The Durango Telegraph, March 10, 2022

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March 10, 2022 Vol. XXI, No. 10 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

Growth & gridlock

More sleep, less Ranch

Mural maven

Better mobility tops wish list for Durango’s future p8

An integrated approach to healthier decision-making p10

Reflections on making big art in a small(ish) town p11

WINTER/SPRING WINTER/SPRING 2022 Program Guide

une in at 91.9 / 93.9 FM Tune T Or Stream Us @ KDUR.org

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KDUR, volunteer-powered community radio, creates a bridge between F Fort ort Lewis College and La Plata County, offering diverse music, alternative news, and local public affairs programming. KDUR provides educational and training opportunities in a professional setting for Fort Fort Lewis College students and community members.

6:00

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MONDAY MORNING MUSIC

LOVELY DAY RADIO Soul, Motown & ffunk! unk!

STEPH

Various Styles ERNIE & JASON

8:00 4 CORNERS ARTS ARTS FORUM

9:00

Art, Music & Culture Art, Culture from the Southwest

CRISTEN CRIST EN ALEXANDRIA ALEXANDRIA

GOREY GLORY

9:30

Hard Indie Rock with Femalee Vocal Vocalists Femal ists SABS

3:00

5:00 5:30 6:00

COUNTERSPIN F.A.I.R. F.A .I.R. Program Covering Under-Reported News

BE LOCAL RADIO Listen & LLive ive Like A Local EMILY & LOUISE

F

TOLL TOLL FREE RADIO

Song Songss You You Didn’t Know You You Needed

LINDSAY

PRACTICUM New Music Mix STUDENT DJS

PRACTICUM New Music Mix STUDENT DJS

NO REGERTS RADIO Indie/College Indie/College Rock

Center Left Right & Ce Left, nter

News, Politics & Humor Get AAllll Sides of the Issues

ROCK N’ SOUL SPUTNIK

UPBEAT

Music That’s Good for the Soul

JEFF

DANTE’S INFERNO

Heavy, Catchy Riffs & Blast Beats

OVERNIGHT OVERNIGHT OVERNIGHT OVERNIGHT

POZZI

BITE BITE THE SUN

Various Rock, Indie DJ SKODEN

PRACTICUM New Music Mix STUDENT DJS

PRACTICUM Music New Mus ic Mix STUDENT DJS

BILLY’S SUNDAY BRUNCH

Music that Connects & Heals the Heart

WILL

ROCKIN’ IN THE DAYS OF CONFUSION Golden Gol den AAge ge of Radio Noon to 1pm

THURSDAY THURSDAY AFTERNOON MOUNTAIN MUSIC & ONE MAN’S TRASH RADIO! MULTICULT URAL MAYHEM MULTICULTURAL Rockcentric Mix of Many Genres Your Favorites!

Music They Have BRYANT & MICHELE

GETTIN” GET TIN” COZY WITH WITH POZZI Oldd Fusion of New & Ol 7am to 9am

JIM CROSS & JOHN PEEL

KEITH

S

INCARNACION

DISASTER AREA

Rock & Reverb frfrom om All Alll Over O STEVE ST EVE LATINO USA

LE SHOW

A Stew of Talk, Music & Politicall Commentary Noon to 1pm MUSIC WITH MEANING

& Lyrics that Speak MO

THE THE NOT SO INDIE SHOW

Indie, But Not Really Reall alllyy

CROWN

THIS AMERICAN LIFE

Host Ira Glass Takes YYou ou Throug Throughh Slices of Real American American Life & Issues

THE SUNDAY SHAKEDOWN

THIS WAY OUT

YOUR MUSIC LESSON

Radio News Mag Magzine zine in Coveringg Issues Iss Latino Communities

LA KK-MACHIN MACHIN Regional & National Mexican Music El CHAVO

HEARTBEAT OF ZION Irie Friday RASTA STEVIE RASTA

THE HORSE SHOW

Bluegrass: Ol Oldd & New

THE VOID Where Madness Reigns EV

Turbo Rock, Fantasy Rock ... & More!

Billy Stringss The Bill lyy String Power Hour CRIT CRITTER TER

MOUNTAIN BUM HOUR

MOONLIGHT BATH PARTY

THE VELVET CRANK

FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN

STUCK IN THE PSYCHEDELIC ERA roughly Music from roug hlly 19 1964-1970 64-1970

NO WORD LoFi/HiFi Instrumentall Vibes CB

ALTERNATIVE RADIO

Featuring Some of the Leading Speakers & Free Thinkers From Around Around the World

REZBILLY BREAKDOWN STEPHANIE & PATRICK

Bluegrass, Folk, Indie, Ect.

LYD

TBD

DANTE

OVER OVERNIGHT NIGHT

MATT KENNA & JP

S

CROSS CR OSS & PEEL Talkk Radio Sports Tal

CAMBRIAN EX EXPLOSION PLOSION HAUNTED HIGHWAY A VINYL FETISH Old Rock, New Life Life Up-Tempo AAlternative lternative Rock, Spectral Sounds from JEFF Old & New the ‘50s ‘50s to the Void NANCY BONNIE JEANNE

IT’S ALL MUSIC Rock of All All Kinds JEFF

8:00

12AM

BBC World New Newss Hour 8:00 - 9:00

AUDIENCE OF 1 RADIO OF THE Long Live BLASTED WEST Col lege Radio Rock, AAltlt Country College JON DOUGLAS

6:30

10:00

RY & WE STERN COUNTRY WESTERN WAKEMAN & THE BAKER THE COUNT MORNIN’ BLE ND BLEND Bluegrass & Acoustic Acoustic Playin’ Both Kinds of Music JJ & DOUG KICKIN’ SCHMIDT

Noon - 1:00 pm THE ROCK & ROLL CIRCUS Psychedel ic, Garage, Psychedelic, Rock & Rol Rolll NICKY VOX

Ol 45’s Oldd 45’s DAVENPORT

9:00

TIMBUKTU & BEYOND West African Music MARGY

TR

Democracy Now! The War and Peace Report.

Journalists Amy Goodman & Juan Juan Gonzalez A National, Daily, Independent, News Program Hosted by Pacifica Radio Journalists

12PM

1:00

OFF THE RIM What’s Going On, On & Off Campus DEBBIE HIGGS

W

OVERNIGHT

ENCOUNTERS Alaska Nature Radio From Al aska

Gay, Lesbian & Bi-Sex Bi-Sexual ual Issues Radio News Magazine

Dark & Hil Hilarious arrious & Metal

LLiggett iggett On Music: Live Live and On Tape!

DAN

JESS & JONATHAN

CRANKY OLD GUY & KYNAN

Good Ol Oldd Grateful Dead

WAVERING STRANGERS

BIRD UP!

LOST IN TTHE HE GROOVES A LLabrynth abr brrynth ynth of Vinyl DJ BAT BATCH CH

NOCTURNAL TRANSMISSIONS Garage, Garag e, Psych, Punk

TBD

OVERNIGHT

OVERNIGHT

OVERNIGHT OVERNIGHT

Music to Bathe/Party

A Ambiguous mbiguous A Americana mericana

Punk Rock for the Soul

TOM KIPP

BIRDIE

OVERNIGHT

OVERNIGHT OVERNIGHT

CAPTAIN

MEAN MIKE

Thanks to the Local Businesses that Support KDUR...Please Support Them!

2 n March 10, 2022

telegraph

lineup

4

4 La Vida Local

To review or not to review and other thorny internet questions

4 Thumbin’ It

5-star soliloquy

by David Feela

5 Word on the Street 6-7 Soapbox

8

8 Land Desk

Car trouble How Durango – and other Western towns – can escape the gridlock grip

Ear to the ground: “Don’t Durango my Ignacio.”

