The Durango Telegraph, Dec. 31, 2020

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Dec. 31, 2020 Vol. XIX, No. 47 durangotelegraph.com

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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

Ferreting out COVID

The world of Phil

Hip, hip brûlée

Experimental vaccine used to help save vulnerable species p8

Saying goodbye to a reluctant legend of SW cycling p9

Sending out 2020 in the blazing flames it deserves p11

Coming full circle.

Issue 14 of The Gulch is out now!

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2 n Dec. 31, 2020

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lineup

4

4 La Vida Local

A thoroughly incomplete fuzzy rehash of the year we all wanna forget

4 Thumbin’ It

COVID Kai

by Missy Votel

5 Word on the Street 6 Soapbox

8

7 Retooned

Endangered

When it comes to COVID vaccines, humans aren’t the only ones in need

8 State News

by JoNel Aleccia/Kaiser Health News

9 Top Story

9

11 Flash in the Pan

Phil’s world

12-13 Stuff to Do

Friends and fans say goodbye to a Southwest Colorado cycling icon

by Missy Votel

13 Ask Rachel 14 Free Will Astrology

11

15 Classifieds

Hip, hip brûlée

On the cover: The sun breaks through the clouds on a glorious winter day near St. Paul’s lodge, on Red Mountain Pass./ Photo

by Stephen Eginoire

A dazzling and delicious pyrotechnic display to ring in 2021

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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.

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telegraph

Ear to the ground: “I think I’m going to be OK now that I have a ton of CBD and a robot vacuum.”

– Local woman trying to make it through the last days of 2020

The smell test

thepole

RegularOccurrences

Something as simple as a 50-cent scratch-and-sniff could hold the keys to stemming the spread of the coronavirus at a fraction of the cost and time of high-tech tests, new CU Boulder research suggests.

“A lot of people have joked about this idea, but this is the first effort to ask in a rigorous, mathematical way: Could screening for loss of smell actually work?” author Roy Parker, a professor of biochemistry at CU said. “We were surprised by how good the results were.”

For the study, Parker and Dan Larremore, an assistant professor of computer science, teamed up with CU alumnus Derek Toomre, a professor at the Yale School of Medicine who has developed a call phone app test that assesses sense of smell.

Studies show that, when simply asked about their symptoms, only about half of people with COVID-19 report loss of smell, aka anosmia. But when given a standardized test, that number rises to eight in 10, even among people with no other symptoms.

That’s far more prevalent than fever, which impacts fewer than one in four people with the virus. Anosmia also lasts longer, affecting patients for a week or more while fever may only last a day or two. In addition, while fever is associated with many diseases, loss of smell without a stuffy nose is highly specific to COVID. The team used modeling to predict the effect of smell-testing in several hypothetical scenarios, including: on a college campus where individuals were tested once a week, every three days or daily; and at a one-day event where it was used for point-of-entry screening.

In each case, the sniff-test served not as a definitive diagnostic test, but as a screening tool.

Those who failed would then be referred for a gold-standard PCR or a rapid antigen test. In general, it was found that scratch-and-sniffs every three days worked better than weekly PCR tests in curbing infection at a tiny fraction of the price.

“We found that you could reduce risk inside by 75 percent if you tested everybody, and it would only cost about 50 cents each,” Parker said.

Although the test is not commercially available yet, the team has applied for Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA. If approved, they could swiftly ramp up production to hundreds of millions of tests per week.

The findings have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal, and the authors caution that more research is necessary, but they are optimistic. “This is not a silver bullet,” said Larremore. “But it could be another useful tool in our repertoire."

Dec. 31, 2020 n

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opinion

LaVidaLocal COVID Kai In case you didn’t notice or have been trapped in the Groundhog Day time warp that is 2020 – today is New Year’s Eve. You know, the time when we say adieu – or in this case perhaps something a bit harsher – to the f***-o-rama year that was, and welcome in a shiny new one with dreams of prosperity, health, happiness and maybe the chance to belly up at The Ranch again with several hundred of our closest friends.

(No pressure, 2021. Since 2020 was pretty much the worst year ever in the history of the world, I’d say the bar is set pretty low. In fact, most of us would probably forego the “health, happiness and prosperity” part and be perfectly content with “almost normal, employed and upright.”)

Now typically on New Year’s Eve, local revelers would be raiding their costume box for NYE finery or donning their best Carhartt’s for the last hooplah before a month of “sobriety” (usually defined by a day or two on the wagon) before falling off hard for Snowdown (usually defined as any day after Jan. 2.)

But, of course, things are different now. Instead of Snowdown Black Tie (or whatever the theme was, as most of our memories have since been bulldozed beneath a nonstop cavalcade of information) we now have Snowdown Black Hole. A huge, bottomless morass of lethargy, loneliness and what I like to call my fat lady pants.

I would be lying if I didn’t admit that, sadly, this is not all that different from a typical New Year’s for me. Maybe, there is even a small part of me – ok, maybe not that small thanks to my COVID “19” – that likes the hermit lifestyle. In full disclosure, I haven’t worn real pants in several months, mostly because all the zippers seem to be, uh, stuck. Plus, real pants are hard to sleep in. Or nap in. Or couch surf in.

Speaking of which, has anyone else noticed the irony of “joggers?” The only jogging I’ve done in them as of late is my memory, trying to remember what day it is. But I guess the jogger misnomer is really no different than “tennis shoes” or “sports coats” – two other things that are seldom worn for intended purposes.

But all is not lost in the abyss of malaise and leisurewear. In fact, there are plenty of little things we can all celebrate as we say goodbye to the great toilet paper famine of 2020. For example, thank god for the “mute” and “enhance appearance” buttons on Zoom. Or Amazon Prime and at long last, the end to the nonstop barrage of election robotexts, giving whole new meaning to “Silent Night.” We no

longer need to try to act nonchalant as we race others down the toilet paper aisle for the last remaining pack of two-ply and can rejoice in the return of Clorox wipes.

Which, even at the ungodly price or $5.99 for the small container, we are happy to pay. This despite the fact that we will likely continue to dole out our existing ones like precious golden tickets and stockpile the new ones in a closet for the duration of our earthly habitation.

The pandemic has also afforded me more quality time with the offspring, whose unsurpassed ability to sleep is only rivaled by their ability to produce dirty dishes.

And, thanks to facemasks, I no longer have to worry if remnants of my blueberrychia smoothie are wedged between my pearly whites on paper delivery day.

