Protecting the heart of Colorado’s high-alpine wilderness

The Alpine Loop, a rugged byway winding through Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, is renowned for its stunning vistas, rugged terrain, and remote beauty. But behind its breathtaking landscapes ...

Revelations prompt thoughts of divorce

DEAR ABBY: I have been married 27 years with two kids. My wife recently revealed to me that she was raped when she was 14 but said it wasn’t violent. She also said she had several adult part...

Marijuana and skunks: There’s a connection

Why does today’s marijuana smell like skunk spray? I am not a user, but I am old enough to know that the odor of marijuana in the 1970s was much more pleasant than today’s. Back then it res...

You don’t have to age alone

At what age do you become an older adult? For many of us, the definition of “old” changes as we age. Or perhaps it’s “at least 20 years older than I am now.” Aging is a very subjective and p...

Micro and nano plastics, an invisible ingredient in our food and beverages

Love it or hate it, almost everyone uses plastic in one way or another. This cheap, durable synthetic polymer is the (almost) perfect material for making water bottles, containers, cutting b...

October’s musical beginnings

The San Juan Symphony will launch its 39th season this weekend. Twin concerts will be performed in Durango and Farmington, with ambitious, long-range programming planned by Music Director Th...

Desiderata: It all started at FLC

Room 220 in Escalante Dormitory at Fort Lewis College used to moonlight as a jam room. It was 2019, the year Connor “Minky” Klimenko and Hamo Thorneycroft met and started jamming in their ti...

Vegetable oils: The hidden dangers in your kitchen

When it comes to vegetables, it’s generally not difficult to determine which ones are good for you, right? Unfortunately, this simplicity doesn’t carry over to vegetable oils. Today, let’s s...

‘Yes’ to proposed Montezuma County sales tax

It’s been said that “the only certainties in this life are death and taxes,” and the general consensus is that neither is desirable. Why have people come to hate taxes? Partly because the U....

League of Women Voters: Embed abortion rights into Colorado’s Constitution

For 104 years, the League of Women Voters has been empowering voters through nonpartisan voter education, engagement and, where necessary, litigation to ensure voters’ rights. Simultaneously...

Door stays shut when girlfriend visits

DEAR ABBY: My 18-year-old stepdaughter has decided to date another female. She has dated boys in the past, but that’s not the issue. We have nothing against the LGBTQ community. (My husband’...

Trout of a thousand casts

The experience of being alone in nature can make up for a lack of catches