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October 1, 2020
JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
JeffcoTranscript.com
VOLUME 37 | ISSUE 12
Winter is coming for struggling Jeffco restaurants Cold weather threatens outdoor dining many have depended on BY PAUL ALBANI-BURGIO PALBANIBURGIO@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
For nearly 15 years, Virgilio Urbano has served up some of the most acclaimed and popular pizzas in Jefferson County, first from a small storefront in Lakewood and later a much larger restaurant in South Jeffco. But over the last six months, the COVID-19 pandemic has reduced the long-thriving operation to one that is barely hanging on. “We’re still off about 25 to 30 percent (in sales) which basically keeps the doors open barely and means I am able to make payroll and pay,” said Urbano. “But me personally, I make nothing.” It’s a situation that has left Urbano, who said he was planning to retire in SEE WINTER, P10
Some schools using state-rejected programs BY ANN SCHIMKE SENIOR REPORTER AND COMMUNITY EDITOR, CHALKBEAT COLORADO
Gaby Berben stands outside her restaurant, Gaby’s German Eatery, at 245 S. Harlan St. in Lakewood. PHOTO BY PAUL ALBANI-BURGIO
Man arrested on suspicion of committing three sex assaults in Jeffco Suspect allegedly picked up victims on Colfax and drove them to remote location STAFF REPORT
A man suspected of sexually assaulting at least three women in Jefferson County that he picked up along Colfax Avenue has been arrested.
Jeffco’s patchwork of reading curriculum uneven
On Sept. 18, Joseph Van Eck, 32, was booked into the Jefferson County jail on suspicion of committing multiple sex assaults since Aug. 21. Van Eck is believed to have picked up his victims along Colfax Avenue and driven them to a remote location in the foothills, where he forced them to engage in unwanted sexual activity. According to a press release from the Jefferson County Sheriff ’s Office, deputies tracked the suspect’s vehicle with the help of Lakewood Police and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, which led to the identification
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | SPORTS: PAGE 18
and arrest of the suspect. Van Eck remains in jail on a $1,000,000 cash only bond for sex assault and kidnapping charges. Due to the nature of these crimes, the Jefferson County Sheriff ’s Office and Lakewood Police Department believe there may be more victims. Anyone with information about these cases, or who may have been victimized by Van Eck, is encouraged to contact the Sheriff ’s Office Tip Line at 303-271-5612. Police are not releasing a mug shot of Van Eck to protect the integrity of the investigation.
TALKING TURNS
Performers turn to podcasts to grow their audience P14
Parents have asked. Community groups have asked. Media outlets have asked. For two years, none have gotten a clear answer about the primary curriculums Jeffco’s 90 elementary and K-8 schools use to teach children how to read. District leaders told Chalkbeat that each school has the autonomy to select its own reading curriculum, but officials don’t track what schools have chosen. A partial list compiled by Chalkbeat shows a patchwork quilt of reading curriculum in the 84,000-student district — with some schools using highquality programs that have earned state approval and many others using programs the state has soundly rejected. More than half of Colorado thirdgraders can’t read well, and the coronavirus pandemic will likely make matters worse. Experts say low-quality curriculum is part of the problem. But Colorado parents and the public often don’t know what their local schools use to teach reading. Last winter, Chalkbeat filed public records requests to find out what K-3 SEE SCHOOLS, P8