Oct. 19Dick Meader's humanity and humility are what I admired most in the beloved coach.

I had the privilege of extensively covering the University of Maine at Farmington men's basketball team for four remarkable seasons and I got to know Meader the program's longtime coach well. He was 76 when he died on Sunday.

I knew he had a storied past as a respected coach, who had great success overseeing the men's basketball programs at Thomas College and the University of Maine at Farmington, but this soft-spoken man was a genuine gentleman and his dedication was reflected in his players every time they stepped onto a court.

Meader's love of basketball, compassion and high regard for his athletes was his trademark approach to the game and life as well.

In a season preview about the Beavers that I wrote in November of 2019, Meader's last season, the UMF coach had the privilege of mentoring four seniors guard Issac Witham, forwards Riley Robinson and Bill Ruby and center Anthony Owens.

When I spoke with Meader about his team, he had this to say about his players:

"No. 1, they are great kids," Meader said before the 2019-2020 season began. "I shouldn't use the word 'kids,' but young men. They take their studies seriously. They work hard at it. In basketball, again, they work very hard.

"You see them going in the locker room at times. They will be sitting on the couch with their computers in their laps and working on problems together. They really take their studies seriously. I just hope we have a good season for their sake."

But that feeling of respect and camaraderie worked both ways.

Ruby put it all in perspective about the coming 2019-20 season and his respect for Meader when he said:

"We have built some good relationships the past four years," Ruby said in that season preview. "We all have the same goal to bring home a NAC championship for the Farmington community and Coach Meader, too."

Story continues

Besides being dazzled by Meader's kindness, I was always impressed at how Meader recalled key moments of each basketball game.

He would invite me into a room and we would have a sit-down after each game I covered, allowing him to speak freely without distractions from all the noise in the hallway. He would give me his explicit rundown of what transpired on the court.

The beloved coach would replay those details like he was sitting courtside and watching the game all over again. There was no hand-waving, outbursts of anger or blaming during the course of our conversations after a hard-fought loss. There was just this mild voice providing details of a game. Again, it was his humanity that contained any frustration he was feeling after a loss.

I have met dozens of good and great coaches throughout my career, but I especially enjoyed just sitting down with a gentleman who made his living coaching college basketball. I also respected him for his temerity to continue coaching despite being afflicted with Parkinson's disease.

His humility came shining through when he retired in 2020 after coaching collegiate basketball in the state for over four decades.

"I don't want to be an anchor to any program," Meader said in a Timeout column I wrote in March of 2020. "It is time to enjoy some other things and not feel guilty when you are not doing something, basketball-wise, or not seeing a summer league game your kid is playing in. In the summer, you spend a lot of time recruiting. It is time."

In a world ravaged by COVID-19, war and environmental catastrophes, we all could use a strong cup of Meader's humanity or humility right now.

Dick Meader was a once-in-a-generation human being who cared about the important things and for me, our friendship still makes life worth living.

The rest is here:
Timeout: Dick Meader was only human -- and that's what made him special - Yahoo News

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Lake Highlands High School has a history of producing great coaches, both from its student ranks and its coaching staff. LHHS 1975 grad Lynn Jensen, who coached football for 16 years in LH and years more in Garland ISD and Dallas ISD, says theres something unique about the neighborhood, the athletes, the families and the school.

Its a heartfelt thing, says Jensen. It speaks to the specialness of this community. You hear people gritching sometimes, but its a pretty special place.

In September, Jensen took a job as assistant director of athletics for Bishop Dunne Catholic School. Hes one of many former Wildcat coaches and players now working for high school and college athletic departments across the country. You can read more about him here.

Kent Laster, another alum, is head football coach at Wacos University High School.

Football is a passionate game, Laster told the Waco Tribune-Herald, and he encourages his players to seek PRIDE in their game and in their life passion, respect, integrity dedication and excellence.

Everybody is bought into holding up the trophy, are you bought into the daily process it takes to get there? That is the key.

NFL Pro Bowler Phil Dawson holds the Cleveland Browns franchise record for the most field goals made. He still has 13 records at the University of Texas, and he kicked a game-winning 50-yarder against Virginia in 1995. Despite playing for the Browns, the 49ers and the Cardinals, he says his finest mentors were from his high school days.

