SDCEA 2019 ANNUAL REPORT INSIDE
SANGRE DE CRISTO ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION, INC.
JUNE 2020
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Number 06
Volume 51
June 2020 THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE COLORADO RURAL ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION COMMUNICATIONS STAFF Mona Neeley, CCC, Publisher/Editor mneeley@coloradocountrylife.org Cassi Gloe, CCC, Production Manager/Designer cgloe@coloradocountrylife.org Kylee Coleman, Editorial/Admin. Assistant kcoleman@coloradocountrylife.org ADVERTISING Kris Wendtland, Ad Representative advertising@coloradocountrylife.org | 303-902-7276 National Advertising Representative, American MainStreet Publications 611 S. Congress Street, Suite 504, Austin, TX 78704 | 800-626-1181 Advertising Standards: Publication of an advertisement in Colorado Country Life does not imply endorsement by any Colorado rural electric cooperative or the Colorado Rural Electric Association. Colorado Country Life (USPS 469-400/ISSN 1090-2503) is published monthly by Colorado Rural Electric Association, 5400 Washington Street, Denver, CO 80216-1731. Periodical postage paid at Denver, Colorado. ©Copyright 2020, Colorado Rural Electric Association. Call for reprint rights. EDITORIAL Denver Corporate Office, 5400 Washington Street, Denver, CO 80216 mneeley@coloradocountrylife.org | 303-455-4111 coloradocountrylife.coop | facebook.com/COCountryLife Pinterest.com/COCountryLife | Instagram.com/cocountrylife Twitter.com/COCountryLife | YouTube.com/COCountryLife1 Editorial opinions published in Colorado Country Life magazine shall pertain to issues affecting rural electric cooperatives, rural communities and citizens. The opinion of CREA is not necessarily that of any particular cooperative or individual. SUBSCRIBERS Report change of address to your local cooperative. Do not send change of address to Colorado Country Life. Cost of subscription for members of participating electric cooperatives is $4.44 per year (37 cents per month), paid from equity accruing to the member. For nonmembers, a subscription is $9 per year in-state/$15 out-of-state. POSTMASTER Send address changes to Colorado Country Life, 5400 Washington Street, Denver, CO 80216
On the
Cover JUNE 2020
Stay in &
Stream
These Coloradans enjoy the virtual world while sticking close to home during the coronavirus pandemic. Photo by Chris Coleman.
YouTubers Channel Colorado
“ Yellow Bellied Marmot Mother and a Pup” by Kim Todd, a consumer-member of La Plata Electric Association.
4 VIEWPOINT
5 LETTERS
6 ASK THE ENERGY EXPERT
7 YOUR CO-OP NEWS
12 RECIPES
14 NEWS CLIPS
16 COVER STORY
COCountryLife pinned: Want to try something new in the kitchen? Check out the collection of recipes on our Kitchen Creations board for inspiration.
CHANNELING COLORADO 20 INDUSTRY 22 GARDENING
24 OUTDOORS
26 MARKETPLACE
27 CREATIVE CORNER
28 VIRTUAL ACTIVITIES
29 FUNNY STORIES
FACEBOOK CHATTER Colorado Rural Electric Association shared: Want more #TigerKing? Read more about this fellow #electriccoop consumer in this month’s #coloradocountrylife magazine, the co-ops’ magazine at coloradocountrylife.coop.
30 DISCOVERIES
Monthly Contest Father’s Day Giveaway Finding the perfect gift for dad isn’t always the easiest thing to do. Give Dad a gift card. Enter for your chance to win a $50 gift card. Go to Contests at coloradocountrylife.coop to learn how to enter.
coloradocountrylife.coop
PINTEREST SNEAK PEEK
INSTAGRAM PIC of the month colorado_electric_cooperatives posted: Read how #electriccoops are #keepingthelightson during the pandemic in the Colorado co-op magazine. #itstartswithpower #poweron #ruralelectric #coloradocountrylifemagazine
COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2020
3
VIEWPOINT
CO-OP ANNUAL MEETINGS
Missing those great local co-op get-togethers during COVID-19 BY KENT SINGER
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
O
ne of the unique characteristics of the electric co-op business model is the annual meeting of the consumer-members of the co-op. Electric co-ops are controlled by the consumer-members they serve, and those consumer-members have an opportunity every year to attend the annual meeting and learn more about what’s happening with the local electric co-op. In Colorado, as in most states, annual meeting season starts in the spring and continues through the end of summer. In the world of electric utilities, only electric co-ops have a meeting every year where the consumers of the utility can meet with the management and board. These meetings are not only a celebration of your electric co-op, they’re also a celebration of the community served by the co-op. In many cases, co-op annual meetings include sharing a meal and/or some entertainment, but they always include great conversations. As the manager of the Colorado Rural Electric Association, the statewide association that represents the interests of all of Colorado’s electric co-ops, attending co-op annual meetings is one of the best parts of my job. Every year, I attend many of the annual meetings of our member co-ops all over Colorado. This year is different. With the limitations on getting together due to the COVID-19 pandemic, electric co-ops have made alternate plans. In some cases, the
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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2020
annual meetings have been conducted via telephone town halls, other co-ops have hosted video presentations and some co-ops postponed or canceled their annual meeting for 2020. Co-ops realize that the most important consideration is the health of their consumer-members and they have had to put that concern foremost. But I gotta tell you, I miss these get-togethers. I miss hearing the national anthem. I’ve heard the anthem sung by local high schoolers, by professional singers, by choirs and sometimes via audio and video recordings. Regardless of how it’s presented, when hundreds of people stand and sing the anthem, I get a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye. I miss the reports from the Youth Tour kids. In case you don’t know, every year the co-ops sponsor high school kids on a trip to Denver and then on to Washington, D.C., where they learn how our state and national governments work. At the following year’s annual meeting, the kids give a report about what they saw and learned on the trip. My favorite quote from a Youth Tour attendee: “We stood on the step outside the Colorado Capitol that marks 1 mile high, you know, 14 thousand feet.” I miss the entertainment. I’ve seen magicians, comedians, singers, bands, guitar players, scenes from plays acted out by students, you name it. “America’s Got Talent” has got nothing on Colorado’s electric co-ops.
KENT SINGER
I miss the co-op swag. Co-ops almost always provide a small gift to the members; as a guest I’m usually given the same gift. I have collected insulated bottles, hats, picnic blankets, barbecue utensils and backpacks. My favorite? An ice cream scoop from Holy Cross Energy. I also miss driving across this beautiful state to attend the meetings — from the eastern plains to the Great Sand Dunes, from the San Juan Mountains to Rocky Mountain National Park, from the Collegiate Peaks to Rabbit Ears Pass. Our electric co-ops serve the most spectacular territories anywhere in America. But mostly, I miss you, Colorado’s electric co-op consumer-members. You are the folks who make the electric co-op program work. You are the backbone of not only our electric co-ops, but also of this great state and I know that you and your communities will come roaring back from our current challenges. And when you do, your electric co-op will once again host a party, and I’ll be there to help you celebrate. Kent Singer is the executive director of the Colorado Rural Electric Association and offers a statewide perspective on issues affecting electric cooperatives. CREA is the trade association for your electric co-op, the 21 other electric co-ops in Colorado and its power supply co-op.
LETTERS
FROM THE EDITOR
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Relishing variety in recipes
Baking with friends because of COVID-19
BY MONA NEELEY
EDITOR
A
s the pandemic restrictions start to loosen, it feels good to get out and about more, to see friends (no closer than 6 feet), to visit with neighbors across a driveway or street, to get back to some of our routines. There are still face masks involved and we haven’t quite returned to “normal” but at least we’re not totally confined to our houses. But, as we move into this new normal, there are some things from our “stay-athome” time that I want to bring with me and one of those is Saturday baking with friends. With my church going virtual on Sunday mornings and my women’s group, like every other group across the country, canceling
its events, weekMONA NEELEY ends got long. So, a group of us decided to “zoom” together and bake. We selected a recipe, set up a video chat over the popular Zoom app and invited others. We got to peek into each other’s kitchens via our computer screens and laugh and talk as we followed that week’s recipe. It was fun and I made some new friends. It was something I would have probably never done if I hadn’t been “stuck” at home. Mona Neeley is the statewide editor of Colorado Country Life, which is published in coordination with your local electric cooperative.
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Responding to the April letter writer: People have vegetarian diets for several reasons. I am not politically correct; I work in the cattle industry. I work with nutrition research cattle that ultimately will be used to study the best nutrition for beef cattle, including making beef healthier for human consumption. I enjoy my occasional beef meal, but you or someone you love may sometimes need an alternative diet. Lynne Kesel, DVM, Fort Collins
I read with misty eyes your article about your father as a lineman. I substituted my husband’s name each time you wrote the word “father.” I remember those storms vividly. I tried hard for the children’s sake and my own when storms hit to remain calm and cool, but thanked God when my husband returned home unharmed. Doris Canavan, Arizona Former Coloradan
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We have long felt it unfortunate that most recipes in the magazine include large amounts of meat and sugar. We were bemused by a letter writer (April ’20) upset that a recipe included no meat. But, being in our 70s, we were greatly flattered that he referred to us as “hipsters.” W.C. Embrey, Bellvue Poudre Valley REA consumer-member
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On behalf of all us “hipsters,” we’d like to thank the magazine for including vegetarian recipes. Even meat eaters sometimes want a change and appreciate new ideas. There are numerous reasons people choose not to eat meat, some of which include health, morals, religion, conscience, cost and convenience. Bill Williams, Dolores Empire Electric consumer-member
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I enjoyed the article about carousels, but you missed one. There’s a delightful one at the North Pole (near Colorado Springs). It has reindeer. Elisa Keesey Mountain Parks Electric consumer-member
SEND US YOUR LETTERS Editor Mona Neeley at 5400 Washington St., Denver, CO 80216 or at mneeley@coloradocountrylife.org. Letters may be edited for length. COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2020
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ASK THE ENERGY EXPERT
Attics and Ventilation Protect your home with proper attic ventilation
BY JAMES DULLEY
A Start Saving Energy Today Saving energy is saving money and can be a fun activity to engage your friends and family. Tactics to save energy come in all shapes and sizes, including steps you can take today at no cost. Energy efficiency also increases the comfortableness of your home, and makes larger projects worth the investment. Visit these two sites to learn how you can take control of your energy use and save today.
adventure.touchstoneenergy.com energy.gov/energysaver TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR ENERGY USE TODAY.
dequate attic ventilation is extremely important to reduce utility bills and to avoid damage to the roof and attic structure. Having a vent in each side of the gable was the typical attic ventilation configuration in older houses, but today it is considered woefully inadequate for an efficient house. The ideal ventilation flow comes in low over the insulation, keeping it dry and cool. Some of it should flow up under the roof sheathing to keep it cooler and then exhaust out near the peak of the roof. This airflow out the roof peak keeps it cooler during summer and much colder during winter to minimize condensation and ice dam formation. There are various attic venting options and all of them are better than gable vents. A combination of a ridge vent and soffit vents is most effective and not difficult to install yourself. Once you install proper new attic ventilation, block off the gable vents because they will interfere with the desired airflow. A good way to accomplish this is to staple extra attic foil over the gable vents. The ridge vent is located at the roof peak where the hot attic air is least dense, so it naturally flows up and out. In addition to this, breezes over the top of the ridge vent cover create a low pressure area to draw even more air through the attic — the cool air is drawn in the soffit vents. First, calculate how much ventilation you need. This is measured by the net free vent area of the particular vent product you select. The net free vent area is marked on the packaging. It is always less than the actual area of the vent because of screening and other obstructions to the airflow inside the vent. Measure the area of the attic floor to determine what is needed. A typical rule of thumb is 1 square foot of net free vent area for each 150 square feet of attic floor area. This amount of vent area should be divided evenly between the ridge vent and the inlet soffit vents. Check inside the attic to be sure the insulation is not blocking the soffit vents. Blockage can be solved by attaching small baffles. James Dulley writes utility bill-cutting and general money-saving magazine articles and writes nationally syndicated $ensible Home and Cut Your Utility Bills columns for 200 newspapers and magazines.
