Meeker

Snow removal hot topic

MEEKER I Complaints about snow removal are as predictable as, well, snow. Whether it’s a gripe about how quickly snow is hauled off the streets or a grumble about where the snow is piled until spring, complaints are perennial.
Snow removal in Meeker is the responsibility of the town’s public works department. Public works has five employees, three snowplows and two other pieces of snow removal equipment to clear more than 20 miles of roadways.
If the snow would cooperate by falling only in the late evening and early morning hours, snow removal would be much easier. However, when the bulk of the snow falls during daylight hours, the town’s plows and trucks have to choreograph a slow-moving dance with traffic, parked cars, and unpredictable pedestrians.
In residential areas and throughout most of town, snow is plowed to the sides of the streets. In the downtown business district, from Fourth Street to Eighth Street between Market and Main, the town collects snow property owners push into the center of the street. Snow gathered at the corners along Market Street is also collected by the town, to avoid visibility problems for drivers.
“Businesses weren’t required to have snow storage when those buildings were built,” said Sharon Day, town administrator. Changes to building regulations now require properties to have adequate on-site snow storage.
“First National Bank of the Rockies has snow storage now (in their new parking lot) and stores their own snow,” Day said, by way of example.
Property owners in the aforementioned area are permitted to plow snow into the street.
“At this point, that’s perfectly legal,” Day stated.
Anyone plowing snow from driveways or parking lots is asked to first consider storing the snow on-site if possible. If the snow has to be moved into the street, residents are asked to avoid leaving ridges on the street, which can create dangerous conditions for the town’s plows.
Drivers are also asked to be aware of rights-of-way for snow removal equipment. A vehicle with a yellow or blue flashing light has the right-of-way at all intersections and may not be required to yield to other traffic. Residents are asked to use caution in the presence of snow removal equipment, and if possible, to avoid traffic in the block where snow is being removed.
“Meeker is the only town I’ve ever lived in that plows all of its streets,” Day said. Most communities, even Denver and Colorado Springs, don’t plow every street.
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In their first meeting of the new year, Meeker’s Board of Trustees approved a special events liquor license for the Meeker Lions Club to serve liquor during the Meeker Chamber of Commerce banquet and annual meeting Feb. 10. Also approved: A permit for the 2011 use of Ute Park to David Smith Ranches, Inc.
Mayor Mandi Etheridge asked the board to consider ways to make Ute Park more accessible. A citizen she spoke with was under the impression that the gates to Ute Park were locked and the ranching operation was underway year round, which is not the case.
“Yes, there are those three months in the spring when there’s calving going on and people shouldn’t be in there, but the rest of the time the area is open as a public park,” Etheridge said.
Following the regular meeting, the board held a workshop to discuss progress in the plan for the old elementary school building.
Currently, the town is awaiting the final environmental study on the building. The results of that study are likely to significantly impact the number of potential re-uses and interested developers. Once the study is received, the town will issue a request of interest (RFI) to developers.
Town administrator Sharon Day said visiting similar projects in Carbondale and Palisade where schools have been retrofitted for other uses might be beneficial. A former school in Carbondale is now used as a kind of artist’s center, and a Palisade school is in the process of being transformed into a fire department and a community room.

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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.
14 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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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!
21 hours ago
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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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3 days ago
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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
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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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4 days ago
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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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Choose-your-own-adventure…. Hear from our Editor in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
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View on Instagram |
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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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