November/December 2011
Mind Your Business
A Publication of the Los Alamos Commerce and Development Corporation
WHAT’S INSIDE: LACDC
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SBDC
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CHAMBER
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MAINSTREET 8, 9 LAMVB
LACDC’s Volunteer Appreciation October 14th @ Fuller Lodge The LACDC hosted a reception on October 14th at Fuller Lodge for the numerous volunteers (100+) that assist throughout the year in helping our organization run smoothly.
Volunteers from the community provide many of the work hours that go into operating the Visitors Center in Los Alamos and White Rock as well as event committees such as The Next Big Idea, Halloweekend, Chamberfest, Winter Fest, the Fair and Rodeo Parade and many other activities are also made possible by their efforts. Light refreshments were served by the Culinary Arts 3 Class of Pojoaque Valley
High School.
Members of the LACDC board of directors and staff expressed their thanks and appreciation for all involved. If you are interested in volunteering, here are several places we need you: Promotions/Events committees, Visitor’s Centers, Board of Directors, Youth Business Grants, Curb Appeal, MainStreet Futures, Arts & Cultural Steering Committee, Parade Judges and MainStreet Small Projects. To get involved, contact Katy Korkos at 661.4816. Pictured above Visitors Center Volunteers Marge Lewis and Julie Gauthier.
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FAN Clubs
5:30 pm to 7 pm
November 16 Los Alamos Coop Market November 29th Holiday FAN club at Fuller Lodge Contact Katy Korkos 505.661.4816 or email katyk@losalamos.org to promote your business
LACDC News Cooperative Educational Services/UNM Los Alamos SBDC join forces for information session The UNM Los Alamos SBDC sponsored a joint workshop with the Cooperative Educational Services (CES) group October 4th to over 20 area contractors providing them with information on how to do business with local school and government agencies. The agency opens up procurement opportunities to apply for approval to be added to the list that these agencies can call directly, eliminating a lot of bid time for smaller jobs, usually under $25,000. The agency (CES) goes over the proposals and accepts or rejects, based on the information provided. The accepted contractors can market to the schools and other listed public agencies and can receive direct calls to do the work or provide estimates as requested. About 2/3 of the attendees stated they intended to submit a proposal after the presentation. The seminar was presented by Robin Strauser, Deputy Executive Director and David Chavez, Executive Director of CES at the University of New Mexico Los Alamos campus. The presentation is the last one this year before the expiration date to submit, October 14. “This was a great turnout,” Chavez stated, “we had as many attending here as the one in Santa Fe over a month ago”. There were individuals representing businesses from Espanola, Santa Fe, Los Alamos, Pojoaque and other areas. Although the closing date for submissions for this proposal has passed, the SBDC has major contractors contact them from time to time asking for lists of other contractors in the area for possible sub contracting jobs. Owners interested in pursuing such opportunities should contact Don Wright @ 505 661 4854. Dr. Gene Schmidt, Superintendent of Los Alamos Public Schools, initiated the effort to bring the CES workshop to Los
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Community Job Board
free job postings for non-profit members The Perfect Gift for any Occasion 2
free job postings for members with 25 or less employees For details contact Claire Roybal at 661-4836 or email claire@losalamos.org
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Los Alamos Commerce and Development Corporation
Deadline to enroll November 15th! Deep down inside, we all know how much our community matters to us- but sometimes it takes a crisis to bring that knowledge home to us. The CommUnity Matters program of the Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce got its start when our largest employer was threatening layoffs, and there was a real need for connections and support from both the business and the non-profit community. Since that time, the program has continued to try to strengthen the ties between the community and Chamber members. When you read The Essence, you are reading a publication of the Chamber of Commerce’s CommUnity Matters initiative. We’re not trying to beat anyone over the head with any message about “shop locally” – we’re just trying to tell the story of our Community- the people and organizations that make it a unique and wonderful place to live. The Chamber started this initiative because our members requested it. They came to us saying “we’re having a hard time telling our story, and getting the word out about how much we care about the community.” Features of CommUnity Matters include not only the Essence, but lots of other programs, such as our booth at the Gordon’s Concerts, our Destination Retail Summit, and even the fyiLA calendar. If you’ve ever used one of the special offers from LA Deals, or filled out a feedback card at a local business, you’ve been a part of this program. We’ve handed out all of the thousands of reusable bags that CommUnity Matters produced, and helped the whole Community come together after the Las Conchas fire by providing communications to the business community, from Bandelier, the County and from state government. We have expanded the program this year to include banner advertising on our website and total market distribution of the Essence in the Los Alamos Monitor - an increase of over 4,000 papers. Please join with us in the coming year to support this great program, by calling Katy Korkos, Claire Roybal or Suzette Fox- we’re all knowledgeable about the program and ready to help. Katy, 661-4816, Claire, 661-4836, Suzette, 661-4844.
