Letters to the Editor

Addressing America’s growing wealth gap
Letters to the Editor

Addressing America’s growing wealth gap

June 5, 2026

Wealth inequality in the United States has reached levels that should concern every American. While millions of working families struggle to afford housing, healthcare, childcare and higher education, a small…

Naomi Riess is the right choice for HD59
Letters to the Editor

Naomi Riess is the right choice for HD59

June 5, 2026

I am proud to offer my full support and endorsement of Naomi Riess as the Republican candidate for House District 59. I have known Naomi for many years, and during…

Kelloff puts public lands at forefront
Letters to the Editor

Kelloff puts public lands at forefront

June 5, 2026

Alex Kelloff has been part of ranching and public lands for four generations. He and his family have lived, run cattle, hunted, fished and worked with local communities from Trinidad…

Democrats still misunderstanding their 2024 defeat
Opinion

Democrats still misunderstanding their 2024 defeat

June 5, 2026

Republicans seemed concerned about their electability in the wake of Donald Trump’s increasing unpopularity. But don’t worry – Democrats can still snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in 2028.…

Phil Weiser shows up to listen
Letters to the Editor

Phil Weiser shows up to listen

June 3, 2026

Since before his election as attorney general in 2018, Phil Weiser has crisscrossed Colorado listening to the concerns of communities across the state. That includes the coal communities of conservative…

Pay for gas tax relief
Letters to the Editor

Pay for gas tax relief

June 3, 2026

President Trump wants to suspend the federal gas tax to lower the price pressure created by his reckless war in Iran. A great idea! We could all use the help.…

Rethink watering unused grass in Bodo
Letters to the Editor

Rethink watering unused grass in Bodo

June 3, 2026

With water restrictions arriving early this year, and given that we live in a high desert, one has to wonder why there is so much completely unused, lush green grass…

Schools need shared values, stronger academic focus
Letters to the Editor

Schools need shared values, stronger academic focus

June 1, 2026

The Durango Herald recently reported that 9-R may need to consolidate even more schools beyond Sunnyside and Florida Mesa. The district keeps pointing to declining enrollment and shrinking budgets but…

At the grave of my drill sergeant
Letters to the Editor

At the grave of my drill sergeant

June 1, 2026

At the grave of my drill sergeant at Arlington National Cemetery. I saw on the news that he had been killed while I was working out at the Durango Recreation…

Weiser for governor, Bennet for Senate
Letters to the Editor

Weiser for governor, Bennet for Senate

May 29, 2026

We will likely know the statewide November election results by June 30. Why? Because Colorado has become so blue that whichever Democratic nominee wins the primary will likely win the…

Trail users need better bike etiquette
Letters to the Editor

Trail users need better bike etiquette

May 29, 2026

My husband and I, both cyclists, decided to walk the Animas River Trail last weekend. We were totally dismayed by the lack of bike etiquette on the trail. Almost everybody…

Pay attention to nature – especially this year
Letters to the Editor

Pay attention to nature – especially this year

May 29, 2026

Getting outside to enjoy the spring weather and the natural world is always a wonderful tonic for our physical, mental and spiritual health. Paying attention to nature – and how…

Weiser should remain in Colorado leadership
Letters to the Editor

Weiser should remain in Colorado leadership

May 29, 2026

Colorado voters will have to choose between Sen. Michael Bennet and Attorney General Phil Weiser in the upcoming June 30 Democratic primary election for governor. It is important to understand…

Children need safer bike lanes
Letters to the Editor

Children need safer bike lanes

May 29, 2026

As a child who rides my bike around town a lot, I was excited to see a pop-up bike lane installed on Junction Street, where I ride to and from…

Brown trout are not native to Colorado
Letters to the Editor

Brown trout are not native to Colorado

May 29, 2026

In the front-page article, “Durango-La Plata County Airport opens new terminal, security checkpoint,” about the airport terminal remodel (Herald, May 18), mention was made of “two metal brown trout sculptures…

Buy local, print elsewhere?
Letters to the Editor

Buy local, print elsewhere?

