Op-Ed – The Durango Herald

Here Comes the Autumn of Anxiety

In the heady days of spring, when the United States was vaccinating 3 million people a day, President Joe Biden predicted a “summer of joy.” But then the vaccination campaign stalled, and th...

DATE: Sep 11, 2021 | CATEGORY: Op-Ed

Purple Cliffs is not the solution for the unhoused community

The crisis of people who have no safe place to sleep each night is not a city of Durango or La Plata County problem alone. It affects all of us and is requiring a collective effort to effect...

DATE: Sep 11, 2021 | CATEGORY: Op-Ed

Support collaborative management of the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests

Right now, Coloradans have a unique opportunity to guide the management of nearly 3 million acres of our beloved public lands for the next 20 years. If you backcountry ski in the Elk Mountai...

DATE: Sep 8, 2021 | CATEGORY: Op-Ed

Wolves and the ‘landscape of fear’

This summer, three of us were hiking in Alaska’s western Brooks Range when we encountered a pack of eight wolves. We were far from any help when they moved toward us, paused and then disappe...

DATE: Sep 1, 2021 | CATEGORY: Op-Ed

LEAP will close the opportunity gap for all Colorado kids

Despite the tireless efforts of parents and educators, the COVID-19 pandemic opened our eyes to educational disparities that have existed for decades in Colorado. Our kids have fallen behind...

DATE: Aug 28, 2021 | CATEGORY: Op-Ed

Climate change warnings demand action now

“It is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land.” – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change The scientifically and politically cautious Intergovernmenta...

DATE: Aug 28, 2021 | CATEGORY: Op-Ed

You can take this job and ...

The pandemic disrupted many Americans’ work lives. Some of us – generally highly educated white-collar workers with relatively well-paying jobs – were able to shift to remote work. Millions ...

DATE: Aug 28, 2021 | CATEGORY: Op-Ed

Restaurants must become resilient

Over the last few months, most of us in the Durango area have seen the chaos and negative effects of the labor shortage in the food service industry. In addition to disrupting the lives of m...

DATE: Aug 28, 2021 | CATEGORY: Op-Ed

A message from the Colorado River

It feels like an apocalypse in the Southwest – wildfires, floods, drought, heat, smoke. This was not the norm when I moved to Colorado 35 years ago. Climate scientists may have predicted the...

DATE: Aug 27, 2021 | CATEGORY: Op-Ed

Priest’s advice puts personal choice above others’ safety

When I first heard a priest declare from the pulpit that wearing masks and being vaccinated against the resurgent COVID-19 plague was strictly a matter of individual conscience and personal ...

DATE: Aug 25, 2021 | CATEGORY: Op-Ed

Kids can’t wait for COVID-19 vaccines

A few weeks ago I posted on Twitter that I was increasingly furious with the FDA for taking so long to authorize COVID-19 vaccines for children under 12. Then I deleted the tweet, because I ...

DATE: Aug 21, 2021 | CATEGORY: Op-Ed

Better Care, Better Jobs Act needed by caregivers, clients

Surrounded by the Sangre de Cristo Range on one side and the San Juan Mountains on the other, the San Luis Valley is rich in history, agriculture and people. I live and work here, and as a d...

DATE: Aug 21, 2021 | CATEGORY: Op-Ed