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Jan. 15, 2026 Vol. XXV, No. 2 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
A hiccup for coal
Layers of history
Push comes to shove
Trump’s latest effort to keep unit alive clumsy at best p8
FLC exhibit honors statehood & those who came before p9
Feds release own plan amid Colorado River deadlock p10
Newspaper
POACHERS SUCK
Instead of stealing our hard work or robbing your neighbors of the joy of reading the Telegraph every week, here are a few things other than a brand new stack of Telegraphs you can use to start your fire (courtesy Explore.com): 1. Egg cartons and dryer lint (we’re sure belly button and pocket lint would work just as well) 2. Cotton balls and petroleum jelly (think of the fun you could have!) 3. Hand sanitizer (not just for COVID anymore) 4. Waxed paper and dryer lint (twist both ends of the paper to look like a doobie, we know you know how to do that) 5. Chips (the greasier the better, think Hot & Spicy Pringles, Spicy Nacho Doritos and, of course, Flaming Hot Cheetos.) 6. Duct tape (yet another use for duct tape. We’re not sure if this sounds 100% safe, but hey, if in a pinch ...) 2 n Jan. 15, 2026
telegraph
lineup
4 La Vida Local
A tough job Covering small West Slope towns gives new respect for civic leaders by Marty Durlin / Writers on the Range
4 Sign of the Downfall 4 Thumbin’ It 5 Writers on the Range
8
6-7 SoapBox
Back from the dead
8 Big Pivots
Craig station’s last-minute reprieve hosts new set of challenges
9 Local News
by Allen Best / Big Pivots
10 The Land Desk
9
12-13 Stuff to Do
Interconnected New exhibit honors state’s 150 years and all those who came long before by Missy Votel
13 Ask Rachel 14 Free Will Astrology 15 Classifieds
10
15 Haiku Movie Review On the cover Likely confused members of the local fauna population seek refuge from the midday January heat under a backyard trampoline./ Photo by Andy High
Under water As stalemate drags on, feds step in with Colorado River plan of their own
by Jonathan P. Thompson / Land Desk
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Ear to the ground: “I’m in a book club. We just leave books in each other’s mailboxes that we think we’d like and then never talk about them.” – The book club for introverts and recluses, which, admittedly, sounds like our kind of book club
thepole
5
RegularOccurrences
Whole lotta nothin Put your picket signs away: Durango is safe from Whole Foods, at least for now. According to a news release from the City of Durango on Monday, the owners of the Durango Mall and the Kensington Development Group have dissolved an agreement that would have brought a “national organic grocery store” and up to 270 rental apartments to the 20-acre mall property. “The notification was sent to the city's Community Development Department by the mall’s legal counsel, Newbold Chapman & Geyer PC, who wrote that the mall has withdrawn its authorization necessary for Kensington to pursue a development and use application with the city,” read the release. The notice did not state the reason for the termination, which was effective Jan. 8. The plan, which called for demolishing and revamping much of the mall and adding new commercial space, including the aforementioned grocery store, was met with opposition from some residents and small-business owners. Although the national chain’s name was never revealed, it was believed to be Whole Foods, which has been an anchor store in other Kensington developments. Originally built in the early 1980s, the Durango Mall property is owned by Richard Rathbun, of Danville, Calif., who operates under Durango Mall LLC and Out Landish LLC. The two entities were registered with the Colorado Secretary of State in 1995 and 2006, respectively. The project was first revealed at a City of Durango Community Development Commission study session Dec. 4. Kensington Development Partners is a real estate development firm with offices in Denver and Oak Brook, Ill. Several residents and small-business owners spoke out against the project, particularly the prospect of a Whole Foods, which is owned by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, at a Dec. 8 Urban Renewal Authority meeting. Many argued the store would create unfair competition and amount to tax subsidies for a billionaire. “I object to having a big-box grocery store such as Whole Foods, because I don’t believe they will plow anything back into Durango,” Karen Zink, whose family owns the nearby Sunnyside Farms Market and Purple Cliffs building, said. “I object to Jeff Bezos and Amazon getting a tax break to come in here and theoretically put the rest of us out of business – or certainly at risk.” Jan. 15, 2026 n 3
opinion
LaVidaLocal Rollercoaster of life It happened! Not long after my last article, which chronicled the journey of getting a home under contract, we closed on that property! After a process that felt emotionally turbulent and based on a bit of luck, it took a little under five weeks from start to finish. While still basking in the glow of the purchase, the realization came that we would soon need to move three apartments into one home. The downsizing and reorganizing that took me several weeks to do before moving in with my mom would need to be done by my future housemates in much less time. Boxes of belongings and knick knacks have since been packed, opened and broken down. Some are still gathered in corners of the house, while others sit on our porch. We’ve found that we have nearly three of every kitchen utensil possible, in addition to what feels like 31 spatulas. I’m not sure how long it might take to merge our households into one, but I’m beginning to wonder if this delay is not simply due to the fatigue brought on by moving. I am extremely grateful to have come into a position where we were able to get exactly what we wanted in such a short time. The acreage, the home, the water rights, are nearly textbook when it comes to what I imagined owning someday. I just hadn’t realized someday would be today. I envisioned finding it in two to five years, perhaps once I had built up enough knowledge to farm the land, take care of the orchards or raise the livestock. It feels like I’ve time traveled to a future version of myself that finally has it all. And yet, I’m still mentally in the present. I still long for travel, brunches with college friends and dates in swanky, dark bars. I can almost feel myself mourning a part of me that I wasn’t ready to let go. I’ve wondered if I can become a person who raises and shows livestock at state fairs, or who spends more money on cleaning and preparing a cistern than I do buying clothes for a year. The latter is true as of yesterday. I feel quite a bit of dissonance between the two identities – like a TV caught between channels, doubling an image that’s trying to focus into one. It’s led to a bit of imposter syndrome and has eventually tugged at the question, “Do I deserve this?” How do we calculate who deserves what? Does being a hard worker, saving
for years or decades qualify a person for deserving what they may want? Does that same person also need to practice good morals, walking a path in life that’s as harmless as a leaf falling from a tree? Do they need to make a good social impact, never put people down while also raising communities up? This list can be added to almost infinitely. And if a person does all of these things, yet undergoes terrible hardship, what then? It seems odd, even blasphemous, that a buildup of good energy should ever breed negative outcomes. And yet, we cannot know. I believe this is the root of my struggle – a desire to know. Which decision in my life led me to this point? What if the factors that affected it most are beyond my realm of knowing? Was it in the actions of my forefathers and mothers that I found myself at this point? Needing to know sometimes feels as useful as a dog chasing its own tail. I know there is a necessity to be content with factors outside our control. I know that it’s important for me, (gulp) as a farmer, to do so since I know variability and loss will be a part of the homestead life. There is another part of me that feels like I might drop and shatter this beautiful home that we’ve been given. I can feel myself turn up the anxiety as I work to keep the house and the relationships within it in good order. I now vacuum every day, bothered by the bits of mud and dirt tracked in from outside. I haven’t yet mentioned that it is someone else’s turn to clean the bathroom, because I suppose I’d rather feel resentful than annoyed if it isn’t done to my liking. How do I let go of this anxiety and perfectionism so I can sustain a life here that can grow things other than disdain? I’ve been feeling so dizzy from the roller coaster of moving, knowing and not knowing, that I’ve ignored the simple fact that I haven’t allowed myself to have fun yet. Looking at it now, I feel like I’ve been acting like a child who drops their ice cream cone at an amusement park. I’m too overcome with a simple loss of what might have been that I’ve forgotten where I am – surrounded by countless rides. Look around you, Doug, and have fun. Besides, you know the ice cream wouldn’t sit well after one go on a coaster. – Doug Gonzalez
Thumbin’It Telluride Ski Patrol and the resort reached an amicable solution last week, ending the strike and subsequent ski area closure. Now if we could just get those other guys, Ullr and Old Man Winter, to come to the bargaining table. Sorry if you were dreaming of spending your lunch hours perusing Whole Foods, but that plan has gone by the wayside, much to the relief of many. Maybe there is another, better use for that land? Like a pickle ball/dog park/bowling alley/skating rink/surf bar? Just sayin’ … Kudos to Silverton, which recently completed 10 new affordable housing units under the voter-mandated Prop 123, the first town in Colorado to do so (and a year before deadline).
