Colorado Country Life June 2021 Yampa Valley

2020 ANNUAL REPORT: SEE CENTER OF MAGAZINE

YAMPA VALLEY ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION, INC.

JUNE 2021

A Day with a Tornado

REMEMBERING THE 2008 EF3 TORNADO IN WINDSOR

PLUS SATISFYING SUMMERTIME SALADS

11

CROSSING THE DOLORES CANYON

20

FOCUS ON HISTORY: THE DOTSON CABIN

28

Advanced Technology Allows Macular Degeneration Patients To See Again And Allows Many Low Vision Patients To Drive Again While there is currently no cure, promising research is being done on many fronts. everything and anything possible to keep a person functioning,” says Dr. Stamm, “Even if it’s driving.”

A scene as it might be viewed by a person with age-related macular degeneration

For many patients with macular degeneration and other visionrelated conditions, the loss of central visual detail also signals the end to one of the last bastions of independence driving. Colorado optometrist, Dr. Robert Stamm is using miniaturized telescopes which are mounted in glasses to help people who have lost vision from macular degeneration and other eye conditions.

“Some of my patients consider me their last chance for people who have vision loss,” said Dr. Stamm, one of only a few doctors in the world who specializes in fitting bioptic

Same scene of rancher as viewed by a person without macular degeneration

telescopes to help those who have lost vision due to macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and other eye diseases.

Imagine a pair of glasses that can improve your vision enough to change your life.

Bioptic telescopes may be the breakthrough in optical technology that will give you back your independence.

Patients with vision in the 20/200 range can many times be improved to 20/50.

Bioptic telescopes treat both dry and wet forms of macular degeneration as well as other vision limiting conditions.

bioptic telescope is that the lens automatically focuses on whatever you’re looking at,” said Dr. Stamm. “It’s like a self-focusing camera, but much more precise.”

For more information and to schedule an appointment today, call:

Robert Stamm, O.D. Low Vision Optometrist Member IALVS Offices Throughout South Dakota, Colorado and Nebraska

Toll Free:

(877) 393-0025

www.ColoradoLowVisionDoctor.com

Number 06

Volume 52

June 2021 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 2021, 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 Cover JUNE 2021

A Day with a Tornado

REMEMBERING THE 2008 EF3 TORNADO IN WINDSOR

During tornado season equine veterinarian Bruce Connally, DVM, MS, remembers the EF3 tornado that touched down that caused so much damage in North Central Colorado on May 22, 2008.

Photo by Dave Neligh.

coloradocountrylife.coop

“Following Poppy” by Kimberlee Hutcherson, a consumer-member of La Plata Electric Association.

4 VIEWPOINT

5 LETTERS

6 ASK THE ENERGY EXPERT

7 YOUR CO-OP NEWS

11 RECIPES

14 NEWS CLIPS

16 COVER STORY

A DAY WITH A TORNADO

PINTEREST SNEAK PEEK COCountryLife pinned: This summer enjoy a satisfying summertime salad. Be sure to try the Curried Chicken and Rice Salad. Recipe provided by The Tennessee Magazine, a sister electric cooperative publication.

20 ENERGY CONNECTIONS

22 GARDENING

23 OUTDOORS

26 MARKETPLACE

28 FOCUS ON HISTORY

29 READER POETRY

29 YOUR STORIES

FACEBOOK CHATTER Colorado Rural Electric Association posted: Gunnison County Electric Association was given approval to begin development of a local, small hydroelectric generating plant at the Taylor Reservoir Dam within Gunnison County. The hydroelectric plant would be considered a “small hydro” installation, with a maximum generating capacity of 400kW.

30 DISCOVERIES

Monthly Contest Enter for your chance to win an 11-ounce hummingbird feeder from Laura’s Glass Garden in Evergreen. For official rules and how to enter, visit Contests at coloradocountrylife.coop.

Photo by Steve Grizz Atams.

INSTAGRAM PIC of the month Colorado Country Life posted: The snow in Denver earlier this week wasn’t enough to keep these hardy lilacs from blooming. And they smell as pretty as they look! What’s blooming in your yard today?

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2021

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VIEWPOINT

THE 2021 LEGISLATIVE SESSION CREA wraps up a year of going to bat for electric co-ops

BY KENT SINGER

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

T

he Colorado General Assembly will wrap up the 2021 legislative session this month after adopting legislation covering a wide range of issues.

CREA follows the activities of the legislature closely to protect the interests of Colorado’s electric co-ops and this year was a particularly busy one. Now that the session is coming to an end, it’s time to take stock of how the legislature’s work in 2021 will impact Colorado’s electric co-ops.

The legislature considered over 800 bills this year on topics that included public safety, transportation, energy and myriad subjects in between. Since we represent Colorado’s electric co-ops primarily on energy issues, I’ll focus on the energy-related bills that passed this year.

Electric co-op governance The legislature passed H.B. 21-1131, a bill that makes changes to the practices of electric co-ops related to board meetings, annual meetings and the election of directors.

After working with the sponsors of the bill to clarify some of its provisions, CREA supported the bill. Many of the bill’s requirements relating to transparency in governance are already followed by most co-ops. We appreciate the willingness of Rep. Judy Amabile (D-Boulder) to listen to CREA’s concerns.

Net metering The legislature also considered a bill sponsored by Sen. Steve Fenberg (D-Boulder) that changes the rules for utility consumers who want to generate power from their own behind-the-meter facilities (such as rooftop solar). Co-ops already provide net metering to thousands of customers and we support the current co-op net metering law, which limits consumer-members to generating only enough power to provide for their needs.

S.B. 21-261 eliminates this cap on generation in the state law, but only for investor-owned electric utilities. It retains the limits for electric co-ops. Electric co-ops support the efforts of their consumer-members who desire to install distributed generation such as solar panels, but the co-ops do not support customers using the co-op grid to export power in large quantities beyond what they need. We appreciate Sen. Fenberg recognizing our concerns and making sure the co-op limits stay intact.

Organized electricity markets The legislature passed S.B. 21-72, a bill sponsored by Sen. Chris Hansen (D-Denver) that directs Colorado electric utilities to

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2021

move toward joining a KENT SINGER regional transmission organization, or RTO, by 2030. Colorado’s electric co-ops supported Sen. Hansen’s bill because we believe that in order to comply with the requirements of H.B. 19-1261 (the bill requiring 80% reductions of greenhouse gases from the utility sector by 2030) we will need to have a regional power grid. If an RTO can be created, it will facilitate the transfer of significant additional amounts of wind and solar power supply from across a broader region than what is available only in Colorado.

Building performance standards A bill requiring owners of buildings in excess of 50,000 square feet to meet energy efficiency performance standards also required electric co-ops to provide energy data to the building owners. We opposed this bill because it would require co-ops to purchase expensive software to upload the data to the Colorado Energy Office.

While we support the efforts of co-op consumer-members to use electricity in the most efficient manner possible, electric co-ops should not be required to spend large sums of their consumers-members’ money to comply with this law; we’re seeking amendments to address this concern.

Accelerated greenhouse gas reductions Two years ago, the legislature passed H.B. 19-1261, a bill that requires electric utilities to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions 80% from 2005 levels by 2030. Since then, all of Colorado’s electric utilities have worked to develop power supply portfolios that will meet those targets.

This year, the legislature is considering S.B. 21-200, a bill that would accelerate that process and set sector-specific limits on greenhouse gas emissions from a variety of industries. We believe this bill amounts to “moving the goalposts” in a way that does not recognize the challenges of making major new investments in power supply and will negatively impact electric co-op consumer-members.

Each year when the speaker of the House uses the gavel to start a new session, it reminds me of the umpire in a baseball game hollering, “Play ball!” You can be sure that CREA will always go to bat for rural electricity consumers to keep power affordable and reliable.

Kent Singer is the executive director of CREA 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

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The winds of warning

BY MONA NEELEY

Weathering the Cold Snap

EDITOR

I

n Iowa, where I grew up, tornadoes are a fairly common occurMONA NEELEY rence. It seems like I always knew what a tornado sky looks like, what to watch for, what it means when the wind shifts and a warm breeze takes on a freezing edge on a spring evening.

The last time I felt that was in college. There was a drive-in movie theater behind our dorms. On weekend nights, we would all take our blankets and snacks and gather just beyond the drive-in’s chain-link fence to watch whatever was playing.

On this particular evening — after a day of kind of wonky weather — it was still nice enough to be outside, so we went to the movies. As the sun set, the clouds started turning that weird green-gray that spells trouble and about 20 minutes into the movie the winds shifted direction and carried that cold bite that means warm and cold air are starting to rotate.

My roommate (whose hometown was once flattened by a tornado) and I looked at each other, screamed, “TORNADO!” to everyone around us and raced for our dorms.

We were glad to be inside, in a basement, when the rain started. And sure enough, the tornado sirens began screaming. A tornado had been sighted.

That was no surprise.

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.

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I read the recent article on February’s Texas cold with interest. [It seems] the laws and activists conspire to prevent the use of fuel oil-powered backup power plants during times of great need. At that point our cooperative may be just like Texas, paying exorbitant spot prices for natural gas. We should not omit other sources (oil, coal) that can be stockpiled and used in emergency situations.

Steve Helmreich, Black Forest Mountain View Electric consumer-member

The huge surprise of surcharges some Colorado electric customers have to pay is an eye-opener. We’ve all heard that natural gas and coal electricity is “always on” and wind and solar are not. But in the recent Texas power outage, a university engineer said, “Far, far more than everything else combined were the shortfalls from natural gas.” Solar actually increased.

It would be nice if, instead of paying the surcharge, we could put that money toward diversifying our electricity sources and creating the Super Grid, so when one area loses power, we can use electricity from parts of the country that have excess.

Lee Cassin, De Beque Grand Valley Power consumer-member Please stay diversified. I continuously read the terms 100% renewable or carbon free.

This scares me. After the February snowstorm, the Poudre River Power Authority (Fort Collins) called for us to conserve energy because wind turbines were shut down and solar panels were covered with snow. We were getting “close” to energy supply issues.

The PRPA stated that the coal-fired Rawhide power plant saved our bacon and, yet, they seem to want to shut it down ahead of schedule.

We all saw how Texas suffered devastating power shortages and is now looking at building new natural gas power plants to weather future storms. I wish we would stay diversified in our energy sources.

Lloyd Horn, Windsor Poudre Valley REA consumer-member

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Editor Mona Neeley, 5400 Washington St., Denver, CO 80216 or mneeley@ coloradocountrylife.org. Include name and address. Letters may be edited for length.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2021

5

ASK THE ENERGY EXPERT tools or your own feet, which can be dangerous. Cordless drills are easy to Four efficient cordless tools use, and the technology has improved so they have more power and hold a charge for Dad for Father’s Day longer. Light-duty drills are smaller and

BY PAT KEEGAN AND BR AD THIESSEN less powerful but easy to use for smaller ather’s Day is approaching and if the projects. men in your life enjoy tackling home 2. String trimmer projects, rechargeable tools are excel- If your family uses an old gas trimmer around the yard, it’s time for a change. lent gift ideas.

