New Mexico Geocache Notifications

automated message from Groundspeak LoBot Mailer  (edited to show only NM events & geocaches). Click links for more details on events and geocaches.

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Hello from Groundspeak! This is your weekly geocaching.com update from Groundspeak for 8/23/2007 to 8/30/2007

 

Upcoming Events (2 Events)

1. Mama's Coin Discovery & Swap Pot Luck (Event Cache) (GC15DYV)
    Location: New Mexico, United States (54mi NW (86.9km NW))
    Date: 9/8/2007 by WhiskersandMama

2. Third Annual Valencia Fun Day! (Event Cache) (GC13EMA)
    Location: New Mexico, United States (29.9mi W (48.1km W))
    Date: 9/22/2007 by suz55tbird
 
Recently Published Geocaches (8 Caches)

1. Bosque Peak (Traditional Cache) (GC15BQT)
    Location: New Mexico, United States (19.8mi NW (31.9km NW))

    Date: 8/19/2007 by RockyMtnRidgeRunner
 

2. Froggy is Watching (Traditional Cache) (GC15CYT)
    Location: New Mexico, United States (45.2mi NW (72.7km NW))

    Date: 8/24/2007 by RCAC07

3. Lines (Unknown Cache) (GC15FJ9)
    Location: New Mexico, United States (45.6mi NW (73.4km NW))
    Date: 8/27/2007 by cougarox

4. I Iz Edumicated (Traditional Cache) (GC15BRR)
    Location: New Mexico, United States (49.7mi NW (80km NW))
    Date: 8/22/2007 by J.A.R.

 

5. FR 165 @ the Las Huertas Picnic Area #-2 (Unknown Cache) (GC15FXY)
    Location: New Mexico, United States (50.1mi N (80.7km N))
    Date: 8/29/2007 by manzano wolfe

6. Guadalupe Shrine (Traditional Cache) (GC15GHK) 
    Location: New Mexico, United States (82mi N (131.9km N))
    Date: 8/28/2007 by HartMan-CatWoman Team

7. Lookout Outlook (Traditional Cache) (GC15FRD) 
    Location: New Mexico, United States (88.7mi S (142.8km S))
    Date: 8/27/2007 by okieduo

8. Kwage Mesa Adventure (Traditional Cache) (GC15DXQ)
    Location: New Mexico, United States (93.9mi N (151.2km N))
    Date: 8/25/2007 by Hawktail

 (c) 2007 Groundspeak, Inc., All Rights Reserved

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About geocaching...

Public Information Meeting, September 12

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Albuquerque District

SPECIAL PUBLIC NOTICE, Action No. 2005 00269

PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETING NOTICE PURSUANT TO SECTION 106 OF THE NATIONAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION ACT (NHPA)

Notice of Public Information Meeting: The Albuquerque District invites the public to attend a Public Information Meeting at the Shaffer Hotel in Mountainair, NM, 103 West Main Street, on Wednesday, September 12, 2007, 5:00 to 6:30 pm, regarding the proposed resolution of adverse effects to historic properties pursuant to Section 106 of the NHPA for a BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) second track project. The Corps has prepared a draft Section 106 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) during evaluation of a Section 404 permit application from BNSF. The application (Action No. 2005 00269) is for a permit to construct temporary road crossings and temporary crane pads in Abo Arroyo, Socorro and Valencia Counties, New Mexico, during construction of a second track project. A special public notice and the draft MOA are available for public review on the Corps' web page at: http://www.spa.usace.army.mil/reg/publicnotice.asp

Any response may be sent to:

Ms. Jean E. Manger; E-mail: jean.e.manger@usace.army.mil; Fax: (505) 342-3498; before September 19, 2007.

Adios Sunflower

Adios Sunflower... Yet another sunflowering bites the dust - in more ways than one since local arts council plans for 2008 are not likely to include sunflowering. Please note that this year sunflowers did cooperate by being in bloom, some stands even visible from main sunflower venues. Thanks to Kristine and Maureen for contributing to this report.

In brief, 30 total paid exhibitors at the community center, not counting library tables, alt.sunflower, unaffiliated venues or traffic at Cibola Arts. This is more than last year at the community center but probably not significantly more than 2006 total including the Retablo Show at the Elementary School. This year the Deer Canyon Homeowners Association held its meeting there: all Sunflower exhibits & exhibitors were at the community center. There did not appear to be a separate"retablo show" per se. Only three retableros exhibited. The Sunflower page on the arts council site should have a list of registered exhibitors as part of arts council promotion promises registered exhibitors.

A writer from NM Magazine was out & about interviewing for an upcoming (probably 2008) feature on NM locations & events. Probably an "off the beaten track daytrips" issue. The Independent's photog was out snapping as well but fell even shorter questioning and interviewing, creating an impression of bored disinterest. That the process could be reciprocal did not seem to have occurred to either. The prospect of Mountainair appearing in a NM Magazine feature without having to throw around big but largely non-existent advertising bucks is worth checking out for a story here, as are details of the Chamber of Commerce "Mountainair Marketing Plan," of which only the name has been made available.

Chili cook-off: Frances Mercer, prospective newcomer from Florida, 1st prize red category - Irene Archuleta, local girl, 1st prize green. An enthusiastic, encouraging and most gratifying multitude of taster/judges converged on Kristine Lauretsin's (arts council member and proprietor of Stonehouse B&B) chili cook-off pavilion in front of the community center.

MMAC Sunflower t-shirts and aprons sold out completely; arts council event had to take orders on the spot for reprints. If you missed out on getting yours, contact MMAC or Cibola Arts.

Sunflower Hat Contest: organized, judged & generally presided over by Ruth Ballen. Depite large number of sunflower hat wearers out and about, entries were significantly down from last year and, sadly, no extravagant entries like Judy's (2005) or Cindy's (2006) or last year's sunflower cowboy hat and guitar ensemble.

