The Durango Telegraph, Feb. 1, 2024

Spit happens

elegraph the durango

FREE Feb. 1, 2024 Vol. XXIII, No. 4 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

Critical condition

February frenzy

Family ties

Rural Western towns grapple with doctor shortages p5

A rundown of this month’s can’t-miss shows p9

A new crime tale to knock your wool socks off p11

HEY! Taking more than

1 paper is stealing! *Yes, it’s fine if you want to bring one to your nextdoor neighbor, friends, grandma, etc. Just don’t poach the whole stack.

That’s lame.

If you need extra papers for fire-starter, piñatas, hamster cages, gift wrap or stuffing in your walls, we keep backstock at many of our racks around town including:

• The Durango Post Office • Peerless Tire • Tele HQ, 679 E. 2nd Ave. Or give us a call at 970-259-0133 & we’ll try to hook you up.

2 n Feb. 1, 2024

telegraph

lineup

4 La Vida Local

Literary journey Facing darkness with poetry with Kaveh Akbar’s humorously dark tale

by Kirbie Bennett

5 Writers on the Range 6-7 Soapbox

5

8 State News 9 Between the Beats

Doctor desert Rural communities in the West facing dwindling obstetrician supply

10 Murder Ink

by Katie Klingsporn / Writers on the Range

11 Stuff to Do

8

12 Snowdown Events 13 Ask Rachel

February frenzy A rundown on all this month’s can’t-miss shows

14 Free Will Astrology

by Stephen Seller

15 Classifieds

10

15 Haiku Movie Review

Ties that bind

On the cover Storm Peak, complete with its trademark “billboard,” flexes its winter muscles near Silverton./Photo

by Andy High

An Argentinian family crime tale to knock your socks off

boilerplate

by Jeffrey Mannix

EDITORIALISTA: Missy Votel missy@durangotelegraph.com ADVERTISING SALES: telegraph@durangotelegraph.com STAFF REPORTER: Scoops McGee telegraph@durangotelegraph.com

T

he Durango Telegraph publishes every Thursday, come hell, high water, tacky singletrack or mon-

STAR-STUDDED CAST: Kirbie Bennett, Rob Pudim, Katie Klingsporn, Jeffrey Mannix, Stephen Sellers, Rob Brezsny, Lainie Maxson, Jesse Anderson & Clint Reid

REAL WORLD ADDRESS: 679 E. 2nd Ave., Ste E2 Durango, CO 81301

FAN MAIL ADDRESS: P.O. Box 332, Durango, CO 81302

E-MAIL: telegraph@durangotelegraph.com

VIRTUAL ADDRESS: www.durangotelegraph.com

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

ster powder days. We are wholly independently owned and operated by the Durango Telegraph LLC and dis-

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

PHONE: 970-259-0133

telegraph

Ear to the ground: “I have a costume closet.”

“You only have a costume closet?

I have a costume basement.”

– A classic case of Snowdown one-upmanship.

thepole

4

RegularOccurrences

Kum & Gone It’s a sad day for frequent road-trippers to Denver. The endearingly risqué gas station/convenience store chain Kum & Go is changing its name.

If you need to take a moment to cry into your Kum & Go koozie or sweatshirt, it’s OK. Apparently, the Kum & Go chain, which has some 400 stores throughout Iowa, Arkansas, Colorado, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wyoming and Michigan, was bought out by mega chain Maverick last year. The Utah-based Maverik (is anyone surprised?) recently announced plans to rename all Kum & Go stores by 2025, including the 86 in Colorado.

According to a source from Maverik, “There was some concern about the inadvertent double entendre of the Kum & Go name.”

Maverick reportedly paid $2 billion for the Kum & Go chain, which nearly doubles the number of stores in the Maverik chain to 801.

The Iowa-based Kum & Go was established in 1959 by William A. Krause and Tony S. Gentle. In 1975, they changed the name of the gas station chain to Kum and Go, reportedly as a nod to the founders’ last initials.

And while the new stores will likely just become more boring Maveriks, late night talk show host Stephen Colbert wasted no time in offering some “less dirty” ideas for names.

“Kum & Go should change its name to ‘Kum & Then Maybe Stay the Night,’” Colbert suggested on his Jan. 18 show. “And the next morning you get breakfast and you find the conversation comes easily, not like with all the others, and you realize how much you have in common.

“You both put peanut butter on your pancakes and you both think George was the best Beatle and before you know it, it’s Christmas 2062, and you’re surrounded by children and grandchildren thinking, ‘Man, I’m so lucky to have all this love in my life,’” he said. “‘I’m glad all those years ago I didn’t just Kum & Go.’” Admittedly, that is a lot to fit on a sign, he noted.

In the meantime, if they do go with the Maverik name, may we suggest a new tagline: “We’ve got your tail.”

Feb. 1, 2024 n 3

opinion

LaVidaLocal Facing darkness with poetry Sometimes when I read a novel that punches me in the chest, I can’t resist frantically writing down my commentary alongside the text. My question marks and exclamation points stab the margins. When the story spits me out, and I put down the finished book, every other page is dog-eared, my unhinged thoughts are scribbled around the text, and my pen has highlighted numerous soul-stirring sentences. For those books that hit me like I’m falling and flailing in love, they usually call to mind a poem or lyric. So when I get to the last page, beneath the story’s last words, I write in those verses: a coda to a coda. My offering to the blessing that the book gifted me.

I’m basically describing my journey in reading Kaveh Akbar’s debut novel, “Martyr!” The story revolves around a young man named Cyrus Shams, a recovering addictalcoholic and self-destructive poet drifting through life.

Oftentimes Cyrus’ thoughts are drenched in death. His family’s life was dramatically shaped by the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. Cyrus was a newborn when his mother, Roya, died. The plane she boarded was shot down over the Persian Gulf by the U.S. Navy in 1988. That tragedy leaves a wound in all the men in Cyrus’ family.

As an adult, Cyrus has a part-time job that involves playing dead. He’s an actor at a hospital, working with medical students as they rehearse informing patients they will die. Cyrus is the patient, receiving endlessly bad news. In these darkly comedic scenes, he’s way too comfortable pretending to die day after day.

“It just doesn’t seem healthy,” one of Cyrus’ friends tells him. “After all you’ve been through? It can’t be good for you.” Cyrus shrugs off the concerns. He’s resigned to an early death in Indiana soon. But he wants to leave something meaningful behind. Since his mother experienced a “meaningless death,” as Cyrus calls it, he wants his “having-been alive to matter.” He decides to work on a book about martyrs, to study “people who at least tried to make their deaths mean something.”

Sometimes it was chilling how Cyrus felt like a kindred spirit to me. Growing up on the reservation, I may have been to more funerals than birthday parties.

In one of my high school yearbooks, my sweet friend Samantha wrote, “Take care and don’t forget me.” She died a year later from an overdose. My grandfather worked for the Kerr-McGee uranium mines and soon developed

cancer. He died before I was born. When my aunts and uncles were children, they were exposed to radiation while visiting my grandfather at work. The health issues they struggle with today can be traced back to that period. After a while, in my young eyes, it felt easy to take life for granted. To drift destructively since much was decided before I was born.

For Cyrus, his book project on martyrs takes him to the Brooklyn Museum.

There, an artist with cancer is turning her impending death into her final art installation called DEATH-SPEAK. Cyrus is in awe over this concept. He spends a week interviewing Orkideh, the dying artist, and a swirling story unfolds. We learn more about Cyrus’ family. There’s his uncle, Arash. On top of losing his sister, Roya, in the bombed plane, Arash is traumatized by his role in the war. He played the angel of death to dying soldiers on the battlefield. Dressed in a black robe, riding a horse, Arash would console the dying, reassuring them that their deaths were meaningful.

When Cyrus was an alcoholic, drinking was the key to falling asleep. In the sober present, on sleepless nights, he conjures up philosophical conversations between various pop culture icons. These dreamy scenes act as interludes, with Lisa Simpson and Kareem Abdul-Jabar reflecting on the unbearable suffering and overwhelming wonder of life.

While the story revolves around Cyrus seeking an ending, literally and figuratively, all the voices around Cyrus urge him to continue being. In a moment struggling to raise Cyrus alone, Ali admits, “To say no to a new day would be unthinkable. So each morning you said yes, then stepped into the consequence.” During one museum visit with Orkideh, she tells Cyrus, “I think you’ll find your real ending once you stop looking for it.”

The beauty of “Martyr!” is how it faces darkness with poetry. It runs fingers around the jagged edges of a broken heart still beating. “Martyr!” condemns war and empires while embracing those brief yet eternal moments of borderless love and joy that give miraculous meaning to life.

On the last page of the book, I thought of my doubts and angels. Then I wrote down part of a Catherine Hunter poem: “being born is the easy part, yes/ it is this staying here that’s difficult/ this walking for the heart without being certain/ exactly why, threading a path through the city/ as though i could gather these streets/ and bridges to me, hold them in this moment/ shining, unassailable” Amen.

– Kirbie Bennett

Thumbin’It Colorado committing $20M to buy Colorado River water rights at the Shoshone Power Plant, near Glenwood, a win-win for West Slope agriculture, recreation and wildlife.

The National Science Foundation pledging $160M to Colorado and Wyoming startups aimed at cutting greenhouse gases. In case you haven’t noticed, things are getting a little hot around here – avg. temps in Colorado have increased 3.1 degrees F since 1980.

Things are hopping at DRO, with a record-breaking 431,828 people passing through the gates in 2023. Maybe this will woo Frontier to come back with its super cheap flights?

4 n Feb. 1, 2024

SignoftheDownfall: Colorado roads are getting deadlier for pedestrians and cyclists, with cyclist deaths jumping by 33% last year to 20, and the number of pedestrians killed reaching a new high at 131. Time to put the down the phone, get some reflectors and arrive alive, people.

Another close call with geologic time, with a rockslide closing Wolf Creek Pass on Monday for 2½ hours. Luckily no vehicles were involved and no one was injured. Hmmm, maybe it’s too dangerous out there and we should just stay home.

The further demise of credible local news in rural areas, with the 4 Corners Free Press announcing it will cease printing after its most recent issue.

telegraph

LGBTQ… E? Forty-five-year-old Sonja Semyonova of British Columbia was walking through the woods during the pandemic lockdown of 2020 when she spotted an oak tree that filled her with “erotic energy,” so she fell in love with it. Over the years that followed, Sonja claims that her sappy feelings for the specific tree surpassed typical tree-hugging, and that she’s now an “ecosexual,” which is someone who considers Earth to be a lover, giving a whole new meaning to “hardwood.”

WritersontheRange

Where are all the doctors?

Shortage of obstetrics in rural areas puts women at risk

by Katie Klingsporn

T

here’s never been enough doctors in rural Wyoming, where I live, but a shortage of obstetricians is now increasing the risks for pregnant women across the state – and the nation.

In the last decade in Wyoming, three hospitals have closed maternity wards. That includes Rawlins, where pregnant moms now have to risk travel on Interstate 80 – notorious for weather-related closures – to deliver their babies in Laramie, 100 miles away.

But Wyoming isn’t the only state to face inadequate maternal care: Less than half of rural Klingsporn hospitals in America offer labor and delivery services.

Gwenith Wachter has experienced this erosion firsthand. She first gave birth in her hometown of Riverton, Wyo., back when the local hospital was a bustling place with a well-seasoned staff. By 2016, the for-profit hospital’s owner had closed its labor and delivery unit. Five years later, when her last child was arriving, she had to travel 26 miles to Lander, the closest birthing facility.

Today, her county of Fremont, a New-Hampshiresized area home to 40,000 people, has gone from two birthing hospitals and many obstetricians, to one delivery facility and a single pregnancy doctor for the general population. The trend prompts women in increasing numbers to travel out of the county to give birth – an expensive and logistically challenging option. “I just think it’s insane,” Wachter said. “It puts women at risk.”

The statistics bear out her observation. Women who live farther from delivery hospitals are more likely to experience adverse medical outcomes, such as requiring neonatal intensive care.

With traveling doctors and nurses filling the on-call gaps, Fremont County has it better than some other rural counties, because at least it has a birthing facility.

Keeping one going is complicated by factors like the unprofitable nature of deliveries for hospitals and burnout of medical staffers.

In an unfortunate “Catch-22,” robust health care is a key ingredient in creating local jobs and tax revenue that, in turn, drive patient volume and support the

Rural places like Rawlins, Wyo., struggle to maintain specialized health providers including obstetricians and birthing centers. economics of rural communities. Worse, said University of Wyoming professor and midwife Esther GilmanKehrer, without enough staff, “I would envision that at some point we’ll see deaths.”

Women who receive no prenatal care at all are showing up already in labor at Fremont County general hospitals, according to nursing staff. Add that to the prevalence of risk factors like diabetes, substance abuse and high rate of travel, and the chance of a bad outcomes grows.

Wyoming’s maternity-care gap, however, is not the state’s issue of highest concern – not by a long shot. It competes with other challenges such as high suicide rates and declining coal mining revenues. Many lawmakers also appear more interested in hot-button social issues like school library policies. People outside of the childbirth realm express shock when I tell them that health care for women has sharply deteriorated.

The state has begun to take notice. An obstetrics subcommittee of Gov. Mark Gordon’s Health Task Force is working to gather data on doctor shortages. An effort to create a maternal health strategic plan could spring from a University of Wyoming program. What’s known is that many factors, including more livable schedules and the chance for better pay offered at city hospitals, make it difficult to attract promising medical professionals.

telegraph

Another issue is a pair of abortion bans held up in litigation. The Wyoming Legislature argues that while the State Constitution guarantees residents the freedom to make health care choices, those choices don’t include abortion because “abortion is not health care.”

Will good solutions come fast enough? From 201820, 13 Wyoming women died during pregnancy or within one year after the end of their pregnancy, according to the state health department. Six pregnancy-related deaths were deemed preventable. Meanwhile, maternal mortality more than doubled in the United States from 1999-19, putting us far behind other firstworld countries.

It’s a fundamental experience for women to have a baby, yet even in the smoothest cases, there are lasting implications for women’s bodies. It’s time to stop shrugging the matter off and start treating maternity care with the gravity it deserves. The health of moms is absolutely central to healthy families and thriving communities.

Katie Klingsporn is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. She lives in central Wyoming and recently wrote a series about Wyoming’s maternal care shortage for WyoFile. ■

Feb. 1, 2024 n 5

SoapBox SMART hearings Our first few weeks of the second session of the 74th General Assembly have flown by quickly as we prepare for late nights, floor debates, committee hearings and meetings. During these first weeks, every joint committee met with the Joint Budget Committee to hear about the fiscal climate and what departments under our purview are planning this year.

We then heard from each department during the SMART, “State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive and Transparent Government,” hearings, during which time we asked questions about policies and progress of the bills we passed last year. This gives legislators a close look at what the next 100 or so days look like, making sure we understand the issues.

We have run a few bills through committees that didn’t have much public testimony; the bulk of work starts next week as many of our first bills are read across the desk and sent to a committee for action.

I am pleased about the first three bills on my agenda. Two made it into the top

6 n Feb. 1, 2024

D-Tooned/by Rob Pudim 10 in the House, and one made it into the top five in the Senate.

The first is inspired by the work of Durango and Animas High students who have worked with their school boards to have opiate antagonists and drug detection products in school, empowering students to save lives and help keep their peers away from drugs. The program is optional in schools, where students, parents, educators and bus drivers will be taught how to use Naloxone and Fentanyl test strips while understanding their shortcomings.

The second bill came out of the Water Resources and Agricultural Review Committee last summer. It prohibits local governments and unit owners’ association from installing nonfunctional turf, artificial turf or invasive plant species. The law will only be applied to commercial, institutional or industrial property or transportation corridors; it will not affect private property.

Think about the strips of land between a business sidewalk and street.

They are too small for picnics or soccer games but demand a lot of water and money to maintain. Communities with

this law in place have seen tremendous water and money savings.

My third bill addresses the need for

telegraph

applications and informational materials for child care centers to be printed in both English and the other prevalent »

language of the area. It also trains people who speak those languages to open their own centers and provide for bilingual schools.

This will open up more centers for our youngest learners, encourage job opportunities for bilingual parents and give more parents high-quality and essential child care when they go to work.

Despite headlines from the Capitol highlighting votes of no confidence, questionable decorum, internal party arguments, reprimands and contentious bill ideas, we are getting good work done. Generally speaking, affordable housing is rising to the top of the “most important” pile, as is health care, economics, education, mental health and jobs. Most bills are bipartisan, and rural legislators are working with their urban counterparts to make sure we’re doing the best for everyone in the state.

I look forward to continue working hard for my constituents.

–Rep. Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango

The writing is on the wall Young and old GOP Durango this is why you should not support Trump. The information is out on him, read all about it. He had said he will be a dictator, has a sexual assault conviction and paid a porn star $130,000 while married. He had a Playboy mistress while married to wife #3 with child. He didn’t visit police in hospital after Jan. 6. He runs a phony college and has felons as friends. He was banned from charity boards in NYC. He was impeached two times and called Sen. McCain a loser. Top secret papers were

found in his bathroom when he was not president, and he helped overturn Roe V Wade. He said “hang” Gen. Millie and has pending felony charges. Seven of his lawyers quit him, and he said immigrants are poison even though two of his three wives and his mother are immigrants. He put fake values on property in NYC witn pending court action on and on and more to come.

So vote for the best for you and your family. I hope your sons and daughters don’t grow up like him.

Where’s Melania?

–Bob Battani, Durango

A ‘yes’ on abortion rights We hope you’ll sign the petition for Initiative 89 to put abortion access on the November ballot. Then, a “yes” vote will amend the Colorado Constitution to enshrine abortion access in Colorado. This effort follows a trend of successful ballot initiatives across the nation. Currently, abortion rights only exist in Colorado because the Legislature passed the Reproductive Health Equity Act in 2022, ensuring abortion rights under state statute.

Initiative 89 would not only change the Colorado Constitution to recognize the right to abortion, it would also allow abortion to be covered under insurance for state and local government employees and enrollees in state and local governmental insurance programs. What this means is that anyone with state-funded insurance – teachers, firefighters, government employees and people with Medicaid insurance coverage – would be able use their insurance

telegraph

to pay for abortion care.

Karen Middleton, President of Cobalt Advocates, says: “This is fundamentally about equity. Abortion should be a constitutional right. This proposed ballot measure has a zero fiscal note. This does not cost taxpayers money. It’s fair, it’s equitable, and it’s something we all need. Coloradans trust people and their doctors, not politicians, to make decisions about abortion. We empower people to live their own lives in a way that’s best for them. We can do this by continuing to be a beacon of hope, both now and in the future, by putting abortion rights in the Constitution. So today I’m asking you to go to ColoradansForReproductiveFreedom.com. Sign up to donate. Sign up to volunteer. Sign up to spread the word to your friends and know that you can make a difference for everyone.”

You’ll see volunteers at various locations around town with petitions. You must be over 18 and registered to vote in Colorado to sign. We have until the end of March to gather signatures. Please sign and tell your friends to look for us!

–Karen Pontius, Durango

“We’ll print almost anything”

The Telegraph prides itself on a liberal letters policy. We have only three requests: limit letters to 500 words; letters must be signed by the writer; and thank-you lists and libelous, personal attacks are unwelcome. Send your profundities by Monday at noon to telegraph@durangotelegraph.com

Feb. 1, 2024 n 7

StateNews

‘Don’t vote for me’

Loophole lands Colorado woman on Minnesota primary ballot despite wishes

by Rachel Estabrook and Ryan Warner / Colorado Public Radio

K

rystal Gabel has a Google alert set up for her name, and recently, the Brush, Colo., resident got a completely unexpected hit. It said she is a candidate for president.

“Please do not vote for me. Please do not vote for Krystal Gabel in this race,” she said in an interview with CPR News.

Gabel is a cannabis activist and past candidate for local office in her hometown on the Eastern Plains.

Her name is on the ballot for Minnesota’s presidential primary on March 5 under the Legal Marijuana Now Party, which is classified as a major political party in the state.

Gabel has worked with the party’s Nebraska chapter in the past, and she said state law allowed the Minnesota party to put her name forward for the 2024 ballot without her permission.

“I was put on the ballot against my consent, and that very much felt like a violation of not only my privacy but of my constitutional rights,” she said. “It even felt very physically icky and violating.”

8 n Feb. 1, 2024

Photo by Hart Van Denburg Dennis Schuller from the party told CPR News in an email that Gabel “had been in on discussions about the Minnesota and Nebraska primaries and 2024 election plans.”

Since Gabel has asked to be withdrawn, her name does not appear on the Legal Marijuana Now Party’s candidate list on its website.

telegraph

But getting her name taken off Minnesota’s primary ballot has proven impossible. Early voting started Jan. 19, with Gabel listed as a candidate for the Legal Marijuana Now Party, and the ballots won’t be revised – just as people who have dropped out of the Republican race are still listed.

Gabel’s objections to being listed as a candidate aren’t about the issues central to the party; she deeply believes marijuana should be legal.

