Mountain View Telegraph 2010-11 Visitors Guide

Explore!
The East Mountains & Estancia Valley
2010 -11 Visitors Guide

www.cityofmoriarty.org
Sponsored by:
• Comfort Inn • Motel 6 • Best Western • Lariat Motel • Luxury Inn

Lodgers Tax • Moriarty RV Park • Ponderosa Motel • Sunset Motel • Super 8
202 S. Broadway
Moriarty, NM
(505) 832-1719 Civic Center
Fax (505) 832-5262
The Perfect Place for all Special Occasions
From a Small Gathering of Friends to a Large Conference of 450
Kitchen Facilities Meeting Rooms
• Health Department approved
• Suitable for breakfast, lunch, dinner • From large to small
and snacks • Spacious, with
excellent acoustics that
work with your sound
Banquet Hall system or ours
• AV equipment also
• Seating to 400 available
• Complete with stage for VIP guests, DJ & band
• Catering to meet your needs
Ken Patel Moriarty CoMfort inn

General Manager
119 Route 66 East
Super 8 - Moriarty P.O. Box 280
1611 Rt 66 West Moriarty, New Mexico 87035
Moriarty, New Mexico 87035 Phone 505.832.6666
505-832-6730 fax 505-832-6730 Fax 505.832.1282
[email protected] e-mail [email protected]
By Ch o i Ce h ot e l s
www.super8.com
Operated under a franchise agreement with Super 8 Worldwide, Inc. ChoiCehotel s.Com
111 Anaya Blvd • P.O. Box 2295

Moriarty, NM 87035
phone: 505-832-6000 fax: 505-832-5005
Come for the Hospitality

Stay for the sunset.
Chuckwagon Saturday Nights
Lisa’s
7pm • June 12-Sept. 4
World Blacksmith Championship
Competition & Horse Fair
June 11, 12, 13
Bears, Blues and Wolves
Saturday, July 17 • 10am-4pm • Regular Admission Truck cenTer
8th Annual Music Festival
Aug. 6 • Barn Dance at 7pm with Syd Master & The Swing Riders
Aug. 7 • Music starts at 11am & goes till 9pm on two stages Full service
Aug. 8 • Bluegrass Gospel Music starting at 11am
Harvest Festival
restaurant
Aug. 28 & 29 • Enjoy food tasting and food for sale
from local growers
Tractor drive, Old Trucks and Machinery & Run, Rally & Rock Best in Town
Open Daily Summer 10-6 Winter 12-4
281-7655 www.wildlifewest.org 820 E. Central • Moriarty, NM 87035 • 832-4455
Tapia’s plumbing We Cater!

y’s
&
Excavating
Specializing in Septic Tanks rt
Sho Q
BB
Service • inSTallaTion • repairS
We Pre-Cast Our Own Concrete
Septic Tanks - All Sizes
Manufacturer of Septic Tanks
Licensed Plumber • Backhoe Service
505-832-4992 1202 West Rt. 66
or cell 505-249-1613 Moriarty, NM 87035
Mfg Lic # 98-06-163 • Bonded & Insured - Lic # 85427
Serving the East Mountain Area www.Shortys66BBQ.com (505) 832-0400
Austin-Ford Gift Shoppe CJ’s Smoke
jewelry ~ feminique ~ antiques ~ jon hart ~ corpirate
follow Marion’s inspirational, healthful, Shop
and sometimes comical musing on the blog:
www.thenaphtaliexhorter.blogspot.com Be fire safe & smart...
www.austinford.com Keep your butt in your car!
505-832-0346 508A Rt. 66, Moriarty • 832-1518
Hwy #41, Stanley, NM Mon-Fri, 7 am-7 pm Sat, 9 am-7 pm
by appointment only Buy your Lotto tickets here!
TravelCenters of America
Professional
Tattoo Artist
License - TA45
Art Foust
Hours: 264-3139
Thur-Sun Noon-1 pm FULL SERVICE RESTAURANT AND BUFFET
Mon-Wed at the Zone OPEN 24 HOURS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK
By Appt. Only 1700 US ROUTE 66 W. Moriarty NM 87035
on Eubank
505-832-4421
City of Moriarty
2010 -11
Mountain View Telegraph
Explore!
Table of Contents
Map of Turquoise Trail and Salt Missions Trails .......................................................6 P.O. Box 2225, • Moriarty, NM 87035-2225
(505) 823-7100
Turquoise Trail.....................................................................................................8
Tijeras Pueblo......................................................................................................9
T.H. Lang — Publisher
Sandia Mountain Natural History Center ..................................................................9 David B. Puddu — VP/COO
Tijeras Open-Air Market . ....................................................................................10
Rory McClannahan — Editor
Sandia Ski Area..................................................................................................12
[email protected]
Sandia Mountains ..............................................................................................14 Ashley Bergen — Reporter
Tinkertown.........................................................................................................16 [email protected]
Paa-Ko Ridge Golf..............................................................................................18 Harold Smith — Reporter
Madrid .............................................................................................................20 [email protected]
Salt Missions Trails..............................................................................................22 Lee Ross — Reporter
[email protected]
Agriculture.........................................................................................................23
Carolyn Comstock — Advertising
Goats and Cheese..............................................................................................24 [email protected]
Fiber Farms.......................................................................................................26 Beverly trujillo — Advertising
Estancia............................................................................................................27 [email protected]
The Blue Ribbon ...............................................................................................28 Classified Advertising — 823-7100
Punkin Chunkin..................................................................................................28
Mountainair........................................................................................................30
Sunflower Festival...............................................................................................35 Mountain View Telegraph (USPS # 018-451, ISSN #
Rodeo Roundup.................................................................................................36 154-59543) is published weekly by Number Nine Media
Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument...........................................................38 Inc., 7777 Jefferson St. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109.
Land Grant Tradition............................................................................................40 SINGLE COPY 50 cents
Manzano Mountains............................................................................................42 MAIL RATES
In State....$22 per year • Out of State....$45 per year
Apple Farming....................................................................................................44
All mail subscriptions are payable in advance. Ap-
Route 66..........................................................................................................46 plication to mail at Periodical Postage Rates paid at
Wildlife West Nature Park.....................................................................................48 Albuquerque, NM 87103.
Single Action Shooting Society.............................................................................50 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Mountain
Pumpkin Patch...................................................................................................52 View Telegraph, P.O. Box 91480, Albuquerque, NM
Moriarty Civic Center...........................................................................................53 87199-1480.
Letters to the editor and guest columns are welcome
Moriarty Municipal Airport....................................................................................54
and must be signed by the writer and include a
Pinto Bean Fiesta................................................................................................56 telephone number for verification purposes. Letters and
New Mexico National DWI Victims Memorial...........................................................57 columns
Moriarty Auto Museum........................................................................................58 are subject to editing.
Celebrations.......................................................................................................59 Correspondence should be directed to
Event Calendar...................................................................................................61 Mountain View Telegraph, P.O. Box 2225,
Moriarty, NM 87035-2225.
On the Web and Important Numbers.....................................................................62
Phone: 823-7101. Fax: 823-7107.
4 Explore! The East Mountains & Estancia Valley

Sedillo Hill
Rt. 66 Travel Center
I-40 Exit 181
Easy Off and On Ramps
Gateway to:
Historic Rt. 66 World Class Golfing & Skiing in season
Sandia Crest / Tram Ride Tijeras Village & Pueblo Ruins
Turquoise Trail Gas / Diesel
Manzano State Park Beer, Wine, Spirits
Salinas Pueblo National Monument Sunday Liquor Sales 12 noon to closing
Cibola National Forest Trails Ice, Drinks & Snacks
Spanish Land Grant Villages Store Open day light hours
Founder’s Ranch - SASS Pumps open 24/7 with approved cards
Gran Quivira Pueblo Missions Easy RV Turn Around
• Dine-In
• Carry Out
Moriarty • Catering
• Concession Trailer
Heritage Inn Daily Specials
Hours:
7:00am - 9:00 pm
New Mexican & American Foods
111 Anaya Blvd. • P.O. Box 2295
Moriarty, NM 87035
Serving the Daily Buffet 11:00-2:00 Beer
Community
Over Sunday Brunch & All Day Buffet and
Phone: 505-832-5000 50 Years Wine
Friday Night Buffet - Fish & Chicken
Fax: 505-832-5005 1005 Old Route 66 Moriarty, NM • 832-4442
Mike’s
Serv
ing t Frien
he
Hom Estanc dly S
Sunday Package
Liquor Sales
e of ia Va
Disc ShurFin lley Sin
tore
12–6pm ount e ce
Liqu Foods 1949
Large Rental Selection 1111 Old Rt 66 Great Weekly Specials ors
New Releases Moriarty
Monday–Saturday 7:30–7:00 1009 Old Route 66
Every Tuesday 832-0303 Sunday 8:00–6:00 832-4391
Your local
Wells Fargo
team pulls a
lot of weight
Wells Fargo gives you personal attention from people who live
and work in your community. But it also gives you the vast resources
of one of the world’s most sophisticated financial networks.
Both of which help you do a lot more banking in a lot less time.
Tijeras Store • 503 Highway 333 • 505-286-6184

Moriarty Store • 901 Route 66 • 505-832-4436
Edgewood Store • 95 State Rd. 344 • 505-286-4223
Estancia Store • 204 South Fifth Store • 505-384-2734
wellsfargo.com
© 2009 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. (122284_12946)
wellsfargo.com
© 2009 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. (122284_12946)
2010 -11
Turquoise Trail
T
hat the Turquoise Trail is one of to the Rio Grande Portland Cement plant. the town.
New Mexico’s treasures is not in Driving up N.M. 14 from Tijeras you Next on to Cerillos, where the best
question. But the name itself may will pass through the unincorporated com- turquoise in the southwest was once found.
be a bit of a misnomer. munities of San Antonito, Cedar Crest, As you travel up N.M. 14, you will
It is true that turquoise was once mined, San Antonio and Sandia Park. The area eventually come to Santa Fe, the northern
and can still be found in the hills sur- is a mixture of old and new, with historic terminus for the trail. After your day in
rounding Cerillos to the north. But the churches sitting next to modern grocery Santa Fe, you could take Interstate 25 back
trail itself has a history rich in other min- stores. to Albuquerque, but the better thing to do
erals as well as ranching, and currently, Before leaving the Sandia Mountains, would be to take the Turquoise Trail back
recreation. However, you really can’t call the trail takes a detour up the Crest and see all the things you missed the first
the Turquoise Trail the Cement/Skiing/ Highway, which will take visitors past time.
Ranching/Gold/Coal Trail can you? It Tinkertown, several recreation areas, Like we said, the trail is truly one of
doesn’t really roll of the tongue. Sandia Ski Area up to the 10,687 foot New Mexico’s treasures.
The Turqouise Trail was designated as a Sandia Peak.
National Scenic Byway in 2000, the result After your visit to Sandia Peak, con-
of the work of a dedicated group of resi- tinue up N.M. 14 where you will shortly
dents in the Turqouise Trail Association. come upon the mining communities of
But its history stretches back to the first Golden, Madrid and Cerillos. Golden was
settlers in the area. The turquoise and other so named for the gold found nearby. It’s
precious metal found in the Sandia and a quiet little village, but if your timing is
Ortiz Mountains were valued by nomadic right, you can stop by the general store for
and pueblo Indians who made New Mexico a soda pop.
home. The minerals in the hills attracted Madrid was founded as a coal mining
the Spanish and American settlers. community, but is now probably one of the
The 62-mile trail begins in Tijeras, most eclectic little towns in New Mexico.
which has long been a stopping point the There’s entertainment at the MIne Shaft
pass between the Manzano and Sandia Tavern and plenty of shops lining the street
Mountains. The village currently is home selling the wares of the artist residents of

2010 -11
Ancient Pueblo Thrived in Tijeras

A
ncient pueblo ruins in Tijeras,
long a point of interest for area
residents, drew attention from a
much wider audience in 2005.
The Tijeras Pueblo Archaeological Site
was named to the National Register of
Historic Places.
Tijeras Pueblo was one of a handful
of destinations for thousands of pueblo
dwellers when they mysteriously deserted
the sophisticated pueblo cities of the Four
Corners region, such as Mesa Verde.
Tijeras Pueblo was inhabited from about
1300 to about 1425 A.D., and probably had
hundreds of residents at its peak.
There is evidence of a block of 300
rooms, a great kiva and a smaller one
with a mosaic floor, both for ceremonial
purposes.
Tijeras Pueblo is considered a rare
example of a Classic Period settlement.
The architecture and layout of the village
are considered pure, uncompromised by
development from periods after it was
abandoned, including the arrival of the
Spanish conquistadors.
Because of its largely undisturbed
state, Tijeras Pueblo is considered by the
The Friends of the Tijeras Pueblo hold many lectures and classes at the site, including this
National Park Service to be of the highest
one on orienteering.
level of national significance to under-
standing prehistory in the United States. ond phase of construction began in 1390. vation in the 1970s is being held at UNM’s
Tijeras Pueblo rested in a canyon cross- By A.D. 1425, the people of Tijeras had Maxwell Museum until it can be returned
roads that connected it to other villages moved on. to the education building at the site. Most
near and far. Long-term drought through- Some pieces of the Tijeras Pueblo of the pueblo site was reburied after that
out the region forced movement and relo- puzzle were solved during excavations archaeological dig to preserve it.
cation among the pueblo people. conducted over the years by the state Tijeras Pueblo is located behind the
People from the Rio Grande Valley may of New Mexico and the Albuquerque Sandia Ranger District office on N.M. 337,
also have been attracted to this new upland Archaeological Society.
community. Abundant rain favored the vil- a half-mile south of Interstate 40 in Tijeras.
The University of New Mexico
lage as it grew. The area boasted plentiful The self-guided trail is open to the pub-
Archaeological Field School returned to
game and many wild plants that the pueblo lic from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 8:30
Tijeras Pueblo to conduct extensive exca-
people depended on to survive. The pueblo vations from 1971 to 1976. a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.
people also planted fields of corn among Today a large grass-covered mound is The trail begins at the ranger station and
the native stands of pinon and juniper. the only visible evidence of the 200-plus- is approximately one-third of a mile long.
Archaeological evidence indicates that room pueblo. After excavation, the ruins It is an easy trail and is mostly accessible
Tijeras Pueblo was partially abandoned were reburied to protect the site from to wheelchairs.
after A.D. 1368. Many families left the destruction by wind, rain and other forces. The Friends of Tijeras Pueblo also has
community, and for about 20 years the An extensive collection of artifacts a Web site at www.friendsoftijeraspueblo.
pueblo remained relatively empty. A sec- gathered at Tijeras Pueblo during an exca- org.
Explore! The East Mountains & Estancia Valley 9
2010 -11
Summer Art Treasures Found in Tijeras

Explore and
Learn at
Secluded Preserve
T
ake some time this summer
to develop your inner Davy
Crockett.
On the first Saturday of every month
from March through September, you
can learn a new outdoor skill at the
Sandia Mountain Natural History
Center.
You’ll do things like track animals
Artist David Lloyd Stewart talks about his sculpture, “Muse,” at the Tijeras Open-Air Mar- through the pinon and juniper forests
ket. The market runs every weekend from May to October. of the Sandias, spot birds like the
A
rosey finch, find your way with map
nna King is an artist with a
and compass or just play around with
background in business. Getting Around your GPS.
Other than running her own
TIJERAS You can even amaze your friends
businesses in the East Mountains for 23
The Tijeras passage, between the Sandia by naming plants or digging up edible
years, King hasn’t put that business acu-
onions in the Sandias, or even tell
men to work. and Manzano Mountains, was the Anasazi
them which spiders are poisonous.
Three years ago, after realizing that she gateway to the Rio Grande Valley.
Chris Modelski, who is in charge
was unable to create as much as her own In 1819, Albuquerque families settled in the of the First Saturday Series, said the
work as before, King said she struck on a area, and by the mid 1930s, Tijeras was program is the nature center’s version
way to help other artists and put her busi- one of the primary population centers on of an open house.
ness skills to work. the east side of the Sandia Mountains. The “We’re just trying to get more
King started the Tijeras Open-Air village of Tijeras was incorporated in 1973. exposure,” Modelski said. “We have
Market during the summer of 2005 at her really nice facilities here, so we figure
The village is the southern terminus for the
Just Imagine Gallery on Old Route 66. the more people that use it the better.”
Turquoise Trail.
The market is essentially a juried art show The center has seven miles of main-
every weekend. tained trails, including two self-guided
“I just wanted to provide a place for tours. Inside the facilities are five
artists to market their work,” King said. “It really is just a fun time,” King said.
“We’re starting to get a reputation for being classrooms and two exhibit rooms
“We want people to know that he artists with permanent displays.
who display during the market are of the a great show.” One of the rooms has interactive
highest quality.” The Tijeras Open-Air Market run every exhibits and activities for all ages and
King said there are literally “hundreds year from May through October. The mar- the other, called the Eco Casa, fea-
of artists” who set up in the 40 booths. ket is open each Saturday and Sunday from tures conservation exhibits focusing
The artists rotate through the market each 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Just Imagine Gallery on energy, water and waste.
Saturday and Sunday from May through The center also has a bird viewing
is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9
October. That means visitors can find area.
something different each weekend. a.m. to 6 p.m.
“Boy Scouts try to get a few badges
In addition to the art, the Tijeras Open- For more information, call King at 281- out of the way in one day here,”
Air Market features local musicians per- 9611 or go online to www.justimaginegal-
Continued on page 11
forming and selling music, food and coffee. lery.com.

