The Durango Telegraph, March 2, 2023

The music (wo)man

After 30 years, KSUT Music Director Stasia Lanier retires by Missy Votel

4

A good Joe

Navigating the circular staircase of grief and gun violence in America

by David Feela

RegularOccurrences

4 La Vida Local

Ear to the ground

“I used to get dizzy reading the Telegraph.”

– We’re glad the new printing press in Phoenix is working out.

4 Thumbin’ It

5 Soap Box

6-7 Top Story

8 Film Fest Rundown

10 Local News

11 Murder Ink

10

Land of opportunity

City weighs options for new 50-acre parcel near Oxbow

by Jonathan Romeo

11

A bright light

West African mystery will help pass the long dog days of winter

by Jeffrey Mannix

EDITORIALISTA: Missy Votel missy@durangotelegraph.com

ADVERTISING SALES: telegraph@durangotelegraph.com

STAFF REPORTER: Jonathan Romeo jonathan@durangotelegraph.com

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

STAR-STUDDED CAST: David Feela, Missy Votel, Jeffrey Mannix, Lainie Maxson & Clint Reid

MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 332, Durango, CO 81302

VIRTUAL ADDRESS: www.durangotelegraph.com

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

12-13 Stuff to Do

13 Ask Rachel

14 Free Will Astrology

15 Classifieds

15 Haiku Movie Review

On the cover

A lone rider ventures upward on Purgatory’s six-pack on a recent snowy day./ Photo by Ri Ganey

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

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

Brown town

Have you been on your favorite hikes recently – Horse Gulch, Dalla Mountain, Animas City Mountain – and noticed piles of dog poop marked with pink flags and wondered … huh?

Well, the City of Durango recently launched its “Scoop the Poop” campaign in response to the increasing problem of dog owners leaving their dogs’ poop on trails, making it gross and awful for everyone.

Amy Schwarzbach, the city’s natural lands manager, said signs have also been posted to inform people why it’s important to pack out your dog’s waste. Also, the pink flags help highlight just how bad the problem is. “Snow makes it obvious where dog waste is left behind, and then it gets gnarly in the spring,” she said.

The City of Durango recently did some math to estimate that 38% of Durango homes have at least one dog, or about 4,779 dogs in city limits. Take into account a dog on average poops about 12 ounces a day, that’s 274 pounds per year.

Dog waste left on trails has detrimental impacts on the environment and wildlife, Schwarzbach said. Now, it’s look-in-the-mirror time: a lot of dog owners do not pack out their dogs’ waste, which can be carried into rivers, causing algae blooms and deoxygenated water that kills fish. And, it’s gross for those who like to swim, boat and fish. Parasites in dog poop – including salmonella, giardia, parvovirus and distemper – can spread to other dogs and wildlife, even humans.

Schwarzbach said the increasing amount of dog waste has become one of the major complaints from trail users. “It’s ridiculous we have to use taxpayer dollars to clean up dog poop,” she said. “And it bums me out to have people call us and say their experience on city open space was disgusting.”

The City hopes the campaign will help encourage people to pick up their dogs’ waste. “We’re not trying to be bullies; there’s an environmental impact when dog feces is left,” Schwarzbach said.

And if we all claim to be environmentalists and love the outdoors, who can argue with that, right?

Emailing the dead

Joe was our friend for more than 30 years, but that friendship has ended. He was murdered by a violent man who went to a rental home and shot its tenant in the back. That tenant was Joe. He was a good Joe, a teacher and a friend. Now he’s just dead.

When we heard of his sudden death, Pam and I struggled to process the news. His murder was so unlike the other senseless gun-inspired violence we hear about every day, because he wasn’t just a news story or a statistic. We knew him, visited often, shared meals and gifts, talked by phone and email.

We sat quietly on the couch at the hotel where we were staying overnight during a trip to Flagstaff, me searching the internet for information about Joe’s murder while Pam – at least I assumed – was doing the same, that is, until she spoke.

“Do you want to hear what I wrote in my email?”

“Who are you writing to?”

“Joe.”

For an instant, I wondered if Pam had slipped into that mental chasm that can appear when confronted by a sudden tragic loss, sending her into a free-fall of denial. But then I remembered who I was talking to, the woman who helped me understand and deal with my mother’s terminal cancer and my father’s death when his heart simply wore out.

“Sure,” I replied. “What did you write?”

So she read. “Oh Joe, you are missed. May you know happiness and that you finally found your bliss. The sun dimmed when we heard you had been killed. Go in peace. You were always loved.”

She spoke so directly to Joe that I was comforted by her words, as if he was in the room, listening, smiling, shaking his head. I exhaled a grateful breath and told her I liked it, that I would try to write to him too. And I did.

Of course, he never answered, and I’m not suggesting that he ever will, except in that brief wireless moment when we could let go of the guardrails to say what is on our minds.

Linda Pastan wrote beautifully and honestly about this moment in her poem, “The Five Stages of Grief.” It begins by suggesting an overly simplified technique for breaking down the process and grappling with grief.

“The night I lost you someone pointed me toward the Five Stages of Grief.

Thumbin’It

One of Durango’s most important culinary scenes getting a big victory after City Council members voted to allow long-term permits for food trucks.

The ridiculous dumping of snow across the West that is sure to help (but not fix) the region’s drought. And maybe, just maybe, gives us at least one spring without the dust storm-pocalypse.

A proposed bill in Florida that would ban dogs from hanging their heads out the window. Finally! At least one brave state has the courage to wage the war on cuteness we’ve all been calling for.

Go that way, they said, it’s easy, like learning to climb stairs after the amputation. And so I climbed.”

