Durango Telegraph - January 9, 2020

Stocking our bomb shelters

­elegraph the­­­­durango

FREE Jan. 9, 2020

Vol. XIX, No. 2 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

One of a kind

At the door

Social calling

Facebook post morphs into local hub for helping hands p8

The wolves are calling, but will Colorado voters answer? p10

Entrepreneur, artists launch Union Social House p14

This one goes to

11

(Issue 11 is has landed.)

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

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

2 n Jan. 9, 2020

telegraph

lineup

8

4 La Vida Local

What comes around How one Facebook post snowballed into a local movement

4 Thumbin’ It

by Tracy Chamberlin

5 Word on the Street

10

6-7 Soapbox

At the door?

10 Quick ’n’ Dirty

Wolf reintroduction makes Colorado’s 2020 ballot

by Missy Votel

11 Regional News

A look and the wonderfully wild and weird world of cacti

17 Top Shelf

photos by Stephen Eginoire

18 On the Town

14

20 Ask Rachel

Renaissance women Longtime entrepreneur, artists collaborate on N. Main’s Union Social House

21-22 Free Will Astrology

by Missy Votel

23 Classifieds

16

23 Haiku Movie Review

Tears of joy

On the cover: A skier enjoys some sunset turns on Parrot Peak in the La Plata Mountains./ Photo by Stephen Eginoire

An ode to the sublime pleasures of the humble but indispensable onion

by Ari LeVaux

boilerplate

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

Calling all skimotoers and randonerds. If you like to earn your turns before most folks have strapped the skis to the car, then you won’t want to miss Purg’s first ever uphill/downhill rando race this Sun., Jan. 12. The race takes off at 8 a.m., taking racers up Purg’s frontside before descending down the gentler runs off Demon and Chair 4.

If an 8 a.m. alpine start is a little too early, consider the race is a benefit for the Know the Snow, a nonprofit avi-education scholarship fund set up by the families and friends of native Durangoans Peter Carver and Joe Philpott. Both Peter, 23, and Joe, 26, died within a month of each other in avalanches in 2013.

16 Flash in the Pan

A prickly topic

ADVERTISING AFICIONADO: Lainie Maxson (lainie@durangotelegraph.com)

Gotta get up to get down

12-13 Day in the Life

12-13

EDITORIALISTA: Missy Votel (missy@durangotelegraph.com)

Ear to the ground: “I usually stop drinking around 4 p.m. on Sunday.”

– Local drinker discussing his weekend tapering policy

thepole

RegularOccurrences

STAR-STUDDED CAST: Lainie Maxson, Chris Aaland, Clint Reid, Stephen Eginoire, Jesse Anderson, Ari LeVaux, Tracy Chamberlin, Zach Hively and 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 schwag, booze and flattery.

telegraph

Philpott

Carver

The race will feature two courses: “full on pain cave” (12.5 miles and 4,200 feet vert) and “standard pain cave” (2.5 miles and 2,100 vert.) This should probably go without saying, but strong skimo experience is recommended for the 12miler. All levels are welcome for the shorter race.

Upon emerging from the pain cave, racers can look forward to free beer, prizes and other great schwag. They will also have the option of discounted tickets to ride the lifts the rest of the day.

Entry is $30 and can be done online at: www.knowthesnowfund.org/rando-race.

They’re heeeere ...

Although Colorado voters will have their say on whether or not to formally reintroduce wolves in November, there are signs the large canids have already taken up residence.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife says it has an eyewitness report of six wolves traveling together in Moffat County, in the far northwest corner of the state, last October. This is in conjunction with a discovery last week of a “thoroughly” scavenged elk carcass a few miles from the sighting.

"The sighting marks the first time in recent history CPW has received a report of multiple wolves traveling together," CPW Northwest Regional Manager JT Romatzke said. "In addition, in the days prior, the eyewitness says he heard distinct howls coming from different animals."

The sighting is the latest in a string of credible reports of wolf activity in Colorado in the past several years. The presence of one wolf was confirmed by DNA testing a few years ago, and more recently, a wolf from the Snake River Pack was caught on film and is still being tracked.

"It is inevitable that they would travel here from states where their populations are well-established," Romatzke said.

Romatzke said CPW’s protocol is to not take any direct action. Wolves are federally protected as an endangered species and fall under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife. “As wolves move into the state on their own, we will work with our federal partners to manage the species," he said.

Jan. 9, 2020 n

3

opinion

LaVidaLocal Treasured tales

It all began with a story. An article published in a 1965 edition of Reader’s Digest telling the tale of a mysterious island off the southern coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, called Oak Island. It’s one of about 350 small, tree-covered islands dotting Mahone Bay. In the summer of 1795, as the story goes, three boys were out fishing when they saw a bright light coming from the island. They paddled over and went ashore in search of the source, but when they got to the beach the light was gone.

Instead, they discovered a depression in the ground near a large oak tree. Thinking it could lead to something recently buried, they decided to dig.

About 10 feet down, they hit a square platform made of rotting oak logs. Intrigued by the odd find, the three decided to keep digging and every 10 feet they came to another platform of oak logs.

It might seem rather odd to find oak platforms every 10 feet underground on a remote island in Nova Scotia, but the real mystery began when they reached 90 feet.

Again, they found the logs. This time, however, embedded in the platform was a flat stone slab with writing carved into it. It wasn’t any known language, but looked more like hieroglyphics. The moment the stone slab was removed, the shaft filled with sea water.

The boys were forced to stop digging – and a 225year treasure hunt was under way. Since that day, many people have tried to get back down to the bottom of what’s become known as The Money Pit. Even former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt joined a salvage group in 1909 in an attempt to discover any riches that might lie at the bottom.

But, no matter how much capital, ingenuity or elbow grease searchers put into digging, no one has been able to tame the flood trap and solve the mystery.

Two brothers, Rick and Marty Lagina, are spearheading the most recent effort – which has been chronicled in a successful History Channel show called “The Curse of Oak Island,” now in its seventh season.

The brothers’ efforts have been slow, steady and methodical. They’ve kept detailed records, and sought out historical, scientific and practical expertise from sources across the globe. They’ve used whatever tool matched the situation, from shovel and metal detector to radar and seismic testing.

Of course, everyone wants to find treasure. But, the Laginas’ search has also been about solving the mystery and even healing old wounds carried by those who came before them.

One family lost a father and brother. Two men became bitter rivals. Tragedy befell families and companies in the search for treasure so often, the endeavor was thought to be cursed – thus the namesake of the TV show.

In the 15 years the brothers have been at the helm of the hunt, they’ve been able to

bring the relatives of the men who died back to the island to find closure. After years of trying, they were also able to convince the two bitter rivals to join their team.

And, although the two rivals did not make amends before they both passed, their sons stood side-by-side in this season’s premiere episode as another discovery was made in what’s known as The Swamp.

From above, Oak Island looks like an elephant with a distinct body, head and trunk. Right at the neck of the elephant is a swamp that many believe is man-made.

In the premiere episode, a diver discovered a curious stone pathway underneath the murky waters of the swamp.

It’s certainly not the strangest thing discovered on the island.

While searching in the area of the original Money Pit, the brothers found human bone fragments 160 feet underground. One came from someone of European descent, the other from the Middle East. Along with the bones, they dug up pottery shards, pieces of leather book-binding, and scraps of parchment covered in red ink.

What many consider the most profound artifact discovered on the island, however, is a medieval lead cross.

It was found to be more than 600 years old, and the lead was traced back to mines in Southern France that closed by 1500 AD. The island is literally covered with ancient relics, mysterious symbols carved into stones, bizarre wooden structures buried several feet below the seabed and other anomalies that beg the question – what the hell happened here?

Some have speculated nothing.

Roosevelt believed the crown jewels of Marie Antoinette – which were lost to history about the same time she lost her head – are buried there.

Others think it could hide Captain Kidd’s missing gold or even religious artifacts, like the Arc of the Covenant. It disappeared when the Knights Templar were hunted down on Oct. 13, 1307 (which is also where the number 13 got its unlucky origins – but that’s another story).

Obviously, I’m a fan of the show and the mystery. I actually remember reading the Reader’s Digest story a long, long time ago when card catalogs were the only way to find books in the library. And, I wasn’t the only one who was inspired by the article.

It’s the very reason one of the Lagina brothers, Rick, began researching the story decades ago. It’s the reason he convinced his brother to invest in the island when it went up for sale in 2005.

It’s also the reason that the men who became rivals and the family who lost two members first came to Nova Scotia in the 1960s.

That one story took hold of their imaginations, forever changing the course of their lives. So, the next time you ponder a tale inside the pages of the Telegraph, consider what it could inspire – it just might change your life. Or at the very least, create a little mystery.

This Week’s Sign of the Downfall:

Thumbin’It More positive news for the local economy, with 2019 October sales tax up 2.5 percent and lodgers tax up 9.2 percent over 2018 Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Colorado bouncing back from its financial woes last year and once again on solid footing Colorado’s proposed “Get on Your Feet Bill,” which would repay the first two years of college debt for graduates who stay and work in the state

4 n Jan. 9, 2020

– Tracy Chamberlin

CB Don’t The Durango Transit bus driver who was cited for watching a football game on his phone while driving, narrowly missing a trash can and endangering the dozen or so passengers on board The Trump administration building up the biggest backlog of unfunded Superfund projects in at least 15 years, nearly triple the number stalled for lack of money in the Great Recession The more than 1 billion wild animals, including koala bears and kangaroos, presumed dead in the massive Australian brush fires

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I could’ve sworn the CBD gimmick had reached its nadir when Carl’s Jr. came out with their CBD burger last 4/20. Because really, how much worse could it get? Surely, fast food meat byproducts sprayed with hemp oil would be rockbottom. But nope. Brookstone just came out with a CBD-infused memory foam pillow for the low, low price of $60, and they’re selling quickly. In other news, studies show sleeping on CBD doesn’t do a damn thing.

