the durango
Objects of affection
Objects
of affection A wayward writer recounts a few of his (and his dogs’) favorite things by Zach Hively
Whole Foods, 270 residences and more could be coming to mall parcel by Missy Votel
Stumped on phonics, Mrs. What’sHer-Name and everybody gets a prize
VOTEL missy@durangotelegraph.com
PIT CREW: JENNAYE DERGE jennaye@durangotelegraph.com
STAFF REPORTER: SCOOPS MCGEE telegraph@durangotelegraph.com STAR-STUDDED
The Durango Telegraph publishes every Thursday, come
Ear to the ground:
“It’s really testing my driving skills.”
– The 8th Ave. and College Drive orangecone slalom has us all on our toes
The 19th hole
Hillcrest Golf Course’s longtime Superintendent Will Herz is heading on to greener, uh, fairways. Last week, the course announced that Herz, who has served as superintendent for 30 years, is hanging up his mower for good at the end of this season.
“Will’s impact on Hillcrest has been immeasurable,” Hillcrest Pro and General Manager Michael McCloskey said in an email. Herz, who is also responsible for setting the golf course’s ski track in the winter, has agreed to assist with the hiring and on-boarding of his replacement to help ensure a smooth transition.
“Will’s leadership and commitment have left a lasting mark on Hillcrest. Over three decades, he has guided the golf course through countless projects, improvements and evolving expectations, all while upholding the highest standards of course conditioning and environmental stewardship,” McCloskey said. “His deep knowledge, calm steadiness and pride in his work have shaped the golfer experience for thousands of players over the years.”
On the cover
“Ore to Earth,” a sculptural tunnel by artist Kameryn Dean, shimmer sin teh midday sun along the Animas River Trail south fo town. The work is made entirely of welded and recycled steel from a reclaimed shipping container./ Photo by Missy Votel
When reflecting on his time at Hillcrest, Herz said he is most proud of the cultural shift the club has made under his watch leading to a strengthened, collaborative relationship between the Maintenance Team and Golf Operations. He also said he takes great pride in the positive environment he fostered among maintenance staff, leading to greater employee ownership, skill development and support.
As he steps into retirement, Herz said he is looking forward to more time on the golf course (without having to set up the pins first), fishing, Nordic skiing, traveling and most importantly, spending quality time with wife, Linda, and their grandchildren, who live in Durango.
“We are incredibly grateful for Will’s decades of service, his care for the course and his steady leadership. His impact on Hillcrest will be felt for many years to come,” said McCloskey.
Stay tuned to Hillcrest for updates on the hiring process as well Herz’s forthcoming retirement celebration.
LaVidaLocal opinion
My life, objectified
Credit where it is due: I was inspired this week by a writing prompt from fellow writer and internet friend Kristi Keller: tell the world about five objects in your home and their significance.
Something about this idea spoke to me – namely, that it would spare me from having to come up with my own idea.
But the prompt raises its own interesting thoughts beyond my own writerly efficiency. Thoughts such as:
• How do I define myself by the objects I keep?
• What deeper meanings might unveil themselves when I ponder my possessions?
• Are purchases made in previous calendar years still tax-deductible today?
The answers aren’t important. What is important is that the prompt asks for photos of the chosen items, and photos fill the space all too often taken up by Missy asking me for image ideas for my pieces.
So! Without further written fluff, here are my five objects for you to please not psychoanalyze:
• Box: This first object is a cardboard box. It is labeled “PHOTOS” in handwriting that I think is mine. This box and its contents have been with me through several moves, dating back most likely to the first Obama administration.
I have not opened it in that time. If anyone else has opened it, they have resealed it with an archivist’s care. This box would pass inspection on Antiques Roadshow.
that have caught my eye and hitched a ride home with me.
This rock might not look like anything special to you. But I assure you, it is older than you are. And it will be here long after you’re gone, and I’m gone, and humanity is evaporated by a spate of increasingly seasonable Decembers. We are but a blip to this rock.
Does it contain photos as promised? No one knows! I am the sort of person to reuse a perfectly good cardboard box until it ceases to be either cardboard or a box. It’s likely that I already own the box that will someday hold my ashes. It could be this box. This box could be holding photos of someone else’s ashes right now, and I would not know. Maybe I will find out after moving again someday.
• Rock: I collected this rock on an unseasonably warm December day. That doesn’t narrow it down much, I know. We may have to start referring to these hot December days as “seasonable.”
Anyway. This rock caught my eye, so I carried it around with me and brought it home and put it on my windowsill, along with all the other rocks
Thumbin’It
No, it’s not just your imagination. The Durango-La Plata County Airport is busy, with a record-setting number of 259,517 travelers through November, up 13% from last year. We’re always up for more flight options … and maybe, just maybe, flights will get a little cheaper?
Colorado has the second-lowest gas prices in the nation, hovering around $2.70/gallon. (We know someone’s gonna say we should be riding our bikes, but driving sometimes is a necessity. Sorry.)
Beavers are finally getting the respect they deserve, with CPW coming out with a beaver management plan and so-called “nuisance beavers” being relocated instead of killed in Utah
So you better think twice about how special it looks to you.
• Jar of peanut butter: On the one hand, this jar of peanut butter is indistinguishable from all the other jars of peanut butter mass-produced and distributed by the J. M. Smucker Co. and its subsidiaries and partners.
On the other hand, this specific jar of peanut butter has saved untold lives. How many jars of peanut butter can claim that?
You see, when Zach gets hungry, he doesn’t always realize it right away. And when Zach doesn’t realize it right away, he’s liable to take someone’s head off, pop!, like they present no more challenge than a Lego pirate minifigure getting its yellow face swapped with a Lego spaceman minifigure.