Sunflower Quilt Raffle - won by frequently visiting (& potential Deer Canyon relocator) lady from Redlands CA. Every ticket printed sold out before raffle time, leaving visitors wanting more.

That raffle tickets, tees and aprons all sold out speaks well for Sunflower as an arts council fundraiser. I have no numbers, however, for how many tickets, tees or aprons were printed, so cannot even guess at amount raised for council projects. Since the MMAC is a non-profit 501 (3c) orgnization with a stated mission of serving and educating the community as well as promoting art and artists, all Mountainair and environs should benefit from profitable arts council events.

Although I've not yet surveyed other local businesses, lodging did well, with Shaffer, Turners and the Rock fully booked for the weekend and some overflow even making it up to Casa Manzano.

Else where about town:

Children's Sunflower Art prominently displayed in windows at Cibola, St Vincent de Paul, Gustin's Hardware, Meds & More, Uncle Walter's, Weaver Hotel, the Laundrymat and the B St Market. Be sure to thank the proprietors for supporting this traditional and locally popular sunflower feature. Children's sunflower art was conspicuously absent at both Cowboy's and Rose's and Treasures of the Gypsy.

Sunflower Window Displays
The gypsy's sunflower window display was (and still is, so catch it if you haven't yet), as usual and to be expected, the best - a splendid eye-candy and a spectacular example of window art. A sprinkling of sunflowers garnished Rose's window at Cowboy's and Rose's. St Vincent de Paul put a display outside its front door, which also served as notice of being open (usual hours are weekdays). I did not get around to checking out Abo Trading Co. Although a less than congenially welcoming venue for casual browsers not there to spend money (e.g. me collecting blog material), Abo Trading usually has talavera ceramics and other Mexican sunflower folk art in stock and prominently displayed.

Should Sunflower survive MMAC harrowing, increased merchant and community participation could enhance sunflowering no end. Certificates of recognition for displaying Children's Sunflower Art? Prizes in different categories for best displays, possibly sponsored by Chamber of Commerce and/or financed by town beautification grant money? Better coordinated and reciprocal business and vendor promotion?

I await Dale's report on the Poets and Writers Picnic and Sunflower Writing Workshop, both at the Shaffer Hotel. Lively and enthusiastic workshop, picnic crowd looked substantially larger than last year.


At Jackass Junction Antiques & Collectibles, afternoon Sunflower visitors and Depot customers from Mountainair, Edgewood, Ewing and Albuquerque NM, and New Hampshire, Canada, California, Kentucky and Louisiana, sat on the porch, thereby joining PPS 1881. Maureen and Neil report enthusiastic responses with promises to spread the word and return soon.

A game of checkers on the Depot porch
(aka Porch Sitters 1881)

Professional Porch Sitters Union

from article on Professional Porch Sitters Union at Orion Grassroots Network. Ever on the cultural cutting edge, Mountainair already boasts a local, PPS 1881 at Jackass Junction Depot on US 60 E, across from Turner Inn, joining affiliated locals across the US and around the world, including locals in Canada, the Netherlands, Germany and France. All you have to do join Local 1881 is visit the Depot and sit on the porch.

a classic front porch

Professional Porch Sitters (PPS) is an informal organization with a large and growing grassroots membership. To become a member you simply need to say you are a member and agree to sit around with friends and neighbors shooting the breeze as often as possible or practical.

Preferably on a porch but that's not critical.

There are no dues, no membership requirements, no mailings, no agenda, no committees, no worries. PPS believes that the radical act of sitting around sharing stories with no specific agenda is critical to building sustainable communities.

Television and air-conditioning have moved far too many people off their porches and into their homes where they quickly become isolated from their communities. We believe that sometimes the most effective course of action is to sit down and relax while sipping lemonade and sharing stories.

Bar Harbor Front Porch

PPS only has one rule but it's more like a suggestion. "Sit down a spell. That can wait."

veritable cliche of a Santa Fe front porch

Starting your own chapter of PPS is simple. You simply declare yourself a local chapter, pick a number to represent your Local Chapter identity and then sit back with friends and neighbors to celebrate with an interesting story or two. Meetings can be called at any time by any member and attendance is optional.

You are invited to communicate with PPS Headquarters but that is voluntary since no records are kept. PPS was founded on a porch in Louisville, Kentucky in 1999 but many additional chapters have been founded since then. Perhaps your chapter will be next.

We would love to hear from you if you start up a chapter, but don't sweat it if you don't.

Inquiries can be addressed to:
PPS Local 1339
1339 Hull Street
Louisville KY, 40204
Or email crowblackcrow@yahoo.com

for more porch stories and more about PPS, read and listen to NPR's "Sitting on the Porch: Not a Place, But a State of Mind." Send them - and us - YOUR porch story.

• The Porch: A Place of Literary Prominence
• Your Turn: Favorite Porch Stories
• PPSU Local 1339 (from the Louisville Courier)
• Hands Across the Porch

Here's hoping Local 1880 will send a report on membership - along with a picture of their porch (aka union meeting hall...)

Sunflower Folk Art report from alt.sunflower

Ed. note: thanks to Judy Mowris (Straw Mountainair Studio) for submitting a report on sunflower. The alt spirit is alive and well.

I hope this is the first - replete with jpegs - of a comprehensive series sunflower 2007 reports. I want to post not just announcements and recyled PR flack but also post-event reports and reviews as well. I'll be reporting on my own sunflower wanderings (admittedly minimal) and observations but am counting on reports from mmac, Cibola, Shaffer, poets, Deer Canyon HOA, local businesses, interested visitors and other readers.

