Ear to the ground:

“He got them shot glasses, super balls with naked aliens inside and an Eric Estrada soccer movie that was R-rated.”
– Wife on her husband’s late-night Christmas Eve shopping frenzy  for stocking stuffers at a seedy convenience store in Montrose.

Rockin’ and rollin’

Seeking its 22nd national title, the Fort Lewis College Cycling Team heads to Austin, Texas, this weekend for the 2015 USA Cycling Collegiate National Cyclocross Championships. The Skyhawks will compete in the Collegiate Team Relay on Friday; with mens and womens races on Saturday.

The ’Hawks are vying for the Team Omnium title, given to the team racking up the most points.
“FLC has a few riders that can compete for the win and that goes a long way for Team Omnium points,” FLC Cycling Director Dave Hagen said.
Likely vying for a top spot on the podium once again will be Sofia Gomez Villafane, the Skyhawks top CX racer who finished second last year. Another top contender is Austinite and Skyhawk “mountain bike stud” Payson McElveen, who recently picked up CX and promptly went on to win the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Cycling Conference Championship. “He gets a front row call up, had top results in Dallas last weekend and has something to prove to his hometown crowd,” said Hagen. Rounding out the ’Hawks leader field is freshman Ian McPhearson, an experienced CX racer from Boulder.

The Fort has won two cyclocross national championships over the years, as well as an impressive 18 Division I mountain bike titles and one Division 2 road title. In addition, the program has churned out numerous individual National Champions in all disciplines.
The team will be coached by Elke Brutsaert and Ian Burnett. Traveling wrenches include Jon Bailey, Garrett Alexander and Allie Burnett.
For results, go to cycling.fortlewis.edu or check them out on Facebook.

Brews for benches

Ska Brewing will raise a glass while raising funds next Wed., Jan. 14, from 5 - 8 p.m. The event will be a memorial for former employee Melissa Dunn, who passed away suddenly in December. A special beer, a ginger pale ale, was brewed for the occasion.
“It’s actually a beer she brewed with the brewers last April, we just recreated it,” Ska spokeswoman Kristin Muraro said.
Proceeds from sales of the small batch beer, as well as silent auction items, will go toward building a bench in Dunn’s name at the Durango Dog Park.

“She lived near there, and her dog, Sprocket, was everything to her,” said Muraro. “She was at the Dog Park every day with him. We thought it was a good memorial for her.”