Week of April 7, 2022
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DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
ParkerChronicle.net
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 17 | SPORTS: PAGE 24
VOLUME 20 | ISSUE 19
Parker decides not to ban sale of fireworks Discussion came after recent Marshall Fire
On Dec. 30, nearly 1,000 homes burned down in about six hours in towns southeast of Boulder as a result of the Marshall Fire. Poage acknowledged that even with a ban, residents could bring illegal fireworks from outside the town, comparing it to the ban on marijuana sales in the area. “This is just another stand for
safety in our community,” she said. During discussions, Councilmember Josh Rivero said soon after the Marshall Fire, he also wanted to look at ways to protect the town but ultimately decided the ban wasn’t the right path. “In the best intentions, we wanted
Kane steps into new role under spotlight
When will Trader Joe’s open in Parker?
BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
After a discussion in a March 28 work session, Parker’s Town Coun-
cil decided not to move forward with a ban on the sale of fireworks. Councilmember Cheryl Poage brought the idea to the council, saying she hoped a ban would help keep the community safer. “As we know, based on the fires we’ve seen recently, we’re at risk, period,” she said. “That’s all there is to it.”
DCSD superintendent brings both background and baggage
Store officials are simply saying ‘soon’
BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Erin Kane sat down at her desk on her last day of work at American Academy and looked around the room. Dozens of photos from her career, framed diplomas on the wall, a stack of books about state education law, all sat untouched. The packing hadn’t begun yet. It was March 30 and Kane was poised to sign a contract that day to become Douglas County Schools’ next superintendent. The deal included a three-year term, $250,000 annual salary and a proposed start date of March 31. Morning bled into the afternoon, and despite being happy with the school board’s final offer, Kane had not signed yet. Her day was instead filled with goodbyes and mentally preparing to box up her things to leave the charter school she helped found more than 15 years ago. Most formative for Kane during her time running the DCSD charter school, comprising three campuses and serving nearly 3,000
BEST OF THE BEST
SEE FIRWORKS, P8
BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
A new leader The next morning, Kane made her first official statement as superintendent of Colorado’s third largest school district, serving nearly 90 schools, 64,000 students and employing 8,600 people. In a letter to the community, Kane
After months of Colorado Community Media questions, investigations and clandestine drive bys, Trader Joe’s has provided a pivotal update in the case of their Parker location opening: “soon.” The saga to learn when the doors will open has been a long one, filled with badgering questions from CCM and vague responses from the company. When the store first received its beer license from the town in February 2021, the regional vice president of the company said the soonest the store would open was a year away. In January, a reporter asked for any updates on the store, which had shown serious progress in construction. A public relations
SEE KANE, P6
SEE OPENING, P31
Erin Kane helped found Douglas County charter school American Academy in 2005 and PHOTO BY JESSICA GIBBS has been its executive director for nearly 14 years.
preschool through eighth-grade students, she said, was the chance to lead both American Academy and the district as an interim superintendent. “I have seen through the lens of a charter leader, and I have also seen through the lens of a school district,” she said. “I sort of have this 360-degree view.”
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