From the River to the Race – and a New Season of Service

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I still vividly remember my first introduction to this Valley—floating the Arkansas from Granite to the Gorge and camping on midriver gravel bars. That connection to the land and water brought us back every year until we finally decided to make Chaffee County our permanent home.

After retiring from school administration in Missouri, I spent five wonderful years back in the classroom teaching math at Buena Vista High School. But my desire to serve eventually led me to a new challenge: running for Chaffee County Commissioner.

The campaign was a masterclass in community and connection. What began as simple meals shared in neighbors' homes grew into a robust team of supporters across all 11 precincts. From installing scores of signs and knocking on hundreds of doors to hosting 150-person events and managing a $50,000 community-funded campaign, the process was humbling. Whether it was through radio spots, parades, or "Postcards to Every Home," I didn't just learn about the county—I learned about the people who make it special.

A New Chapter in Familiar Territory

After the election, a close confidant gave me some sage advice: "Don’t be a sore loser OR a sore winner." I took that to heart. We ran the best race possible, with absolutely no regrets. While the outcome led me down a different path, my commitment to this county never wavered.

Instead of moving on to "greener pastures," I chose to reinvest here. I have resurrected my Real Estate Broker’s license and joined a local firm with deep roots. In a remarkable twist of fate, the firm's owner and I share the exact same birthday, and our predecessors even sold real estate together decades ago in the Midwest. It felt like a sign that I was exactly where I was meant to be.

Service You Can Count On

They say "overnight success" takes five years, but with the current market and the skills I’ve honed, I am hitting the ground running. The same skills I used to navigate the campaign—negotiation, legal compliance, collaboration, and tireless attention to detail—are exactly what I bring to my real estate clients.

As we look toward the new year, I would be honored to serve you once again. Please keep me in mind if you or someone you know is considering a real estate adjustment. Whether it is a first-time home purchase, a complex 1031 exchange, land development, or a simple market analysis, I bring decades of transaction experience and a deep love for this Valley to the table.

Thank you for your trust, your friendship, and for being part of this incredible journey.

Warmly,

Tom McCracken

719/398-3187

Website:TomMcCrackenBroker.com

Email: tom@brokersofcolorado.com

Email: tsmccrackenllc@gmail.com

My Blog: https://mrmccrackensblog.blogspot.com/ 

---

REAL Brokers of Colorado

tom@brokersofcolorado.com

www.TomMcCrackenBroker.com

Colorado Broker # 100109143

Cell: 719/398-3187

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Important Notice Regarding Real Estate Information:

All information contained in this email, including property details, market data, and transactional insights, is provided for informational purposes only and is subject to errors, omissions, prior sale, withdrawal without notice, and changes in price or terms and conditions. While I strive for accuracy, I am a licensed Colorado real estate agent, not an attorney, financial advisor, or tax consultant.

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Your real estate decisions should be made in consultation with appropriate professional advisors.

What would it look like to have a TP USA Chapter here in Chaffee County, Colorado?

What would it look like to have a TP USA Chapter here in Chaffee County, Colorado?

Issue #3

October 19, 2025

Think of it this way:  If the young people who are engaged in these types of tough discussions become the next leaders of our county, state, and nation, WE ARE GOING TO BE OK!  For instance, when asked about rewriting the Constitution, one young pupil replied, “Why don’t we just read and follow the one we have!”  How clear and succinct!  Thank you, SIr!

Summary of Second Public Interest Meeting in Salida

On October 16 at Granzella Hall in Salida, approximately 45 engaged adults and young people attended our second public interest meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the framework of Turning Point and to recruit volunteers to contribute their time, talent, or resources.

Following an overview of Turning Point and its six areas of focus, attendees formed three breakout groups based on their interests:

• TPUSA Club America: A group of students and parents began planning for future off-campus meetings. These meetings will be open to students from public schools, private schools, and homeschools and will focus on studying current political and social issues.

• TP Action: A group of adults discussed strategies for engaging in the political process within Chaffee County. Brainstorming efforts were described as inspiring, focusing on proactive local involvement.

• TP Faith: This support group connected with others to discuss strategies for engaging local pastors and church leaders in a common conservative dialogue.

The evening was marked by significant energy and passion, with attendees feeling they had advanced their collective goals. As a next step, the organization plans to develop small, mobilized teams to expand conversations with like-minded individuals throughout Central Colorado.

Next Steps and Future Events

• Bring in staff from TPUSA for guidance.

• Develop small, mobilized teams to expand conversations among like-minded individuals in Central Colorado.

• Work toward establishing new chapters for local districts and homeschoolers.

• Host TPUSA at the next Chaffee County Patriots meeting on November 14 in Buena Vista at St. Rose Church.

