the durango
Rethinking
December
Remembering the Skyhawk men’s undefeated Cinderella season of 2005 by Dave Donley
EDITORIALISTA: MISSY VOTEL missy@durangotelegraph.com
PIT CREW: JENNAYE DERGE jennaye@durangotelegraph.com
STAFF REPORTER: SCOOPS MCGEE telegraph@durangotelegraph.com
The Durango Telegraph publishes every Thursday, come
high water, tacky singletrack or mon-
Ear to the ground:
“I look like most guys in Durango. I’m the basic Durango bro-totype.”
– A classic case of Durango mistaken identity
Words of wisdom
If you’re downtown with the kids on Noel Night and looking for a distraction from the cocoa and marshmallows, why not try books? Local author Kate Siber will be hosting a booksigning for her new children’s book, "The Hidden Wisdom of Animals," this Friday at 5 p.m. at Maria’s Bookshop.
“‘The Hidden Wisdom of Animals’ is about what we can learn from wildlife for our own lives and wellbeing – like what if animals were our teachers?” Siber said in an email. “For example, from owls, who have incredible hearing, we can learn how to listen. From bears, who hibernate, we can learn how to rest.”
On the cover Snow collects on an old bicycle wheel making for an artsy outdoor display and serving as notice that biking season may be over – at least for now./ Photo by Missy Votel
Siber, a contributor to Outside who also wrote “50 Adventures in the 50 States” and “National Parks of the U.S.A.,” said in more than 20 years of writing, this project has been her favorite. “I actually missed it when I was done,” she said.
Although the book, illustrated by Kaitlynn Copithorne, is primarily for children, there is plenty to keep adults entertained as well. For example, who knew that hares (young are called “leverets”) are one of the fastest land mammals, clocking in at 45mph? Or that squirrels have amazing long-term memories, remembering up to 90% of the locations where they’ve stored their nuts?
Siber, who is also a community dharma leader for the Durango Dharma Center, said her process started with observing wildlife right here in Durango. “I actually began to notice it in ways I never had before. The whole process of researching the book ... was a time of deep joy and discovery,” she said. But the book is not just centered on the local fauna, with pages devoted to flamingos, jellyfish, sloths, dolphins and other exotic-toDurango species. In addition to science and anecdotes, Siber also includes myths and legends from across the globe, including Native American, African and European cultures. Siber said the ultimate goal is to transport kids from their screens to a real world of natural wonder while offering some important life lessons. Like always remembering where your nuts are stored.
LaVidaLocal opinion
Hello dollies
Mattel, Inc. hit it big in 1959 with its fashion doll, Barbie. To be clear and give credit where credit is due, Ruth Handler invented it; Mattel handled it. Ken’s appearance in 1961 launched a sort of reverse genesis story where the female gets created first.
Barbie sold more than 350,000 units its first year, and the word “units” is an appropriate descriptor. Anatomically speaking, Barbie came equipped with accessories, not the necessities. Her chest vaguely suggested she was an adult doll, but that’s about it. She sported a perky ponytail –blonde or brunette – and a smile that charmed many-a-child’s heart.
Mattel is still in the toy business, despite a childish presidential warning about toys and tariffs, that “Maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30, and maybe the two dolls will cost a couple of bucks more.”
I don’t know of any child with so many dolls, but I do have an idea for a new line of dolls that could reignite Mattel’s business. This is only a concept – no schematics or prototypes. If Mattel wants to make a deal with me before negotiating with the president, I’m all ears.
According to census.gov, “In less than two decades, the graying of America will be inescapable: Older adults are projected to outnumber kids for the first time in U.S. history.” Children may feel overwhelmed, finding it impossible to relate to all these old people, so a relatable doll might help. My cardinal rule is the doll should not look anything like Barbie. Instead, it should resemble a comfortably older and wiser relative, with an old-fashioned surname preceded by an endearing Gramma or Gramps, like Gramma Gladys or Gramps Herman.
ponytail should be available for both. For Gramps, an optional wild-and-bushy beard, a receding hairline, or for that clean look, a bald head. Wigs and hair dye could be sold separately with the purchase of Gramma Gladys’ Beauty Salon™ or Gramps Herman’s Barber Shop ™.
Naturally, dolls in this new line ought to be manufactured with what I’m calling the Fall-Apart ™ feature: a simulated human tendency to age from the moment they emerge from their recycled packaging. To enrich the child’s experience, both silver and grey hair could gradually thin and fall out as the child repeatedly brushes it. Clothing will be a bit baggy and a bit retro to help youngsters realize that fashion goes in both directions.
Each doll would be sold with basic accessories: a pair of glasses, a cane, a hearing aid and a pill box containing a month’s supply of nasty-tasting jelly beans. Optional accessories purchased separately could include replacement hips and knees, removable teeth, heart monitors, walkers, wheelchairs and service dogs.
All of the doll’s joints, fully articulated, should audibly click as the child manipulates the dolls’ appendages to pose, say, Gramps in his fashionably stained and tattered overstuffed reclining chair.
In keeping with tradition and to reduce the impact of ageism, the popular
Thumbin’It
Colorado is forging ahead with its clean energy push and carbon goals by announcing a plan to require utilities to cut the carbon emissions by 41% in 10 years, with a target of reaching 100% decarbonization of building heating by 2050.
Hey, it’s actually snowing. Like, a lot. Don’t drive like a jerk, and remember to lift from the knees when shoveling. That is, if you can find your shovel.
There is hope for privately insured folks – quite literally. Rep. Jeff Hurd, along with three other House members, revealed the HOPE Act, a bipartisan effort to extend premium tax credits. Maybe it will be a Christmas miracle?
It will be normal for the doll’s elastic-plastic skin to slowly stretch and sag in random areas, along with the appearance of simulated varicose veins or even temporary red splotches on the skin – primarily the hands and arms – whenever the child accidentally bumps the doll against a hard surface.
