Archive for Announcements
Christmas Cantada Coming Up In Mountainair
Checking in on our friends at Mountainair Announcements, we find that there will be a Christmas cantata, Morning Star, presented by the Mountainair Community Chorus at the Mountainair Baptist Church this Sunday, December 13, at 4 p.m. For more information, see the full announcement.
Oh, The Weather Outside…
by John Weckerle
Last night brought us some fairly intense weather here at NM-Central headquarters, with times of snow, freezing rain, thunder and lightning, and high winds. This morning seems dominated by the wind, although weather authorities warn of more potential precipitation before the system has passed. Local TV stations indicate that the Estancia Valley, including Estancia itself, will likely bear the brunt of the storm in our area. The northern part of the state has received substantial snowfall. Here at NM-Central, we’ve received a few inches or so.
NMRoads.com reports that road conditions in the area are (at best) snow-packed and icy. According to KOB.com, Moriarty-Edgewood schools and Estancia schools are closed, and East Mountain High School and APS schools are on a two-hour delay. We have not been able to find any information on Mountainair’s schools. We recommend that our readers stay home if they can, and to those who can’t, please be extra cautious.
Public Service Announcement: KXNM-88.7 FM seeks donations
from the KNSM-88.7 Community Foundation:
Dear Friends and Neighbors:
The KXNM FM 88.7 Community Foundation has recently received a match donation of up to $50,000.00 from a generous Torrance County Family that realizes the value and potential that a community-based educational not for profit radio station has to offer to area residents, businesses, schools, civic and non-profit organizations, municipal and county governments.
If as a community we rise to the challenge and raise $50,000, we will have enough money to build the transmission tower. It is the crucial and pivotal piece of infrastructure. No gift is too large or too small; this is truly a grass roots effort.
If you are an individual, organization or business that is able to give $2,500 or more you are eligible for the advantages of our Radio Pioneer underwriting program. »» Public Service Announcement: KXNM-88.7 FM seeks donations
Public Service Announcement
by Carol Clegg
Mountain Valley Church will be presenting ” Imagine Christmas” a musical stage production at the church, located on the corner of Mountain Valley and Dinkle Road, Edgewood.
Invite family and friends to a free evening of entertainment
Saturday Dec 12th and Sunday Dec 13th @ 6:00 p.m.
Mountainair Harvest Soup Cook Off
by John Weckerle
We’ve received an e-mail from Edwina (George) Hewitt in Mountainair alerting us to a Harvest Soup Cook Off scheduled for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, November 7, 2009 (also posted at Mountainair Announcements). Billed as a “Just Because Event” – no entry fee, no agenda, and no fundraising – the cook-off will include music from Diamondback, an Edgewood country rock band. For more information, including discounts on hotel rooms, see the event flier.
I-40-III: The Search For Completion
by John Weckerle
According to an October 1 article in the Mountain View Telegraph, New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) public information officer Phil Gallegos announced that lane and ramp closures associated with the Tijeras to Zuzax road work would be a thing of the past by October 10. Perhaps predictably, during a round-trip to Albuquerque yesterday (October 11), we were fortunate to be able to exit at Zuzax and avoid the traffic that was backed up to that exit, apparently due to continued lane closures in the westbound direction. The return trip revealed that the eastbound lanes are open, although there is obviously line painting to be done on the bridges.
A slightly confusing announcement from NMDOT Friday stated the following:
Monday 10/12 from 8am to 4pm weekdays – I40 westbound from Zuzax to Tijeras will be reduced to one lane. Monday 10/12 from 9am to 5pm weekdays ? The I40 westbound Zuzax onramp will be CLOSED!! Tuesday 10/13 through Friday 10/16 from 7am to 3pm Tuesday and from 9am to 2pm Wednesday through Friday – I40 eastbound from Tijeras to Zuzax will be reduced to one lane. Expect delays! Ongoing and until further notice ? The Zuzax (exit 178) onramp to I40 westbound will be closed. Use NM14 or Carnuel onramp.
Rosy earlier predictions from NMDOT notwithstanding, we will all have to hold our sighs of relief just a little longer; to steal a phrase, it ain’t over ’till it’s over. We recommend that, in future, the NMDOT adopt the project planning methodology of Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott of the Starship Enterprise: multiply your estimates by four, and look like a miracle worker at the end – instead of looking otherwise.
Open Burning Allowed Again In Unincorporated Bernalillo County – Burn Info Number Changes
by John Weckerle
The Bernalillo County Fire Deparment’s Fire Prevention Bureau has announced that open burning is now allowed again in the unincorporated areas of the county. Burning is permitted (weather permitting) from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The burn information number has been changed to 468-7200 (the old number, 768-4200 can also be used until April 2010). For more information, including burning rules, see the Bernalillo County Announcement.
Look, It’s A Bird! No, It’s A Nebula!
by John Weckerle
The crisp, clear skies of October (when they’re crisp and clear, at least) give us a wonderful opportunity to take a look at our celestial neighborhood. Here to help us out will be the Lake County Astronomical Society of Illinois and the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, who will be co-hosting a Star Party at Gran Quivira. The event theme is “Native American Skies,” and on the menu will be views of celestial features through powerful telescopes and “Native American stories about the night skies. ” Stories and Native American Flute music will be provided by Ernie Dogwolf Lovato. The event is scheduled for Friday, October 16, with an alternate date in case of uncooperative weather. For more information, see the event flyer.
