Singing in the rain
elegraph the durango
FREE July 16, 2026 Vol. XXV, No. 27 durangotelegraph.com
inside
T H E
O R I G I N A L
I N D I E
W E E K L Y
L I N E
O N
D U R A N G O
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B E Y O N D
Wildflower power
More shrinkage
Localist legends
Finding strength in nature during challenging times p5
Trump slashes monuments – but it’s worse this time p8
Meeting the winners of this year’s Indie Awards p10
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lineup
4 La Vida Local
Christmas in July? After a divisive 4th, America could use a different midsummer celebration by David Feela
4 Sign of the Downfall 4 Thumbin’ It 5 Writers on the Range
5
6-7 Soap Box
Resist & recharge
8 The Land Desk
Finding strength in the quiet resilience of wildflowers and wild places by Pepper Trail / Writers on the Range
10 Local News
8
12-13 Stuff to Do
Trump slashes Utah monuments – but it’s much worse this time
14 Free Will Astrology
13 Ask Rachel
Not again by Jonathan P. Thompson / The Land Desk
15 Classifieds
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15 Haiku Movie Review On the cover A hiker takes in the expansive views of Rolling Mountain, high in the San Juans, last weekend while his furry companion sniffs out chipmunks./ Photo by Missy Votel
The winners are ... Local First announces 2026 Indie Awards in expanded event by Jennaye Derge
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EDITORIALISTA: MISSY VOTEL missy@durangotelegraph.com PIT CREW: JENNAYE DERGE jennaye@durangotelegraph.com STAR-STUDDED CAST: David Feela, Jonathan P. Thompson, Jennaye Derge, Lainie Maxson, Jesse Anderson, Rob Brezsny & Clint Reid
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Rowing into history
thepole
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RegularOccurrences
While the rest of us were cowering from the heat or not lighting off fireworks, Buena Vista resident Kelsey Pfendler was quietly rowing into the record books. On the night of Fri., July 3, Pfendler, 32 – a Grand Canyon River Guide – became the first American woman to row solo and unassisted from California to Hawaii, completing the 2,300-mile journey in less than 44 days and setting multiple records in the process. According to the Ocean Rowing Society International, Pfendler also appears to be the youngest person and the fastest rower to complete the California-to-Hawaii route solo and without assistance. Her time eclipsed the previous women's record of more than 86 days and also surpassed the previous men's record of 52 days. Pfendler launched from Monterey, Calif., in May aboard her 21-foot rowboat, Lily. However, this wasn’t her first Mid-Pacific “row”deo: she and three other women completed the same journey in 2024. A native of Pfendler, with rainbow, upstate New aboard Lily. York, Pfendler has spent the last 18 years as a river guide. She moved to B.V. about 12 years ago, where she guided on the Arkansas River before becoming a full-time Grand guide in 2018. It was on a trip to Spain in 2019, when she crewed on a large sailing boat, that the seeds for open-sea rowing were planted. “Most of my life has been spent finding new ways to be on a boat in the middle of nowhere,” she said. Throughout the voyage, Pfendler documented life alone at sea for her large social media audience. Her videos detailed everything from using a desalinator to washing clothes and managing blisters. She also shared the emotional highs and lows of the expedition, surviving on just a few hours of sleep a night, and the mental strain of the crossing. As she approached Hawaii, Pfendler reflected on social media what she hoped others would take away from her accomplishment. "Think about trying to find your own big, hard, scary thing," she said in a video. "You might not think that you are strong enough to finish it right now, but you're definitely strong enough to start it, and you'll find everything else along the way." July 16, 2026 n 3
LaVidaLocal Looking for the old America? My first visit to Brainerd, Minn. – home of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox – coincided with my first breath. As my mother’s only child born in Brainerd, I wanted to believe in a kind of kinship with the Bunyan man, both of us sharing this hometown birthright. When I turned 5, I remember the thrill of meeting the woodsman up close as he greeted me by my first name during a Pioneer Village family vacation. My parents arranged the encounter as a birthday present, purchasing a ticket on the sly so the 40-foot-tall lumberjack holding an axe would surprise me by saying “Hello David” as I walked into his pavilion. Since then, I’ve lost faith in our comradeship. Bemidji, Minn., has the oldest Bunyan on record (1937) and Bangor, Maine (1959) also prominently displays a long-standing Paul Bunyan attraction. These cities compete in a good-natured rivalry about the giant lumberjack’s true hometown along with Oscoda, Mich., and Aberdeen, S.D. The greatest double-dealing occurred when I learned Brainerd sold my old friend in 2011 to North Carolina, then promptly erected a new one. Folklore makes many dubious claims. Before the 1929 Wall Street crash, small towns across America sought to attract an ever-increasing influx of automobile tourism by constructing gigantic roadside attractions. The tradition of building local wonders hasn’t vanished, but bypass expressways have made them more difficult to see. If you’re interested in more variety, the world’s largest chile pepper resides in New Mexico, the biggest ball of twine got tangled between Kansas and Minnesota, plus an immense blue termite named Wiggles Woodaway occupies a pedestal outside a pest control company in Rhode Island, just to name a few. Folklore also has an enduring history – beliefs and stories passed along for generations by word of mouth to entertain and teach exaggerated lessons. They are so very different from the sour grapes we harvest off our social media vines, which are not lore but outright lies – enough to swamp the world’s largest paper cup in Riverside, Calif. It may be worth noting that Michigan hosts a 35-foot Santa Claus, welcoming travelers during the Christmas season, a flurry of excesses designed to make us smile. So much for summer vacation attractions. Our 250th anniversary commemorating America’s independence from Britain
was billed to be the biggest celebration ever but fewer people were feeling the buzz. CivicScience data shows that Americans are experiencing less patriotism overall, and one in five didn’t plan to observe the 4th of July this year. Partisan politics may be partly responsible, but an attitude that captures what’s going on sounds more like this: The 4th of July didn’t feel like we were celebrating our history; it felt more like it was about honoring Trump.” Rex Huppke, of USA Today, put it this way, “We can love this country and loathe the people in charge. We can be simultaneously proud of this country and embarrassed of the things being done in its name.” Sure, the barbecues were fired up, but I felt it too; the enthusiasm just wasn’t there. I tried to celebrate even as our president continued to speak and behave in a most un-American way: shredding the nation’s laws and the very definition of justice with voter suppression, racism, sexism, unlawful arrest, detention and deportation by a new revolutionary army known as ICE. Even bombing foreign countries. Nothing to celebrate there. Some might argue that’s been our history all along, but after the flags, hotdogs and parades, we may even consider revising our Star-Spangled-Banner to better represent these times. “And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air / Gave proof through the night that Iran was still there ... . ” OK, time to move on. The 4th of July is behind us. Many are wondering what government-sponsored indignity is next. This may sound weird, but what about Christmas in July? First celebrated July 25, 1933, at a North Carolina summer camp, even the neighbors were probably scratching their heads, but at least they were smiling. We need to rekindle an old spirit. This year, the 25th is on a Saturday. What about blue skies, red popsicles, vanilla ice cream and a Christmas tree instead of a flag with blue tinsel and sparkling Christmas lights. Let’s start over, celebrate America’s compassion and tolerance. Maybe exchange a few gifts but nothing like what the French gave us in 1884. One towering 305-foot Statue of Liberty is enough. Better to stick with the smaller generosities, reminders to friends and neighbors from around the globe that a great many of us in these States are still united to preserving our original Constitution – not the redacted version. We’re also in favor of peace on Earth and goodwill toward humanity all year long. Merry Christmas. – David Feela
Thumbin’It Buena Vista resident and Grand Canyon river guide Kelsey Pfendler crushed the mid-Pacific solo rowing record earlier this month, making it from California to Hawaii in just under 44 days. You row, girl.