Mattel has been thinking along this line for 77 years, making Barbies to better reflect reality and the times. She started out as a 19-year-old blonde who simply changed her outfits until Mattel decided to tweak her stereotype, realizing inclusion and diversity should be part of a role model. It started by marketing dolls with slightly different body types. In 1968, the first Black Barbie emerged and many other ethnicities appeared to inform children’s awareness of cultural diversity. Eventually, a career professional appeared, Surgeon Barbie (1973) with more than 200 different jobs represented to date. In 2019, Mattel released its first Barbie with physical disabilities; the latest Barbie has type 1 diabetes, carrying her own insulin pump and glucose monitor.
There will always be the likelihood that a counterfeit grumpy gramps doll will appear on the market, inappropriately trying to influence the child’s bonding experience with my Fall-Apart ™ dolls. The imposter toy will be a reckless fellow with, say, a cotton-candy hair style and a tangerine spray tan. He’ll be outfitted presidentially standing beside a cardboard cutout of the White House. Parents should be warned that neither I nor Mattel would ever consider such a doll as a role model. If you see one, don’t buy it. Even children should be afraid of this one.
– David Feela
SignoftheDownfall:
Sen. Faith Winter, D-Bloomfield, died in a crash on I-25 on Nov. 25. During her time at the Capitol, she was a strong advocate for the environment, transit and workplace equality and will be missed.
It didn’t seem possible, but Trump is getting even more unhinged, posting 160 times to his Truth Social account Monday night. Maybe this explains why he can’t stay awake during the day.
In its never-ending quest to erase anything “woke,” the Trump administration changed the name of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to the National Laboratory of the Rockies. Seems pretty pointless other than to waste a bunch of money on new letterhead.
Thank Ewe
In a surprise twist, there might be hope after all. You see, about 0.8% of sheep are born gay, and it can be a death sentence – farmers keep the lesbian sheep, because they can still get pregnant, but the gay rams are sent to slaughter, because they won’t reproduce. So, a German company called Gay Wool started rescuing the rams to raise awareness by selling products made from their wool. And on Nov. 13, Grindr teamed up with designer Michael Schmidt to put on a fashion show called “I Wool Survive” featuring clothing made from gay wool, like a knitted pair of Speedos. Donations flooded in, and more gay sheep are being saved! But if you’re still wondering how Rainbow Wool knows which sheep to rescue, they just look for the ones that eat haaaay.
SoapBox
Things are flocked up
I saw it immediately as I walked into Rotary Park on Oct. 18 for the “No Kings” rally. A shiny new trailer with a large solar panel, telescoping pole and a cluster of cameras, proudly displaying Durango Police Department markings. I snapped a quick photo of the device and thought it was a heck of a coincidence given what had been on my mind during the previous weeks.
That day, I was carrying a petition I had written to end our Police Department’s contract with Flock Safety, the private, mass-surveillance technology start-up that operates the network of 21 video cameras across our city marketed as “automated license plate readers.” The Flock system continuously captures images of every vehicle it sees and creates a searchable history of their locations dating back at least 30 days. Any officer with a Flock login can obtain a location history of any vehicle captured by the cameras by searching for the license plate number or another description of the vehicle, including make and model, color, dents, bumper stickers and more. No warrant, probable cause or reasonable suspicion is required to use the
system, just a stated reason for a search in a text box, in which users typically type something like “crime” or “investigation.” The system is also capable of searching and generating results from descriptions of people, a feature Flock calls “Freeform Search.”
Besides being able to recognize a vehicle without a license plate, the other feature that sets the Flock system apart is the connection to a nationwide network of cameras. More than 80,000 intrusive Flock cameras have been installed in 5,000 cities, and anyone with a Flock login can search this nationwide system to find a history of the movements of a vehicle (and by proxy a person) across the country. The system is unprecedented in its scope, capabilities and potential for abuse.
Part of what motivated me to write the petition was the reporting this summer that Flock Safety, as part of a “federal pilot program,” had shared camera data with a whole host of federal agencies, including Customs and Border Protection and ICE, without informing local jurisdictions this was taking place. This powerful surveillance system has been weaponized to hunt down immi-
grants and others deemed undesirable by this administration.
I also read coverage of a sheriff’s department in Texas that used the Flock system to track a woman across state lines they suspected of having an abortion. An officer in Kansas used Flock to stalk his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend. Police officers were found giving their logins to ICE agents, and Flock lo-
gins have been found for sale on the dark web. The list seems to go on and on.
I submitted a records request to learn a little more about how our department is using the system. The documents revealed that the department had, in fact, purchased a new camera trailer from Flock Safety this summer, and the promotional images on the Flock website
matched the snapshot I took at Rotary Park. The records request also revealed something much more concerning.
Examination of a “Network Sharing Report” in the disclosure revealed DPD had shared access to Durango’s camera network with 603 agencies across the country, including sheriff’s departments in Texas and Florida, where state laws require departments to work with ICE. By crosschecking with the list of ICE collaborators on the Homeland Security website, I found 60 law enforcement agencies that were present on the Durango “Network Sharing Report.” Our police department has given ICE a way to track the movements of immigrants in our community through our local camera system.
We have here in Durango a mass surveillance system that tracks the movements of everyone in our community, shares data across the country, has a high potential for abuse and puts our immigrant community at risk.
If anything I wrote concerns you, tell our City Council to immediately end all contracts with Flock Safety, remove the cameras and end all sharing of data collected in Durango.
– Ben Peters, Durango
City can do better on emissions
I wanted to thank the City Council for hosting a public hearing on our climate goals Nov. 4. By the mayor’s own admission, no one at the hearing, councilors and the public alike, advocated against addressing climate change. Unfortunately, it’s clear from Marty
Pool’s presentation that we will not make our 2030 goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50%.
So now what? How do we make up for lost time so we’re back on track for the 2050 goal? Some suggestions: (city operations) implement more energy performance contract recommendations to save money and energy; (waste diversion) implement pay-as-youthrow policies, which have been shown to vastly increase composting (see payasyouthrow.org for best practices); provide public transit to the airport during peak times of the day, and seek creative ways to fund this work (establishing airport fees, changing the sustainability fee and leveraging public-private partnerships.) Ithaca, N.Y., for example, used private investor money to renovate 6,000 buildings. This work can be done without sacrificing other city priorities.
