Today's News

Despite statewide reports of snowpack levels well above average for 2011, the Upper Bear Creek Watershed is flowing at about half of average this year due to an unfavorable snow pattern that affected the east slope of Mount Evans.

"We have never, ever been this out of whack with the rest of the state before," said Gerry Schulte, general manager of the Evergreen Metro District for 29 years. "We're part of the South Platte Basin, but all the snow stopped on the north and west side. We got very little."

The Colorado Independent Ethics Commission has initiated a full investigation into the hiring of former Jeffco commissioner Kevin McCasky by an economic council to which he voted to direct county funds while being considered for the council’s high-paying top job.

McCasky, now president of the Jefferson Economic Council, was hired by the nonprofit in January, shortly after he proposed increasing the county’s annual general-fund contribution to the council from $380,000 to $400,000.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden employs 2,300 and generates many more spinoff jobs as it operates within its budget of $350 million. NREL’s Research Support Facility has won numerous awards as it influences the way energy is consumed. From concept to completion, it is changing commercial building design nationwide. Solar panels, windmill blades, contracts and, uh-oh, progress are all part of NREL.

I have been re-reading the new book, “Songbird Journeys” by Miyoko Chu. Since I read it the first time and mostly late at night, I didn’t retain some of its wonderful information.

So I am finding it most informative the second time around. Many of you have written or called me with questions about bird migration, so I had planned to write such an article for some time.