++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
CLOUDCROFT ONLINE NEWSLETTER #152
March 7, 2003
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Dear Subscriber:

I got an email from a reader last week that said I take myself
too seriously.

"The Cloudcroft Newsletter is supposed to be about Cloudcroft,"
she said.

I'd like to address that.

I don't like to write about writing. It's a lot like talking
about speaking, so I'll spend as little time as possible on it.

We do one newsletter a week. 52 newsletters a year. This is
our 152nd issue.

The people, places and goings-on around Cloudcroft are
interesting and I often write about them, but if I had confined
myself to those topics I would have been stuck on something to
write about sometime around issue #75.

Instead I choose as my general topic each week what happens to
be on my mind. Admittedly, some topics are more interesting
than others, but, so far, the things on my mind seem to be on a
lot of other people's minds, too.

For instance, in your daily comings and goings, you probably
give little thought to the social and economic impact of the
shopping cart.

When Sam Walton started Wal-Mart, he hammered several things
home to his employees. "The Customer is Always Right" was a
biggy with Sam. He didn't invent the philosophy, but he
embraced it whole-heartedly. He had lots of other ideas to
help draw customers to his stores. On the list not too far
from the top was good shopping carts.

Be honest. Have you ever shopped at a Wal-Mart pushing a
squeaky cart? When was the last time you pushed a Wal-Mart cart
that pulled to the left or right? Just a second of inattention
with one of those puppies and you've knocked over a Rice
Crispies display.

A mal-functioning shopping cart is a menial thing unless you're
pushing one. Then it's the most annoying thing in the world.
World turmoil, politics, your mother-in-law...everything takes
a back seat in distraction when you have a shopping cart with a
wobbly left front wheel.

Have you noticed the correlation between the most successful
retail stores in America and the working order of their shopping
carts? I don't think that's by accident. I think Target stores
have the best, but that's just my opinion. They're big and deep
and roll with the precision of a new Mercedes. They also have
plastic baskets. If an errant cart rolls into your car in the
parking lot, there's minimal if any damage.

You can also tell when a chain of stores is in financial trouble
just by the degradation of their carts. A big store can have
all kinds of bells and whistles and balloons and free popcorn,
but if their shopping carts go womp-womp, there's trouble
somewhere in the chain of command. I noticed mechanical
difficulties with K-Mart's shopping carts right before they
declared bankruptcy. Coincidence? I think not.

The stores with the superior shopping carts have also figured
out a way to keep them from sticking together. When I go into a
place and the cart comes free with the touch of a hand, I'm
already having a positive shopping experience. I might buy two
bunches of bananas instead of one because I'm in such a good
mood.

Shopping carts can make or break a business. I have a deep and
abiding respect for a store that supplies its customers with
top-notch PMTs (personal merchandise transports).

Well functioning shopping carts could be the answer to the
salvation of this country's economy.

But then again, I often take things too seriously.

Don Vanlandingham
Cloudcroft.com

----------------------------------------------------------------
IN THIS ISSUE
----------------------------------------------------------------
1. LOOKING AT THE WEATHER
2. VILLAGE NEWS
3. INSIDE THE SHOP -- DAISY'S TOO
4. CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- NATIONAL ATOMIC MUSEUM
5. Q AND A -- BECAUSE CLOUDCROFT ONLINE READERS WANT TO KNOW
6. COMING EVENTS
7. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
8. CONTACT INFORMATION
----------------------------------------------------------------
LOOKING AT THE WEATHER
----------------------------------------------------------------
March has blown in. Windy and cold. Highs in the upper-30s.
Lows in the mid-20s. Occasional snow flurries, but no
significant accumulation.
----------------------------------------------------------------
VILLAGE NEWS
----------------------------------------------------------------
Cloudcroft business transitions....

Joe and Kathy Halbig have departed Aspen Real Estate and have
formed American Southwest Realty. They're located where Aspen
Realty was (next to Loper Construction on Hwy 82).

Rusty Russel has retained the Aspen Realty name and is now
located at Buckhorn Cabins on Highway 82 (James Canyon Hwy).

Mountain Foto and The Mountain Monthly newspaper will relocate
in the former "Around the Corner" gallery, probably by March 15.

