2012 Year in Review – Part 4

• A suspect placed in custody at the Rio Blanco County Jail was charged with robbing Mountain Valley Bank at Fourth and Main Streets in Meeker, according to the Meeker Police Department. The suspect was seen leaving the bank on foot. Meeker police officers, Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Department officers and officers from the Colorado State Patrol searched the area. Shortly after the reverse 911 was issued, a Meeker citizen reported seeing “a suspicious person” entering the White River behind the Rustic Lodge. Police arrived at the scene, secured the area and Lt. Phil Stubblefield apprehended the suspect without incident. Police later released the name of the alleged suspect as Jock Thacker and said he was not armed.
• Joe Brown called for help when a fire on his property on Rio Blanco County Road 49 got away from him and quickly spread to his neighbor’s ranch. The Meeker Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department responded, along with interagency fire teams, the Juniper Valley Crew and the RBC Sheriff’s Office supported the incident with resources, according to RBC emergency manager John Hutchins. “Personal property, buildings, farm equipment and fences were burned,” Hutchins said. “The Cottonwood Creek fire was considered controlled at 1700 hours Monday and burned about 80 acres at the end.”
• A local teenager who allegedly robbed the Rangely Pharmacy was taken into custody later that day, following a brief foot pursuit. Jeremy Gonzales, 19, was charged with aggravated robbery of a controlled substance from a pharmacy and is being held on $25,000 bond at Rio Blanco County Jail, Rangely Police Lt. Roy Kinney said. Kinney expects criminal charges to be filed soon.
• The FCCLA members from Meeker High School competed at the state conference April 12-14 in Denver and qualified five for the national conference in Orlando, Fla. in July. Meeker was well represented in the conference sending nearly 30 kids to compete in a variety of areas. In order to qualify for nationals, participants had to receive a gold award overall.
• Several babies are born to Meeker parents every year but it is rare for a baby to be born in Meeker. Anevay Brilynn Crawford surprisedparents Kelly and Vicki Crawford. Luckily they live across the street from Pioneers Medical Center because five minutes after they arrived at the hospital, Anevay arrived into the arms of nurse Kim Warren. “It’s so exciting,” Warren, a nurse since 1996 and in Meeker since 2000, said. “I’ve been in on three births but this is the first time I caught the baby. It happened so fast I just reacted.” “I knew we wouldn’t make it to Craig,” Vicki Crawford said. Crawford said it was also her aunt Vicky Crawford’s birthday today. Anevay was the first baby born at Pioneers Medical Center since 2010. She weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces and was 20 inches long. Mother and baby were doing fine.
• Just shy of 31 years ago, Sharon Day went to work for the town of Meeker as a clerk in the front office at town hall. Over time, she graduated to receptionist, handled water billing, was the assistant manager/planner and was appointed town manager, or town administrator, in 1989. Day has been focused on the betterment of the town of Meeker for the last three decades. At the end of April she “officially” retired from service to the town of Meeker.
• Meeker patrons of the performing arts were treated to a nostalgic and hilarious visit to the bouffant hairdos and rhythm and blues music of 1960s-era teenagers, and to the social issues of the times in the MHS Drama Club’s rendition of the popular Broadway musical “Hairspray.”
• The second annual rebirth of the Afterbirth Ball was a huge success with a full house in attendance for a great meal, auction and dance. According to Meeker Chamber of Commerce Director Katelin Cook, approximately 300 people attended the event, which is sponsored by the Meeker Chamber and participating energy companies and is a fundraiser for Friends of the FFA.
• The Wagon Wheel Trail, a collaborative effort by several Rio Blanco County entities, were notified the project was awarded a $100,862 grant from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Division (CPW) Trails program for the off-highway vehicle trail system. “This is a terrific opportunity for Rio Blanco County and it demonstrates the level of collaboration needed for a project such as this,” RBC administrator Kimberly Bullen said. “This partnership should be an example of what can be achieved in our communities as we go forward in promoting our towns and county as a great place to live, work and play.”
• Mark Patterson gave a brief presentation of the 50-year history of the dental hygiene program, one of the best in the country and part of CNCC since the beginning. The presentation included photos of the first graduating class and the many changes the dental hygiene and CNCC has made in the past 50 years.
• Warm temperatures and favorable winds led to a good day for the Meeker High School Track and Field Team last Saturday. It was one of the best showings in terms of overall team performance of the season for both the boys’ and the girls’ squads.
• The Meeker Lions Club held its first ever District 6 West Convention in Meeker for more than 145 Lions from the western slope. Lions International director Dr. Gary Anderson from Michigan attended and was the featured speaker. According to Meeker Lions Club president Anthony Mazzola, the club worked very hard to bring the convention to Meeker as a benefit for the community. Mazzola said funds were raised for the Lions Camp and for local eighth graders going on the Washington D.C. trip.
• What an opportunity for the young people of Colorado! Colorado kids helped provide some of the more than 5,000 handmade ornaments that adorned this year’s Capitol Christmas Tree. Kids providing ornaments were entered into a drawing for a trip to Washington, D.C., accompanied by their parents.
• “It’s for the kids and the future of their education,” Tim Webber, executive director of the Western Rio Blanco Metropolitan Recreation and Park District (WRBM), said of Question A on the special district ballot. In addition to electing four board members, the WRBM asked voters to approve a mill levy increase of .75, with generated funds to be dedicated to cover athletic and other extracurricular activities for the Rangely School District.
• Family and friends of Merle Brenton gathered under the balloons at the Walbridge Wing in celebration of her 102nd birthday. Brenton’s daughter, longtime local Goldie Moomey, organized the gathering, which included Moomey’s son Carl and his wife Kelly, her daughters Theresa and Judy Simon, grandson Kelly James Hering and his fiance Faith Rouch, as well as Brenton’s great-great grandsons Trentin and Landon Moomey.