Begin to ask yourself, with lots of curiosity and little judgment, ‘why am I doing this?’ So much learning in that one practice. ~ Maurice Moe Mitchell There’s a lot to unpack in that little quote. Much of what we do on a daily basis is mechanical or habitual, whether[Read More…]
Tag: Opinion
Newcomers at Old Timers
Tracy and I were invited to the Pioneers Dinner and Dance. Since we are newcomers to Meeker, we didn’t really feel qualified to attend. Thanks, Johnnie, we really enjoyed ourselves. Thanks to the officers, helpers and Jan, it was well attended. The food was great and servers always ready to[Read More…]
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: August 25, 2022
Meaningful engagement Dear Editor: I owe a lot of my neighbors, friends and family so many deeply sincere “thank yous” for the hours they spent face-to-face educating me on water, on history, on family connections, on science, on drought, on range–even though I only used 1% at most of what[Read More…]
Remembering ‘Slug Bug’ and ‘The Love Bug’
I lived most of my teen years with a bruised shoulder. My brother and I engaged in a game called “slug bug” on road trips. We weren’t content with the games Mom gave to pass the time. Car bingo and “I Spy” just wasn’t violent enough for my older brother,[Read More…]
Letter from county regarding Visionary Broadband
Dear Editor: On May 31, 2022, Visionary Broadband notified the Board of County Commissioners of Rio Blanco County (County), Colorado, of their intent to vacate their position as a provider on the County Broadband Network. However, Visionary is extending their billing and support for broadband customers in Rio Blanco County[Read More…]
“Set up a life you don’t need to escape from.”
It’s our birthday! This week’s edition marks the start of the 138th volume of this newspaper. Every year we reach this milestone with a sigh of relief. We made it another year, thanks mostly to all of you, our readers, advertisers and subscribers.Birthdays and anniversaries are a good time for[Read More…]
Editor’s Column: Tick Tock
If your ego starts out, ‘I am important, I am big, I am special,’ you’re in for some disappointments when you look around at what we’ve discovered about the universe. No, you’re not big. No, you’re not. You’re small in time and in space. And you have this frail vessel[Read More…]
The Baby Survival Package ~ Part One
Years ago, I started a tradition of giving a gift basket to expecting parents. It was for the firstborn child of couples we knew well. It started out as both practical guide and a source of humor for nervous new parents. I always asked that this letter be read at[Read More…]
Where did the summer go?
The Rio Blanco County Fair has started and I am not ready. It’s a time change thing. It is not as if I have any real reason to complain, as my only role is to attend. It has always been an end-of summer tradition. The annual event signaled the conclusion[Read More…]
Editor: Prioritizing = putting first things first
“Put First Things First! These four words cover an entire philosophy which can be applied with profit by every business leader, by every executive and by every employee.” ~ Thomas J. Watson (1874 – 1956), Industrialist, Former President of IBM Change is hard, and letting go of things is harder[Read More…]
21st century citizenship: four civic skills we need to keep our democracy
As primaries roll out around the country, we’re tracking voter turnout. Raised on Schoolhouse Rock’s cartoon civics lessons, I know that being a good American means voting. Those 1970’s cartoons weren’t wrong. Voting is the most fundamental act of democratic citizenship. That’s why it has been fiercely contested throughout our[Read More…]
Ditches are a vanishing paradise
Annette Choszczyk lives in rural western Colorado these days, but when she was a kid, the Highline Canal in Denver was her summer paradise. “To us, it was river and a playground, complete with rope swings, swimming holes, crawdads and a trail alongside it that adults and kids could walk[Read More…]
