The slogan may be "The few,the proud, the Marines," but for the family of Durangoans Roger and Barbara
King, serving in the Corps is becoming a family tradition.
On Dec.
13, their grandson Carter L. King graduated from
And after that graduation, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the
Marine Corps. His proud grandfather, who served in the Marines during the
Korean War, had the honor of pinning the bars on his grandson.
Roger
King, who went on to become a veterinarian, said how happy he was to see his
grandson accomplish something that he himself did not.
The newly
minted Marine officer is a 2004 graduate of
and Laurel King of Montrose.
At Embry
Riddle, he studied global security and international studies. His next step is
to complete Officer Candidate Training at Marine Corps Schools in
From there, it's off to pilot training in
Jackie
Ellis, Carter
King's aunt, who also lives in
Enjoying
practically balmy birthdays are Mick Souder, Kim Harms, Jane
Periman, Chris Isensee, Bob Shank, Jan Patton, Paul
Dittmer, Bonnie Fuller, Bonnie Hermesman, Keith Widder,Steve Lavengood, Karen Knudsen, Stephanie Jory, Brigitte
Cunningham, Julia Dodd, Karla Dudley, John Florek, Mary
Edlund, Megan Downey, John Tait, Amy Bourdon, Mike
Hoyt, Donna Aubrey, Dick Hanlin, Don Ingle, Shannon
Etz, Allison Raish, Doug Ponce, Luke Slater, Anita
Smith, Susie Amman, Kathy Szelag, Libby Heath, Timothy
Duffy, Robert Simmons, Jim Bundy, Mary Alice Copeland,Micaela Cooley and Connie Imig.
As
lawmakers deliberate on how to make deep cuts in the state's budget, it seems
as though one of the first things that will be cut will be funding for
colleges. And that means college tuition will go up across the state and will
present an additional challenge to students at
inexpensive community.
One FLC
alumna - Marchell Fletcher - figured out how she could donate to the
school's foundation by tapping into Prudential Foundation's Global Volunteer
Day efforts. (Fletcher works in the insurance arm of Prudential Financial.)
She did
it in a particularly Durango‑style kind of way. Fletcher recruited a few team
members who work in the local Prudential office for a bike team. They participated
in the FLC Foundation's bike ride and raised $1,000 for the scholarship fund.
This
isn't the first time Fletcher has helped raise money through the Global
Volunteer Day, and knowing her, it won't be the last.
The
locals were part of a large effort that saw Prudential donating $130,000 in
challenge grants. Since the Global Volunteer Day program began in 1996, the
foundation has donated $2.2 million to communities around the globe.
Two
recent
history Tuesday.
Blake
Morris, who
graduated in 2007, is in his second year at the Coast Guard Academy. He will be
a member of the parade division which newly sworn in President Barack Obama
will see from the viewing stand in front of the White House. Obama will be
accompanied by the commandant of the Coast Guard for the event.
His
stepfather and mother, Jack Llewellyn and Cherie Morris, are
proud parents indeed.
Kyle
Langhart, the son
of Rick and Karen Langhart, enlisted in the Coast Guard after
graduating from
He is assigned to the Coast Guard's Honor Guard in
The Honor Guard will line the stage when Obama has his first official Cabinet
meeting at
as one of the inaugural events.
These two
young men are connected in a lot of ways. Their mothers attended the same high
school in
and threw each other's baby showers when these young men were born. And now
both are in the Coast Guard from this small, landlocked town. What are the
odds? (I mean it Dick Gibbs - what are the odds?)
Langhart's
grandparents Orris and Ann Flatten are looking forward to a full
day in front of the television.
Keep your
eyes peeled. In the meantime, both mothers have told me they'll get me the
behind‑the‑scenes story of the experiences at this historic inauguration for a
future column.
The moral
to this story is, "Beware a journalist on deadline."
Last week
I wrote the follow‑up story of Ginger Jenks and her dog, Master Agility
Champion Krystall's Roaring Glory, also known as Rory, and their participation
in the American Kennel Club's National Agility Championship in
I wrote
that Rory came in second, which carries with it the implication that he came in
second in the championship overall. Rory came in second in his breed, Samoyeds.
(Only the top five dogs in each breed in the country are invited to compete.)
The sun
is shining for the anniversaries of Pat and Karen Boots, Vic
and Jo Ann Sanderfer and Mike and Donna Stone.
Special
wishes go to Dick and Connie Imig on their tin anniversary.
For information about upcoming events and
fundraisers, check Local Briefs.
How to reach me: neighbors@durangoherald.com; phone
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