4A ✧ OPINIONRIO BLANCO HERALD TIMESThursday, September 20, 2012BLM accepting public comment on coal lease app.Special to the <strong>Herald</strong> <strong>Times</strong>RBC I The Bureau of Land Managementis seeking public comment on a preliminaryEnvironmental Assessment looking atwhether to offer 3,157 acres of federal coalreserves beneath BLM managed lands in RioBlanco and Moffat counties in a competitivecoal lease sale.Blue Mountain Energy Inc. has submitteda coal lease by application to BLM forLETTERS TO THE EDITORReligious politicsDear Editor:I. I am a Latter-day Saint(Mormon) and I do support MittRomney for president. Some may saythat it is hard to trust Romney becauseof his “Mormon” faith. How canSurvey!ERBM Recreation & Park DistrictAQUATICS Fitness Survey – 2013 Winter/SpringSurvey information will be used as a planning tool. Questions should notimply that any/all times and/or classes will be offered.Aquatic Fitness classes being CONSIDERED.Please check any which may interest you.TITLE BRIEF DESCRIPTION INTENSITY LEVEL☐Aqua Max Water aerobic workout Medium☐Better Bodies; Big& Small - NEW!Parents & children will getactive in separate workoutsMedium☐H2O Power Strength & cardio training Medium☐Hydro Step Similar to step aerobics Medium☐Senior Splash Minimal impact on joints Low to medium☐Stroke Clinic All levels☐S.W.A.T.(Suspended WaterAerobic Training)Deep water aerobics class High☐W.E.T.(Water ExtremeTraining)Deep water boot campHighAquatic Fitness class times being CONSIDERED; Intensity preference.Check all that apply.TIME PREFERENCEthis parcel adjacent to its Deserado Mine,which is seven miles northeast of Rangely,Colo., and currently employs 164 people.The area being considered for lease is estimatedto contain 21 million tons of saleablecoal.The preliminary EA, which includes asummary of the proposal and map, is availableat http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/wrfo/index.html.BLM will accept public commentsINTENSITY PREFERENCE☐5:30-6:30am ☐12-1pm ☐High☐8:10-9am ☐5:30-6:30PM ☐Medium☐10-11am ☐Other ☐LowSuggestions and/or comments are welcome.OCTOBER 12 IS THE RESPONSE DEADLINE. Please return survey toFront Desk at the Meeker Rec Center, or mail to ERBM Rec & ParkDistrict, Attn: Shelly Rogers; Aquatics Manager, 101 Ute Rd, Meeker,CO 81641.faith-based voters trust him not tomove them in a “Mormon” direction?II. In contrast, his opponentBarack Obama is less risky, moretrustworthy. For example, he can betrusted to support abortion and underminemarriage and the family.III. In November I will vote forMitt Romney instead of BarackObama. I will vote for my values, notmy religion.Brian D. MurrayMeeker, Colo.Consider the tradedeficits with ChinaRomneyLaw OfficeSherman RomneyFREEBankruptcyConsultationsCraig Office415 W. Victory Way824-0257About 90 percent of coaldeposits in Colorado occuron public lands.through Oct. 5, 2012. Written comments canbe mailed to Paul Daggett, BLM WRFO, 220E. Market Street, Meeker, CO 81641, or sentWe are a debt relief agency. We help people file forbankruptcy relief under the Bankruptcy Code.Dear Editor:The United States has lost 50,000manufacturing jobs per month or atotal of 2,000,000 high paying manufacturingjobs under PresidentObama.Our unemployment rate hoversover 8 percent. In January 2012 therewere more unemployed Americans(12.8 million) compared to Americansworking in manufacturing jobs (under12 million).China, the primary culprit, subsidizesits industries, manipulates itscurrency and has no minimum wages.China is the number one supplier ofcritical parts for our defense systems,and is the world’s largest exporter ofhigh technology items. It produces 10times more steel than the U.S.via email to wrfomail@blm.gov. Please note“Coal Lease By Application” in the subjectline for all emails. For more information,please contact Paul Daggett at 970-878-3819.Before including address, phone number,email address or any other personal identifyinginformation in your comment, be advisedthat your entire comment, including personalidentifying information, may be made publiclyavailable at any time.While individuals may request BLM toCurrently, there is one steel plantin the U.S. capable of producing steelthat meets military specifications, andit was purchased by a European company.We must counter the trade deficitswith China and other countries bydecreasing corporate taxes, or keeptax rates where they are, and subsidizeU.S. industries. We currentlyowe China $1 trillion in debt, and ournational debt has skyrocketed from$10 trillion to $16 trillion in the