According to Pool’s presentation, Aspen, with a similar budget to Durango’s, allocates several million dollars to climate and sustainability while we only spend a fraction of that. Pool revealed different sources of revenue similar Colorado communities are using to drive down carbon emissions. We can and must do better. Pay now, or pay later with wildfires, droughts and flooding.
– Darcy Hitchcock, Durango
LPEA project raises questions
As an LPEA member-owner, I’m concerned about the proposed battery energy storage system (BESS) project that LPEA is preparing to pursue. Before moving forward, members deserve considerably more transparency about the true cost, the risks and the long-term commitments this project places on all of us.
We know LPEA received a $2 million grant, but that number tells us very little. What is the total cost of this project? Who pays the difference, LPEA members or another outside partner? What are the projected annual maintenance, insurance and safety-compliance costs? None of this has been disclosed, yet these are the questions that ultimately determine future rates.
Another serious concern is safety. LPEA says the risk of fire is low, but “low” is not the same as “zero,” and battery failures, even with safer lithium-iron-phosphate chemistry, still require strict planning and emergency protocols.
According to the EPA:
• Lithium battery fires are extremely difficult to extinguish and may reignite hours or days later;
• Battery fires release harmful toxins that pose health risks to residents and first responders;
• Proper cleanup and disposal of damaged batteries requires specialized and expensive procedures.
Member-owners are not being unreasonable by asking for full transparency. We should see the complete project cost, safety plans, setback distances, emergencyresponse modeling, environmental review and a clear explanation of how this project impacts future rates.
A project of this scale shouldn’t move forward without clear, complete and honest information. LPEA works for its members, not the other way around. We deserve answers before commitments and final approvals are given. This post isn’t just about cost and safety, this project could impact our clean air, water and soils. Please plan to attend the county commissioners’ meeting when this project is discussed.
– Sue McWilliams, La Plata County
WritersontheRange
Selling out
Trump BLM nominee Steve Pearce wants to liquidate public lands
by Aaron Weiss
Do Western senators really care about keeping public lands in public hands? Steve Pearce, President Donald Trump’s nominee to run the Bureau of Land Management, is a litmus test of their commitment.
Throughout his political career, Pearce has worked to privatize and undermine our public lands. As a New Mexico congressman, he co-sponsored several bills to dispose of national public lands. This alone ought to disqualify him from running the agency charged with stewarding 245 million acres for current and future generations.
In a 2012 letter to House leadership, Pearce argued that the federal government owns “vast” land holdings, “most of (which) we do not even need,” and called for a massive sell-off to pay down the national debt. Pearce’s vision for our public lands is not conservation or even balanced management – it’s liquidation.
President Trump has been down this road before: During his first term, he nominated anti-public lands zealot William Perry Pendley to run the BLM. Pendley never even received a hearing, and the White House dropped the nomination after his record was revealed. Pendley went on to write the public lands chapter of the now-notorious Project 2025 blueprint for a second Trump administration.
Pendley spent his career as a lawyer arguing that the federal government should not own public lands. Steve Pearce has gone even further. From inside Congress, Pearce spent 14 years undermining public lands, seeking to gut wildlife protections and sell off huge amounts of public land.
Pearce’s nomination comes as our public lands are being attacked from all sides. Over the last 10 months, President Trump has elevated officials such as Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, both of whom view our public lands as nothing more than assets to monetize through drilling, mining and logging.
These officials are currently working to execute Trump’s vision of selling out public assets for private profit. Pearce would accelerate this effort, liquidating lands to the highest bidder – including corporations and luxury developers.
Even by recent standards, Pearce’s public lands record is radical. It is also unpopular. This spring, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, tried to include a public land sale
provision in the sprawling budget bill, framing it as a housing solution. The measure would have mandated the sale of 2-3 million acres of BLM and Forest Service lands.
But Lee’s amendment triggered immediate backlash from hunters, outdoor recreation groups and Western lawmakers. Within days, he abandoned the effort. If the Senate rejected Lee’s market-rate sell-off as radical, it should be easy now to reject a nominee whose goal is to get rid of even more public land.
That brings us to the Senate Stewardship Caucus, co-chaired by a Republican, Tim Sheehy, of Montana, and a Democrat, Martin Heinrich, of New Mexico. It launched last month to “advance bipartisan efforts to conserve the nation’s lands and waters” with sciencebased policy. The caucus has been applauded by hunting, outdoor recreation and conservation organizations as a promising start for defending public access and wildlife.
Pearce’s nomination is the caucus’ first real test. If its members cannot draw a bright line at a nominee who has worked tirelessly to sell off public lands and weaken laws that protect them, then its vision of “stewardship” is nothing but empty branding.
BLM lands, such as Canyon of the Ancients, near Cortez, could be threatened under Trump’s nominee to head the agency, Steve Pearce. The former New Mexico congressman has been a vocal proponent of selling off public lands./
The stakes are immense. The BLM’s multiple-use mandate requires balancing energy, grazing, recreation and conservation under long-term land use plans grounded in science and public input. That mission collapses if the agency’s leader believes we must “reverse this trend of public ownership” of the very lands he is charged with managing.
Westerners understand what happens when responsible stewardship is abandoned. Rural communities lose the long-term economic engine that healthy public lands provide. Hunters, anglers and campers lose access they have relied on for generations.
Steve Pearce’s nomination is a referendum on whether Congress believes our shared lands still belong to all Americans. The Stewardship Caucus and every senator who claims to care about the West’s outdoor heritage should reject Pearce’s nomination. America’s public lands are a unique legacy we pass down to future generations, not a portfolio to liquidate.
