glass- or plastic-block windows, especially for easily accessed first-floor and basement windows. It’s possible — but difficult — for an intruder to break through a glassblock window. Most glass-block windows are hollow. If a person did succeed in breaking one block, the hole would still be too small to crawl through. However, heavy, solid glass blocks made specifically for security are also available. Besides security, concern about severe weather is growing. Some standard windows can withstand a violent storm, but flying debris, which can shatter pane glass, often does much of the damage. Plastic-block windows look identical to glass-block windows. Most are molded acrylic plastic, which is much more impact-resistant than double-pane glass windows and doesn’t yellow with age like other plastics. Both plastic- and glass-block windows are energy efficient for several reasons. A sealed air gap inside each block increases efficiency because the halves are sealed together under heat. When the blocks and the captured air cool, an insulating vacuum is created inside the block. Clearly, block windows are an option worth considering for those concerned about energy efficiency and security.
For more information about block windowing , visit coloradocountrylife. coop. Click on Energy Tips. ColoradoCountryLife.coop September 2011 25
Friday, October 14 • 8 a.m.-4:15 p.m. Denver Marriott City Center Hotel 1701 California St. • Denver, CO 80202 Learn about the latest innovations in Colorado’s electric industry. Carbon Capture and Sequestration • Electric Cars Natural Gas and Generation • Transmission Today Micro-Hydro Projects • Energy Storage
Register at www.crea.coop
Follow Colorado’s Electric Co-op News on the Web Connect with the Colorado Rural Electric Association at:
• www.crea.coop • @ColoradoREA (www.facebook.com/ColoradoREA) •
@ColoradoREA
(www.twitter.com/ColoradoREA)
Get the latest news on Twitter; follow CREA on Facebook; find information on the website. ColoradoCountryLife.coop 26 September 2011
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Ways to Connect with Colorado Country Life
• Subscribe • Website www.colorado
countrylife.coop
• Facebook www.facebook.com/ COCountryLife
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303-455-4111
[marketplace]
Step in front of the crowd and advertise in MarketPlace. Call Kris at 303-902-7276
ColoradoCountryLife.coop September 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
ANTIQUES
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
CHAIR CANING, hand caning, machine caning, fiber rush caning. Pueblo West, 719-5470723. chaanita@q.com (858-10-11)
LEGITIMATE WORK AT HOME opportunity. No sales. No investment. No risk. Training/website provided. Weekly/monthly income plus bonuses and benefits. Call Carrie at 303-579-4207 or fill out form at www. workathomeunited.com/ ourabundance (932-09-11)
FURNITURE RESTORATION. Quality craftsmanship since 1974. Bayfield, CO, www. antiqueresdurango.com 970884-1837. Prompt service, guaranteed repairs. (988-12-11)
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 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. (105-12-11)
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES (These opportunities have not been investigated by Colorado Country Life.) AVON sells – you earn money. Generous profits. Flexible hours. $10 start up. ISR. 719-550-0242. (133-11-11) BUSY, FULL SERVICE, AUTO REPAIR workshop in SW Colorado. Est. 35 yrs. Retiring owner may carry. Solid investment, dependable staff, 6 bays, paint booth, offices. 1-970-563-4500. Please ask for Joyce. (942-09-11) ColoradoCountryLife.coop 28 September 2011
PIANO TUNING PAYS. Learn with American School homestudy course. Tools included. Call for info. 800-497-9793. (158-01-12) RADIO SHACK RETAIL OPPORTUNITY. Established turnkey business. Electronics, cellphones, satellite & more. N. El Paso County along I-25 corridor. 719-963-0761. (983-09-11) START YOUR OWN BUSINESS – home/internet. Simply the highest quality candles/gifts/beauty. Enter free drawing. www. naturesbest.scent-team.com (831-09-11) SUCCESSFUL 28-YEAR family-owned outfitting business. Trail rides, sleigh rides, guided hunts. Durango, CO, 970-749-0858. (973-09-11)
CAMPING CAMPERS, HUNTERS, HIKERS, BACKPACKERS. The best new camping invention in the past twenty years. Works for everyone, even children. Don’t leave home without it. www.sierraseat.com (98009-11)
CARS/TRUCKS/BOATS
FREE
MACHINERY & PART
50 SUBARUS! (1995-2010) Outbacks, Foresters, Imprezas, Tribecas & more! Great prices! One-year warranty! Dealer: www.monument motors.com 719-481-9900 (574-08-12)
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. (814-12-11)
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.saw millexchange.com . (267-09-11)
