The Durango Telegraph - Jan. 29, 2026

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 ...)

Comma chameleon

A deep dive on the great literary debate of the day: the Oxford comma by Zach Hively

Hotdish vigilantes

On why bad things (keep) happening to nice people by Missy Votel 9

Colorado plateau

After years of big growth, state sees just 0.4% population rate in 2025 by Andrew Kenney / Colorado Public Radio

Pin-up passion How one local artist married his loves of vintage magazines and skiing by Jennaye Derge

EDITORIALISTA: MISSY VOTEL missy@durangotelegraph.com

PIT CREW: JENNAYE DERGE jennaye@durangotelegraph.com

STAFF REPORTER: SCOOPS MCGEE telegraph@durangotelegraph.com STAR-STUDDED CAST: Zach Hively, Marjorie “Slim’ Woodruff, Jennaye Derge, Jesse Anderson, Lainie Maxson, Rob Brezsny & Clint Reid

The Durango Telegraph publishes every Thursday, come hell, high water, tacky singletrack or mon-

ster powder days. We are wholly independently owned and operated by the Durango Telegraph LLC and dis-

Ear to the ground:

“She used up all the mascara and foundation in the state.”

– Speculation on Kristi Noem’s reported hasty departure from Minnesota

Be there or be square

Durango is preparing for its biggest party within a party this Friday: the annual Snowdown Light Parade. After a successful ice removal mission (unfortunately, not that kind of ICE removal) Thursday morning, folks are reminded that Main Avenue will be closed this Friday, from 2:30–9 p.m. to facilitate parade staging and route preparation. Throughout the closure, vehicles will be able cross Main at College Drive and 9th Street until 4:45 p.m.

In addition, 5th Street, from Main to Park Elementary, will also be closed for float preparation starting at 1:30 p.m. In a new twist, the dog park will also be closed from 12:309 p.m. to set up for this year’s drone show. The parade will begin at 6 p.m., followed by the drone show.

As usual, parking downtown will be a nightmare, and attendees are urged to walk, bike or use the free shuttle from the fairgrounds to the Transit Center. In addition, Durango Public Transit will be free through Jan. 31, and DuranGO! Micro transit will be free Jan. 30-31, with extended hours to 2 a.m.

All city parking lots and the Transit Center are open for parking and free parking after 6 p.m. The city asks attendees mind any No Parking signs. Violators will be ticketed or towed.

Two first aid and lost child stations will be set up on either side of 7th Street and Main Avenue. Parade goers can also sign up for a temporary CodeRED alert for the parade by texting SNOWDOWN to 24639. Have fun and be safe out there.

On the cover

“White Buffalo,” a collage by local artist Matt Clark. For more on Clark and his work, see p. 10.

P.O. Box 332 Durango, CO 81302

PHONE: 970-259-0133 E-MAIL: telegraph@durangotelegraph.com

AND SUBSCRIPTIONS:

$150/year

High and dry

Doing Dry January, or maybe just “damp” January? Or maybe you’re just a lightweight? Ska has the thing for you.

The local brewery just released its newest offering, “Lo Dose,” a non-alcoholic THC “social tonic.”

According to Ska, the beverages are made with a “thoughtfully balanced” cannabinoid profile of 1.5mg THC and 25mg CBD designed to “take the edge off, turn the volume up just a touch and keep any occasion comfortably social.” They come in three flavors: lemon lime; passionfruit mango; and dragonfruit – the latter of which is on tap at Ska HQ. Four-packs will be available soon.

LaVidaLocal opinion

Comma sutra

There I was, driving along and minding my own business, when I was pushed, provoked and goaded into the worst case of road rage I’ve experienced since that time my snack fell under the seat.

It all happened so fast, right in the middle of an otherwise innocuous podcast. The guest said – and I quote verbatim from anger if not from memory –something something something about where the Oxford comma goes (at the end of a list of three or more items). “And” – the implicating follow-up, dropped in as an aside, a quip, and an affront – “the Oxford comma NEEDS to go.”

First of all, yes, the sorts of podcasts I listen to discuss punctuation marks enough to drop snide remarks about them.

Second of all, the Oxford comma is a magical dot with a little tail that together creates clarity and disambiguate meaning in writing. Speech has intonation and rhythm; writing has punctuation; and, among its punctuated peers, the Oxford comma is elegant.

I white-knuckled it down the interstate. This podcast guest (whose name I will not utter here) was not a journalist. Journalists, and their editors, receive special dispensation on their comma usage. If I had to write in a one-inch-wide column on a regular basis, I’d eliminate much more than punctuation. Spaces would have to go too.

ents at home, she is likely subsisting on other students’ lunches, which she trades for piecemeal in exchange for doing their homework (and thus putting her admirable and statistically unlikely literacy to use). Except now, with the advent of AI, she is losing her last remaining means of supporting herself, and her mother and father, those wretched inmates, have no real hope of parole after what they did.

Fortunately for me, I was coasting on a stretch of highway without much in the way of traffic, construction, or a decent cup of coffee while listening to my punctuation homeboy being dragged through the mud. (Mud, because it lacks clarity.) My driving was erratic, and I was livid. Not only for this poor, young, lost-cause student, but for all I consider holy in the world of letters.

No, this guest was an author and a publisher – two clans to which I belong and which I thought, believed, and hoped were unified behind this one tiny mark. Remove an Oxford comma, and nothing might happen – or, remove an Oxford comma, and you might have just slipped the pin from a grenade right in the middle of a sentence about to be blown to bits.

Take this heartwarming sentence:

“The student reads weekly to the inmates, her mom, and her dad.”

This right here is a young person engaged with her community and her own literacy. The future is bright for her. She has the Oxford comma and probably, like, a 34 ACT score on her side.

Now, take this same sentence and extinguish the light within:

“The student reads weekly to the inmates, her mom and her dad.”

This here is a young person forced into a premature adulthood. With no par-

Thumbin’It

Durango's Charlie Mickel, who grew up skiing Purg, has been named to the U.S. moguls team for the 2026 Winter Games. He makes his Olympic debut Feb. 10–12 and 15.

Kanye West, aka Ye, took out a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal this week, apologizing for, well, everything. The superstar addressed his erratic and alarming behavior due to bi-polar disorder in recent years, including public outbursts and antisemitic rants.

At least some semblance of accountability and justice in recent horrific events, with the DHS announcing that Alex Pretti’s murderers have been placed on administrative leave.

If there is one thing going for AI – and as we see above, there ain’t much going for a technology robbing students of the ability to feed themselves in America today – it’s that it reportedly uses the Oxford comma more often than not in its generated texts.

