The Durango Telegraph, Aug. 5, 2021

Durango’s younger & skinnier newspaper

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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

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B E Y O N D

Under siege

Tailing off

Mystery man

Neither smoke nor heat can stop the public lands swarms p7

Durango’s lingering Uranium clean-up hits a few snags p8

The Italian master you’ve never heard of but are about to p10

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lineup

4

4 La Vida Local

It’s time for America to acknowledge the irrelevant in the room

4 Thumbin’ It

The ride is over

by David Feela

5 Word on the Street 6 Soapbox

7

7 Land Desk

Overloaded

As national park numbers surge, when is enough, enough?

8 Top Story

by Jonathan Thompson / Land Desk

10 Murder Ink 11-12 Stuff to Do

8

12 Ask Rachel

Still hot Efforts to remediate lingering uranium tailings stalls

13-14 Free Will Astrology

by Jonathan Romeo

15 Classifieds

Ear to the ground: “It smells like a belly button, but it’s beautiful.”

– Local woman enjoying the San Juan Mountains wildflower season

3-2-1, blast off!

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RegularOccurrences

Don’t freak out, The Durango Telegraph will not publish next week.

What are we going off to do, you ask? Are we trying out for the next season of “Naked & Afraid,” deep in the jungle, battling the elements as well as gymnophobia? Close. Are we headed for a week of binge-drin – I mean binge geology – at the 67th annual Four Corners Gem & Mineral Show? We wish. Or did we get selected to come aboard the next Jeff Bezos rocket launch to take a quick tour of outer space?

Yep, you actually got it.

In an unforeseen, shell-shocking move, the Telegraph staff has been chosen to go where no man… ah wait, that’s not right... to go where about 550 people have previously gone before, into the outer rims of our planet. Apparently the man who has the power and financial wherewithal to solve world hunger, yet instead chooses to take joy rides far up and away from Earth and its problems, has chosen the Telegraph to be the official paper of record for the cosmos. We’re excited, but also not looking forward to the lack of bathroom breaks.

So alas, we won’t publish next week. Being in space, we won’t have internet or cell service, so sorry, don’t call or email, we can’t hear you.

Hopefully, when we come back for the Aug. 19 issue, we’ll have whole new perspectives on how to solve climate change and address workforce shortages, or whether we should just abandon the whole planet and live on one of Bezos’ floating space colonies.

See you in two weeks.

Get meow of here 15 Haiku Movie Review

10

On the cover: Regular Telegraph cover boy Allen Riling makes an up-close inspection of the vishnu schist on a recent trip down Utah’s Westwater Canyon./ Photo by Stephen Eginoire

Mystery man

You can say you heard Andrea Camilleri’s name here first

boilerplate

by Jeffrey Mannix

EDITORIALISTA: Missy Votel missy@durangotelegraph.com

STAR-STUDDED CAST: David Feela, Rob Brezsny, Clint Reid, Jeffrey Mannix and Jonathan Thompson

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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.

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In other news, Meow Wolf announced the long-awaited opening date of its new Denver location – Sept. 17 – which will go under the name of “Convergence Station.”

Meow Wolf was first established as an arts and entertainment group in 2008, and then blew up on the mainstream in 2016 soon after it opened its “immersive art” installation “House of Eternal Return” in Santa Fe, where one can fall through the proverbial rabbit hole (with an entrance fee) and be transported into an Alice in Wonderlandlike world, albeit with more children running around.

Meow Wolf opened another art space, Omega Mart, in Las Vegas earlier this year, too. Its Denver location will employ more than 150 workers and includes a 450-person music venue and café, according to The Denver Post. It will also be the largest of Meow Wolf’s art spaces at 90,000 square feet.

Speculation still remains, however, over the theme at Meow Wolf’s Denver location. Our suggestion? Pick and choose (or feel free to make your own!): • An upside down Colorado with no drought or wildfire smoke and affordable housing for normal people.

• The Bezos’ Solar System, a planetarium experience where you can also get screwed by a weird rich guy.

• Class War Simulation. It will be sad, sure, but they’ll also serve alcohol, the great unifier.

• A giant Coors can.

Aug. 5, 2021 n

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opinion

LaVidaLocal The irrelevant in the room It’s the obvious problem we all can see but refuse to talk about. This time it’s a Republican-branded beast, depicted as an elephant since 1874.

Civil War soldiers used the expression of “seeing the elephant” to mean they had seen combat, until the political cartoonist Thomas Nast used an elephant among a menagerie of other animals to signify the Republican vote. The image stuck. Since then the elephant hasn’t left the room.

Populist movements – often personality driven – tend to lose their spark once that personality has left the stage. I hope this turns out to be the case for our nation’s recent experiment with authoritarian rule. That experience has surely been a failure, but occasionally a movement lingers after the big top gets packed away. We may have inherited the herd.

There’s no better place to start discussing a conspicuous problem than with an investigation of the Jan. 6 attack on our nation’s Capitol. Many who listened to the Senate impeachment trial say they have heard enough. But what took place Jan. 6 was orchestrated by a personality and a populist movement, and many of the actors in the drama held and continue to hold positions of power in the government alongside the Constitution they claim to represent.

Recently, conservatives in the Senate blocked the House’s attempt to form a 911-style investigation into the attack, forcing the House to approve a smaller committee by a narrow House majority with only two Republicans voting in favor. Obstruction, I’m afraid, will be the plan.

It’s obvious many conservatives don’t want to talk about Jan. 6.

They don’t want anybody to talk about it. They want the country to “move on,” stop blaming and pointing the finger. Stop worrying about it. So let me do just that, move on and try to figure out why that elephant won’t leave the room.

According to NPR, data compiled by the Gun Violence Archive reported 189 people killed with 516 (including two police officers) injured in shootings over the 4th of July weekend. The shootings overwhelmingly took place in Chicago, Texas, Virginia and Ohio. And that’s just the casual holiday slaughter disclosure, not the mass shootings we’ve grown so accustomed to hearing about. The problem with gun violence is, as they say, “in our face,” but gun legislation has been consistently defeated. Proposed laws in a dozen red states seek to nullify any federal

gun-control measures, allowing local police to stop enforcing existing federal laws. Texas, for example, just passed an open-carry gun law that takes effect Sept. 1, allowing Texans to carry handguns without any license or even proof of basic training.

Also, let me mention our nation’s health, because over a half million Americans have died from contracting the COVID virus. CDC guidelines have been asking citizens for more than a year to wear a mask for personal and public safety, as well as urging Americans to choose vaccination as a viable means of limiting the virus spread. These guidelines, based on an ever-changing and emerging science, have been maligned and stirred into a pot of conspiracy soup, fed to the populists as if the government is trying to control, but not protect them. It makes sense that COVID cases are rising in much of our country, but those rates are doubling in states where vaccinations have been refused, the same places where public health recommendations for safety have been ignored or inconvenient mandates quickly stripped away.

I went to the food market last week to buy a loaf of bread. My preferred brand has been sporadically out of stock, but the delivery man’s rolling carts full of new bakery items stood beside the shelves, and he was filling in the empty spaces. I thanked him for resupplying my favorite. He stood up and looked at me as if explaining to a loafer that if the Democrats would stop giving people money, America would have been back to work long ago. I wanted to remind him that stimulus payments were also approved by Republicans when they held a majority, some of those dollars even before the pandemic. Then, of course, there are permanent tax breaks received by wealthy corporations, which aren’t exactly complaining about their handouts. Jobs will always be important, but working for peanuts is only popular with elephants, creatures that supposedly never forget. It’s just their counterparts who don’t like to be reminded.

