Colorado Country Life October 2019 Sangre de Cristo

SANGRE DE CRISTO ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION, INC.

OCTOBER 2019

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Number 10

Volume 50

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

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

EDITORIAL Denver Corporate Office, 5400 Washington Street, Denver, CO 80216 mneeley@coloradocountrylife.org | 303-455-4111 coloradocountrylife.coop | facebook.com/COCountryLife Pinterest.com/COCountryLife | Instagram.com/cocountrylife Twitter.com/COCountryLife | YouTube.com/COCountryLife1 Editorial opinions published in Colorado Country Life magazine shall pertain to issues affecting rural electric cooperatives, rural communities and citizens. The opinion of CREA is not necessarily that of any particular cooperative or individual.

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

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

On the OCTOBER 2019

PLUS DUMP CAKE RECIPES

12

PROTECTING CONSUMER DATA

20

TALES OF THE MICKEY FINN

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Cover Illustration by Cathy Morrison, a consumer-member of Poudre Valley RE A from Livermore, Colorado. cathymorrison.blogspot. com

“St. Elmo Autumn” by DJ DeJong, a consumer-member of Sangre de Cristo Electric Association.

4 VIEWPOINT

5 LETTERS

6 ASK THE ENERGY EXPERT

7 YOUR CO-OP NEWS

12 RECIPES

14 NEWS CLIPS

16 COVER STORY HUNTING HISTORY’S LOST RICHES

COCountryLife pinned: Looking for a great fall dessert to serve? Try the Gingerbread Apple Cake by Anne Schaeffer. It is a dump cake recipe — that means no mixing bowls and easy clean-up.

Get the recipe at coloradocountrylife.coop.

20 INDUSTRY 22 GARDENING

24 OUTDOORS

26 MARKETPLACE

27 CREATIVE CORNER

28 COMMUNITY EVENTS

29 YOUR STORIES

30 DISCOVERIES

FACEBOOK CHATTER Colorado Rural Electric Association shared: The Oklahoma-Colorado Energy Trails team did a great job. Here’s a look back at the day the lights came one in Sillab, Guatemala.

Monthly Contest Enter for your chance to win a copy of Dump Cake Magic by Anne Schaeffer.

Try one of her recipes from the book on page 12 of the magazine.

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

coloradocountrylife.coop

PINTEREST SNEAK PEEK

INSTAGRAM PIC of the month colorado_electric_cooperatives posted: This is what a $66,000 market beef looks like! Fun day at the co-op sponsored livestock sale at the #coloradostatefair. .

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE OCTOBER 2019

3

VIEWPOINT

Tri-State Charts a New Course

Electric co-op power supplier explores clean energy options

BY KENT SINGER

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

L

ast month the recently-hired CEO of Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Duane Highley, talked about the power supplier’s Responsible Energy Plan and his vision for how Tri-State will generate electricity for its member electric co-ops in the coming years.

As part of that new direction, Tri-State has engaged the services of the Center for the New Energy Economy, a think tank at Colorado State University that is headed up by former Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter.

Back in 2006, when Ritter was running for election, one of his primary campaign promises was to create a “new energy economy” in Colorado that relied more on renewable energy and less on fossil fuels for electricity production. To that end, during Ritter’s four-year term, 56 pieces of legislation were passed that affected several areas of electric co-op business, including the expansion of Colorado’s renewable energy standard, programs to encourage leasing solar panels, and requirements for distributed generation and net metering.

Ritter’s focus on the new energy economy followed a ballot measure that passed in Colorado in 2004. Amendment 37 created a 10% renewable energy requirement for Colorado’s investor-owned utilities and the three largest electric co-ops. At the time, we were concerned that the higher costs of renewable energy would cause the rates of our consumer-members to increase.

(Remember, in 2004, the price of a megawatt-hour of wind or solar energy was much higher than it is today.) However, by 2007, which was Ritter’s first year in office, the co-ops supported H.B. 07-1281, the bill that established a 10% renewable energy requirement for all electric co-ops by 2020.

While we were still concerned about costs, we believed that a 10% standard was reasonable and could be achieved without rate increases.

Fast forward to 2013 when a bill was introduced (Senate Bill 13-252) that increased the renewable energy standard for electric co-ops to 20% by 2020. Although the costs of renewable energy were continuing to come down, we remained concerned about the impact of the legislation on rural ratepayers. We were also concerned that S.B. 13-252 was introduced late in the session with no input from the electric co-ops. We were extremely disappointed that legislative leadership at that time did not feel it was necessary to discuss such an important policy decision with the people it would impact the most. Despite our opposition, S.B. 13-252 passed and was signed by Gov. John Hickenlooper.

Fast forward again to 2019. Today, renewable energy prices have fallen to the point where they are competitive with traditional resources in many cases. That said, it is no small task for Tri-State or any other electric utility that has made large OCTOBER 28, 2019 Grand Hyatt Hotel, Denver 1750 Welton Street Denver, Colorado 80202 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

KENT SINGER

investments in traditional resources to make a dramatic switch in its generation portfolio without incurring additional costs that have to be covered by co-op consumer-members. The Colorado legislature, by passing House Bill 19-1261, has determined that this dramatic switch must be accomplished in approximately 10 years, a challenging goal for Tri-State.

So, Tri-State asked Ritter’s Center for the New Energy Economy to convene a group of stakeholders to look at possible strategies Tri-State could utilize to meet the challenge. The group held its initial meeting in September and will work over the next several months to develop recommendations. As a member of the stakeholder group, I’m excited about exploring options that will not only protect the affordability and reliability of the co-op electric grid, but also meet the objectives of our governor and legislature.

We will discuss Tri-State’s new direction and many other topics at CREA’s 10th annual Energy Innovations Summit October 28. Hope to see you there.

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

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

THIS YEAR’S TOPICS INCLUDE: Beneficial Electrification Battery Storage Micro Grids Combined Heat & Power Community Choice Aggregation Nuclear Power Net Zero Carbon Emissions

ONLINE REGISTRATION & AN EVENT SCHEDULE AT CREA.COOP

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE OCTOBER 2019

LETTERS

FROM THE EDITOR

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

I’ve got more stories to tell

BY MONA NEELEY

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Colorado Should be Colorful

EDITOR

his magazine you’re reading is the 300th issue of Colorado Country Life I’ve worked on. For the last 25 years, I have been privileged to help tell the stories of electric co-op consumers and other Coloradans involved in all kinds of interesting, intriguing and adventurous activities.

When I started in 1994, I was new to Colorado. I used CCL’s focus on local communities and people to explore this amazing state. As I helped fill magazine pages, my family and I learned some history at Bent’s Fort in the southeastern corner of the state. In northeastern Colorado, we thrilled at air show acrobatics in Akron. We watched a holiday tractor parade chug down the main street in Westcliffe, saw balloons rise over Steamboat Springs and hiked through the cliff dwellings in southwestern

Colorado’s Mesa MONA NEELEY Verde National Park.

I have also connected with amazing people and their stories. There was the nurse who shared her skills on Mercy Ships in Africa, an entrepreneur who invented a new kind of prosthetic leg to help athletes and others be active, artists and sculptors who shared their talent, an Olympic ski team hopeful, Medal of Honor recipients and even a murder mystery, which has since been solved.

And, I’m not done. There are more stories waiting to be told. Don’t miss an issue.

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.

I really do not understand why the “Welcome to Colorful Colorado” sign isn’t colorful. At a minimum, we could have letters in more than white. Our neighbors to the west have welcome signs that reflect what their state has to offer.

Ken Harris, via email

JUNE 2019

Discover the Unexpected

PLUS

PALATE-PLEASING FREEZER MEALS

12

FUEL FOR THE ROAD

22

BEST TIME FOR FLY FISHING

24

Kudos for Tributes, Charity

Viewpoint (July ’19) was a poignant tribute to writer Kent Singer’s father. It parallels my experience. My father taught me to fish using a cane pole and catching panfish. He also served in the Army when the USSR was building the Berlin Wall. We were stationed at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, north of the Mexican border in ’61 and ’62. He passed away in 2010 and I think of him daily. My mother followed in 2015 and she is in my thoughts daily as well.