LEARN MORE ONLINE Learn more about attic vents and how to install them by visiting coloradocountrylife.coop. Click on the Energy tab and then Energy Tips.
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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2020
SANGRE DE CRISTO ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION, INC. The Outlet JUNE 2020
MAILING ADDRESS P.O. Box 2013 Buena Vista, CO 81211-2013 STREET ADDRESS 29780 North U.S. Highway 24 Buena Vista, CO 81211
ph 719-395-2412 tf 844-395-2412 email info@myelectric.coop web www.myelectric.coop Facebook.com/SDCEA.Inc Twitter: @SDCEA_Inc
YOUR CO-OP NEWS
SDCEA 2020 DIRECTOR CANDIDATES Q&A
S
angre de Cristo Electric Association is a member-owned, not-for-profit, corporate cooperative that provides electric service to about 13,000 accounts in five counties. SDCEA is self-regulated and governed by a seven-member board of directors elected by and from our membership. Five board members serving staggered terms are elected from director districts and two are elected at-large. This year, three board seats are up for election. One board seat from rural Chaffee/Lake County is contested. Incumbent Suzanne (Suzy) Kelly is running for the seat, challenged by candidate Jo Reese. The town of Buena Vista seat held by David A Volpe and the at-large seat held by Joseph Redetzke are both unopposed.
Rural Chaffee/Lake County Vote for one candidate.
Suzanne (Suzy) Kelly 1. How long have you been a member of SDCEA? 60 years 2. What is your philosophy in terms of whom you would represent as a board member? I represent all the consumers in our five counties in central Colorado. I am available for questions and answers and, if I don’t know the answer, I will find out and get back to anyone with a question. 3. What are your personal goals for SDCEA, and what steps would you take as a board member to achieve these goals? Keep the power flowing to all our consumers, especially the remote rural people. Learn about alternative energies and their applicability to our high mountain area including, besides wind and solar, small hydro and micro grids. Keep the rates affordable. 4. What responsibility do board members have to communicate with the membership of the cooperative? Board members have to be willing to talk to people and listen to their concerns. 5. What specifically qualifies you to serve as a corporate fiduciary/utility regulator? I’ve served as Sangre de Cristo director since 1990; past president, vice president and current secretary of the SDCEA board. I have attained a Director Gold Credential, the highest recognition of the successful completion of continuing education on the management of and the upholding of fiduciary duty to the cooperative. 6. What other education and background experience do you have that specifically apply to governing this electric cooperative? I’ve completed 55 courses from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association in electric cooperative utility management. Courses taken include board planning; rates and equity management; understanding electric transmission issues; understanding COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2020
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YOUR CO-OP NEWS utility operations; financial strategy; strategic planning; governance and policy issues; rules and procedures; policy and electric supply; developing technological solutions; capital credits; disaster management; energy efficiency and conservation; renewables in the power supply; risk management; and how to take a continuous improvement approach to governing your cooperative. 7. What are the three most important issues to members that SDCEA should focus on? Reliability of power, cost of power and response on outages. 8. How do you view the future of energy in central Colorado (i.e., affordability, renewable energy, electric vehicles, battery storage, micro-grids, etc.) and what is SDCEA’s primary responsibility moving forward? Sangre has to be open to new technologies in the electric industry but remain aware of the reliability of our system. Battery storage is an important asset that cooperatives are studying to complement renewable energy. We have installed electric car chargers on our system. We have a number of net metering accounts already on our system. 9. Please add anything else you would like members to consider. As a rancher at the base of beautiful Mt. Princeton, a businesswoman and having raised a family here, I am connected to many different people in this region. My experience and background allow me to represent a broad cross-section of SDCEA consumers in SDCEA’s entire service area: Chaffee, Lake, Fremont, Custer and Saguache counties. Electricity is essential to the things we all need to do each day. I have always strived to manage this cooperative to provide safe, reliable power to all the consumers in our area with local needs in mind. I was also co-owner of the iconic Hi Rocky Store in Buena Vista for 26 years (sold business in 2003). I understand the challenges of ranch and land management and of running a small-town business in our area.
Jo Reese 1. How long have you been a member of SDCEA? I’ve been a member since 1995. 2. What is your philosophy in terms of whom you would represent as a board member? My philosophy, as a future SDCEA board member, is to equally respect all shareholders while striving to enhance and protect shareholder values.
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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2020
3. What are your personal goals for SDCEA, and what steps would you take as a board member to achieve these goals? I will do whatever I can to make forward progress with any agreed-upon immediate or long term objectives by applying the knowledge I’ve acquired from my many years of business management. I want to be instrumental in finding ways to help to keep costs down for members. 4. What responsibility do board members have to communicate with the membership of the cooperative? My responsibility to the SDCEA members is to embrace transparency and receptiveness concerning their immediate and future needs, suggestions and objectives. 5. What specifically qualifies you to serve as a corporate fiduciary/utility regulator? I have a 25-year corporate accounting background, while working in many positions of trust. I make all decisions based on sound business principles and utmost integrity. I’m currently a licensed realtor, while also owning and managing a local business. I’ve maintained a solid reputation with the Buena Vista Chamber of Commerce for many years, as well as with members of this community. 6. What other education and background experience do you have that specifically apply to governing this electric cooperative? I majored in accounting and finance in college. I’ve also developed and managed multiple successful businesses while constantly learning new ways to promote and encourage growth, profits and company image. I routinely find ways to gain education or improve upon my business skills. Lately, I’ve been learning new ways to promote and conduct business online more efficiently. 7. What are the three most important issues to members that SDCEA should focus on? The most important issues, to members, for SDCEA to focus on: Consider newer or better options to save members money on their monthly bills, transparency and member involvement, exploring and/or adopting greener approaches to our energy supply. 8. How do you view the future of energy in central Colorado (i.e., affordability, renewable energy, electric vehicles, battery storage, micro-grids, etc.) and what is SDCEA’s primary responsibility moving forward? I envision a more progressive inclusion of newer, greener and more efficient means to acquire, develop, maintain and consume energy while never losing sight of keeping members’ bills as low as possible. SDCEA’s primary responsibility is to honestly consider new ideas from the members or other resources, and
YOUR CO-OP NEWS be willing to explore new ways to save members money or proactively reduce our carbon footprint. 9. Please add anything else you would like members to consider. I’ve always been a go-getter and straight shooter, especially when it comes to business. I’m able to maintain laser focus on primary objectives while being open minded for solutions to achieve them. I’m loyal and sincere when it comes to my commitments. I also attend local group meetings that focus on ways to improve or preserve our community and/or environment, including a group that is dedicated to the advancement of clean energy and energy conservation. I’ve been learning about and absorbing as much as I can about solar gardens, battery storage, electric transportation, energy audits, and weatherization programs. I would love to see someone become a liaison between SDCEA and the public, concerning information-gathering and obtaining energy saving suggestions for our members. On a more personal note, I enjoy the outdoors by hiking or camping. I live on a ranch raising cows, chickens, bees and produce.
Town of Buena Vista Unopposed seat
David A Volpe 1. How long have you been a member of SDCEA? I have been a member since 2003. 2. What is your philosophy in terms of whom you would represent as a board member? Providing safe, reliable, affordable, and responsible energy is our mission. As a board member, my philosophy is to consider this mission with every thought, discussion and decision. I am running for the director position for the town of Buena Vista district but represent all members equally. 3. What are your personal goals for SDCEA, and what steps would you take as a board member to achieve these goals? As a former business owner and long time member of town council, transparency through clear policies and careful documentation is a priority for me. I want the members to know we are operating with open and honest policies with their interests at the forefront of decision making.
4. What responsibility do board members have to communicate with the membership of the cooperative? I see my role in the communication chain as coming from the bottom up, meaning that I am charged with representing the voice of the community to Sangre. Public communication is performed primarily by the CEO, board chair, and designated SDCEA staff. 5. What specifically qualifies you to serve as a corporate fiduciary/utility regulator? Through my various roles as a pharmacist, trustee, and small business owner, I have extensive experience in managing budgets and maintaining regulatory compliance. I believe in asking questions and gaining a thorough understanding of the operation, so I can be an effective leader for SDCEA and its members. 6. What other education and background experience do you have that specifically apply to governing this electric cooperative? I have served the town of Buena Vista as a member of the board of trustees for the past six years. In addition to strengthening the relationship between the two, I have enjoyed sharing strategies and successes from each organization. 7. What are the three most important issues to members that SDCEA should focus on? Safety, reliability, and sustainability. 8. How do you view the future of energy in central Colorado (i.e., affordability, renewable energy, electric vehicles, battery storage, micro-grids, etc.) and what is SDCEA’s primary responsibility moving forward? The landscape that the electric industry operates within is changing at an unprecedented pace. Sangre exists as a distribution cooperative, meaning we are focused on the “last mile” between energy generation and use. As technologies change, we need to not only adapt but to be industry leaders on behalf of our members.
At-Large
Unopposed seat
Joseph Redetzke 1. How long have you been a member of SDCEA? I have been a member since 2013.
COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2020
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YOUR CO-OP NEWS 2. What is your philosophy in terms of whom you would represent as a board member? For the past four plus years, I have represented the 13,000+ members of SDCEA advocating for reliable, affordable and carbon free energy. 3. What are your personal goals for SDCEA, and what steps would you take as a board member to achieve these goals? I envision SDCEA to be a strong community leader in providing our members with energy that is reliable, affordable and environmentally friendly through the emerging technologies that are developing such as battery storage, solar installations, microgrids, etc. An important goal will be to utilize our human resources to research the most cost effective technologies that offer the best return on SDCEA’s investment to provide economical energy to our members. 4. What responsibility do board members have to communicate with the membership of the cooperative? Board members must be available and responsive to our members if they have questions or issues with SDCEA. My contact information is readily available on the SDCEA website and I do not hesitate to take a call from a member, which I have done many times in the past four years. 5. What specifically qualifies you to serve as a corporate fiduciary/utility regulator? I have been a director on SDCEA’s board since January 2015, currently serving as chairman of the board of directors since June 2018. I have also served a two-year term as treasurer and am currently serving a two year term as secretary on the board of the Colorado Rural Electric Association, the trade organization that represents Colorado’s 22 electric cooperatives. Currently, I serve on the contract committee at Tri-State Generation & Transmission cooperative in Denver negotiating for more local generation sources. I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Fort Hays State University and have served five years on the alumni association board of directors. 6. What other education and background experience do you have that specifically apply to governing this electric cooperative? I have successfully completed 23 advanced-education courses from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association targeted toward governing and guiding SDCEA. Course subjects include board duties and liabilities; legal, financial and fiduciary responsibilities; risk management; strategic planning; anticipatory management; new energy source’s issues; and understanding the complexities of today’s power supply and alternatives that presently exist.
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7. What are the three most important issues to members that SDCEA should focus on? 1. Stable and the lowest possible rates for our mountain service areas. 2. Locally generated, carbon-free energy at an affordable price. 3. The greatest work force in Colorado to ensure our members have reliable energy being supplied by a financially sound SDCEA. 8. How do you view the future of energy in central Colorado (i.e., affordability, renewable energy, electric vehicles, battery storage, micro-grids, etc.) and what is SDCEA’s primary responsibility moving forward? We are in a disruptive market environment that requires constant monitoring, study and evaluation of these new, emerging technologies in the energy sector that may be beneficial to our members and to SDCEA. It is imperative we keep abreast of these new technologies and implement them on a timely basis if they are strategically and fiscally beneficial to SDCEA and to our members. 9. Please add anything else you would like members to consider. It is an honor to represent the members of SDCEA for the past four years on the board of directors in a very evolving and exciting era to employ the proper resources to provide carbon-free energy to our members. I am active in the Buena Vista community as a member of the Optimists Club, former director and president of the Game Trail HOA, and former member of the finance committee at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church. I have had the privilege of working in over 60 countries, experiencing many cultures, customs and creating everlasting relationships with clients.