1985 CADILLAC ELDORADO Barritz Conv., mint condition, collector’s dream, $15K, 970522-4600 (899-10-11) 2005 40 FT. ALFA GOLD motorhome, diesel, loaded, 2 slides, non-smokers, new $400K, now $145K, 970-5224600 (899-10-11)
CLOCK REPAIR & RESTORATION DURANGO AREA. CLOCKS of all kinds repaired. Antique and modern. Call Robert 970-247-7729. (109-11-11)
FARM & RANCH SUPPLIES RODEO ROOTS to ModernDay Cowboys is a fine book that successfully illustrates the role of rodeo in the development of the West. Plenty of pictures. Plenty of history. $25. Call 303-455-4111 to order one today. (106-12-11)
FINANCIAL SERVICES NEED A LOAN? Members Federal Credit Union can help with your Auto, Home, Credit Card, and more! Visit www.mbrcu.com or call 303755-2572. (965-11-11)
FOR SALE FIREWOOD FOR SALE. ~17” cut, not split. Seasoned Ponderosa. You pick up. West Loveland. $66.00 for 8’ pick-up bed. 303-665-5749. (939-12-11) HEAVY DUTY CATTLEPENS. Portable or permanent; 32x45 working pen w/16’ crowding tub, $3,015. Call Kenneth 580-876-3699, www. cccattleequipment.com (882-12-11) LARGE STOCK NICKEL PLATED vintage trunk hardware. Howard, CO. Call or fax 1-719-942-3391 (989-09-11)
HEALTH HEALTH INSURANCE, individual or farm and ranch, watts.david@planadvisorsllc. com 720-200-3138 ext 150, 1-866-499-7076 ext 150. (915-09-11)
MUSIC
HELP WANTED
REAL ESTATE
$400 WEEKLY ASSEMBLING PRODUCTS FROM HOME. For free information, send SASE: Home Assembly – CC, Box 450, New Britain, CT 06050-0450.
5-ACRE LOT WITH STREAM: 4250 Green Mountain Drive 80921, NW border USAFA. Horse friendly. Photo/details: creeksite. com Contact: creeksite@ gmailcom. (987-09-11)
EARN $4,000/MO. PARTTIME in the livestock or equipment appraisal business. Agricultural background required. Classroom or home study courses available. 800488-7570. www.amag appraisers.com (935-09-11)
HOBBIES & CRAFTS AWARD WINNING LONGARM QUILTING — reasonable rates, quick turnaround. Karen Niemi, 303-470-9309, http://creative.stitching. home.comcast.net, creative. stitching@comcast.net (84608-12) BOOKS, PATTERNS, CLASSES, knitting, dyeing, felting, crocheting, weaving, spinning. www.tablerockllamas.com Colorado Springs, 866-495-7747 (791-11-11)
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 AND REPAIRS BEE REMOVALS & HOME improvements, jack of all trades. Northern & central Colorado. Scott, 970-5810400. (975-09-11)
LEARN TO PLAY GUITAR from the convenience of your own home. Fast, fun, and guaranteed. www.Learn GuitarCentral.com. (106-12-11)
35-ACRE PARCELS, overlooking North Sterling Reservoir, ideal for custom home, exc. hunting, 970-522-4600. (899-10-11) 40 ACRES IN HUERFANO COUNTY with 16x80 trailer, 3/2, completely set up. Private. Trees. Super view. Great well. Jerry Shaw 719-250-8458 or 719-738-6338. (987-11-11) APARTMENTS $299, RESTAURANT $750, 6 acres fenced $1250, Motel Baron, Roggen, 303-934-2677. (976-09-11) ELIZABETH, 36.5 acres, agricultural, half mile north of Walmart. Will carry at 4% on $450,000 – 303-249-3218. (977-09-11)
Call Kris to advertise in the Classifieds: 303-902-7276 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
TICKETS
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)
NFR & PBR RODEO TICKETS – Las Vegas. All seating levels available. Call 1-888-NFRrodeo (1-888-637-7633) or www.NFR-Rodeo.com. *BBB Member; Since 1990. (912-11-11)
GRAND LAKE LAKEFRONT handhewn 5 BR log home and boathouse, $2,600,000, 713806-7478 (971-09-11) KEEP YOUR KIDS NEARBY — Family business campground and home for sale, Seibert, shadygrove@plainstel.com 970-664-2218 (991-10-11)
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.fishpondaerator.com, 608-254-2735. (879-12-11)
VACATION RENTAL KAUAI VACATION RENTAL, 2bdr, full kitchen. Minutes from beaches. $600/wk. 808-245-6500; makanacrest. com; kauaiweddings.com. (756-05-12) 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 602989-1774. (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. 719-5395363, b_inaz@hotmail.com (817-10-11) OLD COLORADO LIVESTOCK brand books prior to 1975. Call Wes 303-757-8553. (88902-12) 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 970-565-1256. (871-09-11)
RODEO BOOK SALE
Call Kris to advertise in Classifieds 303-902-7276 WANTED TO BUY 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) 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 minerals 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. 800733-8122. (227-09-11)
My 3-year-old and I were driving home from school the other day. As we drove she repeatedly asked me, “Mom, what are those?” I looked at her through the rearview mirror and realized she was asking what the power poles were. I told her, “Those are power poles.” She looked at the poles, then back at me, and with a curious look on her face she said, “Why are they following us?” Kelli Unrein, Cortez
