Brodsky a sensible, progressive voice
To the Editor:
Herb Brodsky is running for the La Plata Electric Board of Directors in District 4.
To the Editor:
Herb Brodsky is running for the La Plata Electric Board of Directors in District 4.
While I no longer live in District 4, I encourage all those who do, to vote for Herb Brodsky.
Herb is a progressive and sensible voice on the board, is a person of high integrity, and he gives the board his time and attention. He has vast knowledge of the electric co-op based on his past years of service and his extensive business experience.
I had the pleasure of serving on the Community Foundation of Southwest Colorado with Herb, and I saw firsthand how hard he worked and the high-level of expertise he brought to this board. He was always respectful, well prepared and worked well with other board members. What impressed me the most was his ability to listen carefully and react thoughtfully to difficult issues.
Herb Brodsky wants this position on the La Plata Electric Board and deserves your support.
– Sheri Rochford Figgs, Arboles
Vote for a cleaner energy future
To the editor,
If you pay an electric bill, you should have received a ballot in the mail for La Plata Electric Association (LPEA) Board of Directors. Do not throw it way; vote for the folks wanting to take our region into the 21st century energy economy. Jack Turner, Michael Rendon and Mark Garcia are all leaders who care about our local economy, environment and independence.
To the editor,
If you pay an electric bill, you should have received a ballot in the mail for La Plata Electric Association (LPEA) Board of Directors. Do not throw it way; vote for the folks wanting to take our region into the 21st century energy economy. Jack Turner, Michael Rendon and Mark Garcia are all leaders who care about our local economy, environment and independence.
Throughout the country and the world, energy production is becoming increasingly decentralized, diversified and renewable. The benefits are clear: cleaner air and water, greater worker safety, reducing the impacts of climate change, creating local jobs, resiliency and energy independence. In 2004 Colorado voters demanded that investor-owned utilities, such as Xcel, produce 30 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020, a goal they are on target to reach or exceed. Rural electric co-ops, such as LPEA, were required to produce only 10 percent. Ironically, even that 10 percent will be largely developed in other regions and simply purchased by LPEA through Tri State. We spend $70 million a year buying energy produced in other communities and are still highly dependent on coal. The current LPEA Board of Directors acts as though the same energy economy of the last 75 years is sufficient for the next 75. We all know it is not.
Use your vote in this LPEA Board election to help change the system from within. We can’t afford to be left in the last century when it comes to our energy economy. Let us instead take control of our energy future by voting in some new forward thinking candidates: Jack Turner, Michael Rendon or Mark Garcia, depending on your district. Ballots are due by May 10.
– Erika Brown, Durango
Dog love triangles aka dating here
No doubt Durango is a community of dog lovers, but there’s a point when canine affections cross the line. Psychologists differ on where the line should be drawn with some claiming, “What’s the harm?” and others warning not to revert to canine (or other pet) attachment as a substitute for human engagement. The warning signs of unhealthy dog love are too vaguely stated for my needs. As a single woman dating in Durango, I’ve been the unwitting party to a dog love triangle, and it’s no fun even when the guy is great at petting. I too love my dogs (yes, plural!) but they shouldn’t and won’t take the place of a human being.
No doubt Durango is a community of dog lovers, but there’s a point when canine affections cross the line. Psychologists differ on where the line should be drawn with some claiming, “What’s the harm?” and others warning not to revert to canine (or other pet) attachment as a substitute for human engagement. The warning signs of unhealthy dog love are too vaguely stated for my needs. As a single woman dating in Durango, I’ve been the unwitting party to a dog love triangle, and it’s no fun even when the guy is great at petting. I too love my dogs (yes, plural!) but they shouldn’t and won’t take the place of a human being.
So listen up ladies, learn from my pain of being the “other woman” to a dog ... there are signs! If you see any of the following you should take pause and either be giddy you’ve found a potential partner as obsessed with dogs as yourself, or consider the possibility there may be unresolved emotional issues at the two-legged end of the leash:
- Can’t leave the house without taking the dog, even if the dog has to sit in the car waiting. Followed by the absurd drive around for 20 minutes wasting gas (and this with a claimed conservationist) in order to find decent shade for parking to accommodate the dog, which can’t come into the restaurant or store with you anyway!
- Kisses the dog, on the mouth, regularly. Especially bad if this occurs before kissing you and down-right twisted if it’s more often than kissing you!
