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10 Highlands Ranch Herald | Lone Tree Voice
January 22, 2015
Norton Continued from Page 9
heart and balancing that against the incredible joy and wonderful memories I experienced with each one of them. The sadness I felt was powerful and I cried as I wrote the words that I would be speaking and sharing at each of their services. Yet even as the grief overwhelmed me, I was captivated by the thoughts, stories, and rich history I experienced with my friends. It turned out that the single best thing I did in order to alleviate some my blues and sorrow was to speak with other friends and family members. Now I know this happens as a natural part of remembering someone when we gather for memorial services. We speak to people we haven’t seen in years and we talk about the same old stories of high school fame or of youthful mischievous behaviors. And in some cases not-so-youthful mischievous behaviors. We talk about the good times and we seem to let the bad times slip into oblivion. All of this is very helpful for some as they reminisce the good old days.
Letters
What I found most helpful was not just talking about the quick stories we share when we don’t know what else to say, but rather digging in and going deeper into some of the most meaningful events that were shared. Some of the deepest feelings that others were willing to share. And as I asked those deeper questions and pressed slightly harder for more depth in their responses, I found the others very willing to open up and share more from their hearts. In both cases as I probed my own memory, which led to intimate exchanges of information with the friends and family members, and a true celebration of life was forming in my mind and on my pad of paper. It became so much more than just what I was “supposed” to say during a eulogy or what would be deemed as “appropriate.” What materialized were robust, dynamic, funny, loving, passionate and provocative life stories. Things worth celebrating and sharing with the world. Giving the pastor and the priest fair warning of irreverent stories turned out to be the right move. Balancing humor with compassion, and finding a way to tell their “real” life story to celebrate a life well lived, allowed me to deal with my own grief better and gave me the ability to share the stories in a way far more meaningful
than the “supposed to say” and “church appropriate” language. You may never have to give a formal eulogy, but we all eulogize those we loved and lost in our hearts. So I share this story with you today so that maybe you too can find a little more relief and happiness by going deeper into the memories you shared with those who have passed away. Talk to your cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends, find out what they knew and what they enjoyed most. There is no doubt you will hear stories of love, laughter, mystery, hard work, character and a life worth celebrating. If you are also dealing with the loss of a loved one, I give you my condolences. And if there is anything you would like to share with me, I would love to hear all about the way you are celebrating their life at gotonorton@gmail.com. And when we give time to respect and grieve, but also find ways to truly celebrate what we had, it really will be a better than good week.
sleep well at night.
free educations at the expenses of taxpayers’ children. How many English as a second language classes have had to be added to our schools for these children? How many other classes, such as art and music, have had to be canceled because the schools do not have the resources to cover these classes? It seems like today, parents are having to pay for many, many items that previously the schools were able to provide. I agree that the illegal children should be given the opportunity to get an education, but their parents should be helping to pay for the costs, just like the rest of the taxpaying citizens. Jim Young Parker
Barbara Morton Highlands Ranch
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What about immigration’s cost to us?
that he shoots them. Guns cause more deaths in this country than any other country in the “civilized” world. There is no training facility that compensates for the amount of gun deaths in this country. Maybe Mr. Wanklyn would be better off moving to a country that condones the killing of its citizens, including its women and children — how about Iraq, Syria or Nigeria, then he and his Glock or AK-47 can
I enjoyed reading Ann Healey’s article on Rocio Mendez. She sounds like she is very dedicated and very deserving of our support. However, I have a concern. Who has paid for her education so far and who will pay in the future? While Rocio is only one person and I am sure the “system” was able to absorb her education expenses, I do not think that the taxpayers can or should cover the costs of the millions of illegal immigrants that are getting
Michael Norton is a resident of Castle Rock, the former president of the Zig Ziglar Corporation, a strategic consultant and a business and personal coach.
DCBA Kickoff, Legislative Preview As the 2015 legislative session begins, that South Metro Denver Chamber (SMDC) has joined a new organization to improve the efficacy and efficiency of its public policy outreach. Effective immediately, the Chamber has joined the Douglas County Business Alliance and the services of the Capstone Group. The Douglas County Business Alliance (DCBA) is a coalition of business organizations with a mission to provide a single voice for the Douglas County business community on business-related legislation focused on the following subjects: Transportation; Water; Business-Friendly Public Policy; Education; Tax Policy; Sustainable Development. The Douglas County Business Alliance is comprised of representatives from the following organizations: Castle Pines Chamber
of Commerce; Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce; Castle Rock Economic Development Council; Denver South Economic Development Partnership; Highlands Ranch Chamber of Commerce; Parker Chamber of Commerce; Parker Economic Development Council; South Metro Denver Chamber. The Capstone Group, whose services the DCBA utilizes, is a full-service public affairs and government relations team based in Denver, Colorado. “We are looking forward to partnering with our fellow DCBA members in utilizing the tremendous legislative services of Mary Marchun and the Capstone Group. Her organization provides comprehensive legislative reporting, lobbying services, and other important resources that we are eager to provide to our membership,” said Natalie Harden, SMDC director of
public policy and economic development. The Chamber participated in the DCBA Legislative Preview and Legislative Kickoff Receptions last week, both of which hosted numerous members of the incoming Colorado State Legislature. “The Capstone Group has a great reputation in the business and legislative communities and we look forward to working with them,” said Jeff Wasden, president of the Colorado Business Roundtable and SMDC Chair of Public Policy. Chamber members will have access to Capstone’s legislative updates through the bimonthly Prosper newsletter. For more information on the Chamber’s public policy committees please visit www.bestchamber.com or call 303-795-0142.