WordontheStreet

Q

With the NFL playoffs in full swing the Telegraph asked: “If you owned a team what would your team and mascot be named?”

Michalina

“The Arizona Geckos.”

Bill

“The Cleveland Breweries.”

Claire

“The Boston Blueberries.”

Tania

“The Green Bay Dragons.”

Natasha

“The Durango Canada Lynx.”

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Jan. 9, 2020 n

5

SoapBox

ReTooned/by Shan Wells

Leading the way on methane rules To the editor, Living in the Four Corners Methane Hotspot, hazardous pollution stemming from oil & gas wells is a daily part of our lives. As a physician, I have seen the impacts of methane emissions on our community and recognize their danger. The invisible greenhouse gas endangers our health while amplifying the effects of climate change – methane is 84 times more damaging to our atmosphere, in terms of heat-trapping, than carbon dioxide.

Methane clouds are usually associated with urban areas, but this one, the largest in the country at 2,500 square miles, is rural. With the dramatic increase in fracking and associated fugitive emissions, methane is now a rural health issue in the very communities that are least equipped to deal with its impacts.

Researchers at Colorado State have documented oil and gas industry-caused asthma attacks in children directly related to the number of fracking wells. Colorado ranks third in the nation with upwards of 32,000 such attacks annually. These statistics beg for robust, expanded public protections.

I applaud everyone who supported the effort to enact stronger, statewide methane regulations at the Air Quality Control Commission’s public hearing on methane, held Dec. 11 in Durango. More than 120 people filled the standing-room-only La Plata County Chamber, the overwhelming majority of whom favored increased leak detection and repair standards and more advanced strategies to reduce volatile organic compounds (ozone precursors) in our air. Fifty-four citizens testified in support of enhanced regulations, while only two people, both oil and gas industry employees, spoke in opposition.

It is interesting to me that the term “regulations” is

6 n Jan. 9, 2020

sometimes used negatively by industry and by those who favor “small government.” The term “protections” can, in my opinion, be used instead when, as in this case, en-

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forceable industry standards are necessary to protect public health and the environment.

It is imperative that the rules be applied statewide.4

New rules were introduced to the Front Range in 2017 as it was chronically out of compliance with ozone standards (as a direct result of fracking activity), yet the Western Slope – to which these rules do not currently apply – has been carved out and treated as a “sacrifice zone.”

In July 2017, I testified before the EPA about the proposed stay on the federal Methane Rule and told them about Colorado’s leadership in drafting common-sense, effective rules that not only curbed methane but also were accepted by industry.

In 2019, we witnessed devastating rollbacks to both the BLM and EPA federal methane rules. The current administration’s commitment to undermining climate policy further underscores the important role Colorado can continue to play as a leader on the national stage.

According to Keating Research, the oil and gas industry in Colorado favors our stricter rules that require them to find and fix methane leaks. These rules improve efficiency and worker safety while decreasing methane pollution, and the costs are minimal if not outweighed by the increased revenue from captured natural gas.

The methane rulemaking being considered by the Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC) is a no-nonsense, simple solution that holds oil & gas accountable to increased safety and inspection standards. To opt out of adopting such an easy fix to a proven threat makes no sense. It is also morally indefensible.

Moreover, with the upcoming rulemaking for SB 181 – the new Comprehensive Oil & Gas bill prioritizing public health, wildlife and the environment – it is time for the AQCC to extend regulations to include fracking activity that is done in proximity to homes and schools.

On Nov. 5, there was a benzene level spike next to Bella Romero Academy in Greeley. It was not announced until Nov. 25, and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has not been able to pinpoint the source despite the fact that the school is 1,200 feet from a producing well pad.

As a physician, I find it unacceptable that a school was

exposed to high levels of a carcinogen and furthermore that the public was not informed for almost three weeks.

I wonder how the parents of these students feel? Certainly they would like protections for their childrens’ health, as any of us would.

Thank you to the AQCC for taking the time to hold a methane hearing in Durango. We appreciate the Commissioners travelling to hear what Western Slope Coloradans have to say. Now is the time for simple, achievable reforms to address a rampant but preventable public health crisis in our state.

– Dr. Lauri Costello, Durango

Let voters decide on impeachment To the editor, After months of hearings, House Democrats have voted two articles of impeachment against Donald Trump, knowing full well that Trumpublicans who control the Senate will reject the charges. Unlike said Trumpublicans, they are unwilling to overlook Trump’s depredations to the Constitution, the rule of law, and anything related to honor, integrity or basic decency.

Since then, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has proclaimed zero chance of conviction since he’s working hand in glove with Trump.

McConnell and House Trumpublicans have gone officially on record that their first loyalty is to Trump, not to our country, the Constitution or the rule of law. Senate Trumpublicans will go officially on record if they get the chance, so that Trump can proclaim complete exoneration and double down on his destructive behavior.

Trumpublicans have declared there are no Trump actions or behaviors that would be dishonest, offensive, authoritarian, racist or unethical enough to be a problem for them.

They have ignored and abetted all of Trump’s efforts to sabotage the Constitution. So they are saying the president has unlimited power and can do anything he wants,

and they’ll make sure there will be no accountability.

Trump’s authoritarian personality has been on view for years. As president, he’s cozied up with dictators around the world – in Brazil, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Hungary, the Philippines, North Korea, China and of course puppet master Vladimir Putin. The day after the full House approved the articles of impeachment, Putin himself railed against the Dems for hassling his boy.

Given all that, I’m thinking House Speaker Pelosi should sidestep the Senate and refer the articles of impeachment directly to voters, which apparently is what many of them want anyway.

However it turns out, it will be fairer than what McConnell will allow.

– Carole McWilliams, Bayfield

The Commander of Chaos

To the editor, As a former Navy enlisted and officer, I am highly concerned with the Commander-in-Charge of White House Chaos interference in Navy matters.

The Commander-in-Charge of White House Chaos overruled the Navy’s decision to demote Chief Petty Officer and Navy Seal Edward Gallagher. Gallagher was convicted of posing with a dead detainee. Trump’s rationale was that he was standing up for our military. Trump also overruled the peer review ordered by RADM Collin Green, head of the Navy Seals, and by doing this he is undermining the Navy’s chain of command and adversely impacting discipline within the Navy. The peer review would have been conducted by senior Navy enlisted personnel.

The Commander-in-Charge of White House Chaos, who knows nothing about our military, might have Navy personnel in command second guessing their authority, which could be detrimental to Naval operations in the world and could adversely impact our national security.

– Donald Moskowitz, Londonderry, N.H.

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Jan. 9, 2020 n 7

TopStory

Jessica Sinha, left, Beth Lamberson, right, and Matt Zimmerman, not pictured, have come together to create a gathering place for locals looking for a little kindness./Photo by Tracy Chamberlin

One of a kind An inspired Facebook post turns into local hub for helping hands

by Tracy Chamberlin

S

he hoped it would inspire a few acts of kindness over the holidays, but Jessica Sinha never realized how many people – just like her – only wanted to help others.

In early December, Sinha put a post on the Durango Garage Sale Facebook page asking her fellow members to be kind this Christmas and lend a hand to a person in need.

With the holiday season in full swing, she thought maybe someone would help a neighbor carry groceries, change a tire for a stranger or even pitch in so someone less fortunate could have gifts under the tree.

Her post, however, quickly exploded. People responded in droves.

One family reached out because they didn’t have enough heat in their home. Someone else had space heaters to offer for free.

Another family, who’d been baling water out of their clogged bathtub for some time, told their story and asked if anyone had better tools they could borrow to unclog the drain. Instead, someone offered to hire a local plumber to help, and the plumber ended up donating his time.

A different couple needed a new doorknob, but the husband was blind and his wife couldn’t install it. Someone ended up donating the doorknob and installing it for them – without asking for anything in return.

In turn, that couple was able to pay forward the kindness by offering an old lamp, which someone else was able to use.

8 n Jan. 9, 2020

And, that’s what it was all about.

Each time someone received a helping hand, they’d offer one to the next person, and so on.

“Even the people who are posting a need are compelled to pay it forward,” Sinha said. “Somebody doesn’t have to have money to help someone else.”

At the same time Sinha’s post was taking off, Beth Lamberson, who works as the senior director of donor and community engagement for the Powerhouse Science Center, was sitting at home. It had been five years since two of her family members had taken their own lives, one around Thanksgiving and the other just before Christmas.

It was an especially difficult time for Lamberson, and she admitted she was struggling to find her way out.

Then, she came across Sinha’s post.

After reading the message and knowing there were people out there that she could help, it gave her a way to start mov-

telegraph

ing forward again. Instead of focusing on herself, she focused on others – which was exactly what she needed.

As Lamberson began to sift through the comments, she realized that Sinha’s post had taken on a life of its own.

The back-and-forth of helping hands was getting buried by comment after comment, response after response.

It was clear this community of do-gooders needed a space to call their own – and the BeKINDurango group was born.

“You have lit a fire of compassion in this community that I have not seen … and I’ve seen a lot in this community,” Lamberson told Sinha.

