thedenverpost--2020-12-26--After severing ties over Elijah McClain controversy, Adams County coroner agrees to new contract wit

After severing ties over Elijah McClain controversy, Adams County coroner agrees to new contract with Broomfield

After the Adams County coroner told Broomfield County last week that her office will no longer provide services to Broomfield , officials announced Wednesday the two agreed to a contract .
The Broomfield City Council approved continuing the contract with Coroner Monica Broncucia-Jordan , but raised questions on her role in investigating the Aug. 30 , 2019 , death of Elijah McClain after being violently arrested by Aurora police .
Broncucia-Jordan , who ’ s been Adams County ’ s coroner since 2011 , told the council in a letter Dec. 17 she would not renew the contract because Broomfield @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear lack of confidence ” in her office during the City Council meeting .
Broncucia-Jordan did not attend the meeting .
Broomfield announced late Wednesday evening that Broncucia-Jordan agreed to the 2021 Intergovernmental Agreement to provide coroner services for Broomfield .
She will attend the City Council ’ s Jan. 12 meeting “ and be available to dialogue with city councilmembers , ” according to Broomfield .
“ We are eager to nurture this long-standing partnership , ” Mayor Pat Quinn said in a statement .
“ We are working from a place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of communications are open and enhanced.
” The contract with the Adams County coroner was initially on the consent agenda to be approved at the Dec. 10 study session , but Councilmember Deven Shaff asked to put it on the business agenda for discussion .
Shaff said he had been reading articles and reports of McClain ’ s death , and as he was preparing for the meeting he felt the need to ask some questions of the coroner .
He was curious about the coroner ’ s involvement with the investigation into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a conflict of interest in the case , if there was a meeting between the person who performed the autopsy and the coroner and whether the coroner ’ s office met with the Aurora Police Department before or during the autopsy .
He wanted more information on the cause of death , concluded to be undetermined , and why the coroner ’ s office did not seek a second opinion .
“ I didn ’ t expect to get answers to all of these questions , but I wanted to at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s involvement and her offices involvement , ” Shaff said in the meeting .
“ I do have some concerns with how this was handled .
There are a lot of question marks there.
” At least four other council members agreed with Shaff ’ s points , but acknowledged a need for a coroner in the meantime .
In Broncucia-Jordan ’ s letter announcing she would no longer provide services , she wrote she was never contacted by Broomfield regarding any questions it had about her office ’ s investigation into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the concerns from an “ article in the media , ” The Denver Post reported .
“ I find the lack of communication from Broomfield Council and the discussions at the Council meeting completely unprofessional , ” she wrote in the letter , which was obtained by The Post .
“ Without confidence in the services my office provides to your community , I have elected not to renew the Broomfield Coroner services ( intergovernmental agreement ) for the year 2021.
” Quinn , in a letter to Broncucia-Jordan ’ s office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the way the council handled the discussion .
“ Unequivocally , you and your office should have been afforded the opportunity to respond to Council ’ s comments , ” the mayor wrote .
The public is invited to join the virtual City Council meeting Jan. 12 .
The meeting will be on Channel 8 and on Broomfield.org/CityCouncil .

After the Adams County coroner told Broomfield County last week that her office will no longer provide services to Broomfield, officials announced Wednesday the two agreed to a contract.
The Broomfield City Council approved continuing the contract with Coroner Monica Broncucia-Jordan, but raised questions on her role in investigating the Aug. 30, 2019, death of Elijah McClain after being violently arrested by Aurora police.
Broncucia-Jordan, who’s been Adams County’s coroner since 2011, told the council in a letter Dec. 17 she would not renew the contract because Broomfield’s elected leaders “expressed a clear lack of confidence” in her office during the City Council meeting. Broncucia-Jordan did not attend the meeting.
Broomfield announced late Wednesday evening that Broncucia-Jordan agreed to the 2021 Intergovernmental Agreement to provide coroner services for Broomfield. She will attend the City Council’s Jan. 12 meeting “and be available to dialogue with city councilmembers,” according to Broomfield.
“We are eager to nurture this long-standing partnership,” Mayor Pat Quinn said in a statement. “We are working from a place of positive intent to ensure our lines of communications are open and enhanced.”
The contract with the Adams County coroner was initially on the consent agenda to be approved at the Dec. 10 study session, but Councilmember Deven Shaff asked to put it on the business agenda for discussion. Shaff said he had been reading articles and reports of McClain’s death, and as he was preparing for the meeting he felt the need to ask some questions of the coroner.
He was curious about the coroner’s involvement with the investigation into McClain’s death, if there was a conflict of interest in the case, if there was a meeting between the person who performed the autopsy and the coroner and whether the coroner’s office met with the Aurora Police Department before or during the autopsy. He wanted more information on the cause of death, concluded to be undetermined, and why the coroner’s office did not seek a second opinion.
“I didn’t expect to get answers to all of these questions, but I wanted to at least understand the situation better and understand Broncucia-Jordan’s involvement and her offices involvement,” Shaff said in the meeting. “I do have some concerns with how this was handled. There are a lot of question marks there.”
At least four other council members agreed with Shaff’s points, but acknowledged a need for a coroner in the meantime.
In Broncucia-Jordan’s letter announcing she would no longer provide services, she wrote she was never contacted by Broomfield regarding any questions it had about her office’s investigation into McClain’s death and only learned of the concerns from an “article in the media,” The Denver Post reported.
“I find the lack of communication from Broomfield Council and the discussions at the Council meeting completely unprofessional,” she wrote in the letter, which was obtained by The Post. “Without confidence in the services my office provides to your community, I have elected not to renew the Broomfield Coroner services (intergovernmental agreement) for the year 2021.”
Quinn, in a letter to Broncucia-Jordan’s office shared with The Post, apologized for the way the council handled the discussion.
“Unequivocally, you and your office should have been afforded the opportunity to respond to Council’s comments,” the mayor wrote.
The public is invited to join the virtual City Council meeting Jan. 12. The meeting will be on Channel 8 and on Broomfield.org/CityCouncil.


thedenverpost--2020-12-26--University: Utah star freshman running back Ty Jordan dead

DALLAS — Ty Jordan , a star freshman running back for the University of Utah who grew up in the Dallas area , has died , school officials announced Saturday .
Authorities in Texas and Utah have not released details about the circumstances of the Jordan ’ s death .
A day earlier , Jordan was named Pac-12 ’ s newcomer of the year .
“ Words can not express the devastation and heartache that our team is feeling right now upon learning of the tragic death of our teammate and brother , Ty Jordan , ” Utah Head Football @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Jordan , a speedy 5-foot-7 , 200-pound player , emerged from a crowded Utah backfield to become the focal point of the team ’ s offense .
He finished the season with 597 yards rushing , 11 catches for 126 yards and six touchdowns .
Jordan came up as a tailback playing in Mesquite , a Dallas suburb , and was a highly touted recruit .
He made a seamless transition to the college game , including three straight 100-yard rushing performances to close out the season .
Utah was one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to decline an opportunity to play a postseason bowl game , instead allowing players who had been in strict COVID-19 protocols for months begin their off-seasons .

DALLAS — Ty Jordan, a star freshman running back for the University of Utah who grew up in the Dallas area, has died, school officials announced Saturday.
Authorities in Texas and Utah have not released details about the circumstances of the Jordan’s death. A day earlier, Jordan was named Pac-12’s newcomer of the year.
“Words cannot express the devastation and heartache that our team is feeling right now upon learning of the tragic death of our teammate and brother, Ty Jordan,” Utah Head Football Coach Kyle Whittingham said in a statement.
Jordan, a speedy 5-foot-7, 200-pound player, emerged from a crowded Utah backfield to become the focal point of the team’s offense. He finished the season with 597 yards rushing, 11 catches for 126 yards and six touchdowns.
Jordan came up as a tailback playing in Mesquite, a Dallas suburb, and was a highly touted recruit. He made a seamless transition to the college game, including three straight 100-yard rushing performances to close out the season.
Utah was one of nearly two dozen major college football teams to decline an opportunity to play a postseason bowl game, instead allowing players who had been in strict COVID-19 protocols for months begin their off-seasons.


thedenverpost--2020-12-27--Kafer: The bad, the ugly and yes, there was even some good in 2020

