A message from the Meeker School Board
Dear Editor:
As we finish an exceptionally difficult calendar year, the Meeker School Board would like to convey thanks and the best hopes of the season to our district staff and to our community. Our teachers, support staff, and administration have made extraordinary efforts, far beyond their usual duties, to make sure kids have a safe environment and opportunities to learn. Teachers rapidly adopted new learning tools and strategies, often doing double duty to teach students both in the classroom and at home. Custodians redoubled measures to sanitize classrooms and keep buildings safe. Transportation and food service personnel rose to the challenge to transport kids safely and to prepare and deliver meals outside of the facilities. Coaches adapted protocols and precautions far more than the normal helmets and elbow pads. Administration monitored and adapted programs to rapidly changing public health recommendations. We owe a considerable debt of gratitude to them all.
According to current public health projections, the Meeker School District will probably be able to complete this school year with our students in the classrooms but may not be able to return to fully normal activities until the Fall of 2021, at the earliest. At what point all the familiar school activities can resume will depend on the course of the pandemic, particularly whether enough vaccine can be distributed to assure adequate community immunization. Assuming that the vaccine rollout goes smoothly and without significant adverse effects, we encourage everyone in our community to get vaccinated, barring individual medical conditions to the contrary.
In the meantime, available evidence indicates that kids are safer at school, and the best education occurs in classrooms. The district plans to make every effort to sustain in-classroom education through the remainder of this school year. We ask our community to continue the established precautions to protect themselves. Those measures, in turn, will help protect the schools. Wear masks and maintain distancing when out in public and especially in closed spaces. Avoid large groups, and practice enhanced hygiene such as handwashing. The threat of coronavirus, it turns out, comes not so much from schools spreading virus into the community as community transmission into the schools. Please do your part, and help us continue to provide the best possible opportunities for learning and growth.
With all best wishes for safe holidays and for a happier new year,
The Meeker School Board
PMC completes CDPHE/CMS survey
Dear Editor:
Recently, Pioneers Medical Center (PMC) had a Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) survey. Although the survey process is taxing, the findings provided us opportunities to enhance our processes, which fit with our culture of continuous improvement. Patients may not see big changes; however, ongoing efforts in screening staff, employee education and attention to State and Federal directives will continue during our pandemic response. We believe our healthcare services, exceptional team of professionals and superb patient care will remain fundamental elements for our continued success. We truly appreciate the opportunity to serve our community.
Liz Sellers, CEO
Pioneers Medical Center
Meeker
Thank you for mental health assistance
Dear Editor:
I would like to thank the following people surrounding events that occurred during my mental breakdown on the evening of Nov. 25, including but not limited to the following (in case I happen to miss anyone). First to my wife: thank you very much for staying with me, and for your loyalty, love and support, then, now, and always. To Josh and to Chance, thank you. I apologize how my actions affected you. I would also like to thank and offer apologies to Caitlin, Luke and Haley, as well as the rest of my extended family.
Thank you to all of our local service providers, as I appreciate your work and dedication in our community very much. Including but not limited to: the Meeker Police Officer Justin Yates, Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Deputy Travis Mobley, and any other officers that were directly involved in the events of that evening; the Meeker Fire Department, specifically the people providing EMS services on the ambulance that evening; Rio Blanco County Dispatcher Brittany Mancini and family friend Susan Greene, for her support to my wife on the phone that night; the PMC emergency room staff, and anyone directly involved in any way in the events of that evening including the medevac crew, St. Mary’s Medical Center, and MindSprings Health in Grand Junction. Thank you to all who were involved.
Without your help I feel like I could have lost my life that night, which would have caused even more severe emotional trauma to my family. So again I say, I greatly appreciate your loyalty, love, and support. And to our emergency service providers, for your faithfulness, skills and service to our community.
Pat Turner
Meeker
