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FREE Aug. 6, 2026 Vol. XXV, No. 30 durangotelegraph.com

inside

T H E

O R I G I N A L

I N D I E

W E E K L Y

L I N E

O N

D U R A N G O

B E Y O N D

River plan falls short

Blues blowout

Summer’s last song

Long-term solutions elusive as Lower Basin takes brunt p5

Kirk James honored with day of music and giving p9

Rain or not, August brings a deluge of music p10

2 n Aug. 6, 2026

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lineup

4 La Vida Local

The biggest losers

4 Sign of the Downfall

Feds release Colorado River plan – but no one is really happy about it by Jonathan P. Thompson / The Land Desk

4 Thumbin’ It 5 The Land Desk

6-7 Soapbox 8 Big Pivots

The James gang

9 Local News

Community, musicians gather to celebrate Kirk James and his legacy

10 Between the Beats

by Missy Votel

11 State News

12-13 Stuff to Do 13 Ask Rachel

Musical deluge Rain or no rain, summer ends with a flood of concerts and shows

14 Free Will Astrology

by Stephen Sellers

15 Classifieds 15 Haiku Movie Review

On the cover Two baby deer take a nap in the cool grass while mom grabs a bite to eat. This probably bears repeating: if you find a fawn alone, leave it be. Mom is more than likely nearby and will BRB./ Photo by Andy High

Big boots As CPW wolf manager retires, new face to lead beleaguered program by Tracy Ross / The Colorado Sun

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Ear to the ground: “I only use Strava so my wife knows I exercised.” – Just make sure to turn it off before you head to the bar

Boom and bust

thepole

RegularOccurrences

The Telluride Mushroom Festival has been booming in Southwest Colorado for more than 45 years. But after a sharp drop in ticket sales this year, organizers are worried the long, strange trip may be over. Slated this year for Aug. 12–16, roughly 3,000 attendees are expected to gather in the nearby burgh to put the “fun” in fungi with lectures, foraging and revelry. Long billed as the largest festival of its kind in North America, the event – which once centered primarily on science – now includes yoga, culinary demonstrations, chef’s dinners, concerts, film screenings and kids events. With that expansion, however comes higher costs – costs traditionally covered by ticket sales and sponsorships. This year, however, much like the skies in general, that source has dried up. Ticket sales in 2026 dropped 40% compared to 2025, when the festival sold out, according to a story in the Denver Post. In response, festival leaders are rethinking their approach and soliciting donations with the TMF Future Fund, an effort to raise $100,000. Half of that money will go toward planning the 2027 festival, while the rest will serve as a minimum operating reserve. “This year has been an incredible challenge for the books,” festival Executive Officer Ashley Coady Smith told the Post. “I suppose if all fundraising and sales stopped today, yes, we’d be at a very big risk of (ending), but I’m staying completely optimistic.” Contributions to the fund start at $100 and come with perks such as ticket discounts and merchandise deals. Organizers are also seeking a magic $25,000 donor to unlock matching funds from a partner foundation. The irony of hosting an event rooted in foraging free, natural resources in one of the state’s most expensive towns is not lost on organizers. As a result, the festival is trying to make things more affordable by offering camping and single-day passes. In addition, about 30% of festival programming is free, including the popular mushroom parade. Organizers told the Post that the festival’s struggles mirror broader nationwide trends after a post-pandemic surge. In response, Telluride’s major festivals have formed an “alliance” to attract visitors and preserve the town’s long-standing cultural traditions. “We’re all working together … to figure out how to keep festivals part of Telluride’s fabric,” Coady Smith told the Post. “Because it’s been part of the fabric for so long, and it’s so important to so many people.” Aug. 6, 2026 n 3

LaVidaLocal Still believing in a future As someone who obsesses over multiple aspects of music, I often reﬂect on the intent an artist puts into an album title. Usually, an album title broadly and poetically characterizes its thematic content. Other times, an album title acts as a statement, intervening with current events. In May 1971, for instance, soul singer Marvin Gaye looked at a broken country entrenched in war, poverty and racial violence and released “What’s Goin’ On?” A few months later, in November, psychedelic funk group Sly and the Family Stone responded to Gaye’s question with their pointed album title, “There’s a Riot Going On.” In the heavier genres of punk and metal, it’s common for bands to use the album title for social commentary. One classic example is the Dead Kennedys’ 1986 album, “Bedtime for Democracy,” an indictment of Reaganism. Drawing urgent attention to the genocide in Gaza, the Canadian post-rock band Godspeed You! Black Emperor simply listed their 2024 LP as: “No Title as of 13 February 2024 28,340 Dead.” Then there’s the Downtown Boys, a working-class saxophone-core bilingual punk band from Providence, R.I., known for their socialist-heart-on-sleeve music. In 2015, the group gained recognition with its debut LP, “Full Communism,” followed by their 2017 sophomore album, “Cost of Living.” Both albums feature raw punk rock, carried by horns, with singer Victoria Marie weaving between Spanish and English, condemning an unjust prevailing order. After a nine-year hiatus, the quintet is back with their third album, “Public Luxury,” which features 11 tracks addressing the barbaric state violence and oppression we’ve witnessed in recent years, all while demanding a world that is nurturing and free for everyone. The opening track “No Me Jodas” still contains that youthful cathartic energy from the band’s early days, yet the sound is more reﬁned and expansive. With a bouncy bassline controlling the song’s momentum, “No Me Jodas” (which in English translates to: “Don’t f*ck with me”) is a thunderous melodic song, connecting joy with righteous rage, an emotional throughline for the album. In between the twangy cowboy-punk of “The City Begins,” the industrial-heavy “You’re a Ghost,” and the synth-metal of “Mi Concha,” Downtown Boys slow things down with “Yellow Sun,” a shimmery pop ballad in solidarity with Lebanon,

as Israel continues its invasion and occupation of the country. The verses name the atrocities of war and genocide, but resiliency soars during the song’s chorus. Amidst bright guitars and twinkly synths, Marie’s voice emerges, singing, “The trees grow in every direction / I’m still heavy with love.” Part of the song’s lyrics draw from the work of Lebanese writer Etel Adnan. In Adnan’s poem, “Beirut 1982,” one stanza reads: “Trees grow in all directions / So do Palestinians.” Consider the artist as prophet. Using imagination and melody, they draw attention to uncomfortable truths while pointing out the beauty that still exists. Sometimes artists can go beyond and call forth the world they desire, the just world we deserve. Downtown Boys did so with their 2015 LP, “Full Communism.” By titling their third album “Public Luxury,” the band builds on their vision for something better. Two recurring ideas on the new album are “Public Works” and “Public Luxury.” In an interview with music site Post-Trash, guitarist and co-vocalist Joey DeFrancesco says the two concepts come down to “insisting on the possibility of building a better world where everyone can be provided for.” In spite of a despairing reality, the public work of organizing workers and community members and sustaining mutual aid networks goes in hand with the long-term goals of “Public Luxury,” such as free healthcare, free education, the abolishment of ICE and a livable wage on a sustainable, healthy planet, to name a few things. On the track, “Viva La Rosa,” jangly distorted guitar chords and a triumphant saxophone pave the way for Marie’s gritty vocals. There’s a sustained build-up as Marie chants, “Viva La Rosa,” and when the drums kick in, the song charges forward with ﬁst-bumping chaos. With a swirl of poetic lyrics, Marie conjures up the past, present and future when she cries out: “Todavía creo en un futuro / Todavía veo nuestros muertos / Ya quemé la silla / Ten fé en lo que ves.” In English, the lyrics translate to: “I still believe in a future / I still see our dead / I already burned the chair / Have faith in what you see.” “Public Luxury” is a masterpiece I’ve had on repeat since its release. One only needs to read the grim daily news to understand why the music keeps calling me back. I know one album won’t change the world. But I believe there’s power in using art and music to name our present-day injustices while planting seeds for another world. – Kirbie Bennett

Thumbin’It The bogus charges against Olympian David Hearn were dropped last week when a judge ruled that the damage to the reflecting pool was caused not by “vandals” but Trump’s shoddy contractors. Expectedly, Trump shod his Depends at the news. Score one for reproductive rights in Red states, with two thinly veiled attempts to overturn abortion rights voted down in Kansas and Missouri. As the Trump administration rolls back protections for endangered species, the Phoenix Species Project is pumping $200 million into efforts to pull animals and plants back from the brink, including the fuzzy bellybutton flower and bowmouth guitarfish, which we swear we did not make up.

