Dear Editor,
BPOE Rangely Elks Lodge No. 1907 were delivering Christmas food baskets on Saturday, Dec. 22 at about 2 p.m. in Dinosaur when we stopped at an elderly gentleman’s home. As we entered his upper driveway we saw someone lying in the upper driveway in 2-1/2 feet of snow, struggling to get up. The temperature was 10 degrees. We immediately ran to assist him, we found a elderly man in his mid-80s. We asked if he was injured. He said, “no.” Can we call an ambulance? Again, “no, absolutely not.” He said he had been lying there over two hours and could we help him back into his home. We readily complied with his wishes.
We sat him on his bed and talked to him more than an hour. He seemed coherent as far as I could tell. He was able to move about his home.
We asked if we could call anyone for him. He said the church group would come by at 5 or 5:30 p.m.
I asked him several more times if I could call him an ambulance and each time he said no. He told us where we could put the meat and food that we had brought him. We complied with his wishes. He wanted pictures taken with us, and we complied. He said he was very happy to have six men in his home and thanked us over and over again.
We left and went to a Dinosaur business for a Coke. I asked the cashier to call the sheriff’s office to do a welfare check on him. She said if they didn’t that she would. We then continued delivering Christmas food baskets.
The following day on Dec. 23, I called the Moffat County Sheriff’s Office in Craig to have them do a follow up check on him again. I talked to the dispatcher for 20 or 25 minutes explaining his plight and how we had found him. At the end of our conversation I was told that they were transporting him to the hospital in Rangely.
On Monday, Dec. 24 I did another follow-up, and found Rangely District Hospital had sent him to St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction. I called St Mary’s and found out they had placed him in the Intensive Care Unit.
We did another follow-up on Dec. 27 and he had been placed in a room. We talked to him and believed we acted correctly on his behalf.
He has since gotten out of the hospital and is now living in White River Village.
I want to thank everyone and all businesses that donated to our Christmas food baskets. Without your help, we would not have been there to help this man in his hour of need. Thank you for a job well done. We gave out 69 food baskets this year.
With people and businesses like we have in Rangely and Dinosaur, the citizens are in deed in good stead. This is in keeping the BPOE’s motto, “Elks Care, Elks Share.”
Sincerely,
Paul L. McCracken
Exalted Ruler
Rangely Elks Lodge No. 1907
Rangely, Colo.
Dear Editor,
The annual 4-H grandparents/ senior appreciation dinner was held Sunday. Feb. 10 at the new exhibit hall at the Meeker fairgrounds. The 4-H members spent a lot of time preparing for the festivities, arriving early to help prepare and decorate and hang lights which gave the hall a nice ambience. The grandparents began arriving around 5 p.m. and were treated to a delicious meal consisting of a hearty portion of ham, potato casserole, beans with bacon, rolls from The Bakery and homemade desserts.
After dinner, the grandparents were entertained by 4-H’rs in the talent show. The 4-H’rs showed off many forms of talent by playing the flute, singing, dancing and ending the show with an interesting rendition of the “conga.” Thanks to the Shults family, Amanda Miller, Cassie Maguire, the Cloverbuds and all our wonderful 4-H’rs! Thank you to all the grandparents and seniors for coming and sharing dinner and fun with us, and again, we thank you for your continued support of our 4-H’rs! Thanks for another wonderful evening!
Dessa Lindley
CSU Extension Agent
Meeker, Colo.
