Taking the pressure off a friendly game of chess by Zach Hively
8
MAGA mayhem
Making sense of the chaos emanating from Trumpville by Johnathan P. Thompson On the cover Storm Peak towers in the distance as skier Bret Bell makes the final steps on a bootpack for another lap at Silverton Mountain last weekend./ Photo by Missy Votel
Riva Duncan, Johnathan P. Thompson, Missy Votel, Lainie Maxson, Jesse Anderson, Rob Brezsny & Clint Reid
The Durango Telegraph publishes every Thursday, come hell, high water, tacky singletrack or mon-
ster powder days. We are wholly independently owned and operated by the Durango Telegraph LLC and dis-
telegraph@durangotelegraph.com
tributed in the
Ear to the ground:
“I have gone from doom scrolling to rage scrolling.”
– If yelling obscenities at the screen helps, then we’re all for it
Writers wanted
Attention closet keyboard klankers and newbie novelists: Four Corners Writers is seeking submissions from area writers for its second anthology of fiction, nonfiction and poetry. The upcoming collection follows the success of the Cortez-based nonprofit’s 2024 anthology, “Four Corners Voices,” which features the work of more than 40 regional authors and poets.
According to editors, preference will be given to works by Four Corners writers and settings or themes relevant to the Four Corners region.
The new anthology will contain 12 short stories, 12 essays and 24 poems, although the final mix may vary. Selections will be made by editors Chuck Greaves (fiction), Gail Binkly (non-fiction) and Sarah Carr (poetry). Submissions are due by July 1, and selected entries will be announced by Sept. 30. The group hopes to have the book out in time for 2025 holiday shopping season.
Four Corners Writers formed in September 2023 with the mission of “identifying, developing and promoting literary voices in the American Southwest.” In addition to the first anthology, it hosts monthly writing workshops at ZU Gallery in Cortez on a variety of writing- and publishing-related topics.
The 2025 anthology is made possible by grants from the Ballantine Family Fund, the LOR Foundation and Hutton Broadcasting. For details on how to submit, go to: four cornerswriters.org.
Taking the plunge
Looking to freeze your nether regions off for a good cause? Or maybe you just have really thick skin, literally. Then be sure to show up this Sun., March 2, for the inaugural Ridgway Ripple Arctic Plunge at Ridgway State Park from 11 a.m. This is billed as a “fun” event that will include hot beverages, prizes, gift bags and an after party at Greenwood's restaurant in Ridgway, from noon - 2 p.m. Costumes are encouraged, although we are pretty sure wetsuits will be frowned upon.
Although this is a fee event, donations will be taken for the Ouray Mountain Rescue Team and Ouray County Communities That Care. For more info., visit www.ridgwaycol orado.com.
LaVidaLocal
Check mates
Let’s make this quick: I don’t have any time. My life is full and demanding as it is. Every moment I claim for myself gets snatched right back up by my two dogs or, more aggressively, by the Duolingo owl. I cannot possibly take up another pursuit or chance unlocking another lifelong passion. Who can afford to be a Renaissance man these days? It’s more like run-out-of-sauce man.
Which is why, when one of the coolest of my very few friends asked if I wanted to play chess, I risked our friendship and said no. Then he told me about all the chess-related Instagram reels he would send me if I played. So I said yes. It feels like my duty to contribute to the national averages. Traditional TV time is down in the ol’ US of A, probably because I haven’t chipped in my share of video watching in years. Maybe ever. It’s dipped all the way to two hours and 55 minutes –not a month, not a week, but a day.
I frankly don’t see how it is possible for any average person to have this much time, not with their average digital video consumption averaging four hours a day. And to reiterate: These numbers include me over here, who still has yet to watch “Game of Thrones.”
up, dude, at which point you’d return the pawn to its starting point to give your finger a rest and your dad could go make a lunch meat sandwich and maybe that was the last time you played in 30 years.
Now, chess is all played on apps. These, I must note, do not count toward my four hours of digital video time. I can’t leave a finger on a piece’s head, because there are no physical pieces to touch. But I CAN take three whole days to make a move, at least the way my friend and I set it up. And the synthesized pieces make satisfying wood-like synthesized sounds, which so far is my favorite part.
But I have now watched several whole minutes of chess-related reels. These videos make me feel like an insider – like one of those people who OF COURSE see the inevitability of checkmate in four moves. Who find glee in the elegance of some guy with a made-up name like Magnus Carlsen. Who don’t quietly look up what “castling” is because here we thought you should never call the castle-looking pieces “castles.”
Chess has changed, y’all. It’s changed a LOT since that one weekend morning my dad spent teaching me one slick opening move, sure to defeat anyone with even less chess experience than me.
For instance, our chess board was made of wood or some other similarly corporeal material. You could contemplate a move by shifting your pawn forward –but not ever taking your finger off its head – until your dad told you to hurry
Thumbin’It
Mikaela Shiffrin won her historic 100th World Cup race last week, tying the record for most podiums with Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark. You go, girl.
Wow, here’s some good funding news. Last year, the Community Foundation Serving Southwest Colorado gave more than $5 million to local nonprofits, mostly in the under-served human services, youth and education sectors.
