Briefs for November 4, 2010

Huerfano Coalition to meet today

WALSENBURG- The Coalition will meet this Thurs. Nov. 4 at the Spanish Peaks Library at noon.  Lunch will be sponsored by The Colorado Health Foundation. RSVP to Debbnie Channel for lunch preferences from Johnny’s.

Bringing La Veta together #2

LA VETA-  Last Thursday evening, 34 people gathered at the La Veta Library to begin a discussion of how to heal the recent rifts in our community.  The ideas were diverse — from parties to professional conflict resolution mediation.  The common thread was the need for better communication.

    Over the next months, the library will host a series of community forums and will also be gathering information resources related to issues that the town and the community of La Veta are facing. 

    Meanwhile, last week’s healing efforts will continue.  That group will meet again this Thursday evening, Nov. 4, at 6 pm (note change of time) to continue the discussion and to begin to make some concrete plans.

    We invite all who care about La Veta to join us.  Contact 742-3572 or director@lavetalibrary.org for more details, and to offer comments and suggestions.

Quilt and Craft Show this weekend!

WALSENBURG- This is the year to experience almost our decades of history with the 37th Annual Quilt and Craft Show at United Church on Main Street in Walsenburg. Come purchase your Christmas presents in the form of knitted, quilted or crocheted items or any form of home-made goodies. Be sure to stay for the home-made chili and soups and you can’t miss the made-from-scratch, to-die-for pies with coffee! Buying a quilt will also help support the church in the many projects they support. Saturday November 6th from 9am to 3pm.

Volunteers for Change food drive

WALSENBURG- Sangre de Cristo Volunteers for Change members will be at Dollar General this Fri. Nov. 5 from 1 to 5 pm to collect food donations for those in need in Huerfano County.  All donations will go to Dorcas Circle in Walsenburg.

Huerfano Hometown Heroes news

WALSENBURG- Stop by Huerfano Hometown Heroes′ table at Walsenburg′s Quilt and Craft Show this Sat. Nov. 6.  Pick up a yummy baked good and check out other things we will have available for a donation.  Also on Sat. 10 am to 2 pm, we will be at Dollar General on 7th Street with a "most wanted" list from our deployed troops.  Any items you purchase will be included in our Christmas boxes and sent in November.  Support our troops and let our heroes in harm′s way know that they are in our thoughts and prayers this holiday season!  See our heroes at  www.HuerfanoHometownHeroes.org

Hey Caffeine Klatchers!

WALSENBURG-  A Sunday NY Times Coffee Klatch is forming in Walsenburg.  Each Sunday from 12 noon- 2 pm, be at Mike’s Coffee Barn, 304 W. 7th St.  Suggestions– Group Reads by Subject and Sections:  Book reviews, Arts and Entertainment, Front Page, Times Magazine, Week-in-Review, Sunday Styles, Business, Travel, Sports.

    Take your pick or none at all, just listen to the carryings on.  A subscription group rate is available at 25% off sub. delivered.  Walk the Walk: 304 W. 7th St. at noon Sunday or Talk the Talk at 719-738-1154.  For more info, Bkalish39@yahoo.com.

Pool tournament benefits Veterans’ Christmas project

WALSENBURG-  There will be a pool tournament Sun. Nov. 7 at the Silver Dollar located at 112 West 7th Street.  The Veterans and Associates will be selling open face chili burgers, hamburgers, cheese burgers, smothered burritos and a bowl of green chili and tortillas beginning at 10 am.  Prices vary $2.25 to $5 depending on the item.  This is to benefit the Veterans′ Christmas project.

Republicans to meet

WALSENBURG- There will be a regular monthly meeting of the Huerfano County Republicans on Tues. Nov. 9 at 6 pm in the Huerfano Community Center.  Please make every effort to attend this very important meeting.  All registered Republicans are invited to attend.

Navajo Ladies Luncheon

NAVAJO- The monthly meeting will be Wed. Nov. 10 at 12:30 pm at the water board facility.  This month is potluck; the main dish will be provided, bring any dish of your choice.  Please RSVP by Mon. Nov. 8 to Nancy at 719-989-8380 or email at nrtolbert@hotmail.com.  Hope to see you there!  If you don’t have time to slap a dish together, come anyway; there’s always plenty of food.

Salute Veterans:  Enjoy the land they’ve protected

LA JUNTA- Come visit one of America’s almost 400 national parks on Veteran’s Day.  In recognition of current and former servicemen and women, all national parks are waiving entrance fees on Thurs. Nov. 11.

