The Durango Telegraph, Nov. 23, 2022

THE ORIGINAL INDIE WEEKLY LINE ON DURANGO & BEYOND

Bottom of the heap Colorado’s mountains are high, but recycling rates aren’t

All aboard

The Hive’s late-night ride gets buzzed drivers off road

Listen up Think there’s no good music being made? Think again

On the cover

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

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

to the ground:

“And then she yelled back at him, ‘Wait, come back here. I want to have sex with you.’”

– A very public retelling of one of the more direct pick-up lines we’ve heard

Healing journey

Uhh… now that Colorado has legalized psychedelic mushrooms, can we just… you know… take them?

Well, it turns out, if you want, yeah.

Colorado voters passed Proposition 122, which establishes the “Natural Medicine Health Act.” The ballot initiative, which won 53.6% of the vote in Colorado, works on two fronts. First, it decriminalizes psychedelic mushrooms for personal use for people 21 and older. And second, it authorizes the creation of state-regulated “healing centers” where people can experience the drug with licensed professionals.

On the personal use front, there are some stipulations. For starters, you have to be 21 and older. And, the new law prohibits any retail or commercial sales. So, if you were thinking that you could pick up mushrooms much in the same way you can marijuana, that’s not the case. However, you can “share” and “gift” the fungi (no word if you’re allowed to trade for that Jerry Garcia tapestry on Etsy you’ve been eyeing). The law also seals the criminal records of anyone who has been convicted of using the substance.

So, if you’re interested in dabbling in the now decriminalized drug, what should you do? Well, for one, we’re not sure why you’re asking US. But the answer remains a bit unclear.

Of course, people have been sharing (and selling) mushrooms forever. And, increasingly, more people are growing them at home. How you might get started or introduced to that sort of thing, we’ll leave up to you. Suffice to say, there’s a thing called Google, which can direct you to all the explainers you’d need. And, it’s pretty easy to find starter kits, should that be your life journey.

Or, you could go looking around pastures for the mushrooms growing on cattle poop.

As for licensed healing centers, that’s far more complicated. Colorado’s Department of Regulatory Agencies has until January 2024 to develop criteria for the centers and plans to begin accepting applications for operators by the end of that year. An advisory board made up of 15 members with different areas of expertise and experience will help in that process.

While people obviously use psychedelic mushrooms recreationally, Prop 122 was sold by proponents largely because of the supposed mental health benefits of the drug, which have been shown to help with anxiety, depression, PTSD, addiction and other conditions.

Ultimately, it likely won’t be until summer 2025 until you can walk into a healing center and explore the inner depths of your mind. What these centers will actually look like, however, is anyone’s guess until the process works itself out. Also, if all goes well, the state has the authority to legalize other drugs, including DMT, ibogaine and mescaline.

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One possible example of how it might work in Colorado could be in Oregon, the only other state to legalize mushrooms and the first to do so in 2020. Oregon’s initiative is expected to take effect in early 2023.

Winter in America

We have been here before, shaken and stunned in the shadow of sorrow. By the time you read this, it may be hard to tell which tragedy I speak of. It’s been overwhelming to keep up with the funeral procession. But I still believe words are bulletproof. It’s the only small mercy I can find in this dark freezing with no end, otherwise known as winter in America.

Lately, what I call my church of mercy has been the 1974 album by Gil ScottHeron and Brian Jackson, prophetically titled “Winter in America.” A similar darkness had set in over the country when Scott-Heron and Jackson went into the studio. Leading up to the recording sessions, there was a whirlwind of socio-political turmoil, an oil crisis and economic ruptures, as well as the murders of Dr. Martin Luther King and John F. Kennedy. “The only season left is winter,” remarked Scott-Heron in a 2009 retrospective with Vibe magazine. The album responds to these crises with a chimerical combination of unrestrained soul, blues and jazz. From start to finish, the urgent plea for love and justice can be heard in Scott-Heron’s voice, and it’s not hard to transpose that message onto our present-day tragedies.

Because I was watching a news report about a gunman that opened fire in Club Q, the only LGBTQ venue in Colorado Springs. This hate crime killed five people and injured many more in what should have been a safe space. “It’s a place of welcome, a place of peace,” Joshua, a courageous witness and survivor, said in an interview with PBS News the day after the shootings. “It’s a place for us to be ourselves and now look. What are we going to do?” I was frozen from the heaviness of Joshua’s pain. I let my heart sink to that dark place it keeps returning to. Then all I could do was reach for that small, impossible mercy found in “Song for Bobby Smith,” the sixth track on “Winter in America.” Backed by a somber piano melody, Scott-Heron croons, “Ain’t you been there, and ain’t you going? To a place where friendship’s flowing?” My mind went back and forth between the mourning on TV and Scott-Heron’s immortal words. The brave survivor standing in the sunlight. Images of people leaving flowers and signs at the site. All of it in my chest held by Scott-Heron praying with piano: “We are brothers and sisters in a spirit. Can’t you see it? Can’t you feel it in your heart?”

I want to say we must not become numb to this violence. But then I remember we celebrate holidays that glorify the genocide of Indigenous people and the en-

Thumbin’It

The approval of the largest dam demolition in history for the lower Klamath River, opening up hundreds of miles of salmon habitat. Does, um, anyone have any beta on the whitewater down there?

The U.S. Men’s Team giving it a go at the 2022 World Cup. As long as we don’t commit any fumbles, defend the blue line and make our free throws, we think we have a shot.

Former VP Mike Pence the latest high-profile Republican to defect from Trump. Takeaway: if you call for a mob to hang a person, you’re probably not going to keep that person as a friend.

slavement of African people. Then I remember the dehumanization of Natives inscribed in the Declaration of Independence, when it refers to us as “merciless Indian savages.” Between documents that legitimize the bloodlust of colonization and holidays with unspeakable names, the celebration of slaughter is built into these borders. But I still need to express the statement that we must not become numb to this violence. That we need to recognize and unlearn the grotesque, nationalist celebration of bloodshed in our culture of death. Ultimately, it emboldens the prevailing order. And in times of turmoil and social decay, when diversity and inclusivity are considered threats, reactionary men will respond with violence in an attempt to reinforce the status quo.

