View from the Center - The Durango Herald

The myriad benefits of theater at DAC

I had a near death experience this past fall – I auditioned for theater for the first time. This was not just any theater, but the Durango Arts Center’s Broadway classic hit “Cabaret.” ...

DATE: Jun 16, 2014 | CATEGORY: View from the Center

Arts Center starts new microgrant program

As an artist at Studio & and a member of the Durango Arts Center board of directors, I frequently have conversations with artists about their work. It is one of my favorite parts of both job...

DATE: May 19, 2014 | CATEGORY: View from the Center

‘STEAM’ concept begins to gain enthusiasm

A fascination is on the horizon, and not just in the change of seasons. As many have heard over the past few months, a dedicated group of volunteers, nonprofit leaders and the al...

DATE: Apr 14, 2014 | CATEGORY: View from the Center

Arts are a vital building block in young lives

Back in January, Durango topped another “Top 10 List” with a mention in Sunset magazine’s list of “24 Best Places to Live and Work 2014.” This recognition gets added to our commun...

DATE: Mar 17, 2014 | CATEGORY: View from the Center

Edgy art cuts uncomfortably close, expands our experience

Editor’s note: The “View from the Center” column usually appears on the third Tuesday of each month. This month’s column appears today because a technical problem prevented it from being pri...

DATE: Feb 18, 2014 | CATEGORY: View from the Center

Actively aging with art and other life lessons

If there is a fountain of youth, it is figurative and found in the act of lifelong learning. And simply staying active – mentally, physically, socially, spiritually and creatively...

DATE: Jan 20, 2014 | CATEGORY: View from the Center

Don’t forget the ‘giving’ part of thanks

At this time of year when you start anticipating the holidays, I bet you are not looking forward to the pressure and frenzy of bustling around trying to buy, buy, buy. Rather, it’...

DATE: Nov 18, 2013 | CATEGORY: View from the Center

Courtroom ennui sparks deep thought about art

I recently responded to a jury summons and sat for half a day listening to the “randomly chosen ones” in the jury box tell about their interests, arrest records, family history and hobbies. ...

DATE: Oct 13, 2013 | CATEGORY: View from the Center

Durango’s arts revolution is underway

You say you want a revolution Well, you know We all want to change the world. Lennon/McCartney I hope you have visited the Durango Arts Center rec...

DATE: Sep 16, 2013 | CATEGORY: View from the Center

There’s a fancy term for success such as ours

I came across a fascinating term over the weekend – creative placemaking. So, I looked into it to see if the term might apply to our community and essentially to the role and func...

DATE: Aug 19, 2013 | CATEGORY: View from the Center

Positive attitude is contagious at Arts Center

I had the pleasure Friday of attending the fourth annual Women’s Small Business Conference organized by the Small Business Development Center. I found myself in a breakout work gr...

DATE: Jul 15, 2013 | CATEGORY: View from the Center

Summer school is in session at Arts Center

In my job at the Durango Arts Center, I’m constantly pondering how to best describe who we are and what we do as an organization in a streamlined process and brand identity. There...

DATE: Jun 17, 2013 | CATEGORY: View from the Center

Final phases of project underway at Camino del Rio and Main Avenue

Photos: Marching for women’s rightsDurango Women’s March on Saturday starts at Buckley Park, continues down Main Avenue

Durango Women’s March on Saturday starts at Buckley Park, continues down Main Avenue

Photos: Durango High School football DHS beat Vista Ridge 20-14 at home Friday night

DHS beat Vista Ridge 20-14 at home Friday night

Gallery: Animals, super heroes and other creatures take over Main Avenue

Photos: A fun and spooky day at school

Haunted house northeast of Durango gets bigger every yearCody Petersen’s Halloween hobby is his escape from the daily grind

Durango resident Cody Petersen said when he moved into his home at 15 Edgemont Way several years ago, his house on the corner looked lonely and spooky.Today, it’s a madhouse. Halloween decorations are splayed practically on every inch of his lawn, in the trees and up and down his home.

A group of school-aged kids stop in front of his house every day to pose with a little gothic doll in the lawn, he said. It’s the favorite attraction amongst hundreds of decorations Petersen bought locally and online as early as July in preparation for Oct. 31, Halloween.He said he doesn’t want to think about how much money he’s spent on fog machines, animatronics and Christmas lights, but the bill easily totals several thousands of dollars.