House of Cards & Straw Mountain Studio tent

Sunflower Folk Art Day was a grand success for Straw Mountain Studio and other alt. sunflower participants. Many visitors discovered our primo Art Alley spot. (Thanks again Jess Davidson !) Linda Johnson sold home baked goodies, including her fabulous cheesecakes, this year introducing a heavenly key lime creation, as well as her beautifully framed miniature art pieces. The Phipps family joined the alt crew, offering their wonderful photography and reasonably priced note cards. Roy's wind chimes drew great interest and, to his delight, he left with fewer than he brought. My own sunflower magnets were very popular this year, as was the sunflower painted glassware, which sold even better than last year at the Shaffer. Two ladies from Magdalena who came for the day visited us and brought ATC's to trade. They found "The House of Cards" and we had a wonderful visit trading cards and discussing out artwork. We are all looking forward to next year and invite all interested alternative artists to join us. Start planning now!
Jude *

Artists Trading Cards

(Ed. Note: promised & somewhat promoted ATC presence at community center under auspices never quite materialized - or did so in hiding, more conspicuous by absence than presence. I fervently hope I don't get blame for this one too. Fortunately for nascent ATC interest locally, Judy kept the flame going by setting up with her ATC book ready to trade.)

Sunflower Bedecked

Maureen (Jackass Junction Depot) sent this sunflower picture. I do appreciate the sunflower pictures readers have shared with me and hope to have time & energy to get them up this afternoon. Sunflower art, sunflowers on the roadside, sunflowers & train, sunflowers at the Shaffer, and so on. Maggie is the only sunflower bedecked donkey. Not just here but quite likely on other sunflower pages. Rosie might have expected roses or maybe would have eaten the sunflowers before a picture could be taken...

Maggie: local (sun)flowerchild

A note on anonymous censorship of local pushpin publishing: an unidentified someone has been taking down the Jackass Junction flyers. Who knows why?

Did someone (foolishly & without grounds) find the word "jackass" offensive? How silly. Jackass is a male donkey, not a body part. Unintentional, an accident? Misguided zeal in protecting commercial interests?

No matter. It's still censorship. If I see someone taking down anyone's flyer anywhere in town - Post Office, grocery store, Gustin's. Laundrymat, trust me, their name will be blogged. Send me a picture and I'll immortalize the misdeed right here - and protect your anonymity.

Posting - aka pushpin publishing - is our local substitute for a print newspaper. It's WRONG for anyone to take down someone else's poster whether it's Mrs Grundy or a disgruntled business competitor. If you think content inapproropriate, call the person "publishing" and discuss it with him or her like an adult. Or even put up your own poster. Last thing anyone wants to see is this on a town council agenda.

Poets & Writers Picnic

Live music at the Gazebo, PWP 2006

Gerard Bezzeg, Frank Melcori and local guitarrist

Outlaw Poet & popular returning featured reader, Todd Moore

Sat. Aug. 25, noon to 5 pm, 10th Annual Poets & Writers Picnic, at the historic Shaffer Hotel, Mountainair, NM, sponsored by the Manzano Mountain Arts Council along with the Sunflower Folk Art Festival, held outdoors in the Shaffer's gazebo garden, featured readers, live music and open mic.

Free admission.

Bring a picnic lunch (it's a picnic ya know)

& your favorite sitting on the grass in the shade under tall trees blanket...

Featured poets & writers line-up Greg Candela, Ken Gurney, Beatlicks Joe Speer & Pamela Hirst, Tony Mares, Outlaw poets John Macker & Todd Moore, Janet Grace Riehl, Cowgirl Bronc Magnet poet Connie Rossignol, Adam Rubenstein, Marilyn Stablein, Stewart S. Warren, and an ensemble group from the Rio Grande Valencia Poets: Shirley Blackwell, Rebecca Guile Hudson, Jim Smith, Kuan Tikkun, and K.K. (Kitty) Todorovich.

[Ed note: time & personal energy permitting, I'll get back this afternoon to add links & pictures & otherwise flesh out information on featured readers]

Music by the Blue Rose Ramblers, Jessica Billey & Bud Melvin. Hosted by Dale Harris. 505- 242-4930, poetdale@yahoo.com

Downloadable flyer and more info below for the Poets & Writers Picnic on Sat. Aug. 25. Feel free to forward widely. Featured readers time slots will run approximately 15 min, music and ensembles slightly longer.

Picture on right, local Cowgirl Poet Connie Rossignol.

You'll notice there's a writing workshop as well. PWP Featured Readers are also welcome to sit in on some workshop sessions, on a donation optional basis. Friday night we'll do a campfire poetry reading, weather permitting - should be good fun.

There are probably rooms still available at the Shaffer Sat. night if you wanted to stay over, a few poets are doing that. 505-847-2888. The Shaffer might be a little tight, but there is another motel in town, The Rock, newly remodeled, 505-847-2577, and there is camping nearby. The Shaffer is lovely; they did a great restoration a couple of years ago. Bad news is no dogs allowed, in rooms or in the Gazebo. The Rock may allow animals, not sure. Another motel, Turner Inn, 847-0248, has RV hook-ups, welcomes tent camping and advertises as "pet friendly."

[Ed note: the Shaffer cannot legally keep out guide or other licensed service dogs. Personally, I'd love to see readers & visitors with guide or other service dogs as a lesson & reminder to the Shaffer management]

Look forward to seeing you on the 25th or before. Let's do an anti-rain dance and hope for cool, clear sunny weather! Dale

Map and directions

another trip around the bend

Sharefest, Thursday August 23.

I don't know much more about that what is already out on flyers about town. The timing seems somehow ill-considered what with Sunflower lurking around the corner and Tuesday having been such a full, full day

Sunflower Saturday August 25.

