Homelessness – The Durango Herald

Homeless man found dead Tuesday morning at camp behind Walmart

Coroner says cause of death unknown; autopsy planned Thursday

DATE: Nov 10, 2020 | CATEGORY: Local News

Durango, La Plata County agree to delay decision on management of homeless camp

Local governments commit $100,000 to issue in 2021

DATE: Oct 13, 2020 | CATEGORY: Local News

La Plata County sets terms for homeless camp’s future

Frustrations abound as officials debate Purple Cliffs site

DATE: Oct 1, 2020 | CATEGORY: Local News

Purple Cliffs homeless camp to remain open, for now

La Plata County commissioners blast city of Durango for lack of leadership

DATE: Sep 29, 2020 | CATEGORY: Local News

Durango looks to Bodo Industrial Park for homeless camp location

City running out of site options

DATE: Sep 22, 2020 | CATEGORY: Local News

La Plata County tells Durango to find a homeless camp solution ‘lickety-split’

City councilors say it’s taking longer than expected to find long-term location

DATE: Sep 16, 2020 | CATEGORY: Local News

Homeless campers, Durango residents want Purple Cliffs site to stay

Opposition picks up for camp proposal near Greenmount Cemetery

DATE: Sep 15, 2020 | CATEGORY: Local News

Petition calls to scrap homeless camp near Greenmount Cemetery

People fear site will have negative impacts on surrounding area

DATE: Sep 10, 2020 | CATEGORY: Local News

County may shut down Purple Cliffs camp for homeless residents

Commissioners: Site presents too many challenges to be long-term solution

DATE: Sep 9, 2020 | CATEGORY: Local News

City of Durango wrestles with site for permanent homeless camp

With winter coming, advocates stress need for action

DATE: Sep 5, 2020 | CATEGORY: Local News

Apartments for Durango’s unhoused, disabled take step toward construction

Public hearing reveals opposition, misunderstandings about 40-unit complex

DATE: Jul 21, 2020 | CATEGORY: Local News

Manna, Garden Project merge to advance food security mission

Groups join to have a larger impact on vulnerable populations

DATE: Jul 16, 2020 | CATEGORY: Southwest Life

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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