Continued from page 10
Modelski said.
Owned by Albuquerque Public Schools and
operated by the New Mexico Museum of Natural
History and Science, the center is located in Cedar
Crest, just off North N.M. 14 up the hill behind
Coffee at Dawn.
Built in 1967, the center was originally run by
the Albuquerque Public Schools district, which still
owns the land and contributes money for transpor-
tation and staffing. Since an APS funding cutback
in 1991, the center has operated with the help of
the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and
Science. The center serves more than 10,000 stu-
dents a year, according to the museum Web site.
The First Saturday Series, which goes from
March to September, was started in the summer of
2005. The facilities are also available for ecology
and natural history classes, school field trips and
can be rented out to private groups as well.
The all-day rate for groups of 15 people or less
costs $30 and each additional person is $2. Guided
programs are $34 for groups of up to 15 and for
groups over 15 it is $3 for each additional person.
For more information contact Modelski at 281-
5259, e-mail [email protected] or visit
www.nmnaturalhistory.org and search for Sandia
Mountain Natural History Center. The Sandia Mountain Natural History Center is a perfect place for familes to learn
about wildlife and man’s interaction with animals first-hand.
Davis Estancia Valley

505-281-4072
Catholic Parish
• Lawn & Garden
• Paint and 12168 N Highway 14
Painting supplies
• Electrical and Cedar Crest, NM Serving Edgewood, Estancia, Moriarty & Tajique
Plumbing supplies Saints Peter

• Hand Tools San Antonio
• Power Tools and Paul
101 S. Ninth, Estancia 8566 Hwy. 55, Tajique
Mass Sunday 11:30 am - Mass Sunday 9:30 am
bilingual
St. Elizabeth Our Lady of

Ann Seton Mount Carmel
85 Hwy. 344, Edgewood 215 Girard, Moriarty
Mass Sunday 8 am & Mass Saturday 5:30 pm
4 Friendly locations to serve you: Elayne Biscamp, RPh 5:30 pm & Sunday 10 am
7010 Central SE, Suite B 5740 Night Whisper NW, Ste 110 Nathan Wildenstein, C-PhT
Albuquerque, NM 87108 Albuquerque, NM 87114
(505) 255-6111 (505) 828-2348 Please call the Parish Office at 832-6655 for more information
12129 N Hwy 14 600 Central Ave (Route 66) and the Times of Reconciliation.
Cedar Crest, NM 87008
(505) 281-6488
Moriarty, NM 87035
(505) 832-9988
The Parish Office is located at 1400 Third Street South, Moriarty
2010 -11
Downhill Fun Found at Sandia Peak Ski Area
Sandia Peak Ski Area just came off one of its best years. The Area is accessible for the east and west sides of the mountain.
E
ast Mountains residents with an 7, 1966. The horizontal length of the longest snacks. The lodge is a large facility offer-
affinity for winter sports relish tramway in the world is 14,657 feet or 2.7 ing panoramic views of the ski area and the
the fact that the Sandia Mountains miles with a vertical rise of 3,819 feet. Estancia Valley to the east. A large network
right in their backyard offer a wealth of rec- But the tram is only one passage to of cross-country ski trails is also available.
reation. the top of the Sandia Mountain. Another The average snowfall in the ski area is 125
One of the highlights is the Sandia Peak is the drive to the top on the east side of inches.
Ski Area, and the world’s lomgest aerial the mountain. And a third is the chairlift The summer season from Memorial
tramway that reaches the top of the ski area from the base of the Sandia Peak Ski Area, Day through the second Sunday of October
from Albuquerque. beginning at 8,650 feet rising to the peak at is open Thursdays through Sundays and
Sandia Peak Tramway’s story is about a 10,378 feet. At the top, the view of 11,000 holidays, and daily during Balloon Fiesta in
group of Albuquerque ski enthusiasts who square miles of the Land of Enchantment October. Chairlift riders enjoying the fresh
had to drive to the green side of the moun- boggles the mind. air and breath-taking view also see moun-
tain in the winter to ski. They would hike as The ski area’s winter season runs mid- tain bike riders challenging the spectacular
far as possible uphill and ski down. December through mid-March, although mountain bike trails.
After the U.S. Forest Service cleared a the 2009-2010 season was extended into Rental equipment for both seasons is
hill in 1936, the adventurers organized the April. The vertical rise from base to the available on site. For more information call
Albuquerque Ski Club and in 1937 built peak is 1,700 feet. The ski area offers 30 the ski area at 242-9052.
a 1,500-foot ski tow. In 1938, the Civilian trails serviced by four chairlifts, a surface The entrance to the Sandia Peak
Conservation Corps cleared the slope that lift and a children’s mighty mite. Ski patrol Tramway is on Tramway Loop off Tramway
leads to the present-day ski lodge. volunteers are on duty daily. A cafeteria in Boulevard in Albuquerque. For information
The ribbon cutting for the tram was May the day lodge serves breakfast, lunch and call 856-6419.

CEDAR CREST
Merchants
Where Health Is A Habit Not An Event!
The East Mountains’s Health Food Store
Diana Roach
Certified Clinical Herbalist
Herbs - of all kinds
Vitamins
Body Care - Books
Free Personal Consultations
and Information
The Turquoise Trail Center 12220 N. Hwy 14

286-5794 (877-286-0794)
Email: [email protected]
MAKE YOUR FINANCIAL FUTURE

Cedar Crest Beauty
A Full Service Salon
(505) 286-0005
A PRIORITY.
12220 N. Hwy 14
Cedar Crest, N.M. 87008
Located in the Turquoise Trail
Shopping Center
Hair-Skin-Nails
Please Call to Schedule an Appointment Unlike other chores that pile up in the driveway, To schedule your
clutter the garage or run wild in the front yard, your complimentary financial
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financial situation is a little obvious. That’s why it’s so review, call today.
important to take advantage of our complimentary
financial review at least once a year. Paul A Mendoza
Financial Advisor
A review is important not only because markets 12220 State Hwy. 14 N
ALL SERVICES
and interests may have changed, but your personal Suite 5
financial situation may have changed as well. During Cedar Crest, NM 87008
505-281-9203
your review, we will discuss the different strategies
available to help put your finances in line with both
your short - and long - term goals.
Expires 12/31/2010
www.edwardjones.com Member SIPC
2010 -11
Sandia Mountains Offer Many Recreation Possibilities
The Sandia Crest Trail is one of the more popular for area hikers.
H
undreds of miles of hiking trails expansive Estancia Valley to the south-
criss-cross the Cibola National Info west. There is a gift shop at the Crest and
Forest, which includes both the For maps of all the trails in the Sandia plenty of trails for hiking.
Sandia and Manzano mountains. The Sandia Mountain Wilderness,
Mountains, stop by the Sandia Ranger
Two U.S. Forest Service ranger dis- when it was established through the
tricts manage this portion of the Cibola. Station at 11776 N.M. 337 South, just Endangered American Wilderness Act of
The Mountainair Ranger District covers south of the traffic light in Tijeras, or call 1978, was made up of 30,981 acres of the
the southern portion that encompasses 281-3304 or go online to www.fs.fed.us/ Sandia Ranger District’s total 100,555
the Manzano Mountains, and the Sandia r3/cibola/ acres. Acquisition of the Elena Gallegos
Ranger District in the northern part covers Grant in 1981 increased it to 37,232 acres
the Sandia Mountains. sloping, heavily forested east faces — of wilderness.
Both ranges are part of the continuous actually the tops of the blocks — are More than 2 million people journey to
fault-block system that forms the east side capped with much younger sedimentary the Sandias each year to hike the roughly
of the Rio Grande rift valley from Placitas layers. 117 miles of the district’s trails, according
to Socorro. The most prominent feature of the the Sandia Ranger District.
The Sandias and Manzanos were cre- Sandia Mountains is probably Sandia More than a dozen trails are available
ated when monolithic blocks of the Earth’s Crest, which tops out at the 10,658 feet. to choose from, with one scenic favorite
crust thrust upward about 20 million years From the visitors area at the Crest you can being the Crest Trail — the longest trail in
ago. Ancient granite exposed along the get a full view of much of central New the Sandia Mountains with a total length
steep west faces of the ranges forms the Mexico, including a startling look at the of 28.2 miles. This trail is often thought of
sides of the fault-blocks. The gradually city of Albuquerque to the west and the

Bargain Hunting at Bethel
Is Fun!
el
Beth
Bethel
Bethel
8000sq. ft. of surprises
Bethel 1000’s of items stocked daily
New & used merchandise at discount prices
Proceeds benefit our neighbors in need
Do you have furniture to donate?
Wednesday is senior discount day
Tax receipts are available
Located on Hwy 41, 1 mile south of Rt 66 in Moriarty
www.Bethelstorehouse.org I 832-6642
Read “Write” Adult Literacy Program

Improving literacy one person at a time
Interested in tutoring
those who want to
learn to read and write?
Call: 832-9469
The Sandia Man Cave is another popular side trip in the Sandia WE NEED YOU!
Mountains. Make sure to bring a flashlight, though.
as two trails; the South Crest Trail, 16 miles long from the south Hug a Horse Thrift Shop
trailhead at Canyon Estates in Tijeras Canyon to Sandia Crest;
and the North Crest Trail, 12.2 miles long from the north trail-
head at Tunnel Springs near Placitas to Sandia Crest.
100’s of items!!
One interesting side trip within the Sandia Mountains is to Furniture, Clothes, Housewares,
the Sandia Man Cave. The cave, discovered by an anthropology Toys, Jewelry & Much More.
graduate student in 1936, was excavated by University of New Volunteers needed to work the thrift store
Mexico archeological teams between 1937 and 1941. It contained In Edgewood in the old Radio
skeletal remains of such Ice Age beasts as the wooly mammoth
Shack on Rt 66 (east of Smiths)
and mastodon and giant sloth, as well as stone lance and arrow
Thurs. - Mon. 10-4 • Sunday 12-3
points, basket scraps and remnants of woven yucca moccasins.
The diggers found no human bones in the cave debris. 286-0779 • 281-6292
To get to Sandia Man Cave, take the Crest Highway to N.M.
165 and drive on a bumpy dirt road for about five miles. There is
a short hike up the side of the mountain to get to the cave. Make
sure to bring a flashlight and wear old clothes if you want to Moriarty Lions
explore the cave.
A host of hiking trails ranging from easy walks to more stren- Club
uous uphill jaunts are accessible from the numerous trailheads Bingo every Tuesday - 7pm
and picnic grounds along the Sandia Crest Highway (N.M. 536). 4th of July Pancake Breakfast TBA
Hikers can also park at the top of the Crest Highway and follow a Pinto Bean & Pancake Breakfast - Oct. 9
portion of the Crest Trail to the upper terminal of the Sandia Peak
Tramway, about 1.5 gentle miles away. Toy Run/Bike Rally - Sept. 4 (Labor Day Weekend)
To get to the Sandia trails, take I-40 to the Tijeras exit. Head Santa/Toys for Kids - Dec. 19
north on N.M. 14 until you come to a large intersection (no stop Eye Screening during school year (local schools)
light) with N.M. 536, where a blue sign points to the ski basin.
The crest is about 15 miles up, but trailheads are marked along Building Rental Available • www.moriartynm.lionwap.org
the way.
2010 -11
Smallest Town Brings Biggest Smiles
Tinkertown was created over 30 years by sign artist Ross Ward. It opened as an attraction in the East Mountains in 1984.
T
he smallest town in New Mexico, knife chases a chicken; a little girl jumps
at least in area, is probably the rope and a man rocks in a chair on the
most densely populated town on
“I did this all while you were porch of the miners’ supply store. Ross left
earth. Tinkertown’s population of 1,100 watching TV.” the front walls of the buildings open for
tiny people and critters live in a museum- - Ross Ward on his visitors to see how the town folks lived.
house on Sandia Crest Road, N.M. 536, in construction of Tinkertown Inside the Lucky Nugget Saloon, a
Sandia Park. donkey sips from a beer placed on the
This whimsical frontier community floor, while carpenters hammer and saw
of carved wooden people, animals and his own roadside attraction, a “town.” on a construction site. The circus scene, a
humorous scenes and signs is so impres- Ross carved his first figure in 1952. child’s dream come true, has polar bears
sive that ABC’s “Good Morning America” Tinkertown opened in 1984 —that year riding a teeter-totter and a magician pull-
featured it in their road trip segment on the 900 visitors enjoyed the new museum. In ing rabbits from his hat.
June 5, 1997 show. 2002 that number topped 22,000. The animated figures move with the
The late Ross Ward was Tinkertown’s Tinkertown — the name came from help of hidden vending machine motors.
mayor for close to two decades. His tal- Ross saying “I’ve been tinkering with it As visitors tour the museum, surround-
ents as an artist, mural and sign painter forever” — is more than a collection of ed by high walls constructed of mortar and
and wood carver are visible throughout carved wooden figures. It is an animated 51,000 glass bottles, they are mesmerized
the museum. Ross’s childhood fascination story of life in the Old West. The main by the story the museum tells and by the
with roadside attractions led him to create street of the town sits behind glass along
the length of a hallway. A chef wielding a Continued on page 17

founder’s creativity and humor so per-
fectly shown in the exhibits. When you
think you’ve seen everything, something
else appears.
Where else could you see a horse big-
ger than an elephant and plastic people
blending in with the local woodens? And
then there is Ross’ signature sign: “I did
this all while you were watching TV.”
The entire museum is dotted with lit-
tle signs and homilies, some from great
Americans like Mark Twain, and others
from Ward, who was pretty wise himself.
“Ideas are everywhere. Pick them like
flowers,” reads a Ward original.
Tinkertown grew from Ward’s child-
hood dreams, as well as a love for the off-
beat he shared with his wife, Carla. They
both adore roadside grottoes and were par-
ticularly inspired by a fantastical creation
outside Spring Green, Wis., called The
House on the Rock. The rambling home
built by Alex Jordan boasts the world’s
largest carousel and a room with more
than 250 doll houses.
“My parents were great travelers, and
they always paid attention to strange road-
side attractions,” said Carla. Carla Ward has taken over from her late husband as the “mayor” of Tinkertown, where
vistors can enjoy thousands of handcarved figures.
Hours: 9am-5pm • Mon-Sat
ensuring a stable Bear population Video Presentations

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2010 -11
World Class Links, Great Views at Paa-Ko Ridge
Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Course consists of 27 holes of resort-style championship golf in a breathtakingly beautiful setting in the East Moun-
tains.
N
estled on the eastern slope of “top rated.” golf carts that tell you how far you are from
the Sandia Mountains, Paa-Ko And Golf World magazine’s most recent pins. There’s also bottled water in the carts,
Ridge Golf Club seems remote Readers’ Choice Poll named Paa-Ko the free balls on the driving range, a slick pro
for national — even worldwide — expo- third best public course in the United shop with a good selection and longer peri-
sure. But the course has captured the States. ods between tee times.
imagination of golf publications such as Designed by renowned course architect With greens fees ranging from $59
Golf Digest magazine, and has consistently Ken Dye, known for creating Pinon Hills to $114 including a cart, Paa-Ko is more
found itself ranked highly on most lists of in Farmington, Paa-Ko Ridge is “easy on expensive than some public courses but
the best public golf courses in the United the eyes and on the wallet,” according to less than joining a country club.
States. Golf Digest writer Ron Whitten. Paa-Ko Ridge also offers a “multi-play
Soon after the course opened, Golf The length of the season at Paa-Ko pass,” where players can purchase three,
Digest awarded Paa-Ko Ridge a lofty rank- Ridge depends on the weather but can five or 10 rounds in advance at a reduced
ing of 27th-best in the country among Best extend as late as Dec. 1. The course rate, as well as a punch-card program and
Affordable Public Courses in its annual remained open until at least mid- to late other promtions.
report on America’s best and most afford- November during its first five seasons. It For more information, call locally at
able courses. usually reopens around March 1. 281-6000 or toll free at (866)898-5987; or
In the 2007 Zagat Survey, Paa-Ko Ridge The course offers a resort feel, with go online to www.paakoridge.com.
was the only course in the Southwest to be computerized Global Positioning Satellite

Come Visit
Automotive & Diesel Repair

24 Hour Wrecker Service
(505) 384 2841
(505) 705-2841 cell
Where eating is a pleasure!

102 Joseph Street, Estancia, NM 87016
Phone: 505.384.6000
Hours:
Monday-Thursday 7am-8pm
Friday-Saturday 7am-9pm
15th Annual
Estancia Rotary
Serving Torrance County & the Estancia Valley
PuMPkinFEst
since 1988
Esperanza Family Mountainair Family

Health Center Health Center
903 C 5th Street 105 E. Pinon Street
Estancia, NM 87016 Mountainair, NM 87036
Call (505) 384-2777 for an Call (505) 847-2271 for an
Parade 10:30 AM
appointment appointment Competition Begins at 1:00 PM
Medical Medical
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Health Health CAPE CALABAZA 1.5 MILE WEST OF ESTANCIA ON HIGHWAY 55
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2010 -11
Eclectic Madrid Welcomes All Visitors

O
n a recent Saturday the spring
sun melted most of the previ-
ous day’s snow in Madrid, a
friendly artsy town in the foothills of the
Ortiz Mountains.
Madrid is arguably at the heart of the
62-mile Turquoise Trail, which is also des-
ignated a National Scenic Byway, on the
high road between Tijeras and Santa Fe.
Madrid businesses are reminding tour-
ists that their town is a stroller’s paradise
and just a short drive from Santa Fe or
Albuquerque. Most of the town’s 30 gal-
leries and 15 other businesses, including
all four restaurants, are plunked down on a
short stretch of N.M. 14. (That’s not count-
ing the faux Maggie’s Diner, a cafe built for
the “Wild Hogs” movie.)
On weekends handfuls of “Madroids”
— the nickname some Madrid residents
call themselves — may be relaxing on the
porch in front of the Jezebel Gallery and, at
the rear, the Jezebel Soda Fountain.
The two-lane highway is Madrid’s main
street, and that’s where a stream of New
Mexicans and visitors from out of state
checked out the shops.
Near the south end of Madrid, three PHOTO COURTESY OF HERITAGE AIR
tourists from North Carolina in the From the air, Madrid looks like a peaceful mining town. On the weekends, though, the tiny
Johnsons of Madrid Galleries of Fine and town comes alive with visitors looking for unique arts and fun.
Fiber Art had stayed a few nights in
Albuquerque and opted to come to Madrid They opened the gallery later that year. the Madrid artists it represents are Mark
on the way to Santa Fe rather than drive up The Mine Shaft, Madrid’s iconic res- Eastman, Rick Ferrell, Gerald Godbey,
Interstate 25. taurant-bar, has been host to live music on Scott Reilly, Thomas St. Thomas and
The Johnsons — Diana and Mel — weekends for years. Patricia Whitewing.
have been hosting concerts and art exhibit Just south of the tavern at the Dream At the far north end of town sits the
openings on what they call First Saturday, Gallery, partner Pamela Ellsworth was Oscar Huber Memorial Ballpark, where
which is, as you might have guessed, the chatting with Peggy Fontenot, who owns reportedly the first night baseball game
first Saturday of each month. The Sacred Circle Healing Arts Ministry, was played in the United States. This sum-
“It’s different entertainment than the which is at the opposite end of town next mer, slowpitch softball games are planned
(Mine Shaft) Tavern,” Diana Johnson said. to The Crystal Dragon. for Memorial Day, July Fourth and Labor
Part of the gallery had been a Chrysler- “I do Native American healing and Day.
Plymouth dealer’s repair garage and the spiritual coaching,” said Fontenot, who Jill Shwaiko, president of the Madrid
other part was a storage for coal company is Cajun, French, Irish and Lakota. She Merchants Association, thinks the econ-
trucks. Madrid was once a coal mining moved to Madrid from Lafayette, La., in omy’s downturn probably hasn’t hit
town, and when the mine closed it was a 2007. Madrid’s galleries as hard as it has higher-
ghost town. The Dream Gallery offers diverse end galleries in Albuquerque or Santa Fe.
When they arrived in 1973, the Johnsons art — paintings, photography, sculpture, Shwaiko, an artist and owner of Indigo
said they were the first artists in town. stained glass, pottery and clothing. Among

