A growing problem
The West – and the alfalfa wars – heat up
Got apricots?
Have no fear, the glean team is here
Going strong
At 78, Bruce Cockburn shows no signs of slowing
.. and why trying to be productive never pays off
by Zach HivelyThe West – and the alfalfa wars – heat up by Jonathan Thompson / The Land Desk
Got apricots? Have no fear, the Good Food Collective is here by Jonathan Romeo
At 78, Bruce Cockburn shows no signs of slowing down by Chris Aaland
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4 La Vida Local
“Do they call German shepherds ‘German’ shepherds in Germany?”
– We don’t know, but we do know they don’t call them “French” fries in France. Or parts of certain red states.
5 The Land Desk
6-7 Soap Box
8 Top Story
10 Top Shelf 2.0
12-13 Stuff to Do
13 Ask Rachel
14 Free Will Astrology
15 Classifieds
15 Haiku Movie Review
On the cover Ahh, sunflowers. A sure sign that fall – arguably the best time in Southwest Colorado – is on its way./ Photo by Alex Krebs
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It seems the plug has been pulled on concerts at The Hive – at least for now.
Since opening a few years ago in the 1100 block of Main Avenue, The Hive, which features an indoor skate ramp as well as various youth activities, has held concerts inside the venue. The all-ages shows have ranged from local hip hop to metalcore to punk rock.
However, according to The Hive’s Creative Director Alex Vick, due to a dispute with the landlord, concerts have been cancelled indefinitely. The Hive will remain open for its other activities.
“I’m writing this with a heavy and defeated heart,” Vick said in an email Tuesday. “My role in the community has been to uplift and create space for artists and musicians. I apologize that, for the foreseeable future, we have to put our venue on hold. My hope is we get what events/concerts we can rescheduled if we can get the issue resolved.”
Vick asked the community for understanding as well as suggestions or ideas. “Email or message me with words of support to help our case in showing the great value of our venue in serving the community,” he wrote.
Contact Vick at alex@hivedgo.org
If you’re a home-improvement channel surfer, chances are you’ve come across some familiar scenery. For that past year, HGTV has aired “Building Roots,” a home reno show featuring Pagosa Springs-based husband and wife Ben and Cristi Dozier.
The couple has just signed to a second year of bringing “high-altitude, high-design transformations to HGTV.” Throughout the eightepisode season, the Doziers will work with families looking to put down roots in Pagosa.
“They will dream up elevated designs that draw inspiration from the area’s sweeping mountain vistas, red clay canyons and winding river bends,” HGTV croons. Alas, no mention of other popular landmarks like the Malt Shoppe and Bellagio golf course fountain (which appears to have recently been removed.)
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In the premiere episode, Ben and Cristi meet a – wait for it – Dallas couple looking to modernize a ’90s era dome home. Although we haven’t seen the show and can’t vouch for the binge-worthy sexual tension of Tark and Christina or the cringey-but-cute quirkiness of the Property Brothers, you can find out for yourself. The first episode of “Building Roots” airs Sept. 17.
So this’ll teach me to be efficient: I was being so very on top of things the other day. Like, I had run all the errands I really had to, like getting groceries and stopping for a latte, and I decided –in lieu of going home, where I like to be very much – to swing by the dry cleaners, drop off my one real suit, and see if they had any clothes of mine that I had forgotten about.
This is the danger with dry cleaners. They, in my experience, do not hound me to come get my winter coat or my comforter or either of my nice shirts. Nor do they appear to take my clothes home for themselves within, say, three to five years. They just … store my clothes for me, free of extra charge, on those cool conveyor-belt clothes racks, until I show up on a particularly efficient day, figure out which false phone number they have on file for me (because I hate getting automated marketing messages like “Save 15% this weekend” or “Your items are ready for pickup”), and take home what feels like brand-new outfits for the low, low price of what I paid for them at the thrift store in the first place.
Such was my state of mind – total #bossbabe – sitting at a red light shortly after leaving the dry cleaners. I felt accomplished. On top of things. Soon to be well-attired. Then I felt rear-ended. This is largely because I was, in fact, rearended.
In the other driver’s defense, the light had indeed turned green. I saw it. The driver in front of me saw it. The driver in front of him saw it. But none of us had yet ACTED on it when the woman behind me did.
“I thought you were going,” she summarized, “but you didn’t.”
We pulled to the turn lane where we could inconvenience the greatest number of other drivers while walking around each other’s cars and rubbing the backs of our own necks. She said this was her first accident, which I am inclined to believe, because a more experienced rear-ender would know to have one current registration in the vehicle instead of two dating from different administra-
2 million acres of scenic Western Slope lands, including stretches of the Dolores River, would see stronger protections from drilling under a draft BLM proposal, signaling a kinder, greener federal agency.
Purgatory announced it has expanded parking spots for the 2023-24 season, which will hopefully alleviate the early morning powder day conga line and parking anxiety. (But really people, how about carpooling?)
Colorado reviving “cash for clunkers,” offering folks $6,000 toward a new or leased EV or plug-in hybrid or $4,000 off a used EV for turning in thier old gas guzzlers
tions in the 2010s. She would also have an up-to-date discount insurance card instead of texting someone to Photoshop her one real quick.
I didn’t call the police or file a report, because the last time I called the police for a non-emergency incident they ultimately told me to go home, and then they called me at 2 a.m. to talk about submitting photographs by 4 a.m., and quite frankly we are all lucky I didn’t get arrested at 2:15 a.m. that night.
Besides, it’s all good. I, having come of driving age in New Mexico, know to carry excellent uninsured motorist coverage. In such a seemingly minor bumper-bender as this, I am confident that my automotive repairs and personal bodywork will both fall well short of my deductible.
I cannot be certain, however. Lawyers from network television shows have advised me not to make public claims about my wellbeing until I have been thoroughly assessed by medical professionals who stand to make much more money if they declare that I may need months of rehabilitation and – I hope – therapeutic massages.
