Briefs – The Durango Herald

Manna seeks sponsors for garden

Manna is seeking sponsors for rows at its gardens as part of its effort to grow more fresh, nutrient dense and culturally important vegetables for the community. Sponsors will support produc...

DATE: Jun 21, 2022 | CATEGORY: Community

Pine River Library hosts mindful parenting class

Pine River Library will host mindfulness facilitator Tracy Baumann from 6 to 7 p.m. July 6 for a mindful parenting class at the library, 395 Bayfield Center Drive, Bayfield. Participants wil...

DATE: Jun 21, 2022 | CATEGORY: Community

Four Corners Gem and Mineral Club to host show

Four Corners Gem and Mineral Club will host its 68th annual Gem and Mineral Show from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 8 and 9, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 10 at the La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 M...

DATE: Jun 21, 2022 | CATEGORY: Community

Bridge Scores

The Durango Bridge Club is participating in the Longest Day on Saturday and Monday. The Longest Day is an annual fundraising event held to support the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. The...

DATE: Jun 17, 2022 | CATEGORY: Community

Merely Players stages drama with ‘The Children’

Tickets are available for Merely Players’ production of Lucy Kirkwood’s drama “The Children.” Two retired nuclear scientists live in an isolated cottage by the sea. In the aftermath of a nuc...

DATE: Jun 16, 2022 | CATEGORY: Arts and Entertainment

Naughty school girl run to benefit veterans

Shoultz’ze eighth annual Naughty School Girl Run will be held from 9 a.m.to 6 p.m. June 25 from La Plata County Fairgrounds to VFW Post 4031. The run is a Veteran Relief Committee fundraiser...

DATE: Jun 15, 2022 | CATEGORY: Community

Pine River Shares introduces Teen Time

Pine River Shares has introduced Teen Time, a free, fun and productive day for teens ages 13 to 19, which is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Thursday through Aug. 11 at Pine River Shares. By p...

DATE: Jun 15, 2022 | CATEGORY: Community

New executive director to lead La Plata Youth Services

Jason St. Mary is the new executive director of La Plata Youth Services. St. Mary is a founding member and director of the Hub Therapeutic Program in Durango. He has dedicated 20 years of h...

DATE: Jun 15, 2022 | CATEGORY: Business

Coldwell Banker Durango hires new agent

Coldwell Banker Distinctive Properties Durango recently welcomed a new agent Julie Coffelt. Coffelt began working at Coldwell Banker on May 22. She decided to pursue her interest in real est...

DATE: Jun 14, 2022 | CATEGORY: Business

Coldwell Banker Durango hires new associate broker

Coldwell Banker Distinctive Properties Durango welcomed its newest agent, Aimee Hebert. She began working at Coldwell Banker on June 1 and serves as an associate broker. Herbert has been a ...

DATE: Jun 14, 2022 | CATEGORY: Business

Adaptive Golf Program to host inventor of Paragolfer machine

Adaptive Golf Program, Stand Up and Play Foundation and Hillcrest Golf Club will host Anthony Netto for a presentation about his invention, the Paragolfer, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 25 at ...

DATE: Jun 14, 2022 | CATEGORY: Community

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship to host summer worship series

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Durango announced its summer worship series theme, which is “Coping with the Climate Crisis.” At 10 a.m. Sundays from July 3 through Aug. 14 (except Jul...

DATE: Jun 14, 2022 | CATEGORY: Community

‹ Prev
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Next ›

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