Thank you also for the work you are doing in Guatemala. I wish all companies had the heart that you folks show. It would be a better world.

Kurt Buss, Larimer County Poudre Valley REA consumer-member “Remembering Dad” was brilliant and poetic.

My husband and I are fortunate that all four of our parents are living. It’s hard not to dread the day we lose them. The article reminds us that even when we become adult orphans, we can still keep the memories of those people who shaped us alive by sharing their stories.

Sarah Simon San Isabel Electric consumer-member

Support for Guatemala

A team of representatives from local electric co-ops rode in the 2019 Pedal the Plains bicycle tour of the eastern plains of Colorado. This three-day tour took riders on a more than 160-mile adventure highlighting three unique, small communities: Lamar, Holly and Springfield.

For more information and to make an online donation, visit poweringtheplains.coop

Deadline to sponsor the team and raise money for Energy Outreach Colorado is October 15.

Send your check to: CEEI/PTP, 5400 Washington St., Denver, CO 80216.

Last Chance to Donate

I have had the pleasure of visiting Guatemala three times. It is a beautiful county, but it has great poverty. I thank and applaud Colorado’s electric cooperatives and their linemen for the good work they are doing bringing electricity and water to the rural villages.

Lee Calderwood, Albuquerque, New Mexico

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

Letters may be edited for length.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE OCTOBER 2019

5

ASK THE ENERGY EXPERT

OPEN THE DOOR TO COMFORT IN THE GARAGE Adding insulation can also save energy, money

BY JAMES DULLEY

I

f you have an old, uninsulated garage door, you may want to consider replacing it.

This is both for comfort when working in the garage and to reduce energy use.

The most common garage door materials are wood, insulated steel, insulated fiberglass and aluminum and glass. Of these, the insulated steel or fiberglass offer the best equivalent to insulation similar to that in house walls. The overall high efficiency results both from the insulation value and the rigidity of the door, which remains airtight over its life.

If you prefer the appearance of wood, but want higher efficiency, select a clad insulated steel garage door. A 1/2-inch-thick polymer coating over the exterior steel skin has authentic wood grain molded into the surface so it looks like stained wood. A

2-inch-thick door with the polymer coating provides R-20.4 insulation.

An insulated steel door is probably the least expensive design to meet your efficiency and comfort needs. The foam inside the door can be either preformed rigid polystyrene or foamed-in-place urethane foam.

The urethane foam has a higher insulation level. A lower-cost 1 3/8-inch-thick door with rigid polystyrene still provides R-6.3 insulation.

When choosing a steel door, look for one with a polymer thermal break separating the outdoor and indoor metal skins to reduce heat loss. This is not a factor on a fiberglass door. A 24- to 27-gauge (lower gauge number is thicker) galvanized steel skin is durable. Hot-dipped galvanized steel tracks and 14-gauge hinges are advisable.

For more energy efficiency tips, talk to the energy experts at your local electric cooperative.

James Dulley writes utility bill-cutting and general money-saving magazine articles and writes nationally syndicated $ensible Home and Cut Your Utility Bills columns for 200 newspapers and magazines.

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE OCTOBER 2019

SANGRE DE CRISTO ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION, INC. The Outlet OCTOBER 2019

MAILING ADDRESS P.O. Box 2013 Buena Vista, CO 81211-2013 STREET ADDRESS 29780 North U.S. Highway 24 Buena Vista, CO 81211

ph 719-395-2412 tf 844-395-2412 fax 719-395-8742 web www.myelectric.coop Facebook.com/SDCEA.Inc Twitter: @SDCEA_Inc

YOUR CO-OP NEWS

SDCEA HOSTS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE MANAGERS

BY PAUL ERICKSON

E

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

lectric cooperative managers from the four-state region served by Tri-State Generation and Transmission met in July at Mt. Princeton Hot Springs Resort for a meeting that was hosted by Sangre de Cristo Electric Association.

Tri-State supplies wholesale power to 43 electric cooperatives in Colorado, New Mexico, Nebraska and Wyoming.

SDCEA purchases its wholesale power supply from Tri-State. Electric cooperatives like SDCEA enter long-term contracts with wholesale power suppliers so those wholesale suppliers may plan, finance and build the infrastructure necessary to deliver power over many years — for the foreseeable future. That infrastructure includes the development of power plants, renewable energy facilities, transmission lines and other infrastructure. Tri-State’s forecasting creates a long-term plan to meet the power demands of consumers in the future.

Tri-State’s newly-appointed Chief Executive Officer Duane Highley kicked off the two-day meeting with a report

PAUL ERICKSON

addressing a number of items that have been at the forefront of energy and environmental news coverage about Tri-State in recent months.

Highley’s remarks included a discussion of Tri-State’s bid to be regulated federally in lieu of balancing a patchwork of different regulatory requirements from the four states in which it operates.

Other topics covered during the meeting included how long-term contracts may be changed so SDCEA may provide renewable energy through more of its own local projects. Battery storage, Tri-State’s Responsible Cooperative Energy Plan, legislative processes, future environmental regulations and affordable clean energy were also addressed.

Solar Panel Options For SDCEA Consumers

S

angre de Cristo Electric Association consumers interested in cutting their power bill by installing solar panels, please call our office first. We want you to be an informed consumer before you buy a photovoltaic system, and we certainly want you to know all of your options and costs before you install a system.

We’re happy to answer your questions. Know what you are buying before you buy. Please be wary of door-to-door or third-party salespeople using their interpretation of SDCEA’s policies and information as a pitch for you to buy a product from them.

Call us at 719-395-2412 and ask to speak with our energy use advisor about your solar proposal. Or get in touch with us via email at communications@myelectric.coop.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE OCTOBER 2019

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YOUR CO-OP NEWS

See an Animal Stranded High Up on a Power Pole? Call Us! CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION MATCHING

W

e have some exciting news.

Sangre de Cristo Electric Association wants to help you support charitable organizations. If you are a member of SDCEA, when you make a financial contribution to a qualified non-profit organization, SDCEA may match your donation.

You can find the program guidelines and the matching grant application on our website at myelectric.coop/commu nity/matching-grant-program. The instructions for completing and submitting the application are included on the first page of the application.

If you have any questions, contact SDCEA at 719- 395-2412 or send an email to communications@myelectric.coop.

2020 YOUTH TOUR SCHEDULED: APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE SOON The 2020 Electric Cooperative Washington D.C. Youth Tour is scheduled for June 18-25, 2020.

Current high school sophomores, juniors and seniors are eligible to apply for the all-expense-paid trip.

Applications will be accepted beginning this fall. Watch for an update on SDCEA’s website—myelectric.coop— when the application is made available.

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE OCTOBER 2019

My cat (or another animal) is stuck high on a power pole.

Now what?

Never, ever attempt to climb the pole to reach the cat or attempt to lure the cat down by climbing the pole or using a ladder.

Energized lines on a pole carry more than enough electricity to kill a person and the cat. Do not think you will avoid contact with electricity by only climbing part way or using something to coax the animal down.

The ONLY person who should EVER go up a power pole under any circumstance is a trained lineworker.

Call Sangre de Cristo Electric’s dispatch, 1-844-395-2412 or 719-3952412 to report the issue. Dispatch will contact a line crew to respond to the situation. Once on scene, lineworkers will determine whether or not they can safely retrieve the cat. Lineworkers are highly-trained specialists who can assess the specific power configuration of the pole, which will be considered as part of a potential rescue plan.

The safety of our lineworkers is paramount in this situation. If a crew feels like they can safely retrieve the cat, they will. If they feel they cannot safely retrieve the cat, they will likely wait to take action.