Due to the uncertainty caused by public health restrictions arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic, ALL 2020 director elections will be conducted by written, mail-in ballot only. Written ballots will not be accepted at the annual meeting. DO NOT drop the ballot off at Sangre de Cristo Electric Association. The ballot must be mailed in the envelope provided by Survey Ballot Systems for your vote to be counted. A voice vote for the town of Buena Vista and at large director positions WILL NOT be called at the annual meeting.
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In 2013, scientists announced a pill that facilitates weight loss in the abdomen. It contains a combination of ingredients shown to enhance the metabolism’s ability to burn belly fat. Since then, it has become a popular diet pill in France and Germany. Sales continue to climb as new people discover how well the product works. Michael Kenneth, President of the Applied Scientific Research Center is not surprised by the popularity. He says, “The pill is safe. It’s effective. It works fast. Plus, it costs less than a cup of coffee per day.” “And now, we’re making it available in America under the new brand name OxiTrim. We can’t wait to receive feedback from first time users. We know dieters are going to love this pill,” he added.
Double Blind Clinical Results
The findings were then published in the Journal of Medicinal Food... and... the Obesity Journal. Participants were given either a placebo... or else... OxiTrim’s active ingredients twice per day for 8 weeks. They then ate a normal 2,000 calorie diet and walked for 30 minutes, 5 days a week. The results were stunning. Those who took the active ingredients lost almost 4 times more weight than the placebo group. Even more exciting was the quantity of inches they lost from their waistline. The group taking OxiTrim’s active ingredients lost almost 5 inches of belly fat. That’s equal to 2 pants sizes for men... and... 4 to 6 dress sizes for women. The pill even helped maintain healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels. This is especially good news for anyone who is overweight, given the health risks they often face.
How It Works
The active ingredients in OxiTrim trigger weight loss in a way scientists have not seen before. Research shows they activate a protein in the body that breaks down fatty acids found in abdominal fat. “You can think of OxiTrim as a match that lights the fuse in belly fat,” said Kenneth. “This fuse effects metabolic rate which results in enhanced fat loss around the mid section and other parts of the body, too.” Kenneth also said, “Dieters should know OxiTrim is made from natural plant extracts. It is not a drug. It does not contain any stimulants or dangerous chemicals either.” “Plus, unlike a lot of other diet pills, OxiTrim won’t increase your heart rate or make you anxious. In fact, you won’t even know you’re taking it until you begin to see a slimmer waistline,” he added.
Approved By Top Doctors
“The advanced ingredients found in A double blind clinical study was OxiTrim have been used successfully in conducted on OxiTrim’s active ingredients. France for years. The clinical trials show The study was reviewed and analyzed by they can burn fat fast for those with a few scientists from the University of California, extra pounds to lose.” — Dr. Ana Jovanovic. Davis. “OxiTrim is the most exciting
Sales Frenzy: The newly released OxiTrim pill from France is set to break sales records nationwide this week. In clinical studies, users taking the pill’s active ingredients lost up to 5 inches from their waistline in 8 weeks without strict dieting.
breakthrough in natural weight loss to date. It’s a proven pill for men and women who want to cut pounds of belly fat.” — Dr. M. Usman, M.D. “I have reviewed the research and have decided to recommend OxiTrim to overweight people. That’s because OxiTrim doesn’t just reduce weight, it helps maintain healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels, too.” — Dr. Ahmad Alsayes.
110% Money Back Guarantee
Amazing feedback from users of OxiTrim has generated a wave of confidence at the company. So much so that they now offer OxiTrim with a 110% money back guarantee. The company’s president, Michael Kenneth says, “We’ve seen how well it works. Now we want to remove any risk for those who might think OxiTrim sounds too good to be true.” Simply take the pill exactly as directed. You must enjoy fast and impressive weight loss. Otherwise, return the product as directed and you’ll receive 100% of your money back plus an extra 10%.
How To Get OxiTrim
Today marks the official nationwide release of OxiTrim in America. And so, the company is offering a special discount supply to every person who calls before inventory runs out. A Regional Order Hotline has been setup for local readers to call. This gives everyone an equal chance to try OxiTrim. The Order Hotline is now open. All you have to do is call TOLL FREE 1-888-3080191 Then provide the operator with the special discount approval code: OTD20. The company will do the rest. Initial supplies of OxiTrim are limited. Those who don’t call soon may have to wait until more inventory is produced. This could take as long as 6 six weeks.
THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE. ALL DOCTORS MENTIONED ARE REMUNERATED FOR THEIR SERVICES. ALL CLINICAL STUDIES ON OXITRIM’S ACTIVE INGREDIENT WERE INDEPENDENTLY CONDUCTED AND WERE NOT SPONSORED BY THE MAKERS OF OXITRIM.
RECIPES
GRILL A MEAL THAT’LL MAKE ’EM SQUEAL Get your loved ones worked up for a mouthwatering, meaty meal BY AMY HIGGINS
QUICK TIP FOR BEGINNERS
Jason Ganahl’s Tip for Beginner Barbecuers Buy an instant read thermometer There are a bunch of different types on the market, but the one that I like best is the one I have the most history using: the ThermoWorks Thermapen. It’s important to use an instant read thermometer because when you open up the pit to check on your food, you want to make sure that you’re not letting all the heat escape. With a thermometer like the Thermapen, you can get in, check your temperature and get back to cooking right away without throwing off your entire cooking time. The other great thing about the instant read is that you don’t have a lot of time to pull off a steak at a perfect medium rare. You have to get an accurate temperature quickly to make sure you pull the meat off of the heat at the right time.
LEARN MORE ONLINE Get more grilling tips by visiting coloradocountrylife.coop. Click on the Recipes page.
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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2020
| RECIPES@COLOR ADOCOUNTRYLIFE .ORG
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ummertime barbecues beckon family and friends to gather, gab and work up an appetite. And when you know you have something great on the grill, you can’t help but feel like you really could beat Bobby Flay. Jason Ganahl, owner of Colorado’s G-Que Barbeque restaurants, won his share of barbecue championships and offers up some crowd-pleasing recipes that will radiate aromas to get those stomachs growling. Check out the G-Que Barbeque website, gquebbq.com, to see what’s on the menu and to gather great advice and recipes from the “Maestro of Meat” himself. In the meantime, try one of these recipes:
“Maestro of Meat” shares barbecue secrets for backyard grilling success!
Luther Burger 6 slices bacon
Salt and pepper, to taste
Butter or ghee
2 slices cheddar cheese
2 (8 ounce) 70/30 patties
2 eggs
2 glazed donuts
Light some coals and add to one side of your barbecue and cover grill with a griddle. While the griddle heats up, start cooking your bacon in a pan over a medium high heat until it reaches your desired level of doneness. Remove from the pan, but reserve the bacon grease for later use. Once it’s piping hot, melt some butter or ghee on the griddle and lay the patties down on top of it. Press with a spatula for about 10 seconds for the best contact with the griddle and a good sear on the meat. Season with salt and pepper. Cook to your desired level of doneness, flipping once and reseasoning halfway through (about 3 minutes per side, depending on heat). Just before pulling the burgers off, top with a slice of cheese. Crack two eggs into the pan with bacon grease and cook them sunny side up over indirect heat. As the eggs cook, spoon some of the bacon grease over the top to cook them from both sides while leaving the yolk intact. Slice your donuts in half and build your burgers starting with the bottom donut, patty, egg, bacon and top donut.
RECIPES
Smoked Sloppy Joes 2 pounds 80/20 ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt, to taste
1 1/2 cups ketchup
Black pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons mild yellow mustard
1 yellow onion, diced
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
Water
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
Brioche buns
In a large bowl, season the ground beef with salt and pepper, then mix in the onion, peppers and garlic until all ingredients are homogenized. Put the meat mixture into a foil pan and spread an even layer across the entire pan. In a cup or bowl, mix together the ketchup, mustard and brown sugar to make the sauce. Start a basket of coals in a drum smoker, add a strip of hickory wood and let it heat to about 300 degrees. Once it’s up to temperature, add the meat mixture to the drum and let it cook to an internal temperature of 140 degrees. Drain the grease out of the pan. Add the sauce and a small splash of water to the pan, and mix well to combine. Put meat back into the pit and cook for another 20-30 minutes, stirring halfway through. When the meat is nearly finished, toast your buns and then top with a heaping scoop of meat.
Nashville Hot Grilled Chicken Wings 30-40 chicken wings Salt and pepper, to taste Your favorite dry rub (optional) 3 tablespoons cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 teaspoon black pepper 3/4 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 4 ounces melted lard Sliced pickles Set up your grill for two-zone cooking and let it heat up to 375 to 400 degrees while you prepare the wings. Traditional Nashville Hot Wings only use salt and pepper, but this recipe also calls for a dry rub for a little bit of variety. Season the wings liberally with salt, pepper and your favorite dry rub on all sides, whichever way you like. Once it’s up to temperature, add the wings to the indirect heat side of the grill, leaving space between them for air flow. Cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees, about 20 to 25 minutes. While the wings are grilling, prepare the sauce by combining the cayenne pepper, brown sugar, black pepper, sea salt, paprika, garlic powder and lard, then combine with a whisk until consistent.
QUICK TIP / THE “BISCUIT TEST” If you’re cooking on a new grill, be sure to give it the “biscuit test.” It’s a simple, inexpensive way to see how it distributes heat. Watch the video at gquebbq.com/ how-test-new-grill-biscuits/ to see how it’s done.
Move wings to the direct heat side of the grill and turn every 15 to 20 seconds until the skin is crispy, then remove from heat. Once all of your wings are fully cooked, toss in the Nashville Hot Sauce to coat. Serve with pickles and enjoy. COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2020
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NEWS CLIPS
ELECTRICITY KEEPS FLOWING DURING CRISIS The electric power industry, including electric cooperatives across Colorado and the nation, are facing the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to deliver electricity reliably and safely, according to a report from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, the nation’s grid watchdog. Despite a heightened risk of disruption to the workforce and supply chains and new cybersecurity threats, the grid is operating effectively. “The electric industry in North America is rising to the challenge, coordinating effectively with government partners and taking aggressive steps to confront the threat to the reliability and security of the bulk power system,” NERC said in its report. “At this time, NERC has not identified any specific threat or degradation to the realizable operation (of the grid).” NERC attributed the industry’s preparedness in part to its longtime use of comprehensive emergency response drills, such as GridEx. Such tabletop exercises helped the power sector coordinate with key government agencies and “provided a blueprint to ensure that business continuity procedures are up to date and
Photo by Matthew Henry on Unsplash
comprehensive,” the report states. The central threat to the grid is loss of critical staff needed to operate and maintain the bulk power system. Since March, Colorado’s electric cooperatives and their power suppliers have worked to ensure that their systems continue to meet the needs of consumer-members. Every local distribution co-op office moved to operating virtually so that, even with office doors closed to the general public,
No Pedal the Plains in 2020 There will be no metro area bicyclists descending on the eastern plains of Colorado this fall for the annual Pedal the Plains bike tour. It has been canceled. The annual tour, which brought about 1,000 riders and their supporters to various areas of eastern Colorado each September in each of the last 10 years, is overseen by The Denver Post Foundation through a partnership with the governor’s office. The governor’s office, focused on the pandemic situation, does not want to shift that focus to provide its previous support. There is also concern for the health and safety of the riders and the residents of the towns they would visit. Ride the Rockies, the other bike event sponsored by the foundation, is also canceled for 2020.
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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2020
consumer-members could still drop off payments, call for information and access accounts online. New protocols were put in place to keep employees safe while they continued to do their jobs. Now that co-ops are reopening their doors, new procedures are in place to maintain the health of employees and consumers — and to keep the electricity flowing as the pandemic continues.
