Custer’s Newest Author

by Fred Hernandez
There’s a new author in our valley and the timing in the release of his new book could not have been more ideal. “A Blueprint and Financial Guide for the Working-Class American” written by Ronald D Beckner is a great read for anyone who is concerned about the state of our national and world economy and who wants to help preserve their assets in these times of uncertain financial confidence. A short but educational read, this hundred twenty-page softcover, is a guidebook that is designed to educate everyone who gets their hands on it.
The author, Ron Beckner, is a knowledge-able, high-energy individual who has vast experiences throughout his life and career. A Colorado native born in Denver in 1964, Ron graduated from Golden High in 1982 and by the summer of ‘83, had joined the United States Navy. After boot camp he was stationed on board the USS Belleau Wood an LHA-3 (Landing, Helo, Amphibious) aircraft carrier which was the naval platform for the Harrier Jump Jets and helicopters the Marines called Cobras. It was also considered a hospital ship
because it was the largest medical facility afloat. During his four-year stint in the U.S. Navy, he learned to be a pipefitter and a welder. From the Navy he joined the Coast Guard for another four years. After his time in service, he joined the union in Denver, Colorado (Pipefitters Local Union 208) but remained in the Naval Reserves for the next sixteen years. One of the first jobs for Ron was in the Denver International Airport; under construction in 1992.
As a pipefitter/welder he worked for several well-known enterprises including INTEL in Colorado Springs, Coors Brewery and the Black Hills power plant while working his way up to the positions of general foreman and superintendent on the job sites. In the meantime, he rose to the position of President of the union and at the same time was a member on the Executive Board. Once he achieved that goal, Ron then decided that it was time to return to college to earn a degree.
Coincidentally, the Department of the Navy contacted him with an offer to work on the naval facilities in Hawaii including those at Pearl Harbor. It was while working in Hawaii that he graduated from college with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Business Management. At this point in his storied life Ron shifted his focus to the finance industry and became a financial advisor in a well-known national company. He gained a lot of experience with developing business and helping clients and within five short years achieved the position of Limited Partner. At this time, he made his home in the town of Westcliffe in Custer County, Colorado, just southwest of Colorado Springs.
Due to certain circumstances he decided to refocus his talents and help his town in one of the activities that was quite important to the area….The Wet Mountain Valley Saddle Club Stampede Rodeo. Through his determined efforts, the rodeo, which is an annual event in many western rural areas, Ron, as a member of the local the Wet Mountain Saddle Club Board, formed a rodeo committee and together made contact and worked closely with the national association and succeeded in having the local, Custer County rodeo, recognized by the PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association) a well-established rodeo entity which helped to place Custer County on the national rodeo map. It was an important achievement for the county thanks to Ron and other members of the Saddle Club and Rodeo Committee. With that done he moved on and returned to financial advising, this time as an Independent Financial Advisor associating with Raymond James, one of the biggest financial brokerage firms in the entire country.
Through his work as a financial advisor Ron saw the need for a documented strategy when assisting his many clients. It was then
he decided to write the book.
Counting on his experiences in the Navy he explains that his strategy is to help position his clients from possible “hits” which in the real world can come from any direction and at any time. The foundation of the strategy as devised by Ron is T. I. M. E. which is the acronym for Tools, Information, Materials and Equipment. However, he added one more letter R for Real. The clock only goes one way, and the strategy works only in R-TIME: real time. This book is
fascinating in that it is not the usual “financial” handbook or folio. It is written in interesting and vivid prose and replete with graphs, pictures, illustrations and visual aids for understanding the content.
Going back to his navy days and the USS Belleau Wood, he recalled that when it came time to replace the ship, the Navy decided to sink her. They fired cannon, missiles and other
ordnance but the ship was so solidly constructed that it would not sink. This is where Ron got the concept that investment strategies must be watertight and “sink proof” like a mighty aircraft carrier. And that is how he approaches every one of his client’s financial plans.
We will be following up this article with a book report at which time details of the book and the strategy for helping you preserve your assets will be further discussed. For more information, please call Peaks Integrity office at 719-581-7325 or visit the website www.peaks-integrity.com.
Peaks Integrity Wealth Management /Raymond James
595 Hermit Rd
Westcliffe CO 81252
Ronald D Beckner Financial Advisor

Disclosures:
Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services are offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. Peaks Integrity Wealth Management is not a registered broker/dealer and is independent of Raymond James Financial Services.
The information contained in this book and article does not purport to be a complete description of the securities, markets, or developments referred to in this material. The information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete. Any information is not a complete summary or statement of all available data necessary for making an investment decision and does not constitute a recommendation. Any opinions are those of Ronald Beckner and not necessarily those of Raymond James. Expressions of opinion are as of this date and are subject to change without notice. There is no guarantee that these statements, opinions or forecasts provided herein will prove to be correct. Investing involves risk and you may incur a profit or loss regardless of strategy selected.
Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. is not responsible for the consequences of any particular transaction or investment decision based on the content of this book or article. All financial, retirement and estate
planning should be individualized as each person’s situation is unique.