Four-year-old Brayden had never tasted cinnamon toast, so when his daddy made it for him, he loved it,” he said. “It’s like taking my mouth to the playground!” Terry Wallace, Springfield
Everyone was gathered around the table enjoying birthday cake and admiring the recent addition to the family — a golden retriever puppy named Duke. As talk shifted to the discussion of Duke’s future, someone asked if Duke was going to be fixed. The youngest family member looked puzzled, then worried and finally blurted out, “How did he get broken?” Rita Leafgren, Eaton
A customer sent an order to a distributor for a large amount of goods totaling a great deal of money. The distributor noticed that the previous bill hadn’t been paid, so he asked his collections manager to leave a voice mail for the customer saying, “We can’t ship your new order until you pay for the last one.” The next day the collections manager received a collect phone call: “Please cancel the order. We can’t wait that long.” Anonymous
Sign on a ranch fence: “The owner allows people to walk through the field for free, but the bull charges!” Ruth Krening, Fort Morgan
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.
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 September 2011 29
[discoveries]
Zing Toy’s Little Archer Kids over 8 will love the Z-Curve Bow. Its foam tip and suction cup arrows, specially designed for safety, sail a long way. See this and more awesome toys at www.zing toystore.com.
[Soft, Sturdy, Silent and Snag-Resistant] Women can hunt in style. Prois clothes boast hunting’s “four S’s”: they’re soft, sturdy, silent and snag-resistant. They’re constructed using technical fabrics that are rain- and wind-resistant, thermoregulating and wicking — all features that can make the difference between
Wiggy’s Outdoor Gear Wiggy’s is a bonanza of outdoor gear. The Grand Junction-based business sells practically everything for your outdoors adventure, from the Antarctic Parka to the WetFire Stove. It even manufactures its own line of sleeping bags. Browse the catalog at http://wiggys.com/index.cfm.
a comfortable, successful hunt and one where you spend all your time shivering.
“Take pride in NOT being one of the guys.”
That’s good advice for female hunters from Prois, a Gunnison-based seller of quality hunting clothes for women. Women hunters who demand the best in weapons and optics need quality gear to match. Prois offers a wide line of jackets, vests, pants and shirts, outerwear, base layer and layering pieces.
If you’ve ever been stuck wearing ill-fitting
hand-me-down men’s hunting clothes, then you know how important it is to have gear
[ This Chair Has You Covered ]
that fits. Prois clothes are purpose-built for
The Sport-Brella Chair features a 360-degree swivel umbrella. Just push a button — the chair adjusts at three different points, providing weather protection from virtually any angle. It’s lightweight and portable yet holds up to 300 pounds. It has a built-in cup holder, bottle opener and pouch and folds to fit into a carrying bag. See it at http:// sport-brella. com.
tering yet functional, form-fitting yet roomy
ColoradoCountryLife.coop 30 September 2011
a woman’s body. They’re tailored to be flatenough for ease of movement.
You also know how important it is to wear
clothes with features that can improve your efficiency in the field. Prois women’s clothing includes components like scapular and lumbar pockets for stowing chemical warm packs, snap-down zipper pulls for silence and cord locks at the hem to snug down to boots.
Visit the Prois website at www.proishunt
ing.com to see the catalog and place orders. Happy hunting.
TOGE T HERW E S AV E .COM
These poles stand for something. They bring us reliable, affordable electricity. They also carry a vision that began back before the 2nd world war. These poles rose above the dust of the Great Depression, through blood, sweat, and tears. Cooperatives brought light to darkness, and electrified this country. Power would no longer be confined to the big city limits. Lines stretched out to farms, ranches and schoolhouses. Appliances came to life. Factories sprouted up. America spread her wings. But these poles didn’t just appear out of thin air. These poles are pillars that were founded on principle by people with principles. Neighbors banded together, and communities came together to share ownership of the electricity that would advance everyone. Today, these poles are yours. They come to you with a history. And they come to you with a responsibility. It’s up to all of us to take care of what we have and use only what we need. It’s the cooperative way. It also happens to be the right thing to do. By using electricity wisely, we can continue to build on a dream that started decades ago. And we can ensure that the spirit on which it was built continues for generations to come. Reliable, affordable electricity, for all.
THESE POLES HAVE ROOTS.