Colorado Country Life April 2019 Grand Valley

GRAND VALLEY POWER

APRIL 2019

Carving Out an Artistic Legacy

PLUS LINEWORKER APPRECIATION

4

NEW TWISTS ON THE CLASSIC GRILLED CHEESE

12

WIPE OUT WOEFUL WEEDS

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Stronger together Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association and our family of electric cooperatives are working together to lead the charge in an ever-changing energy industry, so you can cheer on your favorite team.

We are brighter, stronger and better together. www.tristate.coop/together

Number 04

Volume 50

April 2019 THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE COLORADO RURAL ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION COMMUNICATIONS STAFF Mona Neeley, CCC, Publisher/Editor mneeley@coloradocountrylife.org Cassi Gloe, CCC, Production Manager/Designer cgloe@coloradocountrylife.org Kylee Coleman, Editorial/Admin. Assistant kcoleman@coloradocountrylife.org ADVERTISING Kris Wendtland, Ad Representative advertising@coloradocountrylife.org | 303-902-7276 National Advertising Representative, American MainStreet Publications 611 S. Congress Street, Suite 504, Austin, TX 78704 | 800-626-1181 Advertising Standards: Publication of an advertisement in Colorado Country Life does not imply endorsement by any Colorado rural electric cooperative or the Colorado Rural Electric Association.

Colorado Country Life (USPS 469-400/ISSN 1090-2503) is published monthly by Colorado Rural Electric Association, 5400 Washington Street, Denver, CO 80216-1731. Periodical postage paid at Denver, Colorado. ©Copyright 2019, Colorado Rural Electric Association. Call for reprint rights.

EDITORIAL Denver Corporate Office, 5400 Washington Street, Denver, CO 80216 mneeley@coloradocountrylife.org | 303-455-4111 coloradocountrylife.coop | facebook.com/COCountryLife Pinterest.com/COCountryLife | Instagram.com/cocountrylife Twitter.com/COCountryLife | YouTube.com/COCountryLife1 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.

SUBSCRIBERS Report change of address to your local cooperative. Do not send change of address to Colorado Country Life. Cost of subscription for members of participating electric cooperatives is $4.44 per year (37 cents per month), paid from equity accruing to the member. For nonmembers, a subscription is $9 per year in-state/$15 out-of-state.

POSTMASTER Send address changes to Colorado Country Life, 5400 Washington Street, Denver, CO 80216

On the APRIL 2019

Carving Out an Artistic Legacy

PLUS LINEWORKER APPRECIATION

4

NEW TWISTS ON THE CLASSIC GRILLED CHEESE

12

WIPE OUT WOEFUL WEEDS

22

Cover Bradford Rhea stands next to his marble sculpture Exordium. Photo by Chris Coleman.

Photo by Kathy Davidoff of Nathrop, a member of Sangre de Cristo Electric Association.

4 VIEWPOINT

5 LETTERS

6 ASK THE ENERGY EXPERT

7 YOUR CO-OP NEWS

12 RECIPES

14 NEWS CLIPS

16 COVER STORY

COCountryLife pinned: Have you had a grilled cheese sandwich for breakfast? Try Sunday Brunch Grilled Cheese drizzled with a brown sugar bourbon sauce.

CARVING OUT AN ARTISTIC LEGACY 20 INDUSTRY 22 GARDENING

24 OUTDOORS

25 SAFETY

26 MARKETPLACE

28 COMMUNITY EVENTS

29 YOUR STORIES

FACEBOOK CHATTER CREA posted: Congratulations to Y-W Electric Association for winning the Pinnacol Assurance’s Circle of Safety Award for the sixth year in a row!

This is awarded to businesses that show exemplary performance in safety, loss control and financial and claims management.

30 DISCOVERIES

Monthly Contest Enter for your chance to win a copy of Grilled Cheese Kitchen: Bread + Cheese + Everything in Between. Take a look at pages 12 and 13 to find out how to make a Bro’Wich.

For official rules and how to enter, visit our contest page at coloradocountrylife.coop.

coloradocountrylife.coop

PINTEREST SNEAK PEEK

INSTAGRAM PIC of the month cocountrylife posted: CCL readers travel all over the world with the magazine and send us photos. We pin their locations to our map and this year we pinned our first ever in Tahiti! Dan and Tracy Culvala visited Tahiti in January.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE APRIL 2019

3

VIEWPOINT

SHOW SOME APPRECIATION When the lights go out, so do co-op line crews

BY KENT SINGER

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

I

’m sure almost everyone reading this column experienced the “bomb cyclone” that swept over Colorado in mid-March, bringing with it a lot of snow and high wind. It was an unusually strong storm, and certainly created havoc for anyone trying to get anywhere. Many people were stranded on the roads and heroic first responders stayed busy rescuing motorists and others around the state. Tragically, a member of the Colorado State Patrol was killed while attempting to assist a motorist during the storm.

The bomb cyclone also damaged electric utility poles and lines all across the state.

Co-op line crews worked long hours in extreme conditions to restore power. For electric co-ops, the responsibility to keep the lights on and homes warm is one we take seriously. Co-op line crews pride themselves on taking care of the folks at the end of the line because they know that everyone expects to be able to flip the switch and have the lights go on. Electric service has become so reliable that we expect it to be available regardless of the weather conditions.

For electric lineworkers, there is always a tension between wanting to restore power quickly and making sure safe workplace practices are followed in difficult conditions. I know I speak for all electricity

4

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE APRIL 2019

consumers when I say that I’m fine being without power for a couple extra hours if it means that the crews will go home safely after the work is done. We all need to be patient when it comes to the infrequent outages that occur.

As an Xcel Energy customer who lives in Denver, the bomb cyclone resulted in a nearly 24-hour outage at our house, the longest we have been without power in the 35 years we have lived here. It’s so easy to forget that without electricity there is no heat, no hot water, no refrigeration, no television and no internet. When all the creature comforts we take for granted are no longer available, we are quickly reminded that electricity is essential to modern life.

It’s no small task to make electricity available; it takes thousands of folks working in unison to run the facilities that generate the power, transmit it over long transmission lines and eventually deliver it to your house. Since electricity is consumed at exactly the same moment it is generated, the coordination between all of these elements of the grid has to be seamless and precise.

Although there are lots of new distributed sources of electricity coming from rooftops and other customer-sited sources in co-op territory, most of the electricity that keeps the lights on in Colorado still comes from

KENT SINGER

large plants and is transmitted through high voltage lines. We owe a debt of gratitude to all the people who keep the grid up and running.

Since National Lineman Appreciation Day is observed in April, this is a great time to tell your local electric co-op line crews that you appreciate their hard work and dedication to the job. After all, when the next bomb cyclone comes roaring across Colorado, co-op crews will be the ones picking up the pieces after the storm.

Kent Singer, executive director

Kent Singer is the executive director of the Colorado Rural Electric Association and offers a statewide perspective on issues affecting electric cooperatives.

CREA is the trade association for your electric co-op, the 21 other electric co-ops in Colorado and its power supply co-op.

LETTERS

FROM THE EDITOR A bird’s-eye view of co-op service

BY MONA NEELEY

EDITOR

O

ne of the advantages of working for Colorado’s electric MONA NEELEY cooperatives for the last 24 years is that I have traveled all over our state.

One of this month’s stories takes readers to northeastern Colorado, which, like most places in the state, is filled with interesting people (see page 16) and amazing landscapes. A year ago, I had an opportunity to really see this part of the state from a new perspective — from the air.

With Highline Electric Association board member Jim Lueck and Highline employee and pilot Mark Harshbarger, we flew over the rolling hills and craggy bluffs of this corner of the state. This new view gave me an appreciation, not only for the eastern plains sometimes overlooked beauty, but also for what it takes for electric co-op crews to bring electricity to the people at the end of long country roads on our vast landscape.

It gave me a renewed respect for what electric co-ops do.