Not to mention names, but maybe it’s time for the irrelevant to get down from the elephant. You know, the one who thinks he’s still the ringleader of this political circus. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus mercifully retired its elephant acts in 2016.

Is it just a coincidence this one showed up about that same time in Washington, D.C.?

Sign of the Downfall:

Thumbin’It A lawsuit settlement that will bring $26 billion to fight the opioid crisis in Colorado, with a portion of those funds slated for the Southwest part of the state.

The creators of “South Park” trying to buy the famed Casa Bonita, which is in jeopardy after filing for bankruptcy. May the cheesy cliffs jump shows, incessantly loud Mariachi bands and horrible morning afters live on.

The City of Durango announcing plans to roll out a citywide composting program for residents in an effort to curb local emissions, of which food waste is a huge (and unnecessary) contributor.

4 n Aug. 5, 2021

– David Feela

Joe Moore and Summit Lake reservoirs in Montezuma County testing positive for toxic levels of algae. Keep pets away, clean any fish you catch and don’t drink the water (why are you even drinking the water in the first place?)

Well, here we go again: the Delta variant driving a spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations across the state and the country. Get ready for the elbow bump to make its comeback.

The shocking late-night stabbing death of a female worker at the Speedway gas station in Bayfield earlier this week.

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The Pee Pee Pants The “pee your pants challenge” is exactly what it sounds like, and it’s the newest viral trend to take over TikTok. Thus far, thousands of kids have posted videos of themselves peeing their pants along with a hashtag, which somehow makes it OK. Liam Weyer was the first user to start the “challenge” by posting a video April 21, and he did so as a parody to other challenges and to prove “how pointless they are.” But really, all Liam proved was that we took the diapers off an entire generation way too early.

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Q

With high-level competitions like beer pong glaringly missing from the Summer Games, The Telegraph asked: “What sport would you like to see in the Olympics?”

Randy

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“Wakeboarding.”

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“American-rules football.”

Corey

“Downhill mountain biking.”

Bret

“Frisbee golf.”

Julie

(*sorry for the closed eyes.)

“Lawn darts.”

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Aug. 5, 2021 n 5

SoapBox

D-Tooned/by Rob Pudim

Let the games begin (Editor’s note: This letter was sent in response to critics who called Olympic gymnast Simone Biles “unAmerican” for sitting out some of her competitions last week.)

Unfortunately, Biles has to endure inane drivel from people of lesser or no athletic ability. Simply, Biles does not need to prove anything to anybody! She already has.

– Martin Carlson

Fracking fluid & PFAS Last month the New York Times ran an article that highlights what scientists and the oil and gas industry have known for decades: fracking fluid contains life-threatening toxins that have polluted most humans and non-human primates as well as water, air and soil. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) do not break down because of the synthetic carbon-fluorine bond. They are endocrine disruptors and carcinogens, causing preterm labor, birth defects, childhood leukemias, thyroid problems, cancer and more.

On the same day, Physicians for Social Responsibility released their epic report “Fracking with Forever Chemicals.” It documents PFAS use in more than 1,200 wells in six U.S. states. The so-called Halliburton Loophole allows these known toxins since Dick Cheney proclaimed fracking fluid “proprietary.” It is reminiscent of tobacco execs telling Congress that they did not believe that smoking causes cancer.

Here in Colorado, industry continues to deny these and other dangers of fracking despite widespread illness, death and destruction of the natural environment. In addition, air pollution from fracking makes people more susceptible to COVID. Health effects take years to show up, similar to Agent Orange, uranium mining and smoking. The EPA also lists elevated cholesterol levels as one of the health risks from PFAS. We’ve been told high cholesterol is genetic, or related to red meat consumption or lifestyle choices. Whatever the cause, high cholesterol levels boost the profit of companies that make statins, which have their own side effects. Wouldn’t prevention, through consumer protections, make more sense?

PFAS are the same chemicals that DuPont used in Teflon as documented in Mark Ruffalo’s film “Dark Waters.” Perhaps they are in our surface and groundwater as they are in Garfield County.

– Dr. Lauri Costello, Durango

“We’ll print damn near anything” The Telegraph prides itself on a liberal letters policy. We have only a few requests: letters must be limited to 750 words; and writers must “sign” letters using their real names and place of residence. Thank-you lists and personal attacks are unwelcome. Send your insights to: telegraph@durangotelegraph.com.

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LandDesk

Under siege Neither fire, smoke, nor searing heat can stop the public land swarms

by Jonathan Thompson

I

’m old enough to remember, way, way back to the days of yore, when federal officials and gateway-town chambers of commerce were wringing their hands over a nationwide decline in visitation to national parks. Over a 13-year period, visitor numbers to 58 “nature-based” national parks dropped by 7 percent, even as the nation’s population was increasing.

It was so worrisome that a few economists wrote a report on it, titled, you guessed it, “Declining National Park Visitation,” published in the Journal of Leisure Research. The authors acknowledged that the decline was partly attributable to “videophilia,” as well as “changing childhood socialization that includes less nature play.” But just as important, they concluded, was the stagnation of middle-class incomes combined with the rising cost of visiting the parks. Americans simply could no longer afford national park vacations.

Those, of course, were ancient times.

That report was published in … (checks notes) … 2014. Yes, you read correctly: Folks were freaking about a lack of people in the parks just seven years ago. We can probably check that concern off our list.

Even as the report was being published, visitation trends were swinging back upward. It might have had to do with falling gasoline prices and marketing campaigns, such as Utah’s “Mighty Five,” launched in part to reverse the decline. And the buildup to the 2016 National Park Service’s centennial celebration brought more attention to

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Cars line up on the entrance road to Arches National Park in Moab./ NPS photo the parks. By 2018, overcrowding at the parks, especially those in Utah’s Canyon Country, had become a major concern. But we hadn’t seen nothing, yet. After a brief respite during the spring of 2020, visitor numbers are surging. The same naturebased parks that were losing traffic a decade ago are now getting flooded, and neither searing heat, smoky skies, nor flash floods can drive folks away.

Visitation during the first six months of this year to the nine national parks I surveyed across the West was up by 1.4 million

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over the same period in 2019 (2020’s numbers were skewed by COVID-19). That’s saying something, considering that even back then a lot of folks – me, included – were ringing the alarms about overcrowded parks. Zion’s year-to-date numbers are up by a whopping 400,000 over 2019, which was a record at the time. More than 750,000 people swarmed Grand Teton National Park during the month of June – that’s 25,000 per day. Most worrisome to me is the 25 percent jump in visitation at Canyonlands National Park, a place that

once was considered too undeveloped to attract big numbers.

But what to do? It’s a quandary, for sure: It’s a good thing that folks are getting outside and developing a love for America’s quasi-wild places. Maybe they’ll be more inclined to fight to save those places. And yet, that love is likely to be tarnished by traffic jams and crowds. Increasing entrance fees will turn parks into preserves for the wealthy. Limiting visitor numbers may just send the overflow into adjacent public lands, where there are no rangers to keep crowds from wrecking the place.

I’m sure someone’s writing up a report analyzing the surge and trying to find solutions. In the meantime, I guess there is one way to keep visitors at bay: A massive rainstorm that turns an already negligible entrance road into a raging river, as recently happened at Chaco Canyon.

Or, you can get rid of a good portion of the water in a place where recreation depends upon it. During the first four months of this year, visitation at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area – aka Lake Powell – was down significantly. Thanks to low water levels, launching big boats is pretty much impossible.

It’s safe to assume visitation to Powell will now plummet. Me, I’m already planning my visit.