Like a tender leaf sprouting from the ash of a fire-scarred forest , good is emerging from the pain and frustration of a difficult year .
This short space can not capture what we ’ ve experienced in 2020 — a pandemic , a raucous election with an incomplete presidential transition , catastrophic forest fires , drought , hurricanes , an economic downturn , and urban riots .
I can only highlight an example or two in my annual year-end “ good , bad , and ugly ” column for The Denver Post .
In terms of the bad , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that has taken the lives of more than 300,000 Americans including more than 4,000 Coloradans .
Families have lost loved ones .
Health care workers are exhausted .
The impact of the disease and government dictates intended to stem its spread have crushed a thriving economy and left millions unemployed or underemployed .
Public school closures and online schooling have diminished learning gains and exacerbated achievement gaps among students .
Sadly , we can not yet see the full extent of the wreckage .
Next year will be lean .
We will look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions on businesses with regret as temporary closures turn permanent and former employees head to the unemployment line .
As for students , state tests will reveal the deficits begot of a lost year .
Yet out of this tragedy , the ingenuity of our science and medical community shines .
In addition to developing better treatments and therapies for those hospitalized with the disease , pharmaceutical companies teamed with our federal agencies have produced vaccines in record time .
The Food and Drug Administration authorized the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines less than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus ’ s genome .
Scientists , medical personal , and the pharmaceutical companies they work for , and clinical trial volunteers deserve credit for the extraordinary speed with which these vaccines became available .
Frankly , so does President Donald Trump for initiating Operation Warp Speed which accelerated the government authorization process and committed billions in taxpayer funds to trials and advanced purchasing .
These two vaccines use groundbreaking new biotechnology .
Ordinarily , vaccines work by introducing a weakened or dead virus to the body to trigger an immune defense response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a messenger RNA sequence that prompts a person ’ s cells to produce a protein with the coronavirus ’ s signature surface spike .
The spike proteins which are harmless then trigger an immune defense response .
When a vaccinated person comes into contact with the COVID-19 virus , his immune system will recognize the virus ’ s spikes and mount a defense .
Other promising biotechnology , as well as more traditional vaccines , are in the pipeline for next year .
Thus out of the bad , the good is emerging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can forget the foul smoke that obscured the mountains throughout the rainless summer ?
A century of fire suppression produced overly dense pine forests throughout the Rocky Mountains .
Too many trees vying for too little water made them more susceptible to beetle infestation .
The resultant half dead forests became kindling for a lightning strike .
Flames scorched 700,000 acres of Colorado forests .
Three of the largest forest fires ever recorded in our state blackened the landscape .
Yet out of the ashes , grew a better-late-than-never recognition for the need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is now allowing dense forests to be thinned and culled through logging .
By thinning the pines and making room for more aspen and meadow , our beautiful parklands will be less susceptible to catastrophic fire .
This spring , fireweed with its brilliant pink flowers will emerge from the blackened soil , a preview of restoration to come .
We can only hope that just as medical wonders can arise from disease and restoration from a devastating fire , good may yet come from the other troubles we experienced in 2020 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Post columnist .
Follow her on Twitter : @ kristakafer To send a letter to the editor about this article , submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email or mail .

Like a tender leaf sprouting from the ash of a fire-scarred forest, good is emerging from the pain and frustration of a difficult year.
This short space cannot capture what we’ve experienced in 2020 — a pandemic, a raucous election with an incomplete presidential transition, catastrophic forest fires, drought, hurricanes, an economic downturn, and urban riots. I can only highlight an example or two in my annual year-end “good, bad, and ugly” column for The Denver Post.
In terms of the bad, nothing else this year eclipses the pandemic that has taken the lives of more than 300,000 Americans including more than 4,000 Coloradans. Families have lost loved ones. Health care workers are exhausted. The impact of the disease and government dictates intended to stem its spread have crushed a thriving economy and left millions unemployed or underemployed. Public school closures and online schooling have diminished learning gains and exacerbated achievement gaps among students.
Sadly, we cannot yet see the full extent of the wreckage. Next year will be lean. We will look back at the often arbitrary and harsh restrictions on businesses with regret as temporary closures turn permanent and former employees head to the unemployment line. As for students, state tests will reveal the deficits begot of a lost year.
Yet out of this tragedy, the ingenuity of our science and medical community shines. In addition to developing better treatments and therapies for those hospitalized with the disease, pharmaceutical companies teamed with our federal agencies have produced vaccines in record time. The Food and Drug Administration authorized the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines less than a year after scientists sequenced the novel coronavirus’s genome. Scientists, medical personal, and the pharmaceutical companies they work for, and clinical trial volunteers deserve credit for the extraordinary speed with which these vaccines became available. Frankly, so does President Donald Trump for initiating Operation Warp Speed which accelerated the government authorization process and committed billions in taxpayer funds to trials and advanced purchasing.
These two vaccines use groundbreaking new biotechnology. Ordinarily, vaccines work by introducing a weakened or dead virus to the body to trigger an immune defense response. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines introduce a messenger RNA sequence that prompts a person’s cells to produce a protein with the coronavirus’s signature surface spike. The spike proteins which are harmless then trigger an immune defense response. When a vaccinated person comes into contact with the COVID-19 virus, his immune system will recognize the virus’s spikes and mount a defense. Other promising biotechnology, as well as more traditional vaccines, are in the pipeline for next year.
Thus out of the bad, the good is emerging. As for the ugly, who can forget the foul smoke that obscured the mountains throughout the rainless summer? A century of fire suppression produced overly dense pine forests throughout the Rocky Mountains. Too many trees vying for too little water made them more susceptible to beetle infestation. The resultant half dead forests became kindling for a lightning strike. Flames scorched 700,000 acres of Colorado forests. Three of the largest forest fires ever recorded in our state blackened the landscape.
Yet out of the ashes, grew a better-late-than-never recognition for the need for proactive forest management. The government is now allowing dense forests to be thinned and culled through logging. By thinning the pines and making room for more aspen and meadow, our beautiful parklands will be less susceptible to catastrophic fire. This spring, fireweed with its brilliant pink flowers will emerge from the blackened soil, a preview of restoration to come.
We can only hope that just as medical wonders can arise from disease and restoration from a devastating fire, good may yet come from the other troubles we experienced in 2020.
Krista L. Kafer is a weekly Denver Post columnist. Follow her on Twitter: @kristakafer
To send a letter to the editor about this article, submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email or mail.


thedenverpost--2020-12-27--Gary Miller: Good news for selling your business in 2021

Without a doubt , 2020 will go down in the record books as one of the most disruptive , confusing and disquieting years in modern history .
Cities rocked by riots , hospitals overflowing with COVID-19 patients , election results challenged , the media not trusted by segments of the population , a nation so polarized that civil discourse is almost impossible , and an economy turned upside down .
It is no wonder business owners are seriously worried about their futures .
What comes next ?
With “ shut down ” orders changing almost weekly , small businesses are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the National Federation of Independent Business , a nonprofit small-business advocacy group , “ If economic trends continue at this rate , one in five business owners anticipates not making it through the end of the year.
” But , as bleak as 2020 has been , 2021 is predicted to be a positive year for mergers and acquisitions ( M & A ) .
With COVID-19 vaccines being distributed and projections showing that 70 % of the nation could be vaccinated at some point in the third quarter , the economy could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that quarter , if not before .
That is good news for those business owners wanting to sell their businesses in 2021 .
What should owners know about selling their businesses next year ?
M & A professionals are optimistic about activity over the next 12 months .
There is plenty of money to invest .
According to Dykema ’ s16th annual M & A survey from October , CEOs and CFOs are the most optimistic they have been in the 16-year history of the survey .
Dykema is a national law firm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ Seventy-one percent of respondents expect the M & A market to strengthen over the next 12 months , up from 33 % in 2019 .
The rise in optimism reflects market conditions and a belief among respondents that the worst is behind them – with both financial and strategic buyers seeking opportunities in a crippled economy .
Furthermore , 60 percent of respondents say their outlook for the U.S. economy is positive over the next 12 months.
” Other major institutions , including Morgan Stanley and Bloomberg , view 2021 M @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an investment bank , representing mid-market business owners , recently stated that they have closed more transactions in the past six months than in the past decade .
One strong indicator of the strength of the M & A market is the number of nondisclosure agreements being signed .
NDAs are a strong predictor of potential deal closings .
Sectors seeing the most M & A activity next year include : ( 1 ) Automotive and related businesses ; ( 2 ) Health care ; ( 3 ) Technology ; ( 4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Financial Services ; ( 6 ) Business services ; and ( 7 ) Educational services .
When considering going to market , owners should asked themselves if this is the right time for you to sell ?
Or should you wait ?
Consider these three issues : • Examine your motives for wanting to sell .
Is it for health reasons , burn out , divorce , retirement , or a new competitor ?
If it is a new competitor , remember , they may be suffering just as much or more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sell your business are more urgent , such as a loss of major clients , or loss of a partner , ask yourself if you can recover ?
If it is retirement , you can be more flexible in your exit plans .
• Determine if the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the “ enterprise value ” of your company .
Often , deal structures change based on the buyer ’ s perception of the enterprise value of your business .
A buyer may claim they do not know how to value your business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so they propose a series of performance payments over time .
Don ’ t to structure the sale of your business as an earnout .
Instead , secure an independent certified valuation and determine which is the best structure to complete the transaction .
• Analyze yourself and your business .
Are you emotionally ready to sell .
Some business owners are emotionally ready to sell before they are operationally ready to sell .
Diligently prepare your business before you go to market .
Doing so will yield a higher selling price and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your financial books and records are in pristine condition ; look at your inventory and determine what , if anything , is obsolete .
Whatever is obsolete , get rid of it and turn it into cash .
Update your financial proformas in light of the pandemic ’ s effect on your future operations .
Complete a self-imposed due diligence on the operations of your business .
Look for your weaknesses and correct them .
Remember , selling a company is like a beauty contest .
The business that shows best sells first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Strategy Management Inc. , a mergers-and-acquisitions advisory firm advising small- and medium-sized businesses throughout the U.S .
He represents business owners throughout the transaction process from preparing them to go to market , selling their companies , acquiring companies and raising capital .
He has been a frequent keynote speaker at conferences and workshops on mergers and acquisitions .
Reach Gary at 303.409.7740 or gmiller @ gemstrategymanagement.com .

