the durango
elegraph
Newspaper POACHERS SUCK
Instead of stealing our hard work or robbing your neighbors of the joy of reading the Telegraph every week, here are a few things other than a brand new stack of Telegraphs you can use to start your fire (courtesy Explore.com):
1. Egg cartons and dryer lint (we’re sure belly button and pocket lint would work just as well)
2. Cotton balls and petroleum jelly (think of the fun you could have!)
3. Hand sanitizer (not just for COVID anymore)
4. Waxed paper and dryer lint (twist both ends of the paper to look like a doobie, we know you know how to do that)
5. Chips (the greasier the better, think Hot & Spicy Pringles, Spicy Nacho Doritos and, of course, Flaming Hot Cheetos.)
6. Duct tape (yet another use for duct tape. We’re not sure if this sounds 100% safe, but hey, if in a pinch ...)
Punk rock roots
Rediscovering a Diné soundtrack for resistance through uncertain times by Kirbie Bennett
Spinning wheels
Hey, Utah, we like our public lands, so stop trying to get rid of them by Aaron Weiss / Writers on the Range
10
Off the couch
Augmented-reality exhibit invites attendees to think outside the box by Missy Votel
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The Durango Telegraph publishes every Thursday, come hell, high water, tacky singletrack
10 The unthinkable
With drier winters, Colorado may be forced to grapple with water cuts by Allen Best / Big Pivots
On the cover
A bird keeps watch over donwtown Durango from its perch along Main Avenue recently./ Photo by Missy Votel
P.O. Box 332 Durango, CO 81302
PHONE: 970-259-0133
E-MAIL: telegraph@durangotelegraph.com
AND SUBSCRIPTIONS:
Ear to the ground:
“I haven’t had a drink since last Saturday… oh wait, I drank today.”
– A well-intentioned attempt at a dry-ish January
Lockdown
For many Durangoans, their bicycles may be their most prized – and only – set of wheels. Which is why bike thieves are among the lowest of the low. But, with bike thefts on the rise, Durango Police are helping residents protect their bikes through a free registration system called “Project 529.”
Project 529 is a nationwide network that brings cyclists, law enforcement and communities together to help stop bike theft. Registering bikes in the program makes it easier to identify and recover stolen bikes via a national database. When a bike is stolen, an alert is sent to Project 529 participants in the area, sort of like an “Amber Alert” for bikes. Police can also search the database if they find a suspected stolen bike.
According to Durango Police, last year, 104 bicycles were reported stolen, but only 36 were recovered.
“Whether you are pedaling through the trails, commuting downtown or just cruising around, your bike deserves to be safe, and this program helps ensure it will come back to you if it is stolen,” McKenzie Perdue, public information officer with the Durango PD, said.
To register your bike, visit Project 529 online or download the app and create a free account. Add an email and select “Allow 529 to partner with us, your law enforcement agency.”
Once registered, you will get a unique, discreet shield decal to add to your bike as a theft deterrent.
If your bike is stolen, report it immediately through Project 529 to activate alerts across the network.
In addition to signing up for the app, Durango Police are also working with local bike shops to add the decal and register bikes when people buy new bikes, said Perdue. Likewise, if you are buying a used bike, you can run the serial number or decal through Project529. If it was reported through that platform, it will be flagged as stolen.
LaVidaLocal
opinion Silence is a Weapon
Dear friends, I come to you today with a confession. I confess that once upon a time, I was a teenage anarchist, and today I still remain a teenage anarchist. Which is to say that right now I’m looking at the world, witnessing ongoing fascist threats on beautiful diverse peoples and ecosystems, and that unquenchable outrage I felt at 16 years old toward the status quo still feels justified. And if you knew me as a teen, and if I recognized you as a comrade in crime, I would have made a mix CD for you. It would have been a playlist full of punk rock; a visceral soundtrack in opposition to a world offering endless war and heartbreak.
On that CD, you might notice a song called “What Do You See?” by the band Blackfire. When you arrive at that track, you’ll hear electric guitars mixed with the voice of a Diné man singing a traditional song in the Diné language. And then you’ll hear Joey Ramone, the legendary frontman for The Ramones, singing the chorus in his signature croon. I have to mention that this is one of the last recordings Joey Ramone did before passing away. But beyond that, Blackfire is a powerful and singular rock band: staunchly and loudly Indigenous; they’re a reminder that Natives are the original punk rockers of this land.
Blackfire formed in 1989 by three Diné siblings –Clayson, Jeneda and Klee Benally – out in Black Mesa, Ariz., which is a few hours southwest of where I grew up in Shiprock, N.M. By the time I came around to the band in the early 2000s, they had just released their first proper studio album, “One Nation Under.” I was craving more voices of color in the punk scene, and Blackfire went beyond answering that call. Being from the Navajo Nation like myself, they showed me it was possible to embrace the music while also embracing our Indigenous culture and identity. Blackfire refused to be silent about themselves and what they stood for.
social gatherings and training warriors. I’ve been revisiting this double album lately for a few reasons. One, the album title comes from a statement made by Indigenous political prisoner Leonard Peltier in his memoir, “Prison Writings: My Life is My Sundance.” Within those pages, Peltier writes, “Silence, they say, is the voice of complicity. But silence is impossible. Silence screams. Silence is the message, just as doing nothing is an act.”
After nearly 50 years behind bars, Peltier was granted clemency by former President Biden. While not a full pardon, at least Peltier can return home, no longer relegated to the silence of a cage. For me, returning to this Blackfire album is a celebration of sorts for Peltier’s release. Also, “[Silence] is a Weapon” was recorded in Durango by veteran producer Ed Stasium (the engineer behind many albums by The Ramones, Talking Heads and Living Colour, to name a few). When I walk around town with this music in my headphones, and when I hear those traditional songs that pre-date reservations, knowing they will outlive empires and borders, I feel rooted again to this land.
And of course, there’s an urgency that drew me back to this band. As soon as Trump was inaugurated for a second term, he wasted no time issuing mass deportations and calling for an end to birthright citizenship. The former has resulted in Indigenous people being targeted and questioned by ICE, and the latter also applies to Natives, undermining Indigenous sovereignty. There has never been a time when silence has been acceptable. To remain silent means adding more blood to the history books. Blackfire’s music is a loud middle finger to the settler state. Their music renews in me the radical desire for Indigenous liberation that has been burning since youth.
