Colorado Country Life April 2010

APRIL 2010

MAPPING HISTORY Colorado’s place on the map

The official publication of the Colorado Rural Electric Association Volume 41, Number 04

Publisher/Editor Associate Editor

Mona Neeley, CCC Donna Norris

OFFICERS President Vice President

Chris Morgan, Gunnison

Secretary

Bill Midcap, Fort Morgan

Treasurer Executive Director

Don Kaufman, Sangre De Cristo

Bob Bledsoe, Tri-State

16

Kent Singer, CREA

F E AT U R E

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Mike Sramek Delta-Montrose Empire Grand Valley Highline Holy Cross K.C. LaPlata Mountain Parks Mountain View Poudre Valley San Isabel San Luis Valley San Miguel Sangre De Cristo Southeast United Power White River Y-W Yampa Valley Associate Members

John Porter Sylvia Spangler Jim Lueck Michael Glass Dan Mills Tom Compton Stan Cazier B.D. Paddock Jack Schneider Joseph Costa, Reg Rudolph Mike Rierson, John Villyard Michael Saftler Paul Erickson Mark Grasmick Jim Jaeger Bill Jordan Stuart Travis Sam Haslem Basin Electric Co-Bank Wheatland Electric

EDITORIAL Denver Corporate Office 5400 N. Washington Denver, CO 80216 Phone: 303-455-4111 Email: MNeeley@coloradocountrylife.org Website: coloradocountrylife.coop Facebook: Colorado Country Life Twitter: @COCountryLife

16

COLUMNS

20

Gardening Observe, plan and journal now for fall planting season BY EVE GILMORE

19 22

Recipes Delicious ingredients for healthy meals close to home BY LINH TRUONG

24

Outdoors Now is the time to tie a spring menu of flies BY DENNIS SMITH

25

Energy Tips Awareness of appliance usage helps cut costs BY JAMES DULLEY

22

D E PA R T M E N T S

4

Viewpoint New legislation means tax time for energy users BY KENT SINGER

ADVERTISING National Advertising Rep Groups: The Weiss Group 480-860-5394 NCM 800-626-1181 COLORADO COUNTRY LIFE (USPS 469-400/ISSN 1090-2503) is published monthly for $9/$15 per year by Colorado Rural Electric Association, 5400 N. Washington Street, Denver, CO 80216 Periodical postage paid at Denver, Colorado.

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

Publication of an advertisement in Colorado Country Life does not imply endorsement by any Colorado rural electric cooperative or the Colorado Rural Electric Association. Editorial opinions published in Colorado Country Life magazine shall pertain to issues affecting rural electric cooperatives, rural communities and citizens. The opinion of CREA is not necessarily that of any particular cooperative or individual.

Mapping Colorado History State’s boundries outline our unique place on the map BY GAYLE GRESHAM

24

5 6 7 12 29 30

Letters Calendar Co-op News News Clips Funny Stories Discoveries

COVER: A 1890 MAP OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES PROVIDES THE BACKGROUND FOR TOOLS LIKE THOSE USED BY MANY EARLY EXPLORERS. DESIGN BY DONNA NORRIS

Tax Time for Energy Users New state legislation means additional taxes for co-ops’ commercial, industrial members

BY KENT SINGER, CREA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

pril is tax time across Association were involved in the country. Here in Colthe debate over these bills to o ra d o i t w i l l g a r n e r eliminate sales tax exempsome additional attention as tions because we were concommercial and industrial cerned with the costs of the users of electricity are seeing legislation for co-op mema new tax on their electric bers. In particular, we were bills. The taxes are being colconcerned about HB 10-1190, lected by your electric co-op which, as introduced, would Kent Singer for the state of Colorado as the have affected electric constate tries to balance its budget. sumers in two ways.

During the first couple of months of First, the bill would have eliminated the 2010 legislative session, the focus of the sales tax exemption that applies to the Colorado General Assembly was on the sales of fuel used to generate electricthat state budget and its multimillion ity, such as coal and natural gas. This dollar shortfall. The legislature debated would have resulted in higher costs for back and forth as to how to cut expens- your electric co-op because the costs of es and raise revenues to balance both the power generation would have gone up current fiscal year budget and the budg- and those costs would have been passed et for the 2010-2011 fiscal year that on to you as the consumers. begins on July 1.

Second, the bill would have required On the revenue-raising side, the leg- your co-op to collect a 2.9-percent sales islature passed a series of bills that will tax on the use of electricity for all comeliminate various existing sales tax mercial operations, including agriculture. exemptions for a 28-month period.

CREA worked with the legislature and Those exemptions were suspended from affected stakeholders to amend HB March 1, 2010, through June 30, 2012. 10-1190 so that the sales tax exemption During that time, additional sales taxes continues to apply to the sale of fuels used will be collected on various activities that for electric generation and to the sale of were previously not subject to a sales tax. electricity and other fuels used for agriThis new revenue will be used to fill the cultural purposes. Because of that effort, budget gap. the power suppliers for the electric distriThe package of bills (HB 10-1189 – HB bution co-ops will not have to pay a sales 10-1196) eliminated existing sales tax tax on the purchase of fuel for electric exemptions for many different types of generation and will, therefore, not have transactions: sales of direct mail materi- to pass those costs on to consumers. als; sales of energy used in industrial Further, the co-ops will not be required processes; sales of candy and soda; sales to collect sales taxes from those memof downloaded software; sales by out-of- bers who use electricity for residential or state online retailers; sales of nonessential for agricultural purposes such as irrigafood items; sales of certain agricultural tion, electric fences, potato storage and items; and a limitation on the income tax other still-to-be-determined uses. Cocredit for alternative fuel vehicles. ops are only required to collect a sales In all, lifting these sales exemptions tax from customers engaged in commeris expected to generate $15.6 million for cial or industrial activities. the current fiscal year and $102.3 milOf course, as is often the case when a lion for fiscal year 2010-2011. new law is passed, there are going to be We at the Colorado Rural Electric issues about how the law should be

A

4 Colorado Country Life APRIL 2010

interpreted and applied. For the distribution co-ops, the primary issue is the definition of the term “agricultural purposes” and which types of activities fall within that definition and are, therefore, still exempt from the sales tax.

The Colorado Department of Revenue has adopted an emergency regulation that addresses some of the issues regarding the implementation of HB 10-1190, but CDOR has not answered all of our questions. For instance, the emergency regulation does not define the term “agricultural purposes,” so it is not entirely clear whether certain activities that might be agricultural in nature are subject to the tax or not. CREA has requested that CDOR clarify this term in its permanent rule making on this subject.

CDOR has indicated that it will publish a permanent rule that takes into account the concerns expressed by CREA and other stakeholders. CREA will work with CDOR during the rulemaking process to communicate its concerns about the interpretation and implementation of the rule. In the meantime, your local co-op is required to collect sales tax on accounts that are not residential or agricultural in nature.

If you disagree with the application of the sales tax to your particular account, you will need to contact CDOR to demonstrate why the sales tax is not applicable to your business.

This additional charge on your electric bill is coming from the state, not from your local, not-for-profit electric cooperative. The co-ops are simply collecting this tax for Colorado.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

WWW.COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.COOP

One Man’s Waste is Another Man’s Need A conservationist’s letter (February ’10) said, “I have also written in the past on outdoor lights at night. I am not seeing a cutback and I still believe most of these lights are not needed. I hope one day there can be a restriction on such waste.”

She has a right to her opinion. The rub comes when she wants to push for a restriction on what she calls “such waste.”

In other words, she wants to take away my right to have lights on at night, unless she agrees they’re needed. Not content determining her own environmental conduct, she wants to control mine, too.

She doesn’t pay for my lightbulbs. She doesn’t pay for my electricity. If there’s a better bulb, let each consumer decide.

The state didn’t have to outlaw the candle when the electric bulb came along. If fluorescent bulbs are better, people will choose to use them.

Brad R. Leach, Loveland

Sensational Coyote “An Acclimated Animal” (Outdoors, February ’10) was overly sensational, alarmist and misleading. There have been two documented human fatalities from coyote attacks in North America since records have been kept. To put that in perspective, domestic dogs kill people in the U.S. every year. True, coyotes, coyote hybrids, mountain lions and bears have become accustomed to urban settings and they undoubtedly kill and eat domestic animals. True, we humans need to be more aware of and informed about the wild creatures among us. We do not, however, need to fear “Wile E. Coyote” whenever we hear his barks, yips and howls.

Bob Volger, Allison

Recipe Addition I would suggest some changes to your recipe for fried rice (February ’10). Substitute snow peas for peas and mushrooms for carrots. Add a touch of garlic.

Having lived in Korea and Japan for several years, I think these changes will give both a more realistic and flavorful fried rice.

Jim Sidebottom, Red Feather Lakes Send your letter to the editor by mail or email.

You must include your name and address to be published. Letters may be edited.

WWW.COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.COOP

APRIL 2010

Colorado Country Life 5

APRIL CALENDAR April 9 in Durango

April 16-18 in Durango

April 24 in Grand Junction

May 1 in Sedalia

The Sun Is in the West

Bluegrass Meltdown

Spring Swing Fundraiser

Blessing of the Bikes

Theatrical production by Damon Falke Fort Lewis Theatre 970-316-2737 www.squaretoptheatre.com

Indoor bluegrass music festival in intimate downtown venues 970-259-7200 www.durangomeltdown.com

Big band music, dance Elks Lodge, Fourth & Ute 970-243-9539

The Sedalia Grill, 11 a.m.

