Photo by Kathy Browning Picking up trash The Rotary Club on the North Fork Valley picked up trash along Highway 133 on Saturday morning. Among those participating were Joy Kuhlman, Ed Bliss, Barb Heck, Larry Perkins, Peggy Szvetecz, Ulli Lange, Kathy Browning, Kathy Thompson, Greg Thompson, Jackie Parks and Kevin Parks. Greg Thompson organized the event and thanked the volunteers for their “efforts in getting Mile 5 to 6 on 133 so clean that even Mother Nature is smiling. As I discovered, you could write a story (at least an article) based on the stuff we put into those orange bags … Indeed it was a successful outing.” Above are Kathy Thompson and Larry Perkins finishing up along mile marker six.

Photo courtesy Sen. Udall’s office

Sen. Udall tours Elk Creek project

As part of a statewide energy tour, U.S. Sen. Mark Udall (center) visited the Elk Creek Mine’s methane capture project on Thursday, May 2. Earlier in the day he visited the Montrose Forest Products facility. “The Elk Creek Mine methane capture project is a great example of how Colorado businesses came together to create jobs and turn coal bed methane — which is normally seen as a waste product — into an innovative and cost-effective source of electri- city,” said Udall. The Elk Creek Mine’s methane-capture project started in 2012 after Aspen Skiing Company, Holy Cross Electric and Oxbow Mining teamed with Vessels Coal Gas to build the first coal mine methane-fueled electric generator west of the Mississippi River.  The project creates enough energy to fuel Aspen Skiing Company’s four ski areas, 13 restaurants and three hotels, while reducing carbon emissions from the mine by an estimated 96,000 tons of carbon dioxide a year.