It’s not true that the pain will go away by ignoring it, or that crying (or not crying) means you are weak or strong. The “stages” of grief in poetry may be shaped like a staircase that leads upward toward a firmly fixed landing, but the grieving process is more like a fingerprint, a mark everyone carries to prove they have touched the world in their own remarkable way.

For me, the Pastan mark resides in her poetry, and this poem in particular is the one I come back to again and again. Its words are for the living, not the dead, and I can feel its pulse each time I reach to hold her pages in my hands. She blindly follows the steps and climbs the staircase, reporting at the end of the poem on her quest to master grief only to start again:

“... Acceptance. I finally reach it.

But something is wrong.

Grief is a circular staircase.

I have lost you.”

Joe died at the hands of a man with a history of violence. It was easy. He carried a gun. He pointed at Joe, somehow the object of his rage, and pulled the trigger. According to the Albuquerque Journal, “In November, (the perpetrator) allegedly fled from a Sandoval County deputy with his 12-year-old son in the car, driving up to 120 mph, and later trying to head butt a deputy. Salazar was released and awaiting trial in that case when Keleher was killed.”

We have produced more guns than people. According to Guns.com, “...an estimated 434 million firearms (are) in civilian possession.” Adding fuel to the violence, more than 1 million guns were stolen from private citizens between 2017-21. If we love our guns as much as our children, why are we not doing a better job of protecting the living half of this equation?

The Constitution’s articles and amendments also configure a similar staircase for the stages of democracy – seven steps through the articles that stabilize the government’s authority, and 27 more ascending amendments that set forth the rights retained by the people. It may appear simple, but as I pause to consider our freedoms upon reaching the Second Amendment, I begin to understand why denial is the first stage of grief. Substantive legislation for curbing everyday violence and homicide desperately needs to be enacted, because merely adapting to a perpetual climb on America’s circular staircase is not a solution.

– David Feela

SignoftheDownfall:

Residents at Lightner Creek Mobile Home Park going more than two weeks without water, prompting the Red Cross and local governments to step in.

Two backcountry skiers caught and killed in an avalanche last weekend near Vallecito, bringing total avi fatalities in Colorado to seven so far this season.

The two-year mark of Russia invading Ukraine, with no end in sight. When will Putin go back to riding a horse shirtless or scoring eight goals against hockey players afraid they’ll be shipped off to Siberia if they block a shot?

Run DeSantis

Last month, a 34-year-old politician from Florida – Councilman Peter Filiberto of Palm Bay – tried running from the cops on his motorcycle after a traffic stop for speeding and blowing multiple stop signs. But being a Florida Man, Peter couldn’t leave it at that. So, he attempted an erratic U-turn, fell off his bike and then got arrested for driving with a suspended license and having a large amount of cocaine hidden in his shoes. The funny thing here is that you were right when you guessed Peter’s political party.

Bring good business

I did a little research on the candidates for Durango City Council, and to no surprise, they all want to cure homelessness! Of course, the current City council ran on the same promise as did their predecessors. Only one candidate, Carter Rogers, took a stand to embrace local businesses with fewer restrictions and regulations. David Woodruff has the background to support the local business community.

One of the keys to eliminating homelessness is the opportunity to get a good paying job locally. The City Council rates a solid “F” on being business friendly. Twenty-five years ago, Will Williams’ only job at La Plata Electric Association was to bring companies to Bodo Park that would create good jobs and support the community. Unfortunately, the powers that be are more interested in buzz words like justice, equality and inclusion. Those same buzz words have a lot more meaning if there was a concerted effort to bring more businesses to the area. And those new businesses might even become Telegraph advertisers!

– Dennis Pierce, Durango

Great, however sad

In last week’s Telegraph, I enjoyed the column, “A Dude and a Gentleman,” about the loss of longtime Durango resident Dave Diaz.

The loss of a longtime friend is never good. The column was a very meaningful memorial, so well-written, of a man I never met, but somehow know.

So many of us have lived the events that Diaz loved and we seek more of. A life best lived or in need of moderation, who can say? Condolences to family.

Also, I enjoyed “Quarter-Full or Three-Quarters Empty,” by Jonathan Thompson.

Thompson has, once again, gleaned the essential information concerning the Glen Canyon Dam’s dilemma and produced a reality-based analysis that can be understood. So many perspectives from stakeholders. Many people have joined their future to the availability of water and electricity, recreation and civic growth. The water is simply not there to meet the amount needed.

How many good snow years will be needed to meet the demand of millions of people and their lifestyles? During the best of precipitation times, the allo-

cated water didn’t exist.

John Wesley Powell didn’t see a future for many people living along the river basin. However, there is an increas-

ing population in the Colorado Basin. Condolences to future population.

– Michael Taylor, Durango

Stasia has left the building

After 30 years, KSUT’s longtime music director retiring

by Missy Votel

On the afternoon of Aug. 5, 2015, a calm voice came over the Durango airwaves, alerting listeners to a mine disaster on the Animas River in Silverton. Residents, many of whom were hearing the news for the first time, were advised to stay out of the river until the plume making its way south had passed. That disaster was, of course, the Gold King Mine spill, and that familiar, trusted voice was none other than KSUT radio DJ, Stasia Lanier.

“We got a press release about it,” Lanier recalled. “I pre-read it and was in disbelief. I was trying to imagine what the Animas was going to look like.”

As shocking as the news was, thanks to play-by-play updates from Lanier and KSUT, residents were kept abreast of the developing situation and encroaching “orange glob.”

“I remember standing there, just watching it flow and really feeling like the river would never be the same,” she said. “Fortunately, that hasn’t been the case.”