GETTING AROUND
Turquoise Trail Sandia Park: Residential community
Communities named for its location in the east
foothills of the Sandia Mountains.
Winding along the east side of the Golden: Gold was discovered in the
Sandias, the Turquoise Trail follows Ortiz Mountains in 1839, and soon
N.M. 14 through Cedar Crest and two small mining camps developed.
three revived ghost towns. Large mining companies moved in
Cedar Crest: A settlement in the but hopes for mineral wealth quickly
eastern foothills of the Sandia Moun-
dwindled. Mining is gone, but the
tains was founded in 1922 by Carl
town still survives.
Webb, who moved to the mountains
Madrid: Coal mining began here in
for health reasons. He built rental
1835 and peaked in 1920. When
cabins, opened a trading post and
If Madrid has a heart, it would probably be the Mineshaft Tavern, operated the Cedar Crest Post Office. demand for coal dwindled after World
which offers food, music and entertainment. San Antonio: This small community War II, the entire town was offered for
one mile north of Tijeras was named $250,000, but there were no takers.
for its patron saint. It was a trading Art galleries and restaurants have
Gallery, thinks Madrid is “a neat destination, especially for replaced anthracite as a resource.
local people. We get nice traffic from Placitas, Rio Rancho, place when ox carts made their way
from Santa Fe. Cerrillos: The settlement was a
Albuquerque, Los Alamos and everything in between.”
Because many Madrid galleries are artist-owned, she said, San Antonito: This community mining town of turquoise, silver, gold
shoppers get good value for their dollar. is probably named for its associa- and then coal. The lovely town in
“Plus they often to get to meet the artist and I think they tion with the older community, San the now-dormant mining hills has art
really enjoy that. It’s a different experience than Canyon Road,” Antonio, five miles south of it. galleries and eateries.
Shwaiko said.
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Craig Kilpatrick, M.D. Monique Keulen-Nolet, C.N.P.
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Moriarty EdgEwood CEdar CrEst 384-2369

832-4434 286-2396 281-2460 Serving Torrance & Southern Santa Fe Counties
2010 -11
Salt Missions Trails
A
lthough you can’t see the dry history to move the salt. From the lakes
salt lakes from N.M. 41, you can north and south is now N.M. 41. On the
almost sense that they lie to the north, the road meets with Old Route 66
east. On an especially windy day, the salt and took salt both east and west, but mostly
dust kicks up and you can taste it in the air. toward Albuquerque in the west.
The salt lakes were important from the To the south, N.M. 41 meets with U.S.
time that humans first made New Mexico 60, a route to Mountainair, Abo and Belen.
home. The Indians of the early pueblos At Mountainair, N.M. 337 goes north to
used to make long pilgrimages to the lakes Tijeras, where traders took salt to the
on foot as a religious ceremony. The Tigua mountain communities and missions.
Indians did not consider the salt as prop- The Salt Missions Trails were named a
erty of any one tribe but the divine gift of New Mexico Scenic and Historic Byway
Salt Old Woman (the salt mother) who gave in 1994 and today, visitors can travel the
herself freely to the Indians who came to 140 mile loop to visit pueblo missions,
seek salt. old farming towns and the “Mother of all
When the Spanish arrived, the lakes roads.”
continued to give its bounty freely. Salt And while salt doesn’t have the impor-
was important to these early people, espe- tance it once did, the Salt Missions Trails
cially as a preservative, but also for uses still offer an unequaled beauty to residents
in mining. and visitors alike. It offers sweeping plains
Eventually, though, claims were made the 1970s, production of salt had moved and forested mountains. Brilliant sunsets
to the salt lakes and mining of the mineral elsewhere. and joyous sunrises.
went into production. Several companies What we have left is the Salt Missions And it offers a look at what we used to
Trails, a series of roads used throughout
made good money in the lakes, but by be and what we are now.
2010 -11
Agriculture an Important Part of the Valley

S
ince the first settlers arrived in northern third of the valley lies within, the
the Estancia Valley, agriculture has market value of agricultural products was
been a major part of life. more than $12 million in 2007, with 68 per-
This is no different in 2010 as it was in cent of that coming from crop sales.
1910, the only difference being the diversity The top crops in each county?
of agriculture which is now part of the valley. Corn silage and hay.
A century ago, farming was king. New And although it counts for only a fraction
immigrants arrived finding the valley fertile of the county’s market revenue, Torrance
and rain abundant. Dry land farming was a County is the top producer of sod in New
good way to make a living and crops ranged Mexico.
from the mighty pinto bean to wheat and Nearly 1.8 million acres of land within
other grains. Torrance County is used for agriculture and
But in a valley that has no rivers and a the number of farms increased from 461 in
few springs, droughts hit hard. By the 1950s, 2002 to 561 in 2007.
true agricultural diversity became impera- Agriculture education is a way of life in
Agriculture plays an important part in the
tive. our communities as well, with strong FFA
Estancia Valley’s economy. According to the
With that diversity came more livestock, clubs and hundreds of kids involved with
which changed the character of the valley, USDA, the market value of Torrance County 4-H.
but kept its agricultural roots alive. products exceeded $40 million in 2007. For more information on agriculture in
Today, agriculture pays a huge role in the than $40 million in 2007, which was an 11 the Estancia Valley, contact the New Mexico
economy of the valley. percent increase in value from 2002. Of that, State University Cooperative Extension
According to the USDA, the market value about 58 percent of those sales came from Service office in Estancia at 505-246-4745
of Torrance County products sold was more livestock. For Santa Fe County, of which the or go online to torranceextension.nmsu.edu.
Forest Meadow Baptist

A friendly country church
• 9:45-10:45am - Sunday School Classes for all ages
• 11am-12:15pm - Worship
• Sunday EvEningS: 4:30-6pm - Awana for kids,
Bible Institute for Adults, Fellowship Meal
• TuESdayS: Ladies Precept Study
• WEdnESdayS: Adult Bible Studies and
Youth Group
• Summer VBS Basketball Camp for kids
• Square Dances throughout the year for all ages
281-4105
54 Hwy. 217 (1/2 mile east of Hwy. 337)
www.forestmeadow.org
2010 -11
Goat Cheese Makes the Grade

Happiness is a
Warm Goat
I
f you are looking for a loyal,
sweet, smart best friend with
some of the tastiest treats
in town, look no farther than your
neighborhood goat farm.
Some goats are raised for their
hair, such as the Angora breed or
cashmere breed to make cozy sweat-
ers, while others such as the Boer
goat are raised for meat that tastes
similar to lamb. Goats like those
raised in the East Mountains and
Estancia Valley are raised for their
milk to make delectable cheese, but-
ter, yogurt and even soap.
Grade A goat dairies in the area
include the South Mountain Dairy
in Edgewood, Sunsong Dairy of
Estancia and Old Windmill Dairy,
also in Estancia.
The South Mountain Dairy pro-
duces award-winning goat milk feta
The Old Windmill Dairy has won awards for its line of cheeses. cheese, drinkable yogurt and fla-
T
vored chevre.
here’s no bleats about it — there’s The dairy has already won two national The seasonal dairy, owned and
something special about The Old cheese awards this year. Their award- operated by Donna Lockridge and
Windmill Dairy in Estancia. winning Chili & Hot, green chile chevre Marge Petersen produces cheese
From the cleverly titled cheeses, such took two blue ribbons at the 2010 Scovie from early April through November.
as McIntosh Cheddar and Manzano Blue awards in Albuquerque. They attended the They also sell fresh milk and yogurt.
Moon, to being featured in a 2009 issue of Fiery Food Show in Albuquerque, where They started the dairy in 2004 and
the Wall Street Journal, it’s not your usual they have more than 8,000 samples to received Grade A Dairy license in
dairy. Michael Lobaugh and partner Ed customers. 2005.
Lobaugh, the owners and operators of the Old Windmill products can be bought at They also sell marinated feta in
goat dairy, do everything they can to turn nine New Mexico grocery stores including: flavors such as Tuscany Gold and
out an outstanding product. Moriarty Foods, Triangle Grocery in Cedar Garlic with Lemon. A local favorite
What began with two dairy goats in the Crest; B Street Market in Mountainair; La is a New Mexico style squeaky curd
Lobaughs backyard has turned into quite Montanita Co-Op in Albuquerque. They with green chile.
an enterprise, and Old Windmill has been also sell at several farmers markets and in Here’s how a goat dairy works:
certified a Grade A dairy since 2007. 22 restaurants. The mother goats go through a
Ed and Michael work hard not only For more information about the dairy, five-month gestation period. When
to produce top-quality cheeses like their call 384-0033, e-mail nmgoatdairy@ high- kidding begins in mid-March, the
more than 10 flavors of chevre, but to pro- erspeed.net, or check them out on the Web newborn babies are handraised,
mote sustainable agriculture and support at www.theoldwindmilldairy. com. Continued on page 25
the community along the way.

meaning they don’t drink from their mother,
they are fed from a milk bucket with several
nipples attached. It makes them more tame.
The dairy produces about 52 gallons of milk
per day.
The does are milked twice a day and are
kept in separate pens from the bucks and
babies. At the South Mountain Dairy, the
milk goes into a bulk cooling tank, which is
emptied every day. The milk that will stay
liquid goes into a pasteurizer next, as does the
milk for cheese, but in a different machine.
After that, depending on the type of cheese, it
is aged for at least 24 hours. Then the cheeses
are mixed and packaged then delivered to La
Montanita Coop at the Nob Hill, Rio Grande,
and Santa Fe locations, Triangle Grocery on
N.M. 14, B Street Market in Mountainair,
and directly on the farm. They also sell every
weekend at various New Mexico farmers
markets.
“I think there is a big push in the United
States to buy locally,” Lockridge said.
She buys feed for the goats locally, includ-
ing alfalfa from area farms.
The dairy is open in April for tours of the
farm, but if you call ahead of time, tours and
products are available directly at the dairy. Not only do goats provide us with many products, they also can be good friends.
Roger Holden
2010 -11
Tour Offers a Peak at Farms and Studios

T
his year will mark the seventh
year for the annual East Mountain
Fiber Farm and Studio Tour, and
visitors are always invited to meet people
like Lora Kniffin, who owns Prairie Wood
Ranch with her husband, Dan.
The couple has up to 200 goats on
their 25 acre ranch in northern Edgewood,
Kniffin said. Normally they have 100 of
the knee-high goats, but the population
doubles when the females give birth each
spring.
The kids and their mothers are kept
in an area with plastic play slides and
benches, where the kids run up and down
the slides.
“They have great personalities,” she
said, leaning against a metal gate and look-
ing out at her multitude of goats. “If I went
out with a bucket of grain, they would all
mob me … if you play with them, then
they’re just your best friend.”
When the babies are old enough they
are sold and shipped all across the nation,
she said.
For animal lovers on the other end of
the farm and ranch spectrum — and sev-
eral miles to the east of the Prairie Wood
Ranch — Wendy McGuire and Barbara
Mann own and operate Gallina Del Sol
Farm in Stanley.
They raise heritage breeds of turkeys,
pheasants and other birds.
Unlike the birds produced for industrial The annual East Mountain Fiber Farm and Studio Tour gives visitors a chance to get a close
agriculture, heritage breeds are from his- look at how farms operate.
torical blood-lines and must fit a certain
set of criteria, such as natural mating and
slow growth-rate. wild, sweetgrass, chocolate and several egg or two from the birds.
When McGuire and Mann moved to other varieties of heritage turkeys, along “They’re allowed to take eggs as pay-
Stanley a decade ago, it wasn’t to work with the brightlycolored red gold and Lady ment for keeping the gophers down,”
with heritage, or any other type of birds, Amherst’s pheasants. And they still grow McGuire said.
though. 200 varieties of irises. For more information about Gallena Del
“We wanted to do heirloom varieties of All the waste from farm is made into Sol Farm, or to purchase feathers, soaps,
plants,” McGuire said. “After three years compost, including animals carcasses. some varieties of birds, call 610-8326.
we fell in love with Bourbon red turkeys Although they own 25 acres they only use For more information about Prairie Wood
… the rest was history.” about five of them for their operation. The Ranch go to www.prairiewoodranch. com
From the Bourbon reds, which are an rest is left undisturbed, part of their eco- or call 281-8179.
heirloom variety of turkeys from Kentucky, logical philosophy, McGuire said. This year’s tour will take place June 5
they went on to keep bronze, Rio Grande In keeping with that philosophy, snakes and 6 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.
are allowed to come through and steal an

2010 -11
Estancia
100 Years and Counting
I
t seems somewhat appropri- cerns about the comet’s approach to Earth. Incorporation of the town was a for-
ate that as the Torrance County In the Jan. 28, 1910 issue of the News, gone conclusion by the time the citizens
Commission in October 1909 was Speckman wrote: of Estancia decided to do it. The town
making the decision as to whether the citi- “The rumor that it will or may come had already been serving as county seat
zens of Estancia should incorporate their in contact with the Earth to the destruc- of the newly formed Torrance County
settlement into a town that Halley’s Comet tion of the latter has been disproven by since 1905. And according to the reports
was in the western sky. scientists. of people who lived there at the time, the
When a vote was taken on Feb. 23, “The nearest distance it approaches the
town was in the midst of a boom.
1910 to elect a mayor and board of trust- Earth being given as about forty million
ees, the comet was making its preparation miles. If this be true, and we have no rea- The population of Torrance County
to return to the outer reaches of the solar son to doubt it, there is no need to fear the in 1910 was estimated at around 10,000
system. celestial visitor.” people, with more and more immigrants
The incorporation was, of course, big What Speckman didn’t point out was moving in daily.
news in the local newspaper the Estancia that the comet’s tail did indeed pass over In 2009 the town celebrated its 100th
News, but its editor, P.A. Speckman also the Earth in May 1910, providing what birthday in the only way a small town in
left a little space in the pages to quell con- must have been an amazing sight. New Mexico can, it threw a party.
Mountain View
TELEGRAPH Serving the East Mountain and Estancia Valley Areas.
Website: www.mvtelegraph.com
SubScriptionS 505-823-7101
In-State: $22.00 / 1 year $11.00 / 6 months
Out of State: $45.00 / 1 year $22.50 / 6 months
Advertising Department: Beverly Trujillo 823-7109, Carolyn Comstock 823-7108
Classified Line Ads: 823-7100
2010 -11
Blue Ribbon is at the Heart of Estancia’s History

T
he Ortiz family is keeping a part
of Estancia’s history alive while
also serving one of the best, if not Ready. Aim.
the best, green chile cheeseburgers around.
The Ortizes’ Blue Ribbon Bar and Grill Pumpkins Away!
S
— located in a building said to have been ome things in life simply have
constructed in 1903 well before the official to seen to be believed.
1909 founding of the town and Torrance Punkin Chunkin’ is cer-
County seat — is part modern sports cafe, tainly one of those things.
with an array of available cable channels Started “back east” by some agri-
viewed on big, flat-screen televisions. The cultural aficionados who clearly had
business couples that with an atmosphere The Blue Ribbon Bar and Grill building was
built in 1903 and is one of the oldest build- too much time on their hands — not to
of a down-home burger-and-fries joint, mention some active imaginations and
and it is a neighborhood gathering place ings in Estancia.
a knack for engineering — this bizarre
with an outdoor patio and horseshoe pits diversion has over the last decade
out back. served, kids scamper around the pool
table now when the adults aren’t playing. become a mainstay of the fall season in
In addition, there is a smidgen of Wild the Estancia Valley.
West saloon thrown in for flavor. A 42-foot- Sometimes, the children and older folks
play against each other in friendly com- It’s a natural in some ways — the
long wooden bar dominates the wall to the valley is a large producer of pumpkins,
left as one enters the south entrance off petition.
The Blue Ribbon has various awards supplying much of the Halloween jack-
Williams Street. The building’s east facing o-lantern material for Albuquerque and
front door is situated on Estancia’s main and newspaper articles of Dan and Anna
Ortiz’s children displayed in the connect- other parts of the state. But the fate of
drag on N.M. 41, otherwise known as Fifth some of those locally grown orange
Street, toward the south end of town. ing foyer between the two eating areas.
The Ortizes began operating the grill orbs come October is decidedly unnatu-
That’s what the current proprietors — ral.
Dan Ortiz; his wife, Anna; sons Daniel and in 2001, according to a history of the Blue
Ribbon printed on the back of its menu. In its early days in Estancia, punkin
David; and daughter Desirae — have going chunkin’ was a humorous but low-key
on at the premises nowadays. But times The family sold its full liquor license in
2007. part of the town’s fall Pumpkin Fest
have changed, to say the least, since Dan’s harvest celebration. On a whim, the
father, 81-year-old Delfinio Ortiz and The building that now houses the Blue
Ribbon endured drought, depression, wars local Rotary Club invited people to
Dan’s now-deceased uncle, Ray, bought build machines to fling pumpkins. Only
the place in 1974 or even since 1993, when and had several owners, but most notice-
ably, it survived fires. On July 28, 1912, one machine was brought the first year,
Dan and Anna joined Delfinio in running but it was the hit of the festival and the
the business. the same year New Mexico became a
state, the entire south end of town burned craze grew from there.
“My brother used to live upstairs,” In the 1998 Punkin Chunkin’ con-
Delifinio said. down, with the Valley Hotel, now the Blue
Ribbon, one of the few buildings left stand- test, pumpkins were hurled only about
Originally, Dan had hoped his brother, 100 feet, with contraptions ranging
Milton, would have been a part of the ing, Hall wrote.
John Berkshire rented the back room of from rubber-band catapults to human-
endeavor. But Milton died in 1989. powered slingshots.
“It has become a different world,” said the hotel for his meat market.
“Berkshire was standing out with a rifle All that changed in 1999, when the
Dan. “We started out with just the liquor compressed-air-powered El Launcho
license. But it became politically incor- in one hand and a hose in the other,” Dan
Ortiz said. “Back then, they’d dynamite Grande came on the scene and launched
rect to drink. But I understand that New a punkin 2,912 feet. In 2000, El Launcho
Mexico had a problem. So, we felt the it (to keep the fire from spreading), but
he wouldn’t let them do it. I guess they Grande sent a pumpkin over a half-mile
water and decided it was time to change. — an astonishing feat, but one that has
We thought we’d give it a try, with primar- listened to him. He saved the Valley Hotel.
You can still see the burned wood upstairs. become rather routine as the competi-
ily just a grill. We turned it more into a tion has become more sophisticated.
family-oriented business.” “They had 16 rooms then,” Dan con-
tinued with a chuckle. “I think they might Now a handful of these punkin-
Indeed, with only beer and wine being
have had a little bordello going.” Continued on page 29

chunkin’ brutes annually battle for the
unlimited-class title.
Dozens of other Rube Goldberg-style
machines and numerous hand-powered
entrants also take part, and thousands
of spectators turn out to watch the fun.
Soft landings, of course, are not part
of the competition. The more explosive
the impact, the better.
The annual Pumpkinfest is spon-
sored by the Estancia Rotary Club. This
year’s version kicks off at 11 a.m. Oct.
16 with a parade celebrating the orange
orb and building anticipation for the
main event.
After the parade down main street,
the festivities move to Cape Calabaza
(Spanish for pumpkin), a field 1.5 miles
west of town where games, good food,
carnival rides, arts and crafts, music
and entertainment are provided.
That’s also where hundreds of pump-
kins will meet their demise.
All proceeds from the Estancia
Pumpkinfest are used by the Estancia
Rotary Club to provide scholarships to
local students.
Everyone can find some fun at Estancia’s annual Punkin Chunkin’ event. Some of the ma-
chines built for the event can shoot a pumpkin more than a half-mile.
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2010 -11
Agriculture to Art: Mountainair Through the Years

