Opinion

Editor’s Column: Time flies when you’re having fun

Time also flies when you’re climbing a learning curve that has a steep incline. Tomorrow (Sept. 1) marks our

Niki Turner
one-year anniversary as owners of the Rio Blanco Herald Times and associated publications.
It really has been fun, almost all of the time!
Co-owners Caitlin Walker and my husband Pat have been hugely helpful. Caitlin took on my former role as production person and ad designer. She’s the amazing talent behind our advertising and our redesigned magazines. She taught herself how to do it and works at home with four tiny children, two of whom she is homeschooling this year. I couldn’t be more in awe.
And my husband, who got thrown into the high-intensity, deadline-driven melee of newspaper production without any kind of preparation—his newspaper experience was limited to distribution, and that was 27 years ago. Now he’s in distribution and advertising and marketing and sometimes reporting and photography and accounting and all the other things I keep tossing his way, plus whatever he comes up with himself, and he’s doing a wonderful job. It’s hard to start over in a new industry, but he has done it with a smile and a can-do attitude, and I’m grateful.
I also want to thank our staff, contractors and contributors for everything you do. You’re all essential to getting the paper out every week.
Last, but certainly not least, thank you to all our advertisers. We hope to continue to work together to benefit your businesses and build up our local economies. We’ve added digital options to our advertising options, and have worked hard this year to build up our website and social media numbers. We also made our online edition free. We hope that’s an asset for our readers and advertisers. Our website traffic has more than doubled (hence the reason we’ve been having website trouble for the last few weeks) and we’re marching toward 3,000 Facebook fans for the Herald Times.
Let’s continue working together to showcase our wonderful communities in print and online for generations to come.
n n n

Meeker Fire Chief Terry Skidmore knows what it’s like to live in hurricane and tornado country. He’s organizing a donation drive to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey. Drop sites will be set up around town for specific items Skidmore says are often overlooked in disaster recovery situations.
Call the fire station for details on what to donate, or check out our Facebook page for more information.