FEDERAL GRANT ADVANCES RESEARCH ON CARBON STORAGE A carbon storage research project in Wyoming received a step forward with a $15.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory. Basin Electric Power Cooperative, which supplies electricity to Colorado co-op power supplier Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, the University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources and other partners are developing a site near Basin’s Dry Fork Station and the Wyoming Integrated Test Center to store over 50 million metric tons of carbon dioxide underground. The project is working to mitigate CO2 emission from the consumption of fossil fuels. This has been a long process, according to project manager Scott Quillinan, and has demonstrated the feasibility of safely, permanently and economically storing CO2. Now the project is moving into final testing before pursuing commercialization and construction.
NEWS CLIPS
Conservation Award Winner Named The Collins Ranch of Kit Carson is the recipient of the 2020 Colorado Leopold Conservation Award®. The Collins Ranch in K.C. Electric Association territory is owned and operated by the Toby and Amy Johnson family of Cheyenne County. The conservation practices that the Johnsons have implemented on their cattle ranch have improved the wildlife habitat, water quality, and grass and soil health. The award, given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, recognizes ranchers, farmers and foresters who inspire others with their conservation efforts on private, working lands. “The 2020 Leopold Conservation Award nominees and applicants showcase the diversity of agriculture in Colorado and the dedication farming and ranching families have to the lands they steward, their communities
Moving cattle at the Collins Ranch in Cheyenne County.
and their families,” said Erik Glenn, Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust executive director. “The Collins Ranch demonstrates what’s possible through sound conservation efforts like rotational grazing and improved water distribution systems,” said Clint Evans, Natural Resources Conservation Service state conservationist in Colorado. “The NRCS appreciates the Johnson family for their dedication to conservation and their accomplishments as
COOPERATIVE ENGAGEMENT
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land stewards.” Other finalists for the award included the LK Ranch of Meeker in Rio Blanco County and the May Ranch of Lamar in Prowers County. The Leopold Conservation Award in Colorado is made possible by Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, the power supplier for Colorado’s electric cooperatives and other ag-supporting organizations.
Electricity Demand Drops as Coronavirus Cuts Use by Business The demand for electricity dropped to a 16-year low the first week of April as offices shuttered and manufacturing slowed or stopped as the novel coronavirus COVID-19 spread across the country, according to the Edison Electric Institute. Mild weather throughout the country had already contributed to lower heating demands. But, as the virus spread, electricity output fell further to 64,896 gigawatt-hours, down 5.7% from the same week in April 2019. That was the lowest demand since April 2004. The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects the country’s virus-caused economic slowdown and stay-at-home orders to keep electricity consumption low for the coming months. Currently, EIA is predicting that U.S. power consumption will be down about 3% in 2020, compared to 2019.
FLA.
COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2020
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Channeling
COLORADO YouTubers bring fun to small screens BY MALIA DURBANO
“O
ur biggest surprise on this journey has been the friends from around the world that we have met,” explains Denise Knowles, one-half of the YouTube channel team, Colorado Martini. “We’ve made friends with people around our age who are into the same things.” The 50-something couple, who live in Hygiene, a small Boulder County town, was looking for a creative outlet after serious day jobs — Patrick is a warranty manager for a construction company, and Denise works in information technology at the University of Colorado Boulder. Their friends were entertained at parties with Patrick’s ability to make flavored martinis — hence the name of the channel. “Our friends were also amused by how we interact with each other, so what initially was an idea for a book became live videos.” The Knowleses aren’t the only Colorado residents who enjoy contributing to this video-sharing internet platform. YouTube began on April 23, 2005, when the first video was uploaded by one of the founders, Jawed Karim. He and his partners, Chad Hurley and Steve Chen, sold the startup to Google in October of 2006 for $1.65 billion. Since then, the website has skyrocketed. Currently over 2 billion users visit YouTube each month and every day people watch over a billion hours of video generated by YouTubers like the Knowleses.
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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2020
Finding a voice on YouTube It took a year for the Hygiene couple to find their voice and hone in on a few areas of interest after starting with a cocktail and lifestyles theme. Exploring new destinations, history and even the lore behind haunted buildings became their focus. Denise’s enthusiasm and passion for the topics are evident and contribute to why they were selected as a Top 30 Colorado YouTube channel by Feedspot.com. Denise, as a software engineer and geophysicist, performs the technical requirements for the channel. As an empty nester, Denise started making private videos about lifestyle to teach the world. With a graduate certificate in adult online learning, she now uses YouTube to “teach with a modern twist.” Husband Patrick assists with ghost-hunting technical gear, does all the driving and “makes us all laugh.” Their passion for travel, as well as creating community and teaching, has evolved over the past four years into the creation of 107 videos and a virtual community of friends and followers from around the world. One of their most watched segments is a walking tour of Deadwood, South Dakota, in the Black Hills. The small town was featured in an HBO movie, so Denise and Patrick went exploring. Viewers learn that Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane visited the town, which traces its roots to 1874 when Gen. George Armstrong Custer arrived to establish a fort, where gold was discovered and a gold rush followed. Another video with almost 3,000 views is her tour of the historic and elegant Brown Palace Hotel in downtown Denver. Denise invites viewers along as she enjoys afternoon tea in the atrium of the unique, triangular-shaped hotel. Their story of haunted Cheesman Park in Denver prompted a viewer to comment on what excellent storytellers they were. Inspired by the praise, they produced a video on the presumably haunted Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, and have continued conducting paranormal investigations. The Knowleses share their passion for travel in their YouTube channel Colorado Martini.
COVER STORY
Kerry Norman shares his love for the mountains in his YouTube channel Roaming 50.
Two-wheeled exploration YouTube acknowledges that its community keeps growing thanks to individuals who contribute worthwhile content for others to view. Another Colorado resident who does his part is Kerry Norman from Louisville. Of course, when many people think of Colorado, hiking and mountain biking come to mind. The Roaming 50 channel was started in 2008 by this passionate rider, who moved to Colorado from the United Kingdom. He started as a hiker, but realized a mountain bike could help him get deeper into the wild and away from more people. Norman admits that carrying cameras, batteries, a gimbal for stability and other audio and video paraphernalia on a ride can be cumbersome. And then there is the 10-plus hours of editing it takes to create a 20-minute, professionally-produced video. But mountain biking changed his outlook on life and lifted him out of a depression. He finds it therapeutic and hopes that, by presenting new riding challenges and destinations, he, in turn, is helping other riders. Since he likes to continually explore different terrain, he makes videos to expose riders to new trails. He prefers raw natural terrain over landscaped parks and provides educational content to share with new riders on what to expect when riding. He holds the audience’s attention by talking to them as if they are riding with him. His day job provides regular income so Norman produces intermittent videos to indulge in his passion and to express his creative side. His true ulterior motive is to show his kids the cool stuff their dad used to do before he got too old. COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2020
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SANGRE DE CRISTO ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION 2019 ANNUAL REPORT BY JOSEPH REDETZKE CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS PAUL A. ERICKSON CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
S
angre de Cristo Electric Association, Yo u r C o m mu n i t y E l e c t r i c Cooperative, delivered power to 12,754 consumer accounts with 13,377 homes, businesses, farms and ranches in central Colorado in 2019. Reliability of service met extremely high standards, with power “up” to our consumers more than 99% of the time. Nearly 40% of SDCEA’s everyday power supply came from renewable resources. The cooperative restructured our charitable giving programs to provide greater financial support to those most in need in our service territory. And very importantly, while providing reliable, renewable power and helping our region’s communities, SDCEA did not raise rates. The highlights of these and other SDCEA accomplishments in 2019 follow.
Trout Creek Solar The year began with the completion of a years-long project, Trout Creek Solar, a 2-MW facility, which came online January 31. The project is the first of its kind, developed by SDCEA in collaboration with the Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC) and international solar developer juwi Americas, Inc. The land upon which the facility is sited is CDOC’s Buena Vista Correctional Complex. SDCEA’s community solar program also debuted at the time of Trout Creek’s completion. Consumers who want to buy locally-generated solar energy may sign up for a portion of the output from Trout Creek Solar. The community solar program is made possible by a 25% carve-out of energy produced by the facility for the program. Available by subscription to consumers who want to pay a little extra each month for that energy, community solar may also be attractive to consumers who are not able to or do not want to install solar panels at their home or business. juwi Americas, which built the facility,
AND
transferred the ownership and operation of Trout Creek Solar to American Electric Power Onsite Partners (AEP) when Trout Creek began production. AEP and SDCEA have a 20-year operational contract, where AEP will supply power to SDCEA at a fixedamount, providing rate stability to SDCEA’s consumers for the life of the contract. At the time of its construction, Trout Creek Solar was projected to generate energy equal to approximately 4.7% of SDCEA’s annual energy usage. The Trout Creek Solar project produced 4,910,236 kWh of power in 2019.
Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Shortly after the completion of Trout Creek Solar, SDCEA installed Level 2 and Level 3 electric vehicle charging units in the South Main neighborhood of Buena Vista through a $39,000 grant awarded from the state of Colorado. The stations were built and in operation April 24, with some of the most modern technology available to electric vehicle drivers. The grant was awarded as part of the Charge Ahead Colorado program, administered by the Colorado Energy Office to encourage use of electric vehicles to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote energy security through reliance on domestic electricity, and drive an innovative market for new technology. SDCEA also negotiated and executed an agreement with the town of Buena Vista on June 24, which transferred ownership of the town’s two, dual-port Level 2 EV charging stations located downtown and at the river park in 2019 to SDCEA to operate. Summer and fall months are the busiest times for the cooperative for field work, building new infrastructure and the completion of ongoing projects. During the busy summer season, SDCEA also marked a “wire-cutting” ceremony for the Trout Creek Solar facility at the Buena Vista Correctional Complex on July 12.
JOSEPH REDETZKE BOARD CHAIR
PAUL A . ERICKSON CEO
Keynote addresses during the ceremonial opening were made by representatives from SDCEA, CDOC, juwi Americas, AEP, the Chaffee County commissioners, and the town of Buena Vista. Completed projects by the operations department over the summer and into the fall of 2019 include several projects of benefit to consumers: • Cable replacement in Cristo Vista and Glen Vista subdivisions near Westcliffe. The replacement project is in place to improve service and reliability in both subdivisions. • Operations also installed underground primary electric infrastructure throughout the Centerville Ranch subdivision, a new development along U.S. 285 in Chaffee County. The project included 20,000 feet of wire buried for the project. • New 3-phase overhead line was installed from the Buena Vista Correctional Facility to Nathrop — approximately 6.5 miles of line. The project will increase reliability to those served south of Buena Vista.
Prepay Accounts Prepay, the ability for consumers to pay-asthey go, became activated as a rate option in October. The Prepay program was introduced for those who want to sign up for new service or convert their existing service to the program. Prepay is set up like a prepaid credit card. Consumers “load” their account with funds. As electricity is used, those funds are drawn down. The service allows consumers to track how much energy they use each day
SANGRE DE CRISTO ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION 2019 ANNUAL REPORT
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and whether they need to add funds to their account — all online. SDCEA has a growing number of “transient” seasonal consumers who work construction, hospitality, and recreation-based jobs. And some folks just find it difficult to come up with $250 to put down as a deposit on their electric service. The Prepay rate option does not require a deposit.