Quality cordless tools are usually less Two-stroke engines pollute the air and expensive if you buy them as part of a set require regular maintenance. Electric instead of one tool at a time. Since each line trimmers are more energy efficient and of tools uses a unique battery, you can’t mix quieter. You can find a variety of models and match between brands, so it may cost between $50 and $150, and it’s worth paying less in the long run to buy a cordless starter a little more to get a highly rated model that

Drilling Down

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kit with a few helpful tools and a battery than it would be to add tools to the set as needed.

Here are a few cordless tools that the father in your family should love: 1. Power drill Using a corded drill can mean constantly moving the cord around furniture, other

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will last longer.

3. Leaf blower If the father in your family uses a gas-powered leaf blower, you can do him (and your neighbors) a favor by giving him a cordless leaf blower, which is more energy efficient, much quieter and less polluting.

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2021

Visit coloradocountrylife.coop to learn more about other ways you can save on home energy costs this summer. Look under the Energy tab.

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4. Flashlight Today’s LED flashlights can produce 20 times as much light as the old incandescent ones, and they come in a variety of options, from tiny key chain lights to headlamps to waterproof spotlights. A flashlight often comes as part of a cordless tool set, or you can buy a single unit that recharges using a USB port on a charger, a USB wall socket or a mobile phone battery.

for add’l information, call

Dave Lieber 970-580-1278

YAMPA VALLEY ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION JUNE 2021

MAILING ADDRESS 2211 Elk River Road Steamboat Springs, CO 80487

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS SERVICE CENTER 2211 Elk River Road Steamboat Springs, CO 80487

ph 970-879-1160 tf 888-873-9832 fax 970-879-7270 web www.yvea.com

CRAIG SERVICE CENTER 3715 East US Highway 40 Craig, CO 81625

ph 970-824-6593

tf 888-873-9832

fax 970-824-7134

facebook.com/ YampaValleyElectricAssociation

@YampaValleyElec

instagram.com/ yampavalleyelectriccoop

Yampa Valley Electric Association is a cooperative that provides value to its member-owners through technology that delivers safe and reliable electric service in an environmentally and financially responsible manner.

YAMPA VALLEY ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNIT Y PROVIDER AND EMPLOYER.

CAPITAL CREDITS RETURNED TO YVEA MEMBERS

YOUR CO-OP NEWS

BY STEVE JOHNSON PRESIDENT & GENER AL MANAGER

Y

ampa Valley Electric Association is a not-for-profit electric co-op and we belong to the communities we serve.

We are never looking to make a profit for investors like many for-profit electric companies — we’re in the business of serving you, our member-owners. One of the many ways in which we serve our member-owners is through our capital credits program, where we return margins in the form of member credits, paid directly to our member-owners with a check in the mail or a bill credit. If you have a meter and pay a bill, you are what we call a “member-owner.”

Capital credits are each member-owner’s share of the cooperative’s annual revenue minus expenses (margins). Once the books are closed at year end, YVEA calculates the margins and allocates each member-owner’s percentage of shares based on how much electricity they purchased that year. Capital credits represent ownership in the cooperative; they continue to build as long as the member-owner continues to buy electricity from YVEA. In April 2021, the YVEA board of directors approved the retirement of $1.9 million in funds from the 2003 allocation, which will be paid out in two installments: 50% in June, 50% in November.

As authorized by YVEA bylaws, the co-op uses member-owners’ capital credits as a source of capital for operations and improvements. This allows us to continue to provide low-cost, reliable service. Each year, the YVEA Board of Directors analyzes whether to refund capital credits to memberowners in the form of cash. This is called “retiring” capital credits. The decision to retire capital credits is based on the financial status of the cooperative.

STEVE JOHNSON

Retired capital credits are paid to active member-owners who received service from YVEA for those years of the retired credits.

If the member-owner’s retirement amount is over $50, they receive a check, while capital credit returns under $50 earn a bill credit.

The amount paid is determined by a number of factors, including federal guidelines, financial ratios, system goals and objectives, interest rates and YVEA bylaws.

Every year, YVEA is unable to return capital credits to some of our memberowners due to a refund check being returned by the post office as undeliverable, or a member-owner not cashing the check. If you are or were a member-owner of YVEA and believe you are missing credits, check the list that is annually published in the area newspapers and online. To claim your funds, call YVEA at 970-879-1160 or toll free at 888-873-9821, or email capitalcredits@ yvea.com. September or October is when the new list will be on the website. (You can view the unclaimed check document from 2020 at www.yvea.com/capital-credits).

If you have an uncashed check from a previous year, please call member services to confirm your uncashed check has been rolled into your check for this year.

Capital credits are an important benefit for member-owners of YVEA. When capital credits are returned to you, our memberowners, you are seeing the return on your investment and these are just one of the many benefits of being served by a nonprofit utility.

For a video with more information on capital credits, visit https://bit.ly/3byObMO. Thank you for your membership.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2021

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YOUR CO-OP NEWS

What to Do If You Receive a Disconnection Notice from YVEA

TO AVOID DISCONNECTION

You must respond to YVEA

You must contact YVEA by stopping at our offices, calling member services at 970-879-1160 or emailing billing@ yvea.com.

Locate your account number

Your account number can be found on the disconnection notice. You will need that account number when you contact YVEA.

Be prepared to discuss a payment plan

A member service representative is available during normal business hours, (Monday - Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

MST) to discuss payment options. Call 888-873-9832 or 970-879-1160.

Additional assistance

If members need additional assistance with utility bills, there are many additional resources in our territory.

Visit www.yvea.com/payment-options.

NOT ALL INTERNET PROVIDERS ARE CREATED EQUAL What is the best internet in (pick a town)? We see this question asked all the time.

While this seems like a reasonable ask, it’s not the right question. Internet consumers should really be interested in a few key ingredients as it relates to internet service: quality of service, availability, scalability, customer service, price and trustworthiness.

In this edition of Colorado Country Life we’ll focus on quality of service to help you understand what and why network components are important.

You might have numerous company options when shopping for a provider, but when you open the hood on those companies, you basically have four choices: fixed wireless, service over copper cable (DSL), coaxial cable and fiber optics. Let’s briefly break these down.

Fixed wireless providers utilize randomly placed antennas that broadcast signals to subscribers. Generally, these are oversubscribed at large ratios and users often experience degradation of speed and poor service quality at peak times: morning and evening. Additionally, if the company fails to continuously upgrade equipment, you’ll be left with a poor experience. This technology is also highly affected by rain, snow, other weather conditions and obstructions.

Next up is DSL, which is delivered over copper or twisted pair — basically telephone lines. Historically, DSL was quite ubiquitous and was a good solution in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but, unfortunately, DSL technology was unable to sustain the rapid increase in demand. Similar to fixed wireless, DSL nodes are oversubscribed, and this medium is highly affected by weather. Water and foreign electricity + copper = no internet. These companies have also let their infrastructure deteriorate, which is largely why DSL is not an equitable choice.

Coaxial cable is also a legacy medium that has proven to be a reasonable choice if, and only if, the office equipment and “backhaul” can meet the needs of the subscriber base. Simply put, there is only so much room for internet service on coax because these companies generally offer video, thus the spectrum and availability in the cable must be shared. Another lack related to the service quality factor is that, because it’s shared, one issue often impacts many subscribers. Conversely, shared infrastructure and nodes are highly susceptible to oversubscription or congestion. Similar to fixed wireless and DSL, coax customers often experience speed and quality issues at peak usage times.

This brings us to the most formidable medium on the market today: fiber optics.

Fiber transmits light pulses through wavelengths, is not shared, is unaffected by weather and is the most commonly deployed network in the world. Luminate Broadband’s fiber optic network is new, the back-office equipment is state of the art and customers never experience any degradation of speed due to peak times. While this may seem biased, it is, and that’s because Luminate Broadband is building a network with you in mind. It knows what the other players lack, and its mission and goal is to provide the valley with the best internet service available on the market today. The speed you pay for is the speed you get. Don’t get persuaded by marketing gimmicks — there is no other company that can offer consistent speeds from 100 megabits per second to 1 Gbps. Yes, 1 gigabit per second. This network is for the members, YOU. Now that you have a better understanding of the competitive landscape and the anatomy of internet, connect with us now. We promise you it will be the best and last internet decision you’ll ever need to make!

Contact us today at 970-870-4320 or visit us online at luminatebroadband.com.

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2021

YOUR CO-OP NEWS

ELECTRIC CO-OP DIRECTORS ACHIEVE CREDENTIALS IN TODAY’S ELECTRICAL UTILITY COMPETENCIES

P

art of being a board member at YVEA is to continually strive for excellence and to gain a better understanding of the intricacies of the operations of a cooperative. As part of YVEA’s continuing commitment to the training and continuing education of its board of directors, here is a current list of directors and their current credentials received from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA): • Dean Brosious: CCD, BLC, DGC • Patrick Delaney: CCD, BLC, DGC • Tom Fox: CCD, BLC, DGC • Sonja Macys: CCD • Scott McGill: CCD, BLC, DGC • Ken Rogers: CCD, BLC • Glynda Sheehan: CCD An ever-changing business environment has imposed new demands on electric cooperative directors, requiring increased knowledge of changes in the electric utility business, new governance skills and a solid knowledge of the cooperative principles and business model. YVEA has a commitment

to work through NRECA to sharpen this body of knowledge for the benefit of their electric cooperative member-owners.

The NRECA Credentialed Cooperative Director (CCD) program requires attendance and a demonstrated understanding of the basic competencies contained in the five core courses: • Director duties and liabilities • Understanding the electric business • Board operations and process • Strategic planning • Financial decision making The NRECA Board Leadership Certificate (BLC) recognizes individuals who continue their professional development after becoming a Credentialed Cooperative Director. Directors who attain the BLC have completed 10 credits in advanced, issues-oriented courses.

Director Gold Credential (DGC) recognizes directors who already earned their Credentialed Cooperative Director and Board Leadership Certificates and who wish to continue to learn throughout their

Green Choice Rate Adjustment Effective June 1, 2021

I

n 2002, Yampa Valley Electric Association created a Green Power Renewable Energy Credit program and associated tariff when YVEA leadership signed a contract with Xcel Energy to purchase wind power from Ponnequin Wind Farm in Weld County. The wind program was created to resell this power in 100 kilowatt-hour blocks to the membership for 60 cents each.

