The Durango Telegraph, March 18, 2021

Longing for resting beach face

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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

A grand bargain

Closing the loophole

Toast to the avocado

What the lodgers tax would – and wouldn’t – fund p8

Bag-ban towns reject Walmart’s ‘reusable’ plastic bag p10

Millennial bashing aside, this fruit is worth the hip hype p11

Back in the flow

Issue 15 of The Gulch is here!

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

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2 n March 18, 2021

telegraph

lineup

4

4 La Vida Local

‘For Sale by Neighbor’ and other not-so-good ideas

4 Thumbin’ It

Talking trash

by David Feela

Ear to the ground: “If there’s anything we’ve learned from the last year, it’s that nobody knows anything about anything.”

– Local on the endless and constantly changing firehose of information as of late

Be the ball 5 Word on the Street

8

6-7 Soapbox

Voting for dollars

8 Local News

Weighing the pros and cons of the lodgers tax increase

by Missy Votel

thepole

RegularOccurrences

Trails, campgrounds, mountains and rivers weren’t the only outdoor venues teeming with COVID weary recreationists last summer.

Golf also saw a huge upswing in participation.

According to Hillcrest Golf Course, the local muni saw a resurgence of golf participation last year, with more than 57,000 rounds played in 2020 – a 37 percent increase over 2019. This is more than double the national trend, which saw golf numbers increase 14 percent year-over-year, the largest gain the industry in 17 years.

10 State News 11 Flash in the Pan

10

12-13 Stuff to Do

Bagging it Mountain towns reject Walmart’s attempt at ‘reusable’ plastic bag

by Michael Elizabeth Sakas / Colorado Public Radio

13 Ask Rachel 14 Free Will Astrology 15 Classifieds

11

15 Haiku Movie Review

Bravo for the avo

On the cover: A daffodil signals the official start of spring in Durango./ Photo by Stephen Eginoire

Toasting the oft-maligned fruit of the earth’s loins

boilerplate

by Ari LeVaux

EDITORIALISTA: Missy Votel (missy@durangotelegraph.com)

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We’re only human. If, by chance, we defame someone’s good name or that of their family, neighbor, best

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

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

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

telegraph

However, just as river runners found it hard to land launch dates last year, local golfers also grappled with a shortage of tee times.

“The increased participation in 2020 developed a new challenge of obtaining specific tee times throughout the season,” Hillcrest General Manager Michael McCloskey wrote in an email this week. He added that heading into 2021, the big question on everyone’s minds is tee times.

But rest assured, he and the rest of the Hillcrest staff are working on coming up with “creative booking solutions” for the entire golf community. Whether or not this could include putting at night, is unclear.

In the meantime, dust off the clubs and funny shoes – the Hillcrest driving range is open for your swinging pleasure.

Bending over backwards There’s no doubt the pandemic has been hard on many local businesses, particularly yoga studios and gyms. Despite the fact that some 50 percent of yoga studios have closed their doors, Yogadurango has managed to hang on. But the longstanding local yogatorium needs help.

From March 28-30, Yogadurango is holding a fundraiser, offering free online classes via Zoom and in studio. In exchange, they are requesting donations to help pay rent for the next three months. The goal is to raise $7,500.

“If Yogadurango has in some small way touched your heart over the past 15 years and you feel moved and able to offer a contribution to our rent, our hearts would feel full,” the studio wrote in an email this week.

For a full schedule or to register for a class, visit www.yogadurango.com.

March 18, 2021 n

3

opinion

LaVidaLocal For sale by neighbor Sheds and garages across the county contain secret stashes no passerby can imagine, mostly because these caches are behind locked doors, which is as it should be. A stranger might steal something. It’s not worth taking the risk.

It must follow then that a portion of the haphazard heaps of junk in plain sight, decorating far too many properties, is expendable, which is why I’m considering selling off a portion of it. It’s likely the owners have forgotten exactly what they’ve left scattered across their yards.

I’m still designing the sales logo, but the concept is simple. It promotes letting go of something, anything really. We’ll all be grateful – every neighbor, be it a walker, rider or driver on this cluttered planet that has no choice but to pass by and wonder what kind of human genome is at the bottom of these heaps. When I stop by to plant my “For Sale by Neighbor” sign, please, just think about it. People are obsessively blessed with things, so many that they can’t keep the muddle inside anymore.

Mounds are slumping off porches, spilling into the yard, creating a tremendous amount of interest in what could possibly be so precious that it can’t be hauled to the landfill.

As soon as my sign appears, other neighbors will be tempted to look more carefully, call or stop by, wondering what exactly is being advertised for sale. That’s when the owners can start speculating, asking themselves if perhaps a customer’s interest might make it worth selling something – anything. Perhaps the owners will even suggest a price, offer to bargain or just give the trinket up to them for nothing if their inclination tilts in that direction. I don’t actually want a commission on any sale, except that I do want my sign back. I know of too many places where it might prove useful.

Naturally, property owners might be offended at the audacity of me suggesting such an idea, thinking my sign stands for a sarcastic comment on their version of aesthetics, or on their absolute constitutional right to creep out anybody who passes by their property. But you see, it is just an idea, an abstract avenue that could lead to an awakening or even a discussion. And

strictly speaking, how private is property that can’t keep up appearances?

That’s where garages, sheds and tall fences play an important part in keeping a property owner’s personal sense of beauty all to him or herself.

Municipalities across America, often in the spring or fall, sponsor annual clean-up events, which may have to be postponed this year until the coronavirus has finished its dirty work. If you’ve seen its image, the virus’ shape under a microscopic lens takes time to get used to. We should realize by now that it’s dangerous, but magnified it looks surprising like a tiny Christmas tree ornament, or one of those suction-cupped plastic projectiles you can toss that sticks to any slick surface, especially if you wet it before letting it fly. Still, it’s not a trivial thing, and this pandemic could also end up in all of our back yards.

So let it be known I’m not in a rush to get started with my new venture, because I don’t want to encourage a truckload of strangers to stop at a stranger’s home, but I do want to get this idea out into the air, so to speak. I mean, ideas won’t kill you, masked or unmasked. It’s the armed, violent attacks that do harm.

I also wish we would try as a society to find less angry, more productive ways to dispose of our pent-up anxiety which is also piling up. Social distancing for safety’s sake a while longer can’t kill us either, at least until medical science learns to exploit the weaknesses in this virus’ behavior. Do it for the children, like singing a couple rounds of Fish and Chips and Vinegar: Don’t dump your muck in my dustbin, my dustbin, my dustbin, don’t dump your muck in my dustbin, my dustbin’s full!

I know, the last few paragraphs have been a kind of digression. A highway worker might call them a detour. I see them as an adjustment, as in finally figuring out what I wanted to say, and I’m going to leave all of it strewn about on the page like it emerged from my brain. So please understand, those unkempt neighborhood properties I mentioned are no longer a priority in this article. As for my proposed business venture – poof – up in smoke. I apologize for the mess. I don’t know what I was thinking!

