The Frolic
History’s Mysteries, Bandelier Nightwalk by Katy Korkos
Business
Denise Smith, Hilltop Best Western by Lynn Strauss
Essential People
The Big Six-Oh Celebration by Katy Korkos
Buffalo Tours by Christel Hanson
Arts & Culture
Sarov – One Friendship at a Time Mandy Marksteiner
the Essence
Calendar Of Events June and July
of Los Alamos and White Rock June/July 2009, Volume 2, Issue 4
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Now you can support needed school improvements every time you buy hiking and outdoor gear with the Locals Care program. With Locals Care, the non-profit of your choice receives a percentage of your purchase every time you shop at participating local businesses. For more information, visit localscareLA.com.
Participating Merchants Bella Cosa Flowers & Gifts Blue Window Bistro Cook’n In Style Don Taylor’s Photography Home Run Pizza-Los Alamos Los Alamos Chiropractic Los Alamos Home Improvement/Ace Hardware Otowi Station Bookstore & Museum Shop Ruby K’s Bagel Café The CoffeeHouse Cafe (home of The Coffee Booth) The Finishing Touch Village Arts
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June/July 2009
8 The Frolic
History’s Mysteries, Bandelier Nightwalk by Katy Korkos
10 The Business Essence
Denise Smith, Hilltop Best Western by Lynn Strauss
12 The Essential People
The Big Six-Oh Celebration by Katy Korkos Buffalo Tours by Christel Hanson
14 Essence Feature Essence Pictures
16 Arts & Culture
Sarov – One Friendship at a Time by Mandy Marksteiner
20 Community Matters The Potential within Us …
22 Calendar Of Events June and July
About the cover: Alcove House,
Bandelier National Monument. Photo by
Larry Lamsa
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Editor’s Note Summertime in Los Alamos and White Rock! I could not ask for a better place to be. With the mild temperatures and lots of outdoor activities to take advantage of, I find it hard to stay cooped up in an office during the week. I do find time to work outside from time to time in the summer, as I write this I am sitting on a bench at Ashley Pond. We are quite fortunate to have such an historic piece of real estate as an anchor of our downtown. In this issue of The Essence we are going on tours, celebrating 60 years, and rallying for a “Vibrant Downtown.”
In this issue of The Essence Katy Korkos takes a quiet walk at night and finds all the beautiful things Bandelier has to offer. As a child my grandfather worked at Bandelier and I was fortunate to have the opportunity of walking the premises during the day. After seeing all of the holes in the rock and the dwellings in the rock walls, I never looked at a hole in the wall the same way. Bandelier is a beautiful asset to our community and can not wait to take my wife on a Nightwalk. I can hear her now tell me how romantic it is.
The wheels on the bus go round and round, all through the town! Christel Hansen takes a Buffalo Tour with Georgia Strickfaden. Georgia shares accounts of growing up in Los Alamos from a Quonset Hut to promoting today’s local businesses. Buffalo Tours is more than just the little yellow bus you see around town. Georgia’s storytelling adds a dynamic to the tours that make it truly unique. Even if you are a long time resident, taking a ride with Georgia is more than just a tour. What’s going on at the Hilltop House? Lynn Strauss sits down with Denise Smith and discusses the success of the hotel and all that is offered to guests as well as local residents. Happy Birthday Los Alamos! It has been 60 years that our county is formally recognized as a county. Katy Korkos writes about the committee in charge of pulling together the county’s celebration year. We also get some insight on the upcoming events for the 60th anniversary.
Sarov is half way around the world and yet share many similar traits with Los Alamos. Mandy Marksteiner talks with some local residents that have visited Sarov and shares stories of how we keep in touch with our sister city.
Our community has not been known as the ideal place to go shopping or for spending a “night on the town.” Most folks I talk to say “We roll up the sidewalks at 8pm.” We recently got an outsider’s perspective about how are community is viewed. Wow! Talk about an honest eye opener. The question is; “How can we seize these opportunities and unleash the potential our community has?” Businesses are already answering the question and now so can you. BE PROACTIVE! CommunityMatters has taken the initiative to inform and push for projects and/or policies that will enhance our community. Please read the CommunityMatters page and get informed. Jeremy Varela, Managing Editor Los Alamos Commerce & Development Corp. Events & Marketing Coordinator LA MainStreet Manager p: 505.661.4844 f: 505.662.8399
Check out what’s happening in Los Alamos!! LAmainstreet.com fyiLA.com
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Katy Korkos, Chelo Rojas Writer/Content Editor
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The Frolic
History’s Mysteries, Bandelier Nightwalk
By Katy Korkos
The full moon casts fleeting shadows across the cliffs and dwellings in Frijoles canyon and total silence envelops you. It is easy to imagine you have traveled back in time, more than 600 years to the days when the ancestral Pueblo people lived here.
A Nightwalk in Bandelier must be experienced, and even then, much remains a mystery. Are those
distant drums? Is that torchlight? Is there someone living in that cliff?
