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FREE Nov. 9, 2023 Vol. XXII, No. 45 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
Rebels with a cause
Sweet home, Chicago
Over the moon
Remembering two radicals who changed the West p6
Navigating development on wilderness inholdings p8
Area artist teams up with musical hero on book p10
2 n Nov. 9, 2023
telegraph
lineup
Why getting old is not for sissies and no time to go soft
6 Writers on the Range
4 La Vida Local
Staying puft by Zach Hively
7 State News
6
8 Top Story
Radical departures
10 Local News
Saying goodbye to two renegades who helped change the West by Ernie Atencio / Writers on the Range
12-13 Stuff to Do
8
13 Ask Rachel
Cabin in the woods The tricky – and legal – business of building on wilderness inholdings by Jonathan Romeo
On the cover Local artist Jon Bailey’s “White Wind” illustration celebrates the time in between sparkling gold colors and the coming snow.
Shooting the moon
Area artist gets chance to work with musical hero on new kid’s book
boilerplate
by Missy Votel
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he Durango Telegraph publishes every Thursday, come hell, high water, tacky singletrack or mon-
15 Classifieds 15 Haiku Movie Review
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EDITORIALISTA: Missy Votel missy@durangotelegraph.com
14 Free Will Astrology
STAR-STUDDED CAST: Zach Hively, Ernie Atencio, Rob Brezsny, Lainie Maxson, Jesse Anderson & Clint Reid
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telegraph
Ear to the ground: “If only my dogs knew about daylight savings.” – What good is an extra hour when your dogs still wake you up at first light?
Powered down
thepole
4
RegularOccurrences
About this time last year, we reported on a proposed 1,900-acre solar farm that would be located on private property southwest of Durango, near Hesperus. While one would think the huge jolt of renewable energy the project would generate would be celebrated, it wasn’t so simple. Sure, the solar farm, led by Californiabased solar energy developer Primergy, would feature a 155-megawatt facility capable of powering an estimated 56,000 homes a year. But neighbors in the predominantly rural area pushed back, arguing the massive development would destroy the landscape, negatively impact residents and disturb wildlife. So a year later, where does the whole thing stand? Well, this past Thursday, neighbors opposed to the project, which formed a group called “STOP Hesperus Solar,” sent out an email that Primergy’s application had been withdrawn from La Plata County. Lynn Hyde, La Plata County’s Community Development Director, said the application is considered withdrawn because a “finalized cost reimbursement agreement was not signed by both parties.” Translation: Primergy did not provide a complete agreement form to reimburse the county’s costs associated with evaluating such a large and complex project. In an interview with The Durango Herald, Primergy said it remains committed to the project but did not provide a date for when it intends to resubmit an application. The whole situation highlights the strange push and pull of the need for renewable energy but not knowing exactly where to put all this infrastructure. Hesperus residents say this project would increase fire danger and contaminate water, as well as impact property values. And, they say, it would disturb one of the largest migration routes used by big game traveling to and from the La Plata Mountains. On that note, it was recently announced Colorado Parks and Wildlife is partnering with the Southern Ute Indian Tribe to place 60 radio collars on deer in the area to collect survival, location and migration data. This, on top of winter helicopter surveys and radio-collared elk, will help understand the impacts of the project. “One of the uses for this combination of data-collecting efforts is to document elk and deer spatial distribution and migration patterns in and around the Hesperus Solar proposed project,” Jamin Grigg, CPW Southwest region wildlife biologist, said in a statement. Nov. 9 2023 n 3
opinion
LaVidaLocal A class of my own So my high school graduating class (go Mascots!) just held its 20-year reunion. This struck me as odd because 2003 was in no way 20 years ago. In that much time, you would expect the world to evolve, people to grow, something – anything at all! – to feel different. I mean, something besides smartphones spreading like viruses and viruses spreading like smartphones and AI surpassing, by all meaningful measures, the capacity of even the most advanced Speak & Spell. To be sure, some things really have changed. Here’s an example: In high school, I never got invited to any of the parties I heard about. Now that we’ve all grown up and had the chance to mature, I don’t even hear about the parties in the first place. I welcome this development. I had all the time in the world in high school, so if I had been invited to the parties, I would have had unlimited bandwidth for making myself sick with preemptive social anxiety before ultimately talking myself out of going at the last minute and finishing my book. Now, I don’t have time or energy for that kind of emotional horseplay, let alone for finishing books. I am a Busy Adult who has recently discovered how gripping Instagram Reels can be when I should be sleeping. So even if I had been invited to the reunion, I would have ignored the message altogether until inevitably running into a classmate at the grocery store while visiting my folks for Christmas, at which point I’d have had to pretend I changed my number and lost my contacts so let’s text each other right now OK great I’ll see you at the 25th reunion, and then promptly dropped my phone in the grocery store garbage can and bought myself a burner, probably a flip phone, and started a new life in another state or even better a Central American nation. Or, I could tell the truth. This would likely be “Sorry I missed the reunion, which I only learned about after the fact on a Reel. But I had a urology appointment that day anyway.” This is the truth about realizing childhood ended long enough ago that today’s children are dressing in your old clothes for Decades Day at school: Your body is
changing. But unlike the fun times of puberty, no one has the awkward conversation with you about what to do when you find a weird lump, or that mole on your back extends like a pencil eraser, or you get sore from doing the dishes. And making appointments for this stuff takes all – and I mean all – of your free time. And whatever time you don’t have left is spent filling out the same extensive questionnaire in the waiting room that you already filled out online for the Expedited Pre-Check-In, and which you filled out the last time you were in to discuss the changes in your otherwise flawless urinary history. I’m trying to embrace being such a Busy Adult and doing the Right Thing by going to the doctor for all these concerns before they become even bigger concerns, like the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters, which as a side note came out closer in time to my high school graduation than my graduation is to today. What I find is that, by and large, falling apart is not what those in the medical profession call “anything to worry about.” I spend hours and hours of my precious not-so-youth sitting on hold to book appointments, and deleting reminder texts, and actually remembering to go to the appointments, and how am I rewarded? I’m not. I don’t even get a piece of candy, unless I book for the week before Halloween. Nor do I get a diagnosis. I get some concerned grunts, if I’m very lucky, then the doctor puts her stethoscope around her neck and says, “Everything seems perfectly normal for a man your age. That lump should resolve itself. Get up from that computer more, even though that’s how you earn the money to pay for these appointments. And remember to floss! You can schedule a follow-up with Debra at the front.” Which I do, because the lump still hurts, and I don’t believe it will “resolve itself.” Medical appointments are in scarce supply these days, so it’s better to have it and not need it than need it and have to trade a kidney for it and book the requisite kidney specialist on top of everything else Plus, I am a Busy Adult, and it’s helpful to have these things on the calendar – preferably in five-year intervals, in hopes of getting out of another reunion that day. – Zach Hively
Thumbin’It
4 n Nov. 9, 2023
SignoftheDownfall:
Wolf Creek Ski Area among the first ski areas in the state to open some trails this upcoming weekend. Hey, if it’s going to be cold, may as well hit the slopes.