When Scott-Heron and Johnson recorded “Winter in America,” they avoided writing a song that shared the same name. They wanted the title to act as a theme and let each song speak on its own. Eventually, they would go on to write a song that shared the name. But it would appear on their follow-up album in 1975. With soulful hues, the song “Winter in America” paints a bleak and sprawling portrait of life in occupied America where “democracy is ragtime on the corner,” “the forest is buried beneath the highway” and “all the healers have been killed.” What interests me most is a particular live recording where Scott-Heron starts the song with a poetic monologue:

There used to be an agreement between the seasons, that they would all stay for three months, and then go wherever seasons go. Lately there has been no spring, no summer and no fall. Politically, and philosophically, and psychologically. There has only been the season of ice. It is the season of frozen dreams and frozen nightmares. They call the season “winter.” We call the song “Winter in America.”

We are still ensnared in this season. Trapped in a Death-of-God Saturday with resurrection and redemption frozen on the horizon. As the tragedies multiply, there are not enough roses to lay on the dead. But as it stands, our culture of death and profit paralyzes our humanity. To compound that, we live in a broken system, ruled by spineless leaders who spout hollow progressive platitudes while coddling the corporate state. They would much rather choose to lick the boots stomping on their faces in order to avoid creating a world of equality, shelter and harmony. People in power only serve power. They are not our saviors. Ultimately, all we have is each other, and if we wish to break through the American weather of endless winter, our survival depends on mutual aid. That conviction is the other small mercy of light I carry with me in this clustering darkness.

Kirbie Bennett

SignoftheDownfall:

The horrible, disgusting, tragic killing of five people, with many more injured, at a Colorado Springs LGBTQ bar. Oh, and a completely preventable one if we as a nation cared to do anything at all about gun reform.

The massive collapse of crypto giant FTX and a major shock to future attempts to monetize a currency that only exists in the imagination.

Like something out of The Onion, the National Park Service’s cheeky Halloween joke on social media calling for people to stop licking toads was taken very seriously by news outlets everywhere, including NPR. Doesn’t NPR know? We lick Tide pods; not toads.

The Bearded Maybe

Last week, bargoers in Casper, Wyo., destroyed the pitiful “62 feet, 6 inches” German record set back in ’07 by creating a beard chain that measured a hairy 150 feet long. It occurred at The Gaslight Social, a bar right next to where the National Beard and Moustache Championships happen annually. But since it was an impromptu beard chain, and Guinness wasn’t notified, the Germans get to keep their record. However, we Americans don’t care; Germany will be forever known for a tiny moustache anyway.

Desperate times

I was shocked, dismayed and very disappointed in y’all when I saw the thumbs down for the climate protestors who have been targeting artwork to draw attention to the dire state of the climate crisis. To quote Mary Witlacil, Sustainability Leadership Fellow and Ph.D Candidate of Political Science at Colorado State University: “The desperation of climate activism parallels the rate of loss (and likelihood of climate injustice) predicted by the IPCC and climate scientists, if governments fail to curtail greenhouse gas emissions. Desperate times call for desperate activism, and the greater the loss the bolder the action … Desperate acts of civil disruption would be unnecessary if the status quo did not offer such a constrained vision of the future and a limited possibility for change.”

I encourage you to read Mary’s very intelligent and compelling post entitled Acts of Pessimistic Hope for the Anthropocene at this link: https://bit.ly/3TVsJVy

As activists have repeatedly stated: “the intention is not to damage the paintings and sculptures, but only to highlight the lack of government action against the causes of worsening climate disasters.” Furthermore, according to The Guardian, they have not permanently damaged any works of art.

– Shelby Robinson, Mancos

Round two for freedom

Amazingly, after a stellar first two years, Congresswoman Lauren Boebert looks like she will polarize politics again for two more. And her track record todate? All 17 bills and seven resolutions she proposed never passed committee. She is on committee, though, in the Second Amendment Caucus and the Freedom Caucus.

Ironically, she is not supportive of a woman’s right or freedom to choose to have an abortion. Nor does she support freedom for any non-hetero marriage, or for kids to be educated on sex (maybe why she supports elimination of the U.S. Department of Education). Boebert does not support Colorado’s Red Flag law, which calls for taking away firearms from people deemed a risk to themselves or others.

So what does she support? QAnon theories, the Three Percenters far-right militia and the Proud Boys. She also supports the Jan.6 insurrection, the non-separation of church and state, Christian Nationalism, unrestricted gun access, natural resource extraction (gas, coal, uranium, timber) over environmental protection, isolationism as foreign policy, a border wall and restricted immigration.

But that’s not all. She also does not obey laws she objects to, like business taxes, cease-and-desist orders, financial disclosures (her husband’s, mostly) and

campaign-finance laws.

So sadly, it appears that we’re in for another two years of divisive, rhetoric-laden, ineffective representation in the 3rd Congressional district.

But we’ll have our freedoms! Well, most of them.

–

Tim Thomas, Durango

Phew, that was close

We supporters of democracy and women’s rights are breathing a big sigh of relief with the Nov. 8 election results. We rallied to shut down the anticipated “red wave.”

Significant credit goes to increased turnout of young voters. Hopefully, even more of them will vote in 2024. They are the ones who will have to live with the results of things that are happening now.

Trumpist, anti-democracy candidates lost in battleground and other states. Voters rejected candidates who wanted to position themselves to overturn election results where voters don’t go for the GOP.

Our wingnut Congressional Representative Lauren Boebert’s supposedly deep red safe seat is headed for a recount. She was only around 551 votes ahead of challenger Adam Frisch. Half of the 3rd Congressional District voters are ready to be done with her antics. But we’re stuck with her for another two years.

In some people, the meager win would

trigger serious humility, but I won’t expect that from Boebert. I expect she’ll continue giving the middle finger to the other half of voters. We’ll return the favor.

Locally, La Plata County voters gave the state house victory to incumbent Barbara McLachan. The retired longtime Durango High School teacher beat out the Texas carpetbagger candidate. We don’t need or want Texas values here.