Without a doubt, 2020 will go down in the record books as one of the most disruptive, confusing and disquieting years in modern history. Cities rocked by riots, hospitals overflowing with COVID-19 patients, election results challenged, the media not trusted by segments of the population, a nation so polarized that civil discourse is almost impossible, and an economy turned upside down. It is no wonder business owners are seriously worried about their futures. What comes next?
With “shut down” orders changing almost weekly, small businesses are struggling to stay afloat. According to the National Federation of Independent Business, a nonprofit small-business advocacy group, “If economic trends continue at this rate, one in five business owners anticipates not making it through the end of the year.”
But, as bleak as 2020 has been, 2021 is predicted to be a positive year for mergers and acquisitions (M&A). With COVID-19 vaccines being distributed and projections showing that 70% of the nation could be vaccinated at some point in the third quarter, the economy could be roaring back by the end of that quarter, if not before. That is good news for those business owners wanting to sell their businesses in 2021.
What should owners know about selling their businesses next year?
M&A professionals are optimistic about activity over the next 12 months. There is plenty of money to invest. According to Dykema’s16th annual M&A survey from October, CEOs and CFOs are the most optimistic they have been in the 16-year history of the survey. Dykema is a national law firm serving businesses worldwide.
The survey says, “Seventy-one percent of respondents expect the M&A market to strengthen over the next 12 months, up from 33% in 2019. The rise in optimism reflects market conditions and a belief among respondents that the worst is behind them – with both financial and strategic buyers seeking opportunities in a crippled economy. Furthermore, 60 percent of respondents say their outlook for the U.S. economy is positive over the next 12 months.” Other major institutions, including Morgan Stanley and Bloomberg, view 2021 M&A activity positively.
General Equity, an investment bank, representing mid-market business owners, recently stated that they have closed more transactions in the past six months than in the past decade. One strong indicator of the strength of the M&A market is the number of nondisclosure agreements being signed. NDAs are a strong predictor of potential deal closings.
Sectors seeing the most M&A activity next year include: (1) Automotive and related businesses; (2) Health care; (3) Technology; (4) Consumer products; (5) Financial Services; (6) Business services; and (7) Educational services.
When considering going to market, owners should asked themselves if this is the right time for you to sell? Or should you wait? Consider these three issues:
Examine your motives for wanting to sell. Is it for health reasons, burn out, divorce, retirement, or a new competitor? If it is a new competitor, remember, they may be suffering just as much or more than you are. While other reasons to sell your business are more urgent, such as a loss of major clients, or loss of a partner, ask yourself if you can recover? If it is retirement, you can be more flexible in your exit plans. Determine if the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the “enterprise value” of your company. Often, deal structures change based on the buyer’s perception of the enterprise value of your business. A buyer may claim they do not know how to value your business given the effects of the pandemic, so they propose a series of performance payments over time. Don’t to structure the sale of your business as an earnout. Instead, secure an independent certified valuation and determine which is the best structure to complete the transaction. Analyze yourself and your business. Are you emotionally ready to sell. Some business owners are emotionally ready to sell before they are operationally ready to sell. Diligently prepare your business before you go to market. Doing so will yield a higher selling price and better terms and conditions. Make sure your financial books and records are in pristine condition; look at your inventory and determine what, if anything, is obsolete. Whatever is obsolete, get rid of it and turn it into cash. Update your financial proformas in light of the pandemic’s effect on your future operations.
Complete a self-imposed due diligence on the operations of your business. Look for your weaknesses and correct them.
Remember, selling a company is like a beauty contest. The business that shows best sells first.
Gary Miller is CEO of GEM Strategy Management Inc., a mergers-and-acquisitions advisory firm advising small- and medium-sized businesses throughout the U.S. He represents business owners throughout the transaction process from preparing them to go to market, selling their companies, acquiring companies and raising capital. He has been a frequent keynote speaker at conferences and workshops on mergers and acquisitions. Reach Gary at 303.409.7740 or gmiller@gemstrategymanagement.com.


thedenverpost--2020-12-27--Life after COVID: Some pandemic-induced changes may persist

The pandemic that disrupted the world in 2020 has upended Terrence Hughes ’ life more than most .
One of Colorado ’ s earliest COVID-19 patients , the Denver minister and civic leader fought for survival in the hospital for nearly two months in the spring .
He ’ s spent the months since then slowly recovering .
While hoping for a return to full health , he suspects that once the pandemic is over , daily life will never feel quite normal again .
The precautions taken by the entire Hughes family — his wife , Rachel , also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less severe case — have become ingrained .
“ I ’ m sure the mask-wearing will stick with me .
And maybe even gloves , ” said Hughes , 57 , a co-pastor at Five Points ’ New Covenant Christian Church and Alpha Omega Ministries Disciples of Christ .
“ I don ’ t believe that we ’ ve seen the last of these types of outbreaks.
” As the first shots of COVID-19 vaccines went into the arms of Coloradans this month , experts in public health and a range of other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ caution is likely to be commonly shared once the pandemic has subsided .
Past epidemics , disasters and other society-wide shocks from history suggest that people will retain remnants of the far-reaching changes that have taken hold in their daily lives .
Some will be subtle , perhaps including attentive hand-washing or a reluctance to resume hand-shaking or casual hugs with strangers .
Others legacies , such as reaching for a mask when you ’ re sick , might be more overt .
Hughes imagines a “ new normal ” in which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that make them vulnerable will just continue their routine when they go out : “ As you grab your jacket , you grab your mask .
As you grab your purse , you grab your mask.
” Though the pandemic ’ s end is still frustratingly far away — potentially well into 2021 , depending on the vaccine roll-out — the horizon is now coming more clearly into view .
And the long-lasting effects are likely to go beyond individual behaviors .
“ This has obviously been a once-in-a-generation — once-in-a-multiple-generation — event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the economy , ” said Glen Mays , who chairs the Colorado School of Public Health ’ s Department of Health Systems , Management and Policy .
“ I ’ m confident there are going to be persistent effects .
When you think about just the extent to which the pandemic has shaped people ’ s geographic location decisions , their economic decisions , their job opportunities , their housing options — people have shifted where they live or shifted what they do.
” Exactly which changes will take hold may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but Mays predicted major currents would “ take certain segments of society and the economy in different directions than they were going before the pandemic.
” Mays and other researchers said the markers left behind are likely to include emotional and psychological scars among those whose lives were most disrupted .
Early research has keyed in on anxiety , depression , social isolation , substance abuse and obsessive-compulsive disorders as among the mental health conditions affected as people have coped with the collective stress of the pandemic , suggesting lasting consequences are possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of technological advances , such as video conferencing and online ordering , that are likely to stick with us , at least in some fashion .
Nowhere is that more true than in education , even as schools and universities plan to revert primarily to in-person learning , and in health care , which has embraced telehealth in lieu of many doctor ’ s visits .
And yet there are obvious yearnings among the public for a return to many aspects of pre-pandemic life — the palpable excitement in the stands of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warm communal glow of a wedding attended by hundreds of guests , a carefree couples ’ night out at a restaurant , without anxiety .
Hughes feels that pull most strongly for a return to the fellowship of his church , which has stuck to remote services to keep its many older members safe .
“ That ’ s what so insidious about this virus .
Even a place like a church , with people singing — if somebody ’ s infected and they ’ re singing their hearts out , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Especially in the Black church , the choirs and the singing are so much a part of our church worship experience .
I miss that .
I miss hearing those voices .
“ I long for those times , and I ’ m not giving up hope.
” The Spanish flu that engulfed the world in 1918 offers signals of how COVID-19 may affect our lives for years to come .
Tens of millions of people died worldwide as doctors and local officials struggled to understand how the infectious virus worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine then , as medicine and science were far less advanced .
The pandemic also took hold while World War I was underway .
Historians have suggested it influenced both the end of the war as well as the course of the peace conference , since some leaders in attendance , including U.S. President Woodrow Wilson , were sidelined by the flu .
“ Some of the long-term effects of the influenza pandemic literally didn ’ t show up for decades ” in people , said Susan Kent , a history professor at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ studied the Spanish flu .
Among them , she said , were lower education rates and psychological illnesses found in some people whose mothers had been infected with the 1918 flu while pregnant with them .
But overall , despite a drive to improve medical care and a greater focus on public health , there was a contradictory impulse that played out post-pandemic — a willful choice among many to forget that terrible time .
The resulting “ historical amnesia ” of the pandemic lasted until researchers dug into it in the 1970s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States , the coinciding ends of the Great War and the pandemic were followed by the Roaring ’ 20s , a long run not only of economic growth but a more carefree urban culture .
Some historians see a link , a society-wide seeking of release after several crushing years of war and disease .
The current pandemic has been less catastrophic , thanks to modern medicine , but it ’ s still been deeply disruptive , making unexpected consequences possible .
“ We don ’ t tend to pay attention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maybe a part of the natural world , but they can have such an extraordinary impact , ” Kent said .
Hughes ’ impulse to continue using a mask in crowded places reflects a phenomenon he ’ s seen himself in the cities of Japan , China and southeast Asia in the wake of modern epidemics .
A year before the coronavirus pandemic , it was still common to see smatterings of people in Tokyo wearing masks on trains , in grocery aisles and on crowded streets , long after the last regional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s quite likely that some of these protective behaviors are going to stick with us , ” Mays said .
“ Society ’ s sort of been through a master class in infectious disease and public health protections.
” Mays is among public health researchers who point to Australia ’ s mild winter flu season this year as a hopeful sign that precautions taken for COVID-19 will help prevent many seasonal infections , too .
“ I ’ m probably most excited about the fact that it may get planted in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not something we actually have to live with every winter , ” said Daniel Larremore , an assistant professor at CU Boulder .
He combines expertise in computer science and public health to study how diseases spread within networks .
The pandemic is already spurring changes in public buildings and entire industries when it comes to how bathrooms are kept clean and how spaces are ventilated .
Kim Day , the CEO of Denver International Airport , and Richard Scharf , the president and CEO of Visit Denver , said in interviews @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hotels , restaurants and convention centers were already rethinking their approaches in many ways that were likely to be permanent , including installing more “ touchless ” technology .
“ We ’ re never going to turn hand-dryers back on ” in DIA ’ s bathrooms , Day predicted , noting that travelers appeared more comfortable with using compostable paper towels in the pandemic age .
Some Coloradans have gone to extraordinary lengths to avoid COVID-19 .
In March , a week after the coronavirus was detected in the state , The Post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s decision to preemptively isolate in their southeast Denver home to avoid the potentially deadly risk for Ancel , 72 , who has a chronic lung disease .
For more than nine months , the couple has kept it up .
They ’ ve rarely strayed from their house or its porch , save for trips to the doctor ’ s office and distanced appointments at the veterinarian for their cats .
During the summer they each took walks , though a misstep by Ancel during one predawn walk at Washington Park @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other supplies arrive on their porch after they order them online .
“ Thank God for Amazon , ” Ancel said in an interview last week .
Cary , 66 , didn ’ t realize at the beginning just how long their isolation would last .
But she has grown comfortable with the “ quieter , calmer life ” they ’ ve been living .
She ’ s lost weight , she said , and they ’ ve grown closer .
“ I kept realizing it was going to be longer and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maybe that ’ s a trick your mind plays on you .
By the time I embraced the fact that we could be in here for a year or more , I was OK with it.
” During their isolation , a couple people they know have been hospitalized with COVID-19 .
Cary ’ s brother in Florida caught it , too .
All have recovered .
They said they look forward to getting meals at nearby restaurants once again and traveling to visit their children out of state .
But both activities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the second half of 2021 , Ancel figures .
“ We ’ re looking forward to getting the vaccines , but we don ’ t want to get ahead of our friends who work at King Soopers and are getting exposed , ” he said .
Cary and Ancel ’ s patience is unusual , but their eagerness to move beyond the pandemic is shared beyond their four walls .
Sociologists say the ways public health restrictions have challenged most people ’ s lives — spurring backlashes and even making mask-wearing a political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human nature .
“ That ’ s why it ’ s been hard to get people not just in our country but in countries around the world to abide by public health orders , ” said Lori Peek , the director of CU ’ s Natural Hazards Center .
“ We are human beings , and we need connection — we need each other to survive .
Being told to stay apart from our fellow human beings has been hard .
And of course , that ’ s been exacerbated by all kinds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Peek studies how disasters affect people , particularly those who are most vulnerable on the margins of society .
Viewed as a disaster , she said , the pandemic has carried similar disproportionate effects on people — think of the different burdens carried by those who have been able to shift their work to home and lower-income service workers who , if they ’ re still employed , are still at risk of exposure to the virus every day at work .
As the likely end of the pandemic comes into view @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spurs a greater effort to reckon with the long-term effects for people who have fewer means to simply snap back to normal .
Unlike the 1918 pandemic , which was nearly forgotten once it was over , she hopes the United States and the world take account of the deaths and the pain this one has caused .
“ What is the story that ’ s going to be told about this pandemic , and how is it going to shape us as a society moving forward ?
” Peek said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one more page in our history books ?
That will be our 2021 conversation .
”