This was one of the nation’s first voluntary renewable (green) energy programs. When we created the Green Choice Program in 2020, we continued to sell green power in the 100 kWh block model. Now, in an effort to provide precision and efficiency to our membership and staff, we are changing our Green Power tariff to more accurately represent a clean energy offset by using a member’s actual monthly kWh usage , without changing the price per kWh. For the Green Choice rate sheet, visit yvea.com/rates

service on the board. For a director to earn the Director Gold certificate, they must have already earned the CCD and BLC and earn three additional credits from the BLC series of courses. Unlike the CCD and BLC certificates, Director Gold includes a continuing education requirement, which calls for directors to earn three credits of approved course work and/or attend conferences every two years to maintain their Director Gold status.

As they are new board members, Directors Sasha Nelson and Debbie Cook are actively taking steps toward receiving their first accreditations and we are excited for them to join our other directors in achieving these goals.

NRECA represents the nation’s more than 900 private, member-owned electric cooperatives, which provide electric service to more than 42 million people in 42 states, with over 7,200 directors.

Visit cooperative.com. Click on Menu, go to Conferences & Education –> Certificate Programs –> Director Certificate Programs Overview for more information.

Outdoor Area Lighting Rate Adjustment Effective April 1, 2021

Y

VEA completed a cost-of-service study in 2019 and determined that the rate for outdoor area lighting must be restructured in order to more equitably distribute the costs of this service to member-owners. At the heart of every decision to adjust rates is the motivation that they be objective, fair and equitable. Because YVEA serves you as a not-for-profit electric cooperative, the only way to recover the cost of providing, powering and maintaining outdoor area lighting is to pass on those costs in your power bill.

At YVEA, our mission is to provide you with cost-based energy, while also maintaining safety and reliability, supporting our communities and staying current with our facilities and technology.

For the new Outdoor Area Lighting rate sheet, visit yvea.com/rates.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2021

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YOUR CO-OP NEWS

Summer Construction Update YVEA has two summer projects that are ongoing: • May 1 – July 30: Town of Yampa and distribution lines around the Stagecoach area • June 1 – July 30: North Steamboat Boulevard You can expect to see YVEA employees, locate contractors, city and utility employees, surveyors and YVEA contractors on or around these sites.

For any questions, please visit www. yvea.com/current-construction.

For the public’s safety and the safety of our crews, YVEA asks that you use caution near our worksites and whenever you see a YVEA or contracting crew working near the road. YVEA wants you, its crews and contractors to get home safely.

2020 Member Survey The results of our 2020 Member Survey are posted here: www.yvea.com/ member-survey.

If you didn’t receive a survey and would like to for 2021, please reach out to member services at 970-879-1160 to update your email address.

Supply Chain Lead Times Longer Than Normal Yampa Valley Electric Association is alerting contractors, builders and members that lead time on materials is longer than normal. This may impact line extension, service upgrade projects and programs in 2021. YVEA is working to maintain a healthy inventory of equipment to minimize the potential delays, and it encourages stakeholders to review their project estimates and timelines closely. To ensure realistic expectations, please reach out to the YVEA engineering department at 970-879-1160 regarding any changes in your project timeline.

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2021

Attend YVEA’s Annual Meeting for a chance to win a door prize and learn about your cooperative.

Learn More and Win Prizes at the Annual Meeting You may think our Annual Meeting is all business, but we make sure to have some fun along the way. Join us when the doors open for registration at 3 p.m., and learn more about your co-op. We will have a few booths where you can learn more about rebates you may be eligible for, what it means to be a member-owner of the co-op and so much more! And if you attend the Annual Meeting, you will be entered to win some really awesome door prizes.

We hope to see you at the Annual Meeting on June 22, at our Steamboat headquarters.

NOTICE of 2021 Annual Meeting and Board of Directors Election Process The Annual Meeting of the Members of Yampa Valley Electric Association is held annually for the purpose of electing directors, passing on reports covering the previous fiscal year, and transacting such other business as may come before the meeting. The 2021 Annual Meeting is scheduled for June 22, 2021, and to be held at YVEA’s Steamboat Springs campus at 2211 Elk River Road, Steamboat Springs, CO 80487. This gathering is pending COVID-19 public gathering restrictions, and we will keep you updated as we get closer to the date.

Director districts up for election are: • District 1 — Baggs, Savery, WY: Glynda Sheehan • District 8 — Steamboat Springs: Scott McGill • District 9 — Yampa, Toponas, Bond: Ken Rogers The area served by the association is divided into nine districts. No member shall be eligible to become or remain a director who is not a bona fide resident in the director district for which they are elected or appointed. Legal descriptions of each district can be found in Article XVI, Director Districts, in the Bylaws of the Association, or at www.yvea.com.

Directors are elected for a three-year term by the members of the association. Each member of the association is entitled to vote in the election of all directors, excluding appointments.

YVEA REBATE PROGRAM

If you are a YVEA member who receives electricity from YVEA, you may be eligible for rebates on certain purchases. From electric water heaters and electric ovens/ranges, to residential EV chargers, we offer several rebates for your new electric purchases. The maximum rebate per electric customer annually is $350. Visit www.yvea.com/rebates for more details on our rebate program and forms to submit for rebates.

RECIPES

Satisfying Summertime Salads

Watermelon and Pickled Red Onion Salad

Give your greens great flavor and texture

BY AMY HIGGINS

is a great, healthy meal option: Get the recipe at coloradocountrylife.coop.

| RECIPES@COLOR ADOCOUNTRYLIFE.ORG

Light, flavorful & nourishing salads

W

hen the heat is on, there’s something refreshing about noshing on a big bowl of greens, especially when you’re looking for healthier meal options. Salads are a superb source of fiber, antioxidants and vitamin C to name a few, and they can aid in minimizing your waistline. What you add to your salads can amplify — or hinder — those perks as well. The following recipe is brimming with benefits. This month’s recipes were provided by The Tennessee Magazine, one of our sister electric cooperative publications, and we are happy to share them with our Colorado consumer-members.

Shrimp and Tabbouleh Salad

Yield: 6 servings

1 cup bulgur wheat* 1 cup boiling low sodium chicken stock 2 cups salad shrimp (if frozen, thawed and drained) 2 ripe tomatoes, peeled, cored and chopped 4 green onions, sliced 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 3 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest 1/2 teaspoon black pepper Mixed lettuce leaves Place the bulgur wheat in a heatproof glass bowl and add the boiling chicken stock.

Stir, cover and allow to stand 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together the shrimp, tomatoes, onions, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic salt, lemon zest and pepper.

Fluff the bulgur wheat and let cool to room temperature. Add the bulgur wheat to the shrimp mixture, cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving over lettuce leaves. *Or you can substitute an equal amount of farro; however, follow the package directions for preparation.

Fill ’Er Up Include proteins such as meats, legumes or nuts to your salad for extra texture and flavor. An added benefit: You’ll satisfy your hunger better by eating a salad with proteins. A common complaint with bare salads is never feeling full.

Recipe by Tammy Algood. Photograph by Robin Conover.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2021

11

SPECIAL ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Doctor urges seniors to carry medical alert device Seniors snap up new medical alert device that comes with no monthly bills People don’t always do what their doctor says, but when seasoned veteran emergency room physician, Dr. Philip B. Howren says every senior should have a medical alert device, you better listen up.

“Seniors are just one fall away from being put in a nursing home,” Dr. Howren said. “With a medical alert device, seniors are never alone. So it keeps them living independently in their own home. That’s why seniors and their family members are snapping up a sleek new medical alert device that comes with no monthly bills ever,” he said.

Many seniors refuse to wear old style help buttons because they make them look old. But even worse, those medical alert sys-

tems come with monthly bills.

To solve these problems Universal Physicians, a U.S. company went to work to develop a new, modern, state-of-the-art medical alert device. It’s called “FastHelp™” and it instantly connects you to free unlimited nationwide help everywhere cell service is available with no contracts, no deposits and no monthly bills ever.

“This slick new little device is designed to look like the pagers doctors wear every day. Seniors love them, because it actually makes them look important, not old,” Dr. Howren said.

FastHelp is expected to hit store shelves later this year. But special newspaper promotional giveaways are slated for seniors in select areas. ■

■ NO MONTHLY BILLS: “My wife had an old style help button that came with hefty bills every month and she was embarrassed to wear it because it made her look old,” said Frank McDonald, Canton, Ohio. “Now, we both have FastHelp™, the sleek new medical alert device that our grandkids say makes us look ‘cool’ not old,” he said. With FastHelp, seniors never have to worry about being alone and the best part is there are no monthly bills ever.

Seniors born before 1956 get new medical alert device with no monthly bills ever It’s just what seniors have been waiting for; a sleek new medical alert device with no contracts, no deposits and no monthly bills that instantly connects you to free unlimited nationwide help with just the push of a button for a one-time $149 price tag that’s a real steal after today’s instant rebate The phone lines are ringing off the hook.

That’s because for seniors born before 1956, it’s a deal too good to pass up.

Starting at precisely 8:30am this morning the Pre-Store Release begins for the sleek new medical alert device that comes with the exclusive FastHelp™ One-Touch E 911 Button that instantly connects you to unlimited nationwide help everywhere cell service is available with no contracts, no deposits and no monthly bills ever.

“It’s not like old style monitored help buttons that make you talk to a call center and only work when you’re at home and come with hefty bills every month. FastHelp comes with state-of-the-art cellular embedded technology. That means it works ■ FLYING OUT THE DOOR: Trucks are being loaded with the new medical alert devices called FastHelp. They are now at home or anywhere, any- being delivered to lucky seniors who call the National Rebate Center Hotline at 1-866-964-2952 Ext. HELP2762 today.

(Continued on next page)

12

Everyone is calling to get FastHelp, the sleek new medical alert device because it instantly connects you to unlimited nationwide help everywhere cell service is available with no contracts, no deposits and no monthly bills ever.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2021

SPECIAL ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE (Continued from previous page)

the unveiling of FastHelp.

It’s the sleek new cellular embedded medical alert device that cuts out the middleman by instantly connecting you directly to highly trained 911 operators all across the U.S. There’s absolutely nothing to hook-up or install.

You don’t need a land line and you don’t need a cell phone. Everything is done for you.

“FastHelp is a state of the art medical alert device

designed to make you look important, not old. Old style monitored help buttons you wear around your neck, or require expensive base station equipment or a landline are the equivalent of a horse and buggy,” Lawrence says. “It’s just outdated.”

Millions of seniors fall every year and spend hours lying on the floor helpless and all alone with no help.

But seniors who fall

and get immediate help are much more likely to avoid getting sent to a nursing home and get to STAY living in their own home independently.

Yet millions of seniors are still risking their safety by not having a medical alert device.

