Durango Telegraph - August 15, 2019

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Vol. XVIII, No. 33 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

Talkin’ dirty

A new twist

Musical chairs

Conservation groups ask feds to keep e-bikes off public lands p8

Keeping tabs on the latest trends in cocktailing p14

Weekend offers ever-revolving slate of concert offerings p17

Talk to the hand.

Issue 9 of the Gulch is now out!

Wherever you find the Telegraph or at www.gulchmag.com.

To find out about advertising opportunities, email: steve@gulchmag.com

2 n Aug. 15, 2019

telegraph

lineup

8

4 La Vida Local

The e-quation Conservation groups make plea for no e-bikes on public lands

4 Thumbin’ It

by Tracy Chamberlin

5 Word on the Street

10

6-7 Soapbox

City street makeover and hitting on homelessness

11 Mountain Town News

Roosa re-do

by Missy Votel

12-13 Day in the Life

12

Ear to the ground: “My mom just called to see if my internet was working, because hers isn’t.”

– Local woman recounting how she had to explain to her mother, who lives 300 miles away, how the world wide web actually works

Bikes and broccoli

thepole

RegularOccurrences

Not that anyone in Durango ever needed a reason to ride their bike, but here’s an excellent one. The Garden Project’s 12th annual Tour de Farms rolls into town this Sat., Aug. 17. This year’s event features a short (6-mile) family-friendly in-town route and a more gung-ho (17-mile) tour through the Animas Valley.

Both rides take off at 8:30 a.m. from the fairgrounds and conclude at 1 p.m. with an afterparty, complete with lunch from Zia and Ska beer. All of this – including commemorative pint glass – is included in the $25 admission price.

(Cost of all the exercise and warm fuzzies from contributing to such a worthy cause: priceless.)

To sign up or for more info., go to: www.the gardenprojectswcolorado.org

16 Flash in the Pan

Glimpse of the past A thousand years on, Chaco Canyon still elicits awe and wonder

17 Top Shelf

photos by Stephen Eginoire

18 On the Town

14

20 Ask Rachel

A new twist From duck fat to custom cubes, keeping tabs on the latest in cocktail-ology

21 Free Will Astrology

by Donna Hewett

22 Classifieds

17

22 Haiku Movie Review

Going to 11

On the cover: The afternoon sun makes sidewalk art out of a resting bicycle recently./ Photo by Stephen Eginoire

Think Durango never has live music?

Stick around this weekend ...

by Chris Aaland

boilerplate

EDITORIALISTA: Missy Votel (missy@durangotelegraph.com) ADVERTISING AFICIONADO: Lainie Maxson (lainie@durangotelegraph.com) RESIDENT FORMULA ONE FAN: Tracy Chamberlin (tracy@durangotelegraph.com)

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

STAR-STUDDED CAST: Lainie Maxson, Chris Aaland, Clint Reid, Stephen Eginoire, Jesse Anderson, Ari LeVaux, Allen Best, Tracy Chamberlin, Zach Hively, Shan Wells and Donna Hewett VIRTUAL ADDRESS: www.durangotelegraph.com

MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 332 Durango, CO 81302 PHONE: 970.259.0133 E-MAIL: telegraph@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.

telegraph

Boy interrupted When singer-songwriter Mike Posner was bitten by the walking bug last spring, little did he know it would bite back.

Posner, who is from Detroit, is probably bestknown for his hit “Cooler Than Me” (which we had to google, making him instantly cooler than us.) However, last spring he decided to take a hiatus from touring to instead tour the country – by foot. The nearly 3,000-mile walkabout, which started in New Jersey and was supposed to end in California, is in honor of the death of his friend Avicii as well as that of his father.

However, no sooner had Posner crossed from Kansas into Colorado on Aug. 7, then he was bitten by a baby rattlesnake. “Crazy day yesterday! I had just crushed 16 miles and was going for 8 more when I got bit by a baby rattlesnake!" he wrote on social media. "That venom is no joke!”

Fortunately, Posner was not far from the nearest hospital (the name was not given but rumored to be somewhere near La Junta) and given antivenom. Further social media posts show a tired but otherwise well-spirited Posner in hospital jammies and taking some tentative steps with a walker.

Although he is not expected to be able to walk for at least another week, Posner vows to get back on the road. “Can’t wait to get back on The Walk! KEEP GOING!!!!!!” he posted.

Initially, Posner planned to stop in La Junta, Alamosa, Jasper, Pagosa Springs, Piedra and Kline while in Colorado. From Colorado, he plans to drop into New Mexico for a short jaunt before hitting Arizona and California. It’s unclear when he will continue his walk.

Along the way, Posner has been dropping a new song every time he crosses a state border.

His Colorado song was “Prince Akeem” featuring Wiz Khalifa. Perhaps New Mexico will be a redux of “Once Bitten, Twice Shy,” (if he’s lucky, he can catch Great White playing Sky Ute on Aug. 31.)

Aug. 15, 2019 n

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opinion

LaVidaLocal Four ways to cross a river Dear Durango City Council, Congratulations on your latest addition to the Green Machine – Oxbow Park. Finally, Durango will have yet another river put in, even more acres of trailhead parking and the long-awaited, much-needed, extension of the River Trail. Only one challenge remains. The new trail and the existing trail run on opposite sides of the river. The two trails must be joined. But how?

Following are a few methods to implement Phase 2 of the Animas River Trail to Oxbow Extension, aka how to transport Durango’s finest physical specimens, bikers, hikers and their dogs, from one side of the river to the other. Choose one and let city government get back to what it does best: the relentless grinding of the next project into mind-numbing plans and endless public meetings. Rest assured, any of these choices will expand Durango’s dot on the map of Western Civilization. After all, isn’t that the bottom line?

1. Beneath the River – Dig a tunnel under the river and run the path through that. The tunnel, tile lined in a Southwestern motif and featuring, perhaps, 3D projections showing how the Anasazi crossed a river, would be anchored by a station on either end selling snacks and souvenirs. The west bank station could border a tasteful tree lined courtyard where visitors can relax, enjoy refreshments and wave at the train. Or, economic opportunity here, maybe a McDonalds North? Discrete security personnel could assist the drug addled mistaking the underground portal for another rabbit hole directly back to Alice and also help with smoke ventilation. This is pure genius and a gold mine for the Durango Chamber of Commerce. Imagine the slogans: “Experience the World’s Shortest Tunnel (Under a Body of Water)” or, perhaps, “Durango – Home of the Most Expensive 50 Yards of Trail on the Planet.” This cannot miss.

Britain can keep its Chunnel. Durango has a Trunnel.

2. Over and Back, Over and Back – This method of transit across the Animas is on top of the water – a human-powered, rope-pulled ferry. This harkens back to a simpler time of pioneers, self reliance and frequent drownings. Parks and Rec could build an “Early Settler” theme park around it. Trail users (and others) could enjoy a cold sarsaparilla, watch city employees in period costumes churn butter, and then ride the ferry. City em-

ployees would also power the ferry on their days off at their regular hourly wage. The drudgery and dismal pay will seem normal for working folks with two jobs as they try to make ends meet. They can also take home the butter. Again, the Chamber of Commerce could cash in here. Packaged properly and marketed as only they know how, they probably could talk tourists into pulling the ferry for free. Additionally, those sentenced to community service for trespass, vandalism, simple assault, disorderly conduct and public inebriation could find – depending on the judge’s mood – their sentence includes a stint or two working on the ferry. A few days of exhaustion and rope burns would undoubtedly speed their reentry into society. As for the Durango developer, the mind boggles. A river front condo near the ferry crossing? Name your price: 900 sq. ft. celebrating the spirit of American can-do. They’re going like hotcakes. With butter.

3. Up Up and Away – A hot air balloon could easily span the width of the Animas, plus the vistas up there are truly heart stopping. Simply direct those wishing to cross into a loading chute and – quickly, before they change their minds – stuff them in a wicker basket and whisk them up a couple thousand feet. Wait for a favorable breeze to waft the sturdy craft 200 feet across the river then bring ’em back down.

Stunningly simple and environmentally sound, this could work. Hot air balloons are giant flying billboards. Think of the exposure your business would gain from your face plastered across a floating ball of advertising high above north Durango. One small caveat: There are many power lines in the area. There is a slight possibility of a balloon on fire, out of control, plummeting earthward, its passengers screaming, crying, calling out to God, before plunging into the frigid waters of the Animas. Talk about your River of Lost Souls. Yikes. Oh, I know! Dig a tunnel under the river. Put the power lines in that.

4. One last suggestion, I’m almost embarrassed to mention it. Use the money already allocated for the project from Great Outdoors Colorado to partially fund a single foot bridge spanning the Animas River, 32nd Street and the railroad tracks all in one fell swoop, tying the present east bank trail with the new west bank trail. The money is there to be used. It only needs City Council’s approval. That could work, too. Thank you.

This Week’s Sign of the Downfall:

Thumbin’It Cortez tackling homelessness head on, with the near-completion of The Bridge shelter, which will provide overnight and transitional housing for nearly 65 people

Colorado joining the 28 other states and cities suing the Trump administration over its rollback of rules governing climate-changing emissions from coal-fired power plants

Trump backing off on more crippling tariffs for China, de-escalating trade tensions amid already shaky global economic conditions

4 n Aug. 15, 2019

– john van becay

Emojinary Revenge Mosquitos testing positive for West Nile virus in the Hermosa Valley and New Mexico reporting a confirmed case of the potentially deadly virus this week The continued leakage of raw sewage from a lagoon at the Lightner Creek Mobile Home Park into Lightner Creek and thus, the Animas River, which has been ongoing for nearly a decade A dismal record for flights in and out of the Durango-La Plata County Regional Airport, with 115 flights cancelled during the first half of this year, more than double the number of cancellations in the same period last year

telegraph

Kathryn Kidd, of Manhattan Beach, Calif., was fined $4,000 for using her home as a short-term rental – her busybody neighbors reported Kidd to their HOA due to the traffic.

So, Kidd did what any grownup would do and painted her house bright pink and added a couple enormous emojis, one of which had its mouth zipped shut in a not-so-subtle message to the neighborhood. When ABC news asked Kidd why she did it, she denied that it was in retaliation, because that would be prohibited by the HOA, as where emojis are not.

WordontheStreet

Q

With 9-R schools starting up next week, the Telegraph asked, “What is this year’s musthave back-toschool item?”

Jody Oltmanns

“Awesome shoes.”

Noah Stewart

“I couldn’t get through the first day of school without my earbuds.”

Philippe LeFevre

“A lust to learn.”

Jason Clements

“Perseverance.”

Zach Craig

“I always got a new lunch box.”

telegraph

Aug. 15, 2019 n 5

SoapBox Urge approval of 32nd St. bridge To the editor, Please call the Durango mayor @ 970-749-6477 to insist that the City Council fund in the 2020 budget the bridge for pedestrian and bike safety to finish the Animas River Trail North.

The long-planned bridge across the river is designed to protect the public from car and pedestrian interaction at 32nd Street at grade level. Since 2011, Council has always planned for public safety with no grade-level crossings at 32nd Street, which is the second busiest street in the city until NOW! The Multi Modal Board supported the bridge in an email to Council to avoid at-grade crossing on the Animas River Trail North, writing “The pedestrian bridge remains vital to the spirit and intent of the ART and the safety of our citizens.”