By Dorothy Cole
H
aving risen from its deathbed
more than once, Mountainair
is well into its second century
of writing history. Its past a panorama of
colorful characters shaped by tumultuous
events none could have foreseen. Spanish
missions, sawmills, bean fields, vast ranch-
es, the railroad, boisterous cowboys, noto-
rious poker games, fiestas, rodeos, horse
races, terrible snowstorms, droughts, rag-
ing dust storms. All occupy a fabled place
in Mountainair history.
Before Mountainair, there was Monte
Alto. Remnants of Spanish colonies along
with descendants of Mexicans, who had
pushed northward to the area when it was a
part of Mexico, formed a loose community.
Little farms, houses and a few stores mean-
dered through the trees and hills just south
of present day Mountainair. These tough,
resilient people had left faraway homes for
the promise of adventure and opportunity. The Shaffer Hotel in Mountainair links the town’s past with its future.
They gave aid to the homesteaders who
began to arrive in the late 1800’s. Together become a major train station. Both east lasted for several years. Then the rains
they all marched into a very uncertain and westbound trains would need pusher stopped. The drought of the 1930’s, while
future. engines to make it up the inclines. At short lived, hit during the Great Depression
The early homesteaders struck out by the summit, they would turn around and and dealt a devastating blow to the entire
wagon, horseback or on foot, driven by return to Belen and Vaughan. area.
a burning desire to own a piece of land. John Weldon, J.W. Corbett, Col. E.C. Some struck out looking for work, leav-
Some sought adventure, some were run- Manning and E.S. Stover, former governor ing behind land they had struggled to
ning from the law and some simply wanted of Kansas, surveyed 120 acres that laid out develop and own. Most, with no place to
to disappear. Many were farmers who had a business section and several residential go and no money to leave, had to hang on.
fled the Civil War and relocated in Texas, subdivisions. Col. Manning proposed the They clung to one another, shared what
Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri. It was name of Mountainair for the cool breezes little they had, and somehow survived.
only natural to stake a claim and look that wafted in from the nearby mountains. By the late 1930s, the rains were back.
for something to farm. The pinto bean, Papers filed in 1903 incorporated the first Farmers had no knowledge of soil and
introduced by the Spanish, seemed like the town in what would be Torrance County. water conservation and simply picked up
perfect crop. As one old timer put it “you After the railroad was completed in where they had left off unwittingly starting
could plant your crop, harvest it and spend 1907, “immigrant trains” brought droves of a chain of events that would overtake and
the money in 90 days.” The legendary bean homesteaders and a crop of entrepreneurs. destroy all they had fought to build.
fields were born. Sawmills hummed, buildings went up, However, for now, the boom was back.
By 1902, word was out that a new businesses opened, wagons hauled bean Harvesting bumper crops, Mountainair
railroad, the “Belen Cutoff” would be laid crops to the newly built elevators where brazenly laid claim to the title “Pinto Bean
from Belen to Vaughan where it would they were cleaned, sacked, and shipped. Capital of the World.” The population
meet the Southern Pacific and continue Everyone prospered. It was the end of the swelled to its peak of about 3,000. It boast-
eastward to Texico connecting with the rainbow. A short drought in the 1920S ed car dealerships, a newspaper, dry goods
Pecos Valley Line. Speculators understood slowed things, but not for long. Prosperity
that the summit at Monte Alto would and a shimmering future lay ahead. It Continued on page 34

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stores, several grocery stores and seven
saloons. The Chamber of Commerce was
If one travels in any direction from
60 strong. Farmers and merchants alike
prospered. Mountainair, they can be seen. Some are
It was not to be. A 13-year drought sprawled over natural plains. Others were
set in during the early 1940s. It would wrested from stands of timber with teams
eventually deliver the death knell to the of mules straining at the end of a chain.
expanding bean fields. Great walls of roil- Still others are carved from rocky hillsides.
ing top soil rose day after day, relentless Some of the clearings have long since
in their destruction. Devastated families grown back in timber, but the discerning
hung on, struggling for survival. Many eye can tell that the trees are younger than
sold their possessions for a few dollars and the ancient junipers that surround them.
made it to Arizona, hoping for work in the Some, kept clear of timber, appear to be With a tip of the hat to its agricultural roots,
mines. Others pushed on to California, Mountainair is making itself over into a
natural clearings.
still searching. While some took families, modern small town.
others left them behind as they desper- They are the old bean fields. They hold an
aching beauty, for they tell of families and Original art is easily found as one
ately looked for any little job so meager
their dreams. They tell of hope and faith. Of browses the shops that line the downtown
amounts of money could be sent back to
sidewalks. So are ice cream sodas, served
starving families. laughter, hard work, great joy and great sor-
at the old soda fountain in the drug store.
The elements shaped their character row. They tell of friendships forever forged.
Drop into the hardware store and take
as surely as it shaped the landscape. They A few little houses can still be seen. Most in the jaw dropping collection of stuffed
again clung together, sharing what they are only a pile of rocks that once was the wild animals and antiques. They’re not for
had, helping one another, pushed to lim- foundation. An occasional piece of rusted sale, but fun to look at. Grocery shopping
its none would have believed they could farm equipment dots the landscape. All are is actually fun in a market chock full of
endure. But endure they did, strengthened traces of families that struggled mightily staples as well as delectable one of a kind
and affirmed by having survived.
with the elements. Rains that never came. items. Don’t miss the visitor’s center for
In the late 1950s, the government began
Winds that never stopped blowing. Skies Salinas National Monument where you
a soil conservation program that provided
that turned brown. can absorb the history of the Anasazi
incentive to stop farming and reseed the
Families were driven on to other places and Indians. Drive to three exquisite examples
land in native grasses. It was a time of
of ancient Spanish missions and Indian
rebuilding. Ever so slowly, reclaimed land other dreams. The great bean fields had
ruins.
was returned to pastures of grama grass. vanished. Grama grass now grows in the old
Join the fun as we celebrate at annu-
Survivors of the drought gradually turned fields and herds of cattle and antelope graze al events such as the Fourth of July
to cattle, buying neighboring bean fields, peacefully on the land that once broke Firecracker Jubilee and the late summer
little by little, building the ranches of men’s hearts. Sunflower Festival. Watch our kids and
today. Modern soil and water conserva- — From the musical play young adults compete in rodeos almost
tion techniques anchor the soil with native “Diamonds in the Field” every weekend throughout the summer.
grasses, drastically reducing the risk of the
Spend the night with us at our modern
horrific destruction of land experienced
motels. Lots of good food is available at
in the fifties. Old timers look back in swapping yarns, spinning tales, blending our restaurants. Go camping, hiking, or
disbelief at ever tried such a “fool thing” memory upon memory into a rich body of fishing at nearby Manzano State Park.
as farming, observing that the soil should bean field lore. Get a permit at Cibola National Forest and
have never been turned. This decade has seen a steady influx chop your own firewood and a Christmas
The 60s and 70s were a time of heal- of people, drawn by the rugged beauty tree. Go camping and hiking while you’re
ing. Most of the downtown stores were of the area and the simplicity of small at it.
boarded up. Having survived the near town living, creating an eclectic mix of Come visit and experience the charm.
death experience, the community turned wildly divergent backgrounds. Downtown Better yet, move here and experience the
inward, cautiously feeling its way to buildings are a collection of original struc- charm. As pioneer A. B. McKinley put
recovery. Gradually the economy began tures largely untouched, most retaining it “This is not paradise, but it’s not a bad
to stabilize, but it was the 1990s before the hardwood floors and stamped tin ceil- place to live. The people are from every-
the town began to see new signs of life. A ings of a bygone era. The magnificent where, and some almost from nowhere.
trickle of adventurous artists found its way old Shaffer Hotel is restored to its former We are a pretty good people at least to live
to Mountainair. Children of the bean fields grandeur and the old Mountainair Trading among.”
who left to find their fortunes, now retired, Company now houses an array of world- For more information, go to www.
moved back to enjoy more prosperous wide imports. DiscoverMountainairNM.com.
times and reminisce with old friends,
2010 -11
Celebrating the Simple Sunflower

T
he Mountainair area is auction and a raffle. The past three
bright with sunflowers at years a sunflower quilt was raffled
the end of August, rains off.
willing. Each year, hundreds gather for
To celebrate the annual appear- the annual Poets and Writers Picnic,
ance of the sunflowers, the Manzano held in conjunction with the festival
Mountain Art Council will hold the at the gazebo garden of the historic
12th Annual Mountainair Sunflower Shaffer Hotel, a few blocks away.
Festival on Aug. 28 from 9:00 am This is one of the premier poetry
to 5:00 pm. The Festival is based at events in New Mexico, featuring top
the Dr. Saul Community Center, but poets from around the state.
spills out into the streets of the town. The town is also alive with music
Over past years, over a thousand including contemporary as well as
people have attended. traditional folk music and dance.
The festival includes arts and Local churches and civic groups
crafts by local and regional artists, along with local merchants join in
featuring for the fourth year, artists the fun.
from the Santa Fe Spanish Market. For more information email
One of these artists each year cre- [email protected],
ates a sunflower retablo that serves call (505) 384-9767 or check the The annual Sunflower Festival in Mountainair is spon-
as logo for the day. Art Council website at http://moun- sored by the Manzano Mountain Art Council but the
Other events include a sunflower tainairarts.org/ whole town participates. One espeically popular event is
hat contest, a chili cook-off, a silent the judging of the sunflower hats.
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2010 -11
Man vs. Beast: Rodeos Equal Fun for Everyone

W
hat better way to celebrate
New Mexico’s upcoming
centennial than to have a
few spur-spangled rodeos, just like we
always do in the Estancia Valley and East
Mountains.
Living and honoring the lifestyle of the
American West is more than just talk for
a lot of folks residing in the geographical
center of the nation’s 47th state. Here are
a just a few of the more well-known local
events and their associated venues:
Escobosa Riders Club

Escobosa’s annual ranch-style rodeo
series, which took a one-year hiatus in
2009 due to a funding shortfall, is back.
Victor Herrera, the club’s president, said
there will be three rodeos this summer at
the arena located off N.M. 337 approxi-
mately 15 miles south of the village of
Tijeras and its Interstate 40 exit. The 2010
Escobosa rodeos, which will all start at 1
p.m., will be on July 4, Aug. 1 and Sept. 5.
“We’re going to have mutton bustin’
(also known as sheep riding) for the little
kids, and then calf riding, steer riding,
bull riding, bareback bronc riding and bull
riding,” Herrera said. “And we’re going to
have something new. Arts and crafts will
be on sale at the rodeos. ”
The Torreon-based band, “Los
Garrapatas”, will also return to provide the
rodeos’ entertainment.
For information, call Herrera at 866-
5484 or 453-3430.
The Estancia Valley and East Mountains are a southewestern Mecca for anyone who enjoys
Bar-Diamond-S Arena watching or participating in rodeos.
This rodeo facility — it’s been owned
and operated for 16 years by the Pohl fam- stock contractor, is donating the use of the depending on the turnout on June 26-27,
ily and its patriarch, Herman Pohl, — will roughstock free of charge for this school, Pohl said.
hold a free rodeo school on June 19 and Kevin Pohl sad. For information, call Kevin Pohl at
20, starting at 9 a.m. both days, said Kevin In addition, Pohl said the Bar- 362-6564.
Pohl, an arena committee member and Diamond-S will host ranch-style rodeos on
Herman’s son. June 26 and 27. The rodeos will begin at 1 Con Ganas Bull Riding
The school will include instruction in p.m. both days. The Con Ganas Bull Riding Challenge
barrel racing, sheep riding, calf riding, Other rodeos at the site, located off is back after a successful inaugural out-
steer riding, bareback riding, saddle-bronc N.M. 217 in the community of Yrisarri ing in 2009. In 2010, the Con Ganas will
riding and bull riding. Mark Sanchez, a about a mile east of N.M. 337, might also
be scheduled for later in the summer, Continued on page 37

be held on June 25 and 26, starting at 7 5353 or Tammy Staub, the EVRA secre- For information on the Old Timer’s
p.m. both days, at the Torrance County tary, at 288-2284. Or send an e-mail to Day Rodeo, contact Jada Shiver, a fair
Fairgrounds in Estancia. [email protected]. board member and the rodeo’s coordina-
Events include youth calf and steer rid- To get to Heritage Arena, exit I-40 at tor, at 832-9651.
ing in addition to the main card, the open Moriarty’s Howard Cavasos Boulevard To get to the fairgrounds, proceed south
bull riding. There will be fireworks, too. (N.M. 41). Proceed south on N.M. 41 and on N.M. 41 from I-40 in Moriarty. Estancia
Antonio Ortiz and his Baditude go past the lights at Old Route 66 and is about 17 miles south of Moriarty.
Bucking Bulls organizes the event and Martinez Road and continue south to Once in Estancia, drive through the
provides most of the roughstock. Ortiz Heritage Lane. middle of the town to its south side, then
said the event will be sanctioned by the Turn left (or east) on to Heritage Lane. turn right (or west) onto N.M. 55. The
New Mexico Rodeo Association. A sign on N.M. 41 will alert you with a rodeo grounds are about a quarter mile
For information, call Ortiz at 705-4025. sign with an arrow directing you to the from N.M. 41 on the right (or north) side
rodeo grounds. The arena is on the right of N.M. 55.
Chilili Rodeo Club (or south) side of Heritage Lane.
A number of rodeos are hosted by the Rockin’ Horse Ranch
Chilili Land Grant community. Chilili’s Mountainair Gymkhana The Rockin’ Horse Ranch Arena,
arena is off N.M. 337 in the far south- In the past six years, the Gymkhana located north of Moriarty and to the east
east corner of Bernalillo County — series has blossomed to become the most of N.M. 41 near Western Road, has a full
south of Chilili proper — in the Manzano popular of the rodeos in the area. It runs, calendar.
Mountains’ eastern foothills. with one rodeo a month, from March Here are the remaining 2010 events,
The Chilili Rodeo Club, led by its through August. according to a news release from Patty
15th-year president, Fernando Gutierrez, The 2010 season continues with its Wright, co-owner of the arena.
was founded in 1965. These rodeos are for fourth of six monthly rodeos on June n RHR Barrel Racing Series: June
adult and youth participants. 6 at the Mountainair Rodeo Grounds. 12-13, July 10-11, Aug. 14-15, Sept. 17-19,
Chilili will host three ranch-style rode- Competition will start at about 8 a.m., Oct. 2-3.
os on June 13, Aug. 15 and Sept. 12. All Kingston said. n RHR Year-End Barrel Racing Finals:
three will start at 1 p.m. The MGR is a family-oriented rodeo Nov. 13-14.
Events will include calf, bareback, sad- with mostly youth riders participating. n New Mexico Cutting Horse
dle-bronc and bull riding, Gutierrez said. After the June event, the remaining rodeos Association competitions: June 4-6, July
Also, the 15th annual Chilili Bull-A- will be held on July 11 and Aug. 1. 3-5, Aug. 6-8, Sept. 2-3, Oct. 9-10.
Rama is set for July 25 with a 1 p.m. start. Mountainair will also be the site for a n Ranch Horse Versatility Clinic and
Though the bulls will remain the main New Mexico Junior Rodeo Association Show: June 25-27.
event, bareback and saddle-bronc riding rodeo on June 19-20. Kingston is a past n New Mexico Paint Horse Association
competitions will also be held, Gutierrez president of the NMJRA. Horse Show: July 17-18, Aug. 21-22.
noted. For information, call Kingston at 847- n New Mexico Division Special
The Bull-A-Rama — and only the Bull- 2708 or Denise Smythe (MGR secretary) Olympics: July 31.
A-Rama, Gutierrez stressed — will have at 384-6044. n Ed Wright Barrel Racing Clinic: Oct.
an added $1,000 bonus thrown into the pot 16-17.
to be awarded to the July 25 bull-riding Torrance County Fair For information, call Wright at 832-
winner. The bulls won last year with no The Torrance County Fair Junior 6619 or see the Web site at www.rockin-
riders covering the rank animals. Rodeo is one of the main events at the horseranch.net.
For information, contact Gutierrez at fair, held annually in the county seat of
286-1679 or Juan Sanchez, the club’s vice Estancia. Age divisions run from 6-and- Encinias Arena
president, at 281-4726. under to 16-18. The facility, located south of Moriarty,
The fair’s 2010 rodeo is scheduled is planning team roping competitions dur-
Heritage Arena for Aug. 13 at 10 a.m, Metzger said. ing the summer of 2010. But the dates had
Moriarty’s Heritage Arena will be Registration will run from 8 to 9:30 a.m. not yet been decided at deadline time.
the venue for the Estancia Valley Rodeo the day of the rodeo. Cash only — no To get to the arena, go south on N.M.
Association’s second annual youth series, checks — will be accepted for entry fees. 41 from Moriarty for about 4½ miles. Off
said Jeff Herndon, the association’s presi- For information on the fair rodeo, call N.M. 41, turn left (or east) onto County
dent. Metzger at 705-0855. Road 90 and go about 1½ miles. Then
The 2010 series will include six rodeos. In addition, the fair arena will be the turn left (or north), “at the telephone pole
They will occur May 29 and 30, July 3 and venue for the Old Timer’s Day Rodeo, also at Juanito Street”, said Raymond Encinias,
4 and Aug. 14 and 15. a junior competition, on July 31 at 1 p.m. the host.
For information on the EVRA or its Registration will run from 8 to 11 a.m. For information, call Encinias at 832-
rodeos, contact Herndon at 505-470- Cash only. 4937.
2010 -11
Ancient Ruins Tell Haunting Stories of the Past

