Wendll’s Wondrous Things is a divine retail gift and home interior store located in the heart of historic downtown Meeker, Colorado. Established in 1994, Wendll’s offers a variety of jewelry, cards, books and gifts specializing in the interesting and eclectic.

Owner, Wendy Gutierrez, says “We cater to tourists and locals in the community and take pride in bringing good taste and great items to all that find us!”

Make your way to the back of the store and you’ll find a delightful coffee bar – Cuppa Joes! This is a favorite spot with the locals to gather for coffee or smoothies and catch up on the latest with each other. Often, you will find people of all ages hanging out playing card games or working on their computer in the comfortable atmosphere.

594 Main St

Meeker, Colorado 81641

(970) 878-3688

The Northwest Chapter of the Colorado Outfitters Association is an organization comprised of 35 Outfitter members.  These 35 outfitter members collectively bring to the table well over 350 years of experience in the outfitting industry.  NWCOA members offer a variety of services to area guests as well as out of state visitors.  All 35 members offer hunting services ranging from pack-in wall tent camp horseback hunts to private land motorized access hunts.  Many of the members also offer fishing trips, horseback riding, photography trips and family outtings.  Each member of the Chapter must be a member in good standing with the State Association of Outfitters which is the Colorado Outfitters Association.  Members also must be registered with the State of Colorado, be bonded and have the required insurance to conduct business as an outfitter.  Guests choosing to book a hunt or outdoor trip with a NWCOA member can be assured they will be in good hands with a professional in the outfitting industry.

The Meeker Chamber of Commerce hosted a County Commissioner Candidate Forum July 28th at Mountain Valley Bank community room. The candidates, Shawn Bolton, Wendy Gutierrez and Pat Hughes each answered ten questions that had been preselected from all the priority questions sent in from members. Following this, the floor was opened up for questions from the approximately sixty five citizens who attended the event.

This venue provided a perspective from the candidates that especially pertained to business and issues that concern them.

Don’t forget: August 10th is the Primary Election!

If you join before the end of August for 2011, the rest of 2010 will be half price! You would immediately be listed on our website directory and ‘connected’ to our browsers and all our activities.

Here are the different levels of membership:

Whether you are in agriculture or own a business in town, we’ve found that working together benefits everyone. We also have created a membership level for home businesses for only $75 year! This will give you website presence and the ability to network with other members.

Community Supporters are so important to the chamber. We value each one and their input for common community goals. This membership is only $35/year with senior discount at $25/year.

Now…if you lived in Meeker at one time and have now moved to another part of the country, you can still share with us in making Meeker a thriving community. Alumni Community Supporter membership is also only $35/year with senior discount at $25/year. Your membership helps us reach goals in Meeker Beautification and events that help businesses and tourism. Join us on Facebook too – to be in the know on all that’s going on here!

The location is just four miles up County Road 4 on the right hand side or you can meet up at the chamber office by 4:45 to follow us as we ‘caravan’ up to the site. If you have questions, call 878-5510.

Want to know what the “yummy” food is going to be?  Brats and BBQ Chicken!!! How fun is that?

Members – bring a prospective business member! If they join, you receive a 15% discount on next year’s membership!!!

Cathy’s presentation covered:

• Tips on getting the right job
• How to do an interview
• Creating the right resume
• Selling yourself!

If you would like a copy, contact us or Cathy for information.

Rio Blanco lodge #80, A.F. & A.M. (Ancient Free and Accepted Masons) is the local Masonic lodge.   Masonry is the world’s oldest existing fraternity, with roots that are dated back to the days when actual (operative) stone masons constructed stone temple’s, cathedrals, and castles in Europe.  The purpose of Masonry is to make good men better.    Free Masons (or speculative masons) use tools and implements of operative stone masonry (like a square, a compass, or a gavel) as symbols that teach lessons about friendship, morality, brotherly love, and charity.

Although one requirement for membership is expressing a belief in a supreme deity /creator,  Masonry is NOT a religion.  Masonry encourages all members to actively participate in the religion of their choice.

In 2010, Rio Blanco Lodge #80 awarded $4,500 in college scholarships to local graduating high school seniors.  This money is was raised through local member donations and fundraiser’s such as pancake breakfasts served at the 4^th of July and at the Meeker Classic Sheepdog trials.