Which might also mean that the bulk of humanity’s published knowledge being plagiarized to generate those texts also uses the Oxford comma more often than not.

And here is this podcast guest, advocating flippantly for authors to make ourselves LESS clear? To break up relatively functional families and incarcerate parents?

Absolutely not. I can think of no valid reason today to eliminate the Oxford comma. This isn’t 1967, when the New York Times removed the period from its nameplate to save $600 a year on ink. Let’s be real: your printer (if you even still have one) is already and always low on ink. Comma usage isn’t going to change your toner status one way or another.

Before encountering other motorists, I worked to calm myself from my justified and dignified rage. I breathed deeper, fished that snack out from under the seat, and reminded myself that we live in an imperfect world – one where, for example, some competing Cambridge punctuation mark might be lost to time. Even if we rediscovered it, and it solved all our modern-day communication problems, my editor (hi, Missy) would remove it on me, anyway.

– Zach Hively

(Editor’s note: The Telegraph editor and proofreader resisted the urge to remove every single Oxford comma in this piece for the sake of artistic license – but just this once.)

SignoftheDownfall:

ICE is accused of leaving racist ace of spades “death cards,” with the address of the Aurora ICE detention center on it, in cars of detained immigrants in Vail and Eagle. Of course, ICE denies it, saying Kristi Noem upholds the “highest professional standards.” Uh huh.

Amazon just axed thousands of more jobs as it continues its push AI and more “efficiency”

Taylor, the Mexican gray wolf who wouldn’t stay put, is gone. Last weekend, the 2-year-old male was found dead along Interstate 40 near Grants, N.M., apparently struck by a vehicle. A true free spirit, he was born wild in Arizona and made a home near Mount Taylor, despite multiple attempts to relocate him.

Make Demoralizing Mistakes Again

U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema from Arizona served from 201925, and while some people were confused when she didn’t seek re-election, Heather Ammel wasn’t. Heather’s husband, Matthew, was on Sinema’s security detail, and she caught feelings. So, Sinema started doing all the typical things, like telling Matthew in texts that missionary sex was boring and demanding that he bring MDMA on work trips so she could guide him through psychedelic explorations. Heather wasn’t thrilled, so earlier this month, she filed a lawsuit against Sinema seeking $25K in damages. Many people are outraged that yet another conservative politician is disgraced by scandal, but they should be celebrating because this is the old-school type of story that involves drugs and consensual sex with an adult. America is healing.

When bad things happen to nice people

(Editor’s note: The last time I wrote about ICE, I got a nasty email telling me to “get off my bum” and stick to local news, even though I technically was writing about a local ICE protest. If you are in any way pro-ICE, you may want to turn the page, or the next several pages.)

My sister recently sent me a meme. In crossstitched letters in a gilded frame it reads, “Nobody expected the revolution to begin in Minneapolis … except Prince.”

It was a rare moment of laughter in what has been a dark few weeks for my home state. For those who may not know – or have never heard me say “bag,” “out” or “sorry” – I was born and raised in Saint Paul, across the Mississippi River from Minneapolis. I guess this makes me as qualified as anyone to come up with some sort of explanation for why this out-of-the-way state of fewer than 6 million down-to-earth people is repeatedly the flashpoint for pivotal national tragedies.

I mean, why there, the land of hotdishes and “Minnesota nice”? Can’t they just be left alone? Aren’t the long, dark days of winter, where the sun hangs like a dim bulb in the gray sky, or the 65-plus years without a Super Bowl or Stanley Cup enough for one state to endure? (I still shed a tear now and then for the North Stars).

But the truth is, I really don’t know why it has become the current epicenter of Donald Trump’s ICE rage, other than Gov. Tim Walz once called Trump “weird.” This relatively tame assessment reportedly did not sit well with the Orange One (not to be confused with the Purple One.)

But for the record, Minnesota is not a particularly violent place. In fact, you’re more likely to get into a “Minnesota stand-off” at an intersection or grocery store – “oh no, you go,” “no, you go” – than any sort of physical altercation.

named Sven and Ole and wears flannel Elmer Fudd hats. In fact, it is quite diverse, with nearly every diaspora represented, from southeast Asia to Latin America to western Africa.

Don’t get me wrong – it’s not perfect by any means. For starters, there’s all that snow, but it’s flat as a lefse. Buck Hill, the nearest “ski hill” to where I grew up, has a whopping 310 feet of vertical (which – along with the aforementioned lack of vegetable options – is the main reason I moved west.) And, like any metro area, the Twin Cities has its share of traffic, blight, inequities, scandals and controversies – the latest involving a proposed bike lane along St. Paul’s mansion-lined Summit Avenue that would require removal of some of the street’s historic trees.

Eventually, after some time, you start to tolerate the cold – your blood grows thicker, I swear – and you come to appreciate the state’s subtle, understated, natural beauty. (Pretty much the exact opposite of Kristi Gnome’s – er, silly me – Noem’s, face.)

In fact, there are very few things Minnesotans won’t stand for, including but not limited to: whining about the cold; anyone holding an empty beer at your house; and anyone who doesn’t adhere to the “nice” code.

It is this last one that is particularly pertinent right now. See, as nice as Minnesotans are, they reserve a special sort of un-nice – which coincidentally has the word “ICE” right in it – for, say, masked, heavily armed, wannabe gestapo who are sowing terror and chaos in their streets. There is a proud culture of independence and self-determination among these folks who have not just managed to eke out an existence up there, but thrive. The downtown skyway system is a direct testament to this. And when you challenge this quiet resolve, the response is as sharp, biting and persistent as the bitter January air.

“After Renee Good was murdered, it unlocked a rage inside me I didn’t know I had,” said a high school friend who literally is the poster girl for Minnesota nice. “I couldn’t keep in the tears. It was maddening.”

My friend and her daughter had been protesting against ICE regularly. They also had been donating to help immigrants who were literally trapped inside their houses with blankets over their windows, out of fear of being spotted by ICE. (“Anne Frank,” anyone?)

However, in addition to being the land of 10,000 lakes, it’s also the land of dichotomies. Along with all those beautiful lakes comes 100 billion mosquitoes (*a rough estimate.) It can be brutally cold in the winter and just as brutally hot and humid in the summer. It’s a land that has given us such artistic luminaries as Bob Dylan, The Replacements, Prince and F. Scott Fitzgerald, yet somehow also produced the My Pillow Guy and Jessie “The Body” Ventura. It is at once home to White Castle and the world-renowned Native American restaurant Owamni (the first place I knowingly ate bugs, a story for another day.)

