Letters To The Editor, Opinion

Letters to the Editor: September 4, 2008

Dear Community,
As you may have noticed, Meeker Elementary School has experienced significant growth during the past couple of years. We finally reached the point where we’ve outgrown the space in our current facility. This summer, we installed two new modular buildings that house four classrooms to accommodate this growth.
We had a great deal of help from a variety of people and organizations in our drive to have these new classrooms ready for the children this fall. Below is a list of those individuals and organizations that provided us with assistance: White River Electric Association, Matt Rosendahl with Qwest, Pat Hughes and Western Slope Sod Farm, Tim Cleary, Bill White with the State Electrical Board, Bill Troutwine with Commercial Specialists, ConocoPhillips, EnCana Oil & Gas, Williams Energy, Bill Bischof with the State Building Inspector’s Office, Dean Smith with the State Office of Fire Safety, Joe Bartucco and MIH Construction, Stanley Crawford and St. James Church. The assistance that each of these people and organizations provided was invaluable in preparing our new buildings on a very tight timeline.
I’d also like to take this opportunity to invite the community to come to our open house on Friday, Sept. 5 from 4-6 p.m. We’ll be happy to show you around the modulars as well as the main building and address any questions or concerns you might have about the building and the well-documented issues we’ve been experiencing.
Jason Hightower, principal
Meeker Elementary School

Dear Editor,
Once again the Rangely Middle School Relay for Life Team wishes to thank all Rio Blanco County businesses and residents who contributed to the Relay this year. The annual relay event was held Aug. 22-23, and our team collected more than $7,900 through the summer for the Rio Blanco County Relay division of the American Cancer Society.
We want to specifically thank Los Tres Potrillos and Gio-vanni’s Italian Grill each for hosting a diner for the cure for a second year; the Rangely Fire Department and Mike Cushman for allowing us to use their facility for our third annual car wash; Los Tres Potrillos and White River market for allowing us to leave collection cans; multiple businesses in both Rangely and Meeker for very generous donations and all Rio Blanco County residents who made direct donations as well as attended our fund raising activities. We also want to thank the Rio Blanco Herald Times for advertising our fundraisers at little or no charge.
The Rangely Middle School team has been involved in the relay for three years and has collected more than $18,000 since the 2006 relay. We want to personally thank Leanna Cox, Pauline Hillard and Vicki McPhail for all their help and guidance during the years. Each team member continues to hope that a cure will be found and that we do not lose anymore special people to cancer.
Again we thank everyone in Rio Blanco County for his or her support and we know that we will be successful in our goal one day!
The Young Padawans:
Holly Lepro
Kelsey Prosser,
Kelsey Skaggs
Brittany Babineaux
Shelby Neiberger
Kimber Kinney
Mariah Morano
Espy Saenz
Alex Richens
Chris Staley
James Rogers
Riley Way
Marshall Way
William Scoggins
James Scoggins
Robert Longoria

Dear Editor,
I hope everyone had an enjoyable Labor Day weekend. Like many of you, I packed up the camper and headed off to the forest for some rest and relaxation away from phones, TVs and e-mails. I was surprised and pleased to find my “usual” spot on Miller Creek available even though I didn’t get there until almost dark Friday night.
Long after dark, though, I began to have second thoughts as a parade of noisy “kids” in pickups began charging through the stream crossing and banging up the west fork Miller Creek road to some party location thankfully out of sight and mind. Disturbing, but I can remember being that age and just as obnoxious and reckless. Hopefully, as we get older, we get smarter.
Not so with the idiots on the ATVs who took turns the next day tearing up the creek bottom above and below the stream crossing. One of them was a full grown adult, apparently teaching his son or someone else’s unfortunate youngster what real “fun” is — ripping around in the stream on your ATV doing as much damage as possible and churning up the creek until it looked like a big bowl of mud with a tail bleeding off downstream, which is exactly what it is. What morons! It doesn’t take a biologist or rocket scientist to figure out what releasing torrents of silt and mud into the creek does to trout populations — it destroys them. Silt covers the eggs that brown trout are laying right about now, causing them to suffocate. When all the trout are gone a few years from now and junior wants to go fishing, you’ll have to take him somewhere else, having destroyed the fishing in this stream.
Just to confirm my belief, I talked with a Division of Wildlife officer the next day who shook his head in sad resignation and said, “Yep it’s illegal to do that, but we can’t be everywhere at once.” However, I know where you idiots on the four-wheelers went after tearing up the stream, and now so does the DOW and sheriff’s office. You obviously knew what you were doing was wrong from the way you hightailed it when I hollered at you. It’s stupid jerks like you that make other people want to ban four-wheelers from public lands. Oh, and to the equally obnoxious and inconsiderate folks camped up the road that kept screaming up and down the road on a green dirt bike with no muffler, and also did your share of damage “playing” in the stream crossing. How about a little consideration for those who go camping for some rest and relaxation? If I want to listen to dirt bikes screaming all day, I’ll go to a motocross track — so should you.
Mike Neumann
Meeker

