Today, there was a lunch at the Chamber for former business reporters of the Rocky Mountain News and, while I wasn’t there, it sounds like I missed a great meal and some remarkable stories.

There was a spirited discussion around the story of the “mystery company” – that would eventually be revealed as ConocoPhillips – and its purchase of the StorageTek campus. The Rocky – admittedly having little knowledge about the situation, risked and ran a headline that said “Mystery Company” – a first, no doubt, for them.

Rob Reuteman and Gil Rudawsky, former editors of the Rocky, were in the room and it was great to listen to them reminisce about stories they loved covering and the stories that gave them heartburn.

Reuteman had thoughtful words about the nascent green movement in Colorado and the United States, and suggested that more “critical coverage” was needed to uncover the challenges that may lie within the various facets of said movement.

Few cities have enjoyed the luxury of two newspapers for as long as Denver did. In fact, Dean Singleton (owner of The Denver Post) reported to the Denver Metro Chamber Board of Directors last month that only Washington, D.C. has more newspaper subscribers per capita than Denver.

Even those who were not subscribers to the Rocky felt the loss of the paper and understood the important depth and balance it brought to news in Colorado. We are truly lucky to have enjoyed the fruits of the Rocky reporters’ labor, and they are deeply missed.