4 n Jan. 15, 2026
SignoftheDownfall: Why the good people of Minnesota always seem to be at the epicenter of seismic national tragedies is beyond us, but at least it’s been entertaining to watch ICE agents wiping out on the, uh, ice. Porch piracy has come to Durango, with a couple arrested recently on suspicion of tailing a UPS truck and stealing freshly delivered packages. Fortunately, they were none too stealthy in their yellow Mustang and were quickly apprehended with their booty – a $13 Amazon candle. The EPA has now become the “industry protection agency” after documents show it will calculate only the cost to industry when setting pollution limits, not the value of saving human lives. What’s a little smog? Suck it up.
telegraph
Put some ICE on it. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission keeps a list of the things people get stuck up their butts by monitoring ER reports. So yes, Big Brother is watching you, and he’s a perv. But the good news is, since it’s the new year, we all get to feel better about our choices by reading the list of objects people “slipped and fell on” in 2025. This includes a set of pliers that got stuck while trying to retrieve something else, a light bulb, a sandal and an invisible marker, which, ironically, was totally visible in the x-ray. However, when you think about it, none of these things are that impressive considering the fact that Trump has an entire Kristi Noem stuck up his a**.
WritersontheRange
Small towns, big jobs What reporting on three West Slope city councils has taught me by Marty Durlin
F
or the past year and a half, I’ve been reporting weekly on municipal government in three rural Western Colorado towns. Delta is the largest, at just under 10,000 people. Paonia has a population of 1,500 and Crawford only 400. For all three, the closest big city is Grand Junction, from 40 to 70 miles away. When I first covered local government decades ago, I saw town councils as an opportunity for grandstanding but little else. The position of mayor didn’t seem to matter one way or the other. But I’ve come to understand that the job of a council member is challenging and important. You don’t just waltz in to say yea or nay. The task demands attention to detail and a grasp of everything from high finance and road repair to solutions for the unhoused. It’s also time-consuming and basically unpaid. The three towns all face failing water systems and roads, due primarily to inadequate budgets and decades of deferred maintenance. The Biden Administration’s $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021 offered a lifeline for these 150-year-old municipalities, which hustled to put together successful proposals. While the Trump Administration didn’t claw back grants already awarded, it hasn’t offered further funding. Each town faces water insecurity, and both Paonia and Crawford have ongoing or recently completed capital projects to rehabilitate springs and replace storage tanks and pipes. Delta faces some $40 million in upgrades for its water and sewer systems, but the city’s current focus is the grant-supported $13-million rejuvenation of its Main Street. Running for 13 blocks along U.S. Highway 50, it’s dotted with empty storefronts. The council hired consultants to study possibilities of rerouting water pipes from the center of Main to alleys close to the business strip and upgrading the system. But, after months of indecision, Delta opted for the status quo even though the water system is 60 years old. “The pipes are basically okay,” City Manager Elyse Casselberry said. But when they spring a leak on Main Street or elsewhere, there’s a freakout from the Delta Council, followed by sighs of relief when the break is repaired. As for the towns’ deteriorating roads, many must be entirely repaved, a major expense that requires state and federal funding. Paonia’s streets are notoriously potholed, but repaving must wait until water pipes
Delta’s Main Street, which spans 13 blocks on HWY 50. Like many small towns, it’s grappling with rising infrastructure costs and limited funds, which city councils are entrusted to spend wisely./ Courtesy photo running beneath them get repaired first. The economics of town government are challenging. Crawford, with an operating budget of $250,000 and a staff of four, debates expenditures as small as $500. Just down the valley, Paonia’s payroll alone is $1.4 million, and its $6 million budget – as prepared by Town Administrator and Treasurer Stefen Wynn – is complex and detailed. During a recent budget session, one Paonia trustee was so overwhelmed by spreadsheets that he suggested each department should simply be presented with a total and told to work within it. “I strongly disagree,” Mayor Paige Smith said, who then gave a civics lesson on fiduciary responsibility. “Just a thought,” said the trustee. Delta, meanwhile, is undergoing a budget overhaul, trimming staff and departments, cutting recreation center hours, cancelling projects deemed inessential and even trying to sell its parks. The City still holds large fund balances, created in part by as-yet-unspent grants. But as any good town manager knows, a city should live within its means. Casselberry cut $2 million from her first draft, and the 2026 budget is now
about $53 million, including capital projects. A recent boon to all the towns is hefty sales tax revenue from mail order purchases, primarily from Amazon. The tiny Crawford post office reports 300 to 500 packages per day. At each town’s meetings, I’ve watched council members exercise self-control and perseverance, even as public comment periods grew heated. I may grow impatient in the third hour of a tedious meeting – will it never end? – but the mayors, be it Christian mental health counselor Chris Johnson from Crawford or former environmental regulator Smith from Paonia, remain energized and determined. Even Delta Mayor Kevin Carlson, a funeral director discouraged by what he calls constituents’ “negativity,” remains steadfast. It’s a sworn duty, and the mayors and their councils fulfill it to the best of their abilities. The least I can do is cover it. Marty Durlin is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. She grew up in Delta and reports for public radio station KVNF and the weekly High Country Spotlight. ■ 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?