Aaron Weiss is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. He is deputy director of the Denver-based Center for Western Priorities and co-host of The Landscape podcast. ■
Photo by Dave Marston
BetweentheBeats
Can’t stop, won’t stop
2025 goes out with plenty of booty-shaking options
by Stephen Sellers
Greetings, dear readers! ’Tis the season! In case you missed the heads up, Noel Night returns to Durango tomorrow evening, so be sure to grab that base layer and set the kids loose with their chosen friend-family (ebike gang) while you and your significant other get a little shwilly off the “samples” at all your favorite downtown shops. There’ll be live music tucked into just about every storefront, bar and corner you can think of, so soak it in – and don’t forget to hit those tip jars if they’re out. No need to be a Scrooge. I’ll have some more reflective end-of-year thoughts for you in my final column later this month, but for now, here are a few solstice-season shows you definitely don’t want to miss, including a couple options for your NYE in Durango.
• Comé Con Amigos: La La Bones, Union Social House, Sat., Dec. 6, 11:30 a.m. – Compañeros is putting out the call for help in stocking their community pantry and closet, and Union Social House and local bluegrass legends La La Bones are coming to the answer! Expect a dose of brunch-time Bluegrass as the backdrop to a lively midday gathering full of love and community support. Zia will be on hand slinging burritos, Bread will be there unloading cookies, and the bar will be open for you to grab a holiday cocktail.
• John Craigie w/ Julianne Marqua, Animas City Theatre, Tues., Dec. 9, 7 p.m.* – Sometimes we get bookings here in Durango that are truly head scratching in the best kind of way. I’m not sure exactly how promoter Eugene Salaz put this all together, but one of folk music’s funniest, sharpest storytellers returns AGAIN to the ACT. Craigie, of Portland, Ore., blends wry humor, aching sincerity and road-worn wisdom in a way few artists can pull off. Local songwriter Julianne Marqua opens the show. The show of the month for our town.
Thank you to Eugene and Animas City Theatre!
• Chuck Hank, Alex Mayes & Clarke Reid perform Vince Guaraldi’s “A Charlie Brown Christ-
mas,” iAM Music Indigo Room, Thurs., Dec. 11, 7 p.m. – I think we might have a Durango tradition in the making – or at least I sure hope so. Three of our town’s most gifted players are gearing up to reinterpret Guaraldi’s iconic holiday soundtrack with serious chops. Expect familiar themes spun through fresh improvisation, unexpected solos and that unmistakable Indigo Room intimacy we’ve come to love in the local music scene. If you crave a communal holiday music experience, this might be the ticket.
• The Poppletons & Listening to the Sky, Black Heron Lounge, Fri., Dec. 19, 9 p.m. – The Poppletons have been popping up around Durango over the last several months, having formed just under a year ago. At the same time, Black Heron Lounge has become synonymous with DJ-driven nights and the occasional rock show –in addition to a healthy dose of jazz –but this one blends both. Psychedelic rock outfit The Poppletons kick things off, with Listening to the Sky taking over the decks afterward to carry the
night into full-on dance mode.
• High Country Hustle & The Pickpockets, Animas City Theatre, Wed., Dec. 31, 8 p.m. – Ring in the new year with a Durango fan-favorite bluegrass blowout. High Country Hustle brings high-octane picking and huge energy, while The Pickpockets kick things off with their tight harmonies and signature drive. There’s nothing like real instruments and a packed room to welcome the new year, and this one remains one of the best NYE bets in town.
• Blessing Bled Chimanga, iAM Music (Indigo Room), Wed., Dec. 31, 8 p.m. – Zimbabwean percussionist, vocalist and bandleader Blessing Bled Chimanga brings an explosive, joy-soaked celebration to close out the year. I caught Blessing at a previous iAM Music Festival and was totally stupefied. This man and his band are so good. With support from the Eli Emmitt Band and DJ Panacea, expect a night of body-shaking rhythms, deep grooves and a dancefloor that absolutely will not quit.■
John Craigie/
Photo by Keith Berson
MurderInk
A forgotten place
‘Red Water’ exposes underbelly of tragedy in the shadow of the
by Jeffrey Mannix
The United Kingdom’s Bitter Lemon Press has become a vanguard of literary crime fiction throughout the European continent. “Murder Ink” has presented a dozen or more mysteries from Bitter Lemon over the years, and I’m always excited to see a new book come in the mail.
Today, I’m especially delighted to bring a new Bitter Lemon offering by Croatian novelist, playwright and film critic, Jurica Pavičić, entitled “Red Water.”
As with all offshore crime fiction writers – and distinct from American novelists – the wrongdoing dims in the light of the social milieu of the wrongdoers. And in “Red Water,’’ the reader spends 300 pages joining the pursuit of a missing teenage girl, first as a runaway, then as a hostage and finally, after 50 years, as a corpse of bones.
Pavičić starts out this tale in 1989 on a warm September day, “as if the sky was mocking them in advance” of dreary days to come in the Croatian town of Misto. Vesna and Jakov Vela had been married almost 18 years, and their twins, a boy named Mate and his sister, Silva, were 18 years old.
This fascinating and densely packed story often changes narratives from third person to tricky second person and is told through the reanimation of searing memories.
Coming-of-age Silva, pretty and gutsy just beyond the edge of arrogance, sets out stylin’ and eager one evening to attend the yearly fair down at The Cove. She tells her family not to wait up; she’ll be late.
“Silva stands at the door. To this day (Vesna) does not know whether she looked up at Silva as she walked out. She’s almost certain she didn’t say goodbye, because at that moment she could not have known. Now she knows. That moment, when Silva said ‘See you!’ flicking her dress as she headed out the front door, was the last time they would ever see her.”
Pavičić knows how to put the words together that slow your breath. This story is about brother, Mate, looking for Silva, and their mother, Vesna, who strips
Balkans
skin off the lazy constabulary. Jakov, the father, joins his son to feverishly tack up posters and then slowly emasculates himself after the exhausting contemplation of finding his daughter dead or alive and uncaring and refusing, thereafter, to look for or think of her.
Pavičić has designed this story in four parts looking forward from 1989-2017. Twenty-eight years in the life of a family of three with an unaccounted fourth, through their country’s independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, regional turmoil and threats, and the constant dread of not knowing where their lovely Silva is.
This is the story of simple people defeated by circumstances beyond their control; the daily grind of looking; the loneliness of not knowing; the averted eyes of neighbors and merchants who see the family as pathetic. Yet, they continue with the blind belief for nearly three decades that a simple, satisfied life may again be possible.
