Time to Strut Your Stuff

Strut your stuff at the Fifth Annual Men in Heels Fundraiser Tuesday, September 10th. Work on Cascade Curve safety improvements will start this month and go through early November. The City of Durango Parks and Recreation Department is looking for feedback for Ryler Park improvements and it's time to be bear smart. You're watching the local News Roundup brought to you by the FLC Center for Innovation and Durango Gelato Coffee and Tea. I'm Sadie Smith. The Women's Resource Center and Alpine Bank invite you to come support the WRC with the Annual Men in Heels Fundraiser. Four man teams compete in heels to raise money for the resource center. The event will be at the La Plata County Fairgrounds from 5:30 to 7:00 PM on September 10th. Sign up your team, join as a sponsor, or donate to your favorite team online. Work began September 3rd on a safety improvement project along Cascade Curve on US Highway 550 with the Colorado Department of Transportation. The work is to replace the existing guardrail with a permanent concrete barrier anchored to the highway. The barrier will extend onto US Service Road 783 and will include improvements to drainage along the road. Since April, 2024, two semi-truck have crashed at the curve in part due to the steep downhill grade for southbound travelers. Permanent concrete guardrails help by deflecting vehicles back onto the road, slowing the vehicle to a complete stop, or slowing a vehicle down enough to allow the driver to proceed past the guardrail. Be prepared for impacts on travel time during the work. Working hours will be between 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM Monday through Friday with potential weekend work. Be prepared for reduced speeds and full stops guided by a portable traffic signal, one lane altering traffic, and brief delays. A light signal will control traffic 24/7. Work is expected to be completed by early November. Check the CDOT website for project updates. Durango Parks and Recreation has created a poll on Engaged Durango for two proposed design concepts for Ryler Park. The two designs were created using resident feedback from a meeting on April 25th this year, reflecting resident's desire to keep the park a quiet destination with shade trees. Concept A will refurbish the existing play structure and remove the tire feature, adding concrete edging, a sidewalk with an accessible ramp, bench seating, and adding shade trees and flowering shrubs. Concept B would remove the existing play structure and add a meandering path with nature play elements, including logs, stumps, and boulders. Once a plan has been approved, construction will begin later this fall. The work will be funded through the 2005 sales tax. It's fall, which means that the bears are back in town. Durango Code Enforcement is reporting the most active bear year since 2012, so make sure to keep trash secured and remove attractants like bird and hummingbird feeders at night. Bear activity has quieted down over the past years due to the push for wildlife secure trash cans, but between a population increase among bear communities and recent human development have pushed bears to search for new habitats. This time of year, black bears need around 20,000 calories a day from berries, fruits, nuts, plants, and grasses according to the Colorado Department of Wildlife. They will spend up to 20 hours a day foraging for food. City residents can request a wildlife resistant trash can for $4.33 a month. If your trash can is damaged, the city will replace the trash can at no charge. Visit the DOW website to find more information on bear habitats and how to reduce the chance of a human bear encounter. Learn more about these and other stories online at durangolocal.news. Thank you for watching this edition of the "Local News Roundup." I'm Sadie Smith.