“It means freedom from pharmaceuticals, it means choice over alcohol,” she said. She sees promise in tax money generated by sales, too. “Cannabis could change our world,” she said.

But Gabel thinks this is a particularly bad year to have a non-candidate on a ballot. She said it’s “siphoning off votes,” when those votes “could be going to legitimate candidates.”

She hopes the rules about how candidates get put on the ballot will be changed.

“They need to close that loophole because it’s going to keep being exploited in major elections in the future as well if we don’t fix this,” she said.

For more from Colorado Public Radio, go to www.cpr.org. ■

BetweentheBeats

Mid-winter vortex A veritable musical storm of upcoming shows

by Stephen Sellers

G

reetings, dear readers! We’re entering a mid-winter musical vortex this month in Durango. All systems are a go, starting off with a power-packed Snowdown/Silverton Whiteout weekend and only intensifying in sonic excellence as the month carries on. So, let’s get right to it. Here are 10(!!!) shows happening this month you’d be wise to put on your radar. May the snow be ever in our favor. See you on the dance floor!

1. Steely Dead, Animas City Theatre, Thurs., Feb. 1, 7 p.m. This Denver-based band, a sonic fusion of the Grateful Dead and Steely Dan, returns to the Animas City Theatre tonight for what will surely be a lively Snowdown crowd. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a Bad Sneakers/Eyes of the World.

2. Garrett Young Collective, 11th St. Station, Fri., Feb. 2, 7 p.m. - Garrett Young is pound for pound one of the best guitarsman in our fair land, and his group’s new live album and film are all the proof you might need. Hop on over to www.garrettyoungcollective.com to check out the new offerings and catch the band for a rare free local gig right after the parade.

3. Nu Bass Theory, EsoTerra, Fri., Feb. 2, 8 p.m. - Local music legends Guilliaume Metz and Jesse Ogle have been faithfully cranking out the funk for years in multiple projects around the iAM Music universe. Nu Bass Theory is the duo’s ode to downtempo electronic beats with splashes of Sade and Daft Punk mixed in for good measure. Here we have another exceptional free post-parade show for your pleasure.

4. Leftover Salmon, Community Concert Hall, Thurs., Feb. 8, 7 p.m. - Polyethnic Cajun slamgrass returns to the Community Concert Hall with the indefatigable Leftover Salmon this month. Festival season is coming to Durango early this year!

5. Seven Sharp 11, Lightbox at Stillwater Music, Sat., Feb. 10, 6:30 p.m. - For those looking for a little more of a structured party, join Suzi Disanto for a night of live music and Latin dance lessons at Stillwater’s

February is filled with live music including Leftover Salmon, playing at the Community Concert Hall on Feb. 8. fresh new Lightbox. The dance lesson begins at 6:45 and the Stillwater band cranks up at 7:30.

6. Dirtwire, Animas City Theatre, Wed., Feb. 14, 7 p.m. Durango loves its Dirtwire, so expect a sold-out Animas City Theatre for this performance even on a balmy Wednesday night. Hailing from the West Coast, Dirtwire fuses elements of just about every psychedelic music tradition you can think of with an even wider array of rock and folk instruments. Keep those Snowdown costumes handy! It’s groovy, it’s vibey, it’s Dirtwire.

7. Late Night Radio, Animas City Theatre, Fri., Feb. 16, 7 p.m. If you’re in need of a serious dose of hypnotic head-nodding beats, look no further than the Late Night Radio show this month. Alex Medellin, the man behind the moniker, is known for weaving together soulful, reflective hiphop beats that touch on ethereal and reflective themes. Expect good vibes, smiling faces and a whole lot of hands in the air.

8. The Surfrajettes and The Tailspins, Animas City Theatre, Sat., Feb. 17, 7 p.m. - Perhaps one of the more unique and special acts coming to Durango this month is the four-piece psych/surf rock band out of

Toronto named The Surfrajettes. Expect reverb-saturated guitar solos, banging floor toms and go-go boots for days.

I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again – keep those Snowdown costumes handy.

Joining The Surfrajettes are The Tailspins, an incredibly tight pre-war band in the spirit of Cab Calloway.

9. AJ Lee and Blue Summit with La La Bones, Animas City Theatre, Tues., Feb. 27, 7 p.m. - Calling all bluegrass lovers! AJ Lee brings her ripping mandolin-chops to the Animas City Theatre with her smoking hot Santa-Cruz based band Blue Summit.

Joining in on the fun is local favorite La La Bones, rounding out what will be a beautiful night of tight three-part harmonies, ripping guitar solos and good old-fashioned string instrument fun.

10. Brett Dennen, Animas City Theatre, Wed., Feb. 28, 7 p.m. Closing out this exceptional month of music in Durango is none other than Brett Dennen on the 7th installation of his Lift Series. The series takes Brett to some of the finest mountain towns in the country as the artist hunts for fresh inspiration and fresh tracks. Expect an incredibly intimate, solo performance from Brett as he digs into his impressive repertoire of heartwarming and endearing indie music. ■

telegraph

Feb. 1, 2024 n 9

MurderInk

Lovable deplorables

Argentinian author delivers with colorful father/daughter crime team

by Jeffrey Mannix

W

e’ve got a book for Murder Ink this go-round that knocked my socks off. Published by what’s become the designated hitter of crime fiction in the U.S., the Soho Crime imprint of Soho Press, “My Favorite Scar” caught my attention, despite its muzzy title. Also, with its Jan. 23 release, it was the first title after the paucity of winter to fit perfectly into the Telegraph’s Feb. 1 issue.

This is a book by Nicolás Ferraro, of Buenos Aires, who while studying to become a graphic designer at the University of Buenos Aires, earned a living playing poker. He serendipitously landed a job as coordinator at the Center for Crime Fiction at Argentina’s National Library after getting hooked on a popular cops and bad guys video game, “Max Payne,” So far, we haven’t much to recommend Ferraro, a regular guy who didn’t seem at first blush to be destined for authorship. But he cobbled together a debut novel titled “Dogo” in 2016 that was a finalist for a prestigious South American literary award. Next came “Cruz,” his first book translated into English, which earned him a nomination for the Dashiell Hammett Award by the International Association of Crime Writers.

“My Favorite Scar” is a first-person account by a 15year-old daughter who keeps her father patched up in one crummy motel room after another from bullet

wounds, knife punctures and deadly beatings resulting from being a clumsy, clearly unqualified crook. Ámbar is the girl’s name. A mother is a distant memory. And she can’t remember staying in one rented trailer or motel room or attending school and having friends for more than a few months before hitting the road in the dark of night.

There’s a real father/daughter relationship here. Victor Mondragón has a tattoo with Ámbar’s name entwined with roses (his favorite scar), and Ámbar has been a sidekick for so long, she can forge driver’s licenses, map getaway routes, has her own sawed-off shotgun, and, of course, is experienced in emergency-room triage and battlefield surgery.

After a hitman bumps off Victor’s best and only friend who puts Victor and Ámbar up when things get too hot, Victor and his timorous sidekick head off cross

country to avenge the killing on a series of stolen cars. They know only that the killer has a snake tattooed on his forearm.

