The Durango Telegraph, Oct. 14, 2021

Urine trouble

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T H E

O R I G I N A L

I N D I E

W E E K L Y

L I N E

O N

D U R A N G O

&

B E Y O N D

Monumental moment

School daze

Theatre is back

Inside Biden’s restoration of Bears Ears, Grand Staircase p8

Breaking down the contentious 9-R School Board race p9

Raising the curtain on a new show season in Durango p11

2 n Oct. 14, 2021

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lineup

4

4 La Vida Local

The trials and tribulations of a tiny home on wheels

4 Thumbin’ It

Free-wheelin’

by David Feela

5 Word on the Street 6-7 Soapbox

8

8 Land Desk

The unrolling

How Biden’s monument designations will be the same – and different

9 Top Story

by Jonathan Thompson

11 On Stage 12-13 Stuff to Do

9

13 Ask Rachel

The new frontlines 14 Free Will Astrology

9-R School Board election mirrors political movement across nation

15 Classifieds 15 Haiku Movie Review

11

On the cover: Members of the FLC cycling team take in a chilly training ride Tuesday. It was the last one before this weekend’s National Collegiate Championships at Purg, which we’ve been told will go on rain, snow or shine./ Photo by Chad Cheeney

About a horse

Live theatre returns with FLC’s “Native Stories for All Ages”

by Denise Leslie

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ADVERTISING SALES: telegraph@durangotelegraph.com STAFF REPORTER: Jonathan Romeo jonathan@durangotelegraph.com

T

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

“The party will go on. That’s what makes MTB so rad.”

– FLC Cycling Coach Chad Cheeney when asked if the National Championships would go on, despite a foot of snow this week on the race course

OHVs ousted A little update from our friends in The Great White North, otherwise known as Silverton.

Back in June, we reported Silverton was headed toward yet another vote on whether to allow OHVs in town. Well, that happened Tuesday, and the results are in: OHVs will no longer be permitted to ride within town limits.

Silverton voters first opened select streets to OHVs in 2014 to provide easy access to businesses in town and boost the town’s fragile tourism-dependent economy.

But in the past few years, OHV popularity has exploded, and many people in the town of about 600 residents were fed up with the noise, illegal off-roading, dust and traffic the all-terrain vehicles bring. In 2017, a vote to oust OHVs lost by a slim margin, with support for the vehicles still strong among businesses that benefit the most from tourism.

After a record busy year in 2020, however, tensions again flared, forcing yet another town vote.

This one, though, wasn’t even close with residents voting 291-189 to ban OHVs from all streets and alleys in town limits.

And thus ends the latest in the Silverton OHV saga, for now.

Help!

by Jonathan Romeo

EDITORIALISTA: Missy Votel missy@durangotelegraph.com

Ear to the ground:

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STAR-STUDDED CAST: Jonathan Thompson, Denise Leslie, Lainie Maxson, Rob Brezsny, David Feela and Clint Reid

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

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

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

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By now, you’ve probably heard of the Texas couple hiking with their infant daughter on the Purgatory Flats trail, north of Durango, who called for a search and rescue helicopter after spotting a mountain lion.

What hasn’t been addressed, however, is who ultimately paid for the flight out.

Ron Corkish, president of La Plata County Search and Rescue, said no – you can’t just call for a helicopter ride if you see a mountain lion.

But in this instance, the mom, with her baby, was, shall we say, seriously freaking out and refused offers to hike out with rescue crews. So, Corkish said the quickest way to remedy the situation was to call a Flight for Life. “There’s just no consoling an unhappy mom,” he said.

Flight for Life, for its part, said it could help.

So in just an hour’s time, the Texas family was extricated. It should be noted, however, the mountain lion showed zero signs of aggression.

Lindsay Radford, spokeswoman for Centura Health (which runs FFL), said the family was not billed for the flight, but she was unable to provide a total cost of the operation. Pilots are contracted and on-call, so their time is already being paid for. The only real expense was the fuel, but Radford was unable to provide those numbers.

Also, FFL did not administer medical care, so it could not charge the family on that front. All in all, the flight was absorbed by the company’s operating expenses. And if there was a true lifethreatening emergency elsewhere, Radford said pilots would have diverted to that mission.

Anyway, the take-away message here, if there is one, is: when you go into the backcountry, there’s a chance you’re going to see wildlife. And perhaps (we’re treading lightly here) it’s not the best idea to take away emergency resources for a nonemergency situation.

Oct. 14, 2021 n

3

opinion

LaVidaLocal Another boggy draw Reaching its pinnacle at 8,755 feet, McClure Pass rises and falls for almost 50 miles between the Colorado towns of Carbondale and Somerset.

It’s a treacherous road but it’s also awe-inspiring. I never allow the fear of falling boulders, rock slides or avalanches to scare me away.

Near the top is one of my favorite Forest Service-managed facilities, McClure Campground. It offers a woodsy refuge on a no-reservations-firstcome-first-served basis. All this without any fees, plus a regularly cleaned toilet stocked with paper. Can a road trip get any better?

These days the forests, national parks – even the privately owned RV corrals – have been overwhelmed by tourists, but McClure Campground incorporates a few natural buffers to preserve its cozy integrity. First off, it’s small, offering just 10 sites – the biggest one able to accommodate no more than 19 feet of trailer. No hookups, no water, and garbage should be packed out, don’t even think about tossing it into the toilet. Secondly, it’s at the top of a steep, rugged mountain pass, so it’s not a destination. It’s more like a pull-off, a pause, a take-a-break sort of facility.

Finally, the vistas and towering rock walls that accompany the highway to the summit and back down again are unpredictable, littering the road with stones and debris. I suspect many travelers fail to notice the tiny turn off, distracted as they are by road conditions while trying to glance at the scenery.

In all the years Pam and I have crossed this pass, we’ve always camped for at least one night. Never had any trouble finding an open site, never that is, until last week. An inadvertent oversight on our part: we showed up late on a Friday afternoon. The rule of thumb, especially useful for retired folks who want to find a camping site, is never show up late in the day and never, never, never show up on the weekend. We deserved what we didn’t get.

Having to improvise for an alternative, we pulled to the shoulder a few times and idled our way along the highway’s descent, flashers flashing, and then walked into the trees at various unimproved dirt paths, hoping one of them might yield a space wide enough for our vehicle and tiny 13-foot Scamp trailer. The best option we found had a deeply rutted surface, some potholes half the depth of a tire, and a few of the worst ones still filled with mud and rainwater from the last passing storm. But a ridge of grass crowned the passage, tall enough to polish the bottom of our vehicle. If I

drove carefully along that high mark, we could reach the site hidden in the aspens that we’d scouted, a clearing with plenty of room for a U-turn when we needed to head back out.

We took the chance and reached the turn-around, unhitched the trailer, set it up, then drove the unencumbered vehicle back to the highway where we followed the pavement to a restaurant in Carbondale. Everything seemed to have worked out.

