Being a weekly newspaper in a world of instant information will try your patience. By the time the paper goes to print, a big chunk of the news stories and photos for the week have already appeared on the Internet in one form or another.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing. When Highway 13 closed due to yet another horrific accident on Saturday, we shared the CodeRed information on our Facebook and Twitter pages. As the wildfires this week escalated, we scrambled to get updates on social media. (Based on how often someone beat us to the share button, I’ve come to the conclusion some of y’all are spending entirely too much time on Facebook.)
The easy accessibility information via the Internet has led some to say “print is dead.” I disagree. People said the same thing when radio was invented, and again when television gained popularity. In the words of Mark Twain, a former newspaper editor himself, “The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” Print will survive. It may have to adapt a bit, but it will survive.
And as someone reminded me this week, “everyone” is not on the Internet. There are plenty of people who still depend on print for their news coverage. Some are seniors, who know the value of an hour spent with a newspaper in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. Others haven’t taken the plunge into the social media universe, or have extricated themselves from the insanity.
Our hearts go out to the Buster and Jarri Super family in Rangely who lost their home in a fire June 9. We have been unable to connect with officials as to the cause of the fire as of press time, but we did come across this information: an account has been set up for donations at Bank of the San Juans in Rangely under Buster and Jarri Super, Fire Relief Fund. You can also send a check to Prime Well Fishing and Rental, 105 Rd., Rangely, Colo., 81648. Make checks payable to Buster Super and they will be deposited into the fund account. Any questions please call or text Dean Allen 970-629-3301.
Three fatal crashes on one brief stretch of highway in a month is three too many, in my opinion. Some of the scariest driving experiences I’ve had in 30-plus years of driving have been on that road, and I drove so-called “Killer 82” seven days a week as a teenager. CDOT has spent enormous amounts of money in the last decade on Highway 13 to improve safety. Unfortunately, no amount of money can improve human error, kind of like no amount of legislation can improve morality. Only humans can do that.