That’s because seniors just can’t afford to pay the monthly bills that come with old style medical alert devices.

That’s why seniors born

before 1956 are rushing to cash in the whopping $150 instant rebate before the 7 day deadline ends.

So there’s no need to wait for FastHelp to hit store shelves later this year because seniors born before 1956 can get it now just by using the $150 instant rebate coupon printed in today’s newspaper before the 7-day deadline ends. If lines are busy keep trying, all calls will be answered. ■

HOW TO GET IT: IF BORN BEFORE 1956: Use the rebate coupon below and call this Toll-Free Hotline: 1-866-964-2952 EXT. HELP2762

IF BORN AFTER 1956: You cannot use the rebate coupon below and must pay $299 Call: 1-866-964-2955 EXT. HELP2762 THE BOTTOM LINE: You don’t need to shop around. We’ve done all the leg work, this deal is too good to pass up. FastHelp with the instant rebate is a real steal at just $149 and shipping and there are no monthly bills ever.

PROS: It’s the sleek new medical alert device that comes with the exclusive FastHelp One-Touch E 911 Button that instantly connects you to free unlimited nationwide help everywhere cell service is available with no contracts or deposits. It connects you to the vast available network of cellular towers for free and saves seniors a ton of money because there are no monthly bills ever making this deal irresistible. Plus it’s the only medical alert device that makes seniors look important, not old.

CONS: Consumers can’t get FastHelp in stores until later this year. That’s why it’s so important for seniors born before 1956 to call the National Rebate Center Hotline within the next 7 days.

For those who miss that deadline, the sleek little medical alert device will set you back over $300 bucks.

REBATE COUPON

time cell service is available whether you’re out watering the garden, driving in a car, at church or even hundreds of miles away on a tour or at a casino. You are never alone. With just a single push of the One-Touch E Button you instantly get connected to free unlimited help nationwide with no monthly bills ever,” said Jack Lawrence, Executive Director of Product Development for U.S. based Universal Physicians.

“We’ve never seen anything like it. Consumers absolutely love the sleek new modern design and most of all, the instant rebate that practically pays for it and no monthly bills ever,” Lawrence said.

FastHelp is the sleek new medical alert device with the best of combinations: a quality, high-tech engineered device that’s also an extremely great value because there are no monthly bills ever.

Better still, it comes with no contracts, no deposits and no monthly bills ever – which makes FastHelp a great choice for seniors, students and professionals because it connects to one of the largest nationwide networks everywhere cell service is available for free.

And here’s the best part.

All those who already have an old style monitored medical alert button can immediately eliminate those monthly bills, which is why Universal Physicians is widely advertising this announcement nationwide.

“So if you’ve ever felt a medical alert device was too complicated or expensive, you’ll want to get FastHelp, the sleek new medical alert device with no monthly bills,” said Lawrence.

The medical alert device slugfest was dominated by two main combatants who both offer old style monitored help buttons that come with a hefty bill every month. But now Universal Physicians, the U.S. based heavyweight, just delivered a knockout blow sending the top rated contenders to the mat with

EXPIRES

P7201A OF22173R-1

7 Days From Today’s Publication Date

After Coupon Expires: The FastHelp is $299.00 plus shipping & handling

$150 Off

FastHelp

™

One-touch help. Anytime. Anywhere.

With no monthly bills ever.

HELP2762

FastHelp, the new medical alert device that instantly connects you to free unlimited nationwide help everywhere cell service is available with no contracts, no deposits and no monthly bills ever.

USE THIS COUPON: To get $150 off FastHelp you must be born before 1956 and call the National Rebate Center Hotline at 1-866-964-2952 EXT. HELP2762 before the 7-day rebate deadline ends.

FASTHELP IS COVERED BY A 30-DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE LESS SHIPPING AND A 1 YEAR LIMITED WARRANT Y. FASTHELP IS A 3G GSM CELLUL AR DEVICE. FASTHELP WILL NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE 911 CALLS WHEN CELLULAR SERVICE IS NOT AVAILABLE SUCH AS IN REMOTE AREAS. FASTHELP USES GPS TRIANGULATIONS TO APPROXIMATE YOUR LOCATION WHEN YOUR DEVICE IS TURNED ON. DR. HOWREN IS A COMPENSATED MEDICAL ADVISOR AND FRANK MCDONALD IS AN ACTUAL USER AND COMPENSATED FOR HIS PARTICIPATION. OH RESIDENTS ADD 6.5% SALES TAX. UNIVERSAL PHYSICIANS 7747 SUPREME AVE, NORTH CANTON, OH 44720.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2021

13

NEWS CLIPS

Photo credit: EDP Renewables North America

New Wind Farm Adds to Renewable Resources

Colorado electric cooperatives are benefiting from the new 104-megawatt Crossing Trails Wind Farm south of Seibert, Colorado, in K.C. Electric Association’s Kit Carson and Cheyenne county service territory.

The facility began generating electricity for commercial sale in May and Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, which supplies power to 17 of Colorado’s 22 co-ops, is buying all of the electricity generated for its member cooperatives.

Crossing Trails, built, owned and operated

by EDP Renewables North America, consists of 20 4.3 MW and five 3.6 MW wind turbines. Crossing Trails will produce enough electricity to annually power the equivalent of approximately 45,000 average Colorado homes.

With blades stretching more than 240 feet, the 4.3 MW wind turbines are among the largest and most advanced turbines installed in Colorado to date.

Tri-State CEO Duane Highley noted that, “Crossing Trails is the first project to come on line since we announced Tri-State’s Responsible Energy Plan in January 2020, under which we are reducing greenhouse gas emissions, while significantly increasing renewable resources, lowering our wholesale rates and expanding member flexibility.”

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Drop

Co-op Magazine Still Planting Trees Colorado Country Life has been planting trees for the last three years to offset the trees used in the production of the paper it is printed on. Since 2018, CCL has partnered with PrintReLeaf, a reforestation company, to plant about 300 tree a month on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.

In that time, more than 11,500 trees were planted in areas previously ravaged by fires.

14

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2021

U.S. greenhouse gas emissions dropped 1.7% in 2019 compared with those reported in 2018, according to a new report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last month.

The annual report noted that the decrease was mostly driven by lower carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel combustion, such as that from coal-fired power plants. Part of that drop was due to a 1% drop in total energy use as well as a shift away from coal toward natural gas and renewable energy resources.

This was a shift from the year before when there was a 3% increase in emissions, but a 13% decrease compared to 2005 levels.

The electricity sector is responsible for an estimated 25% of greenhouse gas emissions, behind the transportation sector, which is responsible for an estimated 29% of these emissions. The industrial sector is estimated to be responsible for 23%, the commercial and residential sector for 13% and agriculture for 10%.

NEWS CLIPS

XPrize Winners Contain CO2 Inside Better Concrete In the culmination of a six-year engineering competition, the final winners of the Carbon XPrize, partially sponsored by Colorado’s Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, were announced.

They are CarbonBuilt and Carbon Cure. Each will receive $7.5 million to continue advancing their carbon utilization technologies.

The contest was created to encourage the study of capturing and managing carbon emissions from coal-based power plants.

The result was a low CO2 concrete replacement. Its process permanently embeds CO2 into the concrete, which lowers emissions by utilizing the CO2 and by reducing other emissions associated with the raw materials. The development of the team’s core technology began at

This concrete block outside the Integrated Test Center is among 10,000 produced using carbon capture technology. (Photo Courtesy: XPRIZE)

the University of California, Los Angeles in 2013 and, with support from the NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE, the team was able to produce 10,000 concrete blocks.

A public-private partnership between the state of Wyoming, Tri-State, NRECA and Basin Electric Power Cooperative, the Integrated Test Center was initially funded in 2014 and the NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE was the first tenant to sign on to test at the facility.

“Technology advancement drives economic development and cleaner energy,” said Duane Highley, Tri-State CEO. “The Integrated Test Center’s hosting of the Carbon XPRIZE enabled the advancement of novel technology solutions to carbon challenges, and as more innovators come to Wyoming to evaluate technologies, the work of the ITC will continue to deliver important results.”

Co-ops Operate Under Seven Core Principles There are seven core co-op principles that govern the activities of Colorado’s electric cooperatives, as well cooperatives around the world. These seven principles are a key reason that Colorado’s electric cooperatives operate differently from other electric utilities, putting the needs of their consumer-members first.

The second principle is: Democratic Member Control.

SE Colorado Ranch Wins Leopold Award The May Ranch of Lamar was selected for this year’s Colorado Leopold Conservation Award, which is partially sponsored by electric co-op power supplier Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association.

The May Ranch is owned and operated by the Dallas and Brenda May family of Prowers County. The conservation practices that the Mays have implemented on their cattle ranch have improved the wildlife habitat, water quality, and grass and soil health.

Recipients of this award, named for conservationist Aldo Leopold, are real-life examples of conservation-minded agriculture.

This principle is especially obvious this time of year, when Colorado’s co-ops are hosting annual meetings and conducting elections for their boards of directors. These directors are elected from among the local co-op’s consumer-members and represent the concerns of their neighbors, friends and family.

Find all seven principles at electric.coop/ seven-cooperative-principles.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2021

15

COVER STORY

A DAY WITH A TORNADO

BY BRUCE CONNALLY,

“That cloud is terrifying!”

Abby’s hushed voice reflected the trepidation we all felt. The roiling, churning black cloud was an EF3 tornado, which had just torn a half-mile-wide swath through Windsor, Colorado.

16

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2021

DMV, MS

A

frantic call from local farmer Gordon to the Colorado State University veterinary school was why three vet students — Abby, Don and Katelyn — and I were driv­ing east toward the violent storm.

“The tornado went right over us,” Gordon panted into his cellphone. “We rode it out in the basement. The house isn’t hurt too bad, but I have one horse down in the al­falfa field and I can’t find the other one yet. I need you now!”

“I hope that thing keeps going north,” Don said from the back seat of the truck. Highway 257 was taking us east right along the back edge of the tornado. To our left we could see black clouds, constant lightning and sheets of rain as the monster churned over farmland and scattered hous­es. To our right the sun had emerged again and revealed the carnage caused by a storm with 135 mph winds. The cornfield beside us looked like a woven placemat with ar­eas of punk rock hair.

COVER STORY Cottonwood trees were twisted into long yellow splinters or standing and pointing at the now-clearing sky with completely naked branches. There was muddy, brown water lapping at the edges of the county road that led to Gor­don’s farm. The beautiful tan stucco house showed little damage; Gordon was waiting for us between a horse barn and machine shed that were not so fortunate. His black and white mare appeared to be resting in the alfalfa beside the mangled remnants of a center-pivot irrigation system.

She at­tempted to stand as we approached, but was only able to get up on her front legs.

