The Durango Telegraph, Aug. 17, 2023

elegraph

the durango

Drag on a dime

Wardrobe confessions of looking fab on the cheap

Thinking small

Tiny home living in Silverton – with some modifications

Go with the flow

Local rocker offers advice to budding bands

4

Bargain drag

Turns out, looking fabulous on a budget is a lot of work by Doug Gonzalez

8

Thinking small

In face of housing shortage, Silverton sprouts tiny homes by Jonathan Romeo

10

Full send

On the verge of going big, Garrett Young talks his “musical crockpot” by Stephen Sellers

RegularOccurrences

4 La Vida Local

5 Writers on the Range

6 Soap Box

7 State News

8 Top Story

10 Between the Beats

11 Flash in the Pan

12-13 Stuff to Do

13 Ask Rachel

14 Free Will Astrology

15 Classifieds

11

Top ramen

Don’t skimp on the noodles with this summer veggie extravaganza

by Ari LeVaux

15 Haiku Movie Review

On the cover

The high country wildflower show is still on, as evidenced by these paintbrush. But hurry – time is running out./ Photo by Alex Krebs

Ear to the ground:

“I just got an email from my doctor’s office that I should follow them on Instagram. What the hell?”

– Time for a new doctor

Pour one out

Another Main Ave. institution has shut its doors – Olde Tymer’s Café.

Opened in 1981, Olde Tymer’s was run for years by the Roessler family. During the pandemic, however, Olde Tymer’s ran into financial trouble. It was ultimately sold in 2021 to local chef Mark Cavalli, who started working at the restaurant during the pandemic.

Cavalli said a number of reasons went into the decision to close the long-standing corner burger joint.

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For starters, the building itself (which he doesn’t own) was run down and required hundreds of thousands of dollars in renovations. In addition, over the past 10 years, Cavalli said Olde Tymer’s had acquired a bad reputation that was difficult to overcome. And, he said a lot of people who were attached to the nostalgia of Olde Tymers’ heyday wouldn’t actually come in to support it.

On top of that, Olde Tymer’s, like most restaurants these days, had to deal with the rising costs of food, which in turn required higher menu prices. Rent, he said, is not cheap in downtown Durango. And, it was difficult to hire and retain qualified staff.

“It got to the point where after this last year, I felt like it was time to let it go,” he said.

Olde Tymer’s last day serving up food was Aug. 5. Since then, Cavalli has been selling all the memorabilia, which includes some rare Snowdown throwbacks, while clearing out the space. Cavalli said it’s likely he will open a new bistro in downtown Durango in the coming months, but it won’t be under the Olde Tymer’s banner.

As for the former Olde Tymer’s location, the site of the historic S.G. Wall Drug Store, Cavalli said the property owners would like for a new restaurant to open there. (Cavalli owns the Olde Tymer’s name, and someone would need to purchase it from him.)

In the meantime, pour one out for another Durango mainstay calling it quits, following the Palace, Red Snapper, Irish Embassy, and CJ’s Diner. And long live Olde Tymers’ classic slogan, “We Cheat Tourists and Drunks.”

Drag on a dime

“I like your outfit, where did you get it?” is a question I sometimes hear after I’ve completed a drag show. “This ‘ol thing!?” I reply, playfully acknowledging their compliment but still resisting the urge to give a detailed report on how I put it together.

Doing drag in a small town like Durango can be difficult. Voted by USA Today in the 1990s as the worst-dressed city in America, Durango has a lineage of providing us with a limited set of options for clothing. And although you may not do drag yourself, I thought that sharing my process for shopping and selecting my outfits may act as a source of style inspiration for you.

If you’re anything like me, you love the thrill of a good find. Whether that’s through thrifting, garage sales, small, local stores or Facebook Marketplace, they all can provide a shot of dopamine that feels both satisfying and safe – unless you’re my wallet.

Before you start shopping, I feel it’s necessary to do a bit of research to guide your eyes. What time period does this piece come from? Are there certain colors or shapes that you’d like to follow? This allows you to focus on items that you may otherwise be too overwhelmed to notice. I’ve never read the 2006 self-help book “The Secret,” but I also feel like visualizing these items helps manifest them into your life. I once found a celadon-colored jumpsuit with gold sequins for a disco number I had planned later that night. Was it luck or destiny? You be the judge.

One of the most important facets to creating an elevated look is finding unique quality pieces. Whether you’re doing drag on a dime or shopping with a large budget, these pieces are best found inside small local or secondhand stores. In said stores, I’ve been lucky enough to find vintage sequined tops, structured blazers and fabulous costume jewelry. When I travel to large cities, I try to visit their local stores and thrifts and not the big box retailers. Since most retailers carry items online and in-store, you can purchase their items wherever you are and at any time of day. But local stores are limited in their hours and location, providing you with access to a

Thumbin’It

The federal government easing water restrictions on Lake Powell, which is now at mid-levels after a wet winter and spring.

The pay gap between U.S. women and their male peers is now the smallest on record, according to a Labor Department report.

particular selection that can only be found at that store. This sort of exclusivity is what I find both exciting and necessary to find these signature pieces. There is the chance that you’ll need to alter the item to fit properly, but hand-stitching and a simple sewing machine can take a piece from unusable to perfect.

The next option we have in Durango is the mall located at 800 S. Camino del Rio. Home to discount fashion retailers T.J. Maxx and Ross, I’m a frequent guest of both. Due to a better selection of dresses and men’s wear at Ross, I find myself buying more clothing from there than T.J. Maxx. Like the pieces picked up at thrifting stores, you may need to tailor these items to fit properly. However, if you’re looking for home goods and beauty supplies, T.J. Maxx fits the bill. Even when Bed Bath & Beyond was open, the discounts provided with their coupons still couldn’t match the prices at T.J. Maxx. No, I’m not sponsored by either company to provide these positive reviews, but I’m happy to start talks if anyone has connections.