Happily, Colorado remains staunchly blue. Women can make their own decisions about their bodies’ reproductive functions, instead of the government dictating that choice as in too many red states. We proudly stand as a refuge for less fortunate women. And where given a choice, voters in several other states, including conservative Kentucky and Kansas, supported abortion rights back in the summer.

Democracy seems to be safe for now. But the work definitely isn’t done. The GOP will have marginal control of the House of Representatives (much thanks to gerrymandering in states with GOPcontrolled legislatures) and apparently will spend the next two years trying to take vengeance on Democrats instead of addressing the country’s needs.

Trumpist extremists aren’t going away. And Trump has announced his candidacy for 2024. Stay tuned.

– Carole McWilliams, Bayfield

by Sam Brasch Colorado Public Radio

Colorado’s recycling rate is stuck in the dumps, but advocates say 2022 could be the year the state gets it together.

An annual report from environmental advocacy groups Eco-Cycle and the Colorado Public Interest Research Group found the state kept 16% of its waste out of landfills in 2021 – a rate unchanged from last year. That number is also half the national average and far short of the state’s goal to divert 28% of its trash to recycling or compost facilities.

The state’s recycling rate has held relatively steady in recent years, fluctuating between 15-18% since 2017.

“We have this green reputation as a state, but our recycling rate is pretty trashy, and it’s been that way for a long time,” CoPIRG director Danny Katz said.

Katz, however, thinks new state and local policies could turn the tide.  The most significant is Colorado’s new producer-responsibility program. Earlier this year, Gov. Jared Polis signed into law the program, which charges companies making paper, packaging and food utensils to fund a statewide recycling system.

The program aims to provide free recycling to all residents. Only 30% of Colorado households have guaranteed access to curbside recycling.

Studies found producer responsibility policies have helped increase recycling rates in Europe and Canada. In the U.S., Colorado, Maine, Oregon and California are enacting similar programs, the report said.

It will be years before communities see any funding, though. Under the law, industry and policy leaders have until June 2023 to establish a nonprofit to collect fees and fund recycling programs. A current state implementation timeline suggests it won’t be operational until 2026.

The report notes many communities aren’t waiting for the state program to improve their recycling rates. It highlights Boulder, Fort Collins, Aspen and Durango as communities sending the lowest percentage of their waste to a landfill.

Other cities have ambitious plans to expand recycling and compost service. Denver is set to overhaul its curbside waste program, charging households based on the size of their trash bin while providing free compost and recycling pickup.

Voters in Colorado’s capital city also re-

cently approved a ballot measure requiring apartments, restaurants and office buildings to offer recycling and composting services. Arvada established a similar program last year. Its landfill diversion rate reached 24% last January, well above the state average.

Contamination is one challenge for communities pushing to expand their compost systems. In September, A1 Organics, the state’s largest organic waste processor, announced a policy to reject truckloads with unacceptable levels of glass, plastic or other non-organic waste. That led Boulder to stop

requiring restaurants to provide compost bins to all customers.

To reduce contamination, the report calls for new labels on compostable products and standards for compost quality.

Efforts to improve recycling and composting rates could be essential to reaching Colorado’s climate goals. According to the report, the state’s low recycling rate has prevented a reduction in climate-warming emissions equal to more than 400,000 cars a year.

For more from Colorado Public Radio, go to: www.cpr.org.

Buzzed & buzzin’

The Hive’s free, late-night ride gets intoxicated drivers off the road

by Jonathan Romeo

“W

e’re at the Ranch! No, we’re at the Starlight! Oh wait, no, we’re at the Garage!” the visibly intoxicated woman spilling out of a bar said as she was holding onto her friend for dear life lest she risk toppling over.

She was at the Ranch. There was a huge sign that said “El Rancho” right above her head.

Now, we cast no judgment on late-night revelers. Hell, we were in the exact same position the night before for The Durango Telegraph’s 20th anniversary party, so who are we to talk? But, we ask: would you want this person on the road late at night, after god knows how many White Claws? No, you don’t, and luckily, The Hive’s Buzz Bus was parked right there to scoop them up.

“We’re going to make Ramen tonight!” the woman said, now safely seated and ready for the next adventure.

“F*** yes, we are,” her friend replied.

“We’re going to make noodles and everything will be good.”

And thanks to the Buzz Bus, they were.

For years, the City of Durango funded a late-night bus option for bargoers that kept drunk drivers off the road. But, after a mix of low ridership and a lack of funding, the service went away in 2015.

This past spring, however, The Hive, a local nonprofit, purchased a 14-passenger bus and resurrected the offering, which is free of charge on Fridays and Saturdays (tipping the volunteer drivers is encouraged, though).

“We bought the bus for transport services, and in trying to name it, I said ‘Buzz Bus’ and a light bulb went off,” Kelsi Borland, executive director of The Hive, said. “I remembered the old service and thought we should offer that again.”

Ever since The Hive started running shuttles in May, the Buzz Bus has helped about 100 people per weekend safely navigate the journey from the bars to home … or wherever they choose to end up.

“Every weekend (ridership) can be up and down,” Borland said. “But even if it’s 20 riders a night, that alone is a success.”

Just so you don’t have to, I spent a recent Saturday night aboard the Buzz Bus to get an inside look. That night, the driver was Ricky Ryan. Shifts typically last from around 9 p.m.-3 a.m., or later. Like that one weekend, Ryan said, when a woman way too drunk to get behind the wheel needed to get back to her camp at Mesa Verde National Park, a

more than two-hour roundtrip journey.

“I didn’t get back until 4:30 a.m.,” Ryan said. “But it was worth it.”

Ryan grew up in Durango and remembered the city’s old Buzz Bus. A snowmaker at Purgatory Resort, Ryan wanted to help out on his nights off. “I wanted to be like Otto Mann from the Simpsons,” he joked. “But I like helping people from getting arrested or hurting themselves or others.”