The problem here is that, whatever my dry cleaning adventure has you presuming to the contrary, I am really, really busy. Like, I am too busy to understand why, exactly, I am so busy. I’ve officially reached the stage in life where the worst thing about an auto accident – even worse than the thought of lifelong whiplash symptoms – is the inconvenience.
This factor is intensified, because everyone else is even busier. My medical providers can’t book me for three weeks. The earliest the body shop in bed with my insurance company can fit me in for a damage appraisal is a month out. And I’m taking my legal advice from TV.
And all this because I deviated from my norm; because I went against my true nature; because I decided to Be Responsible and do One More Thing While I’m Out Anyway. You’ll never see me making THAT mistake again. In fact, I now possess a sound excuse for never running errands again, except for getting lattes. I hope my dry cleaner gets good use out of that three-piece suit.
– Zach Hively
Apparently, the kids are not all right. The new “Kids Count in Colorado” report found that stress, social media and the pandemic have taken a toll on Colorado kids’ mental health.
And speaking of kids’ mental health, broken or nonexistent air conditioning has forced schools throughout the central U.S. heat dome to close due to record-breaking temps
Idalia wreaking “catastrophic” destruction on the Sunshine State. Guess DeSantis will have to pull himself away from his other important duties like history washing, Mickey bashing and teacher shaming.
Littleman the Barbiearian Greg Locke, a proTrump pastor from Tennessee, recently went on a 45-minute tirade against temptations and porn during his sermon, and then he duct-taped a bible to a baseball bat and used it to demolish a Barbie Dream House in front of his congregation. Other fun facts about Locke: he was present at the Jan. 6 insurrection, he’s so pro-family that he’s a divorced adulterer, and he once said demons told him who the secret witches were in his church. Anyway, the Barbie movie has grossed over $1 billion, and it’s obvious that Locke is hung like a Ken doll, so we all know where God stands on this one.
by Jonathan Thompson
Earlier this month, two reports on agriculture in the Colorado River Basin popped into my inbox. It was interesting to read them back to back, given the similar topic and the wildly diverging slants. They were: The Family Farm Alliance’s “The Importance of Irrigated Agriculture in the Colorado River Basin & The Western United States;” and Food and Water Watch’s “Big Ag is Draining the Colorado River Dry.”
That these two dropped at the same time is coincidence, I’m sure, but it still gave the effect of a water-policy cage fight in which the alfalfaphiles go up against the alfalfaphobes and innocent folks like yours truly get caught in the crossfire.
Both papers are informative, make good points and are worth a read. I’m not going to rehash all of their arguments –I’ve covered both sides of the alfalfa debate thoroughly in the past (links below). What’s interesting is how much attention the alfalfa/water use issue is getting these
days after long wallowing in relative obscurity. One of the Land Desk’s first Data Dumps was on alfalfa and water use and a lot of the responses to it were along the lines of: “Finally, someone’s talking about alfalfa!” That was just 2½ years ago. Now, everyone’s talking about alfalfa. And a lot of that talk irks the Family Farm Alliance’s Dan Keppen, a noted alfalfaphile. His report claims that urban interests and junior water rights holders
– with support from journalists – “have mounted a sustained campaign against agricultural water use ... often pointing to alfalfa as one crop that uses too much water.” He even calls me out by name!
I’m flattered. But to be fair, I was simply doing the math. Alfalfa and other forage crops use a lot of the Colorado River’s water. The only way to cut 2-4 million acre-feet of consumption is to stop irrigating a lot of that alfalfa.
Keppen goes on to suggest that the purpose of this “demonization” of Western agriculture is to take water from farmers and use it to fuel urban growth. That has certainly happened in the past, usually in the form of buy and dry. But the Colorado River situation is a bit more dire: There simply isn’t enough water to irrigate all of the existing crops and serve all of the existing people. It’s just not there – the water, I mean.
As the title implies, the Food and Water Watch report targets factory farms and industrial-scale agriculture, not small farms, even ones that grow only alfalfa.
Long-time Land Desk readers will be familiar with most of the numbers and information in the report: agriculture –specifically forage crops – is the biggest user of Colorado River water; some of that alfalfa – along with Colorado River water – is being shipped overseas; the Colorado River Compact is riddled with flaws, the most egregious being its exclusion of tribal nations; and so on.
But the report isn’t merely an indictment of the current system. It also suggests reforms, including:
• Ban new factory farms and limit expansions of existing facilities;
• Stop using federal funds to prop up factory alfalfa farms;
• Restrict alfalfa exports;
• Help small- and medium-scale farmers shift to more geographically appropriate crops;
• Define water as a public trust resource, not a commodity.
For more reading see: www.landdesk.org/ p/alfalfaphobia. To subscribe to The Land Desk, go to: www.landdesk.org ■
Darcy Shoening, the chair of Moms for Liberty El Paso County (CO), is scheduled to speak at the next meeting of La Plata County Republicans on Sept. 5 at the VFW. MFL is an anti-government, white supremacist, anti-LGBTQ organization that advocates for book bans in school libraries, targets teachers and school officials who do not share their views, and campaigns for the abolition of public education. They advance conspiracy propaganda and spread hateful imagery and rhetoric against the LGBTQ community, particularly trans youth.
They have close ties with the Proud Boys, Three Percenters, QAnon, and other groups and individuals responsible for the Jan. 6 insurrection, including the spouse of one of the founders, Bridget Zeigler.
The chair of the El Paso County chapter has stated that teachers and their unions are engaged in a coordinated effort to make children trans and gay to “break down the family unit and conservative values” and “slowly erode constitutional rights.”
The Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled MFL an extremist organization. The American Historical Association condemns the group’s advocacy of censorship. Speakers at their events have included people who are openly anti-Muslim and who refer to homosexuality as “filth.” An Indiana chapter of MFL quoted Hitler in its publications.