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UNMLA Small Business Development Center Fall Workshops @ SBDC 190 Central Park Square
$25 Workshops are FREE to Chamber members if you register at www.losalamoschamber.com. For more details about the workshops, contact Meagan Maez at 661.4805
November 3 Using the Features of a Chamber Membership 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Fee: $25.00 Learn the many benefits of Chamber membership, including regional search engine, multipost capability for social networking, conference room use, networking opportunities, sponsorships and how the Chamber can help your business grow. Speaker: Katy Korkos, Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce 9
Taking Disciplinary Action When Employees Disappoint 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Fee: $25.00 At some point in his or her career, almost every manager will be faced with the difficult task of disciplining an employee. Conducting an effective discipline session is both an art and a science and most managers aren’t even sure where to start! This workshop will help you navigate the ins and outs of conducting effective discipline meetings with your employees. You’ll learn when and how to document disciplinary action, how to create a plan to improve performance and when and how to terminate an employee when it’s just not working. Come prepared to share situations you’ve had to deal with so that we can focus on “real life” examples. Speaker: Karen Stone Mickool, Executive Director, Stone Associates LLC 10 Effectively Managing Your Marketing When You’re a One-Person Shop 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m Fee: $25.00 Most small businesses and non-profits don’t have a marketing staff to do the marketing tasks that are needed in order to maintain and grow the organization. Often times, there’s only one person to take care of ALL aspects of the business. So how do you make time for this critical piece? Join us and learn about the priority marketing tasks a business and organization should engage in. Learn how to create a daily action plan that is built around what is feasible for you based on your resources and time. Once and for all, implement an effective marketing campaign that grows your business and organization. Speaker: Rubina Cohen, Firefly Santa Fe
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Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Applications Being Accepted Recently Los Alamos and Sandoval counties were declared disaster areas and as such businesses in these areas are eligible to apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans. Rio Arriba county businesses are also eligible as a contiguous county. The loan does not have to be for actual physical damage and is intended to assist businesses that have lost sales revenues due to the evacuation, lack of customer access to the area and reduced tourism, for example. Terms of the loan, if approved, are negotiable with the SBA, are generally set at 4% interest and may be a term loan for an extended period of time if beneficial to the applicant. The loan is generally reduced by any amount of business interruption insurance the applicant has. There is no fee for applying for the loan and there is no obligation to close the loan should the business choose to do so. The application is available on line at www.sba.gov under EIDL loans. The UNM Los Alamos Small Business Development Center has provided assistance for 3 applicants to date and is available for any seeking additional information or in filling out the necessary forms. They may be reached at 505 661-4803.
Los Alamos Commerce and Development Corporation
Chamber Business Spotlight
Moving On Up!
This is the tale of two companies, Piñon PC and Enterprise Computing Systems, and two people, Heather and Brady Burke, who have combined to create a synergy where the whole is greater than the parts.
The Color Qube Series: Vibrant Color Reduce waste and cost.
