The Community Catalyst Nov 2011

NOVEMBER 2011

Nora Knows PG 2

Pieces of our Past PG 3

Stellar Student PG 4

Book Nook PG 5

Nonprofit Listing PG 6

Calendar of Events PG 7

CatalystCatalystTHE COMMUNITY

Voting is a citizen’s responsibility. Our greatestfreedom is voting. It allows us to choose peopleand issues that reflect our conscientiousness,what we believe best represents our values andwhat we know to be true about life, liberty andthe pursuit of happiness. What has replaced our conscientiousness

about verifying what we know to be true, hasbeen blindly accepting what someone in themedia tells us is true. It takes more effort toknow what is true these days, to research what isbeing said by people you want to trust. If youreally knew what the agenda was behind whatthey are telling you, you might not want to trustthem as much as you do. Would you know thedifference? Have we become so busy, or perhaps lazy, that

we are willing to accept what we hear on theradio or TV as truth? When did we stop caringabout facts versus conjecture? A well-worn prop-aganda tactic continuously being used on peoplewho don’t require factual information, is to repeata phrase three times. Somewhere in our minds,when we hear something the third time it regis-ters in our brains as a fact. This technique is beingused often by politicians and their spin doctors.Just thought you might want to know that.Even the wording of a ballot issue can be

deceiving, and I’ve noticed if I don’t read thephrasing of an issue carefully, I can vote for theopposite side of an issue I care about. Thankfully,they try to break down for you, decipher if youwill, what voting yes or no will actually mean, butyou have to read the whole thing to be sure yourvote will register what you want it to. You can’tjust take for granted that by voting “yes” meansyou are for that issue. So take your time, read your ballot carefully,

check the credibility of what you are being told.Our system of government only works if we useit the way we were supposed to use it, as intelli-gent, thoughtful and responsible citizens. If you haven’t registered to vote, please do.

Make a night of it, pick up a neighbor and a friend,go vote, and then go for dinner together. Talkabout the issues with people you know, how doesit affect you or them? What’s the long term out-look? Get involved. Take your kids with youwhen you vote, let them see that you considerthis a privilege and your responsibility as a citizen.After all, isn’t it important that you show themhow to be a good citizen?

This publication is made possible by theParadox Strengthening Community Fund.

Thanks for reading!

Notes from the Publisher2

Dear Nora,I have a very dear friend who has a

father in his 80's. Lately, I have noticedthat her Dad is becoming more andmore "forgetful". I am worried becausehe still has a driver's license and drivesevery day. I am very afraid that he willeither get lost or cause a terrible acci-dent. When I mentioned this to her shebecame upset with me and said that herDad is very "independent" and is justfine. I'd hate to see anything bad hap-pen. Can you suggest a way I can helpher see that perhaps her Dad shouldn'tbe driving alone anymore?

Singed,Concerned in Corn Town (Olathe)

Dear Concerned,It’s hard to be the one to face

a parent that may be struggling. Maybeyour dear friend is afraid to confrontDad. As we age, and especially for ourdear Mr.’s, it’s hard to admit that we can’tdo all of the things we used to. If yourfriend is truly dear, invite her over forcoffee and have a heart to heart. Offerher support. You may have to take someanger. But be her shoulder. And thensolicit the help of his doctor, or a trustedfriend, maybe a brother, when deliveringthe news.

RDear Nora,A close friend of mine has a child the

same age as my toddler. While usuallythis is a good thing, it’s not in our situa-tion. Her child has been known to beexcessively mean at times and has

injured my child. When playing togetherthings quickly turn mean with biting andscratching and even punching. I havetried to teach my son that it is never okto hurt someone else and he seems con-fused as to why a “friend” would be somean. My son does not want to playwith this other child anymore (not that Iblame him). I am confused on how totalk to the mother about her child’sbehavior. I really like my friend butbefore anything, I want to keep my littleone safe. Any advice would help!

Sincerely,Bullied in Bedrock

Dear Bullied,First and foremost is the safety of your

child. If you’ve noticed marks or bruisesafter he comes home from a playdate it’scompletely in your right to question themama. You can do this casually with justan aside such as, “Hey, Johnny had abruise on his arm last night I haven’tseen before. Did you notice anythingwhen he was at your house the otherday?” That’s not accusatory, and you’reincluding your friend in the probleminstead of attacking her. If she brushes itoff as boys will be boys, maybe suggestyou supervise contact from here on out.If her son is just too violent, maybe it’stime to make new friends.