The band would double down on this position with their second and final album in 2007, a two-disc release titled “[Silence] is a Weapon.” The album is an ambitious fusion of gritty punk, blues and rock, layered with traditional Diné songs throughout. In fact, the second disc exclusively contains traditional songs handed down from the trio’s great-great-great grandfather; they are songs for
Thumbin’It
Carver Brewing Co. won big at the inaugural Colorado Brewers Cup last week, taking home “Small Brewery of the Year” honors as well as silver medals for the Lightner Creek Lager and Old Oak Amber and a bronze for the Colorado Trail Nut Brown. Let’s go get a beer…
The City of Durango has installed emergency overdose reversal kits at some of its facilities including the library, Transit Center, Rec Center, airport and City Hall, thanks to a donation from Mary Bono (yes, former wife of Sonny).
Shhhh … don’t look now, but there’s white stuff falling from the sky as we write this. Maybe the Great Dust Bowl winter of 2024-25 is finally coming to an end.
Dear friends, the next few years ahead will be unfavorable to the weary kind. More war and heartbreak are on the way. And I know music alone will not save us, but I find reassurance in the archive of resistance left behind in music, art and poetry. Whether it’s traditional songs from my ancestors or the modern fullthrottle punk of Blackfire, I hear a message that says, “We’re here fighting for the next generation, our lives are a dedication to the next world.” Since I was young, that infinite spirit of resistance has carried me through an uncertain world. May it guide us forward in the unknown years ahead.
– Kirbie Bennett
Could this dumpster fire of a first week of the Trump presidency get any worse? Wait … don’t answer that. We’re not sure what to do except hope it burns itself out.
As a warming planet delivers more natural disasters, more folks are being dropped from their home insurance. According to a congressional investigation, since 2018, more than 1.9 million policies were “nonrenewed” in 200 counties. And no, we’re not immune – in La Plata County, one in 100 were dropped.
Longtime Avs power forward and Stanley Cup Champ Mikko Rantanen is now wearing a Carolina Hurricanes sweater in a bombshell trade deal. We didn’t even get to say goodbye, Moose.
Most Already Guessed Anyway
Zachary Radcliff is a famous MAGA youth pastor from Michigan who performed at the 2019 Conservative Political Action Conference, and he was one of Jerry Falwell Jr.’s favorite minions. However, Radcliff was arrested this past October and charged with 11 counts of exactly what you’d expect against minors, so his church, which is owned by Radcliff’s dad, jumped into action and gave Zachary “suspension with pay” (but he was ultimately fired after an additional 22 felonies were filed). The last photo Radcliff posted to social media was around Halloween, so this must be him dressed up in his pedophile costume.
Hey, Utah
Americans love their public lands, so stop trying to get rid of them
by Aaron Weiss
If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over while hoping in vain for different results, then Utah’s leaders surely need to talk to a mental health professional.
Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court summarily dismissed Utah’s land-grab lawsuit, which had gained the support of 12 states. It was the latest in a string of unsuccessful attempts to wrest control of public lands from the American people.
Why Utah persists in its quest to privatize its priceless assets of public land is puzzling. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management, these lands are cherished by mountain bikers, hunters, hikers, campers and photographers. Many connect to national parks and monuments, and it’s hard to imagine selling them off would ever be a popular move.
In its complaint, the state argued that the U.S. Constitution prohibits the federal government from holding “unappropriated” public lands indefinitely, and that those lands must be handed over to the state. Aside from the state inventing its own definition of the word “unappropriated,” the lawsuit relied on a selective reading of the Constitution that the Supreme Court rightfully ignored.
The state paid $500,000 to the lawyers who wrote this failed complaint and spent over $1.3 million on a public relations campaign aimed at convincing Utahns that the state would be a better steward of public land than the federal government. Add that to the roughly $4 million the state has wasted on failed public land seizure attempts in the past decade, and you come up with nearly $6 million squandered.
Public lands make a lot of money for Utah. Outdoor recreation generated $9.5 billion in economic output in 2023, according to the Department of Com-
merce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis. And it’s growing at an annual average of 8.4% – the highest of any state. Utah’s world-famous public lands draw millions of visitors to the state each year, who then spend money at hotels, restaurants, gas stations and other businesses.
The federal government spends more than $300 million a year (adjusted for inflation) to manage public lands in
Utah – a cost the state would have a hard time covering were its land-grab to succeed. A 2014 study commissioned by state lawmakers found that the state would be able to pay that only if it aggressively ramped up oil and gas drilling or sell off some land.
Currently, Utah benefits from the federal management dollars flowing in annually, as well as $50 million in direct payments to counties containing public
lands and $90 million in federal oil and gas royalties.
Despite this beneficial arrangement, the state’s lawmakers have continually treated public lands like a burden, not an asset. Utah lawmakers have been trying to seize control of national public lands since the 1980s. Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch introduced a bill in 1981 that closely mirrors the recent Supreme Court complaint. Then in 2012, Utah state lawmakers passed the Utah Transfer of Public Lands Act to take control of essentially the same public land identified in the Supreme Court complaint. Efforts continued in 2017 when Utah Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz filed a bill to transfer federal land to the states. He was forced to withdraw his bill after hunters and anglers loudly protested. Today, Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee is pushing legislation that would make it easier to sell off public lands to developers, claiming that the lands are necessary to build affordable housing. Most Utahns don’t want what their representatives keep trying to achieve. Public lands are incredibly popular in Utah and throughout the West. Polling by Colorado College found that a majority of Utahns – including Republicans –support conservation of public lands over their exploitation for oil and gas.
Though it’s hard to believe, the state will most likely continue its crusade to seize and sell off public lands, wasting even more taxpayer money in court. Utahns should tell their leaders once and for all to stop wasting their time and money on this wild goose chase and embrace the ongoing gift of American public lands – not the grift of trying to sell them.