pastfew years.President Obama had almost fouryears to improve our economy, and hehas failed.Donald A. MoskowitzLondonderry, NHSEPTEMBERGOLFERSPECIAL$20ALL THE GOLF YOU CAN PLAY AFTER 5pm* Includes Cart RentalMEEKERGOLFCOURSELocated at 903 RB County Rd. 13 • Meeker970.878.5642withhold personal identifying informationfrom public view, the BLM cannot guaranteeit will be able to do so.About 90 percent of coal deposits inColorado occur on public lands. Currently,there are nine producing coal mines (sevenunderground and two surface operations)encompassing 75,000 acres in the state. In2011, coal energy production on BLMColorado’s public lands directly contributed$884 million to the economy.Customerappreciation?Dear Editor:Last Thursday we ate at JB’s inVernal, as we have been doing regularlyfor 36 years, and were told theyno longer take out-of-state checks. Iclearly remember 36 years ago beingtold more than once, “Rangely isn’tout of town.” I asked to speak to themanager and was told that the newrule came from the owner, not somecorporate headquarters on the otherside of the country, and the reasonwas that they were being overwhelmedwith bad checks, not onlyfrom out of state, but from Vernal andRoosevelt. So they are solving theproblem by no longer acceptingRangely checks. We will solve theproblem by no longer patronizingJB’s.Mickey AllenRangelyHomemakerFurnishings275 6th Street • Meeker878-4340Mattresses Galore!All in stock~ Also ~Sofas • ReclinersDining Room • Bed RoomFree DeliveryDear Residents of Rangely and Rio Blanco County;The Deserado Mine, just 7 miles from Rangely and employing 165 people, has made application to the BLM toexpand the mine. The company is requesting an additional coal lease that would allow the mine to produce up to21 million more tons of coal and allowing for production through the year 2031. approving this additional coal lease. This is good news, but is in no way a guarantee the lease will be granted dueto the level of environmental activism occurring on projects such as this. Without substantial support through thepublic comment process and the hearing process, this additional coal lease could be derailed. With support fromindividuals, businesses and governmental entities, the application will show how critical the Deserado Mine is toour area and the local economy while addressing the environmental concerns raised through this expansion.Just to highlight some of the benefits the mine brings to our local economies in Colorado and Utah: Employment of 165 miners and 105 Bonanza Plant personnel Royalty taxes paid $1,435,478 Support of the Rangely hospital - $190,000, ($266,000 in the first year) Property tax $4,051,906 Severance tax $343,514Total taxes paid in Colorado in 2011 were $6,024,918 (Utah and Colorado $10,506,068).Deseret Power supplies low cost power to Moonlake Electric which in turn provides a substantial competitiveadvantage to our region in the operation of schools, businesses and homes.The Deserado Mine needs your support in the form of comments to be sent to Paul Daggett, BLM WRFO, 220 E.Market St., Meeker, CO 81641 or emailed to wrfomail@BLM.gov subject line.The Deserado Mine, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Blue Mountain Energy has done much to support our s expansion!!God Bless our community, our businesses and our local economy,Mayor Frank Huitt Rangely, Colorado
RIO BLANCO HERALD TIMESThursday, September 20, 2012OPINION ✧ 5ABy BOBBY GUTIERREZbobby@theheraldtimes.comAparent of a young driver toldme she thinks young driversshould see images of thedamage caused in a car accident inorder for them to understand thepossible consequences of not bucklingone’s seatbelt when in a vehicle.I agree, as vivid images motivateme to buckle up.One of the hardest parts of photojournalismis taking those kindsof pictures, yet it’s even harder forme to write about the consequences,especially when it involvessomeone young.By KENT WALTERSpecial to the <strong>Herald</strong> <strong>Times</strong>RBC I The Bureau of LandManagement is asking for the public’shelp in shaping the future managementof oil and natural gas developmentin northwestern Colorado’sPiceance Basin, a place rich in bothenergy and wildlife resources.The BLM’s White River FieldOffice in Meeker recently released forpublic review and comment a draftplan outlining multiple alternatives formanaging the expected increase in oiland natural gas development on the1.7 million acres of federal mineralresources it manages.It’s called the White RiverResource Management Plan Oil andGas Development