Gold King is just one of the many memorable moments of Lanier’s 30-year career with the Ignacio-based National Public Radio affiliate, KSUT. Sadly for fans of her afternoon music blends or her Saturday morning San Juan Sunrise show –which was totally worth getting up for –it’s a career that is coming to an end this Thurs., March 2, when Lanier steps away from the mic for good.

“I started in April 1993,” said Lanier,

Stasia Lanier, KSUT music director, through the years, (clockwise from top left: With Robert Earl Keen in 1997 on his “Picnic “album tour; with (a very tall) Michael Franti at KSUT’s 40th anniversary show in 2016; a reenactment of the REK photo in 2017 in front of the poster he signed for the station; and “fangirling” with Lucinda Williams at KSUT’s show in 2019./ Courtesy photos

who was originally hired as KSUT’s office manager, “and here I am 30 years later.”

She and husband, Jim, moved to Durango in October 1992 from San Francisco, where they lived for 12 years. There they partook in the usual outdoor activities: he was an avid surfer, and they both enjoyed biking, skiing and windsurfing (hey, it was the early ‘90s), and Durango was a perfect fit for their active lifestyles.

So when Jim, a physical therapist, was offered a job here, they headed inland. “I figured I’d figure something out,” said Lanier, who had been working for a music technology company in the Bay Area. “I’d done marketing and promotion and that kind of stuff.”

However, soon after her arrival at KSUT, Stasia was put on air to spin music. Although she had no background in DJing, she said she has been into music her whole life, so it wasn’t too far of a stretch.

“My parents were sort of ‘American songbook’ kind of people,” she said of her upbringing in a small town outside New York City. “But my older brothers, they brought all the rock and roll into the house – they had the Beatles haircuts. So I got turned on to music at an early age.”

In addition, growing up close to the city, she got to see lots of live music, taking the train into the city to storied venues like Madison Square Garden and the Academy of Music. It was this background that served Lanier well when, only a few months after starting at KSUT, she was named music director, a title she held till her retirement. At that time, she said the music being played at the station

was mostly “roots-based,” including bluegrass, acoustic and folk. However, as times and tastes changed, the station’s focus broadened to include Americana, alt-country and even a little Prince and punk rock thrown in (looking at you, Ted Holteen).

“Roots-based is still at the heart of it,” she said. “But, our music blends in particular are a lot more eclectic now. Although, even back then with the music blends, you had to play a different genre every song.”

In the early days, she said the station wasn’t getting a lot of attention from big record labels, and therefore wasn’t getting exposed to a lot of new music. That’s something she worked to change.

“We were this small, rural radio station; we weren’t getting serviced by the record labels, no one paid attention to us,” she said. “And that’s what the music director’s job is: to figure out how to get the industry’s attention, and how to get the labels and artists to pay attention.”

She said she started attending conferences and taking music calls at the station. “My big effort was to get us to receive more variety and more music in general,” she said.

Today, the station offers not just bluegrass shows, but shows that run the gamut from big band and blues to world beat and techno. It also recently took over the Pagosa Folk ’n Bluegrass Festival, held in early June, and the Four Corners Folk Festival, held over Labor Day weekend, also in Pagosa.

And while the station’s musical offerings have bloomed, so has its reach and membership. Lanier recalls that at the time she started, the station, located in the iconic little red house, had about 200 members. Today, there are well over 4,000, making KSUT the largest NPR affiliate in the Four Corners.

Lanier also added that another big milestone in her career was seeing the station grow into two separate signals. Originally started in 1976 as a service for Southern Ute tribal members, growing demand for public radio prompted the station to expand its appeal and broadcast area. In 1984, it added NPR, American Public Radio and more diverse music programming, morphing into the KSUT we all know and love today. (Indeed, both parties sitting on either side of us for this coffee shop interview heard Lanier’s voice and leaned over to say how much they appreciated her and the station.)

However, in June 1998, KSUT returned to its roots, adding a second service and launching what is now known as Tribal Radio, which offers Native American programming as well as occasional NPR content.

In addition, with federal grant money for digital up-

grades, in 1998 the station installed an additional transmitter on Missionary Ridge, which helped expand its coverage beyond La Plata County to Silverton, Cortez, Mancos, Pagosa Springs, Farmington and parts of northeast Arizona and southeast Utah. Also, with the help of executive director Tami Graham, KSUT leveraged $1 million in donations to land another $1 million in grant money from the tribe to build a brand new building –all while navigating the tricky waters of COVID.

“(Tami) did the grand pivot really well. She had us working remotely and started a local news department at the time so we could report on COVID,” Lanier said. “Our listenership grew and our membership grew during that time. Our mission was to expand our service to address what was happening, and I think we did it successfully.”

Alas, we digress to the music (did I mention how much I like San Juan Sunrise?).

“What I try to do is play a lot of new music but also play a lot of familiar music, and I weave them together, so you don’t lose listeners,” she said. “People tune into the radio for familiarity, but music discovery is a big buzzword right now in public radio. I think that’s something we’ve done for a long time. Each music blend hour has a minimum of four new artists.”

Which isn’t to say she doesn’t like to throw in her favorites – which include Emmylou Harris, John Prine

and Stevie Wonder, to name a few.

“The familiar is important. I just read an article about how music triggers memory. And it does to me now, a song will just snap me back to fifth grade or a great memory of a friend,” she said. “I’ll walk around City Market and I will sing every word to a song. I can’t remember the name of the book I’m reading, but I can sing the entire song.”

But most of all, playing music is about the connection – with the community and listeners. In fact, as we wrapped up the conversation, Karen, from Farmington, who sat to our left, mentioned it’s her birthday on Thursday. Lanier asked her if there’s a song she’d like to hear that morning, and they settled on Jackson Browne’s “Late for the Sky.”

