The Durango Telegraph, Nov. 3, 2022

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Nov. 3, 2022 Vol. XXI, No. 44 durangotelegraph.com

inside

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

Behind the curtain

Round & round

Rock’n’roll roadtrip

The alternate reality of today’s political landscape p4

Silverton to put OHVs in town to a vote ... again p8

Some (nearish) shows worth hitting the road for p10

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lineup

4

4 La Vida Local

The smoke, mirrors and alternate reality of today’s political landscape

4 Thumbin’ It

Behind the curtain

by David Feela

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6-7 Soap Box

They’re baaaack

8 Top Story

Silverton to once again vote whether to allow OHVs in town

by Jonathan Romeo

10 Kill Yr Idols 11 Murder Ink

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Rock’n’roll roadtrip A few shows it might be worth hitting the road for

12-13 Stuff to Do 13 Ask Rachel

by Jon E. Lynch

14 Free Will Astrology

11

15 Classifieds

Rhythm & clues

On the cover A great horned owl looks not just into your eyes, but into your soul. And they don’t like what they see./ Photo by Andy High

Michael Parker’s latest novel intertwines music and mystery

by Jeffrey Mannix

boilerplate

ADVERTISING SALES: Angela Wilson angela@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

“You know what cross fit is bad for?

Marriage.”

– Local couch potato lamenting a spouse who recently joined the fitness craze

Dishing it out

5 Word on the Street

EDITORIALISTA: Missy Votel missy@durangotelegraph.com

Ear to the ground:

STAR-STUDDED CAST: David Feela, Jon E. Lynch, Jeffrey Mannix, Lainie Maxson, Rob Brezsny, Jesse Anderson & 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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thepole

RegularOccurrences

Ah the pandemic – toilet paper shortages, elbow bumps, bleaching fruit, trying to disinfect money by putting it in the microwave (real thing that happened!). Sometimes hindsight is 20/20; other times it’s just cruel.

But, joking aside, the pandemic did have a real toll, responsible for the deaths of many and a huge hit to the economy. As a result, La Plata County received an estimated $10.9 million as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

Last week, county commissioners approved a final list of projects after months of community meetings to decide how best to use the fund. Here’s the list, via the county: • Broadband improvement and expansion – $2.5 million. Proposed projects include fiber installation on Highway 151 and a carrier-neutral data center to expand fiber in La Plata and create redundancy in the region.

• Housing – $4 million. Created a revolving loan fund; loaned $1.5 million for purchase of Westside Mobile Park (preserved more than 50 units of workforce housing); loaned $200,000 to HomesFund to use toward the acquisition of Triangle Mobile Home Park; and $1 million pledged toward solutions for the unhoused.

• Social, health and economic impacts of the pandemic – $3.5 million. Includes: • La Plata Food Equity Coalition – $115,000: language justice and provide job development.

• Ignacio Community Library – $190,000: Bookmobile & program to be shared with all of the rural libraries in the county.

• La Plata County Collaborative Management – $25,000: Funding to follow unhoused families through long-term stabilization.

• La Plata Youth Services – $625,000: supportive services for struggling youth.

• Local First Foundation – $25,000: mental health programs.

• Manna – $800,000: Regional food security with a minimum of $150,000 for Durango Food Bank’s regional food distribution facility.

• Oak Tree Youth Resources – $40,000: shelter that will sleep at least six youth ages 13-17 in one space and another six ages 18-21 in a separate area and include computers, a kitchen and other necessary amenities • Pine River Shares – $390,000: food security.

• Resilient Colorado – $300,000: trauma awareness training.

• Southwest Conservation Corps – $350,000: create a continuum of environmental/outdoor experiences throughout the school day and in after-school programs.

• United Way – $350,000: out-of-school time programs.

• Housing Solutions of the Southwest – $55,000: Southwest Horizon Ranch well project.

• La Plata West Water Authority – $100,000: water fill station on Dry Side .

According to the county, another $920,270 will go toward a new HVAC system at the Durango/La Plata County Emergency Communications Center; an ambulance for Durango Fire and an opioid risk-reduction program through San Juan Basin Public Health.

Nov. 3, 2022 n

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opinion

LaVidaLocal Seeing but not believing My father-in-law had more than a few quirks wired into his brain. I distinctly remember sitting next to him one warm summer evening as a big moon took over the night sky. “Awe-inspiring” was the phrase climbing down from my brain toward my tongue, but before I could speak my father-in-law conspiratorially leaned toward me and whispered: “You know, it was all a backlot studio hoax, those astronauts walking on the moon.” Then he leaned back in his chair and raised one finger to his lips, as if to warn me that this confidence should not be repeated.

This happened a quarter of a century ago, long before any QAnon forum existed, but such a culture for idiosyncratic theories reaches way back, possibly as early as Neanderthals, who may have considered themselves superior to the Cro-Magnons because those lowlifes typically hung out with the monkeys.

It’s storytelling that skillfully weaves reality into a worthy narrative as it sensationalizes the mundane and transforms truths into snippets of astonishing dramatic fiction.

Folk tales collected by the Brothers Grimm were read aloud as moving morality lessons for youngsters by both parents and grandparents. They were also used as Nazi propaganda to bolster their war effort.

Ellen Handler Spitz in a 2015 New Republic article “The Irresistible Psychology of Fairy Tales” observed, “A very young child will listen wide-eyed, an older child will pose questions, and an educated adult will feel impelled to criticize but with a gnawing deep-down feeling that the story merits attention and bears a species of uncanny truth.”

But factuality requires a separate belief system, like memorizing the multiplication tables or learning to dance, a series of steps that once practiced becomes second nature and often surprisingly graceful. Aristotle wrote that “It is the mark of an educated (person) to look for precision in each class of things just so far as the nature of the subject admits.” In other words, there are some things that can be known, and some things that can’t; it’s the mark of an educated person to be able to tell the difference.

And then there’s the Oz-ish world of today’s politics where democracy tries to outrun a tornado, bumps its head and wakes up in a strange but awkwardly familiar

place, an alternative reality that’s a bit frightening. Monkeys transformed into flying creatures with a wicked witch leading the attack. How a rogue militia managed to assault our seat of government because it didn’t agree with the results of our 2020 election is not as simple as following a yellow brick road. Questioning the Jan. 6 attack is not a witch hunt, because witches are mythical beings. Mere mortals are what should concern us.

Like Dorothy, learning the truth of what’s going on behind the curtain requires an obstinate pursuit of facts, not just a magical acceptance of the situation, clicking our heels and wishing our way back to normalcy. Still, brains, courage and heart are the ingredients for a strong America, and it’s never too late for the munchkins inside us to grow up.

It’s also important to understand that factoids are not facts. A factoid is an assumption reported and repeated so often it begins to stick.

