The Durango Telegraph, Nov. 24, 2021

Wearing our fat pants

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Nov. 24, 2021

Vol. XX, No. 46 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

The Animas Quill

Cranking it up

Rekindling the flame

#vanlife, stars by Steve and all the news from Animas High p9

Artists, owner breathe new life into Cyclery with mural p17

Durango’s up-and-down punk scene seeing resurgence p18

WordontheStreet

Q With Thanksgiving upon us, the

Telegraph asked, “What’s the craziest thing a relative has done or said at dinner?”

Ty

“‘I’ll give you that dinosaurs happened.’

My uncle in a religious debate.”

Owen

2 n Nov. 24, 2021

Karen

“My friend’s grandma was so pissed the turkey took so long, when she finally took a bite, she said, ‘It’s not even any good.’”

“My aunt, hosting, prepared her entire plate, took a seat and announced dinner was ready.”

telegraph

“‘What the hell is wrong with you?’

– My grandma.”

Hans

“‘I was a wound waiting to get infected.’ That was my grandma on her fertility.”

Shannon

lineup

2 Word on the Street

A dog’s life

Why stop at one when two’s twice the fun?

4 La Vida Local

Ear to the ground: “I just watched a Boebert rant. It was hilarious and made me want to punch her all at the same time. That’s good art.”

– It appears Rep. Lauren Boebert is now pushing the timeless question, “What is art?”

Turkey triage

by Zach Hively

4 Thumbin’ It

7

6 Soapbox

Recreation, bighorn conservation lock horns in Tetons

9 The Animas Quill

by Jonathan Thompson

17 Local News

7 Land Desk

Uphill battle

19 Rock N Roll Sweetheart

9

20-21 Stuff to Do

The Animas Quill

21 Ask Rachel

Animas High School students are back with their latest installment

thepole

4

RegularOccurrences

One Thanksgiving, a few years ago, I sliced my finger on a piece of broken glass while cleaning dishes, requiring a late night trip to Mercy Regional Medical Center’s emergency room to put half of my pinky finger back on.

There, a doctor, making small talk while pumping an alarming amount of anesthesia into my finger, said every year people are admitted into the ER on Thanksgiving for … drumroll please … over-eating. As I waited several hours for the routine procedure of four stitches, and while my partner slept outside in the car with the heat on, I wondered, what is everyone else doing in here?

Luckily, we have the internet to explain such worldly mysteries. Of course, you have your exploding turkeys (never deep fry a frozen turkey) or people who suffer second-degree burns while cooking. Some doctors have even seen people who have dropped their turkey, slipped on the grease and hit their head. Ouch!

22 Free Will Astrology 23 Classifieds

17

23 Haiku Movie Review

Wheel life Local artists put new spin on Cyclery building with colorful mural

by Jennaye Derge

19

Oops!

Loud & proud

Last week’s story on bighorns incorrectly said the BLM reauthorized 65,000 acres of land around Silverton for Montrose rancher Ernie Etchart. The land in question is leased by different ranchers.

After ebbing and flowing over the years, punk sees a local rekindling

by Alex Vick

boilerplate

EDITORIALISTA: Missy Votel missy@durangotelegraph.com

On the Cover A cycling panda is part of a new mural on the side of the Durango Cyclery. For more on the mural, designed by artist Jonathan Bailey, turn to p. 17./ Photo by Stephen Eginoire

STAR-STUDDED CAST: Jonathan Thompson, Lainie Maxson, Clint Reid, Jesse Anderson, Zach Hively, Jennaye Derge, Alex Vick and Rob Brezsny

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

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

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

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

E-MAIL: telegraph@durangotelegraph.com

telegraph

Then there are the carving catastrophes, prompting the crack medical recommendation: “Don’t carve under the influence.” Overindulging in food and drink, which we already covered, can cause an irregular heartbeat doctors call “holiday heart.” Not exactly a Hallmark card.

Some of the rest are gimmes: contaminated food or allergic reactions to Aunt Angela’s secret stuffing recipe. Some aren’t: crippling injuries from after-dinner family football games (one year, my dog tripped my sister, causing her to face plant, a legend we still bring up every year.

Good dog, Hurley). And then there’s the family disputes after one too many glasses of whiskey and one too many comments from Uncle Dan about Democrats eating babies.

It’s also not uncommon for a man, wanting to give his woman the ultimate gift, to end up in ER after taking one too many, shall we say, performance-enhancing drugs. But because it’s a holiday, we’ll move on.

For the lucky few who survive the Thanksgiving feast, fitness experts with The Camp Transformation Center put together a weight-busting formula on how to indulge to your gut’s delight while not packing on pounds. For us, it serves more as a deterrent for grabbing seconds.

• If you want two slices of turkey with a spoonful of gravy, that’s 60 walking lunges.

• A ½ cup of mashers costs you 25 burpees.

• One cup of stuffing is 30 butterfly sit-ups.

Thanks a lot, Camp Transformation Center.

Oh well, maybe we’ll take our chances over the holidays and resume burpee boot camp in the New Year. But we’ll definitely, definitely abstain from doing the dishes.

Nov. 24, 2021 n

3

opinion

LaVidaLocal Puppy love If you want to feel young, get a dog. But if you want to feel old, get a puppy. Trust me: it works.

Until recently, Hawkeye and I both felt sprightly for our ages. He is 9 and swam the equivalent of the English Channel this year while chasing tennis balls. I, meanwhile, am as close to 40 as I’ve ever been, but I worked out twice this summer and cut out sugar for an entire meal. So when this particular puppy showed up on my Instagram feed, all I did was like the picture. Hawkeye and I had a good thing going. I wasn’t going to muck it up over some Insta-model.

But when this particular puppy showed up again two months later, I knew he was either unadoptable or meant to be with us.

Or both.

Still, I did my due diligence by spending about 12.4 seconds with the dog before deciding for certain to make a lifelong commitment to him. I did not think at the time he was a puppy. I thought he was merely a youthful 70 pounds – thus, the “little” in his name, signified by the diminutive -k sound at the end of Ryzhik, which was given to him by his Russian foster dad without the shelter’s knowledge or consent.

He (the foster dad) fed me much less misinformation than one might expect: Ryzhik does not destroy furniture (this is true). He is great off-leash (true) and comes when you call him (true, except when it’s not), even when there’s a bear on the trail (not yet tested, but dubious). He will pull your clothes out of the laundry basket when you’re away (true) but does not destroy them (true except once; long live the buttons on the Henley). He is a lover (true). And hey wow, you almost pronounced his name correctly (kind, but untrue) – I will send you the audio link on Google Translate (true).

I cannot fault the Russian for the one great lie, however, because he was fed bad intel. Ryzhik might be fully grown; he understands two languages better than I do and can run a 5K without training; yet he is still, as you

might guess from the times I said so above, a puppy.

It took both Hawkeye and me until approximately noon that day to acknowledge that we are old men without the exuberance, the spontaneity and the toothiness of a puppy. My parents did not give me a dog of my very own as a child. Sure, I learned the responsibility of feeding their dogs, and cleaning up their dogs’ turds before playing backyard baseball by myself. But I then packed up and went to the other parent’s house for the weekend. I never learned how much energy it takes to wear out a dog-toddler every day of the week without a break – and how much of that energy you lack when that doggler wakes you up with a catcher’s mitt of a paw to the face before sunrise – and just why bathrooms have doors in the first place.

Perhaps I have it easy. I, at least, stand a full 8 inches taller than Ryzhik and can flash a squirt bottle when he forgets not to play tug-of-war with my forearm. Poor Hawkeye is on his level, and Ryzhik often ignores basic dog communication skills like growling, which Hawkeye does a lot because he is a grump. At least they have figured out a game where Hawkeye stands in the center of the yard and growls at Ryzhik like normal, only this time Ryzhik instigates the zoomies, and every time he passes by the center, Hawkeye growls and snaps at him again, and Ryzhik rockets off in another direction. I know this is a game because it has not drawn any blood.

Then we come inside, and after some more attempts to puncture my skin, Ryzhik curls up on the couch and smushes his nose until he wheezes. Hawkeye passes out on the rug for some goddamn wellearned peace and quiet. And me? I freeze, because any errant twitch will ruin the moment. I cherish these gentler times, all the more precious in my advancing years, as a chance to tend to my scratches and look around for my relocated house shoe. Put it all together, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

This Week’s Sign of the Downfall:

Thumbin’It

4 n Nov. 24, 2021

– Zach Hively

Lake Nighthorse feeling the love this year, with a 14% increase in visitation, amounting to about 107,250 people. See? All it took was the age old “bouncy” water park, always a kid (and adult) favorite.

The arrival of Black Friday, the one day of the year we can forget about putting on airs of a civilized society and channel our inner-Frank Costanza to trample our fellow man for the most beautiful doll.

The Town of Ridgway granting “rights” to the Uncompahgre River, a symbolic move many towns are taking to highlight the importance of water in the West. Power to the rivers!

Two orphan moose calves in Silverton prompting calls to slow down when driving roads around the mountains after the mother was struck by a car. I mean, that’s Bambi-sad 2x.

Well, despite a (literally) rocky start, Purgatory was able to pull off a limited opening last Saturday. A winter storm this week should bring some snow to the mountains.

Reports that due to higher food prices, many Americans will be forced to eat reasonable portions on Thanksgiving.

Oh wait, that was The Onion. Never mind, let the feast begin!

telegraph

Maximus Bullcrapus Ainsworth’s, the British Royal Family’s pharmacy of choice, has started selling pills that contain water, lactose and ground up pieces of the Berlin Wall, because eating them supposedly breaks down emotional barriers. No joke, this “homeopathic therapy” is called “Murus Berlinensis.” The theory behind it is that “like cures like,” and that the solution in the pills retains “the memory of a breaking wall,” so you will too once you swallow. But something tells me there’s another ingredient in these pills, and whomever created them is absolutely full of it.

telegraph

Nov. 24, 2021 n

5

SoapBox Put the brakes on Durango Fire Protection District (none of whose board members live within city limits) is buying the Durango School District 9R Administration Building for an emergency services center. The Durango City Council says it cannot get involved as it was not a party to the contract and has seen no plan.

DFPD did not talk to the City until the district asked the City to co-locate the Durango Police Department with DFPD. The contract has a time-sensitive contingency allowing DFPD to exit the contract if it is not in the best interests of the community. There is no plan as to how this project would work. By design, the plan is being withheld until after the purchase and, by circumstance, the Durango community has not been and may not be asked about its “best interests.” The voice of our community is being stifled.