My last option for thrifty style in Durango is to order online. However, these options can be incredibly inconsistent. Whether I’m shopping for drag or my daily wear, I find I need to return the majority of what I purchase. The clothes from these websites usually have wonky seams and are made from materials that feel cheaper than anticipated. As a result, I’m now on a first name basis with certain UPS store associates.

I don’t include this fact because I’m proud of returning items. I want to acknowledge that finding the right items can be a marathon, which often includes this tedious task. I also struggle that this isn’t a very climate conscious option, and I try to keep what I order online to a minimum. However, if there is a store in Durango that carries a pair of thigh high boots in a women’s size 12 or synthetic wigs in various shades of blonde, let me know so I can start visiting them!

Like many other forms of self-expression, the way we style ourselves can convey our identities, beliefs and ideas. And if you know where to look, you can find all the tools necessary to express yourself – even in the least fashion conscious city in America.

– Douglas Gonzalez

SignoftheDownfall:

The catastrophic hurricane-force windfueled fires in Maui, which have left more than 100 people dead, with the death toll still climbing in its aftermath.

The return of the USA Mullet Championship’s Kid Mullet Contest. The images are just … disturbing.

President Joe Biden’s plan to issue student loan forgiveness to an estimated 800,000 people upheld by a federal judge.

Reports that SnapChat’s AI bot went rogue and started posting as if it had “a mind of its own.” Oh god, it’s really happening.

Weinermobile

GVE London, a luxury car dealership, posted to Instagram last week the story of a client who paid almost $500K for a gender reveal party. Basically, an unnamed and absurdly rich couple bought a Rolls Royce Cullinan (it’s an SUV that’ll never be taken off road) for $355K, and then had their sealed ultrasound results mailed to the dealership. Blue, Italian leather was then stitched by hand into the Rolls for a few thousand extra, and blue LED stars were installed in the headliner. The couple was then ushered into a special room where they slowly opened the doors to discover that they were having … a spoiled brat!

Funding the frontlines

Wildland firefighters need our support, better pay

by Gregory McNamee

At any given moment during this smoky summer of 2023, hundreds of wildfires were blazing in the U.S. – more than 850 as of late July, according to the nonprofit Fire, Weather & Avalanche Center. Most of those wildfires ignited in the forests of the American West.

Fires were also burning by the thousands in Canada, creating a pall of particulate-dense smoke that blotted out views of the Chicago skyline and the Washington Mall. Those fires are expected to burn well into fall.

This hellish aspect lends weight to historian Stephen Pyne’s conclusion that we live now in an age of fire called the “Pyrocene.”

Assembled to combat these blazes is a massive army of wildland firefighters. Some are volunteers, some are prison work crews earning time credited against their sentences. Some are municipal firefighters dispatched to the woods.

Some 11,300 of them are federal firefighters, called “forestry technicians,” who work under the aegis of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of the Interior.

It’s exhausting work. Wildland firefighters typically log 16-hour days for weeks at a time, burning 4,000 to 6,000 calories a day while carrying heavy backpacks.

It’s punishing labor and always dangerous. Barely a year has gone by in the last quarter-century that has not seen at least 15 wildland firefighter deaths, not just from flames and smoke, but heat exhaustion, vehicle accidents, air crashes, falling trees and heart attacks.

Often, they don’t die alone. In June 2013, 19 “hotshots” burned to death in a horrific Arizona wildfire, the thirdgreatest loss of wildland firefighters in U.S. history.

Yet despite the hardships and the history, a mandated pay raise in June 2021, spurred by President Joe Biden, brought the minimum wage for federal wildland firefighters up to a mere $15 an hour.

Firefighters of my acquaintance seldom cite money as a motivator for their work. They fight fires in the spirit of

public service, while in some rural communities, as a young Apache firefighter told me, “It gives us something to do.”

But firefighters, like everyone else, must shoulder rents and mortgages and groceries, and a paycheck of less than $3,000 a month just doesn’t cut it.

Enter a temporary order from Biden raising that base pay rate by 50%. Put in place in August 2022, and retroactive to the previous October as part of a hotly contested package of infrastructurefunding policies, the pay raise was funded only until Sept. 30, 2023, after which pay for wildland firefighters drops back to 2020 levels.

Wildland firefighters lobbied for Biden’s pay raise to be made permanent, but they made few inroads. That was until they finally found an ally in Arizona’s Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. Now an Independent, Sinema allied with Sens.

John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Steve Daines, RMont., Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Jon Tester, D-Mont., to introduce the bipartisan Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act. It would fund permanent pay increases.

By late June 2023, their bill had passed out of committee by a vote of 10 to 1, the only no vote coming from Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. When it reaches the Senate floor, it will be open to debate and a full vote.

There, however, the politicians are likely to squabble, especially on the House side. Larger issues loom, too, such as the need to revise policy so that forests are better managed to improve the conditions that now foster massive wildfires. Those conditions are the product of a “wise use” regime that saw forests as profitable tree farms and not as living systems. The Forest Service also had a decades-long policy of dousing all wildfires as early as possible.

While Washington deliberates, and while a more comprehensive bill compensating wildland firefighters struggles to gain traction, fires continue to burn. Without a pay raise, federal officials fear, some firefighters will walk away from a risky and insultingly low-paying job.

Wildland firefighters are needed right now, and we need to pay them what they deserve through the Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act. They will be needed even more in a future of climbing temperatures and widespread drought causing even more massive wildfires.

We can only hope that we will have the firefighters to confront them.

Gregory McNamee is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. He is an author and journalist in Tucson. ■

A bomber drops slurry on Durango’s 416 Fire in 2018./File photo

No trumped-up charges

No matter where you fall on the political spectrum, the evidence revealed in the latest federal indictment of former President Donald Trump should disturb every American who cares about protecting our freedom to vote and our democracy. Trump was charged with four criminal counts, including conspiracy to defraud our country and impede our right to vote.

