Durango Telegraph - March 7, 2019

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March 7, 2019

Vol. XVIII, No. 10 durangotelegraph.com

inside

T H E

O R I G I N A L

I N D I E

W E E K L Y

L I N E

O N

D U R A N G O

&

B E Y O N D

Taking the high road

Women on the edge

Front of the line

Nepal trek focuses on womens health, economic stability p8

Exploring inner, outer landscapes (with some rad chicks) p14

Remembering a festival friend who became family p17

2 n March 7, 2019

telegraph

lineup

boilerplate

4 La Vida Local

Going the distance

Bhotias return to Nepal with eye on women’s health, economic stability

4 Thumbin’ It

by Missy Votel

5 Word on the Street

12-13

6 ReTooned

A trip south of the border offers all the culture the Southwest has to offer

11 Mountain Town News

Enchanting roadtrip photos by Stephen Eginoire

Ear to the ground:

“No need to go to Japan, we’ve got Japurgatory.”

– Overheard on a recent powder day on Purgatory chairlift

thepole

8

RegularOccurrences

6-7 Soapbox

12 -13 Day in the Life

14

15 Murder Ink 16 Flash in the Pan

High times

17 Top Shelf

Women’s Forum explores outdoor adventure, internal landscapes

by Joy Martin

18-20 On the Town

16

20 Ask Rachel 21 Free Will Astrology

Breaking out

Recipe handed down by generations takes coconut rice to the next level

Getting plowed

No doubt, things are piling up out there. Even as CDOT crews toil around the clock to clear unprecedented amounts of snow and debris from Red Mountain Pass and even a rare I-70 slide, City of Durango road crews are contending with some serious dumpage of their own.

For those of you who want to know just how much, here’s a flurry of fun facts: • Miles plowed: 6,333 • Plow hours: 655 • Snow removed from the Central Business District: 1,165 loads (that's 18,640 cubic yards) • Total operational cost: $186,377 • Miles of roadway maintained by the City: 83

22 Classifieds

by Ari LeVaux

22 Haiku Movie Review

17

23 End of the Line

Front of the line

On the cover: Graffiti under the 32nd Street Bridge reflects a pink sheen onto the Animas River this week./ Photo by Stephen Eginoire

Remembering Scott Spencer, a festival friend who became family

by Chris Aaland

EDITORIALISTA: Missy Votel (missy@durangotelegraph.com) ADVERTISING AFICIONADO: Lainie Maxson (lainie@durangotelegraph.com) RESIDENT FORMULA ONE FAN: Tracy Chamberlin (tracy@durangotelegraph.com)

T

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

STAR-STUDDED CAST: Lainie Maxson, Chris Aaland, Clint Reid, Stephen Eginoire, Jesse Anderson, Ari LeVaux, Joy Martin, Luke Mehall, Missy Votel, Tracy Chamberlin, Jeff Mannix, john van becay and Shan Wells VIRTUAL ADDRESS: www.durangotelegraph.com

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distributed in the finest and most discerning locations throughout the greater Durango area.

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

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

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

telegraph

Russell Engineering with the coveted winter commuter challenge snowflake award.

Who you calling snowflake?

And speaking of winter warriors, Russell Planning & Engineering took home first place in the 2019 Winter Business Commuter Challenge. This is the third-year running that Russell has taken home top honors, and this year there was 100 percent participation from its team of 21.

Following close behind in second and third place were SME Environmental and the Durango Area Tourism Office.

More than 75 hearty souls braved slick city streets and frigid temps – let alone were able to unearth their bikes from massive snowbanks – for the ninth annual Winter Bike to Work Day on Fri., Feb. 8. Even though temperatures were low (hovering around 0 degrees), spirits were reportedly high, fueled by free coffee, hot chocolate, goodies and, of course, warm fuzzies.

March 7, 2019 n

3

opinion

LaVidaLocal I’ve got a fever Snow, snow, and more snow! What else could I start this off with than mentioning that four-letter word, the white stuff, the good stuff; that stuff we need right about now.

Yes, this winter has been heaven sent, and I don’t need to list all the reasons. Yet, even though it’s given us exactly what we, and the land, needs, I’ve got a fever, people, cabin fever!

I am not a snow sports person. Essentially that is mostly irrelevant for the purposes of this article. If I were to complain about snow, it would be as stupid as our president saying that because its cold outside today climate change isn’t happening on our planet.

I’m restless to get outside, back to Indian Creek in Bears Ears National Monument; restless to breathe in that desert air and let the grace of the sun hit my face; restless to touch the red rock and let it heal me while simultaneously beating me down, weathering me, as it weathers the cracks. I’m restless to know fear and redemption; to open my third eye to survive to fight another day, another climb. I’m restless for nights around the campfire; to stare into a fire instead of a screen or a book. I’m restless to feel so tired all I can do is stumble to my tent with my love and cuddle up together in that small space.

Love flowers best in openness and freedom, Cactus Ed Abbey once told us. As with other acclaimed Western writers of the past, Abbey also wrote some questionable essays, but Abbey was wild, and wildness is always contradicting itself. And what would our lives in Durango be without wildness and freedom? And wilderness? I guess some of us are just surviving; I remember overhearing a phrase, “it takes two jobs to make it in Durango, and three to leave.”

But, love, love has got to be what it’s all about. It’s a beautiful struggle, but if not for love, then why are we here? Without a religion to attach to, I’m constantly searching, and I like the searching. I think it’s part of being human, and I think we’ll get to find out in the end anyways. Some are restless for answers, and some are restless for questions. I’m restless for redemp-

tion, but in the great outdoors, that restlessness keeps me humble when a rock or a river or a hill beats me down, reminds me that I am a mere human being, and there is a force greater than I, and We. I am restless to see the end of Trump. There are so many lessons to be learned from this shit show of a presidency. Perhaps Trump has energized us on the so-called left (politics are arranged by left and right so we can fight against one another) more than Obama. Maybe it’s just me.

Maybe it’s just my restlessness and my anger. Maybe I am motivated by anger more than most.

But America is only America because we constantly have to fight against the uprising evil, and like Spike Lee said at the Oscars the other night, “The 2020 presidential election is around the corner.

Let’s all mobilize. Let’s all be on the right side of history. Make the moral choice between love versus hate. Let’s do the right thing!”

I’ve got a new book, The Desert, coming out in April, and I’m restless to share it with the world on book tour. A big part of the book is reconciling my anger with Trumpism, and anger toward the rescinding of Bears Ears National Monument and the movement to cut back protections of these sacred places.

I love my career as a writer more than I thought I could love any profession, but most of my job is relatively boring; interacting with the world through the interface of a computer. I’m restless to interact with the people who read my writing in real time and in real life. So much of this profession is like a message in a bottle, yet I am an introverted extrovert, I need to see the people whose minds and hearts I write to. I need to see the young people most of all: I am not writing because I think I’ll change the world, I am writing because I think I can inspire those who are.

I think it’s all going to happen quickly. I was on the phone with my 91year-old grandma the other day, and she told me everything goes by so quickly. The white snow will berth flowers, buds and green grass, and before we know it, this winter will be a dream. The clocks will spring ahead and so will we.

Thumbin’It

4 n March 7, 2019

– Luke Mehall

Mehall is the publisher of The Climbing Zine and the author of five books. The Desert will officially be released April 20.

This Week’s Sign of the Downfall:

A milestone in the AIDS epidemic, with a patient appearing to have been cured of HIV infection via a bone-marrow transplant, giving hope that a more practical treatment may be on the horizon

The second avalanche death in Telluride in as many weeks, making for a total of six casualties so far this season in Colorado

Random acts of kindness in downtown Durango, with local woman Jessica Rollins buying $1,000 worth of patrons’ meals at Carvers recently as a way to pay it forward

Another dark side to the opioid epidemic, with drug use contributing to a rise in syphilis rates in La Plata County

Gov. Jared Polis working to grant more control over oil and gas development to local municipalities and communities

The rash of deadly tornadoes that swept through the South this week, claiming 23 lives so far in Alabama

telegraph

The Jeankini For $59.99, you can own the Jacksonville Denim Bikini (or if you’re a dude, you can order the “Daytona Dong Sarong” for $39.99). I know that trashy is the new chic, but these suits suck – they’re made from printed polyester, so no actual denim is involved, and the pockets aren’t real. Shinesty, the manufacturer, says their Jeankini goes well with actual jeans, and they suggest pairing their Jeando with a “caterpillar-style moustache for best results.” Both suits we designed by women right here in Colorado.

Q

WordontheStreet With the official start of spring around the corner, the Telegraph asked, “What do you hope to find in the spring thaw?”

Ben Von Thaden

“A fly box that I lost with custom flies that I made.”

Chris Durnin

“A big, awesome run-off.”

Brad Dodd

“A hot tub.”

Ruth Rydiger

“I’ll tell you what I don’t want to find: all the dog poop.”

Devon Schmidt

“A Silver Bullet.” telegraph

March 7, 2019 n 5

SoapBox

ReTooned/by Shan Wells

City acts like kid in a candy store To the editor, City officials have abdicated their obligation to the taxpayers of Durango to be fiscally responsible stewards of public monies and take care of the basic needs of our community. After increasing our water and sewer rates to some of the highest in Colorado, if not the nation, the message now is that if we don’t pass the 1A sales tax increase they will simply quit maintaining our streets.

Seriously? Of course we want our streets maintained!

City officials are trying to turn this vote into a referendum on street maintenance just like they tried to turn last November’s vote on ballot issue 2A into a referendum on whether you supported the police department or not.

Speaking of which, why are our men and women in blue who put their lives on the line for us now being left out in the cold? Is filling potholes more important than a new police station?

We expect our elected officials and city employees to act like responsible adults and live within the budget they have available just like we have to do at home. But it seems that most city projects come in at a much higher cost than anticipated. The city has $12 million to build less than a mile of trail to Oxbow Preserve including a $3.4 million bridge over 32nd Street, but we don’t have any money for the police department? Seriously, who is making these decisions and are they in the best interest of the whole community?

The city manager prioritizes lawn mowing over snow removal in the central business district. Again, seriously?

This isn’t just a budget issue, it is also a public safety issue. To say that you’ve run out of money for snow removal for the cash cow downtown business district would be like the firefighters on the 416 Fire last summer saying halfway through the fire fight that we’re sorry,4

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but we went over budget so we’re packing up and we’re out of here – good luck!

On the April ballot, the city could have at least put the 2005 ¼ cent sales tax for open space up to a vote for reallocation to infrastructure to show taxpayers that they are serious about balancing all of the needs of our community while striving to live within their $92 million per year budget.

