Berthoud Weekly Surveyor | Covering all the angles in the Garden Spot

Top Berthoud stories of 2021

By: Rudy Hemmann | The Surveyor | January 06, 2022 | Local News

As in the past, we are taking this opportunity to look at the last year from the perspective of “hindsight” The major newsmaker of 2021 was COVID, of course. The pandemic outpaced any other news item in the sheer volume of newsprint necessary to report on it and the time consumed in newsroom staff discussions regarding whether the news releases from Larimer County Health and Environmental Officials to individuals at the highest echelons of the federal government which left the public generally dazed, confused and believing the entire leadership (and these are our “betters?”) steering a rudderless vessel. Below are some picks from our staff for the top Berthoud news stories of 2021.

 

LCSO presents town with a review of actions during 2020 summer rallies

The Town of Berthoud received the final report from the internal investigation conducted by the Larimer County Sherriff’s Office (LCSO) regarding their response to two rallies that took place in Fickel Park in July and August 2020. The report included 17 pages of information about the planning and initial information received by the LCSO about the events, a “Back the Blue” rally held on July 26, 2020, and a “Black Lives Matter” protest held on Aug. 1, 2020, including a detailed account of the response plan, details about how the response was executed and issues of concern. LCSO had a presence at both events and utilized both bike patrols and the LCSO Posse.

The catalyst for the investigation came after town officials received complaints from members of the public who attended the rallies. At a virtual Berthoud town board meeting on Aug. 11, 2020, seven callers criticized the actions of some of the counter-protesters who were reportedly verbally harassing BLM rally attendees, which included one former and several current town trustees. The complaints also included criticism of how the LCSO deputies handled the rallies. Many of the callers also criticized Sherriff Justin Smith, saying his “political leanings,” influenced the actions, or perceived inaction, by the LSCO deputies. At the Sept. 22, 2020, Berthoud town board meeting trustees voted to request an internal investigation about the handling of both incidents be completed by the LCSO with findings being presented to the town within 90 days. The LCSO report summary received by the town in January 2021 concludes that “Overall, the decisive action by the bicycle response team and posse, prevented a major disturbance.” There were no official police reports filed of damaged property or harassment, no injuries reported and no use of force was, “reasonable or necessary.” The report does indicate that throughout the rally and disturbances, several people made comments to deputies that they were assaulted, however, no official reports to law enforcement were made.

 

Winter Storm Xylia

The snow from winter storm Xylia started on Saturday, March 13, and continued into Monday morning. There were reports from amateur weather-watchers from south Berthoud with a snowfall total of 18” and north Berthoud with a total of 28.4 inches. A blizzard warning was issued on Sunday with winds gusting to 45 mph causing snowdrifts up to 5’ tall. One of the large pine trees in Fickel Park fell over during the storm the trunk of which later was carved into a sculpture of an eagle.

 

Berthoud Rec Center at Waggener Farm Park Opens

In November, the Berthoud Recreation Center and associated amenities at Waggener Farm Park officially opened to the public. The project, which was initially conceived decades ago, opened with much fanfare but also not without controversy. In prepared remarked during the dedication ceremony, Berthoud Mayor Will Karspeck along with Town Administrator Chris Kirk, Deputy Town Administrator Jeremy Olinger, and Director of Recreation Amanda Gustafson, spoke eloquently of the time and effort put into the planning, design, and construction of the facility, thanking the contractors, engineers and town staff who poured in countless hours to bring the facilities into existence. In an uplifting and unifying speech, Karspeck spoke of while there may have been some debate about the facility, “Berthoud is a village,” and the rec center should be enjoyed by all. In his prepared remarks, Kirk stated, “this facility will be transformative for the town.” Following the ceremony, which was attended by over 100 people including Larimer County Commissioner Jody Shadduck-McNally, Berthoud school board representative Stu Boyd and Thompson School District Superintendent Marc Shaffer, residents got to tour the facility, swim in the pool, play basketball in the gym, exercise in the fitness room and play on the climbing wall.

 

Thompson School District joins Boulder, Fort Collins in mandating masks in schools

In what might have been one of the more contentious issues in the Berthoud area, the Thompson School District (TSD) decided, after initially making them optional, to require all students, staff and visitors to wear face masks while in district buildings during the 2021-22 school year. The board faced fierce backlash, with many Berthoud parents leading the way, to the decision upon which it refused to relent. Despite very low case numbers and high vaccination rates in the county and amongst the school-age population, the board held firm on the mask requirement despite the absence of similar mandates in neighboring communities.