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SignoftheDownfall: It’s another dreadful natural food year for the local bear population, with hungry bruins on the hunt for easy eats in local homes and trash cans, as evidence by littered hillsides. Lock up your cans, people! Anyone else sick of these double-nine and three-digit high temps in the local weather forecast that seem to never end? It’s like the weather gods are just stringing us along with promises of temps in the 80s that only evaporate the next day… Speaking of the Depends Wearer in Chief, according to The New York Times, he made at least $2.2 billion his ﬁrst year back in the White House, including about $1.4 billion from his family’s crypto-corruption, er, currency, businesses. Think of that next time you buy groceries or pay for health care.

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He is Refusin’ MtoP is a Japanese religion founded for the purpose of letting devotees refuse working overtime or attending social functions by saying they “can’t for religious reasons.” Motohiro Hisano, a self-proclaimed “powerless deity” who refuses money or worship, founded the religion in 2019 as a joke, but today, MtoP had 11,000 followers, all of whom practice the teachings found in “R0304 Scripture.” It’s basically a list of 30 things to refuse “for religious reasons,” but true believers can refuse to refuse things (also for religious reasons), so it all sounds pretty legit. Motohiro hasn’t come to the U.S. to spread the word, which makes total sense: he teaches that not using all your PTO is sin, and if he started preaching that here in the U.S., they’d crucify him just like that other guy.

LandDesk

Lather, rinse, repeat Feds’ plan puts onus on Lower Basin but fails to address longterm problems by Jonathan P. Thompson

ast week, the Bureau of Reclamation released its final environmental impact statement for managing the Colorado River and its major reservoirs over the next decade. The preferred alternative is not a specific operating plan but a “decision framework” within which those plans can be developed at two-year intervals. The operating guidelines for the 2027 water year, which begins Oct. 1, are expected to be released later this month. The feds stepped in after the seven Colorado River states failed to agree on a new plan to replace the 2007 Interim Guidelines and the 2019 Drought Contingency Plans, both of which expire at the end of September. The states will continue to negotiate, and a seven-state consensus deal would take precedence over the federal plan. Those plans were aimed at bringing overall demand back into balance with supply, which is not easy given that a warmer and drier climate is continually diminishing the already over-allocated river. While the document appears to have been completely scrubbed of any references to “climate change” or “global warming,” it does obliquely acknowledge a heating planet with passages like this: “Imbalance between water supply and demand will be exacerbated by increasingly likely low-runoff conditions: The Basin is experiencing increased aridity due to climate variability, and long-term drought and low-runoff conditions are expected in the future.” While the supply-demand balance is the central objective, a secondary one is to “protect critical elevations” at Lake Powell to keep the surface level from dropping below 3,500 feet, which provides a 10-foot buffer above minimum power pool. This not only preserves hydropower, but it also avoids relying on the river outlet works for sustained releases. Meanwhile, the feds didn’t even consider proposals to drain Lake Powell or to build bypass tunnels around Glen Canyon Dam to allow for low-level water releases. The release was met with much pomp and circumstance, along with a

Lake Powell and Wahweap Marina back in August 2021, when the surface level was at about 3,549 feet. It’s now at 3,522 feet, just above the all-time low reached in April 2022. / Jonathan P. Thompson photo lot of hand-wringing and teeth-gnashing, though it didn’t contain any major surprises or changes from the draft EIS released earlier this year. The big takeaway, or at least the most talked-about one, is that the Upper Basin states will not be subjected to mandatory water cuts, though they are being asked to cut about 200,000 acre-feet annually on a voluntary basis. The Lower Basin states, meanwhile, will be required to cut their consumption, perhaps by as much as 3.6 million acre-feet per year. That’s nearly half of those states’ Colorado River Compact allotment. Glen Canyon Dam annual releases, which will be determined Oct. 1, will range from 6 maf to 12 maf. This could drop as low as 5 maf if necessary to defend Lake Powell’s “de facto deadpool” of 3,500 feet. That would reduce ﬂows in the Grand Canyon to below 7,000 cubic feet per second, and cause Lake Mead to drop further. The cuts would be distributed based on water right priority, which would hit Arizona the hardest. That’s not because Arizona’s rights are junior to everyone

else’s, but because their biggest straw – the Central Arizona Project – has junior rights, which the state accepted in exchange for federal funds to help build the thing and power its energy-sucking pumps. Lower Basin leaders are, generally, livid. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said the feds’ plan “still contains unacceptable options that include the federal government forcing Arizona to take the majority of draconian water cutbacks.” Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo said the plan “seeks to impose unrealistic reductions on Nevada and our water users … (that) could have devastating economic and environmental impacts … .” The response from the Upper Basin has been more measured and mixed but is predominantly one of relief. But any celebration is tempered by the fact that nature is forcing its own cuts in the Upper Basin; irrigation canals are shutting down long before the growing season is over, and some irrigators have received only a fraction of their usual allotment this year. Plus, the plan leaves open the possibility of draining Upper

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Basin reservoirs such as Flaming Gorge, Blue Mesa and Navajo to buoy Lake Powell. That will affect recreation and leave less water for irrigators and other users in the Upper Basin. Meanwhile, advocacy groups are generally unhappy about the plan’s shortterm approach, its focus on saving dams rather than the river, its willful ignorance of climate science and its failure to force cuts on all river users. Even more dismaying is the fact that it doesn’t even cap Upper Basin consumption at current levels, implicitly allowing new diversions and water projects that would throw supply and demand further out of balance. “The Colorado River needs consequential and systemic change that confronts the ecological, political, and legal chaos caused by climate change and Glen Canyon Dam, but Reclamation’s plan is just a ‘lather, rinse, repeat’ of past failed policies,” Gary Wockner, of Save The Colorado, said in a written statement. There’s no indication that the Trump administration is punishing the Lower Basin states, however. It’s far simpler logistically to distribute and enforce mandatory consumption cuts in the Lower Basin because there are fewer diversion points, each of which is far larger than in the Upper Basin. Also, the 1928 Boulder Canyon Project Act made the Interior Secretary the “water master” on the Lower Colorado River, giving the feds greater authority to order shortages. One question that remains unanswered is how reduced releases from Glen Canyon Dam would play out in the context of the Colorado River Compact, which dictates that the Upper Basin “not cause the ﬂow of the river at Lee Ferry to be depleted below an aggregate of 75 million acre-feet” for any 10year period. There’s a high likelihood that the 10-year aggregate ﬂow will drop below 75 maf in the next year, giving Arizona possible grounds to sue and putting the interpretation of the clause into the hands of the Supreme Court. This story was edited for length. To read it in its entirety, go to: www.land desk.org. The Land Desk is a newsletter from Jonathan P. Thompson, author of “River of Lost Souls,” “Behind the Slickrock Curtain” and “Sagebrush Empire.” ■ Aug. 6, 2026 n 5

