Benches moved to stop loitering, panhandling
City benches in Durango are being moved to prevent panhandlers from loitering near businesses.
The Durango Herald reports that Durango Antique Market employee, Justine Hall, requested to have a bench moved from the storefront in early May.
Hall says panhandlers would loiter on the bench for hours, blocking the store window and preventing window shopping.
Lance Logan says it’s only some members of the panhandling community that give everyone a bad name. He says he was asked to leave a bench in front of Del Sol Durango, and later the bench was moved.
The city manager assistant says benches can be moved at the request of merchants to reduce panhandling and for other reasons.
Forest Service approves land swap at ski area
Developers are a step closer to building a ski resort about 85 miles northeast of Durango in Wolf Creek with the U.S. Forest Service’s approval of a land swap.
The Durango Herald reports B.J. “Red” McCombs has been trying to build the resort since 1986, and wants to exchange 177 acres of private land with road access for 205 acres of federal land with access to U.S. Highway 160.
Rio Grande National Forest Supervisor Dan Dallas says not swapping land would have had the least environmental impact, but that McCombs and the other developers are entitled to right of way access so they can use their property.
Along with facing opposition from environmental groups, developers still have to solve water rights issues and reach agreements with agencies including the Colorado Department of Transportation and Mineral County.
Mercy hosts workshop for caregivers
Mercy Regional Medical Center invites the public to “Using Mindfulness, Reflection, and Relationship Dynamics to Create Health,” a free workshop for caregivers, Friday, June 5, from noon to 1:00 p.m. in Conference Room B on the Garden level at Mercy.
Led by Dr. Selena Sermeno, the workshop will address how the use of mindfulness, reflection, and relationship dynamics can promote health and wellness.
Dr. Sermeno is a bilingual psychologist, an organizational consultant and a social science educator.
For more information, please contact Jenny Treanor of Profile EAP at JennyTreanor@Centura.org.
Associated Press