Mona Neeley is the statewide editor of Colorado Country Life, which is published in coordination with your local electric cooperative. Its goal is to provide information from your local electric co-op to you, its consumer-members.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

EVs Need to Pay Fair Share

I read with interest the article on electric vehicles (December ’18). While I agree that they save the owner money, and help decrease pollution, EV owners pay no gas tax and therefore do not contribute to the cost of maintaining the roads on which they drive. Until the state or federal government addresses this issue, either by taxing the EV owners based on miles driven or with some other form of tax that would pay for their share of state and federal road maintenance, all of us who own and drive internal combustion-powered cars are subsidizing them.

Joe Horan, Rustic Poudre Valley REA consumer-member

Electricity Costs Compared

Thanks for sharing the report on the full costs of electricity from the Energy Institute of the University of Texas (News Clips, February ’19). It was interesting to see that solar is the cheapest source of new power in much of the southwestern United States and that wind is the cheapest source in much of the central United States. I have a residential solar system, which saves me a great deal of money. I am glad to learn that this study shows it is a smart way to generate electricity, cost wise. I hope electric co-ops look at the full costs of electricity when they evaluate different sources.

Lee Cassin, DeBeque Grand Valley Power consumer-member

Rural Realities

Viewpoint (February ’19) by Kent Singer was an eye-opener for me. The reference to The New York Times piece with solutions for “saving” the rural economy shocked me. The disconnect of academia and policymakers about rural life is frightening and serious. We cannot let others tell us what is best for us.

We need to educate and create a dialogue concerning this issue so that we can come up with solutions to this problem.

Marlyn Hasart, Stratton K.C. Electric consumer-member

SEND US YOUR LETTERS Editor Mona Neeley at 5400 Washington St., Denver, CO 80216 or at mneeley@coloradocountrylife.org.

Letters may be edited for length.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE APRIL 2019

5

ASK THE ENERGY EXPERTS

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE APRIL 2019

hen it comes to saving energy, it can be confusing to figure out what works and what doesn’t.

Here are some questions from readers about saving energy with answers based on our years in the business.

Q: Is it true that turning lights off and on uses more energy than just leaving them on?

A: Not true. Turning off lights definitely reduces energy use. Turn off LED and incandescent bulbs every time you leave the room.

The situation is a little different with compact fluorescent bulbs. Turning them off does save energy but can shorten the life of the bulb. The rule of thumb for CFLs is to turn them off any time they won’t be used for 15 minutes or more.

Q: Would replacing my old windows with new, more efficient ones really cut my energy use in half?

A: No. While replacing inefficient windows with new, energy-efficient windows can cut the heat loss through windows in half (or more), windows typically account for only about 25 to 30 percent of your space heating costs. The amount of energy you use for heating and cooling is likely one-third to

one-half of your total energy use, so replacing your old windows might only reduce your total energy costs by about 10 percent. When you consider the high cost of new windows, you may not recoup your investment for 15 to 20 years, or even longer.

Q: My kids claim using the dishwasher is just as efficient as washing dishes by hand. Are they correct?

A: Yes, they are. In fact, it’s usually more efficient. Properly used dishwashers actually use less water while doing a better job and, as a bonus, they will save you more than 200 hours per year. For maximum energy savings, make sure your water heater is set to about 120 degrees and use the most efficient wash and dry settings.

Q: Does the age of my home determine how energy efficient it is?

A: Newer homes tend to be more efficient because energy codes have improved, but every home can have hidden energy issues, no matter its age. If you want to evaluate the efficiency of your home, it’s best to schedule an energy audit with a professional.

This column was co-written by Pat Keegan and Brad Thiessen of Collaborative Efficiency.

YOUR CO-OP NEWS

GRAND VALLEY POWER’S POWER SUPPLY FUTURE A Statewide Viewpoint

BY TOM WALCH

CEO

T

here’s no denying it — the future of energy is changing. It’s a topic that has been widely talked about for years. As electric utilities across the United States shift to options that include more renewable energy sources and make existing generation technologies cleaner, electricity uses less fossil fuel per kilowatt-hour of energy produced. This idea of “clean energy” means that innovations in energy technology are creating new ways to use electricity with less impact to our environment.

60% CLEAN ENERGY BY 2030 Taking care of the environment has always been important to Grand Valley Power. The farmers who formed our cooperative eight decades ago made their living on the land, so they were always good stewards. That’s an area where we try to be leaders. The percentage of clean and renewable energy in Grand Valley Power’s energy supply mix has expanded since 2008. The cooperative met Colorado’s statutory Renewable Energy Standard —10 percent renewable energy by 2020 — a decade ahead of the requirement. Grand Valley Power currently has over 30 percent renewable energy in

its power supply mix. You might wonder why we’re targeting a 60 percent clean target when we’ve already met state mandates. As a locally-owned cooperative, we continually strive to deliver value to our members. We seek to find new and better ways to serve our members — all while providing safe, reliable and affordable energy. As technology advances, these clean resources become more cost effective. We’ll be able to meet this target while maintaining rate stability and our excellent reliability record.

The 60% Clean Energy Target is one of the most aggressive goals of all rural electric cooperatives across the nation. We can make this commitment to our consumers because of the commitments we have from our wholesale power providers, including Xcel Energy and the Western Area Power Administration.

A BALANCED APPROACH Although Grand Valley Power’s energy mix is continuing to increase in renewable resources over the course of a decade, we want to stress the importance of a balanced and diverse energy mix. That includes 24/7 energy sources like natural gas and coal.

Cooperatives, including Grand Valley

TOM WALCH, CEO

Power, will continue to explore ways to make renewables more predictable and reliable. We’re planning for a bright — and cleaner — future for years to come.

COMMENTS TO THE CEO You are a member of a cooperative and your opinion does count. If you have any questions, concerns or comments, please let me know by writing to Ask the CEO, P.O. Box 190, Grand Junction, CO 81502, or send an email to me at twalch@gvp.org. Check out our website at gvp.org.

BOARD MEETING NOTICE Grand Valley Power board meetings are open to the members, consumers and public. Regularly scheduled board meetings are held at 9 a.m. on the third Wednesday of each month at the headquarters building located at 845 22 Road, Grand Junction, Colorado.

The monthly agenda is posted in the lobby of the headquarters building 10 days before each meeting and posted on the GVP website. If anyone desires to address the board of directors, please let us know in advance and you will be placed on the agenda.

Director Petitions Available in May

T

he election process for the Grand Valley Power Board of Directors is approaching. The nominating procedure begins in May with the election in August. There are three director positions up for election every year.

Board seats up for election this year include positions presently held by Sylvia

Spangler, Rod Martinez and Carolyn Sandeen-Hall.

Nominating petitions will be available to be picked up beginning May 14, 2019, at the Grand Valley Power office. Petitions must be signed and returned no later than by the close of business on June 24, 2019.

The Annual Meeting of Grand Valley

Power and the election of directors will be held on Thursday, August 8, 2019, at Colorado Mesa University’s Meyer Ballroom. Mark your calendar.

More details on the election process will be published in the May issue of this magazine and can also be found at gvp.org/ bylaws.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE APRIL 2019

7

YOUR CO-OP NEWS

Safety for All Ages February 22 Mesa County Safety Fair

BY CHRISTMAS WHARTON

GVP Operations Supervisor Bill Barlow shows a group of students on a recent field trip some of the flame-resistant and arc-flash clothing that’s required for a lineman to wear.

GVP linemen Nick Jones and Preston Dillingham teach a group of students electrical safety at the annual Mesa County Safety Fair on February 22.

E

ach year, Grand Valley Power steps up to the task of providing electrical safety demonstrations to approximately 1,700 people. One of the larger events GVP employees attend is the annual Mesa County Safety Fair at the Mesa Mall.

Other events include school functions, county events and local business events.

Safety applies to all ages and electrical safety is an important topic that everyone should know.

Since we’re a community-focused organization, we are committed to the safety of our workforce and the general public — and we take that seriously. Recently, I was told a story about an unfortunate accident to a member’s close friend that involved an electrical contact. This prompted a phone call to Grand Valley Power to request an electrical safety demonstration — something that our member believed was much needed. Although the incident did not

occur locally, it hit home hard for this person’s organization.

That’s why it’s an important message for us to share, and we do this year-round.

