Durango Telegraph - February 14, 2019

2 n Feb. 14, 2019

telegraph

lineup

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4 La Vida Local

Getting creative Local businesses, residents look at ways to diversify economy

4 Thumbin’ It

by Tracy Chamberlin

5 Word on the Street

12-13

6 ReTooned 6-7 Soapbox

Roll with it

Along for the ride at the 5th annual Silverton Whiteout photos by Stephen Eginoire

The Tellu ride

Durango has one, so does Tahoe, Santa Fe, Sedona and Tucson. And now, Telluride has joined the rarified ranks of mountainy towns with SUVs named after them.

Astute viewers of the Super Bowl who managed to stay awake during the commercials, may have noticed a spot for South Korean-based Kia Motors. The one-minute, 40-second commercial featured the Cinderella story of Kia’s Georgia plant, as narrated by a boy, meant to tug at the heartstrings. But naturally, Telluride locals were aghast when the 291-horsepower, eight-passenger, 2.2-ton Kia “Telluride” was trotted out.

11 Mountain Town News 12-13 Day in the Life

14

Ear to the ground: “About the only thing they cleaned out were my pockets.”

– Synopsis of a recent visit from roto-rooter

thepole

RegularOccurrences

The Telluride, on location in ... California.

16 Good Eats

Grab your seats 14th annual DIFF kicks off Feb. 27 with more than 100 offerings

17 Top Shelf

by Missy Votel

18-20 On the Town

15

20 Ask Rachel

Betty Flopper Confessions of a baking dropout & how to bake while high (altitude)

21 Free Will Astrology

by Donna Hewet

22 Classifieds

17

22 Haiku Movie Review

Stringing along

On the cover: Chris Trimble gets ready to drop in above Corkscrew Pass, near Silverton./ Photo by Stephen Eginoire

Heartstrings, infamous strings and the best pub concert you’ve been to

by Chris Aaland

boilerplate

EDITORIALISTA: Missy Votel (missy@durangotelegraph.com) ADVERTISING AFICIONADO: Lainie Maxson (lainie@durangotelegraph.com) RESIDENT FORMULA ONE FAN: Tracy Chamberlin (tracy@durangotelegraph.com)

T

he Durango Telegraph publishes every Thursday, come hell, high water, beckoning singletrack or monster powder days. We are wholly owned and operated independently by the Durango Telegraph

STAR-STUDDED CAST: Lainie Maxson, Chris Aaland, Clint Reid, Stephen Eginoire, Jesse Anderson, Ari LeVaux, David Feela, Tracy Chamberlin, Donna Hewett and Shan Wells

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We’re only human. If, by chance, we defame someone’s good name or that of their family, neighbor, best

friend or dog, we will accept full responsibility in a public flogging in the following week’s issue.

Although “free but not easy,” we can be plied with schwa, booze and flattery.

PHONE: 970.259.0133

telegraph

“That was gross,” quipped one local on Facebook, according to the Telluride Daily Planet.

“That sucked” chimed in another.

Opined yet one more: “Dumbest name ever!”

The commercial made waves nationally as well, literally, when it showed the Telluride – name emblazoned in block letters across the back – charging across a stream. Cynics pointed out the absurdity of such a stunt – no stock vehicle can do this without stalling. (On Kia’s behalf, it did issue a “DO NOT ATTEMPT” warning in extremely fine print.)

But not all were filled with horror and disgust.

One local dubbed it the “Best entertainment in (the) Super Bowl,” and another wondered if, like the denizens of its namesake, the Telluride came with a built-in vaporizer.

Alas, if the town was hoping to get royalties from the ad to fix its potholes, as one local wondered, they’re in for a bumpy road. Michael Martelon, of the Telluride Tourism Board, told the Daily Planet, that unfortunately, geographical locations cannot be trademarked.

James Hope, manager of communications for Kia America, told the Planet, “The basic idea was to design an SUV whose purpose would be driving to a ski resort, that the owners .. would need to haul their friends and all their gear to the mountains and would need 4WD,” he said. The car’s designer looked at a map of ski resorts to research names and talked to a cousin in Crested Butte.

“That’s how he came across Telluride … he loved the fact that the word ‘ride’ is part of it,” Hope said.

The vehicle will hit showrooms – and Carhenge and Coonskin lots – next year. It also comes with a Telluridesque price tag, topping out at $47,000. Telluridians will get a sneak peek when the SUVs prowl the town in mid-March during a special press preview. Alas, Kia either blew its wad on the $15 million Super Bowl spot, or even Telluride is too expensive for its automotive namesake. The unveiling will be down valley in the decidedly less glitzy locale of Gateway.

And Crested Butte, your day is coming.

Feb. 14, 2019 n

3

opinion

LaVidaLocal The ring of truth The gemstone glittered like a handheld star, its opal on fire with a radiance pulsing from within. I found a box to fit such a tiny present, and I’d even sliced a piece of foam rubber with my pocket knife to fit the box, so the ring would perch inside it just like a professional jeweler might have had it displayed in the store, all this without a jeweler’s price tag.

Then I sketched my own greeting card with primitive stick figures and crafted a pun-nishingly romantic sentiment to fit under the drawing. I was new to this writing business and our marriage still qualified as being in its formative years, but I am happy to report the tradition of giving a tacky card has persisted now for over 40 Valentine’s days. The year of the ring likely wasn’t our first one. It might have been number two or four. I’m not sure.

Let’s just say somewhere during that awkward period of time when we were both “in love” but still trying to figure out why. I certainly don’t remember what I wrote, but I know the stick figures were naked and doing something slightly obscene, a style received so well the first time I tried it, it too has become a tradition.

Over the years, she saved the cards in a shoebox she hides away, let’s just say in a place I hope no one else ever discovers. And don’t ask her where.

She has sworn an oath to me that if I die first, she’ll destroy the whole lot.

Should she go first, I will toss them on the pyre even before I nudge her casket in.

One other detail about this early romance I was hesitant to mention at the time: I’d found the ring in a urinal at the high school where I taught English. Some teen-ager, I presume, had broken up with his girlfriend and tossed it there in disgust, a fairly expensive but apparently disposable token of their love. I finished, flushed and lifted it out with a toothpick. I couldn’t believe my luck! And if you can’t go on reading let me add this one detail.

Without delay, I threw the toothpick away.

“This is beautiful!” was the first thing she said upon opening the present.

“Where ever did you find it?” was the second thing.

I still believe that love should be grounded in honesty, but back then as she slipped the ring onto her finger, a hundred lies lined up in my head like mercenary soldiers, ready to storm love’s citadel. They were

simply waiting for orders.

“Would you believe I found it?”

She nodded. I was, after all, the same guy who picks up aluminum cans from the ditch and crushes them for recycling, buys his clothing at thrift stores, has never purchased a new car, and carefully opens packages he receives so as to reuse the original wrapping paper or carton. I’m also the guy who once strapped a three-drawer dresser (missing one drawer) he’d found beside an alley dumpster to the back of his 750cc Kawasaki and hauled it home to Cortez, all the way from Durango. What could be that unusual about finding a ring?

I hoped she’d just accept it as another found thing, one of the mysteries of love. Nobody should have to understand love as if it were a science. There are no proofs, only hypotheses. Every day is a further investigation.

“Unbelievable,” she replied.

I pictured myself at that moment as a modern-day Chaucer, narrating the urinal’s tale, while we pilgrimaged down a muddy lane. Not a pretty picture. But if the public could see what Valentine’s Day looks like at any public high school, parents would lock their children up. It’s really part farce, part drama, but mostly pure desire mixed with a scrap of disappointment. The secretaries’ office from opening to closing bell is crammed with floral deliveries, cards, candy and stuffed animals, all waiting to be received by anxious and impressionable hearts.

At least one boy at the high school where I worked would not be having a happy Valentine’s Day. His identity and his melancholy story, due to more than sanitary circumstances, have been hidden from me, which is likely what he prefers.

I could have, maybe should have, let the question of “where ever did you find it?” go, buried the entire provenance under a metaphorical bushel basket, moved on toward an immediate and passionate embrace, but I decided to use the same approach which has served me for over four decades: truth.

“OK,” I said, “perhaps there’s something you should know before you get too attached to the ring.”

“Is it a long story?”

“Yes, and a dirty one at that.”

This Week’s Sign of the Downfall:

Thumbin’It The Senate passing a sweeping, bi-partisan lands bill this week, which protects millions of acres of public lands, including sensitive areas in Southern Utah, and permanently reauthorizes the Land and Water Conservation Fund

NASA and the NOAA offering sober news despite this winter’s bitter cold snaps, that the last five years have been the warmest five years in the history of accurate measurement, which goes back more than a century

The Durango-La Plata County Airport moving ahead with a 12.5-acre expansion to make room for a new terminal, with the $3.9 million land purchase made through airport user fees and not general taxpayer funds

A step in the wrong direction for local clean energy prospects, with King II Coal Mine applying for a 20-year extension for its Hesperus-area mine

Local low-income residents spending thousands on fresh produce at the Durango Framers Market thanks to a Colorado nonprofit that has provided $12,000 in vouchers

4 n Feb. 14, 2019

– David Feela

Inhumane animal traps, mostly on public lands in New Mexico, responsible for the death or maiming of some 40 endangered Mexican gray wolves since 2002

telegraph

Not shitting you So … disposable, mitten-shaped moist wipes exist now, and they’re called “Shittens.” According to the advertising, they’re designed to “clean up feces” because “no one wants poop on their hands,” but I’m pretty sure this is a gag gift for two reasons.

For one, Shittens cost a buck apiece which wouldn’t make sense in the long run, and two, if you ate enough Taco Bell to require a wearable mitten in the bathroom, the heart attack would kill you before you sat down.

WordontheStreet With Valentine’s Day this week, the Telegraph asked, “What is your favorite love song?”

Q

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“Rick Astley’s ‘Never Gonna Give You Up.’”

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“‘Your Song,’

by Three Dog Night.”

Sarah Nordstrom

“Tchaikovsky’s ‘Romeo and Juliet.’”

Jeanie Eastwood

“I don’t listen to love songs.

There are better things to get excited about.”

Stephanie Japhet

“‘Blue River,’

by Elvis.” telegraph

Feb. 14, 2019 n 5

SoapBox

ReTooned/by Shan Wells

All not sunny with DMEA exit plan To the editor, As an electric “consumer-owner” of Delta-Montrose Electric Association I would like to comment on the situation between Tri-State and DMEA. There are several factors the management and board of DMEA is withholding from the public and our elected officials.