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telegraph
Call or text Merida or Forrest: 970-382-8147 Jan. 15, 2026 n 5
SoapBox Who you calling a dog? Concerning the article “Cracking Down” (1/08/2026). I want to acknowledge that the City of Durango’s park rangers have a very difficult and likely thankless job enforcing rules and regulations in our parks and open spaces. So, thank you, park rangers! However, I am concerned that they may lack adequate training to properly identify an off-leash “dog.” If a park ranger were to issue a citation based on the misidentification of a dog, that would serve no one’s needs. It’s a scientific fact that dogs (Canus lupis familaris) are dogs. Taxonomically, there are many “dog-like” genera in the fossil record and animal kingdom including the genus Vulpes (foxes) and Lycaon (African wild dogs). All these generally fall under the family Canidae. So, for the purposes of regulation enforcement on the Animas River Trail and in city open space, they are dogs. Park rangers, don’t let any of these “dog” owners convince you otherwise! While morphological and genetic characteristics often dominate the taxonomic classifications, scientists are increasingly utilizing behavioral traits to distinguish similar-looking species. This
D-Tooned/by Rob Pudim is where I am concerned with the difficulty that the park rangers may have in identifying a dog. As the old saying goes: If it walks like a duck (dog), and talks like a duck (dog), then it must be a duck (dog). Well, I’m here to tell you this is false. What a park ranger may mistake for a “duck dog” is actually my hairy human child with an affinity for swimming and playing catch. Granted, it’s a weird and unusual condition, and the doctors can’t really figure it out, but she is 12 years old now and doing pretty good all things considered. Her name is Miki, and, like a lot of pre-teens, we finally felt she was getting old enough to get her a smart watch – mostly so my wife could GPS track her when she leaves the house to hang with her friends. She eats all the family meals, sleeps in bed, rides inside the car and buckles up. She talks and whines more than her older brothers, who are in high school now. Amazingly, she balances the demands of three jobs (that’s the Durango tango for you) and maintains a dedicated fitness routine. She loves traveling, skate skiing, the beach and surfing. Santa brings her presents and fills her stocking.
She gets birthday cards from her doctor every year. And she sh*ts inside like the rest of us. Behaviorally, she is human, al-
Hello? Durango Telegraph?
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beit an ugly one. Park rangers, please make no mistake, for a dog she is NOT. – Brian Magee, Durango
On drug and insurance ads The piece on drug marketing by Addyson Santese was hilarious. These commercials are one of my severe annoyances. The drugs they are trying to sell are probably unaffordable for anyone making less than a quarter mill. That still doesn’t excuse their never-ending running. What I would love to see is the “brain”storming session where these overpaid people are trying to make up these names. Maybe Addyson can do another on the insurance commercials. We are supposed to buy insurance from morons stealing candy from a kid or barfing at their boss (typo intended), not to mention the turd with a bird. These guys promise cheap insurance, but we know that it is an outright lie due to the money they have to cover for what seems like a decade paying to administer their torture. – Terry Moores, Mancos
Building a better health system The American healthcare system stands at a dangerous crossroad – one that millions can feel in their wallets, health and daily lives. Insurance premiums have soared far faster than wages and inflation, leaving families squeezed and scrambling just to keep up. A state single-payer system would replace today’s maze of insurance plans, networks and middlemen with one public, nonprofit payer that negotiates fair rates, pays providers directly and guarantees care as a right, not a gamble. It would do exactly what our fragmented, profit-driven system cannot: pay once, cover
everyone and control prices. Single-payer systems in other countries work because they have the power to set prices. This cuts out much of the waste driving U.S. healthcare inflation. A state single public-payer would be large enough to negotiate fair prices for hospital care, drugs and procedures, while slashing administrative overhead. Taiwan’s single-payer program, modeled in part on Medicare, covers virtually everyone with comprehensive benefits while spending about a third of what the U.S. spends as a share of its economy. For Coloradans, a single-payer system would mean insurance premiums, copays and deductibles would be replaced by income-based contributions, with everyone in one risk pool. A unified system could redirect the billions now wasted on billing, marketing, profits and claim denials into primary care, mental health, rural access and long-term care. Instead of families going into debt to pay for basic care, the system would be structured to prevent medical debt in the first place. Colorado has already taken a crucial first step toward evaluating the feasibility of a single-payer system. Recently passed by the State Legislature, HB25-045 directs the Colorado School of Public Health (CSPH) to conduct a detailed analysis of a universal, singlepayer, nonprofit, publicly financed payment system for our state. In this proposed system, healthcare would continue to be provided by privately owned practices and hospital systems. The CSPH must use Coloradospecific data to examine benefits, costs, financing options, legal feasibility, provider payments and how such a system would interact with Medicare, Medicaid, employer coverage and long-term care.
telegraph
If the study shows that a single-payer system is feasible, it will give lawmakers, communities and future ballot measures solid evidence to work with. It will show whether a Colorado single-payer plan could cover everyone, keep rural care stable and save money compared with what we spend now. It will also answer basic questions in plain terms: How much would it cost? Who would pay what? How would hospitals, clinics and rural providers be supported? What would it mean for employers and workers? How would the new system be implemented? Find the link to the study here: www.givecampus. com/campaigns/70169/donations/new?a=11032242 By law, the CSPH can only launch this analysis if it secures enough gifts, grants and donations to cover the $405K cost for the base study and an additional $345K for the detailed analysis of a single-payer system for long-term care. So far, about $650K has been raised, and there are pledges for even more. A state single-payer system may not solve every problem bearing down on patients these days, but it will save lives and keep many families out of bankruptcy because of medical debt. If Colorado is ever going to trade today’s high-cost chaos for a simpler, fairer, single-payer system, this study is the bridge. If you are interested in supporting the CSPH study, please make a tax-deductible gift through the CU Foundation by Jan. 31, 2026. Your donation will be earmarked directly for this study. Donating to the CSPH’s analysis is not just supporting research – it’s helping build the roadmap to a health system that finally puts patients first. – Jan Phillips, Durango
Jan. 15, 2026 n 7
BigPivots
A hiccup for coal Trump’s latest effort to keep coal alive clumsy at best by Allen Best
I
n October 2016, Donald Trump swung through Colorado, delivering a multitude of promises. “We’re going to put the miners right here in Colorado back to work,” he said during a stop in Grand Junction, presumably referring to coal. Coal production in Colorado had slid from 40 million tons in 2004 to 12.8 million tons the year Trump visited. Trump failed to deliver. Decline has continued. Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association closed its ColoWyo Mine between Meeker and Craig in October 2025. Last week, 133 workers at the mine were formally laid off. Tri-State in 2019 made the decision to get out of coal in Colorado. But in 2016, the wholesale provider had agreed to close Unit 1 at the Craig Generating Station by New Year’s Eve 2025. With barely 24 hours before the scheduled retirement, the federal government interceded. Energy Secretary Chris Wright ordered the 427-megawatt Craig Unit 1 be available for continued operation for another 90 days. Ironically, the Craig unit had then been disabled by mechanical failure for 11 days. Coal plants do break down, some more than others. Problem-plagued Comanche 3, the state’s newest plant, located at Pueblo, went down again in August and will remain so at least until June. Renewables are called intermittent. Coal can be, too. Tri-State, which provides wholesale power for 15 electrical cooperatives in Colorado plus a few in adjoining states, protested the federal order. The cost of keeping the Craig unit open will have to be absorbed by rural and less-affluent areas, pointed out Duane Highley, TriState’s chief executive. Like other utilities, Tri-State has become comfortable integrating large volumes of far cheaper wind and solar backed by natural gas. Tri-State produces more electricity than it needs to supply its members. How much will it cost to put the Craig unit back into production? The team of Gov. Jared Polis estimated millions of dollars. Tri-State itself has offered no estimate. The underlying authority for the federal directive comes from an executive order issued by Trump earlier in 2025. He cited a provision in the Federal Power Act, a 1935 law expanded in 1977, that gives the government authority to intercede in utilities in special circumstances. In this case, Trump argued the United State’s was facing an “energy emergency.” Trump has aggressively expanded what constitutes an