In other good news, we also have the vaccine, for which I will gladly be rolling my raggedy fleece sleeve up, even if it means Bill Gates can track my movements from couch to kitchen or monitor the number of times I visit the platter of rum balls or the liquor store before noon. And speaking of couch, although I never made good on my promise to binge-watch the entire “Game of Thrones” series (don’t you people know what a spoiler alert is?)

I am completely up-to-date on the British royal family, thanks to subtitles, and have watched way more “Survivor” than I care to admit. (Ironically enough, I found the cold-calculated indifference of both shows eerily similar.)

But things are not all immunity idols, ermine stoles and teetering on a pedestal for no apparent reason. For example, I may never be able to view movie scenes or concert footage without cringing or suffering a full bout of anxiety. Sadly, “The Office” and the department store Santa scene from “A Christmas Story” will never be the same.

And then there are more practical matters that may never be overcome, like learning how to keep a facemask from fogging up your glasses or resisting the urge to remove a soggy neck gaiter in the lift line, even if it smells like wet dog and you’re pretty sure moss is growing on your chin. Or avoiding the dreaded Netflix Neck from an epic stint of “Cobra Kai” spent hunched over a laptop at the kitchen table for several lost hours of your life that you’ll never get back.

Which brings me to my point – other than that proper ergonomics are no joke.

If Ralph Macchio can make a middle-aged comeback, with a hot wife and a killer job, there is hope for all of us – saggy sweats, paunch, bad COVID hair and all.

Sign of the Downfall:

Thumbin’It The City of Durango giving struggling local businesses an end-of-year shot in the arm and late holiday gift with in a round of lastminute CARES Act grants

A fortuitous change in the jetstream, with storms pounding Southwest Colorado, easing tensions over drought and a dismal ski season

A win for the bears, with reported humanbear conflicts low in Southwest Colorado this year, likely due to a plethora of natural food sources

4 n Dec. 31, 2020

– Missy Votel

Watch of Shame An inauspicious start to the backcountry ski season, with one of the deadliest months in Colorado history with four avalanche deaths, including two local men, in the last two weeks

The devastating COVID outbreak at Four Corners Health Care Center, infecting nearly all of the 100-some residents and claiming 18 lives

Overcrowding at ski areas this week, exacerbating already insane holiday conditions and creating traffic hazards, super-spreader mass chaos and 45-min. liftlines

telegraph

Our phones are smart, so are our refrigerators and cars (but our politicians aren’t), so it wasn’t a surprise when Amazon debuted its new “Halo” smart watch. However, the Halo is more of a smartass watch because it does things you might not expect. For one, users can upload a “mostly naked” picture of themselves to the app so it can analyze their “problem areas,” and most surprisingly, the watch has a microphone so it can analyze the tone of your voice to let you know when you’re being condescending. But I don’t need this watch because I’m never condescending; that means I don’t talk down to people if you didn’t know.

WordontheScreen

Q

With this epically awful year finally coming to an end, the Telegraph asked, “What will you miss most about 2020?”

Pepper

“Watching mom and dad go crazy.”

Jesse

“The conversation. I mean honestly, now that we have a vaccine and an adult in the White House, what are we going to talk about?”

Kinley

“Literally nothing.

I hated all of it.”

Dave Terra

“Being an unpaid middle-school teacher.”

“I won’t miss building a ‘normal house’ while homeschooling, living in an off-grid tiny house and trying to keep some semblance of a career and a marriage.”

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Dec. 31, 2020 n 5

SoapBox Think of the ‘grandpas, grandmas’ Mask up near others on trails, too To the editor, This morning, like I do several mornings a week, I dropped my 2-year-old off at her day care next to Four Corners Health Care Center. Most of the blinds were shuttered, and I could hardly imagine the fear and loneliness unfolding behind them as a massive COVID-19 outbreak spreads through the nursing home. As of Dec. 14, nearly all 110 residents had tested positive, as well as many staff, and 18 people had died, according to the Durango Herald.

In non-COVID times, the toddlers at The Growing Place regularly visited the “grandmas and grandpas” next door. Now, when I drop my daughter off or pick her up, I often see people standing at the windows of the nursing home, bundled up against the cold, trying to communicate through the glass to their loved ones inside. It’s utterly heartbreaking to think of what these families are going through, especially during the holiday season.

I’ve been wanting to do something to let the residents, family members and staff know many of us in the community are thinking of them. Sending a gift to everyone inside is unrealistic; and a donation, while helpful, wouldn’t necessarily be noticed by the people most impacted. I’m not sure this letter will be noticed either, but it felt like a small way to let everyone know that they’re in our thoughts. So, if you or a loved one are affected by the outbreak at Four Corners Health Care Center – or Hilltop House, or any of the numerous other facilities near and far that are suffering from COVID-19 – please know that you’re not alone. Many of us are thinking of you, praying for you, and staying home to help ensure that this devastating situation isn’t experienced by even more families. Sending love, warmth and light to you, and to all the health-care professionals working around the clock to care for our community.

– Krista Langlois, Durango

To the editor, The dangers of COVID-19 transmission indoors means that, more than ever, the great outdoors is our refuge.

Our sunny winter weather means that even cold temperatures are no obstacle to enjoying fresh air, golden light & the spirit-raising company of a happy canine.

Not surprisingly, Durango trails are somewhat crowded. I’m fortunate to be able to get out in Dalla Mountain Park or the lower loop of Animas Mountain frequently, and every time I’m surprised and disheartened by how few trail users wear a face covering. Maybe one in 10. What are the other nine people thinking, that being outdoors makes them (and me) invulnerable?

Trail users – particularly runners and bikers – are often huffing and puffing, passing others within a couple of feet on the narrow path where it’s impossible to safely socially distance. Simply put, any time we share the same tight breathing lane, virus transmission is possible.

One passing hiker said to me, smiling, as I scrambled up the slope to keep some space between us, “I forgot my mask!” as if it were of no more consequence than an umbrella, not an essential precaution that could spare a loved one from the intensive care unit.

Please, Durango, wear a face-covering when you’re passing others while enjoying our trails. This simple measure can mean life or death for our most vulnerable, and if people cooperate, it will only be necessary for a short time.

– Clint McKnight, Durango

Stopping the real steal To the editor, The 2020 election is over. Done. The votes have been counted – multiple times in some battleground states.