Kit Carson Elec. is the only rural electric association to back out of their agreement since Tri-State acquired ColoUte in 1992, and then later Plains Electric in 2007.

Shortly after Kit Carson exited the same agreement DMEA wants out of, Kit Carson had to file for, and received, a 21 percent increase in their rates. I understand Kit Carson is now in the process of filing for another 12 percent increase.

In 1992, in order for Tri-State to acquire the assets of the bankrupt Colo-Ute Elec. Assoc. and then again in 2007 to acquire the financially troubled Plains Elec., TriState was required to borrow millions of dollars. They needed a commitment from the member REAs’ in order to acquire these assets and provide reliable and affordable electricity. Hence the “contract.”

Guzman Energy is a power broker company. What they do is buy and sell power. My understanding is, they do not own one electric generating facility, either renewable or otherwise, and they do not own any power lines.

While badmouthing Tri-State’s clean coal generation, Guzman will turn around and buy the cheapest electricity they can buy, and then resell it as renewable energy.

Then the only way for DMEA to get power from Guzman will be to pay Tri-State to “wheel” the power over its transmission lines. Some of these power lines DMEA and several of the 44 co-ops turned over to Tri-State after the federal regulatory agency F.E.R.C. required that they be

maintained at a more reliable level in 2007. This is also an added cost and expense to Tri-State to maintain these high-voltage lines and large transformers that the REA’s did not want to take on. I know for a fact that Tri-State had to hire more people and purchase more equipment

to maintain these power lines that the REA’s didn’t want.

A large portion of Tri-State’s last rate increase was due to federal regulations and environmental cost. If DMEA exits the “contract,” they will have to adhere to many of the same regulations that Tri-State is currently under.4

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DMEA is falsely misleading people about renewable energy. I can’t help but wonder what will happen when we, as tax-paying citizens, stop subsidizing wind and solar generation at the rate of 50 percent or more.

DMEA has complained about Tri-State’s purchase of coal mines. Tri-State’s board, on which DMEA has a representative, decided to buy the Colo.-Wyo. mine solely to keep the cost of fuel constant and as low as possible for the long term. I hope these facts might help people to understand and maybe wonder like I do, why DMEA is the only REA out of 44 members that wants to back out of the contract they signed in 1992.

– Stan Hoover, Montrose, via e-mail

Do we really need billionaires?

To the editor, In 2018, Forbes identified 2,208 billionaires from 72 countries and territories. Collectively, this group was worth $9.1 trillion, an increase of 18 percent since the preceding year. Americans led the way with a record 585 billionaires, followed by mainland China which had a record 373. According to a Yahoo Finance report in November 2018, the wealth of U.S. billionaires increased by 12 percent during 2017, while that of Chinese billionaires grew by 39 percent.

These vast fortunes were created much like those amassed by the robber barons of the 19th century. The Walton family’s $163 billion grew rapidly because Walmart, the largest private employer in the United States, paid its workers poverty-level wages. Jeff Bezos (whose fortune jumped by $78.5 billion in one year to $160 billion, making him the richest man in the world), paid pathetically low wages at Amazon for years until forced by strikes and public pressure to raise them. In mid-2017, Warren Buffett ($75 billion), then the world’s second richest man, noted that “the real problem” with the U.S. economy was that it was “disproportionately rewarding the people on top.”

The situation is much the same elsewhere. Since the

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1980s, the share of national income going to workers has been dropping around the globe, exacerbating inequality in wealth. “The billionaire boom is … a symptom of a failing economic system,” remarked Winnie Byanyima, executive director of Oxfam International. “The people who make our clothes, assemble our phones and grow our food are being exploited.”

The concentration of wealth has produced rising levels of economic inequality around the globe. According to Oxfam, in 2017, some 3.7 billion people – about half the world’s population – experienced no increase in wealth. Instead, 82 percent of the global wealth generated went to the wealthiest 1 percent. In the United States, economic inequality continued to grow, with the share of the national income drawn by the poorest half of the population steadily declining. The situation was even starker in China.

Here, despite two decades of spectacular growth, economic inequality rose at the fastest pace, making China one of the most unequal countries on the planet.

It’s hard to understand why billionaires think they need such vast amounts of money. After all, they can eat, drink and consume only so much. What more can they desire?

When it comes to desires, the answer is: plenty! That’s why they drive $4 million Lamborghinis, acquire megamansions, take $80,000 “safaris,” purchase gold toothpicks, create closets the size of homes, reside in $15,000-a-night penthouse hotel suites, install luxury showers for their dogs, cover their staircases in gold, and build luxury survival bunkers. Donald Trump maintains a penthouse in Trump Tower that is reportedly worth $57 million and is marbled in gold. Among his many possessions are two private airplanes, three helicopters, five private residences, and 17 golf courses across the United States, Scotland, Ireland and the United Arab Emirates.

In addition, billionaires devote enormous energy and money to controlling governments. “They don’t put their wealth underneath their mattresses,” Sen. Bernie Sanders said, “they use that wealth to perpetuate their power. So

you have the Koch brothers and a handful of billionaires who pour hundreds of millions of dollars into elections.”

During the 2018 midterms, America’s billionaires lavished vast amounts of money on electoral politics, becoming the dominant funders of numerous candidates.

This big money has a major impact on American politics. Three billionaire families – the Kochs, Mercers and Adelsons – played a central role in bankrolling the Republican Party’s shift to the far Right and its takeover of federal and state offices. Thus, although polls indicate that most Americans favor raising taxes on the rich, regulating corporations, fighting climate change and supporting labor unions, the Republican-dominated White House, Congress, Supreme Court and regulatory agencies have moved in the opposite direction.

With so much at stake, billionaires even took direct command of the world’s three major powers. Trump became the first billionaire to capture the U.S. presidency, joining Russia President Vladmir Putin (reputed to have wealth of at least $70 billion), and China President Xi Jinping (estimated to have a net worth of $1.51 billion). The three quickly developed a cozy relationship and shared a number of policy positions, including encouragement of wealth acquisition and discouragement of human rights.

Admittedly, some billionaires have signed a “Giving Pledge,” promising to devote most of their wealth to philanthropy. Nevertheless, plutocratic philanthropy means that the priorities of the super-rich (for example, funding of private schools), rather than the priorities of the general public (such as funding of public schools), get implemented. Moreover, these same billionaires are accumulating wealth much faster than they donate it. Philanthropist Bill Gates was worth $54 billion in 2010, the year the pledge was announced, and his wealth stands at $90 billion today.

Overall, as wealth is concentrated in fewer and fewer hands, most people around the world are clearly the losers.

– Lawrence Wittner, professor of history, SUNY/Albany, for Peace Voices

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Feb. 14, 2019 n 7

TopStory The mural on the back side of Kroegers Hardware in downtown Durango is one of the ways Local First has been supporting local creative projects. These kinds of artistic endeavors are highlighted by other districts across the state./Photo

by Stephen Eginoire

Creative thinking Local First seeks new ways to drive economy as Creative District effort gains steam

by Tracy Chamberlin

T

he 416 Fire – which began June 1, 2018, and burned more than 55,000 acres north of Durango – revealed just how much the area depends on outdoor recreation and tourism to fuel the local economy.

But in the fire’s wake, local business leaders are rethinking this model.

“We don’t need to just rely on our tourists,” Kiki Hooton, program and membership director for Local First, said. “Durango has so many things to offer.”

In an effort to look at ways to diversify Durango’s economy and make it more resilient going forward, Local First is hosting a panel discussion at its annual membership meeting Thurs., Feb. 21, from 8:45-11 a.m. at the Durango Arts Center. The keynote presentation will be “Bouncing Back from the 416 Fire: Building a Strong and Diversified Economy.” The talk will feature a panel made up of representatives from the Durango Area Tourism Office, Business Improve District, City of Durango, local organizations, businesses and more.

Officials with Local First know there are other economic drivers of Durango’s economy because they’re tapping into a key resource already here – creativity.

The Creative Districts initiative is a statewide effort to highlight the unique quality of Colorado’s local creative com-

JusttheFacts The best way to get involved and stay informed with the Creative District initiative is to sign up for the newsletter at www.local-first.org/creativedistrict

Upcoming Creative District meetings What: Durango Creative District Branding Group When: 8-10 a.m., Wed., Feb. 20 Where: Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. More info: Designers and visual artists are needed to help brand the district. RSVP hayley@local-first.org What: Durango Creative Shared Vision Group When: 5:30-7:30 p.m., Wed., Feb. 27 Where: Durango Rec Center More info.: www.local-first.org/creativedistrict

Local First Annual meeting What: Local First membership meeting with a presentation on “Bouncing Back From the 416 Fire: Building a Strong and Diversified Economy” When: 8:45-11 a.m., Thurs., Feb. 21 Where: Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.

munities, promote economic activity and attract visitors.

Since it started in 2011, 21 creative districts have been created across the state, including in Mancos, Ridgway and Telluride.

These districts aren’t just expressed in traditional artistic pursuits, like art, music and acting. It also includes artisan products and services like brewers, manufacturers, coffee companies and chocolatiers.

Last summer, Local First began spearheading the efforts to create one in Durango. It started with the Creative District Steering Committee, which includes members from the City of Durango, Local First, Fort Lewis College and local businesses.

The first thing they tackled was coming together as a community and asking who wants to be involved, what the district logo might look like, who would manage the district, and what part of Durango would become the official Creative District.

Hooton and Hayley Kirkman, creative arts and special projects coordinator with Local First, said the map is one of the first things people want to know about the Creative District. The question they hear the most is, “What’s the boundary?”

The answer is, there isn’t one – at least not yet. One of the Creative District subcommittees, the Assets Committee, is focused on asking creative organizations, businesses and individuals to sign up to be a part of the district. 4

This is not fake news!

President’s Day Sale Feb. 15-24 20% OFF ALL clothing and winter wear including hats, scarves, gloves and more!

Bundle up, stay cozy and shop our winter sale!

Now located at 742 Main Ave., Durango

8 n Feb. 14, 2019

telegraph

Once they’ve got everyone on a map, the creative hub of this area just might reveal itself.

Even after the map is created, it doesn’t mean creative endeavors outside the lines won’t be a part of the creative voice of Durango. Most districts throughout Colorado aren’t limited by the map. Instead the official district serves as a hub for the community’s outreach efforts.

And, each district is different. Some are spearheaded by local governments, others by nonprofits. Some include artisan products, like the coffee and chocolate; while others focus on theatrical productions or live music.

Local First and the other 17 groups spearheading the stakeholder process are trying to find out where the community thinks this area’s creative heart lies and what a Creative District means in Durango.

