“This is like rafting through ‘Better Homes & Gardens.’”
– Boating the San Miguel River through Telluride’s high-rent district is not your average float
Meet the new boss
There’s nothing like the therapy of a long run in these difficult times by Kirbie Bennett 8 Picking up speed
Trump’s proposed public land sales could hit (very) close to home by Jonathan P. Thompson / Land Desk 10
Band dad
Sitting down with Hotel Draw bassist Marc Bourdon by Stephen Sellers
Silverton’s Baker’s Park project wins coveted $750k GOCO grant by Telegraph Staff On the cover Blooming cacti make a dazzling display in Durango’s mid-country recently./ Photo by Missy Votel
EDITORIALISTA:
The Durango Telegraph publishes every
There is a new familiar face at the helm of Durango’s Parks and Recreation Department. Longtime city parks employee Scott McClain was appointed City Parks and Recreation Director on Tues., June 17.
McClain has worked for the City for 19 years, starting in 2006 as a landscape architect. He was promoted to parks manager in 2016 and has served as assistant parks director since 2017.
If it seems like the Parks and Recreation Director position has been a bit of a revolving door as of late, well, that’s because it has. The City has seen two directors come and go since longtime director Cathy Metz left her post in July 2021. Prior to that, Metz had been with the City for 25 years.
Upon Metz’s departure, the City hired Ture Nycum, who served as director from August 2021-23. He was replaced by Kelly Schmidt, who started in January 2024 and will be leaving July 4. Both Nycum and Schmidt, who moved from out-of-state for the job, cited family and wanting to be closer to home in their decision to leave.
Originally from Colorado Springs, McClain graduated from Colorado State University before settling in Durango in the early 2000s. He lives here with his wife and three kids – so presumably will not be leaving anytime soon.
Got scraps?
The City of Durango is offering discounted compost service for income-qualified residents. Residents who complete an application and are approved for the Food Tax Rebate or Utility Refund (or both) will be automatically approved for discounted curbside compost collection from Table to Farm Compost. Once approved, residents can sign up for service directly through Table to Farm, www.table tofarmcompost.com, and enter a discount code. The program covers 90% of the cost of curbside collection (currently about $28).
During a recent composting pilot program, cost for low-income residents was identified as a challenge.
Applications for the utility refund and food tax rebate programs are due July 7 at: tinyurl.com/36veuj7n
McClain
LaVidaLocal opinion
In praise of running
When I’m outside running, my body is in communion with heaven and earth. What I mean is that lately, I’ve been rediscovering my love for running, and in doing so, I’ve renewed my gratitude for what it means to run. A few times a week, I make sure to set aside time for this act of movement. I mean, it’s a blessing to feel the rhythm of my feet tapping the ground, to be in tune with my body in motion, seeing how far it can take me every time. It’s a blessing to start the day like this, by moving toward a beginning. Honestly, in recent years, I took running for granted. Whether it was indoors or outdoors, forcing myself to run became an unenjoyable habit. Sometimes I would overexert myself, and that would leave a swelling discomfort in my left leg. The accumulation of pain resulted in shin splints earlier this year, which took nearly two months to heal. During that painful downtime, I re-evaluated how I was treating myself. The time spent massaging and stretching my inflamed left leg gave me a greater appreciation for the body. Throughout that downtime, I missed running and the sense of freedom it gave me. There were days when I feared that perhaps I did too much damage. I started wondering, “What if I can’t run anymore?” The question left me crushed.
move, the more miles don’t matter. A gust of southwest wind combs my hair. The shade from trees soothes my sweat-drenched neck and back. I’m in that stride where the weightless bliss distills me down to legs and lungs. What I mean to say is, these prayers to the day that I pronounce with legs and lungs are reminders that man-made borders and kings are foolish. I only bow to the monarch butterfly.
By springtime, thankfully, my left leg had recovered. As a writer and guitarist, I’m already appreciative of my hands and wrists. And after enduring shin splints, I now have a better appreciation for the bones and tissue in my lower legs.
As the sun is rising and I’m running alongside the roar of the Animas, a prayer is taking place with every step. When I say this act of movement feels liberating, I mean I’m in awe of these muscles and limbs letting me glide through beautiful earth. On the river trail, there’s one lamppost I’m fond of because back in early 2020, when the world was once again ending, someone wrote “MARX” on it with a white marker, and every lockdown day it felt like a miracle to wake up and see that streetlamp tagged with communist dreams. See, the sun is rising and bird songs are swelling, and suddenly I’m in that stride where the more I
Thumbin’It
The Klamath River in Oregon and California is running free for the first time in 100 years after the removal of four dams. Even better, a group of youth from area tribes –to whom the river was sacred – had the honors of making the first (re)descent.
Thousands showing up in force across the country – including some 3,000 in Durango – for last week’s “No Kings” rally to protest all things Trump.
Looks like Mike Lindell will be crying into his MyPillow after being found guilty to the tune of $2.3 million for defaming Dominion Voting’s Eric Coomer over false election conspiracies. Naturally, Lindell, who obviously does not know truth from fiction, heralded the ruling as a victory.
Sometimes on a run, I’ll reach new milestones, but the goal isn’t to always outdo myself. I’m grateful for my body’s capacity to excel and log more miles. But I’m also grateful for the running sessions that are more gentle. In any case, when I’m winding down, I can feel my heart returning from the sky. Then I’m restored and grounded again.
Since I’m being honest, dear friends, I must acknowledge the strange contradiction of cultivating a fitness routine while our society is in a state of self-annihilation. It doesn’t take long for me to be overwhelmed by daily headlines of more genocide and deportations. The reassured heart I nurtured on a run becomes instantly shattered, day after day, when I turn my attention back to the world. I have moments where I ask internally, “What’s the point of caring for myself if the world isn’t getting any better?” I’ve been sitting with that question for a while now. I’m realizing that perhaps, despite sanity, I want to live longer in the hopes that a better world will come into being. I mean, I want to outlive this godforsaken empire. And, my dear friends and loved ones, if the grieving won’t end, then I offer my ears and shoulders to you. I mean, I want to live longer in order to do what I can to help shape a better world.
The mornings when I offer myself to the day through sweat, breath and movement, it’s a recognition that there are still beautiful things worth living for and fighting for. Dear friends and loved ones, may we never lose sight of those beautiful things. May our bodies carry us forward with love and labor pronounced in every limb. May we outlive empires and kings in the fight for beautiful dreams.
–
SignoftheDownfall:
We didn’t think things could get more effed up, but then Vance Boelter happened. Really? You even shot the dog? We don’t know how this jibes with your socalled Christian values, but we’re pretty sure this earns you a one-way trip down to that really hot place you always talk about.
A new study found addictive use of phones, video games and social media makes kids three times more likely to have thoughts of suicide or self-harm. We really don’t need a study to tell us this, do we?
Pangolins – the strangely adorable scaled creatures – are the latest animals near extinction due to stupid humans selling them for their scales. The U.S. is trying to protect them under the Endangered Species Act, even as Trump tries to gut it.
Last January, a nonbinary AI named Flynn was accepted as a student into Vienna’s University of Applied Arts, and last month, Miles Astray entered a real photo in an AI photo contest to prove humans were still relevant. But his firstplace prize was revoked when the judges found out his picture was real. Craziest of all, Grammy-winning producer Timbaland just launched the world’s first AI music label called Stage Zero, which signed TaTa, pictured here, two weeks ago as his first artist. Timbaland calls TaTa a “living, learning, autonomous music artist.” All of this is great news for starving artists who want to be even hungrier, but it’s horrible news for traditional producers like R. Kelly for obvious reasons.
Kirbie Bennett Art Official Intelligence
WritersontheRange Revisionist history
Trump is attempting to erase America’s dark past, one park at a time
by Ernie Atencio
As the philosopher George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” It’s true that we humans easily forget the past, and we seem to repeat our mistakes – think of large and small conflicts around the globe. Yet now the Trump administration is moving that process forward with a brand-new spin.
In response to President Trump’s executive order “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum issued an order to counter what he calls a revisionist movement that “seeks to undermine the remarkable achievements of the United States by casting its founding principles and historical milestones in a negative light.”
Now, to comply with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s plan to eliminate any “negative” depictions of U.S. history, the Interior Department has asked national parks and other public land agencies to remove, cover or replace all non-complying signs.
This could take some doing, as rewriting the past to remove conflict requires not just artfulness but ignoring important people and their actions.
There’s also the issue of the very purpose of national parks and monuments. Parks and other public lands are the commons that belong to all Americans, and the Park Service is charged with preserving these places and their backgrounds for the public. That means including the stories that might reveal bigotry and cruelty.
Think of the national places dedicated to the dark history of slavery and the struggle for civil rights, the migrant farm workers movement, the coal miners’ labor movement, women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, Japanese internment camps, and sites of massacres of Tribal members.
How can park rangers tell a happy
story about eastern Colorado’s Amache
National Historic Site, where thousands of Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World War II? They were never charged with any crime but treated as suspicious solely because of their Japanese roots. They were deprived of their homes and businesses and sent to live in primitive barracks across America. That shameful story is the truth.
At the nearby Sand Creek Massacre
National Historic Site in southeast Colorado, about 270 Cheyenne and Arapaho people – mostly women and
children – were slaughtered by a wellarmed white militia in 1874. According to Congress’ Joint Committee on the Conduct of War, the attack was a “foul and dastardly massacre … a cowardly act.” These blunt words present a problem for the rewriters of history. Is there a way for the Interior Department’s new historians to make a slaughter sound positive?
Bears Ears National Monument in Utah, established in 2016, was conceived by a coalition of five tribes to protect their cultural and sacred land-
scape and establish a new model for tribal co-stewardship with federal agencies. In part, this was a long-overdue recognition that all Western public lands once belonged to Indigenous tribes. President Trump, who shrunk the monument by 85% before it was restored by President Biden, is proposing to again alter the monument’s size. How do you tell a positive story without mentioning the long struggle of tribal people to become involved in managing the land that once was theirs?
The administration’s executive order could be interpreted as a hostile act against Americans who share some ugly history in our past. It also blocks Americans, young and old, who are eager to learn about this country’s history – no matter how many revelations there are of pain and cruelty.
Erasing the past from parks and monuments violates the law and generations of regulations and tradition, and it also insults the people who suffered from that history. The freedom to learn our history – all of our history – is an important part of being a citizen of this country.
Here’s a suggestion: If you visit a national monument or park this summer and encounter sanitized history being communicated, take issue with it. You can tell the Interior Department that you expected a truthful account, not something that reads like propaganda. And if there’s no sign or interpretation conveyed at all, you might ask why it has been banished.
The past might not be pretty, but what occurred is called history, and it’s important that we learn what we hope never to repeat.
Ernie Atencio is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring conversation about the West. He lives in New Mexico and is a former national park ranger and former Southwest Regional Director for the National Parks Conservation Association. ■
Cliff dwellings in Bears Ears National Monument. Despite being a new model for tribal co-stewardship and a recognition that Western public lands once belonged to Indigenous tribes, Trump is once again threatening to shrink the monument./ Photo by Dave Marston
SoapBox D-Tooned/
We’ve been here before
It’s no coincidence that Alexander Hamilton is buried under Wall Street after serving as an aid to during the war to George Washington, who then appointed him Treasury Secretary. But, contrary to musical mythology, he was about as popular as Ted Cruz, contributing to his demise.
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jon Meacham describes Hamilton as “a man willing to sacrifice the American undertaking in liberty to the expediency of arbitrary authority” and noted Jefferson suffered from “wonder and mortification” at the prevailing Federalist climate in governing circles.