SignoftheDownfall: As if things aren’t shitty enough, explosive diarrhea is sweeping the nation thanks to a pathogen in fresh produce. Unfortunately, we have no idea which fresh produce, since Trump has slashed funding for food surveillance programs and health departments. Just boil your lettuce; you’ll be fine.
The monsoons – or something looking a lot like them – have arrived in Southwest Colorado, and not a moment too soon. We will gladly take muddy trails over smoky ones any day. (And speaking of muddy trails, please allow them to dry out before any singletrack adventures.)
ICE is at it again, murdering two motorists in a week. Trump ordered his thugs to cease most motor vehicle stops before abruptly switching course and telling them to go full speed ahead. Right to the mid-terms
In one of the last bastions of democratic principles, judges around the country are throwing out DOJ lawsuits over states’ refusals to hand over private voter data
Not one to outdo himself, Trump has once again slashed the size of two Utah national monuments: Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, which now no longer includes the Grand Staircase. Makes sense.
4 n July 16, 2026
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Explosive Quesadilla A lot of us are scared shitless of the “explosive diarrhea” that comes from cyclosporiasis, which is the disease everyone’s talking about that’s caused by a tiny parasite living in our fresh fruits and vegetables. However, given the average American diet, some of us are just worried we won’t notice the difference between this new type of diarrhea and the regular kind. But none of us should pucker, because an unlikely hero is here to save the day: Taco Bell announced last week that they’re pulling lettuce, cilantro and guacamole from most menus in the country to fight the parasite. The news blew my pants off, because it’s uncharacteristic for Taco Bell to lead the charge against diarrhea; that’d be like Kentucky Fried Chicken joining PETA.
WritersontheRange
Wildflower power How nature can restore the spirit, renew resolve and help us through trying times by Pepper Trail
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hat keeps you going? I’ve been asked that question twice recently, in very different contexts. The first time was after I described a hike I’d just taken in Oregon’s Siskiyou Mountains. The trail was narrow and rocky and picked its way across a steep mountainside. It was hot, the footing was tricky, and I’m 73 years old with a gimpy knee. Exhilarating but hard. The second time I was asked was after I mentioned a political demonstration I’d just attended – one of many. But both times, I answered that question about what keeps me going with no hesitation: wildflowers. That mountain hike was through an area dominated by rocks that originated in the earth’s mantle and were transformed by great pressure on the deep seafloor before being uplifted millions of years ago. These rocks are low in calcium and other soil nutrients and high in metals like chromium that are toxic to most plants. So any plants able to survive and grow here are special, and to see them, and their beautiful flowers, you have to hike into places that seem barren until you walk slowly and look carefully. My greatest reward on the Siskiyou Mountains hike was the split-hair paintbrush, its flowers a unique delicate lavender, their outline softened by downy silver hairs. Then there were the hardy succulent stonecrops, the oddly twisted flowers of parrots-beak, and the delicate blossoms of Lewis flax, their color the same cerulean blue as the sky. Finally, at the end of the trail, I came to a glade with tall beargrass in bloom, their tiny star-shaped flowers gathered into white globes that seemed to hang weightless in the air. All in all, it was an incomparable reward for my aches and pains. The political demonstration was completely different. Joining some friends and neighbors, I went from a burning sense of outrage about a senseless foreign war and also a strong sense of civic duty. I admit, it often seems futile to make these gestures of resistance in a little town in southern Oregon. But I don’t stop, and what keeps me going, what gives me the energy and will to speak up, is time spent outside with flowers, birds and the beauty of wild landscapes. In short, the nurturing grace of nature. I know many people are suffering from the corruption and incompetence of the current administration. As a conservation biologist, I am outraged at the attacks on our federal public lands and the dismantling
A field of mountain wildflowers – the reward for toil spent hiking and from the toil of the daily news cycle./ Telegraph file photo of responsible stewardship by the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service. As a scientist, I am appalled at the defunding and mismanagement of our nation’s scientific enterprise, from the National Science Foundation to the Centers for Disease Control. As a citizen, I am furious at the attempts to undermine our system of free and fair elections. As a human being, I am sickened by the treatment of our immigrant friends and neighbors. Turning away is of no help, while keeping going as long as it takes seems to require two kinds of response: Resistance, then recharge. Resistance can take as many forms, from writing letters to the editor to registering voters to taking to the streets to protest or when immigration agents show up. Recharge, too, will be different for different people. But for everyone, I recommend that it includes time in nature. Most of us have an intuitive under-
standing that time spent outdoors is good for our mental health. A recent spate of research confirms these benefits, such as lowered blood pressure, improved immune function and reduced stress hormones – all have been shown to correlate with time spent in nature. My hike across a hot, rocky mountainside would definitely not qualify for what the Japanese call “forest bathing.” Nor would sitting quietly in a busy city park or your own back yard. But time outdoors doesn’t have to be challenging or fancy to get us out of ourselves and away from screens, giving us the chance to reconnect with the living, breathing Earth. It just feels good. Resist. Recharge. Repeat. And don’t forget to stop and smell the flowers. Pepper Trail is a conservation biologist and contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. He writes in Oregon. ■ 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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Call or text Merida or Forrest: 970-382-8147 July 16, 2026 n 5
SoapBox A prescription for rural healthcare A year ago, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed – a law that will cut nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid funding over the next decade, according to the Urban Institute. For rural communities like ours, this isn’t a political headline, it’s a potential disaster. I am worried about the effects on our local healthcare system, hospitals and clinics. We already operate on thin margins. Our hospitals are stretched, specialists are scarce and families often have to drive or fly outside the area for care. According to the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, over the next decade, Colorado stands to lose about $2.5 billion a year of its federal Medicaid funding. Starting in January 2027, new bi-annual work requirements could threaten coverage for nearly 380,000 Coloradans and add millions in state administrative costs. The costs of additional technology requirements and more staff are likely to exceed $1 billion nationally, according to an AP analysis. Nationwide, more than 300 rural hospitals are at risk of
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D-Tooned/by Rob Pudim closing, says The Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform. The good news: Colorado doesn’t have to wait for Washington. We have options right now: • Evaluate whether it makes sense for Colorado to manage Medicaid. Colorado pays private insurers to manage our Medicaid program. A study by Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) found states could save roughly $34 billion a year nationally by managing Medicaid directly themselves. Connecticut de-privatized its Medicaid program in 2012 and has saved $4 billion to date, including earlier cancer detection and survival rates than neighboring New Jersey, which kept its privatized model. • Fund rural hospitals with steady budgets. Global budgeting gives hospitals a fixed annual amount tied to community need, instead of fee-for-service chaos. Pennsylvania’s Rural Health Model has shown this approach can ease rural hospitals’ financial losses. Colorado just received about $200 million this year from a new federal Rural Health Transformation Fund (RHTF) – money meant to help rural hospitals exactly like ours. The state is deciding
right now how to spend it. Ask candidates running for office if they’ll fight to turn Colorado’s RHTF into steady, predictable budgets for rural hospitals. • Rein in prescription drug middlemen. Pharmacy benefit manager companies drive up drug costs and squeeze
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independent pharmacies that rural Coloradans depend on. Ohio cut out the big insurer-owned PBMs in 2022, built its own system and saved $140 million in two years while boosting payments to local pharmacies more than tenfold. Colorado should do the same.
