European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 27, 1981, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 20 the stars and stripes february modern living Rke a Bronco by James Lawrence United press International Little is different about a Blu Collar suburban Community of ranch style and Trievel Well manicured lawns and housewife driven station wagons until you visit the mayors behind a modern Oak finished desk in a Vinyl covered High Back chair surrounded by More than a dozen sits Odell Barry a 39yearold Black a pipe stuffed with an aromatic tobacco is in his Mouth and a Friendly but scrutinizing smile is on his a former Denver was elected May or of the 95 percent White Denver suburb of in november he unseated the incumbent and became the first mayor in the cites history to carry All four of its a afro coiffure Man of medium height who has retained most of his athletic physique except for a noticeable bulging Barry Speaks candidly about who he is and and what he has i guess you could say that in a Maverick politically and in a but in open and at the same time interpersonally involved with the people of this Barry proudly admits that athletics helped usher him up the ladder of Success both As a politician and business but he bristles at any suggestion that his link with professional football was chiefly responsible for his i ask people when they make that kind of a Sugges Tion if they really believe that someone can simply run a touchdown and become the Man i said who during his 196465 Bronco career set a club record for 47 Kickoff returns during a single they usually dont they just kind of look Barry believes his Success was primarily paved by his involvement with Northglenn which began shortly after a kidney injury forced his retirement from professional he was hired in 1965 As superintendent of the North Glenn metropolitan recreation he was promoted to director of the the unincorporated cites Parks and recreation division four years during that four Barry organized and implemented the cites recreational program and founded a youth conditioning Camp now u its 15th the recreational programs created a base for me in the said his and two and make up one of Only about 20 Black families in i became very popular via the More than Young boys have been through my former pro Grid player Odeil Barry is mayor of a Denver i toning and in the last election i would Ven some and he have asked m to i Fly that 90 of Thooft kids were eligible to mint to if in an Tom Micnal Roc Nanco c Suvio conditioning and in the last election i would Ven Ture to say that 20 percent of those kids were eligible to vote or old enough to influence their with an impressive record of Community bolstered by Active membership in dozens of civic organi Barry began his political career in when he became Northglenn first Black City also that he defied the sceptics with Aid of a government opened a fast food at that it was the largest of its Type in he sold the restaurant after it became a Success and went into real which is responsible for his current upper class economic the mayors Job pays Only co owner of a real estate company and its top Barry was named 1977 realtor of the year by the North suburban Board of a native of who grew up in the slums of he owns 13 Homes in including his family residence a sprawling Trievel equipped with swimming indoor Sauna and a he also owns acres of prime Northglenn real estate and a mexican food How does he handle this lifestyle in Suburbia amid envious stares and Coffee break chatter prompted by Post watergate morality i function at a level where in not what you might Call but in still i and i my has he disassociated himself from his racial heritage some and he have asked me bluntly if in an Uncle my usual response is what do you think to people who know i dont have that people who dont know me wonder How i achieved my since his election As he he overcame reservations of the City Council to hire a Black account ing firm to handle the cites auditing he also hired a Black executive assistant to the City i want to open doors for other he Barry talks of accomplishments that have benefited Northglenn while on the City Council he started a successful drive to build a million Community Center and secured funding for development of the City s Only since becoming he has been instrumental in obtaining a million Federal Grant for a Wastewater treatment broken ground for a new million City Hall and helped lure million Worth of new Industry to for the past eight years he has sponsored an annual banquet of sports celebrities to Benefit the Central Colorado chapter of the National multiple sclerosis renamed the Odell Barry is dinner of Champi it attracted 600 persons last including 70 former and current prominent athletes and raised at wits end by Erma Bombeck All of you know there is no one in this world who has More affection for her children than i i also have affection for miss but i dont want to pick up her wet towels off the bed for the next 30 parents of grown children Tell me their children dont need door keys anymore they need a revolving there in when there out of out of out of out of food and in there out when there in in the in in school and have outgrown their need for when i launched All my children i rewarded myself with a celery Green carpet in the spare it was my olympic Gold my my my readers digest i had done it and this was my three months one of my children moved Back among other a set of Drums that leaked my celery Green carpet looked like a when he left we had it cleaned and began the next prodigal son brought a dog that had a sofa a car that was not garage trained and leaked Oil All Over it when it stopped and used towels like they were nose tissue that popped up automatically in a Box to be Dis posed the next one to return let me use my own phone but kept hours like a one night my husband and i sat Down and tried to figure out what the attraction of living at Home is other than free free free a permanent address for unlimited financing and convention rooms for private parties and and guest i snapped my Ive got its the refrigerator that beckons and Calls them without Noth ing else keep them we decided to Stop treating the kids As guests and go Back to eating the Way we wanted to we stocked the refrigerator with cottage fresh Green Plain unsalted butter and Blue we bought bran wheat dietary fruit and did away with the sugar As the last one left we heard him in going just so Long As they dont refrigerate their we Haven seen them c Field enterprises