– Bumper sticker on a truck, alongside a “Let’s Go Brandon” sticker

No-so-big bang

thepole

RegularOccurrences

If you were around Durango Tuesday night and saw an impromptu, short firework show, you may have been wondering, were we welcoming Russell Wilson to the Broncos? Had someone thought of a solution to the housing crisis? Did a new law pass that mandated sweatpants in the work place? Was Lauren Boebert able to pull off an intelligible comment?

Turns out, no such luck on any of the above.

Instead, the City of Durango was conducting a test run of new fireworks that hold less risk of sparking a wildfire, which will likely be a necessity if we want any sort of show in the sky for future Fourth of July celebrations.

10 Local News

by Jonathan Thompson/Land Desk

11 Between the Beats 12-13 Stuff to Do

10

13 Ask Rachel

The B team New health care studio takes integrated approach to healing

14 Free Will Astrology

by Jennaye Derge

15 Classifieds 15 Haiku Movie Review

11

Homegrown

On the cover: A coyote blends into the farmland of Southwest Colorado in the winter months./ Photo by Alex Krebs

Local muralist Monica McManus on making big art in a small town

by Stephen Sellers

boilerplate

EDITORIALISTA: Missy Votel missy@durangotelegraph.com ADVERTISING SALES: telegraph@durangotelegraph.com STAFF REPORTER: Jonathan Romeo jonathan@durangotelegraph.com

T

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

STAR-STUDDED CAST: David Feela, Jonathan Thompson, Jennaye Derge, Stephen Sellers, Lainie Maxson, Rob Brezsny, Jesse Anderson and Clint Reid

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PHONE: 970-259-0133

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

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

telegraph

Because of drought, compounded by the fact that June tends to be the driest month, Durango has had to cancel four of its past six July 4th firework shows. And, understandably, people get bummed, although if you weigh burning down the town vs. 15 minutes of oohs and aahs, the answer is pretty obvious. We hope.

However, the show may go on – even in drought years. City officials are looking at alternative “close-proximity” fireworks, which are what you saw in the sky March 8.

Regular fireworks, which shoot up to 400 feet high and spread as wide as 200 feet, carry with them ash and sparks that could start a fire. Closeproximity fireworks, on the other hand, shoot only 200-300 feet and spread about 50 feet, and don’t carry associated burn material. As a result, they’re typically used inside stadiums like at Rockies games and Olympic ceremonies.

Ellen Babers, community events administrator for the city, said the test run went well, though there are some pros and cons with the closeproximity shots. For one, they are more expensive, and, because they are smaller, more are needed to match a regular fireworks show, or shows will need to be shorter. And, because it’s “close-proximity,” viewers typically need to be within 1,200 feet to get the full effect.

Still, Babers said the shots were impressive and well-received by observers. The city launched the new pyrotechnics from Greenmount Cemetery, the Transit Center and the fairgrounds, and it seemed the more central locations were better received. “I think we’ll go back and evaluate where the best location would be,” she said.

And hey, the biggest pro of all – we won’t burn ourselves down.

“We are going to celebrate the Fourth of July, and do it well,” Babers said. “We just want to look at all our options.”

March 10, 2022 n

3

opinion

LaVidaLocal The 5-star soliloquy “Only the dead have discovered what they cannot live without.”

– James Richardson A book like “100 Places To Visit Before You Die” defines the genre of what a list challenge is supposed to accomplish, a commercialized reminder that there’s never enough time. Also known as a “bucket list,” the gimmick inspires readers to complete a checklist for a better life. It’s always just one more thing before the final departure grabs you by an earlobe like a surly aunt and leads you to the darkest corner of them all.

In his famous “To be or not to be” soliloquy, Hamlet reminds his early 17th century audience of that “undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler returns.” This eloquent metaphor might be reenergized for audiences today with an animated pop-up of a tourist on a web browser announcing a special offer to “a country from which no online review has ever been posted.”

With nearly 8 billion people roaming the planet, I seriously doubt a square foot of terra firma remains untrodden. If any undiscovered country remains, it will be measured by square terabytes within the ethersphere, which is why marketers need our help. If we could please post a review for each internet domain that exists, every facet of the intangible universe might be effectively mapped with a one-to-five star rating.

Anyone who has made a reservation, mailed a package, bought gas or ordered a pizza has been badgered by the request to go online and provide some feedback. These invitations abound, like “We’d be thrilled if you would write a TripAdvisor review” or “We truly care about your opinion.” Or, the approach I believe to be the most pernicious, “Like us on Facebook.”

FleaBay takes the rating loop oh-so-seriously, as if any of their open-market sellers would be booted off the sales platform without making feedback their most valued commodity. Once I bought a watch battery from a seller who refused to sell me another until I posted a rating. I tried to leave four stars, feeling a bit irked by his arm-twisting tactic, but FleaBay required details, not just a rating, for less than five stars, as if perfection is the only feedback acceptable.

Even the sellers plead with buyers before completing purchase, please please please “contact the seller BEFORE posting anything negative.” Somehow a simple “thank you” is never sufficient.

Of course online businesses want to grow their traffic, and statistical evidence suggests customers are often swayed by posted reviews. Rather than talking to a neighbor, online reviews substitute for an actual conversation.

LinkedIn advocates the importance of reviews to businesses, but it also mentions how a growing number of astute customers justifiably suspect some positive reviews are fake. Research at The Washington Post has determined 61% of electronics reviews are bogus, and CBS News warns viewers that posting a negative review can even get you sued.

Still, when customers criticize sellers for inferior products or poor service, who can resist reading an online rant? At least a one-star rating provides some amusement if you enjoy immersing yourself in online reviews. Often it’s just the awkward wording or an inability to proofread that encourages a reader to smile. It’s also difficult to take some of them seriously, but would the public leave fake one-star ratings?

If doing business is vital for the economy, then why is honesty a commodity that’s nearly impossible to peddle? Trust itself has morphed itself into fabrication, wholly dependent on how much an opinion leans in the direction of the reality you choose to believe. Emily Dickinson defined our human inability to accept a fact in her poem 1263 (she never used titles) published in late 17th-century America: “Tell all the truth but tell it slant – Success in Circuit lies Too bright for our infirm Delight The Truth’s superb surprise ...”

As consumers continue to unquestioningly accept internet postings as fact, businesses persist in unleashing a relentless loop of feedback invitations, seeking only increased traffic and ratings.

The internet is a platform that sponsors a dangerous reality, an ambiguity where even choosing the leadership in our country may become the equivalent to buying shoddy merchandise. Of course, fake and misleading postings on social media platforms won’t entirely ruin our shopping experiences, but they have inspired actual fear for the future of our democracy.

Hamlet goes on in his renowned soliloquy to consider his options, but an internet savvy Shakespeare might have revised his character’s words, just a smidgen, to better include a virtual stage steeped in technology.

“Thus a poor review makes cowards of us all And thus the native hue of resolution Is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought.”

Now that’s what I call an eloquent piece of talking to the wind.

Thumbin’It The New Mexico Supreme Court’s recent ruling that the state’s constitution protects the public’s access to waterways across the state. A similar battle is being fought in Colorado (sorry guy who wrote an angry letter about this a few weeks ago).

Sign of the Downfall: Gas prices hitting a record high. It’s not so much the pain at the pump that’s a thumbs down as having to hear all the Fox News dads “Thank Biden” for gas costing more than $4 a gallon during a war.

In a show of solidarity against the invasion of Ukraine, McDonald’s, KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut are ceasing business in Russia. Wait… I thought sanctions were supposed to hurt …

Get your whiskey, yoga mat, edibles, punching bag – whatever you need to cope: Colorado just ranked as the fifth most competitive housing market in the country, with nearly 60% of homes selling above the initial asking price.