There’s the pristine solitude of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, and then there’s the Mall of America, the largest shopping mall in the United States, complete with indoor amusement park. And in the summer, it may be one of the greenest, lushest places on Earth, but good luck finding a green vegetable (and no, Jell-O doesn’t count, even if it has fruit cocktail floating around in it). Any kind of hot sauce is just as scarce –ranch dressing is as spicy as it gets. And believe it or not, not everyone in Minnesota is

also happens to be one of the most welcoming places you’ll ever find. There is no “local’s police” eyeing you suspiciously and asking you how long you’ve lived there like some overly protective mountain towns. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. If you’re willing to move there, put in the hard work and make a life for yourself in that at-times inhospitable landscape – where many newcomers have never seen snow or ice, let alone a hockey stick – then go for it. Or rather, gofer it.

On a recent trip to the Twin Cities, I struck up a conversation with my Uber driver. He was from Somalia, and I remarked how moving to Minnesota must have been a shock at first. He said it was, but now, after 20 years, he did not mind the cold and loved living there. It was his home, he said.

Sure, there may be some idiosyncracies, like “duck duck goose” is called “duck, duck, gray duck” and “roof” is “ruff,” and you borrow, not lend, something to someone. Oh, and then there’s the strange obsession with food on a stick, loons, the Edmund Fitzgerald (OK, maybe that’s just me) and walleye as well as those quirky but enduring Minnesota pastimes of roller blading, hockey, curling and something called “booyah,” which I have yet to try. (Although, just between you and me, I will never understand the attraction of ice fishing. #Sorrynotsorry.)

“They’re just so cruel, their actions are brutal,” said my septuagenarian aunt – a grandmother of 10 who recently beat cancer and took part in the Jan. 23 march in downtown Minneapolis in -10-degree weather.

(For the record, none of these “radical” hotdish vigilantes were paid to protest and went on their own volition. Weird, huh?)

And maybe therein lies the answer to the Minnesota riddle. It’s not that bad things happen there, it’s how people there respond to bad things: by standing up, helping out and speaking up. The day after Alex Pretti was gunned down in a Minneapolis street by federal agents, Gov. Tim Walz called out the Minnesota Guard, not to assault peaceful protestors with tear gas or flash bangs or to tackle them to the ground and call them names or racial slurs. But to keep the peace and hand out doughnuts and hot chocolate (with marshmallows, I presume). Because that’s what Minnesota does. See, it’s all about decency and helping out, whether it be shoveling your neighbor’s walk, bringing them groceries or blowing a whistle when one of those menacing black SUVs rolls down your street.

In other words, normal, civilized, neighborly behavior that calls our right from wrong. Very, very wrong. And unless I’m going crazy, there’s nothing revolutionary about that. Or at least there shouldn't be.

– Missy Votel Jan. 29, 2026 n 5

SoapBox

Making Durango a strong town

Are you interested in making Durango a better place to live? A place that’s easier to walk, bike and maybe more affordable? Strong Towns is a national nonprofit organization and movement advocating for financially sustainable, people-centered towns through incremental improvements. You can join the Strong Towns Durango local conversation to find out more. We are currently focused on better pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure in our town and meet the first Wednesday of every month at Anarchy Brewing at 4:15 p.m. Our next meeting is Wed., Feb. 4.

– Alan Millar, Durango

Educate yourself, then go vote

The White House is tone deaf.

Alex Pretti was shot to death by federal agents carrying out immigration enforcement in Minnesota – a state that does not rank in the top 10 for undocumented immigrants, according

to PEW and MPI.

So, when Donald Trump says the federal government – especially the DOJ and FBI – has been “weaponized,” it’s worth paying attention. And it’s fair to ask: why Minnesota instead of California, Texas or Florida, the states with the largest unauthorized immigrant populations?

Some meaningful context: On Jan. 24, Attorney General Pam Bondi urged Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to give the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division access to Minnesota’s voter registration rolls to “confirm” compliance with federal law.

Yet there has been no allegation of widespread illegal voting in Minnesota –no claims, no evidence of fraud.

At some point, it’s worth trusting our own eyes and the facts. What stood out to me is that what’s happening in Minnesota and what the federal government says it’s about don’t add up. This doesn’t look like it’s about crime or immigration. It looks like power – and where the federal government chooses to aim it.

For years, I’ve asked what more I can do beyond voting in presidential elections, speaking with people having different perspectives, fact checking everything

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(even things I want to believe) and protesting.

Then I remembered something close to home: Tina Peters, the Mesa County Clerk who was convicted of election tampering and sentenced to nine years in prison. Trump called for her pardon – of course he did. She tried to keep him in power, illegally.

Local elections matter. So does holding Congress accountable to the people, not the president. Constitutionally, Congress answers to us. That means educating ourselves – and showing up to vote. We have municipal elections in April, primaries in June, and general elections in November. Be sure to vote.

– Catherine Boyle, Durango

A few questions for Hurd

I would like to know if Rep. Jeff Hurd watched the videos of Alex Pretti being shot and killed by immigration agents? I would like to know if it appears to the congressman that Mr. Pretti was threatening the immigration agents with the firearm before he was shot multiple times? I would like to know if the congressman will demand that immigration agents start wearing body cameras. I would like to know if the congressman will demand that immigration agents be required to use non-lethal weapons before resorting to lethal weapons. I would like to know if the congressman will demand the resignation of Gregory Bovino, Kristi Noem, Steven Miller and other administration officials who have outright lied about the circumstances of Mr. Pretti’s death? I would like to know if the congressman will point out the hypocrisy of Pres-

ident Trump for accusing local politicians, including Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Jacob Frey, the mayor of Minneapolis, of “inciting insurrection” when Trump incited his own insurrection at the Capital that resulted in hundreds of injuries and the deaths of several police officers. I would like to know when the congressman will demand the two immigration agents who killed Mr. Pretti be held accountable. I would like to know how many people need to die before the congressman expresses his outrage about how DHS is conducting its operations.

– James Cunningham, Durango

Street Song

(Dedicated to those who died in the Warsaw Uprising of 1944)

There they sang in the guttered smoke For that faith found in tenuous will, Under furored and fevered skies That languished in solemn hearts still.

There they sang from sewer and ash For land and love so shattered, While the will of souls denied, Under titan tanks that scattered.

Proudly we embrace the winds of freedom Over the veil of death. Sadly, we hail cattle car comrades Who ride the trains of death.

The young boys, they call to their fathers,

The young women cry to the prayer, Under death-smell fascist elders Searching the pandemic lairs.

Ghostly homes in tunneled dark, Myriad in the maze, Housed the spiritual light While above the streets ablaze.