SoapBox

D-Toon/by Rob Pudim

The best of humanity

Trump mythbusting

I have been wanting to acknowledge the deeds of some good souls in our community up Junction Creek. A group of young people from Southwest Conservation Corps were up there this past month cutting trees for ﬁre mitigation. My partner went up to see about available wood and was met with smiling faces, enthusiasm and, in my mind, open hearts. Due to some challenges this past year, loading the truck would be difficuly. Not a problem. Aree, Addie, Gracie and Walt proceeded to load the truck at least two times! First, I want to thank them for the hard work in some pretty hot weather to help mitigate ﬁre potential in our forest. Second, I want to thank them for, without hesitation, stepping up to help some of us more senior residents in this community. It brightened our day and will be remembered as we sit by the wood stove this winter! Thank you guys, you’re an example of the “best.” – Pamela Moreno, Durango

In “1984,” George Orwell introduced us to “NewSpeak,” that twisted Big Brother government way of saying war is peace, love is hate, the enemy is everywhere, maybe next to you. What we are hearing play out before our very ears is TrumpSpeak, in which myths are being created daily and taken literally by those who need to believe in myths. • Myth #1: Our electoral system is corrupted and broken and needs radical federal interference to ensure fairness and just outcomes. Supporters of this are mostly people who believe that the federal government has too much control over our lives. Is there a word for “irony” in TrumpSpeak? They believe our electoral system could not be otherwise or else Trump would have won the 2020 election. There was a brief lapse in this corruption in 2024 when Trump won, but then it went right back to the travesty it is, and that can only be fixed by the insightful farsightedness of Trump when he personally wrote the SAVE America Act.

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• Myth #2: Trump writes all his own TruthSocial postings. Here is a man with an attention span so short that he cannot sit through daily national security intelligence briefings unless the briefings are presented in 1½ pages and are mostly pictures, and who can barely spell. Yet, he expects people to believe that he understands the concepts his postings expound on and that he can actually express opinions on relatively complex ideas in the written word. • Myth #3: Trump cares. Trump has stated on the record at a Nevada rally “I don’t care about you; I just want your vote.” He doesn’t care “even a little bit” about Americans’ financial situation, and much to the consternation of most of the GOP, he has stated he “doesn’t care about the midterms.” He doesn’t care about the economy, health care or children in cages. It would be more accurate to say he “doesn’t care about anything but himself” as manifested through insatiable self-aggrandizement, putting his name on buildings, building a ballroom with his name on it, getting an airport with his name on it, getting his face on Mount Rushmore and getting a train station named after him.

• Myth #4: There is a good reason we are at war with Iran. This is one of the best, because the reasons change constantly. There is no endgame. And, oh yeah, it is not a war; it’s a skirmish. Corollary to Myth #4: see Myth #6. • Myth #5: As demonstrated by the GOP congressional delegation, which includes our own CD 3 Rep. Jeff Hurd, Congress is a co-equal branch of government. There is no explanation or example needed as to why this is no longer the case. The GOP has dissolved like papier maché in a downpour, leaving nothing but wet spots for us all to see. The embarrassing thing about that is: their wet spots are badges of honor. • Myth #6: The Iran War is winnable. Since the meaning of “winning” changes daily, at what point do we declare, “That’s it, no más, they lost, we won. Another job well done. Let’s go home.” The war began on a whim and that is probably how it will end, on the whim of a man who gets bored easily and cannot explain any of his actions without losing his temper when asked to explain any of his actions. • Myth #7: TrumpSpeak is TrueSpeak: Trump does not lie. The disturbing aspect of this is that his followers know he lies and condone it because it

tickles them to have a president who rejects all previously held presidential norms, like “A president does not lie to his people.” Trump lies, and his faithful worship this, despite their firm belief in the Trump Bible Proverbs 12:22: “The Lord detests lying lips.” • Myth #8: There’s commies everywhere. Seventy years ago, Joseph McCarthy made a name for himself spouting this, before he drank himself to death at age 47. Now MAGA, inebriated by TrumpSpeak, sees commies behind every bush, down every alley, in every Subaru, even though when asked, they cannot tell you what a “commie” is, does or wears. They know a commie’s favorite color is red, but wait, what about Red states where MAGA rules? Something does not compute, but not computing is one of TrumpSpeak’s favorite tactics, so let’s move on before the commies surround us. – Josh Joswick, Bayﬁeld

In bitcoin we trust? Do you trust the government? Is your representative acting in your best interest? If your “team” doesn’t win in November, will you be happy?

telegraph

We hope for the separation of church and state. We hope the judiciary can render a decision without politics affecting their view. Yet, every day we accept the money issued by the government, and every day they steal the hard work and time represented by that money, via inﬂation and money printing. If you are ready for a world that doesn’t care what you look like, what your sex is, the color of your skin or if you support Team Blue or Team Red, then it’s time for you to study Bitcoin and the fairness principles it is founded upon. – Howard Roark, Durango

We’ll print damned near anything The Telegraph welcomes healthy civil discourse in 750 words or less. Writers must include their (real) name and place of residence. Personal attacks, hate speech or libelous content are not welcome. Please email your profundities to: telegraph@durango telegraph.com

Aug. 6, 2026 n 7

BigPivots

Political crosswinds Federal inaction clouds future of wind project in one of Colorado’s poorest counties by Allen Best

ads, a small town on Colorado’s windy eastern plains, has been shedding population for many decades. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth isn’t helping any. Federal law requires the developer of wind projects with turbines higher than 200 feet to submit plans to the Federal Aviation Administration for review. The FAA, in turn, refers those projects to the Department of Defense to assess whether they could affect military operations, radar systems, ﬂight paths or national security. In August 2025, Hegseth’s department slowed those reviews. In April came reports that the laggard pace of reviews had stalled entirely. In Colorado, this stall has impacted at least one project, the 500-megawatt Towner Wind Energy II (or West) Project. A twin project, the similar-sized Towner Wind Energy I (or East) project, had already received clearance and is now under construction. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser in July joined 17 other states, the District of Columbia and a coalition of environmental groups in a lawsuit that contests what they call a freeze on reviews. They say the unresponsiveness of the Department of Defense is politically motivated and violates federal law. At least $2.7 billion in private investment and 7,124 jobs are at risk in Colorado, according to the court ﬁling. Big Pivots was unable to identify other wind projects in Colorado that may be in limbo because of the federal freeze. However, nationwide, according to American Clean Power Association, 150 wind projects have been affected. At the Kiowa County courthouse in Eads, County Administrator Tina Adamson has been looking forward to the two Towner wind projects going on the property tax rolls. The county has an assessed valuation of $39.4 million, lowest among all of Colorado’s 64 counties. The county has a population of 1,446 as of 2020, almost exactly half of its population in 1950. It is bisected by Highway 287, which produces a steady stream of trucks at all hours of the day and night. In Eads, the Love’s station produces a healthy – for a very small town – stream

