Gates Wins Big at RBC Fair by LUCAS TURNER Took Home the Title of Grand [email protected] Champion Last Year
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Serving Rio Blanco County Since 1885 w Vol. 136, No. 3 w August 20, 2020 w ht1885.com w $100 RALLY TOWN, USA ... Gates wins big at RBC Fair By LUCAS TURNER took home the title of Grand [email protected] Champion last year. “The judge last year at county RBC I Six years into his fair said he (Nick) was the best 4-H career, Spencer Gates, 14, showman that showed goats that of Meeker, has taken home the day. That kind of made me a little title of Grand Champion for mar- mad myself just because, you ket, breeding and showmanship know, the brotherly competition of goats. thing.” Gates described his winning “Nick and I, we both wanna goat “Al” as an “up-and-comer.” beat each other, but we also don't “He did not look like a show want to see each other fail. I hate winner when he was born whatso- losing to him, but we still want ever. He looked like one that we each other to win, if that makes More photos would just take to the sale barn in sense.” October,” said Gates. “At home we are always But Gates and his family talking about the goats, who's on Page 7A! decided to give Al a chance any- the better goat, who's the bet- ter showman. We always will go TOWN OF RANGELY COURTESY PHOTO ways, and soon after the not so Rangely first responders led 2020 Rally Colorado participants down Main Street Friday, just prior to a week- likely Boer goat started winning. back and forth about that, all the end of racing in the high desert. More photos on PAGE 7A. “I’ve just seen him grow up time,” he said. from something that wasn’t very This year, the win went to good to something that is tremen- Spencer. He said it feels great dous,” said Gates. to see the result of all that hard Gates showed pigs in his first work. year at 4-H, but he soon switched “I feel the joy come out of it, over to goats, and has stuck with and it almost is like a flashback in the species ever since. With each my head because of all the hard successive year, he said his confi- work that we have put in at the dence has grown. house finally pays off when you “I’ve learned how to work go to these shows and win.” with others, gained patience, I’ve “It's not cheap by any means, just learned a lot of work ethic so we have to almost rely on win- because of the time and effort you ning, especially when you get to have to put into these animals.” be a bigger level and you're trying “Every single year you learn to be a state and national champi- more and more about an animal, on, it definitely gets pricey,” said and about what is good and bad Gates. about animals, and how they're Money, price, patience and/or built,” Gates said. brotherly competition aside, the The lessons learned in 4-H process is about more than just apply to more than animals and winning for Gates, who said he livestock shows. Gates said he plans to pursue a career working sees a lot of similarities when it with animals. comes to schoolwork. “I want to raise these animals “It's kind of the same thing when I'm out of college. I want when it comes to the level of to raise them and become a vet work, just physical versus mental actually and do the AIs [artificial type deal. Both are very alike, you inseminations], the laparoscopic have to work hard and then you AIs and the embryo transplant get great results.” flushes. Just so I don't have to Gates has received advice and pay other people to do them and mentoring from a bunch of peo- so I can get paid to do them for ple, but he gives most of the credit others. And kinda make a career to his parents, Ty and Rachel, for out of that.” teaching him about showing and Next week Gates travels to raising goats. Pueblo for the Colorado State LUCAS TURNER PHOTO Gates also has his own sort Fair. The HT took a test drive in a Tesla last week, courtesy of WREA and Tri-State Generation and Transmission. Download the free of competitive advantage, thanks “I'm so excited because this is Zappar app from Google Play or the App Store and scan the code for a video, or visit the Rio Blanco Herald Times YouTube to working alongside his brother gonna be our first year that we've channel to watch. Nick, who also shows goats and gone to state fair,” Gates said. Tri-State looks to future with EVs WREA offers test drives of top-of-the-line electric vehicles By NIKI TURNER “WREA’s goal