The subject of rain came up while ordering our meal. Or rather, I should say the subject of rain came down, very audibly against the restaurant’s metal roof like a team of galloping horses. We looked at each other, as if trying to put a finger on the appropriate mythology: war, famine, pestilence or death? A gully washer might fit into such company. By the time our meal arrived the rain had stopped and a bit of the setting sun lit our table like a flickering candle. Our appetites were rekindled.

Starlight turned out to be the headlights we encountered returning to our makeshift camp. We washed up, brushed our teeth and fell asleep with the windows wide open, our dreams nearly weightless as fresh air filled the trailer.

2 A.M.: A patter of rain against the fiberglass roof. I closed the windows and settled back against my pillow, trying to translate the secret code of weather. Tap tap tap, then a bit of rain-rap fading, so gentle even I faded away.

2:30 A.M.: A drum roll, one of those jazzy sets that makes a person sit up and pay attention.

My feet started jittering.

3 A.M.: Technically, the words torrent and deluge are not synonyms, but I couldn’t lie there for the rest of the night debating their subtle differences. The weather forecast didn’t call for a drop. My forecast called for worry if this rain did not stop.

We got up and grabbed our clothes. Outside with my flashlight slashing a path through the indecipherable rain, I hitched up the trailer while Pam put away every loose thing that might bounce around. Then I drove out of that quandary, parked on the shoulder at the side of the highway and crawled back into bed, leaving the trailer hitched.

Before I fell asleep for the fifth time that night, I watched a semi-truck decked out with yellow marker lights whoosh past, then a star-speckled sky winked back at me like a marquee, announcing the upcoming morning.

Sign of the Downfall:

Thumbin’It President Joe Biden restoring two national monuments – Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante – which were slashed during the previous Trump administration.

The first snow of the season turning SW Colorado from fall to winter in a flash, a promising sign for skiing and drought relief, even if it screwed procrastinators who haven’t blown out their sprinklers.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife removing a tire that had been around a bull elk’s neck for more than two years. CPW had been tracking the poor guy all this time and finally were able to tranquilize the 600-pound animal in Jefferson County.

4 n Oct. 14, 2021

– David Feela

Another box truck driver, apparently trusting in the wonders of GPS, becoming stuck on Ophir Pass, a gnarly 4WD mountain road. This is the third time in the past year or so this has happened.

A new national survey that found 46% of Americans believe the country is headed for a civil war in the near future. Umm... does this mean we’ll have to get up from the couch?

Forbes 2021 World Billionaire’s List revealing that – despite the pandemic and people suffering all over – nearly 90% of the people on the list were richer than a year ago. Cool.

telegraph

Trick or TV In 2019, in a small Virginia town, a man wearing an old television on his head left working, but equally old televisions on 50 random porches. An officer who spent a Sunday retrieving the televisions called the situation “an inconvenience to the community” and still plans to charge the perp with “illegal dumping” if he’s caught, but that’ll never happen.

You see, TVs were also found in a neighboring town in 2018, and elsewhere in 2020. Doorbell cams even caught pictures of the TV-head zombie leaving his soul traps for unsuspecting fools, and he’ll be back in two weeks. Happy Halloween!

WordontheStreet

Q

With Southwest Airlines cancelling thousands of flights, The Telegraph asked: “What’s your worst travel horror story?”

Sam

“Caught in Hurricane Ida and being stuck in a Starbucks parking lot.”

Sean

“Driving through downtown Atlanta traffic for 3½ hours in the blazing sun.”

Dawn

“Leaving Europe after 9/11 and my daughter broke out in hives on the airplane.”

Robby

“Driving to Denver it started dumping snow out of nowhere. I spun out, hit a median and a cup of pee in the car went everywhere.”

Tammy

“Driving to Jackson Hole in a September snowstorm and the highway was a sheet of ice.” telegraph

Oct. 14, 2021 n 5

SoapBox 9-R thrives despite cuts Colorado’s woeful underfunding of our public schools, due mainly to the restrictions of the Tabor amendment, has had harmful effects across the state’s educational system, weakening the ability to provide our students with the quality education and opportunities they need to succeed. Our state ranks last in the nation in providing teachers a competitive wage, and 45th in the percentage of taxable resources spent on education.

Ultimately, we need to fix Colorado’s broken funding system, but Durango High School still has an impressive graduation rate of 92.3%. Our incumbent school board members, Erika Brown and Andrea Parmenter, helped lead the effort to pass Durango’s 2020 school bond, helping to fill the funding gap, and worked to hire our new superintendent. Both believe investing in a great public school education for all our students is the right thing to do because every dollar invested in our students provides them with the promise of better opportunities. These candidates will continue to advocate for better state funding and work to increase teacher pay.

Rick Petersen is a new candidate for the School Board but has been involved for years with Durango’s youth as a Scout leader. All three of these candidates have children currently enrolled in 9-R schools and so are invested in the schools’ success.

D-Tooned/by Rob Pudim These are the candidates endorsed by Durango teachers and support staff. Please take the time to turn in your 9-R ballot – the children are depending on you!

– Lora Fults, Durango

Don’t be fooled Across the country, school boards are being politicized and taken over by extreme conservatives waging culture wars. The movement is fueled by anger over mask mandates and a claim that parents should “take back” our schools from the educational professionals. There is a slate of candidates here in Durango trying to do just that. They are marketing themselves as “Building Durango’s Future,” but they aren’t being up front about their positions because they know they can’t win on them in Durango. They have been very careful not to share their opinions regarding vaccinations, mask mandates and education-related conspiracy theories, instead trying to gain votes by disparaging Durango’s school performance with lies and calls for “change.”

This group is supported by the same people who have recently disrupted school board meetings by refusing to wear masks despite the board’s stated policies. Please don’t be fooled by these candidates. Voting for them would imperil the progress our district hopes to make.

– Chris Blackshear, Durango

Hold 9-R to task Editor’s note: we checked with 9-R, and they still say the pledge at every meeting, As the debate began nationally over mandatory masks and vaccinations for school age-children, mama and papa bears across the country focused on their local School Board.

It was generally assumed that each school board membership would predominately consist of parents or grandparents of students within that school district. It has been further assumed that those board members were committed to health of their children rather than easily accepted the dictates of Big Pharma and its minions at the CDC, WHO, FDA, the local health

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department or the once-altruistic Democratic Party.

We now know that some of those idealistic visions have yielded to adopt a more politically correct agenda such as Critical Race Theory.

One such example is the 9-R School District, where concerned parents questioned the need for mandatory masks for elementary children who are not vulnerable to COVID infection. It was discovered that the 9-R School Board had already adopted a “Resolution on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” without a publicly noticed hearing.

Minutes from the Jan. 26 board meeting reveals no record of a board discussion taking place on the resolution. And since there is no secretary of the board, no one person is responsible to provide pertinent facts.

At the same time, the board has done away with the Pledge of Allegiance and replaced it with a Land Acknowledgement statement.

The lack of meaningful exchange was revealing during the Aug. 12 meeting when the board approved the use of mandatory masks for its students.

By the end of August, with four board seats up for the Nov. 2 election, questions arose about whether one incumbent who moved in August met the residency requirement. She was required to resign her seat from District D and is now running for District E. Providing public copies of the four documents that each candidate was required to submit – including a copy of their nominating petition – might provide answers to the above questions about eligibility requirement rather than leave the board open to charges of a lack of transparency.