The Facebook page went live Dec. 14. It’s taken less than a month to amass more than 1,500 members and countless postings. “I never expected it to take off as it did,” Sinha said.

But, she’s pleased that it has.

Just a few days before Christmas, a local family reached out to Project Merry Christmas.

They had a 4-year-old girl and no way to get her any presents. Unfortunately, the nonprofit had just finished 4

putting together packages for families and was about to make deliveries. There was nothing they could do to help.

The good news, though, was that word had gotten out about BeKINDurango. The nonprofit reached out to Lamberson, and the BeKIND community responded.

Lamberson helped coordinate, and Sinha and her husband collected the gifts, wrapped them and made the delivery the following day.

So many people stepped up, they were able to help out the entire family. They delivered a small play kitchen, new doll and other toys to the girl, as well as some essentials for a new baby, groceries and a $190 Albertson’s gift card.

When Sinha arrived with her trunk full of presents, the 4year-old girl hugged her tight and thanked her. She believed Sinha was Santa’s sister.

“The look on this little girl’s face … she was just amazed,” Sinha said.

“It was really the most rewarding experience ever.”

Lamberson said in today’s world people can often feel so divided, but the BeKIND group has been a way to shine the light on the community’s brighter side.

There’s no place on the BeKINDurango

Facebook page for hate, profanity or judgement. It’s not a place to buy or sell anything. It’s only for helping each other out and other random acts of kindness.

Some people give away kids clothes or even crayons. Others are searching for a skateboard or futon for their kids. At times, members will post about needing more than just a new doorknob, like help with housing.

This is where Lamberson’s 35-plus years of nonprofit experience comes in handy. She knows the local programs and is able to point people in the right direction.

All of the efforts from Sinha, Lamberson and Matt Zimmerman – who also helps organize and manage the BeKIND page – are voluntary.

No one’s getting paid, and no one’s looking to start another local nonprofit.

Lamberson said there’s plenty of those already. It’s just a place where someone can ask for a helping hand, and someone else can offer one.

“If you help one person, they’re going to be inspired to help other people, it just becomes this spider web effect,” Sinha said. “I am amazed by how much our community has already done for one another, and I don’t think we’ve even begun to peak.” n

A trunk full of Christmas presents straight from “Santa’s sister” was delivered just a couple days before the Christmas holidays to a young girl who promised to make Santa proud in the coming year./Courtesy photo

Looking for a little kindness?

Interested in joining the local community of do-gooders and others looking to just be kind? Check out BeKIND’s FB page at Facebook.com/BeKINDurango. But remember, there’s no buying, selling, profanity, judgement, hate or bashing allowed. It’s just a place to ask for help or offer some yourself. Don’t join up if you can’t be kind.

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Jan. 9, 2020 n

9

Quick’n’Dirty Wolves going to the ballot box One of Colorado’s most enduring – and controversial – debates of all-time will be going to a vote later this year.

Next November, the wolf will be running on the Colorado ballot.

This week, the Colorado Secretary of State announced that Proposed Initiative 107 (aka “Restoration of Gray Wolves”) had garnered enough signatures to win a place on the 2020 ballot.

“This is historic, the first time people of a state will have the chance to directly say we want to restore an endangered species,” Rob Edward, president of the Rocky Mountain Wolf Action Fund, said in a statement. The group has been working to get the question on the state ballot for the last several years.

Under another recent measure, ballot initiatives must gather at least 5 percent of the total number of votes cast during the previous general election – in this case 124,632.

It was estimated that out of the 215,000 signatures submitted, about 138,000 were valid, more than meeting the threshold.

The initiative would to return wolves to the Western Slope, in areas west of the Continental Divide. The re-introduction process will include a series of public meetings and be overseen by a commission using the “best scientific data available.” A fund will also be set up to compensate livestock owners for their losses. The initiative calls for wolf paws to hit Colorado soil – in specially designated areas – no later than Dec. 31, 2023.

Wolf proponents argue that the apex predator, exterminated from that state 75 years ago, is a key species in helping to restore balance to the state’s ecosystem, particularly among deer and elk populations. They also say Colorado is the missing habitat link between gray wolf populations to the north in Wyoming and Mexican gray wolves, to the south, in Arizona and New Mexico. Supporters also say reintroduction to Colorado will help give the gray wolf – which is listed as endangered or threatened – a leg up on long-term survival.

“Historically, wolves were an essential part of the wild habitat of Colorado,” read the language of the initiative.

The initiative also goes on to stress that the restoration of the gray wolf “must be designed to resolve conflicts with persons engaged in ranching and farming.”

However, ranchers and about a dozen rural counties are not having any of it. A dozen of the state’s 64 counties have come out against the reintroduction, including several on the Western Slope such as: Moffat, Routt, Hinsdale, Montezuma, Rio Blanco, Garfield, Archuleta, Mesa and Montrose.

The opponents argue that wolves – unlike lynx and other previously released species – cannot peacefully coexist with the state’s nearly 6 million people. A group called “Colorado Stop the Wolf Coalition” has formed to oppose the reintroduction.

State wildlife managers have also come out opposed to

10 n Jan. 9, 2020

Will more gray wolves like this soon be roaming Colorado? Voters will decide whether or not to formally reintroduce the species to the state next November./Courtesy photo, Sierra Club releasing wolves. In 2016, Colorado Parks and Wildlife commissioners voted against any sort of formal wolf reintroduction. However, the state still has a policy that it will take care of any wolf that wanders into the state on its own.

Licenses for undocumented drivers It will now be a lot easier for undocumented residents to legally drive in Colorado. As part of the “More Colorado Road and Community Safety Act,” signed into law by Gov. Jared Polis last May, nine more Colorado DMV offices – including the one in Durango – will be offering drivers licenses. The move is meant to increase access to immigrants in rural communities, who formerly had to wait several months and drive several hours for an appointment at an approved DMV office.

By having a license, many workers in agricultural and mountain communities will not only be able to legally drive to work or bring their kids to school but obtain car insurance.

“Colorado is taking an important step toward improving the safety and security of all of its residents with implementation of the ‘More Colorado Road and Community

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Safety Act,’” Marissa Molina, spokeswoman for national immigrant advocacy group FWD.us, said. “Expanding access to driver’s licenses will make life better for countless hardworking Colorado families, grow our economy, and make our state stronger in every way.”

In addition to Durango, the four other new DMV offices offering driver’s licenses include Montrose, Glenwood Springs, Lamar and Pueblo. Alamosa and Sterling will be added to the list in June.

In 2013, Colorado lawmakers passed bipartisan legislation allowing all Colorodans – regardless of immigration status – to obtain driver’s licenses. However, only a limited number of DMVs were authorized to issue the licenses, creating a backlog from the onset. At a Senate Finance Committee hearing in 2019, community members testified about the long waits and hours-long drives, which in turn, resulted in missed work and additional costs.

The I-Drive Coalition, in partnership with FWD.us, led efforts to expand access to licenses. The initiative was also supported by farming, dairy and other business groups. The program is being paid for by the license fees.

– Missy Votel

RegionalNews

When the BLM moved into Grand Junction, protesters were there to un-welcome them to the neighborhood. Anne Landman came to protest the agency’s move because she thinks it’s President Donald Trump’s way of “tearing it apart.”/Courtesy photo, CPR News

The un-welcoming committee Protesters oppose BLM’s move to new offices in Grand Junction

by Stina Sieg Colorado Public Radio News

A

s the Bureau of Land Management opened in its new national headquarters in Grand Junction on Jan. 2, about two dozen protesters were there to greet it.

Bundled up against the cold and waving homemade signs, the mostly older crowd seemed to agree on two things: It was very nice of the BLM to hand out free donuts to them – and they don’t trust the agency’s move out here one bit.

Eileen Roberts held up a sign with the words, “Kiss Your Public Lands Goodbye.” The 67-year-old believes this is an attempt to weaken the agency.

“I think they just want to get the decision-makers out of Washington, D.C., so they don’t have an ability to influence Congress,” Roberts said. “I think that’s the reason they moved them.”

While the push to move the BLM out West started as a bipartisan effort back when Barack Obama was in office, it

became increasingly political, with many Democrats and public land advocates seeing it a way to carry out the Trump administration’s promise to energy production.

But that’s “not the case at all,” insisted BLM spokeswoman Megan Crandall.

This move is about getting the headquarters “close to the lands we manage and close to people, like the protesters, who are incredibly passionate about those lands,” Crandall said.

The BLM has a diverse mission, overseeing nearly 250 million acres of public land for recreation, conservation and energy production. Crandall calls it a “balancing act,” for which voices from across different communities and industries are vital.

“For there to be protesters here, I think that’s great.

That’s part of being the BLM,” she said. “And so we have folks here today that are on one side. Tomorrow, we might have folks who are on another side, and that’s important.”

But outside the bright new office, the protesters worried their voices will carry little weight compared to oil and gas special interests. Demonstration organizer Cody Perry, who

• Stunning views of the La Plata Mountains • 10 acres with 2 ponds, irrigated pastures • Spacious 2,228 sq. ft., 3 beds, 2 baths $599,000 MLS #765180 Price ! ed Reduc

runs a conservation media company, brought up the oftmentioned fact that the BLM’s acting director William Perry Pendley used to advocate for selling off public lands.

“That’s akin to putting an arsonist in charge of a fire department or a bank robber in charge of a bank’s security,” Perry, 40, said.