According to the indictment, Trump cooked up numerous illegal schemes to stay in power after losing the 2020 presidential election – including counterfeiting electoral certificates that declared him the winner. He and his cronies leaned on everyone they could to carry out their plans, from state officials to former Vice President Mike Pence.

When they couldn’t steal the presidency by throwing out votes or through phony paperwork, they rioted on our nation’s Capital in an attempt to stop the election from being certified.

Some pundits are treating Trump’s indictment like political theater, but that’s not what this is about. It’s about being able to confidently cast our ballots as Americans, certain that our vote will be counted, no matter our political party. It’s about whether a president and his allies who are trying to cling to power should be able to throw out votes that they don’t like. The answer, of course, must be resoundingly no. We, the American people, choose our leaders, and not the other way around.

These are serious crimes against our country. To preserve the rule of law and our democracy, we must let the legal process proceed, without interruption or interference.

Our democracy depends on it.

–

Matt Cornell,

Durango Boebert’s homework

Rep. Lauren Boebert recently asked to meet with the La Plata County Commissioners. I attended this meeting. In her statements, she asserted that Colorado, and by association La Plata County, have shut down the oil and gas industry. She implied that moms now have to work outside the home and get child care, because the industry has been shut down. As is too often the case, Boebert had not done her homework.

Colorado’s oil and gas industry is doing just fine. Hundreds of new oil and gas well permits have been approved by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission since 2019, even under the regulations passed that year to place the health of people, wildlife and the environment first above profits.

In 2021, there were 303,730 jobs in oil and gas: 7.7% of Colorado’s total employment. Locally, there are 19 operators listed on the La Plata Energy Council’s website and 11 companion service providers. There are almost 3,000 wells in production in this county with the vast majority operated by the Southern Ute Indian Tribe. These numbers hardly reflect an industry that has

been run out of Colorado by regulations.

As to her fear that oil and gas regulations mean women have to work, well, she collects a paycheck from taxpayers, even though her now ex-husband, Jason Boebert, has been paid nearly $1 million over two years as a consultant for an oil and gas company with a large Western Slope presence.

– Karen Pontius, Durango

Heads up

Distracted driving deaths are up

by Matt Bloom Colorado Public Radio

Rachel Stein is a mom of three kids. She drives to work in south Denver every day and regularly notices dangerous cell phone behavior.

“My favorite thing to see is someone holding the cell phone in front of them, but still using their hands as though that’s somehow less distracting than holding it to their ear,” she said.

In Colorado, it’s illegal to text and drive. But it is legal for drivers over the age of 18 to hold a phone while talking. Drivers under the age of 18 are banned from all cell phone use while driving.

So, Stein wondered: How many accidents does cell phone use cause?

The exact number of accidents caused

by cell phones is hard to pin down, though, said Sam Cole, who oversees distracted driving awareness campaigns for the Colorado Department of Transportation. “We have an epidemic of traffic deaths in Colorado,” Cole said. “Distracted driving has a lot to do with that.”

Distracted driving caused 72 deaths and more than 15,000 crashes in 2022, Cole said. But CDOT’s crash numbers account for all kinds of distracted driving, from cell phone use to eating.

That makes it hard to pinpoint exactly how many crashes happen because of someone using their phone. More than half of drivers in Colorado use their phone while driving, according to a CDOT survey of motorists.

Law enforcement has tried to crack down, but the state patrol said it issued only 138 citations for improper cell phone use in 2022. Cole said it can be difficult for officers to enforce the rules.

“The number of crashes that involve a distracted driver in this state are very underrepresented,” he said. “If you’re driving, and you take your eyes off the road, and you hit somebody in front of you, you’re not going to perhaps admit that.”

Ideas for solutions include law changes and more public messaging about the dangers of distracted driving.

Lawmakers have tried unsuccessfully to pass a hands-free law in recent years.

CDOT is launching a new ad campaign focused on the dangers of texting while driving. The commercials highlight the damage drivers can do while turning their focus away from the road.

“People really underestimate how long it takes to read a text or send a message when they’re driving,” Cole said.

Drivers going 65 miles per hour can travel the length of a football field in five seconds, which is the average time it takes to read a text. “It’s scary,” Cole said.

Cole’s advice? Just don’t use your phone

at all. If you have to make a call, use a hands-free system if your car allows it. If your car doesn’t have one, pull over to make the call, or put it on speaker, and keep both hands on the wheel.

“Part of the problem is that people have used their phones hundreds of times while driving without a problem, and there’s a false sense of security,” Cole said. “But I guarantee, it will catch up with you, and you will get into a crash if you’re somebody that’s always on your phone when you drive.”

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

Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

(Tiny) life at 9,318 feet

Cabin fever not a problem for Silverton’s first tiny home village

by Jonathan Romeo

Living in a tiny home at 9,318 feet, in the middle of winter, with snow piled up, negative temperatures and 50 mph winds roaring, may not sound like the ideal living environment for some.

But since its incorporation, the mountain town of Sil verton has always attracted a rougher sort.

“I don’t think of it as cabin fever,” Michael Acker man, the first resident of Silverton’s first tiny home vil lage, said. “I think of it as a cabin homecoming.”

This year, the first-ever tiny home village in the town of Silverton opened. Already, two residents in two sep arate units are set to move in. But living in the Colorado high country is not for the faint of heart, especially in close quarters. And, certain alterations to the tiny homes had to be made to adapt to such a rugged environment.

Paul Joyce, owner of the property, said he wanted to open a tiny home village to help provide housing for the working class in Silverton, which, like many mountain towns, is in a bit of a housing crisis.

Indeed, DeAnne Gallegos, executive director for the Silverton Area Chamber of Commerce, said addressing Silverton’s housing shortages is one of the town’s top priorities.

