Windsor community welcomes home veteran injured in combat

An American flag hung over a residential street packed tight with cars. Not even the slightest breeze ruffled the red, white and blue Saturday morning.

Several hundred people crowded onto the lawn of one new home on the street.

They were there to watch wounded a Windsor Marine get the keys to his specially built home.

Homes for Our Troops, a privately funded nonprofit that serves severely injured veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, built the home with help from volunteers and Fort Collins-based custom homebuilder NoCO Custom Homes.

The nonprofit group held the ceremony to present Marine Cpl. Jason Hallett and his wife with the keys to a mortgage free-home nestled in a cul-de-sac in Windsor.

“We want the community to embrace veterans,” said Bill Ivey, the executive director of Homes for Our Troops. “That’s why we do these events. It’s a great way to get veterans integrated into the community.”

The event drew neighbors, supporters from all across Colorado and veterans.

State Sen. Viki Marble, R-Fort Collins, and Windsor Mayor John Vazquez delivered speeches.

Jim Magin, a former submarine sailor, said he came to the event to support his friend.

“I’m here today to honor a wounded warrior for his service and sacrifice,” he said. “I first met Jason coming up on a shuttle bus at DIA, him and his grandma.”

One month into his first deployment to Afghanistan in 2010, Hallett lost both of his legs and his right arm after he stepped on an improvised explosive device. After rehabilitating in San Diego, Hallett moved to Windsor.

He and his wife Rachel, who were high school sweethearts, are both full-time students at Colorado State University.

They arrived at their new home with a police escort. The approaching siren announced the start of the ceremony.

The crowd of supporters spilling from the yard into the street turned to watch the procession begin. Motorcycles with flags hoisted high followed the police car. Firetrucks brought up the rear.

The Halletts got out of the firetruck and walked through a long tunnel of flag-holding supporters and up the driveway they could now call their own. A little girl in a blue hat ran up to Hallett and hugged him.

He held back thankful tears as he spoke to the crowd.

“It’s a really huge blessing,” Hallett said. “I’m most excited for just moving in.”

The house has over 40 modifications from a traditional home to make it easier for Hallett to get around.

The alterations include roll-under stoves, a lift system and wider hallways, Ivey said.

The home is one of six similar houses under construction in Windsor for veterans, thanks to a donation of land from Water Valley Land company CEO Martin Lind.

Megan Apodaca, 12, was part of the color guard that came to the event to honor Hallett’s service.

“It’s nice that everyone came together to welcome a Marine back into his own community,” she said.

Kelly Ragan
kragan@greeleytribune.com
Twitter: @kellyraygun

Greeley business owners air concerns with federal regulations, workforce at round table

Area business owners on Monday gave U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner and an official from the U.S. Small Business Administration an earful when discussing their concerns on the state of their small businesses.

Gardner, R-Colo., participated in a round table Monday at the Greeley Chamber of Commerce, 902 7th Ave., in conjunction with the U.S. Small Business Administration. As an appointed member of Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, Gardner conducted the round table to hear from small businesses about the issues most important to them. Business owners discussed the difficulties they faced with health care reform, burdensome regulations and a work force, that despite being college educated, wasn’t cutting it.

“Part of helping small businesses succeed is coming to venues like this one and hearing where we’re maybe doing well and where we can do better,” said Matt Varilek, regional SBA administrator. “We want to take that information back to Washington. Truthfully, SBA will always have the challenge of letting people know what resources we have.”

Business owners came ready with a list of small business burdens.

“Confusion is tough for our clients,” said Masoud Shirazi, owner of Shirazi Benefits, an insurance agency in Greeley. “We spend a lot of time educating them.”

Shirazi stressed that he’d like to see some consistency in health care, insurance and tax policies to help his business, as last-minute alterations in policies and regulations hinder his efficiency.

Ryan Mayeda, owner of Weld Family Clinic of Chiropractic, discussed the difficulties he faced when his bank failed in 2009, and the subsequent loss of his business.

“If it wasn’t for my parents, I would not have my chiropractor business either,” said Mayeda, who lost his first business and credit standing after New Frontier Bank went under. He hoped for the SBA to pay more attention to microbusinesses.

Melissa McDonald, a State Farm agent in Greeley, said she felt the meeting helped business owners communicate their concerns.

“I think hearing directly from small business is the best way to start conversation,” she said. “The issues brought up on education and healthcare ­— those being heard from the people living it will be helpful.”

Kelly Ragan
kragan@greeleytribune.com
Twitter: @kellyraygun