Letters to the Editor – The Durango Herald

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Bird upside down ‘a nonevent’

The article on the bird hanging upside down in the alley of downtown Durango seems typical of the journalism present in most media coverage of a nonevent. Interesting but certainly not factu...

DATE: Jul 7, 2024 | CATEGORY: Opinion

‘Supreme Court ‘officially’ crowned King Biden’

So it seems that the Supreme Court just “officially” crowned King Joseph Biden. Why doesn’t he have an “official” conversation with his military as commander-in-chief and “officially” direct...

DATE: Jul 7, 2024 | CATEGORY: Opinion

Robert Kennedy Jr. ‘highly intelligent, well-spoken’

The Democratic National Committee is part of our government corruption problem. It is itself a threat to democracy. If the DNC valued the democratic process, it would have allowed us to choo...

DATE: Jul 7, 2024 | CATEGORY: Opinion

‘Biden is old. He has wisdom’

As a 3rd Congressional District resident, I have donated to Adam Frisch several times. Two years ago, he said he would not support Nancy Pelosi. I voted for him and let go my qualms because ...

DATE: Jul 7, 2024 | CATEGORY: Opinion

‘No good choices in upcoming elections’

Once again, our cursed two-party system has given us no good choices in the upcoming elections. For the 3rd Congressional District, it will be Grand Junction lawyer Jeff Hurd for the Republ...

DATE: Jul 7, 2024 | CATEGORY: Opinion

‘Jenna made positive difference for many’

I was saddened to learn of the death of Fort Lewis College’s Director of Admissions Jenna Gilbert. Although I did not know Jenna, as a graduate of FLC, I do understand the value of a connect...

DATE: Jun 30, 2024 | CATEGORY: Opinion

Ranked choice voting ‘can be exploited’

Ranked choice voting is a system where voters rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate receives 50%–plus of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminat...

DATE: Jun 30, 2024 | CATEGORY: Opinion

‘Prefer representatives work for me’

I wonder if the tone of our political discourse could change with a single word – work. Personally, I would prefer that my representatives work for me, just like most of us work to achieve o...

DATE: Jun 30, 2024 | CATEGORY: Opinion

‘Grave injustices’ in lack of ‘alacrity’

I cannot think of a legal case in America’s history more important that whether a sitting president, with impunity, can attempt to overthrow a presidential election result in order to remain...

DATE: Jun 30, 2024 | CATEGORY: Opinion

Palindromes

Visual treats that give a thrill, When written backwards the Lines Reverse Nil. “Madam, I’m Adam” was the first one. “Eve,” she replied, not to be outdone. Perhaps “Dogma: I am God” came bef...

DATE: Jun 30, 2024 | CATEGORY: Opinion

‘Further,’ ‘farther’: Who knows difference?

Thank you, for the “word police” guest column on June 23. How about “further” as in cause and “farther,” which refers to distance. TV people don’t seem to know the difference, nor does anyo...

DATE: Jun 30, 2024 | CATEGORY: Opinion

‘Don’t blame Joe. So misdirected’

My cat’s food cost about $4 more this month. That Joe Biden! It’s no secret that he’ll fast track back into the White House with these impressive inflation numbers. Right? No, this country i...

DATE: Jun 30, 2024 | CATEGORY: Opinion

Photos: ‘Mini Takes the States’ tour stops in DurangoHundreds of Mini Cooper vehicles occupy Fort Lewis College on Sunday; Participants began the journey in Albuquerque and will finish in Seattle

Hundreds of Mini Cooper vehicles occupy Fort Lewis College on Sunday; Participants began the journey in Albuquerque and will finish in Seattle

Photos: Boxing returns to DurangoAnimus on the Animas: 1st Annual Durango Boxing Classic at the Durango Main Mall on Saturday

Animus on the Animas: 1st Annual Durango Boxing Classic at the Durango Main Mall on Saturday

Photos and video: Going for the gold by devouring piesContestants try their best to win the Oscar’s Pie Eating Contest on Friday in Durango

Contestants try their best to win the Oscar’s Pie Eating Contest on Friday in Durango

Photo: Fireworks light the sky in DurangoDurango celebrates Independence Day on Thursday night

Durango celebrates Independence Day on Thursday night

Photos: Working with woodLocal craftsman uses wood joinery, rather than nails or screws to construct homes and other structures

Local craftsman uses wood joinery, rather than nails or screws to construct homes and other structures

2024 Fourth of July Parade draws crowd Thursday in downtown Durango

Photos: Downtown Durango hosts Fourth of July ParadeDowntown sidewalks were full for Thursday’s celebration

Downtown sidewalks were full for Thursday’s celebration

Durango Rotary Club, Parks and Recreation department host Independence Day events

Law enforcement conducts active threat training at Park Elementary SchoolResidents may see and hear police activity Thursday and Friday

Law enforcement agencies across Southwest Colorado sent officers to participate in active threat training this week at Park Elementary School in Durango. Those in the neighborhood can expect police vehicles parked on the premises, officers in tactical gear conducting exercises inside and outside the school, and signs advising that training is in progress. The sounds of shouting, airsoft weapons and the popping of a starter pistol will also be audible near the school, said Karla Sluis, spokeswoman for Durango School District 9-R.Sluis said that members of the school district’s safety department have gone door-to-door with flyers notifying residents around Park Elementary School about the training.

Hosted by the Durango Police Department and the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office, this week’s voluntary training invited officers from law enforcement agencies across a five-county region of Southwest Colorado encompassing La Plata, Archuleta, San Juan, Montezuma and Dolores counties.

La Plata County Sheriff’s Office deputy Mike Latham, lead instructor for this week's training, said Wednesday and the first half of Thursday were mostly preparatory, teaching officers the school’s layout and devising scenarios, whereas the latter half of Thursday and Friday residents should anticipate some noise as active threat scenarios play out.

Latham said active threat training teaches officers proper protocol during active threat scenarios, especially in densely populated areas where they have become increasingly common.Park Elementary School is not the only Durango School District facility law enforcement has conducted active threat training. Latham said schools lend themselves well to this sort of training because, “It gives us all kinds of doors to work on, different rooms, different scenarios we can run. We can pretend it’s a mall with nice big corridors, we can even pretend it’s an outdoor area in the gymnasium.”Latham has participated in active threat training multiple times in the past and described the drills as exhilarating and nerve-wracking. He said one of the training’s main goals is teaching officers how to manage stress and remain calm with lives on the line.

“I take a pulse oximeter in the morning and get a baseline on their heart rates,” Latham said. “And sometimes, just before they’re about to engage a threat, I say ‘Timeout.’ Put it (the oximeter) on there, and their heart rate’s skyrocketed to 140, 150, 160 just in training.”

Latham said throughout his career active threat training has evolved to become safer for officers and fall in line with increasingly professional police standards.“When I first started we were just running into halls and rooms hoping for the best,” Latham said. “Now the tactic is still to get there, still stop the taking of lives, but tactics are much better than they were 20 years ago.”

Residents may see and hear police activity Thursday and Friday

Photos: Flower powerDurango Botanic Gardens holds 11th annual ‘Gardens on Tour’ on Saturday

Durango Botanic Gardens holds 11th annual ‘Gardens on Tour’ on Saturday

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