The Durango Telegraph, May 20, 2021

Troll candy

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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

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B E Y O N D

Taking a bite

Shining a light

Just right

Protecting restaurants from unauthorized delivery apps p8

LPEA candidates sound off during pivotal time for co-op p9

Classic chicken congee porridge with a modern twist p11

The search is over.

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2 n May 20, 2021

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lineup

4

4 La Vida Local

Under the bridge

4 Thumbin’ It

Writing and the wonderful world of trolls

by Zach Hively

5 Word on the Street 6-7 Soapbox

8

8 State News

Fed up

Bill would protect restaurants from unauthorized delivery apps

Ear to the ground: “Maybe Bill can date Kim Kardashian.”

– Local ruminating on the possible newest tabloid power couple

Blazing saddles

thepole

RegularOccurrences

The Fall Blaze is back. After taking a COVID-cation in 2020, Fort Lewis College Cycling’s annual bike tour is returning this fall – and with new offerings. Set for Sat., Sept. 25, this year’s Blaze will include not just road options, but mountain and gravel tours, too. As in years past, all rides will start and end at the FLC Clocktower, where there will be a post-ride celebration with music, food and beverages.

The Fall Blaze is one of the biggest fundraisers for Skyhawks cycling, with proceeds going to cycling scholarships and team operations. The team boasts some of the top young cyclists in the country and 24 national championships.

9 Local News

by Andrew Kenney/ Colorado Public Radio

11 Flash in the Pan

9

12-13 Stuff to Do

Unplugged

13 Ask Rachel

LPEA candidates weigh in ahead of pivotal election

by Missy Votel

14 Free Will Astrology 15 Classifieds

11

15 Haiku Movie Review

Congee 101

On the cover: The magnificent blooms of a flowering tree, which we’re pretty sure is apple, but don’t quote us./ Photo by Stephen Eginoire

Demystifying this easy and nourishing Asian soul food

boilerplate

by Ari LeVaux

EDITORIALISTA: Missy Votel (missy@durangotelegraph.com)

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

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

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“We’ve seen more than 750 kids go through this program in the 17 years I’ve been here,” Dave Hagen, FLC cycling head coach, said. “We are asking everyone to dig in and play a part in ensuring this incredible program ... so we can continue to do what we do.”

This year’s rides include: 37- and 75-mile road routes; 17- and 31-mile mountain bike routes; and 41- and 82-mile gravel grinder routes. Registration opens Sat., May 22. Early bird pricing (before July 1) is $75 and includes aid stations and post-ride food and beer. To register or to see the routes, go to: durangofallblaze.com.

Bear talk Be Bear Smart Durango wants to help teach residents how to be more bear savvy, all from the comfort of their laptops. Starting Wed., May 26, Bear Smart will be presenting its online speaker series, featuring bear experts from around the country. The presentations are geared to give residents a better understanding of black bears, best practices in reducing human-bear conflict, being safe in bear country and how to make our area safe for both people and bears. All presentations will be held from 6:30-8 p.m. with time for a Q&A at the end. Registration for is required.

The schedule follows: • Wed, May 26: “The Language of Bears: How bears communicate with us through vocalizations and body posturing,” with Daryl Ratajczak.

• Thurs., June 3: “Electric fencing to protect chickens, bees, small livestock and fruit trees from bears,” with Gillian Sanders • Thurs., June 10: “Non-fatal attacks by black bears in the lower United States, 2000-17,” with Janel Scharhag • Wed., June 16: “Staying safe in bear country,” with John Hechtel • Wed., June 23: “Being bear aware helps keep our communities and bears safe,” with Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

Pre-registration is required. To register or for more info. on the speakers, go to: www.bear smartdurango.org.

May 20, 2021 n

3

opinion

LaVidaLocal Buckle up & get uncomfortable I know this will be tough to hear, coming from someone as infallible as I, but you deserve to hear it from me: sometimes, I rub people the wrong way.

I wouldn’t say I offend them, exactly, because that makes me sound bad.

But there are times people don’t see the world as clearly as I do, and that’s OK. For instance, one letter-writer last summer took me to task for the phrase “dreadlocks that looked like the inside of my shower drain” because not all dreadlocks look like that, even though I was referring only to the specifically Drano-worthy ones. Then there was the man called “Pops,” who seemed put off that I included him in a piece even though he is my dad.

Such are the differences that keep life flavorful. And I accept that some people will disagree with me and my art, because that is the risk with creating, and we can’t all be Tom Hanks now can we.

That said, after my last piece, I received an email, my first from – and I say this without disparaging trolls in general – a troll that sounded like the inside of my shower drain. Let’s call him “Bob Taylor, Amarillo, TX” because that is how he signs his emails. Bob Taylor of Amarillo, TX, felt personally attacked because my writing referenced “some old white dude” as shorthand for “the dominant, prevailing worldview in our Western culture, which would benefit from an infusion of valuing other perspectives.” Of course, understanding that subtext would require critical reading skills, or any reading skills at all.

However, Bob Taylor, Amarillo, TX, rather proved my point for me. I’ll include the relevant portion of his email here, in part because he would love to know he helped pad my word count: “Why was it necessary to make the brunt of this article an old white dude. Do you dislike old people? White people? Men? Especially if someone is all three? I know it is currently popular to disparage older, white men just like it was once socially acceptable in some places to disparage black people but to do either is immoral.”

Now, let it be written that I did not disparage some old white dude (one white dude in particular, I might add) because it is popular. I did it because, frankly, he deserves it – as does everyone else I disparaged, including Marie Kondo, Danish people, myself, literally everyone on the planet, dog food supplements, and medieval Lego knights.

But Bob Taylor, Amarillo, TX, did not acknowledge that full list when I

sent it to him. “So you judge people based on their age, the color of their skin, and their gender,” he wrote back.

Part of being infallible is assessing oneself when one has potentially made an inadvertent mistake. “Wait a moment,” I self-assessed at this point. “Am I, as an eternally aging white dude myself, unjustly smearing already-old white dudes? Could I be more charitable in my understanding?

Should I consider the feelings of those who cannot stand being shown they are anything less than faultless?”

And then I proceeded to the end of Bob Taylor, Amarillo, TX’s letter, where he signed off “ESAD.” This, I had to look up. It is an acronym, and it requests that I consume feces and cross the Rainbow Bridge, presumably in that order.

My final response was simple: “I am willing to engage in dialogue, but not with people who close their letters with wishes of coprophagia and death. Particularly when they do so so often that they must save time by employing an acronym. Please do not contact me again. I mean it.” And to his credit, Bob Taylor, Amarillo, TX, has not responded.

If this piece were an after-school special, this is the segment where I, a typically lighthearted character, would get serious about doing drugs or hitting your little sister. Or, about human communication. Because I must lead a sheltered life. I truly believe that no one I associate with would track down a stranger in another state to pick a fight over email. And I believe none of them have the need to save keystrokes by acronyming their unoriginal insults. But you know what? I am also a white man, and therefore endowed with shields against so much abuse. So very, very much abuse. My friends of other genders get hateful messages in all sorts of forms, direct and implied, far more often. So do my friends of other colors and backgrounds. The ones neither white nor male must catch it exponentially.