8 n Jan. 15, 2026
Unit 1 at the Craig Generating Station, seen here, got a last-minute reprieve on New Year’s Eve from the Trump administration. However, the federal order to keep the to-be shuttered unit open failed to recognize the cost of keeping the unit open, which will be borne by rural customers, as well as the fact that its supplying mine closed in October./ Telegraph photo emergency. The Craig case illustrates that questionable expansion. Wright, in his order, cited concerns about adequacy of electrical supplies in several Rocky Mountain states. The report Wright cited, North America Electric Reliability Corporation’s 2025-26 Winter Reliability Assessment, had actually concluded supplies were adequate in coming months, the Sierra Club pointed out. Democratic politicians in Colorado had a field day. “Ludicrous,” said Polis. Will Toor, director of the Colorado Energy Office, likened it to “Soviet-style central planning, driven by ideology rather than the realities of the electric grid.” U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet called it part of Trump’s “revenge tour.” The order was best understood as a clumsy attempt to halt the exodus of coal. Coal is on its farewell tour in Colorado. This is a hiccup but not the only one. Colorado Springs Utilities wants to delay closing its coalburning unit near Fountain. It cites the rising prices of renewables and difficult supply chains. Supply chains are indeed a problem. That includes natural gas. A new gas plant approved today may take five or more years to complete. And natural gas prices are rising, too. Xcel Energy a year ago warned of coming problems with resource adequacy. The utility predicted surging de-
telegraph
mand for electricity from new data centers plus building electrification and EVs. How real will this demand from data centers be? Hard to say. Some think we have an artificial AI investment bubble that might burst in 2026. Clearly, though, demand for electricity has accelerated after a decade of slow growth. The United States faces an energy crunch of historic proportions, said Brian Deese, a former energy aide to President Barack Obama, and Lisa Hansmann in a recent essay published in the journal Foreign Affairs. RMI (formerly Rocky Mountain Institute), the think tank based in Basalt and Boulder, on Jan. 6 noted that utilities can still do more to tap “soft path” solutions that founder Amory Lovins described in his famous 1976 “Road Not Taken” essay in Foreign Affairs. Ron Sinton, who operates Sinton Instruments, a company in Boulder, believes we can better pair our electrical demands with renewable generation. EVs, for example, can be charged at mid-day when we often have a glut of solar power. Keeping the coal plant in Craig open was a simple but likely expensive solution that leaves open the question of who will pay? The better solutions will likely be more complex but less costly to ratepayers. Allen Best publishes a journal called Big Pivots. It covers the water and energy transitions. Find it at bigpivots.com ■
LocalNews
Layers of history ‘Constellations of Place’ honors state’s 150 years as well as peoples who came long before by Missy Votel
show, which features textiles, pottery, beadwork, sculpture, video, digital colanuary doesn’t just signify the beginlage, 2-D, screenprint, mixed-media and ning of a new year, it also means the bemore. She holds a Ph.D. in history and ginning of a new exhibit at Fort Lewis an M.A. in public history from the UniCollege’s Center of Southwest Studies. versity of California, Riverside, and Starting today, Jan. 15, the center will presserves on the Scholarly Advisory Coment its latest exhibit, “Constellations of mittee for the Smithsonian Women’s History Museum. Place,” highlighting the layered histories “Roberts is a scholar, writer, educator and cultures of the Southwest. The show, and independent curator whose work which features 60 pieces from the CSWS sits at the intersection of Indigenous collections as well as works from 13 Native history, museum studies and visual culAmerican, Indigenous and Latinx artists, is ture,” Scott wrote. “Guided by Indigealso being held in conjunction with Colnous methodologies and anti-colonial orado’s 150th year of statehood and Amerpedagogy, Roberts is committed to reica’s semiquincentennial. connecting museum collections with An opening reception will be held today descendant communities and reshaping from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the center and will the way institutions engage with Indigefeature live music by Diné artist Kino Benous histories and futures.” nally (DJ Béeso). The exhibition is free and Roberts’ prior projects include: will be open to the public through Dec. 18. “Native Truths: Our Stories. Our In addition to being held in conjuncVoices,” Field Museum of Natural Histion with this year’s state and national antory; “Still We Smile: Humor as Correcniversaries, the exhibit is also part of the tion and Joy,” Idyllwild Arts’ Native school’s ongoing reconciliation efforts. A American Arts Festival; and “Continucollaboration among the CSWS, Departity: Cahuilla Basket Weavers and Their ment of Reconciliation and Four Corners Legacies,” Benton Museum of Art at PoBridging Institute, it was more than a year Above: “Bleeding Sky,” a 2008 work by James Joe (Diné), part of the CSWS ar- mona College. in the works. As Colorado marks 150 years of state“Southwest Colorado holds stories in its chives. Below: “Wild Wild West,” by Karen Clarkson (Choctaw). Both are among hood and the United States approaches mountains, rivers and canyons – stories the 60 works on display for “Constellations of Place.” its 250th anniversary, “Constellations of that long predate colonization,” CSWS CuPlace” offers not a celebration so much as an invitation rator of Exhibitions Cristie Scott said in a press release. to reflect on how we understand place, memory and be“For generations, the Nuuchiu (Ute), Diné, Apache, Hopi longing. In that spirit, the show’s organizers urge attendand Pueblo people lived in relation to this land, moving ees to consider three questions when viewing the works: through networks of kinship, trade and care.” • What does this place carry – and what have we been In time, these networks were replaced by settler extaught to forget? pansion: trails became highways; rivers were renamed; • What truths remain unspoken, unsettled or oband the region was romanticized as a land of beauty and scured? freedom. However, many of these modern narratives • How might we carry truths together into a future erased the displacement and exploitation that preceded that honors the beauty of this region, confronts its laythem. The show is meant to call attention to the area’s ered histories and deepens our responsibility to one interwoven peoples and stories, which endured even another and the land? through separation and loss, Scott said. “‘Constellations of Place’ is aiming to create a space FLC, of course, sits at the heart of this story. Once a where truth is spoken with care, where memory is held military outpost and later a federal Indian boarding with accountability, and where the work of reconciliation school (1891–1911), the college is now a public instituis extended through art, story and relation,” Scott wrote. tion serving Indigenous, Native American and Latinx “Rather than treating reconciliation as a conclusion, this students. Though its role has changed, its foundations exhibition understands it as an ongoing responsibility, remain shaped by histories of removal and assimilation one that requires institutions, communities and visitors – and by perseverance, creativity and love, Scott said. alike to step into deeper forms of belonging.” “Rather than presenting a linear story of “Constellations of Place” was also made possible with progress, ‘Constellations of Place’ gathers an interconsupport from the Belonging Colorado initiative of The nected field of artistic practices rooted in this region, works that hold space for grief and endurance, rupture merely a reflection of the past – it is a map, tracing lines Denver Foundation and the Greater Good Science Center. and repair, beauty and burden,” she wrote. “These works of endurance and return.” Meranda Roberts, a citizen of the Yerington Paiute For more on the exhibition or the Center of Southwest remind us that survival is not passive but an active practice of creation, adaptation and care … that art is not Tribe of Nevada and Chicana, is guest curator of the Studies, go to: swcenter.fortlewis.edu. ■