While Pendley has been vocal about having since changed his stance on the selling of public lands, protesters like Jeff Cook still don’t trust his motives. Cook called the headquarters move, part of a large-scale restructuring of the agency, “fishy.”

“And that’s why I’m here today, to stand up and protest,” he said. “And I’ll be here to protest again and again.”

Cook added that he hasn’t thought once about the 40 or so jobs and the name recognition the BLM will bring to Grand Junction. Those mean nothing to him compared to the fear he has for the land under the agency’s control.

To read this story and more from Colorado Public Radio News, go to www.cpr.org. n

OHANA PHYSICAL THERAPY in the Tech Center

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130 Rock Point Dr. Unit C • Where you are treated like family!

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telegraph

Jan. 9, 2020 n 11

Let me help you with the real estate puzzle.

Gillian Arnwine

Day in the Life

Putting the pieces together is my passion.

D

utili dicin arid pric trail thin varie dive

970-749-3704 gillian@wellsgroupdurango.com

12 n

Jan. 9, 2020

teleg

Sharp contrast

by Stephen Eginoire

D

id you know that cacti are native only to the Americas?

Growing from Patagonia to British Columbia, there are 1,750 known species. These dynamic and unusual plants have been ized throughout human history for countless purposes, from menal and decorative to mind-altering, psychoactive journeys. In the d high desert of the Four Corners, it’s not uncommon to encounter ckly pear, cholla, hedgehog and a few other varieties out on the ls. But not too far south is the Sonoran Desert, a sanctuary for all ngs cactus. Here’s an up close look at a few common (and bizarre) eties captured during a recent tour through one of the most bioerse deserts on the planet.

graph

Jan. 9, 2020 n 13

thesecondsection

Elsa Jagniecki, left, and Carol Clark, partners in the Union Social House, take a moment to relax and chat about their newest venture in the “Gallery” room earlier this week./Photo by Missy Votel

Social calling Artists, entrepreneur come together to launch N. Main’s Union Social House

by Missy Votel

I

n case you haven’t noticed, North Main is enjoying a moment right now. And the latest entrant in this micropolitan renaissance is the Union Social House, located at the corner of 31st and North Main in the spot formerly occupied by Underground cycles.

The Social House, which officially opened two weeks ago, is the brainchild of Carol Clark, a local renaissance woman herself. Since moving here in 1990, she not only planted the seeds for the Durango Farmer’s Market but is also the brilliance behind Durango’s Oktoberfest and its first mobile lounge, Toast.

Think of her latest endeavor as part intellectual salon, part family game room (with much cooler furniture) and part communal gathering spot – with sliders and cocktails, of course.

“I wanted this to be something that was social, not super traditional,” said Clark. “It’s supposed to be fun.

You can meet friends here or bring family – not so fancy that it’s out of reach or you can’t bring the kids.”

To that end, the Social House offers a full slate of entertainment options, including Super Ted’s Trivia (Tuesday), Game Night (Thursday), live music (Friday and Saturday) and Bloodies, Burritos and Bingo (Sunday).

In addition to offering several cozy seating nooks, a 24-foot bar, large farmhouse style tables and a roll-up glass garage door, the Union Social House also offers board games, darts, pinball, a vintage piano and a soon-

14 n Jan. 9 2020

to-come giant, wall-mounted, magnetized Scrabble board. And when all those gamers work up an appetite, a food truck from Backcountry Gourmet – which also has been enjoying a moment for some time now – is there to keep patrons full and happy.

For those requiring a more intimate social outing, the tastefully appointed adjoining “Gallery” can host everything from swanky soirees to casual shin digs.

“The idea is to make it unique. We can’t do the same stuff because it’s already been done,” said Clark. “I wanted it to be eclectic.”

And eclectic it is, from a custom plastered wall and overstuffed couches and wing-backed chairs to the refurbished concrete floors and blingy chandeliers. The

telegraph

deer-print wallpaper is worth the price of admission alone (a euphemism of course, being a “public house,” admission is free).

In addition to the modern décor, the building also pays homage to its past. Built in the 1940s, it was originally home to a tractor repair shop and later, B&F Welding – both of the old signs still hang inside the bar.

Despite this melding of eras – or perhaps because of it – everything flows with an artsy, feng-shui-y aesthetic – perhaps not surprising since Clark shares the space with four artists.

Calling themselves the Muse Design Collective, it is made up of Elsa Jagniecki, a wedding planner and stylist, Emily Lloyd, an upholsterer, Candace Cross, a photographer, and Natalie McLain, a floral designer. Muse operates out of the adjacent Gallery space, although events can and do spill over into the larger hall.

“We are constantly redesigning and reconfiguring the space,” said Jagniecki. From hosting a recent wreath-making workshop to pop-ups and exhibits for artists, the space is whatever someone can imagine it to be, she said. There is even a full storage room of furnishings and props to change up the mood to match the occasion.

"This space is experimental, a blank canvas in a way, inviting people to tell us, ‘What do you want to see happen here?’” she said. “We're hoping it continues to unfold."

In fact, you could say the whole thing has been a bit of a serendipitous unfolding.

The idea to open a social house came to Clark last 4

summer after she attended a Wednesday Night Bazaar with Toast. “I was busy, really busy for a weekday night, and I realized there’s probably a need up here,” she said.

She began exploring places for Toast to take up permanent digs, but nothing really seemed like a good fit. She left a meeting at one perspective location, and as she crossed the street she saw the “for rent” sign in the window of the building recently vacated by Underground. She called the number and within 10 minutes, the landlord was giving her a tour.

“I walked in and was like, ‘Wow, I like this. This could work,’” she said.

As fate would have it, Jagniecki was also eyeing the building as prospective studio space. One day Clark, not knowing of Jagniecki’s interest, invited her friend – the two have worked together in various capacities over the years, most recently in the wedding circuit – to check out the space with her. Jagniecki gave an enthusiastic thumbs up.

“There's been an energy to this space since the beginning,” said Jagniecki. “To me it felt like a worm hole, like it could transport you to different times or feelings ... it's hard to explain.”

Before long, Clark had signed a lease and set about gutting the 3,000 square foot space. She had been to a few other social houses around the country and thought it would be a good fit for the space and town. Although the previous tenants had given the exterior a facelift and done some work on the interior, there was still much to be done, like pulling weeds and landscaping, moving the bathrooms upstairs, making the space ADA compliant, and adding the bar and a small kitchen.

To say Clark had a little help from her friends is an understatement. She said most of the renovation was done by a small army of about 50 friends, from the amazing handplastered wall treatment, which took months to complete, to setting up the beer taps and donating scrap copper for the bar. There were a few bumps along the way, too. When an investor pulled out last August, Clark was forced to tighten the purse strings even further, resorting to garage and estate sales for the furnishings, which were later reupholstered by resident artist Lloyd. For the appliances, she hit up restaurant auctions.

“I call it ‘shabby chic broke design,’” she joked. “I was like ‘Heck yeah, I’ll take that couch for $50.’”

To commemorate all the help she received, Clark has started posting photos of all the folks who lent a hand in the Social House’s hallway. She hasn’t gotten to them all yet – and expects the number to grow.

“It’s been a very collective community project,” she said.

In fact, it was this collaborative spirit that ultimately gave her the idea for the business’ name.

“The ‘Union’ got added later because there was such a coming together, everybody helping each other,” she said.

For Jagniecki, the word takes on even deeper meaning.

She, Clark, Lloyd and a few others – even Carl, the bartender – are all from the great state of Michigan, something she chalks up to more than coincidence.

“What I love about our Michigan roots is this ‘salt of

Clockwise from top: Easily the Union Social House’s pièce de résistance, the “cloud wall.” The work was done by Sheryl Lock, of Handcrafted House. Local artist Miki Harder’s “Bear with PBR,” the Union Social House’s unofficial mascot. The entryway makes a dramatic impression complete with gilded mirror and blue velvet settee. Most of the furnishings were garage or estate sale scores, which were later reupholstered to their former glory./Photos

by Missy Votel the earth’ feeling of hard workers, resourceful people that get the job done, and I thought about how the union has always been an ever-present identity to the industrialism of Michigan,” she said. “It's a little homage to those roots. I even made a Union playlist for Carol with Motown at the core.”

But above all, it’s still a place that is quintessentially

Durango. “The Union Social House is about embodying all of this – our past history, present state of being and future – what do we want to create together?” said Clark.

The Union Social House is located at 3065 Main Ave. Hours are Tues. – Fri., 4 – 10 p.m.; Sat., 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.; and Sun., 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Closed Mondays. n

YOUR NAME HERE. This ad space could be yours!

Call Lainie at 259-0133 or e-mail: lainie@durangotelegraph.com telegraph

Jan. 9, 2020 n 15

FlashinthePan

The unsung onion

by Ari LeVaux “Put chile and some water into a saucepan with bullion, garlic which is diced, and salt and pepper and onion which I don’t have and won’t mention anymore because I miss it, and you shouldn’t ever be anyplace without it, I don’t care where.”

– Simon Ortiz, “How to Cook a Good Chili” made it surprisingly far through life without thinking deeply about onions. It took an acid trip in college, during which I watched my friend Wayne fry an onion that had been cut in half. We stood transfixed as it slowly melted in the pan. I could feel it was a profound moment, but it would be years before I understood the onion’s many layers of flavor, and its fundamental importance to cooking.

