Open space tax lands on ballot

Durango City Council members unanimously voted to put a ballot question to voters last Tuesday. The question would raise sales tax to fund open space projects, among other things and will be posed to city voters during the April 5 election.

An additional half cent at the cash register could add up to big dollars for Durango open space, parks and trails, and other capital expenses. On Tuesday, council members unanimously adopted language for an April ballot issue that will ask voters to increase local sales tax by .5 percent. The jump could raise as much $2.6 million in 2005, and with projected increases in sales and inflation, $104 million by 2025.

While open space preservation triggered the ballot question, it has been expanded to fulfill other needs. Early on, council members concluded that the city's budget needed a boost in several areas. In a recent survey, the council worked to get the public pulse on the issue with a survey of local residents. The survey revealed that a majority of residents support a sales tax increase with half covering parks, open space and trails, and half going to capital improvements.

Scott Graham, president of the Open Space Advisory Board, applauded the Tuesday vote.

Given the results of the recent survey, he predicted a favorable response in April.

"What's interesting about the survey is it showed that people really value open space and recognize the need for preservation," Graham said. "It also showed that people value the need for a new library. This is a way to team up and provide for a bunch of needs. I'm real comfortable with going with what the people said."

In addition to the sales tax question, Durango residents will also vote on three city council positions. The seats are currently held by Joe Colgan, Virginia Castro and Aaron Tucson. Colgan is term limited and Castro and Tucson have yet to announce their intentions.

According to Sue Bovbjerg, acting city clerk, prospective candidates can pick up nominating petitions beginning Feb. 9. The petitions require 25 signatures and must be returned by March 1. The April 5 election will be conducted by mail. Ballots will be mailed between March 11 and March 21 to all active registered electors residing within the city limits. The last day to register to vote is March 7. For more information, call the City Clerk's Office at 375-5010.

Regional mountain lion study begins

Researchers are hoping to unravel some of the mysteries of the mountain lion in a new study not far from the San Juan Mountains. A Colorado Division of Wildlife research team has begun trapping and collaring mountain lions on Southwestern Colorado's Uncompahgre Plateau as part of the largest study ever conducted on the native carnivores. Researchers already have captured and collared four adult lions as they learn more about the areas where the big cats live and hunt deer and elk in prime Colorado wildlife habitat.

"We've had a good start and are beginning to know the study area," said Ken Logan, the puma researcher hired by the DOW to conduct the study. "I expect things to pick up now that we're beginning to better understand where the cats live."Over the next 10 years, Logan's team will capture, sample, tag and track pumas to learn more about their populations, movements, prey, interactions with people and domestic animals, and the effects of hunting. An additional focus of the study will be to test tools wildlife managers can use to better estimate lion numbers.

"The DOW's wildlife managers want information that improves our understanding of how puma populations respond to hunting, puma habitat needs and their role in the ecology of prey species," Logan said. "And because of the rapid pace of development in Colorado, wildlife managers want to better understand human/puma interactions and how best to manage them."

Logan's previous research, which includes studies in Southern California and New Mexico, has been recognized nationally.

Counterfeit $20 bills on the loose

Suspicious currency is again circulating in Durango. During the past weekend several counterfeit $20 bills were passed to area merchants, according to the Durango Police Department. Luckily, the fake $20 bills are easy to spot. They all have the same serial number of AL93199833J on them.

The subject passing one of the bills was a passenger in a blue extended cab pickup truck with a matching camper shell and is described as a white male, 20 to 30 years of age, wearing a dark, hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans.

The police department asks that if you receive a bill you suspect to be counterfeit that you turn it over to your local police or a U.S. Secret Service officer. If the note is genuine it will be returned. If not, you will not be reimbursed. However, knowingly passing a counterfeit note is against the law.

For more information, contact the Durango Police Department Investigations Bureau at 375-4730.

Fort Lewis College takes on anxiety

Fort Lewis College is doing its best to head off anxiety and depression. The FLC Counseling Center will offer free anxiety screenings to students, faculty and staff from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Tues., Feb. 8, in the College Union Building. Though part of a national push, the free screenings come at a traditionally difficult time for students and faculty.

"It's mid-semester, and maybe people are starting to realize that they are overwhelmed with the choices they made early term and may need some help with it," said Brian Burke, assistant professor of psychology.

Burke also works part time for the counseling center and said that the free screenings may catch some people who would have otherwise fallen through the cracks. It's outreach, and we're trying to reach students who would not normally come into the counseling center," he said. "We're trying to make it as easy as possible for people, and typically we get five to 10 students who say they were meaning to come by and see us."

The screenings for depression and anxiety disorders generally take about 10 minutes. For more information, contact the counseling center at 247-7212.

Local grants aid community TV

Community television in Durango got a boost recently. Durango Community Access Television has received two equipment grants, which will boost and maintain current levels of service. One grant was from the city of Durango, which also provides DCAT with operating funds every year. Jeanne Costello, DCAT's executive director, said she sees it as giving DCAT the financial security to maintain their current level of production service.

Some of the equipment DCAT intends to purchase with the grant includes a community bulletin, a new camera and sound equipment, Costello said.

The grant was awarded following a campaign of supportive letter writing from local non profits such as Alternative Horizons, Its About Kids, Community Connections, the La Plata Medical Society and church organizations.

"Members of the nonprofit community appreciate and support each other," Costello said. "I know when we went to the city councilors to talk to them about our request they said, 'You know, you guys really got a lot of support out for your request. And it definitely made a difference.'"

In addition, DCAT received a grant from the Southern Ute Indian Tribe Gaming Fund for $10,000, which was specified to purchase a television mobile production unit.

"It really increases our capability to cover events out in the community," Costello said.

- compiled by Will Sands