Allergy season appears to be hitting early this year in SW Colorado. We know this is not a good thing, but hey, compared to all the other misery, maybe it won’t seem so bad.
Poor Yannick – that is my friend’s name. I came in knowing only how the chess pieces move, more or less, plus the Dad’s Gambit that Yannick foiled after my first turn. But I am a scrappy player. By which I mean I’m sometimes pesky to eliminate.
I play chess, it turns out, like I played Halo in college: zero kills, but also seldom killed, because I defy all sense of tactic or plausible movement.
Yannick should have known this. We played Fortnight together exactly once, which is when I learned what Fortnight is. He started by presuming a baseline level of competence. He ended with a look that I can only summarize as “I should not have let him use my account.”
My secret weapon in chess is this: It requires no skills with a controller. Also this: my bathroom floor is tiled in black and white. The tiles are hexagons, not squares, but when I am hiding in there where the Duo owl can’t find me, I will let my tired eyes make patterns with the tiles. I have to think this translates to the virtual chess board.
We’ve played three games so far. I won the first one in a slog, to which Yannick said, “This is gonna destroy my rating hahahaha.” He silenced me handily in the second. The third is ongoing; we have five pieces total left in play, and Yannick appears to have upgraded his account, enabling him to delay his next move indefinitely.
Fine by me – all I’ve got is time.
$3.2B to help Colorado rural co-ops, including Tri-State, transition away from coal is among the casualties on Trump’s cutting room floor. Thank God he is saving us from all this “Marxist equity, transgenderism and green new deal social engineering” bullcrap. Bring back the smokestacks!
Rep. Jeff Hurd is MIA, after failing to show up for a town hall meeting in his hometown last Saturday and ghosting a crowd in Dolores on Monday. We’re sure it’s because he’s working so hard in Washington for all of us on the West Slope.
No sooner did we comment on the sketchy avi conditions last week then a slide near Ophir Pass claimed the life of a woman from Crested Butte. Our hearts go out to her family and the CB community.
– Zach Hively
Valentine’s Slay
Animal shelters nationwide are suffering funding cuts because it makes more sense than taxing billionaires, so some shelters are letting jilted lovers name things after their exes. For example, one shelter is charging $100 to name stray cats right before they’re neutered, the Minnesota Zoo is charging $10 to name mealworms before they’re fed to magpies, or for the same price, the Memphis Zoo will email your ex a video of an elephant pooping. But the most successful campaign comes from the Bird Treatment Center in Alaska. They’ve raised $18,000 by letting people name frozen rats before they’re given to owls. However, in an odd, inexplicable twist, it seems a lot of people have an ex named “Donald.”
The ripple effect
Mass federal worker firings cut the muscle, not the fat
by Riva Duncan
The stories are heartbreaking. Forest Service, National Park Service and other federal workers – some of them within weeks of ending probationary periods – fired. And not for cause; these workers were just starting out on dreamed-of careers or taking on new responsibilities in agencies where they’d already been for years.
The Trump administration’s vaunted effort to “trim the fat” from the federal government and curb “waste and fraud” reveal one terrible – but not surprising –fact: The cost-cutters have no idea how government works or who does what in the federal workforce.
Probation doesn’t mean poor performers. It simply means that someone has only worked one or two years under authorities such as Veterans Recruitment Authority or Schedule A of a permanent job. Or it’s their first time in a supervisory position.
I worked for the Forest Service in forestry and then wildland fire for over 32 years before retiring in 2020. Because I’m now an advocate for firefighters, I’ve heard from many Forest Service workers who were suddenly fired by the Trump administration. I’ll tell you about two of them.
When he was 18, Cyrus Issari was hired to work with the Idaho Conservation Corps, building trail in the Sawtooth Mountains. He’d “found his passion,” he said, getting jobs as a temporary employee for the Bureau of Land Management and then the Forest Serv-
Although firefighters were not laid off in the recent round of U.S. Forest Service firings, the cuts could affect activities like fire mitigation and trail maintenances on public lands. / Photo courtesy USDA.
ice. He cleared hazard trees with a chainsaw, cleaned campgrounds and also donned the Smokey Bear costume for public events. Best of all, he started fighting wildfires.
In 2022, Issari secured a permanent position – what he called his “dream job” – with a wilderness trail crew on New Mexico’s Gila National Forest. A few weeks ago, his entire eight-person trail crew was fired. Issari had been making $18.96 an hour.
“The land and people will suffer from (this) if nothing is done,” Issari told me.
Liz Crandall was fired last week from her field ranger position in Central Oregon. She started as a volunteer on the Umpqua National Forest in Southwest Oregon in 2016, helping a botanist get rid of invasive weeds.
The recreation department scooped her up and put her to work doing sign maintenance, improving trails and cleaning campgrounds. Hired into a temporary recreation position in 2018, she also received wildland fire training and assisted on numerous wildfires.
She moved on to work for Oregon’s Willamette National Forest in recreation and then, in 2023, secured her permanent position as a field ranger on the Deschutes National Forest.
