by Fred Hernandez
O n Thursday evening, February 9th, at the Rancher’s Roost in Westcliffe, the Custer County Republican Central Committee (CCRCC) had its organizational meeting to elect a new leadership for the party. To some it might have been a surprise; to others no surprise at all. After the dust settled, the new team emerged: Jordan Benson – Chairman; Chuck Steigerwalt – Vice Chairman; Sandra Attebery – Secretary and Dorothy Carsten – Treasurer.

The Sentinel had an opportunity to meet with the newly minted Chairman Benson the very next day for a free-wheeling chat at which time he disclosed some of his thoughts and plans regarding the future of the Republican Party in Happy Valley.
The new Chairman firmly believes that Custer County “is the last bastion of freedom in Colorado. We are blessed to have the majority of elected officials as members of the Republican Party”. His main objective during his term will be twofold: unite and grow the party.
Using his high tech device to make his point, Jordan, as his friends call him, drew on the tablet the platforms of both parties; the Democrats and the Republicans: Under the section marked “D” he drew a list of “values”; the things they stand for as a party. On this list he had them favoring Big Government, universal healthcare, open borders, climate change, anti-religion, pro-abortion, anti Second Amendment, socialism, soft on crime and more. Under the letter “R”; a shorter list: pro Constitution, individual rights, pro Second Amendment, Free Markets, pro-life, pro-business, strong military and strong borders.
Jordan says “we have a rare opportunity at this time. People are leaving both parties and moving towards becoming independent”. He believes that those who are leaving the Democrat Party might agree with some of the things on their platform but surely there may be those who do not believe all. Therefore, the Republican Party should have a platform that will attract those Democrats who are leaving theirparty. Some of our strongest Re-publicans were once Democrats. To the Republicans he will say, “If you do not entirely believe in the platform of the Republican Party then you are not a Republican.” We have to show people why we fight hard. We are the party that believes in individual rights and freedoms. We are the party that wants every American to have the opportunity to be successful, not just special interest groups as our counterparts do. We believe that those individual rights and freedoms should not be trampled upon just because someone doesn’t like something. It is not acceptable for one to pretend that they are Republicans but deep down they espouse the platform of the other parties. What’s more is we cannot allow anyone, especially the compromised media, to divide Republicans. He wants to remind everyone, Democrats and Republicans alike, that the Republican Party is the party of Freedom and Liberty and that includes small government and adhering to the Constitution. He (Jordan) would further want to remind the party that it has to put all competition on the defensive and it starts by not bickering with each other within the party.
Chairman Benson invites everyone, members of any party, affiliates of any organization; everyone is welcome to join in all future meetings to learn why the Republican Party is the right party for America. At every meeting there will be time allotted to allow all attendees to voice their thoughts, their opinions and their concerns during an open forum public comment section. They can address themselves to officials who may be in attendance and get straight answers. As far as he is concerned the truth is all important for the overall performance of the party. That is why he refuses to allow the party to be a victim of the media. He stands for the truth, nothing else. Congratulations to Chairman Jordan Benson and his new team at the helm of the Custer County Republican Central Committee.

For the CCRC’s January Meeting minutes, see here. (Leaving page)

Note:  3/2/2023    The next CCRC meeting has been scheduled for Wedn. March 8, 5:30 p.m. in the Courthouse basement.

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.