“We’re in a yearlong process of deciding those pieces,” Hooton said.

The process began last summer, and the goal is to get many of the organizational issues settled by the fall.

All the processes, promotions and applications are handled by Colorado Creative Industries, a state-run organization under the umbrella of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade.

Once the organization feels a community has completed the stakeholder process and is ready to move forward, it is invited to apply to become a Creative District. Officially becoming a district doesn’t just open the door to Colorado Creative Industries, it opens the door to being a part of the Creative District community across the state.

Other districts have already played an important role in getting things started in Durango. Hooton and Hayley Kirkman, creative arts and special projects coordinator with Local First, said people involved with the creative districts in Mancos and Ridgway attended the first meeting in Durango, sharing their experiences and insight.

Having the Creative District moniker also opens doors to grant funding, marketing opportunities and other benefits to help a community promote its creative voices and offerings.

Businesses and individuals in Durango and across the

Get connected The goal – and challenge – of a Creative District is focusing all the unique and creative voices in Durango and framing those into a shared vision. The first step to framing that shared vision is reaching out to the community. Kiki Hooton, program and membership director for Local First, and Hayley Kirkman, creative arts and special projects coordinator, both said all the events and meetings associated with the Creative District initiative have been well attended. Most recently, the Creative Connection Hour hosted Feb. 6 (pictured right), drew about 50 attendees – and that was during a snowstorm that dropped 6 inches overnight. These Creative Connection Hours, which happen every other month, are opportunities for Durango’s creative voices to network, collaborate and share their stories. The next one happens April 3 at the Powerhouse Science Center.

To keep up with the latest Creative District news and events, sign up for the newsletter at www.local-first.org/creativedistrict.

Photo courtesy by Scott DW Smith

Southwest certainly benefit from tourism, but many believe it’s not the only key to economic health.

Hooton said it’s a combination of looking at Durango’s other assets and working to keep dollars local, which is what Local First is all about. “(We need to ask), what are other markets that we’re not filling?” Hooton said. “But also, how do we get locals spending their money here?”

Local First hosted two events last summer – the Let the Love Rain and Singles in Paradise campaigns – not only to raise funds for those affected by the 416 Fire, but also to get

telegraph

locals out in the community, spending money at local shops and supporting local businesses . It was neighbor helping neighbor that made the difference.

It was a reminder of how much it matters to keep it local. It was also a wake-up call that Durango needed to diversify its economy. This is where ideas like the creative districts come in.

“We already have so many creative people here,” Hooton said. “It’s really a marketing effort to bring people here, realize what talent is here and give a collective voice to that.” n

Feb. 14, 2019 n

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MountainTownNews Tahoe gets big dumps, but less forecast TRUCKEE, Calif. – Ski resorts of the Tahoe-Truckee area have been getting the kind of dumps for which they’ve long been known. One recent storm delivered more than 6 feet of snow, with another impending storm predicted to deliver 5-7 feet to areas above 7,000 feet.

Oh so different from the drought of recent years, when it was possible to walk into meadows in ordinary street shoes to record snow depths.

It’s also likely to be different again in the future. Not because of drought. But because the warming climate will produce less snow.

That was the conclusion of a study released by the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in November.

The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, predicted a 79 percent drop in peak snowpack water volume by 2100 in headwaters for 10 major reservoirs in California.

Alan Rhoades, a post-doctoral fellow and lead author of the study, said a community of models was analyzed. The models tend to disagree about mid-century climatic conditions. By 2100, they cohere that a dramatic decline in the snowpack of the Sierra Nevada will occur if greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase.

Researchers talked to water managers about what would be most useful for resource planning.

“Water managers are constantly competing between how much flood risk can they handle with reservoir storage and how much supply they can provide for urban and agricultural users,” Rhoades said.

California, like Colorado and most other Western states, depends on its mountain snowpack for water. That snow arrives in a very narrow window.

California’s storms, perhaps unlike those of the Rocky Mountains, tend toward relative warmth.

“As the world continues to warm, these storms will get even warmer and won’t readily get to freezing,” he said.

Declines will not be equal across the Sierra Nevada. Lower elevations, such as the Tahoe-Truckee area, will see more rain, less snow. Lake Tahoe when full has an elevation of 6,224 feet whereas most Colorado resorts are at 8,000 to 9,000 feet, with several ski areas topping out above 12,000 feet.

The study also found that snow season – both the accumulating time and the melting – will decrease by 20 days by mid-century and by 30 days by century’s end. In addition, peak snowpack will occur, on average, four weeks earlier.

Is there any way around this? Reducing emissions will slow but not stop warming, as much of the future warming is already locked in, such as the carbon dioxide in the oceans.

Holding the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) would require unprecedented social changes, Kristie Ebi, a lead author on a recent report for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, told an audience in Tahoe recently.

If temperatures rise 2 degrees C, the impacts will be much bigger, she said.

The research was conducted as part of the Hyperion Project. The Colorado River will also be studied in similar fashion.

Will ski area’s lifts run again in 2020?

CANMORE, Alberta – There is new hope in the Kananaskis Country south of Banff for a ski area shuttered since 2005. The Rocky Mountain Outlook reports $5 million has been raised by private investors to get the Fortress Mountain ski area opened as early as late 2020.

What will be different this time? That’s not clear. The challenge outlined by Andy Waddell, the chief financial officer, will be to capture more of the skiers and snowboarders from Calgary who typically travel to ski at resorts in British Columbia, Idaho and Montana.

Fortress is about two hours from Calgary, compared to three or four hours for the nearest resorts in British Columbia.

“Fifty percent of Albertan ski days are outside the province,” he said. “That’s a huge number of skiers that leave Alberta to ski simply because Alberta’s ski hills are full.”

On its website, the new ownership attributes the 2005 closing to lack of investment. It also suggests plans to produce ski-in, skiout accommodations.

The ski area was created in 1967. It was purchased in the 1970s

by Aspen Skiing Co., which re-named it Fortress Mountain, to reflect the rocky monolith that towers over the resort’s slopes. In the 1990s, it was purchased by Resorts of the Canadian Rockies, which also owned Kicking Horse Mountain Resort and five others.

With lifts nearing the end of their life cycle and skier visits declining, the company closed Fortress in 2004. Since 2010, the slopes have been used for cat skiing.

The Kananaskis area where the resort is located has been a backdrop for several Hollywood movies. Leonardo DiCaprio earned his Oscar there playing the part of frontiersman Hugh Glass in “Revenant,” while the late Heath Ledger supposedly fought a bear while playing the role of Ennis del Mar in “Brokeback Mountain.”

Brad Pitt was there, too, for the filming of the “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.”

To open, Fortress Mountain needs a new potable water system and refurbished sewer line plus a new day lodge and new or refurbished lifts. A mountain-top restaurant and other niceties are also planned.

Fortress estimates it has $41 million in infrastructure already in place.

Whistler-based Ecosign Mountain Resort Planners was retained to create a master plan.

Chris Chevalier, president of Fortress Mountain, said his company envisions a ski area more like British Columbia’s Red Mountain than Whistler.

Total lift capacity will be 2,500 an hour. In comparison, Red Mountain has a capacity of 7,500 per hour, Lake Louise 14,000, Colorado’s Winter Park 40,000, Utah’s Deer Valley 50,000, and Whistler 67,000.

Solar design matters more than location CANMORE, Alberta – For homes that want to be self-sustaining in energy, design matters. That point was driven home in Canmore, at the entrance to Banff National Park, in the assessment of solar energy potential.

A recent report concluded that rooftop solar on houses on the valley’s sunnier eastern side were expected to outperform those on the western side, which falls within the shadows of towering mountains earlier in the day.

But rooftop geometry had 4.3 times more impact on solar potential than the location, reports the Rocky Mountain Outlook.

Canmore has set a goal of reducing community greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2040.

In Colorado, the mountain-rimmed Grand County also looks to add more solar. The Sky-Hi News reports county officials have identified several areas, which range from 7,000 - 9,000 feet.

That’s about the elevation of several solar farms in Colorado’s San Luis Valley. There’s more sun in the San Luis Valley, although not as much as in the Mojave Desert. Cooler but sunny high elevations can produce almost as much electricity, as hotter locations can sometimes get too hot for the collectors.

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Winter Park joins the plastic bag fight WINTER PARK – Winter Park has decided it will join the adjacent town of Fraser in adopting a 20-cent single-use bag fee. That fee in Fraser goes into effect April 1.

Grocery and other retail stores must charge 20 cents per singleuse bag in an effort to encourage use of reusable bags. As with Fraser, Winter Park intends to exempt produce and some other bags.

Similar to the fee structure of Fraser, Winter Park’s town government will keep a percentage of the fee for administrative purposes but also sustainability initiatives, while businesses will keep 40 percent of the revenue, reports the Sky Hi News.

One of the Winter Park councilors voted against the fee, arguing it won’t work in a place with so many tourists. That, however, goes against the accumulating evidence in other resort towns, including Telluride, where lodges provide reusable cloth bags. Ditto for Aspen, Vail and other towns. If it has been a problem, it hasn’t been showing up in the local papers.

Winter Park Mayor Jimmy Lahrman said the town is already behind the curve. “I think it’s a matter of how do we make it easy for people. I think once we’ve made it easy, we’re going to find that we get compliance.”

– Allen Best

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dayinthelif

Rollin’ a fat

by Stephen Eginoire

T

he 5th annual Silverton Whiteout kicked as fat bikers from ’round the hood and beyo lap on a well-groomed 9.2-mile loop for 1 With tasty trailside treats like whiskey, bacon an ing a complete lap without hanging out for an the most challenging part of this year’s race cou

Sharp-shooting kept participants honed and toned during the 10-hour lon

Brendan Trimboli catches phat fat air.

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Feb.14, 2019

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Thad Ferrell keeps racers caffeinated, pulling perfect espresso.

Marge Simpson racks up another lap.

Many pounds of bacon were consumed.

Feb. 14, 2019 n 13

thesecondsection Locals may recognize the scenery in “The Great Alaskan Race,” which was shot last year in and around Silverton. The film will be shown at DIFF’s free movie night at 5:30 p.m. Wed., Feb. 27, as a thank you to the local community./Courtesy photo

Film frenzy 14th annual Durango Independent Film Fest hits the big screen Feb. 27

by Missy Votel

G

rab the popcorn, kindly remove the big hat and silence your ringer. The Durango Independent Film Festival is about to lift the curtain on its 14th annual celluloidpalooza.

