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FREE Oct. 29, 2026 Vol. XXV, No. 42 durangotelegraph.com
inside
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
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B E Y O N D
Ghouling around
A fragile dream
Riders on the storm
DIY Halloween costume ideas that are truly horrific p4
A migrant’s fight to save the life he’s built in Colorado p5
Epic survival tales from the frontlines of Trudy p10
AroundSWCO
Riding the storm out Trudy leaves harrowing tales of rescue, destruction and nature’s raw power in her wake by Shannon Mullane & Olivia Prentzel/ The Colorado Sun
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evere flooding across Southwest Colorado last week stranded residents and swept away almost anything in its path. Behind the widespread destruction are stories of narrow escapes, neighbors helping neighbors and residents grappling with what the floodwaters left behind. Here are three of their stories. 28 people, nine dogs, two cats Colorado Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua Holm rarely gets to learn what happens to the people he rescues from disasters. After helping to guide a helicopter into position and hoisting stranded people to safety, he typically hands them off to emergency responders. But after helping rescue a family on a backcountry road cut off by flooding near Pagosa Springs, Holm had an unexpected reunion. Later that day, while grocery shopping in town, he ran into the very family his crew had rescued. “When that happens, that is pretty rewarding because it’s unique,” Holm, who was deployed from the Denver area, told The Colorado Sun. The Colorado National Guard received orders to activate at 9 p.m. Friday. After a late night of packing, a task force arrived in Pagosa Springs on Saturday morning. As of Tuesday, aviation crews had rescued 28 people, nine dogs and two cats across Southwest Colorado. Holm said he and his crew spent 23.3 hours in the air. Working alongside the Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office, guard crews worked around the clock using two military helicopters to reach people. One of the helicopters, which can maneuver into tight spaces that ground vehicles and larger helicopters cannot, can hoist people as high as 275 feet off the ground, carry multiple patients and provide pilots with a broad view of the terrain below. With a bird’s-eye view, Holm could see the extent of the destruction left by the flooding. “It looks like a long-term impact just from the level of devastation that I was seeing from the air,” he said. But he also witnessed neighbors helping one another. During one of his first missions near Pagosa Springs, Holm
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A before (inset) and after photo of the cabins at South Fork’s Fun Valley, which were inundated by last week’s flood. /Top photo by Kathy and Mike Smith; bottom aerial photo by Fun Valley Family Resort watched as a woman helped her older neighbor make her way across muddy, waterlogged ground to reach a helicopter waiting to carry her to safety. For Holm, that spirit is at the heart of the National Guard’s mission. “As Colorado Guardsmen, at the end of the day, we are your neighbors, too,” he said. “This is what we train to do every day.” A campground submerged Kathy and Mike Smith, managers of Fun Valley RV resort along HWY 160 near south Fork, were at home in Texas watching security footage as the South Fork of the Rio Grande, which flows through the park, grew higher and higher. When the river surged into a threatening torrent, they raced back to Colorado. Once they arrived at the 250-acre property, they realized how much destruction the swollen river had done. “The first thing that we saw were the trailers barely hanging on, on the edge of the water,” Kathy Smith said. She cried as she surveyed the flooded campground. Six red-roofed cabins and
two trailers had floated into the water, and hundreds of RV sites were submerged. A bridge had washed away, and debris continued to rush downstream. Much of the damage remains unknown because parts of the campground are still inaccessible. Floodwaters continue to pound an activity center near a broken levee. “The water is still very angry, very high,” Kathy Smith said Tuesday morning. “It’s just an unreal sight to see.” The resort closed for the season on Labor Day, so when the flooding began, no guests or staff were there, except for a sole contractor who tried to cut down trees to protect the resort’s bridges. He retreated as the water rose. Average summer flows on the river through the campground are between 300-400 cfs, but in the latest storm, flows topped 7,000 cfs, and the river rose more than 9 feet, Mike Smith said. It was far worse than flooding that took place last October, when the river flowed at about 3,300 cfs.
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The Smiths hope to reopen the campground by Memorial Day. “It’s just gonna be a lot of work between here and there, but Fun Valley is part of the soul of a lot of people,” Kathy Smith said. “All the miracles in life” Hank and Stacey Wills knew the flood was coming. They saw the warnings of heavy rain for Archuleta County, but online updates seemed to indicate it would be less severe than a similar flood in 2025, the couple told reporters Monday night during a media briefing hosted by the county. “We thought, ‘We made it through last year,’” Hank Wills said. “’We’ll add some sand bags, and we should be OK.’” The couple woke up at 4 a.m. Thursday to place sandbags and tarps at their home next to the Rio Blanco River, south of Pagosa Springs. They sent their pet rabbits home with Hank Wills’ parents. A sheriff’s deputy showed up Thursday to tell them there was a mandatory evacuation order, and they needed to leave.
But Hank didn’t ask when the peak would hit, and they thought they had more time. That evening, water started spilling over the sandbag wall. They were monitoring water levels at the diversion dam upstream and knew they’d have about five hours to leave once they saw a peak at the upstream gage. “Then it just started getting worse in a hurry,” Hank Wills said. “I think there was heavier rain between us and that flow gage. Obviously, that hit us quicker than we thought it should.” They loaded belongings into their RV and headed out. As the Willses tried to cross a watery section of road, the RV engine stalled – water was in the intake, and it wouldn’t start again. It was dark, around 10:30 p.m. Thursday night, and they were stuck, looking at the water between their RV and dry ground. They called a tow truck. The trucking company said they’d be there in 45 minutes. At that point, the water was still below the headlights on their RV. They decided to wait – but the tow truck never showed. It couldn’t cross a bridge that was closed. Archuleta County Sheriff’s Deputy Craig Tamburelli arrived after 2:15 a.m. Friday. By now, whitewater was flowing over the hood and windshield of the RV,
which was 20 feet or more from dry ground. He called search and rescue and yelled instructions to the couple across the rushing water. Tamburelli threw a rope to the vehicle so the couple could anchor it to something secure – only the vehicle didn’t have good anchor points. The couple secured it to a table, the best option at the time. Search and rescue teams were about five minutes away. Tamburelli got out a chainsaw to cut a trail along the side of the mountain to open up easier access to the vehicle. Water was rising inside the RV. But by then, the water had started undercutting the RV, and the vehicle was starting to tip into the river. Hank Wills was holding the rope to make sure it was secure. Then, in the blink of an eye, the RV turned a hard left and remained upright as it was swept downstream. Tension ripped off the table leg, which hit both Willses as it was pulled out of the window. Tamburelli went to intersection after intersection to try to intercept the RV, but each was washed out. Hank Wills was watching the shore as the water carried them downstream, while his wife tried to gather the dogs and keep them calm. “I just kept praying, you know,” he said, recalling more and more water flowing into the RV.
Something in the river caught and ripped the axel off of the motor home. The RV tilted onto its side, lurched into the main channel and slid across the stream bottom. They could hear rocks scraping the side of the vehicle. “We smashed into, of all places, our own fence about 75 yards from our own house,” Hank Wills said. A cabinet and sink was their largest dry area, but it broke, so they used the remaining table as a platform. Stacey Wills said her bag of clothes had stayed dry, so they were able to change clothes to stay warmer and drier in the chilly water. “We just tried to make ourselves cozy for a little while,” Stacey Wills said. Eventually, Tamburelli stopped in the middle of U.S. 84, the highway that runs south from Pagosa to Chromo. He called in a swift water rescue team to try to get to the RV, which now was in the middle of the flow. At this point, it was 5 a.m. By 6 a.m., Stanley Okazaki, Archuleta County’s deputy of emergency operations, brought in a drone, equipped with thermal imaging, a microphone and other equipment, which provided a way to communicate with the couple and fly a rope line to the RV. The Willses said they were OK, so rescue teams decided to hold off for a safer opportunity. Three hours later, a National
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Guard Black Hawk helicopter arrived and hoisted the couple and their five pets out of the RV. About 45 minutes later, everyone was back on dry ground. Hank and Stacey thanked the responders during Monday’s media briefing. “It’s pretty incredible for all that you do and all that you risk,” Stacey Wills said. “You guys deserve a lot more credit than you ever get.” The couple’s message to others? Know what you can take with you and what you can’t. Have “go bags” prepared. And when the responders say go, it’s time to leave. Their recovery process is just beginning. The couple is staying with family for the time being. They’ve been able to make it back to their home. Luckily, the water didn’t make it into the house itself, although their outbuildings were pummeled by water, mud and debris. They’ve got cleaning to do, as they hope the next storm won’t be as bad. “All the miracles in life – I just don’t know what more to say,” Stacey Wills said. This story was edited for length. The Colorado Sun is a nonprofit, award-winning news outlet covering Colorado. Sign up for their newsletters, and follow them on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Bluesky. ■
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lineup
4 La Vida Local
Ghouling around
4 Sign of the Downfall
10 simple DIY Halloween costume ideas that will truly horrify by Addyson Santese
4 Thumbin’ It 5 Writers on the Range
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6-7 Soapbox
American dreaming
8 The Land Desk
A young immigrant clings to the life he’s built in America by Auden Schendler / Writers on the Range
10 Around SW Colorado
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12-13 Stuff to Do
Taking a look at where Trudy ranks in the record books
14 Free Will Astrology
13 Ask Rachel
One to remember by Jonathan P. Thompson / The Land Desk
15 Classifieds
10
Not so fun
boilerplate
STAR-STUDDED CAST: Addy Santese, Jonathan P. Thompson, Lainie Maxson, Jesse Anderson, Rob Brezsny & Clint Reid
T
he Durango Telegraph publishes every Thursday, come hell, high water, tacky singletrack or mon-
Pro-Tecs and Pirouettes And now for a more uplifting river story. On Thurs., Nov. 5, 4Corners River Sports will be screening two documentaries that river rats will not want to miss. The two films follow a historic first descent of Peru’s Paucartambo River in 1985-86 with a team of American kayakers. The perilous 19-day journey plunged 13,000 feet from the Andes to the Amazon Basin in what was, at the time, the greatest sustained vertical drop in kayaking history.
On the cover In the kind of moment a photographer dreams of, Alex Krebs catches a great horned owl silhouetted by a full moon.
by Shannon Mullane & Olivia Prentzel/ The Colorado Sun
PIT CREW: JENNAYE DERGE jennaye@durangotelegraph.com
As stories of last weekend’s storm flood in (no pun intended), some may be wondering how they can help their Four Corners neighbors aside from doomscrolling. The region saw 3-5 inches of rain on top of saturated soils, with Pagosa Springs and the Navajo Reservation hit especially hard. In addition to damage to homes and businesses, several communities experienced power and gas outages, wastewater facility failures and water contamination. If you’d like to help out more than clicking an emoji, the following list details disaster relief efforts across the region: • Colorado Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster: coresponds.org/26swfloods • Durango & La Plata County: tinyurl. com/ycx6b2k5 • Archuleta County: tinyurl.com/bdebzda2 • Navajo Nation: tinyurl.com/3jh9646h • Moencopi Families (Hopi Reservation, northern Arizona): tinyurl.com/3d65dst5
15 Haiku Movie Review
Harrowing tales from the frontlines of last week’s epic flood
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Flood relief
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Hailed as one of the earliest expedition kayaking documentaries, the award-winning film (including the People’s Choice Award at the Banff Mountain Film Festival) goes beyond adrenaline. Restored from its original 16mm film, it captures the reality of expedition life: grueling portages, unrelenting rapids, isolation and what is possibly the best ender we’ve ever seen. The team also encounters the Quechua people, offering a rare glimpse into life along this powerful river. Following the screening, there will be a Q&A with director John Armstrong and members of the expedition, including Durango’s legendary baddie Nancy Wiley. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. at 360 S. Camino. 4CRS will provide snacks and beverages but, of course, BYO chair and koozie. Tickets can be bought at riversports.com. Oct. 29, 2026 n 3
LaVidaLocal Ghouls just wanna have fun So, Halloween is in two days, and you haven’t come up with a costume yet. Instead of opting for tired fallbacks like sexy ghost (sheet with high heels) or cool ghost (sheet with sunglasses) or cool sexy ghost (sheet with sunglasses and high heels), put together an outfit that will really make people scream. Here are 10 terrifyingly easy-to-make, last-minute Halloween costumes you can craft from things you already have at home! 1. Taxes: All you need to do is dig up your long-buried W-2 and carry it around all night, along with a laptop opened to the IRS website. While “Monster Mash” plays in the background, loudly ask other adults why you can’t reconcile box 12b Code DD. Uh-oh! You might need to manually reinput the entirety of your W-2. Who wants to help? Watch people flee. 2. Corporate Emails: This one is less about the costume and more about cultivating an atmosphere of dread. To start, identify a random stranger at the Halloween party. Next, introduce yourself in as vague a way as possible (think of descriptors like “thought leader” or “curious mind”), then insist on meeting up later at the punch bowl to “synergize.” Every 15 to 20 minutes, approach the person again, tell them you’re so sorry, you have to reschedule, but you can’t wait to connect at that punch bowl soon! Repeat indefinitely. 3. What’s This Bump?: Have you ever noticed a weird, unidentifiable lump on your body that you don’t remember having before? Or wait – have you always had this and just never noticed? Is it melanoma? Is it a spider bite? Is it a pimple? Make your friends and family take turns guessing, then have them all recommend their favorite local dermatologist. (Nondescript yet concerning-looking lesions can be easily crafted with pantry staples like jelly, tomato paste, lentils and food coloring.) 4. Pile of Dishes: After a long day, nothing strikes fear in the heart quite like finding a stack of dirty dishes waiting for you in the sink. Harness that energy. Carry around a storage tub full of tepid, soapy water and your unwashed pots, pans and plates – they’re soaking! What’s on that plate? Is that dried fish? Scrambled eggs? Remind people of your presence in a silent but nagging way by standing in a dark corner all night, making copious, unyielding eye contact. 5. Pile of Laundry: Did you think the pile of dishes was scary? Just wait until you