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Federal review and approval is required for new wind projects higher than 200 feet, such as the Towner Wind Energy II project near the Eastern Plains town of Eads. However, that process has been frozen by Trump, long a critic of wind farms./ Photo courtesy Xcel Energy of revenue in sales taxes. Less frequently, travelers stop for a meal while visiting Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, 23 miles east. Neighboring counties along the Kansas border beneﬁt from the higher property taxes levied against oil and gas operations and lands with irrigated agriculture. Kiowa County has little or none of that. Most land is used for livestock grazing or growing wheat or other crops that need little moisture. “We have such a small population and a pretty large area, all ag,” Adamson said. “We have very, very little oil and gas.” Work on Towner East, which is to have 115 turbines, is under way, the Kiowa County Independent reported in February. On its Towner Energy Center website, project developer Invenergy predicts that Towner East will yield more than $120 million in state and local tax revenues over the life of the project. After construction is completed, it is expected to yield roughly 15 full-time jobs. The project is now owned by Xcel Energy. At the Kiowa County Courthouse, Adamson said she expects far less annual revenue than the $1.25 to $1.5 million

annual boost predicted by the developers. Based on evidence from other counties in eastern Colorado, she expects no more than $500,000 in new annual revenue. Even so, that amounts to a substantial boost for the county budget. An irony of the federal freeze is that Kiowa County has been a strong supporter of Trump. In the 2024 election, he got 744 votes compared to 101 for his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris. The margins were similar in the 2020 and 2016 elections. The New York Times, in a story in May, pointed out Trump’s dislike of wind turbines. He has called them ugly and expensive. “My goal,” he said in January, “is to not let any windmill be built.” On his ﬁrst day in ofﬁce, Trump issued an executive order halting all leasing of federal lands or waters for wind turbines. Congress in 2011 adopted the law that developers must apply for clearances from the FAA before large wind farms begin construction. The Times said that many wind projects in the past quickly received “no hazard” determinations, allowing them to move forward. Some projects do create issues, and they typi-

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cally need to reach an agreement with the Pentagon, such as paying to upgrade nearby radar systems or modifying the layout of its turbines. This process was for years considered routine and predictable, said The Times. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, in a June 8 letter to Dale Marks, assistant secretary of defense for energy, installations and environment, said the defense department’s actions represent a “de facto nationwide moratorium on all land-based wind energy development – blocking projects critical to maintaining electric reliability, meeting rising energy demand and lowering energy prices for consumers.” According to the Colorado Energy Office, the freeze on wind projects hurts clean energy generation and will drive up energy costs, increase customer energy bills and impact reliability. In his filing, Weiser said that national security and production of electricity from wind can be successfully balanced. He called the freeze “simply another attempt to unlawfully interfere with the deployment of renewable energy.” Weiser also asserts the federal inaction harms Colorado’s statutory requirement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels. In the first three months of 2026, wind was responsible for 35% of Colorado’s electricity. In 2025, according to the Energy Information Administration, it was responsible for 30%. Kiowa County may add other renewable projects in coming years. Three solar projects have been proposed: for 500 megawatts, 580 megawatts and 1,025 megawatts. Invenergy did not confirm that the project had been frozen by federal inaction, saying only that “planning on Towner West continues” and that the company is “optimistic about its future.” Kiowa County expects that wind farm, if completed, to yield another $500,000 in annual property tax revenues. Both wind projects are located along Xcel Energy’s 345-kV Colorado Power Pathway, a 550-mile transmission line intended to deliver renewable electricity to metropolitan Denver. Allen Best is a Colorado-based journalist who publishes an e-magazine about Colorado’s clean energy transition called Big Pivots. ■

LocalNews

Keeping the blues alive Friends and family honor Kirk James with day of music, memories and giving by Missy Votel

lmost a year to the day that local bluesman Kirk James died, family and friends are hosting a celebration to ensure that the beloved musician’s legacy lives on. The Kirk James Music Celebration takes place from 2-7 p.m., Sun., Aug. 17, at Ska Brewing. The event will feature live bands, including headliner, Navajo blues rocker Levi Platero, as well as a silent auction. Proceeds will go to Stillwater Music and KSUT Public Radio, two causes near and dear to James’ heart. The Durango Arts Center is helping to organize the event and acting as fiscal sponsor. According to DAC’s Executive Director Beth Lamberson, the seeds for the event were planted by Kirk’s brother Terry as well as Kirk’s longtime friend, Hal Lott. “So many people in the community were asking, ‘When is there going be a concert?’ And so that’s how it came about,” said Lamberson, also a longtime friend of James’. Plans solidified when Ska Brewing offered up its space for free. “It’s a good place to have a party,” said Lamberson. Also, knowing James’ involvement with both KSUT and Stillwater Music, where he taught a blues camp, she said making the event a fundraiser for those two organizations just made sense. Lamberson said she met James, who moved to Durango from Texas in 1985, when he played a benefit concert for KSUT, where she worked as executive director for a number of years. He also helped her out during the station’s pledge drives and

James in what might be described as his “Farquahrt Days.”

Kirk James hosted bands during the wee hours so she could “go home and get some sleep.” The two also volunteered together at the Adaptive Sports Association at Purgatory. One fun fact about those days is that James made the ski run signs at the resort, some of which likely still exist in “private collections” in back yards, sheds and basements throughout Durango. In fact, in addition to being a talented and proliﬁc performer – up until his death, James was still gigging at an impressive pace – he was almost as well known for his art. He owned his own graphic design business, where he created logos, cartoons and event posters (some of which are up for bid

in the silent auction.) He also did custom pinstriping under “Bluzman Pinstriping” (for the phonically challenged, it’s a long “u” in “bluz”) and was a licensed Rat Fink artist. Rat Fink was a famous cartoon character created in 1958 by Ed “Big Daddy” Roth that featured a rebellious mouse with bulging, bloodshot eyes and sharp teeth who was an anti-hero for the hot rod and custom car subculture. But ﬁrst and foremost, James was a musician and aﬁcionado of blues music, studying the blues masters with “postgraduate fervor,” according to his family. “His obsession with blues guitar led him to be renowned as not only a guitar

telegraph

player at the highest level of skill and ﬁnesse, but also a learned scholar of the history of blues music,” they wrote in his obituary on everloved.com. James, 61, died Aug. 17, 2025, in a motorcycle crash near Purgatory Resort. He is survived by many family members, including wife, Mary Jo Royce James, whom he married in 2013, and several step-children and grandchildren. “The family would like to express their gratitude to the wonderful family, friends, colleagues and fans who loved Kirk with the kindness and respect that he always extended to others,” the family wrote in his obituary. “We are all better people for having known Kirk.” Lamberson said they are calling this the “inaugural” event in the hopes it will become an annual happening. “It’s something we’ll get to reassess when this one’s over,” she said. For more info. on the Kirk James Music Celebration, go to durangoarts.org and click on the “events” tab. ■

Aug. 6, 2026 n 9

BetweentheBeats

Summer’s last song Rain or not, August calendar is overflowing with music by Stephen Sellers

Tina Miely Real Estate is proud to support these local organizations: • Parker's Animal Rescue

• Animas River Days • Volunteers of America Southwest Safehouse • Music in the Mountains • Manna Soup Kitchen • ASPCA