The Land Desk is a thrice-weekly newsletter from Jonathan P. Thompson, longtime journalist and author of River of Lost Souls, Behind the Slickrock Curtain, and the forthcoming Sagebrush Empire. To subscribe, go to www.landdesk.org. n

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Hours: mon - Fri 11-6 & Sat 11-5: www.jimmysmusic.supply 1239 Main Ave • 970-764-4577 telegraph

Aug. 5, 2021 n 7

TopStory

Tailing off Efforts to clean up uranium stagnates due to pandemic, lack of staging site

by Jonathan Romeo

B

ack in summer 2019, Colorado’s state health department shocked the community of Durango after releasing a list of more than 100 properties in town that were missed during the massive uranium cleanup of the 1980s. Properties that now, officials said, required immediate attention.

Two years later, however, virtually no progress has been made on the effort. According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, just 27 properties have been surveyed, and of that amount, only four had the presence of uranium tailings.

All told, in the past two years, less than one cubic yard of radioactive material has been removed. (A cubic yard, for reference, is about the size of two washing machines).

“We’ve been fortunate in that many properties didn’t have uranium mill tailings on them,” Tracie White, a remediation program manager for CDPHE, said. “But I don’t know if the magnitude of the issue has really changed one way or the other.”

Pinpointing exactly what happened to the cleanup effort involves several moving parts.

After first releasing the potential hotspot list, health officials were unable to secure a staging area in La Plata County where people could drop off waste locally. As a result, residents had only one option: drive 260 miles round-trip to the permanent storage facility in Grand Junction, which health officials said discouraged many people from undertaking remediation efforts.

And then, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, derailing and refocusing the attention of health officials locally, as well as at the state and federal level, as they worked to contain the virus’ spread.

But as the COVID-19 pandemic wanes (knock on wood, Delta), officials in La Plata County are still voicing concern that more than a hundred homes could have

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Throughout the mid-1900s, a uranium processing mill on the edge of Durango helped the U.S. government’s effort to build the first atomic bomb. But after the mill closed, the waste pile left behind posed serious environmenal and human health risks. And, to make matters worse, people started using the tailings in construction around town. Recently, health officials said about 115 properties could still be contaminated. / Photo courtesy Center of Southwest Studies uranium contamination and pose a serious health risk.

“The problem still exists,” Gwen Lachelt, a former La Plata County commissioner from 2012-20, said. “And now it’s two years later. I just worry for people who are living with these tailings, either under their homes or on their property. I worry about people’s health.”

A walk in the park If you’re new to town, and a lot of people are these days, you may be completely unaware Durango has a long and complicated history with uranium production and pollution. Walking the dog park? You might be interested to know you’re on a huge former uranium dumpsite that’s actively being monitored for radioactive ac-

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tivity. Health officials, though, maintain the area is safe.

At the height of the race to build the world’s first atomic bomb in the 1940s, the U.S. government built a mill to process uranium on the northeast side of Smelter Mountain, now the Durango Dog Park. After extracting uranium from ore, however, what’s left behind is a radioactive 4

waste product. In Durango, this waste pile grew to 1.2 million cubic yards (for reference, that’s a lot of washing machines).

Of course, the tailings pile was a huge environmental issue. On some days, winds would whip up the gray, sand-like material, and blanket town. Over the years, the pile would fail and break into the adjacent Animas River. And, the problem that remains today, people freely used the tailings for construction around town.

“People didn’t understand the real danger,” local historian Duane Smith told me in 2019. “As Durango started to expand, the easiest thing to tap were those uranium piles.”

Also, it appears the uranium tailings made the perfect year-round ski area, as local legend Dolph Kuss was captured in an iconic photo skiing down the pile, in what we hope were the first and only tracks.

People, however, continued to use the free and easy-to-work-with material for roads, driveways and the foundation of buildings and homes. It wasn’t until the environmental movement in the 1970s that potential health impacts became a serious concern. In response, Congress passed a law in 1978 to clean the worst 24 uranium sites around the country, with Durango ranking the fourth most contaminated. Throughout the 1980s, a massive, multi-million dollar effort removed an estimated 122,000 cubic yards of radioactive around town.

You missed a spot But that doesn’t mean all the potential hotspots were cleaned up. Over the years, state and federal agencies have discovered more areas around Durango with uranium tailings that slipped through the cracks of previous cleanup efforts. But, one of the biggest announcements came in summer 2019 when CDPHE said it found an additional 115 potentially contaminated properties after re-reviewing recently digitizing records from the 1990s.

In the ensuing days, the state health department sent letters to each property owner, held meetings with city and county officials, and even hosted open houses for affected residents. Though the cost of cleanup would fall on the homeowner, the main problem, state officials said, was there was nowhere residents could drop off waste for transportation to the permanent facility in Grand Junction.

In fall 2019, CDPHE proposed a temporary staging area on property owned by the Department of Transportation, south of Durango, off U.S. Highway 550, which was adamantly opposed by nearby residents and shot down by La Plata County’s Planning Commission. Then, it appears, the issue fell off the map, according to several city and county officials interviewed for this story.

“There has been nothing since CDPHE was down (for the PC meeting),” Ted Holteen, county spokesman, said. “We are just in tow with what the state wants to do. If they’re not going to do anything, then it’s out of sight, out of mind.” Not much appears to be moving on the city’s side of things, either. “We haven’t had any discussions,” City Councilor Barbara Noseworthy said. “There wasn’t much that came out of it.”

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Pictured here is local skiing legend Dolph Kuss taking a run down the uranium waste pile in Durango. Though filled with nasty materials, it apparently offered year-round skiing down its sandy slopes. / Photo courtesy Center of Southwest Studies Still a problem CDPHE’s White said Tuesday the agency spent years looking for a proper staging facility in La Plata County, and the proposed location in fall 2019 was the last potential option. “At this point, we just haven’t been able to identify any other viable properties,” she said.

As it stands, White said health officials don’t know how many of the 115 properties are actually contaminated with uranium. It would take the request of the homeowner for a survey to be conducted.

What is known, White said, are the properties were passed over in past cleanups, likely because the homeowner at the time refused work on their land, or tailings could have been relocated.

“The risk hasn’t changed,” she said. “But whether or not the tailings are there, we don’t know until we survey.”

The COVID-19 pandemic, which broke out just months after the uranium issue was brought up, also threw a wrench into plans, White said. Asked if the cleanup effort will be a priority in the future, White said, “those are things we’ll reevaluate once COVID restrictions are lifted.”

Brian Devine, with San Juan Basin Public Health, said the health implications of uranium exposure takes years to surface, increasing the risk of cancers and other diseases. And, the level of risk is also highly dependent on where the tailings are located – indoors, where vapors can be trapped, is far worse than outdoors or in well-ventilated spaces. “(The health effects are) chronic and happen over time,” Devine said. “But you can develop serious health consequences; the longer you are exposed, the bigger the risk.”

Just wanna unload As health officials searched for a local staging area in 2019, Sen. Michael Bennet and then-Rep. Scott Tipton introduced a bill that would force the U.S. Department of Energy to allow the use of the site of the capped uranium tailings pile up County Road 210, across from Lake Nighthorse.

The DOE, for its part, has denied involvement in this project and opposed use of the site, which coincidentally, is where the waste pile previously at the dog park was moved.

No one interviewed for this story knew exactly what happened to Bennet and Tipton’s bill, other than it ended up going nowhere, dying somewhere deep in the annals of the Senate and House floors. A Bennet spokeswoman said, “If CDPHE is reporting that no uranium material is being found, then there is no need for legislation at the federal level. However, if that were to change, we could renew our efforts to move legislation forward.”

