DENVER (KDVR) – Most of Colorado will see mainly sunny skies on Saturday, helping to melt the snow picked up last night.
Weather today: Mostly sunny, cool
After a few inches of snow last night, all of Colorado will see mainly sunny skies helping to melt some of the snow. Highs are below average in the upper 30s for the Front Range with light winds.
Weather tonight: Clear skies, chilly
The skies will be clear tonight as lows dip back to the 20-degree mark. Winds stay light and there could be some refreezing in a few spots.
Looking ahead: Warming and dry
Clouds will build in for Sunday with light snow in the mountains. Snow totals only look to be an inch or two, but fresh snow is always great for the high country. Highs in Denver on Sunday are above average in the lower 50s. Highs will flirt with 60 degrees on Monday afternoon with mostly sunny skies.
Tuesday is the warmest day of the week with highs in the middle 60s and mainly sunny skies. Clouds will increase on Wednesday with light snow in the mountains. Denver could see an evening rain shower after highs hit the low 60s. We could see a swap to snow into Thursday morning, but it will clear through the day with highs near the 50 degree mark. Friday brings back sunshine with mild highs in the low 50s.
Moon Alert: There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions today. The Moon is in Gemini.
Happy Birthday for Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024:
Because you are determined and ambitious, you are disciplined. People love your warmth and honesty. This is the last year of a nine-year cycle, which means it’s time to let go of people, places and things in the past that have held you back.
ARIES
(March 21-April 19) ★★★★ You’re in a talkative mood today, which is why you want to talk to someone. You have strong feelings — probably about a friend or a group — and you need to express your thoughts or line up supporters for your point of view. Tonight: Ideas!
TAURUS
(April 20-May 20) ★★★ Money issues might be on your mind today, which is why you might have an intense encounter with a parent, boss or someone in a position of authority. Hopefully, you have the freedom to speak up and tell it like it is, because you feel the need to say something, that’s for sure. Tonight: Check your belongings.
GEMINI
(May 21-June 20) ★★★★ Today you have a strong urge to travel or “get away from all this.” Obviously, if you can have a change of scenery, this is wonderful. But if not, you will also enjoy learning something new and talking to people from different backgrounds, because you want to broaden your experience of the world. Tonight: You’re powerful.
CANCER
(June 21-July 22) ★★★ Behind-the-scenes discussions might take place today about shared property, taxes, debt or inheritances. Or perhaps you are simply interested in these matters and giving them some extra thought. You have strong feelings about something, no question. Tonight: Solitude.
LEO
(July 23-Aug. 22) ★★★ When dealing with partners, spouses and close friends today, issues will not be casual. You have intense feelings about something, which is why you will speak up. Or perhaps this feeling is a strong attachment for someone. You might even be obsessed. (“Moi?” Yes, you.) Tonight: Friendships.
VIRGO
(Aug. 23-Sept. 22) ★★★ Today you will be emphatic about what you expect at work or with a health-related issue, or even with your pet. You have no doubt about what you want. Because of this firm intention on your part, you might be a bit public with your demands. Tonight: You’re noticed.
LIBRA
(Sept. 23-Oct. 22) ★★★★ You might have powerful romantic feelings for someone today. However, these strong feelings also might be expressed through the arts or a desire to socialize, or even a drive to win at sports. Whatever the case, you feel bold and adventurous today! Tonight: Explore!
SCORPIO
(Oct. 23-Nov. 21) ★★★ You will have to be patient with family members today, because everyone has a strong opinion about things, including you. Basically, a particular astrological influence today encourages strong, impetuous ideas. Some people will feel obsessed about something. Look for a happy compromise. Tonight: Check banking details.
SAGITTARIUS
(Nov. 22-Dec. 21) ★★★ This is a powerful day for those of you in sales, marketing, teaching or acting, because you have something to say and you intend to say it! However, because the Moon is opposite your sign today, you are advised to modify your position somewhat. Be agreeable. Be conciliatory. (You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.) Tonight: Patience.
CAPRICORN
(Dec. 22-Jan. 19) ★★★ Look for ways to help others today. You’ll find it rewarding to be of service to someone or your community. Nevertheless, you have strong opinions, including your desire to buy something or to deal with a financial matter. Give things a sober second thought before you act. Tonight: Work.
AQUARIUS
(Jan. 20-Feb. 18) ★★★★★ Today you have strong wants and needs, and you’re ready to express them to anyone who will listen. This is because four planets are in your sign, and Venus is lined up with Pluto, which intensifies your feelings. Romance could be the stuff of movies. Tonight: Socialize!
PISCES
(Feb. 19-March 20) ★★★ A family discussion or time spent with a female family member will be significant today. Perhaps this is because you have very clear intentions about what you want to achieve. Meanwhile, some of you are absorbed by a secret love affair today, with bewildering emotions that overwhelm you. Tonight: Relax.
BORN TODAY
Actress Rene Russo (1954), singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran (1991), actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt (1981)
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — A 25-year-old man was arrested by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office’s CHEEZO Unit (Child Sex Offender Internet Investigations) for allegedly soliciting a child prostitute.
The man, who was not identified, was arrested for soliciting for child prostitution, patronizing a prostituted child, sexual exploitation of a child and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
The sheriff’s office said the investigation began after a 15-year-old girl and a 16-year-old girl told deputies they met up with the man for sexual acts in exchange for money. Investigators discovered that he was communicating with “numerous” underage girls through his social media accounts.
The sheriff’s office said the investigation is ongoing.
Our CHEEZO Unit, dedicated to catching the perpetrators who try to lure children online, successfully apprehended a 25-year-old man suspected of potentially contacting dozens of underage teenage girls online. The investigation began with a 15-year-old and 16-year-old girl, both… pic.twitter.com/z5XoLfck5x
JCSO is encouraging parents to talk to their children regularly about social media.
“Let them know to ONLY communicate online with people who they already know face to face – not people they meet online,” the sheriff’s office said in a social media post.
Parents with questions can contact the CHEEZO Unit at CHEEZO@jeffco.us or 720-497-7278.
The Follow Up
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“All available resources have been deployed to assist in the operation, with emergency crews and first responders working around-the-clock, utilizing advanced search techniques supported by aerial drones,” SSR said in part in a Friday statement.
SSR said eight Copler mine employees were detained during the investigation into what happened.
“SSR Mining is providing its full cooperation to the regulators on site and providing support to the individuals and their families,” the company said in its statement.