Amendment. Itlooks at the potential impact of thisanticipated development and proposesvarious options for mitigating thoseimpacts.Oil and natural gas development isimportant to this area — BLM estimatesthat development within theWhite River Field Office alone duringthe next 20 years could result in 8,000new jobs in northwestern Colorado.But also vitally important are thearea’s wildlife and environmentalresources.With most of the area alreadyleased, BLM’s task is to find innovativeways for managing this increasingdevelopment while minimizingUP AND DOWN EL RIO BLANCOBuckle upPersonally I remember pledgingto wear my seatbelt at all timesbefore it was the law and beforemy daughter was born in 1983. Iadmit not always keeping mypledge over the years but rarelyhave I broken it, especially in thepast seven years, because I haveseen the consequences.Vivid images appeared in mymind earlier this week when someoneasked me if I had heard aboutthe condition of a teenage girl, whorolled her car and was ejected fromthe vehicle. Even though the personasking the question said thegirl was going to be all right, Icould not get the images out of myimpacts to wildlife and other sensitiveresources.BLM has worked hard with itscooperators to develop a range ofalternatives for this management.Now we are asking the public toweigh-in on the four alternativesdetailed in this plan, which examine arange of development scenarios from550 new multi-well pads to about2,550 new multi-well pads.Although we have identified a preferredalternative, the entire range ofalternatives is on the table, and ourfinal choice will likely be a blend ofmore than one alternative discussed.Public comment on the alternativesplays a large role in what we ultimatelydecide, so I encourage you totake a look at the plan. Specific commentsare the most effective. Tell uswhat you like and don’t like in eachalternative, and why. Is there importantinformation we have not considered?Let us know.While the plan and supportingdocuments are available on-line athttp://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/wrfo.html, a great way to learn more andhave your questions answered is tocome to one of the open house meetingswe are holding throughout theregion next week.Stop by anytime between 4 and 7p.m. Sept. 24 in Meeker at the RioBlanco County Fairgrounds, Sept 25in Rangely at the ColoradoNorthwestern Community Collegemind, triggered by the word “ejected.”I will never forget my wifeanswering the phone in the earlyhours of Oct. 8, 2005, telling meour niece had been in an accidentand was ejected from the vehicle. Iremember scrambling to getdressed and trying to preparemyself.I will never forget walking intothe hospital and seeing my youngerbrother, his eyes red from cryingand hearing him tell me, “She’sdead, Bob, Natasha is dead,” mybrother said before hugging me.I will never forget seeing myniece’s lifeless body on a gurney inWeiss Building, Sept. 26 in Silt at theBLM Colorado River Valley FieldOffice, or Sept 27 in Grand Junction atthe Clarion Inn.We’ll have brief presentations at4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. each day, and awide variety of specialists available totell you more about the draft plan.We’ll take written comment at themeetings, or you can take the informationwith you and provide commentsafter you’ve had time to thoroughlyreview the information. The publiccomment period closes Dec. 14, 2012.We want to hear from you, so Ihope you’ll have a few minutes to stopthe emergency room.I will never forget calling mydaughter and telling her what happenedto her cousin, yet not beingable to hug her, and I will neverforget my mom, who God willing,will celebrate her 88th birthdayOct. 7, telling me with tears in hereyes, “The last thing my hita saidto me was, ‘Happy birthday,Grandma, I love you.’”This is very hard for me to writeand I’m sure it will be difficult formy little brother to read, but we bothknow the message needs to be sharedagain and again: Never forget to hugyour children, tell them you lovethem and always wear your seatbelt.Public feedback sought on gas planby an open house or review the planon-line. This is an important opportunityto be involved in how oil and naturalgas development takes place overthe next two decades within the WhiteRiver Field Office.Kent Walter has been the FieldManager for the Bureau of LandManagement’s White River FieldOffice in Meeker since 2001. TheWhite River Field Office managesnearly 1.5 million acres of publiclands and 1.7 million acres of federalminerals in Rio Blanco, Moffat, andGarfield counties.In the early morning hours of September 17, a fire broke out inour RV. Thanks to Tom Allen and his mighty band of volunteers,it did not spread to the garage and then the house. OfficerJim Amick, who was first on the scene, removed the gas bottles~ one of which was full, and wet down the roof of the garagewhich was only ten feet away. We are very grateful for the greatwork these guys do. Response time was very short and they wentabout their business with great efficiency. Thanks again!!