AARP in a recent article stated, “The number of pedestrians killed by vehicles rose 35 percent in the past decade – and the death rate is almost twice as high for people over 75.”

In a grant request signed by City Councilor Kim Baxter to Greater Outdoor Colorado, it stated the Animas River Trail is needed for connectivity and will allow for increased pedestrian and bike accessibility and safety. Increasing safety concerns were articulated in the grant with the bridge. The city received $1.3 million from GOCO and stands to lose a minimum of $500,000 if the bridge is eliminated.

Small children, parents with strollers, and dogs and families without the bridge will be in danger. The public will leave a 10-foot-wide sidewalk at Memorial Park to walk across a 5-foot-wide existing sidewalk on the 32nd Street Bridge to arrive at the ART North. This is unacceptable because the volume on the trail will increase once the North

trail opens. There will always be Parks and Rec projects that need money. It is unwise to rob Peter to pay Paul and place pedestrians in danger by not funding the bridge.

Mollie Shine rode her bike on 32nd Street and was killed by a vehicle decades ago. How much is a child’s life worth? Priceless is my answer.

Call the mayor by September to protect the public by funding the bridge in the 2020 City Council budget!

– Sweetie Marbury, Durango

Trump’s hate comes home to roost To the editor, The chickens have come home to roost on Donald Trump’s version of American greatness.

For years, Trump’s stock in trade has been promotion of fear, anger and resentment, and demonization of the “other.” The logical outcome of this is hatred, which all too often leads to violence.

Preferred targets have been Muslims and people fleeing violence & poverty in Central America, hoping for a safer, better life in America. But Trump calls them an invasion of vermin, rapists & criminals. Trump has given a wink, wink, nudge, nudge to white supremacist hate groups.

Trump has been busy stoking these attitudes this summer. At a May campaign rally in Florida, he asked how do we stop the invasion. Someone in the audience yelled, “Shoot them.” Others laughed. Trump joked that “only in the panhandle” can you get away with that.

In July he was busy attacking four uppity young congresswomen of color, telling them to go back where they came from. At a campaign rally that week, his stoked-up crowd started chanting, “Send her back, send her back… ,” targeting one of the four congresswomen who wasn’t

born in the U.S. Trump did nothing to tamp this down.

Then at the end of July, Trump took aim at Baltimore and its black congressman Elijah Cummings.

But all through this, Hispanics from south of the border have been Trump’s most consistent target. On Aug. 23 we had two horrific mass shootings, in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio. A young white supremacist drove several hours to El Paso to target Hispanics.

Trump responded Aug. 5 with a scripted speech that called out hatred and white supremacists. He called the El Paso shooter evil. It sounded good, but how long will it take him to get back to promoting fear, anger and hatred?

It’s who he is.

– Carole McWilliams, Bayfield

Vets to get Agent Orange benefits To the editor, Blue Water Navy veterans who served in Vietnam are now entitled to a presumption of service for conditions related to Agent Orange exposure. This is a result of the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019. Signed into law June 25, the law takes effect Jan, 1, 2020.

The law states that Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard veterans aboard a vessel operating not more than 12 nautical miles seaward from the demarcation line of the waters of Vietnam and Cambodia between Jan. 9, 1962 - May 7, 1975 are presumed to have been exposed to herbicides such as Agent Orange and may be entitled to service connection for conditions related to that exposure.

To be entitled for disability compensation, veterans must have one or more of the conditions associated with Agent Orange exposure. 4

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6 n Aug. 15, 2019

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The surviving spouse of a Blue Water Navy veteran may apply for survivor’s benefits if the veteran passed away from a condition related to Agent Orange.

It is recommended that all Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard veterans (and surviving spouses) who were previously classified as Blue Water Navy veterans who served off the coast of Vietnam contact their local County Veterans Service Officer for more information about the claims process.

The La Plata County Veterans Service Office provides information and assistance to veterans and their families so they can maximize their quality of life, well-being and potential. There is a wide range of benefits available. These services are free of charge. Please visit the La Plata County website at http://www.co.laplata.co.us/ for more info.

The La Plata County Veterans Service Office is co-located with the Durango VA Clinic at 1970 E. 3rd Ave., Suite 102. For appointments, call 970-247-2214. The Veterans Service Office phone number is 970-759-0117. Office hours are 8 a.m. – 12 noon and 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., Monday – Friday, except holidays.

– Richard Schleeter, La Plata County Veterans Services

Fascism: the real American enemy To the editor, It is too hard to express how deeply I was impacted by the El Paso murders. I was an immigrant to New Mexico in 1983, and I lived there until moving to Durango in 2012. Despite the quirky, quasi New Age “anglo” that I was, I was welcomed by the wonderful, homespun people in New Mexico.

There were the people of New Mexico and there were the nomads – homeless white folk looking for love in all the wrong ways and thinking they could make a better planet when they only wanted to make it better for themselves. The people of New Mexico permitted that. The

“native anglos” and those who were Hispanic opened their home, their Land of Enchantment, to us.

It was obvious from the place names, architecture, strength of the Catholic religion that we were the immigrants. It was also part of our acculturation to learn that; to understand why the “mixed culture” was the way it was and to treasure the harmony of the three races that blossomed in our beloved state.

On Aug. 1, the Telegraph printed an excellent letter about Donald Trump’s racist behavior against blacks on the East Coast, citing government convictions he was not an equal opportunity renter and revealing he had blacks “cleared” from the Atlantic City casino floor.

Then, a lone white man opened fire in El Paso, targeting Hispanics. I immediately heard so much talk about immigrants and how anti-immigrant rhetoric had been ratcheted up to this pernicious level, that I didn’t come to my senses until seeing the victims’ photos. This deranged serial killer didn’t shoot “unwanted” immigrants, he shot American citizens and tourists.

In picture after picture of the seven dead Mexicans, I saw neat and trim, bourgeoisie, well-fed, respectable types who, I dare say, drove legally through customs and were welcomed into this country to spend their money.

This is not an immigrant issue. Border cities want this business. These tourists pay taxes, patronize restaurants and look to have some good, clean fun. Go to El Paso and tell me who the latecomers are, who the aliens are. The only race of sufficient numbers to constitute an immigrant population in El Paso is white.

I resent hate-filled white men attempting to portray all us white Americans as some master race (however imperfectly we master ourselves). If this is what they believe, stewing in this melting pot that made America great, this is not where they belong. The allegiance we all pledged to America ends with freedom and justice for all.

I am sickened that hard-working, school supply-shopping Americans can be gunned down in the store and “talking heads” on television can only conceive it as an

telegraph

immigrant issue. This is nothing less than a gross insult to hard-working, taxpaying Americans. Is it any less insulting to the gunned-down Mexican tourists? We owe Mexico an apology. How can its citizens be murdered and it be spun a strictly American issue?

We are on the verge of throwing our beautiful Southwest into a land of fear and terror, with all the subsequent economic fallout. Hispanics and anglos live together in comparative harmony in the Southwest, appreciating each other, laughing with each other, helping each other.

Hispanics can walk in the Southwest with heads up, proud, rooted in their families, culture and their homeland. This is what they deserve, even before considering the high percentage of them who are veterans.

But I don’t hear the right people, the people with the real power, saying that. I hear them saying, “They’re not one of us.”

I have read of when the Irish were “not one of us.” I have read the same of the Polish and the Italians. When World War II was threatening, there was talk the Germans weren’t one of us. Should they have been put in concentration camps?

I have read of people in power wanting to label those who “fight” fascism as “terrorists.” Who are the terrorists in this country? Who kills the most innocents? Let’s not forget Timothy McVeigh. Is it terrorism our white elite is fighting or is the terrorist label being continually broadened against anyone opposed to the fascist agenda?

When my stepmother was taking her citizenship test in the ’70s, there was a question meant to filter World War II fascists. For whatever reason that is still in place and pertinent. Fascism is inherently un-American! We must stop these mentally ill people, for this illness is not only a proven contagion, it has always proven malignant.

How can I stay true to my pledge of allegiance without letting all flirting with fascism know they should go back where they came from: last century.

– Philippe LeFevre, Durango

Aug. 15, 2019 n 7

TopStory

Dirty talk Conservation groups ask feds to keep e-bikes off public lands

by Tracy Chamberlin

T

he debate over dirt is nothing new. Ever since electric bikes began making a mark on the cycling world, riders have wondered exactly where to put these twowheeled prototypes – Streets? Trails? In town, or out in the backcountry?

In the past, electric bicycles, or e-bikes, had been treated more like scooters, limited to roadways and hardsurface trails. But, things are changing – and fast. In just the past few years, communities across the country and in Colorado have created new laws for regulating e-bikes and opened up once-prohibited trail systems.

Federal lands, though, are a different story. Agencies like the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management still consider e-bikes motorized and only permit these vehicles on motorized trails.

Concerned that these agencies might reconsider this policy, a group of more than 50 conservation and advocacy groups penned a letter July 26 to leaders at the Forest Service, BLM and National Park Service.

“We understand that federal land management agencies are currently considering policy changes to allow e-bikes on non-motorized trails,” the letter reads. “Such a policy is ill-advised and would undermine nearly a half century of management precedents and practices.”

None of these agencies have said they’re officially looking at opening the door to e-bikes, nor have any rule changes been announced.

What has changed in recent months, however, is the appointment of a new Department of Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, who heads up two of the three agencies in question – the BLM and National Park Service.

The other change in the current landscape is the everincreasing popularity of e-bikes. While sales for electric bikes still make up a small portion of the more than $6 billion bicycle industry, it’s by far the fastest growing sector.

According to NPD Group, a market research firm, sales increased by 91 percent from 2016-17 and continue to go up every year. It’s not just a trend for the United States, either. Global sales are also increasing dramatically, particularly across Europe.

Supporters of e-bikes in the United States tout two primary reasons for the growing popularity – access and the environment.

For many people, making a bicycle the primary form of transportation can be a challenge, especially for families with kids. But, electric bikes with pedal-assist technology make it possible.

“I call it my little, electric minivan,” Morgan Lommele,

The Colorado Trail, pictured above, is on land managed by the U.S. Forest Service and crosses several national forests as it traverses the state. Currently, federal agencies like the Forest Service only allow e-bikes on motorized trails. But, things could change in the future as e-bikes continue to grow in popularity./Photo by Stephen Eginoire

Unclassified: The 3 types of e-bikes • Class 1: A pedal-assist electric bicycle with a motor that only runs when the rider is pedaling and stops running when the bike reaches 20 mph • Class 2: Has a throttle and can be used without any pedaling from the rider. Like Class I, the motor stops running when the bike reaches 20 mph • Class 3: Pedal-assist with a motor that only runs when the rider is pedaling. Unlike the Class I, the motor continues running until the bike reaches 28 mph For more info on all things bike, visit PeopleForBikes at peopleforbikes.org or IMBA at imba.com.

PeopleForBikes’ director of state and local policy, said.

Lommele, who’s been working with the industry coalition for about five years, said when she first got on an electric bicycle, it was a lot more like her road bike than she thought it would be. Today she uses it consistently, easily running errands around town with her two kids in tow.

AUTUMN

2019

Sustainability is in our DNA. 8 n Aug. 15, 2019

telegraph

E-bikes also mean access for anyone who can’t ride a traditional bike, like people with disabilities or the elderly. Not only can they go places that were once off limits, they can just enjoy getting outside.

