The Durango Telegraph Dec. 16, 2021

We got plowed!

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T H E

O R I G I N A L

I N D I E

W E E K L Y

L I N E

O N

D U R A N G O

&

B E Y O N D

Ruining history

The next boom

All together now

Relocated cliff dwellings-turnedtourist-stop spark debate p7

Could tapping into Mancos Shale be new basin bonanza? p9

How a local hip hop band found a home in the punk scene p11

2 n Dec. 16, 2021

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lineup

4

4 La Vida Local

Princess of darkness True confessions of how my cat is a cold-blooded killer ... and I love her

by Jesse Anderson

4 Thumbin’ It 5 Word on the Street 6 Soapbox 7 State News

7

9 Top Story

Ruining history Re-located ruins-turned-tourist-attraction under fire for altering history

11 Rock’N’ Roll Sweetheart

by Monica Castillo / Colorado Public Radio

12-13 Stuff to Do 13 Ask Rachel

9

14 Free Will Astrology

Advances in tapping into Mancos Shale could lead to basin bonanza

15 Haiku Movie Review

Oil & gas comeback?

15 Classifieds

by Jonathan Romeo On the cover: In a serendipitous moment, sometimes you discover that cheesy yard art received as a wedding gift – that you suspect your wife hates – makes for a good shot./ Photo by Alex Krebs

11

The mea culpa Apparently, although they have “Canada” in thier name, Canada geese are not actually “Canadian.” If this has you even more confused about things like Canadian bacon or Canadian tuxedos, maybe just stick to “back bacon,” “denim on denim” and “some kind of large waterfowl.”

All together now

How a local hip hop band found an unlikely home in the punk scene

boilerplate

by Alex Vick

EDITORIALISTA: Missy Votel missy@durangotelegraph.com

STAR-STUDDED CAST: Jesse Anderson, Lainie Maxson, Rob Brezsny, Alex Vick and Clint Reid

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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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Ear to the ground: “Is it OK to name my dog after a dead rap star?”

– Local unsure of today’s ever-changing “cancel” parameters

Five-star reviews

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RegularOccurrences

Durango – and the West Slope in general – often gets overlooked by its Front Range brethren (hey, in some ways, isn’t that good?), but it appears our little town is making a splash in the restaurant scene.

Recently, four Durango restaurateurs were recognized by the Colorado Restaurant Association, a trade organization for the state’s food service industry based in Denver. As part of CRA’s 2021 Industry Spotlight Awards, David Cuntz, of The Roost, won Chef of the Year; and Blaine Bailey, of the nonprofit In the Weeds, was recognized as an Outstanding Philanthropist.

In a separate recognition as part to CRA’s Lifetime Achievement Awards, Ryan Lowe, of the Ore House Restaurant, won the Noel & Tammy Cunningham Humanitarian Award; and David Woodruff, of El Moro Spirits & Tavern, took home the Chairman Award.

“The Colorado Restaurant Association is proud to honor an incredible group of restaurant workers at all levels and industry partners for their inspiring commitment to Colorado's restaurant community,” the CRA said in a statement.

Attempts to reach The Roost were unsuccessful this week. Cuntz, more commonly known as “Chef Dave,” had worked at the Strater Hotel and most recently was in charge of the kitchen at Carver Brewing Co. from 2012-20 until he was laid off because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the chance to hire one of the best chefs around, The Roost hired Cuntz, who is also known for his volunteer work at Manna Soup Kitchen and SASO. Bailey and other service workers started In the Weeds in 2019 to help restaurant workers deal with the stress and struggles of the job. But their mission became ever more important and heightened with the onset of the pandemic, which caused many restaurants to close and workers to be laid off.

“It’s just very bittersweet (winning the award) because I wish there wasn’t this big of a need for us,” Bailey said. “But I’m also glad that we’re here because the people we serve are hurting right now.”

With the pandemic somewhat in the rearview mirror (knock on wood), In the Weeds will continue to offer support groups, outdoor activities, social events like book clubs and individual support. And, the nonprofit helps restaurants improve their workplace culture.

“We’re there to support those positive changes happening within the industry,” Bailey said.

From dishwasher to owner, Lowe was recognized for supporting local culinary artisans and growers at the Ore House, as well as practicing sustainable and zero-waste practices. He has also helped start food programs at Durango High School and helped feed frontline workers delivering to-go meals to local hospitals during the pandemic.

Woodruff, who is President of CRA’s Durango chapter, was lauded for his contribution to helping the town’s restaurants navigate the pandemic, including serving as a liaison between issues at the state level and organizing vaccine clinics for industry workers.

And hey, all these guys provide us healthy and delicious meals, as well as copious amounts of alcohol. Surely there’s an award for that?

Dec. 16, 2021 n

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opinion

LaVidaLocal Tina, precious princess of death My back yard feels like death. I smoke out there or walk through on the way to my rusting Jeep, and my hackles rise every time. It’s like maybe enough things have died back there to haunt the place. And it’s quiet. The birds and mice are gone. We don’t see snakes anymore or signs of raccoons. When the elm seed bugs got bad this summer, my yard became choked with plumes of them, fliting around my deck like flies above a corpse. The small predators that ate the bugs were gone, forevermore.

My cat, Tina, is a precious princess. Maybe I should’ve opened with that. She’s brown with gold eyes that glow in the dark. And by “brown,” I mean brown like a chocolate lab, like the brownest crayon in the box. No matter how I describe my cat, people are flabbergasted when they see her, “Wow, she’s… brown.” Me: “Yeah, I told you.” Tina is a color that a cat simply shouldn’t be. She grew up to be tiny, too, which adds to her weirdness. Her face and mannerisms are beastly like a cougar’s, but her body is “smol,” as they say in the social media cat groups that’ve given me “top fan” badges. Whatever.

Tina was birthed in a barn in the backwoods of Durango and fed only fish carcasses by her first human. “Momma cat,” literally Tina’s mom’s name, gave scarce milk in the beginning and field mouse scraps near the end; Tina was the runt. She came to me just shy of being full-blown feral. I broke her with people-food and lots of games, with lasers or feathers tied to fishing poles, and now I love her forever and always, just like she loves me.