A new state analysis that expects Colorado will fall short of its 2030 carbon dioxide reduction goal unless it drastically speeds up its climate policy reforms.
A statewide effort to purchase one of the oldest and largest water rights on the Colorado River from Xcel Energy, which could be a huge win for protecting water, aquatic habitat, wildlife and recreation.
Tyson recalling 30,000 pounds of chicken nuggets after discovering metal pieces inside. Disturbingly, there’s likely more – and worse – surprises inside a chicken nugget than this.
Voters in Ohio, Virginia and Kentucky – not exactly the most liberal states – signaling clear support for abortion-right related measures on the ballot in this past week’s election.
People magazine naming Patrick Dempsey the Sexiest Man Alive for 2023. No shade on Patrick Dempsey, but we still stand by our vote for Bad Bunny.
telegraph
Catnapping In 2017, Joshua Smith, an addict living in a Portland-area group home, found a cat in an alley, named him “Frank” and brought him home, even though pets weren’t allowed. Smith and Frank lived together until 2019 when the landlord abducted Frank and took him to a shelter. Smith sued, and he was awarded $1.4 million, but Frank is gone forever – he was microchipped and the shelter returned him to his rightful owners. Smith has since moved to Seattle and opened a barber shop. Frank, though, still goes outside and doesn’t care about any of this, because humans are really, really stupid.
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Nov. 9, 2023 n 5
WritersontheRange
It takes all kinds Farewell to two radicals with a common goal: changing the West Ernie Atencio
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he West lost two larger-than-life conservationists this year, and while I considered both friends, they couldn’t have been more different. Yet both were radical in their own ways. One was ranching reformer Sid Goodloe; the other the activist and “monkey-wrencher” Dave Foreman. Each changed the way we think about this region. Goodloe, who was almost 93 years old when he died, bought a badly abused ranch in El Capitan, N.M., in 1956. Restoring it to health became a project that lasted nearly seven decades. Taking his young family to Africa to learn traditional livestock techniques set him on a new land management path. There he met Allan Savory who showed him the wisdom of short-duration, rotational grazing. Once home, Goodloe got Savory invited to range management schools to teach the rest of the West how to restore abused land. He also realized something surprising: His ranch had once been a savannah grassland. Goodloe practiced “restorative ranching” long before there was such a term. He won a Leopold Conservation Award for using the chainsaw and prescribed fire as some of his tools to eliminate invasive pinyons and junipers. He filled in eroded arroyos and brought back flowing streams in gullies that once ravaged his ranch with floods every time it rained. His work restored habitat for endangered species and game animals, while at the same time, he made a living from his cow-calf operation. Ignoring the accusations from some in the ranching community that land trusts and conservation easements were a sneaky, backdoor con to steal private
A banner with a giant crack was hung across Glen Canyon Dam in 1981 by the late “monkey-wrencher” Dave Foreman./ Courtesy photo property rights, Goodloe founded the Southern Rockies Agricultural Land Trust. He understood that land trusts were tools for like-minded ranchers to save working ranches from fragmentation and development. While cowboy hats were de rigueur at Goodloe’s memorial, tie-dyed shirts were the choice at Foreman’s gathering, held in a national park campground and attended by environmentalists from all over the region. As the Arizona Daily Star’s Tony Davis put it, Foreman, a friend of the writer and activist Ed Abbey, was a “redneck wilderness advocate” who believed in “direct action.” That meant he went beyond civil
disobedience to underground activities such as pouring sand into the gas tanks of bulldozers used by loggers. Co-founder of the radical group Earth First!, Foreman, who died at 75, was eventually busted by the FBI. What many Westerners will never forget was his unfurling a banner painted to look like a giant crack across the face of Glen Canyon Dam in 1981 to protest its existence. Over the last decade, I got to know Foreman through wilderness work in New Mexico. As a local Chicano committed to social justice, I didn’t expect to like him based on some of his more extreme views, particularly around immigration and surging populations of
brown people around the world. I was surprised to find him a warm and bighearted person with an infectious sense of humor. In his later years, I saw a subtle shift as he came to understand the importance of diverse cultural values and perspectives in the conservation community. Though his outrage at the exploiters of the West remained undiminished, his methods moderated as he co-founded the Wildlands Network and founded the Rewilding Institute, both with the mission of helping wildlife survive and flourish. One more thing about Sid Goodloe: I was lucky enough for more than a decade to serve with him on the board of directors of the Quivira Coalition, based in Santa Fe. It approached conservation issues through what we called the “radical center.” Environmentalists, ranchers and land managers checked their politics at the door with the shared aim of improving land health across the West. Stepping toward the center isn’t easy in these polarized times. Even invoking Goodloe and Foreman in the same breath is probably sacrilege to some reading this. Yet I think if the two had ever met, they might have discovered a grudging respect for each other. If we want to save what is left to save in the West, we need to work together across the political spectrum. I mourn the loss of these two wildly different but great men who taught us to never give up on making things better. Ernie Atencio is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. He is an anthropologist and writer who has been doing conservation work around the Southwest for 30 years. ■