Sheet metal from the barn roof had sliced through her rear legs, leaving them useless.

After a short consultation with Gordon, I administered an IV solution that ended her suffering.

The vet students and I spread out to help Gordon search for his missing horse.

“Harold is a big black gelding that I team rope on,” Gordon told us. “I really like that horse,” he added, almost as an after­thought.

We didn’t get to search for long.

“Are you the vet?” a woman’s voice called through the wind. “My horse got hurt in the storm.”

A woman in tall chore boots and a green slicker was running up the muddy driveway.

“My house is across the county road but you’re gonna have to walk ’cause the trees are down.”

“You better go help Linda,” Gordon said.

“I’ll keep looking for Harold but I don’t think he is here.”

We drove the vet truck down Gordon’s drive to the county road. After moving several big branches and using four-wheel drive to get through the mud, we made it to Linda’s road. There, a huge fir tree had been snapped off, covering the road and her metal gate. The stu­dents grabbed surgical equipment, a stainless steel bucket and drugs.

We crawled through the top of the fir tree and over a wooden fence into Linda’s yard.

Her house and barn were completely intact.

Veterinarian Bruce Connally, DVM, MS, visits his horse at his home near Berthoud.

The only signs of a storm on this side of the downed fir tree were lakes of muddy water and a nervous bay Arabian mare tied to the fence with a bloody T-shirt wrapped around her front leg.

“I got the bleedin’ stopped but she’s pretty shook up,” Linda cautioned.

My vet student team, fueled by adrenaline, sprang into action. In 20 minutes the mare was sedated, the wound cleaned and sutured and a bright purple bandage replaced the bloody shirt. Linda’s cellphone rang as the students wrapped the leg.

“My neighbor on up the road,” Linda explained. “She says her horse is hurt bad.”

There were power lines down across the road so we couldn’t drive up to the big yellow house. Carole met us and led the rest of the way on foot. Only the west wall of a log barn was still standing: The rest of the barn was nowhere to be seen. The dark clouds were gone now, allowing a strangely reddish afternoon sun to shine through a window in the re­maining wall and down on to a palomino Shetland pony. The pony was not hurt but the big chestnut warmblood gelding on the other side of the corral was not as lucky. He had a bloody wound on his left side be­hind his elbow that was as big as the top of my hat. The skin and muscle were completely missing.

Sand and dirt mixed with the clotted blood.

The three massive ribs that were exposed

had been strong enough to repel whatever the tornado had tried to drive into the big horse’s heart.

“I’ll sedate him,” I told Katelyn, the quietest of the three vet students. ‘’You get a big syringe and start lavaging the sand out of the wound.” In 15 minutes the wound was clean enough to evaluate.

“I think he was very lucky,” I told Carole.

“The ribs are intact and there does not seem to be any penetration into the chest cavity.”

“Thank goodness!” Carole replied. “Now if we can find our dog everything will be OK. He disappeared during the tornado and hasn’t come back.”

As Katelyn finished with the wound and Don administered an antibiotic, my cellphone rang.

“Bruce, this is Steve, your neighbor. The tornado just went through your place. I don’t know how much damage you have, but your new foal is out on the county road.”

We threw everything in the truck and navigated the treacherous roads back to Interstate 25. The fear in my heart made me drive a little faster than the speed limit north toward my home. As we pulled into the drive I could see the 12-by 24-foot metal shed where the mare and 8-day-old foal had been kept was gone. All seven of my horses were standing unusually close together in the larger corral.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2021

17

2020 ANNUAL REPORT MISSION STATEMENT Yampa Valley Electric Association is a cooperative that enhances the lives of its member-owners through technology and consulting resources that deliver clean, safe, and reliable electric service in an environmentally and financially responsible manner.

2020 YVEA BOARD OF DIRECTORS District 1

District 2

Glynda Sheehan

Debbie Cook

District 3

District 4

Jean Stetson

Dean Brosious

District 5

District 6

Patrick Delaney

Tom Fox

District 7

District 8

Sonja Macys

Scott McGill

YVEA representatives and community partners cut the ribbon on a new EV charging station in Yampa.

GENERAL MANAGER’S REPORT

T

he Annual Report for 2020 provides statistical information showing the financial condition and operations for the year. The financial and operating results for 2020 show a decrease in kilowatt-hour sales of 5.66% and a 2.51% increase in revenue. The detail of our revenue and expense report shows an operating margin of $3,951,287. The amount to be allocated Steve Johnson to members for the 2020 is $4,431,986.80. The report also shows General Manager other income of $1,964,847.00. These items include interest, loss from equity investments, grant revenues, and capital credit allocations received from other organizations in which Yampa Valley Electric Association has a membership. The amounts received, which are in cash, are allocated to YVEA’s current membership. The board of directors approved the retirement of $1.9 million which will be paid against the 2003 patronage margin allocations. We are pleased to continue the refund of capital credits to our member-owners.

I thank all the member-owners, board of directors and employees for your continued support.

District 9

Sincerely,

Steve Johnson General Manager

Ken Rogers

Please note that Director Stetson stepped down from her position, which was filled by Director Sasha Nelson in 2021.

We would like to thank Director Stetson for her dedication to the YVEA cooperative.

2020 YAMPA VALLEY ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION ANNUAL REPORT

BOARD CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

E

ach annual meeting, the chairman of the board has the opportunity to report on how Yampa Valley Electric Association is doing, as well as some highlights of the year. Because the annual meeting is in June, our reporting period is June to June, with our financials representing 2020.

The past year has been quite the year — it can be hard to find Tom Fox good amongst so much bad. We have all heard the quote Board Chairman saying there is a silver lining or shining star that comes with every bad thing that happens in life. YVEA has been a shining star, starting with the lighting of the first light bulb over 75 years ago. It is hard to fathom where we have come in one lifetime.

In today’s world, if the power goes out, our world comes to an immediate halt.

Electricity is taken for granted. We do not think about electricity until it is not there.

We have all been there when the power goes out, GRR! I'm happy and proud to say, YVEA is a shining star once again, standing tall and providing uninterrupted electricity throughout more than a year of shutdowns, closures, personal restrictions and quarantines. I personally commend our GM Steve Johnson for his leadership, and his management team, as well as the men and women of YVEA, who made it all happen throughout this pandemic. Good planning and safe execution of emergency outages and construction work plans were evident throughout the past year. As a company, YVEA knew of its crucially important job of keeping the lights on. Staff worked tirelessly and safely, knowing we could not afford to have an outbreak of COVID-19 within our ranks. Those efforts paid off—there was no transmission of COVID-19 within the organization. Today, things are looking up —YVEA employees are much safer now that they are vaccinated and vaccinations within our communities are going up every day while COVID-19 numbers are dropping. Soon this will be behind us.

There are a few other notables for the year I feel deserve attention. The YVEA board, along with management, has committed substantial resources to rebuilding our aging infrastructure. This is no small task considering our territory is so large.

With 2,881 miles of line over an area of 7113 square miles, millions of dollars per year for many years is needed. Last year during the pandemic, YVEA crews, along with our subcontractors, completed $10 million of infrastructure work. This year’s construction work plan is over $12 million dollars. As we all know, our construction season is short because of the long winters and this rebuild has been going on now for the past five years. I’m happy to report that it’s paying off — YVEA’s outage times and frequency have been decreasing.

Luminate, our high-speed broadband company, is gaining a lot of traction. Those who have Luminate installed are extremely happy with the performance. With such a large territory, there is a lot to do over many years and there is so much more to it than just tacking up fiber on poles. This 2021 season we expect to exceed the amount of new installs over past years’ installations. With speeds reaching up to 1Gb, Luminate’s fiber internet is worth waiting for. We ask anyone who is interested in service to please signup as soon as possible. Call Luminate for more information at 970-870-4320.

I look forward to seeing you all live or virtually at our annual meeting. This year’s meeting will be held at the YVEA headquarters in Steamboat Springs, on June 22, 2021.

Tom Fox

Chairman of the Board of Directors 2020 YAMPA VALLEY ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION ANNUAL REPORT

TREASURER’S REPORT

Amy Mahon Treasurer

T

he financial statement for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2020 reflects the sound financial status of Yampa Valley Electric Association, Inc. The association was audited by Bolinger, Segars, Gilbert & Moss, L.L.P., certified public accountants of Lubbock, Texas. Our auditors have reviewed and gave an opinion on Yampa Valley Electric Association’s balance sheet as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the related statements of income and patronage capital and cash flows for the years ended, and the related notes to the financial statements.

YVEA management’s responsibility is to prepare and present the financial statement in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America; this includes the design, implementation and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of financial statements that are free from material misstatements and errors.

The financial statements were presented to the auditors in February 2021. Yampa Valley Electric Association’s 2020 audit was presented to the board of directors in April 2021 with a clean audit, all consolidated financial statement have been presented fairly, in all material respects.

The data presented in this report is from the 2020 financial statements. Copies of the audited financial statements and the annual report are available at Yampa Valley Electric Association’s headquarters.

Amy Mahon, MBA, CFPC YVEA Finance Manager

2020 STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS Operating Revenue and Patronage Capital Operation & Maintenance Expense Power Cost Operating and Maintenance Expenses Interest Taxes Other expenses Total Operation & Maintenance Expense Earnings before Interest & Amortization Depreciation & Amortization Patronage Capital & Operating Margins Other Capital Credits & Patronage Dividends Income/Loss from Equity Investments Non Operating Margins - Other Patronage Capital or Margins

2020 $60,180,663

2019 $58,667,577

2018 $59,569,286

2017 $56,192,236

2016 $57,639,213

$31,853,375 16,397,472 1,798,692 63,187 $50,112,726 10,067,937 (6,116,650) $3,951,287 514,364 1,450,483 $5,916,134

$32,637,462 15,181,338 1,322,565 68,168

$35,206,836 13,596,264 1,197,730 60,286 $50,061,116 9,508,170 (6,041,860) $3,466,310 275,330 1,136,180 $4,877,820

$33,704,348 12,990,002 1,008,788 49,125 $47,752,263 8,439,973 (5,373,823) $3,066,150 266,492 119,411 $3,452,053

$35,583,688 12,812,358 761,694 58,060

$49,209,533

9,458,044 (5,957,709) $3,500,335 318,764 68,204 $3,887,303

2020 RESOURCE MIX 5% Solar 5% Hydro

$49,215,800

8,423,413 (5,243,449) $3,179,964 250,126 1,215,573 $4,645,663

A YVEA lineworker in the middle of a snowy wonderland.

