December 2011 - The Sedalia View

Sedalia View
Volume 1
Issue 4
New Fire Engine for Station One
By David George-Nichols
A new Wildland Interface Engine is about to be placed in service at
West Douglas Fire Station #1, located on State Highway 67 at Moon
Ridge. The engine was purchased with the help of an AFG (Assistance
to Firefighters Grant) of $261,500 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The AFG grant is very competitive. West
Douglas received the only grant for a fire engine in the State of Colorado for the 2010 program year.
The new engine is specially designed by West Douglas County Fire
Protection District to assist firefighters in fighting structure fires and
wildland (forest and grassland) fires anywhere in the district, including
the Pike National Forest. It has a 4X4 chassis to traverse the mountainous terrain, along with a short wheelbase to maneuver narrow driveways. It contains 750 gallons of water, 30 gallons of foam, and a stateof-the-art Compressed Air Foam (CAF) system to fight more fire with
less water. CAF also allows firefighters to pre-treat homes in the path
of oncoming forest fires.
December 2011
The new engine will also have Emergency Medical (EMS) equipment
for use at medical emergencies and motor vehicle accidents; including
specialized equipment to help remove patients from the many hiking,
bike, and ATV trails within the Rampart Range recreational areas of
the Pike National Forest.
This is the second West Douglas fire engine recently purchased with
grant monies. In 2007, a similar engine was purchased with the help of
grants from the State of Colorado Energy and Minerals grant program,
the Burlington Northern/Santa Fe railroad, and the Sedalia Landfill.
That engine is located at Station #2 at the base of Jarre Canyon.
The AFG grant request was authored by firefighter David GeorgeNichols. The grant request was submitted in July of 2010. In February
of 2011 the award was announced. The completed engine was placed
in service in early November.
Primary firefighting features including a bumper turret (water nozzle)
and spray bars can be operated from the cab by one person, even while
the engine is in motion. The engine will have modern radio communications that will allow firefighters to communicate directly with any
fire department within Douglas or surrounding counties, and the US
Forest Service. The new engine replaces a 1986 1-ton pickup and body
that has limited fire-fighting capability and carries only 160 gallons of
water.
Photo: Left Terry Thompson, West Douglas Fire Chieft
Right David George-Nichols, Firefighter and Grant author
Sedalia View
Managing Editor—Deby Williams
Editor—Carole Williams
Layout— Angie Roberts
Staff photographer—Bob Blackburn
Contributing writers: David George-Nichols,
Kelli Fallbach, Sandi Bender, Kara Stewart,
Bev Wiedeman
Send articles, ideas or comments to [email protected]. Deadline for the
Spring Issue is Jan. 31.
Sedalia View is published quarterly by the
Sedalia Museum, PO Box 394, Sedalia, CO
80135
Page 2
Sedalia View
Do Moose Have Toes?
By Sandi Bender
Sedalia’s stark winter beauty provides a perfect backdrop for
wildlife viewing. Lack of cover makes it easier to spot, track
and photograph our favorite animals. Winter is a time of adaptation, change and survival for the animals in our valley.
Lets look at a few.
Mule deer are one of the more prevalent creatures to view.
The fawns have lost their spots in their surge to grow and
mature. Summer cousins have been joined by relatives from
the high country, in search of food and warmer climes. Deer
are browsers and eat twigs, bark, bushes and ornamentals.
Though they may appear hungry it is illegal in Colorado to
feed them. It can cause bigger problems and besides they do
not digest hay well. In this season five point bucks stroll
bear start to get fat and sluggish around November
(remember all that eating) and semi-hibernate until April.
They are usually not part of the winter scene. Skunks (thank
the Lord) chipmunks and some bats also do a winter slumber.
By the way, male skunks are still rambling around in the cold
months
There are a multitude of birds to see now. Some of the snow
geese and sand cranes can be spotted high overhead in late
migration. The cranes vacation in Lamar. Wild turkeys can be
seen in Madge Gulch and Moon Ridge. Bald eagles migrate
down from Alaska and can be viewed in bare tree branches
near water. Red tail hawks hang out on icy utility lines as they
search the meadows for mice.