Though … Tina is more than a tiny brown kitty who’s so-so-so wonderful, and I need to admit it.

She’s also a pernicious, predatory creature without the wherewithal to realize that she’s small. We’ve taken her to the vet thrice for stitches, always for a wound on her back or belly. Sometimes, the tooth marks are too big to be from another cat. There used to be a gaze of baby raccoons living by my neighbor’s house and I haven’t seen them in a while.

Maybe Tina gave as good as she got.

The last wound was probably from the monstrous owl that lives in our neighborhood – it’s fat and grey, like that evil one from “The Secret of NIMH,” if you’re old and cool enough to remember. I imagine it picked her up and then regretted it, dropping her with a screech and bloodied feathers right into a $407 vet bill.

There’s zero exaggeration in this: my cat tried to take down a deer while my wife watched. Tina saw it across the street standing there like a huge snack, looked both ways and blurred into some bushes. Her tail swished, she crouched, pounced and landed a millimeter away from the doe. The deer looked down, ruminating on her cud and my cat, surely wondering why that mountain lion was so small.

But that’s just the fun stuff.

Tina keeps her mouse head collection in our back yard. It’s not just a couple. We never find the bodies, but heads litter the gravel, blending in like misshapen, furry rocks. My wife, Terra, took a picture of one that Tina wedged between two planks on the deck – it’s staring up through the crack, wilted eyes and yellow teeth. Can you imagine that death?

I’ve found her under the back porch (twice) with dead snakes that were big enough to make me taste a little fear. Each time she was posing like the Egyptian Sphynx with the snake ribboning over her forearms. The elm bugs swarmed above, just like flies around lions on the Serengeti.

Next came the birds, which were the hardest part. It was difficult to explain to my daughter why my kitty kills everything that moves just for sport, like that alien from “Predator.” The tree behind my house was once chockablock with warblers, and they’d dive bomb me with avian rage every time I lit a joint. I didn’t mind.

But Tina minded a ton. She’d bring them inside and make a special noise that meant she wanted us to come take a look.

But don’t take my word for it. British scientists have come up with test called the “CAT-Tri+” to determine the level of psychosis in your cat. I used it to rate Tina on a one-to-five scale via 46 statements designed to gauge a cat’s craziness by focusing on three traits: boldness, meanness and disinhibition.

Statements such as “my cat sits in high places” determine boldness. Tina likes the roof, so that’s a big-fat five.

“My cat purrs while attacking people/animals.” Well, it’s the only time she purrs, so, six? That one had to do with disinhibition. The inescapable diagnosis came with the statement centered on meanness (if you are squeamish or a small varmint lover look away): “my cat torments its prey rather than killing it straight away,” which gives me flashbacks. There’s no deathblow with Tina: she torments until death is certain, and then walks away in disappointment. Another five. “My cat makes random and wild vocalizations.” Oh, you mean the 2 a.m. demon summoning? Five again!

But back to those scientists: they discovered through their research that all cats have at least some level of psychopathy. So, it makes me feel a bit better knowing all cats are crazy, not just mine. But that solace is limited, because the CAT-Tri+ test gave Tina an A+.

“Then keep your evil cat inside,” you’re thinking.

No. She eats the furniture. She climbs onto the table to eat the edges or perches on the back of the chairs to chew on the corners. Like a four-legged woodpecker, Tina destroys anything that was once a tree. Then she starts stalking us, and she means it. You can see the waves of fury run through her muscles, her ears twitch like antennae, and her pupils dilate rapidly. When she pounces, she pounces to kill. Humanity would be wiped out if we were all 7 inches tall.

As to the, “Well, you’re just going to kill your cat by letting her outside” argument I say, “Live by the sword, die by the sword.” That’s what it’s about in Tina’s universe. And really, what are my options? I can’t euthanize this cat who was alive when she came to me, who I love despite the fact that our relationship is based entirely on my self-defense. Nor am I going to kill her soul by keeping her inside where she’d chew herself toothless on anything with a corner.

So, that’s where I’m at, despite the fliers I’ve seen by the mailboxes suggesting that cats be kept inside. We all know who you’re talking to, Karen. I’ll deal with the feeling of death in my back yard because Tina – who’s named after the “fat-lard” llama from “Napoleon Dynamite” – will always be my precious princess.

Sign of the Downfall:

Thumbin’It The CSU Extension Office partnering with Steamworks Brewing Co. for the second year in a row to deliver 100 meals to families in need during the holiday season.

This is kind of good news/bad news: because of insane crowds, Arches National Park is going to a reservation system. The park is on track this year to break its record of 1.66 million visitors set in 2018.

Finally, winter has arrived in SW Colo.

Snow is blanketing the mountains, the ski resorts are open for biz and people are going nuts on Facebook over whether the roads are safe to drive during a snow squall (hint: they aren’t).

4 n Dec. 16, 2021

– Jesse Anderson

Catose Intolerant This is not a joke: America is facing a Santa shortage this year. In response, we here at The Durango Telegraph are doing our best to pack on the pounds and put on a jolly face to help our nation in a time of crisis.

Inflation soaring to its highest increase in nearly four decades, raising prices at the pump and grocery store, and even forcing Dollar Tree to raise its average price from $1 to $1.25. What have we come to?

The tragic death of an Animas High School student who is suspected of overdosing on Percocet laced with Fentanyl, along with two other students requiring hospitalization.

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Last month, during Delta flight 1360 from Syracuse to Atlanta, the woman sitting in 13A decided to breastfeed her full-grown, hairless cat. The individual in 13B –who obviously wasn’t as woke as 13A – hailed the flight attendant, who then demanded that the cat be put back in its carrier. The partially-exposed lady refused, so the attendant alerted the ground crew in Atlanta, who confronted the lady when she arrived. After the confrontation, the crew came to the same conclusion as you probably have: hairless cats should be weened when they’re kittens.

WordontheStreet

Q

With the naughty list being finalized, the Telegraph asked, “What do you not want Santa to find out about?”

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“Everything. (Anything in particular?) No, just everything.”

