Author - The Durango Herald

Here’s how to help your Local First Foundation

Local First, the nonprofit organization that is the voice of local, independent businesses in La Plata County, has been serving the business community for 12 years now. We are ap...

DATE: Jan 25, 2020 | CATEGORY: Local First

’Tis the season for the Be Local Coupon Book

You’ve seen it around town – the bright teal book with the close-up of a Local First board member donning cool shades with a reflective Local First logo encouraging us to hone our 20/20 visi...

DATE: Dec 28, 2019 | CATEGORY: Local First

Look local: Amazon enters the public sector

At Local First, we talk a lot about the impacts of shopping online to our local economy. And, to remind our readers, our name is “Local First,” not “Local or Death!” We encourage ...

DATE: Nov 30, 2019 | CATEGORY: Local First

Health care co-op saves money, helps people

Have you heard about the Southwest Health Alliance? We recently teamed up with Peak Health Alliance to bring affordable and effective health care to the La Plata County region. T...

DATE: Nov 2, 2019 | CATEGORY: Local First

How is the Creative District coming along?

In my February 23rd column on the Durango Creative District, I had just finished a 30-day trip down the Grand Canyon and spoke to the inspiration of the outdoors and a burgeoning initiative ...

DATE: Oct 5, 2019 | CATEGORY: Local First

Setting goals is a positive first step

“If you aim for nothing, you’ll hit it every time.” This famous quote coined by Zig Ziglar was taken to heart by the city of Durango at its Aug. 20 board meeting (see the Herald’s...

DATE: Sep 7, 2019 | CATEGORY: Local First

Farm to table to farm: The eat local movement

You may have heard the term “eat local” around town, and with the harvest season drawing near, this call to action becomes more relevant than ever. Local First has a long track re...

DATE: Aug 10, 2019 | CATEGORY: Local First

Brand your business as local and independent

Last month’s Local First column discussed business as a force for good and the next generation’s estimated $1 trillion in impact investing by the end of 2020. While the positive social and e...

DATE: Jul 13, 2019 | CATEGORY: Local First

Business as a force for good

Can business be a force for positive change in the world? Taking a step further, can business address the world’s most pressing social and environmental challenges? The next gener...

DATE: Jun 15, 2019 | CATEGORY: Local First

The push for local, renewable energy

The La Plata Electric Association election on May 2 transformed the Board of Directors into a strong majority of forward-thinking individuals who advocate for local, renewable energy. This i...

DATE: May 18, 2019 | CATEGORY: Local First

Local solutions to health care could provide financial relief

Rising healthcare costs have become a hot topic of discussion, particularly as insurance premiums and other medical expenses continue to soar. In fact, health care seems to come up as a disc...

DATE: Apr 20, 2019 | CATEGORY: Local First

Independent businesses an ecosystem’s native species

The word resiliency can be used to describe both an ecosystem and an economy. Resiliency is the ability to bounce back or recover from a shock, or the ability to avoid the shock a...

DATE: Mar 23, 2019 | CATEGORY: Local First