“I have dedicated my career and life to the U.S. Forest Service,” Crandall said. Her performance evaluations were rated “excellent,” which is why she was outraged by the wording of her termination: “The Agency finds, based on your performance, that you have not demonstrated that your further employment in
the Agency would be in the public interest.” Liz had been making $19.10 per hour.
There are common denominators in these stories, shared by the thousands (so far, 3,400 from the Forest Service, 1,000 from the National Park Service and 400 from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) of others who have been fired.
These folks love our public lands and are trained to do a variety of needed jobs. They feel a calling to serve the American taxpayers and countless visitors. They seek jobs that always pay more in sunsets than money.
Make no mistake, these hard-working and dedicated people aren’t the fat, they are the muscle.
These firings will have ripple effects. They are your neighbors who pay rent or take on mortgages. They shop in the local stores and coach basketball.
Many will have to move, and they will take their small, but meaningful, paychecks with them. They won’t be there to assist with search and rescue, to fight the wildfires that are becoming larger and more unpredictable, threatening the lives and livelihoods of countless Americans.
What can we do to support them? Show up for rallies. Write, or better yet call, your elected officials and tell them what effect these firings will have on you, your family, your business, your community. Be kind to those who are still working. Some were forced to fire the very people who never should have been let go.
There’s a big void to fill now, and everyone needs to pitch in.
Riva Duncan is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about Western issues. She is vice president of Grassroots Wildland Firefighters, grassrootswildlandfirefighters.com, and also works as an international consultant in emergency management. ■
Duncan
SoapBox D-Tooned/by Rob Pudim
Half-cent tax a small price to pay
In a few weeks, if you are a registered voter in the City of Durango, you will receive a ballot with a very important question on it concerning the renewal of a half-cent sales tax. Please reflect on the following.
For 50¢ out of $100 spent you get:
• Gleaming green grass for rolling on, running, jumping, kicking and passing a ball, playing with frisbees, dogs frolicking, gleeful children abound.
• Gorgeous groomed fields with all ages testing their skills in soccer, la crosse, flag football, softball, baseball and more.
• Nine miles of our treasured Animas River Trail for walking, hiking, biking, transport, daydreaming, exploring, fishing, wildlife viewing and river access providing connectivity with more miles to come.
• Acres and acres of open space full of trees, bees, meandering paths, native flowers and bushes, animals of all sorts – from squirrels to bears, deer and coyotes –and birds galore, delighting our senses with calls, colors and majestic flight.
• Lovely parks large and small from Santa Rita, the gateway to our town, the newly acquired Durango Mesa Park, the Whitewater Park, Overend Mountain Park, Horse Gulch, Dalla Mountain Park, Oxbow Park and Preserve, Twin Buttes, and Three Springs, with something for everyone.
• Swimming, frolicking, paddling, water skiing, floating, boating, fishing, picnicking – ah, the joys of Lake Nighthorse.
splashing, fishing, boating, contemplating or spending time on a bench just watching the world go by.
•
• The preservation, maintenance and expansion of
• Spaces for organized sport, whether it be pickleball, tennis, basketball or BMX riding for young and old.
Preserving our precious Animas River to keep us
all these amenities, both organized, active and loud, as well as calm, quiet and individual. This small amount of money will allow Durango to continue to be the wonderful paradise we all enjoy every day in some small way. Please vote yes on Ballot Issue 2A. For more info., go to: opt-indurango.info.
– Sandy Burke, former member of the City Parks and Recreation Advisory Board
An assault on our freedom
Trump has wasted no time in trying to destroy the parts of our government that serve us all. I could name many examples, but let’s look at this one: Under the guise of eliminating “waste, fraud and abuse,” Elon Musk is working to destroy the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
In its 12 years of existence, this agency has returned more than $21 billion to Americans who were cheated by banks and other financial institutions.
Elon Musk wants to create “X Money,” a financial app that allows users to store and send money online. His problem is that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau would not allow him to cheat his customers or to suck up our personal data and sell it to the highest bidder.
Elon wants to remove the agency that would protect Americans from Elon.
But Musk/Trump’s attempt to destroy the CFPB is illegal. If the courts enforce the law, the agency that protects us from financial fraud will continue to exist. This is only one example. Seventy-four lawsuits have already been filed fighting Trump’s assault on
Americans’ rights.
Trump’s plan is to transform our democracy into an oligarchy, transferring more of our country’s wealth from the poor and middle class to Trump and his billionaire buddies.
If you have any money left after buying eggs, consider contributing to groups that are fighting in court to protect our rights, such as Democracy Docket or ACLU. We can defy this assault on our freedom!
– Philip Riffe, Hesperus
SAVE Act threatens voter rights
Our democracy works best when everyone who is eligible to vote can participate and have their voices heard. Unfortunately, some lawmakers are pushing for the opposite with dangerous anti-voter bills like the SAVE Act, which would make it much harder for millions of people to vote. The SAVE Act is being misrepresented under false pretenses as an election security bill when it’s a direct attack on our freedom to vote. It would pit unnecessary barriers, disproportionately impacting communities of color, working families and young voters. Instead of solving problems, it creates them by undermining our ability to participate in our democracy.
