Durango Telegraph - December 19, 2019

2020 visions dancing in our heads

­elegraph the­­­­durango

FREE Dec. 19, 2019

Vol. XVIII, No. 51 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

What goes around

Tweaking the recipe

Now hear this

China policy change spurs local recycling revolution p8

Change in funding formula aims to help low-income schools p11

Top Shelf’s indispensable list of 2019’s top twang p17

This season, give the best.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy Hanukkah Holiday hours: Dec. 24th: 9am - 5pm Dec. 25th: Closed Dec. 31st: Normal Business Hours Jan.1st: 10am - 8pm

The Alternative Resource Variety of Strains • Hash/Concentrates • Edibles • Tinctures • ATM on site

2 n Dec. 19, 2019

telegraph

Bodo Park

Grandview (HWY 160 East)

Recreational: 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM Medical: 9:00 AM - 6:45 PM 72 Suttle Street, Units F/G , 970.259.3674

Recreational Adult Use Only: 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM 37 CR 232, 970.426.4381

lineup

8

4 La Vida Local

Good dirt Looking beyond China to recycle stuff right here at home

4 Thumbin’ It

by Tracy Chamberlin

5 Word on the Street

11

6-7 Soapbox

On the bus

11 Education News

State looks to retool 25-year-old school funding formula

by Taylor Allen Colorado Public Radio

16 Flash in the Pan 17 Top Shelf

Morning glory

The advantages of an alpine start are more than just fresh turns

18 On the Town

photos by Stephen Eginoire

20 Ask Rachel

15

21-22 Free Will Astrology

Feliz Navidad A walk on the wilder side of Christmas in the Dominican Republic

23 Classifieds

by john van becay

23 Haiku Movie Review

16

On the cover: Grady James enjoys the views enveloped in the rarified halo of a sun dog Monday morning in Upper Prospect Basin near Silverton./ Photo by Stephen Eginoire

Strip mall Christmas For Jewish Americans, Christmas dinner means something entirely different

by Ari LeVaux

boilerplate

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

T

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

Getting creative

Durango has a new title to stuff in its stocking: Certified Creative District, joining 22 other towns across the state, including Mancos, Telluride and Salida.

The certification will enable Durango to go after grants and other funding to help improve infrastructure, develop events, install public art and even implement affordable housing, as some other districts have done. But, most importantly, the designation will help brand Durango as a unique and desirable place to live and visit, and in so doing, spur and diversify the local economy.

12-13 Day in the Life

12-13

EDITORIALISTA: Missy Votel (missy@durangotelegraph.com)

Ear to the ground: “This was the first year the mountain was in better shape than I was.”

– Local discussing his first day on the slopes, which have received epic early season snow

thepole

RegularOccurrences

STAR-STUDDED CAST: Lainie Maxson, Chris Aaland, Clint Reid, Stephen Eginoire, Jesse Anderson, Ari LeVaux, Tracy Chamberlin, Zach Hively, john van becay, David Feela & Shan Wells VIRTUAL ADDRESS: www.durangotelegraph.com

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

REAL WORLD ADDRESS: 777 Main Ave., #214 Durango, CO 81301

MAIL DELIVERY AND SUBSCRIPTIONS: $3.50/issue, $150/year

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

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

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

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

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"Creative districts have proven to be an important economic development tool in Colorado,” Bill Carver, president of the Durango Creative District, said. “Events and placemaking activities attract visitors and enhance the quality of life for residents, while creative businesses add to the authenticity and unique character of Durango."

Overseen by Local First, the Creative District process kicked off in October 2018 with a meeting of more than 60 community members who resoundingly said “yes” to the idea. From there, a steering committee made up of representatives from various organizations, businesses and the City of Durango, began meeting regularly. The process snowballed, with hundreds of residents attending more than 30 meetings on topics ranging from shared visions to branding.

The DCD’s overriding mission is to unite, celebrate and expand the local creative economy while fostering collaboration, promotion, education and resources for creative endeavors.

“It’s exciting to unearth the core values of our creative community,” Hayley Kirkman, Interim Director of the Durango Creative Director, said.

Even before its designation, the DCD got its creative juices flowing with the recent Empty Storefront Project. “Six empty ground-floor spaces in Downtown now have an art installation … This has beautified the vacant spaces and provides a great venue for local artists,” Tim Walsworth, executive director of the Durango Business Improvement District, said.

The district encompasses North Main, downtown, College Drive, Fort Lewis College and Bodo Park. The City of Durango is also on board, anteing up $40,000 in the 2020 budget for the DCD. “Durango is a creative community – from visual and performing arts to craft beers and spirits to artisanal food, we appreciate inspired artistry,” City Councilor Barbara Noseworthy said. “This recognizes the importance of the creative economy to our community.”

The DCD will be headquartered in the Durango Arts Center. A ribbon-cutting and celebration is planned for late January. Stay tuned to durangocreativedistrict.org for details.

Dec. 19, 2019 n

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opinion

LaVidaLocal Eight tiny reindeer?

Recent news suggests the Air in Airbnb comes from CEO Brian Chesky who recently announced a ban on all party houses in response to a tragic shooting which left five dead in Orinda, Calif. A glass of wine is fine, but he’s forbidding – by international edict – the company’s 2.9 million Airbnb hosts to allow any of their 150 million users to party with more than 13 people in attendance. Good luck with that.

It just so happens I’d made an Airbnb reservation for two to stay in California the first week in November, less than a week after the Halloween party murders took place. In trying to clear the platform’s online security gates, I encountered technical glitches and a few misunderstandings, which I finally resolved by initiating a real time phone call and threatening to cancel my booking. When it comes to hanging on to the customer’s money, Airbnb does a five-star job.

The company was founded in 2008 by a couple of renters who earned a few extra dollars charging strangers inflationary rates to crash on an air mattress. Eleven years later, the idea bloated into a $35 billion data-saturated industry. Its understaffed army of 3,100 Airbnb employees tries to offer reasonable assurances that the space a customer is renting will be free of risks and irritations, like inaccurate descriptions, hidden cameras or trap doors, or even an inadequate supply of toilet paper. Ultimately, users rely on the host to provide a quality rental experience, and more times than not it works out fine.

Our tiny casita turned out to be comfortable enough, except for the incoming airlines on identical flight paths cueing up like billiard balls. The wheels and flaps were already down, locked into position, starting from before 8 a.m. and lasting until as late as 11 p.m. The planes were often two to three minutes apart – jumbo jets literally falling from the sky. They came so close an airline ornithologist could have easily identified individual species by the distinctive markings on their tails and under their wings.

After arriving at our rental and enduring the first day, I reread the host’s description for booking the property. The details clearly disclosed that air traffic existed in the neighborhood, so it shouldn’t have felt like a surprise.

But awareness and experience are two different classes of tickets. These planes weren’t vaguely up there, circling like buzzards. I had the feeling

these pilots might have mistaken the driveway where I parked my car for their intended runway.

By no means were we the only people having to deal with air traffic, but those who own or rent houses in the neighborhood hopefully are acclimated to the relentless audio bombardment. My first experience in the shadow of a passenger jet occurred decades ago while visiting my in-laws who lived directly under a Chicago O’Hare flight path. I remember sitting in their yard one warm afternoon drinking gin fizzes. As my father-in-law expounded loudly on the world’s problems, a jumbo jet crowded out the sun. His audible voice vanished, replaced by the sound of the jet’s turbines, but his lips kept moving, as if he thought we could still hear him. I nodded, sipped my gin and thought, well, at least one problem solved.

Truth be told, I still qualify as a flight path newbie. I was taken aback by the incessant noise because my senses haven’t lived long enough in an environment where constant noise prompts the brain to shield it with a protective layer of deafness. The property’s description also lauded the benefits of staying so close to the airport, which would be, it claimed, a convenience for those who arrived by air. And besides, it concluded, the air traffic doesn’t diminish the beauty of the neighborhood, which it didn’t, because we spent most of every day away from the casita, touring the sites of the city.

Like most businesses with an eye toward profits, Airbnb aspires to become even bigger by not attracting negative media attention. Five-star ratings and glowing customer reviews work just like cash in the corporate model of America, which is why I don’t want to be one of their monkeys, pedaling the feedback cycle with any kind of review. I’m just learning my lessons and moving on. Refusing to participate in the rating game doesn’t drive the algorithms wild, but I’m thinking of it as a kind of statistical protest – a stat-in, if you like.

Predictably, all online businesses like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and myriad other popular sites aspire to grow so massive they are increasingly becoming incapable of policing the very activities they sponsor. Of course we jeopardize our safety by joining in, while some other things we just learn to live with. Plane. And simple.

This Week’s Sign of the Downfall:

Thumbin’It Durango being officially certified as a Colorado Creative District, opening the door for more funding and resources for the local creative community and helping to diversify the economy

4 n Dec. 19, 2019

– David Feela

The passing of Lon Erwin, a longtime champion of local philanthropic causes and executive director of La Plata Habitat for Humanity

Silverton’s Kendall Mountain helping young families get on the slopes by offering free skiing every last Sunday of the month throughout the winter

Colorado being reclassified by the EPA this week as a “serious” violator of federal air quality laws due to high ozone levels in Denver and along the northern Front Range

The triumphant resurrection of the traffic light and 8th and Main, no longer necessitating a white knuckle and death-defying dash through one of downtown’s busiest intersections

The chilling dystopian news that China has turned its spying methods on its 1.4 billion people, scanning phones, tracking faces and following citizens’ comings and goings from their own homes

telegraph

Christ-miss If you’re looking for a sign of humanity’s degradation, look no further than this year’s three most popular novelty Christmas gifts: 3.) The ugly “Human Santapede” sweater depicts chains of Santas crawling mouth to butt. If you haven’t seen the movie that inspired this sweater, don’t. 2.) The “Death Star toaster” is as big as a basketball, and it burns a TIE Fighter pattern into every piece of toast. 1.) And finally, the “Menorah Bong” has 8 bowls for the 8 days of Hanukkah, which is odd because it’s the least Kosher gift of them all.

