Three of the five riders in Durango’s Endurance sculpture were damaged Sunday night when a car jumped the Florida Road roundabout (Herald, March 11).
Thankfully, no one was hurt.
Police say the driver was arrested on suspicion of impaired driving. Installed in 2012 to celebrate Durango’s cycling culture and the USA Pro Cycling Challenge’s Durango stage, the sculpture is made from thousands of steel parts. The artist says the damaged cyclists can likely be repaired and is willing to help restore them, and the city has filed an insurance claim to cover the cost (Herald, March 11).
The crash lands differently as spring arrives. Cyclists are back on local roads training for the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic. It’s a reminder that drivers and cyclists share these roads – and that staying alert and sober behind the wheel protects everyone.
In today’s opinion section, Durango Police Chief Brice Current argues that driving under the influence is a decision and calls for stronger consequences for repeat offenders. He also acknowledges the town’s reputation as either “a skiing town with a drinking problem or a drinking town with a skiing problem.”
Durango’s culture of celebration is real. But so are the consequences when drinking and driving collide.
The sculpture’s name – Endurance – carries meaning beyond steel. It reflects something about our community.
Durango has a playful relationship with public art. The cyclists in Endurance have worn Santa hats, bunny ears and pumpkin buckets – and firefighter bunker gear to honor Scott Gallagher, a Durango firefighter killed while riding his bike (Herald, Oct. 8, 2022). Even the old Arc of History gained new life when the recently resurfaced dinosaur head appeared atop it (Herald, March 11).
Another column in today’s opinion section, by Fort Lewis College sociologist Benjamin Waddell, explores the desperation that drives migrants to flee violence and instability in their home countries.
The columns reflect two ways of understanding human behavior – one that treats impaired driving as a decision, another that examines the complicated forces shaping people’s lives.
Addiction – like migration – often grows from those same forces: trauma, instability, untreated mental health challenges or a lack of support when it’s needed most. Shame and stigma also keep many from seeking help.
At Volunteers of America’s recent “Shelter from the Storm” luncheon, people shared stories of rebuilding their lives. One woman described becoming homeless while seriously ill and without family support. Another fled an abusive situation with two young children. A man living in his car said the shelter gave him stability to begin rebuilding his life.
Their stories underscore something easy to forget: you never know when you might need help yourself.
Durango is fortunate to have organizations that provide that support, including the VOA’s Durango Community Shelter and Southwest Safehouse, Axis Health System, the Women’s Resource Center and many others serving individuals, youth and families. Because men often struggle to seek help, a public discussion on men’s mental health will be held March 25 at 5:30 p.m. at the Durango Public Library.
Community corrections services at Hilltop House, which is closing because of funding shortages, are expected to continue under a new operator after the Durango City Council approved a lease with Advantage Treatment Center on March 10.
Durango can also do more to prevent tragedies before they happen. Events like August’s San Juan BrewFest offer designated-driver tickets and mocktails. The Durango Wine Experience, April 24 to 25, should consider similar DD incentives. Encouraging safer choices – and making it easier not to drink – helps everyone.
Transportation matters, too. City leaders are weighing how to fund Durango Transit amid a projected $2 million shortfall (Herald, March 2).
Impaired driving is no joke – not for the victims and not for the offenders whose lives can change in an instant.
Human endurance often means finding shelter in the middle of a storm – a place to rest, regain strength and begin again.
In Durango, endurance isn’t just about finishing the ride.
It’s about helping each other make it safely through the storm – and come out stronger on the other side.
