the durango
elegraph
Date night 2025
A hypothetical look at going out in the Trump era
Dropping the rope
Purg kicks off with pancakes, perks and (real!) snow
Carving out a niche
30 years of hustling for the perfect face shot
How Trump’s policies on tariffs and workers portend doom by David Marston / Writers on the Range
A purely hypothetical look at date night in the Trump era by Addyson Santese 8 Season opener Purg kicks off daily ops with pancakes, perks and (real!) snow by Maddy Gleason On the cover
New film follows Sven Brunso’s 30 years hustling for the perfect shot by Missy Votel
EDITORIALISTA: Missy Votel missy@durangotelegraph.com
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STAFF REPORTER: Scoops McGee telegraph@durangotelegraph.com
The Durango Telegraph publishes every Thursday, come hell, high water, tacky singletrack or mon-
Addyson Santese, David Marston, Maddy Gleason, Jennaye Derge, Lainie Maxson, Jesse Anderson, Rob Brezsny & Clint Reid
Snowboarder Mike Alcott makes what we are told was a “hot, surfy carve” in the backcountry above Silverton recently./ Photo by Andy High
Ear to the ground:
“This is the first dog I’ve had that gets cold. I now have to buy clothes for him.”
– Can matching jammies be far off?
The envelope, please
Looking for a good winter’s night read? The independent National Outdoor Book Awards just announced its 15 2024 winners, covering topics from finding one’s way in the depths of the Grand Canyon to working with researchers as they unlock the secrets of plants.
At the top of the list was none other than Kevin Fedarko, whose latest autobiographical tale, “A Walk in the Park,” won in the “Outdoor Literature” category. Reviewed in these very pages June 6, the book details Fedarko and photographer buddy Pete McBride’s 750-mile “walk” through the length of the Grand Canyon. With no discernible trail to follow, the “transect,” as it’s called, was no easy feat. Nor was following up Fedarko’s 2013 widely adored “The Emerald Mile,” about the 1983 speed run through the Grand Canyon.
“Fedarko and a good friend attempt to hike the length of the Grand Canyon while staying under the rim. They quickly learn, however, that it’s no walk in the park,” reads a press release from the NOBA. “More than a story of a hike, Fedarko paints a powerful portrait of the canyon: the river that carved it, its geology, and the cultural and human history imprinted on it.”
In addition to the two years spent going back and forth to the canyon to complete the actual hike, it took Fedarko some seven years to research and write the book – an arduous process in itself.
“That’s one of the disconcerting things about spending a decade on a book – you just have to let go of it, and then the world decides if it sucks or not,” he said.
Well, as we said before – and is now confirmed by the NOBA – it does not suck, so go get yourself a copy and burrow in.
Already notched that one off your list? Here’s some of the other winners:
• Outdoor Literature, Silver Medal: “Sailing Alone,” by Richard J. King.
• Design and Artistic Merit: “The Colorado River: Chasing Water,” by Pete McBride (Fedarko’s partner in crime.)
• Journeys: “Arctic Traverse,” by Michael Engelhard and “Where the Falcon Flies,” by Adam Shoalts.
• History/Biography: “Survival is Not Assured,” by Geoff Powter and “Alpine Rising,” by Bernadette McDonald.
ster powder
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• Natural History Literature: “The Light Eaters,” by Zoë Schlanger, and “With Every Great Breath,” by Rick Bass.
For the full list as well as reviews of the winners, go to: www.noba-web.org.
opinion
LaVidaLocal
Date night 2025
When voting for the next president of the United States of America, most people don’t stop to consider one of the most important factors: how the outcome might affect a romantic night out with their partner. Lucky for you, I’m here from the future to explain how date nights with my husband have changed since the 2024 election.
Back when we still had fluoridated water and a farcical degree of bodily autonomy, date nights typically consisted of dinner and a movie. Pretty standard stuff. One year in the future, you can rest assured that going on a date with your significant other will largely follow the same blueprint, but with a few barely noticeable tweaks.
First, the dinner. Going out to eat postinauguration has required a combination of bravery, luck and a naturally strong immune system. Since the eradication of the FDA and any semblance of food handling standards, common food poisoning has become the least of our worries. What we’re more concerned with is the rise of avian-swine-dog flu, a superbug that’s mutated to infect all manner of cattle, poultry and pork. Not to worry though, RFK Jr.’s pet ravens have predicted that a nationwide case of hand-foot-and-mouth disease is totally normal and will only make us stronger as a society.
mantic fantasy comedy, “Ghosts Can’t Do It,” for which Trump won Worst Supporting Actor.
Once we get our popcorn and candy that exclusively uses the red dye known to cause cancer, we settle into our seats. Instead of previews, the big screen lights up with a list of the Ten Commandments, narrated by the Moviefone guy. Once these have played on a 15-minute loop, we all stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance with a few teeny alterations: I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under Trump, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all billionaires.
Thanks to tariffs and the metal shortage that’s crippled the economy, you usually have to pay extra for luxuries like silverware when dining out. Most of the time when my husband and I go to a restaurant, we just shovel food into our mouths with our bare hands, but hey, tonight we’re treating ourselves! Bring on the forks and knives! And when the bill comes at the end of the evening, we’re no longer horrified or surprised by the exorbitant cost. Our meal did involve eggs, after all. Thankfully, we invested in Dogecoin early, which has been declared the only legal tender in this country.
After dinner, we head to the cinema to see a back-to-back showing of “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” alongside “Zoolander.” By law, movie theaters are only allowed to show films that Donald Trump bullied his way into having pathetically minor roles in, and it was either this double feature or the 1989 ro-
Thumbin’It
Purg officially cranks up the bull wheel on daily ops this Saturday, the earliest opening day in recent memory.
Even though Colorado is poised to miss its ambitious targets to cut climate-warming pollution by 2025 and 2030, new data shows we’re not that far off, with the state expected to hit its 2025 goal in 2026 and its 2030 goal in 2031. Better late than never.
Citizens of Moab and beyond rallying to protest a proposed massive luxury development along the banks of the Colorado River at Kane Creek (this Sun., Nov. 17, at 11 a.m. in Moab if you’re not doing anything.)
Everyone is expected to salute the projected image of a cyber truck alongside a spray-tan gun – our newly adopted national symbols. This salute in no way evokes images of the Third Reich.
