Ska Brewing, 545 Turner Drive, hosts a special Ska-B-Que to
benefit victims of the Central Hotel Fire. The 4 p.m. event
features food from Cuckoo’s and entertainment from Pinhead,
the Lawnchair Kings, and Freeman Social beginning at 4:30 p.m. El
Rancho employees will be on-hand as guest bartenders. 247-5792 for
details.
The annual San Juan Mountains Association volunteer recognition
picnic takes place from 5-8 p.m. at the Chris Park group camp
area, 18 miles north of Durango. Visit www.sjma.org to RSVP.
Durango High School hosts a 5:15 p.m. question and answer
session for parents of incoming ninth-graders in the DHS
Theatre. 769-7207 for details.
Durango Motorless Transit sponsors a group trail run for
all levels on the Lion’s Den/College Loop. Interested runners
should meet at the Chapman Hill trailhead at 6 p.m. 382-8005 for
details.
Ultimate Frisbee takes place at the Miller Middle School
football field at 6 p.m. 375-7313 for details.
The Wild Horse Saloon, 601 E. Second Ave., offers All Request
Night from 7-10 p.m. 375-2568 for details.
San Francisco rock ‘n’ roll legends, Void Where
Prohibited, reunite at 8 p.m. at Scoot ‘n Blues, 900 Main
Ave. The group features Durango’s Larry Carver on guitar.
Nina Sasaki and Jason Thomason play at 7:30 p.m. in the
Sidecar Jazz Lounge. 259-1400 for details.
Durango Joe’s, 732 E. College, presents Open Mic
Night from 8: 30-11 p.m. Sign-ups for music and poetry begin
at 8:30 p.m. 375-2121 for details.
The Lost Dog, 1150 Main Ave., spins a club mix for Service
Industry Night beginning at 9 p.m. 259-0430 for details.
The Southwest Colorado Peace and Justice Coalition holds a
peace vigil from 5 to 6 p.m. at the corner of Main Ave. and
11th St. Signs available or bring your own. 259-4185 for
details.
Singer-songwriter Tim Sullivan plays at Serious Texas
Bar-B-Q South, 650 S. Camino del Rio, from 5-9 p.m. 259-9507 for
details.
Void Where Prohibited plays a second show at Scoot ‘n
Blues, 900 Main Ave., from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Dean Murphy and the Swing
Rays take the stage at 8:30 p.m. Tom Maynard plays at 8 p.m.
in the Sidecar Jazz Lounge. 259-1400 for details.
The Mancos State Park hosts a trail fun run
at 6 p.m. at the SP Vista Trailhead. 533-7065 for details.
Movin’ On plays country and rock at the Wild Horse
Saloon, 601 E. Second Ave. The evening includes dance lessons from
7-9 p.m. 375-2568 for details.
The 8th Avenue Trio performs at the 8th
Ave. Tavern, 509 E. 8th Ave., at 9 p.m. 259-8801
for details.
The Lost Dog, 1150 Main Ave., spins a club mix beginning at 9
p.m. 259-0430 for details.
Wild Country performs country-dance at the Billy Goat
Saloon, located on U.S. Highway 160 in Gem Village, at 9 p.m.
884-9155 for details.
Staboola McPet plays its funk and jazz at the Summit, 600
Main Ave., at 9:30 p.m. 247-2324 for details.
The Durango Farmers Market meets in the First National Bank of
Durango parking lot, 259 W. Ninth St., from 8 a.m.-noon.
Singer-songwriter Sally Shuffield will perform throughout the
morning. www.durangofarmersmarket.org for
details.
Down to Earth Pottery and Durango FiberWorks host an arts and
crafts demonstration and sale from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Smiley
Building, 1309 E. Third Ave. Fiber arts demonstrations and studio
tour begins at 11 am. 749-7006 for details.