    “From everyone in the National Park Service, I extend gratitude to all who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces and defended the people, freedoms, and resources of this country,” said NPS Director Jon Jarvis.  “In honor of veterans, entry to the national parks, which preserve many of our nation’s finest natural and cultural resources, will be free on Veterans Day.  I invite everyone to take advantage of this opportunity and savor places that our veterans have helped keep safe for us.”

    National parks hold something for everyone from hardcore hikers and campers to people who like to explore history, take a leisurely nature walk, or simply pack a picnic lunch and get away from it all.

    Veteran’s Day will be the last of the fee-free days for the national parks in 2010. 

    Locally, Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site will waive fees for touring the fort on Thurs. Nov. 11.  The park will be open its regular winter hours that day from 9 am to 4 pm.

VFW Meetings

WALSENBURG- The VFW auxillary meeting will be at VFW Hall Thurs. Nov. 11 at 2 pm.

    The Post and Auxillary Meeting VFW District at Trinidad will be Sun. Nov. 14 with lunch at noon and the meeting at 1 pm.

Huerfano County Parks & Trails Open House

 WALSENBURG- The next opportunity to see and comment on the proposed Huerfano County Trails Master Plan will be Wednesday November 17, 4:30-7pm at the La Veta Community Center.  This is the second Huerfano County Parks and Trails open house held this fall.  If you missed the first meeting, come out and share your ideas with the group.

Your input is essential to creating a Trails Master Plan for Huerfano County. Please join the Parks & Trails Working Group on Nov. 17 so you can  get information, ask questions and share your thoughts on trails in Huerfano County.

Methodist Church holiday events

WALSENBURG- The Eighth Annual community ThanksLiving Celebration will be held at the United Church of Walsenburg, 108 Kansas Ave on Sun. Nov. 21 at 7 pm.  The speaker will be Pastor Bobby Barnhill with music by local groups.  The offering will go to Open Arms Pregnancy Center.  A reception will follow the celebration.   

    The community singers presentation of the cantata “The Mystery and the Majesty” by Joseph Martin will be held at the La Veta UM Church, 420 S. Main Sat. Dec. 11 at 7 pm and at The United Church of Walsenburg Sun. Dec. 12 at 7 pm.  There will be receptions following the performances both days.

    The community Youth+ Christmas Concert will be held on Sat. Dec. 18 at 11 am at the United Church of Walsenburg. Piano and Violin recitals plus the musical S.O.C.C.E.R. will be performed.  Lunch will be served after the concert.  Please bring a plate of cookies or sandwiches.  Soup and drink will be provided.

    The Christmas Eve Service at the United Church of Walsenburg will be Fri. Dec. 24 at 6 pm.

    Everyone is invited to attend any or all of the above activities.

Fourth Annual Christmas Bazaar Seeking Vendors

WALSENBURG– The Huerfano County Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring the Fourth Annual Christmas Bazaar on  Fri. Nov. 26 and Sat. Nov. 27  starting at 9 am each day.  The Bazaar will be held at the Museum of Friends, 600 Main Street.  The Chamber is seeking vendors to participate in this year’s event.  The  vendor fee is a reasonable $20 for a 10 X 10 foot space.  Please call 719-738-2005 for more information.

FOWLER- The Southeast Colorado Wool Growers Association, in conjunction with Colorado State University (CSU) Extension, will host a Sheep Health and Management Seminar on Sat. Dec. 4.  The seminar will be from 10 am to 4 pm at the Blackburn-Dennis Community Building in Fowler. 

    Speakers will cover a variety of topics pertaining to the general health and management of sheep.  This seminar is for owners of both large and small flocks.

    Dr. Tony Knight, Extension Specialist (Veterinarian) from CSU, will discuss general sheep health and poisonous plants.  Steve LeValley, CSU Animal Sciences Assistant Professor, Sheep & Wool Specialist, will talk about pre-lambing nutrition, followed by Tom McBride, Agriculture Extension Agent from Adams County, discussing aftermath feeds. 

    With lambing season close, planners invited Marlin Eisenach, CSU Livestock Extension Agent from Morgan County, to talk about getting ready for lambing.  As with all ag ventures, budgeting is an important aspect.  Jeff Tranel, CSU Agriculture and Business Management Economist, will provide information about enterprise budgeting. 

    Ron Cole, Wool Consultant with the American Sheep Industry, will be on hand to talk about the proper care and handling of wool, as well as marketing options, such as wool pools.

    To wrap up the day, Chuck Hanagan, County Executive Director for the Farm Service Agency in Otero and Crowley counties, will provide information on the programs available through his office, such as the wool loan deficiency payment (LDP), farm finance, and disaster programs.

