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Learning experience for new Parachute trustee

Staff report
Clerk Denise Chiaretta, right, swears in Parachute’s newest town trustee, Daniel Manzanares at the May board meeting.
Ryan Hoffman / Citizen Telegram |

With less than two full meetings under his belt, Parachute’s newest town trustee, Daniel Manzanares, found himself last Thursday facing what he described as one of the most important issues the town could see all year.

When the roll call was finished, Manzanares was in the minority. He was one of two trustees to vote against an ordinance establishing the framework for allowing recreational marijuana businesses in the town. After weighing the pros and cons, Manzanares said he did what he thought was best for the town.

Having grown up in Parachute and with plans to start a family in his hometown, helping shape the future of the town is something that he said is very important to him, and it was one of the ultimate reasons why he decided to fill a vacant seat on the board in May.



“I would much rather be someone who is involved in the process in terms of where the town goes, as oppose to someone who just talks about it and takes no action,” he said.

It is that dedication, and his age, — he graduated from Grand Valley High School in 2007 — that led Mayor Roy McClung to approach Manzanares and ask if he was interested in serving as a trustee.



“I think having some newer, younger perspective is a good thing,” he said. “We need to have ideas from the people we’re trying to attract.”

Manzanares, who works in the Grand River Hospital District maintenance department and served as the head football coach at Grand Valley High School for one season before stepping down due to time constraints, said he has enjoyed his brief time on the board, but it has been a learning experience.

“I’m just trying to learn as much as I can,” he said.

So far, so good, McClung said.

“I’m really pleased at how he’s jumping right on board and asking questions, but he doesn’t have an agenda,” McClung said. “He just wants to do what’s best for the town.”


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