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Ongoing Upcoming

Celebrate the holidays on East Second
Adventuring in wild places
A fresh look at the war in Iraq
Dirty Pretty Things' on the big screen

Submit items for On the Town to: 534 Main Ave., Durango, CO, 81301; fax: ( 970) 259-0448; e-mail: telegraph@durangotelegraph.com ; or fill out this form

Fort Lewis College music students will perform a free recital at 12:20 p.m. in Roshong Recital Hall in the Sage Hall building. The FLC Percussion Ensemble will perform at 7 p.m. in the Community Concert Hall. 247-7657.

The FLC Life-Long Learning Series continues with a lecture by Charles Burnham at 7 p.m. in 130 Noble Hall. Burnham will explore "The World's Glaciers and Ice Sheets: Their Health, Their Behavior, and Their Future Impacts on Sea Level." 247-7400 for details.

Pongas, 121 W. Eighth St., hosts a singles, 8-ball pool tournament at 7 p.m. 382-8554 for details.

The Abbey Theatre, 128 E. College, presents Ladies Boogie Night with DJs spinning disco hits. Doors open at 9:30 p.m. 385-1711 for details.

Final Ascent plays jazz and funk at Storyville, 1150 Main Ave., at 9:30 p.m. 259-1475 for details.

Scoot n Blues, 800 Main Ave., presents jazz from 3DP at 6:30 p.m. Downstairs DJs Erik James & Rem-E spin music for Femme Fatale . 259-1400 for details.

Second Harvest , a four-piece string band from Flagstaff, plays at Haggard's Black Dog Tavern, 10 miles east of Durango on Florida Road, at 6:30 p.m. Canyon Dog Jam , an acoustic writers in the round, follows at 8:30 p.m. 259-5657 for details.

Holly Hieronymous and Laura Wright play piano at Christina's Grill & Bar, 21382 Hwy. 160 West, at 6 p.m. 382-3844 for details.

Friday5

The Durango Public Library, 1188 E. Second Ave., holds a Holiday Victorian Tea from 6:30-8 p.m. The event features refreshments, period attire and music from the Durango Barbershoppers. 385-2970 for details.

The Fort Lewis College Music Department will perform its holiday bash at 7 p.m. in the Community Concert Hall. 247-7657 for details.

The Abbey Theatre, 128 E. College, presents Big Screen Movie Night with shorts from local filmmakers at 6:30 p.m. At 10 p.m., local rockers Freewill Recovery take the stage with free pizza and keg giveaways. 385-1711.

Airborne plays high energy funk, Latin and rock at the Summit, 600 Main Ave., at 10 p.m. 247-2324 for details.

Second Harvest plays roots-influenced "bluesgrass" at Storyville, 1150 Main Ave., at 10 p.m. 259-1475.

Fort Collins' Listen plays hip hop, jazz and funk at Steamworks, 801 E. Second Ave. 259-9200 for details.

The Kirk James Blues Band plays at Scoot n Blues, 800 Main Ave., with shows at 5:30 and 8 p.m. 259-1400 for details.

Local Celtic band Beltaine plays at Haggard's Black Dog Tavern, 10 miles east of Durango on Florida Road, at 8 p.m. 259-5657 for details.

Movin' On plays a little country and a little rock n roll at the Wild Horse Saloon, 601 E. 2nd Ave. 375-2568 for details.

Holly Hieronymus and Laura Wright play piano at Christina's Grill & Bar, 21382 Highway 160 West, at 6 p.m. 382-3844 for details.

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A pancake breakfast will be held at the La Plata County Fairgrounds from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. to benefit the American Red Cross and Southwest Safehouse. 247-2117.

The Animas Museum, 3065 W. Second Ave., holds its annual Christmas bazaar from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Carolyn Smith plays hammer dulcimer throughout the day. 259-2402 for details.

The Blue Ray, 115 W. 11th St., presents free classes on The Presence of Being - Realization of One's True Nature at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. 382-5955 for details.

Auditions for the Snowdown Follies Chorus Line take place at 12:30 p.m. at Dance in the Rockies, 180 Valle Escondido Dr., south of Wal-Mart.

Percussionist William LaShell performs his senior recital at 3 p.m. in Roshong Recital Hall at FLC.

