Don’t take the track for granted

Dear Editors,

I would like to express my deep appreciation for all the work that goes into Nordic skiing here in the Durango area. For a place that struggles with snow, we are fortunate to have a number of great Nordic options.

First of all, thanks to Rick Kern and staff for the great grooming up on Hillcrest. They offer a wonderful service to the community for free, and the appreciation of the hundreds of skiers there is evident. When Hillcrest is open it saves Durango’s skiers long drives, which is always beneficial.

Secondly, thanks to huge effort being made by Rick Callies and the volunteers out at Vallecito. The volunteers (who also love to ski) sacrifice days of skiing to groom, which often takes five or six hours on any given day when things are going well. When it doesn’t go well, snowmobiles get stuck, groomers end up post-holing out in the dark or disrespectful folks drive over and ruin the groomed trails. Remember to make generous donations and be respectful of the volunteer efforts.

Thanks to Helen and the Durango Nordic Center, which provides the most varied skiing in the area. This hilly course serves as the main training ground for our strong junior Nordic team, holds regular races and offers learn-to-ski programs. It has a great staff on hand daily for lessons.  

And finally thanks to John Gilbert and crew who are putting much energy into the Chicken Creek area over by Mancos. They too survive with volunteers and donations, so give generously when you ski there. One area that they could use additional help is with fall trail-work days. They also suggest that people use the Millwood (C.R. 40) road to access the area.

Frequently snow here is sparse. When snows do come, they can be epic storms like this last one. It takes a great deal of effort to get the trails back in shape. Please don’t take these areas or volunteers for granted. Show your appreciation with donations, time and respect.

– Dominic Schiavone,

Durango

No merit whatsoever

Dear Editors,

This is in response to the possible consideration by the USFDisservice to close the Colorado Trail (aka Indian Trail Ridge) to mountain biking.4

They propose leaving Hermosa Creek and trails east open to motorized vehicles, yet want to close the Colorado Trail to a group that has used the trail for 20-plus years not to mention worked and maintained miles of the CT along with adjoining trails for many a years through organizations like Trails 2000.

Closing the trail to bikers should not be considered and has no merit.

– Sincerely,

Christopher Caldwell, via e-mail

Uncomfortable celluloid realities

Dear Editors,

I would like to congratulate the “Face Eater” team on their recent successes with their film at the Abbey Theatre and wish them the best, continued success during the Snowdown festival.

As an artist however, I have a few comments about their professionalism in the arts community. The Durango Independent Film Festival Features Committee had more than 70 submissions for nine slots to be shown at the DIFF festival. The fact is “Face Eater” did not make the cut as it was competing with national and international films for those nine slots.

We as artists, independent of our specialty, are constantly dealing with sometimes uncomfortable realities as our pieces are juried in various competitions. A juried show allows us the opportunity to compete with other artists, and when we are selected, we have a sense of pride for the inclusion of our pieces in that show by knowing that our pieces were selected by their own merit and not by our names or affiliations. The “Face Eater” team’s argument that “Face Eater” should be shown as a feature film at DIFF just because it features local people and Durango landmarks ignores the fact that DIFF is a juried event. If some group were to select my works of art for a competitive showing due to my zip code, it would not only cheapen my involvement but would also minimize the efforts of the other participants as well. The Sundance Film Festival has no obligation to select Park City, Utah, residents, so why should the Durango Independent Film Festival be different? Also, the fact that they submitted an incomplete work to a juried show to me illuminates their inexperience and naiveté.

If “Face Eater” makes it into other film festivals, then perhaps the DIFF committee will be eating its words. Until then, my question to the “Face Eater” team is “are you artists or opportunists?”