The five-day festival kicks off Wed., Feb. 27, featuring everything from shorts (which the DIFF cutely refers to as “Twisted Shorts”) and documentaries to fulllength features and family-friendly fare. This year’s topics run the gamut, including but not limited to: love, war, adventure, travel, music, pro wrestling, mountain biking, sled dog-racing, female Sherpas … (breath) … aliens, Scottish fiddlers, punk rockers, The Wall (no, not the Pink Floyd album) and, yes, even dildos (purely symbolic, but probably still not suitable for children or immature adults.)

“We have a wide variety of films,” DIFF grand poobah Joanie Leonard said in what may be a bit of an understatement.

For this year’s festival, DIFF received more than 600 submissions, and since last June, volunteer-run selection committees have been whittling that number down to 106. This is seven more films than last year,

14 n Feb. 14, 2019

JusttheFacts What: 14th annual Durango Independent Film Festival When: Feb. 26 – March 2 Where: Animas City, Gaslight and Stadium Nine theatres Tickets: Film passes range from $293 for all-access (or get two for $381) to $12 for individual programs (cash only; available only at venues 15 minutes prior to show time.) Buy passes online at www.durangofilm.org or at the Ticket Office inside the Durango Welcome Center.

For info: A full schedule and synopsis of films can be found at 2019durangofilm.eventive.org but Leonard notes the number of films fluctuates from year to year.

But what hasn’t gone up and down is the attendance numbers; each year the festival has grown steadily. Which is why Leonard takes great pride in the fact that last year there were only seven sell-out shows, compared to 21 in 2017. While some may see sell-outs as a good problem to have, Leonard believes it is antithetical to the whole concept of an independent film festival.

“We’d rather be 90 percent full than turning people away,” she said. “We still sell tickets at the door so

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everyone who wants to go to a show, can.”

And speaking of twisted shorts, there’s no reason to get yours that way. This year, the film fest will be offering what it calls “double features,” in which the same program is shown simultaneously in two theatres.

Leonard said this also helps with the fact that one of DIFF’s main venues, the Stadium Nine, recently went from 200 econo seats to 99 super-deluxe, first-class loungers per theatre (now with more cupholders!)

That means folks can spread out, prop up their feet without worrying about annoying the guy in front of them and concentrate on their cinematic experience.

“You may never get to see some of these films again,” said Leonard.

One such film is “Jirga,” which recently was nominated for the Australian equivalent of the Oscars. The film is a narrative feature about an Australian soldier’s effort to make reparations to an Afghanistan family whose father he killed.

“We just loved it; it’s an amazing story,” said Leonard.

But perhaps even more fascinating is the story behind the story. Leonard said the film was originally being shot in Pakistan, however, the Pakistani government kicked the crew out and confiscated its gear. The filmmaker 4

then took up filming in Afghanistan, using ex-Taliban fighters as extras.

“The lead actor said he slept with a gun under his pillow,” she said.

It’s these kinds of little snippets that got Leonard interested in independent film in the first place. “I love learning; I like the backstory,” she said, “like what was the cigarette budget?”

Not one to start small, Leonard’s first film fest was the venerable Sundance, which she attended while living in Park City in the 1990s. “(Robert Redford) really wanted to give Native American and independent filmmakers an opportunity,” she said.

To that end, DIFF – as in years past – will feature a Native American film program. And aside from the deserts of the Middle East and the slopes of the Himalayas, movie goers will get a chance to recognize some landscapes closer to home. This year’s DIFF features a handful of locally shot films as well as two local filmmakers, Taylor Graham and Larry Ruiz.

Graham’s film, “Glen Canyon Rediscovered,” takes viewers on a 350-mile sea kayak journey through the meandering side canyons and forgotten wonders of Glen Canyon as they re-emerge from the depths of a receding Lake Powell.

Ruiz directed “Spider Woman’s Web,” which follows a young generation of Navajo weavers as they keep their “Navajo lifeways” alive through their art.

One of the locally shot films being shown this year came as a complete surprise to the review committee. “Shooting in Vain,” which follows the story of a young man seeking closure by returning home years after his high school sweetheart’s death, was shot in Pagosa Springs.

“We had no idea when we accepted it,” said Leonard.

Another local film, “The Great Alaskan Race,” about mushers making the harrowing trek through the wilderness to deliver medicine to Nome, Alaska, during a diphtheria outbreak, was shot last year in and around Silverton and Durango. Although the film has yet to be officially released,

The river wild: Wild & Scenic Film tour stops in Durango

A scene from the Australian film “Jirga,” about a soldier making reparations to an Afghan family for killing the father./Courtesy photo local audiences will be treated to a “special sneak peek,” Leonard said.

“There were a lot of locals who were extras,” she said.

“The filmmaker really loves Colorado and just wanted to show it to thank the community.”

Leonard hopes such local productions will becomes even more commonplace in the future. Last year, DIFF took the Four Corners Film Office under its umbrella. “Our role is to actively promote film production in the area and act as a liaison between the filmmakers and the community,” she said.

In addition to all this, DIFF offers special programs in the local schools as well as filmmaker Q&As, pre-parties, after-parties, coffee talks and forums. All with a paid staff of one and a half, a nine-member board, 26-year round volunteer film fanatics and some 80 seasonal volunteer film junkies. And that may be the greatest story of all.

“I have the best staff in the world,” she said. “They have full-time jobs and volunteer because they are so passionate about film and what they’re doing.” n

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With spring around the corner, most Durangoans have water on the brain. And what better way to whet the appetite for spring runoff than some good ole river adventure films. At 4 p.m. this Sun., Feb. 17, the “Wild and Scenic Film Festival on Tour” takes a stop at the Durango Arts Center. Doors open at 3:30 p.m.

The festival is hosted by the Durango Chapter of the Citizens Climate Lobby, and proceeds will fund the scholarships to send Fort Lewis College students to Washington, D.C., to lobby for H.R. 7173, aka the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. The bi-partisan bill would put a fee on the sale of fossil fuels. The fee would grow over time, with the premise that it will drive down carbon pollution as industries and consumers move toward cleaner, cheaper options. The money from the fee will be allocated to the American people to spend as they see fit, and program costs will be paid from the fees.

“These films demonstrate that when we work together we can accomplish great things!” Louise van Vonno, of the Citizen’s Climate Lobby, said in a press release. “Wild & Scenic focuses on films that speak to the environmental concerns and celebrations of our planet.”

In addition to the films, there will also be prize drawings for items donated by local businesses. Tickets are $15 and $7/students (with ID) and available at the door or online at durangotix.com. For more info., go to www.DurangoCCL.org or www.wildandscenicontour.org.

Feb. 14, 2019 n 15

GoodEats

Baking while high (altitude)

by Donna Hewett

I

got a bread machine for Christmas. Not a string of pearls, a purple beret, Bomba socks, an air-fryer or a quick pot. It’s still in the box, and Valentine’s Day is just around the corner.

It’s seems like re-gift material. Who, after all, in this age of the caveman diets, would consider such a clumsy purchase? (Thank you, loving, devoted, carb-rich Aunt Meme.) She knows I can’t bake.

“You’re kidding, right?” says my friend Laura, acknowledging the picture of raisin cinnamon swirl bread on the box with a tiny look of true horror. She’s about as close to constant ketosis as you can be without dying from the keto flu, and for this feat, she’s quite proud. We’re the kind of friends who don’t judge each other’s predilections.

Last year as I zeroed in and out of the sleeping beauty diet, the baby food diet, the air diet (right on, Madonna), the dessert with breakfast diet, the werewolf diet – I finally stopped at tapeworms – she never blinked an eye.

“Janet and Fred Crider have started carb cycling. It’s a thing now. You can only do it if you’re in training, though. You’re working out again, right?”

I nod my head yes. It’s a lie.

“Have you seen Jan’s butt lately?”

“Yeah. It looks … squeezable.”

“It’s because of the carbs!”

Ah, ha. If I applied the carb-cycling diet, I just might be able to consume no-guilt, mouthwatering homemade bread right here in my kitchen. French bread, ciabatta, focaccia, real pizza crust and get a great ass?

I gotta get this thing out of the box.

“Remember, everything in moderation,” Laura hollers as she trots out the door.

“Oh, yeah, right pet-breath.”

We wave. It’s dumping snow. I close the door. It’s suddenly a perfect afternoon to set the bread machine and wait for the magic aromas to begin. I don’t have many childhood memories of home baked bread, but I can pretend.

Three hours later, my husband wanders in.

“Smells good in here.”

“Does it?”

I can’t smell anything except the bit of smoke the machine emitted when it began its quiet rotation. The final beep is long and loud. We peek into the machine and lift out what looks like hobo bread baked in a coffee can. It’s heavy. Dense. Nicely browned. We butter a warm slice.

“It’s good,” he says with a shrug. I know what he really wants is monkey bread.

I look at the silly, round loaf. I know I’m not going to recycle all those carbs on the Incline in the ice-cold garage. I dump it in the garbage where it makes a thud.

Is it really bread if you never touch the dough? I thumb through the booklet and find something truly cravable: thick, chewy focaccia with rosemary, sea salt and parmesan.

For this, you program the dough cycle, shape the dough onto a real pan and bake it in a real oven. At dinner, the focaccia smells good but looks dead. It remains untouched.

Not the product of my hopes, but it’s a start ... .

With Aunt Meme’s birthday’s coming up, I call and thank her for the bread machine and tell her I’m going to

make her a cake.

“No not in the machine, Aunt Meme. But, thanks to you, I’m starting to bake!”

Why would I lie to a lady who makes her own brown sugar and evaporated milk? And has a Pyrex tat where her bra straps cross? On the phone she reminds me that cakes rise too fast and fall too hard in these parts. To adjust for the altitude I should: cut back the baking soda, add a bit of extra flour, cut the sugar a tad, add a bit more liquid and a dash more salt, raise the temperature by 25 degrees and cook five minutes less.

I squeeze the area between my eyes.

“Anything else?”

“Don’t pack your flour into the measuring cup. Lightly spoon it from a napkin into the cup until it overflows, using a knife to sweep it off. No scooping!”

What a fine balance it is, baking above 3,000 feet. It’s a science I’ve always dreaded knowing. According to the facts, as elevation rises, air pressure falls. Which means liquids evaporate more quickly since water boils at a lower temperature. As leavening occurs faster, cell walls stretch beyond their maximum and burst into a fallen mess inside your oven.

In a moment after a private vape, I check on Kiki, my father’s Westie whom I adopted after he fell the first time last spring. Dad is gone now. A feeling of dread rises inside me.

That’s what depression is. I force myself to go back to the kitchen with my original plan of making good focaccia.