According to Wikipedia, the term was coined in 1973 by American writer Norman Mailer to mean a piece of information that becomes accepted as fact even though it is not actually true or an invented fact believed to be true because it appears in print.

Thanks to the Jan. 6 committee, we know an interval of more than three hours (that’s a fact) elapsed before our former president issued a public statement asking his supporters to go home. We can speculate about why he waited so long (fertile grounds for multiple factoids), but his own republican advisors and staff have publicly testified, under oath, that during this gap, despite urging him to quell the riot, he did not.

We can also speculate about why he took top secret classified materials from Washington, D.C., and denied they were at his home in Florida. But the FBI raid leaves no room to speculate: he had them in his possession over a year after his elected term ended. Do we know why? No. Did he have the legal right to keep these as souvenirs? No again. Should we be concerned? Yes. The speculation could go on. But if we have the patience to pay close attention, at least to listen, hopefully a distinction begins to emerge. It’s one that even Albert Einstein – who may or may not have coined the following expression – would at least have recognized to be true: “The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.”

– David Feela

Thumbin’It We can taste it; we’re almost there – the end of election season. But first, don’t forget to vote by Nov. 8! We’ll see you on the other side of this thing.

The Ohio Attorney General suing Dollar General for deceptive pricing.

If we can sue Dollar General for not selling everything at a dollar, can we sue Fox News for not actually delivering … news?

Hey, it’s No-Shave November, a campaign to grow awareness about men’s health. Coincidentally, we planned on letting ourselves go this month so that timing worked out nicely.

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SignoftheDownfall: Colorado Parks and Wildlife on the lookout for a suspect who poached a desert bighorn near Grand Junction.

Hey, if you happen to know who this shmohawk is, CPW pays up to $1,000 to people who turn in poachers.

Reports that it’s going to cost upwards of $350,000 to clean up the Purple Cliffs homeless camp, on top of the fact the work likely can’t be completed until next spring.

Pope Francis recently warning that the “devil” enters through online pornography” while at the same time, urging priests and nuns to delete such salacious material from their phones. Just… no, to all of this.

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Bro, what’s on your truck?

So … It looks like “Tire Cockz” are becoming popular – they’re little plastic penises you can use as valve covers on car or bicycle tires, and they’re sold on a website that also offers a “Dogs Pooping in Beautiful Places 2023” calendar. And yes, the site also sells Truck Nuts (large plastic balls that hang below your bumper). Now, there’s no entry in Urban Dictionary on tire cockz or truck nuts, so we’re kinda in the dark here on what would possess someone to purchase said items.

However, we did go to Tire Cockz’s website and saw they offer a “Nature’s Cock Shots 2023 Calendar” and we have to say, some interesting ideas for Telegraph covers.

WordontheStreet

Q

With Daylight Savings Time on Sunday, the Telegraph asked: “If you could turn back time, what’s one thing you would change?”

Max

“That I met my wife sooner (lovely lady below!)”

Jack Turner doesn't want you to know if he's supporting Lauren Boebert.

All three La Plata County Commissioner candidates were asked this simple question: Do you support Lauren Boebert (R) or Adam Frisch (D) in Colorado’s Third Congressional District race?*

Patrick

“The assassination of Lincoln.

It would have a huge impact on history.”

Amanda

“I would have invested in Amazon.”

Jack did not answer the question!

Vote to Re-elect

Clyde Church FOR LA PLATA COUNTY COMMISSIONER

Adam

“I wish the Minnesota Wild never signed Suter or Parise.

It ruined our team.”

For open, transparent county government

Jennifer

“Finishing college before having kids.”

CLYDE SUPPORTS ADAM FRISCH FOR CONGRESS *Source: The Krich Report, October 24, 2022 Ad paid for by the Re-Elect Clyde Church County Commissioner Committee

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Nov. 3, 2022

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D-Tooned/by Rob Pudim

SoapBox The code of neutrality Editor’s note: The following is in response to a political ad running this week that claims Jack Turner has not divulged who he is voting for in the hotly contested 3rd Congressional District race between Lauren Boebert (R) and Adam Frisch (D).

I most definitely know who I’m planning to vote for in the Dist. 3 Congressional race, but I’m keeping that personal.

I have nothing to hide, but both political parties are looking for a reason to tag me with the opposition’s party label. The Dems are saying I’m a closet Republican, and the GOP is proclaiming that I’m a secret Democrat (both are entirely wrong). I will work for the best interests of La Plata County with whoever is elected to the Dist. 3 Congressional race as well as all the other Colorado elected officials whether I voted for them or not.

To explain: Independent candidates are smart to abide by a code of neutrality when it comes to questions about personally favoring a Republican or a Democrat who is up for election. Why? Because Independents do not want to be pulled into the divisive political party battles they are working to mitigate in our current political climate.

Independents must remain outside tribal party alignment fights.

If elected, then an Independent can collaborate with (or oppose) representatives of one or both parties for the benefit of La Plata County citizens. Being Independent requires a candidate to embrace a

59th Annual

path outside of normal party politics so that they can work with members of all parties more readily. This takes an assiduous attention to standing apart from left/right party politics, especially during elections when vulnerability is very high.

The suggestion that my answer is a lack of principle for not revealing my private vote is erroneous. It takes plenty of courage, conviction and principle to run for office without the backing of a party.

Independent candidates have none of the election advantages and financial backing Democrats and Republicans enjoy. On the other hand, we have no obligations or implied paybacks.

– Jack Turner, candidate, La Plata County commissioner

Say what?

Did I read that right? Did mountain biker and Jackson Mountain park proponent Annie Sewell refer to the Bible to explain how illegal trail building in our national forests is inevitable? (re: Durango Telegraph, Sept. 29).

How about we update that statement to reflect the realities of the 21st century: Illegal trail building will always be with us as long as some mountain bikers act like complete A-holes and ignore the rules and ride wherever they choose. And why not?

Do enough damage and the Forest Service will reward you with a formal designation of trails, as Jackson Mountain project opponents have pointed out.

This behavior is tacitly condoned by the relentlessly pro-trail construction International Mountain Bicycling Association, despite the lip-service they give to responsible riding, and is evidenced by IMBA’s Shane Wilson blaming livestock for creating illegal trails on Jackson Moun-

Hesperus

Ski Patrol Ski Swap Sat., Nov. 5 • 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

La Plata County Fairgrounds Public Check-in Thurs., Nov. 3, 3-8 p.m.

More than 10,000 new and used ski/snowboard items

Want to Sell Some Gear?

The cost to sell is $1/item. Items must have a minimum cost of $5.

Fill out the gear drop-o form ahead of time at www.hesperusskipatrol.org Proceeds go to the all-volunteer Hesperus Ski Patrol

6 n Nov. 3, 2022

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tain that have been “sometimes exploited by humans.” Thank you, Sergeant Schultz (“I see NOTHING!”).

