LETTERS

Pam Eller for SSPRD Board of Directors

I am writing to indicate my strong support for Pam Eller, who is a candidate for the South Suburban Park and Recreation District Board of Directors. In my twenty-two years as the CEO of Hudson Gardens, I had the pleasure of knowing and working with Pam during her tenure on the District’s Board. Pam embraced her role and served with honesty, fairness and thoughtfulness. Her decisions were made only after careful consideration. Pam Eller carried no agenda other than serving the greater good of the District.

I recommend Pam because I know and trust she will bring her passion, dedication and, balanced approach to her board responsibilities. Her interests are to serve the entire District by making considered decisions that will allow for South Suburban’s continued growth and development. Of course, Pam’s experience with the District is invaluable. Among other successes she worked with fellow board members and management staff to develop the District Master Plan and the accompanying strategic plan both of which have been implemented with outstanding results. Her knowledge of and experience with the District minimizes the learning curve and provides the opportunity for her to contribute from day one. She is a highly respected member of the community and a long-time resident of the District.

Pam Eller is honest, intelligent, thoughtful, and experienced. Add her to the South Suburban Board of Directors on May 2.

Rich Meredith

Return Pam Eller to the South Suburban Board

As former members of the South Suburban Parks & Recreation District Board of Directors, we join many others in asking district voters to elect Pam Eller in the Tuesday, May 2nd Board Election.

Pam previously served on the BOD from 2010 to 2018, and she has remained active and invested in South Suburban in the five years since being term-limited in 2018. We four had the pleasure of serving either concurrently or in overlapping terms with Pam and are familiar with her many strengths. We encouraged her to run again in this election, believing that her leadership and knowledge will be of immense value in the coming four years. Throughout her previous board service, Pam earned the support of many across the district for her work ethic, integrity, fair-mindedness, and compassion. Pam was always thoroughly prepared for each board meeting, adding thoughtful comments and often a fresh perspective on decisions that came before the board, and she had a remarkable ability to listen carefully to help find workable solutions to constituents’ issues and requests. We all will be well-served if Pam is elected once again on May 2nd You may vote in this election if you are a resident and/or property owner within the District boundaries:

1. At the polls on Tuesday, May 2nd, from 7AM to 7PM at Goodson Recreation Center, 6315 S University Blvd, Centennial.

2. By absentee ballot - Voters who have signed up on South Suburban’s Permanent Absentee Voter (PAV) List automatically receive a mail ballot for every South Suburban May election. To be added to this list, visit www.ssprd.org and search ‘2023 Election.’ The PAV application is under “Absentee Ballots” on the Elections page. To speed the application process and receive a ballot for this election, take a phone photo or make a PDF of your completed application and email it to Elections@ssprd.org. Questions? Call South Suburban Elections at 303483-7011 during regular business hours, M-F, 8 AM-5PM. Visit the Elections page to learn more about all six candidates running for the two open seats in this election.

With your vote on May 2nd, Pam Eller will again work collaboratively with the board, staff, and residents to maintain and strengthen our recreational amenities for the personal and financial health of our entire community.

Kay Geitner, Centennial2004-2012; Board Chair, 2010-2012 Sue Rosser, Centennial - 2008-2016 John Ostermiller, Littleton2009-2018; Board Chair, 2012- 2018 Mike Anderson, Lone Tree2010-2018

Christmas, and Easter are my favorite occasions. While we describe them as “holidays” they are the infinite roots of Christianity. Jesus was born on Christmas eve and was resurrected from the grave on Easter, celebrated worldwide by Christians.

Many local, and area churches, held Easter services that were well attended. I attended Sunday Easter services at Fiddler’s Green for two decades until the pastor passed away, and the event drifted into history. Maybe the event could be resurrected. Red Rocks celebrates their annual sunrise service with a capacity crowd watching the sunrise. No matter how bad things may get, the sun always comes up the next morning.

There is so much trouble and strife in the world. Maybe no more than in past history, but now it gets reported worldwide by media sources around the clock. History is full of strife and war.

The weather also has become turbulent and can be blamed on many mysteries, such as climate change, and some even feel it is God punishing his flock. Whatever the reasons, the weather is changing, droughts are turning into floods, snow falling in new places, and tornadoes lashing cities.

It seems that our children are changing as well; living with their smart phones and games, they can hardly eat an Easter dinner without the phone cuddled close at hand. Adults share the love of phones as well and we marvel how the world ever functioned without phones and the internet. (Actually, quite well, maybe better.)

Children are now engaging with sex-change and a new transgender society is emerging as another political force. There is artificial intelligence looming to replace everything and everybody.

