Given recent events, could certain members of the Durango High School’s cross country team be training for a 4:20 mile? That certainly would be a high goal. Sign me, T.H.C.
Running a mile in 4:20 would be an incredible feat for feet. In fact, anyone sprinting that fast is setting a smokin’ pace.
Which brings up another question: Can a van transport the DHS cross country team? Or can-a-bus?
Admittedly, that was a dopey pun that’s out of joint with Action Line’s distinguished journalistic style.
Some will disparage this column as a token effort at humor.
But it might make some merry – wanna bet?
These horrible quips will cause the switchboard to light up. However, Action Line is willing to take the hit, as critics hash it out.
Enough of the pot shots.
Let’s just point out that 4:20 is past its time at DHS. And to be clear, we’re talking about dedicated athletic achievement of 4:20 and not how the number sits with the slacker-stoner set.
The Demons’ record holder for the mile is super runner Alex Accetta. In a mark that still stands, Acetta ran a 4:13.7 mile representing DHS in 1987.
Running a sub-4:20 mile is a huge accomplishment. It’s a full-on sprint around four laps of a standard track.
Consider that the world record for women running a mile is just under 4:13. The men’s mark is a ridiculously fast 3:43.
So 4:20 at DHS? Demon runners should train for 4:17.
As they say, you can put that in your pipe and smoke it.
After reading about Durango’s food trucks and the time limits imposed by the city, I was puzzled as I drove past the Crepes Etc. “food wagon” on the corner of College and Main. From the outside, it doesn’t look like Crepes Etc. sits on a permanent base and it does appear similar to the other food trucks except for the “wagon wheels.” Can anyone spell out the differences? – Foodie
As we all know, looks can be deceiving in Durango. And so it is with chef Michel Poumay’s charming crepes wagon, which not only features some great food but also the most magnificent landscaping downtown.
Crepes Etc. might appear to be a wagon, but it’s a fully permitted permanent structure with hard-wired utilities. Moreover, the wagon won Design Review Board approval long before it was constructed to specification and installed on site.
In other words, it wasn’t a large vehicle converted into a mobile kitchen. The Crepes Etc. “wagon” is a permanent kitchen made to resemble a vehicle.
So there’s your big difference. It’s also why chef Michel doesn’t have to move his operation every six months as fully mobile food trucks in Durango must do.
Not that chef Michel could move. The wagon’s wheels are purely decorative.
“I met with the city many times before opening,” he recalled one late afternoon as he was closing for the day.
“We had the signs pre-approved, the colors approved and we even trimmed the exterior with oak so it would match downtown’s Old West Victorian character,” chef Michel said of his custom-built bistro.
Food trucks could follow Michel’s lead, according to Nicole Killian, the city’s planning manager. But they’d need to do a lot of work to make their operations look and act like a permanent facility.
In order for a food truck to stay put, it needs to stop being a truck, which prompts some truck fans to become truculent.
In response, the city might serve up some new rules. Or it might not. You might say it’s a moveable feast.
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 your favorite food truck is a semi that resupplies City Market.
This story has been updated to reflect that the Durango High School one-mile record-holder is Alex Acetta, not Joe Maloney. Accetta’s record, set in 1987, still stands.
