April-May 2011 Essence

the Essence of Los Alamos and White Rock April May 2011, Volume 4, Issue 3

GET OUT In Los Alamos

Auto & Motorcycle Enthusiasts Enjoy the Area Local Routines • Climbing & Hiking Los Alamos the

Essence April/May 2011

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June 11

10:00-2:00 Downtown Central Ave. Food3Sand pile3Car Show3Music 3Chamber Member Expo3

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Essence April/May 2011

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Gifts for Mom ........................................... 6 Plan a ‘Staycation’.............................. 6 Embracing Small Town Lifestyle ........................................................... 8 Auto & Motorcycle Enthusiasts Enjoy the Area ...... 10 Los Alamos Residents Share Their Routines .......................................12 Community Winds Help Students Succeed ...............14 Essential Person: Christine Bernstein ..............................16 Getting Out Locally ............ 18-20 Calendar of Events

Local Happenings in Your Town.................

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Participating CommunityMatters Chamber Members Assets in Action Atomic City Cleaning B & B Environmental Safety Inc. Bennett’s Jewelry Best Westerm Hilltop House Hotel Brownells Hallmark CB FOX & CB FOX Kidz Don Taylors Photography Enchanted Paradise Spa Family Strengths Network Family YMCA Fuller Lodge Art Center Hill Diner Juvenile Justice Board- LA Lorraine Hartway Los Alamos Family Council Los Alamos Farmers’ Market Los Alamos Fitness Center Los Alamos Heart Council Los Alamos Historical Museum Los Alamos Medical Center Los Alamos National Bank Los Alamos Properties Los Alamos Public Schools Lou Santoro State Farm New York Life North Road Inn Pajarito Greenhouse Pajarito Mountain Ski Area Pet Pangaea United Way of Northern NM UNM Los Alamos UPEX

Editor’s Note Welcome to the Essence, a bi-monthly publication that focuses on stories that highlight essential people, places and activities that make our community a great place to live. The Essence is one feature of the Chamber of Commerce initiative called CommunityMatters. This initiative highlights the role our members play in building community and invites you to do the same.

This issue of the Essence – “Get Out” Do you remember as a child your mother scolding you to ‘get out’ of the house and play outdoors and not to come home until dark? Well, we are telling you the same thing.

Spring is here and it’s time to get out in the community! In this issue we give you insight as to what’s happening in the next few months, places to go and people to see. There is much fun to be had!

• • • • • •

Find out what other folks do to have fun locally Plan a ‘Staycation’ Mother’s Day gifts The frustrations of going ‘off’ the hill Essential person – Chris Bernstein Calendar of Events

By the way, hidden in this issue is a question in relation to one of the articles that if answered correctly will award a gift certificate for $15 the Reel Deal Theatre. The first one call me (Suzette) at 661-4844 wins!

Hope to see you ‘out and about’. Enjoy every day!

Suzette Fox, Editor Community Projects Coordinator Los Alamos Commerce and Development Corporation 505.661.4844, suzette@losalamos.org Note: We are always looking for new photos. We give residents like you the opportunity to submit pictures - be it landscapes, recreational activities, people about town, events, etc. that speaks of our community. You do not have to be professional photographer to have your pictures featured. We like to feature pictures that capture the essence of Los Alamos & White Rock. Email photos to me at Suzette@ losalamos.org.

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To Mom, With Love

By Kelly Dolejsi There’s no gift you can give your mom that equals the gift she gave you. But she likes when you try. Here’s a list of some ways Chamber of Commerce participants can help you show your gratitude.

Your mother has the most beautiful face you’ve ever seen, the first face you ever saw. Why not pamper it?

Enchanted Paradise Spa, located at 464 Central Ave. #2, offers relaxing, rejuvenating treatments for moms of all skin types. From classic facials to glycolic and even pumpkin exfoliations, there’s bound to be something on the menu to make your mom feel (almost) as special as she truly is. Call 500-8022.

No matter how old you are, your mom’s muscles still ache from lugging your infant-self around. Show those unselfish sinews some love by making them a date with a massage therapist at the Hilltop House Spa. In addition to pleasing her sore back and shoulders, a massage will improve her circulation, release endorphins and reduce stress associated with raising children. Call 662-1926.

Continue the pampering by inviting her out to lunch or dinner at the Hill Diner, at 1315 Trinity Drive. She’ll appreciate the friendly service, flavorful food and not having to clean the kitchen. Call 662-9745.

After your meal, present Mom with a well-lit photo of one of her favorite people -- you -- along with your spouse, children, or other family members. Don Taylor’s, at 999 Central Ave., Suite 100, is currently offering $150 gift certificates to those who schedule and attend a family portrait sitting before July 31. Call 662-2523.

Perhaps your mother laments the loss of card catalogues? If you even suspect this might be true, whisk her off to the Fuller Lodge Art Center, at 2132 Central Ave., where the “Dewey Decimal” exhibit will still be underway.

Libraries are the inspiration for every work in this mixed media show. Call 662-1635.

Another option: Take Mom out to see Mexico’s leading brass quintet. You don’t have to cross the border to see Metales, just a lane or two of traffic on Diamond Drive. Thanks to the Los Alamos Concert Association, the group is playing from 4-6 p.m. on Mother’s Day at Duane Smith Auditorium, 1300 Diamond Drive.

If Mom lives too far from the auditorium to make the trip, you can buy her an exceptional necklace or bracelet from Bennett’s Fine Jewelry & Gifts (107 Central Park Square) or a sumptuous article of clothing from CB Fox (1735 Central Ave.). Don’t forget a heart-tugging card from Brownell’s Hallmark (609 Central Ave.) And no matter what you choose, choose flowers, too. The Flower Shop, at 1743 Central Ave., is always ready help you say eloquently with petals what even the words “I love you” seem too flimsy, moderate and unscented to encapsulate. Call 662-6093.

Jessica Hoffer, new owner of The Flower Shop, preps a new shipment of flowers. Her son, Lincoln, is always there to provide his vigilant supervision.

Tips for Planning a Great Staycation With prices on the rise, the idea of a “staycation” is becoming more and more popular. A staycation is a vacation you take in your own town. Think about it. . . when was the last time you stepped into the Bradbury or camped out at a local campsite?

With all the destinations in our area planning a staycation would be a breeze!

Here are a few tips to planning a great staycation!

• Planning: Start your “trip” planning the way you would any trip, research the area, in this case Google “Visit Los Alamos, New Mexico” - this will undoubtedly take you to the Visit.LosAlamos.com website. Request the visitor guide - after all this is what you would do if you were going to visit this place for the first time, right?!

• Schedule your dates: Schedule when you will be “visiting” plan a start date and an end date. This will give your staycation a more official vacation feel.

• Plan your activities: plan your day’s activities - perhaps you’ll start the morning off with breakfast at the CoffeeHouse Café, then it’s on to the visitor

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center to get some information about the local area attractions. You find that they have a walking tour that takes about an hour and a half including a visit to both museums which is perfect timing because you will be ready for lunch! You grab a quick lunch in town and finish off your afternoon with a nice hike in Bandelier and dinner at the Hill Diner! Tomorrow you’re headed to the Valles Caldera and a nice dip in the hot spring in the afternoon.

• Remember you are on vacation: This means NO CHORES! Don’t make the bed, no vacuuming; don’t even take out the trash . . . NOTHING - You are on vacation!

• Take staycation photos and videos: make sure you take plenty of photos after all this is your vacation and like all vacations you’re going to want to share the trip with family and friends.

There are many ways to have a staycation, from the example you see here to camping out or creating your very own B&B in your home! Whatever your staycation desire may be don’t forget to have fun! After all, you are on vacation!

Essence April/May 2011

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CommunityMatters Small Town Feels Like Home Editor’s note: In the Essence, we tell the stories of the people, places, business, events, and activities that make Los Alamos and White Rock a special community. The CommunityMatters interview explores the concept of community with a local resident.

