A cue for people of Durango? *LINK*

Here are some excerpts from an interesting article on city attitude regarding the Skunk train. This might be a poignant read for the people in Durango whose anti-D&S-smoke crusade has been well-documented on this board, and for city officials who seem to need a better view of the importance of the D&S to their community. (From Railroad Network News - see link below)
All aboard! City joins Skunk owners to restore depot
The Willits, California Depot, built in 1915, is up for restoration and ongoing life as a multi-model transportation hub.
On May 10, the City of Willits joined forces with Sierra Railroad, which owns the Skunk Train, to fund restoration of the Main Depot Building. The structure, along with the West Depot and Baggage Room, is described as "the finest known expression of Craftsman-style railroad architecture in California" in the National Register of Historic Places.
Although Sierra owns the building, the city sees the depot and the excursion train runs originating there as an asset for the local economy and for the character of the city. How much restoration take place depends on how far the anticipated funding is expected to stretch.
......the amount applied to the Willits depot could be $257,000.
The city's share includes extensive staff time: "The city will select the engineering firm, oversee fund expenditures, develop the scope of work, and take responsibility for reviewing the plans and preparing the bid document," Walker said. "Sierra may also help in this process but the details have yet to be resolved."
Once the plans are complete, the city is also expected to front most of the construction costs.
Claudia Reed, The Willits News