Summer is waning. Colorado temperatures can change 40 degrees in a 24-hour span of time. Three days of record-breaking heat followed by having to wear a jacket at a neighborhood cookout Friday afternoon.
Fall activities have blossomed and our beloved football has returned to the sports scene at high schools, colleges and professional levels. The Buffaloes and Rams really fell short on Saturday’s performances. A sport’s pundit has stated, “The only way these two teams will win a game this year is to play each other.” It seems like we hire more new coaches, pay them more money, and lose more games.
The Rockies have reached a new low, and while fun to watch them play, it is painful to watch the strikeouts with bases loaded. I have to keep reading our great sport’s writer Denny Dressman’s column to see what the future holds for local sports. He spent 25 years writing sports and being a top executive at The Rocky Mountain News. He is also a past president of The Colorado Press Association among many titles,
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I had lunch at Poppies last week with one of The Villager’s longest subscribers Gary Oakley. He is a fellow Sigma Chi, being a member of Beta Mu, a CU Chapter that has recently been reinstated on the Boulder campus. In the meantime, my CSU Beta Tau chapter has been suspended for hazing violations. Times have changed, and as a pledge they used paddles on our rear ends during “hell week,” that was pretty wild. Like military service, basic training it is supposed to “bond” you to the organization and create lasting memories along with increasing “manhood.”
Gary especially liked the recent “Remarks” column reprinted from Mort Mark’s writings for 38 years in The Villager. He gave me one column that was about the early life of Winston Churchill that he would like to have reprinted… watch for it soon.
We also discussed the most recent movement to rename Mt. Evans. Both of us oppose changing the name of the historic mountain, named after the prominent Colorado Governor John Evans and founder of The University of Denver. He plans to write a letter defending Evans with some of his accomplishments. Evans was the Governor when the Sand Creek Massacre occurred creating the stir for the name change proposal.
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Saturday night members of my family attended the 17th Annual TAPS Celebrity Classic at The Wings Over The Rockies Museum. TAPS stands for “Tragedy Assistance Program For Survivors,” assisting families and children of those lost in military service.
Bo and Lynne Cottrell have fostered the program and guided its success for the past 17 years. They, along with awesome volunteers, have raised millions of dollars for the national organization founded by a military widow, Bonnie Carroll, TAPS Founder and president.
Photo coverage will be featured in an upcoming issue by our Lifestyle editor, Scottie Iverson, capturing this outstanding salute to our fallen heroes.
The annual fundraiser features a bevy of Nashville songwriters who donate their time, and talents, to producing a two-hour country music show. The unique entertainment follows a prime rib dinner prepared by “The Coors Cowboy Club Chuckwagon Crew,” the volunteers traveling to Colorado from Amarillo, Texas, to support the program, courtesy of Pete and Marilyn Coors.
The event has been held at the Grove Ranch on Parker road but moved this season to The Wings’ Museum. The most noticeable improvement was the wonderful sound and lighting systems.
The Nashville musicians were remarkable and donate their songs and vocal talents to the annual event. I thought it was especially entertaining this year. The program also features Tony David and WildFire, who have been awesome contributors to TAPS for decades.
Kudos to KNUS/710/radio talk show host, Stefan Tubbs, who served as master-of-ceremonies, quieting the exuberant audience to hear the programs and music. John Anderson deserves full credit for doing the auctioneering. The “Head and Tails” contest won this year by American Furniture philanthropist Jake Jabs. Jake is generous across his furniture empire, giving back to his home states of Colorado and Montana.
Saturday morning I attended the annual Denver Lions Club board planning session, centered upon collecting thousands of “Glasses for The Masses” that are collected and recycled by Lions and taken to foreign countries to help vision impaired natives. This year a mission is being planned to Liberia, along with other world demands.
Sunday morning joined a 7 a.m. monthly neighborhood coffee with friends to keep up on current events and life’s challenges.
Then to the computer to write “Trail Dust” for another week.