5 minute read
What is the value of irrigation?
It’s July, which means it’s Smart Irrigation Month. We at Centennial Water and Sanitation District join with other water providers across the country to promote this annual initiative to educate customers about e cient irrigation practices.
As the water conservation coordinator for Centennial Water, one of my objectives during the summer season is to partner with customers and help you learn how to more e ciently use your irrigation system. is can be accomplished through a variety of ways that can include:
Evaluate your sprinkler system Get to know your controller Water smarter, not more Know when to water
Norton
the elevator to show up as soon as we press the button. It’s the pace of the race these days that we are trying to keep up with and the pace is getting quicker and quicker each day. I thought about the snail again. And as I did, I was reminded that moving at a snail’s pace is okay sometimes. I enjoy a slow brewing pot of co ee as it lls the kitchen with that beautiful co ee aroma. I love reading and spending time slowly letting the story develop and not racing to nish the book. I nd it so much more meaningful to pray slowly as it connects me at a deeper
About Letters To The Editor
Colorado Community Media welcomes letters to the editor. Please note the following rules:
• Email your letter to letters@coloradocommunitymedia.com. Do not send via postal mail. Put the words “letter to the editor” in the email subject line.
• Submit your letter by 5 p.m. on Wednesday in order to have it considered for publication in the following week’s newspaper.
• Letters must be no longer than 400 words.
• Letters should be exclusively submitted to Colorado Community Media and should not submitted to other outlets or previously posted on websites or social media. Submitted letters become the property of CCM and should not be republished elsewhere.
• Letters advocating for a political candidate should focus on that candidate’s qualifications for o ce. We cannot publish letters that contain unverified negative information about a candidate’s opponent. Letters advocating for or against a political candidate or ballot issue will not be published within 12 days of an election.
Evaluate your sprinkler system
July is a peak month for outdoor water use, which makes it a great time to evaluate your sprinkler system. A system audit can detect leaks and uneven watering, which wastes water and can damage your lawn. You can get a free irrigation audit from our partners at Resource Central. A Slow the Flow irrigation audit will reveal the e ciency of your system and you will be provided suggestions to improve it. Call 303-999-3824 to schedule an appointment.
Get to know your controller
What better time than Smart Irrigation Month to get to know your smart controller? A good controller uses sensors and technology to water according to weather conditions and plant needs. You can also set it to water speci c days of the week, and times of the day – all from an app you have on your phone. It level to those I am praying for and to my faith. And when I can slow down enough before rushing out of the house to write notes to my family and leave them around the house, it makes everyone feel so loved and appreciated. Is it time to slow down a bit for you? Are you running a race that just gets faster and faster all the time? I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail.com, and when we can move at a snail’s pace sometimes, it really will be a better than good life. couldn’t be easier.
Michael Norton is an author, a personal and professional coach, consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator of individuals and businesses, working with organizations and associations across multiple industries.
Water smarter, not more e greatest waste of water in lawn and landscape irrigation comes from watering too much, too fast. Instead of watering 20 consecutive minutes, run sprinklers in four 5-minute sessions. is is called cycle and soak and it allows water to soak into the soil while minimizing runo .
Know when to water
Watering too much and too often results in shallow roots, weed growth, disease and fungus. Water long enough to soak down to the root zone, and don’t water again until the soil is dry. A good rule of thumb to follow is if the grass springs back when you step on it, it has enough water.
I want you to get the most value out of your irrigation system through these and other e cient techniques. If you have questions, sta at Centennial Water is here to help. You can visit our website at centennialwater.org/rebates to nd out more about how to sign up for a Slow the Flow inspection, and to get information about all of our rebate and incentive programs. You can call or email if you have irrigation questions. We are here to help, whether that’s helping you program your smart controller, or explaining how to set your system to cycle and soak. Contact me at 303-791-0430 or email watermon@ highlandsranch.org.
Paige McFarland is the Water Conservation Coordinator for the Centennial Water & Sanitation District
• Publication of any given letter is at our discretion. Letters are published as space is available.
• We will edit letters for clarity, grammar, punctuation and length and write headlines (titles) for letters at our discretion.
• Please don’t send us more than one letter per month. First priority for publication will be given to writers who have not submitted letters to us recently.
• Submit your letter in a Word document or in the body of an email. No PDFs or Google Docs, please.
• Include your full name, address and phone number. We will publish only your name and city or town of residence, but all of the information requested is needed for us to verify you are who you say you are.
• Letters will be considered only from people living in Colorado Community Media’s circulation area in Adams, Arapahoe, Clear Creek, Denver, Douglas, Elbert, Jefferson and Weld counties.
• Do not use all caps, italics or bold text.
• Keep it polite: No name calling or “mudslinging.”
How to take up running, from starting out to marathons
BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Roxane Geisler started running in high school as a new challenge — somebody told her she should run cross country.
“I didn’t even know how to run a mile,” said Geisler, who is now president of the Highlands Ranch Running Club.
Getting into running “just gradually happened for me,” said Geisler, who is 54. “Suddenly, I was like, ‘Oh, I really do enjoy it, and I love getting out and seeing the views.’”
For people who are inexperienced at running but want to improve, it’s key not to be intimidated, Geisler said.
“A lot of people think, ‘Oh, I can’t join the running club because I’m not a real runner.’ And that’s totally silly,” Geisler said. “If you run, you’re a runner.”
Ryan Marker, an assistant professor who teaches exercise physiology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, said it’s important for beginners to start slow. “Setting appropriate expectations, I think, is really important,” Geisler said. “So if someone’s never run before, you’re not going to get o the couch and do a marathon.”
But with the right plan, even beginners can work their way up to a marathon within months. (Here’s a tip: You don’t have to run the whole thing.)
Here’s some advice on how to start running or take your training to the next level.
Part of the group
One thing that can help you get into running: nding a group of runners to keep you moving.
When Geisler moved to Highlands Ranch in 2003, she noted how many people were out running by themselves.
She learned about the Highlands Ranch Race Series, and part of the idea behind starting her running club was to get some runners to train together.
“It makes running so much easier, training so much easier, when you have people to train with,” Geisler said.
And the people she’s met through her club “were a tremendous in uence on me — just people who really push themselves and try to get the best out of themselves,” said Geisler, who has run marathons.
e club provides a communal atmosphere:
