Newspaper POACHERS SUCK
Instead of stealing our hard work or robbing your neighbors of the joy of reading the Telegraph every week, here are a few things other than a brand new stack of Telegraphs you can use to start your fire (courtesy Explore.com):
1. Egg cartons and dryer lint (we’re sure belly button and pocket lint would work just as well)
2. Cotton balls and petroleum jelly (think of the fun you could have!)
3. Hand sanitizer (not just for COVID anymore)
4. Waxed paper and dryer lint (twist both ends of the paper to look like a doobie, we know you know how to do that)
5. Chips (the greasier the better, think Hot & Spicy Pringles, Spicy Nacho Doritos and, of course, Flaming Hot Cheetos.)
6. Duct tape (yet another use for duct tape. We’re not sure if this sounds 100% safe, but hey, if in a pinch ...)
How a 1987 Durango calamity adds new meaning to “trainwreck” by Zach Hively
or lack thereof by Karen Mockler / Writers on the
Between the Beats with local “wilderness” DJ Ellie Ellis by Stephen Sellers
EDITORIALISTA: Missy Votel missy@durangotelegraph.com
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STAFF REPORTER: Scoops McGee telegraph@durangotelegraph.com
TMaking friends – and fremenies – as the scofflaw “Ohio State” house by Missy Votel
by Andy High
Ear to the ground:
“I’m going as a Ouija board.”
– Kudos to working the occult into your Snowdown costume. Beats the heck out of another “Sorry” piece.
The end is Sneer
If you’re planning on drinking your winter blues away at Snowdown this year, you’ve likely already been to Magpies Newsstand to grab your board games gear to celebrate. As Snowdown merch central, they have t-shirts, hats, buttons, posters and info pamphlets. Get your butt down there if you haven’t already, as supplies are dwindling! However, if you go to Magpie’s in search of the venerable Snowdown Sneer, the satirical newspaper that mysteriously shows up around town (almost) every Snowdown, don't get your hopes up just yet. Not even the Snowdown Board of Directors knows when it will be out. And, despite rumors the Sneer was going all digital this year, unofficial sources (this is the Sneer, after all) say it will be coming out in good, old-fashioned paper form.
Chip Lile, Snowdown board president, says the Sneer “usually just kinda shows up.”
An anonymous group compiles the Sneer each year. At some point in time it was associated with Snowdown’s management team, but over the years an unknown group of locals has taken on the mission, he said.
“We are aware of it, we appreciate it, but we have nothing to do with it,” said Lile in a wise move to deflect any criticism or confrontations with those lampooned in its pages. (Although, it’s a well-known fact, you haven’t really made it in Durango until you make it into the Sneer.)
After the Sneer’s hiatus in 2023, Snowdown fans were thrilled to get their hands on a copy of the 2024 edition of the beloved Onionesque tabloid. Hopefully, they will be able to add the 2025 edition to their collection.
“Snowdown is such a beautiful thing in our community,” said Lile. “There are so many people working behind the scenes who have so much passion for it.”
So there you have it – sort of. In the past, it’s been available at Magpies or as a special section in the Durango Herald. Keep your eyes peeled.
– Maddy Gleason
LaVidaLocal
True love, taters and trains
In the middle of a hundred things the other day, the girlfriend said to me, “I’m a trainwreck. I don’t know why you love me.”
This was no trap. This statement was a healthy expression of adult emotions. And I, bringing decades of relationship experience, picked up on the most essential component of what she was vulnerable enough to share. I responded with the magic word: “… Trains?”
It worked. She had no words to say in return. I, being in general terms a man, was pleased to have fixed something. Doing so freed me to stop worrying about her problems and start reminiscing once again about trainwrecks, unrelated entirely to anything happening in the country or the wider world.
One train wreck in particular.
But I didn’t get to witness the wreck, which is really the dream, if you ask people like me.
Its mere existence, though – that such things as train wrecks like this have happened – means that one day, I might get so lucky. The girlfriend should know by now that I love her because she is a train wreck. I could love her more only if she were an actual, literal, non-metaphorical train wreck … with potatoes.
OK, so a lot of longtime Durangotans will know this one. But the girlfriend didn’t, so this meant I got to recount the story in great detail, relying on thorough research I conducted during an obsessive month or three after I moved to Durango more than a dozen years ago, research that I may or may not remember accurately. I even went so far as to draft a book about the event for young readers. It didn’t succeed, owing largely to my lack of exposure to young readers and their tolerance for footnotes. It had 115 of them. I’ve learned from that experience: I will not test your tolerance for footnotes, either. Just know that I COULD have footnotes, if I wanted.
was 28 – young for a train, before the DiCaprio Rule was in place – the summer heat bent the rails and she jackknifed into the Animas River. But the good people of the Denver & Rio Grande fished her out and got her back on her wheels, probably hoping their bosses wouldn’t notice.
She saw some successful days in the meantime, including film appearances after years of failing to land so much as a soap commercial audition. But she became an unsuspecting hero in 1987, when a semi-truck – the very innovation that had spelled the end of most of her kind – lost its brakes.
It all started when I was wandering the railroad museum because trains. An offhand comment on a display referenced the “Great Spud Truck Trainwreck” of ’87 and never have I ever, anywhere in the world, wanted to know so much more from reading so little.
The wreck in question involved locomotive #473, and until my current relationship, I had never fallen so hard as I did for this rolling disaster. When she
Thumbin’It
Hey, it’s Snowdown, everyone! Time to put on costumes, over-imbibe, make questionable decisions and forget about the world for a while. What perfect timing.
At least one convicted Jan. 6 rioter has said no thanks to Trump’s pardon. Pamela Hemphill, 71, of Boise, who served 60 days in jail, now admits she was gaslighted, “in a cult” and lost “critical thinking” skills and said a pardon is an insult to Capitol police.
The second round of wolves in Colorado’s reintroduction were just released in Eagle and Pitkin counties. They were mostly from Canada, so hopefully suited to the arctic blast. Stay out of trouble and look both ways before crossing busy roads, guys.
I mean, it didn’t lose its brakes per se. But its brakes lost pressure, and owing to how truck brakes work (which I don’t understand, because I never obsessed over trucks), and how long and steep and so very downhill the highway is from Hesperus to Durango, and just how heavy 47,640 pounds of potatoes is, the truck went fast.
[Footnote: Kids, much like adults, are really bad at contextualizing big numbers. So how many potatoes is that? It’s as much as four African elephants! Enough to make little potato chip bags for more than a million packed lunches. Uh oh, that’s another big number.]
Long story short, because if you’re interested in how steam locomotive boilers work and why T-boning one with a semitruck is such a bad idea, you probably already know and don’t need me to spell it out for you. Ol’ 473 (by now nearing three times Leo’s age limit but as gorgeous as ever) valiantly, if unsuspectingly, parked herself between a bunch of loitering tourists and the oncoming spud truck. She took the brunt. As for the driver who kept the runaway truck from squishing old ladies, ducklings and the like? He survived. The taters? They rained down upon the people of Durango like prizes in a Roald Dahl game show.
[Footnote: The older I get, the more I relate to the adults who collected the free spuds and took them home.]
And that heroic 473? The steam engine once again got her renovation on. Which I think is a lovely way to think about those we love. We don’t dismiss them because they are trainwrecks; we invest tens of thousands of dollars in them, because we’re never going to find another one at this point in life.
Especially not one who, now that I think about it, makes me pierogi for special occasions. All my favorite trainwrecks really do come with potatoes – and without casualties, to date.
– Zach Hively
Elon Musk, we get that you’re awkward AF – but the whole heil Hitler bit at the inauguration? That crosses over from your usual level of creepy to downright terrifying.
Wait – we have no snow in Southwest Colorado, and New Orleans and parts of the Florida Panhandle got more than 10 inches? What kind of cruel joke is this?
Last Monday, Jan. 20th – which literally felt like a cold day in hell.
SprayStation
The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2025, which was held in Las Vegas two weeks ago, was one of the largest technology symposiums ever with more than 140K attendees. Sony used the event to announce that the company was working on adding “real smells” to PlayStation, and that the technology could be ready by the time Grand Theft Auto 6 is released this fall. Of course, Sony probably intends to recreate scents like gun smoke during battles or fresh pine during drives through the park, but GTA fans and internet trolls alike are most excited about what it might smell like inside the virtual strip club. In other news, we still don’t have a cure for cancer.
A false solution
It’s time to get real about plastic recycling – or lack thereof
by Karen Mockler
I’m a dedicated recycler. I fret when I see people throwing garbage in with soda cans and empty water bottles. I’ve even been known to rescue recyclables from the trash – at my house, for sure, but also in public places if I think nobody’s looking.
Granted, the success of recycling plastic is abysmal – the U.S. rate is roughly 7% – but in theory it can be done. So, I was delighted when I learned that Tucson, where I live, was starting a pilot program to deal with hard-to-recycle plastics.
These aren’t the containers that we can recycle curbside, numbers 1, 2 and 5, or even the bags we can take to stores for recycling. Hard-to-recycle plastics are everything else: caps and lids, food packaging, straws, all those little pieces of plastic too small for machines to deal with and all those other numbers that curbside and stores don’t take.
Tucson’s pilot program would take all of it, and a company called ByFusion would use steam and compression to press it into blocks – ugly blocks, in my opinion – but useful for making benches, counters, even tiny homes. The blocks would avoid tons of marine debris and carbon dioxide along the way. Count me in!
Within months, participation in the pilot program exceeded expectations. ByFusion couldn’t handle all the plastic that was coming in. The city began storing the excess plastic and brought a second company into the loop: Hefty, a plastic-bag manufacturer.
Suddenly, the rules changed. The Hefty ReNew program was a collaboration between Reynolds Consumer Products, a manufacturer of various plastic products, and Dow Chemical Co. Now participants were asked to buy orange Hefty bags to collect their hard-to-recycle plastics. And what would Hefty do with all the plastic that
ByFusion couldn’t handle?
Hefty was doing different things with plastic waste in different cities – making plastic lumber in Omaha, burning it for cement kiln fuel and “advanced recycling” in Atlanta. But when I asked a city official about Tucson’s plan, I got no response about the fate of our plastic waste.
Meanwhile, the more I learned about advanced recycling – aka pyrolysis – the less I liked it. Pyrolysis burns plastic to make fuel, and a 2023 report by two
nonprofit environmental advocacy groups, Beyond Plastics and the International Pollutants Elimination Network, found that the pyrolysis process was “inefficient, energy-intensive and contributes to climate change.”
Yet Kevin Greene of the nonprofit Sustainable Tucson said there’s a good chance a portion of our plastic waste will end up at a pyrolysis plant under construction in Eloy, a small town halfway between Tucson and Phoenix.
Meanwhile, many pro-recycling people are calling plastic recycling in all its forms a “false solution” that mainly serves to relieve consumer guilt. In September, the California attorney general followed environmental groups in suing ExxonMobil for its “campaign of deception” around plastic recycling – one that has led people to buy more single-use plastics. ExxonMobil has since countersued.
There’s a growing realization that plastic is not so much a waste problem as it is a problem at its source. It creates health impacts in the low-income communities where the plastics are made, along with communities where those plastics are burned.
Until I learned more about pyrolysis, I too had felt relieved of guilt. So relieved, in fact, that in recent months I’d noticed myself making different, though small, consumer choices that left me using more plastic than before, each time thinking, I can orange-bag this! It turns out I’m not alone. A 2016 behavioral economics study found that when consumers think their waste might be recycled, they worry less about the amount of trash they generate and produce more of it.
Ideally, we’d do it all: reduce the flow of virgin plastic and deal responsibly with the glut of plastic waste, including pervasive microplastics that we humans have already choked the planet with.
But we don’t seem to have the mental bandwidth to do that. Like a growing number of folks, I’ve concluded that instead of recycling plastic, we need to focus on phasing out its use everywhere we can.
For now, I’ve got a boxful of orange Hefty bags under my sink – yours if you want them.
