City of Durango crews will begin work with Durango Electric and La Plata Electric Association to replace power lines in the alleys between Main Avenue and East Second Avenue today.

The project will continue from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday. The work will resume from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Tuesday. The effort is to consolidate electrical services after completion of the downtown sidewalk project. The construction will start in the Eighth Street alley and finish in the Fifth Street alley, using the one-way traffic direction. The project will include preparing all locations for a new power line and seeks to minimize traffic delays crossing the roadway. Alley access will be limited. Traffic delays on the days listed should be anticipated for the east 100 blocks between Eighth Street and Fifth Street. Travelers are encouraged to use alternate routes.

For more information, call 375-4900.

Transit Center parking lot to be closed

The Durango Transit Center parking lot at 250 W. Eighth St. will be closed all day Saturday for maintenance. For more information, call 259-5438.

FLC to host Reece Kelly Lecture Series

The Fort Lewis College History Department will present the fifth annual Reece Kelly Lecture Series at 6:30 p.m. today in Room 130 of Noble Hall.

This year’s lecture is “Human Rights in Guatemala: On the Historical Trail of Justice” by Virginia Garrard-Burnett. Garrard-Burnett is a professor and associate chairwoman in the Department of History, as well as a professor of religious studies at the University of Texas at Austin. She is the author of Terror in the Land of the Holy Spirit: Guatemala Under General Efrain Rios Montt, 1982-1983.

The lecture series is named for the late Reece Kelly, a professor of history at FLC for decades. The series brings history experts from across the country to campus.

Life-Long Learning series continues

The Life-Long Learning Lecture Series at Fort Lewis College will present “In Search of Reasons for Belief: Is Knowledge Even Possible?” at 7 p.m. Thursday in Room 130 of Noble Hall.

Dugald Owen, professor in the Philosophy Department at Fort Lewis College, will help people seek an answer, exploring all the main paths philosophers have taken. For a schedule of lectures, visit www.fortlewis.edu/professionalassociates.

Grange to host chili cook-off Saturday

La Plata Pomona Grange will host a community chili cook-off at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Florida Grange Hall, 656 Colorado Highway 172 – a little more than half a mile south of Elmore’s Corner on Colorado Highway 172.

There will be a red and green division. The entry fee is $10 with prizes dependent on the number of entries. Each entry is to provide 2 gallons of ready-to-serve chili.

For more information, call Tom Campion at 588-3491.

Grafting, pruning workshop to be held

A grafting and pruning workshop will be held Saturday at the Old Fort, 18683 Colorado Highway 140 located four miles south of Hesperus.

Jude Schuenemeyer, co-founder of Montezuma Orchard, will lead the pruning workshop. This session is limited to 25 and has a cost of $25 to cover supplies and 3 rootstocks. The grafting portion will take place from 9 a.m. to noon, and the pruning session will begin at 1 p.m. Participants should bring a bag lunch. Both sessions will meet at the library. Participants should dress in layers and bring gloves and tools. Pruning session will be in the orchard.

To register or for more information, call Beth LaShell at 385-4574 or email [email protected].

Tack, equipment sale to be held Saturday

The Four Corners Backcountry Horsemen’s annual Tack and Equipment Sale will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the La Plata Country Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave.

The sale will feature bridles, saddles, boots and more for any type of horsemanship. People may bring in items to consign from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday. Proceeds from the sale support the work horsemen do on behalf of all who enjoy public lands. For more information, visit www.4Cbch.org or call Don Kelly at 769-6342.

Beginning gardening class available

A free gardening class titled “Gardening 101: Beginning Gardening” will be taught at Native Roots Garden Center at noon Saturday at 26266 U.S. Highway 160.

The participants will learn how to start and grow organic vegetables and flowers, no experience necessary. To reserve a space, call 259-5111.

FLC committees to meet Thursday

The Academic & Student Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees for Fort Lewis College will meet at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, followed by the Business Affairs Committee at 2:45 p.m., the Presidential Evaluation Committee at 3:45 p.m. and the Ad Hoc Investment Advisory Committee at 4:30 p.m. – all held in the President’s Conference Room, 2503 Berndt Hall at FLC. For more information, call Peggy Sharp at 247-7437 or email [email protected].

Herald Staff