FEMA has awarded $8,900 to La Plata County and $3,000 to the San Juan National Forest to supplement existing emergency food and shelter programs within these two jurisdictions.

Under the grant terms, local agencies chosen to receive funds must be private voluntary nonprofits with a voluntary board or units of government, have an accounting system, practice nondiscrimination and have demonstrated the capability to deliver emergency food and or shelter programs.

Qualified agencies are urged to apply. For more information or to request an application, mail Karla Davis, Department of Human Services, 1060 East Second Ave., Durango, CO 81301, email [email protected] or call 382-6121.

The closing date for applications is 5 p.m. April 21. The local Emergency Food & Shelter board will review applications and allocate this funding at 10 a.m. April 22 in the Human Services Conference Room of the La Plata County Courthouse, 1060 East Second Ave. All participating applicants must be represented at this meeting to receive funding.

Library offers free books to 4-year-olds

Durango Public Library, 1900 East Third Ave., invites all 4-year-olds to pick up their own free copy of Jeremy Tankard’s book, Grumpy Bird, through April 21.

Tankard’s book is the 2014 selection for the One Book 4 Colorado program. Families of 4-year-olds can stop by the library to pick up a free copy of the book in either English or Spanish. Books will be available during regular library hours. One Book 4 Colorado books also will be available at Sunnyside and Fort Lewis Mesa branch libraries. Preschools and child care providers are invited to participate.

For more information, visit www.onebook4colorado.org.

Library continues civic-education series

The Durango Public Library, 1900 East Third Ave., will continue its civic-education series titled “What Do We Do?” with a presentation by Community Development from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Monday.

Community Development will explain the operations and roles of the department. “What Do We Do?” is a series of presentations by various city of Durango departments where personnel from the city will explain their roles and the services their department provides for the community.

For more information, visit www.durangopubliclibrary.org.

Work continues on Colo. Highway 172

Work is progressing on the project to improve safety at the Colorado Highway 172 intersection in Oxford.

La Plata County is managing the project at county roads 311 and 513, which began in mid-February. This project is expected to extend through November and will reconstruct the intersection by adding acceleration and deceleration lanes, realigning County Road 311 with County Road 513 and improving drainage and irrigation. The project will improve safety at this intersection by increasing sight distance for drivers entering or crossing Highway 172 from the county roads; it also will reduce the risk of rear-end accidents by providing turn lanes.

Through April, while crews work on drainage and irrigation, motorists can expect single-lane, alternating traffic from 8:30 a.m. to 6 or 7 p.m. Beyond April, lane closures on Highway 172 will not start until 9 a.m. Delays of up to 15 minutes should be anticipated. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, lane closures will be limited to 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. each day, though there could be lane closures beyond 4 p.m. on the county roads.

For more information, visit www.coloradodot.info and click on the green cellphone icon in the upper right hand corner of the page.

Resolving allergies to be discussed

Caleb Gates, licensed acupuncturist, will discuss “Resolving Seasonal Allergies, Sinusitis and Allergic Asthma” using advanced allergy therapeutics; and noninvasive treatments to resolve allergy symptoms at 6:30 p.m. April 17 at the Durango Public Library in Room 2, 1900 East Third Ave.

For more information, call 259-9488 or visit www.allergyreliefbeyondbelief.com.

Health practitioners to host celebration

A Celebration of Spring by the group of health practitioners at Animas Square will take place from 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday at the Animas Square Professional Complex, 117 East Animas Road (County Road 250).

The event will include a grand prize raffle, gifts, offerings, free intuitive healing consultations, free chair massages, complimentary chiropractic adjustments, presentations and information on Acupressure and Reiki, musical entertainment, food and samples from Turtle Lake Refuge, information and more. Free gift bags will be given to the first 25 people. The event will be sponsored by Donna Murray, Kim Morton, Robert Fitts, Tara Safran, Stephanie Roberts, Ananda Foley and Monica Tovar.

For more information, call 247-9076.

Herald Staff