Karen Mockler is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about Western issues. She is a writer in Tucson. ■
A pile of discarded plastic bottles, seen here in the Himalayas, proves the plas tic scourge is everywhere. Unfortunately, plastics are not only an eyesore but there are no easy recycling solutions. / Photo bySylwia Bartyzel via Unsplash
The rural benefits of renewables
Rural communities are seeing a boom in renewable energy development. Whether it’s wind or solar, communities reap the benefits from increased tax revenues, new jobs and local lease payments. Better yet, communities can unlock additional benefits through Community Benefit Agreements (CBAs).
A CBA is a project-specific arrangement between renewable energy developers and local communities that outlines specific benefits the developer will provide. CBAs are not one-size-fits-all and can be customized to each community’s needs.
Among the most common types of benefits are community benefit funds, an annual or one-time financial donation to a local board that distributes the funds across the community, and direct investments, a financial contribution to local programs such as labor training. Additional kinds of benefits include labor provisions, contributions to local grants, and donations to emergency services and schools.
For example, one developer committed $250 per megawatt for a 160-megawatt project to a community benefit fund, which totaled $40,000 annually for various local projects.
CBAs empower residents to shape local renewable energy by shifting the balance of power from developers to the residents. The agreements promote collaboration to ensure projects provide meaningful contributions beyond the typical lease payments and tax revenues. Rural communities can benefit greatly
from this process, as CBAs can address needs through tailored solutions.
A key element to capturing the full opportunity of a CBA is engaging stakeholders early and often, ensuring that a wide range of views and needs can be addressed. As renewable energy development continues to grow in rural areas, CBAs enable residents to maximize benefits and have a meaningful voice in decision-making.
– Mallory Tope, Center for Rural Affairs, Nevada, Iowa
A livable wage in Durango
Affordability and the ability of workers to live in Durango has been a hot topic for years. However, the solutions taken to address this issue seem to ignore the root cause of the problem. Rather than directly addressing how much workers earn for hours worked, many of our leaders seem to focus instead on the back end of the issue (e.g. how do we make housing affordable, etc.) In my view, these types of solutions (while admirable) merely put a band-aid on the consequences rather than addressing the root cause of the problem.
One of the root causes of unaffordability in Durango is the growing wage gap. Our local government cannot stop inflation, reduce costs of goods, or directly impact the real estate market and its outrageous upward spiral. But in 2019, the Colorado Legislature gave our local governments a tool to address the affordability problem head on. That is, local governments in
Colorado now have the authority to increase their local minimum wage.
This was specifically designed for communities like Durango, whose cost of living is far outpacing the state average. Increasing the minimum wage addresses the root problem of affordability without any cost to taxpayers because the State Department of Labor and Employment provides the enforcement. It is a step toward ensuring that our hourly workforce is being paid something closer to a living wage so that our workforce can live where they work.
The numbers on this issue don’t lie. A full-time worker making the current Colorado minimum wage ($14.81) makes approximately $30,000 per year (before taxes and assuming 40 hours of work for 52 weeks, meaning no unpaid time off). The current average annual rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Durango is about $22,800 per year. This leaves $6,200 for ALL other expenses for an entire year (not including taxes). When you start adding basic costs like transportation, food and healthcare, that $6,200 is consumed quickly.
The MIT living wage calculator (livingwage.mit.edu) shows that a living wage for an individual with no children in La Plata County is $24 per hour, and it increases dramatically from there based on the size of your family. The math is simple – no one can survive comfortably in Durango at $14.81 per hour. In looking at job postings over the past year, The DuranGo Forward Coalition (a group of nonprofits, individuals and local workers advocating for an increased local mini-
mum wage) found that 91% of jobs posted in Durango feature a wage range that is above the proposed increase, meaning less than 10% of Durango businesses would be impacted by this change. So when you hear the business community’s response to this proposal that it will put everyone out of business or increase costs for consumers, please know that most businesses in Durango already pay more than the proposed increase and therefore would not be impacted.
Current state law limits any minimum wage increase to no more than 15% per year. So, the most that Durango could increase its minimum wage in 2025 is by $2.22 to $17.03/hour. This is still a far cry from the $24/hour living wage, but it is a step in the right direction. This is an action that the Durango City Council could take now with no cost to taxpayers that would have a direct impact on all hourly workers to help make Durango more affordable.
The Durango City Council’s 2022 Strategic Plan lists its top three priorities as “1) Affordability & Economic Opportunity; 2) Enhanced Livability and Sense of Place; 3) Diversity, Equity, Inclusion.” If the City Council is serious about these priorities, raising the minimum wage would make significant strides toward each of these without any cost to the City or taxpayers.
Finally, we are all aware that the new presidential administration and U.S. Congress will no doubt be cutting taxes for the wealthy. They’ve done it before and have promised to do it again. Business owners will be getting another financial break very soon. Workers deserve a break, too. Luckily, in Colorado, we have local control over this issue. Our City Council should use its
authority to help the workers who keep our town running. Raising Durango’s minimum wage benefits everyone and is a no brainer.
– Dave Albrechta, DuranGo Forward
But more about Biden ...
There has been a plethora of letters, columns and features in the Telegraph warning of how President Trump will cut Social Security, eliminate Medicare, set up prison camps, eliminate free speech and so on. Obviously, the writers are depending on social media, biased news sources and their cousin twice removed that sweeps Musk’s office for these “solid” predictions. Instead of depending on predictions of what the incoming administration is going to do, I’m asking the people making these claims some simple questions about the last administration.
First off, can someone explain why Biden defied a Supreme Court order and continued to spend taxpayer dollars on student loan forgiveness? Or why Biden ignored the advice of generals and proceeded to pull troops out of Afghanistan causing the deaths of 13 service members and leaving U.S. citizens behind? And let’s not forget the irresponsible spending spree he supported that saw inflation approach 10% and prices on everyday commodities increase by double digits during his term in office. His open border policies have created havoc and fiscal damage to so-called sanctuary cities as well as small towns across the country.
And finally, can those of you who despise the incoming administration tell the rest of us who has been running the country for the last four years? And how do you feel about the deceit that was perpetrated by
the media and White House staff in the effort to hide Biden’s cognitive disorders?
– Dennis Pierce, Durango
Real crisis is climate change
In the opening hours of his second term, President Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring a national energy “emergency.”