Before spending taxpayer money on this proposed project, which could irreversibly affect a major part of our downtown commerce, traffic, living patterns and quality of life, the consequences of such a move should be detailed and disclosed at a public forum held by the three parties involved: the City, 9-R and DFPD. If you agree a plan should be presented and a public forum should be held to discuss a common-sense approach to siting a new emergency services center, and preserving Buckley Park and the vitality of down-

6 n Nov. 24, 2021

D-Tooned/by Rob Pudim town, contact DFPD Board of Directors at dfpd board@durangofire.org; Durango City Councilors at citycouncil@durangogov.org; the 9-R School Board at Schoolboard@dur angoschools.org; 9-R School Superintendent at kcheser@durangoschools.org; and savebuckleypark@gmail.com.

The signers of the letter are all Durango residents and local business owners.

– Lars Hansen, Greg Hoch, Holly Jobson, Sheryl Lock, Ellen Stein, Michael Wanger, Ted Wright, Kent Ford, Joe Hanrahan, Tim Wheeler, Salye Stein, Fred Grimes, Bobbie Carll, Holly Duckworth, Robin Wiles, Ken Francis, Julie Meadows, Steven Gawlik, Audrey Royem, Mary Oswald, Peter Schertz, George Schmidt and Dave Mehan.

Stop it, but go on Lately, I’ve really enjoyed reading the Telegraph more and more. The addition of several new writers has added to the content and pleasure of grabbing the Tele every Thursday (only one!) Jonathan Thompson on the outdoors, David Feela’s opinion pieces, Jonathan Romeo with local news and Stephen Sellers for art and music; all have excellent writing and reporting skills.

Plus, they serve to keep the Tele as our one “true” local newspaper. Special thanks to Missy, for her hard work over the years and adhering to “we’ll print damn near anything.” You put out a fine little newspaper!

– Linda Mannix, Durango

telegraph

LandDesk

Wreckreation vs. wildlife Some Teton backcountry skiers balk at sheep closures

by Jonathan Thompson THE NEWS: After years of collaborative effort, a working group releases its strategy for saving the remaining native bighorn sheep of the Teton Range in Idaho and Wyoming, proposing the winter closure of 21,233 acres to humans. Even though this only would affect about 2,000 acres of high quality skiing terrain, it’s still too much for some members of the winter recreation community.

CONTEXT: Bighorn sheep were once abundant across the Mountain West, migrating for miles to follow the forage. Habitat destruction, fragmentation of migratory paths, disease, climate change, competition from non-native and domesticated ungulates, and, well, humans in general, have shrunk the ungulates’ range and winnowed their numbers. The Teton Range’s bighorn sheep, hemmed in by humanity, stopped long-distance migration eight decades ago. The last remaining herd, numbering just 100 to 125 animals, is on the precipice of extirpation. In the 1990s, a working group was formed to stave off its demise.

In the decades since, an additional threat has emerged: a growing number of recreational users going farther and farther into the backcountry. “Quiet,” nonmotorized forms of recreation were once considered benign, but a growing body of research suggests even hiking and skiing can have a deleterious effect on wildlife.

To better understand the impacts, the Teton bighorn working group teamed up with University of Wyoming on a research project. The results were eye-opening: “We found that bighorns avoided areas of backcountry recreation, even if those areas were otherwise relatively high-quality habitat. Avoidance behavior resulted in up to a 30% reduction in available high-quality habitat. Bighorns avoided areas with both low and high recreation use. … These results reveal that bighorns appear to be sensitive to forms of recreation which people largely perceive as having minimal impact to wildlife, such as backcountry skiing.”

Given the urgency of the situation, such a finding might warrant an immediate closure of all 45,278 acres of the sheep’s highquality winter Teton range to human incursion. Such a move wouldn’t fly with most of the backcountry community and the businesses that rely on it. So the working group launched a bottom-up, years-long collaborative process to develop a strategy.

The resulting compromise: A little less than half of the high-quality sheep range – or 21,233 acres – would be closed in winter.

The closure would only affect about 2,000 acres, or 5%, of the 57,000 acres identified as high-quality ski terrain.

Some Teton skiers oppose closures for bighorns./ Photo by Fish & Wildlife Service.

In other words, the skiers are getting 95% of what they want while the imperiled bighorn get just 47% of what they need to survive. But are the skiers satisfied? Most, yes, or at least they are grudgingly accepting the outcome. But a vocal few are grousing about even this small sacrifice, as reported last week by Wyoming Public Radio.

“I just don’t feel the data you have justifies something this important as closing wilderness to humans,” Nick Mestre of Driggs, Idaho, said in a public meeting. “I mean, that’s a tough one to swallow.”

Backcountry ski guide Zahan Billimoria said, “When we come to a place where humans become banned in perpetuity from being able to travel in these remote corners of the range, then we really do lose something as a community that is more, I think – is a greater price than the benefit is.”

As you might expect, the outcry extends to the world of social media. One commenter suggested the closures are a ski areadriven conspiracy to get backcountry skiers back on the groomed slopes. The poster also tried to start a #freethetetons hashtag, which hasn’t exactly taken off, perhaps because it has more than one meaning.

To be fair, the social media back and forth also includes backcountry skiers who are supportive of the closure or who grudgingly accept the compromise. And opponents of the closure are probably correct in their assertions that developed ski areas and roads and hunting are bigger threats. Still, the unwillingness to give up even a sliver of terrain to help a nearly-extinct herd of wild animals reeks of the sort of access-greed that puts the “wreck” in “wreckreation.”

This shouldn’t come as a surprise; it’s hardly the first time recreational users have

pushed back against environmental preservation measures. A couple of years ago, near my hometown in the recreation mecca of Durango, the Bureau of Land Management proposed permanently prohibiting mountain biking on a few trail segments that encroached on the Perins Peak State Wildlife Area, which provides elk and deer range and is a peregrine falcon nesting area.

Though it would have affected a tiny fraction of the trails surrounding Durango – all of which remain open to bikes – and would have had the extra benefit of slightly reducing biker-pedestrian conflicts, the powerful mountain biking community pushed back.

It is all reminiscent of a couple of decades ago, when federal agencies were trying to tackle the impacts of a growing number of snowmobilers on public lands around Silverton. Not only was it affecting wildlife and the landscape, but also led to conflicts with nonmotorized users.

The process began with proposals similar to those elsewhere: One side of the highway would be open to all use, the other to nonmotorized only. Snowmobilers balked, so the proposals were gradually whittled down until, in the end, snowmobiles were banned on just 200 acres. Even that, however, was too much for snowmobilers, who sued the feds over the decision (and lost).

One might have hoped that the quiet users would behave more reasonably. But as the Teton bighorn situation and a growing number of similar conflicts illustrate, that would be asking far too much.

Jonathan Thompson is a fourth-generation Durangoan who runs the Land Desk, a thriceweekly newsletter: visit www.landdesk.org. He is also the author of “River of Lost Souls,” and the newly released “Sagebrush Empire.” ■

telegraph

Nov. 24, 2021n 7

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SWCO Gives is spearheaded by the Community Foundation serving SW Colorado

Work Where You Play FT & PT Positions Available

Receive a FREE season pass, buddy tickets, access to real deal, on-mountain discounts & more! ‹‹ Scan to view open positions.

8 n Nov. 24, 2021

telegraph

Animas High School

animasquill.org

November, 2021

VAM Theatre Program Brings Joy to AHS, Hope and Heartache to the Stage

By Za Barrett

When Joy Kilpatrick was a teenager, she connected with her identity through the art of theatre.

“The art of acting has helped me uncover and discover who I am,” Joy explained. Acting has always been close to her heart, and she has extensive experience with TV, film, and theatre. “Since my youth, I have always used different art forms as a way to explore the human condition and the complexity of what that means to be a human being.”

Joy teaches theatre to younger 9-R students and has taught summer theatre camps at the DAC for their Lil’ Thespians. Now, she is bringing theatrical opportunities to Animas students through her VAM Theatre elective and the newly founded Osprey Theatre Company. VAM stands for Voice, Acting, and Movement, and student thespians are given the chance to explore the craft of acting through all three lenses. Students get the opportunity to learn how to use their bodies, voices and imaginations while exploring the human tapestry of emotions and needs, diving into every aspect of their character’s identity.

The actors don’t hesitate to express how much fun they are having, their faces lighting up with grins. “It’s been nothing but laughter and excitement!” junior Abigail Hoff said. “Everyone in that class is very kind and I’m really happy that I get to be a part of such a wonderful theatre culture.”

Joy started teaching at Animas in the fall of 2019. In the previous years that this class has been taught, the pandemic has prevented the class from performing live for the school, pushing them to find creative alternatives.

“Each year we’ve had to adapt to the situation at hand,” Joy shared. “Ironically, the first year we had theater here, we were in a play for a satirical adaptation of Oedipus Rex, where, you know, there was a plague happening...it was pretty foreshadowing.” Unfortunately, COVID ended all hopes of live performances in 2020. But even quarantine didn’t stop the following year’s class, which consisted of only a few students, from finding another way to perform.

AHS Theatre Director Joy Kilpatrick blocks scenes with actors Cassidy Hayden, Tara Whitney and Caleb Bates.

Photo by Maya Olivier

The Osprey Theatre Company gave the AHS community a sneak preview of The Hope and Heartache Diner at the NEST meeting on November 17. The show will be playing at the Durango Arts Center from December 10-12.

Photo courtesy of Libby Cowles

“The second year, we were actually online, and the actresses created, I felt, a remarkable radio play!” Joy shared.

She hopes that Animas actors can create something new and beautiful of their own this year. “One of the things I really appreciate about this school is that it encourages students to think in an original and creative way and to me that’s like having a blank canvas where anything is possible!” And this year, they will have the opportunity to perform on stage, at the Durango Arts Center.

The class is putting on The Hope and Heartache Diner, a one-act play by Lindsay Price. Performances will take place at the DAC on December 10 and 11 at 7:00 PM and December 12 at 2:00 PM, as a double feature with the DAC Youth Theatre Company’s Willy Wonka Jr. One ticket buys you admission to both plays, so viewers wishing to see The Hope and Heartache Diner should buy a ticket for Wonka.

Tickets can be purchased on the DAC website for $15.

According to Joy, the play is “character driven, meaning each character (like us) has background history that drives and contributes to their current feelings, needs, dreams and motivations, etc. I encourage these fine actors to imagine, explore and step into the shoes of another human.”

Her students have embraced the opportunity; when asked about their characters, they eagerly give insight into the personalities they portray. Tiernan Stein describes his character, Sam, as an insecure person, saying, “I think the way he makes himself comforted...is just by making everyone sandwiches, ‘cause that’s really what he’s good at.”

Sophomore Caleb Bates, who plays the character of Felix Sr, comments that “the main character has a great connection with [my character] so it’s a really fun kind of relationship we have.” Abigail, who plays “stern mother” Nell, expresses that “I feel as if this role fits me very much.”