A general view of the landslide at the Copler gold mine near Ilic village, eastern Turkey, Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024. Hundreds of rescuers on Wednesday pressed ahead with efforts to search for at least nine workers trapped at a gold mine in eastern Turkey that was engulfed by a massive landslide. (Ugur Yildirim/Dia images via AP)
Second incident at Copler mine in recent years
SSR owns 80% of the entirety of the Copler district under Anagold Madencilik in partnership with Lidya Madencilik, according to the company, and the company’s exploration licenses surrounding the Copler mine span 17 km by 25 km (about 10.5 by 15.5 miles).
Video seemingly shot by a worker showed a huge mass of earth rushing down a gully, overrunning everything in its path. The landslide involved a mound of soil extracted from the mine, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said.
More than 800 search and rescue personnel, including police and military teams, mine rescuers and volunteers, were deployed to search for the nine missing personnel, Yerlikaya said.
Geologist Suleyman Pampal said the soil that formed the landslide had been processed for gold and may contain dangerous substances such as cyanide that is used to extract gold. He also warned of a threat to the nearby Euphrates River.
It’s the second incident at the site in recent years.
The mine was closed down in 2020 following a cyanide leak into the river, which stretches through Turkey, Syria and Iraq. It reopened two years later after the company was fined and a cleanup operation was completed.
At this rate, Denverites may never see Drake again.
According to Ticketmaster’s website, the Canadian rapper has canceled his Denver shows for the third time.
“Unfortunately, the Event Organizer has had to cancel your event,” reads the ticket page of Drake’s It’s All A Blur Tour.
Drake was set to perform at Ball Arena on April 15 and 16 with fellow hip-hop superstar J. Cole. The two days were makeup dates for his canceled January showings, which fans received an email about three days before the event.
The Jan. 18 and 19 dates were also makeups for his canceled Sept. 8, 2023 concert with rapper 21 Savage.
It’s unclear why Drake canceled his April showing in Denver.
The September show, according to a Ticketmaster email, was canceled because of “the distance the road crew has to travel along with the magnitude of the production of the Drake concert, it is logistically impossible to bring the full experience of the show to Denver this September.”
According to 9News, Drake’s January show was canceled due to an ankle injury.
The news of the April cancellation comes amongst other cancellations in Birmingham and Memphis. No reason was announced as to why those shows were cancelled.
It’s unclear whether the Denver show will be rescheduled. The Denver performances were the last dates of Drake’s tour. Requests for comments from Ball Arena and Live Nation weren’t immediately answered.
“I was like, have I been kidnapped by aliens? What just happened?” said Wolf.
In the months since, Wolf has obtained housing and was able to replace some of his lost items. However, he was unable to replace some of his music gear and equipment for his landscaping company.
The story struck a chord with Denver7 viewers, leading to more than $2,300 in donations to help Wolf replace the stolen items and repair his truck.
“It’s humbling, I don’t even know what to say. I’m very appreciative. It was unexpected, and I’m super stoked,” said Wolf.
Friday morning, we took Wolf on a trip to three different stores. First stop: the Ace Hardware located at 7100 East Colfax Avenue, which generously donated a pair of loppers and new work gloves to help Wolf.
“Anytime we can help someone in need, we’re ready,” said Juel Teslow, the store manager. “We wanted to give him a good set of loppers to do his landscaping. And what landscaper doesn’t need a good pair of work gloves.”
Most importantly, we were able to purchase Wolf a gas-powered snowblower.
“This is the perfect timing really. It’s like the final piece to the puzzle,” said Wolf.
The next stop was Music and Arts in Englewood. The local business gave us a 30% discount to purchase speakers and a microphone. With several upcoming shows, Wolf said the new gear will help him sound his best.
While at the store, Wolf eyed an acoustic guitar.
“When I can afford it, that’s next,” said Wolf.
The final stop: Budget A-1 Transmission in Englewood. Wolf’s truck sustained heavy damage after it was stolen. The center console was even ripped out. In a surprise for both Wolf and Denver7, Budget A1 replaced the console, free of charge.
“We’ve been here 32 years in Englewood with an original owner, and we just like giving back to the community,” said Scott Mathison, Budget A-1’s manager.
With a truck full of restored items and a recently repaired truck, Wolf hit the road, singing a sweeter tune.
“This is a visual of something we need more of in society,” said Wolf. “We need people to get together to where they’re helping each other out and that way we can hopefully have more of a better world.”
Denver7 features the stories of people who need help and now you can help them with a cash donation through Denver7 Gives. One hundred percent of contributions to the fund will be used to help people in our local community.
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The most expensive home ever sold in the Denver area is quietly being shopped around.
Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson and singer-songwriter wife Ciara are accepting offers, and providing tours to prospective buyers, for the mansion they own in Cherry Hills Village, sources tell BusinessDen.
The couple did not respond to requests for comment made through their foundation.
The couple paid $25 million for the home on Cherry Hills Park Drive in April 2022, weeks after Wilson was traded to the Broncos by the Seattle Seahawks. At the time, the previous record for a Denver-area home sale was $16 million.
The 20,000-square-foot home on 5 acres has four bedrooms and 12 bathrooms, plus his-and-hers walk-in closets, offices and bathroom suites, according to a previous listing of the property. There’s also a 2,590-square-foot indoor swimming pool, a basketball court and a guest apartment with its own kitchen.
But Wilson’s tenure with the Broncos has been rocky. In August 2022, before Wilson had played a game for the Broncos, the team extended Wilson’s contract through 2028. But the team went 5-12 in his first season, improving somewhat to 8-9 this past season.
Head Coach Sean Payton benched Wilson for the final two games of the season, saying he hoped the change would spark the team’s offense. But the move was widely seen as an effort to ensure Wilson didn’t get injured, because NFL teams cannot cut injured players and Wilson’s $37 million salary for 2025 becomes guaranteed if he’s on the team’s roster on March 17 of this year, according to the Denver Post.
Payton recently said in a radio interview that a decision on Wilson’s future with the Broncos will happen “sooner than later.”
This story was reported by our partner BusinessDen.
The modular cubes come with a bed, a lockable wardrobe, electrical outlets and aisle lighting.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
As the city looks to improve its existing sheltering system and make the facilities more comfortable, Catholic Charities of Denver has unveiled how one-way congregate shelters can transform into semi-private spaces.
The Catholic Charities shelter Samaritan House at 48th Avenue has added 97 private modular sleeping areas to the facility, providing residents with their own spaces and a little bit of privacy.
“Today we’re moving 97 women into the first phase of our completed project,” said Eli Allen, the director of strategic initiatives for Catholic Charities. “These are more than just structures. They represent symbols of hope, dignity and progress. For too long, emergency shelters have been living in challenging spaces, ranging from mats on the floor, to bunk beds with very little amenities or supportive services … Our vision is a future where every individual in our shelter has access to safety, security, and a dignified emergency shelter experience.”