Claiming there’s an energy “emergency” when America’s oil and gas production is at an all-time high is laughable. The only emergency today is that Donald Trump’s oil billionaire friends want to enrich themselves even faster while ripping off American taxpayers and trashing our public lands.
There is an actual crisis today: 2024 was the hottest year on record, and the Earth crossed the 1.5-degree warming threshold. Floods, fires and extreme weather claim thousands of American lives and cost our economy billions of dollars each year. Today’s executive order is Donald Trump’s attempt to double down on the drivers of climate change while the rest of the world recognizes the true threat. It’s especially ironic that Trump is focused on increasing drilling in Alaska, a state that is warming much faster than the rest of the world.
The good news is that the energy transition is under way whether or not Donald Trump supports it. His oil billionaires may want to slow down American ingenuity and progress, but wind, solar and geothermal power, along with new storage technologies, are getting cheaper by the day. Trump’s second term is off to a predictable start, but the country can see he is on the wrong side of history.
– Rachael Hamby, Center for Western Priorities, Durango
Way to go, Ohio
Local Buckeye super fan – and occasional sign scofflaw – rejoices in sweet victory
by Missy Votel
Notre Dame fans may be crying into their Jameson’s after losing to Ohio State on Monday night in the national college championship. But there’s at least one local Buckeye fan waving her Ohio State flag proud. In fact, she does it every year.
“I put it up the first week of football season and take it down whenever they’re finished,” E. Third Avenue resident Karen Anesi said.
Of course, she’s referring to the massive “Ohio State” banner that hangs from the balcony of her garage at the intersection of E. Third Avenue, Florida Avenue and 15th Street (aka Malfunction Junction or Dysfunction Junction.)
Anesi was born in Youngstown, Ohio, and attended Ohio State like most of her family. “I’m from generations of Buckeye
fans,” she said.
However, not everyone shares her fervor for the scarlet and gray. Over the years, she has received several cheeky postcards in her mailbox from a local fan of the University of Michigan – which of course is Ohio’s biggest rival.
“About four years ago, I got a postcard addressed to the ‘Buckeye fans at Malfunction Junction,’” Anesi recalled.
“Every time Michigan beats Ohio State, they send me a postcard with the Michigan fight song on it.”
The Michigan fan is not the only detractor. For several years, Anesi was cited by the City for not complying with the sign code ordinance after being reported by an unknown individual(s).
“Every now and then, we get a letter telling us we have to take it down,” she said, adding that the citations go to her husband, Frank, an Ohio fan by default.
“So he has to pay for it,” she said with a laugh.
But, Anesi is not alone in her unwavering fandom. Often from the intersection, she’ll hear people call out the first part of the game day chant “OH,” which (if she’s within earshot, say, unloading her groceries) she’ll return with “IO.”
“And the whole car will erupt in cheers,” she said.
She also befriended another local Buckeye fan, Tyson Snider, who relocated to Durango from Ohio for a job at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. For the last few years, he would anonymously send a gift of Williams Sonoma buckeyes (peanut butter balls covered in chocolate – an Ohio delicacy) made by to her house. Then one day, he stopped by to introduce himself, and he and his wife came back to watch the next Ohio State game with the Anesis.
“It’s fun to see people have something to be happy about,” Anesi said.
As for the Wolverines fan, Anesi said she has yet to meet them face to face but would welcome some good-natured banter. Who knows? Maybe they’ll even get invited over for the game and some buckeyes and they can return the favor with, uh, pasties, cudighi (whatever the
heck that is) and other things they eat in Michigan. “I hope to find out which Michigan fan it is one of these days,” she said. ■
Karen Anesi with the sign on her E. Third Avenue garage that has earned her some friends – and frenemies –over the years.
BigPivots
Priming the pump
LPEA announces new home, vehicle electrification incentives
by Allen Best
New chief executive of La Plata Electric Association, Chris Hansen, is diving into the carrot bin to incentivize electrification. This month, LPEA announced it has created or increased three financial incentives, all of them under a new umbrella campaign called “Resolve to Electrify.”
The initiatives include:
• Battery storage rebates up to $3,000
Members can receive up to $2,000 in rebates for home battery systems. An additional $1,000 is available for systems in interconnection-limited zones.
State and federal incentives also exist. The federal government allows tax credits of up to 30% of the cost of a battery system. Colorado also offers a tax credit.
“Our rebate program is designed to help offset upfront costs by approximately 10%, although the exact savings depend on the specific brand and the associated installation costs,” Hansen said in a press release Jan. 10.
Home battery energy storage systems costs vary based on capacity and brand. Installation often is an added cost. LPEA says that 10 to 20 kWh batteries range in cost from $10,000 installed while those exceeding 20 kWh generally cost more than $20,000 installed.
Energy storage can save a homeowner or business operator money over time because the energy that is stored typically will be at a lower cost. It can avert the need to use electricity on the ground during times of high demand, such as hot summer evenings.
• EV rebates up to $500
LPEA has increased the rebate for installation of Level 2 home chargers from $125 to $500.
Through the cooperative’s time-of-use rate programs, members can reduce costs of charging their electric vehicles by shifting use to lower-rate periods. This also helps reduce strain on the grid and makes it easier to integrate renewable energy at higher levels. Hansen has said he believes LPEA can achieve 97% renewable generation by 2035.
Pray
LPEA’s Energy Management Technical Specialist Jon Kenney stands next to a heat pump retrofit on an area home. The co-op recently announced up to a $500 rebate for building all-electric homes or completing a full electric remodel conversion. This is on top of existing rebates for heat pumps, electric heatpump water heaters, induction cooktops, smart thermostats and more. / Photo by Monica Vick
• All-electric buildings
LPEA has expanded its rebates for members transitioning to all-electric heating and cooling, including water heating and appliances.
Members building all-electric homes or completing a full electric remodel conversion can receive a $500 bonus. This is on top of existing rebates for heat pumps, electric heat-pump water heaters, induction cooktops, smart thermostats and more.
“This is a true example of community power in action,” Hansen said. “As a cooperative, we’re all in this together. By working collectively, we can reduce energy costs and accelerate the adoption of innovative energy technologies. Every member’s participation ... moves us closer to a sustainable, resilient, energy future.”
Allen Best is a Colorado-based journalist who publishes an e-magazine called Big Pivots. Reach him at allen.best@com cast.net. ■
LPEA OFFERS SCHOLARSHIPS
Calling all soon-to-be high school graduates and GED recipients!
Get all your questions answered at our Scholarships Webinar February 12. lpea.coop/scholarships
BetweentheBeats
Staying grounded
Local “wilderness” DJ Ellie Ellis on cultivating her own sound
by Stephen Sellers
For this week’s “Between the Beats,” I sat down with the infamous Ellie Ellis, aka DJ Specific Heat. A native of Durango, Ellis has carved out a reputation as Durango’s de facto wilderness-based DJ, playing deep and dark house music sets on remote BLM land and in Durango’s hottest night spots alike. I recently sat down with Ellis to learn more about her journey as a PhD candidate by day and DJ and event curator by night.
SS: As we’re having this interview, you’re preparing a final draft of your dissertation, which is up for defense soon. Tell us a little bit about your research.
EE: I research agriculture and climate change, specifically regenerative agriculture practices that can help mitigate the impacts of climate change. I study how practices like no-till cropping and cover crops can help store carbon in the soil and remove it from the atmosphere.
SS: Tell us a little bit about your journey into DJing.
EE: I started in college. I’ve always been a lover of music, especially electronic music. In college, there were all these women’s music nights, but there were never any women DJs. I thought, “You know, I feel like I could figure this out.” So, I borrowed equipment from friends and pieced together some really sloppy sets. And I really loved it. During COVID, I was working at Open Sky (Wilderness Therapy). When the lockdown started, I felt like I needed a new creative outlet. That’s when I decided to buy my own DJ equipment and started throwing events in the wilderness for the Open Sky community. It allowed us to gather in a way that was safe, outdoors and socially distanced. Things just kind of blossomed from there.
SS: Describe your growth as a DJ in terms of the music that excites you.
EE: When I first started DJing, I felt a lot of pressure to play music that would appeal to everyone. A couple of years ago, I played a set in Fort Collins that I wasn’t very prepared for, and I decided, “You know what? I’m going to play exactly what I want to play.” It turned out to be one of the best sets I had ever done. I was feeling the music so much more, and people were introduced to a sound they hadn’t really heard before.
SS: What’s the central identity of the parties you like to throw, outdoors or indoors?
EE: I love creating platforms where people feel empowered to contribute their own creativity. We often hold open mics or craft fairs where people can bring things they’ve
created to sell or trade. We also like to end events with community shoutouts – recognizing all the great things people in our community are doing, whether related to music or something entirely different. A couple times I’ve had people come up to me after events and say, “I’ve never felt that welcome at events like this. But having you on stage as a really welcoming, female-bodied person just makes me feel like I belong.”
SS: What’s on the horizon for you, in terms of upcoming events and DJ gigs?
EE: I’ve got a couple of Snowdown events coming up. The first is at Gravity Lab on Jan. 25. They’ve planned various fun events related to climbing. There will be black lights, music and playful competitions throughout the day. That’s from 510 p.m. Then, the following weekend, on Feb. 1, I’ll be DJing another black light party at Esoterra Cidery. It’s going to be Candyland-themed, with body paint, I think.
SS: I’m curious – are there any lessons that soil has taught you, whether in the academic world or in the wilderness, that you’ve been able to bring to your DJing?
EE: I came across this project by some researchers in Sweden called “The Sounds of Soil.” They placed highly sensitive microphones at different depths in the soil profile and recorded the sounds of soil life – all the unseen organisms living beneath the surface of the Earth. I think the connection there is that I hope my music and the energy created through events help bring unseen voices to the surface. I want my music to unearth emotions, whether it’s a connection between two people, a positive vibe within a community or even grief and sadness. I hope the music and energy cultivated at these events help give a voice to things that might not otherwise be expressed. ■
Ellie Ellis, aka DJ Specific Heat
by Missy Votel
TTaking the handlebars
Devo names junior coach Nate Greason as new executive director
here’s a new rider leading the Devo pack. Last week, the local cycling development program announced Nate Greason will be taking the handlebars from outgoing Executive Director Levi Kurlander.
“From the first interview until the final board meeting, it was unanimous that Nate would be our next Executive Director,” Devo Board Chair Rick O’Block said in a press release. “We are grateful for all the wonderful things that Levi did for Devo, and are equally excited for the next chapter with Nate.”
Gleason rolled into the Devo world as a coach last spring and immediately demonstrated a strong rapport with young riders and a passion for adventure, according to a press release. However, it was the small details that indicated he would be a good fit with the Devo ethos –namely his trusty and indispensable 10-year-old, nolonger-waterproof rain shell and his self-professed “obsession” with planning group rides, runs and dinners.
“It has been great getting to know Nate over the past year. Even early on, when Nate first started coaching, it became apparent how his experience, perspective and work ethic were already contributing to Devo’s success,” Kurlander said. “I’m excited to see Nate usher in a new period of improvement and growth for Devo.”
Greason was born and raised on Bainbridge Island, Wash. (Bainbridge, of course, is the birthplace of pickleball although Greason does not currently play, reportedly having retired after winning his PE class tournament in 2005). Coming from a family of adventurers, he grew up exploring the woods with his sister, Mo, and building homemade bike jumps of questionable structural soundness. He went on to graduate from Dartmouth College and has lived in Massachusetts, Kentucky and Utah. His work experiences range from finance and congressional campaigns to organizing trips for a youth outdoor travel company.
Since settling in Durango in early 2024, Greason be-
came a Devo junior coach and an active member of La Plata County Search and Rescue. He is also an avid bikepacker, backcountry skier and outdoor advocate.
“As a Durango cyclist and a Devo coach, I’ve seen firsthand the ‘Devo magic’ that this organization offers
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its participants and our community,” Greason said. “Stepping in to fill Levi’s massive (bike) shoes is an honor and a thrill; I am looking forward to what lies ahead and excited by the chance to be a part of Devo’s future.” ■
New Devo Executive Director Nate Greason taking a break to ham it up with his junior Devo riders last summer. In addition to being an avid bikepacker and skier, Greason, a native of Bainbridge Island, Wash., is rumored to be a mean pickleballer. / Courtesy photo
Stuff to Do
Thursday23
The FUN-Official Kickoff of Snowdown with Durango Chamber Business After Hours, 5-7 p.m., DoubleTree Hotel, 501 Camino Del Rio
“Animal Tracking and Tracks,” presented by City Parks Ranger Tosh Black, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Durango Rec Center, 2700 Main Ave.