Year-End Summaries
Rates SDCEA did not raise rates to consumers in 2019, the second year without a general rate increase. Your cooperative continually studies use patterns, the cost of power and corresponding rate structures, striving to align use with rates that are equitable to all consumers. Committed to keeping costs down, SDCEA uses new technologies such as online service requests and the review of in-office procedures to provide consumer service as transparently and efficiently as possible. SDCEA added 335 services in 2019, compared to 275 services added in 2018. Consumers used 120,789,562 kWh (sold) by SDCEA in 2019. Capital Credits As an electric cooperative, SDCEA belongs to you, our consumers. Any profits generated here get allocated back and may be refunded to you over time. In December 2019, SDCEA posted bill credits to 3,850 accounts, which were reflected on November bills. The cooperative mailed 6,648 capital credit checks to those no longer on our lines for a total refund of $689,540 to consumers who received service in 1995, 1996, 2000 and 2001. Consumer-Owned Solar Installations The number of net meter accounts (consumer-owned solar installations) on SDCEA’s system continued to increase in 2019. At the end of the year, 393 consumers had net meter accounts, up from 317 in 2018 and 263 in 2017. Work continued to streamline the entire application to meter-set processes throughout last year, decreasing consumer and SDCEA’s costs to administer the program.
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2019 AND BEYOND Care for the Community Charitable giving programs at SDCEA underwent an extensive review and restructuring to better benefit service organizations in our service territory in 2019. We could not have anticipated, nor could we be more grateful, that these programs are in place in the first half of 2020 to respond to local needs resulting from the COVID-19 crisis. As a result of the reorganization, SDCEA will offer a community grant program and a matching grant program in 2020. SDCEA also renamed and redirected funds from the Operation RoundUp program, now designated as the Power of Change program, to maximize consumer and SDCEA giving opportunities in local communities. Further, banking partner CoBank matching SDCEA’s charitable giving in early 2020 with an additional $2,500, which was donated directly to the Chaffee County Community Foundation Emergency Response Fund by the SDCEA Board of Directors.
Community Grant Program In 2019, SDCEA conducted an extensive review and redevelopment of the cooperative’s corporate giving and the former Operation RoundUp program’s procedures. Now, needed funds between the two sources will be pooled and provided to organizations in our communities through the SDCEA Community Grant Program. Funding for community grants through the program will be administered by the Chaffee County Community Foundation for use throughout our service territory.
2019 Charitable Giving summary
A matching grant program, where members may request up to a $200 match per membership for their donation to local charities for a total of up to $1,000 in aggregate for a qualifying organization annually, was launched in July 2019. The initial funding for the program was exhausted by member requests in December. The program was renewed for 2020 and is now taking applications for continued consumer-directed giving.
• $12,000 in corporate charitable donations in 2019. • $7,500 was awarded in SDCEA matching grants. • Operation RoundUp awarded $17,023 to applicants in 2019. • $35,000 in local student scholarship donations was awarded in 2019. Also awarded was a $1,000 college scholarship by generation and transmission partner Basin Electric and $1,000 in Tri-State scholarships. One student successfully applied for an additional $1,000 Basin scholarship. • SDCEA successfully matched three Operation RoundUp donations through CoBank’s Sharing Success program for a total of $3,750. • Five area students attended the 2019 Washington D.C. Youth Tour in June. • $6,098.40 total was paid to youth 4H livestock auctions in Chaffee and Custer counties.
Operation RoundUp
Technology
(now the “Power of Change” program) Funds from consumers who elect to round their electric bills up to the next dollar each month are collected and pooled with funds from other consumers who also signed up for Operation RoundUp. In 2019, the program was a stand-alone grantmaking entity. In 2020, now renamed the Power of Change program, those funds are added to money allocated by SDCEA for the Community Grant Program.
Cybersecurity training is a critical aspect of SDCEA’s daily operation and SDCEA is committed to ongoing education in that field. The cooperative is committed to maintaining updated software, servers and other aspects of conducting business without interruption. Improved substation communications for improved performance and reliability of service has also been emphasized at SDCEA. To better accommodate tracking of
Matching grant program
SANGRE DE CRISTO ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION 2019 ANNUAL REPORT
outages and other field information, SDCEA invested in several software improvements and the training of staff in use of that software, which improved outage management throughout 2019.
Board Education SDCEA board members continued to pursue educational courses through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). Successful completion of these courses allows board members to gain expertise in the operations of an electric utility. In 2019, directors Charles A. Abel, II, Dan C. Daly and Joseph Redetzke all earned Director Gold Credentials, the highest level of achievement in NRECA’s board director certificate programs. Director Geoffrey Gerk received Board Leadership certification and Director David A. Volpe received Credentialed Cooperative Director certification. The 79th annual meeting was held June 20, 2019, in Westcliffe. Director Geoffrey Gerk and Director Tommy Flower were elected to the board by voice vote. Director Gerk retained his seat on the board, representing Fremont County. Director Flower was elected to the board, representing Custer County after Director Donald Kaufman chose not to run for another term.
The Future of Renewable Energy SDCEA’s wholesale power provider is Tri-State Generation and Transmission. The power purchased from Tri-State is delivered through lines and equipment that SDCEA builds and maintains. SDCEA has a longterm electric power contract with Tri-State, which obligates Tri-State to meet all of SDCEA’s power needs and requires SDCEA to purchase a minimum of 95% of our power exclusively from them. This contract makes SDCEA a member-owner of Tri-State and allows us to supply 5% of our power from locally-generated, renewable resources. As an owner of Tri-State, SDCEA directly benefits from more than 475 MW of utility-scale wind, solar and other
renewable-resource projects currently online. That means more than 30% of the power SDCEA receives from Tri-State is from renewable resources. Approximately 10% of SDCEA’s power supply is sourced from locally-produced, renewable resources, including the Trout
Creek Solar project. Tri-State is currently developing additional solar and wind-powered projects. Once those projects come online, projected to be by 2024, about half of SDCEA’s everyday power supply will be from renewable resources. We encourage
79th ANNUAL MEETING CONDENSED MINUTES June 20, 2019 | WESTCLIFFE, COLORADO The 79th Annual Meeting of the members of Sangre de Cristo Electric Association, Inc. (SDCEA) was called to order by President Joseph Redetzke at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 20, 2019, at Cliff Lanes, Westcliffe, Colorado. Invocation – Redetzke introduced SDCEA CFO Donnie Schell to give the invocation. Pledge of Allegiance – Redetzke led the Pledge of Allegiance. National Anthem – Redetzke introduced Paul A. Erickson to lead the membership in the singing of the National Anthem. Quorum requirements – SDCEA Attorney Jack P. Wolfe reported quorum requirements are 50 members registered in person. 58 members were registered. Wolfe declared a quorum present. Close registration – Wolfe closed registration at 10:07 a.m. Annual meeting notice, certificate of mailing – Wolfe presented the annual meeting notice and certificate of mailing. Wolfe reported the meeting notice was mailed to all members of record addressed according to information on file, as of the date of record of April 22, 2019. He presented the 2018 annual report and noted it was distributed in the June issue of the Colorado Country Life magazine. Introduce director nominee – Wolfe introduced director nominees. Uncontested: Fremont County – Geoffrey Gerk (incumbent) Custer County – Tommy G. Flower (candidate) Election of directors – Wolfe reported that Fremont County director Geoffrey Gerk, and Custer County candidate Tommy G. Flower are running unopposed, and may be elected by voice vote. Motion carried to elect Gerk and Flower to three-year terms by voice vote. Minutes of the 78th annual meeting – Wolfe entertained a motion to dispense with the reading of the minutes of the 78th annual meeting held June 20, 2018 and approve them as written. Motion was made and carried. Introduce directors – Redetzke introduced directors present. Recognition – Redetzke recognized Kaufman and Wolfe who are both attending their last SDCEA annual meeting as director and attorney for SDCEA. Introduce Guests – Erickson introduced guests: former directors Phil DeLuca, Arlie Riggs, and Howard Eggleston; former employee Kenneth Goertz; Tri-State Generation & Transmission Senior Vice President of Organizational Services and Chief Technology Officer Ellen Connor, and Relationship Manager Mike Frailey; CREA Executive Director Kent Singer. Consumer Janice Yalch was presented flowers in recognition of her recent citizen of the year as well as her regular attendance at SDCEA Annual Meetings over the years.
President’s report – Redetzke discussed the growth experienced by SDCEA during 2018, now serving over 13,000 meters which is an increase of 275 new services. He discussed the importance of electricity in our daily lives and how essential it is to provide health care, running businesses, operating schools and more. The innovative efforts of SDCEA to deploy the 2-megawatt utility scale Trout Creek Solar project. Redetzke mentioned the impact SDCEA has on the youth in our service territory by awarding approximately $39,000 in scholarships and sending five high school students to Washington, D.C., with the Colorado Rural Electric Association’s (CREA) Youth Tour. CEO’s report – Erickson spoke about SDCEA’s commitment to clean energy. A few of the efforts undertaken by SDCEA are the electric vehicle charging stations installed in Buena Vista that SDCEA received a $39,000 grant to install. He spoke about more than 317 privately-owned roof-top solar, wind and hydro net meters in operation in 2018 and that SDCEA expects to add approximately 60 more in 2019. Erickson also discussed future efforts to allow consumers to purchase additional power from SDCEA’s Trout Creek Solar project. He talked about a new “prepay” program that will be available to consumers which will help those consumers not able to pay a deposit, to start electric service. Erickson introduced the new logo for SDCEA to the consumers present. Treasurer’s report – Abel presented the treasurer’s report and addressed the 2018 financial data as shown in the annual report. Guest speakers – Erickson introduced Ellen Connor, Senior Vice President of Organizational Services and Chief Technology Officer and Kent Singer, Executive Director of the Colorado Rural Electric Association. Power supply report – Ellen Connor spoke about how cooperatives differ from investor-owned utilities. Connor also discussed membership/ownership of Tri-State. Colorado Rural Electric Association report – Kent Singer discussed legislative issues important to electric cooperative consumers. Old, unfinished or new business – There was no old, unfinished, or new business. Questions – Redetzke and Erickson addressed comments and questions from consumers about renewable energy battery storage, plans for expanding service in the Wet Mountain area to improve reliability and remove dependence on Black Hills Electric. Problems with renewable energy and electric vehicle mandates were raised by a consumer. True-up for net metered account consumers was discussed. Door prize drawing – Drawings were held for one $100 bill credit, two $50 bill credits, four $25 bill credits, and one television provided by Tri-State. Meeting adjourned at 11:30 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Attest: Suzanne Kelly, Secretary Joseph Redetzke, Chair
SANGRE DE CRISTO ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION 2019 ANNUAL REPORT
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you to review Tri-State’s plans at tristategt. org/responsibleenergyplan.
We Remain Here For You While compiling this annual report, as the world experiences the COVID-19 pandemic, SDCEA’s staff is working hard to meet our consumers’ electricity needs in this difficult time by continuing to power the homes, medical facilities and businesses in central Colorado that pillar our lives. We
hope it provides a measure of comfort to our consumers to know that the supply of electricity in our region remains available, reliable and safe. We also pledge to continue to provide for the future energy demands of our area as we adapt to the pandemic’s impacts. We remain here for you and will continue to provide outstanding, local consumer care. Please visit our website, myelectric.
coop for news and other updates from the cooperative, to pay bills, start or transfer service, submit rebates, email us your questions and much more. If you prefer to call us, we have a toll-free number, 844-395-2412. Or, you may use our local number, 719-395-2412, or email us at info@myelectric.coop.