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Jan. 15, 2026 n 9
TheLandDesk
Push comes to shove Amid states’ deadlock, feds release own Colorado River plan for a warming climate by Jonathan P. Thompson
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ust more than a month before the deadline for the Colorado River states to agree on a plan for sharing the river’s diminishing waters, the feds released their options, one of which could be implemented if the states don’t reach a deal. The Bureau of Reclamation’s “Post2026 Operational Guidelines and Strategies for Lake Powell and Lake Mead” offers five alternative scenarios for how to run the river, all of which are aimed at keeping the two reservoirs viable through different methods of divvying up the burden of inevitable shortages. The document, and the need to deal with present and future shortages, is necessary because human-caused climate change-exacerbated aridification has diminished the Colorado River’s flow, throwing the supply-demand equation out of balance. So it is somewhat surreal to peruse the voluminous report that was published by an administration whose leader has called climate change a “hoax” and a “con job.” My cursory search of the document turned up only one occurrence of the term “climate change.” Yet the authors do acknowledge, if obliquely, that global warming is shrinking the river. “The Basin is experiencing increased aridity due to climate variability,” they write, “and long-term drought and low runoff conditions are expected in the future.” This tidbit also evaded the censors: “Since 2000, the Basin has experienced persistent drought conditions, exacerbated by a warming climate, resulting in increased evapotranspiration, reduced soil moisture and ultimately reduced runoff.” All of the alternatives put most of the burden of cutting consumptive use on the Lower Basin states, while directing the Upper Basin to take unspecified conservation measures. I’ll summarize the alternatives below, but first, it seems telling to see which proposed alternatives the Bureau did not include: • The “boating alternative,” which would prioritize maintaining Lake Powell’s surface level at or above 3,588 feet to serve recreational boating needs was put forward in the “Path to 3,588” plan by motorized recreation lobbying. It was dismissed because, basically, it would sac-
10 n Jan. 15, 2026
Lake Mead and its low-water-indicating “bathtub ring.” / Photo by Jonathan P. Thompson rifice downstream farms and cities for the sake of boating. • The ecosystem alternative, which would prioritize the Colorado River’s ecosystem health by focusing management and reducing consumptive human use to protect wildlife, vegetation, habitat and wetlands. • One-dam alternative, a.k.a. Fill Mead First. This proposal would entail either bypassing or decommissioning Glen Canyon Dam with the aim of filling Lake Mead. The Bureau said they rejected the plan, because it would be inconsistent with the Law of the River and might be unacceptable to stakeholders (even though some Lower Basin farmers got a little Hayduke-fever a couple of years back, suggesting that getting rid of Glen Canyon Dam might be the best way to
manage the river). Okay, so that’s what’s NOT going to happen. So what might happen if the feds feel the need to intervene? Here’s a very short summary of each alternative: • No Action - This is always offered in these things, and it just means that they would revert back to the pre-2007 interim guidelines era, when releases from Lake Powell were fixed at an average of 8.23 million acre-feet per year and shortages were determined based on Lake Mead levels and would be distributed based on priority. • Basic Coordination Alternative Lake Powell releases would range from 7 to 9.5 maf annually, based on the reservoir’s surface level, and releases from upper basin reservoirs would be implemented to protect Glen Canyon Dam’s
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infrastructure. Lower Basin shortages (and cuts) would be based on Lake Mead elevations and would be distributed based on water right priority (meaning Arizona gets cut before California). • Enhanced Coordination Alternative - Lake Powell annual releases would range from 4.7 maf - 10.8 maf, based on: a combination of Powell and Mead elevations; the one-year running average hydrology; and Lower Basin deliveries. The Upper Basin would implement conservation measures to bolster Lake Powell levels if needed, and the Lower Basin shortages would range from 1.3 maf (when Mead and Powell, combined, are 60% full) to 3.0 maf (when Mead and Powell are 30% full or lower). The Lower Basin shortages would be distributed proportionally, meaning that California – which has the
The estimated “natural flow” at Lee’s Ferry. Some of the alternatives would base Lake Powell releases on recent average natural flows at Lee’s Ferry. If the recent past is an indicator of what’s to come, we could expect a relatively minuscule amount of water running through the Grand Canyon to the Lower Basin states. Source: Bureau of Reclamation. largest allocation – would take 49% of the cuts, Arizona 31%, Nevada 3.3% and Mexico 17%. • Maximum Operational Flexibility Alternative - Lake Powell annual releases would range from 5 maf - 11 maf, based on total Upper Basin system storage and hydrology. When Lake Powell’s surface level drops to 3,510 feet, Glen Canyon Dam would be operated as a “run of the river” facility, meaning it would release only as much as what is running into the reservoir minus evaporation and seepage, to keep the elevation from dropping farther. Lower Basin shortages would be on a sliding scale, starting when Powell and Mead drop below 80%, reaching 1
maf when the two reservoirs are 60% full. When the reservoirs drop below 60%, shortages would be determined by the previous three-year flows at Lee’s Ferry, topping out at a maximum shortage of 4 maf. Shortages would be distributed according to priority and proportionally. • Supply Driven Alternative - This one is based on the amount of water that is actually in the river (go figure!) Annual Lake Powell releases would range from 4.7 maf - 12 maf, or about 65% of the three-year natural flows at Lees Ferry. Lower Basin shortages would kick in when Lake Mead’s surface elevation drops below 1,145 feet, reaching a maximum of 2.1 maf at 1,000 feet and lower. (As of
Jan. 12, Mead’s level was 1,063 feet). Shortages would be distributed according to priority and proportionally. The Lower Basin states reportedly aren’t too happy about any of the alternatives, because they put most of the onus for cutting consumption on them. Under the Maximum Flexibility option, for example, Lower Basin shortages could go as high as 4 maf, or about half of those states’ total annual consumptive use. And under another, California alone could have to cut up to 1.5 maf of water use, which could trigger litigation, since California users have some of the most senior rights on the river. Some of the alternatives would potentially nullify the Col-
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orado Compact’s clause ordering the Upper Basin to “not cause the flow of the river at Lee’s Ferry to be depleted below an aggregate of 75 maf for any period of 10 consecutive years.” The Bureau does not pick a “preferred” alternative, like federal agencies typically do with environmental impact statements, leaving readers guessing about which option or combination might be chosen. But it also gives more room for the states to reach some sort of agreement to pick an option from the provided list. The Land Desk is a newsletter from Jonathan P. Thompson, author of “River of Lost Souls” and “Sagebrush Empire.” To subscribe, go to: www.landdesk.org ■
Jan. 15, 2026 n 11
StufftoDo
Thursday15 Meet CO Attorney General Candidate Michael Dougherty, discussion and Q&A, 3:30-5 p.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds Extension Building “Constellations of Place,” exhibition opening reception, 4:30-6:30 p.m., FLC Center of Southwest Studies Ben Gibson plays, 5:30-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Cowboy Tuesdays poetry, music and storytelling, 12 noon-3 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Euchre, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave.
