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FREE Oct. 1, 2026 Vol. XXV, No. 38 durangotelegraph.com
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T H E
O R I G I N A L
I N D I E
W E E K L Y
L I N E
O N
D U R A N G O
&
B E Y O N D
Putting the hurt on
Buckle up
Golden opportunities
Colorado Health Insurance costs to jump again in ’27 p8
A trip down the rabbit hole with ‘Golden Fox Paradox’ p9
October’s booty-shaking options abound p10
Where would you rather spend your money? #nofilter
elegraph the durango
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May 1, 2025
I N D I E
Vol. XXIV,
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L I N E
a) Silicon Valley tech bro bajillionaire
A fool’s err and
Answer to
extinction is not “franken-an imals” p5
No. 17
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W E E K L Y
Ol’
Big Foot The West’s war on wild life and hope in trying time s p8
O N
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aph.com
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Time to fest
ivate Festival seas on kick-off plus Afrobeat torc hbearer p10
b) Where you live
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2 n Oct. 1, 2026
telegraph
lineup
4 La Vida Local
Put your foot down A trip to the ballot box and a lesson in contradictions threatening democracy by David Feela
4 Sign of the Downfall 4 Thumbin’ It 5 Writers on the Range
8
6-7 Soapbox 8 State News
Ouch!
9 Artist in Residence
State health insurance costs to rise in 2027 – even more for West Slope
10 Between the Beats
by John Ingold/ The Colorado Sun
11 Murder Ink
9
12-13 Stuff to Do
Damn!boni
thepole
4
RegularOccurrences
Still hoping for your chance to drive the Zamboni? Well, you better go quick, the robots have come for one of the most sacred rituals in sports. Yep, driverless Zams are here. Last month, a strangely sinisterlooking, hulking blue ice resurfacer made an appearance at the Colorado Avalanche’s practice rink at the Family Sports Center in Centennial. The machine, the Mammoth Autopilot 3D, is made by Italian manufacturer WM Technics, according to a report in “The Athletic.” The one at Family Sports Center is the first of its kind to appear in the league, whether at a team’s practice facility or arena. It is also believed to be a first for any North American rink. (Family Sports Center is owned and run by South Suburban Parks and Recreation, not the Avalanche.) Avs reporter Jesse Montano, who covers the team for Guerilla Sports, was the first to publicly sound the alarm with a now-viral video of the ghost machine Sept. 17 on X.
13 Ask Rachel
Buckle up
14 Free Will Astrology
‘Golden Fox Paradox’ takes intrepid travelers on Mancos odyssey by Jennaye Derge
15 Classifieds 15 Haiku Movie Review
10
On the cover A little whippersnapper shreds it up in Smelter while other boaters await their turns Tuesday night at the Whitewater Park. Despite less-than-perfect weather, boaters turned out en masse for what so far have been the highest flows of the season./ Photo by Missy Votel
Rocktober From The Poppletons to Maddy O‘Neal, booty-shaking options abound by Stephen Sellers
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Naturally, the sight did not sit well with the hockey faithful. “One of the best jobs out there being replaced with a robot. Hope it breaks down every other day,” one commenter lamented. Other detractors called it a “travesty” and “sin against god.” (To be fair, there were a few proponents as well.) Family Sports Center received its Mammoth in May and began using the autopilot function in July. The technology does not come cheap: a fully equipped Mammoth costs between $360,000 - $380,000. Mirko Sparber, WM’s sales and marketing director, said the machine seeks to alleviate an increasingly prevalent problem: recruiting, training and keeping staff to drive the old school Zams. “Young people aren’t interested in it anymore,” Sparber said. But what about all the out-of-work Zam drivers? Woodward said at Family Sports, where programming can stretch from 5:30 a.m. - midnight, the machine’s addition hasn’t necessarily led to fewer workers. He sees it less as a replacement than a way to improve their work. “It allows me to have somebody who is relatively new and not quite as developed with their skill set still be a productive member of the team. It makes all my techs better,” he said. Oct. 1, 2026 n 3
LaVidaLocal The piety of hypocrisy After filling in the bubbles on my primary ballot, I dropped it off at our local county office building, which used to be a bank. The county officials installed a secure and accessible ballot drop box near the back door. I’m pleased to say it’s still a safe deposit. I didn’t even get off my bicycle, just put one foot down, slid my sealed and signed envelope into the slot and headed for home. Approaching the intersection where our senior center is located, I slowed down for an old pickup truck pulling into the parking lot. I would have pedaled on, but the truck caught my attention, outfitted with a plywood billboard mounted in its bed. It looked like a mobile advertisement. Sizable lettering and simple words made it easy to read, even from a distance: “In God We Trust. My Gun Is My Backup.” I need to put my foot down again: The free and fair election system we have relied on for preserving and refreshing our democracy is being dismantled by a misguided mortal who thinks he’s not only the president but also the superhero, one that insists he alone can save us from “voter fraud.” That is, if the election results don’t coincide with his ego, in which case the system must be rigged. I’m sure the truck driver agrees. This public billboard, all prepped for a parade, is the definition of a paradox. While professing a trust in God, it’s also clear that violence is never off the table, as if arming one’s self substitutes for prayer. This gun owner turns a blind eye to the commandment “thou shalt not kill.” Many voters like him propagate very real threats of violence against judges and jurors and their families who also swear an allegiance to the Constitution with its insistence on the rule of law. Even more perverse is the irony of parking this slogan at our town’s senior center, which happens to be our election-day voting location. The pickup is a prop for hypocrisy, when a person claims to have moral standards or beliefs but his own behavior does not uphold them. The hypocrisy in this case runs deeper than a simple lack of faith in both religion and democracy; it is also shaded with the pretense that violence is funny. I’m sure the driver would declare he didn’t mean “no harm” if I confronted him about his call to arms should things not go according to his plans. Bibles and handguns are like Mutt and Jeff, companions on too many bedside tables. There is
another joke I’m sure he doesn’t understand, that God always answers our prayers, but sometimes the answer is no. I’m not a theologian, so please understand I don’t mean to be preaching. I’m just trying to figure out why thou shalt not be a hypocrite shouldn’t appear first on a revised list of the Ten Commandments. Voter participation in U.S. elections is a seesaw. Presidential years draw more voters than non-presidential years, but it’s the state’s voting policies that either make it easier for eligible voters to take part in democracy, or, like historically eliminating women and voters of color, they conspire to make it harder. Mail-in ballots (first used in the Civil War), early voting (used since 1980) and electronic voting (used since the 1990s) have proven themselves as legitimate ways to encourage registered voters to participate. Our elections are not fraught with fraud, and it’s hypocritical for our current president to continue blaming fake votes for his loss in the 2020 election. The 2016 and 2024 presidential elections – which he won – also used the same longstanding state-directed voter policies. Did anyone hear him complaining? When it appeared on the House floor, the SAVE Act, presented by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, was nothing more than an “Act” of desperation, one where Republican lawmakers conjure up another fraudulent election emergency to swing the 2026 midterm election their way. In a rare moment at the GOP’s annual issues conference in Florida, Trump accidentally spoke the truth about the SAVE Act. He told Republicans, “It will guarantee the midterms. If you don’t get it, big trouble.” Historically, both political parties (not general voters) are guilty of manipulating election results. Partisan gerrymandering for political purposes, according to the Supreme Court, is legal; racial gerrymandering is not legal “unless there is a compelling constitutional reason.” Propaganda is legal, but restrictions exist on how federal money can be used to spread it. Lying while campaigning – even for a president – is just business as usual. It’s up to voters to be informed. Don’t let the Nov. 3 midterms be erased. Eligible voters have another chance to decide which leaders are dedicated to preserving our Constitution. Billboards like this one on the truck are no different than an obstacle, making voting difficult. It’s an imperfect system; we are imperfect people. But standing up to vote proves we are perfectly capable of speaking for ourselves. So don’t be frightened. Speak. – David Feela
Thumbin’It
SignoftheDownfall:
The continuation of bonus season on the Animas River, thanks to (now former) Hurricane Polo. Apparently, Tropical Storm Rachel is not far behind. El Niño, dat you?
