Columnists

Broken ankle changes Euro trip

Shortly before our scheduled departure I fell, broke my ankle and couldn’t go. We tried unsuccessfully to obtain some kind…

December 22, 2017

Culture Gulch

Dennis Elkins returns for Christmas

Pagosa mounts a comedic ‘Tuna’

Sexual assault brings up trauma

Time went on, I thought I had moved on and life would continue as usual. Well, five years ago the…

Nicholas Kristof

Kristof: Did genocide destroy this Rohingya village?

Nicholas Kristof The children who survive are left haunted: Noor Kalima, age 10, struggles in class in a makeshift refugee…

Joyce Rankin

Rankin: Preparing Colorado’s students for an unforeseen future

Joyce Rankin Speakers and panelists from across the nation discussed directions education is taking and how our schools can prepare…

Brooks: GOP tax bill a missed opportunity to help workers and the middle class

But the fact is that Barack Obama repeatedly proposed cutting it to 28 percent and the average European corporate rate…

December 20, 2017

Affair involves husband, brother

We agreed to get counseling and work on our marriage. Well, it turns out Velma was also seeing his brother…

December 20, 2017

Krugman: Passing through to corruption

Paul Krugman The question is, why are they doing this? For this bill isn’t just a policy crime; it also…

December 19, 2017

Parker: Collateral damage of “credibly accused”

Kathleen Parker On Wednesday afternoon, it ended for Kentucky state Rep. Dan Johnson on a remote bridge, where he shot…

December 19, 2017

Karaoke is not about talent

Well, the same goes for Karen. The other singers compliment her to the point that she now believes she has…

December 19, 2017

Students on Point

Monument reductions disrespect culture, history

Mo Murray These famed desert areas are home to wildlife and thousands of archaeological sites that not only hold historical…

December 18, 2017

The Travel Troubleshooter

Daughter worries about mom

I would love to invite her to my in-laws’ house, but my husband doesn’t want her to come. When I…

December 18, 2017

Action Line

Christmas doggerel’s bark is worse than its bite

Events of the past year brought smiles and frowns. Traditions aplenty for this time of year; So here is your…

December 17, 2017

After a wild year for travel, what lies ahead in 2018?

No one will forget the past year in travel. How could they? But what does it all mean for your…

December 17, 2017

Dad obsessed with inheritance

I finally had to tell Dad to stop asking my young kids which of his childhood toys they would like…

December 17, 2017

Thinking Green

Now’s the time to voice your views about our public lands’ future

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke wiped out more than 1 million acres of protected landscapes in two national monuments in southern…

The Tourism Effect

Political will in building a strong tourism community

Political will can be measured in several ways. First is the city’s leadership. Do community leaders even recognize tourism as…

Childs: Rep. Tipton, remember where you came from

It’s a big difference between here and there. Out here, we’re made by the sense of land. Think Mesa Verde,…

Parker: Election 2018 – It’s not too soon to review what to expect

How do state elections work? All active registered voters will automatically receive a mail ballot for every election the county…

Doughty: Impact fees ensure new growth pays its own way

Hal Doughty, Chief, Durango Fire Protection DistrictJERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald The expense of expanding infrastructure to accommodate new growth can overwhelm…

On Education

Ninde: Connection is key! Reach out and save a life

Claire Nindedu1-i-syn When a youth dies by suicide, our questioning becomes more desperate and the need for an answer feels…

Stepson left out of gift-giving

My husband and I had our own child seven months ago. Now they’re sending a ton of Christmas presents for…