~ Bev & Dick ProsenceThe Old Paths (4)By Dr. J. D. WatsonPastor-Teacher, Grace Bible ChurchRead us online @ theheraldtimes.comPhoneand Internet netDiscountsAvailableto CenturyLink CustomersCenturyLink offers feLifeline e servicetocustomerswho meeteligibilityrequirements. The federalLifeline programisundergoing somechanges in2012,butcustomersmaybeeligibleiftheyparticipate in certainfederal or state assistanceprograms orhavea household annual grossincomeat orbelow135%ofthefederal povertylevel.Lifeline is availablefor onlyonewireline orwireless telephoneperhousehold. Lifeline isnottransferrable anddocumentation ofeligibilityisrequired toenroll. Qualifying residentsofAmerican Indian andAlaskan Nativetriballandsmay be eligiblefor additional al discounts.Lifeline eligible subscribers smayalso qualifyforreliablehomehigh-speedhInternetservice upto1.5Mbps for$9.95*permonthforthe first 12monthsofservice.Furtherdetailsareavailableatcenturylink.com/internetbasics.ics.Ifyoulive ina CenturyLink service area,please call1-800-244-1111or visitcenturylink.com/lifelineelinewith questionsorto requestanapplicationfortheLifelineprogram.TheColoradoPublic UtilitiesCommissiondesignated CenturyLinkasanEligibleTelecommunications Carrier withinitsservicearea for universal service purposes. CenturyLink’sbasic localservicerates for residentialvoice linesare $15.40-$17.00permonth and businessservices are$30.60-$35.02 $35.02per month.Specificicrates willbeprovided upon request.*CenturyLinkInternetBasicsProgram–Residentialcustomersonly whoqualifybasedon meetingincomelevel orprogramparticipationeligibilityrequirements,and requiresremaining eligible fortheentire offer feperiod.Firstbill willincludecharges for the \firstfull monthofservice billed inadvance,proratedchargesfor service from thedateofinstallationto billdate,andone-time chargesandfeesdescribedabove.Qualifying customersmay keepthisprogramfor a maximumof 60months safter serviceactivationprovidedcustomerstill qualifies iesduring that time.ListedHigh-Speed Internetrateof$9.95/mo.appliesfor first 12monthsofservice (after which the raterevertsto$14.95/mo.for the next48monthsof service), andrequiresa12-monthtermagreement.Customermusteither leaseamodem/router from CenturyLink foran additional ditionalmonthlychargeorindependently ently purchasea modem/router,and aone-timeHigh-SpeedInternetactivationfeeapplies.Aone-timeprofessionalinstallationcharge (ifselected bycustomer) andaone-time shippingandhandling fee appliestocustomer’smodem/router. General–Services notavailable everywhere.CenturyLinkmaychange orcancelservices orsubstitutesimilarservicesat itssole discretionwithout notice.Offer, feplans, andstatedratesaresubject tochange andmayvary byservicearea. Depositmay berequired.Additional restrictionsapply.Terms andConditions–All productsandserviceslistedaregovernedbytariffs, fstermsofservice,ortermsandconditionsposted at centurylink.com.Taxes, Fees,andSurcharges–Applicable taxes,fees, andsurchargesincludeacarrier UniversalServicecharge, carriercostrecoverysurcharges,state andlocalfees thatvary byareaandcertain in-statesurcharges.Cost recovery fees arenottaxesorgovernment-required chargesfor use.Taxes,fees, andsurchargesapply basedonstandardmonthly, notpromotional,rates.You’re Invited!Michael “Red” Wolfewill present an informational look at“Ruins and Rock Artof San Juan County, Utahand the Four Corners Area”——————— ◆ ———————Red will show pictures and tell tales collected over 20 yearsin the Four Corners region as a river guide and archeologistin the Manti-La Sal National Forest, Canyonlands and theBureau of Land Management.——————— ◆ ———————Tuesday, September 257 p.m. at theMeeker Public LibraryR I O B L A N C O<strong>Herald</strong> <strong>Times</strong>SERVING RIO BLANCO COUNTY, COLORADO SINCE 1885592 Main Street, Upstairs ✧ Box 720Meeker, Colorado 81641970-878-4017 ✧ 970-878-4016 faxRangely, Colorado 81648 ✧ 970-675-5033— PUBLISHER —Mitch Bettis ~ mitch@theheraldtimes.com EDITOR Bobby Gutierrez ~ bobby@theheraldtimes.com NEWS DEPARTMENT Niki Turner ~ niki@theheraldtimes.comU.S. Postal Service #338-020.Periodicals class postage is paid at Meeker, Colorado 81641.Postmaster: send change of addresses toP.O. Box 720, Meeker, CO 81641-0720© 2012 Freeman Publications, Inc.