You can find safety information 24/7 on our website at gvp.org/safety-resources or on one of our social media pages on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

LOOKING FOR MEMBERS

One of the many benefits of being a member of a cooperative is the way that members participate in our business.

Members contribute to the capital of our cooperative. They also contribute to the co-op’s economic success, and any excess margins are paid back over time to those members.

Grand Valley Power strives to ensure it has your updated address to mail you credit checks (even if you move off GVP lines).

Despite these efforts, GVP receives checks back that are unclaimed.

We’ve updated our list and encourage you to check the website gvp.org / capital-credits to see if you know any of the individuals or businesses that have unclaimed cash. If you have any information as to the location or address of any of the individuals or businesses on the list, please have them contact us at 970-242-0040.

WITH

UNCLAIMED CASH 8

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE APRIL 2019

YOUR CO-OP NEWS

Can You Dig It? Not before you call 811

A

pril showers bring May flowers but digging on your own this spring could spell big trouble. Even if you think you could get lucky or that digging one small hole (or two) won’t matter, don’t take for granted what lines might lurk beneath the soil in your yard or easement.

Before you use that posthole digger or other digging tools, STOP and call 811 to request that the electric, gas, cable and other live lines in or near your yard be marked. The service is free but digging in an unmarked yard may not be.

You might think you don’t have time for that and ask yourself, “What’s the worst that could happen?” YOU COULD DIE OR BECOME SERIOUSLY INJURED. “People think they don’t have the time to call or they think hitting an underground line won’t happen to them, but it can happen — and it does — every year,” says Bill Barlow, Grand Valley Power’s operation supervisor.

“It only takes a day or two advance notice when you call to have your yard marked.

The wait is well worth it. The consequences of hitting a line can range from interrupting your favorite cable television show to a gas leak to electrocution.”

Other consequences of blindly digging?

You could cause a power outage; you could hit a gas line and get burned or cause an evacuation in your neighborhood; or you could be fined. If you hit a telephone line or fiber optic line, you might lose your telephone,

#ThankALineworker

cable television or internet service. Worse yet, it could interfere with your neighborhood’s emergency assistance technology.

Although it all seems like “your” yard, utilities have the right of way and live lines are lurking under the ground. Take a deep breath, look over your landscaping or fence plans and call 811 before you dig. Each state has its own call center to help you

get digging safely, but 811 is the one-callfits-all in the United States. Once you call the digging hotline or your own state’s digging call center directly, utilities or the companies they contract with will come to your home and mark your yard before you dig.

For more information, visit gvp.org/ safe-outdoors or Call811.com.

Lineworker Appreciation Day April 8, 2019

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE APRIL 2019

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YOUR CO-OP NEWS

Member Spotlight

Plugged

BY CHRISTMAS WHARTON

N

A cool summer breeze, the smell of hot dogs and fresh peanuts, the crack of a bat. It’s the start of another baseball season for the Orchard Mesa Little League. It is one of Grand Valley Power’s members and we’re shining those stadium lights on OMLL this month.

CHRISTMAS (GVP): Thanks for taking the time today to tell us a bit more about Orchard Mesa Little League. Can you tell us a bit more about your role and how you got involved?

KAYLEEN (OMLL): Thank you. What a great opportunity to tell our story. My name is Kayleen Balsiger and I am the president of the OMLL. I also handle all the registrations. In 2013 my son was playing Little League at Orchard Mesa. Throughout the season there were a few things that I was not happy with and thought needed improvement, so I went to a board meeting. I decided to join the board to hopefully help the league improve what I was seeing wrong as a parent and to give the players and families a good experience.

I started off as the secretary and eventually my duties grew. Little League in our community allows for a safe, fun environment that kids can enjoy their time outside and with friends loving the sport of baseball or softball. OMLL has a scholarship program available to those in need, allowing for any child who wishes to play Little League the opportunity.

CHRISTMAS: What a great opportunity for kids and our community. I’m big on history of our valley — how did the OMLL get started?

KAYLEEN: The basic plans to start an organized baseball program in Orchard Mesa were started around 1960 from the parents who had children in the Cub Scout pack located on Orchard Mesa.

Wayne Goswick along with Jim Leigh and Lillian Pickering started the ball rolling in the proper direction for starting a program in the summer of 1961. The George Humphries family helped initiate plans to develop Orchard Mesa Little League. Mike Kanderis, the first OMLL president, helped obtain the current field location.

When the league was organized, there were minor, major and senior divisions for baseball. In 1963 Orchard Mesa Little League filed incorporation papers with the county recorder. There were many additions over the years to get the property to where it is at now. In 1975 girls were adopted into the Little League program; however, it took until 1978 before girls’ softball was organized at OMLL. CHRISTMAS: That’s fantastic. I love the spirit of the founders. Do you have employees or volunteers?

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE APRIL 2019

KAYLEEN: Currently coming into the 2019 spring season we only have about 12 board members. During the season we will have roughly 100 volunteers between board members, coaches and parent volunteers.

CHRISTMAS: Does OMLL have any big plans or changes for the upcoming year?

KAYLEEN: This year we have not only me as a new president, but we have a few new board members. That being said, we have a lot of changes in the works. Currently, we are building batting cages at the back of our facility — this alone is a huge cost to us. We also are having our scoreboards get a face-lift, new paint, logo and LED bulbs. There are plans for a total repair and paint to our five score towers and dugouts. We have already repaired some batter’s boxes and bases. Since OMLL is a nonprofit organization, we rely solely on the collection of registration fees, concession stand [profits], fundraising and our sponsors and donors. We do not turn away any child whose family is unable to pay the fees. Our cost to run a Little League includes electricity, domestic water, uniforms, equipment, supplies to maintain our fields to be playable, office supplies for our treasurer, registrations and fundraisers. Usually at the end of a season, the league has very minimal funds to start the next season, and that’s not even including funds wanted for upgrading and projects around the ballpark that we were not able to complete due to lack of funding.

CHRISTMAS: There’s a lot that goes into coordinating the OMLL. If I wanted to find out more information on the game schedules, sponsorships, open volunteer positions or how to sign up my kids, where is the best place to find this information?

KAYLEEN: You can find all of this information on our website at orchardmesalittleleague.com. You can also reach out to us by calling 440-537-2836. We also can be found on Facebook — search for Orchard Mesa Little League.

CHRISTMAS: I look forward to OMLL’s 2019 season, Kayleen.

Let’s play ball!

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RECIPES

GRILLED TO THRILL

WIN

A new cookbook creates twists on the classic grilled cheese sandwich

BY AMY HIGGINS

A COPY

| RECIPES@COLOR ADOCOUNTRYLIFE.ORG Enter our contest to win a copy of Grilled Cheese Kitchen: Bread + Cheese + Everything in Between. Visit Contests at coloradocountrylife.coop for details on how to enter.

Try these unique recipes for an old favorite.

F

ew can pass up a beautifully browned grilled cheese sandwich. Ooey-gooey cheese wrapped in warm, toasted, buttery bread: What’s not to love? Which is why we were overjoyed when the newly released cookbook Grilled Cheese Kitchen: Bread + Cheese + Everything in Between caught our eye. Wife and husband Heidi Gibson and Nate Pollak, owners of San Francisco-based American Grilled Cheese Kitchen, compiled a vast assortment of unique grilled cheeses, soups and other tasty concoctions that grilled cheese lovers will delight in sinking their teeth into.

Bro’Wich Project Grilled Cheese 1 1/2 teaspoons salted butter, at room temperature 3 slices sourdough or high-quality white bread 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 slice Havarti cheese 1 slice roasted deli-style turkey scant handful of baby arugula or baby spinach leaves 2 strips thick-sliced bacon, cooked until crisp and drained 1 slice mild or medium Cheddar cheese 1 teaspoon stone-ground mustard 1 slice Colby Jack cheese 2 or 3 slices ripe plum tomato (about 1/4-inch thick) 3 or 4 Bread ’n’ Butter Pickles (get recipe at coloradocountrylife.coop) 1 slice black forest ham 1 slice Swiss cheese 1 tablespoon Pickled Red Onions (get recipe at coloradocountrylife.coop) 3 or 4 slices fresh jalapeño chile (seeded if you like less heat) or Sweet Pickled Jalapeños (get recipe at coloradocountrylife.coop)

A note from the authors “A classic condiment in Mexican cuisine, these quick and easy — and pretty — pickled onions can be added to salads, roasted pork or chicken dishes or served with a cheese board and crackers for a colorful flourish.”