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Samaritan House, in Northeast Park Hill, is one of the city’s largest shelters that specifically serves women. The shelter can serve about 270 people and they perform walk-up intakes daily.
Allen said Samaritan House is a congregate shelter. That means initially, the large warehouse had camping cots lined up next to each other, giving residents no space of their own.
The new sleeping areas are semi-private cubes that come with a bed, a lockable wardrobe, electrical outlets and aisle lighting. Three sides of the space are walled in, giving residents more privacy.
The sleeping areas are also modular, which means they can be moved around or reconfigured if the shelter needs to do a bit of reorganizing.
Besides the sleeping sections, the modular units also form spaces where residents can lounge on couches for even more comfort. The facility also added new restroom and shower facilities as well as a medical services center.
Samaritan House also provides transportation services for residents needing to meet with their case workers or other services.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
The renovations are a part of the city’s efforts to make the sheltering system more accessible and appealing to those experiencing homelessness. The goal is to create a space that can feel personalized, as opposed to people feeling like they’re in a warehouse full of other bodies.
Many shelters are now operating at a 24/7 model as opposed to overnight. The new semi-private spaces are a way to make residents feel safer and, frankly, more human.
“We do recognize that when you move into a shelter, you lose your freedom in some ways because we do have some expectations and basic rules in order to keep the community well-being and hazard-free,” Allen said. “We do know that for some people living outside is more appealing at times than a shelter … We want to try to make it someplace that people feel like they can come, but they also know that there is a goal to live in a community environment. We do think that this will drive some more interest in coming inside because it does have a more dignified feeling.”
This is the first phase of the project, Allen said. Before the end of the summer, the rest of the modular units will be installed, and Samaritan House will have a total of 270 semi-private sleeping rooms.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
The city used about $3.4 million from the federal Community Development Block Grant to fund the renovations.
Allen said she’s hoping the city can continue looking for and implementing new ways to improve shelters and ensure that those in need feel like they are safe and can move on to find permanent housing.
“I think historically it’s been kind of run in a way that is just to meet the most bare minimum needs in the moment and this is a step forward in progress to elevate our emergency shelter,” Allen said. “We recognize that it’s still an emergency shelter. It’s still low barrier but we’re hoping that our participants value the space as much as we do.”
Champa Street will also be closed between 14th and Speer through Monday.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Commuters are advised to plan accordingly as Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) expedites repair work on a bridge adjacent to Speer Boulevard and travel lanes near the Colorado Convention Center.
Metal sheeting will cover a hole on the Lincoln Street bridge over Cherry Creek as it awaits concrete repairs next week.
Weather permitting, concrete will be poured next week, closing three travel lanes.
Those traveling northbound on Lincoln Street, between 6th and 7th avenues, should expect the two far-right travel lanes, one of which is a bus-only lane, to be closed.
Others traveling eastbound along 6th Avenue should anticipate one of the two left turn lanes onto Lincoln Street northbound to be closed.
“We expect the lane closures currently in place to remain in place through at least next Friday,” said DOTI spokesperson Nancy Kuhn.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Crews will also close a block of Champa Street through Monday, Feb. 19.
A stretch of Champa Street in between the DCPA and the Colorado Convention Center will require a full closure beginning this Friday, Feb. 16, at midnight.
(COLORADO SPRINGS) — According to FOX21’s crew on scene, the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) is expected to give an update on the death investigation at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) at or around 10 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 16.
FOX21 will carry the CSPD update live at the top of this article.
UPDATE: Death investigation at UCCS, campus closed Friday
UPDATE: FRIDAY 2/16/2024 9:06 a.m.
UCCS Public Safety wrote on X (formally known as Twitter) just after 8:50 a.m. that there is no safety concern on campus, and the shelter-in-place for Alpine Village is due to the ongoing investigation.
UPDATE: FRIDAY 2/16/2024 8:18 a.m.
The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) tells FOX21 News there is a death investigation happening at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS). CSPD wants the public to know this is not an active shooter situation.
CSPD said the campus is under a partial shelter-in-place while police investigate and UCCS will be closed for Friday, Feb. 16. There is no threat to the public, according to police.
UPDATE: FRIDAY 2/16/2024 8:04 a.m.
The University of Colorado Colorado Springs said only those in the Alpine Village need to shelter in place as public safety does not want movement in and around those areas. All others may leave campus at this time.
UPDATE: UCCS on lockdown, not an active shooter
UPDATE: FRIDAY 2/16/2024 7:15 a.m.
The University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) Public Safety shared on social media an update to the lockdown, there is no active shooter, and everyone is asked to remain sheltered in place on campus until further notice.
UCCS said the campus will be closed today.
ORIGINAL STORY: Lockdown at UCCS following reports of a shooting
FRIDAY 2/16/2024 7:10 a.m.
The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) said in the morning hours of Friday, Feb. 16 a report of a shooting led to a lockdown at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) campus.
According to CSPD, on Friday at around 6:15 a.m. police received a report of a shooting at UCCS and officers were on the scene.
UCCS Public Safety shared on social media that there is a lockdown on campus and are telling students to lock interior doors, turn off lights, move away from sight, do not open the door, and maintain silence.
FOX21 News has a crew on the way and will update this article as we learn more.
It’s a foggy and chilly start to our day, with some wet roads for the morning commute.
Temperatures will climb into the upper 30s to near 40 degrees across the metro area Friday, with another round of snow developing by the evening commute.
A winter weather advisory is in effect for the mountains from Estes Park to Steamboat Springs for up to a foot of snow by early Saturday.
This next round of snow, stretching from Fort Collins through Denver, will bring more accumulation later Friday. We could see around 1-3″ of snow by tomorrow.
This will be a pretty quick moving storm and skies will quickly clear out for the weekend. We’ll see more sunshine on Saturday, with highs in the 40s and more 50s by Sunday!
If you haven’t driven past the corner of Peoria Street and Albrook Drive in the past year, you may have missed the massive building being erected to house families, local businesses and a mental health center.
The Montbello FreshLo Hub broke ground in March 2023 and it is well on its way to be completed after years of community engagement, fundraising processes, the pandemic, inflation, sweat, tears, more engagement, more fundraising… you get the picture.
Let’s take a trip back in time.
In 2014, Montbello’s only full-size grocery store left the area, turning the neighborhood into a food desert. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, an area is considered a food desert when at least 500 people, or 33% of the area population, lives more than one mile away from a supermarket or large grocery store.