Happily, the vast majority of cats on power poles make their way back down on

their own without help or injury. Most of the time a cat has been chased up a pole by a predator or another cat. The cat on the pole is agitated or scared. Crowds may further upset the cat, causing it to climb higher and put itself in more danger. Giving the cat time to calm down makes it more likely it will come down safely on its own.

The difficulty for pet owners can be waiting for the cat to come down, which can take minutes to hours to days.

Understandably, people who love their pets grow increasingly worried about their animal as time goes by, but patience and communication with SDCEA lineworkers is key to a good resolution to the issue.

Why can’t lineworkers just cut power to the pole, go up and get the cat?

Electrical lines are connected to other power lines. If one pole’s power is cut, it impacts other services on that line. Cutting power to one line can impact nine, 100 or maybe even thousands of other people, depending on its characteristics.

Because people rely on power for everything from completing an important application or project on their computer, to running a business or for the delivery of life-saving oxygen or other essential medical services, this is not a simple response to a problem.

NEW PHONE/EMAIL

OUTAGES

If you have changed your phone number or email address since taking service with Sangre de Cristo Electric Association, please update your information with us.

Go to our website, myelectric.coop to create an account with updated information, or update information if you already have an account.

You may also call us 8 a.m.-5 p.m. M-F at 719-395-2412 or toll-free 844-395-2412.

Do you have an outage to report? Don’t hesitate to call 719-395-2412 or toll-free 844-395-2412. A live operator will assist you 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.

DO NOT email your outage information or post your outage information on social media. SDCEA cannot monitor that information effectively, especially after hours. The only way to be sure we know you have an outage is to phone it in.

YOUR CO-OP NEWS

MYTHS & MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT POWER LINES

H

ave you ever wondered why a bird can sit on a live wire or what you should do if a power line is on the ground? Here are some questions and answers to some common misconceptions concerning power lines, birds on a wire and other conundrums:

Q: What do I do if I see a downed power line?

A: Vacate the area and call 911 to report it.

Do not return to the area until you are given the go-ahead by authorities.

Q: Can I tell from looking or listening if a downed power line is still live?

A: Absolutely not. Although it’s possible you could see or hear signs that the power line is live, a live wire may not spark or arc and it may not make any noise at all.

Q: Where might downed power lines be?

A: A downed power line might be in the street, ditch or field after a bad storm or car accident. It could also be lurking in floodwater or under debris, trees or other objects after a severe storm. Once a line is on the ground, it is not automatically dead, even if the power is off in your area. There’s a good chance the line is still energized, which not only means you should not touch it, it also means the surrounding ground and any metal objects nearby could be energized and extremely dangerous, even deadly.

REBATES Sangre de Cristo Electric Association, Inc. and its power supplier, Tri-State G e n e rat i o n a n d Tra n s m i ss i o n Association, Inc., have teamed up to bring you rebates for installing Energy Star-rated water heaters and Energy Starrated appliances.

Want to learn more? Go to our website, myelectric.coop, click on Save Energy & Money and head to the rebates tab.

Q: Why might a power line be down or damaged?

A: A car accident may cause a line to be hanging down or on the ground; severe weather could damage a pole or line; or, in some cases, it’s caused by another unforeseeable reason, such as a storm-damaged tree or hungry squirrel.

Q: Why can a bird sit on a power line and not be hurt? Doesn’t that mean the line is insulated?

A: No. Lines are sometimes coated for protection against the elements but are still deadly on contact. A bird or other critter can sit on a power line because there is no path to ground. If the animal comes in contact with the utility pole or other grounded source, it will be electrocuted, just as a person would be under the same circumstances.

Q: Do different kinds of utility lines look different?

A: Perhaps, but, for the most part, the nonutility professional cannot know what kind of line it is and what it carries

— electricity, phone service, cable television and so on — just by looking. You also can’t tell how much voltage it is carrying by its appearance.

Q: What if my car comes in contact with a downed power line?

A: Do not get out and do not try to drive over it. Call 911 and wait for utility personnel to de-energize the line. If you smell gas or if there is a fire, exit your car with a solid jump, landing on both feet (but don’t touch the car at the same time) and do not walk, but rather shuffle away without lifting your feet.

Q: Can I help someone who is in an accident involving a downed power line?

A: No. Do not go near the scene and warn others not to do so. Although our first instinct is often to help, a person running near an energized area could get electrocuted.

Contact Sangre de Cristo Electric Association at 719-395-2412 with any questions about downed lines. For more information about electrical safety, visit SafeElectricity.org.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE OCTOBER 2019

9

YOUR CO-OP NEWS

COLORADO’S ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES SPONSOR JUNIOR LIVESTOCK SALE AT STATE FAIR

M

ore than $500,000 went to rural young people who brought championship livestock to the Colorado State Fair in Pueblo in August.

The annual Junior Livestock Sale, sponsored by Colorado’s Electric Cooperatives, is the largest event of its kind in Colorado and the championship event for the state’s 4-H and FFA youth. According to state fair officials, the 2019 sale included the record $66,000 sale of the grand champion market beef raised by Shae Stone of Eaton.

The sale is sponsored each year by Sangre de Cristo Electric Association, Colorado Country Life, the Colorado Rural

Benjamin Stafford with his first-place market steer.

Electric Association, the Colorado Rural Electric Member Services group, Tri-State Generation and Transmission and 18 other electric co-ops in Colorado. The young exhibitors who won champion; reserve champion; and first, second and third place in their livestock divisions have the opportunity to auction their animals at this sale.

All proceeds from the sale go directly to the education funds of the youth exhibitors.

“The electric cooperatives in Colorado are honored to sponsor this event, especially since most of the exhibitors live in electric co-op territory,” Paul Erickson, SDCEA CEO said.

Emma Rusk with her second-place market steer.

For the last 39 years, gross sales have totaled more than $10.8 million, all of which went directly to the agricultural youth who raised the animals.

This year’s entrants in the sale from the SDCEA service territory included three representatives from Custer County: Benjamin Stafford, who entered a firstplace market steer; Emma Rusk, who entered a second-place market steer; and Kenna Ingram, who entered a second-place middleweight blackface market lamb in the sale.

Kenna Ingram with her second-place middleweight blackface market lamb.

COO PAT BERNHARDT RETIRES

Dot and Pat Bernhardt.

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE OCTOBER 2019

Longtime employee Pat Bernhardt retired from Sangre de Cristo Electric Association at the end of the summer. Pat rose through the ranks at SDCEA, beginning his career as an apprentice lineman in the 1980s. In 2011, he became chief operations officer, the position from which he retired.

“Pat dedicated his entire career to the consumers of SDCEA. He took serving our consumers very seriously,” Chief Executive Officer Paul Erickson said, noting Pat was a highly-trusted member of the management team. “SDCEA is better for Pat having served it.”

MEMBERS ONLY Sangre de Cristo Electric Association posts rates, policies, board meeting information, annual reports, board contacts and more for our consumer-members to access at any time. To view these items, create an account on our website at myelectric. coop. Sign in and find this information under the Members Only section. If you have any questions about how to access this information, call our office. 719-3952412 or toll-free 844-395-2412.

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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.LowVisionofColorado.com

RECIPES

EASY, BREEZY, PLEASE-Y

This fun cookbook takes out the middleman: mixing bowls

BY AMY HIGGINS

WIN A COPY

| RECIPES@COLOR ADOCOUNTRYLIFE.ORG

Delicious desserts with easy cleanup.