Venues: Dr Saul Community Center; faux town square (street blocked off in front of Town Hall); (the former) art alley bizarre (alt.sunflower & House of Cards hdqtrs); Shaffer Hotel; Jackas Junctio Depot on Hwy 60E; Out of Tyme Shoppe on Hwy 55N; storefronts on Broadway (the name "broadway," originally, would you believe, originates as a nautical term)

Estancia Biomass: State Board Will Support An Air Quality Permit (from NM biomass blog)

Proposed biomass power plant south of Estanica appears to be back on track. State Environment Department general counsel Tracy Hughes said Tuesday the department will support granting an air quality permit for the plant

Whack-a-mole at the Shaffer - yet another management change. Maybe I should stop listing manager names on the chamber membership page. This time, new managers are a local couple. Could there be something to the whispering about a curse?

spoken word & sunflower

Spoken Word, as manifested at the annual Poets & Writers Picnic, is somehow both part and not part of sunflower. This year is PWP's 10th birthday. It not only predates sunflower but has also managed to keep the same name. Rather than alloting PWP a subordinate role, we might more accurately categorize it as a separate event running concurrently with Sunflower, however designated in any given year. Sunflower's relatively recent re-designation as "folk art" raised poet-organizer eyebrows at the time. Listed / promoted as "spoken word" rather than "poetry reading," PWP is, however, on solid ground (in both current and traditional practice and even academically) as a venue for "contemporary oral folk art." Not a quilt or retablo to be sure, but a folk art nonetheless.

Before getting into who will be speaking the spoken word (many of the usual suspects have been rounded up, along with new ones), what is spoken word anyway and how does it differ from just poetry or reading poetry?

In the meantime - images from last year

According to the ubiquitous wikepedia, "Spoken word is a form of literary art or artistic performance in which lyrics, poetry, or stories are spoken rather than sung. Spoken-word is often done with a musical background, but emphasis is kept on the speaker."

How then does spoken word relate to slam and to other past & present manifestations of oral tradition? Or does it?

Performance poetry, where a poet either reads previously-published poems, or reads poems specifically written to be performed aloud, is probably the more common spoken word performances. Another, recently gaining popularity but in truth tracing back to wicked 17th c. & earlier verse satire, is political and social commentary. While still prose, it is more artistic than typical speech. Spoken word artists are often poets and musicians. Spoken word gained notoriety & popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s through the emergence of "poetry slams," where spoken word artists would square off in cabaret-style duels. These go back even further to "playing the dozens" & flyting - and are kin to still vital corridista tradition. http://www.msu.edu/~miazgama/spokenword.htm

Article from the Center for Studies in Oral Tradition about bertsolaritza, the improvised contest poetry from Basque oral tradition. http://oraltradition.org/articles/2006/01/03/basque-oral-poetry-championship

Imagine poets as national cultural heroes. Imagine selling 13,025 tickets for oral poetry. Imagine further an entire 6-7 hours of live performances broadcast on regional television as they happen, with excerpts, summaries, and expert commentary on national television. The rules for competitive bertsolaritza are at once straightforward and extremely demanding. An emcee reads a topic or prompt to the contestants, who then have a few seconds – usually less than a minute – to assemble an 8-12-line poem along the pattern of a prescribed verse form that also involves a rhyme scheme. Melodies are chosen from among hundreds of traditional tunes. In other words, poets must fit their unique, never before realized ideas into a highly complex framework of rules and patterns, and they must accomplish all these tasks concurrently in extemporaneous performance. That’s a lot of balls to keep in the air all at once, so bertsolariak must be expert jugglers.

More articles on oral poetryhttp://oraltradition.org/articles/

Poetry Slam, Spoken Word & the Current Poetry Renaissance http://poetry.about.com/library/weekly/topicsubspoken.htm

Spoken word is often characterized as poetry reclaiming its oral roots. If so. then why the hesitation in taking the next step - acknowledging it as verbal folk art.

What is the difference between a poet and a spoken word artist? Between a reading and a performance? From http://www.thegreenguide.org/article/arts/written:

Spoken word has been around a lot longer than the written word. Spoken word can be traced back to a long-practiced art form that is rooted in the oral traditions of many cultures. Before written language was introduced, one generation passed on their oral history to the next with storytelling; they kept this conversation going with rhythm, music and dance. It was a way to keep the memories alive through the generations, but also a way to take people to another place, sustain them during troubled times and give them hope and love.

Spoken word as it is practiced today retains those same elements of connection. There seems to be a bit of a divide, though, between the academic world and the spoken word movement. Most colleges don't "teach" the art of spoken word. It's usually something you have to experience on your own out in the community.

Associations supporting spoken word as a legitimate art form define it as "the rhythmically-based performance of poetry and the continually innovative marriages of poetry and music...[spoken word] has indeed become the voice of the times, and the artists, the voice of the community. As the poets of the Harlem Renaissance spoke for and about their time, the Beat poets for theirs, and the Black Arts Movement artists for the 1960's and 1970's - the spoken word artists today speak for ours."

just around the corner... or is it the bend?

Tomorrow, August 20, P & M groundbreaking celebrations & honorifics for Sen Domenici... also further biomass hearings at the Civic Center in Moriarty, which may continue on to the following day.

Thursday, August 23: Sharefest. Open mic & more at the community center. First monthly Open Mic Night at the Dr Saul Community Center, to become a monthly event, every third Thursday. Live music - everyone encouraged to bring an instrument. Bring your crafts for raffle or doorprizes, covered dish or something from the garden to share. Organized by iCreate , Inc. and the Town of Mountainair. Call Kay Stillion, 847-2301, for more information.

And slouching toward Mountainair for Saturday August 25, our Annual Sunflower Whatever.

Sunflowers II by Melody Jackson

sunflower art: applique quilt

Last year it was the Annual Sunflower Folk Art Day. This year it is the "9th Annual Sunflower Folk Art Festival." How can that be when this is the first year sunflower something is a "folk art festival"? It has gone under sundry names and is, nonetheless, Mountainair's 9th Annual Sunflower event, not a rose but surely a sunflower by any other name.

