The Pole

In case you need an excuse to eat out, now you have one. Next week, April 16-20, is Thrive! Living Wage Coalition’s “Dine Out Durango Week.” A fundraiser for the Thrive!, six certified living wage restaurants in Durango – Eolus, Grassburger, Ore House, Ska, Smiley Cafe and Zia – will donate a portion of their profits to help make living wages a reality for all local workers.

Hippies rejoice! The VW Bus is back. And don’t worry – you can drive it with a clean conscience. That’s rights – after the PR nightmare of “Dieselgate,” the German automaker is emerging from the exhaust fumes with a brand-spanking new, redesigned electric version of its iconic, festivarian classic.

If you thought April 1 was closing day at Purg – April Fool’s. On Tuesday, the resort announced it will be re-opening 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Fridays – Sunday through April 15.

If you’re looking to maximize that 20-minute power nap, maybe a little coffee’s in order. OK, so it sounds counterintuitive, but hear us out. It’s called a “coffee nap,” and besides being another excuse to drink more coffee, there’s actually some science to it. According to Vox.com, if you caffeinate immediately before napping and sleep for 20 minutes or less, you can exploit a quirk in the way sleep and caffeine affect your brain.

If you thought getting rid of your landline would put an end to annoying phone scammers, guess again. In case you haven’t caught on, vermin telemarketers have now found a way to pester us on our cellphones, too. Even more egregious, they disguise themselves with local or regional caller IDs, duping people into answering only to hear a recording about how they’re won a trip to Disneyland.

Also in the “we probably could’ve told you that” file, comes a report from the Skin Cancer Foundation that tanning, particularly via tanning beds, is not good for you. According to the report, published in the journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, one in five young white women who have used a tanning bed in the past year exhibit signs of dependence on the activity (aka the less PC term, “tanorexia”)

Lake Nighthorse will open to the public Sun., April 1. No – this is not a joke. At least we don’t think so. According to a press release from the City of Durango, the lake will open Saturdays and Sundays only from April 1 - May 14 for non-motorized and non-trailered watercraft.

Students, parents and other concerned citizens are taking action to protest gun violence in schools. This Sat., March 24, marks the “March for Our Lives” international day of action with nearly 900 events planned worldwide.