SJBPH’s Devine, too, reiterated interest was lost after attempts to find a staging area fell flat in fall 2019. “Without those pieces – a repository, public awareness, survey equipment – the program kind of died off.”

Amid calls for health officials to pick the issue back up again, however, resources are in place should homeowners want to survey their property.

“We’re here for the community, no matter what happens with the staging site,” Devine said. “But we’re also supportive of a staging location in the area because we think it would increase the number of people taking action. The easier we can make it for people, the more likely people will do that to keep their families safe.” n

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MurderInk

Mystery’s most mysterious Andrea Camilleri poised to make splash after decades of relative obscurity

by Jeffrey Mannix

I

n the world of crime fiction, a few, not many, invented characters have risen to legendary status. We could list the dozen or so that have become celebrities as if they were real: Dick Tracy, created by Chester Gould; Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot; Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes; Lisbeth Salander created famously by the Stieg Larsson in his breakthrough Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; and even television’s Joe Mannix, created without my permission by Richard Levinson.

The most distinctive of all fictional police detectives is a character largely undiscovered by the majority of even the most dedicated crime fiction readers. He was created by an Italian playwright and professor of film direction from Porto Empedocle, Girgenti, Sicily. In 1994, Andrea Camilleri brought into the world Inspector Salvo Montalbano, chief of the fictional Sicilian town of Vigàta.

Camilleri has written 27 of the Montalbano novels beginning in 1994 with La Forma Dell’Acqua. This was translated into English in 2002 by the prodigiously gifted Stephen Sartarelli, of New York University, with a title you may be more familiar with, The Shape of Water, which was published by Viking Press. Sartarelli went on to translate all of Camilleri’s Montalbano mysteries and, in my opinion, elevated Camilleri’s succinct, zany yet intricate crime solving to a level many translators could not have achieved just as most mystery writers are unable to create.

Camilleri won the most distinguished compliment in the crime fiction genre in 2012 with the Crime Writer’s Association International Dagger Award.

Camilleri was born in 1925 and died at the age of 93 in 2019. The Cook of the Halcyon is Camilleri’s penultimate book, reworked from a shelved screenplay by Sartarelli and published this past March by Penguin Books. I’ve been promised that one more Montalbano book is due for release next month, and then the mystery world is back to its various mirror images and 500-page struggles.

I’m mourning the loss of Camilleri because of the loss of Montalbano. I’m losing somebody I know well and ad-

Andrea Camilleri mire. And I’m already feeling deprived of impeccable, funny, sexy, honest crime fighting by real people, and narrative uncomplicated by flashbacks and multiple narrators, and circumstances made all the more real by Sicilians of big gestures and sentimental hearts.

Camilleri has referred to Montalbano as a “serial killer of characters” – meaning Montalbano has developed a life of his own and demands great attention from his author, to the demise of other potential books and fully formed protagonists. Camilleri adds that he wrote a Montalbano novel every so often just so the character would be appeased and quieted so he could work on other stories.

The Cook of the Halcyon is not one of Camilleri’s best stories, and I suspect Sartarelli had a heavy hand cobbling it together in Italian and then in English. But Camilleri’s stories are eclipsed by his characters and quirky criminal goings-on that Montalbano exposes and extinguishes so

cleverly. I’ve read every one of Camilleri’s books, and I have a farrago of stories but clear pictures of the Vigàta police station and Montalbano’s lieutenants, Inspector Mimi Augello and Fazio, and desk sergeant Catarella. And Montalbano’s housekeeper Adelina who leaves Salvo an elaborate dinner in the oven for him every night, and longtime inamorata Livia Burlando who lives a plane ride away, and Nocolò Zito who’s Montalbano’s sometime abettor as director of the Free Channel television station.

These are recurring characters in all of Camilleri’s books, and we grow to love them and depend on them. It’s the Montalbano family we come to know, not the unpretentious stories in which they perform.

So one day in Vigàta’s harbor comes the grand yacht Halcyon, flying a Bolivian flag and with nobody aboard but the captain and a dead man.

Preceding the Halcyon’s arrival, the ne’er-do-well son of a recently deceased shipbuilder employing 200 Vigàtans, Giovanni Trincanato, is gallivanting around with an imported, lightly clad consort in an expensive Italian sports car. It is mere hours after one of the remaining factory workers, Carmine Spagnolo, has hanged himself from a beam at the shipyard.

Then Inspectors Fazio and Augello get transfer papers, and Montalbano is ordered to take his 30 days of storedup vacation, beginning at the moment of the phone call from Montelusa Central Police headquarters.

These are the kinds of madcap things Camilleri throws in the way of Montalbano, but nothing gets investigated until after he has had lunch. And in Camilleri’s books, food is the coin of the realm, to the point that a dozen or more cookbooks have been written with recipes for Sicilian dishes Salvo Montalbano relishes.

That’s all you need to know. I haven’t reviewed a Camilleri book before, I’ll confess. I’ve only lent his books to friends; I’ve always felt that he’s mine, all mine alone. But now that he’s about to be relegated to history, I’m sharing.

Don’t forget to ask Maria’s Bookshop for your 15% Murder Ink discount. This is a $16 paperback; you can’t even eat a cheap lunch for less.n

Proudly serving Fahrenheit Coffee Roasters - Come by and grab a bag!

1099 Main Ave., under the big clock Mon.- Thurs., 7:30am-3pm and Fri., 7:30am-1pm

10 n Aug. 5 2021

telegraph

StufftoDo

Thursday05

p.m., Smiley Bldg., 1309 E 3rd Ave. durangoplayfest.org.

Monday09

Purgatory Nature Hikes, 9:25 a.m.-noon. More info. at 970-715-1092.

Family Magic Show with Mysto the Magi, 7 p.m.

Fridays thru the summer, Tico Time Resort.

Author Lisa Dancing Light signs books, 4-5:30 p.m., Author Rae Randolph signs books, 5:30-7 p.m., Maria’s Bookshop, 960 Main Ave.

Cafe au Play free outdoor baby group, 10 a.m.12 p.m., 495 Florida Rd. 970-749-9607 for info.

“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” free Movie in the Park, 7:45 p.m., Buckley Park.

Four Corners Jam Festival, thru Aug. 8, Tico Time River Resort, 1 mile s. of the stateline. ticotimeresort.com

Saturday07

SkaBQ, 5 p.m., Ska Brewing HQ, 225 Girard St. High Altitude Blues, 5 p.m., Weminuche Woodfire Grill, Vallecito.

Live music, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon and The Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. The Noms play Concert Hall at the Park, 5:30 p.m.

Buckley Park.

Reeder and Spencer play, 6 p.m., Fur Trappers Steakhouse, 701 E. 2nd Ave. Live music, 6-8:30 p.m., James Ranch, Hermosa.

Trivia night 6:30-8:30 p.m., The Powerhouse, 1333 Camino Del Rio.

Deadline for “Stuff to Do” submissions is Monday at noon. To submit an item, email: calendar@durangotelegraph.com

North American Rock Garden Society opening reception, featuring speaker Craig Childs, 7 p.m., Fort Lewis College. More info at durangonargs.org “Golden Gate” play reading from Durango PlayFest, 7 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E 2nd Ave. www.durangoplayfest.org.

Joshua Mendrala plays, 7 p.m., 11th Street Station.

Beam Me Up Starlight Trivia, 7:30-9:30 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Aikido, 6 p.m., 121 W 32nd St. #B,durangoaikido.com

Durango Farmers Market, 8 a.m.-12 p.m., TBK Parking Lot, 259 W. 9th St. Kitchen Jam Band plays. th

Jacques Grant plays, 12 p.m., 11 Street Station.

