Each week we highlight some of the most insightful, passionate and witty comments shared on Facebook in response to stories in The Durango Herald.
This week, readers weighed in on speed bumps and landscape strips, proposals for a Main Avenue redesign and Ascent Classical Academy’s Durango School District 9-R application.
We enjoy readers’ input and reactions to local stories: People can weigh in by writing a letter to the editor, via our Facebook page or at the bottom of local news stories at www.durangoherald.com.
Here are a few comments that stood out this week:
“Narrower lanes are an effective way of calming traffic. It increases pedestrian safety as well since it takes less time to cross the street. Strategically placed chicanes on the road and some tree planters to break the continuity of parking lanes would help things a lot. They need to allow just enough width for school buses and ambulances to make turns and for snowplows to pass.” – Charles Palmer
“As I recall, they were installed a number of years ago because residents complained about the excessive speed, particularly of folks coming down hill on the steep grade above the houses. With the increased traffic everywhere today, and how fast so many are going, I’m guessing it will only be a short time before a car ends up in somebody’s yard, or worse. Removing the speed bumps won’t solve the original problem that still remains, that they were installed to mitigate!” – Dave Crawford
“I’ve asked the city to factor in cars that can’t get up the street when there is ice. We have so many people that get about to our house, when it’s snowing or icy, and decide to turn around and not chance it. Landscape strips (the city is planning on installing them next year) would prevent any cars from turning around safely to go back down. I’ve been against most of these plans since the beginning.” – Brooke Ham
“Give me a break. The condition of many of our streets is so bad that a speed bump would be a welcome smooth spot. How about our city and agencies focus on real issues and not get distracted by the small stuff.” – Mike Downing
“I understand allowing these bump-outs due to the pandemic, but this is the third year and does anyone else think it not fair to allow these restaurants to make more money from tourists (even though customer levels have returned to normal) while these parking spaces are actually owed by the taxpaying citizens of Durango?” – James William
“On behalf of the 600 children that want to attend the Ascent tuition-free charter school, please let’s get the facts straight. There is misleading information that has been posted here that accuses the proposed Ascent Classical Academy charter school of crossing the line between separation of church and state. Those allegations are flat-out false. It is not a Christian school. There are three other classical public charter schools in the state of Colorado (and one just approved in Grand Junction) and each one of those schools is authorized by the Charter School Institute (CSI) which is a statewide authorizer. CSI is a government-run organization that is involved in ensuring that charter schools follow all rules and regulations put forward by the state. There are regular audits done in the school and if the school were peddling Christianity, were indoctrinating children, or were pushing any sort of religion, the school would be shut down. The fact is that not one complaint has been filed with CSI with regard to any of the schools teaching a religious curriculum. So please, let’s think about what’s best for these 600 children and allow them the right to choose a school that’s right for them.” – Donna Gulec
“Maybe because its curriculum seems to be highly suspect. The other two Ascent schools in Colorado have been sluggish about following Colorado law regarding sexual education, and are staffed by Trumpist Christians. A charter school is a public school. It must be secular in orientation and serve students of all faiths or no faith, race, sex and creed. Ascent is very sketchy and suspect. We would do well to reject it, as it seems to be a breeding ground for theocratic fascist white nationalism. https://www.dailycamera.com/.../editorial-boulder-valley.../” – Shan Wells
“As far as the backing of Hillsdale College, Ascent Classical of Durango uses the framework for a classical education that Hillsdale happened to create. It saddens me to think that giving a child an education which includes virtue, how to be a good citizen, knowing and understanding the constitution, and understanding and learning about why the United States was formed the way it was and in spite of all its flaws is and will hopefully continue to be the most free, most just place in the world is now somehow equated with Christianity. Why are you so opposed to school choice for the children of Durango? Especially for those children who are underserved by our typical public schools, minority and low-income students? Over and over again these students are proven to thrive in a traditional school environment like Ascent. To deny those families that choice I think is despicable!” – Whitney Warner Hargraves