The greatest coaches I ever had were my high school coaches at Lake Highlands High School in Dallas, Texas, both on and off the field, Dawson told KVUE TV. The impact that they had on my life kind of began this dream in me to one day coach. Little did I know I would play [in the NFL] so long, but I finally got around to it and havent regretting it one bit.

LHHS alum Dave Handal is in his first year as head coach of the Tomball Cougars. Serving as defensive coordinator last year, he took his team including his son Keegan to the state semifinals. Keegan started at middle linebacker and said the time they spent together paid off.

Having my dad as the coach, all the film study we do, it really gives me an advantage, Keegan told Houstons KPRC TV. All the game-planning he puts in, I get all the insight about it. It shows on the field. The knowledge he gives me really benefits my game.

Tomball lost in the state semifinals to another LHHS alum Denton Guyers Reed Heim. Heim has experience as an assistant coach at SMU and Baylor, and as Guyers new head coach he won playoff games against Flower Mound, Jesuit, Trophy Club, Prosper and Tomball before losing to Austin Westlake.

Additional alums include: Isaac Grieder as assistant coach at Lake Highlands Junior High;Mark Carey coaching the defensive line at the University of Mary Hardin Baylor; Marcus Coleman as the secondary coach at Trinity University; Brett Sawyer as defensive coordinator at Boerne High; Stoney Pryor as head coach and athletic coordinator at College Station High School, Anthony Hicks as assistant head football coach at Frisco Heritage and Kent Ackmann as boys head soccer coach at Princeton High.

At least twelve former Wildcat coaches are still leading teams of young men and women: David Gunn is head football coach at Paragould High in Arkansas; Kenny Wheaton is an offensive consultant at Harding University; Che Hendrix is head football coach in Boerne; Jason Wilson is head baseball coach in Allen; Ed Barry coaches football and track at Shelton School; Paul Maturi is assistant athletic director at Jesuit; Royce Slechta is offensive coordinator at Jesuit; Don Woods is defensive coordinator at Jesuit; Todd Holmes is athletic trainer at Jesuit; Gary Taylor coaches track and field at Sunnyvale High School; Pete Grieder is assistant wrestling coach at Bishop Lynch; and John Bandy now manages Kimbrough Stadium in Plano.

Lots more former coaches not mentioned here have gone on to serve as teachers or principals, and others have retired after being inducted into football halls of fame. In the slideshow above by photographer Mike Duhon, coaches from the state champion team of 1981 returned last Friday night to celebrate that accomplishment. Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat.

This article has been updated with additional alums and former coaches.

Read this article:
Wildcat alums and coaches lead teams across the country - Lake Highlands Advocate

MIAMI In the season opener against the Heat, Alex Caruso got the start in place of Zach LaVine.

The plan for Friday against the Wizards? Its a wait-and see.

Ayo Dosunmu earned the start at point guard in place of Lonzo Ball (left knee). Will the second-year player hold up through the month or even the next week? Thats another wait-and-see.

The plan for Thursday was to have LaVine (left knee) work out when the team practices in Washington, but how much will he be able to do?

Thats right, a wait-and-see.

So much for the organizations continuity plan.

Unfortunately for Bulls coach Billy Donovan, itll be his responsibility to clean up the mess.

Some of the stuff is unfortunate, and anytime youve got players out not just our team, any team it hurts, Donovan said. But were still going to have to play games with some of these things going on. The continuity is not ideal, but from a coaching perspective, weve got to play to an identity.

Thats how Donovan is approaching life with question marks surrounding Ball and LaVine to start the season. He wont get overly concerned with players as much as establishing a team identity.

But identities are built through practices, and with LaVines ability to practice from day to day unknown and with no definite timeline for Ball to come back, how much can actually get done in these practices?

Donovan has installed the foundation pieces of his offense and defense but admittedly has a lot to build out in both aspects.

Its just the way it is, Donovan said. I feel like its my responsibility and my job that whoever the next person is that has to step in for Zach, weve got to play to a certain style on both ends of the floor. Listen, youre talking about a guy [in LaVine] that gets 27 points per game, shoots over 40% from three and is an NBA All-Star. I cant ask any of those guys to replace him, but regardless of if hes there or not, can we play how we know we need to play to put ourselves in the best position to play with the best teams?