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE APRIL 2019

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with the convection option on, if you have it. Place a baking sheet in the oven to preheat. Spread the butter on one side of each bread slice, dividing it evenly. Place the slices, buttered-side down, on a clean cutting board.

RECIPES Spread the Dijon mustard on one slice, then top with the Havarti, turkey, arugula, bacon and Cheddar. Spread the stone-ground mustard on the second slice of bread, then layer with the Colby Jack, tomato slices, pickle chips and ham. Place the Swiss on the third slice and arrange the pickled onions and jalapeño on top.

Remove the hot baking sheet from the oven and, using a wide spatula, carefully transfer the topped bread to the baking sheet.

Bake for 3 to 4 minutes, until the cheeses start to melt and the fillings are warmed through. When you put the baking sheet in the oven, immediately begin to preheat a cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-low heat.

LOOKING FOR MORE OOEY-GOOEY GRILLED CHEESE FAVORITES?

Using a wide spatula, transfer the topped bread to the hot skillet, bread-side down. Cook until the bottoms are nicely browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a clean cutting board. Place the Swiss-jalapeño piece bread-side down on top of the piece with turkey and bacon, then carefully turn over the Colby Jack — ham piece and place it, bread-side up, on top of the sandwich. Cut the sandwich carefully into quarters and serve immediately.

DO YOU HAVE A GREAT RECIPE? If you have a recipe you want us to try, send it our way at recipes@coloradocountrylife.org.

Mac ‘N’ Cheese Grilled Cheese

Roast Beef and Blue Cheese Grilled Cheese

Content reprinted from Grilled Cheese Kitchen: Bread + Cheese + Everything in Between by Heidi Gibson with Nate Pollak with permission by Chronicle Books.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE APRIL 2019

13

NEWS CLIPS

Community Service Adds to National Meeting Electric cooperatives’ concern for community is not limited to just their neighborhoods — or the workweek. On Saturday, March 9, before the official start of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida, 100 volunteers from co-ops around, including Kohler and Kathleen McInnis of La Plata Electric in Durango, the country joined forces in support of East Orlando’s Covenant House.

For its 11th annual community service project, Touchstone Energy® Cooperatives, the marketing brand for local electric cooperatives, partnered with Rebuilding Together Orlando to make repairs at a nonprofit shelter and service center for runaway, homeless and at-risk youth aged 18-24, including teen parents and their children.

Co-op volunteers spent the day painting interior and exterior walls, cleaning out closets, landscaping, and sanding and staining tables at the Covenant House facility, one of two in Florida.

Co-op Power Supplier Helps Honor Conservationists A farm or ranch dedicated to conservation practices will be recognized in April thanks, in part, to electric co-op power supplier Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association.

Three finalists were selected for the prestigious 2019 Colorado Leopold Conservation Award given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold.

In Colorado, the $10,000 award is presented annually by Tri-State in partnership with four other organizations.

The finalists are: • The Livingston Ranch of Stratton in Kit Carson County: Mike and Julie Livingston raise cattle, wheat, milo, corn and hay with their children, Kari and Justin, and their families.

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE APRIL 2019

Cover crops and no-till practices have improved soil health, while reducing water runoff and soil erosion. Wildlife habitat is important to this operation and has been included in all conservation efforts.

• Off Ranches of Del Norte in Rio Grande County: Cory Off raises beef cattle and hay at his ranch along the Rio Grande River. Conservation improvements to the ranch’s landscape, such as the establishment of buffer areas around wetlands, have bolstered wildlife habitat and attracted a variety of plants, birds and wildlife.

• Gregg, Chris and Brad Stults of Wray in Yuma County: The Stults’ have added cover crops and no-till practices. Their land provides habitat for 53 species of birds, including greater prairie chickens and the western yellow-billed cuckoo.

This year’s recipient will be honored June 17 at the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association’s annual convention.

Colorado Country Life magazine is a favorite with its readers.

That’s what the results of a recently completed survey show. According to the report from GfK MRI, a highly respected survey firm out of New York, 80.8 percent of the electric co-op consumer-members who receive Colorado Country Life are regular readers of the magazine. In fact, nearly half of the readers (47 percent) spend a half hour or more with the magazine each month.

And you, as readers, use the magazine in lots of ways. The survey found that 39.6percent of readers have used a recipe from the magazine; 37.4 percent have shared something from the TO COMFORT magazine with family or friends; 49.8 percent have saved an article; nearly 10 percent have planned a trip; and 13.2 percent have attended an event listed in the calendar.

It’s your magazine, supplied to you by your electric cooperative, and you are finding it valuable.

FEBRUARY 2019

PROSTHETIC EMPOWERS AMPUTEES

DO YOU WRITE POETRY? Send us your best work: Colorado Country Life magazine occasionally publishes poetry. We review poetry on a regular basis and are always looking for great pieces to showcase. We don’t limit the style or the number of lines. We are interested in original, unpublished pieces of work. We prefer poems to be submitted in a Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF file attachment.

Submission: Submit your poetry via email to: mneeley@coloradocountrylife.org or by mail to: Colorado Country Life magazine 5400 Washington Street Denver, CO 80216

New President Takes Helm of National Cooperative Group

Curtis Wynn opened his National Rural Electric Cooperative Association presidency with a solid message for electric co-ops in the face of change: acknowledge the industry’s transformation, adapt and lead the way for consumer-members.

“During my tenure as president, I will be challenging all of us to fully examine the way we view our future, our individual cooperative’s place in it and how we can lead our co-ops and our communities into the next generation,” Wynn told the final general session of NRECA’s 77th Annual Meeting on March 13 in Orlando, Florida.

Wynn, the North Carolina director serving on the board, was elected to a two-year term to succeed Illinois Director Phil Carson.

As he takes the helm, Wynn will draw from his 38 years in the co-op family. Since 1997, he has served as president and CEO of Roanoke Electric Cooperative in Ahoskie, North Carolina.

Electric Co-ops Add to National Economy Local electric cooperatives may be small, independent businesses, but together they make a huge difference in the nation’s economy.

The co-ops support nearly 612,000 American jobs and contributed $440 billion in U.S. gross domestic product from 2013 to 2017, or $88 billion annually, according to a new report. The report found that electric co-ops contributed $881 billion in U.S. sales output, $200 million in labor income and $112 billion in federal, state and local tax revenues.

“This report quantifies what many rural American families and businesses know well — electric cooperatives are powerful engines of economic development in their local communities,” National Rural Electric Cooperative Association CEO Jim Matheson said. “Affordable and reliable electricity is a key ingredient for a successful economy.”

The report was conducted by FTI Consulting for NRECA and the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation with information from 815 distribution and 57 transmission cooperatives.

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COVER STORY

Sculptor Bradford Rhea

Carving Out an Artistic Legacy on the Eastern Plains

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One of seven angels in the marble sculpture called Exordium.

BY MARY PECK

N

estled in the heart of northeastern Colorado’s peaceful, rolling plains lies the little town of Merino.

Cattle dot the fields, students fill the award-winning junior-senior high school and, on Main Street behind a century-old curtained storefront inviting no attention whatsoever, sits a fascinating array of spectacular sculptures. This is the studio of Bradford Rhea, and it gives just a small taste of the work that this brilliant artist has created in his lifetime.

Almost anyone living in Merino or 10 miles up the road in Sterling can point out more of Bradford’s sculptures. They are on display at over a dozen locations throughout the area. There is the revolutionary-era minuteman, a group of five giraffes gazing to the sky and an extraordinary piece inspired by a verse from the Bible. These and other sculptures have become such a draw over the years that a self-guided tour was created by Logan County’s Tourist Information Center.