Trash talk is so rapidly becoming an American standard, I’ve decided I will settle for a heap of authentic trash any day of the week before fanning the flames of belligerence in my neighborhood.

Sign of the Downfall:

Thumbin’It

Louie, C’mon

Gov. Polis announcing this week that all Coloradans 16 and older will be eligible for vaccines by mid-April, with full vaccination reached by the end of June

The growing humanitarian crisis unfolding at the U.S./Mexico border, with a new surge in migrants arriving daily, many of them unescorted minors

The confirmation this week of Deb Haaland to lead the Interior Department, the first Native American to hold a cabinet post

Racist rhetoric about the “China virus” fueling nearly 4,000 reported anti-Asian racism incidents in the U.S. in the last year according to an anti-hate crime advocacy group

Last week’s mega storm across much of Colorado helping to quench the state’s long-term drought

State COVID numbers going back up across the state up after recent declines, with many local families spending spring break in quarantine

4 n March 18, 2021

– David Feela

telegraph

Just in case you’ve never been able to afford a full-sized Louis Vuitton backpack (they’re $4,000, so if you could afford it and bought one, you’d be an idiot), the company just came out with the “Party Palm Springs Bracelet,” which is a $800 miniature backpack you wear on your wrist. The website promises that “function meets irreverence” with this piece, and that it can help “store essentials,” but really, it only has enough room for the amount of common sense possessed by someone who’d spend $800 on a wrist backpack.

WordontheScreen

Q

With spring break this week, the Telegraph asked, “What could you use a break from?”

Steve

“Zoom meetings, unless of course, they feature cat lawyers.”

Matt

“Bullshit.”

Graeme

“I need a break from Brexit.”

Jonathan

“All those damn winter break hooligans, with their Uggs and Starbuck’s blackberry cobbler Frappuccinos!

Get off my lawn!”

Laurel

Grey wool, bring on the massive Easter hats.”

telegraph

March 18, 2021 n 5

SoapBox Youssef has proven experience

Seth: principled decision-maker

To the editor, In today’s political environment, it is difficult to find leaders whose character, competence and commitment to service are beyond question. Thankfully, that is not the case with Melissa Youssef, who is seeking re-election as city councilor. As a member of the Durango Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, there have been many occasions over the past several years where I have had the chance to interact with Melissa and watch her abundant skills at work on City Council.

During her tenure, Melissa has consistently demonstrated that she is an engaged representative who truly cares about the best interests of the whole community and thoughtfully listens to all concerns and perspectives of her constituents. She is a collaborative team player, respected by her colleagues and city staff for her conscientious efforts to find common ground where possible, and compromise when needed, on complicated issues that often make cooperation and progress difficult.

Melissa has also shown that she understands the intricacies of municipal government, as well as the roles and responsibilities of council and city staff. Her effectiveness can be seen in how she has helped steer the city through a difficult period to transition to a new city manager. She also helped with the development of a comprehensive strategic plan with actionable items that establish a clear path forward to strengthen the city’s fiscal position while meeting long-term structural needs.

The city will no doubt continue to face many significant challenges over the next several years, and it is important to have a leader continuing to serve on City Council who has tested experience and a commitment to responsible, open governance: that is Melissa Youssef!

– Rich Hoehlein, Hesperus

To the editor, Time for research! Read up on Seth Furtney for City Council. He supports our trillion dollar landscape as a trail builder and steward. He has installed 130 solar panels on his commercial building and home, and believes in the role that the arts community plays in our community. Seth understands the nuance of the many complicated issues we face as a mountain town, from affordability to infrastructure. Best yet, he is a bit wonkish, researching exhaustively to make principled decisions. Consider for yourself at sethforcouncil.com.

– Kent Ford, Durango

Furtney knows city government Youssef works to improve lives To the editor, I hope you’ll join me in re-electing Melissa Youssef for City Council. She soldiered through four crisis-laden years yet is willing to continue to serve. Working through such challenging circumstances provides invaluable knowledge that will benefit Durango moving forward. As an advocate for the unhoused community, I appreciate Melissa’s compassion for our marginalized populations.

She showed up and listened intently at the ACLU meeting in December 2018; NINA’s meeting on the Camp Hope model in Las Cruces, N.M.; Athena/PATH community listening sessions; as well as from the unhoused themselves at public meetings. She spoke truth to power to work with the unhoused, sometimes alone, despite push back from prior city officials. She questioned the wisdom of forcing campers near the Dog Park, where buried chemicals could pose health risks.

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6 n March 18, 2021

With new councilors and staff, a paradigm shift developed to address homelessness productively without criminalizing it. Melissa contributed and led to incremental progress by collaborating with the county, dedicating city funds, supporting the permanent Espero housing project, and showing a willingness to consider Purple Cliffs as a viable option. Much work remains, but Melissa will continue to work toward improvements in the lives of the unhoused.

She is also a supporter of workforce housing which is moving forward with the MidTown Renewal District.

Melissa truly cares about all segments of Durango’s population. Let’s retain her on City Council.

– Lynne Sholler, Durango

Grandview (HWY 160 East)

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telegraph

To the Editor I am supporting Seth Furtney for City Council. Seth does his research, which is vital as a responsible city councilor. There are diverse views on most issues, and Seth will review both sides and look for a sustainable solution. Seth has volunteered for the Durango Parks and Rec Advisory Board for five years and understands how the city government works. Vote for Seth.

– Patti Zink, Durango

Just say no to lodgers tax To the editor, Tourism is important to our economy, but I cannot vote for how revenues will be shared, according to the current ballot language.

As promoted and practiced by Visit Durango, there is nothing sustainable about tourism. Did you know that 4

the city will double its budget toward promoting tourism, and Visit Durango will get 55 percent of the increase in the lodgers tax to accomplish this? Why so much? Visit Durango stopped marketing Durango during the pandemic but businesses still reported records sales, and we witnessed what over-tourism looks like.

According to its white paper, and past positions and actions, Visit Durango plans to operate a Convention Center so more people will come to Durango creating more minimum wage jobs. How is that sustainable?

Tourists come to Durango for its natural beauty, the San Juan Mountains, Mesa Verde and the Durango Silverton Railroad without the need for additional marketing.

Community leaders, led by Visit Durango and the City Council blew it. They had a chance to use somebody else’s money (the lodgers tax) to address the negative quality-of-life impacts (unaffordable housing and over-tourism) and the environmental impacts caused by those creating the negative impacts. Isn’t that fair and equitable?

Why is it that these community leaders ignore our neighbors who want and need to live here for their jobs cleaning hotel rooms, serving food and liquor, and selling stuff to support tourists who just come here to play? Is this the best we can do?

