The Durango Telegraph, April 29, 2021

Managing to piss off everyone since 2002

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FREE April 29, 2021 Vol. XX, No. 17 durangotelegraph.com

inside

T H E

O R I G I N A L

I N D I E

W E E K L Y

L I N E

O N

D U R A N G O

&

B E Y O N D

Breathing easier

What comes around

No balls required

Counties with higher vaccine rates see drop in infections p8

Recycling takes on new meaning in recent bike shortage p9

Don’t let lack of key ingredient ruin your cup of boba tea p11

2 n April 29, 2021

telegraph

lineup

4

4 La Vida Local

Musical requiem Reflections on a punk rock show in the before times

4 Thumbin’ It

by Kirbie Bennett

5 Word on the Street

8

6-7 Soapbox

Herd mentality

8 State News

Counties with highest vaccine rates closing in on mass immunity

Ear to the ground: “I just got a fancy new phone with a fancy new camera to take fancy selfies!”

– Local millennial on the real reason for getting the latest and greatest phone

Doing the DAB

thepole

RegularOccurrences

Looking to add your artistic touch to city streets via perfectly legal means? The Durango Art Brigade (DAB) has announced it will be continuing its popular pop-up public art initiative this summer. The program was launched last summer by the Durango Creative District with cooperation from the City of Durango, Dumpster Beautification Project, Local First and Durango Business Improvement District. Started in response to the pandemic, the goal was to provide an outlet for local artists, give youth a valuable real-world experience and offer people a reason to get out and enjoy downtown while supporting local businesses.

by John Daley/Colorado Public Radio

9 Local News

11 Flash in the Pan

9

12-13 Stuff to Do

Full cycle Bike and bike parts shortage adds new meaning to “recycling”

13 Ask Rachel

by Jennaye Derge

14 Free Will Astrology

11

15 Classifieds

No balls needed

On the cover: Two riders make their way across the Falls Creek meadow recently./ Photo by Stephen Eginoire

You can still have the joy of boba tea even without the gooey spheres

boilerplate

by Ari LeVaux

EDITORIALISTA: Missy Votel (missy@durangotelegraph.com)

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distributed in the finest and most discerning locations throughout the greater Durango area.

We’re only human. If, by chance, we defame someone’s good name or that of their family, neighbor, best

friend or dog, we will accept full responsibility in a public flogging in the following week’s issue.

Although “free but not easy,” we can be plied with schwag, booze and flattery.

T

he Durango Telegraph publishes every Thursday, come hell, high water, beckoning singletrack or monster powder days. We are wholly owned and operated independently by the Durango Telegraph LLC and

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Artist Nia Sturr works on her mural at the Durango Arts Center in October 2020./ Photo

by Scott DW Smith, Imagesmith Photo “Public art fosters community pride and a sense of belonging,” Durango Creative District Executive Director Hayley Kirkman said. “This can be a powerful tool to be more inclusive in art displays while providing an equitable and intriguing way for people to experience it.”

Last year, the program brought 11 public art installations downtown, including a colorful redo of the newspaper boxes of yours truly, a large quilt to encourage voting, and a pop-up “community art kitchen.”

All of the projects can be viewed at www.du rangocreativedistrict.org/brigade. (The projects were also featured in a Rocky Mountain PBS segment filmed by local videographer Scott DW Smith, which can be seen at: tinyurl.com/ 5t9dd4b4.)

Currently, the DAB has 17 sites listed for potential beautification, including but not limited to: indoor hanging installations, outdoor murals, “green spaces” in downtown bump-outs, chalk art, and paintings. Community members are also invited to submit their own ideas to the DAB. Artists interested in lending their talents can view the list of available projects and apply at www.durangocreativedistrict.org/brigade. The program is open to artists of all calibers, backgrounds and abilities, and artists will receive stipends for materials and time. Dependent upon project type, artists can earn between $50-$500 and be reimbursed up to $400 for materials.

Buy hurry, deadline to apply is 5 p.m., Fri., April 30.

The DAB is primarily funded through the City’s Creative Economy Commission but is seeking sponsorships and grants to add to its pool of funding. If you’re interested in donating, www. durangocreativedistrict.org/brigade.

April 29, 2021 n

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opinion

LaVidaLocal An ode to live music It’s easy for the heart to ache for many things lately. Regarding matters less grim and tragic, oftentimes I think of the music venues I love throughout the Southwest and how for the last year they’ve been ghost towns in a hemorrhaging state. Live shows will someday happen again. When we can safely embrace those spaces again, I hope many of these venues can pull through.

For the time being, I’ve been stuck in a rabbit hole of memory: re-watching old footage of live performances; finding a new appreciation for live albums; nursing the wounds of regrets for shows I skipped out on; and fondly reflecting on shows I attended. One experience stands out in particular.

Rewind to 2014: Albuquerque, N.M., where for a brief moment a little punk rock venue was able to sneak into an innocuous business district.

Huddling with 30 other people outside a tiny rundown building, our excited skin bursts into goosebumps as we wait in the November night. My friend Rinda and I drove 200 miles from the Navajo Nation to an abandoned-lot-turned-concert-venue known as The Gasworks. Bundled in coats and cigarette smoke, we shiver with nervous energy as four underground rock bands unload from humble vans and U-Hauls. All of them have arrived from around the country to play a show in the urban desert, in a space the size of a garage.

This is my first time at Gasworks – unfortunately it is the last official show for the fouryear-old venue. In front of me is a scene that embodies the importance and fragility of such independent spaces. When the doors open, the little room grows with warmth and chatter as people file in and a bittersweet joy fills the air. A sublime passion for the subterranean has brought us together.

Every inch of space in this tiny building is put to use. Near the entrance, tables full of merchandise are set up – records, posters, shirts and stickers are spread out like a feast. Rinda and I briefly rummage through, keeping tabs on what we’ll come back for later. We squeeze our way into the performance room. The opening band sets up on the same level as us, and the crowd is wise enough to keep a respectable distance.

The band Gates kicks things off with ambient post-hardcore rock. Pedal boards like an artist’s canvas lay on the floor. For 30 minutes, they create a dreamy, swirling sound of reverb and fiery distortion, backed up by pummeling drums and booming bass. One song starts out with twinkling guitar riffs, a hushed tap of drum cymbals and the vocalist crooning with a slapback delay that creates a subsuming echo. The sounds dangle in the air like drops of rain and gradually build with intensity. The whispers turn to screams, and the guitarists let their fingers dance while their feet tap different effect pedals. They compose a dramatic buildup – raindrops turning into rainstorm; thunder and fire from the bass and guitars scream out. The guttural cries reverberate and the drumming becomes erratic as they reach the apex and suddenly – there’s a pause: they let the notes hang in the air, and we are spellbound. Before we become too lost in this void, they dive back into a frenetic outro, digging into their instruments, pounding out scorching notes, extracting the soul and send-

ing it out across the room. Rinda looks at me with wide eyes and dropped jaw, summing up everyone’s reaction.