Four Corners Jam Festival, thru Aug. 8, Tico Time River Resort, 1 mile south of stateline. ticotimeresort.com “Sitting & Talking” play reading for Durango PlayFest, 3 p.m., Smiley Building, 1309 E 3rd Ave. www.durangoplayfest.org.

Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon and The Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. Jack Ellis & Larry Carver, 6 p.m., Fur Trapper’s Steakhouse, 701 E. 2nd Ave. Gary Walker plays, 6-8 p.m., Dandelion Café, 725 E 2nd Ave. Disco Night, 6-9 p.m., Chapman Hill Roller Rink.

“Ghost Story” play reading for Durango PlayFest, 7:30 p.m., Smiley Building, 1309 E 3rd Ave. www.durangoplayfest.org.

Sunday08 Durango Art Market, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., 11th Street Station. www.durangocreativedistrict.org.

Geeks Who Drink Trivia, 8-10 p.m., The Roost, 128 E. College Dr.

“The Family Line” play reading from Durango PlayFest, 11 a.m., Smiley Building, 1309 E 3rd Ave. www.durangoplayfest.org.

Friday06

Four Corners Jam Festival, final day, Tico Time River Resort, 1 mile south of the stateline. ticotimeresort.com

Gary Walker plays, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Jean-Pierre Bakery & Restaurant, 601 Main Ave. Four Corners Jam Festival, thru Aug. 8, Tico Time River Resort, 1 mile s. of the stateline. ticotimeresort.com Reeder and Spencer play, 5-9 p.m., Fur Trappers Steakhouse, 701 E. 2nd Ave. Yes, No, Maybe plays, 5 p.m., Rochester Hotel’s Secret Garden, 726 E. 2nd Ave. Live music, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon and The Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

Bailey Barnes plays, 12 p.m., 11th Street Station.

Open Mic, 1 p.m., Mancos Brewery.

Live Music on the Range: Dustin Burley, 2-5 p.m., Hillcrest Golf Club.

Open Mic night, 4 p.m., Fenceline Cider, Mancos.

“Ghost Story” play reading for Durango PlayFest, 6

Tuesday10 Purgatory Nature Hikes, 9:25 a.m.-noon. More info. at 970-715-1092.

Twin Buttes Farm Stand, 3-6 p.m., Tuesdays thru October, 165 Tipple Ave., www.twinbuttesfarm.com Bingo night, 5 p.m., Fenceline Cider, Mancos.

Bitcoin Study Group, 5:30-7 p.m. Tuesdays, Zia North patio. For info., call 970-426-2464 or email bitcoinstudygroup@protonmail.com Rotary Club of Durango dinner, featured speaker Bob Griffith, retired Los Angeles radio broadcast executive, 6 p.m., Strater Hotel, 699 Main Ave. Acoustic Music Jam, 6-8 p.m. Tuesdays, Rotary Park, all instruments and singers welcome. 970-259-3408.

Live music, 6-8:30 p.m., James Ranch, Hermosa.

Wednesday11 La Plata County Fair, opening day, runs thru Aug. 15, La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave. “Fire Extinguishers: When and How to Use Them,” 5-6:30 p.m., Durango Rec Center. To sign up, contact Tosh Black with Durango Fire Protection District at tosh.black@durangofire.org or 970-382-6014.

J-Calvin plays, 5 p.m., Community Concerts in the Secret Garden at the Rochester Hotel, 726 E. 2nd Ave. Dustin Burley plays, 5 p.m., Fur Trappers Steakhouse, 701 E. 2nd Ave. Trivia night, 6 p.m., Mancos Brewery.

The Jeff Solon Jazz Duo plays, 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays thru Sept. 8, Dandelion Café, 725 E. 2nd Ave. Cristina Vane and Six Dollar String Band perform, 7 p.m., Jimmy’s Music & Supply, 1239 Main Ave.

Black Velvet Trio, 4 p.m., Wines of the San Juan, Blanco, N.M.

Laugh Therapy Presents: Sean Patton standup comedy, 7:30 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E 2nd Ave.

Author Margie Gale signs books, 5:30-7 p.m., Maria’s Bookshop, 960 Main Ave.

Thursday12

Disco Night, 6-9 p.m., Chapman Hill Roller Rink.

Friday Nights at Fire Fox Farms, 6-9 p.m., Fox Fire Farms, 5513 CR 321, Ignacio.

Meditation and Dharma Talk, 5:30-6:15 p.m.

Online at www.durangodharmacenter.org

Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon and The Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. Artikal Sound System & Sensi Trails (reggae night), 8 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College.

telegraph

La Plata County Fair, runs thru Aug. 15, La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave. Purgatory Nature Hikes, 9:25 a.m.-noon. More info. at 970-715-1092.

morestufftodo 4

Aug. 5, 2021 n 11

AskRachel

Skinny tire scorn, half-baked and Bozos in space Interesting fact: Joe DiMaggio hadn’t actually gone anywhere; Paul Simon just meant that heroes are in short supply.

Dear Rachel, The Durango Kid, Sepp Kuss, won stage 15 of the Tour de France! Durango is now receiving a lot of cycling attention we simply don’t deserve.

We have world-class mountain biking and hiking trails, beautiful rivers to raft and fish, great rockclimbing options, and a ski resort, but road biking hasn’t received any love. The city hasn’t made the necessary investments & unfortunately most drivers don’t have a clue what 3 feet of space means. Does our city have something against men in tights with shaved legs? I’m simply asking for a few bike lanes and for folks to share the road.

Come on, it’s not like I’m being unrealistic and asking for a Trader Joe’s in Durango.

– 3 feet kind of guy Dear More Like 3 Inches, We all know how guys are with measurements.

Whether it’s bench pressing or… you know… “roadside space,” you have to cut the number in half right out of the gate. Then you have to assess for aggression, bullheadedness and past deceptive history. Then you have to account for the fact that Durango and Colorado drivers are way, WAY roomier than our counterparts in literally any other state. At least our highways have shoulders to measure.

– Beep beep, Rachel

Dear Rachel, The “Great British Baking Show” is the pinnacle of Western television. And not just in the reality category. Ever since I discovered it, I’ve been salivating and dreaming about mirror glazes, sure, but I have also discovered the art of the gentle teardown. British people can be brutal! But it always sounds the same as “here is a biscuit with your tea.” How do they pull it off?

– Dry Yet Flavorful Dear Crunchy and Bland, Your letter is quite formulaic but technically successful. The layers are even, and your point finished setting before you signed off. Yet it’s uninspired. The wit is stodgy, and many readers expect a saltier approach. Even a finish with a greater kick. However, the presentation is concise, required a minimum of copyediting, and is cogent. You may remain another week.

– Cheerio, Rachel

Email Rachel at telegraph@durangotelegraph.com

Dear Rachel, I am absolutely in freaking love with the Federal Aviation Administration right now. They literally changed the rules on what it means to be an astronaut just so Jeff Bezos wouldn’t get his wings. Sure, the Virgin guy got his, but I can think of no one better to deny at the goal line than Mr. Amazon. Can we start changing the definitions for other jobs, too?

– Every Time a Bell Rings

Dear Ding-Dong, Isn’t this the way: you either can’t get 3 feet of space, or 50 miles isn’t enough. I mean, I’m not crying over Bezos; odds are he can buy his wings using an employee discount and free Prime. But I can think of a few job definitions we ought to change. Like, I think that KDUR’s Development Director ought to be responsible for selling newspaper ads.

And writing movie review haikus.

Where have you gone, Lainie Maxson, Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you, – Woo woo woo, Rachel

Family Magic Show with Mysto the Magi, 7 p.m.

Fridays thru the summer, Tico Time Resort.