Unaffordable housing, its impact on the quality of life of those making minimum wage, and the increased cost of services to the city to support them will be exacerbated by approving the current ballot language. It’s a vicious cycle that is not only unsustainable tourism, but bad economic development. If tourism is important to our economy, it needs to lift all boats.

The 55 percent increase that will go to Visit Durango under the current ballot language should be used to address and mitigate these negative impacts. The City Council has a fiduciary duty to not exacerbate problems faced by minimum wage workers, and the quality of life of its citizens.

Expect more. Vote no.

– Steve Ruddell, Durango

Editor’s note: A few weeks ago, Telegraph opinion page cartoonist Shan Wells signed off, passing the mantel to under-represented voices in our society, particularly women and people of color. Since then, two FLC alums, Kayla Shaggy, a Diné artist originally from Shiprock, and Tatyana Trujillo, an activist, artist and social advocate earning a graduate degree in Chicana/o studies, bravely picked up the pen.

Last week, Shaggy wasted no time diving headlong into controversial waters with her cartoon (erroneously attributed to Trujillo, our bad) advocating for the removal of The Chief sign at the Toh-Atin Gallery. She – and others – see the towering, cartoonish Native American as racially offensive and insensitive to indigenous people.

Our in-box was immediately flooded with letters of protest from community members, friends of the Clarks and Toh-Atin owner Antonia Clark (who did not want her letter printed). Some objected, saying the cartoon wrongly portrayed the Clarks as racists. Yes, we will admit the cartoon walked a fine line, referring to “racist imagery” and “abusing indigenous culture,” but it did not call anybody a racist. Meanwhile, others took issue that the cartoon did not focus on the good things the Clarks do for Native Americans, specifically during the pandemic. Still other critics said the cartoon was mean-spirited or in bad taste; noted the sign is on private land; and one questioned if there would be such a flap if The Chief were a smiling white cowboy.

Others asked why the Clarks weren’t contacted about the cartoon. (Kayla did reach out to them with her concerns in a lengthy email last June but did not get a response until this week.) And still others said screw cancelling The Chief, cancel the Telegraph (we knew it was only a matter of time

ToonUp/ Tatyana Trujillo

till #cancelculture caught up with us, too.)

In other words, it struck a nerve.

Let us be clear, while we knew the cartoon would be thought-provoking and not exactly liked by everyone, we certainly did not intend it to be deeply offensive – just as the gallery owners likely did not intend The Chief to be offensive when they hoisted it over downtown all those years ago. That we did not spend more time considering the full implications of the cartoon, we apologize. But we stop short of apologizing for the underlying message of the cartoon itself. For starters, it would be disingenuous and out of place to apologize for another person’s feelings and viewpoints. And secondly, it just might be time for The Chief, in his current form, to wave goodbye. There, we said it. The sign is a dated trope at best; a painful reminder of this country’s dark oppressive history at worst.

But then again, does it really matter what we think? The whole point of passing the artistic torch to those who have been marginalized and silenced is to let them be heard. We are sorry if the voice came across as too loud or harsh for some, but perhaps it is because for far too long, no one has been listening. Maybe it’s time we start.

Meanwhile, here are some of this week’s letters.

– Missy Votel

Shame on the Telegraph To the editor, In this, our time, when we sense the end of this pandemic and we are called upon to treat each other differently by a new president who advocates unity, where does the recent Telegraph Toh-Atin cartoon fit in? In this, our time, when a young black poet during the inauguration calls

on all of us to find the light in our imperfect union, where does the Toh-Atin Telegraph cartoon fit in?

Meanwhile, the owners of Toh-Atin Gallery have been working with others to support their Native artists during the pandemic. Meanwhile, the owners of the Toh-Atin Gallery have been meeting with a concerned Native American activist and other tribe leaders to listen and explore alternative art works to the sign.

Why isn’t the Telegraph portraying this side of the story? Where is a cartoon that portrays efforts to make things better?

Shame on the Telegraph for printing such a divisive and uninformed cartoon! It’s time to find the light.

– Kathy Turner, Durango

Cartoon in bad taste To the editor, I really have to comment on the bad taste cartoon in the Telegraph last week about The Chief. Come on now! When are we going to stop going so far left that we fall off the cliff. This sign is an institution around here. I remember the Chief Diner.

Does that mean the facial features are totally PC? NO! but that’s an easy change.

Let’s get creative and think of bold features to suggest instead of slamming hardworking, multi-generational Durangoans for doing what they feel is right based on input they get from Four Corners Native Americans. We really need to stop the hate and work toward solutions that meet in the middle. Bad taste cartoon Telegraph.

– Bill Koons, Durango

telegraph

Clarks pillars of giving To the editor, Kayla Shaggy’s cartoon in the recent Telegraph doesn’t appear to represent the historical backbone of what truly has been the spirit of this town, Durango. To me, the Chief is one of the true “spirits.”

Growing up in this town in the ’60s, the Chief stood tall (in front of the Big Chief Diner) waving me to and from school each day. Never was there a disparaging thought about the tall, cheerful, welcoming Chief.

After leaving Durango for several decades, I would visit my family and smile when I saw the Chief. He was never a caricature, only a pillar of friendship saying, “it’s nice to see you, again.” Once upon a time, we were small with big hearts. Now, too many people are “big” with small hearts. When false accusations are made in an attempt to diminish big hearts, one only makes his/her heart smaller.

My focus and support resonates with the people I have trusted and respected during their decades of endless community betterment. Those “people” are the Clarks – Jackson, Antonia and Mary Jane. I know of no family in this town who has left (and keeps leaving) a more distinct and positive mark on our communities far and wide. They are pillars of giving – not slandering! Each still works countless hours to provide for us and our neighbors while others waste hours speaking and writing false innuendos.

If you’re going to write or draw about anything, you may want to focus more on understanding and positivity.

– Terry Hutchison, Durango March 18, 2021 n 7

LocalNews

Folks peruse the latest real estate offerings during a stroll on Main Avenue last summer. Ballot question 1-A is asking local voters to approve an increase in lodgers tax – a tax paid by visitors renting hotel rooms and other accommodations – to help fund transit, arts and tourism marketing./Photo by Missy Votel

A ‘grand bargain’ What proceeds from the 1-A lodgers tax would – and wouldn’t – fund

by Missy Votel

W

ith less than five months’ respite from the last election, Durango voters will soon be headed to the polls (or mail or drop boxes) to weigh in on an impressively large field of City Council candidates (seven) as well as an increase in the city lodgers tax.

While those wanting to know the deepest thoughts and secrets of council candidates will have to wait till next week, this week we tackle Ballot Question 1-A, aka the lodgers tax. Or lodger’s tax, depending on your affinity for punctuation (for the purposes of this story, we will go sans apostrophe.)

