Wellington gets new sergeant

By Gary Raham
Wellington Correspondent

"I'm excited to be in Wellington," said Sgt. John Feyen with a smile he first developed in the town of Parkview, Iowa, hosting a population of about 2,000. "I like the small town atmosphere here."

Feyen began his work in Wellington May 3. He has served seven years in Larimer County, including two and a half years in Estes Park and the last four years in investigations. He specializes in crimes against children.

Feyen joins deputies Jim Lafferty, Chris Wenrick, Katie McMurray and Shane Clymer in serving Wellington. Among them, Lafferty has been working with the community longest, since October 2004.

Feyen said he likes the freedom to do "self-initiated activities" that comes with police work and not being stuck in one location. He especially likes the opportunity to meet and talk with a variety of people. He has a 17-year history of helping people as a paramedic, as well, four and a half of those years spent in Kansas City, Mo. He stills carries certification in that skill although, he said, with another smile, "I wouldn't want to treat my own mother now, since I've been away from it so long."

Feyen likes reading history books like Stephen Ambrose's "Nothing Like It in the World," the story of the building of America's transcontinental railway, as well as popular fiction. He lives with his wife and 3-year-old daughter in Loveland. They enjoy camping and backpacking.

When he's not hiking local trails, there's a good chance he'll be on Cleveland Avenue. "I like walking Wellington's main street," he said.