Durango Telegraph - September 27, 2018

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Sept. 27, 2018 Vol. XVII, No. 39 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

Safety first

Not another plain Jane

The best tomato ever

Police, fire and roads top reasons City is heading to voters p8

Merely Players stages modern Austen adaptation p14

When it comes to autumn’s orbs, Early Girl tops the vine p16

2 n Sept. 27, 2018

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lineup

8

4 La Vida Local

For safe keeping City heads to voters in November with tax question

4 Thumbin’ It

Ear to the ground: “I was looking through my old email and found the exact moment when Facebook murdered My Space in 2009.”

– Local glimpse into the annals of social media history

Fire walking

by Tracy Chamberlin

5 Word on the Street

10

6-7 Soapbox

Renewed interest

11 Mountain Town News

Colorado community leaders light way for state’s clean energy future

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RegularOccurrences

Curious how your favorite trail fared in the face of the 416 flames? In October, the San Juan National Forest is hosting three field trips within the 416 Fire burn area.

Although the 416 Fire fully is contained, portions still smolder and likely will do so until the area receives significant snowfall. As such, the burn area remains closed. However, the Columbine Ranger District, along with firefighters, will guide groups of up to 15 into the closure area.

12-13 Day in the Life

by Allen Best

16 Flash in the Pan

12-13

17 Top Shelf

Deep undercover

Taking a subterranean trip to the real-life upside down

18-20 On the Town

photos by Stephen Eginoire

20 Ask Rachel

14

21 Free Will Astrology

Jane says Players stage modern adaptation of Austen classic ‘Sense & Sensibility’

23 Haiku Movie Review

by Stew Mosberg

On the cover: An old truck makes for colorful outdoor decor in a field in Breen./Photo

by Steve Eginoire.

16

Top tomato

A story on former one-percenter Chuck Collins last week misstated the time for his Oct. 4 talk at FLC. The talk takes place from 6 - 8 p.m.

When it comes to the shiny red orbs of autumn, Early Girls can’t be beat

by Ari LeVaux

boilerplate

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

22-23 Classifieds

STAR-STUDDED CAST: Lainie Maxson, Chris Aaland, Clint Reid, Stephen Eginoire, Tracy Chamberlin, Jesse Anderson, Allen Best, Ari LeVaux Dan Groth & Shan Wells

MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 332 Durango, CO 81302

VIRTUAL ADDRESS: www.durangotelegraph.com

E-MAIL: telegraph@durangotelegraph.com

REAL WORLD ADDRESS: 777 Main Ave., #214 Durango, CO 81301

MAIL DELIVERY AND SUBSCRIPTIONS: $3.50/issue, $150/year

LLC and 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 schwag, booze and flattery.

PHONE: 970.259.0133

telegraph

“The Hermosa landscape has changed as a result of the fire and this is an opportunity to see firsthand some of those changes,” SJNF spokeswoman Gretchen Fitzgerald said in an email. “Moving forward, we hope we can use this fire as an opportunity to deepen our understanding of fire in our local ecosystems, and how we interact with it.”

All trips will start and end at the Lower Hermosa Creek campground. The field trips are: • Mon., Oct. 1 – Champion Tree Hike (strenuous). This all-day trip will go to Dutch Creek and back, approximately 10 miles round trip. During this trip, hikers will visit some of the remaining Colorado “champion trees” that survived the fire.

• Tues., Oct. 2 – Bike and Hike (moderate/ strenuous.) This all-day trip will take mountain bikers around the burn perimeter. Bikes will then be left at the perimeter and the group will hike a few miles into the burn, depending on conditions.

• Sat., Oct. 13 – Old Growth Walk (moderate) - A two to three mile hike to visit old growth ponderosa pine in the burn area.

To sign up, email gfitzgerald@fs.fed.us or call 970-385-1219. The trips are first come/first served and people are asked to only sign up for one trip.

Participants should wear sturdy shoes and bring water, food and other appropriate gear.

Can we talk?

September is Suicide Prevention Month, and in the effort to save lives, San Juan Basin Public Health offers these tips to get the conversation around the difficult subject going: • Stop the silence. Ask questions, show concern and keep the awkward silences at bay.

• Listen. The fact you are there can make a world of difference, try to err on the side of listening.

• Keep the conversation moving. It’s OK to talk about other things, as long as the other person knows you’re open to revisiting the topic.

• Be nice. It sounds simple, but try to say the right things with openness, warmth and sincerity.

• Keep in contact. Offer availability by phone, text, email or face-to-face meetings. Just be there.

• Offer help. They may want specific help or no help at all. Either way, you can always ask.

For more tips and resources: LetsTalkCO.org.

Sept. 27, 2018 n

3

opinion

LaVidaLocal The day the music died With the recent passing of the legendary star of screen and cinema, Burt Reynolds, I decided to dig out my old LP of the Moustachioed One’s 1973 country-lite, Bobby Goldsboro-produced “Ask Me What I Am.” It’s a mediocre album, rather half-hearted and overly sentimental – but it is a Burt Reynolds LP, and that makes it special. I purchased it for 99 cents at a record store in Seattle back in 2008 when the band I was in was playing at a music festival. (We technically opened up for the band, Helmet, but only because we went on very early on a day when Helmet happened to be headlining). I had never really listened to the album in its entirety until I heard about Burt’s death. So it begs the question of why I kept it around for 10 years, enduring multiple moves and several strained backs.

Well, why did I keep it? Besides being a rather comical item in-and-of-itself, I also felt an attachment to it. There’s a story behind it that transcends Reynolds and schlocky ’70s country. I’m not a pathological horder, but I do get overly attached to things. I prefer my Burt in LP form rather than streaming him on Youtube, but after recently moving, I was reminded anew that having a large music collection is a burdensome situation. I think of those people with their little smartphones and teeny speakers they hook them up to, and I get a little jealous.

That said, I recently took part in a sad event for the Durango community, the closing of Southwest Sound.

I see the store closing as a direct result of the streaming/downloading trend. I worked there from 2015 until it closed in July, going full time for the last two months of its existence. During my time there, customers would often casually remind us of why business wasn’t as good as it used to be. There were the people who would cluelessly ask “Does anyone still buy CDs?” while standing in front of a huge rack of CDs, or the folks who would look around at new releases and then say aloud that they would buy it on Amazon or stream it. When we announced we were closing, there were the people who came in with a look of dismay, asked us why we were closing (often in an angry and accusatory manner) and then leave without buying anything. But for every one of those insensitive people, (who, rest assured, we heavily mocked after they left), there was the myriad amazing customers who expressed sadness, gratitude and love – then purchased something.

Two weeks after the closure, I began a large change of my own: moving out of my apartment of two years and into a two-month housesit gig with all my belongings temporarily in a garage. A big part of the process has been packing up my large music collection and sorting through the chaos. I began buying music when I was 15, and probably have upwards of 1,000 LPs and 500 CDs, 280 of which are in a large CD wallet (a purchase I made the last time I moved to make my life a little easier). I also have countless burnt CDs and ridiculous amounts of cassette

tapes. I still have my original two cassette storage drawers, both with faux-wood paneling and containing my original tape purchases spanning the years 1992-94.

Sometimes, I think it might be easier to ditch the drawers and put all those precious cassettes in a special box, but then I think, “I’ve already moved these things across the country numerous times over the course of 24 years, why get rid of them now?”

Indeed, it is this sort of attitude that allows me to accumulate things so easily, but those early cassette tapes are special to me and I still listen to many of them (even that copy of Rush’s 1989 album “Presto” got a rare listen last year. It’s decent – not as good as “Roll the Bones” but better than “Hold Your Fire.”) I see myself 20 years down the road, still with those cassette drawers, a lovely reminder of the good ol’ days amidst what will likely be some hellish dystopian society we can only barely imagine right now.

Amidst all this personal change, I’ve been reflecting on the closure of Southwest Sound, and those three years spent selling music. I recently paid a visit to the Sunday flea market at the fairgrounds, where Southwest Sound’s owner Robert Stapleton has a stall to sell off the CDs and LPs we were left with at the end. He hadn’t had much luck in selling off those sad remainders. I flipped through the CDs and found a lot of familiar titles, many of which had been in the store from the last decade. We had a nice chat, catching up on life since the closing, this time as friends rather than as employer/employee. He was in the music business since he was a teen working at Tower Records in L.A. and so he feels the loss far more than I do. (Robert has some amazing stories about the shows he saw on the Sunset Strip back in the early ’70s – he really needs to write them down.)

But damned if I don’t feel the loss, too. I feel it more and more with each passing day.

The day after Southwest Sound closed, Robert, myself and my co-worker Clay, had the unenviable task of disassembling things, uncasing CDs and taking them out of the system, separating the returnable ones from the unreturnable, and much more. It was quite depressing at first, but there was one thing I wasn’t expecting. For the first time ever, it felt like we were just three guys hanging out and listening to music, not trying to sell anything. And in the end, that’s the most important thing, really.

I could go on about the death of physical media and its consequences, but for my own part, I will always prefer listening to something that I have a physical copy of – even if it makes moving a real chore and contributes to my constant battle with clutter. All the weirdo LPs, CDs and cassettes I’ve accumulated over the years add meaning to my life. I may never listen to that Telly Savalas LP, but it’s there, and I know it will be of use some day. Indeed, my collection of David Hasselhoff music (two CDs and two LPs) has brought me great joy. In fact, if I ever get married, I will insist that the Hoff’s song, “Flying on the Wings of Tenderness” be played at the reception. If anyone is interested in a used Joey Lawrence CD, however, please contact me.

This Week’s Sign of the Downfall:

Thumbin’It La Plata Electric Association taking steps in the green direction by exploring alternatives to buying power from wholesale supplier Tri-State

4 n Sept. 27, 2018

– Dan Groth

Drought continuing its grip on Southwest Colorado, with the Animas River running at a piddly 96 cfs this week, the lowest level in 107 years of record-keeping

Fame and glory for Durango’s beer scene, with Ska and Steamworks taking home golds at last week’s Great American Beer Festival for their Oktoberfest and Colorado Kolsch, respectively

The grisly and squalid conditions of dozens of abused animals rescued from a western La Plata County residence, details of which were recently released in court documents

A leveling off of the enrollment decline at Fort Lewis College and the most diverse student population ever, with students of color making up half of the student body

The Trump Administration retooling citizen work groups that advise the BLM on local land-use decisions to reflect pro-resource extraction policies that favor oil and gas

telegraph

Sex dolls and red states Did you know that in Norway, “Texas” is a word used as a synonym for “crazy?” And it fits: America’s first robot brothel might open in Houston this October. “KinkySdollS,” an Ontario-based cyber-pimp, plans to open a brothel in Houston where patrons can rent realistic sex robots by the half-hour (or buy them outright), but “Elijah Rising,” a religious group is fighting the company. However, officials have said they’ll lose, because there’s no law against this form of masturbation in Houston. Man… that’s “Texas.”