WordontheStreet

Q

With Christmas next week the Telegraph asked: “Who would you like to see coming down your chimney and what would they Lexi have for you?” “Santa, with a trip for me to Venice.”

Darren

“The CEO of Qantas Airlines with three round-trip tickets to New Zealand.”

Matt

“Julius Caesar with first editions of his commentaries.”

Olivia

“An amazing chef with Christmas dinner all prepared.

Karyn

“The Angel of Peace bringing us all back together.” telegraph

Dec. 19, 2019 n 5

SoapBox

ReTooned/by Shan Wells

Sign the petition to free Rosa To the editor, We’ve all been wondering how and when Rosa Sabido will get to leave sanctuary. She’s been in the Mancos United Methodist Church for over 2½ years. It’s a really long time to be confined just because she is not “documented” as a citizen of the United States. One might ask what makes someone a citizen?

The only way for Rosa to get out of sanctuary is for a private bill for lawful permanent residency to be passed by the two houses of Congress and signed by the President. We have been advised that now is the time to attempt to introduce a private bill in order to move the process along the timeline that we need. In order to do this, we need to find sponsors for this bipartisan private bill.

One of Rosa’s many supporters, Annie Seder, states: “The debate around immigration in the U.S. is fierce and public right now. But what is there to debate about a woman, unable to leave a church for 2½ years without risking being forcibly sent to a different country, away from her family and community of over 30 years? A system where you can try every legal path and still end up without an option isn’t a system that works.”

Pastor Craig from the Mancos Methodist Church comments on why this private bill is important: “As a faith community, we believe it’s important to follow the great commandment to love our neighbors. Rosa is our neighbor and a positive contributing member of our community. Signing this petition is a good way for all of us to stand in solidarity with Rosa and our brothers and sisters who are immigrants” The 1,000 Days in Sanctuary Campaign will target Colorado’s District 3 representative, Scott Tipton, for the second time. We are engaging with Rep. Tipton because he is up for re-election in 2020, and we hope to bring Rosa’s

6 n Dec. 19, 2019

case and immigration reform into the state and national conversation as we approach November. We are grateful to be receiving immense strategic support from Michelle

telegraph

Ferrigno Warren, who is a longtime supporter of immigrant rights and is running to represent Colorado in the U.S. Senate against Cory Gardner.4

Our goal is to gather 1,500-plus District 3 constituent signatures to publicly present to Rep. Tipton in early 2020. This means that we need registered voters from this district to sign the petition and support Rosa and this private bill as far north as Craig and as far east as Pueblo.

For more information on the campaign, go to rosabe longshere.org.

– Joanie P. Trussel, Mancos

Toss out the disposable mindset To the editor, I love the outdoors and have for as long as I can remember. The blue skies, warm sun, fresh air. Nothing beats the outdoors, and we need to conserve them so that generations to come can enjoy it as we do today.

For that reason, it pains me to bear witness to the rampant consumerism and disposable mindset of our society today. It’s not so much any one issue, but rather our collective behavior toward “buy, use, toss, repeat.” The trash fills up our landfills (if it even makes it there), and leaves us only temporarily satisfied.

I realize it’s a big hurdle, and I’m not trying to claim that I’m perfect. Everyone by nature of living creates trash; it’s impossible to avoid. I’m also not advocating for a Puritanical society where no plastic bags or coffee cups are ever allowed. I think that sort of “progress” sends us in the wrong direction.

However, I do think there are little steps we all can take to lessen our collective impact on the outdoors and environment. Simple things, like walking instead of driving, paying more to eat local, and carrying your groceries in a reusable bag.

This isn’t rocket science, & you don’t have to be perfect.

Again, no one is. Just do your best to reduce the amount of single-use items you consume, & reuse them as much as you can. In doing so we’ll continue to be the worthy stewards of this beautiful environment we so lovingly adore.

– Alex Whittow, Durango

Be radical: share the riches To the editor, As we are now in the season of giving, I am hoping that we extend our giving to the poor. Radically and as never before.

Let’s do it because we are rich, radically rich. The richest culture with the richest churches and synagogues and temples in history.

Are we rich? Anyone making $32,400 a year or more is richer than 99 percent of the rest of the planet. (investo pedia.com.) It would be nice to believe that we rich Americans (especially the very richest of our rich) are, naturally, giving more to the poor than ever. The statistics do not agree.

In the Great Recession, those making more than $200,000 per year gave less; those making $100,000 or less gave more (theatlantic.com). It almost always happens. As we get richer, we give less percentage of our incomes. As we get richer, we also tend to donate to the arts, universities, hospitals (foxbusiness.com). The poor?

Not as much. For the record, I’m guilty. As my circumstances got better over the years, some how I was giving the same amount but less of a percentage.

Jeffrey Sachs, one of the world’s leading experts on economic development and the fight against poverty, estimates that the cost to end poverty is $175 billion per year for 20 years. This amount is less than 1 percent of the combined income of the richest countries in the world, and only four times the United States military budget for one year (borgen.org).

Americans spent $84.1 billion on golf last year (forbes.com), $56 billion on sporting events, $33 billion for athletic equipment and $19 billion on gym memberships (cnbc.com). Back in 2010, the cost of excessive drinking was $249 billion. U.S alcohol sales in 2018 were $253.8 billion (americancraftbeer.com). I’m guilty, I spent on all those things, and more.

Henrietta H. Fore, UNICEF Executive Director, reminds

us, there is an “opportunity cost” whenever we fail to seize an opportunity that is worth the investment of our time and resources. When we fail to invest in the wellbeing and fundamental rights of children and young people in need, the opportunity cost is tallied not just in dollars and cents but lives cut short, bodies and minds diminished, and families, communities and nations undermined” (unicef.org).

Are we going to disband our military, quit golf, sports, the gym and drinking? Probably not. But we could all do all of it less (especially the war part) and give more.

One of the most famous and striking scriptural calls to the conscience and responsibilities of the radically rich concludes with this admonishment: “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.” It was said to a rich man who had done every other good he could think of and asked, “What else?” We know he wasn’t up to the radical commitment, but I like to think he went and gave more than he had ever given before.

Note that he was not commanded to solve poverty. Or pretend that it was solvable. Or judge it. He was told to give. To help.

My hope is that all of us – church/synagogue/temple goers or not – pray on the “opportunity costs” and then let’s just do it. Let’s give to the poor. Radically. This year and next year and the next.

– Selah, Wayne Sheldrake, Durango

Still sore over Hillary

Dear Editor, How refreshing would it be to see a Shan Wells cartoon showing Pelosi, Nadler and Schiff looking at the Article 2, Amendment 12 of the Constitution with this caption: “The real reason we’re impeaching Trump is that he used the Constitution to beat Hillary.”

– Dennis Pierce, Durango

Don’t take it out on the moose – we warned you.

We will be on vacation starting 12/18/19, returning to the office Mon., 12/30/19.

Happy Holidays!

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Dec. 19, 2019 n 7

LocalNews

What goes around China’s policy change inspires local recycling revolution

by Tracy Chamberlin

C

hina introduced a new policy in 2017, called National Sword, which limited the contamination of recyclable materials to what those in the industry called an impossible standard of just 0.5 percent.

This sent the recyclable commodities market into a downward death spiral. Suddenly, the price for sorting and processing bales of used plastics, cardboard and mixed paper became so costly some communities were forced to send the materials straight to the landfill – or simply stop taking them at all.

Even the city of Cortez had to tell residents in 2018 they could no longer accept newspapers.

Fortunately for Friedman Recycling, the company that sorts Durango’s single stream recycling, it had space at its plants in Albuquerque and elsewhere to store the unwanted bales until the market began to improve.

Although Durango-based Phoenix Recycling is a much smaller, local operation, owner and operator Mark Thompson was also able to hold bales for several months until he could find buyers for the material.

“The bad news is the commodities are worth just a fraction of what they were,” Thompson said. “The good news is things have stabilized somewhat, and we are able to move stuff out.”

For many involved with residential and commercial recycling across the country, it was a wake-up call for how dependent everyone in the West had become on China to take the world’s waste and turn it into the latest disposable trinket.

8 n Dec. 19, 2019

Parker Jayne, left, of Twin Buttes Farm, and Monique DiGiorgio, center, and Taylor Hanson, of Table to Farm, shovel compost at Twin Buttes this week. It’s estimated that Table to Farm, with Albertsons and Twin Buttes, diverted more than 4 tons of food from the landfill this November. That translates into almost 4 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions kept out of the atmosphere./Photo by Stephen Eginoire It was also a reminder that “recycle” was actually the last step of the three “Rs:” reduce, reuse, recycle. Reduce and reuse come first. Or, as one local recycling guru likes to say: refuse, reuse and recycle.

“I think refusing has to be the No. 1 thing,” Sarah Musil Burris, founder of The Bag Project, said. “It’s just a matter of stepping back and looking at what we buy.”

After working for two years to keep plastics from devastating the world’s oceans with the marine conservation organization Sea Shepherd, Musil Burris realized maybe she could do more for her cause by keeping it local.

So, she started The Bag Project in 2017. The idea is to

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turn T-shirts into reusable grocery bags. By recycling the old garments instead of sending them to the landfill, Musil Burris could help curb the tens of thousands of plastic bags local residents use every day.

At both north and south City Markets, customers go through about 35,000 plastic bags a day. But so far, The Bag Project has made just 4,500 of the crafty T-shirt bags – found in bins near the entrance to both stores – for shoppers to use. It may be just a fraction of what the community goes through, but it’s a start.