A decade later, when I read the Simon Ortiz poem (quoted above), it resonated because I knew he was right, that you shouldn’t ever be any place without onion. But I still didn’t know how to cut an onion. I could hack one, with too many strokes, into large, awkward pieces, but I had no system.

I finally learned how to cut an onion from an old chef friend, when I was helping him cater an event and he was bossing me around. He told me to cut the onions just so. In the days and weeks that followed, I realized that this is the only decent way to cut an onion.

Cut the ends off the onion, peel it, and slice in half from tip to tip. Lay the flat sides down and make a series of thin parallel slices, about ¼ inch apart, along the tip-to-tip axis.

Each thin slice is fragile, ready to fracture into concentric arcs with a mere tousle. If you need them minced, it’s just one more step. After making those parallel slices in the onion halves, hold the pieces together with one hand, turn the held-together half 90 degrees, and cut ¼-inch slices perpendicular to the previous ones. The onion will fall apart like confetti.

The power of an onion is compounded by its dual personality. While a well-cooked onion gives its flavor selflessly, bringing harmony do a dish, raw onion is about contrast. Its presence is more of a fiery assault by an army of white light sabers.

Sometimes I find myself running to the cutting board, mid-chew on a delicious mouthful of food, where there is

I

"!

" "

Legend has it, French onion soup was invented in a hunting cabin, by the king of course, when he discovered the cupboard bare of everything but onions and bread. If that wasn’t really what happened, it could have been. Nobody should be surprised when an onion carries the day. Especially an onion cooked for a very long time.

Recently, in the kitchen of the old chef who taught me how to cut an onion, I watched him prepare an eggplant and tomato recipe into which onions would disappear.

Forgotten but not gone, those onions would hold together the flavor with an unseen force more likely to be missed than appreciated.

I asked the chef: “If you were stranded on a desert island, and could only have one vegetable … ?”

"" "!!

16 n Jan. 9, 2020

always an onion in some state of disrepair – hopefully a juicy salad onion. I’ll chew a piece into my mouthful to enjoy the raw onion’s sharp, sweet and crunchy flavors.

When cooking for my older son, who purports to hate onions, mincing is mandatory so they disappear completely into the dish. His little brother, who is the chef in the family, acknowledges the value of an onion “cooked for a very long time.” Generations of French onion soup makers agree.

!

telegraph

“I would take the onion,” he said gravely, before I could finish.

Although the active time is brief, French onion soup takes time to prepare. It’s perfect for a cold winter day, when the process can heat the entire house.

French onion soup is traditionally served au gratin, which means “with a browned crust.” Many cooks add cheese to the gratin, which confuses the issue if you ask me, as there is already so much butter. Whether you toast the bread under the broiler as directed here or dip your untoasted bread as my kids do, bread just goes with this dish. I prefer a white, crusty sourdough.

Traditionally it’s made with beef stock, but chicken and veggie work as well, as do mushroom and clam stocks. Onions play well with everyone. And when it’s done, you have an onion stock that will be useful as a soup base for other dishes, to deglaze a pan, and anything else you would do with a dark, sweet stock full of earthy flavors.

French Onion Soup Serves 6 and can easily scale up 2 pounds peeled yellow onions, ends removed and sliced from tip-to-tip 1 stick butter 1 bottle white wine 2 bay leaves 1 gallon stock of your choice 1 tablespoon thyme or herbs de Provence A crusty white sourdough Minced onion, as a garnish Bake the onions at 300 on a cookie sheet, flat side down in butter, “for a very long period of time,” as my young chef will sometimes say.

Add a half-cup of wine every hour. When the onions begin to melt, use a spatula or wooden spoon to press down and smear apart the layers. After about three hours, when they are deliciously sweet and browned but not burned, transfer the onions and all pan juices to a pot of stock. Add bay leaves and herbs and the rest of the wine and simmer for about three more hours, seasoning with salt and pepper as it cooks.

At serving time, heat the onion broth under the broiler in personal-sized bowls. Slice the baguette, butter the slices, and set aside. When the soup is hot, add the bread, buttered sides up, and broil until they are toasted.

Garnish with raw onion. n

TopShelf

Papadosio, Windswept and Tigers for the win!

by Chris Aaland

T

he college football playoffs all comes down to Monday night’s championship tilt between LSU and Clemson (6 p.m. kickoff), which is something difficult for a diehard Alabama fan to acknowledge. Last January proved that Clemson had overtaken my Crimson Tide as college football’s premier program. LSU and their affable, frog-voiced head coach, Ed Orgeron, crashed the SEC party in the 2019 regular season, thanks in no small part to an unstoppable offense.

Picking a team to root for is easy for me. Picking a winner, much more difficult.

Orgeron is the type of guy you want to live next door to. Let’s face it: the world would be a better place if the voices of Siri and Alexa were replaced with Ed’s voice. Think Blake Clark as the Old Cajun Man in “Joe Dirt” or Farmer Fran in “The Waterboy” and you get the picture. Understanding Coach Ed isn’t easy – it’s kind of like watching a foreign film without subtitles – but it’s always worth the effort.

Case in point: LSU quarterback Joe Burrow had a game for the ages in a 63-28 semifinal win over Oklahoma a couple weeks ago, completing 29 of 38 passes for 493 yards and seven touchdowns while rushing for another score. In the first half alone, he was 21-of-27 passing for 403 yards and had all seven of his passing TDs. In his post-game, on-field interview Coach Ed waxed poetically about Burrow’s efforts. Trouble is, few people outside Louisiana had any freaking idea what he said. Trust me, I hit rewind on the broadcast several times and listened to clips online. I can cook a mean gumbo, but I am not well versed in Cajun. I suppose that’s why “Swamp People” uses subtitles.

I do know this: there’s no coach in college football that I’d rather sit down and split a 12-pack of Dixie Beer with at a backyard cookout. For that reason and that alone, I’ll be rooting for the purple and gold on Monday. America needs Coach Ed to get a ring.

On the other hand, you have Clemson attempting to do something few other programs have done: win three national titles in four years. Alabama pulled off the feat between 2009-12, but all three wins came in the one-game BCS national championship era. They didn’t have to survive semifinal years each year.

Notre Dame finished first in the AP Poll in 1946, ’47 and ’49, but there was no championship played on the field back then. Minnesota finished atop three straight years of polls from 1934-36, but those were during the leatherhead days. Going back to the late 1800s and early 1900s finds California, Yale, Michigan and Princeton laying claim to the accomplishment.

LSU’s route to the championship was harder, with Ohio State lying in their path. I’ll argue that Ohio State was the best team in the country this year. But LSU gutted out a 29-23 win, fueled by a series of instant replay-reversed decisions that benefited them.

Championship teams overcome adversity, and Clemson has demonstrated that over the past four seasons like no other.

Clemson’s coach, Dabo Swinney, has modeled his program

after Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide. I’m convinced that upon Saban’s retirement, I’ll be shouting “Roll Tide” with Swinney as his replacement.

Monday’s game is a Brady vs. Manning, Bird vs. Magic kind of moment. LSU’s Burrow and Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence are quarterbacks that will define an era at the professional level, with Burrow almost certainly the No. 1 pick in this spring’s NFL draft and Lawrence the same in 2021. Both men make smart decisions, are capable scramblers, and possess cannons for arms.

Although I’m rooting for LSU, I fear that Clemson’s big game experience and will to win will be the deciding factor. My gut tells me it’ll be a highscoring affair, with Clemson eking out a last-minute victory to shower the Louisiana Superdome in orange.

One way or the other, I predict the Tigers will win the national championship.

The progressive rock group Papadosio plays two nights at the Sheridan Opera House in Telluride Ed Orgeron at 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Falling somewhere between rock, jazz and electronic mayhem, Papadosio strives to create music that is strangely familiar yet celebrates unique music in a constantly changing world. Their latest tour brings the vibe of a packed Red Rocks show (which they did last May) to more intimate venues. The Jauntee opens.

Next up in the St. Mark’s Recital Series is Windswept at 7 p.m. Friday. The trio of Rochelle Mann (flute), Rebecca Ray (oboe) and Denise Turner (bassoon) presents a diverse program of music that includes works by Alessandro Besozzi, Joseph Bodin de Boismortier, Madeleine Drink, Antonio Vivaldi and Alyssa Morris. C. Scott Hagler accompanies them on piano and organ.

Elsewhere: the Ben Gibson Duo rocks Ska Brewing at 5 p.m. tonight (Thurs., Jan. 9); the Smelter Mountain Boys bring bluegrass to Durango Craft Spirits at 6 p.m. Friday; Last Nickel plays home-grown Montezuma County bluegrass at Mancos Brewing Co. at 6 p.m. Friday; La La Bones heads west to Fenceline Cider in Mancos at 7 p.m. Saturday; the Pete Giuliani Trio works the 11th Street Station at 7 p.m. Saturday; Cancellation notice: The Animas City Theatre had scheduled reggae night with Grammy-winning Morgan Heritage plus Niceness and master of ceremonies Rasta Stevie on Wednesday, but a family emergency has forced a cancellation. Refunds can be issued at point of purchase.

New concert announcement: KSUT’s winter concert series begins with the Grammy-nominated Che Apalache at 7:30 p.m. on Tues., Feb. 25, at the Henry Strater Theatre and tickets went on sale this past Monday at ksut.org. The band, whose name comes from the Spanish words “che,” a casual greeting (“buddy” or “man”) and “Apalache,” or Appalachia, is an acoustic string band based in Buenos Aires, with members from Mexico, Argentina and the United States. They’ve taken the festival world by storm this past year, and their second album, “Rearrange My Heart,” was just nominated for a Grammy in the Best Folk Album category.