A heavy swell of scents gradually fills the air – the mossy, messy whirlwind of body odor, dirty hair, cigarette-soaked clothes and that trickle of marijuana coming from someone somewhere. The next band comes up: Foxes. They keep up the cathartic sound of post-hardcore punk. Distortion-drenched chords cut into the atmosphere, followed by clean, jangly guitar. It’s a manic monster sound of 21st century despair in the underground. When the vocalist isn’t dancing with the microphone, in between his shouts and whispers, he takes a trumpet and blares out a melodic cry amidst the chaos of odd time signatures and bouncing basslines.

After that set, a man with glasses and an acoustic guitar who goes by the moniker Into It/Over It takes the stage. At this point, Rinda and I withdraw to the back for a breather. We swing by the merch; the tables nearly fill up half the cramped room.

Still steeped in the glow of the moment, Rinda buys a tour shirt, and I pick up a comic book and a couple of 7” singles. Now I have the burden of preciously holding onto these records for the remainder of the show.

When Into It/Over It ends his set, the headlining trio known as Lemuria take over. While setting up their equipment, the crowded room cheers in anticipation, eager for their infectious, quirky pop rock, complemented with femalemale dual vocals. The male bassist and drummer wear blue jeans and white tees while the female guitarist, Sheena, dons a cool flowery dress with bangs and black-framed glasses. No guitar pedals are needed – just amps pumping loud distortion.

At one point, Sheena croons, “I’m not a Stevie/ I’m a Christie McVie/I find comfort in being second best.” I fixate on the words; how it sums up this place and all in attendance.

During Lemuria’s performance, a young girl makes her way to the front, accompanied by her older brother. She stares adoringly as Sheena grooves back and forth singing sweetly, her fingers crawling across the fretboard. When the group finishes, Sheena reaches down and hands her setlist to the young girl. The girl’s face lights up. Then, with members of the night’s previous bands joining in, Lemuria break into a cover of “I Melt With You”

by Modern English. Everyone erupts into an ecstatic singalong, belting out what will be the last words to the last song performed at the last show for this venue. We become baptized one more time in the bittersweet sweat and scent of each other.

And then the show ends. The lights turn on, and the venue owner says one last goodbye. A crowd of a hundred or so cheer and applaud the life and death of Gasworks. As we mournfully pour out into the night, “We Are the Champions” by Queen plays over the PA system. Rinda and I look back at the venue.

“All my favorite shows happened here,” she says. “I’m gonna miss this place.”

We get in my car and make our long way home, leaving the punks huddled together, making plans on where to go next.

– Kirbie Bennett Kirbie Bennett is a member of the Navajo Nation and calls Durango his second home.

When he isn’t writing or buried in books and comic books or playing the guitar, he’s a bookseller and manager at Maria’s Bookshop.

Sign of the Downfall:

Thumbin’It

4 n April 29, 2021

Fort Lewis College reaching a composting milestone, boasting the ability to compost all of the food waste coming out of the school’s primary dining hall

San Juan County, N.M., receiving an “F” and La Plata County scoring a “D” in the American Lung Association’s State of the Air report for higher-than-average unhealthy ozone days in 2017-19

School districts across Southwest Colorado set to receive a windfall in federal coronavirus relief aid to address learning loss stemming from the pandemic and to ensure schools can safely reopen

The pandemic letting the air out of Colorado’s rafting industry last summer, with commercial rafting seeing a 21 percent drop, the steepest decline since the 2008 recession

Colorado’s slow and steady march toward herd immunity, with several of the counties with the highest vaccination rates seeing a corresponding drop in infections

More depressing river news, with forecasts that the Animas River’s flows will be 45 percent of average this summer, the seventh-lowest in 110 years of records

telegraph

Florida Man, Part 6 In an attempt to make his dog immortal, Florida man Philip Josef kidnapped a scientist from the University of South Florida. Ryan Lockhart, the scientist, didn’t press charges after he was rescued thanks to his family’s efforts after they noticed him missing, and really, who can disagree with that? We’ve all had a dog that we wanted to live forever, and at least Josef tried. But the good news here is that Florida’s population increased by 15 percent in just the last decade, so Part 7 is probably right around the corner.

WordontheScreen

Q

With this week’s much-needed precipitation, the Telegraph asked, “What do you wish April showers would bring you?”

Baxter

“A decision on where to go to college.”

Jennaye

“I hope April showers bring me good-smelling soap and plenty of hot water.”

Krista & Bonnie

“Realistically, a beautiful new lawn. Unrealistically, $10 mil.”

Lucy

“A job and a good graduation.”

Deb

“More May showers.”

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April 29, 2021 n 5

SoapBox Time to reckon with our past After reading various letters in response to Kayla Shaggy’s cartoon bringing public critique of the “Chief” sign, I felt moved to briefly weigh in. I think many of the responses here are missing the point, which is really quite simple: Many Native people feel that the sign is offensive, hurtful and racist. That in itself should be enough to remove the sign and work with Native artists to identify a better alternative (assuming they are ready for such collaboration).

Durango rests on land that was quite literally stolen from Native people. What may have been considered an appropriate roadside sign in the 1950s (by white people) is not going to fly today. Thank goodness. There are many comparable examples of things that passed as appropriate in the 1950s that would make our skin crawl today, and we owe gratitude to those who were most directly impacted by those abuses for calling them out.

The Clarks, as seemingly well-intentioned community members and business owners, have an opportunity to lean into the ugly history of which all white members of this community are culpable and chart a different way forward. What an honor for a community to be called into reckoning with our past so that our future may be more just, and what an honor for a local business to be bestowed with an opportunity to step into a better future where they allow the voices of the most marginalized among us to dictate the path forward. I hope they bend toward justice.

– Alix Midgley, Mancos

The Chief and white fragility The letters to the editor in opposition to Kayla Shaggy’s cartoon regarding the racist Chief statue in Du-

rango are clear examples of white fragility. These letters are defensive because the cartoon challenges white people’s power and oppression over people of color – in this case, Indigenous people. It also seeks validation as opposed to being able to sit with the discomfort of the real problem: the fact that supporting a racist statue and white people appropriating artifacts is stealing.

The owners (who already hold power and privilege) do not need “praise” for some small gesture toward Native American communities to ease their own white guilt. If not ALL of the proceeds are going back to Native American communities, then it’s cultural exploitation. Furthermore, they are on stolen land, we all are.

Would black face on white property be OK? No. I have seen a lot of questions about what constitutes cultural appropriation. Here are some questions to ask: What are the intentions of people outside of that culture to use this material? What is the impact on people within the culture in question to use and steal the artifacts?

The Chief represents harmful and violent stereotypes and ideologies that people hold about Indigenous people.

These images are harmful because they dehumanize and depersonalize all the wisdom, creativity, worth,and value of Native American people as a whole. Continued stereotyping, whether thought of as positive or negative, is harmful because it continues the justification of power over, which leads to denying opportunities for groups of people. It also can cause significant psychological harm and leads to internalized ideas about the self.

The Toh-Atin Gallery and the statue represents all the genocide, broken treaties/promises and continued exploitation of Native Americans. You need to understand that if you are not listening to forcibly oppressed communities and actively making efforts to make retribution from centuries of harm, then you are part of the problem.

DurangoOrganics.com for current promos and to order online.