Except Zach would never do that with actual Lego minifigures. Pirate heads stay with the pirate bodies, and spaceman heads stay with the spacesuits. But when Zach doesn’t eat some of this peanut butter, human heads are not so carefully considered.
• Rainbow llama unicorn: Real men have stuffed animals. I mean, their dogs have stuffed animals. Real, manly dogs for real, manly men. Even if a significant reason behind purchasing the stuffed animal is to inject some color into the house, which I swear is not otherwise entirely the shades of brown and gray and once-white you see in these photographs that – remember – you agreed not to psychoanalyze.
• Salt lamp: See? I have colorful things of my own! Who says real men can’t do mood lighting. I am a big fan of ambiance that can also, in a real pinch, cure meats.
So there you have it! My home in five natural and not at all staged photographs. I hope you’ve learned, as I have, that a life cannot be defined by physical goods. Rather, we define our lives by the stories we tell, stories that justify ourselves and our hoarding strategies to strangers on the internet.
– Zach Hively
SignoftheDownfall:
Ok, we all agree that the mall could use a glow up and Durango needs more housing. But a Whole Foods a mile from an existing natural grocery store and 270 apartments? Seems like overkill … maybe a retweak is in order.
Winter? Where did you go? Apparently last week’s storm was just a teaser, with temps expected to soar into the mid- to high-50s this week. But hey, there’s maybe a chance for precipitation about three weeks from now ...
The EPA has scrubbed its website of any mention of human activity causing climate change. Because as we all know, if you ignore it, it means it doesn’t exist, just like those pesky cankles, hand sores and orange tan lines.
Waymo Better
Level 4 autonomous cars, like those used by Waymo, are allowed to operate as taxis in California without human oversight. However, Tesla’s Robotaxi uses Level 2 autonomous cars, so California requires them to keep human “safety drivers” behind the wheel just in case something goes wrong. But since Tesla’s Robotaxis still drive themselves, the human drivers get bored, which is probably why one of them keeps falling asleep. He got famous in November when a Robotaxi customer in San Francisco took a video of him sleeping on the job. After the video went viral, multiple passengers filed complaints about the same “driver.” So now, for the first time, it looks like someone is is getting fired for doing nothing on a job where you do nothing. RIP, American dream.
SoapBox
Building resilience against disinformation
In Joyce Vance’s new book, “Giving Up Is Unforgivable,” her information on Finland’s media literacy projects really reached out and grabbed my attention (see p. 144 plus end notes). By empowering citizens with the tools to decide what information is credible, Finland demonstrated how their society builds resilience against misinformation campaigns. (Remember that their next-door neighbor is Russia!)
The Finns started by training their kids, teaching skills in how to discern mis- and disinformation in reports, news, etc. They centered on proactive education, fact-checking skills, integrating critical thinking and putting focus on determining information accuracy in every subject from an early age until it became automatic. Then they expanded into adult education.
Of 41 European countries in a survey evaluating resiliency in these skills, Finland ranked at the top for six years in a row. More countries were added in 2023. Nordic countries still took the top four spots, followed by Estonia, Ireland and Canada. Sadly, the U.S. came in at 17th.
Joyce named the chapter from which I quoted “We Are the Cavalry.” This reminds us that no one else is coming to rescue our democracy; WE are the ones. Consider getting a small group together to pursue this (your book club?) or studying on your own, and put a bug in the ear of your school board representatives!
– Marilyn McCord, Vallecito
LPEA members deserve more transparency
Rumors of potential property condemnations in Archuleta County raise a fundamental concern: Are these projects truly necessary to ensure affordable, reliable, local power, or is LPEA expanding into costly, unproven ventures without demonstrating real benefit to the communities it serves? We need answers before any project moves forward that could displace landowners or increase long-term financial risk.
At the same time, LPEA’s recently announced rate freeze is being advertised as relief for members, but it is funded by drawing down the cooperative’s rainyday reserves. That may make for good headlines, but it is a temporary band-
Pudim
aid, not a solution. Without addressing the underlying cost pressures, those funds simply mask future increases and leave the co-op less prepared for emergencies or system failures.
These issues also highlight broader
concerns about leadership. CEO Chris Hansen continues to maintain his permanent residence in Denver while renting locally, and he holds multiple affiliations with statewide and national energy organizations whose priorities
may not align with the needs of rural and local La Plata and Archuleta counties. Members deserve clarity about how these outside networks influence LPEA’s direction.
Before LPEA proceeds with condemnations, large capital projects or further financial commitments, it must answer three simple questions:
• Will this improve reliability and affordability for local ratepayers?
• Are board members acting solely in the best interest of the communities they serve?
• Do the projects support local energy producers so that jobs and tax revenue stay in our counties?
Until LPEA provides transparent, data-driven answers, skepticism from the public is both reasonable and responsible.
– Kelly Hegarty, La Plata County
Stand up for what is right
President Eisenhower, a Republican, warned that unchecked executive power could lead America to become an industrial military complex. That is exactly what is happening now with Trump and fellow Republicans, whose policies and funding focus on fossil fuel extraction and logging while gutting protections for your health, public lands, endangered species, wildlife, forests and climate change. They are also gutting programs to aid families, people with disabilities and veterans while billions of dollars go to the Pentagon and building up the military – note the recent involvement in Venezuela – as our debt continues to rise.
President Teddy Roosevelt, a Republican, was key in
establishing our national parks system and conservation of wildlife. My father was a Republican and he, Eisenhower and Teddy would be appalled with the Republican Party today and that this industrial military complex must be stopped.