see the laundry monster! This costume works best if you take up the entire couch and refuse to move or insist on army crawling everywhere so people are constantly forced to step over you. For extra effect, snag a partygoer’s foot every now and then with a loose pant leg. Also, you’re out of clean underwear. Dun dun dunnnnn! 6. Health Insurance: Children don’t know it’s almost open enrollment period, but you’ll scare the crap out of their parents by dressing up as health insurance tiers. Instead of handing out candy to trick-or-treaters, make them fill out lengthy questionnaires to select their health insurance plan. Do you go with a low monthly premium and high deductible, or a high monthly premium and low deductible? HMO? PPO? POS? What do the letters even mean?! To drive home the point that every health insurance plan is a scam, and we’ll all be dead soon anyway, wear a fun, festive skeleton T-shirt! 7. Sunday Scaries: Halloween might be on a Saturday this year, but Daylight Saving Time is Sunday. To embody the feeling of Sunday Scaries, text your friends whenever you notice them enjoying the weekend a little too much: “Sure, you might get an extra hour of sleep, but think about how dark it’ll be when you’re driving home from work on Monday.” Feel free to also text reminders about the dishes and laundry waiting for them at home. Mwahahaha! 8. Back Pain: This might be the easiest costume on the list since you don’t need to dress up for it. All you have to do is force people to give you piggyback rides, then refuse to get off when they start to complain. Whisper cruel comments in their ear like, “This is because you never exercise your low back” or “The only treatment is low-impact activity and alternating heat and ice.” Oh, and be sure to remind them that once they’ve thrown out their back, the pain never fully goes awaaaaaaay! 9. Bills: Wait for a moment when everyone is having a good time – the vampire blood punch is flowing, the apples are bobbing, people are kind of doing that Thriller dance with the claw hands – then hit ’em with the jump scare! Run into the middle of the room masked, screaming, with an open burlap sack and demand everyone put money in it now. NOW! For every two seconds that pass without payment, fire a gun into the air and charge an 18% interest rate. (Pair this with Health Insurance to make a great couples’ costume.) 10. A Last-Minute Halloween Costume: So, Halloween is in two days, and you haven’t come up with a costume yet… – Addyson Santese
Thumbin’It
SignoftheDownfall:
Mother Nature did some serious flexing throughout the Four Corners during last week’s floodpocalypse. Thankfully, as of this writing, there has been no loss of life. Shoutout to all the first responders who made this possible.
An ominous start to the ski season, with the state’s first avi burial on Mount Bross, outside Breckenridge last weekend. Fortunately, the victim was rescued by his ski buddies – but yes, apparently things can slide even in October.
Only a few more days till the midterms! Hopefully by this time next week, we’ll be basking in the glow of a promising future and not a quagmire of recounts, sore losers and conspiracy theories.
Millions of dollars in outsider GOP “dark money” have poured into efforts to influence the outcome of Colorado’s election. Hmmm, too bad this money couldnt be used for something that is actually useful.
Not only do we get Halloween on a Saturday this year, but we get an extra hour to sleep off our regretable decisions and poor choices. #Winning.
While last week’s floods didn’t come with a human price, they came with a structural one, causing an estimated $65 million in damage to some of the area’s most crucial highways, including 550 and 160.
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Florida Scam Florida officer Brian Sguros was dispatched to a welfare check on 77-year-old Dennis West back in 2022. After arriving on the scene, Brian found Dennis dead of natural causes. But then the Florida Man deep inside won the battle, because Brian decided to cremate Dennis, take his identity, move into his home and live there comfortably until being arrested last week. Dennis’ family is outraged, but from Brian’s perspective, he was just taking Dennis’ welfare really, really seriously. Brian made sure Dennis kept paying his utility bills from the afterlife, and Brian even remodeled Dennis’ house, all while “protecting it from squatters.” Pending trial, Dennis has been placed on administrative leave (with pay, of course), and now he’s demanding reimbursement for the remodeling costs, because he’s a true American hero.
WritersontheRange
A fragile dream A young immigrant tries to hang on to the life he’s built in America by Auden Schendler
work in a country without fear. A young woman next to me wears a turhen Carlos was 14, he became a quoise dress, her hair in a bun, stylish glasses, marked man. He’d witnessed a gang nails and makeup perfect. Nearby there’s a execution in his Latin American father with his arm around his preschool daughhometown, and suddenly, his life was precarter who’s holding a stuffed bear, her hair in pink ious. He fled. Entering the United States, the barrettes. Too young to understand, she laughs teenager registered with authorities and asked and pokes him. He kisses her head. When he is for asylum. called to the stand, she sits alone, dwarfed by That means Carlos is not a lawful perthe pew-like benches. I fumble in my bag for a manent resident, and his ability to remain Hi-Chew to give her. But I have none. here depends on the outcome of his applicaThe judge’s behavior seems so severe that I’m forced to wonder, is he angry, hostile, overtion. Despite limited English and without his worked? His decisions can mean life or death parents to help, Carlos graduated from public for the people before him. Carlos’ foot is high school in my western Colorado town, bouncing frantically on the floor. bolstered by caring teachers and friends who Shortly, everyone in attendance receives a got to know him through their own children. Now 18, he wants to become an electrician, A sign advising immigrants of their rights outside the federal immigra- letter with a date for their hearing six months out, a brief reprieve that’s more like borrowed he says, to help the country he credits with tion court in Denver./ Courtesy photo time. Federal statistics reveal that more than saving his life. 90% of applicants nationally are being denied That is why we are now crossing a concrete functional car and the hearing is three hours away. But asylum and deported – perhaps to a country they’ve expanse leading to the Denver Immigration Court. It the judge never ruled on it. never seen. In the elevator, nobody makes eye contact. feels like the floor of a coliseum. With Odysseus on my Worried that he’d be grabbed by ICE and demind from the Christopher Nolan movie, I think of ported, he didn’t want to go today. It took a half-dozen I consider saying: “congratulations,” though for what? Surviving today? W.H. Auden’s poem “The Shield of Achilles,” about teachers, friends and lawyers six weeks to convince As we exit, eyes scanning the plaza, Carlos and I another plain, outside Troy: him to make the trip. I volunteered to drive. hustle to my car. There’s no sign of ICE. We don’t talk “No blade of grass Twenty other asylum seekers fill the courtroom. The No sign of neighborhood, judge isn’t here in person. He’s virtual, on a small screen, or linger: our lawyer told us to get the hell out afterNothing to eat and nowhere to sit down.” though he criticizes others for attending remotely. All we wards. In the garage, we high-five each other and embrace, then drive west, into a thunderstorm. But this is not a place for poetry. Two security can see is the top of his head as he reads out rights and We pass the woman in the turquoise dress, head guards glare as we enter. We both feel intimidated, and processes as if he’s never seen the words before. down, walking alone into the looming city. Heat rises Carlos hasn’t eaten at all. “You should have received a letter explaining why off the concrete, wispy ghosts of the tired and poor, The administrative meeting we’re going to is procethe U.S. believes you do not belong here, and the alleonce welcome in a grateful country. dural: setting a date for a judge to hear Carlos’ asylum gations against you.” He speaks in clipped tones, as if Auden Schendler is a contributor to Writers on the Range, application. But like all actions from U.S. immigration we’re wasting his time. Then he hits “a wrong button,” an independent nonprofit that seeks to spur lively converthese days, it can serve as a trap. as he puts it, that closes all his files and we have to sation about Western issues. He is a writer and climate Miss this, and applicants get red-tagged for deportawait. The room is quiet, almost hushed. strategist in Western Colorado. Details of this opinion have tion “in absentia.” Carlos filed a motion to appear virI look around. This room is a simple thing: a place been modified to protect the individuals described. ■ tually, explaining that he works nights, has no of human beings, making their way. Asking to live and