Residents without transportation were left with 7-Eleven or Family Dollar for their grocery needs.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
So, they took action. The Montbello Organizing Committee, a neighborhood group focused on food justice, housing and community wealth building, started engaging with residents, trying to figure out how they can solve their food insecurity issues, as well as their affordable housing problems.
The key phrase is how “they” could figure out how to solve their own problem. As a historically underserved neighborhood, Montbello residents knew if they wanted a grocery store or housing or any time of service to better their neighborhood, they would have to bring it themselves.
“Something is not better than nothing,” said Donna Garnett, the executive director of the Montbello Organizing Committee. “That’s what people of color and disenfranchised people have heard their whole lives and their grandmas have heard that. Here are the scraps. Be happy with that. And that won’t work for me anymore…. We are in a position to help manifest the dreams of the people who live here.”
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Thus the idea for the FreshLo Hub was born. The goal was to create a one-stop mixed-use development with housing, a grocery store and a community space.
“This is what the community dreamt and this is what we’re building,” said Garnett.
MOC purchased the former Montbello Park-n-Ride, a 1.39-acre lot at 12300 East Albrook Dr., in February 2020. They applied for and received grants, investments and tax credits. Some of that funding was from the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation and the Gates Family Foundation, among others. The last bit of funding came in 2022 when City Council approved a $3.3 million loan agreement between the the Department of Housing and Stability and Montbello Organizing Committee.
The construction of the project started last year in March and Denverite recently took a tour of the facility. Here’s what we saw…
There will be plenty of parking, along with electric vehicle charging stations, with the possibility of adding additional stations in the future.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
On the first floor, one side will be for MOC’s business incubator. MOC’s Building Wealth from Within program is a 12-week program geared towards helping residents grow their entrepreneurial skills. Graduates of the program will be able to set up shop inside the FreshLo Hub to continue growing their skills.
One of the anchor businesses will be La Dogueria owned by Miriam Quiroz, one of the first graduates of the Building Wealth program.
On the opposite side, WellPower, a mental health nonprofit, will have a space to provide residents and neighbors with their mental health needs.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
The remaining five floors will house 97 units of affordable housing. There’s a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments for those making between 30% and 50% of the area median income. For a family of four, they would need to make between $37,230 and $62,050.
FreshLo is one of few affordable housing projects that includes many three-bedroom apartments. It was a necessity for community members.
“This project was really intended to address that lack of opportunity for people with families. It’s a big deal for families,” Garnett said.
Five of the units will be mobility compliant spaces for those with mobility needs and four units will be for those with hearing and visual impairments.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Many of the units will come with balconies and all of them will have washer and dryer units. Both items were “hotly contested” add-ons, according to Garnett.
Garnett said when it comes to building affordable housing projects, many outside developers slack on amenities but that wouldn’t be the case at FreshLo.
The second floor is full of amenities. There will be a gym and a community lounge where residents could have meetings, gather or just hang around. There’s additional storage spaces for residents who need extra space. Then there’s the outside space.
The second floor will have a whole outdoor deck, spanning the length of the building, equipped with a playground, a lounge space with fire pits and seating, grills, planter beds for residents interested in showcasing their green thumbs and a large movie screen.
The deck will be covered and faces the sun for a luxurious feel.
“It’s my favorite place,” Garnett said.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Garnett said construction is set to be completed in August and leasing will begin in the fall. When the time nears, MOC will be informing those interested in renting the apartments what the eligibility requirements will be and how they can apply.
Besides the apartment building, the site will have a separate building that will house the FreshLo Arts Education Center. It’ll be a place for the community that they can rent and host events.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
And what about the grocery store?
It’ll be a 5,200-square-foot space in the strip mall next to the FreshLo site. MOC recently purchased the strip of stores in December to complete the project’s goal of bringing a grocery store to the neighborhood.
“It became eminently clear that everything we were trying to put in this building could not be in this building. We could not do a two-story grocery store and an arts education center and the housing,” Garnett said. “So, we reached out to the owner of the mall to see if they were interested in selling.”
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Many of the businesses in the center will remain including the coin laundry, which is a necessity in the neighborhood, and La Bocaza Mexican Grille. But at the end of the mall will be the grocery store run by the Daily Table, a Massachusetts based, nonprofit grocery chain founded by Doug Rauch, the former president of Trader Joe’s. Their model involves sourcing excess foods from local growers, manufacturers, and other suppliers.
MOC hopes to open the store around the same time as the opening of FreshLo.
“When I see this, I think about what it might mean to a single mom that has two kids or an elderly couple that has now given their house to their children and they still want to stay in the neighborhood. It just makes me proud,” Garnett said. “Everything is on time and on budget.”
And there’s more to come from MOC. Garnett said the organization has a 10-year plan that involves bringing more affordable housing to the neighborhood, along with community space.
Ultimately, it’s all about what the community needs. The FreshLo project has been a community-driven project from the beginning and any other endeavors will be equally led by the community.
“Our little motto is development without displacement,” Garnett said. “We’re building this for the people who are dedicated to this community… Let’s make it so that the people who have been in this community for generations can stay here. So, they can stay here. We have our eyes on some things.”
From Lunar New Year events and crafts to movie showings at local libraries to the 6th Annual Petite Parade at Dairy Block, there’s plenty of events to pick from this weekend. There are also more Galentine’s and Valentine’s Day events taking place Saturday.
If you’re looking to get out of the city, check out our new “worth the drive” section below.
Whatever you get up to, make it a great weekend!
Notes: Events with an * are taking place virtually or outdoors.
Orchid Sales. Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Free (entrance for members), $7.50-$15 (entrance for non-members), prices of orchids vary.
Museum of Memory Workshop. History Colorado at Ford-Warren Branch Library, 2825 High St. 1-4 p.m. Free.
Galentine’s Day. Poka Lola Social Club, 1850 Wazee St. 4-7 p.m. No cover.
Kids and family
Baby Rave. Mercury Cafe, 2199 California St. 10-11:30 a.m. Free (children under 1), $5 (ages 1 and older, when accompanied by an adult and child). All ages.
Lunar New Year Storytime and Craft. Woodbury Branch Library, 3265 Federal Blvd. 10:30 a.m.-noon. Free. Ideal for ages 5-12, when accompanied by an adult.
Wild Color. Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Free (members, children ages 2 and under), $19.95 (guests ages 3-18), $21.95 (seniors ages 65 and older), $24.95 (adults). All ages. Advanced registration recommended.
All Stars. Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14th Ave. Parkway. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free (guests ages 5 and under), $5 (members, guests ages 6-18), $23 (Colorado resident), $27 (non-resident).
Blaxplanation. History Colorado Center, 1200 N. Broadway. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free (members and children 18 and under), $15 (adults).