Utah just banned seven new books from all public schools, including New York Times bestsellers, for being “pornographic” and “indecent.” This brings the total number of books banned in Utah public schools to 44. Cuz, you know, Utah.
CPW awarded $1M in grants across the state to buy bear-resistant trash cans in an effort to reduce human-bear conflicts. We know this won’t help with their lack of natural food options, but maybe at least it will help keep them out of trouble.
The Trump Administration blocked $25.9 million for 130 projects at national parks that would have supported research, visitor experience and resource protection because they “actively worked against the best interests of the American people and the priorities of this administration.”
Hey, everybody – it’s October. That means in a few short weeks, the midterms will be over. At least we hope they will be.
Hundreds of thousands of people are about to lose Medicaid coverage, thanks to Trump’s BBB. Why waste money on health care when there’s pointless wars to fight and ballrooms to build?
4 n Oct. 1, 2026
telegraph
Osama Been Forgotten Navy Seal Robert O'Neill shot Bin Laden, and he’s one of our most famous/badass servicemen. He was also involved in rescuing Marcus Luttrell from “Lone Survivor,” and he helped save Captain Richard Phillips. He found success after the military as a TV anchor and a New York Times bestselling author, but things have taken a turn. Now he’s selling personalized happy birthday videos on Cameo for $299. O'Neill also got himself banned from Delta Airlines and then arrested in Texas for assault. The criminal record and Cameos have earned O'Neill blowback from fellow veterans for breaking the “SEAL code,” but he’s just trying to make a buck like the rest of us, which is hard because nobody cares about Bin Laden anymore. Anyway, O'Neill’s birthday was in April, so happy belated birthday, Robert. You owe me $299.
WritersontheRange
Room to roam The future of Yellowstone depends on the lands beyond its borders by Andrew Hansen
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here’s a major reason that Yellowstone National Park attracts close to 5 million visitors every year. Yes, there are spectacular geysers and world-class trout rivers, but what’s unique about the national park is that it’s home to all the wild animals native to its area, from grizzly bears and wolves to elk, deer and bison. That they flourish is due to Yellowstone’s huge expanse of wildlands – you’d have to drive 1,000 miles to circle what’s called the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. But new policies from Washington, D.C., would dramatically reduce the size of these wildlands and threaten wildlife’s ability to survive. Bigger is better for wildland ecosystems, a lesson learned soon after Yellowstone was established as the nation’s first national park in 1872. When General Philip Sheridan explored the region, he realized even then that the park was far too small to contain its migrating wildlife; he urged expanding the park. I’m an ecologist who has studied the region, and we know even better today that climate, soils and food sources vary enormously from place to place, causing wildlife to sometimes seek new ground. Through the years Congress has understood this pattern and acted. Federally protected lands around Yellowstone have been steadily enlarged, with national forests created in the late 1800s, designated wilderness areas created in the 1960s, along with wilderness study areas from the 1970s80s, and inventoried roadless areas in the 1990s. The Yellowstone ecosystem now has as much – or more – lands protected for wildlife than anywhere else in the lower 48 states. These lands are needed to keep intact what makes Yellowstone unique.
Native Yellowstone species, like these grizzlies, have thrived under federal protections. However, policies such as the repeal of the roadless rule, could threaten the wildlands these species depend on to survive./ Photo by Tom Murphy Protected federal lands have been the most important buffer against fragmented and developed private lands. In an Ecosphere paper, I reported that on privately owned land, vital signs of ecological health across greater Yellowstone had mostly deteriorated since 1970: esa journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full /10.1002/ecs2.2380. But it was the opposite on protected federal lands, with most remaining stable or improving. As this disparity became widely known, conservation collaboratives have formed to maintain or restore wildlife habitat on large private ranches, while also helping rural homeowners and recreationists learn how to reduce their impacts on wildlife.
For example, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition is using wildlife-friendly fencing to contain cattle while still allowing wildlife to migrate. The coalition also supports range rider programs to reduce predator impacts on cattle. And the Teton Conservation District provides “The Mountain Neighbor Handbook: A Local’s Guide to Stewardship in the Tetons” to new residents around Jackson, Wyo. Now, this administration is promoting policies that harm rather than help the Yellowstone area. If enacted, these policies would: • Accelerate logging in national forests and expand access for motorized vehicles. • Open inventoried roadless areas to
roadbuilding, logging and mining. • Roll back protections for wilderness study areas. • Open the habitats of endangered species to development. The Trump administration is telling us that these policy changes are needed to reduce fuels and protect communities from severe wildfires. The science shows otherwise. An analysis published in the International Journal of Wildland Fire found that people’s lives and property are best protected by reducing fuels immediately around homes – not in remote wildlands that are critical for wildlife. Stripping federal land protections would deliver a knife to the heart of what makes Yellowstone special. Unfortunately, the other great natural ecosystems across the country face the same loss of protections. What can we do? Comment on the Roadless Rule before Oct. 6 at: www.reg ulations.gov/document/FS-2025-0001223869. We can also speak loudly and tell our elected representatives to halt the administration’s destructive policies. We can vote wisely in November to stop proposed rollbacks of federal land protections. If we can block these threats, we can return to working collaboratively across ranchland associations, land trusts, conservation groups, local and tribal governments, recreationists, residents and visitors. We all know how precious wild country and wild animals are to this nation, and we’ve learned what it takes to keep wildlife thriving. We have to fight harder than ever now to keep intact the wild places we have left. Andrew Hansen is a contributor to Writers on the Range, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. He is professor emeritus of ecology at Montana State University and lives in Bozeman, Mont. ■
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Call or text Merida or Forrest: 970-382-8147
telegraph
Oct. 1, 2026 n 5
SoapBox
D-Toon/by Rob Pudim
Overboard on leash enforcement Dear members of the Durango City Council, I am writing to express serious concern regarding the level of enforcement and armed presence deployed for routine municipal park compliance, specifically regarding off-leash pet regulations. During a recent visit to the Riverview Sports Complex, I was intercepted by an animal control officer while throwing a ball for my off-leash dog. The officer was equipped in full tactical gear, including a bulletproof vest, sidearm, taser, pepper spray and a body camera. I was informed that this infraction could result in a mandatory court appearance, significant fines and potential jail time, creating a criminal record for a standard recreational park activity. My details and video footage were recorded into a municipal database. The officer himself advised directing feedback regarding these regulations to the City Council. While I recognize the importance of community safety and park regulations, deploying tactically armed officers to threaten citizens with criminal offenses over off-leash pets represents an excessive overreach of power and an inappropriate use of taxpayer resources. I urge the Council to review current animal control enforcement protocols and opt for a policy focused on community education and proportional, non-tactical compliance measures. – Terry Jameson, Durango
Time to talk surveillance Mass surveillance technology and its impact on civil liberties is shaping out to be one of the most deeply ethical conversations of our lives. Next, I believe the City of Durango generally does an effective job engaging its residents in regular business. Residents have many ways to give feedback, and I believe it’s actively incorporated. Therefore, it begs the question: Why isn’t the City engaging with and listening to its residents on mass surveillance technology? It doesn’t feel like the City and its residents are having these hard conversations together. Instead, it feels that all decisions are made by the City itself – from the top down – and there is no room for dissent. I encourage you to write or tell Council we want structured, ongoing, public discussion around the role
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of mass surveillance technology in our community. This issue is not going away; it’s time to build structure around these conversations so that we, as passionate and engaged residents, may legitimately discuss the role we want it to play in our City going forward. – Alex Whittow, Durango
telegraph
Denver must answer for costs In her recent Cortez Journal op-ed, Rep. Katie Stewart blames the war in Iran, federal tariffs and wildfires for shrinking family paychecks. Those issues affect our economy, but she ignores the higher costs approved by Stewart and her fellow Colorado lawmakers.
