Congratulations are due to Westword and Alan Prendergast for "The Killer and Mrs. Johnson," in the March 19 issue. Although I do not believe Jacob Ind should be released from prison, I think his story should remind us of what monsters are created when parents do not love and nurture their children. In a way, we are all responsible for Jacob's actions.
Laurel Miller
Denver
Alan Prendergast's story about Jacob Ind, who killed his parents after alleged sexual abuse, was good, balanced reporting.
I lost all sympathy for Ind as soon as your article mentioned that he is now in Christian Identity, a violent white-supremacist group. If he rots in jail and leaves in a box, that is what he deserves. Thanks for reporting this very important fact; otherwise people might have been fooled into supporting this homicidal, racist slimeball.
Tom Bell
Aurora
Grand Slam
Wow! Patricia Calhoun's March 19 column, "Grand Illusions," had everything--Rocky Flats and the Ramseys. I wonder, next will she somehow tie it all to Pat Bowlen's desire for a new stadium? Maybe it could be named for JonBenet.
Joe Vigil
Denver
"Grand Illusions" was courageous and well-written. Thank you.
Tom Courson
via the Internet
I have been following the JonBenet Ramsey case, primarily on the Internet, since it happened. Your "Grand Illusions" is among the most interesting articles I have read regarding the case. And Hal Haddon's ties to Rocky Flats make it all the more interesting. I'm hoping that you will be able to dig further and continue with followups.
I have felt for a very long time that if one were to follow the money trail in the Ramsey case, the result would reveal the identity of the killer.
Name withheld on request
Don't Be a Nuisance
Recently Westword has run some excellent stories on Denver's public-nuisance ordinance: T.R. Witcher's "This Property Is Condemned," in the March 5 issue, and Kyle Wagner's "Food Fight," in the March 12 issue. Both of these articles showed how public and private interests can be in conflict and how there are no easy solutions. Although the Walkers cause their neighbors problems, does that mean they should lose their house? And if Lupe Nunez loses her restaurant, she could lose her house, too, since it is collateral on the loan.
The Bible tells us to love our neighbors. Although I don't think the neighborhoods near the Walker house and La Bonita have to go that far, I think they should try to work with people before they declare them a public nuisance.
Edith Washington
Denver
I am writing in response to T.R. Witcher's "This Property Is Condemned." I happen to be a very close friend of the Walkers, and they have been there longer than any of the neighbors. I don't know much about the neighbors, but I will tell you what I do know of the Walkers.
The Walkers are the most unselfish people I have ever met. Witcher's article mentioned the passing of "vagrants" through their home over the years. As a matter of fact, when I had nowhere else to go, they welcomed me into their home. I am not a "vagrant"--I was just down on my luck and needed a place to go.
Their father was stabbed to death, and no one was ever charged with the murder. Their mother later died and left the house to the kids. The Walkers do not aim to harm anyone. They are simply trying to get through a life that has shown them nothing but hell. I still visit them often.
Please let readers know that the people who wish they did not know the Walkers truly do not.
Gidget Melton
Denver
As a person of Latino descent, I felt personally insulted by the accusations made in Kyle Wagner's "Food Fight" by Lupe Nunez concerning alleged racism by my mother-in-law. This is not true. Lois Welch and her husband have never had reputations for being racists, nor do they hold prejudice against any person or group of persons. The issue they had with Lupe Nunez was straightforward: too much noise in a residential area. Other neighbors, including several of Latino background, complained about the noise, but none were willing to try and do anything about it. In my mother-in-law's case, lack of sleep was a powerful motivator. I'm sure Mrs. Nunez would not have appreciated loud music and drumbeats behind her home occurring into the late hours of the night. My husband and I experienced this noise firsthand while visiting my in-laws. It was intolerable. I'm surprised we could not hear it at our home, several blocks away.
Lois, my husband and myself were among the first in the neighborhood to patronize La Bonita when it opened here. The food was good, and we vowed to go back. Little did we realize what was in store for the neighbors behind the restaurant when the cabaret opened. Defamation of character is a serious thing. I sympathize with Mrs. Nunez's problems, but all she had to do was turn down the music.
Peggy Florez-Welch
Denver
Scenes From a Mall
Thank you for Stuart Steers's informative story on Nike ("If the Shoe Fits," March 12). Greg Stevinson admits there is traffic overload in the areas around the Denver West complex. Will he explain why he plans to add more volume with the construction of phase two of his mall? The site, a former horse pasture on the south side of Colfax, would make a perfect open space for Lakewood. Shoppers in the north mall already complain of a shortage of parking. Potential anchor stores have chosen other areas in which to expand, confirming that west Lakewood is over-retailed. Perhaps the Stevinsons could describe in a Westword interview what problems the new mall will solve.
Shannon Wilson
Golden
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