Amber Rushton and her family moved to the community five years ago from Illinois to be closer to Grandmas, in the Southwest. She and her husband, Dan, have five children, ages 9 years to 2 months. She is the President of the Chamisa Elementary PTO and offers financial workshops at Family Strengths on how to pay off your mortgage.

Essence: Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to do this interview. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

Amber: First of all, Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mommies out there—whether you are raising your own children or helping me raise mine, I feel so grateful for the many mothers who are raising a community of wonderful and productive people!

When we moved here we had NO IDEA how much we were going to fall in love with this place! Dan (my husband) and I talked about how this is the best kept secret in America—not fully understanding at first how true that was!

tears of gratitude for the good people of White Rock.

Essence: In closing, what are some of your favorite things about our community?

Amber: I love seeing the paperboy or girl riding the bikes and throwing newspapers out of their canvas bags. I love that we see more people (and dogs) walking than cars driving down our street.

I love the small town parades, including the Fourth of July Parade in White Rock—which started from Jean Lyman’s driveway when her children were young. I love that almost nobody watches, because everybody’s in the parade! I love the White Rock. I think it’s cool that LANB has their name plastered all around town because they contribute to everything around town. I love that Metzger’s and Smith’s are great about getting deals for supplies when the schools need them. I love hearing that people are shopping local—like a friend who’s changed her routine to use her dollars in LA County (at places like the new Food Co-Op) before heading to the big box stores in Santa Fe. I love events like FSN’s Family Festival & Gordon’s Concert Series that get businesses and community organizations working together to provide great stuff. I love that people attend those events! I loved that the first night we moved here, we went to Central Ave. Grill and Smith’s and we already knew people at both places.

Essence: What led you to get involved with the Chamisa PTO? What is the PTO working on currently?

Amber: I met Jean Lyman, who raised her family here and she quickly became one of my heroes. She was busy doing all kinds of good things and I wanted to be like her. So I asked her what I needed to do to be like her when I grow up. She gave me several ideas, one of which was to get involved with PTO. So I did!

Last year, I was asked to organize an end-of-year party for K-2 at Chamisa, which turned out to be really fun and I got to work with lots of great parents. I realized how not-a-bigdeal it was to be involved at school, so I started asking about PTO and a few weeks later found myself on the board.

This year, we’ve been working on simplifying things. Families are busy. Dollars are tight.

So rather than trying to endlessly entertain families or do everything for everybody, we stuck to some of the Chamisa Classics: Carnival, Arts & Crafts Fair, and Teacher Appreciation Days. It’s been great! Now that this board knows how things run, we’re getting excited to make some plans for next year, including building an outdoor classroom that students have helped design and fund with grant money.

Essence: In your opinion, what makes Los Alamos and White Rock a desirable place to live and raise a family? Do you see this desirability affected by the interrelationships between local businesses and community organizations?

Amber: Where to start, where to start...When we first moved here, we were often amazed by the community feeling in town and people’s willingness to help each other! A few examples: We were expecting our third child when we moved, and I needed something from the doctor’s office. I called the office to see if I could just pick it up next time I was in so I didn’t have to drag my other children through the hospital more than necessary. The receptionist put me on hold and came back a minute later to inform me that a nurse who lives near me in White Rock would “just drop it by on her way home from work.” Seriously!? People don’t do this where I come from!

A few weeks later, I went to check out the White Rock Library, I walked in as the librarian was on the telephone. I heard, “Mr. So-and-So, I have a student here who needs some math help. Can you come and help her out for a few minutes?” A minute later, there he was.

Like so many families in Los Alamos County, we started out at the North Road Inn for a month. While the breakfast was great, there was an upper limit to how much time we wanted to spend in our room. Somebody directed us to the Family Strengths Network where we could meet other families, hang out, and borrow toys and books from their lending library. We LOVED having new toys to play with every week for several weeks to come!

Not only that, but the people working there remembered our names every time we came in!

AMAZING! Last summer, we returned home from a vacation to an empty refrigerator. I couldn’t see any way around dragging all the children to the grocery store to fix that problem—ugh!

Too many hungry tummies! By the time our cart was full, everybody was in tears—or on the verge. Seeing our situation, a nearby cashier came and unloaded the cart. A teenage girl we know from church came and offered to play with the children outside while I paid.

And when I came up $1.52 short, Mr. Manager, who happened to be checking our stuff, drummed up a coupon to make it work. Our tears of frustration were quickly changed to

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The Frolic For the love of the ride…

Breathtaking scenery surrounds local motorcycle and car enthusiasts

By Carol A. Cark The road to Los Alamos has everything one could wish for – mountains, valleys, meadows, high desert plains, cliffs, volcanoes, hills and sweeping curves. And its views continue to flourish once one enters the county line.

“Los Alamos is so scenically beautiful that it’s just a great place in which to take drives,” said President Mike Luna of Atomic City Corvettes. “Weekends for me are devoted to getting out with a couple of others from the club and driving the area and enjoying the views.”

Luna was born in Los Alamos 61 years ago. He and his wife Judi moved from Los Alamos to White Rock two years ago.

“We just enjoy this entire area,” Luna said, who drives a 2006 Z51 candy apple red Corvette.

The Atomic City Corvette Club Board includes Vice President Andy Trottier and Activities Chair Chris Ortega. Omar Sanchez and his wife Trish also are Corvette enthusiasts and have belonged to the club since it formed five years ago. The Sanchez’s own a 1969 Stingray convertible and a 1996 Grand Sport.

“Definitely the scenery is a plus when we go driving around here,” Sanchez said. “And car shows are especially satisfying because of the public’s interest, coming up and looking at the cars and enjoying what we enjoy.”

Club members gather regularly for outings to eat local BBQ and to show off their Corvettes at shows such as the upcoming June 11 ChamberFest event held annually in downtown Los Alamos, Luna said.

Each year, the community festival draws more than 2,000 people to the area. For the past three years, people from all over have come to attend the car show to showcase their hot rods, muscle cars, Corvettes and unique rides. Last year, the show had more than 50 participants and the Corvette’s in the Jemez brought over 75 Corvettes to Los Alamos.

Chapter President Ken Nadeau of the American Legion Riders Chapter 19 in Los Alamos said the club, which formed last April, will be making its first appearance at this year’s ChamberFest.

“We have about 18 members in our group and we will be setting up our motorcycles in front of the Chamber of Commerce on 15th Street and Central Avenue,” Nadeau said.

“We’re very excited to participate.”

The American Legion Riders chapters are well known for their charitable work, which has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for local children’s hospitals, schools, veterans homes, severely wounded service members and scholarships.

The local group gathers nearly every weekend to ride the Bandelier Loop and through White Rock and other local areas, Nadeau said.

“We have about every type of motorcycle in our club from BMWs to Harleys to Suzukis.

I have a Honda Nighthawk 750; we don’t discriminate,” he said.

Other local motorcyclists who enjoy riding around Los Alamos County include Lou Santoro and his wife Pat. “We’ve been riding together for 35 years,” said Santoro who owns a 2009 HarleyDavidson Road Glide. “The nice thing about riding in Los Alamos is the topography. Most

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people think of New Mexico as desert but up here it’s so green and mountainous.”

The Santoro’s son Joby also owns a Harley-Davidson and he and his fiancé Trish Parker often join in weekend rides. The group may ride around in White Rock or travel down to Bandelier, Santoro said, adding that sometimes they stop at Bandelier with out of town guests to show them the park.

The Santoros have met many new people through motorcycling, he said. They enjoy attending “Biker Nights” on Wednesdays at Bob’s Bodacious on Arkansas Street.

“That’s where everyone makes Saturday coffee plans and decides where to ride for the day,” he said.

Brian Dunwoody is another local motorcycle enthusiast. He has been riding in Los Alamos County since he got his first mini bike when he was 9 years old – he is now 52.

“I remember my dad had a Lambretta Scooter that he bought at Montgomery Ward in 1964,” Dunwoody said. “I own a 2007 Harley-Davidson Road King Classic and my girlfriend Dana Wouster rides a Roadrunner Mini Chopper.”

Dunwoody lives in Los Alamos and said he and Dana enjoy riding various areas of the county including the loop through N.M. 4 to Bandelier, around to Pajarito Acres and back again. They also enjoy riding over to Bob’s Bodacious for Wednesday “Biker Night.”

“No matter where you ride, Dunwoody said, it’s not the destination – it’s the ride.”

Save the dates for ChamberFest •ChamberFest in downtown Los Alamos 10 a.m.–2 p.m. June11 •ChamberFest information at losalamoschamber.com/chamberfest

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INSIGHT In a groove, or in a rut?

By Mandy Marksteiner

again before lunchtime. During lunch they socialize by talking about their foods. Every day they ask, “Are we going down for a nap after lunch?” Every day the answer is yes.

Do you ever get that sense of déjà vu, where you do something, and then have that weird feeling like you just did that same thing a few days ago? … Then you realize that you did do the exact same thing a few days ago and have been doing the exact same thing every week for months!

Meet personal goals Ted Romero works in the post office. He’s the one who’s always trying to get a laugh from people standing in line, usually by asking silly questions like, “Do you want popcorn or peanuts with those stamps?”

Outside of work, he has a routine to stay in shape. Every day he runs, swims and rides his bike. On Tuesdays and Thursdays he goes to the free yoga class at Bethlehem Lutheran.

Mike Hoag teaches the class and everybody who goes simply calls it “Mike’s yoga class.”

Every Tuesday he also does the Pace Race with the Atomic City Road Runners. It’s a race where the fastest runner doesn’t necessarily win. There is a one-mile and three-mile course. Runners predict their time; take off their watches, and the person who comes closest to their prediction wins.

“I don’t really think of it as a routine, because I vary the workout. But I wake up, run, ride my bike to work, and then swim, said Romero. “It keeps me from getting fat and sassy.”

Kelly Dolejsi teaches English at the Northern New Mexico College in Española. Her goal is to write a novel or a collection of personal essays. When she was getting her MFA from Emerson College in Boston, she wrote for 4-6 hours every day.

Now that she has a job and a baby girl, she has to try harder to squeeze in the time. Every night she writes in her journal. Her husband holds her accountable for this routine by asking her every day if she did it. Then, when her students do their journaling (for ten minutes twice a week) she does it too. Occasionally, she hires a babysitter so she can go to a coffeehouse to concentrate on something important.

Now that Dolejsi’s writing time is more limited, she has begun to approach it in a new way. “Now I’m more open and receptive to other people’s ideas,” she said. “I used to be really concerned about being original. I wanted it to be ‘mine’. Now I couldn’t care less. I just want to be honest, for my daughter. I want to write about what my life is like… and doing that I can’t help but be original.”

Help your day go smoother Barbara Cruz teaches in room 3 at Little Forest Playschool. Her students are between two and three years old and she spends her day maintaining their routines.

Every day her students know what to expect, which makes it easier to switch from one activity to the next.

They know that she will have a craft or an activity that they can do while they play in the morning.

At 9:15 there is clean-up time. “We have a pick-up song and everyone starts putting their toys back where they got them,” said Cruz. “It helps them be independent and pick up their own belongings. If one of the kids doesn’t put a toy away where it goes, another kid always knows that it’s in the wrong place.”

They always wash their hands before snack. After snack they have circle time for 10-15 minutes, where they do finger play, sign language, sing songs and read a book. “It gets them to socialize with the other kids. They sit next to each other and interact with each other. It calms them down.”

Then they go outside to play for 45 minutes, and come back in to wash their hands

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Mood enhancers Every morning Merry McIntyre does the same thing to have a peaceful start to the day.

She wakes up and makes her bed right away. Then she drinks a small cup of cold-pressed coffee. She lets the dogs out and sits in her sunroom. “It’s a relaxing time for me to start my day.”

In her sunroom she does a daily meditation and some yoga or other exercise. Then she takes her dogs for a walk. After the walk she takes a shower and has breakfast in the sunroom.

Without her morning routine McIntyre can get pretty disoriented – It just throws her off. “Some days I wake up agitated or worried – that really affects my day.”

As a chiropractor at Trinity Natural Health Center, she physically adjusts her clients and also helps them become emotionally centered with “repressed emotion clearings.”

Staying centered throughout the day is important to her.

“Several times I take a minute to center myself and breathe. It helps me to stay in the present moment, rather than feel like I’m in the rat race.”

Spend time with family and friends Lisabeth Lueninghoener is the mother of an active 24-monthold girl, Maddie. “We need to be out of the house every day of the week,” she said.

Every Friday, from nine to lunchtime, she takes Maddie to the Family Strengths Network. There, Maddie can play with other kids and with the new play structure with slides. Lueninghoener knits and talks with her friends. When they leave, Maddie is always ready for her nap.

Make sense out of chaos With three kids under three (a three-year-old boy and set of twins), life has gotten ridiculously complicated for Michelangelo Lovato. He said, “It’s harder than anything I’ve ever done. Ever.”

In order to take his kids anywhere, he and his wife, Meg, have to work as a team. They’ve developed a system: He picks up James, the three year old, from school and keeps him entertained with an episode of Diego. Meg bathes, feeds and changes the twins. They both gather clean sippy cups and at least nine outfits. He loads the twins into car seats. He has to crawl over the middle seat of his Toyota Sequoia to get twin #1 into the way back, and packs the other one in the middle seat. Meanwhile, Meg rushes around the house making sure that they haven’t forgotten anything, like diapers, their huge double stroller or wet wipes. By then James is so engrossed in Diego that he doesn’t want to leave!

“If Music Together is at 5:15, we’ll say we’ll get there at 4:45 and end up getting there at 5:20. All my clocks are set ahead.”

Luckily, he’s having a much easier time running the Teen Center, located in Trinity on the Hill Episcopal Church. It’s only been open for a few weeks and it already has regulars.

They have snacks, pool tables, foosball tables, big screen TV’s and Internet connection.

There are also opportunities for teens to take free classes in things like digital photography and music recording. It’s the perfect place for teens to relax after school, meet their friends during lunch, and spend their free periods.

Routines – they’re necessary at times, but becoming a slave to them destroys mental health. So mix it up little – take a different route to school or work, have breakfast for dinner. Change is good, like a breath of fresh air!

Essence April/May 2011

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Arts & Culture Los Alamos Community Winds helps student musicians succeed

By Mandy Marksteiner Since the Los Alamos Concert Winds was established in 1999, they’ve showcased student musicians. Los Alamos High School senior Eli Berg will be featured in “Mirror Lake” for solo Euphonium and concert band. He chose the piece because it is lyrical, challenging, and fun to listen to.

Berg has been a member of LACW for 5 1/2 years, since he was in eighth grade.

Right away he had an opportunity to play a solo in “The Planets,” by Gustov Holst.

During high school, Berg continued to become a successful musician. He was the first euphonium chair in All-State Band for the past two years. After high school he plans to major in one of the sciences and continue to play music in college. He said, “being in the Concert Winds has helped a lot. I’m exposed to so much different music.

It’s also good to play with people with a lot of experience who really know what they’re doing.”

Alex Austell, another high school senior who plays the trumpet, plans to major in music and recently auditioned to get a music scholarship at the University of New Mexico. Playing in LACW has helped him build confidence and get used to being in the spotlight. In the jazz concert LACW played last February with the Los Alamos Big Band, he performed Allen Vizzutti’s virtuosic trumpet solo “American Jazz Suite.”

“One thing I love about playing in the Concert Winds is that I get to play really good music that I wouldn’t get to play in the high school band,” he said. “Doing that has helped me become a better player. High school music seems much easier. Also, playing trumpet more during the week helps me become a better trumpet player.”

“The music is really cool that we’re playing right now,” said Louisa Singleton, a ninth grade flute player who joined last year. “It’s challenging, but really fun because everyone is so nice to you.”