The results didn’t change. Voters chose democracy and

the Constitution over a corrupt and vindictive self-serving dictatorship. The Electoral College validated the national majority vote despite Donald Trump’s endless attempts at subversion.

It’s long past time for dead-ender Republicans to acknowledge this, get over it and move on. It’s time to stop supporting Trump’s ongoing efforts to damage our country and sabotage the duly-elected Biden.

Unfortunately, that’s not happening. Some Republicans, including our new freedom- and gun-loving Rep. Lauren Boebert, plan to challenge House certification of the Electoral College in favor of Biden. With a few exceptions, others stay silent in the face of this subversion. So it’s fair to say Republicans want single-party democracy. They’ve succeeded in many states, thanks to voter suppression and racial gerrymandering. Now they declare that presidential elections only count when the results go their way.

This is the U.S., not Belarus, or Russia, or Hong Kong. We owe huge gratitude to local and state election officials, especially in those battleground states, who did their jobs with competence and integrity, sometimes despite harassment and even death threats by pro-Trump thugs; and those judges who showed no patience for Trump’s endless bogus lawsuits. They stopped the real steal! But extremists like Boebert are still trying.

– Carole McWilliams, Bayfield

“We’ll print damned-near anything” The Telegraph prides itself on a liberal letters policy. We have only a few requests: limit letters to 750 words; letters must be signed by the writer; and thank-you lists and personal attacks are unwelcome. Send your insights to: tele graph@durangotelegraph.com. Let the games begin ...

Here’s to a merry and bright new year!

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6 n Dec. 31, 2020

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Dec. 31, 2020 n 7

StateNews

Ferreting out COVID Endangered black-footed ferrets get experimental coronavirus vaccine to help save population

by JoNel Aleccia Kaiser Health News

I

n late summer, as researchers accelerated the first clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccines for humans, a group of scientists in Colorado worked to inoculate a far more fragile species.

About 120 black-footed ferrets, among the most endangered mammals in North America, were injected with an experimental COVID-19 vaccine aimed at protecting the small, weasel-like creatures rescued from the brink of extinction four decades ago.

The effort came months before USDA officials began accepting applications from drugmakers to produce vaccines for minks, a close cousin of the ferrets. Farmed minks have died by the tens of thousands in the U.S. and been culled by the millions in Europe after catching COVID-19 from humans.

Vaccinating such vulnerable species is important not only for the animals’ sake, experts say, but potentially for the protection of people. Some of the most pernicious human diseases have originated in animals, including the new coronavirus, which is believed to have spread from bats to an intermediary species before jumping to humans.

A black-footed ferret looks to leave its carrier during a release of 30 ferrets by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2015 at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge in Commerce City./ Photo by David Zalubowski/AP The worry when it comes to animals like threat if it spills back to people. Danish farmed minks, which are kept in crowded health officials in November reported detectpens, is that the virus, contracted from hu- ing more than 200 COVID cases in humans mans, can mutate as it spreads, posing a new that had variants associated with farmed minks, including a dozen with a mutation scientists feared could undermine the effectiveness of vaccines. However, officials now say that variant appears to be extinct.

In the U.S., scientists have not found similar COVID mutations in domestic farmed mink populations, though they recently noted with concern the discovery of the first case of the virus in a wild mink in Utah.

“For highly contagious respiratory viruses, it’s really important to be mindful of the animal reservoir,” Dr. Corey Casper, chief executive of the Infectious Disease Research Institute in Seattle, said. “If the virus returns to the animal host and mutates, or changes in such a way that it could be reintroduced to humans, then the humans would no longer have that immunity. That makes me very concerned.”

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For the vaccinated ferrets, the main risk is to the animals themselves. They’re part of a captive population outside Fort Collins at the National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center , where there have been no cases of COVID-19 to date. But the creatures – known for their distinctive black eye mask, legs and feet – are feared to be highly vulnerable to the disease, said Tonie Rocke, a scientist at the National Wildlife Health Center. They’re all genetically similar, having come from a narrow breeding pool, which weakens their immune systems. And they likely share many of the features that have made the disease so deadly in minks.

“We don’t have direct evidence that black-footed ferrets are susceptible to COVID-19, but given their close relationship to minks, we wouldn’t want to find out,” Rocke said.

Rocke began working on the experimental vaccine in the spring, as she and Pete Gober, black-footed ferret recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. An exotic disease is “the biggest nemesis for ferret recovery,” said Gober, who has worked with black-footed ferrets for 30 years. “It can knock you right back down to zero.”

The ferrets are a native species that once roamed vast areas of the American West.

Their ranks declined precipitously over many decades as prairie dogs, the ferrets’ primary source of food and shelter, were decimated by farming, grazing and other human activity.

In 1979, black-footed ferrets were declared extinct – until a small population was discovered on a ranch in Wyoming.

Most of those animals were then lost to disease, including sylvatic plague, the animal version of the Black Death. The species survived only because biologists rescued 18 ferrets to form a captive breeding program.

This story was produced by Kaiser Health News in connection with Colorado Public Radio.

KHN is an independent program and not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente. For more from CPR, visit www.cpr.org.n

thesecondsection

The world of Phil Friends, family remember the life and times of a reluctant legend

by Missy Votel

never see it on social media. Sometimes, you would be out there on your n a world of Instagram adventures, own epic adventure, and along comes where the word “legend” is Phil, doing something that would put bandied about like a cliché hashyour epic adventure to shame.” tag, Phil Vigil was the real deal. In The making of a badass fact, he even had his own world: yes, Just how does one attain such unwe are talking that Phil. He of phlowy, sung badassery? All without really phun Phil’s World phame (sorry). even trying – or the latest Gore-tex or Whose exploration of dusty deer carbon bike, for that matter? Well, it’s trails, piñon forests and arroyos surlikely in the genes (and jeans). But for rounding Cortez in the late ’80s and that, we’ll have to go back to the beearly ’90s grew into the iconic mounginning. tain bike destination that has, dare I Vigil, whose father was from say, eclipsed its larger bike mecca Aztec, was born in 1956 in Santa Fe, neighbor to the east (sorry, Durango). where Vigil grew up. Even from the Now, most bike riders, upon first early days, he was always on his bike, being introduced to the smile-plasalways moving, Leslie said. tering, pure-pleasure riding that is “He was a high school cross counthe Rib Cage or Lemon Head, will try champ. He had ribbons and ribask, “is there a Phil?” (“And if so, bons. He was really fast,” she said. could I shake his hand?”)