And I? I cannot imagine living with that constant emotional shrapnel.

Heck, I catch it once, and I turn around to air it in the newspaper. Talk about a fragile white man. But we fragile white men need to feel uncomfortable about our place in the world. It’s the only way we’ll ever consider scooting over to make more room up here.

I say so not because it is popular, but because the world deserves it.

Sign of the Downfall:

Thumbin’It Colorado Avalanche winning the NHL President’s Trophy for finishing the season with the most points and making it into the Stanley Cup play-offs Construction set to begin this summer on the long-awaited, and debated, Animas River Trail underpass and footbridge at 32nd Street, which will help with traffic and safety The easing of mask mandates by the CDC as well as the City of Durango, with City Council voting Tuesday to stop actively enforcing face mask requirements but still allowing businesses to make their own decisions

4 n May 20, 2021

– Zach Hively

Taste the Rigmarole The death of Gwen Inglis, reigning womens national road race champion, while on a ride Sunday near her home in Denver when a suspected drunken driver swerved into the bike lane $7 million in PPP loans going to fake farms in absurd places, from potato fields in Palm Beach, Fla., to orange groves in Minnesota, according to a new report by Politico Republican leaders in both the House and Senate stone-walling the plan for a bipartisan commission to investigate the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6

telegraph

Mars Wrigley, the maker of Skittles, is suing the marijuana company Terphogz because they named a strain of weed “Zkittles.” This isn’t the first such lawsuit – the makers of Gorilla Glue adhesive sued GG Strains in ’17 for naming a strain “Gorilla Glue” – but this one is the most ridiculous given that whoever makes Skittles’ commercials (like the one featuring a Rastafarian milking a giraffe) is obviously high. But then again, it makes sense because weed and candy should never be associated: one is addictive and kills thousands of Americans annually, and the other is just a plant.

WordontheStreet

Q

With graduation season upon us, the Telegraph asked, “What do you wish someone had told you when you were graduating?”

Kurt

“Take a year off to do something just for yourself.”

Yarrow Laura

“Run to the thing that calls you.”

“Don’t forget to have fun.”

Dean

“Get more education and wear a condom.”

Josh

“Always carry an extra tube.”

Helping make my home, your home.

I will make sure you’re TCO in DGO.

Rebecca Applegate

Taking Car Care e Of Business

970.769.1336 Rebecca@RealEstateDurango.com

telegraph

May 20, 2021 n 5

SoapBox Ag: something we can all agree on My grandfather was a mover and shaker in the Colorado sugar beet industry with Great Western Sugar, and he was also a professor of agriculture at Colorado State University. But the ag roots my brother and sisters and I most appreciated were the ones associated with trips to the Western Stock Show, Little Britches Rodeo and Colorado State Fair.

We rarely missed a show. It was during those fun days we became closely acquainted with the importance of agriculture in Colorado as we met my grandfather’s coworkers and friends, many ranchers and farmers, my cousin the cowboy and his friends, and the people behind the scene in the rodeo and livestock handling.

So it is with a great debt to him that I am a member of the House Agriculture, Livestock and Water Committee.

In the last few weeks, we have heard bills that not only advance the industry, they also help me continue to value how lucky we are to have a local and healthy food source, an appreciation of water, and a love for agricultural events and friendships with some of the best people in the industry.

We have had some interesting bills debated recently celebrating one of the largest industries in the state.

We unanimously voted to approve the measures necessary to propel some of the $700 million-plus state stimulus money into many agricultural events important to Colorado. The passage of HB 21-1262 was not really a debate; it was more of an apology. When we had to cut the budget so severely last year because of COVID, public events around the state took a large hit, including the Western Stock Show, State Fair and most county fairs.

In our apology of sorts, we allocated $9 million to the Department of Agriculture, most of it for the Stock Show and Fair. The money will help both of them recover from

their losses last year. Their presence adds to our agricultural education, livestock needs, competitions for big prizes, small businesses and county coffers.

In HB 21-1260, we voted unanimously to dedicate $20 million to the State Water Plan. The plan was released in 2015 after a great deal of work in every basin, calling for an estimated $100 million a year dedicated to water projects, public awareness and engagement regarding statewide water issues. Water utilities and their ratepayers around Colorado pay some of that, but the rest is left to the state. We are woefully behind.

This money, in addition to the money earned from the 2019 ballot measure legalizing and taxing sports gambling, isn’t enough, but it is a great start. It will accelerate projects already on the work table and encourage planning for more. Bill sponsors House Speaker Alec Garnett and Representative Marc Catlin said so much money will be coming at one time, it could outpace what the Colorado Water Conservation Board is prepared to handle.

It’s a good problem to have.

A third bill we passed in committee, HB 21-1268, will provide matching grants to Colorado State University and the University of Colorado to study potential uses of emerging technologies to effectively manage Colorado’s water supply. These technologies include blockchain, telemetry, improved sensors and advanced aerial observation platforms, which could enhance confidence in the reliability of data in water rights transactions.

It is exciting to investigate the new wave of technology we are seeing, then determining how it may help our agricultural industry thrive.

And, finally, for the first time in Colorado’s history, a Republican, from the minority party, has been chosen as committee vice-chair to the chair, a Democrat from the majority party. Rep. Catlin from Montrose was honored because of his vast experience to help lead the Agricul-

ture, Livestock and Water Committee. We are all so proud barriers were broken. Agriculture is nonpartisan.

– Rep. Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango

Tri-state’s toxic smoke and mirrors Coal is the most toxin- and carbon-rich fuel humans burn. As recently as 2005, coal generated 50 percent of America’s electricity. The natural gas boom in the latter half of that decade began the demise of coal-powered electricity. Because it could not compete in the market, coal’s share nationwide dropped to about 20 percent, replaced first by gas, and in recent years, by wind and solar.

According to an article by Canary Media, “Americans are overpaying for dirty energy as many of the country’s major utilities continue to prop up uneconomic coal plants. New research shows that 80 percent of U.S. coal plants … now cost more to run compared to replacement with new local renewables. Coal economics are also worsening faster than previously projected, thanks to fastfalling wind and solar prices.” NextEra Energy’s CEO (the country’s largest electricity utility by market value) recently remarked, “There is not a regulated coal plant in this country that is economic today.”

So why is coal still being burned? Because huge sums were invested in coal, back when it was in demand. TriState, the electricity provider for LPEA, provides a good if painful example. Tri-State still owns major assets in coal: 90 percent of electricity it generates from its own assets and over 50 percent of the electricity it buys is coal-fired.

Again, compare that to the U.S. average, around 20 percent coal-fired. Tri-State’s anachronistic portfolio, fiercely maintained while the rest of American utilities raced toward cheaper sources, earned it the foul distinction in 2020 of being the third worst emitter of carbon per kilowatt produced of the 100 largest utilities in the U.S.4

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(from mjbradley.com). Let’s be aware that every time we flip a switch, toxin-rich coal is being burned by the ton into our pristine air, bad for lungs and all living things.