Nature healed the consecrated ground. Silent under the stars, Soon the stones that marked those graves Will be forgotten Under the eye of Mars.

Proudly, we embrace the winds of freedom Over the veil of death.

Sadly, we hail the cattle car comrades Who ride the trains of death.

We’ll print damned near anything

The Telegraph welcomes healthy civil discourse in 750 words or less. Writers must include their (real) name and city/town/state of residence. Personal attacks, hate speech or any other kind of b.s. deemed libelous are not welcome. Please email your profundities to: telegraph@durango telegraph.com

WritersontheRange

Tapping out

by Marjorie “Slim” Woodruff

If someone told me 10 years ago that people would willingly pay more than $5 for a gallon of water, I would have scoffed. Yet here we are, buying bottled water even by the cup. People buy teeny bottles that hold less than 8 ounces. Then while hiking or traveling, they drink and then toss.

Plastic marked PET and HDPaE are said to be recyclable. Bottles are shredded and melted into “nurdles,” the picturesque name for plastic pellets used as raw material to make more plastic products.

That sounds promising, but according to the Container Recycling Institute, 70% of all bottles wind up in landfills, the ocean or littering the landscape. On trails in Grand Canyon National Park, I mostly pick up empty water bottles, each one probably weighing onethird of an ounce. It seems a job that will never be obsolete. Shouldn’t we have learned by now that refilling water bottles is the way to go?

We’ve all learned that plastic is nasty stuff. Yale Climate Connections cautions that each time plastic is melted and remolded it degrades, and recycled plastic is more toxic than “virgin.” The plastic can be “upcycled” once into a fleece jacket, but eventually that jacket will get shuffled off to the landfill.

The real reason to drink bottled water is because of its purity, right? Pure fill-in-the-blank spring water. Yet the Los Angeles Times found that about 64% of bottled water is filtered tap water, and Consumer Reports found that bottled water can contain heavy metals and bacteria. A liter of bottled water might contain an average of 240,000 plastic micro-particles.

Even if bottled water comes from a spring, it must still undergo filtration and ozonization, meaning it is no longer “pure” spring water. Most spring water is also said to be minimally treated to maintain its “natural” characteristics, whatever those are.

Let’s talk about the carbon footprint. Is it green behavior to fly water across the country from a remote

Discarded plastic water bottles collect at the base of a container for maps, not water bottles, at Grand Canyon National Park. A rule by former Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland would have phased out the sale of disposable plastics at parks by 2032, but it was rescinded by the Trump administration. / National Park Service photo

Pacific island? In areas where water is mined locally, sometimes from public land, are locals concerned about depleted aquifers? Is that water taken for bottling – in effect – stolen?

Then there’s designer water with all kinds of flavoring, hydrogen water, which adds more H2, or oxygenenriched water. At what point does water become sort-of-or-not-water?

I was once on a VIP tour of a resort in the desert that boasted bespoke water. When those bottles ran out, I offered to refill them, but people told me they would drink nothing from the tap. So I took the bottles into the company van, refilled them from a huge, portable jug that had been filled from who-knowswhere but probably the tap, and handed them back. I was told triumphantly: “See? This water is superior.”

At the beginning of the Bright Angel Trail in Grand Canyon one day, I saw a hiker trying to tie a flat of bottled water onto her pack. I politely asked what the Sam Hill she was doing and was told that she’d been advised to drink a liter of water every hour while hiking. I pointed out that this particular trail was popular in part because potable water was provided at several rest stops along the way. She looked offended: “I do not drink tap water.”

As long ago as 2012 it was widely reported that 20% of the waste stream in national parks was disposable water bottles, leading to sales of bottled water banned in parks. Unfortunately, that ban was rescinded by the federal government in 2017, though parks still encouraged visitors to bring and refill their own bottles. No matter – the parks estimate that most of the waste they dump each year is still plastic bottles.

Who remembers drinking from the garden hose? Anyone? Did your fingernails turn black and fall off? A character in the book, True Grit, proclaimed that he once drank water from a muddy hoof print and was glad to get it. While I might not go that far, I have drunk from a lot of questionable sources, and I’m still here to tell the tale. You might want to try the tap.

Marjorie “Slim” Woodruff is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. She is a Grand Canyon educator. ■

The slowdown

Colorado’s population growth slowest since 1989 as thousands leave for other states

by Andrew Kenney / Colorado Public Radio

Colorado’s population broke 6 million in 2025, according to the latest U.S. Census estimates. But the state crawled past that milestone with an annual growth rate of just 0.4%, its slowest in decades. Once a red-hot center for growth, the state is now lagging behind the national growth rate of 0.5%, and it is losing population to Texas and other destinations.

It’s Colorado’s lowest estimated growth rate since 1989.

“We have definitely slowed in the growth categories,” State Demographer Kate Watkins said. “We have slowed relative to other states. We also have come off a period of strong growth.”

Colorado ranks 29th nationally for its growth rate in the year leading up to July 1, 2025. The states with the highest growth rates are South Carolina, Idaho, North Carolina and Texas. In that time, Colorado had a net loss of 12,000 residents to other states. In other words, thousands more people moved out of Colorado than into it. (That was somewhat offset by the arrival of more immigrants from other countries.)

It marks a dramatic turnaround from the 2010s, when the state gained up to 56,000 people from domestic migration each year. The arrival of transplants slowed after the pandemic to just a few thousand per year. But 2025 was the first time in decades that the state recorded a loss to other states.

While it’s hard to say exactly why people are leaving, high housing prices and growing crowds are commonly cited reasons, among others. People may also be leaving for jobs elsewhere, Watkins said.

And some of those ex-Coloradans may have lived here only a short time, Watkins noted. The departures include recent immigrants from other countries, who arrived in very large numbers in 2023 and 2024 and may have moved on to other states by 2025.

International immigration to Colorado has since slowed dramatically, as it has in other states. The number of yearly immigrant arrivals dove from a peak of more than 50,000 in 2023-24 to just

about 15,000 in the latest annual estimates.

The new data covers July 1, 2024 - July 1, 2025, a period in which former President Joe Biden tightened immigration policies, and President Donald Trump began a more dramatic crackdown.

Still, international immigration was “a little higher from our national historical numbers,” Watkins said. She noted that immigrants seeking humanitarian relief –which generally includes many people from South America – “are still making up a considerable or elevated share of that portion.”

Combining all forms of migration, the state gained just 3,300 residents from other states and nations. That’s the slo-

west rate of arrivals in more than three decades, since the population bust of the 1980s, according to records from the State Demographer’s Office.

