Durango Diaries, the biweekly storyteller series hosted by
The event will be held at 6 p.m. at the Durango Public Library, 1900 East Third Ave.
Speakers will include:
Sean Englund is a highliner, which is like slacklining but at greater heights; it allows someone to be in an air space that no one else has. He also has a passion for rock climbing, ice climbing and mountain biking. Englund is a Fort Lewis College student majoring in geology.
Dave Farkas is a transplanted Canadian whose passion for the outdoors started at a young age. Since the early 1990s, he’s worked as an outdoor professional guide and athlete working with clients whitewater kayaking, climbing and skiing. His happiest days are spent getting lost somewhere in the wilderness. He is also a math and science teacher at Mountain Middle School.
Bee Mathis, a below-the-knee amputee, enjoys sleeping in the dirt, chasing the desert shade in the summer and climbing frozen waterfalls in the winter. She recently was part of the Range of Motion project that climbed Mount Cotopaxi in the Andes Mountains of Ecuador.
Season 3 of Durango Diaries will continue at 6 p.m. Wednesdays at the Durango library through May. Upcoming event topics will be:
March 20: Women breaking norms. Our speakers will talk about women working in professions that have long been dominated by men. They will be: Kerry Siggins, CEO of Durango-based StoneAge Inc.; Donna Emenegger, a retired Colorado Department of Transportation employee who maintained miles of highway in Southwest Colorado; and Leah Starr, a welder and fabricator for Ska Fabricating.
April 3: Second acts. Sometimes, we need a shift in life. Our speakers will talk about how and why they switched professions – and the joy and pitfalls that came with it. They will be: Nancy Utter, a former land-use planner and now naturopath; Sean Jackson, a former journalist and now car shop foreman for the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad; and Nicolas Cofman, former pilot and now dentist.
April 17: Bullying. Experts and victims of bullying will talk about how we as a community can work to prevent it. Speakers will be named at a later date.
May 8: People with a passion. What makes people join groups or play team sports? Our three speakers will talk about why they do what they do for fun – and how to get others involved. They will include: Daryl Hinderer, pickleball player; Scott Gibbs, train buff; and Gloria Macht, member of the Society for Creative Anachronism.
May 22: War veterans. Veterans of five U.S. wars will talk about their service. They will include: Wayne McGee, World War II; Eric Greene, Korean War; Stan Crapo, Vietnam War; Shoshona Burrows, Desert Storm; and Nathaniel Burford, Iraq/Afghanistan.
The podcast of each Durango Diaries, including past seasons, can be listened to or downloaded on the Herald’s website at durangoherald.com/durangodiaries.
To receive the Durango Diaries newsletter, email durangodiaries@durangoherald.com.