DUST2’s – the Pagosa Springs mountain biking advocacy group – goal of getting youngsters outside and on bikes is laudable but misguided if it does not

include teaching ethics and explaining that this form of recreation can have serious negative impacts on the land. Ask them if gaining some “challenging” and “technical” bike trails “conveniently” close to town is worth losing critical habitat for wildlife. As explained on Colorado Backcountry Hunters and Anglers’ website in a recent memo on illegal trails, the science is clear. You can’t have both.

– Gregory Moore, Grandview

Fix downtown It is no longer safe or pleasant to walk or drive on Main Ave. One old idea is to make Main Ave. from 12th St. to College Drive one way, north to south, and Second Ave. one way south to north. There are many advantages to this idea: minimal down time to businesses, and it could double available parking on Main Ave. with diagonal parking. The bumpouts need to go anyway. This plan would also expand exposure to Second Ave. businesses with increased traffic and transit stops. No need to widen the sidewalks – replace the sandwich boards with easy, updated signage on corners, including side street businesses. Enforce rules on obstructing the sidewalk, require delivery trucks to use the existing loading zones and require the trolley to pull to the curb instead of blocking traffic when loading and unloading.

So easy and inexpensive to implement this plan, and it would actually increase revenue with more metered parking. If this old (not my) idea makes sense to you, spread the word. Tell someone influ-

ential or someone whose income is produced downtown. Tell them locals would appreciate walking and parking in front of businesses.

– Ron Pond, Durango

issued a nod of approval.

Vote “yes” to retain Judge Anne Woods.

– Linda Buzzalini, Durango

Let’s stay civil

I am a millennial. Like most Americans, I am an independent with growing disdain for both the Republican and Democratic parties who believe that they are the only option for voters. Their game of political football has hurt our society as many of our nation’s founders warned.

The plethora of octogenarian leaders at the highest levels of government are more interested in their political team’s power than our long-term future. Nearly every vote for or against legislation falls along party lines regardless of how the greater majority of people, especially my generation, are affected.

We have been gifted a federal deficit of more than $31 trillion that’s been substantially increased by “the party of fiscal responsibility.” The failure to secure women’s rights, reschedule marijuana classification federally and expunge non-violent drug offenders’ sentences have been politicized along party lines rather than listening to the will of the majority of Americans, common sense or decency. The politicization of the judicial branch as an alternative to passing legislation or amending the Constitution is simply shameful.

Change starts locally. Voting for Jack Turner for La Plata County commissioner and other independently minded candidates can help create momentum in the U.S. for engaged local politicians. Partisan agendas are often written by special inter-

In 27 years of living in Durango, I’ve thankfully not witnessed such vitriol tossed around as what is currently happening in the case of Judge Anne Woods. I do know Woods and her family personally, and find her to be very smart, compassionate, open-minded and fair.

Her skill set and commitment to her chosen field are impressive. The jails and prisons nationwide are beyond capacity, and I believe today’s judges, prosecuting attorneys and defense attorneys are all struggling to find the right balance between the easy answer of incarceration vs. rehabilitation. Regrettably, our country as a whole currently falls short in effective rehabilitation.

Unless an individual has personally tracked every single case Woods has been involved with over the past few years, it seems very wrong and inaccurate to continually hammer the same couple of cases where a personal grievance prevails. As a result, generalizations are applied unilaterally to her entire performance.

There are professionals whose actual job it is to perform such analysis, specifically the Judicial Review Commission. Their consensus regarding this young judge is that she be retained. Let’s respect the “verdict” of those who have exhaustively researched all aspects of her job performance and have

Independent antidote

est groups and funded by the Republican and Democratic party oligarchs that their candidates are obligated to follow. Independents like Turner are more interested and in tune with the needs of their communities rather than advancing their respective political party’s agenda.

– Austin Hardiman, Durango

Getting the work done

For anyone who prides themselves on voting for the person and not the party, there is no easier vote this election than a vote for Barbara McLachlan for State representative. McLachlan has been remarkably successful in sponsoring and passing bills that benefit teachers and students, law enforcement, farmers, local tribes and small businesses, to name a few. All but three of her 50 bills last session received bipartisan support. McLachlan’s are not big flashy bills, and she is not running on ideology.

They are the kind of legislation that makes our day-to-day lives better – what government is supposed to do.

McLachlan has been in the Colorado House since 2017 and is chair of the Education Committee and serves on the Joint Water Resources Committee and Agriculture, Livestock and Water Committee. Unlike her opponent, Shelli Shaw, who is very new to this state, McLachlan understands the issues that matter to Southwest Colorado. This next term will be her last due to term limits, and with new district boundaries this could be a close race despite McLachlan’s excellent record and evergrowing support in previous elections.

– Deborah Paulson, Durango

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The Alternative Resource telegraph

Nov. 3, 2022 n 7

TopStory

San Juan County Sheriff Bruce Conrad said attempts to allow OHVs in town have continually run into issues, and as a result, he believes it would be hard to find a middle ground that works for everyone. This photo was taken in summer 2021, the last year OHVs were allowed in town.

Now, Silverton residents appear headed for yet another election on the issue in early 2023./ File photo

Round & round Silverton set to vote on OHVs in town … again

by Jonathan Romeo

A

fter just one summer with the offhighway vehicle ban in effect in Silverton, a new citizen-led petition seeks to reopen streets to the controversial four-wheelers.

Seeking to boost tourism, the town of Silverton in 2014 voted to open select streets to OHVs, providing access to people traveling backcountry roads to businesses in town.

However, the move didn’t have full support of the town. As the popularity of OHVs skyrocketed, so did complaints over noise, dust and traffic, as well as illegal off-roading and environmental damage.

After a record busy year in 2020, Silverton residents again forced a vote whether to ban OHVs in town limits in October 2021, with 291 in favor of ousting OHVs and 189 against.

With streets clear of OHVs, many Silverton residents touted the peace and quiet this past summer and celebrated the increase in other recreation users, like hikers and mountain bikers. The ban, however, was less wel-

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come among some in the business community who say sales were down because OHV riders were not allowed within town limits.

On Oct. 18, the town of Silverton received a petition to reopen the town to OHVs, with sufficient signatures from 5% of registered voters (about 32 people, though town records show 87 people signed). Multiple attempts to reach organizers of the petition were unsuccessful. But even still, it appears Silverton is headed for another vote on the issue in early 2023.

Hard to pin down Whether business was down – and by how much – because of the OHV ban is a difficult question to answer. Generally, the best indicator of a town’s economic health is sales tax revenues. In July, Silverton’s busiest month, sales tax revenues were $217,481, about a 7 percent decrease from July 2021, the last year OHVs were allowed in town, when taxes were $233,606.