Museum of Illusions Denver. 951 16th Street Mall. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. (Friday and Saturday) and 10 a.m.-8 p.m. (Sunday). $20 (children ages 5-12), $22 (seniors and active military), $24 (adults). Advanced registration required for timed entry.
The Museum for Black Girls. 500 16th Street Mall. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. $30. (Read more about the museum and its creator here.)
Cowboy. MCA Denver, 1485 Delgany St. Noon-7 p.m. (Fridays) and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (Saturdays and Sundays). Free (children 18 and under), $9 (college students, military members, teachers, seniors ages 65+), $12 (adults).
Purple pastel taro slush, a popular bubble tea blend made from the Southeast Asian root vegetable, is a nutty, vanilla-flavored refreshment served at Denver’s Tea Street.
It’s one of the popular offerings of shop owners and siblings Victoria and Patrick Lam.
Seated around a syrup brown traditional tea ceremony table brought in from Taiwan, the duo reflect on five years of their bubble tea business.
“I am most proud that we have built a community here,” Patrick said.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Denver’s bubble tea row has popped up along Colorado Boulevard, a busy and often chaotic roadway hugging neighborhoods like Belcaro and University Park and home to eight businesses carrying the popular tea-based drinks on their menus.
Tea Street Denver is set to open its second location in Parker this spring, expanding its reach and building on the vision that the Lam siblings sought out to do when they first opened their shop in 2019.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Pulling from their experiences abroad and at home as third-culture Asian Americans, the duo have carefully curated a space and a menu that celebrates the intersection of their ethnic identities.
“I could literally walk outside of my dorm room and there were five mom-and-pop bao and tea places within a block of each other,” Victoria said, reflecting on her study abroad experience in Taiwan. “I had this yearning to learn more about who I am and who we are as a family.”
“[Bubble tea] is a means for us to connect with our heritage,” Patrick said. “I’ve learned that I am very much, so Asian American.”
The two have amassed a crowd of regular customers, primarily millennials stopping by for an early morning, post-meal, savory boba beverage.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Tea Street joined a growing list of boba neighbors along the street just before the pandemic.
An alum of the University of Denver, Victoria frequently visited Lollicup Denver down the street with a group of friends.
“It makes me feel like there’s more Asians,” said Venice Yuan, founder and owner of Lollicup Denver.
First opening the shop in 2003, Yuan was one of the first bubble tea owners along this strip of Denver. Dishing out popular holiday-themed drinks, Lollicup has been a hub for nearby college, high school and middle school students. Immigrating from China to Korea and then to Denver, Yuan has seen more and more competing shops along Colorado Boulevard over the years.
“It’s fun but it’s also very challenging,” Yuan said.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Ding Tea is a global bubble tea franchise originally founded in 2004 with two locations in Colorado, one in Fort Collins and another in Denver. Owner Cindy Nguyen opened the Denver branch in July 2019 and has seen just how much the city has grown, particularly its interest in boba.
“When you crave boba it’s almost every corner now,” Nguyen said. “Kids want to spend time with their family, go to the movies, go to a boba shop. It’s just like a spot to hang out.” Tea Street Parker will offer the same offerings and drinks, with an added focus on dumplings. Guests will be able to look into a dumpling showroom and watch a dumpling machine make about 1,000 dumplings an hour.
Victoria and Patrick are excited to take their vision to other parts of the state, too.
“It’s our chance to take what we’ve done here, what we’ve learned here and take it to the next level,” Patrick said.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Here’s a list of bubble tea shops along Colorado Boulevard you can check out:
Gong Cha – Glendale
Location: 760 S. Colorado Blvd.
Store Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Boba & Crepes
Location: 4085 E. Mississippi Ave.
Store Hours: Noon-7 p.m. (Sunday), 11 a.m.-8 p.m. (Tuesday-Thursday), 11 a.m.-9 p.m. (Friday and Saturday)
Tea Street Denver
Location: 4090 E. Mississippi Ave.
Store Hours: Noon-8 p.m. (Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday), Noon-9 p.m. (Friday and Saturday)
Mango Mango Desserts
Location: 1144 S. Colorado Blvd.
Store Hours: Noon-9 p.m. (Monday-Thursday), Noon-11 p.m. (Friday-Sunday)
Moon Alert: Avoid shopping or important decisions from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. EST today (7 a.m. to 12 noon PST). After that, the Moon moves from Taurus into Gemini.
Happy Birthday for Friday, Feb. 16, 2024:
You have the skill to be able to transform challenges around you into positive experiences. You are observant and insightful about others. This is a wonderful year for you. You will get recognition for your past efforts. Expect a promotion, an award, kudos — something. Bravo!
ARIES
(March 21-April 19) ★★★★ After the Moon Alert is over, this is a great day to schmooze! Make an effort to socialize this evening or late this afternoon. Grab a chance for a short trip or a chat with someone. You need to express your ideas. Tonight: Someone unusual.
TAURUS
(April 20-May 20) ★★★★ This is an excellent day for business and commerce, as long as you avoid important decisions, financial transactions or the exchange of money during the Moon Alert. That’s the gist of it. Tonight: Surprise!
GEMINI
(May 21-June 20) ★★★★ After the Moon Alert today, the Moon is in your sign dancing beautifully with three other planets. This makes you charming and energetic, as well as willful and proactive, about going after what you want. (The world steps aside for anyone who knows where they’re going.) Tonight: Explore!
CANCER
(June 21-July 22) ★★★ Today you’re happy to play things low-key and take it easy. After the Moon Alert, you might research or do business related to shared property, banking and inheritances. This is the day to quietly get things done. Tonight: Check your finances.
LEO
(July 23-Aug. 22) ★★★★ You’re in the mood to socialize! After the Moon Alert today, enjoy fun times with partners, close friends and members of the general public. This is the perfect way to end the week. Meet some friends for happy hour. Circulate! Tonight: Patience.
VIRGO
(Aug. 23-Sept. 22) ★★★ Later today, you’ll be noticed by others. Fortunately, it will be positive attention. In fact, some of you might strike up a flirtation or a romance with a boss or someone in a position of authority. This is a good day for positive experiences with your job, your health or your pet. Tonight: Sudden changes.
LIBRA
(Sept. 23-Oct. 22) ★★★★ You will seek some excitement today. You want to shake things up a bit. Make plans to socialize late in the day or this evening. Go someplace you’ve never been before. Do something different. Learn something new by meeting people from other cultures. If possible, travel. Tonight: Stay flexible.
SCORPIO
(Oct. 23-Nov. 21) ★★★ Today your focus is on home, family and your private life. Home repairs and DIY projects might take place. You’ll enjoy redecorating and entertaining at home as well. Conversations with family members will be warm and rewarding. Tonight: Changes in your home routine.