E
xploring the magnificent pueb-
lo ruins and impressive stone
mission churches of the Salinas
Pueblo Missions National Monument is a
highlight of any tour of the Estancia Valley.
The ruins at Quarai, Abo and Gran
Quivira have stood abandoned for more
than three centuries. Each site is adminis-
tered by the National Park Service as a sep-
arate unit of the Salinas Pueblo Missions
National Monument, which was declared a
national monument in 1909.
History
The roots of the Salinas Pueblos trace
back centuries to two ancient Southwestern
cultures that overlapped in the Salinas
Valley.
Until the 10th century, the Mogollon
culture was dominant. Inhabitants lived
in pit houses and later in adobe-plastered
pole dwellings. By the late 1100s, Anasazi
cultural influence was apparent in the con-
tiguous stone and adobe homes.
Between 1100 and 1500, the area became
one of the most populous Pueblo trade cen-
ters, located astride major trade routes. An
estimated 10,000 people inhabited the area
by the 1600s. They traded valuable salt PHOTO COURTESY OF HERITAGE AIR
from the Las Salinas Valley, and maize, Quarai, the smallest of the Salinas Pueblo Missions, was built in the 1300s. Now the monu-
pi¤on nuts, beans, squash and cotton goods ment plays hosts to numerous events throughout the year.
from the Rio Grande Villages, for buffalo
Gran Quivira alone. By the late 1670s,
meat, hides, flints and shells from the Info Box the Salinas villages were deserted. The
Plains Indians to the East.
Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument pueblos and their missions seem to have
In 1598, Juan de Oñate accepted for-
been abandoned very suddenly, causing
mal submission to the Spanish king from was originally Gran Quivira National Monu-
them to be known as the “cities that died
the area’s Indians. Relations with the ment, established 1909.
of fear.”
Indians soured when soldiers attempted For the latest information about what is
to collect tribute to the crown; Philip II, coming up at Salinas Pueblo Missions Na-
charged by the pope with Christianizing Quarai
tional Monument, please check the events The smallest of the three monuments,
the natives, maintained the colony. calendar online at www.nps.gov/sapu.
With insufficient natural riches, the Quarai dates back to about 1300. Its
governors relied on profits from the sale early Indian dwellers were farmers and
of slaves (from raids on Plains tribes) The Spanish colonization, epidemics traders. The village consisted of com-
and from goods produced by Indian labor. of European diseases, strong influences pact apartment complexes built around
Although the Franciscans tried to lighten from the Zuni and deteriorating relations kivas. Between 1626 and 1628, Fray Juan
the burden on the Indians, they placed with the Apaches radically altered pueblo Gutierrez arrived and began the conversion
heavy demands on the pueblos to support life. Drought and widespread famine in of this pueblo’s 600 inhabitants in earnest.
the missions. the 1660s and 1670s killed 450 people at The church of La Purisima Conception de

Cuarar (now Quarai) was built by pueblo ment. The early pueblos (1200-1400) were
women and children around 1630. concentric circles with excellent masonry
At the village of Punta del Agua (“point and mortar work. The later pueblo (1550-
of water,” for its natural spring), a road 1670) was built on top of the earlier rooms;
leads a mile west to Quarai. The mission its rock work and masonry are decidedly
ruins, with red sandstone walls 5 feet inferior.
thick and 40 feet high, are the most beau- Fray Letrado, the first resident priest,
tiful in the monument — a breathtaking stayed only two years in this pueblo of
sight amid cottonwoods and the Manzano 1,500, establishing the Chapel of San
Mountain Wilderness. Isidro. The next resident missionary, Fray
Diego de Santander, did not arrive until
Abo 1659, so Gran Quivira was not under as
Located on a pass opening into the Rio The ruins at Gran Quivara was and im- much direct Spanish control as Abo and
Grande Valley, Abo was a major trad- Quarai. His church, the mission of San
portant trade center before the Spanish
ing center. Mogollon pit-house builders Buenaventura, was never completed.
arrived in New Mexico. The sprawling gray limestone ruins are
congregated in Abo around 1159; their
gray paste pottery dominated until it was 26 miles south of Mountainair on N.M. 55.
the church of San Gregorio de Abo to
replaced, around 1350, by the glazed reflect its importance as missionary head-
painted pottery of the Anasazi. The color- Headquarters
quarters. The church (completed in 1651)
ful Abo ruins are on U.S. 60, nine miles Monument headquarters, on U.S. 60
employs buttresses, making it one of the
west of Mountainair. in Mountainair, serves as the information
few surviving examples of medieval archi-
Larger than Quarai, with about 800 center, museum and bookstore. Staffed
tecture in the United States.
inhabitants, this ruin also dates to the visitor centers at all three ruins sites have
1300s. Fray Francisco Fonte arriving in trail maps, books, displays, restrooms
Gran Quivira (with some handicapped facilities) and
the 1620s, built a small church, then began
Gran Quivira, the Pueblo de las picnic areas. The headquarters and ruins
work in the surrounding pueblos: Tenabo,
Humanas, was an important trade center are open daily except Christmas and New
Tabira and Las Humanas. Fray Francisco
for many years. It is the most extensive Year’s Day.
de Acevedo, arriving in 1629, enlarged
pueblo and mission ruins in the monu-
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2010 -11
Mountain Villages Keep Tradition Alive

GETTING
AROUND
Spanish Land Grants
The old Spanish land grant villages of

Chilili, Tajique, Torreon and Manzano live
on, but 17th-century Indian Pueblos and
mission churches at Chilili and Tajique have
vanished.
Traditional matachines celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe in the kick off of annual fiestas in Chilili: A settlement 20 miles south of
the summer. Tijeras in the east Manzano Mountain
A
foothills is one of the oldest place names in
nita Ortiz could not stop smiling. The Chilili fiestas begin on a Friday night in
New Mexico. This Hispanic settlement was
She danced the role of La Malinche late summer with vespers and mass held in the
during the fiestas in Chilili under a San Juan de Nepomuceno Mission Church on established in 1841 as a land grant.
clear blue New Mexico sky. Saturday morning. There usually is not enough Escobosa: A settlement 16 miles south of
About 100 or so residents of the area and room inside the small mission church to hold Tijeras in the Manzano Mountain foothills.
parishioners of the church walked and danced all the worshipers, so the crowd spills onto the The name refers to grass residents used to
up and down N.M. 337, which was blocked patio outside to listen to mass. make brooms.
off from traffic while gunshots were fired into “The mayordomos of the church asked her Manzano: This small Hispanic village takes
the air and the church bell was rung by various (to dance). All the dancers were asked to dance. its name from apples, (Spanish, manzanas).
members of the parish. It was a great honor for her to be able to do that. The settlement became a Spanish land
During the procession, community mem- She realized that,” Annette Ortiz said. grant in 1829.
bers carried the saint from the church to pay Anita knew it was an honor because her Punta de Agua: The community near
homage to Our Lady of Guadalupe, said grandfather, Albert Pohl, who was born in Mountainair took its name from “point of
Annette Ortiz, Anita’s mother and deputy Chilili, told her beforehand how important the
water” from a spring when it was settled
county manager. annual event is for the community and for the
The old and new mayordomos carried the church. after 1850.
saint while walking under an arch wrapped in Annette Ortiz said Anita only had one day Tajique: This was the first of several Span-
white flowers. of practice to learn the dance from El Monarca, ish settlements in the Manzano Mountain
The 9-year-old Anita, who was a fourth played by Herrera, and Andy Gonzales, El foothills. It was abandoned due to Indian
grader at Estancia Elementary School when Abuelo, another matachines character. raids but resettled as a land grant in 1834.
she was chosen as La Malinche, wore her white In the Procession were the old and new Torreon: Settlement established on the site
first communion dress with dollars pinned mayordomos, who are chosen to take care of of an Indian pueblo. The village received a
to the bodice. She held on to the pocket of El the church for one year, and the danzantes, land grant in 1841.
Monarca, Jerry Herrera, and danced by one of who are more characters from the matachines
the capitanes, who are characters making up the dancers. All the matachines donate their time
matachines dancers, Annette Ortiz said. and dance at fiestas for free, said the Holy Child to and it was fun. When I got older I found out
According to the Holy Child Parish Web Parish Web site. it was a tradition” that has something to do
site, the church was built around 1842. There The fiesta and the dances are a tradition with warding off evil spirits from the church,
are seven other mission churches like it in the practiced in many communities throughout she said.
East Mountains, the site says. New Mexico and date backt to colonial times.
“Mission churches are the jewels of the “I wouldn’t even know where to start,” After the Procession the fiesta lunch was
East Mountains,” said Kathy Hanlon, whose Annette Ortiz said when trying to explain served by the mayordomos and then followed
husband, Jim Hanlon, played guitar during the exactly what the fiesta and its characters mean. by more dancing that included passing the saint
fiesta. “When I was little it was something you went to the new mayordomos.
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2010 -11
Manzano Mountains Full of Possibilities

T
he leaves tell the story: Either
the Great Bear has been killed, Info
or nighttime temperatures have
approached freezing in the Manzano and For information about open trails contact
Sandia mountain ranges, painting their the Mountainair Ranger District located in
trees for fall. Mountainair, call 847-2990 for details or
American Indian lore says some leaves go online to www.fs.fed.us/r3/cibola.
turn red when celestial hunters kill the
Great Bear and its blood drips from the
sky. The bear’s fat, splattering from the
kettle cooking the meat, turns other leaves sizzle of a fireworks display, for which
yellow. Fourth of July is surely named.
Scientists say chemical processes in the
trees, combined with just the right weather Fourth of July Canyon
conditions, bring on the transformation. After about eight semirutted dirt miles
Whichever you believe, both cause and of Forest Road 55, the reds, oranges,
effect are miraculous and well worth a day pinks and yellows and their half colors
of hiking, whether it’s fall or not. — salmons and tangerines and melons,
Forest rangers and longtime residents perhaps — spotlight groves of maple to
say the best places to see fall foliage in the left.
the East Mountains are on trails near the Once on the trails that originate at
Fourth of July Canyon campground in Fourth of July Canyon Campground, a
the Manzano Mountains. (Specifically, the Fall in the Manzano Mountains offer vast hiker can expect to see leafy firewalls on
Fourth of July Canyon Trail, Albuquerque canopies of multi-colored fauna. either side, and fluorescent yellow and
Trail, Spring Loop and Crimson Maple green leaves set like quilt work against
Trail are recommended.) Three major fires raged through the dark brown bark.
Along the crest of the Sandias, as well Manzanos in 2008, burning 25,000 acres Some sections appear confused about
as on trails such as 10K and Ellis. Their of forest. As a result, many trails and the season, with heart-shaped pink and red
trailheads are marked with signs along campgrounds were under full or partial leaves pasted to the damp pathway like a
N.M. 536, the road to the crest. closings. The Ranger District is working freshly made valentine card.
Each mountain range is its own box of hard to re-open as many trails as possible Around one corner is a grove that
crayons. so it’s best to contact the Mountainair should be called Fort Knox. But even gold
The Manzanos are famous for the fiery Ranger District before setting out. bullion would pale next to this natural
orange and crimson canopies of the big- Although there are plenty of similarities glowing vault.
tooth maples, not found in the Sandias. between the Sandias and Manzanos, the Many fall-collor aficionados prefer the
The Manzanos officially start west Manzanos’ flora is more varied and exotic Manzanos to the Sandias because of the
of Chilili and stretch 20 miles south to than that of the Sandias; the trails leading greater color variation, and make Fourth of
Mountainair. Lower, rounded peaks called up to the long, flat Manzano ridgeline tend July Canyon an annual ritual.
the Manzanitas, just south of Tijeras to be shorter and gentler than comparable “You can go to other parts of New
Canyon, are mostly within the boundar- routes in the Sandias; and once you’re on Mexico and see the golden aspens,” says
ies of Kirtland Air Force Base and Isleta a Manzano trail, more often than not you one regular hiker, “but I’ve heard this is the
Pueblo. will find you have the whole mountain to largest stand of maple in the state.”
Camping is allowed in the Manzanos at yourself. This section of the Manzanos is some-
Fourth of July, Bosque Trail Head, along You’re unlikely to find any wild apple times heavily populated with hikers
FR 55 south of Fourth of July and Red trees growing along the trails in the between late September and mid-October,
Canyon. Dispersed camping is also permit- Manzanos, but the name manzano comes the height of fall foliage.
ted in areas not closed for emergency fire from the Spanish word for apple. Though the Fourth of July Canyon trails
rehabilitation. Manzano State Park is also At their peak, the colors are so vivid would appear, looking at the map, to have
open for camping. that a hiker could almost hear the pop and

definitive beginnings and endings, or con- Yes, autumn hikers need to be care- awash in new foliage, making it a great
necting loops, take this hint: When you ful about black bears, said Donald Hall, place to seek out wildflowers. You might
hit a T at the top of Fourth of July Canyon a forester with the Mountainair Ranger even spot a patch of snow still lingering in
Trail, where the only options are to go District. the shadows. The Maple Trees were not
right to Road 55 or left to the Crest Trail, “This time of year, they’re out,” Hall burned in the fires, so the vibrant colors
consider turning around and heading back said. “They’re still getting berries and nuts will return in full force.
the same route. This is the official end of and what-have-you before hibernation.” If you’re looking for a challenging
Fourth of July; the options at this point do workout and stunning views, the 5.5-mile
not head back to the campground. Manzano hikes trip up Pine Shadow Trail to Manzano
However, walking toward Road 55 More than a dozen excellent trails Peak the highest in the range is the way
about another quarter-mile, which puts a climb from both sides of the Manzano to go. The trail was closed due to fire, but
hiker on Cerro Blanco Trail, will lead to Mountain range and connect with the trail crews worked every week to re-open
an overlook where hillside trees resemble Crest Trail. Three good ones to try are the trail this summer.
hundreds of five-flavor LifeSaver lolli- Fourth of July Canyon, Albuqerque Trail You start in cholla- and pinon-covered
pops. in the Northern Manzanos, which ties into flats below the range’s southern tip, then
Both the Sandia and Manzano ranges 4th of July Trail, and the Comanche Trail ascend a rocky, bone-dry ridge all the way
produce narrow leaf cottonwood, box on the west side. to the peak. Hardy desert flora reaches far
alder, gambel oak, Virginia creeper vines Most people associate 4th of July up the mountainside, and if you hike in the
and purple asters and other wildflowers. Canyon with Forest Road 55, the popular late spring you’ll see numerous cactus and
It’s also common to see chipmunks, fall-color driving loop. But three excellent agave blooms.
cottontail rabbits, butterflies, wild turkey short trails start on the road and end at the But on top is the true reward: one of
and Abert’s squirrel Í you’ll know him Crest Trail. the best 360-degree panoramic views in
by his smallish gray body, tassel ears and The middle trail is Bosque Trail 174. the state.
relatively tame demeanor. This 2.2-mile route climbs to verdant For a bit of an easier trail, Trail Canyon
As for the Great Bear, he must have meadows near 9,549-foot North Bosque Trail, which leads up to the Crest trail, is a
escaped that kettle. He can sometimes be Peak via a series of gentle switchbacks. little lower in elevation, but still contains
seen in the Fourth of July Canyon area. In the spring Fourth of July Canyon is beautiful views.
COMING SOON!
Village of Tijeras
Senior Center
September 2010
State Licensed For Infants to 12 Year Old Children

The Village of Tijeras is building a
Senior Citizens Center just west of the
East Mountain Library and the Luis
Garcia Park. Completion is estimated
in late August, with a grand opening
to be announced for mid September. Mayor Gloria J. Chavez
The Village is seeking input from area
seniors to better understand their Councilors
recreational and other needs. Please Tina King
call Daniel Abram, Clerk/Treasurer at Felix Garcia
Don Johnson
281-1220 or email to: Maxine Wilson
Let Your Kids Enjoy Age Friendly Activities [email protected] Gilbert Gutierrez
2010 -11
“A” is for Apple, “F” is for Fun

A
drive around the Fourth of July
loop in the Manzano Mountains
to watch the fall leaves change
colors is a staple of many central New
Mexican lives.
Another tradition thousands of visitors
to the area now take part in is a visit to
the Manzano Mountain Retreat and Apple
Ranch.
Randy Simmons and his wife, Kim,
have managed the retreat, which is owned
by Albuquerque businessman Scott
Garrett, since 1991. For more than 35 years,
Manzano Mountain Retreat has been a
working apple ranch producing more than
4,000 bushels of apples and 3,000 gallons
of cider annually. The ranch is one of New
Mexico’s largest apple producers, with
more than 30 varieties.
A country store sits on the property
with 15 acres of orchard, which opens
today with customers able to visit through
November, if all goes well.
Despite a few setbacks in the past cou-
ple of years, this season is looking good. In
the past, the ranch has attracted thousands
of guests on the weekends, buying up to
2,500 bushels of apples and up to 3,000
gallons of cider in a season, Simmons said.
Apples are picked by a crew of five
daily, with the best looking apples going
into the store, with the slightly bruised
going to the cider press. Prices usually
start at $1.50 per pound, and cider sits at
$2 for a pint, $5 for a halfgallon, and a gal-
lon for $9.
The ranch grows 37 varieties of apples,
some of which are pretty rare and fly off
the shelves, including Arkansas Blacks,
Honey Crisp and Sun Crisp.
“These taste so much better than any-
thing you’ll find in any regular store,”
Simmons said. “We don’t spray ours with
tons of chemicals so they look good. They
might look kind of ugly, but they taste
amazing. Sunshine is the key.”
The ranch also boasts some of the
best-tasting cider. The taste changes as The Manzano Mountain Retreat and Apple Racnh gorws several varieties of apples. In fall,
the ranch sells its products out of its store.