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“Having too much to drink and waking up on a beach.”

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Colby

Algar

“That I’ve been drinking.”

“That gas is expensive, but I guess he doesn’t have to worry about that, what with the reindeer.”

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Dec. 16, 2021 n 5

D-Tooned/by Rob Pudim

SoapBox Crosswalk courtesy, please A woman wanted to run me over last week. Apparently, she didn’t like that I was walking and using a crosswalk on Florida Road that is designated specifically for pedestrians.

She had plenty of time to see me and I didn’t tempt fate; I knew she had time to slow down. And yes, I was making a point. Crosswalks are placed on Durango’s roadways for a reason.

I guess she was in a hurry, probably speeding. As I stepped onto the street she laid on her horn, called me an “A**hole.” I pointed to the large bright yellow sign that designates the crosswalk. She rolled down her window and called me a “Fu**ing a**hole” and told me I was going to get killed. I said, “Read the sign” – even though no actual reading is required. Again, she called me a “Fu**ing a**hole” and sped by as I crossed the street.

I use that crosswalk often and about half the time drivers choose to ignore the sign and the clear pavement markings. She was the first to blow her horn and curse me. I fear more and more people are choosing to ignore simple rules of courtesy and safety. I suppose they feel I’m taking away their freedom by adding 10 seconds to their trip. Sad. – Joe Lewandowski, Durango

‘Patriots’ need a reality check Can anyone explain why I see American flags next to Trump banners when I drive through Montezuma County? Are these people unaware that former President Trump made every effort he felt he could get away with to overturn a valid election? After promoting the lie that he won a massive victory in the 2020 election, he later incited an angry mob to march on the Capitol in support of the Big Lie. He continues to lie about the election and damages faith in the American election process and democracy itself.

Why is this OK? Are these people deluded or do they

simply not care about preserving American democracy?

Trump’s servile attorney general, William Barr, told him it was “bull****.” Homeland Security called it the most secure election in American history. Multiple recounts were conducted in swing states. The Trump campaign lost scores of lawsuits concerning the election. Now Republicans are passing legislation to place the counting of votes in their partisan hands or in hand-picked commissions that are sympathetic to Trump.

All of this is turbocharged by the constant drumbeat of anger and grievance programming on Fox News and other sources that still support Trump. Unfortunately, anger works. It is always easier to feel than think.

It appears that support for the Trump election lie has the same character as a religion: “truth” is whatever a person believes just because they believe – no critical analysis is needed. Whatever Trump supporters call themselves now, they can stop calling themselves “patriots.”

– Tom Williamson, Durango

Boebert is a Raiders fan I’ve been trying to figure out what it would take for the voters of the 3rd Congressional District of Colorado to be embarrassed or say enough is enough when it comes to our attention-addicted Rep. Lauren Boebert. Defying D.C. rules about carrying a gun? Supporting the “Big Lie” that the election was rigged? Wearing a dress at Mar-a-Lago with Donald Trump that has a large written vulgar statement against President Biden? Nope, nope and nope.

According to an article in Colorado Newsline from Sept.

29, Boebert has failed Coloradans in a number of ways: playing a role in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack; not introducing a single bill with bipartisan support; voting against cancer patients and military families; giving zero dollars for local projects; breaking federal campaign law; going AWOL during I-70 mudslides; refuseing to be accessible to con-

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stituents and press; being a risk to responsible gun owners; refusing to cooperate with meaningful COVID-19 recovery.

Not enough? Perhaps this will finally tell you who our representative really is. After supporting Kyle Rittenhouse, who shot three people and killed two, she offered him a job. Just what we need: a gun-toting, undereducated person on Capitol Hill. Oh wait, isn’t that Boebert?

But that’s not embarrassing enough. After four kids were shot in a Michigan school, she posted a Christmas photo of her and her four boys armed with semi-automatic weapons, their Christmas presents. Not enough yet? Well, since she brought her kids into the limelight, consider this Colorado: Two of her sons were wearing sports jerseys. Broncos? Avs? Rockies? Nope. Green Bay Packers and Oakland Raiders!

The Raiders!!!! Can you say tone deaf? I doubt the kids bought their own jerseys, so it’s a safe assumption that our Colorado representative doesn’t really support Colorado.

Just scamming her supporters.

– Craig S. Chisesi, Rifle

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We are proud to support Stillwater Music — Durango’s music education hub, providing joyful music education for students of all abilities and ages.

2020 Business of the Y Year ear Durango Chamber of Commerce 2020 Community/Rural Lender off the Y Year ear Colorado Small Business Administration

6 n Dec. 16, 2021

For every personal or business checking or savings account opened between now and December 31, First SouthWest Bank will donate $100 to Stillwater Music (up to $2,500), or $250 for every youth savings account opened.

Visit FSWB.bank/Stillwater for more information.

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EQUAL OPPORT TUNITY EMPLOYER

(970) 375-1100 | info@fswb.com 600 East 2nd Avenue, Durango

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StateNews

Authentic or fake?

Manitou Cliff Dwellings, relocated from Cortez, spark debate over history

by Monica Castillo Colorado Public Radio

J

ust outside Colorado Springs, the Manitou Cliff Dwellings have been welcoming tourists for more than 100 years.

In some ways, the ruins have taken on a history of their own as a destination for families, school trips and even international travelers. Ads for the Cliff Dwellings invite visitors to touch history.

That caught the attention of new Colorado resident Nick Culbert from nearby Fort Carson. He and his girlfriend went to the cliff dwellings to learn about the history.

When asked what he learned on his visit, Culbert said he was surprised to find out the dwellings in Colorado Springs are among the most perfectly preserved in all of the Southwest. But the history of the dwellings – their origin and authenticity – is complicated.

Some of the dwellings are indeed real, but they were taken from their original site near Cortez and reconstructed near Colorado Springs. Indeed, the structures some call “authentic” are called “fake” by others.

Raven Payment did not see authenticity when she visited the cliff dwellings over the summer. What she felt was disrespect.

“I guess I was very offended, but I was also infuriated,” Payment said. “This is some world-class audacity and entitlement to not only steal these things, but then to not even put them back together the way they were and how those people would have used them.”