WordontheStreet With the annual changing of the leaves, the Telegraph asked,

Q

“What would you like to change?”

Gloria Grand

“Well, I think everything’s pretty nice right now.”

Jim Smith

“High-speed cyclists on the bike trail.”

Laurie Van Ingen

“The reliability of airlines and our airports.”

Marsha Smith

“There’s too much loud music in the park.”

Mike Grand

“More water in the river.”

& 1480 E. 2nd Ave. & 15th St. (old Mac Ranch, near Basin Printing)

970-764-4577 • www.jimmysmusic.supply

telegraph

Sept. 27, 2018 n 5

SoapBox

ReTooned/by Shan Wells

A chance to reverse inequality To the editor, The cover of Time magazine this month (Sept. 28) says it all. Our current economic system is not working for our future. Shout it out! We are the ones who must do something about it. Educate yourself. Become active. Come to hear Chuck Collins talk about how income inequality contributes to this bleak future. Learn what we can do to reverse this trend.

Collins is a nationally renowned activist, a former one-percenter, and a senior scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies. He will be speaking at Fort Lewis College Ballroom on Thurs., Oct. 4, at 6 p.m. This talk is free and open to all. Now is your chance to participate.

– Steve Krest, Marvel

Not voting could be costly mistake To the editor, There are so many serious issues facing voters in November. This mid-term election may be the most crucial in our lifetime.

One of the major concerns of voters is affordable health care. Medicare and Medicaid have been targeted

by Republicans as a means of reducing the deficit. The $1.5 trillion tax cut the Republicans gave corporations and people making over $250,000 annually will add $1 trillion in 2019 alone to our country’s deficit!

The Republican-controlled House Budget Committee voted on June 21 to cut Medicare coverage by $537 billion plus reduce Medicaid health-care programs by $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years.

The Republicans’ health care plan presently offers deficient insurance policies for low cost but of no value if you need medical care. They plan to move all of us to4

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a “system of private for-profit health insurance plans.”

A Kaiser Family Foundation recent poll found 59 percent of those polled support a single-payer, Medicare-forall health care system.

The Koch Brothers, who hate any form of democracy or government oversight to protect “we the people,” put out a deceptive report on the actual cost of a Medicarefor-all plan. Over the next 10 years, they claim the cost would be $32.6 trillion. They never mention that in 2016, health care cost us $3.3 trillion in that one year alone!

If we stay on the present for-profit insurance corporation system, the government projects our costs will balloon to $49 trillion for the years 2018-27.

If the Koch Brothers’ claims are any way near to reality, then Medicare-for-all would save us $15 trillion!! And all of us would have better medical care – just like the other “developed” countries have had for years.

Vote! Your voter matters!

– Susan Troen, Durango

Better to be safe than sorry To the editor, Colorado Proposition 112 “Safer Setbacks” is simple, direct and clear. It mandates a buffer zone of 2,500 feet between fracking operations and homes, schools and water sources.

Locally, Proposition 112 would have prevented (or reduced) the very troublesome impacts of fracking operations on a couple living southeast of Durango with two wells on their land, as reported in (earthworks.org/stories/terryfitzgerald/).

Safer Setbacks seem sensible to me. Local incidents, research and personal experience continue to raise stronger and stronger concerns about the dangers of fracking operations: risk of explosions and fires; excessive use of precious water; numerous detrimental health issues for people living within the currently allowed 500-foot buffer zone such as low birth weight babies, eight times height-

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ened cancer risk, respiratory impacts, noxious odors, unacceptable noise and vibrations from truck traffic, floodlights at night; negative contribution to climate change; not to mention a delay in creating a just transition to renewable energy sources.

I believe in the precautionary principle that “when an activity raises threats of harm to the environment or human health, precautionary measures must be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are not yet scientifically fully established.”

This is the common-sense idea behind many wise sayings: “Be careful.” “Better safe than sorry.” “Look before you leap.” “First do no harm.”

Let’s decide that Colorado should be safer rather than sorrier. Vote yes on Proposition 112.

– Dr. Cedar Barstow, Boulder

Tipton desperate for diversion To the editor, When I read that Scott Tipton said it was “bizarre” that Gov. Hickenlooper endorsed Diane Mitsch Bush in this year’s Congressional race, I thought Huh? Given that Diane and the governor are both Democrats, that Diane had an admirable record as a county commissioner and in the Colorado Legislature, that she has been praised for her bipartisan initiatives, and that she has a spotless reputation for honesty and decency, it’s totally unsurprising that Hickenlooper endorsed her.

Thinking about it, I realized that Tipton’s purpose was to insinuate that Diane was unacceptably extreme! He couldn’t dare say that directly; it would be ludicrous, as anyone can see by checking Diane’s website, dianeforcolorado.com.

Like a “tell” in poker, calling the governor’s endorsement “bizarre” revealed how desperate for diversion Tipton is. It’s understandable. He has so much he needs to divert attention from!

For example, his entire record of being lock-step with

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the Republican leadership in failing to provide Congressional oversight of corruption in the Trump administration; failing to condemn Trump’s obsequiousness to foreign despots; failing to take measures to safeguard our elections from foreign interference; ignoring Congress’s Constitutional authority over war-making power; running up the deficit in order to give outsized tax breaks to the rich and super rich; undermining the Affordable Care Act while offering no reasonable alternative; gutting environmental protections; failing to condemn Trump’s taking innocent children from their families and sending them to detention centers. The list goes on.

– Edward Packard, Durango

A modern sheriff for modern times

To the editor, Being an effective 21st century sheriff takes more than a white hat and a big gun. It takes education, experience and vision.

Sean Smith has all three. With a B.A. in public safety administration and 20 plus years of experience in law enforcement locally and with the DOJ nationally, Sean has current, relevant knowledge and experience. Unlike his opponents, Sean’s experience includes management and leadership, vital for a $15 million public agency with 128 employees.

As a regionally recognized leader, Sean has strong connections and respect among community leaders. This respect and connectivity is vital for the S.O. to play a role in solving problems, like the homeless issue, rather than operating in isolation, which was the case when Sean took office four years ago.

Sean’s vision is to keep increasing the efficiency and professionalism he has instituted. His goal is to train the next generation of law enforcement professionals ensuring the S.O. stays responsive, modern and effective.

Don’t slide backwards to the 1880s. Re-elect Sean Smith to keep the most qualified, most proven, most trusted man in office.

– Mary Leftwich, Durango

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Sept. 27, 2018 n 7

TopStory

The Durango Police Department’s current home was originally a 1950s car dealership. It became a shared police and fire station by 1969.

Then, in the 1980s, it was dedicated as a police department. One thing that hasn’t changed is the available space inside. Today, the department is struggling to fit within its walls, using closets as offices and Zircons as evidence lockers./Photo by Stephen Eginoire

For safe keeping Police, road maintenance top reasons city heads to voters in November

by Tracy Chamberlin

I

n less than three weeks, ballots will start arriving in mailboxes across the state. This year candidates battle for seats in the U.S. Congress, the state Legislature, county offices and the Colorado governor’s mansion.

There’s statewide ballot measures on redistricting, fracking setbacks, hemp production, state taxes and more.

In the Southwest, Bayfield is looking to increase taxes to pay for library needs and asking voters if they want to lift the ban on retail marijuana. Durango residents will also consider a tax increase, but it would pay for public safety and maintenance. Then, of course, there will be the usual long list of local and state judges.

With all this to digest – especially in the fog of modern day campaign craziness – The Telegraph will spend the next few weeks tackling each topic and talking to candidates.

Our efforts to cut through the election haze begin this week with the City of Durango and taxes.

What’s on your ballot?

It’s called Question 2A. In this lengthy ballot measure, the city of Durango is asking voters to approve a tax increase that would sunset in 25 years and be used to pay for

8 n Sept. 27, 2018

Here we go again ...

Ballots go in the mail Mon., Oct. 15. There will be dropoff boxes in several spots across La Plata County in the following weeks and plenty of places to go for help. For the latest election information, contact the County Clerk and Recorders office at co.laplata.co.us or 382-6296.

Question 2A For more on the city’s ballot measure, visit www.durango gov.org and click on the “Ballot Initiative 2A Fact Sheet” or the “City Streets: Pavement Condition Index.” a handful of city services like police, fire and rescue, and street maintenance.

The specific proposal is to increase property taxes by no more than 5.4 mils and sales taxes by no more than .55 percent (The “no more” phrase is needed because the city could always lower the rate, but cannot raise it without voter approval.)

So what does that mean for voters’ wallets? And, what will they get for their money?

telegraph

When it comes to the wallet, the mill levy would raise someone’s property tax about $40 for every $100,000 of a home’s actual value. For example, a house in Durango worth $500,000 would see an increase of $194 per year. For a commercial property worth $1 million – which has a higher property tax assessment ratio than residences – the increase would be $1,566 per year.

As for the sales tax, the current rate in Durango is 7.9 percent. This includes a state tax of 2.9 percent, a county tax of 2 percent and the city’s 3 percent. With an additional .55 percent for the city, the rate would go up to 8.45 percent.

And, what would all this pay for?

The answer is police – a new station, additional officers and equipment. It also would cover the city’s contract with the fire department, pay to fill potholes, repave city streets and perform other needed road maintenance. It would go toward improving the city’s stormwater issues, putting in ADA ramps on sidewalks, fixing alleyways and hiring another code enforcement officer. In addition, the funds could be used to repair and maintain some of the city’s buildings – like fixing leaky roofs at City Hall or making better use of the old library on E. Second Avenue. 4

“It is not sexy, but it is needed,” City Councilor Melissa Youssef explained in an email. “We are talking about investing in our core foundation and the essential framework of our public works and facilities … It is about maintaining what we have to sustain our quality of life and the character of our town.”