Clever predators in the form of coyote, fox, lynx and bob
through yards and meadows in full Christmas regale with
cats adapt well to winter by increasing the thickness of their
lers provide winter food for rodents active in the winter
in the summer, foxes switch to mice when winter snow falls.
twisted Christmas lights locked in theirs horns. Soon they will fur and level of body fat. Some of the group make dramatic
naturally shed the antlers and the extra headdress. The ant- diet changes. Take the fox for instance. Normally vegetarians
snow.
Elk or Wapiti are basically our largest deer and they are excellent to view in winter. Bulls are enormous and maintain a
bearing so majestic it can stop you in your tracks. Male Wapiti can weigh over 800 pounds, so keep your distance. Most of
their rut is over, but late bugling could still be heard as they
Foxes also use their large fluffy tails to wrap completely
around their bodies to keep warm. Chickadees can drop their
body temperatures several degrees to stave off hypothermia,
while certain insects simply replace their inner fluids with
antifreeze. All adapt and survive.
So back to the title. What do moose have to do with any of
lay final claim to their harems. Just like the mulies those lit-
this? When thinking about the changes that winter brings to
Pine Cliff Ranch. Elk are grazers and are found anywhere. It
this fall. Is he here now? Wouldn’t it be fun to view a moose?
up closer thus becoming easier targets for the big cats. Sup-
are their hooves webbed and do they have toes? Just kidding.
plemental feeding also affects the general health of the
So strap on those snowshoes, cross country skis or just pile in
tle elk are in gestation waiting for spring to be born. We have our home consider this. We had two separate moose sightings, from a reliable source, at Wolfensburger Rd and 105
two major herds of elk, one at Cherokee Castle and one at
is illegal to feed them as well and here is why. If they are fed Hard to fathom, as moose are aquatic and have been known to
dive 20ft to get at a delicacy. Which brings up the question
it changes grazing/browsing behavior and they tend to herd
herd.
the car and get out there. Who knows what winter wonders
Lets talk about those big cats. They are seldom seen, but love you may view? If you spot a moose or lynx, let me know. Private land is private and entering it without an invitation is
our foothills. Mountain lions dine on deer so feeding deer
brings in the predator lions. Pumas are active in winter and
trespassing. Remember, never approach wildlife--some of
usually partially bury their prey in dirt and snow after de-
them consider you winter fast food.
vouring some of the meat. A mature cougar needs to eat a
Sources
deer a week to maintain his weight. Lately they have been
seen in the day and night, which is a little unusual as they are
mostly nocturnal. Oak Valley residents have spotted a momma
Winter Wildlife Watching: Elks to Elephant Seals. Sunset
Oct 2011
and three kittens this summer. One natural enemy of moun-
LaPlata County Living with Deer
tain lions is the black bear, but guess what, they are sleeping!
Wild at Heart by Janis Lindsey Huggins
Page 3
Sedalia View
smaller containers, suitable for several days of feeding.
Then, with the help of Carrie Thompson, who works for the
You‟re homeless. It‟s winter. And the only shelter that has
Colorado Coalition , they take supplies to distribution sites,
space won‟t let you bring your best friend in the world—
including the Douglas County Task Force, The Gathering
your pet.
Place, and Father Woody‟s. The distribution centers provide
The National Coalition for the Homeless estimates that five bags of food and other items, such as leashes and collars, to
their homeless clients with pets. Pets of the Homeless also
to ten percent of the estimated 3.5 million homeless in the
United States have pets, and many of them refuse to give up provides grants to veterinarians who give health care to the
their pets to enter a shelter. This puts both people and pets at pets of homeless clients.
risk during the cold winter months ahead.
Cash either goes to the Nevada headquarters to support na-
Helping the Homeless Help Their Pets
This bleak scenario led to Genevieve Frederick to found
Feeding Pets of the Homeless, also known as Pets of the
Homeless, in 2008. And it‟s what prompted Jamie Denton of
Sedalia to become a volunteer for the nonprofit organization, based in Carson City, Nevada.
tional programs, or it can be earmarked to provide food locally, if the donor prefers. Pet food sellers also help out by
donating broken bags of food. All donations are taxdeductible.