Daylight Savings Time on Sunday springing our clocks forward and giving us more sunlight after work. But if you, like us, still need to hide from the world because of all the crappiness going on, we suggest investing in better blinds.

Someone stole a box of human heads from a truck in Denver. Admittedly, we didn’t read the story but just figured there was no reason out there where someone stealing a box of human heads would be OK.

4 n March 10, 2022

– David Feela

telegraph

Wombbox According to the BabyPod.net FAQ page, the only way for unborn babies to perceive sound is via the “vaginal route,” which is convenient because all BabyPod.net sells is a speaker you shove up your vagina. For $150, you can buy an uncomfortable pink speaker that purportedly “encourages communication before birth,” and as an added bonus, there’s a built-in headphone jack so you can listen along. And of course, BabyPod.net offers Spotify playlists in case you can’t choose a song, because if you put speakers where they aren’t supposed to go, you obviously can’t think for yourself.

WordontheStreet

Q

It’s shamrock and green beer season, so The Telegraph asked: “What’s the luckiest thing that’s happened to you?”

Chase

“Just seeing the sun shining.”

Ignacio

“Getting paid to drive cross country for work.”

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$

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Dan

“Having kids.

They keep ya humble.”

Sonja

“I got laid by a SWAT team member after a friend’s concert.

And it was my son’s 21st birthday.”

Summer

“Meeting my best friend after offering her some Dum Dums at work.”

telegraph

March 10, 2022 n 5

D-Tooned/by Rob Pudim

SoapBox The Colorado fool Representatives Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene showed themselves to be not worthy of the positions they hold in our national government during the State of the Union on March 1 when they heckled President Joe Biden as he was giving his speech. Boebert has demonstrated again and again that she is a buffoon on the public stage and an embarrassment to District 3 in Colorado by grabbing the sensational headlines with her disruptive antics. Rather than actually learning about the ways to make her constituents’ lives better, as she has the power to do, her name and face show up regularly in the newspapers and on camera as the “Colorado Fool.” She just cannot get enough of making it known that she despises any form of bipartisanship in the office to which she was (mistakenly) elected.

I resent the fact that my taxes go to pay her salary.

– Adele Riffe, Hesperus

Is war obsolete?

War has been part of the human condition since the history of humans began. As wartime strategies and practices evolve, the cost of war in terms of human life and economic, political and cultural costs argue strongly that it is far past time for humanity to declare an end to war as part of the human condition.

Nowhere is that more evident than in the present invasion of Ukraine by Russia under orders from President Putin, whose pretexts for the invasion are not supported by facts. The interrelated nature of the modern world strongly suggests that war just does not make any sense: rationally, economically, politically or culturally.

The culture and the lives of over 44 million people in Ukraine, 144 million people in Russia and millions of people in countries surrounding the region have been tragically and uncompromisingly affected.

Bomb, missile and rocket attacks have struck urban areas, killing innocent civilians including the elderly and children.

There have been many Russian deaths.

The cost of Putin’s invasion on Russia and its people is also staggering. The Russian economy, stock markets, the value of its currency – in short, every economic and political measure – has plunged.

One report said the Russian stock market lost 40% of its value. At that point, the exchange was closed to prevent a total meltdown. The Russian ruble was down 30%. And, the interest rate in Russia rose to 20%. The economic toll on the Russian citizen is heavy and will continue indefinitely.

Almost the entire civilized world has risen in opposition to this war. Russian banks have been denied access to the world banking system; Russian planes have been banned from the air space of dozens of nations. Putin has become a pariah.

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The cost of waging war is no longer a viable option for modern economies, and, typically, long wars are not supported by the civilian populations as months become years.

Is war by opposing armies with clear battlefields obsolete? I think so. And, in my opinion, it is a millennia too late.

Humanity’s major agenda should be to put an end to war and turn its attention to the long list of critical factors that face

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6 n March 10, 2022

the human race, including overpopulation, global warming, a highly complex and rapidly changing world economy, and the looming tragedies posed by wealth inequities.

Now, more than ever, “No more war!” should be the clarion call for every single responsible citizen in all of the countries of the modern world.

– Hal Mansfield, emeritus professor, Fort Lewis College

telegraph

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Do more for Ukraine I am just writing to express my horror and heart-sickness over what is going on in Ukraine because of the horrendous invasion. I understand that NATO can only protect fellow NATO countries, and I understand that many countries, including the United States, are sending massive amounts of money and military aid to Ukraine. But, the idea that we can’t have any kind of military intervention because Ukraine is not a NATO country seems very limiting to me.

I also understand that the madman who is invading the country has threatened nuclear weapon use, but, in addition to all the military aid, Ukraine needs more combat troops, otherwise that beautiful, peaceful democracy will fall. And then, what happens after that?

– Dr. D T Mazurkewicz, Hesperus

Rabid representatives I am concerned to see that canine distemper has been found in local raccoons.

At East College and Third Avenue, the raccoons emerge most nights from the street drains like Pennywise the clown and have approached my leashed dog in an aggressive manner. Imagine my surprise when I saw a photo on the internet of two of our elected representatives exhibiting the same facial expressions as the rabid raccoons. Is it possible that a zoonotic event transmitted distemper to these two reps?

Or equally possible, did anthroponosis transmit distemper from these reps to the

raccoon population? In any event, I propose to set up a GoFundMe site to provide distemper shots to these poor afflicted creatures.

– Rhys Schrock, Durango

Supporting schools We face two major issues in Colorado concerning public education: we need to pay off the $572 million negative factor debt we owe our school districts from 2008, and we need to address the teacher shortage.

Finding more money to pay that debt is a work in progress. On March 1, Governor Polis signed House Bill 22-1183 into law to pay $68 million owed to school districts.

We have made historic investments in education, increased funding per student and are committed to prioritizing sustainable funding for our schools going forward.

We are also tackling the teacher shortage head on with bills that will help boost our talented educator workforce.

Two of my bills passed through the House and Senate recently to help address Colorado’s educator shortage. The first, which I ran with Rep. Marc Catlin, R-Montrose, addresses the issue in rural Colorado.

Rural schools don’t have access to as many teacher candidates as our urban counterparts. Our housing costs are high, distances are long, and we don’t always have jobs available for family members. House Bill 22-1101 gives the teachers, bus drivers, nurses, cafeteria

workers and paraprofessionals who have retired with the Colorado Public Employees’ Retirement Association (PERA) pension the opportunity to come back into the schools and work full time, without diminishing their benefits.

Normally, retirees cannot work more than 110 days a year without harming their PERA payments. Since that number does not cover a whole school year, districts are left with a continued need for teachers, but no one to fill the positions.

This bill stipulates that both schools and teachers pay into PERA, but they will not receive additional years of service benefits that would increase future payments.

I ran this bill the first time as a pilot program in 2017; it was so successful, rural districts asked for it to be extended.

Urban schools, which are also experiencing a teacher shortage, wanted to jump on this bill. PERA, however, said it would be too expensive to include every district in Colorado. So we came up with another bill to help.

House Bill 22-1057, which I ran with Rep. Mary Bradfield, R-El Paso, does the same sort of thing for retired educators, but only if they want to substitute teach, anywhere in Colorado.

It offers opportunities for educators to work as temporary employees in districts, again without hurting their PERA benefits.

This bill has a time limit of three years, hoping that districts will be able to fill their substitute quota by then.

Both bills have been supported by school districts throughout the state. They

are getting highly qualified, experienced educators back into the classrooms, buses, cafeterias and schools, relieving the pressure points endured by a staffing shortage.

Together, we are setting our students up for success.

– Rep. Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango

Stop the madman Recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said if he did not receive outside troops and weapons to help his military fight off Russia, the end of the world would happen. Still, the Ukrainian Army is on their own using our weapons.