Aaron Weiss is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. He is deputy director of the Center for Western Priorities. He lives in Denver. ■
Mountain bikers pose for a group shot on the White Rim Trail. The north end of the trail is on BLM land, which Utah legislators have tried repeatedly to wrest from federal control. / Photos by Dave Marston
SoapBox
“La
Another dry day
The weather guy is quiet
No news is bad news
– Karen Carver, Durango
Let children lead way to peace
Too much emphasis has been about a worldwide war that could easily come about, even though the two wars under the Biden presidency should be a constant reminder how urgent it is today and tomorrow to eliminate hatred toward neighboring countries.
The latest weapon is lethal enough to kill 10 times more than the 8 billion of us in one fell swoop. Fact is, China already has a microwave weapon with the same intensity as a nuclear explosion. This updated device keeps China and their like-minded countries safe –much different than the radiation from two atomic bombs dropped on Japan that ended WWII. China does not care about human devastation.
Instead of doom and gloom at our doorstep, how about allowing children across the globe to create a collective peace-making initiative, since adult politicians seem to have a difficult time doing so. Please look up: i-EARN, Education and Resource Network, which is a global nonprofit with a vision for children, their teachers and parents to create a peaceful planet.
– Sally Florence, Durango
by Rob Pudim
Nada”
The real reason for high rents
When I moved to Durango two years ago, I was given the choice between two apartments located around downtown that were in outdated, unrepaired or under-repaired condition with holes in the drywall, exposed screws that were holding in a bathtub insert, no washer or dryer, and street parking in very crowded areas. The family who owned the two apartments wanted $5,000 to move in and had no interest in remodeling or making concessions. They own more than 50 units in town. The reason they can charge so much for a one-bedroom apartment is not because there is a ski hill up the road and not because vacationers will rent from them. These landlords were not offering short-term rentals, and vacationers would not be appeased with the condition these apartments are in.
The real reason is because our nation’s largest landlord, Greystar, owns 150-plus units in Durango, including the Three Springs Confluence and the River Roost apartments. Greystar, of course, is being sued by the Justice Department, accused of illegally colluding with five other companies of fixing rents and tacking on hidden fees (tinyurl.com/yck6dx7a)
I wound up renting from Greystar, not knowing it was about to be sued by the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice. At the time, Greystar had the only available apartments in Durango with a dedicated parking lot and a washer and dryer. I knew my lease was over-priced, but I didn’t know why until now.
Headlines like, “Justice Department Sues Six Large
Landlords for Algorithmic Pricing Scheme that Harms Millions of American Renters,” started to appear in the news last year, marking 2025 as a year of hopeful action toward illegal and unethical practices by our nation’s largest landlords (corporate landlords, I might add).
According to Acting Assistant Attorney General Doha Mekki of the DOJ’s Antitrust Division, while renters across the country struggled to afford housing, the landlords shared sensitive information about rental prices and used algorithms to keep rents high. “Today’s action … seeks to end their practice of putting profits over people and make housing more affordable for millions of people across the country,” Mekki said.
The FTC and the State of Colorado are also taking action against Greystar, the nation’s largest multifamily rental property manager, for deceiving consumers by tacking fees on top of advertised rent prices. According to the complaint, these fees have cost renters in Greystar properties hundreds of millions of dollars since at least 2019, and consumers often do not discover the fees until after they sign a lease or move in.
This absolutely explains why rental prices for your average, or even below average, one- and two-bedroom apartments seem overpriced. In some areas, they are overpriced by $800 - $1,000 a month. This must stop. The average American can barely afford to own a home, and now people are paying well more than 30% of their income to corporate landlords who are accused of violating antitrust laws. Local landlords are basing their rent off these numbers set by
corporate landlords.
Will greed ever end? I don’t think so, but this may be the year when overpricing one- and two-bedroom apartments at the expense of those who cannot afford a house comes to an end. One can only hope.
– Ryan Boyd, Durango
Absence
I take the dog out for a walk before dawn and there is an absence of tonality, just penetrating cold.
My thoughts move between stars. I sense the absence of time from pinheads of light that sparkle like the obtuse angles of absence.
I am absent in this fractal, sub-zero darkness. Lumbering onward in the frozen flat of a winter dirge, I cross myself before the distant house lights, a rusted crucifix imagined in hand.
Resting on the path, I momentarily dance in place like some arctic gnome, then spontaneously and ashamedly pray for the distance to shorten, imagining myself absent from the freeze, absent from the chill, caressing the sun, the blossoms of spring.
– Burt Baldwin, Bayfield
BigPivots
Thinking the unthinkable
Drier winters may portend water cutbacks in Colorado
by Allen Best
Snow in Southwestern Colorado has been scarce this winter. Archuleta County recently had a grass fire. A store manager at Terry’s Ace Hardware in Pagosa Springs tells me half as many snowblowers have been sold this winter despite new state rebates knocking 30% off the price of electric models.
Near Durango, snowplows normally used at a subdivision located at 8,000 feet remain unused. At Chapman Hill, the intown ski area, all snow remains artificial, and it’s not enough to cover all the slopes. A little natural snow would help, but there has been none in town for weeks.
However, snow may yet arrive, with forecasters calling for a pattern change soon. Examining data collected on Wolf Creek Pass since 1936, the Pagosa Sun’s Josh Kurz found several winters that procrastinated until February. Even when snow arrived, though, the winter-end totals were far below average.
All this suggests another subpar runoff in the San Juan and Animas rivers. They contribute to Lake Powell, one of two big water bank accounts on the Colorado River. When I visited the reservoir in May 2022, water levels were dropping rapidly. The manager of Glen Canyon Dam pointed to a ledge below us that had been underwater since the mid-1960s. It had emerged only a few weeks before my visit.
That ledge at Powell was covered again after an above-average runoff in 2023. The reservoir has recovered to 35% of capacity.
Will reservoir levels stay that high? Probably not, and that is a significant problem. Delegates who wrangled the Colorado River Compact in a lodge near Santa Fe in 1922 understood drought, at least somewhat. They did not contemplate the global warming now under way.