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LACW students are section leaders and soloists in the high school bands. It is no accident that almost all of the high school band members who were selected as AllState Musicians and who received superior ratings in Solo and Ensembles participate in LACW. Musical director, Ted Vives, holds bachelor’s degrees in both composition and music education from Florida State University and a Masters of Music in Composition and a Ph.D. in Music Education from the University of Florida. His arrangements and compositions are an important part of the band’s repertoire. In the upcoming concert, LACW will perform his arrangement of “Battle in the Snow,” music from The Empire Strikes Back.

LACW has performed more than 240 different works in over sixty concerts. The group performs at Los Alamos County’s Fourth of July celebration, Memorial Day concerts, pre-Holiday Parade shows, the high school auditorium, the senior center, and local churches. For a typical concert, LACW has about fifty local volunteer musicians from the community, ranging in age from 14 to 74. This group includes physicists, chemists, geologists, and engineers and most of the music teachers on the staff of the Los Alamos Public Schools.

The group has no audition requirements. This provides all members of the community with musical experience to participate in performances, including those who may have put their instrument away after high school but who want to rejoin the music community. Rehearsals are on Tuesday nights from 7-9.

At 7:00 pm on May 14th, the Los Alamos Community Winds (LACW) will perform a free concert at the White Rock Baptist Church. This program will include “Egmont Overture,” by Ludwig van Beethoven, “The Pines of Rome” by Ottorino Respighi, and “The Promise of Living” by Aaron Copland.

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Discover Our History

Discover Our History

Boys from the Los Alamos Ranch School enjoy canoeing on Ashley Pond.

Spring into History at the Los Alamos Historical Museum 1050 Bathtub Row, just north of Fuller Lodge Free Admission, 10-4 Mon.-Fri., 11-4 Sat, 1-4 Sun. www.losalamoshistory.org 505-662-6272

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Essential Person

Christine Bernstein

by Bernadette Lauritzen

The month of May finds us celebrating those that affect our lives almost as strongly as our mothers with Teacher Appreciation Week.

I hope everyone can look back into their life and think of the one teacher that played the role of a caring adult relationship or role model that made a positive difference in their life.

One of many members of the teaching and instructional staff of the Los Alamos Public School District who does it well is Spanish teacher Christine Bernstein.

Bernstein is also mother to three boys and one girl and wife to Rusty. Keegan is 14, a freshman at LAHS, 7 year-old Camden and 6 year-old Kellen, representing first grade and kindergarten respectively and 4-1/2 year-old McKenna, who joins the ranks of the Aspen Tigers, in the 2011-2012 school year.

She received two nominations at the end of 2010 to receive an Assets In Action Award for her dedication to youth in the community.

“I love working with youth. They keep me young. They keep me on my toes,” said Bernstein. “I learn something new almost everyday about me and life through them.”

She credits the students in her charge with making her laugh and sparking her creativity.

She can be equally gratified in their accomplishments and personal successes by seeing kids figure things out on their own that comes with the excitement of learning.

Bernstein is a Californian by birth, born in Montebello, raised throughout the West and graduating high school in Santa Rosa, CA. She attended college at the University of California-Long Beach where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish Language and Linguistics.

Her first assignment probably couldn’t have been in a more different environment when

compared to Los Alamos with her first teaching job in Compton, CA. She also worked in Long Beach and northern California and has run the gamut from inner city and mid range schools to high performing schools, like Los Alamos.

She married Rusty in 2002 and traveled to Maine and Pennsylvania before landing in Los Alamos in 2004.

“I love this community! I love how internationally diverse it is. I love the mentality of the people here. I actually enjoy the ‘smallness’ of this place and I get a kick out of how one can be connected through many different ways to another person,” said Bernstein.

Bernstein also loves the feel of the community support in the area with all of its different activities and beautiful mountain settings. You can often find her enjoying a variety of outdoor activities like running and hiking with friends or eyeing a nearby rock climbing venture.

Chris is also an avid watcher of kid-friendly sports. Her schedule often finds her in the spectator section of basketball, baseball, soccer and swimming. It makes this California girl elated to live in a town where the commute is brief even during construction season.

The mother of four extends her efforts to youth ventures like the Juvenile Justice Advisory Board. “Chris has been extremely supportive and engaged with all youth in the community and somehow manages to balance work and family,” says JJAB supporter, Sharon Stover, who also nominated Bernstein for the Asset Award. “Chris encouraged and welcomed youth to find their voice and connect them to youth issues in the community, specifically the support of the Teen Center. These young teens, many who had not engaged previously, have grown stronger and Chris helped them achieve their goal.”

“We have amazing kids in this community. Remember that our kids are kids. Sometimes as adults, we forget what it was like to be young. They are still learning who they are, how they handle life’s ups and downs. They are still trying to figure it all out,” said Bernstein.

She believes that kids are our future and that they have great ideas. She encourages us all to listen to them, give them a voice and guide them without shutting them down.

Atomic Bomb Downhill Skateboarding Race May 14th and 15th in Los Alamos, NM will be the Atomic Bomb Downhill Race.

The Southwest Series will finish with a real bang! The third and final race in the Timeship Southwest Series will be The Atomic Bomb. The Bomb is a sick 1.5 mile downhill race with twisty tech turns at the top and a 50 mph finish. It is being held just above Los Alamos on Camp May Road, below the Pajarito Ski Area. The top of the race course is at 9200 feet above sea level.

The Atomic City of Los Alamos, NM has been stepping up to help make this a memorable weekend of riding, racing and relaxing in the high country of northern New Mexico. Southwest Series Racers have been offered a group rate for lodging at the Best Western Hilltop House which is in downtown Los Alamos within skate distance from all kinds of cool stuff and only 15 minutes from the race course. Yes, there’s a sweet little concrete skate park 5 minutes away. Nice!

There will be racing classes for Juniors, Womens, Mens, and Masters.

The Awards Party will be held at the Santa Fe Bar and Grill on Sunday night where the Series winners will be announced and cash prizes awarded including the Fastest Qualifying Time.

100% Skateboarding!

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Science & Math Based Art Contest Get Creative! Take a little science, some math, turn it into a cool piece of art and you could win part of $3000 in cash prizes.

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By Carol A. Clark White Rock, being situated on the Rio Grande canyon rim just east of Los Alamos draws rock climbers looking for afternoon and weekend recreation. The ruggedly beautiful basalt canyon rim contains hundreds of world class climbs.

The Underlook, the Overlook and Below the Old New Place are just three of those climbs enjoyed by outdoor buffs. The Underlook is a tiny cliff very close to the well-known Overlook climbing area. The Overlook is a long, 65-foot high L-shaped basalt cliff with more than 65 sport and traditional climbing routes. It is climbable year-round, due to the varied aspect of the cliff, and has been the site of the “Meltdown” climbing competition for several years. Below the Old New Place is a 60-foot, southeast-facing basalt cliff off Meadow Lane.

“Los Alamos is a great place to live if you like to be outside,” said Los Alamos Mountaineers President Zack Baker. “We regularly schedule climbing events in the evenings and on weekends.”

There are a few hundred people in the Mountaineers organization, he said, adding that membership fluctuates because many post doc students join while interning at Los Alamos National Laboratory. They complete their programs and leave, then often rejoin when they return to work fulltime at the lab.

Baker has been scaling rocks around Los Alamos County since participating in the Mountaineers Climbing School four years ago. The school offers basic rock climbing and basic safety.

“We’ve been going for about 40 years and every year we get 25-26 students,” said Rick Light who along with David Fellenz are co-directors of the 2011 Los Alamos Mountaineers Climbing School. The class begins in the main hall of the Crossroads Bible Church next week and is already full with 26 people and six more on the waiting list. They will receive 30 hours of high quality instruction. The materials and curriculum remain relatively the same but we rotate instructors.”

Light has been climbing since 1965 but took an occasional hiatus when living in areas without rocks. “All summer long in White Rock from late March through mid October we support top roping every Tuesday and Thursday,” Light said. “Anyone interested can come out from after work until dark to meet other climbers and have fun.”