Life After COVID
This week, The Denver Post will examine the long-lasting effects the coronavirus pandemic will have on the workplace, culture, schools, restaurants and even sports in Colorado.
Today, we talk to experts about what COVID-19 might permanently change, and what we can learn from history.
The pandemic that disrupted the world in 2020 has upended Terrence Hughes’ life more than most. One of Colorado’s earliest COVID-19 patients, the Denver minister and civic leader fought for survival in the hospital for nearly two months in the spring. He’s spent the months since then slowly recovering.
While hoping for a return to full health, he suspects that once the pandemic is over, daily life will never feel quite normal again. The precautions taken by the entire Hughes family — his wife, Rachel, also weathered COVID-19 early on, with a less severe case — have become ingrained.
“I’m sure the mask-wearing will stick with me. And maybe even gloves,” said Hughes, 57, a co-pastor at Five Points’ New Covenant Christian Church and Alpha Omega Ministries Disciples of Christ. “I don’t believe that we’ve seen the last of these types of outbreaks.”
As the first shots of COVID-19 vaccines went into the arms of Coloradans this month, experts in public health and a range of other fields told The Denver Post that Hughes’ caution is likely to be commonly shared once the pandemic has subsided.
Past epidemics, disasters and other society-wide shocks from history suggest that people will retain remnants of the far-reaching changes that have taken hold in their daily lives. Some will be subtle, perhaps including attentive hand-washing or a reluctance to resume hand-shaking or casual hugs with strangers.
Others legacies, such as reaching for a mask when you’re sick, might be more overt.
Hughes imagines a “new normal” in which people like him who have health conditions that make them vulnerable will just continue their routine when they go out: “As you grab your jacket, you grab your mask. As you grab your purse, you grab your mask.”
Though the pandemic’s end is still frustratingly far away — potentially well into 2021, depending on the vaccine roll-out — the horizon is now coming more clearly into view.
And the long-lasting effects are likely to go beyond individual behaviors.
“This has obviously been a once-in-a-generation — once-in-a-multiple-generation — event that has touched every part of society and the economy,” said Glen Mays, who chairs the Colorado School of Public Health’s Department of Health Systems, Management and Policy. “I’m confident there are going to be persistent effects. When you think about just the extent to which the pandemic has shaped people’s geographic location decisions, their economic decisions, their job opportunities, their housing options — people have shifted where they live or shifted what they do.”
Exactly which changes will take hold may be hard to pin down this early, but Mays predicted major currents would “take certain segments of society and the economy in different directions than they were going before the pandemic.”
Mays and other researchers said the markers left behind are likely to include emotional and psychological scars among those whose lives were most disrupted. Early research has keyed in on anxiety, depression, social isolation, substance abuse and obsessive-compulsive disorders as among the mental health conditions affected as people have coped with the collective stress of the pandemic, suggesting lasting consequences are possible.
The pandemic also accelerated the adoption of technological advances, such as video conferencing and online ordering, that are likely to stick with us, at least in some fashion. Nowhere is that more true than in education, even as schools and universities plan to revert primarily to in-person learning, and in health care, which has embraced telehealth in lieu of many doctor’s visits.
And yet there are obvious yearnings among the public for a return to many aspects of pre-pandemic life — the palpable excitement in the stands of a Rockies game at Coors Field, the warm communal glow of a wedding attended by hundreds of guests, a carefree couples’ night out at a restaurant, without anxiety.
Hughes feels that pull most strongly for a return to the fellowship of his church, which has stuck to remote services to keep its many older members safe.
“That’s what so insidious about this virus. Even a place like a church, with people singing — if somebody’s infected and they’re singing their hearts out,” he said, the virus can spread easily. “Especially in the Black church, the choirs and the singing are so much a part of our church worship experience. I miss that. I miss hearing those voices.
“I long for those times, and I’m not giving up hope.”
Pandemics have “an extraordinary impact”
The Spanish flu that engulfed the world in 1918 offers signals of how COVID-19 may affect our lives for years to come.
Tens of millions of people died worldwide as doctors and local officials struggled to understand how the infectious virus worked. There was little hope of a vaccine then, as medicine and science were far less advanced. The pandemic also took hold while World War I was underway. Historians have suggested it influenced both the end of the war as well as the course of the peace conference, since some leaders in attendance, including U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, were sidelined by the flu.
“Some of the long-term effects of the influenza pandemic literally didn’t show up for decades” in people, said Susan Kent, a history professor at the University of Colorado Boulder who has studied the Spanish flu. Among them, she said, were lower education rates and psychological illnesses found in some people whose mothers had been infected with the 1918 flu while pregnant with them.
But overall, despite a drive to improve medical care and a greater focus on public health, there was a contradictory impulse that played out post-pandemic — a willful choice among many to forget that terrible time. The resulting “historical amnesia” of the pandemic lasted until researchers dug into it in the 1970s and 1980s, Kent said.
In the United States, the coinciding ends of the Great War and the pandemic were followed by the Roaring ’20s, a long run not only of economic growth but a more carefree urban culture. Some historians see a link, a society-wide seeking of release after several crushing years of war and disease.
The current pandemic has been less catastrophic, thanks to modern medicine, but it’s still been deeply disruptive, making unexpected consequences possible.
“We don’t tend to pay attention to these epidemics because they seem just maybe a part of the natural world, but they can have such an extraordinary impact,” Kent said.
Hughes’ impulse to continue using a mask in crowded places reflects a phenomenon he’s seen himself in the cities of Japan, China and southeast Asia in the wake of modern epidemics. A year before the coronavirus pandemic, it was still common to see smatterings of people in Tokyo wearing masks on trains, in grocery aisles and on crowded streets, long after the last regional epidemic was raging.
“I think it’s quite likely that some of these protective behaviors are going to stick with us,” Mays said. “Society’s sort of been through a master class in infectious disease and public health protections.”
Mays is among public health researchers who point to Australia’s mild winter flu season this year as a hopeful sign that precautions taken for COVID-19 will help prevent many seasonal infections, too.
“I’m probably most excited about the fact that it may get planted in people’s heads that infectious disease is not something we actually have to live with every winter,” said Daniel Larremore, an assistant professor at CU Boulder. He combines expertise in computer science and public health to study how diseases spread within networks.
The pandemic is already spurring changes in public buildings and entire industries when it comes to how bathrooms are kept clean and how spaces are ventilated. Kim Day, the CEO of Denver International Airport, and Richard Scharf, the president and CEO of Visit Denver, said in interviews this fall that airlines, airports, hotels, restaurants and convention centers were already rethinking their approaches in many ways that were likely to be permanent, including installing more “touchless” technology.
“We’re never going to turn hand-dryers back on” in DIA’s bathrooms, Day predicted, noting that travelers appeared more comfortable with using compostable paper towels in the pandemic age.
Waiting for the pandemic’s end
Some Coloradans have gone to extraordinary lengths to avoid COVID-19.
In March, a week after the coronavirus was detected in the state, The Post wrote about Laura Cary and Michael Ancel’s decision to preemptively isolate in their southeast Denver home to avoid the potentially deadly risk for Ancel, 72, who has a chronic lung disease.
For more than nine months, the couple has kept it up. They’ve rarely strayed from their house or its porch, save for trips to the doctor’s office and distanced appointments at the veterinarian for their cats. During the summer they each took walks, though a misstep by Ancel during one predawn walk at Washington Park resulted in a broken leg.
Groceries and other supplies arrive on their porch after they order them online.
“Thank God for Amazon,” Ancel said in an interview last week.
Cary, 66, didn’t realize at the beginning just how long their isolation would last. But she has grown comfortable with the “quieter, calmer life” they’ve been living. She’s lost weight, she said, and they’ve grown closer.
“I kept realizing it was going to be longer and longer,” she said. “Maybe that’s a trick your mind plays on you. By the time I embraced the fact that we could be in here for a year or more, I was OK with it.”
During their isolation, a couple people they know have been hospitalized with COVID-19. Cary’s brother in Florida caught it, too. All have recovered.
They said they look forward to getting meals at nearby restaurants once again and traveling to visit their children out of state. But both activities will have to wait — potentially until the second half of 2021, Ancel figures.
“We’re looking forward to getting the vaccines, but we don’t want to get ahead of our friends who work at King Soopers and are getting exposed,” he said.
Cary and Ancel’s patience is unusual, but their eagerness to move beyond the pandemic is shared beyond their four walls.
Sociologists say the ways public health restrictions have challenged most people’s lives — spurring backlashes and even making mask-wearing a political fault line — highlight basic elements of human nature.
“That’s why it’s been hard to get people not just in our country but in countries around the world to abide by public health orders,” said Lori Peek, the director of CU’s Natural Hazards Center. “We are human beings, and we need connection — we need each other to survive. Being told to stay apart from our fellow human beings has been hard. And of course, that’s been exacerbated by all kinds of other behaviors, political and otherwise.”
Peek studies how disasters affect people, particularly those who are most vulnerable on the margins of society. Viewed as a disaster, she said, the pandemic has carried similar disproportionate effects on people — think of the different burdens carried by those who have been able to shift their work to home and lower-income service workers who, if they’re still employed, are still at risk of exposure to the virus every day at work.
As the likely end of the pandemic comes into view sometime next year, Peek hopes it spurs a greater effort to reckon with the long-term effects for people who have fewer means to simply snap back to normal.
Unlike the 1918 pandemic, which was nearly forgotten once it was over, she hopes the United States and the world take account of the deaths and the pain this one has caused.
“What is the story that’s going to be told about this pandemic, and how is it going to shape us as a society moving forward?” Peek said. “Or is it just going to be one more page in our history books? That will be our 2021 conversation.”