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With that under my belt, I’ll be ready to tackle a simple layer cake for his baby sister.

I give the bread machine a wink. I have some future ideas about using its gyrations for risotto (but that’s another story). In my adjusted focaccia recipe, I let the Kitchen Aid beat the dough violently with a scrape attachment for several minutes, then ball it, cover it and finally bake it for less time at a slightly higher temperature. The results are a focaccia that’s golden and thick, but not too heavy. I tear a warm piece and dip it in balsamic. My taste buds scream back to life. That’s some good crumb. Success!

I throw together a paleo version for Laura, using almond flour, secretions of bacteria and colon cleanser (xantham gum and psyllium husk) to get it to stick together. In a reverse, this focaccia tastes better than it looks.

The birthday cake is now due. I feel a bit more confident in the task of baking as therapy. I decide to make a girly layer cake frosted in umbre pink and white.

I have the vision, but damned if I still don’t have the correct methods. After carefully adjusting for altitude, I still come up with a series of fallen, uncooked cakes. I go back to my notes: did I over-mix the batter, or is the baking powder old? Water too cold? Air too wet?

Eggs not big enough? My oven is Italian, and cooks everything uneven. Gad! I don’t have the rest of my life to keep adjusting. What’s a girl to do?

This part, dear reader, is my gift to you, the knowledge to turn out an occasional, professional looking layer cake with ease. The final secret? Kakeladi’s “Original” WASC – white almond sour cream cake. In reality, simply a doctored version of any box mix that works with perfection at high altitude. Just add a cup of flour, a cup of sugar, a cup of water, a cup of sour cream, three eggs and liquid flavoring to the box mix. Pour into well-prepared 9-inch tins (you won’t regret this step, using parchment paper for the bottoms, and being sure the sides of the tins are well-oiled). Bake at 300 degrees for a half hour, then turn up to 325 for another 30 minutes.

I’m so excited at the results I decide on a four-layer cake for my dear aunt, a pretty shaky affair. While the layers aren’t exactly even (did I mention my stove is from Italy?) they’re at least stackable. After a world of trouble frosting the cake in a hot kitchen (a whole other story), I finally stop the madness. Before I prop it in the deep freeze, I text a picture to Laura. She sends me a thumbs up emoji, along with a message asking if I’d begun carb-cycling. I respond that it’s too risky right now. But hold on – there’s a new diet in town according to my friend.

“It’s called the Dubron Diet. Which basically is just fasting on a 16-hour cycle.”

A diet passive enough to suit me. Too passive. I decide to hop on my bike and start a good ole sweat-if-off routine. And with a four-tier cake slowly slumping off its plate, I can’t get out of the kitchen fast enough to ride the quiet, snowy roads in an altitude that’s actually breath saving. n

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TopShelf

Heart strings, infamous strings & belly laughs

by Chris Aaland

Longtime fans can rejoice, too, as Broke Mountain will reunite in Telluride Town Park this summer, putting Book, LoS banjo ife sure keeps you busy. My boy, Otto – fresh off being player Andy Thorn, Greensky dobro man Anders Beck, string named to the honor roll! – turned 12, requiring a night out wizard Jon Stickley and our very own Robin Davis onstage towith the family Tuesday. Then, on Wednesday, the Space gether. One can only hope a recording is in the offing.

Cowboy turned 50. Steve Miller has been my best friend and If you waited to get tickets for Keller Williams at the Anipartner in crime since I stumbled into his dorm room in 1987. mas City Theatre on Saturday, then you’re S.O.L. This one sold That required a 50-percent off night for his entrĂŠe at the Ore out a long time ago. You won’t get to be the freaker by the House. Today is Valentine’s Day. speaker. Instead, you’ll have to sit around your house and listen Sure, I envision crab legs at home, a nice roaring fire and to his string of single-syllable album titles (“Thiefâ€? and “Vapeâ€? putting the kids to bed, even though they’ll holler for Mom. are among my favorites.) Keller’s solo live shows became the stuff Poor Shelly deserves a of legends decades ago. His night on the town ‌ but guitar prowess rivals new she always draws the age masters like Michael short straw. Her birthday Hedges, and when he gets falls five days after Christbluegrassy, he can hold his mas, Valentine’s Day fesown with Tony Rice. Throw tivities are sacrificed for in a loop machine and his Otto’s birthday, and we quirky vocals, and you’ve were even naĂŻve enough got a jam on your hands. to schedule our wedding In what’s being billed as around the time of “the best pub concert Mother’s Day. you’ve ever been to,â€? The With me working 45 Choir of Man comes to minutes from home, it the Community Concert means she gets stuck with Hall at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. school drop-offs and pickBirthed from the creative ups and the bulk of schlepminds of Nic Doodson and ping the kids to their Andrew Kay, it’s a party, a assorted activities. It ain’t concert and a pint-filled fair. She’s a saint, working good time set in a real three jobs to help keep working British pub. It food in the fridge and a combines high-energy The Infamous Stringdusters triumphantly return to the Community dance, live percussion, roof over our heads. I do Concert Hall at 7:30 p.m., Sun., Feb. 17. the same, but “weâ€? time magnificent harmonies gets kicked to the curb. and foot-stomping choreI pledge this: I will be a better husband. Not that I hang out in ography. Musically, songs by Adele, Queen, Paul Simon, Katy bars, cat around town or keep my own social schedule anymore.

Perry, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and others are incorporated.

Those days are long gone. I’ve had a total of 10 beers seven The 20th annual Telluride Comedy Fest will keep mounweeks into 2019. I’ve only seen one concert this year. But I’m im- tain folk in stitches tonight through Sunday at the Sheridan patient, cranky and increasingly lazy. I vow to love my wife not Opera House. This year’s lineup includes: Nick Kroll (I was more – but better. hooked on “The League� for a while and his string of movies like Sacrifice means missing one of my favorite bands this week. A “I Love You, Man,� “Get Him to the Greek� and “Dinner for year removed from their Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Schmucks� are modern classics); Matt Braunger (a veteran of LetAlbum, the Infamous Stringdusters triumphantly return to terman, Conan, John Oliver and an assortment of Comedy Centhe Community Concert Hall at 7:30 p.m. Sunday. The boys tral shows); Rebecca Kohler (a Canuck who writes for CBS’ have been extremely busy the past two years, what with nonstop “Happy Together�); Jason Mantzoukas (an actor whose credits intouring and a string of albums and EPs. “Rise Sun� is their new clude “Parks and Recreation� and “Modern Family�); Brian album, which won’t be available until April 5. One that snuck by Huskey (he of Adult Swim’s “Children’s Hospital� and Comedy nearly all but the most diehard Stringdusters fans is “Live From Central’s “Another Period�); and Seth Morris (another Comedy Telluride,� a 20-track record that dropped in mid-November.

Central stalwart). I think it’s their best lineup yet. “Slow down� doesn’t seem to be a phrase that registers with the The Raven Narratives Live Storytelling continues at the quintet.

Sunflower Theatre in Cortez at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Just as it was last A Stringdusters concert in Durango is a joyous homecoming. weekend at the Durango Arts Center, the theme is love.

Travis Book lived here for nearly a decade, learning to play bass More good stuff: Matt Rupnow plays at Ska’s World Headand guitar, honing his voice and riding bikes. Any trek into the quarters at 5 p.m. tonight (Thurs., Feb. 14); DJ Hakan gets the San Juans for him means quality mama time with Kaye, a chance crowd dancing on Plursday at the Starlight from 9 ’til close to catch up with old buddies and possibly even a turn or two at tonight; the Starlight hosts Robbie Overfield at 6 p.m. Friday, Purgatory. Twelve years removed from his days in the Broke followed by DJ Hakan’s 9 p.m. set; Posh Josh, Brian Ess and Mountain Bluegrass Band, he’s now a bit more philosophical Noonz all spin house music at the ACT at 9:30 p.m. Friday; about the Dusters’ role in the bigger picture of newgrass, progres- Black Velvet works the Diamond Belle Saloon at 5:30 p.m. Frisive bluegrass, acoustic Americana or whatever you choose to call day and the Derailed Pour House at 7 p.m. Saturday; and the their brand of music. At last summer’s mainstage set at Telluride Garrett Young Collective brings its brand of honky-tonk to Bluegrass, he told the crowd that the Grammy wasn’t just a win the Wild Horse Saloon at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. for the Stringdusters, but also for Leftover Salmon, Yonder Mountain, Greensky Bluegrass, Railroad Earth and all the other Nothing you can sing that can’t be sung? Email me at chrisa@go jam bands toiling in the bluegrass universe. brainstorm.net. n

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Feb. 14, 2019 n 17

onthetown

Thursday14

Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Valentine’s Day

Friday15

Here to Hear: Office Hour with Councilor Dick White, 9-10 a.m., downstairs at the Irish Embassy, 900 Main Ave. ​Baby Meetup with Durango Café au Play, 9:30-11:30 a.m., 2307 Columbine. durangocafeauplay.org.

Baby Meetup, 9:30-11:30 a.m., Columbine House at Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 419 San Juan Dr.

Saturday16 Silverton Skijoring, Feb. 16-17, Blair Street, Silverton. www.silvertonskijoring.com.

Winter Photography Train, 8 a.m., Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. www.durangotrain.com.

Romance on the Rails, 9 a.m., Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. www.durangotrain.com.

Black Velvet performs, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Open Mic 5:30-8 p.m., sign up 3-5 p.m.; Smiley Cafe, 1309 E. 3rd Ave. Sign up at 335-8929.

Sitting Meditation, 5:30-6:15 p.m., Durango Dharma Center, 1800 E. 3rd Ave.

Mesa Verde Winter Festival, 5:30-9 p.m., Morefield Campground and Meadow Bliss and Cottontail loops.

529-4461.

Dustin Burley performs, 6 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave.

Live music, 6 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave.

La Plata Quilters Guild, 6 p.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds. 799-1632.

Sunny and the Whiskey Machine, 6-8 p.m., Durango Craft Spirits Tasting Room, 1120 Main Ave., Suite 2.

“When Harry Met Sally” Drink Along/Quote Along, 6 and 8:15 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Drive. www.animascitytheatre.com.

Robbie Overfield performs, 6-9 p.m., DJ Hakan, 9 p.m.-close, Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

The Animas Jazz Trio performs, 6-9 p.m., JeanPierre Restaurant & Wine Bar, 601 Main Ave.

An Evening of Dharma Reflections, 6:30-8 p.m., Durango Dharma Center, 1800 E. 3rd Ave. durango dharmacenter.org.