2019 FINANCIALS COMPARATIVE BALANCE SHEET Assets Total utility plant Accumulated provision for depreciation Net utility plant Total other property and investments Cash-general funds Cash-special construction funds Investments Accounts receivable Material and supplies Prepayments Other current and accrued assets Deferred debits TOTAL ASSETS AND OTHER DEBITS Liabilities Equities Patronage capital Long-term debt Notes and accounts payable Consumer deposits Current maturities-long term debt Other current and accrued liabilities Regulatory Liabilities Deferred credits TOTAL LIABILITIES AND OTHER CREDITS
OPERATING REVENUE AND EXPENDITURES
12/31/2018 $65,438,291 (20,518,917) 44,919,374 11,075,033 707,820 1 992,800 2,115,970 798,411 14,663 59,060 902,455 $61,585,587
12/31/2019 $67,427,025 (22,009,625) 45,417,450 11,157,996 210,090 1 842,800 2,172,721 896,416 10,720 141,551 681,690 $61,531,435
$3,495,318 18,725,590 33,065,484 1,377,159 358,625 1,987,550 874,791 900,000 801,070 $61,585,587
$4,255,939 18,577,001 31,910,316 1,408,126 417,065 1,900,550 924,266 1,350,000 788,172 $61,531,435
Operating revenue Residential Irrigation Small commercial Large commercial Street lighting Other electric revenue SUB-TOTAL Revenue deferral out Revenue deferral in TOTAL OPERATING REVENUE
$19,500,443
Expenditures Cost of power Operations and maintenance Administrative and general Depreciation and amortization Taxes, interest and other deductions TOTAL COST OF ELECTRIC SERVICE
9,599,451 3,746,455 2,322,814 2,029,010 1,645,877 $19,343,607
Operating margins Non-operating margins G&T capital credits Other capital credits NET MARGINS OR PATRONAGE CAPITAL
2018 $14,389,516 113,166 4,471,654 723,147 84,490 168,470 19,950,443 (450,000)
% 72 1 22 4 0 1 100
2019 $15,077,260 126,889 4,645,468 725,794 92,378 156,682 20,824,471 (450,000)
% 72 1 22 4 0 1 100
$20,374,471
50 19 12 10 9 100
156,836 477,650 336,865 229,873 $1,201,224
10,173,741 3,933,824 2,486,330 1,922,151 1,626,372 $20,142,418
51 19 12 10 8 100
232,053 526,404 375,900 199,001 $1,333,358
COMPARATIVE STATISTICS kWh purchased kWh sold Number of consumers Miles of energized line Consumers/mile of line Average monthly kWh used per residential consumer, excluding seasonals Average monthly kWh used per residential consumer, including seasonals
2009 112,112,844 103,645,103 11,505 1,694 6.79
2018 124,992,058 114,931,217 12,510 1,762 7.10
2019 131,512,620 120,789,562 12,754 1,774 7.19
636
712
727
566
596
615
2019 Board of directors Back row, left to right: David A. Volpe, Dan C. Daly, Joseph Redetzke, Geoffrey Gerk, Charles A. Abel II; front row, left to right: Tommy Flower, and Suzanne (Suzy) Kelly.
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SANGRE DE CRISTO ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION 2019 ANNUAL REPORT
COVER STORY They don’t have mountains like this back home, so I started documenting my climbs to share with friends, and it just took off from there.” — Chad Richardson Hiking in Colorado YouTube Channel
The Fast Lane
Chad Richardson shares a view from the top of a Colorado peak. Take a hike with him on his YouTube channel Hiking in Colorado.
Hiking in Colorado Thirty-one-year-old Chad Richardson also started making videos to share his newfound love of the beauty of Colorado with friends from his small hometown in Pennsylvania. He moved to suburban Thornton in 2014 to start a new life. To get in shape and help his recovery from Lyme disease, he started hiking. His first hike up the Flatirons in Boulder “was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.” But with the view from the top, he was hooked. “They don’t have mountains like this back home, so I started documenting my climbs to share with friends, and it just took off from there,” Richardson said. He’s since discovered that he loves creating moments in time that will be forever captured in videos. Documenting hikes for the Hiking in Colorado channel, Richardson started out using his phone, but as viewership started growing he watched “tons of tutorials” on how to make great videos and invested in better equipment. The quality that comes from his Panasonic G 85 with a Rode VideoMicro must be why his channel was voted Top Colorado YouTube Channel and Top YouTube Channel for Hikers by Feedspot.com in 2018 and it continues with that designation. The channel, which includes informative and articulate descriptions of hikes with detailed route conditions along with backpacking and camping related topics, has its 45 videos broken down into categories: tutorials, 13ers, 14ers and day hikes. With 44 Colorado 14ers and 26 13ers under his belt as well as more than 100 summits, including Mount Elbert, the highest mountain in Colorado, Richardson continues to be enthralled by the breathtaking beauty and unexpected history he learns about on his hikes. “Stumbling upon old mining equipment feels like stepping back in time and getting a glimpse into the history of Colorado,” he says.
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Boulder resident Roman Mica turned a perk from one job into a whole new career. As an on-air news reporter and member of the Press League, he had access to brand-new vehicles to review. What started out as a blog turned into a YouTube channel. His naturally curious mind and journalistic approach made him a natural reviewer for new automobiles. There are two reasons why he loves what he has been doing for the last 10 years: 1) he gets paid to drive new cars and tell stories through videos and 2) he gets to use his creative side to produce something that is meaningful to others. His TFLcar (The Fast Lane Car) channel has accumulated 423,996,077 views since March 26, 2009. Its mission: “To provide the latest automotive news, views and reviews with unflinching honesty, transparency and credibility.” Mica tries to think of everything that could possibly be important to a consumer when reviewing a car. While pushing the button to open the back door of a Kia Telluride, he counts. When someone is holding a baby or a bag of groceries, seconds become important. Knowing how strong engine torque is, how many cup holders and how many USB ports a vehicle has are all important to different potential buyers. His team of 10 produces videos full time for five channels. They
race sports cars around a track and test the latest four-wheel drives on tough roads in the mountains of Colorado. Displaying everything from how much storage space an SUV offers, to how quickly and easily rear seats go down in modern crossovers, they provide thorough, detailed reviews. The Fast Lane Truck channel has 116 videos and over 288,000 views. The team gets the latest heavy duty trucks and compares them on a famous stretch of Interstate 70 highway, known as the Ike Gauntlet. This 8-mile section with a 7% grade starts in Dillon and goes east, up and through the Eisenhower-Johnson tunnels. At over 11,000 feet, these trucks are tested for their towing capacity by pulling a 16,000-pound horse trailer. A recent video pits the 2020 Chevy Silverado HD against the 2020 Ram Cummins on the “World’s Toughest Towing Test.” Since it was posted on June 29, 2019, this video alone has 1,193,648 views, with many comments from their viewers saying they wish they could afford one of these trucks. Mica calculates that viewership with all five channels combined: TFLcar, TFLclassic, TFLtruck, TFLoffroad and TFL — they accumulate over 30 million views a month. People love educational and well-produced segments on subjects that interest them. Roman Mica and two of his team members work on a new video for TFLcar at the shop in Boulder.
Roman Mica takes a ride and films a review of a Corvette, one of many vehicles he and his team features on their YouTube channel.
Colorado Mountain Man Survival provides you with all the survival training you could want or need on their YouTube channel.
Exploring Virtually Coloradans from all over the state contribute to YouTube on numerous topics and have created many channels, such as Colorado Mountain Man Survival, AVA Rafting and Zipline, Colorado RedBeard Fishing, MoreJStu and the extremely popular LifewithMak, about teenager Makenna Kelly from Fort Collins. And let’s not forget the Coloradans who also watch the millions of YouTube channels. A Durango resident, 28-year-old Jesse Shavel, watches inspirational content to educate himself on business and finance. He and his girlfriend watch live music and cooking shows together, but he is also an avid fan of UFC – the Ultimate Fighting Championships. Another frequent viewer, Kathy Briggs, watches YouTube instead of television. After 9/11, the 61-year-old started watching conspiracy theory videos, which ended up on YouTube. Then, in anticipation of a trip to Mexico, she began watching travel videos. Kathy now enjoys watching travel accounts from places all over the world and can experience them from the comfort of her own home in Paonia. The owner of a health spa, she also watches educational videos on natural healing modalities. YouTube has launched local versions in more than 100 countries and is available in 80 different languages. With billions of segments to choose from, no matter your interests, you’re sure to find something to watch while you are safe at home. Malia Durbano started her freelance writing career in Durango, and now spends winters walking the beaches of Todos Santos, Baja California Sur, while also learning to speak Spanish.
COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2020
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INDUSTRY
Assess Your Energy Situation BY DERRILL HOLLY AND AMY HIGGINS | AHIGGINS@COLOR ADOCOUNTRYLIFE .ORG
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taying at home can open your eyes to the changes that can benefit your castle — changes you may or may not have taken notice of before. Perhaps you’re noticing a draft around your windows and doors. Maybe you detected a hot spot in an area of your home that was previously overlooked. And with that, it’s conceivable that your electric bill is higher than it was last summer. Better energy efficiency at home starts with savings, not sales, and an energy assessment conducted with help from a trained energy advisor from your electric cooperative can help you get there. Some co-ops offer general assessments of the energy situation; some provide audits; all have expertise they can share. Co-ops are always there to answer questions about energy efficiency. In the past, some offered in-home assistance with energy questions. Others offered answers over the phone or via their website. As we move into our new “normal,” each Colorado co-op is finding ways to help its consumer-members answer their energy efficiency questions. “In my opinion the biggest benefit for a member having an energy [assessment] is knowing exactly where your energy is going — if you’re being the most efficient with your energy that you can possibly be,” said Andy
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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2020
Molt, director of member services at Y-W Electric Association in Akron. Co-ops provide this information because they are trusted energy advisors that are always working to help their members save energy and control their electricity costs. “I’m usually looking for whatever problem the member has indicated, which could be high bills, a cold and drafty house or to check the efficiency of appliances,” said Alantha Garrison, energy use advisor at Gunnison County Electric Association in Gunnison, who has provided 535 assessments since 2010. Members become frantic when they see a major increase on their power bill and want almost immediate answers as to why. In conjunction with experience and the ability to refer to meter data reports, the process of identifying major power consumption problems has been simplified and resolved in many instances. Problems, such as poor insulation or air leaks from windows and doors, can be identified rather quickly using a thermal camera. “I can actually look and see if there are voids in the insulation and walls with [a thermal camera],” Molt said. Interestingly, Molt said he not only finds insulation problems in older homes, but sometimes also finds “huge voids” in the insulation of newer homes.
Energy advisors are constantly receiving training, certifications and reading materials to hone their skills. During on-site assessments, energy experts use all their senses and teachings to find abnormalities, such as hot water line leaks, running well pumps or damaged power cords. Their close examination sometimes leads to identifying safety issues as well. Amy Blunck, communications director at Fort Collins-based Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association, shared that during one walk-through assessment, they found an old, metal surge strip that was malfunctioning. “It had burned a hole in the back of the strip, and it was arcing,” she explained. “This surge strip was in a barn sitting next to a pile of wood, and it could have burned the whole barn down if not discovered.”
Expert advice Many of the electric co-ops that provide energy advice support professional development for energy advisors that includes exposure to building science concepts. Training focused on both new construction techniques designed to improve energy efficiency and retrofitting options for upgraded older housing are common. Specialized training for multifamily units and manufactured housing are also common.
INDUSTRY “By providing a picture of how energy is used in the home, people can concentrate on what can save them the most energy,” said Eileen Wysocki, an energy auditor with Holy Cross Energy, headquartered in Glenwood Springs. Wysocki starts with a baseload estimate of energy use based on meter data. Talking with the consumer-member, she learns about household size and behavior patterns, and considers seasonal factors like heat tape used to prevent water lines from freezing during winter months. “We have many ‘second homes’ in our service territory,” Wysocki said, adding that even when those homes are empty, energy use continues. “Fan coil blower motors, whole house humidifiers, boiler pumps, ventilation systems, driveway snowmelt pumps, pool pumps, hot tubs, garage heaters, heated toilet seats and towel bars are using energy, regardless of occupancy.” The co-op serves Colorado’s popular ski areas around Aspen and Vail, and is currently designing a new audit form. It will stress benefits members can receive through efficiency upgrades, including comfort, said Mary Wiener, energy efficiency program administrator for Holy Cross Energy. While some co-ops provide assessments free of charge, especially when they are requested in response to high bill concerns, others may charge a small fee, offering rebates to members who implement some of the recommendations provided. An energy advisor can help a member avoid ineffective upgrades or the purchase of outsized equipment that might not improve their comfort or produce savings through recoverable costs. “For members, simply talking to us on the phone about their energy use or asking us to help them find the problem at their home or business often answers their questions, and they start to understand how much control they have over their own costs
“By providing a picture of how energy is used in the home, people can concentrate on what can save them the most energy,” — Eileen Wysocki, an energy auditor with Holy Cross Energy when it comes to their electric bill,” Blunck explained. “Understanding that something as simple as using a smart thermostat, where they can control the temperature so their kids aren’t constantly turning up the AC, or putting the donkey up in a corral, where he can’t get to the stock tank heater cord, can make a big difference in your electric bill.”