But it’s impossible to determine how much of that is due to the OHV ban, as there are far too many factors influencing sales tax, said DeAnne Gallegos, director of

the Silverton Area Chamber of Commerce.

The summer of 2021, for instance, was a record year for visitors amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with people traveling to mountain towns at unprecedented rates.

And the reason for the downturn this summer could be due to a number of factors including inflation, the price of gas, staffing shortages and the reopening of international travel. Plus, the Red Mountain Lodge & RV Park, one of the biggest lodgers in town, didn’t book reservations because of an impending sale that ultimately fell through.

Silverton’s largest tourist attraction – the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad – remained on pace with ridership numbers in July compared to last year. However, it saw a “significant” dip in August and September, said Jeff Johnson, general manager of the D&SNG. (On the flip side, in 2019 the state of Colorado started including online sales in its sales tax numbers, which also accounts for an increase.)

“It’s really hard to pin our sales tax fluctuations to one thing or another, whether it’s positive or negative,” Gallegos said. “No

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summer is ever smooth sailing or normal when you’re a small business owner in a tourist economy in a high alpine town.”

As a result, Gallegos said it’s important to look at economic trends of other towns in the region. And, she said, the sales tax in Durango, Ouray and Lake City are all down or flat lined. Ouray, for instance, was up just 0.89% in August compared to last year. In Durango, sales tax from July 2021 and July 2022 were nearly identical at $3.5 million.

“If you look at the Western Slope sales tax for all communities, we’re on par with our neighbors, and even sustaining our growth from 2021,” Gallegos said.

Scott Fetchenheir, a San Juan County commissioner who owns Fetch’s Mining & Mercantile, said business was slightly down this summer compared to 2021, a record year, but far up from pre-pandemic years.

But with all the contributing factors – gas prices, inflation, etc. – it’s too difficult to blame it on the OHV ban.

“Truthfully I can’t say if it affected me or not,” Fetchenheir said. “I’m pleased with the business we had this past summer.”

Reclaiming the streets Yet many business owners maintain sales were down directly because of the OHV ban. Jim Lokey, owner of the Red Mountain Motel & RV Park who started the petition to reverse the ban, did not return requests for comment.

Nancy Swanson, owner of the Canyon View Motel, said her hotel was booked throughout the summer. But with OHVs not allowed in town, it makes it difficult for people camping on the outskirts of Silverton or visiting for the day from Lake City or Ouray to come into town to shop and eat.

“Our poor restaurants were left holding the bag,” Swanson said. Attempts to reach several Silverton restaurant owners, including Molly Barela, owner of the Golden Block Brewery and an OHV supporter, were not successful.

For those supporting banning OHVs from town limits, it felt like they got their town back. “It was wonderful,” Karla Safranski, the previous owner of Silverton Hardware and a former town trustee, said. “A big sigh of relief.”

When OHVs were allowed in town, it was a madhouse, Safranski said. Drivers didn’t adhere to legal routes, sped down residential roads and generally were disrespectful of the town.

“It’s not that we don’t want to welcome visitors,” she said.

“But there were thousands of them. It was a zoo here. We just couldn’t handle that, and the disrespect to this community was just too much. You can’t drive in Dallas on any public road, but they come here and want to do that on our streets.”

Dana Chambers, who now owns Silverton Hardware, said the store adjusted its inventory to accommodate new visitors, mostly other recreational users, such as thru-hikers from the Colorado Trail. “Our summer started incredibly slow, being down over 30% by the end of July,” she said. “But then thru-hiker business and the leaf peepers brought us back up by the fall.”

Swanson, though, said she is in favor of finding a compromise that would allow OHVs to ride in town again.

“I am supportive of getting OHVs back, but maybe not the old routes we had,” she said. “Our businesses are hurting and people need to work together.”

Middle ground So, is there a way to find some middle ground? San Juan County Sheriff Bruce Conrad, whose small department took the brunt of having to enforce OHV routes, said that might be difficult.

“I wish I could say that I saw some potential for some middle ground, but I don’t think there is a viable option that includes OHV operation in town,” Conrad said. “I have said for many years now that an appropriate staging area and private businesses providing services, such as those mentioned by Silverton Lakes Campground, is the solution. Trying to sign a specific route (in town) has been tried with a multitude of signage and stripes and proven not to work.” (Conrad has advocated to open a bypass between county roads 110 and 2 to create a loop for popular trails in that area.)

Conrad said it’s unfortunate the OHV issue is being brought to a vote again, as it’s divided the small mountain town for far too long. However, the overwhelming sentiment he’s heard from residents is support of the ban. He said had the energy been spent on fixing issues brought on

by OHVs, instead of all the elections and negative rhetoric, the issue might have been fixed. Instead, he said the issue may be beyond repair.

The upside, however, is that Silverton is seeing a rise in new user groups in the wake of the OHV ban, Conrad said, especially among people who might have previously stayed away from the chaos of OHVs. “I know there are piles and piles of rhetoric online from the more vocal side of this issue claiming Silverton will shrivel up and die, showing memes of ghost towns with tumbleweeds blowing down empty streets,” he said. “But those of us truly in touch with our community know how ridiculous those notions are.”

So now what?

Currently, the petition is in a 40-day period where residents can file a protest on whether the signatures were valid. Once complete, the Board of Trustees have 20 days from Nov. 28 to consider the petition, deciding whether to

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Fed up with noise, dust, traffic and a general feeling of disrespect by OHV riders, the town of Silverton in fall 2021 prohibited the vehicles in town./File photo adopt it or put it to a town vote sometime between January or April, at a cost of $4,751.

Mayor Shane Fuhrman, when contacted last week, declined comment for this story.

But with the decisive vote to ban OHVs last fall, many residents wonder if enough has changed in the past year to reach a different outcome. Like many mountain towns, Silverton has changed since the pandemic as more families with children and retirees have moved to town. Both groups generally fall in the anti-OHV category.

And, it should be noted, this most recent petition calls for the same exact routes to be reopened, without offering any alterations or solutions to all the issues that have been raised with OHVs in town. Even still, it appears Silverton residents will have a simple “yes” or “no” vote this coming year.

“I just don’t think the dynamics have changed that much from last year’s vote,” Safranski said. “The people that want OHVs are the same, and those that don’t are happy with the ban. We got our town back.”

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KillYrIdols

Road trip to rock Plenty of awesome music around the region this month

by Jon E. Lynch

beabadoobee’s “Beatopia”

I

am ridiculously fortunate in many ways – in that I genuinely, truly love my job as program director of KDUR. Most people – adamantly – do not enjoy the work they do. Work is often a means to an end, and if you are one of the lucky few that does enjoy whatever it is you do – good on ya. We are among a vast minority. That doesn’t mean that my job still isn’t work. It very much is. There are times that I am annoyed by it, absolutely. Is my pay commensurate with industry standard? No. Not even sort of. Is that disparity made harder by an inflated, bloated cost of living in Durango? Abso-f***ing-lutely.