You've seen the flyers. Most activities / sunflower features are repeats. In days to come, we'll review them (- with pics where available - and links to last year's sunflowering (aka hic jacet sunflower). For now, let me touch briefly on features either new to this year's sunflower occasion or not included on flyer.

• chili cook-off replaces last year's sunflower recipe competition. Who knows? Maybe someone will concoct an irresistible sunflower chili... Entry forms push-pin published & widely distributed about town
• library book sale - a new selection of books not offered for sale before as well as the familiar new books table and books by the bag. Large selection of children's books.
• alt.sunflower - same formula as alt.tour, art alley bizarre & other locations. Susan Lone Eagle Miller is a library volunteer and helps with the book sale so will have her table of Native American crafts there - pouches, dreamcatchers and more. By it's very nature & indeed definition, "alt.sunflower" is more free for all, not yielding to taxonomy, thus rendering advance descriptions problematic. I'll do what I can. In the meantime, embrace the mystery!
• children's sunflower art displayed in storefronts about town - not new but not on the flyer - not to worry - this integral part of sunflower will be there. Can someone please take pictures?
• sunflower themed window displays - a moderate garnishing of sunflowers at Cowboy's and Rose's, Uncle Walter's still waiting in the wings. So far, Treasures of the Gypsy trumps them all.
• grand opening of Jackass Junction Depot (more or less official) - refreshments, perhaps even sunflower garnished longears - watch for flyers, more info here as it comes my way.

Not to mention rounding up all the usual suspects... hat contest, retablo show, crafts & vendors at the community center, continuing Cibola "Sunflower Power" group show, food (btw burfers are back), live music, 10th Annual Poets & Writers Picnic at the Shaffer, usw.

What is this?

Stay tuned...

Yet more sunflowers... you'll note I've again changed the images in the right hand column. And will be changing them again. More too: Tamra Hays (Hays Travel) started a sunflower file on her flickr site and generously offered, "If you see anything there, feel free to take it." Don't miss her pictures of Gustin's brands collection. Tamra & Michael will miss sunflower but are still contributing...

notes from the eco-front

Recyle plastic right here in Mountainair -

P & M Signs collects hard plastic (milk bottles, water & soft drink bottles, etc.) No plastic bags (but there are crafts you can use them for). Just take your plastic to P&M - open door and hand them over. The collection process may eventually be forced by necessity to become more sophisticated, but for now it's just that simple. So do it.

Meeting about Estancia Biomass , August 20-21, Moriarty Civic Center.

Don't forget to carpool or ride share. I can't say for sure how much biomass / Domenici crossover there is. My guess would be, not much. It's a schedule conflict (something we have less of here than in more frenetically paced places): the meeting is the same day that the Town of Mountainair has designated "Sen. Pete Domenici Day" (even though the schedule looks a lot more Phil than Pete).

Oral, non-technical testimony will be taken at 11:00 AM and 4 PM on Monday August the 20th at the Civic Center in Moriarity (202 Broadway). Brevity & concision recommended, but you can bring supporting materials to enter into the record. You can also submit written testimony of any length at the hearing or up to the hearing date by mail to:

Board Administrator, Joyce Medina
Attn: Case No. 07-04(A)
P.O. Pox 26110
Santa Fe , NM 87502

Or by e-mail to: joyce.medina@state.nm.us.

TerraPass - what is TerraPass?

Eliminate your carbon footprint with TerraPass: The first step you can take to fight global warming is to reduce your carbon footprint through conservation. Drive less. Turn down the thermostat. Buy locally produced goods. Then use TerraPass to reduce your carbon footprint all the way to zero. When you buy a TerraPass, your money funds renewable energy projects such as wind farms. These projects result in verified reductions in greenhouse gas pollution. And these reductions counterbalance your own emissions.

CO2 Calculator

The SafeClimate carbon footprint calculator allows you to determine carbon dioxide emissions from major sources: home energy consumption and transportation by car and plane

Recycling for beauty - this came up on the Google Alert for "folk art" that I subscribe to.

Albuquerque artist Erin Adams has designed a series of tiles from recycled glass & aluminum, road scholar blog ("stuff found on the highway of life") describes them as "an eclectic aesthetic ... fusing urban influences with whimsical folk art style....sandblasted aluminum and glass tiles are created from recycled materials, in collaboration with alumillenium tile of mexico....all aluminum used is recycled, and the oil used to heat up the metal during production is recycled from automobiles." Perhaps the glass as well. Don't take the road scholar's word for it though. Check them out for yourself at Adams' website

Attitudinally green columns by Mr Green (Bob Schildgen) in Sierra Club Magazine - also at These Green Times (love child of former Berkeley alternate press rag & more recently blog, Mindfield)

Got a question on any environmental topic? Ask Sierra's attitudinal advice columnist, Mr. Green. No subject is too challenging, wonky, lame, or otherwise unwelcome. Whether your inquiry is about environmental philosophy and literature or how to build a deck without destroying a forest, Mr. Green wants to hear from you.

"Honor Thy Ancestors" and more articles by Bob Schildgen in These Green Times

Kathleen's CD Release Party

submitted by Kathleen (Ryan) Clute

Hi everybody,

Rejoice: My Christmas CD, The Rebirth of Light, is arriving this week! I know you’ve been hearing about this for a while now, and I’m thrilled to be able to say the new CD really exists! Aaaaahhhhh!

To celebrate, Alan & I are having a release party for The Rebirth of Light, next Tuesday evening, August 21, here at our house, 7 to 8:30 pm. There will be wine & cheese & CDs for sale for $12 plus tax, a special release party sale price that will run for a couple of weeks. So come on out to our house to celebrate and also to buy your own copy of some truly great Christmas music. Maybe even to buy a few gift CDs.

We look forward to partying with you next Tuesday evening.