You gotta be a football hero? Email me at chrisa@gobrainstorm.net n

telegraph

Jan. 9, 2020 n 17

onthetown

p.m., Durango Café au Play, 1309 E. 3rd Ave., Room 201. durangocafeauplay.org.

Rob Webster performs, 6-10 p.m., Seven Rivers Restaurant, Sky Ute Resort, Ignacio.

Powder Hounds Art Auction Opening Event, 5-7 p.m., Animas Chocolate Co. lpchumanesociety.org.

La La Bones performs, 7 p.m., Fenceline Cidery in Mancos.

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

The Pete Giuliani Trio performs, 7-10 p.m., 11th Street Station, 1101 Main Ave.

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

Laugh Therapy presents Reena Calm, 8 p.m., Irish Embassy Pub, 900 Main Ave. 403-1200.

Smelter Mountain Boys perform, 6-8 p.m., Durango Craft Spirits, 1120 Main Ave. 247-1919.

DJ Side Affex, 9 p.m.-close, Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

The Ben Gibson Duo performs, 5-8 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St.

Alpine Bank Full Moon Howler, featuring s’mores, refreshments and talk with naturalist from Durango Nature Studies, 6-9 p.m., Durango Nordic Center.

Sunday12

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

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

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

Ecstatic Dance with DJ Chi Queen, 7-10 p.m., VFW, 1550 Main Ave.

Thursday09 28th annual Southwest Economic Outlook, 8:3011 a.m., Student Union Ballroom, Fort Lewis College.

247-7582.

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

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

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

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

Sean O’Brien performs, 6 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave. Open Mic Night, 6-8 p.m., Eno Wine Bar, 723 E. 2nd Ave. Open Mic & Stand-Up Comedy, 8 p.m., El Rancho Tavern, 975 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.

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

Saturday11 SW Race Series – Pagosa 20km Freestyle, 8 a.m.noon, race begins, 9 a.m., Cloman Park in Pagosa Springs. www.durangonordic.org.

Elks National Hoop Shoot Free Throw Competition, for ages 8-13, hosted by Durango Elks Lodge #507, 10 a.m., Escalante Middle School gym. elkshoopshoot.org.

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

Friday10 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 Ave. Zumba Gold, 9:30-10:15 a.m., La Plata Senior Center, 2424 Main Ave. STEAM Lab: LEGO Club, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Durango Public Library.

Kids/Teen Follies Auditions, 3:30-5:30 p.m., event also runs 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Jan. 11, Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. Spanish Speaking Parents & Littles Fridays, 4-6

Yoga Basics with Michele Lawrence, 11 a.m. -12:15 p.m. at Yogadurango, 1485 Florida Rd. No prior yoga experience necessary.

Know the Snow Rando Race benefiting avalanche education, featuring 5-mile uphill/downhill race, all levels welcome, 8 a.m., Purgatory Resort. knowthesnowfund.org.

Henry Stoy, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Jean-Pierre Restaurant & Wine Bar, 601 Main Ave. Traditional Irish Music Jam, 12:30-4 p.m., Irish Embassy, 900 Main Ave. Silent Sundays with Swanson, featuring silent film classics with pianist Adam Swanson, 2 p.m., Henry Strater Theatre, 699 Main Ave. www.henrystratertheatre.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 Night, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Hermosa Coffee Roasters, 738 Main Ave.

Monday13 Yoga Storytime, 9:30-10:45 a.m., Smiley Building Studio 10, 1309 E. 3rd Ave.

National Theatre Live: “The Lehman Trilogy,” 11 a.m., show also runs 1 p.m., Jan. 12, Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Dr. www.animascitytheatre.com.

Watch Your Step class, 10:15 a.m., event runs each Monday and Wednesday, Durango Senior Center, 2424 Main Ave.

“The Human Element” screening, presented by the Citizens Climate Lobby and environmental photographer James Balog, 3 p.m., Sky Ute Casino, Ignacio.

Gamer Club, featuring table-top games, video games, Pokémon and more, 3:30 p.m., Pine River Library in Bayfield.

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

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

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

La Plata County’s Thrive Living Wage Coalition meets, discussions on volunteer opportunities and4

Looking for a funky outfit for an upcoming show?

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what a living wage means, 5:30 p.m., Main Level Conference Room in the Common’s Building, 701 Camino del Rio. www.thrive laplata.org.

Rob Webster performs, 6 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave. Trivia Night, 7 p.m., Blondies in Cortez.

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

Tuesday14 Groove & Grow, featuring music, games and more for young children and their caregivers, 10:30 a.m., Pine River Library in Bayfield.

Terry Rickard performs, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Animas High School Information Night, 5:30-6:30 p.m., 271 Twin Buttes Ave. 247-2474.

Leah Orlikowski performs, 6 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave. Rotary Club meets, presentation from FLC Professor Don May on Village Aid Project, 6 p.m., Henry Strater Hotel, 699 Main Ave. 385-7899.

Adult Board Game Night, 6-8 p.m., Durango Library.

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

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

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

The New Deal performs, 8 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 College Dr. www.animascitytheatre.com.

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

Wednesday15 Play & Learn kindergarten readiness workshops, 10:30 a.m., story time room, Durango Library. 375-3380. nd

Crazy Eights Math Club, for K-2 graders, 3:30 p.m., Pine River Library in Bayfield.

Powder Hounds snowboard auction goes to the dogs What: Powder Hounds Art Auction Opening Night reception When: 5 – 7 p.m., Fri., Jan. 10 Where: Animas Chocolate & Coffee Co., 920 Main Ave. Dogs love snow, and Durango loves dogs. So, what better way to help out our furry, frisky friends at the La Plata County Humane Society shelter than with a snowboard auction?

Now in its second year, the Powder Hounds art auction is not just a sale of any old snowboard.

Rather, the auction entails 20 boards exquisitely bedazzled by local artists. Don’t snowboard? Not to worry – hang one on your wall as art, use as a chic or styley coffee table or maybe turn into the world’s largest (and coolest) charcuterie board.

Locals can get an up-close peek at the boards during an artist’s reception this Friday evening at the Animas Chocolate and Coffee Co., 920 Main Ave. There will also be light appetizers, cash bar, music from Rob Webster and, of course, chocolate.

After viewing the boards, if attendees see what they like, they can go online to place their bids at www.powderhoundsarts.com. Minimum bids start at $100, or for those who don’t like suspense, there’s Nordic skiing, snow shoeing or fat biking, 6 p.m., base area at Purgatory Resort. www.purgatoryresort.com.

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

Donny Johnson performs, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Ongoing

Terry Rickard performs, 6 p.m., The Office, 699 Main.

McDonald’s Twilight Nights Race Series, featuring

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

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

The Real Social Event 2020, symposium on artificial social environments, artificial intelligence and more, 5-8 p.m., Henry Strater Theatre, 699 Main Ave.

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

the “Buy it Now” feature. Bidding is open until Sun., Feb. 2, but be forewarned: several boards have already been snatched up, so you better pounce on it.

All proceeds from the auction will benefit the LPCHS. The Powder Hounds art auction started last year after husband and wife, Ray and Wendy Phillips, stopped by the Humane Society Thrift Store to drop off donations.

Being animal lovers, they couldn’t leave without going next door to play with the dogs. Both were blown away by how much fun the dogs were having and the dedication of the volunteers. The two – Ray, a prolific artist, and Wendy, a photographer and avid skier – began to put their heads together about ways to help the shelter and “Powder Hounds” was born.

After the opening reception, each of the boards will be on display at various businesses in and around Durango including: La Plata County Humane Society; Riverview Animal Hospital; Ska Brewing; Durango Harley Davidson; Hermosa Coffee Roasters; Ski Barn; Purgatory Sports; D&SNGRR; Pet Haus; Animas Chocolate & Coffee Co.; Rusty Shovel Saloon; Grassburger; and Art Supply House.

Karaoke, 8 p.m., Thur-Sun, 8th Ave. Tavern, 509 E 8th Ave.

Upcoming

LPCHS Powder Hounds Snowboard Art Auction, featuring 20 artists and boards, through Feb. 3. lpchumane society.org.

4th annual Winter Art Show by Looking Glass Art Collective, benefit for Local First, exhibit runs thru Jan. 30, Smiley Café, 1309 E. 3rd Ave.

“Going Out In Style,” journalist Ann Butler and political cartoonist and art historian Judith Reynolds explore the history of death, the philosophy of dying, and death in art, obituaries and obit cartoons, presented by Durango Friends of the Arts, 10 a.m., Jan. 16, Durango Rec Center.

512-517-5619.

More “On the Town” p. 234

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

91.9 93.9

KDUR.ORG

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Jan. 9, 2020 n 19

AskRachel Interesting fact: Milquetoast comes from the main character from the daily cartoon “The Timid Soul,” which started in 1925. Tell me, was 1925 technically part of the twenties?

Dear Rachel, I came to the realization over the holidays that not only do I not actually like my family, but that I don’t want them to know anything about me. Once the family hits the pub after Christmas, all the questions come out. Can I explain my relationship status again? Do I even want kids? What’s so bad about Trump anyway?

I’m deciding that they don’t need to know anything about me at all, and I just need a simple diverting statement to deflect them. Any ideas?