Holiday ART Feast Brings French Cuisine to La Veta

LA VETA- Mark your calendars for the evening of Dec. 4 because the annual Holiday ART Feast is going French–Ooh La La!!!  Once again the Spanish Peaks region will be treated to a scrumptious, three-course, progressive dinner.   The evening begins with marvelous appetizers at Piñon Hill Pottery, continues on to the main course at the SPACe (Spanish Peaks Arts Council) Gallery, and culminates with desserts at the La Veta Fine Art Gallery.

    This year, to make sure things run smoothly, the main course will be served in two sittings.  The first sitting is at 6 and second sitting at 7:30. Guests will be seated at tables for eight and served restaurant style in the newly expanded SPACe Gallery.  Piñon Hill Pottery will open with appetizers at 5 pm.  The La Veta Fine Art Gallery will open at 6:30 pm for desserts.

    The three-course dinner is a charitable fundraising event for the ongoing SPACe Building Expansion and is made possible through the generosity and efforts of volunteers, artists, local businesses and art enthusiasts. Tickets are $25 per person for a meal that includes gourmet appetizers, a choice of three French entrées, salad, bread, wine, and delectable desserts, in the surroundings of beautiful art.  Each ticket owner has a chance to win a beautiful piece of art, all donated by local artists.

    Fifty tickets will be sold per sitting, so be sure to buy your tickets early to guarantee the times you want. Tickets will be available at the SPACe Gallery, 132 W. Ryus (open Tues., Thurs. and Sat., 10 – 3), Piñon Hill Pottery, La Veta Fine Art Gallery, and Charlie’s Market. Tickets may also be ordered by mail. Send payment to SPACe dinner, P.O. Box 419, La Veta, CO 81055. Please indicate your choice of entrée: Coq au Vin (chicken), Bœuf Bourguignon (beef), or vegetarian Cassoulet and your contact information.

    Not only will you get a delicious meal, you may win original artwork and you will help SPACe reach its goal to complete the building expansion.

Farm Service Agency Committee Voting

DENVER– According to Trudy Kareus, Colorado State Executive Director of USDA’s Farm Service Agency, ballots for the 2010 FSA county committee elections will be mailed to eligible voters November 5, 2010.  The deadline for eligible voters to return ballots to their local FSA offices is December 6, 2010.

    “The FSA county committee allows producers to make important decisions concerning the local administration of federal programs,” said Kareus. “I urge all eligible farmers and ranchers especially minorities and women, to get involved in their communities by voting in this year’s elections.”

    To be an eligible voter, farmer and ranchers must participate or cooperate in FSA programs. A person who is not of legal voting age, but supervises and conducts the farming operations of an entire farm, can also vote. Agricultural producers in each county submitted candidate names during the nominations period held last summer.

    Eligible voters who do not receive a ballot can obtain ballots at their local USDA Service Center. December 6, 2010, is the last day for voters to submit ballots in person to local USDA Service Centers. Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked no later than December 6.

    Committee members apply their knowledge and judgment to make decisions on disaster and conservation payments, establishment of allotments and yields, producer appeals, employing FSA County Executive Directors and other local issues. Newly elected committee members and alternates take office January 1, 2011

    For more information about FSA county committee and FSA programs, visit http://www.fsa.usda.gov/.

Bovine Trichomoniasis Update-Talk to Your Vet, Test Your Herd

LAKEWOOD- The Colorado Department of Agriculture reminds cattle owners to test their herd for Bovine Trichomoniasis.

    “Testing and monitoring herds for trichomoniasis is the best method of controlling this infection,” said State Veterinarian, Dr. Keith Roehr.  “Cattle owners should talk to their veterinarian to determine the best management practices for their herd.”

    As of Oct. 25, there are no positive “trich” locations in Colorado.  So far this year, six Colorado counties have had positive trich cases: Conejos, Crowley, Las Animas, Prowers, Rio Blanco, and Saguache.

    A map detailing trichomoniasis sample submissions by county and the prevalence for trichomoniasis-positive counties can be found at www.colorado.gov/ag. 

    “The Department has seen a decrease in the number of positive trich cases and is encouraged by these numbers; this shows that the livestock industry and the CDA mitigation efforts have been working,” continued Roehr, “but this doesn’t mean ranchers should decrease their testing rates.  It is important to remember that this infection does not respect county lines.”

    “Trich” is a costly, yet preventable, infection that can affect dairy and beef cattle.  If bulls become infected, the percentage of open cows can increase from 5 to 30 percent.