Recycling isn’t just a way of feeling good about dropping the Amazon cardboard box into the blue bin – or 4

sending Musil Burris your old T-shirts. It can also be a way to boost the local economy while at the same time curbing what’s headed to the dumpster.

And, for some, starting small can lead to big things.

When Table to Farm Compost began in 2016, the business model was simple – offer Durango residents a way to compost organic waste instead of putting it in the trash.

Each week, Monique DiGiorgio, who runs the composting business alongside Taylor Hanson, brings customers a bucket to fill with food scraps to be picked up and turned into nutrient-rich soil to grow new food.

Over the years, DiGiorgio’s not only grown a solid customer base, she’s been able to expand the program to local school cafeterias. The latest partnership for Table to Farm is with the farm at Twin Buttes and Albertsons grocery store. Working together,

the three take food scraps from Albertsons to a composting facility at Twin Buttes, where organic waste is turned into soil used at the farm.

“It’s exciting to have three businesses all working together to reduce our community’s waste stream and to create a closedloop environmental and economic system,” Hanson said.

A closed-loop system is one of the best ways to keep things local. In fact, according to the annual State of Recycling in Colorado report, it improves Colorado’s economy by creating local jobs, bringing in tax revenues and helping the environment.

The report is a collaborative effort from Eco-Cycle, a national nonprofit recycler, and CoPIRG, a nonprofit, public interest advocacy group. It looks at how much waste is being recycled or composted, both at state and local levels.

And, it turns out, even as China’s National Sword policy was causing upheaval in the global recycling world, Durango made some recycling gains. The city was awarded a Gold Medal by the report’s authors for being the best citywide recycler outside the Front Range, diverting 33 percent – more than any other rural community – of its waste away from the landfill.

The state is not doing as well, lagging far behind the national average with just 17 percent being diverted compared to 35 percent for the nation.

“Despite some all-star community efforts, Colorado continues to be one of the worst states at recycling and one of the most wasteful states in the country,” the report reads.

Part of the reason for the dismal number is that seven out of 10 of the state’s largest cities don’t offer convenient curbside recy-

cling to residents, including Colorado Springs, Aurora, Greeley and Pueblo.

Durango, on the other hand, has continued its curbside recycling program in spite of the industry’s recent challenges.

Director of City Operations Levi Lloyd attributes much of that to Friedman Recycling. He called the company a consistent partner, never wavering in its commitment to the city. “I think that helped us weather the storm,” he added.

It’s been almost three years since China’s National Sword program forever changed the world of recycling. Companies were forced to produce higher quality products and search for new markets, while individuals were forced to rethink recycling altogether.

“Maybe we’ve taken a big hit in the last couple years, but we’re still here,” Thompson explained. “And, things will continue to get better.” n

’Tis the season to be wasteful: Holiday recycling tips The amount of waste Americans produce jumps by 25 percent between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, creating an extra 5 million tons of trash. With that in mind, here are some tips for reducing, reusing and recycling during the holidays: 1. Just because it has a green triangle does not mean it’s recyclable – like the plastic pillows Amazon uses or basic bubble wrap. Those items are not recyclable.

2. Make sure all items in the recycling bin are clean, loose (meaning don’t fill a cardboard box with dirty aluminum cans) and dry. If the bin is contaminated, it could mean everything gets taken to the landfill.

# " """ "

3. Try wrapping gifts in recyclable materials already in the house – maybe even the past edition of the Telegraph.

Not all wrapping paper is recyclable; plastic-coated and metallic wrapping papers are not.

4. If you get someone electronics for Christmas or receive some yourself, try using rechargeable batteries instead of a four-pack of copper tops.

5. Think of re-gifting as environmental flattery, instead of an ungrateful snub.

You old bag: If you find you forgot your own grocery bags or just want to jump on the reusable bandwagon, check

out The Bag Project’s bins filled with reusable bags free of charge at the entrance to south and north City Markets. On the other hand, if you happen to be a prolific hoarder of old T-shirts, try donating some by contacting the project’s organizers at durangobeyondplastic@gmail.com.

Tree trunked: The City of Durango is offering free Christmas tree recycling through Jan. 31 at Santa Rita Park. Drop off natural trees free of ornaments and tinsel at the lot behind the playground. They’ll be turned into mulch, which will be available to pick up for free in the spring. If you need more or get lost, 375-7321 or rec@DurangoGov.org.

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Dec. 19, 2019 n

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10 n Dec. 19, 2019

telegraph

EducationNews

Tweaking the recipe State lawmakers propose new funding formula to help low-income schools

by Taylor Allen Colorado Pubic Radio

T

he state school finance committee met Monday to discuss a draft bill that aims to reduce inequities in school funding across Colorado.

The state currently uses a 25-year-old formula to calculate how much money to give to its 178 districts, based in part on size, cost of living and number of at-risk students.

In 2019-20, Colorado paid anywhere from $7,600 per pupil in the Branson School District in southern Colorado to about $18,000 per pupil in the Pawnee School District, near the Wyoming border.

Durango School District 9-R is projecting $8,335 in per pupil funding for school year 2019-20. With additional mill levy overrides and other revenues, district 9-R on average spends around $12,259 per pupil.

Critics of the existing formula say it leaves schools, especially those with low-income students, without the resources they need.

Currently, more than $1 billion – about 15 percent of the formula – goes to the a cost-ofliving factor. However, because wealthy communities often have a high cost of living, this sends more money to affluent districts, which in some cases pay a smaller share of school costs than do poorer districts.

To address inequity, the bill would: • Decrease emphasis on district size and instead factor additional funding for small or sparely populated areas. Funding based on size would only be calculated for districts with fewer than 5,000 students (such as 9-R).

• Increase money for students who qualifies for free- or reduced-price lunch, not just free lunch, as well as students with disabilities and English language learners.

• Decrease emphasis on cost of living.

Only districts that are the most expensive would get additional funding. (In 2018, Durango ranked 10th highest in cost of living among the state’s 178 districts.)

• Create a stipend that would give extra funds for each student in Colorado.

• Lift requirement that districts must have at least 50 students to receive funding.

It’s unclear how much these changes would cost. The committee plans to meet Jan. 6 with information on the price tag of implementing the new formula.

One item in the bill would reduce total program funding for all districts. Even with that potential decrease, a district’s funding for English language learning or special education would not be affected.

For the 2021-22 and 2022-23 budget years, a school district’s funding will be calculated under both the new and old formulas. In the 2021-22 school year, if the district’s total funding falls short compared to the old formula, the district will get funding equal to the difference.

Then, in the 2022-23 school year, districts would get half the difference between calculations of the new and old formula. It

A new bill seeks to correct the imbalance between poorer and richer districts by changing the 25-year-old funding formula. Currently, many affluent districts receive cost of living increases in student funding, further adding to the gap. Durango receives slightly less than the state average of $8,480 per pupil./Courtesy photo

9-R seeks input on $400M long-range plan While the state tweaks its school funding formula, Durango School District 9-R is considering revamps of its own. The district recently released a Facilities Master Plan, which estimates around $400 million in long-range spending over the next several years. Plans include safety measures; deferred maintenance; a new technology center; a tear-down and rebuild of Miller Middle School; new schools in Three Springs and Twin Buttes; and affordable housing for 9-R staff, among other things.

“We are presently planning for the district’s future so we can ensure the continued success of our students. Many Durango 9-R schools were built more than 40 years ago and need to be repaired and upgraded,” read a statement from 9-R. “Upgrades to our schools as well as possible renovations and/or new facilities will not only enhance school safety and operational efficiency, but also ensure that when our students graduate they are college and career-ready to meet the demands of today’s workforce.”

To help pay for the plan, the school dis-

trict is considering coming to voters in 2020 with a bond measure. Currently, up to a $90 million bond can be used on district projects without increasing property taxes. A $100M bond would increase taxes $3.03/year for every $100,000 of a home’s assessed value, and a $100M bond would increase taxes $7.39/year for every $100,000 in home value.

Other possibilities include grants through the state’s “BEST” (Building Excellent Schools Today) fund, which could provide 20 to 29 percent of the funding.

The district would also make up to $20M by selling unused school properties, such as the current administration building downtown, and save another $3M a year by closing low-enrollment schools.

The district’s Long-Range Planning Committee meets again Jan. 16 to discuss the plan, with recommendations slated for its Jan. 31 meeting.

To review or comment on the plan, visit www.durangoschools.org/apps/news/article/1139756.

– Missy Votel

won’t be until the 2023-34 school year that the new formula will be the only one used.

The Legislature is also considering a separate bill that would push districts to adopt uniform property tax rates. Right now, due to the complicated interaction of state law, some districts pay most of their school costs from property taxes, while others get a large share of funding from the state. On top of that, some districts, such as Durango 9-R, have passed special property taxes to sup-

plement what the state allocates.

If a uniform property tax was adopted, it could eventually free up hundreds of millions of dollars in state money for K-12.

However, a similar proposal last year was pulled by its chief sponsor, who feared it would hurt the districts he represents.

Missy Votel contributed to this story, which was edited for length. To read it in its entirety, go to www.cpr.org. n

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Dec. 19, 2019 n 11

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dayinthelife Dec. 19, 2019

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t’s been quite some time since the San J rienced the true blessings of Old Man the solstice. As our mountain landscape after months of drought, the shortest and

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by Stephen Eginoire

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the year reveal just how magical winter can be. Here’s a look at a recent outing into the high country where suspended ice crystals, sub-zero temperatures, low-angle light (and a few intrepid skiers) put on a most dynamic show.

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thesecondsection

Walk on the wild side Think the holidays are nuts? Trying going out for some in the Dominican on Christmas Eve

T

he pretty young woman whacks me just above the knee with her shopping basket laden with goodies.