The old Mountain Foto/Mountain Monthly location on the boardwalk
will be the home of Gary Mack Real Estate. That agency will
move from the Burro Street Exchange building on April 1.
----------------------------------------------------------------
INSIDE THE SHOP -- DAISY'S TOO
----------------------------------------------------------------
Relax in this 3 bedroom, 2 bath mountain home. 5 minutes from
Cloudcroft shopping-golf-dining. Large deck with BBQ grill. 
Fully equipped kitchen, satellite TV/VCR, fireplace and wood
burning stove, washer/dryer. Two night minimum. For more
information email daisyslodge@hotmail.com, call (888) 543-3600,
or see the link to our web site on the Lodging page of
Cloudcroft.com:

http://www.cloudcroft.com/lodging.htm

----------------------------------------------------------------
CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- NATIONAL ATOMIC MUSEUM
----------------------------------------------------------------
A history of atomic energy in the United States.

http://www.atomicmuseum.com/

----------------------------------------------------------------
Q AND A -- BECAUSE CLOUDCROFT ONLINE READERS WANT TO KNOW
----------------------------------------------------------------
Q - I've been told skunks become more prevalent around the
Sacramento Mountains area in March and April.

A - I've been told the same thing. The early spring is
supposed to be mating season for the Sultans of Stink.

We can't wipe them out (protection of the species and all
that), so the best thing to do is protect your property.

Skunks will soon be looking for a place to give birth and raise
their young. To be sure it's not under your house, check for
entry spots and seal them off.

If you suspect you're harboring skunks under your place:

(a) Put mothballs in an old sock, tie it off with string and
throw it under the house. Attach a length of cord so you can
pull the mothball bundle out later.

(b) Give the mothball bundle a few days to do it's thing
(skunks hate the smell of mothballs and will vacate for more
suitable surroundings).

(c) Remove the mothballs and seal off the underside of your
house. CAUTION -- if you seal off the house too quickly, you'll
trap the skunk underneath and it and its offspring may die
there. I made that mistake last spring.

A good skunk is NOT a dead skunk. A good skunk is one that's
under someone else's house and not yours.
----------------------------------------------------------------
COMING EVENTS
----------------------------------------------------------------
March 11 -- Senior Citizen's Appreciation Prom. Alamogordo
Civic Center.

April 6 -- John Mershon Day. In honor of a long-time state
legislator.

April 18-19 -- Easter Weekend celebration. Check with the
Chamber of Commerce for events and times. 1 (505) 682-2733.

May 3 -- Smokey's Revenge mountain bike race.

May 10 -- Old Timer's Reunion (682-2932)

May 17, 18 -- High Altitude Classic bike race (682-1229).

May 23-24 -- Mayfair.

June 7 -- National Trails Day

June 20, 21 -- Western Roundup

Cloudcroft Art Society meets the second Sunday of each month,
2-4pm, in the Old Red Brick School House. Call (505) 682-3004
for more information and details on the Cloudcroft Summer Art
Workshops.

Would you like to help deliver meals to the homebound around
Cloudcroft? Monday through Friday deliveries. Call the
Cloudcroft Senior Center at (505)-682-3022.

Mountain Garden Club meets every third Monday of each month.
Call (505) 682-2910 for more information.

Senior Van from Timberon to Alamogordo leaves the Timberon
Lodge promptly at 8:30 every Tuesday morning.

Free Vitals Clinic. Cloudcroft Senior Citizens Center, every
Wednesday. High Rolls Senior Citizens Center, first Thursday
of each month.

----------------------------------------------------------------
For an online calendar of area events, click the Events Calendar
link in the left column of our home page:

http://www.cloudcroft.com/index.html

----------------------------------------------------------------
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
----------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Newsletter:

I love receiving your newsletter every week! Thanks for taking
the time and making the effort to write it.

My family and I will be visiting Cloudcroft for the week of
March 10th. I'm terribly excited because I haven't been there
since I was a kid, and trust me, that was a long time ago! My
kids are eager to see and play in snow, but I'm concerned about
the driving conditions. Could you please give me your thoughts
on whether a Texan in a station wagon should invest in snow
chains? And the kids would like to know if they will have snow
to play in.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts. We're looking forward to
visiting Cloudcroft.

Meredith Denton-Hedrick
Austin, Texas

----------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Newsletter:

Enjoy reading your newsletter each week. Usually you are right
on the money, but you blew it today.

In your bragging about American superiority in all things and
that we have the right to kick butt, you mentioned we were
number one in health.

WRONG.

We are number one in money spent on our health, but about number
15 in world health care quality. We have a higher infant
mortality rate, less available/affordable health care, less
healthcare for children, higher malpractice rates and expense,
poorer accountability for doctors, not the best training for
health care professionals and on and on. 

We could do a lot to improve our health care delivery system.
About the only thing we are number one in the world in is
expense.