2020 KWH SALES BY RATE CLASS

1% Other Renewables

250,000,000

45%

of kWh sold

200,000,000

Coal 25%

150,000,000

Wind 29%

26%

of kWh sold

28%

of kWh sold

100,000,000 50,000,000

Natural Gas 35%

1%

of kWh sold

-

Small General Service Medium General Service Large General Service Irrigation/Street Lights

HIGHLIGHTS OF OPERATIONS 2020 New Construction & System Improvements Miles of Line Built New Security Lights New Services Installed Services Upgraded Operations & Maintenance Average Outage Minutes Per Month Per Consumer Members Per Employees

2019

COMPARATIVE OPERATING STATISTICS 2018

6.75 7 459 18

6.75 9 275 27

2.95 12 148 19

18.3 366

33.4 395

36.3 385

Meter Orders Processed (connects, disconnects & changes)

13,074

6,272

13,181

Meters Tested Miles of Distribution Line Patrolled Miles of Transmission Line Patrolled Number of Consumer Work Orders Written Number of Poles Inspected Underground Cable Locations Underground Dig-Ins Repaired

214 332 341 649 3,879 12,327 52

226 467 280 652 2,806 6,002 27

150 494 285 551 4,073 5,203 25

kWh Purchased kWh Sold Annual Peak Demand kW Percent Line Loss Average Number of Meters Miles of Line Meters Per Mile Average Return per kWh Sold Total Revenue Property Taxes Paid Power Cost as % of Electric Sales Principal Paid on Debt Total Utility Plant Total Margins Members Equity

2020 554,496,538 532,810,192 95,519 3.91% 27,425 3,006 9.12 $0.1129 $60,180,663 $1,274,275 53% $3,077,263 $211,049,910 $5,916,134 52.01%

2019 576,336,895 562,944,607 109,428 2.32% 27,269 2,881 9.47 $0.1042 $58,667,577 $1,178,574 56% $1,510,849 $185,311,408 $3,887,303 59.24%

2018 590,598,932 568,356,746 116,329 3.77% 26,983 2,874 9.39 $0.1048 $59,569,286 $1,274,275 59% $2,533,970 $169,935,509 $4,877,820 68.65%

2020 YAMPA VALLEY ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION ANNUAL REPORT

YVEA FINANCIAL REPORT AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2020 ASSETS

2020

Current Assets Cash - General Fund A/R General Association Materials - Our Stock Prepayments Deferred Debits Investments Associated Organization & Special Funds Equity in Other Organizations Property Held for Sale Utility Plant Electric Plant Accumulated Depreciation Total Plant Total Assets

$2,038,080 9,216,702 5,519,040 13,773 $16,787,595 $1,518,902

2019 $4,489,708 3,415,707 4,147,229 20,055

2018

$2,062,076

$3,922,689 2,780,367 2,130,451 16,956 $8,850,463 $2,037,184

$3,746,865 (1,437,932) $2,308,933

$3,482,021 132,139 $3,614,160

$3,305,455 205,091 $3,510,546

$211,049,910 (72,467,985)

$185,311,408 (67,396,732)

$169,935,509 (63,605,474)

$138,581,925

$117,914,676

$106,330,035

$159,197,355

$135,663,611

$120,728,228

$12,072,699

LIABILITIES Current Liabilities Current Maturities of Long-term Debt Line of Credit Accounts Payable Accrued Expenses Accrued Taxes Customer Deposits Long-Term Liabilities Deferred Credits Other Long-Term Obligations Total Liabilities Equity Capital Equities Patronage Capital Other Equities Total Equity Total Liabilities and Equity

2020

2019

2018

$1,961,559 4,000,000 9,434,673 1,089,960 1,718,551 563,395 $18,768,138 $55,713,717 1,905,158 $4,959 $76,391,972

$1,213,559 3,000,000 10,269,013 917,989 1,628,104 578,804 $17,607,469 $35,749,492 1,805,012 $132,140 $55,294,113

$1,513,512 5,733,203 686,469 1,545,845 585,178 $10,064,207 $30,688,750 1,207,686 $205,091 $42,165,734

$79,765,183 3,040,200 $82,805,383

$79,897,692 471,806 $80,369,498

$78,107,602 454,892 $78,562,494

$159,197,355

$135,663,611

$120,728,228

OPERATION ROUNDUP

S

ORU ALLOCATIONS

ince teaming up in 2015, Yampa Valley Electric Association and the nonprofit Operation Round Up organization have been improving lives and communities thanks to YVEA members who round up their electric bill to the next dollar. The pennies members donate each month average only $6 per year per member, but have contributed more than $345,000 to nonprofit organizations in the YVEA service territory.

ORU Contributions Revenue ORU Expenditures Expenditures Community Development Education Environment Stewardship Healthcare Audit Bank Charges Office Expenses Licenses/organization fees Total Loss/profit

2015 $27,288.24 2015

2016 $107,542.08 2016

2017 $106,531.74 2017

2018 $96,901.40 2018

2019 $82,095.91 2019

2020 $92,837.07 2020

$15,850.00 $3,750.00 2,300.00 4,400.00 2,170.63 100.00 $28,570.63 $(1,282.39)

$47,119.00 10,320.00 2,000.00 6,210.00 146.57 150.00 $65,945.57 $41,596.51

$75,361.00 26,892.00 1,000.00 17,284.00 60.00 $120,597.00 $(14,065.26)

$70,710.00 20,310.00 2,000.00 9,130.00 30.00 $102,180.00 $(5,278.60)

$30,516.00 13,771.30 1,000.00 1,000.00 7,550.00 -

$39,250.00 50,320.00 5,000.00 19,750.00 3,100.00 $117,420.00

2020 YAMPA VALLEY ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION ANNUAL REPORT

$53,837.30 $28,258.61

$(24,582.93)

A YVEA employee helps young Hayden Harvest Fest attendees make the most of YVEA’s caramel apple bar.

COVER STORY “We got the foal back into this pen with the others,” Steve explained as I jumped out of the vet truck. “None of the fences are down so I think the tornado picked the little feller up and put him out on the road.”

A quick inspection showed that my five saddle horses were not hurt. The foal had a swelling on his knee but was walking fine. His mother had some minor cuts on her chest where she had apparently tried to get through the fence to her baby.

We were back at Carole’s house the next day treating the chest wound on the big warmblood. Katelyn was flushing the wound and I was us­ing gauze to remove the remaining sand. As we worked, a Chesapeake Bay retriever trotted into the corral and sniffed the bloody gauze on the ground.

“Jake, you’re back!” Carole screamed.

“Where have you been?” The big dog seemed a little tired but completely un­harmed from the ordeal.

Storms can frighten horses, including Trooper (above) as he heads in as recent dark clouds approach Bear Creek Stables in Morrison.

“Must have been a long walk,” Don

The devastation from the tornado was

commented.

Gordon was giving me an update a couple days later. “We found my big black horse.

He was in a hayfield about a half mile from home. All the fences were up and the gates closed so I think he learned to fly! I don’t think Harold likes to fly though because now when the wind blows he runs into the barn and stands there trembling.”

amazing. One man lost his life. Many people lost homes and animals. The cost to the community was in the millions of dollars.

“I haven’t named my foal yet,” I told the students as we drove back toward the vet school. “Maybe I will call him Twister.”

Dr. Bruce Connally practices equine medicine in central Wy­oming and northern Colorado from his home in Berthoud, Colorado. His story originally appeared in the Wyoming Rural Electric News magazine.

THE CO-OP AND THE TORNADO

BY MONA NEELEY

EDITOR

P

oudre Valley Rural Electric Association serves the area near Windsor that was devastated in the May 22, 2008, EF3 tornado. It was a surprise for many area residents, including PVREA Operations Superintendent Craig Harney, who was a lineworker back in 2008.

“I am from the Midwest and have seen and been near tornadoes before, but never in a million years would I expect to see one in northern Colorado this close to the foothills,” Harney said, thinking back to the fateful day.

Fellow employee Matt Organ, now a supervisor for distribution design at PVREA, agreed. “This tornado went from southeast to the northwest — not the usual direction.”

18

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2021

Both men remember the chaos in the aftermath of the tornado. With winds as high as 150 miles per hour, it carved a mile-wide path of destruction for roughly 39 miles, taking out the power for 17,225 PVREA consumer-members. The twister went through several miles of transmission line and damaged 11 of the co-op’s substations.

But the men also remember how quickly the co-op and its employees began repairs that Thursday. Lineworker Greg Rink, who is still at PVREA, remembers working through to early the next morning to get the initial poles reset and wires back up. Western Area Power Administration provided help in getting the transmission lines up and operating. Rink recalls working, with little

rest, until late Saturday to get power to the city of Windsor’s water treatment plant and other entities providing essential services.

Other crews were working in the Wellington and Waverly areas and all the places where there was damage.

“The storm response was a total cooperative team effort with engineering and management coming out to the field to assist with materials and meals,” Rink said.

The storm caused $1.2 million in damage to PVREA’s system.

For more recollections of the day by PVREA employees, read this entire story at www.coloradocountrylife.coop.

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ENERGY CONNECTIONS Tri-State Transmission and Generation completed the Dolores Canyon segment of the Montrose-Nucla-Cahone transmission project in October 2020.

CROSSING THE CANYON Montrose-Nucla-Cahone — a transmission project beyond the numbers

BY JONAH MARTIN

MANAGER , MNC PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICE

E

ven by the standards of other major utility construction projects across the nation, the numbers behind Tri-State Generation and Transmission’s recently completed, 230-kilovolt Montrose-NuclaCahone (MNC) transmission project are staggering. Throw in a worldwide pandemic during the construction phase and we have a real story to tell.

The basic facts are impressive for a project built in remote areas of the Rocky Mountain West. The project began in May 2013 and required the approval of nearly a dozen local, state and federal agencies, including the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission and Colorado Parks & Wildlife.

MNC traversed more than 80 miles of often challenging terrain, and the associated severe weather, through portions of Dolores, Montrose, Ouray and San Miguel counties in Colorado, at times reaching elevations of more than 11,000 feet above sea level.

20

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2021

Substation expansions The MNC included a substation expansion in Montrose, completed in May 2017; the new Maverick substation, which Tri-State energized in April 2020; and improvements at the Cahone substation.

The Maverick substation was to initially operate at 115 kV, while accommodating a future need for 69 kV of service. The decision last year to decommission Tri-State’s Nucla Station power plant and the associated Nucla substation earlier than planned required the Maverick substation build to take place earlier as part of the initial construction phase.

backbone between Grand Junction and Albuquerque. Even these figures do not begin to tell the whole story.

The crowning achievement of this challenging project included the crossing of the historic Dolores Canyon just east of Dove Creek. The Dolores Canyon, characterized by red Wingate Sandstone, old-growth ponderosa trees and the winding Dolores River, begins in the southern San Juan Mountains and meanders toward the Utah border. The Juan Rivera expedition viewed the Dolores Canyon in 1765 while exploring trade routes in Ute country.