the apples ripen and get sweeter, The Manzano
Simmons said. The cider is made Mountain Retreat
once a week then frozen to preserve and Apple Racnh
the shelf life of the juice, which gorws several va-
tends to go bad within three weeks rieties of apples. In
of thawing. The equipment and cider fall, the ranch sells
is inspected annually by the New its products out of
Mexico Department of Health. its store.
A variety of factors affect the pro-
ductivity of a crop, including pests
like gophers and squirrels, frost, hail
and more. The pickers work quickly
to get as many apples off the trees as
possible while they’re ripe. Two sea-
sons ago, hail took out a number of
apples. Simmons said it’s part of the
gamble of farming in New Mexico.
“That’s mother nature for you,” he
said. “It’s always a guessing game.”
The retreat is located off of N.M.
337 south of Chilili and is well
marked with signs.
Check out www.manzanoretreat.
com/apples.html for more informa-
tion including ripening schedules to
find your favorite apple.
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Mountain Christian Church

2010 -11
The Mother of All Roads

W
hether people still get their
kicks driving down Old
Route 66 is a question asked
by people from the New Mexico Route 66
Association.
The organization is working to renew
and revitalize the old Mother Road through
New Mexico.
“There will come a day when no one
remembers those family trips anymore.
They’re not old enough to have driven that
highway, or have gone on a family trip on
it, so it doesn’t have the emotional connec-
tion,” said Cyndie Tidwell.
Tidwell is a contractor hired by the
association to complete an update of a cor-
ridor management and economic revital-
ization plan originally developed in 1992.
The updated plan will be used as a
“foundation for helping determine which
projects to seek funding for,” according to
association literature.
The association received a $25,000 grant
from the Federal Highway Administration
about four years ago to complete the update
as part of a scenic byway program, Anita Jerry Ueckert placed this 1940’s era Valentine diner on his property along Old Route 66
Miller said. three years ago. He’s since worked on renovating the portable building
Tidwell talks through Miller’s 14 strate-
gies for revitalizing the road. once enticing drivers to stop for the night, “It’s not just preserving the road it’s
“In 1985 folks were concerned about or to buy a trinket and some gas. about preserving a huge piece of New
the communities that were bypassed by The neon has all but gone away. Mexico history,” said chamber member
interstates. So economic impact was very An exception in Moriarty is the sign for Keith Matson.
significant,” Tidwell said. El Comedor de Anayas. The East Mountains and Estancia Valley
Tidwell plans to compile a report and The El Comedor neon sign is a sphere are home to a significant part of that his-
integrate it into the original 1992 report. with rotating spires that can be seen for tory -- one of the longest existing stretches
There are lots of others, though, that are miles. It was erected in the 1950s, but went of the Mother Road, from Moriarty to the
stepping up to help preserve the road. dead in the 1970s and, with the lack of Rio Puerco west of Albuquerque.
Up until the early 1970s, the only way parts, became too expensive to fix. By all accounts, the credit for starting
to drive through New Mexico from east to In 2003, the sign was relit with the help the Routee 66 chamber goes Bob Audette,
west was on Route 66. of a grant from the New Mexico Office who lives west of Edgewood and created
Now the road in many places of its 2,448- of Cultural Affiars Historic Preservation the organization about 20 years ago.
mile journey from Chicago to Southern Division. “Bob has been the one to carry the
California has disappeared, either through While the state has stepped forward on flame,” Matson said.
the encroachment of nature or throuhg the preservation efforts, it has been regular Audette designed a logo, which fea-
efforts of road grading machines building folks who are leading the charge to pre- tures the 66 shield, that can be seen painted
an interstate freeway. The remnants of the serve the road and its attractions. onto the road throughout its New Mexico
Mother Road in the Estancia Valley and Bill Gilmore and his buddies with the journey as well as a state license plate to
East Mountains remain. As you tool along Route 66 Chamber of Commerce work to raise funds for preservation.
the road, you can see signs in disrepair, preserve the Mother Road.

It costs $35 a year to have the com- Griff’s Hamburgers on East Central in
memorative license plate on your vehicle, Albuquerque.)
money Matson hopes will be used to put And while neither of the diners started GETTING
up Route 66 road signs. their lives on the Mother Road, both are a
Audette was also crowned “Sir Route
66” and given a lifetime achievement
perfect fit for Route 66.
Once the diner was in place in
AROUND
award at the local Route 66 festival in Edgewood, Jerry took to renovating the
2006. small building. Paint was first, then Jerry Edgewood
Rendered obsolete by the creation of repaired the counter and added other
the interstate highway system, Route 66 accoutrements, such as a clock that hung The 1937 rerouting of Route 66 (to east-
was decommissioned on June 27, 1985. outside his parents’ Edgewood grocery west here) caused the growth of areas like
One Edgewood resident, though, has store years ago, a pay phone and era signs.
Edgewood, which became New Mexico’s
added to the lure of Route 66, adding a It wasn’t long before folks started thinking
1940s era Valentine diner to his property it was in operation. newest incorporated town in 1999. Busi-
along Old Route 66. “I’ve had guys pull up to the drive-up ness along 66, a quarter-mile south of I-40,
Jerry Ueckert’s Red Top Diner sits window and start honking,” Jerry said. and N.M. 344 include a supermarket, drug
out on the top of Cider Hill. (It’s the first There’s still a lot of work left to go in store, restaurants, a 100-unit RV park, local
rise out of Edgewood heading east to its renovation and Jerry said he’s got some crafts and a car dealership. North of the
Moriarty.) ideas for its use. One is to offer it as a set p freeway, a Walmart Superstore was built
For the record, it’s officially an iece for movies that come to New Mexico several years ago.
Aristocrat model Valentine Diner, built to shoot. This community 20 miles east of Albu-
during the late 1940s or early 1950s in One thing is for sure, though: People querque was known as Barton and Venus.
Kansas by the Valentine Diners. For those already stop to take a look and sometimes It is located at the edge of wooded hills,
of you with a keen eye, it’s the same type snap a photo.
where the grassy plains to the east meet the
of diner as the one on Central and Girard Jerry says that if you want to take
in Albuquerque being used as a substation a closer look at the diner, you can give forested Sandia Mountains to the west.
by the Albuquerque Police Department. him a call at 505-515-1133 to schedule an
(For bonus points, the company also appointment.
built the building which now houses
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2010 -11
Wildlife West In Tune With Nature

W
ildlife West Nature Park is a
high-desert animal preserve Wildlife West
and music hot spot along
Route 66 in Edgewood.
Nature Park
It’s the central New Mexico home of WHEN: Daily hours 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. dur-
rescued native wildlife, a venue for sum- ing daylight-saving season; noon to 4 p.m.
mer music festivals and 122 acres of acces- during winter.
sible nature trails that lead visitors on a fun WHERE: Edgewood, I-40 Exit 187. On the
and educational adventure. north side of the interstate, take the frontage
Twenty-four species of wildlife and rap- road about a mile west to the park entrance.
tors call Wildlife West Nature Park their HOW MUCH: Self-guided tours are $7
home -- cougars, wolves, a black bear, fox, adults, $6 seniors, $4 students and seniors,
pronghorn, javelina, hawks and more.
free to children under 5.
They all have names and they all have
stories. Hobo, an American kestrel, was INFORMATION: www.wildlifewest.org or
found living with a homeless man; Forrest, call 281-7655.
a grey fox, lost his parents and was found
in a boxcar along railroad tracks in south- 12 and 13. On the same weekend, the park
ern New Mexico. will start its Chuckwagon dinners again,
New animals that joined the Wildlife a night of entertainment including dinner
West family in the past couple of years and music each Saturday.
include a grey fox, two crested caracaras The following month, in July, the park
(Mexico’s national bird seen occasionally will host a local growers’ market. On
in New Mexico), a baby deer and two baby A Mexican gray wolf stares off into the dis- July 17 the park will host another night
raccoons. tance during a light snow at Wildlife West of music, this time blues music, and have
Wildlife West Nature Park has big plans Nature Park. The wolf is one of a trio that a bear and wolf fair where the public can
for 2010. One of the biggest draws for the came from the National Zoo in Washington, see and sometimes feed the park’s bear,
park will be it’s three new Mexican gray D.C. Koshari the rescued black bear, and see
wolves, said Roger Alink, director of the the wolves.
park. The park has built an area near the had to be moved because of renovations The parks’s annual music festival, three
wolf habitat for people to stay overnight, to the zoo, according to Linda Moore, a days of bluegrass and other music, con-
right next to the wolves, at $100 per person. recently retired biologist who accompanied tests, music workshops and dancing, will
Visitors provide their own food and water the wolves on their flight to New Mexico be on Aug. 6, 7 and 8
and, the next day, get up close and personal and stayed in Edgewood with Alink and Harvest Festival will be on Aug. 28 and
with the park’s animals as they help volun- his wife, Terrie, for almost a week. 29. That event celebrates the Edgewood
teers do the feeding. “I don’t think I could have chosen a bet- area’s agricultural heritage and features
The money will be used to pay for food ter home for them even if I tried,” Moore music, vendors and displays including trac-
and veterinary bills for the wolves, Alink said. tors and old farming equipment.
said. Wildlife West is one of 49 zoos in the Wolf and cougar blinds offer overnight
“We’re dedicated to helping the wolves,” country that is qualified to keep Mexican guests the chance to observe and photo-
Alink said. “And photographers and adven- gray wolves, she said, which means it has graph the animals firsthand, at night, when
turers love the experience.” passed quite a few standards. the animals are the most active.
Alink is attempting to prime people for “It’s a big deal, especially for a small Surrounded by the wildflowers and
the experience by taping the wolves howl- zoo like that,” she said. trees native to this beautiful high desert
ing in their enclosure, he said. Other than the changes involving the region.
“That’s really special, to be around the wolves, the park will held its annual wind In addition to the sometimes regal,
wolves when they are howling.” festival and green energy fair on May 1 and mostly furry and often entertaining crea-
The wolves were transported from the 2. There will also be a world blacksmithing tures at Wildlife West, the park hosts a reg-
National Zoo in Washington DC. They championship at the park again on June 11,

Wildlife West Nature Park hosts chuckwagon dinners every
weekend from June to September.
A Taste of the Old Wildlife West Nature Park will host a national horseshoeing cham-
pionship in 2010.
West When the Sun Continued from page 49
ular calendar of events including sunset barbecue chuckwagon
Goes Down dinners, western music concerts, bluegrass festivals, melodrama
and play performances, junior zookeeper day camps, hayrides,
Chuckwagon dinners are a western tradition, accord- disk golf course and more. All events take place at the park’s
ing to Roger Alink, founder of Wildlife West Nature Park. large all-weather amphitheater or in the restored western barn.
He said the tradition goes back to the final meal of the Winter, summer, spring or fall, Wildlife West Nature Park
day for cattle drivers. changes with the seasons, but remains beautiful year ‘round with
“Chuckwagon is typically a barbecue mean feast kind picnic areas, free dry camping and the covered amphitheater
of thing,” Alink said. “Out on the prairie, they had wagons available for family events and company parties.
with a chuckbox where cookie kept flower and stuff to
prepare the meal.”
The wagons would circle, a fire was built, a cow
butchered and cowboy songs were sung before dinner
was served. May 22, 2010: Feria Encantada August 6-8, 2010: Wildlife West
10am-5pm @ Davis Hat & Horse Ranch, Music Fest
Wildlife West is keeping a version of that tradition Stanley, NM For more information:
alive with its chuckwagon dinners, where barbecue beef, For more information: www.wildlifewest.org
chicken, baked potatoes, beans, apple sauce, dinner roll, www.lascrucesranch.com/feria
August 28-29, 2010: Run, Rally &
coffee, lemonade, water, and cookies are all part of the May 29, 2010: Memorial @ The Rock & Wildlife West
menu. Vegetarian options are also available. There is Memorial Parade, 5k Run, Vendors, Music, and fun
also usually a falcon flight or wildlife presentation before 10am @ Memorial of Perpetual Tears, for all ages
Moriarty, NM www.edgewoodchambernm.com
dinner and the teenagers who work at the park through For more information: 505-832-4614
a Youth Conservation Corps grant put on a puppet show September 9, 2010: Tri Chamber Golf
June 24-27, 2010: SASS End of Trail Classic @ Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Course
with animal puppets. The show during the chuckwagon @ Founders Ranch For more information:
dinners is live western or bluegrass music and they often For more information: www.sassnet.com www.edgewoodchambernm.com or
feature the Syd Masters and the Swing Riders July 3, 2010: Star Spangled
www.moriartychamber.com
“If you come at 5:30 it’s nonstop entertainment until 9 Extravaganza October 9, 2010: Pinto Bean Fiesta in
p.m.,” Alink said. Events begin @ 7am and go until dark. Moriarty, NM
For 2010, the chuckwagon dinner runs 7-9 p.m. every Fun for all ages. Parade starts the event @ 9am. Fun for
www.moriartychambernm.com all ages!
Saturday night from June 12 through Sept. 4 and includes For more information:
a foot-stomping slate of live western music performances. July 24, 2010: Route 66 Day BBQ www.moriartychamber.com
Cook-Off
Ticket prices for adults are $20 each; seniors, $19; chil- December 4, 2010: Arts & Crafts Fair
Fun filled day with activities for all
dren ages 5-11, $10; and kids under 5 are free. The park ages. 10am-4pm @ Moriarty City Park 9am-5pm @ Moriarty Civic Center
can serve 500 people and the dinners are catered, so reser- www.edgewoodchambernm.com For more information:
vations are required by 2 p.m. the day of the dinner. Prices www.moriartychamber.com
include admission to the wildlife park and hayrides.
Contact the park at 281-7655 or e-mail info@wildlifewest.
org for more information.
2010 -11
A Taste of the Old West in the New West
One of the events at a Single Action Shooting Society event requires competitors to shoot a balloon while on horseback.
W
ho says the Wild West is Visitors to a SASS get-together get a
dead? Info full-scale immersion in the cowboy life-
The rough and tumble style of the late 1800s. Activities include
days of yesteryear are brought to life in The Single Action Shooting Society will hold historical re-enactments, equestrian events,
spectacular fashion several times a year its annual End of Trail event from June 25 cavalry encampments, cowboy music and
near Edgewood. to June 27 at Founders Ranch. poetry, gunfighter stunt shows, educa-
The Single Action Shooting Society, a The event will feature competitors from all tional seminars, stage coach and buggy
nationwide organization with more than over the world. rides, chuck wagon cooking competitions,
65,000 members, hosts events that recreate The public is invited to attend. and trick roping. The organization’s largest
the lifestyle and atmosphere of the Old West Cost is $8 with children under age 12 free. event is the annual End of Trail, which will
— including the World Championships in For directions to Founders Ranch or more be held in 2010 from June 25 to June 27.
Cowboy Action Shooting. information, call 877-411-SASS or go Live entertainment is offered continu-
No need to worry about random bullets ously on four stages.
online to www.sassnet.com.
flying, however. Events like the annual Ken Amorosano, SASS marketing
End of Trail Championships and Wild director, said more than 100 vendor booths
West Jubilee are civilized affairs the whole SASS purchased the 640-acre Founders offer a variety of cowboy gear and Old
family can enjoy. Ranch just southwest of Edgewood in West merchandise.
More than 2,000 authentically dressed 2004. Formerly based in California, SASS “Its one of the most popular events,” said
cowboys, mountain men, 19th century recently opened a new headquarters build- Amorosano of the vendor sales. “Visitors
soldiers and pioneers descend on the ing in the Edgewood area and will make it will find every aspect of merchandise
Edgewood area for the events. the organization’s permanent home. Continued on page 51

from the Old West — spurs, boots, cloth-
ing, chaps, antiques, guns, and Old West
memorabilia. And a lot of our vendors are
re-enactors in their own right.”
More than a dozen chuck wagons are
also on hand, and the public can taste
samples from every wagon by purchasing
a Chuck Cup.
The main events, of course, are the
shooting competitions, both horse-mount-
ed shooting and on-the-ground target
competitions that take place in detailed
reproductions of Old West towns.
Cowboy Action Shooting is a sport
in which shooters compete in fantasy
scenarios based on actual events from
history, Western movies or TV shows.
Competitors are required to dress in
authentic attire from the late 1800s and
must use authentic or replica single action
revolvers, lever action rifles, and old-time
shotguns as they are tested for speed and Members of the Single Action Shooting Society dress in Old West garb during events at
accuracy. Visitors are welcome to watch Founders Ranch near Edgewood.
the action at the shooting berms, but
are required to wear eye protection (sun- permitted to carry firearms.” 1.5 miles to Barton Road. Turn left on
glasses are OK). Hearing protection is also Founders Ranch is located southwest Barton Road three-quarters of a mile to
recommended. of Edgewood, six miles off Interstate 40. the Founders Ranch entrance.
“Spectators are encouraged to dress Go south five miles on N.M. Highway Visit www.sassnet.com for ticket and
Western,” said Amorosano, “but are not 217 to Juan Thomas Road, then turn left schedule information.
James Retzer, DDS Chuck’s

General Barber Shop
Denistry
For The 3 Barbers
East
Mountain
Now Available
Area on Saturdays
Chuck’s back
working 5 days a week
HOURS
Monday Thru Thursday Come in for free
8-6 refreshments!
For Appointments, Call 281-2622 Tues-Sat 8-5 • 281-4559