• Facilitate the formation of new teams in other geographic areas.

Background

This latest meeting builds on the momentum from our first gathering on September 18 at the Buena Vista Airport Meeting Room. Following that initial meeting, we successfully expanded our network through word-of-mouth, public informational booths, and email outreach.

For those interested in getting involved, please respond via email. We are also available to travel to other locations to share information about the TP Platform.

Summary of the meeting and talking points shared through our ZOOM AI note-taker

Quick recap

The meeting began with Tom discussing his background in education and providing updates on Turning Point USA's national expansion and local initiatives in Chaffee County. He outlined the process for starting and maintaining high school chapters, covering guidelines for meetings, financial contributions, and various support opportunities. The session concluded with discussions about conservative organizations and events, followed by group activities focused on organizing student engagement and planning future activities.

Turning Point USA Expansion Update

Tom discussed his background in education and his current role as an administrator. He emphasized the importance of engaging with young people and mentioned that the community school still recites the pledge daily. Tom also provided an update on Turning Point USA's renovations, noting that they have increased from 3,000 to 54,000 requests nationwide.

TPUSA Chaffee County Expansion Plans

Tom discussed the progress and future plans for TPUSA (Turning Point USA) in Chaffee County, focusing on organizing high school clubs and engaging with the local community. He emphasized the need for adult involvement in hosting meetings and events, and highlighted the importance of building confidence among young people in expressing conservative perspectives. Tom also mentioned the six main areas of focus for TPUSA, including Club America for high school students, and encouraged attendees to register their interest in these initiatives.

High School Club Chapter Guidelines

Tom discussed the guidelines and opportunities for starting a high school chapter of a club, emphasizing the need for private meetings off-campus due to possible school restrictions. He highlighted the potential for regional or district meetings and mentioned that eighth-grade students can join high school meetings in the spring semester. He mentioned various ways to support chapters, including hosting events, providing scholarships, and addressing pushback from opponents. Tom briefly touched on college chapter activities, noting that while Western College is nearby, the focus should be on high school chapters for now, and suggested using Colorado Mountain College's free meeting rooms for events.

Conservative Organizations and Engagement

Tom discussed various conservative organizations and events, including Turning Point Education, TP Faith, Blexit, and America Fest. He encouraged attendees to get involved by joining these groups, attending events, and supporting them financially or through volunteer work. Tom mentioned that a handbook is available for $20 and offered to help arrange copies for interested participants. The next step was for attendees to choose how they wanted to engage with the organizations, focusing on time, treasure, or talent.

Group Organization and Activity Planning

Tom led a discussion on organizing groups and preparing for future activities. He emphasized the importance of self-introduction and outlined steps for group members to build to-do lists and identify needs. Tom also introduced a chart showing political issues from 2016 to 2025 and mentioned nine discussion questions for group members to debate. He instructed participants to split into specific groups for pizza and explained the layout for different groups in the room.

High School Student Group Planning

The meeting focused on organizing a group for high school students, discussing potential activities, and planning future events. Tom outlined the layout of different groups and activities, including political involvement and education. The group discussed integrating high school students into existing programs and considered monthly meetings with various topics. They also planned to invite a representative from Colorado to share more information on November 14th. The conversation ended with a birthday comparison exercise and a prayer.

Please consider how you might stay involved. Here are just a few ideas.

1. Stay connected by logging onto the tpusa.com website and registering to ask for more information on the area that interests you.  Be sure and let them know you are from Chaffee County.

2. Share the emails, highlights, enthusiasm and upcoming events with others.  (Feel free to send their contact information forward to us as well)

3. Attend local meetings and encourage your like-minded associates to do the same.

4. Share their information (with their permission of course) with this team so we can keep them posted.  So many people say things like, “I never knew!”

5. Invite us to share pizza and a powerpoint with your own sphere of influence, church people and people who ask you about this important work.

6. Think how you would respond to the question, “What role could you play in this movement?”

7. Host another outreach event like this in your venue.

8. And…  What did I forget?

Take the hard road!

We look forward to hearing from you.

Tom LeBarron

Tom McCracken

Blane Clark

Jake Farber

Photo Credits to Jen and Tom. Thank you.

#ABD?

Great picture of the bee!?

#ABD

All But Done?  

After two years of steady extra work, 

our entire cohort striving towards a Doctorate 

passed our "Comps!"

Why is that a big deal???

After a Master's, then a Specialist, the only thing left was the Doctorate.  Earning the Doctorate requires coursework with the assignments, travel to the class site for seat time, taking a comprehensive test called the Comps, and researching and writing a dissertation.  #ABD really stands for All But Dissertation.

