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Please don't be stupid on the 4th

By Melanie Brubaker Mazur

Times editor

Let's continue last week's subject of abject stupidity.

My example last week was a bicycle tour that came through Durango and Bayfield and decided that riding on U.S. 160 at night was a really good idea.

All of the comments on the subject on our Facebook page agreed with me - that's a lousy idea.

One of our local fire chiefs, Bruce Evans, identified the group as Race Across America, and said the group had a fatality previously on 160 when a rider fell asleep and crossed the center line. Maybe he was riding at night?

Then Chief Evans said that another cycling tour that came through Wednesday - at least a couple of hundred riders - hadn't informed him or law enforcement THEY WERE EVEN COMING.

Really folks? Two hundred-plus cyclists, and you can't even send an email or make a telephone call? When I saw them on 160, at least they were riding mostly single file, but a facebook post from a reader later that day said they were riding two or three abreast on County Road 501.

Now how stupid is that?

Speaking of stupid, Bayfield Marshal Joe McIntyre is asking folks if they can identify two teens captured on a security tape rifling through a pickup.

The tape can be seen on our website or Facebook page.

One of my mom friends said she was relieved she knew where her kids were that night - I agreed with her! One of my kids is out of town, the other was home sick. Whew!

Then she made a good point - the carport they were filmed in had a light on. Why would you try to steal stuff out of a truck in a lit area?

So besides being immoral and violating one of the Ten Commandments, these kids aren't that bright, either.

Anyway, if you spot something that could help the marshal's office, please call 884-9636.

We all know that the 4th of July is a fun day.

But we could try to use some smarts then, as well. Shooting fireworks on your nice dry fields? Might not be too smart.

Bayfield will have fireworks on the 4th, Vallecito on July 5.

See you at the fireworks displays!

And please don't call our office this week asking when the celebrations will be for the Fourth of July.

Guess what - they're on the Fourth!