Business & Real Estate – The Durango Herald

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Matheson awarded Durango Botanic Gardens Docent of the Quarter

Sharon Matheson was awarded the Durango Botanic Gardens Docent of the Quarter Award during the docent social on Sept. 8. She and her husband moved to Durango in 1988. Matheson is a forester...

Fort Lewis College announces new athletic wellness coach

Regina Curry was recently promoted to athletic wellness coach at Fort Lewis College. Curry is a licensed professional counselor, school counselor, sports psychologist and parenting expert. ...

DATE: Sep 15, 2022 | CATEGORY: Business

Comfort Keepers announces new hire

Comfort Keepers In Home Care welcomes Lacey Enderle to its team as its client services manager. Enderle moved to Durango in 2006. She has been an active member of the community by providing ...

DATE: Sep 15, 2022 | CATEGORY: Business

TripOutside sets up in Durango to offer outdoor adventure listings countrywide

Couple got their start working remotely in an RV

DATE: Sep 15, 2022 | CATEGORY: Business

New housing development comes to the Animas Valley

West Dalton Ranch adds more single-family lots north of Durango

DATE: Sep 11, 2022 | CATEGORY: Business

Durango based nonprofit opens new office

On Aug 10, HomesFund purchased the entire second floor of the Colorado Heritage Building, 150 E. Ninth St. HomesFund will occupy the main office suite, unit 207, and lease the seven addition...

DATE: Sep 8, 2022 | CATEGORY: Business

Climate damage from oil leases on U.S. land gets second look

Leases put up for sale during Trump administration

DATE: Sep 6, 2022 | CATEGORY: Business

LPEA’s Matlock named a finalist for award

Jessica Matlock, La Plata Electric Association CEO, was named as one of three finalists for the 2022 SEPA Utility Transformation Leader of the Year award. The awards recognize the nation’s ...

DATE: Sep 1, 2022 | CATEGORY: Business

Purgatory Resort sets opening date

Purgatory Resort will open for the season on Nov. 19. Snow-making upgrades and other infrastructure/operations improvements have allowed for a 25% increase in expected snow production. For...

DATE: Aug 25, 2022 | CATEGORY: Business

Remote work hasn’t lost popularity in Durango

As the height of the pandemic fades, remote work continues to appeal to those living in rural areas

DATE: Aug 21, 2022 | CATEGORY: Business

Andrew Cuckie recognized by Forbes

Edward Jones Financial Advisor Andrew Cuckie of Cortez was named to the Forbes Next-Gen Best-in-State Wealth Advisors for 2022 by Forbes and SHOOK Research, ranking No. 9 in Colorado. The li...

DATE: Aug 18, 2022 | CATEGORY: Business

Coldwell Banker welcomes Jaclyn Patterson

Coldwell Banker Distinctive Properties welcomes Jaclyn Patterson as its new front office manager. Patterson grew up in Durango with her two brothers and two sisters after her family moved fr...

DATE: Aug 18, 2022 | CATEGORY: Business

Fort Lewis College football takes on Arizona ChristianFLC drops first game of 2022, 52-12

FLC drops first game of 2022, 52-12

Pride parade and festival

Photos: Family fun at the La Plata County Fair

La Plata County Fair is off and running

La Plata County Fair schedule of eventsThursday8:30 a.m.: Judging 4-H/FFA breeding swine, market swine. 9 a.m.-8 p.m.: Exhibits open to the public.9 a.m.: Judging open class home economics, horticulture, floriculture, creative arts.9 a.m.: Judging 4-H/FFA and open class fleeces.9 a.m.: 4-H poultry judging followed by open class.1 p.m.: Judging 4-H/FFA goat show, all classes followed by open class goat.5 p.m.: Fair Royalty speeches and modeling.7 p.m.: Talent contest, patio.7 p.m.: Livestock verification swine, poultry, goat, general project cards due.

Friday9 a.m.-8 p.m.: Exhibits open to the public.9 a.m.: Judging 4-H/FFA rabbits.10 a.m.: 4-H/FFA breeding beef, beef showmanship.1 p.m.: 4-H/FFA market beef, grand champion and reserve grand champion market beef, champion selection.2 p.m.: Dairy cattle, all classes.3:15 p.m.: Pee wee showmanship.4 p.m.: 4-H/FFA livestock round robin, all-around showmanship.7 p.m.: Asleep at the Wheel concert.7 p.m.: Livestock sale verification rabbit and beef cards due.