Because it owns such huge coal assets (while no one in their right mind retained or would purchase them) TriState has worked hard to continue to burn it, successfully denying member coops in “captive contracts,” like LPEA, the right to move toward cleaner sources.

Still we hear cheerleaders near and far trumpeting the false narrative that Tri-State is somehow magically green.

True, it does have plans to shift its energy sources toward wind and solar. But those plans were born only when the Colorado Legislature passed the Climate Action Plan, forcing coal-besotted giants like Tri-State to begin plodding grumpily toward clean energy – the very last to the party.

The catch-22 for our behemoth coal-smoker is that its debt is so great, and its (fossil) assets so worthless, that for it to emerge into the modern clean energy world will absolutely require it to raise rates. It’s worth noting that Standard and Poor’s recently downgraded Tri-State’s credit rating in part because its rates are already 20 percent higher than average. Having already doubled them from 2000-16 (while real world prices dropped), Tri-State’s high rates will increase by about another 55 percent by 2050 according to its own projections (lpea.coop/lpea-fact-checker). By comparison, in U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory projections, average nationwide utility rates will drop by about another 20 percent from now until 2050 (www.atb.nrel.gov), thanks to renewable energy.

Some LPEA candidates are pointing to Tri-State’s lawmandated plans as evidence that our electricity is already clean. If you have read this far, you know better. We need to push LPEA to develop clean energy that is owned and generated locally. With 300 sunny days per year, many thousand acres of unused dry land, need for revenue for ranchers and a lack of local, good-paying jobs, we would be pitiful fools to NOT develop our own electricity. Local ownership and control mean independence, resilience and more money circulating in our own economy, good for everyone. Why argue with that?

And why keep sending $70M/year to Denver, so TriState can pay their four top execs over $6M? Because we love their Renewable Randy ads? (Note: this is sarcasm.)

Heck, I’ll keep my share of that $6M rebated in my bills, thank you.

Please vote for actual clean energy champions this LPEA election: Tim Wheeler, Mark Walser, Kirsten Skeehan and Ted Compton (ballots were mailed May 17). And every time you flip a switch, think of a large puff of toxic smoke.

– Kirby MacLaurin, Durango

Ted puts in the time and energy Thank you, Durango, for electing me to three terms on the LPEA Board.

After serving nine years, I believe that is long enough, and I am happy with the great LPEA staff and the strategic direction of our cooperative. I am also content to step

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down at this time because Ted Compton has stepped up to run for the seat I am vacating. Like me, Ted grew up on a ranch in the south part of La Plata County and went away to college to get an engineering degree. At Stanford, Ted got degrees in mechanical engineering and engineering product design. Like me, Ted came back to live in Durango and to contribute to our community. He has great board experience from serving on the La Plata Open Space Conservancy and the FastTrack boards. His broadband and fiber-to-the-home knowledge from his board service at FastTrack are particularly important at this time. Ted has been putting in the time in energy and cooperative research, and attending LPEA board and committee meetings. Ted and I have had great discussions about “all things LPEA,” and I look forward to staying in touch with him. Ted and I are aligned on all energy issues and I know he will make a great LPEA board member.

Look for your LPEA mail-in ballot arriving around May 18 and please join me in voting for Ted Compton for the LPEA Board.

– Britt Bassett, Durango

Ted a sound solution-finder I’m voting for Ted Compton to represent District 3 (Durango) on the La Plata Electric Association board of directors. I’ve gotten to know Ted well after working with him for the last 13 years at United Pipeline Systems. During that time, I’ve relied on Ted to develop practical and financially sound resolutions to complex technical issues. In addition to being one of the smartest engineers I’ve worked with, Ted has solid communication and teamwork skills that will make him a competent and effective board member.

I’m confident that Ted is the right choice to join the board at a critical time as LPEA considers options with Tri-State while providing sustainable, reliable and affordable power. He has the background and skills required, and he also has deep local roots and a love for Southwest Colorado. Please join me in voting for Ted Compton for LPEA District 3. Power ahead with Ted! – Cordell Brown, Durango

Ted: good collaborator and dad I have had the indescribable and unique experience of getting to know Ted Compton as his one and only kid.

For 20 years now, my family and I have seen each other through thick and thin, so I would like to think I have a good understanding of how my dad operates as a parent, friend and leader. My opinion on family decisions has always been considered and deemed valuable. Even in moments when I wanted an easy out and to be told the perfect course of action, I was met with words of wisdom and a push to figure out what “I” needed. As a young woman, this was certainly an important lesson, but I watch Ted bring this mentality of collaboration to all of

his interactions. He always has an interest in what someone else can bring, understanding that the greatest outcomes are created by more than one person. For me, this philosophy has led me to study environmental science at Pitzer College – not to single-handedly solve environmental problems, but with the hopes of playing part in the bigger solution. I believe this is similar to the goal my dad has for the LPEA Board of Directors.

If you have not voted in past LPEA elections, now is the time to start. Critical decisions are being made and you get to pick who will make them. I encourage you to vote for Ted Compton, for District 3 LPEA. – Cecilia Compton, Durango

Keep LPEA’s ‘wheels’ turning How fast things can change! When I was elected to the LPEA Board in 2017, we had multiple directors who denied the existence of climate change. In last week’s LPEA candidate forum, all seven candidates who attended agreed that climate change is a big problem, and we need to do something about it.

Last year, some candidates claimed that LPEA was wasting money on legal expenses. Yet because of that legal pressure from LPEA and others, Tri-State recently agreed, after negotiations at FERC, that they would reduce rates by 2 percent in 2021 and an additional 2 percent in 2022. Since LPEA spends about $70 million a year with Tri-State, this will result in a savings to LPEA of about $1.4 million in 2021 and additional savings of $2.8 million in 2022. Spending $1 million on legal fees resulted in savings of $4.2 million for LPEA! These things don’t just happen. LPEA has made a lot of progress over the last few years because some directors have worked very hard. And no one has worked harder than Tim Wheeler. Tim has served as treasurer, chairman of the Finance and Audit Committee, and a member of the Power Supply Committee and the Broadband Committee. He has also served as LPEA’s representative on the FastTrack Communications Board.

If we want to continue our forward momentum, this is not the time to bring in inexperienced directors. If you live in District 4, help keep the “wheels” turning by voting for Tim Wheeler.

– Guinn Unger, Forest Lakes

“We’ll print damned-near anything” The Telegraph prides itself on a liberal letters policy.

We have only a few requests: letters must be limited to 750 words; letter writers must “sign” letters using their real names and place of residence; and thank-you lists and personal attacks are unwelcome. Send your insights, thoughts, opinions and profundities to: telegraph@durangotelegraph.com. Let the games begin ...

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Julian Rai opens the door after grabbing a Grubhub order at Ice Cream Riot in Capitol Hill, Denver, in March.

