By DOLLY VISCARDI | Special to the Herald Times MEEKER | “What are you going to do with it?” A gruff, accusatory voice broke into my peaceful morning walk. I looked over to see who was concerned about the cluster of bright yellow Aspen leaves in my hand. I had[Read More…]
Author: Dolly Viscardi
Loose Ends: Rascals in. Rascals out.
MEEKER | Rascals in. Rascals out. More than 125 years ago, those two phrases were this paper’s editor’s words of choice to describe the political machinations that move below most of our country’s surface. That continues to happen today. Everyone’s perspective differs depending on their own agendas and allegiances. The[Read More…]
Loose Ends: Back to School
MEEKER | Heading back to school this fall remains a big question all over Colorado. Some schools across the state have set dates and times for the first day and are offering parents a choice of either sending their children to school with masks or protective equipment, social distancing, and[Read More…]
Loose Ends: They shoot rattlesnakes
RBC | “Are you still shooting rattlesnakes?” a high school classmate asked me after reconnecting on social media. Having moved to the western slope of Colorado so many years earlier, I’d forgotten my long letters to friends and family regaling them with all of my “Back East meets Out West”[Read More…]
Loose Ends: Keep your distance, go the distance
There are two phrases whose usage never seemed more appropriate. Keep your distance and go the distance are important in any conversation about the pandemic. The use of masks and staying at least six feet away from each other continue to be essential to avoid the spread of COVID-19. One[Read More…]
Loose Ends: “How long will you stay?”
“How long will you stay?” was the one question over the years that continued to plague Meeker’s newest residents. It seemed to be an integral part of the welcoming tradition and was included in an impromptu game that most all new residents unwittingly played in the early months of their[Read More…]
Loose Ends: Go forth, graduates!
Now that our local graduation has been held in a unique 2020 fashion, the efforts by the local school district to hold an actual ceremony demonstrated the RE-1 District’s dedication to recognizing the efforts of the students, as well as their families, to finish 12 years of schooling. Like most[Read More…]
Loose Ends: The sounds of silence … loud
MEEKER | Reporting and telling someone else’s stories is an awesome responsibility. The editor of this community’s paper, Niki Turner of the Rio Blanco Herald Times, understands the importance of that. It also seems that she also understands that the word awesome seems to be put in conversation daily. Ask[Read More…]
Opinion: Pick one person
The most recent school shooting hit too close to home. Twenty-five years of working as a special education teacher gave me the opportunity to spend time in most all of the elementary and middle school classrooms. I remember the increased security measures each year and the drills that ensured all[Read More…]
Loose Ends: A yearly tradition
It appears this year the pranksters are packing. At least that is what their pockets stuffed with clear, plastic tape might indicate. Making midnight visits all over town to darkened doorways and windows, ringing doorbells or knocking on the glass, is the modus operandi for teenagers with too much time[Read More…]
Loose Ends: Oh, the stories they tell
The local historical society’s fundraiser may have shed a little light on family mysteries for local residents. It did for me. My familiarity with the old doll could not be questioned, but my knowledge of where it originated was spotty. My mother’s and grandmother’s stories about the doll did not[Read More…]
Loose Ends: Volunteer
There is one thing a community can never have in excess: volunteers. Warm weather brings out an annual call for helpers all through the town and some organizations are needier than others.