United Methodist Women’s
49th Holiday Bazaar • Nov. 18, 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. Summit Church, 2917 Aspen Drive, Durango Baked goods, crafts and plants, trash to treasures, vendors Proceeds go to local, national and international missions
6 n Nov. 9, 2023
telegraph
StateNews
Making an exception
Feds approve Colorado’s plan to reintroduce wolves – and kill them in some cases by Sam Brasch / Colorado Public Radio
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he federal government on Tuesday granted Colorado the authority to manage and kill wolves in specific circumstances, clearing a path for the state to meet a voter-approved deadline to release the predators by the end of the year. The U.S. Endangered Species Act forbids anyone from harming or harassing wolves in Colorado. Under the final decision, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved a special exception – known as a 10(j) permit – designating the predators as an “experimental population.” That gives Colorado flexibility in its wolf reintroduction plan, allowing for proactive management of wolves that threaten livestock or working animals. Acceptable methods include nonlethal hazing tools like sirens or sound cannons. If wolves are a consistent threat, state wildlife officers can approve lethal con-
trol on a case-by-case basis. Ranchers would also be allowed to kill wolves caught in the act of preying on livestock. The federal rule does provide clarity on one point: While people can remove wolves attacking working dogs, it remains illegal to kill a wolf attacking a pet. Gaining that latitude under federal law has been a top priority for rural state lawmakers. Earlier this year, a bipartisan bill would have only allowed reintroduction if the federal government granted the expected 10(j) permit. Gov. Jared Polis vetoed the proposal, saying it would add legal complications and put the state at risk of missing its Dec. 31 deadline. A bill sponsor, Sen. Dylan Roberts, DSteamboat Springs, said he’s grateful there weren’t delays to approving the permit. At the same time, he fears environmental groups could sue to block it, which could result in an injunction from a federal court putting the permit on hold. Lindsay Larris serves as the wildlife
Gray wolf/ USFWS
program director for WildEarth Guardians, a group that’s previously criticized Colorado's plans to allow lethal control of wolves. She said the organization doesn’t plan to file a lawsuit before the reintroduction process begins. “We’re going to see what takes place
on the landscape over the next year,” Larris said. Barring legal complications, Colorado Parks and Wildlife appears ready to meet the end-of-year target. The new permit is set to take effect Dec. 8, opening a 24-day window for the state to release wolves on the Western Slope. The department has also secured an initial supply population of the predators. In October, Colorado struck a one-year agreement with Oregon to capture up to 10 gray wolves for its reintroduction project. The largest remaining mystery remains the release location for the first batch of wolves. State wildlife officers say the predators will be let loose in a general region around Vail, Aspen and Gunnison, but haven’t offered anything more specific. Colorado has committed to meeting with local landowners before any wolves are released. For more from Colorado Public Radio, go to: www.cpr.org. ■
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Nov. 9, 2023 n 7
TopStory
Members of the public have expressed concern about the impacts of a cabin under construction in Chicago Basin, a popular area in the Weminuche Wilderness. The area is especially critical habitat for big game wildlife, like mountain goats, which are pictured here in Chicago Basin./ Photo by Anne-Marie Mee
‘Temporary pain in the ass’ Sounds of construction in Chicago Basin soon to disappear, landowner says by Jonathan Romeo
I
f you were hiking in Chicago Basin this past summer and heard the sounds of chainsaws, possibly even a helicopter, juxtaposed to the sounds of nature, you’re not alone. “I’m not surprised people are asking what’s going on,” Nick Glidden, District Ranger for the San Juan National Forest’s Columbine Ranger District, said. “I know it sounds like a weird deal, and I wouldn’t say it’s common, but it does happen.” While the sounds of machines may seem a bit out of place in the popular recreation area, located in the Weminuche Wilderness north of Durango, it is not, ho-
8 n Nov. 9, 2023
wever, a sign of any wrongdoing. And in this case, it should only be temporary. The Weminuche, of course, is protected by the Wilderness Act, which was passed in 1964 to protect the country’s most wild and remote places. It remains one of the strictest types of public lands management tools and prohibits any mechanized use, established roads or structures. Today, there are nearly 112 million acres of designated Wilderness in the United States. However, these areas are far from undiscovered and untouched. Throughout Western history, many people had private property, mining claims and other stakes within areas that predated the creation of the Wilder-
telegraph
ness Act. These lands are called “inholdings” and have preexisting rights of private property. Fast forward to the present day and the situation at Chicago Basin. Chicago Basin is a popular destination for outdoorspeople, especially those looking to summit the surrounding 14ers. Accessing the area requires an arduous multi-mile hike or horseback ride from trailheads near Purgatory, Vallecito or Missionary Ridge, or you could take the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad to shorten the journey by 10 miles or so. The property in question is an old, 17-acre mining claim that was bought by the multi-generational Durango family, the Yeagers, in 1996 from the previous landowner.