In apportioning the river flows, they also assumed an average 17.5 million acrefeet at Lee Ferry. (In water circles, this is how the dividing line between the upper and lower basins a few miles downstream from Glen Canyon Dam is referred to, although river runners often refer to it as “Lee’s” Ferry.) Even during the 20th cen-
Looking downstream on the Colorado River from Lee Ferry, below Glen Canyon Dam, in May 2022. Due to a dry winter in Southwestern Colorado, flows into Lake Powell are expected to be 81% of normal this year, bad news for an already-struggling reservoir and the people who use its water – upstream and down. / Photo by Allen Best
tury, the river was rarely that generous. This century it has become more stingy, with average annual flows of 12.5 million acre-feet. Some worry that continued warming in coming decades may cause declines to 9.5 million acre-feet.
Colorado State University’s Brad Udall and other scientists contend half of declining flows are the result of warming temperatures. A 2024 study predicts droughts with the severity that formerly occurred once every 1,000 years will, by mid-century, become 1-in-60-year events.
How will the seven basin states share this diminished river? Viewpoints differ so dramatically that delegates from the upper- and lower-basin states loathed sharing space during an annual meeting in Las Vegas. Legal saber-rattling abounds. A critical issue is an ambiguous clause in the compact about releases of water downstream to Arizona and hence Nevada and California.
Might Colorado need to curtail its diversions from the Colorado River? That would be painful. Roughly half the water
for cities along the Front Range, where 88% of Coloradans live, comes from the Colorado River and its tributaries. Transmountain diversions augment agriculture water in the South Platte and Arkansas river valleys. The vast majority of those water rights were adjudicated after the compact of 1922 and hence would be vulnerable to curtailment. Many water districts on the Western Slope also have water rights junior to the compact.
In Grand Junction last September, Andy Mueller, general manager of the
Colorado River Water Conservation District, the primary water policy agency for 15 Western Slope counties, made the case that Colorado should plan for compact curtailments. The district had earlier sent a letter to Jason Ullmann, the state water engineer, asking him to please get moving with curtailment rules.
Eric Kuhn, Mueller’s predecessor at the district who is now semi-retired, made the case for compact curtailment planning in the Spring 2024 issue of the Colorado Environmental Law Review. Kuhn’s piece runs 15,000 words, all of them necessary to sort through the tangled complexities. Central is the compact clause that specifies the upper basin states must not cause the flow at Lee Ferry to be depleted below an aggregate of 75 million acre-feet on a rolling 10-year basis.
That threshold has not been met – yet. Kuhn describes a “recipe for disaster” if it is. He foresees those with agriculture rights on the Western Slope being called upon to surrender rights. He and Mueller argue for precautionary planning. That planning “could be contentious,” Kuhn concedes, but the “advantages of being prepared for the consequences of a compact curtailment outweigh the concern.”
Last October, after Mueller’s remarks in Grand Junction, I solicited statements from the State of Colorado. The Polis ad-
ministration said it would be premature to plan compact curtailment. The two largest single transmountain diverters of Colorado River Water, Denver Water and Northern Water, concurred.
Recently, I talked with Jim Lochhead, who, for 25 years, represented Colorado and its water users in interstate Colorado River matters. He ran the state’s Department of Natural Resources for four years in the 1990s and, ending in 2023, wrapped up 13 years as chief executive of Denver Water. Lochhead, who stressed that he spoke only for himself, similarly sees compact curtailment planning as premature.
“It doesn’t make sense to go through that political brain damage until we really have to,” he said. “Hopefully we won’t have to, because (the upper and lower basins) will come up with a solution.”
Lochhead does believe that a negotiated solution remains possible, despite the surly words of recent years.
“We need to figure out ways to negotiate an essentially shared sacrifice for how we’re going to manage the system, so it can be sustainable into the future,” he said. This, he says, will take cooperation that so far has been absent, at least in public, and it will also take money.
Of course, with God on his side, maybe President Donald Trump will issue yet another executive order, this one ordering
Nothing Goes
Better with Games & Snowdown Shenanigans.
Shop before you hit the parade!
deep, deep snows – and cooler temperatures – in the Colorado River Basin for the duration of his term. I wouldn’t count on it, though. Three of the seven basin states – California, Colorado and New Mexico –voted against him.
Instead, we’ll have to slog along. The runoff in the Colorado River currently is
predicted to be 81% of average. It fits with a theme. Unlike the children of Lake Wobegone, most runoffs in the 21st century have been below average.
Allen Best publishes Big Pivots, a journal chronicling Colorado’s energy and water transitions. Those stories can be found at BigPivots.com ■
PREMIUM CANNABIS FLOWER
HASH & CONCENTRATE
A houseboat docked on the receding shores of Lake Powell. / Photo by Allen Best
‘Voices
by Missy Votel
LPoetry in motion
Inside My Head’ combines art with words for off-the-couch experience
ocal artist Tad Smith is the first to tell you he does not make “couch art.” In fact, he jokes that anyone who hangs his bold, black-and-white abstract portraits over a couch would be taking a bit of a fashion risk.
“My art doesn’t look good hanging over a couch,” he said. “And I’m fine with that.”
He means no disrespect to art that makes for good decor, but Smith said the goal of his art is to push the envelope. To get people off the couch and into their heads. Or in the case of his latest interactive show, “Voices Inside My Head,” into the heads of others.
“Good art is like a bridge,” he said. “The artist shouldn’t provide all the creativity, nor should the audience provide all the answers. They should meet half-way. I want the audience to interact with the art. I don’t want them to be passive.”
Smith, who moved to Durango in 2017 from Phoe-
JusttheFacts
What: “Voices Inside My Head,” an interactive art exhibit featuring augmented reality, paintings by artist Tad Smith, and poetry by local and national poets.
When: Feb. 1-28; reception, 5-7 p.m., Fri., Feb. 7
Where: Create Art and Tea, 1015 Main Ave.
nix, where he owned a gallery among other things, is doing exactly that with this latest show, on display starting Feb. 1 at Create Art and Tea. He describes the show as a fully immersive experience that incorporates his black-and-white, hand-drawn portraits with poetry and augmented reality. And yes, there are even QR codes for the technologically advanced or techno curious.
“I’ve been doing augmented art for a while, but I thought, ‘What’s the next level?’” Smith said.