5RTU Board Meeting, 5:30-7 p.m., Berkshire Hathaway office, 842 Main Ave.
Matt Rupnow plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
House of Champions Foundation speaks to Rotary Club of Durango, 6-7 p.m., Strater Hotel, 699 Main Ave.
Karaoke with Kimmy, 6-9 p.m., Durango Beer and Ice Co., 3000 Main Ave.
Cookbook Club: “My New Roots,” 6-7:30 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Bluegrass Jam, 6-9 p.m., Durango Beer and Ice Co., 3000 Main Ave.
A Night of Rock & Roll featuring Animal Soul and Carute Roma, 6:30 p.m., The Swarm at The Hive, 1175 Camino Del Rio
Tuesday Trivia, 6-8:30 p.m., 11th St. Station, 1101 Main Ave.
Andrew Schuhmann plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Snowdown Kids Follies, 7 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.
Nathan Schmidt plays, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Open Mic Night, 6-9 p.m., American Legion Dancehall, 878 East 2nd Ave.
Durango Contra Dance, 7:30 p.m., La Plata County Senior Center, 2424 Main Ave.
Randy Crumbaugh plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Trivia Night, 6:30-8:30 p.m., The Powerhouse, 1333 Camino Del Rio
Jason Leech with Future Joy and Michael Wilbur perform, 8 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Dr.
Barbershop Tryouts, every Tues., 6:30 p.m., Christ the King Church, 495 Florida Rd.
Friday16 Submit items for “Stuff to Do” by Monday at noon to: calendar@durangotelegraph.com
Adam Swanson plays, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Open Mic, 7 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.
Black Velvet Duo with Nina Sasaki & Larry Carver plays, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 669 Main Ave.
Sunday18
Game Night, 5:30-7 p.m., Sunnyside Library, 75 CR 218
NFL Game Day viewing, 11 a.m.-close, Sundays, VFW Post 4031, 1550 Main Ave.
Dustin Burley plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Irish Jam, 12 noon-3 p.m., Durango Beer and Ice Co., 3000 Main Ave.
Leadership & Management Career Training, 3-5 p.m., FLC Center for Innovation, 835 Main Ave., Ste. 225
Country Night Queer Dance Party, ’90s theme, 6-9 p.m., Lower Left Studio, 835 Main Ave., Ste. 209
Blue Moon Ramblers play, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
La Plata Dems Happy Hour, 5-7 p.m., EsoTerra Ciderworks, 558 Main Ave.
Bluegrouse CD release party, 7 p.m., American Legion, 878 E. 2nd Ave.
Snowdown Kids Follies, Sun., Jan. 18, 2 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.
100+ for the Earth meeting, 6 p.m., Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave.
Stand-Up Comedy with Chicago’s Dan Docimo (Lincoln Lodge Theatre, Zanies), 7 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. “In Tribute: Music for Vibes and Piano,” presented by San Juan Symphony, 7-8:30 p.m., St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 910 E. 3rd Ave. Phyphr with 5AM Trio and McWavy perform, 8 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Dr Desiderata performs night one, 8-10 p.m., The iNDIGO Room, 1315 Main Ave., #207
Saturday17 Folk Jam, 1-2 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave. Silent Book Club, 1-3 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
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Veterans Benefit Breakfast, open to the public, 9-11 a.m., VFW Post 4031, 1550 Main Ave.
Monday19
Wednesday21 Dr. Dan Parkinson speaks about the domestic sheep impact on bighorns, Durango Daybreak Rotary Club, 7-8 a.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds
Word Honey Free Poetry Workshop, 6-7:30 p.m., The Hive, 1175 Camino Del Rio
Sign Waving peaceful gathering, 4 p.m., corners of Camino del Rio and College Dr.
Donny Johnson plays, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Happy Hour Yoga, 5:30 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St.
Chuck Hank plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Terry Rickard plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Ongoing
Joel Racheff plays, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
“Annuit Coeptis,” photo exhibit by Paul Pennington, thru January, Studio & The Recess Gallery,1027 Main Ave.
Tuesday20
“Cover Your Eyes: An Exhibit of the Human Form,” Jan. 9-31, Turquoise Raven Art Gallery, 104 E. Main St., Cortez
“Walk Out America” sign waving, 12 noon-1 p.m., intersection of Camino del Rio and College Dr. Meet in front of the Doubletree Hotel, 501 Camino Del Rio
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Leonard Davies “The Joys of Painting as a Pastime,” exhibit, thru Feb. 28, 5-7 p.m., Durango
AskRachel
Who’s your zaddy, getting the boots and wild swings Interesting fact: I thought “zaddy” was a new term, but it’s been around at least a decade now. I don’t know why anyone asks me for advice. Dear Rachel, I have always dated older. Sometimes by months, sometimes by years. I’m now approaching 50 and back in the dating pool after a long hiatus, and I’m noticing a new phenomenon. People younger than me are flirting with me for the first time. I guess I could lean into it, but I feel like a bit of a creep. No real reason, I guess, other than it’s just strange. How do I get used to my new age bracket? – Robbing the Cradle Dear Silver Cougar, Or silver fox? Doesn’t matter. Whatever your gender and your preference, embrace being the new zaddy on the block. So long as everyone involved is both enthusiastically consenting AND an adult, ride this wave as best you can. Clearly you’ve got something going for you. Where do you like to chill? I’ll keep my eyes open for you. – Rawr, Rachel Dear Rachel, I picked the wrong winter to Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. “Constellations of Place,” histories and cultures of the Southwest exhibition, Jan. 15-Dec. 18, FLC Center of Southwest Studies Dementia/Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Group, 1st, 3rd & 5th Wednesday of each month, 10:30 a.m.-12 noon, La Plata Senior Center, 2424 Main Ave.
