Dear City Council of Durango,

As a Durango native, yoga teacher to city employees, multi-sport athlete and single father of a very Durangatangish 9-year-old daughter for whom I did everything it took to move my family back to my hometown in order to raise her beneath a City Council and c(om)munity that still retains the precious jewel of consciousness in our heavenly hamlet, I am in heartfelt support of organic parks in Durango and beyond.

To claim Curtail is not a danger to our children’s health and well-being is quite frankly, scary: “Hazardous chemical. Dark, amber liquid with phenolic odor. May cause severe eye irritation with corneal injury. May cause skin irritation. May cause more severe response if skin is abraded or cut … In animals, effects have been reported on the following organs: gastrointestinal tract, kidney, liver, and muscular system. Toxic to aquatic organisms.”

Organic parks support and nurture not only our youth, but our environment and wildlife while cultivating a healthy, responsible and conscious community. I move to maintain and expand our Organic Parks Program and explore eco-savvy versions of “astro turf” to all playable fields while keeping the peripheral/spectator areas and less-visited parks organic.

Our chldren (and dog beings) who choose to manifest through us in the ensuing decades shall certainly bow in gratitude to our engaged, wholistic perspective. C’mon, we can do this!

Eco-plastic playing turf doesn’t need/pollute water, Win/win!

– Head bowed, spirit vowed, Steve Ilg