All of us need to do this through our votes and constant vigilance of new bills put before Congress. Contact your congresspeople to let your voice be known. Oppose any public lands or waters being opened up to mining or drilling. Oppose fossil fuel expansion and instead support renewable energy. Oppose opening up the Western Reserve in the Arctic and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, both of which are critical breeding grounds for half a billion birds. Oppose opening up 1.6 billion acres for offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, California and Alaska. Oppose removing habitat protection from the Endangered Species Act and removal of protection of threatened species.
We are in an extinction crisis due to our human footprint. How can a president and party deny climate change and put our lives and the lives of countless other species at risk? Almost all countries in the world voted to reduce carbon emissions, yet we did the opposite. We must support renewable energy and keep our forests intact.
Support our lawmakers who stood up to oppose destruction of the Affordable Care Act. Support congresspeople who voice opposition to the president.
Oppose the raids of ICE – all of this is part of the military industrial complex. Oppose this regime, and stand up for what is right for our country.
– Margaret-Ann Mayer, conservation lead, SWCO Sierra Club
Paying for Trump’s corruption
While 17 million Americans lose their health care because of Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” and Republicans kill ACA tax credits, Trump and his family are getting filthy rich.
Trump imposes tariffs to extract bribes. In April, Trump threatened a 46% tariff on Vietnam. Vietnam responded by approving a $1.5 billion Trump golf resort. For that payoff, Trump lowered Vietnam’s tariff to 20%. Even under the lower tariff, you and I pay more for auto parts and steel while Trump lines his pockets.
Trump puts us in danger by accepting kickbacks from hostile foreign governments. He sold 70,000 AI microchips to the United Arab Emirates for a $2 billion kickback.
Trump has cut $186 billion from SNAP, starving children to give tax breaks to his rich friends while sending $40 billion to bail out the autocratic government of Argentina. So much for America First.
For a $2 billion purchase of the Trump family’s World Liberty Financial “stablecoin,” Trump pardoned billionaire Changpeng Zhao, guilty of financing Hamas and child abuse through his crypto exchange Binance.
Trump’s administration is a con created to transfer our taxpayer dollars to corrupt industrialists willing to share the grift with him.
The system is rigged for the wealthy.
We need to vote these elitist thieves and their Republican bootlickers out (I’m looking at you, Jeff Hurd) and replace them with brave Democrats willing to support working families and pass tough anti-corruption laws.
Let’s raise our voices together: “We won’t get fooled again.”
LocalNews
Mall-apalooza
Whole Foods, 270 apartments could be coming to Durango Mall parcel
by Missy Votel
After many years of lying dormant, life could be coming to the black hole on the south end of town known as the Durango Mall. However, not everyone is on board with plans for the 20-acre site, which could include up to 270 new residential units as well as a “national organic food market” believed to be none other than Whole Foods.
The proposed project was revealed at a City of Durango Community Development Commission study session Thurs., Dec. 4. The proposal was submitted by Kensington Development Partners, a real estate development firm with offices in Denver and Oak Brook, Ill. Although the name of the national grocery chain has yet to be confirmed, Whole Foods is an anchor tenant for similar Kensington mixed-use developments in Avon and Buffalo Grove, Ill.
Under the proposal, Kensington would purchase the mall property, leaving the north end of the mall, which currently houses tenants with long-term leases, including TJ Maxx, Ross and Old Navy, intact. The south end of the mall, formerly home to JCPenney and others, will be demolished. In its place, a mixeduse project would be built, including the aforementioned 25,000-square-foot organic grocery store and 230-270 “muchneeded” residential units in three- to four-story buildings. The project also proposes retaining the existing Boot Barn while developing additional retail sites totaling approximately 20,000 square feet across multiple out lots.
“The proposal re-envisions the existing development into an active neighborhood with options for successful retail development and rental apartments,” the Kensington proposal reads.
Originally built in the early 1980s, the Durango Mall property is currently owned by Richard Rathbun, of Danville, Calif., who operates under Durango Mall LLC and Out Landish LLC. The two entities were registered with the Colorado Secretary of State in 1995 and 2006, respectively.
The site is zoned “commercial regional,” however, Kensington is requesting a rezoning to “planned development,” which would allow for mixed uses, includ-
ing a variety of retail and housing.
“Each of these elements would come together to create a high-quality, cohesive development that takes advantage of natural features adjacent to, and throughout, the area,” Kensington wrote.
Although the plan is still very much in the preliminary stages, it is already raising concerns among community members and local business owners. At a Dec. 8 virtual meeting of the City’s advisory Urban Renewal Authority board,
a handful of people spoke in opposition to the development.
Lauren Czaplicki, a local business owner and Durango Natural Foods Co-op board member, said many small local businesses already operate on a razor-thin margin, and a new Whole Foods and accompanying commercial center will only increase this pressure.
“This proposal, informal as it may be, risks pulling customer activity out of established districts and into a subsidized
commercial center, ultimately weakening the local economy rather than strengthening it,” she said.
Others at the meeting addressed the fact that Whole Foods – which is now owned by Amazon and multi-bajillionaire Jeff Bezos – would compete unfairly with local businesses, including the town’s three existing natural food stores.
“I object to having a big-box grocery store such as Whole Foods, because I don’t believe they will plow anything
The Durango Mall, seen here, could become home to up to 270 new residences as well as several retail outlets, possibly including a Whole Foods under a proposal recently submitted to the city./ Photo by Missy Votel
back into Durango,” said Karen Zink, co-owner of the Purple Cliffs at Escalante development near Home Depot, which houses her family’s Sunnyside Farms Market. Over the years, she and her husband, Jerry, and daughter, Holly, have worked hard to funnel money back into the city through their businesses, she said. “I object to Jeff Bezos and Amazon getting a tax break to come in here and theoretically put the rest of us out of business – or certainly at risk,” she said. “I am also concerned for all of our local agriculturalists who sell through those local stores.”
