Ad
Health Briefs

Montezuma County cross-country teams have big goals

Dolores girls seek return to state, while Dolores boys eye first trip to state

DATE: Aug 18, 2024 | CATEGORY: Sports

Colorado senators talk national election, highlight priorities for the rest of the session

John Hickenlooper, Michael Bennet had key policy goals get caught up in political whirlwind of campaign issues

DATE: Aug 18, 2024 | CATEGORY: Regional News

Tuxon Ranch in southwest La Plata County holding public tours, expanding operations

Equine operation also adding new animal stalls and pastures

DATE: Aug 18, 2024 | CATEGORY: Local News

Chuckwagon Rendezvous co-founder Harry Baxstrom ready to hang up the apron

‘It’s hard to not do something you’ve been doing a long time that you love,’ he says

DATE: Aug 17, 2024 | CATEGORY: Local News

Iraq’s Yazidis hope a new village will prompt massacre survivors to return

In 2014, extremists killed and enslaved thousands of Yazidis

DATE: Aug 17, 2024 | CATEGORY: Faith

A float in India Day Parade is anti-Muslim and should be removed, opponents say

Float depicts the Ram Mandir, a symbol glorifying the destruction of mosques

DATE: Aug 17, 2024 | CATEGORY: Faith

Montezuma-Cortez theater departments plan musicals, plays this school year

Roster includes ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ ‘Treasure Island,’ ‘One Stoplight Town’ and ‘Wizard of Oz’

DATE: Aug 17, 2024 | CATEGORY: Education

La Plata County Fair Demolition Derby all the (road) rage in Ignacio

Fierce competition, cash prizes and lasting friendships make up annual smash ’em up

DATE: Aug 17, 2024 | CATEGORY: Local News

Cortez Municipal Airport undergoing renovations

Parking lot and runway projects have already begun

DATE: Aug 17, 2024 | CATEGORY: Community

Local Civil Air Patrol unit to hold meeting for youths and potential volunteers

CAP teaches participating cadets about the value of volunteer work, excellence and respect

DATE: Aug 17, 2024 | CATEGORY: Education

Colorado legislators weigh grants for behavioral health services in jails

Committee considers other programs to help divert youth from criminal justice system, provide supportive housing to people deemed incompetent