Author Jon Powell signs books, 4-5:30 p.m., Maria’s Bookshop, 960 Main Ave.

Author Jonathan Thompson reads from his new book, Sagebrush Empire, 6 p.m., Rochester Hotel’s Secret Garden, 726 E. 2nd Ave.

Michael Martin Murphy plays the La Plata County Fair, 7 p.m. Tickets at www.durangoconcerts.com.

Author Heather Martinez signs books, 5:30-7 p.m., Maria’s Bookshop, 960 Main Ave.

The Sticky plays the Concert Hall at the Park, 5:30 p.m.

Buckley Park.

Saturday14

Monday16

SkaBQ, 5 p.m., Ska Brewing headquarters, 225 Girard St.

Black Velvet duo plays, 6 p.m., Dandelion Café, 725 E. 2nd Ave. Live music, 6-8:30 p.m., James Ranch, Hermosa.

La Plata County Fair, runs thru Aug. 15, 2500 Main.

Durango Farmers Market, 8 a.m.-12 p.m., TBK Parking Lot, 259 W. 9th St. Live music from Jonas Grushkin.

Trivia night 6:30-8:30 p.m., The Powerhouse, 1333 Camino Del Rio.

Music in the Park, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Buckley Park. A benefit for Young People in Recovery and Manna Soup Kitchen. Free – donations accepted.

Beam Me Up Starlight Trivia, 7:30-9:30 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

“Fun-Raiser” Dance, 1-3 p.m., Durango-La Plata Senior Center, 2424 Main Ave. Proceeds go to fight Alzheimer’s.

Geeks Who Drink Trivia, 8-10 p.m., The Roost, 128 E. College Dr.

Friday13

La Plata County Fair, runs thru Aug. 15, La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave.

Friends of the Library book sale, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Durango Public Library.

Free Legal Clinic, 4 p.m., Ignacio Public Library, 970563-9287.

Meditation and Dharma Talk, 5:30-6:15 p.m. Online at www.durangodharmacenter.org Aikido, 6 p.m., 121 W 32nd St. #B, durangoaikido.com

Tuesday17 Purgatory Nature Hikes, 9:25 a.m.-noon. More info. at 970-715-1092.

Twin Buttes Farm Stand, 3-6 p.m., Tuesdays thru October, 165 Tipple Ave., www.twinbuttesfarm.com

Farmington Hill plays, 5 p.m., Mancos Brewery.

Bingo night, 5 p.m., Fenceline Cider, Mancos.

Disco Night, 6-9 p.m., Chapman Hill Roller Rink.

Agave plays, 7-9 p.m., Fenceline Cider, Mancos.

Sunday15 La Plata County Fair, final day, 2500 Main Ave. Durango Art Market, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., 11th Street Station. www.durangocreativedistrict.org.

Open Mic, 1 p.m., Mancos Brewery.

Bitcoin Study Group, 5:30-7 p.m. Tuesdays, Zia North patio. For info., call 970-426-2464 or email bitcoinstudygroup@protonmail.com Rotary Club of Durango, 6 p.m., speaker Durango Choral Society Artistic Director Dr. Linda Mack Brevin will give a talk entitled “Biggies of the Baroque: Bach, Handel, and Vivaldi,” 6 p.m., Strater Hotel, 699 Main Ave. Acoustic Music Jam, 6-8 p.m. Tuesdays, Rotary Park, all instruments and singers welcome. For info: 970-259-3408.

Reeder & Spencer play, 5-9 p.m., Fox Fire Farms, Ignacio.

Disco Night, 6-9 p.m., Chapman Hill Roller Rink.

Jack Ellis plays, 6-9 p.m., Fur Trapper’s Steakhouse, 701 E. 2nd Ave.

12 n Aug. 5, 2021

Party at the Powerhouse, benefiting Housing Solutions for the Southwest, 4-7 p.m., Powerhouse Science Center. Kids 18 & under free. Tickets: tinyurl.com/yuvuskur Open Mic night, 4 p.m., Fenceline Cider, Mancos.

telegraph

Live music, 6-8:30 p.m., James Ranch, Hermosa.

Wednesday18 Trivia night, 6 p.m., Mancos Brewery.

FreeWillAstrology /

by Rob Brezsny ARIES (March 21-April 19): Filmmaker Federico Fellini had an unexpected definition of happiness. He said it was “being able to speak the truth without hurting anyone.” I suspect you will have abundant access to that kind of happiness in the coming weeks, Aries. I’ll go even further: You will have extra power to speak the truth in ways that heal and uplift people. My advice to you, therefore, is to celebrate and indulge your ability. Be bold in expressing the fullness of what’s interesting to you.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “Look for a long time at what pleases you, and longer still at what pains you,” wrote the novelist Colette. What?! Was she making a perverse joke? That’s wicked advice, and I hope you adopt it only on rare occasions. In fact, the exact opposite is the healthy way to live—especially for you in the coming weeks. Look at what pains you, yes. Don’t lose sight of what your problems and wounds are. But please, for the sake of your dreams, for the benefit of your spiritual and psychological health, look longer at what pleases you, energizes you and inspires you.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): If you deepen your affection for butterflies and hummingbirds, I will love it. If you decide you want the dragonfly or bumblebee or lark to be your spirit creature, I will approve. You almost always benefit from cultivating relationships with swift, nimble, and lively influences—and that’s especially true these days. So give yourself full permission to experiment with the superpower of playful curiosity.

You’re most likely to thrive when you’re zipping around in quest of zesty ripples and sprightly rhythms.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Life is showing you truths about what you are not, what you don’t need, and what you shouldn’t strive for. That’s auspicious, although it may initially feel unsettling. I urge you to welcome these revelations with gratitude. They will help you tune in to the nuances of what it means to be radically authentic. They will boost your confidence in the rightness of the path you’ve chosen for yourself. I’m hoping they may even show you which of your fears are irrelevant. Be hungry for these extraordinary teachings.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The next two months will be a propitious time for you and your intimate allies to grow closer by harnessing the power of your imaginations. I urge you to be inventive in dreaming up ways to educate and entertain each other. Seek frisky adventures together that will delight you. Here’s

Aug. 5-11

a poem by Vyacheslav Ivanov that I hope will stimulate you: “We are two flames in a midnight forest. We are two meteors that fly at night, a two-pointed arrow of one fate. We are two steeds whose bridle is held by one hand. We are two eyes of a single gaze, two quivering wings of one dream, two-voiced lips of single mysteries.

We are two arms of a single cross.”

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo spiritual author Don Miguel Ruiz urges us not to take anything personally. He says that if someone treats us disrespectfully, it’s almost certainly because they are suffering from psychological wounds that make them act in vulgar, insensitive ways. Their attacks have little to do with what’s true about us. I agree with him, and will add this important caveat. Even if you refrain from taking such abuses personally, it doesn’t mean you should tolerate them. It doesn’t mean you should keep that person in your life or allow them to bully you in the future. I suspect these are important themes for you to contemplate right now.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “People who feel deeply, live deeply, and love deeply are destined to suffer deeply,” writes poet Juansen Dizon. To that romanticized, juvenile nonsense, I say: NO! WRONG! People who feel and live and love deeply are more emotionally intelligent than folks who live on the surface—and are therefore less fragile. The deep ones are likely to be psychologically adept; they have skills at liberating themselves from the smothering crush of their problems. The deep ones also have access to rich spiritual resources that ensure their suffering is a source of transformative teaching—and rarely a cause of defeat.

Have you guessed that I’m describing you as you will be in the coming weeks?