Saturday9 a.m.-6:30 p.m.: Exhibits open to the public. 9 a.m.: 4-H dog show.9 a.m.: Judging open class beef all classes.10 a.m.: Rooster crowing contest.10 a.m.: FFA showmanship.11 a.m.: Open class dairy cattle, all classes.12 p.m.: Demolition Derby.12-4 p.m.: Community 4-H barbecue cook off (senior center lawn).2 p.m.: Rabbit costume contest.2 p.m.: Poultry costume contest.5 p.m.: Silver steaks, silver loin and silver chop award presentation.5:45 p.m.: Fair Royalty crowning.6 p.m.: Junior livestock sale pavilion.9 p.m.-midnight: Fair family dance.

Sunday8 a.m.: Cowboy church. 8 a.m.: Carcass animals loaded.9 a.m.- 2 p.m.: Exhibits open to the public.1:30 p.m.: 4-H/FFA Catch-It contest.2-3 p.m.: Payment of premiums. 2-3 p.m.: Exhibits released in all departments. 2-5 p.m.: Booths taken down.2-5 p.m.: Poultry and rabbit exhibits released.2 p.m.: Animals released.Beer garden is open Thursday through Saturday.

La Plata County Fair schedule of events Thursday 8:30 a.m.: Judging 4-H/FFA breeding s...

Patriotic drone show unfolds above Durango’s night skyAbout 1,200 people watched production from city Transit Center

One hundred forty drones took to the skies above Greenmount Cemetery at 10 p.m. sharp Saturday in a glowing and patriotic spectacle featuring vibrant images colored red, white and blue against the black backdrop of night.About 1,200 people gathered Saturday at the Durango Transit Center to watch the city’s premiere drone show produced by Verge Aero after a street dance and band performance by McCurry Trio and Desert Child for Independence Day celebrations.Spectators were treated to drone depictions of the American flag, star patterns, a soaring bald eagle and a homage to the city with drones flying in formation to spell out “Durango” to close out the street dance that started at 6 p.m. Across the valley from Greenmount Cemetery, the headlights of cars shined from Rim Drive near Fort Lewis College where more spectators watched.

Ellen Babers, Durango community events administrator, said the show went well. She heard “Ooh’s” and “ah’s” from the crowd when the drones transitioned from one image to another.She said a segment that consisted of stars rotating at various intervals, shrinking into smaller stars before expanding into the shape of a larger star, appeared to be a crowd favorite.“People really liked the Durango part,” she said. “When it spelled out Durango, people seemed surprised. Like, ‘Oh, this isn’t just a generic show, this is about us.’”Other images included an outline of the continental United States, the letters “USA,” and a spinning globe shape that gave the drone show a 3D feel.

The drones were laid out earlier in the evening in a square grid, with each drone placed 4 feet apart. Peter Smiatek, pilot and designer of the drone show, worked with a crew of about six people, including volunteers. Saturday evening at Greenmount Cemetery where the drones launched and landed, Peter Smiatek, pilot and designer with Verge Aero, and his crew of about six people, including volunteers, had laid all the drones out on the grass in a square grid. Each drone was placed four feet apart. Smiatek synced the drones to a GPS and radio tower in preparation for the evening’s show. Six minutes before takeoff, a deer wandered straight past the drone grid, narrowly avoiding stepping on them.“That could have been a disaster,” Smiatek said as his crew scanned the nearby area with flashlights. No other deer were visible.Two minutes before takeoff, the crew’s portable generator shut off – out of gas.

“We have double secure power,” he said. “The generator fell off two minutes before the show started. It’s like Murphy’s law, anything that could happen will happen. So it’s best to be prepared.”During prep, the crew ran several tests with the drones. The drones shot up 3 to 4 meters, hovered for about one second and then dropped back to their designated grid space on the grass.

Smiatek worked from a makeshift command station where his laptop and transmission tower were perched.“The base station is the heart of the show,” he said. “It’s a computer and it’s a distribution system connected to radios and an antenna. And that’s it, basically. Very flexible and a good system.”Chris Lutts, vice president of sales at Verge Aero, said he thinks Durangoans enjoyed the performance. From Greenmount Cemetery, he could hear the cheers and whistles of the audience at the Durango Transit Center.“The people we’ve been working with have been great,” he said. “Clearly, the city enjoyed it, so that’s awesome. That’s why we do this. It’s no different than any other entertainment, man. You love that feedback. It’s validation that what you’re doing is something that people really like.”cburney@durangoherald.com