The Mountaineers website indicates that, according to Tom Newton the first president, and Ken Ewing, the first treasurer, the Los Alamos Mountaineers were founded in late 1952.

Newton recalls that he and his wife met in the rock climbing section of the Sierra Club in California, and that they moved to Los Alamos in 1949. They were interested in doing more mountaineering and rock climbing, and began meeting with like-minded friends to organize trips. The Newtons had a three-bedroom Western Area house, so they were the only ones with a place big enough for meetings. They started club meetings in their house in the fall of 1952 or early 1953, with meetings scheduled about once a month.

George Bell and Virginia Lotz met each other at the Newtons’ house and later married.

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Tom remembers that they all had a lot of fun enjoying the outdoors.

Newton remembers that Ken Ewing kept the treasury in a paper bag. The club was originally the Rock Climbing Section of the Outdoor Association, but quickly became a separate group. The founding members were Tom Newton, Ken Ewing, Bob Mulford, Liz Gittings, Tom Stevenson, Stan Landeen and Gene Tate.

The love of rock climbing has flourished in Los Alamos from those early days. Today, enthusiasts can keep in practice even in bad weather with the invention of indoor climbing gyms.

The Los Alamos Family YMCA Climbing Gym, dubbed “The Wall” at 1450 Iris St., is used by local climbers. Many leaders get their first leading experience in gyms. The routes are generally well protected, and the falls seldom result in injuries.

The Family YMCA offers a variety of rock climbing courses, for adults and children, from basic skills to advanced technique. Private instruction and group classes also are available and the gym is open to climbers of all ages.

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The Sewer Crag

The New New Place

The Sewer Crag is named for its proximity to the White Rock Sewer Plant and has two of White Rocks hardest sport climbs. The southeast facing cliff is comprised of pocketed basalt. This crag is opposite of the northwest side of The Overlook crag and has five bolted routes.

The New New Place is a 60-foot, southeast-facing, basalt cliff with approximately 20 traditional routes and top ropes. Many excellent and classic lines, mostly cracks, are found here. This is a good crag at which to escape the crowds at the Overlook or the Playground.

The Doughnut Shop

The Lounge is well below the New New Place and has eight bolted climbs and several traditional lines.

The Doughnut Shop is a bolted sport climbing area with nine bolted climbs. The climbs are fairly stiff, but the variety is quite good.

The Sununu Place

The Lounge Pajarito Gorge

The Sununu Place is a small crag with two 30’ bolted sport routes and a single traditional line, located 30 yards south of the Below the Old New Place crag. The approach is the same as for the Old New Place, then scramble down from the north end of the Old New Place.

Pajarito Gorge is a 300-foot gorge with so much exposure that some find it quite intimidating. Climbing is best done on the upper 60-80 feet of the cliff band. On a few climbs, coming off may leave you dangling hundreds of feet above the floor of the gorge. Not to worry, you can get back to where your belayer is holding you, but it will definitely get your attention.

Gallow’s Edge

Potrillo Cliffs

Gallow’s Edge features pleasant southern exposure, moderate sport and traditional routes, and fun moderate bouldering. The small cliff above the main wall at Gallows Edge is called the Upper Tier. It contains two bolted routes and a decent crack climb.

Potrillo Cliff consists of a 45-foot high, L-shaped, basalt cliff with about 30 fairly easy traditional and top rope routes. This crag is the best crag for beginning climbers in all of White Rock. This crag is sometimes very crowded, partly due to the ease of setting up top ropes, especially in the afternoons when it receives direct sunlight until sunset.

The Pit The Pit is a nice and typically shady little area enclosed by a wall on the west side and big boulders on the east side. It is amazing just to visit the place and even more fun to climb in it. On the west wall is a Thunderbird, painted by an unknown artist that predates the first climbing in the Pit. During the monsoons, cool desert toads can be seen in some of the pockets of the painting. The Pit offers sport and traditional routes.

The Playground The Playground is a 60-foot south-facing basalt cliff with more than 40 traditional routes and top ropes. This area is White Rock’s most popular top roping area. Numerous moderate to difficult crack and face climbs ascend the cliff. In addition, the entire base of the cliff can be traversed as a boulder problem. Many people come here just for the excellent bouldering.

Coffee Shop The Coffee Shop, (aka Quickstop) is a 35-foot south facing basalt cliff with a handful of decent top ropes and traditional routes. It is rather short, but entertaining.

Tortilla Flats Tortilla Flats is a beginners’ top roping area developed by Roy Lucht, Mike Montoya, Lou Horak and Jim Straight. The cliffs tend to be short 40-50 feet, and have a ledge about halfway up. Most of the top rope sets provide two climbs, and in many cases, one is comparatively easy and coupled with a harder line. The area offers a wide variety of cracks, mantles and faces.

The Big Enchilada The Big Enchilada is a 60-foot, southwest-facing, basalt cliff with numerous traditional and top rope routes. This cliff is in a good location and is fairly tall. Many good routes can be found here, while avoiding the crowds.

Crack House The Crack House (aka Estante Edge) is a 45-foot tall south-facing basalt cliff with 25 traditional and top rope routes. The routes tend to be on the short side, but are extremely high quality. Most follow crack systems, though there are a few face routes worth doing. This area has the largest concentration of hard crack climbs in White Rock.

Favorite trails of Los Alamos County

By Dorothy Hoard and Craig Martin The Los Alamos County Open Space System holds more than 5,000 acres of public land threaded throughout the towns of Los Alamos and White Rock. Almost 60 miles of trail beckon explorers on foot, bicycle, or horseback. Acid Canyon, Pueblo Canyon and Walnut Canyon are accessible from the Pajarito Environmental Education Center.

Pueblo Bridges Loop Trail, morning hike, 2 miles Round Trip Start from intersection of Orange and Olive Streets (closed to vehicle traffic) into Pueblo Canyon. Turn left onto dirt road just before reaching the old sewage plant. Go around to the backside of the plant and cross Pueblo Bridge (picture). Turn left and walk up canyon to homestead Bridge. The trail gets a little rough crossing some side canyons. Cross Homestead Bridge and bear left back to the sewage plant. Practically a wilderness in the center of town!

Bandelier National Monument, about 11 miles of trail. From its eastern terminus, the trail is located in Rendija Canyon, following the north slope of the canyon bottom. After crossing roads in the Ponderosa Estates subdivision, the trail parallels Arizona Avenue on national forest land. At the intersection with the Mitchell Trail, the Perimeter Trail again enters LAC Open Space as it winds across the foothills behind 48th Street. At the crossing with North Pueblo Canyon, the trail climbs on steep switchbacks on national forest land to traverse above the Quemazon Communities. Now heading south, there is a long stretch of trail that leads to the rim of South Pueblo Canyon. Here the trail swings east and twists among boulders and trees to the southern edge of the Quemazon development. Skirting the edge of the development, the trail descends steeply to cross South Pueblo Canyon and immediately Continued on page 20

East Fork Walnut Canyon to Kinnikinnick Natural Park, morning hike, 3.5 miles One Way Start on San Ildefonso Road (Golf Course side) about 500 feet south of Diamond Drive intersection (North Mesa Side). The trail starts at steps going up the road cut near the gas line enclosure. Turn left at the top of the road cut and follow the trail through the pines. Watch for another sharp left around the largest pine tree before reaching the golf greens. The trail goes to the East Fork rim, where steps lead down a canyon wall. The trail follows the narrow canyon floor to Walnut Canyon. Turn left (downstream) on the utility road, taking the upper branch where the road forks. At Pueblo Canyon, turn right and follow the trail up the canyon. Cross Pueblo Bridge, go right along a fence, then go left around the old sewage plant.

Follow the dirt road to the point on the mesa. Turn right and follow the trail into Acid Canyon to another dirt road. Turn left for a quick, steep ascent to the Aquatic center on a pretty trail, or turn right and follow the dirt road.

Perimeter Trail, about 11 miles one way The Perimeter Trail skirts the edge of the developed town site from Rendija Canyon near the Guaje Pines Cemetery to the boundary with

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FROM PAGE 19 ascends the other side, coming to the street at the intersection of 47th and Ridgeway.

