Sentinel
Lakewood 4/18/13
Lakewood
Jefferson County, Colorado • Volume 89, Issue 36
County plays defense
April 18, 2013
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourlakewoodnews.com
ace to the air
Jeffco DA Weir requests added security By Glenn Wallace
gwallace@ourcoloradonews.com First Judicial District Attorney Pete Weir asked the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners for its support in improving security for his staff at a briefing last week. “We’re in a dangerous business,” Weir said, adding the threat seemed real enough, and close enough that there was little time to waste. He specifically cited the shooting death of Tom Clements, executive director of Colorado’s Department of Corrections, on March 19. Weir called Clements a respected colleague and a close personal friend. The suspect in that shooting was a parolee, Evan Spencer Ebel, 28, who was later killed in a car chase and gun fight with law enforcement in Texas. “Mr. Ebel was prosecuted by my office. It was a Jefferson County Court that first put him away,” Weir said. Ebel’s long rap sheet has its start in Lakewood in 2003 with armed robbery and felony menacing according to court records. His more recent crimes have a Jeffco connection as well. In a grassy field that offers a decent view of the Jefferson County Courthouse, just a five-minute drive away, Ebel is believed to have dumped his murder victim Nathan Collin Leon on March 17. Two days later, Ebel is also suspected of having shot and killed Clements at his Monument home. Investigators are still looking into whether the killing of Clements was an ordered assassination, or if Ebel was acting alone. Ebel was on parole at the time of the killings, and had spent the last few years in the Colorado prison system, where he became associated with the violent 211 white supremacist gang. The possible assassinations of a district attorney and an assistant district attorney in Texas have at least raised the possibility that prison gangs have chosen to target members of the justice system who helped put them behind bars, or help keep them there. “The problem is these dangerous folks also have dangerous associates, who are not in custody,” Weir said. Weir added that local law enforcement agencies have begun making extra patrols around the houses of some of staff residences. Among Weir’s suggestions: Designated parking near a secure “County Employee’s Only” entrance, a secure shuttle bus service for DA staff, added video surveillance of the county courthouse grounds. Weir said a few other security ideas were being discussed with county staff, but would require time and money to be planned and implemented. The county sheriff’s department, which is responsible for courthouse security, is aware of the situation and has taken some steps to improve security, department Public Information Officer Jacki Kelley said. “They’re security measures, so we keep them pretty close to the vest,” Kelley said.
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Rory Reinschmidt of Lakewood launches a Red Baron biplane kite during the 11th annual Arvada Kite Festival Saturday, April 13. The Arvada Festivals Commission and Rocky Mountain Kite Club hosted the event at Robby Ferrufino Park. Photo by Andy Carpenean
Rolling it out
Celebrations prepared along the W Rail line By Clarke Reader
creader@ourcoloradonews.com
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RTD employees had the chance to ride the rail on April 6. The Lakewood-Wadsworth station is the Lakewood’s signature station, and will be the site of one of the biggest events. Clarke Reader
he W Rail has been a long time coming, and after its opening on Friday, April 26, Lakewood will be ready to
party. On Saturday, April 27, there will be events going on at almost all the stations along the line to celebrate the line. Just like the actual W Rail, these events have been a long time coming. Each station has a unique theme or idea they will be showcasing. According to Rachel Griffin, economic development specialist with the city of Lakewood, RTD gave the city the opening date last summer, and in January of this year, planning began for the events at the station. “The city has served more of a facilitation and coordination role,” Griffin said. “We reached out to people we knew would be interested, and it kind of grew from there.” Griffin said that each station appointed a “station champion” who would run the event, and if they had any questions or problems, they would contact Lakewood and the city would get in touch with RTD. This was done to keep the lines of communication clear. One of those station champions is Cynthia Vitale, who has been organizing events for the Sheridan Station. The theme of the station’s event is Working Together: Denver, Lakewood and Edgewater. “I live very close to the station, and W Rail continues on Page 5