Kayla Shaggy’s cartoon represents the reality of the situation. Stop making this about you. It’s about Native American communities. Those are the voices that need to be centered in these conversations.

– Jennifer Stucka-Benally, Durango

A snapshot of Medicare X The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has exposed many systemic inequities in our country, particularly within our health-care system. COVID-19 put more pressure on these fault points. The fact that nearly 15 million people lost their health care and jobs in this pandemic begs the question: why do we tie health care to employment? For this reason, as well as the prohibitive cost of health care, our legislators have been motivated to propose a number of policy reforms.

Sens. Bennet and Kaine have recently reintroduced their health-care reform bill, Medicare X Choice, which is considered a “public option.” Their intention is to make health-care more accessible and affordable to Americans.

This public option is a government-funded health insurance plan that would exist in addition to private health insurance. Medicare X would become a new option offered in the ACA marketplace. The various public programs, such as Medicare, Medicaid, V.A., etc. will continue to be available.

This public option aims to cut prescription drug prices by removing the provision that restricts the government from negotiating drug prices for Medicare. The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs is allowed to negotiate drug prices, which has resulted in prices approximately 40 percent lower than the prices paid by Medicare. 4

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telegraph

Although not specifically stated in Medicare X, some other public option plans state a provision to establish an “independent review board” to assess a drug’s value and determine an appropriate price. Review boards are a staple in other high-income countries.

Medicare X premiums will be based on a sliding scale related to income. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates premiums for public options would be 7-8 percent lower on average from the private plans currently on the exchange. Cost sharing co-payments for both silver and gold plans remain.

The higher the premium payment, the less you pay out of pocket for health-care costs. The premiums would be capped at 13 percent of total income in the current version of the Medicare X bill.

Provider payments for this public option are proposed to be near Medicare rates with an additional 25 percent increase for rural areas. This may become a potential drawback if providers choose to restrict or not accept Medicare X patients, opting for patients with private insurance instead because of the more generous reimbursement rates.

The ACA out-of-pocket maximums still apply to the public option. The out-of-pocket limit for a Marketplace plan can’t be more than $8,550 for an individual and $17,100 for a family in 2021.

The benefits for the public option seem to be similar to the ACA marketplace. Among the 10 essential health benefits included are prescription drugs, primary care, maternity services, lab work, mental health care and specific preventive services.

Not included are hearing, dental, vision and long-term care.

A public option may improve provider and hospital transparency on prices and outcomes. A 2019 government rule required all hospitals to post prices of services online.

Unfortunately, hospitals complied by posting confusing spreadsheets of abbreviations, medical codes and numbers. Two-thirds of the largest hospitals are not complying with this transparency rule. If this public option requires the health-care system to be more transparent, it would go a long way to protecting patients from surprise medical bills by posting prices clearly and in advance of service.

A 2020 study by the American Journal of Public Health estimated total administrative waste in health-care costs about $500-$800 billion annually. (Total health-care spending in the U.S. is $3.6 trillion.) By comparison, America spends three times as much as our peer countries on administration. It is estimated that a public option may realize 20-30 percent administrative savings.

By maintaining private insurers and a two-tiered system of plans, (gold and silver), a public option continues a system that stratifies Americans into different classes of coverage by ability to pay, maintaining health inequities.

The principal behind public options is to offer incremental change that doesn’t send shock waves but offers a method to test whether a public plan will be competitive enough to apply pressure on private insurers to reduce prices. Keeping the private insurance system we have now doesn’t allow for a large reduction in current health-care costs, nor does it help people to more easily navigate a confusing system.

This is merely a snapshot of the proposed Medicare X Bill.

– Jan Phillips, Durango

Civics: the lost art of discourse If you watch enough national news, it’s easy to think that Democrats and Republicans rarely speak, always argue, refuse to compromise and have nothing in common.

Fortunately, in Colorado at least, that is not always true.

I am sponsoring a bill with bipartisan support to strengthen civics instruction in our public schools. Though civics is already a required course, the Legislature has never really addressed whether students are learning about the intricacies of civil government, then practicing what they have learned.

For the last several years, Sen. Don Coram, a Republican, has been working with Sen. Lois Court, a Democrat, to address this issue. We’ve seen bills filter through the system, but nothing has stuck.

Court left office for medical reasons, so her replacement, Sen. Chris Hansen, a Democrat, joined Coram to put civics in the

limelight again. I signed on to sponsor the bill from the House of Representatives along with Rep. Terri Carver, a Republican.

And SB 21-067, now amended to be the “Senator Lois Court Civics Act of 2021,” is soon headed to the Governor’s office to become law.

The bill asks the State Board of Education to review the state civics standards and update the content when they come up for review in 2021-22.

Civics is a social science dealing with the rights and duties of citizens and those they elect. Elected officials everywhere see the need for this. Many people have no idea who we represent and what we do. Here are some examples of what my constituents want me to accomplish: • “Please oppose David Chipman (for a presidential cabinet post).”

• “Run in the next Republican primary against our Congressional representative.”

• “Stop censoring Facebook; don’t you believe in free speech?”

• “Please pass a bill doing something about the potholes in Durango.”

• “Reject the results of Arizona’s election.”

• “Change the results of Georgia’s election.”

• “Don’t ratify the results of the Electoral College.”

• “Why did you vote for the President’s impeachment?”

• “Why didn’t you vote for the President’s impeachment?”

And the list goes on.

We have all seen from discussions, the news and our social media, that many people do not understand the Constitution or the mechanisms of local, state or federal government. Constitutional Amendments, voting rights and ballot issues can be confusing. Studies show few can name the three branches of government.

With the advent of standardized tests focusing on math, English and science, civics has received a short shrift, and current events are showing the importance of bringing this topic back to the forefront.

This legislation will have schools focus on the instruction and discussion of the fundamentals of American democracy at the federal, state and local levels into classrooms, and include classroom activities where students model democratic processes. We also encourage service learning and experiential project-based learning for students by participating civically in their communities.

The bill also recommends teaching the history and civil government of the United States and Colorado, including the history, culture and social contributions of minorities, such as Native Americans, Latinos, African Americans, Asian Americans and LGBTQ individuals, as well as the contributions and persecution of religious minorities.

This is a teachable moment in our country. Encouraging the next generation to participate in government by watching, critiquing and participating will help them see what goes into civil discourse, making law and addressing the challenges and issues of society.

I contacted my eighth-grade civics teacher this week, Mr. Vuxinic. Who knew teachers had first names? His is Matt. His lessons encouraged me to learn about government and politics, to be an active participant, to vote and to become a good community citizen. What a treat to hear his voice again. I thanked him for being that inspirational teacher, and I am proud to bring civics to the forefront of education again.

When Democrats and Republicans work together, we get things done.

– Rep. Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango

“We’ll print damned-near anything” The Telegraph prides itself on a liberal letters policy. We have only a few requests: letters must be limited to 750 words; letter writers must “sign” letters using their real names and place of residence; and thank-you lists and personal attacks are unwelcome. Send your insights, thoughts, opinions and profundities to: telegraph@durangotelegraph.com. Let the games begin ...