Neighbors, do not be fooled by this group’s “soft”
messaging. It is NOT a parental rights group or an advocate for our children. Let La Plata GOP and the VFW know that MFL’s divisive, cruel and hateful views are not welcome in our community. Thank you for your thoughtfulness.
– Emily Rodman, DurangoDiscussion about climate change from conservative voices has been all over the map. On one edge of the conversation, we have former President Donald Trump saying “I think global warming is a hoax. It’s a moneymaking industry, OK? It’s a hoax, a lot of it.”
On the other end are legislators who think we need to stop arguing with the thermometer and face the reality: We are experiencing the economic impact of drought, crop loss, wildfire damage, more severe storms and property loss to name a few. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has said, “We should be developing the kind of energy that provides good jobs, that leads to greater prosperity, that protects our environment.” Many conservative ideologies emphasize the importance of preserving and stewarding the environment for future generations. This mindset is at the core of conservative family values.
A good point was made by Rep. John Curtis, (R-UT). “I believe strongly that if Republicans don’t make (climate change) an issue, we will lose the upcoming
generation of Republicans... The upcoming generation will not be patient with us. This is a deal-breaker for them.”
Why conservative voices are so important for all at the climate-change policy table:
• Long-term sustainability: Climate change policies need to be durable and adaptable to changing political landscapes. Involving conservatives in crafting these policies can help ensure that they are designed to withstand shifts in political power and remain effective over the long term.
• Economic considerations: Conservative perspectives often prioritize economic growth and fiscal responsibility. Integrating these into climate policies can lead to strategies that minimize negative economic impacts while still advancing environmental goals.
• Policy innovation: Conservative voices can contribute fresh ideas to the climate-change conversation. When conservatives engage in climate dialogue, there is potential for different viewpoints leading to innovative policy proposals that align with conservative principles, such as market-based solutions, individual freedoms and limited government intervention.
• Technological innovation: Conservative voices can encourage the exploration and support of technological solutions to climate challenges. Emphasizing research and development of cleanenergy technologies can align with conservative values of innovation and enterprise.
• Public support: Climate policies with broad political support have a better chance of garnering public acceptance and avoiding polarization. If conservatives are actively involved in shaping climate policies, the resulting initiatives are more likely to enjoy widespread endorsement, which is crucial for effective implementation.
• Local solutions: Conservatives often emphasize the importance of local governance and individual states’ rights. This perspective can lead to the promotion of region-specific climate solutions that better reflect the needs and values of different communities.
Conservative voices in the climate-change
conversation are crucial for fostering bipartisan support, designing effective policies and ensuring longterm sustainability of efforts. I encourage you, regardless of affiliation, to contact your member of Congress to reach across the aisle and work on climatechange policy solutions that align with our shared values of responsibility to future generations. If you don’t have a seat at the table, you don’t have influence.
– Susan Atkinson, DurangoWe have to reduce carbon emissions to address global warming. Renewable energy sources like wind and solar can only provide about 20% of our power requirements. To meet energy needs in the eastern U.S., we would need 100,000 square miles of solar panels (the size of New England) or 800,000 square miles of windmills (the size of Alaska and California).
As a past scientist and engineer, I believe the solution could be the construction of small-scale nuclear power generating units linked together. A drawback to nuclear power has been previous accidents. The Chernobyl plant accident was due to shoddy construction and mismanagement, and the Three Mile Island partial meltdown was due to inadequate operator training. Another drawback has been the high cost of building large nuclear power plants.
Kairos Power is testing a small scale and affordable nuclear power unit in New Mexico. It is only 16 feet tall and could be housed in a small building. It uses molten fluoride salt to cool the reactor. If there is a cut to the power for the cooling system and a failure of
safety systems, the reactor will not melt down.
Nuclear power plants produce a minimal amount of spent fuel, which can be safely stored in sealed and monitored casks at the plant sites. The use of deep drilling to create horizontal bore holes could provide permanent storage facilities.
The future of our planet could rely on the replacement of fossil fuels with nuclear power systems. Note: The information in this letter came from The Atlantic magazine, March 2023.
– Donald Moskowitz, Londonderry, N.H.La Plata County Dems Club Lunch presents a dynamic duo on Tues., Sept 5, at noon via Zoom (register for link at laplatadems.org/events). We’ll start the session with Cristen Salaz, the owner of WeFill (3465 Main Ave.), Durango’s original refilling station and zero-waste shop stocked with healthy soaps and cleaners and more. There’ll be a short Q&A afterwards.
Then we’ll hear from attorney David Albrechta, who will talk about his partnership with Towards Justice, a nonprofit law firm representing workers in litigation and other advocacy in efforts to build worker power and advance economic justice in Colorado and across the country. One of the projects involving Durango is to ask the City for legislation on raising the minimum wage. This benefits both worker and employer. Q&A to follow as well.
We record these sessions, so if you miss it, you can see it by Sept. 7 at laplatadems.org.
If you haven’t been able to tell by all the squishy apricots on the sidewalks, it’s harvest season in Durango, which also means: it’s fruit gleaning season.
Every year, the Good Food Collective, a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening the regional food system, helps organize volunteers to visit producing trees around town to pick fruit before it hits the ground and rots. And, in recent years, the program has exploded in popularity.
“This is such a cool way to connect with our history and do something good for the community,” Rachel Landis, executive director of the Good Food Collective, said.
“And with that cool, wet spring we had, it led to proliferation of cherries, apricots and apples. It’s a banner harvest year.”
The Good Food Collective’s gleaning program has seemingly endless beneficial
impacts in the community. For starters, it saves food that would otherwise go to waste, thus lowering carbon emissions. Also, by removing fruit from yards and sidewalks, it also reduces the risks of bears coming into town and getting in trouble.