“I think public radio, especially in our community, is huge. It’s so important,” said Lanier. “I feel like it’s held up better in communities like ours than it has in the rest of the country because we’re so connected. Getting to work at KSUT has really been fantastic, it’s been an honor.”

And if you’re one of those Saturday morning early risers, not to worry. San Juan Sunrise will continue under the capable hands of Ken Brott, aka Kenny B, who was the originator of the show.

“Ken actually started it way back, no one really knows exactly when,” she said.

As for her other duties, of which there were many, the station has hired someone to take over Lanier’s digital editing, social media and marketing duties as well as one airshift (this person has yet to be announced; you’ll have to tune in to find out). As for the Music Director position, current Membership Director (and former Telegraph music writer) Chris Aaland will be taking on that role.

“Chris will take over as music director, which is a perfect fit as he’s booking our festivals,” Lanier said. An assistant has also been hired to help Aaland with his development work so he’ll have time to devote to the music side. “He’s a very busy guy with many talents to tap,” said Lanier.

As for Lanier, after she signs off for the last time, her and Jim – recent empty nesters with daughter Mylie at college – will pack up the boards, the dogs and the truck for a few months of #campershelllife. And while the swell can’t be guaranteed, one thing for sure is that good music will be playing on the truck stereo wherever they go.

To listen to Stasia Lanier’s last music blend (better hurry, it’s March 2, from 9 a.m. - 12 noon), tell your speaker to play Four Corners Public Radio, tune into 89.3 or 90.1, or stream it at ksut.org. ■

The KSUT crew, including Lanier, front right, and Tami Graham, pink cowboy hat, at the Moab Music Festival last fall./ Courtesy photo

The march north

City acquires 50 acres near Oxbow, opening recreational opportunities

by Jonathan Romeo

In a major win, the City of Durango obtained 50 acres of open space on the north end of town, effectively doubling the size of Oxbow Park and Preserve. But reported plans to extend the Animas River Trail may be getting a little too far ahead, city officials say.

Oxbow Park and Preserve, purchased by the City of Durango in 2012, is a 44acre area along 1.7 miles of the Animas River in north Durango. Most of the land, about 38 acres on the northern end, is dedicated as a natural preserve for wildlife habitat (where dogs and bikes are not allowed).

Immediately to the north of the park and preserve, however, are two parcels totaling about 50 acres, largely undeveloped and fenced off from the public land in Oxbow. For more than two decades, the City of Durango has attempted to acquire these properties.

Those efforts came to fruition this year after the California-based investment company that owns the land, Romad In-

“We’re excited, because this preserves the Animas River greenway, which is one of our highest priorities,” Schwarzbach said. “But much is to be determined.”

One of the biggest potential projects –extending the Animas River Trail north –has garnered much of the attention, but there are some big caveats and issues to resolve before construction companies start making their way north.

Oxbow Park and Preserve is in a conservation easement, and one condition in that designation is that the City of Durango can build out the Animas River Trail north through the area, Schwarzbach said.

However, as it stands, extending the trail through the newly acquired land would only minimally expand the trail, likely at a very expensive cost. Also, city officials must determine what the impact on wildlife would be from a new trail running through the preserve.

What’s likely to happen, Schwarzbach said, is that the city will soon begin an internal planning process that will include tons of opportunity for public involvement.

“Now that we own it,” Schwarzbach said, “what do we want to do with it?”

Early planning documents from the City of Durango show there was a grand vision to extend the Animas River Trail north, as far as Hesperus, to allow for connectivity and even possibly reduce traffic.

Over the years, of course, those lands were divided up into private hands, making the possibility of piecemealing enough property that would allow the trail to run that far north – about 7 miles from city limits – seem impossible.

vestments – owned by William and Madelyn Waters – donated the two parcels to the city. Efforts to reach the Waters for comment on this story were unsuccessful.

Though the newly acquired lands open up all kinds of possibilities – extending the Animas River Trail, expanding the natural preserve for wildlife and other outdoor recreation opportunities – much still has to be figured out, Amy Schwarzbach, the city’s natural lands manager, said.

But that doesn’t mean the City of Durango doesn’t take an opportunity when one presents itself.

“Internally, we’re looking at (this newly acquired land) as a puzzle-piece connector,” Schwarzbach said. “But if the opportunity arises (to acquire more land), the desire is not gone. But with all the land ownership changes, it does make regional trails more difficult.”

Schwarzbach, however, pointed to the Smart 160 trail system, which seeks to

connect the Animas River Trail to Three Springs, east of town. That project, too, has required complicated coordination with land owners but ultimately is on track for completion.

“We’re still working on (the Smart 160 trail), and there are highs and lows in the process,” she said. “But it’s still a community vision we’re working toward. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it’s more rewarding to see it through.”

The other issue to consider is – if and when the trail runs north – how that would impact the natural preserve for wildlife on the northern end of Oxbow.

Again, Schwarzbach said a robust, comprehensive planning evaluation phase still needs to happen before anything definitive is determined.

However, she said if a trail were to extend north, it would likely hug the existing Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge

Railroad easement, thereby concentrating potential disturbances to wildlife and keeping the trail away for the preserve.

As for the future of the newly acquired land – whether it will be an extension of the adjacent preserve or some other use –remains up in the air for the time being.

“We knew it was a priority to preserve this property, but the management side has not been hashed out,” she said.

In the meantime, city officials say the new 50 acres are a huge win and could be an important part of grander plans in the future.