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Serving Southwest Colorado

April 29, 2021 n 7

StateNews

Breathing easier State COVID rates are lowest where vaccination rates are highest (and vice versa)

by John Daley Colorado Public Radio

V

accinations are limiting the spread of the coronavirus in the Colorado communities where they are being most accepted.

Dr. Rachel Herlihy, the state’s epidemiologist, compared vaccination rates in the state's 10 largest counties with COVID-19 case rates. At a Tuesday COVID-19 update, she said case rates are highest in locations where vaccination rates are lowest and vice versa.

"What we're really seeing here is our first clear sign, our first promising indication, that we're seeing community-level protection from vaccination," Herlihy said.

Boulder, Jefferson and Denver counties are leading the pack statewide in vaccines, with vaccination rates close to 60 percent or higher, and seeing a correlating decrease in case rates. On the other end of the scale are El Paso and Pueblo counties, with vaccination rates around 40 percent and corresponding higher infection rates.

In La Plata County as of Wednesday, 22,996 people, or 40.9 percent of the population, was fully vaccinated with 28,267, or 50.2 percent, having at least one dose.

On Tues., April 27, the three-day average infection rate was 12.7 percent, or 24.9 cases per 100,000, according to the San Juan Basin Public Health Department’s COVID dashboard.

For the state’s 10 largest counties, for every 10 percent increase in the number of people vaccinated, Herlihy said there’s a decrease of 51 cases per week per 100,000 people.

As counties hit herd immunity, we might see the pandemic end “at different times in different communities,” she said.

Gov. Jared Polis said he expects some counties will eventually see transmission drop off sharply when they hit herd immunity. Conversely, counties with lower vaccination rates will keep seeing virus spread until herd immunity is reached.

“To be clear, (the pandemic) hasn't ended anywhere yet. But by these numbers, some communities will reach herd immunity levels before other communities,” he said.

Polis noted that Boulder and Jefferson counties are nearing 65 percent vaccination, and as a result, there’s now a “decreased circulation of the virus in those communities.”

8 n April 29, 2021

Dr. Sunita Sharma, left, administers a second shot of COVID vaccine to Ellis Linville Sr., right, at Shorter AME Church in Denver in February. In promising pandemic news, new data shows that counties with the highest vaccination rates are seeing a corresponding drop in COVID infections./ Photo by Hart Van Denburg, CPR News Polis was in El Paso County and Pueblo last week, trying to drum up interest in getting vaccinated. He’s also dedicated extra resources to the effort. “There's no place in the state that it's easier to get vaccinated than Pueblo, Colorado,” he said.

The governor stressed that most counties still have a ways to go.

“We need to be somewhere closer to that 70 to 80 percent range,” he said, “where the virus simply no longer has enough hosts to spread effectively.”

Although the vaccination trend is good news, other state virus indicators are more troublesome. The one-day positivity rate is now 9.65 percent, the highest level in months. Rates are increasing most among children and teens, who made up 26.43

percent of all cases, or 2,953, in the state the week of April 18. In addition, hospitalizations recently popped above 600, also their highest levels since January. Herlihy said the higher hospitalizations are likely driven by the more contagious U.K. variant, which is now the dominant strain in Colorado.

Polis stuck to the message he’s been sharing for weeks: if you want to see the end of the pandemic, get your shots now.

“If you haven't yet been vaccinated, you are at very high risk for contracting this virus,” he said, reminding those who aren’t yet fully vaccinated to avoid social interactions. “If you are (vaccinated), you can certainly breathe easier.”

Polis said he was hopeful the Pfizer vac-

telegraph

cine, now only available to people 16 and older, will be approved for 12-to-15-yearolds in time for the new school year in the fall. He also announced most of Colorado’s large community vaccination sites, including the San Juan Basin Health site at the La Plata County Fairgrounds, will now accept walk-ins without appointments.

“If you don't set one up or just don't feel like using the internet, or you're just driving by … don't worry about not having an appointment,” Polis said. “You can get vaccinated and you'll be done in 20 minutes.”

Local content was added to this story. For more from Colorado Public Radio, go to www.cpr.org. n

LocalNews

New owner of the Durango Cyclery, Joe Hanrahan, stands in the middle of a used bike gold mine: a collection of old bikes waiting to be given new life. In addition to new bikes – which have been harder to come by in the last year – the Cyclery also sells refurbished bikes for everything from town to trail./Photo by Jennaye Derge

What comes around With new bikes, parts still in short supply, recycling takes on new meaning

by Jennaye Derge

T

he moment I knew we were no longer dealing with a normal economy – in the dollar and coin sense – was last spring when we found ourselves bartering in toilet paper. But, a year later, those times are past and we no longer need to exchange homemade sourdough for an armful of Charmin. Of course, as toilet paper has once again become plentiful, other items have taken its place in the pandemic scarcity department. Perhaps one shortage felt most acutely by Durangoans is that of our beloved bicycles and, particularly, bicycle parts.

But fear not, intrepid riders. If you cannot find your brand-new dream steed on a local showroom floor, there are other options to get you rolling again.

Locally, bikes have been flying off the shelves faster than you can suck down that packet of GU, according to Gary Provencher, owner of 2nd Ave. Sports. While he sees his dwindling bike supply in a positive light, a testament to this town’s love for bicycles, he also credits it to humanity’s need to freak out. “(Bicycle buying) has become a frenzy. People think they won’t be able to get a bike in the summer so they need to get one now,” he said. “I think it has a lot to do with the human condition of panic.”

We all do it. We hear something is difficult to find, so

JusttheFacts What: Durango Devo Bike Swap When: Fri., May 14, 9 a.m. – 7 p.m., gear drop off; Sat., May 15, 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. swap; Sun., May 16, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. gear pick up Where: Chapman Hill Ice Arena Info: New this year, folks can check in gear ahead of time online at www.durangodevo.com/bike-swap/ we make sure we get a piece of the pie, too. Before we know it, the shelves are empty and producers can’t keep up with the demand. The producers we are speaking of here are bicycle and, more importantly, bicycle parts manufacturers.

The two main component manufacturers in the world, Shimano and Sram, are caught in a high-demand crossfire, trying to speed up production with limited capacity to get us our brake levers in time to go on our ride tomorrow.

“That’s really the biggest issue,” Provencher said.

“Shimano and Sram, they’re taxed. I’ve been told they’re working at one and a half times their normal capacity and they still can’t keep up.”

Some bikes, especially specialty bikes, are back-logged for as long as a year, meaning by the time they’re shipped, everyone will have finally used up that 100-pack of

telegraph

hoarded toilet paper.

It’s easy to see the problem when you walk into any bike shop. The racks are a little sparse, but if you’re one of the lucky ones, they’ll have what you’re looking for in stock and ready to ride.

If you’re unlucky though, there is a different route you can try that will likely be more practical, economical and sustainable: buying used.

One of Durango’s longest-standing bike shops, the Durango Cyclery has touted its love for used bicycles since the beginning. Its showroom is an eclectic mix of brandnew bikes and refurbished ones, but it’s the latter that tend to make any true bike geek weak in the knees.