From Santa Fe, Vigil enlisted in the Well, the answer to the first part Air Force and was stationed in Minof that question is yes – there was an nesota – where he developed a love of actual man named Phil who built cross country skiing – and later the first few trails at our beloved Alaska. It was in Anchorage where he Montezuma County playground. met Leslie, who was also enlisted in But the answer to the second questhe Air Force. tion, sadly, is no.

“We just clicked,” she recalled of Vigil passed away Christmas Eve meeting him in an office where they at his home in Mayday. He had gone both worked. “He was one of the funfor a ski earlier in the day, and not niest people I knew.” feeling well, hitched a ride back During his stint in Alaska, which home with a snowmobiler. His wife, also included some time living in Leslie – who did not know the snowFairbanks, Vigil didn’t let the long, mobilers but would like to thank dark, cold days deter his love for the them (if you’re out there, call us!) – outdoors. “He was always riding; alsaid Phil went upstairs to lie down. ways skiing. Nothing stopped him,” When she checked on him later, he Leslie said. In fact, he rode his bike to was not breathing. Neighbors who work every day, except the days when had dropped by with freshly baked it was so cold the grease froze and bread – because that’s what you do his chain locked up (somewhere in in Mayday – performed CPR until the 20- to 40-below range.) paramedics arrived. But it was too While living in Fairbanks, Vigil late. Vigil, 64, had quietly slipped made fast friends with fellow legendsaway in his sleep from a heart atin-the-making, Roman Dial (credited tack.

Phil Vigil, of Phil’s World fame, with his vintage Klein. Despite his notoriety as being as the grandfather of pack-rafting) and His death came as a huge shock to the namesake of one of the area’s most iconic trail systems, Vigil was low-key and noted mountaineer Carl Tobin. But friends, who say Vigil was the fittest unassuming, especially when it came to gear. / Photo courtesy Patti Fitzgerald perhaps Vigil’s crowning glory in person they knew, not to mention Alaska came with not one, but three low-key, down-to-earth and unassuming. “He was a great spoke little of his exploits yet was happy to share his finishes of the Iditabike race. Arguably cycling’s harshest asset to the community, an unsung legend,” Scott Dar- discoveries with anyone who was interested. He was a competition, the race is a self-supported 200-mile sufferling, who co-owns Kokopelli Bikes and Boards in Cortez, happy-go-lucky, humble, equal-opportunity adven- fest that follows the famed Iditarod trail. The first race turer who cared little for the latest gear. A “run-what- was held in 1987, when 26 brave souls – including Vigil said. “He’s going to be missed for sure.”

Despite his notoriety, Vigil was a bit of a reluctant you-brung” tennis shoes and cotton T-shirt kind of guy. – showed up at the start line.

“As long as you were having fun, Phil was going to legend, if you will – a private recluse who sometimes “He wasn’t really a competitor; he did it for the adexpressed discomfort over how big his namesake trail be your friend,” Darling said. “That guy you see at Hes- venture,” recalled Leslie, who said when he finished, system had become. While he didn’t have a proclivity perus, skiing in his Scotch-guarded Carhatt onesie and his entire face was frozen over with icicles. Bear in for big crowds (and who does these days?) Vigil man- having a blast? That would be Phil.” mind, this was in the infancy of mountain biking – fat Lifelong friend Dave Linden said Vigil had a knack for bikes, let alone suspension, had not been invented. “It aged to deeply touch the lives of people he met – of which there were many – not to mention the legions finding adventure anywhere. And then again, nowhere. would be like doing it on your Stumpjumper,” she said.

“Phil thought adventure need not be far from home, of adoring trail fans who only knew his first name.

Eventually, life in Alaska, as it is wont to do, wore “I was so touched by how many people knew him,” whether by foot, by bike or skis,” Linden said. “His nat- on Leslie. In early 1989 – right before the Exxon Valdez longtime friend and neighbor Ken Fagerlin said Tues- ural curiosity always had him wondering what was over disaster – the two moved to the Four Corners. They first day. “As private a person as he was, the irony is the the next ridge, down some drainage or behind the settled in Monticello and later moved to Cortez, where huge legacy he left behind. Phil’s World is a mountain mountain range. He was as happy wandering down a Vigil found a job. (Over the years he worked in the cargame trail as taking a dayhike from Mayday to Dryfork.” pentry trades and the records department at the Cortez biking destination for the region, if not the nation.”

Darling, who worked on Vigil’s bikes over the years, hospital – anything that afforded him time off for his A natural curiosity Of course, as is often the case with legends, Vigil was said he never saw him in a bad mood. “He was always so adventuring.) a bit of an enigma wrapped in a riddle. An avid ex- happy to be riding his bike and sharing his experience,” It was at this time that Darling, who grew up in plorer, adventurer and all-around mountain man, Vigil he said. “He was always out there doing it, but you’d Cortez and is among the few who can lay claim to 4

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Dec. 31, 2020 n

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nothing more than basic gardening tools. Today, with the help of countless volunteers like singlefrom p. 9 speed tour de force Shawn Gregory and his wife, Dani, Phil’s encom“riding Phil’s World with Phil,” passes 50 miles of trails and three met Vigil. He still remembers the parking areas on a mix of BLM and day – sometime in the early ’90s Colorado State Trust Lands, which when Darling was 14 or 15. He had the SWCCA leases from the state. It gone with others on a ride to Sand has become a must-ride for bikers en Canyon, which at the time was route from Moab to Durango and a still an undiscovered out-and-back. cycling destination in its own right.

“We get to this overlook, we’re “No one ever dreamed it would the only ones there, and we see turn into the attraction it did,” said this guy, way the heck out there, Wright. “The locals really, really not even on a trail, sitting under a grasped the area. It got so many peotree with his bike,” he said. The ple out and active.” sole wanderer, of course, was Vigil The price of success – doing what he does best: explorAnd while Phil’s runs on the work ing. His group struck up a converof volunteers and donations to the sation with Vigil, and the young SWCCA (hint: equipment, mainteDarling was forever smitten. “Just nance and porta-potties aren’t free), its seeing this dude, out in the middle wild success all goes back to the vision of nowhere having a good time … of one man, the myth, the legend.

I grew up wanting to be like him.”