This night, Ryan is joined at the begin-

ning of the evening by his friend Zach, who was just keeping his buddy company. “This is more fun than hanging out at the bars,” said Zach, a bouncer at the Garage. Zach said he has stopped very, very drunk people who were coming out of the bar and getting into their cars by giving them the Buzz Bus number. “This has saved people’s asses,” he said.

The first few hours are slow. Ryan drives the yellow bus up and down Main Ave., past the few late-night bars – the Ranch, El

Riders board the Buzz Bus on Nov. 19, 2022. Once funded by the City of Durango, the Buzz Bus, which offers free rides home to bargoers, went dormant. However, The Hive, a local nonprofit, recently resurrected the service./ Photo by Jonathan Romeo

Moro, Starlight Lounge, the Garage, Roadhouse. One perk of a small town is the crowd is pretty concentrated in one area.

We park outside the Ranch, and within five minutes, we are offered “yip” and mushrooms. Yip, we learned, is slang for cocaine. But, based on the guy’s overly friendly and enthusiastic demeanor, we could have guessed. Though he was kicked out of the Ranch for throwing up in the bathroom, he was not ready to call it quits for the night, and we pushed on.

“I just like to roll around and keep the bus visible,” Ryan said. “It’s random how it works; out of nowhere, it’ll become crazy, usually around midnight.”

And like clockwork, it got crazy.

“Is this the Buzz Bus!?” one very excited Ranch patron said while entering into the cold November night. Aside from parking in visible locations, the Buzz Bus puts flyers up around town and leaves cards at bars.

Another couple boards the bus and declares a very matter-of-fact explanation for choosing not to drive drunk: “Our children are at home. And they are going to grow up alone if we don’t get home safe.”

The Buzz Bus rolls on, up to College Mesa and over to the 32nd Street neighborhood. While the service prefers to stay within city limits, drivers will usually go anywhere to make sure people are safe (e.g. the Mesa Verde thing).

Sometimes, however, it seems like the riders don’t even care.

“Excuse me, sir!” one woman bursts out (emphasis on the “sir!”) after being on the bus for 10 minutes, apparently waking from a drunken reverie. “Where are we going?”

“Los Angeles,” Ryan pokes fun.

“I could kiss you on the mouth.”

Services like the Buzz Bus do keep drunk drivers off the road, said Durango Police Cmdr. Jacob Dunlop. Especially with the popularity of rideshare apps, like Uber and Lyft, the City of Durango has seen a huge decrease in drunk driving since the mid-2000s, when there’d be 500-600 arrests a year.

That number is now down to 200-300 DUI arrests a year, but, of course, any are bad. Just this past year, it should be noted, two people died in Durango after being hit by drunk drivers. To-date, Durango Police have made 266 arrests this year, up from 210 during the same time period last year.

The holidays, such as … ahem … Thanksgiving, always see an uptick of drunk people on the road, Dunlop said.

“We always appreciate when people make responsible decisions and find alternative ways of getting home after consuming alcohol,” Dunlop said. “And I do believe services like the Buzz Bus have a positive impact.”

The Hive’s Borland hopes to keep the Buzz Bus going, but funding is a challenge. She estimated it would take about $30,000 a year to keep the service in operation, pay drivers and perform maintenance on the bus. The City of Durango has contributed $10,000 for a six-month contract, and The Hive has raised another $5,000 or so.

Halfway through the year, funding for the Buzz Bus is precariously on track.

“We’ve gotten a fair amount of donations and sponsorships, but I thought we’d get more,” she said. “I just need to find a little more support, because we’re not covering ex-

penses. But it’s a service that’s needed, and we’re going to continue.”

That much is apparent as we approach 1 a.m. and the next round of calls comes in.

“Can you pick us up at the Ranch,” a woman asks (are you seeing a theme here?)

“I’ll be over in five,” Ryan responds.

“OK I love you, bye,” the woman says in a way where the “eeee” drawls far too long.

We pick up a group that looks just days over the legal drinking age. And, because it seems every generation randomly picks an item popular from the generation before to be the “it” thing, these kids are communicating,on the bus via walkie-talkie.

“Shout-out to all the homies; where all the homies at?” one dude asks. They were, if you’re curious, literally right behind him.

One young buck, trying his luck with the

ladies, asks: “What’s your vibe in Durango?” It worked! “I’m a Pisces,” she says. But the overall sense on each of these rides is a deep appreciation for a safe way home, at no cost (though it appears most were happy to tip). As any night owl in Durango knows, securing an after-hours ride can be dicey.

On one of the last stops (for me, anyway) of the night, the 20-somethings bid adieu to their friend Kyle, who gets off on a street on the grid. His friends, apparently saddened by hints the night was ending, lamented their departing friend.

“Dude, Kyle’s a boss; he’d spend the night in the gutter if he had to.”

Well, thanks to the Buzz Bus, he doesn’t. Need a ride? Call 970-508-0445. And, to donate, visit thehivedgo.org

Buzz Bus driver Ricky Ryan scans the sidewalks for his next pickup. ”I like helping people from getting arrested or hurting themselves or others,” he said./

Photo by Jonathan Romeo

Albums of the year (part 1?)

Think no good music is being made? You’re not paying attention

by Jon E. Lynch

This year was a great year for music. Still is. One of the (many) things that bother me is the rube that insists that “no good music is being made anymore.” That’s a comment made by someone simply not paying attention. Thankfully, I haven’t heard this from anyone in some time, though I’m sure it still happens. Truth be told, there isn’t enough room for each album that deserves recognition. I’ve whittled my master list down to about 37 worthwhile mentions, and I’m giving you far fewer here.

So, here are a handful of albums I immensely enjoyed in 2022, in no particular order whatsoever:

• Bonnie Trash – “Malocchio” Bonnie Trash is the decade-plus-long musical project of Canadian-Italian twin sisters Emmalia and Sarafina Bortolon-Vettor, based in Guelph, Ontario. Unsurprisingly, the bio on their record label’s website ticks off many of the same sonic touchstones I heard: My Bloody Valentine, Godspeed! You Black Emperor, Joy Division and Siouxsie & the Banshees. There are also moments reminiscent of a favorite of mine from 2020: Divide & Dissolve’s stellar “Gas Lit.” Stylistically, it weaves heavy doom, post-punk, shoegaze, art-rock, drone and more into one of the best full-album listens this year. Malocchio takes cues from its predecessors but blends them into something wholly beautiful and unique.