In the past, the trouble with regulating electric bikes has been about the motor. Most motorized vehicles, like scooters or motorcycles, require riders to have a license, insurance, certifications or other safety requirements.

But, not everyone thinks someone riding a bike with pedal assist technology needs to have a license.

One of those organizations is IMBA, or the International Mountain Bike Association.

“IMBA recommends eMTBs (electric mountain bikes) be managed as independent trail use categories,” the IMBA website reads. “We encourage land managers to develop individualized regulations for how and where Class 1 (electric mountain bikes) should have access.”

Electric bikes break down into three types – Class I, Class II and Class III. The Class I bikes are pedal assist only, meaning there’s no throttle. They top out at 20 miles per hour, and won’t work without someone pedaling. With the batteries for these types getting smaller 4

It s almost that time again...

Back to School is around the corner so hit the halls in style.

and smaller, they’re becoming lighter and easier to handle.

The Class I and II bikes have a throttle and higher speed limit, which is why many ebike advocates are only looking to allow Class I on public lands.

This is the case for the IMBA. “We support trail access for Class 1 eMTBs and support shared use on trails as long as access is not lost or impeded for traditional mountain bikes,” their official position reads.

This position, however, is exactly what the July 26 letter warns against.

Trails groups from states across the country, like Idaho and North Carolina, and national organizations, including the Backcountry Horseman of America and The Wilderness Society, have encouraged decision-makers to keep all e-bikes off non-motorized trails.

They say it might start with Class I, but once motorized bikes are allowed in the backcountry, the floodgates will open.

“We oppose any effort that would allow any class of vehicle with a motor – including all classes of e-bikes, which by definition have a motor – to be allowed on non-motorized trails,” the July 26 letter reads. “(It) would create an unmanageable slippery slope and threaten future management of all non-motorized trails and areas on public lands.”

With more than 22 million acres of public lands in Colorado, those federal agencies could influence other land managers across the state who are paying attention. And, people are paying attention – even in Durango.

“We are monitoring what federal land managers are doing,” Parks and Recreation Director Cathy Metz said. “We’re also monitoring what’s happening in other parts of

Colorado and the nation.”

Current laws in Colorado allow Class I and II on any trail that traditional bikes are allowed on. But, it also leaves the door open for local governments to make their own decisions.

Elected leaders for the City of Durango officially made room for e-bikes about a year ago only on the city’s hard-surface trails, like the Animas River Trail. According to Metz, there’s no plan to change that and extend the allowance to natural surface or dirt trails within the city’s open spaces.

However, she said, people are talking. Some locals have raised the idea of allowing Class I e-bikes on natural-surface trails during Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meetings, and even sent emails to Parks and Rec staff.

“But, there hasn’t been an outpouring,” she added.

If federal agencies did change direction, though, and decide to allow electric bikes on public lands, Metz admitted the city would likely discuss the issue.

For some, like Lommele, who’s spent years advocating for access, there’s a place for pedalassist e-bikes on public lands.

“We don’t support a blanket allowance, but there’s a place for Class I e-bikes,” she said. “I don’t think it’s a slippery slope.”

For other trail and cycling enthusiasts, it’s a road they are unwilling to go down.

“Non-motorized trails were created to ensure that the public could find recreational trail opportunities free from the ever-growing motorization and mechanization,” the letter reads. “Opening non-motorized trails to motors would forever change the backcountry experience for these users.” n

Not so fast: e-bike trail delayed due to 416 Fire Several years ago, with the passage of the Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act, federal officials decided to include a trail in their future plans that would be open to e-bikes. But, currently, that trail does not exist.

The timeline for the trail, which will be called the Cutthroat Trail, was delayed due to the 416 Fire, which burned 55,000 acres in the Hermosa Creek area last summer. Current plans are to complete the design this year, and construction is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2020.

According to Forest Service officials, the Cutthroat Trail will be a multi-purpose trail open to hikers, bikers, equestrian and e-bikes. It will not be open to motorcycles or dirt bikes. Once completed, it will connect the trails at Purgatory to those in the Hermosa Creek area that allow for motorized use.

– Tracy Chamberlin

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970-749-0888

telegraph

Aug. 15, 2019 n

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Quick’n’Dirty Meetings explore homelessness The newly formed team tasked with tackling the local homelessness issue is rolling up its sleeves. Formed in April between the City of Durango and La Plata County, the Planning and Action Team on Homelessness (PATH) is planning two upcoming opportunities to better gauge the homeless situation, from both the homeless person and the non-homeless (aka “housed”) person’s perspective.

The first meeting will be an invite-only listening session Tues., Aug. 20. The listening sessions will be broken into two groups: people who have experienced homelessness or are at risk of homelessness (12:30-3 p.m.); and housed residents and local businesses (5:30-8 p.m.) The PATH team is recruiting a small but diverse group of people to participate in each session. Those interested can contact Meagan Picard at meaganp@athenaplace.com.

The second option to weigh in comes Wed., Aug. 21, when PATH hosts an open house at St. Mark’s Church, 910 E. 3rd Ave., from 3:30-7:30 p.m. This meeting is open to the public and will focus on finding common ground in addressing the issue of local homelessness. The open house will also include information on: • Numbers and statistics on the homelessness situation in Durango and beyond; • Policies at the national level that contribute to the rising number of homeless; • Current efforts to address homelessness in Durango; • What people had to say at the listening sessions.

Last spring, the City and County contracted with Washington-based public policy consultants the Athena Group to help formulate an action plan on homelessness.

So far, PATH has held two meetings and conducted surveys and interviews of residents on such topics as homelessness in Durango, what community members value and potential goals.

According to PATH, the key findings so far are: • The number of people experiencing homelessness in Durango – and across the United States – is growing; • There appears to be a disproportionate number of Native Americans experiencing homelessness in La Plata County (Native Americans make up 6 percent of the local population but 21 percent of the local homeless population as per the 2019 “Point in Time” count); • There are significant health challenges and other barriers to accessing stable housing, including the cost of housing.

On the flip side of the issue, PATH has also found tensions between community members and the homeless. Reported problems include vandalism, trash in open spaces and intimidating behavior from homeless residents due to intoxication and mental illness.

The $70,000 consultant fee for the strategic plan came from the joint city-county sales tax. The plan is expected to be finished by the end of the year with information on detailed actions within two years.

City hosts tour of Roosa upgrades Roosa Avenue is about to get a lot safer for walker, bikers and drivers thanks to a $1.9 million project. Funded by the City of Durango and the Colorado Department of Transportation, the project will include a new, 10-foot shareduse path along the east side of Roosa from 9th to El Paso streets; upgraded curb ramps to make the sidewalks ADAcompliant; new bike and pedestrian crossings; and additional parking spots at Schneider Park, among other things.

Locals can learn about the project, called the “Roosa Avenue Connect,” with a tour from 5:15 – 6 p.m., Wed., Aug. 21. The tour will depart from Schneider Park, and city staff and project engineers will be on hand to discuss the project and answer questions.

The gauntlet known as Roosa Avenue is getting a makeover courtesy of a $1.9 million City/CDOT-funded project. To find out what’s in store, tour the project with city staff next Wed., Aug. 21./Courtesy photo The Roosa Avenue Connect was identified as a high priority in the City’s 2012 Multimodal Transportation Plan.

The project is being designed by local firm, Goff Engineering, which completed the plans in October 2018. Money to build the project came from a $948,644 CDOT grant and a matching $951,356 from the City, using funds from the half-cent sales and use tax. Construction is expected to begin in 2023. For more information, visit Durango Gov.org/RoosaConnect.

– Missy Votel

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MountainTownNews Plug pulled on warming experiment MT. CRESTED BUTTE – In 1990, when John Harte first staked out plots on a hillside covered with wildflowers a few miles from the Crested Butte ski area, Nelson Mandela had just been released from prison, cell phones were rare, and fewer than 1 percent of households had Internet access.

Harte wanted to understand the effect of warming temperatures on wildflower-laden hillsides at 9,500 feet. Even then, the effect of releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere was broadly understood.

For his experiment, he laid out 10 plots, each 10 by 30 feet.

Above five of the plots, he dangled heating elements that warmed the temperature approximately 4 degrees Fahrenheit. The other five plots were not artificially warmed.

The experiment found that this increment of warming gradually replaced the green hillside with an ecosystem found about 1,500 feet lower in the Gunnison Valley, a place dominated by sagebrush.

That has clear implications for ski towns. During the 21st century, various computer models predict that Earth’s average temperature will rise between 3.2 and 7.2 degrees F, according to the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.

In July, the experiment ended after 28 years, the longest-running of its kind in the world. Ian Billick, director of the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, says the National Science Foundation dropped funding a decade ago. It continued with other funding after that.

While electricity to the plots has been cut off, perhaps the most important research continues. That research will probe what was happening underground in this transition, how the carbon content of the soil changed. Billick explains that trenches were dug lateral to the test plots, then bores inserted into the soil a meter and a half below the surface. The soil samples are being analyzed in a laboratory.

The big question is whether the warming will produce a feedback mechanism. In other words, will the shift in vegetation result in more carbon being emitted into the atmosphere?

Billick predicts the most important paper is yet to be written after researchers complete this examination of soil samples. That paper will likely contain important new understandings about how warming altered the carbon cycle of soil.

Lake Tahoe fire evacuation plan resisted SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – It would seem that having an evacuation plan in place would be a good thing in mountain communities where wildfires pose a risk.

But in the Lake Tahoe basin, officials for years have resisted creating widespread evacuation plans. The Tahoe Daily Tribune explains that some feared concrete plans could put people in danger, rather than taking them away from it. This is because of the few exits from the basin but also the unpredictable nature of wildfire.

Plus, with many different governmental agencies around the lake, creating a basin-wide evacuation plan requires collaboration across jurisdictional lines, which further complicates the work.

Tahoe was far from alone. The Daily News points to a survey by USA Today Network-California earlier this year that only 22 percent of communities at high risk from wildfire had a robust, publicly available evacuation plan. Like those in Tahoe, some officials in California argued that such plans could be more harmful than helpful.

Then came the Camp Fire last November. It killed 86 people in Paradise, Calif. That community had an evacuation plan.

In the aftermath of that fire, residents in South Lake Tahoe pushed their officials to act. The Daily Tribune reports that Jeff Meston, then the fire chief in Tahoe, saw Tahoe as being at even greater risk than Paradise. “We have many, many similarities, and some dis-similarities that are disadvantageous to us.”

Now, South Lake Tahoe is close to having an evacuation map.

No word on the plans for a basin-wide plan.

New reasons for rising real estate prices JACKSON, Wyo. – Real estate in Jackson Hole has always been an attractive proposition because of Wyoming’s tax laws. There is no state income tax, making it a good place to declare as the permanent home of people of great wealth from elsewhere.

Real estate agent Greg Prugh also points out other reasons to explain rapidly escalating prices. More real estate is also being sold over the Internet, in which the sellers and local real estate people never see the buyers, he tells the Jackson Hole News&Guide. And real

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estate has become even more of a global market.

Real estate sales were down in the first six months of the year in Teton County, but prices rose briskly. A house in Melody Ranch, which in the 1990s was developed as an enclave for Jackson’s middle class, recently sold for $3.75 million.

Banff gateway sees rise in rental prices CANMORE, Alberta – Housing rentals have been rising at a brisk rate in Canmore, the gateway community to Banff National Park.