Putin has threatened to go nuclear if any additional forces show up in the current battlefield. He wants countries, some with NATO, to reunite with Russia for his legacy. Once a NATO country is attacked, Putin will no doubt use nuclear weapons on troops that outnumber him.

Surely, brighter military minds can come up with a quick way to get this one madman Putin to go to court for illegal war crimes, no matter how many goons are protecting him.

Enough deaths already, and why risk a nuclear end to the world?

– Sally Florence, Durango

Russian riddle What hath RashPutin and his poodle, the Rump, wrought?

– Louis Jobe, Durango

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The Alter native Resource telegraph

March 10, 2022 n 7

LandDesk

Wish list for Durango’s growth Looking into the future, with a focus on mobility

by Jonathan Thompson

T

he above photo shows downtown Durango as seen from a Google Earth satellite in September 2019. And no, someone didn’t paint the streets yellow in real life; I colored them with photo-editing software. I started doing it for my own purposes. I wanted to see how much of the city’s commercial core was devoted to automobiles, highlighting those areas with yellow. I started with streets, then moved onto parking lots, then alleys. Every time I thought I was finished, I’d encounter another rectangle of asphalt.

Ugly, isn’t it? But it can also be a useful tool, one to keep on hand to whip out next time someone says there’s a parking shortage in Durango. There’s not. Obviously.

Durango’s not alone in dealing with this automobile-centric affliction. Many cities are far worse. Still, it’s one of many

8 n March 10, 2022

problems that need solving.

We’ve looked back at what Durango was, and what some of its leaders wanted it to be, and what it became. Now it’s time for us wannabe planners to envision the future we want – just like the planners of 1971 did.

And the future the Land Desk Planning Commission desires is a Durango that is sustainable and livable for all. And not just environmental sustainability, but also human, economic and community sustainability. It’s our belief that Durango – and many communities in the West – are moving rapidly away from any semblance of this sort of sustainability. They increasingly are becoming traffic-jammed enclaves for the wealthy, vacationers and the upper echelons of the Zoom class, places that squeeze out teachers, firefighters, food service workers and all those who keep the gears of society grinding.

It would be bad enough if the influx of

wealth was accompanied by a corresponding uptick in the quality of life. But that is hardly the case. If Durango was “urban” a half century ago, shouldn’t it be more urban now? In the 1971 planning document, my father wrote: “The challenge we face is whether or not as a group of 12,000 we will let that change shape us or whether we will shape the change. … Durango is a series of communities: labor, education, retirement, agricultural, professional, service, youth, educated, uneducated, Chicano, Anglo, poor, middle income … and among many of these sub-communities there is almost no communication, no feelings of concern for the other. It is this fragmentation that makes us very much “urban” in the modern American sense. We are not a small town.”

Durango’s population has nearly doubled since then, and La Plata County’s shot up from 19,199 in 1970 (the same as in 1960) to 55,638 in 2020. I think it’s safe to say that Durango has progressed as a

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community in many ways, partly as a result of growth, partly thanks to good planning and leadership.

But over the last decade or so, the growth and wealth influx has continued at a rapid pace, while progress in other realms has slowed. Growth has not brought with it the trappings normally associated with urban places, be it robust public transportation, diversity, good jobs or more opportunities. The “series of communities” of 1971 have, if anything, diminished in number and diversity, while still remaining as fragmented as ever. Mobility, the ability to get from one place to another by car, bike or foot, is decreasing, and the roads are becoming more dangerous. The arts, culture and food scene isn’t exactly exploding with vibrance. The town can’t – or maybe won’t – sustain a daily print newspaper anymore, which has further diminished the community as a whole.

I’m no urban planner. And I know that real planners – really smart ones – are working on these complex issues, none of which have easy solutions. I’m not trying to tell anyone how to do their jobs. In fact, everything I suggest here would fit within the objectives of Durango’s current comprehensive plan. This is just a wish list from someone who grew up in Durango and cares about what it becomes, someone who has been covering these issues for many years, and someone who has gleaned a few ideas from farflung communities in which I’ve lived. I’m not antigrowth or anti-outsider, per se: When I was a teenager I yearned for a population-influx, because I figured it would make the place more interesting. What I didn’t understand is that making a place “interesting,” whatever that might mean, takes effort, not just more people.

So with that great big caveat, here we go. I had intended to tackle all of the issues in just one dispatch, but soon realized there’s too much. So this post will focus on mobility.

When I was growing up in Durango, my parents weren’t really the types to drive me around, and even when they offered, I usually turned them down because I was embarrassed to be seen climbing out of one of our crappy old cars. But that was OK, because it was a fairly easy town to get around in on foot or by bike and even bus. The transit system in the ’80s was at least as robust as it is now, and there was even a town bus to Purgatory.

You could ride a bike up and down Main Avenue without fearing for your life, and as a teen in the ’80s, I felt totally safe riding on the highways in and out of town.

Since then, Durango has become famous as a nurturer of world-class cyclists, but at the same time cycling – and walking – have become more and more perilous (I pretty much gave up road riding because of multiple near-death encounters with car-driving a**holes). True, the best planning in the world won’t do anything about the a**holes, but good planning could ease traffic, and good infrastructure could better protect bikers and pedestrians from the a**holes. More than

that, orienting the community toward human beings rather than automobiles – as it is now – will make life better for all the human beings, even the a**holes who wield their four-wheeled monstrosities like weapons in some fossil-fueled culture war.

• Overhaul Main Avenue: Main Ave. is no longer a primary artery through town. So why does it still look like a highway? It has five lanes for cars (three for driving, two for parallel parking). Five lanes(!) for a road that really doesn’t need to have cars on it at all. But no, we’re not advocating for a pedestrian mall – those tend to gentrify. We’re simply calling for a “complete streets” makeover for downtown, which is to say it should be ori-

“Durango has become famous as a nurturer of world-class cyclists, but at the same time cycling – and walking – have become more and more perilous.” ented toward humans, not cars.

Cut Main Ave. down to two lanes for driving, widen the sidewalks and make the COVID-era bumpouts permanent, with cutouts for some diagonal parking. And put roundabouts at 6th, 9th and 12th Streets. If Grand Junction and Farmington can do it, then so can Durango.

Let’s also extend the concept to Second Ave., College Drive and beyond.

• Integrate the Animas River Trail (ART) into the rest of the town: If the ART is Durango’s mainstem of human-centered mobility, then it is in dire need

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of tributaries that extend into the rest of the community.

First priority is an overpass or underpass for Camino del Rio at 12th St, and another underpass/overpass at S. Camino del Rio and CR 210 (aka the road to Lake Nighthorse). Equally critical is extending the ART to Three Springs (and, eventually, Hermosa, Bayfield, Ignacio, Aztec and Farmington. And how about that branch that goes all the way up Junction Creek to the Colorado Trail trailhead?)

• Revamp Animas View Drive/CR 203/HWY 550 intersection (i.e. the Iron Horse Intersection): This is an accident waiting to happen and effectively cuts off non-car-driving residents on CR 203 from getting to the Iron Horse to catch the bus or from joining up with the north end of the Animas River Trail. At the very least put in a traffic light, but a car/pedestrian overpass would be even better for safety and to preserve traffic flow.

• Overhaul CR 250/E. 32nd Street from Holly to Florida Road: Or at least put in some stinking bike lanes and sidewalks. Please? This is major linkage between north Durango and the growing Florida Road/East Animas zone and is perilous for walkers and bikers.

• Public Transit, damnit! Don’t get me wrong: I’m grateful for the Main Ave. trolley line and for the existing bus system. But it’s just not enough. The local transit system must be more robust, cover more area and run more often. And then it needs to be expanded into a regional system, extending to Purgatory and Farmington, Cortez, Bayfield, Ignacio and Silverton. It’s wonderful that you can now take a bus from Durango to Grand Junction, but it’s utter insanity that there is no similar bus to Albuquerque. And once that’s all in place, how about working with Farmington, Cortez and Pagosa Springs to create a truly regional airport?

