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December 3, 2020
ELBERT COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
ElbertCountyNews.net
VOLUME 125 | ISSUE 44
County’s COVID-19 numbers climbing Health director urges residents to wear masks, keep distance, limit outings BY TABATHA STEWART SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
going through the pandemic. “It’s going to look different,” Breitenbach said, sitting in her living room wearing her new, plastic face covering designed to show her smile. “It’s still extremely
Five people in Elbert County had died of COVID-19 as of Nov. 24. As of that same day, 562 residents had been diagnosed with the virus, and with the numbers increasing at an alarming rate each day, Elbert County is quickly approaching the point of tightened restrictions that could be a severe blow to local businesses. Once the county reaches a positivity rate of 15% (on Nov. 24 it was at 14.75%), the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment planned to move the county from level orange to level red on the COVID dial framework. That dial level is what bordering Arapahoe and Douglas counties recently were moved to. At that point, restaurants in the county will be ordered to cease indoor dining and other businesses will face tighter restrictions. The level after that, purple, would be a stay-at-home order similar to what was put in place in the spring. According to Dwayne Smith, director of Elbert County Public Health, the only way to prevent a level red status is for every resident to do their part by adhering to safety guidelines, including wearing a mask, social distancing and staying home as much as possible.
SEE MRS. CLAUS, P12
SEE COUNTY, P4
Mrs. Claus, portrayed by Kam Breitenbach, in a specially designed transparent, plastic face covering. The covering helps in photos — and, Breitenbach said, she doesn’t want her makeup to go to waste. PHOTO BY NICK PUCKETT
‘Mrs. Claus’ hopes to save Christmas
Kam Breitenbach feels it is more important than ever to celebrate holiday
‘I just think Christmas is so important, and it’s so important to children.’
BY NICK PUCKETT NPUCKETT@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
The Christmas decorations on Kam Breitenbach’s fireplace stay up year-round. A small, plastic tree and a smiling snowman sit beneath the mantel displaying her master’s degree in Santa school. It is not uncommon to see Breitenbach portraying Mrs. Claus around Parker in the middle of July, spreading Christmas cheer at local charity
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 6 | CALENDAR: PAGE 11
Kam Breitenbach
and Rotary events. A leader in the local Rotary club and a former Parker police employee, Breitenbach is perhaps better known as Mrs. Claus. The character has become a lifestyle, one Breitenbach sees as bearing a unique responsibility to keep Christmas
A MATTER OF MASKS
Sheriff says it is up to his deputies if they want to wear a face covering P2