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s dive into the deviled details of this tax, which includes lots of numbers, so stick with us. But before we get too deep into the weeds, let’s back up the lodgers tax train. First approved

by City Council in 1980, the 2 percent lodgers tax is charged to visitors when they rent rooms in a hotel, motel or B&B, a vacation rental, or even a spot in a campground. Currently, 60 percent of money from that tax, which generates about $500,000 a year, goes to marketing and advertising via Durango’s official tourism arm, Visit Durango; 30 percent goes to transit; and 10 percent to special events and administration.

However, with the 2008 recession and ensuing budget fall-out, city leaders were forced to make cuts to services and amenities. Some of those services, such as transit and arts funding, have never fully recovered. That was when

8 n March 18, 2021

Justthefacts March 19: Ballots mailed to city voters March 22: Walk-in poll opens in City Clerk’s Office, 949 E. Second Ave. April 2: Deadline to apply for absentee ballot April 6: Election Day, polls open 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

City Council approached business leaders, the tourism office and other stakeholders about exploring another revenue stream from lodgers tax to help offset those losses. An increase in the lodgers tax seemed like the path of least resistance, as 1) it would be paid by visitors and not residents; and 2) Durango currently has one of the lowest lodgers taxes in the state.

The resulting solution, measure 1-A, was presented to councilors earlier this year. The ordinance would increase the tax to 5.25 percent starting June 1, equating to about $4.22 night for the average $130/night hotel room. The tax is expected to bring in an estimated $2 million in 2022, the first full year it would be in effect. The measure also tweaks the spending formula as follows: • 55 percent toward sustainable tourism marketing • 20 percent toward transportation and transit services • 14 percent to arts and cultural events • 11 percent to above uses or purposes related to impacts of tourism “This time around, working with the Council, I feel like we have something that’s for the benefit of the commu-

telegraph

nity,” Jasper Welch, chairman of the 1-A initiative effort and longtime local business leader, said. “I think that’s important. I think we need to look at, long-term, how do we sustain Durango and keep what we all enjoy and still have a vibrant economy.”

And while it is easy for most residents to get behind supporting things like the Bluegrass Meltdown, Taste of Durango, Powerhouse Science Center and the Durango Arts Center, the elephant in the room, of course, is tourism. Or in this case “sustainable tourism” – and what exactly that is. The new tax would more than double Visit Durango’s current marketing budget to $2 million a year.

“After last year’s influx of tourists in spite of the pandemic, it’s important to consider what sustainable tourism really means,” commented one resident in a survey gauging sentiment on the ballot issue. “Do we seriously need more marketing?”

Local resident Ellen Stein, who said she is opposed to the measure on many levels, agrees.

“DATO stopped marketing last summer, and people still came. Look what happened to Ice Lakes,” she said. In addition to seeing unprecedented numbers of visitors and resource damage, including human feces and trail erosion, the high-alpine area also saw a devastating fire, the cause of which is still under investigation.

Welch is first to admit no one wants a repeat of the mayhem of last summer, but also notes it was an anomaly due to people not having many travel or recreation options other than drive-to destinations, such as Durango.4

“I don’t think anyone was prepared for last housing. She also feels the measure was consummer,” he said. “I view that as a once-in-ourceived in haste. lifetime situation. But it also showed we really “The money is not adequate for transit to need to have sustainable tourism marketing.” meet current needs and expansion of the sysWelch noted that if the measure passes, Dutem,” she said. “Should this be where our tax rango will be the first city in Colorado to have money goes? It seems upside down.” “sustainable tourism” written into an ordiShe also noted the finality of the tax. Unlike nance. He said part of that is focusing on shoulsome of Durango’s other sales taxes, which sunder seasons and “managing” tourism, and its set after a period of time, the lodgers tax will go fairly new evil twin, overtourism, more so than on in perpetuity, or until citizens vote to marketing. For example, last year Visit Durango change it. came up with its “Care for Durango” campaign “My main concern is we’re locking it in,” to target negative impacts of rampant tourism.

Stein said. “All our other taxes have a time The campaign is based on results of a resident frame, which allows for more flexibility and resurvey, of which more than 1,200 people spect for the range of municipal needs.” voiced their top five concerns with tourism: fire While Welch admits affordable housing is a safety; habitat protection (trail erosion, river noble cause that must be addressed, he said the put-ins, etc.); responsible COVID health prehuge scope of it is outside the somewhat modcautions; cultural respect; and considerate and est means of the lodgers tax. safe recreating.

“That is a bigger issue that you’re not going to “Part of sustainable tourism is we don’t really be able to solve with this revenue stream,” he need to market summer other than to let people Mass transit would receive funding from the 1-A lodgers tax. But some argue said, adding that there are other tools, such as know we’re here. We really need to look at how the allotment is not enough and will barely sustain current service, let alone re- public-private partnerships, to address housing. we can have better your-round visitation,” said instating routes cut due to budget constraints./File photo In the end, he said the lodgers tax cannot fulWelch. “Management is what they’re putting fill every need and want. But, it can go a long way more focus on, which is, ‘how can we advertise and market regular discussion topic on Council and boards,” she told to help with some things, like business, arts and culture – the community in a way that protects the environment and members of the City’s Multimodal Advisory and Commu- something he referred to as the “grand bargain.” nity Relations boards in an email in January. She said the suddenly doesn’t make summer too busy?’”

“There are going to be some people who don’t like the Another major concern voiced over the lodgers tax is recommended allotment of 20 percent will barely cover grand bargain and would rather have the money allocated that it does not go far enough in funding transit or afford- current transit services and that another $400,000- to other things,” he said. “That’s the down side. But if it able housing. In Telluride, for example, a 2.5 percent tax $500,000 a year would be needed to reinstate routes that doesn’t pass, I don’t think you’re going to see it come back on short-term rentals goes to help fund affordable housing. have been dropped, such as Three Springs/Mercy. for a while, and then you have a lodgers tax that is probaIn the end, however, Noseworthy was the lone dissenter, bly lower than it needs to be and is limited on what it can City Councilor Barbara Noseworthy brought this up at a city meeting in January, suggesting that 45 percent of the and the council voted 4-1 in February to approve the ballot fund … I think that would be a lose for the community.” tax proceeds go to workforce housing and transit. Accord- language as it stands.

There is no organized opposition on the lodgers tax. To read Stein, who is also a member of the Multimodal Advisory resident’s comments on the issue, check out the “Municipal Elecing to Noseworthy, the city is facing a looming transit financial “cliff” in 2023, when grant funding from CDOT Board, agrees that the money would be better spent on needs tion Informational Booklet” that the city recently mailed to voters. other than tourism, sustainable or not, such as re-instating To read up on the 1-A campaign’s FAQs, visit tourismfunds will drop off by half.

“I am not sure why this budget shortfall has not been a transit routes for underserved populations, and affordable durango.com. n

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March 18, 2021 n

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StateNews

The eventual and inevitable end of life for most single-use plastic bags.