Colorado has already made some smart moves. Colorado’s Prescription Drug Affordability Board, launched in 2022, has pushed back on price gouging for lifesaving drugs like Enbrel. And, according to STAT News, as of June 2026, the FDA is allowing Colorado to import certain prescription drugs from Canada, bringing costs down. Last year, Colorado lawmakers ordered a study to find out whether the state could efficiently run its own universal, single-payer healthcare system, instead of today’s patchwork of private and public insurers. Researchers at the Colorado School of Public Health are currently conducting the study and examining how much doctors and hospitals would get paid, what services would be covered, and how the whole system would be funded. Lawmakers will get their answer by December 2026. If it turns out Colorado could cover everyone for less money, that’s the kind of fix that could matter most for places like La Plata County, where access to care is already stretched thin. Washington may treat Medicaid cuts as just a budget line. But, in La Plata County, it could mean a hospital closing or a neighbor going without care. We don’t have to accept that. Call your state lawmakers. Tell them to fight for fair use of the new rural health funding, examine costly Medicaid middlemen, hold drug companies accountable and pay attention when the single-payer study lands this December. Our hospitals, our families and our neighbors are counting on it. – Jan Phillips, Chair of Healthcare, League of Women Voters La Plata County
Rise up to Trump’s lies
Lower speed limits save lives
The vast majority of educated people in the world believe that climate change is real and that the changes that will result in the decades ahead represent a threat to the ability of Earth to sustain life. To deny the reality of climate change and its most likely future consequences is against the best interest of humanity! Doing so virtually ensures that billions of humans will suffer unnecessary illnesses and early deaths. In spite of that, President Trump claims that climate change is a hoax. A substantial majority of the voters in the United States believe that our elections are fair, free, honest and almost entirely without fraud. Dozens of court cases and a veritable host of studies all agree that Joe Biden won the 2020 election and that the results of that election were fair, free, honest and almost entirely void of instances of election tampering or fraud of any kind. In spite of these nearly universally established facts, President Trump continues to say that he was cheated out of a victory. By making this false claim over and over and over again, Trump has weakened public trust in our elections. Every human being who believes that climate change is real and that the 2020 election results were accurate should “rise up” and publicly castigate President Trump for these wrongful stances and proclamations! – Harold Mansfield, Green Valley, Ariz.
The city of Durango is considering adopting a Vision Zero policy. Vision Zero is a proven strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries. Having a Vision Zero policy in place could provide access to grant funding and ultimately make our town safer. However, I would also add that Vision Zero is not enough. Yesterday, I rode past the white cross on Animas View Drive that marks the spot where a pedestrian was killed in 2023. There have been no physical changes to that spot except that someone is taking the time to cut the grass around the cross and hang a fresh pair of white tennis shoes. There is nothing to prevent the same crash from happening again. My point is not to shame the city but to point out that we are far better about collecting input and talking about things than actually making the built environment we drive, bike or walk through safer, and I am concerned that Vision Zero will be more of the same. I suggest that the city step up and actually demonstrate that we care more about people than cars and lower the citywide speed limit to 20 miles an hour. This would be an actual move that would make our city a safer place and crashes more survivable for vulnerable road users. It wouldn’t even cost very much. Make Vision Zero more than just words or grant applications. Let’s do something in the real world and lower the speed limit in our town. Twenty is plenty. – Alan Millar, Durango
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July 16, 2026 n 7
TheLandDesk
Monumental rollback Trump slashes protections, reigniting battle over sovereignty and the Antiquities Act by Jonathan P. Thompson
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am so sick and tired of these bozos in the White House and their relentless assault on justice, morality, ethics, humanity, the climate and public lands. But, well, someone voted for them, so here we are, facing outrage on a daily basis. The latest one happened July 13, when President Donald Trump issued two presidential proclamations dramatically reducing the size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monument, thereby removing protections from more than 2.9 million acres of public lands. He also disbanded the Bears-Ears Commission, a direct attack on the tribal nations that first proposed a national monument for their homelands and have been comanaging them until now. The move reopens huge swaths of Utah’s canyon country to oil and gas drilling, uranium mining, and potash, lithium and coal extraction. It also scraps existing resource management plans for both monuments, throwing even the remaining shards of protected areas into regulatory uncertainty. Additionally, the proclamations order the managing agencies – the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service – to ease restrictions on motorized travel, vegetation management and livestock grazing within the remaining monuments. The sordid details A map has not yet been released of the shrunken boundaries, but from the proclamation’s description it would appear that Bears Ears roughly follows the same lines as those created in 2017 when Trump downsized the monument the first time. The difference is that this time, he cut an additional 100,000 acres. At GSENM, however, he appears to have eliminated the former Grand Staircase Unit on the southwest side of the national monument and slashed the Kaiparowits Unit to a fraction of its previous size. For Bears Ears: • The proclamation removed 1.24 million acres from monument status, reducing the 1.36 million-acre monument to just 121,096 acres (91% reduction). When Trump shrunk it in 2017, there was more than 200,000 acres remaining. • The reduced national monument includes two main units: - The 106,816-acre Shash Jaa Unit, which contains the Bears Ears Buttes, Arch Canyon, Mule Canyon, Comb Ridge and portions of the Butler Wash Archaeological District. - The 14,279-acre Indian Creek Unit, which includes Newspaper Rock. • Also included are small noncontiguous parcels that lie outside the two main units, such as: - Doll House Ruin, (157 acres). - Scorup Cabin, which was used by the “Mormon Cowboy” J.A. Scorup when he ran cattle in the Bears
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Looking toward the Bears Ears from Comb Ridge with Cedar Mesa in the mid-ground. Everything in the image was included in Bears Ears National Monument. On Monday, Trump removed 1.24 million acres – including most of Cedar Mesa – from protected status. / Jonathan P. Thompson photo Ears region in the late 1800s - early 1900s. This likely burned in the Babylon Fire, (314 acres). - The Rig Canyon Mining Exploration Site, an oil well from 1926. Yes, these knuckleheads are preserving a drilling site while opening up thousands of Ancestral Puebloan sites to “multiple use,” including oil and gas drilling. This may be in the Babylon Fire burn zone as well, (693 acres). - Moon House, an Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwelling on Cedar Mesa, (318 acres). - The Citadel, an Ancestral Puebloan dwelling on Cedar Mesa, (88 acres). • Huge swaths of spectacular and significant natural and cultural landscapes were removed from protections, including nearly all of Cedar Mesa, White Canyon and its tributaries, Cottonwood Wash, most of Butler Wash, Valley of the Gods, and Dark Canyon. For Grand Staircase-Escalante: • 1.69 million acres were removed from monument status, reducing the formerly 1.87 million-acre monument to just 181,541 acres (90% reduction). When Trump shrunk it in 2017, there was more than 1 million acres remaining under monument status. • The reduced monument consists of two main units: - The 172,641-acre Canyons of the Escalante Unit, which includes the Escalante River, the Escalante Natu-
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ral Bridge, Calf Creek Canyon, the Hundred Hands pictograph panel and the Boulder Mail Trail. - The 8,900-acre Kaiparowits Horizon Unit. This unit has been reduced to a tiny fraction of what it was after Trump shrunk it the first time. It appears that the entire Grand Staircase Unit is just gone. This makes available at least 11 billion tons of coal, 10.5 trillion cubic feet of coalbed methane, and 550 million barrels of oil from tar sands. For both national monuments: • The proclamation orders managing agencies (USFS and BLM) to consider livestock grazing’s “traditional cultural place” and “how proposed activities will impact” those grazing lands. It also orders the agencies to re-allocate voluntarily relinquished grazing allotments. Under Biden, voluntarily relinquished allotments were permanently retired. • The proclamation order new transportation plans that endeavor “to maximize public access” by “designating roads and trails on which motorized and nonmotorized vehicle use will be allowed.” • The proclamation calls on agencies to “consider the full range of vegetation management tools, including mechanical mastication and grazing” and to authorize the use of mechanical, natural and chemical tools, along with livestock grazing, for noxious weed mitigation and fuel management.