Payment said the attraction also uses language that can be offensive. “From a larger, broader conversation, it’s reinforcing stereotypes that affect us in the modern age and how we move through the world socially and even politically,” she said.

So, how did the cliff dwellings end up in Manitou Springs?

Back at the turn of the 20th century, concerned Coloradans wanted to stop the pillaging and looting of ancient Indigenous sites. Virginia McClurg and Harold Ashenhurst thought the best way to preserve one

of these sites was to move it closer to where white Coloradans were settling. Thus, they had the homes of Ancestral Puebloans removed from their original site in McElmo Canyon to the Front Range.

However, the dwellings were reassembled using supplies not available to Ancestral Puebloans, like mortar. Broken bits of ancient pottery were also added into the binding mix, which further changed what these homes once looked like.

Archeologist Richard Wilshusen says those decisions damage the attraction’s claim to authenticity. “It would be like having a replica of the Taj Mahal somewhere and thinking that you’re in India and you’re not, you’re just viewing a replica,” he said.

Museums and cultural institutions all over the nation have been reevaluating how they’ve treated Indigenous historical sites. Some have made strides in diversifying staff, recontextualizing white-washed history and opening better lines of communication with affected communities. But some places have been slow to keep up.

For instance, Payment says the Manitou Cliff Dwellings use the term “Anasazi,” which has been deemed offensive by many Indigenous people. White archeologists adopted the term – which means “ancient enemy” – from their Navajo guides.

The descendants of Ancestral Puebloans don’t use the term and pushed museums to update their language. But many state and local guides still use it, and it figured prominently in the Cliff Dwellings attraction, even as recently as this summer.

Since then, the privately owned attraction has taken some steps to drop the use of the term, but it remains in some places.

The owners and management of the Cliff Dwellings declined to be interviewed for this story.

Payment says she hopes people understand what it felt like for her and other Indigenous people to visit the attraction.

“The things that they are seeing at the Manitou Cliff Dwellings belong to people who are still alive, those are their relatives’

The Manitou Cliff Dwellings, near Colorado Springs, were relocated from McElmo Canyon at the turn of the 20th Century. The modern day tourist attraction is coming under fire for offering an inauthentic, and offensive to some, reinterpretation of history./Photo by Colorado Public Radio items,” Payment said. “So this is no different than going to a cemetery of their family. And if we pull things out of their family’s coffins and put them on display,

they would probably be rightfully bothered by that.”

For more from Colorado Public Radio, visit www.cpr.org

Happy Holidays!

A fresh bag of coff ffe ee makes a great gift.

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

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Dec. 16, 2021 n 7

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TopStory

An oil and gas well south of Durango near an area where a Texas company wants to exploratory drill in a previously untapped formation known as the Mancos Shale./ Photo by Jonathan Romeo

The next big boom Oil and gas could be poised for a comeback in Southwest Colorado

by Jonathan Romeo

S

outhwest Colorado could be on the precipice of the next big oil and gas boom.

The San Juan Basin, a natural gas and oil field that spans southwestern Colorado and northwestern New Mexico, experienced one of its most productive and profitable periods in the 1990s and into the 2000s.

Since 2011. However, development in the basin has stagnated as natural gas prices plummeted and companies have found cheaper places to drill.

But the San Juan Basin has been defined by cycles of boom and bust since the field was first discovered 100 years ago. Now, according to prospective companies and industry experts, it appears the wheels are in motion for the next big upturn in the field’s history.

What’s driving interest once again in the high desert is new technology that allows companies to drill horizontally, along with new methods of fracking. Both have helped to release the potential of a previously untapped formation in the San Juan Basin called Mancos Shale.

In New Mexico, drillers have already seen promising returns of natural gas from the Mancos Shale, furthering speculation the San Juan Basin could make another

comeback. On the Colorado side of the basin, companies have yet to drill to get a sense of how much reserves could be stored underground – but not for long.

Last month, Texas company NueVida Resources took the first steps to begin exploratory drilling in the Mancos Shale formation on private property south of Durango. While early in the process, many companies and industry experts regard this move as the first in what could be a monumental event in reviving the basin, which could bring revenue and jobs to producing counties.

But it’s not all rosy. The adverse effects of oil and gas have been well documented in the San Juan Basin, home to an estimated 56,000 wells, and countless pipelines and infrastructure, which have made an indelible mark on the culture and environment of the region.

And, all this comes at a time when there’s virtual scientific consensus that emissions from oil and gas operations through practices like venting and flaring need to be reduced to offset impacts of climate change.

Apples to fossil fuels In October 1921, the first commercial natural gas well was drilled in the San Juan Basin, about 1 mile south of Aztec. It wasn’t an instant hit. In fact, it wasn’t until the

1950s, when a pipeline was constructed to ship gas to California and Washington (where most gas is still shipped to this day), that the first boom was set in motion.

Farmington, then a rural town known for its apple orchards, skyrocketed from 3,500 people in 1950 to more than 23,000 by 1960.

Despite the vast amount of reserves across the 7,500-square-mile San Juan Basin, like any natural gas field, it has been subject to outside forces that cause periods of prosperity and hardships – an interconnected mix of global prices, supply and demand, and overproduction. The basin crashed in the 1960s, recovered in the 1970s, and then crashed again in the 1980s (the most severe, with entire neighborhoods abandoned).

Yet after every downswing, new technology, demand and incentives seem to breathe life into the field. That’s exactly what happened in the 1990s, when Congress passed tax incentives for coalbed methane production. Along with new drilling methods, this led to one of the biggest peaks in the San Juan Basin. The frenzy brought tons of money to operators and local governments, and at one point, the region became a leading producer of natural gas in the country.

The massive development, however,

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brought chaos and environmental impacts as vast parts of the region became industrialized with oil and gas infrastructure, often with little oversight. Wells pockmarked the landscape, and hundreds of miles of roads and pipelines were cut through the region.

Spills were, and continue to be, a frequent occurrence. Clean water wells started to spew methane, forcing some residents to permanently leave their homes. In a few extreme cases, houses blew up because of methane buildup.