“This is an amazing opportunity and could be a strategic middle piece to continue the Animas River Trail north should further opportunities fall into place,” Schwarzbach said. “I always stay hopeful that the next opportunity is waiting just around the corner, and that door will open when the time is right.” ■

The City of Durango recently acquired about 50 acres just north of Oxbow Park & Preserve. Now, the city is planning for future use, balancing wildlife habitat and recreation. / Photo by Stephen Eginoire

Refreshing wakeup call

West African writer shines a bright light on seedy underbelly

by Jeffrey Mannix

The pursuit of crime novels to feature in Murder Ink has always been off-road, stealthy and disobedient to the seductions of conglomerate publishing imprints that have film offers in their back pockets and roads paved in gold to entice them.

“Follow the money” is the di rection publishers and all busi nesses stray toward, notwithstanding their mission statements and visions of their rectitude.

I don’t mean to disparage the big publishing houses, many or most of the brand names pay big advances to their marquee au thors who predictably deliver popular, marketable stories year after year.

I haven’t heard the disparage ment “airport novel” in years, but if you spend inevitable waiting time in an airport and peruse the newsstand, you’ll see the embossed and overdesigned dust covers luring you into the getaway you’re waiting hours to endure while crammed into an 18-inch seat.

And in the 20-some years I’ve been searching for genuine highbrow crime fiction –mostly offshore and from small domestic presses – all of the big New York publishers have ferreted out or shoplifted some very good writers.

Or, very good fiction writers have been eager to try their hand at mys teries as they see the genre grow expo nentially with advances and royalties nearly assured.

West African countries (Ghana, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, etc.) have begun to produce some very fine crime fiction over the past decade, and you will want to pay particular attention to “Last Seen in Lapaz” by retired Ghanan physician Kwei Quartey. It was released a month ago in hardcover and eBook by the dedicated small crime imprint Soho Press in New York.

“Last Seen in Lapaz” introduces a rather bookish and audacious Emma Djan, an investigator for a successful private investigation agency in Accra, Ghana. She is assigned to find the whereabouts of the 18-year-old daughter of a retired Nigerian ambassador,

Accra with a bullet in his head and Ngozi nowhere to be found. They indeed ran away together, and Femi convinced an inexperienced Ngozi to train indentured runaways to be sex workers at the White House Hotel he managed. There, the young women were held captive until they earned enough to be smuggled out of Nigeria with hopes of better lives in Italy.

Now, with Femi dead and Ngozi missing, the countdown to finding Ngozi alive is growing shorter and more dire by the hour.

Quartey is an accomplished novelist who creates real characters and puts them in clever and palpable circumstances.

Quartey shines a bright light on the West African culture of smuggling, bribes, and renegade government and law enforcement. He does it with such easy nonchalance that we live the lives of his characters, hear the West African pidgin dialect and recoil with every trap Quartey sets for his characters.

I’m excited to have discovered Kwei Quartey, and I found myself reading late into the night and at stop lights and at lunch, or, more likely, instead of lunch.

At a respectful 300 pages, “Last Seen in Lapaz” is a refreshing wakeup during a sleepy winter of maintenance publish-

The daughter, Ngozi, was destined for law school before she became despondent and withdrawn over her parents’ disapproval of a boyfriend, Femi Adebanjo.

Ten years her senior, he was seen as smarmy and boldly distrustful by her parents. And now Ngozi has disappeared, and Ambassador Ojukwu suspects foul play and is paying handsomely to have Emma find her.

Femi, the boyfriend, is discovered in

With “Last Seen in Lapaz,” Murder Ink will help get you through this icy winter and add delight to spring and much excitement to summer with a lineup of extraordinary crime fiction books held back by Covid.

Skip lunch out and use what you would have spent to invest the savings in Quartey’s new book.

And don’t forget to ask our partners at Maria’s Bookshop for your Murder Ink 15% discount.

Thursday02

Durango Independent Film Festival, March 25, www.durangofilm.org

Envisioning a Changing DurangoScape, 8 a.m., Durango Botanic Gardens, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.

Drew Emmitt (of Leftover Salmon) plays, 4 p.m., Purgys Patio, Purgatory Resort.

Bingo Night, 5 p.m., Fenceline Cider, Mancos.

Author Event & Book Signing: Rebecca Wildbear, 6-8 p.m., Maria’s Bookshop, 960 Main Ave.

Live music, 6-9 p.m., The Office & Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave.

Trivia Night, 6:30 p.m., Powerhouse Science Center, 1330 Camino del Rio.

Ecstatic Dance w/Coop Mahndala, 6:30-8:30 p.m., American Legion, 878 E. 2nd Ave.

First Thursdays Songwriter Series, featuring Julian Marcus Hood, Jeff Sontag, Ashley Casey, Mariana Joy & The Brett. 7-9 p.m., The iNDIGO Room, 1315 Main Ave.

Friday03

Durango Independent Film Festival, thru March 5, www.durangofilm.org

Gary Walker plays, 10 a.m.-12 noon, Jean-Pierre Bakery & Restaurant, 601 Main Ave.

First Friday Art Crawl, 4-7 p.m., ArtRoom Collective at the Smiley Building, 1309 E. 3rd Ave.

The Sweet Lillies play, 4 p.m., Ski Beach at Purgatory Resort.

Horizon plays, 5 p.m., Mancos Brewing.

A Conversation w/Alexandra Houchin, ultraendurance bike racer, 6 p.m., FLC’s Lyceum room.

Balloon Glow, 6 p.m., The Village Plaza at Purgatory Resort.

Lavalanche plays, 6 p.m., Fenceline Cider, Mancos.

Live music, 6-9 p.m., The Office & Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave.

Ru Paul’s Drag Race Watch Party, 6 p.m., Father’s Daughters Pizza, 640 Main Ave.

20MOONS presents “When to Hold On,” 7 p.m., Stillwater Music, 1316 Main Ave., Suite C.

