Parker banner program honors fallen military veterans

The Town of Parker is the home of many active duty members and veterans of the United States Armed Forces. Our community is proud to support our native sons and daughters who have elected to commit to their country during times of peace and con ict, as well as those individuals who have made Parker their home during or after their time of service.

To help celebrate our nation’s armed forces and fallen heroes, the Town established Living Wheel Park several years ago as a military tribute. is half-acre park, located just east of Parker Road on Mainstreet, features a display with ags from each branch of the U.S. military, along with multiple sculptures, benches and walking paths. A new ag arrived in this park in 2022 to honor the most recent addition to our nation’s armed forces, the U.S. Space Force.

In 2019, the Town Council decided to take our community’s commitment to honoring the military community one step further by

Letters To The Editor

Fight woke ideology introducing the Parker Veterans Memorial Banner Program. is program recognizes and honors Parker residents who served our country in the military and have since passed on, whether in the line of duty or following their time of service. e Town of Parker is proud to continue this program annually. Residents are encouraged to nominate eligible veteran family members who served in one of the recognized branches of the U.S. Armed Forces and either died in the line of duty or were honorably discharged from service before their passing. e program is o ered on a rst-come, rst-served basis. Veterans from incorporated Parker will be given the rst priority for recognition, followed by those who lived e schools are not doing a good job, so many major cities have students progressing through the system without the ability to read or do math at pro cient levels. I truly believe that education should be privatized and if you want to attend a school promoting woke, and trans male athletes competing against girls, have at it.

I was very disappointed in the defeat of the bill that would require athletes to only compete with those who had same sex at birth. Douglas County Rep. Bob Marshall called the bill a solution looking for a problem. Who voted for him? Here is a representative that implies proactive action is not necessary since no case in Colorado could be cited. I know if I’m an employer I’m all in for someone who doesn’t see the value of proactively addressing issues — not. is country is being run by a woke ideology that makes the United States the butt of many international jokes. at is especially evident whenever we witness the “Reader in Chief” bumble through his written statements.

No longer is it necessary to check boxes such as knowledge, skills and abilities, but other boxes to meet some condition to appease the woke mob. We the taxpayers are the victims. e most recent glaring example is “Mayor Pete” and the incompetency he has shown with the rail strike, supply chain bottlenecks with cargo ships, and the most recent derailment in Ohio. But he did check an important box for the woke mob. I don’t care if he checked that box, but please be able to do your job, which he has not demonstrated.

Veterans nominated by family members are featured on customized street light banners throughout Living Wheel Park throughout the months of May and June. Each banner honors one veteran and includes their name, branch, years of service and photo.

I am so glad Vivek Ramaswamy is running for president. Not because I think he is the best of the eld, but because he promises to bring a light to woke idiocy.

John Salanitro Highlands Ranch

Housing needs attention

I commend you on your in-depth look at the housing crisis with your series, “ e Long Way Home.” Your reporting shined a big light on the complexity of the situation: local government land use policies; citizen opposition; inequities of all kinds; economics and more.

As a board member of Littleton’s public housing authority, South Metro Housing Options, I know rsthand the challenges providing housing for people of all incomes, ages and abilities. High costs and lack of land are tremendous obstacles. We are fortunate that elected leaders, nonpro ts, housing au- in either the 80134 or 80138 zip codes. If banner spaces are still available, veterans from outside of the greater Parker area who made an impact on our community may also be considered. ere is a small cost associated with this program to help assist with banner production and installation. Due to demand, nominations may only be made by the immediate family (parents, spouse, children and siblings) of the service member to be honored. e application period for this year’s program began on March 1 and will run through the end of day on Friday, April 14.

We encourage you to assist us with identifying and celebrating our community’s veterans! For more information on eligibility and details about the Parker Veterans Memorial Banner Program, and to submit an application, please visit ParkerOnline. org/MemorialBanner.

Je Toborg is the mayor of the Town of Parker thorities and housing advocates are joining forces to work on increasing the housing supply. As you highlight, it took us several years to get in this mess; it will take a long time to get out of it.

Patricia Cronenberger Littleton

He would say “no” if the request wasn’t supported with the “why.” Or Frank would say “no” if the person asking didn’t really understand everything involved in what they were asking for.