Heads up

Veteran DeMar DeRozan made sure his teammates werent sulking in the wake of the injury-management news on LaVine.

DeRozan admitted that it would be easy for his teammates to fall into the woe-is-us trap, especially after all the injuries last season, but he wouldnt allow it.

You cant hold your head down at all, DeRozan said. Nothing ever goes as ideal as you want it to go. Thats just part of life.

Were a team, and everyone has to have the approach that nobody is going to feel sorry for us, and were not looking for anyone to feel sorry for us.

Expected outcome

Reserve guard Coby White saw the deadline for an extension on his rookie contract come and go Monday, making him a restricted free agent at the end of the season. It was a scenario that White expected to see play out that way.

I wasnt really focused on that, White said. Just play this year out. I put in a lot of work this summer, so let my work show, and take it from there.

Excerpt from:
'Continuity' is out the window now, and Bulls coach Billy Donovan has to fix things - Chicago Sun-Times

When she was in high school, Chloe visited UVA and seriously considered her parents alma mater. She wanted a smaller school, however, and chose Wake Forest, in part because of her connection with Bill Ferguson, then the Demon Deacons head coach. But Ferguson was gone by the time Wilson arrived in Winston-Salem, N.C., and her volleyball experience at Wake was not what shed hoped.

And so, after two seasons at Wake, where she became friends with Anna Bennett, whose father is head mens basketball coach at UVA, Chloe decided to start anew elsewhere. Virginia was again an option. The Hoos had a new coach, Shannon Wells, for whom Chloe had played at a USA Volleyball event as a middle-schooler.

I really loved working with her, Chloe recalled, so I knew who she was, and she knew who I was, so that made it a little bit easier.

They set up a phone call during which Wells, a former University of Florida associate head coach, described her vision for the Cavaliers program, and Chloe decided the time was right for her to head to Charlottesville.

Her dad, I know, is so proud and Im so happy that shes there, said Kerry Wilson, who has two degrees from the University. Chloe didnt know it, but thats where her story began. Virginia is just so special to our family.

For Chloe, there are reminders of her father on Grounds, and not only the bench outside JPJ. The Cavaliers associate head coach for mens basketball, Jason Williford, was one of Shawn Wilsons college teammates.

He was a good dude, kind-hearted, Williford recalled. He didnt play a whole lot, but he was a good piece of the program. Well-liked. Funny as all outdoors.

Wilson, who was born in Murray, Ky., grew up in Nashville, and he had a catch phrase that never failed to crack up his teammates, Williford recalled. If he agreed with you on anything, hed say, He aint lyin! And it was in that Tennessee voice with that country accent. So we all would say that.

Wilson was especially close with teammates Doug Smith and Chris Havlicek. They were the Three Amigos, Williford said.

In the preseason, Williford said, Jones would send his players on two-mile runs in the morning. Players, depending on their position, had to finish in a certain time. Wilsons teammates, like his fraternity brothers, called him Big Red, and he hated running, Williford said, so he and Junior Burrough were always dead last.

After his basketball career ended, Wilson stayed in Charlottesville to do medical research (and to court his future wife), and he discovered a new athletic passion.

Id see the dude running through the Corner, through Grounds, Williford said, laughing. It was the best he ever looked. I chuckled at how he didnt enjoy running until after college. So that was crazy.

See the article here:
UVA Volleyball | Wilson's Journey Leads Back to UVA - Virginia University

Image: Meta / MIXED

Der Artikel kann nur mit aktiviertem JavaScript dargestellt werden. Bitte aktiviere JavaScript in deinem Browser und lade die Seite neu.

Our weekly recap: Meta week is over and, as expected, brought Quest Pro and a lot of news. Coincidentally, Google is also talking about telepresence again.

Quest Pro hasnt been a secret for a long time, now Metas mixed reality headset is finally official. For around $1,500, you get a mixed reality headset packed with a lot of technology that can do both VR and AR. The first testers are unsure about the target group of Quest Pro. The probably most interesting new feature, namely Passthrough AR, is rated rather critically because the video quality falls short of expectations.