Stewart voted yes on HB25-1296 – a tax on your overtime. Federal law now gives workers a tax deduction for qualified overtime pay, but Colorado still taxes it. State analysts estimate about 500,000 Colorado taxpayers could be affected. The same bill also made interstate telephone services subject to state sales tax. She supported SB25-285, which raised maximum annual inspection fees for restaurants and food businesses. Those costs can reach families through higher prices. She supported HB26-1223, which extends Colorado’s sales tax to many downloaded software purchases beginning in 2027. State analysts estimate it will collect $44.4 million in its first half-year and $92.2 million the following year. Although paired with tax credits, software buyers still pay the tax. She voted for SB25-321, allowing certain vehicleemissions inspection fees to double and supported a 5% fee on online video-game purchases. Gov. Jared Polis vetoed the gaming fee, sparing families the cost. Stewart cannot control a foreign war or federal tariffs. She can control her votes in Denver. If rising costs are hurting families, she cannot keep blaming Washington while voting for higher costs at home. Southwest Colorado deserves a representative who asks before every vote: What will this cost the people I represent? We need accountability from Denver, not excuses. – Kelly Hegarty, Durango
Thank you, Donald Trump President Trump should be triple-thanked for the many contributions he has made toward helping the
Democratic Party and its candidates if they win in the upcoming election. As I marvel at some of that aid, he continues to come up with even greater contributions. Donald Trump is the “best thing” the Democrats have going for them in 2026 and beyond! Seventy-five of my 95 years on Earth have been devoted to the study of human psychology in order to better understand personalities and dynamics. That has led to some understanding of the ways in which humans self-defeat their hopes, aspirations and endeavors. In Trump’s case, his thoughts, verbal output and actions are “poster boy” examples of self-defeatism honed to near-perfection. Examples include his constant bragging and exaggerations, his failure to admit his 2020 election defeat, his war of choice with Iran and his tariff wars, which have created a rapid rise in inflation. That high inflation is placing a great hardship on millions of family budgets. Keep doing what you have been doing, Mr. Trump! – Hal Mansfield, Green Valley, Ariz.
Paper trail for education dollars Colorado’s State Board of Education is about to decide whether public dollars can continue to fund homeschool enrichment programs that are run by outside contractors, and if so, under what limits. We already know what happens without those limits. In the past, millions of dollars of public education funding flowed into programs with little transparency about where the money went or who benefited. Public money meant for enrichment ended up covering private school tuition and activities like
telegraph
ski trips and horseback riding, activities that public school families pay out of pocket. Colorado taxpayers deserve confidence that public dollars are being used for public purposes, with clear standards, consistent oversight and full transparency. And they deserve a leader who will show up for them to demand these standards. I’ve spent my career on the inside of Colorado public schools: 30 years in a Pueblo middle school classroom; two terms on the Pueblo D60 school board; and service on the CEA and NEA Board of Directors and the Colorado Association of School Boards. When a recent scandal exposed public dollars being disproportionately funneled to religious schools and homeschool programs, I was among the Colorado leaders pushing the hardest for it to be investigated and stopped. That’s why what happens next in Colorado public education matters. Every dollar that leaves the Colorado General Fund for education should come with a paper trail that shows in clear, simple terms what those dollars are supporting and how they benefit working families and children here in Colorado. The question in front of the Board is not whether homeschool enrichment should exist. It’s whether we will have a system that is accountable and aligned with the public interest that upholds rigorous education standards. Colorado can get this right by keeping public dollars rooted in public purpose, with the accountability taxpayers deserve. – Barb Clementi, candidate for Colorado State Board of Education representing CD3
Oct. 1, 2026 n 7
StateNews
That’s gonna leave a mark Colorado health insurance prices poised for another big jump in 2027 by John Ingold / The Colorado Sun
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f you buy health insurance on your own without help from an employer – and without receiving subsidies from the state or federal government – this will come as unwelcome news: Prices for coverage next year will increase by an average of 10% across the state and by even more in the mountains and on the Western Slope. This is on top of an increase last year by an average of 23% statewide. The state Division of Insurance announced the price increases Tuesday, pinning blame for the rising rates in part on Congress’ refusal to extend some price subsidies last year. Rising healthcare and prescription drug costs are also to blame. Colorado somewhat made up for the loss of the enhanced subsidies by scraping together funds to pay for its own insurance subsidy. The state says that kept prices from rising even more. Nationwide, the average increase for next year is around 15%. Those who are eligible for the state subsidy and the remaining federal subsidies will see their monthly premiums rise by about $20 per month, according to the Division of Insurance. To be eligible for the subsidies, you have to make less than 400% of the federal poverty level, which in 2027 will be $63,840 for a single person and $132,000 for a family of four. Households that make more than that
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will likely have to shoulder the full price increase unless they shop around to find a less expensive plan. “While Congress is pulling the rug out from under millions of Americans struggling to afford healthcare, Colorado is stepping up to save people money,” Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement. “We’re slowing insurance rate increases in the private market well below the national average and saving Coloradans millions of dollars.” Mesa, mountains hit hardest Prices will increase more in Mesa County – by 15.5% on average – and across mountain communities – by 11.8% on average. Prices will increase the least on the Eastern Plains, with an average 5.9% increase. Again, these price hikes apply only to people who shop in what is known as the individual market – i.e., people who don’t get coverage through work and have to buy it separately. Only about 7% of Coloradans buy coverage this way. But, because prices on the individual market are more transparent than other insurance markets, they are often seen as a barometer for broader health insurance trends. State insurance regulators also have authority to approve prices in the individual market. Insurers this year had asked for an 11% average increase before regulators knocked it down a percentage point. “We are doing everything we can to
keep health insurance prices down so Coloradans can afford access to healthcare,” Colorado Insurance Commissioner Michael Conway said in a statement. Prices in the small group market, where small companies buy plans for their workers, are expected to increase by an average of 14% in Colorado next year. Prices for larger companies either are approved on a different cycle or are not subject to state regulation. Adam Fox, the deputy director of the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative, said the price increases are a consequence of federal attacks on the Affordable Care Act, the law that set coverage requirements for many health insurance plans and created the subsidy system. But he said the healthcare industry also deserves some blame. “We need to take a closer look at the prices that hospitals and pharmaceutical companies are charging, and insurance carriers aren’t doing enough to control costs,” Fox said in a statement. “We must rein in excessive profits in the healthcare industry.” No disenrollments The price increases were announced on the same day that Vice President JD Vance said the federal government plans to re-