Once the Comps are completed, we buckle down and complete our paper.  Many of us are 20 to 50 pages into the first two chapters; Introduction and Literature Review.   Our next chapters, Methodology, Results and Implications, describe how we studied, what the results of the research were and how that translates to the industry.

Like this picture above, it shows the up close detailed view, clearly revealing even the bee.  But then there is the bigger picture that focuses on the skyscraper, like below.  Projects, events and procedures are often juxtaposed, with both the near and far requiring our attention.

The big picture or the details?

We used study groups, video chats, self-critical assignments, posting them on a Team Drive, multiple Hangouts, note cards, directed attention on our adviser's guidance and healthy habits.  Some even got motel rooms to keep from having to drive in and take the test on the same day as the drive.  After writing for 5 more hours, we printed our work and handed it in.  Sort of reminded us of The Paper Chase from 1973. 

What's next?  Finish the paper! Read and write!

I don't usually write book reports...

...But when I do, It's because they have deeper meanings

This exemplary sample of the PEDICULARIS GROENLANDICA, elephant head is clearly in focus. Do we look near first or far first?  

Do we look at what is right before us or off in the distance?

Fives and Twenty-Fives sheds light on what soldiers might do.

Fives and Twenty Fives, by Michale Pitre

then 

The Things They Carry by Tim O"Brien

I don't usually take to writing "book reports" because that means I have to read the entire book. Yet a former colleague recommended each of these war novels and I was thoroughly intrigued. With benign beginnings, their true colors took time to develop, ferment and become clearly delineated. Both toggle back between war and peace time. Both include palatable descriptions of atrocities. Yet both weave a theme of the mind, and it's internal battle being much harder to wage. The rules of engagement are thoroughly blurred. Fives and Twenty Fives was written in response the US involvement in Iraq. The Things They Carried hearkens all the way back to Vietnam and assembles a few short stories about men and women during war times. 

Fives and Twenty Fives
This novel, typically first person but often in mixed tenses, ranging from past to present. Some incidents described are from a few years past to recent history to current events and activities. Regardless many vignettes articulate the thoughts, struggles and deliberations within the narrators mind and a few other influential characters. He bounces between Baghdad and USA, almost on alternating paragraphs. 

Fives and twenty fives is a story recording how a veteran strives to adjust back to civilian life, the demons he faces, and actively working to leave the past behind. This deliberation consumes most of the thoughts and processes within his mind. For instance, he describes a scene in Baghdad, then dovetails right back to his current conversation, then takes us back to Baghdad for the conclusion.

We get the idea that this back and forth tracking from one setting to another, from the past to the present, from the coping to the struggle, is common and substantial in the re-adjustment period for someone who has endured trauma so debilitating, like a war, battle or major life changing event. Early in the novel, a reader may become distracted by the constant change of venue, but by the end, readers accept and even expecting the multiple or parallel sagas under contemplation. We become accustom to this cycle or rhythm. 

Preliminary impressions suggest the fluid or dynamic nature within the mind of a veteran during assimilation back. A battle scarred mind might find it tough to shut off or disconnect from the past temporary life in an effort to rejoin civilization or society that he strove to insulate. THIS IS THE TRUE COST OF WAR. The young people that go and come back as somebody different with some physical as well as mental scars that take time to heal.

Now,

The Things They Carry by Tim O"Brien

This hiker carries everything necessary for a 5 day back-country excursion.  At the end of the day, he takes it off, unpacks his tent, sleeping bag and cooking gear.  The next day, he GETS to put it back on and repeat.

Another war novel, The Things They Carried, begins with an introduction to the plethora of items inside a Vietnam soldier's backpack. Listed could be anything from extra weapons, ammunition or communication devices to a talisman personally attached to the host; a photo of a loved one, a religious icon or a lucky charm. However much is in the backpack almost begs to be debated. We almost get wrapped up in the idea that what is in the backpack is important. The reader becomes engaged in the value or merit of each item, but this is just a distraction.

Of course, soldiers carry their necessities, day in, day out, but at the end of every day, they might get lucky enough to peel off their load, get rid of the extra weight and rest. The end of the day, battle or attack allowed the warrior the chance to recover, recenter and recuperate. The Sergeant orders "halt" and the first thing to happen, off comes the backpack and with it the weighty burden.

By the end of The Things, we realize the things that are in the backpack are only physical. They can be taken off or picked back up again. An alternative aspect, the mental and not the physical, draws us into the concept of a psychological or internal struggle that is not so easily laid down. 

Thoughts, memories or actions, done in the name of war, still linger, still haunt and still replay in the weary warrior's mind over and over and over. This brings us to the true theme. A warrior's mind never leaves the battlefield, no matter how much time or geography separates him from his past. The things that he carries are far weightier than the pack. Items of war, hate and poison that threaten to leach their toxicity into their host if nothing is done about it.