“Red Water” is not so much a story fashioned up for pages in a book as it is a shameless surveillance of a humble, working-class tragedy in a culture so different from ours.
I read this book twice just to understand who these people were and how a simple, working-class family living in the shadow of history can incorporate the disappearance of a daughter and sister with their shame, grief and hope.
“Red Water” is not for the casual bedtime reader of mysteries. “Red Water” shows the reader the underbelly of tragedy, the grayness of the Balkans and how honest people of a forgotten place deal with a nearly useless hierarchy.
“Red Water,” published in June 2025, probably won’t be on the shelves of Maria’s Bookshop, and may not be in the library. Ask Maria’s to order the book and at least ask if their standard 15% Murder Ink discount can be applied on a special order. ■
A winning season
A look back at the FLC men’s magical 2005 NCAA soccer championship
One of the most exciting moments in Durango sports history occurred 20 years ago, on Dec. 4, 2005, when the Fort Lewis College Men’s Soccer Team won the NCAA Division II Championship.
The FLC men came to prominence in the late 1990s. Under the leadership of head coach Jeremy Gunn, who was hired in 1999, and his assistants, Darren Morgan, Andy McDermid and Jimmy Hall, the team not only won the championship in 2005 but was runner up in the 1999 and 2006 tournaments as well.
Gunn left in 2006 for the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and in 2011, became head coach at Stanford, where he coaches to this day. At FLC, Coach Ogie Kennedy went on to lead the team to 2009 and 2011 NCAA championship titles with identical season records of 24-1-0.
However, the 2005 team was special – and not just for going undefeated with a 22-0-1 record (the single tie coming against Colorado School of Mines). The players were committed to excellence and driven, some say, by a maniacal Coach Gunn.
The roster consisted of locals Adam Beach, Nick Clark, Kyle Fredrick as well as others from all corners of Colorado, Washington, Texas, New Mexico, California and Wyoming. It also had its share of foreign players, a trend that continues to spread to all levels of the game.
Boosters would travel miles to local games and far-flung games in Texas such as Austin, Lubbock and San Antonio to show their support.
It was an unbelievable feat as the team entered the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) tournament undefeated. There, they beat Colorado State Pueblo 6-0, then Colorado School of Mines, 3-0.
Entering the NCAA playoffs, the Skyhawks’ high ranking gave them home field advantage. They used that to defeat School of Mines once again, this time gaining a much tougher 1-0 result.
The Cal State Dominguez Hills Toros came calling the next week, led by their prodigious scorer Kai Kamara. Kamara went on to enjoy a long career in the MLS, as well as stints overseas and with
A page from the program for the 2005 NCAA Division II Soccer Championship, in Wichita Falls, Texas, on Dec. 4, 2005.
the Sierra Leone national team. The Skyhawks won again with a 3-2 nailbiter.
Perhaps the most infamous incident on the pitch for the Skyhawks occurred well into the game when a streaker sporting nothing but a T-shirt over his face and a Jose Cuervo bucket hat appeared from the north end and ran straight down the middle of the field. Incredibly, the officials seemingly didn’t know what was going on as play continued. The roughly 2,500 fans were aghast and amused, while the Toros players and bench were screaming foul. The streaker escaped over the south fencing, never to be seen again.
A mini brawl ensued between players as time ran out. Toros fans were incensed, prompting a Durango Herald headline to read “Soccer match marred by hooliganism.” Letters to the editor from disappointed Cal State fans painted FLC fans as “hooligans.”
The NCAA Finals were held in Wichita Falls, Texas, on the campus of Midwestern State University. Fort Lewis first faced Lynn College, from Florida, a frequent contender for the champion-
ship crown. Fort Lewis came out on top of a wild scoring night, 6-4.
In the final game, the Skyhawks faced another perennial soccer power, Franklin Pierce University – a school in New Hampshire named after the 14th U.S. President. On a chilly December day, the Skyhawks prevailed 3-1 on goals from Cliff Wilmes, a winning goal by Ben Gantenbein and an insurance goal by Cole Sweetser. The team came home to a rousing reception from the community.
As was the case with this team, the championship season was preceded by a trip overseas to England to play a number of games against junior clubs. The highlight was the team taking in a professional match between West Ham and Preston (in the Champions League at the time).
The statute of limitations has likely passed to reveal that two fathers travelling to meet the team – Bill Boyer and myself – having arrived late to the game, snuck through a closing door and into the stadium. In an overwhelming sea of fans, they bumped into another father, Harry Sweetser, who directed them to
where the team was sitting.
After the 2006 season, the prolific scorer for FLC, John Cunliffe, was selected seventh in the MLS draft by Chivas USA. During the 2005 season with Fort Lewis, he scored 20 goals with 22 assists. He was named NCAA player of the year in 2006 and an NCAA AllAmerican in 2005, along with Cole Sweetser, Bryan Eisenbraun and Nick Clark. Cunliffe holds the all-time RMAC and FLC records for career assists (62) and total points (212).
A personal note needs to be expressed to the recently departed Jackson Clark and his former wife, Rose Ornella, Nick Clark’s parents. Our son was a backup goalkeeper during the years that Nick played goalie. Our families set that competition aside because, in our minds, it wasn’t a competition when each family embraced the moment for what turned out to be an amazing journey. The Jacksons were always welcoming and funny. We all understood that this was a magical moment we may never experience again. ■
– Dave Donley
Thursday04
Craft and Connect, 3-5 p.m., Fort Lewis Mesa Library, 11274 HWY 140
Spanish Conversation Hour, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Gary Watkins plays, 5:30-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Friends of the San Juan Snow Series: Season Review, 6-8 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd 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.
“Journey Down the Gila” film screening, 6:30 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.
Powerhouse Trivia Night, 6:30-8:30 p.m., The Powerhouse, 1333 Camino Del Rio
Skyhawk Improv presented by Lickety-Split, 7 & 8:30 p.m., FLC Black Box Theatre
Trivia Night hosted by Aria PettyOne, 7:30-9:30 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.