Wesley Dunnagan (tenor) and Marilyn Mangold Garst (piano) play, 7-9 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 419 San Juan Dr.

Alex Paul plays, 7-8:30 p.m., The iNDIGO Room, 1315 Main Ave.

Hip Hop Night, featuring Diabolical Sound Platoon, MC Los, Lucid and DJ Recess, 8 p.m., The Hive, 1150 Main Ave.

Drag Show, 8:30 p.m., Father’s Daughters Pizza, 640 Main Ave.

Saturday04

Durango Independent Film Festival, thru March 5, www.durangofilm.org

Record Swap, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Holiday Inn & Suites, 21636 Highway 160. Hosted by Four Corners Vinyl Record Club.

Coke Race, 9 a.m., Durango Nordic Center.

Uncle Clyde’s Run & Slide, 11 a.m., Purgatory Resort.

Snow Science & Social, 1 p.m., Andrews Lake winter parking lot.

Coors Light Party & Giveaway, 3 p.m., Paradise Pizzeria at Purgatory Resort.

Powder Hounds Art Auction & Pet Photo Contest Kick-Off Event, 4 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St.

The Middlemen Duo plays, 5 p.m., Mancos Brewing.

Firework Display Show, 6 p.m., Purgys Patio at Purgatory Resort.

Smelter Mountain Boys play, 6-9 p.m., 11th St. Station.

Live music, 6-9 p.m., The Office & Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave.

Community Yoga, 6-7 p.m., Yoga Durango, 1485 Florida Rd. Donations accepted.

20MOONS presents “When to Hold On,” 7 p.m., Stillwater Music, 1316 Main Ave., Suite C.

Jenn Rawling “Hand Me a Shovel” album listening party, 7 p.m., Studio &, 1027 Main Ave.

Silent Disco, 9-11:30 p.m., 11th St. Station.

Sunday05

Durango Independent Film Festival, final day, www.durangofilm.org

Veterans Benefit Breakfast, 9 a.m., VFW Post 4031, 1550 Main Ave.

Storyfinding: Writing Workshop w/Craig Childs, 12:30 p.m., Hermosa Coffee Roasters, 738 Main Ave.

Feed the People! free mutual aid meal & winter gear drive for homeless community members, every Sunday, 2 p.m., Buckley Park.

Durango City Council Candidate Forum, 2-4 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, 1159 East 3rd Ave.

Live music, 6-9 p.m., The Office & Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave.

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

ON and Acid Wrench play, 8 p.m., The Hive, 1150 Main Ave.

Monday06

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

Meditation and Dharma Talk, 5:30 p.m., Durango Dharma Center, 1800 E. 3rd Ave, Suite 109.

Live music, 6-9 p.m., The Office & Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave.

Open Mic, 6 p.m., Weminuche Woodfire Grill, Vallecito.

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

Tuesday07

Coffee Connections w/Durango Police Department, 8 a.m., Durango City Hall, 949 E. 2nd Ave.

AskRachel

Forever tax season and one home too many

Interesting fact: Lawn bowling is not, in fact, the same as bocce ball. This is evidenced in the way that one sport involves cursing the uneven grass in the public park, and the other involves doing so but with a different style of underhand toss.

Dear Rachel,

My so-called friend has been rejecting my social invitations lately. She finally spilled that it’s because she’s been working on her taxes. Fair nuff. So I asked about a weekend a month from now. Still taxes. What about after April 15? Still taxes. I thought she was dodging me, but her husband deadpan swears she’s actually working on their taxes. Now I can’t sleep at night wondering what she could possibly be doing with three months of her life that a couple hundred dollars and H&R Block couldn’t fix?

– Tax Evasion

Dear Artless Dodgee,

I want to say that your friend is just lying to you, and her husband is oblivious and/or an accomplice to the act. But I have a friend doing the EXACT

Community Yoga, 4:30-5:30 p.m., Yoga Durango, 1485 Florida Rd. Donations accepted.

Bluegrass Jam, 5:30 p.m., Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave.

Author Event & Book Signing: Scott Graham, 68 p.m., Maria’s Bookshop, 960 Main Ave.

Jason Thies plays, 6-9 p.m., The Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

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

Ott., The Monogahela and Smiley Coyote play, 8 p.m., Animas City Theatre.

Wednesday08

A Unique Perspective from a Son of Holocaust Survivors, 5-6 p.m., Durango Public Library.

Path to Homeownership, 5:30-6:30 p.m., The Wells Group, 1130 Main Ave.

SAME THING, and I REFUSE to believe she’s evading moi. Maybe these people actually keep all their receipts, and it takes that long to sort them all? I wouldn’t know. I never actually keep receipts, although I claim everything I do is a write-off because it might appear in an Ask Rachel sooner or later.

– Like these Gucci glasses, Rachel

Dear Rachel,

Now that we have second home owners in Durango, I heard a rumor that they want lawn bowling, bocce ball courts, badmitten, outdoor racquetball walls, just like in Arizona and Texas. Your thoughts on this retirement movement to Durango. They have said pickle ball, okay, but how about us who have these sports down south. City Council be prepared.

– Durango Kid

Dear Unaccompanied Minor,

“Now that we have second home owners in Durango?” Dude, there have been plethoric second home owners in Durango since my parents were rocking out to Badmitten on the phonograph. If

Live music, 6-9 p.m., The Office & Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave.

“Creating Color in the Chaco World: Spatial Histories of Paint Production at Pueblo Bonito,” hosted by San Juan Basin Archaeological Society, 7-8:30 p.m., FLC’s Lyceum room.

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

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

Ongoing

“Tracks: Image & Sound: A Solo Exhibition by Jenn Rawling,” Studio & Gallery, 1027 Main Ave. Exhibit runs thru March 4.