State legislators are proposing a bill that would protect restaurants from unwillingly appearing on such delivery apps as GrubHub, which can damage their reputations, feature outdated menus or take large “commissions,” according to restaurant owners. / Photo by Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

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Taking a bite Bill would protect restaurants from unauthorized delivery apps

by Andrew Kenney Colorado Public Radio

R

estaurant owners have complained for years that food delivery apps like GrubHub and DoorDash are co-opting their business. The apps have posted restaurants’ menus and allowed people to order food for delivery by the apps’ drivers – without the restaurants’ permission.

The state Legislature could make that illegal. A bill that has already passed several votes would require the services to get permission before selling a restaurant’s food.

“This protects a restaurant’s right to do business with those whom it chooses to, and to have an opportunity to negotiate for the terms for the pick up and delivery of its food,” Rep. Shannon Bird, D-Denver, a sponsor of the bill, said in a committee hearing.

The bill, SB-35, has gained support in both chambers, but it hasn’t been fully approved yet. Sen. Robert Rodriguez, D-Denver, is co-sponsoring the legislation. A representative for the Colorado Restaurant Association said the group is “adamantly in support” of the change.

“This is an issue that restaurants have been calling us about for years,” said Nick Hoover, government affairs manager for CRA. Food delivery apps generally operate as gig platforms. A customer places an order,

8 n May 20, 2021

and then the platform arranges for a driver to pick up the food. In some cases, restaurants work directly with the services to list their food, and the platforms can send orders directly to the restaurants.

But in others, the services set up restaurants in their system without their knowledge or permission. Because there’s no formal arrangement, in some cases, the delivery driver must place the order when he or she arrives, resulting in longer waits for the food.

“The restaurant might get a call later – the food was wrong, food was delivered late, food was different than what was on the third-party delivery company’s menu,” Hoover said. “That’s how they find out they’re on (the service), and then they have to spend time and effort to get taken off.”

Unauthorized deliveries are common across the fast-growing delivery industry.

But restaurants have numerous problems with it, Hoover said. They may not make their food for delivery, or they may want more control over the process. The unauthorized listings also may have outdated menus.

Restaurants can ask to be removed, and that’s gotten easier lately, Hoover said. But restaurateurs say the lack of control is hurting their reputations.

Another reason restaurants may not like certain food delivery apps is that the apps take a cut of the revenues. In Denver, city

telegraph

council members found delivery apps took as much as 35 percent of each customer's bill as a "commission," with independent restaurants taking the biggest hit. In response, and to stop apps from listing restaurants against their wishes, Denver limited both practices temporarily during the pandemic.

Some at the Capitol oppose a statewide policy change, though. Rep. Shane Sandridge, R-Colorado Springs, argued that the restriction would limit customers’ options and the practice of free enterprise.

“You purchase something, and the business you purchase it from can block you from having a third party come pick it up,” he said, joking that the bill was part of a “war on hamburgers.” Customers might prefer the third-party services for price or other reasons, he said.

A similar law took effect in California this year, and these kinds of regulations could put a brake on the growth of food service apps. For example, only about 16 percent of the retailers on Postmates, another popular delivery app, had a formal partnership with the company, according to The Wall Street Journal.

If the bill is passed, it would go into effect later this year. Restaurant owners would be allowed to sue the platforms for $1,000, plus attorney fees, for each violation.

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

LocalNews

Shining a light LPEA to elect four board members during pivotal time for co-op

by Missy Votel

capital credits on a timely basis 2. Mark Walser: As a teacher, I always t’s once again time for La Plata Electric Associahave my eyes on the future. I’m proud to tion members to cast their ballots for board dicall La Plata County home, and I’m comrectors. With the local energy co-op considering mitted to defending and exiting its contract with wholesaler Tri-State and improving our way of entering into the world of broadband, it is at a pivlife. I am committed otal time in its 83-year history. to helping members LPEA is comprised of four districts, with three easily and effecboard members representing each district, for a tively engage with total of 12 board members. The board sets policies the co-op. Toand overall directives of the cooperative, plus progether, our comvides LPEA staff with goals and objectives. Board munity can thrive members are elected to three-year terms and are during its transition elected on a staggered, rotating basis, with one reptoward more local, resentative from each district up for election a year. resilient energy. I Walser Voters may only vote for candidates in their disvalue the freedom trict. that comes from hard work and self-suffiThis year’s candidates include: ciency. Unfortunately, these values aren’t • District 1, Archuleta County: Kirsten Skeehan always upheld by LPEA, which is currently (incumbent) vs. Veronica Medina hamstrung by a contract with Tri-State. I • District 2, South and West La Plata County: support the effort to review this contract. I Kohler McInnis (incumbent) vs. Mark Walser Locally generated renewables is one of the hot topics in this year’s LPEA will work to provide competitive rates, reli• District 3, City of Durango: Ted Compton vs. Board of Directors election. The co-op is currently trying to wrest itself from able electricity and a clear vision for the fuBill Waters. Sitting member Britt Bassett is retiring. its Tri-State contract, which stipulates only 5 percent of the co-op’s energy ture. Over the course of my career, I have • District 4, North and East La Plata County: Tim can come from local renewables. The rest must come from Tri-State, which demonstrated thoughtful and analytical Wheeler (incumbent) vs. John Purser is heavily vested in fossil fuels. leadership. I earned my master’s degree In addition to the board election, members will from Fort Lewis College, and I honed my also be asked to vote on two amendments to the and security are dependent upon republic policy skills as a Bill Archer Fellow in Washington, LPEA bylaws that would allow for holding the annual liable electric power when you D.C. During School District 9-R negotiations, I repremeeting virtually and allowing virtual attendance at reguneed it, 24/7. This includes sented teachers while finding compromise as a trusted lar and special meetings. everything you do: heating and negotiator. I will bring these skills and experiences to Ballots were mailed out and should start appearing in cooling; communicating, food LPEA. I’m running to build a better future for all LPEA mailboxes this week. They are due back by 4 p.m. Wed., preparation and more; Providmembers.

June 16. They can be mailed or dropped off at LPEA (ining dependable power, which structions will be included in the ballots). requires oversight of capital projDistrict 3: City of Durango Results will be confirmed at the coop’s virtual annual ect budgets, power supply con1. Ted Compton: Reliability. Affordability. Sustainmeeting at 6 p.m., Thurs., June 17. Participants must pretracts, and operational needs; ability. If these things are important to you, support me. register for this meeting at lpea.coop/annual-meeting.

Using common sense to address I’m a career engineer with the skills and experience to McInnis (Note: there will not be an option to submit ballots on the the challenges and opportunities ensure we never wake up to an energy crisis like Texas day of the meeting, as has been the case in years past.) of the remarkable changes facing the electric power inexperienced this year. I am a committed community The candidates statements follow: dustry. This approach provides the ability to continue im- member who knows Durango needs to stay affordable District 2: South and West La Plata County proving your local electric service; expanding and with low-cost energy. Most importantly, I know we can 1. Kohler McInnis (incumbent): As a director on the improving current technologies which will lead to a achieve these things while protecting the environment LPEA Board my actions will continue to be focused on: cleaner environment, higher efficiency, and reduced essential to our way of life. My family has five generaKeeping your electric bill as low as possible, lower rates costs; staying engaged in research and strategy to make tions of history in La Plata County. I graduated from provide you more freedom to live a quality life. Electricity sustainable decisions about LPEA’s future; working to DHS as valedictorian in 1988. After obtaining a pair of is a necessity, not a luxury, knowing your health, safety keep LPEA financially strong and viable and returning engineering degrees from Stanford University, 4

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1239 Main Ave. beginning May 19 Come see us!

