MEEKER I This past weekend we celebrated Colorado Day marking 145 years of statehood. It got me thinking about how we all celebrate name days, birthdays, or special days as a part of our culture. I was not named until a few days after I was born, as my parents[Read More…]
Tag: Loose Ends
Loose Ends: Out of Order
MEEKER I “Out of Order! Do not use or you will be trapped,” the paper posted on a stall in the public restroom proclaimed. It seems that some of the signs posted in the small, roadside businesses catering to tourists have had to resort to improving their signage. It seems[Read More…]
Loose Ends: Language lessons
MEEKER I Recently, the realization that I had better brush up on a second language (before traveling overseas again) dawned on me. Trying to speak with the wide variety of people I meet is always a bust. There is no better way to learn about new cultures. During college when[Read More…]
Loose Ends: No “normal”
MEEKER | Range Call is done for the year. Its success should be seen as a positive indication that Meeker is on the way to a somewhat regular routine. The Delta variant of COVID-19 had already surfaced here before the event was held and more outbreaks are predicted for the[Read More…]
Loose Ends: The most important thing I learned was ______________
MEEKER I Graduation speakers from all walks of life usually touch on this theme and often contain some version of this sentence. Dr. Seuss’s beloved book, “Oh, The Places You’ll Go” is one favorite gift book given to all ages of students for a matriculation ceremony. Some other gift books[Read More…]
Loose Ends: Teacher appreciation
MEEKER | We are quickly approaching the end of another school year. Recently the celebration of teacher appreciation week took place in schools across the country. A national news story about one teacher in Texas reminded me of so many of my fellow teachers over the years. It featured a[Read More…]
Loose ends: A lot of our friends
RBC | Rio Blanco County’s aural gem, The Tank Center for the Sonic Arts, is once again open for the summer. It sat for many years unnoticed, except for local teenagers. It was their secret spot and really wasn’t a secret to local law enforcement and parents. The steel water[Read More…]
Loose Ends: The Great Divide
MEEKER I Recognizing and acknowledging “The Great Divide” between our Front Range and Western Slope residents is only the first step toward moving forward to opening our communities in the next few weeks. The social conventions that have continued to create obstacles between new and long term residents have been[Read More…]
Loose Ends: Hospitality
MEEKER | Ever find yourself stranded on the highway late at night and more than one person stops to lend a hand? Stuck without a ride to go to an appointment in the neighboring community? Suddenly someone remembers that they just happened to be going your way. These are what[Read More…]
Loose Ends: Water Rights
MEEKER | “You don’t understand. My grandfather lost his life over who owns the water from the river.” Listening to a friend’s story about her grandfather’s struggles to get enough water to his crops and cattle to survive struck a chord with me. While we no longer hear of someone[Read More…]
Loose Ends: Happy Spring
MEEKER | Listening to a recent weather report that said that we have reached ninety percent of our needed snowpack, I realized how much we all take our piles and piles of snow for granted. There is no need to tell any of us that early spring brings our heaviest[Read More…]
Loose Ends: Safety and security
MEEKER | While living in Meeker away from the crowds appeals to most long- term residents for a wide variety of reasons, one of the most frequently cited is safety. The events of this past year have threatened that sense of security. While on the surface, the rancorous disagreements between[Read More…]