The Land Desk is a newsletter from Jonathan Thompson, longtime journalist and author of River of Lost Souls, Behind the Slickrock Curtain, and the newly released Sagebrush Empire. To subscribe, go to: www.landdesk.org

March 10, 2022 n

9

LocalNews

Mind, body & soul (... and not so much El Rancho)

by Jennaye Derge

I

gosh-near ruined my life around the time I turned 30 because of a bad breakup and the terrible ways I dealt with it. Basically, I went into full self-destruct mode: one hand holding a vodka tonic, and the other hand waving in the musky air of El Rancho as I danced to bad jukebox music with some sweaty stranger.

It wasn’t healthy.

At least that’s probably what Stacy Reuille-Dupont would have told me. Reuille-Dupont is the owner and brains behind Durango’s newest innovative, integrated healthcare studio, Studio B. Opened in August 2020 and located in the Purple Cliffs at Escalante, Studio B specializes in using physical, mental and dietary health to tackle bad breakups and the rest of life’s woes – without the use of latenight dancing and alcohol.

Reuille-Dupont’s background inadvertently shaped Studio B and her future in integrated health. She began studying psychology in college, but after a couple months, wanted to switch her major to exercise science and ended up with a degree in kinesiology and business with a specialty in health club management.

“I had my own health issues that got me into the medical system in a way that didn’t make me want to be reactive; I wanted to be more proactive,” Reuille-Dupont said.

“I wanted to go in a direction that was more preventative.

I wanted to figure out what we can all do to not even need the medicine.”

So, she and her husband, Jeff Dupont, focused on exercise as proactive, preventative measures to health and went on to own and manage health clubs around the country.

During this time, Reuille-Dupont noticed that some of her clients would open up to her, becoming emotional and telling her things that she believed were important in their health journeys.

“There was obviously something in me that was tapping into certain pieces,” Reuille-Dupont said. She sensed these vulnerable breakthroughs helped her clients move toward their physical goals, because they could clear the thoughts that might be holding them back from achieving their health goals. But because she didn’t yet have the skills to fully take advantage of these psychological opportunities, she decided to go back to school and get her masters in counseling and ultimately her PhD in Clinical and Somatic Psychology.

Now, Reuille-Dupont is a licensed therapist as well as a certified personal trainer, and the one thing she has learned is that body and mind are irrevocably and intrinsically tied together.

“We know that what you think and how you respond to Reuille-Dupont things impacts your cellular structure, and it impacts how your body manifests it all,” Reuille-Dupont said. For example, emotions elicit a change in the endocrine system, which elicits change within the body’s other systems. So, if a person has psychological trauma, it can dysregulate their nervous system, and then all sorts of things go awry: digestion issues, headaches, cardiac issues or joint pain. If we don’t take care of our psychological needs, then our physical health can follow.

10 n March 10, 2022

Studio B Office Manager Jessica Stockton takes kettlebell instruction from Studio B owner Stacy ReuilleDupont in the fitness studio./ Photo by Jennaye Derge She points out, though, that it doesn’t necessarily have to be so traumatic. “Psychology is a skill game; it’s all about looking at where you are, what patterns you have in your life, taking that apart and putting in what works better,” ReuilleDupont said. And when it comes to therapy, “who wouldn’t want to talk, uninterrupted, to an unbiased person for an hour?” she asked.

My answer to her was, pretty much everyone in Durango, because a lot of people around here call running, mountain biking and skiing “therapy” (present company included). To my relief, Stacy said that was great, and it’s all part of her overall objective at Studio B. “If you’re getting what you need from (biking, running, etc.), that’s great. If you’re getting the release you need, if you’re getting the social support you need – we call that social engagement – it reregulates your nervous system and keeps everything humming along really well, and that’s awesome,” Reuille-Dupont said.

Thankfully, physical exercise metabolizes and regulates our stress hormones, and if we don’t metabolize them we’re more at risk for disease. That does not, as she briefly touched on – and perhaps to my chagrin – include latenight bar dancing and drinking alcohol.

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In fact, as most of us don’t really want to hear, alcohol is another piece of the integrated, holistic health approach, and we should probably not be binging so much on it. In fact, alcohol and other dietary decisions affect our system more than we may think. And if our mental and physical health act as the roof and walls of our metaphorical wellbeing houses, our nutritional intake is the foundation.

“Nutrition is a key to it all, because you have to eat certain things to get all the vitamins, minerals and micronutrients that you need to build the neurotransmitters and the hormones that the rest of the body operates on,” Reuille-Dupont said.

Which can be complicated. Or it can be slap-you-in-yourface simple because, say for example, you’re going through a bad breakup and drown yourself in whisky for breakfast, ice cream for lunch, and El Rancho popcorn and vodka for dinner, you’re probably not going to feel well. And if you don’t feel well, you’re probably going to text someone you shouldn’t, and then lie on the couch all day full of regret and selfloathing. Like I already stated, not healthy.

Truly, on a scientific level though, Reuille-Dupont explains that our nervous system is so tied into the microbiome of our gut that even people struggling with depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, ADHD and other mental health conditions can benefit from a more carefully constructed diet – which Studio B also offers with in-house, licensed dietitians.

It’s a three-pillared system, and, as Stacy points out, you can’t really have one without having all three: mental, physical and nutritional health. They are all tightly braided together, and they are all offered under one roof (Studio B’s, not El Rancho’s).

BetweentheBeats

The Welcome to Durango mural on North Main Ave. is one of many public art pieces by Monica McManus found around town./ Courtesy photo

Murals in action Local artist, known for public art, gets first gallery show

by Stephen Sellers

I

first met Monica McManus outside of Jimmy’s Music last summer in between sets of a Six Dollar String Band show. She had graciously accepted one of my former students as an intern to help with a mural, and I wanted to say thank you.

We hit it off. She was bright, colorful, curious and spoke through a disarming smile with authenticity and humility. Monica is one of Durango’s most prolific muralists and sign painters, among other talents. You can see her work in the iconic Welcome to Durango Mural on North Main, Switchback’s patio, 2nd Ave. Sports and even atop Famburger, just to name a few.

This month, Monica is sharing a more personal and McManus experimental side of her work at Studio &’s Recess Gallery.

As such, I sat down with Monica to learn more about her journey to becoming a fulltime artist and capture a brief moment in time with one of Durango’s most underground, community-driven and badass artists.

So, where did you grow up?

I grew up in Durango. My parents met here in the ‘70s, because my mom’s brothers and my dad were all hang gliders to-

gether. Mostly off of Smelter and other places. My mom would drive them all around. And that’s how they met. They moved to Phoenix right before I was born.

When my mom found out she was pregnant, my dad was like, “We’re dirty hippies, and I need a better job. Let’s move to Phoenix.” And then we moved back to Durango after I was two to be closer to family. I went to middle school in Aztec, but while still living in Durango because of my dad’s job.

What was school in Aztec like?

I remember a sheep being born at school. We left class to watch a sheep be born in a field.

How would you describe yourself as a student in high school?

Definitely the art nerd. I was obsessed with it. I basically lived in the Art Hall with all of my art friends. I didn’t know what I wanted to do because I wanted to go to school for art, but I didn’t believe you could really be an artist. I didn’t really want to be an art teacher, even though that’s the direction I went in. And I didn’t want to do graphic design, because I was gung-ho on tactile art and thought, “Computers are the death of art!” at that point in my life. But, that’s just teenage angst. That changed.

What excites you about murals?

It’s a community project that tons of people get to see that’s huge and colorful. It engages people of all different backgrounds.

You can perform them in a way that a lot of people can help, involving kids and the youth. Anyone who walks up really!

You’re in the Studio & Recess Gallery this month; congratulations!