When it comes to the actual movie, filmmakers have had to make a few concessions as well. For example, now that pornography has been outlawed, an extensive number of concerned parents have been asked to volunteer at movie theaters to cover audiences’ eyes when vaguely suggestive scenes come on. On top of that, soundtracks are limited to only presidentially approved songs, which is really just anything Trump played at that rally where he stood around for 40 minutes, swaying like a cow waiting to be hit in the head with a captive bolt gun. “YMCA” has never charted higher.
Back at home, my husband and I engage in a little post-date pillow talk. I ask him flirty questions like, “If I were pregnant and you had to choose between saving my life or the life of an unborn fetus, which would you choose?” He answers, “You, obviously,” and I find his acknowledgment of my innate right to exist to be extremely sexy. Unfortunately, we cannot act on our carnal desires. Birth control has been eradicated (at least for women) and neither of us wants me to die from complications due to childbirth, given the fact that the United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among any developed country. At least it did back in 2024.
So there you have it. Another post-democracy date night in the books. But thank God the gas to go out was cheap!
– Addyson Santese
SignoftheDownfall:
House Republicans reportedly laughed Wednesday during a meeting with Trump when he joked about them helping to pave the way for his third term in office. We may have lost all sense of humor in the last week, but this is NOT. FUNNY.
Transgender youth have been flooding crisis hotlines since the election of Trump, who made anti-transgender themes central to his campaign, which could affect students’ use of pronouns, bathrooms and locker rooms. Apparently, painting marginalized kids as a threat to society is all about making America great again.
Trump, again. We didn’t want to make it all about him, but creepy choad Matt Gaetz as attorney general really just pushed us over the edge.
National Pornographic Reports indicate North Korean troops in Russia became addicted to porn when they got unrestricted internet access for the first time, but we need to focus on domestic porn. Disgusted by the election, the people at Pornhub released the most popular search term on election day. In Florida, it was “MAGA.” Colorado’s most-searched porn term was “No Nut November,” which is fine, because we all just got screwed.
by Dave Marston
ATariffs, bonds and workers
Trump’s unsound policies portend an economic fallout
s I watched Donald Trump arrive at an astounding victory on election night, I was struck by his strong turnout in both rural and urban parts of the country. But I couldn’t stop thinking: Do voters understand what Trump’s sweep means for the price of eggs, housing and cars?
As it became clear that enthusiasm for Kamala Harris was waning leading up to the election, bond markets were already going down. That’s important, because the bond market is a predictor of the future.
For contrast, the stock market went up 3% the morning after the election, as Donald Trump promised dramatic tax breaks and lenient environmental regulations for corporations. That explains why so many billionaires supported Trump.
Our bond market, perhaps not as well understood as stocks, is the biggest in the world. And though the Federal Reserve sets a “target” interest rate and regulates short-term interest rates, the nation’s $28 trillion treasury market sets the final interest rate through an auction.
When prices of bonds drop, yields for investors go up. But this also drives up mortgage rates and influences interest rates on car loans, credit cards and so forth. Foreign countries and investors also trade bonds based on expectations for future borrowing. If our government needs to sell more bonds, lower prices and higher rates of return to investors usually follow.
America is piling up huge annual deficits, and when buyers of our bonds grow concerned about our credit worthiness, they typically start selling. This creates higher deficits, as the nation pays higher interest rates on its massive borrowing.
Never downplay the impact of a falling bond market. Bond traders have toppled governments – Great Britain in 2022 is a prime example – reinforcing the bond traders’ nickname “bond vigilantes.”
The bond market, which had already declined significantly in anticipation of Trump’s win, fell 3% the morning after the election. That is considered a very bad day for the bond market. Investors began predicting that two of Trump’s election promises would lead to higher prices for consumers.
His first promise was to deport millions of undocumented workers even though our country is at full employment. Deporting workers will cause a labor shortage and drive up the cost of American goods, especially vegetables, meat and housing, industries
that rely heavily on manual labor.
His second promise, using presidential power to impose tariffs on goods from other countries, is another way a president can raise costs for consumers. The president-elect has talked up tariffs repeatedly, calling them “beautiful” and promising that other countries will pay for them.
That is not how tariffs work.
If we want foreign goods from China and Mexico, we must pay the going rate. If we want to substitute an American good, we should be sure it’s available and that there is labor to produce it.
During his last presidency, Trump levied tariffs on China. It retaliated by levying tariffs on our farm products, which erased profits for Midwestern farmers.
Trump quickly reallocated $12 billion via the U.S. Agriculture Department to support those farmers. That is called a bailout, or welfare.
Moreover, if he raises tariffs across the board on goods from other countries, there will be widespread “revenge tariffs” – just as happened last time. Unless we borrow even more money in the bond market for var-
ious welfare schemes, the tariffs will harm the smallest American companies, while international corporations, with operations overseas, will be less impacted.
Once again, farmers will be hurt. We are mostly a nation of consumers, not producers, and 68% of our economy is buying goods. That is why so many suffered during the latest inflationary spike, with necessary goods in life becoming shockingly pricey.
When Trump takes charge next year – and if he fulfills his promises – tariffs and labor shortages are bound to dramatically raise prices and interest rates for American consumers. The economy will shrink, and once an economy contracts, recession follows.
Somehow, we missed thoroughly debunking Trump’s wrongheaded assumptions about what makes our economy work during the campaign. Now, we face an uncertain future with a leader whose policies benefit the rich while harming working people.
Dave Marston is the publisher of Writers on the Range, Writersontherange.org, a nonprofit dedicated to lively discussion about the West. He worked in finance in New York City and now lives in Durango. ■
Fluoride, low IQ and the election
Thought experiment #1: Fluoridated water has been around for almost 80 years. Expert scientific testing has proven over and over that it has contributed to the decline in tooth decay and promotion of oral health for millions. Questioning the science of everything has become a destructive pastime for YouTubers who watch one video and consider themselves experts on everything.
Edward Chen, the Northern District of California judge who ruled that the optimal level of fluoride in public drinking water “poses an unreasonable risk of reduced IQ in children” has absolutely no background in science. His education has been only in the study of law.
Citizens’ concerns that fluoride bags say “toxic” and have skull and crossbones markings on them is moot. Too much of anything can be toxic, whether it’s oxygen, water or chocolate. Scientific studies have proven time and again that it’s all about manageable levels. I’m old enough to remember parents and grandparents who had no teeth and/or false teeth. It was not a pretty site.