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SoapBox Make your voice heard in Flock coversation Imagine five years from now, on one of those special winter evenings, following dinner with a loved one, ambling down Main Avenue with the snow falling lightly. You find yourself underneath the bright lights of our big Buckley Park tree. Caught up in the moment, you begin to sway, dance, twirl around in body, mind or spirit. You’ll be glad to know… the police are watching you. Now, this may not be our reality today, but it’s not a far stretch to claim that’s where we’re headed. For the sake of recovering a few stolen cars, the city conducts complete and utter surveillance of our residents, soon to be in even their most private of moments (think Buckley Park). However, despite the gravity of this situation, our elected officials and Police Department remain the only voices in this conversation. What gives? Instead of heeding the chilling reports that AI could literally kill us all, the City of Durango continues to invest, while its residents beg for the opposite. Council, please listen to us. We don’t want the cameras. At the Nov. 3 Council meeting, either include a warrant requirement to search the Flock database or drop the cameras entirely. We’re watching! – Alex Whittow, Durango
D-Toon/by Rob Pudim tors. I wonder whether you understand the problems with La Plata County’s ADU well-testing requirements and the water, money and time they waste. I reached out repeatedly, offering to discuss these concerns privately or on my podcast. You said you would, then ghosted me. All you had to do was show up and give me reasonable answers. I wanted to hear them. Now I wonder why your party is pouring so much money into your race. What should Southwest Colorado expect if you win another term? Naomi Riess leaves me with no such questions. She’s the Energizer: show up, get it done, meet everybody, answer the questions. Completely unafraid. She met my wife and me for lunch, talked with us at church, visited a Durango drilling site and joined my “Guru, Movers & Shakers” podcast. She listened, answered questions and shared her experience. I’ve learned so much from her. During our interview, I kept thinking: “Where have you been all my life?” We need someone who understands our communities and makes time for the people asking questions. Showing up matters. Answering matters. Experience matters. I don’t want to wonder whether my representative will listen. It’s no wonder I’m voting for Naomi Riess. I encourage you to join me. – Joel Hellwege, Pagosa Springs
Wondering where Katie Mall should bring Stewart’s been community benefits Katie Stewart’s Wonder Woman ads make me smile. Katie, you are Wonder Woman, because as your House District 59 constituent, I wonder where you’ve been the past two years. As a well driller, I wonder what you’ve done to help fund well inspec-
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How many times have you driven past the Durango Mall and thought, “What a waste of space... imagine what else could this be?” Now that a developer has requested public financing to redevelop the mall,
we actually have a say. Rather than another generic, commercial strip mall, we could create a vibrant community space filled with local food, independent businesses and gathering spots that reflect Southwest Colorado’s unique character. So, how do we ensure this project delivers true public benefit? The answer sits right on our plates in the La Plata County Food System Plan. We don’t need another mega grocery chain. Durango already has diverse grocery options, from Durango Natural Foods Co-op, Sunnyside Farms Market and Nature’s Oasis to City Market, Albertsons and Walmart. What we do
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need are affordable spaces for entrepreneurs, shared commercial kitchens, a bigger food co-op, and a central hub where local farmers and ranchers can store food bound for our schools, restaurants and grocers. Dedicating space to local food enterprises keeps our dollars circulating within the community while giving small businesses a fighting chance in Durango’s brutal real estate market. As City leaders and the Urban Renewal Authority Board negotiate terms for this project, there is an important opportunity to ask what lasting benefits this investment should deliver. The
Food System Plan offers a valuable starting point. Let’s use this rare opportunity to transform an underutilized property into a destination that reflects Durango’s character, meets community needs and creates lasting benefits for future generations! – Lauren Ames, food security director, Good Food Collective
Vote no on dark money 82 & 83 The Sierra Club recommends that you oppose Amendments 82, the Right to Purchase and Sell Natural Gas, and 83, the Right to Hunt and Fish. Both are unnecessary and misleading. Buying and selling gas for cooking and heating is already legal in Colorado as is the right to hunt and fish. The current law in Colorado explicitly states, “The state shall utilize hunting, trapping and fishing as primary methods of effecting necessary wildlife management.” Amendment 83 is supported by out-of-state special interests, including the Safari Club International and International Order of T, Roosevelt, which paid millions of dollars for paid signature gatherers to get the amendment on the ballot. Advance Colorado, a fringe dark money group with a war agenda, is behind 83. The amendment would make a permanent change to the state’s Constitution and has vague language designed to lock out Colorado voters and CPW biologists. The amendment language states use of “traditional,” methods which can include cruel and inhumane steel-jawed traps, snares, baiting and hounding of bears during the spring bear hunt, and dynamiting of fish, which Coloradans and CPW
have banned over the years. In 1996, Colorado voters passed A14 which banned cruel leghold traps, bone-crushing traps, poisons and snares. Amendment 83 would be permanent and has nothing to do with ethical hunting or science-based wildlife management, as we have thru CPW. If 83 is locked into the Constitution, voters, the Legislature and wildlife experts would be helpless to stop cruel practices that cause extreme suffering, orphan young animals and go against fair chase. Eighty-three would hamstring biologists and regulators such as CPW to respond quickly to emerging issues like disease outbreaks, protection of endangered species, invasive species or human wildlife conflicts. This would cause a taxpayer nightmare of never-ending litigation. Vote No on 83. Regarding 82, we have protections from gas explosions and limits on how much people can be charged for gas infrastructure, and distance and requirements for fracking. These things are under threat with a measure like this, which would permanently lock a special right for industry. The Council for Responsible Energy opposes Amendment 82 and has no relationship to Advance Colorado, the group behind this amendment, as well as nine more of the 14 amendments. Eighty-two will create a monopoly on who has the right to sell gas, which they can use to justify raising your bills to pay for new pipelines and hookups that may serve massive new data centers. – Margaret Ann Mayer, conservation lead, SWCO Sierra Club group, Durango
“11,000 cfs” Animas in flood Autumn is the new run-off Rainpack not snowpack! – Karen Carver, Durango
Tax on software burdensome I use software for work and everyday life. Small businesses use it for bookkeeping, invoicing and scheduling. Starting in 2027, many of those purchases will face Colorado sales tax because of representatives like Rep. Katie Stewart! She voted yes on HB26-1223. Everyone who buys this software pays the tax. The bill offers a credit to some families with children under 17, but they must qualify and claim it on their state tax return. What a pain! What if I don’t have children, or my income is too high to qualify (the state hasn’t even announced the final income cutoff for 2027 yet)? I’ll still pay the software tax and get no credit. Small businesses may face higher costs, too, and they could pass those costs on to their customers. How does that make life more affordable? I’m tired of hearing legislators talk about affordability while they keep adding taxes and fees. Colorado’s Democratic Legislature needs to tighten its belt instead of asking Coloradans to keep paying more. When does it stop? When we vote them out. Wake up, Colorado. It’s time for real change. – Ryan Patterson, Durango
Name that local First one to answer correctly wins a free hot dog.
