Plan to attend the Masonic Lodge scholarship fundraiser this Sunday
Dear Editor:
Dear friends and neighbors, this Sunday, the Rio Blanco Masonic Lodge is having its annual Prime Rib Dinner and Pie Auction.
The dinner is $25, and ALL of the proceeds from the auction will go directly to our college scholarship fund for Meeker students.
This is a way for the community to directly support higher education.
Please come if you can, and we look forward to all of the fantastic treats that many of you donate. Doors at the Fairgrounds 4-H building open at 4 p.m. Sunday, and food will be served at 5 p.m. Chris Alger will be the auctioneer and it will be a lot of fun.
Let me know if you can make it. 970-456-3596.
Steve Coley
Meeker
Wonderful experience with the hospital
Dear Editor:
I have worked for Pioneers Medical Center for over 5 years. I just wanted to state I am proud, thankful, and glad I work here. I also choose to be a patient here. My experience here has been wonderful and unique. Together as a team we work to take care of the patients and each other.
The door is always open to us in administration. Our CEO has always taken the time to listen and address all issues with a kind heart moving us in the right direction. You do not see this in other companies. I do believe there is great support for PMC in these walls and in our community. Let’s not point fingers. Let’s work together with positivity to make this great facility even better.
Thank you,
Michelle Honeycutt
Meeker
Thanks to community from Chappell family
Dear Editor:
The family of Dorothy Chappell would like to thank all who expressed their condolences after the passing of our Mom.
We appreciate all your heartfelt words and thoughtful acts of kindness. She will be greatly missed.
Sincerely,
Clint Chappell, Sherry and David Overton, Sondra and Dirck Garcia, her four grandchildren, three great-grandson, and two great-granddaughters
Meeker
Personal attacks denounced
Dear Editor:
I take great issue with being indirectly labeled a liar in Bobby’s recent letter to the editor. While he did not mention me by name, he directly quoted my previous letter, making it clear exactly who he was referencing. This type of personal attack is a prime example of the very bullying that so many in our community have begun to speak out against.
Let me be perfectly clear: I will not tolerate myself or any of my staff being bullied—whether it happens inside the hospital, in the newspaper, or elsewhere. Our focus is on providing quality care and maintaining a safe, respectful environment for everyone. These continued personal attacks only serve to damage the trust and integrity we work so hard to uphold.
While Bobby stated that his wife contacted the Chief of Police, I feel it’s important to point out that discussing any active case with individuals who are personally connected to the ongoing harassment of hospital staff would be entirely inappropriate. The police have been notified by staff that have received these letters.
It is also worth noting the concerning dynamic of Bobby and Jared sitting together during and after board meetings. This raises legitimate questions about what is being selectively reported or left out entirely. For example, why was Jill’s husband—the only person at public forum to read aloud the vile message taped to his wife’s door—not quoted anywhere? He was the only speaker from that meeting whose words were excluded, and that silence speaks volumes.
Though Bobby and his wife claim they cannot “condone” the recent inappropriate behavior, they have undeniably contributed to the hostile environment. Posting pictures of Jill and publicly discussing her residence is a clear violation of personal boundaries. This entire thread began on the Meeker Message Board, in a post made by Wendy—one that both she and Bobby actively engaged in. That level of participation directly contradicts their supposed denouncement of such actions.
If we truly care about community, we need to practice what we preach. You cannot fan the flames and then pretend to be shocked when things catch fire.
Anita Ruder
‘Once a stranger, now a local’
Meeker