- Avoids fun trips and activities that can’t include the dog. If the dog is a few years old and has never been left in the care of another, it’s a red-flag, especially if this is a source of pride for the owner. Even real parents of real children know the importance of alone time.
- Drives ridiculous distances instead of flying just so the dog can be comfortable and not excluded from a trip. If the dog owner can afford to fly and only drives over 10 hours so Fido can come along, it’s likely you will always be in the back seat of this relationship!
- Feeds dog from the same plates/bowls as human guests. This was demonstrated to me when a man served (as in portioned some for) his dog from a home-cooked meal on the same type plate he served me. It was a delicious meal I had prepared using quality ingredients and delivered to his home for our date. What was I thinking?! As hungry as I was I couldn’t eat. Unfortunately for me, this individual did not use a dishwasher because it wastes water and I couldn’t shake the thought of how much of his dog’s saliva was still coating my own plate from some prior meal.
- Prepares the dog’s food personally from scratch, and the dog is not a source of service or income to justify the expense – good indication sensible boundaries in this pet/owner relationship are way out of whack. If children go hungry while your self-professed humanitarian steams rice, cooks up organic meat and never fills the dog’s bowl from a bag with a threaded top you can bet he’s lost perspective.
- Talks baby talk to his dog … constantly. No matter-of-fact tone is used. It’s either sappy affection or the inevitable scolding since such overly pampered pooches tend to have some bad habits.
- Sleeps with the dog in his bed, and does not remove said dog even for intimate human encounters. Enough said.
- And for you online daters, if there are as many pictures of the dog as the owner in your prospect’s profile, or if there are multiple pictures featuring only the dog, just know you have been warned.
A few of these tendencies may be tolerable, but if this entire checklist applies to your dog lover you should consider the possibility that your lack of a wagging tail may always leave you in second place. There’s real risk distorted affection for a pet is a sign the owner is unwilling, unable or lacks the confidence to do the work needed to develop a real human relationship. Unless these signs align with our own proclivities, you should run away and fetch yourself a new guy to date as soon as possible!
– Signed, Not Lassie (OK, so I signed with a pseudonym, which makes perfect sense under the circumstances. It harms nobody – except me if I sign – and it may help a few single daters.)
Brodsky is the experienced choice
To the editor,
Another election. This is one is an easy choice. Vote for Herb Brodsky for LPEA Board. I have served on boards with Herb over the years and know him to be a man who respects the diversity of the members he serves. He is thoughtful, as he studies the issues at hand, and will vote for what is best for all members. I have known him to be available to answer questions, and if he doesn’t know the answer immediately, he will work to get the information. Herb Brodsky is a dedicated community leader. He has my vote for his experience alone.
To the editor,
Another election. This is one is an easy choice. Vote for Herb Brodsky for LPEA Board. I have served on boards with Herb over the years and know him to be a man who respects the diversity of the members he serves. He is thoughtful, as he studies the issues at hand, and will vote for what is best for all members. I have known him to be available to answer questions, and if he doesn’t know the answer immediately, he will work to get the information. Herb Brodsky is a dedicated community leader. He has my vote for his experience alone.
– Molly Martin, Durango
LINK internship was life changing
To the editor,
For as long as I can remember I have been dreaming of what I might want to be when I grow up. An ambulance driver? A dolphin trainer? A teacher? As a junior in high school, this is no longer a far away dream. At Animas High School, in 11th grade we were given three weeks in March to pursue an internship in any area that interested us. The constraints? A career, job or program you want to explore. The LINK Internship, standing for Leading Internships for New Knowledge, is just that. It was an opportunity to explore our dreams, and indulge in the rich experience, of engaging work.
To the editor,
For as long as I can remember I have been dreaming of what I might want to be when I grow up. An ambulance driver? A dolphin trainer? A teacher? As a junior in high school, this is no longer a far away dream. At Animas High School, in 11th grade we were given three weeks in March to pursue an internship in any area that interested us. The constraints? A career, job or program you want to explore. The LINK Internship, standing for Leading Internships for New Knowledge, is just that. It was an opportunity to explore our dreams, and indulge in the rich experience, of engaging work.