Rachel Landis, executive director of the Good Food Collective, also spoke at the meeting, citing a recent study by her group that showed small food suppliers across the region could face closure within a month if they lose even just 5% of their revenue. “These are essential assets to a community, and Whole Foods is not a substitute, and I’m quite concerned about what it would do across the region,” she said.
Joe Zwiebach, general manager of Durango Natural Foods, also addressed the topic in the co-op’s recent newsletter. While he admitted he has shopped at Whole Foods in the past, he noted the once-funky chain that gained a cult-like popularity has changed since the Amazon takeover. He noted Amazon has announced plans to integrate its products into Whole Foods with its “One Grocery” concept. In a Chicago store, for example, there is a 3,700-square-foot section dedicated to non-Whole Foods products.
“Just for comparison sake – our co-op has 1,700 sq ft of floor space,” he wrote. “I’m not saying big is bad. But in the case of Durango, I believe it detracts from our small town appeal – especially when we have two local stores and one Colorado-based store that serves the same market.” He was referring to Natural Grocers and Nature’s Oasis, which is a mile from the proposed development. (The Telegraph reached out to Nature’s Oasis owners Jeff and Sherri Watson for a comment but did not hear back by press time.)
Zwiebach said while a Whole Foods will certainly impact the co-op, he is not overly concerned for the survival
of the neighborhood store, which has a strong local clientele. “I’ve competed with Whole Foods in other locations, and we have always found our niche,” he wrote.
However, he did express concern over the bigger picture, for Durango in particular.
“Amazon (and Bezos) are only interested in making money. They do not care about the towns they are in, the legacy customers of the businesses they buy or their employees,” he wrote. “It will affect us of course, but the real concern is how it will affect Durango, which may
be becoming indistinguishable from other towns across the country, losing its uniqueness and charm. I think that would be sad.”
Kensington still needs to submit a preliminary and final plan to the city planning/community development department before it goes to City Council for final approval. The process will include public hearings and opportunities for residents to weigh in. Stay up to date by signing up for the City’s email newsletter at: www.du rangoco.gov/list.aspx. ■
LandDesk
Watered down
Rule change removes protections for ephemeral waterways
by Jonathan P. Thompson
The Trump administration recently weighed in on the 53-year battle over what waterways are covered by the 1972 Clean Water Act with a draft rule that would narrow the definition of “Waters of the United States,” or WOTUS. The rule would effectively remove federal CWA protections from hundreds of arroyos, rivers and ephemeral streams in the Southwest, giving developers and industries more latitude to alter or pollute those waterways. The public has until Jan. 5 to submit comments.
For years, the Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers – the agencies charged with enforcing the CWA – considered WOTUS to include everything from arroyos and prairie potholes to sloughs to mudflats, so long as the destruction or degradation thereof might ultimately affect traditionally navigable waters or interstate commerce (which could include recreation, sightseeing or wildlife watch-
ing). It was a broad definition that gave the agencies latitude to “restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters,” as Congress mandated when creating the law in 1972.
Developers and property rights ideologues pushed back on this definition, saying it was too broad and gave the feds too much power to curb pollution or restrict development. The issue ended up in the courts and, ultimately, in the U.S. Supreme Court.
The waters were muddied, so to speak, by the 2006 Supreme Court decision on the Rapanos case. Late Justice Antonin Scalia wrote what would become the right-wing’s preferred definition of waters of the U.S. He argued that they should include only “relatively permanent, standing or continuously flowing bodies of water … described in ordinary parlance as streams … oceans, rivers, (and) lakes.” Scalia’s definition emphatically excluded “ephemeral streams” and “dry arroyos in the middle
of the desert.” Justice Anthony Kennedy disputed Scalia, saying instead the CWA should extend to any stream or body of water with a “significant nexus” to navigable waters, determined by a wetland’s or waterway’s status as an “integral part of the aquatic environment.”
Then, in 2023, in its ruling on the Sackett case, the SCOTUS majority deferred to Scalia’s definition, writing: “the CWA’s use of ‘waters’ encompasses ‘only those relatively permanent, standing or continuously flowing bodies of water forming geographical features that are described in ordinary parlance as streams, oceans, rivers and lakes.’”
It’s up to the relevant agencies to translate these rulings into actual rules, often adding their own ideological twists. The W. Bush, Obama and Trump I administrations issued their own postRapanos definitions of WOTUS. Biden weighed in post-Sackett, and now Trump II is submitting its own set of industry-friendly, deregulatory definitions.
The EPA’s new definition of ‘‘waters
Years of debate about the definition of a waterway leaves future protections of clean water on shaky ground./ Photo by Jonathan P. Thompson
of the United States’’ would include:
1. Traditional navigable waters and the territorial seas;
2. Most impoundments of “waters of the United States”;
3. Relatively permanent tributaries of traditional navigable waters, the territorial seas and impoundments;
4. Wetlands adjacent (i.e. having a continuous surface connection) to traditional navigable waters, impoundments and tributaries;
5. Lakes and ponds that are relatively permanent and have a continuous surface connection to a traditional navigable water, territorial sea or a tributary.
“Relatively permanent,” under the new rule, would mean … “standing or continuously flowing year-round or at least during the wet season.’’ Consistent with the Sackett decision, ephemeral waters (i.e., those with surface water flowing or standing only in direct response to precipitation (e.g. rain or snowfall) are not jurisdictional because they are not relatively permanent.
And then there’s this weird and vague, yet critical, term, “wet season,” which the rule says is “intended to include extended periods of predictable, continuous surface hydrology occurring in the same geographic feature year after year in response
to the wet season, such as when average monthly precipitation exceeds average monthly evapotranspiration.”