Dave Mensch, Steve Dejka and Mike Kornelson, of Formula 151,
play original acoustic rock at the West Side Tavern, 117 W. College
Dr., from 6-9 p.m. 247-9151 for details.
Maeve Allsup and Zachary Baker perform bluegrass and Celtic
music at 7:30 p.m. at the Mancos State Park Amphitheater. 533-7065
for details.
Dean Murphy and the Swing Rays play jazz, swing and blues
at Scoot ‘n Blues, 900 Main Ave. at 8 p.m. at 8 p.m. Tom
Maynard plays in the Sidecar Jazz Lounge at 8 p.m. 259-1400 for
details.
Sound Advice plays jazz at the Columbine Bar in Mancos at4
8 p.m. 375-2568 for details.
The Lost Dog, 1150 Main Ave., spins a club mix beginning at
9 p.m. 259-0430 for details.
Movin’ On plays a second show at the Wild Horse
Saloon, 601 E. Second Ave., at 9 p.m. 375-2568 for details.
The Felonious Groove Foundation plays saxophone-driven funk
at the Summit, 600 Main Ave., at 9:30 p.m. 247-2324 for
details.
DJ Spark Madden and a special guest spin for Ladies
Night at Steamwork, 801 E. Second Ave., at 10 p.m. 259-9200
for details.
Mancos calligrapher Beth Wheeler, an artist in residence at the
Aspen Guard Station, holds a free open house from 1-4 p.m. at the
historic cabin. The public is invited to tour the cabin, view works
in progress, and learn more about the program. 385-1219 for
details.
John Christopher Knight & Family, a noted roots music band
from Kentucky, plays a 2 p.m. show at the County Annex Building,
107 N. Chestnut in Cortez. The band has been featured on CNN and
the Today Show. 562-4775 for details.
Singer-songwriter Joel Racheff plays from 7-11 p.m. at The
Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Singer-songwriter Terry Rickard plays El Patio, 600 Main
Ave., beginning at 5:30 p.m.
A free seminar on doing your own divorce and/or custody
takes place at 6 p.m. at the offices of Colorado Legal Services,
1474 Main Ave., Suite 200. 247-0266 for details.
Singer songwriter Tim Guidotti plays from 7-11 p.m. at The
Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
An open-level Latin/Salsa Dance Party takes place
at 8 p.m. at the Durango Recreation Center, 2700 Main
Ave. No partner necessary. 903-9402 for details.
The Chamber of Commerce’s Lunch and Learn takes place at
noon at the Bank of Colorado, 1199 Main Ave., and features a
presentation by Margaret Simon of Employee Benefits of the
Southwest. 247-0312 to register.
Trails 2000 seeks volunteers to conduct trail work from 4-7 p.m.
Visit www.trails2000.org for details or to sign up for
the trailwork e-list.
Singer songwriter Tim Guidotti plays at El Patio, 600 Main
Ave., starting at 5 p.m.
Chiropractic Durango is hosting a showing of the
The Abbey Theatre, 128 E. College, screens the acclaimed film,
Body Worlds, at 6:30 p.m. The film focuses on health education and
captures more than 200 individual specimens and 25 life-like posed
whole body “plastinates.” 385-4737 for details.
The Jeff Solon Jazz Group performs on the patio at the
Cyprus Café, 725 E. Second Ave., from 6-9 p.m. 385-6884 for
details.
An open-level Swing Dance Party takes place at 8 p.m. at
the Durango Recreation Center. No partner necessary. 903-9402 for
details.
Warsaw brings its ska, rock, reggae and dub back to Durango
with a 9:30 p.m. show at the Summit, 600 Main Ave. 247-2324 for
details.
The Abbey Theatre, 128 E. College, screens the award-winning
documentary “Favela Rising.” Haunted by the
murders of his family and many of his friends, Anderson Sá
is a former drug trafficker who turns social revolutionary in Rio
de Janeiro’s most feared slum. Through hip-hop music, the
rhythms of the street and Afro-Brazilian dance, he rallies his
community. The film show most nights at 3:30, 7 & 9 p.m.