Closing the loophole Mountain towns reword bans after Walmart introduces thicker ‘reusable’ bag

by Michael Elizabeth Sakas Colorado Public Radio

"H

as anyone on this Zoom call actually touched one of these bags?" Councilor Amy Phillips asked at an Avon Town Council meeting last

month.

"I did," Councilor Russell Andrade responded. "My first impression was that it definitely felt like a disposable, oneuse bag."

Avon banned plastic bags in 2018 from all retailers, with the purpose to protect the public health, safety and welfare from pollution related to plastic bags. Many Colorado mountain towns have adopted similar laws to keep them out of rivers, trees, landfills and recycling centers – the bags jam up machinery.

So the local Avon Walmart recently approached the town with a question: can we give customers free plastic bags again, if they're thicker and thus meet the law’s definition of reusable?

Walmart officials say the bag is washable, can be reused more than 100 times and is about 2.25 mils thick. That means it qualifies as reusable under Avon’s plastic bag ban.

But even if Walmart were to be following the law technically, the majority of Avon Council members agreed the move would go against the intent of the town’s ordinance.

In response, the Town Council plans to tighten up its plastic bag ban ordinance.

“If it feels disposable, it’s going to end up as stuff blowing up and down the train tracks again and in the river,” Phillips said.

Town attorney Paul Wisor said in the meeting that Wal-

10 n March 18, 2021

mart had found a “workaround” for Colorado communities that have adopted plastic bag ordinances.

“There’s nothing that prevents us from saying, ‘Look, our point still stands. We don’t want this being thrown away, which clearly it will be.’ So we can change our standards,” Wisor said.

Walmart did not respond to CPR News' interview request. The company has attempted to or already has introduced these plastic bags in other Colorado mountain towns with laws in place to reduce their use.

"It's definitely a wolf in sheep's clothing," councilor Chico Thuon said during Avon’s council meeting. "If you want to reverse (the bag ban) really quickly, you'll allow these bags to go on to the street. And they will be literally on the street."

Thuon agreed with the suggestion that the town should re-word its rules to close what it considered a "loophole."

The town attorney and staff will amend the language to prevent the new bags and bring the changes to Town Council.

Meanwhile, other mountain towns are also considering amending language in their plastic bag laws to block the workaround.

Instead of a plastic bag ban, Frisco adopted a 25-cent bag fee in 2019 on both paper and plastic disposable bags. Environmental Programs Coordinator Gilly Plog said “it was a bit of a dismay to see how much that bag fee was generating in revenue for the town.”

“We did not put that in place to make money,” Plog said. “We put that in place as essentially a way to help change people’s behavior from using those non-reusable bags.”

telegraph

The fee allowed the town to track just how many plastic bags were being used.

"We're still seeing over a million bags in Frisco go out the door (annually) for a town that's only 3,000 people," Frisco Mayor Pro Tem Jessica Burley said. "That was shocking to our council."

In response, the council passed a total ban on disposable plastic bags earlier this year that will go into effect in September.

To keep Walmart and other stores from giving away sturdier, reusable plastic bags, Frisco's new ordinance won't make exemptions for bags that are of a certain thickness.

"We immediately skipped that because we viewed that as a loophole," Burley said. "And there were a lot of businesses, not just Walmart, who were looking to continue the use of plastic bags by going to a thicker bag."

Instead, their definition of a reusable plastic bag is one made from woven polypropylene, like the ones that are for sale.

Burley is also the sustainability coordinator for Breckenridge. Businesses there are allowed to apply for an exemption to the town’s bag fee if their bags are 2.25 millimeters thick.

"There were about 50 to 60 businesses in Breckenridge that had applied for that exemption over the years," Burley said. "Without singling anybody out, that's quite a handful of businesses that just kind of went with the thicker bag to avoid having to collect and remit that fee on behalf of their customers."

Breckenridge will also move to the thicker bag ban this September and will no longer have exemptions for them.

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

FlashinthePan

A toast to the avocado

by Ari LeVaux

A

vocado toast is a provocative dish.

That piece of warm bread loaded with a smooth, green paste is also loaded with so much meaning and angst, and has become a battleground for many of today’s culture wars.

This simple meal has become a proxy for annoying hipsters lingering over brunch in coffee shops. It’s been implicated as the reason millennials can’t seem to scrape together enough money for a down payment on a house. The UK tabloid The Express, in an effort to make a dig at Princess Meghan Markle, threw all avocado eaters under the bus along with her, in 2019, for having the gall to eat one smeared on toast.

“The pregnant Duchess of Sussex and so-called ‘avocado on toast whisperer’ is wolfing down a fruit linked to water shortages, illegal deforestation and all round general environmental devastation,” the paper quipped.

The same paper, it should be mentioned, gave fawning coverage to a pregnant Kate receiving avocados from a fan, with no mention of the pitfalls of that greasy green berry. Altogether, there is much too much drama being made over a piece of bread smeared with avocado. Nobody gets their knickers in a bunch when some fool rubs a piece of toast with margarine, and avocados don’t even have trans fats. And avocados are named after the Aztec word “ahuácatl,” which means testicles; you can’t say that about I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter.

But if you look past the distractions and the deliciousness, there is in fact a dark side of avocados, precisely along the lines of what The Express pinned on the dark princess.

The boom in avocado consumption has indeed caused deforestation in many places, as land is cleared for more orchards. In Colombia, many beekeepers suspect chemical drift from avocado orchards on an epidemic of bee deaths. Such chemicals may not penetrate the avocado’s thick skin and taint the interior, but they can poison the workers and their villages, which are often close to the orchards, as well as the local ecosystems. In Mexico, which is thought to be the birthplace of avocados, new orchards, some of them illegal, are threatening the mountaintop winter habitat of the monarch butterflies.

One compromise between enjoying that creamy, antioxidant-rich treat and protecting the Earth and its inhabitants is to buy organic and fair-trade avocados. They may not be any more nutritious or safe for the consumer, but paying extra for properly produced fruit helps create better wages, safer working conditions and a clean environment for avocado workers and their communities.

And if you think organic avocados are expensive, have you perhaps noticed the price of a slice (probably not organic or fair trade) of avocado toast at the local cafe?

Compared to that, making some guilt-free avocado toast at home can be a relative bargain.

I brought home a massive Mexican organic avocado from my local supermarket. It cost me three bucks, made four luxurious pieces of toast, and fully satisfied two avocado-loving fools.

When I make avocado toast, I start with a simple base and add toppings. Like a piece of toast with butter, it’s a great snack by itself but also a jumping off point for many different places. Here I’ll give two serving ideas, one based on a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich, and the other inspired by the lobster rolls of my East Coast

Now Open!

Helping make my home, your home.

I will make sure you’re TCO in DGO.

