There will be a highway

To the Editors,

There is no doubt about it, a strip of blacktop WILL be in store for “Durango’s Central Park” whether you like it or not. CDOT wants it, La Plata County wants it, Oakridge Energy wants it and anyone who drives west on Hwy 160 for their morning commute probably wants it. The only people who don’t want it are the City of Durango, mountain bikers and the typical left wing nut jobs who will fight any development proposed in this area.

Is Greg Hoch really as dumb as he comes off in your article? Hey Greg, if you really wanted to develop Ewing Mesa why didn’t the city try to buy it? Oh yeah, it’s because the City is broke. If the City bought it, then you could develop it and put in place all of your ridiculous regulations. As it stands, Ewing Mesa is in the County, and the County probably excluded you from their planning process because they actually wanted to achieve something in the near future. Durango’s planning department is littered with red tape, moronic regulations and planners who are against growth. I don’t think anyone would voluntarily include you in anything. That would be like having your fingernails voluntarily pulled out. Why would anyone who owns undeveloped property close to the City want to be annexed into the city when it is so much easier to deal with the county? Greg, the City of Durango doesn’t own the property therefore they have no say, simple as that – get over it. The amount of property that the City owns is miniscule compared to the total amount of land that is in the Horse Gulch area and miniscule compared to the amount of property Oakridge Energy owns by itself.  

Oakridge Energy is only allowing the road to be put in so that a private land developer won’t have to be burdened with the cost of building and then maintaining a private road. The road that is eventually built by the county will serve as a main arterial for all 54 of those 35 acre “exclusive, wealthy enclaves.” Most of us who live here will no longer be able to access or use that property once it is sold to those evil rich people who will no doubt build enormous, energy-consuming mansions

on their parcel. Let’s just hope that the county gets it right the first time and makes the road a four-lane super highway so that it won’t have to be expanded in 20 years.  

– Robert Langdon, via e-mail 

A small victory in the La Platas

Dear Editors,

A small victory for those who care about La Plata Canyon happened when Mike Clements of Wildcat Mining took the advice of his new legal counsel and withdrew his application for permits to destroy the beauty and serenity of our canyon. The county commissioners had to be tired of the absolute disrespect this man has demonstrated toward every government agency involved with this mining operation. And I say operation because they continue to work in their unpermitted mine using their illegal road from which they had the audacity to remove the stakes with the notice to cease and desist. Rules don’t seem to apply to this man and his money from California.

There are a number of government entities who have narrowly defined powers over limited areas, which makes enforcement difficult. The people of the government have their hands tied. It’s a shame they can’t get together for a barbeque after work, put their powers together, and stop this man who seems like he’s spitting on anyone who gets in the way on his greedy journey.

Maybe now more people will speak up to save one of the best places left on earth and stop Mike Clements, our “green mining neighbor.” Maybe we should hire the Hulk, the big green one, but wait, he’s not real.  But this can’t be real either when Wildcat Mining continues to laugh at all involved and does anything they want. They do inspire one to never give up the fight to save La Plata Canyon. We may not have Clements’ endless amounts of money, but we care about our neighborhood. Odds are in our favor.

– Poppy Harshman, Mayday

Growing through divorce

Dear Editors,

According to Census Bureau statistics, the rate of divorce in Colorado has dropped. This is a good thing, and I hope it is because residents are getting better at learning who they are and how to communicate effectively. The Census Bureau reported there was a 5.5 percent rate for divorce in 1990, which decreased to 4.7 in 2000 and further to 4.4 as estimated for 2004.

For those who are the unfortunate ones included in these statistics and will be called upon to endure the pain and long-lasting effects of divorce, there are courses one can take, such as “Divorce and Beyond.” Tues., Jan. 19, will be the start of the 14th session offered in Durango. It is a 10-week class that meets at 6 p.m. Tuesdays at Christ the King Church, 495 Florida Rd (across from Chapman Hill). This is a small, confidential group that focuses on the grieving process and practices various tools for self knowledge. For more information, call Linda 884-0611 after 7 p.m.

On Sat., March 6, a communication workshop entitled Speaking and Listening with Presence meets. The focus will be on active listening and clear articulation skills. For more information, call Ginny at 385-5575. It meets at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, between 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.

These courses have helped me so much I am now part of the volunteer staff!

– Sincerely, Linda Lovendahl, Divorce and Beyond facilitator

Unfooling the people

To the Editors,

The past is dominated by serial herd behaviors: “Real Homes, Real Dow” at http: //homepage.mac.com/ttsmyf/RHandRD.html . Individuals’ experiences were overwhelmingly timing-dependent. People uninformed of these serial herd behaviors are people fooled. This fooling of the people is USA history to date.

Dramatic exception is provided by three recent articles: “Adjusted for Inflation, Dow’s Gains Are Puny,” E.S. Browning, Wall Street Journal, Dec. 28; “The Quiet Danger of Non-Inflation-Adjusted Stock Returns,” S.J. Dubner, New York Times, Dec. 28; “The Real Dow,” R. Chittum, Columbia Journalism Review, Jan. 5, http://www.cjr.org/the_audit/the_real_dow.php

Is unfooling the people at hand? I don’t know, but I surely hope so. I am certain that it is a far, far better thing for our nation if the people have their heads OUT of their fuming darknesses.

– Ed Hamilton, Durango