Bluegrass Jam, 6 p.m., Durango Beer & Ice Co., 3000 Main Ave.
Open Mic Poetry Night, 6 p.m., Create Art & Tea, 1015 Main Ave.
Tim Sullivan plays, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Rob Webster plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Trivia Night, 6:30-9 p.m., Powerhouse Science Center, 1333 Camino del Rio
Drag Trivia Night hosted by Aria PettyOne, 7:309:30 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.
Open Mic Night, 8-11 p.m., The Tangled Horn, 275 E. 8th Ave
Friday24
Snowdown 2025: The Board Game Edition, Jan. 24- Feb. 2, various locations
Black Velvet with Larry Carver & Nina Sasaki, Fri., Jan 24, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Mike Testa plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Permit Party Fundraiser featuring the Lawn Chair Kings, presented by Dolores River Boating Advocates, 6-10 p.m., Dolores Community Center, 400 Riverside Ave., Dolores
Saturday25
Venture Snowboards Demo Day, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Purgatory Resort
English Conversation Circle, 10-11 a.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
VNTRbirds Good Vibes Ride, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.,
Purgatory Village Express Lift
Yarn Meetup, 1-3 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Snow Science and Social Snowshoe hosted by San Juan Mountains Association and Mountain Studies Institute, 1-3 p.m., Lizard Head Pass, Rico-Telluride Stretching with Cats, 2-3 p.m., Cat Care Durango, 72 Suttle St., Unit J
Mixed in Mancos 2024 Album Release Party featuring music by Farmington Hill and Little Wilderness, 5-9 p.m., Mancos Brewing, 484 Hwy 160 E. Frontage Rd, Mancos
Karaoke, 6 p.m., Durango Beer & Ice Co., 3000 Main Ave.
Matt Rupnow plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Adam Swanson plays, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Live Music, 8 p.m.- 12 midnight, Sky Ute Casino, Ignacio
Sunday26
“Know the Snow Fund Rando Race” fundraiser, 8 a.m., Purgatory Resort
Irish Jam Session, 12:30-3 p.m., Durango Beer & Ice Co., 3000 Main Ave.
Board Game Sundays, 2 p.m., Lola’s Place, 725 E. 2nd Ave.
Weekly Peace Vigil & Rally for Gaza & Palestine, every Sunday, 4 p.m., Buckley Park
Blue Moon Ramblers play, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Ben Gibson plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Monday27
Death Café, 4-5:30 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Happy Hour Yoga, 5:30 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St.
Joel Racheff plays, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle
Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Comedy Open Mic, 8 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.
Swing & Brewskies dance lessons, 7-9:30 p.m., Durango Beer and Ice Co., 3000 Main Ave.
Tuesday28
“India: Between China, the West and the Global South,” discussion and film hosted by Great Decisions Durango, 11:45 a.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 2nd Ave.
Cowboy Tuesdays, 12-3 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Rotary District Governor Whittney SmytheSmith presented by the Rotary Club of Durango, 6-7 p.m., Strater Hotel, 699 Main Ave.
Jason Thies plays, 6 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Open Mic Night, 7 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.
Word Travellers Language School Open House, 7-9 p.m., 575 E. 4th Ave.
Wednesday29
Donny Johnson plays, 5:30-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Open Mic with Leigh Mikell, 7 p.m., EsoTerra Ciderworks, 558 Main Ave.
Karaoke Roulette, 8 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.
Ongoing
Snowdown 2025: The Board Game Edition, Jan. 24- Feb. 2, various locations
Mark Johnson Photography Exhibit, thru January, Create Art & Tea, 1015 Main Ave.
Christmas Tree Drop Off, thru Jan. 31, Santa Rita Park, 149 S. Camino del Rio
Pup-up Clothing Drive for The Women’s Resource Center presented by Lively (a boutique) and DHS, Jan 15-Feb. 5, drop off during business hours at Lively, 809 Main Ave.
AskRachel Cyber sucker, total zero and human guinea pigs
Interesting fact: “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” came to us as an aphorism from philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. He clearly didn’t live long enough to add “… or dumber.”
Dear Rachel,
I don’t mean this to be political, but is the cyber truck (refuse to capitalize it) anything other than a social experiment in how much humans will sink into a relatively worthless thing for status? Yes it gets you where you’re going. (Unless it snows.) But it is not beautiful. It is not functional as a truck. I’ve seen one around and boy, the only status it conveys to me is “what a sucker.” Am I missing something?
– Drive-By Cyber Trucker
Dear Consumer Report,
I want to rag on the cyber truck (with or without capital letters). I really, really do. But I have to rag on trucks in general. Most new trucks I see nowadays have cabs bigger than the truck’s beds. Their sole purpose is to sit higher and take up more space, without actually being useful on friends’ moving days. I pine for the days of the indestructible Tacomas that I could never afford. No compensation for any lacking anatomy, no status except “damn I envy your truck still functioning after 20-some years.” When there wasn’t anything more American than a solid Japanese pickup.
– Keep on truckin’, Rachel
“Given Time: Sensory Aesthetics of Reclamation,” exhibit exploring Indigenous relationships to land, FLC Center of Southwest Studies. Show runs thru April 24, 2025.
Heartwood Cohousing 4th Friday Potluck, every 4th Friday thru Oct., 6:30 p.m., 800 Heartwood Ln, Bayfield, heartwoodcohousing@gmail.com to reserve a tour
Upcoming
Infinite Horizons “Reflections on Indigenous Futurity,” Thurs., Jan. 30, 4:30-6:30 p.m., Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College
USASA Boardercross Competition, Fri., Jan. 31, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Purgatory Resort
Larry Carver and Ben Gibson play, Fri., Jan 31, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
“Outdoor First Aid Basics,” taught by City Parks Ranger Tosh Black, two-week class, Thurs., Feb. 6 and 13, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Durango Rec Center, 2700 Main Ave.