To top it off, most of the food harvested is donated to local food banks that distribute the produce to people in need.
Southwest Colorado, with its high elevation and abundant sunshine, is a prime climate to grow some amazing fruit, Landis said, especially stone fruit, like peaches, plums, cherries and apricots.
As a result, the region has always been an agricultural hub. Early homesteaders, for instance, set up orchards all throughout the region, bringing upwards of 300 apple varieties and fruits of all kinds, Landis said.
Then, in the late 1800s to early 1900s, farmers across Southwest Colorado and
even down into New Mexico served as a sort of lifeline for the miners around Silverton, sending produce up with the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.
Even into the 1990s, farmers and ranchers continued to churn out large amounts of produce. Much of the fruit would go to the largest organic apple factory in North America, the now-defunct Mountain Sun Organic & Natural Juices in Dolores, Landis said.
Over time, the homesteaders and miners left the region or turned to different pursuits, and even the Mountain Sun factory closed down in 2012. The trees and orchards, however, remained on the landscape, producing tons of fruit each year, with nowhere for it to go.
Landis estimates that 2.3 million bushels of apples alone drop to the ground in the area each year, which, left
unattended, go to waste, draw bears and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.
Around 2007, local ag growers started to mull (pun point!) over some ideas to put all that food to good use. That brainstorming session led to organized fruit gleaning days, which would help both landowners, as well as people interested in picking their own fresh local food.
Quickly, organizers also realized they could help members of the community suffering from food insecurity. Landis said one study shows 11% of people in La Plata County struggle with access to healthy food and nutrition.
“Not everyone has all the food or calories they need to support a healthy lifestyle,” she said. “So wouldn’t it be so great to collect that excess food to help?”
As a result, gleaning efforts set aside a good portion of harvested fruit to be donated to local food banks, not just in La Plata County, but across the region, Landis said.
What’s more, harvesting food from the ground helps remove a major attractant for bears. In the fall, when bears are in their feeding frenzy before hibernation, wayward fruits are, of course, easy pickings.
However, those fruits are not part of a bear’s natural diet. And when bears are lured onto people’s property, the animals
are more likely to run into conflicts with people. The end result, most times, is not in the bear’s favor, with many being put down or relocated by wildlife officials.
“A lot of residents think domestic food is a natural food for bears, and it’s not; it needs to be treated like any other attractant,” Bryan Peterson, executive director of Bear Smart Durango, said. “And it’s great to have the Good Food Collective’s gleaning program that can help our community and help save bears.”
The fruit gleaning project has been in place for a number of years but didn’t really take off until around 2017, thanks to a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (Landis said today, gleaning efforts are supported by private donations and funding from the City of Durango and Colorado Parks and Wildlife.)
The gleaning program has become wildly popular, a product of staff outreach, community effort, word of mouth, and people moving to town who have an interest in local foods, Landis said.
Landowners wishing to get rid of excess fruit can list their property on the Good Food Collective’s website (www.goodfoodcollective.org), and people who are interested in gleaning can stop by anytime to pick fruit. The Good Food Collective offers equipment for people to borrow, if needed.
Likewise, would-be gleaners can select from homes listed on the collective’s website and go it on their own or join in the community harvest every Thursday (check the website for location).
Additionally, businesses, nonprofits and the like, can contact the collective, which will set up a day and time for a group glean (you bring the muscle, they’ll bring the equipment, Landis said). What better way to team build than hoisting your coworker into a tree?
At a recent community harvest in north Durango, Jessica Korley opened her home up to volunteer gleaners. Korley, who has lived in her home for 10 years, said it wasn’t until the past couple years that a tree in her front yard started producing ridiculous amounts of “peachcots” – yep, you read that right, peachcots. A cross between a peach and an apricot.
“We started drowning in it, and there was just no way we could stay on top of it,” she said. “So we reached out to the Good Food Collective, and it was amazing. And it’s great to know it’s going to people and families in need and not go to waste.”
One of the main organizers, Anne Poirot, a community harvest coordinator for the Good Food Collective, said volunteer
interest has been strong this year.
“Many people finish up with work at 5 p.m. and like to come harvest fruit with fellow community members,” she said. “And they’re obviously hungry for peachcots.”
Last year, Landis said 17,159 pounds of produce was harvested from the gleaning project. That, she said, is the equivalent of 3.62 years of average household electricity usage in terms of CO2 savings.
As for the future of the gleaning program, Landis said the Good Food Collective is working to reach out to a broader swath of the community. Also, the collective received a grant from the City of Durango’s Creative Economy Commission to pilot and experiment with a line of fruit ribbons (not fruit leathers!) to possibly include in the collective’s Fruit for Good product line. Launched in 2020, Fruit for Good packages local dried fruits that are given away to food insecure residents or available for purchase at local independent stores.
And, when all else fails and fruit inevitably goes bad, Landis said there is one final, fail-safe option – feed it to the pigs, goats and chickens. Which, of course, ends up in the ground and, you guessed it, starts the whole darn process over again. ■
The Four Corners Folk Festival brings award-winning folk, bluegrass, rock and more to Reservoir Hill in Pagosa Springs this weekend for the 27th time since its inception in 1996. The lineup is rich in legends like 13-time Juno Award winner Bruce Cockburn and Bluegrass Hall of Fame inductee Peter Rowan, but equally strong in up-and-coming stars like indie-folk sensation Amythyst Kiah, hip-hop/bluegrass genrebenders Gangstagrass and hipster New York City indiegrassers Damn Tall Buildings.
There are plenty of longtime festival favorites returning, including Cruz Contreras, who played the festival numerous times with his past bands, The Black Lillies and Robinella & the CCstringband; acclaimed country songwriter Jim Lauderdale; and Songs From the Road Band, which will back Lauderdale on Friday and play its own set Saturday.
