Presentation to spotlight ageism

Ag eism is all around us: in the workplace, in commercials, movies and TV shows we watch, in the cards we buy, the products marketed to us and yes, even in the language we speak.

Has anyone ever said to you, or perhaps you to another person, “You look great for your age”? Although probably well-intentioned, there is an inherent bias against growing older contained within this “compliment,” an underlying expectation that you wouldn’t or shouldn’t look great as an older adult. Do we o er the same compliment to a 19-year-old

Norton

audacity of that person.” I like to think of audacity in the positive sense, having the audacity to be courageous in the face of possible embarrassment, to have audacious bravery to own our decisions and our mistakes. To be audacious in the way that we can laugh with oth-

Letters To The Editor

Voters made right choice anks to this vote the charter of the city will remain the way it has been for many years. e citizens of Littleton are to be commended for their foresight in rejecting unneeded and unnecessary amendments to the charter that would have jeopardized the continued e ective and appropriate management of the city in the future.

What did the citizens of the City of Littleton learn on March 7 by the defeat of Question 300 in the special election? By an overwhelming majority, 71% of the Littleton citizens voting speci cally stated, they did not want to amend the city’s charter. Furthermore, the vote indicated that with full knowledge of accurate information and true facts regarding special elections; that amending the city charter to require fewer veried signatures on citizen petitions and reduced time to bring issues to a vote of citizens was not deemed necessary or appropriate.

Kent Bagley

Littleton

Attainable housing in Englewood

We bought our rst house right behind the Du eyroll at the south end of town in 2008 for less than $200k. It was a classic starter home with two bedrooms, one bath, two living spaces and a decent yard, front and back. According to Zillow, that house is now worth $470k, which is far from what I would consider a starter home price. We bought our current home near the Gothic eatre for $550k in 2017. Zillow values that house at $773k a mere six years later. And it’s not just the cost of housing that rst-time home buyers are up against or a 29-year-old? Somewhere along the way, looking great is not associated with advanced years. What about the phrase “senior moment”? We tend to attach a brief lapse in memory to only the older adult. However, elementary students routinely forget where they’ve left their backpacks or to feed the dog. Many teenagers have misplaced earbuds or sports jerseys. What about the mom or dad who searches for the car keys or goes out to the garage and upon their arrival, forgets the item they went there to retrieve? e fact of the matter is that we all experience momentary forgetfulness throughout our lives. Yet it is emphasized when it happens as an older adult. And no, it’s not necessarily a sign of dementia, but rather a manifestation of our busy lives. ers while we laugh at ourselves. is week you may be asked to do something uncomfortable, something completely outside of your swing zone or comfort zone. And if you are, I hope you will make the decision to audaciously pursue the opportunity. We all learn in di erent ways, and one way that I know we learn the best is by getting knocked o balance. So take the chance, say “So what,” and watch how your vulnerability and trans-

Ageism is discrimination or the devaluing of an individual or group of individuals based solely on their age. And it can be directed toward the young as well as older adults. It creeps into our psyche at a very young age and is continually reinforced throughout our lifetime. As a result, many of us are convinced that young people are not able to lead a work group, o er valuable ideas and solutions to societal issues or are not compassionate towards others. On the other hand, society in general believes that as we age, we have nothing more to o er, obstruct the success of younger people on the way up the corporate ladder or are a drain on the economy. None of this is true. Subtle and not-so-subtle messages about the aging process surround us each day. Do we rec- parency endear others to you. As always, I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail.com, and when we can show courage in ourselves during moments of vulnerability, it really will be a better than good life. ognize them and realize the negative e ect they have on us? Can we e ect a change in how we all think, speak and act about aging? here, it’s the inventory too. ere’s hardly anything available for sale, or rent for that matter. is is what drove my sister (a high school teacher) and her husband (a valet a Swedish) out of the area a few years ago. ey simply couldn’t a ord it. ey now live outside of Cleveland where they are able to make ends meet on their salaries. is is why I’m a part of Englewood CAN, a grassroots organization in Englewood who believes in attainable neighborhoods. is isn’t for us. We’re already here and established. is is for our kids, the next generation of Englewood residents, employees, electeds, and neighbors. I believe we can make Englewood attainable, a ordable, and beautiful for our kids.

Gretchen Lopez, chair of the Seniors’ Council of Douglas County, will deliver a thought-provoking and entertaining presentation on ursday, May 4, at 10 a.m. at the Parker Library. And we won’t be asking for birth certi cates at the door, so leave those at home! Meetings are free and open to the public.

Seniors’ Council of Douglas County is for older adults who want to be heard, keep learning, and make a di erence. Please check our website for details and possible program changes at douglas.co.us/community-services/services/senior-services/ seniors-council.

Michael Norton is an author, a personal and professional coach, consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator of individuals and businesses, working with organizations and associations across multiple industries.

Little did we know in 2008 that we were buying in the right place at the right time. A year or two later and we might not have been able to get into the housing market at all. At this point, I wouldn’t be able to afford to buy the house I’m currently living in.

We love Englewood and we want to spend the rest of our lives here. is love for our city is starting to rub o on our kids. It’s pretty special to watch our 7-year-old, for instance, walk into a City Council meeting or a local restaurant and say hello to familiar faces. I’m not sure what our children’s futures hold but I wouldn’t be surprised if they try to raise their own families in or near Englewood.

To learn more about Englewood CAN, visit attainableenglewood.org Nathan Hoag Englewood

Robert Charles Kukura, age 74, has left us too soon arising to the heavens on March 10th, 2023. Rob was born on December 4, 1948, in Galesburg, IL to Charles and Jane Kukura. He is survived by his sisters Ann Waynik (Waterford, VA), and Madeleine Sulley (Las Vegas, NV), uncle to Eric Pettus (Austin, TX), and Victoria Flynn (Waterford, VA), Grand-uncle to Alicia Pettus, and Nathaniel Flynn (Waterford, VA).

• Graduated from Arapahoe High School in 1966; rst graduating class.

• Enlisted in the Army in September 1970; stationed as an X-Ray Technician at Texas, Georgia, and Maryland.

• Bachelor of Science in Mathematics in 1989 from Metro College; with a concentration in computer science.

• Taught math and computer science at Auraria Campus and Metro College.

• Career in software engineering for 30 years.

Robert was a 3rd generation long-time ham radio operator, astronomy enthusiast, and genealogist partner to his mother and aunt. Robert’s hobbies included gol ng, bowling, ancient Roman, Greek and Chinese history, gardening, photography, and being a member of the Audubon and Sierra club.

Robert will be interned at Fort Logan National Cemetery on 6 April at 11am. In lieu of owers, please make a donation to American Cancer Society; focus on myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).