Features, Meeker

MHS students create decorative benches for a community project

By ALLIE WILLEY
Special to the Herald Times
MEEKER | This year the Meeker High School created a Community Development Group. The group came together in the fall of 2016 through the United States Forest Service (USFS), Rocky Mountain Youth Corps (RMYC) and Meeker High School. Victoria Houser, recreation staff officer; Michelle Selle, high school science teacher; and Lauren VandenHurk, RMYC program manager, met with a group of students calling themselves “the community improvement group.” The group consisted of Briar Meszaros, Pake Burke, Savana May, Sydnie Main, Allison Moon, Caliegh Morgan, Nick Massey, Emily Silva and Mary Bailey. They met roughly once a month throughout the school year to vision and plan for summer projects.
The students started with a activity called PhotoVoice, where they walked around the community and took photos of areas and thought about ideas of what the crew could do to enhance the community. The group decided that they wanted to do a pop-up mural project. They then got to work to determine who owned the land, what the cost of each project would be and researched all the things that would go into the project. The group worked to create and present a proposal to the Town of Meeker and the Rio Blanco Board of County Commissioners, both of which helped to fund this project.
The group started working in June, when two crews between ages 14-17 worked to build, design and paint the benches that are now showcased throughout the community. The community development crew got together to create them in two week sessions. Each session had an “in-town” week and a camping week where the crew worked and camped together Monday through Friday. The pop-up mural bench project happened during the “in-town” week of each session. For both sessions, the crew then camped together at the Hill Creek Campground and worked in partnership with the USFS Blanco Ranger District on an invasive species removal project focused on removing hounds tongue.
The entire group loved the experience and said they would definitely consider doing it next summer as well. They said it was a great way to get out and to meet new people, and allowed them to show their gratitude for the community. The crew was very excited because they could choose their own ideas, “which almost never happens.”
The USFS acted as RMYC’s primary project partner for this program. The agreement funded the project work which helps cover program operations, transportation and crew member pay and other costs associated with running the program. In addition to the USFS, the Town of Meeker and the Board of County Commissioners funded the cost of materials and Mayor Halandras donated outdoor paint for the benches.
There are five benches showcased throughout Meeker, each displaying a unique element of Meeker’s history, recreation and spirit. Benches can be found at the Library, Chamber of Commerce, Wendll’s, the Meeker Hotel and the White River Museum.

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  • Jake Blazon at bat for the Meeker Cowboys. The MHS team brought home two wins against Olathe and lost two against the North Fork Miners. The location for this weekend’s games has not been announced due to weather and field conditions. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
  • The 2024 Meeker High School boys basketball team held their awards banquet last week. Jace Mobley was named Player of the Western Slope League and all-conference, Ryan Sullivan all-conference, Jonathon Fitzgibbons all-conference, Ethan Quinn honorable mention all-conference, Jacob Simonsen honorable mention all conference. Mobley will play in All State games. Coach Klark Kindler was named Western Slope Coach of the Year. Left to right: Bryan Rosas, Simonsen, Quinn, Fitzgibbons, Mobley and Sullivan.
  • 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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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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Jake Blazon at bat for the Meeker Cowboys. The MHS team brought home two wins against Olathe and lost two against the North Fork Miners. The location for this weekend’s games has not been announced due to weather and field conditions. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
Jake Blazon at bat for the Meeker Cowboys. The MHS team brought home two wins against Olathe and lost two against the North Fork Miners. The location for this weekend’s games has not been announced due to weather and field conditions. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
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The 2024 Meeker High School boys basketball team held their awards banquet last week. Jace Mobley was named Player of the Western Slope League and all-conference, Ryan Sullivan all-conference, Jonathon Fitzgibbons all-conference, Ethan Quinn honorable mention all-conference, Jacob Simonsen honorable mention all conference. Mobley will play in All State games. Coach Klark Kindler was named Western Slope Coach of the Year. Left to right: Bryan Rosas, Simonsen, Quinn, Fitzgibbons, Mobley and Sullivan.
The 2024 Meeker High School boys basketball team held their awards banquet last week. Jace Mobley was named Player of the Western Slope League and all-conference, Ryan Sullivan all-conference, Jonathon Fitzgibbons all-conference, Ethan Quinn honorable mention all-conference, Jacob Simonsen honorable mention all conference. Mobley will play in All State games. Coach Klark Kindler was named Western Slope Coach of the Year. Left to right: Bryan Rosas, Simonsen, Quinn, Fitzgibbons, Mobley and Sullivan.
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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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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
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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