Briefs – The Durango Herald

Artists needed for Pine River Library community art show

Local artists of all ages and mediums are invited to submit samples for the Pine River Library Fall Community Art Show, which will run from October to December. Two-dimensional pieces must ...

DATE: Jun 2, 2022 | CATEGORY: Community

Pediatric Partners of the Southwest promotes new immunization coordinator

Pediatric Partners of the Southwest promoted Terilyn Barton to the role of immunization coordinator. In her new position, Barton will manage vaccine ordering and delivery, including the fed...

DATE: May 31, 2022 | CATEGORY: Business

Cottonwood Holistic Family Health welcomes new physician

Cottonwood Holistic Family Health announced the hiring of a new physician, Dr. Christine Koch. Koch is a board certified family medicine physician and has lived in Southwest Colorado for fou...

DATE: May 31, 2022 | CATEGORY: Business

Four Corners Prostate Cancer Support Group to meet

Four Corners Prostate Cancer Support Group will meet at 6:30 p.m. June 7 via Zoom. The group consists of survivors and men who have been diagnosed with prostate issues, including cancer. The...

DATE: May 31, 2022 | CATEGORY: Community

Pine River Library to host reptile day

Pine River Library will host a reptile day from 11 a.m. to noon June 10 at the library, 395 Bayfield Center Drive. Asmo, the library snake will be on scene along with a few of his slithering...

DATE: May 31, 2022 | CATEGORY: Community

Durango School District 9-R to provide free summer lunches

Durango School District 9-R Food and Nutrition Services will offer free sack lunches to children through the Summer Food Service Program from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, June...

DATE: May 31, 2022 | CATEGORY: Community

Animas Surgical Hospital announces nursing scholarship

Animas Surgical Hospital announced the launch of a new scholarship program to prepare future nurses. The scholarship will be eligible for local students in Fort Lewis College’s new Bachelor ...

DATE: May 26, 2022 | CATEGORY: Business

Bridge Scores

Durango Bridge Club online and in-person play – all pairs received 50+ percent May 20 – Open Pairs First: C.L. Lappen/W. Rosenberger Second: J. McFarland/C. McFarland May 22 – O...

DATE: May 26, 2022 | CATEGORY: Community

June library events

Durango Public Library 1900 East Third Ave., contact: 375-3380, www.durangopubliclibrary.org. Masks are highly encouraged for all events. Ongoing Events: Thursdays, 10:30-11 a.m.: Family...

DATE: May 26, 2022 | CATEGORY: Community

Senior Center Calendar: May 30-June 3

Durango/La Plata Senior Center 2424 Main Ave., 382-6445 Events: Monday Senior Center Closed for Memorial Day Tuesday 8:30 a.m.: Knitting/Crocheting 9:30 a.m.: Zumba 10:30 a.m.: W...

DATE: May 26, 2022 | CATEGORY: Community

U.S. Highway 550 north of Durango closed Saturday for bike race

Colorado Department of Transportation offers alternative routes

DATE: May 25, 2022 | CATEGORY: Local News

La Plata County awarded Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program funds

FEMA Phase 39 has awarded $26,986 and ARPA-R $83,407 to the La Plata County jurisdiction to supplement existing emergency food and shelter programs. Under the grant terms, local agencies cho...

DATE: May 25, 2022 | CATEGORY: Community

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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