The stream of shoppers that propelled her into me pulls her away. Xmas Eve day in Santiago, Dominican Republic, is officially nuts, which, coincidentally, was one of the things I was trying to buy in La Serena, a large Walmart style supermercado. Most days it is convenient onestop shopping. Today, 20-30 people crowd each of the many cash registers, arms full of last-minute items. You cannot walk in the aisles, let alone push a cart, it’s Black Friday, Level 10. I opt out and head for the street market. At the door, I am squeezed against the hordes pushing to get in. We jostle through the narrow opening, one river of humanity crashing against another until I am spewed onto the sidewalk. I casually brush my wallet, secure in the knee pocket of my cargo pants. Still there.

It’s about the same outside, except in open air and with a lot more cars. The sidewalk is jammed, people spill into the streets; vehicles jerk, shiver, stop. Trucks and busses stall in the street. Blowing their horns seems to help.

Pedestrians maneuver thru the metal squeeze, cutting between cars. It is faster than the sidewalk. Some are hawking bottles of water, candy and fresh chunks of pineapple in plastic baggies to the frustrated passersby. A taxi driver shouts. I sidestep mothers weighed down with bulging plastic sacks, children clinging to their skirts, an occasional beggar, which today all get an alm or two from me. A parked car, itself jostled, sounds its alarm, clearly distressed. Its bleating is annoying, no one pays it any attention.

It rains and stops, the air refreshed then muggy.

The cracked and jumbled footing becomes even more treacherous. We crawl along the narrow sidewalk, like the sweat crawling down my chest. I am nearly blindsided by an umbrella, its spikes at my eye level. A statuesque woman brightly dressed, balancing a tray of sunglasses on her head, weaves between cars, her rhythmic sway unperturbed by the melee. I wish I was going her way just for the serenity.

At a side street, booths line the sidewalk offering fruit, bread, sweets, clothes, belts, CDs, flowers – sometimes all at the same stand. A man sells shoes out of the trunk of his car. I try a

newsstand/bakery/electronics shop which may be selling maternity clothes in one corner. No nuts. I find a promising booth on a corner manned by three teenage boys. Two seem to be selling, the other in charge of the portable radio pumping out the same juiced-up merengue spilling from a shop a few doors away. I choose grapes with seeds, raisins with seeds and bananas, no seeds, all of it bulk, all of it wholesaled off the back of a truck a few hours earlier.

“Tiene nuezes? Nuezas? Nu – ay – sayes?”

My Spanish is preshrunk, washable and I try every variant I can think of. The boy looks at me blankly.

His Dominican does not intersect with my Spanish.

Finally, with the help of another customer, his face brightens. No, no nuts for you today. When the young man gives me change, he pats my arm and wishes me well. It is unexpected and kind. The fruit will last several days. It is 125 pesos, about $2.60.

A narrow vertical gutter a foot deep parallels the cross street, a real ankle twister. Periodically in the sidewalk, the mouth of a utility pit gapes open. There is no cover, no warning sign, no protection of any kind. You could go in to your hip. Shop doors stand open with music and people cascading onto the sidewalk. An imperious man with a huge gut bellies his way thru the throng, oblivious to the consternation

telegraph

in his wake. It is an effective ram and he gives me a good thump. A thin dog, pendulous from nursing, noses through a pile of household refuse. The fetid stench overwhelms the unburned hydrocarbons.

A tantalizing aroma draws me across the street. I look for a natural break in the bumper to bumper. The greater hazard is the one you don’t see. Motoconchos – lightweight motor bikes – cut between the cars, their horns at a higher pitch. In the general mayhem, they are impossible to track. Ignoring their own safety, and everyone else’s, they think nothing of grazing your hip, gunning it between you and a car. God help you if you step backward at the wrong time. I make it to the mouthwatering smells unscathed. A deep pan of hot oil simmers over a gas burner. In plop chunks of sausage, cheese, plantains. A man dressed simply in a loose shirt, pants and flip flops buys a plate of the steaming food – a little over $3. He juggles a bite-sized piece, pops it into his mouth and gives the plate to an old woman sitting cross legged on the sidewalk, her possessions tucked closely around her. She smiles, I see only three blackened teeth. In the street, a pedestrian curses a car, throwing his arm into the air, dismissively.

Finally, in a pharmacy, I find a paltry package of nuts and decline the exorbitant price. I’ll get crackers at the hotel. It rains – again. A man in a doorway asks, what are you looking for?

“Este es avenida Cucurulo?”

“Si,” he smiles, swinging his arm parallel to the street, “Cucurulo.” He’s delighted to be of help. “Pase un buen dia!”

I find my lodging, Hotel Colonial, right where I left it. Most days it is a 10-minute walk from La Serena. I stand outside a moment, breathing in the whole glorious mess. This has been unforgettable, even for here, a mesmerizing hour and a half traversing a few blocks. I am fall-on-my-knees grateful I have an air-conditioned room, a hot shower and a comfortable bed a few steps away.

The day has been full of heart: heart stopping, heart wrenching, heart warming, one moment piled on the next, all of it a gift, all of it divine. I give thanks. Feliz Navidad!

– john van becay

Dec. 19, 2019 n 15

FlashinthePan

Jewish-American Christmas

by Ari LeVaux

T

he Jewish American tradition of eating Chinese food at Christmas is rooted in pragmatism and loneliness. In the mid-1900s, America’s two largest non-Christian immigrant populations shared the experience of watching the world grind to a standstill each December, as their friends and neighbors vanished into their extended families, leaving behind empty cities where everything was closed, except the Chinese restaurants.

On a windy Christmas night in Albuquerque, I took a walk in the footsteps of my East Coast immigrant Jewish forefathers and took my two little boys out for Chinese food. My wife isn’t of the tribe but works on Christmas like a good Jewish American, making it easier for observant co-workers to take the day off. Like the Chinese food-eating trailblazers who started the tradition, we had nowhere to go and not much else to do.

I was the restaurant critic of record for the local paper and had been in every Chinese restaurant of note, and I knew exactly where I wanted to go for Chinese Christmas: Budai, a strip mall gem by Interstate 25, set between a dollar store and an accountant’s office.

Budai is run by a Taiwanese-born couple who opened the restaurant because Hsia, the husband, was turned down for a job at Panda Express. In the dining room, wife Elsa cheerfully calls him “Panda Express Reject.”

Elsa helped us craft a meal in the spirit of our trailblazing Chinese food-eating Jews, many of whom took advantage of the pleasures of those non-Kosher kitchens.

We ate mapo tofu, aka “grandma’s bean curd,” in honor of those Chinese food-eating Jews who sought out pork on the sly. It doesn’t look like it has pork, just a plate of tofu with this really tasty, chunky sauce. We also smacked down an order of dong po pork, chunks of braised pork belly in a dark, thin sauce, to commemorate those times when an er-

rant forefather might have had the opportunity to dine alone, and eat glorious pork in full view.

Before leaving Budai, we placed an order for my wife, a veggievore, who was slaving away for that holiday pay.

Budai’s vegetable entrees include heaping oblong plates piled high with lightly seasoned Asian greens, such as pea tips, sweet potato leaves and hollow heart spinach.

I reached out to Elsa recently, in search of guidance for another Chinese Jewish American Christmas. Specifically, I wanted to know about greens cooked qing chaostyle, which means “clear stir-fry.” It’s a simple, subtle recipe that doesn’t even have soy sauce and focuses the eater’s attention squarely on the vegetable itself.

But despite being simple, Elsa cautioned, it’s not necessarily recommended for civilians to try at home. “It needs a very high temperature stove and a high-powered exhaust,” she said.

I’d heard her warnings before. And sure, she was right about the gooey oyster and bean sprout omelet thing on the secret menu.

Still, I was glad to have at least tried that omelet and tested my limits, and I was ready to try qing chao stir fry. Following Elsa’s instructions, I did just that, and inhaled my work. I made another batch, so quickly and easily. Gone.

I then went on a bit of a qing chao rampage, making it with any greens I could get my hands on, including spinach, bok choy and even peeled celery. It was fantastic every time I made it, with every green I tried, different types of broth, and every variation Elsa suggested.

The technique begins with a puddle of hot oil in a wok or pan, into which you add either garlic, shallot or Sichuan peppercorns, and briefly fry at high heat. The most interesting flavor comes from Sichuan peppercorns (no relation to black pepper). Known as huajiao in Mandarin, these pink seeds have an otherworldly tingly and piney taste that’s as much a feeling in your mouth as a flavor. Tossed into a mound of spinach, the Sichuan pep-

1480 E. 2nd Ave. & 15th St. • 970-764-4577 www.jimmysmusic.supply 16 n Dec. 19, 2019

telegraph

percorns give the arrangement a taste that’s hard to pin down, a look of mistletoe.

I leave the spinach leaves whole, even the big ones.

Other greens, like bok choy, should be chopped or they will be too tough to chew.

Qing Chao Spinach 2 servings 1 tablespoon peanut oil 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns (or substitute one clove minced garlic) 1 pound spinach ½ cup broth (chicken or clam) ½ cup rice wine ½ teaspoon white pepper Salt to taste Heat the oil on high in a wok or heavy pan. Add the Sichuan peppercorns and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the spinach, broth and wine, in that order. Stir it around quickly, cooking everything evenly. Add the white pepper. Stir fry one minute at high heat, so the sauce starts to thicken but doesn’t completely evaporate. Season with salt and serve.

Dong po Pork Translates loosely to “What the Rabbi eats when travelling.” Don’t panic at the quantity of soy sauce and sugar. Most of it stays in the braising liquid. The folks at Budai don’t use the five spice, but they condoned my use.

