http://durangoherald.com%2Fapps%2Fpbcs.dll%2Fsection%3Fcategory%3Dopinion"> Durango Herald Opinion and Editorial Opinion en-us http://durangoherald.com/article/20120210/OPINION01/702109973/-1/opinion&source=RSS In its task of hiring a new county manager, the La Plata County Board of Commissioners has the good fortune of being able to take its time and conduct a thorough search to replace Shawn Nau, who resigned in July 2011 after three years in the position. That breathing room comes from the fact that with interim Manager Joanne Spina at its... Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:31:00 EST http://durangoherald.com/article/20120210/OPINION01/702109973/-1/opinion&source=RSS http://durangoherald.com/article/20120210/OPINION03/702109971/-1/opinion&source=RSS I wonder how many Herald readers are aware of the planned wolf release programs in Colorado?Official plans are under way to release wolves in the Baca National Wildlife Refuge, according to The Denver Post website. This plan is being proposed by the National Park Service. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:31:00 EST http://durangoherald.com/article/20120210/OPINION03/702109971/-1/opinion&source=RSS http://durangoherald.com/article/20120209/OPINION01/702099964/-1/opinion&source=RSS State and local governments face a challenge in balancing public access to information against protecting the privacy of their employees. In attempting to strike that balance, there is a strong argument to be made for erring on the side of privacy for employees in terms of what documents pertaining to their employment should be available to the... Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:32:00 EST http://durangoherald.com/article/20120209/OPINION01/702099964/-1/opinion&source=RSS http://durangoherald.com/article/20120209/OPINION03/702099962/-1/opinion&source=RSS I am writing to convey that other sports do not have an advantage over ice skating in Durango because of practice time and facilities. The skaters get ice for eight months out of the year and time in Albuquerque when our rink is closed, along with dryland training to round out their season. In comparison, the baseball teams in the area that... Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:32:00 EST http://durangoherald.com/article/20120209/OPINION03/702099962/-1/opinion&source=RSS http://durangoherald.com/article/20120209/OPINION03/702099966/-1/opinion&source=RSS I randomly met Christina at Housing Solutions of the Southwest and asked her what she did. She explained that they helped people bring their houses up to code and finance through the state. I was in need of a new roof and railings to get my home insurance off my back. I met with her briefly, filled out some paperwork and the process was in motion. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:32:00 EST http://durangoherald.com/article/20120209/OPINION03/702099966/-1/opinion&source=RSS http://durangoherald.com/article/20120208/OPINION01/702089968/-1/opinion&source=RSS Tuesday, a federal appeals court in San Francisco upheld a lower court ruling that Californias ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional. Exactly where this case is headed next was immediately the subject of considerable discussion, but this much is clear This ruling is yet another small step toward ending legal discrimination based on sexual... Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:02:00 EST http://durangoherald.com/article/20120208/OPINION01/702089968/-1/opinion&source=RSS http://durangoherald.com/article/20120208/OPINION02/702089997/-1/opinion&source=RSS We had a gallery and house full of 4-Hers at the Capitol on Monday of this last week in honor of 4-H Day. There was a good group from La Plata County that I had the pleasure of taking a picture with in front of the well where potential laws and resolutions are argued on the House floor. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:41:00 EST http://durangoherald.com/article/20120208/OPINION02/702089997/-1/opinion&source=RSS http://durangoherald.com/article/20120208/OPINION02/702089999/-1/opinion&source=RSS The last week was a busy one as I had three bills in committees for hearing. The first is a bill Im carrying on behalf of numerous tow-truck operators in my district who object strongly to the imposition of a new bond requirement in order for them to obtain a permit to operate in Colorado. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:41:00 EST http://durangoherald.com/article/20120208/OPINION02/702089999/-1/opinion&source=RSS http://durangoherald.com/article/20120208/OPINION03/702089970/-1/opinion&source=RSS The plastic bag issue needs to be decided in a referendum where the registered voters of Durango can be fairly heard. A simple straight up-or-down vote on the question Should Durango ban plastic bags? would settle everything. Let the task force recommend this course at its next meeting.Stephen F. HopkinsDurango Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:02:00 EST http://durangoherald.com/article/20120208/OPINION03/702089970/-1/opinion&source=RSS http://durangoherald.com/article/20120208/OPINION03/702089972/-1/opinion&source=RSS Two stories in the Jan. 26 Herald raised hopes and despair. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:02:00 EST http://durangoherald.com/article/20120208/OPINION03/702089972/-1/opinion&source=RSS http://durangoherald.com/article/20120207/OPINION01/702079984/-1/opinion&source=RSS In his State of the Union speech, President Obama advocated tax policy changes to boost U.S. manufacturing. The idea is to create and keep well-paying manufacturing jobs in this country. It is a worthy goal, but one that may be appealing to a flawed understanding of the situation. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:24:00 EST http://durangoherald.com/article/20120207/OPINION01/702079984/-1/opinion&source=RSS http://durangoherald.com/article/20120207/OPINION03/702079980/-1/opinion&source=RSS On Thursday, House Bill 1049 will be introduced in the House Education Committee. Sponsored by state Rep. Judy Solano, D-Adams County, this bill prohibits a public school from penalizing a student whose parent does not allow the student to take all or part of a statewide student assessment. Further, the Department of Education shall not lower a... Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:39:00 EST http://durangoherald.com/article/20120207/OPINION03/702079980/-1/opinion&source=RSS http://durangoherald.com/article/20120207/OPINION03/702079982/-1/opinion&source=RSS Im writing to express the irritation and frustration that many La Plata County residents are feeling toward the Colorado Department of Transportations utter inability to admit even the slightest degree of remorse and culpability for its farcical squandering of our money to build the Bridge to Nowhere. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:39:00 EST http://durangoherald.com/article/20120207/OPINION03/702079982/-1/opinion&source=RSS