T

Enter our October contest for your chance to win a copy of Dump Cake Magic. Simply email your name, mailing address and phone number to contests@coloradocountrylife.org. We will choose a winner on October 15.

he smell of fall is in the air and brisker days await. On days like this, what could be better than a warm beverage and a slice of cake fresh out of the oven? Ease and convenience, that’s what. Dump Cake Magic by Anne Schaeffer allows you to boot out the mixing bowls and instead bake a delicious dessert by directly dumping the ingredients into the baking pan. The cookbook is color coded by what type of dessert you desire: “Tropical Tastes,” “Seasonal Sensations,” “Nuts, Spices and Holiday Treats” and “Decadent Delights.” So, save your mixing bowls for late-night popcorn on movie night and simplify your baking endeavors with recipes like this:

Autumn Spice Scoops 2 (21-ounce) cans apple pie filling 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 1 (15.25-ounce) package spice cake mix 3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, thinly sliced 1 cup chopped pecans Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Spread apple pie filling in prepared baking dish. Sprinkle cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and sugar evenly over pie filling. Spread dry cake mix over spices. Arrange butter slices over the top. Scatter pecans over all. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown on top and bubbly around edges.

Give this dump cake a try:

AUTHOR’S TIP Pour liquid ingredients into the pan slowly and stir gently (if desired) to avoid dry spots and messes.

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE OCTOBER 2019

Deep Dish Pumpkin Snack Cake.

Get the recipe at coloradocountrylife.coop.

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13

NEWS CLIPS

LEARN WHAT’S NEW IN THE ELECTRIC INDUSTRY

W

ell-known speakers, interesting panels and a room full of innovative vendors are on tap for the October 28 Energy Innovations Summit hosted by the Colorado Rural Electric Association, the trade association for Colorado’s electric cooperatives.

Held at the Grand Hyatt Denver Hotel at 1750 Welton St., the daylong conference will also include luncheon speaker Michael Shellenberger, founder and president of Environmental Progress. Known as a “climate guru” and named Time magazine “Hero of the Environment,” he has

Michael Shellenberger, founder of Environmental Progress, is the lunch speaker at the summit.

been an environmental and social justice advocate for over 25 years. He regularly contributes to Forbes, The New York Times

and The Washington Post, as well as giving TED talks.

Other topics planned for the day include panels on net zero carbon emissions; micro grids; energy storage, such as batteries; and carbon capture and storage. There will also be a vendor fair introducing attendees to innovative equipment and software.

Visit crea.coop and click on the registration box. The conference is open to anyone interested in what’s ahead for the electric industry.

Do Electric Trucks Make Sense for Your Local Co-op?

Colorado Co-op Tops Energy List A new energy storage project at United Power, an electric cooperative headquartered in Brighton, put the co-op on an annual top 10 utility list.

United Power added an energy storage system with 18.2 megawatt-hours of interconnected capacity to its system in 2018. With the largest battery storage system in Colorado, United Power was the only utility in the state to make the list compiled by the Smart Electric Power Alliance. It was ranked number 10 on the list and, with only 92,000 meters, it was the smallest utility on the list.

The survey ranked battery storage initiatives from a mix of investorowned, municipal and cooperative utility systems.

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE OCTOBER 2019

“Being recognized in the top 10 with some of the largest utilities across the country is an honor and a testament to the innovation that our board and staff are working hard to achieve. We want to ensure that the latest emerging energy technologies are powering our members into the future,” said John Parker, United Power’s chief executive officer. “Despite being one of the smaller utilities on this list, we continue to be leaders in energy innovation … when measured against some of the largest investor-owned utilities across the country.”

“The utilities in the top 10 are truly spearheading the progress we’ve seen in the electric sector this past year,” said Julia Hamm, SEPA’s president and CEO.

Battery-powered electric commercial trucks, such as electric utility line trucks, are gaining attention. While they are currently not commercially ready, they are on the horizon.

With that in mind, electric cooperatives across the country, under the umbrella of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, are working with the North American Council for Freight Efficiency as they discuss when these vehicles will be ready for deployment.

NACFE is an unbiased and fuel agnostic organization helping co-ops look at the benefits, challenges and payback of these new commercial vehicles as they come on the market. That is helping each electric co-op determine if and when electric vehicles are right for that specific co-op.

NEWS CLIPS

WHAT’S ON THAT POLE?

original illustration by Erin Binkley

This illustration shows the basic equipment found on electric utility poles.

The equipment varies according to the location and the service they provide.

Home-Wiring Kit Tested to Help Those Without Electricity NRECA International, an electric co-op philanthropic organization that develops and implements electrification programs across the globe, built an affordable homewiring kit that has the potential to bring electricity to millions.

The device, being piloted in Uganda, can be installed in a two-room house for

about $65, far cheaper than the $250 to $500 it typically costs to connect a home to Uganda’s electrical grid. Many Ugandans live close to power lines but can’t afford to connect to them.

It is hoped that this standardized, safe, low-cost package, which uses parts readily available in Uganda, will make connection

more economical and doable.

For the pilot project, kits were installed in 20 Ugandan homes. Ultimately, the goal is to install them throughout Uganda. The government goal is to connect 300,000 new homes to the grid each year over a 10-year period.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE OCTOBER 2019

15

COVER STORY

BY MARTIN MULCAHEY ILLUSTRATIONS BY CATHY MORRISON

B

uried gold. Lost loot. Payroll from a bygone era. All of these treasures and more lie hidden in Colorado, according to old stories that have been passed on, shared and now exist almost as legends.

It surprises many that there is supposedly so much buried treasure in Colorado that time and fading memories conspire to conceal. But, multitudes of books and television shows are dedicated to helping find these hidden fortunes. Join the search with a little research, some sturdy hiking boots and a good metal detector.

(Just remember to get permission if your search takes you onto private property.)

Tr easur es to Discover

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE OCTOBER 2019

Here are four fortunes boasting the greatest historical appeal and monetary reward. Keep in mind, some locations are remote and can be challenging to navigate. To start, it is best to establish a base camp in a nearby town and plan day excursions from the comfort of a cool and Wi-Fi enabled room. Or, the more ambitious may want to pack a tent, sleeping bags and supplies to revel in a more immersive treasure hunt.

Virginia Dale Stage Robbery

The year was 1863 and the stagecoach near tiny Virginia Dale Station just south of what is now the Wyoming border in today’s Larimer County was robbed. A wagon containing an army payroll of $60,000 (over $2.5 million today) in gold was robbed by six gunmen. The loot, which was months of back pay for soldiers at Fort Sanders near today’s Laramie, Wyoming, consisted mostly of freshly minted $10 and $20 double eagle coins.

The outlaws were quickly set on by a motivated cavalry unit dispatched from the Wyoming territory. They had no choice but to quickly bury the gold with the hope of circling back after losing the cavalry.

It was not their destiny, as the running shoot-out culminated violently. Five thieves were killed in subsequent skirmishes, leaving the location of the loot a mystery to this day. The only evidence that the payroll existed was an empty strongbox found abandoned beside a creek bed.

The shadowy sixth man and supposed ringleader of the bandits was rumored to be notorious Jack Slade.

He, not coincidentally, worked as a station manager for the company that was robbed. There was never enough evidence to bring Slade before a jury, but the U.S. Army and

COVER STORY

detectives hired by the stage company surveilled Slade after his firing. Any hope of catching Slade retrieving the gold was dashed when Slade was hanged in Montana a year later for unrelated crimes.

The robbery took place one mile from Virginia Dale Station, at Long View Hill, with the gunmen reportedly riding west toward moderately wooded foothills. The area teemed with outlaws, as the landscape provided natural hideout places, and nearby Table Mountain was the site of a cabin locals called “Robbers Roost.” Situated a couple miles northeast of Virginia Dale Station, it sat atop a steep cliff with shale rim providing the inhabitants advanced warning of approaching lawmen.

Today, Virginia Dale Station is an off-the-grid destination for western history aficionados. The old Overland Trail stage station was added to the National Register of Historic places in 1985. Weather-beaten but standing strong in defiance of time, it is located 45 miles northwest of Fort Collins on County Road 43F (an easily navigable dirt road), one mile east of U.S. Highway 287. It is the starting point for treasure seekers looking to unearth Slade’s lost loot.

