Smithsonian exhibit is coming to Meeker

MEEKER I Fences.
Cole Porter sang about them. So did Roy Rogers and Bing Crosby. And more recently, so did Nickel Creek and Willie Nelson.
“Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies above,
Don’t fence me in.
Let me ride through the wide open country that I love,
Don’t fence me in.”
Porter first popularized the song about fences in 1934.
The subject of fences — and their impact on society — will be the focus of a Smithsonian traveling exhibit called “Between Fences,” which is coming to the White River Museum in December and will be here through February.
“The Colorado Humanities selected us,” said Sandy Shimko of the museum staff, who gave a presentation to the Meeker Town Board of Trustees on Oct. 5. “We’ve never done anything like this before, but we’re really excited about it. Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”
Shimko said the museum wanted the exhibit to be a project where the whole community and county could join in.
“As far as we’re concerned, we’d like to have anybody in the county involved,” Shimko said. “This is an open invitation to anybody to participate in it.”
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A public hearing for the proposed 2011 budget for the town of Meeker has been set for 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 2 at Town Hall.
Trustees approved a draft budget at the Oct. 5 meeting.
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Town Manager Sharon Day announced at the Oct. 5 meeting the hiring of Joe Holeyfield as projects manager, which will be a 32-hours-a-week position.
“He knows how things work,” Day said of Holeyfield, who is the former general manager of White River Electric Association, before he retired. “We’re very blessed to have him.”
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Bob Omer, former CEO of Pioneers Medical Center and a member of the town board, has accepted a new job as CEO of Southeast Colorado Hospital in Springfield.
Last week’s town board meeting was Omer’s final one.
“He submitted his resignation, to be effective after the meeting last week,” said Town Manager Day. “We will be advertising (for Omer’s seat on the board). The trustee seat must be filled within 60 days, or we have to do it by election.”