Pieces seem to fit In response, a staunch grassroots effort on the Colorado side of the basin in La Plata County led to new regulations that ensured more protective and responsible development. But for many, those scars on the land are still reminders of the ugly side of an oil and gas boom.

“It was utter chaos,” Gwen Lachelt, a former La Plata County commissioner who has been involved in oil and gas issues for decades, said previously. “They just kept drilling and drilling and drilling, and the community really paid the price.”

The coalbed methane frenzy fell off around 2011, and ever since, the basin has been active, but leveled off. In the past few years, the field’s biggest operators, such as BP and ConocoPhillips, have sold out and left. Local tax revenues, too, have Dec. 16, 2021 n

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Oil&Gas from p. 9

seen a steep decline (though in the past few years have recovered as more people and business moved into the region).

But while the basin has been down, it’s not out. Even as BP was planning its exit, the company’s area manager in 2018 said the San Juan Basin still had life left. “La Plata County still has a robust future,” John Mummery said. “We’re constantly finding new formations, implementing new technologies.”

That robust future, it appears, has arrived with companies now eyeing the Mancos Shale, a deep underground formation found throughout the basin. In the early 2010s, operators in New Mexico started exploring the previously untapped reserve, which was made accessible with horizontal drilling and fracking methods.

In a New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources report, it was determined that horizontal wells were nearly 10 times more productive than traditional vertical wells in the Mancos Shale. The formation, according to the report, “has the potential to revitalize the San Juan Basin with both oil and natural gas production.”

In a separate USGS report, a rough estimate showed there could be 27 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas in the Mancos Shale.

In October, LOGOS Resources, a Farmington-based oil and gas company, announced that two wells near the New Mexico-Colorado border had some of the

highest production rates seen in the past 20 years. The company did not return calls seeking comment. “We believe the Mancos Shale could become one of the leading natural gas shale plays in the U.S.,” Jay Paul, the company’s CEO, said in a statement.

Indeed, Rob McIntyre, a spokesman for the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association, said the renewed interest in Mancos Shale is the first cause for excitement since coalbed methane ran out of steam. But, he said the true potential won’t be known until more exploratory drilling and evaluation is done.

“But clearly, things are going in the right direction,” McIntyre said.

‘Gift that keeps on giving’ Exploratory drilling is exactly what NueVida Resources seeks to do in La Plata County. The company, based in Dallas, did not return several requests for comment on this story.

NueVida filed an application with the state in January for permission to drill, but La Plata County intervened, asking for a Memorandum of Understanding with the company to make sure it complied with health and environmental standards. That agreement was reached in November. Now, NueVida has to go back to the state for approval, and the timeline is uncertain.

The plan, according to county records, would be to drill eight exploratory wells just south of the Durango-La Plata County Airport, near County Roads 309A and 318, an area that has seen previous oil and gas development. The drilling would take place on 1,280 acres of private land – none of the land is on the Southern Ute reserva-

tion. When a well is drilled for exploratory purposes, it’s called a wildcat. The last wildcat in La Plata County was around 2013, in a different formation, which turned up nothing. This time, industry experts are expecting a different outcome.

“This is not something that will happen overnight, but if these wells are as prolific as we think they are, you will see other operators come forward,” Christi Zeller, director of the Energy Council, an advocacy group for oil and gas in Southwest Colorado, said.

A shot in the arm is exactly what the San Juan Basin needs, Zeller said. According to state data, about 172 million acre feet of natural gas has been produced this year, with less than a month to go. Near the peak in 2010, by comparison, about 424 MCF was pulled from the ground.

“We couldn’t have done this 20 years ago,” Zeller said. “That’s why I always say, the San Juan Basin is the gift that keeps on giving.”

Not all sunshine For others, the prospect of another oil and gas boom is not so much a gift as it is a curse.

Yes, when production years are good, jobs are created, companies profit and local governments see tax revenue. But busts always follow, and more often than not, when companies pull out, they leave messes behind, said Mike Eisenfeld, with San Juan Citizens Alliance, a nonprofit that advocates for environmental health in the region.

“The companies around here are dying,” said Eisenfeld, who is based in

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Farmington. “And these are very expensive wells with still a lot of volatility in the natural gas market. It’ll be interesting to see what happens.”

In addition to the market, operators also have to deal with newer, stricter regulations. In the 1990s, La Plata County was the first county in the state to adopt rules addressing the impacts of oil and gas. Just recently, the state launched even stricter regulations that place human health and the environment over production through Senate Bill 181. The new rules place an emphasis on reducing emissions, but also address nuisance issues like noise and odor.

“Now the county has so much more authority at the local level than they’ve ever had before,” Lachelt said in an interview with The Durango Telegraph. “If it really is going to be the boom that industry is thinking, then we’ve learned the lessons of how development can be done in a responsible manner.”

Many conservationists, however, are quick to note pollution doesn’t stop at state lines. In New Mexico, which has the overwhelming majority of wells, regulations are far laxer than in Colorado. What’s more, in 2016, NASA discovered the “Four Corners Methane Hot Spot,” a staggering concentration of methane emissions from oil and gas infrastructure across the region.

With methane one of the most dangerous greenhouse gases, Lachelt said it’s imperative to go beyond a state patchwork and adopt federal standards for emissions.

“We can’t afford another delay in federal rules that address the climate crisis we’re in the middle of,” Lachelt said.

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RockNRollSweetheart

A scene for all Building a music community takes a village

by Alex Vick

W

hen it comes to music, there are two driving forces that keep me coming back. One, brewing the creative stew while composing with bandmates, and two, experiencing that music in a live setting and building energy in the room with the crowd.

Garett Dickinson, formerly of local hiphop act Diabolical Sound Platoon, sat down with me to talk about his highs, lows, influences and philosophy on creating powerful tunes as well as an inclusive and welcoming space for viewers.

Dickinson grew up in Durango and described his search for connection and identity through the creative process. In his youth, Dickinson was hungry for an engaging music scene, and in high school, his dear friend Sam Redman’s older brother started passing down rock ’n’ roll classics. This sparked a drive in Dickinson, and he began lingering outside of venues and bars, hoping to get a taste, or at least a glimpse, of the magic on stage.