AILEY II The Next Generation of Dance, Thurs., Feb. 6, 7:30 p.m., Community Concert Hall at FLC
Dear Rachel,
Did you know that Gmail shows you a special icon when you get your inbox down to zero? Yeah, me neither, because what kind of psychopath gets their inbox down to zero? My supposed best friend showed me her accomplishment, and it made my throat go sour. I genuinely don’t know if I can stay friends with her. Can you give me one good reason to support friends with empty inboxes?
– Zero Hour
Dear Better Things to Do,
Everyone with an empty email inbox has one of two deep, dark, dirty secrets. The first is that they sort their emails into various folders, so the inbox is empty but the filing cabinet is stuffed. The second –the more frightening and enviable – id that they simply delete emails so they go far, far away and never have to be dealt with. This inspires me. Yet, I am the pass-agg emailer: if it ain’t in the first 1-50 of 12,784 emails, it’s just going to pressure me without actually being looked at ever again.
– 97% full, Rachel
Dear Rachel, Human ingenuity in the kitchen will never fail to surprise me. Think of the steps needed to discover a good cup of coffee, for instance. The long, slow realization that a specific bean needs to be roasted, then ground, then steeped in hot water, then elevated with intense snobbery. Yet we as a species can’t seem
“What the Hell Happened in San Francisco” dance theater performance by Malinda LaVelle and Emmaly Wiederholt, Fri.-Sat., Feb. 7-8, 7 p.m., The Light Box at Stillwater Music, 1316 Main Ave., Ste. C
“Swing State,” presented by Merely Players, Feb. 78, 11,13-15, 7 p.m., Merely Underground, 789 Tech Center Dr.
Euchre Night, Sat., Feb. 8 and 22, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave.
“Swing State,” presented by Merely Players, Sun., Feb. 9 and 16, 2 p.m., Merely Underground, 789 Tech Center Dr.
SOLAS Celtic ensemble, Thurs., Feb. 13, 7:30 p.m., Community Concert Hall at FLC
Valentine’s Day Showdown hockey game fundraiser for girls hockey, Durango Betties face off against the DAYHA Girls U19 Team, Fri., Feb. 14, 5-7:15 p.m., Chapman Hill Ice Rink
“Cupid’s Cabaret,” San Juan Circus Valentine’s Day burlesque show, Fri., Feb. 14, doors 7 p.m., The Subterrain, 900 Main Ave., Suite F
Email Rachel at telegraph@durangotelegraph.com
to pay attention to anything outside our own heads for more than 10 seconds. How do we do it?
– Kitchen Confidential
Dear Gourmand, Easy. We humans have a foolproof method for determining what betters us as a species and what doesn’t. We let other people try things for us. If they die, lesson learned! If they don’t, we might try it ourselves. Pretty sure this is what’s happening with cyber trucks.
– Making you stronger, Rachel
Hiking and Backpacking Essentials, presented by City Parks Ranger Tosh Black, Thurs., Feb. 20, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Durango Rec Center
International Guitar Night XXV, Wed., Feb. 26, 7:30 p.m., Community Concert Hall at FLC
Outdoor etiquette and how to go potty in the wilderness, presented by City Parks Ranger Tosh Black, Thurs., Feb. 27 and March 6, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Durango Rec Center
Deadline to submit items for “Stuff to Do” is Monday at noon. Please include:
• Date and time of event • Location of event
FreeWillAstrology
by Rob Brezsny
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Author Anais Nin wrote, “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” You now have a mandate to expand your life through courageous acts, thoughts and feelings. I suggest we make the Arctic fox your power symbol. This intrepid creature undertakes epic migrations, journeying more than 2,000 miles across sea ice, using starlight and magnetic fields to navigate. Let’s dare to speculate that you have something in common with it; that you are equipped with an inner guidance system that gives you a keen intuitive sense of how to maneuver in unfamiliar territory. PS: Nin has another tip: “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.”
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus archeologist Howard Carter made a spectacular discovery in 1922: the intact tomb of the Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun, more than 3,300 years after his death. It was filled with more than 5,000 artifacts, became a global sensation and to this day remains the most famous find from ancient Egypt. A short time before he succeeded at his five-year quest, Carter nearly gave up. But then his sponsor agreed to provide funds for a few more months, and he continued. In this spirit, Taurus, I urge you to keep pushing to fulfill your own dream. Renew your faith. Boost your devotion. Remember why you feel so strongly.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The James Webb Space Telescope is the largest telescope in space. Recently, it discovered hundreds of galaxies that no humans had ever before beheld. They are very old, too – far more ancient than our own Milky Way. I propose we make this marvelous perception-enhancing tool a symbol of power for you. According to my analysis, you now have robust potential to see things that have always been invisible, secret or off-limits. Some of these wonders could motivate you to reinterpret your life and reshape future plans.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): One theory says that humans evolved to be afraid of reptiles because our early ancestors were frequently threatened by them. Among the most commonly feared creatures in modern culture are snakes. And yet, as anyone knows if they’ve studied mythology, snakes have also been symbols of fertility and healing in many cultures. Because they periodically shed their skin, they also represent regeneration and rebirth. I’m hoping you don’t harbor an
instinctual aversion to snakes, Cancerian. The coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to call on and benefit from their iconic powers.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In the coming months, be extra creative as you enhance your network of connections. Encourage your allies to provide you with tips about opportunities and possibilities that you would not otherwise know about. Ask them to serve as links to novel resources that will nurture your longterm dreams. Here’s an idea to energize your efforts: Get a vivid sense of how trees use vast underground fungal webs to communicate with each other. (Learn more here: bit.ly/TheWoodWideWeb) Knowing about this may impregnate your subconscious mind with evocative suggestions about how to weave the kind of community you want.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I love my job as a horoscope writer. What could be more fun than analyzing cosmic signs to generate inspirational counsel for my readers? It’s a big responsibility, though. I am aware of how crucial it is that I craft my messages with utmost care and compassion. Having been scarred as a young adult by reckless, fear-mongering fortune-tellers, I’m rigorous about nurturing your free will, not undermining it. I want you to be uplifted, not confused or demoralized. With these thoughts in mind, I invite you to take an inventory of the effects that your work and play have on the world. Are they aligned with your intentions? Are your ambitions moored in impeccable integrity?
