It’s been 20 years since Granby’s infamous Killdozer rampage happened June 4, 2004. I’ve been asked by many people what I think about it all now.

The main questions people ask: “Don’t you think that Granby is a better place now? With all the upgrades, repairs and new buildings, and now that time has passed, have hurt feelings have subsided?”

Let me answer those questions.

First, I agree that Granby, in a material sense, is a better place. It certainly looks better, newer and more prosperous than it did June 3, 2004. I write this reluctantly because it plays into one of the many similar narratives I received from Marv Heemeyer adulators. One person literally claimed Granby was “the armpit of Grand County.” Also, that Heemeyer was just doing a little bit of urban renewal when he drove his bulldozer-tank through town and destroyed.

They said that sort of thing with a smirk that seemed to imply Heemeyer was justified.

Many of these property owners “took advantage” of the devastation to rebuild in a much better way. The Granby Town Hall and library are huge and beautiful now, comparatively. Mountain Parks Electric expanded with more offices and a better look (and added bollards at the garages!).

Sky-Hi News was completely rebuilt with three new apartments upstairs, which was not covered by insurance. The Thompson family has new and repaired structures and Xcel got bigger and better spaces. The Gambles building is new and better, too.

But I can tell you without hesitation, I would much rather have never gone through the Killdozer rampage. I liked our former building. And I’d be willing to bet that all the victims would have preferred to never gone through the rampage, despite all the improvements it caused.

What was the material cost? One figure is $7 million. I think it was more like $10 million because of the added costs of interest and bonding for the massive projects the town and the Grand County Library District took on because of the rampage. Because of the destruction, the newspaper lost $500,000 in unrealized business alone. What about all the other hidden business losses?

But the real cost to Granby, and by extension all the rampage victims, is what I call the reputational damage. Granby and the victims all got a big black eye because of the false, conspiratorial narrative Heemeyer created to justify his actions. In his tapes and written comments, he painted a picture of the town and its people as a bunch of good ol’ boys schemers out to “get” the well-intentioned newcomer.

Take his tapes and words at their face value and Granby looks bad — really bad.

I think he also knew the simple gut-level appeal of his extreme actions and that anti-government rhetoric would cause people to simply assume he must have been right. Why would any person embark on such a bizarre mission as the Killdozer rampage? I admit, it’s a great storyline.

But it’s not true. Granby and its people weren’t out to get Heemeyer. He was treated like anyone else with a new business and an appeal process before the town.

I just wish that more people understood that Heemeyer’s main grievance wasn’t really against the town or anyone in particular. It was against himself. He failed to negotiate the sale of his property because he kept changing the terms and simply got too greedy.

The power of a good storyline — a sanctified vigilante goes after a corrupt small town to correct wrongs — has real power and Heemeyer knew it. Social media, the internet, YouTube and the whole panoply of so-called digital media keep this false narrative alive. It has not died in 20 years.

Sadly, Granby will be subjected to this false narrative for another 20 years, at least. The only antidote is the truth. But as we all know, truth is a rare commodity these days.

Patrick Brower is the former editor and publisher of the Grand County Newspapers and Sky-Hi News. He wrote the book “KILLDOZER: The True Story of the Colorado Bulldozer Rampage.” He is also the Enterprise Facilitator for the Grand Enterprise Initiative. He offers free and confidential business management coaching to anyone who wants to start or expand a business in Grand County. You can reach him by calling 970-531-0632 or at pbrower@consultbrower.com.