The Abbey is also showing 4
the new edition of the “Spirit of the
Southwest” nightly at 5:30 p.m. 385-1711 for
details.
The Durango Arts Center, 802 E. Second Ave., features the works
of Adele Kurtz and Bradley Kachnowicz in “Layered
Perceptions.” Adele’s perceptions, layered in mixed
media, focus primarily on the human condition, while Bradley takes
on nature’s creatures and creations in acrylic and oil paint.
DAC also presents the “Recycled Exhibit” in the Barbara
Conrad Gallery displaying recycled artwork by more than a dozen
artists who have given new meaning and life to found objects. Local
artists Chet Anderson and Mary Ellen Long will display photographs
and mixed media in the DAC Art Library. DAC’s new
“Paint Bar” is also open Fridays and Saturdays
from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 259-2606 for details.
The Diamond Circle Melodrama, 699 Main Ave., presents
“Rags to Riches,” a play where nefarious Charlie
Montgomery has his eye on beautiful young Flossie, on odd dates.
“Four-legged Fortune,” one of the first play’s in
the theater’s history to center on a horse race, shows on
even dates. Both plays show through Aug. 31, doors open at 7:30
p.m. and shows start at 8 p.m. nightly except Tuesdays. 247-3400
for details.
Oakhaven Permaculture Center offers a five-day Kid Fest Summer
Camp beginning Aug. 14. Children learn science knowledge and
foundations while they explore the natural world in La Plata
Canyon. 259-5445 or www.oakhavenpc.org/camps.htm
for reservations.
Free, guided naturalist hikes take place at Durango
Mountain Resort from 10 a.m.-noon on Tuesdays, Fridays and
Saturdays. The hikes are sponsored by the San Juan Mountains
Association, San Juan Public Lands and DMR and run through Sept.
2. 385-1210 for details.
The Adaptive Sports Association offers summer activities,
including whitewater rafting, flatwater canoeing and kayaking,
fishing and other activities for people with disabilities
throughout the summer. Programs are open to all ages and
disabilities, and friends and family are encouraged to participate.
For more information or a list of activities, visit www.asadurango.com or call 259-0374.
Durango BMX hosts races every Sunday (weather permitting) with
sign ups from 1 to 2 p.m., and gate practices take place every
Tuesday from 5:30 p.m. to dusk. Visit www.durangobmx.com for details.
The Center of Southwest Studies hosts the Mesa Verde Centennial
exhibit featuring 11 sections on a variety of themes,
including archaeology, rock art (with Hopi interpretation), fire,
park ranger life, Navajo stone masonry, pottery (both ancient and
contemporary) and tourism bring the story to life. The exhibit will
run through late October. 247-7456 for details
The Children’s Museum, 802 E. Second Ave., hosts the
dinosaur exhibit, “Now You’re in Their World.”
There will be many hands-on activities, fine motor and gross motor
fun, “Dinosaur Ridge” and extinction dioramas.
Workshops are available anytime during museum hours and include
dinosaur stuffed animals, dinosaur face masks and alphabet coloring
dinosaurs. Through Aug. 31, the museum is holding a silent auction,
including 14 different packages, to support an exhibit exchange.
259-9234 for details.
Johnny Maddox plays ragtime piano at the Diamond Belle
Saloon, 699 Main Ave., nightly at 5:30 p.m. except on Sundays. The
Blue Moon Ramblers play free bluegrass at the Diamond Belle on
Sundays at 5:30 p.m. 375-7150 for details.
The Oil + Water Project, a traveling alternative-energy tour
featuring world class kayakers Seth Warren and Tyler Bradt, comes
to Durango on Aug. 17. The event includes a biofuels vehicle
demonstration in the Pedal the Peaks parking lot from 5-7 p.m. and
a slide show and presentation at the Abbey Theatre at 7 p.m.