In a speech to the Constitutional Convention, Hamilton spoke of an American monarch, saying that it will “probably be found expedient to go into the British form.”
He favored a strong national government, sought to emulate the British financial system, was skeptical about institutions based on regular elections, was willing to entertain the possibilities of a hereditary or a lifelong presidency or Senate, and wanted money for the
federal government to be raised by tariffs on imports. Sound familiar?
A contributing author of the Federalist Papers in 1787 inspiring the Federalist Society, whose wealthy manicured digits have touched: compromised judges on the high court; the fall of Roe; ending separation of church and state, and women’s and civil rights; and making corporations people under their dark-money darling, Citizens United. This brings us directly to the nightmare Project 2025 manifesto and Trump.
This isn’t a new fight. Wealth, arrogance and ignorance have always been trying to undermine the people’s power. Not happening, Alex. No kings here. Let’s sing a song!
– PJ Breslin, Rifle
China sabotaging solar
I have always been concerned about the quality and security of products imported from China. Their quality control is abysmal, and over the decades, there have been many instances of poor-quality imports from China, including lead paint in toys, contaminated pet food and toothpaste, faulty mass transit ve-
hicles, radioactive dry wall, carcinogenic fish, and contaminated candy. Another major concern is the possibility of China intentionally building in failure of their products, which could compromise the proper functioning of U.S. systems.
It was recently reported that Chinese “kill switches” have been found in solar arrays at U.S. solar facilities. They were found inside power inverters manufactured by Chinese companies. The power inverters link solar or wind farms with
the overall power system. The kill switches can be remotely activated, and this occurred at a location in the United States in November.
Chinese companies provide about half of the solar power inverters in the world, and any widespread control of power grids could compromise operations, cause widespread blackouts and endanger national security. Communist China is an adversary who could sabotage products and systems shipped to the United States. People, companies and government agencies should be wary of Chinese products and conduct indepth testing of the products before accepting them.
– Donald Moskowitz, Londonderry, N.H.
Why Trump attacks education
Liberalism is a political and social philosophy that promotes democracy, freedom, civil liberties and limited government intervention. On the other hand, the goal of Christian nationalism is to restrict freedom and civil liberties through government intervention. And so, Christian nationalism is fundamentally opposed to liberalism. But, it is liberalism’s freedoms that made America a great nation. Restricting freedom diminishes us.
Liberal education provides a broad understanding of the sciences and humanities, and emphasizes critical thinking. And it instills the values and skills needed to meet life’s challenges and enable people to contribute to a modern, complex, diverse society. From its founding, knowledge has been key to America’s success.
The mission of both science and universities is to search for truth. Their focus is on facts. Religion relies on
faith, a belief that something is true in the absence of facts and physical evidence. When facts conflict with religious belief, as in the case of evolution and the story of creation, religions must either reconcile faith with truth or deny truth. Because facts don’t change, truth deniers perceive facts as the enemy. This is the basic reason that Christian fundamentalists, who dominate the Trump administration, have declared war on our universities.
JD Vance further explained in 2021, when he told the National Conservatism Conference that, “we have to honestly and aggressively attack the universities in this country” and that to “rebuild the nation along the lines of white Christian nationalism, the universities must be destroyed ... the professors are the enemy.”
Vance grew up in poverty in Appalachia. Raised by his grandmother, he came from a broken family and a drug-addicted mother. A bright student, he received financial aid to attend the University of Ohio. He then went on to earn a law degree from Yale. While there, his education was financed by student aid grants and a small student loan. What is it that made him so mad that he bites the hands that fed him?
He is a religious extremist who wants a white Christian nationalist country. That idea must be rejected just as it was by the founders of our nation. Their goal was freedom of the people, which they knew was incompatible with any theocracy.
Trump, always the opportunist, supported the Christian nationalist Project 2025, and they elected him. He recognized this diabolical scheme was unpopular and had no qualms about denying any knowledge of it while campaigning. In his words, “I haven’t read it … I’m not going to read it.” And yet, he is enacting it, following it
in lockstep to dismantle government agencies; attack universities; end diversity, equity and inclusion policies; shift FEMA costs to the states; freeze federal assistance; target National Public Radio; and more.
Kevin Roberts, head of The National Heritage Foundation, which authored Project 2025, revealed its objective when he said in July 2024, “[this] second American Revolution” would “remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.” If Trump, Roberts and the Christian right achieve that objective, it will be the ruin of everything that has made America great and for which the first patriots shed their blood in the Revolutionary War.
It is up to today’s patriots to defend America against this misguided rebellion by the radical right who want to destroy what made America the greatest nation in history: liberalism, civil liberty and democracy. Republican radicals take pleasure in denigrating liberals and liberalism, but they are denigrating America’s heritage.
Rather than shying away when the far right spews its criticisms, Democrats should proudly defend liberalism. If Democrats cannot defend America, who will? In this age when fiction is presented as fact and our government is staged as reality TV, nothing is more important.
And we must protect and defend liberal education. Our universities are the safeguard of truth, facts and knowledge. The objective of the right’s attack on our educational system is an ignorant populace unable to think for themselves or distinguish truth from deception. That populace would be malleable and receptive to a totalitarian government. America becoming a modern-day Nazi Germany or Communist Russia is an ending too sad to contemplate.
– Bob Topper, syndicated by PeaceVoice
In loving memory GRAHAM LISLE AUSTIN 1961-2025
Graham Lisle Austin, 63, passed away in April 2025, in Durango. Born Nov. 16, 1961, in Austin, Texas, Graham lived a life marked by intellectual curiosity, deep familial bonds and a joyful spirit that touched many.