“Obviously (Vigil) saw a lot of poOver the ensuing years, the two tential out there … he was kind of a became riding partners, with Vigil frontiersman,” said Wright. “The teroften inviting Darling to check rain was just so perfect for bike out the routes he had laid on BLM trails.” land east of town, near the shootIn other words, a classic case of if ing range. Darling said the original you build it, they will come – sometrail, known as Phil’s Trail (which thing the reserved mountain man later became Lemon Head) enfound unsettling. tailed little actual dirt work, in“I think he always wanted Phil’s stead following game trails and World to be more private, he thought the terrain’s natural features. The there were too many people, so he trail markers were no more than a dedicated himself to exploring terrain pile of rocks or, say, a rabbit skull up La Plata Canyon,” said Wright. in a tree.

Darling said for Vigil, Phil’s sucThis au naturel approach was cess was a bit of a double-edged typical for Vigil, said Linden. “Phil’s sword. “He would love to share and approach to trail building was orget people stoked on riding … but I ganic. Find a natural line, move a think it kind of bummed him out that few rocks, scuff the dirt, cut a couple it got as big as it did.” of branches, don’t cut down living Then again, the quest for solitude is trees,” said Linden. “He thought something none of us can be faulted trails should flow and be fun, not for. “There are times when we all want difficult just for difficulty’s sake.” to be the only bike in the parking lot,” Unfortunately, due to private Darling said. land issues, proximity to the shootBut in yet another ironic twist, it ing range and other things, much of just may be the popularity of “the Phil’s original trail has been rerouted World” (as Vigil called it) that ended over the years. “Not much of the up being its saving grace. “I think in original trail is there anymore,” Darthe end he was happy that it became ling said. as big as it did, because it saved it from If you build it oil and gas development,” said DarIt wasn’t until the late ’90s, when ling.

Vigil had already moved to La Plata And, according to Leslie, Vigil really Canyon, that Phil’s World as most of didn’t mind the “legend” status so us know it, came to be. That was Top: A poster from one of Vigil’s three Iditabike races much, either. “They called him ‘the around the time Bob Wright moved in the ’80s. Above: Vigil with “Pil’s World,’ a Ska beer legend,’ he got a kick out of that. He to Cortez. named in his honor. Ironically, Phil was not a drinker, didn’t brag about it, but he loved it. I “Back then, the only trail was said wife, Leslie. know he did,” she said. “I want the Phil’s Loop. When you pulled in, world to know not only his name, but there was no parking lot; no fences. You just in the end, the idea for a Phil’s Power Plant the wonderful, wonderful person he was. He was scrapped in favor of nearby Norwood. pulled off the highway,” recalled Wright, spread joy.” n With the exploration roads in place, a who also lived in Durango for several years Special thanks to Ken Fagerlin, who did all handful of enterprising locals decided to do before moving to Dolores in 2016.

Wright and a handful of dedicated and some two-wheeled explorations of their the behind-the-scenes finagling and wrangling local mountain bikers picked up where Vigil own, including Wright, building off what of Phil Vigil’s friends and loved ones for this left off. But, in perhaps the biggest irony of Vigil had done. They also organized a non- story. We are only sorry we did not have the space profit – the Kokopelli Bike Club, now the or time to talk to everyone who wanted to share all, Phil’s World almost never came to be.

In the late ’90s, Tri-State Generation, the Southwest Colorado Cycling Association – their stories of Phil. To donate to all the great wholesale electricity supplier, was eyeing and formed a solid working relationship work that keeps Phil’s World, not to mention the the Phil’s area as the future home of a coal with the BLM, which gave its blessing for great ski and bike trails at Boggy Draw, rolling, mine and Totten Lake as the future site of a new recreational opportunities on the land. go to www.swcocyling.com.

And, if you’re the good Samaritan snowmoIn fact, it’s Wright you can thank for power plant. Tri-State even went so far as to build four-wheel drive roads on the BLM Abajo, ESB and the kick-in-the-bike-shorts biler, email us at telegraph@durangotelegraph lands for seismographic research. However, that is the Rib Cage, which he built using .com or call 970-259-0133.

Phil’sWorld

10 n Dec. 31, 2020

telegraph

FlashinthePan

Crème Brûlée Flambè

by Ari LeVaux

Preheat the oven to 325. Place an edged cookie sheet on the top rack. Pour two cups of water into he dark days around winter solstice make the sheet to create steam for the custard. human beings hungry for light. It could Heat the cream slowly in a heavy-bottomed be a decorated tree, a menorah in the pan on the stove. Meanwhile, combine the window or just some lights on your house. yolks, sugar, nutmeg orange juice, vanilla and Whatever your creed or culture, you probably salt in a mixing bowl. have a tradition that casts a glow during the When the cream starts to simmer, add it holidays. But this time around, as we bid slowly to the egg-sugar mix, stirring in a little at farewell to a dumpster fire of a year, pretty a time to temper the yolks. (“Temper” means lights might not be enough. It might be time to heating the yolks and combining them gradually add some real fire. with the hot cream in a smooth, controlled way Fire can be a force of destruction as well as a so as not to cook and curdle the eggs.) cleansing rebirth – and this upcoming year, some Add the warm batter to your buttered of us surely hope to rise like phoenixes from the ramekins (or other vessels), place them on the ashes. But first we have to tuck in 2020. And cookie sheet in the steaming water, and bake for we’re going to put it to bed in style, with a flaman hour, until they are bubbling evenly. The ing orange eggnog crème brûlée, finished with a bubbling starts on the edge and moves toward bourbon flambé. A group of phoenixes is called the center, until the entire surface shrinks, tightan odyssey, which is appropriate, because this ens and hardens into a darker yellow. dish is a trip.