Thank you! This is my first gallery show.

I think because a lot of my work has been commission-based over the years.

Once I learned how to value myself I realized, “OK, people want to pay you to do this stuff, because they can’t do it!” The Recess Gallery was awesome timing. At the time, I started visiting my aunt and uncle in Taos after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He, being an art professor his whole life, has the amazing abstract art brain that I’ve never really related to. And, he’d ask like, “What are you working on right now?” “Oh, this project for so-andso.” And he’s like, “What’s the meaning behind it? Why is it special?” And, I’m like, “Uh…It looks cool!”

How many pieces are there in all?

Five. I ended up using gold leaf and enamel on glass for all five. I layered them all in similar ways, but each one has a totally different little statement that I put on the back. If you take apart the frame, there is a deeper thought behind it. They were words that kept coming up in dialogue with friends and internally. I wanted to focus on deeper conversations and the idea that we are deserving despite mistakes we’ve made.

Going deeper into down times. Not feeling stressed to work all the time. Being OK with that. Almost meditating and allowing a deep gaze or stare. Giving more time to hobbies and things you want to do. Finding paths to get you to the places you want to go. I painted the background with real intention. Not just to be pretty. Some are kind of scary-looking. That was kind of part of the whole journey to get to those pieces for me. Not always pretty. Scary sometimes,

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March 10, 2022 n 11

StufftoDo

Thursday10

Gary Walker plays, 10 a.m.-12 noon, Jean-Pierre Bakery & Restaurant, 601 Main Ave. 61st annual Student Juried Exhibition, with guest juror Derrick Velasquez, opening reception 4:30-6 p.m., The Art Gallery at Fort Lewis College. Exhibit runs until April 12.

Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

“True West” by Sam Shepard, 7 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. More info at durangoarts.org

Monday14

Saturday12

McDonald’s Cardboard Derby, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Purgatory Resort tubing hill. www.purgatory.ski/events/

Celebrating Women on the Frontlines, 5-6 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave. Meet the women who served on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Exhibit runs all of March.

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

Karaoke night, 5:30 p.m., Mancos Brewing Co. Live music, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

“True West” by Sam Shepard, showings at 2 p.m. & 7 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. More info at durangoarts.org

Tuesday15

Live music, 2 p.m., Bear Bar at Purgatory Resort.

Farmington Hill plays, 3-6 p.m., Mancos Brewing.

Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Powerhouse Trivia Night, 6:30 p.m., Powerhouse Science Center, 1333 Camino del Rio.

Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

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

Noodle plays, 6-9 p.m., 11th Street Station.

Open mic comedy, 8-10 p.m., Outdoorsy, 934 Main Ave.

J Calvin & Ghost Tapes play, 7 p.m., iAM Music, 1315 Main Ave.

Friday11

Punk how featuring Lo Cash Ninjas, Heart Museum, Mommy Milkers & Little Wilderness, 7:30 p.m., The Hive, 1150 Main Ave.

FLC Pueblo Alliance’s 7th annual Feast Day, 126:30 p.m., open to the public. More info at fortlewis.edu Free legal clinic, 4-5 p.m., Ignacio Library, 470 Goddard Ave.

Abstract Rude, Def-I, 80HD & DJ PhillipDrummond play, 8 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 129 E. College Dr.

Live music, 4:30-6:30 p.m., James Ranch, 33846 U.S. Highway 550.

DJ Voss plays, 10 p.m., Moe’s Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

12-Year Anniversary Party, 5-9 p.m. Studio & Gallery, 1027 Main Ave.

Sunday13

Live music, 2 p.m., Bear Bar at Purgatory Resort.

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

Open mic, 2 p.m., Mancos Brewing Co.

Live music, 5:30 p.m., The Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

“True West” by Sam Shepard, showings at 2 p.m. & 7 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. More info at durangoarts.org

Ru Paul’s Drag Race Watch Party, every Friday, 68 p.m., Father’s Daughters Pizza, 640 Main Ave.

The Indigenous, Black and People of Color Youth and Families Grill & Chill, 3-5 p.m., email xander@rainbowyouthcenter.org for info and location.

PJ Moon & Friends play, 6-9 p.m., 11th Street Station.

Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. Sheepherders, Sheep Families & the Woolly West in Colorado and New Mexico presentation by historian Andrew Gulliford, 6:30 p.m., Zoom link at facebook.com/animasvalleygrange

Open jazz/funk jam, 6 p.m., 11th St. Station.

Tone Dog plays, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Jimmy’s Music & Supply, 1239 Main Ave.

Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Animas Museum’s Second Saturday Seminar Series, featuring “Gold Rush to the La Plata Mountains,” 1 p.m. More info at animasmuseum.org/events.html

Après Ski Science & Social, 2 p.m., Andrews Lake parking area, just south of Molas Pass. Snowshoeing 2-4 p.m., Registration at sjma.org/events

Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

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

J Calvin & Ghost Tapes play, 6 p.m., Fenceline Cider, Mancos.

Acoustic Music Jam, 5-7 p.m., all instruments and styles welcome, vaccinated players only, 11th St. Station.

Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. Rotary Club of Durango meeting, 6 p.m., Henry Strater Hotel, 699 Main Ave., speaker is Matt Karkut of Compañeros.

Durango Elks Lodge Pub Trivia, 6:30 p.m., Durango Elks Lodge, 901 E. 2nd Ave. Non-members welcome.

Open mic night, weekly 7:30-9:30 p.m., Moe’s Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Wednesday16

Meet real wolves, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., plaza at Purgatory Resort. Hosted by Wolfwood Refuge.

Open Bluegrass Jam, every Wednesday, 5-8 p.m., 11th St. Station.

Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. “MAGIC” open mic night, 6-8 p.m., Durango Coffee Company, 730 Main Ave. All sign-ups welcome, open to poetry, prose, stories.

Ongoing

Storytelling & Songwriting night, every second and fourth Thursday, 6-8 p.m., Mountain Monk Coffee, 558 Main Ave. More info at iAMmusic.us Chapman Ski Hill, Hours: Mon.-Fri., 3:30-8 p.m.; Sat.Sun., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. durangogov.org/chapmanhill.

Open mic, 5 p.m., Fenceline Cider, Mancos.

“Embracing Life,” presented by artist Heather Freeman, 6 p.m., Studio 3 of the ArtRoom, Smiley Building, 1309 E. 3rd Ave.

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12 n March 10, 2022

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Live music, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

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The Hive Indoor Skate Park is open, offering open skate and skate lessons. Waivers required. For schedule and online waiver, go to www.thehivedgo.org

AskRachel

Damned kids, friendly avoidance & personal yeller Interesting fact: Blonde hair can sell for up to three times the price of dark hair. Guess not everyone’s in it for Locks of Love.

Dear Rachel, I’m wondering why young people are coloring hair that god gave them. Green, red, pink, yellow, blue? Is it a protest of life or life style? I was getting drafted {ARMY} in the VIET NAM WAR in 1966. But joined the USAF. I saw young men burning draft cards. I understood it and said ok if they want to. But what’s up with the nose ring thing and hair color. Protest for what?

Good for job interview?

– Silver Bullet Dear Lead Slug, I love how the straight-laced of the world struggle to understand why anyone would color outside the lines (or color anything at all). People color the hair that god gave them (but they grew themselves) because they want to.

Maybe they want to protest. Maybe they just want to flip the magic birdie to squares who don’t understand them.

But thank that hair-giving god that old people NEVER dye their locks to hide the whites that He gave THEM. – Hairy business, Rachel Dear Rachel, I am self-employed, which means I work about 16 hours a day, but how I structure those 16 hours is entirely up to me. I’ll often invite my Shock Wave Drag Night, first and third Friday of every month, 9 p.m., Father’s Daughters Pizza, 640 Main Ave. 18+

Upcoming

Third Thursday Speaker Series featuring author Craig Childs, March 17, 6:30 p.m., Fenceline Cider, Mancos.

