Water engineer disagrees with findings of return flow study Dear Editor: Please accept these comments correcting misinformation published on page 9 of the July 17th edition under “…Return flow study indicates flood irrigation benefits river flows”. The article cites Liz Chandler as referring to results of a groundwater modeling study[Read More…]
Opinion
LOOSE ENDS: Non-random acts of kindness
One dark night when we were all in bed, Old Lady lit the lantern in the shed, and when the cow kicked it over she blinked her eyes and said, “It’s gonna be a hot time in the old town tonight.” A hot time would certainly be an understatement about[Read More…]
EDITOR’S COLUMN – Can we hold on to the good as we return to normal?
“We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.” ~ Abraham Lincoln I am[Read More…]
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR – August 21st, 2025
Fire recovery update and thanks from the commissioners Dear Editor: As we write this, more evacuation zones on the Lee Fire are being downgraded. Firefighters have contained 60% of the fire’s perimeter and Highway 13 has reopened. A new Incident Management Team will continue work on the Lee Fire, and[Read More…]
EDITOR’S COLUMN – Resetting our assumptive world
“Life is mostly froth and bubble;/ Two things stand like stone:/Kindness in another’s trouble,/ Courage in your own.” ~ Adam Lindsay Gordon Smoke from the Lee Fire rolled back into the valley on Tuesday, Aug. 12 after a day of relatively clear skies. The instant jolt of anxiety it triggered[Read More…]
LETTER TO THE EDITOR – August 14th, 2025
Letter to the citizens of Rio Blanco County from the Board of Rio Blanco County Commissioners Dear Editor: We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to the firefighters, emergency responders, and citizens who have worked tirelessly to protect our community during the Elk and Lee Fires. We’d particularly like to[Read More…]
LOOSE ENDS: Meeker Strong
Thank you, firefighters, firefighting support staff, as well as all the Meeker families and friends who are continuing to make sure Meeker, as well as the surrounding countryside, is on its way to recovery. The MEEKER STRONG support system remains. It is so great to see those caring acts of[Read More…]
EDITOR’S COLUMN – Take care of yourselves and each other
“When you face a crisis, you know who your true friends are.” ~ Magic Johnson As I write this on Wednesday morning, many of our friends and neighbors have either been evacuated due to the fires or are waiting to be told to evacuate. The skies are a little more[Read More…]
GUEST COLUMN: HOPEWEST – Meeting you exactly where you are
At HopeWest, our work isn’t just about care — it’s about presence. That simple idea has shaped how we walk beside people through aging, illness, and grief for more than thirty years. When you or someone you love needs support, we take the time to understand what matters most to[Read More…]
EDITOR’S COLUMN – Becoming consistent
‘Reality control’, they called it: in Newspeak, ‘doublethink’.” ~ George Orwell, 1984 There’s a saying about consistency: “What you do every day matters more than what you do once in a while.” In July I signed up for ladies’ golf classes — a first for me — in an effort[Read More…]
LETTER TO THE EDITOR – July 31, 2025
First annual FUNdraising Games set for Aug. 8-9 Dear Editor: For more than 30 years, Wendll’s has always been about the hoopla, cheering on the locals who support us all year, while promoting our local businesses, the great communities of Meeker and Rangely, along with the beautiful White River valley[Read More…]
LOOSE ENDS: Are you going to the dinner and dance?
Are you going to the dinner and dance this year?” is the annual question usually asked by county residents at the beginning of the summer. If the answer was a resounding “yes!” then you didn’t have to answer the second question: “How long have YOU lived here?” The residency requirement[Read More…]