Remove from the oven. If serving right The bourbon and sugar bonfire doesn’t proaway, prepare to light your fire. If serving later, duce the typical glassy crème brûlée finish. So it allow to cool to room temperature and add the won’t coerce the eater into disfiguring the deliorange peel shard garnish, if using. Keep cate custard by jabbing its exoskeleton with a chilled until ready to serve. dessert spoon. The sugar melts, but the bourbon Flaming Bourbon Sugar Sauce prevents it from recrystallizing into a glassy A tablespoon of bourbon is actually quite sheet. Instead, they combine into a granular topstrong; you’ve been warned. I used my neighping that’s firm yet soft. bor’s good stuff until he cut me off, so now I use This recipe is for all of the people who don’t Southern Comfort. And remember kids: never have one of those silly crème brûlée torches. Percook with something you wouldn’t drink. Covhaps you’ve been melting your crèmes ers four ramekins with flambé. brûlée under the broiler, like a sensible person 2 tablespoons white or turbinado sugar would. If it never occurred to you to simply ig2 tablespoons brown sugar Pinches of ground cinnamon tossed into the flames make for a pleasing nite a bunch of sugar and booze atop your cus4 tablespoons bourbon tard, you’re excused. But that is why we are here. display of pyrotechnics. Photo by Ari LeVaux 12 pinches cinnamon powder for the flame A fire that burns only to destroy isn’t worth its Serving time could be the minute they come into the new year like an odyssey of custard-happy emissions. But the bourbon and sugar bonfire atop a crème out of the oven, or the next day after the ramekins have phoenixes. brûlée burns with purpose: to cast light while combining properly chilled and the custard has settled. Whenever Orange Eggnog Crème Brûlée Flambé bourbon and sugar into a penetrating sauce that soaks into it’s time to light those fires and serve those crèmes The Custard the orange vanilla eggnog custard below. brûlée, mix the sugars together and get ready to pour Fills four ramekins This crème brûlée flambé works because it has too the whiskey.

2 cups cream much of everything. Too much nutmeg, too much orTo each ramekin at a time, pour in a tablespoon of 4 egg yolks ange, too much bourbon and too much sugar. But all of whiskey and light with a long-necked BBQ lighter. Let it ¼ cup sugar this too muchness adds up to just the right balance of burn for 30 seconds while you toss three or so pinches of 2 teaspoons freshly ground nutmeg too-strong flavors. The strong flavors of orange, nutmeg cinnamon into the flames and watch the spraying sparks. ¼ cup fresh orange juice + 1 tablespoon OJ concenand bourbon hold one another in check, while adding Then add a tablespoon of sugar mix to the ramekin, and trate, or some similar amount of juice excitement to this otherwise mild-mannered custard. let the fire burn out, dissolving the sugar.

1 tablespoon vanilla extract Plus, it looks good on fire, especially when you toss in When the fire dies, it’s ready to serve. When the first ¼ teaspoon salt cinnamon, which sparkles and dances in the flames. orange eggnog crème brûlée bourbon flambé is gone, 4 buttered ramekins Enjoy the pyrotechnics of this beautiful transformational check the calendar. If it’s still 2020, eat another. Repeat Optional: thin-sliced shards of orange peel for garnish force as we show 2020 to the doors, and venture forth until it’s finally over. n

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Dec. 31, 2020 n 11

StufftoDo

Thursday31 Gary B. Walker plays piano, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Jean-Pierre Bakery & Restaurant, 601 Main Ave.

Friday01 Happy New Year! We really mean it this time …

Saturday02 Coke Nordic Race Series #1, 9 a.m. – 12 noon, Durango Nordic Center. Free event. Register online by 6 p.m., Dec. 31 at durangonordic.org.

Sunday03 National Fruitcake Toss Day

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

Monday04 Meditation and Dharma Talk, 5:30-7 p.m.

Online at www.durangodharmacenter.org/

Tuesday05 7 Rivers Farmers Market, winter farmers market, 12-3 p.m. featuring local farmers, food vendors and artisans, La Plata County Fairgrounds. Masks and social distancing required.

Durango Rotary presents a Zoom talk with Breeah Kinsella, executive director of Celebrating Healthy Communities, 6 p.m. Kinsella will share her history of prevention work in La Plata County with the successes our community has experienced with an emphasis on tobacco cessation. For more info or Zoom link, email Bruce Rodman at Mtnman16@gmail.com.

National Bean Day

Ongoing Episode 4 of the “Actor’s Journal” featuring John Lithgow, of “The Crown,” as well as original works, essays, poems, remembrances by various actors. Presented by Durango Playfest. Tickets at: www.durangoplayfest.org/actors-journal

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12 n Dec. 31, 2020

“daGeneral’s Wake Up Call” podcast series of local musicians hosted by Kirk James, tinyurl.com/y7yvb7al The D&SNGRR Polar Express and Cascade Canyon trains run on select dates through Jan. 3.

Socially distanced cars; masks required. For info, go to: durangotrain.com.

Wednesday06

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The Durango Playfest is now screening Episode 4 of its series, “Actors Journal,” which features actor John Lithgow. As a child, Lithgow was babysat by Coretta Scott, who later married Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Born into a theatrical family, his mother was an actress and his father ran a Shakespearean theatre company. Lithgow graduated from Harvard magna cum laude and won a Fulbright scholarship to study drama at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. He has appeared in scores of productions ranging from Winston Churchill in “The Crown” to a comic alien commander on “Third Rock from the Sun.” He also is an accomplished guitarist as well as a registered pastor. To view, go to www.durangoplayfest.org.

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“Dinosaur Discoveries: Ancient Fossils, New Ideas,” a traveling exhibit from the American Museum of Natural History, Powerhouse Science Center. For gallery hours, go to: www.powsci.org.

Sunnyside and Fort Lewis Mesa libraries are open, providing books, movies, music, audio books

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and internet, Mon.-Fri., 2:30-7 p.m. or call 970-3753816. Curbside service also available.

Durango Public Library Weekly Activity Kits available for curbside pickup every Tuesday.

Kits include supplies for one project for preschool, elementary and teen-age students. A new kit is released every Tuesday while supplies last. To request, email reference@DurangoGov.org.

PIVOT: Skateboard Deck Art exhibit, over 100 skateboard decks painted by 30 different Native American artists, on view by appointment through spring 2021, Center of Southwest Studies, Fort Lewis College. swcenter.fortlewis.edu/ 4

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AskRachel

Tech takeover, New Lang Syne and getting over use Interesting fact: The Germans say “Good slide/fall/skid in the New Year!” and that feels pretty apt.

Dear Rachel, Everyone talks about Google taking over the world, and that just doesn’t make sense to me.

Sure, they’re taking over the tech world. Them and the ugly blue giant. But does Google control water? Does Google grow food? When the world as we know it ends, the mega-corporations that end up ruling us all will be the ones who can control us by keeping us alive. Do you really think a search engine can take over the world?

– Living in the Real World Dear Flesh & Blood, Every week I get a calendar notification reminding me to answer some letters for the newspaper. In my Gmail inbox. From my Google calendar. Every week, for years now, Google warns me that this calendar notification might be a phishing scam. Let me reiterate: The email that Google is sending me. Via Google. Yeah, the tech world is not taking over anything. That said, please add me to your Mailchimp list. I want to know when your Kindle-published YA dystopian novel is available on my Nook.