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Oct. 29, 2026 n 7
TheLandDesk
Formidable at nearly any level, the Santa Rita hole was especially onerous on Fri., Oct. 23, when the Animas River flooded its banks and peaked at 11,200 cfs. The flow was the fifth-largest ever recorded and the biggest since 1970./Courtesy photo
Yep, it was a big one As rivers recede, assessing the historical impact of last week’s Four Corners flood by Jonathan P. Thompson
W
atching the streamflow gages for Four Corners area rivers has been astounding; seeing the images of the destruction wrought by the high waters is heart-rending. As of midday Monday, the rains had mostly moved on, and streamflows were continuing to drop in most areas, but the San Juan River was still running strong at 39,000 cubic feet per second (the peak for this storm system was 41,600 cfs). Meanwhile, hundreds of people were only beginning to recover from the flooding, which not only soaked homes and businesses, but also damaged infrastructure – including sewage treatment facilities – sending contaminated water downstream.
8 n Oct. 29, 2026
The rains had no more mercy on the other side of the Great Divide, where the Rio Grande and its tributaries have also flooded communities and infrastructure. The South Fork of the Rio Grande rumbled through the Fun Valley RV resort before making its way into streets and homes of nearby communities, including Del Norte. On Monday, flows were still rising at the USGS gage near Cerro, N.M., upstream from the Taos Gorge, indicating that the brunt of the stream surge has not yet reached riverside communities such as Embudo or Española. National and regional news outlets – along with social media weather chasers – are all over the flooding and the damage it wrought. However, the bigger outlets haven’t deeply covered the
widespread impacts on the Navajo Nation, where even heavy rains, without any actual flooding, can muck up roads and transportation for days, stranding people in remote areas. For that coverage, I’d urge you to check out the extensive reporting at the Navajo Times. As for the Land Desk, I’m just trying to get a handle on how these high streamflows fit into the historical context. It’s not easy, in part because there’s a lot of erroneous information floating around, but also because a lot of the streamflow gages were knocked offline before their respective streams hit their peaks. And then there’s the lack of consistent measurements and record-keeping over time. Even so, some of the numbers are mind-blowing. Take the Piedra River,
telegraph
which runs into the San Juan on the north end of Navajo Reservoir. It reached 17,000 cfs at the USGS gage near its mouth at Arboles then went offline, though it appears that it didn’t rise much higher. Peak streamflow records on this gage only go back to 1964, but still, this year’s flow was more than twice that of the second highest, which came during the flood of September 1970. The San Juan River in Pagosa flooded just over a year ago after a huge storm pounded the San Juan Mountains, setting the third highest streamflow on record (eclipsed by the 1911 flood). This year’s flows were even higher and slipped into the third-place spot. Downstream from there, the San Juan River at Carracas (just upstream from
Navajo Reservoir) was raging at 13,000 cfs when it went offline Thurs., Oct. 22 (compared to 9,750 cfs in 1970). Combine that with the Piedra flows, and you have at least 30,000 cfs pouring into the reservoir, causing its surface level to shoot up more than 20 feet. Luckily, the reservoir had plenty of room following the dry summer, meaning it could hold most of it back. Had the dam not been there, the downstream flows would have been far larger and far more destructive. I’ve heard a few news reports say that the San Juan River at Farmington reached the highest levels on record since 1909. I can’t find any evidence that that’s true. Although this gage went offline, a field measurement taken Oct. 23 at or near the peak was 33,100 cfs. This is still lower than was measured in 1927 and 1929. Estimates for the 1911 Flood are far higher than that, and in 1916, USGS hydrologists roughly estimated a 150,000 cfs flow around Shiprock). Had Navajo Dam not held back that 30,000+ cfs from the San Juan and the Piedra, the flow here very well could have been close to a record high. Contributing to the Farmington gage’s flow is the Animas River, a San Juan Tributary. It got huge but didn’t quite exceed the September 1970 flood’s streamflow. Measured flows in Oct. 1911 (water year 1912), 1927 and 1949 also exceeded this year’s flow. After Farmington, the San Juan River continues to receive waters from multiple tributaries, including: La Plata River, Shumway Arroyo, Deadman’s Wash, Shiprock Wash and the Mancos River – all swollen by rains. So by the time it reached the gage at Four Corners, it was running a whopping 54,100 cfs on the night of Sat., Oct. 24. Records on this gage only go back to 1988, so there’s
An aerial shot of the flooding in Farmington. The San Juan River peaked at 33,100 cfs there on Oct. 23./Photo by San Juan County Sheriff’s Office
Source: Land Desk chart using USGS data not adequate historical context for a good comparison. But it’s indisputably a huge amount of water and set off alarm bells downstream in Aneth and Montezuma Creek, Bluff and Mexican Hat, Utah. Past the Four Corners gage, this veritable wall of water was supplemented by McElmo Creek (which peaked during the storm at a very large 1,590 cfs), Montezuma Creek and Recapture Creek before reaching Bluff. After breaching a wastewater storage pond for the town of Montezuma Creek, the waters continued onward, spreading out in the floodplain near St. Christopher’s Mission east of Bluff, inundating fields and homes, and then moving into Bluff’s fringe, where it also affected structures. In a Facebook post, Bluff Mayor Josh Ewing estimated that 17 homes and three businesses had extensive damage. Downstream from Bluff, more tributaries add even more to the San Juan monster: Cottonwood, Comb and Chinle washes and Lime Creek. However, by the time that pulse of upstream flows had reached this area, the rains had subsided along with those arroyos’ flows. So
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the USGS gage “near Bluff” – which is actually located at Mexican Hat – ended up peaking at 41,600 cfs on Monday at about 10:30 a.m. That actually puts this year’s peak (water year 2027) at fifth place since 1915. There was no gage here during the 1911 flood, but a USGS paleo-flood investigation concluded that the river that year reached about 150,000 cfs. All of this is good for Lake Powell, of course. After reaching a record low of about 3,516 feet in mid-September, the reservoir’s surface elevation has jumped by 11 feet, to 3,527 feet, and will surely rise more as this San Juan River pulse reaches it. Whether this is just a temporary respite, or a more long-term salve for the Colorado River crisis depends on whether this El Niño-influenced moisture burst will continue into winter and transform from rain into the mountain snowpack on which it relies. 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 ■
Oct. 29, 2026 n 9
StufftoDo
Thursday29 Cribbage, 8-10 a.m., Just the Drip Coffee Shop, 1600 Florida Rd. Elmore’s Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Florida Grange, 656 CR 172 Kiwanis Club of Durango Meeting, 12 noon-1 p.m., TBK Bank, 259 W 9th St. Shane Finn plays, 4-6 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St.