Yet I still consider myself fortunate to be surrounded by one of my passions, and to get paid to be here.

Being a small part of Durango’s college and public radio community has its obvious benefits. I get to hang out with likeminded fans and nerds of independent music. It’s baffling that I am able to cavort around much of the day about bands/artists, their albums, record release dates, touring schedules, opening/adjacent acts, clubs & DIY spaces and so much more of the other minutiae most casual fans wouldn’t care to pore over. And? I get to do so among other people just as equally invested and excited about the same things. The radio station often receives albums days/weeks/months ahead of their release dates, giving those at the station an advance listen before the public. Again, fortunate.

There is a vitality and energy within the entity that has, in my estimation, never really waned – even with the advent of streaming platforms and algorithm-driven music discovery.

Seeing music live, in person, is an integral part of the above.

It’s a perk of the job, and frankly, a necessity. Booking touring bands is difficult in the geographic void of our area. I know from experience. We’re relatively isolated, and the venues in town should be commended for even attempting the difficult task. We have a thriving local live music community – we always have – and there is a dynamic set of musicians dedicated to playing in

and around our area. Be that as it may, I’ve always found it necessary to leave the county to fulfill certain sonic needs. The following are a handful of bands worth spending the money, time and energy to see somewhat nearby, in the coming weeks: • Melt-Banana & Ed Schrader’s Music Beat: Mon., Nov. 7, Meow Wolf, Santa Fe. Melt-Banana is a Japanese noise/art/experimental/rock band

10 n Nov. 3, 2022

telegraph

that has been making music since the early ’90s. John Peel, the famed BBC Radio 1 DJ who introduced countless bands to his discerning audience(s) worldwide, described the band’s live onslaught as “simply one of the most extraordinary performances I have ever seen and ever heard ... just mesmerizing, absolutely astonishing.” Baltimore openers Ed Schrader’s Music Beat play an amalgam of post-punk, garage, avant-jazz and art rock and make for a more-than-solid double bill.

• beabadoobee & Lowertown: Thurs., Nov. 10, Sunshine Theater, Albuquerque.

Born in the Philippines and raised in the U.K., Beatrice Kristi Laus, aka beabadoobee, plays indie/slacker rock with self-admitted nods to one of her all-time favorite bands, Pavement. She has also cited Mazzy Star, Mac DeMarco, Elliott Smith and Daniel Johnston as influences. Atlanta’s Lowertown opens the show playing indie and low-fi electronica.

• No Age & John Wiese: Thurs., Nov. 17, The Launchpad, Albuquerque.

L.A. duo No Age was part and parcel of the now-defunct allages DIY punk/art space, The Smell, that gave bands such as HEALTH, Miko Miko, Ty Segall, Vivian Girls, and The Strange Boys & The Babies early stage-time. Show opener John Wiese leans into the more experimental side of noise and drone, releasing split recordings with artists such as Wolf Eyes, Yellow Swans, and Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) to name a few.

Other upcoming shows in New Mexico include Os Mutantes on Thurs., Nov. 3, at Meow Wolf; Coco Rosie on Tues., Nov. 15, at Meow Wolf; and Descendents and Bully on Thurs., Nov. 17, at the El Rey (located right next door to the Launchpad – on the same night as No Age).

Go out and see live music here in Durango or in whatever town you’re reading this in.

Remember, feel free to reach out any time with questions, comments or gripes.

Especially the gripes.

Jon E. Lynch is the program director at KDUR. He can be reached at KDUR_PD@fortlewis.edu

MurderInk

Rhythm & clues Michael Parker’s latest novel intertwines music and mystery

by Jeffrey Mannix

N

ovember brings us a slow-burn novel from a wordsmith who studied and taught writing for 30 years at the University of North Carolina, in Chapel Hill. Although Michael Parker has published seven novels and won prizes for his short fiction, and his nonfiction work has appeared in a prominent newspapers and magazines, he will probably stay in the publishing penumbra with “I Am the Light of This World.” The latest of his works, it is offered by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, which was founded in 1983 in a woodshed and is devoted to literary fiction from undiscovered Southern writers.

If that’s not a ticket to ride into the sunset of undiscovered good intentions, nothing is.

Yet there’s always that come-from-behind derby winner, the completed Hail Mary pass, a deaf symphony composer and walk-off home runs winning a World Series. And smart money might bet that Algonquin has a walk-off winner here with Parker’s “I Am the Light of This World,” despite or because of the clumsy title.

It’s fun being a wise guy when you know the subject of the impertinence is anything but undistinguished. And Parker’s new book, released Nov. 15 in cloth cover, is a book you will keep and lend and read again.

It’s a smoldering story of Earl Boudreaux, a withdrawn 17-year-old living with dysfunctional genetic relations in the East Texas town of Stovall in 1973. Earl has two older twin brothers, a no-account father who is only remem-

bered for giving Earl a transistor radio and some lines from Louisiana blues music, and a mother surprised to see him living in the same trailer as she’s incessantly gushing on the phone at the bitter end of a snarled, curlicued cord with everything in its way. And, most essential in this impoverished world is Earl’s first love: Tina.

Earl is shy, fundamentally introverted, but blindly enthralled by Tina. And when she cozies up to him asking pretty please if he would drive her yonder to Austin so she could visit her dearly loved mother in a psychiatric hospital, Earl comes awake. He promises the ride and immediately borrows his cousin’s car with the assurance he’ll have it back in two days. He then says screw it to not having a driving license – who needs a license if you know how to drive anyway?

Earl and Tina leave the next day, and this story is now in open sea. And we know it’s going to have any number of consequences from funny (if naiveté is funny) or cliché, to unusual on a sliding scale to deadly.

I picture Parker writing strictly within the known fun-

damentals of constructing long fiction (he’s a professor of fiction writing in MBA programs), with hundreds of sticky notes of different colors in various clusters on a white board.

Parker knows how to put words down to set scenes and spew dialogue from nearly vivid characters. Part of the charm of this book is how it’s not drawn with sharp lines in clear air. Parker’s good, and he blurs ugly characters and unspeakable scenes behind a scrim gauze made of people you couldn’t find in a lineup, places not fully constructed. His dialogue is seasoned with jazz, blues and rock from the 1960 and ’70s: the Byrds, Blind Faith, Eric Clapton, Traffic, the Allman Brothers and Steve Miller.

Earl paces his life in tune with this music and, bless his heart, Parker did his research to come up with dozens of influential, narcotizing recordings that stood more clearly in Earl’s – and the reader’s – mind than the people and circumstances described in this plot.

“I Am the Light of This World” is a woebegone story that just can’t catch a break. It’s bleak; Earl is bleak. But the music we imagine we hear drives the plot. It’s very clever.