RNeed advice? Nora Knows! E-mail

your dilemmas to [email protected] or drop off at theNaturita Community Library. Your pri-vacy is assured.

Montrose County budgetmeeting for West End residents

has been added on Wednesday,November 2nd at 6:00 p.m. at the

Nucla Fire Hall. Hope to see you there!

gg NoraKnows

The paper ballot system employs uniform official ballots onwhich the names of all candidates and issues are printed. Votersrecord their choices by marking the boxes next to the candidateor issue choice. New York became the first American State toadopt the paper ballot for statewide elections in 1889. As of1996, paper ballots were still used by 1.7% of the registered vot-ers in the United States. They are used as the primary voting sys-tem in small communities and rural areas, and quite often forabsentee balloting in other jurisdictions. The first official use of alever type voting machine, known then as the "Myers AutomaticBooth," occurred in Lockport, New York in 1892. These machinesare no longer made. Punch card systems employ a card and asmall clipboard-sized device. Voters punch holes in the cards(with a supplied punch device) opposite their choice.Marksense systems employ a ballot card on which candidates andissue choices are preprinted next to an empty rectangle, circle,oval, or an incomplete arrow. Voters record their choices by fillingin the object next to their choice. The tabulating device reads thevotes whereby the computer selects the darkest mark within agiven set. The most recent configuration in the evolution of vot-ing systems is known as direct recording electronic, or DRE. The

voter directly enters choices into electronic storage with the useof a touch-screen.

History of the Voting System Standards ProgramDuring the 1970's, nearly anyone could cobble together a "vot-

ing machine", and sell it to local election officials. Few States hadany guidelines for testing or evaluating these devices. Local offi-cials either had to take the salesman's word that the systemworked or else depend on the opinion of colleagues who hadalready bought it. Voting equipment horror stories soon begancirculating through the election community. They triggered con-cerns about the integrity of the voting process. In February 1975,Office of Federal Elections signed an agreement with the NationalBureau of Standards to develop operational guidelines that elec-tion administrators could use to help ensure the accuracy andsecurity of the computer-based vote-tallying process.

Now, with all that said, iS YOUR VOTE COUNTED? YOUBETCha! I had the privilege of attending the LAT (Logic andAccuracy Testing) in Montrose County last month. Debbie Rudy,Elections Supervisor and her staff, Lura, Bill and Chris wentthrough the voting process from beginning to end with me. Aftervoting we went through the whole process of tallying. Everycable, memory card, machine is locked and/or tagged. When tagsor seals or broken it is recorded by time and person and when the

process is finished it is locked and/or tagged and recorded again.The security of the computer based vote-tallying was the least tosay the most impressive and took the longest time just gettingprepared to count votes. After everything was set to go thepaper ballots were scanned into a computer and tabulated withthe write-ins being manually checked if a name other than quali-fied candidates appeared. The final step was taking this informa-tion over to the last computer by flash drive and comparing itwith the information that the voting machine had produced.Ours was a good day with everything matching and the final tallyaccurate.

If you're unhappy with the way things are being run not votingreally isn't the best option even if you're not 100% happy withyour choices. I mean, really, when are you ever 100% happy witha politician? You should be happy with the fact that we live in ademocracy, however, so show your support for the process byparticipating in it. So here are several reasons to vote: Not votingis a vote for the other guy, it gives you the right to complain, vot-ing is extraordinarily important right--not just a chore, you canchange the world, because every vote matters, you're mad as helland you're not going to take it anymore, it's your civic duty, it'seasy, you get an "I Voted" sticker. This one may trump all the rest.

Now it is all up to you. gO VOTE!

3

Become an “agvocate”

it’s that time of year when cattle are being shipped, harvest iswrapping up and the airwaves are frequently full of politicalrhetoric. as the percentage of rural residents declines, it is moreimportant than ever to study the issues, share your thoughtsand use your vote to impact outcomes.

