Craig Daily Press / Our view

Editorial: Refine rather than rebuild

It can hardly be argued The Memorial Hospital in Craig has vastly improved as a health care provider since it moved to a new facility west of town two-and-a-half years ago. Hospital officials deserve credit for this, but plenty of kudos should also go to the public for funding $42.6 million for the new hospital. One trip to TMH is all it takes to understand just how far the hospital has come from the old days of the Russell Street location. However, as improved as TMH has become, the editorial board believes the hospital should show more consideration to private practice health care providers. The hospital, which receives public money, has advantages other local providers don’t when it comes to the bottom line.

Editorial: Bang for the buck?

There were some surprising figures released in Monday’s Craig Daily Press story outlining last year’s activity by the All Crimes Enforcement Team, a task force that operates in Moffat and Routt counties. According to the report, the task force conducted 29 investigations last year, resulting in four convictions and the seizure of drugs with an estimated total street value of $42,807.68. The breakdown on seizures: 372.12 grams of cocaine, 2.8 grams of methamphetamine, and 3 grams of marijuana. Perhaps there are aspects of the task force’s activity that aren’t as tangible as the conviction and seizure numbers, and if that’s the case, forgive the editorial board’s opinion today.

Editorial: Community buy-in needed

With the formation of new support organizations and a renewed emphasis on spirit at games and contests, the tea leaves read that more attention is being paid to Moffat County School District academics, athletics and activities, with eyes fixed on improvement. These developments are positive for our school district and students. District teachers, administrators and officials have seemingly embraced the enhanced community support, and for this they deserve praise. Rather than being territorial or bucking at the assistance effort of outsiders, our school district staffers have joined the effort with open minds. Still, it’s going to take more of a collective effort, that is more from everyone involved, to get educational, athletic and extracurricular activities headed in a direction more indicative of our students’ vast potential, and in a direction that better reflects on the Craig and Moffat County community.

Editorial: Ignoring vigilance at a cost

A lesson learned from the sad ending of Joe Paterno’s career and life is we’re best served not allowing individuals, no matter how great their accomplishments may be, to become bigger than institutions they serve. The scandal that claimed Paterno is also a sobering reminder to parents that boogeymen lurk, and there’s no such thing as being too vigilant.

Editorial: Appointment disappointment

The Moffat County Commission’s ouster of a longtime The Memorial Hospital Board member was a decision counter-productive to improving the hospital or bettering the community. The move has drawn criticism from community members, and the commission owes the public an explanation.

Editorial: Taking charge to make change

The Moffat County Booster Club and Maximum Commitment to Excellence, two new organizations trying to tackle local education issues, are a blueprint for how to make positive change in Moffat County. Instead of waiting for a cumbersome bureaucracy to fix the problem, these groups are jumping in to make a difference.

Editorial: City needs to finish what it started

Anyone who starts a project should follow it through to the end. Common sense, right? Yet completion is noticeably lacking when it comes to some of Craig’s streets and pathways. The stretch of Barclay Street that crosses the Sandrocks is a good example. It’s a hazard that a little forethought and follow through could have prevented. The street is narrow, winding and steep on both sides of the Sandrocks, making it an invitation for young, reckless drivers to catch air.

Editorial: Time for a resolution

The situation surrounding Craig City Park is, simply put, a mess. Residents concerned about the fate of the much-used park have reason to be worried. The City of Craig and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4265 have opened up lines of communication again, but there’s no guarantee the conversation between the two entities won’t collapse or end in a deadlock. With discussions starting fresh, it’s a good time for the city and VFW to take a step back and consider what they stand to gain if they put their differences aside and hammer out an agreement.

CDP Editorial: Economic encouragement

Our View The calendar didn’t have to turn to a new year for Craig and Moffat County to receive encouraging economic news. The prospect of a new commercial development could mean big things for our community, as would keeping a current big box retailer rather than losing it to national cutbacks. The biggest concern for many in 2011 was, and rightly so, the state of the economy. It’s a worry likely to fester and carry over into the coming new year. But, news came out this week that leads us to believe things may begin turning around with the calendar turning the page. This week, Craig and Moffat County residents learned that a new commercial development, the Tebo Center, a project encompassing 10,477 square feet, will be built near Walmart in west Craig. The project will house three retail businesses, and is one of the few new commercial developments to come along in our community in recent years.

CDP Editorial: Exceptions to the rule

It was a simple quote — just 41 words spread across two sentences — in the next to last paragraph of a game recap. Matt Ray, a Moffat County High School graduate, longtime assistant coach and now the Bulldogs’ second-year girls varsity basketball coach, commented on his team’s 53-40 defeat in the second round of the Steamboat Springs Shootout. “They are very fast and aggressive and we know we have to learn how to stop that,” Ray said of Fossil Ridge High School, the 5A school that bested his Bulldogs. “We might not see this type of play in our league, but come playoffs, we will and we need to stop it to win.” Note those words: “But come playoffs …” We know a lot about Ray and his team from those three words.

Our View: Congrats and thanks in order

The state of our economy today is in such disarray that it causes many to feel uncertain about the future, and justifiably so. People adjust their budgets and judge each cost and expenditure on whether it’s necessary. They don’t know what tomorrow will bring but fear the worst.

Our View: Hatch Act has no place

Archaic, unreasonable and unfortunate are just a few of the descriptions — and the nicer ones, at that — that have been used recently to describe the Hatch Act, a federal law that suddenly has become a factor in our community and others regarding November’s election.

Our View: Daily Press committed to Web

Change isn’t always easy, and it isn’t always popular. But we’ve got to grow with the times. And the Craig Daily Press is no exception. In the new world of social networking and instant information, the Daily Press is keeping up and the Editorial Board contends that’s exactly what readers should expect from their news source.

Our View: Remembering the past

A week ago, one of Moffat County’s most prominent and philanthropic residents was given the KRAI/Craig Daily Press Citizen of the Year Award during the annual State of the County event at the Holiday Inn of Craig.

Our View: Well represented

On Thursday, four young men of our community, athletes who have worked hard, sacrificed, and competed on behalf of themselves and their school, will begin pursuit of being the best in Colorado. These four Moffat County High School wrestlers — Charlie Griffiths, Nathan Tomlin, Cody Adams and Ben Winslow — carry their hopes, hearts and skill set into the Pepsi Center in Denver with the prospect of a state title on the line.