• This Lonesome Paradise – “Nightshades” This past summer, George Cessna (Snakes, Slim Cessna’s Auto Club) dropped by the KDUR studio while vacationing in the Southwest with his partner. While chatting, I learned that we share an affinity for many of the same bands/artists, including an obsession (my words, not his) with Taylor Kirk and his band Timber Timbre. He casually mentioned getting the opportunity to work with Kirk in the studio on the forthcoming album from a band called This Lonesome Paradise. Later that afternoon, I was floored by the preexisting This Lonesome Paradise album, “Electric Dreams,” and I preordered “Nightshades” as a birthday gift to myself. It has been in constant rotation ever since. I hear influences from Roy Orbison, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Gun Club and even the textures of the Angelo Badalamenti compositions for the television show “Twin Peaks.”

• Danger Mouse & Black Thought – “Cheat Codes” One of the only albums from my personal pool of favorites released on a major label, and I couldn’t care less. I found myself listening to a decent amount of hip-hop/rap records this year, and this high-profile release lived up to/surpassed my expectations. Black Thought is maybe best known as the forward MC of Philadelphia hip hop legends The Roots. Danger Mouse first bent ears as the mastermind behind “The Grey Album,” the 2004 mashup/amalgam of JAY-Z’s “The Black Album” and the Beatles’ “The White Album.” That led to working with Damon Al-

barn on the second Gorillaz record, a collaboration with CeeLo Green under the name Gnarls Barkley, a project with James Mercer of The Shins called Broken Bells, and production credits for Beck, The Black Keys, Karen O and more. On “Cheat Codes,” Black Thought handles lyrical duties along with guest spots from A$AP Rocky, Run the Jewels, Wu-Tang’s Raekwon and a posthumous verse from MF DOOM that chokes me up nearly every time.

Before we go, I want to mention there are a bevy of holidays on the horizon, and we’ve been conditioned into thinking that we *must* purchase things for people during this window of time every winter. If you plan on buying albums, purchasing them as direct as you can, from local artists (in any medium, really) is an acceptable approach.

Also, Durango has a record store (slash bakery!), and I don’t want it to go anywhere. We also have a slew of homegrown galleries/retailers/boutique-y type places, and rent ain’t cheap for ANY of us anymore. Please fight the urge to do all the things online and make it a point to spend part of your dollars here in town. And hey, it’s honestly a nice thing to gift music year-round, not just when the calendar dictates.

That said, I am very interested in what YOU loved listening to this year, so please email me your favorites at the address listed below.

As always, feel free to reach out any time with questions, comments or gripes. Especially the gripes.

Jon E. Lynch is the program director at KDUR. He can be reached at KDUR_PD@fortlewis.edu

The beta on orange soufflé

by Ari LeVaux

Orange foods taste better. Maybe it’s my imagination or just a coincidence. Or maybe it’s the betacarotene that’s found in all orange foods. But probably not, because beta-carotene has no flavor. It is, however, a precursor to Vitamin A, which is good for vision. It’s also the color of autumn.

Ginger, meanwhile, is an honorary orange food. It may not look overly orange but has a feisty flavor. And ginger does, for the record, contain beta-carotene.

This all-orange dish includes carrots, squash, egg yolks, red chile and even orange, the fruit. You can’t get much more orange than that. And it’s even better with ginger. The recipe is for a savory soufflé that puffs up like a cracked balloon in the oven. This is not a dessert soufflé but one for the main course. I serve it drizzled with a tangy orange sauce.

This soufflé is actually several recipes in one. The first step is to make a betacarotene puree, which doubles as a great soup. And the orange sauce I serve it with is useful in many ways. In addition to drizzling it on the soufflé, you can use it on roasted vegetables, chicken and anything else that could benefit from a sharp zing.

This puree is the first step in making Ginger Soufflé. Most any winter squash will work here. My favorites are butternut, kabocha, sunshine or red kuri. Whatever you don’t use can be frozen.

Beta-carotene Puree

Makes 3 quarts.

1 winter squash (2-3 lbs)

4 medium carrots, peeled (about 12 oz)

1 medium onion, minced

2 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic

5 leaves fresh sage

2 quarts chicken stock

1 piece ginger, about an inch on a side, grated

1 tablespoon paprika or chile flakes Preheat oven to 400. Cut the squash in half from tip to stem. Scoop out the seeds and membranes. Peel the squash with a knife or a peeler. Then lay the cut sides down and cut ½-inch slices from pole to pole. Make the slices as even as possible, like you’re slicing bread, so they cook evenly. Cut the carrots into rounds as thick as the squash slices.

(With thin, edible-skinned squash like kabocha or sunshine, I toss the peels with salt and olive oil and bake them too into a crispy treat that’s as addictive as potato chips, but with more carotene. I also bake the seeds.)

Toss squash and carrot slices in 2 tablespoons olive oil and cook until thoroughly

tender, about 30 minutes. The baked peels will only take about 7 minutes, and the seeds about 15.

While squash and carrots are baking, sauté onions, garlic and sage in butter and remainder of the olive oil, on medium heat. When onions are translucent, add chicken stock, squash and carrots. Bring to a simmer and then turn off and let cool.

When cooled, add the ginger and paprika, and puree.

To serve as a soup, add a splash of cream and garnish with roasted seeds and/or peels.

This soufflé is an adaptation of a butternut squash soufflé recipe by John McDonald, who writes about wine in the Cape Gazette of Lewes, Del.

Ginger Soufflé

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons white flour ½ cup milk

¼ cup heavy cream

1 cup beta-carotene puree 3 eggs

¼ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 450. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan on medium. Add flour, and whisk until combined. Add milk and cream and whisk. Finally, add puree and salt, and whisk again.

Separate the eggs. When the contents of the pan have cooled for 10 minutes, add a tablespoon of the mixture to the egg yolks and whisk it in. This tempers the yolks, so they don’t cook when you mix it all together. Add another tablespoon, and whisk it in. And another. Then add the rest of the orange mixture to the yolks, and thoroughly mix.