4 servings 1 lb pork belly, cut into square pieces, about 1 ½ inches on a side 1 bunch scallions, roots trimmed, cut into thirds 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and sliced lengthwise into thin sheets ½ teaspoon five spice powder (optional) 1 cup brown sugar 1 ¼ cup soy sauce 1 cup rice wine Optional: Sichuan chili peppers, or similar small, thinskinned hotties Boil a large pot of salted water. Add the pork and simmer for five minutes. Remove and drain.

Add the scallions, ginger, five spice, chili peppers (if using) and sugar to a clay pot or any pan that has a tight, heavy lid. Add the chunks of pork, skin sides down. Pour in the soy sauce and wine, and enough water to just cover the pork. Cook for two hours on low with the lid on, turning the pieces after an hour. Thicken some gravy if you wish with cornstarch or simmering. Serve hot, drenched in the sauce. n

TopShelf

Mysto’s magic, New Year’s naughtiness & 2019’s top twang

by Chris Aaland

R

ing in the New Year with the Secret Circus Society’s Illuminaughty at 10:30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. This sensual new show unlocks the door to the unknown, the sexy and the strange. Special VIP tickets are available, which include the Key to the Crow’s Nest Balcony, featuring great views, seats, treats and additional pleasures.

New Year’s Eve at the Henry Strater Theatre features a dance party with JCalvin along with special guests Mesquite and the Alex Blocker Band. VIP perks include champagne and private box seating.

A sleeping giant in the electronic music world, Emancipator plays the Animas City Theatre at 8 p.m. on Sun., Dec. 29.

Douglas Appling, known professionally as Emancipator, has quietly established himself as a mainstay on the electronic scene. Since his 2006 debut album, “Soon it Will be Cold Enough,” the classically trained violinist uses an organic approach to EDM to incorporate a wide range of international cultures and music genres. Special guest Koresma opens.

The Sheridan Opera House has a ridiculous holiday schedule coming up, with something for everyone, assuming you have coin to spare. The lineup includes KT Tunstall (Fri., Dec. 27), Jewel (Sat., Dec. 28), Mary Wilson of The Supremes (Sun., Dec. 29), Emancipator (Mon., Dec. 30) and the Pimps of Joytime (New Year’s Eve).

Shawn Colvin plays Club Red at the Telluride Conference Center in Mountain Village on at 8 p.m. on Mon., Dec. 30. She sprung into our collective imaginations way back in 1989 when her debut album, “Steady On,” earned a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album. It included the hit, “Shotgun Down the Avalanche,” which, if you’ve ever seen her perform live at Telluride Bluegrass, she says was inspired by a steep run at the ski area. While Colvin was once a regular at T-Ride festivals, in recent years, smaller-venue shows seem to be the only way to catch her in San Miguel County.

People We Know holds its long-awaited CD release party at 8 p.m. Fri., Dec. 20, at the Animas City Theatre. The local bluegrass quintet has been honing their skills for years on such stages as the Durango Bluegrass Meltdown and Meltdown on the Mesa. The group features members of Outskirts and Fellowship of the Strings.

The Afrobeatniks play a winter solstice dance party at Mancos Brewing at 6 p.m. Sat., Dec. 21. This year proved to be a huge year for the world group troupe with membership in La Plata and Montezuma counties, what with the release of their debut album and an opening slot for KSUT’s Party in the Park last August.

Posh Josh spins house and electronic music at a winter Solstice dance party at the ACT at 9:30 p.m. on Sat., Dec. 21. The three-act bill also includes Smiley Coyote and Brap the Goat.

Music in the Mountains hosts its free scholarship awards recital at 5:30 p.m. tonight (Thur., Dec. 19) at FLC’s Roshong Recital Hall. MITM’s private lesson scholarship program helps defray the cost of private music lessons for students to continue to develop their music skills.

Family-friendly fun continues at the Community Concert Hall at 7:30 p.m. Saturday with Mysto’s Really Big Magic Show.

The one-time local performer Mysto the Magi (aka Mitch Har-

wood) will take the audience on a vaudeville journey with playlets, mystery, secret messages and group participation.

For your holiday shopping, here are my Top 10 albums of 2019 … no charge for the extra twang!

1. The Highwomen, self-titled – What do you get when you throw together Americana’s current “It Girl,” a Top 40 country superstar, an indie Americana sensation and a Nashville songwriter?

When it’s Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris, Amanda Shires & Natalie Hemby, you get a supergroup truly worthy of the title. The record is a polished gem, with just enough sisterly angst to make it unforgettable.

2. Tyler Childers, “Country Squire” – Childers exploded onto the scene a couple of years ago with his second album, “Purgatory.” The young guitar slinger who had recently rented a room from Town MounThe Highwomen tain’s Jesse Langlais took critics and fans by storm.

No one was surprised by the success of his latest album, “Country Squire,” which places him as the heir apparent to Robert Earl Keen’s yuck-yuck, pluck-pluck crown.

3. Paul Cauthen, “Room 41” – Cauthen is an enigma. He possesses Johnny Cash’s voice, Hank Williams’ bad boy attitude and a Southern Baptist preacher’s longing for redemption. His music falls somewhere between outlaw country and David Bowie’s Berlin trilogy. Its sleeper track, “Cocaine Country Dancing,” is a no-holds-barred ode to the type of partying that gets you killed or imprisoned and wouldn’t be out of place on Queen’s “The Game.”

4. Rich Mahan, “Hot Chicken Wisdom” – Mahan is an A&R man for a record label by day, then plays kick-ass country music in the vein of early ’70s Grateful Dead and NRPS at night.

His sophomore effort winds through similar territory as his debut, with songs like “Daydrinking,” “Loose Lucy” (yes, the Dead cover) and “Stoned as a Roman Slave” as highlights.

5. Billy Strings, “Taking Water” – Billy Strings is The Truth. Someday he will be as revered as bluegrass guitar virtuosos like Tony Rice and Bryan Sutton.

6. The Infamous Stringdusters, “Rise Sun” – The Dusters quietly emerged as the biggest group in the bluegrass jam scene, wrestling the title away from Yonder a year or two ago.

Their latest only cements their reputation.

7. Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley, “World Full of Blues” – Having already mastered country and bluegrass on their first two records, the dobro-and-guitar duo tackled acoustic blues with special guests like Taj Mahal and Vince Gill.

8. The Allman Betts Band, “Down to the River” – The apples didn’t fall far from their trees, with the sons of Greg Allman, Dickey Betts and Berry Oakley keeping the family groove alive.

9. Son Volt, “The Union” – Jeff Tweedy and Wilco may sell more records and concert tickets, but Jay Farrar reminds us with every Son Volt release that he was the brains behind Uncle Tupelo.

10. Calexico/Iron and Wine, “Father Mountain” EP – The year’s most lush release was not surprisingly a collaboration between Sam Beam and Tucson’s favorite musical sons. Fourteen years ago, they released a similar project, “In the Reins.” Let’s hope they don’t wait another 14 years to get back together.

A million dollars in it, cold hundreds of g’s? E-mail me at chrisa@go brainstorm.net. n

telegraph

Let us wrap up your Christmas for You! At the Durango Mall (next to JCPenney)

For more information:

projectmerrychristmas.com or 247-2944 Please mail monetary donations to:

PO Box 422 Durango, CO, 81302

Putting the pieces together is my passion.

Let me help you with the real estate puzzle.

Gillian Arnwine 970-749-3704 gillian@wellsgroupdurango.com Dec. 19, 2019 n 17

onthetown

Thursday19 Baby Meetup with Durango Café au Play, 9:30-11:30 a.m., 2307 Columbine. 749-9607.

Living Your Best Life with Disabilities: Healthy Communication, co-hosted by Southwest Center for Independence, 1:30-2:30 p.m., Durango Public Library.

Pine Needle’s Holiday Makers Market, 3-7 p.m., Pine Needle Dry Goods, 858 Main Ave. Thursday Afternoon Social Club for veterans, their spouses and supporters, 4-6 p.m., VFW, 1550 Main.

Dustin Burley performs, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

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

Matt Rupnow performs, 6 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave.

Robby Overfield performs, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Andrew Schuhmann performs, 6 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave. Loki Moon, 6-8 p.m., Durango Coffee Co.

A Rockin’ Snowdown Beer Release Party, featuring Tutti Frutti on tap, 5 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St.

The Lisa Blue Trio performs, 6-8 p.m., Durango Craft Spirits, 1120 Main Ave., Suite 2.

Robby Overfield performs, 5-8 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St.

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

Tim Sullivan performs, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Majesty of Christmas Concert, presented by 3rd Ave. Arts, 7 p.m., St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 910 E. 3rd Ave.

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

Ecstatic Dance with B.licious, 7-10 p.m., VFW, 1550 Main Ave.

Open Mic Night, 6-8 p.m., Eno Wine Bar, 723 E. 2nd.

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

Winter Solstice Observation, 3:45-5:30 p.m., also runs Dec. 21, Aztec Ruins.

Karaoke, 7 p.m.-close, VFW, 1550 Main Ave.

The Afrobeatniks perform, part of the Solstice Bonfire Party, 6 p.m., Mancos Brewing.

Ben Gibson Duo, 6-10 p.m., Seven Rivers Restaurant, Sky Ute Resort in Ignacio.

Ike’s America Holiday Show, all proceeds go to iAM Music and Stillwater Music, 7 p.m., Henry Strater Theatre, 699 Main Ave. www.henrystratertheatre.com.

Mysto’s Really Big Magic Show, 7:30 p.m., Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College. www.durango concerts.com.

The Garrett Young Collective performs, 8 p.m., WildHorse Saloon, 601 E. 2nd Ave. DJ Side Affex, 9 p.m.-close, Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave. Posh Josh performs with special guests Smiley Coyote and Brap the Goat, 10 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Dr. www.animascitytheatre.com.