DATE: Aug 17, 2024 | CATEGORY: Regional News

Duece Martinez waives preliminary hearing in Montezuma County

Martinez currently has multiple open juvenile and adult cases

DATE: Aug 17, 2024 | CATEGORY: Courts and Crime

Videos & Photos

40323024On Tuesday, April 29, local wildland firefighters ignited roughly 1,300 acres north of Dolores, at an area called Upper Boggy Draw, as part of a prescribed burn. Can you spot the firefighter in yellow? (Cameryn Cass/The Journal)‘It feels natural’: Inside the prescribed fire north of DoloresSpring and fall are the best times for burns, so expect more smoke in the airBefore wildland firefighters ignited almost 1,300 acres of forest land north of Dolores on Tuesday, April 29, they started a small test fire in the northeast corner of the burn unit.“Just to make sure it’s burning the way we want it to,” a Forest Service ranger explained as local wildland crews hiked up a steep hill toward the cliff band, where they first sparked the fire.The untrained eye would look at what they were walking on and call it a trail; in actuality, it was something called a hand line, which acts as a boundary during a prescribed burn.A few days before, crews carved out the lines, removing any flammable, organic matter on them to ensure the fire couldn’t spread past it.And to be sure the fire stayed within those burn boundaries that Tuesday morning, there were firefighters “in holding,” standing on the hand line, watching the fire.Down on Cottonwood Road, which acted as another boundary line during the burn, rangers huddled around, radios in hand, waiting to hear how things were burning before giving the green light to go ahead with the Upper Boggy Draw prescribed fire.This prescribed fire, like all of them, was many years in the making. It takes years of planning, permitting and adhering to the National Environmental Policy Act to actually undergo a burn.As a ranger said that day, they’re constantly planning five years – or more – out. 20041318The Dolores District’s Prescribed Fire Map for 2025. The prescribed burn on April 29 was in the Upper Boggy Draw burn area. (InciWeb)And, on top of it all, conditions have to be just right the day of the burn.Some years, the Forest Service doesn’t burn at all because it’s too windy, hot, dry or wet.That morning, temperatures were cool. The expected high for the day was in the mid-50s, the wind was moderate and the radar promised weather in the afternoon.“We’re expecting some moisture, but no wetting rain,” said Bruno Rodriguez, a NOAA meteorologist on site from Boulder, of the afternoon weather.Here, wetting rain, he said, would be anything a tenth of an inch or more. Plus, cooler temperatures are favorable because on hotter days, more water evaporates from the vegetation and thus makes it more flammable, said Rodriguez.Conditions were decidedly right on Tuesday, so the fire was allowed to spread. On the hour, though, crews checked the weather to make sure nothing changed.0VideoYouTube48036040323024The helicopter that was helping wildland firefighters walking on foot had to ground early on Tuesday, April 29 because of turbulent winds. (Cameryn Cass/The Journal)40323024Local wildland firefighters walking the road, igniting the Upper Boggy Draw area on Tuesday, April 29. It was the first prescribed burn the Forest Service had conducted there. (Cameryn Cass/The Journal) Two drones flew overhead and a helicopter went up for a while until the winds picked up to assist the crew and speed the process along a bit. It was the Forest Service’s first time burning in that area, so the fuel load was heavy, though it was far from the first time that landscape had seen fire.In fact, “Historically, fires in ponderosa pine communities burned naturally on a cycle of one every five to 25 years,” according to an article by the National Park Service.Nina Williams, a coordinator at the Dolores Watersheds Collaborative, called the area “a frequent fire landscape.”She pointed out the way the ponderosa pines “self-prune,” as their trunks are bare and branchless until a considerable way up the tree.For a long time, though, fires were suppressed in landscape.Why fire suppression? In the late 1800s, there were a few “legendary forest fires” that “threatened future commercial timber supply,” an article from the Forest History Society reads.These concerns, coupled with watershed considerations, is what encouraged the U.S. government “to begin setting aside national forest reservations.” In 1905, the Forest Service was established.Fast-forward five years later, to 1910, when forest fires burned 3 million acres of Montana, Idaho and Washington in just two days, the aforementioned article reads.The Forest Service “convinced themselves, and members of Congress and the public, that only total fire suppression could prevent such an event from occurring again,” it said.What’s more, fires threaten timber products.Smokey Bear, who came onto the scene in 1944, was the Forest Service’s vehicle to promote fire suppression, a form of propaganda akin to Uncle Sam, but with fire.Since then, “Smokey has changed his tune,” said Williams.Research in the 1960s and ’70s revealed the positives – and necessity – of fire in a forest, especially in a ponderosa pine forest.“Fire clears out large amounts of vegetation and fuel, leaving behind burned or partially burned vegetation,” an article by the National Park Service reads.“On the surface, this can appear to be a loss, but it actually provides new habitat by opening up space and nutrients for new plants to grow. Fire also opens up the canopy, allowing more sunlight to reach the forest floor,” it said.40323024Wildland firefighters setting fire to 1,300 acres north of Dolores on Tuesday morning, April 29. (Cameryn Cass/The Journal)Over time, starving the landscape of its fire has had impact.“After more than one hundred years of fire suppression, ponderosa pine forests have changed,” according to the National Park Service.“Where there used to be trees of different ages, there are now many seedlings and midstory trees. Large diameter ponderosa pines are now competing for resources, such as nutrients, light, and water,” it said.More trees – especially of similar age and type – puts the forest at risk for disease and insects. It also puts the forest at risk of larger, uncontrolled, high-intensity wild fires.The Upper Boggy Draw burnSmoke filled the air as the fire spread.“The darker the smoke, the heavier the fuel load,” said Williams.I nodded and looked around, the smoke closing in around us creating an almost unsettling atmosphere. It reminded me of a haunted forest, something out of a Brothers Grimm fairy tale. The once visible cliff band where the test fire started not too long ago was visible no more as the flames fed on the forest floor.The fire danced and crackled and popped as it spread. Branches and entire trees fell as the fire swelled and became mesmerizing.People around us all stopped and stared, entranced.