The main reason that Colorado’s population still grew was the circle of life. There were more births than deaths, resulting in “natural” population growth of more than 20,000, making up the vast majority of the roughly 24,000 new residents of Colorado in 2024-25. We’ll see if they stick around.

“A pretty decent boost in births,” Watkins said. “It would be Millennials aging up. It could also be some other factors like the insurance coverage of (in vitro fertilization).”

The Denver metro area has attracted

most of the state’s population growth in recent years, followed by Greeley and Colorado Springs. The Census has not yet released estimates about how cities and metropolitan areas grew in 2025.

But there are some indications that the Denver area continues to draw new residents from other areas, even as the scales shift for Colorado. A new Bank of America report found that the Denver metro was attracting transplants at the third fastest rate in the nation. The study ranked domestic migration for 2024-25 as a percentage of population for major metropolitan areas.

For more from Colorado Public Radio, go to: www.cpr.org. ■

by Jennaye Derge

TArt as salve A lil’ conversation with local collage artist Matt Clark

his was really hard to write. There is a lot going on, and our nation is figuratively on fire, and I think we’re all holding our breath for when it might actually catch on fire. Our hearts are breaking – at least mine is – and it’s hard to think about anything besides the failure of our government and the soul-crushing injustices caused by our own country. It’s especially hard to think about art.

Art isn’t exactly on my mind, and writing about it while people are getting murdered and kidnapped felt truly difficult. However, unbeknownst to me, between the anxious reading of the news and walking my dog for a chance to escape, chatting with local collage print artist Matt Clark, aka Lil’ Bud, about art was the momentary salve I needed.

Matt and I spoke more than a

week ago, so our nation’s hellscape hadn’t escalated quite yet. It was a cheery conversation, because Matt is a cheery person. He is a gem, and learning more about his art and Lil’ Bud Designs, was a reminder of how important art is for humanity; how it helps us connect and have bal ance. And talking to Matt was a reminder to invest in community, friends and neighbors. We never know when we’re going to need them, and what we’d do without them.

JD: We’d love to hear a bit about your background and how you got started.

Matt’s art is currently hanging at Durango Winery, and he will have an opening reception Fri., Feb. 6, at

MC: I’ve been a special education teacher for 12 years, and I used to do significant needs and life skills. I’d make fun PowerPoints for my students where we’d go back in time, for history, and we’d go to places like

the Viking era. I’d create slideshows of art and make it feel interactive over a time machine. So, there was always a creative aspect, and I also did art just for fun.

Then I started hosting trivia nights (first at Chainless Brewing, then ultimately at Zia Cantina) and started messing with graphic illustration for the slideshow. It was fun because you could do funny slides and trivia rounds that were kind of unique.

JD: I went to that trivia a few times. It was really fun! Tell us a little more about what you did there.

MC: I remember doing a “Killer Cereal” trivia round (like the breakfast food), and it was about serial killers or questions about cereal. So I did the graphics for each different one, like different old characters from cereal boxes that were doing murderous things.

Then COVID hit, and we couldn’t really do trivia anymore, so then my big art push was at home, and I started decorating my own house.

Me: What did that look like, how would you describe your aesthetic?

MC: I’ve always been really into vintage aesthetic and old pin-ups. My first tattoo was a pin-up – I’ve always been drawn to that era. I couldn’t find anything good that I liked online, or pins; they’re all the same and very generic. So I made my first ever piece called “Return to Sender,” where a guy on skis is getting abducted by an alien with a retro feel.

People really liked it, and I was like, ‘Oh, like maybe I got something going.’ So I just really pushed my two passions, which were skiing and art. Soon art became my second big thing, and it eventually took over my skiing. So that was kind of where I got into it. And then I did my first showing at the Animas City Night Bazaar. The organizers really encouraged me to set up a booth, and I sold my art there for the first time. Then at 11th Street Station, I had a little pop-up during COVID, and I just slowly started to have little shows and people started to really show interest in it. Then it just kind of

expanded from there.

JD: When was the first time you were like, ‘This is something I want to do professionally?’

MC: I had a piece – I think it was the one where I collaged every 14er into a mountain scape. There’s a couple from an old Switzerland ad looking up at the mountains – and I remember a lady looking at it and almost, not crying, but you could tell it really spoke to her. And I had never seen art in that way. Where it can actually, sort of, heal people or speak to them, which was a new experience for me.

Then I started being more thoughtful and started thinking about how I really wanted to be represented. I wanted to have a style that people knew, but also, I think my art speaks to a lot of people, at least in our area. We all love the mountains and Colorado things. So, it was cool to actually see someone really take a step back and appreciate it.

People are excited to see my art; that makes me excited, too.

JD: When did it go from like, fun pastime hobby to like, ‘OK, I’m going to lean into this?’

MC: I think when I got into the (DAC) Autumn Arts Festival – which is more along the lines of a fine art gallery, since you have to be selected by the jury – and when I started seeing that my art can actually be jury-selected and people want me to be there … and saw that I can actually make some money off of it, that’s kind of when I saw it more as a profession.

More recently, though, with all the big gigs I’m starting to get, I think I finally am going to try to move from doing popups and festivals, to curating festivals. I actually just got approved to do a lounge for Winter Wondergrass.

JD: Cool. Wow. Congrats!

MC: That’s kind of my direction; to curate and make art more fun for people at big events and immersive installations like Meow Wolf.

JD: That’s awesome. You’ve been busy! Seems like you have a lot going on.

MC: I’ve been teaching this whole time too, I’m a special education teacher for a middle school in Durango. I’m really looking at maybe making that full time transition to be able to be an artist.

You gotta be on it, though. I also have a 3- and 5-year-old, so I’m teaching middle schoolers and then going home and trying to do the art thing. It’s a lot, but I’m going for it.

I’m passionate about teaching, but I’m more passionate about my art. So if I could just focus on art and my family, that would be less of a stressor.

JD: What is your ideal world?

MC: I would actually like to work for an entertainment company that puts on the festivals. So then I could get paid through the companies.

And also, I’ve done a few album covers, and I’d push for that more. And then creating posters for bands, you know, doing big festival posters. That would be ideal and would be really fun.

JD: Can you talk about your current show at Durango Winery?

MC: It’s kind of my newer work. I did more of an animal presence. There’s a more spiritual connection with animals in this show, and a lot more of my mountain-specific art.

I have some really big pieces in there that are really cool. They’re 40-by-30, I usually don’t go that big.

And I had some of my first hanging art ever there, so it’s kind of cool to come full circle back there.

JD: And it’s mostly collage work?

MC: I kind of do a combination. I have stacks of old vintage pulp magazines and old travel magazines from the ’70s or older. So I either take things from those and create an idea … I think, ‘What could I do with this?’