Tina Miely Broker Associate

(970) 946-2902 tina@BHHSco.com

10 n Aug. 6, 2026

reetings, dear readers! Several viewings of Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” have me wondering what, exactly, we have done to be forsaken by the local rain deity. Odysseus blinded Polyphemus and really pissed off Poseidon, so boom! Next thing you know, his crew is navigating toilet-bowl whirlpools and choosing between drowning and starving to death. So, what have we done to anger the gods of Durango? Was it the cars that took out the bicyclist sculpture? Was it a few local landlords discovering the phrase “market rate” and deciding that shelter should cost roughly one human soul per month? Perhaps the odd, little go-kart course rebranding of Riverview Drive was simply one step too far. All likely offenses, I suspect. Thankfully, the goddess of music continues to shine her favor upon us. May it be so. August, our final full month of summer, is proof that the musical calendar remains blessedly overflowing. Let us make our offerings accordingly. As always, see you on the dance floor! • Mojo Birds, Thurs., Aug. 6, 5:30 p.m., Buckley Park, presented by the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College - These concerts are a gem. At the recent Jon Stickley Trio show, I even bumped into Scooter Smith, Sierra Ferrell’s live sound engineer. How lucky are we? Durango’s Mojo Birds offer exquisite songwriting, Peruvian rhythms and some of Durango’s strongest players. Expect a conga line. • Telluride Jazz Festival, Fri.–Sat., Aug. 7–8, Telluride Town Park - Sometimes bigger is not better. Telluride Jazz is scaling down from three days to two. Are we worried? Maybe a little. Friday brings a “Powered Down” performance from The Disco Biscuits, alongside Don Was and the Pan-Detroit Ensemble celebrating the Grateful Dead’s “Blues for Allah.” Saturday belongs to Lettuce celebrating Miles Davis’ 100th birthday as well as Robert Randolph, Theo Croker and Adrian Quesada’s Trio Asesino. Send vibes. I am optimistic that scaling back will keep this festival around. • Negative Order, Decapitation of a New Day and NRWHL, Sat., Aug. 8, 6:30 p.m., The Swarm at The Hive - If there is a show at The Swarm, I am doing my damnedest to write about it. If you have not been, get down there and see what all the buzz is about. Albuquerque’s Negative Order, Dulce’s Decapitation of a New Day and Prescott’s NRWHL descend for the month’s heaviest bill. As always, it is all-ages and sober. Ten bucks gets you three regional bands and a chance to move those emotions. Rock on, Hive. • Brother Ali with DJ Abilities, Tues., Aug. 11, 8 p.m., Animas City Theatre - Underground hip-hop was a thing here during the 2000s and 2010s. Joshua Bensik, now proprietor of Toast Records & Bakes, was right in the middle, promoting plenty of dope shows at what we knew as The Abbey and is now known as the Animas City Theater. Seeing Brother Ali at the Animas City Theatre recalls that era. Expect the heads out in full force for this master MC. • Esther Rose and Westfield, Wed., Aug. 12, 7 p.m.,

telegraph

Esther Rose plays Toast Records on Aug. 12 Toast Records & Bakes - Toast has become our town’s best little listening room, and seeing two artists of this caliber in a record store is the sort of improbable experience that makes small-town life worthwhile. This one features New Orleans’ Esther Rose alongside Durango’s Westfield. Tickets are $20. Buy a record or two and help keep the vinyl and baked goods flowing. This place is a treasure. • Kirk James Music Celebration with Bad Habit, The Great Divide, High Altitude Blues and Levi Platero, Sun., Aug. 16, 2–7 p.m., Ska Brewing - One year after his passing, Kirk James’ friends and musicians gather at Ska Brewing to celebrate his life. The lineup features Bad Habit, The Great Divide, High Altitude Blues and Navajo blues powerhouse Levi Platero. Proceeds benefit Stillwater Music youth scholarships and KSUT Public Radio, causes connected to Kirk’s legacy. Expect music, food, a silent auction and stories honoring someone who made our community musical. • San Juan Brewfest with Desiderata, Fri., Aug. 28, 6 p.m.; ORA and The Galentines, Sat., Aug. 29, 1 p.m., Buckley Park - Nothing draws summer to a close like San Juan Brewfest. This year features three female-fronted bands spanning pop, disco grooves, shredding guitar solos and fuzzy rock ’n’ roll. Friday brings Durango-born, Fort Collins-based Desiderata back to Buckley Park with its increasingly shimmering disco-pop. Saturday features ORA (full disclosure: your faithful columnist plays bass) alongside Boulder’s The Galentines. ORA supplies high-desert fuzz, heavy riffs and mystical incantations; The Galentines bring glam, hooks, harmonies and rock-star energy. Raise a tasting glass toward the clouds and bid summer farewell. ■

StateNews

Changing of the guard As CPW wolf manager Eric Odell retires, state looks to Matthew Hyde to fill big boots by Tracy Ross / The Colorado Sun

olorado has a new wolf conservation manager who will be tasked with restarting the stalled program that has seen increasing conflicts with ranchers and can no longer import wolves into the state. Matthew Hyde has been selected by Colorado Parks and Wildlife to replace Eric Odell, the career CPW biologist who ushered in Colorado’s wolf reintroduction program after voters approved it in 2020. Hyde, who spent two years studying the relationship between wolves and people as a postdoctoral fellow with the California Wolf Project through the University of California Berkeley, began overseeing Colorado’s program this week. Odell retired last week after 26 years with CPW. He was touted as a quiet leader who stayed out of policy debates to focus on building the wolf program. His work garnered several prestigious awards, and Frontier Airlines christened one of its signature aircraft animals after him – Odell the Lynx. The Colorado Sun learned of Hyde’s selection Monday. CPW spokesperson Luke Perkins conﬁrmed the decision but did not provide details. He said Hyde has started the job but would not be available for interviews until he has met staff and become more acclimated to the position. Colorado’s wolf reintroduction program has been rocky from the start, with the last year being particularly disruptive. In October 2025, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service blocked CPW from importing gray wolves from British Columbia amid accusations of misconduct. In January, Fish and Wildlife Director Brian Nesvik demanded a full accounting of CPW’s actions. More scrutiny followed in April, with a request for public comment on how the agency is implementing its mandate to protect livestock. And in May, Odell told the CPW Commission he could not provide an estimate of when, if ever, wolves would be fully reestablished in the state. Things have improved in recent months, and Hyde inherits a program that’s sturdier than when Odell announced his retirement.