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

The Garrett Young Collective performs, 8 p.m., Wild Horse Saloon, 601 E. 2nd Ave.

Laugh Therapy, comedy open mic, sign up 7 p.m., show begins 8 p.m., Irish Embassy Pub, 900 Main Ave.

People We Know CD Release Party, 8 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Dr.

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

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

Saturday21

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

Karaoke, 8 p.m., Wild Horse Saloon, 601 E. 2nd Ave. Plursday featuring DJ Hakan, 9 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Friday20 Durango Early Bird Toastmasters, 7-8:30 a.m., LPEA, 45 Stewart St. Free yoga, 8:30-9:30 a.m., Lively Boutique, 809 Main.

Henry Stoy, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Jean-Pierre Restaurant & Wine Bar, 601 Main Ave. VFW Indoor Flea Market, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., 1550 Main Ave.

Sunday22

Blue Moon Ramblers, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Joel Racheff performs, 6 p.m., The Office, 699 Main.

Bolshoi Ballet: The Nutcracker, 12:55 p.m., show also runs Dec. 22, Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Dr.

Celtic Christmas, 6 p.m., Irish Embassy Pub, 900 Main Ave. 403-1200.

Christmas Celebration and Special Feast for those experiencing homelessness and food insecurity, hosted by Community Compassion Outreach, 12:30-2:30 p.m., Schneider Park.

Open Mic Night, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Hermosa Coffee Roasters, 738 Main Ave.

Monday23

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

Santa Claus, 1-2:30 p.m., base area at Purgatory. www.purgatoryresort.com.

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

Winter Commencement, featuring address from Sen. Rhonda Fields, D-Denver, 3 p.m., FLC Whalen Gym.

Free Winter Ornament Workshop, 2-4 p.m., MakerLab at the Powerhouse, 1333 Camino del Rio.

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

STEAM Lab: Build a Puzzle, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Durango Public Library.

Winter Solstice Observation, 3:45-5:30 p.m., Aztec Ruins National Monument.

Joel Racheff performs, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. 4

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Rob Webster performs, 6 p.m., The Office, 699 Main.

Aikido: The Art of Peace, 6-8 p.m., Mountain Middle School, 108 W. 31st St. Trivia Night, 7 p.m., Blondies in Cortez.

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

Tuesday24 Christmas Eve Terry Rickard performs, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Tim Sullivan performs, 6 p.m., The Office, 699 Main.

Super Ted’s Super Trivia, 6:12 p.m., Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave. 403-3068.

The Rat Pack is back with ‘Ike’s Holiday Show’ What: “Ike’s America Holiday Show” featuring Ted Holteen When: 7 p.m., Sat., Dec. 21 Where: Henry Strater Theater Tickets: $25, proceeds go to benefit Stillwater and iAM music’s educational programs It’s time to chill the martini glasses and put on your best holiday cocktail finery as the sounds of Dean, Sammy, Frank and crew take over the Henry Strater Theatre this Saturday night.

Based on his popular Thursday night KSUT radio show, Ted Holteen emcees a special edition of his “Ike’s America” with “Ike’s America Holiday Show.” Joining him will be local jazz superband Powerlounge, featuring Du-

rango’s finest jazz musicians as well as the crooning prowess of Alison Dance and John Rubano.

In addition to offering his entertaining banter, emcee Holteen will also regale audiences with interesting tidbits on the beloved tunes – Christmas and otherwise – from the great American songbook of the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s. The dance floor will be open for your swinging pleasure.

All proceeds from the evening will be donated to iAM Music and Stillwater to benefit music education in Southwest Colorado.

For more info., visit: www.henrystratertheatre.com.

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

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

Wednesday25 Christmas Day Ski with Santa, featuring hot cocoa and candy canes, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Kendall Mountain Ski Area, Silverton. www.skikendall.com.

Donny Johnson performs, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Terry Rickard performs, 6 p.m., The Office, 699 Main.

Thursday26

Loki Moon, 6-8 p.m., Durango Coffee Co.

Live music, 6 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave. Open Mic Night, 6-8 p.m., Eno Wine Bar, 723 E. 2nd Ave.

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

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

Karaoke, 7 p.m.-close, VFW, 1550 Main Ave.

Saturday28

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

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

Plursday featuring DJ Hakan, 9 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

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

Friday27 Durango Early Bird Toastmasters, 7-8:30 a.m., LPEA, 45 Stewart St. 769-7615.

National Theatre Live: “One Man, Two Guvnors,” 11 a.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Dr. Adam Swanson performs, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

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

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

Living Your Best Life with Disabilities, co-hosted by Southwest Center for Independence, 1:30-2:30 p.m., Durango Public Library. 375-3380.

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

Thursday Afternoon Social Club for veterans, their spouses and supporters, 4-6 p.m., VFW, 1550 Main Ave. Black Velvet performs, 5-8 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St.

Climate Strike, 4-5 p.m., meet at intersection of 11th Street and Main Avenue.

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

Tim Sullivan performs, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Mike Testa performs, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

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

Robby Overfield performs, 6 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave.

Dustin Burley performs, 6 p.m., The Office, 699 Main.

The Assortment performs, 6 p.m., Down the Rabbit Hole, 640 Main Ave. Bob Hemenger performs, 6-10 p.m., Seven Rivers Restaurant at Sky Ute Casino Resort in Ignacio.

The Black Velvet Trio performs, 7-11 p.m., Derailed Pour House, 725 Main Ave. DJ Side Affex, 9 p.m.-close, Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

More “On the Town” p. 234

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AskRachel Interesting fact: A 6-foot balled-and-burlapped Christmas tree can weigh 250 pounds. Try bringing that down the chimney.

Dear Rachel, Explain to me the allure of a living Christmas tree. I don’t mean a “live” tree, I mean a “living” tree, one still with roots in a big old ball of dirt. You get that dirt everywhere, the tree is super heavy to lift and move, and let’s be perfectly honest, it’s still going to end up dead in the back yard until spring cleanup happens.

Asking for myself, because my two kids are still hounding me for a living tree, and I’m running out of time and reasons to say no.

– Up a Tree Dear Without a Paddle, What’s not to love? You get the scent of fresh forest soil right there in your living room, without the guilt of contributing to deforestation. I mean, you’re still deforesting, since the tree isn’t in the forest anymore, but at least you’re taking in the tree like a refugee. But that doesn’t help you out any. Let’s see… is it possible your kids mean to say “giving tree” instead of “living tree?”

You could teach them the joy of giving to others. Or you could teach it to yourself and get the damn tree already.

– O Tannenbaum, Rachel

balance between touches of décor and plenty of open space. I strive to emulate this deep-sigh-inducing style in my own home. But no matter how much stuff I get rid of, the things just keep encroaching. I practically have tables on top of futons, not to mention dust freaking everywhere. How can I get that post-worthy living room, even for just a day?

– Photo Op Dear Worse Homes and Gardens, Staging the perfect living room is exactly like building the perfect burger. The photographers have all kinds of tricks, like wax-covered produce (helpful in both cases), that you can never reproduce in your own home. And if you did manage to pull it off, you’d have a result that you could neither actually live in or actually eat. What’s the fun in that? Take pride in living your life, and maybe clear up space by recycling those old magazines.

– Take your shoes off, Rachel Email Rachel at telegraph@durangotelegraph.com Dear Rachel, I’m hoping you can settle a marital dispute.

My husband loves getting me cut flowers. Whole bunches of flowers, flowers in unique jars, floral arrangements, corsages. I think it’s a complete waste of money. Our yard is already full of flowers in the spring and summer. And those flowers don’t die in a week! But he thinks he’s being romantic, and I don’t want to cut off all his amorous intentions. Help!

– Flower Intolerant

Dear Bloom and Gloom, How do all the men like that end up with women who don’t appreciate them? I have friends – OK, acquaintances – OK, chat room buddies – who would murder for one week of a fella like yours. So it’s time for some reverse psych here. Start expecting flowers, and he’ll get real tired of giving them real quick. Or else redirect his energies to giving live plants. I hear there’s some kids in need of a monster living Christmas tree.

– Water frequently, Rachel

OntheTown from p. 19

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

Loki Moon – Raw Experiments, 6-8 p.m., Eno Wine Bar, 723 E. 2nd Ave.

Sunday29

Leah Orlikowski performs, 6 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave.

Dear Rachel, I love looking at magazines and Instagram at tastefully furnished rooms, with an aesthetic

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

Ski Free, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Kendall Mountain Ski Area in Silverton. www.skikendall.com.

Blue Moon Ramblers, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Joel Racheff performs, 6 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave. Open Mic, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Hermosa Coffee, 738 Main.

Emancipator performs, 8 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Dr. www.animascitytheatre.com.

Monday30

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

Joel Racheff performs, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Rob Webster performs, 6 p.m., The Office, 699 Main.

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

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

Fireworks & Torchlight Parade, 6-6:30 p.m., Purgatory Resort.

Super Ted’s Super Trivia, 6:12 p.m., Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave. 403-3068.

Trivia Factory, 6:30-8:30 p.m., The Roost, 128 College.

New Year’s Eve featuring J-Calvin with special guest Mesquite & Alex Blocker Band, 8 p.m., Henry Strater Theatre, 699 Main Ave. www.henrystratertheatre.com.

New Year’s Eve Retro Glam 2020, featuring Civic Winds Jazz Orchestra, midnight champagne toast and more, doors open, 8:30 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. New Year’s Eve Party, 9 p.m.-1 a.m., Purgy’s.

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

Ongoing Winter Solstice Market, featuring works from 30 regional artists, thru Dec. 23, Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. www.durangoarts.org.