City of Living Trees Known as the City of Living Trees, Sterling earned the title because of Bradford’s rich legacy of work. It all began in 1982 when a devastating winter freeze killed a number of large trees around the town. Many of the city’s most beautiful trees were marked for removal, prompting city officials to reach out to a young Bradford, who was just becoming known as a local wood sculptor, with an idea to give the large trunks new life as sculptures.

“Sterling had more to do with any success I might have had than I did,” Bradford said.

“I think I was at the right place at the right time. It was a turning point for me.”

It took about a decade for Bradford to complete the initial sculptures, most of which were carved from elm tree trunks. The bare wood pieces were no match for the weather on Colorado’s eastern plains though, and it wasn’t long before the works began to deteriorate in the elements. The complete loss of some pieces moved citizens to form a “Save

COVER STORY

“ His sculptures have pretty much become an icon for Sterling.”

Marilee Johnson, tourist center director/public information coordinator for Logan County

The bronze Stargazers at Sterling’s Columbine Park is one of the most recognized of Bradford’s pieces.

the Sculptures” initiative that worked to relocate many of the original wood sculptures to indoor venues and bronze several of the most popular outdoor pieces.

“His sculptures have pretty much become an icon for Sterling,” said Marilee Johnson, tourist center director and public information coordinator for Logan County. “It is a major force in our tourism effort and [the] reason why people stop in Sterling. People have heard about him or read about him.”

In 1993, one of those visitors happened to be an employee of the U.S. Office of the Chief of Protocol in Washington, D.C. That serendipitous visit led to a commission of

Bradford’s work in the form of a carved wood staff for President Bill Clinton to present to Pope John Paul II during World Youth Day held in Denver that summer. Made from the roots of a honey locust tree, the staff had to be completed in only seven days.

“God did the whole thing,” he said.

Faith, humility and gratitude Those who know Bradford describe him in much the same way; a remarkably faithful, humble, private person who loves his creative, quiet life in Merino. He speaks often of the deep gratitude he feels for his friends, his local communities and especially his family.

He’s been married to his wife for 25 years and together they raised two daughters in Merino.

Both young women are creatively talented in their own right, particularly as writers.

“I can’t tell you how grateful I am to my family, friends and groups in Sterling and Merino,” he said, “and how spiritual this journey has been.”

Bradford landed in Merino nearly 40 years ago after being hired by Wisdom Rides, an amusement park ride manufacturer that happens to be headquartered in the tiny town. He’s been with the company for 38 years and feels grateful for a career that’s allowed him to work creatively while COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE APRIL 2019

17

COVER STORY

Scion (above), carved from cottonwood, represents the tenacity of those who live on the plains.

The sculptor’s workshop.

continuing his personal art projects.

“It’s an amazing company. We have done so many things over the years that have gone all over the world from here in little Merino,” he said.

Bradford does Wisdom Rides conceptual design work, including one memorable project in which he carved a replica of Mount Rushmore. The family company is the second largest manufacturer of portable amusement rides in the United States.

Victor Wisdom, co-owner of the business, has known Bradford ever since his father hired him nearly four decades ago.

“It’s hard to say all the good things Brad is,” Wisdom said. “He’s got a tremendous talent and it’s always been a pleasure to work with him and see his creativity. It’s just astounding to me.”

Of the huge collection of work Bradford produced in his 64 years, it’s his work inspired by Scripture that is his greatest passion.

“It’s becoming more apparent every day that God is chipping away at me. I am a sculpture,” he said.

Bradford says the subtractive process he uses to create his art, meaning pieces are removed to reveal a sculpture, is an ideal

While hardwoods may be used more commonly by wood carvers, discovering the sculpture within cottonwood and elm trunks and working with the unique traits of each has brought him special challenges and satisfaction.

Years of working with wood eventually led the artist to his dream material and another native Colorado resource: marble. Arguably Bradford’s most breathtaking piece, “Exordium,” was carved from a 30,000-pound block of marble cut from the Yule Marble Quarry in Colorado’s West Elk Mountains. The exquisite 10.5-foot-tall sculpture lives in his studio and took five years to complete. It was inspired by a verse from the book of Revelation and depicts seven angels sounding seven trumpets.

“It represents a beginning and is a message of hope,” Bradford said. “It’s personal to me. It’s a labor of love.”

“His faith is very strong and certainly the work he does for us is one thing, but a lot of the other things he does are basically faith-based and that’s a real pleasure to see,” Wisdom said. “It adds to his humility and shows his beautiful workmanship.”

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE APRIL 2019

metaphor for life.

“With clay and wax you can make mistakes,” he said. “With materials like wood and marble, you have to figure out how to work around the mistakes.”

He also feels it’s important not to rush

“He’s got a tremendous talent and it’s always been a pleasure to work with him and see his creativity. It’s just astounding to me.”

Victor Wisdom, co-owner of Wisdom Rides the process, noting that “the slower you’re moving, the more you see.”

Bradford has developed a special affection over the years for working with the native wood of Colorado’s high plains.

COVER STORY Catalyst to a growing arts movement Recent years saw a growing and enthusiastic arts movement in Sterling and the surrounding area, with support and coordination from the Colorado State University Northeast Regional Engagement Center. Just over two years ago, Sterling Creatives, a local artists’ co-op, officially opened its doors in downtown Sterling.

“It was a sign to the community of what could happen with the arts,” said Karen Ramey-Torres, director of the Engagement Center. “We are now in the running for becoming a creative district and have received an invitation from the state to apply for official certification.”

Ramey-Torres describes a creative district as a boundary-dictated location that is home to a concentration of broad artistic activities — activities that, in turn, help attract more creatives to the area. She sees a bright future for the entire northeastern Colorado corridor and says it’s a short journey to connect the dots between Bradford’s work and the fertile ground that exists for creative arts in the region.

“He is seen as that sort of nexus of art going way back,” she said. “I think it really did start with Brad.”

“Since the sculptures are one of our tourist attractions, it just made sense to continue the artistic momentum and grow it in our community,” Johnson added.

Both Merino and Sterling have benefitted from Bradford’s civic commitment and generosity to their communities as well. Among many other highlights, he created a coin for Merino High School to raise funds for art scholarships and had a hand in designing a large, colorful mural on Main Street. More recently, he designed a custom bicycle-themed trellis placed in Sterling’s Pioneer Park to celebrate the Pedal the Plains cycling tour’s stop in the city. As always, Bradford is quick to deflect any attention, pointing out that he is only one of many others who helped make the projects a reality.

“This is a very quiet, humble man who appreciates and understands the need for community development,” Ramey-Torres said.

Carving the next chapter It’s been said that artists never really retire. As the end of his tenure at Wisdom Rides draws nearer, Bradford shows no signs of slowing down creatively. If anything, the opposite is true. With support from the many treasured people in his life and infinite inspiration from his personal journey of faith, he feels like he has “the wherewithal to explode creatively.”

It’s difficult to imagine how much more creative Bradford could become, but his supporters near and far will be waiting and watching with excited anticipation for what comes next.

“He’s just an inspiration to everyone,” Ramey-Torres said.

“Anything I’ve been able to accomplish has so much to do with other people and with God,” Bradford reflected. “I want to spend the last years of my life doing good and something to glorify God.” Mary Peck is a Colorado freelance writer who enjoys discovering and exploring stories unique to the Centennial State.

LEARN MORE ONLINE Self-guided tour maps are available at the Logan County Visitor Information Center, which is open seven days a week and located at 102 North Riverview Road in Sterling. An online interactive map of Bradford’s sculptures may be viewed at www.exploresterling. com/sights/public-sculptures

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ExploreSterling.com | #RoamFreely | #FreeRangeTourist COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE APRIL 2019

19

INDUSTRY

Safety in Numbers New safety initiative designed to make sure lineworkers go home each night

BY AMY HIGGINS

C

omplacency can be dangerous. And with years of experience and daily repetition, it is easy to get complacent — both at home and on the job.

But complacency at work, especially for electric lineworkers, can be disastrous. Working with electricity is one of the most dangerous jobs out there and one mistake can lead to a catastrophic event. For example, if a lineworker fails to inspect his rubber gloves and has the smallest tear, he could be vulnerable to a fatal contact with electricity.