thedenverpost--2020-12-27--Debt & Democracy: Metro district reform group targeting conflicts of interest

Since the idea for the Bijou Creek Metropolitan District sprung , it seemed likely to be approved , mostly because the tiny town of Deer Trail where it was located on the eastern plains of Arapahoe County could really use the influx of new people .
What several experts on metro district development in Colorado wonder is how the maze of family connections and conflicts of interest within Bijou Creek and Deer Trail ever let the project get off the ground without someone raising a flag .
Those same experts now say they ’ re determined to press legislators for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happen again .
“ This is simply a dizzying array of conflicts and self-interests that shouldn ’ t have been allowed to happen , and all of it at the expense of homeowners who probably don ’ t have a clue , ” said John Henderson , an attorney who , with at least two dozen other lawyers , homeowners and real estate professionals across the state have formed Coloradans for Metro District Reform .
“ There is a long history of conflicts of interest and the complete blind eye toward doing anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It has to stop.
” Like most small towns along the Interstate 70 corridor , Deer Trail with just 546 residents had its share of tough times .
At one point in 2018 , for example , town officials figured out the mystery behind the loss of nearly 1 million gallons of water it was supposed to have : No one had bothered to read the town ’ s water meter in four years and didn ’ t realize they had a leak .
Nowhere was the small-town atmosphere more evident than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Glenn Kunkel , is an Evergreen native who grew up running cows on the prairies surrounding Deer Trail ; his brother , Darren , is employed with the town ’ s maintenance department ; and his sister-in-law , Jennifer Reed Kunkel , just lost reelection to the town ’ s board of trustees .
The town ’ s clerk , Candice Reed , is her sister and also secretary of the local school board that Glenn Kunkel recently lost a bid to be on .
So it was that when Glenn Kunkel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 70 acres of farmland along the town ’ s southern edge that belonged to longtime Deer Trail resident Helen Turecek just after her death in 2016 , the Bijou Creek idea was born .
More Deer Trail residents meant more tax revenue , especially if it meant the town ’ s population would nearly double in size in just a few years .
And a metro district was a perfect way to make that happen .
“ It was a town going back to the dust bowl days , completely run down , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kunkel said in a recent interview with The Denver Post .
“ You have five generations of people living on the state system .
It ’ s a joke .
No one really gave a damn.
” Known in its better days as the birthplace of the western rodeo long before there was a Colorado , the town nowadays couldn ’ t afford to pay for a development ’ s new streets , sewers , and other infrastructure costs that easily would reach into the millions of dollars .
But a metro district @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tab would ensure that all the homeowners who purchased new houses in Bijou Creek would do just that for at least the next three decades on their property taxes .
With just two votes cast to create the district in November 2018 , the family Kunkel – Glenn , Darren and Jennifer – were each elected to the district board , as were business partners Derek Williams and his wife , Teresa , records show .
The Williamses , from Evergreen , also acted as the canvassers to their own election , documents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Government show .
That election couldn ’ t happen until the Town of Deer Trail ’ s board of trustees — including Jennifer Kunkel , a Deer Trail trustee since 2012 – approved Bijou Creek ’ s service plan and an intergovernmental agreement in August 2018 .
In fact , Jennifer Kunkel voted on virtually every matter involving Bijou Creek that came before the town board over the next two years , meeting minutes show .
That included officially approving the metro district ’ s site and sketch plan in December 2019 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the metro district when it ’ s her whole family benefitting from it ?
” said Hannah Taylor , a Bijou Creek resident .
“ It ’ s like one big happy family party at the taxpayer ’ s expense .
That ’ s just not right.
” The metro district is nearly finished with more than 100 of the 134 homes constructed , Kunkel said .
There is no record that she disclosed her potential conflict of interest on any Bijou Creek matter before the board , nor offered to abstain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ She ’ s not a member of my company and doesn ’ t get a paycheck from me , so the town attorney said she could vote on any of it as long as she got no financial benefit , ” Glenn Kunkel explained .
“ We never had a non-unanimous vote , so it ’ s not like it made a difference.
” As a metro district board member , Jennifer Kunkel was just as helpful .
Although she did not vote on the district ’ s intergovernmental agreement with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 – only Glenn Kunkel and the Williamses did – she did approve the district issuing $ 3.75 million in bonds that future homeowners would be required to pay over the next 30 years via property taxes at a meeting in October 2019 .
As a district board member she also approved donating the infrastructure to the town for its upkeep and maintenance , which is to occur next year , Glenn Kunkel said .
“ This is the first time I ’ ve ever seen an elected town or city official simultaneously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are to preside , ” Henderson said .
“ At the minimum , she should be disclosing that her family has a private financial interest in the outcome .
As a town trustee , she has a duty to the residents to make decisions about approving a district and service plan , and a duty to protect their interest from any problems that could occur .
It ’ s one of the worst cases I ’ ve ever seen.
” Jennifer Kunkel did not respond to emails or telephone calls from The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clerk Candice Reed , nor town attorney Corey Hoffman , responded to emails or telephone messages .
Jennifer Kunkel , like most metro district board members across Colorado , filed conflict of interest statements with the secretary of state anytime there was to be a district meeting , but identified only a sliver of land she is required to pay taxes on as the potential conflict .
She did not disclose her familial relationships or that she was a Deer Trail trustee .
The same was true of the disclosures for the Bijou @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Other board members have potential or existing financial , personal or private interests as a result of existing marital or familial relationships with Derek Williams or Glenn Kunkel , ” the bond disclosure states , but gives no details of who is related to whom or how .
Jennifer Kunkel ’ s occupation is listed as “ construction/real estate ” but offers no company name .
State records show she is not a licensed real estate professional .
Her position on the Deer Trail board of trustees is not mentioned in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always better to over-disclose , ” said Brian Matise , an attorney with expertise in metro districts who is also a member of the reform group .
“ There are simply too many ways to misinterpret otherwise.
” The reform group is pressing legislators to change other concerns raised in Denver Post stories about metro districts including allowing residents to vote on any future bond debt that a developer-controlled board had approved long before any homes were built .
The group also seeks a statewide “ pause on new residential districts … to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ co-founder Jeff Brown , a real estate broker .
Those reforms would include : ensuring elections for board seats are widely advertised in a district ; increasing homeowner participation on boards ; restrictions to how many boards a developer can hold a seat on simultaneously ; stringent rules requiring complete disclosures to potential homeowners of future taxes and fees ; allowing resident initiatives to appear on a metro district ballot .
Henderson said the appearance of a conflict alone is problematic and should be curtailed .
“ Non-disclosure is a problem , especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ As an elected public official for the town , a trustee whose name itself says you are to act in the best interests of your citizens , you are obligated with their financial future and trust to disclose everything .
”