Beat the egg whites in a medium-sized bowl until peaks form. Gently fold the whites into the batter.

Divide the batter among four buttered pint-sized ramekins and bake until golden and well-risen – about 15 minutes. Drizzle with orange sauce, if using, and serve. They will probably collapse, like soufflés will do. But that won’t impact the flavor.

Orange Sauce

Note: I made a browner version of the sauce for more contrast with the orange soufflé. I replaced the white sugar with brown sugar, and the salt with 2 tablespoons soy sauce.

½ oz. garlic, minced or grated finely ½ oz. ginger, peeled and minced or grated finely

Juice and zest of two juicy oranges

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

4 tablespoons white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree. Pour through a strainer into a saucepan and cook down to about half the original volume.

Stuff to Do

Wednesday23

Live music, 5 p.m., Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave.

Live music, 5 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave.

Paint & Sip Night, 5:30 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Trivia Night, 6 p.m., Mancos Brewing.

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

Karaoke Roulette, 8 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Thursday24

Manna Soup Kitchen’s Drive-thru Community Thanksgiving, 9 a.m., 1100 Avenida del Sol.

Durango Turkey Trot, 10 a.m., Fort Lewis College clocktower (check in at the Student Union).

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

Thanksgiving Dinner, 2 p.m., VFW Post 4031, 1550 Main Ave.

Friday25

World Cup Viewing Party, USA vs. England, 12 noon, Ska Brewing, 215 Girard St.

DJ X plays, 4-9 p.m., Durango Beer and Ice Co., 3000 Main Ave.

Live music, 5 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave.

Jack Ellis & Larry Carver play, 5:30-9:30 p.m., Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave.

Singing with Santa, 5:30 p.m., Buckley Park. The Lisa Blue Trio will lead caroling at 6 p.m., Christmas tree lighting at 6:15 p.m. and photos with Santa all night.

The Jelly Bellys play, 6-9 p.m., 11th Street Station.

Starlight Jam Session, 6 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Rob Webster plays, 6 p.m., Weminuche Woodfire Grill, Vallecito.

Comedy & Karaoke, 6:30 p.m., American Legion, 878 E. 2nd Ave.

Def-I’s Birthday Party & Showcase “Native Heritage Day,” 7 p.m., Animas City Theatre.

Saturday26

Live music, 5 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave.

Live music, 5 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Thee Fearless Peasants play, 5-8 p.m., Mancos Brewing.

Basilaris plays, 6-9 p.m., 11th Street Station.

Community Yoga, 6-7 p.m., Yoga Durango, 1485 Florida Rd. Donations accepted.

Terry Rickard plays, 6 p.m., Weminuche Woodfire Grill, Vallecito.

Salsa Dance Night, 6:30 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Silent Disco, 10 p.m.-12:30 a.m., 11th Street Station.

Sunday27

Mancos Art Market, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., downtown Mancos.

Open Mic, 2 p.m., Mancos Brewing.

Feed the People! free mutual aid meal & winter gear drive for homeless community members, every Sunday, 2-4 p.m., Buckley Park.

Live music, 5 p.m., Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave.

Live music, 5 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave.

Sunday Funday, featuring games and prizes, 6 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Monday28

Live music, 5 p.m., Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave.

Live music, 5 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave.

Happy Hour Yoga, 5:30 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St.

Author Event: Robin Wall Kimmerer, 6-8 p.m., Maria’s Bookshop, 960 Main Ave.

Ladies Game & Poker Night, weekly starting at 6 p.m., 11th Street Station.

Comedy Showcase, weekly, 7:30 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Tuesday29

Live music, 5 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave.

Jason Thies plays, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave.

Open Mic Night, 7:30-9:30 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Jazz Ensemble Concert, 7 p.m., FLC’s Community Concert Hall.

Wednesday30

Live music, 5 p.m., Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave.

Live music, 5 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave.

Paint & Sip Night, 5:30 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

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

Karaoke Roulette, 8 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Ongoing

Patische Art Exhibit, featuring seven local women artists, Smiley Café, 1309 E. 3rd Ave.

“Wild Kratts: Ocean Adventure! And Creature Power!” hands on STEM exhibits for children ages 3- 9, runs until Jan. 7, Farmington Museum, 3041 E. Main St.

The Hive Indoor Skate Park, open skate and skate lessons. For schedule and online waiver, go to www.thehivedgo.org

Upcoming

The Technology of Job Search event, Dec. 1, 5:30 p.m., DEV Space inside FLC’s Reed Library.

First Thursday Songwriter Series, Dec. 1, 7-9 p.m., The iNDIGO Room, 1315 Main Ave.

Noel Night, in and around Durango, all day, Dec. 2.

Telluride Fire Festival, Dec. 2-4, telluridefirefestival.org

“Home-to-Home” Film Screening and Q&A, Dec. 2, 5:30 p.m., FLC’s Student Union Ballroom.

Festival of Trees, Dec. 2-4, 12 noon-5 p.m., D&SNG museum, downtown Durango. Trees22.GiveSmart.com

AskRachel

Cran-troversy, going solo and pickle perplexed

Interesting fact: Americans consume 5 million gallons of jellied cranberry sauce every holiday season, and 73% of them prefer it jellied in the shape of a can. Cran cran, in the shape of cans, cans!

Dear Rachel,

I just learned from my partner that a certain friend will be coming to our Friendsgiving. Yeah yeah, all are welcome and kumbaya and crap, but every Thanksgiving she brings canned cranberry sauce. What the hell. It takes 15 minutes to make a good cranberry sauce. She’s getting turkey and homemade everything else, is it too much for me to expect her to bring one decent side?

Sauced

–

Dear Cranny Granny,

I had a friend who always brought paper napkins. Even for nice sit-down dinners when I pulled out the cloth table linens. No one without pica could eat the napkins. The holidays are stressful enough without you harping on your friend for being nice enough to bring something in the first place. She might have good reasons for being unable, or unwilling, to meet your sidedish specs. But she’s still your friend. So be grateful, because canned cranberry sauce is the BOMB.