To walk in Frijoles Canyon at night is a rare privilege. Because the full-moon Nightwalks have proven
to be so popular, there is now a Nightwalk every Wednesday, full moon or not. ightwalks are special evening interpretive programs in Frijoles Canyon, offered once a week beginning Memorial Day weekend through mid August. Special winter walks are offered at the park. Participants are required to be silent during the one-hour walk that allows visitors to step back in time. A guide conveys background information about the sacred grounds while carrying a lit torch. This walk is not recommended for children or others who cannot participate without talking or whispering. And if walking silently is not your thing, just come during the day and bring a picnic. There are picnic tables set up along the creek, in the shade, as well as up top near the entrance to Bandelier at Juniper Campground. You’ll probably get to see some Abert’s squirrels, and the abundance of food along with running water means that the canyon is home to a great variety of birds. Birds such as towhees, chickadees and jays can be found in the park throughout the year, and you can spot the very colorful Western tanagers and blackheaded grosbeaks in the summer Also on the list of animals you will probably see are mule deer, who seem to know that they are safe in the park.
Bandelier gets more than 250,000 visitors each year, many of them local people who know what a treasure we have right in our own neighborhood. Lots of local kids have gone through the Junior Ranger and Deputy Ranger programs and have the badges to show for it. Bandelier also has a very popular daycamp, for kids who have completed the first grade, which is free but fills up very fast. Even adults can become Deputy rangers, and the workbooks that have been developed for participants are really helpful to enhance your visit to the park. If you download the workbook from Bandelier’s website before you go, you’ll be much more aware of the issues the Monument’s staff has to face to keep the park in good shape for visitors. Invasive plant species, erosion, air quality, and even vandalism are among many thorny problems we all should be aware of. Most of the structures in Frijoles Canyon were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the years between 1934 and 1941. The CCC hired fine craftsmen to do the woodcarving, tinwork and stonework for the Visitor Center and many other buildings in the complex at the bottom of Frijoles Canyon, so be sure to have a look at some of those fine architectural details when you visit. The Friends of Bandelier are private citizens who love the monument and who provide support to it, both in money and in volunteer hours. The Friends organization has helped to get grants to fund studies
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about air quality and reducing Bandelier’s carbon footprint, along with helping to produce the “Tuff Times” newsletter twice each year. More information at www.friendsofbandelier.org With the cost of an annual pass only $30, many local people visit the monument time and time again, and have their favorite hikes, favorite views, and favorite picnic spots all picked out. It costs $12 per car to visit if you don’t spring for the annual pass, and people who arrive by bicycle or on foot are charged $6. The old Golden Eagle Pass is now called America the Beautiful, and for $80 allows access for one year to all Federal recreation sites that charge an entrance fee. People with disabilities can get a free Access pass that has the same benefits. By the time Adolf Bandelier visited the canyon in 1880, the people who once lived there had been gone for about 300 years, but the Pueblo people who had moved on always considered this spot their ancestral homelands. The Nightwalks help to remind us that this is sacred space. The Visitor Center is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the summer. Tsankawi, just down the road, is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. To reach the Visitor Center, phone 672-3861X517. For more information about the park, their website is www.nps.gov/band
fyi —Bandelier National Monument is right in our own backyard, a unique local asset, and the Nightwalks are a unique feature of this park. The Friends of Bandelier are a mainly local organization that supports Bandelier and the National Park Service by providing many of the things the park service cannot budget.
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The Business Essence
From the eye of the hurricane to the calm of small town life: Denise Smith, General Manager at the Hilltop Best Western
enise Smith worked in three of the biggest tourism markets in the country before she moved to Los Alamos to be the General Manager of the Best Western Hilltop House. Her hotel management career had taken her from Memphis to Atlanta and then to New Orleans, where she was working when Hurricane Katrina destroyed much of New Orleans, and most of the tourism business that she and so many others depended on. In New Orleans, Denise had worked for boutique hotels as general manager, and in corporate offices managing renovations in hotel properties. After answering an ad for a manager at the Best Western Hilltop House, she met Ron and Kim Selvage and was very impressed with their commitment to service, their community spirit, and the variety of their accomplishments. “I just loved them,” she says. “They’re role models for anyone. And now they’re like a second family for me -- Ron, Kim, and my staff.” The Best Western Hilltop House has 92 rooms (13 of which are suites that have adjoining rooms and kitchenettes), more than 5,000 square feet of conference space and catering facilities to accommodate conferences and meetings that keep the hotel busy most of the year. At a 70 percent occupancy rate for the past year, the Best Western Hilltop House is doing a very good business compared to even Santa Fe hotels, where occupancy rates have been as low as 30 percent in recent months, and 50 percent in the summer when occupancy rates are typically closer to 65 percent. “We sold 24,000 room nights last year, and about 60 percent of our business is related to the Lab,” Denise says. “The balance is leisure and corporate travelers. We do everything from small meetings to the LANB stockholder event for 350 guests.”