A new electric co-op initiative is designed to help lineworkers get back to basics, slow down and take time to be safe.

Identifying the problem About five years ago, the injury rate at electric cooperatives was declining, but a closer look showed that the most serious injuries and fatalities were far too frequent to ignore. From 2006 to 2016, the electric cooperative industry experienced an average of 23 injuries per year. Of those injuries, approximately 40 percent — 10 to 11 per year on average — were from an electrical contact.

“When we looked across the industry, it was the same across communities in the industry, so we started partnering with Federated (the electric co-op insurance company) and meeting with cooperative leaders and looking at what we could do to study the problem,” said Bud Branham, director of safety programs at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. “We started looking at that [data] and realized very quickly it’s a cultural- or behavioral-based problem where people — at organizations and co-ops — get blind spots over time, and in those blind spots you might have some inconsistencies in your basic work practices.”

“A lot of times we just focus on the power lines; we don’t focus on the other things around us,” said Dale Kishbaugh, director of safety and loss control at Colorado Rural Electric Association. Things like surrounding traffic, uneven working ground or confined spaces could affect how safely a job is done.

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE APRIL 2019

“We want to slow people down, especially on the routine work, and we want to do good job planning,” Branham explained.

Creating the program Driven by the dedication of the safety of cooperative employees, NRECA, Federated Rural Electric Insurance Exchange and the safety leaders at the nation’s electric cooperatives introduced the Commitment to Zero Contacts initiative in April 2018. Through the program, participants are asked to take a pledge to take all the necessary steps at work and home to eliminate serious injuries and fatalities.

“We also asked senior leaders and the employees at the co-op, especially the field employees, to make a commitment. That commitment is really key,” Branham explained. “All the research shows that when people make a voluntary commitment that links to their internal values and they put it in writing — display it publicly — it has

Taking time to talk through a procedure is paramount to keeping everyone safe on a job site.

INDUSTRY

Following protocols, even if it makes the job longer, means everyone goes home at the end of the day.

a large effect on changing or affecting their behaviors and awareness.”

“Commitment to Zero is not the next program; it is an initiative focused on eliminating contacts by permanently changing culture and addressing perception and behavior,” noted Corey Parr, Federated vice president of safety and loss prevention. “The initiative is focused on three keys: awareness, expectation and accountability.”

Commitment to Zero Contacts comes with a slate of resources to help electric co-ops get started, including implementation guides, placards, videos and promotional materials. Federated even created an app: S.A.F.E. An acronym for Stop And Focus Everyday, the S.A.F.E. app is a job-planning tool to help workers avoid missing crucial steps at every job site, especially the most routine jobs where oversight and injuries are most common.

“The intention is just trying to get everybody to do their best every day, and if you see somebody in harm’s way, prevent it before it happens,” Kishbaugh said.

Rolling out the initiative “We’ve done the groundbreaking with the ‘speak up, listen up’ training,” Kishbaugh said. “We’re just continually going out to support our co-ops and making an effort to get everybody to make

that commitment that they’re going to go home the same way they came to work every day.”

Many electric cooperatives already have a safety program established and use the Commitment to Zero Contacts program to enhance it, which is highly encouraged. Fort Collins-based Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association and Mountain View Electric Association, with offices in Falcon, Limon and Monument, are two Colorado cooperatives doing just that.

“When I heard about the program, rather than just jump on it right away, I came back and I talked with our safety team to get their ideas,” said Jeff Wadsworth, president and chief executive officer at PVREA. Wadsworth handed it off to a team of employees, which consisted of linemen, equipment operators, tree trimmers and even office employees who also face work hazards every day.

The PVREA team took the Commitment to Zero Contacts initiative, integrated it into their current safety program and began promoting it with specially-made hard hats, stickers and signs. They even created a video called “This is My Why,” featuring PVREA families who remind their loved ones to be safe on the job, saying: “We want our loved ones home at night,” “So we can grow old together” and “So we can play LEGO games.”

Based on employee feedback, MVEA rolled Commitment to Zero Contacts into its “Commitment to Safety” program that targets three groups within the co-op: leadership, qualified employees and employees who do not work with high voltage. Those in each group were asked to sign a “Commitment to Safety” pledge.

“When employees get hurt, or worse, it affects everyone and changes everyone forever,” said Todd Thomas, safety compliance administrator at MVEA. “This effort is intended to remind us to slow down, be safe and watch out for each other. We do this for ourselves, our families, our friends and our co-workers.”

MVEA’s “Commitment to Safety” logo can be found on all internal memos, the monthly safety posters, in the monthly employee newsletter and on employee wallet cards that highlight MVEA’s Safety Improvement Plan Priorities as well as important RESAP (Rural Electric Safety Achievement Program) information.

As of late February, 14 of those in Colorado’s electric co-op community had made the Commitment to Zero Contacts; 530 co-ops nationwide made the pledge.

“The commitment we ask for is not about people admitting they’re doing anything wrong or that there’s any finger pointing, or blame pointing,” Branham explained. “It has nothing to do with liability. In fact, we hope that the commitment will reduce the exposure, and the co-ops are aware across the country so that we have our people go home safe at night. Basically, that’s the bottom line.”

Amy Higgins is a freelance writer for Colorado Country Life.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE APRIL 2019

21

GARDENING

Wipe Out Woeful Weeds It takes time, diligence to combat garden invaders

BY VICKI SPENCER

MASTER GARDENER | GARDENING@COLOR ADOCOUNTRYLIFE .ORG

O

ver the past 20 years, I moved at least a dozen times, each time inheriting a yard overgrown with weeds. As a consequence, I am extremely familiar with the challenge of eliminating weeds and bringing old, overgrown gardens back to life.

Although the fastest way to combat weeds may be with regular chemical applications, I prefer chemical-free gardening.

Undoubtedly, it will take more time, but I believe it’s worth the effort.

My first spring in Gunnison, my yard was so filled with bright yellow dandelions that I considered making dandelion wine. That was just a fleeting idea. I have always enjoyed a green lawn highlighted by colorful flower gardens, so every evening after work I attacked the weeds one by one with my dandelion digger. I would not quit until I filled at least five grocery bags. A month later I reseeded and applied “Gunnison Gold” — a compost mixture of nitrogen-rich municipal sludge and carbon rich wood product waste. Shortly afterward, new blades of grass began to emerge. I continued weeding throughout the summer but the number of bags

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE APRIL 2019

quickly decreased. The following spring I was rewarded with beautiful, green grass and few dandelions. A thick, healthy lawn is the most effective defense against weeds.

Since weeds are ever present in the soil, the best way to fight garden weeds is to prevent their seeds from germinating. If you are designing a new garden or replenishing an old one, you may be surprised to find a thick layer of new soil will block out weeds. You will also find the garden hoe is the best tool for weeding around young bedding plants. Without a doubt, mulch is extremely effective in preventing weed germination. It also has the added benefit of retaining moisture in the soil.

Vegetable gardeners find it best to start transplants weeks or months before planting outside. This is not just for achieving an earlier harvest — larger plants compete better with weeds and mulch can be applied earlier. If you plant seedlings, you must wait until they germinate to apply mulch as they will otherwise have difficulty competing with faster growing weeds.

Organic mulches include leaves, grass clippings, compost and straw. Dry leaves

and grass clippings spread more easily than wet material and can later be worked into the soil. If using straw, try to find clean straw without a lot of grain seed. Avoid using chemically treated organic matter in vegetable gardens and remember to apply mulch thick enough — approximately 2-3 inches — to prevent weed seed germination.

Another option is plastic film, which suppresses weeds and has been shown to increase tomato yields. White film reflects light, but if it is black underneath, it will suppress weeds. Since most plastic is impermeable to water, you should place a soaker hose or drip system under the film.

Regardless of which method or combination of methods you use, you will save time in the long run if you are persistent and destroy weeds when they are small.

Gardener Vicki Spencer has an eclectic background in conservation, water, natural resources and more.

LEARN MORE ONLINE Read previous gardening columns at coloradocountrylife.coop. Click on Gardening under Living in Colorado.