Denton says she always can use extra help, whether it is to
find more donation sites or to spend a few hours repackagWhile at the vet‟s office with her dog, Denton saw inforing pet food. To help or donate, contact Jamie Denton at
mation on the organization and read more on its website,
petsofthehomeless.org. She was looking for an activity that 303-346-5922, or [email protected].
allowed her to give back to the community, and this seemed
a perfect fit for her as a pet lover.
As a local representative for Pets of the Homeless, Denton
encourages local businesses to act as collection sites for pet
food and cash. In Sedalia, Bowser Bubbles takes contributions; in Castle Rock, Tails Up pet day care does the same.
Denton and her helpers, including Pat Norwood and Mary
Dolhancey, pick up the donated food and repackage it in
Sedalia Community Calendar
Special Sedalia Holiday Events
Sedalia Elementary School Holiday Gift Show—Saturday, Dec 3, 8a.m. to p.m. at the Sedalia Elementary School
St. Nicholas visits - Sunday, Dec. 4, 6 to 8 p.m. at St. Philips in the Field Church parking lot.
Holiday Open house—Saturday, Dec 4, 11a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Sedalia Historical Museum.
Regular meetings:
Mondays—6 p.m.—pot luck dinner at Sprucewood
Third Tuesday—Canyon Quilters, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Eternal Purpose Retreat House
Second Wednesday—Sedalia Elementary PTO, 9:15 a.m. in the cafeteria
First Friday of the month—First Friday Club. Check Facebook under Sedalia for location.
Fourth Friday of the month—Museum meeting, 9 a.m., Fire Station
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Holiday Gift Show
It‟s one-stop-shopping at the Sedalia Elementary Holiday Gift Show Dec. 3 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m at the school. Local artists and
craftspeople will have unique holiday gifts.
Come early for the breakfast burritos, and stay for the chili lunch. A kids‟ craft table will keep the little ones busy, and a two dollar gift table lets the children do their own Christmas shopping. Enjoy face painting, balloons and bake sale.
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Musical Hair Chairs
If you haven‟t had your hair done in Sedalia for some time, you might want to double-check the location of your favorite hairdresser! There‟ve been some changes recently.
Paige Norton of A Tailored Look moved to Texas to be with her husband. Her spot in the 5040 Plum Avenue building has been
taken by reflexologist Mindy McKinney, who will be joined by massage therapist Benny Germer, while Brittany Sandell, manicurist and beautician, will move into Mindy‟s spot.
Sherri Jacobson of Sedalia Hair Salon has moved her business from Rio Grande Ave. to the Plum Creek address as well, and Plum
Avenue Hair Studio stylist Lisa Nartowicz remains in her same location in the building.
Coming Soon:
Watch for Sedalia View‟s new web site,
sedaliaview.com, coming next month.
Winter at the Sedalia Museum
Snow-globes and nutcrackers, provided by Jacob and Nathan Wolfe, will be the featured holiday decorations at the Museum‟s annual community
open house Dec. 10 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you sing or play an instrument you‟re welcome to join the caroling.
Do you have family here for the holidays? The museum is open by appointment for special tours. Call Carole Williams, 303-688-0601, to make
arrangements. A museum member will meet you and give you and your guests a guided tour.
Page 5
Sedalia View
Patrick Mooney New Head of
IREA
Patrick Mooney is enjoying the panoramic view of Sedalia
from his new IREA office as he takes the helm as general
manager of Intermountain Rural Electric Association
(IREA). He’s replacing Stan Lewandowski, who recently retired.
Although Mooney has been with IREA as an employee only
since 2010, he has a long association with the cooperative.
He served as General Counsel for many years, and he has
attended every board meeting since 1998.
His first job as GM is to oversee the upgrade or repair of
aging underground lines. Special equipment tests the lines
for faults or potential faults, so that cables can be replaced or cracks in the insulation repaired. This year alone,
IREA is spending $10 million on the underground cable project and plans to spend an equal amount for the next five
years. IREA manages 9,500 miles of distribution, and the
proportion of underground wires continues to grow.