A proud graduate of Coronado High School in El Paso in 1979, Graham graduated the University of Texas at Austin in 1983, where he earned his degree cum laude with dual majors in history and psychology. His academic achievements reflected his lifelong passion for learning and understanding the world around him. Fluent in Spanish and an avid reader, Graham combined his love of language and knowledge into a meaningful career.
Graham worked for Austin-based annuity/insurance company National Annuity Programs (NAP) from 1988-2000. He was a marketing director instrumental in maintaining great relations with the agent sales force and was a tremendous asset to the company.
Graham also lived in Zihuatanejo, Mexico, for several years. In 2012, Graham moved to Durango to be closer to family. He worked at Purgatory Ski Resort, spent time with family and friends, built many lifelong friendships, and was beloved in his community.
Graham’s love for music was ever-present; it was not uncommon to find him enjoying a favorite tune or sharing songs with friends. He found peace and joy in long walks accompanied by his dogs and close companions. Books were another constant source of comfort and inspiration throughout his life.
He is lovingly remembered by his father, Michael Austin; stepmother, Joni Austin; brothers, Mallory and Bradford Austin; stepbrothers, Kevin and Jeffrey Rich; sister-in-law, Mikel Austin; brothers-in-law, Joe and Paul "Bubba" Iudice; nieces, Ann Marie and Bella Austin; parents-inlaw, Vito and Jeanette Iudice; the Parsons family cousins; and his aunt, Jodi Prichard. He was preceded in death by his mother, Ann Marie Austin.
Graham had a wide circle of friends who cherished his company. Known for his vibrant personality and infectious sense of fun, he brought warmth and laughter wherever he went. There will be a Celebration of Life this summer. Date to be determined. Notification will be via Facebook and Instagram.
Selling out the public
A favorite recreation area near you could soon be covered in houses
by Jonathan P. Thompson
It is not hyperbole to say we are living in dark times. Democracy, morality, empathy, civil liberties and the rule of law are all under attack, and the assailants are none other than President Trump, his administration and a vast majority of congressional Republicans.
So when Utah’s Sen. Mike Lee proposed selling off a mere one half of 1% of the nation’s public land, it might not seem worth squandering whatever remains of one’s outrage on. But we – as in the American people – stand to lose a lot from this latest push to take public lands out of the public’s hands.
Lee installed his amendment into the Energy and Natural Resources section of the so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill,” which proposes to rescind environmental protections on millions of acres in Alaska, slash royalty rates for oil and gas, and revive noncompetitive leasing, among other extraction friendly provisions.
Lee’s amendment would require the Interior Secretary to “select for disposal not less than .50% and not more than .75% of Bureau of Management land and shall dispose of all right, title and interest of the United States in and to those tracts” and the Agriculture Secretary shall select for disposal .50% to .75% of National Forest System.” Lands in national parks, monuments, conservation areas, wilderness, wildlife refuges and other protected areas would not be eligible for disposal.
While that’s a tiny fraction of the nation’s public lands, it adds up to between 2 million and 3.2 million acres, which on the upper end is about equivalent to Bears Ears and Grand StaircaseEscalante national monuments combined. The amendment would apply to every Western state except Montana, which was probably exempted in the hopes of winning Rep. Ryan Zinke’s support.
While the amendment will purportedly free up more land for affordable housing, there is nothing in the text restricting the end use of the land after it’s sold or transferred. It only requires someone nominating a parcel to specify what they plan to use land for and the extent to which development of the tract would address local housing needs (including housing supply and affordability).
It would prioritize tracts for disposal that are:
• Nominated by states or local governments
• Adjacent to existing developed areas
• Have access to existing infrastructure
• Suitable for residential housing
At first glance, this appears relatively harmless: It would merely consolidate private holdings on the urban fringe. But this is where I urge you to think
about your favorite urban-adjacent public lands and consider what parcels might be prioritized for disposal.
I went through this exercise somewhat inadvertently recently as I rode my bike on a trail through a place known as Hidden Valley, near Falls Creek on national forest land northeast of Durango. The valley floor is nearly perfectly level, having been carved by a glacier many millennia ago, and it is bounded on two sides by bone-white sandstone cliffs. Up until the fifth century A.D., Pueblo people inhabited and farmed the valley, and the area continues to hold cultural and archaeological significance. Grass –green this time of year – covers much of the valley. Cattails, nourished by the waters of Falls Creek, jut from the northern end.
Durango folks come up here to walk and seek solace from the din of humanity. They walk, bike and in winter even ski and snowshoe here and coexist –
sometimes uneasily – with bears, mountain lions, deer, elk and even rattlesnakes.
That this tract of public land could be sold off for development is almost unthinkable. And yet, it fits all of the criteria: It is just a few miles from town, is sandwiched between existing residential areas, is easily accessible and quite buildable, and infrastructure is already in place. Durango is grappling with a severe housing affordability crisis, and Hidden Valley could theoretically support hundreds of housing units, alleviating some pressure on the real estate market. Unthinkable to you and I, yes. But keep in mind that it would be the Trump administration calling the shots on this one.
There are hundreds of other Hidden Valley-like tracts of land across the West, pieces of public land near communities that provide solitude and all kinds of benefits to wildlife, humans and the ecosystem. And if Mike Lee has his way, 3 million acres of these special places would go on the auction block, ultimately to be covered with homes, affordable or otherwise, and other development.
And, more significantly, Lee’s amendment removes requirements that land shall not be sold for “less than fair market value.” In other words, these guys not only want to sell the public’s land to developers, but they want to do it on the cheap, thereby robbing the American taxpayer twice. Also of interest, the amendment states that any disposed land be used for housing –but does not specify affordable housing. Again, that means someone could put a multi-million dollar mansion on your favorite public land getaway.