For trick-or-treaters on Halloween, whom he encourages to visit, jumpscares abound at Petersen’s home, featuring animatronic spiders, growling wolves and other monsters, he said.He’s working on his own animatronic coffin, which shakes and rattles, and a pulley system that will push and pull a ghost up and down the yard, but neither will be ready for this year’s Halloween.He said he has fond memories of his parents decorating for the holidays during his upbringing and he’s a huge horror genre fan. So he enjoys going all out on decorations for the spooky season. He justifies his hobby with the logic his kids will only be in high school a few more years, and it isn’t as cool to decorate the lawn for Halloween when one doesn’t have children living at home.But the neighbors enjoy his haunts as much as the rest of the community. He said his Halloween scene has gradually grown larger every year; at least 50 trick-or-treaters turned up at his home last year.“I'm a home inspector, so I do have a lot of tools and no fear of trying things out,” he said.

He said typical Halloween animatronics cost $400 a piece, but they only last one year or so without breaking. That’s frustrating, he said, and he believes he can do better by building his own.He said this year’s display and experience is more organic than past years thanks to his handiwork. Among his myriad decorations, trick-or-treaters can spot easter eggs referencing “Beetlejuice,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and “Pet Sematary.”Among the horror props are real animal bones Petersen said he’s found on hikes across the countryside.“I've got ghosts and spiders and witches and that kind of thing,” he said. “Here in Edgemont, we have giant spiders for real. ... We get these huge wolf spiders that are bigger than my hand. I mean, huge, bigger than tarantulas.”

Petersen said he was motivated to make his first decorations within the first month he and his wife moved into the home on the corner at 15 Edgemont Way.A lone pine tree, a typical Christmas tree that would be strung up with lights and ornaments in December, stood out to Petersen in the yard, he said. He just felt compelled to decorate it and light it up.He said he thoroughly decorated the tree and left it lit year-round. Within a month of moving into the house, his neighbor died. The man was old and suffering from Alzheimer's.

Months later, the man’s wife approached Petersen and told him she and her husband’s last salient moments together were spent looking out at Petersen’s lighted Christmas tree, pretending it was Christmas. In the following hours, the man succumbed to delirium. He died several days later.“I don't know why I had that tree, why I lit it, but that's why that tree, even when Halloween is over, all year round, that Christmas tree always stays lit now,” he said.Petersen is a horror movie fan, and in particular he’s always enjoyed the sinister character Michael Myers of the “Halloween” franchise.

He said every year, after thrilling trick-or-treaters at his home, he takes to downtown and East Third Avenue in his Michael Myers costume, bearing a giant bowl of candy, to continue the fun.The highlight of his yard, the creepy doll neighborhood kids like to pose and take pictures with, is Petersen’s “elf on the shelf,” he said. He likes to move the doll around the house, sometimes propping her up to hold animal bones.“I have a real busy and pretty stressful job,” he said. “I just love the fall so much. And to come home, it's just a good way to wind down and, you know, de-stress, just go out and work in the yard.”cburney@durangoherald.com

Cody Petersen’s Halloween hobby is his escape from the daily grind

Reader-submitted photos of Halloween decorationsLast week, we asked readers to submit photos of their Halloween decorations or a neighbor’s decorations. We received dozens of photo submissions. We have selected some of the most spooky, elaborate and fun photos to share in this gallery. Enjoy!

Photos: FLC volleyball returns homeFort Lewis College volleyball took on Adams State University on Tuesday

Fort Lewis College volleyball took on Adams State University on Tuesday

Photos: Expert leathercrafter and collector estate sale near IgnacioItems belonging to the late Alex Pappas were auctioned for sale on Saturday

Items belonging to the late Alex Pappas were auctioned for sale on Saturday

Photos: Pro boxing in DurangoLegends on the Animas boxing showdown took place on Saturday

Legends on the Animas boxing showdown took place on Saturday

The myriad benefits of theater at DAC

Arts Center starts new microgrant program

‘STEAM’ concept begins to gain enthusiasm

Arts are a vital building block in young lives

Edgy art cuts uncomfortably close, expands our experience

Actively aging with art and other life lessons

Don’t forget the ‘giving’ part of thanks

Courtroom ennui sparks deep thought about art

Durango’s arts revolution is underway

There’s a fancy term for success such as ours

Positive attitude is contagious at Arts Center

Summer school is in session at Arts Center

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