Freshperson Cassidy Hayden is making her theatrical debut as the main character, Felix Brown.

According to her, the play is about a family trying to figure out their future and the future of the diner. “I am pretty nervous, but I’m also excited,” Cassidy stated. “It’s gonna be fun. We’re working really hard.”

It has been quite an effort to raise funds for production.

The actors hosted a “Duke’s Diner” bake sale, selling sweet treats to students in the morning and at lunch. “The class doesn’t have a budget or anything,” Tiernan commented.

“It’d be nice to have a bigger classroom, you know, more supplies for the production of the play.”

But this show will go on, thanks in large part to the generosity of several community sponsors. Posters are being printed by Basin Printing. Oscar’s Diner is providing set pieces and some props, and the Handcraft House is donating paint. Merely Players, another local theatre company, is also contributing to the set and costumes. The Durango Arts Center has offered a space for their performance. “Fostering relationships with local businesses is part of our vision in helping our OTC sprout and blossom,” noted Joy. “Live theater, in the end, provides an occasion for people – on stage and off – to come together, to work together, to create another reality: a community.”

In the end, Joy insists, the process of mounting a play is more about the journey of exploration, creativity and relationships. She encourages her students to connect deeply with each other and with themselves. “When we step into the role of another character, we get to develop that capacity to empathize. And some could say that’s what’s missing in our culture today: our ability to really understand and share the feelings of another and recognize each of us has our own ‘story’ which is contributing in some way to the heart of the present story (play).”

Actors and theater enthusiasts alike hope that VAM Theatre continues to cultivate this virtue in our school community. And the OTC hopes that audiences can share in their hope and heartache, and most of all, their joy.

A Word from the Editor

Greetings, readers! Quillspreys are back in the nest, but we have a new flock now. As much as we vehemently miss our old crew, we are excited for all our fledgling chicks delivering breaking AHS news. Despite the fact that we had to search high and low for our mojo (it was hiding in the AP Style guide!), and the old Mac almost went on strike when it felt fingers besides Billie’s on the mouse, we managed to get you this just in time for the season of thankfulness.

And we have so much to be grateful for, as you will see from the content of this issue. Above all, we are grateful to be together, having a semi-normal high school experience again. Not that anything at Animas is really “normal,” but we are stoked to be back in the saddle, stressed as can be about all the deadlines we will be facing after Thanksgiving break. We are also eternally grateful for o.g. Quillsprey and InDesign extraordinaire, Jamie Wanzek, who descended upon us from Adobe heaven just in time (again). We would be lost in a desert of blank pages without her.

Cheers to forward motion! Wishing you all a magical holiday season!

Roses and Thorns Roses

Seeing our talented peers perform at NEST meetings again. Shout out to the music and theatre classes for keeping us entertained.

Madi, Tina’s sub/student teacher, stepping in and killing the teaching game while balancing grad school and life.

Exhibition season is here and creative project work is happening all around us.

Thorns

Everyone is feeling the fatigue of 8 hours a day of in-person learning and social interaction.

The Animas Quill Staff

Students are restless (and a bit feral?) after a year of pandemic-hampered learning, and some of their behaviors reflect that of zoo animals.

The once positive and uplifting bathroom decorations have descended into a mess of barbaric spray paint and profanity that does not reflect AHS culture.

Editor-In-Chief Mya Oyler

Social Media Manager Zoe Ramsey

Photo Editor Maya Olivier

Webmaster Jai Fallows

Advisor

Jessica McCallum

InDesign Guardian Angel Jamie Wanzek

2

The Animas Quill

November, 2021

Dear Homegurl

Dear Homegurl.

I have some suspicions about the teachers at Animas.

Namely, that not all of them are what they seem. I have indisputable evidence that Steve Smith is a warlock who practices alchemy on a daily basis in his classroom in front of his blatantly unaware students. During my investigation of Steve I may have stumbled upon Jessica McCallum conversing with the trees behind the school in a language older than time itself. I think that this points to the fact that she is a forest sprite working with Steve to secretly teach his students alchemy and sorcery beyond our wildest imaginings! What do the students at AHS do about the magic, both dark and light, infiltrating this school?

-Concerned Muggle Dear Concerned Muggle, At first after reading your letter I was quite skeptical about your theories. But I dug into this matter myself, and the results were. . . Shocking. Indeed, as I walked by Steve’s classroom after the students had left, I saw a secret door in the wall open to reveal a stone fireplace and hearth with a cauldron bubbling on a fire. All around this secret room were desks evidently intended for students, and on each desk were viles bubbling, steaming, and smoking, and filled with multicolored liquid. I am not yet sure, but I believe that he may host an after school club for the study of alchemy! And as for Jessica, it’s no surprise that she’s a forest spirit, mayhaps if you’re polite and offer her a loaf of homemade honey bread for her and her forest friends, she may be willing to teach you the language of the trees.

Peace and Blessin’s, -Homegurl

Ospreys Overheard “You wear a lot of hats in life. Sometimes your hat goes through the dryer and gets a little warped but you gotta wear it anyway.” -JMac “Would it be weird if I just heated up a bowl of water and drank it?” -Jazzalicious “One teenager is not scary. A group of teenagers? Very scary.

The scariness emerges when they come together.” -Silver Fox “That’s what we should do for our food unit. Jolly Rancher pasta with space rock shavings.” -Vincent?

“Anatomy is okay, but I don’t like people.” -MadDawg

Reporters

Amelia Baca Molly Bachman Za Barrett Caleb Bates Nizhoni Benally Illyria Brunner Isabella Conradi Rio Edmondson Leela Fallows Bryan Gnehm Adrian Griffith Roan Harvey Mia Macon Scarlett Moore Nora Olivier Jack Tescher Madalynn Tharp

STEM Starcast

By Steve Smith, Aspiring Astrology Scholar

Aquarius

On the first day of Festivus an Aquarius gave to me, one beautiful new space telescope. The much anticipated, gold-mirrored, infrared observing, massively over-budget, largest ever and controversially named James Webb Space Telescope is scheduled to launch on Dec. 18.

Pisces

On the second day of Festivus a Pisces gave to me, two steaming cups of hot chocolate.

Aries

On the third day of Festivus an Aries gave to me, three stale cookies.

Taurus

On the fourth day of Festivus a Taurus gave to me, four unwashed masks.

Gemini

On the fifth day of Festivus a Gemini gave to me, five days in my house pajamas.

Cancer

On the sixth day of Festivus a Cancer gave to me, six awkward socially distanced elbow bumps.

Leo

On the seventh day of Festivus a Leo gave to me, seven hours of Netflix binging.

Virgo

On the eighth day of Festivus a Virgo gave to me, eight conspiracy theory posts on my Facebook feed.

Libra

On the ninth day of Festivus a Libra gave to me, nine Festivus cards for dear friends I haven’t seen.

Scorpio

On the tenth day of Festivus a Scorpio gave to me, ten reminders to unmute after I started talking on a Zoom call.

Sagittarius

On the eleventh day of Festivus a Sagittarius gave to me, eleven shooting stars. Check out the Geminids meteor shower peaking on December 13 & 14.

Capricorn

On the twelfth day of Festivus a Capricorn gave to me, the gratitude that this song is over.

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Email

quill@animashighschool.com The Animas Quill strives to be an exceptional and relevant source of news and student perspectives, connecting the Ospreys of Animas High School to the Four Corners community and the world beyond.

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Opinion: Let Us Think Critically About Our History

By Rio Edmondson and Roan Harvey Outrage about how US History is being taught in schools has spread like wildfire since President Trump initiated the “1776 Commission” to promote patriotic history education near the end of his term. Trump called out certain curriculum as “toxic propaganda,” such as the New York Times’ 1619 Project, the works of historian Howard Zinn, and the idea of “critical race theory.”

The former president stated in a speech last September, “Teaching this horrible doctrine to our children is a form of child abuse, the truest sense. For many years now, the radicals have mistaken Americans’ silence for weakness.

They’re wrong. There is no more powerful force than a parent’s love for their children. And patriotic moms and dads are going to demand that their children are no longer fed hateful lies about this country.”

Though the term has been around since the 1970’s, the political debate around “Critical Race Theory” (CRT) has heated up in the last year as the term has been dragged through the mud by media pundits and politicians.

Although “Critical Race Theory” itself refers to a specific legal theory, it is being used in this debate to refer to a way of studying history that incorporates the stories of POC (people of color) and the systemic oppression that characterizes America’s past and present. Critical Race Theory purports that racism is still prevalent in day to day life, even when individuals have no racist intent. Some say that teaching with this lens will dishearten white children and make them ashamed. Others say that it will only empower POC, educate more individuals, and bring all of our children together.

Featured Artist: Col Hinds

By Leela Fallows

Images Courtesy of Col Hinds

Follow Col on Instagram! @artbycolhinds

Muhammed Ali (oil and pencil)

The national debate has taken root right here in our area. In late September, our neighboring district, Montezuma-Cortez passed a resolution opposing the principles of CRT and establishing a committee to review school curriculum.

In Durango, the issue defined our local school board election. Three candidates shared conservative views, and although they did not explicitly promote a specific curriculum for the teachers, they expressed that Critical Race Theory should not be taught in the classroom. One candidate, Kristine Paslay, stated that CRT would only confuse students. In the Durango Herald, she was quoted as saying, “They don’t think about things like racism because they’ve never really experienced what happened in the ’50s and before. It makes them hyper aware and it also makes them concerned, puts that little seed in their mind- ‘somebody might be judging me for that.’”

Another candidate, Richard “Dean” Hill, shared with the Herald: “Any process that elevates one group above another, or any of those aforementioned, any of those things that have at their heart division instead of union, should not be available for the kids.”

In contrast, left-leaning candidate Richard Petersen acknowledged that racial history is an important subject for students to understand. “I do believe that history is based on facts, and history needs to be taught to children as truth. We don’t as a country have the best record of representing all of history as truthfully, perhaps, it should be. My feeling is regardless of how (uncomfortable) it may make any of us in society, we need to acknowledge history

For sophomore Col Hinds, art is an outlet for personal expression and a way to connect to his world. Col considers himself “not great with words” so he uses his art to share ideas and interests. “Art is a way for me to express myself and have people see another side of me,” he said.

Most of his artwork features his favorite musicians including rap icons like Kendrick Lamar and Tupac. He explained that he likes to draw them because of the meaning that they put in their lyrics. He elaborated, “I don’t illustrate them because they are famous. I do it

Kendrick Lamar (oil and pencil)

and acknowledge the truth. That’s how we prevent repeating it.” (Durango Herald, Oct 11, 2021) As teenagers who are currently studying US History in our humanities class, we were relieved on November 2nd when our local district elected Petersen and two other candidates who align with his take on history curriculum, Andrea Parmeter and Erika Brown. However, it concerns us that these elections are occurring all over the United States, and in many places, candidates are elected that want to ban this important and necessary education from U.S. classrooms. This educational schism will only reinforce and exacerbate social divisions across this country.