The seminar, “Seven Deadly Sins of Small Business
Owners” takes place Aug. 17 at Fort Lewis College.
Chimney Rock will offer a lunar standstill viewing on Aug.
17. 264-2287 for details.
The Frank Trio will play its final show of jazz, triphop
and funk on Aug. 18 at the Summit.
Asleep at the Wheel brings its Western swing to the
Community Concert Hall on Aug. 18.
The Magpies will play electric bluegrass at the Columbine
Bar in Mancos on Aug. 18.
The 7th annual Will Fjerstad Memorial Wine and Art
Festival takes place on Aug. 19 at the Silverpick Lodge.
Legendary singer/songwriter Kris Kristofferson will perform
a sold-out show at the Community Concert Hall on Aug. 20.
The San Juan Mountains association hosts a volunteer
effort between Aug. 20-24 to restore impacted sites within the
Emerald Lake area of the Weminuche Wilderness. 385-1242 to
register.
WRC Chick Flick Night returns to the Abbey Theatre on Aug.
21 with a screening of “Marilyn Hotchkiss’ Ballroom
Dancing & Charm School.”
The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad will host the
26th National Narrow Gauge Convention on Aug.
21-26.
Fort Lewis College will conclude “Voices in American
Drama,” its summer play festival on Aug. 24 with a
celebration of the work of revered Western writer, Louis
L’Amour.
Rail enthusiast Allan Lewis will sign and discuss his new book,
Rails Around Durango, on Aug. 24 at Maria’s Bookshop.
Durango’s Critical Mass rides on Aug. 25 and meets at the
corner of 5th St. and Main Ave.
The Women’s Resource Center’s “Run With
Purpose” workshops continue on Aug. 25 with a
presentation by physical therapist and professional athlete Ashlie
Kinton.
The 11th annual Four Corners Folk Festival takes
place on Sept. 1-3 on Reservoir Hill in Paqosa Springs.
Fold Roll Inc. brings the hip hop band, Living Legends, to the
Abbey Theatre on Sept. 2.
‘Women Wanted’ at the Arts Festival What: The Durango Arts Festival and a dynamic new dance project Where: Durango’s Main Avenue When: Sat., Aug. 12 at 4:30 p.m.
The word is getting out – “Women Wanted” at
this weekend’s Durango Arts Festival. “Women
Wanted,” a new and dynamic women’s dance project, will
perform four diverse dance pieces on Saturday from 4:30-5 p.m. on
the festival’s main stage.
“Women Wanted” showcases women, especially those
over 40 years old, as they bring their unique gifts, radiance,
presence and humor into the community through imaginative dance
movements and artful, colorful costumes. The dances are
choreographed with specific intentions and purposes to underline
these qualities.
Heather Laurie, creator and choreographer of “Women
Wanted,” commented, “As the project develops over time,
I envision it as a vehicle to connect diverse
communities.”
Speaking of diverse communities, more than 100 artists from
across the country will converge on Durango this Saturday and
Sunday for the 13th annual Durango Arts Festival. Main Avenue will
be closed to traffic, and the white tents will go up as artists
showcase and sell their works over the weekend. The festival will
feature everything from tiles and textiles, paintings and jewelry,
to live music, a food and beer garden, and a children’s
activity area called the “Creation Station.”
In addition to “Women Wanted,” the main stage will
present local and regional music and dance including jazz, folk,
classical, rock, blues, steel drumming and Mexican folk dance.
La Plata County Fair celebrates 58 years What: A wide range of family activities including, livestock shows, arts and craft displays, demolition derby, carnival and more. Where: The La Plata County Fairgrounds When: Aug. 9-13
This weekend is sure to demonstrate that “Urban or Rural
… Together We’re Plural!” The La Plata County
Fair returns to the La Plata County Fairgrounds on Aug. 9-13.
