New hot air
At long last, the rumors will be dispelled once and for all.

Yes, I am talking about the imminent retirement of my partner in crime and punishment for the last nine years, Will Sands. Sure, it may not stop the rumor mill from churning amok speculating on his future plans. (We suspect double agentry and the witness protection program. At the very least, we can be pretty sure it will involve biking and beer.) Nevertheless, his departure will finally give rest to the common misconception that Will and I are married. At least in a husband-and-wife sort of way.

I guess it can be said that we’ve been conjoined financially these past nine years. Or at least attached at the centerfold. But rest assured, the divorce was amicable – I got the paper-cutter and he got the three-hole punch. (We did decide against splitting custody of our beloved wood conference table, apologetically known as the “red headed stepchild” and our favorite swivel chair, “Ron Burgundy,” although there will be visitation rights.)

And while I am still hopeful of finagling an occasional column out of Will (you know what they say, “you can take the boy away from the keyboard”) rest assured, the goat show you know, love and/or loathe (depending on which end of the spectrum you’re on) as the Telegraph will go on.

And not to worry, the abundance of estrogen up here at HQ will not tilt the editorial tables in favor of Oprah, jewelry parties and pastels on the masthead.

In fact, you can expect the same painstakingly hand-crafted quality journalism, unique profiles, off-color advice, occasionally snarky commentary and/or leftist drivel (again, spectrum dependent) as always. And yes, we will still have the astrology.

However, as my duties as head of the Complaint Department will likely take time away from my other daily responsibilities (online shopping and recycling Nazi), it does create a great opportunity to breathe some new hot air into these pages.

For starters, this very prime spot of editorial real estate you hold in your hands, shared by Will and I for the last nine years, two months, 2 days and 15½ hours (but who’s counting?) will now be opened up to some new and old (and by that, I mean “familiar”) local voices in a regular rotating format.

Now operating under the title “Opinion” (a bit of a misnomer since we seldom – OK, almost never –write any hard-hitting opinion, as one observer likes to point out) this column will be undergoing a bit of a metamorphosis.

Because living here is an experience like no other, requiring sacrifice, determination, ingenuity, a dog, four-wheel drive, a slight chemical imbalance, and at least two jobs, we see things through a different, oft times rosy, sometimes jaded, lens. As such, allow me to introduce “La Vida Local.” (Shout out to Ricky Martin.) Think of it as a weekly snapshot of the world and current events from those who make it, break it and sometimes just barely hack it here in Southwestern Colorado. And why the heck we do it in the first place (hint: it’s not for fame and fortune.)

Some of the rotating cast of characters you can expect include yours truly (you didn’t think you’d get rid of me that easily, did you?) as well as:

- Ken Wright – A well-respected local writer, and not just because he’s published more books than me and actually taught at the college level. This former Bostonian’s “wicked smart” wit, tales of desert wanderings and poignant take on life in a desert/mountain town is well known not only up and down E. 6th Avenue, but have appeared in the Telegraph, the recently departed Inside/Outside and High Country News. Ken is also the honch behind local publishing house, Ravens Eye Press. An avowed Trekkie, he is still getting over the Red Sox devastating playoff loss – again.

-Maggie Casey – A Durango girl who recently returned from her studies at Montana State in Bozeman/post graduate world travels, Maggie is an accomplished Nordic skier/aspiring backcountry skier and waitress by night. Look for her colorful local observations, dead-on personality caricatures and unique take on life in the (almost) real world as she balances work time and fun time, not necessarily in that order.

-David Feela – No stranger to Four Corners readers, David is a retired teacher who now whiles away the time penning poetry, free-lance writing and exploring every last nook and cranny of the Southwest. His writing has appeared in hundreds of regional and national publications, including High Country News, Mountain Gazette, Denver Post, Inside/Outside, Four Corners Free Press and Utne Reader.  Our lone Montezuma County correspondent, David is currently putting the finishing touches on his newest book, a collection of short essays, How Delicate These Arches.

-Lainie Maxson – Known by most as our advertising guru, Lainie is also the pen behind the Telegraph’s much-beloved Haiku Movie Review. When not panning the latest Sarah Jessica Parker chick flick or accompanying her brewer husband to various festivals, Lainie, a Fort Lewis College graduate, dreams of Peter Forsberg and plays a mean game of dominoes.

And while we are making introductions, starting this week, there is a new face at Telegraph HQ. Tracy Chamberlin, a recent Durango re-transplant, will be taking over several of our skeleton-crew duties, including news writing, classified ads and calendar listings (look for the new classifieds@durangotelegraph and calendar@durangotelegraph coming soon!)

A native Virginianite, Tracy spent two years in Durango about a decade ago, thus earning her locals card. “I know how to say ‘Flor-ee-da’ and not ‘Florida,’” she said. She left Durango to return to school, earning her degree in creative writing at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. She and her husband, a Colorado native, recently returned to Durango to be near family, ski and snowboard (“I suck equally at both,” she admitted) and help her in-laws finish their dream house.

When not pounding nails or manning the Skil saw, she earns her ski pass at Purgatory Sports and works on her blog: thelibrarians.blogspot.com, which comes out every Sunday.

– Missy Votel