Opinion Columns – The Durango Herald

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Can we enter abortion, gun debates with compassion?

The debates about abortion and guns in the United States rage on. When does life begin? Religious traditions offer answers ranging from “life begins at conception” to “life begins with the f...

DATE: Jun 3, 2022 | CATEGORY: Opinion

‘Ascent seems to be religious school cloaking true nature’

As reported by The Durango Herald, the Colorado Department of Education has directed the Durango School District 9-R board to review the charter application of Ascent Classical Academy withi...

DATE: May 27, 2022 | CATEGORY: Opinion

Advocates, ranchers outfitters can coexist with wolves

Wolves are returning to Colorado. About half of us are happy about this and about half of us aren’t. Working together, however, we can make it work for all of us. Proposition 114, passed by ...

DATE: May 26, 2022 | CATEGORY: Opinion

How about riverside site for fire, police?

What do Durango Fire District, River City Hall, the old Durango High School, a bordello and the Animas City Cemetery have in common? Before I answer that question, let’s ponder a “hot topic....

DATE: May 25, 2022 | CATEGORY: Opinion

Welcome to the other side of paradise

I moved to Durango in 2018 to work at Fort Lewis College. For me, moving to La Plata County was a move home. Born in Telluride and raised in Norwood, I frequently visited Durango as a kid. B...

DATE: May 23, 2022 | CATEGORY: Opinion

One Small Step encourages strangers to converse

The fact that we live in a divisive time is not lost on anyone. At times, it feels like the world and our country are coming apart at the seams. Throughout my career, I’ve sought opportuniti...

DATE: May 16, 2022 | CATEGORY: Opinion

Bipartisan wins during legislative session

As we hit the 120th day of the 2022 session, I reflect on our accomplishments. After several nights working past midnight, then coming back to work early the next morning, survival right now...

DATE: May 15, 2022 | CATEGORY: Opinion

Don’t be fooled: Scotch egg not Scottish

If you haven’t had a Scotch egg before, it is a pub and picnic food delicacy you should try. However, don’t be fooled. A Scotch egg is actually of English origin (Yorkshire). First, no self-...

DATE: May 13, 2022 | CATEGORY: Opinion

SJBPH responsive during counties’ next steps

As the Executive Committee of the Board of Health, we would like to discuss the work session we held on April 28. The work session was conceived with the goal of coming together as a board t...

DATE: May 11, 2022 | CATEGORY: Opinion

Homegrown parks coming to your neighborhood

National parks have been getting a lot of love since the pandemic, so much that this summer you need reservations at many. For example, you must make a reservation just to drive Montana’s le...

DATE: May 7, 2022 | CATEGORY: Opinion

Political forces compound climate-change difficulties

The climate emergency featured prominently in Earth Day messages this year, underscored by the recent publication of the third and final section of the massive climate assessment by the Inte...

DATE: May 6, 2022 | CATEGORY: Opinion

County commissioners unite to oppose collective bargaining

Montezuma and La Plata counties share a border, some telecommunications and health services, and a regional economy centered on our beautiful landscapes such as the La Plata Mountains and Me...

DATE: May 2, 2022 | CATEGORY: Opinion

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