What’s next The lawsuits filed after Trump’s previous monument shrinkage will be revived, and new ones likely filed, challenging the legality of proclamations (see below). However, unless a judge orders an injunction, the shrinkages will likely stand as the cases wind their way through court. That means huge amounts of land once again will be open to new mining and oil, gas and coal leasing. Shortly after Trump shrunk the national monuments in 2017, companies owned by the Kimmerle family of Moab staked a number of mining claims in the newly opened parts of Bears Ears. Whether they were actually interested in mining or merely trying to gain standing for a lawsuit when Biden restored the boundaries isn’t clear. In any event, Kyle Kimmerle did join Utah’s lawsuit challenging the Biden restoration, saying it blocked his ability to mine those claims. While I doubt large mining companies will stake a lot of claims in the newly reopened areas, given the legal and regulatory uncertainty, smaller interests might come in and stake claims in the hopes of later selling them. Neither Bears Ears nor GSENM are exactly oil and gas hotspots, but that won’t stop Trump’s BLM from putting huge swaths of land on the auction block, in hopes of enticing some speculator to pay $2/acre for drilling rights on some of the most spectacular pieces of Canyon Country. Same goes for coal: Big firms are highly unlikely to bite on the Kaiparowits reserves, given sluggish demand, its remoteness, lack of transportation routes and regulatory uncertainty. But then, who knows? Maybe someone will decide to build a coal mine, power plant and giant data center there. I bet Trump’s BLM would permit it. The context We knew this was coming. After all, Trump radically shrunk the national monuments – mostly out of spite – dur-
The Valley of the Gods was also removed from Bears Ears National Monument in Trump’s latest shrinkage./ Jonathan P. Thompson photo ing his first term. This time he also had orders from Project 2025 not only to shrink or eliminate these protections but to destroy the Antiquities Act itself, the bedrock law that allows presidents to establish national monuments. This week’s move appears to be aimed at achieving both objectives. The lawsuits will eventually reach the Supreme Court, where many of the justices have proven hostile toward environmental protections. They will decide the fate, not only of these monuments, but of the Antiquities Act as a whole. Any judge with integrity would block Trump’s proclamations. The Antiquities Act of 1906 gives a president the power to establish national monuments on federal land to protect landmarks, structures and “other objects of historic or scientific interest.” However, it does not overtly give a president the power to rescind or reduce a national monument. The one time a president – Franklin D. Roosevelt, in 1938 – set out to abolish a national monument, his attorney general opined that the Antiquities Act gave
him no such power. A 2017 legal analysis by CU Law Professor Mark Squillace and three other scholars argues that the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 “makes it clear that the president does not have any implied authority to (abolish or modify monuments), but rather that Congress reserved for itself the power to modify or revoke monument designations.” Trump, however, has never been keen on the rule of law, and the Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts has invited folks to bring an Antiquities Act case to him so he could eviscerate it. Trump’s proclamations are based on the theory that the two national monuments are simply too big. The Antiquities Act says presidents may, at their discretion, reserve parcels of federal land, “the limits of which in all cases shall be confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected.” Last year, Trump’s Deputy Assistant Attorney General Lanora C. Pettit argued that if a president decides a monument violates the
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“smallest area compatible” requirement, they can shrink it accordingly. Of course, that’s not what the Antiquities Act says, nor is it what Congress intended. It is the very permanence that makes the Antiquities Act special. It’s what sets, say, Bears Ears apart from the 20-year oil and gas leasing bans around Chaco Culture National Historical Park. The former can’t be reversed by an executive order whereas the latter can. If the courts were to fall for Pettit’s argument, it would render impotent one of the nation’s foundational environmental and cultural protection laws. After all, Grand Canyon, Zion, Chaco, Arches and many more national parks were first established as national monuments under the Antiquities Act. Imagine if a later president, out of spite for his predecessor, had decided to simply abolish with a stroke of a pen any of these designations. In 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt used the Antiquities Act to establish the 800,000-acre Grand Canyon National Monument. If Trump’s logic were to be applied, the national monument would have been cut down to a handful of landmarks such as Havasu Falls, Mather Point and Vishnu Temple. But what is Vishnu Temple without the rest of the Grand Canyon? What these folks are missing is that these “objects” cannot be separated from the landscape itself, because to do so robs them of their meaning. So in order to protect them, one must protect the entire landscape. Therefore, the preshrinkage 3.2 million acres of both GSENM and Bears Ears National Monuments was, in fact, the “smallest area compatible with the proper care and management” of those landscapes. In fact, it may not be large enough. This story was edited for length. You can read it in its entirety at the Land Desk, a newsletter from Jonathan P. Thompson, author of “River of Lost Souls,” “Behind the Slickrock Curtain” and “Sagebrush Empire.” To subscribe, go to: www.landdesk.org. ■
July 16, 2026 n 9
LocalNews
Local legends Meeting the winners of this year’s Local First Indie Awards by Jennaye Derge
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ocal First has been fostering the concept of “local” in La Plata County since 2008. The organization supports the growth of local businesses and the local economy often through annual events, such as Noel Night and the Harvest Dinner, as well as the Be Local coupon book. However, there is one long-standing Local First event that has flown under the radar, mostly because it has been open to Local First members only. But, this summer for the first time, it opened its doors to the entire La Plata County community. In the past, Local First held its annual Indie Awards gala to honor member businesses for outstanding work and contributions. It was often held indoors and in the colder months. However, when Ashley Christie took over as Local First’s executive director in 2024, she hatched the idea to bring the event outside during the summer and open it to the entire community. “We rebranded it this year to the ‘Be Local Bash,’ because we want to start including more than just the businesses and nonprofits that are members. We want people – our neighbors – to come to this, because that’s kind of what this organization is about,” she said. “It’s about supporting small businesses and nonprofits, but it’s also about educating the people who live here on the value of those members.” This year’s event, held June 9 at the Rochester Hotel’s Secret Garden, was more of a garden party than a gala, encouraging education, interaction and mingling. “We have a community of localists there in this intimate space, sharing ideas and talking about how we can make this community a place where people can thrive if they want to start a business or to go off and do their own thing. Because there’s definitely an entrepreneurial spirit in Durango,” Christie said. As the name would suggest, the event was locally curated, featuring catering by Graze Colorado, event coordination by The Perfect Day Co., and the Indie Awards were crafted by local artist Jacqueline Hess. And speaking of the Indie Awards, five local business were honored this year, in addition to the annual “Localist of the Year.” Short Q&A snippets with the winners follow:
This year, the “Be Local Bash” replaced Local First’s annual Indie Awards gala, which was typically held in the colder months indoors. The gala was only open to Local First members, while the Be Local Bash opened the event up to the entire community./ Courtesy photo
“Local Legend” - Good Food Collective Who are you? Rachel Landis, executive director and chief apple officer. What is the backstory behind what you do? I sometimes joke that this work is in my DNA. I was raised with a deep sense that we are here to care for one another and to leave the world better than we found it. I began to see that Southwest Colorado is a bit of an anomaly in today’s globalized food system. Because of
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Rachel Landis (center) and The Good Food Collective our remoteness, we still have agricultural land in production. Much of the food grown here still has a chance to stay here. We have a strong culture of neigh-
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borliness, a deep appreciation for independent, small businesses, and an incredible network of organizations and community leaders who care about food, farming, health and resilience. I took a leap and, with the support of an amazing steering committee and partners including Local First, Bear Smart Durango, CSU Extension, the Environmental Center, the Old Fort and Healthy Community Food Systems, we launched the Good Food Collective in May 2018. What makes your organization unique? Our mission is to build a more just and resilient regional food system. That means you have to look not only at the interplay of every step in the supply chain – food production, distribution, food access, food waste – but also the interplay between that supply chain and the economy, government, environmental factors and social conditions. What is the most challenging thing about running your organization in Durango? Durango’s high cost of living, especially the housing market. It makes it challenging to recruit talent
and hard to retain staff. This is all the more true if employees have or are seeking to start families where they face the added challenge of childcare gaps. What’s your favorite thing about being a local organization? Our community and its level of involvement and collaborative spirit! I chose to live here for Durango’s beauty, wild places and unique culture, but more so, the impression that this is a community where people genuinely care. Any goals for the future? We have so many irons in the fire. The one I am most excited about is the implementation of Healthy School Meals for All. We are working to support our schools to adopt local food purchasing funds, studentparent advisory councils and wage increases that this voter-approved program offers. This would create an annual $250,000-plus market for local food producers, help to align school meals with students preferences, support the workforce and provide students with more nutrient-dense, delicious food to support their success in schools.
“Rising Star” - Nook Ceramics Who are you? My name is Jill Baglini, owner of Nook Ceramics. What is the backstory behind your business? The idea of running my own ceramics studio had been humming in the back of my brain for years. After enough people heard me say “some day, when I have my own studio” and some healthy nudging, I decided to take the leap. I left my teaching job, formed my LLC, contemplated my life decisions at least 100 times, devoted some serious sweat equity to renJill Baglini, Nook Ceramics ovate a space I found through Craigslist, and opened up Nook Ceramics in April 2025. What makes your business unique? Nook Ceramics is unique, because it combines a professionally run studio with a welcoming, approachable environment for all skill levels. In addition to multi-week classes and memberships, I specialize in private lessons that are popular with both locals and visitors. Guests traveling through Durango can create something meaningful and have their pottery shipped home to them, a perfect souvenir of their trip. What’s your favorite thing about being a local business? The incredible support from this community. Word of mouth has been the biggest reason Nook Ceramics has grown into what it is today, and I’m constantly amazed by how people organically recommend classes and memberships to friends, bring visiting family and friends into the studio, and cheer on local businesses. Durango really shows up for its small business owners in a big way. What are your future goals?
To keep growing the community around Nook Ceramics while maintaining the quality and atmosphere people have come to expect. I’d love to offer more workshops, bring in guest artists, eventually move into a larger space and continue creating opportunities for people of all skill levels to connect through clay. Most of all, I want Nook Ceramics to remain a place where people feel welcomed, inspired and excited to create.
“Community Collaborator”- iAM Music Who are you? Julianne Marqua, co-executive director at iAM Music. What is the backstory behind what you do? iAM Music was founded in 2011 by Jesse Ogle and Ashley Edwards, originally as an artist-management company. It organically morphed into an education program when they began presenting at youth correction facilities and alternativeeducation programs. Since then, we have expanded our outreach and education programs alongside our inhouse lessons. We host Tara Kiene, iAM Music Board the iAM Music Fest, secretary run the iNDIGO Room and much more. iAM Music is a nonprofit, so we are always looking for ways to give back to our community and our youth through our no-cost lesson programming and fueling the local creative economy. My involvement with the organization started as one of those outreach students, and now I get to return the gift that was given to me. What makes your organization unique? How many communities our mission supports and the cross pollination within those communities. We have what we call our “three E’s” here at iAM: education, empowerment and events. One of the many ways we put that into practice is hosting our iAM Music Fest, where we boost our creative economy (events), give a paid performance opportunity to our students (empowerment), after providing lessons from our incredible teachers to get them performance-ready (education). What is the most challenging thing about running an organization in Durango? Durango is a beautiful community with so much to offer. There’s a lot of heart here, and with that is more than 100 amazing nonprofits. This is a wonderful thing but also creates a highly competitive scene for funding. With prices rising and the grant pool becoming smaller, acquiring adequate funding is our greatest challenge. What’s your favorite thing about being a local organization? How incredible our community is! We have incredible talent; we have inspiring youth; we have such supportive businesses; and we have such lovely people! We are so fortunate to get to network with all these communities.
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What are your future goals? We hope to continue to expand our reach and provide more scholarship lessons, increase our free instrument loan program, and grow our festival and iNDIGO Room events. We are committed to empowering youth through our programming and our local creative economy through fair wages and gigging opportunities. Our goal is to raise the bar on what it means to support the arts in Durango. We have a very unique and fun songwriters festival, the San Juan Songwriters Festival, coming up, which will be our inaugural event Sept. 24-26. Also, the iAM Music Fest takes place the first weekend of May, and next year will be our 12th year!
