John Peel stumbled into Durango in 1990 having no idea of the connection between The Des Moines Register and Tribune, where he interned as a collegian at Drake University, and The Durango Herald. After a 22-year career at The Herald, he still didn’t fully grasp all the connections. That happened in 2019 when starting on the project that would lead to “The Ballantines: Building Community Issue By Issue,” released in December 2022. Morley and Arthur Ballantine arrived in Durango from the Midwest in 1952 with four children, and step by step (issue by issue) helped make Durango the thriving place it is today. Without the Ballantine influence, Durango would be a much different place. This book tells that story, and provides insight that makes this book a crucial read for anyone wanting to fully understand the Durango story.