First Thursdays Songwriter Night, 8-10 p.m., iAM Music, 1315 Main Ave., #207
Friday05
Dancing Spirit Holiday Market, 10 a.m., Dancing Spirit Center for the Arts, 465 Goddard Ave., Ignacio
Noel Night, 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Downtown Durango
Festival of Trees & Wreaths, 12 noon-5 p.m., D&SNG Railroad Museum, 479 Main Ave.
Holiday Arts and Crafts Festival, 1-5 p.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds
“Homemade for the Holidays” Ornament Party, 2:30-6 p.m., Fort Lewis Mesa Library, 11274 HWY 140
Wreath Extravaganza, 3-6:30 p.m., Sunnyside Library, 75 CR 218
Durango First Friday Art Walk, 4-7 p.m., Downtown Durango
The ArtRoom Collective First Friday Noel Night, 4-7 p.m., The Smiley Building, 1309 E. 3rd Ave.
The “Not-So-Silent” Night & Artisan Market, 4-10 p.m., 11th St. Station, 1101 Main Ave.
Fill Your Bowl annual fundraiser, 5 p.m., Dancing Spirit Center for the Arts, 465 Goddard Ave., Ignacio
Event & Book Signing with Children’s Book
Author Kate Siber, “The Hidden Wisdom of Animals,” 5 p.m., Maria’s Bookshop, 960 Main Ave.
Damn the Moon plays, 5-7 p.m., Durango Coffee Co., 730 Main Ave.
Ignacio Taste of Christmas Community Celebration, 5-8 p.m., ELHI Community Center, 115 Ute St., Ignacio
Kathryn Stedham’s “The Expansive West,” artist reception and painting demonstration, 5-8 p.m., Blue Rain Gallery, 934 Main Ave., Unit B
Barbara Grist “Flower Scapes,” opening reception, 5-8 p.m., The Recess Gallery, 1027 Main Ave.
Larry Carver & the Rando Zone play, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 669 Main Ave.
Art Squirrels’ exhibit “Melange,” opening reception, 6-8 p.m., Stillwater Music, 1316 Main Ave., Ste. C
Irish Music with Tom Ward’s Downfall, 6-8 p.m., Durango Winery, 900 Main Ave.
Pete Giuliani plays, 6-9 p.m., The Oxford Bar, 119 W. 8th St.
Dustin Burley plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
“Holiday on the Hill,” featuring the FLC band, choir and jazz ensemble, 7 p.m., FLC Community Concert Hall
It’s a Wonderful Life: Live Radio Play, presented by Merely Players, 7-8:30 p.m., Merely Underground, 789 Tech Center Drive
“The Moon, The Stars & Movement,” dance performance, 7:30-9 p.m., Durango High School Theatre
Jazz Church open jam, 7:30-9:30 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.
Saturday06
St. Mark’s Christmas Bazaar, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 910 E. 3rd Ave.
St. Columba Christmas Bazaar, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., St. Columba Gymnasium, 1800 E. 2nd Ave.
Holiday Arts and Crafts Festival, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds
Dancing Spirit Holiday Market, 10 a.m., Dancing Spirit Center for the Arts, 465 Goddard Ave., Ignacio
“Homemade for the Holidays” ornament party, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Fort Lewis Mesa Library, 11274 HWY 140
Holiday Bazaar, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., The ArtRoom Collective, Smiley Building, 1309 E. 3rd Ave.
Wreath Extravaganza, 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Sunnyside Library, 75 CR 218
Project Merry Christmas Donation Drive, presented by Four Corners Broadcasting, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Durango Dermatology, 523 S. Camino Del Rio, Unit B
Los Compañeros Food and Clothing Drive and Fundraiser to support immigrant families, featuring music from La La Bones and food from Zia and Bread, 11:30-2 p.m., Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave.
Holiday Market, 12 noon-4 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St.
Festival of Trees & Wreaths, 12 noon-5 p.m., D&SNG Museum, 479 Main Ave.
“The Moon, The Stars & Movement,” dance performance, 5 & 7:30 p.m., Durango High School Theatre
Adam Swanson plays ragtime, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Matt Rupnow plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave., 802 E. 2nd Ave.
Raven Narratives Story Slam: “Gathering(s),” 6:30 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.
“It’s a Wonderful Life: Live Radio Play,” presented by Merely Players, 7-8:30 p.m., Merely Underground, 789 Tech Center Dr.
Sunday07
Veterans Benefit Breakfast, 9-11 a.m., VFW Post 4031, 1550 Main Ave.
Holiday Arts and Crafts Festival, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds
NFL GameDay viewing, 11 a.m.-close, Sundays, VFW Post 4031, 1550 Main Ave.
MakerLab 3rd Annual Open House, 12-4 p.m., 434 Turner Dr., Ste. 6
Festival of Trees & Wreaths, 12 noon-5 p.m., D&SNG Museum, 479 Main Ave.
“The Moon, The Stars, & Movement” Dance Performance, 1 & 5 p.m., Durango High School Mainstage Theatre, 2390 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
AskRachel Loco for Lobos, rash decision and holiday jeer
Interesting fact: If you want to slam Millennials for participation trophies, try taking a look at which generation decided that 86 out of 136 eligible college football teams deserve to go to bowl games.
Dear Rachel,
I never got into college football. But my alma mater who always sucked at football is suddenly… halfway decent? (Go Lobos!) I find myself looking up sports articles and wanting to buy the branded hoodie. I’m scared that I’m suddenly going to become one of Those People who live for game day, and I am holding off on holiday travel plans until I know their bowl game schedule. Am I in too deep?
– Fan Club President
Dear Footballer,
There is no hope for you. Not until your alma mater slips back into the sea of regression. Because let’s face it: one good season will sell some hoodies, but
Family Christmas Concert, presented by Durango Choral Society, 3 p.m., FLC Community Concert Hall
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
Monday08
MakerLab 3rd Annual Open House, 5-7 p.m., 434 Turner Dr., Ste. 6
Happy Hour Yoga, 5:30 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St.
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.