We need Congress to reject the SAVE Act and instead pass meaningful pro-voter legislation like the Freedom to Vote Act, the John R. Lewis Act Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Native American Voting Rights Act. These bills would ensure that every eligible voter
has equal access to voting, protect against voter suppression and secure fair representation for all Americans.
I urge Congress to vote no on the SAVE Act. Protecting our democracy means standing against efforts to silence voters and supporting solutions that strengthen our voting system and the people. Together we can ensure every voice is heard and every vote counted.
– Shauna Urban, Durango
History repeats and money talks
Is this Trump’s mandate? We want to fill our culture again with the Christian spirit. We want to burn out all the recent immoral development in literature, in the theater and in the press – in short, we want to burn out the poison of immortality which has entered into our whole life and culture as a result of liberal excess.
This may sound familiar – maybe some overheated Republican talking points. In fact, it’s what Adolf Hitler promised the German people in 1933.
Well, Trump said he would be a dictator from day one. He has put up a gold frame of his mug shot in the hall going into the Oval Office. This is a photo of a convicted felon for all the world to see. How nice.
All the people who voted for Trump will suffer along with other Americans. Trump only talks about money – just listen. He cares about his bank account not yours. Trump doesn’t give a darn about you if you don’t make him money.
– Bob Battani, Durango
Chaos theory
Making sense of the mayhem emanating from MAGAland
by Jonathan P. Thompson
One of the things the Land Desk is trying to do in these troubled times is to separate rhetoric from reality and weed through the hype and alarmism to determine how a Trump ad-
ministration action will play out or already is playing out on the ground.
It’s not easy, in part because the administration keeps working at cross purposes, making it very unclear who’s running the show or even what is actually being done. Is Trump, who yearns
for the golden age of 1870-1913, when the Robber Barons ruled the roost and tariffs were in place to protect their industries, in charge? Or is it his billionaire benefactor (and Robber Baron of the AI age), Elon Musk, who has boasted of taking a “chainsaw” to the bureaucracy,
purportedly in the name of efficiency?
On the one hand you’ve got Musk taking his figurative chainsaw to federal agencies in a ham-handed way, as one Land Desk commenter charitably put it, slashing jobs thoughtlessly and without foresight. And on the other,
Photo illustration/digital “painting” by Jonathan P. Thompson. No AIs were used to produce this image.
you have Trump urging Musk to get “more aggressive” with his chainsaw even as the administration scrambles to retract Musk’s actions by rehiring at least some of the fired employees –thus offsetting the claimed spending cuts. It’s hard to tell whether this is the result of sheer incompetence, or some elaborate shell game intended to confuse and distract us from even more sinister actions.
Maybe the goal is simply to traumatize federal employees – as Project 2025 architect and Office of Management and Budget Director Russel Vought put it –and make them afraid to go to work. That way they won’t be able to protect Americans and their land, water and air from corporations. I’m not making this up: https://tinyurl.com/y4zj6aur.
This motive jibes with Musk, Trump and far-right pundits characterizing federal employees as freeloading, papershuffling bureaucrats – even calling them members of the “parasite class.” Which is wrong, inaccurate, and frankly a rather shitty way to talk about the folks who keep airplanes in the air, work to ensure our food and water is safe, enforce federal laws, and maintain the trails, clean the restrooms and work to prevent catastrophic forest fires on public lands. If MAGA actually believes their
own rhetoric, then it is more proof that they have no idea what they’re talking about or doing.
One thing is clear: There’s nothing efficient about any of this. Musk and his minions are not only wasting tens of millions of dollars on this ketaminefueled charade, but also the goal clearly is not to tackle waste, fraud and abuse. If it were, he’d bring in a team of forensic accountants – not software coders –to meticulously comb through the books and make surgical, precise cuts if and where they were needed. If cost-saving was the goal, he would not have fired more than 6,000 IRS employees –including more than 100 in Ogden, Utah, who were hired to ensure that the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes –and therefore increase revenues and more than offset their salaries.
And, if it were sincere about its stated mission, instead of eviscerating federal agencies, the administration would give the folks on the ground more latitude in determining how to cut costs and better serve the public – even if it means increasing the number of employees. After all, a stretched-thin workforce does not make for a well-oiled machine, and it may even work against Trump’s other objectives. While firing a bunch of Bureau of Land Management folks might
make the agency less able to enforce regulations on oil and gas companies, it also slows down the drilling permitting process. That’s why the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association donated $800,000 to the state BLM office in 2014: It wanted to grease the wheels, of course, but also increase staffing to speed up permit processing.
If Musk and Trump knew what they were doing, they would have realized in advance that axing the staffers that oversee the nation’s nuclear arsenal was a bad idea, that firing National Park Service employees and freezing seasonal hires would wreak havoc on the parks and their gateway communities, and that terminating more than 400 employees of the Bonneville Power Administration would imperil reliability on the Northwest’s grid.