As expected, Quest Pro will not be sold in Germany for now. Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth said on Instagram that Meta has a plan and that German consumers should tell regulators that they want to buy Meta devices in Germany. Now then. The German Federal Cartel Office says it is in talks with Meta about the new Meta accounts.

In addition to Quest Pro, there was news at Meta Connect about Microsoft on Meta hardware, avatars with legs, and Horizon Worlds, which is significantly behind Metas plans in terms of active users, according to internal documents.

If anyone was still looking for confirmation that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is serious about a software-led metaverse strategy, theyre getting it in the form of more leaks surrounding Hololens. The military version IVAS is still under heavy fire from the US Army: Some soldiers are said to be worried about their lives because the headset displays are so bright and can be spotted from far away.

According to insiders, there is no roadmap to speak of for a commercial Hololens. After the departure of mixed reality boss Alex Kipman, an XR vacuum has apparently arisen at the Redmond software giant. It looks like Microsoft is largely keeping its hands off tech glasses for now. Nadellas appearance at Meta Connect fits that bill.

In Metas big telepresence VR week, Google, surely not coincidentally, is back with its Starline holo-telephony booth. Google is positioning Starline as a glasses-free telepresence alternative that is now being rolled out in the first companies.

Two testers are enthusiastic about the photo-realistic 3D video calls, but have concerns about the size and price of the cabin. Starline is still far from being an option for private customers with the current technical equipment.

While Microsoft is looking to exit XR hardware, Valve is apparently looking to get back into it after its handheld hiatus: according to a job ad, the popular gaming company wants to take the next steps in VR and is looking for some computer vision specialists to do so. Valve is developing new tracking technologies, which could in turn benefit a standalone PC hybrid headset. Assuming Valve follows through with the project.

A developer animated a digital design assistant using Epics digital human kit, then gave her life with three networked AI systems: The computer lady generates images on demand and independently asks about motif details our AI sister magazine THE DECODER reports.

Also in THE DECODER: Four practical WordPress plugins with AI generation and bigger is better, at least with Deepminds AlphaZero.

Note: Links to online stores in articles can be so-called affiliate links. If you buy through this link, MIXED receives a commission from the provider. For you the price does not change.

See the original post:

Quest Pro is here, Google and Valve report back - MIXED Reality News

It seems like a tale of the past, but the U.S. saw record low mortgage rates in 2020 and 2021; concurrently, real estate investment soared. But the tried-and-true adage that real estate investment is a long-term proposition has never been more true today as mortgage interest rates steadily climb. As real estate prices come down and a recession looms, the question of whether now is a good time to invest in real estate takes center stage

Savvy investors understand that real estate has been a consistent hedge against inflation. The low interest rates of a year ago made property affordable at first, but the real estate market adjusted by increasing home values. And now, as interest rates go north of 7%, many buyers are finding themselves priced out of the market.

That situation presents an opportunity for rental property investors who can increase rental rates as home inventory dwindles and buyers, priced out of the market, seek temporary housing until interest rates decline. This model can lead to consistent passive income for investors.

But its all still about location, and investors in rental properties need to be conscious of the economic realities of the geographic area they are buying in. Investors need to be aware of the unemployment in the area of their investment properties, says David Tuyo, CEO of University Credit Union in Los Angeles. You obviously want to hedge your bets that tenants will be able to pay rent as much as possible, told Bankrate.com.

Price is an important consideration when investing in real estate. And while lower purchase prices can generate a more significant return potential, its not the only factor to consider. Mortgage rates still significantly affect the profitability of an investment, and there are potentially more hikes ahead with a recession looming.

Superior returns in real estate tend to follow recessionary periods, according to the latest report from investment advisor Cohen & Steers Capital Management, Inc., which has $88 billion in assets, of which $56 billion is in real estate. The company believes the current market dislocation in the real estate market will likely generate strong returns in 2023 and 2024.