Sometimes you have to wonder if the bureaucrats who come up with these things have ever been to the Western U.S., particularly the arid Southwest.
The “relatively permanent” requirement clearly excludes thousands of arroyos, ephemeral streams, washes, gullies and even rivers – including the Rio Puerco and the Dirty Devil – from CWA jurisdiction. Indeed, it leaves huge swaths of the Southwest without Clean Water Act protections and at the mercy of respective states or counties. A 2008 EPA study estimates that ephemeral and intermittent streams make up 59% of all of the waterways in the U.S. (excluding Alaska) and more than 81% in the arid and semi-arid Southwest.
The ecological benefits of ephemeral streams are obvious to any Westerner who happens to venture down a seemingly dry and barren arroyo, where they may find cool air, the smell of water even on the hottest day, tiny tracks of animals seeking sanctuary from the sun, the bloom of a datura, and cottonwoods and even willows miles away from any “relatively permanent” water source. And if that’s not enough, then consider
that peer-reviewed research has found that these ephemeral streams are major contributors to the water quantity and quality of the entire river drainage of which they are a part.
While the administration was looking to provide “clarity,” the “wet season” provision does exactly the opposite, especially when one tries to apply it to the Southwest. If southern Arizona has a wet season, wouldn’t it be the days and weeks of the late summer monsoon? Many arroyos do run continuously during a good monsoon, even if only for two or three weeks. So would that put them back under CWA jurisdiction?
As a result, how these proposed changes would play out on the ground is a bit of a puzzle. What is clear is that developers in Phoenix, Las Vegas or Tucson, for example, would be allowed to fill in or build roads through arroyos and washes without obtaining a federal CWA permit from the Army Corps. That would leave it to the state and county to implement their own permitting system if they so choose.
As one might expect, the energy industry, developers, ranchers and farmers generally support the changes, since they will eliminate some of the red tape that delays projects.
“For U.S. oil and natural gas operators, this is a game-changer,” wrote the head of a Texas petroleum industry group in the Odessa American. “Picture the Permian Basin or Bakken Formation: vast swaths dotted with intermittent draws and playas that previous rules treated like sacred rivers, triggering Section 404 permits under the U.S. Army Corps that could drag on for years and cost millions in mitigation. Now, with ephemeral features sidelined and groundwater off-limits, operators can overcome those hurdles for well pads, access roads and seismic surveys.”
If you live in the West, you probably live near at least one of the ephemeral streams that would lose federal protections under these new definitions. You might want to go walk up it sometime soon before it goes away.
In the meantime, you have until Jan. 5 to submit comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA–HQ– OW–2025–0322, online at www.regulations.gov or by emailing OW-Docket@epa.gov. ■
The Land Desk is a newsletter from Jonathan P. Thompson, author of “River of Lost Souls,” “Behind the Slickrock Curtain” and “Sagebrush Empire.” To subscribe, go to: www.landdesk.org
Stuff to Do
Thursday11
Craft and Connect, 3-5 p.m., Fort Lewis Mesa Library, 11274 HWY 140
Ben Gibson plays, 5:30-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Open Mic Night, 6 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Dr.
“The Power of Stories,” a seventh-grade interdisciplinary exhibition, 6-7 p.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds
Nerds Night Out Trivia, 6-8 p.m., EsoTerra Ciderworks, 558 Main Ave.
Bluegrass Jam, 6-9 p.m., Durango Beer and Ice Co., 3000 Main Ave.
Andrew Schuhmann plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Comedy Open Mic, 6:30-9 p.m., The Subterrain, 900 Main Ave.
“It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play,” presented by Merely Players, 7-8:30 p.m., Merely Underground, 789 Tech Center Dr.
Kirtan Chanting, 7-8:30 p.m., Pause Yoga Studio, 1970 E. 3rd Ave., Ste. 111
“A Charlie Brown Christmas,” jazz trio experience, 7-9 p.m., The iNDIGO Room, 1315 Main Ave., #207
Trivia Night hosted by Aria PettyOne, 7:30-9:30 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.
Friday12
“Art With a Purpose,” community fundraiser silent auction, 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Smiley Building ArtRoom Collective, 1309 E. 3rd Ave.
Holiday Market, 3-6 p.m., Breen Community Building, 15300 Hwy 140
“Silent Night Auction,” iAM Music holiday silent auction & artist market, 4-8 p.m., Smiley Building, 1309 E. 3rd Ave.
Parade of Gingerbread Homes, 5-7 p.m., Animas Chocolate Co., 920 Main Ave.
The Bizarre Bazaar, 5-9 p.m., Studio & Gallery, 1027 Main Ave.
Black Velvet Duo, with Nina Sasaki & Larry Carver, plays, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 669 Main Ave.
Ryan Teal & Julian Catoira play, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Barons Creek Vineyards, 901 Main Ave.
Irish Music with Tom Ward’s Downfall, 6-8 p.m., Durango Winery, 900 Main Ave.
Dustin Burley plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
A Night of Jazz Fusion featuring JAW and Safety Meeting, 6:30 p.m., The Swarm at The Hive, 1175 Camino Del Rio
North Main Yoga Open House, 6:30-8:30 p.m., North Main Yoga, 2970 Main Ave.
“It’s a Wonderful Life: Live Radio Play,” presented by Merely Players, 7-8:30 p.m., Merely Underground, 789 Tech Center Drive
A Night of Improv, 7-9 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.
Glitter & Gold Gala benefitting Durango Dance Foundation, 7-9:30 p.m., Durango Dance, 3416 Main Ave., Ste. 101
Jazz Church open jam, 7:30-9:30 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.