Rebecca Applegate

youth. These will get you started on your own personal journey to avocado awesomeness.

Adding lemon juice adds flavor, of course, but also keeps the avocado bright green, where it would otherwise quickly turn brown. That, and a little salt, are the only necessary additions to my avocado and bread.

Basic Avo Toast An organic avocado, average size Slices of bread (white, ideally sourdough, for the purposes of today’s recipes) 2 teaspoons lemon juice ¼ teaspoon salt Cut open the avocado and scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Add the lemon juice and salt, and mash it together. Smear it on toast.

In this next dish, the avocado does the job of butter in a traditional lobster roll.

I’ve been purchasing packages of imitation lobster meat at the store, similar to the fake crab in California rolls that’s made of processed pollock and other white fish. But the fake lobster meat has a bit of natural lobster flavor that makes it taste impressively like the real deal.

Lobster and Avocado Toast 1 tablespoon butter 1 teaspoon minced garlic ½ cup fake lobster or crab meat pieces (or use the real stuff, big spender) 1 tablespoon minced celery 1 tablespoon minced onion 1 slice avo toast, preferably made with a hot dog bun Heat the butter and garlic on medium. Add the lobster meat and sauté until it’s warm. Turn off the heat, stir in the celery and onion, and heap the mixture onto the slab of avocado toast.

And last but not least, in the “BLAT,” the avocado does the job normally done by mayonnaise. If we acknowledge the onion and avocado in this open-faced sandwich, we can rename it the BLOAT, which is appropriate given how filling it is.

BLOAT 2 strips crispy bacon Tomato slices, as needed 1 large lettuce leaf, chopped A thin slice of onion 1 slab avocado toast

Your neighborhood unisex barbershop

Taking Care Care Of Business

970.769.1336 Rebecca@RealEstateDurango.com

$5 off

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March 18, 2021 n 11

StufftoDo

Thursday18 Gary B. Walker plays piano, 11a.m.-1 p.m., JeanPierre Bakery & Restaurant, 601 Main Ave. “Chaco Landscapes: Sensory & Political Engagement with Place,” free zoom talk, 4 p.m.

Register at www.crowcanyon.org Indie Lens Pop Up: “Coded Bias,” 5-6 p.m., an investigation into the widespread bias in the technology that shapes our lives. Via Zoom. For link, email: spenser.snarr@durangogov.org Adam Swanson plays, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Rob Webster plays, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. “Himalayan Spices for Taste and Health,” zoom talk with Karma Bhotia, owner of Himalayan Kitchen, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Hosted by Animas Valley Grange. For link, visit the Grange’s FB page.

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

“A.J. Croce by Request,” Thurs., March 18, 6:30 p.m., presented by the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College. Tickets $15/household with a portion of proceeds benefiting the Community Concert Hall. For tickets go to: www.durangoconcerts.com.

“Removing Barriers to Women in STEM,” zoominar presented by FLC Lifelong Learning Lecture Series, 7-8:30 p.m., featuring Professor Emerita Jill Bystydzienski, from Ohio State University. tinyurl.com/2o6ltms

It’s not officially spring in Durango until the Loggers are out. From Tues. - Sat., March 23-27, Ska Brewing will be hosting Mexican Logger Release Week. In order to comply with social distancing, folks can call 970-247-5792 to reserve a table for $20, which includes two pints. Proceeds will go to the Community Emergency Relief Fund.

Sunday21

Tuesday23

Wolf Creek Local College Day, tickets $58 with valid school ID and class schedule. Tickets must be bought in advance: wolfcreekski.com.

Mexican Logger Release Week begins and runs through March 27, Ska Brewing. Featurng a special menu from The Container. Call 970-247-5792 to reserve tables in advance for $20, which includes your first two pints.

Proceeds go to the Community Emergency Relief Fund.

Henry Stoy plays piano, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Jean-Pierre Bakery & Restaurant, 601 Main Ave.

7 Rivers Farmers Market, winter farmers market, 12-3 p.m. featuring local farmers, food vendors and artisans, La Plata County Fairgrounds. Masks and social distancing required.

Freestyle Art Fridays, 2-3:30 p.m., at The Hive with Alex Vick. To register, email kelsie@hivedgo.org.

Purgatory Demo Day, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. $20 for unlimited demos, all day long. Participating shops include: 2nd Ave. Sports; Cliffside; Pine Needle; Backcountry Experience; Boarding Haus; and Ski Barn.

Jack Ellis & Larry Carver play 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Blue Moon Ramblers play, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Dustin Burley plays, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

Joel Racheff plays, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

Saturday20

Monday22

Henry Stoy plays piano, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Jean-Pierre Bakery & Restaurant, 601 Main Ave.

Meditation and Dharma Talk, 5:30-7 p.m. Online at www.durangodharmacenter.org/

Seed Exchange, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Bring and/or take seeds of veggies, herbs, flowers. Seed packets for safe transport home will be provided. Animas Valley Grange, 7271 CR 203. For more information, contact Ann, 505801-4432 or Susan, 970-799-4932.

Joel Racheff plays, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Larry Carver and Ben Gibson play, Derailed Pour House, 725 Main Ave.

Rocky Mountain UkeFest online ukulele jam, 6 p.m. happy hour; music at 6:30 p.m. For info: rockymountainukefest.com

Friday19

Jack Ellis plays, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Matt Rupnow plays, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

“Global Supply Chains and National Security,” a virtual talk, 11:45 a.m. with moderator Alexander Lemmell. Presented by the Great Decisions International Affairs Discussion Program. For link, visit lwvpaplata.org.

Terry Rickard plays, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Sean O’Brien plays, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

Rob Webster plays, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave

“What’s Eating Our Trees?” 6 p.m. Free zoom talk with Mark Loveall, of the Colorado State Forest Service, on insects and disease threatening our forests. Presented the Rotary Club of Durango. For log-in, email: Mtnman16@gmail.com.

Wednesday24

Durango City Council Candidates Virtual Forum, 7-8:30 p.m., sponsored by the League of Women Voters of La Plata County. For Zoom link, info. and log-in instructions, go to: www.lwvlaplata.org

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“Send a Runner: A Navajo Honors the Long Walk,” 4 p.m., zoom talk with authors Jim Kristofic and Edison Eskeets on their story of a Navajo family using the power of running to honor their history. Register at swcenter.fortlewis.edu/ events/upcoming-events Donny Johnson plays, 4 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. 4

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12 n March 18, 2021

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AskRachel

Baby got back, being neighborly and watered-down advice Interesting fact: I always thought being in traction meant you had a full body cast. Turns out, it refers to the slings pulling on your arms and legs – and I can’t figure out how that works when it’s really just pulling on your full body cast.