Each state has its own Grand Masonic Lodge, or presiding body, over the Masonic lodges within that state.  The Grand Lodge of Colorado annually awards about 17 Colorado graduating high school seniors with $28,000 scholarships.  The most recent local student to receive one of these  was Nicole Kindall.   The Colorado Grand Masonic Lodge will visit Meeker on August 26^th to dedicate a symbolic cornerstone at the new elementary school.   “Laying cornerstones” is an ancient Masonic tradition that honors the edifice and asks God for blessings upon the building and its future inhabitants.

Many people do not realize that the Shriners are a Masonic organization.   Membership in a local Masonic lodge Is required to  become a Shriner.    The Shriners are best known for their world-class  orthopedic and burn hospitals where they provide 100% free care to any qualifying child under the age of 18.    The closest Shriner’s  hospital to Meeker is the Shriner’s Orthopedic hospital in Salt lake City.     Several local children have received world class care there worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in the past few years.  The medical bill to the involved child/families was $0.00.  Shriners even pay for the patient’s and family’s transportation.   Shriner’s hospitals are completely supported by member donations and through the fundraising of local Shriner’s organizations.

Kevin Amack is the current presiding officer of the local lodge.  Please contact Kevin (878-4880) if you would like any additional information.

Randy’s  grandparents Oscar and Eva Ridgeway moved to Meeker in the early 1930′s  and opened the “Creamery,”located on Hwy 13. Randy was raised here until the early 80′s when he got married and moved away to live and work in Northern California, then Vernal Utah and Evanston Wyoming. Randy’s line of work has mostly been in the gas and oil industry,first as a laborer, then operator, sales and then management.

In 2005 Randy and his wife, Teresa, and three sons made the decision to come back home to Meeker.  He started his own business R & T and  later  Waterboyz  and also White River Rentals which have each been successful. It’s a family business and their talents blend to continue to make them a success. Even though Randy is still operating here, he has expanded operations out of the area as well, due to the latest cut backs.

Randy was elected to the Chamber of Commerce by the community last fall. The chamber truly appreciates Randy’s insightful perspective and tireless efforts to give practical assistance in any way he can. A big thank you especially goes to Randy and his sons for placing the aggregate planters around town the past two years!

The old records have disappeared but we know that this county used to have a Rio Blanco County Woolgrowers Association and a Rio Blanco County Woolgrowers Auxiliary.  Both organizations were very active in promoting lamb and wool and working to better the industry.  Two of the biggest annual events in this county were the Woolgrowers Banquet and Dance held in March every year and the Woolgrowers Barbecue held in September.  These events were fund raisers and promoted eating lamb and wearing wool.  The day after each of these events people would call our house to be put on the list for tickets for next year.

In 2001, there was no longer an auxiliary and the association’s membership was down to 5. Connie Theos explained, “I believe the only reason the association was still in existence was to have an entity that could contract with USDA-APHIS-WS in order to maintain some sort of predator control.  Those range producers who were still in business in March 2003 were quite surprised to find that we had new folks at our annual meeting.   We reorganized officially, with new by-laws in March 2006, as the Rio Blanco County Woolgrowers Association.    We are taking a positive attitude about our industry.  We work together on things like community shearing day.  And we are once again promoting our wonderful lamb and wool.  We do the Annual Lamb Barbeque at the Meeker Sheep Dog Trials and we have a Lamb Kabob to raise money for FFA and 4H lamb and goat awards at the County Fair.  We are trying to set up a program to purchase wool yardage for anyone who wants to sew their own garment and enter the county fair and the Make It Yourself with Wool Contest.”

This year the Rio Blanco Woolgrowers Association is working in conjunction with the Rio Blanco County Cattlewomen hosted the 4^th of July BBQ on the court house lawn on Sunday and it was awesome!

Is there a future for sheep production in Rio Blanco County?  Connie Theos says, “You Bet!  You have to be willing to work long hours for very little pay, but the feeling of accomplishment when your lambs go to market and your wool packs are loaded on the truck is like no other.  It is a great industry, as old as time itself.  It is a great way to raise your children, to instill those qualities that can only be attained with compassion and hard work.  The old saying is “If you take care of the sheep, they will always take care of you.

Oh Yeah………….You don’t have to have sheep or goats to join.  The membership fee is $20 per year or .02 per head of sheep or goats, whichever is greater.  We welcome all who want to share this industry and work with a great group of people doing good work and having fun at the same time.”

For information on joining you can contact Angelo Theos, President, Tony Theos, Vice President, or Connie Theos, Secretary/Treasurer.