Got a gripe about Durango Mountain Resort? If you want to keep riding Purgatory Mountain, you might want to keep it zipped. That’s the message we take away from a story last week that detailed how Durango Mountain Resort yanked a woman’s season pass after she had the temerity to publicly criticize the ski area’s hours of operation.
According to a story in The Durango Herald, Lauren Slaff’s season pass was revoked and the $539 she paid for it was refunded after she complained to resort management and was quoted in the Herald expressing concerns about a change in operating hours. Slaff, of Durango, thought that locals who hold weekday passes were being shortchanged in favor of tourists.
Resort management declined to comment to the Herald, but sent a letter telling Slaff it would “be best if we part ways.” So much for free speech.
A tip of the cap. Austin Jantz certainly knows how to earn a merit badge. The 9-year-old from Arvada received the National Medal of Merit from the Boy Scouts of America last week. The fifth-grader at Lawrence Elementary School was selling popcorn door-to-door for his troop when he discovered a woman with a head injury, so he ran for help. She recovered, and he even goes back to visit her several times a month.
They actually believe that stuff? Chances are if we’re for it, Jon Caldara is against it. Ref C. FasTracks. Peace on Earth. You get the picture. Even though we agree only on rare occasions, we’re not above congratulating the Caldara- guided Independence Institute on its 25th anniversary. Here’s to 25 more. (And maybe you’ll even win a few.)
Unfit to serve. An astounding 75 percent of this country’s young people would be deemed unfit to serve in the military, according to a new study. That’s because they’re too fat, have criminal records, failed to finish high school or have some other medical condition, such as asthma, that disqualifies them. The conclusions of the study have been questioned by some. But even if they’re off and only half of 17- to 24-year-olds are ineligible, that’s still a national disgrace. As a nation, we have to figure out how to boost graduation rates, get physical education back in the daily school schedule and emphasize sensible eating habits. It’s a workforce issue, a public health concern and a national security problem.
Short Takes is compiled by Denver Post editorial writers and expresses the view of the newspaper’s editorial board.