La Vista Restaurant is closed now due to the demand for catering use of the kitchen and dining areas, but the Aspen Lounge in the lobby area serves a light dinner menu Monday through Friday. “We are the largest full service hotel in Los Alamos,” Denise says. “We also offer holiday brunches open to the public, which have been very popular.” Diego Torres is the Executive Chef for all of the Best Western’s catered events, brunches, the Aspen Lounge and a school lunch program. “He’s phenomenally talented -- and I’m from New Orleans, so I know good food!” she laughs. In addition to LANL events, other group business for the hotel includes weddings, reunions, corporations that do business with the Lab and public schools, according to Denise. “Our full size pool attracts a lot of sports teams, and we do a fullservice hot breakfast that’s very popular,” she says. Outside of managing a 92-room hotel with a staff of 45, Denise serves on the Lodger’s Tax Advisory board, and recently became a graduate of Leadership Los Alamos, a nonprofit organization dedicated to training and development of leaders in Los Alamos. “It was a phenomenal experience,” Denise describes the experience. “I didn’t comprehend what it covered until the orientation. The range of individuals is fascinating – from Lab leaders to nursery school teachers.”
By Lynn Strauss
“It left me with a real desire to serve this community,” she says. “It’s hard to quantify, but it’s made me a much better person, and made me more appreciative of every person’s role in a community. One person can make such a difference.” As for the future, Denise says the Hilltop Spa is planning to expand services. Spa Owner Pam Worth has started offering free yoga classes to the hotel guests, three times a day, Monday through Friday, and offering them for a small fee to locals. The classes are attracting 8-12 students each class. Other interior improvements are always being made, most recently including all new banquet room chairs and elegant covers for them for weddings. “Our staff is the best I’ve ever worked with in my career,” Denise says. “They’re just wonderful people.”
fyi —Gathering places are essential to creating community, and the Best Western Hilltop House has been the home of many of those gatherings for many years. Denise is a living example of how people and businesses can re-create themselves to serve their communities.
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The Essential People The Big Six-Oh Celebration “Reflections of the Past, Windows to the Future”
here’s a very good reason the County is throwing itself a big birthday party at Fuller Lodge on June 12, with cupcakes and music and plenty of stuff to do. The County is turning 60! “This may be the last decade that some of our founders are still with us,” Sixtieth Anniversary committee co-chair Christine Chandler says. The big birthday bash may be the highlight of anniversary week, but a dedicated group of volunteers on the committee has linked the celebration to events for an entire year. The list of committee members reads like a list of “Who’s Who” in Los Alamos, with both current and former county councilors, and representatives from the school board, laboratory, faith community, hospital, senior groups and cultural groups. Councilor Sharon Stover adds “I’ve enjoyed working on the 60th Anniversary Committee as I think this is an important to recognize and celebrate special anniversaries. We are fortunate to have many of our citizens who were here 60 years ago be able to participate in the events throughout the year. This committee under the leadership of Chris Chandler and Lawry Mann have rolled up their sleeves and worked to plan activities for all interests. I am especially pleased for the events for White Rock that will include a history and concert in September.”
By Katy Korkos
The water tank at the eastern entrance to town has a fresh coat of paint, with a brand-new logo designed by Jennifer Lillard of White Rock. Lillard won a competition sponsored by the committee, and her winning design was chosen from more than 20 entries as the best representation of 60 years of county history. The Chamber of Commerce has picked up on the 60th celebration, and has coupled its annual Chamberfest to the same theme, with a slight twist. The motto for the 60th Anniversary is “Reflections of the Past, Window on the Future,” and the theme for Chamberfest is “Reflection of Decades.” Chamberfest is held on the same weekend as the birthday party, so on Friday night people can go from the birthday party at Fuller Lodge straight to the Chamber banquet at Central Avenue Grill to the free summer concert at Central and Main and dance to the music of Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas. Central Avenue will be blocked off for the concert, then stay blocked off for Saturday’s carnival, car shows, live music, Chamber members’ booths, great festival food and cool free stuff!
Also in June, on Saturday the 20, Los Alamos has reserved a thousand tickets at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque for “Los Alamos Night” in honor of the 60th anniversary. For only $9 per ticket, people can watch a great Triple A baseball game, see someone from Los Alamos throw out the first pitch, hear someone from Los Alamos sing the national anthem, see Los Alamos honored on the scoreboard, and even benefit local baseball programs. The Los Alamos Concert Association and Los Alamos Historical Society have both been able to enhance their regular offerings with their ties to the celebration. The Concert Association, which is older than the County by a couple of years, kicked off the year with a concert by the baroque orchestra Tafelmusik. The Historical Society’s always-interesting lecture series has been enhanced with the support of the 60th anniversary committee. Those lectures are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the Pajarito Room of Fuller Lodge. The June 9 lecture is by Rosalie Heller, the artistic director of the Concert Association. Entitled “Pianos, Performances and Politics,” this talk will look at the many ways Los Alamos pianos have shaped our musical and social life. “From Ranch School days through KRSN broadcasts, Lodge parties and performances by some of the greatest pianists of our times, our pianos have been a joyous part of our history,” Rosalie says. The July lecture will focus on two of the most notable scientists at the lab 60 years ago. On July 14, Alan Carr will present “The Bradbury (and Bacher) Years.” Carr is a LANL historian and author of a new Historical Society monograph on Robert Bacher, and he will spotlight both Norris Bradbury and also Bacher in his talk. So take advantage of all the great activities being offered this summer, and help the County usher in its seventh decade! Who could say no to CUPCAKES?
