“Emmit Olbert, Fort Lewis College maintenance supervisor, along with William Thompson and Harvey Probst, senior groundsmen, ready the ice skating area on the reservoir grounds north of campus December 1964. A few skaters can be seen testing the ice in the background. The ice skating area is the old city reservoir and is being made possible through the cooperation on the city and the college.”
“Emmit Olbert, Fort Lewis College maintenance supervisor, along with William Thompson and Harvey Probst, senior groundsmen, ready the ice skating area on the reservoir grounds north of campus December 1964. A few skaters can be seen testing the ice in the background. The ice skating area is the old city reservoir and is being made possible through the cooperation on the city and the college.”Photo Arts file photo

75 years ago: SUNNYSIDE – “Edison Mason, assisted by Malon Peterson is laying the roof of his new adobe brick residence. He is very hopeful that the weather will permit the work to continue, so the family can soon occupy their home, completing the interior work at their leisure.”

50 years ago: “Allison Mason and Wayne Knisley, local wildlife conservation officers, have been trapping banding and tagging elk at the Fall Creek trap site as the first step in determining the migration habits of elk. Each elk that is caught gets a blue band around its neck and a red metal tag in one ear and an aluminum colored tag in the other ear.”

25 years ago: “The city and county have struck a deal that should put the lid on their squabbling over the landfill and the joint sales tax. Agreements to pave the way for the city of Durango to open a new landfill adjacent to the La Plata County Landfill (formerly Van-Dal) and to change the way the county and city split the joint sales tax are being put in final form this week. If all goes as planned, the city would open a new landfill and a recycling center to serve the city and county residents in about 18 months.”

Most items in this column are taken from Herald archives, Center of Southwest Studies and Animas Museum. Their accuracy may not be verified.