“The working class are slowly getting squeezed out,” she said. “They literally can’t find a rental unit and then have to leave our community, not by their own accord. But, the Town of Silverton has really been working hard trying to get ahead of this.”

Little steps

About five years ago, Joyce first eyed a property for sale on the corner of Mineral and E. 17th streets, finally making an offer in 2019. At the time, he thought about constructing modular or spec homes, but soon realized those were not built to last harsh mountain conditions.

Then, Joyce and his wife, Becky, stayed in a friend’s tiny home in Arizona.

“It was awesome,” he said. “I thought it’d be a great idea for this property.”

Joyce then entered talks with the Town of Silverton, which had not previously approved or had a specific process for tiny homes. Town administrator Gloria Kaasch-Buergerdid not return a request for comment.

Ultimately, Joyce was approved for three units on the property, which is less than a quarter acre.

“The town needs workforce housing,” he said. “We

have all these restaurants, hotels and shops – these are real jobs – and these people need someplace to live.”

(Out of curiosity, The Telegraph checked to see if Silverton had the highest elevation tiny home village in the state. But alas, Leadville does, at 10,158 feet! Jeremy Ricci, owner of that village, said it has about 22 units, mostly vacation rentals, with four rented out to full-time residents.)

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Michael Ackerman and his roommate, Lulu, are the first occupants of Silverton’s first tiny home village./

Photo by Jonathan Romeo

Built to last

Ackerman is the executive director of the Silverton Avalanche School (the same Michael Ackerman who was the former principal at Animas High School). Between a break in storms this past winter, he moved his tiny home onto the plot.

“If we had waited any longer, we would have been skunked,” he said.

Ackerman’s unit was built by Rocky Mountain Tiny Homes, a local tiny home builder, and was outfitted to withstand the elements. The insulation in the walls is “battleship thick,” he said, and the highest level of double pane windows was used.

One of the biggest issues is making sure piping for water and plumbing doesn’t freeze in the winter. So, Ackerman purchased piping for plumbing from the oilfields in North Dakota, built for the extremes.

Ackerman also has a backup generator for when the electricity goes out, like it did this past winter about 19 times, he said. For heat, Ackerman uses a micro wood stove, custom-made for small spaces, though his primary heat source is a mini split heating system.

But there are challenges. Winds, for instance, can reach 50 mph, so he had to orient his unit to take the brunt of the

gusts. In the winter, the sun is only up four hours of the day, so future solar potential is limited. And the snow. Oh god, the snow.

This past winter resulted in one of the biggest snowpacks in recent years. It was a good test, Ackerman said.

“You shovel until you can’t anymore,” he said. “Then you snowblow until you run out of room. Then you use a skid steer. And then you bust out the snowmobile and just ride over a berm all winter. But this is Silverton. You know what you signed up for.”

Making it home

Used to living in small quarters, Ackerman said his 280-square-foot tiny home is perfect for him and his roommate, Silverton’s official avalanche rescue dog, Lulu. Plus, his work at the avalanche school has him outside most days, and in his free time, he’s usually recreating in the mountains.

“I’ve got my own hut, and it’s pretty darn spacious,” he said.

What’s more, he has made his tiny home his. The outside is outfitted with avalanche debris he sourced from around the San Juans. He used beetle kill for the ceilings. And he hit up his neighbors for extra scrap metal.

“It’s all sustainable,” he said. “The eco-

logical footprint is important for me.”

Case in point: from January through the end of April, Ackerman went through just one 30-gallon tank of propane.

Joyce’s second tiny home is set to be rented out to a woman relocating from the Front Range to teach at the Silverton School. Previously, Joyce thought he could buy a premade tiny home, but soon realized he needed something hardier. This unit was built by a company in Olathe.

“You need something that’s going to hold up the winter,” he said. Not lying down

Of course, the backdrop to this tiny home village is the fact that Silverton, like most desirable places to live, is suffering from an extreme housing crisis. Joyce, who has lived in Silverton since 2005 and teaches at the Silverton School, wanted to be part of the solution, not the problem.

“You can’t find anything here under $600k,” he said.

Making matters worse, there isn’t too much more room to build new homes in Silverton. So, it’s even more important to make the most out of the available space.

For years, tiny homes were not necessarily embraced by the community, Gallegos said. But now, with so much pressure on housing, people have more

open minds, as evidenced by the approval of Joyce’s first village.

“Normal working class citizens are probably having the most difficult time we’ve seen in the last couple decades in struggling to find reliable and consistent housing,” she said. “That’s just our new reality, as it is for most mountain towns after the pandemic.”

With worker shortages, businesses are forced to close a couple days a week. That takes a huge bite out of a profits during summer, by far the town’s busiest time of year, Gallegos said.

But Silverton isn’t taking it lying down. Recently, the town bought property for an affordable housing complex. And, Gallegos is petitioning for a legal housing authority to better position the town for grants and outside funding.

In the meantime, Joyce said he has one more unit available in his village for rent (BYO tiny home, however. Google “Min3 Tiny Home Village” for more info). And, Ackerman said that now Silverton has its first tiny home village, others may soon follow.

“It needed someone in the community to offer a viable alternative for housing,” Ackerman said. “If this kind of life fits with your ethos, it’s a super viable solution.” ■

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Go with the flow

Local rocker Garrett Young gives advice to budding bands

by Stephen Sellers

Greetings, dear readers! For this week’s Between the Beats, I sat down with local blues rock shredder Garrett Young. His band, the Garrett Young Collective, recently opened up for both the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in Gunnison and the Bellamy Brothers right here in Durango.

