Opinion
Ski bum culture runs into reality
cca Nearly two decades ago, I moved to the mountains to be a ski bum, chasing snow. I was a stereotype – an East Coast kid pulled West by the…
Editorials
Opinion
Our View: Canceled gun buyback in Farmington short-sighted
In a city struggling with gun violence and its residual anguish, Farmington City Manager Rob Mayes did the wrong thing by residents in canceling a gun buyback program scheduled for…
Opinion
Time for management plan for Cortez’ Carpenter Natural Area
April Baisancca In recent years, our unique Carpenter Natural Area in Cortez has endured various questionable management practices, particularly the cutting of native milkweed, sumac and willows, along the main…
Opinion
‘Disingenuous claiming to be patriots’
You can wrap the flag around what you are doing, then try to sell that package as “patriotism” and, perhaps, some people will buy it. That is why con men…
Opinion
‘Want to be happier? Give’
Recent research shows that giving can increase your lifespan and make living more pleasurable. According to sources, giving or serving can lower your blood pressure, reduce your levels of cortisol,…
Opinion
‘Shelli Shaw, grow up’
At my 6th birthday party, the egg dropped from my spoon in the race. Since it was my birthday, I felt entitled to win, so I whined and pouted. My…
Opinion
Leading GOP candidate ‘a fascist’
Hyperbole it is not. It’s clear the leading candidate for the Republican nomination for president is a fascist. Criminally indicted, he is running to keep himself out of prison. And…
Opinion
On Gaza: ‘Surprised things exploded?’
The Gaza Strip is less than one-tenth the size of La Plata County. Gaza’s population is 38 times the population of La Plata County – 2,100,000 versus 56,000. Half the…
Opinion
‘What would sailors in USS Arizona say?’
Thursday, Dec. 7, was a day to remember what happened at Pearl Harbor. What would all those sailors entombed in the sunken USS Arizona think about our country right now?…
Opinion
RV park’s ‘negative impacts outweigh benefits’
There are many reasons to oppose the Roberts Village Camp Durango proposal. The density of the Roberts Resorts proposal is incompatible with the area. It increases concern for ecosystems in…
Opinion
Our View: Durango taxpayers win in ruling against ‘not reasonable’ attorney fees
Questioning what is reasonable is standard and common in courtrooms. A simple but expansive question. A guidepost to making decisions. So it’s quite a blow to Durango resident John Simpson,…
Opinion
‘Monumental implications’ with RV park
I am shocked that the local Planning Department is so short of staff that they have to hire an out-of-town firm to study the feasibility of Roberts Resorts RV Park,…
Opinion
No more whining. Who’s in?
There was one hard and fast rule in my household growing up: No whining. What exactly is whining? Miriam Webster tells us that it is a raised, nasal, unpleasant tone…
Opinion
‘When, in what areas can we recreate shared experiences’
Robertscca A chance encounter brought up some of my happiest memories, while at the same time tying into a series of conversations I have been party to about what we…
Opinion
Conflicts over wolves mostly ‘social, governance issues’
cca The restoration of wolves to Colorado is an historic conservation effort to return and preserve the integrity of wild ecosystems in the Southern Rocky Mountains. This is why I…
Opinion
Our View: GOP leader Shaw must bring evidence for not certifying election
Perform canvass duties, be accountable or step aside
Opinion
Christmas goose isn’t only one getting fat
Cross We are in the midst of the great Caloric Festival that occurs between Thanksgiving and New Years, followed by often ill-fated resolutions. And, now, this annual time period has…
Opinion
Our View: Coming together in reverence for Sgt. Moran
Our communities are shaken by the death of Cortez Police Sgt. Michael Moran on Nov. 29, after being shot during a traffic stop on South Broadway across from Handy Mart…
Opinion
‘Consider team behind candidate’
Although a candidate’s age can statistically increase or decrease the chances of becoming incapacitated during a term in office, there is no guarantee that a younger individual would prove any…
Opinion
Need for Shelli Shaw to ‘step down’
Shelli Shaw’s refusal to verify the November election illustrates the need for her to step down as head of the LaPlata County Republican Party. Her belief in – and support…
Opinion
‘Dunaway Street’ for Mike, Linda
The name of the street that runs alongside the new location of the Durango Fire Protection District building should be named Dunaway Street. Born in Durango, Mike and Linda, 1966…
Letters to the Editor
‘Revolutions needed to heal planet’
I am a student at Fort Lewis College who is deeply concerned about the climate crisis. I often hear about individual carbon footprint reduction, but the main cause of the…
Opinion
‘As if dollars could buy peace’
Two and two will always equal four. Unless printing presses manned by Congress are used as calculators to figure out how to manage the outrageous national debt, increasing by the…
Opinion
‘Past time to re-regulate airlines’
The last four times any of my family has attempted to fly from or to Durango, there have been massive problems at the airlines’ hubs. Two forced overnights and two…
Opinion
‘Starts in China, moves to Europe, we’re next’
I hope people are watching the news reports of childhood pneumonia outbreaks in China and Europe. There are many. Why no coverage in The Durango Herald or The Journal? Notice…
Opinion
‘Grateful Moran willing to stand watch’
On Wednesday, as we all went about our days in relative safety with all the trivial cares of the world on our minds, there was man who was standing the…
Opinion
Postmaster ‘DeJoy has ruined the agency’
What has happened to a once-proud, efficient U.S. government department in the past few years? I have lived across the U.S., enjoying world-class mail service for much of my life.…
Opinion
Our View: CD-3, green jobs in spotlight after Biden’s visit
President Joe Biden’s visit to Pueblo on Wednesday is our new marker in time when national attention on the 3rd Congressional District ramped up the 2024 U.S. House race, along…
Opinion
OK ‘new oil, gas leases on federal lands’
With the holidays coming up, many Coloradans are trying to budget for everything from seasonal decorations to elaborate dinners to gasoline for long car trips. With smart energy policies we…
Opinion
Our View: Name street Scott Gallagher Way; rename Ninth to Greg Hoch Street
Durango has a street in need of a name and it got us thinking about who – and why – a person should be immortalized on roads, buildings, parks and…