The LINK experience was life changing for me and my peers. Despite a few who learned what profession they don’t want to pursue, many of us, like myself, discovered a direction for our futures. I interned with the summer camp director at Sonlight Christian Camp. I can’t put into words how much I learned from this experience. I not only learned how to make a mean ice-cream pie, but I gained so much knowledge about myself, the person I am becoming and the person I want to be. Internships were such a time of growth. We grew relationships, new skills and truly grew into adults. So many of us came alive and it was so beautiful to find that place where each of us fit in the world. I had never experienced a place where I felt my work was of so much value, so appreciated, and where I woke up each morning so excited for another day.
The LINK internship program would not have been possible without all of the local and international businesses and programs who volunteered to mentor students like myself. On behalf of the AHS juniors, I would like to thank each and every person who contributed to this life-changing experiences for my peers and I. Your knowledge is a treasured and priceless gift.
– Molly Black, Animas High School
Garcia, Turner, Rendon for LPEA
To the editor,
I just completed my ballot in the La Plata Electric Association (LPEA) Board election, and I encourage all eligible voters to vote in this important election too. I urge you to vote for either Mark Garcia, Michael Rendon or Jack D. Turner so that we may continue moving LPEA toward increased energy efficiency, a fairer rate structure, and a significant increase in locally secured renewable energy sources. Please vote – and vote for Mark, Michael or Jack – to improve our local energy future. Thank you.
To the editor,
I just completed my ballot in the La Plata Electric Association (LPEA) Board election, and I encourage all eligible voters to vote in this important election too. I urge you to vote for either Mark Garcia, Michael Rendon or Jack D. Turner so that we may continue moving LPEA toward increased energy efficiency, a fairer rate structure, and a significant increase in locally secured renewable energy sources. Please vote – and vote for Mark, Michael or Jack – to improve our local energy future. Thank you.
– Tim Wheeler, Durango
LPEA Board better with Brodsky
To the editor,
I am endorsing Herb Brodsky for another term on the LPEA Board, District 4.
To the editor,
I am endorsing Herb Brodsky for another term on the LPEA Board, District 4.
I have known Herb professionally and personally for over 20 years. He brings an excellent resume as an engineer, working for exceptional corporations as well as serving several years as a progressive Board member for LPEA customers: you and I.
Herb listens well, acts with prudence and searches out the best solution for customers as well as the company.
Let us benefit from Herb’s many years as a LPEA Board member and community advocate. I encourage you to vote for Herb Brodsky, LPEA Board member, District 4.
– Lon Erwin, Durango
LPEA should ‘buy local,’ too
To the editor,
When you see your LPEA ballot in the mail, please take a minute and vote in this important election. I’m voting for Michael Rendon in District 3 for his proven leadership, commitment and vision.
To the editor,
When you see your LPEA ballot in the mail, please take a minute and vote in this important election. I’m voting for Michael Rendon in District 3 for his proven leadership, commitment and vision.
So what does this election mean for our community? The decisions surrounding how we get our energy should be made with a clear vision for the health of our community and reflect the values of the people the live here, so vote.
As an electric consumer you pay a base charge for your electricity and a usage rate. In many areas there are tiered rate structures: the more you use the more you pay. This incentivizes energy efficiency and conservation. Currently the high base charges and low usage rates means those in small houses, like myself, pay a high base charge subsidizing great big homes that use far more electricity.
This stems from a bigger issue of where our energy is coming from. The LPEA annual report shows that some $70 million is spent every year buying power elsewhere – mostly coal power. Seventy percent of all generated LPEA revenue is paid to Tri-State for our energy. LPEA buys electricity, whether it is coal or renewable energy, from Tri-State on the Front Range. That’s a lot of our money being sent to the Front Range for mostly coal power when we could keep that here and use it for clean energy locally.
Local renewable energy projects would create jobs here where we live in addition to reducing the amount of dirty coal-powered electricity. If you want more local renewable energy and all the local economic benefits that will come with it, join me in voting for new leadership on the LPEA Board. When we spend money locally, that money circulates in our community and supports our neighbors. That is the simple idea behind the Buy Local campaign. It should apply to LPEA as well. It is time the LPEA Board of Directors wakes up to the idea that many of us would like to buy local, and that includes local power.
Fortunately there are some great candidates who are aware of LPEA’s problems and will make a difference if we elect them. Make sure to vote for the candidate in your district that cares about these issues. Either Jack D. Turner, Michael Rendon, or Mark Garcia.
– Zachary Ray, Durango