STARTING POINT:

Virginia Dale Station POSSIBLE LOCATION: 4 5 miles northwest

of Fort Collins on County Road 43F, one mile east of U.S. Highway 287

STARTING POINT:

Slopes of the Purgatoire River near Las Animas

Arapaho Princess Treasure

Somewhere near the rocky outcrops of Las Animas in southern Colorado, fleeing Spanish pioneers hid a large cache of gold bars. The Apishapa Valley of the early 1800s was not a welcoming environment. Even Native American people called the valley “Stinking Water” because of the river’s periods of stagnation. However, if people took the time to dig below the surface, the valley yielded abundant veins of gold. This attracted Spanish prospectors and accompanying settlers, who came to mine the natural resources of what is now Walsenburg.

For three years, the Spanish lived in close contact with the indigenous Arapaho tribe, reliant on them as laborers and military allies against the hostile Ute tribe. Around 1823, a procession that included eight gold-laden mules departed for Mexico City. Leading it was an experienced Spanish lieutenant, Carlos Montenegro. Shortly after departing, the Spanish were set upon by Ute warriors. Sure of their demise if they didn’t put some distance between them and the warriors, those in the caravan buried the heavy horde of gold weighing them down. The decision was made too late and only three men escaped to safety in Santa Fe. The wounded trio vowed to return. Lieutenant Montenegro was motivated by something other than gold. He had married an Arapaho chieftain’s daughter who bore him a child. Still, it took Montenegro nearly a decade to find his way back, only to find his wife had died of fever. A concerned father, Montenegro tried to convince his 13-year-old daughter to return to Spain. He also shared the story of the buried gold. The pious Montenegro became convinced the gold was cursed, and native folklore warns of rattlesnakes protecting the treasure.

The gold is said to be buried not far from a memorable grouping of boulders the Spanish called La Muñeca (The Doll), which refers to the shape of a rocky outcrop standing 30 feet high. The unique formation is supposedly on the northwest slope of West Spanish Peak, near La Veta, a short drive from U.S. Highway 160.

Montenegro’s daughter believed her father’s story indicated the gold was buried some place above the Purgatoire River, eight to 10 miles east of Las Animas. Contradictory historical records place the treasure nearer East Spanish Peak, which is accessible via Aguilar off Interstate 25. The majority of treasure hunters begin their search on the slopes of the Purgatoire River and work their way west.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE OCTOBER 2019

17

COVER STORY

The Lost Loot of the Reynolds Gang As the Civil War engulfed America, unscrupulous men cloaked themselves in flags for profit. That was the case with the Reynolds gang, a party of Confederate sympathizers who stashed $100,000 from bank, mine, stagecoach and ranch robberies. It started with the two Reynolds brothers, John and James, who planned attacks on gold mines in Fairplay and South Park to finance the Confederate secession. It quickly degenerated into acts of self-enrichment.

The 23-man cadre’s (whittled down to nine at the end) raids took place in the waning years of the Civil War, encompassing the marginally pro union Colorado territory between Cañon City and Como. They wreaked havoc for a short but intense period in the spring of 1864 and met little resistance initially. However, when confronted by a large posse, as well as the volunteer 3rd Colorado Infantry Regiment, the gang found escape paths to Confederateheld regions cut off.

Rather than allowing their plunder to fall into the hands of their pursuers, the brothers buried the treasure somewhere near Kenosha Pass, Fairplay, Como or Conifer close to Deer and Elk creeks. Myriad stories and crimes are associated with the Reynolds gang, making it difficult to separate truth from fanciful fiction, but it is a historical fact that only the two brothers escaped Colorado.

Ringleader John Reynolds fled home to New Mexico, where he was mortally wounded in a gunfight two years later. On his deathbed, John drew a map revealing the location of the loot to fellow outlaw

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE OCTOBER 2019

Albert Brown.

With map in hand, Brown traveled to South Park where, to his horror, many of the landmarks Reynolds drew on the map had been destroyed by a wildfire. An out-of-print 1897 book Hands Up; or Thirty-Five Years of Detective Life in the Mountains and on the Plains

by General D. J. Cook theorizes that the treasure is hidden in Hall Valley near Grant. Local historians are not as sure, believing it is buried closer to Deer Creek about 5 miles from Shaffers Crossing near U.S. Highway 285.

The book’s most revealing passage quotes a dying John Reynolds: “You go above Geneva Gulch a little ways, and you’ll find where one of our horses mired down and we had to leave it here. At the head of the gulch, you turn to the right and follow a mountain around a little farther. And just above the head of Deer Creek, you’ll find an old prospector’s shaft running back into the mountain at about timberline. It’s back there in the hole, partner. We walled the hole up with stones and stuck a butcher knife into a tree about 4 feet from the ground, broke the handle off and left it pointing to the mouth of the hole.”

STARTING POINT:

Deer Creek about 5 miles from Shaffers Crossing near U.S. Highway 285

COVER STORY

Cave of the Golden Jesus

One of America’s most fantastical undiscovered treasures, the Golden Jesus, is the most difficult to pinpoint to a region since its origin story dates back to the 1770s. Legend has it that somewhere in southwestern Colorado there is a solid gold statue cast in the likeness of baby Jesus. Touted to stand nearly 4 feet tall, it is hidden in a cliff-side cave or crevice in the La Plata mountains. If found, it would be worth millions in gold alone.

The icon was hidden by Spanish explorers returning from the La Sal Mountains in Utah. They planned to winter in Santa Fe as the deadly cold overtook the Rockies. Helming the caravan was a small military escort leading miners, blacksmiths, cooks and simple laborers.

The journey began under an ominous cloud. The workers were upset over paltry allotments of gold from their arduous mining.

Sensing tension, the soldiers smelted hundreds of small gold ingots, recasting them into one large figure to prevent a couple of rogues from stealing the lighter ingots.

The Golden Jesus, weighing several hundred pounds, had to be hauled in a specially built wagon. This limited the expedition’s progress to 10 miles a day. Given the slow passage, the military commander split his caravan, sending the workers ahead with a detachment of soldiers. What they had not noticed was a Native American raiding party shadowing them. The natives saw the division of forces as an opportunity to attack. The next morning the band attacked, killing a majority of the Spaniards. A ranking officer ordered four men to hitch up the wagon carrying the gold icon and attempt to get away.

The natives focused their attack on the main unit with its supplies and horses, and the wagon with the Golden Jesus got away.

Reportedly 4 miles from the scene of the attack, the soldiers recognized escape was impossible with their large cargo. They jettisoned the statue to facilitate their escape. Earliest translated accounts contend it was hidden in a small cave, while modern researchers theorize a large crevice located on a bluff conceals the treasure.

Four soldiers ultimately escaped the natives and reported the demise of their comrades when arriving in Santa Fe. The fort lacked a large enough garrison to pursue the natives, but the promise of a lucrative reward enticed 30 Santa Feans to attempt to bring back the Golden Jesus. They found the entire caravan killed and horribly mutilated. Just as shockingly, an even larger party of Utes had gathered to engage them. A second bloody retreat ensued, convincing all that the dangers outweighed any profit.

Accounts of what became of the soldiers vary. Some say all four returned to Spain, while others claim two died in a final attempt to retrieve the golden icon.

Tales recounting unsuccessful forays, by Spaniards and locals to find the treasure abound. The closest anyone seems to have come was in 1873. A wagon train from Illinois happened on an emaciated prospector wandering aimlessly near present-day Hesperus.

The delirious man told of finding a golden statue too heavy to move, so he walled up the entrance with even more stones to hide it until his return. Incapacitated by his illness, the frontiersman died before the settlers reached a doctor. The Golden Jesus was lost again and awaits discovery by a lucky treasure hunter, as do all of these lost riches.

They are out there somewhere, reminders of the Centennial State’s long history.

POSSIBLE LOCATION:

In a cliff-side cave in the La Plata mountains

Writer Martin Mulcahey is an experienced freelancer with a love for Colorado and its history.