While we have a commonly held belief in this country that themajority rules, in reality that isn’t exactly correct. in fact, it is themajority of those who show up who win the day. That’s whysome rather small groups of people who share common valuescan have an impact that is much greater than their percentageof the population. So, instead of opining that we in ruralamerica are so few that we can’t impact the overwhelmingnumber of urbanites, we need to speak up clearly andconsistently to make sure our voices are heard and understood.

as we sit here in a rather remote area of Western Colorado,how do we do that? increasingly, farmers and ranchers areturning to Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and personal web blogsto share their stories and connect with consumers, educatorsand others about their operations.

Take, for example, Troy hadrick. Troy and his wife, Stacy, arefifth-generation ranchers from north central South Dakota.after becoming fed up with PETa, the humane Society of theUnited States (hSUS) and the likes trying to paint him and all hisfellow ranchers into a rather dark corner, Troy and Stacy startedadvocates for agriculture (www.advocatesforag.com), a blogthat seeks to tell agriculture’s positive story and help consumersunderstand how their food is produced.

“For far too long, those of us in agriculture have stood bywhile certain factions in this country have flat-out lied aboutwho we are and what we are about,” Troy says. “We do not havethe luxury of assuming people know the truth aboutagriculture. Each and every one of us has a positive story to tell,and we need to get those messages out.”

a group of like-minded farmers and ranchers also foundedthe agChat Foundation, which grew out of a weekly moderatedTwitter conversation called “agchat.” Kansas farmer Daringrimm serves as president of the agChat Foundation. With2,000 acres of corn and soybeans to harvest, this third-generation family farmer is running a combine from dawn ‘tildusk this time of year, but he still makes time to tweet.

"We all eat," says the 37-year-old grimm, who helps teachother farmers how to use online social media to tell their stories."Food is important to everybody but very few people producethat food. We farmers need to connect with consumers, whetherit's a mom in New York or a teacher in Chicago."

Calling themselves "agvocates," these tech-savvy farmersand ranchers are reaching out to consumers and telling theirown stories to counter the propaganda being dispersed byhSUS, PETa and their ilk. Consumers have many differentperceptions about what farmers and ranchers are doing and thechoices they are making as they produce our food supply. Whowould you prefer tell your story?

as our country and our communities wrestle with majorissues like health care, unemployment and debt, rural americaneeds to make a concerted effort to have its voice heard. Take,for example, the upcoming farm bill discussion, which will occuras a miniscule slice of the overall budget debate.

There are any number of loud cries to cut the farm bill; mostof those are coming from individuals who think all (or at least

much) of the money appropriated to the farm bill goes tofarmers. The reality is the vast majority of money in the farm billdoes not go to farmers or farm programs; rather, it goes tonutritional assistance (food stamps, WiC, school lunchprograms, etc.). Only 17 percent of USDa’s budget goes towardfarm and commodity programs (see chart). Bottom line:commodity program spending represents less than one quarterof one percent of the federal budget.

as this season of public decision making continues, it is up toeach of us to study the issues, share our thoughts and tell ourstories. Make a difference – show up!

By: Elizabeth Smith

History of voting systemsPieces of our Past:

By Jeri Mattics Omernik

The Cattle List: Make sure your voice is heard

WhaT iS agChaT?The agChat Foundation is designed to help those who

produce food, fuel, fiber and feed tell agriculture’s story fromtheir points of view. The Foundation educates and equipsfarmers and ranchers with the skill set needed to effectivelyengage on Twitter, Facebook, blogs, YouTube, Linkedin andother social media services. it provides them with knowledgeto unlock new tools to effectively tell their story.

The Foundation is built from the highly visible “#agChat”community on Twitter. This weekly moderated chat has servedas an international meeting place where the people ofagriculture can discuss difficult issues, tell their farm storiesand identify ways to connect with people outside ofagriculture. More than 2,000 people from seven countries haveparticipated in #agChat since it started in april 2009. For moreinformation, visit agchat.org.

✩

On the Cover:

Would you like to submit a photograph for consideration of publication? all filesmust be at least 150 dpi and 12 inches by 12 inches large. Submit your photos to

[email protected]

First grader, Mackenzie Keetch, isNovember's Stellar Student. Mackenzieis incredibly compassionate, a great bigsister, incredibly helpful, and creative.She has a positive attitude no matterwhat she's doing, and a great fashionsense. She also has an amazing sense of

humor and is incredibly funny.