“Full of Poison” by Matt Clark. Clark’s work is on display at the Durango Winery, and there will be an opening reception for him Feb. 6 at The Subterrain, 900 Main Ave.

I also keep a notebook of my ideas and I’ll look for things in magazines or old vintage art that I can use to portray those. Then I rephotograph and upload them digitally. I have a stylus pen, and I draw out pieces that I want. I’ll draw things I want to add, and then it’s usually a combination of multiple different mixed-media that I combine.

JD: Is this self taught?

MC: Yeah. I never realized I was doing collage art, and when I was making the slides for teaching, for years I just saw it as taking things and making things. So it kind of all grew naturally.

My family has a history – my uncle’s a Disney artist, so I think it’s in my blood.

JD: If you had any advice to someone thinking about becoming an artist, what would it be?

MC: Just to put yourself out there. I have a lot of friends who are very talented artists, but they’re afraid of rejection, and they’re afraid of what people are going to think.

Andy Warhol once said, ‘Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.’ Don’t worry about anyone else … artists are a rare thing now. So, the world needs art, especially now.

My other advice would be, the worst anyone could say to you is ‘no.’ So you might as well just ask. A lot of the gigs I’ve gotten and a lot of the cool things I’ve been able to be part of are because all I did was put myself out there and ask.

To check out or buy Matt Clark’s work, hit him up on Instagram @lil buddesigns or go to: www.lilbuddesigns.com. ■

Stuff to Do

Thursday29

Snowdown 2026 “Uniquely Colorado,” thru Feb. 1, various locations

“It’s Never Too Late to Paint,” discussion with local artist Leonard Davies, 1-3 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.

Justin D’Onofrio Artist Talk, 3:30-4:30 p.m., FLC Center for Southwest Studies

Cocktails for Conservation fundraiser for La Plata Open Space Conservancy, 4-8 p.m., Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum, 479 Main Ave.

“Chroma Coves,” artworks by Justin D’Onofrio, opening reception, 4:30-6 p.m., FLC Art Gallery

5RTU Women’s Fly Tying Night, 5:30-7:30 p.m., EsoTerra Ciderworks, 585 Main Ave.

Poetry Open Mic, 5:30-8 p.m., The Subterrain, 900 Main Ave., Ste. F

Ben Gibson plays, 5:30-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Dart Tournament, 5:30-9 p.m., Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave.

Flamingosis with DJ Harry & DJ Matteo, 6 p.m. doors, Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Dr.

Bluegrass Jam, 6-9 p.m., Durango Beer and Ice Co., 3000 Main Ave.

Rob Webster plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

Open Mic Night, 6-9 p.m., American Legion, 878 E. 2nd Ave.

Trivia Night with Aria PettyOne, 7:30-9:30 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Friday30

Snowdown 2026 “Uniquely Colorado,” thru Feb. 1, various locations

Snowdown Balloon Rally, 8:30-10 a.m., 235 Hermosa Meadows Rd.

All-ages Button Making, 3:30-5:30 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.

The Pete Giuliani Band plays, 4-8 p.m., El Rancho Tavern, 975 Main Ave.

Red Ball Express, 5:30 p.m., 11th St. and 2nd Ave.

Snowdown Light Parade, 6 p.m., Main Ave., downtown Durango

500-drone aerial show celebrating the 150/250 Celebration Initiative and Music in the Mountains’ 40th anniversary, 6 p.m., during the Snowdown Parade, Main Ave.

Black Velvet Duo with Nina Sasaki & Larry Carver plays, 6 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 669 Main Ave.

Dustin Burley plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

After parade Dance Party featuring Nu Bass Theory, 7-11 p.m., EsoTerra, 558 Main Ave.

Saturday31

Snowdown 2026 “Uniquely Colorado,” thru Feb. 1, various locations

Snowdown Balloon Rally, 8:30-10 a.m., 235 Hermosa Meadows Rd

Ride Together, Stand Together, bike ride in honor of Alex Pretti and in solidarity with Minnesota, meet at noon at Buckley Park, ride at 12:30 p.m.

Adam Swanson plays, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

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

Karaoke with Kimmy, 6-9 p.m., Durango Beer and Ice Co., 3000 Main Ave.

A Night of Hardcore and Punk 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

Sunday01

Snowdown 2026 “Uniquely Colorado,” thru Feb. 1, various locations

La Plata County Search and Rescue Pancake Breakfast & Silent Auction, 7 a.m.-12 noon, La Plata County Fairgrounds

Snowdown Balloon Rally, 8:30-10 a.m., 235 Hermosa Meadows Rd

Veterans Benefit Breakfast, 9-11 a.m., VFW Post 4031, 1550 Main Ave.

NFL Game Day viewing, 11 a.m.-close, Sundays, VFW Post 4031, 1550 Main Ave.

Irish Jam, 12 noon-3 p.m., Durango Beer and Ice Co., 3000 Main Ave.

Full Moon Howler Snowshoe Hike, 6 p.m., Durango Nordic Center, 49786 Hwy 550

Jammy Buffet plays Jimmy Buffet Tribute, 6

p.m. doors, Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Dr.

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

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

Monday02

Sign Waving peaceful gathering, 4 p.m., corners of Camino del Rio and College Dr.

Happy Hour Yoga, 5:30 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St.

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

Joel Racheff plays, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Tuesday03

Community Open Table, a chance for solo diners or pairs to meet and share dinner with others, 5:30 p.m., Carver Brewing, 1022 Main Ave.

Free Radon Education Sessions and Test Kits presented by La Plata Public Health, 6 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.

Mana Group CEO Jennifer Jenkins speaks about energy trends impacting rural communities to Rotary Club of Durango, 6-7 p.m., Strater Hotel, 699 Main Ave.

Book Club “Wild Dark Shore,” 6-7:30 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.

Tuesday Trivia, 6-8:30 p.m., 11th St. Station, 1101 Main Ave.

Nathan Schmidt plays, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Randy Crumbaugh plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

Barbershop Tryouts, every Tues., 6:30 p.m., Christ the King Church, 495 Florida Rd.

Open Mic, 7 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Wednesday04

Durango Daybreak Rotary Club with Austin DiVesta, forecaster with the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, 2 p.m., Ignacio Library, 470 Goddard Ave., Ignacio

Word Honey Free Poetry Workshop, 6-7:30 p.m., The Hive, 1175 Camino Del Rio

AskRachel Seeing the light, lezbarus and troubled water

Interesting fact: It was in the mid-1990s that Subaru identified lesbians as an “underserved demographic.” I suspect Subaru simply wasn’t asking these women the right questions.