SAGITTARIUS
(Nov. 22-Dec. 21) ★★★★ This is a fast-paced, social day for you. You’ll enjoy talking to others, daily contacts, as well as siblings and relatives. It’s the perfect day to learn as well as share information. Short trips will appeal to you. Make an extra effort to get along with others today, because the Moon is opposite your sign. Be cooperative. Tonight: Avoid accidents.
CAPRICORN
(Dec. 22-Jan. 19) ★★★ At this moment, five planets are in your Money House, which means you have moneymaking ideas, along with the urge to spend money. You can also attract money. You might find a better paying job or see ways to get more money from your job — after the Moon Alert. Tonight: Protect your belongings
AQUARIUS
(Jan. 20-Feb. 18) ★★★★ The Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars and Pluto are all in Aquarius. This is no little thing. It’s major! It means you’re holding all the cards, which is why it’s easy for you to hold sway with others, and not only charm them, but convince them that you are right. (Even if you aren’t.) Tonight: Impulsive energy!
PISCES
(Feb. 19-March 20) ★★★ This is a low-key day. Cocoon at home if you can. A conversation with a parent or a female relative might be significant. It’s the classic time for secrets as well as hidden love affairs. On the upside, research will yield answers. Tonight: Privacy.
BORN TODAY
Actress Elizabeth Olsen (1989), singer-songwriter The Weeknd (1990), actor Mahershala Ali (1974)
ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — Video shows an inmate at the Arapahoe County jail struggling until she later fell into a diabetic coma, all because she did not receive care while in custody, according to her attorney.
That happened in February 2022, and now a lawsuit has been filed against health provider Wellpath Care and the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office.
Melissa Lammert is the woman seen in distress in the video provided by her attorney, Adam Frank. The video shows her visible struggle through the night, with her ultimately lying on her back as she is tended by nurses and deputies.
“Everything could have been avoided if the intake nurses had simply given Ms. Lammert antiacids,” Frank said.
FOX31 reached out to Wellpath and the sheriff’s office for comment but had not gotten a response as of Thursday night.
Melissa Lammert is seen lying on the floor of a jail cell in Arapahoe County. Her attorney says she was not provided proper medical care for her diabetic condition. (Video provided by attorney Adam Frank)
Lawyer: Woman not given diabetes treatment in jail
Lammert, a diabetic, was in the Arapahoe County jail on a warrant in February 2022, and she complained of health problems while there. Frank said she had her dinner that night.
“(She) starts vomiting so much that it actually causes tears in her esophagus so that she’s vomiting blood,” Frank said.
She was given medication for nausea and not for her diabetic condition, according to Frank. Lammert spent the night in visible pain, and she then called her partner from the jail cell.
“(She) is telling him goodbye, is telling him, ‘I’m going to die in here, and I just want you to know this is not random, this is not bad luck. This is because they will not treat me,’” Frank said.
Lammert’s pain turned worse, according to Frank, and she began having trouble breathing.
“That trouble breathing is, again, a telltale symptom of progressing diabetic ketoacidosis, showing that it’s getting worse,” Frank said.
The night goes on, and Lammert is seen dragging herself to the sink in the jail cell. After a while, she holds herself up until later that morning.
“Collapses face first and just doesn’t move,” Frank said. “That, of course, scares the living hell out of her cellmates, who, again, call for assistance. And at that point, deputies and medical come.”
‘She would have died in that cell’
Frank said Lammert was seen several times that night by nurses at the jail, yet eventually, she fell into a diabetic coma that night.
“Ultimately, Ms. Lammert only gets to the hospital because, later, a deputy decides to call, overriding the nurses,” Frank said. “If it had been left up to these nurses, she would have died in that cell.”
Lammert’s attorney said as a result of her stay in jail that night, she will now require insulin — a medication she didn’t need before — for the rest of her life.
FORT COLLINS, Colo. — A man was sentenced to 15 years in prison after he violated a protection order and held his wife and daughter at knifepoint for 11 hours in September 2022, the 8th Judicial District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday.
Victor Benavente pleaded guilty to Burglary 1, a Class 3 felony.
On September 24, 2022, Benavente violated a protection order and broke into the apartment of his wife and daughter in Fort Collins. He held the two at knifepoint for 11 hours and seriously injured his wife.
The district attorney’s office said the incident followed years of “significant abuse” against his wife and children.
The wife delivered an impact statement to the court, saying in part, “I stand here today as a reminder that the defendant no longer has any control over me and my children and that he will never be able to use fear to control and hurt us again.”
“I’m really proud of our team for supporting the victims in this case and seeking a just result,” said District Attorney Gordon McLaughlin in a statement. “Their hard work has ensured victim and community safety for many years to come.”
On Thursday, Benavente was sentenced to 15 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available through Violence Free Colorado or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233.
The Follow Up
What do you want Denver7 to follow up on? Is there a story, topic or issue you want us to revisit? Let us know with the contact form below.
You have until Feb. 27 to offer feedback on the changes.
Hart Van Denburg/CPR News
More than a year has passed since Denver voters decided to charge property owners a fee to pay for much-needed sidewalk improvements. But if you’ve looked around, you’ll notice the sidewalks aren’t looking better, and you might be wondering what’s going on with that thing you voted for or against.
It turns out, quite a lot — of process.
Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure formed a committee to “review and refine Sidewalk Ordinance 307,” according to a statement from the agency. The group has been meeting twice a month since August to hammer out the finer details of the ordinance.
Now, the committee is proposing three big changes to the ordinance to address community concerns over high fee assessments and how they might affect lower-income homeowners, how the measure conforms to the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR), and to make sure DOTI can implement a working program to build, fix and repair sidewalks throughout the city.
“I’m proud of the hard work the Committee has done to develop recommendations that refine the sidewalk ordinance and details of implementation and that honor the will of the voters,” said Jill Locantore, Committee Chair and Executive Director of the Denver Streets Partnership.
Here’s what’s proposed.
The first change is massive. The original ordinance assessed fees based on the linear foot of property frontage on both residential and commercial property owners. That frustrated residents who lived on corner lots who were disproportionately charged.
The proposed change, only affecting homeowners, not commercial-property owners, would instead create a standard annual fee per resident that would vary based on what sort of home they lived in. Single-family home dwellers and people living in a multifamily home in a single residence that takes up an entire parcel would pay $148.64 per unit, while people living in multifamily buildings with two or more units on a parcel would pay just $27.83 per unit.
“For all other properties, the Committee recommends keeping the sidewalk fee per linear foot of property frontage,” the city noted online.