Growing up in La Plata County, Young was a competitive mogul skier for many years and only found his passion for guitar and songwriting in late middle school. By the time his high school senior year rolled around, he had gone – to use the local mountain parlance of our times – “full send” into the life of a musician. He was playing at Los Angeles’ Whiskey A Go Go at the time most kids his age were peddling each other Adderall and cramming for really, really expensive college finals.

Young is humble, effuses positivity and has a bright future in front of him. We should all be proud of this hometown hero on the rise. Enjoy some snippets from our conversation.

Garrett, thanks for sitting down with me! You grew up in Durango, right?

Until I was 5. Durango and then Bayfield ever since. I moved to L.A. halfway through senior year and ended up finishing my degree living in L.A. as an 18-year-old.

What took you to L.A.?

I had a producer that lived in Beverly Hills, and it just made sense for me and my band to move out there. We basically did everything you shouldn’t do, like standing outside of the exit gates of Capitol Records trying to pass out our demos to A&R reps as they were leaving. You can imagine how well that went.

Who are your influences?

There’s a huge array. My dad is country/western through and through. All of my friends were into hard rock in high school, and I got super into classic rock. I love everything, though. I just put it in a big musical crockpot.

Tell us about your last record “Get Gone!”

That came out at the end of last

summer. I recorded that at a home in the garage. I do all the engineering. It’s fun, it’s a challenge. The hardest part is that you’re so invested in it. As the writer, the singer and guitar player, sometimes I’m like, “Ok, I’m looking way too deep into this. What does a rock song need to sound like?”

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, the Bellamy Brothers. What are you learning from these incredible opportunities to open for Hall of Fame-level musical groups?

Mostly I’ve learned that you’ve got to go with the flow. When you’re opening for the Bellamy Brothers or Nitty Gritty, you don’t need to play your heavier stuff. Just go with the flow, and have fun.

Seeing as you’ve played around the country for more than 10 years now, what are your insights into the national musical industry right now?

What I’ve found is that there’s “mainstream,” and that’s obvious. That’s where the bucks are. And, then there’s the more niche groups and genres. What’s cool is that there’s huge opportunities in every vein right now. You’ve got to know your place and where to go.

Streaming has made live music the only profitable income for musicians.

Most of the money from streaming goes to the top 20% of artists. So, up and coming artists are making nothing from streaming. You can be upset about that. But, it is also a really cool, convenient way to get your music in front of a larger audience. Concert tickets are not going down in price, so that’s promising. It’s tough, it’s always been tough, and it’s always going to be tough, so you’ve gotta love it. What advice do you have for a local shredder? If you could give yourself advice now looking back, what would it be?

Take every opportunity you can. Don’t pigeonhole yourself. It can be easy to overthink things. If you had asked me three years ago if we could open for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, I might have said, “I don’t know if we really fit that.” But, you make it work, so you get these opportunities. Outside of that, make it fun, first and foremost. What’s on the horizon for Garrett Young Collective?

Play as much as we can! Write as much as we can. We’re out at the Lauter Haus Brewing Co. in Farmington on Sat., Aug. 19, opening for Alex Williams. This fall, we’re going to L.A. to record a full-length live album in North Hollywood. I’m really excited for that. ■

Garrett Young, second from left, and the Garrett Young Collective

FlashinthePan

Summer ramence

by Ari LeVaux

When summer’s bounty comes at you faster than you can handle, the veggies start to pile up. We need recipes capable of incorporating the myriad produce; the kind of evergreen dish that isn’t rattled when you swap a tomato for a turnip. Recipes that work no matter what you add and improve with diversity.

When I was growing up, stir-fry was the veggiedisposal method of choice. These days, I prefer quality ramen – especially in summer, when the extra hydration is crucial. And if the broth is spicy, you’ll find yourself in a refreshing layer of sweat – typical of a hot summer ramence.

The last time I made ramen, I started with Hot and Spicy flavored Mama brand noodles, and added zucchini, garlic, snap peas, shelling peas, bacon, egg and basil. I could have added spinach, radish, kale, peppers, carrots, broccoli or chives. In fact, I am hard pressed to think of something that wouldn’t go well in ramen.

As with a stir-fry, the order in which you add the

vegetables is crucial. Fragile herbs should go last, while durable ingredients like zucchini need more time. The same rule applies to proteins. Meat or tofu can go in sooner; egg goes later.

Getting the egg right is one of the trickiest parts of ramen. The egg should be cooked to where the white is solid, but the yolk runs. To do this, I lay the egg gently atop a raft of noodles, where it steams, until the noodles absorb enough water that they sink, along with the egg, into the savory drink, where it lightly poaches before I turn off the heat.

The crux of this centers around keeping that frisky egg on top of the noodles, because it wants desperately to slide off and take a swim. Once the egg falls into the broth, it hides under the noodles, where it’s hard to monitor and will probably overcook.

As the egg steams, add the herbs and other delicate vegetables like radish slices. And assemble your condiments like jalapeño slices (or some other heat), hoisin sauce, mayo or whatever else might customize it.

Zucchini Ramen

2 slices bacon

1 medium zucchini, cut into rounds

2 cloves garlic

1 packet instant ramen (The instant ramen should be high quality, such as Mama, Nonghsim or Sapporo Ichiban. I use a spicy flavor.)

1 egg

Handful of snap peas, chopped coarsely

Peas from a handful of shelling peas

Handful of basil

Fry the bacon. When browned, add zucchini, and fry until brown on at least one side. Add water,

noodles and flavoring. Turn heat to high, and bring to simmer. Flip noodles so the soft side faces up. Crack the egg into a bowl. This allows you to add the egg with a quick pour and eliminates the possibility of a broken yolk. Dump it with a flick of the wrist.

As the egg lands on the noodles, go to any length necessary, using tongs or spatula to keep it on top of the noodles. As the egg cooks, add the peas. Gently transfer to a bowl. Garnish with basil, and serve. ■

Thursday17

Share Your Garden, bring fruit and vegetables, 8:30 a.m., Animas Valley Grange, 7271 CR 203.