And while words like “augmented reality” and “fully immersive” may sound advanced to the average art consumer, the premise is simple. Walk up to one of the portraits, scan the QR code with your phone (provided it is from the last decade or so) and hear a poet recite an original work pertaining to the portrait. (There will also be cool 3-D graphics on the screen to accompany the poetry, because that is Smith’s forte.)
Smith said he got the idea for the show after attending a similar show in Las Vegas and watching others from New York and London on YouTube.
“That’s what inspired me,” he said. “I thought to myself, ‘How the heck are they doing that?’” Well, like many of us hoping to solve life’s great mysteries, he turned to the rabbit hole of YouTube University. After extensive watching, er, “research,” and the help of the Adobe suite of graphics programs, he was able to virtually intertwine his art with words and music – poetry in motion if you will.
Poet Larry Bourland, left, and artist Tad Smith pose on the stairs leading to the loft at Create Art and Tea. The two, along with 26 other poets, are collaborating on a new augmented-reality exhibit, “Voices Inside My Head.” The show will be up the entire month of February with an opening reception Feb. 7. / Photo by Missy Votel
Twenty-seven poets offered up their words for the show, which hosts an opening reception Fri., Feb. 7, from 5-7:30 p.m.
While most of the poets are local, there are a few from as far away as Tucson, Los Angeles and even Paris, according to “poetry wrangler” Larry Bourland.
About five months ago, Smith approached Bourland, who hosts the monthly open mic poetry nights at Create (the fourth Thursday of the month, fyi) about working with him on the show. At the time, Smith had one of his works, “The Mystic,” on display at the Durango Arts Center.
“When he approached me, I found it to be an interesting concept,” recalls Bourland. “I told him I’d do it only if I could do a poem for ‘The Mystic.’’’
Although it wasn’t planned to be part of the show, Smith acquiesced and said he’d include “The Mystic” for Bourland. From there, Bourland threw the idea out to “his family” of poets and said every hand in the room went up to participate. From there, the number was whittled to 27 poets reciting their work for 43 of Smith’s portraits.
“It’s some of the most beautiful poetry I’ve ever heard attached to these portraits,” he said. “The poets shared their most intimate thoughts and made these portraits come alive. It’s a conglomeration of so many different thoughts. That’s the beauty of this.”
In addition to the recorded poetry readings, Smith will also
“I’m not doing art to make money. I’m doing it to get the audience engaged ... and to enjoy it.”
–
Tad Smith, creator of “Voices Inside My Head”
be getting the audience in on the action with what he calls “black out” poetry (think those poetry refrigerator magnets.)
“I’m going to have a bunch of used books, and people can circle a few words on a page and black out the rest and make their own poem,” he said.
Smith and Bourland said they believe this to be the first if not one of the first augmented-reality shows in Durango.
“This is a great intro to abstract art,” said Bourland. “I can’t wait for it to hit Paris.”
He is only partially joking. The two have visions of taking the show on the road – although maybe not quite so far afield, say, Phoenix, Denver or Santa Fe to start.
Which, after all, comes back to Smith’s mission as an artist.
“I’m not doing art to make money,” he said. “I’m doing it to get the audience engaged with art, and to enjoy it. I’m trying to make it interesting and involve as many people as I can. I’m just thinking outside the box.”
To think outside the box for yourself, check out “Voices Inside My Head” upstairs in Create Art and Tea throughout the month of February. (And while you’re there, be sure to sample owner Caprice Fox’s delicious homemade scones, teas and other locally made artwares.) A portion of sales from the exhibit will go to Create’s nonprofit Art Guild. Create is open daily from 11 a.m.- 6 p.m. at 1015 Main Ave. ■
“Beautiful,”
a 13”x 33” portrait by Tad Smith, made using acrylic Gesso paint and oil paint pigment sticks. The QR code takes viewers to an accompanying augmented reality (and extremely witty) poetry reading by Marilyn Kroeker. / Courtesy photo
Thursday30
Snowdown 2025: The Board Game Edition, thru Feb. 2, various locations
“An Imagined Almanac: A Future for the Colorado Plateau,” exhibit by Kate Aitchison, 4:306 p.m., The Gallery, Fort Lewis College
Infinite Horizons “Reflections on Indigenous Futurity,” 4:30-6:30 p.m., Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College
Bluegrass Jam, 6 p.m., Durango Beer & Ice Co., 3000 Main Ave.
Tim Sullivan plays, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Andrew Schuhmann plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Trivia Night, 6:30-9 p.m., Powerhouse Science Center, 1333 Camino del Rio
Drag Trivia Night hosted by Aria PettyOne, 7:309:30 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.
Open Mic Night, 8-11 p.m., The Tangled Horn, 275 E. 8th Ave.
Friday31
Snowdown 2025: The Board Game Edition, thru Feb. 2, various locations
USASA Boardercross Competition, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Purgatory Resort
Larry Carver and Ben Gibson play, Fri., Jan 31, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Gary Watkins plays, 6-9:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Saturday01
Snowdown 2025: The Board Game Edition, thru Feb. 2, various locations
USASA Boardercross Competition, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Purgatory Resort
English Conversation Circle, 10-11 a.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Karaoke, 6 p.m., Durango Beer & Ice Co., 3000 Main Ave.
Matt Rupnow plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Joel Racheff plays, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Live Music, 8 p.m.- 12 midnight, Sky Ute Casino, Ignacio
Sunday02
Snowdown 2025: The Board Game Edition, final day, various locations
USASA Boardercross Competition, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Purgatory Resort
Irish Jam Session, 12:30-3 p.m., Durango Beer & Ice Co., 3000 Main Ave.
Board Game Sundays, 2 p.m., Lola’s Place, 725 E. 2nd Ave.
Weekly Peace Vigil & Rally for Gaza & Palestine, every Sunday, 4 p.m., Buckley Park
Blue Moon Ramblers play, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Ben Gibson plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Monday03
English-Spanish Conversation Hour First Mondays, 5-6:30 p.m., Animas Valley Grange, 7271 CR 203
Happy Hour Yoga, 5:30 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St.
Joel Racheff plays, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Comedy Open Mic, 8 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.