Since the idea for the Bijou Creek Metropolitan District sprung, it seemed likely to be approved, mostly because the tiny town of Deer Trail where it was located on the eastern plains of Arapahoe County could really use the influx of new people.
What several experts on metro district development in Colorado wonder is how the maze of family connections and conflicts of interest within Bijou Creek and Deer Trail ever let the project get off the ground without someone raising a flag.
Those same experts now say they’re determined to press legislators for ways to ensure it can’t happen again.
“This is simply a dizzying array of conflicts and self-interests that shouldn’t have been allowed to happen, and all of it at the expense of homeowners who probably don’t have a clue,” said John Henderson, an attorney who, with at least two dozen other lawyers, homeowners and real estate professionals across the state have formed Coloradans for Metro District Reform.
“There is a long history of conflicts of interest and the complete blind eye toward doing anything about it,” he said. “It has to stop.”
Like most small towns along the Interstate 70 corridor, Deer Trail with just 546 residents had its share of tough times. At one point in 2018, for example, town officials figured out the mystery behind the loss of nearly 1 million gallons of water it was supposed to have: No one had bothered to read the town’s water meter in four years and didn’t realize they had a leak.
Nowhere was the small-town atmosphere more evident than at the metro district.
The developer, Glenn Kunkel, is an Evergreen native who grew up running cows on the prairies surrounding Deer Trail; his brother, Darren, is employed with the town’s maintenance department; and his sister-in-law, Jennifer Reed Kunkel, just lost reelection to the town’s board of trustees. The town’s clerk, Candice Reed, is her sister and also secretary of the local school board that Glenn Kunkel recently lost a bid to be on.
So it was that when Glenn Kunkel decided to pay $50,000 for about 70 acres of farmland along the town’s southern edge that belonged to longtime Deer Trail resident Helen Turecek just after her death in 2016, the Bijou Creek idea was born.
More Deer Trail residents meant more tax revenue, especially if it meant the town’s population would nearly double in size in just a few years. And a metro district was a perfect way to make that happen.
“It was a town going back to the dust bowl days, completely run down, full of crack heads,” Glenn Kunkel said in a recent interview with The Denver Post. “You have five generations of people living on the state system. It’s a joke. No one really gave a damn.”
Known in its better days as the birthplace of the western rodeo long before there was a Colorado, the town nowadays couldn’t afford to pay for a development’s new streets, sewers, and other infrastructure costs that easily would reach into the millions of dollars.
But a metro district that issued bonds to cover that infrastructure tab would ensure that all the homeowners who purchased new houses in Bijou Creek would do just that for at least the next three decades on their property taxes.
With just two votes cast to create the district in November 2018, the family Kunkel – Glenn, Darren and Jennifer – were each elected to the district board, as were business partners Derek Williams and his wife, Teresa, records show.
The Williamses, from Evergreen, also acted as the canvassers to their own election, documents filed with the Colorado Division of Local Government show.
That election couldn’t happen until the Town of Deer Trail’s board of trustees — including Jennifer Kunkel, a Deer Trail trustee since 2012 – approved Bijou Creek’s service plan and an intergovernmental agreement in August 2018.
In fact, Jennifer Kunkel voted on virtually every matter involving Bijou Creek that came before the town board over the next two years, meeting minutes show. That included officially approving the metro district’s site and sketch plan in December 2019.
“How can she be approving plans for the metro district when it’s her whole family benefitting from it?” said Hannah Taylor, a Bijou Creek resident. “It’s like one big happy family party at the taxpayer’s expense. That’s just not right.”
The metro district is nearly finished with more than 100 of the 134 homes constructed, Kunkel said.
There is no record that she disclosed her potential conflict of interest on any Bijou Creek matter before the board, nor offered to abstain from any vote, minutes show.
“She’s not a member of my company and doesn’t get a paycheck from me, so the town attorney said she could vote on any of it as long as she got no financial benefit,” Glenn Kunkel explained. “We never had a non-unanimous vote, so it’s not like it made a difference.”
As a metro district board member, Jennifer Kunkel was just as helpful.
Although she did not vote on the district’s intergovernmental agreement with the town when it was approved in December 2018 – only Glenn Kunkel and the Williamses did – she did approve the district issuing $3.75 million in bonds that future homeowners would be required to pay over the next 30 years via property taxes at a meeting in October 2019.
As a district board member she also approved donating the infrastructure to the town for its upkeep and maintenance, which is to occur next year, Glenn Kunkel said.
“This is the first time I’ve ever seen an elected town or city official simultaneously serving on the metro district over which they are to preside,” Henderson said. “At the minimum, she should be disclosing that her family has a private financial interest in the outcome. As a town trustee, she has a duty to the residents to make decisions about approving a district and service plan, and a duty to protect their interest from any problems that could occur. It’s one of the worst cases I’ve ever seen.”
Jennifer Kunkel did not respond to emails or telephone calls from The Denver Post. Similarly, neither town clerk Candice Reed, nor town attorney Corey Hoffman, responded to emails or telephone messages.
Jennifer Kunkel, like most metro district board members across Colorado, filed conflict of interest statements with the secretary of state anytime there was to be a district meeting, but identified only a sliver of land she is required to pay taxes on as the potential conflict.
She did not disclose her familial relationships or that she was a Deer Trail trustee.
The same was true of the disclosures for the Bijou Creek bonds issued in October 2019.
“Other board members have potential or existing financial, personal or private interests as a result of existing marital or familial relationships with Derek Williams or Glenn Kunkel,” the bond disclosure states, but gives no details of who is related to whom or how.
Jennifer Kunkel’s occupation is listed as “construction/real estate” but offers no company name. State records show she is not a licensed real estate professional.
Her position on the Deer Trail board of trustees is not mentioned in the bond documents.
“It’s always better to over-disclose,” said Brian Matise, an attorney with expertise in metro districts who is also a member of the reform group. “There are simply too many ways to misinterpret otherwise.”
The reform group is pressing legislators to change other concerns raised in Denver Post stories about metro districts including allowing residents to vote on any future bond debt that a developer-controlled board had approved long before any homes were built.
The group also seeks a statewide “pause on new residential districts … to achieve meaningful reform,” according to co-founder Jeff Brown, a real estate broker.
Those reforms would include: ensuring elections for board seats are widely advertised in a district; increasing homeowner participation on boards; restrictions to how many boards a developer can hold a seat on simultaneously; stringent rules requiring complete disclosures to potential homeowners of future taxes and fees; allowing resident initiatives to appear on a metro district ballot.
Henderson said the appearance of a conflict alone is problematic and should be curtailed.
“Non-disclosure is a problem, especially in the bond documents,” he said. “As an elected public official for the town, a trustee whose name itself says you are to act in the best interests of your citizens, you are obligated with their financial future and trust to disclose everything.”