CPW’s former Wolf Conservation Program Manager Eric Odell retired last week. He is credited with starting the wolf recovery program after voters approved it in 2020./ CPW photo On July 22, CPW conﬁrmed the successful reproduction of three existing wolf packs and the formation of a new pack – Piney Ridge – all with litters ranging between four and six pups. Combined with the ﬁrst generation of pups, that could bring the total number of wolves into the 50s, inching them closer to the 150 needed for a self-sustaining population. But the future of Colorado’s wolf restoration remains unknown as the federal government threatens to take over the program. Both major-party gubernatorial candidates, Democrat Phil Weiser and Republican Victor Marx, are noncommittal on the future of wolves in Colorado.

telegraph

Before his work with the California Wolf Project, Hyde studied carnivore-livestock conflicts at Colorado State University. His published work has examined nonlethal methods to reduce livestock depredation and evaluated whether diversionary feeding can help reduce wolf conflicts with livestock, Darlene Kobobel, founder of the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center, said in an email. “His research focuses on how to support working ranches while reducing conflicts.” Ranchers and wolf advocates are urging Hyde to approach his new job in the same manner as Odell did. “Eric stayed out of the policy debates and focused on the field science, logistics, data collection and mechanics of transitioning the agency from capture and translocation to building out,” Courtney Vail, biologist and outreach advisor for the Rocky Mountain Wolf Project, said. “I think it’s important to have that impartial voice as scaffolding underpinning the wolf program.” Odell brought an even-handed approach to divisions over the native predator, said Lenny Klinglesmith, a rancher from Meeker who worked with Odell. “Whatever bias you might have had, he would kind of straighten it out. Wolves aren’t the devil, but they darn sure aren’t the saints they’re made out to be by some,” he said. “He had a pretty grounded approach and realistic view.” Having someone with experience working on wolves in California could be a huge boon for Colorado, said Axel Hunnicutt, gray wolf coordinator for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. His agency dealt with nearly 200 confirmed livestock losses to 12 packs of wolves in 2025 compared with Washington, which had 17 confirmed losses to 48 packs of wolves, he said. “Matt’s coming from a very similar realm of a relatively small number of wolves that are expanding and causing conflict. I am sad to say for myself that he’s (leaving). But Matt is super stable. He doesn’t get super emotional. He’s very smart. He’s very empathetic. And I think that has resonated with producers in California.” This story was edited for length. To read it in its entirety, go to: www.coloradosun.com. ■

Aug. 6, 2026 n 11

StufftoDo

Thursday06 Cribbage, 8-10 a.m., Just the Drip Coffee Shop, 1600 Florida Rd. Elmore’s Farmers Market, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., Florida Grange, 656 CR 172 La Plata County Fair, 8 a.m.-7 p.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds Shane Finn plays Ska-B-Q, 5-7 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St. Mojo Birds play Concert Hall at The Park, 5:30 p.m., Buckley Park

Submit items for “Stuff to Do” by Monday at noon at: www.durangotelegraph.com/send-us-your-stuff-to-do/

Spanish Conversation Hour, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave. The Badly Bent plays, 5:30-8 p.m., James Ranch, 33826 Hwy 550 Dart Tournament, 5:30-9 p.m., Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave. Anuraag Pendyal plays, 5:30-10 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Jeff Solon Jazz plays, 6 p.m., Lola’s Place, 725 E. 2nd Ave. ’80s/’90s Party, 6-9 p.m., Just the Drip Coffee, 1600 Florida Rd. Andrew Schuhmann plays, 6-9 p.m., Ofﬁce Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. Thursday Night Rides, 6:30 p.m., Durango Harley-Davidson, 750 S. Camino Del Rio Trivia Night, 6:30-8:30 p.m., The Powerhouse, 1333 Camino Del Rio Bluegrass Jam, 6:30-9 p.m., Durango Beer and Ice, 3000 Main Ave.

Tony De Luz “Street Level,” opening reception, 5-7 p.m., Blue Rain Gallery, 934 Main Ave.

Yarn Meetup, 1-3 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.

Chili Cook-Off, 5-7 p.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds

“The Dominguez-Escalante Expedition of 1776,” 1-2 p.m., Animas Museum, 3065 W. 2nd Ave.

First Friday Open Mic Poetry, 5-7 p.m., Rochester Hotel, 726 E. 2nd Ave.

Tibetan Buddhist Practice Group, 4 p.m., Dreams of Tibet, 988 Main Ave.

“Amalgamation,” sculpture work by Bill Grimes & Noah Stotz, opening reception, 5-8 p.m., Durango Creative District Gallery, 1135 Main Ave.

Pete Giuliani and Ross Douglas play, 5-8 p.m., Dalton Ranch Clubhouse, 589 CR 252

“Western Cutouts,” by Melanie Olrich, opening reception, 5-8 p.m., Studio & The Recess Gallery, 1027 Main Ave.

Anuraag Pendyal plays, 5:30-10 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Nina Sasaki & Dan Carlson play, 6-8 p.m., Lola’s Place, 725 E. 2nd Ave.

First Friday Glassblowing Demonstration & Artist Social, 5:30-7 p.m., Smiley ArtRoom Collective, 1309 E. 3rd Ave.

Nuages du Desert plays, 6-9 p.m., Union Social House 3062 Main Ave.

Matt Lewis plays, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Barons Creek Vineyards Tasting Room, 901 Main Ave.

Matt Rupnow plays, 6-9 p.m., Ofﬁce Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

Anuraag Pendyal plays, 5:30-10 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Sunday09

Ross Douglas plays, 6-8 p.m., Lola’s Place, 725 E. 2nd Ave. Jackson Mountain Ramblers play, 6-9 p.m., Fox Fire Farms Winery, 5513 CR 321, Ignacio Patrick Crossing plays, 6-9 p.m., Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave. Dustin Burley plays, 6-9 p.m., Ofﬁce Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. Back to School Improv, 7-9 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.

Saturday08

La Plata County Fair, 8 a.m.-7 p.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds Sunday Record Brunch Club, 12 noon-3 p.m., 11th St. Station, 1101 Main Ave. Sunday Irish Jam, 12:30-3 p.m., Durango Beer and Ice, 3000 Main Ave. Midnight Backhand plays 2nd Saturdays with Ska, 2-5 p.m., Hillcrest Golf Club iAM Music Funk Jam Sessions, 4-6 p.m., 11th St. Station, 1101 Main Ave. Dan Carlson & Nina Sasaki play, 5-7:30 p.m., Dalton Ranch, 589 CR 252

Durango Farmers Market on Main, 8 a.m.-12 noon, Main Ave.

Ben Gibson plays, 6-9 p.m., Ofﬁce Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

La Plata County Fair, 8 a.m.-7 p.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds

Blue Moon Ramblers play, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Veterans Friday Morning Coffee, 8-10:30 a.m., American Legion, 878 E. 2nd Ave.

La Plata County 4-H 5K Run, 8:30 a.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds

Monday10

La Plata County Fair, 8 a.m.-7 p.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds

Dog Days of Summer with LPCHS, 9-11 a.m., Durango Nursery & Supply, 271 Kaycee Lane

Live Painting Demonstration with Tony De Luz, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Blue Rain Gallery, 934 Main Ave.

San Juan Nature Hike, 10 a.m.-12 noon, Andrews Lake upper parking lot

Community BBQ, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds

Monday Social with country swing & line dancing, 6-8 p.m., The Durango Collective, 1315 Main Ave.

First Friday Art Walk, 4-7 p.m., various locations, downtown Durango

Poetry by the River Open Mic, 12 noon-2 p.m., White Rabbit Books & Curiosities 128 W. 14th St.

Terry Rickard plays, 6-9 p.m., Ofﬁce Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

Leah Orlikowski plays, 4:30-7 p.m., Toh-Atin Gallery, 145 W. 9th St.

Too Broke for Sturgis Party, 12 noon-3 p.m., Durango Harley-Davidson, 750 S. Camino Del Rio

Jazz Church, 7:30-9:30 p.m., 11th St. Station, 1101 Main Ave.