This year’s legislature is focusing on affordable and assessable housing; roofs over everyone’s heads in an attempt to ease homelessness. Some believe that housing should be shared equally that income and hard work shouldn’t allow some folks to live better than others.

Some state leaders want to replace zoning with new state mandates that would disregard local planning and zoning. The state would determine where shelters and homes could be conceivably be placed on larger lots and back yards of private homes.

Cities across Colorado have handled their own zoning throughout history with local governments and P&Z boards to accommodate growth and development. Homeowners should be more careful who they elect to the legislature and that they embrace local values.

Primarily, the free enterprise system created the housing conditions throughout history. The European Feudal system had the royalty living in the castles surrounded by the peasants who lived on royal lands in poverty with forced taxation payments to the crown. America was founded by people escaping such a system, who wanted to worship God, not the King, own property and be free men and women. America provided this breath of free air to the world.

New immigrants are pouring across the southern border, and we must find housing for our newly found guests. Past immigrants have arrived on American shores for centuries and have worked their way into home ownership and financial success. Almost everyone has an ancestor who came to America with nothing but the desire to be free to worship, work, marry, and raise a family. At least in past history the most successful people were those with the best education and intense work ethics. Yes, some people are luckier than others.

Immigrants had to earn their way, and that will also be true of many of our guests entering the United States legally or illegally.

We need the workers, and at this point in time we need to make the best of our visitors offering them food, shelter and education.

I think that is what a Christian nation does, but there are limits to our kindness and generosity. We are still the most generous people in the world to a point.

We need to put away the guns, get out the hammers and nails, and start building affordable housing on land that is less expensive on which to live.

Each city can determine to what extent they elect to host the homeless and where they should, or shouldn’t, reside.

The new residents will be valuable if we give them training and improve their job skills. There is a huge need for expanding vocational training and industrial schools for young and old.

Lingering thought, if America is so bad, why does everyone want to come here?

Work and freedom are the magic words. You can still find them here in a land of great opportunity if we don’t destroy it by apathy.

Congressman Crow statement on leak of intelligence documents

Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06), member of the House Permanent Select

Committee on Intelligence, released this statement following reports that highly sensitive, classified documents were leaked, prompting investigations across various government agencies.

In a statement, Congress- man Crow said:

“I’m livid by the apparent extent of the intelligence leak. Too much is at stake, and I expect whoever is responsible to be found and vigorously prosecuted. I’ve requested a briefing so we can understand the extent of any damage and impact on current aid programs.

“The men and women who have dedicated their lives to gathering intelligence and safeguarding our national security deserve nothing less.”

PUBLISHER

EDITOR

Gerri Sweeney gerri@villagerpublishing.com

PUBLISHER Robert Sweeney bsween1@aol.com

CREATIVE MARKETING DIRECTOR

Susan Sweeney Lanam 720-270-2018 susan@villagerpublishing.com

VICE PRESIDENT/MARKETING

Sharon Sweeney sharon@villagerpublishing.com

LEGALS

Becky Osterwald legal@villagerpublishing.com

NEWS EDITOR Gerri Sweeney 720-313-9751 gerri@villagerpublishing.com

GOVERNMENTAL REPORTER

Freda Miklin fmiklin.villager@gmail.com 303-489-4900

REPORTER

Robert Sweeney bsween1@aol.com

FASHION & LIFESTYLE

Scottie Iverson swan@denverswan.com

DESIGN/PRODUCTION MANAGER

Tom McTighe production@villagerpublishing.com

ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS

Susan Lanam — 720-270-2018 susan@villagerpublishing.com

Sharon Sweeney — 303-503-1388

Gerri Sweeney — 720-313-9751 gerri@villagerpublishing.com

Scottie Iverson swan@denverswan.com

Linda Kehr — 303-881-9469 linda@villagerpublishing.com

Valerie LeVier — 303-773-8313 valerie@villagerpublishing.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Susan 720-270-2018

PHOTOGRAPHER

Stefan Krusze — 303-717-8282 octaviangogoI@aol.com

EDITORIAL COLUMNIST

Robert Sweeney bsween1@aol.com

The Villager is an award-winning, locally owned, independent newspaper. All letters to the editor must be signed. The contributor’s name, hometown and phone number must also accompany all letters to the editor for verification and we reserve the right to edit contributions for space. We attempt to verify all matters of fact but hold contributors liable for the content, accuracy and fairness of their contributions. All submissions become the property of The Villager and may be reused in any medium.

Reverend Martin Niemoller “In Germany, the Nazis first came for the communists and didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a communist. Then they came for the Jews and I didn’t speak up because wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics and didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me and by that time there was no one left to speak for me!”

2020 Member