Dear Rachel, My back hurts. I didn’t even do something a) manly or b) stupid to make it happen. No, I picked up a freaking hose. Not even the whole hose. Just the nozzle. And yoink! My back seized up, and now it hurts to get up and go to the bathroom. I take back every time I ever made fun of someone for getting old. This sucks. I’ve got ibuprofen and a good dispensary. What else do you recommend for a man this close to being in traction?

– Too Young for This S#!% Dear Geezer Tweak, Dude, just about everything that is so-called “manly” is also stupid. Monster trucks. Video games. Grunts. Repressing emotions. I’m all for the 21st century definition of manly. Gets vulnerable when he feels safe to do so.

Fetches his own damn ibuprofen when his back hurts instead of crying for it when I’m clearly on a Zoom call or in the bath already. So learn to take care of yourself.

And keep quiet. No one wants to hear about your pain and helplessness.

– Too old to be young, Rachel Dear Rachel, I had to make a run to the Front Range for a

few days for a family situation. I asked my nextie to keep an eye on the joint. You know… if they saw someone in an orange jumpsuit and a ski mask entering through a window, call the cops. But now he’s hinting that I should drop off a six-pack as thanks. Do I seriously owe my neighbor for looking at my house out the window of his own house every now and again?

– Watchdog Dear Absentee Neighbor, Isn’t it funny – we’ll ask any old neighbor to watch our houses for us. But who would you trust to watch your actual joints? (The rolled ones, not the hip ones.)

That’s who your real six-pack friends are. Still, what’s a six-pack cost these days? Ten, 12, 18 bucks? A small price to pay to avert a lifetime of him blowing his leaves in your yard, only for you to blow them back, only for him to blow them back, only for you to…

– Cheers, Rachel Email Rachel at telegraph@durangotelegraph.com Dear Rachel, What is the “high grade” bubbly water, and how is it different than all the other brands of bubbly water? I can’t reason out why some of these cost twice as much as others. Water?

Check. Non-caloric flavoring? Check. Bubbles?

Check. Never mind that it’s ridiculous to pay like 50 cents a can for this stuff anyway. How can others justify charging a buck a–pop?

– Carbonated Conundrum

Terry Rickard plays, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

History Month. Sign up and receive info. and link at www.wrcdurango.org.

Ongoing

“Spring’s Promise” art show, thru March 31, watercolors and digital designs by Nadya/Tron. Durango Rec Center Gallery Wall. Sign up at gallery for five prizes to be drawn March 27.

DAC’s Durango’s Got Talent (virtual edition) invites students to submit videos for an online talent show (date TDB) by March 31. Submissions should be no longer than 4 minutes in length and be appropriate for a family audience. Entry fee of $25 to cover production and release costs. For info. and to register, go to: www.durangoarts.org.

“High History,” presented by Telluride Theatre, streaming 7 p.m. through March 21. Take a trip back in time as Betty and Chrissy get high and are guided by a ghost to revisit Telluride’s history and notorious and wacky characters. Ages 17+. Tickets available at: www.telluridetheatre.org “Sui Generis: A year of its own” art exhibit, presented by The Phoenix project, Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. Women’s Resource Center Treasure Hunt, thru March 25, in honor Women’s

Dear Fizzed, Back in MY DAY, I used to buy my sodapopcoke for a quarter. In a vending machine. Which means it cost probably half that at the grocery store, if you bought it warm. Now, you pay extra for them to take the sugar out. It’s like how bleached coffee filters cost less than the natural ones, even though the natural ones save the cost of bleach. I just don’t know. Now get off my back about it. It hurts.

– She of the childless lawn, Rachel

Upcoming Animas High School Online Information Session for prospective families, March 25, 5:30-6:30 p.m., via Google Meet: meet.google.com/iod-tzkm-scx “Decorated Walls and Tree-Ring Dates South of the Bears Ears,” free zoom talk, Thurs., March 25, 4 p.m. Register at www.crowcanyon.org 60th annual FLC Student Juried Exhibition, March 25 –April 6, FLC Art Gallery. Opening reception March 25, 4:30-6 p.m. via Zoom: /fortlewis.zoom.us/j/ 93838711103. Juried by Arielle Meyers, owner and curator of The Valley, a contemporary art gallery in Taos.

telegraph

Looking to get back out there?

The Telegraph can help you let potential customers know it’s business time.

For more information, email: lainie@durangotelegraph.com or call 970-259-0133

March 18, 2021 n 13

FreeWillAstrology

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ARIES (March 21-April 19): Poet Ocean Vuong speaks of the Hawaiian word kipuka.

It refers to a patch of earth that doesn’t get covered with lava when an active volcano exudes its molten material. “Before the lava descended,” Vuong writes, “that piece of land was insignificant, just another scrap in an endless mass of green.” But now that piece of land is special, having endured. I encourage you to identify your metaphorical equivalent of kipuka, Aries. It’s an excellent time to celebrate the power and luck and resilience that have enabled you to persevere.

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TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “Extraordinary things are always hiding in places people never think to look,” Taurus author Jodi Picoult writes.

Luckily for you, Taurus, in the near future you’ll be prone to look in exactly those places – where no one else has thought to look. That means you’ll be extra likely to find useful, interesting, even extraordinary things that have mostly been hidden and unused. You may also discover some boring and worthless things, but the trade-off will be worth your effort. Congratulations in advance on summoning such brave curiosity.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “When we ask for advice, we are usually looking for an accomplice,” Gemini author Saul Bellow said. So if you have come here today to read my horoscopes, it’s possible that you’re seeking an accomplice to approve of you making a decision or a move that you have already decided to do. OK. I’ll be your accomplice. But as your accomplice, the first thing I’ll do is try to influence you to make sure your upcoming actions serve not only your own selfish interests (although there’s nothing wrong with that), but also serve the interests of people you care for. The weeks ahead will be a favorable time to blend self-interest and noble idealism.

