Out of the hospital
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.
Locally, the most contentious election was that for the Durango School District 9-R School Board (now there’s a sentence we never thought we’d have to write).
The 9-R election, however, reflected a national trend where school boards have seemingly become the center stage for culture wars on topics like how to teach children about race and whether schools should implement COVID-19 protocols.
Though school board elections are supposed to be nonpartisan, three conservative candidates – Donna Gulec, Dean Hill and Kristina Paslay – banded together as a three-piece ticket, vowing to challenge things like mask mandates and critical race theory (which is not taught in 9-R schools).
These newcomer candidates, however, were handily beaten in this election by what was seen as their “progressive” counterparts.
In District A, 9-R incumbent Erika Brown received 8,407 votes to Paslay’s 3,346. A third candidate, Catherine Mewmaw, ran in this district and received 1,137 votes.
In District C, Rick Petersen, also a newcomer, beat Hill 8,681-4,105. And in District E, 9-R incumbent Andrea Parmenter beat Gulec by a vote of 8,961 to 3,870.
Now, can we make school boards boring again?
Also, all three statewide ballot measures failed.
• Prop 120 would have reduced property taxes for multi-unit housing and hotels, but not for single-family homes. And, the reduction in taxes would have hit to schools and fire districts.
• Prop 119 would have raised marijuana tax sales to fund out-of-school programs. However, opponents argued it would undercut already underfunded public school districts to fund private companies with little oversight.
• Amendment 78 would have created a new process for how the state would spend some federal funds.
La Plata County had 42% voter turnout, high for an off-year election. “I’m very happy voters turned up,” said La Plata County Clerk Tiffany Lee.
Good job, you did it.
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From drills to drain snakes, Durango Tool Library’s got your next DIY covered
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Feds make unprecedented move to hold back water in drought-stricken Powell
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- 05/05/2022
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New land closures are put in place to protect iconic raptors
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To say America is divided at the current moment is, well, an understatement
- Petition passes
- 05/12/2022
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The petition for more public process in fire and police stations needed 768 signatures, and all tallied up, received 771 valid signatures.
- Florida ManĀ
- 05/05/2022
- By Elizabeth Barrett, Animas High intern
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We’re all familiar with location-based stereotypes, constantly witnessing their incarnations: Texan cowboys, Californian “dude bros,” and our very own Coloradan potheads, to name a few.
- Hold your fire
- 04/28/2022
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It doesn’t appear weather conditions will line up this spring for a prescribed burn on Animas City Mountain, intended to create a buffer around the City of Durango