Offering solutions Most energy assessments are initiated following a request tied to high bill concerns, when members are really motivated to control their energy costs. On average, members can reduce their energy use by about 5% if they follow the low-cost or no-cost advice given after an assessment. Additional savings of up to 20% can be achieved by addressing issues with big-ticket items, such as heating and
cooling replacement, adding attic insulation or major duct damage discovered during the assessment. Improved energy efficiency not only helps the co-op control peak demand and wholesale power costs, it also provides opportunities to discuss services available to members. Those include rebates, weatherization programs and payment assistance. So, what are the biggest benefits of having an energy review? “Finding areas to air seal; learning specific habit changes that can make a difference; learning when it’s most expensive to use power; learning how much energy different items use, so you know what to expect on your energy bill; learning about new co-op programs you might not have known about,” Garrison said, adding, “also, if you have a pet, I’ll probably take an infrared image of it to send to you, which people love.” To learn more about energy assessments available to you, contact your local electric cooperative. Derrill Holly writes on consumer and cooperative affairs for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Amy Higgins has been writing for Colorado Country Life for nearly a decade focusing on the topics that make a difference in the lives of its readers.
COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2020
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GARDENING
Natural Selections Be triumphant in your garden with native plants
BY VICKI SPENCER
W
hen you hear people talking about native plants, they are referring to those that existed in the United States prior to European settlement. The benefit of planting natives is that they are naturally adapted to the climate, soil and environmental conditions of their original habitat. This means they require less water, less fertilizer and less maintenance. What could be better than having more time to relax and enjoy your garden? Recent interest in natives may have arisen because of the need to conserve water, but growing natives can have an even greater impact as biodiversity is being lost to increased development of open spaces. Natives help prevent the introduction and spread of noxious weeds; they provide critical habitat for native insects that have a specialized relationship with them; and they are more resistant to diseases.
Indian blanket flower
To reap the benefit of natives, plant them in areas that best approximate their natural environment, or life zone. In Colorado, there are five life zones defined by different
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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2020
Black-eyed Susan
MASTER GARDENER | GARDENING@COLOR ADOCOUNTRYLIFE .ORG
plant communities. The eastern plains are dominated by grasslands and riparian cottonwood trees. The foothills are defined by Gambel oak and mountain mahogany. The Upper Sonoran zone of western Colorado and the San Luis Valley is characterized by semidesert shrub lands and piĂąon pine-juniper woodlands. At 8,000 to 9,500 feet altitude, the montane area is defined by ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, lodgepole pine and aspen woodlands. Finally, the alpine zone above 11,500 feet is mostly treeless tundra. Consequently, a tree or plant that is native to the alpine zone would not be wellsuited to the low altitude eastern plains. When selecting plants, you will want to consider microclimates in your yard. A south-facing area with strongly reflected heat might be suitable for dryland plants while a cooler, north-facing area with moist soil would be better suited for forest edge plants. Dryland or desert plants, such as Indian ricegrass, Indian blanket flower, yarrow and yucca, which require more sunshine and less water, flourish along the eastern plains and the southwest. Along the Front Range, bee balm will flower heavily in sunny areas with moist soil while pussytoes will provide a lush ground cover with pink flowers in dry, clay soil. In montane areas, Rocky Mountain columbines, lupines and gentian thrive in cool, moist soils. Rocky Mountain penstemon (30 inches) or the shorter Blue
Mist penstemon (12 inches) are just two of more than 200 species native to Colorado that are well-suited to sunny or partially sunny areas. Mountain gardeners should avoid introduced penstemon hybrids as they are not as cold hardy. Lovely accents to mountain rock gardens include showy goldeneye, tansy aster and black-eyed Susan. High-altitude gardeners may also enjoy golden coneflower with its double yellow flowers and mountain bluet flower with its striking thistle-like flower heads.
Blue mist penstemon
Consult with your local nursery about plants that are native to your life zone. If natives are difficult to find, you can reap similar benefits with nonnatives that have adapted to your specific life zone landscape. Gardener Vicki Spencer has an eclectic background in conservation, water, natural resources and more.
LEARN MORE ONLINE Read previous gardening columns at coloradocountrylife.coop. Click on Gardening under Living in Colorado.
GARDENING
TAKE IT EASY IN YOUR GARDEN BY DIANNA TROYER
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hether it’s a swing, glider, rocking chair or hammock, garden design should include a place to rest and revive. Pam Penick settles in an Adirondack chair in her back garden under the shade of oak trees. As she slowly designed a series of gardens and patios on her one-quarter acre, she was inspired to write two books about gardening more sustainably: Lawn Gone! and The Water-Saving Garden. She also shares ideas at her blog “Digging.” “I created a garden with cat-like tendencies, meaning it doesn’t need my attention every day,” she explained. “It’s important to relax in the garden and not just tend to it. I love watching hummingbirds zip around, sipping from Turk’s Cap and Mexican honeysuckle.” Dave Whitinger, executive director of the National Gardening Association and an avid gardener in rural eastern Texas, sometimes writes outside. He finds a spot surrounded by greenery with the background music of chirping birds and humming insects.
CONGRATS CONTEST WINNERS May 2020
“I love the fragrance of our flowering plants and watching wildlife visiting our gardens,” he said. Resting among lush green plants has physical benefits, such as lowering blood pressure and sharpening cognitive skills, according to the American Horticulture Therapy Association. “While working with people who have Alzheimer’s and other memory disorders, I’ve seen horticulture therapy help reduce levels of depression, anxiety and stress,” said Patty Cassidy, a registered horticultural therapist in Portland, Oregon, and author of Gardening for Seniors. Houseplants can be therapeutic, too. “As these health benefits are becoming widely acknowledged, more therapeutic gardens and green spaces are being built at elementary schools, hospital complexes, corporate campuses and even prisons,” Cassidy said. No matter the size of your outdoor space, make a place where you can relax and absorb the beauty that surrounds you.
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OUTDOORS
The Finest Feathered Flies Colorado’s small businesses need your support now more than ever. Colorado’s electric cooperatives support local businesses in their communities. One way they are doing that is focusing on the many small Colorado businesses that have been featured on the Discoveries page of this magazine and other similar businesses just trying to make it during this difficult time. Visit coloradocountrylife. coop/support-coloradossmall-businesses to see the wonderful list of Colorado small businesses still open and needing your support. HELP GROW SUPPORT Give a business a shout-out on social media. Leave it a review. Like, share and post on social media; the extra virtual love is appreciated. Be sure to tag your posts using #CoOpsSupportCO
#CoOpsSupportCO 24
COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2020
BY DENNIS SMITH
OUTDOORS@COLOR ADOCOUNTRYLIFE .ORG
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ry flies float, wet flies sink and that’s pretty much the long and short of it. Well, mostly. Either of them can be fished on or below the surface, depending on the whims of the angler — and the fish. But that’s a whole other story. For some reason, dry fly fishing has generally been seen among the fly-fishing cognoscenti as “classier” than wet fly fishing: more difficult, more sporting, more demanding, more effective, more fun … blah, blah, blah. I will say this: It is definitely more exciting to watch a fish rise to a dry fly than it is to feel one bump an unseen wet fly beneath the surface. Some anglers — dry fly purists — would rather slit their wrists than fish a sunken fly. I’m just not one of them. Don’t get me wrong: I think dry fly fishing is neat, it’s extremely effective under the right conditions and, as we mentioned, more visually gratifying, but I’ll fish wet or dry flies as the spirit moves me. I don’t really care. Fly fishing is fun however you choose to do it. That said, I learned to catch bluegills, bass and eventually trout on soft-hackled wet flies when I was a kid and I’ve never lost my affinity for them. Maybe it’s because I learned to make my own from locally available chicken feathers, and something about that just appealed to me. The special hackle feathers necessary to make dry flies come from the capes and saddles of genetically-engineered roosters, and not only were they rare in those days, they were also priced well beyond the financial realities of a 13-year-old boy whose gross annual income varied with the number of 50-cents-an-hour lawn-mowing jobs I could find in the summer. Consequently, I couldn’t afford them, but the dairy farmer down the road kept a flock of laying hens plus a bunch of exotic breeds — Silkies, Brahmas, you-name-it — and their wonderfully soft, beautifully mottled feathers perfectly mimicked the wing and leg motions of water bound insects. Better yet, they were free. “Uncle George,” as he was known locally, was a jolly, Santa Claus-like character in denim overalls who supplied the neighborhood with fresh milk, butter, eggs and cream. He also allowed us kids to rummage through his henhouse for feathers to tie our flies with if we asked politely. We also used the feathers from wild game birds and fur from the squirrels and rabbits we hunted. I don’t think we fully grasped the symbiotic implications of that then, but there was something mysteriously gratifying about tying flies from materials we scavenged ourselves from the farm or in the wild. Today, I have drawers full of commercially-purchased fly-tying materials, but I still prefer to tie with feathers from barnyard chickens and wild game birds the boys and I hunt. Dennis Smith is a freelance outdoors writer and photographer whose work appears nationally. He lives in Loveland.
MISS AN ISSUE? Catch up at coloradocountrylife.coop. Click on Outdoors under Living in Colorado.
DRIVE ELECTRIC
The average electric vehicle can save a driver who drives 15,000 miles in a year about $850 annually on fuel. All-electric vehicles start to pay for themselves a long time before they reach the end of their expected lifespans, leading to significant savings over time. -Fleet Carma
CONTACT YOUR LOCAL CO-OP FOR MORE INFORMATION.
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I want to purchase mineral and other oil/gas interests. Send details to: PO Box 13557, Denver, CO 80201
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AGE 45 55 65
$100,000 10.16 17.41 34.08
$250,000 15.49 28.75 66.26
POLE BARNS America’s Barn Builders
Proud supporter of our military.
Serving the Entire State of Colorado
Rates figured on monthly cost for female non-tobacco users.
KEN CHRISTY (888) 412-0518 PLIC FORM NO. TL-21
www.EverybodyNetworks.com
WE PAY CASH
for minerals and oil/gas interests, producing and non-producing.
800-733-8122 We help you LIVE HEALTHY affordably and earn a residual income to RETIRE YOUNGER! Call Carrie 303-579-4207
Protective Sleeves: 100% Guaranteed
www.LiveHealthyRetireYounger.com
Stop feeding prairie dogs. We’ll rent hunting rights from you.
Seriously looking for duck & goose habitat. Encourage young sportsmen by providing safe, private access. You make the rules.
303-460-0273
CHICKS FOR SALE
• Prevents Cuts & Scratches • Durable Soft Leather • Adjustable Air-Flow
armchaps.com • 651-492-4830
Wanted: Jeep CJ or Wrangler. Reasonably priced. No rust buckets.
888-735-5337
Buying anvils—blacksmith tools— cast iron (Griswold & Wagner). Old toys – colored pyrex – cowboy hats, boots, & spurs. Will come to you & we buy whole estates!
970-759-3455 or 970-565-1256 26 COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2020
A Better Way to Build Build better, faster and for less money. Get more value, more features, more designs, and a local Heritage Builder.
1-800-759-2782 | Watch Our Tour Online
www.heritagehomesofne.com
CREATIVE CORNER
READER POETRY Thoreau
You Caught My Soul
Doubt
I sit in golden bars of light waiting for a broken angel’s song. Thoughts of Thoreau come to mind, I can now understand his trembling, insatiable urge to be lifted up toward the window, so that he may glimpse upon one, last, illuminating spring.