fyi—
The Sixtieth Anniversary Birthday Bash on June 12 will be a great place to reconnect with our town’s founding families. These people had vision and foresight and a can-do attitude when it came to creating a community–we should be inspired by them and strive to have the same attitude when it comes to improving and enhancing our town. For a complete listing of all the 60th anniversary events, go to fyiLA and select “60th Anniversary” from the pull-down menu of “Events”. The 60th Anniversary committee has its own website and blog at http://losalamos60th.org
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Buffalo Tours: The Yellow Bus that Could by Christel Hanson
ormally, yellow buses are associated with schools, but in Los Alamos another yellow bus negotiates the streets, full of a different type of student. The bus is emblazoned with the name, “Buffalo Tours,” which seems an odd name for a Los Alamos business, considering that there are no buffalo here, nor have they ever populated our arid mesas. It’s an even more peculiar name, considering that Georgia Strickfaden, owner and operator of the bright yellow bus, is a historian. After taking a Buffalo Tour, I’m convinced that Strickfaden knows everything there is to know about the mesas, from contemporary Los Alamos reaching back almost to Creation. So why Buffalo for a name? Strickfaden gives a little shrug and explains that when she was growing up, her family took a trip to Yellowstone, where “I became interested in buffalo,” she says. She obtained a buffalo figurine on that trip that she carried with her throughout life. As she went, she gathered more buffalo until she had a full-blown collection. When she began offering tours of Los Alamos in 1985, she needed a name for her tour that was more distinctive than “Los Alamos Tours.” (Her tours of Los Alamos now go by the name “Atomic City Tours,” a moniker she was initially hesitant about. However, her business as a whole still goes by “Buffalo Tours.”) The name “Buffalo Tours” was inspired by her collection and was further bolstered by being easily recognizable. Plus, “it started with a ‘b’,” she says, explaining that being early in the alphabet is a marketing tool— “Buffalo Tours” tops alphabetical lists. “Now my only problem is whether it’s spelled with two ‘f’s or two ‘l’s,” she says with a laugh. But it turns out that’s not her only problem: she occasionally gets tourists who think they are getting a tour of actual buffalo. She tells the story of some tourists who found Buffalo Tours on a website, with instructions to call if they wanted a tour of the buffalo kept by the Nambe pueblo. Surprised, Strickfaden rose to the occasion by contacting a Nambe pueblo friend, and the tourists were able to see a couple of buffalo. “It was a good thing those two buffalos were near the fence,” her native friend confessed. The pueblo had whittled down their herd to only a few remaining animals. If the creatures had been loitering elsewhere, it would have been a disappointing trip. Strickfaden’s resourcefulness includes more than impromptu trips to see buffalo. Although Buffalo Tours
fyi
was originally founded because “I wanted to introduce people to Los Alamos,” she says, her business has since expanded. Buffalo Tours’ offerings include tours to historic villages of northern New Mexico; tours to Ghost Ranch and Abiquiu; and walking, hiking, or skiing tours in Bandelier or the Jemez mountains. Although Strickfaden gives regular tours in her lemon-colored bus, she also hires out as a guide to other tour groups such as large buses or conference attendees. As a result, she guides about 1,000 people per year; some days she leads two or three tours a day, and sometimes none. She acknowledges that it’s still early in the year to predict what 2009 will be like for Buffalo Tours, but speculates that people who might usually travel out of the country are more likely to travel within the states during a recession. That’s good news for Buffalo Tours, as the majority of her business comes from tourism. 2008 was her best year ever. Some of her clients know about Los Alamos or even live here, but “I had a couple yesterday [take a tour] and the man had no idea why he was here,” she says. Visitor’s lack of knowledge is why Strickfaden does what she does: she developed a love for Los Alamos growing up here and wants to share the town’s unique history. “When I started giving tours, people asked me, ‘Why don’t you take people to Santa Fe?’ ”, Strickfaden says. To her, however, passing on Los Alamos history is important. She was born in Los Alamos in 1948, living in a Quonset hut without water, with only a hotplate to cook on and a latrine at the end of the block for a bathroom. Strickfaden tells the story of one night in their Quonset hut, which was only distinguishable from the others by its number. Her mother was getting dinner ready, knowing that her husband would be home soon. The door opened and an unfamiliar man walked in, took off his coat and hat and “plunked down in a chair,” Strickfaden says. “All the chairs were the same government issue,” she explains, so it wasn’t until the man looked around and saw Strickfaden’s mother that he jumped up, mortified; apologizing, he grabbed his coat and hat and left for his own hut. Not all of her stories are her own: some she has gathered from people she has met, including one entertaining passenger who lived and worked in Los Alamos during the Manhattan Project. Back visiting in Los Alamos, he took Buffalo Tours to see how the town had changed. After the tour was over, he told the story of being a young GI addicted to coffee. His coffee cup was a permanent fixture, so even when the town was running short on water during the Project’s final days he managed to procure coffee. His addiction was widely known and practical jokes were always being played, so when he received a call telling him that, “the Director wanted some coffee and did he have some?” he replied, “Sure, have him