Thought experiment #2: Fluoride in drinking water causes low IQ. There has been a steady decline in the IQ of the U.S. population. This has been proven by the election of someone convicted of 34 felonies, found liable for sexual assault and defamation, and who has imitated oral sex on national TV. Someone who promotes hate, division, graft and corruption. Fluoridated water is to blame for all our problems? Yikes!
– Jane Dunn, Durango
Support independent journalism
Durango’s legacy newspaper was once a thriving daily paper owned by a media family with connections to groups promoting civil rights and reproductive freedom.
The times have changed, and the once-daily paper’s politics have shifted away from the family tradition of protecting rights and freedoms. Alarmingly, and contrary to local election results, the newspaper heavily endorsed Republicans in the regional races impacting Southwest Colorado. Endorsing Harris/Walz was a benign and meaningless gesture in light of Colorado’s status as safe blue vote for president. However, the paper’s endorsement of Jeff Hurd (R) in a close election has helped sway control of the U.S. House of Representatives toward Republican control.
The reality is that Durango no longer has a local daily newspaper. Those with direct experience, either as source or an employee, know the real stories behind the current status of the legacy newspaper and its owner.
In light of the recent election, I encourage folks to ensure their local spending (aka news subscriptions) are spent on independent journalism that is carried out by actual journalists. Sending money to Durango’s once-daily newspaper directly supports the election of the Republican House majority that has vowed to destroy civil and human rights championed by groups such as Planned Parenthood and the ACLU.
Please consider supporting the journalistic models exemplified by the Durango Telegraph and Colorado Sun. – Travis Stills, Durango
Good luck, America
Congratulations to Trump and those who voted for him, you got what you wanted for America: a convicted felon 34 times; a businessman who had six bankruptcies; and someone who was convicted of sex-
ual assault and owes millions to his victim. He has charges pending on other cases. What more could you want in the next president? Good luck, America, you got what you wanted, and he has felon friends to help run America.
To fellow vets, you are not suckers and losers like he said. Trump sent COVID test kits to Putin and not to U.S. Vets, but you know who cares about you? Family and friends. Be strong.
– Bob Battani, Durango
What we’re made of…
Thomas Jefferson said, “The government you elect is the government you deserve.” Reflecting on this past presidential election, and not withstanding the detailed critiques on public media, I’d say it’s all about our general U.S. character. As a nation, we are undeniably shortsighted. Five years is a long time away. We generally only understand things right in front of us, the here and now. Sound bites are our normal attention span. We’ll also take black and white any day over complexity. Things that span presidential terms or longer, and are complex like climate change, we flip-flop on.
And we’re proud capitalists. Meaning, we believe private ownership of business best facilitates a society with a prosperous economy. As such, we always put monetary worth above all other. Winner vs. loser. Efficiency over ethics. And we focus on “what’s in it for me?” We’re proud individualists and accentuate differences. Pick your era, and it’s “us against them.” And don’t limit these differences to just skin color; it spans ethnicity, economic station, religion and geography. So, it’s easy to vilify the concept of being “woke,”
i.e. someone who is aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues related to racial and social injustice. Recently, too, education has come to signify elitism. Being educated means not understanding the struggles or lives of those with less opportunity.
So electing someone who’s a maverick, who goes against the norm of the educated, the woke, the other, who bucks the rule of law makes sense to me. We are what we choose, based on what we’re made of.
– Tim Thomas, Durango
Stopping Hitler 2.0
The day after the re-election of Donald Trump was not any better than the night before. Now clear-headed, it dawns on me a majority of the voters in this country knowingly and willing chose as our next leader an unstable, authoritarian fascist. Just ask former Chief of Staff John Kelly or retired Gen. Mark Milley.
In his second administration, Trump will only hire loyalists and yes men; talent and integrity be damned. Trump admires Hitler and speaks and behaves like his less-intelligent clone. Hitler blamed the Jews for the ills of Germany and wanted them out of the country. Exactly like Trump does today with immigrants. Hitler had a willing and compliant body politic just like Trump’s cult-like followers and his new obedient Congress.
My point is: what will stop Trump from following in Hitlers genocidal footsteps? SCOTUS has given him immunity for “official acts.” What guardrails are there? Could it happen here?
– Bill Vana, Durango
Predicting the Future
The apocalypse was not what we expected I always thought the next Hitler
Would be an evil genius
Not some moron
With lies so transparent
You could squeegee them clean
And teenagers, I read,
Have traded in groping
Each other in the back seats of cars
Parked down long dirt roads alongside the lake
For Instagram or TikTok
– Or whatever’s next I can’t keep up anymore
They say we’re post-gender now anyway I never saw that coming
That Dick Tracy watch
I once wanted so bad
Has come to be
With a lot more features
The number of downloadable apps
Keeps expanding
While attention spans shrink
To a size that can be drowned
In a thimble
Forget flying cars
I’d trade the whole internet
For a self-cleaning house
– Philip Riffe, Hesperus
Dropping the rope
Purg kicks off 2024-25 season with pancakes, perks and some (real!) snow
by Maddy Gleason
You’ve probably had Nov. 16 circled on your calendar as Purgatory’s opening date. Thanks to increased snowfall this past week, a bonus weekend Nov. 9-10 allowed skiers to hit the slopes a bit earlier than anticipated, albeit in a limited capacity.
The ski area will officially drop the rope on daily operations for the 2024-25 season at 9 a.m. this Saturday, with a complimentary pancake breakfast outside Purgy’s. The mountain has received 30 inches of snow so far this season and has a base of 25 inches. Crews have been blowing snow when weather permits, although the list of opening-day runs remains TBD.
The mountain will be open through April 13, 2025, with weekend operations Friday - Sunday until April 27.
As detailed in a recent Purgatory press release, faculty and staff have been working on capital improvements and new initiatives that will “enhance the overall experience and accessibility” of the mountain. These improvements include the renovation of several restaurants, upgrades to chairlifts, as well as expanded retail options and streamlined ticket purchases.
Opening day tickets are on sale now for just $27, with prices dipping as low as $9 on select dates (a recent search found tickets as low as $11 in early April). Purgatory will continue to use the demandbased pricing model for lift tickets this season, so make sure to plan ahead and buy tickets early if you don’t have a season pass. In the event of unforeseen situ-
ations, folks who buy in advance will be able to exchange their tickets online up until the night before. Also, to ease powder-morning anxiety, there are four new ticket kiosks where people can scan their online confirmation, get their tickets and head to the lifts within 30 seconds, bypassing the ticket window altogether.
