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Have you been keeping up with local headlines? Test your knowledge in Quiz No. 217

About 110 people participated in last week’s quiz. Participants scored highest on a question about what sporting goods store is coming to Durango, with 96% of respondents correctly answering...

DATE: Jul 14, 2023 | CATEGORY: Local News

Have you been keeping up with local headlines? Test your knowledge in Quiz No. 216

About 120 people participated in last week’s quiz. Participants scored highest on a question about the name of a building constructed by the labor union “Sociedad Protección Mutua de Trabaja...

DATE: Jul 6, 2023 | CATEGORY: Local News

Have you been keeping up with local headlines? Test your knowledge in Quiz No. 215

About 115 people participated in last week’s quiz. Participants scored highest on a question about what, according to Thomas Streissert of the La Plata County Swift Water Rescue Team, is the...

DATE: Jun 23, 2023 | CATEGORY: Local News

Have you been keeping up with local headlines? Test your knowledge in Quiz No. 214

About 100 people participated in last week’s quiz. Participants scored highest on a question about the nickname given for the three-way intersection of Florida Road, 15th Street and East Thi...

DATE: Jun 16, 2023 | CATEGORY: Local News

Have you been keeping up with local headlines? Test your knowledge in Quiz No. 213

About 105 people participated in last week’s quiz. Participants scored highest on a question about what special gift is given to Native American students graduating from high school in Duran...

DATE: Jun 8, 2023 | CATEGORY: Local News

Have you been keeping up with local headlines? Test your knowledge in Quiz No. 212

About 100 people participated in last week’s quiz. Participants scored highest on a question about what was in the tanker truck that tipped over on Coal Bank Pass, with 77% of respondents co...

DATE: Jun 1, 2023 | CATEGORY: Local News

Have you been keeping up with local headlines? Test your knowledge in Quiz No. 211

About 105 people participated in last week’s quiz. Participants scored highest on a question about which business in the Durango Mall is closing because of bankruptcy, with 96% of respondent...

DATE: May 25, 2023 | CATEGORY: Local News

Have you been keeping up with local headlines? Test your knowledge in Quiz No. 210

About 140 people participated in last week’s quiz. Participants scored highest on a question about what is behind a slowdown of home sales, according to Deven Meininger, with 93% of responde...

DATE: May 18, 2023 | CATEGORY: Local News

Have you been keeping up with local headlines? Test your knowledge in Quiz No. 209

About 95 people participated in last week’s quiz. Participants scored highest on a question about why prescribed burns typically take place in the morning, with 97% of respondents correctly ...

DATE: May 12, 2023 | CATEGORY: Local News

Have you been keeping up with local headlines? Test your knowledge in Quiz No. 208

About 110 people participated in last week’s quiz. Participants scored highest on a question about what kind of business in the 400 block of East Second Avenue has had construction resume, w...

DATE: May 4, 2023 | CATEGORY: Local News

Have you been keeping up with local headlines? Test your knowledge in Quiz No. 207

About 100 people participated in last week’s quiz. Participants scored highest on a question about what sporting goods store is widely believed to be coming to Bodo Park in Durango, with 92%...

DATE: Apr 27, 2023 | CATEGORY: Local News

Have you been keeping up with local headlines? Test your knowledge in Quiz No. 206

About 110 people participated in last week’s quiz. Participants scored highest on a question about what business used to occupy the location where Taste Cafe moved into, with 94% of responde...

DATE: Apr 20, 2023 | CATEGORY: Local News

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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

Have you been keeping up with local headlines? Test your knowledge in Quiz No. 217

Have you been keeping up with local headlines? Test your knowledge in Quiz No. 216

Have you been keeping up with local headlines? Test your knowledge in Quiz No. 215

Have you been keeping up with local headlines? Test your knowledge in Quiz No. 214

Have you been keeping up with local headlines? Test your knowledge in Quiz No. 213

Have you been keeping up with local headlines? Test your knowledge in Quiz No. 212

Have you been keeping up with local headlines? Test your knowledge in Quiz No. 211

Have you been keeping up with local headlines? Test your knowledge in Quiz No. 210

Have you been keeping up with local headlines? Test your knowledge in Quiz No. 209

Have you been keeping up with local headlines? Test your knowledge in Quiz No. 208

Have you been keeping up with local headlines? Test your knowledge in Quiz No. 207

Have you been keeping up with local headlines? Test your knowledge in Quiz No. 206

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