50 Years Ago: Colorado State Patrol Lt. Frank Tomsic felt obligated to submit a cautionary statement reminding local drivers that taxi cabs, along with school buses carrying one child or more, vehicles carrying flammables or explosives, and vehicles carrying passengers for hire, must stop at railroad crossings. He emphasized the fact that passing a vehicle stopped within 100 feet of a crossing is also illegal, and it seemed most Durango motorists had yet to realize this.
25 Years Ago: A public meeting was announced for the following Tuesday to discuss Jim Hanks’ high-flown proposal to turn the tailings site at the north base of Smelter Mountain into a visitors center, arts amphitheater, restaurant, and tramway station. He envisioned the tram running up the mountain from base to summit, giving locals and tourists access to new camping areas, museums, restaurants, and businesses. Local residents, business owners and government representatives were left anticipating the meeting, when Hanks would publicly share details of the grandiose project.
Most items in this column are taken from Herald archives, Center of Southwest Studies and Animas Museum. Their accuracy may not be verified.