telegraph
move as many as 760,000 Affordable Care Act enrollees from coverage due to suspicion of fraud. This purge, though, does not appear to affect Colorado. That’s because Colorado operates its own health insurance exchange, Connect for Health Colorado, which acts as a one-stop shopping site for people seeking to buy coverage and sign up for subsidies. Many other states use the federal exchange, Healthcare.gov. A Connect for Health Colorado spokesperson wrote in an email to “The Sun” that the exchange “has its own processes to verify eligibility, protect customer information and prevent potentially unauthorized activity. We take marketplace integrity seriously and continue to monitor federal developments.” Conway, the state insurance commissioner, echoed that in a statement, saying, “What Coloradans should know is that the actions the federal government announced will not impact Coloradans.” This story was produced by the Colorado Capitol News Alliance, a collaboration between KUNC News, Colorado Public Radio, Rocky Mountain PBS and The Colorado Sun. Funding is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. ■
ArtistinResidence
Adventures in Mancosland ‘Golden Fox Paradox’ brings intrepid travelers down a rabbit hole of art, theater and wonder by Jennaye Derge
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t often feels like we’d all rather live in an alternate reality. What would that look like? Who would we be? Are we even real? Did that rabbit just say something? Mancos locals Sarah Syverson, Kellie Pettyjohn and Jody Chapel, in addition to their troupe of artists and actors, are bringing this magical, alternative world to life with an immersive art installation Oct. 2-4 and 9-11. Called “The Golden Fox Paradox: An Immersive Adventure for the Wonderfully Lost,” it is described as an all-consuming walking art show where attendees not only experience another world but a bit of theater and a little tour around Mancos, to boot. “It’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’ meets Meow Wolf meets a magical, slightly feral Mancosland,” said Syverson. She, along with her co-producers Pettyjohn and Chapel, and a group of 25 performers, some 15 artists and eight local businesses will transform spaces such as the Mancos Common Press, Hand in Hand Bookshop, the historic Wrightsman House, Alpaca Raft’s breezeway and an old school bus into places where questions are riddles, answers are colors and everyone is served cut-in-half grapes masquerading as life messages. Confused? You should be. This interactive art installation – in which audience members, known as “Intrepid Travelers,” depart in small groups every 15 minutes and follow a trail through Mancos – is meant to be more of a question than an answer. The half-mile walking journey is meant to instill awe, shock, wonder and curiosity. “We’re not answering the question, we’re asking the question. And the audience themselves kind of draws their own conclusions,” said Syverson, Artistic Programming Director of the Sunflower Theatre in Cortez. There is an overall theme and message that slowly drips through each vignette, she said. Picking up on it is optional, but seeing the world with a different lens is required. “What can I say without giving it away? I don’t want to describe what’s in there because that’s the whole experience,” Syverson said.
Performers in “The Golden Fox Paradox” inside an old school bus, which will be one of the venues in the immersive walking tour experience. The event takes place in Mancos on Oct. 2-4 and 9-11./ Courtesy photo The world she was able to describe is full of talking woodland creatures, characters with Mad Hatter complexes and mysterious portals into worlds of opposites. The characters of this altreality have names like Rufus, Reynard and Opal, and no one should be surprised if an owl calls you by name and decides to tell you your future. There are rabbits playing a game show, foxes creating newspapers, rooms full of lavender, hippies giving guidance and a storyline to get lost in.
Along the way, there are these questions that are posed; questions like: ‘What is peace?’, ‘What does peace taste like?’ or ‘What is the sound of kindness?’” Syverson said. “It’s presented as senses, and questions around unity and connection, and how we’re all similar in some ways, including our own senses, even if they’re perceived differently. It’s asking you to hear or taste or smell kindness, unity, peace, connection in a fun and joyful way.” The whole experience is weaved
telegraph
together into a cohesive philosophical storyline that was largely imagined and written by Pettyjohn. “Sarah and I began brainstorming back in 2025,” Pettyjohn said. “The concept of division and what it means to be a community kept coming up as a theme. Specifically, we wanted to show how arbitrary some of our divisions are and how easy it is to fall into the trap of ‘othering’ people who think, look or believe different things than you. Conversely, we wanted to highlight the beauty and healing nature of community and the feeling of belonging,” The team has been working hard to make this idea a reality and has taken it on as their full-time jobs for the past six weeks. The entire show, Syverson says, has really developed and come together now that all the performers are involved, with each given creative freedom at their respective stations. “(The performers) are given the skeletal structure, and then they’re asked to develop the scenes,” Syverson said. “It’s really a collective art piece.” “The Golden Fox Paradox” is up for interpretation, but the general idea was gleaned from societal norms that have become a hot topic issue in the past handful of years. “The focus is what’s going on in the current culture, and about how we so easily divide ourselves and create ‘the other,’” Syverson said. “What does it mean to look at that in a whimsical kind of Dr. Seussical, Alice in Wonderland way? Not in your face or in a political way, but just in a very human way.” Or, in a very non-human, mythical woodland creature way. The experience will be similar to a guided walking tour, and attendees are asked to have their phones charged and ready for digital participation opportunities (although, not required). “The Golden Fox Paradox” is the second immersive art installation Syverson has created in Mancos, with her debut, “The Purple Fox Conundrum,” gracing the urban fields of Mancos in 2019. The Golden Fox will take place evenings Fri. – Sun., Oct. 2-4 and 9-11. Tickets are available at sunflowertheatre.org. ■ Oct. 1, 2026 n 9
BetweentheBeats
Golden opportunities October offers plenty of reasons to get out and dance by Stephen Sellers
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reetings, dear readers! Happy fall! Who would have thought we’d see much of those wet drops that make the grass green recently? What was that stuff called again? I forgot…Anyway, as the peak summer season subsides and our trees trade their green for gold, we settle into October. As has become the custom in our town, there’s no shortage of events happening, and this is only a handful of the dozens taking place all over town. Check out our “Stuff to Do” section for even more. May your gardens come gently to rest, and may the wet stuff turn into white stuff before we know it. As always, see you on the dance floor! • The Poppletons, Sat., Oct. 3, 8 p.m., Indigo Room – If you haven’t caught The Poppletons live, you definitely ought to make this one. This is perhaps the only local live band that travels with its own lighting director. The Poppletons are likely one of the most low-key psychedelic bands around, infusing their shows with a love of impromptu rock and dare I say, joy. The Indigo Room will be styled and colored in a way only this band would take the time to do. • Daniel Rodriguez, Sat., Oct. 3, 4:30 p.m., LePlatt’s Pond, Bayfield – Daniel Rodriguez might have to start paying rent if he comes down to our corner of the world any more this year, but what kind of music columnist would I be if I didn’t let you know that one of Colorado’s most treasured songwriters is coming back through La Plata County for the Cancer Support Community of Southwest Colorado? If you haven’t scoped out LePlatt’s Pond in Bayfield, you’re missing out on one of our county’s most iconic spots for live music. • Riley J Band with NuBass Theory, Sat., Oct. 10, Indigo Room – Get ready for a homecoming show for our local music heroes NuBass Theory alongside the incredibly talented Riley J Band. The iAM Music galaxy has long been host to some of the hottest jazz, neo-soul and funk projects around, and this is going to be no different. • The Fretliners, Fri., Oct. 16, Animas City Theatre – I’ve heard some grumblings in the music community that bluegrass shows just don’t