In the span of just four years, costs have increased 71 percent, according to a recent study. No word on how much incomes have grown during the same time span.

A one-bedroom rental this year fetches $1,483, compared to $866 in 2016. Even then, according to a study, 29 percent of renters in Canmore were paying 30 percent or more of their pre-tax income for rent. The Canadian Rental Housing Index holds that paying 30 percent - 49 percent is unaffordable, and 50 percent or more is severely unaffordable, points out the Rocky Mountain Outlook.

“I think everyone who deals in housing knows that low-income single adults are very underserved, the people with disabilities are underserved, the number of people who are paying (more than 30 percent of their income) is outrageous compared to the rest of the province and the rest of the country,” said Ian Wilson, the chief administrative officer for the Bow Valley Regional Housing.

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LAKE LOUISE, Alberta – A wolf was killed near a campground in Banff National Park recently after it bit a camper.

Parks officials say the man heard the wolf sniffing and pawing around the tent, and then it pushed on the fabric of the tent.

Thinking it was a bear, the camper tried to scare it away. As he did so, the wolf grabbed his arm and tore the tent open. The man suffered minor injuries in the scuffle before the wolf ran off. Also in the tent were three of the victim’s family members.

Parks Canada told the Rocky Mountain Outlook no significant wildlife attractants or food were within or near the tent. What drew the wolf? Such cases seem to be so rare in North America that nobody could put together a hypothesis.

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Sand and plastic mix along Tahoe shores SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – With its rare transparency, Lake Tahoe looks pure. But a researcher from the University of California, Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, has been finding evidence that Tahoe is getting polluted by plastics, too.

Katie Senft, aided by interns, has been scooping sand from the shoreline into glass jars and assessing its plastic content. She is finding plenty of evidence of microplastics, fragments 5 millimeters or less, smaller than a grain of rice, according to the Sierra Sun. “The ocean gets a lot of attention about plastic in the water, and our freshwater lakes don’t,” Senft said. “This issue has flown under the radar in the Tahoe Basin. When plastics enter the environment, be it terrestrial or aquatic, they stick around for a long time.”

Wastewater is the main source of microplastics in most freshwater systems. Microfibers – small bits of fiber from laundered clothes that find their way back to water systems – are the primary cause.

But that does not explain the microplastics found in the Tahoe Basin. Treated wastewater from South Lake Tahoe and other communities lining the shore is not released into the lake. Instead, it is piped outside the basin for release.

What is producing the microplastics? The story does not say, but it does note that Senft and her assistants are finding plastic bottle caps, film from food packaging, golf balls and even plastic turf.

71-year-old veteran hikes the continent IDAHO SPRINGS – It may not be particularly notable for a 71year-old to walk across the Continental Divide, but William Shuttleworth did a lot of walking to get there.

An Air Force veteran, he set out from his home in Massachusetts on May 15, intent on reaching the Pacific Ocean. He passed through Colorado in late July, pausing in Idaho Springs for a night before setting out to walk across Loveland Pass into Summit County and then to Vail. The Clear Creek Courant reports he hoped to raise $100,000 for disabled veterans in the course of his walking.

– Allen Best

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dayinthelife Aug. 15, 2019

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he bustle of civilization surroundin ing Chaco Wash must have been a for travel-weary eyes between 850 those who had spent days crossing the arid

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get there, the wide, shallow canyon epitomized the Ancestral Puebloan culture at the height of its engineering and organizational prowess. Today, the site still evokes a sense wonderment for modern travelers who visit. Here’s a look:

Aug. 15, 2019 n 13

thesecondsection “Drink chef” Allison Perewitt at the Derailed lifts the glass on a smoked Kentucky Campfire (which, incidentally, also contains bacon.) Other new twists in the cocktail world include fat-washing and croptails (think white cheddar popcorn martinis.)/Photo by Stephen Eginoire

Adventures in cocktailing Move over sh** ice, here comes fat washing, gastrotails, custom cubes & drink chefs

by Donna Hewett

I

t was an off-hour in the afternoon. We stepped inside a 100-plus-year-old downtown bar not far from the train. The atmosphere was muted, shadowy. A young bartender in a bow-tie pulled at his beard.

“Do you wash your spirits here,” I casually ask, thumbing through the drink menu.

His eyes widen.

“Uh, we smudge them with sage every once in a while, but I don’t think it’s working.”

Poor darling.

I was thinking more in terms of a duck-fat washed bourbon. Even better, an avocado-oil washed gin with house-made lime tonic.

The “new” bar craft scene, sodden with painstakingly eccentric techniques, results in noisier cocktails, even more abundant in detail and flavor. You’d think that after 20 years, the bitter, old-fashioned drinks of the giddy, retro Prohibition era had met critical mass.

But that’s not the case. Nowadays, a “post-modern renaissance” is bubbling over with bent terminology and farmer’s market ingredients.

Like fat washing. It has nothing to do with ghosts or the dish pit, as some might think. It’s a more twisted

14 n Aug. 15, 2019

version of booze infusion. A tasty trick that was created by a NYC pastry chef and perfected at the famous speakeasy PDT (Please Don’t Tell) circa 2007 with its bacon fat-washed old fashioned.

Alcohol binds to fat, which takes away the harsher elements of say, rye. It adds flavor and a barely detectable texture, giving a new dimension of thickness.

Almost anything can be used to wash a spirit, animal fat, nut oil, even a grilled cheese sandwich. And it’s pretty simple.

For the mixologist in your house: pour 1 ounce of coconut oil (browned butter is good, too) into 12 ounces of your favorite rum. Place in a mason jar. Close tight, shake vigorously, let it rest. Place in freezer until the fat has solidified, two or three hours. Scrape fat off; strain the liquid through a cheese cloth-lined funnel into another mason jar, and voilá. Your beautiful fatwashed rum is ready for lime and ice, and whatever else you can imagine.

Another relatively new pet on the mixology scene is the gastrotail. A typical recipe would entail something like honey-crisp apple-infused vodka, hand-torn sage and a handful of whole peppercorns shaken over ice with lime and house-made vino-blanco wine syrup.

Whew. In a similar vein is the croptail, but be fore-

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warned: it’s not as healthy as it sounds. It’s a savory cocktail that may require a fork to finish. Vodka on the cob – sweet vermouth vodka garnished with a skewer of white cheddar popcorn – is one example. Sip and munch or dip first for a different effect.

To further muddy the alcoholic waters, croptails and gastrotails should not be confused with wellness drinks – alcohol-light cocktails made with a cornucopia of organic plants, sometimes referred to as vegetables. Go ahead and drink your salad. Think of a kale martini, lemon champagne, greenhouse sage margarita or a “skimlate,” made with the Voli Lyte vodka. Arugula and snap-pea syrups are fashionable, as are carrot soda and turmeric. Lots and lots of turmeric to soothe a simmering gut. Or maybe to alleviate the guilt of (gasp) drinking.

Draft craft cocktails are also on the front end of the industry. Listing CO2 as an ingredient may prove a talking point, but like draft beer, draft cocktails – batched at the bar or pre-filled – come fresh from a keg through a gas-powered tap.

Batched retro cocktails have bar owners’ full attention.

The cocktail renaissance, trending from a specialty bar setting to the clubs, pubs and restaurants of today, have left the industry with a real skills shortage. Rather4

than paying money to train a fickle millennial, batched draft is a brilliant, ultra-convenient alternative.

Is that so bad? Let’s see. In the excruciating time your ex-wrestlingstar-turned-mixologist can measure, mix and pour a Negroni, a kid with no experience can serve 20 people an elevated version of the same drink in instantly frozen stemware, with not only a better attitude, but more consistency and at a (slightly) cheaper cost.

Bottled and canned craft cocktails are one way to savor a finely made cocktail at a moment’s notice. If you’re thinking of the pre-mixed, dayglow crap of the past, forget it. The new generation of craft distillers whip up batches using top shelf liquors and high-quality ingredients. They’re a cushy, portable way to sip a classic drink on warm, lazy days on the lake, river or peaks.

In addition, the 75-cent ice cube is replacing the familiar crescent-shaped ice that waters down your drink, known in the industry as “shitty hotel ice.” You may think, hey, any ice is better than no ice. But, today’s dis- El Moro’s True Romance martini, served with cerning bartenders want better, bigger custom-made jalapeño ice balls. No hotel ice cubes. here./Photo by Donna Hewett “Do you harvest your own ice,” I asked Lucas, the bar manager at El Moro. up your smoke (or smoked old fashioned).

Jaycie, who works at The Bookcase and Because he serves Fernet Branca on tap, I was hopeful. He promptly produced a nice Barber, is kinda like that. She’s never heard bag of crystal-clear, 2-inch ice cubes used of the term drink chef but does consider herself a “cocktail creationist.” (They go for their rocks drinks.

“The chef has his fire. We have our ice. I through 250 pounds of fruit a week, composted by Table to Farm.) just cut these this morning,” he beams.

“Never shake a baby and never shake a Good boy. Like diamonds, you’re looking for purity, clarity, size and shape. As in Manhattan,” she says with a wink.

Finally, the ultimate litmus test of a bona the past, drinks today are punctuated with different shapes of ice, specified for differ- fide craft cocktail bar is boutique vermouth. ent recipes. Lumped for cocktails, shaved Think savory, hyper seasonal and hyper for juleps, cobblestone (crushed) for the local. Cucumber vermouth sangria. Vermouth with beet and eucalyptus or serrano booze-heavy.

Your old-fashioned neighborhood bar- chili and lavender. If vermouth doesn’t tender who pours Fireball and Bud Light have its own menu, you may be in a place may think the term “mixologist” implies an less desirable. Like the other day in Farmarrogant, tattooed kid with a waxed mus- ington.

“A Punt e Mes on ice with an orange tache. (FYI, “drink chef” has replaced mixologist in some more forward parts of twist,” I say. The barman, a husky 50-something with mutton chops, stares at me. the world.) Can’t we all just get along?

“It’s a vermouth.”

Personally, I like the word “intoxicolo“You want vermouth on the rocks? Is gist,” a server with a knowledge of strong, old classic cocktails. But more, someone that it?”

I try again. who’s there with a quick joke and to light

The Derailed’s boozy cucumber-citrus infusion – a delight for the eyes and adventurous drinkers./Photo by Donna Hewett.

“Dolin Dry if you have it.”

He shakes his head.

“Atsby Cake?”

“Lady, we got Martini & Rossi, white and red, but I wouldn’t recommend either one without vodka or bourbon.”

I order a little of both on ice, with an orange slice, please.

“Shore.”

He glances at the people next to us like I just asked for a freshly plucked root of Florence fennel. It might seem uncouth, but

sweet vermouth mixed with dry is delicate and crisp and tastes excellent with cheese.

But all these new (old) drinks, even the simplest, may go beyond flavor to something more subliminal. They can have an emotional impact. The bartender pours the drink into a short glass over shitty ice with a tiny red straw. I stir it. The colors mix into a rich, golden mahogany. I take a sip and hundreds of years of cultivation roll down my throat and light me up like a rollicking sea. n

Are you having difficulty: managing insurance costs? with a new diagnosis? with mental or chronic illness?

Contact Christy Deem, RN, BSN at SW Colo. Patient Advocate to help

970-426-9567 swcopatientadvocate.com you through the healthcare system.