Upcoming No Secret Police in Durango petition organizing committee meets to discuss legally baring law enforcement from hiding their identity, Thurs., Jan. 22, 5:30 p.m., Durango Recreation Center Tools for Cancer Patients: Managing Uncertainty & Fear of Recurrence, Thurs., Jan. 22, 4:45-6:45 p.m., Cancer Support Community, 1701 Main Ave., Ste. C
buy new snow boots. At least I’ve worn them a couple times now. But at this rate, I could have limped along my old pair and bought a new pair on sale at the end of the season. Still, there have to be other impending steals with this winter that isn’t. What other wintry deals do you think I could scoop? – Winter Clearance Dear Snow Speculator, There is no such thing as affordable winter gear, unless you consider the free pair of cross-country skis I once scored when a friend was moving away. I then got a pair of cheap ski poles at the Humane Society Thrift Store. I didn’t even make it past the trailhead before those puppies paid for themselves. So I don’t think there’s any real strategy. You just have to be ready to seize the day (or the skis) at any moment, before one of those adirondackchair builders beats you to them. – Slushed out, Rachel Dear Rachel, Like most anyone paying attention, I’m swinging wildly between absolute despair at the state of the world, and (maybe unwarranted?) optimism that Monthly Poetry Open Mic, Thurs., Jan 22, 5:30 p.m., The Subterrain, 900 Main Ave. Trout Tales and Tying, Thurs., Jan. 22, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Animas Brewing, 1560 E. 2nd Ave. Learn About Plastics, Thurs., Jan 22, 6-8 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Email Rachel at telegraph@durango telegraph.com there’s no way this jury-rigged world order can hold itself together much longer. That back and forth is exhausting. How do you do it, Rachel? How do you keep yourself functioning? Maybe the rest of us can learn at your feet. – Wild Swinger Dear See-Sawyer, I was way too excited by your sign-
off, and then I read your letter. Who says I’m functioning at all? I think you can only do what anyone can do. Pet a dog. Take a walk. Stand up for your neighbors. Get ice cream. Take video of any masked agents you see. Hug your loved ones. Go on a date with that silver cougar and/or fox before they get snagged up again. Vote. We all do what we can. – One day at a time, Rachel
109, or online at www.durangodharma center.org
featuring Rez Bats, Bad Fix, Treaty, Heart Museum and Oroku Saki, Sat., Jan 31, 6:30 p.m., The Swarm at The Hive, 1175 Camino Del Rio
Mr. B’s Vaudeville & Burlesque Show, Wed., Jan. 28, 6 p.m., The Subterrain, 900 Main Ave. “It’s Never Too Late to Paint,” discussion with local artist Leonard Davies, Thurs., Jan. 29, 1-3 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.
Snowdown 2026 “Uniquely Colorado,” Jan. 23-Feb. 1, various locations
A Night of Hardcore and Punk
First Friday Artist Showcase and artist mingle with Matt Clark, aka Lil Bud, Fri., Feb. 6, 5-8 p.m., The Subterrain, 900 Main Ave. Monthly Comedy Open Mic hosted by Joe Shrock, Thurs., Feb. 12, 6:30-9 p.m., The Subterrain, 900 Main Ave.
Mountain Honey plays, Fri., Jan. 23, 7:30-10:30 p.m., American Legion, 878 E. 2nd Ave.
Deadline to submit items for “Stuff to Do” is Monday at noon.
Civil Disobedience Workshop, Sat., Jan. 24, 1-4 p.m., Quaker Meeting House, 803 CR 233, RSVP at whisperradio.com
Please include: • Date and time of event • Location of event
Meditation and Dharma Talk, Mon., Jan. 26, 5:30 p.m., Durango Dharma Center, 1800 E. 3rd Ave., Ste.
E-mail your stuff to: calendar@durangotelegraph.com telegraph
Jan. 15, 2026 n 13
FreeWillAstrology by Rob Brezsny ARIES (March 21-April 19): Japanese Zen master Hakuin (1686–1769) painted with astonishing vigor well into his eighties. When asked his secret, he said he treated each brushstroke as if it were his first. He approached the ink and paper with a beginner’s inspired innocence. I propose that you adopt a version of Hakuin’s practice. Dive into familiar routines with virgin eyes. As for the mastery you have earned, may I suggest you use it as a launching pad for enthusiastic amateurism? Being skilled is wonderful. Being skilled and willing to experiment like a newcomer? That’s the high art of perpetual combustion. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In 1971, NASA’s Apollo 15 mission delivered a new asset to the moon: the Lunar Roving Vehicle. This battery-powered “moon buggy” enabled astronauts to explore farther from their landing site than ever before. They gathered a record haul of rock and soil samples and a deeper understanding of the lunar surface. You Bulls would be wise to get your own equivalent of that moon buggy. The apt metaphor here is enhancing your ability to extend your reach beyond the familiar. In coming weeks, I hope you will seek access to tools, allies and freedoms that expand your range. Use them to push into new territory and scout intriguing valuables.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Poet Jack Gilbert wrote, “We must risk delight. We can do without pleasure but not delight.” Here’s what I think he meant: Pleasure is easy to access, available in many transactions. But delight requires courage. We must be undefended enough to be astonished and elated. Here’s the potential glitch: You sometimes feel inclined to perform your joy; entertainment to inspire others. But true delight is riskier and more real. It comes when you forget to curate yourself because you’re too enchanted to remember you’re being watched. Your next assignment: Conjure up three moments of private delight that no one but you will see. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Many of you are renowned for your precision, but that’s just half the story. The more complete truth is that when you are most robust, you’re a connoisseur of refinement. Your careful edits can transmute muddles into medicines. Your subtle fixes may catalyze major corrections. Here’s my bold declaration: You are now at the height of your powers. Wield them with utter flair and finesse. Make everything you touch better than it was before you touched it.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Are you ready to unveil the half-hidden, half-beautiful truths you have been keeping tucked away? I think you are. You might shake, sweat and second-guess yourself right up until the pivotal moment arrives. But then, I predict, you will zone in on how best to carry out your sublime assignment. The perilous blessings or radiant burdens you’ve been hoarding like secret treasures will finally spill out of you in just the right ways.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Some astrologers work without ever glancing at the night sky. Their bond with the planets lives mostly through abstract ideas. To balance that approach, Daniel Giamario developed a more hands-on approach to astrology. In his retreats, students trek into wild country, far from city lights, and spend the dark hours watching the dance of the heavenly bodies. He teaches that cosmic energies can be sensed through our beautiful bodies as much as they can be understood by our fine minds. In the weeks ahead, I invite you to infuse all your explorations with that spirit. Learn through direct encounters, not just through concepts and recycled reports.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): A hermit crab finds a new shell not because the old one was bad, but because the creature grew. A similar urge stirs in you now: an instinct to relocate your sensitivity and tenderness into roomier housing. You don’t have to abandon your favorite people or situations. Just ripen and update your containers so your emotional intelligence can flourish even more. Maybe revise your work rhythms. Dream up new bedtime stories. Be braver in declaring your needs. Your ongoing transformations could be a bit bumpy, but mostly healing and cherished. Give them the spaciousness they require.