remains to provide easy access to our members to [email protected] a quality electric vehicle so they can begin to better understand the emerging EV market. Electric vehicles have come a long way and will MEEKER I “The Jetsons,” a 1960s and ‘70s era Saturday morn- continue to improve over the next few years. Most importantly we are ing cartoon, was set in the year 2062. In 2020 we’ve seen some of those eager to see extended range so that folks have more confidence to travel creative innovations come to pass, like video calling, but we have yet farther distances,” Zagar-Brown said. to see flying cars. WREA has invited various individuals and groups to test drive the We’re getting a little closer, though. Some shiny new — and cars, including staff at the county shop and the Herald Times, among remarkably silent — Tesla all-electric vehicles (EVs) have been tooling others. This week, hospital staff got to go for a spin, and next week around Meeker sporting Tri-State Generation and Transmission logos. they’ll show off the car to science classes at the high school. Starting The EVs are part of Tri-State’s “Beneficial Electrification” program, last Thursday, commuters from Natural Soda, Enterprise and Colowyo and are on loan to White River Electric Association (WREA) for about will have the chance to try out the cars for 10 days. a month. Overall, response to the cars has been favorable. Todd Gerloff from Tri-State is seeking to promote all kinds of “electrification” with WREA is the designated Tesla tour guide, showing members the nuts the program, including everything from electric lawn mowers to and bolts of the vehicles before they hit the road. Even figuring out how electric vehicles, according to Trina Zagar-Brown, WREA’s general to open the doors requires instruction. He said it’s been fun to watch counsel and manager of member services. even hard-core mechanics get out of the EVs after the test drives with “In the bigger picture, it supports Tri-State’s carbon goals and big smiles on their faces. encourages efficiency,” Zagar-Brown said. According to a fact sheet shared with WREA by Tri-State, the WREA was part of a statewise promotion two years ago that average fuel savings cost of an EV is $1,500 per year and owners can brought two EV charging stations to Meeker, as well as other commu- receive the Electric Vehicle Federal Tax Credit for up to $7,500. Not nities in Tri-State’s group. Those charging stations have seen a “noted only are there cost savings involved with owning an EV, but there are increase in activity with the closure of I-70,” Zagar-Brown said. also reduced operating costs. EV’s don’t require oil changes, emission Shortly after the charging station promo, Tri-State began acquiring system maintenance and less frequent brake replacement. The battery electric vehicles, and about a year ago, invested in a suite of Teslas. lifespan on an EV averages 200,000 miles. “A huge section of our community is commuter traffic,” she said, “WREA will host a more member wide Tesla test drive event the with employees driving out to Natural Soda, Enterprise, and Colowyo. first week of September. Please call WREA if anyone would like to She pitched that idea to Tri-State and they responded by sending two set up a test drive prior to our scheduled events in September,” Zagar- FACEBOOK COURTESY PHOTO Teslas to Meeker. Brown said. Spencer Gates won 2020 RBC fair grand champion for market, breeding and showmanship with his Boer goat. IN THIS ISSUE: Taking care of yourself is more important than ever. Informed citizens n Area fire updates 2A Vital Awareness is now offering: are the best citizens. n Seventh Street fire 3A Saturday: 90s/50s OUTDOOR FITNESS TRAINING! n County term limits 7A PLUS virtual workouts and nutrition coaching! Thank you for n Fair photos 8A Eat Right. Train Right. Stress Less. Feel Better. supporting n Sports 1B community news Vital Awareness | Margaret Granzella, LMT, NASM CPT n Public Notices 6B Sunday: 90s/50s Call (970)942-9709 for more information or to schedule a consult. coverage! u RIO BLANCO HERALD TIMES 2A NEWS Thursday, August 20, 2020 Fennessy new county judge AREA FIRES... By NIKI TURNER for many years, where we pro- office. My motivation for apply- [email protected] moted economic growth for this ing for the position of county community. I have spent many judge was to further serve this RBC I Meeker attorney Joe years on the finance council at community.