Submit items for “Stuff to Do” by Monday at noon at: www.durangotelegraph.com/send-us-your-stuff-to-do/
Herstory Printmaking Collective and talk, 4:30-6 p.m., FLC Center of Southwest Studies Lyceum Supporting Healthy Immunity with Mushrooms, Herbs and Foods, 5-6:30 p.m., Cancer Support Community SW Colorado, 1701 Main Ave., Ste. C Durango Green Drinks, 5-7 p.m., 11th St. Station, 1101 Main Ave. Dart Tournament, 5:30-9 p.m., Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave. Holocaust Awareness Presentation, 6 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 419 San Juan Drive Rob Webster plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. Gary Watkins plays, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Terry Rickard plays, 6-9 p.m., 11th St. Station, 1101 Main Ave.
Adult 21+ Murder and Mocktails, 6-7:30 p.m., Durango Recreation Center, 2700 Main Ave.
Meditations on Compassion 4-5 p.m., Dreams of Tibet, 988 Main Ave.
Yes No Maybe plays, 6-9 p.m., Fenceline Cidery, 141 Main Ave., Mancos
Children’s Halloween, 4-6 p.m., downtown
Larry Carver & Friends play, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Dustin Burley plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. “The Unhappiest Place on Earth” haunted house, 6-10 p.m., Elks Lodge, 901 E. 2nd Ave. FLC Choir Concert, 7 p.m., Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College “Witching Hour Halloween” Maddy O’Neal, DEV, n00nz - Night One, doors 7 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E College Dr. Rocky Horror on Stage, 7:30 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. Halloween Extravaganza Night #1 with Yope & Desert Child, doors 8 p.m., The Subterrain, 900 Main Ave., Ste. F Tyler Simmons plays, 8-11 p.m., 11th St. Station, 1101 Main Ave.
Saturday31 Bayfield Farmers Market, 8 a.m.-12 noon, Pine Valley Church, 1328 CR 501 Durango Farmers Market Trick or Treat, 9 a.m.-12 noon, TBK Parking Lot, 259 W. 9th St.
Stand-Up Comedy Halloween Special: Caro Gomez’s Irreverent Clown Show, doors 6:30 p.m., Black Heron Lounge, 736 Main Ave.
Animas Museum Halloween Open House, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Animas Museum, 3065 W 2nd Ave.
Bluegrass Jam, 6:30-9 p.m., Durango Beer and Ice, 3000 Main Ave.
Haunted By Horsepower costume contest and party, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Fun Center, 29603 Hwy 160 E
Rocky Horror on Stage, 7:30 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.
Halloween Party, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Durango Harley-Davidson, 750 S. Camino Del Rio
Friday30
Halloween Family Movie Night featuring “Casper” (1995), 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Earlybird Toastmasters , 7-8:30 a.m., Center for Innovation, 835 Main Ave., Ste. 225 Veterans Morning Coffee, 8-10:30 a.m., American Legion, 878 E. 2nd Ave. Veterans Hot Dog Friday, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., American Legion, 878 E. 2nd Ave.
Three Springs Fall Festival, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Three Springs Plaza, 151 Heritage Ln. EsoTerra Halloween Party, 12 noon-9 p.m., EsoTerra Arboretum, 270 CR 303 Thrift or Treat, 12 noon-3 p.m., La Plata County Humane Society Thrift Store, 1111 S. Camino del Rio
Citizens’ Climate Lobby screens “Secrets of the Forest,” 5:30-7:30 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Presentation on Amendment 83, 2-3 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Pete Giuliani plays, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Barons Creek Vineyards Tasting Room, 901 Main Ave.
Pop-Up Haunted House, 2-5 p.m., Durango Recreation Center, 2700 Main Ave.
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Halloween at St. Mark’s, 5-8 p.m., St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 910 E. 3rd Ave. Adam Swanson plays, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Matt Rupnow plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. Mountain Honey plays, 6-9 p.m., 11th St. Station, 1101 Main Ave. “The Unhappiest Place on Earth” Haunted House, 6-10 p.m., Elks Lodge, 901 E. 2nd Ave. “Witching Hour Halloween” Maddy O’Neal, Disco Baby, Spark Madden - Night Two, doors 7 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Dr. Rocky Horror on Stage, 7:30 & 10 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. Halloween Extravaganza Night #2 with Desert Child & Yope, doors 8 p.m., The Subterrain, 900 Main Ave., Ste. F Halloween with DJ Duo Goth Bats, 10-11:30 p.m., 11th Street Station, 1101 Main Ave.
Sunday01 Durango Flea Market, 8 a.m.-3 p.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds Showcase of Bob Ross-inspired landscape paintings, 9-11 a.m., VFW, 1550 Main Ave. Veterans Benefit Breakfast, 9-11 a.m., VFW Post 4031, 1550 Main Ave. Raising Relations: Native American Heritage Month Kickoff, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Buckley Park Sunday Record Brunch Club, 12 noon-3 p.m., 11th St. Station, 1101 Main Ave. Sunday Irish Jams, 12:30-3 p.m., Durango Beer and Ice, 3000 Main Ave. Laney’s Luncheon SASO Benefit, 1-4 p.m., PRIMI Pasta & Wine Bar, 1201 Main Ave. Ben Gibson plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. Blue Moon Ramblers play, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Monday02 Happy Hour Yoga, 5:30 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St.
AskRachel
Halloween hacks, sage advice and political garbage Interesting fact: The tragedy of the commons is where one person can act in self-interest without hurting anyone, but many people acting in self-interest hurts everyone. It’s also going to a Halloween party wearing the same costume as too many other people. Dear Rachel, Halloween costumes around here are big pressure. I generally work really well under pressure. But there’s pressure, and then there’s trying to assemble a good-enough costume with mere days to go. Considering I’ll have a copy of the Telegraph and some scotch tape to work with, what amazing last-minute costume ideas can you help me out with? – In Cognito Dear Masked Menace, Remember that Curious George book where he makes a whole armada of newspaper boats? Take your issue of the Telegraph and fold yourself a fleet of ’em. Bonus points if you go out with a friend dressed like a monkey, and another friend as the Man in the Yellow Hat. One other idea: bundle up a bunch of back issues (not this week’s, please) and go as our captain, Missy, on a Thursday delivery run. – Boo, Rachel
Dear Rachel, There’s this sage plant we walk by all the time, and it’s beautiful. My girlfriend wants to cut off a piece to stick in water and start her own plant. This feels a little like stealing. However, the plant is going to die back soon for winter, and it’s not like we’re stealing the entire plant. Is this ethical? – Green Bandit Dear Bandito Verde, I’m certain there’s a name for the phenomenon where one person helping themselves to a sprig of sage harms no one, but if everyone did that, there would be no sage left. That said, if you found a piece of sage just lying on the ground that SOMEONE cut and let fall, then really you’re just saving that cutting’s life. And who could fault you that? – Putting down roots, Rachel Dear Rachel, There has got to be a better use for all this political junk mail than fire starter (lighting glossy postcards can’t be good) or putting them in the recycling that probably goes to landfills. Could we create an art installation? Convert them into insulation for Habitat for Humanity? What do you think, there’s got to
Beer 101 Part One, 6-7:30 p.m., Durango. Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Terry Rickard plays, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Matt Lewis plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Tuesday Trivia, 6-8:30 p.m., 11th St. Station, 1101 Main Ave.