“Localist of the Year” - Heather Erb Who are you? Heather Erb, owner and broker, Destination DRO Real Estate Group. How does it feel to be awarded Localist of the Year? I am both surprised and incredibly honored. Surprised, because we live in a community where there are so many localists at heart, doing so many great things! But incredibly honored, as there’s no other organization in town I find myself more aligned with and proud to be recognized by. Heather Erb What is your backstory? I’ve lived in Durango since the ’90s and have always found it important to give as much of my time as possible to make our community as strong as it can be. I own an independent real estate company, where a core value my agents share is having community in our hearts and accountability to it. How have you gotten involved, and why do you think it’s important to get involved in our community? Currently, I am the co-chair of the local Earth Day committee; the president of my trade association, DAAR; I teach first-time homebuyer classes with the HomesFund; volunteer at my kids’ schools; and am happy to lend a hand when needed on other events and issues. Giving your time to your community is an investment in what its future will look like. What advice do you have for others trying to get involved in the localist movement? Follow your heart, and give your time to the things that make you proud to be part of and to what you think we need most in our community. You’ll make a big difference! Our community is strong only because of how many of us give back and advocate for it. Like Local First says, “Creating a strong and vibrant community is a legacy for those who follow.” *Desert Sun Coffee Roasters won the “Sustainability Champion” Award but were unavailable for comment as of press time. ■ July 16, 2026 n 11
StufftoDo
Thursday16 Elmore’s Farmers Market, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., 306 Florida Grange, 656 CR 172 Baracutanga plays Ska-B-Q, 5-7 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St. Leah Orlikowski plays, 5-8 p.m., El Rancho Tavern, 975 Main Ave. Fantastic Cat plays Concert Hall at The Park, 5:30 p.m., Buckley Park La Plata Quilters Guild monthly meeting, 5:30 p.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds
Submit items for “Stuff to Do” by Monday at noon at: www.durangotelegraph.com/send-us-your-stuff-to-do/
Dart Tournament, 5:30-9 p.m., Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave. “Tremors” screening, 6 p.m., Mancos Opera House, 136 Grand Ave. Jeff Solon Jazz plays, 6 p.m., Lola’s Place, 725 E. 2nd Ave. Dustin Burley plays, 6-9 p.m., 11th St. Station, 1101 Main Ave. Andrew Schuhmann plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. Adam Swanson plays, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Thursday Night Rides, 6:30 p.m., Durango Harley-Davidson, 750 S. Camino Del Rio “Improv or Die!” Showcase, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m., Black Heron Lounge, 736 Main Ave., #100
Alison Dance Jazz, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Kennebec Cafe, 4 CR 124, Hesperus
Wild Roses play, 6-9 p.m., Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave.
Julian Blue plays, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Barons Creek Vineyards, 901 Main Ave.
Adam Swanson plays, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Adam Swanson plays, 5:30-10 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Matt Rupnow plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Matt Rupnow plays, 6-8 p.m., Lola’s Place, 725 E. 2nd Ave.
Vintage Brew plays, 6-9 p.m., 11th St. Station, 1101 Main Ave.
The Badly Bent plays, 6-9 p.m., Fox Fire Farms Winery, 5513 CR 321, Ignacio
Leah Orlikowski plays, 6-9 p.m., Eso Terra Arbortetum, 270 CR 303
Majik Ham plays, 6-9 p.m., Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave.
Eileen Ivers and The Brigideens, 7 p.m., Community Concert Hall at FLC
Dustin Burley plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
“The Notorious Nugget” summer melodrama, 7:30 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.
American Quintet Candlelight Concert, 7 p.m., Community Concert Hall at FLC
Liver Down the River plays, 8 p.m., The Subterrain, 900 Main Ave., Ste. F
The San Juanderer plays, 7-10 p.m., 11th St. Station, 1101 Main Ave.
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“The Notorious Nugget” summer melodrama, 7:30 p.m. Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. Nuages Du Desert plays, 8 p.m., The Subterrain, 900 Main Ave., Ste. F High Country Hustle album release party, 8:30 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Dr.
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Veterans Benefit Breakfast, 9-11 a.m., VFW Post 4031, 1550 Main Ave. Sunday Record Brunch Club, 12 noon-3 p.m., 11th St. Station, 1101 Main Ave. Durango Fiesta Days, 1 p.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds Happy 40th Music in the Mountains! From Bach to Benny Goodman, 5 p.m., Community Concert Hall at FLC
Fiesta Days, La Plata County Fairgrounds
Trivia Night, 6:30-8:30 p.m., The Powerhouse, 1333 Camino Del Rio
Durango Farmers Market, 8 a.m.-12 noon, TBK Parking Lot, 259 W. 9th Street
Pete Giuliani plays, 7-10 p.m., The Oxford, 119 W. 8th St.
Durango Nordic Running Biathlon, 8 a.m.12:30 p.m., Durango Nordic Center, 49786 Hwy 550
“The Notorious Nugget” summer melodrama, 7:30 p.m. Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.
First Responders Appreciation Party, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Durango Harley-Davidson, 750 S. Camino Del Rio
“The Notorious Nugget” summer melodrama, 5-8 p.m. Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. Matt Lewis plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. Blue Moon Ramblers play, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Pondering Pines Maker’s Market & Fundraiser for Upper Pine Fire Dept., 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Weminuche Woodfire Grill, Vallecito
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Veterans Friday Morning Coffee, 8-10:30 a.m., American Legion, 878 E. 2nd Ave.
Wolfwood Refuge meet and greet, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 5 Branches Campground, Vallecito Lake
Meditation and Dharma Talk, 5:30 p.m., in person at Durango Dharma Center, 1800 E. 3rd Ave., Ste. 109, or online at www.durangodharmacenter.org
San Juan Nature Hike, 10 a.m.-12 noon, Andrews Lake upper parking lot
Acoustic Jam, 1-2 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Parks & Recreation Month Celebration, 4-6 p.m., Durango Rec Center
Here & Now Tour: “Building Local Resilience to Climate Disasters,”3-5 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Terry Rickard plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Nina Sasaki Band plays, 6-8 p.m., Lola’s Place, 725 E. 2nd Ave.
“La Plata County and the Animas Valley in 1876,” 6:30 p.m., Animas Valley Grange, 7271 CR 203
Adult Roller Skating, 6-8 p.m., Chapman Hill
Jazz Church, 7:30-9:30 p.m., 11th St. Station
Friday17
Steak Night veterans fundraiser, 4-6 p.m., VFW, 1550 Main Ave. Leah Orlikowski plays, 5-8 p.m., El Rancho Tavern, 975 Main Ave.
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Happy Hour Yoga, 5:30 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St.