“It feels natural,” said Williams, interrupting my thoughts momentarily, her gaze never leaving the flames.The prescribed fire at Upper Boggy Draw smoldered for days after it was set. Looking ahead, the Forest Service plans to burn 1,600 acres at Haycamp Mesa and another 1,600 at Salter, west of this burn area.Over in the Pagosa Ranger District, they plan to burn in Turkey Springs.Prescribed fire celebrationFor anyone interested in learning more about prescribed fire and why it’s important for nutrient cycling and the landscape as a whole, there’s a Prescribed Fire Celebration coming up, on May 17.The informational, educational piece is from 10 a.m. to noon at the Boggy Draw Trailhead parking lot, 32001 Road W in Dolores.The Dolores Watersheds Collaborative is putting it on, alongside a slew of partners, like the San Juan National Forest, Mountain Studies Institute and Mancos Conservation District, to name a few.“Lunch will be local beef burgers,” Williams said. “It’s free to attend.”After lunch, attendees will go for a walk in the woods to two prescribed burn footprints.“We’re doing it so people can learn about and celebrate fire, so people’s only experience with it isn’t smoke,” said Williams with a laugh.40323024Downed trees make for big fire. (Cameryn Cass/The Journal)
‘It feels natural’: Inside the prescribed fire north of Dolores
Spring and fall are the best times for burns, so expect more smoke in the air
Fish out of water – and onto the streets of DurangoCutbow trout ejected from Colorado Parks and Wildlife truck after abrupt stop1024768Several live cutbow trout were ejected from a Colorado Parks and Wildlife transport truck Tuesday in the Bodo Industrial Park area. (Bryant Olsen/Flickr) Several live fish were accidentally ejected from a Colorado Parks and Wildlife truck transporting them earlier this week from Durango to the Front Range.The driver was hauling rainbow and cutthroat trout hybrids, known as cutbows, from the Durango Fish Hatchery to Trinidad Reservoir, a CPW spokesperson said. About 8:15 a.m. Tuesday, someone called the Durango Police Department to report fish falling from a vehicle onto the southbound lanes of Sawyer Drive and South Camino del Rio in the Bodo Industrial Park area, south of downtown Durango. According to the spokesperson, the incident occurred after the driver made an abrupt stop. The sudden shift in water pressure caused a latch on one of the transport tanks to pop open, allowing some fish and water to spill out. rapid change in the transport tanks’ water pressure caused a latch on the tank’s lid to pop open and lift enough to let some fish and water out of the tank. By the time police arrived, the driver had managed to return some of the fish to the tank, an officer said. A video shot by a driver and shared with The Durango Herald showed at least a dozen fish flopping about on South Camino del Rio. 0VideoYouTube480360However, the CPW spokesperson said four fish fell onto the road and died after they could not be returned to the tank. Of the 2,264 fish in the truck, 2,260 arrived safely at the reservoir later that day. Durango Fish Hatchery Manager Toby Mourning said, “This type of thing is very rare, and it is the first time in the 20 years I have been at Durango that I have heard of this.”jbowman@durangoherald.com
Fish out of water – and onto the streets of Durango
Cutbow trout ejected from Colorado Parks and Wildlife truck after abrupt stop
AP PHOTOS: A herd of wild horses with origins in the 14th century still roams the German countryside68584572Wild horses graze in a meadow near the city of Duelmen, Germany, where the herd lives in almost unmanaged feral conditions, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)DUELMEN, Germany (AP) — A herd of wild horses that traces its origins to the 14th century still roams the countryside in western Germany.The herd is known as the Dülmener Wildpferde in German, or the wild horses of Duelmen. These days, nearly 400 horses make up the herd that lives on the Merfelder Bruch reserve at Duelmen in western Germany, north of the densely populated Ruhr industrial region.The earliest record of the herd dates back to 1316. The dukes of Croy set aside the roughly 3.5-square kilometer (1.35-square mile) reserve in the mid-19th century.On Saturday, recently-birthed foals cavorted with the rest of the herd in the springtime sunshine.57463830Wild horses graze in a meadow near the city of Duelmen, Germany, where the herd lives in almost unmanaged feral conditions, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)75185012Wild horses graze in a meadow near the city of Duelmen, Germany, where the herd lives in almost unmanaged feral conditions, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)66904460A wild horse rolls in the grass in a meadow near the city of Duelmen, Germany, where the herd lives in almost unmanaged feral conditions, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)78705247A wild horse takes a bath beside a meadow near the city of Duelmen, Germany, where the herd lives in almost unmanaged feral conditions, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)49203280Wild horses graze in a meadow near the city of Duelmen, Germany, where the herd lives in almost unmanaged feral conditions, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)56513767Wild horses graze in a meadow near the city of Duelmen, Germany, where the herd lives in almost unmanaged feral conditions, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)68674578Wild horses graze in a meadow near the city of Duelmen, Germany, where the herd lives in almost unmanaged feral conditions, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)62684179A young wild horse foal plays in a meadow near the city of Duelmen, Germany, where the herd lives in almost unmanaged feral conditions, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)77395159Wild horses graze in a meadow near the city of Duelmen, Germany, where the herd lives in almost unmanaged feral conditions, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)73104874A young wild horse foal stands by its mother in a meadow near the city of Duelmen, Germany, where the herd lives in almost unmanaged feral conditions, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)73114874A young wild horse stands by its mother in a meadow near the city of Duelmen, Germany, where the herd lives in almost unmanaged feral conditions, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)54313621Wild horses graze in a meadow near the city of Duelmen, Germany, where the herd lives in almost unmanaged feral conditions, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)75215014Wild horses graze in a meadow near the city of Duelmen, Germany, where the herd lives in almost unmanaged feral conditions, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