In the last several days, some of those firings have been reversed – or at least Trump has indicated that he will reverse them. But again, it’s not clear which positions will be restored or when. At BPA, for example, they only brought back 30 of the employees (which was apparently a struggle, since they had already been cut off from their federal email accounts). The National Park Service has indicated it may hire more seasonal employees this year than in the past, but
there are no plans to restore the jobs of 1,000 permanent workers who were unceremoniously fired. This, in an agency that has seen staffing numbers decrease even as visitation has soared.
The result of all of this back and forth? More confusion.
What is clear is that thousands of federal employees are out of jobs and the effects are bound to ripple across communities and economies, especially in rural Western areas where the federal government is one of the largest, most stable employers and the private sector isn’t large or robust enough to reabsorb those workers. Visitors to the parks will experience it as well: Traffic into Zion National Park has been backing up into Springdale, Utah, thanks to understaffed entrance booths, and Saguaro National Park is closing its visitor center on Mondays due to staff shortages. This, surely, is merely the beginning of the fallout.
I’ll do my best to keep track of how it plays out, and if you see any of the impacts on public lands near you, please let me know!
The Land Desk is a newsletter from Jonathan P. Thompson, author of “River of Lost Souls,” “Behind the Slickrock Curtain” and “Sagebrush Empire.” To subscribe, go to: www.landdesk.org. ■
Cultivating a culture
Idea Ranch, named to Outside’s “Best Places to Work,” sets up camp in Durango
by Missy Votel
Next time you see a Carhartt ad, look a little closer. It could be your neighbor, co-worker or local barista. And it’s not by accident.
The ad campaign, and the use of good, old Durango yocal locals as models, was all the work of local advertising agency Idea Ranch. And to recruit willing models in a town where Carhartt is the unofficial uniform, they did not have to go far.
“I went onto the Durango Online Garage Sale Facebook page and put a call out and recruited a bunch of people from town as talent,” Colt Fetters, Idea Ranch brand manager, said. “We had 300 responses.”
And Carhartt isn’t the only one drawing from the local sporty modeling pool. Under Armour Outdoors, a newish line for the company, also recently used Durango locals and locales in a campaign orchestrated by Idea Ranch.
“Finding talent here is so easy,” said Fetters. And by “talent,” he means all you fit, active, outdoorsy types with healthy glows, goggle/sock/Chaco tans, and those world famous Durango calves.
Speaking of world famous, if you haven’t heard of Idea Ranch, it may be because they’re a relative newcomer to the Durango scene, opening up shop here only a few years ago. However, the company was founded more than 50 years ago by Paul Brothers in Tulsa, Okla. Brothers later branched out to Wichita, Kans., and eventually, Durango.
If Durango seems like a big leap from Wichita, bear with us while we give the
backstory. Brothers and his family had a vacation house in Crested Butte, where they often spent time. However, even-
tually Brother’s son moved to Durango, and, as is often the case, more of the family followed.
“They felt like Crested Butte no longer suited their needs, and Durango felt like this low-key mountain town,” Fetters said.
Idea Ranch Brand Manager Colt Fetters talks inside the agency’s Durango office, in the 1100 block of Main Avenue. Durango is the newest location for the Tulsa-based firm, which has been named to Outside’s “Best Places to Work for the last three years./ Photo by Missy Votel
But Durango also filled another need for Brothers and Idea Ranch, which for years catered mostly to hunting and fishing brands.
“We were looking to get into more adventure sports,” said Fetters. “That was the big push for the office here, to give a Tulsa and Wichita company more DNA in the outdoors. Here, we’re run-bike-ski type of folks.”
And Fetters is no exception. A native of Washington State, he moved to Durango eight years ago and worked at Fort Lewis College’s Outdoor Pursuits program as a guide before coming to Idea Ranch. He does all the things: biking, skiing and casual lunchtime runs up Hogsback for fun.
In fact, workers at Idea Ranch – there are 75 overall, with five full-time employees in Durango – are encouraged to lace up their sneakers, bike shoes, crampons, what have you, and get out there.
To help with that endeavor, there are workplace Strava challenges, whereby workers can earn a day off after a certain amount of miles outside; “adventure birthdays,” where workers get their birthdays off to, well, adventure; lots of fourday weekends; flexible hours; and even a company overlanding truck for usage. Oh, and of course, dogs are always welcome in the well-appointed Main Avenue office. (There is even a fancy whiskey bar
for apres, we would assume, and maybe channeling Don Draper).
“Workers from the other offices can come to Durango and work remotely,” Fetters added, noting that a couple from the Tulsa office were currently setting up shop in the Durango conference room and #vanlifing.
If all this sounds dreamy to you, you’re not alone. In 2024, Idea Ranch was given an honorable mention on Outside’s “Best Places to Work” list. It has made the list three years running.
“Our team was excited to be recognized by Outside,” Fetters said. “There’s been a huge effort by our team, trying to cultivate a culture to make this a really welcoming, amazing place for outdoororiented people to work,” he said.
But it’s not all about fun, games and Strava miles. Fetters said Idea Ranch is always looking for ways to give back to the community. For example, every year they do a video for the Crested Butte Adaptive Sports Association free of charge. And Fetters said Idea Ranch would love to get more involved in helping nonprofits in Durango as well.