720-936-4646 http://www.lets-ride.com/event/ colorado.htm

April 10 in Grand Junction

April 17 in Fort Collins

Spring Book Sale

May 1 in Calhan

Free Fishing Expo

Vintage and Collectibles Sale, Quilt Show

Durango Public Library 1900 E Third Ave., 9 a.m.–3 p.m.

Methodist Women’s Rummage Sale, Quilt Raffle

April 24 in Cortez

El Paso County Fairgrounds 719-433-6446

April 24 in Durango

Fly tying, vendors, youth instruction DoubleTree Hotel, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. www.grand-valley-anglers.org April 10 in Pagosa Springs

Christ United Methodist Church 301 E. Drake Road 970-226-2341 www.cumc-fc.org

The Sun Is in the West Theatrical production by Damon Falke Liberty Theater 970-316-2737 www.squaretoptheatre.com

Pueblo to Pueblo Run 11-mile, 10K and 2-mile runs 970-565-1151

April 17 in Colorado Springs

May 6 in Buena Vista

Arkansas Valley Low Vision Center Fundraiser

Gold, Gemstone Panning

April 24-25 in Monument

Western Museum of Mining and Industry, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

719-488-0880 • www.wmmi.org

Pine Forest Antiques Show Lewis-Palmer High School 719-488-8196

Dinner, entertainment, silent auction American Legion Hall, 5 p.m.

338 N. Railroad 719-395-3122

Identification Techniques for Birds of Prey

April 17 in Pagosa Springs

April 29 & 30, May 1 & 2 in Black Forest

Balloons & Varooms Festival

Cheyenne Mountain State Park Visitors Center, 1:30 p.m.

719-576-2016

San Juan Shootists competition 342 Cimarrona Circle 970-731-9140 www.sanjuanshootists.com

April 11 in Colorado Springs

Cowboy Fast Draw

Spring Craft Show Black Forest Community Center Thurs.-Sat. 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sun. 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. • 719-494-1455

May 7-9 in Ridgway Balloon and car show 970-626-5181 May 8 in Loveland

Plant Sale

April 10-11 north of Wellington

Bridges of Fabric and Thread Quilt Show

April 17-18 in Cortez

April 30 in Burlington

Home & Garden Show

935 W. County Road 80 Historic Buckeye School 970-568-0619

By Four Corners Builders Association Montezuma County Fairgrounds 970-565-1771

Girl Singers of the Hit Parade Musical review Burlington High School, 7:30 p.m.

719-346-8918

April 11 in Fort Collins

April 21 in Grand Junction

May 1 in Colorado Springs

Gem, Mineral, Jewelry Show

Hair Raiser

Dine Out for Kids

ArtWalk Benefit

Hair to be cut, donated to cancer patients Rocky Mountain High School, 1-5 p.m.

970-493-6337

Restaurants donate percent of sales to support nonprofits 970-254-8240

Donate to area food shelves during First Friday ArtWalk 719-520-9494 www.shopoldcoloradocity.com

Two Rivers Convention Center 970-255-8374 or 970-640-9271

Also crafts and collectibles All Saints Episcopal Church 3448 N. Taft Ave. 970-223-2265 May 8-9 in Grand Junction

April 23 in Pueblo April 15-30 in Trinidad

Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra

May 1 in Poncha Springs

Regional Art Show

Center Stage at the Sangre De Cristo Arts Center 719-295-7222 www.sdc-arts.org

Caddis Festival Banquet

Local artists at Corazon Gallery 719-859-7702 keckarko@hotmail.com

For more information on these activities, visit www.coloradocountrylife.coop.

Click on Events and discover what’s happening.

6 Colorado Country Life APRIL 2010

May 8-9 in Monument

Creative Crafters Showcase Lewis-Palmer High School www.ccsshows.com

Chaffee County Fairgrounds, 5 p.m.

Tickets: 719-395-0478 Send calendar items two months in advance to Calendar, Colorado Country Life, 5400 N. Washington St., Denver CO 80216; fax to 303-455-2807; or email calendar@coloradocountrylife.org.

WWW.COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.COOP

MOUNTAIN VIEW ELECTRIC

Cooperatives Urge Congress to Take a Responsible Path Regarding Climate Change Who will determine carbon dioxide regulations Congress or EPA?

BY J I M H E R R O N , G E N E R A L M A N A G E R , M O U N TA I N V I E W E L E C T R I C A S S O C I AT I O N

arly in his administheir version of the resolution, cot r a t i o n , Pr e s i d e n t sponsored by several Democrats.

Barack Obama put But now, Sen. John D. Rockefeller, Congress on notice. ConD-W.Va., has jumped on the bandgress can write laws to conwagon and introduced legislation to trol greenhouse gases or he impose a two-year moratorium on will direct the Environmenthe EPA’s ability to regulate greental Protection Agency to Jim Herron house gases from power plants and draft regulation regarding general manager other stationary emitters. This move climate change. President could undermine the Obama adminObama ordered the EPA to develop rules istration’s plan to pursue a cap on carbon to regulate carbon dioxide pollution from emissions in the face of congressional power plants and industry via the Clean Air opposition.

Act. “EPA actions in this area would have By taking this route to regulate and enormous implications, and these issues curb greenhouse gases, Obama felt he need to be handled carefully and appropricould avoid the inevitable delays that a ately dealt with by the Congress, not in comprehensive climate bill wending its isolation by a federal environmental way through Congress would bring. Pres- agency,” Rockerfeller said. Several House ident Obama was correct. In 2009, the Democrats are crafting a companion bill U.S. House passed a cap-and-trade bill to Rockefeller’s. In addition, Rep. Earl that has stalled in the U.S. Senate. Mean- Pomeroy, D-N.D., has introduced a measwhile, the EPA has drafted rules that are ure that would strip the EPA of its authorcurrently undergoing the review process. ity to regulate pollution linked to global There have been several congressional warming. efforts to curb the EPA’s authority to But what has all this to do with our litaddress climate change under the Clean tle part of the world? Being not-for-profit, Air Act. “The Clean Air Act was never cooperatives will be forced to pass along all intended to regulate greenhouse gases, costs of meeting any new requirements and the EPA must be stopped from mak- that may result from becoming subject to ing decisions that circumvent Congress,” a program for the control of greenhouse said Rep. Jerry Moran, R-Kan. Obama gases. Increased costs of electric power, and his top deputies have said they would particularly in rural areas, have negative prefer for Congress to set mandatory, effects on economic development and jobs. nationwide limits, but the EPA is moving Because cooperatives have a disproportionahead with plans to do so if legislation ate amount of coal-fired generation when fails to pass this year. compared to the electric utility industry as Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Ala., has a whole, these negative effects could be disintroduced a Resolution of Disapproval proportionately higher for our members. that would overturn the agency’s scientifThe National Rural Electric Cooperaic finding that greenhouse gases endan- tive Association is our representative to ger public health and welfare. Three Congress and it has actively lobbied Senate Democrats — Blanche Lincoln against the EPA regulating greenhouse (Ark.), Mary Landrieu (La.) and Ben Nel- gases. NRECA believes the Clean Air Act son (Neb.) are cosponsoring the resolu- is ill-suited for controlling greenhouse gas tion. emissions, including carbon dioxide. One House Republicans also introduced of the act’s principal authors, Rep. John

E

WWW.COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.COOP

Dingell, D-MI, said using the act to regulate greenhouse gases would result in a “glorious mess.” NRECA urges Congress and the administration to step in and prevent the EPA from using the act as a tool for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources.

In addition, NRECA believes that curtailing economic costs is perhaps the most significant issue to consider in addressing the nation’s energy and climate change objectives. The nation is currently in an already sluggish economy and most sectors are facing rising costs and lower economic output. To institute a regulatory program at this time would impose even higher energy costs on American businesses and consumers.

The EPA has given some ground in that it will probably phase in the regulations from 2011 to 2016, but Congress feels this is not enough time. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said the agency will target large facilities beginning in 2011 but will wait until 2016 to require smaller plants to comply.

I encourage all Mountain View Electric Association members to keep informed of the legislation and regulatory actions in Washington, D.C., surrounding climate change and the effect these actions will have on our rural communities.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY TIP OF THE MONTH A significant amount of the average home energy bill pays for heating water.

Take 5-minute showers instead of baths, and make sure your water heater is set no higher than 120 degrees F. Source: U.S. Department of Energy

APRIL 2010

Colorado Country Life

7

MOUNTAIN VIEW ELECTRIC

Limon Student Goes to Leadership Camp imon High School student, Lauren Rosler, placed third in MVEA’s essay contest and won an invitation to the Colorado Electric Educational Institute’s Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp in July. Lauren is the daughter of Michael and Diane Rosler of Limon and a junior at the high school. Lau-

L

ren is on the speech team, newspaper and yearbook staff and the honor roll. Following is her winning essay.

Congratulations.

Here Today, Use Tomorrow

BY L A U R E N R O S L E R

he law of conservation of energy states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, only transferred. People have been using solar energy to heat their homes and water since as early as 1890. Today, people are still using solar energy to not only heat their homes and water, but also to convert that energy into electricity. According to the U.S. Department of energy, “Every hour enough energy reaches the Earth to meet the world’s energy demand for a whole year.” The best method for generating reliable electricity for our future is using solar thermal energy.