For the mini shredders, Purgatory will once again offer free skiing to kids age 12 and under, with no blackout dates (the only ski area in America to do this.)
Over the summer, the trail maintenance team was busy improving tree ski-
ing zones, focusing on the removal of fallen and standing dead trees, snags and ground obstacles, focusing on Mark’s Park, Hoody’s, McCormack’s Maze, as well as Who, When and What. In addition, Hermosa Park Express (aka Lift #3) was updated with a modernized low-voltage safety system, which is expected to increase reliability of the high-speed quad. Down at the base area, the Village Market and Deli has undergone a makeover, boasting new decor and a new local menu with an emphasis on natural, organic and healthy offerings. On the hill,
the Powder House has also undergone updates to the interior and exterior with a “retro” theme.
However, perhaps the best upgrade to the ski season isn't on the actual mountain at all. La Plata County’s newly installed weather radar at the Durango La Plata County Airport recently became operational, which should make the game of accurately predicting weather a lot easier. Forecasts will be available through a public app – just search “La Plata County weather.”
According to Ted Holteen, public and governmental affairs manager for La Plata County, there are still some bugs being worked out, but the app is up and running on the Apple Store. The Google/Android version will be released once a few loose ends are tied up.
Sam Collentine, OpenSnow Chief Operations Officer and meteorologist, thinks Purgatory is in for a promising season.
“Purgatory is off to a great start at 475% compared to the 30-year average for early November,” he said. “They will continue to be in a great spot with multiple storms and cold temperatures over the next two weeks.”
Jeff Givens, also known as the Durango Weather Guy, predicts a few flurries this week. Then, the next wave of precipitation is expected to move in Sunday and linger for a few days before giving way to dry and cold conditions.
So get ready, skiers! Those trails you’ve been missing will be open in just a few days. Always remember to check the weather before you go, be safe and aware, and have fun. Snow calls! ■
A skier does a happy dance at the bottom of Purg’s Sixpack during the “bonus” weekend Sat., Nov. 9. In one of the earliest openings in recent memory, Purg officially begins daily operations Nov. 16. / Photo by Christian Ridings
Running down a dream
Film follows Brunso’s 30 years of hustling for the perfect face shot
by Missy Votel
Being a tiny bit jealous of local skier
Sven Brunso’s 30-year career ripping up fresh pow all over the world under the guise of “work” may be justified. But here’s the frigid, boot-packing, uphill-both-ways, solo-dawn-patrol truth: it really is work. No, really.
And if you don’t believe it, Brunso’s got his very own documentary now to back it up. Fittingly called, “Sven: Life in Front of the Lens” the 18-minute short film was shot in the San Juans last winter. Directed by Gabe Rovick, of the Denverbased F4D Studio, the film was done in conjunction with Osprey Packs, for whom Brunso is a sponsored athlete.
The film, which will be shown at the San Juan Citizen Alliance’s Backcountry Film Festival on Nov. 21 at the Durango Arts Center, follows Brunso from his humble beginning on the molehills of the Midwest to gracing covers of more than 120 publications.
And what you find along the way is that being a regular fixture in what we can lovingly call the “ski porn” industry did not just fall into Brunso’s lap while he was drinking apres beers at the bar. Rather, it’s a career he tirelessly (some would say obsessively) and doggedly pursued with good old-fashioned hustle.
“The dude knows how to ski in front of the camera,” Backcountry Magazine Photo Editor Mike Lorenz says in the film. “He’s a perfectionist, persistent and persuasive. He wants to get his images published.”
Turning the cameras on the cameras, the film follows Brunso and best bud and photographer Liam Duran, and their friendly banter through the San Juans –setting up shoots and trudging all over Ullr’s white Earth to get the coveted money shot. Brunso has been known to hike the same line 15 times to capture that just-right moment.
“I’m obsessed with getting the perfect shot,” says Brunso. “It’s like a drug. I just want to have it again and again.”
But the film is not all fun and bluebird sun. It details Brunso’s struggles in life as well, including the 2017 death by suicide of his wife, Beth, a well-known and beloved local teacher. After her death, Brunso considered hanging up his skis to focus on his two children, Stowe and Aspen. However,
Brunso in a still from his movie, “Sven: Life in Front of the Lens,” doing what he does best in his home turf in the San Juans
it was they who convinced him to continue to pursue his passion.
“Healing is not linear,” he says in the film. “I realized that (skiing) was going to be my therapy.”
(The film ends with a message to those struggling or those who know people struggling with thoughts of suicide to seek help and shares the 988 suicide hotline number.)
Now 54, Brunso is once again talking about hanging up his skis, at least professionally. “Sven’s retirement has been a running joke for several years,” quips Duran.
But this time, he’s serious. Ish.
“I’m ready to pass the baton,” he says in the film, followed by scenes of him mentoring and skiing with young up-andcoming skiers like Jackson, Wyo.’s, Madison Rose Ostergren and Silverton’s “super grom” Griff Pinto.
Brunso is the first to admit the print ski media isn’t what is used to be.
“Twenty years ago, there were six or seven major ski magazines, doing five to six issues a year. Now, there are just a couple, and with the exception of Backcountry Magazine, those left only do a couple issues a year,” he said in an interview this week.
According to Brunso, ski print media dropped off precipitously just before and during COVID (RIP Powder), as people started consuming media primarily in digital form. However, in the last few years, he’s seen a renaissance. “Aspirational and image-driven sports like skiing and surfing are best enjoyed in the print medium,” he says. “Ski magazines end up on the coffee table or in the bathroom and may get viewed a few dozen times over the year, but digital media is gone once the viewer scrolls onward.”
To him, good ski imagery provides a sense of place and needs to be seen in print to be fully appreciated. “I hope print ski media continues to rebound, as I look forward to getting new issues in the mailbox and sitting down in a comfy chair to digest in full-sized splendor,” he says.
And his advice to those newbies looking to grace the cover of Backcountry?
“What I try to let them know is, this is a job,” he says. “But you better make sure you really love what you’re doing, because there are going to be a lot of times that this feels like more work than it feels like it’s worth. But if you love what you’re doing, you never really have a day in the office.” ■
Brace for impact
Riding the post-election roller coaster with support from a village
by Jennaye Derge
The morning after the election, I was supposed to meet a coworker from Bike Durango to discuss bike things. However, I was not thinking about bike things. I was thinking about a second Trump presidency and what that would mean for our country.