10 n Oct. 1, 2026
Maddy O’Neal
hit the way they did in Durango 10–15 years ago during those sweaty nights at The Summit and, of course, Carvers’ Halloween shows. Alas, times do change, and as the kids’ pants get wider and wider, our local, youthful bluegrass scene has given way to more bass music and Front Range EDM-type acts. Fret NOT! Sorry, I had to. The Fretliners are coming to kick you in the ass with not just one but two full sets (like, what a show used to be). If you’re not exactly sure what an ODESSA is, and if you’re over Billy Strings shows, because the crowd and scene have become too much, this one is for you, my friend. Cheers, and watch your topknot. • San Juan Circus: The Major Arcana, Sat.–Sun., Oct. 24–25, Community Concert Hall – The aerialist renaissance is in full bloom. Just recently, at a wedding in Aspen that I was DJ-ing, the champagne-dress lady (as in, she wore a dress full of champagne glasses) told me about the woes of aerial becoming so popular so fast. I’m proud to say that our local circus, the San Juan Circus, has been holding down high-level circus performance, including aerial and so much more, for decades. And now they’re hitting the big stage up at the college. Cirque du So-
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leil ain’t got nothing on these performers, y’all. Now, where did that champagne dress lady go? • Banyan, Sat., Oct. 24, 7 p.m., Animas City Theatre – You might not recognize the name, but you’d recognize the bands they come from: Jane’s Addiction, Suicidal Tendencies, Fishbone. Consider this your invitation to get properly funked up in a psychedelic wash. • Maddy O’Neal Halloween Weekend, Fri.–Sat., Oct. 30–31, 7 p.m., Animas City Theatre – The Queen of Colorado dance music returns to Durango for a spooky season throwdown. Night one features Hydrophonic Honcho n00nz and Front Range up-and-comer DEV bringing the wubs and wibbles. Night two will be a proper house music affair, with Madhaus, Maddy O’Neal’s house music alter ego, taking the stage alongside Disco Dolly and local legend Spark Madden. Big love to Sparky for seemingly cracking the code on getting booked alongside just about every major touring DJ coming through town over the last several years. And a big shout-out to Noonz, Del and Annalise for continuing to inspire us all and giving this town so many reasons to dance. ■
MurderInk
The quiet genius of James Sallis Late writer’s final novel finds mystery in ordinary rhythms of small town life by Jeffrey Mannix
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ames Sallis, a protean writer of crime fiction, biography, poetry, speculative fiction and nonfiction, died this past Jan. 27 at 81. His last of 18 crime fiction books is “Blackwater,” and we’ll try to unpack this delightfully short and charming work in this month’s “Murder Ink.’’ To get started, we take a look at a Sallis’ quote from a stunning commentary of his work in the industry publication CrimeReads on April 2, 2026, by Nick Kolakowski: “A sentence is not just information … It has a weight to it, a valence, a charge. I go looking for each sentence, each phrase, to have such value to it: sound, rhythm, pitch, depth. ‘Get as much of the world as you can,’ I told my students, ‘into each sentence you write. You’re not simply telling the reader this happened, that happened; you’re doing your best to recreate the experience. Which is, of course, why each sentence, page and scene gets rewritten incessantly.” In “Blackwater,” Sallis has written a mystery in the usual form, but the approach to researching and solving this mystery is not by investigation. Rather, relationships between characters – both enforcers and suspects – are civil and even friendly in the small town in which the book is based. Mysteries brought up to be dealt with are eclipsed, and somehow solved, by themselves with the cooperation of everyone. Now that doesn’t make much sense, I know, so let me recount the setting and principal players from the outset of “Backwater.” I’ll hope to impart Sallis’ creation of a few oncoming crimes and how they get solved mostly by themselves because they are at variance with what should be normal. “Backwater” features the usual urban homicide detective, “Bish” for Bishop, who retired after 20 years. He escaped the small town of Anne’s Ferry right after high school, vowing never to return. Bish is a bit busted up, as any metro cop of 20 years will be, but he’s happy in his retirement, taking it easy and playing rhythm guitar with jazz bands around town. Then, one night, Bish is a guest jazz guitar in Juice Daniel’s Band at the Bideawhile when police Chief Harlan Carson – an old friend from Anne’s Ferry – shows up. And like a hundred other crime fiction books, the small-town sheriff asks the big city detective
if he would do him the great favor. He wants his old friend to return to Anne’s Ferry to help investigate a car behind Buff Dooley’s gas station, now a couple of weeks abandoned with blood splattered all over the upholstery. Bish is unselfish and charitable after spending a whole career caring about victims’ bad luck and unwise choices. So, he packs up his guitar and an overnight bag and drives to Anne’s Ferry to help his old friend. He spends the night in the Star Motel, which dates back to the ’50s, and the next morning shows up at the police department. Two detectives and the office staff are ecstatic when he announces that Bishop is there see the Chief. This is a small town, and Bish’s old friend left a note saying he’d be out-of-town for a while on personal business and told Bish to make himself comfortable in his office. Chief Carson never comes back. Bishop becomes de facto police chief of Anne’s Ferry and modestly goes to lunch with Hollis, one of the two detectives, and begins his tutorial of open cases: “I’ve got two on patrol, look like they ought to be playing high school football. Good boys, and they do all right. Best they can. But they come from a world of beer and fistfights, pickup trucks and basketball hoops in the driveway, TV sports, matched furniture.” The rest of the workload for a police department in Anne’s Ferry can be guessed: a cat high up in a tree; the smell of gas in a widow’s house; a strange noise coming from out back somewhere; a lost dog; and that
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brown Honda with low mileage and blood on the upholstery behind Buff Dooley’s gas station. “Backwater” is a tidy 200-page book. And Bishop doesn’t complain about being stuck in a place he grew out of and never again wanted to see. And he accepts without outrage that his friend pulled a bait and switch on him. And other, more serious crimes do present, including a fishing accident leading to death that the part-time coroner doubts was an accident, and Ira Handel splashing gasoline around his kitchen, lighting it afire but changing his mind. An old extinguisher does no more than sputter and half the house is burned by the time volunteers get the fire out to Handel’s farm. Bishop and his detectives don’t have modern forensics with which to analyze crimes, and gumshoe investigations usually lead nowhere. But everybody is doing their best and are good-natured and helpful. “Backwater” is a pleasure to read, and Sallis is a happy writer producing characters with real dedication to their service. You’ll love this book; you’ll admire Sallis for his simplicity and lack of showboating. And I’d bet we’ll all be ordering another Sallis book or two down at Maria’s Bookshop with their generous 15% “Murder Ink” discount. ■
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StufftoDo Submit items for “Stuff to Do” by Monday at noon at: www.durangotelegraph.com/send-us-your-stuff-to-do/
Thursday01 Elmore’s Farmers Market, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., 306 Florida Grange, 656 CR 172
Durango Open Studio Tour Opening Art Exhibition, 5-7 p.m., Durango Creative District, 1135 Main Ave.