Tuesday09
Rotary Club of Durango meeting with Durango High School’s Colours Choir
it’ll never turn your school into a magnet for the top 18-year-old athletes in the country. To really have staying power, you need to be able to pay your players millions of dollars. Which I guess the Denver Broncos do well enough? Maybe they ought to start a college.
– Go team, Rachel
Dear Rachel,
I’ve been seeing this woman for six months now and her skin reacts to everything. I’m talking we can walk by the wrong tree or sit on a chair wiped at some point in the 1990s with the wrong kind of cloth, and she busts out in a rash. She says it’s no big deal. But I freak out constantly that I’m going to cause the allergic reaction that does her in by using something innocuous like salt or cotton. How can I learn to cope as well as she does?
– Bubble Boyfriend
Dear Touchy Subject, I hate to be the one to explain inter-
singing holiday music, 6 p.m., Strater Hotel, 699 Main Ave.
“Befriending the Body,” donationbased beginner-friendly mindfulness and meditation, 6-7:30 p.m., 4Corners Yoga, Smiley Building #32, 1309 E. 3rd Ave.
Nathan Schmidt plays, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Randy Crumbaugh plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Barbershoppers Christmas Concert, 6:30 p.m., Durango Main Mall, 835 Main Ave.
“It’s a Wonderful Life: Live Radio Play,” presented by Merely Players, 78:30 p.m., Merely Underground, 789 Tech Center Dr.
Wednesday10
Durango Daybreak Rotary Club Meeting on work to help eradicate rabies, 7 a.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds
“Forest, Factory, Foundation: Stewarding Green Communities and
personal relationships to you, but… you should just listen to her. If she says your laundry detergent causes rashes, switch to a brand she knows works. Don’t start playing with the top 10 allergens in the bedroom. Carry a Benadryl with you, or whatever works for her. And good lord, trust her when she says it’s OK.
– Hypoallergenically, Rachel
Dear Rachel, Does anyone really actually love the holidays? I know we’re all told we should enjoy it. But everyone is cranky, nothing gets done, we’re all stressed over gifts and parties, families suck and I can’t wait for Jan. 2 to breathe again. Oh, and every store has Christmas vomited all over it. What’s the point and who likes this nonsense?
– Ebenezer
Dear McDuck, Holidays are hard. Yes, some people love them. And not only people under
Our Environment,” Green Business Roundtable, 12 noon-1 p.m., The Powerhouse, 1333 Camino del Rio
Money Talks, personal finance discussion, 5:30-6:30 p.m., 11th St. Station, 1101 Main Ave.
Writers & Scribblers Writing Group, 6-8 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
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.
Ongoing
Festival of Trees and Wreaths, thru Dec. 7, 12 noon-5 p.m., D&SNG Museum, 479 Main Ave.
Gift Gallery, thru Dec. 28, 12 noon-6 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.
Barbara Grist “Flower Scapes,” exhibit, thru December, 5-8 p.m., The Recess Gallery,1027 Main Ave.
Email Rachel at telegraph@durango telegraph.com
the age of 11. My own freaking brother-in-law lives for the holiday Hallmark movies. The people who don’t love them have to suffer through everyone else’s fandom for these many weeks. It’s even worse than being football-apathetic in Bronco Country or whatever it’s called. At least the Broncos don’t have sappy carols.
– Bah humbug, Rachel
Upcoming
Nerds Night Out Trivia, Thurs., Dec. 11, 6-8 p.m., EsoTerra Ciderworks, 558 Main Ave.
“A Charlie Brown Christmas,” jazz trio experience, Thurs., Dec. 11, 7-9 p.m., The iNDIGO Room, 1315 Main Ave., #207
“Silent Night Auction,” iAM Music holiday silent auction & artist market, Fri., Dec. 12, 4-8 p.m., The Smiley Building,
The Bizarre Bazaar, Fri., Dec. 12, 5-9 p.m., Studio & Gallery, 1027 Main Ave.
Black Velvet duo with Nina Sasaki & Larry Carver play, Fri., Dec. 12, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle, 669 Main Ave.
The Bizarre Bazaar, Sat., Dec. 13, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Studio &, 1027 Main Ave.
Odds-n-Ends Christmas Bazaar, Sat., Dec. 13, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., The Subterrain, 900 Main Ave., Ste. F
Winter Wonderbands, student music showcase, Sat., Dec. 13, 12 noon6:30 p.m., Stillwater Music, 1316 Main Ave., Ste. C
Dec. 4, 2025 n 13
FreeWillAstrology
by Rob Brezsny
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Home is a building you live in. It’s also a metaphor for the inner world you carry within you. Is it an expansive and luminous place filled with windows that look out onto vast vistas? Or is it cramped, dark and in disrepair, a psychic space where it’s hard to feel comfortable? Does it have a floor plan you love and made yourself? Or was it designed according to other people’s expectations? It may be neither of those extremes, of course. My hope is that this horoscope will prod you to renovate aspects of your soul’s architecture. The coming months will be an excellent time for this sacred work.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): During the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1872, workers made a discovery: They could detect approaching storms by observing vibrations in the bridge’s cables. The massive metal structure was a meteorological instrument. I’m predicting that your intuition will operate with comparable sensitivity in the coming months. You will have capacity to notice subtle signals in your environment. What others regard as background noise will reveal rich clues to you. Be extra alert for nuanced professional opportunities and social realignments. You will be attuned to early signs of changing conditions.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Sloths are so energy-efficient they can survive on 160 calories per day: the equivalent of an apple. They’ve mastered thriving on minimal intake by moving deliberately and digesting thoroughly. Life is inviting you to learn from sloths. The coming weeks will be a good time to take an inventory of your energy strategies. Are you burning fuel frantically, or are you extracting maximum nourishment from what you already possess? I urge you to experiment with being more efficient – but without depriving yourself. Try measuring your productivity not by speed but by diligence. Dig deep and be thorough. Your nervous system and bank account will thank you.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): The Danish concept of arbejdsglæde refers to the happiness and satisfaction derived from work. It’s the joy found in labor itself, not just in its financial rewards and prestige. It’s about exulting in the self-transformations you generate as you do your job. Now is an excellent time to claim this joy more than ever, Cancerian. Meditate with relish on all the character-building and soul-growth opportunities your work offers you and will continue to provide.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In the deep Pacific Ocean, giant tube worms thrive in total darkness around hydrothermal vents, converting toxic chemicals into life-sustaining energy. These resilient creatures challenge our assumptions about which environments can support growth. I suspect your innovative approach to gathering resources in the coming months will display their adaptability. Situations that others find inhospitable will be intriguing opportunities for you. For best results, you should ruminate on how limitations could actually protect and nurture your development. You may discover that conventional sustenance isn’t your only option.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): For a long time, scientists didn’t understand why humans have an organ called the appendix. Most thought it was useless. But it turns out that the appendix is more active than anyone knew. Among other functions, it’s a safe haven for beneficial gut bacteria. If a health crisis disrupts our microbiome, this unsung hero repopulates our intestines with the helpful microbes we need. What was once considered irrelevant is actually a backup drive. With that in mind as a metaphor, here’s my question, Virgo: How many other parts of your world may be playing long games and performing unnoticed services that you haven’t understood yet? Investigate that possibility!
