Where is the love?

Dear Lost and Confused Citizens of Durango,

Where is the love, why are you so mad? As I sit here with my friends and ponder through my spring and summers memories, time and time again we are reminded of all of the haters. Why are our bicycles producing so much hate? Lately everywhere we seem to pedal, we are greeted with hate: hate from drivers, hate from hikers, hate even from other bicycles. Durango is known worldwide as a biking mecca, and this idea is solidified by signs on U.S. Hwy. 550 noting our town’s status as a bike friendly community. Does it really make you mad that I choose to ride my bike on the shoulder for a few blocks to the grocery store? Does it really make you mad that I chose to ride my bike on the Colorado Trail with my friends on my day off? Does it really make you mad when I pedal out to Trimble Hot Springs for a nice soak? I think some soul searching will make you realize that there is no problem with sharing the roads and trails of our wonderful playground. I don’t have any hate when I need to wear orange to safely ride trails in the fall. I don’t have hate, or give the finger when I breathe in a fresh breath of exhaust. I will be the first to admit that there are faults from both parties, but I can’t help but wonder where is the love, why can’t we all work together to enjoy our community, rather than hating?

– Sincerely, Nicole Schnee, Durango

 P.S. As a rebuttal to current thoughts on city planning, perhaps we should consider taxing those who live in city limits and do not own a bike?

Primary issues

To the Editors,A primary election will be held Aug. 10. Winners of contested primaries will run in the Nov. 2 general election. Want to learn more about the three State Senate District 6 and four county commissioner hopefuls? The League of Women Voters of La Plata County will hold4two forums: Tues., July 20, from 6:30-9 p.m. in the Ignacio Community Library, 470 Goddard Ave., and Thurs., July 22, from 6 - 8:30 p.m. at Durango City Council Chambers, 949 E. Second Ave. Candidates will introduce themselves and answer written questions from the audience.  

This is a mail ballot-only election. You must be a voter registered with the La Plata County Clerk at your current address by July 12 to receive a mail ballot. All returned ballots must arrive at the Clerk’s office or another designated drop off site by 7 p.m. on Aug. 10. Winning candidates will move on to the Nov. 2 general election.

The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan organization that encourages active and informed participation in the political process. For more information on this forum, contested primary positions, elections, ballot issues or other League events visit our website www.lwvlaplata.org.

Please plan on attending one of these forums, bring your questions and exercise your right to cast an informed vote in the primary.

– Patricia Pegram, League of Women Voters of La Plata County

Overcoming self-sabotage

To the Editors,

TheWar of Art, a book by Steven Pressfield, exposes the personal blocks that stop the creative artist from converting an idea into something tangible. The “Resistance” has you clean the house, run the errands or get into a fight with your spouse, all as a subtle maneuver to avoid actually doing the work. “Writer’s block” is a sneaky way that the “Resistance” stops the writer from actually writing something at his computer.

Beyond Pressfield’s journey into self-sabotage of your projects, career and dreams, the “Resistance” also shows up in your personal relationships – with others and with yourself.

Internal resistance defines what we do or do not accomplish, in life, to a far greater extent than our desires and dreams. Often, the path into adulthood is delineated as a journey of abandoning our dreams, becoming “realistic,” and numbing ourselves to the feelings of passion, desire and vision.

The “Resistance” shows up in personal relationships, organizational relationships, and as war between nations. The path back from “stuck in a box” to “living the life of your dreams” is a journey from being the victim of your own “resistance” to mastering it and dancing elegantly with it.

Recently, I’ve worked on breaking out of the “box” of my personal limitations and fears in the Vision Seminar led by Carol Reynolds. This seminar will return on the weekend of July 30, 31 and Aug. 1.

I have seen myself and other people in Pagosa use this weekend workshop to uncover limiting beliefs and fears that stop them from living their life with passion and purpose. We have let go of past experiences with failed relationships and found the freedom to create a completely new relationship with our current partner instead of merely repeating the patterns of the past. I have let go of inhibitions to connecting with other people and having truly meaningful friendships.

For example, I found that a lot of the things that I wanted to change about my girlfriend disappeared in the Vision Seminar even though she had not attended yet. Her “issues” disappeared when I changed myself.The purpose of the Vision Seminar is to remove your blocks to experiencing love in your life. Do you think that spending 27 hours in a weekend workshop on love and empowerment would make a difference in your life? How?

Carol Reynolds, the creator of the Vision Seminar, is credentialed with a Masters Degree in Education and Counseling. She has 40 years experience counseling individuals and couples and had successful radio show and television talk show. She has been leading the Vision Seminar for 17 years. The seminar has no religious affiliation.

To find out more about the Vision Seminar coming back to Pagosa Springs on July 30, go take a look at www.carolreynolds.com or else give me a call at 970-903-3763 and ask me about it. At the moment, the seminar is by donation only and you only need to drive to the Pagosa Lodge. Get it while you can.  

– Teddy Herzog, Pagosa Springs

Broad experience

To the Editors:

Bruce Baizel will make a great county commissioner. Bruce’s broad experience with issues in the county gives him a deep understanding of the issues. He is a practicing attorney, has testified before federal and state legislative committees, and operates a small ranch in western La Plata County.  

Bruce has worked extensively on oil and gas issues, and assisted in drafting legislation to protect surface owners’ rights. He understands the economic importance of the gas industry to the county, but also recognizes the need to protect the environment and plan for the inevitable future when gas production declines.

I watched Bruce work with state and federal agencies years ago in discussions around the proposed East Fork ski area. Bruce understood the agencies’ needs and calmly and professionally presented his views. In a county like ours, with extensive federal and state lands, understanding how agencies operate is a critical skill for a county commissioner.

We’re lucky that Bruce is ready and willing to dedicate himself to more years of public service. We’d be hard put to find a better person to fill that role.  

– Gary Skiba, via e-mail