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. ■
Hidden Valley on national forest land near Durango. This is the type of parcel that could be on the auction block if Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” sees the light of day. / Photo by Jonathan P. Thompson
LocalNews
Landing the big one
Silverton’s Baker’s Park project awarded $750,000 GOCO grant
by Telegraph Staff
The dream of more bike-friendly singletrack in Silverton is rolling faster toward reality. This week, the Silverton Singletrack Society (SSS), which is spearheading the effort to bring 30 miles of trails to the town, announced it received a $750,000 Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) grant.
The funds will help propel the next phase of the Baker’s Park Trail System, which was first proposed by the SSS in 2019 for an area directly north of town, known as Boulder Mountain.
Currently, the Baker’s Park Trail System features 7 miles of completed singletrack, with the 2025 work plan already fully funded. This year’s efforts include the installation of trail counters to monitor usage (funded through a grant from the International Mountain Bicycling Association), trail enhancements by the Southwest Conservation Corps (funded by GOCO and the Colorado Youth Corps Association), and planning and design work for the next 20 miles of trail (supported by a Colorado State Outdoor Recreation Grant).
The $750,000 grant will help fund construction in 2026 and beyond, while also serving as a catalyst for additional grants and partnerships needed to fully realize the trail system’s 30-mile vision.
“Our vision has always been to build a world-class trail network that honors the landscape and brings lasting economic and community benefits,” Klem Branner, President of Silverton Singletrack Society, said in a news release. “With this support
from GOCO and our partners, that vision is becoming a reality.”
The grant was awarded through GOCO’s highly competitive Community Impact Program: only four out of 17 proposals received funding in this cycle. According to Mike Wight, Southwest Regional Program Officer at GOCO, the project stood out for its strong community support and inclusive, multi-user, multi-generational vision. “This project represents the kind of thoughtful, community-driven work that GOCO is proud to support. The Baker’s Park Trail System will connect people of all ages and abilities to the outdoors while strengthening the local economy,” he said.
The funding builds on years of groundwork laid by the grassroots nonprofit, which has been spearheading the project since 2018. It has been joined by a broad coalition of community partners including the Town of Silverton, Bureau of Land Management, IMBA, Colorado Youth Corps and San Juan County, which provided the original seed funding for Baker’s Park.
“This award is a huge step toward realizing the full vision for the Baker’s Park Trail System,” Austin Lashley, Chair of the San Juan County Board of Commissioners, said. “It reflects years of community effort and a shared commitment to expanding sustainable outdoor recreation opportunities in our region.”
Town leadership echoed this sentiment, pointing to the trail system’s alignment with local priorities. “We’re proud to be part of a project that not only enhances access to nature, but also reflects the pri-
orities outlined in our Silverton Compass Master Plan,” Silverton Mayor Dayna Kranker said. “This award shows how much can be achieved when a community rallies around a shared vision.”
Public land managers also emphasized the strength of the collaboration. “The Baker’s Park Trail System exemplifies what’s possible when local governments, nonprofits and federal partners work together toward a common goal,” Megan Mast, Recreation Planner with the BLM Gunnison Field Office, said. “We’re excited to continue working alongside our partners to expand high-quality outdoor experiences in this region.”
To date, SSS has raised more than $1.7
million through cash and in-kind donations for the Baker’s Park project. “We have made incredible strides with fundraising, but we still have a ways to go,” Lisa Branner, SSS fundraising organizer and wife of Klem, said. The group will need to continue seeking funds in order to finish out the full 30-mile trail system.
Funded by Colorado Lottery proceeds, GOCO grants aim to help preserve and enhance the state’s parks, trails, wildlife, rivers and open spaces. Since being created by voter approval in 1992, GOCO has funded more than 5,800 projects in all 64 counties of Colorado.
For more on Baker’s Park, go to: silverton singletracksociety.org ■
A newly constructed trail in Baker’s Park. / Courtesy photo
BetweentheBeats
In the spirit
Hotel Draw’s ‘band dad’ on playing bass, making new album
by Stephen Sellers
For this week’s “Between the Beats,” I chatted with perhaps the coolest local band dad of all time (and kick-ass bassist) Marc Bourdon. Bourdon and his bandmates in the indie-rock quartet Hotel Draw are undeniably among my favorite Durango bands. With regional appearances at the Animas City Theatre, Cold Storage and even Montezuma County’s Burro Fest, the quietly determined group has found time amidst family, work and ultramarathons to drop a brand spankin’ new album “Spirit Come Spirit Go.” To learn more, I recently talked with Marc.
SS: What drew you to the bass originally, and what keeps you inspired by it?
MB: My dad worked at a music shop when I was a kid. I was in there one day, and our neighbor came in and just ripped on the bass. That was it for me. I spent a few years playing guitar in bands but always wanted to play bass. I switched to bass and never looked back. I love it, because it’s a supporting instrument. It has a way of hitting you in the gut and setting the vibe, but it stays in the shadows.
SS: What’s the origin story of Hotel Draw?
MB: Erik Skaggs (guitar/vocals) and I knew each other from a previous life in southern New Mexico. He was living with Brendan Trimboli (drums) when I landed in Durango in 2014. We started playing some Bob Dylan covers around 2018. Our first show was a Christmas party under a different name and kind of as a joke, but we kept at it, and brought Peter Marshall (keys) on for some real firepower. We’re ultimately just a circle of friends, but that’s kinda the best way isn’t it? Skaggs and Brendan are big ultra-runners, and Hotel Draw is a spot they love up on the Colorado Trail. We thought it was a workable band name and a cool regional nod.
SS: How do you approach your role in Hotel Draw? Do you see yourself as a rhythm anchor, melodic counterpoint or something else?
MB: Band dad. Rhythm anchor.
SS: Tell us all about the new record.
MB: We are so happy with “Spirit Come Spirit Go.” These are a collection of songs we have been playing since the early days. It took several years and getting through babies, COVID, hand injuries, house building and all of that to finally decide to record them. I am really happy we didn’t rush it, because the songs have grown so much since the early days. The songs are all so different, but it’s a great representation of what we can do.