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  • On April 4, the Meeker Lions Club installed new shelving units for the New Eden Pregnancy Care Center. New Eden asked the Lion’s Club to help them come up with more storage for items within the building, and the Lion’s Club raised money to purchase shelves. OPAL MUNGER PHOTO
  • Why are we all so mad? Hear from our Editor in her column this week online at ht1885.com.
  • Livestock Judging teams from both sides of the county competed at The Rumble In The Rockies Livestock Judging Contest in La Plata County this past weekend. Read the full story this week online ht1885.com.
  • Meeker Cowboy Track continued its season with another meet in Grand Junction, the Frank Woodburn Invitational. The meet went on despite the blustery winds, low temps and snow. Read the story online at ht1885.com.
  • Sunglasses, shorts and snowflakes... if that doesn’t sum up a Western Colorado track meet in April, nothing does. The Rangely Panthers will likely have a warmer meet this Friday, April 12, in Grand Junction. Read the recap from the last meet in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
  • Meeker High School’s FCCLA group placed 10 of 13 students in the top three in their respective categories and six qualified for the national competition in Seattle, Washington, this June. Results: Sam Hightower and Finley Deming - 1st Place Gold - Repurpose and Redesign; Aimee Shults - 1st Place Gold - Job Interview; Becca Hood - 1st Place Gold - Leadership; Lissbeth Sanchez and Shailee Rundberg -  2nd Place Gold - Promote and Publicize FCCLA; Kailynn Watson- 3rd Place Gold - Job Interview; Emma Bauer and Jacey Follman - 3rd Place Gold - Sports Nutrition; Braydin Raley - 3rd Place Silver - Professional Presentation; Graycee Cravens - Silver Medal - Entrepreneurship; Haylee Steele - Silver Medal - Sports Nutrition; Eduardo Cordova- Silver Medal - Career Investigation. More photos and full update online at ht1885.com.
  • The Mountain Valley Bank Red Letter Day Coin Drive is in full swing! Donate your pennies to your favorite business this week to help them win! Proceeds go to HopeWest Meeker and the Meeker Education Foundation.
  • Smokey Bear and Ranger Kate with the United States Forest Service Blanco District stopped by the Meeker Public Library last Friday to share Smokey’s origin story and information about wildfire prevention with a room full of kids. Smokey Bear will turn 80 this year in August. NIKI TURNER PHOTO
On April 4, the Meeker Lions Club installed new shelving units for the New Eden Pregnancy Care Center. New Eden asked the Lion’s Club to help them come up with more storage for items within the building, and the Lion’s Club raised money to purchase shelves. OPAL MUNGER PHOTO
On April 4, the Meeker Lions Club installed new shelving units for the New Eden Pregnancy Care Center. New Eden asked the Lion’s Club to help them come up with more storage for items within the building, and the Lion’s Club raised money to purchase shelves. OPAL MUNGER PHOTO
11 hours ago
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1/9
14 hours ago
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2/9
Why are we all so mad? Hear from our Editor in her column this week online at ht1885.com.
Why are we all so mad? Hear from our Editor in her column this week online at ht1885.com.
1 day ago
View on Instagram |
3/9
Livestock Judging teams from both sides of the county competed at The Rumble In The Rockies Livestock Judging Contest in La Plata County this past weekend. Read the full story this week online ht1885.com.
Livestock Judging teams from both sides of the county competed at The Rumble In The Rockies Livestock Judging Contest in La Plata County this past weekend. Read the full story this week online ht1885.com.
2 days ago
View on Instagram |
4/9
Meeker Cowboy Track continued its season with another meet in Grand Junction, the Frank Woodburn Invitational. The meet went on despite the blustery winds, low temps and snow. Read the story online at ht1885.com.
Meeker Cowboy Track continued its season with another meet in Grand Junction, the Frank Woodburn Invitational. The meet went on despite the blustery winds, low temps and snow. Read the story online at ht1885.com.
2 days ago
View on Instagram |
5/9
Sunglasses, shorts and snowflakes... if that doesn’t sum up a Western Colorado track meet in April, nothing does. The Rangely Panthers will likely have a warmer meet this Friday, April 12, in Grand Junction. Read the recap from the last meet in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
Sunglasses, shorts and snowflakes... if that doesn’t sum up a Western Colorado track meet in April, nothing does. The Rangely Panthers will likely have a warmer meet this Friday, April 12, in Grand Junction. Read the recap from the last meet in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
3 days ago
View on Instagram |
6/9
Meeker High School’s FCCLA group placed 10 of 13 students in the top three in their respective categories and six qualified for the national competition in Seattle, Washington, this June. Results: Sam Hightower and Finley Deming - 1st Place Gold - Repurpose and Redesign; Aimee Shults - 1st Place Gold - Job Interview; Becca Hood - 1st Place Gold - Leadership; Lissbeth Sanchez and Shailee Rundberg -  2nd Place Gold - Promote and Publicize FCCLA; Kailynn Watson- 3rd Place Gold - Job Interview; Emma Bauer and Jacey Follman - 3rd Place Gold - Sports Nutrition; Braydin Raley - 3rd Place Silver - Professional Presentation; Graycee Cravens - Silver Medal - Entrepreneurship; Haylee Steele - Silver Medal - Sports Nutrition; Eduardo Cordova- Silver Medal - Career Investigation. More photos and full update online at ht1885.com.
Meeker High School’s FCCLA group placed 10 of 13 students in the top three in their respective categories and six qualified for the national competition in Seattle, Washington, this June. Results: Sam Hightower and Finley Deming - 1st Place Gold - Repurpose and Redesign; Aimee Shults - 1st Place Gold - Job Interview; Becca Hood - 1st Place Gold - Leadership; Lissbeth Sanchez and Shailee Rundberg - 2nd Place Gold - Promote and Publicize FCCLA; Kailynn Watson- 3rd Place Gold - Job Interview; Emma Bauer and Jacey Follman - 3rd Place Gold - Sports Nutrition; Braydin Raley - 3rd Place Silver - Professional Presentation; Graycee Cravens - Silver Medal - Entrepreneurship; Haylee Steele - Silver Medal - Sports Nutrition; Eduardo Cordova- Silver Medal - Career Investigation. More photos and full update online at ht1885.com.
3 days ago
View on Instagram |
7/9
The Mountain Valley Bank Red Letter Day Coin Drive is in full swing! Donate your pennies to your favorite business this week to help them win! Proceeds go to HopeWest Meeker and the Meeker Education Foundation.
The Mountain Valley Bank Red Letter Day Coin Drive is in full swing! Donate your pennies to your favorite business this week to help them win! Proceeds go to HopeWest Meeker and the Meeker Education Foundation.
4 days ago
View on Instagram |
8/9
Smokey Bear and Ranger Kate with the United States Forest Service Blanco District stopped by the Meeker Public Library last Friday to share Smokey’s origin story and information about wildfire prevention with a room full of kids. Smokey Bear will turn 80 this year in August. NIKI TURNER PHOTO
Smokey Bear and Ranger Kate with the United States Forest Service Blanco District stopped by the Meeker Public Library last Friday to share Smokey’s origin story and information about wildfire prevention with a room full of kids. Smokey Bear will turn 80 this year in August. NIKI TURNER PHOTO
4 days ago
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9/9

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