In an interview with The Durango Telegraph, Ron Yeager said he has been working on building a cabin for years. But it wasn’t until the past couple years, in which time he retired, that he has been able to make some serious progress, which explains why people are hearing construction. Yeager received permission from the U.S. Forest Service to transport chainsaws and other mechanized tools into his property by horseback (which Forest Service representatives confirmed). From there, anything Yeager does on his land follows the regular rules of private land – i.e. he does not need permission or authorization to use chainsaws or land a helicopter. “Everything I’m doing is legal,” he said. Yeager, now 72, said construction of the cabin is almost complete, so the sounds of chainsaws will soon disappear. And, he said the property is just for friends and family, and will be passed on to his grandchildren. He said there are no plans for any future resort-type development. “It’s a temporary pain in the ass for everyone to listen to, but it’s only temporary, and it’s about done,” he said. As for the helicopters, Yeager said just
one helicopter flew into the property this past summer around Aug. 14 to help bring in a friend who was physically unable to make the journey by horseback or on foot. In the future, helicopters may be used to help people access the property, but only a couple times a year, Yeager said. (He added that a portion of his property was cleared for a landing zone and said no equipment will be flown in via helicopter.) “I haven’t even (flown in by helicopter) yet, because I’m not too old or feeble enough, and I still own three good mules,” he said. “As long as I can do that, all is good. But when that turns to sh**, I’ll hire the helicopter, good heavens.” The Forest Service’s Glidden said the agency sent wilderness rangers this summer to monitor the site and make sure the Yeagers weren’t conducting work beyond their private property boundaries. “At the end of the day, these are valid, existing rights,” Glidden said. “The only piece we authorize is moving chainsaws through wilderness areas.” Ever since Yeager acquired the property in 1996, he said he has faced pushback on any potential development on
the land. “I don’t want to cause any trouble with anyone,” he said. “I’ve been hassled since the day I bought that (property). I’d just like to go up some day and enjoy the goddamn thing.” While all the activity on Yeager’s inholding is legal, it highlights the challenge these types of properties present in trying to balance private property rights with the preservation of the wilderness character (looking at you, Village at Wolf Creek). Margosia Jadkowski, Director of Marketing and Communications for The Wilderness Land Trust, said the organization was founded more than 30 years ago to help acquire inholdings and remove any risks to wilderness areas and complications with management policies. She said the estimated 180,000 acres of inholdings throughout the United States (not including Alaska) are not protected and can be mined, logged and developed for any kind of use, including resorts. All this poses a risk to waterways, wildlife and public access, as well as noise and light pollution. As a result, the trust has acquired 55,000 acres of inholdings through fair market sales with willing landowners,
telegraph
which ultimately are transferred to federal agencies. The organization is active in Southwest Colorado, protecting 12 parcels totaling 235 acres over the years. “People see a wilderness designation and think the area is totally protected,” she said. “And it’s not.” San Juan Citizens Alliance Executive Director Mark Pearson said that most of the inholdings in Chicago Basin were acquired and transferred into federal management. He noted that development can disturb wildlife and have other negative consequences. “When (Yeager) first got it, I remember the fear he was going to build a cabin up there,” he said. “It’s about the only (inholding) still left up there that’s private; just about everything else has been acquired by the Forest Service.” Yeager said there’s a long history of mining in Chicago Basin – a history that’s seldom told. The trail, for instance, used to be a county road for packing gear into mines. Use of his property, which will only amount to a few times during the summer, is just another change. “I’ve watched what that property was from back in the day and what it is today, and it’s entirely different,” he said. “But that’s evolution.” ■
Nov. 9, 2023 n 9
LocalNews
Over the moon Teacher-turned-artist works with musical hero on new children’s book by Missy Votel
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hen Mancos artist Katie Terrell Ramos shot for the moon on her latest project, little did she know how quickly and literally she would hit it. This month, Terrell Ramos, 29, a music educatorturned-children’s book author/illustrator (who also runs a lavender farm in her spare time, a story for another day), launched a Kickstarter for her fourth and latest book, “Who Built the Moon.” The book is based on a song by the band Shinyribs, led by colorful frontman Kevin Russell, former co-lead singer of dearly departed Austin, Texas, super group The Gourds. Not only has Russell given his full blessing for the project, but he stars prominently in the book, albeit in colorful block print form. “I’m so grateful,” Terrell Ramos said this week from her lavender farm, northwest of Mancos. “This has been a dream come true to be able to illustrate one of my favorite songs by my favorite artist.” The dream took seed in 2019 when, at the urging of her husband, Travis, Terrell Ramos took a block printing class. With a background in music, up until that time, she had worked as a music educator for high school and grade school children. The thought of being an artist was something she had never even considered. But all that changed when the art teacher took a rubber stamp, carved it and dipped it into ink to produce an image. “I was like, ‘What is that?’” she recalled. “I just carved stamps the rest of the time. I probably have 5,000 of them at this point. So it stuck!” Eventually, she married her two passions, combining her block prints with children’s books on musical theory. She published her first book, “EGBDF the Musical Yak,” in 2021. Pronounced “Ee-Guh-Buh-Dif,” the yak was a tool to teach children, particularly those with learning disabilities, the notes of the treble clef with a snappy jingle. As luck would have it, that snappy jingle also caught
10 n Nov. 9, 2023
Katie Terrell Ramos never thought she’d be an artist. Little did she know she’d be working with one of her favorite musicians, Kevin Russell, former singer of The Gourds./ Courtesy photo the ear of Russell. On a dare from her father-in-law, a huge Shinyribs “fan boy,” Terrell Ramos (also a member of the “Shinytribe”) reached out to Russell about possibly singing the jingle. “I messaged him, ‘You are one of my heroes. If you feel like singing this, it would mean the world to me.’” Russell soon messaged back: challenge accepted. “I was freaking out,” Terrell Ramos said.