AP PHOTOS: A herd of wild horses with origins in the 14th century still roams the German countryside
DUELMEN, Germany (AP) — A herd of wild horses that traces its origins to the 14th century still roam...
40323024The Mancos Valley Chorus practices for their upcoming “On The Road Again” spring tour at the Mancos United Methodist Church, 470 Grand Ave. in Mancos. (Cameryn Cass/The Journal)Mancos Valley Chorus hits the road againTheir spring tour is right around the cornerAs the afternoon sun illuminated stained glass images of Lady Madonna and baby Jesus in the Mancos United Methodist Church, the Mancos Valley Chorus enlivened the airwaves, as the singers’ sopranos and altos converged to create song.After a few breath exercises and Do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do’s, the chorus sang “Route 66” to kick off rehearsal that Tuesday evening. From there, they worked their way through the set list for their upcoming spring tour of shows, “On The Road Again.”Upcoming showsSunday, May 4: Mancos United Methodist Church, 3 p.m. Tuesday, May 6: Christ King Lutheran Chuch in Durango, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 7: Cortez United Methodist Church, 7 p.m. Friday, May 9: Mancos United Methodist Church, 7 p.m. “It can mean literally on the road, or it means roads in life,” said Marty Lordier, the chorus’s treasurer. “Or even boats, trains.”Lordier was alluding to some of the other songs they’ll perform, like one she loves called “Freedom Train.”“I love music and singing with good people,” Lordier said. “It gives me joy.”Everyone The Journal spoke with that evening expressed similar sentiments of community and the joy of singing among friends and neighbors.“This gives me hope for a bright future, and it’s a sense of belonging, too,” said secretary and singer Becky Walker. “I have community in chorus.”Maggie Gillette, the director of the chorus said, “We have a lot of fun, and I think that translates into our performance.”0VideoYouTube480360Unlike other groups in the area, the Mancos Valley Chorus doesn’t require auditions and is thus “low stress” by nature.“I think we sound good. There’s people here who like to sing, and when we pull our voices together, we good sound,” said Gillette.Instruments – namely a piano, guitar, bass and drums – complement the songs. Some are performed as solos, duets, even quartets.“We work really hard to put together a high-quality show,” said Raleigh Cato, the president of the chorus. “There’s familiar tunes, tunes you love.”“And it’s familiar faces, singing,” Vice President Carrie Schneider added. “We’re your neighbors.”In recent years, more younger voices have joined, which has brought variety to the chorus’ cumulative voice and new faces to the audience, said Susie Frye, a soprano singer.Amanda Vodicka, a local musician who joined this year, is one of the younger voices.“I’ve learned to challenge myself, and I’ve met new people in the community,” said Vodicka, smiling at her musical peers in the room. “Also, breath control.”She added that “people should come because it’s community art. People from all over the county come together and raise their voices together.”Check out one – or several – of their upcoming shows in Montezuma County or Durango!
Mancos Valley Chorus hits the road again
Their spring tour is right around the corner
Photos/video: Galloping alongThe Rio Grande Southern Galloping Goose No.530002061The Rio Grande Southern Galloping Goose No. 5 makes its way up the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad tracks on Saturday heading to Cascade Canyon. Goose No. 5 was originally built in 1933 and then the Galloping Goose Historical Society of Dolores completely restored it in 1997. The Goose will be in Durango until May 18. Check the D&SNGR website for scheduled times. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)30002052The Rio Grande Southern Galloping Goose No. 5 makes its way up the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad tracks on Saturday heading to Cascade Canyon. Goose No. 5 was originally built in 1933 and then the Galloping Goose Historical Society of Dolores completely restored it in 1997. The Goose will be in Durango until May 18. Check the D&SNGR website for scheduled times. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)0VideoYouTube48036015002002The Rio Grande Southern Galloping Goose No. 5 makes its way up the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad tracks on Saturday heading to Cascade Canyon. Goose No. 5 was originally built in 1933 and then the Galloping Goose Historical Society of Dolores completely restored it in 1997. The Goose will be in Durango until May 18. Check the D&SNGR website for scheduled times. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)30001970The Rio Grande Southern Galloping Goose No. 5 makes its way up the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad tracks on Saturday heading to Cascade Canyon. Goose No. 5 was originally built in 1933 and then the Galloping Goose Historical Society of Dolores completely restored it in 1997. The Goose will be in Durango until May 18. Check the D&SNGR website for scheduled times. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)15001947The Rio Grande Southern Galloping Goose No. 5 makes its way up the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad tracks on Saturday heading to Cascade Canyon. Goose No. 5 was originally built in 1933 and then the Galloping Goose Historical Society of Dolores completely restored it in 1997. The Goose will be in Durango until May 18. Check the D&SNGR website for scheduled times. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Photos/video: Galloping along
The Rio Grande Southern Galloping Goose No.5