Heather started her Piñon PC business in 1995, and Brady founded ECS in 1999. They each bring more than 30 years experience in the computer and network industry to the table. They merged their two enterprises in 2008 to become an LLC, which now employs 8 people, and they have recently added medical billing to their portfolio of services. Heather and Brady moved from their home based offices into the LA Small Business Center in February of 2010, but then grew rapidly in both services and employees. They provide information technology consulting, hardware and software sales and support for homes, businesses and medical/dental practices primarily on Windows and Mac platforms, and other operating systems through their partners. Never content to rest on their laurels, Brady, Heather and staff continue becoming certified, and can now offer authorized service with several companies., most prominently Microsoft, Apple, Fujitsu, Toshiba and Dell.
The next step for this growing company has been to move to a larger space at 3491 Trinity, Suite D. They have more than twice the space and easier parking and access than they had in the Small Business Center. Keep an eye out for the giant scissors at the Open House on November 17.
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Chamber News Smart Town on Smart Phones LACDC has implemented smartphone apps for connecting with local businesses, events information, viewing coupons, special offers and many other functions. Free smart phone apps for both IPhone and Android are now available at the Iphone App Store and the Android App Marketplace... search for “Los Alamos”. Information in the apps comes from the Chamber’s member database and events calendar ... the same data feeds visit.losalamos.com, fyiLA.com, losalamoschamber.com, and other Chamber websites. Take advantage of this new member benefit.
Katy's Corner - From Russia with Love For someone like me, born at the beginning of the Cold War, it didn’t seem possible that I would ever travel to Russia. When the opportunity arose for me to be part of a business-oriented Sister Cities delegation to Sarov in the Russian Federation, I jumped at the chance. Six people from Los Alamos traveled to Sarov in late September, for four meeting-packed days, during which we met with our counterparts in the business sector, education, libraries and county government.
appoints a director, whose job it is to think about that need and find a manager for the bookstore. The city has a department dedicated to business development.
Sarov is the home to Russia’s nuclear institute, and is still a closed city, much as Los Alamos was until the late ‘50s. Since the break-up of the Soviet Union, the city and state governments of the region have been trying to support an independent business community.
It is also interesting to note the ways in which we differ. There is some city and state funding for businesses in the form of small grants- approximately $6,000 from the city and $10,000 from the state of Nizhny-Novgorod. There is also some monetary support to reimburse businesses for trade show expenses and training expenses. They produce a television show for the local television station, and also host an annual competition for “Best Business.”
What we learned is that there are basically two tracks to business creation in Sarov. The more familiar track is when an entrepreneur has an idea and applies for a permit from the city to develop that idea. We saw a hotel, a club, a yarn shop and several restaurants that had developed with that model. The second track is where the Duma, or city government, identifies a need for a business (such as a bookstore) and
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It was gratifying to see the results of our Sister Cities relationship in Sarov. They have adopted many of our programs in their business support center, giving workshops and hosting a business club. They have a publication which is very similar to this Mind Your Business newsletter, and a Small Business Center with business premises that is much like ours.
It was a great opportunity for me to step back and look at our services and ask the question “are we doing the right things to meet our goals?”
Los Alamos Commerce and Development Corporation
Business Name
Welcome New Members!
Foorum KTAOS Radio Reunion Chiropractic and Wellness Dr. Tom, Child and Adolescent Medicine
November
Contact Name
Michael Odza Kate Duxler Black Merry McIntyre Marvel Harrison
Phone
505-470-1241 575-758-5826 505-662-2222 505-662-9200
Type of Business Networking Radio Station Health & Medical Health & Medical
Chamber Member Anniversaries
Business Name
Arms Control Center Bandelier Grill CB FOX Claire Singleton Translations D & P Lock Service Edgewater Technical Associates, LLC Johnny Boards, LLC Juvenile Justice Advisory Board - LA Leadership Los Alamos Los Alamos Farmers’ Market Los Alamos Properties Los Alamos Signs & Sound Los Alamos Visiting Nurse Service, Inc. Mark the Electrician New Mexico Wine Tours Papa Murphy’s Take & Bake Pizza Peerless Professional cleaning Real Estate Associates, PVW, LLC Strategic Planning Consultants Yeamans Machine Shop, Inc.
