What readers had to say this week on local stories, May 20-26 – The Durango Herald

People weigh in on speed bumps, Main Avenue designs and the Ascent Classical Academy

Each week, we highlight some of the most insightful, passionate and witty comments shared on Facebook in response to stories in The Herald of Durango.

This week, readers weighed in on speed bumps and landscape strips, Main Avenue redesign proposals and the Ascent Classical Academy’s Durango School District 9-R enforcement.

We welcome readers’ comments and reactions to local stories: people can have their say by writing a letter to the editor, via our Facebook page or at the bottom of local news at www.durangoherald.com.

Here are some comments that stood out this week:

Drivers weave their way over speed bumps on Rim Drive in front of Hillcrest Golf Club. Speed ​​bumps are meant to slow drivers down, but they have their critics, including emergency responders, who say they can be uncomfortable for patients and medical staff in the back of an ambulance. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)

“Narrower lanes are an effective way to calm traffic. It also increases pedestrian safety since it takes less time to cross the street. Strategically placed chicanes in the roadway and a few planters to break up the continuity of the parking lanes would help a lot. They should leave just enough width for school buses and ambulances to make turns and for snowplows to pass. – Charles Palmer

“If I remember correctly, they were installed several years ago because residents complained about excessive speed, especially people going down the steep slope above the houses. With the increase in traffic everywhere today, and the speed at which so many people are driving, I guess it won’t be long before a car ends up in someone’s yard, or worse . Removing the speed bumps will not solve the remaining original problem they were installed to alleviate! – Daveand Crawford

“I’ve asked the city to consider cars that can’t get on the street when it’s icy. We have so many people who come to our house, when it’s snowing or freezing, and decide to turn around and not take a chance. Landscape strips (the city plans to install them next year) would prevent cars from turning around safely to descend. I was against most of these plans from the start. – Brooke’s Ham

“Leave me alone. The condition of many of our streets is so bad that a speed bump would be a nice and pleasant place. How about our city and our agencies focusing on the real issues and not don’t get distracted by the little things.” mike downing

Durango residents met with city planners and design consultants to review and comment on the city’s latest draft plans for the future of Main Avenue between Fifth and 14th Streets. A public questionnaire remains open on the city’s website through Sunday for last-minute comments, criticisms and concerns. (Christian Burney/Durango Herald)

“I understand that he is allowing these outings due to the pandemic, but this is the third year and does anyone else think it is not fair to allow these restaurants to earn more money from tourists (even though patronage levels have returned to normal) while these parking lots are actually owed by Durango taxpayers? – Jacques Guillaume

The Durango 9-R School District Board of Trustees announced it would consider Ascent Classical Academies’ charter application and released a 20-day schedule of public meetings. (Durango Herald file)

“On behalf of the 600 children who wish to attend Ascent Charter School tuition-free, please let us set the record straight. Misleading information has been published here that accuses the charter school offered by the Ascent Classical Academy to cross the line between church and state separation.These claims are flat out false.It is not a Christian school.There are three other classic public charter schools in the state of Colorado (and one has just been approved in Grand Junction) and each of these schools is licensed by the Charter School Institute (CSI), which is a statewide licensing body. CSI is an organization operated by the government ensuring that the charter schools follow all the rules and regulations put in place by the state.There are regular audits done in the school and whether the school was peddling Christianity, indoctrinating children or pushing any kind of religion , the school would be closed. The fact is that no complaints have been filed with CSI regarding any of the schools teaching a religious curriculum. So please think about what is best for these 600 children and give them the right to choose a school that suits them. – Donna Gulec

“Perhaps because his program seems highly suspicious. The other two Ascent schools in Colorado have been slow to follow Colorado sex education law and are staffed by Trumpist Christians. A charter school is a public school. It should be secular in orientation and serve students of all or no faiths, races, genders and creeds. The ascent is very sketchy and suspicious. We would do well to reject it, as it seems to be fertile ground for theocratic fascist white nationalism. https://www.dailycamera.com/…/editorial-boulder-valley…/” – Shan well

“In terms of supporting Hillsdale College, Ascent Classical of Durango utilizes the framework for a classical education that Hillsdale has created. It saddens me to think that giving a child an education that includes virtue, how to be a good citizen, know and understand the constitution, and understand and learn why the United States was formed the way it was and despite all its faults is and will continue, we hope, to be the freest and fairest place in the world is now equated with Christianity. Why are you so opposed to school choice for Durango children? Especially for children who are underserved by our typical public schools, minority and low-income students? Time and time again, these students have been proven to thrive in a traditional school environment like Ascent. Denying these families this choice, I think it’s despicable! – Whitney WarnerHargraves