I love open space but how much more do we need especially if Durango taxpayers are paying for this when there are more pressing needs in our community? We already have the 1.7 million acre San Juan National Forest as well as BLM land like Animas Mountain, and Bodo and Perins Peak state wildlife areas, abundant undeveloped Southern Ute Indian Tribal lands, Horse Gulch, Overend and Dalla mountain parks, and Ewing Mesa.

I believe Barb Bell summed up the sentiment of a lot of Durango voters in her Dec. 8, 2018 op-ed in the Durango Herald regarding the failure of ballot issue 2A last November: “Why, when General Fund revenue has increased by over $12 million from 2012 to 2019, wasn’t someone planning and saving for needed infrastructure? What kind of management team constantly overlooks the need to prepare for a new sewer plant, a new police station, road maintenance and water line maintenance? These are easily anticipated expenses. It is your job to hire a qualified manager and to oversee the financial well-being of the city. City Council approved annual budgets, determined priorities, and has set this wicked problem in motion.”

Bell personally found it distressing that in 2015, City Council encouraged the extension of the Parks and Rec sales tax while choosing not to share information about the pending increase in water/sewer/recycling and construction of a new sewer plant. People are feeling blindsided and misled she said.

The City is acting like a big-eyed kid in the candy store who can’t believe that his parents won’t give him any more money to buy candy because he needs new shoes to

walk to school but he keeps crying for more candy anyway! It is time for our city officials to grow up, act like the responsible adults we thought we elected, and be accountable stewards of taxpayer money rather than always crying for more!

Please Vote NO on ballot issue 1A. – David McHenry, United for Durango’s Future, Durango

Planning ahead for our future To the editor, My family has resided in Durango since the early 1930s. Durango has gone through many changes over the years, but none more important than what we are facing right now. I will be the first to say I wince at the sound of someone saying “raising taxes is a good thing.” As a business owner for 15 years in Durango, I have come to realize that the cost of doing business is NOT cheap, and if you choose not to plan ahead, you will lose.

The reason I am in full support of Ballot Initiative 1A is that our city government, in this particular situation, is planning ahead. (Unlike the wastewater sewer plant replacement project.) They realize if we don’t forecast our preferred future and plan for specific projects and future growth, Durango as we know it, will become one of many small communities around our country that is falling apart due to poor maintenance and policing of its businesses and neighborhoods.

The passage of initiative 1A will amount to only half a penny on each dollar spent and will help fund our streets, which are in need of maintenance and repair. It costs nearly eight times more to rebuild a street versus a fraction of the cost to maintain them, and each year that this is deferred will cost us $2 million - $4 million annually. Durango is a unique and beautiful place to live, and we have an obligation to do our part to help take care of all the resources and amenities that Durango currently offers its amazing citizens and the tens of thou-

sands of people who visit this small mountain town every year. Please vote yes on 1A, the investment is worth it.

– Joe Lloyd, Durango

Programming a future of failure

To the editor, The “hand of god” forced into women’s health care is not religious liberty nor is it constitutional. A question for protestors of women’s health care: Where are your $350,000 trust funds to guarantee bundles of joy access to food, clothing, shelter, health care and access to opportunity for the next 18 years? Our corruption is now teaching Covington boys and others to judge, humiliate, harass, bully and punish women and threaten people who help them. One does not have to die to go to hell, but one does have to be born.

The Republican policy of controlling women’s decisions gives Republicans access to insert the womb-toprison pipeline for financial gain. Republican deadbeat policy not only creates a corral for human brood mares but programs children for failure as disposable humans after birth. Mick Mulvaney tells Congressional Republicans that school meals are not working and must be dropped. Politicians and ALEC privatize their profit from prisons, yet depend on your socialized tax payments to cover incarceration.

Along with the gag orders of Reagan, George W. Bush, and now the Donald, we have the Kavanaugh gag for women, hands crushing our mouths. Why are we programming failure in our future? Studies show denying women access to health care results in a rise of violence years later. How much more violence, suicide and homelessness will we usher in? We need checks and balances on lust, arrogance and greed. Unless you require it, women’s health care is not your decision.

– Stephanie Johnson, Durango

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telegraph

March 7, 2019 n 7

TopStory

Helping a sister out Himalayan trek to focus on improving lives of indigenous Nepalese women

by Missy Votel

T

here is an unspoken code among the women from the remote region of northeastern Nepal where Jyamu Bhotia was born – quite literally, it is the code of silence.

“They are very shy,” Jyamu said. “There is no communication between mother and daughter or sister and sister.

They aren’t sharing.”

But Jyamu, who was the first girl to graduate high school in her village of Chyamtang, would like to help break the silence. Or at least get the conversation going, on everything from women’s health issues to helping them sustain themselves and their families.

Later this month, Jyamu, along with husband Karma, who have been mainstays in the local community since opening the Himalayan Kitchen in 2007, will lead a threeweek trek to visit eight villages in their homeland in Nepal.

Although Karma visits frequently – he just returned from his latest visit last month – this will only be Jyamu’s second time visiting since she immigrated to the United States nearly 20 years ago.

The trip will be made in conjunction with the Bhotia Foundation, which the couple founded in 2014 to develop education, health and economic opportunities in the region where they’re from. Since then, the foundation has built schools, started a lunch program for school children, held medical clinics and helped rebuild schools and homes in the wake of 2015’s devastating earthquake (which Karma experienced firsthand.)

The goal of this trip will be twofold: to open up a dialogue on womens health, which is considered taboo, and to help women find more economic stability. The interest in helping women couldn’t be more apropos, given that Chyamtang was officially declared Durango’s sister city in 2015 in an effort to encourage cultural exchange between the two communities.

To that end, the trek will also include several locals, including Fort Lewis College Biology Professor Julie Korb and her family (twins Amara and Balin Kirk, 11; Jadin Kirk, 14; and husband, Dave), as well as herbalist Deb Swanson, owner of Dancing Willow Herbs. Another couple, friends of Korb’s who visit Durango regularly, will also take part.

Korb, who has been friends with the Bhotias for years, said it has always been a dream of hers to go on one of the treks. However, it wasn’t until this year that the stars aligned: she is on sabbatical from her job and her kids are now old enough to handle the 120 miles of hiking.

“I contacted Karma and said this would be the perfect time,” she said.

Part of the vision for the trek is to help women develop a source of income with products they make from plants growing around their villages. “Right now they simply harvest and bring raw materials to town to sell,” said Korb.

“This isn’t sustainable, and they get hardly any money for the plants.”

That is when Swanson, a walking Wikipedia of herbal knowledge, was tapped for her expertise. The idea was to

From left, Deb Swanson, Jyamu Bhotia and Julie Korb stand outside the Himalayan Kitchen on Monday. The three are taking part in a trek later this month to Jyamu’s homeland in Nepal. /Photo by Stephen Eginoire

A little goes a long way ...

Donations of hats, glasses needed

Children stand in a doorway of a house in Jyamu and Karma Bhotia’s home village of Chyamtang. /Photo by Karma Bhotia come up with ways to make the herbs more marketable, such as with soaps and essential oils.

“For several years, Karma has had this vision of helping4

Free Divorce & Custody Clinic Presented by Colorado Legal Services

Tuesday, March 19th, 5:30 - 7 p.m.

Durango Public Library For more information, call: 970-247-0266

8 n March 7, 2019

telegraph

In addition to focusing on womens economic and physical health, the Bhotia Foundation will also be delivering basic supplies to villages along the 120-mile trek.

To help bridge the cultural divide with the universal language, the Rio Rapids Durango Soccer Club has donated soccer balls and pumps. Local students are also donating money for school supplies for their Nepalese counterparts.

The foundation is also looking for donations of old reading glasses and hats (of both the ball cap and warm, fuzzy varieties).s Glasses and hat donations can be dropped off at Dancing Will Herbs, 1018 Main Ave. And, of course, monetary donations are always welcome. According to Karma Bhotia, founder of the Bhotia Foundation, all monies collected go directly to villagers and their needs – there is no administrative overhead.

To donate, go to: www.bhotiafoundation.org.

to encourage economic development around medicinal herbs,” said Swanson.

Bur rather than just show Korb the tricks of the trade in her lab, Swanson decided to join the expedition.

“I just decided to go six weeks ago and pulled it together last minute,” she confesses. “I’m super excited.”

Sisters in need Despite the fact that the three women were the catalyst for the trip, the sister connection didn’t come full circle until recently, when Jyamu’s sister, who still lives in Chyamtang, became ill with giardia, an intestinal illness easily treated with antibiotics.

Due to lack of education and shame associated with being sick – Jyamu describes Nepal as a “man power” society – she kept quiet.

“Women don’t want to say they are sick, even though they are about to die, especially daughter-in-laws,” she said. “They are afraid they will make their father-in-law and mother-in-law angry, so they say ‘I’m OK,’ even though they are in terrible pain.”

Eventually, after several months of suffering and growing incredibly weak, her sister was brought to a hospital in Kathmandu where she received life-saving antibiotics.

Jyamu said this is but one example of stories she has heard of women suffering needlessly. Others endure urinary tract infections for years while girls as young as 12 are getting pregnant because they do not have basic sex education. “They say, ‘Do not tell. This is a shame,’” she said.

This is one thing Jyamu hopes to change during the trek, by helping explain to women that not only is there a biological reason for things – i.e. having your time of the month does not mean you are “possessed” – but there are simple solutions, from hand washing and boiling water to antibiotics and other “sanitary” products.

She hopes to do this by hosting womens groups in each village, where women can feel safe to discuss such topics.

“By having these gatherings, hopefully they’ll open up and share,” said Jyamu.

“Maybe we can break down that barrier, even in families.”

Gathering herbs & information With Jyamu serving as interpreter, the womens groups will be an ideal time for Korb and Swanson to gather information on what herbs are used for what purposes.

From there, the idea is to make suggestions available to the women on how to best use the resources available to them.

According to Karma, Korb and Swanson are the “perfect fit” for the mission, with Korb’s extensive botany background and Swanson’s knowledge of medicinal uses.

Swanson said she looks forward to learning as much from the womens as they do from her. “Really, it’s about gathering information; there’s going to be a lot of learning. I am going in with a blank slate,” she said. “We want to understand the ins and outs of plants from a folk level to a pharmaceutical level.”

With roads and development slowly encroaching on the region, one concern is protecting the Himalaya’s pristine ecosystem. The area they are visiting is all within the boundaries of Nepal’s 580-square-mile Makalu-Barun National Park, one of the most biologically diverse regions in the world. Covering everything from subtropi-

Top: A rural Nepalese woman sells medicinal herbs in the lowlands. It is common for village women to gather plants and herbs over the summer in the highlands and then head to the lowlands in the winter, where it is warmer, to sell their goods./Photo by Karma Bhotia.

cal to alpine ecosystems, it contains some of the highest peaks in the world and butts up against Sagarmatha National Park, home to Everest.