The second change to the ordinance would be that people living in neighborhoods identified as under-resourced by the city’s Neighborhood Equity and Stabilization (NEST) and who income-qualify could be eligible for rebates.
The timeline would also be hedged. The original ordinance states the work would need to be completed within nine years.
The proposed tweak would state the work needs to be complete “within nine years of the effective date of this section, or as soon thereafter as determined feasible by the manager of transportation and infrastructure.”
The ordinance would also need to specify that the initial capital investment plan should “prioritize the repair or reconstruction of all existing sidewalks that are in severe disrepair, that represent a safety hazard, or which do not minimally comply with legally mandated accessibility standards.”
Love it? Hate it?
The city is asking residents to give their feedback about the changes through this survey. Responses are due Tuesday, Feb. 27.
“After community members weigh in over the coming weeks, the Committee encourages Denver City Council to adopt the final recommended changes swiftly to avoid further delays in the implementation of the program.” Locantore said.
This story has been updated to clarify that people living in a multi-family home in a unit that takes up an entire parcel will pay the same rate as people who live in a single-family home.
A fistfight between two Excel Academy students escalated into a shooting this week, sending people running for cover and setting neighbors around the Denver public high school on edge.
The fight-turned-shooting happened at around 12:15 p.m. Monday in the 3100 block of West Colorado Avenue, around the corner from Excel Academy, a pathway school that is designed to help students who are behind on credits get back on track for graduation.
Two students and their families were involved in the fight, Principal Cynthia Navarro wrote in a letter to parents Monday.
“At no point were our students or staff inside the building ever in danger,” she wrote.
The shooting comes as Denver Public Schools faces increased public scrutiny over its handling of gun violence among students, particularly in the wake of last year’s shooting at East High School in which a 17-year-old student wounded two school administrators.
People who live near Excel Academy said during a Denver Police Department neighborhood meeting Wednesday that they’ve raised concerns about the school for years — particularly around nuisance issues like students parking across driveways, littering or drag racing in the streets — and questioned whether school officials were doing enough to protect students and residents.
On Monday, two young women met in the street to fight while a crowd of about a dozen people watched, according to video of the incident reviewed by The Denver Post. Most appeared to be high-school-aged, but there were at least two adults in the mix, said Cyan Santillana, who witnessed the fight. One of the adults was encouraging the fight, she said.
After a couple of minutes of fighting, at least one of the people watching drew a gun and fired shots, the video shows. The crowd scattered, with people diving behind cars or into alleys for cover. A single adult man was shot in the incident and survived, Denver police said.
No arrests had been made by Wednesday and police did not answer questions about the man’s condition or about the shooting.
Fights in the neighborhood, which abuts Federal Boulevard, are not entirely uncommon, Santillana said, but this was the first time she could remember shots being fired.
“It’s getting to the point where something definitely needs to be done now,” she said. “There are kids in this neighborhood, there is an elementary school right down the street, and there was this active shooting right in front of the houses.”
She added that most of the 250 students at Excel Academy don’t cause problems, but that the small group who do “give the school a bad rap.” One student just happened to be walking by when the shooting happened and had to run for cover, Santillana said.
The shooting took place during the school’s lunch hour, when many students were out of the building enjoying warm weather, said Scott Pribble, spokesman for Denver Public Schools. The fight prompted a 20-minute “secure perimeter” at the school, during which staff and students stayed inside and locked exterior doors, Navarro said in the letter to parents.
Pribble said there’s no indication that any of the involved students had a gun on school grounds before the shooting happened. He declined to discuss whether the involved students faced discipline like suspension or expulsion, adding that the disciplinary process takes time.
Between 2018 and April 2023, Denver police responded to 59 incidents involving guns at 31 Denver public schools, data provided by the police department shows. About half of those incidents involved possession of a gun, and just over a quarter involved menacing. Only three incidents were considered aggravated assaults involving a firearm, according to the data.
None of the 59 gun-related incidents happened at Excel Academy, the data shows.
The school with the highest number of police responses to incidents involving guns was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Early College in Green Valley Ranch, with five police responses. Police handled three incidents at East High School during the more than five-year span, including the March school shooting.
Fourth graders streamed one at a time through the playground door at Denver’s Valdez Elementary, a snaking jumble of energy and untied shoelaces.
Most bounded up the stairs to their classrooms. Only a few stopped to give a quick side hug to the staff member who was squinting in the sun and holding the door. Two of the huggers were Jesus and Leiker, who arrived in Denver from Venezuela a few months ago.
The boys, ages 9 and 10, are among the more than 38,000 migrants who have come to Denver in the past year after fleeing political and economic crises in their home countries.
Some of the new arrivals are families with children like Jesus and Leiker. Denver Public Schools has enrolled more than 3,200 of these young people since the start of the school year.
A majority arrived after the October cutoff date that determines how much per-student funding DPS gets from the state, creating a financial shortfall for the state’s largest district and causing schools to scramble for resources.
But not all schools. The new students are concentrated in a couple dozen of DPS’ more than 200 schools, which the district has been calling hotspots. The main reason is because the schools offer specialized instruction in both English and Spanish.
Valdez, also known as Escuela Valdez, has a longstanding dual language program. It’s also right up the street from a city-run shelter inside a Quality Inn, which Principal Jessica Buckley said everyone simply calls “The Quality.” Valdez, which had about 400 students last year, has welcomed more than 100 new students in the past few months.
Melanie Asmar / Chalkbeat
Every classroom in the northwest Denver elementary school is at capacity with 35 children — except the fourth grade, which before last week had 29 per class.
In the face of this new reality, Valdez has had to make adjustments. Some of the shifts have been beautiful. Others have been hard. “The bright spots are the growth of our kids and our community,” Buckley said. “The challenge is resources.”
Jesus and Leiker met at The Quality, where both of their families were staying, and became fast friends. They say they are like brothers: “Somos como hermanos.”
This is what one school day looked like recently for Jesus and Leiker, whose last names Chalkbeat is withholding to protect their identities as they navigate life in a new country.
Valdez is ‘an excellent place to land’
The boys were the first two to enter the classroom, walking shoulder-to-shoulder and chattering.
“OK! Sit in a place where you think you can focus well,” teacher Isabelle King said in Spanish.
Jesus and Leiker scurried to opposite corners of a classroom rug imprinted with a map of the United States. Jesus sat cross-legged above the state of Michigan, and Leiker scrambled to a spot near California. They said “buenos días” to the classmates next to them. Following the teacher’s prompt, they also named their favorite sport.
“Fútbol,” Jesus said with a smile.