This is a wonderful comingof-age story, ably written and delicately translated by Mallory Craig-Kuhn, of two lovable characters and a supporting cast of colorful deplorables. Ámbar just wants the violence, blood and rough living to end. She wants to be a teenager, go to parties and concerts and have giddy friends, maybe a boyfriend. But she loves her father and feels an obvious need to accompany him just one more time until he finally scores big. Or until she watches him die from too many bullet holes she can’t stop bleeding into a worn-out motel mattress. How this colorful story ends shall be left a secret.

Ask Maria’s Bookshop for your 15 % Murder Ink discount. Sell your Snowdown Follies ticket to buy this book, or ask the public library to borrow or buy the book for you. ■

Get Your Ge our Groo Groove On! Lots of ’60s and ’70s Snowdown costume ideas ... and don’t forget Valentine’s Day - great selection of jewelry, clothes, gifts, etc.

Buy • Sell • Trade • Consign ~ Home Furnishings ~ Clothing ~ Accessories ~ Jewelry 572 E. 6th Ave. • 970-385-7336

Roses are red, guitars are for you, better shop Jimmy’s or I pity the fool!

Hours: Mon. - Fri. 11-6; Sat. 11-5 • www.jimmysmusic.supply 1239 Main Ave., Durango • 970-764-4577 10 n Feb. 1, 2024

telegraph

StufftoDo

Thursday01

Architecture of Durango Area, 5-9 p.m., Create Art and Tea, 1015 Main Ave. DHS PTO Winter Wonderland Gala and Silent Auction, 6-9 p.m., The Powerhouse, 1295 Camino Live music by Tim Sullivan, 6-9 p.m., Diamond

Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Live music by Andrew Schuhmann, 6-9 p.m., The Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. Drag Trivia Night, 7:30 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave. Durango High School Hockey Game, 1:30 p.m. & 6:30 p.m., Chapman Hill Ice Arena Steely Dead, doors 7 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Drive.

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

Friday02

Aria PettyOne presents Aria’s Pizza Party, 8:30-9:30 p.m., Father’s Daughters Pizza, 640 Main.

First Irie Friday Reggae Dance, 9 p.m., Roxy’s, 639 Main Ave.

Saturday03

Silverton Whiteout 8-hour fat bike race (and anything nonmotorized), all day, Silverton. www.silvertonwhiteout.com Free Classic & Skate Ski Clinics, 11 a.m. & 1 p.m., Vallecito Nordic trails. Free rentals at Pine Needle and Backcountry Experience.

Live music by Pete Giuliani, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Public House 701, 701 E. 2nd Ave. Joel Racheff, 5:30-10 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Community Yoga, 6-7 p.m., Yoga Durango, 1485 Florida Rd. Donations accepted

Free Friday Yoga, 8:30 a.m., Lively (a boutique), 809 Main Ave.

Live music Matt Rupnow, 6-9 p.m., The Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

Live music by Gary B. Walker, piano, 10:15 a.m. – 12 noon, Jean-Pierre Bakery & Restaurant, 601 Main Ave.

Silent Disco, 10 p.m.-12:30 a.m., 11th St. Station

Sunday04

Tuesday06

Cowboy Tuesdays, 12 noon, Strater Hotel/Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Community Yoga, 4:30-5:30 p.m., Yoga Durango, 1485 Florida Rd. Donations accepted Mike Gallaher presents on Thomas Jefferson at the Rotary Club of Durango, 6 p.m., Strater Hotel, 699 Main Ave. Slow Bluegrass Jam, 5:30-7:30 p.m., General Palmer Hotel, 567 Main Ave. Life Coaching Series: Body Compass, 6-8 p.m., Pine River Public Library, 395 Bayfield Center Dr. Live music Jason Thies, 5:30-9 p.m., Diamond

Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Open Mic, 7 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Wednesday07

Restorative Yoga for Cancer, 9:30-10:45 a.m., no cost for cancer patients, survivors and caregivers, Smiley Building, 1309 E. 3rd Ave. Info and register at cancersupportswco.org/calendar Yoga With In the Weeds, 10-11 a.m., The Hive, 1150 Main Ave., Ste. A

Durango High School Hockey Game, 1:30 p.m. & 5 p.m., Chapman Hill Ice Arena

Veteran’s Benefit Breakfast Open to Public, 9 a.m., VFW Post 4031, 1550 Main Ave.

Open Mic, 6:30 p.m., EsoTerra Ciderworks, 558 Main Ave.

First Friday Matinee: “Killers of the Flower Moon,” 1:30 p.m., Pine River Public Library, 395 Bayfield Center Dr.

Durango Food Not Bombs mutual aid and potluck, 2-4 p.m., Buckley Park

Trivia Night, 7 p.m., Bottom Shelf Brewery, 118 Mill St., Bayfield

Board Game Sundays, 2 p.m., Lola’s Place, 725 E. 2nd Ave.

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

Durango Palestine Solidarity Coalition rally, 4 p.m., Buckley Park, 12th St. and Main Ave.

Karaoke Roulette, 8 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Sunday Funday, 6 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Upcoming

Fanny Pack Friday, 3 p.m., The Nugget Mountain Bar, 48721 North Hwy 550 Local First’s Durango First Friday, 4-7 p.m., in and around Durango RedBall Express, 5 p.m., Downtown Durango.

Fundraiser for Rotary Clubs of La Plata County.

“Transcending Time with Roseta Santiago,” opening reception, 5-7 p.m., Blue Rain Gallery, 934 Main Ave.

Live music by Blue Moon Ramblers, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Monday05

“Wildflowers of Durango Trails,” presented by Colorado Native Plant Society, Thurs., Feb. 8, 6-7:30 p.m., FLC Center for Southwest Studies Lyceum Room and via Zoom.

“Common Ground,” screening and Q&A, Thurs., Feb 8, 6-8 p.m., Vallecito Room, Fort Lewis College. Presented by the Citizens’ Climate Lobby.

Live music by Jack Ellis & Larry Carver, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Happy Hour Yoga, 5:30 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St.

Live music by Dustin Burley, 6-9 p.m., The Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

Adam Swanson Ragtime, 5:30-10 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Friday Dance! 6 p.m. West Coast swing lesson; 7 p.m. dance-of-the-month lesson; 8-10 p.m. open dancing, VFW, durangodancing.com

Typeset Writers’ Group: No Rules, Just Writing! 6-8 p.m., Pine River Public Library, 395 Bayfield Center Dr.

Winter Bike to Work Day, Fri., Feb. 9, 7-9 a.m., Studio &, 1027 Main Ave.

The Garrett Young Collective, 7 p.m., 11th Street Station, 1101 Main Ave.

Live music by Leah Orlikowski, 6-9 p.m., The Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

Josh Teed with Starfox & Teknique, Fri., Feb. 9, 7 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E College Dr.

Ben Gibson Band, 7-10 p.m., American Legion, 878 E. 2nd Ave.

Comedy Showcase, 7:30 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Vallecito Ice Fishing Tournament, Sat., Feb. 10, 7:30 a.m., Vallecito Marina, www.vcsa-co.org/forms-1

telegraph

Merely Players presents “Small Mouth Sounds,” Feb. 9, 7 p.m., Merely Underground, 789 Tech Center Dr.

