Colorado Turkeys

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, a.k.a. Turkey Day -- and did you know Colorado is home to wild turkeys? The Colorado Division of Wildlife has produced several publications on turkey identification, hunting, and more:

• Colorado Turkey
• Management Guidelines for Merriam's Wild Turkeys
• Where and How to Hunt Wild Turkey in the Fall in Colorado
• Merriam's Turkey Roost Preferences on Mountain Ranges
• The Wild Turkey in Eastern Colorado
• Wild Turkey Hunting Techniques

Additionally, the CSU Agricultural Experiment Station has produced some publications on raising turkeys:

• The Augmentation of Poult Yield
• Turkey Breeding Practices
• Exhibiting Poultry
• Ailments of Turkeys and Other Fowls
• Raising Poultry the Organic Way
• Floor Space and Feeder Space as Factors in Finishing Turkeys for Market

Happy Thanksgiving...gobble, gobble!

Unemployed?

Unemployed? The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment may be able to help. Colorado Workforce Centers provide a variety of free services including job listings, career counseling, and job training. Find a workforce center, or search their job listings at http://www.coworkforce.com/emp/WFCs.asp.

If you have questions about Unemployment Insurance, call (303) 318-9000, toll-free: 1-800-388-5515, or visit the Unemployment Insurance Benefits website.

Safe-2-Tell

The Colorado Dept. of Public Safety and the Colorado Attorney General's Office are both supporters of the non-profit organization Safe-2-Tell, which is a way for teens to anonymously report what they know about crimes being planned or that have already happened. Because teens are often scared or embarrassed to talk to parents, teachers, counselors, and the like, Safe-2-Tell offers an anonymous, safe way to get help or to help save others, whether teens are themselves the victim or just know something about a crime. Although Safe-2-Tell is not a state program, it is, as mentioned above, strongly advocated by several state agencies and the director is an investigator with the Dept. of Public Safety. The number for the hotline is 1-877-542-SAFE. For more information on this program, visit www.safe2tell.org. Also, for other programs on reducing school violence, the Colorado Dept. of Public Safety has set up a School Safety Resources Webpage.

Agritourism

Have you ever been to a farmer's market? toured a winery? picked your own blueberries? These activities are all part of agritourism.

Agritourism refers to activities, events, and/or services related to agriculture. There are three main categories: activities on a farm or ranch (orchard tours, u-pick operations, sleigh/hay rides); food-based activities (farmer's markets, winery tours, etc.); and heritage activities (historical museums on agriculture history, farm machinery, pioneer cabins, rodeos).

Over the last two years the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the Colorado State University Extension has been investigating agritourism trends in the state and examining the economic impact of "agritourists." They have published several interesting online reports as part of their "Economic Development Report" series.

• The Future of Colorado Agritourism: A Look at Current and Future Participation Decisions. September 2008. 10 pp.
  
  
• The 2006 Economic Contribution of Agritourism to Colorado: Estimates from a Survey of Colorado Tourists. November 2007. 9 pp.
  



• Agritourism in Colorado: A Closer Look at Regional Trends. July 2007. 7 pp.



• Colorado's Agritourists: Who are the Adventurers, the Seekers, and the Explorers?. July 2007. 10 pp.



• Of Wine and Wildlife: Assessing Market Potential for Colorado Agritourism. June 2007. 8 pp.

Colorado Water Law

Water law is a major issue in Colorado, and our library owns a number of publications on this topic, including

• Synopsis of Colorado Water Law, 2008
• Recreational Water Rights, 2006
• Citizen's Guide to Colorado Water Law, 2003
• Groundwater Law Sourcebook of the United States, 2003
• Negotiating High Stakes Water Conflicts, 2003
• Justice and Natural Resources, 2002
• Two Decades of Water Law and Policy Reform, 2001
• Water and Growth in Colorado: A Review of Legal and Policy Issues, 2001
• Interstate Water Allocation, 2000
• The New Watershed Source Book, 2000
• Vranesh's Colorado Water Law, 1999

Services for Veterans

Today is Veterans' Day, a time to honor those who have fought for our country in times of war. It is also a good time to highlight services available to Colorado veterans.

There are mainly two state agencies that offer services to veterans:

The Colorado Division of Veterans Affairs is a central source of information on veterans benefits, rights and issues. Their "Veteran Resource Links" page is a great collection of internet resourcesfor veterans.

The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment has a program called "Veterans Succeeding in the 21st Century Workforce." Their mission is "to provide Veterans and transitioning service members with the resources and services to succeed in the 21st Century workforce by meeting labor-market demands with qualified Veterans." This is the place to go for information on employment services, education and training, and benefits for veterans.

Election Statistics

To find voting statistics for Tuesday's election and other official information, visit the Colorado Secretary of State's Elections Division website. For statistics from past years' elections, check out the Abstract of Votes Cast booklets, which our library has dating back to the 1890s. The Elections Division page also has information on prior elections dating back to 1996.

Governor's Budget

On Sunday, Governor Ritter revealed his budget proposal for the 2009-2010 fiscal year. The budget was submitted to the legislature's Joint Budget Committee. The Governor is proposing an economic stimulus package that involves strategic investments in job creation, job training and education, and also suggests creating a reserve fund for Colorado state government. Budget facts and highlights of the Governor's letter can be found in a press release from the Governor's Office. The details of Governor Ritter's budget letter can also be found on the Governor's web site: http://www.colorado.gov/governor/.