Log In


Reset Password
Mike Smedley
Position: Staff reporter

Lack of winter weather can’t bring down Snowdown

I noticed our snow shovel had some cracks – the one time I used it this winter. So I visited our friendly Koeger’s Ace Hardware to get a backup shovel. Walking past Rite Aid, I noticed the s...

Debate about presidential photo needs to be reframed

I would like to know why our president and vice president’s pictures are not in our Social Security office. And no, I am not happy about it! It is disrespectful, illegal and unpatriotic! Tha...

Internet sales, downtown evolution tax receipts

We’re a year into higher parking fines with a basic overtime fee now $25. The rationale was to increase funds for the city. Meanwhile, sales tax receipts have been dubbed “lukewarm.” Is ther...

Probe shows Junction Street not shady lane

Resurfacing of Junction Road last summer was puzzling because the alligator-skin pattern of asphalt deterioration at Miller School indicated an area of greater need. Potholes compelled refil...

With safety, Durango can be a trippy place

Is Durango the safest town in America? See the attached photo. Sign me, Capt. Safety You know a city is serious about safety when a torn-up sidewalk or leaky fire hydrant requires...

Math on paper products reads like pulp fiction

First, there was Fake News. Now, there’s Fake Math. Just look at the paper towel and toilet paper aisle at the grocery store. The cost-conscious consumer confronts paper-towel packaging that...

Christmas doggerel’s bark is worse than its bite

‘Twas a week before Christmas and all through our towns, Events of the past year brought smiles and frowns. Traditions aplenty for this time of year; So here...

There’s a lot to digest in ‘sewer consumption’ fee

Recently, I reviewed my city utility bill. Admittedly, it’s the first time I really looked at it in detail. To my surprise, the bill said we “consumed” $25 worth of sewage. Yuck! I thought w...

Mesa Verde map gets lost in translation on iPhone

When I pull up “Mesa Verde” on Google Maps using my Apple iPhone, “Mesa Verde” appears in what looks to be Japanese. Why is this? It’s not just my phone, I have used numerous iPhones and it ...

Hunting, eating sparrows might ruffle some feathers

Before you and Mrs. Action Line hang up your blaze orange for the season, I need help with a quirk discovered while reading the paper and eating my oatmeal. In the Herald’s “Hunting Guide,” ...

Time expired long ago for too-tall parking meters

By Mike Smedley Special to the Herald Why is the city spending $30,000 to lower 400 parking meters to meet ADA specifications if parking is free for people with disabil...

Water law has different slant on roofs and snow

There’s a big new house going up in our neighborhood. So here’s the thing: Nearly every house nearby is designed so that snow sheds to the back and front yards. This new one, however, is des...