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<br />near small towns
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<br />HEW$PHOTOSIl'(MELSCHIELTZ
<br />Grand Valley's Ruth Kiesler: "Changing the feel of the lown is what we don', want."
<br />
<br />and ('ommunity lcaMrs thprt' appear to ha....e
<br />Itn unspokf:"ll slrlllt'gy which, if successful,
<br />could shield ~leek('r from some undellirable
<br />('hanp;ps,
<br />Ma}'Of Ed Jirak Tuns thr 100\'n's main tlrul{
<br />sture. Quielf'f than Lollar, he ('Olweys less of
<br />8n air of eonfld{'nce. But ht' hu the fJR\lres at
<br />his fin/{f'l'tips !lor! knows l\lf'rker will have to
<br />grow, and fast.
<br />What the town larks now life wal!'f and sew-
<br />age treatment c8padly. and IhrTt"'s no Immedi-
<br />ate move to 501\'(' thp problems. Bllt there have
<br />bE>E'n new anm:'XIlUOIlS providing enough land to
<br />double 1.h(' populations.
<br />:\lpekeT's pres!'nt polkil"!l ....il\ probably draw
<br />to It th(' mort' permanent and affluf'nt of the
<br />fj("\\; Coloralhns.
<br />Fourt'nginCi'ring firrnsha\'e talked of locat-
<br />Ing thf'CI" sinl'e the Ii,."t h'deraloil shall' tract
<br />was ll'flSN. Sonll' oil rompanil's havl' talked of
<br />oj>E'ningbrlln"hofficf's.
<br />Rut until the ""atf'r and ~f'\>,'er systf'm~ lire
<br />e)(pamll'd, thp bulk or the f>l:'Ople will have to So
<br />els('\...hf>rp.O.ll1sP(jupnlly,:'I!el;"kl;"rmaymissout
<br />on tht' first Wln'l', thl;" tem~>orary construction
<br />workNs who've 1f"f1 their families behind, the
<br />!>ingle ml'n ",110'11 be moving on, IInd the road
<br />crews.
<br />If it's fefldy a linleo 1llt('f, thE'supervlSOfll
<br />II.ndl'ngint't'rs may chorn;f':'Ileekf'fas tht'ml1l';t
<br />pleasant of tht' towns in lhe areR, They'll be
<br />If'!'s lndin~ tu live In trollers and more likely
<br />to put doY.'fl roots,
<br />But .Meeker won't f'mt'fjl;e unscathed. SOme
<br />or the ranch IM)(l! whidl surrollnd it ha~'e ~n
<br />bought by oil lirm:ol, olhen by out 01 51ate
<br />in\'eston. Deovelopmellt illf'vitahly will reduce
<br />the amount o( available grazing land,
<br />"Our life-!>tyle's J.:oinl: to change. We can't
<br />stop that," sa)'! Gus Hallandras, a rnn('ht'r
<br />whO!'iE' lands sur'port 3,000 sht'f'p. ''I'm so damn
<br />down I'n Agrkulture Uwt I ....1,m't mind sef'inji!
<br />some ('hanKE'S, I'm tired or the politics 01
<br />fan('hinp;, 'tall e/ln't kill co)..:,tes, you can't get
<br />hf'lp, /lnd if your prices go lip housewivf's :!.tart
<br />a bo)'l'ott,"
<br />But HallAndrA~ SPf'S Mf'l"kf'r Il~ a mort'
<br />permanent community than Ranj.:e1y, "more of
<br />a ha\'en." He horlf'! it will ~row, not boom -
<br />that there'll he more Pf'Op]f' /lnd some 1:0()(1 res-
<br />taurants.
<br />Lollar's hop('s are lp~s rerined, "We have II.
<br />cOlTlplelely lmfl'renl brerd of pl."ol,le In R8n~e-
<br />Iy," he S/lid. '''fllf').'re oi] people ....ho came
<br />
<br />from Oklahoma and Texas hf'rAuse or oil. 111t'y
<br />r('membf'r whf'n there Wl'rf' Pf'Il(lIE' in tentll
<br />when thf' field was Iirst l'If'ing dri1lPd ancl t.hty
<br />had /I p;ood timl', L.I."t's fllre ii, Ul1~ Isn't a9
<br />attractive II <:ommunity 85 l\le(>ker, !Jut Ira
<br />goinf{tobe a lot bigger,"
<br />In most of the IO",TH~ that ring thf' Pirf'ance
<br />O'e<>k Basin, kI.')'S arf' left in Opt'" CBrs ()/'1
<br />main stre('t~, Parcels Ilud grocery bags lI.re in
<br />plain \'j{"\\' on the front seRls. Many twml's are
<br />seldom locked. !\l)/xxl)' worries lTIllch about
<br />something being stolen. Coin laundries are- left
<br />olRn And una\ll'nded at night, /lml Iherl' isn't
<br />any vandalism,
<br />With In'owlh, mUl'h of Ihat probAhly will
<br />chllnge, But m~t !"f'sidl'nts lice ](Ioking at the
<br />sunnyside,
<br />There lire exrf'ptions. On.. Is Don lIutchlnfl,
<br />owner of 1.11... cafe Ilnd r...slauran! in Rio 1lIIln,,()
<br />_ the only cluster of buildings there. Ill". a
<br />.....iry oM timeT who Iloesn't like big bu~inesll.
<br />e5peclallyoileornPlmies.
<br />"Wl'stcrn Colol'adn is a haven from the
<br />IlObe and sprawl," hI' drl!wls. "It helong!! to all
<br />the III'0pll' of Colorado. TIlf'Se rolks arour.d hl'fe
<br />tAlk obout proli!s, but we won't make anythini
<br />and the oil I'umpanipll will run o\'er all we
<br />havl'. Whl'n All the det'r are Kiln... and all Ule
<br />elk are gone /1M oil th<:' cedars are Kone, lhen
<br />what are we going to do?"
<br />Nut: Winds of change in Grand J Ion.
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