Events like the annual demolition derby, livestock shows, an
antique tractor pull, food competitions and the ever-popular
carnival rides highlight the fair. Every year, the La Plata County
Fair also spotlights tomorrow’s farmers and ranchers through
4-H Club competitions. Animals like goats, cattle, poultry, sheep,
swine and sheep dogs will have opportunities to shine in open-class
events. The livestock auction, one of the fair’s most popular
spectator events, takes place Sat., Aug. 12, at 6:30 p.m. Exhibits
will also be open for public viewing Aug. 10-13 from 9 a.m.-8
p.m.
This year commemorates the 58th anniversary of the La Plata
County Fair, and fair books are available throughout the Durango
community and include a calendar of events as well as entry
information. For more information on the fair, call 382-6471.
Durango gets Bear Smart What: Durango’s fourth annual Be BearSMART Week Where: The Smiley Theater, 1309 E. Third Ave. When: Thurs., Aug. 10, at 6 p.m.
Durangoans have an opportunity to brush up on their bear smarts
this Thursday. As part of Durango’s fourth annual Be
BearSMART Week, two nationally respected naturalists and authors
– Benjamin Kilham and Linda Masterson – will appear at
the Smiley Theatre.
The two will present an evening of storytelling, slide shows and
informal discussion about their extensive personal experiences with
bears. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the presentation beginning at
6:30 p.m.
Benjamin Kilham is the author of Among the Bears: Raising Orphan
Cubs in the Wild. Kilham’s book describes his work and
research in returning orphaned bear cubs back to the wilds near his
home in Lyme, N.H. Known
by many as “Papa Bear,” Ben has been featured on the
Discovery Channel’s “Animal Planet” and
“National Geographic Explorer.” Linda Masterson lives
in Colorado and is the author of Living with Bears: A Practical
Guide to Bear Country. A “must-read” for anyone living
in bear habitat, Her book dispels myths about black bears, replaces
fear with respect, and lays the foundation for improving human-bear
relations.
Be BearSMART Week corresponds with the annual migration of black
bears to lower elevations in late summer and early fall in search
of food prior to hibernation. BearSMART Durango is a nonprofit
organization that works to reduce human-bear conflicts by educating
residents on how to eliminate food sources that attract
bears. The BearSMART message is that residents who choose to
live in areas where bears live are responsible for learning how to
safely co-exist with the bears. The goal is to protect the
lives of bears and to create a safer environment for community
members who live or recreate in bear country.
For more information on Be BearSMART Week or on living with
bears in Durango, go to: www.bearsmartdurango.org
Durango Telegraph - Extractions from Colorado Gold-mining history
Extractions from Colorado Gold-mining history
Gold was discovered in Colorado in 1859, when a group of
prospectors from Georgia discovered the precious metal in the
waters of Cherry Creek, near what is now downtown Denver. About a
year later, the Rockies' first motherlode was hit in the mountains
between what are now Blackhawk and Central City - and the rush was
on.
The La Plata District is at the southwest end of what is known
as the Colorado Mineral Belt. In 1873, gold was discovered in the
La Platas, soon followed by silver, base metals and even
platinum.
Over the course of the next 100 years, Colorado produced some 40
million ounces of gold worth an estimated $1 billion. However, the
market eventually went flat, forcing several mines to cease
operation. Soaring gold prices in the 1980s led to a mini boom, as
they reached an all-time high of $850 an ounce. The industry is
once again experiencing a mini boom, as global turmoil and the
weakening dollar has forced gold prices to a 26-year high of $700
on May 12. Since then, prices have dropped slightly, but are still
hovering in the $650/ounce range.
The most prolific gold operation in the state is the Cresson
Mine, operated by the Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mining Co.,
west of Colorado Springs. In 2004, the mine, which has come under
fire recently for its use of the controversial cyanide-leach
process, celebrated a milestone: the pouring of its 2 millionth
ounce of gold.