We recorded them at Crystal Village Studios here in Durango at my friend Michael Rossback’s place way up Florida Road. Michael has a beautiful studio, and he has been at it most of his life. He really helped us through the process. He is a total pro, and we had such a fun time.
You can find the album on all major digital outlets, and we are pressing some vinyl soon. The album art was done by local Matt Clark at @lilbuddesigns. We wanted to collaborate with a local artist to round it out, and Matt delivered big time.
SS: Do you have a favorite Hotel Draw bassline or a song where you feel the bass gets to shine?
MB: During the recording session, Michael suggested I try something higher to shake it up on “When You Go.” The whole song on bass is a 1-5 country vibe, and then it goes high and melodic for the third verse … it’s just such a lovely little change from the rest of the song.
SS: Are there any Durango acts or collaborators you’re excited about right now?
MB: I just love the landscape of individuals that are collectively the vibe in Durango. Visual artists like Matt Clark and Jared Reed; Bryant Liggett and Jon Lynch at KDUR; Jimmy’s Music; Alicia Glass and ORA; Acid Wrench; The Monkberries; The Quarks; Dana Ariel; Zac Clark and Desert Child; Ragged Oak; and the guys at Cold Storage. There are just a bunch of folks hustling, and it makes me happy.
SS: What’s your favorite type of venue to play?
MB: I go back and forth. We have had some special nights at the Animas City Theatre, both at KDUR cover nights, but also opening for Desert Child. It’s so nice to have great sound, lights and a proper stage and to have all our people there. But, there is also something to be said for a scrappy DIY venue where you have to figure everything out. It’s not perfect but you make it happen. You and your collaborators make something out of nothing, and it existed for three hours and then fades to memories and Instagram reels. ■
Hotel Draw bassist Marc Bourdon (sitting) with bandmates, from left, Peter Marshall, Brendan Trimboli, Erik Skaggs and Sancho (the wiener dog)./ Photo by Sarah McCloskey
Thursday19
Walk & Wonder, a walkers’ meetup, 11 a.m.-12 noon White Rabbit Books & Curiosities, 128 W. 14th St..
Juneteenth Celebration, 5-7 p.m., Buckley Park
Ska-B-Q with music by Rob Webster, 5 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St.
Spanish Conversation Hour, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Weekly Dart Tournament, 5:30 p.m., Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave.
Pete Giuliani plays, 5:30-8:30 p.m., James Ranch Grill, 33846 Highway 550
Jeff Solon Jazz, 6-8 p.m., Lola’s Place, 725 E. 2nd
Name That Tune Trivia Bingo, 6-8 p.m., Barons Creek Vineyards, 901 Main Ave.
Adam Swanson plays, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Leah Orlikowski plays, 6-9 p.m., 11th Street Station, 1101 Main Ave.
Jeremy Dion plays, 6-9 p.m., Durango Hot Springs, 6475 CR 203
Andrew Schuhmann plays, 6-9:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
International Packraft Film Festival, 6:30 p.m., Sunflower Theatre, 8 E. Main St., Cortez
Friday20
Vinyasa Pride Yoga for Queer Climbers Social, 6-9 p.m., Gravity Lab, 732 CR 233
San Juan Nature Walk at Haviland, 10 a.m.-12 noon, Haviland Lake first parking area, off HWY 550
The Wells Group’s 40th Anniversary Party in the Park, featuring live music by The Bulldoggers and Ralph Dinosaur, 4-8 p.m., Buckley Park
Shane Finn plays, 5 p.m., The Nugget Mountain Bar, 48721 HWY 550
Adam Swanson plays, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Pete Giuliani plays, 6-9 p.m., Gazpacho Restaurant, 431 E. 2nd Ave.
Friday Nights at Fox Fire Farms, 6-9 p.m., Fox Fire Farms Winery, 5513 CR 321, Ignacio
Emily Spence plays, 6-9 p.m., The Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave.
Playing With Skunks plays, 6-9 p.m., The Tangled Horn, 275 E. 8th Ave.
Jason Thies and Jeff Haspel play, 6 p.m., Durango Beer & Ice, 3000 Main Ave.
Dustin Burley plays, 6-9:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Raven Narratives Live Story Slam, 7 p.m., Fenceline Cider, 141 S. Main St., Mancos
Brendan Shafer plays, 7-10 p.m., 11th Street Station, 1101 Main Ave.
Durango Star Party night sky observation, 8-10 p.m., SJMA’s Durango Nature Center, 63 CR 310
Desiderata with The Galentines play, 8 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Dr.
Saturday21
Summer Solstice Window Viewing, 5:30-7:30 a.m., Center of Southwest Studies, Fort Lewis College
Durango Farmers Market, 8 a.m.- 12 noon, TBK Bank, Parking Lot, 259 W. 9th St.
“Mountain Lions, Our Allies in the Wild” presentation, 6-7 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Adam Swanson plays, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Terry Rickard plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
AskRachel
Patronized, time warp and take a hike
Interesting fact: I always thought “prodigal” meant “the one who returns home.” It doesn’t. It means “wasteful and extravagant.” So much for context clues. Thanks, parable.
Dear Rachel, I believe in supporting artists. But I don’t know how to support artists now that everything is a subscription. I can recommend my friends buy a $10 album or a $20 book or a pricy piece of art. But these $5 a month arrangements add up. I feel like “spreading the word” is now like asking everyone to sign up for more MLMs, only you can’t ever cancel because you feel guilty for crushing a dream. Is there a better way?