thedenverpost--2020-12-27--Post Premium: Top stories for the week of Dec. 21-27

The arrival and distribution of the first COVID-19 vaccines in Colorado this month bring the end of the coronavirus pandemic into focus for the first time , even if we may get through much of 2021 before seeing real impacts from widespread immunity .
With that in mind , The Denver Post today begins publishing a series of stories that examine some of the lasting changes COVID-19 is triggering , actions born out of the need to slow the spread of a deadly virus that will remain part of our everyday lives long after the pandemic ends .
We open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look by reporter Jon Murray at what some of things that might well outlast the pandemic , from wearing masks in public when you ’ re sick to the increased use of videoconferencing in lieu of in-person appointments and meetings .
Plus , experts weigh in on what we can learn from the aftermath of the 1918 flu pandemic .
On Monday , business reporter Aldo Svaldi examines how remote work will become the new normal for many employees and businesses .
We ’ ll continue throughout the week with stories on cultural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going forward , and what sort of long-term impact the pandemic is expected to have on education .
This year brought great change to Coloradans ’ lives , and while 2021 offers the promise of controlling the virus , some of its impacts on society may linger for years to come .
Life after COVID : Some pandemic-induced changes may persist Five don ’ t-miss stories from last week In-N-Out Burger ’ s two newly opened Colorado restaurants each have active COVID-19 outbreaks with 80 staff members having tested positive for the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state data .
The wildly popular fast-food chain debuted in the state on Nov. 20 with locations in Aurora and Colorado Springs ; each now have coronavirus outbreaks among employees , according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment .
Read More … As some counties wait , Summit County reopens scores of restaurants under Colorado ’ s new Five Star program Within 24 hours of Colorado announcing a new path to reopening restaurants to indoor diners , Summit County deployed newly minted inspectors throughout its mountain towns to make sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sheets were ready to go and ventilation systems were pumping fresh air through buildings .
By Monday morning , 134 restaurants in Summit County were approved to reopen their indoor dining areas under new — but more rigorous — guidelines created through the state ’ s Five Star State Certification Program .
Read More… When a doctor told Toni Stammler her 4-week-old son Milo needed urgent surgery because only one of his lungs was functioning , there was barely time to pack a bag — let alone try to shop around .
An @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Montrose to Centennial .
Milo did well after the surgery at Children ’ s Hospital Colorado , and Stammler and her husband , Peter , expected their insurance would cover much of the cost , since they ’ d already spent most of the $ 10,000 annual out-of-pocket maximum their plan required .
Then the bill came in the mail .
It was nearly $ 82,000 .
Read More… Gov .
Jared Polis on Wednesday pardoned the parents behind the 2009 “ Balloon Boy ” hoax , saying Richard and Mayumi Heene have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was trapped inside a silver saucer-shaped helium balloon that had flown away from their Fort Collins home .
Speaking from his Gainesville , Florida , home , Richard Heene told The Denver Post that until Wednesday afternoon , he and his wife hadn ’ t heard anything about their year-old pardon application .
But then he received a call from an unknown number Wednesday , let it go to voicemail and heard the message from the governor ’ s office .
Read More… Once the king , cash losing a little cachet when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Homebuyers who showed up with cash have long had an advantage in beating out the competition , but their grip on the market could be slipping .
Seattle-based brokerage Redfin estimates that 15.2 % of all home sales this year in metro Denver went to buyers who paid all-cash , down from their 17.9 % share last year and the high of 2012 , when one in five home sales went to all-cash buyers .
Read More… See more great photos like this on The Denver Post ’ s Instagram account .

The arrival and distribution of the first COVID-19 vaccines in Colorado this month bring the end of the coronavirus pandemic into focus for the first time, even if we may get through much of 2021 before seeing real impacts from widespread immunity.
With that in mind, The Denver Post today begins publishing a series of stories that examine some of the lasting changes COVID-19 is triggering, actions born out of the need to slow the spread of a deadly virus that will remain part of our everyday lives long after the pandemic ends.
We open the Life After COVID series with a look by reporter Jon Murray at what some of things that might well outlast the pandemic, from wearing masks in public when you’re sick to the increased use of videoconferencing in lieu of in-person appointments and meetings. Plus, experts weigh in on what we can learn from the aftermath of the 1918 flu pandemic.
On Monday, business reporter Aldo Svaldi examines how remote work will become the new normal for many employees and businesses. We’ll continue throughout the week with stories on cultural changes, how sports could look different going forward, and what sort of long-term impact the pandemic is expected to have on education.
This year brought great change to Coloradans’ lives, and while 2021 offers the promise of controlling the virus, some of its impacts on society may linger for years to come.
— Matt Sebastian, The Denver Post
Five don’t-miss stories from last week
In-N-Out Burger’s two newly opened Colorado restaurants each have active COVID-19 outbreaks with 80 staff members having tested positive for the virus between the two locations, according to state data.
The wildly popular fast-food chain debuted in the state on Nov. 20 with locations in Aurora and Colorado Springs; each now have coronavirus outbreaks among employees, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Read More …
Within 24 hours of Colorado announcing a new path to reopening restaurants to indoor diners, Summit County deployed newly minted inspectors throughout its mountain towns to make sure tables were 10 feet apart, registration sheets were ready to go and ventilation systems were pumping fresh air through buildings.
By Monday morning, 134 restaurants in Summit County were approved to reopen their indoor dining areas under new — but more rigorous — guidelines created through the state’s Five Star State Certification Program. Read More…
RELATED
When a doctor told Toni Stammler her 4-week-old son Milo needed urgent surgery because only one of his lungs was functioning, there was barely time to pack a bag — let alone try to shop around.
An air ambulance carried Stammler and Milo from Montrose to Centennial. Milo did well after the surgery at Children’s Hospital Colorado, and Stammler and her husband, Peter, expected their insurance would cover much of the cost, since they’d already spent most of the $10,000 annual out-of-pocket maximum their plan required.
Then the bill came in the mail. It was nearly $82,000. Read More…
Gov. Jared Polis on Wednesday pardoned the parents behind the 2009 “Balloon Boy” hoax, saying Richard and Mayumi Heene have suffered enough since claiming their 6-year-old son was trapped inside a silver saucer-shaped helium balloon that had flown away from their Fort Collins home.
Speaking from his Gainesville, Florida, home, Richard Heene told The Denver Post that until Wednesday afternoon, he and his wife hadn’t heard anything about their year-old pardon application. But then he received a call from an unknown number Wednesday, let it go to voicemail and heard the message from the governor’s office. Read More…
Homebuyers who showed up with cash have long had an advantage in beating out the competition, but their grip on the market could be slipping.
Seattle-based brokerage Redfin estimates that 15.2% of all home sales this year in metro Denver went to buyers who paid all-cash, down from their 17.9% share last year and the high of 2012, when one in five home sales went to all-cash buyers. Read More…
Photo of the week
See more great photos like this on The Denver Post’s Instagram account.


thedenverpost--2020-12-27--Retiring state Supreme Court chief justice helped shape Colorado’s criminal justice for decades

On a Thursday in August 1983 , just before 9 in the morning , a neatly dressed man walked up to a uniformed police officer in downtown Denver and confessed that he ’ d killed a 14-year-old girl .
The man waived his right to remain silent , gave baffled officers the girl ’ s first name and led them to the crime scene — the exact spot where police had discovered a young girl ’ s body four months earlier .
The man was charged with murder .
But defense attorneys later successfully argued his confession was invalid in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he admitted to the killing .
The Colorado Supreme Court agreed , and so in 1986 , then-attorney Nathan B .
“ Ben ” Coats argued the case for the state before the U.S. Supreme Court .
He won — the confession was allowed as evidence — and the decision became key criminal case law , still taught to law students today .
That landmark case is now just a blip in Coats ’ long and impactful career , a tenure that is coming to an end .
Coats , who is now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is set to retire in January after two decades on the bench in the state ’ s highest court .
Justice Brian Boatright will be Colorado ’ s next chief justice , followed by followed by Justice Monica Marquez , as the court implements a new rotation system to fill that post .
Coats brought to the job steady leadership , sharp legal analysis and a practical approach to law that considered the down-the-road impacts of judicial decisions on the world beyond the courtroom .
“ He has a great legal mind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ analyze issues in a deep and thoughtful way , ” said former Colorado Gov .
Bill Ritter , who worked with Coats in the Denver District Attorney ’ s Office in the late 1980s and ’ 90s .
Coats headed up the office ’ s appellate division , where he was considered an insightful attorney who could collaborate in a gracious , non-condescending manner , his former colleague Dick Reeve said .
“ He had developed a reputation at the attorney general ’ s office that he carried forward with him at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a profound and deep thinker , having a remarkable memory for the law , for case decisions and the nuances of opinions that were issued in different courts , ” Reeve said .
Sometimes when Ritter , who became Denver ’ s district attorney in 1993 , asked Coats for analysis , Coats would cite off the top of his head not only the case number for a relevant case , but also the page and paragraph where the pertinent information could be found , Ritter said .
“ As district attorney , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that come your way , and Ben was the person I relied most heavily on for anything that required legal analysis , ” Ritter said .
Coats , who declined to be interviewed for this story , was appointed to the state Supreme Court in 2000 by Republican Gov .
Bill Owens .
At the time , Coats said he would aim to do the job “ fairly and evenhandedly.
” “ I think ( Owens ) chose Justice Coats because he was a relatively conservative appointment , ” said Richard Collins , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Colorado Boulder .
“ And indeed he was a fairly consistent conservative vote on the court over the many years he served.
” Collins cited several cases , including one in which Coats dissented from the majority on whether a search prompted by a police dog that had been trained to detect marijuana — even though it is legal in Colorado — was a lawful search .
The court ruled the search unlawful , and Collins said Coats “ quite angrily dissented from that decision.
” “ Apart from my objections to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and at times revisionist promenade through the history of both federal and state search and seizure law , I object specifically to its radical reconstruction , in the wake of our current marijuana initiative , of the state ’ s own constitutional Bill of Rights , ” Coats wrote to open the dissent , which was joined by two other justices .
“ He was never anybody to shy away from telling me how he felt , ” said John Gleason , who for years served as the state ’ s attorney regulation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ But he was also very interested in learning my side.
” The chief justice has a quick , sideways sense of humor , an eye for detail and an affinity for “ The Three Stooges.
” He pored over the Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel ’ s annual budget with a fine-toothed comb , former heads of that office said .
“ When I proposed artwork for the office , he said , ‘ You know , when I worked for J.D .
MacFarlane at the attorney general ’ s office , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the wall , ’ ” James Coyle , who led the office from 2013 to 2018 , said with a laugh .
“ I go , ‘ OK , I ’ m going to withdraw that request.
’ ” This year , Coats and the other justices on the state Supreme Court have been criticized by some for declining to issue statewide procedures for lower courts to follow during the coronavirus pandemic , instead allowing each of the state ’ s very different 22 judicial districts to set their own rules .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lack of leadership can do to public confidence in the courts , ” the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar said in a statement that specifically called out Coats as the leader of the state ’ s courts .
“ … Within a matter of months , Colorado ’ s decades of consistent administration of justice has devolved into a shambolic mess.
” Those who have worked with Coats said the delegation of power to each individual judicial district fits with Coats ’ usual approach to leadership .
“ That is typical of Ben Coats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wants the people who are living it every day to make those decisions .
I don ’ t doubt for a second he ’ s had his hands involved in all the decision making , but he also understands that is why you have a chief judge , you delegate that authority to them .
And as long as they don ’ t abuse it , it ’ s where it should be.
” On the bench , Coats ’ questions to attorneys were tough , incisive and went right to the issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stark , who argued several cases before the state Supreme Court .
“ He was not a showboat at all , ” Stark said .
“ He was modest , self-deprecating at times — just a regular guy who was doing a terrific job .
”