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Professor of psychology Ethan Kross tells us there can be healthy, creative forms of envy. “Just as hunger tells us we need to eat,” he writes, “the feeling of envy could show us what is missing from our lives that really matters to us.” The trick is to not interpret envy as a negative emotion, but to see it as useful information that shows us what we want. In my astrological opinion, that’s a valuable practice for you to deploy in the coming days. So pay close attention to the twinges of envy that pop into your awareness. Harness that volatile stuff to motivate yourself as you make plans to get the very experience or reward you envy.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21): Poet Walt Whitman bragged that he was “large.”

He said, “I contain multitudes.” One critic compared him to “a whole continent with its waters, with its trees, with its animals.” Respond-

ing to Whitman, Sagittarian poet Gertrud Kolmar uttered an equally grandiose boast. “I too am a continent,” she wrote.

“I contain mountains never-reached, scrubland unpenetrated, pond bay, riverdelta, salt-licking coast-tongue.” That’s how I’m imagining you these days, dear Sagittarius: as unexplored territory: as frontier land teeming with undiscovered mysteries. I love how expansive you are as you open your mind and heart to new self-definitions. I love how you’re willing to risk being unknowable for a while as you wander out in the direction of the future.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Poet Ezra Pound wrote a letter to novelist James Joyce that included the following passage: “You are f****** with my head, and so far I’ve been enjoying it.

Where is the crime?” I bring this up, Capricorn, because I believe the coming weeks will be prime time for you to engage with interesting souls who f*** with your head in enjoyable ways. You need a friendly jolt or two: a series of galvanizing prods; dialogs that catalyze you to try new ways of thinking and seeing; lively exchanges that inspire you to experiment.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Blogger Mandukhai Munkhbaatar offers advice on the arts of intimate communion. “Do not fall in love only with a body or with a face,” she tells us. “Do not fall in love with the idea of being in love.” She also wants you to know that it’s best for your long-term health and happiness if you don’t seek cozy involvement with a person who is afraid of your madness, or with someone who, after you fight, disappears and refuses to talk. I approve of all these suggestions. Any others you would add? It’s a favorable phase to get clearer about the qualities of people you want and don’t want as your allies.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I gave my readers homework, asking them to answer the question, “What is your favorite rule to break?” In response, Laura Grolla sent these thoughts: “My favorite rule to break is an unwritten one: that we must all stress and strive for excellence. I have come up with a stress-busting mantra, ‘It is OK to be OK.’ In my OKness, I have discovered the subtle frontier of contentment, which is vast and largely unexplored. OKness allows me not to compete for attention, but rather to pay attention to others. I love OKness for the humor and deep, renewing sleep it has generated. Best of all, OKness allows me to be happily aging rather than anxiously hot.” I bring this to your attention, Pisces, because I think the coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to investigate and embody the relaxing mysteries of OKness.

telegraph

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FreeWillAstrology /

by Rob Brezsny ARIES (March 21-April 19): “Consecrate” isn’t a word you often encounter in intellectual circles. In my home country of America, many otherwise smart people spurn the possibility that we might want to make things sacred. And a lot of art aspires to do the opposite of consecration: strip the world of holiness and mock the urge to commune with sanctified experiences.

But filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini (1922– 1975) expressed a contradictory view. He wrote, “I am not interested in deconsecrating: that’s a fashion I hate. I want to reconsecrate things as much as possible, I want to re-mythicize them.” In accordance with astrological omens, Aries, I invite you to look for opportunities to do the same.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Anais Nin wrote, “I don’t want worship. I want understanding.” George Orwell said, “Perhaps one did not want to be loved so much as to be understood.” Poet Marina Tsvetaeva declared, “For as long as I can remember, I thought I wanted to be loved. Now I know: I don’t need love, I need understanding.” Here’s what I’ll add, Taurus: If you ask for understanding and seek it out, a wealth of it will be available to you in the coming weeks.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The English idiom “playing hard to get” means “pretending to be unavailable or uninterested so as to make oneself more attractive or desirable.” Psychologists say this strategy often works, although it’s crucial not to go too far and make your pursuer lose interest. Seventeenth-century philosopher Baltasar Gracián expressed the concept more philosophically. He said, “Leave people hungry. Even with physical thirst, good taste’s trick is to stimulate it, not quench it. What’s good, if sparse, is twice as good. A surfeit of pleasure is dangerous, for it occasions disdain even towards what’s undisputedly excellent.

Hard-won happiness is twice as enjoyable.” I suggest you consider deploying these strategies, Gemini.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Painter John Singer Sargent (1856–1925) sometimes worked alongside painter Claude Monet (1840–1926) at Monet’s home. He sought the older man’s guidance. Before their first session, Sargent realized there was no black among the paint colors Monet gave him to work with.

What?! Monet didn’t use black? Sargent was shocked. He couldn’t imagine painting without it. And yet, he did fine without it. In fact, the apparent limitation compelled him to be creative in ways he hadn’t previously imagined. What would be your metaphorical equivalent, Cancerian: a limitation that inspires?

14 n Aug. 5, 2021

Aug. 12-18

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): According to Leo author Guy de Maupassant, “We are in the habit of using our eyes only with the memory of what people before us have thought about the things we are looking at.” That’s too bad.

It causes us to miss a lot of life’s richness.

In fact, said de Maupassant, “There is an element of the unexplored in everything.

The smallest thing contains a little of what is unknown.” Your assignment in the next two weeks, Leo, is to take his thoughts to heart. In every experience, engage “with enough attention to find an aspect of it that no one has ever seen or spoken of.”

You are in a phase when you could discover and enjoy record-breaking levels of novelty.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Poet Brigit Pegeen Kelly wrote a poem I want you to know about. She described how, when she was a child, she stayed up all night picking peaches from her father’s orchard by starlight. For hours, she climbed up and down the ladder. Her hands “twisted fruit” as if she “were entering a thousand doors.” When the stars faded and morning arrived, her insides felt like “the stillness a bell possesses just after it has been rung.” That’s the kind of experience I wish for you in the coming days, Virgo. I know it can’t be exactly the same.

Can you imagine what the nearest equivalent might be? Make it happen!

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Ancient Greek philosopher Plato mistrusted laughter, poetry, bright colors, and artists who used bright colors. All those soulful activities influenced people to be emotional, Plato thought, and therefore represented a threat to rational, orderly society. Wow! I’m glad I don’t live in a culture descended from Plato! Oh, wait, I do. His writing is foundational to Western thought. One modern philosopher declared, “The European philosophical tradition consists of a series of footnotes to Plato.” Anyway, I’m counseling you to rebel against Plato in the coming weeks.

You especially need experiences that awaken and please and highlight your feelings. Contrary to Plato’s fears, doing this will boost your intelligence and enhance your decision-making powers.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): A biography of Nobel Prizewinning Scorpio author Albert Camus noted that he had two modes. They are summed up in the French words solidaire (“unity”) and solitaire (“solitary”). When Camus was in a solidaire phase, he immersed himself in convivial engagement, enjoying the pleasures of socializing. But when he decided it was time to work hard on writing his books, he retreated into a monastic routine to marshal intense creativity. According to my astrological analysis, you Scorpios are currently in the solidaire

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phase of your rhythm. Enjoy it to the max! When might the next *solitaire* phase come? October could be such a time.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21): During the 76 years since the end of World War II, Italy has had 69 different governments. That’s a great deal of turnover! Is it a strength or weakness to have so many changes in leadership? On the one hand, such flexibility could be an asset; it might be wise to keep reinventing the power structure as circumstances shift.