North Highway 14, Cedar Crest #2 Marietta Court, Suite F • Edgewood
2010 -11
This Patch Is About Much More Than Pumpkins
D
id you know pumpkins are Children coming through on school
fruits? You probably didn’t, tours get to eat their lunch on hay bales in Prepare to be scared!
unless you’ve been to McCall’s the barn and can buy candy and soda at a
Pumpkin Patch in Moriarty. small concession stand. In conjunction with the Pumpkin
Then you would know all there is They also can visit the retail area, Patch, the McCalls still plan two corn
to know about pumpkins, because the which has dolls, gourds, pumpkin T-shirts, mazes this year — a haunted side and a
McCalls do a fine job of covering that network of puzzling paths.
caps, coloring books and more for sale.
highly specialized area of information. The haunted maze and barn are
The tours are best suited for kids in
Since 1997, Kevin and Kirsten McCall recent additions to Kevin and Kirsten
grades K-3, said McCall. McCall’s pumpkin patch in Moriarty.
have run the pumpkin patch, a working On the weekends, the patch really
farm that happens to grow acres and acres While the whole family can enjoy the
opens up with a whole new series of regular field in the light of day, only
of something kids absolutely love. activities. The activities are only open to
Every fall the farm, also known as the those with a high thresehold for fear
children who come with their families on should dare enter the haunted maze.
McCall Land and Cattle Company, hosts weekends because most of the activities Kirsten admitts she wasn’t a big fan
thousands of kids who come from all over require parental supervision, said McCall. of all the horror and gore before she
the state, either with school or day-care Some past attractions have included a started doing the haunted farm.
field trips or on the weekends with their giant slide, a pumpkin slingshot, an inflat- Over time, she’s become a kind of
families. able pumpkin “jumper,” a rope maze, haunted-house connoisseur, going to
The 300-acre farm also grows corn a 13-acre corn maze, a cart track and a conventions filled with plastic, sev-
and alfalfa hay and breeds Limousin and “cow train” of barrels with wheels pulled ered heads in Las Vegas, Nev., and
Angus cattle. by a tractor. she attends haunted houses to see what
In recent years the McCalls have added A larger concession stand is open on works. She said even though she’s seen
a few new tricks — most of which are it all before, she still gets scared.
weekends for snack items such as nachos.
pure fun, but others that have a purpose. It’s also not your typical job for up
Things can change each year, and
“We’re trying to add some educational to 30 people, from teens to seniors, who
among the changes recently were the
value,” said Kirsten McCall, a former get to be part of the fear.
additions of camping and birthday parties.
teacher. For most kids, the simple act of “Most of you will have a blast,”
visiting a working farm is a revelation, but You can bring the whole family to one of
the several camp sites on the farm. Or if Kirsten said at last year’s orientation.
McCall said she’s trying to take it further. “There’s a lot of room for you to be cre-
Every visitor to the patch gets to see you are looking for a place for your child’s
birthday, the patch now offers a birthday ative with this.”
a video full of pumpkin facts. The patch Kevin and Kirsten talked about
also has added a farm history museum of party package.
getting into character, saying the lines,
actual old-time implements with accom- The McCalls say they didn’t just think
and it was also mentioned that middle-
panying placards full of historical farm of stuff like pumpkin slingshots and goat
school girls are the best customers and
information. bridges by themselves. There’s a whole “tough guys” who just laugh are pretty
Every child coming through on a army of family farmers out there looking annoying.
weekday with a tour gets to go on a hay- to make their farms more profitable by “I get to go to work every night and
ride through the pumpkin fields and pick turning them into centers for entertain- play Halloween,” is how Jay Wesley,
a pumpkin to take home. ment. who was assigned the role of “junk-
Kids on the tour get to go through a The McCalls said they learned all yard,” described the job.
small corn maze and through Animal about how to enhance the family farm Other roles, which included accom-
Alley, a long outside corridor alongside through corn mazes, hayrides and pump- panying costumes and sets in the maze,
several pens with ducks, chickens, rab- kin patches a couple of years ago at were scarecrow, sea creature, outhouse,
bits, sheep, cows and a miniature stud the North American Direct Farmer’s goat boy, toxic and machine gun. The
pony named Spook. A little farther down Marketing Association conference in chain saw was clearly the best spot of
Animal Alley is the 28-foot goat bridge, North Carolina. all, though.
a series of towering ramps and platforms “That’s where our ideas come from,” The haunted maze and barn usually
built for a little herd of miniature goats said Kirsten McCall. “And we’ve got a run through the month of October.
that just love to scale things. whole slew more.”

2010 -11
Civic Center Host to Many Events
If there’s something going on, more than likely it’s being held at the Moriarty Civic Center.
I
f there’s anything going on in is home to the Moriarty Community
the Estancia Valley, it’s usu-
ally happening at the Moriarty
Library and the Moriarty Historical
Museum. GETTING
Civic Center.
Built in 2001 as a community
The center was designed to accom-
modate both large and small gather-
AROUND
and convention center, the civic cen- ings, with a banquet hall that will seat Moriarty
ter plays host to numerous events 400 and smaller “break-out” rooms Established in 1887 and named for an original
throughout the year, including arts that can accommodate smaller lec- homesteader. Settlers were dryland farmers, but
and crafts shows, collectors shows tures or meetings. today you see pivot irrigation rigs and alfalfa, feed
and the annual Writers for Literacy, The large room has a world-class corn, wheat, pinto beans, pumpkins and other
which attracts numerous authors to
acoustic design that works well with crops. The New Mexico Central depot was com-
Moriarty to benefit the local adult
PA systems brought in, or the center’s pleted in 1903, and traces of the old railroad bed
literacy program. Each year, the
area soil and water conservation dis- equipment. remain. Moriarty has a museum, 212 motel rooms,
tricts as well as the Torrance County The center has a large working 10 restaurants and two truck stops. The Albuquer-
Extension Agency hosts a farming kitchen with heavy-duty stoves and que Soaring Club is based at the Moriarty airport.
event attended by the area’s school ovens, a walk-in refrigerator, stainless The city is named after Michael Moriarty who
children. steel freezer, large work tables and an stopped on his way to California and never left.
The civic center also is host to icemaker. Moriarty is known for housing stranded Interstate 40
weddings, funerals, high school danc- For more information on the cen- motorists in winter.
es, local government meetings, semi- ter, contact Jace Alderson at (505)832-
nars, lectures and conventions. 1719 or go online to www.cityofmori-
The 7,627 square foot building also arty.org.
2010 -11
Moriarty Home to Gliders Galore and Museum
The air currents in the Estancia Valley make Moriarty an ideal place for soaring.
T
he Estancia Valley is known area in gliders for the past 30 years thought said, is showing people — and especially
around New Mexico for its pinto Moriarty would also be the perfect place children — the progression of glider tech-
beans, pumpkins and friendly for a museum celebrating free flight, and nology over the last 100 years.
folks. they set out to build it. “We want to bring busloads of school-
But the area has a much wider reputa- The Southwest Soaring Museum children (to the museum) at minimal cost
tion for something else: soaring. opened its doors at the Moriarty Municipal to be exposed to gliding development and
A convergence of factors has made the Airport in 1996, only the second museum
their flying efficiency,” Applebay said.
valley, and Moriarty in particular, an inter- of its type in the country.
nationally known center for this pastime. George Applebay, president of the muse- The museum will also sponsor research
All day long in the summer, and often um, said the Moriarty-based Albuquerque for solar-powered aviation. Applebay said
for much of the rest of the year, tow planes Soaring Club started working on a muse- the Estancia Valley is a prime area for solar
can be heard pulling the silent aircraft into um in 1990 but didn’t get much support flight because the sun heats soil enough
the sky. When local residents hear this, from the Soaring Society of America, that small cyclones are created. These
they often look skyward and wait for the which has a museum in New York. In small cyclones can rise 20,000 feet above
quiet birds to be released on the long and 1996, the national Soaring Society decided sea level, allowing gliders to fly in circles
winding trip back to Earth. it was time to consider opening a museum and gain altitude, he said.
The cool nights and warm days in the in the West, and Moriarty was at the top of In addition to the planes, volunteers
valley create a desert thermal that gives the list, Applebay said. have amassed a collection of photographs,
anything with wings a nice lift. “We had already done a lot of the literature and documents relating to glider
The Moriarty Municipal Airport serves work,” he said. planes throughout the years. Applebay said
as the base for glider enthusiasts from far The Moriarty museum collection
one area of the museum will be dedicated
and wide. On nearly any day visitors can includes several rare sailplanes such as a
ride out to the airport and watch as the Hummingbird motorglider designed and to the literature, while the photographs will
gliders line up for their turn to be towed built by noted aircraft designer Ted Nelson be displayed on walls.
aloft. in 1954. The glider, which Applebay said For more information, contact the
Sundance Aviation at the Moriarty is a progenitor of modern gliders, is one of museum at 832-9222 or 832-0755, or visit
Airport offers glider rides to the public. only about 20 Nelson built. the Web site at www.swsoaringmuseum.
Folks who have been soaring over the One goal of the museum, Applebay org.

2010 -11
Land of Enchantment Fly-In a Big Success

T
he Moriarty Municipal Airport is known
throughout the world for its air currents making
it ideal for gliders.
But few realize that the airport also is the site for one of
the largest aviation rallies in the country.
The Albuquerque Experimental Aircraft Association
Chapter 179 sponsors its Annual EAA Land of
Enchantment Fly-In at the Moriarty Municipal Airport
each September with three days of displays and aviation
events.
While the event caters mostly to pilots, there is plenty
to see if you simply enjoy looking at aircraft. In addition to
the fly-in, in which planes from all over the world are on
display at the airport, the Young Eagles Rally also is held.
Part of the EAA’s mission is education and to hopefully
spark the imagination of kids into considering taking up
aviation as a hobby or a career. Kids ages 8 to 17 get a free
ride in an airplane during the rally thanks to pilots with
the EAA chapter.
This year will mark the 19th Land of Enchantment
Fly-In. Kids ages 8 to 17 can get a free airplane ride during the Young Eagles
For more information, go to the chapter web site at Rally during the annual Land of Enchantment Fly-In held in Moriarty each
www.landofenchantmentflyin.org. September.
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Rip Rap • Back Fill Material
286-7659
cell 249-5048 1016 Industrial Road - Moriarty, NM 87035
sierrablancabrewery.com
2010 -11
A Perfect Day for the Pinto Bean

I
f you’ve never been to Moriarty in
October, you don’t know beans.
Residents of the Estancia Valley
do. Pinto beans were a huge cash crop for
the valley in the early 20th century, and
Mountainair was known as the Pinto Bean
Capital of the World.
Bean crops in the Estancia Valley aren’t
as extensive today as they once were.
Seventy years ago, beans were planted on
dozens of farms from Stanley to Claunch.
Now, according to U.S. Department of
Agriculture figures, less than 1,000 acres
in New Mexico are dedicated to growing
pinto beans – most of that in the Estancia
Valley.
Residents from throughout the valley
and beyond come together in Moriarty
each fall to celebrate the area’s relation-
ship with the local legume at the annual
Moriarty Pinto Bean Fiesta.
The bean fiesta will take place on Oct.
9 in 2010.
Festivities start with a pancake break-
fast at the City Park and generally include
fun runs, a pinto bean cookoff, music,
games, a rodeo and a parade — all to
remind everyone of the important role the
pinto bean has played in the valley. The annual Moriarty Pinto Bean Fiesta serves up plenty of fun, and beans, for thousands of
After being moved to Crossley Park a visitors each year.
couple of years ago due to renovations at
City Park, the bean fiesta has returned to ley during the 1950s. pinto beans because of New Mexico’s dry
its traditional home. The improvements at “They used to stack beans in the streets climate and the high altitude.
City Park have made the festival even more of Mountainair waiting to put them on the Because of those qualities, local farm-
visitor friendly. train,” said Gary Thomas, whose family ers say they don’t have to go looking for
A large grassy area at City Park is has been growing beans in the valley for a market to sell their beans — the market
ringed with booths selling everything from nearly 100 years. comes to them.
arts and crafts to food as a daylong lineup Since then, many farmers have been Individual customers drive to Moriarty
of bands entertains the traditionally large forced to sell out or switch to other crops, from Albuquerque, Santa Fe and other
crowds. Children can enjoy the new play- such as silage corn. Now only a handful of parts of the state each fall to get beans.
ground area, and nearby ballfields are usu- Estancia Valley farmers grow pinto beans, Many are also sold to restaurants and food
ally in use too. and many other states produce more pinto manufacturers in New Mexico.
A carnival featuring rides, games and beans more cheaply. And of course some people simply plan
other attractions is also usually a part of Thomas — along with Moriarty’s a trip to the annual Pinto Bean Fiesta to
the fun. Schwebach Farms, which dedicates part pick up their yearly supply of beans. Local
The Estancia Valley was the primary of its acreage to growing beans — have farmers package beans in small one-pound
pinto bean source for the rest of the coun- developed a niche market for Estancia bags as well as 25-pound sacks.
try before drought and a falling market Valley beans. For more information on the Pinto Bean
nearly destroyed bean farming in the val- Local farmers say Estancia Valley pinto Fiesta, contact the Moriarty Chamber of
beans are higher in quality that most other Commerce at 832-4087.

2010 -11
Memorial a Personal Journey

Y
ears of dedication and deter- with 914 headstones created by Britton.
mination that created the Each headstone symbolizes one DWI-
New Mexico National DWI related death from the previous five
Victims Memorial of Perpetual Tears years in New Mexico. In 2009, 100 of the
near Moriarty culminated in a three- headstones were covered to symbolize
hour dedication ceremony in October the drop in the number of DWI deaths
2006. over the past five years.
Now the memorial is moving forward “One day I would hope to see an
as a place for remembrance and educa- empty field,” Britton said. “Then we
tion. would know we’ve beat this problem.”
The park was the brainchild of Britton said she hopes the memorial
Moriarty native Sonja Britton, whose will be a place of solace where victims
son was killed in 1991 by a drunk driver. can tell their stories and grieving fami-
Britton decided that a memorial for all lies can find peace.
innocent victims of DWI in New Mexico “Victims of DWI need to be more
would help fill the void in her heart. than just statistics,” she said.
Britton began stirring up support Labor and supplies were donated
from other victims, families and even the at little or no cost from several local
state Legislature. Six years and $335,000 businesses. The land for the memo-
later, ground was broken on July 4, 2006. rial was donated by the Anaya family of The markers at the New Mexico National DWI
In 2008, the memorial, located north of Moriarty. Victims Memorial of Perpetual Tears signify a
Interstate 40 and just west of N.M. 41, For more information, visit www. person who has died in a DWI crash in the past
Medical Career Training

was open for business. The park is dotted dwimemorialofperpetualtears.org. five years in New Mexico.
Wish You Were Here!

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• Pharmacy Technician Al s o k
• Medical Assistant “Vicki nown as
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Assistant Laying a strong
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• Nursing - NO WAITING LIST -
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• Nursery & Toddler Care
2201 San Pedro NE
pmi.edu Albuquerque, NM 87110 • Preschool
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1-888-387-6786
HANDS ON TRAINING • FINANCIAL AID IF QUALIFIED • LIFETIME JOB PLACEMENT ASSISTANCE Open 6:30 am-6:30 pm
It’s quick & affordable. Call today. Now Enrolling for Summer & Fall Programs!
United Way Scholarships May be Available
† Massage School, RMTS 32, 2305 San Pedro NE, Suite D
9-1/2 miles So. of Tijeras on Hwy. 337 (14)
* Pima Medical Institute has been granted Candidate for Accreditation status by the Commission on
Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education of the American Physical Therapy Association (1111 North Fairfax
Street, Alexandria, VA, 22314; phone: 703-706- 3245; email: [email protected]). Candidacy is not an
accreditation status nor does it assure eventual accreditation. Candidate for Accreditation is a pre-accreditation
Call Us At 286-3626
status of affiliation with the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education that indicates the pro-
gram is progressing toward accreditation.
2010 -11
Route 66 a Good Place for Auto Museum

A
rchie Lewis was different from
most kids because he liked to
pick things up and keep them
— most things.
“I don’t get rid of nothing… Well I did
get rid of my first wife, but that was a long
time ago,” Lewis joked as he stood in a
lot beside a 15,000-square-foot warehouse
building that he bought about several years
ago.
Not one of the models is his favorite,
although he admits liking the Ford Model
T and Model A cars the best.
“One of my favorite things is to take an
old pile of rust and make a car out of it,”
he said.
Lewis moved to Moriarty from
Albuquerque because he needed a bigger
space to park his cars — all 550 of them.
The Lewis Antique Auto and Toy
Museum is across from Lisa’s Truck Stop
on Old Route 66 in Moriarty.
Inside his museum, he keeps a bunch
of comfortable chairs in a semicircle in the
same room with his restored cars.
“When the car clubs come out, they’ll
all set in here. The guys’ll look at the stuff
and the women will sit here,” Lewis said.
They often drink coffee, soda and water,
he said.
“Back in the old days, in early ‘49 and
‘50, ‘51, I bought old parts. My dad had a
garage in Vaughn,” Lewis said recalling
how he got started.
“I started gathering cars years and years
ago, and this is what happened,” Lewis
said while admiring about 30 restored
vehicles in one of the large rooms inside
the warehouse. Archie Lewis collects all sorts of cars, but his favorites are Model Ts.
Lewis grew up in Vaughn where his “That’s when I learned to drive a Model brake, along with a choke, a dash light and
father owned a garage. As he walked T. They all work the same way. There’s throttle.
around delivering papers, he noticed cars a crank. They all had a crank,” Lewis “I like things of the past,” Lewis said.
in his neighbors’ yards. He bought his first remembered. The Lewis Antique Auto and Toy
car when he was 9 years old. Inside is an all original 1926 Ford Museum at 905 Old Route 66 East is open
His second car — a 1926 Ford Model Model T that Lewis recently purchased from “about” 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day
T that he bought that same year — is still from a friend who kept it in his garage in of the week but “call ahead” first, said Beth
sitting out in the dusty yard. Lewis drove Albuquerque. Alexander, Lewis’ wife.
the car home, while his father followed He explains how the three pedals on For information call 832-6131 or lewis-
close behind. the floor are used, for low, reverse and to [email protected].

2010 -11
There’s Always A Reason To Celebrate!