Pub Trivia, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Powerhouse Science Center, 1333 Camino del Rio. www.powsci.org.

“Doubt: A Parable,” a drama by John Patrick Shanley, presented by Merely Players, opening night, 7 p.m., show also runs Feb. 16 and 21-23, and 2 p.m., Feb. 24, Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.

“How the Railroad Brought Fresh Refrigerated Produce to Durango” part of the Life Long Learning Lecture Series, 7 p.m., Noble Hall at Fort Lewis College, Room 130.

Karaoke, 8 p.m.-close, Wild Horse Saloon, 601 E. 2nd Ave.

“Exit Laughing,” comedy presented by Theatre Ensemble Arts, 7:30 p.m., show also runs Feb. 16 and 2 p.m., Feb. 17, Totah Theater in Farmington. 505-3262839.

Plursday featuring DJ Hakan, 9 p.m.-close,

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Durango Nordic Junior National Qualifier, interval start skate race, 9 a.m., Durango Nordic Center, Highway 550 North. www.durangonordic.org/jnq.

Paths to Leadership, hosted by American Association of University Women, 10 a.m., Noble Hall at Fort Lewis College, Room 130.

Henry Stoy performs, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Jean-Pierre Restaurant & Wine Bar, 601 Main Ave. VFW Indoor Flea Market, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., 1550 Main Ave. 247-0384.

USASA Ski and Snowboard Halfpipe Competition, 10:15 a.m., Pitchfork Terrain Park, Purgatory Resort. www.purgatoryresort.com.

DJ CodeStar, 2-4 p.m., the Beach at Purgatory. dj codestar.com.

Distillery Tour and Animas Museum History Talk “Madame, not Madam,” 4:30 p.m., Durango Craft Spirits Tasting Room, 1120 Main Ave., Suite 2. Register at 247-1919.

Live music, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Benefit Basketball Game for Coach Griego, baby Lana and their family – Fort Lewis vs. Dixie State, 5:30 p.m., Fort Lewis College Whalen Gym.

“Love,” Raven Narratives live storytelling, 7:30 p.m., Sunflower Theatre in Cortez. www.ravennarratives tickets.org.

Open Mic & Stand-Up, 8 p.m., El Rancho Tavern, 975 Main Ave.

$$$

Free yoga, 8:30-9:30 a.m., Lively Boutique, 809 Main Ave.

Spanish Speaking Parents & Littles Fridays, 3:30-5:30 p.m., Durango Café au Play, 1309 E. 3rd Ave., Room 201. durangocafeauplay.org.

Tim Sullivan performs, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

&

Connect: Posh Josh, Brian Ess, Noonz, 9:30 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Drive. www.animas citytheatre.com.

STEAM Lab: Parachutes, for ages 5-12, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Durango Public Library.

Cupid’s Bash & Cake Walk, cookie decorating, crafts, Valentine bingo and more, 4:30-6 p.m., Sycamore Park Community Center, Farmington. 505-566-2480 or www.fmtn.org/SPCC.

&

Durango Early Bird Toastmasters, 7-8:30 a.m., LPEA, 45 Stewart St. 769-7615.

Zumba Gold, 9:30-10:15 a.m., La Plata Senior Center, 2424 Main Ave.

“Doc Swords,” PTSD Social Club for Veterans, 4-6 p.m., VFW, 1550 Main Ave.

#!

Garrett Young Collective, 8 p.m., Wild Horse Saloon, 601 E. 2nd Ave.

Mountain Mardi Gras, Feb. 15-19, Silverton and Kendall Mountain. www.skikendall.com.

Matt Rupnow performs, 5-7 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St.

Submit “On the Town” items by Monday at noon to: calendar@durangotelegraph.com

Shawn Arrington Blues Band, 8 p.m.-midnight, Billy Goat Saloon, Gem Village.

Night Rail Jam!,5:30-8 p.m., DC Terrain Park at Purgatory Resort. www.purgatoryresort.com.

Kirtan, 6-8 p.m., Studio 10, Smiley Building, 1309 E. 3rd Ave.4

! "

Free Tenants’ Rights Clinic Presented by Colorado Legal Services

Tues., Feb. 19, 5:30 - 7 p.m. • Durango Public Library Topics include best rental practices, evictions, security deposits, etc.

For more info, call (970) 247-0266.

18 n Feb. 14, 2019

telegraph

Jeff Solon Jazz Trio, 6-10 p.m., Seven Rivers Bar, Sky Ute Casino in Ignacio.

Black Velvet performs, 7 p.m., Derailed Pour House, 725 Main Ave. Comedy Cocktail open mic stand up, 8 p.m., Eno Wine Bar, 723 E. 2nd Ave. Marshall Charloff – Purple Xperience: A Tribute to Prince, 8 p.m., Sky Ute Casino, Ignacio. skyutecasino.com.

Comedy Showcase, 8-9 p.m., DJ Zirk, 9 p.m.-close, Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave. Garrett Young Collective performs, 8 p.m., Wild Horse Saloon, 601 E. 2nd Ave. Bridesmaid Bash - Girls Night Out, 8 p.m., Irish Embassy Underground, 900 Main Ave. 403-1200.

Keller Williams, 9 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Drive. SOLD OUT

Sunday17 Durango Nordic Junior National Qualifier, classic race, 9 a.m., Durango Nordic Center, Highway 550 North. www.durangonordic.org/jnq.

Veterans Breakfast, 9-11 a.m., Elks Club, 901 E. 2nd Ave. 946-4831.

Holy roller coaster: Merely Players stages “Doubt” What: “Doubt: A Parable,” presented by Merely Players When: 7 p.m. Feb. 15-16, 21-23; 2 p.m. Feb. 24 Where: Durango Arts Center Tickets: Durango Arts Center Tickets: www.merelyplayers.us or www.durangoarts.org Did he or didn’t he? This week, Merely Players will leave audiences wondering as it takes them on a tour of the human psyche in a brilliant drama almost as turbulent as the era in which it is set.

“Doubt: A Parable,” the lauded Broadway play by John Patrick Shanley, is set against the backdrop of a 1960s Bronx Catholic school where a progressive young priest’s conduct comes into question by the school’s principal, a rigidly conservative nun. This powerful piece takes audiences on a remarkable emotional journey of power, suspicion, change, religion and – of course – doubt.

The play won both the Pulitzer Prize and the Tony Award for Best Play in 2005 and was turned into an Academy Award-nominated film starring Philip

Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep in 2007.

New York Newsday wrote of the play, “Blunt yet subtle, manipulative but full of empathy for all sides, the play is set in 1964 but couldn’t be more timely. In just 90 fast-moving minutes, Shanley creates four blazingly individual people. ‘Doubt’ is a lean, potent drama ... passionate, exquisite, important and engrossing.”

Local actors Maureen May, Jason Lythgoe, Rebecca Sloan and Sharina Ramsey will star in the Merely Player’s adaptation, which runs the next two weekends at the Durango Arts Center.

After hosting several “pop-up” performances at various venues throughout the area, “Doubt” marks the first show Merely Players will hold at the DAC under a new long-term collaboration.

Tickets are available online at www.merelyplayers.us or www.durangoarts.org; by phone or in person at DAC, 970-259-2606.

Henry Stoy performs, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Jean-Pierre Restaurant & Wine Bar, 601 Main Ave. USASA Ski and Snowboard Halfpipe Competition, 10:15 a.m., Pitchfork Terrain Park at Purgatory Resort. www.purgatoryresort.com.

Traditional Irish Music Jam, 12:30-4 p.m., Irish Embassy, 900 Main Ave.

Mountain, Silverton.

Tuesday19

The Infamous Stringdusters, 7:30 p.m., Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College. www.durangoconcerts.com.

Durango AARP Chapter Meets, presentation by Scot Davis, community education coordinator for Durango Fire and Rescue, 10 a.m., Durango Senior Center, 2424 Main Ave. kathleenmarcum00@gmail.com.

Monday18

Surefire Keto Hacks, part of Keto Reset: a 6-week program, 5-6:30 p.m., Natural Grocers, 1123 Camino del Rio. 247-4100.

Writers’ Workshop, 2 p.m., Ignacio Community Library.

Yoga Storytime, 9:30-10:45 a.m., Smiley Building Studio 10, 1309 E. 3rd Ave.

DJ CodeStar, 2-4 p.m., the Beach at Purgatory. dj codestar.com.

USASA Ski and Snowboard Halfpipe Competition, 10:15 a.m., Pitchfork Terrain Park at Purgatory Resort. www.purgatoryresort.com.

Wild & Scenic Film Festival, hosted by the Citizens Climate Lobby, 4 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. Blue Moon Ramblers, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Joel Racheff performs, 6 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave. Flurries & Flames Lantern Festival, 7 p.m., Kendall

Watch Your Step class, 10:15 a.m., Durango Senior Center, 2424 Main Ave. Live music, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main.

Terry Rickard performs, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Rotary Club of Durango, presentation from Butch Knowlton, director of emergency preparedness for La Plata County, 6 p.m., Strater Hotel. 385-7899.

Live music, 6 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave. Super Ted’s Super Trivia, 6:12 p.m., Henry Strater Theatre, 699 Main Ave.

Trivia Night, 7 p.m., Blondies in Cortez.

Contiki Party with the Aussies, 9 p.m.-close, Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

More “On the Town” this way4

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Donut Happy Hour 1 - 1:59 p.m., Monday through Friday • All donuts are buy one, get one free!

Perfect for refueling after a busy day at the mountain!

Durango Doughworks • 2653 Main Avenue Open Seven Days: 6:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.

telegraph

Feb. 14, 2019 n 19

AskRachel Interesting fact: Necco manufactured nearly 8 billion Sweethearts each year. No word on how many of those Sweethearts went unrequited.

Dear Rachel, As if Valentine’s Day isn’t treacherous and torturous enough, now we have to navigate the faux-liday without those candy hearts with the messages on them. Apparently the company that has always made them isn’t doing so this year.

How am I supposed to flirt with the guy in the office across the hall if I can’t send him preprinted expressions of my creative passion? And don’t tell me I have to actually talk to him. Ick. – Wherefore Art Thou Dear Juliet, If a guy isn’t willing to get all his (and your) friends killed while in the process of miscommunicating with you, resulting in one of you faking your own death, the other one of you killing yourself over that non-death, and then the first one of you killing yourself for real over that actual death … then it ain’t love, baby. At least that’s my unrealistic level of expectation based on the longest-running popular culture influence in the English-speaking world.