“We’d like to do something like that for a good organization in Durango and find ways we can help them,” he said.“We’re looking to be more involved in the community.”
But above all, it’s about bringing good jobs to what can be a challenging place –not to have fun, but to make a respectable living while having fun. “Idea Ranch
is a great place for outdoor-oriented people to work,” Fetters said. “Good work is hard to find in Durango. Knowing you can live here long-term is really special.” ■
A uniquely Durango look: a local mountain biker sports his Carhartts for a ride on the area trails. Idea Ranch relied on local people and locations for its Carhartt campaign. / Courtesy photo
Durango Supporting Women in Sports fundraiser and networking event, 4:30-6:30 p.m., Whalen Gym, FLC
Durango Green Drinks, 5-7 p.m., 11th Street Station, 1101 Main Ave.
Four Corners Water Center Confluence Seminar, 5-8 p.m., FLC Student Union Ballroom
Outdoor etiquette and how to go potty in the wilderness, presented by City Parks Ranger Tosh Black, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Durango Rec Center
¡Gol! El recorrido del futbol femenil en México (Goal! The journey of women’s soccer in Mexico) Presented in Spanish with English interpretation available, 5:30-7 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Uncle Clyde’s Run and Slide, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Purgatory
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.
Walter Dear Student Honors Recital, 3-4:30 p.m., Roshong Recital Hall Jones Hall 205, FLC
Weekly Peace Vigil & Rally for Gaza & Palestine, every Sunday, 4 p.m., Buckley Park
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.
Monday03
“La Plata County Food Systems Plan” Community Input Sessions presented by the Good Food Collective, 4:30-6:30: Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Happy Hour Yoga, 5:30 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St.
Joel Racheff plays, 5:30-10:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Comedy Open Mic, 8 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.
Swing & Brewskies dance lessons, 7-9:30 p.m., Durango Beer and Ice Co., 3000 Main Ave.
Tuesday04
“Stories in the Park” family friendly outdoor story time and nature journaling, 11-11:45 a.m., Santa Rita Park picnic area
City Council Candidate Forum, 12 noon -1:30 p.m. Register for zoom link: www.laplatadems.org/events
Mardi Gras Party and Parade, 12-2 p.m., Purgatory Resort
Cowboy Tuesdays, 12-3 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
“La Plata County Food Systems Plan” Community Input Sessions presented by the Good Food Collective, 5-6 p.m., Blue Spruce Campground, Bayfield
Terry Rickard plays, 6 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
“Learn about Search and Rescue” presented by Rotary Club of Durango, 6-7 p.m., Strater Hotel, 699 Main Ave.
Book Club: “Crying in H Mart” by Michelle Zauner, 6-7:30 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave. pre-registration required
Open Mic, 7 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.
Man 2 Man Prostate Cancer Support Group of Durango, 7-8 p.m., Via Zoom, contact: prostategroupdro@gmail.com
AskRachel The doll-drums, noodle nerd and giving the slip
Interesting fact: The slang term “noodle” for brain doesn’t actually come from the word for pasta –neither, shockingly, does the word “canoodle” – but both might come from when “noodle” meant “idiot.” Let’s bring this one back into fashion.
Dear Rachel,
Dolls are creepy, especially ventriloquist dummies. For some disturbing reason, my brother in law started collecting these things, but no one bothered to tell me that before I went for a visit. They expected me to sleep in the house with those things. No way, no how. I ended up sleeping at a Days Inn and now my family is pissed. Please tell me I’m not wrong?
– No Dolly Pardon
Dear Uncanny Valley,
The real question is: Why is it that dolls are creepy, but action figures aren’t? They’re just basically dolls with muscles and armor and stuff. I’d think that a tiny muscly human would be far creepier than a tiny chubby human. Or a tiny wooden one. But ventriloquist dummies are indeed creepy as all get-out. You will get the last laugh when you’re the only family member to survive the night.
Wednesday05
Durango Independent Film Festival, March 5-9, Durango Arts Center and Gaslight Twin Cinema
“La Plata County Food Systems Plan” Community Input Sessions presented by the Good Food Collective, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., FLC Student Union Lobby; 3-4 p.m., Animas Valley Grange; and 6-7 p.m., Mt. Allison Grange
City Council Candidate Forum, 56:30 p.m., Durango City Hall, 949 E. 2nd Ave., more info at www.lwvlaplata.org
WRC Women’s History Month Reception “Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations,” 5-7:30 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Donny Johnson plays, 5:30-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Virtual Town Hall with our CO Sen. Hickenlooper and Attorney General Phil Weiser, 6-7:30 p.m., Zoom link: www.mobilize.us/indivisible colorado/event/756339/
Open Mic with Leigh Mikell, 7 p.m., EsoTerra Ciderworks, 558 Main Ave.
Dear Rachel,
– Read my lips, Rachel
How are spaghetti noodles a thing? They don’t hold any sauce, and you end up with half on your plate and the other half down your shirt because you’re trying to eat flimsy noodles that flick sauce all over the place. Why bother when we have rotini, fusilli and shells?