– What personal data, Rachel

Dear Rachel, It’s time for my annual scrooginess to come back out after Christmas for New Year’s. It’s the

Upcoming Southwest Economic Outlook virtual forum, 8:45-11 a.m., Thurs., Jan. 7, 8:45 – 11 a.m. Hear from experts in business and economics on their view of the current state of the economies, and their predictions for the future. For info, go to: fortlewis.edu/sweo.

La Plata County Virtual Free Legal Clinic, 4-5 p.m., Fri., Jan. 8. Sign up at: 970-563-9287.

Jeff Daniels livestreamed in concert, 7 p.m., Fri., Jan. 8. Daniels (yes, that Jeff Daniels) will play songs and share stories from his latest album, “Alive and Well Enough” followed by a Q&A. Presented by Telluride’s Sheridan Opera House. $20 individual ticket, $30 multiple people viewing on the same device.

Tickets available at: www.SheridanOpera House.com.

worst holiday that we actually celebrate. The parties are fine. It’s the delusion that somehow one year is going to be better than another in all the generic ways. We’ll be in better shape, the world will stop falling apart. Never mind that 2021 can’t actually be much worse than this year. It’s the blind optimism that kills me. Any ideas for an annual alt-NYE celebration?

- In Bed by 10 Dear Auld Lang Whine, Actually, in bed by 10 sounds like a perfect celebration. The movies always show people kissing at midnight. Never mind that I don’t actually want strangers to kiss me. Do you know what people’s breath smells like at midnight? I tell you one thing, no one at that party has brushed their teeth since walking in the door. And we wonder why no new year lives up to expectations.

– Never say it can’t get worse, Rachel

Dear Rachel, I recently discovered the spot on my phone where I can see my usage. I did not know I was spending two waking days a week on my phone. No wonder I feel like I have no life. I want to cut down on my screen time, but it turns out that literally everything I do is connected to my phone. Even my unplugged time involves mapping hikes on an app to share with my sister, which is basically our only

Email Rachel at telegraph@durangotelegraph.com form of communication these days. How can I go more analogue?

– Phone Whipped Dear Ana-rogue, Sounds like a case for … a Failed New Year’s Resolution! Resolve to spend less time on your phone. Don’t make a concrete plan or set limits with consequences or anything, though. Just self-congratulate at your reduced usage on New Year’s Day, forgive the lapse on Jan. 2, and submit yourself to your tech overlords by about the 15th.

– Happy skid to one and all, Rachel

Free On-Snow Avalanche Awareness Field Sessions presented by Friends of the San Juans, Jan. 9-10, 2021, Andrew’s Lake. Pre-registration required: www.thesanjuans.org. ”Heavenly Splendor: The Baths of Caracalla,” a Zoom talk by Dianne Scialla, 7 p.m., Wed., Jan. 13. Presented

by The San Juan Basin Archaeological Society. For log-in, go to: sjbas.org.

Women’s Skate Ski Clinic for All Levels, 1 – 3 p.m., Sat., Jan. 16, Durango Nordic Center. $30 w/season pass, $35 without season pass. Please call to confirm availability: 970-385-2114.

Coke Nordic Race Series #2, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., Sat., Jan. 23, Durango Nordic Center. Register online by 6 p.m., Thurs., Jan. 21 at durangonordic.org.

Alpine Bank Full Moon Howler, 69 p.m., Wed., Jan. 27, Durango Nordic Center. Pass required, rentals available.

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Dec. 31, 2020 n 13

FreeWillAstrology

by Rob Brezsny ARIES (March 21-April 19): Author Jorge Luis Borges (1899–1986) carried on a long love affair with books. He read thousands of them, wrote more than 20 of them, and further postulated the existence of numerous imaginary books that were never actually written. Of all the writers who roused his adoration, a certain Russian novelist was among the most beloved. Borges wrote, “Like the discovery of love, like the discovery of the sea, the discovery of Fyodor Dostoevsky marks an important date in one’s life.” I’m wondering if you will experience one of these pivotal discoveries in 2021. I strongly suspect so. It may not be the work of Dostoevsky, but I bet it will have an impact close to those of your original discoveries of love and the sea.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Vietnamese-American novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen has won numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize. Here are his views about the nature of accomplishment: “We don’t succeed or fail because of fortune or luck. We succeed because we understand the way the world works and what we have to do. We fail because others understand this better than we do.” I bring these thoughts to your attention, Taurus, because I think that in 2021 you will have an extraordinary potential to enhance your understanding of how the world works and what you must do to take advantage of that. This could be the year you become both smarter and wiser.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Modern civilization has not spread to every corner of the planet. There are at least 100 tribes that inhabit their own private realms, isolated from the invasive sprawl of our manic, frantic influence.

Among these enclaves, many are in the Amazon rain forests, West Papua, and the Andaman Islands. I have a theory that many of us civilized people would love to nurture inner qualities akin to those expressed by indigenous people: hidden away from the mad world; content to be free of the noise and frenzy; and living in attunement with natural rhythms. In 2021, I hope you will give special care and attention to cultivating this part of you.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Hurricane Maria struck the Caribbean island of Dominica in 2016. Scientists studied two local species of anole lizards both before and after the natural disaster.

They were amazed to find that the lizards after the hurricane had super-strong grips compared to their predecessors. The creatures were better able to hold on to rocks and perches so as to avoid being swept away by high winds. The researchers’ conclusion? It’s an example of one of the most rapid rates of evolutionary change

14 n Dec. 31, 2020

ever recorded. I bring this to your attention, Cancerian, because I suspect that you, too, will have the power to evolve and transform at an expedited pace in 2021 – in response to positive events as much as to challenging events.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I hope that in 2021 you will spend a lot of time meditating on your strongest longings. Are they in harmony with your highest ideals, or not? Do they energize you or drain you? Are they healthy and holy, or are they unhealthy or unholy – or somewhere in between those two extremes? You’ll be wise to re-evaluate all your burning, churning yearnings, Leo – and decide which ones are in most righteous service to your life goals. And as for those that are in fact noble and liberating and invigorating: Nurture them with all your tender ingenuity!