Story continues

Listed real estate tends to lead private real estate in both selloff and recovery during recessionary periods, Cohen & Steers said in its report. Differences in the real-time pricing of listed real estate investment trusts (REITs) and private real estate can create significant short-term dislocations. By understanding the leading and lagging behaviors of private and listed markets, real estate investors may be able to tactically allocate at different times across the two asset classes, seeking to take advantage of how markets have priced in current conditions.

As for continued inflation, the report also says that sectors with shorter lease durations, such as self-storage and hotels, can adjust rents quickly to keep pace. These sectors demonstrate greater cyclicality and can serve as a buffer against inflation.

Cohen & Steers report claims the U.S. is heading into what they refer to as an average recession, as measured against recessions over the past 100 years. Our base case is a decrease of 2% to 3% in real global domestic product and a duration of about 12 months.

However, the report is especially bullish about the expectation of superior returns in real estate following these recessionary periods. The result, emerging from this challenging period, may be some strong vintage returns across both real estate categories. However, optimizing a real estate portfolio can be enhanced by integrating both listed and private markets.

As for alternative real estate investment opportunities, Cohen & Steers points to cell towers, healthcare facilities and data centers as emerging secular winners because of tech innovations over the past few years.

Read next: Bezos-Backed Startup Lets You Become A Landlord With $100

Photo by Rohan Reddy on Unsplash

See more from Benzinga

Don't miss real-time alerts on your stocks - join Benzinga Pro for free! Try the tool that will help you invest smarter, faster, and better.

2022 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Read more:
A Recession May Just Prove To Be A Great Opportunity For Real Estate Investment - Yahoo Finance

Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in America, with over 4.8 million people playing the game. However, its rapid growth has caused some growing pains, stemming from competing professional leagues, managing hundreds of tournaments, a lack of courts to meet demand and channeling the flood of investments.

By 2030, pickleball is projected to attract an estimated 40 million players across the globe, with even more investors jumping in looking to cash in on the craze.

Pickleball has existed since 1965, but it wasn't until people were looking for a participatory sport during the pandemic that its popularity soared. From 2016 to 2019, pickleball grew an average of 7.2% annually in the U.S. from 2.8 million players to 3.5 million, but that growth skyrocketed 39.3% from 2020 to 2021, with 4.8 million Americans playing the racket sport. And over the past five years, pickleball saw an average annual growth of 11.5%, while similar sports like badminton and pingpong saw negative growth of -3.7% and -1.2%, respectively. What's more, pickleball is being played by people across a broad spectrum of age and income levels, according to a 2021 report by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association.

That surging popularity has led to a spate of team investments and growing equipment sales, with the pickleball paddle market size expected to grow 68% from $152.8 million in 2021 to a forecasted $256.1 million by 2028, according to Absolute Reports.

Professional leagues are competing for players, with Major League Pickleball, or MLP, which just launched last year, making headlines with investments in the seven-figure range from celebrity athletes like LeBron James and Tom Brady. Next year, the MLP is looking to expand from 12 teams to 16 and to shell out over $2 million in prize money.

We choose team owners as it relates to really looking for strategic partners. So, media experience and resources, sponsorship connections and experience, branding entertainment [are important]. LeBron's group is already leaning in and working with us on three different projects. So, it's very important to us not just to have somebody who can write a check, but who buys into our goal of growing the sport from the top down.

Anne Worcester

Strategic Advisor, Major League Pickleball

While the United States is seen as the mecca of pickleball, advocates are hoping it will get a worldwide forum if it were to be introduced as a sport at the 2028 Summer Olympics games in Los Angeles.

One potential downside has come with the pickleball craze. In recent years, the tournament scene has exploded with a deluge of events, as organizers attempt to keep up with the demand. In consequence, player health and safety has become a growing concern for some players and event organizers.

"The sport is changing. It's getting physically and grueling, and it's a lot on our bodies," Kyle Yates, a professional pickleball player and tournament organizer, told CNBC. "I know that a lot of tournaments are run in a way where the players really aren't the first priority, and they should be. And so there's a lot of new players coming in that are training and playing a lot of tournaments, and physically it might be too much to them."

From its humble beginnings as a simple pickup game for the family to enjoy to significant investment opportunities, with an estimated 40 million players by 2030, pickleball's gold rush isn't ending anytime soon.

Watch the video above to learnmore about why celebrities such as Tom Brady and LeBron James are investing in pickleball.