Kathleen

RSVP: 847-0306

PS: If you don’t want to purchase my CD, come party with us regardless. If you want to buy it but not next week, or you can’t make it to the party, I’m keeping it at $12 until Wednesday, September 5th but only if you buy it directly from me & I don’t need to mail it to anyone. After that, The Rebirth of Light will cost $15. So don’t put off purchasing it too long!

http://www.kathleenryan.com/

Jackass Junction is Open!

submitted by Maureen Hamilton

It's been almost seven years, but we are finally getting Jackass Junction Depot open. With a focus on horse equipment, railroading antiques, books, vintage clothing and boots, and other Western Americana collectibles, Jackass Junction will not only be a shopping destination but also a fun place to visit. Stop and pet the real donkeys, watch the trains run (both model and BNSF), browse the books or sit on the old-fashioned porches out front and back.

Located on US 60 just east of Mountainair and across from Turner's Inn.

We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express, and have gift certificates if you're not ready to make up your mind. The Depot provides layaway and antique appraising. We also accept consignment items, subject to approval.

Jackass Junction is the home of Maureen & Neil Hamilton, who have 30+ years as professionals in the equine industry. If you want tack appraised, are looking for something special equine-related or just want to brag about your horse, stop on by! The coffee's always on.

Neil & Maureen Hamilton

Web page: http://www.jackassjunction.biz/;

email jackass_junction@yahoo.com;

tel# 505-847-0006;

accepting Visa, Master Card, Discover, American Express, PayPal

Look for the open sign on the gate! Please park in front of the Depot rather than our main gate.

Sunflower Day Images

Images, sunflowers. The sunflowers are out now. There are sunflowers along the country roads. A riot of sunflowers greets anyone driving through Loma Parda. There are sunflowers at the Mountainair Community Library and sunflowers in other gardens throughout town. The ones blooming in Deb Vetterman's Beal St front yard are impressive. The question remains: will there still be sunflowers come Sunflower Folk Art Day?

Perhaps enterprising sunflower day acolytes should be collecting and drying sunflowers just in case. Instructions (from the University of Kansas of course) for the interested.

Let's not forget digitally saving sunflowers now in bloom. Take pictures and send them to me for blogging -email to vcrary@yahoo.com

Sunflower has images coming and going. Although I am not entirely sure which would be THE Sunflower Folk Art Day "official" image, ALL the images below are associated with Sunflower 2007, more or less officially. Interestingly, the images cover a wide range of sunflowers in authentic folk art expression: traditional American (Meg's art quilt, incorporating design elements of traditional sunflower quilts); Hispanic (Marie's sunflower retablo); Native American (Susan's guard art spirit doll); "contemporary" (sunflower t-shirt).

Nor do the images assembled below exhaust our "bank" of images associated with Sunflower Day events - alt.sunflower notecards & magnets; sunflower ATCs; Uncle Walter's "sunflower babies"; images associated with the Poets & Writer's Picnic (gazebo, sunflower ATCs & Shaffer gate with sunflowers). Watch for those to be featured in future sunflower blogging.

Sunflowers, Barbara Montgomery: image for

Sunflower Folk Art Day t-shirt

Cibola "Sunflower Power" group show

Sunflower Spirit Doll, Susan Probert

St Teresa, Sunflower Retablo, Marie Luna

Sunflower Raffle Quilt,

art quilt by Meg Chobanian, QExpeditions

Sr Games 2007 - Team Mountainair

Results by location (Mountainair)

arts & the local

Sunflowers on the Shaffer's wild folk art garden gate,

photo by Sharon Niederman

Recently I've blogged less about arts. So where are they? Partly it's a hiatus and change of pace before going after sunflower like killing snakes (Southernism meaning once you start, you can't stop until you finish) or cleaning closets. Musing on the "arts" in Mountainair Arts lead me to look at definitions

Definition of arts from Princeton University: "humanistic discipline: studies intended to provide general knowledge and intellectual skills (rather than occupational or professional skills)." Yeah, I'd say that more than covers us (me & bloggie mcgee). More up my alley too.

That's it for "arts" this go-round. In the meantime... here's some local (which according to many is not just local but global & to Daniel Moynihan, "all politics are local.")

Tuesday August 7, 2007: Chamber of Commerce luncheon meeting at the Shaffer Hotel. Rescheduling from evening to midday luncheon meeting perked up chamber attendance. Meetings of yore had an unfortunate reputation for running too long and being either boring or contentious. No longer so. The meeting marches along briskly, following the agenda without digression. Prez Dorothy Cole speaks softly but carries a large mallet.

Additionally, the program for each meeting includes 1-2 brief presentations by business and organization members. August presenters were Scott Remmich on B Street Market and Larry Archuleta (Phil's brother-in-law) on P & M Signs, Mountainair's largest private employer, plant expansion and upcoming (August 20th) ground breaking festivities.

More announcements of interest but the notes did not make it with me to the library and will have to wait. Besides, this past meeting packed enough into just one hour to warrant a separate report including high points & announcements, which I'll try to get to - no promises though. After all, you can always check out a meeting for yourself. Maybe next time chamberly ptbs will send me an advance agenda and names of guest presenters to blog and further whet your interest.

I've been enjoying visiting & chatting with the Shaffer's new manager, Seneca Tomallo. I've met Senceca's toddler daughter too and look forward to meeting his wife Kate, an artist who is busy, busy commuting to work in abqq (IT support) and classes at UNM. Kate missed getting in on the arts tour, but maybe we'll see her work at Sunflower. I plan to blogzibit her work as welcome to Mountainair gesture and so you can all have a look.