California Celts play, 5 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard Ave.

Business After Hours, 5-7 p.m., Three Springs, 175 Mercado. Live music from 6-8 p.m.

Thursday Night Sitting Group, 5:30-6:15 p.m., Durango Dharma Center, 1800 E. 3rd Ave, Suite 109.

Tracy Wiebeck plays, 6-9 p.m., 11th St. Station.

Rob Webster plays, 6 p.m., Three Springs Plaza.

Ree Christine plays, 6 p.m., James Ranch.

Andrew and the Middlemen play, 6 p.m., Durango Hot Springs.

Bluegrass jam, 6 p.m., weekly, Durango Beer & Ice, 3000 Main Ave. All levels welcome.

Jeff Solon Jazz Duo play, 6-8 p.m., Lola’s Place, 725 E. 2nd Ave.

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

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

Hauntings & History Ghost Tour, 8 p.m., Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Depot.

Friday18

Float to Work Day, 7-9:30 a.m. Put-in at Memorial Park with coffee and conservation booths. Take-out at Schneider Park. Durango Transit will provide shuttle.

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

San Juan Nature Hikes, 10 a.m., Andrews Lake. Hosted by San Juan Mountains Association.

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

Open Meditation, 12 noon-1 p.m., Durango Dharma Center, 1800 E. 3rd Ave, Suite 109.

“Necessary Ritual: The Patience of Printmakers,” opening reception 5-9 p.m., Studio & Gallery, 1027 Main Ave. Exhibit runs until Aug. 27.

“That’s So Durango” Art Exhibit Grand Opening, 5 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.

The Smelter Mountain Trio plays, 5 p.m., The Balcony.

Pete Giuliani and Ross Douglas play, 5-8 p.m., Gazpacho, 431 E. 2nd Ave.

La La Bones plays, 6 p.m., Fire Fox Farms, Ignacio. Bluegrouse plays, 6-9 p.m., Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave.

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

Reeder and Spencer play, 7-10 p.m., 11th St. Station.

Knight Fight Night, 7 p.m., Animas City Theatre.

Merely Players present “A Slow Crawl Toward Heaven,” 7 p.m., Merely Underground, 789 Tech Center Dr.

“Bye Bye Birdie: The Musical,” 7:30 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.

Warsaw Poland Brothers play, a benefit for veterans, 8 p.m., American Legion, 878 E. 2nd Ave.

Hauntings & History Ghost Tour, 8 p.m., Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Depot.

Saturday19

Durango Farmers Market, 8 a.m., TBK Bank parking lot, 259 W. 9th St. Live music by 3 Way Street.

Art Mart Soiree, 4:30 p.m., Hermosa Café, 736 Main Ave.

La La Bones plays, 5 p.m., Columbine Roadhouse, Silverton.

Black Velvet plays, 6-9 p.m., Derailed Pour House, 725 Main Ave.

Ben Gibson plays, 6-9 p.m., Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave.

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

Knight Fight Night, 7 p.m., Animas City Theatre.

Merely Players present “A Slow Crawl Toward Heaven,” 7 p.m., Merely Underground, 789 Tech Center Dr.

Ragged Oak plays, 7 p.m., EsoTerra Ciderworks, 558 Main Ave.

The Brothers Payne plays, 7-10 p.m., 11th St. Station.

Vile Aesthetic, Suicide Forest and Anarchy Hammer play, 7:30 p.m., The Hive, 1150 Main Ave.

“Bye Bye Birdie: The Musical,” 7:30 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.

Hauntings & History Ghost Tour, 8 p.m., Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Depot.

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

Sunday20

Durango Flea Market, 8 a.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave.

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

Vinyl Sundaze, 12 noon, Lola’s Place, 725 E. 2nd Ave.

Chad MacCluskey plays, 12 noon, 11th St. Station.

What would Jeeves do, hot stuff and rack envy

Interesting fact: Colorado Revised Statute 42-3202 is pretty unambiguous: “A person shall not operate a motor vehicle with an affixed device … that causes all or a portion of a license plate to be unreadable.” No word on what happens if you’re NOT a person.

Dear Rachel,

Wait, eBay is still a thing? I mean, I never heard about it going away, I just haven’t thought about it as a thing in, I don’t know, 10 years? I had no idea people still go there, let alone have whole side businesses of selling crap from their attic. Now I’m wondering what other relics are still out there operating on the interwebs. Like, is Geocities still a thing? What about Ask Jeeves?

– Web Crawler

Dear Rachel,

I remember when I was a kid in summer, things being hot was a real and constant danger. Seat belt buckles were hot. Slides were hot. Toys were hot. Pavement was hot. And I didn’t care. Now, I complain that everything is hot. But no one thing is as hot as those things were when I was 8. How did everything get cooler while I got more intolerant to the hot?

– Can’t Take the Heat

Dear Dial Up,

Ask Jeeves has been entirely replaced by Ask Rachel since 2016. Answers are a little slower with Rachel than with your archaic modem, but on the flip side, they are far more useless. I got curious and went to eBay just to search “Durango Telegraph,” and lo and behold, there’s that book of Shan Wells’ cartoons from the aughts called Bush’s Nose. Which just proves that eBay is alive, well, vibrant and necessary to our ongoing national discourse.

– Suck it Jeeves, Rachel

“Bye Bye Birdie: The Musical,” 2 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.

Pete Giuliani, 2-5 p.m., Weminuche Grill, Vallecito.

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

Snowy Plovers play, 5-7 p.m., Mancos Brewing.

Mineral Hill plays, 6 p.m., Durango Hot Springs.