Thank you, Mackenzie, for being sucha vibrant spark in our community!

introducing November’s CommunitySuperstar - Becky hammond!

By dallas HolmesBecky Hammond is one of the prettiest

ladies you will ever meet. Add to that hercharming personality, and you have one ofthe finest members of our community. Beckyis one of the kindest people you will evermeet. She's always willing to give a hand toanyone in need. She has been on the board ofthe Montrose West Recreation District for sev-eral years, ever since Jack deKoevend caughther and appointed her. Becky is a more thanactive member of the Women of the Moose,willing to pitch in no matter how she person-ally feels. Her friend, Theresa Richards says, "Becky Hammond is a very good friend andperson, she is always concerned about every-body else, even when her hips are hurting herso bad. Becky is involved in a lot of differentclubs, and she is so willing to help with what-

ever needs to be done. She is an outstandingperson in our community." You can often spotBecky power walking down Main St. or work-ing in her gorgeous garden, but more oftenthan not, you catch Becky serving someone inneed. Her benevolent attitude and graciousspirit make her a superstar in this community.

We are looking for Superstar nomineesfrom non-profits and the community to

honor these people that do so much.Submit to either the [email protected] or write up a bio anddrop off the nomination and a picture todallas holmes at the Naturita Community

Library.

CommunitySuperstar

Mackenzie Keetch

Stellartudent

4

Montrose, CO—The Montrose County Clerkand Recorder’s office today declared the signa-tures presented to their office to recall CountyCommissioner Gary Ellis were insufficient.

“3,012 signatures were required to recallCommissioner Ellis. 3,198 signatures were sub-mitted, but only 2,689 were statutorily validsignatures, so the recall committee was 323signatures short,” said Fran Long, MontroseCounty Clerk and Recorder. “The recall commit-tee has the option to file a protest, but must doso within 15 days, then a hearing would beheld to listen to their concerns.”

A signature could be invalidated if an

address or name did not match Countyrecords, if the person was not a registeredvoter in Montrose County, if they did not pro-vide all of the required information on the peti-tion, or if it was a duplicate signature.

“I believe the best thing for our County is toput this recall to rest and leave it behind us,”said Commissioner Ellis. “We have many impor-tant issues that need to be focused on. I under-stand the recall group can challenge the mat-ter, but I sincerely hope they take this opportu-nity to let both sides get back to resolvingpressing issues and let the county heal.”

Montrose County Clerk & Recorder declaresinsufficient signatures to recall Commissioner Ellis

B

Position is based at Tri-State’s coal firedpower plant, Nucla Station, in Nucla, CO.Responsible for installing, repairing andmaintaining instrumentation and controlequipment in a coal fired power plant facili-ty.

ASS degree or vocational school certifica-tion in instrumentation and control, electri-cal, electronics or equivalent experience. 5years of instrumentation and control equip-

ment experience in a power plant or closelyallied industry including electrical/electro-mechanical controls equipment.

Apply online at www.tristategt.org, thenclick on Careers link, or send to Tri-StateGeneration and Transmission Assoc., Inc., atP.O. Box 33695, Westminster, CO 80233.

Equal Opportunity Employer –Minority/Female/Disabled/Veteran

Nucla : JL INSTRUMENTATION & CONTROL TECHNICIAN

Quality Improvement CoordinatorUncompahgre Medical Center, Norwood, ishiring a Quality Improvement Coordinator.

Please visit www.umclinic.org for descrip-tion/qualifications. Serious inquiries only.

Email : [email protected]

Norwood : QUALITY IMPROVEMENT COORDINATOR

Job Openings

“I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvetcushion.”

― Henry David Thoreau

Jeri Mattics Omernik

“Without community service,we would not have a strongquality of life. It's important to theperson who serves as well as therecipient. It's the way in which weourselves grow and develop.”