 

Construction kicks off at Chimney Hollow Reservoir

The project to construct a new reservoir in Northern Colorado has been in the works for close to a quarter-century and, last Friday, a major step was taken when the offi cial ground-breaking was held at the site of the future Chimney Hollow Reservoir, just west of Carter Lake. “Today marks a long-awaited milestone that required years of hard work and cooperation among many groups with diverse interests to achieve a project that has benefi ts for everyone in Colorado,” said Berthoud-based Northern Water General Manager, Brad Wind.

The planning, permitting and legal challenge process was compared to a maze with many unforeseen obstacles along the way, according to Northern Water Municipal Subdistrict president, Dennis Yanchunas, who spoke to the assembled crowd during the ground-breaking ceremony.

The permitting process for the Chimney Hollow project began in 2003 but the conception of the reservoir itself dates all the back to the 1950s. Once complete, the reservoir will hold up to 90,000 acre-feet of water and will supply 30,000 acre-feet of water for the more than 500,000 residents of Northeastern Colorado. According to

Aaron Rietveld, of Montana-based Barnard Construction which is serving as the general contractor for the project, completion of the reservoir is expected in four years, potentially slightly quicker.

 

Lifesaving organ donation radically changes local man’s life

Kevin Griffith’s life was saved by a gift from a stranger. After years of weekly medical intervention and deteriorating health a successful kidney transplant in October gave him not only a much-improved quality of life but a future that he looks forward to. In 2011 Griffith, who at the time was 49 years old and living in California was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease (P.D) an inherited disorder in which clusters of cysts develop primarily within the kidneys, causing the kidneys to enlarge and lose function over time. In Griffith, the only initial indication that something was wrong came from routine bloodwork during a visit to the doctor. The hidden disease had been taking a toll however and resulted in damaged kidneys that he described as looking like “Swiss cheese.” By 2014 Griffith was in end-stage renal failure and had to go to dialysis 12 hours a week, every few days, to artificially have the job his kidneys were unable to do completed and filter the toxins out of his body. Fluid retention between treatments for Griffith meant he could lose over 10 pounds of fluid in the matter of a few hours following treatment. The increase in fluid puts immense stress on the cardiovascular system and other organs.

 

Berthoud real estate agent charged with five felonies in Weld County

A Berthoud business owner was charged in Weld County district court with five felonies for allegedly stealing more than $850,000 from at least 29 victims. Bret Lamperes, 52, of Berthoud and owner of Lamperes Team at Keller Williams Realty Partners in Berthoud, was charged with theft a class 3 felony, money laundering, a class 3 felony, two counts of filing false tax returns, a class 5 felony, and one count of tax evasion, a class 5 felony. According to investigators, the defendant entered a business in February 2015 called Investments of Windsor, LLC (IOW). Investigators believe that the defendant executed 29 sales contracts related to a condo project located in Windsor. However, only eight of the proposed 29 condos were built pursuant to the sales contracts total. Investigators believe the defendant stole $852,510 from 15 victims who invested money in the project. Lamperes turned himself in to the Weld County Jail on Tuesday, March 9, 2021.

 

Portion of Highway 287 to be renamed in honor of Berthoud’s Gabe Conde

The portion of US Highway 287 that runs from State Highway 66 in the south to Highway 402 in the north will be renamed the “SPC Gabriel David Conde Memorial Highway.” Gabriel “Gabe” Conde was a Berthoud High School graduate who was killed in action in Afghanistan while serving for the United States Army on April 30, 2018. The name change was made official Monday by a unanimous voice vote in the Colorado General Assembly. The resolution was co-sponsored by State Senator Rob Woodward and State Representative Mike Lynch whose districts include Berthoud. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has promised to erect the requisite signage along the stretch of highway.

The effort was initially spearheaded by SPC Condé’s family including mother and father Donna and Bob Conde and uncle Monse Conde as well as VFW Post 12189 Commander Ryan Armagost. “I had the honor of sitting in on the presentation of our bill to rename Highway 287 by 6enator Bob Woodward and Representative Mike Lynch. I was also able to share this day with Gabe’s parents, Bob and Donna Conde. the bill passed with all in favor, and now will await CDOT scheduling to make and place the signage on Highway 287 at Highway 402 and Highway 66,” Armagost said in a social media post sharing the news.

