With the hubbub about where marijuana stores need to locate, hasn’t the time come for the Durango Mall? Think about it: It’s under one roof, with food, movies and access to the river trail. It’s got lots of parking, a bus stop and even a Harley dealer next door. No schools or churches to offend. Sign me as, “Puzzled.”
Pot shops in the Durango Mall? It’s an intriguing concept.
U.S. Highway 550/160 ensures exposure to thousands of prospective customers, and recent renovations to the 260,000-square-foot facility offer a clean, classic look.
Moreover, according to its website, the mall has “a potential food court expansion.” (Snacks and refreshments are of utmost importance for marijuana consumers.)
But when it comes to retail ganja at the Durango Mall, don’t hold your breath.
(Which is probably the wrong idiom to use when talking about smoking pot.)
Anyway, Action Line caught up with our friend Justin Otto, manager of the Durango Mall.
As a family-oriented shopping area, retail pot stores are an obvious “no,” he said.
So that’s that.
Naturally, Action Line has to make up something ridiculous. So how about individual retailers opening bud boutiques inside their stores?
For instance, J.C. Penney could have a THC Penney counter. Pier 1 Imports could add a couple of digits to become Pier 420, offering herbal products from exotic lands such as Mexico, Thailand and Jamaica.
And if Bed, Bath & Beyond were to sell pot, we’d know what’s meant by the “beyond” part of its name.
Why are there “back-in parking only” signs at Three Springs business area parking spots, specifically in front of Dig’s Restaurant & Bar and Anytime Fitness? Are those training spots for get-away cars? – H.K.
“Back-in” parking is a quirky thing, especially considering Three Springs has been annexed by the city and, therefore, is actually part of Durango.
In downtown Durango, you can get a ticket for backing in to a parking space. In downtown Three Springs, however, you can get a ticket for not backing in to designated spots on Mercado Street.
Action Line consulted with Johnny Gallegos, co-owner and operator of Dig’s, where he has been dishing out tasty treats since 2009.
“In all of the years, I’ve seen only one ticket issued,” he said. “It’s just not enforced, which is good because a lot of people don’t pay attention to the signs.”
Johnny’s take on back-in parking: “It’s safer. When you back in, you can see oncoming traffic better when pulling out.”
He added there are other signs you should pay attention to, namely the ones about Dig’s specials, such as burger night Tuesdays, prime rib at week’s end and half-price pizza on Friday afternoons.
There’s your shameless plug (Johnny?). And be sure to back in before digging in at Dig’s. You don’t want to spend all the money you saved on some silly parking violation.
H H H
The Mea Culpa Mailbag has two interesting items, the first of which concerned last week’s column on upside down flags:
“The city’s flag was obvious when flown upside down. But what about the Colorado flag above it? It’s impossible to fly upside down,” one correspondent observed.
“The Colorado flag has the same dark blue bars on top and bottom and the yellow ‘C’ in the middle with a red dot. When flipped end-over-end, the state flag looks exactly the same.”
Next, our intrepid friend Terry Hobbs reports on an amusing interaction with local wildlife.
“Walking early this morning, I saw a gray fox trotting merrily down Rio Vista Circle with a copy of The Durango Herald, plastic bag and all, in its mouth,” he writes.
“I’ve heard of FOX News, but this was unexpected,” he adds. “If you need padding for Action Line, you can explain to someone on the west arm of Rio Vista why they didn’t get their Saturday paper.”
Email questions to actionline@durangoherald.com or mail them to Action Line, The Durango Herald, 1275 Main Ave., Durango, CO 81301. You can request anonymity if you do some storming because it’s Bastille Day.