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CANCER (June 21-July 22): A character in Barbara Kingsolver’s novel The Lacuna is told to “go rub his soul against life.” Now I’ll advise you to do the same. Why? While it’s true that you have a beautiful soul, you sometimes get in the habit of hiding it away or keeping it secret. You feed it a wealth of dreams and emotions and longings, but may not go far enough in providing it with raw experience out in the messy, chaotic world. In my judgment, now is one of those times when you would benefit from rubbing your soul against life. Please note: I DON’T mean you should go in search of rough, tough downers. Not at all. In fact, there are plenty of pleasurable, safe, educational ways to rub your soul against life.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): If you love the work of self-help author Paulo Coelho, you might be inclined to adopt his motto as your own: “Being vulnerable is the best way to allow my heart to feel true pleasure.” But maybe you wouldn’t want to adopt his motto. After all, what he’s suggesting requires a great deal of courage and daring. Who among us finds it easy and natural to be soft and receptive and inviting? And yet according to my analysis of the astrological omens, this is exactly what your assignment should be for the next two weeks. To help motivate yourself, remember the payoff described by Coelho: the possibility that your heart will feel true pleasure.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo author Michael Ondaatje celebrates “the hidden presence of others in us – even those we have known briefly. We contain them for the rest of our lives, at every border we cross.” As you approach your own upcoming bordercrossing, dear Virgo, I encourage you to tune into memories about seven specific people who over the course of your life have provided you with the most joy and the most interesting lessons. Close your eyes for 20 minutes and imagine they are all gathered together with you in your favorite sanctuary. Remember in detail the blessings they bestowed on you. Give thanks for their influences, for the gifts they gave that have helped you become your beautiful self.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “A balance that does not tremble cannot weigh. A person who does not oscillate cannot live.” So wrote biochemist Erwin Chargaff, who did crucial research leading to the discovery of DNA’s double helix structure. Since you’re the zodiac’s expert on balance and oscillation, and because these themes will be especially meaningful for you in the coming days, I’ll ask you to meditate on them with extra focus. Here’s my advice: To be healthy and resilient, you need to be aware of other possibilities besides those that seem obvious and simple and absolutely true. You need to consider the likelihood that the most correct answers are almost certainly those that are paradoxical and complicated and full of nuance.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In her poem “Sandra,” Scorpio poet Ariana Reines testifies that she has too many feelings – and that’s not a problem. On the contrary. They are her wealth, she says, her “invisible splendor.” I invite you to regard your own “too many feelings” in the same way, especially in the coming weeks. You will have opportunities to harness your flood of feelings on behalf of transformative insights and holistic decision-making. Your motto: Feelings are healing.

telegraph

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21): Historian and author Thomas Berry described “wildness” as the source of our “authentic spontaneities.” He said it’s “the wellspring of creativity” at the root of our lust for life. That’s a different definition from the idea that wildness is about being unruly, rough and primitive. And Berry’s definition happens to be the one that should be central to your work and play in the coming weeks. Your assignment is to be wild: that is, to cultivate your authentic spontaneities; to home in on and nourish the creative wellspring of your lust for life.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Some of the great discoveries in the history of physics have been made while the trailblazing physicists are lolling in bed or in the bathtub. They have done the research and carried out the rigorous thinking and are rewarded with breakthroughs while relaxing. I think that will be your best formula for success in the coming weeks. Important discoveries are looming. Interesting innovations are about to hatch. You’re most likely to gather them in if you work intensely on preparing the way for them, then go off and do something fun and rejuvenating.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): My typical horoscope is an average of 108 words long.

In that limited space, I can’t possibly tell you all the themes and threads that will be active for you during the upcoming phase of your cycle. I have to make choices about what to include and what not to include. This time I’ll focus on the fact that you now have an opportunity to deepen your relationship with your sense of smell – and to purposefully nourish your sense of smell.

Your homework: Decide on at least five scents with which you will cultivate an intimate, playful, delightful connection in the coming days. (PS: You may be surprised at how this practice will deepen your emotional connection with the world.)

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): No one had ever proven that there was such a thing as electromagnetic waves until Piscean physicist Heinrich Hertz (1857–94) did so in 1886. He was the innovator who first transmitted and received controlled radio waves. Alas, he didn’t think his breakthrough was useful.

In 1890, he confessed, “I do not think that the wireless waves I have discovered will have any practical application.” But other scientists were soon capitalizing on his work to communicate long distances.

Radio broadcasts were born. I will encourage you not to make a Hertzian-type mistake in the coming months. Always follow through on your initial labors. Have faith that the novelties you dream up will eventually have practical value.

classifieds

Deadline for Telegraph classified ads is Tuesday at noon.

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

(Sorry, no refunds or substitutions.)

Ads can be submitted via: n classifieds@durango telegraph.com n 970-259-0133 n 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

The Green House Durango is looking for happy, enthusiastic people to join our budding business. We are willing to train the right candidate if you’re committed to being a part of this continually growing industry. Please send a copy of your resume to employment@j andjinc.net along with a copy of your Colorado M.E.D. Badge.

Announcements

Wanted

Durango’s Newest Crystal Shop!

Crystal Boutique, 1053 Main Ave. Local artisan owned. A unique assortment of minerals, fossils and hand-made jewelry! Open Tues. – Sun.

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

“Spring’s Promise” Show Nadya/Tron Durango Rec Center Gallery Wall, March 1-31. Watercolors and digital designs. Sign up at gallery for 5 prizes to be drawn March 27.

Yoga Teacher Training Are you an aspiring yoga teacher or committed practitioner ready to dive in?

This yoga alliance 200-hour course starts April 1. Yogadurango.com or call 585613-1981

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.

HelpWanted

ForSale Womens DPS Skis Time to cull the quiver: two pairs for sale. 1st pair: DPS Zelda Alchemist, 169cm, 106 underfoot. Bought in 2018, skied for 1.5 seasons, great shape, some cosmetic scuffing. Avail. with or w/o brand new Atomic Shift bindings - $400 skis alone (retail $1299) or $900 w/bindings. 2nd pair: DPS Uschi Foundation, 171 cm, 87 underfoot, great all-around frontside rippers, only skied two days, mounted with Look Pivot 14 bindings $399 skis alone: $675 skis + bindings.

Text 970-749-2595 for pictures or dets.

Reruns Home Furnishings New, fun furniture and furnishings to brighten up your space. Nice patio sets.

Rattan and iron three piece bistro. Vintage bread boxes, glassware and kitchenware. Awesome sales on winter clothing and shoes. 572 E. 6th Ave. 970-385-7336.

HaikuMovieReview ‘True History of the Kelly Gang’ Lithe boys in dresses with mom issues and a song about the c-word – Lainie Maxson

Classes/Workshops

NewspaperOrigami

Services RSE Handyman Service Home repair-yard work-odd jobs 970903-0449.

Tutoring All subjects, grades 5th – 9th. Classroom and homework support, masks will be worn at all times. 3:30-5:30 p.m., Mon. – Thurs., Crossroads Building, 11th & Main. For info, call Jessie Hamilton, 970903-9051.

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

Alarm Systems Sales Job Uncapped pay growing smart home alarm industry competitive growth mindset apply now contact Lucas by phone: 505 699 7896 send resume to: lucas.perlstein@vivint.com

Marketing Small and Local Businesses Media, social media, website content, SEO, etc. for small, local, independent or startup businesses. Email jnderge@ gmail.com

PT Help Wanted Looking for a kind-hearted soul who loves people and art. Sales exp. required.

No phone calls please. Bring resume Thurs. or Fri. 1-5 to Karyn Gabaldon Arts, 680 Main.

BodyWork massageintervention.life Voted best massage in Durango 2020.

Couples, cupping, local CBD. Reviews on FB + Yelp. 970-903-2984

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A frog March 18, 2021 n 15

16 n March 11, 2021

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