“Industry and roads are going to come to the area eventually over the next several years, and there is such a huge export business of medicinal herbs, and so the Himalayas are kind of fragile in terms of overharvesting,” said Swanson. “Through our efforts, we can hopefully encourage them to grow instead of gather.”

Karma – who once spent time as a Buddhist monk – said care will also be taken to protect and respect the endangered Nepalese culture, while gently nudging them forward. For example, despite the Himalaya’s idyllic image, alcohol and domestic abuse run rampant – something he credits to lack of understanding and education. “You have to go very slowly, to touch the heart. And once you touch the heart, they will open their heart and follow in the direction you want them to go,” he said.

The road to the future And while all agree on approaching the mission with cultural sensitivity and respect for tradition, they add change is coming to the region whether residents are ready or not.

According to Karma, the area was closed to visitation by the Chinese for a number of years for fear of Westerners entering

Tibet. (The area offers the easiest access to Tibet, with Chyamtang only 15 miles from Everest as the crow flies.) However, in 1998, the Nepalese government began allowing foreigners to visit with a permit and also began building a “road” connecting the villages in the region to the outside world. Although the road is little more than a glorified dirt path – “The road in La Plata Canyon is much better,” Karma said – it has already shortened the trek to Chyamtang by two days since 2014.

“This is still the most pure Nepalese culture. They still live in the stone age,” he said. “Once the road is open, people will come from all over. Local people really look forward to the road, but they don’t know what they can lose.”

Karma’s biggest fear is that the area will become a thoroughfare for drug trafficking and “bad guys,” like other areas in the region, or it will be sullied by trash and plastic. He said the key to not letting this happen is education, which starts with empowering the people, especially women.

This entails not just teaching them how to use the land, but how to respect the land – and each other.

“Education is not only reading and writing, but habits, respect and sharing,” he said. “Power is education. Jyamu and I believe that whatever we learn in our life, we should pass on.” n

telegraph

March 7, 2019 n

9

LocalNews

Village at Wolf Creek gets new life Forest Service opens door with recent decision to allow access

by Tracy chamberlin

L

ast week, the Rio Grande National Forest Service announced plans to allow the company looking to develop the Village at Wolf Creek – capable of supporting about 8,000 residents near the ski area – road access across Forest Service lands.

The big concern for opponents of the Village is that a court decision years ago essentially canceled the documents the Forest Service used to make its most recent decision.

“This Record of Decision is based on an Environmental Impact Statement that the judge set aside years ago,” Jimbo Buickerood, public lands coordinator for the San Juan Citizens Alliance, said Tuesday.

In 2014, the U.S. Forest Service released an Environmental Impact Statement, or EIS, which listed three specific action alternatives.

One was to not take any action, something that’s typically included. The second was a proposed land exchange between the Forest Service and Leavell-McCombs Joint Venture, the development company behind the Village at Wolf Creek. The third was a proposed access road from Highway 160 to property, which Texas billionaire B.J. “Red” McCombs received from the Forest Service in another land exchange decades earlier.

The second option – the land exchange – was the option the Forest Service selected back in 2014.

This option offered an exchange in which McCombs’ company would give up a portion of its acreage in exchange for a smaller parcel that was right next to Highway

10 n March 7, 2019

The Village at Wolf Creek is a proposed community with 1,700 housing units and commercial space, capable of supporting about 8,000 residents./File photo 160. This would allow the company direct access to their lands and pave the way for the Village – literally.

Over the past few years, conservation groups like San Juan Citizens Alliance and Rocky Mountain Wild have fought against the 2014 decision, citing concerns with public transparency and the environmental process. Those cases have included a lawsuit and two Freedom of Information Act requests.

telegraph

The most recent victory for the conservation groups came in 2017, when Judge Richard Matsch, a senior judge in the U.S. District Court of Colorado, set aside the 2014 EIS and Record of Decision, which approved the land exchange.

These are the same documents Rio Grande National Forest Supervisor Dan Dallas based his most recent decision on.

“What the Forest Service is thinking is an open question,” Buickerood said. “It’s just bewildering.”

Essentially, Dallas chose to go with the third alternative from the 2014 EIS – road access to McCombs’ parcel.

“The property owned by Leavell-McCombs Joint Venture is surrounded by national forest system land,” Dallas said in a press release last week. “My decision provides the access that is legally required for private inholdings … This has been a long, complex project, and I encourage folks to learn more about its status and review the new decision for themselves.”

Under the recent Record of Decision, McCombs’ company would get a road and utility right-of-way from Highway 160 and across Forest Service lands. Again, this could pave the way for construction of the Village – plans for which include about 1,700 housing units, commercial space for shops and restaurants, and the ability to support approximately 8,000 residents.

It’s unclear what will happen next, but the battle is likely to continue.

Buickerood said they are considering the best way to address the recent announcement from the Forest Service.

“We’re considering legal options,” he added.

To view the decision and related documents, visit www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=35945.

MountainTownNews Jasper speeds up its plastic bag ban JASPER, Alberta – The 2 million visitors expected this summer in Jasper, the town within Jasper National Park, will be advised they need to have reusable bags when purchasing groceries and other items. Enforcement of the ban on plastic bags will not begin until next January.

Jasper joins a growing number of jurisdictions in North America and around the world trying to curb the proliferation of plastic that is now sullying water, soil and all else.

Elected officials took action after hearing a proposal for a rollout spread across 22 months. Too slow, they decided. Instead, they made the distribution of the thin plastic bags by merchants illegal effective this summer but with teeth to be applied in January.

More may be coming. The Jasper Fitzhugh says the plan approved by the councilors contemplates targeting other single-use plastic items, including straws and utensils, take-out food containers, polystyrene foam cups and containers, drink cups and “flushables” such as wet wipes.

A fee attached to distribution of plastic bags instead of a ban was considered, but stakeholders consulted by the municipality thought that it would be ineffective. Locals would gravitate toward reusing bags, but visitors would merely pay the fee. In that case, there would be little reduction in proliferation of bags.

In assessing how to move forward, Banff reviewed bans in Vancouver, Montreal and Fort MacMurray, the latter more technically called Wood Buffalo. It’s the center for oil/tar sands extraction in North America, and it banned distribution of plastic bags in 2012.

Elsewhere in the world, the European Union last fall voted to ban single-use plastic across the board by 2021. Included will be straws, plates and cups.

But the most intriguing story comes from Africa. In Kenya, plastic bags were ubiquitous. One common practice was to defecate into plastic bags then throw it all up onto roofs.

The Guardian in November reported that the ban has resulted in clearer water, a food chain less contaminated and, too, fewer “flying toilets.”

A year after Kenya adopted the ban on plastic bags, including a prison sentence for those who violate it, several other African nations are considering following suit.

Suncor gives big to indigenous program BANFF, Alberta – Colorado has only one oil refinery, Suncor, located north of downtown Denver. It refines oil extracted locally but, at least as of a few years ago, also bitumen from Alberta’s oil/tar sands, where the company has extensive operations.

Now, Suncor, has committed $10 million over five years to the Banff Center for Arts and Creativity. The money, according to a press release cited by the Rocky Mountain Outlook, will secure the future of a program designed to empower the next generation of indigenous leaders to navigate the complex world of today’s society.

Whistler area looking to hold sea at bay SQUAMISH, B.C. – Squamish lies along Howe Sound, an arm of the Pacific Ocean. This is where the highway from Vancouver begins rising to reach Whistler, which has a base elevation of about 2,200 feet (670 meters).

The town of about 20,000 people was created 109 years ago as a railway terminal connecting to the port. But the infrastructure created during the 20th century will likely be inadequate in a warmer world of the 21st century with more extreme weather.

Because of that, a study was launched several years ago to assess the risk to the town if sea level rises a meter by 2100, which looks to be quite possible, given the current rate of greenhouse gas emissions.

“Sea level rise of this magnitude would have significant impacts on Squamish, since the existing downtown core and surrounding area sit at an elevation just above present-day sea level and significant coastal development is anticipated over the next 10 to 20 years,” David Roulston, a municipal engineer for Squamish, wrote several years ago in a publication called Ocean Watch.

Two rivers flowing into Howe Sound at Squamish add to the risk, given the predicted increase in extreme weather, including rainstorms. There are dikes now to protect the town, particularly from flooding, but they will not be sufficient for the future.

A recently completed report found that the benefits of elevating

the sea dike would outweigh costs by a factor of more than 100 to 1. The lengthy river dikes would have a substantially lower costbenefit ratio of 2 to 1. The report also evaluated the reduced risk of human mortality.

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Snow weight groans on roofs, psyches TRUCKEE, Calif. – Snowfall in the Truckee-Lake Tahoe area of the Sierra Nevada has been both a thrill and a curse, says the San Jose Mercury News.

February was a month for the history books. It wasn’t just the whitest February on record. It was the whitest month, period. There have been bigger winters, but not bigger months – ever.

“The snow is so deep that there’s no easy way to drive here – and once you’re here, fierce winds and avalanches are limiting access to the best terrain. Many visitors are disappointed by delayed or closed lifts,” says the newspaper.

Then there’s life for the locals, trying to dig their way out on a daily basis.

“Life has really come to a stop,” Bill Oudegeest, of the Donner Summit Historical Society, told the Mercury News. “It’s just digging and blowing, digging and blowing.”

Adds the newspaper, “That’s both the blessing and the curse of this unforgettable winter: blissful conditions but also major headaches, with nearly buried homes, unsafe driving, high avalanche danger, collapsed roofs and elevated risk of carbon monoxide poisoning due to clogged vents. And near constant shoveling.”

That shoveling includes roofs.

“The load is so tremendous. Windows are shattering from stress.

It seeps into cracks, then freezes, ripping roofs apart,” Tim Smith, of Mountain Valley Roofing in Lake Tahoe, said. “These are the worst conditions that I’ve seen in 30 to 40 years.”

This snowpack will be good for California’s reservoirs, which had not fully recovered from extended drought, despite a big, big winter just two years ago. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Shasta, the state’s largest reservoir, rose 39 feet from Feb. 1-25. Other reservoirs on the flanks of the Sierra Nevada had similarly startling increases.

In Colorado, snowfall has been healthy but not oppressive. A storm over the weekend was expected to produce snowfall measured in feet, not inches, at some locations. More generally, though, the snow has been more manageable, even delightful.