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May 20, 2021 n

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LPEA from p. 9

I came home to Durango to work, raise a family and contribute to the community. My love of our town means I step up and volunteer when needed including: nine years on the board of La Plata Open Space Conservancy; seven years on the board of FastTrack Communications; and four years as a judge for Colorado’s Advanced IndusCompton try Grants for small businesses.

At this critical time, I am needed on the LPEA board. I will use my skills, education, experience and broad community support to make the decisions needed to provide LPEA members with reliable and sustainable electricity at the lowest cost in Colorado.

2. Bill Waters: I am a five-generation-plus family in the Durango and Mancos area. I was born and raised in Durango, graduated from DHS and went to San Juan VoTech in Cortez. In 43 years of employment, my experience is in business, finance, sales, construction, leadership, customer satisfaction and investment. I understand the importance of listening to all concerns. I believe in safe, reliable, affordable and sustainable power. Renewable energy sources of solar, hydroelectric and wind I support.

Lowering our carbon footprint is essential. As a farmer and steward of the land, I understand the true value of this. It is important we supply affordable electric rates to Waters elderly on fixed incomes and

those who need assistance. I will look to keep electric rates low and increases at a minimum. I understand the importance of proper equipment to safely repair the power infrastructure. Decisions made require facts and supportive data. It is imperative the Board works together for the common good. The board is a representation of members; it is their duty to represent them and not a personal agenda. Professionalism, safety, accountability, relationships and quality – I believe in all of these. Electricity is a necessity, not a luxury.

District 4: North & East La Plata County 1. Tim Wheeler (incumbent): Here in this wonderful corner of Colorado, we’re writing the playbook for our future. It’s a vision for community-led solutions and self-sufficiency. I’m honored to serve at the heart of this movement. Together we’re working toward a triple win of affordable, local, clean energy.

The current LPEA team has created one of the most professional, transparent and publicly engaged co-ops in the country.

Wheeler It’s been my privilege to serve as the co-op’s treasurer, on the Broadband and Finance and Audit committees, and as LPEA’s FastTrack representative. I am proud to have voted for LPEA’s commitments to reduce carbon emissions, pursue affordable local renewables, and provide greater transparency. But the work isn’t done. Today’s electricity market is changing quickly. LPEA is being called to tackle major issues with our electric supplier. To overcome these challenges, LPEA needs strong, experienced and informed leadership. I joined this extraordinary community 27 years ago with my family, and I’ve brought a lifetime of business skills to my service as your board member, including work as Apple Computer Asia’s Director of Mar-

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keting, a local business consultant, and owner of the Durango Coffee Co. I am committed to giving back. Together we will build the system all LPEA members deserve.

2. John Purser: Vote like the future of LPEA depends on it. Traditionally, LPEA has been an electric distribution cooperative and has a great tradition of providing service to its members. There is now a push to expand the role as an electricity generator. I’m concerned this will not be beneficial to the membership at large and we’ll lose focus on what LPEA has done well. The impetus for this change came years ago when the power provided to LPEA by Tri-State was produced by fossil fuels. Times have changed, and now Tri-State’s goal for greenhouse gas reduction exceeds the goal for LPEA. There is no longer an environmental justiPurser fication for leaving Tri-State. This is a significant issue with many good points on both sides. One of the LPEA bylaws I would advocate for changing is that contracts of more than 10 years require a full membership vote. We have a diverse membership, with 10 percent living below the poverty line. Our full membership should have a direct voice on long-term contracts. My economics degree, with studies in environmental economics, security markets and financial institutions, provide me background to evaluate solutions to long term infrastructure planning. My 35 years working in the IT industry provides experience in organization management.

The candidates’ statements were edited for length. In addition, the candidates for District 1 (Archuleta County) do not appear here as it is outside our distribution area. To read those, or the statements in full, go to lpea.coop/candidates-qualifiedlpeas-2021-director-elections. n

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telegraph

FlashinthePan

Chicken congee for the soul

by Ari LeVaux

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cocktail of rain, wind and even a little snow assaulted the farmers market last week. The fair-weather hipsters stayed home. So did the lemonade stand. Altogether, more farmers showed up than customers, and coffee was the only thing that sold out, because everyone’s hands were cold. There was a steaming cauldron of chicken congee for sale at the Vietnamese sandwich stall, and had the cardboard bowls not run out, the congee would probably have sold out, too.

I was lucky enough to nab a serving of that hearty and comforting porridge. It came garnished with cilantro and green onion, and I squirted on some hoisin sauce and began enjoying my morning, feeling immune to the weather.

Congee goes by various names in different languages, virtually anywhere rice is a staple. They translate into the likes of “white porridge,” “dilute rice” and “wet rice.” All of these definitions simmer down to the same basic idea: Cook a little rice in a lot of water, until you have a thick, velvety white soup of disintegrated rice.

The Vietnamese sandwich seller, Le Ma, is of Chinese and Vietnamese ancestry. Where he comes from, congee is regarded as having especially nourishing and medicinal properties, akin to chicken soup in the West. “When you weren’t feeling well, that’s what people would make you,” he told me. “It’s easy to eat and easy to digest.”

It also doesn’t fill you up too much, he added. “You’re hungry a few hours later.

It’s a good breakfast food because it gets you going. And it’s great also for a late-night meal. It’s a light comfort food you can eat before bed.”

Although congee preparation is a simple and straightforward concept, there appears to be an endless array of ways that you can cook, garnish and serve it. It’s like the Zen concept of meditating on the same bowl of rice every morning, until it becomes a different bowl of rice each morning, except mushier. And a lot more delicious.

In Bhutan, congee is used to celebrate the Blessed Rainy Day, a holiday that marks the start of the annual monsoon season. In Thailand, ultra-bland congee is often served alongside extra-flavorful side dishes that you add daintily to the congee, a process that my Thai friend described as combining “flavor” and “not flavor.”

Other times it’s customized toward the end of cooking, like the congee that showed up in my mom’s hospital room last week in Denver.

She was recovering from an illness, and I’d stopped at a dim sum place for dumplings, her favorite, to bring to her room. I decided to order wonton soup as well, because soup sounded like the kind of nourishment she needed. I showed up at the room and opened the container, to realize it was full of congee with chunks of fish — they had messed up the order, but in a fortunate way. The other flavors in this congee were ginger and green onion. It was pillowy and ethereal in texture, and exquisite in flavor, and mom slurped it down. The next morning, I reheated it with leftover broccoli with oyster sauce, and it was once again perfect.