– Burned Out Patron
Dear Five-Dollared and Dimed, The problem isn’t creatives asking for $5 a month. The real problem is the big streaming companies asking for $20 a month and STILL showing me ads. If
Tuesday24
New Mexico Yo-Yo Slinger Luke Renner, 10:30-11:30 a.m. & 2-3 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Locals at Leplatt’s Pond, music with Kirk James, food trucks, fishing and family fun, 5-9 p.m. every Tuesday through July, LePlatt’s Pond, 311A CR 501, Bayfield
Three Way Street plays, 5:30-8 p.m., James Ranch Grill, 33846 HWY 550
Adam Swanson Ragtime plays, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
School of Rock, youth rock and roll, 6 p.m., The Hive, 1175 Camino del Rio
Nina Sasaki & Dan Carlson play, 6-8 p.m., Lola’s Place, 725 E. 2nd Ave.
Jackson Emmer House Concert, with picker Martin Gilmore. 6-9 p.m., in a back yard in downtown Durango. Tickets and info at: jacksonemmer.com
Bluegrouse plays, 6-9 p.m., Durango Hot Springs, 6475 CR 203
I’m paying any money, I don’t want extraneous advertisements. However, if the entertainment is free, please shop with our sponsors.
– Pluggin’ away, Rachel
Dear Rachel,
I just came back to Durango for a visit after moving abroad several years ago. Good to see you’re still around! So much in town has changed, yet so much is still the same. It gave me this weird sense of never having left, like I took a long nap and now my haunts have all been renovated. Is time really just an illusion?
– Intrepid Wanderer
Dear Prodigal Durangotang, I remember one thing from philosophy class, and that’s “You can’t step in the same river twice.” The river changes, and so do you. I lied: I remember a second corollary thing. Some smart-ass philosopher retorted with “You can’t step in
Randy Crumbaugh plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Pride Comedy Showcase: A Queer AF Stand-Up Show, starring Durango’s funniest LGBTQ+ comics, 7 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.
Outdoor Movie Nights, 8-10 p.m., Three Springs Plaza, 175 Mercado St.
Durango Playfest, through June 29, Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.
Poetry Open Mic Night, 6-8 p.m., The Reading Room, 145 E. College Dr.
Wednesday25
Clean Commute Day, 7 a.m.-9 p.m., City of Durango, 949 E. 2nd Ave.
Poetry Workshop, 2-3:30 p.m., The Reading Room, 145 E. College Dr.
Great Garden Series: Permaculture, 4:30-6 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
YPOD Happy Hour, 5 p.m., Four Leaves Winery, 528 Main Ave.
the same river once.” By stepping in, you change both yourself and the river. There. Now you have something to contemplate while sipping your first Mexi Logger in a few years.
– There and back again, Rachel Dear Rachel,
It’s mid-June and I haven’t even gone for a hike yet this summer. But there’s work five days a week, and somehow the adulting has gotten more burdensome. By the time I do … not even all the things, but enough things to survive … I’m wiped out. I know I’m a Durango minority, choosing groceries over the outdoors. But I don’t see a better way forward (or out). Any sage advice?
– Housebound
Dear Overworked,
The worst prisons are those of our own making. Actually, the worst prisons are actual prisons. Then there’s the prisons our society builds. But there is hope for you: subscriptions. Mone-
Meet the 2025 PlayFest Playwrights, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Blue Rain Gallery, 934 Main Ave., B
Nourishing Nights with guest speaker Dr. Garrett, 6-7 p.m., Nourish, 2800 Main Ave.
“On the Road” meeting with La Plata County commissioners, 6-7:30 p.m., Breen Community Building, 15300 HWY 140, Hesperus
Author Event: Evanthia Bromiley “Crown,” 6-8 p.m., Rochester Hotel Garden, 726 E. 2nd Ave.
Teen Movie Night, 6-8:30 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Chuck Hank plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Adam Swanson Ragtime plays, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
True West Open Rodeo, 6:30 p.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds
Open Mic with Leigh Mikell, 7 p.m., EsoTerra, 558 Main Ave.
Comedy + Karaoke, 7 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.
Email Rachel at telegraph@durango telegraph.com
tize your chores! Livestream cleaning the house in your boxers (potentially sexy for all genders!) and maybe even get some people off by calculating the cost-per-ounce at the grocery store. Someday, if you’re lucky, you still won’t have time to hike, but you might be able to buy one more coffee each week. – For the algorithm, Rachel
FreeWillAstrology
by Rob Brezsny
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries writer Joseph Campbell was a world-renowned mythologist. His theories about the classic hero archetype have inspired many writers and filmmakers. As a young man, Campbell crafted the blueprint for his influential work “Heart of Darkness” during a five-year period when he lived in a rustic shack and read books for nine hours a day. He was supremely dedicated and focused. I recommend that you consider a similar foundation-building project, Aries. The coming months will be an excellent time for you to establish the groundwork for whatever it is you want to do for the rest of your long life.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In Japan, komorebi refers to the dappled sunlight that streams through tree leaves. It names a subtle, ephemeral beauty that busy people might be oblivious to. Not you, I hope, Taurus! In the coming weeks, I invite you to draw on komorebi as an inspirational metaphor. Tune in to the soft illumination glimmering in the background. Be alert for flickers and flashes that reveal useful clues. Trust in the indirect path, the sideways glance, the half-remembered dream and the overheard conversation. Anything blatant and loud is probably not relevant to your interests. PS: Be keen to notice what’s not being said.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In Finnish folklore, the Sampo is a magic artifact that generates unending wealth and good fortune. Here’s the catch: It can’t be hoarded. Its power only works when shared, passed around or made communal. I believe you are close to acquiring a less potent but still wonderful equivalent of a Sampo, Gemini. It may be an idea, a project or a way of living that radiates generosity and sustainable joy. But remember that it doesn’t thrive in isolation. It’s not a treasure to be stored up and saved for later. Share the wealth.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Tides don’t ask for permission. They ebb and flow in accordance with an ancient gravitational intelligence that obeys its own elegant laws. Entire ecosystems rely on their steady cyclical rhythms. You, too, harbor tidal forces, Cancerian. They are partially synced up with the earth’s rivers, lakes and seas, and are partially under the sway of your deep emotional power. It’s always crucial for you to be intimately aware of your tides’ flows and patterns, but even more than usual right now. I hope you will trust their timing and harness their tremendous energy.