Friday07

12 n Aug. 6, 2026

telegraph

Happy Hour Yoga, 5:30 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St. Anuraag Pendyal plays, 5:30-10 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

AskRachel

Germs, jobs and wandering minds Interesting fact: About 25% of U.S. adults suspect they have undiagnosed ADHD. And that only accounts for the adults who ﬁnished the survey. Dear Rachel, We had to reschedule our monthly book club because the guy who was hosting had a sick kid. Great. None of us want to catch the germs. But this one new member is not letting it go. How old is the kid? What kind of sick? Let’s do it without him. The insistence is bordering on creepy, and he’s acting like the book is more important than wanting our whole group to feel welcomed. Makes me want to un-welcome him. Am I overreacting? – Club Mother Dear Alpha Mom, Amen to not getting sick! For a brief and glorious time, Covid taught us all to stay home and stay away. We’re deﬁnitely back to “eh, what’s a little explosive diarrhea between friends,” and I really disapprove. Maybe this new guy is just really desperate to make new friends. You could always suggest getting together outside of book club for a salad. If he says yes to the lettuce, you are covered for letting him go. – Gone clubbing, Rachel

Tuesday11

Economic Monthly Meeting, 9-10 a.m., FLC for Innovation, 835 Main Ave., Ste. 225 How to Stay Out of a Nursing Home: Planning Your Future, 1 p.m., Durango Senior Center, 2424 Main Clinic Defense at Planned Parenthood, 1 p.m., Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, 46 Suttle St. Twin Buttes weekly group mountain bike ride, 5:307:30 p.m., Twin Buttes Trailhead

“Regenerating Watersheds, Co-Creating Resilience: A Community Gathering,” 5:30-9:30 p.m., Wellness Retreat and Education Center, 12943 HWY 550 Anuraag Pendyal plays, 5:30-10 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Rotary Club of Durango with AHS student Boedy Imming, 6-7 p.m., Strater Hotel, 699 Main Ave. Yes, No, Maybe plays, 6-8 p.m., Three Springs Plaza, 175 Mercado St. Beans and Bingo, 6-8 p.m., Just the Drip Coffee, 1600 Florida Rd. Tuesday Trivia, 6-8:30 p.m., 11th St. Station, 1101 Main Ave. Karaoke, 6-9 p.m., Weminuche Woodﬁre Grill,

Dear Rachel, I was recently diagnosed ADHD, and I don’t want medical advice. Am I going to be OK? Because I swear my ADHD has gotten worse since I learned about it. I can’t even stay focused on doing the dishes. Heck, this letter is the most motivated I’ve been in a month. Maybe send me a reassurance by email, too, since I’ll forget to read the paper. – Adult Distracted, Hi Doggie! Dear Unﬁnished Business, You are really and truly going to be OK. You’re not alone; literally everyone right now is discovering they have ADHD or some other ﬂavor of neurodivergence. It’s almost like each human being is a special collection of coping mechanisms and misapplied survival skills, and it doesn’t work to put us in broad and shallow buckets. But also, wait what was I saying? – Ooh, shiny, Rachel Dear Rachel, I just got asked at work to take over social media. I said yes because I don’t want to jeopardize my job. The problem is, I don’t know how any of this works. Sure I grew up

Email Rachel at telegraph@durangotelegraph.com on the internet but have no idea how to make an engaging video on my phone. How can I hack this to make the bosses happy? – Other Duties Dear Voluntold, Block off one afternoon and say you’re in a meeting. Then take your phone into the bathroom, where all phone-based work takes place. Find a video about how to do one thing really well. Then implement that over and over. Also, it helps to ride the wave of what’s trending. Like me making an explosive diarrhea reference. Do it like I do, and you’ll be only two or three weeks behind the curve. – As assigned, Rachel Trivia Night, 6-8 p.m., Zia Cantina, 2977 Main Ave.

18044 CR 501, Vallecito Sean O’Brien plays, 6-9 p.m., Ofﬁce Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

Writers & Scribblers, 6-8 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.

Bluegrouse plays, 6-9 p.m., Durango Hot Springs, 6475 CR 203

Anuraag Pendyal plays, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Adult Roller Skating, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Chapman Hill

Wednesday12 Women’s Collective: Balancing the Sacred Masculine & Feminine Within, 9-10 a.m., Durango Collective, 1315 Main Ave. Twin Buttes Farm Stand, 3-6:30 p.m., 165 Tipple Ave. Ska Bingo Night, 5-7 p.m., Animas River Lounge at The DoubleTree, 501 Camino Del Rio Money Talks, casual personal ﬁnance meetup, Wed., Aug. 12, 5:30 p.m., 11th St. Station, 1101 Main Ave. Sound Bath for the 2SLGBTQ+ Community, 5:306:30 p.m., The Smiley Building, 1309 E. 3rd Ave., # 24

Devin Scott plays, 6-9 p.m., Ofﬁce Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. “Investigating Inka Pottery,” presented by San Juan Basin Archaeological Society, 7 p.m., FLC Lyceum Room and Zoom, SJBAS.ORG

Ongoing Durango Botanic Gardens 14th Annual Bulb Sale, thru Aug.14, DBGBulbSale.org “Colorado: Beyond 150” juried show exhibit, thru Aug. 15, Durango Arts Center, 802 E 2nd Ave. “Western Cutouts” by Melanie Olrich, thru August, Studio & The Recess Gallery, 1027 Main Ave.

Upcoming

Tree Walks & Talks: Urban Forest and Climate Change, 5:30-7:30 p.m., FLC Clock Tower

Veterans Beneﬁt Fish Fry, Thurs., Aug. 13, 5-7 p.m., VFW Post 4031, 1550 Main Ave.

Guys Who Give quarterly impact event, 6-7 p.m., Steamworks Brewing, 801 E. 2nd Ave.

Comedy Open Mic, Thurs., Aug. 13, 6:30-9 p.m., The Subterrain, 900 Main Ave., Ste. F

telegraph

Aug. 6, 2026 n 13

FreeWillAstrology by Rob Brezsny ARIES (March 21-April 19): In the early days of aviation, navigation instruments were rudimentary. Pilots sometimes relied on a technique called “dead reckoning”: good instinct bolstered by simple instruments like compasses and stopwatches. I suspect you will benefit from practicing a metaphorical version of dead reckoning in the coming weeks. You may not have all the data you would like, and the path ahead might be less than clear. But you already possess enough hints and inklings to make thoughtful approximations. If you’re alert and flexible, listening to subtle signals within you and around you, your evolving estimates will guide you uncannily close to the right destination. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Nineteenthcentury poet Emily Dickinson rarely left her home in Amherst, Mass. Her favorite activity was to sit in her bedroom and compose her odd, unique, brilliant poems. Eventually, she wrote 1,800 of them, though few were published during her lifetime. Today she is renowned as one of America’s great literary geniuses. Her story reminds us that magnificent growth may emerge from simple and humble circumstances. I suspect you will thrive if you borrow her strategy during the coming weeks. You don’t need a hubbub of flashy events to evoke your beauty. A period of creative stillness could amplify your imagination and inspire your dazzle. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In the Renaissance, apprentice painters learned their craft by assisting masters with small tasks. They mixed pigments, prepared canvases and cleaned up. There was a valuable trade-off for this humble work. Being in proximity to mature brilliance often spurred the fledgling artists to harness their own creative powers. I suspect this dynamic is relevant for you. Now is a favorable time to be alert for unexpected teachers and lessons. Be ready to apprentice yourself to captivating experiences where you might learn what you didn’t even realize you need to know. Your willingness to be a curious, gracious student is your superpower. CANCER (June 21-July 22): If you knew you were going to live to 95 in reasonably good health, what additional careers or adventures might you pursue? Visualize your lifespan stretching out before you like a wide winding road, where you will have plenty of time not just to survive, but to experiment, wander, and reinvent yourself. Would you train for a new craft or profession? Would you move to another country for