Some solar plants, like that in California’s Mojave Desert, are home to unique systems that capture the sun’s energy to make vast amounts of electricity. These systems are made up of a highly curved mirror, called a parabolic trough, to focus sunlight on a pipe running down a central point above the curve of the mirror. The mirror focuses the sunlight on the pipe and it gets so hot it can boil the water to create steam.

The steam can then turn a turbine to generate electricity.

One problem with these giant structures is that they only work when the sun is shining, so on a cloudy day or during the night, no energy is absorbed. Some of these plants have “hybrid” technology. This means that while there is sunlight, energy is absorbed by the pipes using the mirrors; however, when the sky is cloudy or at night, gas is burned to produce the heat necessary to boil the water within the pipe. The other complication with these structures is that they take up too

T

8 Colorado Country Life APRIL 2010

much land that could be used for other purposes.

Lauren Rosler Rebecca Webb, a University of Colorado at Colorado Springs professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace engineering is performing research that can possibly solve both of these problems. By adding channels to the pipe running over the center point of the mirror, more surface area is present for the sun’s energy to heat up.

The addition of a special black paint will also make a difference in the efficiency of the absorption of energy from the sun. This paint, much like any other black material, absorbs the sun’s energy more so than any other colors do. However, unlike other black materials, this unique paint does not release any of the energy that is absorbed. By combining those two modifications to the pipe, the structure will not only take up less land, but it will also use the solar energy more efficiently.

Obviously, making a few simple changes to a method that has been in use for many years can drastically change results; making them more feasible. Instead of creating a brand new method of capturing solar energy, modifying what has already been in use will save time, money and resources. Not only will capturing energy from the sun become more efficient, but it also will take up less real estate to generate this energy into the electricity we use every day. By making these adjustments and using the sun’s natural resources, we can have a better tomorrow by providing the world with the energy it demands.

WWW.COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.COOP

MOUNTAIN VIEW ELECTRIC

WWW.COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.COOP

APRIL 2010

Colorado Country Life 9

MOUNTAIN VIEW ELECTRIC

CHECK OUT ENERGY SAVINGS AT LOCAL LIBRARIES

PHOTO CONTEST HAPPEN’ NOW

D

lug-in energy meters are the newest items to leave the shelves at public libraries in MVEA’s territory.

MVEA has recently started a program allowing consumers to check out “Kill-A-Watt” meters from local libraries and bookmobiles in MVEA’s service territory.

Checking out the simple plugin Kill-A-Watt meter can help consumers assess how efficient appliances really are. The meter comes with basic, easy-to-follow Key Accounts Representative Kevin Holbrook and Lucy instructions. It displays kilowatt- Reimers, Limon Memorial librarian, get ready to help hours and makes it easy to find people become more energy efficient with the addition of Kill-A-Watt meters available for checkout. out your electrical expense.

The rising cost of electricity can really hit you where it hurts and this program provides a “no cost” way to reduce energy usage and identify the real energy abusers. Members who have used the meters report unplugging appliances that weren’t being used to save energy.

Key Accounts Representative Kevin Holbrook wanted to widen the meters’ availability and turned to the local public library system for help. “Accessibility to the meters is better for our members and there are several learning opportunities possible with this meter,” said Holbrook. “With the co-op’s help, users can calculate how much it will cost to use an appliance over a month’s time.”

P

• Every year refrigerator efficiency improves. An average 2009 fridge consumes 3 percent less energy than one made in 2007.

• Forty-four percent of fridges that could be retired or recycled are used as second fridges, sold or given away.

10 Colorado Country Life APRIL 2010

COUNTRY KITCHEN arbara Lambert of Black Forest shared her recipe for the “best vegetable dip ever.” I can attest that this is a great dip, especially with cucumber slices. Thanks for your contribution.

If you have a recipe you would like to share, please send it to MVEA, Attn.: Deborah Skillicorn, 11140 E. Woodmen Road, Falcon, CO 80831.

You will receive a $10 credit on your electric bill the month your recipe is published.

B

Dilly Dip

FRIDGE FACTS • The average refrigerator sold today uses less energy than a 60-watt lightbulb left on for 24 hours a day.

on’t forget to get your entries in for MVEA’s Annual Calendar Photo Contest.

We are looking for great photos taken by our members within MVEA’s service territory, reflecting the seasons and the people, lifestyle or landscape of our area. For guidelines, entry forms and more information, check out our website at www.mvea.coop or give Deborah Skillicorn a call at 719-494-2602. Entry deadline is July 1, 2010.

• Twenty-six percent of all U.S. households maintain a second refrigerator.

• Only three out of every 10 refrigerators sold are Energy Star qualified.

• Twenty-seven million inefficient fridge models made before 1993 are still in American homes.

Source: Energy Star, Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers

2/3 cup sour cream 2/3 cup mayonnaise 3 teaspoons dill 1 tablespoon garlic powder 1 tablespoon parsley flakes 1 tablespoon dried minced onion Mix together and refrigerate overnight.

Serve with fresh vegetables — carrot sticks, celery strips, green and yellow peppers, cauliflower pieces and sliced cucumbers.

WWW.COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.COOP

WWW.COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.COOP

APRIL 2010

Colorado Country Life 11

Gubernatorial Candidates Meet With Co-ops

BY MONA NEELEY, PULISHER/EDITOR

epresentatives of Colorado’s electric cooperatives were in the audience Monday, March 1, when Colorado’s gubernatorial candidates spoke during the Colorado Rural Electric Association Annual Meeting. This was the first time that Mayor John Hickenlooper and former Congressman Scott McInnis have appeared together, each promoting himself as the right choice for governor.

Hickenlooper, a Democrat, reviewed his background and his time as a geologist on Colorado’s Western Slope. He then went on to talk about his work as mayor of Denver and how he has worked to bring transparency and accountability to government and create a collaborative atmosphere.

“Today there is a real hunger for that kind of collaborative approach,” he told the co-op audience.

He also discussed energy issues with the audience saying, “I get in trouble every time I say this, but I’m not 100-percent, absolutely sure that climate change is occurring at the rate some people fear.” He quickly added that with so many saying the climate is warming, it is a good idea to make reasonable changes. He noted that

R

CO-OPS SEE SCHEME AS WRONG TOOL FOR THE JOB he U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has begun taking steps to regulate carbon dioxide under the federal Clean Air Act. At the same time, several members of Congress have introduced bipartisan proposals to stop the EPA from using the Clean Air Act this way.

“The Clean Air Act wasn’t intended to deal with carbon dioxide,” says Glenn English, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

“Using it to regulate greenhouse gas emissions would essentially be like using a hammer to tighten a screw.

You may eventually get that screw hammered in, but using the right tool makes more sense and does the job without unintended harm.”

Through the nationwide “Our Energy, Our Future” grassroots campaign at www.ourenergy.coop, you can join with your local electric co-op in supporting members of Congress seeking better solutions.

T

12 Colorado Country Life APRIL 2010

while coal is a “remarkable resource,” we need to be moving toward cleaner fuels.

Republican McInnis, coming to the podium after Hickenlooper, took issue with the mayor’s statement that he wasn’t totally sure about climate change. He quoted Hickenlooper as saying, while he was in Copenhagen during the recent international Scott McInnis climate summit, that he wanted to come back to Denver and sit down with every skeptic and explain what is happening.

McInnis also took time to talk about the current state legislature and how it is stacking fees on people and business to raise money for government. These fees are just taxes by another name, he said.

“These tax increases move money from private jobs to protect state jobs,” he said.

“This isn’t job creation, it’s job cremation.”

McInnis also touted his connections to the more rural areas of Colorado, noting that the current state leadership all comes from the central Front Range. “The state

John Hickenlooper

of Colorado does not end at the Denver city line. It’s a big state,” he said.

The audience of nearly 200 electric coop board directors, managers and staff members came from all parts of the state, representing the 21 electric co-ops that are members of CREA. They also met with U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, (D-Dist.1) and members of the Colorado General Assembly during their time in Denver.

CREA is the statewide service organization currently representing 21 of Colorado’s electric cooperatives. Through CREA, the individual cooperatives share in the advantage of a larger utility operation.

TRI-STATE OFFERS INFORMATION ON RESOURCES he public is invited to informational meetings on Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc.’s 2010 resource plans.

Tri-State is planning for the future electricity needs of its 44 member electric cooperatives, 18 of which are in Colorado. The planning process involves projecting future needs, assessing the existing assets available to meet those needs and identifying any resource gap so that Tri-State can continue to provide reliable and affordable electricity.

Planning for resources involves developing and assessing alternative scenarios that are based on a range of growth rates, resource costs, capital costs, types of generation resources, energy efficiency programs, levels of emissions, water usage and other considerations. The various alternative resource plans are compared on the basis of cost, environmental characteristics and other factors.

A component of the development of Tri-State’s

T

resource plan is public input. Tri-State will hold a series of public resource planning meetings in 2010. The first round of meetings is intended to inform the public about Tri-State’s resource requirements and guidelines and will discuss the planning process and modeling alternatives.

The public meetings will be Friday, April 16, and Friday, April 23, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Tri-State headquarters, 1100 W. 116th Ave., Westminster, Colorado. Those planning to attend are asked to R.S.V.P. online by April 9 at www.TriState.coop/ResourcePlanning.

Tri-State is a not-for-profit electric cooperative, owned and governed by the members it serves.

Tri-State generates and transmits electricity to its member systems throughout a 250,000 squaremile service territory across Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico and Wyoming.