Compared to the 300 inches at Squaw Valley and the 200 inches of Jackson Hole, Snowmass got 66 inches. Instead of a few really big dumps, snow fell in smaller amounts but frequently, altogether 17 days of snow over the month, reports The Aspen Times.

“I like skiing fresh, upon fresh, upon fresh,” one ski patroller told the newspaper’s Scott Condon.

Snowpack at the head of the Roaring Fork River was healthy but nothing compared to the Sierra Nevada: 108 percent of average.

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The 10th Mountain tale is told yet again VAIL – The story of the 10th Mountain Division gets retold time and again at Vail, for understandable reasons. The resort was cofounded by Pete Seibert, a veteran of the division, which had trained from 1942-44 a short distance away at Camp Hale.

The town and the ski area this Friday will hold the fourth and final torchlight ski-down of skiers dressed in traditional 10th Mountain Division uniforms. At the base, they join a parade of military veterans, also in uniform, to walk down the community’s Bridge Street to a statue of a 10th Mountain soldier along Gore Creek.

The ski area also hosted ski and winter training by the Colorado Army National Guard in conjunction with the Legacy Days celebration in mid-February.

The story of the 10th Mountain Division has had more reruns than “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Groundhog Day” combined.

The division was formed in 1942, after the attack at Pearl Harbor led to U.S. entry into the war. The premise was that the United States might well need soldiers trained in snow and cold-weather situations.

Several training sites were examined, including one near Yellowstone National Park. But a valley called Eagle Park, located along the Continental Divide in Colorado, was chosen, in large part because it was then located on a transcontinental railroad but also because it was also largely unoccupied. It became Camp Hale.

– Allen Best

telegraph

March 7, 2019 n 11

dayinthelif

c i t p ure a y ...

Bu

I

t’s not difficult to find au Southwest. Colored by Nati fluence, the spectrum of p nected to this region runs

There’s no better place to experience New Mexican fare than at El Faro small family-owned restaurant in El Rito.

it lasts longer.

Some of the amazing photos you see in the Telegraph are now available to purchase online, in digital or print. (*for personal enjoyment and use only.)

To find out more, go to durangotelegraph.com and click on “buy photos.”

12

n March 7, 2019

A dusty doorway near Abiquiu.

Morning commut

teleg

Tierra Encantada

by Stephen Eginoire

uthentic culture here in the ive, Hispanic and Spanish inpeople who are deeply conthicker than a muddy Rio

olito, a

Enjoying a favorite pastime: fishing on the Rio Chama.

te across the main drag of El Rito.

graph

Grande. Northern New Mexico, in particular, exemplifies how the mixing of different cultures can produce something distinctly beautiful and totally unique. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a look at a recent ramble down south along the Rio Chama:

The rich pastels of Echo Amphitheatre color the landscape near Ghost Ranch.

March 7, 2019 n 13

thesecondsection

Postcards from the edge Exploration – and radness – awaits at Women Outside Adventure Forum

by Joy Martin

W

ith a solid season of powder-slaying behind us (or is it?) and a mighty river runoff just around the bend, 2019 is shaping up to be one for the books. Whether you’re a backcountry ninja drooling over couloir expeditions or are lost in desert daydreams, the fourth annual Women Outside Adventure Forum by Backcountry Experience on March 1921 guarantees to kick up the wanderlust dust and get the wheels spinning for what’s possible in the wide, wonderful world we call our back yard.

“Everyone experiences and is affected by outdoor adventure differently,” event organizer Margaret Hedderman says. This year’s theme, “Explorations” delves into the play between outdoor adventure and internal landscapes, she said.

JusttheFacts

What: Women Outside Adventure Forum When: Tues. - Thurs., March 19-21 Details: Tues./Wed., 6-8:30 p.m. at the Powerhouse/ FREE; Thurs., 6-8:30 at the Henry Strater Theatre/$30 (includes film, drink, appetizers; can be purchased online at womenoutside.org) Presented by: Backcountry Experience and sponsored

by Alpine Bank, Osprey Packs, Outdoor Research, and Rochester Hotel among other local sponsors Info: Full schedule is at womenoutside.org. Email mar garet@bcexp.com or call 970.247.5830 with questions.

Hedderman has sculpted three action-packed evenings featuring runners, SUPpers, experts in the vertical, and walkers with a cause. These women coalesce to share their tales and insight into how, where and why they explore.

The event kicks off at the Powerhouse on Tues., March 19, with ultrarunner Kelly Halpin and awardwinning journalist Morgan Tilton. Day Two, expect palms to sweat and jaws to drop as climber Madaleine Sorkin and ski mountaineer Hilaree Nelson take us into the vertical. On Thurs., March 21, Tenny Ostrem and Claire Wernstedt-Lynch share their film, “Hike the Line,” which explores the positive and peaceful human stories they encountered on a 2,000-mile walk along the U.S./Mexico border.

Like you, a couple of these gals call themselves daughters of the San Juans. Tilton was raised in Telluride, whereas Nelson has lived there since 2001.

“The more I’ve gotten into my career, the more I

14 n March 7, 2019

Telluride-based mountaineer and skier par excellence Hilaree Nelson during what was the first ski descent of Lhotse last year. Nelson will speak Wed., March 20, as part of the Women Outside Adventure Forum. find the San Juans to be an amazing, inspiring place to train,” Nelson says. “The access to really difficult and engaging ski descents is world-class, and I’m always finding new things. It’s like opening Pandora’s Box, but in a good way.”

With a slew of first ascents and first descents under her belt, Nelson is a National Geographic Adventurer and one of the world’s top ski mountaineers. In October 2018, she and ski partner, Jim Morrison, became the first people ever to ski Lhotse, the fourth highest peak in the world and part of the Everest massif. When she’s not climbing, schussing or linking up 8,000-meter peaks, she’s home in Telluride chasing her 9- and 11year-old boys around the mountain.

“I’m supposed to be this world-class skier, and they’re making fun of me that I can’t even keep up with them,” she laughs.

While the boys often join Nelson on her forays to Nepal, Chamonix, Kilimanjaro and beyond, Nelson leans into her community back in Telluride to help while she’s out on adult-only missions. So how does a globetrotting professional athlete navigate “mom

telegraph

guilt,” you wonder?

“It’s hard to envision raising kids outside of the way you were raised, but however you raise your kids will be normal to them. I’m living proof of that,” she says.

“If I tell them I’m going to ski Lhotse, they’re, like, ‘sweet.’ You can show your kids a lot of love and have a passion, too. It’s not always perfect, but then it never is. You have to go easy on yourself.”

It’s bits of wisdom like this that percolate to the surface of the Women Outside Adventure Forum, wisdom that also resonates with dads, brothers and boyfriends of gnar chicks as well as dudes who are curious where all the hotties are hanging out during spring break.

Regardless of your motivation for checking out the forum, join others in full confidence that all proceeds from WOAF benefit Durango-based nonprofit San Juan Citizens Alliance, which advocates for clean energy, wilderness designation and conservation in the mountains that have delivered so much goodness to us so far this year. Because without the San Juans, your internal landscape would be a desert. Not that that’s a bad thing; just a thought worth exploring… . n

MurderInk

A keeper from the French sea ‘Article 353’ by Tanguy Viel a surgically slim masterpiece

by Jeffrey Mannix

“E

ven the laughing terns perched on the sharp ridges of the few distant rocks jutting above the horizon seemed to think that what had just happened was normal, I mean a guy falling into cold water and trying to swim fully dressed, gasping and yelling to me for help … I could already sense that even the seagulls, looking as white and cold as nurses because they never blink, even the seagulls approved.”

Article 353 of the French Penal Code states that “the law does not ask judges to account for the ways they reach decisions, and it does not prescribe rules by which they must particularly weigh the sufficiency or adequacy of evidence; it requires that they determine in silence and contemplation and in the sincerity of their conscience what impression the evidence against the accused and the means of that person’s defense have made on their thinking. The law asks of them only this one question, which contains the full measure of their duty: Are you fully convinced?”

Article 353, the new book by eminent French crime fiction stylist Tanguy Viel, is everything crime fiction used to be and ought to be for those of us with a reading intellect whetted by genuine artistic talent working in the

dark reaches of life’s endurance. At the very fringes of the penumbra cast by classic European crime writers like Georges Simenon, Pascal Garnier and Dorothy B. Hughes,

Tanguy Viel Viel is lionized and fitted into a former century for his surgically crafted, chaste stories that bore holes in the reader’s memory. And no reviewer can so admire this slim volume without acclaiming the warp and weft of the elegant translation into English by William Rodarmor, of Berkeley, Calif.

In a coastal town on the northern shoreline of France, the slow but steady wearing out of the last century’s shipyard and fishing industries has impoverished proud men and stable families. It is here that Martial Kermeur has handed himself over for the murder of Antoine Lazenec,

a smarmy real estate swindler. His fast talk and promises of delivering stable retirement income to everybody deeding him landholdings to develop a seaside resort revealed itself as nothing but a confidence game.

Still the gadabout town after two years of back slapping, defrauding pensioners from their deeds, flashing about in his expensive sports car, reflecting sunshine in his cufflinks and aviator sunglasses, manicured fingernails and gold dentition, Lazenec invited Kermeur out on his new sport fishing boat. It was a transparent gesture to keep the caged animals quiet while starving them. A mile out, while pulling a trap for crabs and lobsters, Kermeur simply bumped Lazenec over the rail into the frigid waters. He then motored away ignoring the shouts and swearing of a man sure to drown or freeze to death while the lights of the small harbor seemed close enough to agonize hope.

Article 353 tells of Kermeur’s measured explanation to the trial judge of why he executed the inauspicious real estate developer. This is a brilliant story. We’re short of brilliant, and you’ll be a far less competent reader if you don’t spend the cost of lunch downtown to own Article 353 by Tanguy Viel. It releases March 12, in time to put in your order for a 15 percent “Murder Ink” discount at Maria’s Bookshop or give the library time to get prepared for the wait list. This is a keeper. n

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March 7, 2019 n 15

FlashinthePan

The real scoop on coconut rice

by Ari LeVaux

I

had all but given up on coconut rice when I met Jairo Villafañe. This dish, beloved along the Caribbean coast of Colombia, has a rich history and obvious potential, but I wasn’t sure I would ever love the brown, grainy mounds that accompanied most meals. Arroz de Coco was either too sweet, too greasy, too mushy or too bland.

Rice is served with nearly every meal in Colombia, usually prepared with oil and seasonings, pilaf style. It can be a busy dish, embellished with vegetables and meats, or it can be simple, like traditional coconut rice, which contains little more than coconut, sugar, salt and raisins.

