I am sure Clyde and Paulette Church will retire to enjoying their time with each other. Many in La Plata County and Durango may not know this husband and wife team have elevated the bar of what’s possible with the safety of our subdivisions.
As a former Iowan, when you say Winnebago historically you know it is a reliable name. Same goes for the Church name. Clyde brought those Winnebago values and thinking to Durango. Belonging is Winnebago's core value. They say Winnebago owners are a connected community – some of the friendliest, most knowledgeable and welcoming RVers you'll find anywhere.
I think you can say that Clyde and Paulette belong to Durango. As a fire chief, I occasionally would attend Colorado's Wildfire Conference and often find Paulette and Clyde there. The conferences were exhausting to attend every session and hit every booth or exhibitor.
If you don't know, the Falls Creek subdivision is one of the best prepared subdivisions in La Plata County for wildfire thanks in part to the Church's efforts. The years of hard work in preparing the subdivision paid off during the 416 fire. The Falls Creek subdivision was an award-winning subdivision in 2019 when it came to wild fire preparedness.
Knowing that time is of the essence in a cardiac arrest situation, Falls Creek has a community automatic defibrillator. Clyde has always been a champion of preparedness when he sat on the board of county commissioners. To the Churchs, “Thank You.”
Bruce Evans
Bayfield