The Durango Herald

more Action Line

• City’s can-do spirit evident in trash-can swap

Once in a while, the Action Line’s infamous Mea Culpa Mailbag offers an irresistible story. This is one of those times.
Our saga begins with last week’s column about the ongoing Durango bear study and a reader wondering what’s the point of studying the effect of bear-proof trash cans when some people store their garbage inside garages.

• Garage ownership has no bearing on ursine study

We live at the north end of town where bears dine when times are tough. Our subdivision recently received bear-proof trash cans as part of a study to see if this will reduce human-bear problems in the city. However, everyone in our subdivision has a garage where old non-bear-proof cans were stored. To make it more interesting, some neighbors let...

• By locking gates, fairgrounds keeps peace among kids, but angers seniors

I was a bit dismayed that I couldn’t walk between the La Plata County Fairgrounds and Durango/La Plata Senior Center. All the gates between these public facilities are locked. I guess this was someone’s great idea to keep high schoolers from cutting through the fairgrounds. It was such a good idea that it keeps everyone from doing...

• 

  Traffic signs confuse while drop-box defies logic

Can I be arrested at the Town Plaza parking lot? There are numerous official-looking traffic signs, barricades and warnings. I counted seven standard stop signs, two stops painted on the pavement and about 500 yellow steel poles. Are traffic signs located on private property enforceable by law or are they merely a “suggestion?” I regularly roll...

• 

  Local park’s ‘private’ trash can is anything but

I noticed this sign has been added to the trash can at my neighborhood park on Bennett Street. Really, don’t we want the public to deposit trash? Animas High students are in the park weekdays. I think we need to give them clearer direction. – Julie Cooley

• 

  Conflicting signs, downed trees stump residents

Right after one turns onto west College Drive from Camino del Rio, there’s a “No Left Turn” sign, which leads one to believe one shouldn’t turn left into the Wells Fargo bank parking lot. However, there’s a left-hand turn lane present shortly after the sign. Is it permissible to make a left turn into Wells Fargo when traveling east on west College...

• City elections, recycling not all smoke and mirrors

We’re familiar with puffs of white smoke proclaiming the election of a new pope. So here’s my question: Does the city of Durango have some sort of similar combustion-based signal to communicate when the new City Council is chosen? Sign me, Cardinal Sin

• Some pushing grocery-cart confusion

Seems like a number of folks in Durango don’t understand what you should do with shopping carts when they are finished using them. Durango should host a shopping-cart etiquette course. I’m tired of having carts take up parking spaces and being run into my car. – Gary Thrash

• Green arrows necessary despite lack of turn lane

At the intersection where Colorado Highway 3 joins U.S. Highway 550 before Walmart, the southbound lanes of 550 have two green arrows that are always on. If left turns aren’t an option there, what’s the point of this? Are left turns going to be allowed there in the future or what? Sign me, Curious Commuter

• Garlick spices up debate over accessory dwellings

Dear Actionline: What should we do? – Ron LeBlanc, City Manager (Sent from my Motorola ATRIX™ 4G on AT&T)
This is curiously reminiscent of a Batman episode – when Commissioner Gordon calls the Caped Crusader on the special red Bat-Phone.
But that’s where the similarities to Batman end.