Thanks,
Dr. John Martin
Austin, Texas

----------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Newsletter:

I've enjoyed reading your newsletters.

I have an old high school friend who used to live there - not
sure if he still does. He just quit writing and I have other
friends he might like to write to.

Do you know Yan Manriquez? Several years ago he was a ski
instructor and had lived there for a few years at that point.

Thanks, It seems like a very wonderful place, and I plan on
vacationing there once I get the daughter and husband out of
college!

Karen Campbell
Dallas TX Area

(And yes, that was one heck of an ice storm here last week).

[If anyone knows Yan Manriquez, contact us and we will pass the
information on to Karen Campbell.]

----------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Newsletter:

As an international flight attendant, I fly to France
frequently and, truthfully, I love Paris and much of the
country.

I must, however, admit, the French are not very cordial to
Americans and the "good-times" I have are in spite of the
treatment I receive. Since I am not a French speaker, I rarely
know what they are saying. I do, however, understand body
language quite well and most of them make it pretty clear
they would rather we weren't there! (Humm, wonder if they
thought that in WWII??)

Sarah Keith,
Carlsbad, NM

----------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Newsletter:

After reading all the pro French replies to your story , I would
just like to say you hit the nail right on the head with the
French, selling Exoset missiles to Argentina during the
Falklands war being just another of their underhanded
financially-guided positions. They are the most unliked
nationality, as we have found on our world travels.

New Zealand will not forget how the French Government stole the
prisoners who had sabotaged the Greenpeace ship, I could go on!

Missing Cloudcroft and all that white stuff, hot and sunny here
in Taupo, NZ

Ian Foster

----------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Newsletter:

I consider myself to be an open minded person in most aspects
of life. I do, however, feel a little closed minded on the
subject of France not fully supporting the US on its military
decisions.

One commenter suggested that France feels this way because they
were an occupied country during WWII. I have a funny feeling
that if they do not "WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE," they will
again be occupied. Only this time, it will not be by the
Germans, but rather by the Iraqis, whom they are defending.

Maybe when their Eiffel Tower is destroyed by a terrorist
organization they will feel the hostility that most Americans
feel.

Furthermore, those anti-war protesters around the United States
obviously didn't loose a family member or close friend in the
9/11 attacks. Maybe they will have a change of views when the
Iraqis attack again, this time using the nuclear weapons that
President Bush is trying so hard to protect us from. Go figure.

Thanks for listening.

A. Davis

----------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Newsletter:

In my opinion, the problem is arrogance. If we embrace the
doctrine of preemptive war, we are no better than the various
dictators around the globe. Preemptive war, without or without
international support, simply puts us in the same category.

Do we want to be the good guys - or the bad guys?

Leif Ancker

----------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Newsletter:

I found your position on French resistance to becoming involved
in our latest colonial war interesting, although I agree with
you only partly.

Yes, we saved the collective rear-ends of the French during
WWII; however, that being said, they are not a colony of the
U.S. France is an independent nation and a regional power in
Europe. The fact that we put an end to WWII in the European
theatre does not, however, give us the right to expect the
French (or Germans, etc.) to kiss the ground we walk on
forever.

I am personally opposed to the Bushies' attempt to involve us
in another conflict with a regional threat when N. Korea
presents a more immediate threat. The right to disagree with
our government and protest its actions and policies is what our
freedom is all about. Protesting is patriotic.

I wish more folks would keep that in mind.

Shirley J. Alford
Las Cruces, NM

================================================================
CONTACT INFORMATION
================================================================
TO UNSUBSCRIBE
To unsubscribe, email: unsubscribe@cloudcroft.com
----------------------------------------------------------------
TO SUBSCRIBE
To subscribe, go to
http://www.cloudcroft.com/subscribe.htm
----------------------------------------------------------------
BOUNCED EMAILS
If email to an address bounces (returns to us), that email
address is automatically deleted from our mailing list. If you
cease getting this newsletter suddenly, probably your provider
bounced your newsletter. This can happen when a provider is too
busy or is shutdown for some reason. If this happens to you, 
just revisit our site and re-add your email address to our list.
----------------------------------------------------------------
SUGGESTIONS AND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
If you have comments or suggestions for this newsletter, please 
direct them to: newsletter@cloudcroft.com
----------------------------------------------------------------
PAST ISSUES
http://www.cloudcroft.com/newsletters.htm
================================================================
Please feel free to pass this newsletter along to your friends.
However, we ask that you keep it intact and forward it in
its entirety.