Check out hundreds of snakes on the 'Colorado RattleCam'Located near Fort Collins, this mega den is said to have as many as 2,000 rattlesnakes19201080This undated image made from a video provided by Project RattleCam shows a “mega den” of rattlesnakes in a remote location in northern Colorado. (Project RattleCam via AP)Across northern Colorado, flowers are blooming and the snow is melting. With the spring also comes the return of rattlesnakes and a popular webcam that captures a massive den of one of Colorado’s most spotted snakes.Located somewhere near Fort Collins, this mega den is said to have as many as 2,000 rattlesnakes. The webcam is part of a research project called “Project RattleCam.”0VideoYouTube480360Researchers from California Polytechnic State University and Dickinson College in Pennsylvania are behind the project. According to their website, the biologists are working to “raise awareness about rattlesnakes, their behavior, and their importance in the ecosystem.”Two cameras are part of the project. One is in Northern Colorado at an undisclosed location. Researchers say this is to protect the den and the animals that call it home. The other is in California, which is still hibernating at the moment.The cameras allow researchers to study the animals without disturbing them. It’s also a way to gain the public’s support by sharing the feed online.In Colorado, many of these snakes will be pregnant through the summer and await giving birth. Unlike other snakes, rattlesnakes give birth to live babies. They then spend weeks caring for their young and helping to keep them warm. Typically, snakes live alone, but during this period, they live in a den, which becomes a nursery or “rookeries.”“If you have a whole bunch of expectant mothers together, they don't all give birth exactly at the same time,” Scott Boback, professor of biology at Dickinson College and co-leader of Project RattleCam, told NPR last year. “Essentially, what you have is the opportunity for other mothers to babysit for the mother that actually has given birth to those pups.”The California camera is expected to be operational by July.To read more stories from KUNC, visit www.kunc.org.
Check out hundreds of snakes on the 'Colorado RattleCam'
Located near Fort Collins, this mega den is said to have as many as 2,000 rattlesnakes
24001597041925 Kathe Hayes of Mancos holds her "Dogs Against Trump button. She attended the demonstration with her puppy, Hazel. (Jen Magnuson/Special to The Journal)Photos: Protests held Saturday in Cortez and DurangoDemonstrators gather at the Cortez Welcome Center after the hour long demonstration lined many blocks of Main Street. (Jen Magnuson/Special to The Journal)31944800Kathe Hayes of Mancos holds her “Dogs Against Trump button. She attended the demonstration with her puppy, Hazel. (Jen Magnuson/Special to The Journal)15972400Patty Coen of Mancos leads a group of demonstrators in a series of chants from her megaphone as they walk along Main Street by City Market in downtown Cortez. (Jen Magnuson/Special to The Journal)31944800Michael Williams of Cortez displays his “Stop the Madness” sign outside the Cortez Welcome Center on Saturday. He said, “Patriotism and concern brought him out today.” (Jen Magnuson/Special to The Journal)15972400Organizers gather sign-ins from participants at the Cortez Welcome Center. They estimate that 339 people participated in the demonstration. (Jen Magnuson/Special to The Journal)15972400Demonstrators line Main Street at Madison Street in Cortez holding signs defending health care, Bears Ears National Monument, due process and free speech, and opposing tyranny and DOGE cuts. (Jen Magnuson/Special to The Journal)15972400Demonstrators walk along Main Street heading back toward the Cortez Welcome Center. (Jen Magnuson/Special to The Journal)31944800Around 850 area residents converged at Buckley Park where speakers railed against President Donald Trump’s and his administration’s forced removal of immigrants, and about 700 participants marched to 835 East Second Ave., the Durango office of U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd, to continue demonstrating. (Christian Burney/Durango Herald)22524000Around 850 area residents converged at Buckley Park where speakers railed against President Donald Trump’s and his administration’s forced removal of immigrants, and about 700 participants marched to 835 East Second Ave., the Durango office of U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd, to continue demonstrating. (Christian Burney/Durango Herald)22524000Around 850 area residents converged at Buckley Park where speakers railed against President Donald Trump’s and his administration’s forced removal of immigrants, and about 700 participants marched to 835 East Second Ave., the Durango office of U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd, to continue demonstrating. (Christian Burney/Durango Herald)22524000Around 850 area residents converged at Buckley Park where speakers railed against President Donald Trump’s and his administration’s forced removal of immigrants, and about 700 participants marched to 835 East Second Ave., the Durango office of U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd, to continue demonstrating. (Christian Burney/Durango Herald)22524000Around 850 area residents converged at Buckley Park where speakers railed against President Donald Trump’s and his administration’s forced removal of immigrants, and about 700 participants marched to 835 East Second Ave., the Durango office of U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd, to continue demonstrating. (Christian Burney/Durango Herald)22524000Around 850 area residents converged at Buckley Park where speakers railed against President Donald Trump’s and his administration’s forced removal of immigrants, and about 700 participants marched to 835 East Second Ave., the Durango office of U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd, to continue demonstrating. (Christian Burney/Durango Herald)22524000Around 850 area residents converged at Buckley Park where speakers railed against President Donald Trump’s and his administration’s forced removal of immigrants, and about 700 participants marched to 835 East Second Ave., the Durango office of U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd, to continue demonstrating. (Christian Burney/Durango Herald)22524000Around 850 area residents converged at Buckley Park where speakers railed against President Donald Trump’s and his administration’s forced removal of immigrants, and about 700 participants marched to 835 East Second Ave., the Durango office of U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd, to continue demonstrating. (Christian Burney/Durango Herald)22524000
Photos: Protests held Saturday in Cortez and Durango