Monday21

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

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

Tuesday22

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

Dear Hot Stuff,

Hot metal was omnipresent, man! I still don’t know how I’m not permanently branded by the Plymouth icon on the seatbelts in my mom’s van. Maybe we were just stupider then, you think? “Ooh, hot metal, let me stick my tongue on it and see what happens, hey whaddya know that burned, and now I can’t taste my mac and cheese for a week.” Same thing with playground equipment and chain link fence posts. It sucked.

– So metal, Rachel

telegraph@durangotelegraph.com

Dear Sad Rack,

Dear Rachel,

As I ride around Durango on my e-bike I see a lot of bike racks on the back that cover the rear license plate. Do the city officers give out tickets as they are to be displayed? Or just look the other way? Maybe someone could make one that shows the plate. Can you please rack your brain to answer the question?

– Rack of Blues

Slow Bluegrass Jam, 5:30-7:30 p.m., General Palmer Hotel, 567 Main Ave.

Smelter Mountain Boys play, 6 p.m., James Ranch.

Black Velvet plays, 6-8 p.m., Lola’s, 725 E. 2nd Ave.

Forrest McCurren plays, 6 p.m., Durango Hot Springs.

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

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

Wednesday23

Restorative Yoga for Cancer, 9:30 a.m., free for cancer patients, survivors and caregivers, Smiley Building, 1309 E. 3rd Ave. cancersupportswco.org/calendar

This week’s FREE music lineup:

Thurs., 8/17: Tracy Wiebeck, 6 - 9pm

Fri., 8/18: Reeder & Spencer, 7 - 10pm

Sat., 8/19: The Brothers Payne, 7 - 10pm & Disco DJ Squoze, 10pm - 12:30am

Sun., 8/20: Chad MacCluskey, 12 - 3pm

Wow, never have I had so many chances to make a joke about my rack, yet felt so gloomily unmotivated to crack them. Since you don’t have a rack, however, I recommend that you stop riding around while staring at other people’s. It’s rude to wonder about what’s underneath there, and who are you to judge? Maybe you should find out yourself: go get an e-bike rack on eBay and e-lucidate your e-nquiry.

– E-nough, Rachel

Back-to-School Resource Fair, 4-7 p.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds. Free food, games, supplies and resource providers. durangoeducationfoundation.org

Six Dollar String Band plays, 5-7 p.m., Powerhouse Science Center outdoor plaza, 1333 Camino del Rio.

Tim Sullivan plays, 6-9 p.m., Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave.

Trivia Night, 7 p.m., Bottom Shelf Brewery, Bayfield.

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

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

Ongoing

“Pterosaurs: Ancient Rulers of the Sky,” 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Powerhouse Science Center.

by Rob Brezsny

ARIES (March 21-April 19): The Lincoln Calibration Sphere 1 is a hollow globe of aluminum launched into Earth’s orbit in 1965. Fifty-eight years later, it continues to circle the planet – and is still doing the job it was designed to do. It enables ground-based radar devices to perform necessary calibrations. I propose we celebrate and honor the faithfulness of this magic sphere. May it serve as an inspiring symbol for you in the coming months. You have the potential to do what you were made to do, and with exceptional steadiness and potency.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “Live as though you’re living a second time and as though the first time you lived, you did it wrong, and now you’re trying to do things right.” Holocaust survivor and author Viktor Frankl offered this advice. I wouldn’t want to adhere to such a demanding practice every day of my life. But I think it can be an especially worthwhile exercise for you in the coming weeks. You will have a substantial capacity to learn from your past and to prevent mediocre histories from repeating themselves.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gemini author Jamie Zafron wrote an article titled “To Anyone Who Thinks They’re Falling Behind in Life.” She said, “Sometimes you need two more years of life experience before you can make your masterpiece into something that will feel real and true and raw. Sometimes you’re not falling in love because whatever you need to know about yourself is only knowable through solitude. Sometimes you haven’t met your next collaborator. Sometimes your sadness encircles you because, one day, it will be the opus upon which you build your life.” This is excellent advice for you in the coming months, dear Gemini.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You’re entering a phase when you will generate maximum luck if you favor what’s short and sweet instead of what’s long and complicated. You will attract the resources you need if you identify what they are with crisp precision and do not indulge in fuzzy indecision. The world will conspire in your favor to the degree that you avoid equivocating. So please say precisely what you mean! Be a beacon of clear, relaxed focus!