Eventually, Dickinson started sneaking into venues in the early afternoon before the shows that night. Once in, he and his friends would sit in a poorly lit corner drinking water, or soda if they had money and try not to attract attention to themselves. Once the party started, they felt safe enough to stay under the radar and soak up the glory of live music.

Once in college, having developed his taste in music as well as new schemes to enter shows, it became easier to participate in the music scene. He reflected fondly on seeing local punk acts such as The 13’s, Freeman Social and Smut Vendor. “If it wasn’t punk it wasn’t music!”

Dickinson said with a rebel smile.

While punk and rock ’n’ roll fostered Dickinson’s musical upbringing, he started to notice similarities in potent lyricism across genres. “I want intentionality in lyrics, and the quality of lyricism looked the same in hip-hop and punk,” he said.

In the early 2000s, Dickinson started working on lyrics and song concepts with Redman. In 2005, both joined Diabolical Sound Platoon. Since groundwork for the group had already been established, the two new members jumped in hot and heavy, and the engine of the band was rocking full steam ahead. “We found that the scene was real accepting of hip-hop once we leveled up and took ourselves more seriously,” Dickinson said.

The group would mostly play punk shows since these were the only ones available and accepting. Dickinson appreciated the inclusion into the scene. “It was a window where it didn’t matter if you were hip-hop kid or a mandolin player for a local bluegrass group. Together, we make the scene better by cultivation, connection and education,” he said.

He added that a thriving scene consists of people from all walks of life, giving people the opportunity to learn from one another. “Counter culture is made from real stories, and if we really embraced that, we would connect with people who may be opposite of us,” Dickinson said. “If we can suspend the need to be validated by being right, and be vulnerable … then we can expand with an open mind.”

Dickinson played alongside upwards of 30 members in DSP during his 11 years with the group, the core members being Ben Fisher, Jon Hunt and Redman. Over the time Dickinson was involved, they opened shows for big-time acts such as Living Legends, Sunspot Jones and The Coup. After a heyday for DSP, however, he noticed a trend of dwindling music venues, in downtown Durango, with many building and business owners looking for the cheapest acts to provide live music, which mostly consisted of college DJs. Perhaps some potency was lost, but Dickinson thinks the scene is reviving. “It has been renaissance time, and now we get to see the work people have been putting in,” Dickinson said.

Of course, any art form progresses through participation, so get yourself into

Diabolical Sound Platoon, with Dickinson at 10 o’clock. /Courtesy photo an alternative music show. Engage with artists, ask about their process and support those who contribute to the scene. This is how we excel and promote our friends, community and local counterculture.

One upcoming chance to do this is at The Hive, which has two upcoming shows.

On Sat., Dec. 18, Tractor and the Dirt Bags will offer up a night of jammin’ blues rock,with dusty guitar licks sure to get yer boots stomping. Then, on Thurs., Dec. 23,

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The Hive hosts Festivus for the Rest Of Us! with music from local bands Canceled and The Icks. They will be joined by New Mexico shredders Scarlet Night and the Mommy Milkers. Expect a night of power chords, spleen bursting drums, fiery lyrics and a mosh pit that will warm your heart this holiday season.

If you have rock ’n’ roll stories you’d like to share, contact your Rock ‘N’ Roll Sweetheart, Alex Vick, at anvick38@gmail.com.

Dec. 16, 2021 n 11

StufftoDo

Thursday16

Saturday18

Monday20

Gary Walker plays, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Jean-Pierre Bakery & Restaurant, 601 Main Ave.

Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka Jr., presented by Durango Youth Theatre, 2 p.m. & 7 p.m. showings, Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.

Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Dustin Burley plays, 5 p.m., Fur Trappers Steakhouse, 701 E. 2nd Ave. “The Great American Race” film screening, showings at 5 p.m. & 8 p.m., Grand Imperial Hotel in Silverton.

Christmas at the Pumpkin Patch, 5 p.m., Jack-ALope Acres Farms, 7195 County Road 318, Ignacio.

Live music, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. Nicholas Lenderking-Brill plays, 6-9 p.m., 11th Street Station.

Winter Artists Market, 2-7 p.m. Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave. Event takes place weekends in November and December.

Tuesday21

Living with Wolves exhibit, opening reception, 5-7 p.m., Powerhouse Science Center, 1333 Camino del Rio.

7 Rivers Farmers Market, 12 noon, La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave.

Christmas Dance Party, 5:30 p.m., Mancos Brewing Company.

Acoustic Music Jam, 5-7 p.m., all instruments and styles welcome, vaccinated players only, 11th St. Station.

Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. Brendan Shafer plays, 6 p.m., 11th Street Station.

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

Full Moon Howlers: Snowshow, 6-9 p.m., Durango Nordic Center, 49786 HWY 550. Snowshoe with San Juan Mountains Association staff, followed by bonfire and beverages.

DeVotchKa plays, 7:30 p.m., Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College.

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

Rebecca Favero plays, 6 p.m., Fenceline Cider in Mancos.

Wednesday22

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

Santa Parade, 6 p.m., Mill Street in Bayfield.

Live music, 6 p.m., Fur Trappers Steakhouse, 701 E. 2 Ave. nd

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

Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

Friday17 Fanny Pack Friday, 2 p.m., Nugget Mountain Bar, HWY 550.

Firepit Friday, 5 p.m., Kendall Mountain Recreation Area in Silverton.

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

Larry Carver & Jack Ellis play, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., The Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

Mermaid Fingers play, 6 p.m., 11th Street Station.

Tractor and the Dirt Bags, 7:30 p.m., The Hive, 1150 Main Ave. $5 suggested donation.

Ugly Christmas Sweater Party with Salamander Collective, 7 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Dr.

Sunday19 Veterans Benefit Breakfast, 9-11 a.m., VFW Post 4031, 1550 Main Ave. Open Mic, 1 p.m., Mancos Brewery.