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “You can’t move mountains by whispering at them,” singersongwriter Pink says. Strictly speaking, you can’t move mountains by shouting at them, either. But in a metaphorical sense, Pink is exactly right. Mild-mannered, low-key requests aren’t likely to precipitate movement in obstacles that resemble sold rock. And that’s my oracle for you in the coming months, Virgo. As you carry out the project of relocating or crumbling a certain mountain, be robust & spirited &, if necessary, very loud.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In his masterpiece the “Mona Lisa,” Leonardo da Vinci applied 30 layers of paint that were no thicker than a single human hair. Can you imagine the patience and concentration that required? I’m going to propose that you be inspired by his approach as you carry out your big projects in the coming year. I think you will have the potential to create at least one labor of love that’s monumentally subtle and soulful.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Climate change is proceeding with such speed in central Mexico that entire forests are in danger of perishing. In the hills near Ejido La Mesa, for instance, the weather is getting too hot for the fir trees that shelter millions of monarch butterflies every fall. In response, local people have joined with scientists to physically move the fir forest to a higher, cooler elevation.

What might be your personal equivalent, Scorpio: an ambitious plan to carry out an idealistic yet practical project? According to my analysis of your astrological potentials, you’ll have a lot of energy to work on such a scheme in 2021.

telegraph

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21): Author Gérard de Nerval (1808-55) made the following observation: “I do not ask of God that he should

change anything in events themselves, but that he should change me in regard to things, so that I might have the power to create my own universe, to govern my dreams, instead of enduring them.” If you have a relationship with the Divine Wow, that will be a perfect prayer for you to say on a regular basis in 2021. If you don’t have a connection to the Supreme Intelligence, I suggest you address the same prayer to your Higher Self or Future Beauty or whatever source of sublime inspiration you hold most dear.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The mathematically oriented website WaitButWhy.com says that the odds of winning a mega lottery can be compared to this scenario: You know that a certain hedgehog will sneeze just one time in the next six years, and you place a big bet that this sneeze will take place at exactly the 36th second of 12:05 p.m. next Jan. 20. In other words, WaitButWhy.com declares, your chances of winning that lottery are very small. But while their analysis is true in general, it may not be completely applicable to you in 2021. The likelihood of you choosing the precise moment for the hedgehog’s sneeze will be higher than usual. More realistically and importantly, your chances for generating positive financial luck through hard work and foresight will be much higher than usual.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Author Anais Nin was supremely adaptable, eager to keep growing, and receptive when life nudged her to leave the past behind and expand her understanding. At the same time, she was clear about what she wanted and determined to get what she wanted. Her complex attitude is summed up in the following quote: “If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is compromise.” I hope you will heed her counsel throughout 2021. (Here’s another quote from Nin: “Had I not created my whole world, I would certainly have died in other people’s.”)

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In 2013, workers at a clothing manufacturing plant in Gazipur, Bangladesh, staged a mass protest. Did they demand a pay raise or better health benefits? Were they lobbying for air conditioning or longer lunch breaks? None of the above. In fact, they had just one urgent stipulation: to dispel the ghost that was haunting the factory. I’ve got a similar entreaty for you in 2021, Pisces. I request that you exorcise any and all ghosts that have been preventing you from fully welcoming in and embracing the future. These ghosts may be purely metaphorical in nature, but you still need to be forceful in banishing them.

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.

Editor’s note: Clint Reid is MIA this week. Until he returns, enjoy this fill-in-the-blank comic we stole from the internet.

(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

Marketing Small and Local Businesses Media, social media, website content, SEO, etc. for small, local, independent or startup businesses. Email jnderge@ gmail.com

Approximate office hours: Mon: 9ish - 5ish Tues: 9ish - 5ish Wed: 9ish - 3ish Thurs: On delivery Fri: Gone fishing; call first

Announcements 1-Hour Virtual Workshop “Finding Balance in 2021: Reconnect with what is important in your life” on 1/16/21. Go to CrystalRobertsonCoaching.com for more information and CrystalRobertsonCoaching@gmail.com to register.

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.

LostFound Found: Gear Box 12/27: Partially destroyed gear box Hwy 550 Hermosa. Contents intact. Text, describe, get your stuff! 970-317-7083.

Wanted ISO: Flight Instructor Wanted: Durango-area bi-weekly flight lessons from a CFI. Don't have own plane but looking to buy 1 soon. flyingfeet17@ hotmail.com Cash for Vehicles, Copper, Alum, Etc. at RJ Metal Recycle. Also free appliance and other metal drop off. 970-259-3494.

Services Energy Balancing and Readings From your spirit/soul. Donation, 970759-9287.

Body Work

Green Home Cleaning Eco-cleaning, shopping & errands. Call Tammy 970-844-4223 Help/ Tutoring Loving, nurturing, energetic, veteran teacher looking to support a Durango family with online or individually tailored lessons starting in January. Call 970946-4263.

Feeling Stuck or Overwhelmed?

Seeking more out of your life or career?

Ready to write your next chapter? Reach out at CrystalRobertsonCoaching@ gmail.com to schedule a complementary 30-min sample coaching session or go to crystalrobertsoncoaching.com for more information.

massageintervention.life Voted best massage in Durango 2020.

Couples, cupping, local CBD. Reviews on FB + Yelp. 970-903-2984

ForSale Reruns Home Furnishings Cozy up in the New Year! Lots of tables, night stands, bar stools, chairs, rugs,

lamps, linens, kitchenware and art. Tons of glassware. 572 E. 6th Ave. Open Mon.Sat. 385-7336.

RealEstate Radon Services Free radon testing and consultation.

Call Colorado Radon Abatement and Detection for details. 970- 946-1618.

HaikuMovieReview ‘1917’ Seemingly endless peril, death and ennui - much like 2020 – Lainie Maxson

NewspaperOrigami

Got COVID? Biofeedback Therapy has been proven to provide relief from the symptoms of Covid-19. To speed your recovery Call Mitch at Durango BioFeedback 970- 7595015. Safe, remote, and effective.

Tutoring All subjects, grades 5th – 9th. Classroom and homework support, masks will be worn at all times. 3:30-5:30 p.m., Mon. – Thurs., Crossroads Building, 11th & Main. For info, call Jessie Hamilton, 970903-9051.

RSE Handyman Service Home repair. Yard work. Odd jobs.

970-903-0449.

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.

Harmony Organizing and Cleaning Services Home and office 970-403-6192.

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A star Dec. 31, 2020 n 15

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