Charmaine Stewart plays, 5:30-10 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
AskRachel
Dead tomatoes, double-sided disappointment and dad hats Interesting fact: Utilities are expected to restore your easement back to its original condition, but good luck getting a human on the phone to request it. Dear Rachel, Look, I understand utility companies have to get to the utilities they operate. But do they have to be so flippant about it? I’m going to keep the specific utility company nameless to avoid retribution, but some “routine work” destroyed my tomato garden and generally tore up the flower beds in a nonessential way. What’s with the intense disregard of the people they are serving? – Don’t Tread on My Tomatoes Dear Tomato Paste, There’s an overriding rule of journalism, which is: follow the money. I’ll bet dollars to your daylilies that the utility workers you’re so upset at don’t get paid well enough to pay attention. No, their goal is not to get yelled at by their nameless utility boss, Big Oil or Mr. Internet or whoever. Which means they gotta lay some pipe or patch some wires and get the heck out of there. Also, people are just generally oblivious, and who knows, maybe a tomato plant treated them badly as a kid or something. – Underfoot, Rachel
Tuesday21 Movement Meditation, 10-11 a.m., White Rabbit Books & Curiosities, 128 W. 14th St., C-2 Cowboy Tuesdays, 12 noon-3 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Pete Giuliani plays, 5-9 p.m., LePlatt’s Pond, 311A CR 501, Bayfield
Dear Rachel, I recently did a big print job at the office supply store. Standard 8.5x11, black only. I thought, I’ll save money and a tree by printing double-sided. Imagine my shock that the cost was the same, single or double sided! I save them literally half the paper and the cost is just as much. How do you explain that? – Copy Cat Dear Facsimile Feline, If we apply logic to the situation, then the paper has zero value and is essentially free. It’s the ink and the printer that are worth all the money! Kind of like how you don’t save on packaging by ordering a double cheeseburger, even though Mickey D has to use only one wrapper for twice as much cow. The only rational conclusions is that ol’ Office D should start giving away the printer paper. I’ll take some. – Low on toner, Rachel Dear Rachel, What are the tipping points from “cool headwear” to “cool and functional headwear” to “functional and not cool headwear” to “now I’m not even trying to be cool headwear”? I’m thinking primarily of dads, and dad-like men. You can protect
yourself from UV without looking like you had a baby’s sun hat blown up to your size. Are there hats that are cool and functional? – Dorkiness to the Brim Dear Dad Hat-er, You’re missing the point of the Dad Hat, which is to reduce the risk of skin cancer while also causing as much cringe as possible. The cringe is the fuel that keeps him chugging. There’s a level of Zen that comes with a reckless disregard for noggin fashion, whether it’s at the lake or putting the tomato garden back together. Someday you, too, may reach that level. – Hats off, Rachel
Mayham, 6-9 p.m., Weminuche Woodfire Grill, 18044 CR 501, Vallecito
Leah Orlikowski plays, 6-9 p.m., The Oxford, 119 W. 8th St.
Adult Roller Skating, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Chapman Hill Sundaes on Tuesday featuring Cold Chocolate, 7 p.m., River Bend Ranch, 27846 Hwy 550
Wednesday22
Twin Buttes Tuesday, weekly group mountain bike ride, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Twin Buttes Trailhead
Great Garden Series, 4:30-6 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Book Sculpting, 6-7:30 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Purg Sports Group Ride, 5 p.m., Purgatory Sports Downtown, 2615 Main Ave.
Stillwater Allstars & Seven Sharp 11, 6-8 p.m., Three Springs Plaza, 175 Mercado St.
“Tchaikovsky Discovers America” Music in the Mountains’ Dinner and Family Concert, 5:30 p.m., Community Concert Hall at FLC
Bingo, 6-8 p.m., Just the Drip, inside Durango Fitness, 1600 Florida Rd Tuesday Trivia, 6-8:30 p.m., 11th St. Station, 1101 Main Ave. Charmaine Stewart plays, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Email Rachel at telegraph@durangotelegraph.com
Carute Roma plays Community Concert Series benefiting Durango Trails, 5:30-8 p.m., The Powerhouse, 1333 Camino del Rio “Agritourism Opportunities for Farms and Ranches,” 6-7 p.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds
Randy Crumbaugh plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
“On the Road” public meetings with county commissioners, 6-7:30 p.m., Ignacio Community Library, 470 Goddard Ave.
Karaoke with Zebulons Orchestra of Musical
Trivia Night, 6-8 p.m., Zia Cantina, 2977 Main Ave.
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Charmaine Stewart plays, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Devin Scott plays, 6-9 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Ongoing Maureen May “Floorshow” exhibit, thru July, The Recess Gallery at Studio &, 1027 Main Ave. “Sound of Paint: Where Paintings Sing and Music Listens,” exhibition by Tad Smith, thru July, Light Box at Stillwater Music, 1316 Main Ave., Ste. C Colorado Scenic Byway Photo Exhibit, thru Aug. 3, Durango Welcome Center, 802 Main Ave. “Colorado: Beyond 150” juried show exhibit, thru Aug. 15, Durango Arts Center, 802 E 2nd Ave.
Upcoming Poetry Open Mic, Thurs., July 23, 5:30-8 p.m., The Subterrain, 900 Main Ave., Ste. F Durango Brewer’s Trail Race Series SKA Brewing 10K Race, Thurs., July 23, 6 p.m., Twin Buttes; after party, 6-8 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St. July 16, 2026 n 13
FreeWillAstrology by Rob Brezsny ARIES (March 21-April 19): In honor of the intensive homecoming phase of your astrological cycle, I have homework for you. 1. Make a prediction about how old you will be when you know precisely who you are. 2. Forecast the day when you will look in the mirror and recognize your face as an intricate portrait of every experience you have ever loved. 3. Imagine the dawn when the boundary between your own longing and life’s longing will dissolve, revealing they’ve always been the same current. 4. Predict when your heart will be as wild and free and brave as you have always wanted it to be. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Ornithologists studying migration know that some birds don’t fly directly to their destination. They follow “leading lines.” These are geographical features like coastlines and mountain ranges that provide orientation. Even when this means taking a longer route, a guiding landmark outweighs the efficiency of a straight line across nondescript terrain. I recommend the birds’ approach to you in coming weeks. Follow your own leading lines: practices and intuitions that provide lucid orientation even when they don’t offer shortcuts. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): What’s an important truth you keep forgetting about? Maybe it’s a promise you once made to yourself, or an understanding that your younger self knew, or a wisdom your body keeps trying to communicate while your mind ignores it. What truth returns again and again in different guises: through synchronicities, seemingly random comments from friends, recurring dreams or the same lesson repeating in new situations? What crucial insights about life do you remember during crisis or ecstasy, only to abandon them once normalcy returns? Now is a favorable time to fully recover this lesson and install it firmly at the heart of your life. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Make a list of your five greatest pleasures. These are experiences that stir your senses, steady your pulse and remind you why you love being alive. Write them down as if they were sacred prayers. Sing a spontaneous song of praise of them. Then set out on a quest to discover pleasure number six. This is a delight you have never tasted, touched or imagined before. Maybe it will come from saying yes to a possibility you usually decline. Treat this experiment as a form of worship and a way to boost your devotion to your healing life force.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): According to neuroscientists, the “default mode network” is the area of your brain that lights up when you’re daydreaming, drifting through thoughts and feelings, and letting your imagination roam around. This is when your deep self does crucial work: weaving memories into stories, making creative connections, rehearsing possible futures and forging your sense of identity. I mention this, Leo, because the coming days will be prime time for you to indulge lavishly in this healing and restorative activity. Don’t let a task-obsessed world shame you out of your reveries. Your genius will bloom from their slowly swirling flow. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Here are three gentle nudges: 1. One of your trusty tools or assets still seems to be working fine, but I suggest you look into the possibility that it will soon need repair. 2. Unless you act proactively to ease the strain on your system, a mini-breakdown could be on the horizon. 3. The monster hiding in your closet is hibernating, which makes this the perfect time to summon an exorcist before it rouses. You are now armed with all you need to stave off turmoil and head in the direction of an exciting renaissance. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Researchers who study improvisational jazz have found that master musicians often anticipate each other’s ideas milliseconds before anyone actually plays the notes. Their brains become exquisitely synchronized through deep listening. Maybe more than any other sign, Libras possess a similar aptitude in managing intimate alliances and social connections. In coming weeks, this superpower will be even more necessary and available than usual. Pay less attention to what people claim to mean and more attention to the rhythms beneath their words. Let your intuition guide you. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “It’s bad luck to be superstitious!” is a delightful paradox that I enjoy playing with. It makes fun of our tendency to believe that invisible forces are constantly keeping score on our behavior. On one level, the phrase pokes at the way superstition multiplies anxiety instead of easing it. It exposes how easily the mind can tie itself in knots trying to control the uncontrollable. On another level, “it’s bad luck to be superstitious” is an invitation to examine which of your little rituals are entertaining and nourishing and which are cages. Keeping a lucky stone in your pocket is fine if it amuses you, but believing you’re doomed if you don’t carry the stone
From monsoo oons to mu music fest stiv ivals Huge selection and summer sale to get you outfitted for all your outdoor adventures Buy • Sell • Trade • Consign ~ Home Furnishings ~ Clothing ~ Accessories ~ Jewelry Closed July 4 • Open Tues. - Sat., 12 noon - 5 pm • 572 E. 6th Ave. • 970-385-7336
14 n July 16, 2026
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isn’t so fine. My advice: Notice when your charm or taboo is no longer a quirky companion, but starts being a tyrant that shrinks your freedom. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Are you the type of Sagittarius who pushes open doors with “pull” signs on them? Do you get a secret kick out of opening boxes from the end that says “open other side”? Maybe you even yack on your phone in designated quiet zones. If so, I’d like to suggest channeling your rebellious spark into grander acts. In the weeks ahead, you will be carrying some potent renegade energy. Used wisely, your radiant defiance could topple a stagnant situation that’s overdue for change. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Many healers favor the slow-and-steady path. They often meet with people once a week, trusting that even stubborn issues must be unwoven with patience and gentleness. But there are also bold experimenters who work differently. I know an acupuncturist who invites clients to live at her clinic for six days straight, offering a new treatment every two hours during the waking hours. She creates a healing immersion chamber. That’s the spirit I recommend for you in the coming weeks, Capricorn. You’re at the threshold of resolving a long-standing imbalance. What will serve you best isn’t dabbling at it but offering it focused, sustained, wholehearted attention until the shift activates. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You can refresh and boost your ambition, if you give it a firm, precise adjustment sometime soon. Your raw vitality will surge back, if you refrain from indulging in a careless habit that has been draining it. Your willpower and determination have been weakened by the fallout from an old misstep, but you now have the clarity needed to repair that error. Your libidinous energy is not as clear and potent as it could be, but it will become so once you get more honest about what truly excites you. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You’re like an arrow that has been shot from a bow and is three-quarters of the way to the target. You’re a delicious meal still simmering on the stove, or a pregnancy at seven months, or the last two weeks before a major election. When I tuned my inner vision to you, I glimpsed a honeybee wriggling a dance to show its coworkers where a stand of blooming lilac awaits. Have you ever been on the verge of speaking a new language with ease? That’s where you are now, Pisces: just before true fluency clicks.
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 Adult Roller Skating Check out the Chapman Hill Rink schedule. We have added adult skating on Tuesday nights 6:30-8:30pm and DJ parties 1 Saturday each month 8:1510:15pm. Durango Rollerskaters will be there to help you get rolling! Todd 970799-0139
Lost/Found Reward if Found Lost pair of prescription sunglasses in a hard black case around Buckley Park neighborhood on Saturday evening, July 4. Please call or text 970.903.2217.
Services
HelpWanted
Electric Repair Roof, gutter cleaning, fence, floors,. walls, flood damage, mold, heating service
Apple Tech Help Wanted Seeking help setting up my new Mac Air and learning more about my new iPhone. Been a PC/ Android user mostly and require some guidance, probably several 2-3 hour sessions. Hours flexible, pay negotiable. Contact Rebecca at 970-903-9812 Amaya Natural Therapeutics is hiring massage therapists. Drop résumé by or email to TriciaGourley13@ gmail.com
ForSale 2015 Subaru Crosstrek 210k miles, runs great. $6500 (970)259-2213 Reruns Home Furnishings Time to refresh your indoor and outdoor space. Rolling wooden bar, nightstands, mirrors, lamps, cool artwork and lots more! Also looking to consign smaller furniture pieces. 572 E. 6th Ave. Open Mon.-Sat. 385-7336.
HaikuMovieReview
Free
‘Outcome’ Hollywood loves a film full of cameos and moral redemption
Free Depth Hypnosis Sessions Looking for clarity, healing or personal growth? Former local attorney training as depth hypnosis practitioner seeks practice clients. Sessions are free and confidential. TallgrassCollective.org.
CommunityService
Classes/Workshops Parenting Classes-Storybook Gardens 970-403-3347
Lymphatic Drainage Massage Intentional full body fluid movement. Meg Bush, LMT 970-759-0199
Boiler Service - Water Heater Serving Durango over 30 years. Brad, 970-759-2869. Master Plbg Lic #179917
Chocolate Fantasia Contestants Volunteers of America is seeking dessert artisans to compete in Chocolate Fantasia, a fundraising event benefiting the Durango Community Shelter and Southwest Safehouse, on Sept. 17 at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Applications accepted thru July 31. For info., contact Jen Simon Rummery, 970-2591021 or JRummery@voacolorado.org Young Artists - Huge Impact Market is seeking applications from youth artists 12-18 for DAC’s Durango Autumn Arts Festival, Sept.19-20. Applications at
Wanted Books Wanted at White Rabbit Donate/Trade/Sell 970 259-2213
– Lainie Maxson www.durangoarts.org under events. Deadline is July 17. Questions can be sent to info@durangoart.org Dog Fosters Needed Parker’s Animas Rescue urgently needs foster families to provide temporary homes for rescued dogs. We supply all necessary items, including crates, food, leashes, toys and behavioral support, and cover veterinary visits. You provide the love and guidance. Apply today by visiting: parkersanimalres cue.com. Men's Cancer Networking Group SWCO Men’s Cancer Advocacy group to inspire men to stay connected and avoid isolation during their cancer journey. Open to all Cancer Warriors and their caregivers. hope@cancersupport swco.org or call 970-403-3711.
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BodyWork Massage by Meg Bush 30, 60 & 90 min Meg Bush, LMT 970759-0199 Craniosacral Therapy New client special: 3 sessions for price of 2, anxiety relief, chronic pain, TMJ bethanybachmanntherapy.com
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50% OFF one month of display ads* for new advertisers Ads start at just $80/week! Email for details: missy@durangotelegraph.com July 16, 2026 n 15
16 nJuly 16, 2026
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