Jazz Church, 7:30-9:30 p.m., 11th St. Station, 1101 Main Ave.
Sean O’Brien plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Joel Racheff plays, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Wednesday04 Blood Drive, 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Elks Lodge, 901 E. 2nd Ave.
Tuesday03 Midday Music, 1 p.m., FLC Roshong Recital Hall Four Corners Free Mobile Health Clinic, 2-5:30 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave. “The Hyena and the Hare” Dogon culture from Mali, West Africa, 5:30 p.m., Deer Hill Meeting Place, 7850 Road 41, Mancos Durango Real Estate Meetup, 5:30 p.m., Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave. Rotary Club of Durango presents Durango Police Chief Brice Current, 6 p.m., Strater Hotel, 699 Main Ave. Book Club: “White Horse” by Erika T. Wurth, 67:30 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Meditations on Compassion, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Durango Dharma Center, 1800 E. 3rd Ave., Ste.109
Email Rachel at telegraph@durangotelegraph.com be something we can do to turn this garbage into making the world a better place. – High Flyer Dear Registered Voter This has to be the perfect Halloween costume: paper yourself in political ads. If you’re partying with intellectuals, you can go as the State of Democracy. If you’re partying with normies like me, you’re going as Your Mailbox. If you’re a kid, you can tell all the houses that you’ll give them $5,000 if they give you the good candy. If you fold them into little paper boats, you can go as the saddest Curious George ever. – Look out for papercuts, Rachel Christ the King Church, 495 Florida Rd. NFL Sunday Ticket Football, Sundays thru Jan. 10, 2027, 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m., VFW, 1550 Main Ave. Cheryl Berglund “A Decade of Color, Collage and Play,” thru Nov. 7, Durango Art Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.
Upcoming “Paucartambo: Inca River” and “Paucartambo: The Rest of the River,” 1985 and ‘86 expeditions of American kayakers attempting to run Peru’s unmapped Paucartambo River, Thurs., Nov. 5, 5:30 p.m., 4 Corners River Sports, 360 S. Camino del Rio
Word Honey: Free Poetry Workshop, 6-7:30 p.m., The Hive, 1175 Camino Del Rio
Spanish Conversation Hour, Thurs., Nov. 5, 5:306:30 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Donny Johnson plays, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Avalanche Awareness Class with Friends of the San Juans, Thurs., Nov. 5, 6 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Chuck Hank plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Ongoing Dementia/Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Group, 1st, 3rd & 5th Wednesday of each month, 10:30 a.m.-12 noon, La Plata Senior Center, 2424 Main Ave. Barbershop Singing Tryouts, Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m.,
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“Imagined Futures” artist talk with Tyrrell Tapaha, Thurs., Nov. 5, 6-7:30 p.m., FLC Center of Southwest Studies First Friday Artist Social, Fri., Nov. 6, 5 p.m., The ArtRoom Collective, Smiley Building, 1309 E. 3rd Ave. “Be My Icon” group exhibition artist reception, Fri., Nov. 6, 5-8 p.m., Blue Rain Gallery, 934 Main Ave. Oct. 29, 2026 n 13
FreeWillAstrology by Rob Brezsny ARIES (March 21-April 19): For centuries, Japanese craftspeople have cultivated an ethos called shokunin kishitsu: a devotion to skilled work, lifelong learning, and continual refinement. The pursuit of perfection is less about reaching a final state than about bringing ever greater care and precision to the work. In traditional carpentry, this can mean years of learning to make joints whose quality resides in their strength and durability even though no customer will ever notice. I suggest you try out this attitude, Aries. Pour extra focus into details, regardless of whether anyone will applaud them. For Halloween, be a blacksmith, artisan, or eccentric inventor. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): How do the oldest trees live for so many years? What’s their secret to longevity? They’re very adaptable. During storms, they bend without breaking. During droughts, they slow down their growth. Cultivating alliances with fungi is one of their brilliant tactics. You’re in an opportune phase to favor this approach to strength and endurance, Taurus. Here’s what I propose: Weave gleaming strands of buoyant resilience into your fervent willpower. Experiment with yielding strategically rather than resisting reflexively. Boost your soulful power through flexibility and adaptability. For Halloween, be an ancient oak tree, forest guardian, or mushroom spirit. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): When archaeologists unearth artifacts, they never find a complete civilization in one dramatic moment. Each object or bone fragment helps explain another. A piece of pottery illuminates the meaning of an inscription. A broken staircase reveals why buildings were constructed as they were. Through educated guesswork and chains of association, knowledge accumulates. I invite you to wield your curiosity in the same way. Treasure the sequence of discoveries that gradually reshape your understanding. Have eager faith that every clue will lead you to further clues. For Halloween, be an archaeologist, paleontologist or investigator of crime scenes. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Researchers have found that play remains essential to wolves throughout their lives. Mature wolves wrestle, chase and invent games that strengthen trust and cooperation. They never graduate from joyful experimentation. I hope their friskiness inspires you to remember that serious responsibilities don’t require a terminally serious personality. That’s especially crucial to keep in mind now.