Ridges

–

Dear Rachel,

or GTFO, Rachel

I have officially given up on trying to date. Dating apps just waste my time, and so do the men & women on them. There are only so many

people going to only so many bars, and you know what? Whiskey breath (let alone whiskey other-things) just ain’t attractive. What’s the best and easiest way to transition into satisfied middle-age singlehood?

Stand Alone

–

Dear Lonely Island, Single or mingling, you gotta move beyond the bars. Art openings and charity events, baybee. Not only are you likely to meet a more cultured, philanthropic social circle, the wine is often complimentary. Plus, the doors often close early enough that you can still be in bed with your cat and your computer by 8:30 p.m. The transition may not be graceful, but it will be permanent.

– Cheers, Rachel

Dear Rachel, I’d never heard of pickleball until your letters talked about it. Now I’m seeing pickleball EVERYWHERE. I was even just recently visiting a friend in a very small town, and over tea her neighbors were talking about building a community court. I finally caved and watched a video of this phenom sport, which seriously looked more fitting for Snowdown than ESPN. SERIOUSLY WHY THE HELL IS THIS SO POPULAR?

–

Poor Sport

Dear Future Pickleballer, You are asking the wrong gal. Pickleball seriously looks like people sporting it up while wearing those in-

Email questions to telegraph@durangotelegraph.com

flatable T-Rex costumes, only minus the inflatable T-Rex costumes. It plays like an improvised camping game, because someone’s dad forgot the badminton birdies. And it sounds like the one, single side dish someone could bring that would warrant banning them from all future Thanksgivings. Speaking of Snowdown, though, it could well be the feature event in 30 years when we have a 2020s theme, complete with sexy mask costumes and another event called “crypto-crash.”

– Pickled out, Rachel

by Rob Brezsny

ARIES (March 21-April 19):

One of your callings as an Aries is to take risks. You’re inclined to take more leaps of faith than other people, and you’re also more likely to navigate them to your advantage – or at least not get burned. A key reason for your success is your keen intuition about which gambles are relatively smart and which are ill-advised. But even when your chancy ventures bring you exciting new experiences, they may still run you afoul of conventional wisdom, peer pressure and the way things have always been done. Everything I have described here will be in maximum play for you in the coming weeks.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):

Your keynote comes from teacher Caroline Myss. She writes, “Becoming adept at the process of self-inquiry and symbolic insight is a vital spiritual task that leads to the growth of faith in oneself.” Encouraging you to grow your faith in yourself will be one of my prime intentions in the next 12 months. Let’s get started! How can you become more adept at self-inquiry and symbolic insight? One idea is to ask yourself a probing new question every Sunday morning, like, “What teachings and healings do I most want to attract into my life during the next seven days?” Spend the subsequent week gathering experiences and revelations that will address that query. Another idea is to remember and study your dreams, because doing so is the number one way to develop symbolic insight.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):

The TV science fiction show “Legends of Tomorrow” features a ragtag team of imperfect but effective superheroes. They travel through time trying to fix aberrations in the timelines caused by various villains. As they experiment and improvise, sometimes resorting to wildly daring gambits, their successes outnumber their stumbles and bumbles. And, on occasion, even their apparent mistakes lead to good fortune that unfolds in unexpected ways. One member of the team, Nate, observes, “Sometimes we screw up – for the better.” I foresee you Geminis as having a similar modus operandi in the coming weeks.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):

I like how Cancerian poet Stephen Dunn begins his poem, “Before We Leave.” He writes, “Just so it’s clear – no whining on the journey.” I am offering this greeting to you and me, my fellow Cancerians, as we launch the next chapter of our story. In the early stages, our efforts may feel like drudgery, and our progress could seem slow. But as long as we don’t complain excessively and don’t blame others for our own limitations, our labors will become easier and quite productive.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Leo poet Kim Addonizio writes a lot about love and sex. In her book “Wild Nights,” she says, “I’m thinking of dating trees next. We could just stand around all night together. I’d murmur, they’d rustle, the wind would, like, do its wind thing.” Now might be a favorable time for you, too, to experiment with evergreen romance and arborsexuality and trysts with your favorite plants. When was the last time you hugged an oak or kissed an elm? JUST KIDDING! The coming weeks will indeed be an excellent time to try creative innovations in your approach to intimacy and adoration. But I’d rather see your experiments in togetherness unfold with humans.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):

In her book “Daughters of the Stone,” Virgo novelist Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa tells the tale of five generations of AfroCuban women, her ancestors. “These are the stories of a time lost to flesh and bone,” she writes, “a time that lives only in dreams and memories. Like a primeval wave, these stories have carried me and deposited me on the morning of today. They are the stories of how I came to be who I am, where I am.” I’d love to see you explore your own history with as much passion and focus, Virgo. In my astrological opinion, it’s a favorable time for you to commune with the influences that have made you who you are.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In accordance with astrological omens, here’s my advice for you in the coming weeks: 1. Know what it takes to please everyone, even if you don’t always choose to please everyone. 2. Know how to be what everyone wants you to be and when they need you to be it, even if you only fulfill that wish when it has selfish value for you. 3. DO NOT give others all you have and thereby neglect to keep enough to give yourself. 4. When others are being closed-minded, help them develop more expansive finesse by sharing your own reasonable views. 5. Start thinking about how, in 2023, you will grow your roots as big and strong as your branches.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):

Even if some people are nervous or intimidated around you, they may be drawn to you nonetheless. When that happens, you probably enjoy the power you feel. But I wonder what would happen if you made a conscious effort to cut back just a bit on the daunting vibes. I’m not saying they’re bad. I understand they serve as a protective measure, and I appreciate the fact that they may help you get the cooperation you want. As an experiment, though, I invite you to be more reassuring and welcoming to those who might be inclined to fear you. See if it alters their behavior in ways you enjoy and benefit from.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21): Sagittarian rapper and entrepreneur Jay-Z has stellar advice for his fellow Sagittarians to contemplate regularly: “Ain’t nothin’ wrong with the aim; just gotta change the target.” In offering Jay-Z’s advice, I don’t mean to suggest that you *always* need to change the target you’re aiming at. On many occasions, it’s exactly right. But the act of checking in to evaluate whether it is or isn’t the right target will usually be valuable. And on occasion, you may realize that you should indeed aim at a different target.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You now have extra power to exorcise ghosts and demons that are still lingering from the old days and old ways. You are able to transform the way your history affects you. You have a sixth sense about how to graduate from lessons you have been studying for a long time. In honor of this joyfully tumultuous opportunity, draw inspiration from poet Charles Wright: “Knot by knot I untie myself from the past / And let it rise away from me like a balloon. / What a small thing it becomes. / What a bright tweak at the vanishing point, blue on blue.”