WWW.COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.COOP

CO-OPS SUPPORT BOARD TRANSPARENCY BILL riginally against HB-1098, the Colorado Rural Electric Association now supports the legislation written to make sure board elections are open and transparent.

Following the direction of the board, CREA’s representatives worked with bill sponsor Rep. Claire Levy (D-Boulder) to amend the bill so that it is not onerous in its requirements but does ensure that election procedures are transparent. Most of the requirements are already being followed by most co-ops, but the bill will codify election practices and make sure they are more uniform across the state.

O

WWW.COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.COOP

Chris Morgan president

Bob Bledsoe vice president

Bill Midcap secretary

Don Kaufman treasurer

New Officers Elected to Lead State Electric Co-op Association ew officers have been elected to lead the Colorado Rural Electric Association, the statewide service organization for Colorado’s electric cooperatives.

Chris Morgan, former mayor of Mt. Crested Butte, was elected president of the organization, replacing Tom Compton, a rancher and retired college professor from Hesperus who has served as president for the last two years. Morgan, who previously served as vice president, was unanimously elected president at the January meeting and officially took office following the CREA annual meeting in February.

Bob Bledsoe, a rancher from Hugo, was elected vice president; Bill Midcap, a business owner from Fort Morgan, was elected secretary; and retired Maj. Gen. Don Kaufman, from Westcliffe was elected treasurer.

Morgan, who represents Gunnison County Electric Association headquartered in Gunnison, has served on his local co-op board since 1998 and recently completed a three-year term as president of that board.

Morgan has also served on the Mt. Crested Butte planning commission, as well as on the city council where he served as a council member and, more recently, as the mayor. He also is a founding member of the local Office of Resource Efficiency. Morgan is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Bledsoe, who represents Tri-State Generation and Transmission (one of the co-op power suppliers) on the CREA board, serves as vice president on the K.C. Electric board based in Hugo. A graduate of the University of Denver, he is involved in ranching and farming in eastern Colorado.

Other involvements have included being a member of the Colorado Livestock Associa-

N

tion, the District Judicial Review Board, the county zoning board and the Kit Carson School Board.

Midcap, who represents Morgan County REA in Fort Morgan, is director of renewable energy for Rocky Mountain Farmers Union where he works with rural families on a variety of issues, such as energy efficiency, renewable energy and the environment. Retired from farming and ranching, Midcap has been active with electric co-ops since 1990 and has served on several committees at the local and state level.

Kaufman, who represents Sangre De Cristo Electric headquartered in Buena Vista, holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in business administration. A former fighter pilot, he retired from the U.S. Air Force after attaining the rank of major general.

Following retirement, he owned and operated Kaufman Cattle Company in Westcliffe until 1997.

These officers will serve through 2011, with the option of being elected to a second term.

Organized in 1945, CREA is composed of the state’s 21 electric distribution cooperatives and one generation and transmission cooperative. Headquartered in Denver, the association represents the collective efforts of the electric cooperatives in a variety of fields, including legislative representation at the state and national levels, risk management, educational seminars for its directors and employees, youth programs and a communications program centered around its monthly consumer publication, Colorado Country Life. The governing board is composed of one representative from each of its member cooperatives.

APRIL 2010

Colorado Country Life 13

INDUSTRY

A Sunny Solution Solar water heating offers home owners another renewable option f you’re interested in solar energy, you might find that solar water heating is the simplest and most cost-effective way that you can put this renewable resource to work.

New solar industry standards promote quality products and installations, and new federal solar tax credits can take 30 percent off the installed cost of solar water heating for your home or business.

But some things haven’t changed — you still need to be a smart shopper to be sure solar water heating can meet your expectations for performance and savings.

In the United States, a typical solar water heating system is likely to meet more than half of a household’s water heating needs over the course of a year.

That means your bill for water heating could be cut in half.

The amount of water you use is an important factor in solar economics.

Solar contractors usually figure that an average person uses 20-30 gallons of hot water per day and that an average household has three people. Also, remember that electric water heating accounts for only 8 to 14 percent of a typical homeowner’s electric bill.

BY JILL K. CLIBURN

I

The basics We all experience the effects of solar heating when we get into a car on a sunny day.

Solar energy passes through the glass and is trapped inside the car, warming the car seat, the steering wheel, and anything you happened to leave inside.

Similarly, a solar water heater is designed with a dark, heat-absorbing material inside a collector — a glazed box or tube. A heat-exchange fluid passes through the collector, gets hot, and then runs through a heat exchanger, which transfers the heat to the water in a storage tank.

Three major variations on this basic solar water heating system are described here, and you will find even more variations among manufacturers’ products.

The Solar Rating and Certification Corporation (www.solar-rating.org), a nonprofit agency that promotes solar product

14 Colorado Country Life APRIL 2010

A crew installs hot water heating panels on the south-facing slope of a home’s roof. These roof-mounted units include dark heat-absorbing material, which collect the heat and transfer it to water in a storage tank inside the home.

standards in North America, tests solar collectors and complete systems from dozens of manufacturers. The best solar water heating system for you depends on your climate zone, hot water needs, installation site and budget.

For best results, solar panels should face south, within 15 degrees. They should be unshaded year-round and for years to come.

The roof should be in good shape.

Some homes need roof work. Do it before you install a roof-mounted solar water heater, or find a spot for a ground-mounted system instead.

The solar storage tank and controls will need space, too. Install them next to your existing water heater, if it will be used for backup heating. If you choose a one-tank system, the installation will take less space.

Which system design is best for you?

This is a tough question. There are many good designs on the market today, differing greatly or only slightly from their competitors. If you find a good contractor, sometimes your choice will be influenced by the brands that the contractor is ready to deliver and install.

The three generic types of solar water heating systems are:

• Closed-loop antifreeze systems. They use an antifreeze heat transfer fluid in the collector as freeze protection under harsh winter conditions. A circulating pump, powered by household electricity or by a small photovoltaic panel, moves the heat transfer fluid through the system. A heat exchanger transfers heat from the fluid to the household water. In four-season climates, this is the most popular generic design.

• Closed-loop “drainback” systems. These use distilled water with a corrosion inhibitor as the heat transfer fluid that circulates through the collector. Like the antifreeze system, this configuration uses a heat exchanger, so the collector fluid does not mix with household water. When this system is operating, a “drainback” tank is mostly filled with air. But when the heat transfer fluid cools below a useful temperature, it drains into the “drainback” tank, forcing air into the collector and protecting the system from freezing. “Drainback” systems are most useful in climates where freezes are infrequent and mild.

• Open-loop direct systems. They heat and circulate household (potable) water directly through the collectors. One type of open-loop system is a batch heater — simply a tank filled with water and

WWW.COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.COOP

INDUSTRY

placed on the roof either in a glazed box or attached to a solar collector panel.

This type of heater has few parts, and thus it is generally reliable. However it must be protected from freezing, or drained for the winter. The design is common for do-it-yourself projects that serve summer homes or workshops.

One tank or two?

Some system designs have only one tank, which serves as a solar storage tank and includes backup heating elements. Other systems use a separate solar storage tank linked to a new or existing conventional water heater.

One benefit of a two-tank system is greater solar storage capacity. If you live in a colder climate, where solar will be used mostly to preheat your water, or if you need a lot of hot water, the two-tank design could be right for you.

How to make sense of so many choices? Be sure that any system you consider has been tested for your climate zone by the Solar Rating and Certification Corpo-

ration. The SRCC monitors product quality for the solar industry.

Recently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program (www.energystar.gov) began to label solar water heating equipment and other energy-efficient water heaters.

First cost, incentives and savings Shopping tips Your electric cooperative is one source of information about qualified solar equipment dealers. Others include your state or regional chapter of the Solar Energy Industries Association (link from www. seia.org), the state energy office or a website that is cosponsored by the American Solar Energy Society and U.S. Department of Energy at www.findsolar.com.

An Internet search could also put you in touch with a special state or regional program. Remember to specify solar water heating or solar thermal so you won’t be confused with information on photovoltaic solar installations.

Of course, you should be confident in the equipment as well as the installer. As mentioned above, solar water heating equipment is routinely tested by the SRCC. The Florida Solar Energy Center and a few other test agencies offer similar ratings that are considered acceptable in some states.

Before incentives, the typical installed cost for a two-panel household solar water heating system today runs between $5,000 and $9,000, depending on the level of freeze protection and other features.

Whatever the installed system cost, you may be eligible for a 30 percent cost reduction, thanks to the federal tax credit on solar, which now applies to the installed cost (within guidelines) of the system. Customers in some states or counties may qualify for additional state or local incentives.

Check the national database of incentives for renewable energy (www. dsireusa.org) to see if you qualify.

Jill K. Cliburn has specialized for more than 20 years in utility integrated resource planning, demand-side program design and renewable energy acquisition strategies. She has written several reports for the Cooperative Research Network, a service arm of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

WWW.COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.COOP

APRIL 2010

Colorado Country Life 15

A love for maps and following her ancestors’ footsteps took the author to Cache Creek.

State’s boundaries outline our unique place on the map

BY GAYLE L. GRESHAM

My love for Colorado maps began the first day of fourth grade at Cherry Valley Elementary School in Douglas County. Mr. O’Quinn, teacher in the “Big Room” (fourth-sixth grades) walked to the front of the classroom, pulled a shiny new Colorado map down from its roller and announced a map drill. Before I knew it, I was hearing the names of towns I’d never heard before — Wild Horse, Rifle and Grover — and finding them on the Colorado map. Over the next three years my speed increased as I spent my spare time poring over the map, searching for obscure towns, learning the 63 counties and county seats, and finding towns my family had visited.