– Silent Bob Dear Deflector Shield, I had a friend back in the days of yore who would find a great moment to interrupt chatterboxes, and then he’d say, solemnly and laconically, “The war killed my grandfather as a child.” This took the air right out of everyone’s balloon and ended most every unwanted conversation. And the very few who picked up the thread that wait, if his grandfather was a child when he died…

Those became much more interesting conversations.

Now presumably your fam knows your grandpa, but hey, just run with it.

– Sad trombone, Rachel Dear Rachel, Why do some tea bags come without strings? I can’t bob them in my mug. I can’t pull them out

OntheTown from p. 19

obituaries and obit cartoons, presented by Durango Friends of the Arts, 10 a.m., Jan. 16, Durango Rec Center. 512-5175619.

Office Hours with La Plata County Commissioner Julie Westendorff, 10 a.m.-noon, Jan. 16, Pine River Library in Bayfield. 382-6219.

Community Relations Commission hosts public Listening Sessions, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Jan. 16, sessions also run April 16, July 16 and Oct. 16, City Hall, 949 E. 2nd Ave. www.durangogov.org.

The Met: Live in HD, featuring Berg’s “Wozzeck,” 10:55 a.m., Jan. 18, Student Union Vallecito Room, Fort Lewis College. www.durangoconcerts.com.

without burning my fingertips until my tea is lukewarm and oversteeped. And I have nothing to do with my hands but hold the mug. I’m guessing this is a so-called “eco-friendly” step to reduce waste, but I end up using more spoons to fish out tea bags, and then I have to wash them, which uses more water. So what’s the deal here?

– Tea Totaled Dear Teabagged, I’d rather have no tea tag at all than read one more of those milquetoast inspirational lines that’s meant to perk up my spirit but ends up making me irrationally angry. I don’t need reminded that the best moments are often the quietest, or that a smile is a lighthouse to a friend in need. Someone gets paid to write those, you know. Or maybe they are spit out by an automated tea-bag quotewriting application. That might actually make me feel less like sticking my whole hand in a boiling cuppa.

– Bag the tag, Rachel

Dear Rachel, I remember when Y2K happened that you had those sticklers walking around talking about how the next millennium didn’t technically start until 2001 because of reasons. Where are those people now that we’re allegedly in a new decade? No one in my sphere is spouting off. I’m inclined to pick up the slack, because I can’t shake those millennialist arguments, and worst of all, THEY WERE RIGHT, and this decade doesn’t actually start until next year.

– Jumped the Gun shop, 960 Main Ave. 749-8663.

Golden Dragon Acrobats performs, 7:30 p.m., Jan. 23, Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College. www.duran goconcerts.com.

Winter Pride 2020 Ski Meetups, 10:30 a.m., Jan. 2426, meet at Lift 1 at Purgatory Ski Resort. www.durango pride.org.

Winter Pride 2020 Apres Ski, 2-5 p.m., Jan. 24-25, Purgy’s at Purgatory Ski Resort. www.durangopride.org.

Winter Pride 2020 Dinner Meet & Greets, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Jan. 24-25, Paradise Pizza at Purgatory Ski Resort. www.durangopride.org.

Farmington Hill performs, 7-9 p.m., Jan. 18, Fenceline Ciders, Mancos.

An Evening with Erik Weihenmayer, author of No Barriers: A Blind Man’s Journey to Kayak the Grand Canyon, part of the Community Foundation’s Making a Difference speaker series, 7 p.m., Jan. 24, Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College. www.durangoconcerts.com.

Black Violin performs, 7:30 p.m., Jan. 18, Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College. www.durangoconcerts.com.

Winter Pride 2020 Fresh Powder Drag Hour, 8:30 p.m.-1 a.m., Jan. 24, Down the Rabbit Hole, 640 Main Ave. www.durangopride.org.

Veterans Breakfast, 9-11 a.m., Jan. 19, La Plata County Fairgrounds. 946-4831.

Marvel Years performs, doors open, 8 p.m., show begins, 9 p.m., Jan. 24, Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Ave. www.animascitytheatre.com.

The Choir of Man performs, 7:30 p.m., Jan. 21, Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College. www.durango concerts.com.

Kirk James performs, 7-10 p.m., Jan. 25, 550 Brewing in Aztec.

Joint Advisory Meeting on E-Bikes, 5-7 p.m., Jan. 22, Durango Rec Center. www.durangogov.org.

Book Talk, Signing and Q&A with Don Roberts, author of Wellness Toolbox, 5:30 p.m., Jan. 22, Maria’s Book-

20 n Jan. 9, 2020

Winter Pride 2020 OUT & About Ice Skating, 1:153:15 p.m., Jan. 25, Chapman Hill Ice Rink. www.durango pride.org.

Winter Pride 2020 Winter Pride Talent Show, 8-

telegraph

Email Rachel at telegraph@durangotelegraph.com Dear Roaring Tweenies, I’m reminded of how everyone calls bison “buffalo,” even though they’re not technically buffalo, yet still everyone knows exactly what you mean. Sticklers get their heads stuck in toilets. Do you want your head stuck in a toilet? But actually, correcting how we refer to decades may be a great way to get Silent Bob’s family up there to stop talking to him.

– Thanks for the tip, Rachel 10:30 p.m., Jan. 25, Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Ave. www.durangopride.org.

Winter Pride 2020 Winter Pride Dance, 10:30 p.m.1 a.m., Jan. 25, Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Ave. www.durangopride.org.

Free Ski Sundays, Jan. 26, event also runs Feb. 23 and March 29, Kendall Mountain in Silverton. www.skikendall.com.

Kitchen Dwellers perform, doors open, 7 p.m., show begins, 8 p.m., Jan. 28, Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Ave. www.animascitytheatre.com.

A Rockin’ Snowdown 2020, winter festival featuring activities, games, music, parade and more, Jan. 29-Feb. 2, around Durango. www.snowdown.org.

Free Kids Yoga Class hosted by Chloe Dudley, for ages 3-7, 9-9:45 a.m., Feb. 5, Pediatric Associates of Durango, 1199 Main Ave., Suite 205. 259-7337.

International Guitar Night 20th Anniversary Tour, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 6, Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College. www.durangoconcerts.com.

Deadline for “On the Town” submissions is Monday at noon.

To submit an item email: calendar@durango telegraph.com

FreeWillAstrology

by Rob Brezsny ARIES (March 21-April 19): When comedian John Cleese was 61, his mother died. She was 101. Cleese testifies, “Just towards the end, as she began to run out of energy, she did actually stop trying to tell me what to do most of the time.” I bet you’ll experience a similar phenomenon in 2020 – only bigger and better. Fewer people will try to tell you what to do than at any previous time of your life. As a result, you’ll be freer to be yourself exactly as you want to be. You’ll have unprecedented power to express your uniqueness.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Renowned Taurus philosopher Bertrand Russell was sent to jail in 1918 because of his pacifism and anti-war activism. He liked being there. “I found prison in many ways quite agreeable,” he said. “I had no engagements, no difficult decisions to make, no fear of callers, no interruptions to my work. I read enormously; I wrote a book.” The book he produced, Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy, is today regarded as a classic. In 2020, I would love to see you Tauruses carve out an equally luxurious sabbatical without having to go through the inconvenience of being incarcerated. I’m confident you can do this.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): It’s common to feel attracted to people because of the way they look and dress and carry themselves. But here’s the problem: If you pursue an actual connection with someone whose appearance you like, there’s no guarantee it will turn out to be interesting and meaningful. That’s because the most important factor in becoming close to someone is not their cute face or body or style, but rather their ability to converse with you in ways you find interesting. And that’s a relatively rare phenomenon. As philosopher Mortimer Adler observed, “Love without conversation is impossible.” I bring these thoughts to your attention, Gemini, because I believe that in 2020 you could have some of the best conversations you’ve ever had – and as a result experience the richest intimacy.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Mystic poet Rumi told us the kind of person he was attracted to. “I want a trouble-maker for a lover,” he wrote. “Blood spiller, blood drinker, a heart of flame, who quarrels with the sky and fights with fate, who burns like fire on the rushing sea.” In response to that testimony, I say, “Boo! Ugh! Yuck!” I say “To hell with being in an intimate relationship with a trouble-maker who fights with fate and quarrels with the sky.” I can’t imagine any bond that would be more unpleasant and serve me worse. What about you, Cancerian? Do you find Rumi’s definition glam-

orous and romantic? I hope not. If you do, I advise you to consider changing your mind. 2020 will be an excellent time to be precise in articulating the kinds of alliances that are healthy for you. They shouldn’t resemble Rumi’s description.

(Rumi translation by Zara Houshmand.)

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The 18th-century comic novel Tristram Shandy is still being translated, adapted and published today. Its popularity persists. Likewise, the 18th-century novel Moll Flanders, which features a rowdy, eccentric heroine who was unusual for her era, has had modern incarnations in TV, film and radio. Then there’s the 19th-century satirical novel Vanity Fair. It’s considered a classic even now and appears on lists of best-loved books. The authors of these three books had one thing in common: They had to pay to have their books published. No authority in the book business had any faith in them. You may have similar challenges in 2020, Leo – and rise to the occasion with equally good results.

Believe in yourself!

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I’ll present two possible scenarios that could unfold for you in 2020. Which scenario actually occurs will depend on how willing you are to transform yourself.

Scenario #1. Love is awake, and you’re asleep. Love is ready for you but you’re not ready for love. Love is hard to recognize because you think it still looks like it did in the past. Love changed its name, and you didn’t notice. Scenario #2. Love is awake and you’re waking up. Love is ready for you and you’re making yourself ready for love. Love is older and wiser now, and you recognize its new guise. Love changed its name, and you found out. (Thanks to Sarah and Phil Kaye for the inspiration for this horoscope.)