Visit coloradocountrylife.coop for supply suggestions to make your treasure hunt easier.

INDUSTRY

Always Evolving, Always Vigilant Ways your electric cooperative helps protect its most important asset: YOU!

BY AMY HIGGINS AND ERIN CAMPBELL

W

hile the threat of cybersecurity attacks on the electric grid gets a lot of attention these days, physical damage from storms or critters is much more likely to disrupt power. There are many physical threats to our power delivery system that Colorado’s electric cooperatives work hard to manage on a daily basis. Because weather events such as snowstorms, tornadoes and hail, as well as criminal activity, including copper theft and shooting at a substation, can occur, it takes proactive commitment to consistently deliver reliable service. Even something as small as a squirrel can damage infrastructure and cause power outages.

“We prepare for a potential threat by ensuring that all of our systems are regularly patched, by eliminating legacy and unsupported systems/equipment, by providing in-depth end user training, by staying informed of potential exploitations/ vulnerabilities that are happening around the globe and by continually evaluating, hardening and securing our infrastructure,” explains Heather Romero, manager of information technology at Empire Electric Association in Cortez.

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE OCTOBER 2019

Part of the community One of the most valuable things about being served by an electric co-op is that you also have an ownership stake in the way the cooperative operates. Electric co-ops know their communities — cooperative employees live and work in the neighborhoods and towns they serve. You know many of your co-op’s board members and employees and, in turn, board members and employees are personally acquainted with or are a part of fire departments, county supervisor boards, emergency medical technician crews and more.

“WREA believes in the cooperative business model and the important role that our members play in that ‘biz’ model. We are our members; their participation and support is key to our success,” says Trina Zagar-Brown, general counsel and manager of member services at White River Electric Association in Meeker.

Emergencies can happen at any time, and these relationships in and around the co-op’s communities are important when urgently responding to unplanned events or in preparing for more predictable events, including winter storms or summer flooding. For example, when tornadoes

roared into Morgan County Rural Electric Association’s territory in the Fort Morgan area in 2018, crews from Akron-based Y-W Electric Association responded by assisting MCREA with power restoration efforts.

That’s because they’re part of one large cooperative community, and cooperation among cooperatives is an essential principle of providing reliable electric service.

Planning, preparing and practicing There is a well-known saying: “It’s not if a crisis will occur, but when it will occur.”

Electric co-ops test disaster and business continuity plans regularly and take pride in being prepared at all times. Plans not only focus on how to prevent threats, but also how to respond and recover in the event of an incident.

S h a n e Mc Gu i n n e s s , Sy s t e m s Administrator at Gunnison County Electric Association in Gunnison, says guidelines and tabletop exercises are the most effective way to prepare for an array of cyber threats. “Tabletop exercises act like a practice and can highlight important factors, when preparing for threats, such as communication,” he says. “When practicing … we include many local entities to create a

realistic scenario. Many of our personnel will provide training and receive training from entities around the state to help build a robust group that is ready to adapt to fight any threat.”

GCEA’s cybersecurity practices include using existing scenarios to help identify how adversaries may attack. For example, the co-op thoroughly studied Russia’s attack on the Ukrainian power grid in 2015 and uses that information to help prepare for such a threat.

Electric co-ops place a high importance on partnerships with fellow cooperatives, industry partners and government agencies to mitigate the potential impacts of all types of threats to your electric cooperative. Electric cooperatives work closely with the rest of the electric industry, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, the U. S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of Energy and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on matters of critical infrastructure protection — that includes sharing necessary information about potential threats and working together to avoid disruptions to the extent possible.

MCREA utilizes the services of the National Information Solutions Cooperative for its cybersecurity protection. “We felt it pertinent to partner with a trusted resource that is able to provide a layer of protection via sophisticated software and active 24/7/365 monitoring of our computer systems,” explains MCREA Office Services Manager Robb Shaver. “Not only do they provide protection on a daily basis, [but] they also are in tune with any new/immediate threats that may arise on a moment’s notice.”

“Cooperatives frequently share knowledge and their best practices for many issues, including cybersecurity,” explains Kelli Root, IT manager at Yampa Valley Electric Association, which operates out of

Steamboat Springs and Craig. “At a recently attended Colorado regional IT conference, various training options, availability security testing and protective options were discussed and have proved to be helpful.

Technology is always changing and, therefore, security issues will also be changing.”

Your electric co-op is vigilant in ensuring protection from physical and cyber threats in order to power your lives. “We would like to encourage our members to always stop and think before acting,” says Drew Timmerman, IT supervisor at Durango-based La Plata Electric Association. Timmerman implores consumer-members to question any email, web browser pop-ups or phone calls with a sense of urgency to “fix” your computer or an account. “For example, we never email or call our members threatening to disconnect their electric service if they don’t immediately pay over the phone. If something doesn’t feel quite right, it’s likely a scam.”

“We also want our members to understand we have board policies in place to protect paper and electronic personal identifying information from unauthorized access, use, modification, disclosure or destruction,” McGuinness explains. “As the future goes on, we continue ongoing cybersecurity training to ensure the wellbeing of our members and power delivery system is held to its highest standard.”

Whether it is protecting consumer-members from a snowstorm-caused outage, a squirrel in a substation or a scammer, Colorado’s electric cooperatives are always evolving, staying up to date on how to best combat threats to their communities, because your electric co-op is vigilant about protecting you, its consumer-members.

Amy Higgins is a long-time freelance writer for Colorado Country Life. Erin Campbell is the Director of Communications at Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SPECIALISTS

HEATHER ROMERO Empire Electric Assoc.

TRINA ZAGER-BROWN White River Electric Assoc.

SHANE MCGUINNESS Gunnison County Electric Assoc.

ROBB SHAVER Morgan County Rural Electric Assoc.

KELLI ROOT Yampa Valley Electric Assoc.

DREW TIMMERMAN La Plata Electric Assoc.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE OCTOBER 2019

21

GARDENING

BLESSED WITH A BUMPER CROP Ways to work with excess garden produce

BY VICKI SPENCER

MASTER GARDENER | GARDENING@COLOR ADOCOUNTRYLIFE .ORG

T

he first time I heard the term “bumper crop” was in 1980 while living in China. After the Cultural Revolution turned the country upside down and China had not yet entered the global market, food was scarce … except for eggplant. We ate it twice a day, every day, all summer long.

I didn’t grow up on a farm, so even though I was unfamiliar with the term, I did know how some years are better than others for particular crops.

Several years earlier, my family participated in a community garden. Our plot was about 7,500 square feet and when our first year’s harvest came in, my dad said we could feed an army. Clearly, we planted much more than our extended family could consume. Every day from late summer to fall we gave friends paper bags filled with salad greens, peas, tomatoes, peppers, beans, corn, onions, broccoli, cucumbers, carrots and just about every other vegetable you can grow in Colorado. Only recently did I discover a better way to share an abundant harvest when a friend gave me a decorative display of freshly picked garden vegetables.

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE OCTOBER 2019

She arranged them on a repurposed produce tray to be as cheerful as a floral bouquet.

Creating a platter with a variety of vegetables can reduce the burden of your gift. After all, a large sack of peas can take an hour or more to shell. Too many ears of corn can take too much time to shuck, and it’s not as sweet if it sits around for a week. If your friends are not gardeners, they may not appreciate having to figure out what to do with your bounty.

Zucchini grows readily in Colorado and one year we definitely had a bumper crop. We had so much we were tempted to stand on the corner and give zucchini to every car that passed. The small ones are great for stir-fry, but what do you do with the ones that hide under leaves to become the size of a small torpedo? I collected recipes from family, friends, newspapers and magazines (this was before the internet) and did a lot of cooking.

I made dozens of different kinds of bread and casseroles to freeze and give away. But an all-time favorite — after the kids got over the “yuck” factor of vegetables in cookies — was lemon zucchini cookies.