Living through this debate nationally and locally has made us think quite a lot about how we are learning history. We believe that it is not only important, but necessary to teach all sides of history, to view our country through a critical lens in order to move forward.

As I listened to the 1619 Project podcast in humanities, I felt very strong emotions. The podcast covered very sensitive topics like police brutality, and incorporated oral histories of formerly enslaved humans, which gave me an entirely new perspective, showing me just how recent this history is. Although I felt angry, I also felt enlightened. I felt as if I knew more about the Black history of our country, as if I could finally understand why racism and oppression is how it is today. I felt transported out of my own bubble: the bubble of the White American citizen to which our systems cater. I felt able to connect to my peers in this country that are not in that bubble.

The fear that this kind of teaching will make us hate our country or ourselves feels misguided and foolish. Children are the future, and we are capable of thinking critically. We are capable of seeing flaws in our country and instead of shutting down, working to change them. because they are talented. It is a way for me to connect with the music.”

There is a lot of skill and time that goes into creating one of his art pieces. Col’s medium of choice is oil paint and occasionally charcoal and water colors. He estimated that one of his pieces usually takes about 3-4 hours once he finds his groove. “When I finish an art project, I feel a sense of relief because I hold myself to a high expectation.

So to finish an art project I have worked really hard on feels like a weight lifted off my shoulders.”

Big L (oil and pencil)

November, 2021

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AHS Breaks Ground at our New Campus in the Sky!

Members of the Animas Color Guard perform at the new AHS building site on the Fort Lewis College campus.

Photo by Maya Olivier

We also heard from FLC Provost Cheryl Nixon and AHS Founder Gisele Pansze in addition to a beautiful performance by the newly-formed Animas Color Guard in celebration of how far we have come as a school and a community.

Most of the AHS founders were present to commemorate this moment, and Gisele’s remarks inspired the AHS community just as they did 12 years ago at the ribbon cutting for the original Animas school: “It was, and still is, an incredible honor to be a part of such a dedicated and talented group whose legacy continues today at this groundbreaking.”

Excitement abounds for AHS students and faculty as construction is now underway at our permanent campus. [Pictured from L to R]: Head of School Sean “Now that we have the foundation of the past, the successWoytek, Digital Arts teacher Roxy McKnight; seniors Sailor Kabeary, Jack Tescher, and Adrian Griffith; Humanities teacher Jessica McCallum; AHS alum and es of the school speak for themselves. Throughout the years, FLC student Josie Zuccolillo; and Assistant Head of School Libby Cowles.

Photo by Maya Olivier Animas has maintained true to its core beliefs as a public Dr. Trujillo also welcomed our community, not just

By Rio Edmondson and Roan Harvey charter school through a project-based educational model as tenants of this land, but as partners in our educational that values personalized academics, strong student-faculty On Wednesday, October 13 the Osprey community mission: “We are excited to grow and welcome Animas High relationships, and integration with the local community,” celebrated a groundbreaking moment in AHS history.

School to not only be housed on this campus but to join Gisele reflected.

During what would usually be XBlock, students and teachers with us in many common educational endeavors. Fort Lewis This integration with the local community has come full joined our founders, parents, alumni and members of our College exists to provide the same exceptional educational circle, and we are thankful for the local partnerships that new extended FLC family to celebrate the groundbreaking of opportunities to every student who walks through the doors have helped this dream come to life. This moment was over our new building on the Fort Lewis College campus, which of any campus building, and Animas students that includes 13 years in the making. Animas High School has applied for we will be moving into next school year. you!” the BEST (Building Excellent Schools Today) grant three As attendees gathered, they were welcomed by the music “We look forward to working and learning together—high times over the years, hoping for a new building to bring our of class of 2017 alum Julianne Marqua and AHS music school and college students, teachers and professors, sharing project based learning style to a new level. We were finally teacher, Jesse Ogle of the IAM Music Institute. Julianne’s spaces and incubating and implementing creative ideas,” awarded the grant in June of 2020 and have been fundraising older brother Zach, class of 2013, was also on hand, filming Dr. Trujillo continued, reminding us of the amazing future for our required match ever since. Thanks to our partnerfor Durango TV. Humanities teacher Jessica McCallum was opportunities for collaboration. “This is a place of authenticship with 9-R on last year’s bond measure and a generous elated to see her former students there continuing the ity and care. Follow the Skysteps and together we can reach donation from the Community Fund Serving Southwest beautiful work that they were able to flourish in as AHS stunew heights!” She then introduced the Skyhawk Nation Colorado, we have been able to finally begin our journey to a dents, gushing: “You see, kids! It’s not just about high school! Drum Group, who blessed us with several songs of welcome, new school.

It’s about the people you are becoming! Project-based life!” adding to the atmosphere of reverence and celebration.

AHS alumnus Cooper Stowers glowed with The sentiment of being a part of something bigger was pride for his alma mater throughout the cerein the air as Head of School Sean Woytek gave his opening mony.

He shared, “Speaking for the inaugural remarks: “Those of you standing here today are a part of AHS class of 2013, my classmates and I have something unique, something that will outlast us all and been dreaming of this moment since we took hopefully inspire others to reach for innovative partnerthe chance on AHS and sat down in those strip ships such as what we have formed.” mall classrooms 13 years ago. We made use of Sean quickly handed the microphone off to FLC Dean of the space we had at the time and we made it our Education, Dr. Jenni Trujillo, who invited us to honor the own, as did the following classes in the current complex history of the ancestral lands where our new nest trailers.

I wouldn’t trade those experiences for the will be built. She acknowledged the forcible removal of the world, but to see the site of the future campus is Nuuchiu (Ute) tribe from this territory and the commuso exciting!

It solidifies AHS as a strong, permanal and ceremonial connections of the Jicarilla Apache, nent fixture of Durango. I can’t wait to have our Pueblos of New Mexico, Hopi Sinom and Diné (Navajo) 10 year reunion at this awesome new campus!”

Nations, explaining, “It is important to acknowledge this All in all, this momentous occasion was an opsetting because the narratives of the lands in this region portunity for our community to come together to have long been told from dominant perspectives, without celebrate the rich history of our school, and look full recognition of the original land stewards who continue forward with pride to our future. The Ospreys to inhabit and connect with this land. Thank you for your The Skyhawk Nation Drum Group shared several songs of welcome with the AHS community. could not be more excited to soar with the attention and respect in acknowledging this important Photo by Maya Olivier Skyhawks in our new campus in the sky! legacy.”

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November, 2021

AHS Founders Reflect on the Long-Awaited Migration to the New Nest

By Mya Oyler

As Animas High School approaches the move to its permanent home, there is much to debrief about the successes, challenges, and goals for the future. In late September, four of the original founders of AHS-Jesse Hutt, Gisele Pansze, Holly Shure, and Holly Jobson-reunited over breakfast to celebrate and reflect on the construction of the new campus.

No one knows how truly monumental this moment is better than these four women, who gathered around coffee tables 15+ years ago, along with other founders Greg Cathcart, Wendy Grant, and Phil and Lucy Bryson, to envision a 21st Century school model that would bring choice to Durango. Between them, our founders have now graduated 10 of their own children from AHS. Reminiscing on the growth of the school, Jesse Hutt elaborated, “Since 2009, Animas High School has delivered a powerful project-based learning experience for our students and a great place to work for our faculty and staff. Animas has proved to be successful, but to stay aligned with our school’s values, we must continue to refine.” Jesse continued, “Our plan over the next several years will be to build on our current foundation as well as take advantage of some incredible new opportunities in front of us.”

Going Gaga for Design Thinking

By Madalynn Tharp

While looking for ways to improve our campus, Sara Price’s Design Thinking elective came up with the idea of creating a Gaga Ball pit after hearing multiple opinions about students wanting more lunch time activities and connectivity.

“Design Thinking to me is a mindset, and it’s a way of thinking,” Sara explained. ”What does it mean to go slow to go fast? What does it mean to really empathize with whoever is going to be using the product?” With this mindset the designers and inventors in Sara’s class can create products that actually benefit the AHS community instead of just coming up with a shallow idea that has no rationale behind it.

Designing products that will have a positive impact on AHS takes a few different steps: empathize, ideate, and prototype are just a few. “Right now we are in the prototype stage of the project, and what that means is that [the class] has to make and play with their ideas so that they can get feedback from the users,” Sara explained. In this case, the users are the teachers and students who already submitted their feedback to the class through Google form.

However, before any prototyping could happen, the students first had to find something that AHS needed. To find this missing thing each student conducted a few

Senior Cooper Machichek and junior Jake Imming begin the construction process for the new Gaga Ball pit.

Photo by Bryan Gnehm

In anticipation of the new building, founder Gisele Pansze explained, “Each building that has housed Animas has had its charms, but nothing will compare to the school and students having a permanent home that can truly support the school’s project-based learning.”

Also present at this breakfast to learn more about the rich history of AHS were Melanie Ulle and Amy Slothtower of Philanthropy Expert, an organization of fundraising gurus assisting AHS in the capital campaign to raise money for the building.

Representative Amy Slothtower explained, “Philanthropy

Jesse Hutt, Gisele Pansze, Holly Jobson, and Holly Shure were part of the group of visionaries who founded Animas High School. Photo by Maya Olivier

interviews. “Their goal was to just figure out what students need and want from Animas that they are not getting right now,” Sara shared.

A common theme was that AHS students want to see improvements at lunch time, such as better seating options, more options for activities, and opportunities to expand connections during lunch even beyond their friend groups.

Design Thinker Bryan Gnehm explained, “We figured a Gaga [ball] pit is something a lot of people would like and a lot of people could enjoy during lunch.”

The class split into three groups with one of them focusing on designing the Gaga Ball court. The group scouted out and discovered the perfect place for the court, on the north side of the west building, where in past years a skateboard ramp resided, but now is known by some students as “no man’s land.”

At first, the Design Thinking class only hoped to use the Makers Space lab to build the Gaga Ball pit but after a serendipitous miscommunication, it turned out that Brayden Harms from the Makers Space Club had already designed a Gaga Ball court. Sara recruited Brayden to come to her class to collaborate with the Gaga group.

After receiving feedback from their peers,the group started on their second round of prototypes, where the project is slowly manifesting into a reality. Bryan Gnehm described the design idea for the Gaga Ball court, “We decided that we are going to go with Animas colors, maybe with a mural hopefully done by the Art Department.” Part of the design that was quite important to the class was making the Gaga Ball pit portable so that it can be moved to the new campus next year.