Whimsical Wonderland Gallery, 12 noon-6 p.m., Tues.-Sat., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.

Tyrannosaurs – Meet the Family, Farmington Museum, 3041 E. Main St. Exhibit runs thru April 26.

you don’t want a racquetball wall in your hood, you just gotta start gumming up the city gubmint works (not hard) until these second home owners die and the new wave of second home owners come swooping in with a newfangled sport that might be more to your liking.

– Hold serve, Rachel

The Hive Indoor Skate Park, open skate and skate lessons. For schedule and waiver, go to www.thehivedgo.org

Upcoming

62nd annual Student Juried Exhibition, opening reception March 9, 4:30-6 p.m., The Art Gallery at Fort Lewis College. Exhibit runs until April 8.

Durango Chamber of Commerce – Durango Rocks, March 9, 5 p.m., FLC’s Community Concert Hall.

Friends of the Library Spring Book Sale, March 10-11, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Durango Public Library.

Free Legal Clinic, March 10, 4-5 p.m., Ignacio Library, 470 Goddard Ave.

Merely Players present “The Lifespan of a Fact,” March 10-11, 14, 16-18 at 7 p.m. and March 12 & 19 at 2 p.m. Merely Underground, 789 Tech Center Dr.

20MOONS presents “When to Hold On,” March 10-11, 7 p.m., Stillwater Music, 1316 Main Ave., Suite C.

Email Rachel: telegraph@durangotelegraph.com

FreeWillAstrology

by Rob Brezsny

ARIES (March 21-April 19): In 1993, I began work on my memoir-ish novel, “The Televisionary Oracle.” It took me seven years to finish. The early part of the process was tough. Then one day, I discovered an approach that liberated me: I wrote about aspects of my character and behavior that needed improvement. Suddenly everything clicked, and my fruitless adventure transformed into a fluidic joy. But dealing with self-correction was a key catalyst. Are there any such qualities in yourself you might benefit from tackling, Aries?

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Two Taurus readers complained that my horoscopes contain too much poetry and flair to be useful. In response, I’m offering you a prosaic message. It’s all true, though in a way that’s more like a typical horoscope. Here’s the oracle: Take a risk and extend feelers to interesting people outside your usual sphere. But don’t let your social adventures distract you from your ambitions, which also need your wise attention. Your complex task: Mix work and play; synergize business and pleasure.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Astrologer Jessica Shepherd advises us to sidle up to the Infinite Source of Life and say, “Show me what you’ve got.” When we do, we often get lucky. That’s because the Infinite Source of Life delights in bringing us captivating paradoxes. Yes and no may both be true in enchanting ways. Independence and interdependence can interweave to provide us with brisk teachings. If we dare to experiment with organized wildness and aggressive receptivity, our awareness will expand, and our heart will open. What about it, Gemini? Are you interested in the charming power that comes from engaging with cosmic contradictions?

CANCER (June 21-July 22): “Only a lunatic would dance when sober,” declared the ancient Roman philosopher Cicero. As a musician who loves to dance, I reject that limiting idea – especially for you. In the upcoming weeks, I hope you will do a lot of dancing-while-sober. Singing-while-sober, too. Maybe some crying-for-joy-while-sober. My point is that there is no need for you to be intoxicated as you engage in revelry. Even further: It will be better for your soul’s long-term health if you are lucid and clearheaded as you celebrate this liberating phase of extra joy and pleasure.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Poet Mary Oliver wondered whether the soul is solid and unbreakable, like an iron bar. Or is it tender and fragile, like a moth in an owl’s beak? She fantasized that maybe it’s shaped like an iceberg or a hummingbird’s eye. I am poetically inclined to imagine the soul as a silver diadem bedecked with emeralds, roses and live butterflies. What about you? How do you experience your soul? The coming weeks will be a ripe time to home in on this treasured part of you. Feel it, consult with it, feed it. Ask it to surprise you!

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): According to the color consultant company Pantone, Viva Magenta is 2023’s color of the year. According to me, Viva Magenta is the lucky hue and power pigment for you Virgos during the next ten months. Designer Amber Guyton says that Viva Magenta “is a rich shade of red that is both daring and warm.” She adds that its “purple undertone gives it a warmth that sets it apart from mere red and makes it more versatile.” For your purposes, Virgo, Viva Magenta is earthy and exciting; nurturing and inspiring; soothing yet arousing.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): If you are not working to forge a gritty solution, you may be reinforcing a cozy predicament. If you’re not expanding your imagination to conjure up fresh perspectives, you could be contributing to some ignorance or repression. If you’re not pushing to expose dodgy secrets and secret agendas, you might be supporting the whitewash. Know what I’m saying, Libra? Here’s a further twist. If you’re not peeved about the times you have wielded your anger unproductively, you may not use it brilliantly in the near future.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Storyteller Martin Shaw believes that logic and factual information are not enough to sustain us. To nourish our depths, we need the mysterious stories provided by myths and fairy tales. He also says that conventional hero sagas starring big, strong, violent men are outmoded. Going forward, we require wily, lyrical tales imbued with the spirit of the Greek word metis, meaning “divine cunning in service to wisdom.” That’s what I wish for you now, Scorpio. I hope you will tap into it abundantly. As you do, your creative struggles will lead to personal liberations. For inspiration, read myths and fairy tales.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Many astrologers don’t give enough encouragement to you Sagittarians on the subject of home. I will compensate for that. I believe it’s a perfect time to prioritize your feelings of belonging and your sense of security. I urge you to focus energy on creating serenity and stability for yourself. Honor the buildings and lands you rely on. Give extra appreciation to the people you regard as your family and tribe. Offer blessings to the community that supports you.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): If you are like 95% of the population, you weren’t given all the love and care you needed as a child. You may have made adaptations to partly compensate for this lack, but you are still running a deficit. That’s the bad news, Capricorn. The good news is that the coming weeks will be a favorable time to overcome at least some of the hurt and sadness caused by your original deprivation. Life will offer you experiences that make you feel more at home in the world and at peace with your destiny.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The philosopher Aldous Huxley was ambitious and driven. Author of almost 50 books, he was a passionate pacifist and explorer of consciousness. He was a visionary who expressed both dystopian and utopian perspectives. Later in his life, though, his views softened. “Do not burn yourselves out,” he advised readers. “Be as I am: a parttime crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it.” Now I’m offering you Huxley’s counsel, Aquarius. As much as I love your zealous idealism and majestic quests, I hope that in the coming weeks, you will recharge yourself with creature comforts.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Piscean author and activist W. E. B. Dubois advised us to always be willing to give up what we are. Why? Because that’s how we transform into a deeper and stronger version of ourselves. I think you would benefit from using his strategy. My reading of the astrological omens tells me that you are primed to add through subtraction, to gain power by shedding what has become outworn and irrelevant. Suggested step one: Identify dispiriting self-images you can jettison. Step two: Visualize a familiar burden you could live without. Step three: Drop an activity that bores you. Step four: Stop doing something that wastes your time.

