Dear Mr. Pete,
My name is Ken Edmunds, I live in Cedar Key Florida,
I think of you often and the opportunity you gave me to work at your motel some 35 years ago. You were one of those men in my life that made a lasting impact. When I look back I am very appreciative of the opportunity you gave me that day I wandered into your office at the Highlander Inn. I was 18 years old and looking for work. A friend and I had just rolled into Boulder from Florida when our 3/4 ton camper broke down on our way to California. I remember you asking me, “Well, are you a transient? We get a lot of those through here, and I don’t need to be hiring someone who gets a paycheck and then is gone the very next week!” I knew what my intentions were–and I’m pretty sure you did as well. I was going to be gone once I had the money to do so! But I think the deal was sealed when I told you about our travels and the 3/4 ton camper that was broken down in the back parking lot at the Holiday Inn. I must confess that I left out one crucial bit of information during that interview–that our final destination was not Boulder but was, in fact, California.
Well, as it turned out, you ran out of carpets for me to shampoo and by then I learned that Boulder was a pretty cool place for a 18-year-old kid to be stranded. I also learned that I had a job that was mine to lose and all I had to do was to prove to you that you could depend on me and that I could do what ever you asked me to do around there! You had me help you plant the zinnias, petunias, snapdragons and marigolds around the sign out front, (this turned out to be an annual event for the years to come and gave me an appreciation for gardening). You showed me how to maintain the pool and the solar heater. This was the beginning seeds of my interest in the power of solar energy. I would later enroll into Red Rocks Community College and study Solar Engineering. As time went on, you entrusted me with maintenance repairs of plumbing, electrical and drywall repair and eventually to total room remodels. I now have my own construction company here in Florida and also do solar installations.
I saw many others come and go from the Highlander during my three years there. Somehow I managed to stick, and made the Highlander my second home away from home. I grew up in those years working for you and learned so much about life and hard work. I remember you having me over to your home to help with projects there. I remember you taking me skiing and showing me around Arapaho Basin. Some of the most amazing skiing I ever experienced was while I was out there. You showed me how to be a good boss, a great employer and also a good father. I always appreciated how real you were with the people you encountered.
My years spent in Boulder were life-changing years, and I will never forget them, as long as God gives me that ability. I have been in Cedar Key, Florida, for the past 32 years and have been happily married for the past 29 years to my beautiful wife Vanessa, whom I met when I moved here after leaving Boulder in 1982. We have two beautiful daughters, Whitney (28) and Lindsay (23) and four precious grandsons. My only regret is not having the opportunity to have known you better in the later years and to have been able to tell you personally about the difference you made in my life and to thank you. Thank you for seeing something good in me and giving me a chance when I’m sure there was a part of you that knew I was most likely a high flight risk. Thanks for making a difference in my life, Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

In Loving Memory

Ken Edmunds