The monthly Contra Dance takes place at the Veterans of Foreign Wars dance hall, 1550 Main Ave. Beginner instruction takes place at 7 p.m. and dancing starts at 7:30 p.m. The band Loose Ends from Flagstaff will play, and Luzanne Allen from New Mexico and Vermont will call the dance. 259-6820 for details.

Local jam band Aftergrass plays at the Summit, 600 Main Ave., at 9:30 p.m. 247-2324 for details.

Big Open Space, former members of Hellen Highwater and Black Honey, plays original, progressive folk rock at Storyville, 1150 Main Ave., at 9 p.m. 259-1475.

DJs Rem-E and Eric James throw their second hip-house party at Steamworks, 801 E. Second Ave. 259-9200.

Movin' On plays a second show at the Wild Horse Saloon, 601 E. Second Ave. 375-2568 for details.

The Kirk James Blues Band plays a second show at Scoot n Blues, 900 Main Ave., at 8 p.m. while a guest DJ spins music downstairs at Liquid at 10 p.m. 259-1400.

Holly Hieronymus and Laura Wright play piano at Christina's Grill & Bar, 21382 Highway 160 West, at 6 p.m. 382-3844 for details.

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Celtic harpist Sylvia Zurko plays a free show at Southwest Sound, 922 Main Ave., from 1-2 p.m.

The Durango Choral Society presents "A Traditional Family Christmas" at 3 & 7 p.m. in the Community Concert Hall. The program features performances from the Durango Choral Society, Durango Children's Chorale and Durango Women's Choir and a special Durango touch with the return of the Bar D Wranglers. Local church choirs will also perform Handel's Hallelujah Chorus. 247-7657.

Pongas hosts free pool after 6 p.m. at 121 W. 8th St. 382-8554 for details.

Singer-songwriter Tim Guidotti plays acoustic at Scoot n Blues, 900 Main Ave., at 6 p.m. 259-1400.

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The Women's Resource Center, 723 E. Second Ave., presents a Personal Assertiveness Workshop from 5:30-7:30 p.m. 247-1242 to register.

The HD Mountains Coalition will meet with experts at the Bayfield Middle School Cafeteria at 7 p.m. Vernon Greif will discuss the possibility of using horizontal drilling in coalbed methane production and Warren Holland will discuss the effect of coal-bed methane wells in the Fruitland Outcrop. 259-3583 for details or directions.

Scoot n Blues, 900 Main Ave., presents a Keg Party at 8 p.m. downstairs at Liquid with guest DJs Matthew and Sluke. 259-1400 for details.

Sand Sheff plays the Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave., from 6:30-10 p.m. 382-2648 for details.

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The Women's Resource Center's Business Women's Network meets from 5:30-7 p.m. at Southwest Mortgage, 679 E. Second Ave. Business Women's Network offers a comfortable forum to meet and network with other women.946-4792.

The Fort Lewis College Xtreme Room presents an all-ages evening of hardcore, indie rock with music from Thirty Called Arson, Suitcase and Burial. Doors open at 7 p.m. 385-1847.

Durango Dot Comedy holds open auditions at the Durango Arts Center, 802 E. Second Ave., at 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday Trivia takes place at Lady Falconburgh's, 640 Main Ave., at 8 p.m. 382-9664 for details.

Tim Sullivan plays country at the Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave., from 6:30-10 p.m.

Bluestring plays hard-hitting, utilitarian rock at Storyville, 1150 Main Ave., at 10 p.m. 259-1475 for details.

Scoot n Blues, 900 Main Ave., presents the semi-finals of king karaoke with Steve Kahler beginning at 8 p.m. 259-1400 for details.

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The Green Business Roundtable meets at noon at the Diamond Circle Theatre, 699 Main Ave. This month's featured topic is sustainable building strategies and will feature Glen of Steeprock Joinery, a solar powered artisans guild outside of Telluride. 259-1361 for details.

Durango Nature Studies hosts two benefit screenings of the film "Winged Migration" at the Abbey Theatre, 128 E. College. The Oscar-nominated film was called "one of the year's most visually stunning movies" by Ebert and Roeper and shows at 6 & 8 p.m. A special ornithology presentation takes place before the 8 p.m. showing. 382-9244 for details.

The Peace Corps presents a free documentary film & general information meeting from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Blue & Gold Roomin the CUB at Fort Lewis College. 259-5547.

