The Pole

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.

Not only is local snowboarder Brittani Coury bringing home the silver from South Korea, she’s also one of five finalists for the “Female Paralympic Athlete of the Games.”

The City is also rolling out a program of a different sort: tubing at Chapman Hill. Tubing will be offered daily during 9-R spring break on the main ski hill from 12 noon - 4 p.m. daily, including weekends.

If you live downtown south of 7th Street, you now have a reason to look forward to trash day. The City of Durango is wheeling out its new line of bear-resistant trash cans starting this week. The new cans are fully automated, meaning no more WD40 or bungee cords, and remain locked when upright and unlock when turned upside down by city trash trucks. Best of all, they relock when set back down.