Date Joined 2009 2004 1979 2009 2001 2009 2010 2007 2009 2009 2005 2004 1998 2005 2009 2007 2010 2007 2009 1995
Our Mission: The Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce is an association of business organizations and individuals who are interested in joining and working together to imporve the economic, civic and cultural wellbeing of our area.
November/December 2011
December
Business Name
Adobe Manor Properties Bohannan Huston Cruisers Custom Embroidery Ensignal Friends of Mesa Public Library J&B Data Services Los Alamos Small Business Center Pajarito Mountain Ski Area Plateau Property Management RE/MAX of Los Alamos
Date Joined 2003 2002 2010 2010 1995 2001 2008 1990 1989 1995
Congratulations to these business members who have been Chamber members for twenty years or more for November and December: CB Fox - 32 years! Plateau Property Management - 22 years! Pajarito Mountain Ski Area - 21 years!
Connect with Us Online
www.LosAlamosChamber.com www.fyiLA.com • Chamber events • Contact information • List of Board Members • Member benefits information • Current Chamber news and much more 7
MainStreet News & Events
For more information on the MainStreet Program please contact: Suzette Fox Phone: 505.661.4844 E-mail: suzette@losalamos.org www.LAmainstreet.com
Los Alamos Creative Culture District
In the months since presenting the Los Alamos Creative District Plan to County Council, the Creative District steering committee has continued to work on multiple projects to progress the Creative District forward: 1. Mandy Marksteiner, copywriter and editor of the monthly newsletter “Art on the Hill”, has been commissioned to produce a series of narratives for printing in local news outlets throughout the month of November, providing reflection and facts about the Creative District, its high level of community support, and the positive economic impact the initiative will bring to the community. She has interviewed many involved members of the community and steering committee, and she tells an intriguing story of what the District is and what it has the potential to become. Look for her articles in the Los Alamos Monitor, on her website (http://www.mandymarksteiner.com), and on the Creative District website (www.creativenm.org). 2. Preliminary work has begun for a grant application for the National Endowment for the Arts/Ford Foundation “ArtPlace” initiative which has a focus on community initiatives centered on creative place making. Visit http://www.artplaceamerica. org for full details on this initiative. 3. The semi-annual State Arts & Cultural meeting was held in late September in Silver City, NM. Emerging from the daylong brainstorming session with representatives from each of the six A&C Districts included progress reports on successful processes along with troubleshooting of processes which have proven less effective. In particular, the majority of all districts expressed the need for research showing the economic return on investment for communities that have invested in creative and cultural initiatives similar to the Los Alamos Creative District. Research into these studies has begun and links to various reports can be found online at www.creativenm.org. 4. A “Questions & Answers” piece addressing concerns and questions raised by the County Council about the district and plan is currently drafted, with final inputs expected later in November. The Question & Answers draft is available to view, along with the Los Alamos Creative District Plan, and other supporting documents, online at www.creativenm.org. If you are interested in getting involved or want to know more about the Los Alamos Creative District please visit www. creativenm.org, contact Kevin Holsapple or Meagan Maez of the LACDC.
WinterFest Weekend - December 2-4th Save the first weekend in December for WinterFest. WinterFest is an event designed to attract folks to our downtown celebration with the Holiday Lights Parade and other fun activities taking place throughout the weekend, including a horse-drawn wagon ride at the Chamber of Commerce on Saturday, December 3rd. If you have an event going on that you want listed in the WinterFest Event brochure, contact Suzette Fox at 505.661.4844 or email suzette@losalamos. org
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Los Alamos Commerce and Development Corporation
Eleven New Mexico MainStreet Programs Receive National Accreditation The efforts of 11 local New Mexico MainStreet programs over the past year has earned recognition for commercial district revitalization by meeting performance standards set by the National Trust MainStreet Center. Economic Development Secretary Jon Barela, whose department houses the New Mexico MainStreet program, noted the diligently and effectively run MainStreet prorams around the state. “Here in New Mexico we have a committed group of individuals who understand the importance of historic preservation and its impact on economic growth, especially in downtown districts, and have upheld strict guidelines and standards in managing their programs,” he said. “They have accomplished great things by improving their communities while being good stewards of public and private funding.”