Santa Barbara’s “Nutcracker,” performed by State Street Ballet, 7:30 p.m., FLC Community Concert Hall
Saturday13
Home Buyer Education Workshop with HomesFund, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Fort Lewis College
Honor Guard Ceremony and Wreath Laying, presented by Blue Star Moms of Durango, police escort at 9:30 a.m., Santa Rita Park, followed by ceremony at 10 a.m., Greenmount Cemetery.
Pancakes with Santa, Café Au Play fundraiser, 9 a.m., 495 Florida Rd.
Durango Farmers Market Holiday Market, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds
Frosty’s Craft Fair, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Bayfield High School, 800 CR501, Bayfield
Dancing Spirit Holiday Market, 10 a.m., Dancing Spirit Center for the Arts, 465 Goddard Ave., Ignacio
Photos with Santa, 10 a.m.-12 noon, Sunnyside Library, 75 CR 218
Cookies & Cocoa with Santa, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., TBK Bank, 259 W 9th St.
The Bizarre Bazaar, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Studio & Gallery, 1027 Main Ave.
Odds-n-Ends Christmas Bazaar, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., The Subterrain, 900 Main Ave., Ste. F
Winter Market, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Durango Nursery & Supply, 271 Kay Cee Lane
Christmas Disco Brunch, with Disco Dolly and BabyDel, 12 noon-4 p.m.,11th St. Station, 1101 Main Ave.
Winter Wonderbands, student music showcase, 12 noon-6:30 p.m., Stillwater Music, 1316 Main Ave., Ste. C
“Yesterday and Today” history of Main Avenue, 1-2 p.m., Animas Museum, 3065 W. 2nd Ave.
Yarn Meetup, 1-3 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Silent Book Club, 1-3 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
“The Energetics of Compassion, Fatigue & Burnout,” free workshop, 1-3:30 p.m., 4 Corners Yoga, 1309 E. 3rd Ave., #32
Visit with Santa, 1-4 p.m., Durango Motor Co., 1200 Carbon Junction
Veterans Benefit Holiday Dinner, 3-6 p.m., VFW Post 4031, 1550 Main Ave.
Gary Watkins plays, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
La La Bones plays, 7 p.m., Dolores River Brewery, 100 S. 4th St., Dolores
“It’s a Wonderful Life: Live Radio Play,” presented by Merely Players, 7-8:30 p.m., Merely Underground, 789 Tech Center Dr.
Santa Barbara’s “Nutcracker,” performed by State Street Ballet, 7:30-9:30 p.m., FLC Community Concert Hall
ORA plays Second Weekend Series, 8-10 p.m., The iNDIGO Room @ iAM MUSIC, 1315 N Main Ave., #207
Sunday14
NFL Game Day viewing, 11 a.m.-close, Sundays, VFW Post 4031, 1550 Main Ave.
The Bizarre Bazaar, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Studio & Gallery, 1027 Main Ave.
Damn the Moon plays, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Durango Coffee Co., 730 Main Ave.
Irish Jam, 12 noon-3 p.m., Durango Beer and Ice Co., 3000 Main Ave.
“It’s a Wonderful Life: Live Radio Play,” presented by Merely Players, 2-3:30 p.m., Merely Underground, 789 Tech Center Drive
Santa Barbara’s “Nutcracker,” performed by State Street Ballet, 2-4 p.m., FLC Community Concert Hall
AskRachel Stumped on phonics, Mrs.
Interesting fact: Different stories have different first names for Mrs. Claus: Gertrude, Jessica, Margaret, Carol and so on. Maybe she likes to keep us guessing. Or maybe Santa Claus goes all Henry VIII with his wives.
Dear Rachel,
I have a hard time with words that are spelled one way but pronounced another. I nearly embarrassed myself to death when I learned hyperbole is not “hyperbowl.” How many times did I say that out loud? It just happened again with “posthumous.” Why do we say “post” and “hyper” one way all the time, until the one time where suddenly we don’t? And why don’t such words come with warning advisories?
– Miss Pronounced
Dear Madam Gaffe, Linguistics is a weird, wild, wacky discipline. And written words are just pure magic! These abstract symbols are supposed to reflect light into your eyes,
Weekly Peace Vigil & Rally for Gaza & Palestine, every Sunday, 4 p.m., Buckley Park
Funk Jam Sessions, presented by Jimmy’s Music & Supply, 5-7 p.m., 11th St. Station, 1101 Main Ave.
Annual Christmas Play, 6-7:30 p.m., Frontier Baptist Church, 2201 Forest Ave.
Blue Moon Ramblers play, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Ben Gibson plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Open Mic Comedy, 6:30-9 p.m., The iNDIGO Room, 1315 Main Ave., #207
Monday15
Terry Rickard plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Joel Racheff plays, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Tuesday16
Four Corners AI Conference, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., FLC Community Concert Hall
What’s Her Name and everyone gets a prize
where you translate them into sounds, which you can then make (most of the time) with your mouth to enter other people’s ear holes. No wonder we get little hiccups in that system every now and again. But you think those words are tough? Wait’ll everyone finds out how you actually pronounce “Rachel.”
– Phonetically, Rachel
Dear Rachel,
I think Santa Claus is gaining weight. That extra weight hurts my back! I wanted to talk to Mrs. Claus, but I still don’t know her first name, as Santa won’t give it up! Do you know her first name?
– Rudolf
Dear Rain Deer,
The editor of this here newspaper and I both wonder, did we miss the part of the Christmas special where Santa rides Rudolph? Or is that a DIFFERENT kind of Christmas special? I can’t let myself think too hard on that. Nor can I think for the life of me what Mrs. Claus’ name might be. I would
“Trout Tales,” a gathering of anglers, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Animas Brewing Co., 1560 E. 2nd Ave.
