September 3, 2021
FREE
DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
ParkerChronicle.net
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 17 | SPORTS: PAGE 24
VOLUME 19 | ISSUE 40
County loses another Tri-County Health rep Former board member cites conflict of interest BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Parker Chamber of Commerce CEO T.J. Sullivan introduces himself to local business owners in an Aug. 17 meeting. PHOTO BY ELLIOTT WENZLER
Parker’s new chamber leader says he’s all ears CEO took helm of organization in early August BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
T.J. Sullivan wants to listen to the Parker community. As the new chief executive of-
ficer of the Parker Chamber of Commerce, Sullivan says his approach is to take the time to learn the community before he makes a concrete plan for the future of the organization. “There’s two ways to approach this kind of job,” Sullivan said from a picnic table outside the chamber office on a recent weekday morning. “You can come in with this big vision and push everybody along to where you want
all the individuals working or interacting with those children — in all indoor school and childcare settings in the three counties. That order took effect Aug. 13. Then, on Aug. 30, it expanded that order to cover everyone age 2 and over. Some school districts had implemented mask requirements before Tri-County’s orders were issued. All of the listed outbreaks started
For the third time this year, Douglas County has lost one of its representatives on the board of the Tri-County Health Department. The early resignation of Zach Nannestad means Douglas County no longer has any of the Tri-County board members it had before the COVID-19 pandemic. Nannestad sent in his resignation Aug. 25, about a week after he abstained from board votes related to requiring the wearing of masks inside schools as a COVID safety measure. Nannestad cited a conflict of interest regarding his employment with the Douglas County School District as his reason for resigning, according to his letter notifying the county and health department. “I do not wish to leave this role,” he wrote in the letter, “However, I have recently found myself in a clear conflict of interest when asked to vote on matters specifically impacting my primary employer.” The Douglas County School District lists Nannestad as the operations manager for environmental health. Nannestad went on to write that the commissioners had “asked for my assurance” that he wouldn’t abstain from future votes because of this conflict and that he felt he
SEE VIRUS, P4
SEE HEALTH, P18
it to be or you can take the time and listen and figure out what the community needs, and that’s what I’m trying to do.” Sullivan, formerly the executive director of the chamber of commerce in Superior, began in the CEO position Aug. 2. Kara Massa, who previously served as the executive director for the chamber, will now transition to serving as SEE CHAMBER, P10
Douglas, Arapahoe, Adams counties see school virus outbreaks Health chief: ‘What we feared could happen is beginning to happen’ BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
School settings in Douglas, Arapahoe and Adams counties saw 15 confirmed coronavirus outbreaks
starting in August, according to the local public health agency that serves those counties. “What we feared could happen is beginning to happen,” said John Douglas, executive director of Tri-County Health Department, during an Aug. 26 telephone town hall event. In August, Tri-County Health Department issued an order Aug. 17 that required masks for all children ages 2 through 11 — and
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