Multiple inquiries for clarification to 9-R’s public information officer went unacknowledged.

Most important of all, however, is the current board’s reluctance to discuss its pre-COVID decline of 9-R’s academic proficiency in math, science and reading scores with almost 80% of all students below grade level and its abysmal 74% graduation rate, all of which are secondary to a board that is more focused on fulfilling the necessary

politics of the day than addressing 9-R’s failing academic standards.

– Renee Parsons, Durango

Candidates lie about school stats Shame on the slate of School Board candidates marketing themselves as “Building Durango’s Future.” Hill, Gulec and Paslay are trying to con you into voting for them by calling for change and falsely claiming that Durango’s schools have failed students for the past decade. This is not true. DHS placed in the top 20% of all 1,783 Colorado schools the last time CMAS tests were administered in 2018-19. Reading proficiency was in the top 10%. The percentage of students achieving proficiency in reading/language arts was 72% (much higher than the Colorado average of 47%).

In tests this spring after missing last year due to COVID, Durango schools outperformed the state average and were well above scores in neighboring Bayfield, Ignacio, Cortez and Dolores. Niche.com ranks DHS #68 out of 445 public high schools in Colorado and #58 out of 349 best college prep high schools in the state. Greatschools.org ranks DHS above the state average in key measures of college and career readiness with a four-year graduation rate of 92% compared with the statewide average of 81%, and average SAT scores of 1053 compared with 1001 statewide. 68% of DHS graduates will pursue a college education compared with 41% statewide.

The “Building Durango’s Future” candidates have posted on their Facebook page an article making false claims about the performance of Durango schools written by a woman who claims to have been abducted by aliens. Honestly, you could not make this stuff up. The photograph of a disheveled classroom used in that article is from Chernobyl!

The rhetoric from these candidates includes anti-mask, anti-science, anti-evolution theories, and claims

that church and state should not be separate. Don’t be fooled by these candidates.

Vote for Erika Brown, Rick Petersen and Andrea Parmenter. They are the mainstream candidates endorsed by the Durango Education Association and the Durango Educational Support Professionals Association, people who really know what our school board needs to do its job successfully.

With the delta variant surging, Parmenter and Brown participated in the board’s unanimous decision to follow the science and CDC guidance by requiring masks in our schools to keep our students, teachers and staff safe so inperson learning could occur. They are seasoned professionals who have volunteered literally thousands of hours in our Durango schools and have been part of the board’s key recent accomplishments including the hiring of an excellent new superintendent and helping to pass the 2020 school bond to help fill the serious gap in state funding.

Did you know that Colorado ranks last in the nation in providing teachers a competitive wage, and 45th in the percentage of taxable resources spent on education? That’s why the board worked so hard to pass the school bond so more money would be available to provide resources to our schools and to increase teacher pay.

Petersen is a new candidate for the board, running for the District C seat that was previously held by Mick Souder, who was term limited. Like Parmenter and Brown, Petersen has children in our Durango schools and has been very involved in the schools. He has also worked with Durango youth for years as a Scout leader, soccer coach and LEGO league volunteer. He will bring his leadership skills to the board and provide the solid leadership we need for our students’ success. Whether or not you have children in 9-R, it is especially important to vote in this year’s election as your vote will help determine whether our schools continue to move forward or whether they will instead be disrupted by extremist board members.

– Carol Cure, Durango

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Oct. 14, 2021 n 7

LandDesk

Monumental moment Biden restores Bears Ears, Grand Staircase national monuments

by Jonathan Thompson

A

t first glance, President Biden’s restoration of Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments appeared to be just that: He merely turned back the clock to a preTrump time, when the monuments were intact. But a closer look reveals that Biden did more than just roll back Trump’s rollback, and in fact made subtle changes which could provide an opportunity to build back the monuments better and stronger than before.

Trump’s dramatic shrinkage of the monuments was unprecedented. In theory, Biden simply could have voided Trump’s shrinkage, thereby restoring the original proclamations. Instead, Biden issued his own proclamations. While they draw heavily from the originals made by Clinton and Obama, they are not mere repeats. Here are some differences and the top takeaways: • Sacred sites and traditional uses: When Clinton designated GSENM in 1996, he did not directly mention protection of sacred sites, nor did he explicitly reserve tribal access to the monuments for traditional uses. By contrast, Biden’s GSENM proclamation and Obama’s Bears Ears proclamation include language saying, “The Secretary shall … ensure the protection of sacred sites and cultural properties and sites in the monument and provide access to Tribal members for traditional cultural, spiritual, and customary uses … including collection of medicines, berries and other vegetation, forest products … .”

• Bears Ears Transportation Plan: Obama’s Bears Ears plan calls for the development of a transportation plan designating roads and trails as open or closed to motorized or non-motorized use, which would have been included in a management plan. Biden doesn’t mention it.

• Recreation and tourism: Clinton’s GSENM proclamation is aimed solely at protecting natural and cultural resources.

Obama’s and Biden’s proclamations also

Bears Ears will now recieve protections of a national monument./ File photo highlight the monuments’ contribution to local tourism economies. The area contains numerous objects of historic and scientific interest, and it provides world-class outdoor recreation opportunities, including rock climbing, hunting, hiking, backpacking, canyoneering, river running, mountain biking and horseback riding. On the one hand, this answers concerns that designation will destroy local economies. On the other it bolsters critics’ claims that designation will lead to an uptick in “wreckreation” on fragile landscapes.

• Starting from scratch: Agency officials will develop new management plans from scratch for both monuments, rather than reinstating the pre-Trump plan for Grand Staircase-Escalante. This is significant given that management of GSENM was widely seen as problematic long before Trump diminished the monument.

• Grazing phaseout? And, perhaps most significant, Biden’s language around grazing is slightly different than both Clin-

ton’s and Obama, who both went out of their way to assure folks that designation would not mess with public lands livestock operations. Indeed, 20 years after the proclamation was issued, the number of animal unit months on the monument is virtually unchanged, and more than 95% of lands remains open to livestock. Grazing in Obama’s Bears Ears likewise would have been unaffected.

Biden’s proclamation doesn’t ban or restrict grazing – not even close. But by locking in voluntary retirements for both national monuments, he set the stage for a market-based grazing reduction over the long term, perhaps reviving a program first seeded in the late 1990s.

A few years after GSENM’s designation, the Grand Canyon Trust helped broker a deal to compensate ranchers to give up their BLM grazing permits in the Escalante River watershed. The ranchers were able to buy ranches elsewhere, retire comfortably, or continue to ranch in other parts of the

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region. The BLM then reallocated the forage and allotments to wildlife and watershed restoration. It was a win-win situation.

Until it wasn’t.

In 2020, the BLM issued a new management plan for the shrunken national monument reopening tens of thousands of acres within the monument to grazing, including nearly 90% of the previously retired grazing allotments. The BLM, in other words, had reneged on its deal. Biden’s added language would make it far more difficult for the BLM to back out of such deals and it would provide more certainty for conservation groups looking to fund these buyouts. More importantly, it does away with the notion that grazing levels should remain constant.

