April 17, 2015 VOLU M E 1 3 | I S SUE 24
ParkerChronicle.net A publication of
D O U G L A S C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
Ponderosa principal following new path Puga, who is leaving for Smoky Hill, says Douglas County’s smallest high school has big heart By Jane Reuter
jreuter@colorado communitymedia.com
Willard Mounts bumps elbows with his nephew, Steve Crandall, of Loveland. Photos by Chris Michlewicz
Man reflects on 100 years of life Willard Mounts marks birthday with family, friends and stories By Chris Michlewicz
cmichlewicz@colorado communitymedia.com Sunlight pours through a picture window, lending a brilliant gleam to Willard Mounts’ crystal-clear blue eyes. They are the knowing eyes of someone who has seen it all, and they are intensely present while he recalls his youth, complete with dates and minute details. Willard pauses his storytelling as, one after another, visitors stop by his recliner to wish him a happy 100th birthday. Willard greets them with a friendly elbow-
bump — an effective way of avoiding germs — and confesses that he isn’t feeling too well. He is fighting the excruciating pain of shingles, which first arrived on his 100th birthday a few weeks earlier and caused him to postpone the party until April 12. But in spite of not sleeping well the night before, Willard is jovial and sharp as ever, and he is surrounded by family and friends at his daughter’s rural home on Parker’s eastern flank. They are marking the occasion with style and plenty of good food. Willard is eager to talk about his days growing up in coal-mining country on the border of West Virginia and Kentucky. For those who want the long version, they can read the first part of his 67-page autobiography, which is being given to any guest who wants one. He has written three books, including a 400-year history of the families of Daniel Boone and
Abraham Lincoln that’s in its third printing. Willard is not just a writer; he is a devoted consumer of books. “I still read every day now,” he says. Incredibly, he does this without the aid of glasses. Cataract surgery saw to that. Willard was a longtime presence at the local library after he retired as a comptroller in 1980, and now he calls employees on the phone when he wants some information. Most recently, he inquired about John Denver’s hometown and final resting place. Willard doesn’t know the helpful employees from Douglas County Libraries by name, but they know him, and a handful even attended his 100th birthday party. At times, Willard seems surprised by his own longevity and ability to do everyday tasks. Mounts continues on Page 9
Ponderosa High School may be the smallest of Douglas County’s nine neighborhood high schools, but that’s among its best features, says outgoing principal Chuck Puga. “The most important thing we offer is relationships — it’s hard to teach a kid you don’t know,” said Puga, noting some parents have open-enrolled their children at the 1,200-student school specifically because of its size. “We attract kids from all over the district. They love our school for the family atmosphere. We are a small school that offers everything a big school offers.” After nine years as Ponderosa’s leader and 26 years with the district, Puga is leaving that snug setting behind for the state’s sixthlargest high school. He is the next principal of Smoky Hill High School in Aurora. Part of the Cherry Creek School District, it has an enrollment of more than 2,300. Principal continues on Page 9
Principal Chuck Puga’s son AJ, a senior at Ponderosa High School, enjoys having his dad at the helm of his school. Photo by Jane Reuter
Hundreds gather to seek solutions to suicide Mayor says Parker community meeting was a starting point By Jane Reuter
jreuter@coloradocommunitymedia.com
A standing-room-only crowd filled the PACE Center’s largest meeting room for a community meeting on suicide April 14. Parker Mayor Mike Waid, center, moderated. At right, Parker pastor Eddie Graber was among many who spoke. Photo by Jane Reuter
A standing-room-only crowd of about 300 people filled the PACE Center event room for an April 14 town hall meeting on teen suicide. Parker Mayor Mike Waid called the meeting after the April 9 suicide of a Chaparral High School teenager, the second at the school this year and among several recent adult and teen suicides in the town and Douglas County. A total of 48 people died from suicide in Douglas County in 2014; five of them were under 20. The majority were men in their 50s. The meeting was promoted as “the starting point … a place we can begin the grassroots discussions on addressing this terrible problem.” With Waid moderating, adults and teens
lined up four deep on both sides of the room to speak into microphones about their experiences with suicide and depression. Among them was J.D. Nash, whose 16-year-old son Jonathon died by suicide in November 2014. Nash, whose voice frequently broke, talked about his own struggles with depression and thoughts of suicide. “I have found myself on the perilous edge on more than one occasion,” he said. “Even empowered by all of this deeply personal understanding that me and my family have, we were unable to save our own son last November. “Unlike me, who was crying out for help, my son gave no perceptible outward signs of his angst. Having survived suicide from both sides now, I feel I should be able to come here tonight and offer you some answers. And I apologize because I can’t.” Nash wrote the word “stigma” on a sandwich board at the front of the event room, Suicide continues on Page 9