come get it,” Strickfaden says, laughing. It wasn’t until Oppenheimer himself came trotting in, mug in hand, that the GI realized the call was for real. It’s stories like these that have Dorothy Hoard of the Los Alamos Historical Society (of which Strickfaden is a member) urging Strickfaden to write them down. She hasn’t done it yet, but she carries a recorder with her to catch stories like these. It’s still unused. Your best bet to get the stories is to take the tour. Strickfaden is not only chock-full of her own stories and others’ accounts, but she has an overwhelming amount of history slotted in an organized mind. I stopped writing after about an hour of the tour because my hand was too tired to keep documenting all the information she provided. Buffalo Tours’ Los Alamos excursion covers everything from the history of the Manhattan Project to post-war particulars, like the fact that Los Alamos Canyon bridge was the highest and longest bridge of its kind when built in 1951. I had the pleasure of joining her on her regular tour, which she extended for her other passengers, a couple that was considering a move to Los Alamos. Although our tour took place on a gray and hazy day, we still enjoyed spectacular views: overlooking the town from the ski hill road, at White Rock Overlook, and from Anderson Overlook. Our group toured downtown and received a history of the Ranch School, early homesteaders, and the Native American inhabitants of the plateau. We then got a look at the lab, White Rock, and—special for the passengers that day—a tour of Los Alamos’ major residential sections. Strickfaden knew the history of each residential section and the date it was created. For example, she shared that the Atomic Energy Commission platted the land on Barranca Mesa (up to the Elementary School). “People showed up and literally pulled a number out of a hat” to determine which lot was theirs, she says. As we passed by the horse stables on North Mesa, Strickfaden pointed out the Manuel Lujan cabin. The easy-to-miss cabin is on the state historical registry because it belonged to one of the early homesteaders on the mesa. Later she confesses that her favorite area of research is the accounts of the mesa’s early homesteaders because their history is still largely uncompiled. Strickfaden is a fount of information, gleaning not just funny stories but history from her passengers. She gave a tour to a number of county employees, some of whom are direct descendants of the original homesteaders. “People come to me with information,” she says. Otherwise, her primary way of gaining info for her tours is to “read, read, read.” Buffalo Tours isn’t just about historical overviews, however. Strickfaden should be paid a commission by (continued on page 17)
—Georgia Strickfaden’s tours give a unique insight to the history of Los Alamos, from the perspective of a native daughter. Her family and her husband’s family have been engaged in community-building since they first arrived here, and they continue to love this place and share their love with others. www.losalamoschamber.com
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FATHER’S DAY SUNDAY, JUNE 21 Having been raised by her father, Sonora Smart Dodd, thought of the idea for Father’s Day. Sonora’s father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father’s Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910.
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Arts & Culture
Sarov – One Friendship at a Time by Mandy Marksteiner orld peace is achieved one relationship and one friendship at a time,” said Dr. Robert Thomsen, the secretary of the Los Alamos Sarov Sister Cities Initiative (LASSCI). Although Sister Cities International arranged the formal sister city relationship between Los Alamos and Sarov in 1994, their ties go back much further. They have a laboratory that is a counterpart to LANL and in a way the two labs are sister labs. The Russians chose Sarov for Arzamas-16, one of Russia’s 10 secret cities where nuclear weapons were developed, for reasons that were similar to the reasons that the US chose Los Alamos: it was remote from the capital, there was transportation available and there was already an ammunitions factory in the town, which meant there was infrastructure for making more weapons. LASSCI hopes that frequent exchange visits of students, artists, city officials, physicians, nurses, and scientists will help us learn about each other’s communities and culture and to promote world peace. So far the Los Alamos community has been able to connect on many levels with Sarov, Russia. In September 2008 Kevin Holsapple, Denise Lane and Roger Waterman went to Sarov as representatives of Los Alamos business community. They toured and met with a number of businesses, including the premier lighting manufacturer that supplies lighting to most of the concert halls and opera houses in Russia. “We always talk about Los Alamos’s isolation, and how it can handicap our businesses, but they’re behind a fence, so it’s even worse,” said Waterman. “Yet, they have some very successful businesses…. Although we discussed a number of business ideas, we didn’t conclude any business deals. The friendships we started and the learning for our exchange are definitely worthwhile to me as a business person,” said Waterman.
