Dear Editor:
This is an open letter to the citizens of Rangely and the surrounding area.
In the past year, we at the Rangely Junior College District (Colorado Northwestern Community College) have had a particular situation in Rangely occur. That situation, quite frankly, was a find many months ago in Rangely (in Rio Blanco County).
That event was a “Dinosaur Find” by instructors at CNCC in Rangely. Those instructors reside in Meeker, but work for the college here in Rangely.
One day, the instructors from Meeker were out with their Great Dane, Walter, just enjoying the country side of the Rangely area. During their adventure, the dog happened to do a little digging. The digging by Walter revealed, interestingly enough, a dinosaur bone. This couple went to BLM (evidently in Meeker) to discuss their find. To make a long story short, somehow through the college (evidently, the CNCC campus in Craig became involved).
Next thing you know, the Bureau of Land Management announces a depository for the find and their approval of the site outside of Rangely to move forward. The depository for the find is to be located (by BLM approval) in Craig.
Supposedly, there was not an adequate building in Rangely to do this.
Of course, I am still having a hard time processing that we in Rangely did not have an adequate building for the depository.
Did anyone contact the Town of Rangely to see what might be available?
Next question, with all the buildings on the Rangely Campus, was there not a building that would suffice in order to not have to move artifacts some 90 miles to Craig?
I realize the building may or may not need to be a BLM building. However, I question. “If the building is a safe and secure building for the find, would it have to be a BLM building?”
By the time I personally learned of this project, it appeared to truly be a done deal.
However, in talking with CNCC President Russell George, he explained that it is not a big deal to get a depository here. He said we need to work with the BLM in the future to get this done.
Now I wonder, instead of in the future, how about now?
Rangely is experiencing quite a lull in the economy due to the energy downturn presently.
Is this not the time to work on what is truly in our back yard—a dinosaur find?
Let me say to all of you it will take this community working together, as I know we have in the past.
This is worth getting the depository located here. Craig is now talking about a museum for the future of this project.
I still have questions about how this happened to be found in Rangely, was taken to Craig and now everything is in Craig.
I also realize, serving on a number of boards for CNCC, that we are one college.
Yes, recently there was a viewing of the area by the college, and soon we should know how big a find this really is.
Evidently, to have come this far it has to amount to something significant. We can all be proud of this find.
I am asking you, the public, the Town of Rangely, the Rangely Chamber of Commerce, Rio Blanco County, the Rangely District College Board and the Dinosaur Park Service to work together collectively in putting this whole project in Rangely, because of the location of the find.
Contact the college and let your recommendation on this be known to the president of the college, Russell George, at 970-675-3201. I know he would appreciate hearing from any of you with regard to this subject. Remember, if we don’t support our community, no one else will!
Thanking you in advance for your support of my recommendation to bring the project in total back to the Rangely area.
I also want to thank the newspaper for the printing of my letter so you may all know what is or is not happening.
Don’t forget, it is time to be the squeaky wheels for the “Dinosaur Total Project.”
Peggy J. Rector
Citizen and Taxpayer
Rangely