The basic argument The campaign’s catchphrase is “Back to Basics.” It was chosen because the funds raised from Question 2A would be used to pay for basic city services – police, fire and rescue, street maintenance, and code enforcement.

According to City Councilor Dick White, about half the residents who responded to a recent city survey were not even aware of the fact that the city wasn’t able to fund some of these basic services – like the police station or street maintenance.

Take the Durango Police Department’s current home – which was originally a 1950s car dealership. It became a shared police and fire station by 1969. Then, in the 1980s, it was dedicated as a police department.

One thing that hasn’t changed over the decades, though, is the available space. At this point, closets are being used as offices and Zircons as evidence lockers. Even if the city could afford to hire the additional officers it needs, there would be no place to put them.

Durango Mayor Sweetie Marbury called it a “Crackerjack box,” adding that the situation is dire. “We anticipate growth in our community, and we have to be able to provide a safe environment for our police men and women,” she said.

Then there’s the streets. In this year’s city budget, as an example, $658,000 was put aside to repair, repave and add sidewalks to Thomas Avenue in the Needham neighborhood on the north end of town. The bids, however, came in at more than $800,000. It was the only road maintenance project on the calendar, and it had to be shelved.

“You get what you pay for,” Marbury said. “And, you get what you don’t pay for.”

The proposed road maintenance budget for next year – without any funding from 2A – is zero. According to City

Manager Ron LeBlanc, the city really needs to be putting $2 to go up, they will not climb fast enough to keep pace. In fact, the shortfall is only expected to get worse every year. million to $2.5 million a year into maintenance.

City officials tagged this particular predicament a “Tax increases are not popular and the timing is unfortunate with the 416 Fire,” Youssef explained. “That said, I “wicked problem,” meaning one with no simple solution. think most individuals and businesses recognize … we have Something has to give, they warn. Either expenses will have immediate needs for street improvements and facility up- to be cut or revenues increased.

With this wicked problem, city staff hit the road to ask resgrades that will only get more expensive with time.”

So far, there is no official campaign in opposition to idents what they wanted to do about it. The public outreach included more than 50 meetings, Question 2A; however, residents hundreds of surveys and thousands have raised questions. One of the of comments. most common is: “Why can’t the “We heard overwhelmingly that city just use money from other (residents) wanted us to maintain things, like trails, open space or rewhat we have,” Amber Blake, assistail marijuana permits?” tant city manager who also headed The reason is, it’s not in the up the outreach effort, explained. same funding bucket.

There was a split, however, on For example, the fee charged to how to pay for those things. Some get a permit for a retail marijuana residents supported raising the sales shop is used to pay for the regula– Sweetie Marbury, Durango mayor tax, others supported raising the tion and enforcement of retail marproperty tax and still others supijuana, or the charges on a water bill are used to pay for water treatment and distribution. ported a mix of the two.

City Council ultimately chose to go with the combined They cannot be swapped to pay for other things.

Similarly, previous tax increases can only be used to pay approach of a sales and property tax increase on the November ballot. According to council members, it puts the for things listed on the ballot.

For example, the half-cent Parks and Recreation tax, re- weight of supporting basic services on residents and visitors newed by voters in 2015, can only be used on parks and rec – both of whom use them.

If the measure passes, the city will be able to use the revitems like Oxbow Park, the Animas River Trail or Rec Center.

It was a guarantee to voters that these funds had a spe- enues to pay for all its public safety needs. The process for cific purpose, and the same is true for Question 2A. If voters finding the Durango Police Department a new home, deapprove the measure, those funds can only be used for the signing it and building it can begin. The potholes can start getting filled, the gutters repaired and Thomas Drive will things listed in the ballot question and nothing else. finally get some sidewalks.

What if?

If the measure does not pass, Marbury said, they’ll likely During last year’s annual budget undertaking, city staff realized that in just a couple of years, Durango’s expenses try again. But she thinks it will because, she said, residents would outpace its revenues. General inflation, rising utility know how important it is to invest in their city.

“All these things need to be taken care of,” she added. costs and the like would start taking a larger and larger “I have faith city residents will see the needs and vote piece of the city’s pie.

While revenues – primarily sales taxes – are also likely ‘Yes’ on 2A.” n

“You get what you pay for. And, you get what you don’t pay for.”

telegraph

Sept. 27, 2018 n

9

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MountainTownNews Lighting up over changes in energy

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10 n Sept. 27, 2018

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PAONIA – In an old school gymnasium in Paonia, which one speaker commented looked like it had been constructed during the Great Depression, 120 people gathered last week to sort out the future of energy.

The town in west-central Colorado is surrounded by peach and apple orchards with the West Elk Mountains looming in the background. It’s not really a tourist town, as witnessed by the fact that there’s just one motel.

Paonia used to be a coal town. The West Elk Mine still operates just a few miles away, but the miners have been laid off in droves as coal-fired coal plants get shut down in favor of cheaper natural gas and renewables. In 2012, nearly 1,000 people had been employed in the local mines. By 2017, the employment had fallen to just 220.

Many key figures in Paonia and other local communities want to be at the front of that shift, not at the back end. Among them is John Gavan, who semi-retired to the Paonia area after a career in technology. A member of the board of directors for the local electrical provider, Delta-Montrose Electric Association, Gavan organized the conference, which is called Engage.

“We have an energy legacy, because of coal. But we now are transitioning to a new distributed and renewable model,” he said afterward. “We want to be sure we are economically engaged.”

Gavan believes that Delta-Montrose is one of the most progressive electrical co-operatives in the country. A decade ago it began developing electricity using the fast-flowing waters of an agricultural canal.

Elsewhere in Colorado, a utility drew national attention last year when it announced plans to close two coal plants and replace the lost generation with wind, solar and some battery storage. Xcel Energy said it could do this and save money. The proposal was approved earlier this month by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission.

Colorado is particularly blessed with a diversity of renewable resources, but the same declining prices have roiled the electrical sector across North America.

Tom Plant, keynote speaker at Engage, painted a picture of change driven from the grassroots. “Congress last year introduced how many energy bills?” he asked rhetorically. None, he answered.

But legislators around the country introduced 3,433 bills.

Plant, who is with former Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter’s Center for the New Energy Economy, described the “mainstreaming of renewables.” The costs for wind has declined by 67 percent in the last eight years and solar by 86 percent. “This changes the economics of the entire marketplace.”

As a state legislator in 2000, Plant introduced a bill proposing a renewable portfolio standard. It got little support. So he did it again.

Again, other legislators batted the idea down.

Then, in 2004, voters bypassed the Legislature, requiring Xcel to achieve 10 percent renewable generation. Xcel, which had opposed the mandate, got to work, meeting its goals years ahead of its deadline. It then met the next, steeper renewables portfolio. It’s now at 30 percent renewables and, with changes recently approved, expects to hit 55 percent renewables by late 2025.

“That’s an incredible shift in such a short amount of time,” said Plant. The cost of electricity, he said, has decreased 17 percent during the 21st century.

Plant also took a few shots at Tri-State, the wholesale supplier for several of the mountain towns, including Durango, Crested Butte and Paonia, too. “They have the highest carbon intensity of any power provider in the country,” he said.

Tri-State, for its part, points out that 30 percent of its portfolio is renewables, same as Xcel Energy. However, Tri-State benefits from hydroelectricity from federal dams, something not available to the investor-owned Xcel. In addition to that, there’s also the difference in the pace. Tri-State has added renewables at a far slower pace than Xcel.

Another way utilities will add more renewables is if the power can be moved around the country to better match supply with demand. For example, the wind of the Great Plains could be paired with the sunshine of California and the Southwest to power places like Park City and Sun Valley. But there are roughly only eight markets in Western states currently – too small to effectively integrate renewables to maximum effect. Ultimately, said Plant, it will happen.

Obama’s Clean Power Plan – which President Donald Trump has set out to dismantle – was intended to bring everybody together to talk about energy markets. “But without that federal push, where

telegraph

will the push come from?” he asked.

The utilities haven’t really stepped up, at least to the level that Plant and others would like, so the question is what will cause the utilities to step up?

Gavan, the conference organizer, compares what is happening now to the giant changes in telecommunciations that began in the 1980s. At the time, AT&T had a monopoly and, with its Baby Bells, resisted innovation. Phone calls were also extremely expensive. In the late 1970s, it cost 30 cents a minute to talk to somebody just five or 10 miles away.

“AT&T acted exactly as Tri-State is acting today: protectionist, anticompetitive and punitive,” he said. “That’s exactly the wrong game plan.”

Gavan was among the challengers of AT&T. In his career, he was IT director for the NASA, MCI Telecommunications and later, WorldCommunications. He owns seven patents associated with new technology.

“AT&T tried to throw up roadblock after roadblock after roadblock to slow the change in the telephone business model, and in the process, they wound up shorting themselves,” he said. “The same thing is happening here.”

Cell phone-using drivers getting tickets KETCHUM, Idaho – Since they began enforcing a ban on use of cell phones while driving in February 2017, police in Ketchum have issued 172 citations. Police down valley in Hailey have issued a comparable number, reports the Idaho Mountain Express.

Blaine County sheriff’s deputies have been slower to write summons, as they patrol the unincorporated areas of the county, where drivers tend to be going at higher rates of speed.

“It’s difficult to 100 percent know they’re on their cellphones when they’re going 55 mph,” Will Fruehling, chief deputy, said.

Avalanche, but these two got lucky JASPER, Alberta – Avalanche season has arrived in the Canadian Rockies. The Jasper Fitzhugh reports two climbers were on Mount Athabasca in Jasper National Park on snow they described as being like plastic foam when they heard a “whumpf.”

Both men were dragged 600 meters (about 200 feet) down the mountain. One, although hurt, ended up on top of the snow. The other was buried except for his head and one arm. As such, they were able to dig themselves out from the snow.

Both had shovels, beacons and probes, tools that don’t guarantee survive but do improve the odds.

Camp counselor died with dark legacy JACKSON, Wyo. – A man who had been a familiar figure in Jackson Hole during summers died several years ago at the age of 95.

