Author: Dan Williams
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We promised we’d never forget. Let’s keep that promise.
This year we will commemorate Memorial Day on Monday, May 29, by honoring those who died serving in the United States military. For many Memorial Day weekend kicks off the start of the summer season and Teller County will welcome tourists and snowbird residents back who have returned for the summer. For the veteran, the…
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A Midpoint Course Correction – Reflections on the 2023 State Legislature to Date | Guest opinion
I am a county commissioner in one of Colorado’s 47 rural counties. Today, 77% of Colorado is still rural or frontier. For those who come to our state it is often the beauty, recreation and freedom these spaces and our lifestyle offer that turns our visitors into residents. There has always been a bifurcation between…
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PERSPECTIVE: Home on the range
We agree on the need for affordable housing in our communities and we will, and have been, working hard on solutions. This is not a partisan issue; it is an issue facing our state and nation. The caution I would offer is to “not rush to failure.” There are no easy answers and no “one…
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Local control and synchronized state agencies — a housing win-win | Guest Column
Teller County Commissioners are actively engaged with state level leaders and agencies and other stakeholders on the issue of affordable housing, land use and zoning. The matter has come down to state control or local control. Our belief is that the government closest to the people is the most responsive and representative. We all agree…
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A veteran’s hope on Veterans Day | Guest Column
I recently had the privilege of sitting on the Service Academy Nomination Selection Board for the 5th Congressional District. It’s the 8th year I have had the opportunity to help select the men and women who will go on to serve our nation in uniform after graduation from one of our premier service academies. It…
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A prayer to rekindle our sense of nation on the 21st anniversary of 9/11 | Guest Column
As we approach Labor Day and the end of another summer, I am reminded that this year will mark the 21st year since the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. We vowed we would never forget those terrible events and that we would do our very best to educate our children. We told ourselves that the…
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A different kind of Memorial Day | Guest Column
Editor’s note: I yield the space that would typically be filled by my column with this timely message. Helicopters flew undaunted through dust and heavy smoke to their targets. Overhead, fixed-wing aircraft made their target runs with precision. Men and women carrying 60-pound packs approached their objectives after climbing the steep and mountainous terrain. Everyone…
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Remembering our WWII veterans this Veterans Day | Guest Column
In a few days, many Americans will turn their thoughts to our nation’s veterans as we celebrate Veterans Day and recognize the servicemen and women in our communities. There will be special programs heard, speeches given, and the phrase, “thank you for your service” uttered. This recognition is appreciated, although never expected. Veterans are, by…
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An emotional 20th anniversary of 9/11 | Guest Column
Each year on the anniversary of 9/11, Teller County comes together in Lions Park in the City of Woodland Park to remember and gather for a solemn ceremony. We remember the men, women and children killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks that included the towers of the World Trade Center, the attack at the…
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Israel opposes Biden plan to reopen U.S. Palestinian mission in Jerusalem
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel said on Wednesday that a U.S. plan to reopen its consulate in Jerusalem that has traditionally been a base for diplomatic outreach to Palestinians is a “bad idea” and could destabilise Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s new government. The prior administration of President Donald Trump signalled support for Israel’s claim on Jerusalem…