Continued here:
Why pickleball has Tom Brady and LeBron James investing - CNBC

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on Tuesday addressed the issue of businesses that exaggerate environmental, social and governance credentials, arguing that though corporate sustainability credentialsare often controversial, they are still critical for assessing whether to invest in a company.

"The part that I believe in is where you accelerate the innovation. To me, it's not so much who you don't invest in but who you do invest in," Gates said during an interview with CNBC's Diana Olick.

The comments come after the Securities and Exchange Commission earlier this year proposed new rules that wouldprevent misleading or deceptive claimsby U.S. funds on their ESG qualifications andincrease disclosure requirementsfor those funds.

Gates, who is also the founder ofBreakthrough Energy Ventures, a leading climate technology investment company, said there is a modest number of companies that will drive down the cost of choosing clean technology over alternatives that emit more planet-warming greenhouse gases.

"I give people strong points where they're making those investments and becoming customers of those green technologies," Gates said. "The 'E' part lot of controversy, but there is a way to measure it, and it should be one of the factors people look at when they invest in companies."

Global ESG funds received a record $649 billion in investments in 2021 through Nov. 30, up from $542 billion in 2020 and $285 billion in 2019, according to financial services firm Refinitiv Lipper. Definitions of ESG often vary and difficult to measure, creating issues for businesses looking to boast their sustainability credentials to investors.

View post:
Bill Gates says investment in innovation is the important part of ESG - CNBC

Scams targeting the elderly have proliferated during the pandemic, with losses from three popular types of frauds seeing triple-digit percentage spikes over the past two years, according to a new report from the Federal Trade Commission.

Some of those scams are directly related to the pandemicshady businesses promoting bogus Covid treatments, for instancewhile others found fertile ground in the general confusion and economic dislocation of the past two years.

Covid-19 has had, and continues to have, a particularly devastating impact on the health and finances of older Americans, the FTC says in its report.

Investment-related scams that dont necessarily have a direct connection to the pandemic have especially flourished since 2020. In that time, reported losses from those types of schemes have ballooned 213% to $147 million, according to the FTC.

The commission has taken a number of enforcement actions on that front, such as the March order for an online investment site to pay $2.4 million related to a trading scheme that the commission said made bogus earnings claims and locked investors in hard-to-cancel subscription services. Many of the victims were retirees and older Americans.

The FTCs report acknowledges the challenges of quantifying the extent of any type of fraud, which relies on the victim being aware of the scam and reporting it. The report found that older Americansdefined as 60 or olderwere substantially less likely to report losing money to a scam than younger Americans. But in the instances that were reported, the oldest Americans lost the most money. Victims in their 80s reported a median loss of $1,500 to fraud, while victims in their 70s had a median loss of $800.

The report is yet another indicator for advisors that scams are on the rise, and that it can be helpful to talk over some of the common frauds with clientsespecially older ones.

Demographic data indicate that the challenge of safeguarding older Americans nest eggs is likely to get worse amid an aging population. Drawing on census data, the Department of Health and Human Services has projected that by 2040, Americans ages 65 and older will account for 21.6% of the countrys population, up from 16% in 2019.

Impersonation scams have become another favored line of attack for fraudsters. Since 2020, reported losses from business-impersonation scams spiked 134% to reach $151 million. Government-impersonation scams saw nearly as dramatic an increase, with reported losses jumping 109% to $122 million.

The Covid-19 pandemic has spurred a sharp spike in impersonation fraud, as scammers capitalize on confusion and concerns around shifts in the economy stemming from the pandemic, the FTC said in December 2021, when it proposed a rule aimed at cracking down on those kinds of scams.

Protecting seniors from financial exploitation is one of the rare issues these days that doesnt stoke partisan ire. Congress earlier this year passed legislation that called for an advisory group led by the FTC and comprised of government agencies, consumer advocates, and business representatives to develop education materials industries like financial services could use to combat fraud targeting seniors. The FTC convened the first meeting of the advisory committee last month.

Protecting older consumers from predatory practices is a top priority, Samuel Levine, director of the FTCs Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement. Well continue to bring aggressive cases, engage in proactive outreach and research, and work closely with others, including in our new advisory group formed under the Stop Senior Scams Act.