Santa Bar Crawl, 6 p.m. Meet at Buckley Park, come dressed as holiday character. Participants are asked to bring unwrapped toy for donation.

Reeder and Spencer play, 6-9 p.m., Fur Trappers Steakhouse, 701 E. 2nd Ave. Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka Jr., presented by Durango Youth Theatre, 7 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. Bar D Wrangler’s Christmas Jubilee, 7:30 p.m., The Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College.

Devise and Conquer Improv: A Jingle Jangle Holiday show, 9:30 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.

12 n Dec. 16, 2021

Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka Jr., presented by Durango Youth Theatre, 2 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. Winter Artists Market, 2-7 p.m. Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave. Event takes place weekends in November and December.

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

Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

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Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. Ian Lennox plays, 6 p.m., 11th Street Station.

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

Ongoing The Hive Indoor Skate Park is open, offering open skate and skate lessons. Waivers required. For schedule and online waiver, go to www.thehivedgo.org Heartwarming Soup Sale, every other Thursday starting Dec. 9, 5-6:30 p.m., proceeds support local families, Lola’s Place, 725 E. 2nd Ave. Community Day at the Powerhouse Science Center, free admission the first Wednesday of every month, 9-11 a.m., 1295 Camino del Rio.

Upcoming A Festivus For the Rest of Us! featuring Scarlet Night & the Mommy Milkers, The Icks and Canceled, 7 p.m., The Hive, 1150 Main Ave. $5 suggested donation.

Southwest Economic Outlook, Jan. 6, 8-11 a.m., Student Union Ballroom at Fort Lewis College. Keynote speakers include Laura Lewis Marchino from Region 9 and Richard Wobbekind from Leeds School of Business.

The Secret Circus Society’s IlluminNAUGHTY New Year’s Eve show, Dec. 31, 9 p.m. Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Dr. Featuring music by Profetic Calveras, burlesque, circus and midnight dance party.

AskRachel

Building the wall, in the dark and signing off Interesting fact: Decking a Christmas tree with lights in 1900 cost about $200 (or $3,000 today) for the lights, a generator, a wireman’s services and untangling last year’s strands.

Dear Rachel, I hate seeing my town that I love so much get torn apart. It’s not just the shortage of plowmen. The city and the school district have like 50 job openings each. They can’t fill them because all the people moving here don’t work here, and don’t want to work here. It’s always been rich retirees, but now it’s remote workers who want to live in paradise during a pandemic, and we don’t have basic services covered.

Can we build a wall around town and require people to work here to live here?

– Labor Forced Dear Workman’s Comp(laint), How old are you? I’m interested. Interested in learning at what age we stop griping about people not working, and start griping about people working but not in the jobs we want them to work in. That’s a special breed of getting old, and I’ll consider bowing out before then.

But not out of town. I’ll die in my apartment right after signing a new lease, just to keep one more worker from moving in and building your stupid wall.

– Woman at work, Rachel Dear Rachel, My favorite winter pastime used to be walk-

ing my dog around the grid this time of year, after dark, enjoying all the Christmas lights.

Well now, I live outside of town, and A. there aren’t as many lights, and B. you don’t go walking alone after dark, dog or no dog, because if you sprain your ankle no one is finding you til you’re frozen. Can we start a petition for more lights in the rural parts of the county, at least through New Year’s?

– Twinkle Twinkle Dear Little Star, How far out of town are you? Because you have something magical that those of us buried in twinkle lights don’t have. Ready for my secret tip? Go outside after dark. Look up. Keep looking up. If it’s cloudy, you might have to look up for a while. Eventually you’ll look up long enough that you’ll trip on a root or something, and that’ll teach you to listen to me.

– How I wonder, Rachel

Email Rachel at telegraph@durangotelegraph.com

Dear Rachel, I lost my pen pal. We started a nice correspondence these last few months, with actual letters, and all of a sudden they stopped coming. I mean, sure, sometimes letters take a while. But a week turned into three, and I don’t even have a phone number to make sure my pal is alive.

Obviously, he’s not answering my letters. So do I just trust he’s fine? Or should I, like, send a singing telegram to his door just to find out?

– Returned to Sender

Dear Purloined Letters, You done got ghosted, old school. I know the feeling.

I had a frequent letter writer these last few months. Sure, he signed off different every time, but he always used the same email address. At first, I shook my head. But I came to love his quirks, just in time for him to stop writing. Maybe it’s the same guy as yours? Did he use lots of caps and erratic spaces? Is he dead and taking up an apartment that a perfectly good snowplower could be using???

– Insufficient postage, Rachel

Turn the Holidays

y p p a H It’s Easy to

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Dec. 16, 2021 n 13

FreeWillAstrology

by Rob Brezsny ARIES (March 21-April 19): Key questions for you, beginning now and throughout 2022: 1. What do you need to say, but have not yet said? 2.

What is crucial for you to do, but you have not yet done? 3. What dream have you neglected and shouldn’t neglect any longer? 4. What sanctuary is essential for you to visit, but you have not yet visited?

5. What “sin” is it important for you to forgive yourself for, but you have not yet forgiven yourself? 6. What promise have you not yet fulfilled, even though it’s getting late (but not too late!) to fulfill? 7.

What secret have you hidden so well that you have mostly concealed it even from yourself?

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus novelist Anthony Trollope (1815–82) took one of his manuscripts to a publishing company, hoping it would be made into a book and sold to the public. A few weeks later, he got word by mail that his masterpiece had been rejected. He took a train to the publisher’s office and retrieved it. On the train ride home, he turned the manuscript over and began writing a new story on the back of each page. He spent no time moping. That’s the spirit I recommend you embody in the coming weeks, dear Taurus.

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GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “John Coltrane was an addict,” wrote author Cornel West about the renowned jazz saxophonist and composer. “Billie Holiday was an addict. (Nobel Prize-winning author) Eugene O’Neill was an addict. What would America be without addicts and post-addicts who make such grand contributions to our society?” I welcome West’s sympathetic views toward addicts. Many of us who aren’t addicts understand how lucky we are not to have the genetic predisposition or the traumatic experiences that addicts often struggle with. We unaddicted people may also have been spared the bigotry and abuse that have contributed to and aggravated some addicts’ addictions. Having acknowledged these truths, I nevertheless hope to do whatever I can to help you convert any addictive tendencies you might have into passionate obsessions. Now is an excellent time to launch a new phase of such work.