He might have died viewed as an honorable figure, given his work as a camp counselor to youngsters. Instead, he is being remembered as a serial child molester.

The same accusations had been made in Illinois, where he worked as a physical education teacher. There, the statute of limitations is shorter than in Wyoming. In 2014, he was charged with three counts of immoral acts with a child.

The Jackson Hole News&Guide reports the case has posed questions about responsibilities of those who are in charge of such things when getting reports of child molestation. Some of the allegations of abuse occurred as early as 1968.

Fiber optic comes to the box canyon TELLURIDE – Fiber-topic lines have reached Telluride, prompting a loud hurrah as the mountain town joined the rest of the world hyperventilating on a surfeit of information.

“No more spinning wheels, when trying to watch your favorite Netflix show in the midst of Bluegrass Festival. No more Internet black-outs when a snowstorm hits,” read a press release issued by the Telluride Foundation, a nonprofit.

The Telluride Daily Planet explains that the fiber-optic cable was piggybacked onto a power line that had been laid to within a few miles of the town. This final work was the result of a public-private partnership of state, county and local governments along with the Telluride Foundation and a local fiber internet provider Clearnetworx.

– Allen Best

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Sept. 27, 2018 n 11

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Sept. 27, 2018 n 13

thesecondsection

Channeling Jane Austen Merely Players stages modern adaptation of 1811 classic ‘Sense & Sensibility’

by Stew Mosberg

ing force in the story and are portrayed in the Merely Players’ producmong the best-loved 19th tion by Mary-Catherine McAlvany, century romantic novels, six as Elinor, and Gyana Gomar, as Marare most assuredly penned by ianne. For those not familiar with English novelist Jane Austen. The Austen’s masterwork, the story unfirst of these six – and arguably the folds after the death of their father, best known – is Sense & Sensibility, Henry Dashwood, who leaves his published in 1811. Although it was substantial estate and wealth to the her debut novel, it exhibits all the oldest son of his first marriage, John complexity, humor, charm, social Dashwood (played by Miles comment and beautifully crafted Batchelder). prose of her later books.

That leaves his second wife, MarThe work of fiction has been porgaret Dashwood (Anna Klumpentrayed in film and on stage as faithhower), and her daughters without a ful to the original style as befits a home and little income. Though classic. Then in 2014, Kate Hamill, step-brother John has pledged to an actor and playwright, wrote a provide for his stepmother and stepnew version that premiered offsisters, he veers away from that Broadway to rave reviews. It was repromise. Mrs. Dashwood, played by ferred to by the “Huffington Post” as Mandy Gardner, therefore accepts an “the greatest stage adaptation of this offer from a distant cousin, Sir John novel in history.”

Middleton, played here by Marc ArAusten’s themes of the social lives beeny, and moves to a small house in of English landed gentry, particularly Devonshire with her daughters. the expectations of, and about Nineteen-year-old Elinor is unhappy women, and the importance of seabout leaving their home because curing a “good” marriage, may seem she has met and fallen in love with anachronistic. Hamill’s updated verEdward Ferrars (Jeff Graves), the sion however, addresses the subject brother-in-law of her half-brother, in a different manner.

John. And that’s just the beginning And thanks to the vision of of the story.

Mona Wood Patterson and the As is often the case with Merely equally gifted Charles Ford, DuPlayers, the ensemble cast takes on rango’s own Merely Players is bringmore roles than seem plausible. ing Hamill’s “Sense & Sensibility” Batchelder, for example, has eight to local audiences. roles, while Graves takes on five.

Describing her reason for choosGeoff Johnson has six roles, and ing Hamill’s version of the story, Wood Patterson said while Austen’s Mary Catherine McAlvany, Mandy Gardner, Marc Arbeeny and Gyana Gomar share a laugh Jason Lythgoe has four. Both, incidentally, portray a dog, as does words are descriptive and powerful during dress rehearsal for “Sense & Sensibility.”/Photo by Stephen Eginoire Batchelder and Moriah James. in the book, they don’t necessarily Other “animals” appear throughout “flow nicely” out of the mouth. and Marianne Dashwood reflect the reaction to social Nor can they be summed up neatly for the stage. pressures and asks audiences to consider the question: – horses, a rabbit, chickens and a duck add levity and “(Hamill) has updated the language and consolidated “Do we follow the rules, or do we break the rules and are sure to give the audience a chuckle or two. There the 400-page novel into two hours,” she noted. follow the dictates of our own conscience?” Hamill goes are even some male actors portraying females, which is Wood Patterson also noted this will be the regional on to note there are real consequences in the conflict- all part of the fun. The cast of 14 is rounded out by premiere of the show. “So that’s quite an honor,” she said. ing rules vs. one’s conscience, specifically for women Mady Brand, Judy Hook, Dolores Mazurkewicz and As staged, the story of the Dashwood family never and disadvantaged people in that rigid and reserved Heather Rasmussen.

The Dashwood sisters being the focal point of the infringes on the original novel’s sense of values, society type of society. or human frailties. Hamill said the characters of Elinor The Dashwood sisters, for the most part, are the driv- play, Gomar and McAlvany enthusiastically talked 4

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of their experience bringing them to life on each other, in the first rehearsal we just instage. stantly clicked,” she said. “Our sisterly A Durango resident since she was 12, bond came organically, and it’s been a Gomar moved here from Mexico and at- pleasure to work with her.” tended Durango High School where she McAlvany, a Durango resident since was active in Troop 1096 and later worked 2002, has been a Merely Players performer with Merely Players in “Dead Man’s Cell for several years. In contrast to Gomar, she Phone” and “Man of La Mancha.” Admit- has been a fan of Austen’s novels since ting she only first read the Austen novel childhood and Sense & Sensibility was her after earning the role of the younger sister all-time favorite. In fact, she admitted that she said, she found the plot to be quite en- Elinor is her favorite Austen heroine, and dearing. The book also offered her hidden auditioning for the role was like coming clues for how to approach the role. “As home. “It just felt right,” she said. often happens with books, there are so Despite her familiarity with the characmany hints of the character’s motivation, ter, she said it was still a challenge to find emotion and Elinor’s balance personality between playJustthefacts hidden within fulness and reWhat: Merely Players’ “Sense & Sensibility” the text that straint. “She’s When: 7 p.m., Sept. 28-29 & Oct. 3-6; 1 p.m. Oct. 6-7 you might miss the elder sister Where: Old Fort Library, 18683 HWY 140 Hesperus when watchtrying to do her Tickets: $25 www.merelyplayers.us 970.749.8585 ing the film; duty in a ReSpecial note: Included in the ticket price for the it’s been exgency era Engshows on Sept. 28-29 and Oct. 5-6 is a pre-show tour tremely fun to land full of class at 6:20 p.m. about the history of the Old Fort. find those suband societal extleties,” she pectations,” she said. said. The actress added that the conseIn the story, the younger Dashwood is quences for women stepping “out of the sensitive, more emotional sister who bounds” and not meeting expectations feels everything deeply, which Gomar have a great deal to do with the character strived to portray. “In this role, the most and the play’s central theme. challenging piece for me has been creating Merely Players frequently uses unique a genuine portrayal of (Marianne’s) varying venues in which to stage their remarkable sentiments while remaining true to her un- productions, and “Sense & Sensibility” is no derlying essence,” she remarked. different. It will be performed in the old Ironically, Gomar has worked with al- Fort Lewis Library building in Hesperus. most everyone in the cast except McAlvany, Wood Patterson gushed about the who plays her older sister, Elinor. “We got venue. “It’s a gorgeous, open space with lucky, because even though we didn’t know beautiful windows and imbued with his-

Jason Lythgoe, Geoff Johnson and Mady Brand rehearse a scene. The play opens Friday night but tickets are going fast for the intimate venue./Photo by Stephen Eginoire tory,” she said. “And we are using ‘alley staging’ with audiences on two sides.”

Audience members who attended Merely Players’ “Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery” in a barn off Farmington Hill will recall how delightful such found space can be.

Theater lovers familiar with the use of a chorus in Greek tragedy to narrate key elements of the play will recognize Hamill’s incorporation of “gossips.” In this play, they represent the immense societal pressure that Edwardian people faced and help advance the story. Wood Patterson acknowl-

telegraph

edged that gossips commenting on everyone and everything is still sadly relevant to today, exacerbated even more so by social media.

There are 45 scene shifts and two acts in the play, but almost no set design. Periodstyle costumes were done by JoAnn Nevils with choreography by Jessica Jane Harris.

Referring to her approach to the space, the number of scene changes and the cast, Director Wood Patterson said she calls her approach “active storytelling.”

“It was a fun challenge to put this all together,” she said. n

Sept. 27, 2018 n 15

FlashinthePan

The best tomato ever

by Ari LeVaux

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t the farmer’s market this spring, I found myself gushing to a grower friend about dryfarmed tomatoes. Dryfarming is a practice that’s been popular in California and parts of the East Coast for years, and is now spreading – even to the dry, high plains of Montana.

Not just tomatoes, but melons, squash, potatoes and many other crops can be dry farmed – that is, grown without any supplemental irrigation. In the case of California, not a drop of rain or puff of fog touches the plants all summer, and still they produce. It sounds impossible, and the produce, accordingly, is impossibly delicious, I told my farmer friend. He nodded impatiently.

“Hang on a sec,” he said in an impish Jersey accent and scuffled to a tray of tall, spindly tomato plants in 4-inch pots. “Plant this where it won’t get any water and tell me what happens.”

“What variety?” I asked in vain.

This farmer, who I will call Steve, is secretive, grouchy and loath to discuss any of his practices, beyond assuring you that his produce is “clean.”

“Is it an Early Girl?” I pressed. Silence. It may as well have been called “crickets.”

Most dryfarmed tomatoes are Early Girls, a variety introduced as the Better Boy in the early 1970s by PetoSeed, purchased by Burpee and rebranded as the Early Girl. It was then acquired by Seminis seed company, which was acquired by Monsanto, which was acquired by Bayer.

Dryfarmed Early Girls look like the most normal tomato you can imagine. They are perfectly red round orbs, the size of a tennis ball, an emoji symbol of a tomato. When you take your first bite, the skin is tough and leathery, and requires more force than usual to pierce. You’d better be leaning forward when your teeth finally break through, because what happens next is explosive. There seems to be more water inside than the total volume of the tomato could mathematically hold, and five times the intensity of flavor.

