The Pole

One Thanksgiving, a few years ago, I sliced my finger on a piece of broken glass while cleaning dishes, requiring a late night trip to Mercy Regional Medical Center’s emergency room to put half of my pinky finger back on.

There, a doctor, making small talk while pumping an alarming amount of anesthesia into my finger, said every year people are admitted into the ER on Thanksgiving for … drumroll please … over-eating. As I waited several hours for the routine procedure of four stitches, and while my partner slept outside in the car with the heat on, I wondered, what is everyone else doing in here?

Rain or shine (or snow), Purgatory Resort plans to hold opening day this Saturday. As far as what lifts and trails will be open, we’re still in a state of – if you hate bad puns, look away – purgatory on what that will look like.

Southwest Colorado has received little to no early season snow. As a result, Purgatory Resort has had to rely on its snowmaking capabilities to make good on its target to open Nov. 20.

Durango’s Police blotter can be a source of endless entertainment.

People yelling at lamp posts, late night marauders stealing asparagus from home gardens, reports of deadly spirits attacking hotel managers, drunken people atop trees yelling at people down below, a gang of raccoons blocking someone from getting into an old folks home, an unauthorized guy in the middle of Camino del Rio directing traffic. It never disappoints.

Last week, we reported about the Durango Fire Protection District’s plans to relocate to the 9-R Admin building at 12th St. and 2nd Ave. A major part of that plan was the City of Durango portioning off Buckley Park from the 9-R site. That happened Tuesday night, with the City finagling new property lines that expands the park to include the sledding area.

An old editor once told me about reporting the news: “If you put people in the hospital, you better take them out.” Well, we thrust you into the issues surrounding the Nov. 2 election, so we’re gonna get you out with a rundown of the results.

If you thought 2020 was bad, brace yourself for this one – almost 500 years ago, French astrologer Nostradamus predicted there would be a zombie apocalypse in 2021.

Yikes. It may be time to switch out your N-95 mask for a spiked bat.

Now, we still have a few months to see what happens, but, one wonders, is this a sign the people of Durango will take to the streets on Halloween night to bring back the undead Zombie March?

This week we welcome a new A&E writer, Alex Vick, who has been involved in the Durango music scene for years. Among his many music side hustles, he currently plays in Immediate Family and Your Bones (which you can go see at Punk Rock Breakfast on Saturday).