Ear to the ground

“Wow, do you guys put out the entire Telegraph in this office?”

- A classified ad customer commenting on the 450-square-foot size of the Durango Telegraph’s international headquarters

The Commuter Challenge

The Bike to Work Day stakes are rising this year. In addition to an expanded June 27 event (including a beer garden!), Trails 2000 is sponsoring the First Annual Commuter Challenge. Businesses are encouraged to take up the challenge and ask their employees to take a pass on commuting by car for one day.

“The Trails 2000 Commuter Challenge motivates company teams and individuals to consider alternative options on Bike to Work Day in a fun and friendly way,” said Bob Kunkel, of the City of Durango. “We’re hopeful this will encourage these same folks to continue on this ‘path’ throughout the year.”

Prize winners will be determined based on the percentage of employee participation. Several prizes will also be awarded based on company sizes and a grand prize for the company with the largest overall percentage, regardless of size. The grand prize includes coffee and bagels for up to 20 employees, delivered to the office site and provided by Durango Joe’s Coffee House. E-mail info@trails2000.org for more information or to register.

Prizes aside, a bigger and better Bike to Work Day is in store for this year, and everyone should be a winner come June 27. The morning event has been moved into an afternoon slot to accommodate (we’ll say it again) a beer garden, among other things. The free event will feature great giveaways from local businesses and organizations, bike checks, a bike wash, informational booths, event T-shirts and more. Bike to Work Day will take place from 4-7 p.m. on the 1000 block of Main Avenue.

A visit to Chile College

Ready to go back to school? Itching to get that masters degree?

New Mexico State University might have a program that’s right up your alley. The school houses a Chile Pepper Institute, and its goal is to educate the public about the magic plant.

The Las Cruces school dabbles in heat, flavor and agricultural efficiency. Private chile interests have financed much of the school’s work, but the State of New Mexico gave the school $860,000 to explore more cost-effective chile growing, according to the L.A. Professor Paul Bosland founded the Institute in 1992 after being inundated with hot pepper inquiries from throughout the world.