In Sedalia, a number of circuit switches were replaced this
year, making the system more automated. And a computer
upgrade of all software will help the company identify outages more quickly and do regular tasks more efficiently.
The housing market slump has affected IREA as well,
Mooney says. The company is entering its third year of flat
growth, contrasted with many years of growing at five percent a year. This presents Mooney with the challenge of
investing more in infrastructure at a time of stagnant or
even declining revenue.
However, as a cooperative, IREA is driven by service, not by
profit. “We are owned by our customers. That makes us
want to be more responsive to them,” Mooney said.
One special service offered to customers is a free energy
audit to help them tailor their electric usage and potentially
decrease energy costs . Community participation is also important to the company. Each year 21 high school students
receive $1,000 scholarships, and IREA is active with fundraising for Sedalia Elementary School.
Looking ahead is good business as well. In anticipation of an
increase in the number of electric cars in use, IREA purchased an all-electric Ford Transit Connect Van. Customers
are invited to take the vehicle for a test drive. One finding,
Mooney says, is that electric vehicles aren’t quite ready for
prime time. The van cost more than $60,000, as opposed to
about $20,000 for a traditional gasoline model. Using 110
outlets, the van took 21 hours to charge. With 220 outlets,
charging time was reduced to less than 10 hours.
After driving it, Mooney says the vehicle has great pickup
and a smooth ride, and gets about 70 miles per charge. The
heavy batteries are mounted under the cargo area, giving it
good stability.
While not practical for rural areas, electric cars may appeal
to IREA’s large core of clients in Centennial and Parker for
short in-town trips. If so, Mooney says, new transformers
will have to be added in those areas to provide service. He
predicts that plug-in hybrids will gain in popularity before
all-electric vehicles.
A loving church that feels like family!
Christ-centered, Grace-filled, Bible-based.
You’re warmly invited – just come as you are!
Sunday School 9 AM / Worship 10 AM
Come see our newly remodeled Worship Center!
“4371 Platte Ave in Sedalia, Plumcreekchapel.org / 720-981-8029
Pastor Jon Schrag
Page 6
Saint Nicholas Under the Stars
Sedalia View
Saint Nicholas known as the patron Saint of Children. Widely
celebrated in Europe, St. Nicholas' feast day, Dec 6th , kept
alive the stories of his goodness and generosity. December 6th
is still the main day for gift giving and merrymaking in much
of europe.
Your'e invited to visit Saint Nicholas Sunday Dec 4th between
6-8 -PM. Saint Nicholas will be waiting for you outside in his
sleigh in the parking area at St Philips In the Field Church,
397 South Perry Park Road (105 Hwy), Sedalia Colorado,
Your kids will love our Christian Saint Nicholas.
80135. Just SW of Wolfensberger Rd and Perry Park Rd.
Pat Pardekooper
The Church is set back off the road , behind the parking lot.
They will provide Coffee, Hot Chocolate, and cookies. Bring 303-428-6537
the children grandchildren and round up the neighborhood kids
for this free event.
Indian Park School
The outside preservation effort is now complete at the Indian Park Schoolhouse. Special thanks to the community for their
time and effort, especially Jeff Schipple and Elver Robbins who put in many hours working on the siding and to Aaron
Hargraves and Xavier Rechignac for a nice paint job.
Local Farms Offer Raw Goat Milk and More
By Kara Stewart
fees. Shareholders can pick up their milk at Pine Creek or make
arrangements for a drop-off location that‟s mutually convenient.
“Handled properly, raw milk is fresh tasting and not „goaty‟ like
You don‟t have to keep your own goats to benefit from the nutrithe taste from pasteurized, grocery store goat milk,” said Sutional benefits of fresh raw goat milk, thanks to two Sedalia
zanne. She encourages consumers to visit local farms, meet the
farms.
farmers, ask questions about the farming practices and taste the
Suzanne Erick is both a producer member and a board member
products.
of the Raw Milk Association of Colorado (RMAC) and is activeDawn adds, “It‟s exciting for us to be able to contribute to the
ly involved in outreach and public education for the raw milk
health of others and share what we love to do.”
industry. Suzanne keeps a herd of ten Nubian does on her famiIn addition to milk, DreamAcres Ranch and Pine Creek Ranch
ly‟s DreamAcres Ranch south of Sedalia.
offer fresh eggs. Suzanne also sells raw local honey, goat‟s milk
Len and Dawn Brower lovingly manage a herd of Alpine goats
soap, and she teaches holistic health and wellness classes and
at their Pine Creek Ranch near Nighthawk.
lifestyle sustainability workshops at Jellystone Park in Larkspur.