United Launch Alliance Concludes Banner Year After 14 successful launches, major milestones in 2014, ULA sets its sights on 2015 Centennial, Colo., (Dec. 29, 2014) – United Launch Alliance, the nation’s premier space launch provider, congratulates its employees, suppliers and customers on another successful year, reliably and affordably launching 14 satellites to orbit with 100 percent mission success. “What ULA has accomplished this year, in support of our customers’ missions, is nothing short of remarkable,” said ULA CEO Tory Bruno. “When you think about every detail – all of the science, all of the planning, all of the resources – that goes into a single launch, it is hard to believe that we successfully did it at a rate of about once a month, sometimes twice.” This year, ULA’s 14-mission manifest spanned: • 9 national security space missions, including four Global Positioning System satellites for the U.S. Air Force • 3 space exploration missions, including NASA’s first Exploration Flight Test for Lockheed Martin’s Orion spacecraft • 2 commercial missions, including DigitalGlobe’s WorldView-3, which provides the latest Earth imaging capabilities
Other major accomplishments in 2014 included: • The 51st successful launch of the Delta II • The 50th successful launch of the Atlas V • The 25th successful launch of the Delta IV • Twice successfully launching two different missions from two different coasts in one week • ULA’s 90th successful launch, an unmatched record of success “This year we were reminded just how hard rocket science can be,” said Bruno. “It takes a special group of people to be in this business, and I am truly humbled to work among dedicated individuals who have exhibited a total focus on precision, a passion for the science of rocketry and space, and a deep commitment to our purpose.” This year also marked the start of the five-year contract between United Launch Alliance and the Air Force, a best-practice, multi-year acquisition process that will save the government $4.4 billion, ensure significant operations efficiencies, and create the needed stability and predictability in the supplier and industrial base, while meeting national security space requirements. Additionally, this year ULA partnered
with Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin to develop a new domestic engine, an all-American rocket engine that will power ULA’s nextgeneration vehicles. The new engine, the BE-4, will lower the cost of launches and will meet both commercial requirements and those of the U.S. Air Force’s Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program. Also this year, ULA and its partner, The Boeing Company, were selected to support NASA’s Commercial Crew program, sending critical cargo and the next generation of astronauts to the International Space Station. As America’s ride to space, ULA will launch Boeing’s manned CST-100 spacecraft by 2017, playing a pivotal role in advancement of human spaceflight. “It goes without saying: ULA had a banner year,” Bruno said. “As we look ahead to 2015, we could not be more honored to continue supporting our nation in one of the most technologically complex, critical American needs: affordable, reliable access to space.” For more information on ULA, visit the ULA website at www.ulalaunch.com
Calendar of Events
For a complete calendar of South Metro Denver Chamber events and for more information, visit our web site at www.bestchamber.com or call 303-795-0142.
Monday, January 19 Save Lives, Sort Medical Supplies with Projects C.U.R.E. 7:00 pm – Project C.U.R.E 10337 East Geddes Ave., Centennial, CO Tuesday, January 20 Dr. Bernard Weinstein presents – “Will Falling Oil Prices Derail the Shale Revolution” 2:00 – 3:00 pm – South Metro Chamber’s WhippleWood CPAs Conference Center 2154 E. Commons Ave., Suite 342, Centennial, CO Thursday, January 22 Health & Wellness Council & CU presents: Medicine in the Time of Ebola 3:30 – 5:00 pm - South Metro Chamber’s WhippleWood CPAs Conference Center 2154 E. Commons Ave., Suite 342, Centennial, CO Friday, January 23 8th Annual State of the State Luncheon 11:30 am – 1:30 pm – Sheraton Denver Downton Hotel 1550 Court Pl., Denver, CO $50 Sunday, January 25 “Glen Campbell – I’ll Be Me” movie screening CU South Denver Liniger Building – The Wildlife Experience 10035 Peoria St., Parker, CO $10
Gov. Jo