Two days later I showed up at that brutal farmers market to find Ma’s Chicken Congee, garnished with cilantro and green onion from the neighboring stalls. To make it a bit more nutritious, he’d added quite a bit of quinoa. I must admit I thought quinoa congee sounded a bit too crunchy, but Ma knew best.

And the proof: My kids couldn’t stop eating it.

Good morning springtime. Good morning market. I look forward to quinoa congee year round, accentuated with whatever the seasons bring.

Ma’s Chicken Congee 1 cup quinoa ⅔ cups basmati rice 4 quarts water 2 tablespoons oil 1 cup diced chicken 1 heavy cup chopped celery 1 heavy cup chopped carrots ½ cup finely chopped ginger 1 tablespoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper Garnish: cilantro, green onion, lime hoisin sauce Rinse and drain the rice and the quinoa. Cook them together in a rice cooker. If you don’t have a rice cooker, use a pot with a tight-fitting lid, and cook for an hour at a light simmer.

Meanwhile, sauté the chicken, celery, carrots and ginger with the salt and pepper. Add it to the congee pot and cook for an additional hour or so, until it’s a consistency you like.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and green onion, a squeeze of lime and a squirt of hoisin. n

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May 20, 2021 n 11

StufftoDo

Thursday20

Saturday22

“How Connected Was the Chaco World? A Social Network Perspective,” free online talk by Crow Canyon, 4 p.m. Register at: www.crowcanyon.org

Durango Farmers Market, 8 a.m.- 12 noon, Saturdays through October. TBK Parking Lot, 259 W. 9th St. www.durangofarmersmarket.com

“River of Souls” EDM music festival, Tico Time Resort, 1 mile south of the state line. Festival also runs May 21-22. www.ticotimeresort.com

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

SJCA May Scoop zoom talk with Jimbo Buickerood, Public Lands Coordinator, 5-6 p.m. Register at www.sanjuancitizens.org and click on the “events” tab.

Return of the Jedi! 9:30-10:30 a.m., learn the Japanese weapons and techniques seen in “Star Wars.”

Claire Viles Park (across from St. Columba). www.durangoaikido.com

SkaBQ, live music, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Ska Brewing World HQ, 225 Girard St.

“River of Souls” EDM music festival, Tico Time Resort, 1 mile south of the state line. ticotimeresort.com

Adam Swanson, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Super Hero 5k fun run, 11 a.m., Eagle Park, Bayfield. Non-timed event for all ages and abilities. Super hero costumes encouraged. Masks required for starting line. Open to first 150 registrants. $10/adults and $5/children, which include free water bottle and prize drawings. Register at www.ourbayfieldparks.org.

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

Rob Webster, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. Trivia night 6:30-8:30 p.m., the Powerhouse, 1333 Camino Del Rio. Socially distanced tables, masks required.

No groups larger than eight. $5 suggested team donations. Cash bar, food available from Soup Palette and Mariana’s.

Author Discussion: Kathryn Wilder, author of Desert Chrome: Water, a Woman and Wild Horses in the West, zoom talk, 6:30 p.m. www.mariasbookshop.com Ben Gibson plays, 7 p.m., Ernie’s @ 11th Street Station, corner of 11th & Main.

“River of Souls” EDM music festival, Tico Time Resort, 1 mile south of the state line. Festival also runs May 22. www.ticotimeresort.com Gary B. Walker plays piano, 11a.m.-1 p.m., JeanPierre Bakery & Restaurant, 601 Main Ave.

Meditation and Dharma Talk, 5:30-6:15 p.m.

Online at www.durangodharmacenter.org/ Adam Swanson, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Rob Webster, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

Tuesday25

Gary B. Walker plays jazz accordion, 3-5 p.m.

Magpies Newsstand, 707 Main Ave.

Adam Swanson, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Niceness and J-Calvin, part of the iAM Music Fest, two shows: 3:30 & 7 p.m., Durango Craft Spirits. Tickets at: www.iammusicfest.us

Leah Orlikowski, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

Adam Swanson, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Jack Ellis & Larry Carver play, 6-9 p.m., Fur Trapper’s Steakhouse, 701 E. 2nd Ave. McCurry Organ Trio plays, 7 p.m., Ernie’s @ 11th Street Station, corner of 11th & Main.

Black Velvet, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Dustin Burley, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

Disco Night, 6-9 p.m., Chapman Hill Roller Rink. $10/person with or without skate rentals.

Disco Night, 6-9 p.m., Chapman Hill Roller Rink. $10/person with or without skate rentals.

Monday24

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

Planet Petty, an 18+ performance, 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Ernie’s @ 11th Street Station, corner of 11th & Main.

Tables and individual seats can be purchased through Aria PettyOne via Facebook or Instagram.

Joy of Missing Outs play, 7 p.m., Ernie’s @ 11th Street Station, corner of 11th & Main.

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

Brendan Shafer plays, 12 noon, Ernie’s @ 11th Street Station, corner of 11th & Main.

Matt Rupnow, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

Friday21

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

Sunday23 Henry Stoy plays piano, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Jean-Pierre Bakery & Restaurant, 601 Main Ave.

Wednesday26 Trail Work: Ned’s Hill Reroute and Maintenance, 4:30-7 p.m. Meet at Leyden Trailhead. www.durangotrails.org.

Return of the Jedi! 5:30-6:30 p.m., learn the Japanese weapons and techniques seen in Star Wars.

Claire Viles Park (across from St. Columba). www.durangoaikido.com Adam Swanson, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Terry Rickard, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. “The Language of Bears: How bears communicate with us through vocalizations and body posturing,” free online lecture, part of BearSmart’s online speaker series, 6:30-8 p.m. Register at bearsmartdurango.org.

Pat Storen Duo plays, 7 p.m., Ernie’s @ 11th Street Station, corner of 11th & Main. 4

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AskRachel

Saved by the boss, styrofoam stash and ride bribes Interesting fact: Styrofoam is about 95 percent air.

So basically… it’s the breathable version of bottled water.

Dear Rachel, My boss just saved me from a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad faux pas. How do I thank her? I mean, there is no Hallmark section for “I almost stepped in a big pile of poo and then walked all around town with it, turning everyone against our product, but I didn’t thanks to you” cards. This is if there’s even a good way to call it out. Maybe I’m just supposed to forget it ever happened and never speak of it again?

– SNAFU Dear FUBAR, When I looked up FUBAR to make sure I was spelling it right, I learned that it and SNAFU both originate from World War II. A lot of things did not go right in that war, apparently. But you know what did go right? We beat the Nazis. Now those are some people who made a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad faux pas (if by “faux pas” we mean “an entire string of the worst deeds committed by people, ever”). So if your mistake was anything significantly this side of Nazism, I’d say a simple “thanks, you saved my unfortunate butt,” or TYSMUB, will do the trick.

– SUSFU, Rachel Dear Rachel, I ventured into my neighbor’s garage the other day (don’t worry, I was invited) to borrow a jigsaw when I saw it. Shelves and shelves full

Ongoing Animas River Days Virtual Silent Auction, thru May 23, www.animasriverdays.com “Through” group art show, thru May 22, Studio & Gallery, 1027 Main Ave. anddurango.com.