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): English is my first language. I love how its wild, hybrid, restless qualities enable me to express myself. I never grow weary of exploring its limits and discovering new ways to use it with flair and care. But I am also grateful that my horoscopes are translated into Italian, French, Japanese and Spanish. I am supremely blessed to have editors who turn my idiosyncratic prose into language that non-English speakers can enjoy. In coming months, I will be wishing and expecting a similar bonus for you: help and support in expanding your ability to reach further in your self-expression.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Your intrepid spirit is most likely to find exciting adventures if it’s exquisitely prepared. While I love your daring spontaneity and experimental expansiveness, I hope that in coming weeks, you will work hard to support them with good planning and rigorous foresight. Be imaginative and disciplined, wild and calculating, irrepressible and responsible. If you heed my advice, you could break your previous records for making marvelous discoveries. PS: Treat wonder like a muscle. Flex it daily – with gratitude. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Sandcastles are good reminders of how temporary everything is. We build them on the damp edge of the shore after the tide recedes, and then they crumble when the sea rolls back a few hours later. Let’s make the sandcastle your power symbol for the months ahead. In doing so, I don’t mean to imply that your certainties will be demolished. Rather, it’s my way of urging you to enjoy and capitalize on the ever-changing nature of all things. In fact, I believe that knack should be one of your specialties in the coming months. As the Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh told us, we should be grateful for impermanence, because it keeps every possibility alive. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): During World War II, the United States faced a natural rubber shortage and funded research into synthetic substitutes. Among these was a substance that later became a popular toy named Silly Putty. I suspect a metaphorically similar breakthrough is looming for you, Aquarius: an unplanned discovery that holds unforeseen value. You may soon have an invention, idea or situation that is technically a detour from your original goal but still delivers a gift. Keep your curiosity and your judgment soft. Don’t dismiss the byproducts of your efforts. Some diversions may reveal to be magic you didn’t realize you needed. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I suggest you try an “as-if” exercise, Pisces. Here’s what I propose: Enjoy a five-day period visualizing what your life would be like if you stopped saving yourself for a mythical future – including both the positive and negative aspects. Instead, envision yourself spending the coming months doing exactly what you yearn to do, gleefully and intensely pursuing your sweetest dreams and prime mission. During this sabbatical, you will refrain from invoking excuses about why you can’t follow your bliss. You will assume that you are attuned with the heart of creation. You will act as if you are a joy specialist who adores your life.
Win inter er Sale!
Good selection of boots and jackets for the snowy days (hopefully) ahead plus lots of inspiration for Snowdown ’fits! Buy • Sell • Trade • Consign ~ Home Furnishings ~ Clothing ~ Accessories ~ Jewelry 572 E. 6th Ave. • 970-385-7336
14 n Jan. 15, 2026
telegraph
classifieds
Deadline for Telegraph classified ads is Tuesday at noon. Ads are a bargain at 10 cents a character with a $10 minimum. Prepayment is required via cash, credit card or check. (Sorry, no refunds or substitutions.)
Ads can be submitted by emailing: classifieds@ durangotelegraph.com Announcements Annuit Coeptis Photo show by Paul Pennington. Studio &, 1027 Main Ave., all of January.
Classes/Workshops New Year, New You 2026 Train to win the battles within. Aikido offers self-refinement through self-defense. Starter Series kicks off Jan 19. Flexible price options. Details and registration at durangoaikido.com.
Wanted Books Wanted at White Rabbit Donate/Trade/Sell 970 259-2213
ForSale Ready to make a difference close to home? The University of Denver GSSW Four Corners Program is now accepting applications for the 2026–2028 MSW cohort! Classes meet Fridays in Durango, so you can keep working while earning your MSW. Learn more at du.edu/socialwork/fourcorners. Change your community. Change your future. Start with DU!
Reruns Home Furnishings Make your space festive for the holidays. Glassware, dishes, linens, bar ware and more. Plus nightstands, mirrors, lamps, cool artwork and lots more! Also looking to consign smaller furniture pieces. 572 E. 6th Ave. Open Mon.-Sat.
Services
BodyWork Massage by Meg Bush LMT, 30, 60 & 90 min., 970-759-0199. Boiler Service - Water Heater Serving Durango over 30 years. Brad, 970-759-2869. Master Plbg Lic #179917
Chapman Electric Colorado licensed and insured electrician. Mike 970-403-6670
CommunityService Durango Wine Experience The Community Foundation serving Southwest Colorado has opened the nonprofit partner grant application for this year’s Durango Wine Experience, will be held April 24-25. This year’s event will once again highlight the work of 10 area nonprofits and provide each selected nonprofit with a $2,500 grant. The nonprofits selected will have the opportunity to share their organization’s mission with community members during the Walkabout in downtown Durango from 4-6:30 p.m., Fri., April 24. In exchange, on Sat., April 25, the nonprofits will help with various needs at the Grand Tasting in Buckley Park from 3-6 p.m. Nonprofits interested in learning more or applying can go to www.swcommunityfoundation.org/dwe- nonprofit-partners SW Community Justice Coalition Support restorative justice in Southwest Colorado. In 2025, SCJC expanded community-based trainings and launched new pathways to promote healing-centered responses to harm. Learn more at southwestjustice.org or southwestjustice.org.
3-Step Plumbing LLC Emergency plumbing – same day service (720)-357-2788. Get scheduled today! Give the Gift of Massage! Relax, be healthy & together we change the world! Therapeutic relaxation, acupressure tune-ups, calming and immune-boosting pressure points, deep tissue … recharge, renew, reset! Sliding scale prices available for service workers, farmers, teachers, students, changemakers & activists. Gift certificates available. Come get your qi flowing! Heart to Hands Massage Therapy, Darsi Olson, LMT, 970-259-9796, downtown.
HaikuMovieReview ‘Eddington’ Ready for a dark Flashback to 2020? I know, me neither. – Lainie Maxson Yoga of Recovery: Free classes Tuesdays 10-11:15 a.m., Smiley Bldg, #20A. Gentle movement, breathwork and meditation. Find support for addictive tendencies, sober curiosity or your recovery journey. Registration req’d at innerpeace yogatherapy.com/locations/durango/ Dog Fosters Needed Parker’s Animal Rescue needs foster families to provide temporary homes for rescued dogs. We supply crates, food, leashes, toys and support and vet visits. Apply at: parkersanimalresuce.com. Engaging Volunteer Opportunity Alternative Horizons needs volunteers to staff our hotline. Training provided. For info., visit alternativehorizons.org The Maker Lab in Bodo Park Tools, learning and equipment featuring metal and woodworking, laser cutting, 3D printing, electronics and sewing. www.themakerlab.org.
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