It was a cool spring day when I brought home Steve’s little plant. I had a lot of things to put away, so I stashed

the little pot in a sunny spot by the shed, and proceeded to completely forget about it until, months later, I was weed whacking a tangle of plants by the shed and this 4inch pot flew out of the bramble. I grabbed the pot, intent to shake out the dirt and toss it, when I noticed a freshly whacked stump protruding from the dry, cracked dirt. Darn, I thought, Steve’s tomato plant. I was about to toss it when I noticed the severed stem revealed an angry shade of green inside. I reconsidered.

I learned what I know about dryfarmed tomatoes while researching a story on the subject for National Geographic (hey there, bucket list). I toured several dryfarm tomato fields in California, and they are a sight to behold. The young seedlings had been transplanted when the soil was still wet from the winter rains; when I showed up, six dry months later, the fields were full of yellow, dead looking plants that hung from their trellises like scarecrows, each plant weighted down by multiple bright red orbs.

I looked at my little green weed-whacked plant stub and thought about those tough plants. It was late July, but I planted it. It sprouted leaves, almost before my eyes, and grew to about a foot tall before flowering. Today it sports a single, round, green tomato.

At farmer’s market, I told Steve the story of his abandoned, battered plant. Instead of being impressed by its toughness he scolded me for being such a bad foster parent to a tomato plant. He still wouldn’t admit to it being an Early Girl, but he didn’t deny it either.

And then, on the side of his display, away from the myriad multicolored heirloom tomatoes that his customers adore, I noticed a box of pedestrian looking round ones. He acknowledged they were of the plant he’d given me, but still wouldn’t say if it was an Early Girl. I bought the box and took it to the lab.

One thing about dry farmed Early Girls, that tough skin holds moisture and keeps out infection and other agents of spoilage, so they last a long time. After my trip to the dryfarm tomato fields, I went camping on the coast, and those tomatoes lasted for a week before I took the remainder home. They retained their juiciness and flavor.

When it comes to preparing a dryfarmed tomato for eating, it almost doesn’t matter what you do. The hard and most important part is acquiring some, and the best way to do so is to ask around. It worked for me in the high valleys of Montana, and it could work where you live too.

Due to their extra tomatoey flavor, if you do tomatoey things with them, the results will taste even more so.

Slice them, sprinkle with salt, drizzle with XVOO, place on a piece of soft mozzarella, garnish with a leaf of basil.

If you do all of the above, that’s bruschetta, with or without the garlic bread.

I made oven-roasted tomato sauce with vodka, tomato cucumber salad, and the most dazzling Clamato you ever sipped. I dehydrated a few trays of slices and quarters and marinated some in vinaigrette.

Here’s an easy little technique that will keep your diners very happy.

Roasted Tomato Juice Bruschetta As tomatoes broil, they release water. All too often, that water evaporates and condenses into a thick, delicious, tangy orange reduction that quickly burns into a black splotch on the cookie sheet. The beauty of this recipe is that the sauce is absorbed by slices of bread as they toast.

Ingredients: Early Girl or similarly sized tomatoes, cut into quarters Slices of a good crusty bread Balls of soft mozzarella, sliced Fresh basil Olive oil Salt Garlic powder Fresh garlic, crushed Butter (optional) Set the tomatoes on a baking tray, with a sliced side down. Sprinkle with salt and garlic powder, drizzle with olive oil and a few pieces of crushed garlic. Broil, about six inches below the fire. As the wedges collapse and release their juices, place pieces of bread among them to soak it up. Put a little pad of butter atop each bread slice, if you wish. When the slices brown, turn them over.

Scoop tomatoes from the pan and lay them on top of the slices, and broil until the bread slices are almost toasted.

Pull off the tomato skins for a smoother outcome if you wish, and lay the mozzarella slices atop the tomatoes.

Close the oven door one last time and turn off the heat, allowing the cheese to slowly melt.

When melted, serve the cheesy, tomato-soaked slices, garnished with basil, a shake of salt and another drizzle of olive oil.

It’s kind of like pizza, kind of like bruschetta, and a very tasty way to eat a tasty tomato. n

Stacked Rock Kennels Board-Train-Counsel (5 miles north of Mesa Verde National Park)

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telegraph

TopShelf

Double golds, Led Zep reincarnate and the 70s

by Chris Aaland

blowing early years to long-lost acoustic favorites to progressive, late-era gems. The dance floor will be open. fter being shut out at the 2017 Great American Beer FestiMy Telegraph colleague and pop culture aficionado Lainie Maxval, Durango craft brewers stood atop the podium again in son calls Vanilla Pop “the greatest wedding band in the world,” 2018. At last weekend’s drunkfest in Denver, Ska won gold which is high praise for someone who keeps GNR’s “Appetite for for its Oktoberfest in the Vienna-Style Lager category, and SteamDestruction,” the Sex Pistols’ “Never Mind the Bollocks,” Skid works did the same with its Colorado Kölsch in the German-Style Row’s eponymous debut and Cat Stevens’ “Mona Bone Jakon” in Kölsch category. heavy rotation on her record player. Such accolades are rare from Ska listed their newly released Oktoberfest when filling out the Lainie. Vanilla Pop plays the Animas City Theatre on Saturday original festival entry form, but were caught off-guard when it night, with doors opening at 8. The duo, which consists of Al came time to ship the comDente and Lester Moore, is petition beers and they had a Vegas-style lounge act none. “The beer was so popthat’s part satire and all ular that we sold through it fun. Everything from ’40s before we had a chance to standards to disco hits, hold any back to ship,” Krisand ’80s classics to TV ten Muraro, Ska’s sales and themes is fair game, with a marketing director, said. “I few rap numbers thrown had to run to the liquor in for good measure. store to buy one of the last They’re one of the most six-packs in Durango to sought-after bands in the ship to the competition.” entire Land of EnchantOktoberfest remains ment. on tap at Ska’s World HeadThe ACT welcomes a quarters in Bodo Park and pair of bands from vastly will return again next fall. different genres Friday Hopefully they’ll brew more night when Atomga and next year, because I was limDragondeer perform. ited to just one six-pack beThe headliners, Atomga, fore stores ran out. It’s won the Best Multi-Genre crafted with 100 percent Fresh off Telluride Blues and Brews, Denver’s Dragondeer opens for Band at the 303 Awards German-sourced Munich this year, blending Atomga at the ACT on Friday night. and Vienna malts that imAfrobeat and Afrofunk. part the obvious nutty, toasty flavors one seeks in an Oktoberfest, With 10 musicians – including a three-person horn section and a balanced with Noble hops. trio of percussionists – Atomga can also tackle rock, jazz, hip-hop Colorado Kölsch continued its impressive run at major beer and classical. They’ve shared the stage with the likes of Femi Kuti festivals by earning its first gold. It previously had earned GABF & the Positive Force and Sean Kuti & Egypt 80. Dragondeer is a silvers in 2007 and 2010, adding a silver at the 2008 World Beer Denver-based psychedelic blues outfit that’s garnered huge reCup and a silver (2009) and bronze (2008) at the Australian Intersponse at Telluride Blues & Brews recently. They’ve played with a national Beer Competition. diverse group of artists including Drive-By Truckers, Nathaniel “It’s a light, crisp ale with a hint of sweetness, and it’s very reRateliff & the Night Sweats, Leon Russell and many others. freshing,” Steamworks co-founder Brian McEachron said. “The Then at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, hip-hop takes center stage at the credit for the Kölsch and all our award-winning beers definitely ACT with Frameworks, plus an undercard of Koresma, Feverkin goes to our master brewers Ken Martin and Spencer Roper.” and the Monogahela. Frameworks is led by UK-based performer “The Colorado Kölsch continues to build an impressive repuand producer Matthew James Brewer. tation across the state, and earning this award confirms that it is Happy 70th birthday to local guitar hero Larry Carver! He true to its style and can stand side-by-side with any Kölsch out of and his buddy, former Pine Needle Mountaineering owner Keith Germany,” added Steamworks co-founder Kris Oyler.

Roush, celebrate their 70ths at Roush-CarverFest 70 from 1-6 The best part of Durango’s recent plundering of the GABF booty? p.m. Sunday at Ska. The event is an all-day, pro-musician jam feaYou can still stock your fridge with the winners. Kölsch is available turing the likes of Carver’s band, Black Velvet, plus contempoyear ’round, while Oktoberfest is available in any number of grabraries like Kirk James and Ben Gibson. and-go refillable containers at Ska’s World Headquarters.

Lawn Chair King Erik Nordstrom continues his Erik & Friends Congratulations are also in order for Durango Craft Spirits, series from 5-7 p.m. Sunday at Mancos Brewing Co. when Melinda which won a silver at the North American Bourbon & Whiskey Lutz joins him. “I met Melinda years ago through the Pagosa festiCompetition in New Orleans for its Cinder Dick Colorado val scene and have always been impressed with her,” said NordStraight Bourbon Whiskey. Though he’s a newcomer (the first bar- strom. Lutz is a flat-picking acoustic guitarist and vocalist who rels were tapped last December), Dick had already scored silver at played in Bluegrass Cadillac for six years. She’s recently been spotted the American Distilling Institute’s 2018 event and bronze at the in various Americana duos and trios in Pagosa Springs.

Denver International Spirits Competition.

Of note: the Garrett Young Collective plays the Wild Horse If you missed Robert Plant’s epic set at Telluride Blues & Brews Saloon at 8 p.m. Friday; and Wild Country gets crazy at the a few weeks ago (I streamed KOTO’s radio broadcast), you can still Wild Horse at 8 p.m. Saturday.

Get the Led Out at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Community Concert The best thing I heard this week is the 68th album from naHall. From the bombastic and epic to the folksy and mystical, tional treasure Willie Nelson, “My Way.” It’s a collection of GTLO captures the essence of the recorded music of Led Zeppelin Willie’s interpretations of Frank Sinatra classics. Sound crazy? and brings it to the concert stage. The Philly-based group, comMany argue that 1978’s jazzy “Stardust” was the finest record of prised of six accomplished musicians (Led Zep only had four, of the Red Headed Stranger’s career. course), covers all eras of the legendary band, from the mindFill my heart with song? Email me at chrisa@gobrainstorm.net.n

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Sept. 27, 2018 n 17

onthetown

Thursday27

Gary Walker performs, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Jean-Pierre Restaurant & Wine Bar, 601 Main Ave.