– Let’s get busy, Rachel

Dear Rachel, I’m sick and tired of trying to make advance plans with other people in this town. I try to coordinate people for dinner reservations or a tick-

eted event, but no one is willing to commit (or, more likely, bail) until the very last minute. Why do Durango people dither and wait every single time instead of taking the plunge and putting something on their freaking calendars for once?

– RSVPeeved Dear Waitlisted, I seriously have not kept a calendar since middle school, when we were standard-issued agendas where we had to write down homework assignments and verify them with totally never-forged parental signatures.

You’re up against the wide, wild world of Durango, where something better always comes up, and the worst thing that could possibly happen to you is that you have tickets to the concert hall that force you to turn down a Grand Canyon river trip. I mean, probably not, but it *could* happen.

– Clear my schedule, Rachel Dear Rachel, I don’t understand why any kind of agent has a job (except for secret agents – that makes total sense). Real estate agents. Agents for athletes. Insurance agents. Artistic representation. They have basically made their careers out of inserting themselves between a buyer and seller, or an employer and employee, and then charging a commission for the pleasure. I can’t help but feel like I pay more money for everything because of some or another agent. How can I eliminate this needless waste from my life?

– Agent of Change

OntheTown

west Studies Museum at Fort Lewis College. 247-7456.

from p. 19

Thank the Veterans potluck, Peter Neds and Glenn Keefe perform, 5:30-8:30 p.m., VFW, 1550 Main Ave. 8287777.

The Trivia Factory, hosted by Ben Bernstein, 6:30-8:30 p.m., The Roost, 128 E. College Dr. DJ Crazy Charlie, 6:30-10:30 p.m., Billy Goat Saloon.

Terry Rickard performs, 6 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave.

“Choir of Man,” 7:30 p.m., Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College. www.durangoconcerts.com.

Loki Moon – Raw Experiments performs, 6-8 p.m., Eno Wine Bar, 723 E. 2nd Ave.

Latin Social Nights, 8-11 p.m., Wild Horse Saloon, 601 E. 2nd Ave. 375-2568.

Gary B. Walker performs, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Jean-Pierre Restaurant & Wine Bar, 601 Main Ave.

Open Mic Night, 8 p.m.-close, Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Wednesday20 “Durango Creative District Branding Group,” 8-10 a.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. Register at hay ley@local-first.org.

Free Trauma Conscious Yoga for Veterans and Families, noon-1 p.m., Elks Lodge, 901 E. 2nd Ave. Durango Young Progressives meet, 5-6 p.m., happy hour, 6-7 p.m., R Space, 734 E. 2nd Ave. Free Maintenance Clinic with Darian Harvey, hosted by Mountain Bike Specialists, 5-6:30 p.m., 949 Main Ave. Register at 247-4066.

Karaoke, 8 p.m., Blondies in Cortez.

Karaoke with Crazy Charlie, 8 p.m.-close, Wild Horse Saloon, 601 E. 2nd Ave.

Ongoing Artworks by Juanita Ainsley and Rebecca Dash, thru Feb. 22, Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. Art exhibit and silent auction featuring works from National Art Honor Society students, thru Feb. 28, Durango Public Library.

“Riders of the West: Portraits from Indian Rodeo,” exhibit runs thru Feb. 28, Southern Ute Museum, 503 Ouray Drive. www.southernutemuseum.org.

Greg Ryder performs, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

“Sands of Oman” photography by Margy Dudley, thru March 9, DAC Friends of the Arts Gallery, 802 E. 2nd Ave.

Opening Reception for New Exhibits, featuring performance by Ballet Folklorico, 5:30-7 p.m., Center of South-

After-school program, 4:15-5:15 p.m. Wednesdays, Mancos Library.

20 n Feb. 14, 2019

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Email Rachel at telegraph@durangotelegraph.com Dear Idealist, Every transaction in this world is either a mediated transaction, or one that should be. Trust me, you do not want to negotiate your next contract with the New York Yankees without a team of agents who have spent their professional lives accumulating dirt on the Steinbrenners. Even love benefits from a little help from your friends. But since the candy hearts are AWOL this year, just know that my own words are available for hire.

– Be mine, or else, Rachel Free Morning Yoga with YogaDurango, 8:30-9:30 a.m., Saturdays and Sundays, Durango Mountain Institute at Purgatory.

Karaoke, 8 p.m., Thur-Sun, 8th Ave. Tavern, 509 E 8th Ave.

Upcoming “Bouncing Back from the 416 Fire: Building a Strong and Diversified Economy,” presented as part of Local First’s annual member meeting, 8:45-11 a.m., Feb. 21, Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. 21st annual Dave Spencer Ski Classic, benefit event for Adaptive Sports Association, Feb. 22-24, Purgatory Resort. asadurango.com or 259-0374.

“Decoding US-China Trade,” part of the Great Decisions International Affairs Discussion Program, 11:45 a.m.1:45 p.m., Feb. 22, Durango Public Library. www.fpa.org.

“Burning Down the House,” annual fundraiser for Durango’s emergency responders, 4-9 p.m., Feb. 22, Season’s Rotisserie & Grill, 764 Main Ave. www.seasonsofdurango.com or 382-9790.

Deadline for “On the Town” submissions is Monday at noon.

To submit an item, email: calendar@durango telegraph.com

FreeWillAstrology

by Rob Brezsny ARIES (March 21-April 19): When directors of movies say, “It’s a wrap,” they mean that the shooting of a scene has been finished. They may use the same expression when the shooting of the entire film is completed. That’s not the end of the creative process, of course. All the editing must still be done. Once that’s accomplished, the producer may declare that the final product is “in the can,” and ready to be released or broadcast. From what I can determine, Aries, you’re on the verge of being able to say, “it’s a wrap” for one of your own projects. There’ll be more work before you’re ready to assert, “it’s in the can.”

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to create your own royal throne & sit on it whenever you need to think deep thoughts and formulate important decisions. Make sure your power chair is comfortable as well as beautiful and elegant. To enhance your ability to wield your waxing authority with grace and courage, I also encourage you to fashion your own crown, scepter, and ceremonial footwear. They, too, should be comfortable, beautiful, & elegant.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In 1995, astronomer Bob Williams got a strong urge to investigate a small scrap of the night sky that most other astronomers regarded as boring. It was near the handle of the constellation known as the Big Dipper. Luckily for him, he could ignore his colleagues’ discouraging pressure. That’s because he had been authorized to use the high-powered Hubble Space Telescope for a ten-day period. To the surprise of everyone but Williams, his project soon discovered that this seemingly unremarkable part of the heavens is teeming with over 3,000 galaxies. I suspect you may have a challenge akin to Williams’, Gemini. A pet project or crazy notion of yours may not get much support, but I hope you’ll pursue it anyway. I bet your findings will be different from what anyone expects.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): A study by the Humane Research Council found that more than eighty percent of those who commit to being vegetarians eventually give up and return to eating meat. A study by the National Institute of Health showed that only about 36 percent of alcoholics are able to achieve full recovery; the remainder relapse. And we all know how many people make New Year’s resolutions to exercise more often, but then stop going to the gym by February. That’s the bad news. The good news, Cancerian, is that during the coming weeks you will possess an enhanced power to stick with any commitment you know is right and good for you. Take advantage!

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Are there two places on earth more different from each other than Europe and Africa?

Yet there is a place, the Strait of Gibralter, where Europe and Africa are just 8.7 miles apart. Russia and the United States are also profoundly unlike each other, but only 2.5 miles apart where the Bering Strait separates them. I foresee a metaphorically comparable phenomenon in your life. Two situations or influences or perspectives that may seem to have little in common will turn out to be closer to each other than you imagined possible.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo basketball star Latrell Sprewell played professionally for 13 years. He could have extended his career at least three more seasons, but he turned down an offer for $21 million from the Minnesota team, complaining that it wouldn’t be sufficient to feed his four children. I will ask you not to imitate his behavior, Virgo. If you’re offered a deal or opportunity that doesn’t perfectly meet all your requirements, don’t dismiss it out of hand.

A bit of compromise is sensible right now.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In 1992, an Ethiopian man named Belachew Girma became an alcoholic after he saw his wife die from AIDS. And yet today he is renowned as a Laughter Master, having dedicated himself to explore the healing powers of ebullience and amusement. He presides over a school that teaches people the fine points of laughter, and he holds the world’s record for longest continuous laughter at three hours and six minutes. I nominate him to be your role model in the next two weeks. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you will be especially primed to benefit from the healing power of laughter. You’re likely to encounter more droll and whimsical and hilarious events than usual, and your sense of humor should be especially hearty and finely-tuned.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): A study published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science suggests that people who use curse words tend to be more candid. “Swearing is often inappropriate but it can also be evidence that someone is telling you their honest opinion,” said the lead researcher. “Just as they aren’t filtering their language to be more palatable, they’re also not filtering their views.” If that’s true, Scorpio, I’m encouraging you to curse more than usual in the coming weeks. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, it’s crucial that you tell as much of the whole truth as is humanly possible. (P.S. Your cursing outbursts don’t necessarily have to be delivered with total abandon everywhere you go. You could accomplish a lot just by going into rooms by yourself and exuberantly allowing the expletives to roll out of your mouth.)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21): In the mid-1980s, a California carrot farmer grew frustrated with the fact that grocery stories didn’t want to buy his broken and oddly shaped carrots. A lot of his crop was going to waste. Then he got the bright idea to cut and shave the imperfect carrots so as to make smooth little baby carrots. They became a big success. Can you think of a metaphorically comparable adjustment you could undertake, Sagittarius? Is it possible to transform a resource that’s partially going to waste? Might you be able to enhance your possibilities by making some simple modifications?

Enough to make LeBron smile.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Mongolia is a huge landlocked country. It borders no oceans or seas. Nevertheless, it has a navy of seven sailors. Its lone ship is a tugboat moored on Lake Khovsgol, which is 3 percent the size of North America’s Lake Superior. I’m offering up the Mongolian navy as an apt metaphor for you to draw inspiration from in the coming weeks. I believe it makes good astrological sense for you to launch a seemingly quixotic quest to assert your power, however modestly, in a situation that may seem out of your league.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “A freshness lives deep in me which no one can take from me,” wrote Swedish poet Gunnar Ekelöf.