Invitation: Make a list of three things you can do in the coming months to nurture the process.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Actor and model Kate Beckinsale unleashed a cryptic boast: “My best feature is unfortunately a private matter, although I’m told it is spectacular. But you can’t really walk it down the red carpet.

What can I say?” Are you imagining what I’m imagining? I bring this oddity to your attention in the hope that I can convince

you to be more forthright and expressive about your own wonderful qualities. It’s time to be less shy about your beauty, less secretive about your deep assets. Show the world why you’re so lovable.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Leoborn Edna Ferber (1885–1968) was a celebrated author who won a Pulitzer Prize. She was witty and outspoken. Her stories featured strong women and characters struggling against discrimination. “I never would just open a door and walk through,” she said about her career. “I had to bust it down for the hell of it. I just naturally liked doing things the hard way.” At least in the coming weeks, Leo, I urge you not to adopt Ferber’s attitude. In my view, you’ll be wise to do everything possible to open doors rather than bust them down.

And the best way to do that is to solicit help. Cultivate your ability to ask for what you need. Refine your practice of the arts of collaboration, synergy and interweaving.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “No one has ever written, painted, sculpted, modeled, built or invented except literally to get out of hell,” wrote Virgo dramatist Antonin Artaud. That’s a ridiculous generalization, in my opinion.

For example, I occasionally generate songs, stories and horoscopes to help me escape from a momentary hell. But most of my creations are inspired by my love of life and a desire to inspire others. I’m very sure that in the coming weeks, your own motivations to produce good things will be far closer to mine than to Artaud’s.

You’re in a phase when your quest for joy, generosity, blessings and fun could be fierce and productive.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Author Barbara Sher offered this wise counsel: “Imaginary obstacles are insurmountable.

Real ones aren’t.” I bring this to your attention because I believe the coming weeks will be an excellent time to identify the imaginary obstacles you’ve erected in your inner world – and then smash them or burn them or dispose of them. Once you’re free of the illusory interference, I think you’ll find you have at least twice as much power to neutralize the real obstacles.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Prolific author Ray Bradbury liked to give advice to those with a strong need to express their imaginative originality.

Since I expect you will be a person like that in 2022, I’ll convey to you one of his exhortations. He wrote, “If you want to create, you must be the most sublime fool that God ever turned out and sent rambling. I wish you a wrestling match with your Creative Muse that will last a lifetime. I wish craziness and foolishness and madness upon you.” Keep in mind that

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Bradbury was referring to constructive craziness, wise foolishness and divine madness.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21): The coming months will be a favorable time for you to redefine the meaning of the term “sacred” and to deepen your relationship with sacredness. To spur your imagination, I offer four quotes: 1.

“Recognizing the sacred begins when we are interested in every detail of our lives.”

– Buddhist teacher Chögyam Trungpa 2.

“When you notice something clearly and see it vividly, it then becomes sacred.” – poet Allen Ginsberg 3. “Holiness begins in recognizing the face of the other.” – philosopher Marc-Alain Ouaknin 4. “Modern culture, in its advertising of sex, is in a misguided fashion advertising its longing for the sacred.” – teacher Sobonfu Somé.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn author E. M. Forster wrote, “The only books that influence us are those for which we are ready, and which have gone a little further down our particular path than we have yet gone ourselves.” I propose we universalize that statement: “The only people, information and experiences that influence us are those for which we are ready, and which have gone a little further down our particular path than we have yet gone ourselves.” I believe this principle will be especially fruitful for you to embrace during the next three months. Prepare yourself for lessons that are vital for you to learn – and on the frontier of your understanding AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Among America’s Founding Fathers was Aquarian William Whipple (1730-85).

He was one of 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776, instigating war with Great Britain.

Unlike many of his colleagues, however, Whipple believed it was hypocritical to enslave human beings while fighting for freedom. That’s why he emancipated the person who had been in bondage to him.

The coming months will be a favorable time to make comparable corrections. If there are discrepancies between your ideals and your actions, fix the problem.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): According to Piscean author Ryunosuke Akutagawa, “People sometimes devote their lives to a desire that they are not sure will ever be fulfilled.” I can personally attest to that behavior. Is such a quest misguided? Delusional? Naive? Not in my view. I see it as glorious, brave and heroic. Akutagawa said that those who refrain from having inspirational desires are “no more than mere spectators of life.” I recommend you think big in 2022. This could be the year you home in on and refine and upgrade the single most important desire you will ever have.

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.

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Classes/Workshops West Coast Swing Dance 6-week class starts January 5. Learn the basics of West Coast Swing. Registration is required at www.westslopewesties.com.

Spanish Classes Now accepting students for in-person beginner thru advanced Spanish. Call 970-309-5966 or visit www.espanolah ora.net

ForSale Sphynx Kittens Sphynx kittens available. Vaccinated and health guarantee included. Call or text Margaret 770-329-0437.

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Reruns Home Furnishings New inventory including good selection of nightstands and side tables. Bar cart, vintage dresser and lots of vintage glass- and kitchenware … Come in today!

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CommunityService SJBPH Vaccine Clinics Free vaccine mobile clinic provided by

‘I Am Trying to Break Your Heart’ Tweedy and the boys battle their record label and one another – Lainie Maxson San Juan Basin Public Health in partnership with Jogan Health. Pfizer (12+), Moderna (18+), and J&J (18+) are available. Contact 970-247-5702 or visit https://sjbpublichealth.org/covid-19-vaccine/ for more information.

Farmington Regional Animal Shelter Empty the Shelter Event Through Dec. 20, all adoption fees for dogs, puppies, cats and kittens is $20. For info., go to www.fmtn.org/animalsshelter.

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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.

Body Work Lotus Path Healing Arts Now accepting new clients. Offering a unique, intuitive fusion of Esalen mas-

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Dec. 16, 2021 n 15

16 n Dec. 16, 2021

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