The Town of Win-Win

The People's Republic of Boulder is all about life, liberty and the pursuit of self-esteem. So it's not surprising that local bureaucrats would come up with the first-ever Pinnacle Awards, a way of recognizing Boulder County employees "who exemplify the county's guiding values." But check out their website here for the list of finalists.

It isn't clear who the actual winners are — that would probably be damaging to the losers' self-esteem — but one of the finalists in the "public service" category is the Ramsey Support Team, those unsung heroes who came to the rescue last summer when John Mark Karr (above) hit town, eager to confess to the murder of JonBenet Ramsey.

The RST set up a tent city for the media, created signage for parking lots, provided logistical support, and tallied up the expenses ($35,000 and counting, last time we checked) of hauling this loon from Thailand, just to release him again when his DNA failed to match the crime-scene evidence. To revisit the entire fiasco in all its glory, see our study of Boulder hubris, "Made For Each Other," from last fall.

Never mind that this was the most embarrassing blunder by District Attorney Mary Lacy in at least a year or two. In Boulder, there's always somebody eager to award folly with a hearty handshake and a pat on the back. Congratulations. —Alan Prendergast