Stillhouse Junkies with Pixie & the Partygrass play, March 18, 7 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 129 E. College Dr. Singer/songwriter night, featuring Everlasting Everything and Brettlynn & the Rare View Highways, March 18, 7:30 p.m., The Hive, 1150 Main Ave. Benefit for Uncompahgre River, March 19, 6:30-9 p.m., featuring films about outdoor adventure and conservation through the love of fly fishing. Ouray County 4H Event Center in Ridgway.

Punk show featuring touring band Undisassembled and other local acts, March 19, 7:30 p.m., The Hive, 1150 Main Ave. Great Decisions presentation, topic is “Biden’s Agenda,” March 22, 11:45 a.m.

More info at lwvlaplata.org Rotary Club of Durango meeting, March 22, 6 p.m., Henry Strater Hotel, 699 Main Ave., speaker is Don Gonneville, U.S. Embassy security.

friends to coffee or lunch, and one friend always turns me down because of the 8 to 5.

That’s cool, I get it. But twice now I’ve seen him doing mundane things on work days, walking dogs or buying groceries, which proves he could reciprocate a daytime invitation if he wanted.

Should I stop inviting him or call him out?

– Stood Up Dear Flex Sched, Your friend can do whatever he wants with his vacation days, or his sick days, or his federally-mandated 15minute breaks. Or maybe he’s like the rest of us and taking advantage of a sanctioned run to the bank to squeeze in a few extra hours of personal time. Hair-giving god knows that fresh air and sunshine, or even the grocery store, is better than passing your forty-a-week playing Wordle knock-offs in the john.

– Please RSVP, Rachel Dear Rachel, I converted from a paper dayplanner to a certain web-based calendar a while back because the virtual one yells at me in ways my penciled-in commitments never did. I need that. But now I have acclimated to being yelled at. I ignore notifications and let email reminders clog my inbox.

And I’m back to ignoring due dates and deadlines and other responsibilities. I need your advice for becoming a functioning member of society again!

– Days are Numbered

Email Rachel at telegraph@durangotelegraph.com Dear Tally Marks, You need an assistant. An actual human being to corral you, hand you sticky notes, schedule your haircuts, walk your dogs, froth your lattes and yell at you (timidly, at first, then louder as it becomes clear you won’t fire them for it). The trick, of course, is being able to afford this person. Maybe you’re richer than I am and this is no problem. But if money is tight, might I recommend someone with rainbow hair, because they are undoubtedly desperate for any job that will interview them.

– Always double booked, Rachel

“Voces del Mundo,” native speaker will tell his story in Spanish, March 25, 7 p.m., Powerhouse Science Center, 1113 Camino del Rio. Hosted by Word Travellers Language School.

The Buzz with Noodle play, March 26, 7 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 129 E. College Dr. Après Ski Science & Social, Sat., March 26, 2 p.m., Andrews Lake parking area, just south of Molas Pass. Snowshoeing 2-4 p.m., Registration at sjma.org/events Durango Green Drinks, March 31, 5-7 p.m., 11th St. Station.

Mexi Logger Release Party, featuring live music by the Lawn Chair Kings, March 31, 5 p.m., Ska Brewing HQ, 225 Girard St. State of the Animas River presentation, March 31, 6:30-8:30 p.m., featuring talks from Colorado Parks & Wildlife and Mountain Studies Institute.

Outdoorsy, 935 Main Ave. Nathan Kalish plays, April 1, 7 p.m., Smiley Café, 1309 E. 3rd Ave. Part of FLC’s Pop Up Performances series.

G-Life, Poet, Tones, Diabolical Sound Platoon, Flowmatik, UBO of Ill Methods play, April 2, 8 p.m., Enterprise Bar in Rico.

End-of-Season Pond Skim, April 3, 12:30 p.m., Purgatory Resort.

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March 10, 2022 n 13

FreeWillAstrology

by Rob Brezsny

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ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries author Isak Dinesen defined “true piety” as “loving one’s destiny unconditionally.” That’s a worthy goal for you to aspire to in the coming weeks. I hope you will summon your deepest reserves of ingenuity and imagination as you cultivate a state of mind in which you adore your life just as it is. You won’t compare it negatively to anyone else’s fate, and you won’t wish it were different from what it actually is. Instead, you will be pleased and at peace with the truth of exactly who you are right now.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): As author Mary Ruefle points out, “In the beginning, William Shakespeare was a baby, and knew absolutely nothing. He couldn’t even speak.” And yet eventually, he became a literary superstar – among history’s greatest authors. What happened in between? I’m not exaggerating when I attribute part of the transformation to magic. Vast amounts of hard work, help and luck were involved, too.

But to change from a wordless, uncoordinated sprout to a potent, influential maestro, Taurus-born Shakespeare had to be the beneficiary of mysterious powers. I bring this up, Taurus, because I think you will have access to comparable mojo during the next four weeks.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): As talented and financially successful as Kanye West is, the Gemini singer-songwriter experiences a lot of emotional suffering. But no one lives an ideal life, right? And we can learn from everyone.

In any case, I’ve chosen quotes by Kanye that are in rapt alignment with your astrological omens. Here they are: 1. “I’m in pursuit of awesomeness; excellence is the bare minimum.” 2. “You’re not perfect, but you’re not your mistakes.” 3.

“I’m not comfortable with comfort. I’m only comfortable when I’m in a place where I’m constantly learning and growing.” 4. “Everything I’m not makes me everything I am.”

CANCER (June 21-July 22): “Any real ecstasy is a sign you are moving in the right direction,” wrote philosopher Saint Teresa of Avila, who was renowned for her euphoric spiritual experiences. So is there any such thing as “fake ecstasy,” as she implies? Maybe fake ecstasy would be perverse bliss at the misfortune of an enemy or the trivial joy that comes from realizing your house keys aren’t missing. Real ecstasy, on the other hand, might arise from a visceral sense of the presence of God, or the rapture that emerges as you make love with a person you care for, or the elation you feel when you commune with your favorite animal.

Anyway, Cancerian, I predict that in the

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coming days, you will have an extra rich potential for the real kinds of rhapsodic delight and enchantment.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Leo actor Jennifer Lawrence portrayed a rugged, fierce, resourceful champion in “The Hunger Games” film trilogy.

In real life, however, she has few resemblances to that stalwart hero. “I have the street smarts and survival skills of a poodle,” she has confessed. But I’ve got potentially good news for her and all the rest of you Leos. The coming months will be a favorable time for you to cultivate the qualities of a rugged, fierce, resourceful champion. And right now would be an excellent time to launch your efforts.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Each of us periodically has to deal with conflict. There come times when we must face the fact that a specific situation in our lives isn’t working well and needs to be adjusted, fixed or transformed. We might prefer to pretend the problem doesn’t exist. We may be inclined to endure the stressful discomfort rather than engage with its causes. But such an approach won’t be right for you in the coming days, dear Virgo. For the sake of your mental and spiritual health, you have a sacred duty to bravely risk a struggle to improve things. I’ll provide you with advice from novelist John Fowles. He said, “I must fight with my weapons. Not his. Not selfishness and brutality and shame and resentment.” Fowles goes on to say that he will offer generosity and gentleness and no-shame and forgiveness.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): A blogger named MysteryOfWhat expressed appreciation for her errors and wrong turns. “I love all my mistakes!” she exclaimed. “I had fun!” She has a theory that she would not have been able to completely fulfill her interesting destiny without her blunders and her brilliant adjustments to those blunders. I won’t encourage you to be quite so boisterously unconditional in celebrating your fumbles and miscues, Libra. My inclination is to urge you to honor them and feel grateful for them, but I’m not sure I should advise you to shout out, “I love all my mistakes! I had fun!” But what do you think?

