Page 12 - The Castle Pnes Connection OCT 2008

Page 12
www.cpnhoa.org
Three Cheers for CoCoRaHS! by Terri Wiebold
No, CoCoRaHS is not a local cheerleading squad, but the function they serve in the Castle Pines North com- munity is certainly worth shouting about.
Rainorshine,GalenCrowderandAnnaDeckerreportpre- cipitationstatsfromtheirhomesinCastlePinesNorthforthe CoCoRaHS. (photo by Terri Wiebold)
CoCoRaHS is an acronym for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network. CoCoRaHS is a unique, non-profit, community-based network of volunteers of all ages and backgrounds working together to measure and map precipitation (rain, hail and snow).
CPN residents Galen Crowder and Anna Necker are two such volunteers. Crowder lives in HOA1 and Necker lives in Whisper Canyon; both have been track- ing precipitation levels in CPN for several years.
“I am sort of a weather wonk,” said Necker. “I’ve always enjoyed watching the effect weather has on my plants and gardening; the weather patterns back east where I grew up were so different than here.” Necker
has been tracking weather stats in CPN for about four years and says she enjoys that she has a specific way to put her interest in weather to use.
Crowder began tracking stats in November 2001. He said he has never missed a day of reporting since he started, and he just gets a kick out of it. “The fun part for me is that it is personally satisfying to know what the precipitation levels in the area are from a water con- servation standpoint,” he said. “I adjust my watering times accordingly – based on the data.”
How Does It Work?
Each time a rain, hail or snowstorm crosses the CPN community, volunteers take measurements of precipi- tation from multiple locations. These precipitation reports are then recorded on the CoCoRaHS website and then displayed and organized for users to analyze and apply to daily situations - things ranging from water resource analysis and severe storm warnings, to neigh- bors comparing how much rain fell in their backyards.
“It is interesting to me that one part of a community might be getting rain when other parts can remain completelydry,”saidCoCoRaHSfounderandColorado state climatologist, Nolan Doesken. “There are always such wild and interesting weather patterns in this state.”
The CoCoRaHS network originated with the Colorado Climate Center at Colorado State University in 1998. In the ten years since its inception, CoCoRaHS has expanded to more than 11,000 observers in thirty-six states and is used by a wide variety of organizations and individuals, including the NationalWeather Service.
To learn more about CoCORaHS or to volunteer for the organization, please visit www.cocorahs.com.
CPN Homeowners for a Solid Foundation - Local Advocate Group Formed
by Anthonette Klinkerman
For the last year, Sunday evenings have been a time for the gathering of citizens of Castle Pines North. The citizen advocacy group, CPN Homeowners for a Solid Foundation, meets to discuss concerns common to all residents, such as water conservation and the library initiative, as well as support the Castle Pines Chamber of Commerce in its efforts to remind resi- dents to shop locally.
The group is also keeping up-to-date on the American Academy school project, as well as helping to find solutions for renewable water.
Acting chairman Dan Schatz, a resident of The Hamlet, explained the organization to be an open dis- cussion format, voicing that no one arrives with any preconceived agendas. “There is a lot of transpar- ency,” he said.
The group relies on word-of-mouth to round up the dozen to two dozen “regulars”. Meetings are gen- erally a half hour to almost an hour in length, and meeting places vary. The group collected at Daz Bog Sunday nights during September.
Often there is a speaker, said Schatz, and eventually, as the group grows, they are seeking to add co-chairs.
For more information, contact Dan Schatz at 303- 660-8881, or write to CPN Homeowners for a Solid Foundation, 8181 Monarch Blvd., Box # 49, Castle Pines North, CO 80108.