While grating zucchini for cookies, I measured the excess into recipe-sized freezer bags for the future. Freezing the surplus is convenient, but canning might be unavoidable if you lack freezer space. You can make it more fun by hosting a canning party. Divide the tasks — cook, bottle sterilizer, jar filler, sealer and labeler — among friends and rotate once in a while for variety.

While the jars cool, you can enjoy drinks and appetizers. Then, after decorating the jars, everyone can take their share home for gifts or winter consumption.

Depending upon your bumper crop, you can get creative and find other uses beyond eating. Fortunately, we have the internet today and can explore composting methods, how to save seeds or a multitude of art projects. If you think about it, a bumper crop is really a blessing.

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.

At Tri-State

Our cooperative approach to a clean grid starts now.

Learn how we’re transforming with our Responsible Energy Plan. www.tristate.coop/responsibleenergyplan

OUTDOORS

2020

PHOTO CONTEST SIMPLY COLORADO

Enter online today

coloradocountrylife.coop Categories: • Landscapes Year Round • Outdoor Activities • Wildlife • Sunrise, Sunset And NEW THIS YEAR: CCL Cover Contest

1st place – $175 2nd place – $75 3rd place – $50 Cover winner – $175 Contest rules:

• Photographer must be a member of a Colorado electric co-op.

• Photographer may enter up to 2 photos per category.

• Photos must be taken in Colorado.

• If people appear in the photo, it is the photographer’s responsibility to have the subject’s permission to enter his or her image in the contest.

• Photos must have been taken by you.

• By entering the contest, photographers give Colorado Country Life permission to publish the winning images in print and digital publications, to social media and on websites.

• Read the full list of official rules and requirements and enter online at coloradocountrylife.coop.

Deadline: December 15, 2019

Winners will be published in the April 2020 issue.

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE OCTOBER 2019

TALES OF THE MICKEY FINN

BY DENNIS SMITH

T

| OUTDOORS@COLOR ADOCOUNTRYLIFE.ORG

here’s a Mickey Finn stuck in the band of my old fishing hat and it’s been there since September of 1995.

That was the year my brother Wayne, my cousin Al, Tommy Wolf and I finally made the fly-fishing trip to Alaska we’d been fantasizing about since we were kids.

I bought the fly in an outdoor shop in Cordova, Alaska, just before we boarded the bush plane that took us to a remote cabin on Prince William Sound where we spent 10 glorious days chasing silver salmon in the wilds of Alaska. We had no way of knowing it would be the last fly-fishing trip we’d make together.

The Mickey Finn is a classic, old bucktail streamer with a rich and colorful past. It was named after the 19th century Chicago saloon keeper who concocted a noxious tranquilizing drug he then used to anesthetize and rob his patrons. Mickey Finn would secretly slip his “knock-out drops” into the cocktails of unsuspecting customers at his Lone Star Saloon, then fleece them while they were passed out. Nice guy, eh?

The Mickey Finn fly was originally called the Red-and-Yellow Bucktail, for obvious reasons. It was created sometime in the 19th century by Quebec fly tier Charles Langevin, and later renamed The Langevin in honor of its creator, but then renamed again to The Assassin — apparently because it was such a deadly fly pattern.

The Assassin moniker was popularized by outdoor writer John Alden Knight during

the 1930s, and then renamed yet again by one of his fellow outdoor writer buddies, Greg Clark of The Toronto Star who, after Knight took him on an incredibly successful fishing trip, proclaimed the fly as dangerous as a Mickey Finn, referencing Finn’s infamous, lethally-laced drink. This time, though, the name and the fame stuck.

The legendary silent film star Rudolph Valentino reportedly died of a ruptured ulcer and peritonitis, but an old Hollywood rumor alleges he was ultimately killed by drinking a Mickey Finn cocktail. I don’t know if that’s true, but I do know that the Mickey Finn bucktail is a killing fly. It seems especially effective for brook and brown trout, particularly in autumn. Brown trout, for whatever reason, are attracted to the color yellow and the Mickey Finn has plenty of that in it. In Alaska, we hooked a bunch of silver salmon on it. It was one of the first flies I learned to tie as a kid, and I still carry some in my fly box.

The Mickey Finn in my hatband is weathered with age now, but rich with tales of its own. Every time I look at it, I think of those days in Alaska when we four old guys would stare wide-eyed at a creek packed with flashing silver salmon fresh from the sea, then “slip ’em a Mickey.”

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

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STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT and CIRCULATION Publication Title: COLORADO COUNTRY LIFE; Publication No.: 469-400; Filing Date: 9/13/19; Issue Frequency: Monthly; No. of Issues Published Annually: 12; Annual Subscription Price: $9; Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor and Managing Editor Publisher: 5400 Washington Street, Denver, CO 80216; Editor: Mona Neeley, 5400 Washington St., Denver, CO 80216; Managing editor: Not applicable; 10. Owner Full Name: Colorado Rural Electric Association; Complete Mailing Address: 5400 Washington Street, Denver, CO 80216; Known Bondholders, Mortgages, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities: None; Tax Status: (For completion by nonprofit organization authorized to mail at special rates). The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for federal income tax purposes: Has not changed during preceding 12 months.

Extent and nature of circulation A.

Total number of copies printed (net press run)

B.

Paid and/or requested circulation 1. Paid/requested outside-county mail subscriptions 2. Paid in-county mail subscriptions 3. Other non-USPS paid distribution 4. Other classes mailed through USPS

C.

Total paid circulation (total B1 through B4)

D.

Free or nominal rate distribution by mail 1. Outside-county copies

Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months

Actual number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date

229,869

230,022

228,326

228,482

0

0

967

967

0

0

229,293

229,449

96

98

2. In-county copies

0

0

3. Other classes mailed through USPS

0

0

4. Other classes mailed outside USPS

480

475

E.

Total free or nominal rate distribution (sum of D1 through D4)

F.

Total distribution (sum of C & E)

G.

Copies not distributed

H.

Total (sum of F & G) — should equal net press run shown in A

I.

Percent paid circulation

J.

Electronic copy circulation a. Paid electronic copies

576

573

229,869

230,022

0

0

229,869

230,022

99.7%

99.7%

0

0

b. Total paid print copies + paid electronic copies

229,293

229,449

c. Total print distribution + paid electronic copies

229,869

230,022

d. Percent paid (both print and electronic copies)

99.7%

99.7%

I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete.

I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties).

Mona Neeley, publisher 09/13/19

As wild northwester’ incites autumn riot, as I skirt the edges of this aspen stage.

Where slender strippers in a final fling cast their garish garb to the frenzied wind.

Possessed of a sanguine notion that a nude interlude between ripe yield and youth, would sure spin again the lusty leafage of blushing spring.

Pueblo Chile The Heart of

Autumn Exchange

Not a bad deal… trading worn, dated array for daring spring fashions.

Joyce Holdread Pagosa Springs, La Plata Electric Association consumermember

Golden Haiku I step outside and fall into a lake of gold autumn grass, leaves, light Shimmering warm, I gulp it in and float unbound beyond the gray of light Jean N. Bayles Mancos, Empire Electric Association consumer-member

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

Submission: Submit your poetry, poetry via name email andto:address via mneeley@coloradocountrylife.org email to: mneeley@coloradocountrylife.org or mail by mail poem, to: name and address to: Colorado Country Life magazine 5400 Washington St. Street Denver, CO 80216 COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE OCTOBER 2019

27

COMMUNITY EVENTS October 12 Loveland

October 26 Greeley

October 19-20 Beulah

October 26 Las Animas

Clothes Swap Grace Yoga 10 am-2 pm • lovegraceyoga.com

October 25-27 Colorado Ski & Snowboard Expo Colorado Convention Center, Denver

Ski and snowboard novices, pros and everyone in between can get extraordinary deals on everything they need to hit the slopes this year. Attendees can get up to 70% off a vast selection of last season’s equipment, receive discount lodging deals and buy their 2019-2020 season passes to their favorite ski resorts. In addition, there will be several kids’ activities, demos, entertainment and more. Find out more at skisnowexpo.com/ denver-expo.