Jairo Villafañe is a cook, anthropologist and cooking teacher in Santa Marta, the oldest European-built city in the Americas. In his small, stainless-steel clad kitchen, he walked me through the entrylevel task of frying a local fish called a mojarra until the fins crunch like chips, showed me the ways of twice-fried smashed plantains called patacones, and shared his version of coco limonada, coconut lemonade, a spectacular drink I will pass along to you on a hot day in July.

But when it came to my education in coconut rice, Villafañe enlisted the help of his mother, Maribel Simanca, who everyone agrees cooks it the best in her family.

Simanca learned the ways of Arroz de Coco from her mother, Nayda Gomez, who’d learned it from Jairo’s great grandmother, Lauriana Cabana, as taught by her mother, Eulogia Guillen.

Coconut rice is made with ingredients that are easily obtainable at home, providing you can find a decent coconut. If you live in a little town near Canada, like I do,

16 n March 7, 2019

that can be hard. Too many times to count, I’ve returned home from the store with a promising-looking specimen that turned out to be full of a noxious stank when I opened it.

Villafañe was unfamiliar with the concept of a sour coconut. Once, he recalled, he brought a coconut home from the Tayrona coast and forgot about it for about two months. “It was fine,” he shrugged. “Delicioso.”

It makes me wonder how long the coconuts in my local grocery store have been sitting around. In any case, if you are familiar with what a bad coconut is, you need to know my north country coconut screening technique.

Bring a bowl to the store. Choose your coconut, shaking it to ensure it still has some water (the more, the better). Save your receipt. Exit the store.

Smash the coconut on the curb, and hold it over the bowl to catch the water. Take a sip.

If the water tastes good, then proceed home with your coconut(s). For a onepound sack of rice, you’ll need two. If the first one tastes in any way bad, march back into the store and exchange it. Repeat until you have as many good coconuts as you need.

“Samario” means of Santa Marta, the coastal city where Simon Bolivar lived out his final 16 years and home to Maribel Simanca’s teachers. The one place where my recipe strays from their traditions is where I reduce the sugar by roughly 85 percent; Maribel used about two tablespoons of sugar per pound of rice, and I use a teaspoon. To a typical Samario, that reduction makes about as much sense as a sour coconut. But to my taste it’s more versatile unsweetened and less dessert-like.

Arroz de Coco Samario Serves 8 1 pound white rice

telegraph

2 coconuts, with the meat pried out, rinsed and chopped into small pieces no bigger than a quarter A kiss of sugar, the less refined the better. Maybe a teaspoon.

2 teaspoons salt 8 cups water ¼ cup raisins Put half of the coconut in a blender with four cups of water. Blend on high for at least two minutes. Pour the mix through a strainer into a thick-bottomed pot, using your hand to squeeze all of the liquid out of the fiber and through the screen.

Heat the resulting coconut cream on med/high. This is where it gets interesting. The cream will soon boil and foam like dairy cream milk would. But unlike cow’s milk, it won’t burn. It just boils and boils peacefully.

While the liquid boils, rinse the rice in two or three pots of water to remove the starch, and use the remaining pieces of coconut to make another batch of coconut milk.

Set this batch aside.

Meanwhile, after about 20 minutes at the foaming boil, the volume of liquid will stop shrinking and it will thicken. Reduce heat to medium, stirring attentively when needed, and, as Maribel says, “sofriendo hasta aceite,” or, “simmer until it’s oil.”

The coconut milk will become increasingly thick until it finally separates into a mound of rubbery curds gathering in the clear oil. The solids will begin to fry in the oil, and the lily white lumps will darken. After another five or so minutes, add the salt and sugar and stir it all together.

Add the second batch of coconut milk and stir, scraping any buildup off the bottom of the pot. Add the rice, stir again, and put the lid on, leaving the heat on medium.

About 30 minutes should have elapsed since you started boiling the coconut milk.

After another 10 minutes, give the mixture a gentle stir and turn the heat to low. It will look very thick, and you will be tempted to add more water. Hold off, for now.

With experience you will learn when it truly needs a little more water, but don’t add too much, or overwork the rice, which would make it mushy. Cook slowly on low another 15 minutes or so.

Add the raisins, give it a final, gentle stir, cook five more minutes, then turn off the heat, leaving it covered.

Like all pilafs, from plov to paella, it needs about 20 minutes of “rest” before it’s ready to serve.

Press the rice into a small wide serving-sized bowl and invert it onto a plate. Carefully remove the bowl to reveal a perfectly sculpted mound of Arroz de Coco Samario.

Serve with seafood. n

TopShelf

A special spot in tarp heaven

by Chris Aaland

across the state. Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Robert Plant, Gregg Allman, Pearl Jam, Phish, Widespread Panic and Ziggy Marley were cott Spencer was my festival brother. Back in the late ’90s, as just a few of the legends I saw alongside Scott. But Bluegrass was Shelly and I had just started making an annual Telluride his jam. At the Camel’s Garden and Ice House, he’d host the Bluegrass pilgrimage the centerpiece of our lives, we threw artists year after year, and built friendships with the usual susour sleeping bags down next to Scott and his wife, Sara, in the pects like Sam Bush, Béla Fleck, Jerry Douglas, Tim O’Brien, Peter Front of the Line, and a lifelong friendship was born. Before we Rowan and Emmylou Harris. He and the members of Yonder knew the Spencers, we were lucky to find tarp space in the midMountain String Band – Adam Aijala, in particular – forged a lastdle of Town Park. In 1999, we’d decided to take the plunge and ing friendship. try sleeping in line to secure prime real estate. Scott was one of But there was much more to our relationship than shared the guys always at the front, and we wanted to learn the secret to loves of music and food. Our families became one. The Spencers his success. Scott and Sara practically adopted us. Soon, we’d be always had a bedroom when they’d visit Durango for their kids’ staying at their house in sports, and we always Mountain Village. had a warm bed for festiScott died Sunday, vals. Our sons would all buried in an avalanche pack into one triplewhile backcountry skiing decker bunk bed, with near the Matterhorn Peter & Jack sacrificing Nordic area near Teltheir rooms for their Duluride. He wasn’t just a rango kinfolk. The lines ski bum. Scott was an exbetween the Spencers’ pert skier – backcountry, friends and ours were cross country, all forms blurred. Scott & Sara of downhill, and espewould eventually attend cially moguls. Few people Broncos and Rockies could ski the bumps like games with friends of Scott. He’d glide with mine from college. grace, explode with The Front of the Line power, then glide again. gang was like a crime I got the phone call family. The core group mid-afternoon Monday. included Kennedy, a TelI’ve lost my son, my luride local who slapped brother, my mom and bass in the Front of the several grandparents this Line Band; Drew, a disdecade. Scott’s death hit abled ex-pat living in Behome just as hard. lize; Billy Bob & Peggy Scott and I loved BlueSue, the First Couple of grass, as Telluride locals In happier times in the”poser pit” at the 2014 Bluegrass, from left: Chris Town Park; Dancing Pat, refer to the festival. It was Aaland, Michael McCardell, Otto Aaland, Scott Spencer and son, James. the crazed twirler, chef more than just four days Scott died in an avalanche near Telluride on Sunday. and organic farmer who of great music and the lived in Ouray; David & best party this side of Mardi Gras. Bluegrass was the gathering of Jill, tapers from Atlanta (David did sound for TBS Sports for the tribes, and we had representatives from Pittsburgh, Santa Fe decades); Richard Skaggs, a taper from Cortez; and a half-dozen and towns and cities big and small across Colorado and other other regulars. Billy Bob’s “margaritas” (let’s face it – it was orange Western states. And our tarp space – usually three big ones, front juice with tequila, but who’s to argue with a retired Canadian and center adjacent to the center sound snake – was a place wildcatter?) fueled us. No matter how Planet Bluegrass changed where Telluriders and Durangotangs alike could find a home to the rules about camping, line-sitting, lotteries, etc., we’d always watch their favorite bands. end up with numbers in the Top 10. The tarps in front of the In the mid 2000s, we upped the ante by starting our Father’s soundboard didn’t change, year after year, decade after decade.

Day Brunch tradition. That first year, I baked two pheasant pot Want to break into our group? Feed the tarp, bring us trays of pies in the Mondo Condo at the Camel’s Garden Hotel, where beers or pass along your pipe. And be prepared to take your turn Scott served as general manager for more than a decade. Beth sitting in Scott’s Walrus chair at the front of the line.

Lamberson brought along a full slab of poached salmon with all Scott’s boys are becoming expert skiers in their own right. the accompaniments – dill, lemon wedges, red onion and capers.

Watching YouTube videos of Peter making turns on fresh powder Beth was always long on capers. We hauled them into Town Park is eerily reminiscent of seeing Scott ski. He’s a budding mandolin in a red wagon, right through Checkpoint Charlie, causing secuplayer and an actor in some of Telluride High’s plays. He also inrity to frisk and interrogate us in disbelief over our rather extrava- herited Scott’s exceptional head of hair. Scott had a head of curls gant feast. for the ages, a black mop that straightened and grayed through We shared a passion for food – Scott, this wiry, 100-poundsthe years. Jack, on the other hand, is a spitting image of Sara, when-soaking-wet ski bum and me, a 6-foot-5, 300-pound both in terms of his look and his demeanor.

Wookie. Cajun, Italian, Mexican, Chinese, wild game, seafood – I had visions of growing old with the Spencers, becoming two we could and did – do it all. One year, Scott had 100 pounds of cute couples sitting on our front row tarps while our kids and raw oysters flown in from New Orleans, while I made a smoked grandkids and their friends doted on us while Sam and Béla and pheasant and andouille gumbo. We battered the oysters and Tim hobbled out onto the stage, well into their 80s. In those vifried them up on-site while heating my vat of gumbo inside sions, we’d dance, sing along and sip a cold beer or one of Billy Town Park at the Oskar Blues stand. Nearly 100 people feasted Bob’s margs. I might still get to do that, but my partner in crime with us. will be there in spirit and memory only.

Through the years, we stood side-by-side on our front row tarp Burn one for Scott, if you can. space or in the poser pit for countless world-class acts, not just at Thank you for all the good times I have found. Email me at Bluegrass, but at other Telluride festivals and concerts and festers chrisa@gobrainstorm.net. n

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March 7, 2019 n 17

onthetown

Thursday07

Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Durango Celtic Festival, March 7-10, Henry Strater Theater, 699 Main Ave. www.durangocelticfestival.com.

Friday08

Here to Hear: Office Hour with Councilor Dick White, 9-10 a.m., downstairs at the Irish Embassy, 900 Main Ave. Baby Meetup with Durango Café au Play, 9:30-11:30 a.m., 2307 Columbine. durangocafeauplay.org.