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE APRIL 2019

BY DENNIS SMITH

T

| OUTDOORS@COLOR ADOCOUNTRYLIFE.ORG

urkey hunting is fun. And extremely challenging — contrary to what some folks would have you believe. I know, I know: There’s an entire library of YouTube videos out there showing wild turkeys chasing dogs, cats, people and even cars, but those are freak, isolated cases.

One guy told me he thinks turkeys are dumber than a sack of pickles because of the flock that hangs out in his yard every spring.

He says they tear up his lawn scratching for worms, eat the food he puts out for his chickens and then, adding insult to injury, poop all over his pickup truck parked in the driveway under the cottonwood tree they roost in at night. He says they’re so stupid he could easily kill one with a stick.

They might be rude, but they aren’t stupid.

They’re pretty smart, if you ask me. Smart enough to hide out on his land come turkey season, steal the cracked corn and kitchen scraps meant for his chickens, raid his lawn for bugs and roost in his big, comfy cottonwood every night. Free food, a convenient place to roost and guaranteed security from hunters — what more could they want? To show their appreciation, they “fertilize” his truck. Ya gotta wonder who the real dummy is here.

Ok, whacking a crazy urban gobbler with a stick on your front lawn might be possible, but actually calling a wild one to within range of your bow or shotgun during legal hunting season is a whole other matter. A turkey in the wild is an incredibly wary bird and spookier than an 80-year-old hermit. Wild turkeys have eyes that can focus in opposite directions

simultaneously, can detect danger in a zone 300 degrees around them and are suspicious of just about everything but themselves. It can be done, but trying to sneak up on one is all but impossible. The most likely way to bag a wild gobbler is to lure one from the flock early in the morning after he flies down from the roost, but before he takes up with the hens.

First, of course, you have to find the turkeys. Experienced hunters typically scout back roads late in the day trying to locate active turkey roosts. They may use a crow, coyote or owl call to shock a roosting tom into gobbling and giving away his location, then return early the next morning to set up an ambush nearby. They sneak into the woods well before daylight; conceal themselves in understory brush or erect a small, portable pop-up blind; and wait for the turkeys to fly down from the roost. Once the turkeys are on the ground, the hunter will start calling, using a mouth or hand call to lure a big tom away from the flock of lovesick hens. Sometimes, one will leave his harem to investigate. Most of the time they won’t. They’re not that stupid.

Dennis Smith is a freelance outdoors writer and photographer whose work appears nationally. He lives in Loveland.

MISS AN ISSUE? Catch up at coloradocountrylife.coop.

Click on Outdoors.

SAFETY

KNOWLEDGE CAN BE A LIFESAVER DURING FLOODING

Here are two steps you can take before flooding begins to affect the safety of your home: 1. Have a sump pump with a backup battery in case the power goes out, as well as an alarm to alert you of flooding.

2. Elevate the water heater, electric panel, and furnace to keep them clear of potential floodwaters.

EASY WAY…

Here are some suggestions to help keep you and your family safe during flooding: 1. Never attempt to turn off power at the breaker box if you must stand in water to do so. If you cannot reach your breaker box safely, call your electric utility to shut off power at the meter.

2. Never use electric appliances or touch electric wires, switches or fuses when you are wet or standing in water.

3. Never step into a flooded basement or other room if water may be in contact with electrical outlets, appliances or cords.

4. Replace appliances and electronics that are water damaged.

5. If instructed to evacuate, turn off utilities at the main switch before leaving.

Unplug appliances and electronics. Upon return, do not re-enter your home until you are certain it is safe.

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE APRIL 2019

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CREDIT CARD DONATIONS NOW AVAILABLE, VISIT CREA.COOP/communityoutreach/current-causes

Eyes meet with the press of flesh.

The handshake.

A promise to be kept.

Jim Kenshalo of Collbran consumer-member of Grand Valley Power

Electric cooperatives in Colorado and Oklahoma are joining forces to bring firsttime electricity to a remote village in rural Guatemala later this year. Beyond providing the gift of light, the volunteer linemen going on this mission want to present each household with a 5-gallon water filter that lasts for two years.

To give online, visit: crea.coop/community-outreach/current-causes/ To send a check: Make it payable to Colorado Electric Educational Institute (CEEI) with Clean Water Fund in the memo.

Mail it to: Colorado Rural Electric Association, 5400 Washington Street, Denver, CO 80216

Will you be a part of this mission by sponsoring a water filter for $35?

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE APRIL 2019

27

COMMUNITY EVENTS April 25 Pueblo

April 27-28 Monument

April 25-27 Trinidad

April 27 Pagosa Springs

April 26-27 Cortez

May 2019

Earth Day Dinner Olde Towne Carriage House 6-9 pm • hikeandlearn.org

Corazon de Trinidad Poetry Festival Trinidad History Museum corazondetrinidad.org

Mesa Verde Back Country Horsemen Tack and Equipment Consignment Sale Montezuma County Fairgrounds 970-759-1035 bitlitl50@hotmail.com

Now through June 24 Artists’ Alpine Art Show Call for Entries Artists who are interested in displaying their work at this national juried fine art exhibit can submit their entries for a chance to have their pieces seen by, judged by and possibly sold to others all over the world. The Ouray County Arts Association is looking for a wide variety of art pieces, including watercolor, photography, sculpture, mixed media and more, to be displayed at the Ouray Community Center August 1-10. For more information, including rules, registration, payment and student forms, visit ourayarts.org

April 2019 April 1-7 Leadville

$25 Daily Lift Tickets Ski Cooper skicooper.com

April 6 Grand Junction

EdZOOcation Day Fundraiser Children’s Nature Center 10 am-4 pm • 970-241-1000

April 7 Silverton

Clauson Classic Endurance Race Silverton Mountain silvertonmountain.com

April 12-13 Golden

Story Seeds Conference and Concert American Mountaineering Center rmstory.org

April 13 Colorado Springs

Trails, Tails & Ales Preregistration Required Bear Creek Regional Park East 10:30 am • 719-520-6977

28

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE APRIL 2019

April 13 Denver

Hands-On History Family Fun Day History Colorado Center 11 am-3 pm • 303-866-2394

April 13 Pueblo

Walk a Mile in Her Shoes® Fundraiser CSU Pueblo 719-544-1191 • walkamileinhershoes.org

April 13 Winter Park

Spring Bash + Splash Winter Park Resort winterparkresort.com

April 19-September 15 Denver

April 26 Fort Morgan

Fort Morgan Heritage Foundation Auction The Country Steakout 6 pm • 303-919-3517

April 26-28 Karval

Karval Mountain Plover Festival Various Karval Locations 719-446-5403 mountainploverfestival.com

April 26 Las Animas

Santa Fe Trail Day Las Animas High School susan.waring@la-schools.net

April 26-27 Stoneham

Spring Sale Primitive Junk Market 970-522-6858

April 27 Ignacio

Cattlemen’s Association Banquet Sky Ute Event Center 6 pm • nedjefferies@gmail.com

April 27 Loveland Ski Area

Corn Harvest Benefit Ski Party Loveland Ski Area skiloveland.com

Human | Nature: Figures from the Craig Ponzio Sculpture Collection Denver Botanic Gardens botanicgardens.org

April 19-21 Loveland

Spring Used Book Sale McKee Community Building at The Ranch 970-962-2712 friendsofthelovelandlibrary.org

SEND CALENDAR ITEMS 2 MONTHS IN ADVANCE

Tri-Lakes Women’s Club Spring Show Lewis Palmer High School randall_vernon@comcast.net

9Health Fair Pagosa Springs High School 7-11 am • 970-731-0317

May 2-5 Black Forest

Arts and Crafts Spring Show and Sale Black Forest Community Center bfacg.org

May 2 Fort Morgan

National Day of Prayer Gathering City Park 11 am-1 pm • 970-483-5171

May 3 Loveland

Governor’s Art Show & Sale Opening Night Gala The Loveland Museum/Gallery 6-8:30 pm • 970-670-0335

May 4 Beulah

Arts and Crafts Show Beulah Community Center 10 am-4 pm • lgriggs@socolo.net

May 4 Grand Junction

Walk MS® Canyon View Park 855-372-1331 • walkms.org

May 4 Loveland

Community Plant Swap Grace Yoga 10 am-2 pm • 970-646-2022

May 5 Mancos

Spring Concert Mancos United Methodist Church 3:30 pm • 970-533-9165

Calendar, Colorado Country Life, 5400 Washington St., Denver, CO 80216; fax to 303-455-2807; or email calendar@coloradocountrylife.org.