The Polar Express, thru Jan. 2, Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. www.durangotrain.com.

Upcoming National Theatre Live: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” 11 a.m., Jan. 4, also runs 1 p.m., Jan. 5, Animas City Theatre, 128 College Dr. www.animascitytheatre.com.

IllumiNAUGHTY, presented by Secret Circus Society, 10:30 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 College Dr. www.ani mascitytheatre.com.

Veterans Breakfast, 9-11 a.m., Jan. 5, La Plata County Fairgrounds. 946-4831.

Wednesday01

Latin Dance Night, 8 p.m., Jan. 7, Wild Horse Saloon, 601 E. 2nd Ave. salsadancedurango@gmail.com.

New Year’s Day

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

Tuesday31 New Year’s Eve Zumba Gold, 9:30 a.m., Senior Center, 2424 Main Ave.

20 n Dec. 19, 2019

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

Winter Pub Run, 4-6-mile run (bring headlamps) followed by post-run beers, hosted by the Durango Running Club, 6 p.m., meet at Steamworks Brewing, 801 E. 2nd Ave. www.durangorunningclub.org.

telegraph

“Screenagers: Next Chapter” documentary, 7 p.m., Jan. 8, Miller Middle School, 2608 Junction St. Nappy Roots performs, 8:30 p.m., Jan. 8, Animas City Theatre, 128 College Dr. www.animascitytheatre.com.

28th annual Southwest Economic Outlook, 8:30-11 a.m., Jan. 9, Student Union Ballroom, Fort Lewis College.

FreeWillAstrology

by Rob Brezsny ARIES (March 21-April 19): The English word “hubris” means prideful, exaggerated self-assurance. In the HBO TV series “Rome,” the ancient Roman politician and general Mark Antony says to his boss Julius Caesar, “I’m glad you’re so confident. Some would call it hubris.” Caesar has a snappy comeback: “It’s only hubris if I fail.” I’m tempted to dare you to use that as one of your mottoes in 2020, Aries. I have a rather expansive vision of your capacity to accomplish great things during the coming months. And I also think that one key to your triumphs and breakthroughs will be your determination to cultivate a well-honed aplomb, even audacity.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): For years I’ve lived in a house bordering a wetland, and I’ve come to love that ecosystem more than any other. While communing with reeds and herons and muddy water, my favorite poet has been Taurus-born Lorine Niedecker, who wrote about marshes with supreme artistry. Until the age of 60, her poetic output was less than abundant because she had to earn a meager living by cleaning hospital floors. Then, due to a fortuitous shift in circumstances, she was able to leave that job and devote more time to what she loved most and did best. With Niedecker’s breakthrough as our inspiration, I propose that we do all we can, you and I, as we conspire to make 2020 the year you devote more time to the activity that you love most and do best.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In the English language, the prefix “re” comes at the beginning of many words with potent transformational meaning: reinvent; redeem; rediscover; release; relieve; redesign; resurrect; rearrange; reconstruct; reform; reanimate; reawaken; regain. I hope you’ll put words like those at the top of your priority list in 2020. If you hope to take maximum advantage of the cosmic currents, it’ll be a year of revival, realignment and restoration.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I won’t be surprised if you’re enamored and amorous more than usual in 2020. I suspect you will experience delight and enchantment at an elevated rate. The intensity and depth of the feelings that flow through you may break all your previous records. Is that going to be a problem? I suppose it could be if you worry that the profuse flows of tenderness and affection will render you weak and vulnerable. But if you’re willing and eager to interpret your extra sensitivity as a superpower, that’s probably what it will be.

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LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Does the word “spirit” mean anything to you? Or are you numb to it? Has it come to seem virtually meaningless – a foggy abstraction used carelessly by millions of people to express sentimental beliefs and avoid clear thinking? In accordance with astrological omens, I’ll ask you to create a sturdier and more vigorous definition of “spirit” for your practical use in 2020. For instance, you might decide that “spirit” refers to the life force that launches you out of bed each morning and motivates you to keep transforming yourself into the ever-more beautiful soul you want to become.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “There are people who take the heart out of you, and there are people who put it back,” author Charles de Lint wrote. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, your heart will encounter far more of the latter than the former types of people in 2020. There may be one wrangler who tries to take the heart out of you, but there will be an array of nurturers who will strive to keep the heart in you – as well as boosters and builders who will add even more heart.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Composer Igor Stravinsky was born a Russian citizen but later in life became a French citizen, and still later took on American citizenship. If you have had any similar predilections, Libra, I’m guessing they won’t be in play during 2020. My prediction is that you will develop a more robust sense of where you belong than ever before.

Any uncertainties you’d had about where your true power spot lies will dissipate.

Questions you’ve harbored about the nature of home will be answered. With flair and satisfaction, you’ll resolve long-running riddles about home and community.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “Friendship is a very taxing and arduous form of leisure activity,” philosopher and educator Mortimer Adler wrote.

He was exaggerating a bit for comic effect, but he was basically correct. We all must mobilize a great deal of intelligence and hard work to initiate new friendships and maintain existing friendships. But I have some very good news about how these activities will play out for you in 2020, Scorpio. I expect that your knack for practicing the art of friendship will be at an all-time high. I also believe that your close alliances will be especially gratifying and useful for you. You’ll be well-rewarded for your skill and care at cultivating rapport.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21): In 1933, Sagittarian artist Diego Rivera was commissioned to paint a huge mural in one of the famous Rockefeller buildings in New York City. His

patrons didn’t realize he was planning to include a controversial portrait of former Soviet Communist leader Vladimir Lenin.

When the deed was done, they ordered him to remove it. When he refused, they ushered him out and destroyed the whole mural. As a result, Rivera also lost another commission to create art at the Chicago World’s Fair. In any other year, Sagittarius, I might encourage you to be as idealistic as Rivera. I’d invite you to place artistic integrity over financial considerations. But I’m less inclined to advise that in 2020. I think it may serve you to be unusually pragmatic. At least consider leaving Lenin out of your murals.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “People mistake their limitations for high standards,” Capricorn author Jean Toomer wrote. In my astrological opinion, it’s crucial that you avoid doing that in 2020. Why? First, I’m quite sure that you will have considerable power to shed and transcend at least some of your limitations. For best results, you can’t afford to deceive yourself into thinking that those limitations are high standards.

Secondly, Capricorn, you will have good reasons and a substantial ability to raise your standards higher than they’ve ever been. So you definitely don’t want to confuse high standards with limitations.

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AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Historians once thought that 14th-century Englishmen were the first humans to track the rhythms of the planet Jupiter using the complicated mathematics known as calculus. But in 2015, researchers discovered that Babylonians had done it 1,400 years before the Englishmen. Why was Jupiter’s behavior so important to those ancient people? They were astrologers! They believed the planet’s movements were correlated with practical events on Earth, like the weather, river levels and grain harvests.

I think that this correction in the origin story of tracking Jupiter’s rhythms will be a useful metaphor for you in 2020. It’s likely you will come to understand your past in ways that are different from what you’ve believed up until now. Your old tales will change.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): China produces the most apples in the world. The United States is second. That wasn’t always true. When Europeans first reached the shores of the New World, crab apple was the only apple species that grew natively. But the invaders planted other varieties that they brought with them. They also imported the key to all future proliferation: honeybees, champion pollinators, which were previously absent from the land that many indigenous people called Turtle Island. I see 2020 as a time for you to accomplish the equivalent, in your own sphere, of getting the pollination you need. What are the fertilizing influences that will help you accomplish your goals?

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FreeWillAstrology

by Rob Brezsny

This holiday season, care for those you love ... and include yourself.

Buy 2 Massage Gift Certificates (60 or 90 mins.)

and Get 1 Free (30 mins.)

970-247-3939 230 E. College Drive www.amayamassage.com

22 n Dec. 19, 2019

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Nazi Germany invaded and occupied Denmark during World War II. In 1943, Hitler ordered all Danish Jews to be arrested – a first step in his plan to send them to concentration camps. But the Danish resistance movement leapt into action and smuggled virtually all of them to safety via fishing boats bound for Sweden. As a result, 8,000+ Danish Jews survived the Holocaust. You may not have the opportunity to do anything quite as heroic in 2020, Aries. But I expect you will have chances to express a high order of practical idealism that could be among your noblest and most valiant efforts ever. Draw inspiration from the Danish resistance.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): When she was 31, Taurus writer Charlotte Brontë finished writing her novel Jane Eyre. She guessed it would have a better chance of getting published if its author was thought to be a man. So she adopted the masculine pen name of Currer Bell and sent the manuscript unsolicited to a London publisher. Less than eight weeks later, her new book was in print. It quickly became a commercial success. I propose that we make Brontë one of your role models for 2020, Taurus. May she inspire you to be audacious in expressing yourself and confident in seeking the help you need to reach your goals. May she embolden you, too, to use ingenious stratagems to support your righteous cause.

(Week of Dec. 26)

gresses, you can whittle them down to the most ultimate and important questions. Get started!

bet you’ll also be good at connecting influences that belong together but have never been able to combine before.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The Roman Emperor Vespasian (9– 79 AD) supervised the restoration of the Temple of Peace, the Temple of Claudius and the Theater of Marcellus. He also built a huge statue of Apollo and the amphitheater now known as the Colosseum, whose magnificent ruins are still a major tourist attraction. Vespasian also created a less majestic but quite practical wonder: Rome’s first public urinals. In accordance with astrological omens, I invite you Leos to be stimulated by his example in 2020.