The timeline for the remainder of the project is to find all the necessary funding and to finish building the Gaga Ball court, which is already underway. As a semester-long class, the students will only have four weeks after their final prototype to implement their designs.

The Design Thinking class and their projects are a representation of the beautiful work that AHS strives for in their students, advocating for change in our school community and project design and implementation.

Expert is the trusted partner of organizations looking to increase the flow of dollars in both directions. They have established themselves as fundraising leaders over the past 10 years, working with local, statewide and international nonprofits.”

Philanthropy Expert founder Melanie Ulle remarked, “Philanthropy Expert is proud to partner with Animas High School, an innovative and forward-thinking school that is educating kids in a student-centered model.”

In its 12 years of operation, Animas has offered students in the community an opportunity to truly engage with their learning and build a support system through school. Gisele highlighted this saying, “Supporting each student in their own individual growth, while instilling a sense of community has been vital. The teachers and students together are at the heart of the school’s success.”

As we move into a new building, a new era begins. In AHS’s next ten years, it is vital that we carry the culture and continue to work on making it stronger. Jesse concluded explaining, “Our final major goal will be to continue to safeguard AHS’ future, to make sure it will be available to students in our area now and for decades to come. This includes raising critical funds for the school like we are doing with grants and contributions to finance our new building.

The next ten years should be really exciting for our school!”

Looking Up: Studio Art @FLC

By Madalynn Tharp

Britt Blasdell’s Studio Art class is currently featured in an ongoing exhibition at the Fort Lewis College Center for Innovation on the second floor of the Main Mall. The students designed original linoleum block prints and created intention flags in a project entitled “Osprey Vibes.”

“We wanted to make something for our future building depicting Osprey life so we made prayer flags or intention flags to be installed permanently at our new Photo courtesy of Britt Blasdell campus,” Britt shared.

Each artist was able to represent their individualism and share their own opinions of positive aspects of AHS. Junior Jadin Pierce remarked on the theme of her design, “I did an owl to represent wisdom going forward into a new building.”

Sophomore Porter Hilgenberg spoke to the hopes she has for the symbol she created to share with the larger AHS community, explaining, “I did my rendition of the sacred heart, which is a symbol from Roman Catholicism, but I’m not religious, so I wanted to make it more universal by adding peace signs, because I feel like every person can understand what a peace sign means.”

This work was also chosen to be featured at the juried “Looking Up” art show hosted by FLC’s Gallery Management class on November 18, where the AHS students won an award for best collaborative piece.

The finished intention flags can be viewed from November 18 through March 15 at the FLC Center for Innovation and beyond that, they will be a great example of beautiful work and Osprey culture to bring with us to our new school.

November, 2021

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Seniors Tackle Justice Issues through Monologues and Action Projects

Justice Monologue Exemplar: Sailor Kabeary

Shaw Kassay and Eli Milam “created and pollinated” with The Hive DGO to paint a mural in the downtown youth center at 1150 Main Ave. Photo courtesy of Alex Vick @ The Hive DGO

By Bryan Gnehm and Molly Bachman

Humanities teacher Sara Price challenges her students to go out into the world and fight for justice. Seniors were tasked with designing a project that addressed an issue of injustice within our community. They were encouraged to find an issue they felt passionate about in order to engage more deeply with the problems that plague our local residents.

For example, Kristina Bodewes and Molly Bachman ran clothing and food drives, respectively, to help support fellow community members who identify as financially insecure.

Molly explained the motivation behind the initiative: “It is almost Thanksgiving and thousands of families struggle to afford food and/or warm clothes during the cold holidays.”

Kristina added, “I would like to help the people in need in the community, especially those who are hiding and are afraid to publicly ask for help.”

Earlier in the semester, the seniors dug into the intricacies of environmental justice and energy issues as they exhibited their “Justice Monologues” on October 20 in the

Molly Bachman organized a food drive for the Durango Food Bank. Thanks to the AHS community, she was able to deliver 34 pounds of food in time for the holidays.

Photo by Christine Howe

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The Animas Quill

November, 2021

AHS Commons. Students took an in-depth look at local and global environmental issue. Each 2 to 3 minute monologue represented a unique perspective on the student’s individual ethics applied to a real world example of environmental injustice.

Senior Cooper Machichek shared his excitement for having a platform for “conveying the perspective that has not been seen before.” Cooper’s monologue dealt with the ironically massive need for coal power in the building of wind turbines.

Twelfth grade Humanities teacher Sara Price remarked on the benefits of the project: “I think what I have learned is it offers a theoretical framework for how justice applies to all aspects of society, from policy to local goals of nonprofits, to school board decisions, we make change from a place of what justice includes. Knowing the core of what justice means to the individual allows for a guidepost of how to live one’s life as well, how to find the complex balance of liberty, equality, security and truth.”

Marisa Smith, Alaina Wray, and Lorelai Brunner (pictured with teachers Sara Price and Roxy McKnight) transformed a space at 4 the Children, based on their study of trauma-informed design.

Photo courtesy of Debbie Smith

A Blackfeet tribal member in Montana once told me w a story about his tribal nation deliberating the reentry of Th bison. As they discussed the tense subject, an elderly man i said that he wouldn’t make a decision without holding a t seat at the table for the bison themselves. The question of w what would benefit the bison and not solely benefit the humans had been forgotten, which changed the trajectory “ of their conversation. Our global conversation needs to s change in this same trajectory as well. c The land deserves its original identity back. Colonizers w stripped the land of its intrinsic purpose. In Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass she says, “[the land] “ belonged to itself; it was a gift, not a commodity… land o held in common gave people strength; it gave them somet thing to fight for.” To the colonizers, as well as the modern government, the strength of connection between indiges nous people and the Earth is a threat. Fear led the intrudp ers to build our country’s alliance with the land solely on a exploitation; we wiped away collaboration. s The deal we have with the water and the trees is not oneA sided, they have just been kind in letting us suffocate and step on them. We have robbed ourselves of the ability to see d the integrity and wisdom the land has to offer and we lose f ourselves because of it. p First, let’s honor the people who know how to listen e to the land, who knew it first: Native Americans. Native d Americans have been ignored as part of our democracy f for far too long. They did not have voting rights until 1948. a With strides like Deb Haaland serving as our Secretary of the Interior, we can make efforts in not only honoring t indigenous sacredness with land, but honoring the gifts in i the land for all of us. She can teach America the imporfl tance of indigenous values through, as she says “[shedding] l light on the unspoken traumas of the past, no matter how a hard it will be,” and we can start to cultivate true environi mental justice.

According to the Principles of Environmental Justice, “Environmental justice demands the right to participate as equal partners at every level of decision-making,” and I believe it requires equal distribution of obligations and privileges to and with the environment. The challenge lies in fostering an obligation to the land. The Greater Chaco area is an example of large injustice. The oil and gas industry gains great privileges from the land but holds almost no obligation to it, let alone motivation to do reclamation work. Whereas the indigenous people, who have ancestral obligation and love for that land gain little privilege from its resources. This speaks to the inequalities of privileges and obligations. If we adjusted these proportionately to our environmental impact we would have more environmental justice.

We have never made the land of America home. Home is a place where everyone feels safe, and personally, I feel scared about the consequences of our actions. And I can promise you that the Earth doesn’t feel safe either. When we met this land we strayed away from a proper introduction; and now, we have lost the value in friendship between us and the land that Sailor Kabeary and Naima gives us life. The land is a reVan Tyn created a podcast flection of you just as you are a exploring the Missing and Murdered Indigenous reflection of it, so let’s give it a Women Movement. Scan QR seat at the table. code to listen.

Van Life Dreamin’: Engineering Mathematics Hits the Road, Theoretically

By Scarlett Moore You may have been asking yourself these past few months what’s up with the weird Scooby Doo van in the parking lot.

This semester, Dave Farkas and his 7th period Engineering Mathematics class have been working away to convert their newly purchased van into a completed mini-home on wheels.

This class is the logical evolution of a previous class, “Engineering Mathematics: Theoretical Design,” where students designed tiny homes or van conversions. In that class, students dreamed big trying to design something they would actually want to live or travel in.

Building on what they figured out in last year’s class, “Engineering Mathematics: Van Design and Build” takes it one step further by actually designing and building something real.

With the generous support of donors and community sponsors, Farkas was able to fundraise almost $12,000 to purchase a 2000 Ford E350 1-ton extended Econoline Van and nearly all the materials necessary to remodel it. Last spring, he started a GoFundMe page and broadcast it to the Animas community.

Farkas explained: “Through our incredible community, donations started coming in. The final influx of funds came from a grant I wrote to LPEA through their ‘Round Up’ program. Basically when your LPEA bill comes in, if you elect to ‘round up’ your bill to the nearest dollar, those extra dollars and cents go to a fund that folks like myself can apply for. I received a $4500 grant from them and I’m so excited and grateful for their generosity.”

He shared his plan for remodeling saying, “We’re going to take out the interior of the van. We’re gonna rebuild the interior starting with the floor, and put a nice engineered floor in it. We’re going to repanel the sides, put a new ceiling lid on and lights. And we’ll build a bed, do the cabinetry, put a full kitchen inside, paint the van, and put new rubber on it.”

Different groups are working on designing different

An Appetite for Leadership

By Bella Conradi Most of us at Animas enjoy recreating outdoors in nature in some capacity. “That’s why we live in Durango, for the most part.” admitted Julian Springer, who is teaching his new elective, Outdoor Education and Leadership (OEL), for the first time at AHS this fall.

Julian, who also teaches Precalculus and Geology, has thirteen years of experience under his belt from being an outdoor guide, “I got into education because of backcountry travel, essentially,” he said.

Julian reflected that some of his most impactful experiences have been in a leadership role, “I think the outdoors is a natural place for leadership capacities to develop… [It can be] where leaders are made or broken. Or broken and [reformed].”

In an October parking-lot extravaganza, the OEL class hosted the inaugural Iron Osprey Cook-Off, a backcountrystyle cooking competition, where groups of 3-4 students prepared dishes ranging from entrees to desserts, all competing to win the votes of hungry attendees.

Building up to the feast, students learned important life skills. They learned fundamentals about feeding oneself in the outdoors: cooking methods and stove operation, shopping for food, and nutritional values such as macro and micronutrients and how calories are used and needed in the backcountry. They also looked at environmental ethics such

Dave Farkas and his Engineering Mathematics class having a blast as they make plans for †he van’s interior

Photo courtesy of Jessica McCallum

aspects of the van, such as ceiling, electronics, cabinetry, beds, and doors. Sophomore Brayden Harms is working with his group on designing cabinets for the van. He shared, “It is frustrating and also rewarding to go through many iterations of a design and have to collaborate with others to revise and redesign concepts.”

