Week of April 20, 2023
FREE
DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
ParkerChronicle.net
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 17 | SPORTS: PAGE 22
VOLUME 21 | ISSUE 21
Wise hopes settlement puts students before politics Districts settles lawsuit for $800K BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Douglas County School District will pay former superintendent Corey Wise more than $800,000
to settle claims that Wise’s firing amounted to discrimination. Wise filed a complaint with the Colorado Office of Civil Rights against the school district and four school board members — Becky Myers, Mike Peterson, Christy Williams and Kaylee Winegar — in April 2022 after he was fired without cause, claiming he was dismissed for ad-
vocating for marginalized students by favoring a mask policy in schools and working to implement an equity policy. Under the settlement, the school district will pay Wise $270,733 for the remainder of his superintendent contract, as well as $562,000 to resolve the lawsuit. According to a news release from Wise’s attor-
neys, the money will come from the district’s insurance policies, so no money will be diverted from students. Wise told Colorado Community Media the settlement is vindicating for him, adding that he hopes it will deter politicization and discrimiSEE SETTLEMENT, P5
County pays for helicopter to fight wildfires Residents urged to sign up for alerts BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Sign for the Children’s Hospital Colorado pediatric urgent care facility in Parker.
the same as the care received at the Anschutz location. “Pediatricians, who are staffing our sites, do three extra years of training to specifically be able to take care of kids,” said Harvey. The new facility includes outpatient care during the week, which can be made by appointment. According to the website, the facility offer’s specialty care clinics available through referral from the child’s primary care physician. Conditions treated at the new location include but are not limited to mild allergic reactions and asthma attacks, minor broken bones and sprains, coughs, cold and congestion, fever in patients over 60 days
As wildfire risk continues to cause concern in Colorado, Douglas County approved spending on aerial wildfire-fighting resources, including helicopter use. Outlining why the county needs the helicopter resource, a county staff memorandum noted “increasing annual fire occurrence coupled with warmer and drier than average climate forecasts for 2023.” Douglas County’s commissioners at their April 11 meeting voted to approve $1.1 million for this year’s helicopter use contract, lasting from June 1 to Oct. 31 to cover what are historically the months of highest fire frequency and severity in the county, according to the memo. “We know the biggest natural hazard threat to Douglas County is a wildfire,” Commissioner Abe Laydon said in a news release. Helicopter use goes back years The county started contracting for helicopter use for wildfire suppression in 2011, according to Mike Alexander, the deputy director of emergency management for the Douglas County Sheriff ’s Office. At that point, county officials contracted for helicopter use on a “call when needed” basis. “In March 2011, we utilized our CWN contract with Rampart Helicopter to suppress the Burning Tree fire near Franktown, to great success,” Alexander said.
SEE HOSPITAL, P10
SEE HELICOPTER, P7
PHOTO BY JOSE ROBLEDO
Children’s Hospital opens new location in Parker Offers urgent care services BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
To expand accessible care to families in the Parker community, Children’s Hospital Colorado opened a pediatric urgent care center. Having been in the emergency department at Parker Adventist Hospital a few years ago, Dr. Erin Harvey, assistant professor of pediatrics and director of urgent care at Children’s Hospital Colorado said they are excited to have their own freestanding urgent care in the community. Parker Urgent Care includes Children’s Hospital Colorado doctors,
nurses, staff and board certified officials who are trained in pediatric care. Doctors will communicate directly with the child’s primary care provider, keep families informed of all diagnoses, treatments and tests in order to keep the medical record up-to-date and accurate. “[Pediatricians] learned the specific mechanisms of pediatric injury and how they’re different from adults and how medications affect kids differently,” said Harvey. “With our nurses and assistants are also pediatric trained and know how to deal with children at different developmental levels and provide a comforting and nurturing environment.” Families can expect the care provided at Parker Urgent Care to be