May 29, 2026

A question came to mind when I saw the banner on the April 29 Durango Herald saying the printed issue would not be available because of problems with the printing…

Results over rhetoric on the Western Slope
Letters to the Editor

Results over rhetoric on the Western Slope

May 27, 2026

As residents of the Roaring Fork Valley, we are fortunate to live in a region defined by an independent spirit. From the banks of the Crystal River to the peaks…

Beware politicians posing as false prophets
Letters to the Editor

Beware politicians posing as false prophets

May 27, 2026

What is a grifter, or a charlatan? Is it a person who professes to have knowledge, intellect or experience that they do not actually possess? In plain speak, a person…

Make the Chapman Hill roundabout safer
Letters to the Editor

Make the Chapman Hill roundabout safer

May 27, 2026

Another “Endurance” cyclist statue bites the dust. Is it a freak occurrence, or is there a problem with the design of the traffic circle? I drive through that circle daily.…

Stream debate is about trespass rights
Opinion

Stream debate is about trespass rights

May 27, 2026

Cody M. Perry’s column, “Colorado lawmakers keep dodging debate over public stream access rights,” is disingenuous at best (Herald, May 15). His references to “right-to-float” laws are a red herring.…

Electric cars make sense for drivers, planet
Letters to the Editor

Electric cars make sense for drivers, planet

May 25, 2026

As communities across the country grapple with rising fuel costs, air pollution, and the growing impacts of global warming, one solution is becoming increasingly clear: the widespread adoption of electric…

School tech policy needs a parent-driven update
Letters to the Editor

School tech policy needs a parent-driven update

May 25, 2026

It takes a fair amount of time to read the “Student internet and Electronic Mail Acceptable Use Policy” before registering kids for school in the Durango School District. That is…

Paint the roundabout, save the sculptures
Letters to the Editor

Paint the roundabout, save the sculptures

May 25, 2026

I’ve been thinking about this suggestion for a couple of weeks, and if I had followed through earlier maybe the latest wreck on the Chapman Hill roundabout wouldn’t have happened.…

Kip Koso has the skills to lead
Letters to the Editor

Kip Koso has the skills to lead

May 25, 2026

I had the honor to work with Kip Koso for years on the Local First Board of Directors. His leadership during my term was exemplary. He has the patience and…

Dog left in hot car, city slow to respond
Letters to the Editor

Dog left in hot car, city slow to respond

May 22, 2026

On May 9, I reported a dog locked in a hot car. I had to leave the scene but trusted that police would promptly respond. Thirty-eight minutes later, I received…

Fossil fuels, solar must coexist for now
Letters to the Editor

Fossil fuels, solar must coexist for now

May 22, 2026

In a recent letter, “Affordable energy requires honest accounting” (Herald, May 6), the author made interesting arguments regarding the debate over fossil fuels vs. solar and wind energy. However, the…

Council’s power play undermines public trust
Letters to the Editor

Council’s power play undermines public trust

May 22, 2026

Honest and transparent communication is essential for public servants. It takes hubris and hypocrisy, then, for city council members to quietly orchestrate behind closed doors the sidelining of a colleague…

Support, don’t shortchange, local nonprofits
Letters to the Editor

Support, don’t shortchange, local nonprofits

May 22, 2026

Thank you, Briggen Wrinkle, for your well-reasoned article about what we think we know about nonprofits (Herald, May 1). Having spent much of the past 40 years creating, leading, supporting…

Who is behind the Code Rights Project?
Letters to the Editor

Who is behind the Code Rights Project?

May 22, 2026

In 1980, I arrived in La Plata County to begin a new chapter as CEO of Burns National Bank (currently Bank of Colorado). Our core lending was in business, construction…

Prison needs better management, not expansion
Letters to the Editor

Prison needs better management, not expansion

May 22, 2026

One April 17, the Herald reported Gov. Jared Polis’ lament for a new prison. He is wrong. What we need is competent management. Over the past two decades, we’ve been…