Farkas also seems very motivated and passionate about wanting to “convert this van into the classic van life craze that’s sweeping the nation right now.” He shared, “I love it. I have my own van that I have been working on for years. I’ve also helped friends with their van builds.”

Sophomore Max Spilsbury shared, “It’s a fun class because you get to learn how to use power tools and how to craft cool stuff. Farkas has also built his own camper van so we have

someone with a lot of experience teaching us. It’s amazing to be back in person and collaborating with my peers on such a fun project.”

Once they complete their to-do list, the plan is to sell the van and use the proceeds to build up the program for next year. And with plans to move into the new school by that time, Farkas hopes to expand the program more. “Hopefully, the seeds we’re planting today will bear much growth and fruit for years to come. I see this program as a perpetual cycle of build and sell. I’d like it to be a program that incoming students know about, are psyched about, and want to participate in: an AHS signature engineering class with real world application.”

as Leave No Trace (LNT). They also learned about collaboration and communication, such as how to use “I-statements” when working in teams.

Leadership has been an important part of Julian’s life.

He has loved being a guide, not just for aspects of being outside, but for educational purposes “where we help people understand the environments they’re travelling through on a deeper level, so they can be better stewards. And then they can take these messages back to their homes, and hopefully spread the wisdom that nature needs to be protected.”

So far, many students enjoy the course, while faculty members approach Julian regularly with excitement about it.

The Outdoor Ed offerings are being expanded next semester, as 10th grade Math teacher Ande Lloyd will offer a class called Wilderness Self Rescue, where students will learn about emergency protocols and rescue techniques. “Between these two classes, we’re trying to give students a good idea of how to plan and lead, and then deal with any of the problems that might come up in the outdoors,” Julian explained.

Julian’s biggest goal for this class is to give students leadership skills that will apply in many capacities. “If you walk away from high school with one skill, my hope is that it would be an aptitude for leadership or for healthy teamwork… Because I think beyond anything else, that’s going to help you be more successful in life than any other skill you’re going to learn in school.”

“I want everyone to walk out of here with not only a mindset for positive change, but also with the skills to make

it happen. Whether it’s in the outdoors, or engineering, or policy making. Hopefully students come away with that.”

Julian hopes that his students could even prepare and lead wilderness trips someday themselves. “It’s fun, and it’s empowering. And that’s how positive change is made, by the people who are at the forefront.”

OEL Teacher Julian Springer helps sophomores Zoe Ramsey and Toby Philipp with Zoe’s hot coal dutch oven pineapple upside-down cake at Photo courtesy of Libby Cowles their Iron Osprey Cook-off in October.

November, 2021

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TopStory

Finding a frequency Mural at Durango Cyclery catches more than the eye

by Jennaye Derge

W

hen you see a panda with big yellow wings riding a bike on a multi-colored road, it’s hard not to stop and stare. Which is what keeps happening in an alley off 13th Street in downtown Durango. The short throughway has recently become a hotbed for interested bystanders and rubberneckers, all because of an intricate mural being painted on the side of the otherwise unnoticeable Durango Cyclery wall.

The Cyclery has been in its current, semi-concealed location for 40 years. While locals know the spot for its uniqueness and appreciation of bicycle subculture, the bicycle shop has never stood out in any other obvious ways.

At least that’s the case for its outside walls.

Inside, the bicycle shop is employed with a group of artists, painters, musicians and tinkerers who not only want to fix bicycles, but also bring color and art to Durango. Luckily, with the right amount of luck, planning and hard work, they have done so.

“It was sometime in July,” Tony Lemos, a contributing artist and neighbor of the Cyclery, recalled of the first step toward the mural. “We were all sitting out front of the Cyclery on the bench when Bailey proposed the idea, and we decided to move forward with it.”

“Bailey” is Jonathan Bailey, a longtime Cyclery employee and local artist. He’s also the perfect person to have thought of the mural in the first place because, at the time, he was living right next door. His windows looked out onto the bare wall, and the obvious thing for an artist to want to do is paint it.

“It is like a frequency, it’s like a buzz that created this,” Bailey said.

After he proposed the idea, Lemos went online and researched ways to fund the project, finding the Durango District Initiative’s “Durango Creates!” grant. The grants are administered by the City of Durango and are meant to foster art and culture in communities around town. In this case, the community is the one surrounding the bicycle shop, and it seems to have been growing since the brightly colored mural started taking shape. When the contributing artists are painting, passersby often stop to look, take pictures and chat with the artists.

“Every day there are people cheering us on, or bringing us ice cream, or whatever,” Jenn Rawling, a local artist and contributor of the mural, said. “Everyone has been really encouraging and that’s nice because these things take hundreds of hours, so you hit that low point and someone comes by and shifts the energy a little bit. And that’s part of the culture of the Cyclery – being really inclusive and really connected to the community.”

A mural at the Durango Cyclery has created a bit of a pop-up community the past several weeks as a handful of local artists liven up the previously bare wall./ Photo by Jennaye Derge

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Fall into Jimmy’s Hours: mon - Fri 11-6 & Sat 11-5: www.jimmysmusic.supply 1239 Main Ave • 970-764-4577

Joe Hanrahan took over the Durango Cyclery in June 2020 and has since revitalized the downtown bike shop./ Photo by Jennaye Derge

Cyclery from p. 17 This is exactly what Cyclery owner Joe Hanrahan had hoped to achieve after buying the shop in June 2020. Hanrahan has tried fostering the shop’s connection to the community and, much like his predecessors, has done so in a funky way. In the year-and-ahalf he has owned the shop, Hanrahan has decorated the walls with old cycling posters and work from local artists. He also repainted the walls and painted the floor a bright turquoise with the shop’s iconic sweetheart crank logo emblazoned on top.

“He’s brought a ton of positive energy, and a ton of vision to the shop,” Rick Elliot, the Cyclery’s original owner and founder, said of Hanrahan. “He has an idea of where he wants it to go and a huge amount of enthusiasm, so he has really revitalized it. It was relatively run down and he’s put a lot of new color and look to it.”

And Hanrahan has no plans of slowing down his enthusiasm for where and how he can add to the bike shop’s positive energy. That is why he applied for the Durango Creates! grant in July, receiving $5,000 to help pay local artists to make the otherwise normal wall into a piece of vibrant, eye-catching art.

“The awesome thing about this mural is that it has brought together this group of artists and the community,” Hanrahan said. “And the reception of the grant from Durango Creates! was amazing and felt really good. It inspired us to really make something cool, and the fact that you can look at the mural and see the work of six different artists, all putting their own styles in different places, with the backdrop of Bailey’s vision and design feels really good.”

The six local artists include Rawling, Lemos, Thomas Bailey, Dan Groth, Alicia Rose Pastore and, of course, the head artist, Bailey, who created the design of the mural. The design itself, a flowing illustration, is now in its second iteration.

But even the second time around isn’t so concrete. According to Lemos, each of the

18 n Nov. 24, 2021

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artists have had space on the wall to add their unique touches, so, while the mural is congruent, anyone who stops to really look at it will see varying artists’ visions.

“Everyone who’s going to walk by the mural is going to see something new every time because there are so many weird little details in it that are going to pop out,” Hanrahan said. “And all those details are because there are so many different styles incorporated into the work.”

Some of those details, Hanrahan said, are nods to the shop’s history and culture. There are symbols that pay homage to the important aspects and people – past and present – that have been involved in the Cyclery.

Hanrahan even gave a couple of these clues away: The sweetheart crank that is painted at the top of the mural, for instance, is the Cyclery’s original logo, which pays tribute to the shop’s original owner, Elliott. And “the figure” – the main Panda-like creature in the center of the mural – is a shout out to another former owner, Russell Zimmerman.

But, as the artists would like it to remain, the rest of the mural is up to interpretation by its viewers.

“If you define it for them, then you’re robbing them of their own experience,” Lemos said, “I’ve made that a point for myself – to let any viewer approach and create their own experience.”

And, if you’re one of the lucky few who has been able to see the month-and-a-half process of the mural, you will know that it is indeed an experience. At any one time, when the artists are out painting on the wall, there seems to be an organic gathering of food, conversation and kindred spirits. It’s just the sort of experience anyone can expect to have inside, or outside, the Durango Cyclery.

“Its been sweet to work together as artists on a project like this, that is deeper than the project itself,” Bailey said.

“Everyone I’ve watched along the way – owners, customers, employees and cycling enthusiasts – there is a common thread and a common heart, which has made the shop continually survive.” ■

RockNRollSweetheart

Rekindling the flame Durango’s up-and-down punk scene is on the rise

by Alex Vick

D

urango’s rock ’n’ roll scene has seen its ups and downs over the years, from brightly burning support to merely glowing coals, nurtured by only a few. As of late, though, it seems as if it is back on the rise. A few local bands and new DIY venue spaces are working to fan the flames of alternative music in hopes that it will burn bright and draw more folks into its warm glow again.

In the 14 years I’ve lived here, I’ve heard stories – what seem like legends – of a punk rock heyday here in Durango.

Local shredders like Bubba Iudice, Josh Darien and Tom Bonanno played with The 13s, the Neighbors and the Randibles, which once pioneered punk in our town.

Bonanno reminisces about dressing up in skeleton outfits and playing packed gigs at (the now defunct) Summit, where it felt like the floor would collapse into the pizza shop downstairs. The shows punched out energy and hits, but eventually they just kind of fizzled out.

Attending high school in Pagosa Springs, my upbringing in rock ’n’ roll and alternative music began with playing in hay-filled, manure-smelling barns as well as million dollar mansion-cabins where every little knick-knack shatters just by looking at it. We could only play the highdollar venues when someone’s parents were out of town.

As a result, I would pilgrimage 60 miles from Pagosa in a friend’s van or beat-up sedan for small punk and hardcore shows in a basement venue at Fort Lewis College, aptly named The Extreme Room. Every couple of weeks, a true searcher could find a dimly lit room full of bad haircuts, smiles, skinny jeans and heavy tunes by local and regional acts such as Arvella, Uprooted, the Dugouts, April O’Neil and Beyond the Citadel of Coup De Gras.

Monica McManus, a local rock enthusiast, reminisced abut the time her band, the Noodles, played The Extreme Room on International Women’s Day in 2008, with the bill packed with all-female or female-led acts. “That place was punk rock as hell!”

McManus said. “It was a shame when they took it out and didn’t replace it.”

It feels as though when momentum is gained and the fire starts to burn with enough intensity to bring in bigger acts, circumstances seem to snuff the fire back out.

With the demise of The Extreme Room, a rock ’n’ roll drought seemed to fall over town. But slowly, it came back. Small shows could be caught in closets and hallways, small houses packed with sweaty kids looking for their fix. Eventually, the levee broke, more punk bands sprouted up and there was a true call from the community, “We want to listen and feel!”