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Why are diamonds so valuable? I’m skeptical. High-grade diamonds are not as rare as public perception would lead us to believe. They are extraordinarily hard and scratch-resistant, but is that a reason to regard them as a treasure? I acknowledge they are pretty in a bland way. But other gems are more intriguingly beautiful. Maybe the reason they are so prized is that diamond sellers use effective marketing to promote them as symbols of love and luxury. Now is an excellent time to think and feel deeply about what is truly beautiful to you and take steps to bring more of it into your life. Beauty is an essential ingredient in your purpose.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The way that ancient Romans made concrete was more ingenious than modern methods. Their manufacturing materials included “lime clasts,” which gave the concrete selfhealing qualities. When cracks arose, they fixed themselves. That’s why Roman aqueducts built 2,000 years ago can still convey water today. Metaphorically speak-
ing, I hope you will work on building similar structures in the coming weeks. It’s time to create strong foundations that will last for a very long time.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Do you harbor a yearning to learn a new language, skill or trick? The coming weeks will be a favorable phase to get serious about doing it. Have you fantasized about embarking on an adventure that would expand your understanding of how the world works? The time is right. Have you wished you could attract an inspirational prod to unleash more creativity and experiment freely? The astrological omens suggest that inspirational prod is imminent. Have you wondered whether you could enhance and fine-tune your receptivity – and thereby open up surprising sources of fresh teaching? Do it now!
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Bristlecone pines grow slowly, but they are hardy and long-lived. Their wood is so strong that it’s virtually immune to disease, insects and erosion. They grow in places that are inhospitable for many other trees, flourishing in cold, windy environments where the soil is not particularly rich. For the bristlecone pine, apparent obstacles stimulate their resilience. I don’t want to exaggerate the ways they remind me of you Capricorns, but you and they certainly have affinities. I believe these shared qualities will be especially useful for you in the coming weeks.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In old Hawaii, it was forbidden for ordinary people to touch objects that belonged to the chiefs or to anyone with spiritual powers. Other taboos: Never walk across the shadow of an important person and never wear red and yellow feathers. Our modern taboos are different but often equally rigid. For example, you are probably hesitant to ask people how much money they make or what their relationship status is. What are other taboos do you observe? I won’t outrightly advise you to brazenly break them, but now is a good time to re-evaluate them – and consider changing your relationship with them.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): As winter progresses, each day is longer and each night shorter. Most humans feel an undercurrent of joy that the amount of light in the world is growing. But, I like to honor the beauty and powers of darkness. That’s where everything new gets born! It’s where the future comes from! In ancient Hawaiian religion, the word kumulipo meant “beginning-in-deep-darkness.” It was also the name of a prayer describing the creation of the world. In the coming weeks, I believe you will be wise to tap into the rich offerings of darkness.
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Announcements
Applications for Advanced Standing MSW Program Students with a bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW) are eligible for a one-year Masters of Social Work program through the University of Denver. The program starts summer 2025 and classes are taught in Durango. Stipends for child welfare, integrated behavioral health care are available. Native American tuition support to eligible students is also available. For more info contact Janelle.Doughty@du.edu or www.du. edu/socialwork.
HelpWanted
Public Works Director – Silverton, CO
The Town of Silverton seeks a qualified leader to serve as Public Works Director, overseeing vital infrastructure and operations including water, wastewater, streets, and sanitation. This position requires strong management, planning, and technical skills, with responsibilities in budgeting, compliance, staff supervision, and quality control. The Director will ensure the proper operation of critical systems and work closely with town officials and the community. Competitive salary of $85,000-$95,000 with excellent health/ dental/ life/ short-term disability/ and retirement benefits and a housing stipend. Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience preferred. CDL required within a reasonable time frame. Apply by sending a cover letter, resume, and 3 references to: mmarks@silverton .co.us and deputyclerk@silverton.co.us by February 24th, 2025. For inquiries, call 970-880-4087 and for a full job descrip-
tion please visit https://townofsilverton. colorado.gov/employment
Lost/found
My Cat Cid is Missing
Long hair, white with black spots, green eyes. Last seen near 18th St. and E. 2nd Ave., by St. Columba. Reward. Call 970-403-6192
ForSale
Dry Firewood
Pick up or delivery. Call Gabe, 970403-2784 .
Reruns Home Furnishings
Lots of new furniture/cool furnishings for home, office or dorm. Nightstands, coffee tables, kitchenwares, rugs and more. Also looking to consign smaller furniture pieces. 572 E. 6th Ave. Open Mon.-Sat. 385-7336.
ForRent
Professional Offices Downtown Near Main Ave., sunlit patio with Buckley Park views. Lease terms negotiable. 970.247.1233
Wanted
Cash for Vehicles, Copper, Alum
Etc. at RJ Metal Recycle. Also free appliance and other metal drop off. 970259-3494.
Books Wanted at White Rabbit Donate/trade/sell (970) 259-2213
Services
Boiler Service - Water Heater Serving Durango over 30 years. Brad, 970-759-2869. Master Plbg Lic #179917
Electric Repair
Roof, gutter cleaning, fence, floors, walls, flood damage, mold, heating service.
Need Repairs, Remodels or Renovations? Durango Wrangler quality constr. 970-708-7451
Chapman Electric 970-403-6670
Specializing in all things electrical. Colorado state licensed and insured
HaikuMovieReview
People’ This dark and messy crime comedy won’t change your life but you will laugh
Lowest Prices on Storage! Inside/outside storage near Durango and Bayfield. 10-x-20, $130. Outside spots: $65, with discounts available. RJ Mini Storage. 970-259-3494.
BodyWork
Massage by Meg Bush LMT, 30, 60 & 90 min., 970-759-0199.
CommunityService
Dog Fosters Needed Parker’s Animas Rescue urgently needs foster families to provide temporary homes for rescued dogs. We supply all necessary items and cover vet visits. You provide the love and guidance. Our support includes volunteer dog walkers to assist with care. Join our mission to help pups flourish and prepare for their forever homes. Apply by visiting: parkers animalrescue.com.