Durango Cowboy Gathering, 9 a.m., Doubletree Hotel, 501 Camino del Ri
“100 Years of Route 66” traveling exhibition, 5-7 p.m., Blue Rain Gallery, 934 Main Ave., Unit B
Cancer Support Group, 10-11:30 a.m., Wells Group Building, 1130 Main Ave.
Matt Rupnow plays, 5-7 p.m., Lola’s Place, 725 E. 2nd Ave.
Mancos Valley Farmer’s Market, 4-6 p.m., Boyle Park, Mancos
Community Meetup & Potluck, 5:30-7 p.m., Esoterra Arboretum, 270 CR 303
Trail Work Happy Hour: Ben’s Down N Out, 5-7:30 p.m., meet at Horse Gulch Trailhead. Bikes recommended.
Adam Swanson plays, 5:30-10 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Spanish Conversation Hour, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave. Dart Tournament, 5:30-9 p.m., Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave. Adam Swanson plays, 5:30-10 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Ely Cartwright plays, 6 p.m., Lola’s Place, 725 E. 2nd Ave. Cult Movie Federation of Mancos presents “Misery” (1964), 6 p.m. doors, Mancos Opera House, 136 Grand Ave. Andrew Schuhmann plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. Bluegrass Jam, 6:30-9 p.m., Durango Beer and Ice, 3000 Main Ave. Latin Dance Night w/ Brent Lilley and DJ Pumami, 6:30-9 p.m., The Rooftop Lounge at River’s Edge, 1521 Main Ave. “The Importance of Being Earnest,” 7-9:30 p.m., Merely Underground, 789 Tech Center Dr.
“One Fine Day in October,” faculty voice recital, 6-7:30 p.m., Roshong Recital Hall, FLC John Cross & The New Relics play, 6-9 p.m., Fox Fire Farms Winery, 5513 CR 321, Ignacio Dustin Burley plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. Spooky, Scary, Improv Comedy, 7 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. Pete Giuliani plays, 7-10 p.m., The Oxford Bar, 119 W. 8th St. “The Importance of Being Earnest,” 7-9:30 p.m., Merely Underground, 789 Tech Center Dr. Ragged Oak plays, 8-10 p.m., Durango Coffee Co., 730 Main Ave.
Saturday03 Animas Palooza “When Pigs Fly,” 7 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Animas Air Park, 76 Trail Dragger
Veterans Friday Morning Coffee, 8-10:30 a.m., American Legion, 878 E. 2nd Ave. Durango Cowboy Gathering, 9 a.m., Doubletree Hotel, 501 Camino del Rio Leadership Circle, 9-10 a.m., The Center for Innovation, 835 Main Ave., Ste. 225 Veterans Hot Dog Friday, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., American Legion, 878 E. 2nd Ave. Durango First Friday, 4-7 p.m., various locations, downtown Durango Skyhorse Saddles and Leather Art with Loren and Lisa Skyhorse, music by Claudia Nygaard, 4:307 p.m., TohAtin Gallery, 145 W. 9th St.
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Girls Only BMX Clinic, 1-3 p.m., Cundiff Park BMX Track, 460 S. Camino del Rio “Mesoamérica Resiste,” stories of resistance from Mexico and Central America, 4 p.m., The Hive, 1175 Camino del Rio SW Colorado Public Lands Days Ranch Talk, Tour and Picnic, 4-7 p.m., Reddert Ranch, 10583 Road 44, Mancos Adult Book Fair with Maria’s Literary Foundation and Maria’s Bookshop, 4-9 p.m., 11th St. Station, 1101 Main Ave. Community of Hope Celebration and Fundraiser, 4:30-8:30 p.m., LePlatt’s Pond, 311 CR 501, Bayfield 3 Way Street plays, 5-8 p.m., Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave. Adam Swanson plays, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Nina Sasaki & Dan Carlson play, 6-8 p.m., Lola’s Place, 725 E. 2nd Ave. Matt Rupnow plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. “The Importance of Being Earnest,” 7-9:30 p.m., Merely Underground, 789 Tech Center Dr. “The Planets and Beyond,” with Durango Women’s Choir, SJS Chamber Singers and the San Juan Symphony, 7:30 p.m., FLC Community Concert Hall The Poppletons play, 8-10 p.m., The iNDIGO Room, 1315 Main Ave.
Durango Farmers Market, 8 a.m.-12 noon, TBK Parking Lot, 259 W. 9th St. Bayfield Farmers Market, 8 a.m.-12 noon, Pine Valley Church, 1328 CR 501
Friday02
Retreat and Education Center, 12943 Hwy 550
Durango Cowboy Gathering, 9 a.m., Doubletree Hotel, 501 Camino del Rio Plein Air Painters of the Four Corners Demonstration, 9 a.m.-12 noon, Oxbow Preserve, 500 Animas View Dr.
Sunday04 Durango Cowboy Gathering, 9 a.m., Doubletree Hotel, 501 Camino del Rio Veterans Benefit Breakfast, 9-11 a.m., VFW Post 4031, 1550 Main Ave. Mountain and Valley Fiber Arts Festival, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., La Plata County Fairground and Event Center, 2500 Main Ave.
Mountain and Valley Fiber Arts Festival, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., La Plata County Fairground and Event Center, 2500 Main Ave.
Sunday Record Brunch Club, 12 noon-3 p.m., 11th St. Station, 1101 Main Ave.
Creepy Crawly Fall Festival, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Durango Nature Center, 63 CR 310
Sunday Irish Jams, 12:30-3 p.m., Durango Beer and Ice, 3000 Main Ave.
