The Durango Herald

more Action Line

• Don’t let a foraging falcon ruffle your feathers

I have a bird feeder that I have kept reasonably full. Recently a falcon has taken up residence in the tree above the feeder. There’s evidence it has been successful – and there doesn’t seem to be any pigeons around anymore. So here’s the question: Is it morally or ethically permissible to keep feeding the birds knowing it has become a feeder for...

• Things are looking up with Durango Dictionary

In a recent column, you outlined aspects of “the Durango Lifestyle,” such as waving at every train. Just thought I’d suggest another local phrase: “clusterfrump,” which is when a group of locals wearing really unfashionable clothes stand in the middle of the sidewalk gabbing and forcing other pedestrians to detour around them. Can you provide some...

• Community garden will not grow ‘potted’ plants

I was thrilled to learn we may soon have a community garden, presumably open to all residents and plants of their choice. Does this mean we can all grow our pot in a convenient place with portable toilets? Will this proposal be submitted to the same civic boards that approved the pot dispensaries (which are illegal in 50 of our 50 states) in the...

• Seniors make sitzmark with season ski-pass fuss

Could you get the true meaning of the letter Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort sent to its mature customers? It starts with a personalized salutary “Dear Valued Passholder.” This was spot on because I have skied at Purgatory for 24 consecutive seasons. Then, it explains the designations of “Silver” and “Golden” and that the resort is doing away...

• City mints a dubious new rule for coin carrying

I was recently advised by the city’s ever-vigilant parking barons that it is every resident’s responsibility to have coins upon their person at all times in case one needs to park downtown. Yes, one is not allowed to walk into a retail outlet to request change for the parking meter. Talk about government overreaching into our personal lives!...

• City’s franchise fee is dark but future’s still bright

What’s going to happen now that voters rejected the franchise agreement with La Plata Electric Association? Because there’s no agreement, when is LPEA going to turn off my power? How much is my utility bill going to go down? Because $900,000 a year won’t be collected, is LPEA going to raise rates? – In the Dark

• Latest crosswalk vigilance defeated

When the pedestrian-crossing light on Camino del Rio turned solid red, I came to a complete stop. The pedestrians crossed, the light switched to flashing red, I looked for additional pedestrians and then proceeded on through, as per Action Line’s recent guidance, laughing gleefully at all the woefully uninformed drivers still sitting there. Not an...

• At busy intersection, things take turn for better

One more question about our flashing lights. My husband and I are disagreeing about the light at the 14th Street and Main Avenue intersection. In the past, people driving south on Main Avenue were not able to continue right along Camino del Rio on red. Now, there’s a green and yellow arrow, but when southbound drivers have a red, there is no...

• Recycling unit red-faced over blue-bin brouhaha

We faithfully put out recycling in plastic kitchen-size trash bins labeled paper, cans, plastic and glass. For years, the city picked up the sorted containers. They missed us last week, so we figured it was a new crew.

• ‘Righty-merger’ still sits in center lane of controversy

The Durango “righty-merger” maneuver, described in this space a couple weeks ago, has made a U-turn, returning for a drive-by of additional commentary.
“Righty-merging” is when a driver pulls out from a side street perpendicular to Main Avenue and waits in the center lane to merge right.