―Dr. Dorothy I. Height,president and CEO of the NCNW

5

• The Book Nook •By dallas Holmes

It’s no secret that I love to read. I’veworked in several bookstores and now at alibrary. More often than not, when you seeme I’m reading. I got teased in college forwalking to the subway while reading. As achild I would spend 8+ hours in a dayengulfed in the other world of literature.Even now you can find me reading as Ishelve books. It’s a part of my identity, onethat I’m most proud of. And I would be hardpressed to even begin to choose a favoritebook. It depends on the time of day or mymood, or the season. I may be able to nar-row it down to 10, perhaps 5, but even thatwould be difficult. But ask me to pick afavorite genre, and it’s young adult handsdown. With all of the options teens have forentertainment, books are sorely lagging.They aren’t as flashy or as interactive as aniPhone, laptop or wii. And yet, teens stillchoose to read, and more than adults, stud-ies show. I think a lot of that has to do withthe quality of books available for teens. Hereare some gems I think you should give achance.

Annexed by Sharon Dogar is the fictional-ized journal of Peter van Pels, the boy whoshared Anne Frank’s tiny attic space, the boywho fell in love with the girl who wrote thediary. I used to be slightly obsessed withAnne Frank after I read this quote, “Despiteeverything, I believe that people are reallygood at heart.” I was really excited when wereceived this retelling of her story. Then Iread the book and I was even moreentranced with this novel that was a com-pletely different, poignant, and tender story.Peter is angry

when he gets caught at the Frank’s housethat morning and has to seek refuge withthe younger and more precocious Anne.His girlfriend is dead and his world is end-ing, and here is this chipper optimist whojust won’t leave him alone. But as theyspend more time together in this intimateand cramped space, a friendship and then aromance blossom in the most realistic andinnocent way. Sharon Dogar does an excel-lent job of providing a voice to this youngman, and real emotion to an event we feelso familiar with. This book really sets thescene and puts you in the moment.

Book publishing is an art form, one thatwe are slowly losing. You know the differ-ence between a dime paperback and a truemasterpiece – the beautiful end papers,tightly sewn seams, the smell and weight ofa quality production. There are few books ofrecent note that seem to even care aboutthe presentation, Cornelia Funke’s InkheartSeries is one that comes to mind. When Ifirst picked up Miss Peregrine’s Home forPeculiar Children by Ransom Riggs, it washeavy and I immediately smiled. The pagesare glossy and it has endpapers! But morethan that, it is a haunting story. Do not readthis at night, or in the dark, or on a stormynight. Jacob has recently lost his belovedgrandfather and goes in search of his past,on a remote Welsh island. The setting isintense. The characters are complex andincredibly well developed. The photographsthat are interspersed throughout the textare mesmerizing. This intricate and detailedmasterpiece is almost guaranteed to keep

you up at night. I cannot tellyou enough how much I lovethis book.also check out –

Life as WeKnew it bySusan Beth

PfefferThe BookThief byMarkusZusak

_̂

_̂

_̂

_̂

_̂

_̂

_̂

_̂

453

2

16

Norwood

MountainVillage

Ophir

Placerville

Sawpit

Egnar

Slickrock

Telluride

San Miguel County, ColoradoSan Miguel County, Colorado

VOTING PRECINCTS

Prepared by San Miguel CountyGeographic Information Systems970-369-5481 Box 1170 Telluride CO(/clerk/20070821_precincts.mxd)

This information is a product of the San Miguel County GIS Department and is intended for the display of relative positions and locations only. Users of this information agree that no assertion or warranty of any kind has been made by San Miguel County as to its accuracy. 2

6E COLORADO AVE

TOMBOY RD

TOW

NSEN

D ST

2

1

Precinct 1Precinct 1 Precinct 6Precinct 6The Eastern boundary of this precinct is those areas

EAST of Townsend St and within the Town of TellurideWithin the Town of Mountain Village

Precinct 1 - Rebekah Hall113 W Columbia Ave, TelluridePrecinct 2 - Wilkinson Public Library100 W Pacific Ave, TelluridePrecinct 3 - Placerville Fire Station24400 Hwy 145Precinct 4 - Norwood Community Center1670 Naturita StreetPrecinct 5 - Egnar School House9326 Highway 141Precinct 6 - Mt Village Town Hall,455 Mt Village Blvd, Ste A

POLLING PLACES

There are TWO dates for the November 2011 Election:San Miguel County and State Election Day is Tuesday, November 1

Town of Telluride Election Day is Tuesday, November 8.