“Because the sale of raw milk is prohibited in Colorado,” said
The Browers frequently make special products including goat‟s
Len, “legislation was passed (CO law section 25-5.5-117 CO
milk cheese, yogurt and ice cream.
revised statutes) that allows for people to purchase a share in a
Suzanne, Dawn and Len invite you to make plans to visit their
goat herd.” Milk is tested regularly by third-party labs for qualioperations and meet their friendly goats!
ty.
For More Information: Suzanne Erick
Each shareholder generally pays a one-time fee plus a small
DreamAcres Ranch, LLC
720-234-2330
monthly boarding fee to the rancher for the care and upkeep of
the herd. This allows each shareholder to pick up a portion of the website: http://web.me.com/suzerick/dreamacresranch
milk produced by the herd on a regular basis, often weekly.
e-mail: [email protected]
Suzanne‟s goat milk share program has a one-time buy-in fee of
Dawn and Len Brower
$20, plus a monthly boarding fee of $30. “Each week, share
Pine Creek Products 303-660-2573
members can pick up their milk share, either at DreamAcres
Ranch or at Diversity Holistic Health & Fitness Center located at website: http://pinecreekproducts.wordpress.com/
Jellystone Park Larkspur facility near I-25 and Tomah Road,”
e-mail: [email protected]
said Suzanne.
The Browers offer both full shares (one gallon/week) and half
shares (1/2 gallon/week), with one-time fees of $40 and $20
respectively, plus $55 or $27.50 respective monthly boarding
Raw Milk Association of Colorado: www.rawmilkcolorado.org/
Jellystone Park at Larkspur: www.jellystonelarkspur.com/
Page 7
Barn Quilts in Sedalia
by
Bev Wiedeman, Canyon Quilters
Sedalia View
To support our Sedalia Museum, we hope to establish a Quilt
Trail here in Sedalia next Spring, with a Docent Quilter showing
the barn quilts and giving a brief history of them throughout our
town. Each block has a different history, and tells a story of
brave people moving out of their comfortable homes in the East,
to start a new life out here in our "Wild West" We will keep you
posted through this paper as to when we have these tours.
Anyone reading this article will think a barn quilt is something
cozy and warm to cover either buildings or animals relative to a
barn. We hope to show you what they are and how they came to
The picture attached is one of the Barn Quilts hung in a business
be. There are many Barn Quilt Trails throughout the midwest
in
Littleton.
now and these artistic tours are catching on out here in the West.
They are Quilt Blocks that are painted on wood and are usually
2' x 2' or 4' x 4', and are attached to the sides of barns, houses,
outbuildings and fences along country roads. Recently they have
been seen throughout stores in Littleton and Golden here in Colorado, and will soon be seen in Colorado Springs and in Old
Colorado City.
They represent a pioneer history of quilts and the people who
made them, as they grace our buildings. The Barn Quilt Movement started in October of 2001, when two men made the first
barn quilt. The pattern was an Ohio Star and it hung at the Lewis Mountain Old Thyme Herb Fair. The history does not say
which state it was first hung in, but since then 29 states throughout the country have established barn quilt trails. Here in Colorado, the Colorado Quilt Council, a Statewide Organization, is
establishing these "trails" throughout the state. They started
with Littleton.
Meet Your Neighbors—Jane Denison
Lisa Denison nominated her mother-in-law, Jane, for this column. To send a nomination, e-mail [email protected].
