County, Letters To The Editor, Opinion

Letter to the Editor: Area power plants endangered

Dear Editor:
Are you ready to live in a ghost town? It’s going to happen if the government and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) get their way.
If you think this won’t affect you, think again. More than 1,500 people work in the mines and power plants in our area of Northwest Colorado. If these plants are shut down, it will affect everyone living here. The mines and power plants have sub-contractors, vendors that supply tools, local car dealerships that provide vehicles, hot-shot companies that bring parts in the next day, etc.
The mines and power plants won’t be the only businesses that go shut down. Life as we know it will be catastrophic.
People will be leaving town in droves because there will be few jobs left in our communities. They won’t be able to sell their homes because people don’t move into communities without good paying jobs.
There will be a trickle-down effect from all of this. It won’t be a small trickle either. It will be a raging river that affects all of us.
Our store, The Flower Mine Gift Shop, will go out of business because the mines and power plant employees keep us in business now, along with the mines and the power plants.
Half of our schools will close because the mines and power plants pay most of the taxes to keep them open and running properly.
With a lesser amount of money coming into our towns, we won’t donate such an extensive amount of money to The United Way. Special programs for Veterans, the elderly and Horizons for the Handicapped won’t be available. Revenue from these entities keep the programs running.
Our colleges and hospitals will suffer. Schools will suffer. Some of our best teachers and nurses etc. will leave because their spouses work for the coal mines.
There aren’t enough jobs in agriculture or the gas and oil industries right now to keep everyone employed. Farmers and ranches in our area supplement their incomes by coming to town for jobs.
Think of our town with no gift shops and flower shops, styling salons, Kmart or City Market. The shops your friends and acquaintances own, appliance stores, chiropractors, dealerships – all of these businesses will be affected.
Houses will be foreclosed on and rentals will be empty. Close your eyes and think of most of the town with windows boarded up and “closed” signs on the doors. Do you think it affects you now?
It’s time to stand up and fight for our rights. This isn’t only happening in Colorado. It’s happening all across the United States – Wyoming, Utah, Kentucky, Virginia, Pennsylvania etc. Healthy and active mining communities are essential to our countries prosperity.
Coal keeps our electricity on, our families fed and lower electric bills. Can you afford to pay an electricity bill that has doubled or tripled? Can your neighbors or the elderly pay this price? How about your kids that work in the mines that have children of their own?
If we don’t have jobs, it’s pretty hard to pay bills that have doubled or tripled, not to mention the loss of paid insurance for our families.
Right now, coal is the lowest-cost energy source we have. Coal is easy to transport, it’s reliable and it’s our biggest energy resource in the United States.
Our coal is shipped to a lot of Third World countries and China. If we shut down coal, we shut down our nation.
I’m all for clean energy, solar energy, recycling and reusing. But I’m not for my husband, family, friends and neighbors losing their jobs and livelihoods.
Wind power is mechanically difficult to operate and store right now. Solar power is very expensive, and don’t forget we are still in a recession.
Natural gas is hard to transport and it is found in a limited number of places.
Other countries have converted with a not-so-great success rate. There are a lot of bugs to be worked out. They have blackouts because other energy sources are not reliable at this time.
Why shut down these good-paying jobs while we are still in a recession? This will affect everyone in the United States.
Coal keeps our families fed and it keeps our lights on!
Shirley Balleck
Craig