Feb. 1, 2024 n 11

Snowdown 2024: Peace and Love Thursday01

Tortilla Slap, 8 p.m., Los Amigos Del Sur inside the Main Mall

Skyhawk Scavenger Hunt, 1 p.m., Fort Lewis College Clock Tower

Line Dancin’ Competition, 9 p.m., Wild Horse Saloon

Warming Hut & Ball Toss, 2 p.m., Grassburger Downtown

Snowdown Follies Videocast, 10 p.m., Animas City Theatre

Big Wheel Derby, 2 p.m., Balcony Bar and Grill

Let It All Hang Out No Pants Dance, 10 p.m., Starlight Lounge

Slider Eating Contest, 2 p.m., Backcountry Gourmet, 11th St. Station

Karaoke Contest, 10 p.m., 8th Avenue Tavern

Bike Limbo & Foot Down Contests, 4 p.m., Lola’s Place

Snowdown Follies, 10 p.m., Durango Arts Center Theatre

Button Making, 4 p.m., Durango Public Library Name That Tune, 4 p.m., 8th Avenue Tavern Good Vibes Operation Competition, 4 p.m., 11th Street Station Snowdown Jr King and Queen Contest, 4:30 p.m., Best Western Rio Grande Inn Peace, Love and Connect 4, 5 p.m., 11th Street Station Boozin’ Beacons, 5 p.m., Public House 701 Fly Tying Contest, 5 p.m., The San Juan Angler Giant Jenga, 5 p.m., Starlight Lounge Beer Trivia, 5:30 p.m., Carver Brewing Magical Musical Mystery Tour Finals, 6 p.m., Ska Brewing World HQ

Drunken Dictionary, 7 p.m., EsoTerra Off Da Hook Pizza Dough Disc Golf, 7 p.m., 11th Street Station Common Hippie Fashion Show, 7:30 p.m., Lizard Head Trading Co.

Get Snowdown Parade-Ready, 2 p.m., Smiley Building ArtRoom Collective Alien Invasion, 3:30 p.m., The Power House

Saturday03

Balloon Rally and Mass Ascension, 8 a.m., Animas Valley

Chili Cook Off & Bloody Mary Presale Tickets, 3:30 p.m., The Garage

Knockout and Around the World Basketball Tournament, 9 a.m., Durango Rec Center

Beer Puppeteer, 4 p.m., Carver Brewing Co

Cornhole Tournament, 10 a.m., American Legion Post 28

Screaming Rubber Band Chickens, 4:30 p.m., 11th Street Station

Kids Snow Games, 10 a.m., Folsom Park

Follies Gala, 8 p.m., Durango Arts Center Theatre

Fist/Blotter/Peace Sign (rock/paper/scissors), 5 p.m., Starlight Lounge

Bring Your Partner Foosball, 10 a.m., The Garage

Hippie Flippy Cup, 8:30 p.m., Starlight Lounge

Hand on the Van, 5 p.m., near Durango Coffee Co.

Snow Job / Blow Job, 7:30 p.m., Starlight Lounge JokeDown, 8 p.m., VFW Drag Race and Fashion Show, 8 p.m., El Rancho Tavern

Pole Dancin’ Competition, 10 p.m., Wild Horse Saloon

Spaghetti Dinner, 5 p.m., Elks Lodge

Peace, Love and Kids Playing Pinball, 10:30 a.m., The Garage Flower Power Preschool Dance Party, 11 a.m., Durango Public Library

Magic Carpet Ride, 6 p.m., Starlight Lounge

Cool Beans Iced Coffee Competition, 11 a.m., Lovenjuice, 11th St. Station

Light Parade, 6 p.m., Downtown Durango

Fly Casting Competition, 11 a.m., Park Elementary

Drunken Dictionary, 7 p.m., EsoTerra Ciderworks

Remote Controlled Car Race, 11 a.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds

Snowdown T-Shirt Day, 7:30 a.m., Magpies Newsstand & Cafe

Snowdown Follies Videocast, 7 p.m., Animas City Theatre

Josie Pete’s Golf Tournament, 11:30 a.m., Elks Lodge

Snowdown Beer Pong, 6 p.m., The Garage

Scavenger Hunt Judging, 10 a.m., Billy Goat Saloon

Snowdown Follies, 7 p.m., Durango Arts Center Theatre

Puzzle Tournament, 12 p.m., Guild House Games inside Main Mall

Magical Musical Mystery Tour, 6 p.m., Ska Brewing World HQ

Kan Jam, 12 p.m., Balcony Bar and Grill

Groovy Dance Party, 7 p.m., Lola’s

How Well Do You Know Y(our) Wine? 12 p.m., Four Leaves Winery

Champagne Pong, 6 p.m., DoubleTree

by Hilton Boho Games of Spoons, 6 p.m., Union Social House Down With the Yahtzee, 6 p.m., 11th Street Station

Love-In Dance, 10 p.m., Starlight Lounge Karaoke Contest,10 p.m., 8th Avenue Tavern

Friday02

Flower Powerhouse Trivia, 6:30 p.m., The Powerhouse

Apple Tree Hugger Contest, 2 p.m., EsoTerra Ciderworks

Veterans Fundraiser Dance, 7 p.m., American Legion Post 28

Mind Your Potatoes Run, 12 p.m., 11th Street Station

Merry Pranksters Stupid Human Tricks, 6:30 p.m., Starlight Lounge

Freaky Deaky Super Sexy Car Wash, 2 p.m., 11th Street Station

Lava Lamp Dance Party, 8 p.m., EsoTerra Ciderworks

Chili Cook-off, 12 p.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall

12 n Feb. 1, 2024

telegraph

AskRachel

Covering our holes, legalese and shed storm Interesting fact: When your dog sheds in the dead of winter, it’s possible they’re actually just now shedding their summer coat to make room for evermore incoming winter coat. Or, they done messed up without even consulting the groundhog.

Dear Rachel, We want equal rights for women. Equal work for the city street department. Fellow female workers work hard. We have to go into man holes on the street. I think the wording needs to be changed. Woman hole is not a good idea. So help us out. Can you give the man hole cover a new name? We need your help.

- Street Sweepers Dear Street Workers, Generic is the way to go here. Any word you could put in front of “hole” or “hole cover” is going to be warped, misinterpreted, mocked, laughed about, and generally ridiculed and snickered at. So let’s go with something that has no meaning whatsoever. How about just a letter? Start at the top: A-Hole Cover. Are there multiple types of these things? If so, just go on down the line: B-Hole Cover, C-Hole Cover, D-Hole Cover, and so on.

–CMA, Rachel

and also use numerals? This just feels repetitive and unnecessary. Is it just to prevent typos? Then every word in the document should be repeated in case “allegory” is supposed to be “alimony” or whatever. Can (Can) you (you) imagine (imagine)? (?)