From this point, trail users continuing south onto Laboratory and national forest lands must use Sandia and Trinity Drives to access the Devaney-Longmire Trail.

The Perimeter Trail coalesced from a collection of neighborhood and USFS trails following the Cerro Grande Fire. A community-based effort, trail segments were constructed by volunteers and the Youth Conservation Corps. The trail provides a link to many portions of the trail network and serves to connect most of the neighborhoods in Los Alamos and connects with trails in the Santa Fe National Forest. The trail is a cooperative effort between Los Alamos County and the Santa Fe National Forest. Along its route, the trail crosses the forest/county boundary at least eleven times.

The long-term vision for the Perimeter Trail is to connect to Barranca Mesa to Bandelier National Monument. Cooperation of the Department of Energy and the US Forest Service are necessary to complete the trail from Omega Bridge to Pajarito Canyon.

Getting off the Hill how I wore myself out and ended up with s45.99 socks Ah, the lure of the deal. It seemed such a smart thing. I needed new running shoes and the sale was on at the sport and shoe place on Cerrillos Road. Had to be back for best friend’s birthday luncheon, but that should be a snap. I’ll take my teenager with … we’ll get some quality time on the journey.

Quemazon Trail, Cave of the Winds, morning hike, 3 miles OW Turn left onto the spur of 48th Street at Trinity Drive to the trail-head. Hike up the dirt road to the little water tank. A nature trail restored by elementary students branches off to the left. It loops back to the main trail in about 1.5 miles. Another trail branches left to the Quemazon Trail, Cave of the Winds,, morning hike, 3 miles OW Turn left onto the spur of 48th Street at Trinity Drive to the trail-head. Hike up the dirt road to the little water tank. A nature trail restored by elementary students branches off to the left. It loops back to the main trail in about 1.5 miles. Another trail branches left to the Cave of the Winds about 700 feet above the upper nature trail junction. The cave entrance is in a steep rocky talus slope over the canyon rim, use extreme caution. The Quemazon Trail continues up through a nice aspen pine forest to the old Pipeline Road

Deer Trap Mesa Natural Park, morning hike, 2 miles RT Start at the end of Barranca Road. Cross the narrow neck of Deer Trap Mesa; this requires a bit of scrambling down Indian steps. That rectangular hole carved into the tuff is the deer trap. Continue east (away from the road) and scramble up on the level mesa top. Follow the trail straight out to the point for a wonderful view of the Jemez Mountains and the Rio Grande Valley.

Trail #289, Valle Canyon, morning hike, 3 miles OW From Diamond Drive/West Jemez Road intersection, drive on SR 501 west (toward the mountains) 3.0 miles to a nondescript parking area on the right. Hike on the dirt road into the Valle Canyon (Canon del Valle on maps). Good place for wildflowers and butterflies. At the big bend, you can follow the road about a mile up onto the mesa and over to the Pajarito Canyon parking area, or you can follow the narrow trail up the canyon to the Baca location fence. It’s private property.

Trail #282, Ski Hill to Canada Bonita, morning hike, 2 miles OW Start at the dirt road going off to the north (right) between the ski hill parking lot and Camp May. Stay on the road or take the cross-country ski trail that branches off in about half a mile. They both go to Canada Bonita, a beautiful grassy meadow. Very popular in October, when aspen are golden. Trail continues to old Pipeline Road.

Trail #280, Pajarito Canyon, morning hike, 1.5 miles OW From Diamond Drive/West Jemez Road intersection, drive 2.0 miles on West Jemez Road (SR 501) west toward the mountains. The parking area is on the right on the second hillock past the turnoff to TA-6,8. Hike on the dirt road into Pajarito Canyon. The road ends at a rocky narrows, where a trail continues upstream on the right hand side of the canyon. This is a permanent stream with wonderful wildflowers. In about 1.5 miles, the trail climbs out of the canyon toward the ski hill road. Old roads follow the canyon rim back to your car. If you are timid, best to just retrace your steps.

Saturday … 08:17 am … finally flush teenager out of bed and into the car using veiled threats of no allowance unless … 08:25 am … fill’er up at the Conoco. Yikes! $3.48 a gallon … 08:35 am … on the road to the big city … 08:42 am… teenager asleep crammed against the passenger window with earphones like an umbilical to the iPod. Oh well, so much for that quality conversation time … 09:00 am … sitting at the stop light in Pojoaque. Is that guy in the next car really picking his nose? … 09:17 … begin hitting the stoplights as I enter Santa Fe. Teen still dead to the world. I position myself in traffic not to get blocked out of the right-hand sweep onto Cerrillos Road … 09:26 am … a bunch more traffic lights as I weave my way down Cerrillos. Man, what a butt-ugly street. I swoop left into the lot for the sport and shoe place. I shake my teen. “I don’ wanna go in. I’ll just stay in the car.” … 09:42 am …

I deftly dodge a panhandler and swoop into the store to find my shoes … 10:07 am … Still waiting for my turn with someone who can retrieve the shoes I want in my size …

10:13 am… “May I help you?” I ask for the size 8 ½ and the clerk speeds away to the back … 10:18 am … “I’m sorry, but we have run out of that size. Do you want to take a rain check?” Really! I politely decline … 10:19 am … Wandering out of the store I spot a great sale on athletic socks. My teen is probably going to need some of those soon; I’m here, so what the heck. I buy a package for $5.99. Great bargain! …

11:08 am … Back to the car where I can’t tell that my teenager has budged. I need to make time to not be late for the luncheon back in White Rock. I return to stop-and-go traffic on Cerrillos … 11:22 am… Waiting for another stoplight – waiting for the train to pass … 11:29 am … Finally clear of the stoplights as I head up the hill toward the opera. Teen still comatose … 11:44 am … stopped at the light at the ramp and underpass to Los Alamos. Try as I might, my batting average for hitting that light on a green is less than 10% … 12:10 pm … I pull into the driveway at home and dash to switch gears for the luncheon. Teen can fend for himself … 12:16 pm … Jump in the car to head for the luncheon. Teenager has disappeared. I’m late as usual … 12:32 pm … Relaxing with friends. Ahhhh! My best friend is wearing new running shoes, apparently purchased at CB FOX during her lunch hour yesterday. She tells me about the great family hike she took in Water Canyon that morning.

Eighty miles of driving (at 50 cents per mile) a few hours of time, but great socks!

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FREE Monthly Lecture Series Join LAFC and Trinity Natural Health professionals for our FREE health & fitness lectures —held at the beginning of every month of 2011!

Topics include arthritis, fibromyalgia, therapeutic yoga, stress management, herbology, massage, acupressure, injury prevention, emotional health, and much more!

Call 662-5232 or visit www.losalamosfitness.com for dates & times

Just some of the many benefits of being a Y Member: FREE to Members Fitness Classes Over 50 fitness classes a week to choose from: Zumba, Yoga, Pilates, Y-Ride (“spinning”-type classes), Step, Aerobics, PowerUp, Exercise Lite, SilverSneakers...

FREE to Members Child Watch The Family YMCA 1450 Iris Street 662-3100 www.laymca.org

Child Watch provides Y Members with free on-site supervision for their children, while in the facility working out or attending classes.

Too many benefits to mention here, call us, come in or visit our website, www.laymca.org for information on all of our programs.

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April 2011

Events

1 - 29 Pajarito Environmental Education Center Art Exhibit Mesa Public Library Growing Green: Honoring Earth’s Treasures will feature artwork of many genres. We invite you to share your images of earth’s treasures.

6 Los Alamos Arts Council Brown Bag Performance Series presents Bill Leland Fuller Lodge Leland’s performing career has taken him to Germany, Italy, and Mexico, as well as 27 states and the District of Columbia, and include solo and chamber music recitals in such major centers as San Francisco, San Diego, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Jacksonville, Cincinnati, and Denver.