16 Colorado Country Life APRIL 2010

WWW.COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.COOP

Y

ears later, I renewed my love affair with Colorado maps when I started researching my family history. Maps became more personal as I searched for the mining camp of “Cash Creek,” where my great-great-grandparents first settled in Colorado in 1861. Located between Buena Vista and Leadville, “Cash Creek” became Cache Creek in the later 1860s and disappeared in the 1870s when the new town of Granite sprang up. I visited Cache Creek and walked the land where my ancestors had walked; I even panned for gold in the creek.

I began buying county plat maps using township and range to locate homesteads and ranches and U.S. Geological Survey maps to study the terrain and landmarks.

One of my favorite map tools, Google Earth, allows me to sit at home and soar over the mountains. I can zoom in on Cache Creek and observe the crater that hydraulic mining left behind. I can also add the global positioning system coordinates of other places my husband and I have visited. It’s a great way to experience places I’m researching and writing about when I can’t actually be there.

Colorado maps are works in progress.

From the time of Colorado’s earliest explorers to the work of the Colorado Geological Survey (CGS) today, maps have evolved as boundaries change, new roads are built and more detailed maps are produced using modern technology.

Knowledge of how Colorado maps have changed over the years gives a better understanding of both the history of the state and the land today.

This map shows Colorado and several western states with their counties as they existed in 1890.

Early Colorado Maps The hope and promise of gold always played a part in the history of Colorado.

Early Spanish expeditions sent conquistadors into the mysterious lands north of Santa Fe in attempts to locate mythical cities of gold. In 1540, Francisco Vasquezde Coronado went in search of one of the Seven Cities of Cibola and may have travelled through the southeastern corner of Colorado when he returned to Mexico empty-handed. More Spanish explorers made forays into the mountains searching for gold, writing about their journeys WWW.COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.COOP

rather than drawing easy-to-follow maps in hope that it would make it harder for others to follow their paths. The first surviving map of any region in Colorado was drawn by Miera y Pacheco, a member of the Dominguez-Escalante expedition 1776, which passed through western Colorado while searching for an overland route to California.

Spain ceded a large parcel of land to France in 1800, then France sold this land to the United States as the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Most of present-day eastern Colorado became a part of the

United States with this transaction, while western Colorado remained under the flag of Spain.

The boundaries changed again when Texas gained independence from Mexico in 1836. The new Republic of Texas included not only southeastern Colorado south of the Arkansas River, but also the San Luis Valley with the Rio Grande as the western border, and it telescoped up the Arkansas Valley past the Arkansas River’s headwaters all the way to the 42nd parallel north of present-day Laramie, Wyoming. [continued on page 18] APRIL 2010

Colorado Country Life 17

[continued from page 17] Texas was annexed into the United States in 1845, and the northern land claims of Texas were sold to the United States in the 1850 Compromise.

Looking at the names of landmarks, towns and rivers, we can see the influence of early Spanish explorers and later American explorers Zebulon Pike, Stephen Long, John C. Fremont and John W. Gunnison. What would Colorado be without the Sangre de Cristos Mountains, Pikes Peak, Longs Peak and the Gunnison River? Each explorer brought a new understanding of this land with his stories and maps and left an indelible mark on the state.

By the 1859 Pikes Peak gold rush, what would become Colorado had been parceled out to the territories of Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico and Utah. Kansas became a state on January 29, 1861, and one month later Colorado became a territory on February 28, 1861. The new Colorado Territory consisted of 17 counties, two of which (El Paso and Fremont) are located in the same places today, although their shapes and sizes have changed.

Colorado had 26 counties when it became a state on August 1, 1876. More counties were added as populations grew and people wanted county seats closer to home, especially in larger counties. By 1913, there were 63 counties. The number of counties didn’t change for 85 years until Broomfield County was approved by the voters of Colorado in 1998.

The Homestead Act of 1862 The Homestead Act of 1862 allowed U.S. citizens to file an application and lay claim on 160 acres of government-surveyed land.

The gold was playing out in the goldfields, and some miners took up homesteads in Colorado Territory under the new act rather than returning to their homes in the east.

Others moved from the east to take advantage of the Homestead Act The 4oth parallel, the line between Nebraska and Kansas, became an important baseline for surveying these new homestead lands. Baseline Road in Boulder, which is aligned with the 40th parallel, was used as the basis for up to 70 percent of the surveyed lands in Colorado

18 Colorado Country Life APRIL 2010

Tracing their footsteps with maps, the author can follow her great-great-grandparents, Wilburn and Elizabeth Christison, through time.

Territory. In order to receive a patent on the land, the homesteader needed to live on the land for five years and make the required improvements on the land, which included a 12-foot by 14-foot dwelling and raising crops. After the homesteader “proved up” his land, he received a land patent or deed of title to the land. Civil War veterans were allowed to deduct the time they served in the war from the residency requirements. People could also purchase land by residing on the homestead for six months, making some improvements and paying the government $1.25 an acre. An 1866 Map of Public Surveys in Colorado Territory shows early townships running along the Front Range along with detailed mapping of the goldfields.

Geological Surveys The territory of Colorado was beginning to be topographically and geologically mapped, and in 1867 Clarence King did a considerable amount of mapping along the 40th parallel. F.V. Hayden, who was in charge of the USGS of the Territories, started surveying parts of Colorado in 1869.

Hayden led a focused effort in 1873 by setting up three divisions for field operations in South Park, Middle Park and North Park. Hayden completed his Colorado work in 1877 and published The Geological and Geographical Atlas of Colorado.

Today we enjoy an added benefit to Hayden’s surveying expedition — William Henry Jackson, noted photographer of the great west, worked as the photographer for the Hayden survey and left us with a legacy of photographs recording

the mining camps and towns of the time as well as breathtaking vistas of Colorado Rocky Mountain grandeur. To view a collection of Hayden’s maps and Jackson’s photographs, visit the Denver Public Library’s Digital Image Collection online.

The CGS and the USGS carry on the work of Hayden today. The entire state of Colorado has been mapped topographically to a detailed scale of 1:24,000, and the CGS is currently working on mapping the state geologically to the same scale.

Geological mapping includes details of the distribution of rocks, deposits or other geologic features along with detecting geological hazards. These detailed maps are especially useful in areas where development is occurring.

Colorado is divided into almost 1800 quadrangles which cover about 56 square miles each or 7.5 minutes of latitude and longitude. “We’ve completed field mapping for 89 maps; 79 are completed and published,” said Dave Noe, state map manager of CGS. When I look at a Colorado map today, I think of the changes in the past 200plus years: the people who explored and mapped the land, the boundaries that evolved and the towns that boomed and disappeared.

Each map in succession records the lives of the people who passed through or lived in Colorado in each era. And when I discover a Colorado map I haven’t seen before, I feel the same thrill I felt as a child when that shiny new Colorado map was pulled down at the front of my fourth-grade classroom.

Gayle Gresham is a freelance writer and a librarian for Elbert County Library District. Her husband, John, has worked for Mountain View Electric Association based in Limon for 25 years.

For more information Gayle Gresham about Colorado maps and pans for gold on Cache Creek, visit Gayle's Cache Creek. blog http://ColoradoReflec tions.blogspot.com

To connect to some of the sites mentioned in the story, go to www.coloradocountrylife. coop and click through from the cover story.

WWW.COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.COOP

WWW.COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.COOP

APRIL 2010

Colorado Country Life 19

Notes for Spring Observe, plan, journal now for fall planting season BY rocus, daffodils and tulips spring to life in that order at this time of year, emerging from hibernation.

What could be more refreshing and joyful than the brilliant colors these small wonders flaunt? The deciduous trees and shrubs don’t don their leaves for a while yet, but bulbs are there for us “floraphiles” to bridge the gap between the winter void and the prolific greenery of summer.

Indeed, now is the height of the bulb blooming frenzy and a perfect time to celebrate their beauty. And, although it is not the time for planting spring-blooming bulbs, it is a perfect time for planning which bulbs you’d like to see where in your garden. A journal or notebook is a good way to do that. Every remotely serious gardener should keep some sort of records. If you haven’t done so in the past, now is a great time to start.

The information gleaned now in the spring and properly recorded will be most valuable to you come fall when bulbs become available to purchase and plant. It’s so easy to think we will remember what we want where come fall because it feels so important and exciting right now. But I will gently remind you there will be a lot of vibrant, exciting activity in the garden between now and bulb-planting time.

So write your ideas down now. Draw maps, make notes, and most importantly, take photos. Digital photos that can be enlarged on the computer screen do wonders for helping you recall both your garden as it is at a given time and your inspiration. You’ll be glad for all the information come fall.

This spring, as you go about your business, look around; start to notice the blooming bulbs at friends’ and neighbors’ houses and in your town’s business district. Take note of combinations you enjoy — bulbs flowering in lawns, mixing with ground covers and growing among perennials — and take photos of them.

There are some fantastic bulbs out that are extremely different from the standard three mentioned at the beginning of this article that many of us grew up with. I have two current favorites.

EVE GILMORE

C

20 Colorado Country Life APRIL 2010

Plan now so your garden will burst with colors and scents come next spring.