October 2019 October 5 Berthoud

Berthoud Traditional Oktoberfest Fickel Park 11 am-6 pm berthoudoktoberfest.com

October 5 Fort Collins

“Dance Beyond the Limits” Workshops and Events Club Tico 9 am-4:30 pm • 970-493-2113

October 5 Fort Morgan

Fall Harvest Craft Fair United Presbyterian Church 9 am-2 pm • 970-867-2914

October 5 Fraser

9Heath Fair Fraser Valley Elementary 7:30-11 am • 816-210-4792

October 5 Hugo

Strut Your Mutt Walk Hugo Town Hall 8 am • 719-775-8166

October 5 La Veta

Oktoberfest Main Street 10 am-6 pm • 719-742-3288

28

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE OCTOBER 2019

October 11-12 Boggsville

Boggsville Days Boggsville Historic Site 719-456-1358

October 11-27 Fridays Through Sundays Cortez

Jones Farm PumpkinFest Jones Farm 10 am-3 pm • facebook.com/ JonesFarmPumpkins

October 11-26 Fridays and Saturdays Georgetown

Haunted Mine Adventure Georgetown Loop Railroad & Mining Park 6:30-8:30 pm georgetownlooprr.com

October 12 Berthoud

Craft and Food Fair Berthoud United Methodist Church 9 am-2 pm • 970-532-2142

October 12-27 Saturdays and Sundays Colorado Springs

Miners Pumpkin Patch Western Museum of Mining & Industry minerspumpkinpatch.com

“Fall Into Christmas” Arts and Crafts Show Beulah Community Center 10 am-4 pm • 719-485-3319

October 19 Durango

Bulb Sale Durango Botanical Society 10 am-1 pm durangobotanicalsociety.com

Cosmic Costume Skate Greeley Ice Haus 6:30-8 pm • 970-350-9402

Night at the Museum and Murder Mystery John W. Rawlings Heritage Center & Museum 5-8 pm • 719-456-6066

October 26-27 Monument

Fine Art & Crafts Market Lewis Palmer High School creativecrafters.org

October 19 Fort Collins

October 29-November 3 Pueblo

Global Kids Communications Fest Fort Collins Museum of Discovery 10 am-2 pm focoscouts195@gmail.com

Handwoven Holiday Sale The Vail Hotel 719-369-8800 handweaversguildofpueblo.com

October 19-20 Greeley

October 31-November 3 Black Forest

Howl-O-Ween Trick or Treat Centennial Village Museum 3-7 pm • greeleymuseums.com

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

October 21-25 Denver

November 2019

Glow at the Gardens Denver Botanic Gardens botanicgardens.org

October 25-27 Longmont

Cheese-making Bootcamp Briar Gate Farm briargatefarm.com

October 25-27 Loveland

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

October 26 Fowler

November 1-2 Estes Park

Devotchka Halloween Black Tie Ball The Stanley Hotel stanleylive.com

November 2 Buena Vista

Annual Bazaar Congregational United Church of Christ 9 am-2 pm • 719-395-2544

November 2-3 Drake

Storm Mountain Holiday Bazaar Big Thompson Canyon Association Building facebook.com/peacefulridge

Community Arts and Craft Sale Fowler Junior High Gym 8 am-3 pm fowlerartscraftsale@gmail.com

SEND CALENDAR ITEMS 3 MONTHS IN ADVANCE

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

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

YOUR STORIES

READERS’ PHOTOS Take Your Photo with Your Magazine and Win! It’s easy to win with Colorado Country Life magazine. Simply take a photo of someone (or a selfie!) with the magazine and email the photo and your name and address to info@coloradocountrylife.org.

We’ll draw one photo to win $25 each month. The next deadline is Tuesday, October 15. Name, address and co-op must accompany photo. This month’s winner is Lori Morrissey. She posed with Colorado Country Life at the top of Mount Harvard. See all of the submitted photos on Facebook at facebook.com/ COCountryLife.

WINNER: CCL climbs Mount Harvard with Lori Morrissey. Lori is a consumer-member of Mountain View Electric Association.

FUNNY STORIES While spending the day with my

youngest daughter, who was 4 years old at the time, we decided to have lunch at James Ranch in Durango where you can sit at a picnic table on their beautiful grounds, and look out over their property and view all of the livestock that lives there. As we ate our burgers made from their Harvest Grill, we could see the cows in the beautiful fields, grazing in the sunshine. My daughter looked at me, a perplexed look on her face, and asked, “Do you think they are mad at us for eating this?”

I told her that even though we eat those cows, they are living a happy life out here in the green fields before they are harvested. She seemed content with that until she bit into her burger and I mooed. Five years later, she’s a vegetarian.

Dana Fontenot, Durango

When my youngest daughter was

in middle school, we stopped at the gas station to fill up the car. She went inside the store to get a drink but found out she was short of money. She said a man behind her in line asked her, “How short are you?” To which she replied, “Five foot three.” Still makes me laugh!

Mary Logan, Greenwood Village

Driving home from work one day,

my 6-year-old daughter saw a cute little dog sticking its head out of a car window next to us.

She said, “Mom! Look at that cute dog! What kind of dog is it?”

I said, “I see it. It’s a Shih Tzu.” I looked in the rearview to see the look of horror on her face as she said, “Oh, I can’t say that.”

Lauren Rains, Ramah

My sister gave birth to a baby boy

and when I told my 3-year-old son he had a new cousin, he asked, “Is he my age?”

Anonymous

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

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

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE OCTOBER 2019

29

DISCOVERIES

Good for You Snacks Go Bananas!

When you’re trying to munch healthier, grab a bag of Bubba’s Saba bananablended snacks. Saba bananas don’t really taste like bananas, so erase the ordinary banana chip from your mind.

Loveland-based Bubba’s Fine Foods uses an assortment of spices, coconut oil, nuts and more to create binge-worthy snacks the whole family will enjoy.

Choose from ’Nana Chips, Snack Mix or Ungranola, or try a variety pack for a sample of each. For more information, visit bubbasfoods.com.

Apple of Your Eye At an apple orchard in Hotchkiss is the family-owned company Wacky Apple that aims to entice kids to reach for a delicious, healthy snack rather than one made of artificial flavors and colors.

Wacky Apple’s organic applesauce, fruit juice cups and flat fruit come in a variety of flavors, so kids (and adults!) have more diversity with their snack selections. Find Wacky Apple at grocery stores throughout Colorado. For more information, call 970-872-4479 or visit wackyapple.com.

Mix and Move Forward Fuel, hydrate and boost your body’s electrolytes with Tailwind Nutrition. Based in Durango, Tailwind manufactures an energy -boosting powder product that dissolves in water. The flavored powders are subtle so as not to overwhelm your palate and gut. Tailwind is just as great for long, highendurance workouts as it is for shorter exercises — just adjust the amount of scoops accordingly. The 50-serving Endurance Fuel packages start at $35.99. For more information, visit tailwindnutrition.com.

BeautBee Bites Whether you’re out and about, exercising or simply need a healthy pick-me-up during your workday, Honey Stinger waffles, energy chews and bars are great go-tos. The Steamboat Springs-based company uses organic honey as its star ingredient to create yummy treats that produce antioxidants naturally. Available in a variety of flavors and in gluten-free options. For more information, call 866-464-6639 or visit honeystinger.com.

Colorado Snack Products We Recommend 4 1

3

30

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE OCTOBER 2019

2

1 Wacky Apple

Hotchkiss | wackyapple.com

2 Bubba’s Fine Foods Loveland | bubbasfoods.com

3 Tailwind Nutrition

Durango | tailwindnutrition.com

4 Honey Stinger

Steamboat Springs | honeystinger.com

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