7 Mesa Public Library FREE Film Series presents No Direction Home: Bob Dylan Mesa Public Library A chronicle of Bob Dylan’s strange evolution between 1961 and 1966 from folk singer to protest singer to “voice of a generation” to rock star.

28 Mesa Public Library presents Authors Speak Series presents Marilyn Stablein Mesa Public Library Marilyn Stablein, poet winner New Mexico Book Award.

29 Art Exhibit Opening Reception - Old West, New West Karen Wray Art Gallery Featuring the works of local artists Tim Althauser, Danne DeBacker, Cindy Valdez, Connie Pacheco and Kathy Hjeresen.

30 Pajarito Environmental Education Center presents Earth Day Pajarito Environmental Education Center The Earth Day Festival will feature displays by community groups of their earthfriendly products and practices and their information about our environment on the Pajarito Plateau.

8 Fuller Lodge Art Center Art Opening Reception Dewey Decimal Fuller Lodge Art Center Art entries placed into Dewey Decimal chronological order

9 PEEC presents Hawk Watching in the Sandia Mountains Pajarito Environmental Education Center Join regional raptor expert Stephen Fettig for an all-day trip to the Sandia hawk watch site.

13 PEEC presents Citizen Science Pika Monitoring Pajarito Environmental Education Center A citizen scientist movement is underway across the West to monitor and study pikas. These adorable mammals typically live at elevations above 8,000 feet, and have been proposed for listing as an endangered species.

14 Winter Farmers Market Fuller Lodge Eat healthy - food from local farmers and ranchers.

16 Los Alamos Dog Jog Chamisa School Running/walking event with a 3.1-mile competitive run or a 2-mile noncompetitive fun walk. You may participate with or without a dog.

19 Los Alamos Historical Society: Stories from Secret City of Oak Ridge Fuller Lodge D. Ray Smith, historian at the Y12 plant in Oak Ridge, TN, will tell stories of that secret city during the Manhattan Project and beyond.

21 Guitars at the Lodge - Albuquerque Academy Honor Quartet Fuller Lodge Guitar playing from the Albuquerque Academy Question - Who in this issue teaches English at Northern New Mexico College?

Call Suzette at 661-4844 to win a gift certificate to Reel Deal.

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Community Calendar, searchable business directory, full event details, more events, and contact information at fyiLA.com

Essence April/May 2011

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May 2011 1 Los Alamos Arts Council Spring Arts and Crafts Fair Fuller Lodge This outdoor fair is one of the first fairs of the season and will feature over 130 artists.

13 Los Alamos Arts Council Brown Bag Performance Series presents Don Machen Fulller Lodge Don Machen - Albuquerque & Four Corners Pipes and Drums.

1 Atomic Man Duathlon Pinon Elementary School Run/Bike/Run - Triathlon without the swim! This event is hosted in White Rock at Pinon Elementary School.

2 Steve Stoddard in WW II – One Soldier’s Story Art Exhibit Mesa Public Library Historical art exhibit comprised of a WW II soldier’s memorabilia and journal pages

14 LA Community Winds presents The Pines of Rome by Ottorino Respighi White Rock Baptist Church Egmont Overture by Ludwig von Beethoven, Mirror Lake for Euphonium and Band by Edward Montgomery, Eli Berg, soloist The Battle in the Snow from “Star Wars” by John Williams

14 The Atomic Bomb Skateboarding Race

4 Los Alamos Arts Council Brown Bag Performance Series presents Marjorie Seldon

Camp May Rd. The Bomb is a sick 1.1 mile downhill race with twisty tech turns at the top and a 50 mph finish.

Fuller Lodge Marjorie Seldon - Flute and Friends

20 Fuller Lodge Art Center Art Opening Reception

5 Mesa Public Library FREE Film Series High Fidelity

Fuller Lodge Artists highlight one or more of the fundamental elements of art: texture, form, line, color, value, shape - to create a lasting impression.

Mesa Public Library Rob, a record store owner and compulsive list maker, recounts his top five breakups, including the one in progress.

8 Los Alamos Concert Association presents Metales M5 Duane Smith Auditorium Metales M5 is Mexico’s leading brass quintet. M5 is the best thing to come out of Mexico since tequila! Their sense of style, showmanship, and virtuosity is a rare treat not to be missed.

10 Talk presented by Steve Stoddard: Memories and Memorabilia of WW II Fuller Lodge Sen. Steve Stoddard will share some of his adventures during World War II while showing some of his memorabilia collection.

www.losalamoschamber.com

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20 – 22 14th Annual Kite Festival Overlook Park, White Rock Friday night concert and night kite-flying. Saturday and Sunday hours are from 11 - 5 pm with music, food, kite-building workshops, and lots of kite flying, and stunt kite flying.

21 Jemez Mountain Trail Runs Posse Shack Ultra Marathon through the mountains around Los Alamos. Three distances of half marathon, 50 km, and 50 mile.

26 Authors Speak Series presents Demetria Martinez Mesa Public Library Demetria Martinez poet, novelist, activist.

Essence April/May 2011

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Thank You For Supporting United Way of Northern New Mexico TOP WORKPLACE FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTORS $1,000,000 and above Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos National Security, LLC

$5,000 to $9,999 Smith’s Food & Drug Centers Las Clinicas Del Norte Los Alamos Commerce & Development Corp Los Alamos Medical Center-CORNERSTONE COMPANY

$50,000 to $999,999 Los Alamos National Bank-CORNERSTONE COMPANY

$2,500 to $4,999 County of Los Alamos National Securities Technologies

$10,000 to $49,000 SOC - Los Alamos-CORNERSTONE COMPANY

Pro2 Serve - Los Alamos Netuschil Development Corp.-CORNERSTONE COMPANY Los Alamos Technical Associates (LATA) Neptune & Company, Inc.-CORNERSTONE COMPANY ABBA Technologies, Inc. The Hill Diner Terranear PMC-CORNERSTONE COMPANY

$1,000 to $2,499 Española Hospital Presbyterian Family Learning Center Rio Grande Sun-CORNERSTONE COMPANY Los Alamos Visiting Nurse Service, Inc. Los Alamos Public Schools IBM Corporation RE/MAX of Los Alamos-CORNERSTONE COMPANY

LEADERSHIP GIVING CIRCLE MEMBERS Alexis De Tocqueville Society $10,000+ 11 Anonymous Donors Randy & Laura Erickson Jerry & Lore Ethridge Patricia Fasel Jimmy Fung Larry & Andrea Hill Mary & Robert Hockaday Stanley Simmonds Jason Smith David Palmer Smitherman Michael & Nancy Strevell Robert & Shelly Sutherland Raymond & JoAnn Sartor Andrew Shewmaker Mike & Jacqueline Weaver William Wolfe

Duane Parsons Larry Quinlan Dory & Bob Ryan Susan Seestrom & Chris Morris Floyde Smith Julianne & Tracy Stidham Douglas J. Wokoun Pat Yeamans

Emerald $2,500 -$4,999

25 Anonymous Donors Charlie Anderson Gerald Antos Alison Beckman Tom Burr & Lynn Finnegan Sylvia L. Cassil Kirk Christensen Michael & Lynn Cline Don & Connie Cobb David Coblentz Diamond Don & Judy Crocker Andrew Dattelbaum $5,000 -$9,999 Michael Delano Robert Ecke 19 Anonymous Donors Eric & Pat Ferm Ian & Amy Albright Kevin & Sandra Finn Michael R. Anastasio James D. & Vera J. Gallagher Debbie Baca Larry Goen Jill & Paul Cook Steve & Barb Hanson Theresa Cull & Cheri Host Francis & Patricia Harlow Gene K. Ealy Jr. Kriste & Neil Henson Jeffrey A. Favorite Christopher & Nicole Jeffery Dan & Trudy Gabel John & Brenda Joyce Loretta Garcia Marvin & Leslie Maestas & Jimmy Leal Carolyn Mangeng T. Haines George & Chandra Marsden Bill Hamilton Beverly Martin Joseph D. Hickey Allen & Theresa McPherson Jane Lloyd Robert & Mary McQuinn Jonathan E. Morgan Virginia & Daniel Meiring Nortier Kristin Omberg & Scott Miller Melvin-Wagner Aaron & Anne Menefee Bryan & Maureen Fearey