Please send name of event, date, time, venue, brief description, phone number, a photo, if you have one, and email and/or website for more information.

YOUR STORIES

READERS’ PHOTOS

FUNNY STORIES My 6-year-old grandson, Greyson,

and I were reading a National Geographic Kids issue that asked, “Why do you think fawns have spots?” His response: “So they blend in with shadows and grasses to hide from creditors.”

Susan Laabs, Peyton

Our 5-year-old granddaughter was

feeling proud as we started to allow her to make big-kid decisions, such as going to the restroom at McDonald’s by herself. At a recent trip to the restaurant, I gave her the used tray to take to the trash can. I noticed her standing there, just staring at the cans. After a while, I asked her what was wrong. She turned to me and asked, “Which is the boys and which is the girls?”

Mark Drudge, Cortez

Hallie and Larry Slivon visit Otira Stagecoach Hotel in Otira, New Zealand, with their copy of Colorado Country Life magazine. They are consumermembers of La Plata Electric Association, Durango.

Justin Green takes CCL to the remnants of the Hanyangdoseong (wall of Seoul) and the Sungnyemun (south gate) in South Korea. Justin is a consumer-member of Mountain Parks Electric.

I was grading science tests for my

Emily Olsen, a consumer-member of Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association from Lyons, poses with CCL along the north shore of Kauai, Hawaii.

Mountain View Electric Association consumermember Susan Voss-Graham of Monument goes to the Snowhotel Kirkenes in Norway.

My 7-year-old granddaughter,

Abby, said, “Grandma, I love you! I wish you weren’t so old so I could get to know you longer.”

Grandma Marilyn, Durango

class when I noticed a memorable response to one of the questions. It said, “Please list the three states of matter. …” The reply was, “Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico.” I guess those were the only three states that mattered to that student!

Anonymous, third grade teacher

WINNERS: Victor and Grace Lucero visit Maui, Hawaii, with CCL. They are consumer-members of San Isabel Electric Association from Walsenburg.

Take Your Photo with Your Magazine and Win! It’s easy to win with Colorado Country Life. Simply take a photo of someone (or a selfie!) with the magazine and email the photo and your name and address to info@ coloradocountrylife.org. We’ll draw one photo to win $25 each month. The next deadline is Monday, April 15. Name, address and co-op must accompany photo. This month’s winners are San Isabel Electric Association consumer-members Victor and Grace Lucero. They took their copy of Colorado Country Life to Maui, Hawaii. See all of the submitted photos on Facebook at facebook.com/COCountryLife.

We pay $15 to each person who submits a funny story that’s printed in the magazine.

At the end of the year we will draw one name from those submitting funny stories and that person will receive $200. Send your 2019 stories to Colorado Country Life, 5400 Washington St., Denver, CO 80216 or email funnystories@coloradocountrylife.org. Don’t forget to include your mailing address, so we can send you a check.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE APRIL 2019

29

DISCOVERIES

Going Native in the Garden Products to help beautify your backyard this spring

Words From the Wise Coaldale-based Western Native Seed not only sells quality seeds that are native to Colorado, but it also provides useful information about the seeds you’re planting. Just visit westernnativeseed. com and hover over the “Guides” tab to find the category you’re interested in. The guides provide valuable information, such as the best type of soil for the plant, how large the plant will grow and the best time of year to place seeds in the ground.

Backyard Sitting

Colorado Native Proud

Add a little outdoor adventure to your landscape with Colorado Ski Chairs. The Manitou Springs-based company builds one-of-a-kind outdoor and indoor furniture and wall art using skis, snowboards, wake boards, old ski chairlifts and more.

You’ll love its collection of pieces that come emblazoned with our beloved Colorado “C” and dote over the variety that conveys a feeling of the Rocky Mountain outdoors. For more information, call 303-775-7273 or visit coloradoskichairs.com.

Fort Collins-based Colorado Native Plant Society was established in 1976 “to encourage the appreciation and conservation of the native plants and ecosystems of Colorado.” It has chapters in Boulder, Denver, Fort Collins, the Western Slope and southeastern Colorado. CoNPS holds a native plant sale every year. Visit conps.org, place your order by April 15 and on May 4 pick up your plants at either Boulder, Colorado Springs, Littleton or Loveland.

3c 3a 3d

1

3b

2

Woodworking That Wows With a little labor and love, your outdoor garden can become a beautiful, whimsical space you won’t want to leave. Woodworking for the Garden by Alan and Gill Bridgewater can assist you in creating attractive seating areas, planters, arches, tree houses and more with step-by-step instructions, illustrations and tips.

It also helps you to identify the best tools for the project, the best materials for the project and tips on maintenance once you are finished. For more information, visit foxchapelpublishing.com.

3e

1 Western Native Seed

Coaldale westernnativeseed.com

2 Colorado Ski Chairs

Manitou Springs coloradoskichairs.com

3 Colorado Native Plant Society Chapters (a) Boulder; (b) Denver; (c) Fort Collins (d) Western Slope (e) southeastern Colorado conps.org

Woodworking for the Garden

30

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE APRIL 2019

Outside of Colorado foxchapelpublishing.com

From the EASTERN PLAINS

to the WESTERN SLOPE

and from THE ROCKIES to the FOUR CORNERS

Electric Cooperatives Serving Colorado Delta-Montrose Electric Assoc.

Montrose

Empire Electric Assoc.

Cortez

COLORADO’S ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES

OUR DIVERSITY IS OUR STRENGTH

Grand Valley Power Grand Junction

Gunnison County Electric Assoc.

Gunnison

Highline Electric Assoc.

Holyoke

Holy Cross Energy Glenwood Springs

Intermountain Rural Electric Assoc.

Sedalia

K.C. Electric Assoc.

Hugo

La Plata Electric Assoc.

Durango

Each of Colorado’s 22 locally-owned electric distribution co-ops focuses on the needs of its consumer-members.

Those needs vary from co-op to co-op and from community to community: • Electric co-ops serve the poorest counties in Colorado, but also more affluent suburbs and resort towns.

• Some co-ops serve predominantly homes and farms, while others serve businesses and industry.

• The largest co-op in Colorado has over 160,000 consumer-members; the smallest has 3,000.

• Co-ops contract for the electricity they distribute with different power suppliers that have different requirements and resources.

• Colorado’s co-ops average 7 consumer-members per mile of line, a lot fewer than other utilities.

• All Colorado co-ops use renewables, but which resources and how much varies with each community.

Morgan County Rural Electric Assoc.

Fort Morgan

Mountain Parks Electric Granby

Mountain View Electric Assoc.

Limon

Poudre Valley Rural Electric Assoc.

Fort Collins

San Isabel Electric Assoc.

Pueblo West

San Luis Valley Rural Electric Co-op Monte Vista

San Miguel Power Assoc.

Nucla/Ridgway

Sangre de Cristo Electric Assoc.

Buena Vista

Southeast Colorado Power Assoc.

La Junta

United Power Brighton

White River Electric Assoc.

Meeker

Y-W Electric Assoc.

Akron

Yampa Valley Electric Assoc.

Steamboat Springs

Tri-State Generation & Transmission Westminster

Despite these differences, all of Colorado’s Electric Cooperatives are led by local consumer-members who respond to the needs of the communities they serve.

Colorado’s Electric Cooperatives: Your Community, Your Power

For more information visit crea.coop or call 720-407-0702.

Follow us on Facebook @facebook.com/ColoradoREA Send us a Tweet @twitter.com/ColoradoREA

Colorado Rural Electric Association 5400 Washington Street Denver, CO 80216

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