Shelf Life – The Durango Herald

There’s so much to be thankful for

Can you believe that Durango School District 9-R has hosted public libraries for almost half a century? In 1981, in conjunction with the expansion of Fort Lewis Mesa Elementary School, the F...

DATE: Nov 23, 2023 | CATEGORY: Shelf Life

What are all these things doing in the library?

What materials do you expect to find when you walk into a library? Books? Of course. DVDs? Magazines? Audiobooks? Yes, absolutely. How about an ice cream maker? Or a metal detector? Telescop...

DATE: Sep 27, 2023 | CATEGORY: Shelf Life

Libraries strive to offer diverse selection of materials

Imagine walking into a grocery store to find that the only vegetable available is canned peas, the only soup, beef-flavored Top Ramen, and the only protein, frozen fish sticks. Now, imagine ...

DATE: Jul 28, 2023 | CATEGORY: Shelf Life

Libraries are great places to find shared interests

In 2022, Pine River Library staff members met with more than 70 local residents and community leaders to ask a couple of questions. The first was, what do you think are the biggest challenge...

DATE: May 26, 2023 | CATEGORY: Shelf Life

Your local library can help you in ways you may not know

Every so often we librarians will hear that age-old refrain, “Who needs libraries anymore?” After all, isn’t everything online now? We all have computers right? Heck, with ebooks, we don’t e...

DATE: May 9, 2023 | CATEGORY: Shelf Life

Let us help you find your next perfect read

In over 16 years of working in rural public libraries, my favorite type of patron service has always been (and continues to be) providing Reader’s Advisory Services – sometimes shortened by ...

DATE: Jun 24, 2022 | CATEGORY: Shelf Life

Reading with kids should be filled with fun, curiosity

What makes a book a classic? Do you remember the “classic” books you were forced to read in school? Did you love any of them? Are there books that you do remember fondly? I think that many t...

DATE: May 28, 2022 | CATEGORY: Shelf Life

In tough times, books and stories can provide connection

I don’t know about you, but so far 2022 has not been the fresh start I was hoping for. My year started with a bout of COVID-19 and a canceled mini-vacation. I lost my mum after a long illnes...

DATE: Apr 29, 2022 | CATEGORY: Shelf Life

What exactly does a library district do, anyway?

I’m Liz vonTauffkirchen and I have the great honor and privilege of serving as the newest director of the newest library district in Colorado, Southwest La Plata Library District. Many folks...

DATE: Feb 25, 2022 | CATEGORY: Shelf Life

How can we help find books that interest you?

When I first started working at the Ignacio Library, one of the fun tasks of the staff was creating displays. I enjoyed pulling books and other materials on a particular topic and adding fun...

DATE: Jan 28, 2022 | CATEGORY: Shelf Life

Pine River Library can help make ‘adulting’ a little more fun

Adulting can be hard, and often it isn’t very much fun. Oxford Languages named “adulting” its word of the year in 2016: “Adulting (noun): The practice of behaving in a way characteristic of ...

DATE: Dec 31, 2021 | CATEGORY: Shelf Life

It’s all here at your Durango Public Library

Hi, Durango. As the new Durango Public Library interim director, I’ve been asked to contribute these rotational articles about local libraries. I’ll begin by saying what a wonderful communit...

DATE: Nov 26, 2021 | CATEGORY: Shelf Life

Photos: Funeral procession for Cortez Police Sgt. Michael MoranHundreds of law enforcement vehicles escort the body of Cortez Police Sgt. Michael Moran

Hundreds of law enforcement vehicles escort the body of Cortez Police Sgt. Michael Moran

PHOTOS: Fort Lewis basketball teams entertain Adams StateFLC men win 100-80 on Tuesday, women lose 76-56

FLC men win 100-80 on Tuesday, women lose 76-56

Hundreds attend Candlelight vigil for Cortez police Sgt. Michael Moran

Skyhawks score 41 points off turnovers Monday at Whalen Gymnasium

Snowstorm moves through the areaThe season’s first big snowstorm causes problems for drivers and makes for a winter wonderland

The season’s first big snowstorm causes problems for drivers and makes for a winter wonderland

Photos: Singing with SantaSanta Claus makes his first appearance in Durango

Santa Claus makes his first appearance in Durango

Snow descends on DurangoForecasters say storm could dump 6 inches in Durango area