On a Thursday in August 1983, just before 9 in the morning, a neatly dressed man walked up to a uniformed police officer in downtown Denver and confessed that he’d killed a 14-year-old girl.
The man waived his right to remain silent, gave baffled officers the girl’s first name and led them to the crime scene — the exact spot where police had discovered a young girl’s body four months earlier.
The man was charged with murder. But defense attorneys later successfully argued his confession was invalid in part because he was mentally ill when he admitted to the killing.
The Colorado Supreme Court agreed, and so in 1986, then-attorney Nathan B. “Ben” Coats argued the case for the state before the U.S. Supreme Court. He won — the confession was allowed as evidence — and the decision became key criminal case law, still taught to law students today.
That landmark case is now just a blip in Coats’ long and impactful career, a tenure that is coming to an end. Coats, who is now chief justice of the Colorado Supreme Court, is set to retire in January after two decades on the bench in the state’s highest court. Justice Brian Boatright will be Colorado’s next chief justice, followed by followed by Justice Monica Marquez, as the court implements a new rotation system to fill that post.
Coats brought to the job steady leadership, sharp legal analysis and a practical approach to law that considered the down-the-road impacts of judicial decisions on the world beyond the courtroom.
“He has a great legal mind. He has the ability to really analyze issues in a deep and thoughtful way,” said former Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, who worked with Coats in the Denver District Attorney’s Office in the late 1980s and ’90s.
Coats headed up the office’s appellate division, where he was considered an insightful attorney who could collaborate in a gracious, non-condescending manner, his former colleague Dick Reeve said.
“He had developed a reputation at the attorney general’s office that he carried forward with him at the district attorney’s office for being a profound and deep thinker, having a remarkable memory for the law, for case decisions and the nuances of opinions that were issued in different courts,” Reeve said.
Sometimes when Ritter, who became Denver’s district attorney in 1993, asked Coats for analysis, Coats would cite off the top of his head not only the case number for a relevant case, but also the page and paragraph where the pertinent information could be found, Ritter said.
“As district attorney, you have a lot of thorny issues that come your way, and Ben was the person I relied most heavily on for anything that required legal analysis,” Ritter said.
“Fairly and evenhandedly”
Coats, who declined to be interviewed for this story, was appointed to the state Supreme Court in 2000 by Republican Gov. Bill Owens. At the time, Coats said he would aim to do the job “fairly and evenhandedly.”
“I think (Owens) chose Justice Coats because he was a relatively conservative appointment,” said Richard Collins, a professor of law at the University of Colorado Boulder. “And indeed he was a fairly consistent conservative vote on the court over the many years he served.”
Collins cited several cases, including one in which Coats dissented from the majority on whether a search prompted by a police dog that had been trained to detect marijuana — even though it is legal in Colorado — was a lawful search. The court ruled the search unlawful, and Collins said Coats “quite angrily dissented from that decision.”
“Apart from my objections to much of the majority’s selective and at times revisionist promenade through the history of both federal and state search and seizure law, I object specifically to its radical reconstruction, in the wake of our current marijuana initiative, of the state’s own constitutional Bill of Rights,” Coats wrote to open the dissent, which was joined by two other justices.
“He was never anybody to shy away from telling me how he felt,” said John Gleason, who for years served as the state’s attorney regulation counsel and reported largely to Coats. “But he was also very interested in learning my side.”
The chief justice has a quick, sideways sense of humor, an eye for detail and an affinity for “The Three Stooges.” He pored over the Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel’s annual budget with a fine-toothed comb, former heads of that office said.
“When I proposed artwork for the office, he said, ‘You know, when I worked for J.D. MacFarlane at the attorney general’s office, we did fine with just posters on the wall,’” James Coyle, who led the office from 2013 to 2018, said with a laugh. “I go, ‘OK, I’m going to withdraw that request.’”
“You delegate that authority”
This year, Coats and the other justices on the state Supreme Court have been criticized by some for declining to issue statewide procedures for lower courts to follow during the coronavirus pandemic, instead allowing each of the state’s very different 22 judicial districts to set their own rules.
“The COVID pandemic has revealed what a lack of leadership can do to public confidence in the courts,” the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar said in a statement that specifically called out Coats as the leader of the state’s courts. “… Within a matter of months, Colorado’s decades of consistent administration of justice has devolved into a shambolic mess.”
Those who have worked with Coats said the delegation of power to each individual judicial district fits with Coats’ usual approach to leadership.
“That is typical of Ben Coats,” Gleason said. “He wants the people who are living it every day to make those decisions. I don’t doubt for a second he’s had his hands involved in all the decision making, but he also understands that is why you have a chief judge, you delegate that authority to them. And as long as they don’t abuse it, it’s where it should be.”
On the bench, Coats’ questions to attorneys were tough, incisive and went right to the issue, said another former colleague, David Stark, who argued several cases before the state Supreme Court.
“He was not a showboat at all,” Stark said. “He was modest, self-deprecating at times — just a regular guy who was doing a terrific job.”


thedenverpost--2020-12-27--“Someone must know something”: Denver police ask for help to solve state trooper’s 1973 killing

Forty-seven years ago on this day , a Colorado State Patrol trooper was shot to death in his patrol car — and the killer was never caught .
Denver police on Sunday called for anyone with information about the killing of Trooper Thomas Carpenter to come forward as the department ’ s cold case unit still works to solve the case .
Carpenter , 31 , was shot on Dec. 27 , 1973 , after he apparently was kidnapped by two men who ’ d been with a stopped car along the side of U.S. 36 near Broadway .
Thomas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it sometime before 10 a.m. , but did not make a radio report that he was pulling over .
He either intended to help a stranded motorist or he saw something suspicious .
The vehicle on the side of the road turned out to have been stolen .
Witnesses later told investigators they saw Carpenter driving his patrol vehicle with two men in the back , one white , one Black .
At 9:58 a.m. , Carpenter was dispatched to a crash at East 58th Avenue and Interstate 25 , but told the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Havana Street at the time — several miles away from the area he was supposed to patrol .
Six minutes later , the dispatcher called again , and Carpenter tersely responded that he was on his way .
Not long after that , he was found shot to death in his car , parked behind an apartment complex at 13870 Albrook Drive in Montbello .
He ’ d been shot in the head from behind .
Witnesses said they ’ d seen two men running from the car .
No arrests were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gun was found two years later in a ditch in New Mexico .
Carpenter was a married father of three who had been a state trooper for about five years when he was killed .
He was a religious man who did not drink alcohol , and was well-regarded by his colleagues .
“ Thomas Carpenter was a devoted husband , father and trooper , ” said Col. Matthew Packard , chief of the Colorado State Patrol .
“ Someone must know something about the murder of Trooper Carpenter .
We are pleading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it seems insignificant , to please call the Denver police so that the family can receive closure in this case .
”

Forty-seven years ago on this day, a Colorado State Patrol trooper was shot to death in his patrol car — and the killer was never caught.
Denver police on Sunday called for anyone with information about the killing of Trooper Thomas Carpenter to come forward as the department’s cold case unit still works to solve the case.
Carpenter, 31, was shot on Dec. 27, 1973, after he apparently was kidnapped by two men who’d been with a stopped car along the side of U.S. 36 near Broadway.
Thomas spotted the car and pulled up to it sometime before 10 a.m., but did not make a radio report that he was pulling over. He either intended to help a stranded motorist or he saw something suspicious.
The vehicle on the side of the road turned out to have been stolen. Witnesses later told investigators they saw Carpenter driving his patrol vehicle with two men in the back, one white, one Black.
At 9:58 a.m., Carpenter was dispatched to a crash at East 58th Avenue and Interstate 25, but told the dispatcher that he was at Interstate 70 and Havana Street at the time — several miles away from the area he was supposed to patrol.
Six minutes later, the dispatcher called again, and Carpenter tersely responded that he was on his way.
Not long after that, he was found shot to death in his car, parked behind an apartment complex at 13870 Albrook Drive in Montbello. He’d been shot in the head from behind. Witnesses said they’d seen two men running from the car.
No arrests were ever made in his killing. His gun was found two years later in a ditch in New Mexico.
Carpenter was a married father of three who had been a state trooper for about five years when he was killed. He was a religious man who did not drink alcohol, and was well-regarded by his colleagues.
“Thomas Carpenter was a devoted husband, father and trooper,” said Col. Matthew Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “Someone must know something about the murder of Trooper Carpenter. We are pleading that anyone with information, even if it seems insignificant, to please call the Denver police so that the family can receive closure in this case.”