Dear Action Line: With all the mailboxes being removed in the United States, can you find out where the mailboxes are found in Durango and the surrounding area? – U.S. Male
Dear U.S. Male: According to tools.usps.com (under Quick Tools, Find USPS Locations) there are 22 of the “blue boxes” in La Plata County, including the ones in downtown Durango: 1315 Main Ave., 1060 East Second Ave., 1060 Main Ave., 949 East Second Ave., 6 Town Plaza, 835 East Second Ave., 222 W. Eighth St. and 501 Main Ave.
Although many states recently reported mailboxes being removed, Durango’s are still ready to accept your mail, and your ballot.
“All of our boxes are still in place,” said Anthony Albo, the customer service supervisor with the Durango Post Office.
Dear Action Line: I was at the Home Depot recently, and I saw a license plate that said “PRIVATE.” Then it said, “No driver license or insurance required. Not for commercial use. Private mode of travel. Peace on Earth. Good will towards men.” Can I get one of these license plates at the county clerk’s office? – Rule-less
Dear Rule-less: You cannot get one of those at the La Plata County Clerk and Recorder’s Office because it is not an official, government-sanctioned license plate.
What you saw was a placard used by people who consider themselves “sovereign citizens,” who, according to the FBI, “believe that even though they physically reside in this country, they are separate or ‘sovereign’ from the United States. As a result, they believe they don’t have to answer to any government authority, including courts, taxing entities, motor vehicle departments or law enforcement.”
Past members of this group, according to the FBI, include Terry Nichols, who helped plan the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, but most of the time if sovereign citizens run afoul of the law, it is for fraud and other nonviolent crimes.
Durango Police Chief Bob Brammer said if one of his officers encountered a vehicle with this plate on a road, “they would contact it and a ticket could be written for operating an unregistered vehicle.”
Dear Action Line: I saw that the Confederate flag was painted on a derby car at Cortez Fairgrounds during the Montezuma County Fair. Would the La Plata County Fair Board allow the Confederate flag to fly on cars during the La Plata County Fair’s demolition derby? If so, what about a Swastika? – A Vet with Love not War
Dear Vet: The demolition derby at the La Plata County Fair was canceled this summer because of COVID-19, but may return next year. There are no rules about what can be painted on a derby car, but state law does allow the Board of County Commissioners to limit messaging associated with county-sponsored events, said Megan Graham, spokeswoman for La Plata County.
“But this is relatively hypothetical,” she said. “A Board of County Commissioners could craft some restrictions, has not done so to date, and next time there is a demolition derby, there will be two new commissioners.”
Action Line invites everyone to help build a car for next year’s derby painted with slogans, imagery and with flags attached that will ensure everyone is offended, e.g., “Make Love, and War!”
Then it would be driven by remote control because rocket launchers would be sold at the concession stand so the audience could fire at will. It would be cathartic.
Dear Action Line: How many real estate agents work in Durango? It seems to me there’s at least one for every property that’s on the market. – Buy High, Sell Low.
Dear Buy: It’s more like one agent for every two homes, but there are many caveats to this very rough math.
As of Aug. 28, there were about 800 active and pending listings in La Plata County and about 400 Realtor members of the Durango Area Association of Realtors, said Chris Serwe, president of the Durango Area Association of Realtors (811 listings and 360 Realtors, to be exact).
However, a high percentage of Realtors only conduct five or fewer transactions a year, Serwe said. “So I don’t believe there are as many Realtors as there are houses for sale, but it’s an interesting question.”
Email questions and suggestions to actionline@durangoherald.com or mail them to Action Line, The Durango Herald, 1275 Main Ave., Durango, CO 81301. If you vote by mail, do not also vote in person. That would be illegal.