– Feeling Saucy
Dear Mac & Roni,
Leftover spaghetti is the only spaghetti for me. Why? Because it absorbs all the sauce! I’d actually like to see someone make spaghetti & cheese, because with all the melted gooey goodness the noodles would maybe hang together better. I guarantee that’s already been done somewhere, but it can’t be superior to a shell noodle full of melted Velveeta.
– Using the ol’ noodle, Rachel
Dear Rachel,
Last week, I encountered someone at a work conference who decided she was going to be my best friend. Nothing dissuaded her. She followed me from panel to panel and tracked me down at the hotel bar. I tried gray-rocking her, ignoring her and embarrassed to say, being
Terence Blanchard featuring the ECollective & Turtle Island Quartet, 7:30 p.m., Community Concert Hall at FLC
Karaoke Roulette, 8 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.
Word Honey Poetry Workshop, 67:30 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Durango Independent Film Festival Free Movie Night, 6:30 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave., and Gaslight Twin Cinema, 102 E. 5th St.
Ongoing
“Vintage Visions” artwork by Erin Clyne, thru February, The Recess Gallery at Studio &, 1027 Main Ave.
“Elemental” an open group show, thru March 1, Studio & Gallery, 1027 Main Ave.
“Given Time: Sensory Aesthetics of Reclamation,” exhibit exploring Indigenous relationships to land, FLC Center of Southwest Studies.
60-year celebration “A Legacy of Gifts,” exhibition, presented by The
mean, and she just seemed to like it. Next time, what can I do differently?
– Stuck Like Glue
Dear Rubber Cement,
By your use of the past tense, it sounds like leaving the conference and going home worked. Regardless, if honesty is the best policy but that’s off the table, then might I recommend saying things that sound real but aren’t necessarily. Things like, “Have you ever considered making wigs for dolls out of your hair?” or “You’re such a noodle, and I don’t mean the pasta.”
– Friendless and fancy-free, Rachel
Center of Southwest Studies, March 6Nov. 13, Center of Southwest Studies, FLC
Durango Independent Film Festival, March 5-9, Durango Arts Center and Gaslight Twin Cinema
60-year celebration “A Legacy of Gifts,” exhibition and opening reception, Thurs., March 6, 4:30-6:30 p.m., Center of Southwest Studies, FLC
Outdoor Etiquette and How to go Potty in the Wilderness, presented by City Parks Ranger Tosh Black, Thurs., March 6, 5:30 p.m., Durango Rec Center
Spanish Conversation Hour, Thurs., March 6, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Trivia Night, Thurs., March 6, 6:30-9 p.m., Powerhouse, 1333 Camino del Rio
Artikal Sound System with Sitting on Stacy, Thurs., March 6, 8 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Dr.
FreeWillAstrology
by Rob Brezsny
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries author Anne Lamott articulated a thought that’s perfect for you to hear right now: “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” I might amend her wisdom to say “for a few hours” or “a couple of days.” Now is a rare time when a purposeful disconnection can lead you to deeper synchronization. A project or relationship will improve after a gentle reset. Your power mantra: “Renew yourself with quiet inaction.”
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Beavers are the engineers of the natural world. The dams they fabricate not only create shelter but also benefit their entire ecosystem. The ponds and marshes they help shape provide rich habitats for many other species. Boosting biodiversity is their specialty. Their constructions also serve as natural filters, enhancing water quality downstream. Let’s make beavers your inspirational symbol for the coming weeks. In their spirit, build what’s good for you with the intention of making it good for everyone whose life you touch. Ensure that your efforts will generate ripples that nourish your tribe and community.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I predict you will soon have reason to celebrate a resounding success. You will claim a well-deserved reward. You may even shiver with amazement and gratification as you marvel at how many challenges you overcame to emerge triumphant. In my view, you will have every right to exude extra pride and radiance. I won’t complain if you flirt with a burst of egotism. In accordance with my spirituality, I tell you, “Remember that this wonder you have spawned will live for a very long time.”
