VETERANS HONORED TODAY
Garfield County—Today is the day to honor and pay tribute to America’s military veterans, past and present. Several schools took time out with students and faculty for special assemblies featuring patriotic music and guest speakers. Kathryn Senor Elementary in New Castle is holding two Veterans Day programs including one at 7 o’clock tonight. For those who can’t attend programs during the day, the Elks Lodge in Glenwood Springs is holding it’s 10th annual Armed Forces Appreciation Night with patriotic music and a flag presentation. The program begins at 6 o’clock and includes free appetizers and beverages. Veterans and the general public are urged to attend.
GOVERNMENT OFFICES CLOSED FOR VETERANS DAY
Glenwood Springs—Veterans Day is a federal holiday so banks and most government offices are closed including the DMV, Public Health and Environment and the Garfield County Landfill. The only exceptions are state parks which will remain open and offer free admission to all veterans with proper identification.
FREE LUNCH FOR RE-2 STUDENTS
Rifle—A four-day school week is nice unless you’re relying on school lunches to get by. That’s the case for hundreds of students in the Garfield Re-2 School District. A special pilot program is being launched by Lift Up this Friday to meet that need. A special mobile free lunch program to help feed students from lower income households will stop at three locations in Rifle from 11am to 12:20 every Friday to gage the response and participation. Lift Up will provide the vehicle and the food which will include healthy choices like sandwiches, fruit and vegetables. According to statistics from the Colorado Department of Education, over 50 percent of students in the district from Rifle to New Castle, qualified for the lunch program last year. School district officials say if the pilot program is successful, they’ll look to expand it in Silt and New Castle.
NOVEMBER IS “HIRE A VETERAN FIRST MONTH”
Denver—November has been declared as “Hire a Veteran First Month” in Colorado by Governor John Hickenlooper. The Governor’s proclamation urges Colorado businesses to consider hiring a veteran of the armed forces. The opening paragraph reads, “Whenever called upon to defend our nation’s security at home or abroad, the men and women who serve in the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, National Guard and Reserves have responded immediately, placing national interests above their own.” State labor department director Ellen Golombeck says, “the challenge is connecting veterans with employers.” She says there are over 40 Local Veteran Employment Representatives and Disabled Veterans Outreach Program Specialists in state and county run Workforce Centers across Colorado ready to help.