–Waste of Space Dear Double Checked, You’re not entirely wrong. It makes sense on a check (remember those?), because it would be really easy for someone to go start modifying your handwriting and tip themselves a couple extra zeroes. That said, I once proofread a purchase agreement for my folks in which the buyer forgot to add a fifty thousand (50,000) to the purchase price – and that might have been a big boo-boo, had we missed the discrepancy.

So, even if it only pays off once in a million (1,000,000) times, it seemed worth it to my parents.

–The one (1) and only, Rachel

Email Rachel at telegraph@durangotelegraph.com

Dear Rachel, My dog is already shedding like mad. Why? It’s still winter! He still needs that fur! We can get surprise winter around here well until, you know, May or June. Just saying, evolutionarily speaking, it seems like bad form for a winterbreed dog to start dropping layers in the midst of winter, don’t you think?

–Hairy Situation

Dear Fuzzy Wuzzy, The REAL question is, don’t you feel like all this hair going in the garbage is just a waste? When I was a kid and mama cut our hair, we always shook it off outside, “so the birds could use it.” Now I wonder if that was really the purpose, or if we were really just doing it to annoy the neighbor that didn’t like mama very much.

Boy, I bet she wished our dog was a shedder like yours.

So what do you do? Do you give the fur to the birds, even if it only gives our friendly neighborhood street sweepers something else to do besides rename their holes?

–Shed happens, Rachel

Bloody Mary Contest, 12 p.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall

Search for the Silver Bullet Award Ceremony, 5 p.m., The Oxford

Snowdown Follies Videocast, 10 p.m., Animas City Theatre

Hippie Broomball, 12 p.m., Chapman Hill

Glowdown at Snowdown, 5:30 p.m., Downtown

Snowdown Follies, 10 p.m., Durango Arts Center Theatre

Canine Fashion Show, 1 p.m., McDonalds parking lot

Hacky Sack Smackdown, 6 p.m., EsoTerra Ciderworks

Dipping in My Smoothie, 1 p.m., 11th Street Station

Arm Wrestling, 6 p.m., Durango Beer and Ice Co.

Dear Rachel, Why do legal documents (and wannabe legal documents) always spell out the number

Karaoke Contest, 10 p.m., 8th Avenue Tavern Love-In Dance, 10 p.m., Starlight Lounge Tri-Games, 1 p.m., Gazpacho Restaurant

Sooky Sooky Rice Ball Skee Ball, 6 p.m., 11th Street Station

Server Obstacle Course, 2 p.m., EsoTerra Ciderworks

Burn Your Bra Best Chest Contest, 10:30 p.m., Starlight Lounge

Nintendo 64 Mario Kart, 6:30 p.m., Starlight Lounge Quaffing Tournament, 2 p.m., 11th Street Station Cards Against Snowdown, 6:30 p.m., VFW Gnarly Times Book Games, 2 p.m., Maria’s Bookshop Whip Cream Beard Contest, 2 p.m., Animas Chocolate Co

Snowdown Follies Videocast, 7 p.m., Animas City Theatre Snowdown Follies, 7 p.m., Durango Arts Center

Fashion Do’s & Don’ts Videocast, 4 p.m., Animas City Theatre

Sunday04

La Plata County Search & Rescue Pancake Breakfast and Silent Auction, 7 a.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall Balloon Rally and Mass Ascension, 8 a.m., Animas Valley

Dance Party, 8 p.m., EsoTerra Ciderworks Cornhole Tournament, 10 a.m., American Legion Post

Josie Pete’s Golf Tournament Award Ceremony, 4 p.m., Elks Lodge Giant Beer Pong, 4 p.m., Starlight Lounge Build-a-Bong Awards, 4 p.m., Prohibition Herb

Human Hungry Hippo, 8 p.m., DoubleTree by Hilton

28

Booty Shakin’ Contest, 8:30 p.m., Wild Horse Saloon

Worship - The Power of Story, 10 a.m., First Presbyterian Church

Good Vibes Silent Disco, 9 p.m., 11th Street Station

telegraph

Leap Frog Slushie Slam, 2 p.m., EsoTerra Ciderworks Feb. 1, 2024 n 13

FreeWillAstrology

by Rob Brezsny

ARIES (March 21-April 19): “Happiness” is a term with a different meaning for everyone. What makes me feel happy may be unlike what works for you. Besides that, perfect happiness is impossible to achieve.

However we define it, we are always a mix of being happy and unhappy. Nevertheless, I invite you to ruminate on the subject in coming days. You are primed to arrive at a realistic new understanding of your personal version of happiness and raise your happiness levels by at least 15 percent. Maybe more! Now here are helpful clues from philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche: “Precisely the least thing, the gentlest, lightest thing, the rustling of a lizard, a breath, a whisk, a twinkling of the eye – what’s little makes up the quality of the best happiness. Soft!”

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): I invite you to take an inventory of your taboos, inhibitions and restrictions. Meditate on why you originally adopted them. Evaluate how well they have served you and whether they are still meaningful. If you find any of them have become unnecessary or even injurious, jettison them.

And be excited and happy about being free of them. If you decide that some taboos, inhibitions and restrictions are still wise for you to maintain, thank them for their service and honor the self-protection they provide.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gemini novelist Gregory Maguire says there are a “thousand ways people shrink from life, as if chance and change are by their nature toxic and disfiguring.” Your assignment in coming weeks is to contradict this. I’m hoping you will interpret all chance and change as potentially expansive, redemptive and interesting. You will never shrink from life but will boldly meet challenges and embrace twists of fate as opportunities. I have faith in your ability to carry out this vigorous project!

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You could be a masterful eliminator of toxins in the coming weeks. Do it for yourself and for those you care about. Start by purging nonessentials that obstruct the flow of good life.

These might include defunct fantasies, mistaken understandings, apathetic attitudes and unloving approaches. Among the other dreck you could root out is any clutter that’s making familiar environments feel oppressive. By the way, this should be fun. If it’s not, you’re doing it wrong.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): My goals are to inspire you in the following ways: 1. to be full of love for your daily life; 2. to adore yourself exactly as you are; 3. to shed any numbness or boredom and replace them with alert aliveness. To help you in this effort, I offer the inspiration of three quotes. 1. “The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson. 2. “The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.” –Eden Phillpotts. 3. “I have the mysterious feeling of seeing for the first time something I have always known.” –Bernardo Bertolucci.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sagittarian scientist Grace Hopper (1906–92) wrote, “The most damaging phrase is: ‘It’s always been done that way.’” I will expand on that. The most obvious meaning is that we risk ignoring our individualized needs and suppressing our creative inspirations if we mindlessly conform to society. But it’s equally important not to mindlessly repeat our own longstanding ways of doing things. Maybe they were brilliant and appropriate in the past, but there’s no guarantee they will always be. I recommend you rebel against your own personal “it’s always been done that way” as well as everyone else’s.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In the coming weeks, I hope you avoid sucking up to egotistical manipulators. Please also refrain from being an unappreciated beast of burden and a half-willing pawn in boring games. If you are interested in paying off karmic debts, make sure they are yours, not anyone else’s. If you plan to work hard to lay the foundation for a future liberation, get a guarantee that YOU will be one of the liberated people. PS: I’m fine with you doing unselfish things, as long as they will also have selfish benefits.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Being in love is as desirable for you as it is for everyone else. You may be less open and dramatic than the rest of us in expressing your yearnings, but they are still a driving force.

