So many things are done the same way over and over and over again under the misguided claim of “but we’ve always done it this way.”
Not the candidates for Meeker Town Board. They all see a bright future and each one seems willing to try new things in an effort to move forward.
It seems that everyone bought into working with CDOT to try and develop a partnership that will allow Meeker to update Market Street to make it local and visitor friendly.
It sounded like everyone has bought into the Better Cities plan in some way or another. Certainly each candidate voiced his or her hopes that Better Cities is the best idea yet and something Meeker, Rangely and Rio Blanco County can work toward.
Wendy Gutierrez was the second person I met when I moved into Meeker on a cold snowy night in early March 2013. I liked her then and I like her now as I see her as an intelligent thinker, an idea person, enthusiastic, proud of and enthused about Meeker and its potential, and her willingness to try and succeed at something rather than find reasons not to do something.
Travis Day impressed me even though I really don’t know him other than his short tenure on the council. He also seemed to have positive opinions.
The other three candidates, Jason Dunham, Chris Lockwood and Melissa Kindall joined the others in looking forward to the future.
All three of these candidates, I feel, would be good candidates and work hard to help advance Meeker, but I felt they trailed Gutierrez and Day in their enthusiasm, their ideas as voiced on Monday night, and, I felt, lacked the enthusiasm of the other two.
All five candidates differed very little in what they said—it was mostly in the way they said it, and Gutierrez and Day, I believe, excelled there also.
All bought into and recognized the importance of broadband.
All pointed to the importance of bringing an “anchor” business to Meeker and helping the existing businesses do better.
All bought into posing the question of a legalized marijuana outlet or outlets in Meeker to the town’s voters. The lone difference being that Travis Day said he was personally opposed to a marijuana outlet in Meeker, but he did agree with all other candidates in saying it should be a decision made by the voters.
As I said, I like Gutierrez and Day in Meeker’s future. I don’t think their knowledge, ideas and energy will fade.
Regarding the third seat—I do not know any of them well enough to interpret who would be best. I believe that any one of them would be a benefit to the town, all three are long-time residents and I believe the town will be in good hands regardless of who is elected.
But the most important thing I can say now is to point out the importance of this town election to Meeker’s future and that it is so important that the town residents vote for who they think will be the three candidates to most benefit and to bring original thoughts and hopes to Meeker.