Ultimately, though, the approach taken with either of these national monuments is largely dependent upon the management plan, the staffers charged with carrying out the plan, the presiding culture within the oversight agencies, and the level of funding allocated to the plans’ implementation. The first GSENM plan was finished in 1999 and promised great things, but in the years since, monument scientists have been replaced by rangeland managers, funding has diminished and the culture has prioritized grazing over preservation.

Where the Biden BLM will end up is anyone’s guess. On the one hand, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland seems intent on rebuilding the agency and overhauling its culture. On the other hand, Haaland hasn’t made any moves to reform public lands grazing and top administration officials say they want grazing lands to count towards 30x30 climate change conservation goals.

As for the concerned public, its task is to stay involved, hold the agencies accountable and provide input into management plan development.

Jonathan Thompson is a fourth-generation Durangoan who runs the Land Desk, a thriceweekly newsletter: visit www.landdesk.org. He is also the author of River of Lost Souls, Behind the Slickrock Curtain and the newly released Sagebrush Empire.■

TopStory

The 9-R admin building in downtown Durango. The School Board’s normally sleepy election has taken on newfound interest as political ideologies clash, mirroring a national trend./ File art

The new frontlines National culture wars take center stage in 9-R election

by Jonathan Romeo

I

n a world where politics have infiltrated seemingly every aspect of daily life, what would be another dull School Board election in Durango this fall has instead entered the fray of culture wars plaguing the nation.

Across the country, local schools have become ground zero for battles over how children should be taught sensitive issues such as race and gender, and whether districts should mandate COVID protocols like masks or vaccines.

In many communities, these tensions have erupted into shouting matches at school board meetings, harassment of board members and staff, and in extreme cases, violent clashes that lead to arrests. Just this past month, the National School Board Association asked for the FBI’s and DOJ’s help to address the increase in incidents of violence and intimidation against its members.

In a number of these incidents, the disrupters are part of a nationwide movement, mostly led by conservative groups, who view school boards as the new frontline in the culture war over social issues – regarded by some as the “Tea Party 2.0” movement. In recent weeks, conservative thinktanks have even released blueprints for ousting school board members they see as too progressive.

In Durango, tensions within the school district have not reached heights seen elsewhere, but that’s not to say the friction isn’t there. In August, for instance, a Durango School District 9-R meeting had to be shut down and police were called after an unruly crowd showed up and refused to wear masks and follow capacity restrictions. As a result, the meetings are now held online, yet angry people have called in to accuse the district of silencing free speech and threatened legal action.

Now, the upcoming Nov. 2 School Board election, which has seven candidates vying for three open seats, has put the spotlight on a slate of candidates accused of pushing this “ultra conservative” agenda.

Three newcomer candidates – Donna Gulec, Richard “Dean” Hill and Kristine Paslay – who have seemingly banded together to run as a three-piece ticket under the group name, “Building Durango’s Future,” acknowledge they have conservative leanings. But, they are adamantly against the idea they are part of a larger national effort to take over school boards.

“Being portrayed as extremists is absolutely unfair,” Gulec said. “I’m just a normal person. I don’t go around screaming and yelling my ideas, which are not extreme in any way. I don’t know where they get that from.”

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‘Swirling hot mess’ So how did school boards, previously a place for mundane budget talks and staffing issues, become the epicenter for political fervor and ideologies?

Generally speaking, tensions started flaring this spring and summer as schools started to plan reopening to in-person learning, sparking debates between those for and against COVID-19 protocols such as mask and vaccine mandates. Tensions further escalated once the concept of “Critical Race Theory” (CRT) splashed onto the scene, intensifying talks on how schools should teach race.

CRT is a concept from the 1970/’80s, mostly taught in universities, examining the impacts of systemic racism on American institutions and laws. Opponents, however, see CRT as a way to negatively impress upon students that America is racist at its core, and to view the world as oppressors vs. the oppressed. 9-R, it should be noted, does not teach CRT. As the 2021-22 school year approached, things got nasty as citizens would disrupt school board meetings across the country with protests and threats against district officials. As tensions heightened, people were arrested. In some instances, school board members (and sometimes entire boards) were

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recalled, which historically never happened.

And these incidents weren’t limited to red or blue districts; it was happening across the country, with many efforts funded by national conservative organizations such as “No Left Turn in Education.”

In trying to understand why school boards were the new cultural war zones, Adam Laats, professor of education at Binghamton University, N.Y., wrote in a September column for The Washington Post that whenever America has taken a progressive turn (such as electing President Joe Biden), conservatives have consistently blamed public schools for indoctrinating youth with “radical ideas.” School boards, quite simply, are easy scapegoats.

“Most meetings are open to the public, in local town halls or school-district offices; their members are local volunteers, who usually have no campaign war chests or partisan election support,” Laats wrote. “School boards are viewed as winnable battlegrounds that activists can turn into islands of the ‘real’ America, in a rising sea of cultural change.”

Though discord within 9-R hasn’t reached the toxic levels of other American school districts, incidents such as the aforementioned August meeting have sown seeds of concern.

“It’s very reflective of what’s going on around the country, and it’s not just conservative groups, it’s progressive groups too,” Stephanie Moran, who served on the 9-R school board from 2012-18, said. “That’s why it’s so heated, these conflicting points of view. It’s a swirling hot mess right now.”

Candidates under fire All three candidates with “Building Durango’s Future” have children or grandchildren who are attending or have graduated 9-R schools. But Hill, who is now a pastor at Pine Valley Church, is the only one with previous experience in education, having worked as a teacher, dean of students and superintendent. Gulec is the vice president of Destinations Coupons, and Paslay has been a hair dresser for nearly four decades.

For most of the election, they have called 9R out for lack of transparency and said addressing poor student performance is atop their priorities if elected.

All three denied being part of any organized, nationwide movement to take over the 9-R School Board. But they did say they fall on the conservative side of certain topics and believe schools are not the place to teach children about race, sexuality and gender, or religion.

“It’s the parent’s right to teach their children (those issues),” Gulec said. “It’s not the school’s ability to do that.”

The three candidates have also made public comments opposing any mask or vaccine mandates. (The current board voted unanimously in August to require masks indoors). “People want to say, ‘It’s my body, my choice,’ with abortion,” Hill said. “Well it’s my body, my choice on whether to have a vaccination or wear a mask.”

Hill in recent days has also received flak for a video posted in which he’s seen giving a sermon where he says the Bible is the best guide to raise children and calls the idea of a separation of church and state “a lie.” Hill said in an interview with The Durango Telegraph this week the comments were taken out of context. Regardless, Hill said the criticism is hypocritical.

“They don’t want my worldview to come into my decision-making process, yet they feel comfortable for their worldview to be the filter for their decision-making process,” Hill said.

Hill’s time as Bayfield School District superintendent has also come under scrutiny.

Hill started the job in July 2009, but left abruptly in February 2011, in the middle of the school year. While he didn’t want to go into the details, Hill did say his departure was the result of differences with the school board. “It was my errors, and I take responsibility for those,” he said.

