Dear Action Line: We recently moved to Durango and are having trouble finding a place to dispose of pesticides that the previous owners left. Any advice is appreciated. – Ruth
Dear Ruth: Oh, those pesky pesticides and other putrid problem items that we use a couple times and then don’t know what to do with.
Many of us Durango-area residents have learned to keep some of these nasty containers around for months or years and patiently wait for the big day to arrive.
You are in luck. The big day is almost here!
On Oct. 18 and 19, a Friday and Saturday, the city of Durango and La Plata County will host an annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event.
This is a big deal. The most recent event, held in 2022, brought 700 residents who coughed up 85,000 pounds of waste. That is a staggering total, but that’s humanity in the United States in the 21st century. For better or worse, that’s just how we live.
This collection generally occurs at the La Plata County Fairgrounds, however, details for the Oct. 18-19 event have not yet been finalized. Marty Pool, sustainability manager for the city of Durango, said those details should be forthcoming soon.
Some household waste can be disposed of year-round in various locations. You can take electronics and batteries, for instance, to the Durango Recycle Center at 710 Tech Center Drive. There are fees for certain items. Visit www.durangoco.gov/372/Electronics-Battery-Recycling for more information.
For pesticides, Pool said, “The HHW event is definitely the best option for this.”
For more information about what to do with various wastes, and what will be accepted Oct. 18-19, visit www.durangoco.gov/HHW.
Dear Action Line: Hey I was wondering if you could give a shout down the hall or something to ask when the iOS version of the Herald app will be working again? It’s been out for a few weeks. We would like to be able to browse the paper and read your column again! – Tom
Dear Tom: Action Line tried the shouting thing, but it merely startled the dog into barking and annoyed the wife into scolding. Oops. Forgot for a moment that the workplace is now home, and that Action Line is allowed in the Herald building only on special occasions, for instance, when not wearing pajamas.
Using secret codes and passwords, Action Line contacted an inside source at the Herald and found out that sometimes it just takes patience:
“The Herald changed third-party subscription services, and as a result the iOS eHerald app is taking a couple of minutes to get redirected to the new URL,” a source was informed by a source. “Give it time and it should take users to the new login window.”
Action Line tried this approach, and it worked. Tom was informed, he tried it, and it worked. It should just take one long wait, then you’re good to go in the future.
There. Problem apparently fixed.
The story of the Haggart family continues.
Action Line last week wrote about the Haggarts’ century-old steppingstone, used to board a carriage. That prompted a response from Durangoan Kip Boyd, the historian for St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, located on East Third Avenue just a block from the steppingstone.
“Dr. (John) Haggart and his wife Lounette (Nettie) … were St. Mark’s parishioners,” Boyd said. A brass eagle lectern still in use at St. Mark’s was given to the church in Nettie’s father’s memory in 1892, he said.
Action Line research showed that Nettie came to Durango in 1881 with her family, including her father, Gilbert Jackson, who served three years during the Civil War in the Union’s 93rd Illinois regiment, part of that under Gen. William T. Sherman. Gilbert Jackson, age 56, died in 1890 in Durango when a safe fell on him during transport to his warehouse. You probably don’t want to know all the details, but The Durango Herald in that era was not shy about providing them. Poor guy.
Email questions and suggestions to actionline@durangoherald.com or mail them to Action Line, The Durango Herald, 1275 Main Ave., Durango, CO 81301. Moral of the story for you kids out there: If you’re moving 2-ton safes, be really, really careful. Maybe stay to the uphill side.