But after some tears and coffee, and tears in my coffee, I took a few deep breaths, put my jacket on and rode my bike to the library to talk about bike things instead of the election. When I opened the door to go inside, the first person I greeted was an acquaintance who I see every once in a while. The kind of person I exchange quick pleasantries with at her job or the grocery store. We’ll say hello, maybe with a casual “How’s it going?” and the obligatory, “Good, you?”
When I saw her that morning, there were no pleasantries, quick smiles and waves. I walked straight up to her and gave her a hug. We tightly embraced and cried in each other’s arms, because we saw each other’s fear, and we felt what we were up against in each other’s bones. I let her go, and we agreed that if we could live through one Trump presidency, we can do it again, even though I’m not 100% sure we believed it.
Not really knowing what to say to move forward, I told her it was good to see her and punctuated it with a “Good luck” or maybe a “Hang in there.” But more so, “Brace for impact.”
I saw my co-worker sitting on the other side of the room and collapsed in the chair across from him. He asked how I was. “Not great,” I answered, and we both exhaled a synchronized sigh of disbelief before we moved on to talk about bikes.
It was cathartic to think about something else, about our microcosmic bicycle-centric future instead of the macro mess of the present. It felt good to plan the small steps in front of us: bringing bike lanes to Durango; growing our organization; and helping folks feel safer riding bikes in our oasis of a town. For just a moment, we focused on the things we felt we could control,
all while the world was chaotically crumbling around us.
When our meeting was over, I rode my bike through the snow to another place I hoped would cradle me in cathartic understanding: my favorite bike shop. I knew I could similarly spill myself into the front door with a heaviness that didn’t need explanation. I knew no one would greet me with fake
smiles and pleasantries. I knew we would all be wearing clouds of darkness. We would sigh deeply and then, at some point, start to laugh at the absurdity of it all – and that is exactly what happened.
My friends were there – almost as if they were waiting for me – and we talked about the state of our country, but then we took the weight off and
laid it down. We talked about bikes and where we wanted to ride and if the trails would dry out after the storm. We talked about travel and joked about going to Canada or Europe to find husbands, where we could run away and be happy. One friend told me about a date she was looking forward to, and I asked her advice on mine. We talked about music, more about bikes – and then we’d break character to talk about how scared we were about the future. “How did this happen?”
The dark cloud would return long enough for us to release a little more pressure, shake our heads and tell each other how much it sucks. Then, at some point, a beer was cracked and snacks were shared, and the lightness returned. It went on like this long enough for me to feel ready to go home and face my genuine grieving process: shock, anger, sadness, maybe a tiny bit of acceptance and definitely some bargaining. There were questions of why and how. I felt the weight of the safety of our neighbors and community members who are about to start fighting for their lives even more. I felt both grateful for my community and scared for it.
The weight still hung on me when I woke up the next morning. Was I ready to fight? Did I have it in me? Was I ready to start sliding backwards in time? I thought about this as I paced my house trying to get ready to go downtown to perform my everyday work duties.
Downtown I usually see a lot of people – many I know and many I don’t know – but I always smile or say hello. I didn’t really know how to go about these interactions today, though. I didn’t feel like smiling or making pleasantries.
But just as before, when I left the confines of my house and saw community members – friends, colleagues, acquaintances – I didn’t have to put on a front. We all knew that things were weird and heavy. All it took was a hug or a big sigh, and we’d share our feelings. Then we’d talk about bikes or our upcoming weekends and say something like, “It was nice seeing you. Good luck. Hang in there. Brace for impact.” ■
Literally and metaphorically waiting for the oncoming storm – bikes and friends make the incoming doom just a hair better./Photo by Jennaye Derge
A lasting legacy
Grizzly 399 taught us to see ourselves in her resilience and strength
by Gwen Lachelt
The news of Grizzly 399’s recent death – arguably the world’s most famous bear – has resulted in an outpouring of heartfelt emotions from people around the globe. Born in 1996, she became an international sensation on social media, and people worldwide came to catch a glimpse of her in Grand Teton National Park. In 2016, she was seared into my consciousness when news broke that her cub, Snowy, had been killed by a speeding driver. Heartbreaking accounts of 399 carrying Snowy’s body from the road and grieving for her loss profoundly altered our understanding of grizzlies, challenging the stereotype of “Ursus arctos horribilis” as nothing more than a violent predator.
For thousands of years, grizzly bears have provoked powerful and contrasting emotions in people. To many Indigenous tribes, the grizzly is revered as a symbol of protection, strength, wisdom and an essential part of the natural world. In stark contrast, the Roman Empire saw bears as vicious creatures deserving only of extermination. Both perspectives still exist today, but scientific research continues to underscore our interconnectedness with all species and our mutual dependence on a healthy planet for survival.
After being extirpated from most of their traditional grass prairie range in the Lower 48, grizzlies were almost wiped out in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming until their protection under the federal Endangered Species Act in the 1970s. Conservation efforts helped bring grizzlies back from the brink, yet this year alone, 399 became the 66th grizzly in the region killed by human activities, either by vehicles, trains or gunfire. Her yearling cub Spirit, named for her (or his) resemblance to Snowy,
hasn’t been seen since 399’s death on Oct. 22. Each loss illustrates grizzlies’ increasing risks as they navigate shrinking habitats surrounded and crisscrossed by roads and highways.
My own commitment to protecting bears and their environments was sparked decades ago, fueled by early childhood memories of being in my mother’s lap in the front seat of our International Scout, engine off, with my dad, brother and sister whispering in awe as we watched massive coastal grizzlies at the dump near Yakutat,
New Winter Hours:
Monday - Thursday, 12 noon - 8 p.m. Friday - Saturday, 12 noon - 10 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Alaska. Over the past 50 years, our knowledge of grizzlies and our approach to their management has evolved. While open dumps in Yellowstone National Park were eliminated in the 1970s, grizzlies and their cubs are often euthanized when they become habituated to human trash outside parks. The science regarding the relative success of recovery efforts is disputed, with agencies and conservation organizations battling in court over whether to delist grizzlies from the ESA. Delisting would place the bears under management by
state agencies and could allow the bears to be hunted. Climate change is forcing the bears to seek food sources outside their established territories. Efforts to expand protected areas are met with fierce opposition from development interests. Human trash, habitat loss, delisting, hunting and bad food years could again put bears at risk of dying out
After losing one of her early cubs, perhaps to male grizzly predation, some wildlife biologists speculate that 399 took to raising her many offspring near roadways and people to avoid males, which sometimes kill cubs to force females into estrus. It sounds barbaric, but no less barbaric than vehicles hurtling over highways at speeds surpassing even the most alert drivers’ ability to avoid wildlife collisions.