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The Everynight, a DIY house venue, popped up around 2015 near the Everyday Gas Station on 8th and College. It its short time, it hosted bands like Laboon, Toast Ghost, Dirty Faces, Long Con, Sober as Hell, God Awful, Lumpy and the Dumpsters, and Nude Dude. While these shows were great for exposing newcomers to new music, a handful of the gigs were shut down by the police or for neighborly concerns. Seeing the excitement and need for alternative music, a group formed in hopes of securing a venue that would allow for a safe space where punk rock could be nurtured without the naysaying of venue owners, sound guys or police.

In 2016, Sweet 101, a community collective in an upstairs space on Main Avenue, was born to give local musicians and artists an opportunity to perform while knocking down some of the barriers new acts face, such as not having music recorded or a band “resume” to secure gigs. It was a success. Bands came out of the woodwork, and the venue pulled in acts from all over the region and even as far away as Canada and Los Angeles. Sweet 101 was on its way to a bright future, or so we thought. After about eight months, the powers that be evicted Sweet 101 from the building for noise complaints.

Durango’s rock ’n’ roll story had reached another low point.

The scene fell into dormancy, with small shows popping up here and there until COVID put the wet blanket on the smoldering flames. And then, boom! We were released from music deprivation and isolation. This summer, I have seen a swell in the attendance and energy at shows from those craving high tempos and lightning guitar work. The Olde Schoolhouse Cafe opened its doors to rockers this summer, hosting a punk show, and this fall, Punk Rock Breakfast kept the stoke up.

Now, we’re headed full steam into the winter with more projects popping up.

Military Wife, one of Durango’s newest prog rock/hardcore bands, has played two shows this fall at The Hive. Military Wife is built of talented shredders creating catchy riffs, technical lines and huge hits.

“There’s kind of everything (music genres) in Durango, even though it is saturated with bluegrass and funk,” Military Wife bass player Gab Kaplan said. “Every punk show has popped off ‘cause there’s a call to it. It’s all word of mouth, which creates a real close community, and it’s cool to have my hand in part of it.”

Kaplan went on to explain the challenges of playing in a rural community.

“All my friends and I want music to be in our lives, and it is difficult in a small town to be able to chase our dreams properly while feeling financially stable. More opportunities need to be available.”

With a shaky history, the local rock ‘n’ roll scene needs second and third chances.

Be vulnerable, go see a show by a band you don’t recognize, jump in a mosh pit and release the aggressive emotions we all feel in a healthy and uplifting outlet.

The Hive, at 1150 Main Ave., has stepped into the role of firekeeper and is working to constantly stoke the flames.

The Hive has now hosted three rock shows and intends to keep pumping it out in its sober, all-inclusive, all-ages space. For the low, low price of a five-buck donation, you can be sure to have enough fluff in your pockets to attend and add a log onto the fire. Be on the lookout for hand drawn flyers and kids dressed in black hanging ‘round storefronts and alleyways.

If you have rock ’n’ roll stories you would like to share, have upcoming gigs or are looking to join or build a band, contact your Rock N Roll Sweetheart, Alex Vick, at anvick38 @gmail.com ■

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StufftoDo

Wednesday24 Live music, 5:30 p.m.., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. Rachel Taulbee plays, 7-10 p.m., 11th Street Station.

Thursday25 Thanksgiving Meal by Manna Soup Kitchen 9 a.m., 1100 Avenida del Sol. Durango Turkey Trot race, 10 a.m., check-in at Fort Lewis College’s Student Union, race starts at FLC clocktower. More info. at durangorunningclub.org.

Geeks Who Drink Trivia, 8-10 p.m., The Roost, 128 E. College Dr.

Friday26 Black Friday Holiday Market, 2 p.m. Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave. Bingo night, 5 p.m. every Friday, Fenceline Cider, Mancos.

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

Singing With Santa, 5:30 p.m., TBK parking lot, 259 W. 9th St. March up Main Avenue to Buckley Park for photos with Santa and tree lighting.

Downtowndurango.org Reeder and Spencer play, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., The Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. Jack Ellis plays, 6-9 p.m., Fur Trappers Steakhouse, 701 E. 2nd Ave.

After taking a hiatus the last few years, the Silverton White Out is back for 2022. Registration for the rowdy 10-hour fat bike carnival on wheels opens Dec. 1 from 5- 7 p.m. at the Durango Cyclery. Folks can also sign up online at www.silvertonwhiteout.com. The race takes place Feb. 5, 2022.

Live music, 6 p.m., Fur Trappers Steakhouse, 701 E. 2nd Ave.

Sunday28 Shop Mancos Art, 11 a.m., Fenceline Cider and downtown Mancos.

Tuesday30 7 Rivers Farmers Market, 12 noon, La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave. Acoustic Music Jam, 5-7 p.m., all instruments and styles welcome, 11th St. Station.

Sounds True Duo plays, 7 p.m., 11th Street Station.

Open Mic, 1 p.m., Mancos Brewery.

Saturday27 Four Corners Broadcasting holiday donation drive, 11 a.m.., April’s Garden, 2075 Main Ave. Retirement Party for Gary and Donna Broad, owners of the Durango Diner, 1-5 p.m., VFW Post 4031, 1550 Main Ave. Winter Artists Market, 2-7 p.m. Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave. Event takes place weekends in November and December.

Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. TOYS! A Secret Circus Society holiday fundraiser show, shows at 6 p.m. & 8:30 p.m., Powerhouse Science Center, 1295 Camino del Rio.

20 n Nov. 24, 2021

Winter Artists Market, 2-7 p.m. Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave..

Open Mic, 4 p.m., Fenceline Cider, Mancos.

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

Monday29 Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon and Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. Meditation and Dharma Talk, 5:30-6:15 p.m.

Online at: www.durangodharmacenter.org

Wednesday01 Community Day at the Powerhouse Science Center, free admission the first Wednesday of every month, 9-11 a.m., 1295 Camino del Rio. Silverton White Out registration opens, 5-7 p.m., Durango Cyclery 143 E 13th St. Registration will open online at as well at www.silvertonwhiteout.com.

Race takes place Feb. 5, 2022

Snowdown Follies auditions, cast and Masters of Ceremonies auditions on Dec. 1, chorus line audition on Dec. 11. For more info. contact snowdownfollies @gmail.com.

Live music, 5 p.m., Fur Trappers Steakhouse, 701 E. 2nd Ave. Trivia night, 6 p.m., Mancos Brewery.

Classic Movie Monday: “Lady Killers,” 6-8:30 p.m., Pine River Library, 395 Bayfield Center Dr.

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Pete Giuliani plays, 6 p.m., 11th Street Station.

AskRachel

Vaxx-giving, flipping the bird and working the streets Interesting fact: The TV trope of calling women “sir” appears to have originated with Star Trek. Yet military people online tend to say that female officers should be called “ma’am.” I’m all for a hybrid “Sir yes ma’am!” for everyone.

Dear Rachel, My family is starting to plan the annual gettogether clusterfrack, and it’s even more clustery because half my siblings and their spouses are willfully unvaccinated. Its been easy in my personal life to limit myself to vaccinated friends. Now, I’m getting angry at these unvaxxed who think they can just have a whole happy holiday without consequences, and my abetting parents who want me to shush up and keep the peace. Rachel, do I need to take this anymore?

– Mad as Hell Dear Angry as Heck, It’s possible that I’ve been influenced by the Star Trek movie marathon I undertook on my own boostershot sick day, but I think we’ve made too many compromises already. Too many retreats. They invade our space and we fall back. They assimilate entire worlds, and we fall back. Not again. The line must be drawn here. This far, no further! If that means the end of Christmas then so be it. We must make them pay for what they’ve done.

– Live long, Rachel Joker and Jester Comedy Tour, 7 p.m., Bottom Shelf Brewery in Bayfield.

Murs, Oswin Benjamin & Diabolical Sound play, 8 p.m. Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Dr.

Ongoing The Hive Indoor Skate Park is open, offering open skate and skate lessons.

Waivers required. For schedule and online waiver, go to www.thehivedgo.org After School Programs, thru Dec. 16 and starting again in 2022, Sunnyside & Ft. Lewis Mesa libraries. Info at: 375-3816.

Community Day at the Powerhouse Science Center, free admission the first Wednesday of every month, 9-11 a.m., 1295 Camino del Rio. Community Coat & Wool Sock Drive, thru Dec. 7, drop off at Outdoorsy, 934 Main Ave. All donations must be in good condition and clean.

Dear Rachel, I’m going to a friends-giving this weekend.

The friend hosting is one of those vegans-inname-only, who will eat eggs and bacon if you hand it to her but has told us all to prepare “bird food only” for our potluck contributions.

I know what she means, but I’m feeling really petty, and I want to bring food made largely of birds (instead of food consumable by birds).

Considering this may be a friend I don’t want to keep anyway, is it better to announce my birdword-play when I walk in the door or after she’s eaten it?

– Bird is the Word Dear Birdseed of Doubt, I approve of your intentions of misinterpreting her words, but I’d take it to the other extreme. She wants bird food? Make bird food. Slather pine cones in peanut butter and roll them in sunflower seeds with the shells on. Bring a bottle of sugar water with a fake plastic flower on top. Although, as I say all this, I am realizing that some birds eat other birds. So yeah, stuff some duck in that pine cone. Go big, then go home.

– Giving the bird, Rachel Dear Rachel, With all the street construction going on in Durango I have a question you may be able to solve. I only see signs that say men at work.

Why not people at work or people working?

Equal work, equal pay, equal signage. I know women work on the streets of Durango. But I

Email Rachel at telegraph@durangotelegraph.com only see a sign with a person with a shovel. You go girl.

– Dusty Roades Dear Dirty Wheys, Star Trek has a pretty great vision of the future. We’ve moved beyond money and racial discrimination. So when Star Trek shows women in charge being called “sir,” and even the rebooted women wear standard-issue uniforms that wouldn’t pass my high school’s dress code, it makes me think that male must really be the default standard for humanity. That, or “men at work” takes fewer stencil letters than “people at work.” Or, maybe men can’t spell “people.” That’s possible too.

– Woman at leisure, Rachel

Upcoming Four Borderless Corners presents: Community Conversations, talk about Indigenous mascots, Dec. 2, 5-7 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. Live Creative Studio’s Zero Waste Holiday Pop-Up Store, Dec. 3-5. 10 a.m.6 p.m., Smiley Building’s Studio #12.

Dee Dee Bridgewater plays, Dec. 3 & 4, shows at 5 p.m. & 8 p.m., The Lift at Cascade, 50827 Highway 550. Hosted by Durango Cool Jazz.

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

Email your stuff to: calendar@durango telegraph.com

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Nov. 24, 2021 n 21

FreeWillAstrology

by Rob Brezsny ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries author Chris Brogan says, “Don’t settle. Don’t finish crappy books. If you don’t like the menu, leave the restaurant.