The fourth grade class had been watching video clips about children with disabilities. That day’s clip featured a girl who was Deaf and used a sign language interpreter at school.
When the teacher paused the video to ask for one way the students were the same as the girl and one way they were different, Leiker raised his hand. In Spanish, he said that he was different because he could talk to his friends directly, without an interpreter.
Melanie Asmar / Chalkbeat
That’s possible at Valdez because all of the students speak Spanish. As a dual language school, Valdez doesn’t admit native English speakers after kindergarten. In the younger grades, as much as 90% of the classroom instruction is in Spanish to immerse students in the language.
Whereas other schools in Denver and around the country have had to use technology, sometimes as rudimentary as Google Translate, to communicate with new students and families from Venezuela, no interpreters are needed at Valdez.
“We are an excellent place for these kids to land,” Buckley said. Because everyone speaks Spanish, she said, the new students are “able to interact and learn and be themselves.”
Students learn the language of play
In the gym, P.E. teacher Jessica Dominguez told the students to split into teams.
“Me and Leiker!” Jesus shouted in Spanish.
For the next 40 minutes, their team rotated between basketball, four square, and a rock climbing wall. The boys dominated at basketball, sprinting around the half court and shouting “rápido, rápido!” — fast, fast! — as their teammates were shooting.
The girls dominated at four square. Jesus struggled. After he lost for serving the ball when he wasn’t supposed to, a girl paused the game to explain the rules to him in Spanish.
“He didn’t know,” she told her classmates.
Melanie Asmar / Chalkbeat
Staff at Valdez agree that the new students have enriched the school linguistically. Whereas in the past students — and even adults — would often default to English when speaking with each other, now it’s most practical to speak in Spanish. That way, everyone understands.
The phenomenon was on display at recess, too. Soccer has long been the most popular activity at recess, Buckley said. But now, Spanish is what is spoken on the field.
“Leiker! Leiker! Atrás! Atrás!”” a teammate called out, urging him to pass the ball behind.
The second most popular game is a new one called gaga ball. In contrast to the Spanish spoken on the soccer field, all of the students playing gaga ball spoke in English.
At the shrill tweet-tweet of a whistle, Jesus, Leiker, and the other soccer players ran to the cafeteria for lunch. Leiker’s cheeks were flushed pink as he waited for his macaroni and cheese. Jesus brought his lunch from home, but he still stood in line with his friend.
Together, they found seats at a round table with two other fourth-grade boys.
“You guys played soccer today?” Assistant Principal Cesar Sanchez asked in Spanish.
“Sí!” they answered in unison.
“We lost,” Leiker added.
“Does it matter if you win or lose?” Sanchez asked. “What matters?”
“Have fun!” they said in unison.
Melanie Asmar / Chalkbeat
Teachers make academic adjustments
It’s always been the case at Valdez, like at all schools, that some students are ahead academically and some are behind, and teachers must adapt their lessons. But with the newly arrived students, teachers have had to differentiate to new extremes. Valdez has welcomed some fourth graders who don’t know how to write their names, Buckley said.
Jesus and Leiker can read and write in Spanish. They said they went to school in Venezuela before coming to the United States. Still, their teachers — especially literacy teacher Giovanni Leon, who the students call Don Gio — have had to make adjustments, working to strengthen the new arrivals’ reading and writing skills in their native language while also starting from scratch in English, teaching them the alphabet and the sounds the letters make.
On this day after P.E., Jesus and Leiker’s class started their literacy block on the carpet, where Leon explained the day’s assignment: to read an 1873 speech by women’s rights activist Susan B. Anthony and answer questions about the text.
Melanie Asmar / Chalkbeat
But the text and the questions were in English, part of Valdez’s 50/50 split between English and Spanish in the upper grades. For years, the language rotation was very black-and-white. With the new students, it’s become more gray.
As most students paired up to begin reading the Susan B. Anthony speech, Leon called Jesus, Leiker, and three others to a C-shaped table in the back of the room. They would be reading and answering questions about another text, a fairy tale, in Spanish.
First, however, Leon had them practice writing complete sentences with a subject and a predicate, a capital letter at the beginning, and a period at the end. He gave them a subject in Spanish — el perro, the dog — and asked them to finish the sentence.
Melanie Asmar / Chalkbeat
“The dog is playing in the yard,” Leiker wrote in Spanish in his notebook.
“The dog is barking,” Jesus wrote.
A while later, when Leon pointed out that Leiker was missing a period, the boy swirled the tip of his pencil several times, making a period so big his teacher couldn’t miss it.
Jesus has a lightbulb moment
While many things are different at Valdez these days, some things are the same. One of those is that students, including the new arrivals, continue to have what teachers call lightbulb moments — the moment of joy and discovery when an academic concept clicks.
On this day, something clicked for Jesus in math.
Math is not Jesus’ favorite subject. Both boys said they like recess and lunch best, followed by snack. Leiker said he thinks music class, where they learn to play instruments, is the hardest. Shaking his head, Jesus said that for him, it’s math.
Melanie Asmar / Chalkbeat
During part of the math block, the boys were sitting with King at her C-shaped table. To help explain 5 x 30 to Leiker, King took out a bucket of yellow cubes stuck together in groups of 10. Leiker portioned the cube stacks into five piles of three and counted them up.
Jesus sat next to him, working on addition. But the yellow cubes caught his eye.
When Leiker got the right answer — 150 — Jesus let out an, “Ohhhhhhhh!”
Jesus put his own work aside and helped Leiker with his next problem: 30 x 40. Using a bigger set of yellow cubes, the boys counted in Spanish. They spoke in unison, just like they had when they were talking about soccer at lunch. “100, 200, 300, 400…
“1,200!”
“That’s it,” King said.
The boys beamed.
Valdez will need more desks
Just past 3 p.m., Jesus, Leiker, and their fourth-grade classmates streamed out of Valdez through the same playground door they’d entered seven hours earlier, in the same jumbly line.
Buckley stood on the blacktop, surveying the scene.
Valdez has more students now than at any time in recent history. The school is so full that when newly arrived families show up in the office looking to register their children, as three had that day, the secretary often has to redirect them to nearby elementary schools.
Melanie Asmar / Chalkbeat
Valdez has hired more paraprofessionals and an intervention teacher to help the new students catch up. It has also bought more books and scrounged for hand-me-down furniture. The assistant principal, Sanchez, has at times driven around the city in his own truck, collecting spare desks from elementary schools that don’t have as many students.
A few hours before class was dismissed for the day, Buckley learned the school would need two more desks. The district was in touch to share that two newly arrived students — in fourth grade, the only grade at Valdez with any more room — would be enrolling the following week.