CANCER (June 21-July 22): When you see the stars in the night sky, you’re looking at the ancient past. Light from those heavenly bodies may have taken as long as 4,000 years to reach us. So we are beholding them as they used to be, not as they are now. With that as your inspiration, I invite you to spend quality time gazing into your own personal past. Meditate on how your history is alive in you today, making its imprint on all you do and say. Say prayers and write messages to yourself in which you express your awe and appreciation for the epic myth that is your destiny.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I mourn the growing climate calamity that is heating up our beloved planet. Among many other distortions, it has triggered yellow forsythias and blue gentians to blossom during winter in the Austrian Alps – an unprecedented event. At the same time, I am also able to marvel at the strange beauty of gorgeous flowers growing on the winter hills of ski resorts. So my feelings are mixed, and that’s fine. I regard it as a sign of soulfulness. May you be so blessed, Leo: full of appreciation for your capacity to hold conflicting ideas, perspectives and feelings.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The quietest place on earth is a room at Microsoft near Seattle. It’s made of six layers of steel and concrete, and its foundation includes vibration-dampening springs. Within it, you can hear your heartbeat, the swishing of your clothes and the hum of air molecules. The silence is so eerily profound that many people become flummoxed while visiting. Here’s the moral of the story: While you are inclined to favor order and precision, a modicum of noise and commotion is often beneficial. Like background sounds that keep you oriented, minor wriggles and perturbations ensure you remain grounded. This will be extra important for you in coming weeks.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): To make a Mobius strip, you give a half twist to a strip of paper and attach the ends. You have then created a surface with just one side and one edge. It’s a fun curiosity, but it also has practical applications. Using Mobius strips, engineers can design more efficient gears. Machinists make mechanical belts that are Mobius strips because they wear out less quickly. A similar theme might be arising in your life. What may seem like an interesting but impractical element could reveal value. You may find unexpected uses for playful features. One of your capacities has dimensions you have not explored but are ready to.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Sandra Cisneros is a writer with Sun and Mercury in Sagittarius. She is always in quest of the next big lesson and the next exciting adventure. But she also has the Moon, Venus and Saturn in Scorpio. Her attunement to the hidden aspects of reality is substantial. She thrives on cultivating an understanding of her inner world. It took her years to master the art of fully expressing both these sides of her character. I bring this to your attention, Scorpio, because you’re primed to go in quest for experiences that will open your heart to novel amazements – even as you connect with previously unknown aspects of your deep self.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The Moeraki Boulders are spread along a beach in New Zealand. Many of the 50 big rocks are nearly perfect spheres and up to 6 feet in diameter, so they provide a stunning visual feast. Scientists know that they have steadily grown for the last 4 million years, accumulating evernew layers of minerals. I propose we make them your symbols of power until July 1. In my astrological estimation, you are in a phase of laying long-term groundwork. What may seem to be a tedious accumulation of small, gradual victories is part of a grander undertaking. Like the Moeraki Boulders, your efforts will crystallize into an enduring foundation.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A Japanese proverb says, “The bamboo that bends with the wind is stronger and more resilient than the oak tree that resists.” That’s true. When storms bluster, oak branches break and blow away. Bamboo may look delicate, but it is actually capable of withstanding high winds. It flourishes by being flexible instead of rigid. That’s the approach I recommend to you. Challenges may emerge that inspire you to stay grounded by adapting. Your plans will become optimal as you adjust them. By trusting your natural resilience, you could find unexpected chances for interesting transformation. Your potency will lie in your ability to bend without breaking.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Seattle’s Space Needle is 605 feet high. For years, there was a restaurant with a rotating floor at the top. In its early days, the movement was so brisk that some visitors got dizzy and nauseous. Engineers had to recalibrate the equipment so it was sufficiently leisurely to keep everyone comfortable. Your current situation resembles this story. The right elements are in place, but you need to adjust the timing and rhythm. If there are frustrating glitches, they are clues to the fine-tuning that needs to be done.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Octopuses have three hearts, each with a different function. Every one of their eight limbs contains a mini-brain, giving them nine in total. Is there any doubt, then, that they are the patron creature for Pisceans? No other zodiac sign is more multifaceted than you. No other can operate with grace on so many different levels. I celebrate your complexity, which enables you to draw such rich experiences into your life and manage such diverse challenges. These qualities will be working at a peak in the coming weeks. For inspiration, consider putting an image of an octopus in your environment.
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
Lost/found
My Cat Cid is Missing
Long hair, white with black spots, green eyes. Last seen near 18th St. and E. 2nd Ave., by St. Columba. Reward. Call 970-403-6192
ForSale
Dry Firewood
Pick up or delivery. Call Gabe, 970403-2784.
Vintage Balloon Tire Bicycles from the 40s, 50s and 60s. Prices range from $100-$500 per bike. Call Bicycle Bob in Aztec at 970 769 9955
Classes/Workshops
WCS Lessons!
Learn West Coast Swing. New series starts March 5th. Runs every 3 weeks. Register at www.westslopewesties.com.
Free English Classes
Quieres aprender o mejorar tu Ingles sin costo alguno. Brian, 970-779-5304
Wanted
Affordable RV Space
for senior with two quiet, well-behaved dogs needed by April 1st (probably through October). Can pay $600/mo + utilities, or $800/mo if utilities included. Fenced area on-site or nearby for dogs to run (supervised) a couple of times a day highly desirable. Please leave a message at 970-508-0326.
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
BodyWork
Massage by Meg Bush LMT, 30, 60 & 90 min., 970-759-0199.
Services
Boiler Service - Water Heater
Serving Durango over 30 years. Brad, 970-759-2869. Master Plbg Lic #179917
Chapman Electric 970-403-6670
Specializing in all things electrical. Colorado state licensed and insured
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.
CommunityService
Dog Fosters Needed
Parker’s Animas Rescue urgently needs foster families to provide temporary
'Babygirl'
Kidman as a tall, Pomeranian Sub gets schooled by her Dom pup
homes for rescued dogs. We supply all necessary items and cover vet visits. You provide the love and guidance. Join our mission: parkersanimalrescue.com.
