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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE NEWSLETTER #12
June 16, 2000
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Dear Subscriber:

Compared to recent Junes, this has been a relatively wet one and
not a month too soon, as fires and rumors of fires had many
residents of the Sacramento Mountains suffering from the shakes.
Earlier this week Lincoln National Forest officials loosened
the restrictions slightly on their facilities. In the Cloudcroft
area, camp grounds have been reopened but there is still no
campfires, charcoal fires or smoking in LNF areas. The Forest
Service has seen fit to keep the Federal forest land in the High
Rolls and Tunnel Vista areas closed to visitors until further
notice. This does not include private areas and communities.
Although there is no set schedule for changing the restriction
status, most of the time those decisions seem to be made early
in the week. If there is a change in restriction status next
week we'll let you know.

Don Vanlandingham
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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. LOOKING AT THE WEATHER
2. VILLAGE POLITICS
3. INSIDE THE SHOP -- THE VILLAGE GALLERY
4. CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- SUNSPOT SOLAR OBSERVATORY
5. Q AND A -- BECAUSE CLOUDCROFT ONLINE READERS WANT TO KNOW
6. COMING EVENTS
7. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
8. CONTACT INFORMATION
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LOOKING AT THE WEATHER
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Early June saw an unusual pattern of daily shower activity in the
Cloudcroft area improving forest conditions. While the moisture
pattern has lessened in the past week, there has been some rain
along with warm temperatures. Highs are around 75 with lows in
the low 40s. Cloudcroft area temperatures are normally 20
degrees cooler than the basin and desert areas of the Southwest.
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VILLAGE POLITICS
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Mayor Dave goes to Washington. Last week Dave Venable testified
before the Resources Subcommittee on Forest and Forest Fire
Management on Capitol Hill. He told the Subcommittee that
Cloudcroft and other mountain communities are in serious trouble
because of the mis-management of the forest. He said as much as
65% of the forest is diseased or damaged and little or no effort
is being made to correct the situation. He proposed that
Cloudcroft be used as a test area for an ambitious forest
management program with the Forest Service establishing a
perimeter around the Village that would be maintained in a manner
that would promote forest health and watershed. Governor Johnson
also appeared before the Subcommittee, requesting funds to help
those most affected by the New Mexico fires (including the Scott
Able Fire near Cloudcroft), and for emergency forest management.
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INSIDE THE SHOP -- THE VILLAGE GALLERY
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Attention to detail. That is the factor that makes itself most
evident when one sees the selection of pottery designed and made
by Walt and Cynthia Glass. The couple opened their Cloudcroft
shop in the Burro Street Exchange last year. They have three
other shops: in Wimberly, Gruene and San Antonio Texas. Their
pottery is designed to be used and not just to be looked at. 
It's microwave safe and made of environmentally-safe clays.
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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- SUNSPOT SOLAR OBSERVATORY
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One of many places of interest around the Cloudcroft area that is
as much fun to travel to as to get there, the Sunspot Solar
Observatory is at the end of a 17-mile scenic drive from Highway
130. The observatory is one of the world's largest, but it wasn't 
always that way. The first observatory on that site was a Sears-
Roebuck grain bin decades ago. Self guided tours are available.
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Q AND A -- BECAUSE CLOUDCROFT ONLINE READERS WANT TO KNOW
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Q - Isn't Cloudcroft's July Jamboree normally scheduled around 
the 4th of July? Why is it scheduled later in the month this 
year?

A - Simple economics. Organizers decided the weekend before and 
after July 4th (the 4th falls on a Tuesday this year) will be 
busy weekends in the Cloudcroft area anyway since so many 
visitors traditionally travel to the mountains during that time.
The weekend of the 15th and 16th were chosen for the Jamboree
because that is a period of time during the month that can best
benefit from a special promotion. The July Jamboree will feature
a Juried Arts Show in Zenith Park, the usual food and games and 
a dance on Burro Avenue.
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COMING EVENTS
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June 14 -- Flag Day ceremony and parade. 5pm on Burro Avenue.

June 17, 18 -- Cherry Festival - High Rolls

June 23 thru 25 -- Bluegrass Festival. Open Air Pavilion.
Zenith Park.

July 4 -- Fireworks display. Space Center - Alamogordo. (note:
no fireworks are allowed in mountain areas).

July 13, 14 and July 21, 22 -- Melodrama. Cloudcroft Light Opera
Company. Open Air Pavilion. Zenith Park.

July 15, 16 -- July Jamboree. Crafts fair, horseshoe tourney,
food and drinks. Zenith Park.

July 15 thru 17 -- Cloudcroft School Reunion. Call 682-2098
for details.

July 22 -- Chili Cook-off. Call 682-2733.
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
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Dear Newsletter:

I enjoy reading about your area and am glad you are finally 
getting that much needed rain. For over 35 years I have loved 
coming to Cloudcroft and Ruidoso, but I really fell in love with 
Cloudcroft while living in El Paso in the early 60's. My husband's 
family lives in Las Cruces, so whenever we visit, we try to make 
it to the mountains. Thanks for keeping me up to date on the 
happenings in your town. Hope to be seeing it again soon....maybe 
one day, to live there!

Marlene Skaggs
Canyon Lake,TX

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Dear Newsletter:

I cannot thank you enough for your cyber-journalism! I get to 
Cloudcroft as many times each year as I possibly can, and reading 
your newsletter makes "the in-between times" a lot more fun. 
Somehow you have managed to combine just the right blend of 
professionalism and personal touch. 

When the newsletter arrives in my e-mail "inbox," I stop whatever 
I'm doing and read every word of it. Thanks for caring about 
those of us who don't get to be on the mountaintop year-round. 
You bring a little breath of that pine-laden air into my office 
every week.

By the way, your up-to-the-minute account of the fire situation 
not only was magnificently done, but also was a great help to 
those of us who were holding our breath for every newscast. Thank 
you for your diligence and faithfulness to correct information 
delivered in a timely and responsible fashion.

Sincerely,
Vicki Vaughn
Brownwood, Texas

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Dear Newsletter:

Patty and I want you to know we really appreciate your efforts 
to keep us up to date on the goings-on in our favorite village. 
We have been part time residents (summer time only) from the early 
'50s and rebuilt our cabin at 103 Forth St in the Village in 1993 
to be able to come up from Dallas any time, and we do. We have 
many friends there, both part time and full time residents. One 
of them, Curtis Erwin, e-mailed us your address to get news of the 
New Mexico fires. We have been unable to get up there early this 
year and when we heard of the fire in Los Alamos then Pecos and 
then Weed and some of our well meaning friends here in Dallas 
were telling us Cloudcroft was burning--well, the actual facts 
from your newsletter really helped us out. We will be up to C.C. 
by July 1st and hope to see you then. In the meantime I'm sure 
your news will keep us informed about what's really going on. 
Thanks again and we wish you continued success with the newsletter. 

Cheers,
Patty & Bill Kendrick

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Dear Newsletter:

Thank-you for your wonderful newsletter. We're moving to 
Cloudcroft July 1 and your newsletter has kept us informed on 
Village happenings - we enjoy reading it.

Rory and Valerie Edwards

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