telegraph
As a thank you, she wrote Russell into her second book, “FACE the Musical Flamingo” (again, an acronym for notes on the musical scale.) Once published, she sent the book to Russell, along with the stamp of him that she used in the book. Turns out, the admiration was mutual. “He started using the stamp as a signature,” she said. “He posted on Facebook that he had finally made it, be-
cause he was in a children’s book.” But the collaboration didn’t end there. “People kept saying I should do a book for ‘Who Built the Moon,’” she said, referring to one of Shinyribs’ most popular songs, a whimsical fairy tale of a pilgrim with a dream to build the moon. Again, a message went out. And again within minutes, Russell gave his blessing. “Ever since I wrote the song … I’ve had a dream to turn it into a children’s book,” Russell said in a video on Terrell Ramos’ Kickstarter page. “I wrote it about 15 years ago. It took this long to meet the artist to make the dream come true.” The book contains 100-plus of Terrell Ramos’ hand-carved rubber stamps to accompany the lyrics of the song, each one printed and then digitally painted and collaged together. “It’s like magic to me,” Russell said in the video. “She has created a wonderful book far beyond my dream of what it might be.” And so far, the Kickstarter has also hit
far beyond everyone’s dreams. Since launching at the beginning of the month, Terrell Ramos has hit her $6,000 goal – and then some. With 23 days to go in the campaign, she had already earned more than $26,000. “I blew my goal out of the water,” she said. “It’s really exciting.” Terrell Ramos said she opted for Kickstarter over traditional agent/publisher channels to give the platform a try and to give folks the product and allow them to be part of the project. Rewards range from a signed hardcover copy of the book to a “Who Built the Moon” custom-printed bandana made by Terrell Ramos. “People are excited to be part of the process,” she said. “It’s a new way for indie publishers to get their book out.” She said once the Kickstarter ends Nov. 30, she will be a “crazy Christmas elf” trying to ship out the books and rewards. After that, she plans to release it to the general public
Terrell Ramos and Russell meet face to face for the first time at the Pagosa Folk ‘N Bluegrass Festival in 2022./ Courtesy photo through local bookstores like Maria’s as well as bigger outlets like Barnes and Noble. As for her next project, suppose you could say the moon’s the limit. “It’s so odd, I always thought I’d be a music teacher, but I’m now an artist,” Terrell Ramos said. In hindsight, though, growing up on the Front Range with a mom who was a teacher and a dad who was a drummer in a band, perhaps it was destiny.
“If you put those two together, it makes sense,” she said. And there’s a good chance this won’t be the end of her collaboration with Russell, whom she finally got to meet in person at the 2022 Pagosa Folk ’N Bluegrass Festival. “He told me, ‘I don’t care what you do with your art. I love what you do,’” she recalled. “He’s been such a mentor and such a good human. As an artist, sometimes, we need another artist to take us under their wing.” ■
It’s not hairy shopping at Jimmy’s. Hours: Tues. - Fri. 11-6; Sat. 11-5 • www.jimmysmusic.supply 1239 Main Ave., Durango • 970-764-4577
telegraph
Nov. 9, 2023 n 11
StufftoDo
Thursday09 Hat Bar Fundraiser, 4-7 p.m., Lively (a boutique), 809 Main Ave. Proceeds go to 4 the children. Local First Coupon Book Release Party, 5 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St.
Vinyl Sundaze, 12 noon, Lola’s, 725 E. 2nd Ave. Live music, 12:30 p.m., Durango Beer and Ice, 3000 Main Ave.
Cary Morin & Ghost Dog play, 7:30 p.m., FLC’s Community Concert Hall.
Feed the People! free aid for homeless community members, 2 p.m., Buckley Park.
Thursday Night Sitting Group, 5:30-6:15 p.m., Durango Dharma Center, 1800 E. 3rd Ave, Suite 109.
“Nevermore: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allen Poe,” 7:30 p.m., FLC’s Main Stage Theatre.
Live music, 6-9 p.m., The Office & Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave.
Bluegrass Jam, 6 p.m., Durango Beer & Ice, 3000 Main Ave.
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Sunday Funday, 6 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.
Live music, 6-9 p.m., The Office & Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave. Trivia Night, 6:30 p.m., Powerhouse Science Center, 1330 Camino del Rio. Troupe 1096 presents “The Hobbit,” 7 p.m., Durango High School, 2390 Main Ave.
Deadline for “Stuff to Do” submissions is Monday at noon. To submit an item, email: calendar@durangotelegraph.com
Durango High School Troupe 1096 presents “The Hobbit,” 7 p.m., Durango High School, 2390 Main Ave.
Durango Independent Film Festival presents “Best of the Fest,” 7 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. “Nevermore: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allen Poe,” 7:30 p.m., FLC’s Main Stage Theatre.
Friday10 Free Friday Yoga, 8:30 a.m., Lively (a boutique), 809 Main Ave. BID Coffee and Conversation, 8:30 a.m., TBK Bank, 259 W. 9th St. Open Meditation, 12 noon-1 p.m., Durango Dharma Center, 1800 E. 3rd Ave, Suite 109. “Things That Fly” by Miki Harder, opening reception 5-9 p.m., Studio & Gallery, 1027 Main Ave. New work from Gavin Rudy in The Recess Gallery. Exhibits run thru November. Pete Giuliani plays, 5:30 p.m., Public House 701, 701 E. 2nd Ave. “What Inkling This Time” by Toni George, 5:30-7:30 p.m., The Light Box at Stillwater Music, 1316 Main Ave.
Turtle Lake Refuge Community Yard Sale, 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Rocky Mountain Retreat, 848 E. 3rd Ave.
