March 5, 2021
FREE
DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
ParkerChronicle.net
INSIDE: CALENDAR: PAGE 11 | VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | SPORTS: PAGE 16
VOLUME 19 | ISSUE 16
Tough wildfire, drought season likely on horizon Area forecast shows more dry, warm weather in March and April BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
There may have been snow on the ground just days ago, but Douglas County is gearing up for a difficult wildfire and drought season around the corner.
As the county begins its fifth month in some of the worst possible drought conditions, local officials are encouraging residents to step up their awareness of the situation and consider what they can do to help. While the entire Denver metro area and much of the state are experiencing moderate to extreme drought conditions, almost all of Douglas County was considered to be under the worst possible dryness situation — called “exceptional drought” — from Oct. 20 until Feb. 23, according to the United States
Drought Monitor. By the end of February, the county was in the secondworst category, known as “extreme drought,” along with the rest of the metro-area counties. “All of the experts are really … indicating there is significant potential for drought and wildfire danger,” Douglas County Commissioner Abe Laydon said. “It would be unwise to look at the forecast in terms of drought and wildfires and not be proactive about it.” In 2020, the state saw several of its worst wildfires ever due to drought
conditions and since then, the dry spell has only worsened, according to the drought monitor. In a recent county commissioners’ meeting where the board approved contracts for aerial support during wildfires, Tim Johnson, director of Douglas County’s emergency management, spoke about the current conditions. “The dryness that we experienced all last year, (which) led to … the worst fire season we’ve had in SEE DROUGHT, P10
‘We’re moving in the right direction’ Staff members of Parker Recreation Center hope to open more fully soon BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
As fitness instructor Kristy Madden welcomed her class at the Parker Recreation Center for a Feb. 26 workout, she had a relatively new set of protocols to announce. “If you need to catch your breath, pull the mask away,” Madden told her students. “Please do not get dizzy … if you’re struggling with breathing, please unhook … when you get your breath, put it back on.” During Madden’s Tabata Bootcamp, participants remained in spaces made up of taped-down squares. The event was one of the many group fitness classes provided by the rec center, which recently moved into level yellow restrictions. Under those guidelines, the rec center can have up to 50 people or 50% capacity SEE REC CENTER, P9
Haley Roberts, a Littleton resident, participates in a Tabata Bootcamp workout class at the Parker Recreation Center Feb. 26. PHOTO BY ELLIOTT WENZLER