You’ll have to order this book before release date – always a princely thing to do – and don’t forget to ask Maria’s Bookshop for the Murder Ink 15% discount.

Looking for attention (but in a good way?)

The Telegraph can help you get your message out there – all via perfectly legal means.

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

telegraph

Nov. 3, 2022 n 11

StufftoDo

Thursday03 Live music, 5 p.m., Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave. Live music, 5 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave. Bingo Night, 5 p.m., Fenceline Cider, Mancos.

Chad MacCluskey plays, 6-9 p.m., 11th Street Station.

Open Mic/Karaoke, 6 p.m., American Legion, 878 E. 2nd Ave.

Girls on the Run Fall Durango 5K, 11 a.m., race begins at Three Springs Durango Real Estate, 175 Mercado St. gotrwesterncolorado.org “I Lived in the Rico Depot,” live talk with author Joanne Smith, 1 p.m., Animas Museum, 3065 W. 2nd Ave. Bob Hemenger plays, 12 noon-3 p.m., 11th Street Station.

Trivia Night, 6:30 p.m., Powerhouse Science Center, 1333 Camino del Rio.

DHS Troupe 1096 presents “Anastasia,” showings at 2 p.m. & 7 p.m., Durango High School Auditorium. Tickets at: troupe1096.weebly.com

DHS Troupe 1096 presents “Anastasia,” 7 p.m., Durango High School Auditorium. Tickets at: troupe1096.weebly.com

PJ Moon & Chuck Hank play, 4-7 p.m., 11th Street Station.

Alex Westphal plays, 6 p.m., Fenceline Cider, Mancos.

Friday04 Friends of the Library Book Sale, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Durango Public Library.

Pumpkin & Leaf Drop-Off, 12 noon, La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave. David Holub Pop Up Art Show, 4-8 p.m., Studio & Art Gallery, 1027 Main Ave. First Friday Art Show, 5 p.m., Create Art & Tea, 1015 Main Ave. Live music, 5 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave. Deadline for “Stuff to Do” submissions is Monday at noon. To submit an item, email: calendar@durangotelegraph.com

Fall Season Celebratory 5K, 10 a.m., Three Springs, 175 Mercado St.

Jack Ellis & Larry Carver play, 5:30-9:30 p.m., Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave. The Jelly Bellys play, 6-9 p.m., 11th Street Station.

DHS Troupe 1096 presents “Anastasia,” 7 p.m., Durango High School Auditorium. Tickets at: troupe1096.weebly.com “Danny and the Deep Blue Sea,” 7 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. DJ King Louis III & Squoze play, 10 p.m.-2 a.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Saturday05 59th Annual Hesperus Ski Swap, 8 a.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave. Homebuyer Education Class, 8:30 a.m., FLC’s Sitter Family Hall Room 710.

Gary Watkins plays, 6 p.m., Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave. Community Yoga, 6-7 p.m., Yoga Durango, 1485 Florida Rd. Donations accepted.

Matt Rupnow plays, 6 p.m., The Office, 699 Main.

Kirk James Band plays, 6-9 p.m., Weminuche Woodfire Grill, Vallecito.

“Danny and the Deep Blue Sea,” 7 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. Noodle plays, 7-10 p.m., 11th Street Station.

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

Friends of the Library Book Sale, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Durango Public Library.

Sunday06 Durango Flea Market, 8 a.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave. Veterans Benefit Breakfast, 9 a.m., VFW Post 4031, 1550 Main Ave. Pumpkin & Leaf Drop-Off, 9 a.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave. “Danny and the Deep Blue Sea,” 2 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. Majesty of Mozart, 3 p.m., FLC’s Community Concert Hall.

Live music, 5 p.m., Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave. Live music, 5 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave. Jazz/Funk/Soul Jam, 5-8 p.m., 11th Street Station.

Thanksgiving Food Drive, benefitting Durango Food Bank, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., drop off goods at Universalist Fellowship of Durango, 419 San Juan Dr.

Author Talk & Book Signing: Ted Conover, 6 p.m., Maria’s Bookshop, 960 Main Ave.

10% O Autopays Oct. 15 - Nov. 15 (10% o for an entire year)

• Unlimited Monthly Membership reg. $80/mo. now $72/mo.

• 4 Class/Month Membership reg. $68/mo. now $61.20/mo.

Use Promo Code: FALL10 www.pauseyogapilates.com • 1305 Escalante Dr, Ste. 202, Durango Above Sunnyside Farms Market, in Purple Cliffs Wellness Center

12 n Nov. 3, 2022

Live music, 5 p.m., Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave. Live music, 5 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave. Brady Wilson plays, 5:30 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St. Meditation, 5:30 p.m., Durango Dharma Center, 1800 E. 3rd Ave, Suite 109.

Comedy Open Mic, 8 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Tuesday08 10th Annual Sustainability Summit, 5-7 p.m., FLC’s Student Union Ballroom.

Live music, 5 p.m., Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave. Live music, 5 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave. Bike to the Ballot Group Ride, meet at Zia’s north upstairs bar at 2977 Main Ave. at 5:30 p.m., ride to the ballot box at 2nd Ave. Open Mic Night, weekly 7:30-9:30 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave. Comedy Open Mic, weekly, 9 p.m., 11th St. Station.

Wednesday09 CSU Extension Gardening Webinar: A Gardening Year-in-Review, 12 noon, Zoom link at bit.ly/3SSTGJc Live music, 5 p.m., Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave. Live music, 5 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave.

Open Mic, 5 p.m., Fenceline Cider, Mancos.

Pumpkin & Leaf Drop-Off, 9 a.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave.

Monday07

telegraph

Durango Bluegrass Meltdown Fundraiser, featuring music by La La Bones, Bluegrouse, Smelter Mountain Boys & Tone Dog, 6-10 p.m., Wild Horse Saloon, 601 E. 2nd Ave. “Early 20th Century Women Archaeologists in the Southwest,” 7 p.m., FLC’s Lyceum Room.

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

Ongoing “Wild Kratts: Ocean Adventure! And Creature Power!” hands on STEM exhibits for children ages 3-9, runs until Jan. 7, Farmington Museum, 3041 E. Main St. The Hive Indoor Skate Park, open skate and skate lessons. For schedule and online waiver, go to www.thehivedgo.org

Upcoming Author Talk & Book Signing: Andrew Gulliford, Nov. 10, 6 p.m., Maria’s Bookshop, 960 Main Ave.

AskRachel

Betting on Burton, mop swap & reader cheater Interesting fact: Just because the film’s director and composer say that “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is a Halloween movie doesn’t mean they’re right about it.

