Archive for Friday, March 6, 2009
Leo Fournier is Craig’s lucky winner
Rose Fief, who works as a clerk at Smoker Friendly at 40 E. Victory Way, hands a Colorado Lotto ticket to a waiting customer Thursday afternoon. Sometime earlier in the week, she did the same thing for another customer, and it turned out to be worth $1.17 million. Smoker Friendly will get a $5,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.
March 6, 2009
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Craig resident Leo Fournier, 48, knew right away what he would do with his $418,123 in Colorado Lotto winnings.
"He said he was going to go buy roses for his wife and then go out to eat," said Erika Gonzalez, Colorado Lottery media relations specialist.
Fournier hit all six numbers in Wednesday's Lotto drawing, overcoming 1 in 5,245,786 odds.
Fournier and his wife, Pam, drove Thursday to Grand Junction to collect the winnings, almost a half million dollars won off a quick pick.
In the bigger picture, Gonzalez said Fournier plans to pay off bills and buy a house in Craig.
He told Gonzalez he has lived in Craig for about 20 years after leaving his hometown of Boston and that it had been at least two years since Fournier had left town for anything.
"He said it was long overdue," Gonzalez said.
She added that Fournier never plans to stop buying lottery tickets.
"He said, 'This is a lifesaver. I bought tickets all the way from Craig to (Grand Junction). I'll never stop,'" Gonzalez said.
For more on this story, see Saturday's Daily Press, or visit www.craigdailypress.com.
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Question of the week
Should the Craig Chamber of Commerce revise its State of the County attendance policy to allow people to hear speakers without paying for a ticket?
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6 March 2009 at 1:01 p.m.
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harkner (Neal Harkner) says…
Leo,
Congratulations. Just a small piece of advice - quit while you're ahead. Pay off your bills, put some money down toward the purchase of a house and invest the rest. Those winnings will make planning for retirement much easier.
6 March 2009 at 2:40 p.m.
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freeman (Anonymous) says…
advice from people which it is none of there business
6 March 2009 at 2:44 p.m.
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harkner (Neal Harkner) says…
freeman - My advice is my opinion and as long as there's a message board here, I'm allowed to give it. If you don't like my advice, that's fine, you don't have to heed it, but don't be a jerk about it, either.
7 March 2009 at 7:15 a.m.
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greeneyedgurl (Anonymous) says…
What a wonderful gift! You always hear about people winning that are already pretty well set so it's nice to hear about someone winning it that really needs it. It doesn't matter how you spend (or don't spend) it, just go have fun!!
7 March 2009 at 11:48 a.m.
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highway1340 (Anonymous) says…
nine times out of ten those winnings are more of a curse than a blessing. Most blow through it in a few years making stupid purchases and end up worse off than they were before. Numerous studies have been doen on what winnings do to people's lives. Most go out and make stupid purchases and don't plan for the future with it. Of course I would love the chance to see what 400,000 would do to me, but I put most of my spare change into jar and don't play the lotto.
7 March 2009 at 12:36 p.m.
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oldsage (Anonymous) says…
Yea right Neil, invest in the stock market and loose it all! Pay off the house and everything else. Owe nothing!
7 March 2009 at 1:05 p.m.
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harkner (Neal Harkner) says…
oldsage - Where in my original post did I mention the stock market? The stock market isn't the only place where one can invest money.
22 April 2009 at 4:09 a.m.
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countrylocal (Anonymous) says…
So you won the lotto, awesome, NOW why don't you quit using food stamps! In case you thought nothing of it you were witnessed using food stamps to buy T-bone steaks, I work 40 hours a week and can't afford them, you won the lotto, can afford them and use food stamps! No wonder our system has problems, when peolpe like you keep abusing it. FOOD Stamps are a privilage not a right!
22 April 2009 at 2:24 p.m.
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freeman (Anonymous) says…
go out and have one heck of a good time,,live life,,chances of winning it again is good,,go out and blow it go to vegas,,do what you want with your money its all yours
22 April 2009 at 4:28 p.m.
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greeneyedgurl (Anonymous) says…
A privilege??? What? I guess that's one privilege I wouldn't want. I guess I'm a little too proud and would feel more privileged if I didn't have to say I needed them. I have never used them nor would I ever unless it came to my kids starving. I don't however disagree with what you are saying (about people getting them when they don't need them) and I've said it many times in other posts. I see people use food stamps that have jobs at 20-mile. I see a kid at the high school show off his brand new $200 shoes that he gets every other month yet he gets free school lunches, his parents pick him up in a luxury SUV-yet he gets free lunches. It's infuriating but at least I can say I work my a$$ off for everything I have and I have not had to rely on the system for handouts.
22 April 2009 at 10:06 p.m.
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Patrick (Anonymous) says…
dang
23 April 2009 at 9:38 a.m.
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daybyday (Anonymous) says…
greeneyedgurl,
I agree social services is needed and has its rightful place for emergency and temporary assistance. Unfortunately, like most of our governmental agencies, there is no accountability because the accountability processes don't work. The accountability processes don't work partly due to individual desire to gain status and worth through power and wealth at all costs. The American Dream is a nightmare, and the snowball has created the avalanche we are in now.
The values you're instilling in your children are what is priceless, and they will learn a lot from you and make the world a better place because of it. If you can work through the bitterness you sometimes feel, it will teach them even more. I only say that because I understand it and can relate to what you go through and how tough it is sometimes.
How many top financial executives in million $ homes have committed suicide in recent months…several that I know of. One murdered his family and then killed himself. It's very sad to think that a person sees their only value and worth as being the fortune they have acquired. I really can't even imagine how a person gets to a point when they would rather end their life and that of their own children than to say, “Honey, not only can I not afford those $200 shoes, but we don't need them.”
23 April 2009 at 7:29 p.m.
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greeneyedgurl (Anonymous) says…
Good point daybyday. I do get bitter but you're right…what is it worth? I have great kids and that's the important thing.
24 April 2009 at 8:20 a.m.
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daybyday (Anonymous) says…
We all get bitter sometimes, me included and I have to work every day to keep focused. Some of the wealthiest people I know (not from Craig, y'all, so don't assume…lol) were the most unhappy people I have ever known…miserable really. Not to say that the wealthiest can't be happy, but if the very source of happiness is $ or things, and the $ and things disappear…what's left.
Great kids…great job gurl! Have a wonderful day.