Here’s an important point: Even if you are not constantly chattering to others about your urges to give and receive intimate care, it’s crucial that you acknowledge them to yourself. To keep your soul healthy, you must be in close touch with this core fuel. You must love your need for love. Now is an excellent time to deepen your appreciation for these truths.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): One of the great maladies of modern people is the atrophy of the soul. It’s related to another affliction: apathy of the soul. A key contributor is the entertainment industry.

Its shallow and artificial stimuli are engineered to overfeed our egos, leaving our poor souls malnourished.

Please note I have no problem with egos. They are an important part of our make-up and essential for healthy functioning. But it’s a shame they hog all the glory. It’s high time to celebrate a holiday I call Nurture the Soul. Make it last at least three weeks. Homework: Identify three actions you will take to excite, cherish and enhance your soul.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): It’s the fifth annual Brag Therapy Holiday for Aquarians only. During this celebration, we expect you to boast with panache. Tell us in exquisite detail why you are such a marvelous creation. Explain how you have overcome seemingly insurmountable odds to transform yourself into a masterpiece of intuitive intelligence. Regale us with stories of your winsome qualities, heroic triumphs and hilarious and poignant adventures. Make sure we understand how educational and healing it can be to bask in your influence. Show us why we should regard you as a role model.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In myth and legend, pregnancies don’t always begin with sexual communion. The well-known story of the Virgin Mary tells us she was impregnated when the Holy Spirit whispered in her ear. The Roman goddess Juno conceived her son Mars solely with the help of an enchanted lily flower.

The Greek hero Attis germinated inside his virgin mother Nana after she placed a pomegranate in her lap. I foresee you having a metaphorically comparable experience. Do you believe in the possibility of being fertilized by miraculous magic or a divine spirit? Might you be inspired by a subtle influence? I think it will happen even if you don’t believe.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I invite you to resolve old business, close unrewarding projects and finish your lessons at the School of Tough Love. You don’t have to carry out my next proposal, but if you do, I will be glad: Politely and quietly scream, “Get out of my life” at anyone who doesn’t give you the respect and kindness you deserve. I also recommend you do a Wrap-It-Up Ritual. Start by making an altar that pleases you with its beauty. Take scraps of paper and write on each an influence or experience you want to purge from your life. As you rip each into bits, say: “I’m grateful for what I have learned from you, but now I am leaving you behind.”

Join us for Snowdown Featuring 16 events

1135 Main Ave. • DGO, CO

14 n Feb.1, 2024

Check out our Instagram or Facebook, or the official Snowdown event calendar!

telegraph

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 www.durangotelegraph.com n classifieds@durango telegraph.com n 970-259-0133 n 679 E. 2nd Ave., #E2

with California king bed and comfy couch. N. Main. 1 bed, 1 ba. $1600/mo. + utils. Avail. Feb. 15. Short term; long term could be available in the future. lukemehall@gmail.com or 970376-3116

Approximate office hours: Mon-Wed: 9ish - 5ish

ForSale

Announcements Earn Your Master of Social Work (MSW) From the University of Denver (DU) here in Durango – for the two-year program starting in fall 2024. Classes are held on Fridays. For more info contact Janelle.Doughty@du.edu or www.du.edu/ socialwork.

Game Over Carroll-2 Trump-0. Pay up $83.3 million …guilty Friday 6pm Dancing Lesson at VFW Go to DurangoDancing.com to get on notification list.

KDUR is Celebrating 50 years of broadcasting in 2025 and staff is on the hunt for past DJs. If you have a fond memory, a story or maybe even some recorded material, email station manager Bryant Liggett, Liggett_b@fortlewis .edu or call 970.247.7261

Wanted Cash for Vehicles, Copper, Alum Etc. at RJ Metal Recycle. Also free appliance and other metal drop off. 970259-3494.

ForRent

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.

Animas Trading is for Sale!

Animas Trading is for sale! Unique collection of accessories, gifts and clothing for all. High-profit margins, part-time staff, and seller financing available. Own this Durango institution! Asking $375,000. Contact Jen at jsokol@colepartners.net, (970) 335-9660.

Lotus Path Healing Arts Now accepting new clients. Offering a unique, intuitive fusion of Esalen massage, deep tissue & Acutonics, 24 years of experience. To schedule call Kathryn, 970-201-3373.

TaoTronics 4k Action Camera New and in the box. Comes with user guide and all accessories that came with it: waterproof housing, handlebar/pole mount, mounts, battery, tethers, protective back cover, USB cable and lens cleaning cloth. $50. J.marie.pace@gmail.com

Bring the World to Your Home ASSE International Student Exchange Programs (ASSE), a nonprofit organization, is inviting local families to host a foreign exchange student. ASSE students come from more than 50 countries worldwide; are between the ages of 15-18; and are enthusiastic to experience American culture. Host families may be single parents, couples and single persons. The students have money for personal expenses and are selected based upon academics and personality, and host families choose their student. If interested, call Elena at 1-800-733-2773,

Reruns Home Furnishings Brighten up your space. Lots of new inventory including household side and sofa tables, nightstands, bookcases, cool art, etc. Looking to consign smaller furniture pieces. 572 E. 6th Ave. Open Mon.Sat. 385-7336.

CommunityService

Services House Painting and Cleaning Maddie Paints LLC provides detail oriented house painting and pre-occupational cleaning services. Winter discounts available for interior paint jobs and some cleaning jobs. Free phone call and site visit. www.maddie-paints.com email: info@maddie-paints.com phone: (970) 946-9822

Integrative Health Clinic renting beautiful office downtown.

Patio, sunlight, reception with park view.

970-247-1233

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

600-sq. ft. “Seinfeld” Condo (no Kramer though) Fully furnished

Lowest Prices on Storage!

Inside/outside storage near Durango

telegraph

HaikuMovieReview 'Arkansas' The cleverest, most star studded neo-noir film you've never heard of – Lainie Maxson visit www.asse.com or send an email to asseusawest@asse.com Volunteers Needed Do you want to make a difference in your community and the lives of others?

Alternative Horizons is always in need of volunteers to staff our hotline. AH has been supporting and empowering survivors of domestic violence since 1978.

Training and ongoing support provided.

Next training April 19, 20 and 26. For more info., call 970-247-4374 or visit alternativehorizons.org/ The Maker Lab in Bodo Park Community-led nonprofit provides collaborative workspace, tools, learning opportunities and equipment featuring metal and woodworking, laser cutting, 3D printing, electronics and sewing.

Classes for all levels. To join or learn more, go to www.themakerlab.org or email info@themakerlab.org

“I saw it in the Telegraph.”

Read by thousands of discerning eyeballs every week. (*And a few that just look at the pictures.)

For more info. on how to get your business or event seen, email: telegraph@durangotelegraph.com Feb. 1, 2024 n 15

(Advertise in the Telegraph.)

To learn more about our golden advertising opportunties, email: telegraph@durangotelegraph.com or call 970-259-0133

16 n Feb. 1, 2024

telegraph