Thanks from the Meeker ecology program
Dear Editor:
The Meeker International Ecology Program would like to extend a HUGE thank you to Smoking River Brewery and the Borchard family for providing an excellent venue for our Turtle Tides lunch and silent auction fundraiser on Sunday. The support of the community will allow us to take 22 students to Costa Rica in June 2025.
Thank you to everyone that was been able to contribute to the Turtle Tide event, including many local businesses and individuals: Jon Mancusso, Bluebell Boutique, Blunt Aviation, James Creek Outfitters, Meeker General Mercantile, Trappers Lake Lodge, Meeker Classic, Off the Olive Branch, Sarah Grimes, Mike Grady, Iris Franklin, Pat Daggett, Blanco Cellars, The Mend, Sable Mountain Outfitters, Ute Lodge, Denee Dinwiddie, GM Meats, Mona Avey with Grammie’s Bakery, and all the people that bid on the items, purchased lunch, made direct donations, and continue to believe in our program. A special shout out to the 8th Street Pickers who provided the entertainment. They are a talented bunch!
Sincerely,
Meeker International Ecology Program
Trust CPW’s management of wildlife, not Prop. 127
Dear Editor:
Colorado, before you cast your ballot, take a moment to reflect on what Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) means to you. If you don’t know about them, walk outside and look around. Their work touches so many aspects of our lives and Coloradans. They are the ones responsible for some of our state’s most valued resources. As a current CPW commissioner, I offer a unique perspective on this critical issue. What you read below are my thoughts and do not represent the whole Commission.
Colorado’s wildlife history is complex, and not all of it is positive. By the early 20th century, species like elk, deer, lions, and bobcats were nearly wiped out due to market hunting and demand from the east. However, our residents wanted wildlife restored, and so in 1897, the ancestor agency of CPW was formed — to bring balance back to our ecosystems. Today, thanks to careful management and many successful reintroduction efforts, over 960 species now thrive across the state.
Some of CPW’s proudest achievements include the reintroduction of the lynx in the 1990s, a once-endangered species whose population continues to grow. Similarly, the swift fox has recovered so successfully under our management that we are now able to provide animals to other states whose populations have dwindled.
It’s important to recognize that all of this success is made possible through the support of hunting and fishing. A staggering 80% of CPW’s revenue is generated from these activities. If we continue to undermine these resources and ignore science-based wildlife management, Colorado’s wildlife will suffer—and ultimately, CPW will lose its ability to serve Colorado effectively.
So, what legacy do you want for wildlife? It’s up to us to help species remain abundant in Colorado. CPW’s team of over 200 biologists work tirelessly to ensure that our wildlife is managed using the best available science. We need to trust their expertise. That’s why I urge you to vote NO on Ballot Initiative 127—because I will.
Sincerely,
Marie Haskett
Meeker
Another perspective from a library board member
Dear Editor:
My name is John Moffitt, and this letter is to the community of Meeker. I will attempt to explain my perspective as a current member of the Meeker Regional Library Board.
I am first and foremost a Christian – a follower of Christ. This worldview enters every arena of my life, however flawed and imperfect my application may be. My perspectives are developed through the filter of the Holy Bible. This requires my opinions, decisions, and recommendations to agree with God’s written Word. This means that I support what is identified as right and holy in the Bible and I am in opposition to ideas and perspectives contrary to the teaching of Bible.
I am also a law-abiding citizen. There are laws in this land, particularly Colorado, that are in direct opposition to my beliefs. However, it is the law, and I am persuaded to comply. I also am aware that my perspective will not always prevail.
The current by-laws of the Meeker Regional Library District state:
“The Board shall retain a qualified librarian who shall administer policies adopted by the Board…: Article II #4.
The current by-laws also state the following objectives for the Board:
“To assemble, preserve and administer, in organized collections, books and related educational and recreational materials in order to promote, through guidance and stimulation the communication of ideas, enlightened citizenship and enriched personal lives.” Article II, #5.
Further objectives for the Board are to provide original, unorthodox and critical ideas and to provide an opportunity for encouragement of children, young people, men and women to further educate themselves.
These by-laws establish the authority and responsibility of the Board to adopt policies that define collections that represent our community and comply with current law.
The article of Oct. 3, 2024, by Jared Henderson in this paper does not accurately represent the issue of the Library content disagreements. No books have been banned; nothing is being censored. Applying judgement and discretion to the materials purchased for the library by tax dollars is the responsibility of the librarian guided by policies adopted by the Board. To decide against purchasing a particular book is not banning books.
I am striving to promote the conservative values of our community using our tax dollars for our library content. If current social agendas are present in our public library, then materials that provide a counterargument should also be present. As an example, If “Gender Queer” must be in our library, then so should “Openness Unhindered” by Rosario Butterfield who was once a leftist professor in a committed lesbian relationship and now a convert to Christianity.
For those avid readers that are truly concerned about the censorship of knowledge I suggest the following: “Abolition of Man” by C.S. Lewis; “The book of Virtues” by William J. Bennett; or “The Harvard Classics, vol. 48: Blaise Pascal: Thoughts, Letters, and Minor Works”; and “Undaunted Courage” by Stephen Ambrose. These are excellent choices in our library and are superb examples of valuable knowledge.
Respectfully
submitted.
John Moffitt
Meeker