What Frank taught me and I hope to pass along to you is this: Before saying “no,” take the time to ask more questions and get as much detail as possible before making your decision. And before you ask for anything, know the “why” behind your request, and what it is you are really asking the other person or team to do for you. Are you saying “no” simply out of habit? Is the “no” monster hurting your relationships at home or at work? Do you understand the concept of including your “why” behind your request? I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@ gmail.com, and when we can take the time to know before we say “no,” it really will be a better than good life.

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.

Make-A-Wish Colorado alumni, volunteers celebrate its 40th anniversary

BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

2023 has already been a big year for Make-A-Wish.

Wish Week fundraisers have been in full swing at local schools this winter, and basketball legend Michael Jordan donated $10 million — the largest individual donation ever — to the national organization last month. And spring 2023 could be even bigger.

Make-A-Wish Colorado celebrates its 40th anniversary this year and is hosting an anniversary celebration and fundraiser in April in Denver. Since it started, Make-A-Wish Colorado has granted more than 6,000 wishes for children with critical illnesses as a way of giving them hope and something to look forward to during their treatment.

Golden’s Ben Bontrager, 10, went to Hawaii for his wish last spring. He was diagnosed in early 2020 with Burkitt’s lymphoma and was sick for almost a year, with his mom Sarah saying, “We almost lost him a couple times.”

Ben, who’s now in remission, said going to Hawaii was “the rst thing idea that popped in my head,” because he wanted to get out and do something fun.

“I was sick of being home,” he continued.

Now, Ben and his family are becoming Make-A-Wish ambassadors so that they can help other families through the same process.

Dad Je Bontrager said Ben’s wish was a “bright spot” to think about during those long days at the hospital, adding, “ e thought that (MakeA-Wish) has done it over and over for people, it’s really pretty amazing.”

For Jennifer

Joan Mazak has been the proverbial fairy godmother for thousands of Colorado children after she founded the organization in 1983. She started it in honor of her daughter, Jennifer, who died at 7 years old of a liver disease.

Mazak recalled how, about a week before Jennifer’s death, she was granted an uno cial wish to meet local radio mascot KIMN Chicken. He stopped by the family’s house, walking around the entire property hand-in-hand with Jennifer. Many of the neighborhood children stopped by to see KIMN Chicken, but he was focused on making Jennifer feel special.

“It was great for her to be able to have that,” Mazak said.

After Jennifer’s death, Mazak used funds that people had raised for a liver donation to start Make-A-Wish

Colorado. ere were only three other chapters in the country and no national organization yet, she said. e local chapter was all volunteers working out of their homes, helping to create memories for children who needed them. Mazak said the very rst wish was to catch a sh, so they set up a shing trip at Dillon Reservoir.

Longtime volunteer Gary Aboussie recalled wishes to meet the pope and the Broncos. One of his favorite stories was sending a guitar to Bruce Springsteen to sign, him keeping that one, and sending back his own guitar instead with a special message. Mazak said of wishes: “ ey come in all shapes and sizes. ere are so many logistics to putting together a single wish. It’s di erent for every single family.”

WISHES

FROM

About 20 years ago, Make-A-Wish Colorado started partnering with local schools for Wish Week fundraisers. Mazak said it’s been a winwin situation, as it helps instill philanthropy in the students and raises money for their sick peers. Plus, she always loves seeing schools’ creative fundraising methods, like shaving teachers’ heads or taping their principals to the wall.

While nancial contributions are needed, so are volunteers.

Aboussie described how meeting Make-A-Wish children and their families “touches your mind and heart.” So, he works to help however he can — whether that’s serving on the board of directors or speaking at events.

“(Volunteering) shows you how much more there is to do,” he said. “… We can’t stop the problems, but we can ease the e orts and give the child something to dream about when they’re going through the possibly the most di cult time of their life.”

Both Aboussie and Mazak stressed how much these children and their families need “a sense that there will be a better tomorrow,” as Aboussie described it. ey said these children also need to feel normal after feeling di erent during their formative years.

Hope and normalcy

Castle Rock’s Jack Rodell, 8, might be a little shy, except when it comes to talking about the best day of his life.

On Nov. 14, Jack was the guest of honor at a Colorado Avalanche game. He described the entire day in detail, saying he met the players, got his own jersey and more.

Jack, who wants to be a professional hockey player when he grows up, was diagnosed with leukemia but has been in remission for two years. His wish was delayed because of COVID-19.