Baby Meetup, 9:30-11:30 a.m., Columbine House at Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 419 San Juan Dr. “Art about ART” free lecture series featuring “Icarus,” Breugel, W.C. Williams and W.H. Auden, 4-5:30 p.m., Durango Arts Center Theater, 802 E. 2nd Ave. www.durangoarts.org.

“Doc Swords,” PTSD Social Club for Veterans, 4-6 p.m., VFW, 1550 Main Ave. Sign Code Public Meeting, 5-6:30 p.m., City Hall, 949 E. 2nd Ave.

Submit “On the Town” items by Monday at noon to: calendar@durangotelegraph.com

Free Bike Maintenance Clinic, 5-6:30 p.m., Mountain Bike Specialists, 949 Main Ave. Register at 247-4066 or service@mountainbikespecialists.com.

The Ben Gibson Duo performs, 5-7 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St. Tim Sullivan performs, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Sitting Meditation, 5:30-6:15 p.m., Durango Dharma Center, 1800 E. 3rd Ave. Open Mic Night, 6 p.m., Eno Wine Bar, 723 E. 2nd Ave. Pub Trivia, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Powerhouse Science Center, 1333 Camino del Rio. www.powsci.org.

Gary B. Walker performs, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Jean-Pierre Restaurant & Wine Bar, 601 Main Ave. “Peter and the Starcatcher,” presented by DHS Troupe 1096, 7 p.m., Durango High School theatre. Also runs 7 p.m. March 8-9, and 2 p.m. March 9. Tickets: www.troupe1096.weebly.com.

Open Mic & Stand-Up, 8 p.m., El Rancho Tavern, 975 Main Ave. Karaoke, 8 p.m., Wild Horse Saloon, 601 E. 2nd Ave. Plursday featuring live music, 9 p.m.-close,

Durango Early Bird Toastmasters, 7-8:30 a.m., LPEA, 45 Stewart St. 769-7615.

BID Coffee & Conversation, 8:30-9:30 a.m., TBK Bank, 259 W. 9th St. Free yoga, 8:30-9:30 a.m., Lively Boutique, 809 Main Ave. Zumba Gold, 9:30-10:15 a.m., La Plata Senior Center, 2424 Main Ave. Legacy Lunch: Region 9 Economic Development District celebrates 30 years, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Double Tree Hotel, 501 Camino del Rio. 247-9621.

Women’s Idea Exchange, noon-1 p.m., Thrive Chiropractic Studio, 202 W. 22nd St. www.womensideaex change.com.

STEAM Lab, for ages 5-12, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Durango Public Library.

Saturday09 Tamaliza: Tamale Making Workshop with Zumba and Yoga in Spanish, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Animas Valley Grange, 7271 CR 203. 403-3862.

Henry Stoy performs, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Jean-Pierre Restaurant & Wine Bar, 601 Main Ave. VFW Indoor Flea Market, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., 1550 Main Ave. 247-0384.

Introduction to Self Defense Workshop with Kokikai Aikido Instructor Thomas Holmes, 1-4 p.m., Durango Rec Center. 375-7300.

“Peter and the Starcatcher,” presented by DHS Troupe 1096, 2 & 7 p.m., Durango High School theatre.

Tickets: www.troupe1096.weebly.com.

DJ CodeStar spins, 2-4 p.m., The Beach in front of Purgy’s at Purgatory Resort. djcodestar.com.

Spanish Speaking Parents & Littles Fridays, 3:30-5:30 p.m., Durango Café au Play, 1309 E. 3rd Ave., Room 201. durangocafeauplay.org.

“Vigil for 600 Days in Sanctuary,” stories and poems of women who have struggled, survived and changed history, featuring soup, salad and dessert potluck, 4 p.m., Mancos United Methodist Church.

Free Legal Clinic, 4-5 p.m., Ignacio Community Library.

Adam Swanson performs, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Terry Rickard performs, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Kirk James performs, 6-8 p.m., Dalton Ranch Restaurant, Animas Valley.

Open Mic 5:30-8 p.m., sign up 3-5 p.m.; Smiley Cafe, 1309 E. 3rd Ave. Sign up at 335-8929.

Comedy Cocktail open mic stand up, 8 p.m., Eno Wine Bar, 723 E. 2nd Ave.

Stillhouse Junkies perform, 6-8 p.m., Durango Craft Spirits, 1120 Main Ave., Suite 2.

Night Out! Dance Party & Fundraiser for Stillwater Music, 8 p.m.-midnight, Powerhouse Science Center 1333 Camino del Rio.

The Kirk James Blues Band performs, 6-9 p.m., Pagosa Brewing.

“Peter and the Starcatcher,” presented by DHS Troupe 1096, 7 p.m., Durango High School theatre. Also runs 2 & 7 p.m. March 9. Tickets: www.troupe1096.wee bly.com.

Live music, 6-9 p.m., DJ Hakan, 9 p.m.-close, Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Ryan Chrys & the Rough Cuts perform with special guest the Garrett Young Collective, 9 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Drive. www.animascitytheatre.com.

DJ Affex, 9 p.m.-close, Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Sunday10

The Black Velvet Trio performs, 7-11 p.m., Derailed Pour House, 725 Main Ave.

Coke Nordic Race, for skiers and snowshoers, 8 a.m., top of Purgatory Resort. www.durangonordic.org.

The Ben Gibson Band performs, 7-11 p.m., The Rabbit Hole, downstairs at 640 Main Ave.

Henry Stoy performs, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Jean-Pierre Restaurant & Wine Bar, 601 Main Ave.4

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18 n March 7, 2019

Rob Webster performs, 8 p.m.-midnight, Billy Goat Saloon in Gem Village.

telegraph

Traditional Irish Music Jam, 12:30-4 p.m., Irish Embassy, 900 Main Ave. Blue Moon Ramblers, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Monday11 Yoga Storytime, 9:30-10:45 a.m., Smiley Building Studio 10, 1309 E. 3rd Ave. Watch Your Step class, 10:15 a.m., Durango Senior Center, 2424 Main Ave. Joel Racheff performs, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Durango City Council Candidate Forum, presented by the League of Women Voters, 5:30-7 p.m., City Council Chambers, 949 E. 2nd Ave. Trivia Night, 7 p.m., Blondies in Cortez.

Live music, 7 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave. Contiki Party with the Aussies, 9 p.m.-close, Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Tuesday12 “The Rise of Populism in Europe,” part of the Great Decisions International Affairs Discussion Program, 11:45 a.m.-1:45 p.m., Durango Public Library. www.fpa.org.

L.A. funk-rockers put the squeeze on at the ACT What: The Main Squeeze with Evanoff Where: Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Drive When: 9:15 p.m., Wed., March 13 Tickets: $25, available at Animas City Theatre, Animas Trading Co. and at animascitytheatre.com From college party band to L.A.-based perpetual touring act, the Main Squeeze has kept booties shaking across the country since forming at Indiana University in 2010.

In that time, the band has released six albums and toured incessantly, sharing the stage with the likes of The Main Squeeze the Roots, Jane’s Addiction, Umphrey’s McGee and Trombone Shorty and performing everywhere from Bonnaroo to High Sierra and Red Rocks.

This time, the band is touring ahead of its latest album, “Without a Sound,” due in April. According to the band, the beats on the new album are still plentiful but balanced with emotion, vocals and instrumentation, representing a musical maturity and creativity inspired by their new home in L.A.

A unique blend of soul, hip-hop, funk and rock, the Main Squeeze’s sound has been described as soulful, powerful and unique. “Lead singer Corey Frye’s powerfully soulful vocals form the foundation of an energetic set,” wrote Rolling Stone in a recent review.

Although these underpinnings are important, the Main Squeeze’s focus is always to reach people through its music. “We are devoted to making great music for people to get lost in and to feel real emotion and love, and also to dance and enjoy life,” guitarist Max Newman said.

Their vibe is simultaneously timeless and futuristic as they are inspired by the greats, yet have found a way to infuse their own genius into the mix.

Opening the show is Denver-based EDM “dream rock” outfit Evanoff, featuring Jake Hall, Parker Oberholzer and JJ Evanoff. The trio delivers a high-energy musical experience that blends contemporary dance music with classic rock in the hopes of bringing rock music “back into the spotlight … as it should be.”

Sip & Ship Event, hosted by the Professional Women’s Network of Durango and benefitting the Women’s Resource Center, 5-6:30 p.m., Urban Market, 865 Main Ave. pwndurango.com.

Wednesday13

Terry Rickard performs, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

“Sparking the Transition to Electric Vehicles,” part of the Green Business Roundtable, noon, Henry Strater Hotel, 699 Main Ave. Register at 259-3583.

Super Ted’s Super Trivia, 6:12 p.m., Henry Strater Theatre, 699 Main Ave.

Free Trauma Conscious Yoga for Veterans and Families, noon-1 p.m., Elks Lodge, 901 E. 2nd Ave.

Karaoke with Crazy Charlie, 8 p.m.-close, Wild Horse Saloon, 601 E. 2nd Ave.

The Trivia Factory, hosted by Ben Bernstein, 6:30-8:30 p.m., The Roost, 128 E. College Dr.

Greg Ryder performs, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

DJ Crazy Charlie, 6:30-10:30 p.m., Billy Goat Saloon, Gem Village.

Thank the Veterans potluck, Peter Neds and Glenn Keefe perform, 5:30-8:30 p.m., VFW, 1550 Main Ave. 8287777.

The Main Squeeze with special guest Evanoff, 9:15 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Drive. www.ani mascitytheatre.com.

Tim Sullivan performs, 7 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave.

Terry Rickard performs, 6 p.m., The Office, 699 Main.

Latin Social Nights, 8-11 p.m., Wild Horse Saloon, 601 E. 2nd Ave. 375-2568.

Loki Moon – Raw Experiments, 6-8 p.m., Eno Wine Bar, 723 E. 2nd Ave.

Open Mic Night, 8 p.m.-close, Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

San Juan Basin Archaeological Society meets, presentation on “Throwing the baby out with the bathwater: In-

fant mortality at Poggio Civitate, Murlo” with Andrew Carroll, 7 p.m., Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College. sjbas.org.

Karaoke, 8 p.m., Blondies in Cortez.

Ongoing “Sands of Oman” photography by Margy Dudley, thru March 9, DAC Friends of the Arts Gallery, 802 E. 2nd Ave. 58th annual Student Juried Exhibition, exhibit runs thru March 26, Art Gallery at Fort Lewis College. 247-7167.

More “On the Town” this way4

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Donut Happy Hour

1 - 1:59 p.m., Monday through Friday • All donuts are buy one, get one free!