There’s even local flavor with Birds of Play and Liver Down the River, as well as Tewa/Hopi reggae singer Ed Kabotie. The festival’s organizer, KSUT Public Radio, was founded in 1976 as one of the nation’s first tribal radio stations and remains committed to bringing indigenous artists from a variety of genres to its festivals.
Single-day, weekend, camping and vehicle passes are on sale at ksutpresents.org and, starting Friday, at the front gate.
The main draw, however, is Cockburn, who spent some time with me via Zoom to discuss recent environmental disasters, indigenous issues and how, at age 78, he sees no need to slow down from touring and recording. He even took time to share parenting advice (Bruce has an 11-year-old daughter; mine is 9).
Cockburn released his 38th album this past May. Driven by the lead single, “On a Roll,” it has remained on the Americana Music Association’s Top 50 albums and singles charts ever since. He calls it an old guy’s song that looks at his own frustration with the current state of affairs worldwide.
“The fragmentation that we see is somewhat spawned by the internet and the polarization in the U.S. in particular, but it’s worldwide, too,” he lamented. “There’s an acceleration of anti-democratic and anti-humanity forces that’s so broad that people are frightened about it. That fear is translating itself into insularity, hostility and just an unwillingness to listen to anybody else’s point of view.”
Cockburn, who is originally from Ottawa, teamed up with Inuit singer/songwriter Susan Aglukark to draft the album’s second single, “To Keep the World We Know.” Throughout his six decades as a professional musician, Cockburn has only written with others a handful of times.
“It was fun!” he exclaimed of collaborating with Aglukark. “It’s something I haven’t done very much of over the years, very few co-writes. I’m happy with the way it came out, and I think she is, too.”
The song explores global warming, forest fires and other natural disasters on a global scale.
In the second verse, they sing “Hills of California/ Romania and France/Algeria, Australia/Siberia’s expanse/The countryside of Greece and Spain/The Ama-
zon the same/From the tundra to the tropics/Our world’s gone up in flames,” foretelling devastating fires in Yellowknife and Lahaina.
“I think we’ve let it go a bit too long to do much about it,” he pondered when I asked if it’s too late to correct the manmade acceleration of global warming. “We’re seeing changes now that we can’t reverse. And it’s going to get worse if we don’t address those things. The fact that we can’t reverse the things we’re seeing is not a reason for giving up, because it will continue to keep changing.”
Working with Aglukark shed some indigenous wisdom into a contemporary global issue, but it’s far from the first time Cockburn has addressed the horrors that Native Americans and First Nations people have seen
This
are getting shorter, and so are our hours.
since the arrival of Europeans in the 1400s. Songs like “Red Brother Red Sister,” “Kit Carson,” “Stolen Land” and “Indian Wars” are among highlights of his canon.
I asked if North Americans of European descent are recognizing the original sins of their forefathers. Cockburn thought that while individuals are becoming more aware of the dark past of American and Canadian governments, there’s still a long way to go. He first heard of these atrocities not in school in Ontario, but after heading west as a touring musician.
“I became aware of the kinds of lives that my indigenous peers had led in the early ’70s, when I first started traveling in western Canada,” he said. “In 1970, I traveled west for the first time and began to meet people my age, other musicians who had grown up as a product of the reservation system and residential school system. One friend I can think of was taken from his parents and put up for adoption and not allowed to go back to his town. It was really disturbing to hear. It really opened my eyes. From that point on, it became a matter of concern for me.
“We talk about social justice, and we rightly look at so-called Third World countries where there’s all kinds of stuff going on, but we’ve paid less attention to our own here at home and the injustices that persist,” he added. “It’s one that hopefully we can rectify to some extent. We can certainly find a more just and equitable relationship with indigenous communities and individuals than we’ve done so far.”
When I asked if he contemplated slowing down as he approaches 80, Cockburn laughed. “What would retirement consist of? Sitting around and doing what I
do at home instead of going out and doing it for other people,” he chuckled. “That’s kind of where the fun is, and that’s how I get paid. I don’t see stopping anytime soon.”
At 78 years old, he still likes to get behind the wheel and see new places.
“I just drove to Ontario and back (from my home in San Francisco),” he said. “My 11-year-old daughter was going to summer camp for the second year. We decided that we would drive up, she and I, so that she can see what’s between here and there. She’s been on tour busses since she was 2 months old, but it’s in the dark. You get on the bus after the gig, and you wake up in the next town. I think she appreciated it. I had to wrestle with her to get her nose out of the book or out of the iPad.”
Traveling with his daughter has rewards, especially for a father whose child loves geography.
“She can tell you the capitals of every country in the world and where they are on the map. We have a dinnertime contest that we play for our own amusement. We start with all the countries that start with A and take turns and name them until we run out, and then go to another letter until we work our way through the alphabet.”
Cockburn and I worked through our personal favorites from his catalog, finding some common ground. “‘The Charity of Night’ and ‘Breakfast in New Orleans Dinner in Timbuktu’ are always among my favorites,” he agreed. “If I were to steer someone to my oeuvre, it might be those two, or it might be ‘World of Wonders,’ ‘In the Falling Dark’ or ‘Dancing in the Dragon’s Jaws.’ Those are pretty representative of what I’ve done
through the years.”
Being somewhat of a Cockburn fanboy since the mid ’80s, I couldn’t let him off the hook without inquiring about his identifiable tone as a guitarist.
“The style I developed is kind of idiosyncratically mine,” he admitted, adding it was something every guitarist develops in his or her own way. “I had the radio going on my drive across the Midwest the other day. Something by Van Halen came on, and I don’t know their records at all, but you just knew right away that was Eddie Van Halen. Nobody else sounds like that. Some people have described it as just being in the fingers. It’s the way you touch the instrument, the way your fingers go against the strings, the way you pluck the strings.”