The Cyclery’s newest owner, Joe Hanrahan, says the store’s older recycled bikes catch the eyes of bike lovers because they are timeless and built to last. The sturdy (usually steel) frames are meant to withstand a beating on the trails while also acting as the perfect townie. He also loves how fun it is to see these old bikes with their unique “Cyclery look” out on the streets, more so when they come back into the shop to be re-recycled.

“We see bikes that have been built here in the past, and when people are done with them – when they’re moving, clearing out their garages or are just done riding them – those recycled bikes will make their way back here,” he said. 4 April 29, 2021 n

9

RecycledBikes from p. 9 Hanrahan said the goal for the Cyclery is to keep things that way; to keep accepting donations of old bikes and parts in order to keep them out of landfills and get them back out into the world.

“It feels good to keep bikes on the road.” Hanrahan said.

“It’s fun to ride an old bike.”

New or old, bikes are fun, which is probably why so many people still have that old rusty and trusty ride from the ’80s hanging in the garage. But, if you do find one that no longer sparks joy in you, perhaps consider Marie Kondoing it: sell it at the upcoming Durango Devo Bike Swap, May 14-16 at Chapman Hill.

The annual velo swap is back after taking a one-year COVID hiatus. For this local nonprofit, it’s all about the kids and doing good. Just like the Cyclery, Devo sees the importance of recirculating bicycles back into the hands of people who will give them new life.

“That’s a big part of Devo’s foundation: recycle and reuse,” Amy Haggart, Devo coach and director of development, said. “Any bike is fun to be on of course … and you don’t have to have the fanciest, sweetest gear to enjoy mountain biking.”

Haggart is excited for this year’s swap for various reasons including a new option to check in gear online before the event. Swappers also can get online help with pricing their gear or make arrangements for volunteers to pick up gear from their home. Furthermore, if you check in your gear virtually, you don’t have to pay the $1/item tag fee. Have something you just want to give away? They’ll take that, too.

Basically, Devo wants to make donating as easy as walking from your bed to your computer for your 9 a.m. Zoom call.

Convenience aside, there are other reasons to take advantage of this year’s Devo swap. Not only will there will be tons of top-notch gear, including parts and stuff from the pros’ closets, if you sell your gear, you get to keep 80

Amy Haggart, director of development and a coach for Devo, leads a group of preschoolers on a ride on the trails behind Smith Park near Fort Lewis College last week. The upcoming Devo Bike Swap is a great way to noy only clean out the garage and make some cash but help kids find bikes, especially given the recent bike shortage. /Photo by Jennaye Derge percent of the proceeds. And you can ride easily knowing the other 20 percent goes to support Devo’s bevy of cycling programs for 2- to 18-year-olds. But best of all, maybe you can help spread the love of cycling to some of the less fortunate bike-less masses.

“It’s really hard to find bikes right now, no matter what

age or price range, but especially for kiddos who are trying to find a bike,” Haggart said.

And if that doesn’t pull at your heartstrings a little bit, nothing will.

Volunteers are still needed for this year’s swap. If you’d like to help out, sign up at www.durango devo.com/bike-swap/ n

Telegraph classified ads can be placed online at www.durangotelegraph.com and cost a mere 10 cents a character.

(We don’t know how to put this, but it’s kind of a big deal.)

To place them the 1990s way: classifieds@durangotelegraph.com To place them the 1970s way: call 970-259-0133

10 n April 29, 2021

telegraph

FlashinthePan

No boba, no cry

by Ari LeVaux “Sometimes you are out of boba before you finish the actual drink. It’s the worst feeling”.

– feed meimei, on Youtube rinkers of bubble tea are bracing for the worst. Boba balls, the tapioca-based spheres that collect at the bottom of a cup of this wildly popular Taiwanese beverage, are reportedly in short supply.

Bubble tea is a combination of milk and tea, shaken or stirred to create the namesake bubbles.

The boba balls hang out at the bottom of the cup, to be sucked up through an extra-wide straw and chewed with the sips of tea.

Boba, as the kids call this wildly popular beverage, has spread throughout east and southeast Asia and is available wherever such food is sold.

Taiwan exports boba balls worldwide, in myriad colors, sometimes even with little juice pockets inside. The diversity of boba tea recipes is like a drinkable distillation of the myriad Asian food scene. Vietnamese coffee boba, Japanese matcha with cheese foam, potted plant boba, black tea and strawberry gummy bear.

The popularity and reach of boba tea has been expanding exponentially, but, as first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle and followed up by Business Insider, Smithsonian and others, the dried boba pearls are in short supply, thanks to a perfect storm of boba-blocking happenings.

With the world’s economies reopening, more folks are going out for boba, straining supplies.

Meanwhile, many ports are still running at partial capacity because of COVID-19. And ships these days are larger than ever, including 20some supersized cargo ships anchored offshore from the port of Los Angeles, plus the one that got stuck in the Suez Canal.

Tapioca is a starch made from the root of the cassava plant, which was domesticated in Brazil and dispersed by the Portuguese to the tropical regions of Asia, Africa and elsewhere. It’s beloved wherever it grows for its large harvest of tubers that can be prepared in many different ways. Most Taiwanese boba balls are made with Thai tapioca.

Boba wholesalers are strapped, and retailers are stressed, because without those chewy balls at the bottom, boba buyers are bailing. “Some people will not buy a drink if we’re out of boba,” bubble shop owner Alex Ou

D

told the Chronicle. “They’re literally here for the boba.”

Diehards can still fashion their own boba balls with tapioca flour from the South American motherland. It’s labor-intensive, especially for the novice. But if you’re literally here for the boba, I guess that’s what you have to do.

Even if there weren’t a shortage, I would prefer frozen

blueberries in my tea. They are my summertime ice cube of choice for many drinks. They get the job done cooling the drink, and then offer their soggy bodies as a sweet, tart finish.

I’m lucky to live near a northern Idaho farm that grows monster blueberries, which I buy by the Ziplock gallon. The only work involved is keeping the bags open for a few minutes to let moisture out as they cool, and then sealing them shut with as little air inside as possible.

In place of boba balls, blueberries get the job done in a very juicy way, reminiscent of the extra-fancy juice-injected boba balls of Taiwan but even juicer. I use jasmine tea, because its magical flavor pairs perfectly with blueberries.

To make a very boba-esque blueberry bubble tea, all you need is whipped cream, tea, sugar and frozen berries. Or substitute carbonated water for milk and add lemon, for a berry bubbly blueboba lemonade.

The glorious combination of blueberries, cream and jasmine tea makes this something you could imbibe to the bursting point, with no possible regret.

Blueberry Boba Makes 2 pints 1 cup frozen blueberries 2 tablespoons powdered sugar 3 cups jasmine tea, room temperature 1/2 cup cream, whipped In a bowl, toss the frozen blueberries in the sugar. Add the berries to your pints, followed by the tea, and finally the whipped cream.

Shake vigorously, and serve.

This next recipe is a lighter, fruitier, summery-er and bubbly-er take on bubble tea.

Blueberry Bubbly Tea Makes 2 pints 1 lemon, sliced and squeezed with seeds removed 1 cup frozen blueberries 2 tablespoons powdered sugar 2 cups jasmine tea, room temperature 2 cups bubbly water In a bowl, toss the frozen blueberries in the sugar.