Perfect for refueling after a busy day at the mountain!

Durango Doughworks • 2653 Main Avenue Open Seven Days: 6:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.

telegraph

March 7, 2019 n 19

AskRachel Interesting fact: David Byrne once shaved his beard on stage, with beer instead of shaving cream, as performance art. He ought to have tried it with hot chocolate.

Dear Rachel, Winter’s here! No, spring is here! No wait, it’s winter again! I’m starting to regret the comfort purchases I made during one of the recent snow dumps. I’ve got enough hot chocolate to fuel the Swiss army for a decade. I realized only after buying it all that my sugar-happy childhood taste preferences have given way to the bitters of coffee and beer. I’ll never use all this hot choc. What can I do with it all?

- Cocoa no-no Dear Swiss Mixed Up, In college, there was this one woman in the dorm who worked part-time at a movie theater. She came home after shifts with garbage bags full of leftover popcorn. The favored prank was to seal in someone’s door with butcher paper, and fill the space with popcorn.

When they opened their door – popcorn avalanche! I can’t condone pranks in print, but you know what to do.

– Secret handshake, Rachel Dear Rachel, I can’t believe that KDUR Cover Night sold out. Again. I haven’t even seen posters for it yet, so before I knew they were on sale they were already gone. I’ve lived here 10 years, and I’ve never made it to a single cover night legitimately, though I did buy scalped tickets for

Aretha Franklin. Do you think Durango residents are even the ones buying tickets? Or are they getting scooped up by some out-of-town scalper trying to turn tricks on all of us?

– Fear of Missing Out (Again) Dear Cover Charged, I think you are using “turn tricks” differently than its actual meaning. Then again … I know some people who would use all their oral skills to get into the ACT for Cover Night. And I don’t mean by making an eloquent case to the bouncer. What makes you think it’s an outof-towner hoarding all the tickets? People actually turn tricks on the street for Follies tickets, and that show requires arguably less talent than getting your David Byrne on.

– How did I get here, Rachel Dear Rachel, My friend and I have an unfriendly wager going down for how to be a less-sucky localist. I say it’s better to shop Walmart than Amazon, because at least when I shop Walmart, I’m supporting the local people who work there. My amigo says that Amazon is better, because you’re still employing the UPS man without encouraging big-box success within city limits. How much more right am I? – Guilty Shopper Dear Bargain bin Laden, This is a case where being “more right” is as valuable as asking which corpse is “less dead.” We all do it. We all shop at W****** and A*****, but we’re not proud of it,

Email Rachel at telegraph@durangotelegraph.com and we try to make sure our neighbors with their Nature’s O shopping bags and their Maria’s Bookshop stickers never see our plastic bags and cardboard boxes. But sometimes, you have to venture to the dark side to get that discount bucket o’ tennis balls. And if it’s me making the choice between evils, I’ll choose the one where no one judges my pajama pants and hot chocolate mustache.

– You may also like, Rachel

OntheTown

Writers’ Workshop, 2 p.m., March 17, Ignacio Community Library.

After-school program, 4:15-5:15 p.m. Wednesdays, Mancos Library.

Rotary Club of Durango, 6 p.m., March 19, Strater Hotel. 385-7899.

Free Morning Yoga with YogaDurango, 8:30-9:30 a.m., Saturdays and Sundays, Durango Mountain Institute at Purgatory.

Durango Young Progressives meet, 5-6 p.m., happy hour 6-7 p.m., March 20, R Space, 734 E. 2nd Ave.

“I’m Not Running,” screened by National Theatre Live Productions, 1 p.m., April 7, Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Dr. www.animascitytheatre.com.

Karaoke, 8 p.m., Thur-Sun, 8th Ave. Tavern, 509 E 8th Ave.

Moon Hooch Aramboa performs, 9:30 p.m., March 22, Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Drive. www.ani mascitytheatre.com.

Jessica Fichot performs, 7:30 p.m., April 11, Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College. www.durangocon certs.com.

Glenn Miller Orchestra, 7:30 p.m., March 23, Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College. www.durango concerts.com.

“Oddville,” presented by the Community Concert Hall, 7:30 p.m., April 18-19, Mainstage Theatre at Fort Lewis College. www.durangoconcerts.com.

Bolshoi Ballet: Sleeping Beauty, 12:55 p.m., March 24, Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Drive. www.ani mascitytheatre.com.

Reverend Horton Heat performs with Legendary Shack Shakers and The Hootan Hallers, 9 p.m., April 19, The Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Dr. www.ani mascitytheatre.com.

Upcoming The 10th annual Mancos Melt, featuring art, music, wine, events, family fun run and more, March 14-16. www.mancoscreativedistrict.com.

Spring Break Jewelry Trunk Show, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., March 14, Alpine Chic at Purgatory Resort.

Launch Event for Go Code Colorado, sponsored by SCAPE and FLC’s School of Business, 5-6 p.m., March 14, School of Business at Fort Lewis College.

Pascuala Ilabaca y Fauna performs, 7:30 p.m., March 26, Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College. www.durangoconcerts.com.

La Plata Quilters Guild, 6 p.m., March 14, La Plata County Fairgrounds. 799-1632.

Ayla Nereo performs with special guests Elijah Ray and Amber Lily, 9 p.m., March 28, Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Drive. www.animascitytheatre.com.

“Imprint” by Andrea Martens, opening reception, 5 p.m., March 15, exhibit runs thru April 27, Friends of the Art Library at Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. www.du rangoarts.org.

“Die Walküre,” presented by the Met: Live in HD, 10:55 a.m., March 30, Student Union at FLC. www.durango concerts.com.

Kirtan, 6-8 p.m., March 16, Studio 10, Smiley Building, 1309 E. 3rd Ave.

An Evening with Elder Grown, 9 p.m., April 4, Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Drive. www.animascitytheatre.com.

Veterans Breakfast, 9-11 a.m., March 17, Elks Club, 901 E. 2nd Ave. 946-4831.

Disney’s “The Lion King Experience, Jr.”, part of the Creativity Festivity’s 25th Anniversary, April 5-7, Durango Arts

20 n March 7, 2019

telegraph

Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. www.durangoarts.org.

Blue Lotus Feet Kirtan, 7:30-9:30 p.m., April 5, YogaDurango, Florida Road.

Ranky Tanky performs, 7:30 p.m., April 24, Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College. www.durangocon certs.com.

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

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

FreeWillAstrology

by Rob Brezsny ARIES (March 21-April 19): Genius inventor Thomas Edison rebelled against sleep, which he regarded as wasteful.

He tried to limit his time in bed to four hours per night so he would have more time to work during his waking hours. Genius scientist Albert Einstein had a different approach. He preferred 10 hours of sleep per night and liked to steal naps during the day, too. In my astrological opinion, Aries, you’re in a phase when it makes more sense to imitate Einstein than Edison. Important learning and transformation are happening in your dreams. Give your nightly adventures maximum opportunity to work their magic on your behalf.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The Danish flag has a red background emblazoned with an asymmetrical white cross. It was a national symbol of power as early as the 14th century, and may have first emerged during a critical military struggle that established the Danish empire in 1219. No other country in the world has a flag with such an ancient origin. But if Denmark’s Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, who’s a Taurus, came to me and asked me for advice, I would urge him to break with custom and design a new flag – maybe something with a spiral rainbow or a psychedelic tree. I’ll suggest an even more expansive idea to you, Taurus: create fresh traditions in every area of your life!

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): On June 7, 1988, Gemini musician Bob Dylan launched what has come to be known as the Never Ending Tour. It’s still going. In the past 30+ years, he has performed almost 3,000 shows on every continent except Antarctica. In 2018 alone, at the age of 77, he did 84 gigs.

He’s living proof that not every Gemini is flaky and averse to commitment. Even if you yourself have flirted with flightiness in the past, I doubt you will do so in the next five weeks. On the contrary. I expect you’ll be a paragon of persistence, doggedness and stamina.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): The otters at a marine park in Miura City, Japan, are friendly to human visitors. There are holes in the glass walls of their enclosures through which they reach out to shake people’s hands with their webbed paws. I think you need experiences akin to that in the coming weeks. Your mental and spiritual health will thrive to the degree that you seek closer contact with animals. It’s a favorable time to nurture your instinctual intelligence and absorb influences from the natural world. For extra credit, tune in to and celebrate your own animal qualities.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Between 1977-92, civil war raged in Mozambique. Combatants planted thousands of land mines that have remained dangerous long after the conflict ended. In recent years, a new ally has emerged in the quest to address the problem: rats that are trained to find the hidden explosives so that human colleagues can defuse them. The expert sniffers don’t weigh enough to detonate the mines, so they’re ideal to play the role of saviors. I foresee a metaphorically comparable development in your future, Leo. You’ll get help and support from a surprising or seemingly unlikely source.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Imagine a stairway that leads nowhere; as you ascend, you realize that at the top is not a door or a hallway, but a wall. I suspect that lately you may have been dealing with a metaphorical version of an anomaly like this. But I also predict that in the coming weeks, some magic will transpire that will change everything. It’s like you’ll find a button on the wall that when pushed opens a previously imperceptible door. Somehow, you’ll gain entrance through an apparent obstruction.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Not all of the classic works of great literature are entertaining. According to one survey of editors, writers and librarians, Goethe’s Faust, Melville’s Moby Dick and Cervantes’ Don Quixote are among the most boring masterpieces ever written. But most experts agree that they’re still valuable to read. In that spirit, and in accordance with astrological omens, I urge you to commune with other dull but meaningful things. Seek out low-key but rich offerings. Be aware that unexciting people and situations may offer clues and catalysts that you need.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Many of you Scorpios regard secrecy as a skill worth cultivating. It serves your urge to gather and manage power.

You’re aware that information is a valuable commodity, so you guard it carefully and share it sparingly. This predilection sometimes makes you seem understated, even shy. Your hesitancy to express too much of your knowledge and feelings may influence people to underestimate the intensity that seethes within you. Having said all that, I’ll now predict that you’ll show the world who you are with more dazzle and flamboyance in the coming weeks. It’ll be interesting to see how you do that as you also try to heed your rule that information is power.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21): Sagittarian actress and producer Deborra-Lee Furness has been married to megastar actor Hugh Jackman

for 23 years. Their wedding rings are inscribed with a motto that blends Sanskrit and English, “Om paramar to the mainamar.” Hugh and Deborah-Lee say it means “we dedicate our union to a greater source.”