Twin Buttes Farm Stand, 3-6:30 p.m., Twin Buttes Farm, Highway 160.

Here to Hear: Office Hour with City Councilor Dick White, 9-10 a.m., Steaming Bean, 900 Main Ave.

“Life Sustaining Technologies: Pros and Cons,” part of the Life Long Learning Lecture Series, 7 p.m., Noble Hall at Fort Lewis College, Room 130.

STEAM Lab: Gravity Painting, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Durango Public Library.

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

Robby Overfield performs, 7 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave.

Beginner Tai Chi, 9:15-10:15 a.m., Durango Senior Center, 2424 Main Ave.

Lacey Black performs, 7-10 p.m., Golden Block Brewery in Silverton, CO. 387-5962.

​ aby Meetup Thursdays with Durango Café au Play, B 9:30-11:30 a.m., 2307 Columbine. durangocafeauplay.org.

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

Yoga Flow, 8 a.m., Pine River Library.

Baby Meetup, 9:30-11:30 a.m., Columbine House at Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 419 San Juan Dr.

Friday28 San Juan Mountain Bike and Beer Festival, Sept.

28-30, Purgatory Resort. www.purgatoryresort.com.

Little Artists, for toddlers and preschoolers, 10:30 a.m., Pine River Library in Bayfield.

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

Toddler Storytime, 10:30-11 a.m., Durango Library.

Stillhouse Junkies perform, 7-9 p.m., Durango Craft Spirits, 1120 Main Ave.

DJ P.A., 8:30 p.m., Blondies in Cortez. 739-4944.

Miniature Tree Garden Dedication, 9:30-11 a.m., Durango Public Library. durangobotanicalsociety.com.

Free Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Clinic, 9:30 a.m.noon, Durango Public Library. 247-0266.

Bayfield Farmers Market, 4:30 p.m. to dusk, along Mill Street in Bayfield.

Groove and Grow, for young children and their caregivers, 10 a.m., Pine River Library in Bayfield.

Lactation Support Fridays, 10 a.m.-noon, Prenatal Yoga, noon-1 p.m., Durango Café au Play, 1309 E. 3rd Ave., Room 201. 749-9607 or durangocafeauplay.org.

Durango Green Drinks, hosted by Citizen’s Climate Lobby, 5-6:45 p.m., Carver Brewing Co., 1022 Main Ave.

Caregiver Café, open playtime, 10:30 a.m., Pine River Library in Bayfield.

Leah Orlikowski performs, 5-7 p.m., Ska Brewing.

Liberty School Ribbon-Cutting Celebration, 5-7 p.m., 3107 Western Ave.

Preschool Storytime, 10:30-11 a.m., Durango Public Library.

Ragtime Piano with Terry Hartzel, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave.

Intermediate Tai Chi, 10-11 a.m., every Friday, Durango Senior Center, 2424 Main Ave.

Sitting Meditation, 5:30-6:15 p.m., Durango Dharma Center, 1800 E. 3rd Ave.

Immigrant Women in Colorado, presented by the Sexual Assault Services Organization, noon-1 p.m., The Commons, 701 S. Camino del Rio. 259-3074.

Meet the Author: Rebecca Clarren, author of Kickdown, 6:30 p.m., Maria’s Bookshop, 960 Main Ave. www.mariasbookshop.com.

Senior Center Outreach, hosted by Pine River Library, 12:30 p.m., Pine River Senior Center in Bayfield.

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Atomga performs, guest appearance from Dragondeer, 9:30 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Drive. www.animascitytheatre.com.

Saturday29

Open Art Studio, 10 a.m., Ignacio Library. 563-9287.

Happy Hour Community Fruit Glean, bring bags and boxes to take home extra fruit, 4:30 p.m., meet in front of the Smiley Building Café, 1309 E. 3rd Ave. rachel@goodfoodcollective.org.

& $$$

“Duranium: The Legacy of Uranium Mining in Durango” screening, 7 p.m., Sunflower Theatre in Cortez. www.sunflowertheatre.org.

Old Dog Tre performs, 8 p.m., Billy Goat Saloon.

Farmers Market, 4-8 p.m., Three Springs Plaza.

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Bob Maccarni performs, 7 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave.

Get the Led Out, 7:30 p.m., Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College. www.durangoconcerts.com.

Zumba Gold, 9:30-10:15 a.m., La Plata Senior Center, 2424 Main Ave.

“Doc Swords,” PTSD Social Club for Veterans, 4-6 p.m., VFW, 1550 Main Ave.

#!

Friday Night Funk Jam with Bootyconda, 6-9 p.m., Moe’s Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Free yoga, 8:30-9:30 a.m., Lively Boutique, 809 Main.

“Explore Mesa Verde with a sketchbook” with Artist in Residence JanyRae Seda, 1-3 p.m., meet at Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum.

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

Ragtime Piano with Terry Hartzel, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave.

Durango Brew Train, Sept. 29, Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. www.durangotrain.com.

Fall Blaze Bicycle Tour, ride begins 8 a.m.; post-ride party 11 a.m.-5 p.m., clock tower at Fort Lewis College. www.fortlewis.edu.

Durango Farmers Market, 8 a.m.-noon, featuring music from Pete Giuliani, First National Bank parking lot, 259 W. 9th St. www.durangofarmersmarket.com.

Original Bayfield Market, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Roadside Park in Bayfield.

“Embracing Your Inner Superhero – Meeting the Emotional Challenges of the Cancer Journey with Skill, Resilience and Compassion” workshop, sponsored by Blueprints of Hope, 8:45 a.m.-1 p.m., Durango Public Library. www.blueprintsofhope.org.

Drop-in Tennis, all ages, 9 a.m., Durango High School courts. www.durangotennis.com.

ICL MakerSpace, 10 a.m., Ignacio Library. 4

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Henry Stoy performs, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Jean-Pierre Café, 601 Main Ave. 570-650-5982.

VFW Flea Market, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., 1550 Main Ave. National Conference for College Women Student Leaders luncheon, hosted by American Association of University Women Durango, 11:30 a.m., Doubletree Hotel.

Pete Giuliani Band performs, part of the San Juan Mountain Bike Festival, 2-5 p.m., Purgatory Resort.

MakerLab 1st Anniversary Party, 3-10 p.m., Powerhouse Science Center, 1333 Camino del Rio. Bread for Manna, annual fundraiser, 5-7:30 p.m., Manna Soup Kitchen, 1100 Avenida Del Sol. 385-5095.

Ragtime Piano with Terry Hartzel, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave. Lacey Black performs, 7-10 p.m., Mancos Brewing Co. Blue Lotus Feet Kirtan, 7:30-9:30 p.m., YogaDurango, Florida Road.

Wild Country performs, 8 p.m., Wild Horse Saloon, 601 E. 2nd Ave., Suite C. Prom Night with Vanilla Pop, 9:30 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Drive. animascitytheatre.com.

Sunday30 Durango Wine & Rails, Sept. 30, Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. www.durangotrain.com.

Tri the Rim Sprint Triathlon, 9 a.m., Fort Lewis College. www.durangotriclub.org Henry Stoy performs, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Jean-Pierre Café, 601 Main Ave. 570-650-5982.

Dance the night away: Prom with Vanilla Pop What: Prom Night with Vanilla Pop When: 9 p.m., Sat., Sept. 29 Where: Animas City Theatre Tickets: $22/advance; $25/ day of Bust out the big hair, taffeta, tiaras, wine coolers and frilly tux shirts – it’s prom night in Durango. And who better to host the festivities than New Mexico’s own sultans of swagger, Vanilla Pop? This Saturday, the local favorites – Al Dente and Lester Moore (which we’re pretty sure aren’t their real names) – return to the Animas City Theatre with their Vegas-style lounge act. Indisputably the “most awesome-est dance band you will ever see,” the two will whip prom goers into a frenzy with everything from ’80s hits to ’40s classics, disco standards and a few TV themes and rap (what they used to call hip hop before it was hip hop) numbers to tie it all together.

Originally from New York City and a 25-year resident of Taos, Al is an established keyboard player and experienced actor (including roles in “Fame,” “Hair” and several Off Broadway flops). He studied music and drama at New York’s High School of Per-

forming Arts and continued to refine his talents at the State University of New York for several years afterward.

When not touring with his lounge act, he’s also involved in putting on the Taos Solar Music Festival.

Lester, hailing from At“please-don’t-call-it-hot”lanta, brought his guitar and ridiculous falsetto to New Mexico in the fall of 2000.

His previous credits include several indie film scores as well as longstanding success with his other band, Fancy.

Without a doubt the “best bass player in the world,” Lester’s finely tuned style is stolen, er influenced, by the likes of the Beatles, Leonard Cohen, Radiohead and David Bowie.

Since forming 15 years ago, Vanilla Pop has won “Best of Albuquerque” five times. In addition to having the best moustaches in the biz, the duo is proud to be the Southwest’s most sought-after band not just for proms, but weddings, bar-mitzvahs, reunions, corporate events, birthdays and, yes, the occasional hotel lounge.

For tickets, go to: www.animascitytheatre.com.

ICL MakerSpace, 11 a.m., Ignacio Community Library.

Irish Jam, 12:30-4 p.m., Irish Embassy, 900 Main Ave. “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” presented by National Theatre Live Productions, 1 p.m., also shows 11 a.m., Oct. 13, Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Drive. www.animascity theatre.com.

Roush-CarverFest 70, celebrating the 70th birthdays of Keith Roush and Larry Carver, featuring live music and more, 1-6 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St. Four Corners Rainbow Youth Center afternoon music and cocktails, with Caitlin Cannon and Denae Stucka-Benally, 2-4 p.m., Rochester Secret Garden, 726 E. 2nd Ave.

Melinda Lutz and Erik Nordstrom perform, 5-7 p.m., Mancos Brewing Co.

Ragtime Piano, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle, 699 Main.

Classic Movie Monday, 7 p.m., Pine River Library.

Blue Moon Ramblers, 7 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Monday01 Champion Tree Hike in the 416 burn area, hosted by the San Juan National Forest, lower Hermosa campground to Dutch Creek. Space is limited. Register at gfitzger ald@fs.fed.us or 385-1219.

