Thanks for supporting Haunted House fundraiser
Dear Editor:
Meeker’s VFW Auxiliary would like to thank everyone who came and supported the Haunted House fundraiser! The money raised will go towards our two high school senior scholarships that we award yearly. A big thanks to everyone that helped make the house scary: Sierra Gomez, Tacy Crawford, Johnathan Lopez, Teo Ochoa, Gabe Smithers, Oliver Holmes, Anevay Crawford, Kelly Crawford, Talaynah Cowen, Glen Jennings, Frank and Sheila Stewart, Sarah Jennings and the members of the Ladies Auxiliary. Groups we’d like to thank are MACC, ERBM Recreation and Park District, Ben Quinn’s seventh-hour art class, and Meeker High School. If anyone would like to still donate there is a drop box outside the VFW at 290 4th St. or you can mail checks to PO Box 825. Thank you again for the amazing community support!
Meeker Auxiliary Post 5843
White River Alliance putting words into action
Dear Editor:
The White River Alliance is a growing organization made up of people who share a common interest in the White River. We are made of volunteers, landowners, stake holders, and some great folks from all over that care about the White River. Our goal is to share information, promote education and awareness about the river and to put words, and good ideas, into action.
On the action front, White River Alliance members recently spent the day cutting down and spraying Russian Olive trees on the White River just east of Meeker. This invasive non-native tree consumes very large amounts of water in a time where there is no water to spare. Although native plant species also consume water, the Russian Olive tree consumes water with little or no benefit to the environment or people. This effort is important because the location is where we can stop the Russian Olive from its migration further up the White River. Just drive to the west side of Meeker and you can see how the Russian Olive is taking over our beautiful river.
On other fronts, the WRA is actively participating in ongoing efforts to support better stewardship and resource management practices that will help maintain a healthy river. We are excited to be a part of a growing and successful, organized effort, to make water and the White River more important, like “very important”!
Reducing potential contributors of the algae bloom has been one of the most important priorities for the WRA. Although the river is in a similar condition than it was in 2018, with low stream flow conditions, the algae bloom has not returned on the upper White River. This is very encouraging! The absence of the dreaded algae bloom may not help to discover its cause, but this might be a welcome indication that current efforts to promote a healthy White River are paying off with dividends.
The WRA is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to a common cause. Please check us out at WhiteRiverAlliance.net. If you are interested in the White River, we want to hear from you. Our end of the year gathering will be in early Dececember (time and date will be announced soon). Please join us for an enjoyable evening of information sharing with guest presentations, great conversation, and a proactive group of people who share a community of thought about healthy White River.
Shawn Welder
White River Alliance
Meeker
The wolf vote
Dear Editor:
The last time I looked 395 people in Rio Blanco County voted to reintroduce the grey wolves. I stopped looking as the number continued to grow. I found myself lost for words. How can 395 people in our community vote for wolf reintroduction?
We are already seeing the effects of our governor’s attack on rural Colorado with the promised closing of the mine and shutting down Piceance Creek. I am not sure people understand what these closings mean to our community. It not only affects the workers, it will hurt our small businesses; we will not have the income to support town positions; county jobs and budgets are already being cut.
Now our community gets to battle with the introduction of a gang predator. Wolves aren’t Disney characters. They are murderers. As a rancher who runs on forest permits, obviously I am concerned. People that pushed wolf reintroduction say, “Don’t worry you will get compensated for wolf kills in your herd.” That’s ignorant, I want to say stupid but I have to remind myself that it is ignorant. They have chosen not to get educated on what a wolf attack will do to my whole herd. We work hard to keep our cows calm for their health, their calves’ health, for my family’s safety, and for the public’s safety. We work quietly in our corrals; we choose genetics that promote mild temperaments. Wolves will cause them great anxiety, create instincts to fight, and make them consistently on the move not being able to settle. Never mind the health effects on my herd. Where is the compensation money for a kill coming from? Did I miss the part where the wolves are bringing in some form of income to pay for what they kill?
Every year from September through November our economy gets a boost from hunters. Will they want to come to our mountains and compete with the wolf gang? We are not rebalancing an ecosystem. That is not possible. Our population has grown too much. Not to mention the ease and availability for people to roam the mountains now. There are not very many spaces on the mountains that are not explored by mountain bikers, hikers, OHVers, snowmobilers, riders, hunters, campers, etc.
People come to Meeker because they love the community. They want to raise their families here. There is a push on the rural areas, people are relocating so they have room to breathe from COVID, rioting, protests, and the other things that come from living in cities. These people come because they like this community. And then they try to change it. I urge our community to please be mindful of what makes rural Colorado great. The next time there is a vote please get educated on how the vote will affect the people in your rural community. A friend from Arizona visited us this summer. As we were discussing politics and the migration of people she said “People move to Arizona to escape their allergies and then they plant the same damn flowers they were running from.”
The Rogers Family
Meeker
HT election coverage first-rate
Dear Editor:
I very much appreciate Herald Times 2020 election coverage. During this election cycle, your weekly issues provided guidance for proper voting procedures. The “Question and Answer” articles answered pertinent questions voters might have about the voting process.
The paper included interviews with candidates representing our third Congressional district and our 8th Senate district. Herald Times alerted the public to candidates’ campaign stops in Meeker and Rangely. Your Herald Times article asking “Who judges the judges?” was timely. Good question!
When interviewing the candidates, Lucas Turner focused on issues that were relevant to Rio Blanco County citizens: affordable health care, the economy, good paying jobs, and public lands. Each candidate’s direct statements showed their knowledge and where they stood on issues. This provided the best insight into how each candidate might represent the citizens of RBC.
Thank you Herald Times for your thoughtful fact based approach to journalism.
Debra Frazier
Meeker
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. DUE TO SPACE CONSTRAINTS, please try to keep SUBMISSIONS 500 words or less.