Abstract artist Jane Denison sees music. Through a process
During the past summer, 36 of Mrs. Denison‟s paintings were on
known as synesthesia, or a combination of senses, Mrs. Denison exhibit at the Philip S. Miller Library in Castle Rock. Her work
actually visualizes music as shapes and colors.
is on sale at the Great Western Art Gallery in Denver at 14 th and
“I don‟t like music with words. They get in the way. I like music Curtis.
“I‟m their token abstract artist,” she said. “I told them I don‟t do
To convey what she sees and hears, Mrs. Denison has developed Western paintings. They replied, „you paint and you live in the
a technique of painting on transparent acetate gels. The gels are West. You‟re a Western artist.‟”
layered in the frame to give a sense of the depth she hears in the To her delight, Mrs. Denison‟s granddaughter, Annie, is an artist
music. She recently completed a series of 27 such works.
as well. She attended school in Sedalia and Castle Rock, and
now is an art major at the University of Colorado Denver.
When she isn‟t painting in her Jarre Canyon studio, Mrs. Denwith layers.”
ison is reading or contemplating. This metaphysical exercise
inspires her work.
Mrs. Denison‟s work may be viewed on her web site, janedenison.com, or in person at her studio by appointment.
Christmas at Cherokee Castle
Holiday festivities at Cherokee Castle range from high teas throughout December to an evening of jazz with the Lynn Baker
Quartet Dec. 3. For theater afficianados, there‟s the Santaland Diaries play, Dec. 9 and 10, or Holiday Dinner with Charles Dickens on Dec. 16. For a full schedule of Castle activities, check the web site at www.cherokeeranch.org.
Sedalia View
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Sedalia, CO
POSTAL CUSTOMER
Sedalia, CO 80135
Printing courtesy of Busy Bee Printing
WINTER GARDENING
By Kelli Fallbach
Did you check out your garden the morning after our first substantial snowstorm? Were you mildly surprised at what you saw? Yes, white
was the predominant color and flat the predominant shape, but did you notice the taller perennials that you had yet to cut back and those
grasses that you added to the garden last year? They made the garden look settled and mysterious. Then the shrubs and small trees add to
the landscape interest to the monochromatic picture with a light cloak of snow, especially those with small jewel-like berries or the rose
hips. There are even shrubs which stay green through the winter, such as Spanish broom and native manzanitas. If your garden doesn’t
resemble this description, why not plan to add some winter interest plants next spring. The Museum will have a suggested list of winter
interest plants on-hand during the Christmas Festival, December 10th.
Remember those pictures you took of your garden this fall so you could study them during the winter’s quiet months as you plan next year’s
garden? Don’t forget them. You’ll find them a wonderful aid to your gardening plans.
You might be able to add a bit more mulch during one of our warm winter days or cut back another plant, but essentially your outside gardening is complete until next spring. However, since our precipitation and humidity is so low from November to March, it is highly recommended
that you water monthly if there is no snow on the ground and the ground is not frozen solid. Water at noon on one of those warm, fine winter
days we love to enjoy.
An inside winter garden can be started by transplanting some of your more tender plants into pots and bringing them inside for the winter.
I have friends whose dining rooms double as plant sanctuaries every winter. Actually any bright room will do. These plants are mostly
dormant and hence grow very slowly during this time. They provide a wonderful refreshing look compared to the usual outdoor winter sights.
Along with your garden refugees add some herbs, scented geranium, cyclamen, and other flowered plants that catch your eye. Amaryllis and
Paper White bulbs would be great additions to the group. Use baskets, old bowls, even tea pots to hold the plants, and add interest to the
sanctuary. If you have already given your old containers to the community garage sale, a trip to an antique shop will surely present a fancy
soup bowl or old pot of the right size. If you want a Christmas plant for your collection, such as a poinsettia, strip it of its foil wrap and
gaudy bow and place it in that new-found old pot.
Long Ago in Sedalia
Subtitle: Excerpts from Bertha Manhart’s scrapbooks.
1-23-1922 More cold weather means a good big ice harvest. The men are very busy filling the creamery ice house at this writing. Failing and Fallis, Ed Couch, Nels
Anderson and Nitz have completed their jobs and rejoice that such suitable weather was forthcoming at this time.