Parker Chronicle 122421

Page 1

December 24, 2021

FREE

DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO

A publication of

ParkerChronicle.net

INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 17 | SPORTS: PAGE 22

Parker Days to be smaller, with local focus Security will be emphasized at town’s signature event BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

After taking two years off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Parker Days festival will return to the town in 2022 with a smaller, more local focus. The event will have one fewer stage than previous festivals, will only be marketed to Douglas County residents and won’t include a parade or car show, said TJ Sullivan, the CEO of the Parker Chamber of Commerce. It will also be one day shorter than in years past. “It seems a lot of times that the job of a leader with such a big event is to make it bigger, bigger, bigger and now our mission seems to be to right-size Parker Days,” Sullivan told the town council in a Dec. 6 meeting. The decision came after Sullivan, who started with the chamber in August, heard dozens of comments about the event from residents, business owners and town council

BY JOHN INGOLD THE COLORADO SUN

Last year, Colorado’s flu season was virtually nonexistent. Only 34 people were hospitalized for the flu during the entire 8-month season in 2020 and 2021.

Parker Water delays inclusion of Castle Pines residents Too many unresolved issues mean Jan. 3 deadline won’t be met

A band plays at the Tailgate Tavern during Parker Days in June 2018.

members, he said. “When I started this job, I was bombarded immediately from every side with feedback on Parker Days,” he said. “Parker Days is obviously a hugely important tradition to this community.” In 2019, the last year the event was held, organizers estimate that about 250,000 to 300,000 people attended the festival. Sullivan said his team would be comfortable with reducing that by about 15% or

FILE PHOTO

20%. “While Parker Days will never be a small event, it does not need to get out of control,” Sullivan said in an interview. The event is hosted by the Parker Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation, a nonprofit organization housed within the Parker Chamber of Commerce. There will also be an increased

There were zero reported flu deaths among kids. This year, the flu season is, well, existent. There have been at least 36 flu hospitalizations as of Dec. 14, a number that started the month at around half that sum then doubled in a single week. “It’s not a huge number but the fact that it doubled over the last week is concerning,” said Heather Roth, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Immunization Branch chief.

THUNDERRIDGE HOOPS Winning ways continue

P22

BY THELMA GRIMES TGRIMES@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Flu vaccination rates are down compared to last year, as well. So Roth is remaining vigilant. It would not be unprecedented for a flu season that starts out calm to roar to life after the New Year. But there are also reasons for optimism. No kids had died from the flu as of mid-December. During the most recent pre-pandemic flu season, the 2019-20 season, nearly 200 people had already been

With a number of outstanding issues and unresolved problems, the Parker Water Board voted to delay a voter-approved measure to bring Castle Pines residents into the Parker Water District by Jan. 3. In a presentation to the board, Parker Water District Manager Ron Redd said with so many issues, he felt it could be a liablity to current water customers in Parker if the inclusion plan continued on the initial timelime. With board approval, Redd stressed that Parker Water is still interested in bringing Castle Pines customers into the district, but said it will likely be later in 2022 that it can happen. The decision directly impacts 12,000 Castle Pines residents in the Castle Pines North Metro District living west of Interstate 25. In total, it equates to about 3,500 customer accounts for Paker Water. Voters approved the inclusion plan that was negotiated by Parker Water and the metro district in May. In explaining his decision to bring his concerns before the board, Redd said it is all about protecting current water customers in Parker and making sure outstanding issues are

SEE FLU, P20

SEE WATER, P9

SEE PARKER, P23

Colo. flu season mild so far, but that could change Flu vaccinations are running behind last year’s pace

VOLUME 20 | ISSUE 4

DIGITAL DETOX

Stepping away from social media

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