Play ball: Demons in action at homeDurango High School baseball wins over Montezuma-Cortez on Tuesday 30002267Duncan Walsh of Durango High School tags out Brady Dale of Montezuma-Cortez High School at home plate on Tuesday at DHS. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)Sam Clark of Durango High School beats Michael Krupa of Montezuma-Cortez High School to first base, getting the out on Tuesday at DHS. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)27493842Sam Clark of Durango High School throws a pitch to a Montezuma-Cortez High School batter on Tuesday at DHS. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)22711500The Durango High School dugout looks on while playing Montezuma-Cortez High School on Tuesday at DHS. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)14752010Landin Padilla of Durango High School tags out Evan Woody of Montezuma-Cortez High School at second base on Tuesday at DHS. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)20833000Jack Englund of Durango High School is out at first base while playing Montezuma-Cortez High School on Tuesday at DHS. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)14512010jm@durangoherald.comSam Clark of Durango High School throws a pitch to a Montezuma-Cortez High School batter on Tuesday at DHS. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)16673000Durango High School head coach Masen Hibbeler talks with his player Dylan Burns while playing Montezuma-Cortez High School on Tuesday at DHS. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)15032010Darren Daves of Montezuma-Cortez High School throws the ball toward first base while playing Durango High School on Tuesday at DHS. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)11812010Dylan Burns of Durango High School slides in safe to second base getting by Cory Carver of Montezuma-Cortez High School on Tuesday at DHS. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)15462010Dylan Burns of Durango High School puts the ball in play while playing Montezuma-Cortez High School on Tuesday at DHS. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)13522010Connor Rosenbaugh of Montezuma-Cortez High School throws a pitch to a Durango High School batter on Tuesday at DHS. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)19022010Landin Padilla of Durango High School is tagged out by Kolby Wirth of Montezuma-Cortez High School at home plate on Tuesday at DHS. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)19771500Landin Padilla of Durango High School looks up for the call after being tagged out by Kolby Wirth of Montezuma-Cortez High School at home plate on Tuesday at DHS. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)13352010Montezuma-Cortez High School head coach Jake Huff talks to his team while playing Durango High School on Tuesday at DHS. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)16462010Ollie Peterson of Durango High School is tagged out on his way to second base by Cory Carver of Montezuma-Cortez High Schoo on Tuesday at DHS. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)17082010Duncan Walsh of Durango High School tags out Brady Dale of Montezuma-Cortez High School at home plate on Tuesday at DHS. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)21573000Duncan Walsh of Durango High School tags out Brady Dale of Montezuma-Cortez High School at home plate on Tuesday at DHS. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)22673000
Play ball: Demons in action at home
Durango High School baseball wins over Montezuma-Cortez on Tuesday
Photos: Hozhoni Days at Fort Lewis CollegeTribal members come together for two days of celebrating their Indigenous heritage30002251Dancers make their way around Whalen Gymnasium during the Hozhoni Days Powwow after the Grand Entry on Friday at Fort Lewis College. The annual two-day event brings tribes together celebrating their Indigenous heritage. The powwow is FLC’s longest-running cultural celebration. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)29932146The Hozhoni Days Powwow Grand Entry enters Whalen Gymnasium on Friday at Fort Lewis College. The annual two-day event brings tribes together celebrating their Indigenous heritage. The powwow is FLC’s longest-running cultural celebration. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)30002032Dancers make their way around Whalen Gymnasium during the Hozhoni Days Powwow after the Grand Entry on Friday at Fort Lewis College. The annual two-day event brings tribes together celebrating their Indigenous heritage. The powwow is FLC’s longest-running cultural celebration. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)30001987Hozhoni Days Powwow Host Southern Drum: Full Metal Jacket Singers, plays during the Grand Entry in Whalen Gymnasium on Friday at Fort Lewis College. The annual two-day event brings tribes together celebrating their Indigenous heritage. The powwow is FLC’s longest-running cultural celebration. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)30001956Dancers make their way around Whalen Gymnasium during the Hozhoni Days Powwow after the Grand Entry on Friday at Fort Lewis College. The annual two-day event brings tribes together celebrating their Indigenous heritage. The powwow is FLC’s longest-running cultural celebration. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)30002161Dancers make their way around Whalen Gymnasium during the Hozhoni Days Powwow after the Grand Entry on Friday at Fort Lewis College. The annual two-day event brings tribes together celebrating their Indigenous heritage. The powwow is FLC’s longest-running cultural celebration. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)30001990Dancers make their way around Whalen Gymnasium during the Hozhoni Days Powwow after the Grand Entry on Friday at Fort Lewis College. The annual two-day event brings tribes together celebrating their Indigenous heritage. The powwow is FLC’s longest-running cultural celebration. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)20101932Dancers make their way around Whalen Gymnasium during the Hozhoni Days Powwow after the Grand Entry on Friday at Fort Lewis College. The annual two-day event brings tribes together celebrating their Indigenous heritage. The powwow is FLC’s longest-running cultural celebration. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)30001684The Hozhoni Days Powwow Grand Entry enters Whalen Gymnasium on Friday at Fort Lewis College. The annual two-day event brings tribes together celebrating their Indigenous heritage. The powwow is FLC’s longest-running cultural celebration. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)15001524Dancers make their way around Whalen Gymnasium during the Hozhoni Days Powwow after the Grand Entry on Friday at Fort Lewis College. The annual two-day event brings tribes together celebrating their Indigenous heritage. The powwow is FLC’s longest-running cultural celebration. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)30002103Judges listen to Thunder Bay during the drum contest at the Hozhoni Days Powwow in Whalen Gymnasium on Friday at Fort Lewis College. The annual two-day event brings tribes together celebrating their Indigenous heritage. The powwow is FLC’s longest-running cultural celebration. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)20101485Dancers make their way around Whalen Gymnasium during the Hozhoni Days Powwow after the Grand Entry on Friday at Fort Lewis College. The annual two-day event brings tribes together celebrating their Indigenous heritage. The powwow is FLC’s longest-running cultural celebration. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)30002101A potentially up-and-coming singer looks during the drum contest at the Hozhoni Days Powwow in Whalen Gymnasium on Friday at Fort Lewis College. The annual two-day event brings tribes together celebrating their Indigenous heritage. The powwow is FLC’s longest-running cultural celebration. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Photos: Hozhoni Days at Fort Lewis College