Dolores Canyon a significant crossing Transmission lines and fiber optics The transmission line project also included more than 300 miles of access improvements and significant vegetation management along nearly 60 miles of federal land. In total, MNC required 435 wood structures and 131 steel structures; 1.37 million feet of conductor; and nearly 475,000 feet of optical ground wire. The optical ground wire is part of the regional fiber optic communications

For Tri-State, the crossing of Dolores Canyon presented several unparalleled challenges in the U.S. transmission industry, with the exception of the smaller, original (and still existing) 115 kV wood-frame crossing of the canyon completed in 1958.

Even if the Gateway Arch in St. Louis were placed in the 1,100-foot canyon, it would not be visible, except to someone standing on the rim of the canyon.

ENERGY CONNECTIONS The Tri-State crossing effort required a span of nearly 6,600 feet between two 85-foot-tall lattice towers on the north and south rim of the canyon. When counting distances from the “dead ends,” which hold the weight of each of the five 20,000 pounds of conductor and optical ground wire tensions, the distance was 8,000 feet. The line dropped some 400 feet between the lattice towers into the canyon.

Tri-State made five crossings of the canyon: three with conductor and two with optical ground wire. A helicopter first pulled a 5/16-inch rope from the south to the north end of the canyon, and then winch equipment pulled back a 3/4-inch rope back to the south. At that point, the rope then pulled the conductor and optical ground wire back from the south to the north rim. This work started during the week of September 28 and was completed by October 10.

To put some of this in perspective, the transmission line over the Dolores Canyon spans about 1.25 miles between lattice towers and more than 1.5 miles between the dead ends. Only three other spans worldwide are known to be longer, although on much larger towers: an 8,714-foot span between the Jintang and Cezi islands in China; the crossing of the Norwegian Sognefjord at 15,082 feet; and the Ameralik Span in Greenland at 17,638 feet.

Tri-State Transmission and Generation uses air support to complete the Montrose-Nucla-Cahone transmission project. This project includes crossing the Dolores Canyon, which spans nearly 6,600 feet between two 85-foot-tall lattice towers, one each on the north and south rims of the canyon.

In fact, the Dolores Canyon segment wasn’t the only significant crossing.

Workers previously crossed Glade Canyon, 2.5 miles north of Dolores Canyon, which was a 2,800-foot crossing, or just over half a mile, and would have been a significant effort for any other transmission line project but now the second largest on MNC.

The Montrose-Nucla-Cahone transmission line project benefits The MNC transmission line was energized in October and was complete — aside from reclamation work — by the end of 2020. The project cost nearly $105 million and required 65,000 labor hours for construction.

Completion of this project brings a number of immediate benefits to Tri-State and the bulk electric system. Greater reliability and lower maintenance needs, greater operational capacity and flexibility, and the ability to accommodate load growth in the area are just a few of the immediate impacts.

MNC also paves the way for future benefits, including the ability to support Tri-State’s Responsible Energy Plan and the growing interest in generation interconnection projects throughout western Colorado.

Numerous departments and dozens of employees throughout Tri-State left their marks on this once-in-a-career project.

Without the hard work and dedication of the MNC project team, none of the amazing numbers, accomplishments and benefits could have been achieved.

Jonah Martin is the manager of the Montrose-NuclaCahone project management office and an employee of Tri-State Generation and Transmission. Tri-State is a wholesale power supply cooperative, operating on a not-for-profit basis, with 45 members, including 42 utility electric distribution cooperatives and public power district members in four states that together deliver reliable, affordable and responsible power to more than a million electricity consumers across nearly 200,000 square miles of the West. For more information about Tri-State, visit www.tristate.coop.

Two Tri-State Generation and Transmission staff view the process of the Montrose-NuclaCahone transmission project. The project cost nearly $105 million and 65,000 labor hours of construction.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2021

21

GARDENING

Vines to Attract Hummingbirds Plants that lure in little aviators

BY VICKI SPENCER

MASTER GARDENER | GARDENING@COLOR ADOCOUNTRYLIFE .ORG

R

eaders frequently ask how to attract hummingbirds to their gardens.

I favor cultivating a continuously blooming garden over maintaining bird feeders, but both are effective. One way to keep your garden flowering from spring to fall is to add flowering vines. They don’t necessarily need a lot of space, but they do need support, such as a fence, wall or trellis.

Before buying plants and climbing structures, it helps to know how vines grow and what kinds of support will be most effective. Some vines climb with tendrils that coil around anything within reach.

There are two types of tendrils: shoots that grow out of the stem or modified leaves that emerge from a leaf node. Other vines grow their own suction cups or have adventitious roots (roots growing along stems) that need walls or fences with texture to climb.

Several stem tendril vines grow well in Colorado and attract hummingbirds.

Trumpet vine is well-known for the allure of its scarlet clusters. It thrives in full sun and poor, dry soils, but it can be invasive.

Passionflower is treasured for its deep green leaves that provide a backdrop to showy, purple flowers. It grows up to 25 feet long.

Another favorite is wisteria with its fragrant, deep purple flowers. It should be planted in a sheltered area to protect early buds from

22

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2021

frost. Perennial sweet pea is a drought tolerant vine that blossoms in the heat of the summer. Since it reseeds and suckers freely in the garden, it needs heavy pruning in early spring. Honeysuckle is a vigorous twining vine that grows 10-20 feet in full sun. Avoid invasive Japanese honeysuckle in favor of trumpet honeysuckle with fragrant, reddish-orange trumpet-shaped flowers that bloom from late spring to early summer. All of these stem tendril vines tend to become heavy and need the strong support of a fence or wall.

Purple passionflower

In contrast to these weighty stem tendrils, clematis and climbing nasturtium have twining leaf tendrils that can’t adhere to large lattice trellises. Instead, they twist around slender wires, string or small twigs for support. Clematis is perhaps the most popular and most often planted flowering perennial vine. Its success depends on

planting in a sunny location with ample organic matter and proper pruning.

Jackmanii clematis is a good variety with royal purple flowers that bloom late spring to early summer. Climbing nasturtium is easy to grow as an annual. Its seeds can be planted directly in the soil next to a fence or planted in a container with a light trellis. As soon as you see leaders on the twining leaf vines, loop them around the strings or wires of your support.

English ivy and euonymus are examples of adventitious vines that grow well in Colorado. The small, pinkish-white flowers of euonymus are less likely to attract hummingbirds than bright red or purple flowers, but they are valuable sources of nectar for other pollinators.

Regardless of your choice, all of these flowering vines will add color to your garden and enjoyment for you and hummingbirds alike.

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.

OUTDOORS

CARP ON THE FLY

BY DENNIS SMITH OUTDOORS@COLOR ADOCOUNTRYLIFE.ORG

L

ong before I became enamored of fly fishing for trout, I’d fish for anything that had fins and swam. And I’d use whatever bait, lure or method I thought would work. Worms, grubs, slugs, nightcrawlers, minnows, frogs, crawdads, hellgrammites, grasshoppers, chicken livers, hot dogs, bacon and homemade dough balls were all up for grabs. If I could get it to stick to a hook, it was bait. If it didn’t catch fish, I might eat some of it myself.

This was due chiefly to childhood innocence (or ignorance), geography reality and my financial status at the time: I was 9 or 10 years old, lived on the banks of a large warm water creek and the sum annual total of my discretionary income was roughly $60 a year.

We caught bass, bluegills, crappies, perch, eels and bullheads on a fairly regular basis, but because it was a first-generation tributary of New York’s famous Hudson River, stripers, herring, white perch, shad and white bass would sometimes find their way into the creek. There was no telling what you might latch onto when you tossed a baited hook out there.

Of all the species we chased after, though, carp were the “ne plus ultra” (on the ultimate) for the majority of us kids in those days. They

were big — enormous, in fact — compared to the bass, bluegills and crappies we normally caught. And to a kid who fishes, nothing is more impressive than a 20-pound carp. I know; I caught a 29-pounder once and got my picture in the paper. That was a big deal for an 11-year-old. The blasted things are smart too, and spookier than a cave hermit.

They’ll freak at the slightest sound or disturbance — your footsteps on the bank, your shadow on the water, the soft plop of a worm breaking the surface.

At first, we caught them on willow poles rigged with about 25 feet of Dacron line and baited with manure worms — or rather we

tried to. We’d get hookups, but without a reel and some line to help us play the brutes, we’d break most of them off on the first good run.

I still fish for carp, and occasionally I’ll even whip up a batch of anise-flavored dough balls out of sheer nostalgia, but mostly I fly fish the farm ponds for them with a heavy fly rod and a handful of drab subsurface patterns. One is a modified version of the standard woolly bugger tied with a strip of rabbit fur for the tail instead of marabou.

I tie it in three basic colors: black, brown and olive. I sometimes add a small pair of dumbbell eyes to the thing to get it down on the bottom where carp do most of their feeding, but I’ve found it’s often better to use a sink-tip line and a short leader because the sound of that little weighted fly striking the water can terrify a carp feeding in the shallows.

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 under in Living in Colorado.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2021

23

UPGRADE TO ELECTRICITY AND SAVE IN YOUR HOME At Tri-State, we’re doing our part so that electricity benefits you.

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Unsurprisingly, studies have shown that those adhering to a Mediterranean type diet decrease their risk of diabetes by 83%.

AGHG seems to have discovered a way to mimic the effects of this diet with a simple, low cost, all natural pill.

Bottling Up Secrets of The Mediterranean Diet Early in our interview with AGHG, we asked where they got their inspiration for AloTRIM. They explained that it stemmed from their fascination with the Mediterranean culture, specifically their diet.

Thousands of studies have shown the those following this diet have had incredible success in losing weight and burning body.

The American Diabetes Association states that it can lower your risk of serious blood sugar by 83%.

Most experts say success with this diet is directly correlated with it being “plant-based”. Tons of fruits and veggies and very few calories.

On the surface this makes sense. However, we now know the real secret can be attributed to what’s hiding in these foods. More specifically, in two popular fruits.

Natural Compounds That Trigger Weight Loss There are countless reasons why you might be

BOTTLING UP THE #1 SECRET BEHIND TODAYS TOP DIET: The hybrid ingredient in AloTRIM has been shown to reduce waist size, body fat and improve blood sugar levels. It combines two fruit extracts popular in the Mediterranean Diet which experts believe are the secret to its success.

struggling with your weight. It could be your diet.

Maybe it’s genetics. The list is endless.

But regardless of how you got here, there are only a few things going on in your body that have you stuck.

“High blood sugar and lots of inflammation are almost always the reason why someone can’t lose weight”, explains Dr. Leal.