3rd Annual Drinking for Cancer
by John Weckerle
The Lazy Lizard Grill on NM 14, just south of Frost Road, will hold its 3rd Annual Drinking for Cancer event on Friday, September 11 from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. The event will include a raffle and silent auction to benefit local resident (currently staying in Texas) Mike Moore’s battle with cancer. Mr. Moore is undergoing treatment in Texas, and his insurance company has refused to pay for the treatments because they are considered “experimental.” The event’s entry fee is $5 in advance and $8 at the door. Raffle tickets are $5 each or $20 for five tickets.
Rep. Heinrich To Hold Office Hours At Edgewood Library
by John Weckerle
First District U.S. Representative Martin Heinrich will will hold office hours tomorrow, Thursday, September 3 from noon to 1 p.m. at the Edgewood Library, 95 Highway 344 North. For more information, contact the Congressman’s office at 346-6781.
Bernalillo County Fire Preparedness Meeting
From Larry Gallegos at the Bernalillo County Public Information Department:
Bernalillo County Commissioner Michael Brasher is calling on all East Mountain residents to attend a Fire and Emergency Preparedness Meeting to update everyone on the 2009 fire season.
Representatives from Congressman Martin Heinrich’s office, the U.S Forest Service, Kirtland Air Force Base, the Bernalillo County Fire Department & Fire Marshal’s Office, Environmental Health and the Office of Emergency Management will be on hand. Topics will include: updated weather forecasts, weather patterns and fire behavior expected for the next few months, evacuation plans for humans and animals, and how residents can stay prepared during this fire season. There will be a question and answer period after the presentations with all the panelists.
“The recent Main Fire reminded all East Mountain residents of the need for fire preparedness,” says Commissioner Brasher. “Bernalillo County encourages everyone take advantage of this opportunity to stay informed and prepared for any and all fires and emergencies.”
The meeting will be held on Thursday, August 27th from 6:30pm-8:00pm at LosVecinos Community Center, 478 1/2 Old Hwy. 66, in Tijeras.
Ready…Set…Wait For It
by John Weckerle
It’s almost here – the Annual Music Festival at Wildlife West Nature Park, this Friday through Sunday. Featuring a Barn Dance Friday night and 22 shows on two stages over two days, this is the East West Mountains/Estancia Valley’s biggest music event of the year. This year’s headliner – internationally renowned folk musician John McCutcheon – is joined by nationally recognized bands The Badly Bent and Dave Firestine & Round The House, as well as the cowboy and Western stylings of Syd Masters and other bands of statewide renown. More information can be found on the Wildlife West music festival page, and of course tickets can be purchased online. The lucky winner of Sunday’s fiddle contest will receive a violin donated by Encore Music. »» Ready…Set…Wait For It
Forest Service Closures: Capilla, New Canyon, and Tajique Campgrounds
Announcement from Arlene Perea at the Mountainair Ranger District:
The Mountainair Ranger District would like to remind all visitors that although many roads have been reopened throughout the district, Forest Road #245 from New Canyon Campground to Capilla Peak continues to be closed. This is due to the high volume of burned hazard trees remaining along the road. Crews have been and continue to work on cutting these trees; however they pose a serious threat to any traffic on the road. This includes foot traffic. Along with the continued closure of Forest Road #245, New Canyon and Capilla Campgrounds are also closed due to the hazard trees as well as the possibility of flash flooding through the New Canyon Campground. Tajique Campground on the North end of the district also continues to be closed due to the possibility of flash flooding. With the forest reopening, we are seeing many hikers within these areas. Hikers are asked to use the adjacent trail (New Canyon Trail) to access this portion of the forest, but no camping is allowed in Capilla or New Canyon campgrounds. District Ranger Karen Lessard said “These areas continue to be post-fire work zones so we ask that visitors stay away from these areas for your own safety as well as the safety of our crews.”
The Mountainair Ranger District has also received a high volume of calls regarding the availability of fire wood cutting areas. We currently have 3 wood cutting areas open, however all permits have been sold for these areas. Our crews are working diligently to open another area soon. To find out the availability of permits, please call the Mountainair Ranger District at 505-847-2990 before visiting to buy a permit.
Look – It’s Bird! It’s A Plane! No, It’s A Nebula!
by John Weckerle
A reminder: The last of this year’s series of Oak Flats Star Party and Astrophotography Boot Camp events, presented by the Albuquerque Astronomical Society is scheduled for this Saturday, July 25 th – weather permitting, of course. For more information, see our May 27, 2009 article.
Finally…
by John Weckerle
As all can tell, we have finally upgraded to the latest version of WordPress and changed the design of the blog. We’ve done this to take advantage of the spam control, nested commenting, and other new features of WordPress 2.8.2 – not to mention the opportunity to exploit a little more of the “real estate” on our viewers’ screens. Why did we take so long? Well, our previous version was old enough that we had to take some elaborate steps to ensure that our content would not be eliminated. Everything seems to have worked well, and we hope that we are providing a more enjoyable experience.
We will be replacing the header image with something more regionally appropriate relatively soon, and are planning some other potential changes, as well.