The polling place for the West End is the Courthouse annex, 300 Main Street, Nucla, CO

6

Story Time11:30 am to noonNaturita Library

County budget meetingfor West End residents

6:00 p.m.Nucla Fire hall

Stitch and Read5:00pm-7:00pmNaturita Library

Stitch and Read5:00pm-7:00pmNaturita Library

The Book Club2:00pm-3:00pmNaturita Library

discussing Fried Green Tomatoesat the Whistle Stop Café

West End PublicSchools Board

Meeting7:30pm-10:30pm

Nucla high School


Veterans Day! Community Bazaar 9:00am-1:00pm

New hope PentecostalChurch in Naturita

VOTiNg DaY!!!

Computer Basics Class6:30pm-8:00pmNaturita Library

My Place Senior Event$1.00 entrance fee7:00pm-10:00pm

The Livery in Norwood

ThanksgivingBreak starts

RE-2 SchoolDistrict

RE-2 School DistrictReturns to School

Town of NaturitaBoard Meeting

7:00pm-9:00pm222 E. Main • Naturita

Town of NaturitaBoard Meeting

7:00pm-9:00pm222 E. Main • Naturita

Town of NuclaBoard Meeting

7:00pm-9:00pm320 Main • Nucla

Town of NuclaBoard Meeting

7:00pm-9:00pm320 Main • Nucla

Word Basics Class6:30pm-8:00pmNaturita Library





Community Cinema1:30pm

Naturita Library

Crafty Teens4:00pm-6:00pmNaturita Library

Norwood Schoolsstart

ThanksgivingBreak

Norwood SchoolsResume Class

Volunteers help at theFood Bank

4:00pm440 W Main • Naturita

Nucla Naturita areaChamber of

Commerce Meeting7:00pm-8:00pmVisitors Center

"get Your Sillies Out"11:00am-12:00pm

Naturita Library

Food Bank handouts4:00pm-5:00pm

440 W Main • Naturita

My SpaCE$1.00 entry fee

grades 4th thru 12th7:00pm-9:00pm


Free Friday movie 7:00pm-9:00pm






Thanksgiving!!

Naturita LibraryClosed

"Let's fly a Kite"11:00am-12:00pm

Naturita Library Mad hatters Tea Party

(by special invite only)12:00pm-2:00pmNaturita Library



Norwood Schools insession

"Pinhole Cameras"1:00pm- 3:00pmNaturita Library

"Pinhole Cameras"1:00pm- 3:00pmNaturita Library

DaylightSavings

Time

NO SChOOLRE-2/ PLC Meeting

November 2011 Calendar of Events

Ace of NorwoodLocated in the Livery PlayhouseNorwood, CO970-327-4016http://www.aceofnorwood.orgFurthering opportunity for the arts and education tothe communities of the west ends of San Miguel andMontrose counties.

All Points Transit100 Tessitore Court, Suite DMontrose, CO 81401970-249-6204

Area Agency on Aging300 N. Cascade Avenue, Suite 1Montrose, CO 81401970-249-2436Providing valuable services and information for seniorpopulations.

Basin Clinic421 Adams StreetNaturita, CO 81424970-865-2665Division of Montrose Memorial Hospital. Offers gener-al practice medical treatment.

Center for Independence1-800-613-2271www.cfigj.orgHelping people with disabilities.

Center for Mental Health1350 Aspen Street #BNorwood, CO 81423970-327-4449Offering comprehensive mental health services 8 am to 5 pm Monday - Friday.

Dolphin House - 7th Judicial ChildAdvocacy Center735 South 1st StreetMontrose, CO 81401970-240-8655Provides a safe non-threatening child friendly envi-ronment for interviewing child victims, assessmentsand referrals.

Family Link CenterPO Box 602165 W. 10th AveNucla, CO 81424970-864-2245Our mission is to give the people of our community ahelping hand by providing resources, tools andstrategies to strengthen families and individuals.

Montrose County HHS851 Main StreetNucla, CO 81424970-864-7319Child Care Assistance, Medicaid, food stamps, generalassistance, Child Protective Services, and many otherpublic services.

Montrose County Housing Authority222 Hap CourtOlathe, CO 81425970-323-5445Assisting with housing for eligible individuals, familiesand seniors meeting income guidelines.