– Preston Parrott, Durango

A great ‘happening’

Editors:

The American Association of University Women (AAUW), Durango Branch, is holding its annual Book-and-Author Luncheon on Feb. 9 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Fort Lewis College Memorial Lounge. The guest speaker will be branch member Tekla Dennison Miller. She is the author of three books: The Warden Wore Pink, A Bowl of Cherries and Life Sentences. Her career as a prison warden provided Tekla with a unique perspective on criminal justice and women’s issues. A dynamic and moving, nationally sought speaker, Tekla has kindly agreed to address the Book-and-Author Luncheon in support of raising funds for the AAUW Educational Foundation. Visit aauw.org/education/fga/ to learn more about the work of the Educational Foundation, one of the world’s largest sources of funding for graduate student women. The meal, a delicious Italian buffet, will be served by the college. The price is $25 per plate. Tickets are available at Maria’s Bookshop at 960 Main Ave., or by mailing checks payable to “AAUW Durango Branch” to Kathy Redford, Event Treasurer, 51 Skyline Dr., Durango, CO 81301. Contact Kathy for more information, 259-5671. Hope to see you there. It will be a great “happening.”

– Irene Taylor Barry,

president, AAUW Durango Branch

Caucuses are around the corner

Dear Editors,

The Colorado Democratic and Republican party caucuses will be held at 7 p.m., Tues., Feb. 5. Each major party will caucus in each of the 30 precincts within La Plata County.

The caucus process varies by party, each with its own rules. The results of each caucus are consolidated at county level and then at state, to determine delegate votes for president at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions in the summer of 2008.

Your caucus location is different from your precinct

polling place. You can find the location of your party caucus on the LWV La Plata website, www.LWVLaPlata.org/elections.html. You also can find your precinct number and your precinct polling place at this same location within the League website. The locations of the Democratic and Republican Party caucuses are on the website.

To participate as a voting member in a party caucus, you must be a registered voter and affiliated with that party. The deadline for registering and affiliating with a political party was Dec. 5, 2007.

The League website www.LWVLaPlata.org includes a great deal of information on the 2008 electoral process in La Plata County. You are encouraged to check its contents from time to time as it will be updated when additional information is available.

It is a privilege to vote. Please take advantage of this opportunity.

– Marilyn Sandstrom, voter services chair,

LWV La Plata County

The public be suckered

Dear Editors,

The right way to examine the U.S. dollar price history of an “investment” over time is after correcting for the diminished consumer purchasing power of the U.S. dollar over time (CPI-U used). Here is what the Dow looks like: http://homepage.mac.com/ttsmyf/.

Irrationality/herd behavior is obviously a/the leading candidate for the big ups and downs – it is easily elected by the synchrony of the only three public warnings in 90-plus years of overpriced stocks by the Fed Chair, see here: http://homepage.mac.com/ttsmyf/3warnsRD.html.

And how about homes?See first and last charts here: http://homepage.mac.com/ttsmyf/RD_RJShomes_PSav.html

Q: How can it be that, in our free press/free markets/free country, these compelling histories are kept well-away from the people’s attention?

A: The status quo is “the public be suckered” –  it’s a hell of a way to run a country.

– Ed Hamilton,

Durango

Stop the brutal declawing

Dear Editors, Never declaw your cat and never do business with ANY veterinarians/animal clinics who perform this abusive surgery. America and Canada are about the only so-called civilized nations that allow this act of animal mutilation to be performed.

If you love your cat, you will NEVER have it de-clawed, nor will you ever do business with ANY animal clinic/veterinarian who performs this act of animal mutilation.

“Cats leave paw prints on our hearts”

– In loving memory of my cat Skunk,

Philip Spotts, Durango

This Is the Way It Is

This is the way it is.

The change comes,

Abruptly!

Clouds separate,

And a line of light warms the snow.

There is a slight odor of ozone

Mixed with a pungency of tannic acid oozed

From dampened leaves.

Winter is gnawing at fall

And the deer angle their stare, alerted.

All is quiet.

In the distance a hawk glides

Through a window of patched blue.

The clouds gather

Under Odin’s stare,

Stinging the skin.

The dog romps sniffing sage, fendler, and oak brush.

He pauses to sense the air, pawing and listening,

then

slightly turns his head to the side.

This is the way it is.

The light bleeds behind the hill

And once again,

The wintry evening

Is invited to make

All that is living… still.

– Burt Baldwin, Ignacio