    Trich is a venereal disease of cattle caused by Trichomonas foetus (T. Foetus).  The T. foetus infection causes fertility problems, such as early embryonic death or abortion of the calf, and is asymptomatic in bulls.

    Colorado trich regulations require all non-virgin bulls changing ownership or being transported into Colorado be tested for T. foetus unless the animal is going to slaughter.  Bulls on public land grazing permits or with grazing associations must also be tested prior to turn-out.

    Several diagnostic laboratories across the state offer trich testing; samples must be taken by an accredited veterinarian.  For testing questions calCDA Animal Industry Division at (303) 239-4161.

Biomass Crop Final Rule

Denver– US Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency State Executive Director SED, Trudy Kareus announced that the final rule to implement the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) is complete and available to view in the Federal Register.  This 2008 Farm Bill Program is part of USDA’s effort to assist a developing bio-based renewable energy industry.

    "In Colorado the Farm Service Agency is helping to lead the Administration’s effort to help rural communities create jobs, clean the environment and replace our dependence on foreign oil," said SED Kareus.  "In every state, USDA’s green energy programs support rural economies and help build a healthy foundation for economic growth."

    BCAP is designed to ensure that a sufficiently large base of new, non-food, non-feed biomass crops is established in anticipation of future demand for renewable energy.

    The BCAP final regulation was developed as a result of more than 24,000 comments received by USDA. Implementation of a portion of the program in 2009 also provided practical information and data for final rule determinations.

    BCAP uses a dual approach to support the production of renewable energy.  BCAP assists both agricultural and forest landowners and operators by providing matching payments for the transportation of certain eligible materials that are sold to qualified biomass conversion facilities.  The facilities then convert these materials into heat, power, biobased products or advanced biofuels.

    In addition, BCAP provides assistance for the establishment and production of eligible renewable biomass crops within specified project areas.  Producers who enter into BCAP contracts may receive an initial payment of up to 75 percent of the cost of establishing eligible perennial crops. Further, they can receive annual payments for up to five years for growing annual or perennial herbaceous or non-woody crops and up to 15 years for woody crops.  FSA will soon be accepting project area proposals and, after project area proposals have been approved, eligible producers may participate by enrolling at their FSA county office.

    For more information about BCAP and other energy programs, contact your local FSA office or visit the website to review the revised BCAP Factsheet under Energy Programs at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/bcap.

PUEBLO- The Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands were recently honored for their outstanding leadership, passion and energy in managing the resources of these National Grasslands.  The two Grasslands manage a combined 551,940 acres covering five counties in two states in Southeastern Colorado and Southwest Kansas.  The districts operate seamlessly out of administrative offices from Colorado to Kansas.

    The Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands, throughout the last four years, have endured and managed severe drought conditions.  The staff  have cooperatively worked with the 230 grazing allotments in conjunction with five grazing associations during this drought period with strong support from the permitees.  The Comanche implemented a permitee monitoring program in 2009 that serves to complement the U.S. Forest Service employee monitoring program.  This monitoring program serves as an example of what can be done by other National Grasslands in the future.

    They also have very active wildlife programs, recently completed habitat improvement and monitoring projects for lesser prairie chicken,

black-tailed prairie dog, mountain plover, burrowing owls and ferrugenous hawks. These efforts are at the core of a progressive wildlife shop and a healthy ecosystem on the grasslands.  The Districts have entered into a research program with the U.S. Forest Service Research Station and other partners to start a satellite monitoring program of the lesser prairie chicken to obtain round the clock information on the chicken’s use of habitat and avoidance of manmade structures.  This will be an ongoing program for many years.  To date, the grasslands have seen an increase in the numbers of the lesser prairie chicken, and there are more habitat improvement measures that will be taken.

    The Comanche and Cimarron National Grasslands utilize YCC, AmeriCorps, and Rocky Mountain SER (Service, Employment, Redevelopment) Crews to reconstruct wildlife and livestock improvements, eradicate tamarisk along the Purgatoire River and provide other critical maintenance for habitat improvements.  Not only do these programs help meet their impressive target

goals, but they offer young adults an opportunity to learn about the field of natural science and provide the unit with a tremendous amount of support from their local communities.  The Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands believe strongly in educating youth about the importance of the natural sciences, and they are a shining example of how to inspire young adults.

    The employees of the Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands are an exceptional group of people who should be commended on their ability to improvise, their professionalism, their outreach to our communities, their partners and the resources they manage.  The PSICC is proud to announce the Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands as the Regional Forester Honor Award recipient for Forest and Grassland Health Emphasis.