Custer County Welcomes Our
New Undersheriff Susan Barnes

by Fred Hernandez

Off to a rapid start, the Custer County Sheriff Rich Smith appointed a new Undersheriff who was sworn in at the Courthouse on January 10th. Ms. Susan Barnes is eminently qualified for the position as will be seen from a very recent interview with the Sentinel.
The daughter of an Army veteran, she was born in Augsburg, Germany. Eventually they were moved to Yakima, Washington, where her father just recently finished out a 30-year career with the NSA. She attended a small Christian high school with a graduating class of only nineteen. Moving yet again, Susan attended college in
Cedarville, Ohio; a Baptist/Christian college where she
majored in Secondary Education, English and Performing Arts.
Her mother, a concert pianist who studied at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati, Ohio, is the inspiration for Susan’s deep love of music. She plays the piano, the flute and other musical instruments and is also a thespian who sings opera. At this point we might conclude she is not the normal police officer by any means. The inspiration, to be a law enforcement professional, came to her when, as a senior in college, she experienced an event wherein the lifesaving intervention of a state trooper generated a keen interest for her to dedicate her life work to helping others.
Aside from the musical talents, Susan’s life experiences, following a military spouse around the country for 20 years, are enough to fill two resumes. These include her work as the owner of a real estate company, a florist, a personal banker, a paralegal and an event organizer, to name just a few. As a law enforcement officer her experience and training run the gamut of the myriad of duties within a police station. She is POST ( Peace Officer Standards & Testing) certified not once, but twice, the latest being at the Pikes Peak Community College POST ACADEMY after which she signed on as law enforcement officer at Pikes Peak now known as Pikes Peak State College.
Before that she worked in Teller County and while going through her second certification she worked as an officer in the small town of Green Mountain Falls (between Manitou and Woodland Park). At that job she worked her way up to Acting Chief of Police.
The scope of her 14 years of police work spans the jobs of dispatcher, deputy, patrol officer, acting police chief, Sargent in Florence, Colorado, Police Department for two years and has done every conceivable task needed as a deputy or police officer. Susan is a good organizer and administrator and has countless hours of leadership training both in law enforcement and the civilian world. She can plan, lead, organize, streamline operations and maintain effective controls of assets and liabilities of a law enforcement department. In her new job Susan does not foresee making any huge changes. However, she is “big on community policing.” Keeping law enforcement in close touch with the needs of the public she serves. She looks forward to working with the department to more effectively use the time, money and resources they have to keep Custer County residents the safest and most informed they have ever been.
Susan is a very strong supporter of the U.S. Constitution as originally written, especially the 1st and 2nd Amendments.
She is excited to become an active  member in our community and went to work right away to purchase a home just outside of Silver Cliff. There is no doubt that Susan will be a most welcome addition to the Custer County Sheriff’s Office and a great asset to local law enforcement.
We wish Susan all the best in her new responsibilities as Undersheriff of Custer County.

by Charlotte Burrous,
Fremont Crusader
—Cañon City, CO
Words from concerned citizens fell on deaf ears when the RE-1 School Board placed the Standard Operating Procedure Cañon City Schools Guidelines for Supporting Transgender & Gender-Diverse Students on the agenda as an informational piece. This means that it will be voted on first reading in the next school meeting on February 13th then approved on second reading at the February 27th meeting.
Apparently, not much has changed since the original seven-page policy was presented by the board in 2022. When residents found out what the board planned to do, more than 100 people attended the June meeting to express their disagreement, but apparently, the board intends to do what it planned to do all along.
During the visitor’s section, Isabel Sandoval spoke against the policy.
“As a parent, we’re supposed to create culture for our children, but it is apparent that not all children have that kind of supportive upbringing,” she said. “When we the parents don’t create a culture or don’t do it effectively, that’s when immorality and evilness will eventually steal our children.”
When she was a parent, she said her biggest concerns were learning whether her children were behaving in their classrooms, sports or other school events. Continue reading RE-1 School Board Continues Toward Approval of Transgender Policy →