Briefs – The Durango Herald

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

Tickets on sale for spring raffle hosted by La Plata Open Space Conservancy

Tickets are on sale for La Plata Open Space Conservancy’s spring raffle. Ticket buyers have the chance to win an Alpacka Raft and a day of private water fly fishing. One tickets costs $10, f...

DATE: May 25, 2022 | CATEGORY: Community

Million Dollar Highway earns second place on list of best things to do this summer

On Travel Lemming’s list of the 150 best things to do in the United States this summer, Million Dollar Highway placed second and Pagosa Springs placed 34th. The online travel guide’s list h...

DATE: May 25, 2022 | CATEGORY: Community

Botanic Gardens to host garden tour

Durango Botanic Gardens will host its Gardens on Tour event from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 25. Along with the DBG, there will be nine private gardens on display. To register for the tour, visit ...

DATE: May 25, 2022 | CATEGORY: Community

Shared School to move to Animas Valley Elementary

Shared School in Durango will move its program from Miller Middle School to Animas Valley Elementary School beginning in the 2022-23 school year. The move is being made because of space cons...

DATE: May 25, 2022 | CATEGORY: Community

R1 Realty welcomes new Realtor

R1 Realty announced the addition of Larry Gardner to its staff of professional Realtors. Gardner was a licensed attorney in Texas, a former commercial and mortgage banker, real estate develo...

DATE: May 24, 2022 | CATEGORY: Business

Cleary Building Corp. opens new location in Bayfield

Cleary Building Corp. announced the opening of its new branch office in Bayfield, located at 480 Wolverine Drive. A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place at the grand opening event on May 20. C...

DATE: May 24, 2022 | CATEGORY: Business

Local Wells Group agent named among America’s top 100

Justin Osborn, Realtor with The Wells Group in both Colorado and New Mexico, has recently been recognized as one of America's Top 100 Real Estate Agents. Osborn has been a licensed Realtor ...

DATE: May 24, 2022 | CATEGORY: Business

Pine River Library to host book, yard sale

In conjunction with Bayfield Yard Sale Day, the Friends of the Pine River Library will host a book sale and yard sale from 8 a.m. to noon June 4 in the parking lot of the library. All procee...

DATE: May 24, 2022 | CATEGORY: Community

San Juan Angler to host fly-fishing class

San Juan Angler fly-fishing shop will host a free Fly Fishing 101 class from 10-11:30 a.m. June 11 at the Pine River Library. Learn the basics of setting up a fly rod, beginner casting skil...

DATE: May 24, 2022 | CATEGORY: Community

Bayfield man graduates cum laude from Colorado Mesa University

Justin Nickerson of Bayfield, graduated cum laude from Colorado Mesa University on Saturday. Nickerson earned a bachelor’s of Music in Vocal Performance. ...

DATE: May 24, 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

About 1,200 people watched production from city Transit Center

Photos: BurroFest in Mancos

Fun times at the Ute Mountain Roundup rodeo in Cortez

Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Hobby Horse Community Bike Ride

Photos: Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Sprite Kids Race

Men and women compete in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic dual slalom races

Riders compete in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Roostmaster race

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