Swing & Brewskies dance lessons, 7-9:30 p.m., Durango Beer and Ice Co., 3000 Main Ave.
Tuesday04
Cowboy Tuesdays, 12-3 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Native Hope ministry’s fulfillment of critical needs on the Navajo Reservation presentation by the Rotary Club of Durango, 6-7 p.m., Strater Hotel, 699 Main Ave.
Terry Rickard plays, 6 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Book Club “The Anthropology of Turquoise” by Ellen Meloy, 6-7:30 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave. Register at the reference desk
Open Mic Night, 7 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.
Man 2 Man Prostate Cancer Support Group of Durango, 7-8 p.m., on Zoom, contact prostategroupdro@gmail.com for details
Wednesday05
Donny Johnson plays, 5:30-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Open Mic with Leigh Mikell, 7 p.m., EsoTerra Ciderworks, 558 Main Ave.
Karaoke Roulette, 8 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.
Word Honey Poetry Workshop, 6-7:30 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Ongoing
Mark Johnson Photography Exhibit, thru January, Create Art & Tea, 1015 Main Ave.
Pup-up Clothing Drive for The Women’s Resource Center presented by Lively (a boutique) and DHS, thru Feb. 5, drop off during business hours at Lively, 809 Main Ave.
“Given Time: Sensory Aesthetics of Reclamation,” exhibit exploring Indigenous relationships to land, FLC Center of Southwest Studies. Show runs thru April 24, 2025.
Heartwood Cohousing 4th Friday Potluck, every 4th Friday thru Oct., 6:30 p.m., 800 Heartwood Ln, Bayfield, heartwoodcohousing@gmail.com to reserve a tour
Upcoming
Spanish Conversation Hour, Thurs. Feb. 6 and 20, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
“Outdoor First Aid Basics,” taught by City Parks Ranger Tosh Black, two-week class, Feb. 6 and 13, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Durango Rec Center, 2700 Main Ave.
Ailey II: The Next Generation of Dance, Thurs., Feb. 6, 7:30 p.m., Community Concert Hall at FLC
“The Source is Within You” exhibit by Robin Jones, Fri. Feb. 7, 5-7 p.m., Blue Rain Gallery, 934 Main Ave, unit B
“What the Hell Happened in San Francisco” dance theater performance by Malinda LaVelle and Emmaly Wiederholt, Fri.-Sat., Feb. 7-8, 7 p.m., The Light Box at Stillwater Music, 1316 Main Ave., Ste. C
“Swing State,” presented by Merely Players, Feb. 7-8, 11,13-15, 7 p.m., Merely Underground, 789 Tech Center Dr.
AskRachel Powder to the people, folked up and hallmarked
Interesting fact: Woody Guthrie was named “Woodrow Wilson Guthrie,” after the president, who was not yet president when Woody was born. Buzz Lightyear, in contrast, was named for Buzz Aldrin, whose sister pronounced “brother” as “buzzer.”
Dear Rachel,
I joined the military in 1966, with ’Nam going on. Well, we had dried eggs in the field and other things I can’t remember. With egg prices going up, maybe dried eggs are now the way to go, if cheaper. Hell, we didn’t care what was in them, we just gobbled them down. Have you had dried eggs? Let us know.
– MSgt Egg Head
Dear Sergeant Yolk,
I’m curious about those things you can’t remember. Can you not remember because of the intense trauma of spending a chunk of your youth in a war zone? Or because the food was even more unmemorable than powdered eggs? Anyway. You know what the main ingredient of dried eggs is? EGGS. I don’t see those being a viable alternative anytime soon, the way things are going.
– Cluck cluck, Rachel
Dear Rachel,
Considering national events of the last few days, I feel hopeless and helpless. And then I remember ol’ Woodie Guthrie and his “This Machine Kills Fascists” guitar. I have a six
“Learn from the Pros Ice Fishing” hosted by Five Rivers Trout Unlimited, Sat., Feb. 8, 10 a.m., Vallecito Marina, 14772 CR 501
Second Saturday Seminar Series honoring Black History Month with composer Joseph C. Phillips, Sat., Feb 8, 1 p.m., Animas Museum, 3065 W. 2nd Ave.
Yarn Meetup, Sat. Feb. 8 and 22, 1-3 p.m. Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Euchre Night, Sat., Feb. 8 and 22, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave.
“Swing State,” presented by Merely Players, Sun., Feb. 9 and 16, 2 p.m., Merely Underground, 789 Tech Center Dr.
Great Decisions “International Cooperation on Climate Change” presented by the League of Women Voters, Tues. Feb. 11, 11:45 a.m.-1:45 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Writers & Scribblers Writing Group, Wed., Feb. 12, 6:15-7:45 p.m., Durango Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Crafternoons Journal Making, Thurs., Feb. 13, 45:30 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
string in the shed that might need a little TLC, but I’m wondering if there’s been any updates in 80 years that I need to know before I start strumming for freedom.
– Woody Redux
Dear Guthrie 2: Electric Boogaloo, Although technically Arlo was the sequel, you can carry on in the fine tradition. Absolutely. But here’s the thing: I think that simply creating art of any kind is an act of resistance. Because only YOU can make what you make. It’s YOU, and no one can take that away from you. So, strum your six-string. Or throw a pot (with either meaning of “throw”). Or crochet with your dog’s fur. Just. Keep. Creating.
– For folk’s sake, Rachel
Dear Rachel,
I went to a grownup birthday party last week. The Princess of the Hour explicitly asked for no gifts but said cards are welcome. I’m guessing this was an emphatic way to deter people from ignoring her no-gift rule. But it also felt strange for someone to ask explicitly for a card. It made it feel obligatory to me. Is this etiquette I’m unaware of?