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

Approximate office hours:

Mon-Wed: 9ish - 5ish

Thurs: On delivery

Fri: Gone fishing; call first

Announcements

HelpWanted

Front Desk Receptionist

We are looking for someone that has a positive attitude, is an effective problem solver, has a strong desire to achieve goals and is knowledgeable of the Durango area. Handling check-ins and check-outs, office duties, answering phone calls, responding to emails, creating reservations; inform guests of rates, available rooms, motel amenities and information; maintaining a high standard of cleanliness of lobby and property; resolving guest issues and conflicts in a professional and timely manner. Start date: March 2023. Job types: full-time, part-time, salary: $15.75/hr

Crusher

2015 Sun Bicycle, 7 speed, in excellent cond. Barely ridden. MSRP $530, now $425. 970-903-0005.

Gordon Smith FibreFlex Longboard

A classic – sweet, smooth ride for cushy cruising. Been around the block but still in great shape. 42” long. $50 Text: 970-749-2595.

Harrison Wendt for City Council

It’s time for compassionate and collaborative governing, vote Harrison Wendt for Durango City Council! Return your ballot by April 4th.

Classes/Workshops

New Aikido Intro Class

Aikido is self-defense with a do-noharm attitude. Promotes mindfulness and stress-relief. Intro class M & Th 6645pm Mar 6-30th. Details/sign-up at durangoaikido.com or text/call 970426-5257.

Lost/Found

Found: Ski Poles

Upper Columbine Lot, Wed., Feb. 15. Call to ID: 970-259-3207.

CommercialforRent

1100-sf Office/Retail Space in Bodo Park

Ground floor with open-front floor plan & back-of-house space + 1/2 bath & kitchenette. Wheelchair access ramp & on-site parking. Short- or long-term lease avail. $1600 a month. 970-7993732

Durango Outdoor Exchange

is looking for a full-time or part-time Gear Specialist. Do you have -retail sales experience -gear knowledge -Saturday availability - self motivation - stoke for the outdoors? Come join the crew! Applications available on our website or swing by to meet Jen, 3677 Main Ave.

Wanted

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

ForSale

Why Cycles Big Iron

Why Cycles ti fat bike size XL brand new in Nov. Selling bc tax season has not been kind to me. $3500 OBO bike can be seen in person at Durango Cyclery or call/text: 970-769-4089

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

Reruns Home Furnishings

Brighten up your space with quality pre-owned furniture and décor … 572 E. 6th Ave. Open Mon.-Sat. 385-7336.

Services

Marketing Small/Local Businesses

Media, website building and content, copywriting, editing, newsletters, blogs, etc.  www.thesaltymedia.com or email jnderge@ gmail.com

Harmony Cleaning and Organizing

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

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

In-Home Fitness Training

Get fit in 2023! I come to you! All ages. Diane Brady NSCA-CPT. 970-9032421

Lotus Path Healing Arts

Offering a unique, intuitive fusion of

HaikuMovieReview

‘80 for Brady’

Yea, I know. Just shut up and take your mom to the movies like I did

– Lainie Maxson

Esalen massage, deep tissue & Acutonics, Kathryn, 970-201-3373.

Massage by Meg Bush

LMT, 30, 60 & 90 min., 970-7590199.

CommunityService

Nonprofit Board Training

The Community Foundation serving Southwest Colorado is hosting a threepart nonprofit board training to delve into best practices and professional development for a high-functioning, effective organization. Series will be a combination of two in-person and one online class. Classes will be held in Cortez, Durango and Pagosa Springs. The three sessions will take place the weeks of March 27, April 3 April 10. $60 for entire series, includes registration for one staff and one board member. For more information, visit www.swcommunityfoundation.org/nonprofit-re sources/#upcoming

San Juan Mountain SOLES

Is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to inspire high school youth to lead healthy lives rooted in wild places, confident leadership and community engagement. Applications for 2023-24 programming are due by April 1. www.sanjuanmountainsoles.com

Are you the parent or caregiver of a child 3 or under? Cafe Au Play offers free indoor/outdoor play area, 10 a.m. -1 p.m., Mon.–Fri., at Christ the King Lutheran Church. Power Au Play 10 a.m. -12 noon on the third Wednesday of each month at the Powerhouse.

Fat Bike - Now $425