Miscellaneous

Much to the Thankful For 2020

There is a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Here are a few things on my mind, big and small.

I’m thankful for the recalibration of 2020. It is clearer than ever that many things are really not at all important; others are vital. 2020 provided clarity.

Frontline healthcare professionals are a treasure. At a certain level, we’ve always been thankful for their skills. Now we’re very thankful. The same goes for all of the support people behind them. For every nurse on the Covid-...

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Star-Spangled Summer Reading List

That was quick. One moment it’s April, then bam, 4th of July! The first half of 2018 flew by.

As you know, sometimes I offer up a summer reading list. While a bit late, here’s a patriotic summer reading list suited for the 4th.

On my current summer reading list:

Killing England: The Brutal Struggle for American Independence, Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard
American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House, by Jon Meacham
Jefferson: Architect of American Liberty, by John Bol...

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Dear Santa, Northern Colorado needs your help!

Dear Santa,

Hey, looking forward to seeing you shortly! I always enjoy time with you, even your "be a little nicer to government" lectures.

So here’s my list. Like last year, there’s nothing on it for me. I’m actually "divesting stranded assets," i.e., getting rid of junk from closets and the basement. But there are others in need, so maybe you can help.

Start with Colorado ...

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Thoughts of Thanksgiving

Though I have a grateful outlook daily, I always make time at Thanksgiving to pause and take stock of things. There’s not enough space for the full list, but here are some things for which I am thankful.

Family and friends. ‘Nuff said.
As the invincibility of youth morphs into the physical indignities of old age, good health takes on added weight. I’m very thankful for my own great health and the wisdom to know it can be gone in a blink.
The UCH Cancer Center is a community trea...

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How Rich do You Feel?

When our daughter graduated from college and took a job in another state, we had a brief chat about money. And, of course, being me, I had to give her some articles about money. (These kinds of offerings are known as ‘Dad’s resources’ and are sometimes welcomed with an eye-roll!)

Having grown up as a poor kid, I was fortunate to learn a few money lessons early in my work life that have made a huge difference for me and my family. One of those is ‘It’s not how much money you make, it...

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Hurricanes and How You Can Help

The news from the southlands has been riveting over the past couple of weeks as Hurricane Harvey parked over south Texas and Louisiana and Hurricane Irma roared through the Caribbean before doing a slow crawl up the Florida peninsula.

As a young man I worked construction jobs in Baytown, Texas and at the Exxon refinery. And, I ran the chamber of commerce is Sarasota, Florida. Having prepared for three hurricanes, my wife and I relived those experiences and discussed how blessed we felt not to...

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May: Broadband issue not ready for the ballot

This week the Fort Collins City Council will decide whether to refer a measure to the November ballot to establish a new publicly owned telecom utility to provide municipal broadband. But even after two years of work and study, there are still important questions that have not been answered.

However, let’s first start with some things most people would agree on: Fast and affordable access to the internet is desirable; a conne...

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May: Feeling thankful for all we have

In this season of Thanksgiving, there is much for which to be thankful. Here is a potpourri of the things that come to mind for me.

First, above all else, I’m thankful for my family. They center my world.

Indoor plumbing! Having grown up without it in a cold climate, I can assure you it’s something to be thankful for, though sitting on a frosty board at zero degrees offers an unmatched level of self-awareness and being in the moment!

A cup of fresh coffee in ...

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My Worldly Advice for College Graduates

This past weekend I sat through a long graduation ceremony at one of the region’s universities. It’s a scene played out in hundreds of places this spring. It has been so for eons and will continue for eons in the future.

While being proud of and happy for the graduates, you wonder what the future will hold for every one of them. No doubt some of them have a clear direction and path, others are as clueless as the day they started college, and everybody else is somewhere in between.

Not ...

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Bob Everitt, Rest in Peace

Robert S. Everitt, founder of the Everitt Companies, died this past weekend at age 87. With Bob’s death Fort Collins lost one of its leading citizens and benefactors. He was a wonderful man and had a huge impact on the community over decades, and his influence will continue for many years to come.

Bob was always a joy to be around. He had a youthful, energetic, optimistic, and generous nature that seemed to defy age, and he retained a sense of gratitude and humility. For example, CSU honore...

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