Dear Rachel, I was one of those kids who grew up locked in a basement, or might as well have, because my parents didn’t let me watch movies or TV. So I just saw “Nightmare Before Christmas” for the first time. I asked my bro-in-law if it was a Halloween or a Christmas movie, and he said, welcome to the age-old debate. I realize this is an old fight, but I’m a new dog in it, and I’m declaring it an October flick through and through.

But what’s your stance?

– Team Halloween Dear Sant-o-lantern, Oh, totally a Christmas movie. Just one that we Christmas lovers can watch starting about September without being ridiculed, shunned or beaten to a sugarplummy pulp. It’s like social drinking for Santa’s groupies: a culturally acceptable way to maintain the habit. Besides, good old-fashioned Christmas ought to have ghost stories and spooky-scary stuff too. Maybe Halloween is really just junior Christmas.

– Boo, Rachel Dear Rachel, I hate housecleaning days because they take all freaking day. I’m trying to implement a sysDHS Troupe 1096 presents “Anastasia,” Nov. 10-12, at 7 p.m., Durango High School Auditorium.

Merely Players present “The HalfLife of Marie Curie,” Nov. 11-12 & 17-19 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 13 & 20 at 2 p.m., Merely Underground, 789 Tech Center Dr. Rochelle Mann (flute) & Anne Eisfeller (harp) play, Nov. 11, 7 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 419 San Juan Dr. Capitol Comedy, Nov. 12, 7:30 p.m., FLC’s Community Concert Hall.

Visiting Artist Talk: Gregg Deal, Nov. 15, 1-2 p.m., FLC’s Center of Southwest Studies.

Author Talk & Book Signing: Jonathan Thompson, Nov. 15, 6 p.m., Maria’s Bookshop, 960 Main Ave. Author Talk & Book Signing: Craig Childs, Nov. 16, 6 p.m., Maria’s Bookshop, 960 Main Ave.

tem where the house always feels clean and just needs minor upkeep every day. But the problem is that instead of taking a whole day, it requires attention every day. There’s no break.

There’s gotta be a balance in here somewhere. I just haven’t found it yet. You got any bright ideas?

– Pig Sty Dear French Maid, You bet I do: Hire it out. Not feasible for most of us, granted. But this is the land of the Durango Tango.

Surely there’s a way to trade out some housecleaning services for, I don’t know, gear lending or beer or something. Maybe even a straight swap. You clean someone else’s house, they clean yours, and you both walk away grateful for your own slovenliness. Maybe you’ll even get a date that way. Can’t hurt – it’s tough out there.

– The mint on your pillow, Rachel Email questions to telegraph@durangotelegraph.com Dear Rachel, I got in an argument on the bus the other day, whether listening to an audiobook counts as reading. I’m like, of course it does. It’s almost even better, because it’s like being read to, which feels even more human than reading symbols on pages. This other idiot says no, because it’s lazy and cheating. I know I’m right, so even if you disagree, I just want to know how I can win this argument next time.

– Local Bookie

‘90s Video Music Dance Party, Nov. 18, 7 p.m., Animas City Theatre.

Def-I’s Birthday Party & Showcase “Native Heritage Day,” Nov. 25, 7 p.m., Animas City Theatre.

Mancos Art Market, Nov. 27, 11 a.m.4 p.m., downtown Mancos.

Dear Audiophile, Of course it counts as reading. It would also count if you read it in Braille, or in Morse code, or backwards. It does NOT count if you just watch the film adaptation of the book, nor if you read the last chapter first and skim the middle. Doing that is like celebrating Christmas starting on Dec. 24. Technically you got there, but without all the foreplay that is, let’s face it, the reason for the season.

– A real pageturner, Rachel

“I saw it in the Telegraph.”

Mike Green plays, Dec. 3, 7:30 p.m., Smiley Café, 1309 E. 3rd Ave. Artist Reception: Gregg Deal, Dec. 8, 4:30-6 p.m., FLC’s Art Gallery.

Deadline for “On the Town” submissions is Monday at noon.

To submit an item email: calendar@ durango telegraph.com

The Durango Telegraph: Read by 4,000 discerning sets of eyeballs every week. (*Although a few probably just look at the pictures.)

For more info. on how to get your business or event seen, email angela@durangotelegraph.com

telegraph

Nov. 3, 2022 n 13

FreeWillAstrology

by Rob Brezsny ARIES (March 21-April 19): In the coming weeks, I encourage you to work as hard as you have ever worked.

Work smart, too. Work with flair and aplomb and relish. You now have a surprisingly fertile opportunity to reinvent how you do your work and how you feel about your work. To take maximum advantage of this potential breakthrough, you should inspire yourself to give more of your heart and soul to your work than you have previously imagined possible. (PS: By “work,” I mean your job and any crucial activity that is both challenging and rewarding.)

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Here’s my weird suggestion, Taurus. Just for now, only for a week or two, experiment with dreaming about what you want but can’t have. And just for now, only for a week or two, go in pursuit of what you want but can’t have.

I predict that these exercises in quixotic futility will generate an unexpected benefit. They will motivate you to dream true and strong and deep about what you do want and can have. They will intensify and focus you to pursue what you do want and can have.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Your most successful times in life usually come when all your various selves are involved. During these interludes, none of them is neglected or shunted to the outskirts. In my astrological opinion, you will be wise to ensure this scenario is in full play during the coming weeks. In fact, I recommend you throw a big Unity Party and invite all your various sub-personalities to come as they are. Have outrageous fun acting out the festivities. Set out a placemat and nametag on a table for each participant.

Move around from seat to seat and speak from the heart on behalf of each one.

Later, discuss a project you could all participate in creating.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): A Cancerian reader named Joost Joring explained to me how he cultivates the art of being the best Cancerian he can be. He said, “I shape my psyche into a fortress, and I make people feel privileged when they are allowed inside. If I must sometimes instruct my allies to stay outside for a while, to camp out by the drawbridge as I work out my problems, I make sure they know they can still love me – and that I still love them.” I appreciate Joost’s perspective. As a Cancerian myself, I can attest to its value. But I will also note that in the coming weeks, you will reap some nice benefits from having less of a fortress mentality. In my astrological opinion, it’s PARTY TIME!

14 n Nov. 3, 2022

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Leo poet Antonio Machado wrote, “I thought my fire was out, and I stirred the ashes. I burnt my fingers.” I’m telling you this so you won’t make the same mistake, Leo. Your energy may be a bit less radiant and fervent than usual right now, but that’s only because you’re in a recharging phase. Your deep reserves of fertility and power are regenerating. That’s a good thing! Don’t make the error of thinking it’s a sign of reduced vitality. Don’t overreact with a flurry of worry.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo author Siegfried Sassoon became renowned for the poetry he wrote about being a soldier in World War I. Having witnessed carnage firsthand, he became adept at focusing on what was truly important. “As long as I can go on living a rich inner life,” he wrote, “I have no cause for complaint, and I welcome anything which helps me to simplify my life, which seems to be more and more a process of eliminating inessentials!” I suggest we make Sassoon your inspirational role model for the next three weeks. What inessentials can you eliminate? What could you do to enhance your appreciation for all the everyday miracles that life offers you?

