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Steve, Elissa and Travis Kavovit: Shame on this newspaper







As Chaz Kavovit’s family we would like to convey our disgust and anger. It has been close to two months since this newspaper wantonly published an article on the front pages, which essentially put a bullet in the head of our beloved son Chaz Kavovit.

To change his legacy, Chaz made the decision to enter a 13- month drug rehab program, understanding that he had a wakeup call and wanted to move on.



This article for whatever shock value to the Steamboat community was a premature judgment of Chaz, it read: guilty until proven innocent. What do you care about the person, family and friends who loved Chaz?

What you did was turn the community against Chaz starting with his medical doctor who would not perform a much needed ACL surgery, after Chaz’s knee was injured back in December. The Pain Clinic refused to admit Chaz for treatment. Yes, because of what was written in your paper and judged him guilty. Did you really check the credibility of the person providing texts and understanding the whole truth or again were you just looking to make headlines?



More tragedy was added to Chaz’s story in what happened with the court system, having a new aggressive district attorney who is trying to make a name for herself by bringing Chaz to court? The police did not find evidence showing large supplies of drugs, needles or cash, which a drug dealer would have.

What about the police’s mishandling of their questioning of Chaz without an attorney?

Our family provided the court with papers admitting Chaz into therapy in California, but the initial hearing was pushed back to the end of April as they tested the few products found in Chaz’s place, and our letter from the rehab facility was not acted upon.

The letter is “on file” to be considered. Should we have just taken him out of the state paying $10,000 bond. In hindsight, the answer is a heartbreaking “yes;” we would have saved his life.

Yes, Steamboat Springs has an opioids problem along with countless other communities in our country, and like them, Steamboat Springs does not have the assets to properly turn around and process all the evidence.

Then yesterday, a friend called Steamboat Today to ask for an Invitation of a ‘Gathering to Celebrate Chaz’ life’ be placed in this paper, instead, you put the Invitation in the middle of a rehashing of the disturbing details of the original article.

If you want to make an impactful news article, I dare you to print this from the family’s perspective, since we are in Steamboat to honor and bury our son. SHAME SHAME SHAME!!

Steve, Elissa and Travis Kavovit

Hebron, Connecticut


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