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Renowned Greek sculptor Praxiteles created some famous and beloved statues in the fourth century B.C. One of his pieces, showing the gods Hermes and Dionysus, was displayed inside the Temple of Hera in Olympia. But a few centuries later an earthquake demolished the Temple and buried the statue. There it remained until 1877, when archaeologists dug it out of the rubble. I foresee a metaphorically equivalent recovery in your life, Libra – especially if you’re willing to excavate an old mess or investigate a debris field or explore a faded ruin.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Over a period of 74 years, the Scorpio philosopher and author Voltaire (1694–1778) wrote so many letters to so many people that they were eventually published in a series of 98 books, plus nine additional volumes of appendixes and indexes. I would love to see you com-

municate that abundantly and meticulously in 2020, Scorpio. The cosmic rhythms will tend to bring you good fortune if you do.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21): Picasso was one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. He was also the richest. At the end of his life, experts estimate his worth was as much as $250 million, equivalent to $1.3 billion today. But in his earlier adulthood, while Picasso was turning himself into a genius and creating his early masterpieces, he lived and worked in a small, seedy, unheated room with no running water and a toilet he shared with 20 people. If there will ever in your life be a semblance of Picasso’s financial transformation, Sagittarius, I’m guessing it would begin this year.

What Kate & Nate wear on their day off

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Let’s get 2020 started with a proper send-off. According to my reading of the astrological omens, the coming months will bring you opportunities to achieve a host of liberations. Among the things from which you could be at least partially emancipated: stale old suffering; shrunken expectations; people who don’t appreciate you for who you really are; and beliefs and theories that don’t serve you any more. (There may be others!) Here’s an inspirational maxim, courtesy of poet Mary Oliver: “Said the river: imagine everything you can imagine, then keep on going.”

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In a poem titled “The Mess-iah,” spiritual teacher Jeff Foster counsels us, “Fall in love with the mess of your life … the wild, uncontrollable, unplanned, unexpected moments of existence. Dignify the mess with your loving attention, your gratitude. Because if you love the mess enough, you will become a Mess-iah.” I bring this to your attention, Aquarius, because I suspect you’ll have a better chance to ascend to the role of Mess-iah in the coming weeks and months than you have had in many years.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Comedian John Cleese believes that “sometimes we hang onto people or relationships long after they’ve ceased to be of any use to either of you.” That’s why he has chosen to live in such a way that his web of alliances is constantly evolving. “I’m always meeting new people,” he says, “and my list of friends seems to change quite a bit.” According to my analysis of the astrological omens, 2020 will be a propitious year for you to experiment with Cleese’s approach. You’ll have the chance to meet a greater number of interesting new people in the coming months than you have in a long time.

(And don’t be afraid to phase out connections that have become a drain.)

telegraph

... and you can too.

(Even if your name isn’t McKinnon. Or MacKinnon.)

In a variety of sizes for all your exploits on and off the red carpet.

(Also available in muscle T to show off your pipes.)

T-shirts: $15 Tanks: $12 Hats: $20 (plus shipping and handling)

Order yours today at: durangotelegraph.com or stop by our Tele central: 777 Main Ave., #214, Durango

Jan. 9, 2020 n 21

classifieds

Deadline for Telegraph classified ads is Tuesday at noon.

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

(Sorry, no refunds or substitutions.)

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

Announcements

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

Closed 2:30 - 5, daily.

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

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

Services Bookkeeping Services 1099s, bank & credit card reconciliations, payroll, sales tax, HR, sales & mar-

22 n Jan. 9, 2020

keting, problem solving & support. 505508-9133 cowaterfalls39@gmail.com Lowest Prices on Storage!

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

Classes/Workshops Julia Green Voice and Piano Studio Julia is now taking a few students for professional vocal lessons. Must read music, practice, and have access to a keyboard. Website: www.juliagreenmusic.com Mommy and Me Dance Class Come join the fun! Now registering for classes. Call 970-749-6456. mom myandmedance.com.

BodyWork Healthy Massages!

30, 60 or 90 min Meg Bush, LMT 970759-0199 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.

telegraph

ForSale Reruns Home Furnishings Cozy furnishing! Vintage toboggan and snow scoop. Lots of fun new arrivals: lamps, rugs, art, night stands. Beautiful glassware and linens. Cool vintage dishes – Pyrex & Fiestaware. New great stuff and daily markdowns. 572 E. 6th Ave. 3857336.

RealEstate Radon Services Free radon testing and consultation.

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

ForRent Beautiful, Furnished Shared Office Space Downtown, avail Fridays $200/mnth.

Melaney 970-382-1188

CommunityService Recycle Christmas Trees at Santa Rita Park through Jan. 31.

Please note 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.

The trees will be recycled into mulch, which will be available to residents in the spring. For more info, contact the City 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 durangobeyondplastic@gmail.com Snowdown Prize Patrol Seeking Donations The Snowdown Prize Patrol needs prizes for the 161 events that will be included in the Rockin’ Snowdown 2020.

To make a contribution to the Snowdown Prize Patrol, please contact Marlene Gebhardt: marlene@snowdown.org or 970749-8913.

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

HaikuMovieReview ‘The Green Book’ If you can get past the white savior narrative it isn’t all bad – Lainie Maxson thrivelaplata@gmail.com or visit thrive laplata.org!

Earn Your Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Denver (DU) here in Durango – for the two-year program starting in fall 2020. Classes on Fridays and Saturdays. For more info, contact Carla Hase at 247-9773 or Carla.hase@du.edu.

Nonprofit Seeks Volunteers for High School Exchange ASSE International, a nonprofit student exchange program, is seeking volunteers to serve as Area Representatives.

ASSE offers qualified students from around the world, between the age of 1518, the opportunity to spend a high school year or semester in the United States with a host family. The opportunity to study abroad and live with a host family is also offered to American high school students ages 15-18. For more info, call 800-733-2773, visit us online at www.asse.com, or email asseusa west@asse.com.

Southwest Colorado Multiple Sclerosis Society is excited to announce it has re-activated and is welcoming new members from La Plata, Montezuma, Archuleta, Dolores and San Juan counties. Anyone living with MS or caregivers of those diagnosed with MS are encouraged to join.

Support services include: monthly community meeting, weekly exercise group in Durango, financial assistance grants, and scholarships for outdoor and healthy living programs. Individuals may submit requests for financial assistance to pay for travel to specialists, retrofits their car or home for accessibility, psychotherapy sessions, medical equipment, and outdoor programs. Scholarships cannot cover medications. Scholarships are available to anyone in SW CO with MS, regardless of income. Apply online at: www.swcmss.org

EndoftheLine

The stars of wonder othing in life is stable or secure. One ventures out into the dark to watch the meteors rain across an evening sky. They streak in a most unpredictable fashion, mercurial, disappearing and re-emerging. They slide past the planetary axis. Their illuminations are intimate. There is a realization that the past can never rescue the present.

Watching the intermittent threads of light, one may be abjured to a frail existence. These falling stars in their mysterious showering, solicit the muses or catalyze dreams. We may not attribute our fates to these countless, heavenly fires, but in time, we will surely return to the minute dust from which we came.

What separates man from his fellow creatures is his intellect, his ability to think logically. It is the precise reason why we establish laws of order. Life exists as the product of endless failures and countless mutating engagements under the brow of the sun. Microscopic enablers created the universe of being and made the rhythm of existence complete, yet the lesser beings found themselves at the mercy of progress’ shifting pollutants. No Eden can exist

N

as a utopia. All that is living is molded by the timeless rhythm of a cellular cosmos. It is the corruptive nature of the ego that has ravaged the garden within. It is the small life that instructs and is ultimately shunned as the planet warms.

One can come to an emotional crossroad when the light of intellect is diminished by ambiguous emotional stirrings of the heart. It may just be that the unexpected, brief illuminations from the heavens frame one’s faith and enable one to feel

c i t p ure a y ...

Bu

the miraculous and unexpected creative energy of unknowing. The sparks of the synapses flicker through the universe of the soul like falling stars. Love is spawned in the horizon of light. Benevolence is unprophesiable, yet always valid. Light falls out of the darkness where no law or political advantage can alter its journey.

Blindness often falls upon those that believe they see the world most clearly. Mankind is easily seduced and enslaved by the concept of authority. Millions adhere to dogma and fantical religiosities, rejecting the subtlety of the sublime. In a sense, humanity has forgotten its humaneness. Natural laws in the end usurp authority. It was written in the skies long ago, before men. I stand with my faith as the meteor rain moves through the shrouds of darkness. The spectacle lessens, and I hold my head in my hands pained by the fortissimo off these bewilderments.

I stand up and slowly walk back to the house, open the door and turn away, leaving the lost signatures to the immense night.

– Burt Baldwin

NewspaperOrigami

it lasts longer.

Some of the amazing photos you see in the Telegraph are now available to purchase online, in digital or print. (*for personal enjoyment and use only.)

To find out more, go to durangotelegraph.com and click on “buy photos.”

A dachsund telegraph

Jan. 9, 2020 n 23

When words don’t do justice.

Add a color photo to your Telegraph classified ad for just $10/week.

(Just like Craigslist ... but a lot less creepy.)

For more info, email:classifieds@durangotelegraph.com or call 970-259-0133

24 n Jan. 9, 2020

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