A fall storm that moved into Southwest Colorado Friday morning was expected to dump 6 inches of snow in the Durango area – more than weather forecasters had initially predicted.Snow started falling about 9:15 a.m. Friday and intensified shortly before 11:30 a.m., blanketing parks, vehicles and the hilltops overlooking the city. Roads became slick about 2:30 p.m. As of 4 p.m., the Durango Police Department had responded to six crashes, in addition to a few stranded motorists.U.S. Highway 160 at County Road 44 near Mancos Hill was closed from around 4 p.m. to just after 6 p.m. because a vehicle carrying an “oversized load” had spun out and blocked both the eastbound and westbound lanes, according to Colorado Department of Transportation spokeswoman Lisa Schwantes.“Right now our officers are able to keep up with the crashes that are coming in,” said Cmdr. Nick Stasi, with the Durango Police Department. “As always with winter weather, we remind drivers to slow down and give extra space for the cars in front.”Snow started accumulating very fast as the day went on, making it “challenging for plow operators to keep up,” according to CDOT.

Southwest Colorado’s five major mountain passes were icy and snowpacked Friday afternoon. But all five remained open as of 4:15 p.m.The Pacific storm favored the southern and central Colorado mountains, said Dave Byers, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Junction.“Durango looks like a 70% chance of getting 6 inches or more of snow by the end of tonight (Friday),” Byers said.He expected a half inch to three-quarters of an inch of moisture from the storm, which is up from the one-tenth to two-tenths of an inch that was predicted earlier this week. Meanwhile, the mountains could receive 1 to 2 feet of snow from the storm, he said.“In the last few days, it has really picked up,” Byers said. “The southern mountains are catching the brunt of it.”The snowy weather didn’t stop Liz Ferrill and her family from stopping by Cream Bean Berry for a Unicorn Sundae. “We thought it might be a festive way to celebrate,” said Ferrill, who was visiting from Snowmass, where the first snow occurred in September.For others, the snow provided the impetus they needed to swap out tires or purchase new snow tires. Andre Payne, a sales person at J/P Tire in Durango, said the phone began ringing shortly after 9 a.m. with people wanting to switch to snow tires.“We’ve been pretty busy,” he said.

It is not unusual for drivers to wait until they see the first snow and then want to swap out tires. The tire shop began advising customers to switch to snow tires about three weeks ago. Some people take the advice, other choose to wait.“We can always tell people what to do, but if you're not ready for it then you have to suffer the consequences of waiting two hours or maybe getting in an accident,” Payne said.Byers said Friday’s storm was the result of a southwest flow pulling moisture from Southern California, Arizona and the Gulf of California.As the moisture-laden atmosphere hits the San Juan Mountains, it wrings out the moisture, he said.Temperatures are expected to cool off as the storm makes its way out of the region this weekend. The highs this weekend will be in the upper 30s, and the lows could dip into the single digits, he said.“There’s still a northerly flow that is pulling cold air down out of Canada,” he said.Byers characterized Friday’s storm as a “shoulder storm” between summer and winter, but he said it is a sure sign that a regular track is settling in for Southwest Colorado.“We’re expecting regular storms … from now on, more into that winter pattern,” Byers said.Residents can expect mostly clear conditions through Wednesday, with clouds moving in the following day ahead of another storm that looks “very similar” to Friday’s storm, Byers said.shane@durangoherald.com; mhollinshead@durangoherald.com

Forecasters say storm could dump 6 inches in Durango area

PHOTOS: Turkey Trot returns to DurangoNearly 600 competitors ran before they gobbled down their Thanksgiving feasts on Thursday

Nearly 600 competitors ran before they gobbled down their Thanksgiving feasts on Thursday

PHOTOS: Durango faces Lutheran in 3A state football quarterfinalsDemons fall to Lions, 39-30, on Saturday

Demons fall to Lions, 39-30, on Saturday

PHOTOS: Fort Lewis basketball teams host doubleheaderThe men’s team beat Western New Mexico 87-68, while the women’s team fell in the final minutes to Northern New Mexico, 67-62

The men’s team beat Western New Mexico 87-68, while the women’s team fell in the final minutes to Northern New Mexico, 67-62