Episode 7 of the Actor’s Journal now streaming, featuring Henry Winkler and more. Presented by the Durango Playfest. For tickets, go to: www.durangoplayfest.org/actors-journal Cindy Coleman Pastel Paintings art show, thru May 31, Animas Chocolate & Coffee Co., 920 Main Ave. www.duckgirlart.com

Upcoming “Revisiting Chaco Road Morphology and Meaning,” free online talk by Crow Canyon, Thurs., May 27, 4 p.m. Register at: www.crowcanyon.org SkaBQ, music from Black Velvet Trio, Thurs., May 27, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Ska Brewing World HQ, 225 Girard St. Dustin Burley plays, Thurs., May 27, 7 p.m., Ernie’s @

of empty egg cartons. This man does not have chickens to make eggs to fill these cartons. I can think of no other purpose that warrants hoarding them. Is this suspicious behavior? Should I be reporting this to the NSA? – Walking on Egg Cartons Dear Cracked, I never thought about this before. But cartons are basically shells for eggshells. Anyway, I can’t possibly answer your question, because you didn’t specify if the cartons were that papery stuff, plastic or Styrofoam. Who uses Styrofoam anymore anyway? Someone must, because when the store is low on eggs, it’s always the $8/dozen organic eggs with two cracked ones left over, and like a gazillion Styrofoam ones. It’s not even an environmentalist thing. I just can’t stand the sound of Styrofoam.

– Squeak squeak, Rachel Dear Rachel, What’s the etiquette on asking for a ride into town? I took my truck to the shop recently and had no problem getting a ride home at the end of the day. I live a ways out of town, and I’m not a bicyclist. But getting a ride back into town to pick it up? That’s proving tricky. No one in my neighborhood seems to be around when I start calling. And they’re not returning my texts (probably blaming “bad service” out here, whatever). What’s a guy gotta do to bribe a ride these days?

– Stranded at Home 11th Street Station, corner of 11th & Main.

Sheryl & Beau play, Fri., May 28, 5 p.m., Ernie’s @ 11th Street Station, corner of 11th & Main.

Reeder and Spencer play, Fri., May 28, 5-9 p.m., Fur Trappers Steakhouse, 701 E. 2nd Ave. Sounds True plays, Fri., May 28, 7 p.m., Ernie’s @ 11th Street Station, corner of 11th & Main.

49th Iron Horse Bicycle Classic, May 28-30, Durango www.ironhorsebicycleclassic.com Sean O’Brien plays, Sat., May 29, 5 p.m., Ernie’s @ 11th Street Station, corner of 11th & Main.

Le Trebuchet plays, Sat., May 29, 7 p.m., Ernie’s @ 11th Street Station, corner of 11th & Main.

Elephant Revival’s Daniel Rodriguez live in concert, Sat., May 29, two shows, 6:30 & 8:30 p.m., Sheridan Opera House, Telluride. Tickets $25 and must be reserved and will be sold in pods only. Tickets and more info at www.sheridanoperahouse.com.

Iron Pony, a celebration of bikes and science, Sun., May 30, 9:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m., featuring The Powerhouse’s newest traveling exhibit, “GEAR UP: The Science of Bikes.”

telegraph

Email Rachel at telegraph@durangotelegraph.com Dear Marooned, Well, maybe it helps to get up before your neighbors actually go to work (or hiking, or whatever they do). You need to make it easy on them, so: knock on their doors so they can’t ignore you. Make a plan for a mutually amenable time. Offer a six-pack of Mexi Lager as payment. Then, get your tush on a bike so you become more self-reliant. You’ll never beat the Nazis with your current attitude.

– Thumbin’ it, Rachel Any child that rides to The Powerhouse on their bike wins a prize. Strider bike, beer garden from 2-7:30 p.m., and food from Soup Palette, Mariana’s Authentic Cuisine, and Thimbleberry Smoothie Co. Benefit Concert for Wolfwood Refuge featuring the Zia Chicks, Sun., May 30, 2-5:30 p.m., Fox Fire Farm, Ignacio. $50/ adult which includes wine, food and a swag bag. Children are free. Must RSVP in advance by emailing: wolfwood1995@hotmail.com.

“The Wonders of Aztec Ruins National Monument and Chaco Culture National Historical Park” free virtual talk, June 1, 6 p.m. Presented by the Rotary Club of Durango. For log-in, email: Mtnman16@gmail.com.

Deadline to submit items for “Stuff to Do” is Monday at noon.

E-mail your stuff to: calendar@durango telegraph.com

May 20, 2021 n 13

FreeWillAstrology

by Rob Brezsny ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries playwright Samuel Beckett wrote the play Waiting for Godot. At one point in the tale, the character named Estragon suggests it might be possible, even desirable, to “dance first and think afterwards.” In response, the character named Pozzo says, “By all means, nothing simpler. It’s the natural order.” With that in mind, and in accordance with astrological omens, I am going to encourage you to dance first and think afterwards as much as possible in the coming weeks. In my opinion, your ability to analyze and reason will thrive to the degree that you encourage your body to engage in enjoyable free-form play. Your power to make good decisions will grow as you take really good care of your physical organism and give it an abundance of pleasure and release.

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TAURUS (April 20-May 20): As you enter a phase when gradual, incremental progress is the best progress possible, I offer you the concluding lines of Taurus poet Adrienne Rich’s poem “From a Survivor”: “not as a leap, but a succession of brief, amazing movements, each one making possible the next.” I especially want to call your attention to the fact that the small steps can be “brief, amazing movements.” Don’t underestimate the power of minor, subtle, regular breakthroughs.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Here’s a public service announcement for you Geminis from the planet and god Mercury: You’re under no obligation to be the same person you were three years ago, or six months ago, or last week – or even five minutes ago, for that matter.

Mercury furthermore wants you to know that you have been authorized to begin a period of improvisation and experimentation, hopefully guided by a single overriding directive: what feels most fun and interesting to you. In the coming weeks it will be more important to create yourself anew than to know precisely who you are.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): As a Zen Buddhist priest for 47 years, Kōshō Uchiyama was knowledgeable about the power that illusions can wield over our imaginations. “If we’re not careful,” he said, “we are apt to grant ultimate value to something we’ve just made up in our heads.” I won’t tell you the examples from my own life that prove his point, because they’re too embarrassing. And I’m happy to report that I don’t think you’re anywhere near granting ultimate value to something you’ve just made up in your head. But I do advise you to be on the lookout for milder versions of that phenomenon.

14 n May 20, 2021

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Leoborn professor Sibelan Forrester is an expert on charms, spells & incantations in Russian folklore. She wrote, “An empty place where no one can see or hear what one says is the proper locus for working magic.” Spells often start with these words, she added: “I rise up, saying a blessing. I go out, crossing myself, & I go to an open field.” Leo, I see the immediate future as a good time for you to perform magic in an open field with no one else around.

What might be the intention of your magic? How about something like this: “I ask my guides & ancestors to help me offer my most inspired largesse so as to serve the health and inspiration and liberation of the people whose lives I touch.”

