QUICK AND DIRTY

Train resumes Silverton service

The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad resumed train service to Silverton on Wednesday, as firefighters continued to battle to keep a 556-acre fire near Durango Mountain Resort under control. Seventy-two firefighters, two slurry bombers and two helicopters have worked to contain the blaze kicked off by embers from a train’s coal smoke.

Rains on Monday and Tuesday improved fire conditions but hindered firefighters along steep and slippery slopes. On Wednesday, the fire stood at 50 percent containment, and thanks to rain, the train resumed service to Silverton with two trips just in time for this weekend’s Railfest, which is expected to draw 8,000 train enthusiasts to Durango.

Earlier in the week, firefighters transported by the train focused on the blaze in the bottom of the Animas River Canyon, while helicopters and bombers concentrated on the ridge. The train last suspended service from June 19 - July 13 during the Missionary Ridge Fire. Full containment was expected by Saturday.

Gas boom proposed for Farmington

Neighboring Northern New Mexico could be peppered with oil and gas wells over the next 20 years. The Bureau of Land Management is currently soliciting comments on the draft Farmington Resource Management Plan, which calls for 12,500 new gas wells to be drilled nearby the New Mexico city before 2022.

Mark Pearson, director of San Juan Citizens’ Alliance, feels that the draft plan has major inadequacies, particularly where future air quality is concerned. “The biggest impact to the Durango area will be emissions from 12,500 compressors,” he says. “Imagine two giant new coal-fired plants or 3.5 million cars right across the border. All that bad air will blow up here.”

Pearson notes that the draft plan contains no plans for mitigating future impacts to air quality. “All of their proposed alternatives are essentially the same in terms of air
quality,” he said.

There are 18,000 producing wells in northern New Mexico, though Pearson notes that drilling for these wells began as early as the 1940s. The BLM will solicit public input on the draft Farmington Resource Management Plan on Thursday, Aug. 29, at the Double Tree Hotel. The agency will conduct an open house from 4 to 6 p.m. and officially take comments from 7 to 9 p.m.

City closer to water restrictions

The Durango City Council passed an emergency ordinance Tuesday night that will allow for mandatory water restrictions in the future. If restrictions are imposed, violations would earn one warning prior to a $300 fine. Mandatory water restrictions could come within two weeks. Currently, residents are asked to observe voluntary water restrictions, which include alternateday outdoor watering and no midday watering. Mandatory
water restrictions were last imposed in 1997.

Three police officers assaulted

Three Durango Police officers were assaulted by visiting partiers over the weekend in two separate incidents.

On the morning of Saturday, Aug. 17 at approximately 2:10 a.m., Sergeant Deck Shaline and Officer Tricia Taylor were assaulted after responding to a fight at 1208 Florida Road. The officers were apprehending 20-year-old Michael Bud Skeen, of Pagosa Springs, when he resisted, allegedly kicking Officer Taylor in the chest and hitting Sergeant Shaline in the face and tearing off his uniform shirt prior to being restrained. Taylor sustained abrasions to her knees and Shaline suffered abrasions to a finger, knee and forehead.

On the morning of Sunday, Aug. 18, Officer Mike McQueen was on bike patrol and was assaulted while attempting to break up a fight between a male and female. Jimmy Lee Burton, a 22- year-old from Dolores, allegedly pushed McQueen and then hit the officer in the face, briefly knocking him unconscious before running off and later being apprehended. Officer McQueen was taken to Mercy Medical Center where it was determined that his lower jaw was broken and he had sustained a concussion.

Both Burton and Skeen were booked into La Plata County Jail for second-degree assault on a police officer pending formal charges by the District Attorney’s Office. Their bails were set at $10,000 each.

DACRA director Zimmerman resigns

Jane Zimmerman has resigned after a 19-year tenure with the Durango Area Chamber Resort Association. Zimmerman cited that she had accomplished her goals, namely the split of the chamber into wings serving existing businesses and tourism. However, four other employees have also resigned in the last six months. Zimmerman’s last day of work will be Sept. 27.

Tourism decline stalls city projects

The first significant drop in city of Durango sales tax in close to a decade has moved several municipal projects to the back burner. Following a 3.1 percent fall in July sales tax and fears of a potential loss as high as $2 million for the year, nonessential city spending has been cut and several projects are on hold.

A July 2 memo asking that all city departments refrain from unnecessary travel, repairs and software and furniture purchases has been upheld. Additionally, capital projects totaling $3.1 million have been shelved. However, those projects, including a contribution to the remodel of the historic power plant, the completion of the Animas River Trail, open space purchases, and sidewalk and median work, were not expected to be undertaken this year anyway.

Candidate fired from deputy reserve

A day after his landslide victory in the Aug. 13 election for La Plata County Sheriff, Duke Schirard opted to have opponent Michael Swilling removed from his capacity as a reserve deputy.

Swilling claimed that he received a call from Sheriff’s Lieutenant David Griggs asking Swilling to give up his status as a reserve deputy and said Schirard was showing his true colors. Schirard, however, remarked that in the eight years that Swilling had been a reserve deputy he had not attended trainings or meetings. Swilling countered that he’d never been informed of the meetings. However, he allegedly also failed to keep his reserve status current.

Schools vandalized on opening week

Three separate vandalizations of area schools did nothing to stop school from returning to session Wednesday. It is believed that less-than-eager students were responsible for the damage.

Eight windows were broken , charts were ripped off walls, chairs and tables were thrown around and gallons of paint were spilled on computers and carpet at Riverview Elementary. However, nothing was stolen.

Escalante Middle School was not so fortunate when it was burglarized over the Weekend. Unusual items like tools, dice and yarn were reported missing, and someone attempted to rob a pay phone. In addition, three computer monitors were
smashed in the school’s administrative office.

Ignacio’s middle school also suffered two break-ins prior to back-to-school Monday.

Cops nab crystal meth dealer

Investigators from the Southwest Drug Task Force arrested Felix Trujillo, 40, of Kirtland, New Mexico on August 16. Trujillo was arrested after a two-month investigation into the
trafficking and distribution of methamphetamine in the Four Corners area.

Trujillo was the main focus of this investigation and was arrested in Ignacio with over a quarter pound of methamphetamine that he was delivering to undercover task force officers. More arrests are expected in the coming weeks.

The Southwest Drug Task Force is a multi-jurisdictional force comprised of Criminal Investigators from the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the Ignacio Police Department. Trujillo’s arrest was completed with
the assistance of the Durango and Southern Ute Police Departments.

– compiled by Will Sands