a while and apprentice yourself to a language, landscape, or tradition that has always piqued your curiosity? I invite you to take a concrete step that moves you in the direction of interesting future fun. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Within most galaxies are dense clouds of gas and dust that astronomers call “star factories.” Here and there, the magic of gravity gradually gathers diffuse material into concentrated clusters until nuclear fusion ignites, creating brilliant new suns. I suspect you will be operating a metaphorical star factory in the coming weeks and months, Leo. Small ideas, fragments of plans, or tentative experiments could coalesce in productive ways. Through your patient attention and care, luminous concentrations of useful beauty will emerge. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo biologist Stephen Jay Gould argued that evolution isn’t a ladder of progress but a branching bush of experimentation. Most species that ever existed are extinct, but they weren’t failures. For a very long time, they were successful experiments in being alive, well adapted to their environment. When conditions changed, they ended. That’s how evolution works. Let’s apply this to your life. If a part of your world is concluding, celebrate and thank it, then bid it a fond farewell. Feel grateful that it succeeded at what it was meant to do. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Your sense of purpose is intensifying. Your people need you more than ever, and your gifts are ripening just as they are most valuable to your community. But I must add that the road ahead will not be frictionless. You will have to outmaneuver diversionary tactics and dispel pockets of confusion. To serve as a shimmering catalyst of beauty and truth for your allies – and a shrewd strategist in the presence of deﬂections – lean into the paradoxical counsel attributed to Jesus: Be gentle and pure like a dove, yet keenly perceptive and discerning like a serpent. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Concrete continues to cure beyond the time when it’s ﬁrst poured. After seven days, it has 70% of its ultimate strength, and after 14 days, 90%. It usually keeps getting sturdier for a few months, even years. I propose that we use this as a metaphor for what you’re working on, Scorpio. The foundations you established a while back are still solidifying. Projects that are working pretty well are still developing potency. This is a good thing! Everything is slowly improving through processes you’re not actively managing.

Our Lo Losing health heal th ins nsur urance? ce? service is Getting kicked Get cked off Med Medica caid? d? FREE! Turning 65 / Enr Turn nroll olling in Med Medica care? e? 2855 Main Ave., Suite A102 www.jayshortinsurance.com

14 n Aug. 6, 2026

Call or text Merida or Forrest: 970-382-8147

telegraph

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Find yourself a pair of enchanted pants that will bring you good luck and stir up fun. How will you know that they’re authentically charmed? Because when you put them on, you will instinctively wander toward adventures that expand your understandings about life. They may also lead you to explore places and situations that aren’t truly forbidden or taboo, but which you have oddly avoided as if they were forbidden or taboo. Finally, your enchanted pants are likely to inspire you to dream up a few crazy good ideas that will turn out not to be mostly good and not at all crazy. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In classical music, a “fermata” is a symbol that instructs the instrumentalist to hold a note. How long? It’s unpredictable. The musician decides. I think your life would benefit from a metaphorical fermata or two – maybe even more. You won’t come to a protracted pause, but you will engage in strategic prolonging, extending certain notes beyond their expected duration. Examples? Lingering longer in a conversation from which you’re inclined to exit; staying with an ambiguous emotion rather than rushing to resolution; allowing a project to develop more leisurely than if you were simply pushing for efficiency. Opt for what’s soulful. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Fate is subtly but insistently pressuring you to stop squandering energy on half-hearted, hand-me-down desires. Why? So your real, holy obsessions can move to the center of your attention. The tepid wishes and lukewarm yearnings are being exposed for what they are: distractions that nibble away at your time and passion without fully feeding your soul. As these mediocre drives fade in importance, you’ll be exultant to see how much more fire, clarity and juice you have available for the few burning, churning yearnings that truly belong to you. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean is so deep that if Mount Everest were located at the bottom, its peak would be more than a mile underwater. The deepest point in the ocean could swallow the highest point on land with room to spare. The world holds more below than above. Please meditate on this fun fact. I hope it inspires you to understand that your most interesting power often lies in the depths, not the peaks. While others are summiting, you’re descending into the mysterious, fathomless interiors. Your explorations may happen in darkness. But they are the source of your strength.

classifieds

Deadline for Telegraph classified ads is Tuesday at noon. Ads are a bargain at 10 cents a character with a $10 minimum. Prepayment is required via cash, credit card or check. (Sorry, no refunds or substitutions.)

Ads can be submitted by emailing: classifieds@ durangotelegraph.com

Services

Announcements Adult Roller Skating Check out the Chapman Hill Rink schedule. We have added adult skating on Tuesday nights 6:30-8:30pm and DJ parties one Saturday night each month. Durango Rollerskaters will be there to help you get rolling! Todd 970-799-0139

Electric Repair Roof, gutter cleaning, fence, floors,. walls, flood damage, mold, heating service

ForSale GE Universal 30in Cooktop Vent GE 30" telescopic downdraft system. New in box. $1400 new. We'll take $1250 OBO. (512) 971-7814[ Reruns Home Furnishings Time to refresh your indoor and outdoor space. Rolling wooden bar, nightstands, mirrors, lamps, cool artwork and lots more! Also looking to consign smaller furniture pieces. 572 E. 6th Ave. Open Mon.-Sat. 385-7336.

RealEstate

and there is an Opening Art Exhibition Oct. 2 at the Durango Creative District. The Durango Open Studio Tour is a free, annual event that invites the public into the working studios of emerging and professional artists. Whether you're an established artist or just beginning, you'll join about 25 fellow artists in a collaborative celebration of creativity while benefiting from coordinated marketing. Register at: www.durangoopenstudiotour.com Chocolate Fantasia Contestants Volunteers of America is seeking dessert artisans to compete in Chocolate Fantasia, a fundraising event benefiting

HaikuMovieReview ‘The Odyssey’ Here’s a short poem about the film version of a long poem: LOUD

– Lainie Maxson the Durango Community Shelter and Southwest Safehouse, on Sept. 17 at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Applications accepted thru July 31. For info., contact Jen Simon Rummery, 970-2591021 or JRummery@voacolorado.org

Boiler Service - Water Heater Serving Durango over 30 years. Brad, 970-759-2869. Master Plbg Lic #179917

Wanted Books Wanted at White Rabbit Donate/Trade/Sell 970 259-2213

BodyWork Massage by Meg Bush 30, 60 & 90 min Meg Bush, LMT 970759-0199 35 Acres, Below Market Value 35 acres in Hesperus – priced well below market value! Looking for privacy? 35 secluded acres in the gated Vista De Oro subdivision in Hesperus. Enjoy yearround access, breathtaking mountain and valley views, electric at the lot line, and the perfect setting for your dream home or mountain retreat. Call Allison Klein 970-946-9409

Lymphatic Drainage Massage Intentional full body fluid movement. Meg Bush, LMT 970-759-0199

CommunityService Open Studio Tour – Call for Artists Registration for the 2026 Durango Open Studio Tour is open Aug. 6-21. The Open Studio Tour takes place Oct. 17–18

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For details email: missy@durangotelegraph.com Aug. 6, 2026 n 15

16 nAug. 6, 2026

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