On top of ideological differences, there have also been questions over the three candidates’ campaign finances. In financial reports to the state on Oct. 5, Gulec, Hill and Paslay reported they raised about $2,000 each from individual, private donors. Yet, the candidates did not disclose virtually any spending, despite the fact they have yard signs, flyers and a campaign website.

Gulec, for her part, said it was a clerical error. Paslay said it was her understanding the filing reports were in compliance. The three candidates have hired Marge Klein, Rep. Lauren Boebert’s former treasurer, as their filing agent. Klein on Monday said she was unaware of the problem.

9-R, we have a problem During this campaign cycle, Gulec, Hill and Paslay have cited 9-R’s supposed falling test scores and student performance as one of the main reasons why they wanted to run for the School Board.

Breaking down some of the numbers the candidates point to, however, reveals some inaccuracies. The candidates say 9-R has a one in four dropout rate. But Julie Popp, 9-R spokeswoman, said Durango High School’s graduation rate is 92%. The district’s overall numbers are influenced by Big Picture High School, which serves students who have challenges with traditional education models and has a graduate rate of 50%, as well as Colorado Connections Academy statewide online school’s 55% graduation rate.

But struggles do exist: an estimated 60% of K-8 students were below grade level for reading, and 55% of students in grades 9-12.

On math, 67% of K-8 students were below grade level and 39% of 9-12 students.

Though 9-R is working to improve student achievement, Popp said the scores are similar to state and national averages. Numbers were based on CMAS test scores from the end of the 2020-21 school year.

While having to hold classes online likely affected performance, Gulec and Hill said another reason the district’s numbers are low is because the school focuses on talking to kids about gender and race, subjects better suited for conversations with parents at home, and as a result, instruction time is diverted from the core educational staples like reading and math.

“How much time is being spent on fringe curriculum may be interfering with time that could be spent on true academic achievements in core areas,” Hill said. “We only have a small amount of time to be able to provide competency for those kids to move forward and be successful.”

Paslay said because of COVID-19 protocols, parents aren’t allowed in the classroom, and it’s harder for them to know what their children are being taught. (Parents could pre-

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viously sign up to be volunteers to support activities in the classroom). “They need basic education,” she said. “But they’re not teaching math, reading and English.”

Not being allowed or limited on school campuses are just other ways parents feel like 9-R is not being transparent, Paslay said.

With board meetings online only, many parents feel like they are not being heard.

And in some cases, the audio is so bad, they literally can’t be heard.

“Shutting parents out isn’t going to resolve it, it’s just going to make the divide even wider,” Paslay said. “The best way to deal with people when they’re upset is hear them out. Who cares if they’re yelling at you? You’re a public servant.”

Maintain the peace School boards, it’s worth noting, don’t set curriculum. But they do have sway over who is hired and can affect policy, which can affect curriculum. 9-R’s Board consists of five members. Erika Brown and Andrea Parmenter (running against Paslay and Gulec, respectively) are both incumbents.

Catherine Mewmaw, a former teacher, is also running in Brown and Paslay’s district.

Brown said it used to be the district would have trouble finding candidates to run. During the last School Board election in 2019, just 37% of voters turned in a ballot. But now, given the current political fracas, more people are running and the tenor has changed.

“Two years ago, no one ran in one of our districts,” Brown said. “But now it’s changed with the politicization of COVID and masks.

And it’s happening all over the place.”

Rick Petersen (challenging Hill) reiterated CRT is not a component of 9-R’s curriculum, but he believes history should be taught accurately and honestly, even if some parts of America’s history is dark and uncomfortable. And he has taken issue with the conservative candidates not being forthright with their stances on issues in previous public comments and on their website, which may have an impact on the casual voter.

“That group of three is not being transparent in what they believe and what they stand for,” Petersen said. “I want voters to have the information they need to vote, but at this point, they just don’t.”

“Building Durango’s Future” candidates disagree. Other than hot topic issues, Gulec said it’s important to offer vocational training for kids who don’t want to go to college. She also said the district could do away with social programs to better pay teachers.

And, there is some common ground. All candidates have voiced support for new superintendent Karen Cheser, who was hired this year, and acknowledge 9-R’s student performance must be addressed, as well as larger issues like teacher salaries. How we get there, it seems, is where the ideological differences come into play. Durango, so far, has avoided the toxic fever pitch, and many hope it stays that way.

“One of the great things about Durango is our schools,” Erica Max, who had two kids graduate from 9-R schools and is now involved in the district, said. “And the School Board function is mostly budgeting and policy governance – it’s boring as hell, which is why no one usually wants to run.

But suddenly there’s this activism that’s rising up. The norms no longer exist.” ■

OnStage

Theatre is back (but some would argue it never really left)

by Denise Leslie

T

his is the first in a series of short features aimed at telling the stories of our theatre community and its resilience to create – and continue to create – when the world threw us all a curve ball. In March 2020, we were all in a state of how to move forward, some thinking it will only be a few months and all will go back to normal, and some thinking … well, I can’t think!

As for me, I sat in a small restaurant in Santa Fe watching flamenco dancers, eating and drinking with some new creative friends, and enjoying live music and dance. Who knew that one week later all would shut down and none of the joys we – my husband, Charles, and I – had made our life’s work, would disappear? Performances were “postponed,” then cancelled for theatres, both companies and performing arts venues, across the world. For the world of theatre and performance – where collaboration lives – it became a chance to reinvent itself. For many it worked; for some it did not. But for those who took the dive into this creative opportunity, the changes carved a new path that will probably last for years to come.

And it is now safe to say, theatre is back (and some would say and it never really left!)

Durango is home to a thriving theatre community, and many of us don’t even realize what we have! So, consider these stories a way to enlighten and educate us – and I include myself, as I am excited to explore the arts community and make new friends along the way. I look forward to features on Merely Players, Durango Arts Center, the Community Concert Hall (where in full disclosure my husband, Charles, is the director) and FLC’s newly developed Performing Arts Department, a merger of the theatre and music departments. I’m sure there will be others along the way, and I hope you’ll contact me and tell me all about it (denise.leslie@gmail.com.)

But first, we will start with FLC’s Theatre Department, which has been around for more than 50 years, presenting shows directed by students, faculty and special guest artists. These folks are close to my heart as I worked with them for a couple of years as the media coordinator – they rock! There have been a lot of changes in the department including the retirement of Professor and Department Chair Ginny Davis; budget cuts; and the challenges brought by COVID-19. These developments have left new and adventurous opportunities. It will be exciting to share the stories in this new era of theatre.

The latest chapter for FLC Theatre Yazzie begins Oct. 15 and runs through Oct. 23, with “Native American Stories for All Ages,” a series of three short plays exploring cultural traditions written and directed by Native Americans. The stories include the hour-long performance of “Wild Horses,” of a young Native American girl from L.A. who takes a fantastic journey into her family’s history using puppetry and imaginative characterizations. The play is written by award-winning Navajo playwright, producer, director and actor Rhiana Yazzie, who is based out of the Twin Cities. The play is directed by guest artist Kim Gleason, from Two Worlds, a Native American theatre and performing arts company in Albuquerque. Audience members have two opportunities to participate in a Q&A with Yazzie, from 1-2 p.m.

