Member Feedback

Cost of a DUI

“The real cost of a DUI” should be posted everywhere liquor is sold.
—L. Danner, Glenwood Springs

As a follow-up, I beg EnCompass to write “The Cost of School Bus Stop Arm Violations.” My husband and I are school bus drivers in Arapahoe County. Every week we see motorists speed up to beat the red flashing lights, or weave through pedestrians on the sidewalk, or swerve into oncoming traffic. I beg AAA to lobby for video cameras that would help law enforcement catch and fine these violators.
—J. and R. Armendariz, Littleton

Monument Valley

I got my EnCompass magazine and found your article on the Navajo Nation [Sept/Oct, page 32]. Boy! Does that make me miss home. I grew up in Kayenta, Ariz. I love your article and I love the places that you visited. That was my backyard, like the tour guide, herding sheep and playing on the red dirt between my toes. I live in Ault, Colorado, married to a white boy! I have two kids, so home is now here in Ault. Thanks for the wonderful article.
—L. Woods, Ault

Alferd or Alfred?

Editor’s Note: We received a lot of mail about last issue’s Mini Tour (“Finding gold on the Silver Thread,” page 28, by former editor Jeff Miller). The article mentions Colorado’s legendary cannibal, Alfred or Alferd Packer. We spelled his name Alfred and were contacted by a number of AAA members who believe it should be Alferd.

Originally, the article included a sidebar that would have explained our choice of Alfred over Alferd, but it did not appear in the magazine because of space constraints. Here it is, written by Jeff Miller:

“One of Colorado’s finest historians is Tom Noel. A history professor at University of Colorado Denver, Noel has also authored numerous books on Colorado history and pens a column in the Denver Post. When EnCompass asked him to comment on the spelling of Packer’s name, he wrote: ‘In 40 years of teaching and writing Colorado history, I have fought a losing battle to spell Alfred Packer correctly. Fred Mazzulla came up with Alferd as a joke and convinced many, even CU Boulder’s Student Union Grill, that the misspelling is correct. Another tale I’ve heard is that Al himself was a poor speller and that he had a misspelled tattoo. Alfred is on his tombstone in the Littleton Cemetery, in all the court records of his trial, and in Paul Gantt’s definitive biography.’

Fred Mazzulla was a Denver attorney who died in 1981. He was also a local historian who wrote numerous pamphlets and booklets, one of which was “Al Packer; A Colorado Cannibal.” Some in the historical community accused Mazzulla of making up parts of the history he wrote. In a 1972 article in Empire magazine, Mazzulla responded by saying “I’m no stickler for historical accuracy. Sometimes it takes showmanship to make history interesting.”

No matter what spelling you prefer, the Silver Thread remains a fantastic drive.

—Tom Hess, editor

Let us hear from you

Letters less than 200 words are considered first. Letters published in EnCompass do not necessarily reflect the opinion of AAA Colorado. We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity. Send letters to editor@colorado.aaa.com.

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