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@ht.1885
  • 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.
  • 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
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Choose-your-own-adventure…. Hear from our Editor 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.
  • Black Sulphur Tavern held a grand opening and ribbon cutting for their new business at 364 Seventh St. The space has been renovated with several TVs and games and provides a fun, friendly atmosphere to watch your favorite sports team and enjoy a burger and wings. Owners Frank Maestas and Pat Maestas are pictured with their new staff and Chamber of Commerce representatives Stephanie Hanson, Trudy Burri and Margie Joy. Follow Black Sulphur Tavern on Facebook. Their hours are Wednesday and Thursday 3-9 p.m., Friday 3 p.m. - 1 a.m., Saturday 11-1 a.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to midnight.
  • The winning teams and individuals for the 18th annual White River Community Association Buy-Fly Fishing Tournament are as follows. Individual top weight catch was Dave Metrovich and longest fish was Kevin Massey. First place team won by Rio Blanco Abstract: Erik Eckman, Adam Parrett, Dave Metrovich and Wayne Kirkpatrick. Second place team was Drake Consulting: Travis Kaiser, John Douglas, Tony Bartolomucci and Bob Brandeberry. Third place team Mr. Rogers and the Hood (accepted by Doug Rogers) Gary Rogers, Mark Beauchamp, Kyle Schutte and Rick Gunter. The white fish have been frozen and will be served at the annual White River Community Association fish fry fundraiser in June.
  • Cowboy Carson Klinzmann on the mound for Meeker at Suplizio Field in Grand Junction last Saturday. Meeker took on the 4A Rifle Bears, losing 11-1, and the Basalt Longhorns, losing 7-3. Read the recap online at ht1885.com.
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.
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.
2 days ago
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1/9
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
View on Instagram |
2/9
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.
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.
3 days ago
View on Instagram |
3/9
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.
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.
3 days ago
View on Instagram |
4/9
Choose-your-own-adventure…. Hear from our Editor in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
Choose-your-own-adventure…. Hear from our Editor in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
4 days ago
View on Instagram |
5/9
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.
5 days ago
View on Instagram |
6/9
Black Sulphur Tavern held a grand opening and ribbon cutting for their new business at 364 Seventh St. The space has been renovated with several TVs and games and provides a fun, friendly atmosphere to watch your favorite sports team and enjoy a burger and wings. Owners Frank Maestas and Pat Maestas are pictured with their new staff and Chamber of Commerce representatives Stephanie Hanson, Trudy Burri and Margie Joy. Follow Black Sulphur Tavern on Facebook. Their hours are Wednesday and Thursday 3-9 p.m., Friday 3 p.m. - 1 a.m., Saturday 11-1 a.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to midnight.
Black Sulphur Tavern held a grand opening and ribbon cutting for their new business at 364 Seventh St. The space has been renovated with several TVs and games and provides a fun, friendly atmosphere to watch your favorite sports team and enjoy a burger and wings. Owners Frank Maestas and Pat Maestas are pictured with their new staff and Chamber of Commerce representatives Stephanie Hanson, Trudy Burri and Margie Joy. Follow Black Sulphur Tavern on Facebook. Their hours are Wednesday and Thursday 3-9 p.m., Friday 3 p.m. - 1 a.m., Saturday 11-1 a.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to midnight.
5 days ago
View on Instagram |
7/9
The winning teams and individuals for the 18th annual White River Community Association Buy-Fly Fishing Tournament are as follows. Individual top weight catch was Dave Metrovich and longest fish was Kevin Massey. First place team won by Rio Blanco Abstract: Erik Eckman, Adam Parrett, Dave Metrovich and Wayne Kirkpatrick. Second place team was Drake Consulting: Travis Kaiser, John Douglas, Tony Bartolomucci and Bob Brandeberry. Third place team Mr. Rogers and the Hood (accepted by Doug Rogers) Gary Rogers, Mark Beauchamp, Kyle Schutte and Rick Gunter. The white fish have been frozen and will be served at the annual White River Community Association fish fry fundraiser in June.
The winning teams and individuals for the 18th annual White River Community Association Buy-Fly Fishing Tournament are as follows. Individual top weight catch was Dave Metrovich and longest fish was Kevin Massey. First place team won by Rio Blanco Abstract: Erik Eckman, Adam Parrett, Dave Metrovich and Wayne Kirkpatrick. Second place team was Drake Consulting: Travis Kaiser, John Douglas, Tony Bartolomucci and Bob Brandeberry. Third place team Mr. Rogers and the Hood (accepted by Doug Rogers) Gary Rogers, Mark Beauchamp, Kyle Schutte and Rick Gunter. The white fish have been frozen and will be served at the annual White River Community Association fish fry fundraiser in June.
6 days ago
View on Instagram |
8/9
Cowboy Carson Klinzmann on the mound for Meeker at Suplizio Field in Grand Junction last Saturday. Meeker took on the 4A Rifle Bears, losing 11-1, and the Basalt Longhorns, losing 7-3. Read the recap online at ht1885.com.
Cowboy Carson Klinzmann on the mound for Meeker at Suplizio Field in Grand Junction last Saturday. Meeker took on the 4A Rifle Bears, losing 11-1, and the Basalt Longhorns, losing 7-3. Read the recap online at ht1885.com.
6 days ago
View on Instagram |
9/9

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