Letter to the Editor: Visitors treated well in Meeker

Dear Editor:
On Saturday, my wife and I drove from Steamboat Springs to Hotchkiss to pick up our horses. On the way home, about 5 miles north of Meeker, the clamp on our truck’s turbo hose broke.
Not having a new clamp or tie wire (Who leaves home without tie wire? A first for me!), we turned around, went through the construction again, and limped into Meeker. We were a little concerned as it was now 5:30 p.m. on a Saturday evening.
We have a trailer full of horses and our dog. We went to the Shell station and went in to buy the needed clamp. They did not have one big enough.
While I was talking to the clerk, a man asked me what I was looking for and told me to follow him home, he could probably help me. As it turned out, he did not have one that fit, so we limped back to the gas station and once again, I went in to see if two small clamps could be fitted together to make the hose work.
Again while talking to the clerk, another man stepped up and said, “I’m sure I have a clamp big enough. please just follow me home and we’ll see what we can do.”
What luck. While talking to this man, a sheriff’s deputy came over to see if I needed help. He told me that this second man would surely have what I needed.
We limped along behind him (you’re seeing a pattern here) to his house and sure enough he had a clamp that worked. While at his house, the sheriff’s deputy stopped by to make sure we had what we needed.
I don’t think I have ever been to a nicer place than Meeker. No one would even let me pay them. What wonderful helpful people.
An hour and a half later we were back on the road with our three horses and the dog. We got home 13 hours after we left, feeling tired but very good about the Colorado small town attitude.
My wife grew up in a small town here in Colorado. We have lived near Steamboat Springs for 40 years and are very thankful to have such a beautiful, caring place to live.
I wish I knew the names of our two good Samaritans and the name of the sheriff’s deputy, but I was so focused on fixing the truck that I forgot to ask.
Thank you Meeker for making what could have been a very troublesome problem just a blip on a beautiful Day.
Paul Young
Steamboat Springs