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At age 18,Ian Zollinger went on a youth exchange trip in the summer of 2007. He was interested in travelling to Russia because, in 2004, his parents had adopted three Ukrainian girls who speak Russian. “Sarov is a closed city, like Los Alamos used to be,” said Zollinger. “When we got there they took away our passports, cameras, cell phones and MP3 players for security purposes and put us under ‘house arrest’ at a nice hotel. It wasn’t because we were in trouble, it was just for security. For the next two days they showed us everything in town. They really wanted us to know what they were like.” Zollinger spent two weeks at a summer camp that kids from Sarov attend, where he met a lot of people, many of whom he still keeps in contact via email. One of the girls even has a Facebook page in English. He was surprised by some things: they eat five small meals and take two hour naps every day and because Sarov is so far north the sun didn’t go down until eleven at night and it rose at three in the morning, which made it hard to fall asleep. “Before going to Russia I thought that people I
didn’t know were different than me,” he said. “But they had the same every day problems. During the cold war people made it seem like people in Russia were really different from us and they were made to believe that we were really different from them.” When a group of librarians from Sarov visited staff of the Los Alamos County Library System in September 2008 they came up with several projects that would strengthen ties between the community: They will use the Web to share photos, documents and presentations; Sarov librarians will translate a published history of Los Alamos and Los Alamos librarians will translate a history of Sarov; Sarov librarians will start an American literature club and Los Alamos librarians will ask for input from the Sarov librarians when selecting new Russian books. Charlie Kalogeros-Chattan, the manager of the Los Alamos County Library System, said, “It was a fabulously valuable experience to be able to exchange information on how library services in the two countries compare, and how they are different. Additionally, meeting and spending time with the
—Sarov shares Los Alamos unique history, and these cultural exchanges have deeply affected everyone who has made the trip to visit our Sister City. Last summer, Kevin Holsapple, Roger Waterman of TRK Enterprises and Denise Lane of Re/Max and the Hill Diner made the trip as a business delegation. As independent businesses become more common in the former Soviet Union, look for upcoming trips focused on small, women-owned businesses and another group focused on young people.
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librarians was heartwarming. We are still in touch and plan to be for some years to come.” In 1998 a group of doctors toured clinics in Sarov and the visit led to a medical project funded by the American International Health Alliance where they studied treatments of diabetes and high blood pressure. The AIHA also funded a program for dental health from 1999-2003, led by Bill Matthews. The program concentrated on preventative dental care. “The main value of these exchanges is not as much medical, as interpersonal,” said Thomsen. St. Dimitri’s Orthodox Church is also trying to make a direct connection with the Orthodox parish in Sarov. Many people in Sarov are Orthodox Christians, and the members of St. Dimitri’s try to follow Russian traditions in their worship. “I would like some kind of communication, to start with,” said Thomsen, who wrote a letter to Metropolitan Jonah of the Orthodox Church of America, asking for help. “A spiritual connection.” Paul White, who is on the LASSCI board, said, “I think [the exchanges are an] important part of keeping peace. Governments may have their differences but we know these people. We’ve had them over for dinner. We have a relationship with them, and that changes things. They’re great people, no matter what their government does.” Visit LASSCI’s website at www.losalamossarov.org. d
Hikers
& 6 $ 3& 4 CB FOX
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Buffalo Tours: (continued from page 13) local businesses, which she promotes with goodwill and enthusiasm. She points out places to eat and things to do, from swimming to hiking to skiing, and hands out a local realtor’s card to her passengers. Encountering that same realtor a few days later, I mentioned seeing her card while taking Buffalo Tours. The realtor told me that she and her husband took the tour when they originally moved to Los Alamos. After the tour, they enjoyed going to Strickfaden’s house and visiting with her and her husband. “She’s quite a lady,” she said admiringly. After spending an afternoon in the cozy blue seats of the yellow bus, taking the tour and chatting with Strickfaden, I’ve come to the same conclusion. Buffalo Tours is worth the ride; if you have out-of-town guests, it’s a great way to get a grasp of what Los Alamos was and is. If you’re a resident of Los Alamos or White Rock, it’s a great way to learn more about this place we call home. Better still, take the tour just to meet Georgia Strickfaden and hear a few stories. She is quite a lady. ∫
Monday - Friday 11 to 2 & 5 to 8 Saturday 5 to 8
Online visitor guide to Los Alamos
i New Items Added to Menu i Monday Night is Kids Night i New Dessert Menu i Live Music on Tuesday Night i Beer and Wine Menu Updated i White Rock’s Family Restaurant
visit.losalamos.com
www.losalamoschamber.com
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672-4083
Located in White Rock next to Smith’s
www.bandeliergrill.com
Essence June/July 2009
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$449.99
BROWNELL’S
Los Alamos, NM
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Essence June/July 2009
www.ReadTheEssence.com
PACKAGING
MOVING SUPPLIES
,
BOXES
MAILBOXES
BUSINESS CARDS WEDDING INVITATIONS
USPS GROUND AIR INTERNATIONAL
SHIPPING SERVICES
job e o thare. d to to c h g nounough e Big all e sm 662-3119 FAX 662-3123
Mon - Fri 9am - 6pm, Sat 10am - 3pm
106 Cental Park Square, Los Alamos, NM 87544
COPYING SERVICES VOLUME DISCOUNTS PRINTING SERVICES OFFICE SUPPLIES
Two ways to help our local schools shine brighter.
771 Central Avenue (in the Mari Mac Shopping Center)
Kids Health and Fitness Summer Camp July 7,8,9 and 14,15,16
urs s-Th pm e u T to 5 2 pm
Join LAFC certified instructors for a specialized health and fitness kids summer camp that will help children 10 years and older develop a fun concept of exercise and nutrition.
On ly ava 17 slo ilab ts le!