The East Mountains and Estancia The junior rodeo provides thrills and
Valley play host to a variety of community spills at the county fairgrounds rodeo
events and festivals throughout the year. arena.
From kite flying in the spring and old- The big finale for the Torrance County
fashioned Fourth of July celebrations each Fair includes a colorful parade and the
summer, to Punkin Chunkin in the fall annual 4-H council barbecue.
and Christmas light parades in the winter, The junior livestock sale begins at 3
there’s always something fun happening. p.m. in the show ring, where youths can
Here’s a sampling of some of the spe- pick up some well-deserved payback for
cial occasions that give the region its their months of hard work in raising their
flavor: animals. Between 25 and 30 youths make
it into the sale, and it is not uncommon for
Wind Festival the total amount spent on livestock to be
Traditionally held on the first weekend more than $100,000.
in May at Wildlife West Nature Park in A country western dance traditionally
Edgewood, the annual Wind Festival fills closes out the busy fair week.
the skies over the town with colorful kites
of all sizes, shapes and descriptions. Christmas in Madrid
Members from the American Kiter’s Madrid, a former mining town turned
Association often participate, with kites The Fourth of July Parade is one of the most artist haven, is known for its enthusiastic
that are custom made, one of a kind, big Christmas spirit, and annual festivities
heavily attended parades in New Mexico.
and wonderful to watch. Huge banners continue the tradition of holiday merri-
however, the towns of Estancia and Moun-
are also erected with fun designs and ment.
tainair also have parades.
scenes that can be viewed as a panoramic The fun includes traditional favorites
landscape. The usual schedule of events includes a such as stagecoach rides and a visit from
Visitors see kites hooked into series pancake breakfast, music events through- Santa Claus as well as a holiday parade
and flown like trains or hooked together out the day, food and game booths, arts down the quaint main street.
so they fly in huge arch shapes. A wide and crafts and a fireworks show - weather Visitors will find plenty of merriment
variety of imaginative, individual kite and fire danger permitting. and wonder during each of the first three
shapes, along with an 80-foot long octopus A Youth Rodeo is always held on the weekends in December. Santa Claus is on
kite, have marked past festivals. holiday weekend at the Moriarty Heritage hand each weekend, and as always he’s a
Admission is free but there is an admis- Rodeo Arena. mainstay of the parade that marks the first
sion charge for visitors to go into the park For more information, contact the weekend of festivities.
to experience the varied species of native Moriarty Chamber of Commerce at 832- Additionally, the town’s residents are
New Mexico wildlife. 4087. busy decorating their homes and busi-
Contact the park for more information nesses with hundreds of lights. Christmas
at 281-7655. light displays fire up at dusk – sometimes
Torrance County Fair
even earlier – all over the historic town.
Every August, things are in full swing
Fourth of July Many local businesses serve refresh-
at the annual Torrance County Fair.
Hundreds and hundreds of children are ments on Friday and Saturday evenings,
Steers, pigs, sheep, rabbits and chick-
among the thousands of people who annu- while live music and other entertainment
ens, along with pickles, dresses, photo-
ally line Old Route 66 in Moriarty for the is scheduled at the landmark Mine Shaft
graphs and arts and crafts, will be on dis-
city’s annual Old-Fashioned Fourth of July Tavern.
play at the county fairgrounds in Estancia
Parade. For information on who’s playing, call
for the 2009 fair from Aug. 9-14.
The parade traditionally starts at 10 the Mine Shaft at 473-0743.
Throughout the week are sheep, goat,
a.m. down the city’s main thoroughfare. cattle and swine shows. 4-H youths work
The parade is just one part of the city’s all year raising their livestock to take cen- Christmas Light Parades
annual Fourth of July celebration, which is ter stage at the county fair. The animals Christmas lights have traditionally
organized and sponsored each year by the are on display in the fair barns as they wait been an attraction that families piled into
Moriarty Chamber of Commerce. for their time in the show ring. Continued on page 60
the car and drove around town to view. ready to conduct free performances of Mountains each summer.
Lately, though, that tradition has been the Christmas-season classic, Handel’s The dark skies of the East Mountains
reversed. Now people line the streets and “Messiah.” and the large telescopes of TAAS astron-
watch as the Christmas lights go parad- East Mountain Community Chorus omers together provide great views of
ing by. singers range in age from preteens to planets, as well as more elusive deep-sky
Estancia has kicked off the Christmas senior citizens. Singers of all experience objects such as galaxies, nebulae, and star
season for years with its annual Torrance levels are welcome to join the chorus, clusters.
County Christmas Safety Lights Parade although auditions are required for those Observing begins at sunset, weather
and Craft Fair, traditionally held on the wishing to sing a solo part. permitting, and is suitable for all ages.
second Saturday in December. In recent years, the chorus has num- Picnic facilities are available for those
Starting in 2003, Moriarty joined in the bered more than 70 singers with an who would like to come early, and adja-
festive tradition with a Christmas Light orchestra of about 15 musicians, many of cent parking is available. Alcoholic bev-
Festival of its own. Moriarty’s version them youths. erages and pets are not allowed in the
kicks off with a light parade on the first Most of them live in the East Mountains, telescope viewing area.
weekend of December and continues with and entire East Mountains families join in To get there, take N.M. 337 (South 14)
a variety of events and activities through the singing of the “Messiah.” nine miles south of the Tijeras exit on
the middle of the month. No admission is charged for the con- I-40 and follow the signs to Oak Flat and
certs, but in the longstanding tradition Juniper Loop. For information and a map,
of the “Messiah,” a free-will offering is visit www.taas.org or call 254-TAAS.
Handel’s “Messiah”
collected at each of the evening presenta-
Each October, a loosely organized
tions. After paying expenses, all remain- Snowshoe Racing
group of about 100 volunteers gathers
ing proceeds are divided equally between Each January, the Friends of the Sandia
to prepare for what has become a trea-
two selected charities. Mountains sponsors its annual 3.2 mile
sured holiday season tradition in the East
Mountains. Sandia Peak Snowshoe Race.
By December, these volunteers -- the Star Parties Hundreds of competitors, from the
singers, orchestra musicians and help- The Albuquerque Astronomical ultra-competitive to the casual stroller,
ers that make up the East Mountain Society (TAAS) and the Sandia Ranger line up and trudge through the snow.
Community Chorus -- are rehearsed and District co-host several evenings of For more information, go online to
free public stargazing in the Manzano www.sandiasnowshoe.com/index.html.
If we ain’t paving
you ain’t saving!
of New Mexico
111 Coors Blvd. #102 Albuquerque, NM 87121 • (505) 292-9046 • License #82219
ServiceS offered from Action ASphAlt
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All roads lead to Action Asphalt for all your road needs.
Before After We are a full-service contractor in New Mexico. Before After
2010 -11
Mark Your Calendar

JUNE arty City Park. OCTOBER
July 25 — 15th Annual Chilili Bull-A-Rama starts Oct. 2-3 — New Mexico Cutting Horse Associa-
June 4-6 — New Mexico Cutting Horse Associa- at 1 p.m., call 286-1679. tion Finals at the Rockin’ Horse Ranch north of
tion competition at the Rockin’ Horse Ranch north July 30-31 — Relay for Life in Estancia. Moriarty, call 832-6619.
of Moriarty, call 832-6619. Oct. 9 — Annual Pinto Bean Fiesta, Moriarty City
June 5-6 — Fiber Farm and Studio Tour, 9 a.m. AUGUST Park. Information: 832-4087.
to 5 p.m., 281 5963. October — Celebrate Wildlife New Mexico and
June 6 — Gymkhana, Mountainair. Information: Aug. 1 — Gymkhana, Mountainair. Information: Fall Festival, Wildlife West Nature Park, Edge-
847-2708. 847-2708. wood. Information: 281-7655.
June 12-13 — Rocking Horse Ranch Barrel Aug. 6-8 — New Mexico Cutting Horse Associa- Oct. 16 — Estancia Pumpkinfest featuring Punkin
Racing Series, 832-6619. tion competition at the Rockin’ Horse Ranch north Chunkin’ competition, Estancia. Information:
June 12-13 — Hammer and Hooves Horse Fair, of Moriarty, call 832-6619. 384-2708.
Wildlife West Nature Park. Aug. 6-8 — Music Festival featuring music,
June 13 — Chilili Rodeo call 286-1679. food and vendors. Wildlife West Nature Park, DECEMBER
June 25-26 — Con Ganas Bull Riding Chal- Edgewood. Information: 281-7655.
lenge, Torrance County fairgrounds, 7 p.m. both Aug. 8-14 — Torrance County Fair, Estancia. December 3 — Festival of Lights including kick-
days. Information: 246-4745. off Light Parade and open houses all over town
June 25-27 — Single Action Shooters Society Aug. 15 — Chilili Rodeo call 286-1679. on Dec. 3 , Moriarty. Festival of Lights Family
End of Trail World Championship at Founders Aug. 22-25 — Single Action Shooters Society Celebration with Santa Claus, Civic Center, Dec.
Ranch in Edgewood, www.sassnet.com. Four Corners Regional Championship at Founders 4. Information: 832-4087.
Ranch in Edgewood, www.sassnet.com. December 13 — Estancia Christmas Light
JULY TBA — Sunflower Poetry Writing Workshop, Parade and Craft Show, Estancia. Information:
Shaffer Hotel, Mountainair. Contact Dale Harris, 384-2708.
July 3-5 — New Mexico Cutting Horse Associa- [email protected] TBA — East Mountain Chamber of Commerce’s
tion competition at the Rockin’ Horse Ranch north Aug. 28 — Sunflower Folk Art Day, Mountainair. annual Breakfast with Santa, Los Vecinos Com-
of Moriarty, call 832-6619. Arts and crafts, music, barbecue, 9th annual munity Center. Call 281-1999.
July 3 — July 4th Festival including Traditional Poets and Writers Picnic, dance. Information: TBA — Annual Holiday Fair, Mountainair. Holiday
Fourth of July Parade and rodeo, Moriarty. Activi- 847-2795. craft show, parade, tree lighting and more. 847-
ties all weekend. Information: 832-4087. Aug. 28-29 — Harvest Festival and Run, Rally 2321.
July 3 — Community Fellowship Fourth of July, and Rock at Wildlife West. Information: 286-
Estancia. Fireworks subject to fire conditions. 4518. JANUARY
July 3 — Firecracker Jubilee, Mountainair. Aug. 31 - Sept. 1 — Record Challenge Time
Old-fashioned Independence Day celebration. Trial, N.M. 41 south of Moriarty. TBA — The ninthth annual Sandia Mountain
Pancake breakfast, parade, fireworks, barbecue Snowshoe Race, www.sandiasnowshoe.com
at the park, ranch rodeo at the rodeo grounds. SEPTEMBER
Information: 847-2795. FEBRUARY
July 10 — Walkin N Circles Rescue Ranch an- Sept. 2-3 — New Mexico Cutting Horse As-
nual Hug A Horse Day, north of Edgewood, call sociation competition at the Rockin’ Horse Ranch TBA — Edgewood Community on the Way
286-0779. north of Moriarty, call 832-6619. Awards.
July 11 — Gymkhana, Mountainair. Information: September — Annual Edgewood Melodrama at
847-2708. Wildlife West Nature Park. Evening shows Friday MAY
July 17 — Bear Fair, Wildlife West Nature Park, and Sunday, matinees Saturday and Sunday.
Edgewood. Information, 281-7655. Information: 281-7655. TBA — Edgewood Wind and Kite Festival. Usu-
July 24 — Old Timers Day in Estancia. ally held the first weekend of May at Wildlife West
July 24 — Route 66 Day/BBQ Cook Off, Mori- Nature Park.

2010 -11
Find Us On The Web

Get more information about the East tychamber.com. Cibola National Forest — www.fs.fed.us/r3/cibola.
Mountains and Estancia Valley online at Estancia Valley Economic Development Associa- Southwest Soaring Museum — www.swsoaring-
these sites: tion — www.evedanm.com. museum.org.
McCalls Pumpkin Patch — www.mccallpumpkin-
GOVERNMENT SOMETHING TO DO
City of Moriarty — www.cityofmoriarty.org patch.com.
New Mexico Route 66 Association — www.
Town of Estancia — www.townofestancia.com rt66nm.org. Sandia Peak Ski Area — www.sandiapeak.com.
Torrance County — www.torrancecountynm.com Rockin’ Horse Ranch — www.rockinhorseranch. Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway — www.
Town of Edgewood — www.edgewood-nm.gov. net turquoisetrail.org.
Wildlife West Nature Park — www.wildlifewest. Albuquerque Experimental Aircraft Association —
CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE org. www.eaa179.com.
Mountainair Chamber of Commerce — moun- Tinkertown — www.tinkertown.com. Land of Enchantment Fly In — www.landofen-
tainairchamber.com. Single Action Shooting Society -- www.sassnet.
chantmentflyin.org.
East Mountain Chamber of Commerce — www. org.
eastmountainchamber.com. New Mexico Mountain Climbing — mountainpro-
Edgewood Chamber of Commerce — www. ject.org. And keep up with all the news in the Estancia Val-
edgewoodchambernm.com. Salinas Mission National Monument — www.nps. ley and East Mountains at
Moriarty Chamber of Commerce — www.moriar- gov/sapu. www.mvtelegraph.com
How to reach the New Mexico public schools in the

East Mountains and Estancia Valley
APS MOUNTAIN DISTRICT Manzano High Mountainview Elementary 200 Center Street P.O. Box 68
San Antonito Elementary 12200 Lomas Blvd. NE 2422 Old Route 66 P.O. Box 2000 Estancia, NM 87016
12555 N.M. 14 Albuquerque, NM 87112 P.O. Box 2000 Moriarty, NM 87035 Phone: 384-2003
Sandia Park, NM 87047 Phone: 292-0090 Moriarty, NM 87035 Phone: 832-6200 Estancia High
Phone: 281-3931 Fax: 291-6854 Phone: 832-6827 Moriarty High P.O. Box 68
Fax: 281-5864 Route 66 Elementary 200 Center Street
Estancia, NM 87016
A. Montoya Elementary MORIARTY-EDGEWOOD 805 Barton Rd P.O. Box 2000
SCHOOL DISTRICT Phone: 384-2002
24 Public School Road Edgewood, NM Moriarty, NM 87035
Tijeras, NM 87059 Karen Couch, Superinten- P.O. Box 2000 Phone: 832-4254
Phone: 281-0880 dent Moriarty, NM 87035 MOUNTAINAIR DISTRICT
Fax: 255-4680 P.O. Box 2000 Phone: 832-5760 ESTANCIA DISTRICT Mountainair Public Schools
Roosevelt Middle Moriarty, NM 87035 South Mountain Elementary Estancia Municipal Schools P.O. Box 456
11799 N.M. 337 Phone: 832-4471 577 N.M. 344 P.O. Box 68 Mountainair, NM 87036
Tijeras, NM 87059 Fax: 832-4472 Edgewood, NM Estancia, NM 87016 Phone: 847-2333
Phone: 281-3316 Edgewood Elementary P.O. Box 2000 Phone: 384-2001 Mountainair Elementary
Fax: 281-5120 285 Dinkle Rd Moriarty, NM 87035 Estancia Elementary P.O. Box 456
East Mountain High Edgewood, NM Phone: 832-5700 P.O. Box 68
P.O. Box 2000 Mountainair, NM 87036
School Edgewood Middle Estancia, NM 87016
Moriarty, NM 87035 Phone: 847-2231
P.O. Box 340 17 Venus Rd Phone: 384-2004
Sandia Park, NM 87047 Phone: 832-5741 Edgewood, NM Van Stone Elementary Mountainair High
Phone: 281-7400 Moriarty Elementary P.O. Box 2000 P.O. Box 68 P.O. Box 456
2015 School Loop Mountainair, NM 87036
Fax: 281-4173 P.O. Box 2000 Moriarty, NM 87035 Estancia, NM 87016
Moriarty, NM 87035 Phone: 832-5880 Phone: 384-2005 Phone: 847-2211
Phone: 832-4927 Moriarty Middle Estancia Middle
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Explore!

The East Mountains & Estancia Valley

2010 -11 Visitors Guide

• Comfort Inn • Motel 6 • Best Western • Lariat Motel • Luxury Inn

Ken Patel Moriarty CoMfort inn

111 Anaya Blvd • P.O. Box 2295

Come for the Hospitality

Tapia’s plumbing We Cater!

4 Explore! The East Mountains & Estancia Valley

Tijeras Store • 503 Highway 333 • 505-286-6184

8 Explore! The East Mountains & Estancia Valley

Ancient Pueblo Thrived in Tijeras

Summer Art Treasures Found in Tijeras

10 Explore! The East Mountains & Estancia Valley

Davis Estancia Valley

Plumbing supplies Saints Peter

St. Elizabeth Our Lady of

Downhill Fun Found at Sandia Peak Ski Area

12 Explore! The East Mountains & Estancia Valley

The Turquoise Trail Center 12220 N. Hwy 14

MAKE YOUR FINANCIAL FUTURE

Sandia Mountains Offer Many Recreation Possibilities

14 Explore! The East Mountains & Estancia Valley

Read “Write” Adult Literacy Program

Smallest Town Brings Biggest Smiles

16 Explore! The East Mountains & Estancia Valley

Hours: 9am-5pm • Mon-Sat

ensuring a stable Bear population Video Presentations

Keep Bears alive and You safe! Highly Experienced Staff

World Class Links, Great Views at Paa-Ko Ridge

18 Explore! The East Mountains & Estancia Valley

Automotive & Diesel Repair

Where eating is a pleasure!

Esperanza Family Mountainair Family

Eclectic Madrid Welcomes All Visitors

20 Explore! The East Mountains & Estancia Valley

EMW Gas Association

Who wants to drive to If you smell gas...

Moriarty EdgEwood CEdar CrEst 384-2369

Salt Missions Trails

Agriculture an Important Part of the Valley

Forest Meadow Baptist

Goat Cheese Makes the Grade

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Tour Offers a Peak at Farms and Studios

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TELEGRAPH Serving the East Mountain and Estancia Valley Areas.

Blue Ribbon is at the Heart of Estancia’s History

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Agriculture to Art: Mountainair Through the Years

30 Explore! The East Mountains & Estancia Valley

Office: (505) 847-2243

Premier New Mexico Real Estate

The Sierras Valentine Ranch

Closed Mondays Please visit www.aboproperties.com

• Construction Signs • Recreational Signs

Patsy Gustin Stonehouse

Hair Enchantment Salon & Day Spa

122 Highway 60 W. • Mountainair, NM 87036

val - AuguSt 28 Santa Fe Style

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