Add the berries to your pints, followed by the tea, and then the lemon juice and slices. Finally, add the bubbly water. Stir this one, or leave it alone. Definitely don’t shake it.n

Helping make my home, your home.

I will make sure you’re TCO in DGO.

Rebecca Applegate

Taking Care Care Of Business

970.769.1336 Rebecca@RealEstateDurango.com

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StufftoDo

Thursday29 Tico Time Bluegrass Festival, thru May 2, north of Aztec, N.M. For tickets or info: www.ticotimeresort.com Gary B. Walker plays piano, 11a.m.-1 p.m., JeanPierre Bakery & Restaurant, 601 Main Ave. City of Durango’s Multimodal Transportation Plan update, 4 p.m. Virtual meeting link at DurangoGov.org/Zoom “Beyond Maize, Beans and Squash,” Mesoamerican influence on U.S. Southwest/Northwest Mexican dynamics after the origin of agriculture, free virtual talk, 4 p.m. Register at www.CrowCanyon.org “Diverse Voices,” presented by Fort Lewis College Theater, streaming April 29-30, directed by Suzi DiSanto.

Tickets at: tinyurl.com/m8hc9chn Durango Virtual Green Drinks, 5:15 p.m. Hosts this month are Turtle Lake Refuge and Durango Chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby. For link, visit Durango Green Drinks on FB. Adam Swanson, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Deadline for “Stuff to Do” submissions is Monday at noon. To submit an item, email: calendar@durangotelegraph.com

Rob Webster, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. Zoom Breastfeeding Workshop, 6-8 p.m. $15 suggested donation. Partners are strongly encouraged to attend. For link or more info, email: drjoynd@gmail.com or Facebook message Joy of Life Midwifery.

Forest & Fire Learning Series: “In Our Backyard: Community Preparedness & Seasonal Outlooks,” virtual presentation, 6-7 p.m., Mountain Studies Institute Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Southwest Colorado Community COVID Forum, online, 7-8 p.m. Presented by Colorado Working Families Party, the Colorado AFL-CIO, and United Today, Stronger Tomorrow. Register at: mobilize.us/co-wfp/event/374164/

Friday30 Tico Time Bluegrass Festival, thru May 2, north of Aztec, N.M. For tickets or info: www.ticotimeresort.com “Diverse Voices,” presented by Fort Lewis College Theater, streaming April 29-30, directed by Suzi DiSanto.

Tickets at: tinyurl.com/m8hc9chn Jack Ellis and Larry Carver play 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Dustin Burley plays, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. Larry Carver and Ben Gibson play, 6 p.m., Diamond Belle, 725 Main Ave.

Saturday01 Tico Time Bluegrass Festival, thru May 2, north of

Bust out the camp chair and sunscreen: festival season is back. This weekend Tico Time Resort, located a few minutes south of the state line, hosts a four-day bluegrass festival. Headliners include the Front Range’s Wood Belly as well as Leftover Dust Farm, featuring members of Leftover Salmon, Dust and Grant Farm.

Local bands will also take the stage including Liver Down the River, Six Dollar String Band and Stillhouse Junkies. Camping is available. For ticket and camping package prices, visit: www.ticotimeresort.com.

Aztec, N.M. For tickets or info, go to www.ticotimeresort.com

Live Music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

Henry Stoy plays piano, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Jean-Pierre Bakery & Restaurant, 601 Main Ave.

Tuesday04

Return of the Jedi! 9:30-10:30 a.m., learn the Japanese weapons and techniques seen in “Star Wars.”

Claire Viles Park (across from St. Columba).

“The Korean Peninsula,” a virtual talk, 11:45 a.m. with moderator Holly Vaughn. Presented by the 2021 Great Decisions International Affairs Discussion Program.

For link, visit www.lwvpaplata.org.

7 Rivers Farmers Market, 12-3 p.m., featuring local farmers, food vendors and artisans, La Plata County Fairgrounds. Masks and social distancing required.

Adam Swanson plays, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Matt Rupnow plays, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

Jeremy Foote, of the La Plata County Historical Society and Animas Museum, virtual talk, 6 p.m.

Presented the Rotary Club of Durango. For log-in, email: Mtnman16@gmail.com.

Sunday02 Tico Time Bluegrass Festival, north of Aztec, N.M. For tickets or info, go to www.ticotimeresort.com Henry Stoy plays piano, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Jean-Pierre Bakery & Restaurant, 601 Main Ave. Blue Moon Ramblers play, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Live Music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Live Music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

Wednesday05

Monday03 Meditation and Dharma Talk with Thanissara and Kittisaro, 5:30-6:15 p.m. Online at www.durangodharmacenter.org/

Return of the Jedi! 5:30-6:30 p.m., learn the Japanese weapons and techniques seen in Star Wars.

Claire Viles Park (across from St. Columba). www.durangoaikido.com

Live Music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Live Music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

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AskRachel

Doggy style, in-box anxiety and rind etiquette Interesting fact: “Jury-rigged” is a makeshift solution from materials at hand. “Jerry-built” is something constructed with shoddy materials. “Jerry-rigged” is an 18-wheeler driven by Jerome.

Dear Rachel, My boyfriend drove his car to Denver this week for work. The only problem is that he took off with all the dogs’ leashes and harnesses.

This leaves me with three wound up dogs and a can-do attitude. I fashioned harnesses out of cam straps and leashes from the rope in the shed. I feel proud. But the people I pass on the river trail are less than subtle about their disdain. Is this pure ingenuity they just can’t understand? Or am I committing unintentional animal abuse?

– Creativity Unleashed Dear Unbridled Abandon, Can’t it be both? You gotta admit tying your dogs up with tie-down straps is janky. But hey, if you’re not cutting off their circulation or endangering their airways, at least you’re getting them out for walks. The same can’t be said for some poor dogs in my neighborhood, who make me want to jerry-rig… jury rig… jeurry rig?... whatever. They make me want to creatively bust them out of their yards and create my own mutt-based version of 101 Dalmatians.

– Woof there it is, Rachel Dear Rachel, Ever since college I have used my email inbox

Live Music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. Keb’ Mo’ livestream, May 5-6, presented by The Sheridan Arts Foundation. Tickets start at $10 and are available at: www.sheridanoperahouse.com. A portion of proceeds goes to the nonprofit Sheridan Arts Foundation.

Ongoing La Plata County Humane Society Baby Shower, May 1-8, sponsor a litter, buy supplies from participating pet supply stores or buy something on the Amazon wish list. For details, go to: lpchumanesociety.org.

Cindy Coleman Pastel Paintings art show, May 231, Animas Chocolate & Coffee Co., 920 Main Ave. www.duckgirlart.com “Around the World: A Virtual Musical Tour,” online concert presented by the Durango Choral Society, 7 p.m. www.durangochoralsociety.org Earth Week Bingo, sponsored by the City of Durango, through April 30. Fill out your bingo “card” of family friendly activities or online events and be entered to win a prize.