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Aug. 15, 2019 n 15

FlashinthePan

Everything but the roots

by Ari LeVaux

W

hen Americans get excited about squash, it isn’t usually for the stems. We eat the fruits – thinskinned zucchini or hardened winter squashes – & sometimes we eat the squash blossoms. But the rest of the plant is edible, too, including the broad fuzzy leaves, prickly stems & curlicue climbing tendrils. Indeed, many cultures around the world prize these itchy, scratchy plant parts.

Greens from any summer or winter squash are fair game, but the most delectable portions are found at the tip of each vine branch.

This is where plant cells are actively dividing and differentiating into new buds, leaves, tendrils and shoots. It’s the most tender region to eat, and easiest to prepare.

I learned the ways of squash greens from a grower named Chia, who does a brisk business in bunched squash greens, among other, more recognizable crops, at my local farmers market. Born in Laos, Chia is a member of the Hmong ethnic group, which drifted into Southeast Asia from southern China over the course of two centuries.

Hmong soldiers allied with the United States during the Vietnam War, helping American soldiers navigate the nearly impenetrable, jungle-covered hills that link Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. When the war ended, the U.S. welcomed hundreds of thousands of Hmong to resettle here.

The largest Hmong populations are in California, Minnesota and Michigan. The small population where I live in Western Montana numbers only in the hundreds and is a tight-knit community. Enthusiastic farmers, Hmong growers do well at the farmers market, where I purchased Chia’s last bunch of squash greens.

I asked if the other 19 bunches had gone to Hmong buyers. “A lot,” he said. “Also Africans, Vietnamese, Chinese and some Indian. Just a few Caucasians.”

When I asked for a serving suggestion, Chia told me how to cook a Hmong soup called ntsis taub (pronounced “tse-tawb”). Made primarily of pork and squash tendrils and simply seasoned, ntsis taub is one of the most important Hmong dishes. Especially among the elders.

Chia flavors his squash soup with little more than lemongrass, salt and MSG. Every cook makes it a little differently, but it’s always simple and brothy. Some add ginger or lime leaf. Some add fish sauce or soy sauce. Some add chile. Some skip the MSG. The one ingredient Chia uses that can be tricky to find is homemade, from his own pigs: deep-fried pieces of skin,

puffy and crispy, with attached bits of browned flesh.

Though hard to make at home, because pork skin is hard to find, fried pork rinds in a bag are as far away as the nearest gas station, and Chia admits to using them on occasion.

The next day, I visited Chia’s farm. He crouched on the edge of the patch and twisted the base of a new suqash shoot where it attached to a larger, older branch (you can also use clippers). “The more you pick, the more it grows.

If you pick off there, it branches out on the side,” he said. Chia also cleaned up his kabocha patch, pruning it into a neater version of itself, directing where the squash would grow.

During summer, determined cooks should be able to get their hands on some squash parts, either by placing a special order at the farmers market or by raiding their own squash patch, or that of a friend. Most squash patches could use a pruning.

You can add any part of any squash plant, summer or winter, to ntsis taub. Flowers are optional, Chia says. It’s more important that there are pieces of summer squash or immature winter squash, even immature pumpkin, in the ntsis taub.

Chia sent me home with a bristly bag of greens, including stems, flowers, buds and tendrils, and two immature kabocha squashes. There was a pork chop in my freezer and lemongrass in the fridge, so all I had to do was stop at the gas station for pork rinds, and I was ready to cook authentic Hmong soup.

This soup is a classic Hmong comfort food, and it’s easy to appreciate why. It has an understated but soothing and satisfying flavor. The stems, when properly

peeled, are tender and mild. If any part of the greens might be challenging, it’s the leaves, which can be unpleasantly spongy, not to mention harder to clean as the fuzz holds dust. When making the soup for the first time, use the smallest leaves you can, and take it from there.

The gas station fried pork rinds might be the most challenging part of the dish. Crispy out of the bag, they become soggy yet chewy in the soup. Very optional and not for everyone.

Chia’s rendition is flavored with lemongrass only, but I have listed ginger and lime leaf as optional spices to play around with in search of your own flavor.

Ntsis Taub (Hmong Squash Plant Soup) Serves 4 2 lbs squash greens 2 lbs bone-in pork chop (or similar mix of meat, bone and fat) 2 stalks lemongrass, cut into 1-inch sections and smashed 1 pound summer squash or immature winter squash 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste Optionals: 1 teaspoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon fish sauce 2 inches of ginger, sliced 1 or 2 kaffir lime leaves MSG, to taste Fried pork rinds Cut the pork into cubes and add, along with any bones, to a large, heavy-bottomed pot and fry. When the pork is browned, add the lemongrass and ginger or lime leaf, if using, and two quarts water. Bring to a boil, and let simmer as you trim the squash greens.

First, peel away the tough fibers that ring the stalk, in a manner similar to how some cooks pull the fibers from celery. Tug at the fibers along the edge of the cut end of each stem. When you get a hold of some, pull the fibers down the stalk and toward the leaves. They hold together in a sheet, so just two or three tugs should clean a stem.

Don’t worry about getting every inch of every single strand, just make sure you have pulled all around the bottom of each cut end. Soak the greens in a large vessel of water to rinse. Pull the trimmed greens out of the water and cut or break into 1- to 3-inch sections.

Cut the summer squash or immature winter squash into 2-inch chunks.

Remove any pieces of lemongrass, ginger or leaves if you wish, while the water is shallow. Then add six more quarts water. Bring to a boil.

Add the squash and greens to the soup and simmer for 10 minutes, or until squash is tender. Serve garnished with fried pork rinds. Or not. n

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TopShelf

Swapping wristbands, sipping suds & roasting chiles

by Chris Aaland

Instead, the sale of pints benefits Mancos Valley Resources and the Pay It Forward Fund. here’s never any good live music in Durango.” This The Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College kicks off statement was, is, and shall always be bunk. Take this its 2019-20 season with Trace Bundy: Acoustic Ninja at 7:30 weekend, for example. There’s so much to do that pro- p.m. Saturday. Bundy is an internationally acclaimed guitar virtumoters of the two biggest events are teaming up to offer free adoso who uses harmonics, looping, multiple capos and a unique mission to their festivals to ticketholders from the other, allowing stage presence to deliver an unforgettable live concert experience. attendees to bounce back and forth without being charged twice.

His career has taken him across the world, with sold-out concerts KSUT’s 16th annual in 28 countries – from highParty in the Park takes tech performance halls in place from 5-9 p.m. Saturday South Korea and Italy to rein Buckley Park, with the mote villages in Zimbabwe Motet bringing it’s “Speed and Guatemala. of Light” tour to Durango.

The Animas City Theatre The Afrobeatniks kick hosts the third and final things off at 5:45, with the preliminary rounds of the Motet taking the stage at Battle of the Bands at 8 around 7:30. The Motet p.m. Saturday. This time dropped its ninth album, around, Ethnic De Genera“Death or Devotion,” in Jantion, the Shawn Arrington uary. It rides the same funky Band, Versa Vice and the wave they’ve been on for Zion Spencer Band will comthe last five years or so. pete for the final slot in the Through the years, their Sept. 21 finale. A grand prize sound has morphed from of $1,000 is on the line next jam band to world drummonth, so stakes are high. ming to avant-garde jazz to Tonight’s Ska-B-Q a soulful blend of funk, (Thurs., Aug. 15) brings the disco and R&B. The Cheyenne Skye Duet to Afrobeatniks will play songs The Motet bring it’s “Speed of Light” tour to KSUT’s 16th annual Party the World Headquarters at off their excellent debut 5 p.m. Skye is a singer who in the Park from 5-9 p.m. this Saturday. album, “Wontanara.” As aldraws inspiration from ways, KSUT and its partner, Bank of the San Juans, will serve Ska Patsy Cline, Nina Simone and Janis Joplin. Her debut EP, beer, wines from Wagon Wheel Liquors, cocktails from Durango “Pruned for the Picking,” was released in 2018 and she’s been Craft Spirits and the station’s own signature sangria. Food ventouring nonstop ever since. Percussionist Brian Coe accompadors will also be on site. The Party in the Park isn’t one of those nies her in the duet. free Buckley affairs, but rather a ticketed one to raise money for Funk meets rock meets hip-hop in the Three Springs Plaza at 6 public radio in the Four Corners. After all, the bands, sound and p.m. tonight when Elder Grown performs in the latest free lights crew, city, and others don’t give away their services. Adweekly concert out east. Expect the band’s usual mix of freeform vance tickets are available at www.ksut.org, but you can also pay jam and originals. at the gate.

The Town of Silverton has hosted a free concert series on the Up on Durango Mesa (formerly known as Ewing Mesa), the third Friday of each month through the summer. This week, Durango Bluegrass Meltdown presents its fifth annual MeltWhitewater Ramble plays high-octane Rocky Mountain down on the Mesa. This event shines the spotlight on local dance-grass on the Mike Geryak Stage in Columbine Park. It all bands, with six of them playing from 1-9 p.m. It all wraps up starts with a bike ride from Pedal the Peaks to Columbine at 5 with two full sets by Liver Down the River from 6-9, plus earp.m., followed by music at 6. Scott Craig & friends open the conlier ones by Six Dollar String Band, Crooked Measures, Smelter cert. Ska beers and wine from Mountain View Winery will be Mountain Boys, Woodland Remedy and the Badly Bent. There’s sold, along with grub from Eat a Bite Food Truck. also free camping and all-night picking circles.

Kirk James has a busy weekend, as always. On Friday and Sadly, my duties at KSUT’s Party in the Park mean I’ll miss Saturday, he’ll pick solo, acoustic blues on the long sold-out DuMeltdown on the Mesa for the first time ever. I think I even made rango Blues Train. If you were shut out on tickets, you can all of the event’s precursors, the Meltdown fall parties on the still catch Kirk and his band from noon ‘til 3 Sunday at the Wines loading dock of the old Durango Brewing Co. If you’re planning of the San Juan car show in Blanco, N.M. on attending one event or the other, you don’t have to miss out.

Elsewhere: The Badly Bent brings the high and lonesome to KSUT will admit Meltdown on the Mesa attendees for free with Durango Craft Spirits at 7 p.m. Friday; Robby Overfield returns their Meltdown wristband. Likewise, Meltdown on the Mesa is to The Office at 7 p.m. Friday; and the Blue Moon Ramblers doing the same for people who present their KSUT Party in the hold court at the Diamond Belle Saloon at 6 p.m. Sunday.

Park ticket. It’s a nice compromise for two entities who keep Ay carumba! It’s finally the time of year when the scent of music alive in the Four Corners, giving music fans the option of roasting green chiles will waft across the South Side and Rio attending both events.

Grande Land. Gazpacho hosts their annual green chile roast The fifth annual Mancos Valley Summer Brewfest and anniversary party on Friday and Saturday, while supplies last. brings suds and sounds to Cottonwood Park from noon ‘til 7 Forty- and 25-pound bags are available, cash (or check) on the p.m. Saturday (music starts at 1). Four bands – Cousin Curtiss, barrelhead. The restaurant gets into the spirit by serving the Bitnova, Foggy Memory Boys and the Crags – will perform, freshest green chile cheeseburgers and rellenos of the year and while three breweries – Mancos, Colorado Boy and Moab – will margarita and beer specials to cool the heat. sell pints. Guy Drew wines and Fenceline ciders are also available. Unlike most beer festivals, this one isn’t a free pour event.