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In the coming months, you’ll be asked to wield your Libran specialties. Your allies will need you to provide wise counsel and lucid analysis. For everyone’s sake, I hope you balance compassion with clarity and generosity with discernment. Certain collaborations will need corrective measures but shouldn’t be abandoned. Your gift will lie in finding equilibrium that honors everyone’s dignity. When in doubt, ask: “What would restore harmony rather than merely appear polite?” True diplomacy is soulful, not superficial. Bonus: The equilibrium you achieve could resonate far beyond your immediate circle.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The Hubble Space Telescope is a school bus-sized space observatory orbiting 320 miles above the Earth. It observes the universe free from atmospheric distortion. Its instruments and detectors need to be recalibrated continuously. Daily monitors, weekly checks and yearly updates keep the telescope’s tech sharp as it ages. I believe it’s a good time for you to do your own recalibrations. Subtle misalignments between your intentions and actions can now be corrected. Your basic vision and plans are sound; the adjustments required are minor. For best results, have maximum fun as you fine-tune your fundamentals.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Leonardo da Vinci painted his iconic Mona Lisa on a thin panel of poplar wood, which naturally expands and contracts with changes in humidity. Over the centuries, this movement has caused a crack and measurable warping. One side of the classic opus is bending a bit more than the other. Let’s use this as a metaphor for you, Sagittarius. I suspect that a fine quality you are known for and proud of is changing shape. This should be liberating, not worrisome. If even the Mona Lisa can’t remain static, why should you? I say: Let your masterwork age. Just manage the process with grace and generosity. The central beauty may be changing, but it’s still beautiful.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “Apoptosis” is a word referring to programmed cell death. It’s a process by which your aging, damaged or obsolete cells deliberately destroy themselves for the benefit of your organism as a whole. This “cellular suicide” is carefully regulated and crucial for development, maintenance and protection against diseases. About 50-70 billion cells die in you every day, sacrificing themselves so you can live better. Let’s use this healthy process as a psychospiritual metaphor. What aspects of your behavior and belief system need to die off right now so as to promote your total well-being?
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Which parts of your foundations are built to strengthen with age? Which are showing cracks? The coming months will be an excellent time to reinforce basic structures so they serve you well into the future. Don’t just patch problems. Rebuild and renovate using the very best ingredients. Your enduring legacy will depend on this work, so choose materials that strengthen as they mature rather than crumble. Nothing’s permanent in life, but some things are sturdier and more lasting than others.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Along the Danube River, in Europe, migrating storks return each spring to rebuild massive nests. New generations often reuse previous bases, adding twigs, grass, and even human-made stuff like cloth and plastics. Some of these structures have lasted for centuries and weigh half a ton. Let’s make this a metaphor for you in the coming months. I see your role as an innovator who improves and enhances good traditions. You will bring your personal genius to established beauty and value. You will blend your futuristic vision with ancestral steadiness, bridging tomorrow with yesterday.
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Announcements
Ready to Make a Difference close to home? The University of Denver GSSW Four Corners Program is now accepting applications for the 2026–2028 MSW cohort! Classes meet Fridays in Durango, so you can keep working while earning your MSW. Learn more at du.edu/socialwork/fourcorners. Change your community. Change your future. Start with DU!
Classes/Workshops
Join K-Lea Gifford for Mindful Movement to Release and Restore Winter Workshops. Held on six Saturdays at 10:30 AM in The Smiley Building, RM 32. Dec 13: Pelvic Floor, Dec 20: Neck & Shoulders, Jan 3: Hips, Jan 17: Yoga on the Ropes, Feb 7: Psoas, Feb 14: Backbends. Six-class package: $240. Single workshop: $45 pre-registered, $50 at the door. Details and registration: www.k-lea.com.
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.
Men's Yoga
Every Tuesday, 7:30-8:30 AM at Yogadurango. All levels welcome.
Wanted
Books Wanted at White Rabbit
Donate/Trade/Sell 970 259-2213
BodyWork
Massage by Meg Bush
LMT, 30, 60 & 90 min., 970-759-0199.
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
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! $399 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.
2007 Subaru Outback
Well-maintained, new timing belt and water pump, head gaskets replaced, good snow tires. 227,000 miles. $4,500. 970759-0551
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.
CommunityService
LPEA 2026 Washington Youth Tour
LPEA invites local high school juniors to apply for the 2026 Electric Cooperative
HaikuMovieReview
‘Caught Stealing’ A fun, gory crime caper with a great cast and brilliant hiding spot – Lainie Maxson
Youth Tour, taking place June 15–21, 2026, in Washington, D.C. This all-expensespaid experience brings together high school students from across the nation for a week of education, connection and adventure. 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/lpea-youth-tour. Deadline to apply is Jan. 2, 2026, and winners will be notified in February. For questions, email: youthtour@lpea.coop or call 970-247-5786.
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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Dec. 4, 2025 n 15
