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Best Anti-Socialite

Koleen Brooks

Koleen Brooks's life this past year was a train wreck -- and as with any gruesome accident scene, you couldn't help but look. And look again. And again. Brooks's over-the-top -- and lift-up-the-top -- attempts to gain sympathy and support during her recall vote as Georgetown mayor, as well as to gain hits for her Web site, shall forever serve as a textbook example of how to alienate friends and distance others. Whether or not Brooks actually tried to arrange a hit on an adversary or faked an attack on herself can now fade into Colorado mountain-town folklore; although she was spared a jail sentence on evidence-tampering and false-reporting charges, Brooks was scolded by a Clear Creek County judge for wasting the court's -- and our -- time. And then, of course, there was her arrest in late March on theft charges. Koleen Brooks provided a valuable service by showing us what happens when the drive for glory spins out of control.

Best Anti-Socialite

Koleen Brooks

Koleen Brooks's life this past year was a train wreck -- and as with any gruesome accident scene, you couldn't help but look. And look again. And again. Brooks's over-the-top -- and lift-up-the-top -- attempts to gain sympathy and support during her recall vote as Georgetown mayor, as well as to gain hits for her Web site, shall forever serve as a textbook example of how to alienate friends and distance others. Whether or not Brooks actually tried to arrange a hit on an adversary or faked an attack on herself can now fade into Colorado mountain-town folklore; although she was spared a jail sentence on evidence-tampering and false-reporting charges, Brooks was scolded by a Clear Creek County judge for wasting the court's -- and our -- time. And then, of course, there was her arrest in late March on theft charges. Koleen Brooks provided a valuable service by showing us what happens when the drive for glory spins out of control.

Best Decision by the Colorado Supreme Court

Jurors Can Ask Questions

In February, the Colorado Supreme Court adopted new rules that allow jurors to submit written questions in both criminal and civil trials. Although the trial court still has jurisdiction over whether those questions are appropriate, the move should help make justice more understandable -- and accessible. Power to the people!

Best Decision by the Colorado Supreme Court

Jurors Can Ask Questions

In February, the Colorado Supreme Court adopted new rules that allow jurors to submit written questions in both criminal and civil trials. Although the trial court still has jurisdiction over whether those questions are appropriate, the move should help make justice more understandable -- and accessible. Power to the people!

Best Political Giveaway

Lone Tree

The little town of Lone Tree just south of Denver is "the city that's growing. Carefully," according to its own slogan. But that doesn't mean it lacks humor -- as is vividly displayed in Timberlines, the town's newsletter. To add to the fun, Lone Tree delivered a 2003 calendar to every home and business in the city, decorated with the winners of a residents' photography contest and filled with notable anniversaries and birthdays, as well as a few holidays planned just for locals: Enjoy a New Restaurant in Lone Tree Day, for example. Next year's calendar promises to be even bigger; after all, 2004 will have 366 days.

Best Political Giveaway

Lone Tree

The little town of Lone Tree just south of Denver is "the city that's growing. Carefully," according to its own slogan. But that doesn't mean it lacks humor -- as is vividly displayed in Timberlines, the town's newsletter. To add to the fun, Lone Tree delivered a 2003 calendar to every home and business in the city, decorated with the winners of a residents' photography contest and filled with notable anniversaries and birthdays, as well as a few holidays planned just for locals: Enjoy a New Restaurant in Lone Tree Day, for example. Next year's calendar promises to be even bigger; after all, 2004 will have 366 days.

Best Political Decor

State Senator Norma Anderson

Norma Anderson may have been chosen as Senate Majority Leader this session, but she doesn't have a stuffy decorating sense to go along with her title. Instead, she brought to her office the same artistic masterpiece that used to grace her place in the Colorado House: a 13-by-19-inch velvet Elvis, complete with a single tear rolling down his cheek.

Best Political Decor

State Senator Norma Anderson

Norma Anderson may have been chosen as Senate Majority Leader this session, but she doesn't have a stuffy decorating sense to go along with her title. Instead, she brought to her office the same artistic masterpiece that used to grace her place in the Colorado House: a 13-by-19-inch velvet Elvis, complete with a single tear rolling down his cheek.

Best Bus Route for People-Watching

RTD Route 52
Arvada to University Hills

When it comes to people-watching, RTD passengers are spoiled. Every route offers the amateur sociologist a wide array of snooping opportunities, but Route 52 is particularly choice. This is one of the routes subcontracted out to Laidlaw, a private firm that hires non-union drivers to drive smaller-than-usual buses, and the cramped quarters are especially conducive to unfettered eavesdropping. Route 52 serves four schools -- Regis University, the University of Denver, South High School and P.S. 1 -- which gives passengers a chance to catch up on all the latest student gossip. (The P.S. 1 riders are especially loud in sharing the most graphic details of their peers' private lives.) In stark contrast to those lively youth are the moribund riders who use the bus to access care at Denver Health; it's a testament to the human spirit to see them at their worst, yet holding their own against the attitudes of impatient youth. The bickering/gossiping is the perfect soundtrack for a route that zigs and zags nonsensically from an outer-city suburb to an inner-city strip mall, and the confusion is only amplified when the driver makes a wrong turn (it happens!) and has to be shouted back on course by a bus full of anxious backseat drivers. With Route 52, RTD is more than just "the Ride"; it's a thrill-a-minute amusement-park ride.

Best Bus Route for People-Watching

RTD Route 52
Arvada to University Hills

When it comes to people-watching, RTD passengers are spoiled. Every route offers the amateur sociologist a wide array of snooping opportunities, but Route 52 is particularly choice. This is one of the routes subcontracted out to Laidlaw, a private firm that hires non-union drivers to drive smaller-than-usual buses, and the cramped quarters are especially conducive to unfettered eavesdropping. Route 52 serves four schools -- Regis University, the University of Denver, South High School and P.S. 1 -- which gives passengers a chance to catch up on all the latest student gossip. (The P.S. 1 riders are especially loud in sharing the most graphic details of their peers' private lives.) In stark contrast to those lively youth are the moribund riders who use the bus to access care at Denver Health; it's a testament to the human spirit to see them at their worst, yet holding their own against the attitudes of impatient youth. The bickering/gossiping is the perfect soundtrack for a route that zigs and zags nonsensically from an outer-city suburb to an inner-city strip mall, and the confusion is only amplified when the driver makes a wrong turn (it happens!) and has to be shouted back on course by a bus full of anxious backseat drivers. With Route 52, RTD is more than just "the Ride"; it's a thrill-a-minute amusement-park ride.

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