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You Libras have a talent that I consider a superpower: You can remove yourself from the heart of the chaos and deliver astute insights about how to tame the chaos. I like that about you. I have personally benefited from it on numerous occasions. But for the next few weeks, I will ask you to try something different. I’ll encourage you to put an emphasis on practical action, however imperfect it might be, more than on in-depth analysis. This moment in the history of your universe requires a commitment to getting things done, even if they’re untidy and incomplete. Here’s your motto: “I improvise compromises in the midst of the interesting mess.”

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “Fear is the raw material from which courage is manufactured,” said author Martha Beck. “Without it, we wouldn’t even know what it means to be brave.” I love that quote – and I especially love it as a guiding meditation for you Scorpios right now. We usually think of fear as an unambiguously bad thing, a drain of our precious life force. But I suspect that for you, it will turn out to be useful in the coming days. You’re going to find a way to transmute fear into boldness, bravery and even badassery.

telegraph

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21): For decades, the Canadian city of Sudbury hosted a robust mining industry. Deposits of nickel sulphide

ore spawned a booming business. But these riches also brought terrible pollution. Sudbury’s native vegetation was devastated. The land was stained with foul air produced by the smelting process. An effort to re-green the area began in the 1970s. Today, the air is among the cleanest in the province of Ontario. In the spirit of this transformation, I invite you to embark on a personal reclamation project. Now is a favorable time to detoxify and purify any parts of your life that have been spoiled or sullied.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The literal meaning of the ancient Greek word aigílips is “devoid of goats.” It refers to a place on the earth that is so high and steep that not even sure-footed goats can climb it. There aren’t many of those places. Similarly, there are very few metaphorical peaks that a determined Capricorn can’t reach. One of your specialties is the power to master seemingly improbable and impassable heights. But here’s an unexpected twist in your destiny: In the coming months, your forte will be a talent for going very far down and in. Your agility at ascending, for a change, will be useful in descending – for exploring the depths. Now is a good time to get started!

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Evolved Aquarians are often blessed with unprecedented friendships and freespirited intimacy and innovative alliances. People who align themselves with you may enjoy experimental collaborations they never imagined before engaging with you. They might be surprised at the creative potentials unleashed in them because of their synergy with you. In the coming weeks and months, you will have even more power than usual to generate such liaisons and connections. You might want to make a copy of this horoscope and use it as your calling card or business card.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I surveyed the history of literature to identify authors I consider highly intuitive.

Piscean-born Anais Nin was my top choice. She used language with fluidity and lyricism. She lived a colorful, unpredictable life. No one better deserves the title of Intuition Champion. And yet she also had a discerning view of this faculty.

She wrote, “I began to understand that there were times when I must question my intuition and separate it from my anxieties or fears. I must think, observe, question, seek facts and not trust blindly to my intuition.” I admire her caution. And I suspect it was one reason her intuition was so potent. Your assignment, Pisces, is to apply her approach to your relationship with your intuition. The coming months will be a time when you can supercharge this key aspect of your intelligence and make it work for you better than it ever has before.

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

Classes/Workshops Yoga for Grief & Loss 5-wk series begins Nov. 7. Mondays, 5:30-7:30 pm. Details at birdsongyoga therapy.com/upcoming-events/.

Lost/Found Lost keys Between 2nd and 3rd on 8th St. Oct. 21. 541-999-2830.

GoPro Camera Hero 5. A few years old but only used once or twice and otherwise just sat in a drawer. It is deserving of a more exciting owner! $150 OBO. Text 970-749-2595 Reruns Home Furnishings Warm up your space with quality preowned furniture, décor and art. Coffee tables, dressers, MCM items, great kitchenware selection, ever-changing inventory … 572 E. 6th Ave. Open Mon.Sat. 385-7336.

Volunteer Advocates Needed Do you want to make a difference in your community and the lives of others?

Services Marketing Small & Local Businesses Media, website building and content editing, copywriting and editing, newsletters, blogs, etc. for small, local, independent or startup businesses. www.forward pedal.com or email jnderge@gmail.com

CommercialforRent

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

Community Wellness Center Integrated clinic seeks licensed, insured professionals to rent private offices, shared reception. $995 incl all util 970247-1233

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.

Warehouse/Workshop Space!!

1800 sq. ft +/- near Oxbow. Call or text 970-946-4343.

BodyWork

Wanted

Mtn Medicine Acupuncture Bonds Holiday wellness gifts to yourself, friends, employees or underserved locals in need. 10 sessions for $600, 20 for $1100. 970-247-1233

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

ForSale 2013 Tacoma - Low Mileage $26,900 obo. V6. Black. Six speed manual transmission. 4X4 towing capacity.

Access cab with cargo seats. Full size 6.4’x5.4’ bed. Aluminum alloy wheels.

Steering wheel controls. rear camera video. 115K miles. 970-247-1233 Gordon Smith FibreFlex Longboard A classic – sweet, smooth ride for cushy cruising. Been around the block but still in great shape. 42” long. $50 Text: 970-749-2595.

playwriting experience not required. Selected playwright will collaborate with a local director and actors to develop the work for a staged reading during the festival. Plays should be 60-90 pages, with up to four characters. Playwrights must reside within daily driving distance to Durango to attend rehearsals in June.

Submit plays in a Word document or PDF to durangoplayfest@gmail.com with “play” in the subject line. For more info, visit durangoplayfest.org.

HaikuMovieReview ‘Do Revenge’ “Strangers on a Train” meets “Mean Girls” with just a touch of “Cruel Intentions” – Lainie Maxson Alternative Horizons is always in need of volunteers to staff our hotline. AH supports and empowers survivors of domestic violence. Training and ongoing support provided. For info. call 970-2474374 or visit alternativehorizons.org

FashionPoliceFlashback

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telegraph

This week, your faithful eye on Durango fashion takes a look at new seasonal wear that comes our way from soggy but stylish Seattle. All we have to say is we’re seeing flannel back with a vengeance, and we don’t mind it a bit.

Our two grungophiles make for an extremely rare Durango fashion sighting.

These twin brothers, Barry and Larry, were all the rage on the Portland scene back in the mid-90s, and they’re still strutting their stuff. Note the deliberately rough exteriors, indicative of the Soundgarden movement, complemented by matching Tartan. Barry sports a nice crease in his boot-cuts, showing that while appearances may seem rough, no detail has been overlooked. While Barry has obviously done his best to stay in runway form, Larry has let himself go a little, particularly in the bread basket zone. Chalk it up to years of mourning Kurt Cobain.

Nov. 3, 2022 n 15

16 n Nov. 3, 2022

telegraph