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Spiritual author Stephen Russell wrote, “Don’t mask or deny your vulnerability: It is your greatest asset.” That’s an exaggeration, in my opinion. Vulnerability is a greater asset than your intelligence, compassion, and creativity? Not in my view. But I do recognize the high value of vulnerability, especially for you Virgos during the next three weeks. “Be vulnerable,” Russell continues. “Quake & shake in your boots with it. The new bounty and beauty that are coming to you, in the form of people, situations, and things, can only come to you when you are vulnerable – open.”

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): My friend Jenny’s Swedish grandmother used to say to her on a semi-regular basis, “Åh tänk om vi vore korkade, vi skulle vara så lyckliga,” meaning, “If only we were stupid, we would be so happy.” In the coming weeks, I am asking you to disprove that folk wisdom. According to my analysis of the astrological potentials, now is a favorable time for you to explore ways in which your intelligence might enhance and deepen your enjoyment of life. Your motto should be: “The smarter we are, the happier we will be.”

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Sometime soon I invite you to speak a message similar to what poet Kenneth Rexroth once delivered to a special person in his life. He wrote, “Your tongue thrums and moves / Into me, and I become / Hollow and blaze with / Whirling light, like the inside / Of a vast expanding pearl.” Do you know anyone who might be receptive to hearing such lyrical praise? If not, create a fantasy character in your imagination to whom you can say it. On the other hand, maybe you do know a real person who would appreciate an earthier, less poetical tribute. If so, please convey it; something akin to this: “Your influence on me amplifies my ability to be my best self.” Now is a perfect time to honor and extol and reward those who move you and excite you.

telegraph

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21): Author Aldous Huxley said, “I can sympathize with people’s pains, but not with their pleasures. There is something curiously boring about somebody else’s happiness.” To that I reply, “Other people’s pleasure and happiness bored you? Maybe you were suffering from raging narcissism and an addiction to cynicism.” In any case, Sagittarius, I hope you won’t be like Huxley in the next few weeks.

I believe you could glean useful insights and derive personal benefits from knowing about and appreciating the joys of others.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn businessman Howard Hughes (1905–76) had great success early in his life.

Working as a film director and aviation pioneer, he became a wealthy philanthropist. But as he aged, he became increasingly eccentric and reclusive. For the last 10 years of his life, he lived in expensive hotels, where he placed strict and often absurd demands on the hotel staff. For example, if he called on room service to bring him a meal that included peas, he would measure the peas with a ruler, and send back any he deemed too big. I do hope that you Capricorns will also have an intense focus on mastering the details in the coming weeks – but not as intense or misguided as that nonsensical obsession.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Aquarian author Charles Dickens (1812–70) was famous and popular. Audiences packed the halls where he did public lectures and readings. His favorite way to prepare for these evening events was to spend the day drinking a pint of champagne, as well as generous servings of rum, cream and sherry with eggs beaten into the mix. I don’t have a problem with that – whatever works, right? – but I suggest a different approach for your upcoming appointments with greater visibility and prominence. Like what? How about sexy meditations on the gratitude you feel for your expanding possibilities? How about fun fantasies focusing on how you’ll use your increased clout?

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In his upcoming book The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, John Koenig proposes that we begin using “monachopsis,” a word he coined & defines as follows: “the feeling of being out of place, as maladapted to your surroundings as a seal on a beach – lumbering, easily distracted, huddled in the company of other misfits, unable to recognize the ambient roar of your intended habitat, in which you’d be brilliantly, effortlessly at home.” Even if you’ve spent too much time lately experiencing monachopsis, my dear, I predict this malaise will soon dissipate & give way to an extended phase of being fluidly, brilliantly, effortlessly at home.

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

Classes/Workshops Summer Spanish Class Now accepting students for beginner thru advanced Spanish starting in June.

Finally, in-person learning is back! Call 970-309-5966 or visit www.espanola hora.net Herbalist Led Medicinal/ Edible Plant Hike Sat., May 22. Call 970-759-9287.

HelpWanted We Are Hiring!

We are hiring part-time positions at 6th Street Liquors. We currently are looking for Saturday and Sunday day shift shift position and weekday afternoon shift positions. Please bring resume and references to be considered for position.

Please no calls.

Gardener/Lawn Maintenance EarthScapes Durango Inc is hiring for all positions full time, Lawn Maintenance Team Lead, Lawn Maintenance Laborer and Gardener/Weeder. If you love to work outdoors and like working in a team environment please contact us about employment. We work a 4 day work week, Mon - Thursday. Bonus if you complete the entire season with us. Pay depends on experience starting at $15.00 per hour.

Call 970-946-5284 or email info@earth scapesdurango.com Amaya Natural Therapeutics Hiring massage therapists regular and

back up shifts available. Email triciagour ley13@gmail.com

Services

HaikuMovieReview ‘The Old Guard’ sexy, immortal mercenaries engage in choreographed fights – Lainie Maxson

Caregivers $18/hr Disabled man needs help with care.

Call Johnny, 970-749-2692.

ForSale 2006 Holiday Rambler Admiral RV Great condition. 1 owner. 34ft w/2 slides. Workhorse 8.1L V-8 engine, Allison transmission. 2 solar panels. Blue Ox towing system. $32,500 713-213-0646.

2004 Lexus GX470 195,672 mi, clean, leather seats, V8, $13,500. 970-946-9248.

Reruns Home Furnishings Spring is here! Nice new bistros and vintage patio sets. Garden pots, yard art.

Vintage Drexel surfboard coffee table, Pier 1 nightstands and side tables. Lots of cute small furniture. Come in today. 572 E. 6th Ave. Open Mon.-Sat. 385-7336.

and Bayfield. 10-x-20, $130. Outside spots: $65, with discounts available. RJ Mini Storage. 970-259-3494.

Fire Mitigation Services Professional training & services (licensed & insured) retired rorester & firefighter (smokejumper) www.home steadfiremitigation.com 970-317-0826.

RSE Handyman Service Home repair - yard work - odd jobs, 970-903-0449.

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

Lowest Prices on Storage!

Inside/outside storage near Durango

ForRent

BodyWork 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.

Massage by Meg Bush LMT, 30, 60 & 90 min., 970-759-0199. massageintervention.life Voted best massage in Durango 18/19/20. Couples, cupping, local CBD. Reviews on FB + Yelp. 970-903-2984.

NewspaperOrigami

Owl

Durango Rental House by Bread 800 sq. ft on 3/4 acre with 2 other houses. $950/mo. rent, $250.00/mo. util (gas, electric, h2o, trsh, net). $850.00 deposit. Mo. to Mo. lease. Up to 8 hrs. work @ $20/hr. to offset some rent cost. No cigs, dogs. Text 970- 903-8540 or email Ol Paul48@Bresnan.net for more info. Available about July 1st.

Office Space Available inside Natural Health Care office 1 block off main. Perfect for counselor.

Shared waiting area & FREE util/ WiFi, pkg. $300/mo Call 970-749-2815.

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

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May 20, 2021 n 15

16 n May 20, 2021

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