Peter Piper picked a peck? Email me at chrisa@gobrainstorm.net. n

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Aug. 15, 2019 n 17

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Thursday15

back patio, 1101 Main Ave. 422-8482.

Baby Meetup with Durango Café au Play, 9:30-11:30 a.m., 2307 Columbine. 749-9607.

Gary B. Walker performs, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Jean-Pierre Restaurant & Wine Bar, 601 Main Ave.

Guided Nature Tours, 9:45 a.m.-noon, Tuesdays and Thursdays thru Aug. 15, meet inside Purgatory Ticket Office. sjma.org.

Trivia Night, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Powerhouse Science Center, 1333 Camino del Rio. www.powsci.org.

Friday Nights at Fox Fire Farms, featuring music from the Assortment, 6-9 p.m., Fox Fire Farms in Ignacio. foxfirefarms.com.

Matt Rupnow performs, 7 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave.

Live music, 6-9 p.m., DJ Hakan, 9 p.m.-close, Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

“Robin Hood” presented by Theater Ensemble Arts, opening night, 7 p.m., performance also runs Aug. 16-17 and 22-23, Lions Wilderness Park Amphitheater in Farmington. 505-326-2839 or teartsnm@gmail.com.

Disco Night, 6:30-9 p.m., Chapman Hill Skating Rink.

375-7395.

Office Hours with La Plata County Commissioner Julie Westendorff, 10 a.m., Pine River Library in Bayfield.

“Indian Horse” documentary, 3:30 and 5:45 p.m., film also screens Aug. 16-22, Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Drive.

Open Mic & Stand-Up, 8 p.m., El Rancho Tavern, 975 Main Ave.

Drop-in Tennis, 4 p.m., Durango High School, 2390 Main Ave.

Karaoke, 8 p.m., Wild Horse Saloon, 601 E. 2nd Ave.

Qigong for Health and Healing, free to cancer patients, survivors and caregivers and sponsored by Blueprints of Hope, 4-5 p.m., Smiley Building Studio 10, 1309 E. 3rd Ave.

Plursday featuring DJ Brap the Goat, 9 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Friday16

Thursday Afternoon Social Club for veterans, their spouses & supporters, 4-6 p.m., VFW, 1550 Main Ave.

Mushroom & Wine Festival, featuring dinner, guided forays and more, Aug. 16-17, Purgatory Resort. www.purgatoryresort.com.

Submit “On the Town” items by Monday at noon to: calendar@durangotelegraph.com

Green Business Expo, 4-6 p.m., Rochester Secret Garden, 726 E. 2nd Ave.

Durango Early Bird Toastmasters, 7-8:30 a.m., LPEA, 45 Stewart St. 769-7615.

Bayfield Block Party and Farmers Market, featuring produce, baked goods, crafts, music, dancing and more, 4:30-7 p.m., Mill and Pearl streets. www.bayfield downtownfarmersmarket.org.

Free yoga, 8:30-9:30 a.m., Lively Boutique, 809 Main Ave.

The Cheyenne Skye Duet performs, 5-8 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St.

Zumba Gold, 9:30-10:15 a.m., La Plata Senior Center, 2424 Main Ave.

Adam Swanson performs, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Durango Blues Train, 11 a.m., event also runs Aug. 17, Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad’s Rockwood Station. www.durangotrain.com.

Sitting Meditation, 5:30-6:15 p.m., Durango Dharma Center, 1800 E. 3rd Ave.

Spanish Speaking Parents & Littles Fridays, 4-6 p.m., Durango Café au Play, 1309 E. 3rd Ave., Room 201. durangocafeauplay.org.

Open Mic Night, 6 p.m., Eno Wine Bar, 723 E. 2nd Ave. “Intro to Ultra,” with seven-time Hardrock 100 finisher Drew Gunn, 6 p.m., Pine Needle Mountaineering, 835 Main Ave. www.pineneedle.com.

Crooked Measures performs, 6 p.m., Mancos Brewing Co. The Black Velvet Duo performs, 6-8 p.m., Dalton Ranch.

Lacey Black performs, 6-9 p.m., 11th Street Station

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Robby Overfield performs, 7 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave. Karaoke, 7 p.m.-close, VFW, 1550 Main Ave.

Saturday17 Durango Farmers Market, featuring music from Truckely Howe and a visit from Colorado Proud, 8 a.m.noon, TBK Bank parking lot, W. 8th Street. www.durango farmersmarket.com.

Tour de Farms 2019, 6-mile and 17-mile bicycle tour of local farms & gardens, 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., meet at La Plata County Fairgrounds. www.thegardenprojectswcol orado.org.

Drop-in Tennis, 9 a.m., Durango High School, 2390 Main Ave. Trails 2000 Trailwork Party, 9 a.m.-noon, SkyRaider Trail. www.trails2000.org.

First Responders Appreciation Day, free entrance for first responders and veterans, events all day, Mancos State Park. 533-7064.

Soup Master Class presented by Garden Girl Nutrition and Alison Dance, sponsored by Blueprints of Hope, 10-11:30 a.m., Natural Grocers, 1123 Camino del Rio. Henry Stoy performs, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Jean-Pierre Restaurant & Wine Bar, 601 Main Ave.

Ignacio Farmers & Artisans Market, 4-8 p.m., Fridays thru Oct. 4, ELHI Community Center in Ignacio. 5634600.

VFW Indoor Flea Market, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., 1550 Main Ave. 247-0384.

Adam Swanson performs, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Mancos Valley Summer Brewfest, noon-7 p.m., Cottonwood Park in Mancos.

Friday Night BMX Races, 6 p.m., Cundiff Park. 3757331.

5th annual Meltdown on the Mesa, 1-9 p.m., Durango Mesa Park. durangomeltdown.com.

Kicked to the Curb performs, 6 p.m., Mancos Brewing Co.

Summer Picker’s Circle by the River, musicians of all levels welcome, 3-5 p.m., Saturdays thru August,4

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Silverton Summer Sounds features Whitewater Ramble, 6 p.m., third Friday of the month thru September, Columbine Park. www.silvertonconcerts.com.

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White Rabbit Books & Curiosities, 128 W. 14th St. 259-2213.

Grand Summer Nights, featuring live music, dancing, food, art and more, 4-8 p.m., downtown Mancos. mancos creativedistrict.com.

Pete Giuliani performs, 5-8 p.m., Chainless Brewing, 3000 Main Ave. The Black Velvet Duo performs, 5-9 p.m., Animas River Beer Garden at the Doubletree Hotel, 501 Camino del Rio. Adam Swanson performs, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Light Show Public Skate, 6:30-9 p.m., Chapman Hill.

375-7395.

Gary Watkins performs, 7 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave. Charlie Milo Band performs, 7:30 p.m., Mancos Brewing Company.

Battle of the Bands, featuring Diabolical Sound Platoon, Shawn Arrington Band, Zion Spencer Band, Ashes of Jupiter, Red Eyed Djinn and more, 8:30 p.m.; series finale Sept. 21, Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Dr. www.ani mascitytheatre.com.

Trace Bundy: The Acoustic Ninja performs, 7:30 p.m., Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College. www.durangoconcerts.com.

Comedy Cocktail Open Mic Stand Up, 8 p.m., Eno Wine Bar, 723 E. 2nd Ave. DJ Side Affex, 9 p.m.-close, Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Sunday18

Grab the D.D.: Suds, cider and song flow for Mancos Brewfest What: Mancos Valley Summer Brewfest

When: 1 – 7 p.m., Sat., Aug. 17 Where: Cottonwood Park, Mancos It’s the most wonderful time of year for live music and cold beverage lovers: beer fest season. This weekend, it’s the M.C.’s turn as Mancos Brewing Co. presents the fifth annual Mancos Valley Summer Brewfest.

The event promises plenty of riverside chill time with handcrafted libations, local food, live music, kids activities and even a classic car show for the auto buffs in the crowd.

Bands will be performing throughout the day, including: Cousin Curtiss, “rootstomp at its finest;” Bitnova, playing indie rock, folk and a bit of electro-pop; Foggy Memory Boys, an acoustic four piece from Taos; and local favorites the Crags, playing their unique blend of Southwest psychaa-desert rock.

Craft beer for the festival this year will come from Mancos Brewing Co.; Colorado Boy Brewery, of Montrose and Ridgway; and the Moab Brewery. For the non-beer drinkers, there will be wine from Guy Drew Vineyards and ciders from Mancos’ Outlier Cellars. Food vendors will include Green Table Farm from Mancos and The Wigglin’ Pig, out of Cortez.

La Plata County Democrats Summer Picnic, noon-2 p.m., Chris Park. Register at www.laplatadems.org/events/annual-dem-picnic.

Wine & Shine Classic Car Show, featuring music from Kirk James Blues Band, noon-3 p.m., Wines of the San Juan in Blanco, N.M. 505-632-0879.

Kids will find activities just for them under the Painted Turtle Studio tent, and dogs are welcome on leash.

Best of all, the fun doesn’t end when the festival does. Be sure to head over to Mancos Brewing for the after-party, featuring the Charlie Milo Trio, with their mix of rock, funk, jazz, blues and roots music.

Tickets to the festival are $15/advance or $20/door. Kids 13-18 are $5, and ages 12 and younger are free. Drink tickets can be bought for an additional $10, which buys six tickets good for six 5-ounce tasters or two 10-ounce beers or two glasses of wine. But tickets online at www.mancosvalleysummerbrewfest.brownpapertickets.com.

The festival is a benefit for Mancos Valley Resources, a nonprofit that champions community and various local causes, and the Mancos Valley “Pay It Forward” Fund. Since 2013, the fund has given financial assistance to Mancos Valley residents dealing with unexpected medical emergencies and personal hardships. Donations cover expenses such as child care, rent, utilities and food.

Volunteers are still needed for the festival and will receive free admission. For info. on volunteering, contact Kathy Hands, info@mancosbrewingcompany.com

Black Velvet Duo performs, 6-9 p.m., Cyprus Café, 725 E. 2nd Ave. Andrew Schuhmann performs, 7 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave.

Monday19

Durango Rec Center closed for annual cleaning, Aug.18-24.

Traditional Irish Music Jam, 12:30-4 p.m., Irish Embassy, 900 Main Ave.

Yoga Storytime, 9:30-10:45 a.m., Smiley Building Studio 10, 1309 E. 3rd Ave.

Durango Flea Market, 8:30 a.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds.

Writers’ Workshop, 2 p.m., Ignacio Community Library.

Watch Your Step class, 10:15 a.m., Durango Senior Center, 2424 Main Ave.

Veterans Breakfast, 9-11 a.m., Elks Club, 901 E. 2nd Ave. 946-4831.

Adult Coloring, 3-5 p.m., Sundays thru Aug. 25, White Rabbit Books & Curiosities Garden, 128 W. 14th St. 2592213.

Auditions for “Matilda,” presented by Merely Players, youth 5-8 p.m., adults 6-9 p.m., Aug. 20, Animas High School, Jesse Hutt wing, 172 Twin Buttes Ave. www.merely players.us.

Ohana Kuleana Community Garden Open House, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Ohana Community Garden, 564 E. 30th St. www.thegardenprojectswcolorado.org.

Larry Beck performs for Music in the Shade Summer Series, 4-7 p.m., Wines of the San Juan in Blanco, N.M.

