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Cement circle not public monument honoring tubers

No, the cement ring in Memorial Park is not the latest addition to the city of Durango’s public-art collection. It will eventually encircle a “Softfall” surface designed to keep a children’s play area safe from hard tumbles.

What’s up with the huge cement ring in the still-unfinished Memorial Park? It’s between 29th and 30th streets. Construction crews poured cement a while back, but nothing else has been done. It’s just a big ol’ concrete circle surrounding piles of dirt and random construction debris. Is this some sort of new public art? – Curious in Animas City

As your civic cynic, Action Line can see how this object could be viewed as the latest addition to Durango’s much-ballyhooed public-art portfolio.

A gigantic cement circle? By golly, it’s a monument to celebrate an important and overlooked segment of Durango society.

We’re talking about the tubers.

Tubing on the Animas River has an economic impact of at least several hundred dollars, mostly in the form of quarters spent at gas stations for compressed air.

Obviously, we should erect a commemorative shrine.

After all, Memorial Park is where tubers gather en masse. An oversize cement circle would honor Those Who Float – as well as acknowledge tubers’ vast contributions to our community.

But let’s go back to the issue of paying for air. A quarter? Really? It’s bad enough that fuel pumps have those incredibly annoying speaker things with broken “mute” buttons.

So, now we gotta cough up 25 cents just to inflate a tire. With gas costing north of $3.50 per gallon, you’d think they could throw in some free air.

What’s next? A service charge to use a squeegee sitting in the pail of filthy water next to the trash can? Sheesh.

Anyway, we have to poke a hole in the Tuber Memorial.

The cement ring is just an enclosure for a kids’ play area, according to workers from Animas Valley Construction, the company renovating the park and building the section of the river trail that runs through it.

The cement ring will surround a swing set with a “Softfall” surface under foot. Softfall is a special product designed to boost playground safety, added Cathy Metz, director of Durango Parks and Recreation.

The swing would have been installed already if it weren’t for some shipping problems, Cathy said. The swing manufacturer dispatched one set to Durango. It was damaged in transit, and the city refused delivery.

The swing maker then sent another one. It, too, was all banged up – and the city sent that one back.

Let’s hope third time’s a charm.

As you can see, recreation is not always fun and games.

When will Rod Cook be planting the weeds in the new, raised medians on U.S. Highway 550/160? – Gary Truax

Our good friend Rod is the county’s weed manager. His job is stopping the spread of noxious weeds, not skulking around as some skeevy seed-spreading spoiler.

Besides, the weeds don’t need Rod’s help.

“Mother Nature is incredibly successful in doing that work herself,” he lamented.

Establishing plants in the new highway medians will be a joint effort of the city of Durango and the Colorado Department of Transportation.

“Two thing are going on,” said Scott McClain, the city’s Parks, Open Space and Trails specialist.

“CDOT will maintain a couple of the median spaces, and the city will take care of the others,” he said.

On the city’s medians, you’ll see some low shrubs and street trees in the ground starting as early as this week, with planting complete by the end of September, Scott said.

The city’s medians have water connections, so the trees and bushes should thrive.

CDOT’s medians, meanwhile, will be unirrigated. That’s why these sections will be seeded with native grasses and flowers that will do OK with natural precipitation only.

Meanwhile, the triangle island around the “Ark of History” also will get a vegetative cover as well.

Here’s an idea: Let’s plant some kudzu. The kudzu vine grows incredibly fast, covering everything in its path.

Foes of the sculpture might be inspired by Action Line’s horticultural hortative.

But not Rod.

The last thing he needs is another invasive species to deal with.

Email questions to actionline@durangoherald.com or mail them to Action Line, The Durango Herald, 1275 Main Ave., Durango, CO 81301. You can request anonymity if Labor Day included lots of work.



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