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Scorpio poet Norman MacCaig wrote, “Ask me, go on, ask me to do something impossible, something freakishly useless, something unimaginable and inimitable like making a finger break into blossom or walking for half an hour in 20 minutes or remembering tomorrow.” I hope people say things like that to you soon, Scorpio. I hope allies playfully nudge you to stretch your limits, expand your consciousness and experiment on the frontier. To encourage such a development, you could do

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the same for your beloved allies: nudge them to stretch their limits, expand their consciousness and experiment on the frontier.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21): “Look at your body not as a source of physical attraction but as a shrine,” wrote teacher Sobonfu Somé.

Personally, I have no problem if you regard your body as a source of physical attraction – as a gorgeous, radiant expression of your life energy, worthy of inspiring the appreciation of others. But I agree with Somé that you should also treat your body as a sacred sanctuary deserving of your reverence – especially now. Please boost your intention to provide your beloved organism with all the tender care it needs and warrants.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “It’s surprising how much memory is built around things unnoticed at the time,” writes author Barbara Kingsolver. Yes! I agree. And by providing you with this heads-up from her, I’m hoping that the subtly potent events unfolding for you in the coming weeks will not go unnoticed.

I’m hoping you will be alert for seemingly small but in fact crucial developments – and thereby give them all the focus and intelligence they deserve. Later, you’ll remember this delicately pivotal time with amazed gratitude.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): What’s more important: to learn or to unlearn? The answer, of course, is they are equally important. But sometimes, the most crucial preparation for a new learning phase is to initiate a surge of unlearning. That’s what I’m recommending for you right now. I foresee you embarking on a series of extravagant educational experiences in a couple of weeks. And the best way to ensure you take maximum advantage of the available lessons is by dumping useless knowledge and irrelevant information and numbing habits.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Singer-songwriter Jill Scott has earned one platinum and two gold records. She approaches her craft with diligence and intensity. On one occasion, she was frying a burger at her boyfriend’s house when she sensed a new song forming in her imagination. Abandoning the stove, she ran into the next room to grab pen and paper. Soon she had transcribed the beginning of a melody and lyrics. In the meantime, though, the kitchen caught on fire.

Luckily, she doused it. Later Jill testified, “His cabinets were charred, and he was furious. But it was worth it for a song.” I don’t think you’ll have to make as big a sacrifice as hers in the coming days, Pisces.

But you should respond robustly whenever inspiration arrives.

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 Approximate office hours: Mon: 9ish - 5ish Tues: 9ish - 5ish Wed: 9ish - 3ish Thurs: On delivery Fri: Gone fishing; call first

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

mission + free lifetime subscription. tele graph@durangotelegraph.com.

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

Classes/Workshops Free Record Sealing Presentation Presented by Colorado Legal Services Tuesday, March 15th from 5:30-7 via Zoom. Please call 385-7378, Ext 251 for details on how to attend or visit www.du rangovap.org/events Yoga Teacher Training Yoga Alliance Certified 200 hr at Yogadurango, 2/2–7/10, 8.5 weekends.

Whether you’re ready to deepen your understanding of yoga, or an aspiring yoga teacher, this comprehensive program will lay a strong foundation for an empowered lifelong practice. yogadurango.com

Wanted Help Wanted Durango Outdoor Exchange is Hiring Hiring now for full time and part time positions. Inventory Clerk, Gear Specialist and Floor Lead. Come work in a fun place with fabulous outdoor loving folks! Come in for an application and email bryce@durangooutdoorex change.com with questions.

Library Director - Town of Silverton Interested applicants may obtain job information and application at Silverton Town Hall or at townofsilverton.colorado.gov/employment. This is a fulltime position with health, dental, vision, 401k benefits and paid time off. Position starts May 1, 2022, and salary starts at $46,000 and can increase, dependent upon experience. Applications must be delivered to Silverton Town Hall, 1360 Greene St. or via email to Jackie Kerwin at jkerwin@silverton.co.us and Gloria Kaasch-Buerger at gkaasch-buerger@silverton.co.us by 4 p.m. Mon., March 21.

The Town of Silverton is an equal opportunity employer.

Seeking Studio Space Seeking long term space for commercial sewing studio 150-200 sq’ natural light + ground flr preferred Can view spaces 3/15 - 3/22 720-883-3813

ForSale Nice Nubian Buck If you need a billy goat, you will be pleased with this one. Send an email to jeanstandifer62@gmail.com Sunlite Tabletop Garden Stand + light with chain + other seed starting containers $150. call Dusty 970799-2873.

Reruns Home Furnishings New inventory including bistros, patio sets, benches, side tables, lamps, rugs, art and more … Come in today! 572 E. 6th Ave. Open Mon.-Sat. 385-7336.

Services

Fitness Space Available 1275 sq ft fitness studio available day/eve. Ideal for yoga, fitness, martial arts and kids activities. Negotiable rates terms.

Send an email to zanshin@durango aikido.com

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HaikuMovieReview ‘The Power of the Dog’ The Academy adores cruel characters and disjointed plot lines – Lainie Maxson

Sol Sparkle Hair Tinsel Be the free spirit in you with beautiful sparkles in your hair! Animas Trading Company 3/12 &19, 4/2&30, 1-5pm. txt 970-769-7681 for app. Or reserve for special event.

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.

Emilio Handyman Driveways/sidewalks. Replace doors windows, decks, pergolas, etc. Quality work. Call 970-769-3777.

Massage by Meg Bush LMT, 30, 60 & 90 min., 970-759-0199.

Seeking Hypnosis Volunteers!

Volunteers needed for free hypnosis sessions! Level 2 QHHT Practitioner student needs a certain # of free sessions for next level certification. Safe & relaxing!

970-823-4487, ask for Louise!

RSE Handyman Service Home repair - yard work - odd jobs 970-903-0449 Marketing Small & Local Businesses Media, website building and content editing, copywriting and editing, newsletters, blogs, etc. for small, local, independent or startup businesses. Please visit www.forwardpedal.com or send an email to 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

Commercial for Rent Best Job Ever!

The Telegraph is hiring an advertising sales guru. Part-time, fairly flexible schedule (Monday & Tuesday availability a must), approx. 20 hours/week. General knowledge of the paper, town and sales highly recommended. Base pay + com-

Wanted

Body Healing Massage Coaching Call Dennis for a free consultation to see how he might facilitate your body’s healing. Sessions are specific to trauma, injury and chronic pain. Intentional, spiritual and grounded in love. Local to Durango, CO 970.403.5451

massageintervention.life Voted best massage in Durango 18/19/20. Couples, cupping, local CBD. Reviews on FB + Yelp. 970-903-2984

CommunityService Durango Farmers Market 2022 Applications Open Applications now being accepted from local agriculturalists, ranchers, artisans, ready-made and value-added food vendors, musicians, and nonprofits and groups that promote sustainable, healthy living. Vendors must produce their goods within five-county radius.

Application can be found at: www.du rangofarmersmarket.com.

Deadline March 12. Late applications will be assessed a late fee. The Durango Farmers Market takes place from May 14–Oct. 29 in the TBK Bank parking lot.

SJBPH Vaccine Clinics Free vaccine mobile clinic provided by San Juan Basin Public Health in partnership with Jogan Health. Pfizer (12+), Moderna (18+), and J&J (18+) are available. Contact 970-247-5702 or visit https://sjbpublichealth.org/covid-19-vac cine/ for more information.

Volunteers Needed Alternative Horizons needs volunteer advocates, including those who are bilingual, to staff our 24-hour hotline. AH supports and empowers survivors of domestic violence. If you’d like to make a difference in the lives of others, join us March 30 April 2, for a free, comprehensive training.

For more information call 970-247-4374.

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