Scan this bar code one time at smith’s and the public schools in los Alamos will be better off every time you shop this school year.
This camp will include kids sports conditioning and summer games, yoga, cardio classes, and a kids nutrition seminar. *Special discount for LAFC Members Available*
Call 662-LAFC(5232) for Complete Details and Pricing!
www.drhauschka.com
Consider a donation to the: Classroom makeover ‘09 The remodel of this physics and biology lab at LAHS will do wonders for the way kids think about school and their future in science.
Donate at
www.lapsfoundation.comȱ or by calling 505.470.3734 CB FOX/nice things
1735 Central • 662.2864 • www.cbfox.com
www.losalamoschamber.com
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The Potential within Us … What would a vibrant downtown do for Los Alamos? • Enhances community pride and quality of life • Preserves and creates jobs • Enhances sustainable development • Increases collaboration between public and private sectors in order to attain common goals • Bolsters property values throughout the community • Grows existing businesses, attracts new businesses, and reinforces other economic development activities • Protects and utilizes the historic assets in downtown • Increases the tax base by developing vacant and underutilized buildings
Roger Brooks is a founding member of the award-winning Destination Development team, Roger has worked in tourism and economic development for more than 25 years, and has become one of the most recognized experts in the field of tourism, consumer trends, marketing, and project development in the country. A video of the community assessment presentation may be viewed online at
www.fyiLA.com Click on “news”, Pac 8 logo, under the “Community Affairs” heading.
As part of the CommunityMatters initiative the Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce is collecting contact information for those who are proponents for a vibrant downtown. CommunityMatters will send out information about proposed projects/policies and list the dates that council will hear these projects/ policies. Your support is vital at these council meetings and can make all the difference, literally, in our community.
Skip Wecksung
os Alamos is at an interesting juncture in its history. This turning point in our history will not make world headlines or national headlines for that matter. It will reconstruct facades, streets, businesses and the way visitors view our community. Recently, the Chamber of Commerce initiated a community assessment process to gain and share insight into how our community is perceived by visitors and potential businesses. Destination Development International (DDI) was commissioned to perform the assessment and Roger Brooks of DDI presented the results. While he did poke fun at the community and singled out businesses for their lack of effort, one message stayed consistent throughout the presentation; potential. We have the potential to make our community more welcoming, visually appealing and improve the quality of life for all residents. The community assessment presentation has struck a chord with some businesses and they have taken the initiative to enhance their own establishments. Change is imminent, whether you welcome or resist it. Our community is in the process of restructuring; we have the opportunity in enhance places to meet up with friends, shop and show off to out of town guests. Be proactive in the process, get informed and voice your opinion when you are for something. This is far too important for all of us to just stand on the sidelines and watch others make the decisions for us. Our community has a right to a vibrant downtown.
If you would like more information on how to get involved for a “Vibrant Downtown” please contact chamber@losalamos.org
fyi—
Never doubt that a group of active and engaged people can change the world- in fact, that’s the only thing that ever has. So get involved, speak your mind and keep your eye on the prize- this can be a place where people want to come for a visit, want to open a business, want to retire, and want to send their kids to school and college.
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663.1490
Tune in for...
Kommunity Matters
Listen Online & View Our Programming Schedule
www.krsnam1490.com Kommunity Radio Station Now
KRSN AM 1490
SUITE 100, 999 CENTRAL AVE • LOS ALAMOS, NM 87544 505.662.2523 • WWW.DONTAYLORS.COM
Los Alamos Heart Council We teach you how to "Love Your Heart" for information on our programs visit: www.losalamos.com/heartcouncil or e-mail us at laheartcouncil@yahoo.com
Laboratory Retiree Group PO Box 546 Los Alamos, New Mexico Need Board Members Need Retirees to help with reunion Call Dale Thompson for details 505-660-2144 after 6 pm Dues: $12.00 per household/ per year
Reminder: Los Alamos Homecoming June 12,13,14, 2009
www.losalamoschamber.com
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June 2009
All June and July
17 Wednesday
Wildlife Tours, Hikes and Fishing on the Caldera vallescaldera.org for details
Mobile Museum Exhibition A mobile museum, the Van of Enchantment is a converted RV that tours New Mexico carrying artifacts and exhibitions from the state museums.
Every Thursday
Outdoor Farmers’ Market The bounty of northern New Mexico farmlands for you to see, appreciate and buy!
6 Saturday
Pajarito Mountain Summer Fest Bike and Hike Beer and wine tasting 12:00–5:00 pm. Nomads, aka Pajarito House Band, play 1:00–5:00 pm. Start your summer off right! 9:00 am–3:00 pm
9 Tuesday
Lecture: Pianos, Performances and Politics This talk given by Rosalie Heller, will look at the many ways Los Alamos Pianos have shaped our musical and social life.
60th Anniversary Art Exhibit Opening Reception 60th Anniversary Art Show Art Show - “Yesterday and Today” opening reception. 2009 LA County Summer Concerts – Thomas Mapfumo from Zimbabwe
20 Saturday
RE/MAX Home & Garden Show Meet with over 25 home improvement and landscaping product & service providers to get some great home improvement ideas. Cardboard Canoe Regatta The challenge is to build and then race a 2-person canoe built entirely from recycled cardboard and duct tape along a 100 meter course.