Dear Rachel,

Okay so all of us sane individuals agree that Christmas decorations should be down by now. But what about the not-strictlyChristmas ones? I’m talking specifically about twinkle lights. Nothing says we shouldn’t enjoy little sparkles all through the winter season. I think we should be fine keeping up white lights until the equinox or so. Certain neighbors of mine disagree very passive-aggressively. What do you think?

– Shining Bright

Dear Twinkle Twinkle,

I fall pretty squarely in the if-it-don’t-hurt-nobody, we-don’t-have-to-care camp. Your little lights bring you joy, don’t they? Then, so long as they’re not the seizure-inducing flashing kind, or any sort of color, or in the shape of caribou, or excessive to the point of disorienting migratory birds, or even one inch over your property line, then I say keep ‘em blazing as long as you please.

– I’m gonna let it shine, Rachel

Dear Rachel,

Of all the weird stereotypes, the weirdest one to me is that Subarus are the car of choice for… ahem… women of a certain orientation.

Donny Johnson plays, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Chuck Hank plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

Peking Acrobats, 7:30-9:30 p.m., FLC Community Concert Hall

Ongoing

“Annuit Coeptis,” photo exhibit by Paul Pennington, thru January, Studio & The Recess Gallery,1027 Main Ave.

“Cover Your Eyes: An Exhibit of the Human Form,” thru Jan. 31, Turquoise Raven Art Gallery, 104 E. Main St., Cortez

Justin D’Onofri’s “Chroma Coves” gallery exhibition, thru Feb. 19, Mon.Thurs.,10 a.m.-4 p.m., FLC Art Gallery

Leonard Davies “The Joys of Painting as a Pastime,” thru Feb., 5-7 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.

There has to be something behind it, but also, I don’t understand how they became lesbian cars and not, like, dirtbag cars or something. Do you know what’s behind this association?

– Women on Wheels

Dear Roller Girl,

Oh oh, I know this one! Or I did. The details are fuzzy. But the long/short is that market research back in the day showed that unmarried women were buying Subarus at higher than expected rates, despite all the advertisements for dirtbag bros. A tweak-tweak here, a tweak-tweak there, and some statistician nerd realized why these customers were unmarried. Badabing, they leaned into this target audience – including improving the shopping experience for women –and now it turns out all of us in Colorado are at least a little bit lesbian.

– Vroom vroom, Rachel

Dear Rachel,

My mother is obsessed with filtering her water. To the point she freaks out if I get myself a glass from the tap. She insists on giving the dogs filtered water, too. I figure, of all the things to kill me eventually, water is pretty far down the line. It’s becoming a point of friction between us. Do I give up to make her happy or dig my heels in because my body, my choice?

– Water Wars

Dear Wet Blanket, I refer you to the Christmas light question above.

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

Free Radon Education Sessions and Test Kits presented by La Plata

Public Health, Thurs., Feb. 5, 1 p.m., Pine River Library, 395 Bayfield Center Dr., Bayfield

2026 Durango Independent Film Festival Beer Release, Thurs., Feb. 5, 5 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St.

Spanish Conversation Hour/Hora de Conversación en Español, Thurs., Feb. 5, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.

Trivia Night, Thurs., Feb. 5, 6:30-8:30 p.m., The Powerhouse, 1333 Camino Del Rio

Email Rachel at telegraph@durango

Does it hurt you, literally at all, to have your mother pouring you and the dogs some filtered water? Would it actually kill you to just say, “Hey thanks, Mom, I appreciate you looking out for me”? If so, I totally get it. My mother drives me nuts with every blasted thing she does. It’s worse now that she’s single again. I wish she’d go get herself someone else to annoy, whether or not they drive a Subaru. Don’t care.

– Tapped out, Rachel

Durango First Friday, Fri., Feb. 6, 47 p.m., various locations Downtown Durango

Artist Showcase and Mingle with Matt Clark, aka Lil Bud, Fri., Feb. 6, 58 p.m., The Subterrain, 900 Main Ave.

Opening Reception with local artist Kelly Lewis & music by Wabi Sabi, Fri., Feb. 6, 6-8 p.m., The Light Box at Stillwater Music, 1316 Main Ave., Ste C

Euchre, Sat., Feb. 7, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave.

Community Open Table, a chance for solo diners or pairs to meet and share dinner with others, Tues., Feb. 10, starting at 5:30 p.m., Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave.

Comedy Open Mic hosted by Joe Shrock, Thurs., Feb. 12, 6:30-9 p.m., The Subterrain, 900 Main Ave.

Mountainfilm on Tour, High Desert

DEVO fundraiser, Fri., Feb. 13, doors 5:30 p.m., show at 7 p.m., Mancos Opera House, 136 Grand Ave., Mancos

The Poppletons play, Fri., Feb. 13, 7 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College

“An Improvised Lifetime Movie,” improv hosted by Lower Left Improv, Fri., Feb. 13, 7-9 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.

“Silent Sky,” the story of Henrietta Leavitt by Lauren Gunderson, Fri., Feb. 13, 7-9 p.m., Merely Underground, 789 Tech Center Dr.

Tom Chacon performs, Fri., Feb. 13, 8-10 p.m., The iNDIGO Room, 1315 Main Ave., #207

“Our Public Lands & the La Plata Mountains,” community panel discussion sponsored by La Plata Mountains & Public Lands Coalition, Sat., Feb. 14, 9-11 a.m., Durango Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.

Jan. 29, 2026 n 13

FreeWillAstrology

by Rob Brezsny

ARIES (March 21-April 19): In 1953, Edmund Hillary, of New Zealand, and Tenzing Norgay, of Nepal, became the first climbers to climb to the summit of Mount Everest. They both said later that the climb down was as important and challenging as the ascent. The lesson: Achievement doesn’t end when you reach the peak. You may be nearing or have just passed a high point of effort or recognition. Soon you will need to manage the descent with aplomb. Don’t rush! Tread carefully as you complete your victory. It’s not as glamorous as the push upward, but it’s equally vital.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Aurora borealis occurs when charged particles from the sun strike molecules in the Earth’s atmosphere, causing them to glow. The display that looks like gorgeous magic is actually our planet’s invisible magnetic shield lighting up under the pressure of an intense solar storm. I think your life has a metaphorical resemblance. The strength you’ve been maintaining without much fanfare has become vividly apparent because it’s being activated. The protection you’ve been offering is more visible than usual. This is good news! Your shields are working.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “Nothing in excess” was the maxim inscribed on the ancient Temple of Apollo at Delphi. “Moderation is a chief moral virtue,” proclaimed Aristotle. But I don’t recommend those approaches for you right now. A sounder principle is “More is better” or “Almost too much is just the right amount.” You have a holy duty to cultivate lavishness and splendor. I hope you will stir up as many joyous liberations and fun exploits as possible.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): When sea otters sleep, they sometimes hold each other’s paws to keep from drifting apart. This simple, instinctive act ensures they remain safe and connected. I suggest making their bond your power symbol for now. You’ll be wise to formulate a strong intention about which people, values and projects you want to be tethered to. And if sea otters holding hands sounds too sentimental or cutesy, you need to rethink your understanding of power. For you right now, it’s potency personified.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): To be healthy, we all need to continually be in the process of letting go. It’s always a favorable phase to shed aspects of our old selves to make room for what comes next. The challenge