Cookbook Club and Cookie Exchange, 6-7:30 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
“Befriending the Body,” mindfulness and meditation class, Tuesdays, 6-7:30 p.m., 4Corners Yoga Studio, Smiley Building #32, 1309 E. 3rd Ave.
Jason Thies plays, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Sean O’Brien plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Barbershop tryouts, every Tues., 6:30 p.m., Christ the King Church, 495 Florida Rd.
Naughty Versus Nice: Holiday Stand-Up Comedy, 6:30-9 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.
Adult Ukulele Concert, 7:30-9:30 p.m., Stillwater Music, 1316 Main Ave.
Wednesday17
Durango Daybreak Rotary Club Meeting with presentation on donation
think the safe money is on her name not being “Blitzen.” Unless things are in a constant state of real awkward up there at the North Pole. But yo, just talk to her without her first name. Not hard to do.
– Dash away, Rachel
Dear Rachel,
I think you should start giving out peace prizes. Maybe even prizes for literature, medicine, chemistry and all the rest. You could expand the prize suite and offer the “Ask Rachel Beer Prize” and the “Ask Rachel Best Costume Prize.” Cutest dog prize? And then you could give them out arbitrarily, using them to massage egos and dole out public ridicule. I hereby nominate myself for the inaugural Good Idea Prize. – On the Podium
Dear Prize Laureate, Do you even know how much medals cost these days? The metals for medals are through the (presumably
of quilts to adoptees, 7-8 a.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds
Teen DIY Gift Making: Scented Bath Salts, 4-5 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Sound Healing Experience, 4:30-6 p.m., Cancer Support Community SW Colorado, 1701 Main Ave., Ste. C
Donny Johnson plays, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Chuck Hank plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Jay & Silent Bob’s Aural Sects Tour, 7:30-9:30 p.m., FLC Community Concert Hall
Ongoing
Gift Gallery, thru Dec. 28, 12 noon-6 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.
Dancing Spirit Holiday Market, thru Dec., 10 a.m., Dancing Spirit Center for the Arts, 465 Goddard Ave., Ignacio
Gingerbread House Contest Display, thru Dec., 11 a.m., Animas Chocolate Co., 920 Main Ave.
Email Rachel at telegraph@durango telegraph.com
corrugated metal) roof. I couldn’t swing an actual prize. But I could, I suppose, fold newspapers into funny hats and bestow those on my recipients. The First Inaugural Rachel Award Presentation Committee (that’s me) will recognize outstanding accomplishments in not being dead yet. We’ll be sure to issue posthumous awards when the time comes.
– Peace, Rachel
FreeWillAstrology
by Rob Brezsny
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Nine hundred years ago, Sufi philosopher Al-Ghazali provided this advice. “To understand the stars, one must polish the mirror of the soul.” Here’s my interpretation: To fathom the truth about reality, you must be a strong character who treasures clarity and integrity. It’s highly unlikely you can gather a profound grasp of how life works if your inner depths are a mess. Conversely, your capacity to comprehend the Great Mystery increases as you work on purifying and strengthening your character. This will be especially poignant for you in the coming months.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The sound of a whip cracking is a small sonic boom. The tip breaks the sound barrier, creating that distinctive snap. In my astrological reckoning, Taurus, life has provided you with the equivalent of a whip. During the coming months, you will have access to a simple asset that can create breakthrough force when wielded with precision and good timing. I’m not referring to aggression or violence. Your secret superpower will be understanding how to use small treasures that can generate disproportionate impacts. What’s your whip?
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Some Japanese potters practice yohen tenmoku. It’s a technique used to create a type of tea bowl with star-like iridescence on dark glaze. The effect results from a process that’s unusually demanding, highly unpredictable and hard to control. Legend says that only one in a thousand bowls achieves the intended iridescence. The rest, according to the masters, are “lessons in humility.” I believe you can flourish by adopting this experimental mindset in the coming months. Treat your creative experiments as offerings to the unknown, as sources of wonder whether or not they yield stellar results. Be bold in trying new techniques and gentle in self-judgment. Some “failures” may bring useful novelty.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): A fairweather cumulus cloud typically weighs more than a million pounds and yet floats effortlessly. Let’s make that one of your prime power symbols for 2026, Cancerian. It signifies that you will harbor an immense emotional cargo that’s suspended with grace. You will carry complex truths, layered desires and lyrical ambitions but manage it all with aplomb and even delight. For best results, don’t overdramatize the heaviness; appreciate and marvel at the buoyancy.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Every 11 years, the Sun reverses its magnetic polarity. North becomes south, and south becomes north. The last switch was completed earlier this year. Let’s use this natural phenomenon as your metaphorical omen for the coming months. Imagine that a kind of magnetic reversal will transpire in your psyche. Your inner poles will flip. As the intriguing process unfolds, you may be surprised at how many new ideas and feelings come rumbling into your imagination. Rather than resist, I advise you to welcome and collaborate with them.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Sculptor Louise Bourgeois was asked why she worked so often with the image of the spider. She said it was a tribute to her mother, who was deliberate, clever, patient, soothing, helpful and useful – just like a spider. In coming months, I invite you to embody her vision. You will have the wherewithal to weave hardy networks that could support you for years to come. Be creative and thoughtful as you craft your network of care. Your precision will be a form of devotion. Every strand, even fragile ones, will enhance your long-term resilience.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Researchers studying music theory know that dissonance – sounds that feel “wrong” or create tension – is in part culturally determined. Indonesia’s gamelan music and Arabic maqam scales are beautiful to audiences that have learned to appreciate them. But they might seem off to Westerners accustomed to music filled with major thirds and triads. Let’s use this as we contemplate your future. Life may disrupt your assumptions about what constitutes balance and harmony. You will be invited to consider the possibility that what seems like discord from one perspective is attractive and valuable from another. Open your mind to other ways of evaluating what’s meaningful and attractive.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In the Sonoran Desert, Arizona bark scorpions are hard to see at night. Scientists who want to study them can find them only by searching with ultraviolet flashlights. This causes the scorpions’ exoskeletons to glow a blue-green color making themvisible. Let’s use this as a metaphor for you. In coming months, you may reveal your best brilliance under uncommon conditions. Circumstances that seem unusual or challenging will highlight your true beauty and power. What feels extreme may be a good teacher and helper. I urge you to trust that the right people will recognize your unique beauty.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): According to legend, Mozart heard entire symphonies in his imagination before he wrote down any notes. That’s a slight exaggeration. The full truth is that he often worked hard and made revisions. His inspiration was enhanced by effort and craft. However, it’s also true that Mozart wrote at least five masterful works in rapid succession, sometimes with remarkably few corrections on the manuscript. They included his last three symphonies (Nos. 39, 40 and 41). I predict you will have a Mozart-like aptitude in the coming months: the ability to perceive whole patterns before the pieces align. Trust your big visions!