What is NHS? or Working definitions for Leadership, Scholarship, Citizenship and Service

The Four Pillars of the National Honor Society

These pillars represent components of both the Honor Society as well as the Junior National Honor Society for Middle School Students. Induction in these types of service organizations leads to deeper connections, positive influences, role models, and further depth in the entire educational experience we call School.

Speaking about these pillars helped me articulate their true meaning. Leadership, Scholarship, Citizenship, and Service formulate the cornerstones of the application and acceptance process of the Society. They have deep, advanced ,and challenging definitions, but they might also be quite simple. Let’s investigate each term further.

Leadership carries many illustrations, quotes, quips, and little phrases to help us better explain what it means to be a leader. For our purposes, let’s say ”leadership” is doing the right thing, regardless. Acting with integrity, doing what is right, even if nobody else is doing it and taking the high road, even if nobody else follows.. Of course, it is nice to have “followers,” but they might not be right behind. Taking the high road often implies it is harder, more challenging, vacant or lonely--and probably even less traveled Regardless, do the right thing!

Scholarship carries an overtone of great study, perfect report cards, lots of book learning, but further exploration may lead to implications for all of us! For instance, if “scholarship” is doing things right, all the time, the rest of us can participate in scholarship by doing the best we can do in any and all endeavors. Academic avenues are not exclusive. We might do our jobs right, stack our boxes at work properly, work smarter, leave things better than found them, and not take those shortcuts. Our act of scholarship may not be doing the right thing, but doing things right! Some may even consider that management.

Citizenship is just being part of the team. We are all part of various groups, teams, clubs, cliques, as well as countries, cities, and states. Advocating for the entire community takes the focus off ourselves and onto the bigger group. Citizenship might be just as simple as advocating for the team! As a teammate, it could be giving it your all. As a friend, it might be acting as an UPSTANDER and not just a BYSTANDER. A student might behave better in class. Regardless of the group, each of us can act as a part of the team, participating, contributing, and bringing a positive attitude to encourage the betterment of everyone involved.

Finally, Service means making those around you comfortable. Friends, co-workers, parents, siblings, and classmates describe a few of the people we come in contact with throughout our day. Humbly placing others above ourselves, serving their needs and allowing them to pass through doors first are a few simple examples. A hostess, waiter, or concierge will foresee, plan for, and solve a customer’s need before the customer even realizes the deficiency. For instance, a good waitress will never let the tea disappear and have the glass rattle with ice.

Of course, these “soft skills” are only part of our overall purpose as educators. Yes we want to get our scores as high as possible, but not at the cost of these social skills so hard to measure! The Honor Society combines all four indicators and invites many students to apply, but only a portion actually achieve the status and gain induction into the society. Kudos to them.

Thanks for reading,

Tom

Will a robot ever replace a teacher?

On the sound outside Seattle, brothers share a kayak ride. Shared experiences like these form the basis of influence. Shared experiences like these build trust. 
Shared experiences build relationships. 

Robots?

Three considerations about education:

What is the curriculum?

Is it aligned with what’s tested?

Is the pedagogy (teaching) the best possible?

Teachers think in terms of these questions.  They guide our planning, discussions, professional development, and just about what we consider when building a daily lesson plan.

Initially, we must look at what we are teaching. We reframe the question in various perspectives: Do we teach what we want to teach? Do we just covering the basics? Do we delve deeper and look to truly investigate the content? Do we chase too many rabbits? Do we start on Page 1 of the textbook and head to the back? Cover to cover?  

Progressing, we look at the standards the state (DESE) publishes. When the state develops a test, they tell us what is going to be on the test. We then have to ask if our curriculum matches what they have published. We have to align our efforts to their scale and teach what is most important. We get some leeway and flexibility but our top focus is the Missouri Learning Standards.

Finally, we consider what we are actually doing in classrooms. Are we going from worksheet to worksheet? How engaged are our students? Do the materials look like they are from 1995 or are they current and fresh? Are we preparing students for a future that does not exist yet to solve problems that we don’t even know about yet?  

Often times, we are asked about the problems or issues in education. Seldom is there one problem but a myriad of issues to address before we can teach a child about meiosis or mitosis. Meals, hygiene, clean clothes, and safety influence the outcome and predict if a student will be able to work and participate in class, or will be too distracted to focus.  

Will we be able to ever replace a teacher with a robot? Only time will tell but for now, only teachers are sensitive enough to gather all the supporting data, process the facts, and then create a plan or the next step to address deficiencies - all while taking attendance, looking for pencils, prompting students to get to work, and collecting homework! True multi-tasking!