Suzette Fox Los Alamos MainStreet Manager
“The national accreditation means the local Main Street programs are meeting our national standards of performance for what a Main Street program should be doing,” said Doug Loescher, director of the National Trust MainStreet Center. “The organizations we name each year as National Main Street Programs are those that have demonstrated the skills and comprehensive perspective needed to succeed in Main Street revitalization.” The annual accreditation process evaluates commercial district revitalization programs based on criteria ranging from having an active board of directors and paid professional manager to tracking economic progress and preserving historic MainStreet buildings. The following local New Mexico MainStreet programs received national accreditation this year: Artesia MainStreet, Clovis MainStreet, Corrales MainStreet, Grants MainStreet, Hobbs MainStreet, Downtown Las Cruces Partnership, MainStreet de Las Vegas, Los Alamos MainStreet, Nob Hill MainStreet, Silver City MainStreet and Tucumcari MainStreet. National Accreditation Standards of Performance were developed by the National Trust Main Street Center and their coordinating MainStreet program partners. • Has broad-based community support for the commercial district revitalization process, with strong support from both the public and private sectors • Has developed vision and mission statements relevant to community conditions and to the local Main Street program’s organizational stage • Has a comprehensive MainStreet work plan • Possesses an historic preservation ethic • Has an active board of directors and committees • Has an adequate operating budget • Has a paid professional program manager • Conducts a program of ongoing training for staff and volunteers • Reports key statistics • Is a current member of the National Trust MainStreet Network For more information on the New Mexico MainStreet Program visit: http://nmmainstreet.org/ November/December 2011
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LAMVB News November 2011
Calendar of Events
December 2011 2-4
WinterFest – various locations around Los Alamos
Mesa Public Library FREE Film Series: holiday film
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Dance Arts Los Alamos presents: The Nutcracker at Duane Smith Auditorium
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Dive-in Movie: Tangled at the Aquatic Center
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WinterFest Parade - 6pm Central Ave.
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Los Alamos Light Opera Performance - Into the Woods at Duane Smith Auditorium
3 – 4 Los Alamos Geological Society Earth Treasure Show at Masonic Lodge
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GeoMosaics: Exhibit of Large Scale Landscape Photo at Mesa Public Library
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4,5 Los Alamos Little Theater presents: 11-13 An Inspector Calls 18-19 at the Los Alamos Little Theater 5
Los Alamos County Employee Arts and Crafts Fair at Fuller Lodge
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Lecture and Book Signing: Peggy Pond Church at Fuller Lodge
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Festival of Chocolate at the Betty Ehart Senior Center
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Festival of Trees at the Betty Ehart Senior Center
Discover Our Secrets Did you know that Los Alamos still has some secrets that haven’t gotten out yet? You probably thought that was all in the past – but NO! – mystery still dwells among us. Some visitors coming into the visitor center don’t know that we have a ski hill! They look up at that photo on the wall and say, “Is that Taos or Santa Fe ski hill? Or another misconception, “Is there any lab presence here anymore?” This is when I like to blow them away and watch their reactions when I respond quietly with, “They have 11,000 employees.” Believe it or not, there are even some Los Alamos residents that do not know about the Black Hole. How can that be? Or here’s another one: Hell’s Hole in White Rock. Do you know what that is? There is a description at www. Rotteneggs.sx.com, “Hell’s Hole isn’t so much a cave as it is just space between boulders. It is remarkably extensive, however. From this uninspiring hole in the middle of the
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High Altitude Half-Marathon and 5K Fun Run at the Family YMCA
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Jazz Night with the John Trentacosta Quartet at the Blue Window Bistro
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Christmas Eve Luminaria Skate at the Ice Rink
28 -30 Los Alamos Light Opera Performance - Into the Woods at Duane Smith Auditorium 31
Fire & Ice New Year’s Eve Celebration at the Valles Caldera National Preserve
boulder field, passable space continues down over 15 meters, and a total length of at least 40 meters.” Another, more controversial subject is the tunnel system under Los Alamos and whether it exists. One resident said that according to his uncle, there are so many tunnels under Los Alamos that it is astonishing. Another resident tells that when he worked at the movie theater, he would walk the tunnel over to what was then Amberly’s Restaurant and steal their wine. Apparently the underground tunnel was perfect for storing wine.