One is Allium, which amounts to a fantastically ornamental onion. Culinary onions are also in the Allium genus; both are deer and rodent resistant. Ornamental alliums only have a mild onion fragrance when crushed and generally have a purple globe style flower on the top of a tall stalk. The stalk varies from about a foot tall to over 4 feet tall.

The globes range from about an inch in diameter to nearly a foot in diameter.

These flowers tend to persist, offering interesting structure in the garden long after the peak of their blooming, and they beg to be dried and put in arrangements.

Alliums thrive in the garden for years, are xeric and are undeterred by even clay soil.

These plants are truly magnificent.

Species tulips, also called wildflower tulips, are my other current favorite. If you are looking for something different, exciting and low maintenance, these bulbs are hard to beat.

They are called species or wildflower tulips because, unlike the common tallstemmed, large, egg-shaped flower, Darwin hybrid tulips, these tulips occur naturally in nature and have proper botanical names with genus and specific epithet to show for it, such as Tulipa batalinii. Species tulips come in a wide array of colors, including many multicolor varieties, and have blooms of vari-

ous shapes and sizes, many of them opening fully in the morning to show off their multicolored interiors and closing again each evening. Most wildflower tulips are between about 6 inches and a foot tall and naturally spread, forming colorful colonies over the years. These wonders of nature are also xeric and much less desirable to deer than the hybrid tulips, also known as deer candy.

Gardening doesn’t get much easier than this. Unlike other climate zones, Colorado’s climate does not require laborintensive digging, winter storage, and replanting of bulbs. Plant the bulb in the fall and behold the resulting beauty for many years. That’s the glory of bulbs.

So, get out your garden notebook or journal and begin to plan for fall’s bulb planting season. Where do you want to see what bulbs blooming next spring?

Eve Gilmore is a landscape designer and garden coach and owner of Gardens by Eve in Durango. You can reach Eve at www.gardens byeve.buzztown.com or by calling 970-7693319.

Read previous gardening columns at www.coloradocountrylife.coop.

Click on gardening.

WWW.COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.COOP

WWW.COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.COOP

APRIL 2010

Colorado Country Life 21

Earth Friendly Meals Find delicious ingredients for healthy meals close to home

BY LINH TRUONG

pril 22 will mark the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, which was founded to promote environmental awareness. To celebrate, use Colorado grown ingredients in your family meals. You can find some fresh, local ingredients at a few farmers markets in April (in Boulder and Fort Collins) or use potatoes from the San Luis Valley, dried fruit from the Western Slope or, perhaps, the last of what you put away from your own garden.

A

Colorado Potato Gratin 2 Colorado russet potatoes 1 bottle dark beer 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 egg 2 egg yolks salt and pepper to taste 1/4 cup butter 1 clove fresh garlic minced 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese 2 pinches fresh grated nutmeg 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cooking oil Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Peel and thinly slice potatoes.

Place potatoes in a bowl and cover with beer. Allow to sit while preparing rest of ingredients.

Combine cream and eggs with a little salt and pepper.

Whisk to combine. In a small sauté pan melt butter (except for 1 tablespoon) and sauté garlic. Do not allow to brown.

Deglaze pan with 3 ounces of beer from potatoes and add mixture to cream and eggs.

With 1 tablespoon butter, grease a 6-inch round by 2-inch deep baking dish. Pour just enough cream mixture to coat bottom of dish. Place a thin layer of potatoes on top, being careful not to overlap too much. Sprinkle with enough cheddar cheese to lightly cover. Place another layer of potatoes into dish. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Top with Parmesan and enough cream to bring it level with potatoes.

Repeat this layering until dish is full. Top the top layer with Parmesan and lightly spray with cooking oil. Cover with parchment paper and foil.

Place into oven on a baking sheet to catch any overflow.

Bake for 1 hour; then boost heat to 400 degrees and leave for about a half hour to brown top. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 15 minutes before cutting.

(Recipe courtesy of the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee)

For more tasty, earth-friendly recipes, visit our website at www.coloradocountrylife.coop and click on Recipes.

22 Colorado Country Life APRIL 2010

Colorado Farmers Market Pasta Salad 16 ounces shell, elbow or rotini pasta 1 tablespoon lemon zest 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon Dijon or spicy mustard 1/2 cup (plus 1 tablespoon) extra virgin olive oil sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1-1/2 cups fresh mixed greens 1 cup carrots, thinly sliced 3 cups cherry tomatoes 1/3 cup thinly sliced cucumber 1 cup crumbled goat cheese Heat a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta 30 seconds less than directions suggest. Drain well and allow to cool. Toss pasta with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Set aside. Combine lemon zest, vinegar and mustard in a small bowl. Whisk vigorously while gradually adding remaining olive oil. Mix well. Add sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Combine mixed greens, sliced carrots, tomatoes, sliced cucumber and cooled pasta in a large bowl. Mix well. Sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

WWW.COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.COOP

Colorado Women’s Task Force

WIN THIS BEAUTIFUL QUILT Buy a chance to win a beautiful quilt

1 ticket = $2 3 tickets = $5 Proceeds will go to the electric co-ops’ Energy Camp; the Washington D.C. Youth Tour; and the Employee Burn Fund Send checks for tickets to: Shelly Grantham % Morgan County REA PO Box 738 Fort Morgan, CO 80701 (make checks payable to CWTF Raffle)

Drawing set for October 20, 1010 WWW.COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.COOP

APRIL 2010

Colorado Country Life 23

Ice-Out Is Coming Now’s the time to tie a spring menu BY DENNIS SMITH ce-off on some of the highaltitude trout lakes could still be a good two months out — but as we all know time goes quickly. Now’s as good a time as any to get busy tying some flies in anticipation of the coming spring melt.

Conventional wisdom holds that after being trapped in frigid darkness under 2 or 3 feet of ice and snow and forced to sip daphnia and other aquatic minutiae for five dreary months, spring trout are energized by the sun and freshly oxygenated water and emerge from beneath the receding ice The right fly yields a big bite for Dennis Smith. cap hungry and willing to eat virtually anything edible they encounter. But experience also shows that one never knows exactly what that “anything” might be, so the wellarmed fly fisher is wise to prepare for any eventuality — which is to say you tie everything from miniscule midge pupae to big minnow, leech and crawdad imitations and trust one of them will prove to be the entrée of choice for the cruising trout.

The operative theory says the ice will melt in shallow bays and along northern shorelines first. Then as the water warms, insects, crustaceans and other prey species begin to stir, thereby attracting the fish. The fish may be hungry and adventurous, and they’ll typically focus on whatever prey species is most in evidence and readily available. Since you can’t always (or almost never) know what that might be, you bring the whole menu.

The first insects to hatch after ice-off are usually the chironomids or midges. Fish feed on all three stages — pupae, larvae and adults — but they most often target the emerging larvae. If you carry an assortment of midge emergers in black, red, olive, gray and green in a few sizes, say 14 to 18 or 20, you should have most of the bases covered.

A black-bodied midge with a white bead head, known regionally as an “ice cream cone,” is a favorite on many of our high-prairie lakes. It’s also tied in gray, brown and olive.

A standard dry fly pattern like the venerable Griffith’s Gnat will generally serve as a good adult midge imitation in most, but not all, surface-feeding situations.

Woolly buggers, egg flies and scud imitations are traditional spring fly patterns on ice-out lakes, and any of them can make the difference between a trophy day and getting skunked. Again, carry an assortment of colors and sizes. You should round out your selection with a few big, hairy streamers and juicy-looking crawdad imitations for those outsized trout hell bent on gobbling the biggest hunk of food in the lake.

While a 5- or 6-weight rod will serve you well for the midges, buggers, scuds and nymphs, you might want to pack a heavier rod to throw the big, hairy stuff with.

A 9-foot, 7-weight fly rod can be a game saver — particularly when the wind comes up.

One thing you can be certain of on a high-prairie lake at ice-out is a cold, howling wind and fish ready to bite on “anything.”

I

Gallop Through Time GET A GIFT FOR THAT DIFFICULT-TOBUY-FOR-COWBOY Buy a book about the Wild West.

Now on sale for $25.

Colorado’s Rodeo Roots to Modern-Day Cowboys.

Call 303-455-4111 to order yours today.

24 Colorado Country Life APRIL 2010

Read earlier columns at www.coloradocountry life.coop. Click on Outdoors.

WWW.COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.COOP

Tracking Energy at Home Awareness of what appliances use helps a family cut electric usage

BY JAMES DULLEY

t may help a family make lifestyle changes to reduce its electricity if family members can see how much is being used. How can a family do this, and what are the savings?

WWW.COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.COOP

This remote monitoring system compiles and displays information from various energy data loggers throughout the house.

Photo credit - James Dulley

It is surprising how some minor lifestyle changes can affect the amount of energy your home consumes. It can also affect when you use electricity.

Controlling what’s called peak demand can make a big difference for all of us.

Peak demand is like rush hour for the electric grid — the time of day when folks come home, switch on lights, crank up the air conditioner and start bustling around the house. If you want to always have electricity available, your electric cooperative has to have enough electric generation capacity to meet this peak consumer demand. And since building a generating plant is extremely expensive, using less electricity during these peak times can eliminate or delay the need for more plants, keeping electric rates down.

In order to trim energy use in a home, it may help to first educate family members on which electric devices use the most electricity so they can minimize the use of these devices. Generally, any appliance or device that creates heat uses the most electricity.

Some devices that do not have heating as their primary purpose may surprise you with the amount of heat they put out (essentially a waste of energy). You might consider labeling some of these devices with a red sticker to remind everyone of the major electricity consumers.