Oct. 15 and following the performance that night.

The second piece, “Chief Tender-Foot” is a 20-minute play written by Annawyn DeBenning Shamas, a playwright from the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma. Shamas has directed productions in the States as well as Germany, England and Monaco. The play is based on a Nez Perce legend about the first moccasins, and the

FLC Theatre returns Oct. 15 with “Native American Stories for All Ages,” a collection of three short plays

chief has a problem … his feet! It is directed by FLC senior Tyler Gleason, who was part of the Theatre Department’s season selection committee. “This story means a lot to me because, being Indigenous, often our stories go untold, or told from the white perspective,” he said. “This performance will showcase the oldest tradition: storytelling and how we pass it down from generation to generation.”

Audiences can be part of a Q&A with Shamas and Gleason on Oct. 22 following the performance.

The performance closes with the seven-minute play, “Buffalo Tricks,” written by Alan Kilpatrick, an Irish and Cherokee Native American playwright. Can two wily bison outwit Buffalo Bill Cody? I guess we will find out soon enough! It is directed by FLC senior Shane Ventris.

The three short plays are considered family friendly, as the show’s title suggests. “Our mission for the Theatre Department is to include theatre for young audiences as often as we can,” FLC Theatre Professor Felicia Meyer, who was also part of the theatre selection committee, said.

Gleason There is a lot going on up on the mesa at Fort Lewis College, and I highly encourage you to take some time to explore the performances offered by FLC’s new Performing Arts Department … more to come from these folks!

Next time, I’ll tell you about Durango Arts Center’s journey to host the “Rocky Horror Show,” a Durango must-see Oct. 29-31.■

JusttheFacts What: “Native American Stories for All Ages” When: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 15-16 & 21-23; 2 p.m. Oct. 17 Where: Fort Lewis College, Main Stage Theatre, masks required.

Tickets: $10 - $16 at www.durangoconcerts.com Special Opportunity: Meet Rhiana Yazzie, writer of “Wild Horses,” 1-2 p.m. Oct. 15, Black Box Theatre, FLC Theatre Building

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Oct. 14, 2021 n 11

StufftoDo

Thursday14 Cafe au Play free outdoor baby group, 10 a.m.12 p.m., 495 Florida Road (behind Christ the King church). 970-749-9607 for info.

US Cycling Collegiate National Championships, Dual Slalom qualifier, 3 p.m., Purgatory Resort. Schedule at www.purgatory.ski/events Snowdown kick-off party, 5 p.m., Fur Trappers Steakhouse, 701 E. 2nd Ave. Featuring music by Rob Webster.

SkaBQ, 5 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St. Alex Westphal and the Blues Syndicate play, 5 p.m., Fenceline Cider in Mancos.

Ben Gibson plays, 5:30 p.m., Zia’s north, 2977 Main Ave. Live music, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon and Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. Durango 9R School Board Virtual Candidate Forum, 6-7:30 p.m., sponsored by the League of Women Voters. More info at lwvlaplata.org.

The Badly Bent play, 6-9 p.m., Durango Hot Springs.

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

Trivia night 6:30-8:30 p.m., Powerhouse Science Center, 1333 Camino Del Rio. Beam Me Up Starlight Trivia, weekly 7:30-9:30 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave. Geeks Who Drink Trivia, 8-10 p.m., The Roost, 128 E. College Dr.

Friday15 US Cycling Collegiate National Championships, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Dual Slalom and Cross Country, Purgatory Resort. Schedule at www.purgatory.ski/events Native American stories, featuring three short plays

by Fort Lewis College Theatre, Oct. 15-17 and 21-23.

More info. at durangoconcerts.com Animas Valley Balloon Rally, 8 a.m., public parking on field on south side of Hermosa Meadows Road.

11th annual 10-Minute Play Festival, Oct. 15-17, showings at 3 & 7 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. More info. at durangoarts.org.

Telluride Horror Show, Oct. 15-17, more info. at tellyridehorrorshow.com Euphoria Release Party, 5 p.m., Ska Brewing headquarters, 225 Girard St. Maddy and Kev play, 6 p.m., Weminuche Woodfire Grill, Vallecito.

Alex Blocker plays, 6-9 p.m., Durango Hot Springs.

Ben Gibson plays, 6-9 p.m., Fur Trappers Steakhouse, 701 E. 2nd Ave.

12 n Oct. 14, 2021

Come watch the best collegiate mountain bikers in the country – including our very own Skyhawks – as Purg hosts the 2021 Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships on Oct. 14-17. Admisison is free and even better, most of the action will be visible from the base area. For complete schedule go to www.purgatory.ski/events. For up-to-the-minute results, go to FLC Cycling’s Facebook page.

Artist Dan Groth opening reception, for new exhibit “An Accumulation of Events, featuring Insect Footprints.” 5 p.m., Studio & Art Gallery, 1027 Main Ave. Exhibit runs Oct. 15-23.

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

Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon and Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. Hermosa Valley Balloon Glow, 6:30 p.m., Hermosa Meadows Road.

San Juan Symphony, 7:30 p.m., Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College.

Downtown Balloon Glow, 6 p.m., 5th and Main.

Alex Blocker plays, 6-9 p.m., Durango Hot Springs.

“Gothla: The Dark Side of Belly Dance,” Halloween show and dance party, 6:30 p.m. Elks Lodge, 901 E. Second Ave. Tickets: $15 at the door or available at Animas Trading Co. Friday Nights at Fire Fox Farms, 6-9 p.m., 5513 CR 321, Ignacio.

Saturday16 Animas Valley Balloon Rally, 8 a.m., public parking on field on south side of Hermosa Meadows Road. Free tethered balloon rides also offered.

Liver Down the River & The Buzz play, 9 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Dr.

Sunday17 US Cycling Collegiate National Championships, 10:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., Downhill finals, Team Relay, Purgatory Resort. Schedule at www.purgatory.ski/events Veterans Benefit Breakfast, 9 a.m., VFW Post 4031, 1550 Main Ave. Tethered Balloon Rides, 9 a.m., part of the Animas Valley Balloon Rally. Public parking on field on south side of Hermosa Meadows Road.

Open Mic, 1 p.m., Mancos Brewery.

Animas River Fall Cleanup, 8:30 a.m. Meet at Santa Rita Park, 149 South Camino del Rio. Bring gloves and water. Trash bags will be provided.

Open Mic night, 4 p.m. every Sunday, Fenceline Cider, Mancos.

Durango Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., TBK Parking Lot, 259 W. 9th St.

Johnathon Kinkade plays, 6 p.m., Fur Trappers Steakhouse, 701 E. 2nd Ave.

Manna Soup Kitchen food drive, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave.

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

US Cycling Collegiate National Championships, 9:45 a.m. - 4 p.m., Downhill qualifiers and short track, Purgatory Resort. Schedule at www.purgatory.ski/events

Monday18

Ben Gibson plays, 12 noon- 3 p.m., 11th St. Station.