Saturday August 4, 2007: Unofficial opening of the Depot at Jackass Junction, US 60E, across from Turner Inn. Invitation only but serendipitious drop-ins welcomed. When I get pictures, there will be a separate review with pictures and an official grand opening with all the bells 'n whistles. Until then - no regular set hourse. If the open sign is up, come on in. Please park in front of the Depot (store) and not the main gate. A treat and definitely worth checking out ahead of the official opening. Aesthetician and art critic Walter Benjamin was not into Americana and the culture of the American West but surely would pronounce Maureen and Neil Hamilton's Depot as authentic and having aura.

Estancia Biomass Plant continues to be focus of discussion, dissension, controversy and strong feelings. Whatever your position, be sure it is an informed one and that you are doing your own homework instead of taking someone else's word without checking it out for yourself.

Alas neither position explores Rogerian approach or otherwise looks for middle ground both sides could live with. Hard questions could and should be asked all the way around - with zero tolerance for evasion and logical fallacies (which abound partout, thriving like evil and the proverbial green bay tree).

Next biomass plant hearing: Aug. 20 and 21 at the Moriarty Civic Center, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. If ou attend the meeting, be sure to carpool to keep your CO2 footprint eco-appropriate. If you can't, then write, call, e-mail or fax your indubitably well-informed opinion.

The board can choose to do one of four things with Curry's decision: overturn it, uphold it, modify if or send it back to Curry with directions for further consideration.... Three parties will present technical testimony at the hearing in August: Western Water & Power, NMED and Forest Guardians. Members of the public who wish to testify at the hearing must be sworn in by the court reporter. Everyone testifying will be subject to cross examination by anyone who is a part of the proceeding. "More than likely we will make a decision at the Sept. 12 meeting," [EIB vice chairman and hearing officer Gregory] Green said, referring to the next regularly scheduled EIB meeting. Depending on the complexity of the issue -- and if there are more people who want to testify -- Green is willing to leave the meeting open and schedule more days of hearings.

Articles & April blog with links to online resources

• "Biomass plant hits snag" (from Associated Press in the Santa Fe New Mexican) + comments from NM readers
  
• Estancia Biomass Makes National News. Energy Central Network, which has around 40000 subscribers in the renewable energy industry, published an AP article yesterday about the difficulty faced in bringing biomass energy development to New Mexico.
  
• More resources from April 2007 blog post: Biomass reminder & more
  

ALL Results for 2007 NM Senior Olympic Games - searchable by name, category, event, city: http://www.nmseniorolympics.org/db/_results_list.php

S.H.A.R.E. deadline for ordering locally, Friday August 10, 2007. Call Shirley Jones, 847-0114, or email shobomntnr@aol.com. You can order online at http://www.sharecolorado.com/ through August 17 for August 25 pickup at the Nazarene Church of the Nazarene. A look at the August menu will show how much choice and higher end items (produce, grill boxes, steak packages, a la carte items) this program offers. Combine B St Market + SHARE + Mountain Friends (coop buyers group) to eliminate those onerous, time & energy wasting trips to grocer in another county.

Chagrin & Grice

Chagrin: remember my writing last week about plans to ride the bus to Belen, visit the Farmers Market, the Friends of the Library table at the market, and to report back? Since 5:15 am is so very early in the morning, I called TCPO at 832-0332 to make sure there would be a bus. I was informed there would not be. Not that Friday, not the next week or in the forseeable future.

Yes, we have no bus service from Mountainair to Belen & the Rail Runner.

Service was discontinued because no one showed up to ride the bus, TCPO to GO can't offer services that are not used, no matter how much they ought to be. Where were the supporters and boosters of the environment and cleaner air who should have been lining up in droves to support it? I certainly hope they were not driving to meetings about saving the environment!

Why didn't the bus service take off as intended and surely hoped?

No telling for sure. Perhaps 5 days a week was a tad ambitious for starting it. 1-2 times per week and not so early in the morning might have worked better. Most everyone heard from is bummed out about the discontinuation. However, they also said they did not even know the bus was running and asked why the service had been not more effectively promoted. I can't answer that one either but suspect some entity or other on this end may have promised TCPO that it would be but did not follow through. Perhaps 10 days was not a suffient trial.

Does this mean the end of bus service to Belen and connecting to Rail Runner? Easy and quick travel to Albuquerque and eventually even Santa Fe without driving... Mountainair has not had that since the days of passenger rail service.

No, not according to Flo Maze who coordinates the program at TCPO (Torrance County Project Office). If there is sufficient demand, service can be reinstituted. I'd hazard the guess that if we demand it and get it again, we'd better use it - or run the risk of losing it for good.

So how can we show there is demand? TELL THEM SO. Don't wait for Town Hall & the Council to do it for you:

• Email Transportation Coordinator Flo Maze - fmaze@lobo.net
• Call TCPO to GO at 505-832-0332
• Fax them at 505-832-0601
• Write them surface mail: PO Box 177, Moriarty NM 87035
• Set out petitions at various locations around town
• Set up and send out an online petition

And "grice"? The plural of mouse is mice. You figure it out.

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Upcoming on the original Mountainair Arts ... reviewing a new business in town, Sunflower Folk Art Day images (or at least the ones I've been sent - workaround being an apparently lost art), sunflowers in art, folk art pages, catching up with the Poets & Writers Picnic and more.

In the meantime, check out changes in the right hand column of the blog... new sunflower links section, frequently changed sunflowers in art image. Do you have a favorite sunflower picture? Please share it with Mountainair Arts by sending it to me at vcrary@yahoo.com

Classes at UpHi

UpHi Net at 118 W. Broadway offers more than high speed public access computers. They also offer a variety of computer and computer related classes throughout the year, with increased offerings available during the summer.

Computer related classes include basic e-mail (Roy Kirby), computer fundamentals for all ages(Tanya Petersen, Shining Photos & Nanci Lambert), digital photography & cameras (Tanya Petersen), Power Point (Nanci Lambert), Intro Desktop Publishing (Roy Kirby), building web pages, computing for a home business, creating documents, MS Office, classes for youth and more.