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In accordance with current astrological rhythms, I am handing over your horoscope to essayist Anne Fadiman. She writes, “I have always felt that the action most worth watching is not at the center of things, but where edges meet. I like shorelines, weather fronts, international borders. There are interesting frictions and incongruities in these places, and often, if you stand at the point of tangency, you can see both sides better than if you were in the middle of either one.”

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Over the course of my life, I have been fortunate to work with 13 psychotherapists. They have helped keep my mental health flourishing. One of them regularly reminded me that if I hoped to get what I wanted, I had to know precisely what I wanted. Once a year, she would give me a giant piece of thick paper and felt-tip markers. “Draw your personal vision of paradise,” she instructed me. “Outline the contours of the welcoming paradise that would make your life eminently delightful and worthwhile.” She would also ask me to finish the sentence that begins with these words: “I am mobilizing all the energy and ingenuity and connections I have at my disposal so as to accomplish the following goal.” In my astrological opinion, Pisces, now is a perfect time to do these two exercises yourself.

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 www.durangotelegraph.com 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

Applications for Advanced Standing MSW Program

Students with a bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW) are eligible for a oneyear Masters of Social Work program through the University of Denver. The program starts summer 2023 and classes are taught in Durango. Stipends for child welfare, integrated behavioral health care are available.  Native American tuition support to eligible students is also available.  For more information, contact Janelle.Doughty@du.edu or visit our website at www.du.edu/socialwork.

Durango Adult Education Center Winter Graduation

Ceremonies will be held in Cortez (Turquoise Raven, 104 E. Main St.) and Durango (Rec Center, 2700 Main Ave.) on Dec. 15 and 16 respectively.

CommercialforRent

Community Wellness Center

Integrated clinic seeks licensed, insured professionals to rent private offices, shared reception. $950 incl all util 970247-1233

Warehouse/Workshop Space!!

1800 sq. ft +/- near Oxbow. Call or text 970-946-4343.

Wanted

ISO Sewing Lessons

I have my own machine and know just enough to be dangerous. Please help me before I ruin something else. 970-7492595.

Cash for Vehicles, Copper, Alum, Etc.

at RJ Metal Recycle. Also free appliance and other metal drop off. 970-259-3494.

Free Free Wardrobe Moving Boxes

Three free wardrobe moving boxes available. Must pick up. Text (832) 4747191

ForRent

RV Storage in Durango

We have RV storage available at Durango Riverside RV Park! From Nov-April, prices range $25-$80, electric avail. Call us at 970-247-4499.

ForSale

Kawai QX100 electronic

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.

BodyWork

Mtn Medicine Acupuncture Bonds

Holiday wellness gifts to yourself, friends, employees or underserved locals in need. 5 sessions for $350; 10 sessions for $600; 20 for $1100. 970-247-1233

In-Home Fitness Training

Free Consultation. Diane Brady NSCACPT. 970-903-2421.

HaikuMovieReview

‘Moonfall’

So predictable that you’ll wonder if you wrote this and just forgot

– Lainie Maxson

Telegraph Flashback

keyboard

Your dad was wrong – you can still make it as a musician. Kawai QX100 electronic keyboard for $100 OBO. Comes with owner’s manual, no adaptor. Can be used with AC adaptor or six size C dry cell batteries. j.marie.pace@gmail.com

Gordon Smith FibreFlex Longboard

A classic – sweet, smooth ride for cushy cruising. Been around the block but still in great shape. 42” long. $50 Text: 970-749-2595.

Vassago

Jabberwocky Singlespeed

17” steel frame, black, hardtail, front Fox 32” fork. Set up for tubeless, decent rubber. Super fun, light and zippy bike –great for in-town rides, Phil’s and more. $750 Text: 970-749-2595.

Reruns Home Furnishings

Warm up your space with quality preowned furniture and décor. Entertaining/serving dishes and casseroles, platters, etc.; rustic corner cabinet; and other nice furniture pieces … 572 E. 6th Ave. Open Mon.-Sat. 385-7336.

Services

Marketing Small and Local Businesses

Media, website building and content editing, copywriting and editing, newsletters, blogs, etc. for small, local, independent or startup businesses. Visit our website at www.forwardpedal.com or email jnderge@gmail.com

Harmony Cleaning and Organizing

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

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.

Massage by Meg Bush LMT, 30, 60 & 90 min., 970-759-0199.

CommunityService

SJMA’s Christmas Tree Lot

Volunteers also needed to assist on the tree lot at the D&SNG parking lot. Tree lot opens Fri., Nov. 25, and will be open daily until the trees sell out. www.sjma.org/

Durango PlayFest Seeks Submissions

by Dec. 1 for its fifth annual festival, June 28-July 2, 2023. Prior playwriting experience not required. Selected playwright will collaborate with local director and actors to develop the work for a staged reading. Plays should be 60-90 pages, with up to four characters. Playwrights must reside within daily driving distance of Durango to attend rehearsals in June. Submit plays in a Word doc or PDF to durangoplayfest@gmail.com with “play” in the subject line. For more info, visit durangoplayfest.org.

Volunteer Advocates Needed Do you want to make a difference in your community and the lives of others? Alternative Horizons is in need of volunteers to staff our hotline. AH supports and empowers survivors of domestic violence. Training and support provided. For info. call 970-247-4374 or visit alternativehori zons.org