Tuesday19

Jack Ellis Band plays, 5 p.m., Fur Trappers Steakhouse, 701 E. 2nd Ave.

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

Online at: www.durangodharmacenter.org

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

AskRachel Checking out, show shrinkage & Etsy excuses Interesting fact: According to the Federal Reserve, checks still account for 12% of all non-cash payments.

Some people really need to learn about Venmo.

Dear Rachel, I’m disappointed in people who don’t carry checkbooks anymore. I went down south o’ the state border recently for an arts festival, and everyone below a certain age was paying with cards. You gotta support artists by paying cash!

But you can’t always carry cash, so carry checks!

It got me pondering what the age cutoff for checks is. And why oh why did the young and foolish side of that line decide to stop being sensible?

– Check Yourself Dear Checkpoint Charlie, You know, I recently saw a woman in the 70-85 bracket whip out the ol’ checkbook at a vendor table.

She then proceeded to ask everyone around if they had a pen she could borrow. What good is carrying a checkbook if you don’t got the ink to back it up? You might as well wear shoelaces on your feet, or season your empty plate with salt. I think the time has come for checks, unless of course you’re interested in paying me. I still accept them.

– Make it out to me, Rachel Dear Rachel, Netflix just got “Seinfeld,” and binge-watching it got me to realize something: you are basically a “Seinfeld” episode in print. Your column Rotary Club of Durango dinner, featuring speaker Holly Vaughn, 6 p.m., Strater Hotel, 699 Main Ave. Bayfield School District Candidate Forum, 6 p.m., more info. at lwvlaplata.org.

Wednesday20

is a half a page that doesn’t matter, yet I keep coming back. Even on the rare occasions someone has a genuine problem, you laugh it away and give a nonsensical response. I can’t decide if this makes you a horrible person, or if you are the levity we need right now. What’s your take as the writer of whatever this is you do?

– Still Tuning In Dear Biff, I have never thought about aspect ratios in my life.

But then I read how Netflix has taken the 4:3 ratio of the original show and ruined it – ruined it, Jerry! – by streaming it in 16:9. The internet tells me that this makes the show unwatchable. How you can truly destroy a sitcom by slicing out a quarter of the image area is beyond me. Less of nothing is still nothing, right? And the nothing left is now in HD, and I don’t understand how you take old footage and make it better, anyway.

– What’s the deal with me, Rachel Email Rachel at telegraph@durangotelegraph.com Dear Rachel, I’m having frustrating website issues. My ecommerce page works on certain phones but not others, and certain computers but not others. It all works on mine, of course. But people are telling me they go to my craft shop page and none of the items show up. The internet is the internet, right? Why the heck do some things work some places and not others like this?

– Foiled Again

Sports Club, $25 tickets.

Know Your Dough fundraiser, featuring games and music, Oct. 22, 5-8 p.m., 11th Street Station.

Rubia’s OktoberFest, featuring music

by Kirk James, Oct. 23, 3 p.m., Aztec.

Live music, 5 p.m., Fur Trappers Steakhouse, 701 E. 2nd Ave.

Punk Rock Breakfast, Oct. 23, 11 a.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Dr.

Trivia night, 6 p.m., every Wednesday, Mancos Brewery.

Rotary Club of Durango dinner, featuring speaker La Plata County Treasurer Allison Aichele, Oct. 26, 6 p.m., Strater Hotel, 699 Main Ave.

Rocky Mountain UkeFest jam, 6:30-8 p.m., The Billy Goat Saloon, Bayfield.

Upcoming Irish band The High Kings play, Oct. 21, 7:30 p.m., Community Concert Hall. www.durangoconcerts.com.

“The Stomping Grounds” and “Something About McConkey” movie showings, Oct. 22, 5 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St. Fundraiser for Durango Winter

Dear Tin Foil, It’s all a conspiracy. Not by the internet, of course. But by people who want credit for looking at your page without actually having to buy anything. I do this all the time when I don’t actually have money or desire for things my friends make. In the olde days, I’d just say I didn’t have a pen to write out the check. But now, in the age of flying cars, we have to create new excuses.

– Empty pockets, Rachel

“Addams Family: The Musical,” Oct. 29-Nov. 13, presented by DHS Troupe 1096.

Tickets at: troupe1096.weebly.com.

Downtown Children’s Halloween, for kids 10 and under. Participating businesses on Main Ave., Oct. 31, 4-6 p.m.

Friends of the San Juans fundraiser, featuring the film “Stoke the Fire.” Nov. 4, 5:30 p.m. & 8 p.m., Durango Arts Center.

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FreeWillAstrology

by Rob Brezsny ARIES (March 21-April 19): According to my understanding of the upcoming weeks, life will present you with unusual opportunities. I suspect you will find it reasonable and righteous to shed, dismantle and rebel against the past. Redefining your history will be a fun and worthy project. Here are other related activities I recommend for you: 1. Forget and renounce a long-running fear that has never come true. 2. Throw away a reminder of an old experience that makes you feel bad. 3. Freshen your mood and attitude by rearranging the furniture and decor in your home. 4. Write a note of atonement to a person you hurt once upon a time. 5. Give yourself a new nickname that inspires you to emancipate yourself from a pattern or habit you want to leave behind.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus poet Donte Collins’ preferred pronouns are “they” and “them.” They describe themself as Black, queer and adopted. “A lover doesn’t discourage your growth,” they write. “A lover says, ‘I see who you are today, and I cannot wait to see who you become tomorrow.’” I hope you have people like that in your life, Taurus – lovers, friends, allies and relatives. If there is a scarcity of such beloved companions in your life, the next eight weeks will be an excellent time to round up new ones. And if you are connected with people who delight in your progress and evolution, deepen your connection with them.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gemini author Lisa Cron advises her fellow writers, “Avoid exclamation points! Really!!

Because they’re distracting!!

Almost as much as CAPITALIZING THINGS!!!” I’ll expand her counsel to apply not just to writers, but to all of you Geminis. In my astrological opinion, you’re likely to find success in the coming weeks if you’re understated, modest and unmelodramatic. Make it your goal to create smooth, suave, savvy solutions. Be cagey and cool and crafty.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu told us that water is in one sense, soft and passive but, is in another sense, superb at eroding jams and obstacles that are hard and firm. There’s a magic in the way its apparent weakness overcomes what seems strong and unassailable. You are one of the zodiac’s top wielders of water’s superpower, Cancerian. And in the coming weeks, it will work for you with even more amazing grace than usual. Take full advantage of your sensitivity, your emotional intelligence and your empathy.

14 n Oct. 14, 2021

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Leo author James Baldwin told us, “You read something which you thought only happened to you, and you discover that it happened 100 years ago to (Russian novelist) Fyodor Dostoyevsky. This is a great liberation for the suffering, struggling person, who always thinks that he is alone.” In that spirit, Leo, and in accordance with astrological omens, I urge you to track down people who have had pivotal experiences similar to yours, either in the distant or recent past.