UpHi also hosts Joan Page's ongoing & computer supported GED class. The specially equipped computer classroom, used for both GED and computer classes, has 10 student computers and an instructor computer all with high speed internet access, white board projector screen with built in features to enhance teaching and learning. GED classes are self-paced to suit individual learning styles and skill levels. Best of all, they are FREE.

Courses are scheduled according to community needs and local demand. Course fees range from $50 - $100 depending on content, enrollment and length of course - except for GED, of course, which is always free.

Looking for a specific class, including custom designed classes or workshops for a group or organization? Just ask.

Call (505) 847-0044 for additional information or to enroll in a class.

More about courses and menu to detailed class descriptions

Up & Coming

Just around the corner...

The ubiquitous week-end yard sales. If you missed the notices in the post office, Gustin's, grocery or laundry, you can always spot a bunch just driving around town. If you let me know about yours, I will blog it. Otherwise, getting blogged is pure serendipity.

Of particular note this Friday: Eugenia has been sorting, sorting, and is actually parting with stuff. If Mountainair still had a newspaper, this would not just be blogged but a headline event. All day Friday & maybe extending to Saturday. 309 Corbett (aka the old Talbot place). Not that anyone should need an address to find - or recognize - Eugenia's.

Another yard sale - Saturday, Phyllis Kuvene, 309 Manzano (corner of Pinon & Manzano, aka old Fisher house).

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Last post was announcing Michael Chapdelaine's concert Sunday at the Shaffer Gazebo. So don't miss it.

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Judy Mowris sends PR for "Desert Sunrise Coffeehouse," her daughter's new Abqq coffeehouse - Duke City Fix » Buzzing in the Ranchos. Next time you are in the North Valley area of Abqq, drop by 7015 4th St NW (in Los Ranchos, less than a mile north of Osuna) for coffee and a snack - and to admire Judy's distinctive decorative efforts.

Incidentally, Duke City Fix is an interesting & informative site, mostly about Aqq goings on but occasionally mentioning Mountainair (under category of road trips to quaint back area parts). Since it's sort of a blog, I'll try to remember to add it to NM blogroll.

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Tomorrow I'm off to the wilds of Belen. Trying out the Torrance county bus (TCPO TO GO) connecting to Belen Rail Runner. Altogether too too early - the bus leaves Ancient Cities at 5:15 am, arriving Belen at 6:30 am. Rather than continuing onto the Rail Runner, I'll spend the day visiting friend & former academic colleague Karen O'Kain (fortunately a morning person) before catching the return bus to Mountainair around 6:30 pm. A long day indeed.

I am, however, looking forward to checking out the Belen Farmers' Market and asking how who & how they got it started. This is yet another idea Dennis and I have been tossing about. We're not the only ones either. Over the years quite a few people have talked about getting Farmer's & Flea Mkts going here. The more input & ideas the better.

We'll be spending time there since this Friday is Karen's day to staff the Belen Friends of the Library table at the Farmers Market in Anna Becker Park. The table is a major library fund raiser as well as an effective means to "re-locate" de-accessioned books.

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Next week will be time to start plumping Sunflower Folk Art Day. Reminders, descriptions, march of the poets (bios, etc), events, and so forth. Lots of pictures - there are after all at least FOUR sunflower images "officially" associated with the day: spirit doll; retablo; raffle quilt; and t-shirt.

And "alt.sunflower" as well. Banners, logo (see them on Judy's sunflower fridge magnets) & other sunflower art by Straw Mountain Studio.

In addition to items previously blogged and listed on Sunflower page, the library is having another blow out book sale. By-the-bag specials. Bring your own bags or use theirs. More details to follow...

Sunday Guitar Concert

Free Guitar Concert Sunday

Michael Chapdelaine, whose concert last summer was a whomping success, returns Sunday, August 5, 2007, at 2 pm in the Shaffer Hotel Garden

Michael Chapdelaine's honors include:

• Winner, 1998 National Fingerpicking Championship


• Winner, Guitar Foundation of America International Classical Guitar Competition
  

Seating provided, or bring your own chair!

Presented by the Manzano Mountain Art Council

(PS - we'd link the poster for you to download but it's such a memory hog that I didn't upload it for linking - and can't upload to either image or document sharing sites. Besides, dealing with .pdf annoys me)

Central Avenue: monthly reading & final issue

submitted by Dale Harris

Join us TOMORROW for Central Avenue's regular monthly poetry reading, Tursday, August 2 at 7 pm at Winning Coffee Co. , 111 Harvard SE, Albuquerque, 1/2 block so. of Central in the University area. Open mic, free admission. Central Avenue Poetry Magazine issue for this month is released at the reading, free to contributors who are featured that month or $3. per issue.

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Traveling poet Logan Phillips returns to Central Avenue as our feature after the open mic - those of you who know him from other visits will want to hear about his adventures living in Mexico this past year. His ebullience and well-crafted writing make him a memorable performer. More about Logan at his website

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Central Avenue current and recent issues are on sale at two locations in Albuquerque:

1) at Page One Bookstore & Newstand in the magazine section. Page One is located in Albuquerque's NE Heights, at 11018 Montgomery NE, at the corner of Montgomery & Juan Tabo, 294-2026. It is an independently owned, locally based store that is very supportive of local writers.

2) also at Schelu Gallery, 306 San Felipe St. NW just off the plaza in Old Town, 765-5869. Stop in and enjoy their beautiful handcrafted gifts!

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Central Avenue plans a "wrap" with the November 2007 issue so is not accepting any further new poetry submissions or subscriptions from this point on. It has been a great run of 5 years and we thank the community of Central Avenue poets for their incredible support!

Dale, Bob & Cathy

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[Ed Note: more about Central Avenue]

• article about Central Avenue Poetry Magazine in Daily Lobo (2003)