San Juan Singles presents "Winter's Brewing," a social mixer for all area singles from 7 to 9 p.m. atCarver Brewing Company, 1022 Main Ave. 375-6235.

The Wild Horse Saloon, 601 E. Second Ave., hosts Karaoke Night featuring all-star entertainment. 375-2568.

Scoot n Blues, 900 Main Ave., presents Round No. 10 in its 2nd annual Music Talent Search at 8 p.m. Downstairs at Liquid, FLC Wednesdays continue with student discounts and DJ Styles spinning house and break. 259-1400 for details.

The Sand Sheff Trio takes the stage at Haggard's Black Dog Tavern, 10 miles east of Durango on Florida Road, at 6:30 p.m. 259-5657 for details.

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The Fort Lewis College Theatre presents J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit at 8 p.m. Dec. 4-6 and Dec. 11-13 on the FLC Theatre Main Stage. Adapted and directed by Assistant Professor of English Kurt Lancaster, The Hobbit tells the story of Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit who experiences the ultimate adventure. 247-7089 for details.

"Naked Observations," an exhibit of recent and somewhat tiny works by Paul Pennington and Maureen May will be on display at the Buzz House, 1019 Main Ave., through the end of December. 259-0176 for details.

The Center of Southwest Studies presents its annual "Holiday Show and Sale," featuring textiles from the handweavers of Tierra Wools, paintings by Serena Supplee and select holiday gift items. The center will celebrate the exhibit opening and sale on the weekend of Dec. 5-7 and host an artist's reception for Serena Supplee on Sunday, Dec. 7. 382-6980 for details.

Open Shutter Gallery, 755 E. Second Ave., hosts acclaimed Utah photographer Michael Plyler and his entitled "From Ely to Iberia" through Dec. 13. "From Ely to Iberia" showcases Plyler's longtime interest in the beauty of manmade forms. He has traveled widely, and the work in this show comes from many parts of the world. Plyler's prints are handcrafted using traditional darkroom processes. 382-8355 for details.

The Reed Library at Fort Lewis College is holding a food drive for the Manna Soup Kitchen during December. Donation boxes will be located inside the library near the circulation desk and needed are canned proteins, noodles, instant potatoes, dry juice mixes, and vegetables like potatoes, onions and garlic. 247-7250 for details.

The Fort Lewis College Art Gallery hosts an exhibition by graduating senior art majors from Dec. 8-18 with an artists' reception will be held from 4:30-6 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 8. 247-7167 for details.

The Durango Arts Center, 802 E. Second Ave., hosts the exhibit , "In the Eye of the Beholder: Dearly Beloved Artworks from Southwestern Colorado Collections," through Dec. 13. The exhibit showcases more than 35 works of art, including major modern artists, American Indian textiles, and paintings of the Southwest, on loan by local collectors. Upstairs, FLC Art Professor Amy Wendland's sculpture is on display through Dec. 24 in an exhibit entitled "Adult Toys." 259-4363 for details.

The Abbey Theatre, 128 E. College, will screen "The Same River Twice," a documentary alternating between footage of Grand Canyon river guides on a month-long trip in 1978 and the complex realities of their adulthood. The film shows nightly through Dec. 9 at 5, 6:45 & 8:30 p.m. 385-171.

The Animas Museum, 3065 W. Second Ave., shows " Ranch Families: Culture of America ," an exhibit featuring photographs and artwork of southwest Colorado ranch families by Jenny & Greg Gummersall.259-2402 for details.

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The Durango Arts Center will present its " Spirit in Hand" Holiday Boutique featured inspired holiday gift items beginning Dec. 16.

A fund-raiser to help Beth Moore attend the National College of Midwifery will be held Dec. 12 at the Rocky Mountain Retreat Center and will include music, food and a silent auction.

The Kuntz Family Christmas Show - "Out of the Box & Out of Control!" takes place Dec. 13 & 20 at the Abbey.

Ska Brewing's annual Punk Rock Breakfast returns to Storyville on Dec. 14.

Early Stages Productions (Durango's theatre for young people) will be presenting a musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" on Dec. 19- 21 at the Smiley Theater.

