Opinion
Soldiers
Stones among the Pines reflected in the Light. Stones of young Souls together in the night. Partners sharing Death their names on stones so white. I pray the gift you…
Editorials
Opinion
Mercy lab’s ‘issues’ tied to staffing, not training
In support of my profession, I feel compelled to respond to Lenny Papineau’s letter to The Herald dated Wednesday, May 15. He suggested the decline in quality of healthcare services…
Opinion
‘Voting just the beginning of responsibility in a democracy’
cca Democracy is defined as that system of government where as many people as possible are enfranchised (empowered) to participate in all the civil rights society has to offer, including…
Opinion
Culture welcome in commencement regalia
Farmington High School administration erred in denying student beaded, feathered mortarboard
Opinion
We won’t forget what happened 101 years ago
Shaun Ketchum Jr. One hundred and one years ago, my Ute ancestors were forced to live within a barbed-wire camp in Blanding, a small town in southeast Utah. For six…
Opinion
‘Fixing’ Hesperus Ski Area not among Mountain Capital Partners’ priorities
Like many who cherish our “local gem” – Hesperus Ski Area – I’m left with more questions than answers about the decision to forego fixing its lift and exclude it…
Opinion
A return to the fireworks that are loved
Kudos to Durango’s city leadership for listening to the many Durangoans who soon after last year’s 4th of July evening show that used drones said, no more, please. For two…
Guest Columns
Wildlife quid-pro-quo: ‘Something to still think about’
cca The wildlife quid-pro-quo. It was a proposition advocated more than a half century ago by Willard D. Klimstra, then director of Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Cooperative Wildlife Initiative. Essentially,…
Opinion
‘Drunken on individualism, we no longer can muster civic devotion’
cca There are private subcultures in American life that act like political subdivisions of the state and nation. They demand independence and status as sovereign entities in our society. One…
Opinion
Polis has kind words, but is that enough for Tri-State?
Allen Bestdu1-i-syn Colorado Gov. Jared Polis gets summoned almost daily to deliver remarks. On a recent Friday, for example, he wore an orange jersey to honor former Bronco Randy Gradishar…
Opinion
Sports: ‘Too much made of equipment changes? Perhaps’
cca Nuance in today’s sports? Unlikely. American athletes in recent years have gotten stronger and more massive. Just take a look at towering college women basketball players and mountainous NFL…
Opinion
Hunting is a valuable tool in managing lions
Andrew Carpenter (Courtesy of Writers on the Range) Asking the public to decide if it’s a good idea to ban hunting mountain lions and bobcats is no way for a…
Opinion
Kudos to M-CHS Choir
Kudos to the Montezuma-Cortez High School Choir. My family and I were fortunate enough to be in the auditorium for their performance of the “Star-Spangled Banner” on May 11 during…
Opinion
Mercy Hospital reduced to ‘corporate medicine’
The letter put forth by Catherine Winchester concerning the general influence of Centura Health-CommonSpirit was interesting. The evidence is now clear that what was once a robust “Regional Medical Center”…
Editorials
Bodo Industrial Park helped grow city, county
Foundation responsible for development has come to an end
Guest Columns
‘Coexist with wildlife? People have gotten far far from nature’
cca Wildlife populations have always changed and adapted. Sometimes populations grew until they surpassed the carrying capacity of the land. An extremely hard winter, several years of hard winters or…
Opinion
Colorado houses are too big. We need more starter homes
Trish Zorniodu1-i-syn How big is too big for a house? This is a question I’ve asked myself often, especially as I watch all sorts of fancy, new homes pop up…
Opinion
Colorado legislation ‘safety clause’ being overused
What is this “safety clause” used at the end of our Colorado legislation? It is attached to the end of a bill, which in essence prevents Colorado voters from reviewing the…
Opinion
Optometrist wants community to ‘see’ him as the right Empire Electric Board candidate
I am once again running for the Empire Electric Board of Directors. As a retired family optometrist and a longtime resident of our community, I hope you may “see” me…
Opinion
Pickleball net at Santa Rita Park kept kids from playing basketball ‘outside’
While walking on our river trail past the basketball courts on May 4, I noticed a large group of young kids (counted 30) trying to play basketball. There was a pickleball…
Opinion
‘Staggering’ salaries for health care execs
In 2021, CommonSpirit/Centura paid its top three executives $17.3 million, $14.6 million and $5.4 million, respectively. They also paid more than $1 million to more than 25 other executives during…
Opinion
‘Reflect on profound impact mothers have’
As Mother’s Day draws near, in all probability like many of you, I have begun walking down memory lane. Yes, it’s a time to ponder the incredible impact our mothers…
Opinion
‘Woodstock attendees ahead of their time on health, sliding in mud’
Cross It’s that time of year when we all need to go outside and play in the dirt. Experts tell us that regular contact with healthy soil has physical and…
Opinion
Mother’s Day
Simply put It’s a badge of honor When the little dude Spews up on momma. Moms are great In every way. Here’s to them all On Mother’s Day Ralph Blanchard…
Opinion
‘Trump running to be ruler’
Of all the things that the Founding Fathers firmly believed in avoiding, foremost was that this country would never have a “ruler.” We would have presidents. Not the same thing.…
Opinion
‘Bad things happen when God sidelined’
Terry Tempest Williams, keynote speaker at the Four Corners Climate Summit at Fort Lewis College, said that God is not welcome at the big people’s table for a climate discussion.…
Opinion
Our View: Seed, plant exchanges share much wisdom
As we stuff our Opinion section with commentaries of the day – our own editorial pages inside news pages crowded with noteworthy stories – the particulars about seed exchanges are…
Letters to the Editor
‘Safety clause does not allow referendum’
What is this “safety clause” used at the end of our Colorado legislation? The safety clause is attached to the end of a bill, which in essence prevents review (or…
Opinion
Mercy’s ‘nonfunctioning lab appalling’
Mercy Hospital (CommonSpirit/Centura) has failed the community with its outpatient services. Not only has it had at least a decade of losing good physicians/staff members, but its outpatient laboratory services…