“When blood sugar is too high for too long you can become insulin resistant and instead of using sugar for energy, you store it as fat.

“Inflammation is another problem no one’s talking about it” they add.

“Studies have found that inflammation can mess with the hormone leptin. Leptin tells your brain when to eat and when to stop. Its nickname is the hunger hormone.

“Inflammation can cause this hormone to trip up so instead of feeling full, you always feel hungry.

Not ideal for losing weight”.

The active ingredient in AloTRIM is called PolmOlive, a hybrid of two fruits extracts that tackle these problems head on.

These extracts contain high levels of polyphenols and more importantly, triterpenoids, a huge weight loss discovery.

These compounds have been proven to drastically improve your glucose levels, insulin resistance and squash inflammation.

The perfect weight loss trifecta, studies prove it!

Real Studies Conducted on Humans, Not Animals An enormous amount of research backs AloTRIM and its key ingredient PolmOlive.

The most well-known is the 60 person, double-blind placebo controlled study conducted over 8 weeks. Both groups were given the same general diet and exercise suggestions.

For those taking PolmOlive, results were astounding compared to the control group users reported: • Body Weight down 22% • Decrease of BMI (Body Mass Index) by 17% • Decrease of Belly Fat by 29% • Decrease in Body Fat by 24% • Healthy Muscle Mass Gain of 29% • Support Healthy Blood Sugar Levels • PLUS…Participants lost nearly 2 INCHES off their Waist Size!

A Pill Backed By Award-Winning Research The main ingredient in AloTRIM is called

PolmOlive.

It is a hybrid combination of two fruit extracts which are prevalent in the Mediterranean diet, perhaps the most successful weight loss regiment to date.

Research has shown that body fat can accumulate for various reasons but only two situations in the body are keeping you from losing it.

The first, high blood sugar, can cause insulin resistance where all the sugar you eat gets stored as fat.

The second, inflammation, can cause your “hunger hormone” leptin to falter so that you always feel hungry, never satisfied.

Clinical studies have shown that the fruit ex- tracts in PolmOlive, tackle these two problems head on due to their high levels of polyphenols and triterpenoids.

Emerging research now suggests that these compounds are the main drivers of success behind the Mediterranean diet Remarkably, AloTRIM aims to mimic it in pill form.

Less Fat, More Lean Muscle in 2021 Or You Pay Nothing AloTRIM is the new weight loss pill for 2021 that’s helping adults all over the country transform their bodies.

With daily use, it can trigger weight loss, burn belly fat, balance your blood sugar. It can even improve your cholesterol, triglycerides and help you build (even preserve) muscle.

Readers can now regain their confidence, restore their health and reclaim the physical capabilities they’ve been robbed from low their weight struggles.

HOW TO CLAIM A FREE SUPPLY TODAY

This is an exclusive offer for our readers. And so, AloTRIM® is offering up to 3 FREE bottles and FREE S&H with their order. While supplies last you may also receive a FREE book on Aloe Vera health benefits.

A special hotline number has been created for all residents. This is the best way to try AloTRIM® with their 100% satisfaction guarantee, and any free gifts are yours to keep no matter what.

This special give-away is available only for a limited time so don’t wait. All you have to do is call TOLL- FREE 1-800-461-2320, the special promotion will automatically be applied.

Important: Due to a surge in sales supplies are not guaranteed beyond the next 48 hours. Call now to not lose out on this offer.

THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FDA. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE, OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE. RESULTS MAY VARY. CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN BEFORE TAKING THIS SUPPLEMENT.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2021

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FOCUS ON HISTORY

The Focus On section is a monthly spotlight on something special in our state. Have a fun suggestion for a feature?

Email info@coloradocountrylife.org.

VISIT BEULAH

Uncovering What Time Forgot

When a 150-year-old cabin was discovered inside the walls of a 1950s-era home on a ranch near Beulah, a link to Colorado’s history was revealed. The cabin, built of milled timbers, was the home of Peter and Emily Dotson when it was featured in a national magazine in 1879. Then, through the years, rooms were added, drywall was added and the cabin was encased in newer-looking buildings.

Starting with a $10,000 donation from San Isabel Electric Association, the local electric co-op, the Beulah Heritage Preservation League was formed and it relocated the cabin to a park across from Beulah School.



WHERE IS THE CABIN? How was the cabin found?

What makes this cabin special?

When local historian James Campbell learned about the Dotsons, their home and the Harper’s Weekly story, he contacted current ranch owners Reeves and Betsy Brown. They were planning to tear down a ranch building that, unbeknownst to them, might include the Dotson Cabin. Painstaking removal of stucco and drywall uncovered the old cabin.

The large logs hewed by a skilled craftsman and the dovetailed joinery show special skills. There is also the history of Peter Dotson, a former U.S. marshal. Peter, with his involvement in ranching, mining and politics, played a role in developing southern Colorado in the mid to late 1800s. He was known as “Uncle Pete” and his place became a destination for travelers wanting to see a real Colorado ranch after the national magazine article was published.

Photo courtesy of the Beulah Heritage Preservation League.

LEARN MORE ONLINE

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Beulah Heritage Preservation League 8674 Schoolhouse Lane P. O. Box 12 Beulah, CO 81023 Email: beulahhpl@gmail.com

Is it open for visiting?

The Beulah Heritage Preservation League is raising money to finish the interior of the cabin. Donations are being accepted through its website at beulahhpl.com. Plans are to have the cabin open for limited hours on weekends by mid to late summer.

Check the website for information.

3D Virtual Tour: Walk through the newly discovered Dotson Cabin located in Betsy’s Park.

Visit the Focus On section at coloradocountrylife.coop. Look under Living in Colorado.

YOUR STORIES

READERS’ PHOTOS

DO YOU WRITE POETRY? Send us your best work; we’d love to read it.

FUNNY STORIES

Submit your best works via email to: info@coloradocountrylife.org or mail to: Colorado Country Life 5400 Washington St., Denver, CO 80216 Include your mailing address and name of your local electric co-op.

Celebrating Earth Day in Florida! Betty Dethmers, a consumer-member of Sangre de Cristo Electric Association, stands in front of Pier 60 at Clearwater Beach, Florida.

READER POETRY Campfire Light A certain feeling comes along at night When you are in the woods by the campfire light.

It has nothing to do with spooks or fright But more with forest sounds and dim lit sights; Like hot snapping embers that hiss and crack And shadows beyond the trees, thick and black;

Peter Magielnicki’s kids enjoy the green of spring at Thomas Jefferson’s Rotunda in Charlottesville, Virginia. They are consumer-members of Empire Electric Association.

Or the sound of a loon calling us back To the places of moose and beaver track.

The night is for resting and warming our feet And drying our socks by the campfire heat.

Then standing and turning to warm our seat, And feeling at last that the day is complete, Chris Langseth, Fort Garland San Isabel Electric consumer-member

Pinyon Pine Paranoia

WINNER: Larry Pieper takes his copy of CCL to the National Ranching Heritage Center in Lubbock, Texas.

He is a consumer-member of San Isabel Electric Association.

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, address and your local co-op to info@coloradocountrylife.org. We’ll draw one photo to win $25 each month. The next deadline is Tuesday, June 15. Name, address and co-op must accompany photo. See all of the submitted photos on Facebook at facebook.com/COCountryLife.

What’s that?

Whispers to me.

Fine spines of pinyon pine.

In a voice west southwest at ten.

Caught by surprise, I pass with no reply.

Inspired.

Onward downwind.

Fawning greetings await.

One kilometer down the road.

Here’s the Russian olive I’ve come to see.

Silence.

Not a murmur.

Fallen leaves are speechless.

Barren limbs and twigs disregard.

As I wonder if the breeze was poisoned.

Ben W. Wiley, Walsenburg San Isabel Electric consumer-member

During a recent family dinner, I told my greatnieces that they were living through history.

“Just think,” I said, “someday you will be able to tell your children that you survived the pandemic of 2020.” The 13-year-old jumped out of her chair and responded, “No kidding.

If I ever hear them say they are bored, I’ll say you don’t know what bored is!”

Mary Graziano, Fruita Grand Valley Power consumer-member Many years ago, Beth, my wife, and I were team teaching at an outdoor education facility. The fourth-grade class took a mid morning break.

When the kids returned, one of the girls raised her hand and said, “My teacher told us that you are married.” She paused in thought, then said, “But you talk like individuals.”

Herb Folsom, Mancos Empire Electric Association consumer-member I had a bad cold for a week and my son got all the grandchildren together to say a prayer for Grandma’s recovery. After they prayed for me to get better, my 4-year-old grandson, Josiah, said, “And don’t let Grandma get hit by a truck.”

Where that came from, I don’t know, but I’ll take all the prayers I can get.

Regina Jameson, Beulah San Isabel Electric Association consumer-member

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 2021 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.

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DISCOVERIES

Explore Colorado History These lesser-known museums are amazing and awaiting your arrival Wyman Living History Ranch & Museum, Craig

Wyman Living History Ranch & Museum Lou Wyman started his collection of historic relics in 1949 with an abandoned 1932 Lincoln and ultimately opened the Wyman Museum in the Yampa Valley in 2006. Today you can peruse his collection of saws, military items and license plates; an old-timey hearse and sheep wagon; as well as a blacksmith shop, a 1918 barn, a one-room schoolhouse and more. Admission is free, but donations are greatly appreciated. For more information, call 970-824-6346 or visit wymanlivinghistorymuseum.com.

Cheyenne County Jail Cheyenne County Jail (Old Cheyenne County Jail Museum) opened in 1894 and was recognized by the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. Designed by Denver architect Robert S. Roeschlaub — whose projects include East High School in Denver, the Isis Theatre in Aspen and the First Congregational Church of Manitou Springs, to name a few — the jail housed the area’s bad guys as well as the sheriff and his family. For more information, visit tinyurl.com/43tj4kxs.

Photo by Jimmy Emerson, DVM, via Flickr

Fort Morgan Museum Fort Morgan’s rich agricultural, military and railroad history is prominent at the Fort Morgan Museum. Here you will also find a Native American history exhibit, a railroad display and a scale model of the Fort Morgan area that represents the area in the early 1900s. And don’t forget about Glenn Miller. The famous musician went to high school and started his career here, and the museum created an auditorium in his name. For more information, call 970-542-4010 or visit vimeo.com/451805892.

San Juan County Historical Society The San Juan County Historical Society has helped to preserve several historical sites in the San Juan County area since 1964. If you’re in Silverton, be sure to visit these sites, which include the Mining Heritage Center, the 1902 Jail, the Old Hundred Boarding House and more historical gems. The SJCHS continues its mission to preserve these sites and is supported by a variety of Colorado and national historical organizations, private foundations and visitors. For information, visit sanjuancountyhistoricalsociety.org.

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