Tom & Jean Merson Jeff Miller Pat Nakagawa Morris & Cheryl Pongratz Elizabeth Plassmann William Priedhorsky Dan & Judy Prono Joe & Donna Richardson Michelle & Cliff Rudy Evan Rose & Felicia Orth Randall Ryti & Wendy Swanson John Sarrao David Stahl Deborah A. Summa Peggy Taff David & Heather Teter PJ Timmerman Ann Hayes & Patrick Soran Jake Turin & Susan Mack Michelle & Cliff Rudy Ann & Robert Shafer Terry C. Wallace, Jr. Kip Wentz Cathy Wilson Lav Tandon & Amy Wong Giulia & Francesco Venneri

Ruby $1,500 -$2,499 27 Anonymous Donors Charles & Linda Anderson Eli & Ellen Ben-Naim John Berg & Alison Dorries Janelle & Gary Blauert Elizabeth Bluhm Steve & Kathy Boerigter Michael Boor Dick Boudrie Debbie Braden John & D’Ann Bretzke Carol Burns Michael Burns Allen Camp

Mary Campbell Aaron & Jennifer (Cox) Couture Larry & Linda Cox Alison Dorries Jared Dreicer Andrew Erickson Harry Ettinger R. Alyn Ford Raeanna & Steve Geiger Scott & Anna Gibbs John & Deborah Gill Dennis & Opal Lee Gill G. Glass Terrance Goldman Grunau Family Gillian & Sidra Hsieh David & Terry Izraelevitz Greg & Valarie Juerling Bruce & Anne Legler Rich & Bonnie Marquez Craig Martin & June Fabryka-Martin Emily & Owen McLaughlin Mukundans Evelyn & David Mullen Nick & Ann Nagy Jon Nelson Darryl D. Overbay Robert F. Parker Don & Barbara Rej Robert Roback & Becky Coel-Roback Maria Rightley Jennifer M. Rudnick John & Connie Russell Danny Shevitz Gus Sinnis David Sosinski Kurt & Jo Beth Steinhaus Robert & Michelle Thomsen Kimberly Thomas TJ & Kay Ulrich Jacqueline Veauthier Andrew & Laura Wolfsberg Carolyn & David Zerkle

Michael J. Gordon Greg & Rhonda Hanson Leon Heller Steve Henry 68 Anonymous Donors Dave & Lynne Higdon Ray & Joan Alcouffe George & Donna Hill Dann Alison David Hollowell Linda Anderman Jeffrey Johnson Xylar Asay-Davis Phil & Heather Jones Steve & Margo Batha Robert Jump Carl Beard Randy Kasik William & Catherine Thomas K. & Bev Keenan Bearden Yvonne & Chick Keller Jeanette Bennion Wayne & Cathy Kohlrust Jody Benson Nerses & Pat Krikorian George & Joyce Berzins Lattin Stephen & Barbara Blair Bob & Jackie MacFarlane Carl M. Cady Robert Malone James Cantwell David & Mitzi Mann David & Linda Carver David Martin David Chamberlin Johnnie Martinez Christine Chandler Kevin McCabe Rick & Katharine Chartrand Cathe McClard William & Palmira Clodius Ken & Laura McClellan Jeff & Crystal Densmore Linda Meincke Harriet Dodder Janet Mercer-Smith Gordon & Darla Dover Donald E. Mietz John S. Elder Art & Marilyn Montoya Bill & Kathy Enloe Derrick Montoya Paul R. Fletcher David Moore Gerald & Collette Fordham Joel & Ronalie Moss Suzanne Frary Timothy & Linda Nelson David Fry Mary Neu Fuehne & Trellue Family Nancy Jo Nicholas Guy Gaffney Chad Olinger Anita M. Gallegos Randy & Anna Parks John M. Garcia John E. Pearson Kris & Darryl Gardner Catherine Plesko Victor Gavron Tom & Jackie Petersen Robert Gibson David Powell & Lori Heimdahl Gibson Kathy Prestidge Terrance & Bernadine Goldman Charles R. Quick, Jr. Peggy L. Gonzales Tim Reecht Yvonne, Joseph, Alicia Richard & Angela Renneke & Antonio Gonzales

Sapphire $1,000 -$1,499

Sarah Rochester Elsie Sandford Judy & Gary Robinson Kersti Rock Peter Santi Donna G. Schroeder Sharon Seitz Ron Selvage Dennis & Virginia Simmonds Josh Simpson Walter Stark David & Vicki Telles David Teter Carroll A. Thomas & George A. Baker, Jr. Chris & Denise Thronas Turner Family Walter Tuzel Daniel Varley Richard Wallace Brian Watkins Mike Westfall Margaret & Paul White Steve & Audry Whittemore Matt & Lian Williams Douglas & Christine Wilson Laura Worl & Ed Kober John L. Yarnell

Associate Level $500-$999 Thank you to the 676 Associate Givers All acknowledgements are as of the final publication date. We apologize if we have left out your name. Please notify the United Way staff of any changes. Thank you for your understanding.

LIVE UNITED SUPPORTERS Stephanie Archuleta and Family Lynn Ballew, Fabulous 50’s Diner Carol Clark, Los Alamos Monitor Danette Clark Decadent Table Central Avenue Grill Keanna Cohen, United Way Youth Team Chair KRSN AM 1490 Margaret Ellis

Suzette Fox, LACDC golf tournament coordinator Bernadette Gallegos Kevin Holsapple, LACDC Hope Fellowship Tim Ickes - web design Lisa Inkret Katy Korkos, United Way Campaign Chair Rev. Bruce Kuenzel Denise Lane and Family, The Hill Diner Rev. Kathleen Logan

Los Alamos Airport, Peter Soderquist Los Alamos County Recreation Los Alamos Public Schools, Dr. & Mrs. Schmidt Los Alamos Public Schools, John Wolfe MacDoodle’s, Rob Lamb Marroquin Family Dr. Ben Neal & Family PAC 8 Paper Tiger, Robert Rodriguez Morrie and Cheryl Pongratz

Morrie Pongratz, United Way Youth Team Advisor Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) Southwest Office Solutions Inc., Tracy Kitts Bob Trapp, Rio Grande Sun Kevin Todd, Los Alamos Monitor University of New Mexico Los Alamos Voice of Los Alamos, Gene Mortensen Jason Waterbury, LANB Debra Wersonick, LANL Community Programs Office

Hamburger Nite Celebrity Waiters Chris Bernstein Lynn Ovaska Katy Korkos Gillian Sutton Dr. Eugene & Wendy Schmidt Dr. Ben Neal Margaret Ellis Gene Mortensen Sparky the Fire Dog, Los Alamos Fire Department

Roundup Rendezvous Sponsors Los Alamos National Bank Los Alamos National Security, LLC LATA The Hilltop Shopping Center LACDC Edgewater Technical Associates El Parasol Global Dental Science, Tim Thompson Title Guaranty & Insurance Co.

CB Fox Cowgirl BBQ David Pearson Patricia Carlisle Fine Art Gallery David Torney Don Taylor Edgewater Technical Associates Gold Lead Catering Hotel Parq Central Hotel Santa Fe Janice Muir Jim Gautier Karen Easton Kathi Geoffrion Parker

Larry Phillips Las Palomas Los Alamos County Golf Course Oasis Skin Spa, LLC Rick Wilson’s PFI, Inc. Ridgeview Veterinary Hospital Rio Chama Sec Sandoval Santa Fe Equestrian Center Terry Berg Thai Cafe TK Thompson Towa Travis Black

Roundup Rendezvous In-Kind Donors Adorn Hair Studio Blue Window Bistro

1200 Trinity Dr, 4th floor, Los Alamos NM 87544 505-662-0800 www.UnitedWayNNM.org

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Essence April/May 2011

www.ReadTheEssence.com