Letters To The Editor, Meeker, Opinion

Letter to the Editor: Understanding MEF funding for track

Dear Editor:
This is an open letter to the residents of Meeker School District to better help them understand the Meeker Education Foundation funding for the school district track at Meeker High School.
The Meeker Education Foundation (MEF) chose to pursue the replacement of the school district’s track for multiple reasons — and to do so without school district money. The much-needed project will be primarily funded with dollars that cannot go into the classroom, and the balance will come from private donations.
The 30-year-old facility has exceeded its life expectancy by 10 years and is beyond repair. It sees wide community use and, most importantly, our students’ safety is at risk while they continue to practice on the site.
Liability issues increase as the track’s condition worsens and,without such an overhaul,the school district’s track and field programs will be in jeopardy. It should be noted that our schools’ track and field programs have the largest participation of any school activity.
It is a known fact that students who participate in activities perform better in the classroom. Additionally, Meeker will be able to host track meets if it has a safe facility. This, in turn, benefits our local economy.
The ERBM Recreation & Park District is a major partner in the project and has committed $400,000 to the construction of this new facility. Like all special tax-supported districts, they can only legally contribute to those undertakings which fit their mission statement. Therefore, recreation district dollars cannot go to supplement the Meeker School District’s General Fund and its academic pursuits.
Also, a Great Outdoors Colorado LPOR grant application was submitted for the project on March 5. GOCO grant dollars are only awarded for parks and recreation, a classification for which the track qualifies.
It is difficult for a school district to adequately maintain its taxpayers’ assets when budgets are in distress, but when there is an opportunity to do so with dollars which cannot be used otherwise, it is a benefit to all.
The new track will serve our schools and our community for another 20 years — the projected life of a track’s asphalt base. Every effort has been made to ensure the project demonstrates good stewardship of taxpayer assets and revenues invested. For these reasons, the project has earned broad support.
The Meeker Education Foundation provides many ways to support their mission to “support and enhance educational opportunities for the Meeker School District by providing independent resources.”
Donations can be made to the MEF’s Endowment Fund (in time it will lend a degree of security to the school district), directly to the School District General Fund budget through the Donate School program, or to the track project — the Foundation’s 2014 Annual Fund project. Please go to www.meekereducationfoundation.org for more information.
Thank you for your understanding and consideration.
Becky Hughes, Mandi Etheridge,
Laurie Simonsen, Tom Allen,
Jerry Oldland, Mary Strang
Meeker Education Foundation
Board of Directors

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  • It’s getting late, do you know where your kids are? Read all the Rio Happenings for this week in print or online at ht1885.com.
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Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch.  See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
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It's that time again! Another edition of great local news stories is 
🐰 Hopping 🐰 your way this morning! Catch up on everything thats 🐣 hatching 🐣 in Rio Blanco County this week.
Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! 
We appreciate all your continued support!
It's that time again! Another edition of great local news stories is 🐰 Hopping 🐰 your way this morning! Catch up on everything thats 🐣 hatching 🐣 in Rio Blanco County this week. Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! We appreciate all your continued support!
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Mormon crickets have hatched near Rangely. They were all sighted on BLM land north of Hwy. 64 near the junction of CR 96 and CR 1, down a dirt road near the Moffat County line.  The picture shown was taken yesterday by Mary Meinen from Rangely. She says the crickets are about the size of a ladybug (less than 1/2”). Some of them are actually yellow in color but most of them are darker. They are milling around and getting ready to start moving soon. Note: Photo is not to scale.
Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch.  See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
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A crew from the Flat Tops Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation joined forces last summer to remove obsolete fences to improve habitat for wildlife. Read the full story and the foundation’s update from their 30th Anniversary meeting in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
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