Monday13
Honoring the Veterans of La Plata County, bell ringing at 11 a.m., seminar at 1 p.m., Animas Museum, 3065 W. 2nd Ave.
Ukulele Jam, 5 p.m., Durango Coffee Co., 730 Main Ave.
Troupe 1096 presents “The Hobbit,” showings at 2 and 7 p.m., Durango High School, 2390 Main Ave. Ladies Night, featuring wine, massage, reiki, hair tinsel, vendors and clothing swap, 6-9 p.m., The Subterrain, 900 Main Ave. Pete Giuliani and Richard Leavitt play, 6-9 p.m., Weminuche Woodfire Grill, Vallecito.
Mix & Mingle, 6 p.m., EsoTerra Ciderworks, 558 Main Ave. Hosted by New Era Colorado.
Live music, 6-9 p.m., The Office & Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave.
Live music, 6-9 p.m., The Office & Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave.
Carute Roma plays, 6-9 p.m., Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave.
Comedy Showcase, 7:30 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.
Community Yoga, 6-7 p.m., Yoga Durango, 1485 Florida Rd. Donations accepted.
Tuesday14
“Nevermore: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allen Poe,” 7:30 p.m., FLC’s Main Stage Theatre. Jade Oracle with Nu Bass Theory plays, 8-10 p.m., The iNDIGO Room, 1315 Main Ave.
Community Yoga, 4:30-5:30 p.m., Yoga Durango, 1485 Florida Rd. Donations accepted. Slow Bluegrass Jam, 5:30-7:30 p.m., General Palmer Hotel, 567 Main Ave. Rotary Club of Durango, featuring Laurie Meininger, 6 p.m., Strater Hotel, 699 Main Ave.
EDM Party, 9 p.m.-1 a.m., Roxy’s, 693 Main Ave. Live music, 6-9 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave. Silent Disco, 10 p.m.-12:30 a.m., 11th St. Station. Open Mic, 7 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.
Sunday12
The Librarian plays, 8 p.m., Animas City Theatre.
Durango Flea Market, 8 a.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave.
Live music, 6-9 p.m., The Office & Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave.
Turtle Lake Refuge Community Yard Sale, 8 a.m.-12 noon, Rocky Mountain Retreat, 848 E. 3rd Ave.
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Womenade Celebration, 5:30-7 p.m., Rochester Hotel, 726 E. 2nd Ave. Meditation and Dharma Talk, 5:30 p.m., Durango Dharma Center, 1800 E. 3rd Ave.
Dancing, 6 p.m., VFW. Instruction followed by open dancing at 7:45 p.m. DurangoDancing.com
1135 Main Ave. • DGO, CO
Happy Hour Yoga, 5:30 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St.
Thank you, Durango, for six years in business! telegraph
Wednesday15 Small Group Meditation, 8-9:15 a.m., Durango Dharma Center, 1800 E. 3rd Ave.
Last 3 Days for Half-Price Shipping On signature gift baskets or build your own! Come in, call or order online: dietzmarket.com 970-259-5811 • 26345 HWY 160/550 1 mile SE of Durango Mall • www.dietzmarket.com
AskRachel
Getting canned, bad meat and woke lattes Interesting fact: Some people say the water quality in NYC is why all steamed food tastes so good there. I call bologna. Dear Rachel, Colorado is 49th in teachers’ pay. Ten states have 5-10 cents per can deposits. When you take back a can you get a refund slip to purchase product. The cans are then recycled. If you don’t return a can, the store keeps the money. How about the refund not picked up goes to teachers’ salaries and schools? – Can Dew Dear Nickel and Dime, Hmm. Let’s say that teachers deserve to make $100,000 more each year. (Because they do.) Let’s say our can deposit is 10 cents to make the math easier, because I was taught by underpaid teachers. Each teacher therefore deserves a million unreturned cans. Multiply by the teachers in the state, and that’s 58 billion cans – give or take – or 10,000 per Colorado resident per year. Our teachers deserve better than that. – Drink up, buttercup, Rachel Dear Rachel, Coming here from the NY, I am accustomed to the interminably long wait for sliced deli
Restorative Yoga for Cancer, 9:3010:45 a.m., Smiley Building, 1309 E. 3rd Ave. Info and register at cancersupportswco.org/calendar Live music, 6-9 p.m., The Office & Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave. “Declining Mallard Populations in the Central Flyway” presentation, 6 p.m., FLC’s Education and Business Hall, Room 65. Trivia Night, 7 p.m., Bottom Shelf Brewery, Bayfield. Geeks Who Drink Trivia, 8 p.m., The Roost, 128 E. College Dr. Karaoke Roulette, 8 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.
Ongoing
“The Return of the Force,” art exhibit exploring the influence of “Star Wars” on Native artists, FLC’s Center for Southwest Studies. Runs thru August 2024. “Sine Language” exhibit by Christine Cassano, 4:30-6 p.m., FLC’s Lyceum Auditorium, Center for Southwest Studies. Runs until Dec. 6.
