75 years ago: “Local carpenters are busy making ready the building formerly occupied by the Stein Mercantile Co. for the new Ben Franklin store which will open in about a month. The building will be completely decorated and refinished inside. An outlay of between $30,000 and $35,000 is involved in this addition to Durango’s business district.”

50 years ago: “A four-engine plane is based at La Plata field as a slurry bomber, a spokesman for the San Juan National Forest has announced. The plane is on a 30-day basis. Fire danger in the Glade district of the San Juan forest is very high.”

25 years ago: ”A swarm of bees took up residence at the First National Bank building Tuesday afternoon. An estimated 3,000 to 4,000 bees clung to a brick wall at the entrance to the bank’s drive-thru. Honeyville provided a hive smeared with honey to lure the bees off the wall. A Honeyville spokesperson said that bees often abandon their hive when their population gets too large.”

Most items in this column are taken from Herald archives, Center of Southwest Studies and Animas Museum. Their accuracy may not be verified.