■ Dr. J.D.WatsonThe fearless prophet Jeremiah thunderedin his day: Thus saith the LORD,Stand ye in the ways, and see, and askfor the old paths, where is the goodway, and walk therein, and ye shallfind rest for your souls. But they said,We will not walk therein (Jer. 6:16).Continuing our thoughts on the oldpaths of doctrine, many years ago Iheard Vance Havner make this statement, and I havenever forgotten it: “Evangelism is to Christianity whatveins are to our bodies. You can cut Christianity anywhereand it will bleed evangelism. Evangelism is vascular;it’s our business.” I agree with that totally, and Iwould like to build on the analogy: Doctrine is to Christianitywhat bone marrow is to the physical body.Bone marrow produces blood cells: red cells carryoxygen and have a lifetime of 120 days; white cells arepart of the immune system and have a lifetime of a fewdays to years; and platelets are involved in blood coagulationand have a lifetime of about nine days. All that iswhat doctrine does. Some “cells” sustain and enrich ourlives, others keep us healthy from things that wouldharm us, and still others heal us when we are injured.Further, as cells have limited life spans, the “marrow ofdoctrine” continues the work of replacing the exhaustedcells with fresh ones. While some today insist that “doctrineis not practical,” such an idea is ludicrous, as wewill see in more detail.Another statement, this one by Martyn Lloyd-Jones,is also one that often comes to mind: “The most foolishof all Christians are those who dislike and decry the importanceof Theology and teaching. Does not that explainwhy they fail in practice?” Why are many Christiansweak and shallow? Why do many fall to any new trendthat comes along? Why do many fail to discern falseteaching? Why do many fail to be consistent, faithful,and obedient? Why do many succumb to temptation?Why do many collapse when someone challenges theirfaith? Because they do not know doctrine. Sadly, they arenot being taught doctrine by their pastors; they are notbeing taught that God’s Word alone is Truth. They arebeing taught that Truth is relative and can be found inmany other places. That is why they fail, and that is whyChristianity continues to degenerate. The more moderntrends that arise, the more biblical truths that are sacrificedon the Altar of Change. As Charles Spurgeon sowell said: “The Holy Ghost rides in the chariot of Scripture,and not in the wagon of modern thought.” Far toomany Christian leaders today are sitting in wagons insteadof standing in chariots.Contrary to popular thinking, doctrine and teachingare repeatedly, over and over again, emphasized inScripture. The word doctrine, in fact, appears 45 times inthe New Testament, 11 of which are in reference toJesus’ own ministry. Regarding Jesus’ Sermon on theMount, we read: “And it came to pass, when Jesus hadended these sayings, the people were astonished at hisdoctrine, For he taught them as one having authority, andnot as the scribes” (Matt. 7:28, 29). We also read in Mark4:2: “He taught them many things by parables, and . . .doctrine.” Parables, we should remember, were not forthe shallow hearer. Matthew 13:10–17 makes it clear thatparables were for Jesus’ true followers. Many todaydon’t get them, for those with hardened hearts cannot understanddeep truth. J. Wallace Hamilton wisely said,“Our modern age is a pushover for the shallow and theshortcut. We want to change everything except thehuman heart.”What, then, was the emphasis at the birth of theChurch? Acts 2:42 documents this for us: “And theycontinued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship,and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” Is it notinteresting that there is nothing here about “cultural relevance,”“appealing to seekers,” or “addressing feltneeds”? There’s not even a single word about music here(or anywhere else in Acts), while today this has becomeby far the main emphasis and prominent feature. Again,doctrine is first because it is foundational.You are invited to worship with us at Grace BibleChurch (on the corner of 3 rd and Garfield) at 10:30 A.M.each Lord’s Day, where the ministry is the expositorypreaching of God’s Word. Please visit our website(www.TheScriptureAlone.com), where you will find many resourcesfor Christian growth, including messages in MP3media files.
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