On the other hand, having so little continuity and stability may undermine confidence and generate stressful uncertainty. I bring this to your attention, Sagittarius, because you’re entering a phase when you could be as changeable as Italy. Is that what you want? Would it serve you or undermine you? Make a conscious choice.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn actor Nicholas Browne testifies, “My heart is too full; it overflows onto everything I see. I am drowning in my own heart. I’ve plunged into the deepness of emotion, and I don’t see any way back up. Still, I pray no one comes to save me.” I’m guessing that his profound capacity to feel and express emotions serves Browne well in his craft. While I don’t recommend such a deep immersion for you 24/7/365, I suspect you’ll be wise to embark on such an excursion during the next three weeks. Have fun diving!

How deep can you go?

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In accordance with current astrological omens, I’m calling on author Byron Katie to offer you a message. Is it infused with tough love or sweet encouragement? Both! Here’s Katie: “When you realize that suffering and discomfort are the call to inquiry, you may actually begin to look forward to uncomfortable feelings.

You may even experience them as friends coming to show you what you have not yet investigated thoroughly enough.” Get ready to dive deeper than you’ve dared to go before, Aquarius. I guarantee you it will ultimately become fun and educational.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In August 1922, author Nikos Kazantzakis wrote this triumphant declaration: “All day today I’ve had the most gentle, quivering joy, because I’m beginning to heal. Consciously, happily, I feel that I am being born anew, that I am beginning once again to take possession of the light.”

On behalf of the cosmic powers-that-be, I authorize you to use these words as your own in the coming weeks. They capture transformations that are in the works for you. By speaking Kazantzakis’s declarations aloud several times every day, you will ensure that his experience will be yours, too.

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 679 E. 2nd Ave., #E2 Approximate office hours: Mon: 9ish - 5ish Tues: 9ish - 5ish Wed: 9ish - 3ish Thurs: On delivery Fri: Gone fishing; call first

Announcements Request for Proposals/Requests for Qualifications for Columbine Park/Restroom/Recreation Information Center. The Town of Silverton is seeking proposals from qualified professional Architecture individuals or firms who can provide professional services required for analysis, planning and architectural design work on Silverton’s Columbine Park, a primary asset of the Silverton Parks and Recreation inventory. Proposals should be received by: 4:00pm (MST), Friday, August 27, 2021.

Proposals shall be submitted to: Town of Silverton RE: Columbine Park/Restroom/ Recreation Information Center, 1360 Greene St., PO Box 250, Silverton, CO 81433. The RFP/RFQ can be downloaded at: https://bit.ly/2TDXUM5 Request for Proposals/Requests for Qualifications for Communications Plan and Support. The Town of Silverton, Colorado invites proposals from qualified consulting firms to advise the Town on public communications strategies. Responding firms should be experienced in assessing and developing strategies for communications and public outreach programs, preferably involving public agencies or sizes similar to the Town of Silverton. Proposals should be received by: 4:00pm (MST), Friday, August 13, 2021. Proposals shall be submitted to: Town of Silverton RE: Proposal for Communications Plan and Support, 1360 Greene St., PO Box 250, Silverton, CO 81433. The RFP/RFQ can be downloaded at: https://bit.ly/3BPe1Yo Want Loose Stones For your unique one-of-a-kind jewelry creation? Lanka Blue Jewelry has large inventory, at 701 Main Ave. The Perfect Gift for your favorite dirtbag. Literature from Durango's own Benighted Publica-

tions. The Desert, 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.

Lost/Found

patio set with love seat and table. Come in today. 572 E. 6th Ave. Open Mon.-Sat. 385-7336.

Want Loose Stones For your unique one-of-a-kind jewelry creation? Lanka Blue Jewelry has large inventory, at 701 Main Ave.

ForRent

Found Cheaf knives on Florida Rd. Call 970623-1611 to identify.

HelpWanted Amaya is Hiring Massage Therapists Email triciagourley13@gmail.com to inquire.

Can You Sell Ice in the Arctic?

After 17 years, the Telegraph’s esteemed advertising sales aficionado is moving on. If you’re interested in filling these sassy, go-getter shoes, we want to hear from you. Strong command of English language, broad knowledge of pop culture and darkish sense of humor a plus. Good hygiene and local knowledge also required. Great pay and fun times!

30-40/hrs a week. Commission + base pay. Send resume to: telegraph@durango telegraph.com Dietz Market is Hiring full-time, part-time and shipping!

Come join our team. Stop in or email resume to: info@dietzmarket.com Caregivers $20/hr Disabled man needs help with care.

Call Johnny, 970-749-2692.

Classes/Workshops Summer Spanish Class Now accepting students for beginner thru advanced Spanish. Finally, in-person learning is back! Call 970-309-5966 or visit www.espanolahora.net

ForSale Reruns Home Furnishings Great selection of yard furniture, yard art and garden pots. Mid-century cabinet.

Tall bar-style dining table, vintage desk, nightstands, lamps and side tables. Vintage Lane dresser, very cool vintage iron

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Studio Space for Rent Beautiful downtown 900 sqft. great light and sound system $25/hour. txt/call 9709462591

HaikuMovieReview ‘7 Days in Hell’ Adorably dumb tennis mockumentary full of famous folks – Lainie Maxson Lowest Prices on Storage!

Inside/outside storage near Durango and Bayfield. 10-x-20, $130. Outside spots: $65, with discounts available. RJ Mini Storage. 970-259-3494.

Wanted

BodyWork

Rental House in Durango Wanted Retired couple seeks home for rent.

Ideal property has two bedrooms, two baths and a one car garage. One older, well-behaved cat. Please email lovnfly fishing922@gmail.com with available home info.

Lotus Path Healing Arts Now accepting new clients. Offering a unique, intuitive fusion of Esalen massage, deep tissue & Acutonics, 24 years of experience. To schedule call Kathryn, 970-201-3373.

Cash for Vehicles, Copper, Alum, Etc. at RJ Metal Recycle. Also free appliance and other metal drop off. 970-259-3494.

RealEstate Historic Bayfield Victorian House In-town 1905 former Elk Hotel will be for sale soon. Great corner location, 3story with large front porch. Perfect for B&B or home, mixed-use zoning. 2200 sq ft. Price $450K Contact owner by email: ciaojayne@gmail.com

Services Guitar Bass Voice Lessons Fun, student-centered learning for students of all ages, abilities and styles. Call Pete Giuliani 385-6713 or email info@petegiuliani.com Friendly Carpentry and Painting Stucco repair, 707-806-3456.

RSE Handyman Service Home repair - yard work - odd jobs, 970-903-0449.

Harmony Cleaning and Organizing Residential, offices, commercial and vacation rentals, 970-403-6192.

Massage

by Meg Bush LMT, 30, 60 & 90 min., 970-759-0199. massageintervention.life Voted best massage in Durango 18/19/20. Couples, cupping, local CBD. Reviews on FB + Yelp. 970-903-2984

CommunityService Open Auditions for 10 Minute Play Festival and Rocky Horror Show The Durango Arts Center is calling all local thespians to come and audition for our October shows. The “Ten-Minute Play Festival” is looking for actors over the age of 16. No need to prepare anything; the directors will provide sides for cold reads.

Auditions will be held at 6 p.m. Aug. 2324 at in the Durango Arts Center Theater.

Performances will be Oct. 15-17. Go to https://durangoarts.org/10-minute-play to see the list of characters. “The Rocky Horror Show” auditions will be held 5-8 p.m. Aug. 26 at the DAC. Please prepare a monologue, and a 1- to 1.5-minute selection from a song. Performers need to be 21+ due to sexually explicit material and revealing costumes. Performances will be Halloween weekend. Contact Jason Lythgoe (jason@durangoarts.org) for more information Aug. 5, 2021 n 15

16 n Aug. 5, 2021

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