Bring maximum amounts of playful intelligence into everything you value. Laugh during challenging conversations. Invent rituals that nobody else would think of. Observe the true rule: Amused delight generates an atmosphere where meaningful work may become exceptional. For Halloween, be a playful wolf. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Peacocks’ extravagant feathers are beautiful displays that also communicate health, vitality and genetic resilience. They’re excellent role models for you. You should never apologize for expressing your charisma with style and flair. As long as your outer brilliance reflects inner vitality, your radiance will nourish rather than intimidate others. Authentic glamour is a public service. For Halloween, be a sun deity, lion monarch or glamorous ringmaster. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “Dear Oracle: I am obsessed with improving things. I tinker with systems that already work fine. I wake at 3 a.m. and catalog details I could have done better. My results are never ultimate enough. Please offer tips to help me find rest. — Drooping Purist.” Dear Drooping: Autumn is your teacher. The harvest is in; the fields are meant to lie fallow. Nothing more can be improved by force. Growth happens underground, invisibly. In that spirit, I invite you to practice the radical art of leaving at least one thing gloriously alone so it can work its magic outside the reach of your conscious awareness. For Halloween, be a scarecrow who stands serenely watching over everything, accomplishing its purpose by being present. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): If you’ve spent years regretting the moment a friend took credit for your best idea, that sting may finally lose its hold on you. If an opportunity you earned was handed to someone else, you may soon receive recognition in a form you never anticipated. And if an ancient family legend claims you were doomed to repeat the same mistake forever, you can now break that pattern. The days ahead favor overdue adjustments. Watch for turns of fortune that don’t erase what happened but change what it means, and what becomes possible. For Halloween, be an exorcist. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): This is your high holy season, Scorpio, which also happens to be the time when the veil is thinnest between this world and the other world. Others find this eerie, but you’ve always been at home here. You know how to explore the deepest depths, how to abide with what’s buried and hidden, and how to find treasure in the dark. In the coming weeks, your natural power to perceive what’s
concealed will be amplified. For Halloween, be a psychopomp: a keeper of the threshold, a soul-guide who walks comfortably between the living and the dead. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Early balloonists had little control over the direction of their flights. They couldn’t steer horizontally. But they found that changing altitude allowed them to catch different winds moving in different directions. The smartest way to change course was to rise or descend. Keep that image close. If you can’t alter external circumstances, shift your perspective or your environment. A new current may be waiting higher or lower than where you’ve been drifting. For Halloween, be a hot-air balloon pilot, comet rider, sky pirate or bird god. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Life must both perpetuate itself and surpass itself. Capricorn philosopher Simone de Beauvoir said that. We need continuity, but we also need transcendence. This beautifully encapsulates your assignment in coming months. Your job will be to continue honoring the commitments that anchor your life while also making room for an exhilarating experiment or two. Make stability your launching pad rather than your destination. For Halloween, be the person you will be three years from now. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Inventors often describe breakthroughs arriving after weeks or months of seemingly unproductive tinkering. Clearly, their subconscious minds kept working on the puzzles even while their conscious minds felt frustrated. Eventually, a fresh arrangement appeared as if by magic. I suspect you’re approaching a threshold like that. Your experiments have been subliminally educating your intuition. The solution that’s searching for you may be cleverer than the one you’ve been searching for. For Halloween, be a time traveler or eccentric professor. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Travelers crossing dark marshes on foot may report eerie, flickering lights hovering over the bog. Science explains these as gases from decaying matter that ignites in the night air. Folklore provides other theories: They’re spirit-lanterns, fairy lights, the lamps of the dead or beckoning wanderers. I believe you’re in a similar liminal zone these days. Science and magic are both at work. Truth may take the form of both inexplicable mystery and fascinating anomalies that light your way. Be open to both! For Halloween, be a will-o’-the-wisp made flesh: a glowing spirit of the marsh draped in mist and lantern-light, beautiful and uncanny. Our Lo Losing health heal th ins nsur urance? ce? service is Getting kicked Get cked off Med Medica caid? d? FREE! Turning 65 / Enr Turn nroll olling in Med Medica care? e?
2855 Main Ave., Suite A102 www.jayshortinsurance.com
14 n Oct. 29, 2026
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Call or text Merida or Forrest: 970-382-8147
classifieds
Deadline for Telegraph classified ads is Tuesday at noon. Ads are a bargain at 10 cents a character with a $10 minimum. Prepayment is required via cash, credit card or check. (Sorry, no refunds or substitutions.)
Ads can be submitted by emailing: classifieds@ durangotelegraph.com Announcements Notice of Public Sale to enforce self-service storage facility lien. “Personal Property,” stored at Unit C33 of The Animas Mini Storage at 20995 Highway 160, Durango, CO 81301, described as: bicycle & boxes/bins/bags of misc., which are stored under a Rental Agreement between The Animas Mini Storage and Thirteen Nebula, will be sold to the highest cash bidder unless all rents and fees are paid in full prior to the auction. Date and time of sale: October 31, 2026, at 9:30 AM. Terms of sale: Cash. Place of sale: The Animas Mini Storage, 20995 Highway 160, Durango, CO. All bidders must present a valid State-issued picture ID to place bids. Notice of Public Sale to enforce self-service storage facility lien. “Personal Property,” stored at Unit A30 of The Animas Mini Storage at 20995 Highway 160, Durango, CO 81301, described as: boxes of misc., which are stored under a Rental Agreement between The Animas Mini Storage and Jenyfer Rhinehart, will be sold to the highest cash bidder unless all rents and fees are paid in full prior to the auction. Date and time of sale: November 14, 2026, at 9:30 AM. Terms of sale: cash. Place of sale: The Animas Mini Storage, 20995 Highway 160, Durango, CO. All bidders must present a valid State-issued picture ID to place bids.
ForSale Loveseat and Sofa Microsuede brown couches. Asking $300 for both, or you can split them. Call 970-903-2149 for info. Reruns Home Furnishings Refresh your iiving spaces. Small fur-
niture and furnishings, rugs, kitchenwares, artwork and more! Also looking to consign. 572 E. 6th Ave. Open Mon.-Sat.
HaikuMovieReview
BodyWork
‘The Elephant Whisperers’ Forty minutes of sweet baby pachyderms and pretty landscapes – Lainie Maxson
Massage by Meg Bush 30, 60 & 90 min Meg Bush, LMT 970759-0199
OfficeforRent
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
CommunityService
Quiet Room for Rent in health care setting. Internet, beautiful views, deck, parking, W/D. 3750 Main Ave. $575/mo. Avail ASAP. Text 970.799.8670
Services
AmeriCorps Position Available Put your passion for community service to work at a nonprofit with deep roots in Southwest Colorado. Community Connections is seeking an AmeriCorps Member to strengthen Cybersecurity and AI Readiness from Dec. 7, 2026, through Aug. 13, 2027. In this role, you’ll help local organizations explore the impact of artificial intelligence while protecting private information—and you’ll collaborate with an innovative, service-oriented team
and community partners. AmeriCorps Members receive a living stipend, education funding, professional development, and access to a community of practice with fellow ACC Members. View the full position description and apply at https://bit.ly/lfa-cci. Local Energy Action Fund Grants La Plata Electric Association is accepting applications for its Local Energy Action Fund grant program supporting local projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide community benefit. Tax-exempt organizations located within LPEA’s service territory are eligible. Projects may include heat pumps, EV charging infrastructure, induction cooking equipment, energy efficiency improvements, solar installations and more. Applications open through Nov. 30. Learn more at LPEA.coop/LEAF.
New kid on the block? Electric Repair Roof, gutter cleaning, fence, floors,. walls, flood damage, mold, heating service Chapman Electric Professional, reliable repair and installation. Residential and commercial, new construction and remodels both big and small. Colorado licensed. Mike 970-4036670
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50% OFF one month of display ads* for new advertisers Ads start at just $80/week! Email for details: missy@durangotelegraph.com Oct. 29, 2026 n 15
16 n Oct. 29, 2026
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