A number of new energy management devices are available to help monitor and control the electricity used in your home.

The simplest ones basically accomplish the same goal as watching the electric meter.

An example is the Power Monitor by Black & Decker. This is a two-piece system: a wireless sensor attaches to the electric meter outside, and a small digital display is kept inside to relay the meter reading. Local electric rates can be programmed in to accurately calculate the

Photo credit - Onset

I

The Black & Decker Power Monitor includes an outdoor sensor and transmitter for yourmeter and an indoor monitor and receiver.

real-time cost in dollars. In order to see how much a specific appliance costs to use, just switch it on and watch the display to see how much more electricity is being used. These work on most electric meters but not all, so check the Black & Decker website for compatibility.

Another more expensive example is TED (The Energy Detective) by Energy, Inc., which operates in a similar fashion except it senses electricity use from current transformers on the circuit breaker panel. There are two TED models: The more advanced “TED 5000” can be monitored from a personal computer or even

a mobile phone, taking all the mystery out of how much electricity your home is using at any given time.

More advanced energy management systems have wireless sensors on electric and gas appliances. The main control unit and display compiles this information so you can program and control the electricity use of each appliance. If there are problems or excessive energy use alerts, these systems can send notifications by email or text message.

Some electric utilities are installing smart electric meters that allow two-way communication between the utility and the home meter. This can be used to lower peak demand. Through a voluntary program, the utility can be allowed remote access to switch off a water heater or lower the thermostat when systemwide electricity use is at its peak. In return, the utility typically compensates the home owner by providing free maintenance of the appliance or may adjust electric rates.

Have more questions? Send them to: James Dulley, Colorado Country Life, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH. Or visit www.dulley.com.

For more information on energy use visit www.coloradocountrylife.coop and click on Energy Tips.

APRIL 2010

Colorado Country Life 25

MARKETPLACE

Become a new fan of Colorado Country Life on Facebook and enter to win Colorado: Mapping the Centennial State Through History.

Find MORE of Colorado Country Life on our website VISIT www.coloradocountrylife.coop AND YOU WILL FIND: • • • •

A monthly feature story Energy saving tips Archived outdoor adventures Calendar listings updated regularly

YOU WILL ALSO FIND: • Gardening tips • Energy industry information • Featured and web-only recipes • New book reviews monthly

26 Colorado Country Life APRIL 2010

WWW.COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.COOP

MARKETPLACE

Call 303-455-4111 to advertise in MarketPlace.

WWW.COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.COOP

APRIL 2010

Colorado Country Life 27

TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD Please type or print your ad on a separate paper. Indicate how many months you would like your ad to run and which month to start. There is a minimum of 12 words at $1.42 per word/month. Be sure to include your full name and address for our records. Check MUST accompany this order or call to pay with a credit card. Send your ad to: mail: Colorado Country Life 5400 N. Washington Street, Denver, CO 80216 phone: 303-455-4111 fax: 303-455-2807 email: classifieds@coloradocountrylife.org

ANTIQUES

BOOKS

ANTIQUE SHOWS-SALES, April 10-11 “Antiques @ the Aud,” Colorado Springs, historic city auditorium downtown, 221 E Kiowa. Also, May 1-2, “Antiques at the Abbey,” Abbey Field House Gym, 2951 E Hwy 50, Cañon City. Hours of the shows: Saturday, 9-5; Sunday, 10-4: $3 admission, under 14 no charge. Great mixture of antiques, uniques, unusuals, collectibles, fabulous finds, furniture and much more! Info: Jo Peterson 719-596-8839 or jopete48@aol.com. (872-4-10)

A COLLECTION OF SHORT STORIES. $12.95 Check/MO. OhlmBooks Publications, Box 125, Walsenburg, CO 810890125. www.ohlmbooks. com.

(722-05-10)

CHAIR CANING, hand caning, machine caning, fiber rush caning. Pueblo West, 719-5470723. chaanita@aculink.net.

(858-06-10) COMPLETE RESTORATION of antique woodburning stoves.

Some parts available. Free estimates. 719-924-9192. (874-510) GRANDMA’S CLOCK QUIT? Expert repair of spring and weight driven clocks. Berthoud, 970-532-3022 Email: four burros@aol.com. (126-04-10) RESTORED ANTIQUE ranch chuck wagon, restored antique sheep herder wagon, and NEW modern sheep wagons. Home: 970-243-4762; Cell: 970-7785674. (878-5-10)

ANTLERS ANTLER CHANDELIERS made only from REAL antlers. Wholesale, as much as 60% off store prices. Many other antler products and mounts, including giant 5’ moose mount!

970-627-3053. (105-02-11)

DOES MOM LOVE COWBOYS? Buy her a book about the Wild West. Now on sale for $25. Colorado’s Rodeo Roots to Modern-Day Cowboys. Call 303-455-4111 to order yours today.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES (These opportunities have not been investigated by Colorado Country Life.)

AVON sells itself and you earn $. Generous profits. Flexible hours. $10 start up. 719-5500242. (133-04-10) BEGIN YOUR OWN BUSINESS! Mia Bella Candles/Gifts/ Beauty. Try the best! www.naturesbest. scent-team.com. Free weekly drawing, click candle upper right. (831-05-10) PIANO TUNING PAYS. Learn with American School homestudy course. Tools included.

Call for info. 800-497-9793.

(158-01-11) RECESSION PROOF BUSINESS. Our top appraisers earn over $100,000/year appraising livestock and equipment. Agricultural background required.

Classroom or home study courses available. 800-4887570, www.amagappraisers. com. (527-10-10)

CARS/TRUCKS/BOATS

HELP WANTED

POULTRY/GAMEBIRDS

1995-2009 — SUBARUS, Foresters, Outbacks, Imprezas, WRXs and Tribecas! Great Prices! One-Year Warranty!

Dealer: 719-510-2212 or 303-870-2212. (574-08-10)

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR EXTRA income? Would you like to work from home? For more information call 800-390-0364 or www.ecobusiness.com/mspeak er/extra-income (854-06-10)

CLOCK REPAIR & RESTORATION

PROJECT MANAGER needed for power line construction company. Must have experience managing overhead, underground, transmission, and substation projects. Experience with union labor agreements helpful. CDL encouraged, but not required.

EOE, drug-free workplace. www.wesodi.com, wesodi@wesodi.com. Please send resume to: WESODI, PMB 300, 361 S. Camino Del Rio, Durango, CO 81303. (875-4-10)

FREE – 5 EXOTIC CHICKS or 3 ducks with 100 frypan special @ $31.95 plus shipping. Also Cornish Cross, standard breeds, fancy chicks, ducks, geese, turkeys, bantams, guineas, pheasants, quail, supplies, video. Brochure. Cackle Hatchery – PO Box 529, Lebanon, MO 65536. www.cacklehatchery.com.

(876-5-10)

DURANGO AREA. Clocks of all kinds repaired. Howard Miller service. Call Robert 970-2477729. (109-07-10)

FARM MACHINERY & PARTS SAWMILL EXCHANGE: North America’s largest source of used portable sawmills and commercial equipment for woodlot owners and sawmill operations. Over 800 listings.

THE place to sell equipment.

800-459-2148. www.sawmill exchange.com. (267-08-10)

FINANCIAL SERVICES EARN BETWEEN 7% - 8% guaranteed in an income retirement account —Guaranteed Lifetime Income; Tax Deferred; No Risk. Call Town & Country Financial Services at 877-887-3131. (851-04-10)

FOR SALE 30x50 POST FRAME pole barn package. Complete! Top quality product at the low low price of $6,981. Call 719-347-2023 Calhan. (857-04-10) OLATHE SWEET CORN SEED. Discount to co-op members.

970-323-5708, olathehardware @qwestoffice.net. (877-5-10)

FREE FREE BOOKS/ DVDS. SOON THE “Mark of the Beast” will be enforced as Church and State unite. Let the Bible reveal. The Bible Says, P.O.B. 99, Lenoir City, TN 37771. thebiblesays truth@yahoo.com, 888-2111715. (814-05-10)

HOBBIES & CRAFTS AWARD WINNING LONG-ARM QUILTING — reasonable rates, quick turnaround. Karen Niemi, 303-470-9309, http;://creative. stitching.home.comcast.net.

(846-08-10) SPINNING, WEAVING, KNITTING, crochet, felting, dyeing, books, patterns, classes. Table Rock Llamas Fiber Arts Studio, 6520 Shoup Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80908, 866-4957747. (791-11-10)

IN-HOME CARE STAY INDEPENDENT AT HOME. Greater Colorado Springs Care agency provides warm companion care to comprehensive personal care, twice a week or 24 hours a day. Call us for a FREE in home assessment. Call Jeff or Pennie at HomeWatch Caregivers, 719-358-8659.

(861-04-10)

MISCELLANEOUS PUT YOUR OLD HOME MOVIES, slides or photos on DVD. Call toll free, 888-609-9778 or www.transferguy.com (465-06-10)

HELP WANTED $400 WEEKLY ASSEMBLING PRODUCTS FROM HOME. For free information, send SASE: Home Assembly – CC, PO Box 450, New Britain, CT 060500450.

REAL ESTATE 10 ACRE HORSE PROPERTY, arena, barn, stockpond, fenced. Custom home, 3 bdrms, exposed woodwork, Low utilities/taxes. 360˚ views, Four Corners. $360K 970-882-4204 (owner).