Go to fyiLA.com for a complete and detailed list of events. Los Alamos Commerce and Development Corporation
The LAMVB, a program of the Los Alamos Commerce and Development Corporation, operates the Visitor Center in Los Alamos and the White Rock Tourist & Information Center (WRTIC). The LAMVB also produces and distributes advertising and marketing materials such as the Los Alamos Visitor Guide. We also maintain the online visitor guide at visit.losalamos.com.
The Bandelier Experience
Santa Fe or Bust
Anytime there is a new experience in Los Alamos to be had, it is the duty of the Meeting & Visitor Bureau to make sure we know all about it! The Bandelier shuttle service ran through the end of October from White Rock. We had to experience it for ourselves!
The question was, “Do Santa Fe tourism people know much about what Los Alamos has to offer in the wake of the Las Conchas Fire?” We decided to find out for ourselves.
by Claire Roybal
With my little ones and “nanny” in tow, we got on the bus promptly at 9am. Our bus driver was kind enough to introduce herself and explain that because of the recent fire and subsequent flash flooding at Bandelier they were shuttling visitors into the park. We rode 8 miles and were shown Frijoles Canyon and told a little bit about Los Alamos. After getting off the bus, we were given a brief orientation on where we could hike and what was closed due to the fire and flooding. Then we walked into the “working” visitor center and bookshop, paid our fees and couldn’t pass up buying a few books! It was a beautiful October day. The hike was amazing! Once we were done we stopped in the gift shop to do a little window-shopping, after admiring all the beautiful jewelry we hopped on the bus. On the way home, we were shown two videos, one about Los Alamos and all the great things to see, and another talking about Bandelier. All in all the experience was wonderful. The buses ran every half hour so there was no need to worry about rushing. You could count on them being on time! The bus ride was relaxing and enjoyable! We were even told by our fellow riders that we should keep it like this all the time!
by Cindy Whiting
Kevin Holsapple and I visited concierges in Santa Fe on the Wednesday before Indian Market weekend. We got an early start, met at Starbucks at DeVargas Center and planned our routes. Kevin wanted me to follow along with him for the first couple concierge encounters so that I’d get an idea of the approach and mood of the chit chat. Then we each went on our way - I in my too-high-heeled shoes for walking around Santa Fe Plaza and Kevin in his flat, sensible shoes. Our quest was successful. We introduced the idea of a weekly connection with the concierges informing them of our MANY Los Alamos events. As it turns out, everyone we asked was quite aware that Los Alamos was indeed opened AND they were eager to receive a weekly email listing our events. Thankfully, they were also very well versed in the temporary set up for entry into Bandelier. On the down side, a couple of venues did not feature any of our Los Alamos Visitor guides. We quickly remedied that issue. So, both good connections and communication were established during our morning in Santa Fe. Something I need to do again!
New Visitor Center Sign! Look for this new sign at the White Rock Tourist Information Center!
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The Next Big Idea Festival was a huge success!
Newsletter Managing Editor: Suzette Fox - 505.661.4844 email:suzette@losalamos.org Contributions by: Suzette Fox, Kevin Holsapple, Katy Korkos, Meagan Maez, Cindy Whiting, Don Wright
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