Ear to the ground

“It was everything I hate about Vegas, only in Spanish.”

- A local woman reflecting on her holiday trip to Cancun, Mexico

‘The Next Best’

Durango’s gone glossy again. Like it or not, another national magazine has spotlighted Durango. This time we’ve earned honors as “the next best place.”

For the second time in three monthsSki Magazine has pinpointed the town and Durango Mountain Resort as places to be. The January edition of the magazine features our fair burg as one of “The Next Best Places to Ski, Live, Invest and Retire.”

Only seven towns and resorts in North America were selected for the list of up-and-comers, and Durango was the only Colorado town chosen. Ski lauded Durango’s numerous amenities that usually elude small mountain communities. Fort Lewis College, the new Mercy Regional Medical Center, and outgoing citizens set Durango apart from countless other Colorado resorts. Purgatory was hailed for its “1200 acres of fluff, including long, looping cruisers.”

The story joins several others that have recently sung Durango’s praises. Purgatory was also featured inSki Magazine’sNovember issue as one of the “7 Great Mountains to Ski with Your Kids” and as a hot spot to buy real estate in the Market Report. In addition,Conde Nast Traveler magazine selected Purgatory as one of the Top 20 Ski Resorts in North America in 2007.

Fresh Sunday air

Fresh airwaves will be rolling over the Four Corners in coming months. KSUT Four Corners Public Radio is celebrating the New Year with some new Sunday sounds.

Beginning this week, new programming replaces the Sunday rebroadcast of “A Prairie Home Companion” (still broadcast live on Saturday at 4 p.m.), and etown has been moved to Thursday nights at 7 p.m.

From noon to 2 p.m., KSUT will broadcast “Weekend America,” a two-hour lively dialogue about the week’s issues, the arts and public affairs. The news quiz show, “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!” will follow at 2 p.m. and offers a modern and lively twist on the old-time radio quiz show using NPR news stories for quiz questions. “The Splendid Table” will follow at 3 p.m., and each week the show explores new culinary territory with host Lynne Rosetto Kasper. At 4 p.m., KSUT will broadcast “Travel With Rick Steves,” a mix of guest interviews and listener calls covering travel and cultures across every continent. Harry Shearer, of Spinal Tap and Simpsons fame, and “Le Show” round out Sunday’s new lineup at 8 p.m. Le Show is a satirical romp through the worlds of media, politics, sports and show business.

As always, KSUT can be found in Durango and La Plata County at 90.1 and 89.5 FM or online at www.ksut.org.