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  Home Page » Opinion » Letters To The Editor » Why Is Fred Klatt Persona Non Grata

Why is Fred Klatt persona non grata?

by Ed and Beverly Widham
Letter to the editor

Now that our annual summer stay in Colorado is about over, we're hoping you can solve a mystery for us. Early this summer, we were introduced to a gentleman named Fred Klatt. We had seen his name on the arena at the fairgrounds in Durango just the week before.

In the course of conversation, he explained the arena was named in his memory, as a former county commissioner, and he was extremely proud of that.

I commented that it had to make him feel wonderful every time he saw his name in print, but he just laughed and said The Durango Herald apparently had a policy of refusing to mention his name in relation to the arena, and that was the situation for at least the last three years.

He did not know the reason, but he often wondered why that was the case.

This piqued our curiosity, so we watched, and sure enough, over the course of the summer the fairgrounds arena was mentioned quite a number of times in your newspaper, but Klatt's name never was mentioned once.

Questioning local friends as to why, no one knew, but without exception, the gentleman was held in high esteem by people from all over the political spectrum, and we also found he at one time was the mayor of Durango, in addition to having been elected a county commissioner.

A former commissioner we spoke to told us that the county was able to pay cash for property acquisitions today, and was in good shape financially because of fiscal policies put into place at the direction of Fred Klatt.

He also did not know why the Herald did not call the arena by the correct title, but it made him curious, too.

We're only going to be here for another two weeks before we head to our "other" home, so we really hope you will respond to us in your letters column why this seemingly unfair policy is in place by your newspaper.

We're really curious why Klatt is persona non grata.

Ed and Beverly Widham, Vallecito Lake

Editor's note: The Widhams have a point; local history and people are worth remembering. The Herald clearly remembers Fred Klatt's service on the Durango City Council and as a county commissioner, and its editorial board always has thought well of him. The Herald should remind readers from time to time that the proper name of that part of the fairgrounds that accommodates rodeos and other events is the Fred W. Klatt III Arena. We also might occasionally refer to the Gardenschwartz Memorial Bridge at Ninth Street, just as a story last week spoke of the Rivera Crossing Bridge and not just as the bridge behind The Home Depot.