Yogalates, 9 a.m., Pine River Library in Bayfield.

telegraph

Learn to Square Dance, with Wild West Squares, 78:30 p.m., Florida Grange, 656 Hwy 172. 903-6478.

Tuesday02 Bike and Hike in the 416 burn area, hosted by the San Juan National Forest, from upper Hermosa trailhead to burn perimeter and into burn area. Space is limited. Register at gfitzgerald@fs.fed.us or 385-1219.

More “On the Town” p. 204

Sept. 27, 2018 n 19

AskRachel Interesting fact: I have no problem with the Amish, but the faceless dolls associated with them are the stuff of horror films. They’re believed to deter against pride and vanity. Yup, horror films.

Dear Rachel, What is with the sudden influx of Amish-ish people (as evidenced by straw hats, white button up shirts, suspenders, etc.) around town lately?

First, I saw them at City Market, then at the Rec Center pool and then over the weekend, they were zipping around my neighborhood on their pedal scooter contraptions. Doesn’t Durango seem like a strange place for a small religious sect that eschews modern society, gluttony and all its sordid slovenly trappings (i.e. weed, alcohol, Snowdown) to settle? Or is it a front for something else and they’re really just casing my house so they can rob me when I go to work?

– Witness Dear Protection Program, I have to know: how did you know they were Amishish people at the Rec Center pool? Did they wear straw swim caps and white button-up shirts? Did you watch them change in the dressing room – and if so, please tell me what kind of underwear Amish-ish people wear? Because these are mysteries to me. We don’t get many Amish-ish people here. We don’t get comfortable riding on subways with them or seeing them on the streets. So I don’t know how I’d react. But I know I wouldn’t just assume they are criminals on sight.

– Amish-ish are people too, Rachel

OntheTown

Dear Rachel, I’m not much of a sports nut, but I like to think I have my finger on what’s insensitive behavior. I saw recently that the Baltimore Orioles used braille on their jerseys to spell out the team and player names. And I’m genuinely torn. Is this helpful exposure for the blind community?

Or, seeing as blind people don’t actually get to touch the jerseys, is this gesture well-intentioned but utterly stupid?

– Leading the Blind Dear Lack of Vision, I did some research for this answer (gasp! I know).

Turns out the jerseys were made in recognition of the 40th anniversary of the National Federation of the Blind moving their national headquarters to Baltimore. But we’re missing the bigger picture here: maybe the jerseys were actually made for the sake of the umpires, who get asked all the freaking time if they are blind.

– Gonna get fan mail for that one, Rachel Dear Rachel, I just want to say that I completely understand why people wear earbuds on the river trail. Some people need their inspirational podcasts, and others need that beat to motivate their workout. But, it’s also incredibly stupid.

You’re right next to nature, but you’re blocking yourself from it. Not to mention that you can’t hear bikers and skateboarders and others trying to announce their presence to avoid running over you. So what gives with the earbuds?

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

Email Rachel at telegraph@durangotelegraph.com Dear Plugged Up, I too fail to understand the need for earbuds on the river trail. But, so long as they’re not drifting across the yellow line, are they really hurting anybody? The alternative, I suppose, is for us all to go Amish-ish. But I refuse to commit to that lifestyle until I get an answer on the undergarments.

– Can you hear me, Rachel Phyllis Stapler’s “True Myths,” thru September, Sorrel Sky Gallery, 828 Main Ave. 247-3555.

from p. 19 Beginner Tai Chi, 9:15 a.m., Durango Senior Center.

Toddler Tuesdays, 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., Durango Café au Play, 1309 E. 3rd Ave., Room 201.

Zumba Gold, 9:30-10:15 a.m., Durango Senior Center.

Baby Storytime, 2-2:30 p.m., Durango Public Library.

Smiley Farmers Market, 3-6 p.m., 1309 E. 3rd Ave. Twin Buttes Farm Stand, 3-6:30 p.m., Twin Buttes.

Teen Time! 3:30 p.m., Pine River Library in Bayfield.

Drop-in Tennis, all ages, 4 p.m., Fort Lewis College.

Ragtime Piano, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle, 699 Main.

Community Uke Jam, 6 p.m., Pine River Library.

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

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

Wednesday03 Morning Meditation, 8 a.m., Pine River Library.

Free Kids Yoga with Joy Kilpatrick, ages 3-7, 9-9:45 a.m., Pediatric Associates, 1199 Main Ave., Suite 205.

Beginning Watercolors, 9:30 a.m., Open Watercolor Studio, 1:30 p.m., Pine River Library in Bayfield. 884-2222.

Tai Chi, 10:30 a.m., Durango Senior Center, 2424 Main.

20 n Sept. 27, 2018

Teen Café, for grades 6-12, 2 p.m., Ignacio Library.

Floor Barre Class, 3-4 p.m., Absolute Physical Therapy, 277 E. 8th Ave. 764-4094.

Aztec Farmers Market, 4:30-7 p.m., Westside Plaza parking lot in Aztec.

“The Silver Thread,” thru Oct. 27, Friends of the Arts Gallery at Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. “Living with Wolves” photographic exhibit, “Lummi Nation Bear Totem Pole” and “Riders of the West,” exhibits, thru Nov. 30, Southern Ute Museum, 503 Ouray Drive.

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

Animas City Farmer’s Market & Night Bazaar, 5-7 p.m., 2977 Main Ave. Ragtime Piano, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle, 699 Main.

Pub Quiz, 6:30 p.m., Irish Embassy, 900 Main Ave. Terry Rickard performs, 7 p.m., The Office, 699 Main.

Upcoming 30th Durango Cowboy Poetry Gathering Oct. 4-7, poetry readings, performances, parade, concerts and more. www.durangocowboygathering.org Manhattan Shorts Film Festival, Oct. 4-5, Animas City Theatre; Oct. 6, Sunflower Theatre in Cortez.

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

Karaoke with Crazy Charlie, 8 p.m.-close, Wild Horse Saloon, 601 E. 2nd Ave. Geeks Who Drink Trivia, 8:30 p.m., BREW Pub & Kitchen, 117 W. College Dr. 259-5959.

Frameworks performs, DJs Koresma, Feverkin and the Monogahela open, 9:30 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Drive. www.animascitytheatre.com.

Ongoing “Junkyard Steamroller,” runs Sept. 29, Barbara Conrad Gallery at Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. “Caught in the Mirror,” thru Sept. 29, Entrada Gallery at Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.

telegraph

“Reversing Inequality: What is the Path Forward?” with author & activist Chuck Collins, presented by Thrive! Living Wage Coalition, part of the Lifelong Learning Lecture Series, 6-8 p.m., Oct. 4, Fort Lewis College Ballroom.

“Destination Durango Paint-Out,” opening reception and exhibit 5-7 p.m., Oct. 5, Sorrel Sky Gallery, 828 Main Ave.

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): Do you have any skills at living on the edge between the light and the dark? Are you curious about what the world might look like and how people would treat you if you refused to divide everything up into that which helps you and that which doesn’t help you? Can you imagine how it would feel if you loved your life just the way it is and not wish it were different from what it is? Please note: people less courageous than you might prefer you to be less courageous. But I hope you’ll stay true to the experiment of living on the edge between the light and the dark.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): According to Popbitch.com, most topcharting pop songs are in a minor key. In light of this fact, I encourage you to avoid listening to pop songs for the next three weeks. In my astrological opinion, it’s essential that you surround yourself with stimuli that don’t tend to make you sad and blue, that don’t influence you to interpret your experience through a melancholic, mournful filter. To accomplish the assignments that life will be sending you, you need to at least temporarily cultivate a mood of crafty optimism.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gemini regent Queen Victoria (1819–1901) wore crotchless underwear made of linen. A few years ago, Britain’s Museums, Libraries and Archives Council accorded them “national designated status,” an official notice that means they are a national treasure. If I had the power, I would give your undergarments an equivalent acknowledgment. The only evidence I would need to make this bold move would be the intelligence and expressiveness with which you are going to wield your erotic sensibilities in the coming weeks.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I’ve taken a break from socializing, my fellow Cancerian. In fact, I’m on sabbatical from my regular rhythm. My goal for the coming days is to commune with my past and review the story of my life.

Rather than fill my brain up with the latest news and celebrity gossip, I am meditating on my own deep dark mysteries.

I’m mining for secrets that I might be concealing from myself. In accordance with the astrological omens, I suggest that you follow my lead. You might want to delve into boxes of old mementoes or reread emails from years ago. You could get in touch with people who are no longer part of your life even though they were once important to you. How else could you get into intimate contact with your eternal self?

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Here’s a quote from A Map of Misreading, a book by renowned literary critic, Harold Bloom: “Where the synecdoche of tessera made a totality, however illusive, the metonymy of kenosis breaks this up into discontinuous fragments.” What the cluck did Harold Bloom just say?! I’m not being anti-intellectual when I declare this passage to be pretentious drivel. In the coming days, I urge you Leos to draw inspiration from my response to Bloom. Tell the truth about nonsense.

Don’t pretend to appreciate jumbled or over-complicated ideas. Expose bunk and bombast. Be kind, if you can, but be firm.

You’re primed to be a champion of downto-earth communication.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): A data research company, Priceonomics, suggests that Monday is the most productive day of the week and that October is the most productive month of the year. My research suggests that while Capricorns tend to be the most consistently productive of all the signs in the zodiac, Virgos often outstrip them for a six-week period during the end of each September and throughout October. Furthermore, my intuition tells me that you Virgos now have an extraordinary capacity to turn good ideas into practical action. I conclude, therefore, that you are about to embark on a surge of industrious and high-quality work. (P.S.: This October has five Mondays.)