Henry Stoy performs, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Jean-Pierre Restaurant & Wine Bar, 601 Main Ave.

Blue Moon Ramblers, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Terry Hartzel performs, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

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AskRachel Interesting fact: It’s technically illegal to deposit cans from one state in another state, even if the latter state has better refund rates, and even if they tried it in “Seinfeld.”

Dear Rachel, Am I misunderstanding the mechanics of deposits? I paid a $2 deposit for a growler and had to fight for a dollar back. I paid a $20 deposit for a key and got $10 back despite returning a full key. I dropped an $8 deposit for a reusable container that they now won’t accept back. People need to get with the program about what a deposit is and how it works. Or else, did I miss that lesson in high school econ?

– Taking the Fun out of Refund Dear Red, Don’t you know? You only get deposits back if you live in California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Oregon and Vermont. That’s what my bottle says, and I’m sticking with it. Unless, of course, you’re dealing with actual human beings in those states instead of a reverse vending machine. Then they’ll pretty much try to stiff you any way they can.

– Partially refundable, Rachel

Dear Rachel, Some people claim to love their dogs but then you see the crap they feed their so-called furbabies. Grocery store snobs turn their noses up at my City Market bags, yet they’ll give their

OntheTown from p. 19

Community Cycle Rides, free and open to all levels and abilities, hosted by Adaptive Sports Association, 5:30 p.m., event also runs Sept. 16, meet at La Plata County Fairgrounds northeast parking area. 259-0374 or program@asadurango.com.

Rob Webster performs, 7 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave. Trivia Night, 7 p.m., Blondies in Cortez.

Contiki Party with the Aussies, 9 p.m.-close, Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Tuesday20

Zumba Gold, 9:30-10:15 a.m., La Plata Senior Center, 2424 Main Ave.

Drop-in Tennis, 4 p.m., Durango High School, 2390 Main Ave.

Matt Rupnow performs, 5 p.m.-close, event runs each Tuesday, Pura Vida, 160 E. 12th St.

Terry Hartzel performs, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

pooches whatever food is cheapest, or what they found in the alley on a walk. I know people who won’t even shower using tap water, but that’s what they fill Fido’s bowl with. Shouldn’t these people be doomed to an eternity in Hell eating the same knock-off jerky they’re killing their puppies with?

– Kibbled to Death Dear PETA, For all your trying to support dogs, your bark is worse than their bits. Yes, our dogs deserve the very best. But our dogs also live, what, a sixth of our lifespan? Something is bound to kill them regardless of their diet. Also, they’re dogs. Left to their own devices, they eat deer poop off the sidewalk. Even Fisher John’s Imitation Salmon Treats are probably better than that, if less natural. If you can afford Omaha steaks for the neighborhood dogs, then hook us up. Otherwise, we’re all probably doing the best we can.

– Chow down, Rachel

Dear Rachel, The way I was raised, you paid your friends and relatives for manual labor in pizza and beer.

That way, the scales were even at the end of the day. Yet I recently moved, and every single person who helped me already had meal plans and refused my hospitality. Am I still in their debt, helpless against the next time they ask me for a favor in return? Or does my offer count as repayment, putting me in the clear?

– Unpack That for Me

Tim Sullivan performs, 7 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave. Latin Dance Nights, 8 p.m., Wild Horse Saloon, 601 E. 2nd Ave. salsadancedurango@gmail.com.

Open Mic Night, 8 p.m.-close, Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Wednesday21

gatory Resort Bike Park. www.purgatoryresort.com.

Loki Moon – Raw Experiments, 6-8 p.m., Eno Wine Bar, 723 E. 2nd Ave. Jeff Solon Jazz Duo performs, 6-9 p.m., Wednesdays thru Aug. 28, Cyprus Café, 725 E. 2nd Ave. 385-6884.

Pub Quiz, 6:30 p.m., Irish Embassy Pub, 900 Main Ave. 403-1200.

Gary B. Walker performs, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Jean-Pierre Restaurant & Wine Bar, 601 Main Ave.

Kennebec Market, featuring local farms, baked goods, handmade products and more, 2-6 p.m., each Wednesday, Kennebec Café in Hesperus. 759-7345.

Dr.

Community Concerts in the Secret Garden, featuring music from Space Between Shadows to benefit San Juan Mountains Association, 5-7 p.m., Rochester Hotel, 726 E. 2nd Ave. www.swcommunityfoundation.org.

Karaoke with Crazy Charlie, 8 p.m.-close, Wild Horse Saloon, 601 E. 2nd Ave.

Pete Giuliani performs, 5-9 p.m., Animas River Beer Garden at the Doubletree Hotel, 501 Camino del Rio.

“Mechanical and Botanical,” works by Jody Boyer and Russ Nordman, and “Burley Wisehart,” works by Gerald Wells, both exhibits run thru Aug. 31, Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. www.durangoarts.org.

Tour the Roosa Avenue Connect Project Site, 5:15-6 p.m., along Roosa Aven. from 9th to El Paso streets. 375-4901.

Terry Hartzel performs, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Trivia Factory, hosted by Ben Bernstein, 6:30-8:30 p.m., The Roost, 128 E. College Dr.

Thank the Veterans potluck, 5:30 p.m., Peter Neds performs, 7-8:30 p.m., VFW, 1550 Main Ave. 828-7777.

20 n Aug. 15, 2019

Dear Therapy Session, You were raised to view social interactions as value transactions, where good deeds acquire debt that must be repaid in order to live a clean life? That’s messed up.

Imagine a world where friends help friends, bad neighbors don’t talk smack about their good neighbors, relatives keep their distance, and every deposit gets refunded in full. A world without obligation. Now snap back to reality. You really do owe your moving-day helpers food for life.

– I’ll take seconds, Rachel

“Documentation of Three Hispano Cemeteries Along the San Juan River” with Ruth Lambert, part of the summer lecture series based on “Hispanidad,” 1:30 p.m., Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College, Lyceum Room 120. 247-7456.

Rotary Club of Durango meets, presentation by Dr. Paul Debell on destruction of democracy in Hungary, 6 p.m., Henry Strater Hotel, 699 Main Ave. 385-7899.

DJ Crazy Charlie, 6:30-10:30 p.m., Billy Goat Saloon.

Email Rachel at telegraph@durangotelegraph.com

Ska/Zia Town Series Bike Race, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Pur-

telegraph

Terry Rickard performs, 7 p.m., The Office, 699 Main.

Open Mic Night, 7:30 p.m., The Roost, 128 E. College

Karaoke, 8 p.m., Blondies in Cortez.

Ongoing

“Practice,” curated by Maureen May, “Meanderings,” works by Jan Goldman, and “Wild Grace Art,” works by Sarah Sumner, thru Aug. 31, Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. 259-2606.

“Inside Out: Visions from the Artist’s Mind,” thru April 2020, Southern Ute Museum, 503 Ouray Dr. www.southernutemuseum.org.

FreeWillAstrology

by Rob Brezsny ARIES (March 21-April 19): How did sound technicians create the signature roar of the fictional monster Godzilla?

They slathered pine-tar resin on a leather glove and stroked it against the strings of a double bass. How about the famous howl of the fictional character Tarzan? Sonic artists blended a hyena’s screech played backwards, a dog’s growl, a soprano singer’s fluttered intonation slowed down, and an actor’s yell. Karen O, lead singer of the band Yeah Yeah Yeahs, periodically unleashes very long screams that may make the hair stand up on the back of her listeners’ necks. In accordance with astrological omens, I’d love to see you experiment with creating your own personal Yowl or Laugh or Whisper of Power in the coming weeks: a unique sound that would boost your wild confidence and help give you full access to your primal lust for life.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough,” Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, ex-President of Liberia, said. In accordance with astrological imperatives, I propose that we make that your watchword for the foreseeable future. From what I can tell, you’re due to upgrade your long-term goals. You have the courage and vision necessary to dare yourself toward an even more fulfilling destiny than you’ve been willing or ready to imagine up until now.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): How did our ancestors ever figure out that the calendula flower can be used as healing medicine for irritated and inflamed skin? It must have been a very long process of trial and error. (Or did the plant somehow “communicate” to indigenous herbalists, informing them of its use?) In any case, this curative herb is only one of hundreds of plants that people somehow came to adjudge as having healing properties. “Miraculous” is not too strong a word to describe such discoveries.

According to my analysis of the astrological omens, Gemini, you now have the patience and perspicacity to engage in a comparable process: to find useful resources through experiment and close observation – with a hardy assist from your intuition.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Today the city of Timbuktu in Mali is poor and in the throes of desertification. But from the 14th to 17th centuries, it was one of the great cultural centers of the world. Its libraries filled up with thousands of influential books, which remained intact until fairly recently. In 2012, Al-Qaeda jihadists conceived a plan to destroy the vast trove of learning and scholarship. One man foiled them. Abba al-Hadi, an illiterate guard who had

worked at one of the libraries, smuggled out many of the books in empty rice sacks.

By the time the jihadists started burning, most of the treasure had been relocated. I don’t think the problem in your sphere is anywhere near as dire as this, Cancerian.

But I do hope you will be proactive about saving and preserving valuable resources before they’re at risk of being diluted, compromised or neglected.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Moray eels have two sets of jaws. The front set does their chewing. The second set, normally located behind the first, can be launched forward to snag prey they want to eat. In invoking this aggressive strategy to serve as a metaphor for you in the coming weeks, I want to suggest that you be very dynamic and enterprising as you go after what you want and need. Don’t be rude and invasive, of course, but consider the possibility of being audacious and zealous.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): It’s relatively rare, but now and then people receive money or gifts from donors they don’t know. Relatives they’ve never met may bequeath them diamond tiaras or alpaca farms or bundles of cash. I don’t think that’s exactly what will occur for you in the coming weeks, but I do suspect that you’ll garner blessings or help from unexpected sources. To help ensure the best possible versions of these acts of grace, I suggest that you be as generous as possible in the kindness and attention you offer. Remember this verse from the Bible: “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Libra-born Ronald McNair was an African American who grew up in a racist town in South Carolina in the 1950s. The bigotry cramped his freedom, but he rebelled.

When he was nine years old, he refused to leave a segregated library, which prompted authorities to summon the police. Years later, McNair earned a PhD in physics from MIT and became renowned for his research on lasers. Eventually, NASA chose him to be an astronaut from a pool of 10,000 candidates. That library in South Carolina? It’s now named after him. I suspect that you, too, will soon receive some vindication, Libra: a reward or blessing or consecration that will reconfigure your past.

SCORPIO (Oct. 3-Nov. 21): Scorpio author Zadie Smith wrote, “In the end, your past is not my past and your truth is not my truth and your solution – is not my solution.” I think it will be perfectly fine if sometime soon you speak those words to a person you care about. In delivering such a message, you won’t be angry or dismissive. Rather, you

will be establishing good boundaries between you and your ally; you will be acknowledging the fact that the two of you are different people with different approaches to life. And I bet that will ultimately make you closer.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21): “Nothing fruitful ever comes when plants are forced to flower in the wrong season,” wrote author and activist Bette Lord. That’s not entirely true.