Harvest Festival Car Show, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Sky Ute Casino, Ignacio
Dongmin Byeon, baritone artist in residence, 5-6:30 p.m., Roshong Recital Hall, FLC
Rooted Together: A Regenerative Community Gathering, 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Wellness
Ben Gibson plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
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AskRachel
Life hacks, shirt shrinkage and postcard persistence Interesting fact: More than 100 billion pieces of physical junk mail are sent in the U.S. every year, which means you’re statistically likely to get something on your birthday. Dear Rachel, You know those places with rewards programs that give you a free birthday gift? Think the chains especially … the thing is, they don’t ever check your ID. Your reward number gets you a free gift. Why not say you have a birthday somewhere every month, so you can spread out your joy? – Birthday Boy Dear Oh Boy, This is less of a question and more of a life hack, adjacent to advice, which is my bailiwick not yours, thank you very much. Still, this is not a bad idea. The shops WANT to give you free things, or else they wouldn’t offer. I also happen to believe that they WANT to track me and build a customer profile. That is why, instead of giving them my actual phone number, I always give them the number to the Herald office. – Make a wish, Rachel Dear Rachel, Do flannel shirts shrink over the summer? I Blue Moon Ramblers play, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. “The Importance of Being Earnest,” 7-9:30 p.m., Merely Underground, 789 Tech Center Dr.
Monday05 Happy Hour Yoga, 5:30 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St. Chuck Hank plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. Jazz Church, 7:30-9:30 p.m., 11th St. Station, 1101 Main Ave.
swear every time I pull out my autumn and winter clothes from the big Rubbermaid bin in the closet, they get shorter. This isn’t a weight gain thing! They fit across the shoulders. But the sleeves and the length seem to shrink over time. Is this a known problem or am I the victim of a conspiracy? – Snug Fit Dear Short Sleeved, Are you a child? Children are known, reportedly, for growing into (and out of) their clothes. This could be the issue. Or maybe this is planned obsolescence for the clothing industry. Men especially are legendary for wearing the same clothes until they (the clothes, but also the men) cease to exist. This is not helpful for the clothing industry, which relies on selling more than one shirt over the lifetime of a human. – A size up, Rachel Dear Rachel, I keep getting a simple postcard mailer every couple months for the last year. It’s advertising a book I’ve never heard of, from an author I’ve never heard of. I have no idea how she got my address, or why. The card is always identical. Mostly, I’m awed that anyone still uses print mail for spam. I’m also a bit Social House, 3062 Main Ave. Adam Swanson plays, 5:30-10 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Tuesday06 Four Corners Free Mobile Health Clinic, 2-5:30 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave. CreativiTEA, 3:30-5:30 p.m., Sunnyside Library, 75 CR 218 Durango Real Estate Meetup, 5:30 p.m., Union
awed that it’s working. I now definitely recognize her book cover. How many more postcards until I buy this thing? – A Sucker Every Minute Dear Current Resident, That’s a retro strategy, and I like it! I can’t lie, if someone sent me a CD in the mail with the promise of a free month of internet, I’d take it. There’s something about a tangible gift. And literally anything is a break from the credit card offers and the late-due notices. Maybe you should just go buy this person’s book – whenever it’s the bookstore’s month for your birthday reward. – Happy reading, Rachel 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.
Rotary Club of Durango presents Jack Turner speaking about the Pro Photographer Showdown, 6 p.m., Strater Hotel, 699 Main Ave.
The (Almost) Weekly Comedy Open Mic, 7-8 p.m., American Legion, 878 E 2nd Ave.
Book Club: “Solito: A Memoir,” by Javier Zamora, 6-7:30 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Ongoing
Tuesday Trivia, 6-8:30 p.m., 11th St. Station, 1101 Main Ave.
Barbershop Singing Tryouts, Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m., Christ the King Church, 495 Florida Rd. Banned Books Week, Oct. 4-10, Ignacio Library
Sean O’Brien plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
ASL Learners Group, 5:30-7 p.m., Sunnyside Library, 75 CR 218 Adam Swanson plays, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Email Rachel at telegraph@durangotelegraph.com
Wednesday07 Twin Buttes Farm Stand, 3-6:30 p.m., 165 Tipple Ave. Meditations on Compassion, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Durango Dharma Center, 1800 E. 3rd Ave., Ste.109
West Slope Startup Week, Oct. 5-9, various locations Downtown Durango “Nature’s Tapestry in Plein Air,” juried exhibit, thru Oct. 10, Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. NFL Sunday Ticket Football, Sundays thru Jan. 10, 2027, 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m., VFW Post 4031, 1550 Main Ave.
Upcoming
Rural Creative Collective Night Market, 5:307:30 p.m., The Powerhouse, 1333 Camino Del Rio
Carver Brewing 40th Anniversary Party, Thurs., Oct. 8, 5-8 p.m., Carver Brewing Co., 1022 Main Ave.
Word Honey Free Poetry Workshop, 6-7:30 p.m., The Hive, 1175 Camino Del Rio
“Rooted to Rise” Shanta 20th Anniversary, Thurs., Oct. 8, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Riverbend Ranch, 27846 Hwy 550
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Oct. 1, 2026 n 13
FreeWillAstrology by Rob Brezsny ARIES (March 21-April 19): Orchids may lure pollinating insects with ingenious illusions rather than nectar. Some mimic the look or fragrance of other flowers. Others resemble female insects so that hopeful males unknowingly assist with pollination. Rather than being bummed out by the facts of life, let’s use this as a lesson for you to wield in the coming days. Appearances can be deceiving – for both better and worse. If a situation initially seems disappointing or confusing, linger before drawing conclusions. Likewise, if something looks irresistibly attractive, investigate further. Your intuition will be extra skilled at distinguishing authentic richness from glamorous distraction. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): I propose we make 93-year-old Taurus musician Willie Nelson your patron saint and role model for the foreseeable future. Earthy, unflappable, and unhurried, he has kept making his distinctive, soulful music for over 70 years, devoted all the while to the land and the people who work it. He has never pushed to sound like anyone else; he has patiently, inexorably become more fully himself. It’s your birthright to live like Nelson, Taurus, with a steady, sensual, enduring devotion to what you love. In the coming weeks, I invite you to tend to your deepest roots.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The cosmic powers have granted you a license to be magnificent. Not arrogant, please note, but majestic, resplendent, and marvelous. You know the difference, right? Arrogance is parasitic, demanding that everyone reflects your glory back at you. Magnificence is expansive, making everyone feel more vital and attuned to their own splendor. The second option is far more nutritious and delicious for you in the long run. In the coming eons, and especially now, I hope you’ll be lavish with your praise and generous with your attention. Glow and dazzle in ways that inspire others to glow and dazzle. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): A Zen teaching says, “Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.” But I protest and say, “No, the chopping and the carrying ARE the enlightenment. There is no separate ‘after.’” The sacred is ALWAYS lurking in the mundane, ordinary tasks. And you Virgos are potentially the zodiac’s supreme master of this controversial truth. Others may chase after astral bling and transcendent glitter, but you know that divinity lives in the earthy details that are right in front of you. That’s how you transmute seemingly unremarkable stuff into the sublime. It’s time to wield your superpower to the hilt, please!