 

Individual arrested without incident.

Berthoud residents who live near Douglas Place and Eighth Street south of Berthoud High school were notified to shelter in place as police responded to an incident in the area. Shortly after 5 p.m., the CSO responded to a 911 call made by a woman who stated her husband had slapped and choked her. Additionally, the woman said the man had put a pistol to her head and stated that if she attempted to contact law enforcement, he would have a shootout with them. The reported threat made by the man along with information provided that the man was also in possession of an AR15 rifle elicited the notification to residents to remain in their homes with doors and windows locked. The man who was reportedly intoxicated emerged from the home independently and was taken into custody and charged with 2nd Degree Assault, Prohibited use of a Firearm and Domestic Violence. Residents received an all-clear notification around 6:30 p.m. the same day.

 

Suspect in Fort Collins homicide arrested in Berthoud

The Fort Collins Police Department (FCPD) announced that a suspect in a deadly shooting outside of a McDonald’s was identified outside of a Berthoud business and taken into custody. FCPD Detectives were contacted by a Detective from the Brighton Police Department who was familiar with the suspect in the case. Shortly after receiving that information, an off-duty Boulder County Sheriff’s Deputy noticed the stolen Honda CR-V that the suspect was in was parked at a business in Berthoud and contacted police. Members of the LCSO and FCPD were able to stop the vehicle in Berthoud and take the suspect into custody. The suspect was identified as Victor Jeremiah Corwin and was the sole occupant inside the stolen vehicle. Detectives were able to determine that the stolen vehicle that the suspect was in, was stolen from a burglary previously in Lakewood. It should also be noted that Corwin, was the same individual as reported by the Brighton Police Detective. Corwin was arrested and later transported to the Larimer County Detention Center. Formal charges were filed with the Larimer County District Attorney’s Office at a later time. The shooting which took place in the 2400 block of South College Avenue in Fort Collins happened around 10:40 a.m. on a Monday. “What makes this incident even more disturbing is the brazen nature of the attack,” said FCPD Chief Jeff Swoboda. “This violent act occurred in broad daylight, along a major corridor with multiple people around.”

 

Turner Middle School teacher accused of sexual assault on a child

The hearing for a former Turner Middle School (TMS) teacher accused of sexual assault of a child has been moved to October. Kyle Faust, 24, was arrested in June after investigators executed a search and arrest warrant at his Thornton residence. The arrest followed the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office obtaining a Safe2Tell report June 9, a school safety reporting system that utilizes phone and digital anonymous reporting, alleging an inappropriate sexual relationship between a teacher and a 13-year-old student at TMS.

Faust appeared at the Larimer County courthouse on bond for his first hearing since June. The attorneys for the prosecution and defense requested extra time before proceeding with the case. Judge Sarah Cure scheduled Faust to return for a disposition hearing at 1:30 p.m., Oct. 5. Faust was charged with sexual assault of a child under 15 from a person in a position of trust, a class 3 felony; sexual exploitation of a child, a class 3 felony; sexual coercion of a child, a class 4 felony; enticement of a child, a class 4 felony; internet sexual exploitation of a child, a class 4 felony; and promotion of obscenity to a minor, a class 6 felony. According to the LCSO, the alleged crimes began in March of 2021 and occurred both at and away from school.

 

Berthoud ends up in new 8th Congressional District

In 2022, Berthoud voters will get to elect a new member of the United States House of Representatives. A new congressional district map for the state was approved last week by the new Colorado Independent Redistricting Commission and Berthoud will be part of the new eighth congressional district

Due to the incredible population growth in the state, the results of the 2020 national census reapportioned the state-by-state distribution of the 535 members of the U.S. House as a result of respective population changes. Colorado was hence awarded an eighth representative. The commission that drew and approved the maps, in accordance with Amendment Y, was comprised of 12 citizen members (not elected officials) with four registered Republicans, four registered Democrats and four unaffiliated voters, agreed, by an 11-1 vote, to approve the new map which moved Berthoud in the newly created eighth CD. The new district, and thus Berthoud’s new representative in Congress, will take effect in the 2022 midterm elections.

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