If you’re not on the right path, get off it.”

That’s the best possible counsel for you to hear, in my astrological opinion. As an Aries, you’re already inclined to live by that philosophy. But now and then, like now, you need a forceful nudge in that direction.

So please, Aries, go in pursuit of what you want, not what you partially want. Associate with the very best, most invigorating influences, not the mediocre kind.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Author Kurt Vonnegut wrote wistfully, “I still catch myself feeling sad about things that don’t matter anymore.” If similar things are running wild in your head, dear Taurus, the coming weeks will be a favorable time to banish them. You will have extra power to purge outdated emotions and reclaim at least some of the wild innocence that is your birthright. PS: There’s nothing wrong with feeling sad. In fact, feeling sad can be healthy. But it’s important to feel sad for the right reasons. Getting clear about that is your second assignment.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “I’ll walk forever with stories inside me that the people I love the most can never hear.” So says the main character in Gemini author Michelle Hodkin’s novel “The Evolution of Mara Dyer.” If that heartrending statement has resonance with your own personal experience, I have good news: The coming weeks will be a favorable time to transform the situation. I believe you can figure out how to share key stories and feelings that have been hard to reveal before now. Be alert for unexpected opportunities and not-at-all-obvious breakthroughs.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): A study of people in 24 countries concluded that during the pandemic, more than 80% of the population have taken action to improve their health. Are you in that group? Whether or not you are, the coming weeks will be a favorable time to go further in establishing robust self-care. The astrological omens suggest you’ll find it easier than usual to commit to good new habits. Rather than trying to do too much, I suggest you take no more than three steps.

Even starting with just one might be wise.

Top three: eating excellent food, having fun while exercising right and getting all the deep sleep you need.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Leoborn scholar Edith Hamilton loved to study ancient Greek civilization. She wrote, “To rejoice in life, to find the world

22 n Nov. 24, 2021

beautiful and delightful to live in, was a mark of the Greek spirit which distinguished it from all that had gone before.”

One sign of Greece’s devotion to joie de vivre was its love of play. “The Greeks were the first people in the world to play,” Hamilton exulted, “and they played on a great scale. All over Greece, there were games” – for athletes, dancers, musicians, and other performers. Spirited competition was an essential element of their celebration of play, as was the pursuit of fun for its own sake. In resonance with your astrological omens, Leo, I propose you regard ancient Greece as your spiritual home for the next five weeks.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo singer-songwriter Florence Welch of the band Florence and the Machine told an interviewer why she wrote “Hunger.” She said, “I looked for love in things that were not love.” What were those things? According to her song, they included taking drugs and performing on stage. Earlier in Florence’s life, as a teenager, “love was a kind of emptiness” she experienced through her eating disorder. What about you, Virgo? Have you looked for love in things that weren’t love? Are you doing that right now? The coming weeks will be a good time to get straight with yourself about this issue. I suggest you ask for help from your higher self. Formulate a strong intention that in the future, you will look for love in things that can genuinely offer you love.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): There’s a Grateful Dead song, with lyrics written by John Perry Barlow, that says, “You ain’t gonna learn what you don’t want to know.” I propose you make that your featured advice for the next two weeks. I hope you will be inspired by it to figure out what truths you might be trying hard not to know. In so doing, you will make yourself available to learn those truths. As a result, you’ll be led on a healing journey you didn’t know you needed to take. The process might sound uncomfortable, but I suspect it will ultimately be pleasurable.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Scorpio author and philosopher Albert Camus was a good thinker. At age 44, he won the Nobel Prize for Literature – the second-youngest recipient ever. And yet he made this curious statement: “Thoughts are never honest. Emotions are.” He regarded thoughts as “refined and muddy” – the result of people continually tinkering with their inner dialog so as to come up with partially true statements designed to serve their self-image rather than reflect authentic ideas. Emotions, on the other hand, emerge spontaneously and are hard to hide, according to Camus. They come straight from the depths. In accordance with astrological potentials, Scorpio, I urge you to

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keep these meditations at the forefront of your awareness in coming weeks. See if you can be more skeptical about your thoughts and more trusting in your emotions.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21): Poet Renée Ashley describes what she’s attracted to: “I’m drawn to what flutters nebulously at the edges, at the corner of my eye – just outside my certain sight. I want to share in what I am routinely denied or only suspect exists. I long for a glimpse of what is beginning to occur.” Although I don’t think that’s a suitable perspective for you to cultivate all the time, Sagittarius, I suspect it might be appealing and useful for you in the coming weeks. Fresh possibilities will be coalescing. New storylines will be incubating.

Be alert for the oncoming delights of the unknown.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): What could you do to diminish your suffering? Your next assignment is to take two specific steps to begin that process. You’re in a phase of your astrological cycle when you’re more likely than usual to see what’s necessary to salve your wounds and fix what’s broken. Take maximum advantage of this opportunity! I proclaim this next chapter of your life to be titled “In Quest of the Maximum Cure.”

Have fun with this project, dear Capricorn. Treat it as a mandate to be imaginative and explore interesting possibilities.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “It is a fault to wish to be understood before we have made ourselves clear to ourselves,” wrote my favorite Aquarian philosopher, Simone Weil. I agree. It’s advice I regularly use myself. If you want to be seen and appreciated for who you really are, you should make it your priority to see and appreciate yourself for who you really are. The coming weeks will be a favorable time to make progress in this noble project. Start this way: Write a list of the five qualities about yourself that you love best.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Nigerian author Ben Okri, born under the sign of Pisces, praises our heroic instinct to rise above the forces of chaos. He writes, “The most authentic thing about us is our capacity to create, to overcome, to endure, to transform, to love, and to be greater than our suffering.” You’ve been doing a lot of that excellent work throughout 2021, dear Pisces. And I expect that you’ll be climaxing this chapter of your life story sometime soon. Thanks for being such a resourceful and resilient champion.

You have bravely faced but also risen above the sometimes-messy challenges of plain old everyday life. You have inspired many of us to stay devoted to our heart’s desires.

classifieds

Deadline for Telegraph classified ads is Tuesday at noon.

Ads are a bargain at 10 cents a character with a $5 minimum. Even better, ads can now be placed online: durangotelegraph.com. Prepayment is required via cash, credit card or check.

(Sorry, no refunds or substitutions.)

Ads can be submitted via: n classifieds@durango telegraph.com n 970-259-0133 n 679 E. 2nd Ave., #E2

Harmony Cleaning and Organizing Residential, offices, commercial and vacation rentals, 970-403-6192.

Approximate office hours: Mon., 9ish - 5ish Tues., 9ish - 5ish Wed., 9ish - 3ish Thurs., On delivery Fri., gone fishing. Please call ahead: 259-0133.

HelpWanted Request for Proposals/Request for Qualifications for Attorney Services The Town of Silverton, Colorado, is seeking the services of a municipal attorney(s) to fulfill the duties and responsibilities described in this Request for Proposals (RFP) Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for the Town Attorney position.

The Town is inviting individual attorneys, or firms, to respond to this RFP/RFQ with Statements of Qualifications for the purpose of providing the Town with the needed legal services listed in the request.

Proposals will be received until 5 p.m., Thursday, December 2, 2021, at Silverton Town Hall, P.O. Box 250 (1360 Greene Street), Silverton, CO 81433 or by email to the following recipients: sfuhrman @silverton.co.us, gkaasch-buerger@silver ton.co.us or mmarks@silverton.co.us The RFP/RFQ can be downloaded at: https:// bit.ly/3GuHDwA Evening Childcare for Ed Center Education center seeks PM childcare at Dgo and Cortez sites. T W Th 5-8pm $15/hr. Some day hours possible. Call Susan 970-385-4354 for details, to apply.

Classes/Workshops Spanish Classes Now accepting students for in-person beginner thru advanced Spanish. Call 970-309-5966 or visit www.espanola hora.net

ForSale Artists Sunday-Art Studio Sale Wize Owl Handprints will be opening the studio in conjunction Artists Sunday, a national art event to support local arts.

Block printed goods: prints, xmas cards, patches, mtn flags, tees, bags & linens.

One day event in Mancos this Sun 11/28, 12-4. 39675 Rd J, wizeowlhandprints.com

Lowest Prices on Storage!

Inside/outside storage near Durango and Bayfield. 10-x-20, $130. Outside spots: $65, with discounts available. RJ Mini Storage. 970-259-3494.

1986 Jeep Grand Wagoneer A Christmas Gift for You! “...more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap high mountains…” Drive over Stoney Pass then camp in the back of it. $3,900 Wants some TLC. Call/text: Linda 970749-2995 E-Bike for Sale Gently used 2019 Vado road bike, made by Specialized. Medium frame, 830 mi, $2500. Call Ben at (808) 269-8589 Little Chief Home Smoker Lightweight, aluminum, easy-to-use electric smoker for all your at-home meatand fish-smoking needs. Brand new, in box. Wood chips sold separately. Frontloading, measures 24.5’’ H x 11.5’’ W x 11.5’’ D. Retails for $100; yours for low, low price of $40! 970-749-2595

BodyWork Massage by Meg Bush LMT, 30, 60 & 90 min., 970-759-0199. massageintervention.life Voted best massage in Durango 18/19/20. Couples, cupping, local CBD. Reviews on FB + Yelp. 970-903-2984

CommunityService Youth Music Scholarship New Music in the Mountains Youth Ambassador Scholarship is an opportunity for junior and senior high school

HaikuMovieReview ‘King Richard’ Funny, rich and full of family bonding to share on turkey day – Lainie Maxson students to expand and enhance their musical knowledge and talent. Youth Ambassador Scholarship recipient, students will receive a weekly private music lessons for 16 weeks and monthly virtual private lesson with Music in the Mountains Festival Orchestra musicians for six months. Applications available at www.

MusicintheMountains.com and Dec. 10.

Awards will be announced January 2022.

SJBPH Vaccine Clinics Free vaccine mobile clinic provided by San Juan Basin Public Health. Walk-ins welcome. Contact 970-247-5702 or visit https://sjbpublichealth.org/covid-19-vaccine/ for more information.

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Reruns Home Furnishings New inventory including gorgeous Crate and Barrel cabinet, good selection of nightstands and side tables, bookcases, and vintage patio furniture … Come in today! 572 E. 6th Ave. Open Mon.-Sat. 385-7336.

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

Services Marketing Small and Local Businesses Media, website building and content editing, copywriting and editing, newsletters, blogs, etc. for small, local, independent or startup businesses. www.forward pedal.com or email jnderge@gmail.com RSE Handyman Service Home repair yard work odd jobs 970903-0449.

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A turkey Nov. 24, 2021 n 23

24 n Nov. 24, 2021

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