Amazingly, when Cockburn closes down the Dan Appenzeller Memorial Stage at 8:45 p.m. Friday, it will mark his first time in Pagosa Springs, although he has performed in Durango, Mancos and Telluride a few times through his career, and three or four trips to Ignacio for live on-air sessions in the KSUT studios.
“I haven’t been to the Four Corners enough for my own satisfaction,” he said. “I love that part of the U.S. and fell in love with the idea of the Four Corners as a concept when I started reading Tony Hillerman’s novels. He just painted that atmosphere so well. I look forward to seeing everybody down in Pagosa Springs.”
Full disclosure: Chris Aaland is the development director, music director, talent buyer and an on-air DJ at KSUT Public Radio. Chris’ first experience with live concert production was loading stage gear for Cockburn’s 1997 gig at the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College – the first ticketed event at what was then a brand-new venue. ■
Tommy Anderson and Ricci Hardt play, 5 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard Ave.
Community Harvest, fruit gleaning, 5:30-7:30 p.m., goodfoodcollective.org/harvest-fruit
Thursday Night Sitting Group, 5:30-6:15 p.m., Durango Dharma Center, 1800 E. 3rd Ave, Suite 109.
Pete Giuliani plays, 6-9 p.m., 11th St. Station.
Karaoke, 6 p.m., Grassburger South, 360 Camino.
Bluegrass jam, 6 p.m., Durango Beer & Ice, 3000 Main Ave. All levels welcome.
Andrew Schuhmann plays, 6-8 p.m., Three Springs Plaza.
Good Times Band plays, 6-9 p.m., Durango Hot Springs.
Rob Webster, 6-9 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave.
Darryl Kuntz, 6-9 p.m., The Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave.
Trivia Night, 6:30 p.m., Powerhouse Science Center, 1330 Camino del Rio.
“Much Ado About Nothing,” 7 p.m., Lions Wilderness Outdoor Amphitheater, Farmington.
Ecstatic Dance w/Smiley Coyote, 7-9 p.m., Durango Rec Center Outdoor Amphitheater.
Free Friday Yoga, 8:30 a.m., Lively, 809 Main Ave.
San Juan Nature Hikes, 10 a.m., Andrews Lake. Hosted by San Juan Mountains Association.
Gary B. Walker plays piano, 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.
Books, Brats & Brews, celebrating library card sign-up month, 4-6 p.m., Durango Library back patio.
First Friday Art Walk, 4-8 p.m., in and around downtown Durango.
Pete Giuliani plays, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Public House 701, 701 E. 2nd Ave.
Garrett Young Collective plays, 6-10 p.m., Balcony Bar.
High Altitude Blues play, 6-9 p.m., Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave.
Ben Gibson Band plays, 6 p.m., Weminuche Woodfire Grill, Vallecito.
Ragged Oak plays, 7-10 p.m., 11th St. Station.
“Much Ado About Nothing,” 7 p.m., Lions Wilderness Outdoor Amphitheater, Farmington.
“Bye Bye Birdie: The Musical,” 7:30 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.
Desert Child and Desiderata play, 8 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College.
Durango Farmers Market, 8 a.m., TBK Bank parking lot, 259 W. 9th St. Live music by 3 Way Street.
Ben Gibson Band plays, 12:30 p.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds.
Matt Rupnow plays, 5:30 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave.
Darryl Kuntz plays, 5:30 p.m., The Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave.
Karaoke, 6 p.m., Durango Beer & Ice, 3000 Main Ave. All levels welcome.
High Altitude Blues play, 6-9 p.m., Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave.
Ben Gibson Band plays, 6 p.m., Balcony Bar.
Community Yoga, 6-7 p.m., Yoga Durango, 1485 Florida Rd. Donations accepted.
Garrett Young Collective plays, 2:30 – 4 p.m., 4 Corners Motorcycle Rally, La Plata County Fairgrounds.
Ian Lennox plays, 7-10 p.m., 11th St. Station.
Townies, Acid Wrench and Neighborhood Skeletons play, 7 p.m., Anarchy Brewing, 225 E. 8th.
“Bye Bye Birdie: The Musical,” 7:30 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.
High Country Hustle and Six Dollar String Band play, 8 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 College.
Silent Disco, 10 p.m.-12:30 a.m., 11th St. Station.
Vinyl Sundaze, noon, Lola’s Place, 725 E. 2nd Ave.
Theirry Multon, noon-3 p.m., 11th St. Station.
“Bye Bye Birdie: The Musical,” 2 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.
Feed the People! free mutual aid meal & gear drive for homeless, every Sunday, 2 p.m., Buckley Park.
The Black Velvet Trio plays, 4-7 p.m., Wines of the San Juan, N.M.
Devin Scott, 6-9 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave.
Blue Moon Ramblers, 6-9 p.m., The Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave.
Ben Gibson Band plays, 6 p.m., 11th St. Station.
Sunday Funday, 6 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.
“Much Ado About Nothing,” 7 p.m., Lions Wilderness Outdoor Amphitheater, Farmington.
Garrett Young Collective plays, 5-8 p.m., 11th Street Station.
Interesting fact: Even at its worst level of performance, an indoor HEPA filter can capture 99.97% of airborne particles. No word on how that compares to my automotive air filter.
Dear Rachel,
Do air purifiers really work? Or are they the electronic equivalent of a couple crystals and a white woman waving incense? I just figure that my house isn’t airtight, so unpure air keeps coming in, and these thousand-dollar doohickeys just run up filter costs for sucking up what would have eventually blown out the front door anyway.
– Consumer Reports
Dear Rachel,
I started my own business during the pandemic and I have steady online sales. The problem is the sales are basically $20 a day. Not bad for a little extra spending $$. Horrible for actually supporting myself. That doesn’t even cover rent on my water heater. How can I 10x my sales and quit my crap job?