for you Leos is to keep showing up with your special brightness even as parts of you die to feed new growth. What old versions of your generosity or courage are ready to compost? What fiercer, wilder, more sustainable expression of your leonine nature wants to emerge? The coming weeks will be an excellent time to stop performing the hero you used to be and become the hero you are destined to become.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The Haudenosaunee people practice “seventh-generation” thinking: making decisions based on their impact seven generations into the future. You would be wise to incorporate the spirit of their visionary approach. Here’s the problem: You’re so skilled at fixing what needs urgent attention that you sometimes neglect what’s more important in the long run. So I will ask you to contemplate what choices you could make now that will be blessings to your future self. This might involve ripening an immature skill, shedding a boring obligation that drains you or delivering honest words that don’t come easily. Rather than obsessing on the crisis of the moment, send a sweet boost to the life you want to be living three years from now.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Are you open to the idea that new wisdom doesn’t always demand struggle and strain? In the days ahead, I invite you to move as if the world is deeply in love with you; as if every element, every coincidence, every kind pair of eyes is cheering you forward. Imagine that generous souls everywhere want to help you be and reveal your best self. Trust that unseen allies are rearranging the flow of fate to help you grow into the beautiful original you were born to be. Do you dare to be so confident that life loves you?

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Psychologist

James Pennebaker did studies showing that people who write about traumatic experiences for just 15 minutes a day show improved immune function, fewer doctor’s visits and better emotional health. But here’s the key: The benefits don’t come from “processing feelings.” They come from constructing a narrative: making meaning, finding patterns and creating coherence. The healing isn’t in the wound. It’s in the story you shape from the wound’s raw material. You Scorpios excel at this alchemical work. One of your superpowers is to take what’s dark, buried or painful and transform it through your intelligence and imagination. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to do this.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In Jewish mysticism, tikkun olam means “repair of the world.” This is the idea that we’re all responsible for healing what’s broken. But the teaching also says you’re not required to complete the work; you’re only asked to not abandon it. This is your message right now: You don’t have to save everyone. You don’t have to heal everything, and you don’t even have to finish the projects you’ve started. But you can’t abandon them, either. Keep showing up. Do what you can. That’s enough. The work will continue whether or not you complete it. Your part is to not walk away from your own brokenness and the world’s. Stay engaged.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The Talmud teaches that “every blade of grass has an angel bending over it, whispering, ‘Grow, grow.’” I sense that you are now receiving the extra intense influence of your own guardian angels. They aren’t demanding or threatening, just encouraging. Please tune into their helpful ministrations. Don’t get distracted by harsher voices, like your internalized critic, the pressure of impossible standards or the ghost of adversaries. Here’s your assignment: Create time and space to hear and fully register the supportive counsel. It’s saying: Grow. You’re allowed to grow. You don’t have to earn it. Just grow.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In ecology, there’s a concept called “keystone species.” This refers to organisms that have a huge effect on their environment relative to their abundance. Remove them, and the whole ecosystem shifts. You are currently functioning as a keystone species in your social ecosystem. You may not be fully aware of how much your presence influences others. And here’s the challenge: You shouldn’t let your impact weigh on your conscience. Don’t sacrifice yourself to carry out your service. Instead, ask how you can contribute to the common good while thriving yourself. Ensuring your well-being isn’t selfish.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I foresee a dose of real magic becoming available to you: equivalent to an enchanted potion, a handful of charmed seeds or a supernatural spell. But owning the magic and knowing how to use it are two different matters. There’s no promise you will instantly grasp its secrets. To give yourself the best shot, follow a few rules: 1. Keep it quiet. Only share news of your lucky charm with those who truly need to hear about it. 2. Before using it to make wholesale transformations, test it gently in a situation where the stakes are low. 3. Whatever you do, make sure your magic leaves no bruises behind.

Geaear up for Snowdown

Lots of costume inspiration for Colorado now and wow, plus winter sale on boots, sweaters, jackets and more!

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

Valentine’s Day Dance at The American Legion Hall 878 E. 2nd Ave. Durango, Saturday February 14th 7 - 10 pm. More info www.nuagesdurango.com

Annuit Coeptis

Photo show by Paul Pennington. Studio &, 1027 Main Ave., all of January.

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!

HelpWanted

FT Financial/Operations

Coordinator wanted. Wildfire Adapted Partnership (nonprofit) seeks full-time position: Financial and Operations Coordinator to assist the Executive Director in financial and grant management and day-to-day org operations. Visit www.wildfireadapted.org to view full job announcement.

BodyWork

Massage by Meg Bush

LMT, 30, 60 & 90 min., 970-759-0199.

Wanted

Books Wanted at White Rabbit

Donate/Trade/Sell 970 259-2213

ForSale

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

3-Step Plumbing LLC

Emergency plumbing – same day service (720)-357-2788. Get scheduled today!

Electric Repair

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

Chapman Electric

Colorado licensed and insured electrician. Mike 970-403-6670

Boiler Service - Water Heater

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

CommunityService

Durango Wine Experience

The Community Foundation serving Southwest Colorado has opened the nonprofit partner grant application for this year’s Durango Wine Experience, April 24-25. This year’s event will once again

highlight the work of 10 area nonprofits and provide each with a $2,500 grant. The nonprofits selected will have the opportunity to share their organization’s mission 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/dwenonprofit-partners

Free Tax Preparation Services

VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) will again be preparing tax returns for individuals and families with income

HaikuMovieReview

‘Spinal Tap II: The End Continues’ Glad that Rob and the boys turned it to 11 for one last encore – Lainie Maxson

less than $68,000. The service is free, held at the La Plata County Fairgrounds Extension Building on Mondays and Saturdays, Feb. 2 - April 13. Volunteer tax preparers are certified by the IRS. Appointments are required. For more information and to schedule an appointment, go to www.durangovita.org.