For example, skilled and meticulous gardeners can compel tulip and hyacinth bulbs to flower before they would naturally be able to. But as a metaphor, Lord’s insight is largely accurate. And I think you’ll be wise to keep it in mind during the coming weeks. So my advice is: don’t try to make people and processes ripen before they are ready. But here’s a caveat: you might have modest success working to render them a bit more ready.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “For though we often need to be restored to the small, concrete, limited and certain, we as often need to be reminded of the large, vague, unlimited, unknown.” Poet A. R. Ammons formulated that shiny burst of wisdom, and now I’m passing it on to you. As I think you know, you tend to have more skill at and a greater inclination toward the small, concrete, limited and certain. That’s why, in my opinion, it’s rejuvenating for you to periodically exult in and explore what’s large, vague, unlimited, unknown. Now is one of those times.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “Look into my eyes. Kiss me, and you will see how important I am.” Poet Sylvia Plath wrote that, and now, in accordance with astrological omens, I’m authorizing you to say something similar to anyone who is interested in you but would benefit from gazing more deeply into your soul and entering into a more profound relationship with your mysteries. In other words, you have cosmic permission to be more forthcoming in showing people your beauty and value.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In his Anti-Memoirs, author André Malraux quotes a tough-minded priest who served in the French Resistance during World War II. He spent his adult life hearing his parishioners’ confessions. “The fundamental fact is that there’s no such thing as a grown-up person,” the priest declared. Even if that’s mostly true, Pisces, my sense is that it is less true about you right now than it has ever been. In the past months, you have been doing good work to become more of a fully realized version of yourself. I expect that the deepening and maturation process is reaching a culmination. Don’t underestimate your success! Celebrate it!

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Aug. 15, 2019 n 21

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 777 Main Ave., #214 Approximate office hours: Mon., 9ish - 5ish Tues., 9ish - 5ish Wed., 9ish - 3ish Thurs., On delivery Fri., 10:30ish - 2ish please call ahead: 259-0133.

Lost&Found Found Watch Watch found in Dolores by the river on 8/6. Call and describe. 970-764-7813 Found: Paco Pad Near Lake Nighthorse Found on CR 210 near Lake Nighthorse – Paco Pad (made by Jack’s Plastic.) Call Mike, 970-259-7408, and describe color

Free Daybed Oak wood frame, twin mattress and all linens. Excellent condition. North Dalton. 239-821-7766.

Announcements

Himalayan Kitchen 992 Main Ave., 970-259-0956, www.himkitchen.com. Bringing you a taste of Nepal, Tibet & India. Try our allyou-can-eat lunch buffet. The dinner menu offers a variety of tempting choices, including yak, lamb, chicken, beef & seafood; extensive veggies; freshly baked bread. Full bar. Get your lunch punch card – 10th lunch free. Hours: Lunch, 11am-2:30 p.m. & dinner, Sun. Thurs., 5-9:30 p.m., Fri. & Sat. ‘til 10 p.m.

Closed 2:30 - 5, daily.

Cleaning Business for Sale 7 clients, call for details 516-480-8343.

22 n Aug. 15, 2019

Art Show by Maureen May at Illumini Arts. Smiley Bldg Ste C thru Sept. 6th. 259-0176.

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.

Wanted Turn Vehicles, Copper, Alum, Etc. Into Cash! at RJ Metal Recycle, also free appliance and other metal drop off. 970-259-3494.

HelpWanted Budtender Wanted If you’re looking to get in on the ground floor of the cannabis industry with a vertically integrated company, this is your chance. The Greenery is now accepting resumes for customer service representatives, and budtending experience is not required. We’re looking for outgoing applicants with open schedules who are friendly and willing to learn everything it takes to succeed in the cannabis industry. Check us out at www.durangogreenery.com, and then send your resume to melissa@durangogreenery.com, or come in and drop it off at 208 Parker Avenue, Suite E. We’re Your Best Buds!

Care Providers $18/hr PT shifts avail. 7:30-9:30 a.m. & 9-11 p.m. No cert reqd. Must be over 18, and have vehicle/phone. For interview call 970-729-0169

Classes/Workshops Understanding the Chakras A workshop with Lynn Wickersham (E-RYT500). Aug. 23-24 at Yogadurango.

Visit http://yogadurango.com/workshops for details.

Healing Through Yoga 5 wk series focused on vulnerability & shame. Starts 9/8 7-9 pm, see www.thriv ingtherapyyoga.com or call Shelley at 970 946 1383

telegraph

Music Lessons w/ Jeff Solon Sax flute clarinet harmonica beginning piano. Improv on any instrument.

Composition arranging theory special projects all ages, levels, + styles. Returning to your musical passion after a long absence? Let’s talk. jeffsolon.com call/text 970-946-1992 Tame Your Inner Critic Find Peace Tame Your Inner Critic and Find Peace and Balance: Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) Date: 8 Wednesdays: 9/4 - 10/23 time: 5:30 - 8pm sliding scale fee- $250 $350 - scholarships available. Register by e-mail - MyahMindfulness@gmail.com or by phone- 970-946-5379. Myah Lee, Certified Mindfulness and MSC Teacher Piano Lessons for the Fall Lessons for all ages and levels. For more info visit duranpianostudio.com or call (970)710-0469

HaikuMovieReview ‘Aquaman’ Spoiler alert: this is an awful movie but...

Jason Momoa!

– Lainie Maxson Marketing Small and Local Businesses Media, social media, website content, SEO, etc. for small, local, independent or startup businesses. Email jnderge@gmail.com Advanced Duct Cleaning Air duct cleaning specializing in dryer vents. Improves indoor air quality; reduces dust and allergens, energy bills and fire risk. 970-247-2462 www.advanced ductcleaninginc.com

ForRent

Mommy and Me Dance Class Come join the fun! Now registering for classes. Call 970-749-6456. mom myandmedance.com.

Services Harmony House Music Instruction If your instrument has strings and is plucked or picked we teach it. Guitar in all styles is primary, but we are also experienced with mandolin, banjo, and bass.

We bring more than 30 years each as teachers and performing musicians. Our spacious new studios in Bodo Park are perfect for private lessons or small groups.

Contact Harmony House at 570 Turner Dr., Unit C. Richard White (970)749-5864 or Terry Double (970)903-8738 Piano Lessons w/fun, expert teacher. Any level or age.

Lawrence Nass 769-0889 Low Price on Storage!

Inside/outside near Durango, RJ Mini Storage. 970-259-3494 Harmony Organizing and Cleaning Services Home and office 970-403-6192

Nicely Maintained 3/2.5 Townhome Great location near Oxbow Park. W/D, 2 car gar. $1875/m + dep, 1-yr lease. No pets, refs reqd. 970-759-2751 1 Bed/1 Bath Travel Trailer in Animas View Park, for sale $6000, or for rent $750/mo plus utilities. Call 970-903-9865 for appt. avail Sept 1 Off-Grid Cabin Next to Natl Forest $200/wk snowdomeranch@proton mail.com

CommercialForRent Studio to Share Looking for the perfect person to share my massage studio on Main Ave, 970759-0100

RealEstate Price Drop on Fine Starter Home Now only $55,000! Solid mobile home.

Ideal for small family or handicapped buyer. By owner. 3 BR, 2 BA. 2 ovens, island, dishwasher, nice fridge. Fine floors. Washer (new), dryer, water softener. Enclosed sun porch, fenced yard. Swamp cooler & BR conditioner. Good storage. Dgo Regency rent ($658) incl water, trash, snow removal.

See on Zillow; call 970-403-3212 Condo 1bdrm in the Edgemont Forest setting. Excellent 1st home or rental opportunity. $172.5K for details email gicrini@gmail.com

BodyWork Massage “Special” 1 hr. - $50 / 1.5 hrs. - $75 - foot detox$35/ in town Durango/free parking/call or text Nancy R. @ (970) 799-2202 Massages by Meg Bush, LMT 30, 60 & 90 min. 970-759-0199 massageintervention.life Voted best massage in Durango 2018.

Couples, cupping, local CBD. Reviews on FB + Yelp. 970-903-2984 Massage with Kathryn 20+ years experience offering a fusion of esalen style, deep tissue massage with ther-

apeutic stretching & Acutonics. New clients receive $5 off first session. To schedule appt. call 970-201-3373.

Radon Services Free radon testing and consultation. Call Colorado Radon Abatement and Detection for details. 970- 946-1618.

Garage/YardSale Sat. 9-1 You Store It liquidation, 32nd & Holly.

Desk, tables & chairs, rocker/recliner, shelves, quality sheets & comforters, cookware & dishes. Twin memory foam mattress & box (1-year-old, clean $125) Fossils Minerals Art, Furn. Sale Rocks, stones from Bobrocks4U jewelry (gem costume) collectables (Disney vintage postcards) art, couches, lamps Weiser pro gym, healing eqip. Aug 23, 24, 25 9am to 3 pm 296 North Rd Rafter J

ForSale Table Saw/Sauna Craftsman 10” original owner, lightly used, $275. Infrared sauna, cedar $275. 970533-7943, calls only please Reruns Home Furnishings Storewide sales in both stores! Chest of drawers, entertainment center, Pier One bookcase, and bistros. FLC discount. New

We’d give you the shirts off our backs ...

great stuff and daily markdowns. 572 E. 6th Ave. 385-7336.

CommunityService Does Your Child Struggle in School?

Does your child struggle in school, have special needs or need more support in school? Would an education advocate be helpful? For free support and information, contact: Russell 970 903 2095; russell@thearcofswco.org Arc: For people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

TEDxDurango Needs Volunteers TEDx is coming to town on Nov. 3, uniting bright minds that foster inspiration and wonder to provoke conversations that matter. We are now accepting applications for entertainers, volunteers and an emcee. Find out more and sign up at www.TEDxDu rango.com Volunteer-Powered Program Offers Hope SASO seeks compassionate, caring people to become advocates on its 24-hour crisis hotline. Provide sexual assault survivors with support and resources to promote healing. Call Laura, 259-3074, for information about free upcoming training.

Great Old Broads for Wilderness Host Art Quilt Raffle Raffle tickets are on sale for the 2019 Art Quilt Fundraiser. This year’s quilt, en-

titled “Get into the Wild,” celebrates the conservation organization’s 30th anniversary by commemorating various landscapes they have worked to protect: mountains, waters, forests, and canyon country. Proceeds will support Broads’ work to protect America’s wild public lands and waters. The raffle is open to the public and tickets may be purchased online at www.greatoldbroads.org/2019-artquilt-raffle/. The drawing will be held in mid-December.

Dancing Spirit Needs Board Members Dancing Spirit is looking for individuals with a strong sense of community and an interest in helping us grow and develop in 2019 and beyond to be a part of our Board of Directors. Board member applications are available at the Dancing Spirit Office inside the ELHI Community Center in Ignacio.

Powerhouse Needs Volunteers Volunteers ages 18 and older are needed at the Powerhouse Science Center for shifts of 2-4 hours between 9 a.m.-4 p.m. No experience necessary, though a background or interest in science, technology, art, engineering and math is helpful. Volunteer tasks include assisting in the exhibit gallery, at the front desk, the garden area and working on general projects that arise. A commitment of at least once a week is preferred.

To learn more, email Kathleen@powsci.org or check www.powsci.org under the “joinus” tab.

NewspaperOrigami

(unless we happen to be wearing them.)

Available in a range of sizes & styles (including muscle T)

Cool but understated bike logo

$

20

Now in inkfriendly charcoal to hide the smudges

$

15

Hi-tech breathable mesh venting

Get yours today at: www.durangotelegraph.com or stop by our office: 777 Main Ave., Suite 214

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