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Biologists are constantly unearthing new species, although not new in the sense of having just appeared on our planet. In fact, they’re animals and plants that have existed for millennia. But they’ve never before been noticed and identified by science. Among recent additions to our ever-growing knowledge are an orchid in Madagascar that smells like champagne, an electric blue tarantula in the Guyana rain forest, and a Western Australian grass that has a flavor resembling salt and vinegar potato chips. I suspect you’ll be making metaphorically comparable discoveries in the coming weeks, Libra: evocative beauty that you’ve been blind to and interesting phenomena that have been hiding in plain sight.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): There is no such thing as a plant that blooms continuously. Phases of withering and dormancy are just as natural as phases of growth. I bring this fact to your attention to help you remain poised as you go through your own period of withering followed by dormancy. You should accept life’s demand that you slow down and explore the mysteries of fallowness. You should surrender sweetly to stasis and enjoy your time of rest and recharging. That’s the best way to prepare for the new cycle of growth that will begin in a few weeks.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21): If you were ever going to win a contest that awarded you a free vacation to an exotic sanctuary, it would probably happen during the next three weeks. If a toy company would ever approach you about developing a line of action figures and kids’ books based on your life, it might also be sometime soon. And if you have ever had hopes of converting your adversaries into allies, or getting support and backing for your good original ideas, or finding unexpected inspiration to fix one of your not-so-good habits, those opportunities are now more likely than they have been for some time.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): An 81-year-old Capricorn named James Harrison has donated his unique blood on 1,173 occasions. Scientists have used it to make medicine that prevents Rhesus disease in unborn babies, thereby healing more than 2.4 million kids and literally saving thousands of lives.

I don’t expect you to do anything nearly as remarkable. But I do want to let you know that the coming weeks will be a favorable time to lift your generosity and compassion to the next level. Harrison would serve well as your patron saint.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): On a spring morning some years ago, a smoky aroma woke me from a deep sleep. Peering out my bedroom window into the backyard, I saw that my trickster girlfriend Anastasia had built a bonfire. When I stumbled to my closet to get dressed, I found my clothes missing.

There were no garments in my dresser, either. In my groggy haze, I realized that my entire wardrobe had become fuel for Anastasia’s conflagration. It was too late to intervene, & I was still quite drowsy, so I crawled back in bed to resume snoozing. A while later, I woke to find her standing next to the bed bearing a luxurious breakfast she said she’d cooked over the flames of my burning clothes. After our meal, we stayed in bed all day, indulging in a variety of riotous fun.

I’m not predicting that similar events will unfold in your life, Aquarius. But you may experience adventures that are almost equally boisterous, hilarious & mysterious.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I’ve got three teachings for you. 1. Was there a time in your past when bad romance wounded your talent for love?

Yes, but you now have more power to heal that wound than you’ve ever had before. 2.

Is it possible you’re ready to shed a semi-delicious addiction to a chaotic magic? Yes. Clarity is poised to trump melodrama. Joyous decisiveness is primed to vanquish ingrained sadness. 3. Has there ever been a better time than now to resolve and graduate from past events that have bothered and drained you for a long time? No. This is the best time ever.

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Sept. 27, 2018 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.

Announcements 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.

Pets Love Your Dog! At the Durango Dog Wash behind Liquor World in the Albertson’s parking lot. Open every day!

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

HelpWanted Bookseller!

Avid reader wanted to share great books with our customers. Permanent, part to full time position w/ fun, hardworking team. Must enjoy some evening & weekend shifts & chocolate. Excellent customer service & computer skills required. Management opportunities available. Applications available at Maria’s Bookshop, 960 Main Ave., and online at mariasbookshop.com deadline: Noon on Tuesday, 10/2/2018.

6th Street Liquors Hiring 6th Street Liquors is hiring. Part time evening shifts avail. Come in for an inter-

22 n Sept. 27, 2018

view between 9:30am-12:00pm Mon-Fri with resume or drop off resume. Please, no calls.

Exercise Physiologist Durango, CO. Reqs Bach deg in Exercise Sci or Physiolgy + crsewrk in physiology, kinesiology, nutrition, & testing.

Complete tsting & devlp & prscribe exercise prgms for clinic patients. Resumes: HR (Attn: DPC-1) Performance Cardiology & Durango Performance Center, 1201 Main Avenue, Suite 203, Durango CO 81301.

Buck Horn Limousine is Durango’s premier car service. We are hiring night drivers for all shifts. Must be over 21 y.o. Locally owned and operated! 970-403-6222.

Phlebotomy Certification (Blood Drawing) $350, Farmington, Oct. 27 and 28. sw phlebotomy.net, 505-410-7889.

KDUR Radio is Looking for Someone to fill the community member position on our Community Advisory Board.

This person should live in La Plata County and be a regular listener to KDUR Radio. Monthly meetings/assistance at fund-raisers and miscellaneous duties are the commitment. Interested parties email Liggett_b@fortlewis.edu Experienced Line/Prep Cook wanted at BREW Pub & Kitchen. Must be reliable with a strong work ethic and excellent knife skills. Bring resume to 117 West College Drive and fill out an application between 2pm and 4pm.

Visiting Angels of SW Colo Is now hiring compassionate caregivers to do non-medical in home care in the Durango, CO area. We are the #1 agency in the nation, we encourage and build leaders, and we take pride in caring for the elderly. If you have a heart for this kind of work, we want you! We offer incentives, bonus program, flex schedules, paid training and much more! Call us today to become an Angel Caregiver. LOVE....its what we do! Call

telegraph

970-264-5991 or go to visitingangels .com/south westcolorado to apply.

Classes/Workshops Flying Picards Studio of Music Etc. Piano, flute, ukulele, saxophone lessons. Private or group. All ages. French class. Weddings, funerals, events with flute and harp duo. Toddler music classes. Certified, experienced and fun teacher. 970-259-4383 or 970-764-7443 390 E. 12th Street. Flyingpicards725 @gmail.com 8 Week Mindful Self-Compassion 8 Thursdays starting Oct. 11 (10/11 12/6 - no class on 11/22) 5:30 - 8pm Smiley Building, #205 Sliding scale fee: $200-350 payment plan available. Contact Myoung Lee, Certified Mindfulness & MSC Teacher: MyahMindfulness@gmail.com or 970-9465379.

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

Services Fall Spray Tans! Organic & Beautiful!

Meg Bush, LMT 970-759-0199.

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

Insight Cranial Sacral Therapy Quiet, relaxing, deep. Don 970-7698389.

Fall in love with Massage!

Meg Bush, LMT 970-759-0199.

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 BMW Repair Shop for Sale Mancos CO. BMW motorcycle repair shop for sale in Mancos to an experienced BMW mechanic. Tell a friend. tedullman@ gmail.com Radon Services Free radon testing and consultation.

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

ForSale

Low Price on Storage!

Inside/outside near Durango, RJ Mini Storage. 970-259-3494.

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 massageintervention.life Voted best massage in Durango 2018.

1981 Honda Cub Motorscooter Sweet vintage ride, fully refurbished by local mechanic. Only about 6,000 miles, 70 cc, manual, new tires and battery. It runs – just not currently. Needs smallengine jedi to get her up and on the road again. $1,300 OBO. 970-749-2595.

Avail now, flexible lease options. 1st, last plus deposit of $1,000. New flooring, new fridge and microwave. Electric $100-130 per month. Pets, students ok. 4 tenants max 970-749-5828.

Durango In Town 3 BR/1 BA, new carpet, paint, W/D hook up, students welcome with ref., 1-year lease and deposit. 970-259-8117.

CommunityService Rustic Wide Board Dining Table New rustic contemporary virgin white pine wide board table and chairs, very unique, 22” wide boards, table 8’ x 3.5’, 10 chairs, 3000. Also 12’ table and 14 chairs 4,000. 920-421-4644.

Hot Tub – New 6HP pump, 50 jets. Cost $8,000. Sell $3,650. 505-270-3104.

Volunteers Needed for High School Cycling League State Championships For the first time since its founding in 2010, the interscholastic high school crosscountry mountain bike race State Championships are coming to Durango. The championships will be the weekend of Oct. 19-21. Many volunteer shifts needed, 2-3 hours. For more info, visit durangodevo.com.

ForRent

SCAPE Accepting Applications for 2019 Do you have a new business idea? Does your established business need help growing? Do you need education, mentoring and funding? SCAPE’s mission is to help launch and propel local job-producing businesses. All companies accepted into the 2019 class will be eligible for small investments to help develop the business. Apply by 12/31/18 at www.goscape.org

3 BR, 1 BA 1 Car Garage. $1,500 Bottom of duplex with garage close to town and college, Richard Dr. Fresh paint!

Grant Funding Available The Durango Area Association of Realtors is accepting grant-funding requests

Reruns Home Furnishings Back-to-school – nice variety of furniture, lamps and rugs. Kitchen island, dishes, bedding, tapestries. Vintage porch chairs.

Unique treasures arriving daily. 572 E. 6th Ave. 385-7336.

Climb aboard.

from local nonprofit organizations. Qualifying organizations must be in La Plata or San Juan counties. Preference will be given to housing and family support organizations. Deadline for submission is Sept. 30.

To fill out an application, visit www.surveymonkey.com/r/FLPGWXX. For more info, contact Audrie McGonigal at audrie@du rangorealtor.com.

Opportunity for Local Students to Study Abroad Qualified high school students can spend an academic year, semester or summer holiday in Europe, Asia, North or South America, Australia or South Africa as part of the ASSE International Student Exchange Program. Students, 15-18, qualify with academic performance, character references; and do not need to know the language. Families abroad are carefully screened. ASSE also provides opportunities for families to host students – who are screened and selected students 15-18 years old – from Spain, Mexico, Germany, Great

Britain, France, Brazil, Thailand, Japan, and more. For more info about becoming a student or host family call 800-733-2773, visit asse.com, host.asse.com or email asseus awest@asse.com.

Volunteer-Powered Program Offers Hope SASO seeks compassionate, caring people to become advocates on its 24-hour crisis hotline. Provide sexual assault survivors with support and resources to promote healing. Call Laura, 259-3074.

HaikuMovieReview ‘The Land of Steady Habits’ Certainly not the feel-good film of the year but squeamishly well done – Lainie Maxson

Get in the Guide!

Durango Telegraph Dining Guide listings include a 50-word description of your establishment and your logo for the screaming deal of just $20/week.

For info, email: lainie@durangotelegraph.com

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 pm & 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 4 is 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, Mon.- Fri. 3-6 pm & all day Sunday with $2 off beer, $1 off wines & wells & 25% off appetizers. Watch the sunset behind Smelter Mountain.

Hours: Sun.-Thurs., Noon - 9p.m., & Fri. & Sat. Noon to 10 p.m. $$

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Sept. 27, 2018 n 23

24 n Sept. 27, 2018

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