50 Years Ago: Road conditions on mountain passes were reported open and snow-packed, with Rico being the only station that reported any considerable snowfall, which measured 8 inches from the previous night. The week’s storms left over 7 feet of snow on Wolf Creek Pass, while Purgatory maintained a 54-inch base at midway. Colorado hit a low of 17 degrees below zero and a high of 56 degrees, while Durango sat in the middle experiencing a low of 13 degrees.

25 Years Ago: A contest was hosted by volunteer community radio station KDUR to come up with 10 better ways Fort Lewis College students could spend $15,000 for security measures for the upcoming, controversial Ku Klux Klan panel discussion. The contest winner was offered a chance to program music for the radio station. KDUR station manager Tami Graham saw the contest as an opportunity to alleviate the pent-up anxiety shared throughout the community. Tension was high as the event drew nearer.

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