Write to editors@barrons.com

View post:
Investment Scams Targeting Seniors Have Skyrocketed Since 2020 - Barron's

The arguments against our local public school district (RE1J) seeking voter approval to raise money for capital improvement projects all seem to boil down to cost. Its too expensive, opponents say, we cant afford it and now is not the right time.

I ask a different question: Can the Gunnison Valley afford not to invest in our public schools?

As longtime local homeowners, business owners and commercial property owners, my wife and I understand the property tax burden ballot issue 5A places on us. We accept this as part of our countrys foundational commitment to free education for all students.

Not only that, but it makes good business sense to pass 5A.

We firmly believe that healthy, vibrant public schools play a critical role in the overall health of a community. Thats why an investment in the strength of those schools is an investment in our community. Its also an investment in our local businesses.

On the economic front, we sure like to dwell on the negative. Non-stop talk of inflation, the price at the pump and rising interest rates can suck all the oxygen out of a room.

But, by what metric is our local economy not doing well? We regularly talk with our fellow local business owners who tell us about one sales record or another that they continue to set.

Do you know a contractor or tradesman who is not busy? Restaurant and retail sales remain strong. Lodging and visitation numbers do, too.

And while the real estate market is cooling off (which most would say is a good thing), local property remains in high demand and property values continue to be incredibly strong.

Of course, inflation, the possibility of a national recession and a tight and fickle labor market are serious issues that we all face. But weve survived these issues before.

Overall, the local business realities down here on the ground lead me to look at the long-term economic prospects of the Gunnison Valley with optimism, which helps me conclude that the timing of issue 5A is just fine.

This community has answered the call in support of RE1Js facility needs before most recently in 2008 and before that in 1995, making possible the Gunnison and Crested Butte community schools, a renovated Gunnison High School and much more.

Were these bad investments? I certainly think not. I cant even fathom where our community would be without these facilities.

As such, its short-sighted to take something as important as public schools for granted. Reaching out in support of ongoing capital needs every 10 to 15 years or so is part of the deal. And, in Colorado, property tax supported bonds are simply how large-scale school construction projects are funded.

What about the project? Well, its been years in the making and has involved the input of literally hundreds of people from school staff and administrators to parents to members of the general public.

Of course, its not perfect, and its hard to get overly excited about maintenance and safety upgrades, two of the key components of 5A (the other two being overcrowding in Crested Butte and vocational education expansion in Gunnison). But the needs are real and one cannot deny that a tremendous amount of thought, effort and compromise have gone into the proposal. (To learn more about the specifics, and to ask questions, visit GWSDSchools.com.)

What about the cost? Sure, $95 million is a lot of money. But, Id argue that its in the same ballpark as $21 million was in 1995 and $55 million was in 2008.

A lot has been made of the $186 million total payoff amount over the life of the bonds. But anyone whos ever taken out a mortgage to purchase a home understands long-term interest expense.

And what tends to get overlooked are the facts that the 1995 bonds are paid off, and RE1J has saved taxpayers more than $7 million in interest expense on the 2008 bonds through a series of timely refinances.

I think our school leaders, from board members on down, have been admirable stewards of public funds and the districts favorable rating by the bond agencies is evidence of this fiscal soundness.

What happens if we dont continue our ongoing support of our public schools and 5A fails? Well, the needs dont magically disappear. History shows that overcrowding will get worse.

Opening up our pocketbooks to pay more tax is neither fun nor easy. But when it comes to supporting our community schools, I believe issue 5A will be very worth it. And thats coming from the perspective of a business owner, not even a parent with kids in the system.

(Chris Dickey is the former editor, publisher and owner of the Gunnison Country Times. He and his wife, Kirsten, continue to own and operate OffCenter Screenprinting & Embroidery, the Gunnison T-Shirt Company and Spennies Ice Cream Stand. They believe, despite the many challenges, that there is no better place to raise a family and own a business than the Gunnison Valley.)

Please consider making a donation to The Gunnison Country Times and help keep local journalism thriving!

See more here:
Investment in public schools is well worth it - Gunnison Country Times