Montrose County Veterans Services1845 South Townsend AvenueMontrose, CO 81401970-249-2115Health Care, Compensation or Pension, Education orTraining. Home Loan Guaranty, Life Insurance, Burialand Memorial Benefits, Service Connected Disability,Copies of DD214

Montrose West Recreation, IncPO Box 281Nucla, CO 81424970-428-7880

Naturita Community Library107 West 1st AvenueNaturita, CO 81422970-865-2848www.facebook.com/NaturitaLibrary2011 Best Small Library in AmericaThousands of pieces of reference materials, publiccomputers and community programming.

Norwood Chamber of CommercePO Box 116Norwood, CO 81423800-282-5988Education and assistance for businesses and organizations.

Norwood Public Library1110 Lucerne StreetNorwood, CO 81423970-327-4833Open 11 am to 5 pm Monday through Saturday.

Nucla Naturita Area Chamber ofCommerce230 West Main StreetNaturita, CO 81422970-865-2350Serving the Bedrock, Naturita, Nucla, Paradox andRedvale communities.

Nucla Naturita Food BankPO Box 163Nucla, CO 81424970-864-7680Providing Food Box hand outs every 3rd Friday ofevery month from 4-5pm at the TLC Bldg 440 W. MainSt. Naturita

Nucla Public Library544 Main StreetNucla, CO 81422970-864-2166Thousands of pieces of reference materials, publiccomputers and community programming.

One-to-One Mentoring(970)-427-4410Matching youth with mentors in the Norwood area.Accepting new mentors. Call the above number formore details.

PASCO/SW, Inc.45 S. WashingtonCortez, CO 81321970-565-6833

Rimrocker Historical SocietyPO Box 913Nucla, CO 81424Charged with collecting and preserving artifacts con-cerning the cultural and natural history of the WestEnd of Montrose County. Dedicated to promotingawareness, understanding appreciation of the pastand present.

San Miguel County HHS1120 Summit StreetNorwood, CO 81423(970) 327-4885Family Planning, Immunizations, Food Benefits,Medicaid, Child Care Assistance, County WellnessProgram, Heat bill payment assistance (LEAP). Allservices are confidential and provided on a slidingscale base.

San Miguel Resource CenterDomestic Violence and Sexual Assault Crisis Center -24 hour Hotlines: 970-864-2275 - 970-327-0566 - 970-728-5660

Small Business DevelopmentCenterWestern State College of Colorado600 North Adams Street Taylor Hall 112970-943-3159Providing free, confidential business consultingservices including legal formation, loan applica-tions, marketing, business planning and access tocapital.

Spruce and Columbine GardenClubPO Box 912Nucla, Colorado 81424970-864-7422Promoting and organizing beautifications projectsin our area as well as other community projects inthe West End.

Uncompahgre Medical Center1350 Aspen StreetNorwood, CO 81423970-327-4233Committed to providing quality, cost effective,accessible healthcare. Services include generalhealthcare, dental care and special programs with afocus on prevention.

West Montrose Economic &Community DevelopmentOrganizationPublisher@TheCommunityCatalyst.comEncouraging community collaboration for the bet-terment of our region.

Volunteers of America - SeniorCommUnity Meals11407 Highway 65Eckert, CO 81418970-874-7662

Wright Stuff CommunityFoundation1215 Summit StreetNorwood, CO 81423970-327-0555Providing early and continuing educational oppor-tunities to rural youth and families in southwestColorado.

To include your nonprofit or organization in this free listing, email your

information to:[email protected]

or call 970 859-7207. Deadline is the 16th of every month.

7

Nonprof i t Direc tory - Serv ing the West End

Preparing for fall and winter watering ...Quick Facts...

Water trees, shrubs, lawns, and perennials during pro-•longed dry fall and winter periods to prevent root dam-age that affects the health of the entire plant.

Water only when air and soil temperatures are above•40 degrees F with no snow cover.

Established large trees have a root spread equal to or•greater than the height of the tree. apply water to themost critical part of the root zone within the dripline.•

Dry air, low precipitation, little soil moisture, and fluc-tuating temperatures are characteristics of fall and win-ter in many areas of Colorado. There often can be little orno snow cover to provide soil moisture, particularly fromOctober through March. Trees, shrubs, perennials andlawns can be damaged if they do not receive supplemen-tal water.