When I am dead I will still inhabit thee, beloved West. Maybe then I can take you inside me as I long to do, be one with you in every molecule. Be your icy clear water chuckling and cavorting down my rocky hillside. Be your lofty white clouds and your deepest blue sky in the same space.
Do you ever wonder what life is all about? Do you ever have a serious doubt? What makes the mind so complicated?
A recorder of proud solitudes amongst a myriad of diversities, he remained true to his convictions and gentle to the environs’ tempo. I walk along the border of my dream under an endless sun, traveling as if in anticipation of new symbols to be juggled in the breaking light of my imaginings. The hours pass and I sit under soft bars of moonlight, waiting for the harmonies of night to somehow, render the day’s departure.
Scatter my ashes in this land over these mountains, in the icy streams, in the deepest snows. You caught my soul from the first moment and I will never leave you. Helen Williams, Walden Mountain Parks Electric consumer-member
Burt Baldwin, Bayfield La Plata Electric consumer-member
Business For Sale
Very Fine RETAIL GUN OPERATION COLORADO ROCKIES CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED Thank you to everyone who participated. We will announce the winners in the September 2020 issue of Colorado Country Life!
CONTACT: christina.li1967@gmail.com
I want to think that life gets better sooner or later, but that’s a mystery I can’t seem to gather. Sidney E. Slater, Pagosa Springs La Plata Electric consumer-member
DO YOU WRITE POETRY? Send us your best work; we’d love to read it. Submission: Submit your poetry via email to: mneeley@coloradocountrylife.org or by mail to: Colorado Country Life 5400 Washington St. Denver, CO 80216
Want a small SW Colo live-in shop on DOLORES Town Square?
Life is good here
Possible turn-key Zoned business & residential 160k OMC – Call for details
928-713-1709
Spring Hollow Ranch
25 Year Warranty • Easy Bolt-Together Design Engineered Stamp Blueprints
1st Annual Horse & Mule Sale August 1st & 2nd, 2020
just outside Durango, Colorado Farm • Industrial • Commercial
Thank you for entering
Is it all the turmoil that life brings? Sometimes it makes me cringe.
RHINO.BUILDERS/CO 940-304-8064 info@rhinobldg.com
JUNE 14 FLAG DAY
Will have talented horses & mules Don’t miss this great opportunity to consign or buy!
Spring Hollow Ranch Hesperus, Colorado
www.SpringHollowRanchCO.com or find us on Facebook
Call Danielle, (970) 708-8559 COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2020
27
VIRTUAL ACTIVITIES Since some Community Events are being canceled or rescheduled due to COVID-19, we at Colorado Country Life went on an online scavenger hunt to find ways to be entertained while social distancing. We hope you’ll enjoy our list of VIRTUAL SANITY SAVERS! (We are doing our best to keep the calendar up-to-date at coloradocountrylife.coop/community-events/)
Gardening
Online Learning with Denver Botanic Gardens botanicgardens.org/online-learning
Create a “Giving Garden”
Help feed the community by growing late-season vegetables to bring to the food pantry. gardeners.com/kitchen-garden-planner/preplannedgardens?id=Giving_Garden
Gardener’s Supply Company Online Lookbooks Thumb through the popular gardening supply company’s “Midsummer Gardening 2020” online lookbook for the coolest and newest products. gardeners.com/how-to/new-product-lookbook/9329.html
Books
WordFire Press Audio Books, Monument
The Colorado publisher has a variety of audio books for your listening pleasure. wordfirepress.com/wfp-books-on-audio-in-print
Storyline Online
Whether your aged 1 or 99, you’ll love listening to stories read by familiar famous faces. storylineonline.net
Create Your Biography Book
Get paired with your ideal writer who will interview you and help create your biography in a hardcover book. storyterrace.com
Classes
Fort Collins Museum of Discovery’s Daily Discovery Classes
The museum features a variety of crafty activities that are both educational and fun for most ages. fcmod.org/blog/category/daily-discovery
Master Class
Want to learn acting techniques from Samuel L. Jackson? Singing tips from Christina Aguilera? Photography tips from Annie Leibovitz? Wow! Subscribe for unlimited access to more than 80 masters of their field. masterclass.com
Virtual Visits
Get a Great Glance of Grand Junction
visitgrandjunction.com/Roam-from-Home?utm_ source=newsletter&utm_medium=may&utm_campaign=roam_from_ home
Look Around the Louvre in Paris louvre.fr/en/visites-en-ligne
Sneak Inside the Great Wall of China thechinaguide.com/destination/great-wall-of-china
Travel 352 Million Miles to Mars accessmars.withgoogle.com
Check out the Roman Pharos at Dover Castle artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/egIS8Lcnz98KIg
Explore Space in Pictures with NASA
artsexperiments.withgoogle.com/nasasvisualuniverse
28
COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2020
Go to the Zoo
Visit Zoo to You at the Denver Zoo. denverzoo.org/zootoyou
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Virtual Animal Encounters cmzoo.org/events-programs/virtual-experiences/virtual-animalencounter
Pueblo Zoo Virtual Programs pueblozoo.org/virtualprograms
The Wild Animal Sanctuary Mobile Device Videos wildanimalsanctuary.org/mobile-videos
Entertainment
Watch Choreographer Corey Baker in a Dance Performance in Antarctica
randomacts.channel4.com/post/173221388111/antarctica-the-first-dancecorey-baker-leading
Live Nation’s Live From Home
Check regularly for live performances from a wide range of music artists. livenation.com
Comedy Works at Larimer Square
See clips of some of the comedy club’s best stand-up comedians. youtube.com/user/comedyworksvideo
Healthy Activities
Studio Share, Pueblo
Work out with the studio’s app or take an online fitness class. studiosharepueblo.com
Yoga Pod, Boulder
Choose from more than 70 yoga classes that you can do at home through Zoom. yogapod.com/boulder/livestream
Grand Junction Martial Arts
Get tougher with virtual kickboxing classes. grandjunctionmartialarts.com/program/fitness-kickboxing
Silver Sneakers
Become a member and take on-demand classes designed for seniors. silversneakers.com/learn/ondemand
Sangre de Cristo Arts Center, Pueblo
Get dance lessons through the art center’s Virtual Dance Studio. sdc-arts.org
Podcasts
Find these podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, online and/or other podcast platforms.
Fresh Scoop
Dr. Kelly Diehl, scientific advisor at Denver’s Morris Animal Foundation, discusses animal-related topics with researchers.
Chef or Death
Join Chef Eric Chiappetta, a native Coloradan, as he interviews icons of the food and beverage community.
A Hint of Fiction
Listen to three mysterious stories and decipher which one is false.
BiggerPockets
The podcast hosts perform interviews with a variety of investors with various backgrounds.
YOUR STORIES
READERS’ PHOTOS
FUNNY STORIES My soon-to-be 4-year-old grand-
daughter, Sadie, and I were about to play a children’s board game. I explained to her that the cards were to be kept “face up” during the game. As she began her first turn, I observed her with a puzzling look. Sadie was literally looking at the ceiling. HER face was up! Jane Jacquart, La Veta
My 4-year-old granddaughter has
WINNER: Teresa Alcorn of Wellington travels to Costa Rica with her mother, Gloria Hopp of Nathrop who is celebrating her 90th birthday. CCL is happy to travel along. Teresa is a consumer-member of Poudre Valley REA.
cute dimples on both sides of her cheeks. One morning, I was commenting on them and how I wished that I had dimples, too. She asked me to smile so that she could see if, indeed, I did have any. So, I gave her a large grin and she closely inspected my face. She looked at me with her hands cupped on either side of my face. Seeing my smiles lines, she told me, “Grandma, you don’t have any dimples, but you have some scratches on your face!” Raylean Furnish, Franktown
I retrieved my purse out of the car
from the blistering heat. I brought it into the house and said out loud, “I hope my lip balm didn’t melt.” To which my 5-year-old grandson asked, “What is a lip bomb?” I said, “You put it on your lips. Do you want some?” He replied, “Nooooo! I don’t want my lips to blow up!” Barbara McDonald, Pagosa Springs
While I was reorganizing my large
Poudre Valley REA consumer-member Angel Sanchez on a cruise to Cartagena Island brings CCL on the trip.
John and Linda Fialko, Poudre Valley REA consumermembers, take Colorado Country Life to the Czech Republic.
Mountain View Electric Association consumermembers Bill and Ann Oakes visit Tasmania and mainland Australia with CCL.
Mike and Regina Mulligan, Yampa Valley Electric Association consumer-members, take CCL to Ljubljana, Slovenia.
It’s easy to win with Colorado Country Life. Simply take a photo of someone (or a selfie!) with the magazine (even while at home) and email the photo, your name and address to info@coloradocountrylife.org. We’ll draw one photo to win $25 each month. The next deadline is Monday, June 15. Name, address and co-op must accompany photo. See all of the submitted photos on Facebook at facebook.com/COCountryLife.
linen closet, my 4-year-old came up behind me and said, “I’m sorry I’m rude, Mom.” Without turning around, I said, “Oh, honey, you’re not rude! I love you.” He responded by shutting the door on me and turning off the lights. “See, Mom!” he said from the other side of the door. “I am rude!” He’s going to be a blast as a teenager. Jessica Fletcher, Falcon
We pay $15 to each person who submits a funny story that’s printed in the magazine. At the end of the year we will draw one name from those submitting funny stories and that person will receive $200. Send your 2020 stories to Colorado Country Life, 5400 Washington St., Denver, CO 80216 or email funnystories@ coloradocountrylife.org. Don’t forget to include your mailing address, so we can send you a check. COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2020
29
DISCOVERIES
MAKING FATHER’S DAY SPECIAL Shower dad with Colorado-made gifts
Reel in Dad’s Appreciation When it comes to reels and spools, Montrose-based Ross Reels manufactures real beauties. Ross Reels has won multiple awards of excellence over its nearly 50 years in the business with a team that intricately hand makes these sought-after reels and spools. The Colorado company exudes pride for its home base with models named after areas, such as San Miguel, Animas and Gunnison. Reels start at $295; spools start around $42. For more information, visit rossreels.com.
A Gift From the Heart(h)
Pack for the Peaks
As a 10th generation master blacksmith, Alpheus G. Rudd’s aptitude for firing up a forge and hammering out original artworks is ironclad. Although his main focus is on repair and restoration, the Buena Vista dweller can carefully craft creative and functional designs in the form of iron doors, tomahawks and harpoons, just to name a few. To say Dad’s Father’s Day gift would be unique is an understatement. Check out some of Rudd’s art for sale or send in a custom order at alfsblacksmith.com.
If Dad is a lover of the outdoors, take a look at the assortment of durable packing equipment from Peyton-based Mountain Ridge Gear. MRG products center around equine packing gear, yet any outdoor lover can find sturdy equipment that will benefit them when roaming the Rockies. From duffel bags to pommel bags, saddle panniers and pack saddles, MRG merchandise is functional, durable and proudly made in the USA by an Air Force veteran. For more information, call 719-749-2289 or visit mountainridgegear.com.
Grooming Gear for Guys Beards are growing everywhere, but beards become a shaggy mess without a little TLC. Denver-based True Grit Grooming™ products help tame the wildest facial hair with products like beard cleansers, balms, oils, combs, soaps and more. Want to shave it off? TGG has men covered with shave brushes and shaving gel. Be on the lookout for the grand opening of TGG’s Showroom and Grooming Lounge where men can get the meticulous look they long for. For more information, visit truegrit.co.
30
COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JUNE 2020
Use promo code ‘fathersday2020’ to get 15% off your order.
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CONCERN FOR
COMMUNITY If you’re familiar with electric cooperatives you know this is one of the guiding principles in our not-for-profit business model. It’s part of who we are proud to be. During these challenging times, our cooperative family is here for you. We are responsibly doing our part to help power you through the unknown. There are a million things on your mind, making sure the lights stay on, shouldn’t be one of them. Because whatever the future holds, we’ll power it.