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  • Jake Blazon at bat for the Meeker Cowboys. The MHS team brought home two wins against Olathe and lost two against the North Fork Miners. The location for this weekend’s games has not been announced due to weather and field conditions. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
  • The 2024 Meeker High School boys basketball team held their awards banquet last week. Jace Mobley was named Player of the Western Slope League and all-conference, Ryan Sullivan all-conference, Jonathon Fitzgibbons all-conference, Ethan Quinn honorable mention all-conference, Jacob Simonsen honorable mention all conference. Mobley will play in All State games. Coach Klark Kindler was named Western Slope Coach of the Year. Left to right: Bryan Rosas, Simonsen, Quinn, Fitzgibbons, Mobley and Sullivan.
  • It's that time again! Another edition of great local news stories is 
🐰 Hopping 🐰 your way this morning! Catch up on everything thats 🐣 hatching 🐣 in Rio Blanco County this week.
Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! 
We appreciate all your continued support!
  • It’s getting late, do you know where your kids are? Read all the Rio Happenings for this week in print or online at ht1885.com.
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Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch.  See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
  • Read part three of the story of M.T. Streeter in this week’s edition of History Lessons! Find it in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
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Jake Blazon at bat for the Meeker Cowboys. The MHS team brought home two wins against Olathe and lost two against the North Fork Miners. The location for this weekend’s games has not been announced due to weather and field conditions. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
Jake Blazon at bat for the Meeker Cowboys. The MHS team brought home two wins against Olathe and lost two against the North Fork Miners. The location for this weekend’s games has not been announced due to weather and field conditions. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
9 hours ago
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The 2024 Meeker High School boys basketball team held their awards banquet last week. Jace Mobley was named Player of the Western Slope League and all-conference, Ryan Sullivan all-conference, Jonathon Fitzgibbons all-conference, Ethan Quinn honorable mention all-conference, Jacob Simonsen honorable mention all conference. Mobley will play in All State games. Coach Klark Kindler was named Western Slope Coach of the Year. Left to right: Bryan Rosas, Simonsen, Quinn, Fitzgibbons, Mobley and Sullivan.
The 2024 Meeker High School boys basketball team held their awards banquet last week. Jace Mobley was named Player of the Western Slope League and all-conference, Ryan Sullivan all-conference, Jonathon Fitzgibbons all-conference, Ethan Quinn honorable mention all-conference, Jacob Simonsen honorable mention all conference. Mobley will play in All State games. Coach Klark Kindler was named Western Slope Coach of the Year. Left to right: Bryan Rosas, Simonsen, Quinn, Fitzgibbons, Mobley and Sullivan.
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View on Instagram |
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It's that time again! Another edition of great local news stories is 
🐰 Hopping 🐰 your way this morning! Catch up on everything thats 🐣 hatching 🐣 in Rio Blanco County this week.
Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! 
We appreciate all your continued support!
It's that time again! Another edition of great local news stories is 🐰 Hopping 🐰 your way this morning! Catch up on everything thats 🐣 hatching 🐣 in Rio Blanco County this week. Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! We appreciate all your continued support!
15 hours ago
View on Instagram |
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It’s getting late, do you know where your kids are? Read all the Rio Happenings for this week in print or online at ht1885.com.
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2 days ago
View on Instagram |
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Mormon crickets have hatched near Rangely. They were all sighted on BLM land north of Hwy. 64 near the junction of CR 96 and CR 1, down a dirt road near the Moffat County line.  The picture shown was taken yesterday by Mary Meinen from Rangely. She says the crickets are about the size of a ladybug (less than 1/2”). Some of them are actually yellow in color but most of them are darker. They are milling around and getting ready to start moving soon. Note: Photo is not to scale.
Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch.  See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
Mormon crickets have hatched near Rangely. They were all sighted on BLM land north of Hwy. 64 near the junction of CR 96 and CR 1, down a dirt road near the Moffat County line. The picture shown was taken yesterday by Mary Meinen from Rangely. She says the crickets are about the size of a ladybug (less than 1/2”). Some of them are actually yellow in color but most of them are darker. They are milling around and getting ready to start moving soon. Note: Photo is not to scale. Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch. See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
2 days ago
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Read part three of the story of M.T. Streeter in this week’s edition of History Lessons! Find it in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
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Meeker FFA Chapter members competed at the District Leadership Development Event in Craig, Colorado, this month. Top row from left to right: Eva Scritchfield, Charlie Rogers, Alan Rivera, Trent Sanders, Koy Weber, Orion Musser, Said Rodriguez, Carlos Carrillo, Aidan Tapia, Hayden Garcia, Tristan Rollins, Mathew Willey, Quentin Simpson. Middle row: Sidney Keetch, Aurora Stallings, Sydnie Ross, Ava Nay, Lili Piper, Leah Wood. Bottom Row: Jaicee Simmons, Kailynn Watson, Cody Richardson, Kayla Castillo, Braydin Raley, Autumn Stallings, Aimee Shults, Emily Hamm. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
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4 days ago
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A crew from the Flat Tops Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation joined forces last summer to remove obsolete fences to improve habitat for wildlife. Read the full story and the foundation’s update from their 30th Anniversary meeting in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
A crew from the Flat Tops Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation joined forces last summer to remove obsolete fences to improve habitat for wildlife. Read the full story and the foundation’s update from their 30th Anniversary meeting in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
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