The Pole

Is it time to move on from shower serenades or car karaoke? Aspiring local Kelly Clarksons and Adam Levines can
once again test their vocal chops on the big stage with the return of the Durango Voice.

It’s hard to think about spring while winter has barely started, but the Four Corners’ other favorite springtime two-wheeled competition is just around the dusty singletrack corner. The 12th annual 12 Hours of Mesa Verde, the famed 12-hour endurance race at Phil’s World, takes off, Le Man’s style, Sat., May 13.

Learn about the original bad asses of the ski world next Tuesday, when Durango Nordic presents “A Legacy of Skiing: The 10th Mountain Division.” The talk will be presented by Durango’s own three-peat Nordic Olympian and history buff, Mike Elliott, and gets under way at 6 p.m. at Pine Needle Mountaineering, 835 Main Ave.

And speaking of skiing around in the dark, Durango Nordic is once again hosting its weekly Wednesday night romp around Purgatory starting next Wed., Jan. 10. This is the second year for the races, formally known as the McDonald's Twilight Nights series, which features four weeks of racing for skiers, fat bikers and snowshoers. The series culminates with the super fancy Snowdown Triathlon on Jan. 31.

The battle over whether wheels should be allowed in wilderness continues. The latest in that long-simmering argument is a letter signed by 133 conservation groups submitted last week to a congressional subcommittee. The letter opposes a move currently afoot to allow bikes and other wheeled, nonmotorized vehicles into wilderness.

Still got that Christmas shopping list hanging over your head? Or maybe you haven’t even started making one yet? Durango’s Business Improvement District is here for you, you last-minuter, you.

And speaking of shopping, the City of Durango has narrowed it down to three finalists in the re-naming of the North Main corridor as part of its newly launched “Districts Initiative.” And the finalists are (drum roll, please): North Main; Uptown; and Animas City.

With all this talk of shopping, chances are, your wallet’s already feeling a little lighter. But at least you can feel better knowing it’s not as light as most other Coloradans. According to a new study by SmartAsset, a New York financial technology company, La Plata County is one of the financially healthiest places in Colorado.