These days, you need the consoling companionship they can provide. Their influence could be key to liberating you from at least some of your pain.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Poet Octavio Paz described two kinds of distraction. One is “the distraction of the person who is always outside himself, lost in the trivial, senseless turmoil of everyday life.” The other is “the distraction of the person who withdraws from the world in order to shut himself up in the secret and ever-changing land of his fantasy.” In my astrological opinion, you Virgos should specialize in the latter during the coming weeks. It’s time to reinvigorate your relationship with your deep inner sources. Go in search of the reverent joy that comes from communing with your tantalizing mysteries. Explore the riddles at the core of your destiny.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “We must never be afraid to go too far, for truth lies beyond,” declared novelist Marcel Proust. I wouldn’t normally offer that counsel to you Libras.

One of your strengths is your skill at maintaining healthy boundaries. You know how to set dynamic limits that are just right: neither too extreme nor too timid. But according to my analysis of the astrological potentials, the coming weeks will be one of those rare times when you’ll be wise to consider an alternative approach: that the most vigorous truths and liveliest energies may lie beyond where you usually go.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Author William S. Burroughs claimed his greatest strength was a “capacity to confront myself no matter how unpleasant.” But he added a caveat to his brag: Although he recognized his mistakes, he rarely made any corrections. Yikes! Dear Scorpio, I invite you to do what Burroughs couldn’t. Question yourself about how you might have gone off course, but then actually make adjustments. As you do, keep in mind these principles: 1. An apparent mistake could lead you to a key insight or revelation. 2. An obstruction to the flow may prod you to open your mind and heart to a liberating possibility. 3. A snafu might motivate you to get back to where you belong. 4.

A mess could show you something important you’ve been missing.

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SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In her novel “We Have Always Lived in the Castle,” Sagittarian author Shirley Jackson wrote, “Today my winged horse is coming, and I am carrying you off to the moon, and on the moon we will eat rose petals.” I wonder what you would do if you received a message like that – an invitation to wander out on fanciful or mysterious adventures. I hope you’d be receptive. I hope you wouldn’t say, “There are no such things as flying horses. It’s impossible to fly to the moon and eat rose petals.” Even if you don’t typically entertain such whimsical notions, the time is favorable to do so now. I bet you will be pleased with the unexpected grace they bring your way.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn author Susan Sontag wrote about people who weren’t receptive to her intensity and intelligence. She said she always had “a feeling of being ‘too much’ for them – a creature from another planet – and I would try to scale myself down to size, so I could be apprehendable and lovable by them.” I understand the inclination to engage in such self-diminishment. We all want to be appreciated and understood. But I urge you to refrain from taming and toning yourself down too much in the coming weeks. Don’t do what Sontag did. In my astrological opinion, it’s time for you to be an extra vivid version of yourself.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “I am diagnosed with not having enough insanely addictive drugs coursing through my body,” joked comedian Sarah Silverman. Judging from current cosmic rhythms, I’m inclined to draw a similar conclusion about you. It may be wise for you to dose yourself with intoxicants. JUST KIDDING! I lied. Here’s the truth: I would love for you to experience extra rapture, mystic illumination, transcendent sex, and yes, even intoxication in the coming weeks. My analysis of the astrological omens suggests these delights are more likely and desirable than usual. However, the best way to arouse them is by communing with your favorite non-drug and non-alcohol inebriants. The benefits will last longer and incur no psychological cost.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “The truth is,” writes cartoonist Bill Watterson, “most of us discover where we are headed when we arrive.” I sense this will describe your life during the next six weeks. Your long, strange journey won’t come to an end, of course.

But a key chapter in that long, strange journey will climax. You will be mostly finished with lessons you have been studying for many moons. The winding road you have been following will end up someplace in particular. And sometime soon, I suspect you’ll spy a foreshadowing flash of this denouement.

classifieds

Deadline for Telegraph classified ads is Tuesday at noon.

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

(Sorry, no refunds or substitutions.)

Ads can be submitted via: n www.durangotelegraph.com n classifieds@durango telegraph.com n 970-259-0133 n 679 E. 2nd Ave., #E2 Approximate office hours: Mon: 9ish - 5ish Tues: 9ish - 5ish Wed: 9ish - 3ish Thurs: On delivery Fri: Gone fishing; call first

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

HelpWanted Big Brothers Big Sisters of Durango is seeking a Program Specialist This part time 20 hrs. to full time position is responsible for providing program support in response to all inquiries; conducting volunteer and child enrollment and matching; providing ongoing match support and reporting, to ensure child safety, positive impacts for youth, satisfying relationships between children, parents and volunteer mentors, and adhering to Big Brother Big Sisters one-toone child advocacy standards. Must be software proficient. Candidate will be required to drive to local schools and have a valid driver’s license. Position reports to the Executive Director. Non-Profit background not required, a passion to help kids is. Must have a clean driving record and pass a background check. Wages are $17.00/hr health stipend and a mileage reimbursement. Bachelor’s degree required. BBBS is an EOE. Email resume to paul@bbig.org Cultivation Assistant – The Greenery Valid MED Badge required, but no experience necessary. Come join one of Colorado’s fasted growing (pun intended) industries! $14 per hour to start with plenty of room for growth, paid vacation and sick leave available, along with an HRA and wonderful employee discounts.

Must be able to stand/sit for extended pe-

riods of time and lift up to 50lbs. Please send a resume and a copy of your MED badge to jesse@durangogreenery.com to apply.

Bookseller - Maria’s Bookshop Now hiring avid readers for full time position w/ fun, hard-working team.

Must enjoy some evening & weekend shifts. Applications available in store and at mariasbookshop.com. Deadline: Oct 20.

Team Members Needed ASAP! Team Members needed for construction job. Experience helpful but willing to train! Pay 38k+, 80hrs PTO 1st Year, 40hrs, Paid Working Interview! Call or text 970-759-8026.

Friendly Carpentry and Painting Stucco repair, 707-806-3456.

Local Neurobiology Trainings Neurobiology of Self Compassion online training: Oct. 20. Post Traumatic Growth Somatic Therapy Certification Series: One weekend a month Nov-Feb. rubyjowalker.com

‘The Guilty’ Who knew, that just Jake Gyllenhaal talking on the phone could crush one’s soul?

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

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

Lowest Prices on Storage!

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

Body Work Lotus Path Healing Arts Now accepting new clients. Offering a

Classes/Workshops

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– Lainie Maxson unique, intuitive fusion of Esalen massage, deep tissue & Acutonics, 24 years of experience. To schedule call Kathryn, 970-201-3373.

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

NewspaperOrigami

Spanish Classes Now accepting students for in-person beginner thru advanced Spanish. Call 970-309-5966 or visit www.espanola hora.net

ForSale Reruns Home Furnishings Lots of vintage furniture, Brody midcentury barstools, Bassett side table, good selection of tables and beautiful lamps, kitchenwares and lots more … Come in today! 572 E. 6th Ave. Open Mon.-Sat. 385-7336.

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

Services Drew Gunn Personal Trainer Endurance, strength, and mobility training for all ability levels. Specializing in training for trail running and mountain sports. ACSM certified. drewgunn training@gmail.com

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