People around the world are mourning the loss of Grizzly 399. Waking up every day and knowing she was out there brought me so much joy. Those just learning about 399 may be surprised that the news of her death has made headlines and that her followers are grieving. How can one mourn the death of a bear when there is so much human tragedy in the world?
Grizzly 399 represented many things to people. She represented resilience –no matter what, you keep going. When you lose a child, you mourn, and you persist. In the end, we see ourselves in Grizzly 399. She embodied strength, courage and a profound capacity for love. Ultimately, we know how vulnerable she was despite all she meant to us. May we honor her memory with a renewed commitment to conservation so that future generations of grizzlies and humans may continue to thrive.
Gwen Lachelt is a former La Plata County commissioner, CEO of Western Leaders Network, founder of Earthworks and co-founder of BearSmart Durango. ■
Social media star and arguably the world’s most famous bear, Grizzly 399. She was killed by a car in October. / Photo by Thomas Mangelsen
Thursday14
Adult Crafternoons: Luminarias, 4-5:30 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Recovery Yoga, 4:30-5:45 p.m., Thursdays thru Nov. 21, Smiley Building. innerpeaceyogatherapy.com
Business After Hour, 5-7 p.m., 99X FM 92.9FM The Point, 1911 N. Main Ave., Ste. 100
Bluegrass Jam, 6 p.m., Durango Beer & Ice Co., 3000 Main Ave.
Writers on the Range presents Auden Schendler, author of “Terrible Beauty: Reckoning with Climate Complicity and Rediscovering Our Soul,” 6 p.m., Smiley Café, Smiley Building
Tim Sullivan plays, 6 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Andrew Schuhmann plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Poetry Open Mic, 6-7:30 p.m., Durango Sustainable Goods, 1259 Main Ave.
Trivia Night, 6:30 p.m., Powerhouse Science Center, 1330 Camino del Rio
Meet Rosie the Riveter! Chautauqua presented by Animas Museum, 6:30-8 p.m., Durango Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Nerds Night Out Trivia, 6:30-8:30 p.m., EsoTerra Ciderworks, 558 Main Ave.
“Mean Girls: High School Edition,” presented by DHS Troupe 1096, 7-9:30 p.m., Durango High School
“Behind Me is Silence,” movement and spoken word performance by Suzy DiSanto and FLC students, 7:30 p.m., FLC Mainstage Theatre
Friday15
Durango Early Birds Toastmaster, 7:15 a.m., FLC Innovation Center, 2nd floor of the Main Mall, 835 Main Ave., Suite 225
Fish Fry Fundraiser, 4 p.m., VFW Post 4031,1550 Main Ave.
“There Was Always the Forest” opening reception of solo exhibition by Crystal Hartman, 5-9 p.m., Studio & Gallery, 1027 Main Ave.
Jack Ellis and Larry Carver play, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Dustin Burley plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
“Mean Girls: High School Edition,” presented by DHS Troupe 1096, 7-9:30 p.m., Durango High School
“Behind Me is Silence,” movement and spoken word performance by Suzy DiSanto and FLC students, 7:30 p.m., FLC Mainstage Theatre
Desert Child plays, 8 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Dr.
Aria’s Pizza Party, 8:30-9:30 p.m., Father’s Daughters Pizza, 640 Main Ave.
Saturday16
Opening Day, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Purgatory Resort
Durango Winter Sports Hall of Fame Celebration, 5:30-9 p.m., VFW Post 4031, 1550 Main Ave.
Karaoke, 6 p.m., Durango Beer & Ice Co., 3000 Main Ave.
Matt Rupnow plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Adam Swanson – Ragtime plays, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
The Kirk James Band plays, 6-9 p.m., Weminuche Woodfire Grill, Vallecito
Carute Roma’s 20th Anniversary, 7 p.m., Sunflower Theatre, 8 E. Main St., Cortez
Mommy Milkers, Oroku Saki, Acid Wrench, and Weedrat play, doors 7 p.m., The Cold Storage, 1129 Narrow Gauge Ave.
“Mean Girls: High School Edition,” presented by Troupe 1096, 7-9:30 p.m., Durango High School
“Behind Me is Silence,” movement and spoken word performance by Suzy DiSanto and FLC students, 7:30 p.m., FLC Mainstage Theatre
San Juan Symphony presents Tim Fain and Beethoven Five, 7:30-9:30 p.m., FLC Community Concert Hall,
Sunday17
Irish Jam Session, 12:30-3 p.m., Durango Beer & Ice Co., 3000 Main Ave.
Board Game Sundays, 2 p.m., Lola’s Place, 725 E. 2nd Ave.
Weekly Peace Vigil & Rally for Gaza & Palestine, every Sunday, 4 p.m., Buckley Park.
Tatanka & Friends Comedy Show, 5-7 p.m., Sky Ute Casino, Ignacio
Blue Moon Ramblers play, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Ben Gibson plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Monday18
Free Strength and Balance Yoga for cancer survivors, 9:30-10:20 a.m., Smiley Building, 1309 E. 3rd Ave. www.cancersupportswco.org/calendar
Happy Hour Yoga, 5:30 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St.
Joel Racheff plays, 5:30-10 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Leah Orlikowski plays, 6-9 p.m., The Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
AskRachel Cat fights, parking pass and deworming
Interesting fact: Non-recognition aggression is when cats don’t know who their friends are after their friends go to the vet or get a bath. It’s also what I feel when I look at my family during the holidays.
Dear Rachel,
I have two sibling cats who have been together every moment of their several years. They’re inseparable. Until one of them failed to use the litter box quite right, so I gave him a bath, and his sister sniffed him after then freaked out and has been attacking him like a complete stranger for three days now. I’m locking her in the bathroom when I leave the house and when I sleep, but she’s yowling to be let out and no one here is sleeping and I don’t know what to do. I give up, so I’m writing you. Help?