“Something unstilled, unstillable is within me; it wants to be voiced,” wrote philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. In accordance with your astrological omens, I propose we make those two quotes your mottoes for the next four weeks. In my opinion, you have a mandate to tap into what’s freshest and most unstillable about you – and then cultivate it, celebrate it and express it with the full power of your grateful, brilliant joy.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): According to the Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology, the word “obsession” is used to refer to the agitated state of a person who was besieged by rowdy or unruly spirits arriving from outside the person. “Possession,” on the other hand, once meant the agitated state of a person struggling against rowdy or unruly spirits arising from within. In the Western Christian perspective, both modes have been considered primarily negative and problematic. In many other cultures, however, spirits from both the inside and outside have sometimes been regarded as relatively benevolent, and their effect quite positive. As long as you don’t buy into the Western Christian view, I suspect that the coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to consort with spirits like those.

telegraph

A new shipment of Telegraph T’s has arrived (Also available in muscle T if you wanna show off your pipes.)

In a variety of mens & womens sizes for all your exploits on and off the hardwood.

y!

Onl

$

20

Shipping & handling extra.

Order yours today by calling 970-259-0133 or email: telegraph@ durangotelegraph.com

Feb. 14, 2019 n 21

classifieds

Deadline for Telegraph classified ads is Tuesday at noon.

Ads are a bargain at 10 cents a character with a $5 minimum. Even better, ads can now be placed online: durangotelegraph.com. Prepayment is required via cash, credit card or check.

(Sorry, no refunds or substitutions.)

Ads can be submitted via: n classifieds@durango telegraph.com n 970-259-0133 n 777 Main Ave., #214 Approximate office hours: Mon., 9ish - 5ish Tues., 9ish - 5ish Wed., 9ish - 3ish Thurs., On delivery Fri., 10:30ish - 2ish please call ahead: 259-0133.

Lost/Found Found Ski Helmet and Goggles Found ski helmet and goggles just south of Purgatory on Hwy 550 on Wednesday 1/30/19. Call 749-1589 to identify.

Announcements Free Talk: Finding Peace with Food Former pro cyclist, turned counselor, Marisa Asplund will hold a free talk addressing how to form and find a healthy and happy relationship with food, exercise and body image. Tues. Feb. 19th 67pm Durango Public Library The Perfect Gift for your favorite dirtbag. Literature from Durango’s own Benighted Publications. The Climbing Zine, The Great American Dirtbags, American Climber, Climbing Out of Bed and Graduating From College Me are available at: Maria’s Bookshop, Pine Needle Mountaineering, the Sky Store, or on the interweb at www.climbingzine.com.

Wanted Turn Vehicles, Copper, Alum, Etc. Into Cash! at RJ Metal Recycle, also free appliance and other metal drop off. 970-259-3494.

My legs aren’t working as well as they used to so I’m looking for some wheels. If you have a big dog, wheel rig that you no longer need, please call my mom @ 970903-0005. Thank you.

Free Maytag Dishwasher Free good working Maytag dishwasher.

Call 970-403-3935.

HelpWanted Chief Engineer The Elevation Hotel & Spa on Mt. Crested Butte is looking to hire a full time, year round Chief Engineer. Benefits include health insurance, paid time off, a winter ski season pass and 25% off hotel services. Possible onsite housing available for the right candidate. Must be able to work weekends and holidays. Apply online at www.boxerproperty.com/careers.

Phlebotomy Certifications (Blood Drawing) $350, Farmington, March 16-17, sw phlebotomy.net 505-410-7889

Classes/Workshops Healing Through Yoga 8 wk class for trauma survivors; starts 2/26; every Tues 7- 9 pm $40 per sess; sliding scale avail, pre-register req. See www.thrivingtherapyyoga.com or call Shelley 970 946 1383 Mommy and Me Dance Class Come join the fun! Now registering for classes. Call 970-749-6456. mom myandmedance.com.

Harmony Organizing and Cleaning Services Home and office 970-403-6192.

22 n Feb. 14, 2019

Massage by Meg Bush 30, 60 & 90 min. Gift certs. avail. Meg Bush, LMT 970-759-0199.

Free

Services

Large Dog Wheels Wanted My name is Otis, I’m 12 and 110 lbs.

BodyWork

Advanced Duct Cleaning Air duct cleaning specializing in dryer vents. Improves indoor air quality; reduces dust and allergens, energy bills and fire risk. 970-247-2462 www.advancedductcleaninginc.com

telegraph

massageintervention.life Voted best massage in Durango 2018.

Couples, sauna, outdoor shower, cupping. Reviews on FB + Yelp. 970-9032984.

Massage with Kathryn 20+ years experience offering a fusion of esalen style, deep tissue massage with therapeutic stretching & Acutonics. New clients receive $5 off first session. To schedule appt. call 970-201-3373.

RealEstate Radon Services Free radon testing and consultation.

Call Colorado Radon Abatement and Detection for details. 970- 946-1618.

ForSale Sleeper Sofa for Sale Brown leather sleeper sofa for sale $500 in good condition.

Rossignol Soul 7 Skis 163 cm, 106 cm under foot. Red and black 2014s. Drilled twice but skied minimally. They’re hole-y but will still work for the right person/set up. $50 OBO. Text for pics: 970-749-2495.

Isuzu Trooper 92 Isuzu Trooper LS 4WD 180,000 miles, new battery, new tires, including spare. Needs front axle & brake pads. $900 OBO 970-769-7200.

Reruns Home Furnishings Winter sales in both stores – Custommade midcentury, maple sideboard; rustic & Mission style consoles; coffee tables and lots of cool art, pottery and glass art.

New cool stuff and daily markdowns. 572 E. 6th Ave. 385-7336.

ForRent For Rent Massage space to share: Friday-Monday $150 month Call 970-764-7181.

HaikuMovieReview ‘ROMA’ Beautiful and gut wrenching - just the way that the Academy likes – Lainie Maxson

RoommateWanted Roommate Wanted Female only 1 BR avail. Share great mobile home, Elmores Corner. Clean, responsible, quiet. No smkr, pets, partiers. $550 incl. util., plus dep. 970-553-1216.

CommunityService Looking to Give Back?

4 the Children is seeking volunteers to advocate for children and families in La Plata County. Duties include reuniting families through safe exchange and parenting time supervision. Join the 4TC Family today! Contact Alanda Martin at alandam@4tc.org or 970-259-0310 for more information.

Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition and Rocky Mountain Health Plans want to hear from you! Members of Health First Colorado (Medicaid) are asked to give their feedback on experiences with Behavior Health Services & Substance Abuse Treatment in a confidential group setting. Attendees will receive a small gift in exchange of their time. Participants will be asked to sign a confidentiality statement to keep identity private. Help Rocky Mountain Health Plans answer questions like: What do you want from your health care? What has worked well? What changes/improvements would you like?

The meeting will be Wed., Feb 27, 2-4 p.m., light snacks provided. Location given upon registration at 970-248-5020 or RAE support@rmhp.org.

Bayfield Farmers Market Seeks Farmers The Bayfield Farmers’ Market is recruiting farmers from the Four Corners for the 2019 season. The season opens Thurs., June 20, and continues through the end of September. Markets are at Joe Stephenson Park, 4:30-7 p.m. Thursday.

Fees for vendors are $100 for the season or $10 per visit. For more info, call 970769-6873.

EndoftheLine

Saying goodbye to old friends

A

s we travel the high country around Coal Bank and Molas passes, I am always in awe of the old growth Engelmann spruce growing there. Many are 250plus years old. They are part of the climax forest that has taken 1,000 years to develop. I can’t help but think that most of the larger trees will be dead in five years. The spruce bark beetle infestation has crossed the Animas River canyon and will begin to kill these old-growth trees next summer. I know it is natural selection, and the younger forest growing underneath will survive, but it hurts nonetheless.

A drive over Wolf Creek Pass is evidence enough that the old growth spruce days are numbered in the Southwest. I remind myself to look at the forest floor to see a new forest coming in.

There are still many other old-growth tree species in the southwest. Large ponderosa pines 300-plus years old survive in many locations at 7,000 to 8,500 feet. In a recent flight over Hermosa Creek, I noticed that many of these large, old-growth ponderosa are still alive after the fire. Ponderosa are also being threatened with a different species of bark beetle. There are large die-offs in many areas of the Southwest. Like the spruce beetle, pine beetle mainly kill old-growth trees that are not able to pitch-out the attack.

Large 400-plus-years-old Douglas fir trees grow on moist slopes at 8,000 feet. As you ski the front side of Purgatory, have a little reverence for the large Doug fir growing by itself on the upper Catharsis headwall. It’s a 450-year-old survivor of fires that have allowed the aspen to fill in around it. There are scattered old-growth Douglas fir growing on this same bench from Demon all the way to the Glacier

Club. As you ski Styx and Lower Hades, notice these old sentinels. A slight touch as you glide by may give you a sense of what survivors they are. Doug fir also have a beetle that is attacking them. The dead trees around Ouray are mainly old Doug fir that have been affected by these beetles.

The oldest trees are the bristlecone pines. We have very few in Southwestern forests. One only needs to travel to the driest slopes near timberline in the San Luis Valley to find them. In a recent trip to Great Basin National Park in Nevada, I walked among 4,000plus-year-old bristlecone growing near timberline. These are true survivors. Because they are not nice and straight, they are not desired for lumber. This undoubtedly saved them from us.

A warming climate is all part of this devastation. Our old-growth trees would welcome the polar vortex that occurred in the Midwest this winter. Negative 20 temperatures for many days in a row would have killed many of the beetle larvae that are under the bark of old-growth trees – or at least slowed down the spread. We just don’t get those cold temperatures anymore.

As we travel the unique timberline forests of the Southwest, take time to admire the true survivors. It’s a

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long winter in some of these environments. The 2-foottall Engelmann spruce you see in the summer are probably 100 years old. Just think of a life spent under the snow for six to 10 months a year. Very little photosynthesis occurs and thus growth.

These trees really take off when they finally get to be 6 to 10 feet tall, and the growing top is above the snow for most of the year.

It’s not only the old-growth tree species that are affected by a changing forest, the entire plant community is affected. Shrubs begin to advance into areas that have been opened to more light and warmth. The relationship with the forest fungi changes with more warmth and dryness. Different species of mushrooms are now found where cooler moisture-favoring species were found before.

As a skier, I appreciate the deeper snows on the forest floor around the dead trees. There is a smaller canopy of needles and branches to catch the snow and thus evaporate before falling to the ground. As these dead giants begin to fall in the next 100 years from rot and wind, it will take more snow to bury them. But alas, we think in human lifetimes; years and awesome days spent among the forests. The forest ecology is alive and well here in the Southwest, and the forest of today will not be the same tomorrow. Enjoy what we have, and appreciate it as you walk and glide past the residents. They truly have an energy to feel if you choose to connect.

– Bill Koons, Durango

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Feb. 14, 2019 n 23

24 n Feb. 14, 2019

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