– Carded at the Door
Dear Card-Carrying Friend, If I’ve learned one thing by living my life among the people, it’s that you cannot trust people to follow simple directions. She’s absolutely and entirely giving
Solas Celtic ensemble, Thurs., Feb. 13, 7:30 p.m., Community Concert Hall at FLC
Winter Bike to Work Day, Fri., Feb. 14, 7-9 a.m., Main Ave. in front of Stuido &
Valentine’s Day Showdown hockey game fundraiser for girls hockey, Durango Betties face off against the DAYHA Girls U19 Team, Fri., Feb. 14, 5-7:15 p.m., Chapman Hill Ice Rink
“Cupid’s Cabaret,” San Juan Circus Valentine’s Day burlesque show, Fri., Feb. 14, doors 7 p.m., The Subterrain, 900 Main Ave., Suite F
Book Club: Local and Regional Authors, presented by Durango Public Library, Tues., Feb. 18, 67:30 p.m., Bread, 135 E. 8th St., registration required
Word Honey Poetry Workshop, Wed. Feb. 19, 67:30 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Hiking and Backpacking Essentials, presented by City Parks Ranger Tosh Black, Thurs., Feb. 20, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Durango Rec Center
Write Your Own Obituary workshop, Thurs., Feb. 20, 6-8 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.,
Email Rachel at telegraph@durangotelegraph.com
her friends a path of least resistance to avoid getting crap she doesn’t want. Your only reasonable counteraction is to give her something she MUST want. Might I recommend a carton of eggs. Fresh, not powdered.
– Helpful by the dozen, Rachel
registration required
“What Music Is” classical full orchestra, projections and narrator, Sat., Feb. 22, 7:30 p.m., Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College
Death Café, Mon., Feb. 24, 4-5:30 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E 3rd Ave
Great Decisions “Artificial Intelligence and American National Security” presented by the League of Women Voters of La Plata County, Feb. 25, 11:45 a.m.1:45 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E 3rd Ave.
Deadline to submit items for “Stuff to Do” is Monday @ noon.
Please include:
• Date and time of event
• Location of event
E-mail your stuff to: calendar@durangotelegraph.com
FreeWillAstrology
by Rob Brezsny
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In medieval Europe, beekeepers made reports to their hives of significant events in the human world, like births, deaths, marriages and departures. They believed the bees needed to be continually informed so as to ensure robust honey production. The practice was called “telling the bees.” Let’s make this an inspiring story for you in the coming weeks, Aries. I invite you to keep your community fully apprised of what’s happening in your life. Proceed on the assumption that sharing with others will generate harmony and support. Like the beekeepers, you may discover that keeping your community in the loop will strengthen your bonds and sweeten your endeavors.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): A regular guy named Jesse Ronnebaum bought an old painting at a yard sale for 50 cents. For the next 10 years, it hung on the wall in his living room. Then he noticed a dim inscription on the painting that suggested maybe it was more valuable than he realized. Consulting an art dealer, he discovered it was an unusual composition that featured the work of seven prominent artists – and was worth a lot of money. Ronnebaum said, “Years of struggling, barely making bills, and the whole time there’s $50,000 hanging over my head, literally.” I am predicting metaphorically comparable events unfolding in your life during the coming months, Taurus. Hidden value will no longer be hidden. You will potentize neglected sources of wealth and finally recognize subtle treasures.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In Namibia’s arid grasslands, fairy circles periodically emerge. They are highly regular rings of bare land encompassed by vegetation. What causes them? Supernatural entities, as believed by the local people? Sand termites or hydrogen-loving microbes, according to a few scientists? As yet, no definitive explanation has emerged. I love that! I cherish mysteries that thwart attempts at rational explanation. I invite you to specialize in tantalizing and unsolvable enigmas in the coming weeks. Your soul needs rich doses of provocative riddles, mysterious truths and fun puzzles. Exult in the liberating declaration, “I don’t know!”
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Wherever you wander, be alert for signals that remind you of who you used to be. This will stimulate your creative speculation about who you want to evolve into during the next few years. As you ruminate about your history, you will get
inspirations about who you want to become. The past will speak vividly, in ways that hint at your best possible future. So welcome clues from people who are no longer alive. Be receptive to old allies and influences that are no longer a central part of your world.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “Crown shyness” is seen among trees like lodgepole pines. In forests, they grow big, strong and tall yet avoid touching each other at their tops. This creates canopies full of gaps. What causes this? First, if branches don’t brush up against each other, harmful insects find it harder to spread from tree to tree. Second, when winds blow, branches are less likely to collide with each other and cause damage. There’s a third benefit: More sunlight penetrates to the forest floor, nourishing animals and other plants. I propose that you adopt crown shyness as a metaphor, Leo. Express your beauty to the max – be bold, vivid and radiant but also provide plenty of space for your allies to shine. Be your authentically amazing self but create boundaries that allow others to be their amazing selves.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Some astrologers assert that you Virgos suffer from ambition deficit. They authoritatively assert that a fiery aspiration to achieve greatness never burns hot within you. But in the coming months, I will work to show you a different perspective. Many of you Virgos are highly skilled at being self-sufficient. But sometimes this natural strength warps into a hesitancy to ask for help and support. And that can diminish your ability to fulfill your ambitions. My goal will be to celebrate and nurture your self-sufficiency even as I coach you to be dynamic about gathering all the assistance you can.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Life is not fair. In the coming days, you will be proof of this fact. That’s because you are likely to be the beneficiary of uncommon luck. The only kind of karma that will be in your vicinity will be good karma. X-factors and wild cards will be more available to you. Your timing will be impeccable, and your intuition will be extra incisive. You may even be tempted to theorize that life is conspiring to bring you an extra supply of meaningful experiences. Here’s the clincher: If anyone in your sphere is prone to envy because you’re flourishing, your charm will defuse it.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Here are three questions to ruminate on: 1. What resources are you afraid you will run out of or squander? 2. What if your fear of running out or squandering these resources ob-
structs your ability to understand what you need to know and do so that you won’t run out or squander them? 3. How can you dissolve the fear and feel confident that the necessary resources will keep steadily flowing in, and you will use them well?
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Most stars have at least one companion star. Our sun, which is all alone, is in the minority. Astronomers have found evidence that it once had a companion but lost it. Is there any chance of our sun eventually linking up with a new compatriot? It’s not likely. But in contrast to our sun’s fate, I suspect that 2025 will offer a significant diminishment in your personal loneliness. If you crave more camaraderie and togetherness, the coming months will be a favorable time to seek them out. Your meditation question: What’s the opposite of loneliness?