The result of long, dry periods during fall and winter isinjury or death to parts of plant root systems. affectedplants may appear perfectly normal and resume growthin the spring using stored food energy. Plants may beweakened and all or parts may die in late spring or sum-mer when temperatures rise. Weakened plants also maybe subject to insect and disease problems.

Plants Sensitive to Drought injury

Woody plants with shallow root systems require sup-plemental watering during extended dry fall and winterperiods. These include European white and paper birch-es; Norway, silver, red, Rocky Mountain, and hybridmaples; lindens, alder, hornbeams, dogwood, willows,and mountain ash. Evergreen plants that benefit includespruce, fir, arborvitae, yew, Oregon grape-holly, box-wood, and Manhattan euonymus. Woody plants benefitfrom mulch to conserve soil moisture.

herbaceous perennials and ground covers in exposedsites are more subject to winter freezing and thawing.This opens cracks in soil that expose roots to cold anddrying. Winter watering combined with mulching canprevent damage (See fact sheet 7.214, Mulches for homegrounds.)

Lawns also are prone to winter damage. Newly estab-lished lawns, whether seed or sod, are especially suscep-tible to damage. Susceptibility increases for lawns withsouth or west exposures.

Watering guidelines

Water only when air temperatures are above 40degrees F. apply water at mid-day so it will have time tosoak in before possible freezing at night. a solid layer(persisting for more than a month) of ice on lawns cancause suffocation or result in matting of the grass.

Plants receiving reflected heat from buildings, wallsand fences are more subject to damage. The low angle ofwinter sun makes this more likely in south or west expo-sures. Windy sites result in faster drying of sod andplants and require additional water. Lawns in warmexposures are prone to late winter mite damage. Water isthe best treatment to prevent turf injury (see fact sheet5.505, Clover and Other Mites of Turfgrass).

Monitor weather conditions and water during extend-ed dry periods without snow cover—one to two timesper month.

Newly Planted vs. Established Plants

Newly planted trees are most susceptible to winterdrought injury. Woody trees generally take one year toestablish for each inch of trunk diameter. For example, atwo inch diameter (caliper) tree takes a minimum of twoyears to establish under normal conditions.

Trees obtain water best when it is allowed to soak intothe soil slowly to a depth of 12 inches. Methods of water-ing trees include: sprinklers, deep-root fork or needle,soaker hose or soft spray wand. apply water to manylocations under the dripline andbeyond if possible. if you use adeep-root fork or nee-dle, insert nod e e p e rthan8

inches into the soil. as a general survival rule, apply 10gallons of water for each diameter inch of the tree. Forexample, a two-inch diameter tree needs 20 gallons perwatering. Use a ruler to measure your tree’s diameter.

Newly planted shrubs require more water than estab-lished shrubs that have been planted for at least oneyear. The following recommendations assume shrubs aremulched to retain moisture. in dry winters, all shrubsbenefit from winter watering from October throughMarch. apply 5 gallons two times per month for a newlyplanted shrub. Small established shrubs (less than 3 feettall) should receive 5 gallons monthly. Large establishedshrubs (more than 6 feet) require 18 gallons on a month-ly basis. Decrease amounts to account for precipitation.Water within the dripline of the shrub and around thebase.

herbaceous perennial establishment periods vary.Bare root plants require longer to establish than contain-er plants. Perennials transplanted late in the fall will notestablish as quickly as plants planted in spring. Winterwatering is advisable with late planted perennials, bareroot plants, and perennials located in windy or south-west exposures.

For more information, see the following PlanttalkColoradoTM script.

1751, Fall and Winter Watering: during drought

1J.E. Klett, Colorado State University Extension horti-culture specialist and professor, horticulture and land-scape architecture; and C. Wilson, Extension horticultureagent, Denver County. 1/04. Revised 7/08.

Colorado State University, U.S. Department ofagriculture and Colorado countiescooperating.CSU Extension pro-grams are available to all withoutdiscrimination. No endorsementof products mentioned isintended nor is criti-cism implied ofproducts notmentioned.

J.E. Klett and C. Wilson • Colorado State University Cooperative Extension • www.ext.colostate.edu • Reprinted with permission • All rights reserved

Documents

The Community Catalyst Nov 2011