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Unless you are French, chances are you have never heard of Saint-John Perse (1887-1975). He was a renowned diplomat for the French government and a poet who won the Nobel Prize for Literature. Now he’s virtually unknown outside of his home country. Can we draw useful lessons for your use, Leo? Well, I suspect that in the coming months, you may very well come into greater prominence and wield more clout. But it’s crucial for the long-term health of your soul that during this building time, you are in service to nurturing your soul as much as your ego.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “Life is not so bad if you have plenty of luck, a good physique, and not too much imagination.” Virgo author Christopher Isherwood said that. I’m offering his thought, because I believe life will be spectacularly not bad for you in the coming weeks – whether or not you have a good physique. In fact, I’m guessing life will be downright enjoyable, creative and fruitful. In part, that’s because you will be the beneficiary of a stream of luck.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “You know how crazy love can make you,” wrote Mary D. Esselman and Elizabeth Ash Vélez in their book “Love Poems for Real Life.” “On any given day, you’re insanely happy, maniacally miserable, kooky with contentment, or bonkers with boredom – and that’s in a good relationship.” They add, “You have to be a little nuts to commit yourself, body and soul, to one other person—one wonderful, goofy, fallible person—in the hope that happily-ever-after really does exist.” The authors make good points, but their view of togetherness will be less than fully applicable to you in the coming months. I suspect life will bring you boons as you focus your intelligence on creating well-grounded, nourishing, nonmelodramatic bonds with trustworthy allies.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “I don’t adopt anyone’s ideas – I have my own.” So proclaimed Scorpio author Ivan Turgenev (1818–83). Really, Ivan? Were you never influenced by someone else’s concepts, principles, art or opinions? The fact is that all of us live in a world created and shaped by the ideas of others. We should celebrate that wondrous privilege! As for you Scorpios, I urge you to be the anti-Turgenev in the coming weeks. Rejoice at how interconnected you are – and take full advantage of it. Treasure the teachings that have made you who you are. Sing your gratitude for those who have forged the world you love to live in.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The Tibetan term “lenchak” is often translated as “karmic debt.” It refers to the unconscious conditioning and bad old habits that attract us to people we would be better off not engaging. I will be bold and declare that sometime soon, you will have fully paid off a lenchak that has caused you relationship problems. Congrats! You are almost free of a long-running delusion. You don’t actually need an influence you thought you needed.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): If you’re like many of us, you have a set bathing routine. In the shower or bath, you start your cleansing process with one particular action, like washing your face, and go on to other tasks in the same sequence every time. Some people live most of their lives this way: following well-established patterns in all they do. I’m not criticizing that approach, though it doesn’t work for me. I need more unpredictability and variety. Anyway, Capricorn, I suspect that in the coming weeks, you will benefit from trying my practice. Have fun creating variations on your standard patterns. Enjoy being a novelty freak with the daily details.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In July 1812, composer Ludwig van Beethoven wrote a 10-page love letter to a woman he called “My Angel” and “Immortal Beloved.” He never sent it, and scholars are still unsure of the addressee’s identity. The message included lines like “you – my everything, my happiness … my solace – my everything” and “forever thine, forever mine, forever us.” I hope you will soon have sound reasons for composing your own version of an “Immortal Beloved” letter. According to my astrological analysis, it’s time for your tender passion to fully bloom. If there’s not a specific person who warrants such a message, write it to an imaginary lover.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): At age 32, artist Peter Milton realized the colors he thought he used in his paintings were different from what his viewers saw. He got his eyes tested and discovered he had color blindness. For example, what he regarded as gray with a hint of yellow, others perceived as green. Shocked, he launched an unexpected adjustment. For the next 40 years, all his paintings were black and white only. They made him famous and have been exhibited in major museums. I love how he capitalized on an apparent disability and made it his strength. I invite you to consider a comparable move in the coming months.

Deadline for Telegraph classified ads is Tuesday at noon. Ads are a bargain at 10 cents a character with a $5 minimum. Even better, ads can now be placed online: durangotelegraph.com

Prepayment is required via cash, credit card or check.

(Sorry, no refunds or substitutions.) Ads can be submitted via:

n www.durangotelegraph.com

n classifieds@durango telegraph.com

n 970-259-0133

n 679 E. 2nd Ave., #E2

Approximate office hours:

Mon-Wed: 9ish - 5ish

Thurs: On delivery

Fri: Gone fishing; call first

Announcements

KDUR is Celebrating 50 years of broadcasting in 2025. With that anniversary fast approaching, staff is on the hunt for past DJs. Maybe you did a show for one year, maybe you did a show for 10. However long that was, hopefully you have a fond memory, a story or maybe even some recorded material! If you do, please email station manager Bryant Liggett, Liggett_b@fort lewis.edu or call 970.247.7261

Wanted

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

ForSale

Hunting Firearms & Archery

Mossberg 22 long laser rifle, $235. Mossberg Magnum 3.5” 12-gauge pump, $190. Matthews bow/arrows, model VXR 31.5, $750. Chest waders, knives. 303-522-6798.

Reruns Home Furnishings

Brighten up your indoor and outdoor space – patio sets, bistros, cool garden art and décor inside and out. Looking to consign smaller furniture pieces … 572 E. 6th Ave. Open Mon.Sat. 385-7336.

TaoTronics 4k Action Camera

New and in the box. Comes with user guide and all accessories that came with it: waterproof housing, handlebar/pole mount, mounts, battery, tethers, protective back cover, USB

cable and lens cleaning cloth. $50. J.marie.pace@gmail.com

Drums & Speakers

Tama kick and mapex toms 80s/90s quality. Shells only, $125. PA speakers w/powered mixer $150.  970-759-8820

Services

Free Astrology Consult

Visit AnimasAstrology.com to request a free consultation with a local astrologer to review and analyze your birth chart (the location of the planets at the moment of your birth). Clients new to astrology are preferred. Spaces are limited.

Marketing Small/Local Businesses

Media, website building and content editing, copywriting and editing, newsletters, blogs, etc. for small, local, independent or startup businesses. www.the saltymedia.com or email jnderge@ gmail.com

Harmony Cleaning and Organizing

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

Lowest Prices on Storage!

Inside/outside storage near Durango and Bayfield. 10-x-20, $130. Outside spots: $65, with discounts available. RJ Mini Storage. 970-259-3494.

BodyWork

Bodywork Special

Deep tissue, therapeutic, myofascial bodywork specials! Downtown Durango. 60 min for $75, 90 min for $100. Call or text Dennis @ 970.403.5451

Massage by Meg Bush

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

Lotus Path Healing Arts

A uique, intuitive fusion of Esalen

massage, deep tissue & Acutonics, 24 years of experience. To schedule call Kathryn, 970-201-3373.

CommunityService

Multimodal Volunteers Needed for Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project, Sept. 19-21 and 23. Volunteers will count the number of bicyclists and pedestrians that cross an intersection over a two-hour period. Morning and evening slots. The city conducts counts every other year to collect data on how our infrastructure is being used and for grant funding for sidewalks, bicycle facilities and transit improvements. Sign up at volunteersignup.org/EQ9BH

Calling all La Plata County Artists curators and galleries. The First annual Durango Art Week kicks off Sept. 15. Participation is open to anyone in the art field. Durango Art Week strives to unite the community through art and celebrating diversity and accessibility. If you are interested in learning more or registering, email artweek@dur ango.org