Tribal members come together for two days of celebrating their Indigenous heritage
59994461Pastor Todd Erlandson of Grace Fellowship Church conducts a memorial for Orly Lucero Friday at the Cortez Recreation Center. (Aaron Lewis/Special to The Journal)(Aaron Lewis/Special to The Journal)Cortez gathers to honor Orly Lucero at celebration of lifeLucero was known for his catchphrase ‘Living the dream’Following his death on March 7, David Orlando (Orly) Lucero, 67, was laid to rest on Friday after a celebration of life at the Cortez Recreation Center. Rather than flowers, his family requested that donations be made in his honor to the American Cancer Society.Lucero served as the mayor of Cortez from 2002 to 2010 and a member of the Cortez City Council from 2014 to 2022. He worked as a staking engineer at Empire Electric Association Inc.16001186Orly LuceroLucero was also known for his Christmas light display around the holidays. One of his blowup Santa decorations welcomed community members at the door of the Cortez Rec Center as they arrived to pay their respects.People of all ages crowded inside the rec center gym as a photo slideshow of Lucero began to play while “Vaya Con Dios” by Freddy Fender and “On the Road Again” by Willie Nelson played in the background.Pastor Todd Erlandson of Grace Fellowship Church welcomed attendees by reading John 14:1-6 and Psalm 23. Following the reading of the Bible passages, “You Raise Me Up,” by Josh Groban played before Mayor Rachel Medina addressed the family and friends of Lucero.Medina honored the former mayor by speaking of his dedication to public service and his part in multiple projects in Cortez, including the rec center, new high school, the relocation of Walmart and more during his time of public service. He also served on multiple boards, including the Cortez Fire Protection District, Housing Authority, the RE-1 School District, and more.“He lent a helping hand whenever he could,” Medina said.The next speaker was Lucero’s niece, who shared she was still trying to “come to terms” with his death. She spoke fondly of the many stories he would tell.“All I can think of are his stories,” she said. “How many people have that many stories?”She told a humorous story of a time Lucero told her that Mohammed Ali was in the airport while they were traveling, but she didn’t believe him. She ended up missing the opportunity to see Ali in person.She noted that Lucero had impacted countless people in his life by always making them laugh and feel loved, saying she hoped others would always remember Lucero when serving their communities and decorating for the holidays.“You knew exactly who he was, because he always lived fearlessly,” she said.Before Erlandson closed the celebration of life, “Horses in Heaven” by Randy Travis was played.Erlandson spoke of how Lucero’s yard was always decorated for Christmas, and that his proudest moment was when his daughter, Felice, had graduated from pharmacy school.Erlandson also shared a poem called “The Dash” by Linda Ellis, and how it reminded him of the way Lucero had lived his life. The poem focuses on the dash between a person’s birth and date, and how we can forget how vastly important that little dash is.“For it matters not, how much we own/ the cars, the house, the cash/ What matters is how we live and love/ And how we spend our dash,” the poem said.While in chemotherapy, another man in treatment recognized Lucero, and the two struck up a conversation, further emphasizing his impact on others.“Orly lived his dash well,” Erlandson said. “It’s OK to grieve and mourn.”He urged those in attendance to celebrate Lucero’s life, how lived the dream and lived out the words of Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 13.“Love the Lord your God with your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor,” Erlandson said. “Then you’ll be living the dream.”After a closing prayer and thanking attendees for their part in the celebration of life, pallbearers wearing Dallas Cowboy T-shirts escorted Lucero’s casket to be taken to the Bayfield Cemetery.People of all ages crowded inside the Cortez Rec Center gym Friday morning for a memorial for Orly Lucero. As a photo slideshow began to play, “Vaya Con Dios” by Freddy Fender and “On the Road Again” by Willie Nelson played in the background.Residents view the memorial for Orly Lucero on Friday, March 21 at the Cortez Recreation Center. (Aaron Lewis/Special to The Journal)45266863A memorial for Orly Lucero Friday at the Cortez Recreation Center. (Aaron Lewis/Special to The Journal)(Aaron Lewis/Special to The Journal)44615999Photos from the life of Orly Lucero were displayed Friday, March 21 at the Cortez Recreation Center. (Aaron Lewis/Special to The Journal)46726345A video presentation at the memorial for Orly Lucero Friday at the Cortez Recreation Center. (Aaron Lewis/Special to The Journal)46727008An overview of the crowd Friday at the memorial service for Orly Lucero. (Aaron Lewis/Special to The Journal)42386726Mayor Rachel Medina honored Orly Lucero by speaking of his dedication to public service and his part in multiple projects in Cortez, including the rec center, new high school, the relocation of Walmart and more during his time of public service. (Aaron Lewis/Special to The Journal)38265542Orly Lucero’s niece recounts her memories of Lucero Friday at the Cortez Recreation Center. (Aaron Lewis/Special to The Journal)43265553A crowd gathers outside the Cortez Recreation Center Friday morning before the memorial for Orly Lucero. Friends were asked to wear Dallas Cowboys jerseys in honor of Lucero's passion for the football team. (Aaron Lewis/Special to The Journal)46727008The crowd at the memorial for Orly Lucero on Friday morning shared fond and funny memories. (Aaron Lewis/Special to The Journal)46727008The casket of Orly Lucero. (Aaron Lewis/Special to The Journal)37724020
Cortez gathers to honor Orly Lucero at celebration of life
Lucero was known for his catchphrase ‘Living the dream’
Directory Plus