12 Friday
60th Birthday Party for Los Alamos County Bring the family to this community event and join in for cupcakes, music and dancing and other celebratory activities!
21 Sunday
Father Son Daughter Golf Tournament
Nick Nogar High Altitude Swimming Invite Annual high altitude swimming event
25 Thursday
Chamber of Commerce Banquet The annual Chamber banquet held the night before ChamberFest provides a great dinner from a member business and an opportunity to socialize and network with other members.
Authors Speak Series - James Doss With a bit of romance and full measure of murder, Snake Dreams, the thirteenth in James D. Doss’s widely loved Charlie Moon series, is a haunting tale best told under a full moon and beside a crackling fire. Guitars and Gateaux: Rick Donovan
Chamberfest Kick-off Concert: The Zydeco Cha Chas. Zydeco dance from Louisiana
26 Friday
ChamberFest 2009 ChamberFest is an annual event that showcases participating Los Alamos Chamber members.
Relay for Life American Cancer Society’s fundraiser for the fight against cancer.
2009 LA County Summer Concerts – John Nemeth
13 Saturday
27 Saturday
Run the Caldera Full and Half Marathon During this picturesque run you will experience a great opportunity to run at over 8,000 feet of elevation and see most of the Preserve.
60th Anniversary Tour – Span the County We’ll take two separate days to hike from west to east across Los Alamos County, tromping along historic routes and our ever-expanding county trail system. This is part 1 of this event.
Chamberfest Concert - The Nomads 50’s, 60’s and 70’s classic rock
Taste of Los Alamos - An International Festival This is a fundraising event for the Los Alamos Relay for Life in conjunction with the UNM-LA ESL education department.
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19 Friday
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Bike and Hike Days Aspen lift Runs 9:00 am–3:00 pm. Pajarito Mountain Cafe will be open 11:00 am–2:00 pm.
Essence June/July 2009
Skip Wecksung
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
www.ReadTheEssence.com
July 2009 1 Wednesday Historical Exhibit - Anniversary of the New Deal The 75th Anniversary of the New Deal in New Mexico at the Los Alamos Historical Museum. Music Performance: Four Corners Pipes and Drums Performance for this month’s Brown Bag lunchtime presentation.
2 Thursday–6 Monday
Atomic City Invitational Golf Tournament
3 Friday 2009 LA County Summer Concerts – Danny Santos
4 Saturday Firecracker Family Fun Run A Los Alamos tradition! T-shirts to first 130 entrants. Prizes given in various categories. Kiwanis Annual 4th of July Celebration Another amazing fireworks show brought to you by Kiwanis Club of Los Alamos.
Historical Society monograph on Robert Bacher, will present biographical information on these two fine men.
17 Friday
2009 LA County Summer Concerts – Steve Poltz Punkish Folk-rock
18 Saturday
The Next Big Idea! This is a festival of Discovery, Invention, and Innovation that highlights Los Alamos’ unique creative heritage while providing an opportunity for inspiring young people from throughout the state about possible futures in science, technology, engineering, math, and innovation. 60th Anniversary Tour - Span the County This is part 2 of historic hikes across Los Alamos County.
Bike and Hike Days. Aspen lift Runs 9:00 am–3:00 pm. Pajarito Mountain Cafe will be open 11:00 am–2:00 pm.
24 Friday
The “60th” Fourth of July See signs of the 60th at this year’s festivities at Overlook Park and over the sky in White Rock.
2009 LA County Summer Concerts – Jimmy Stadler Band Rock, from Taos, New Mexico
Robin Hood Production of Missoula Children’s Theater. All MCT shows are original adaptations of classic children’s stories and fairy tales … a twist on the classic stories that you know and love.
Championship Golf Tournament Mens and Womens City Golf Tournament
5 Sunday
10 Friday
2009 LA County Summer Concerts - Balla Kouyate Afro-jazz, Afro-pop from Mali, Africa
11 Saturday
Longview Self Storage Arts & Crafts & Market Arts & Craft & Market every second Saturday of the month to gather the White Rock Community.
25 Saturday
Mud Volleyball Tournament
31 Friday Opening Art Reception Local Impressionism
2009 LA County Summer Concerts – Ray Wylie Hubbard Texas Americana legend
12 Sunday
37th Annual Tour de Los Alamos This is the oldest bicycle race in the southwest. The Tour is part of the New Mexico Road Series presented by the Roadrunners Cycling Club and New Mexico Cycling.
14 Tuesday
Lecture: The Bradbury (and Bacher) Years Alan Carr, LANL historian and author of a new
www.losalamoschamber.com
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Essence June/July 2009
fyiLA.com Community calendar, searchable business directory, full event details, more events, and contact information at fyiLA.com
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Your donations are always needed.
Lorraine@hartwaycpa.com Small Business Center 190 Central Park Sq. Suite 101 • Los Alamos, NM 87544 Phone: 505-662-3122 • Fax: 505-662-0094