products. But at least the ergonomics of the slice are worth it. Now being a Durango resident, it is apparent those East Coast skill sets were taken for granted. Regardless of where I go, I still suffer the typical wait, but now upon arriving home, I am accosted with a crumpled-up ball of surprising thicknesses that only perplexes, nay, infuriates my sandwich-making. Why oh why must we suffer so? – Mr. Deli...cate Dear Sensitive Meat, Yes! It is a crime that localized skill sets are not universally distributed across this great nation! I bet you can’t even get a decent bagel here to slap around your shoddy meat. And Colorado cheese just doesn’t stack up to Wisconsin. And! Don’t even get me started on how hard it is to find good shrimp and grits. It’s really too bad; I guess you’ll just have to move back. – Thick sliced, Rachel Dear Rachel, I am all for people eating what they enjoy and are capable of eating. But when I order a latte (straight up, none of the Starbucks mumbo jumbo), there’s now an extra step where baristas ask me if I want regular milk. That’s what a latte is! The onus for ordering
telegraph@durangotelegraph.com the alternate should be on the customer, right? – Whole Latte Love Dear Milk Man, Wholehearted, whole-milked agreement. This is one area where wokeness has gone TOO FAR AND MUST BE STOPPED. I am SICK AND TIRED of baristas wanting to make certain you get EXACTLY THE CUP OF COFFEE YOU WANT. You want your latte choices questioned when you order? Go back to the state you came from. – Full Caff, Rachel
Upcoming Business After Hours, Nov. 16, 5 p.m., Durango Harley-Davidson, 750 Camino del Rio. Backcountry Film Festival, Nov. 16, 5:30 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. Bonnie and Taylor Sims with Julianne Marqua play, Nov. 16, 8 p.m., Animas City Theatre. Mean Mary plays, Nov. 17, Wild Horse Saloon, 601 E. 2nd Ave. 49th Holiday Bazaar, Sat., Nov. 18, 8 a.m. - 2 p.m., Summit Church, 2917 Aspen Dr. 26th annual Artisan’s Holiday Gift Show, Sat., Nov. 18, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Strater Hotel, Oak Room.
Stay classy, Durango
“Send it Like a Local” film premiere, Nov. 18, 6 p.m., Animas City Theatre. Chuck Hank Band plays, Nov. 21, 8 p.m., Animas City Theatre. Wood Belly with special guest, Dec. 1, 8 p.m., Animas City Theatre.
telegraph
Tina Miely Broker Associate
(970) 946-2902 tina@BHHSco.com Nov. 9, 2023 n 13
FreeWillAstrology by Rob Brezsny ARIES (March 21-April 19): Your victories-in-progress are subtle. They may not be totally visible to you yet. Let me describe them, so you can feel properly confident about what you are in the process of accomplishing. 1. A sustained surge of hard-earned personal growth is rendering one of your problems mostly irrelevant. 2. You have been redefining what rewards are meaningful to you, and that’s motivating you to infuse your ambitions with more soulfulness. 3. You are losing interest in a manipulative game that doesn’t serve you as well as it should. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus physicist Richard Feynman was a smart and accomplished person who won a Nobel Prize. He articulated a perspective that will be healthy for you to experiment with in the coming weeks. He said, “I can live with doubt and uncertainty and not knowing. I think it’s much more interesting not knowing than to have answers which might be wrong. I have approximate answers and possible beliefs and different degrees of certainty about different things, but I’m not absolutely sure of anything, and there are many things I don’t know anything about.” GEMINI (May 21-June 20): To earn money, I have worked as a janitor, dishwasher, olive picker, ditch-digger, newspaper deliverer and 23 other jobs involving hard labor. In addition, I have done eight artistic jobs better suited to my sensitive temperament and creative talents. Am I regretful or resentful about the thousands of hours I toiled at tasks I didn’t enjoy? A little. But mostly I’m thankful for them. They taught me how to interact harmoniously with a wide array of people. And they motivated me to eventually figure out how to get jobs I really loved. Now I invite you to evaluate where you’ve been and where you want to go in the future. CANCER (June 21-July 22): There are so many kinds of sweetness. Zesty, spicy, sweetness. Tender, balmy, fragrant sweetness. Sour or bitter sweetness. Musky, piquant sweetness. Luscious, succulent sweetness. One of my favorite types of sweetness is described by Cancerian poet Stephen Dunn. He wrote, “Often a sweetness comes as if on loan, stays just long enough to make sense of what it means to be alive, then returns to its dark source. As for me, I don’t care where it’s been, or what bitter
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road it’s traveled to come so far, to taste so good.” My analysis of the astrological omens suggests to me that you are about to commune with at least three of these sweetnesses, Cancerian. Maybe most of them. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Author Dan Savage advocates regular indulgence in sloth. He notes that few of us can “get through 24 hours without a little downtime. Human beings need to stare off into space, look out the window, daydream and spend time every day being indolent and useless.” I concur, and I hope you will indulge in more downtime than usual during the coming weeks. For the sake of your long-term mental and physical health, you need to relax extra deep and strong now – to recharge your battery with delicious and delightful abandon. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): According to my deep and thorough analysis of your astrological rhythms, your mouth will soon be a wonder of nature. The words emerging from your lips will be extra colorful, precise and persuasive. Your taste buds will have an enhanced vividness as they commune with the joys of food and drink. And I suspect your tongue and lips will exult in an upgrade of aptitude and pleasure while plying the arts of sex and intimate love. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In addition to being a masterful composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–91) played the piano, violin, harp, bassoon, clarinet, horn, flute, oboe and trumpet. His experience led him to believe that musicians best express their skills when they play fast. It’s more challenging to be excellent when playing slowly, he thought. But I will invite you to adopt the reverse attitude and approach in the coming weeks, Libra. According to my astrological analysis, you will be most successful if you work gradually and incrementally, with careful diligence and measured craftiness. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In my horoscopes for Scorpios, I tend to write complex messages, because I imagine you as being complex, thick, rich and lush. But this time, I will offer you my simplest, most straightforward oracle ever. I borrowed it from author Mary Anne Hershey: “Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard. Play with abandon. Choose with no regret. Continue to learn. Appreciate your friends. Do what you love.”