– Scaling Up
Dear Impure Thoughts,
I’ve never paid for an air purifier for the house where I live and breathe 20-some hours a day. But I have paid for an air filter for my car, especially when I’m at the quick oil place and they show me my air filter with half a dirt road and (sometimes) a chipmunk caught in it and they tell me I better replace it or my car will explode. Now, maybe this is just their standard dirtied-up air filter from the back room they use to scare people. But others are always watching me from the waiting room, so I always say yes to the filter.
– Dusted off, Rachel
Community Harvest fruit gleaning, 5:30-7:30 p.m., find location at goodfoodcollective.org/harvest-fruit
Leah Orlikowski, 6-9 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave.
Darryl Kuntz, 6-9 p.m., The Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave.
Comedy Showcase, 7:30 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.
Zoom presentations on WeFill, zerowaste refill store, and attorney David Albrecta, on worker rights. Register for link at: laplatadems.org/events
Community Yoga, 4:30-5:30 p.m., Yoga Durango, 1485 Florida.
Slow Bluegrass Jam, 5:30-7:30 p.m., General Palmer Hotel, 567 Main Ave.
“Gnarled Roots,” Jewish zine fest, 5:30-7 p.m., Durango Public Library.
Rotary Club of Durango, featuring DPD’s Citizens Police Academy, 6 p.m., Strater Hotel, 699 Main Ave.
Live music, 6-8 p.m., Lola’s Place.
Dear Enter Pre Newer,
If I were any good at 10xing anything, this Ask Rachel business would be running in 10x the newspapers, with 10x the fans, 10x the letters and 1,000x the likelihood of being inked to some lucrative megadeal. Or maybe I’d still have this one half page but have to answer 30 letters a week. This is why I never risk growing as a person.
– Danger danger, Rachel
matching plates or real water glasses. How can I up my home game to avoid embarrassment?
– Yard Sale Decor
Dear Rachel,
I have company coming for Labor Day weekend. I barely bring my own girlfriend over, let alone an old friend from college and his WIFE and their THREE-YEAR-OLD. I don’t think I live in squalor, but looking around I realize, I still live like I’m in college. I really have grown up! I’m just a cheapskate who never bought
Andrew Schuhmann, 6-9 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave.
Darryl Kuntz, 6-9 p.m., The Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave.
Open Mic Night, 7 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.
Restorative Yoga for Cancer, 9:3010:45 a.m., Smiley Building. Register at cancersupportswco.org/calendar
Open Mic Poetry, 6 p.m., 81301 Coffee, 3101 Main Ave.
Terry Rickard plays, 6-9 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave.
Adam Swanson plays, 6-9 p.m., The Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave.
Geeks Who Drink Trivia, 8 p.m., The Roost, 128 E. College Dr.
Karaoke Roulette, 8 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.
The Assortment play, 5 p.m., Sept. 7, Ska Brewing, 225 Girard Ave.
Dear Martha Stewart,
You mean, besides buying matching plates and real water glasses? This would be a move quite counter to your intrinsic identity, since it definitely costs money, but I might recommend taking them out to eat. Then dropping them off at a motel afterward. Then never calling them again. Alternately – and possibly more expensively – you could just buy an air purifier.
– Welcome home, Rachel
by Rob Brezsny
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Climate change is dramatically altering the Earth. People born today will experience three times as many floods and droughts as someone born in 1960, as well as seven times more heat waves. In urgent efforts to find a cure, scientists are generating outlandish proposals: planting mechanical trees, creating undersea walls to protect melting glaciers from warm ocean water, dimming the sun with airborne calcium carbonate, and covering Arctic ice with a layer of glass. In this spirit, I encourage you to incite unruly and unorthodox brainstorms to solve personal dilemmas. Be wildly inventive and creative.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “When love is not madness, it is not love,” Spanish author Pedro Calderon de la Barca wrote. In my opinion, that’s naive, melodramatic nonsense! I will forgive him for his ignorance, since he worked as a soldier and celibate priest in the 17th century. Yes, love should have a touch of madness. But when it has more than a touch, it’s usually a fake kind of love: rooted in misunderstanding, immaturity and lack of emotional intelligence. In accordance with astrological factors, I assign Tauruses to be practitioners of genuine togetherness in the coming months: with hints of madness and wildness, but mostly mutual respect, smart compassion, tender care and a knack for dealing maturely with disagreements.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gemini author Iain S. Thomas writes, “There are two things everyone has. One is The Great Sadness and the other is How Weird I Really Am. But only some of us are brave enough to talk about them.” The coming weeks will be a favorable time to ripen your relationship with these two things, Gemini. You will have the extra gravitas necessary to understand how vital they are to your full humanity. You can also express and discuss them in meaningful ways with the people you trust.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): A self-fulfilling prophecy happens when the expectations we embrace actually come to pass. We cling so devotedly to a belief about what will occur that we help generate its literal manifestation. This can be unfortunate if the anticipated outcome isn’t good for us. But it can be fortunate if the future we visualize upgrades our well-being. I invite you to ruminate on the negative and positive projections you’re now harboring. Then shed the former and reinforce the latter.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The holy book of the Zoroastrian religion describes a mythical mountain, Hara Berezaiti. It’s the geographic center of the universe. The sun hides behind it at night. Stars and planets revolve around it. All the world’s waters originate at its peak. Hara Berezaiti is so luminous and holy no darkness can survive there. I would love for you to have your own version of Hara Berezaiti, Leo: a shining source of beauty and strength in your inner landscape. I invite you to use your imagination to create this sanctuary within you. Picture yourself having exciting, healing adventures there. Give it a name you love. Call on its invigorating presence when you need a sacred boost.