Celebrate the holidays on East Second What: A day of music, theater, art and shopping on East Second Avenue Where: All along East Second Avenue When: All day Saturday, Dec. 6 The merchants of Second Avenue will host their annual Second Avenue Holiday Celebration throughout the day this Saturday. The event includes music, art openings, artist demonstrations, theater performances and special events for the entire family. Many merchants will offer one-day-only discounts. The Durango Arts Center will offer docent tours of the "In the Eye of the Beholder" exhibit at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the gallery. Artist demonstrations also will take place at the Arts Center. At 11 a.m., Mary Mellot will create paintings with gouache on canvas, and at 1 p.m. Rachelle Davis will work in silver and gold to make unique jewelry. Upstairs, the Children's Museum hosts a snowman magnet-making class for children from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Other participating merchants include: Canyon Music Woodworks, the Women's Resource Center, Bistro 701, Artesano's, Leland House and Rochester Hotel, Cottonwood Christmas Artisans, Cyprus Caf`E9, Steamworks Brewing, Second Avenue Sports, Durango Antique Market, Madeen Interior Design and the Open Shutter Gallery. The festivities begin at 9 a.m., and participants who pick up a passport at any of the merchants will be entered into a drawing for a gift certificate. For more information call 382-8355.

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Adventuring in wild places What: A talk and slideshow by North Face Team Athlete John Griber Where: Pine Needle Mountaineering, 835 Main Ave. When: Monday, Dec. 8, 7 p.m. North Face Team Athlete John Griber will present a free slideshow on snowboard and ski mountaineering in the far reaches of the planet in a slideshow at Pine Needle this Monday. Griber will tell tales of four wild expeditions that include premiere descents in Peru, Bolivia, the Antarctic Peninsula and the Island of South Georgia, where John Shackelton wintered during his great voyage. Griber has made countless trips into the Tetons, his back yard, honing mountain skills and making many first descents. His continued attraction to mountain adventure prompted Griber to travel to the far reaches in search of premier snowboard descents and mountain culture. Some noteworthy snowboard expeditions include: Patagonia, Argentina; Kyrgystan, Tian Shan; Cordillera Blanca, Peru; Norway; Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia; and Mt. Kenya, in Africa. For more information, call 247-8728.

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A fresh look at the war in Iraq What: A screening of the documentary "Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War" Where: The Smiley Theater, 1309 E. Third Ave. When: . Sunday, Dec. 7, 7 p.m. In conjunction with screenings throughout the nation, the documentary "Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War" will be shown in the Smiley Theater this Sunday at 7 p.m. The documentary examines interviews with former CIA and Pentagon officials, former U.S. ambassadors in the Middle East (including Joe Wilson), and a journalist with both the Nation magazine and the Fox News channel. Through this analysis, the film purports that truth was the first casualty of the war on Iraq. Following the screening of "Uncovered," Mike Bain, a Vietnam veteran with the Madison Quakers, will present a slide-show on the My Lai Peace Park Project, a vision for peace in the place where the My Lai massacre occurred. In addition to the peace park project, the Madison group provides micro-loans to poor Vietnamese women and is beginning construction on a primary school for the children of My Lai. The event is co-sponsored by the Southwest Colorado Peace & Justice Coalition and People of Conscience. A donation is requested. For information, call 375-1344.

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Dirty Pretty Things' on the big screen What: A Durango Film Festival special screening Where: The Gaslight Theater, 102 E. Fifth St. When: Wednesday, Dec. 10, 3:45, 5:30 & 7:30 p.m. The Durango Film Festival will present a special screening of the award winning film "Dirty Pretty Things" this Wednesday. Director Stephen Frears, of "The Grifters" and "Dangerous Liaisons" fame, returns with this thriller, set in the seedy London underworld. This unseen world is inhabited by illegal immigrants from around the world struggling to survive in a foreign land. Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as Okwe, a Nigerian who is trying to make a new life for himself in London. French actress Audrey Tautou, of "Amelie," costars as a Turkish woman who has sought asylum in England, where she is allowed to live but not work. "It's an exciting but brainy, cross-cultural thriller about modern London and life in a contemporary urban pressure cooker, and it depends more on plot, character and atmosphere than it does on chases and gunfire," wrote Michael Wilmington of the Chicago Tribune . At the 2003 Evening Standard British Film Awards, "Dirty Pretty Things" won awards for Best Film and Best Actor. For more information, call 259-2291.

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