In resonance with current astrological omens, I invite you to engage in a similar gesture with an important person in your life. Now is a marvelous time to deepen and sanctify your relationship by pledging yourselves to a higher purpose or beautiful collaboration or sublime mutual quest.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In 1997, a supercomputer named Deep Blue won six chess matches against Chess Grand Master Gary Kasparov. In 2016, an artificial intelligence called AlphaGo squared off against human champion Lee Sodol in a best-of-five series of the Chinese board game “Go.” AlphaGo crushed Sodol, four games to one. But there is at least one cerebral game in which human intelligence still reigns supreme: the card game known as bridge.

No AI has as yet beat the best bridge players. I bring this to your attention, Capricorn, because I am sure that in the coming weeks, no AI could out-think and outstrategize you as you navigate your way through life’s tests and challenges. You’ll be smarter than ever. P.S.: I’m guessing your acumen will be extra soulful, as well.

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AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): At regular intervals, a hot stream of boiling water shoots up out of the earth and into the sky in Wyoming’s Yellowstone National Park. It’s a geyser called Old Faithful. The steamy surge can reach a height of 185 feet and last for five minutes.

When white settlers first discovered this natural phenomenon in the 19th century, some of them used it as a laundry. Between blasts, they’d place their dirty clothes in Old Faithful’s aperture. When the scalding flare erupted, it provided all the necessary cleansing. I’d love to see you attempt a metaphorically similar feat, Aquarius: harness a natural force for a practical purpose, or a primal power for an earthy task.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Who was the model for Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic painting Mona Lisa? Many scholars think it was Italian noblewoman Lisa del Giocondo. Leonardo wanted her to feel comfortable during the long hours she sat for him, so he hired musicians to play for her and people with mellifluous voices to read her stories. He built a musical fountain for her to gaze upon and a white Persian cat to cuddle. If it were within my power, I would arrange something similar for you in the coming weeks. Why? Because I’d love to see you be calmed and soothed for a concentrated period of time; to feel perfectly at ease, at home in the world, surrounded by beautiful influences you love. In my opinion, you need and deserve such a break from the everyday frenzy.

telegraph

March 7, 2019 n 21

classifieds

Deadline for Telegraph classified ads is Tuesday at noon.

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

(Sorry, no refunds or substitutions.)

Ads can be submitted via: n classifieds@durango telegraph.com n 970-259-0133 n 777 Main Ave., #214 Approximate office hours: Mon., 9ish - 5ish Tues., 9ish - 5ish Wed., 9ish - 3ish Thurs., On delivery Fri., 10:30ish - 2ish please call ahead: 259-0133.

Lost/Found Found: Ring on River Trail On Sunday, near the White Rabbit bookstore. Call to identify, 505-322-9160.

Announcements In-Depth Healing By donation 970-317-5379.

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

Montezuma County Coor. Wanted Wildfire Adapted Partnership seeks part time (30 hr/wk) Montezuma County Coordinator to provide wildfire education, planning, and mitigation support to residents. For full job announcement visit: www.wildfireadapted.org or call 970-385-8909.

Chief Engineer The Elevation Hotel & Spa on Mt. Crested Butte is looking to hire a full time, year round Chief Engineer. Benefits include health insurance, paid time off, a winter ski season pass and 25% off hotel services. Possible onsite housing available for the right candidate. Must be able to work weekends and holidays. Apply online at www.boxerproperty.com/careers.

Phlebotomy Certifications (Blood Drawing) $350, Farmington, March 16-17, swphlebotomy.net 505-410-7889.

Classes/Workshops Metal Clay Jewelry Free talk 3/18 and upcoming classes.

Nancy Conrad 303-681-4399, nancyfcon rad@gmail.com

Small Electrics Guru To fix table-top fan and lamp, which appears to have a short. 970-749-2595

New Session of Classes Starting March 11. Including Yoga for Bone Health, Restorative and Yoga Breathing classes. With Kathy Curran. Drop ins welcome. Smiley Building, Room #32 2594794. www.4cornersyoga.com

Ecopreneurs Home business helping others improve drinking, shower & garden water quality: multipureusa.com/ltallent

Mommy and Me Dance Class Come join the fun! Now registering for classes. Call 970-749-6456. mom myandmedance.com.

Turn Vehicles, Copper, Alum, Etc. Into Cash! at RJ Metal Recycle, also free appliance and other metal drop off. 970-259-3494.

Services

Wanted

HelpWanted

Wedding Officiant for Hire Life cycle celebrant available to design ceremony for any of life’s rites of passage and to officiate weddings. www.fourtrees.live. tara@fourtrees.live

6th Street Liquors Hiring PT Evening/day shifts avail. Bring in resume, current ref., ask Jason or Gin for interview Mon-Fri. Exp. preferred, but willing to train right person.

Marketing Small and Local Businesses Media, social media, website content, SEO, etc. for small, local, independent or startup businesses. Email jnderge@ gmail.com

22 n March 7, 2019

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Life Coaching for Women Womanfriend, are you ready to get your goddess on? Gain clarity, reach your dreams in career/business, relationships, parenting, health, life purpose with Tara Frazer, Certified Life Coach. tara@fourtrees.live, www.fourtrees.live.

Harmony Organizing and Cleaning Services Home and office 970-403-6192.

Advanced Duct Cleaning Air duct cleaning specializing in dryer vents. Improves indoor air quality; reduces dust and allergens, energy bills and fire risk. 970-247-2462 www.advanced ductcleaninginc.com

BodyWork Massage by Meg Bush 30, 60 & 90 min. Gift certs. avail. Meg Bush, LMT 970-759-0199. massageintervention.life Voted best massage in Durango 2018.

Couples, sauna, outdoor shower, cupping. Reviews on FB + Yelp. 970-9032984.

Massage with Kathryn 20+ years experience offering a fusion of esalen style, deep tissue massage with therapeutic stretching & Acutonics. New clients receive $5 off first session. To schedule appt. call 970-201-3373.

RealEstate Radon Services Free radon testing and consultation.

Call Colorado Radon Abatement and Detection for details. 970- 946-1618.

CommercialForRent Wanted Pilates Studio Space Looking to rent/ share space for a Pilates/ yoga studio. Good natural light, clean, quiet. Around 500 sq ft starting in May. Susie pilates4you@gmail.com Commercial Space for Rent Office space for rent near Bread 1200.00 per month includes HOA (water, sewage, snow plow and landscape) contact Sean for more info 970-759-6374.

HaikuMovieReview ‘Tickled’ Um, competitive tickling is real and so much weirder than you’d guess – Lainie Maxson

ForSale Rossignol Soul 7 Skis 163 cm, 106 cm under foot. Red and black 2014s. Drilled twice but skied minimally. They’re hole-y but will still work for the right person/set up. $50 OBO. Text for pics: 970-749-2495.

Reruns Home Furnishings Winter sales in both stores – Nice rattan chair with cushion. Custom-made midcentury maple sideboard; side tables; lamps & coffee tables; and lots of cool art.

New cool stuff and daily markdowns. 572 E. 6th Ave. 385-7336.

CommunityService College or Trade School Scholarships Available Premier Members Credit Union (PMCU) wants to make paying for college a little easier for high school seniors. Now thru May 10, Colorado students can apply online at pmcu.org to receive one of two $5,000 scholarships that can be applied toward a traditional four-year university, two-year college or trade school.

Looking to Give Back?

4 the Children is seeking volunteers to advocate for children and families in La Plata County. Duties include reuniting families through safe exchange and parenting time supervision. Join the 4TC Family today! Contact Alanda Martin at alandam@4tc.org or 970-259-0310 for more information.

Bayfield Farmers Market Seeks Farmers Recruiting farmers from the Four Corners area for the 2019 season. The season opens Thurs., June 20, and continues through end of September. Markets occur at Joe Stephenson Park at the intersection of Mill Street and Bayfield Parkway, 4:307 p.m. each Thursday. Fees for vendors are $100 for the season or $10 per visit.

For more info, call 970-769-6873.

EndoftheLine

The real reason Simon & Garfunkel broke up

The Sound of Sinus hello mucous my old phlegm, it's time to cough you up again because the crud softly creeping infected me while i was sleeping and the headache that was planted in my brain still remains, it’s the sound of sinus. through the night i cannot sleep kleenex in a growing heap, i flick on the bedside lamp, i think i got this from the cold and damp, but my eyes are stabbed by the rays from a 60 watt light this ain't right. i hope it’s not bronchitis. nyquil, asprin, tylenol by 2 a.m. i've tried them all forget work tomorrow i will call in, take a break from that loony bin, but i know they'll schedule me for an other day,

they make you pay, now i feel like violence. i wish i had a thicker coat, wore a hat or ...oh my throat. how i ache from head to toe, the greenish gunk from my nose, and the words of the doctor were written on the prescription pad i thought i had, i know, my bad... guy i knew got meningitis. i might have prevented what i caught, had i gotten my flu shot. now i can't get out of bed for the pound ing in my head, its virus vs man, i'll do what i can to protect me, from asian type b, more vitamin c.

Still sniffling, it's the sound of sinus.

– john van becay

Back on top.

Drinking&DiningGuide Himalayan Kitchen 992 Main Ave., 970-259-0956 www.himkitchen.com Bringing you a taste of Nepal, Tibet & India. Try our all-you-can-eat lunch buffet. The dinner menu offers a variety of tempting choices, including yak, lamb, chicken, beef & seafood; extensive veggies; freshly baked bread. Full bar. Get your lunch punch card – 10th lunch free.

Hours: Lunch, 11am-2:30 p.m. & dinner, Sun. - Thurs., 5-9:30 p.m., Fri. & Sat. ‘til 10 p.m. Closed 2:30 to 5 daily $$ Crossroads Coffee 1099 Main Ave., 970-903-9051 Crossroads coffee proudly serves locally roasted Fahrenheit coffee and delicious baked goods. Menu includes gluten-free items along with bullet-proof coffee, or bullet-proof chai! Come in for friendly service and the perfect buzz!

Hours: Mon.- Fri., 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. $

Issue 7 is now out!

Wherever you find the Telegraph or at www.gulchmag.com.

To find out about advertising opportunities, email steve@gulchmag.com

BREW Pub & Kitchen 117 W. College Drive, 970-259-5959 www.brewpubkitchen.com Experience Durango’s award-winning brewery & restaurant featuring unique, hand-crafted beers, delicious food made from scratch, and wonderful wines & cocktails.

Happy Hour, Tues.- Fri. 4-6 pm & all day Sunday with $1 off beers, wines & wells & enjoy select appetizers at 20% off. Watch the sunset behind Smelter Mountain as the train goes by.

Hours: Wed.-Sun., Noon - 9p.m., Tues. 4p.m. - 9 p.m. Closed on Mon. $$

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March 7, 2019 n 23

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