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In the coming weeks, your authenticity will be your greatest strength. The more genuine and honest you are, the more life will reward you. Be alert for situations that may seem to demand camouflage, when in fact they will ultimately reward your complete transparency. You will be most powerful and attractive as you allow yourself to be fully seen. You can even use your vulnerability to your advantage. Be openly, clearly, unabashedly yourself.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): As I envision your life in the coming weeks, I am moved to compare you to certain birds. First, there will be similarities between you and the many species that can literally perceive Earth’s magnetic fields, seeing them as patterns of shadow and light overlaid on their regular vision. You, too, will have an uncanny multi-dimensional awareness that helps guide your travels. Secondly, you will be like the migrating songbirds that recalibrate their internal compass every day when the sun sets. You will make steady efforts to ensure that your magical ways of knowing are grounded in earthy rhythms.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In some Polynesian cultures, there is a belief that one’s mistakes, including excessive anger, can cause physical sickness. Hawaiians traditionally have employed a ritual for such ills called ho’oponopono. It includes acts of atonement, forgiveness and correction. It may even involve a prayer conference where all the people involved talk about their problems with respect and compassion, seeking solutions and restitution. The coming weeks will be a fantastically favorable time for you to carry out your own version of ho’oponopono, Pisces.
Deadline for Telegraph classified ads is Tuesday at noon.
Ads are a bargain at 10 cents a character with a $5 minimum.
Even better, ads can now be placed online: durangotelegraph.com Prepayment is required via cash, credit card or check. (Sorry, no refunds or substitutions.)
Ads can be submitted via: n durangotelegraph.com n classifieds@durango telegraph.com n 970-259-0133
HelpWanted
The Conservation Lands Foundation (CLF) is seeking a Development Associate to join its dynamic fundraising team. CLF is a national nonprofit organization headquartered in Durango, Colorado, with team members nationwide. Founded in 2007, CLF operates on the principle that our public lands are best protected when supported by a national network of local advocates working collaboratively to advance a shared conservation vision. To learn more about the position and to apply, visit https://www.conservationlands.org/job_ posting_development_associate
Public Works Director – Silverton, CO
The Town of Silverton seeks a qualified leader to serve as Public Works Director, overseeing vital infrastructure and operations including water, wastewater, streets, and sanitation. This position requires strong management, planning, and technical skills, with responsibilities in budgeting, compliance, staff supervision, and quality control. The Director will ensure the proper operation of critical systems and work closely with town officials and the community. Competitive salary of $85,000-$95,000 with excellent health/ dental/ life/ short-term disability/ and retirement benefits and a housing stipend. Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience preferred. CDL required within a reasonable time frame. Apply by sending a cover letter, resume, and 3 references to: mmarks@silverton .co.us and deputyclerk@silverton.co.us by February 24th, 2025. For inquiries, call
970-880-4087 and for a full job description please visit https://townofsilverton. colorado.gov/employment
Classes/Workshops
Aikido Crash Course
Try Aikido! Experience self-refinement through self-defense. Boost focus, reduce stress, have fun! $8 weekly crash course 5:30-6:15pm every Monday starting Feb 10. Register online at durangoaikido.com.
Free English Classes
Quieres aprender o mejorar tu Ingles?
Doy clases de Ingles sin costo alguno. Brian, 970-779-5304
Lost/found
My Cat Cid is Missing
Long hair, white with black spots, green eyes. Last seen near 18th St. and E. 2nd Ave., by St. Columba. Reward. Call 970-403-6192
ForSale
Two 17’ Kayaks
With rudders, bib and back seating. Paddles and accessories incl. $450/ea. 303-522-6798.
Vintage Balloon Tire Bicycles
from the 40s, 50s and 60s. Prices range from $100-$500 per bike. Call Bicycle Bob in Aztec at 970 769 9955
Dry Firewood
Pick up or delivery. Call Gabe, 970403-2784.
Reruns Home Furnishings
Lots of new furniture/cool furnishings for home, office or dorm. Nightstands, coffee tables, kitchenwares, rugs and more. Also looking to consign smaller furniture pieces. 572 E. 6th Ave. Open Mon.-Sat. 385-7336.
ForRent
Professional Offices Downtown Near Main Ave., sunlit patio with Buckley Park views. Lease terms negotiable. 970.247.1233
Wanted
Cash for Vehicles, Copper, Alum Etc. at RJ Metal Recycle. Also free appliance and other metal drop off. 970259-3494.
Books Wanted at White Rabbit
Donate/trade/sell (970) 259-2213 Services
Boiler Service - Water Heater
Serving Durango over 30 years. Brad, 970-759-2869. Master Plbg Lic #179917
Chapman Electric 970-403-6670
Specializing in all things electrical. Colorado state licensed and insured
Need Repairs, Remodels or Renovations? Durango Wrangler quality constr. 970-708-7451
Lowest Prices on Storage!
Inside/outside storage near Durango and Bayfield. 10-x-20, $130. Outside spots: $65, with discounts available. RJ Mini Storage. 970-259-3494.
HaikuMovieReview
‘My Old Ass’ Who knew taking some shrooms could lead to such a sweet, and thoughtful story – Lainie Maxson
Electric Repair Roof, gutter cleaning, fence, floors, walls, flood damage, mold, heating service.
BodyWork
Massage by Meg Bush LMT, 30, 60 & 90 min., 970-759-0199.
CommunityService
Dog Fosters Needed
Parker’s Animas Rescue urgently needs foster families to provide temporary homes for rescued dogs. We supply all necessary items and cover vet visits. You provide the love and guidance. Join our mission to help pups prepare for their forever homes: parkersanimalrescue.com.
MOLAS Scholarship
The Community Foundation serving SW Colorado has a scholarship opportunity for first-generation college students. The MOLAS Scholarship (Meaningful Opportunity through Learning and Advancement Scholarship) is a need-based scholarship for La Plata County students. Scholarship will cover up to 85% of tuition, room & board at any Four Corners or Colorado public college, university, trade school or vocational school. The scholarship is renewable for up to four years. Deadline to apply is March 2. Jan. 30, 2025 n 15 telegraph