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In Greek mythology, Proteus was a sea god famed for his ability to change his shape endlessly to evade capture. But now and then, a persistent hero was able to hold on to Proteus through all his transformations, whether he became a lion, serpent, tree or flame. Then the god would bestow the gift of prophecy on the successful daredevil. I suspect that in the coming months, you will have an exceptional power to snag and grasp Proteus-like things, Capricorn. As a result, you could claim help and revelations that seem almost magical.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In Florence, Italy, the Accademia Gallery houses several of Michelangelo’s sculptures that depict human figures partially emerging from rough blocks of marble. They seem to be caught in the process of birth or liberation. These works showcase the technique Michelangelo called non-finito (unfinished), in which the forms appear to struggle to escape from the stone. In coming months, Aquarius, I foresee you undergoing a passage that initially resembles these figures. The good news is that unlike Michelangelo’s eternally trapped characters, you will eventually break free.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): To prepare you for 2026, I’ve gathered three quotes that address your most pressing need. I recommend you tape this horoscope to your bathroom mirror. 1. “We cannot live in a world interpreted for us by others. An interpreted world is not a hope. Part of the terror is to take back our listening, to use our own voice, to see our own light.” – author Elaine Bellezza. 2. “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson. 3. “The ability to tell your own story, in words or images, is already a victory, already a revolt.” – Rebecca Solnit.
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Announcements
Live Nativity
On December 12th & 13th, Durango B.M.C. will be having a live nativity in the church parking lot @ 756 Florida Rd. 6:30-8 p.m. We will have live animals, sing Christmas carols, and enjoy a friendly atmosphere. Come celebrate the Reason for the season with us.
Classes/Workshops
New Year, New You 2026
Train to win the battles within. Aikido offers self-refinement through self-defense. Starter Series kicks off Jan 19. Flexible price options. Details and registration at durangoaikido.com.
BodyWork
Give the Gift of Massage!
Relax, be healthy & together we change the world! Therapeutic relaxation, acupressure tune-ups, calming and immune-boosting pressure points, deep tissue … recharge, renew, reset! Sliding scale prices available for service workers, farmers, teachers, students, changemakers & activists. Gift certificates available. Come get your qi flowing! Heart to Hands Massage Therapy, Darsi Olson, LMT, 970-259-9796, downtown.
Massage by Meg Bush LMT, 30, 60 & 90 min., 970-759-0199.
Wanted
Books Wanted at White Rabbit Donate/Trade/Sell 970 259-2213
Lost/Found
Help Cid Come Home
Last seen July 21, 2024, by St. Columba Church. He is chipped, missing left canine tooth, white, big black spots, green eyes. Reward $2000. 970-403-6192.
ForSale
Price Reduced! 2007 Subaru Outback
Well-maintained, new timing belt and water pump, head gaskets replaced, good snow tires. 227,000 miles. $4,000. 970759-0551
Peak by Bode Miller 98SC Skis
168cm length, 98mm underfoot. Atomic Strive 14GC bindings. Exc. cond, probably have fewer than 10 days on them. Waxed and ready to rip! $349 OBO. Text: 970-749-2595
Reruns Home Furnishings
Make your space festive for the holidays. Glassware, dishes, linens, bar ware and more. Plus nightstands, mirrors,
lamps, cool artwork and lots more! Also looking to consign smaller furniture pieces. 572 E. 6th Ave. Open Mon.-Sat.
Services
Boiler Service - Water Heater
Serving Durango over 30 years. Brad, 970-759-2869. Master Plbg Lic #179917
Chapman Electric
Colorado licensed and insured electrician. Mike 970-403-6670
Electric Repair
Roof, gutter cleaning, fence, floors, walls, flood damage, mold, heating service.
HaikuMovieReview
‘Ballad of a Small Player’ Visually rich but busted, ultimately just not a winner –
CommunityService
LPEA 2026 Washington Youth Tour
LPEA invites high school juniors to apply for the 2026 Electric Cooperative Youth Tour, taking place June 15–21, 2026, in Washington, D.C.. Four students will be selected – one each from Durango, Bayfield, Pagosa Springs and Ignacio. Applicants must live and attend school in LPEA’s service territory. Apply at lpea.coop/lpeayouth-tour. Deadline to apply is Jan. 2, 2026, winners will be notified in Feb. For info., email: youthtour@lpea.coop.
Yoga of Recovery: Free classes Tuesdays 10-11:15 a.m., Smiley Bldg, #20A. Gentle movement, breathwork and meditation. Find support for addictive tendencies, sober curiosity or your recovery journey. Registration req’d at innerpeace yogatherapy.com/locations/durango/
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11,
Lainie Maxson