View or download bingo cards at: DurangoGov.org/ EarthWeek. #earthweekdgo2021

as my reminders, my to-do list. The compulsion to get my unread emails down to 0 means I’m always motivated to accomplish something. Except my inbox started to creep into a second page. And a third. And now I’m nearing four digits of un-accomplished tasks big and small.

Do I develop a system of prioritization? Or erase them all and start my life fresh?

– More Backlogged than the USPS Dear Log Backed, You know, if you’re going to delete all your emails (which I highly endorse), you might as well go whole hog. There’s another phrase that’ll make you wonder.

Anyway. Burn it all down (figuratively) (or literally) (but not in a dangerous way). Abandon your life and move to, I don’t know, the Dominican Republic. Say, why isn’t there a Franciscan Republic? There really should be. I always imagined the Dominican and Franciscan monks like the Jets and Sharks, or maybe more like Pfizer vs.

Moderna.

– Domine quo vadis, Rachel

Email Rachel at telegraph@durangotelegraph.com

Dear Rachel, When you get a dessert that has citrus fruit sliced up on top, are you supposed to eat the rind, or not? On the one hand, I would never pluck the lime from my G&T and munch it down. On the other hand, the baked rind is softened enough to eat, and hey, you can eat zest in recipes so obviously the rind isn’t all bad.

What’s your verdict?

– Thick Skinned

Dear Callused, I remember the time I tried to use a composter in my little side yard. In a healthy fit I bought a bunch of grapefruit at the grocery store. Of course I never ate them, because who knows how to eat a grapefruit anyway. I put them all in the composter, and when I moved out a long time later, the grapefruit rinds were still freaking there. I would have been better off jury-building Little Mermaid bra cups out of them, because I could have reused them every Halloween.

– Your daily rind, Rachel

Alpacka Raft or Dalton golf raffle, benefit for the La Plata Open Space Conservancy. $10/ticket or five/$40. tickets for only $40. Available thru 10 a.m., May 10 at: www.lposc.org. Drawing at noon, May 10/ Family Fun Geo-Caching-Style Adventure, a fundraiser for Fort Lewis Mesa Elementary, through May 16, around Durango and Hesperus. Choose from three levels of difficulty and use your smartphone and problem-solving skills to follow a map and clues to the hidden Roadrunner.

Each map purchased will enter your name into a drawing for a grand prize associated with that map. For info., go to www.theroadrunnerchase.com.

“Sophisticated Rebels: Insurgent Archaeologies in the American Southwest,” free virtual talk, May 6, 4 p.m.

Register at www.CrowCanyon.org Dustbowl Revival livestream, May 6 & 13 presented by The Sheridan Arts Foundation. Tickets start at $10 and are available at: www.sheridanoperahouse.com. A portion of proceeds goes to the nonprofit Sheridan Arts Foundation.

Animas River Stakeholders Group memorial dedication and celebration for 25 years of work, Fri., May 7, 2 p.m., along the banks of the Animas River, Silverton.

Spring Cleanup, thru May 9, sponsored by the City of Durango, taking yard waste, furniture, large appliances, scrap metal, drywall, fencing, carpeting, tiles and open dried paint cans. For schedule, go to: www.durangogov.org

Elder Grown plays two nights of socially distanced shows, May 7-8, 6:45 & 9:45 p.m., Animas City Theatre.

Tickets at: www.animascitytheatre.com

Weekly Activity Kits for Kids and Teens, new kits come out every Tuesday, while supplies last, Durango Public Library. Stop by or arrange a curbside pickup: 970-375-3380 or reference@durangogov.org.

FLC Spring 2021 Commencement, Fri.-Sat., May 7-8, Dennison Memorial Field. Ceremonies will be broken up into seven sessions and are not open to the general public.

Livestream will be available at facebook.com/fortlewis.

Episode 6 of the Actor’s Journal now streaming, featuring Judith Guest, Stacy Keach and more. Presented by the Durango Playfest. For tickets, go to: www.durangoplayfest.org/actors-journal

Durango Shimmy Mob recognizes World Belly Dance Day, May 8, throughout Durango. Performances are free but donations are welcome. Money raised will go to Alternative Horizons.

Deadline to submit items for “Stuff to Do” is Monday at noon.

REAL radio, REAL people DURANGO COMMUNITY RADIO AT FORT LEWIS COLLEGE

Upcoming

91.9 93.9

KDUR.ORG

telegraph

E-mail your stuff to: calendar@durango telegraph.com

April 29, 2021 n 13

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FreeWillAstrology

by Rob Brezsny ARIES (March 21-April 19): Poet Allen Ginsberg despairingly noted that many people want MORE MORE MORE LIFE, but they go awry because they allow their desire for MORE MORE MORE LIFE to fixate on material things – machines, possessions, gizmos and status symbols. Ginsberg revered different kinds of longings: for good feelings, meaningful experiences, soulful breakthroughs, deep awareness and all kinds of love. In accordance with astrological potentials, Aries, I’m giving you the go-ahead in the coming weeks to be extra greedy for the stuff in the second category.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In her poem “Mirror,” Taurus poet Halina Poświatowska wrote, “I am dazed by the beauty of my body.” I applaud her brazen admiration and love for her most valuable possession.

I wish more of us could genuinely feel that same adoration for our own bodies. And in accordance with current astrological omens, I recommend that you do indeed find a way to do just that right now. It’s time to upgrade your excitement about being in such a magnificent vessel. Even if it’s not in perfect health, it performs amazing marvels every minute of every day. I hope you will boost your appreciation for its miraculous capacities and increase your commitment to treating it as the treasure that it is.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gemini poet Buddy Wakefield writes that after the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami of 2004, “the only structure still standing in the wiped-out village of Malacca (in Malaysia) was a statue of Mahatma Gandhi. I wanna be able to stand like that.” I expect you will indeed enjoy that kind of stability and stamina in the coming weeks, my dear.

You won’t have to endure a metaphorical tsunami, thank Goddess, but you may have to stand strong through a blustery brouhaha or swirling turbulence. Here’s a tip: The best approach is not to be stiff and unmoving like a statue, but rather flexible and willing to sway.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): No educator had ever offered a class in psychology until trailblazing philosopher William James did so in 1875. He knew a lot about human behavior. “Most people live in a very restricted circle of their potential being,” he wrote. “They make use of a very small portion of their possible consciousness, and of their soul’s resources in general, much like a person who, out of his whole bodily organism, should get into a habit of using only his little finger.”

I’m going to make an extravagant prediction here: I expect that in the coming months you will be better primed than

14 n April 29, 2021

ever before to expand your access to your consciousness, your resources, and your potentials. How might you begin such an adventure? The first thing to do is to set a vivid intention to do just that.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “Someone in me is suffering and struggling toward freedom,” Greek author Nikos Kazantzakis wrote. To that melodramatic announcement, I reply, good for him! I’m glad he was willing to put himself through misery and despair in order to escape misery and despair. But I also think it’s important to note that there are other viable approaches to the quest for liberation. For example, having lavish fun and enjoying oneself profoundly can be tremendously effective in that holy work. I suspect that in the coming weeks, Leo, the latter approach will accomplish far more for you than the former.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo novelist Agatha Christie sold hundreds of millions of books, and is history’s mosttranslated author. While growing up, she had few other kids to associate with, so she created a host of imaginary friends to fill the void. They eventually became key players in her work as an author, helping her dream up stories. More than that: She simply loved having those invisible characters around to keep her company. Even in her old age, she still consorted with them. I bring this to your attention, Virgo, because now is a great time to acquire new imaginary friends or resurrect old ones. Guardian angels and ancestral spirits would be good to call on, as well. How might they be of assistance and inspiration to you?