telegraph
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In her poem, “Requiem,” Anna Akhmatova said, “I must kill off memory … and I must learn to live anew.” I think most of us can benefit from periodically engaging in this brave and robust exercise. It’s not a feat to be taken lightly – not to be done more than once or twice a year. But guess what: The coming weeks will be a time when such a ritual might be wise for you. Are you ready to purge old business and prepare the way for a fresh start? CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): We need stories almost as much as we need to breathe, eat, sleep and move. It’s impossible to live without them. The best stories nourish our souls, stimulate our imagination and make life exciting. That’s not to say that all stories are healthy for us. We sometimes cling to narratives that make us miserable and sap our energy. I think we have a sacred duty to de-emphasize and even jettison those stories. I bring these thoughts to your attention, Capricorn, because you’re in a phase of your cycle when you will especially thrive by disposing of the bad old stories and celebrating the good ones. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I could be wrong, but I don’t think so: You are smarter and wiser than you realize about the pressing issues that are now vying for your attention. You know more than you know you know. I suspect this will soon become apparent, as streams of fresh insights rise up from the depths of your psyche and guide your conscious awareness toward clarity. It’s OK to squeal with glee every time a healing intuition shows up. You have earned this welcome phase of lucid certainty. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In Indigenous cultures throughout history, shamans have claimed they have the power to converse with and even temporarily become hawks, coyotes, snakes and other creatures. Why do they do that? It’s a long story, but one answer is that they believe animals have intelligences that are different from what humans have. The shamans aspire to learn from those alternate ways of seeing and comprehending the world. Many of us who live in Western culture dismiss this venerable practice, although I’ve known animal lovers who sympathize with it. If you are game for a fun experiment, Pisces, I invite you to try your own version. Choose an animal to learn from. Study and commune with it. Ask it to reveal intuitions that surprise and enrich you.
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-Wed: 9ish - 5ish Thurs: On delivery Fri: Gone fishing; call first
Announcements Earn Your Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Denver (DU) here in Durango – for the twoyear program starting in fall 2024. Classes are held on Fridays. For more info contact Janelle.Doughty@du.edu or www.du.edu/socialwork. 49th Holiday Bazaar Sat., Nov. 18, 8 a.m.–2 p.m., Summit Church, 2917 Aspen Dr. Friday 7 p.m. Dancing now at VFW Go to DurangoDancing.com to get on notification list.
Classes/Workshops
address ways to live with anxiety. If anxiety interferes with your ability to live a full and meaningful life, then this engaging workshop is for you. Please join this free community event that will add value to your living a more fruitful life.
ture and décor for moving in like dressers, coffee table, cabinets, kitchenwares, nightstands, rugs, cool lamps and small tables. Looking to consign smaller furniture pieces … 572 E. 6th Ave. Open Mon.-Sat. 385-7336.
Services
Wanted Cash for Vehicles, Copper, Alum Etc. at RJ Metal Recycle. Also free appliance and other metal drop off. 970-259-3494.
ForSale TaoTronics 4k Action Camera New and in the box. Comes with user guide and all accessories: waterproof housing, handlebar/pole mount, mounts, battery, tethers, protective back cover, USB cable and lens cleaning cloth. $50. J.marie.pace@gmail.com
‘No Hard Feelings’ How can you not love Jennifer Lawrence naked in a beach fight scene – Lainie Maxson
letters, blogs, etc. for small, local, independent or startup businesses. www.the saltymedia.com or email jnderge@ gmail.com
ForRent Winter RV Spots Durango Riverside Campground has beautiful RV sites for the winter season! Call for rates/details 970-247-4499
HaikuMovieReview
Harmony Cleaning and Organizing Residential, offices, commercial and vacation rentals, 970-403-6192. Content is King! Discover the power of captivating content. Our mission is to help the people behind organizations succeed, and we’re proud to say “mission accomplished” for ambitious start-ups, nonprofits, and local businesses. We offer affordable, project-based rates scaled to make you smile. Visit our website for more information and reach out – because your success is our mission!
Lowest Prices on Storage! Inside/outside storage near Durango and Bayfield. 10-x-20, $130. Outside spots: $65, with discounts available. RJ Mini Storage. 970-259-3494.
BodyWork Massage by Meg Bush LMT, 30, 60 & 90 min., 970-7590199. Lotus Path Healing Arts Offering a unique, intuitive fusion of Esalen massage, deep tissue & Acutonics, Kathryn, 970-201-3373.
Letter Like a Graphic Novelist! Get the tools and techniques while learning in a fun, eclectic art pop-up space: Rodeo Odyssey! Ages 16+ Friday, November 10, 5-7pm. Register at: https://square.link/u/Iiox9OLF Free Anxiety Workshop Licensed Psychologist Dr. Doug Miller, PsyD, is offering a free anxiety workshop on Tuesday, November 14th from 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm at Summit Church Durango, 2917 Aspen Drive, to
Womens Scarpa Gea AT boots Size 25 mondo (about 8.5 or 9.) Exc. condition, used 1½ seasons. Bought 2021-22 season, aqua/black. $275. Text for info or more pics: 970-749-2595 Reruns Home Furnishings Brighten up your space with furni-
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Wilderness Wellness Adventure Edu LifeWays is your local community for wilderness adventures and one-onone mentorship for youth, young adults and families. Access your local public lands with trained professionals dedicated to helping you find your path through the ups and downs. Hire a LifeWays guide to support you and your family! chris@lifewayscommunity. com or www.lifewayscommunity.com. Marketing Small/Local Businesses Media, website building and content editing, copywriting and editing, news-
CommunityService The Maker Lab in Bodo Park has open enrollment for new and returning members. The community-led nonprofit provides a collaborative workspace, tools, learning opportunities and equipment for adults and families. The Maker Lab features metal and woodworking, laser cutting, 3D printing, electronics and sewing. Classes for all levels. To join, schedule a tour, or learn more, go to www.themaker lab.org or email info@themakerlab.org Nov. 9, 2023 n 15
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