(867-03-10) EARN 8.5% RETURN. For sale, new 9,100 sq. ft. building in Walsenburg, CO leased to Dollar General Stores., the largest dollar store chain in the country with 8,400 stores in 35 states and annual sales of over $9 billion. Ten year lease with three 5-year renewal options.

Al Sanford 214-212-8532. (84004-10) LAND WANTED — large land buyer is seeking to purchase 500 to 50,000 acres in Colorado. Will consider bail out, bankruptcies, foreclosures and existing subdivisons. Cash buyer can close quickly. Call Joe at Red Creek Land Company 719-543-6663. (648-08-10)

RELIGION BECOME AN ORDAINED Minister by correspondence study.

Founded in 1988. Free info.

Ministers for Christ Outreach, PMB 207, 7549 W Cactus, #104, Peoria, AZ 85381. http://www.ordination.org.

(441-6-10)

ROOFING ROOFS KILLING YOU? Instant renew roof coating (sm). Saves $1,000 replacement cost.

Metal, flat roofs. Contractors, fast start, details 573-4899346. (856-04-10)

Read the classifieds on www.coloradocountrylife.coop and click through to the advertiser’s website.

28 Colorado Country Life APRIL 2010

WWW.COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.COOP

SERVICES

WANTED TO BUY

WANTED TO BUY

The music came on while we were waiting for our pizza at

“PAMPERED PET” HOUSE/PET SITTERS. Retired Colorado couple who love to travel will care for your pets and home.

Experienced, reliable, honest — excellent references. Contact Cindy: 970-667-7290 or pamperedpetsitter@yahoo.com (864-04-10)

ELK AND DEER ANTLERS in bulk quantity. Also bear traps.

Phone toll free 877-400-1156.

Antlers1@powellantlershop. com. (863-11-10)

OLD POCKET WATCHES – working or non-working and old repair material. Bob 719859-4209 watchdoctor@ hotmail.com. (870-04-10)

Ye Olde School House in Durango. Our 3-year-old granddaughter, Hattie, stood up in her seat and said, “Excuse me, Ya Ya, I just have to dance.”

She is 15 now and has been dancing ever since.

“Ya Ya” Dahlberg, Durango

I WILL BUY YOUR German daggers, helmets and other military items. Don Simmons, PO Box 4734, Springfield, MO 65808, 417-881-5645.

DSimmons@corpranet.net.

(470-06-10)

OLD TRACTORS that don’t run.

Jerry Browne, 2707 Weld Co. Rd. 19, Fort Lupton, CO 80621.

303-659-7026. (220-04-10)

VACATION RENTAL FULL 1 BDRM, full kitchen, sleeps 4, 2 private, from May 30-June 6. 303-319-8084.

(873-4-10) KAUAI VACATION RENTAL. 2bdr, full kitchen. Minutes from beaches. $600/wk. 808-2456500; makanacrest.com. kauaiweddings.com. (756-0410)

WANTED TO BUY 50+ INDIVIDUAL WANTS TO BUY existing Colorado business. Decades of sales, marketing, government and administrative experience. Bill Pelissier, 720-308-5961. (83004-10) BUYING — OLD MODEL AIRPLANE engines and balsa kits.

Will pay shipping. Don, 970669-3418; drunnells2@msn. com. (866-05-10)

NAVAJO RUGS, old and recent, native baskets, pottery. Tribal Rugs, Salida. 719-539-5363, b_inaz@hotmail.com. (817-0610) OLD COWBOY STUFF–hats, boots, spurs, chaps, Indian rugs, baskets. ANYTHING OLD! Don’t throw it away until you call us! We’ll buy whole estates before you have yard sales.

We’ll come to you! Call 970759-3455 or 970-565-1256.

(871-7-10) OLD GAS AND OIL items: gas pumps, advertising signs, globes, etc. Pieces, parts, etc., considered. Also 1930-40 Ford cars and trucks, parts and pieces too. Any condition.

Brandon, 719-250-5721. (51911-10)

WANT TO PURCHASE mineral and other oil/gas interests.

Send details to: PO Box 13557, Denver, CO 80201 (402-8-10) WANTED: JEEP CJ OR WRANGLER. Reasonably priced. No rust buckets. 888-735-5337.

(227-09-10) WE PAY CASH FOR minerals and oil/gas interests, producing and nonproducing. 800-7338122. (227-09-10)

WEDDINGS DO YOU WANT TO CREATE A magical, romantic, unforgettable wedding on the beach?

The NEW Beach Wedding Planning Guide and Workbook shows you how. Download now at www.BeachWedding Magic.com. (12-10)

Place an ad in classifieds and watch your business grow.

Call 303-455-4111 for more information.

Prairie Spring

BY M A R V I N H A S S

Way up there, Where warmth is rare, The snow caps meet the day.

I say my prayers as the north wind shares Then blows my praise away.

The lark’s grand song, Welcome’s the throng, That wakens on the plain.

All life returns, How rebirth yearns, To join creation’s reign.

The joy I seek, Won’t grace the peak, For a month, maybe more Now down below, The ice and snow, Has greened the prairie floor.

A prairie man, In a grassy land, My heart no more alone.

A prayer of thanks, As a red-tail banks, My soul has come back home.

WWW.COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.COOP

While visiting our daughter and family, I took piggy banks for our grandchildren. The plugs wouldn’t stay in the hole under the pig. After the umpteenth time of putting the plugs back in, I asked if they had any duct tape.

Kayla, 5, spoke up and said, “What about pig tape?”

Evelyn Clifton, Cotopaxi

A boyfriend took me to meet his grandmother. As she came out of the house to meet us when she saw us coming up the walk, her poodle escaped. Frantic, she called, “Byja, Byja, come back here.”

I was intrigued by the name and asked how she came up with it. She said that the dog was a gift from her daughter’s family.

When they brought it over, my boyfriend’s little brother had jumped out of the car excitedly yelling, “Gramma, look what we buy ja.”

Thus the unusual name.

J.D. Green, Cortez

The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was large pile of apples. The nun made a note and posted it on the tray: “Take only one. God is watching.”

Moving farther along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies. A child had written a note, “Take all you want. God is watching the apples.”

Kelsey Roy, Livermore

We pay $15 to each person who submits a funny story that’s printed in the magazine. At the end of the year, we draw one name from those submitting jokes and that person will receive $150.

Send your 2010 stories to Colorado Country Life, 5400 N. Washington Street, Denver, CO 80216 or email them to funny stories@coloradocountrylife.org.

APRIL 2010

Colorado Country Life 29

A New Twist on Cleaning t’s time for spring cleaning, and a Boulder company has some natural tools to make it all easier. This innovative line of sponges, scrubbers and cloths offers an “eco-friendly” way to clean the house. There is the Loofa Sponge for scrubbing pots and pans, its companion Dish Dumpling that helps with the baked-on messes, the Euro Sponge that will wipe up all kinds of messes and the Sponge Cloth, which is a reusable product designed to take the place of paper towels you only use once.

Prices range from $1.99 to $4.99 and the products are available at Wild Oats, Whole Foods, Vitamin Cottage and other retailers throughout Colorado. You will also find them online at www.twistclean.com or call 303-443-9953.

I

Have a Fling with Trash ant to recycle all those cans and bottles at your next party, but hate having ugly bags and smelly trash cans detracting from the party atmosphere? A Golden company has the answer in pop-up trash and recycling bins.

Portable, attractive in a variety of festive designs and easy to spot, these 13-gallon containers spring open easily to the size of a tall kitchen trash can able to hold up to 60 bottles and cans. Use the container once and tie and toss it or use it over and over until you’re ready for a new one.

Flings are available at Party America in Colorado or at www.flingsbins.com.

W

GOOD TO GROW pring is here and it’s time to start those seeds indoors. But don’t you dread that added electric bill? Michael Lani of Meeker has a solution: custom-built LED lights.

LED or light-emitting diodes use about one-tenth of the electricity that a traditional incandescent light uses.

LEDs also do not give off heat like a regular bulb, so there is no need for cooling fans for your seedlings.

Lani offers everything from 14- to 600-watt lights. Prices vary depending on the light array and wattage selected. He also provides a two-year warranty. Visit Michael on his website at www.thewoollybully.com; email bad dog357@hotmail.com or call 970878-3777.

S

Bag a New Look any people are eliminating a lot of the plastic and paper consumer bags in their lives. They go to the grocery store with their own bags and keep a small bag stashed in a purse or glove box for those quick trips for one or two items. Neela Products offers some style in these reusable bags. The company also offers packs of several bags for those big trips to the grocery store.

Visit www.neelabags.com to order the styles that will brighten your spring.

M

Win one of three packages of recylced products: a Twist Euro Sponge, a Neela grocery bag and a Fling trash bin. Send your name, address and electric co-op name in an email to contests@coloradocountrylife.org and put “Earth Day Contest” in the subject line.

Or send your name, address, phone number and electric co-op name to Earth Day Contest, 5400 N. Washington, Denver, CO 80216. Deadline is April 15.

March Contest Winners: Each person won a potato wrap and $5: Beulah Schahrer — K.C. Electric; Samantha McCoy — La Plata Electric; Janine Butzine — Poudre Valley; JoAnn Brown — Sangre De Cristo Electric; and Donna Werner — San Isabel Electric.

Thanks to all of you who entered the contest. We had more than 200 entries.

30 Colorado Country Life APRIL 2010

WWW.COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.COOP