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “To hurry pain is to leave a classroom still in session,” Libran aphorist Yahia Lababidi notes. On the other hand, he observes, “To prolong pain is to miss the next lesson.” If he’s correct, the goal is to dwell with your pain for just the right amount of time – until you’ve learned its lessons and figured out how not to experience it again in the future – but no longer than that. I suspect that such a turning point will soon be arriving for you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In her poem “Every Day,” Scorpio poet Denise Levertov wrote, “Every day, every day I hear enough to fill a year of nights with wondering.” I think that captures the expansive truth of your life in the coming weeks. You’ve entered a phase when the sheer abundance of interesting input may at times be overwhelming, though enriching. You’ll hear – and hopefully be receptive to – lots of provocative stories, dynamic revelations and unexpected truths. Be grateful for this bounty!

Use it to transform whatever might be stuck, whatever needs a catalytic nudge.

telegraph

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21): I hope you’re not too stressed these days. There has been pressure on you to adjust more than maybe you’d like to adjust, and I hope you’ve managed to find some relaxing slack amidst the heaviness. But even if the inconvenience levels are deeper than you like, I have good news: It’s all in a good cause. Read the wise words of author Dan Millman, who describes the process you’re midway through: “Every positive change, every jump to a higher level of energy and awareness, involves a rite of passage. Each time we ascend to a higher rung on the ladder of personal evolution, we must go through a period of discomfort, of initiation. I have never found an exception.”

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): We can safely say that Anais Nin was a connoisseur of eros and sensuality. The evidence includes her three collections of erotic writing, Delta of Venus, Little Birds, and Auletris. Here’s one of her definitive statements on the subject: “Sex must be mixed with tears, laughter, words, promises, jealousy, envy, all the spices of fear, foreign travel, new faces, stories, dreams, fantasies, music.” In response to Nin’s litany, I’m inclined to say, “Damn, that’s a lot of ambiance and scaffolding to have in place. Must it always be so complicated?” According to my reading of upcoming cosmic rhythms, you won’t need such a big array of stuff in your quest for soulful orgasms – at least not in the coming weeks. Your instinct for rapture will be finely tuned.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “One is always at home in one’s past,” author Vladimir Nabokov wrote. I agree. Sometimes that’s not a good thing, though. It may lead us to flee from the challenges of the present moment and go hide and cower and wallow in nostalgia. But on other occasions, the fact that we are always at home in the past might generate brilliant healing strategies.

It might rouse in us a wise determination to refresh our spirit by basking in the deep solace of feeling utterly at home. I think the latter case is likely to be true for you in the coming weeks, Aquarius.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “Not everything is supposed to become something beautiful and long-lasting,” author Emery Allen writes.

“Not everyone is going to stay forever.”

Her message is a good one for you to keep in mind right now. You’re in a phase when transitory boosts and temporary help may be exactly what you need most. I suspect your main task in the coming weeks is to get maximum benefit from influences that are just passing through your life. The catalysts that work best could be those that work only once and then disappear.

classifieds

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 classifieds@durango telegraph.com n 970-259-0133 n 679 E. 2nd Ave., #E2 Approximate office hours: Mon: 9ish - 5ish Tues: 9ish - 5ish Wed: 9ish - 3ish Thurs: On delivery Fri: Gone fishing; call first

Announcements KISS Tribute Band L.A. Dave in Bayfield is seeking dedicated musicians for serious KISS tribute project. kisswinterland@gmail.com

The Perfect Gift for your favorite dirtbag. Literature from Durango’s own Benighted Publications. The Desert, The Climbing Zine, The Great American Dirtbags, American Climber, Climbing Out of Bed and Graduating From College Me are available at: Maria’s Bookshop, Pine Needle Mountaineering, the Sky Store, or on the interweb at www.climbingzine.com.

Lost/Found Found: U.S. Passport Headlamp, and other items, found on trail going up Chapman Hill, April 15.

Call to identify: 970-799-4016.

Wanted Need Shop Space Looking for space to rent/lease in or near Durango for woodworking shop. 250 sf, size of a 1-car garage. Slightly smaller ok, larger ok depending on price. 970903-6585, rossdurango@gmail.com

sonal skills, are familiar with our community, and have strong communication skills. This is a seasonal, part-time position, June through September. To apply visit: www.downtowndurango.org/jobs Application deadline is May 3.

Seeking Teachers Durango Adult Education Center hiring ESL + GED teachers for Fall 2021. Find details, apply at www.durangoadulted.org Asst Ops Mgr for Nature-based Org Local non-profit offering nature-based soul immersions seeks full time (32 hrs/wk) Assistant Manager of Operations.

BA/BS, 2 years admin/program mgt exp w/extreme attention to detail req, $18$24/hr DOE. Email dgoasst@gmail.com.

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

BodyWork

ForRent Standalone downtown studio Available May 1. No smokers, pets. $675/mo + security, el & gas. One year lease. Single person occupancy. References required. 970-317-1018

ForSale

Mother’s Day Gift Certificates!

Massage by Meg Bush, LMT, 30, 60 & 90 min., 970-759-0199

Jeep Grand Wagoneer 1986. One owner. No damage. $13,000. 970.749.0800.

massageintervention.life Voted best massage in Durango 18/19/20. Couples, cupping, local CBD. Reviews on FB + Yelp. 970-903-2984

Reruns Home Furnishings Bistros, vintage patio sets, pots, yard art. Mid-century desk, vintage Drexel surfboard coffee table, 572 E. 6th Ave.

Wanted Cash for Vehicles, Copper, Alum, Etc. at RJ Metal Recycle. Also free appliance and other metal drop off. 970-259-3494.

NewspaperOrigami

Services Will House Sit in Durango Responsible senior couple will house-sit, including your pets, in Durango CO June 7 - Aug 7 2021. Good internet connection required. Contact 970-250-5706, 970-6440419, mwethers1.mlw@gmail.com or paul.wetherstein@lm.doe.gov RSE Handyman Service Home repair - yard work - odd jobs, 970-903-0449

HelpWanted Caregivers $18/hr Disabled man needs help with care.

Call Johnny, 970-749-2692.

Now Hiring Downtown Ambassadors.

Do you love Durango? The Durango Business Improvement District is looking for friendly, outgoing and knowledgeable people who love our community to be Downtown Ambassadors. We are looking for candidates that have great interper-

Fire Mitigation Services Professional Training & Services (Licensed & Insured) Retired Forester & Firefighter (Smokejumper) www.homesteadfire mitigation.com (970) 317-0826 Harmony Cleaning and Organizing Residential, offices, commercial and vacation rentals, 970-403-6192.

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