– Smelly Cat
Dear P. U. Purrer, You give up, so you write me? Ouch. But I’m magnanimous, so I’ll help. It sounds stupid that cats may not recognize each other after their scents change. It’s true though. And it’s less stupid when you realize that I once had an ex of many years walk into a party with a wig on, and he said hi, and I didn’t recognize him. One sensory detail was all it took. So, I dunno, maybe rub your stinky kitty around on your non-stinky kitty until they smell the same?
– Wear thick gloves, Rachel
ART 1550 artist reception, 6 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Comedy Open Mic, 7 p.m., The Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.
Tuesday19
“Green Business 101” Paving the Way to Sustainable Growth, 9 a.m., TBK Bank, 259 W. 9th St.
Jason Thies plays, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Sean O’Brien plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Open Mic Night, 7 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.
Wednesday20
Free Restorative Yoga for cancer survivors, 9:3010:45 a.m., Smiley Building, 1309 E. 3rd Ave. Register www.cancersupportswco.org/calendar/
Donny Johnson plays, 5:30-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Dear Rachel,
I see that Durango wants to have paid parking on weekends downtown. This will be a good idea to make people not want to go downtown on weekends. It won’t increase money as there will be no parking anyway with the other idea of removing parking spots for sidewalks. How about putting ads on the trolleys and benches at the trolley stops like other cities? I can see an ad for the Telegraph, six months or one year at a time. This will raise $$$$ and that way, weekend parking fees won’t be needed ... Thoughts?
– Weekend Warrior
Dear Sat./Sun. Soldier,
You want us to advertise our free weekly paper, in order to save you money on parking downtown? Here’s a better idea. Start a heck of a good business, take out a bunch of ads in the Tele for six months or one year at a time, rake in the profits and pay for your measly parking meter. And if you feel really grateful, you can pay for my overdue parking tickets too.
– Over the lines, Rachel
Dear Rachel, Against all odds it turns out RF Jr. was right. We really do have brain worms, well a great many of us anyway. This makes as much sense to me as anything else right now. Does
Word Honey Poetry Workshop, 6-7 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Terry Rickard plays, 6-9 p.m., The Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Open Mic with Leigh Mikell, 7 p.m., EsoTerra Ciderworks, 558 Main Ave.
Trivia Night, 7 p.m., Bottom Shelf Brewery, 118 Mill St., Bayfield
“Jade: Rediscovered” cabaret by Musical Theatre graduate Jade Sophia, 7:30 p.m., Mainstage Theatre, Fort Lewis College
Live Podcast with Diné artist Susan Hudson, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Center of Southwest Studies, Fort Lewis College, 1000 Rim Dr.
Karaoke with KJB, 7 p.m., Sky Ute Casino, Ignacio
COOL COOL COOL & Photon perform, doors 7 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Dr.
Ongoing
Halsey Berryman’s “Birds Eye View,” exhibit thru Nov. 21 4:30-6 p.m., FLC Art Hall Gallery
Email Rachel at telegraph@durangotelegraph.com
he also have sage advice for how to get rid of our collective brain worms? Do you?
- Squirmy Wormy
Dear Squidgy Squiggly, Seems like a good time for that popular horse dewormer to finally become useful. Or maybe we bribe veterinarians around the country to slip us whatever they give our dogs and cats. We might all smell different when we’re done, but that’s OK, because I already don’t recognize a great many of my fellow Americans. A fresh start can’t hurt.
– Bugging out, Rachel
“Low Light Conditions” fine art featuring Nathan Bennett, thru Nov. 29, Blue Rain Gallery, 934 Main Ave., Unit B
Cowboy Tuesdays, every other Tuesday, Nov. 5April 15, 12 noon-3 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
“Given Time: Sensory Aesthetics of Reclamation,” exhibit exploring Indigenous relationships to land, FLC Center of Southwest Studies. Show runs thru April 24, 2025.
Upcoming
“Navajo Solar Sunrise” film screening and talk, Thurs., Nov. 21, 1-5 p.m., Fort Lewis College Art and Design Building, #15
Rob Webster plays, 5 p.m., Thurs., Nov. 21, Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St.
Business After Hours, Thurs., Nov. 21, 5-7 p.m., Hutton Broadcasting 99X FM 92.9FM The Point, 1911 N. Main Ave., Ste. 100
Hiking and Backpacking Safety, presented by City Ranger Tosh Black, Thurs., Nov. 21, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Durango Rec Center
Nov. 14, 2024 n 13
FreeWillAstrology
by Rob Brezsny
ARIES (March 21-April 19): You may be on the verge of the breakthrough I prophesied a while back. I said you would be searching for the solution to a boring problem, and on the way you would discover a more interesting and useful problem. I also predict that the coming weeks will be a time when you tame an out-of-control aspect of your life and infuse more wildness into an overly tame part of you. I will speculate on one further stroke of good fortune: You will attract an influence that motivates you to be more passionately pragmatic about one of your key dreams.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): It’s time for some friendly warnings that will, if heeded, enable you to avoid problematic developments. 1. An overhaul in your self-image is looming; your persona requires tinkering. 2. Old boundaries are shifting and in some places disappearing. Be brave and draw up new boundaries. 3. Familiar allies may be in a state of flux. Help them find their new centers of gravity. 4. Potential future allies will become actual allies if you are bold in engaging them. 5. Be allergic to easy answers and simplistic solutions. Insist on the wisdom of uncertainty.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): To honor and celebrate your melancholy, I’m turning to Gemini author T. H. White and his formulation on the redemptive power of sadness. He wrote: “The best thing for being sad is to learn something. That is the only thing that never fails. You may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honor trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then – to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting.”
CANCER (June 21-July 22): A Massachusetts woman named Andrea Martin loves chickens so much she treats them as family. A few years ago, she took pity on one of her favorites, a young bird named Cecily, who had been born with a damaged tendon in one of her legs. Martin had the limb amputated. Then she made a prosthetic device on a 3-D printer and had it surgically grafted onto Cecily’s body. Success! The $2,500 cost was well worth it, she testified. Make Andrea one of your role models. May she inspire you to take extra
good care of and shower blessings on everyone and everything you love. (PS: This will be really good for your own health.)