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): There’s a fun magic that thrives when you decline to be consistent. You Geminis are least likely, of all the signs, to exhaust yourself in trying to maintain a unified self-presentation. You’re often pleased with the fact that you contain multitudes. It’s a potential superpower! The you who loves solitude and the you who craves connection can both be true. The skeptic and the mystic can coexist in the same nervous system. Honor three contradictory impulses without trying to make them coherent. You’re excused from having to make too much sense.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Let’s make Libran writer Ursula K. Le Guin your patron saint. She believed that any human arrangement, however permanent it seems, was made by people and can therefore be unmade and remade by people. The divine right of kings once seemed eternal and inevitable, she liked to remind us. Be like her in the coming weeks, Libra. Refuse to accept that the way things are is the way they must continue to be. Imagine more beautiful, more just, and more loving arrangements in every area of your life, including your relationships, your work, and your inner life. Then take three steps toward making it so.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): In certain caves, like the Cave of the Crystals in Naica, Mexico, crystals grow to astonishing sizes. Why? Because the environment remains stable for thousands of years, with steady temperatures, minimal disturbances and slow mineral flow. Under these conditions, ordinary molecules assemble into lavish structures. I believe you’re cultivating a similar sanctuary, as you invoke the powers of steadiness and dedication. Even if progress appears slow, the underlying process is gradually generating a beautiful strength and/or lasting treasure. Now’s a good time to redouble your faith in your good work.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Volcanologists distinguish between two different eruptions. In the effusive type, lava flows slowly and steadily, while the explosive eruptions eject material fast and hard. What does this have to do with you? In my astrological estimation, you currently contain building pressures that need release. Here’s the good news: You can maneuver yourself in the direction of effusive expression and thereby make the explosive kind unnecessary. So my advice is to find small, controllable outlets for what’s gathering inside you. Don’t wait until the only option is a massive, sudden discharge.
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SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You’ll flourish in the coming years if you ask daring questions and befriend sweet ambivalence and welcome adorable uncertainty. You’ll stumble upon weird but interesting success and project potent authenticity if you let your curiosity lead you to situations outside of your cozy bubbles and velvet ruts. On the other hand, you’ll flounder if you cling to folk wisdom foisted on you by the algorithms, treat all your opinions as facts, or pretend you always know what the f*ck is going on in this dazzling mess of a world. Keep it generous and exploratory, Sagittarius. Seek out wide-ranging conversationalists and playful skeptics. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A river delta is where a river finally meets the sea. Instead of arriving as one bold channel, it fans out into dozens of branching streams, depositing the rich silt it has carried for many miles. Deltas are fertile places because of everything the river gathered along the way and finally lays down. You’re approaching a metaphorical delta, Capricorn. All the experiences, emotions, and impressions you’ve been carrying are ready to be released and turned into fertile ground. Abundance wants to grow from all you’ve gathered. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In the 17th century, Aquarian astronomer Johannes Hevelius mapped the moon with surprising accuracy. Yet he worked with funky homemade telescopes perched on a homemade observatory that he built on the rooftops of his three connected houses. I recommend you borrow his approach, Aquarius. You might feel tempted to postpone action until conditions are ideal, but I hope you’ll begin with what you already possess. Prediction: As you proceed, your tools and strategies will evolve. Momentum will become one of your key resources. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In traditional Chinese medicine, wei qi is a protective energy that circulates beneath the skin, forming a shield against harmful influences. To nourish it, you revel in sleeping and eating well. You work diligently, with tender discernment, to maintain healthy boundaries. How are you doing with that, Pisces? Is it possible you’ve been working so hard on your deep transformations that you’ve semi-neglected this outer layer of strength? I hope that in the coming weeks, you’ll nurture the subtle shields that prevent you from absorbing every stray particle of psychic weirdness in your environment. Think of this task not as building walls but tending to your garden’s edges.
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Services
MovingSale We Are Moving - Garage Sale! Located at 25 Perins Vista Drive, Durango, CO 81301, in the Rockridge neighborhood located at the top of Clovis Dr. Saturday, Oct 10, from 9 am to 5 pm. We will accept only cash, no checks. Furniture, lamps, bikes, pictures, artwork, kitchen utensils, pots & pans, tools, and many other misc. household items.
BodyWork Massage by Meg Bush 30, 60 & 90 min Meg Bush, LMT 970759-0199
Electric Repair Roof, gutter cleaning, fence, floors,. walls, flood damage, mold, heating service Tired of Feeling Stuck? Lacking forward momentum in your life? In your health and well being? Offering customized solutions. coherence labdrerin.com
Survivor of Suicide Loss Day Durango Community Recreation Center, Sat., Nov. 21, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Hosted and led by The Grief Center of Southwest Colorado, The Cody Project and The La Plata County Suicide Prevention Collaborative. Registration requested: durango-colorado.isosld.afsp.org/ If you or someone you know is considering suicide call/text "988.” Durango Area Association of Realtors is accepting grant funding requests from local nonprofit organizations. Qualifying organizations must be in La Plata
HaikuMovieReview ‘Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere’ Somber and brooding dive into the depths of The Boss’ depression – Lainie Maxson or San Juan County, Colorado. While all submissions are encouraged, preference will be given to housing and family support organizations. Deadline is Thurs., Oct. 15. For info., call 970-247-9604.
MeetMarket SWF Seeks Date for SYMPH Do we harmonize enough to enjoy the symphony? Enough to explore beyond? Let's start with coffee or a stroll and find out. I am mid-40s, cis, non-smoker, brainy, sporty, artsy. Interested in a gentleman seeking meaningful connection. Call or text J at 970-501-5665
ForSale Firestone HLT 245/70R17 All season tires $125/set of 4. Like new, 4000 miles. Retails for $128.99 each 970403-7765 if interested Used LP Records All genres. Please call 970-759-7663. Reruns Home Furnishings Refresh your iiving spaces. Small furniture and furnishings, rugs, kitchenwares, artwork and more! Also looking to consign. 572 E. 6th Ave. Open Mon.-Sat.
Boiler Service - Water Heater Serving Durango over 30 years. Brad, 970-759-2869. Master Plbg Lic #179917
Wanted Books Wanted at White Rabbit Donate/Trade/Sell 970 259-2213
New kid on the block? (Don’t worry – the Telegraph is here for you step by step.)
CommunityService Free Conflict Support Group Oct. 22, 12 noon - 1:30 p.m. via Zoom. Monthly confidential meetup provides space to talk, get perspective and learn ways to handle conflict – work, family, relationships, neighbors, politics or anything else. Facilitated by Dave Albrechta, coach, mediator and integrative lawyer. Email Dave@Tallgrasscollective.org to register and receive meeting link.
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For details email: missy@durangotelegraph.com Oct. 1, 2026 n 15
16 n Oct. 1, 2026
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