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo journalist Anthony Loyd has spent a lot of time in war zones, so it’s no surprise he has bleak views about human nature. He makes the following assertion: “We think we have freedom of choice, but really most of our actions are puny meanderings in the prison yard built by history and early experience.” I agree conditioning and routines prevent us from being fully liberated. But most of us have some capacity for responding to the raw truth and are not utterly bound by the habits of the past. At our worst, we have 20-percent access to freedom of choice. At our best, we have 70-percent. I believe you will be near the 70-percent levels in the coming weeks, dear Virgo.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Libra poet T. S. Eliot wrote the iconic poem “The Wasteland.” One part takes place in a bar near closing time. Several times, the bartender calls out, “Hurry up, please – it’s time.” He wants the customers to finish their drinks and leave. Now imagine I’m that bartender telling you, “Hurry up, please – it’s time.” You are in the climactic phase of your astrological cycle and need to finish this chapter so you can move on to the next one. “Hurry up, please – it’s time” means you have a sacred duty to resolve, as best you can, every lingering confusion and mystery.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Addressing a lover, Scorpio poet Margaret Atwood says, “I would like to walk with you through that lucent wavering forest of bluegreen leaves with its watery sun & three moons, toward the cave where you must descend, toward your worst fear.” That is a bold declaration. Have you ever summoned such a deep devotion for a loved one? You will have more power and skill than usual to do that in the coming months. Whether you want to or not is a different question. But yes, you will be connected to dynamic magic that will make you a brave and valuable ally.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sagittarian theologian N. T. Wright writes, “The great challenge to self-knowledge is blind attachment to our virtues. It is hard to criticize what we think are our virtues. Although the spirit languishes without ideals, idealism can be the greatest danger.” That statement formulates a central Sagittarian challenge. On the one hand, you need to cultivate high ideals if you want to be yourself. On the other hand, you must ensure your ideals don’t become weapons to manipulate and harass others. Author Howard Bloom adds, “Watch out for the dark side of your own idealism ... it comes from our arsenal of natural instincts and easily degenerates into an excuse for attacks on others.” Now is a good time to ponder these issues.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn playwright and novelist Rose Franken said, “Anyone can be passionate, but it takes real lovers to be silly.” That’s interesting, because many traditional astrologers say that Capricorns are the least likely zodiac sign to be silly. Speaking from personal experience, though, I have known members of your tribe to be goofy, nutty and silly when they feel comfortably in love. An old Capricorn girlfriend of mine delighted in playing and having wicked good fun. Wherever you rank in the annals of wacky Capricorns, I hope you will consider expressing these qualities in the coming weeks. Romance and intimacy will thrive if you do.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): As I work on writing new books, I often draw on inspirations that flow through me as I take long hikes. The vigorous exercise shakes loose visions and ideas that are not accessible as I sit in front of my computer. Aquarian novelist Charles Dickens was an adherent of this approach. At night, he liked to walk around London for miles, marveling at the story ideas that welled up in him. I recommend our strategy to you in the coming weeks, Aquarius. As you move your body, key revelations and enriching emotions will well up in you.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The coming months will be an excellent time to build, discover and use metaphorical bridges. To get in the mood, brainstorm about every type of bridge you might need. How about a connecting link between your past and future? How about a nexus between a task you must do and a task you love to do? And maybe a conduit between two groups of allies that would then serve you even better than they already do? Your homework is to fantasize about three more exciting junctions or couplings.
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
Free Culinary School
5 weeks, 18 yrs. and above, 4 days a week, 6-8 students. Call Manna, 970385-5095 ext. 110.
Aikido Intro Class
Aikido is a Japanese martial art with a do-no-harm attitude. Gain poise, balance, and focus. Superb stress-relief. 4week class for adults. Mon 6-8pm. Starts Sept. 11. Registration & details at www. durangoaikido.com or text/call 970426-5257.
West Coast Swing Dance
6-week class starts September 6. Learn the basics of West Coast swing. Registration is required at www.west slopewesties.com.
Wanted
Cash for Vehicles, Copper, Alum
Etc. at RJ Metal Recycle. Also free appliance and other metal drop off. 970-259-3494.
Free Free moving items
Bubble wrap. peanuts, 2 wardrobes, mattress and couch covers, lots of sturdy boxes. 970-375-7756.
ForSale
TaoTronics 4k Action Camera
New and in the box. Comes with user guide and all accessories that came
with it: waterproof housing, handlebar/pole mount, mounts, battery, tethers, protective back cover, USB cable and lens cleaning cloth. $50. J.marie.pace@gmail.com
Reruns Home Furnishings
Brighten up your space with furniture and décor for moving in like nightstands, rugs, lamps and coffee tables. Looking to consign smaller furniture pieces … 572 E. 6th Ave. Open Mon.Sat. 385-7336.
Need a Painter? -25 years experience -floor to ceiling painting -deck staining -drywall, texture & repairs. 970-708-7451.
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.
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.
‘You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah’ At 13, I longed to have a Bat Mitzvah, but we were Protestant
Lotus Path Healing Arts
A unique, intuitive fusion of Esalen massage, deep tissue & Acutonics, 24 years of experience. To schedule call Kathryn, 970-201-3373.
Professional Sessions
Take charge of your life with Susan Urban's transcendental hypnosis. Easy! Relaxing! Results! Private, professional sessions now available in your own home! 970-247-9617. Limited availability.
Harmony Cleaning and Organizing
Residential, offices, commercial and vacation rentals, 970-403-6192.
Needing to Relax and Rejuvenate?
Having feelings of overwhelm and stress? Come see me and reap the benefits of massage. $85/hr, refer a friend and receive $10 off your next visit. rwm-amber.com
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.
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. There are 11 local intersections with morning and evening time slots, totaling 77 slots. The city conducts counts at intersections every other year to collect accurate data to know how our infrastructure is being used, and it is necessary for grant funding for projects such as sidewalks, bicycle facilities, and transit improvements. Sign up at volunteersignup.org/EQ9BH
– Lainie Maxson