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Once a year, the city of Seoul stages a Space-Out Festival. Participants do nothing for 90 minutes. They are not allowed to sleep, talk or check their phones. To test how well they are banishing stress, burnout and worries, their heart rates are monitored. The winner is the person who has the slowest and most stable pulse. If there were an event like this in your part of the world, I’d urge you to join. I expect the winner would be a member of your astrological tribe, as Leos now have a high potential for revitalizing relaxation. Even if you don’t compete in a Space-Out, I hope you will cash in on this chance to recharge your spiritual batteries.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): My favorite Virgos love to learn. They are eager to add to their knowledge. They have a highly honed curiosity that is always percolating. On the other hand, some of my favorite Virgos are inefficient at shedding long-held ideas that no longer serve them. As a result, their psyches get plugged up, interfering with their absorption of fun, new input. That’s why I recommend you engage in regular purges of mental debris. Now would be an excellent time. PS: The futurist Alvin Toffler said a key to intelligence is the ability to learn, unlearn and relearn. I invite you to act on that.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): I endorse Libran tennis star Serena Williams’ approach to self-evaluation – especially for you. She testified, “I’m really exciting. I smile a lot, I win a lot, and I’m really sexy.” You have the right to talk like that in coming weeks – I suggest you use it as a mantra. When you wake up, say what Williams said. When you’re asking life for a sweet breakthrough or big favor, remind life why it should give you what you want. Feel free to add other brags, too, like, “I’m a brilliant thinker, a persuasive negotiator and a crafty communicator.”
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You are entering a phase when you can acquire more mastery in the arts of self-care and self-sufficiency. I hope you will become more skillful in giving yourself everything that nurtures your emotional and physical health. Have you gathered all you need to know about that subject? Probably not. Most of us haven’t. But the coming weeks will be a favorable time to make this your main
research project. By the way, now is also an excellent time to kick your own ass and unbreak your own heart.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): My father was a big fan of the military. He served as a lieutenant in the Army and for a time considered making that job his career. I’m the opposite. I keenly avoided becoming a soldier and have always been anti-war. Now is an excellent time for you to get clearer than ever about how you don’t resemble your parents and don’t want to be like them. Meditate on why y our life is better and can get even better by not following their paths. No need to do this with anger and blame. In fact, the healthiest approach is to be lucid, calm and dispassionate.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): At age 49, James Patterson retired from his job as an advertising writer. Until then, he had produced a few novels in his spare time. But once free of his 9-to-5 gig, he began churning out books at a rapid pace. Now, at age 77, he has published over 305 million copies of 200+ novels, including 67 that have been #1 New York Times bestsellers. Would you like to make an almost equally memorable transition? The coming weeks and months will be an excellent time to plan and launch it.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “The Breakfast Club” was an iconic 1985 film about teenagers coming of age. Critics liked it. At the box office, it earned 100 times more than it cost to make. Aquarian director John Hughes wrote the screenplay for the 97minute movie in two days, on July 4-5, 1982. I predict that many of you Aquarians will have a similar level of productivity in the coming weeks. You could create lasting improvements and useful goodies in short bursts of intense effort.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Ben & Jerry’s is a wildly successful ice cream maker. Its founders are two Pisceans who met in seventh grade. In the 45 years since they launched, they have become renowned for their innovative flavors and political activism. When they first decided to work together, though, their plans were to start a bagel business. They abandoned that idea when they discovered how expensive bagel-making equipment was. I suspect you are near a comparable pivot in your life: a time to switch from one project to an even better one.
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 durangotelegraph.com n classifieds@durango telegraph.com n 970-259-0133
Classes/Workshops
AMD and Simple Will Presentation
Colorado Legal Services will host a free presentation on Advanced Medical Directives and Simple Wills on 11/19/24. For more information, please visit our website at durangovap.com/events.
ForSale
Mobile Home for Sale
Located in Hermosa/Durango, at Lone Pine Trailer Park. See website for details: sanjuanhighlands.com $55,000, lot rent per month $600. Near hot springs, Purgatory ski mtn, golf course. Ready to move in
Reruns Home Furnishings
Lots of furniture/cool furnishings for home, office or dorm. Nightstands, coffee tables, kitchenwares, rugs and more. Also looking to consign smaller pieces. 572 E. 6th Ave. Open Mon.-Sat. 385-7336.
Wanted
Cash for Vehicles, Copper, Alum Etc. at RJ Metal Recycle. Also free appliance and other metal drop off. 970259-3494.
Books Wanted at White Rabbit
Donate/trade/sell (970) 259-2213
Announcements
Public Comment Period
Southern Ute Indian Tribe Proposed Revisions to Water Quality Standards: A 50-day public comment period on proposed revisions to the Southern Ute Indian Tribe’s water quality standards will be held from November 12, 2024, to January 2, 2025.
These revisions have been proposed as a result of a triennial review of the Tribe’s water quality standards and reflect updates as necessary to comply with applicable federal regulation or to meet Tribal water quality goals. For all interested individuals, a public hearing regarding the Tribe’s water quality standards proposed revisions will be held on:
Thursday, January 16, 2025
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
To attend in person:
Large Conference Room, Southern Ute Environmental Programs Department 71 Mike Frost Way Ignacio, CO 81137
To attend the hearing online, please register at: http://bit.ly/3NXTng7 before the event. After the event, the live online hearing will be recorded and posted to the Tribe’s website.
The proposed water quality standards revisions can be found on the Tribe’s website at: www.southernute-nsn.gov/ government/departments/epd/publiccomments/
You can submit your comments two ways: On the Tribe’s website at: https://www.southernute-nsn.gov/government/departments/epd/public-comments/ or via email: wqs@southernutensn.gov (preferred)
BodyWork
Massage by Meg Bush LMT, 30, 60 & 90 min., 970-759-0199.
Stressed Over the State of the World?
Gift yourself a break and lower your cortisol with a Biotuning (sound and vibration) massage that will sooth your nervous system and reduce your stress levels. More info at Brain Yoga Durango 970 903 0797 brainyogadurango@ gmail.com. Ask for our election special!
Services
Need Help With Yard Work? and raking leaves or shoveling snow?
Call Chris 970-317-5397. Hourly rate plus a flat rate if I haul debris off to the dump
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.
Electric Repair
Roof, gutter cleaning, fence, floors, walls, flood damage, mold, heating service.
HaikuMovieReview
‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ Yes, this sequel was indeed better, but they had 36 years, so?
Read by thousands of
eyeballs every week. (*And a few that just look at the pictures.)
Boiler Service - Water Heater Serving Durango over 30 years. Brad, 970-759-2869. Master Plbg Lic #179917
My Cat Cid is Missing Long hair, white with black spots, green eyes. Last seen near 18th St. and E. 2nd Ave. Reward. Call 970-403-6192
– Lainie Maxson