Be your usual magnificent self as you generate both inspiring beauty and earthy, pragmatic improvements.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21): Sagittarian poet Rainer Maria Rilke (1875–1926) embodied a trait that many astrology textbooks suggest is common to the Sagittarian tribe: wanderlust. He was born in Prague but traveled widely throughout Europe and Russia. If there were a Guinness World Records’ category for “Time Spent as a Houseguest,” Rilke might hold it. There was a four-year period when he lived at 50 different addresses. I’m going to be bold here & hypothesize that 2020 will NOT be one of those years when you would benefit from being like Rilke. In fact, I hope you’ll seek out more stability & security than usual.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): When Virgo author Mary Shelley was 18 years old, she had a disconcerting dreamlike vision about a mad chemist who created a weird human-like creature out of non-living matter. She set about to write a book based on her mirage.

At age 20, she published Frankenstein, a novel that would ultimately wield a huge cultural influence and become a seminal work in the “science fiction” genre. I propose we make Shelley one of your role models for 2020. Why? Because I suspect that you, too, will have the power to transform a challenging event or influence into an important asset. You’ll be able to generate or attract a new source of energy by responding creatively to experiences that initially provoke anxiety.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Fifteenth-century Italian metalworker Lorenzo Ghiberti worked for 28 years to turn the Doors of the Florence Baptistry into a massive work of art. He used bronze to create numerous scenes from the Bible. His fellow artist Michelangelo was so impressed that he said Ghiberti’s doors could have served as “The Gates of Paradise.” I offer Ghiberti as inspiration for your life in 2020, Capricorn. I think you’ll be capable of beginning a masterwork that could take quite some time to complete and serve as your very own “gate to paradise.” In other words, an engaging project and delightful accomplishment that will make you feel your life is eminently meaningful and worthwhile.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): 2020 can and should be a lyrically healing year for you.

Here’s what I mean: Beauty and grace will be curative. The “medicine” you need will come to you via poetic and mellifluous experiences. With this in mind, I encourage you to seek out encounters with the following remedies. 1.

Truth Whimsies 2. Curiosity Breakthroughs 3. Delight Gambles 4. Sacred Amusements 4. Redemptive Synchronicities 5. Surprise Ripenings 6. Gleeful Discoveries 7. Epiphany Adventures 8.

Enchantment Games 9. Elegance Eruptions 10. Intimacy Angels 11. Playful Salvation 12. Luminosity Spells

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Libra-born mystic poet Rumi (1207–73) wrote that he searched for holy sustenance and divine inspiration in temples, churches and mosques – but couldn’t find them there. The good news? Because of his disappointment, he was motivated to go on an inner quest, and ultimately he found holy sustenance and divine inspiration in his own heart. I’ve got a strong feeling that you’ll have similar experiences in 2020, Libra. Not on every occasion, but much of the time, you will discover the treasure you need and long for not in the outside world but rather in your own depths.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): “There are years that ask questions and years that answer,” author Zora Neale Hurston wrote. According to my astrological analysis, Cancerian, 2020 is likely to be one of those years that asks questions, while 2021 will be a time when you’ll get rich and meaningful answers to the queries you’ll pose in 2020. To ensure that this plan works out for your maximum benefit, it’s essential that you formulate provocative questions in the coming months. At first, it’s fine if you generate too many. As the year pro-

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Among his many accomplishments, Scorpio rapper Drake is an inventive rhymer. In his song “Diplomatic Immunity,” he rhymes “sacred temple” with “stencil.”

Brilliant! Other rhymes: “statistics” with “ballistics;” “Treaty of Versailles” with “no cease and desist in I;” and – my favorite – “Al Jazeera” (the Qatar-based news source) with “Shakira” (the Colombian singer).

According to my analysis of the astrological omens in 2020, many of you Scorpios will have Drake-style skill at mixing and blending seemingly disparate elements. I

telegraph

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You’re wise to cultivate a degree of skepticism and even contrariness. Like all of us, your abilities to say NO to detrimental influences and to criticize bad things are key to your mental health. On the other hand, it’s smart to keep checking yourself for irrelevant, gratuitous skepticism and contrariness. You have a sacred duty to maintain just the amount you need, but no more – even as you foster a vigorous reservoir of receptivity, optimism & generosity.

And 2020 will be an excellent time to make this one of your cornerstone habits.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Dante Alighieri (1265–1321) finished writing The Divine Comedy in 1320. Today it’s considered one of the supreme literary accomplishments in the Italian language & a classic of world literature. But no one ever read the entire work in the English language until 1802, when it was translated for the first time. Let’s invoke this as a metaphor for your life in the coming months, Pisces. According to my visions, a resource or influence that has previously been inaccessible to you will finally arrive in a form you can understand and use.

Some wisdom that has been untranslatable or unreadable will at last be available.

classifieds

Deadline for Telegraph classified ads is Tuesday at noon.

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

(Sorry, no refunds or substitutions.)

Ads can be submitted via: n classifieds@durango telegraph.com n 970-259-0133 n 777 Main Ave., #214 Approximate office hours: Mon., 9ish - 5ish Tues., 9ish - 5ish Wed., 9ish - 3ish Thurs., On delivery Fri., 10:30ish - 2ish please call ahead: 259-0133.

Announcements

Wanted

BodyWork

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

Holiday Massage Special $60- 1 hr/ $90- 1.5 hrs. Package special: Buy 5, get the 6th free! Can use for gift certificates!! In town Durango/Free parking/Call or text Nancy @ 970-7992202

Services Got Radon?

Call or text 970-394-4071 to schedule a test today.

Give the Gift of Music Lessons Gift certificates for guitar, bass and voice lessons with Pete Giuliani. Call 970385-6713 or email info@petegiuliani.com What Can I Do for You? Give us a call or email We can help.

Shopping, errands, repairs etc. Fair prices. Kim & David Librande 36du rango@gmail.com 970-259-9286

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

Closed 2:30 - 5, daily.

Calling All Vocalists!

The Durango Voice is back … a fundraiser for Manna is calling for auditions! Submit your best 2 min song in mp3 format by Jan. 20. Include your name, phone, email & short bio. Send to durangovoice2@gmail.com. The Live Blind Auditions show will be held Feb. 22 at the Strater Theatre and if selected, the Finals on April 25.

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

Lowest Prices on Storage!

Inside/outside near Durango and Bayfield, RJ Mini Storage. 970-259-3494

Holiday Massage Gift Certificates Meg Bush, LMT 970-759-0199 massageintervention.life Voted best massage in Durango 201819. Couples, cupping, local CBD. Reviews on FB + Yelp. 970-903-2984 Massage with Kathryn 20+ years experience offering a fusion of esalen style, deep tissue massage with therapeutic stretching & Acutonics. New clients receive $5 off first session. To schedule appt. call 970-201-3373.

ForSale Red Cliffs Pottery Holiday Sale Local handmade pottery, lg selection!

Come see us at 1375 Florida Rd. Wed-Sat, 9-5. Call 970-764-8229.

Harmony Organizing and Cleaning Services Home and office 970-403-6192 Marketing Small and Local Businesses Media, social media, website content, SEO, etc. for small, local, independent or startup businesses. Email jnderge@gmail.com Advanced Duct Cleaning Air duct cleaning specializing in dryer vents. Improves indoor air quality; reduces dust and allergens, energy bills and fire risk. 970-247-2462 www.advanced ductcleaninginc.com

HelpWanted Daisy’s Salon Daisy’s, a top Durango salon, is looking for an enthusiastic part-time stylist to booth rent. Call Aubrey at 946-5395 for details.

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

Reruns Home Furnishings Cozy furnishing! Chinese cabinet, lamps, rugs, art, night stands. Lots of beautiful glassware and linens. Cool vintage dishes – Pyrex & Fiestaware. New great stuff and daily markdowns. 572 E. 6th Ave. 385-7336.

RealEstate Radon Services Free radon testing and consultation.

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

ForRent Room for 1 Male Tenant in shared nice in-town home. No smokers, pets, drugs, parties. $550/mo, incl. utilities + dep. Avail 1/1/20. 970-759-0551.

CommunityService Christmas Trees for Conservation Do you need a Christmas tree? Holiday wreath? The San Juan Mountains As-

telegraph

HaikuMovieReview ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ most days it is but some days you lose it all and you just want to jump – Lainie Maxson sociation is again selling local trees cut from areas in need of thinning, in cooperation with the San Juan National Forest.

Selection includes white and balsam fir trees. Proceeds benefit SJMA. Sunday-Friday, noon-6 p.m. and Saturdays, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad parking lot (corner of College and Camino Del Rio) thru Dec. 22.

Recycle Christmas Trees at Santa Rita Park Dec. 19- Jan. 31.

The City is offering free Christmas tree recycling Dec. 19-Jan. 31. Please note that there is no curbside pick-up of trees. Residents may drop-off natural trees free of ornaments and tinsel at the drop-off site near the large playground area at Santa Rita Park, 149 S. Camino del Rio. The trees will be recycled into mulch, which will be available to residents in the spring. For more info, contact the Parks and Rec Dept. at (970) 375-7321 or rec@DurangoGov.org.

The Free Bag, Bag Free Project Needs old T-shirts to turn into reusable shopping bags. If you have some, please contact columbine.sb@gmail.com.

La Plata Thrive! Living Wage Coalition is seeking steering committee members! Are you passionate about social justice? Do you have a knack for nonprofit organizing? Apply today at thrivelaplata@gmail.com or visit thrive laplata.org!

Community Compassion Outreach invites the public to attend an outdoor Christmas celebration and special feast from 12:30-2:30 p.m., Sat., Dec. 21, at Schneider Park with Durango citizens who are experiencing homelessness and food insecurity. Attendees are invited to bring a favorite dish to share. Volunteer drivers are also needed to help transport guests from the Purple Cliffs to the lunch.

To RSVP or sign-up, contact Donna Mae at (970) 236-2313.

Dec. 19, 2019 n 23

24 n Dec. 19, 2019

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