Search Directory Plus

Find:
Where:

  • Most Popular

  • Most Recent

Trends in energy: San Juan Basin sees growth in various sectors
Alligator that starred in 'Happy Gilmore' dies of old age in Colorado
Missouri lawmakers approve referendum to repeal abortion-rights amendment
Trends in energy: San Juan Basin sees growth in various sectors
Alligator that starred in 'Happy Gilmore' dies of old age in Colorado
Missouri lawmakers approve referendum to repeal abortion-rights amendment

  • Most Popular

  • Most Recent

Trends in energy: San Juan Basin sees growth in various sectors
Alligator that starred in 'Happy Gilmore' dies of old age in Colorado
Missouri lawmakers approve referendum to repeal abortion-rights amendment
Trends in energy: San Juan Basin sees growth in various sectors
Alligator that starred in 'Happy Gilmore' dies of old age in Colorado
Missouri lawmakers approve referendum to repeal abortion-rights amendment
Ballantine Communications, Inc.
The Journal Durango Herald
DGO Directory Plus BCI Media Services
Events Four Corners Expos Browse Local Jobs Careers With Us
Contact Us
News tip/feedback Letter to the Editor FAQs
Report a paper delivery issue/suspend delivery Advertise with Us Staff/Contact
Find Us
E-Edition
RSS Alexa
Subscribe

Sign up for email headline alerts:

Choose from several print and digital subscription packages

Get The Journal

© 2025 The Journal | Ballantine Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy