Ear to the ground

“One of these years that CD will finally burn out.”

– A Durangoan doing a little wishful thinking about his mother’s favorite Christmas carol album

The Telegraph season

TheDurango Telegraph apparently spent more time being naughty than nice in 2008. St. Nick opted to drop Christmas Eve on a Wednesday and Christmas Day on a Thursday, two of the paper’s traditional hump days.

The truth is, past Christmas editions have also been a little light on content and advertising. Plus, we kinda liked going on vacation last year. As a result, theDurango Telegraph will once again be taking Christmas week off. That’s right folks, there will be no paper under your tree on Thurs., Dec. 25. Instead, our editors, reporters, sales folk and photographers will be enjoying a well-deserved rest.

Before you pick up the phone, pick up another publication or pick up on a rumor that we’ve gone out of business, rest easy. We will be putting out a stunning, content-rich “double-issue” on Thurs., Dec. 18. That edition will contain all the news, opinion and entertainment you need to weather two weeks of the holiday season in style. We encourage you to give the issue a leisurely holiday read.

An early edition also means early deadlines, however, and theTelegraphwill be looking for a little help from its adoring public during these tinsel-filled times.“On the Town” entertainment submissions for the weeks of Christmas and New Year’s will be due by 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 15. Classified advertising for both weeks will be due Dec. 16 at noon.

And people with grievances about the Dec. 18 holiday issue can file them in-person at either Purgatory, Chapman Ice Rink or Horse Gulch, depending on which way Mother Nature turns.

Riding the Quarter Horse

Though it’s really more of a half horse, the Quarter Horse will begin in downtown Durango and ride 25 miles and 2,300 vertical feet to Purgatory. Although shorter than the ride to Silverton, the Quarter Horse features its own “heart break hill” up the steep half mile entrance road to the ski resort plaza. Proceeds from the Iron Horse festivities will support the Mercy Diagnostic Breast Care Center.

The fee for the Quarter Horse ride will be $50 and racers can register online at www.ironhorsebicycleclassic.com.