Let’s let history be
Dear Editor:
Just sharing my thoughts today.
Thinking of my dad today, no particular reason. Listening to music can make me a little melancholic, causing me to think deeper, feel deeply. He was 12 when he lost his father. Every boy needs his dad. I can’t imagine his thoughts as he watched his father being carried out of his home, on a stretcher, never to see him again. Dad had been out with friends on Halloween when he headed home.
Fast forward seven years when he enlisted in the Army with some of his buddies. He was on Cebu, in the Philippians, when he saw his fellow comrades blown up. He was left for dead for three days, shrapnel in his right shoulder, right leg, and a piece lodged near his heart. He had survivor’s guilt and was in the psych ward upon returning home. The so-called shock therapy did little to try and erase the horrific memories. All it did was to put them into fast-forward, flashing through his mind.
My mother was the only girl who’d date him after coming back — rumors spread about his stay in the psych ward. She didn’t care. He was a sweet young man who knew how to treat women with dignity and respect (he was the only boy in his family). My parents were fantastic parents. We all knew without a shadow of doubt that we were loved; encouraged to grow in our areas of interests; we knew what was expected of us… I miss my parents.
So why am I writing this? When I started writing this, this morning, my heart was sad. Sad because there are those in our society bent on either erasing history or rewriting it. In doing so, they erase people. Erase my father, my mother. Erase the significant impact they’ve had on those around them. History has plenty of ugly times, horrific times — lessons to be learned so that they are not repeated. History has also held hard truths. There are times of beauty interwoven in the fabric of time.
Let’s let history be. Learn from it, embrace the lessons rather than burying, erasing or rewriting it.
Thanks for reading,
Lynne Snowden
Meeker
Assessor: property taxes explained
Dear Taxpayers and Residents of Rio Blanco County,
You will be receiving your 2022 tax bill from the County Treasurer after the first of January.
The value of your property most likely did not change from 2021 unless a change was made or a discrepancy found. However, the taxes due from last year may change even if the value has not changed. This is because the mill levies that are approved by the County Board of Commissioners yearly for all tax districts may change.
Please keep in mind if you have residential or commercial property, that this bill is based on the value that was set using sales from July 1, 2018 through June 30 of 2020.
Your property taxes are calculated by taking the taxable value multiplied by the mill levy of each taxing district in which your property is located.
Taxing Districts, also known as Special Districts, have a lot to do with the amount of taxes you pay. Below is an example of a home valued at $250,000 with a taxable Value of 17,380 (250,000 x 6.95%) located in the town limits and the different taxing districts that their property taxes go to.
Please keep in mind this is just an example. When you receive your tax bill this information will be detailed on the form. Please feel free to contact the Treasurer’s office or our office if you have questions.
The chart below shows you four classes of property tax. Each having the same market value, however the taxable value and estimated taxes are not the same. This is because the assessment rate that is set by the State is different for different property classes, which causes taxable value to differ resulting in different taxes payable.
Thank you for taking time to read this information.
Renae Neilson – Assessor and Staff.
Webber resigns from Rangely Chamber
Dear Editor:
As of Dec. 15, 2022, I have handed in my resignation as the Rangely Chamber Director and wanted to reflect and thank the many people involved in my success at the Chamber. I want to start by thanking my parents for allowing me to come home to Rangely when COVID started and for giving me the tools to figure out what I would do with my life. Next, I would like to thank Lisa Piering for allowing me to start my career within government and serving my community. I learned many valuable lessons from you and I will forever be grateful. Jeannie Caldwell, thank you for being my mentor and friend and for also teaching me how to handle life and everything that comes with it.
I especially would like to thank my entire board at the Rangely Area Chamber of Commerce for taking a chance on me, and most importantly believing in me. I appreciate everyone involved at the chamber, especially the members that served on the ROAR board to create such a successful event, Brad and Michelle Casto, Andy Key, Ryan Huitt, Bob Kissling and Shawn Morgan, I have no doubt that you guys will be even more successful in the years to come providing economic growth to our amazing community.
Thank you to all of the local businesses involved in the chamber and the town for allowing me to serve you to the best of my abilities and allowing me to make mistakes and learn from them. May we never forget that we are never too old to learn new things. I hope young people look at our community, realize what a special place we truly live in, and decide to serve within it.
Rangely will always have a special place in my heart no matter what I decide to do, I know where my roots are. Once a Rangelyite, always a Rangelyite.
Thank you, Rangely, for allowing me to be me.
A grateful and proud resident,
McKenzie Webber
Rangely
Thoughts expressed on opinion pages are exclusively those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of the Herald Times. You are welcome to submit signed letters on matters of local interest to [email protected], mail to PO Box 720, Meeker, CO 81641 or drop off at 304 4th St., Meeker. there is no charge.
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