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Some jewelers practice an ancient Korean art called keumboo, in which they fuse pure gold to silver by heat and pressure. The result is gold that seems to bloom from within silver’s body, not just juxtaposed on top of it. Let’s make this your metaphor for the coming weeks, Leo. I believe you will have the skill to blend two beautiful and valuable things into an asset that has the beauty and value of both – plus an extra added synergy of valuable beauty. The only problem that could possibly derail your unprecedented accomplishment might be your worry that you don’t have the power to do that. Expunge that worry, please.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Some Indigenous cultures keep track of time not by clocks but by natural events: “the moon when the salmon return,” “the season when shadows shorten,” “the return of the rain birds.” I encourage you to try that approach, Virgo. Your customary rigor will benefit from blending with an influx of more intuitive choices. You will be wise to explore the joys of organic timing. So just for now, I invite you to tune out the relentless tick-tock. Listen instead for the hush before a threshold cracks open. Meditate on the ancient Greek concept of kairos: the prime moment to act or a potential turning point that’s ripe for activation.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Botanists speak of “serotiny,” a plant’s ability to delay seed release until the environment is just right. Some pinecones, for instance, only open after a fire. What part of you has been patiently waiting, Libra? What latent brilliance has not been ready to emerge until now? The coming weeks will offer catalytic conditions – perhaps heat, perhaps disruption, perhaps joy – that will be exactly what’s needed to unleash the fertile potency. Have faith that your seeds will draw on their own wild intelligence.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): One of your superpowers is your skill at detecting what’s unfolding beneath the surfaces. It’s almost like you have X-ray vision. Your ability to detect hidden agendas, buried secrets and underground growth is profound. But in the coming weeks, I urge you to redirect your attention. You will generate good fortune for yourself if you turn your gaze to what lies at the horizon and just beyond. Can you sense the possibilities percolating at the edges of your known world? Can you sync up your intuitions with the future’s promises? Educated guesses will be indistinguishable from true prophecies.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sagittarius-born Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) got a degree in law and economics and began a career teaching those subjects at the university level. But at age 30, he had a conversion experience. It was triggered when he saw a thrilling exhibit of French Impressionist painters and heard an enthralling opera by Richard Wagner. Soon he flung himself into a study of art, embarking on an influential career that spanned decades. I am predicting that you will encounter inspirations of that caliber, Sagittarius. They may not motivate you as drastically as Kandinsky’s provocations, but they could revitalize your life forever.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The ancient Egyptians revered the River Nile’s annual flooding, which brought both disruption and renewal. It washed away old plant matter and debris and deposited fertile silt that nourished new growth. In the coming weeks, Capricorn, I suspect you will experience a metaphorical flood: a surge of new ideas, opportunities and feelings that temporarily unsettle your routines. Rather than focus on the inconvenience, I suggest you celebrate the richness this influx will bring. The flow will ultimately uplift you, even if it seems messy at first.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Medieval stonemasons worked not just in service to the immediate structures they made. They imagined eternity, laying foundation blocks in cathedrals they knew they would never live to see completed. I think you are being invited to do similar work: soulful construction whose fruits may not ripen for a while. A provocative conversation you have soon may echo for years. A good habit you instill could become a key inheritance for your older self. So think long, wide and slow, dear Aquarius. Not everything must produce visible worth this season. Your prime offerings may be seeds for the future. Attend to them with reverence.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In the frigid parts of planet Earth, some glaciers sing. As they shift and crack and melt, they emit tones: groans, pulses, crackles and whooshes. I believe your soul will have a similar inclination in the coming weeks, Pisces: to express mysterious music as it shifts and thaws. Some old logjam or stuck place is breaking open within you, and that’s a very good thing. Don’t ignore or neglect this momentous offering. And don’t try to translate it into logical words too quickly. What story does your trembling tell? Let the deep, restless movements of your psyche resound.
The most fun outdoor Sunday brunch in Durango!
10 a.m.-1 p.m., featuring a new DJ every week and brunch dishes from all our food trucks
Deadline for Telegraph classified ads is Tuesday at noon
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Lost/Found
Cid Come Home
Last seen in Durango on July 21, 2024, by St. Columba Church. He is chipped, missing left canine tooth, white, big black spots, green eyes. Reward. 970-403-6192.
Wanted
Books Wanted at White Rabbit
Donate/Trade/Sell 970 259-2213
ForSale
’96 Mazda P/U
Extended cab, 4.9 liter V-6 4x4 auto 200k miles. Good engine, bad trans. $750. 970-259-9709 (no texts)
Reruns Home Furnishings
Time to spruce up your outdoor space. Multiple patio sets, bistros, vintage patio sets and yard art. Also looking to consign smaller furniture pieces. 572 E. 6th Ave. Open Mon.-Sat. 385-7336.
BodyWork
Massage by Meg Bush
LMT, 30, 60 & 90 min., 970-759-0199.
Services
Boiler Service - Water Heater
Serving Durango over 30 years. Brad, 970-759-2869. Master Plbg Lic #179917
‘Mickey 17’ Promising premise, and Pattinson’s impressive but long, lame third act – Lainie Maxson
Chapman Electric Colorado licensed and insured. Residential and commercial. New, remodel and repair. Mike 970-403-6670
CommunityService
Help Protect the Pikas Mountain Studies Institute needs volunteers for the San Juan PikaNet Project, a citizen science initiative to collect data on the American pika. Volunteer training June 27, 9 a.m.–2 p.m., Velocity Basin outside Silverton. www.mountainstudies .org/pikanet.
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