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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE NEWSLETTER #198
January 23, 2004
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Dear Subscriber:

I have advice for youngsters seeking a career.

Be a repair man (or person. Whatever).

I'm sure mom and dad want you to be a doctor or a Certified
Public Accountant but remember...doctors see blood every day
and CPAs, with one errant computer input, can be arrested and
put in jail.

Repair guys (I use the word "guys" to represent both genders
because I don't want to have to spend this whole article using
parentheses) have it made.

Repair guys have no dress code for work. The only dress code
they live by is droopy pants. Enough to show a little backside
cleavage when fixing an undersink pipe.

Repair guys have no clocks. The only time they go by is Maybe
Tomorrow.

Repair guys don't have to worry about bookkeeping.

"That'll be two hundred dollars but if I don't have to write up
a ticket it'll be 27.95."

That's why I've spent my adult years learning DIY.

Doing it yourself used to be my hobby. Now it's an act of
economic self defense. I can't count the number of dollars I've
saved by doing it myself, but I'm sure it translates into
several pickup payments.

In the past 20 years I have learned from others and watched
enough home improvement TV to make things that don't work and
build stuff that don't fall down.

Another thing I've learned. Appliance repair guys have gone the
way of doctors. They don't like to make house calls. They want
you to load up that 200 pound refrigerator and bring it to
them. The good news is, they would rather help you fix it with
timely advice sell you a replacement part. Believe me. Fixing
a fridge is not that tough, but don't tell Peggy. She thinks
I'm a genius because the old ice maker makes ice again.

The reason everyone doesn't do it themselves is because they're
intimidated. They're afraid to take a perfectly good wall and
knock it down. Personally I like knocking down walls. It's my
favorite part of a project. Out with the old. In with the new.
I love the smell of old asbestos in the morning and tearing
things down relieves tensions more effectively than yelling at
the dogs.

Of course it helps to have a partner.

Peggy is a great finisher. I knock down the walls and put up
new ones and she tapes and sands and paints. It's like a good
catcher and a good pitcher. If you don't have one you don't
have the other.

Peggy is also the QC of the team.

You have to have one person that has the last call on Quality
Control.

I tend to drift from the task at hand. "That's good enough" is
an attitude I fall back on. "Perfect" is Peggy's creed.

More than once in our conspiracy Peggy has coerced me into
re-doing something that wasn't quite up to specs.

She has said "You told me it wasn't worth doing unless it was
done right."

My smarty philosophy has come back to haunt me.

In other lives...before we moved to Cloudcroft...I was a
broadcaster and Peggy was a university administrator in a large
West Texas city. Now we're Mr. and Mrs. Fixit.

A step down? I don't think so.

Don Vanlandingham
Cloudcroft.com

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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. LOOKING AT THE WEATHER
2. VILLAGE NEWS -- A FORUM
3. INSIDE THE SHOP -- SLEEPY BEAR TOWNHOUSE
4. CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- OLIVER LEE PARK
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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Breezy and some flurries but no appreciable accumulation. Highs
in the low-40s. Lows in the teens.
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VILLAGE NEWS -- A FORUM
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The Newsletter invited Cloudcroft Village Council Persons and
the one candidate seeking election to one of two seats on the
Village Council to participate in this question and answer
forum.

In the election scheduled for March 2, the two top vote-getters
will be seated on the Village Council. The two seats open for
election are now held by Brad Rasch and Gary Wood. Both have
declared their intentions to run for re-election. They are
challenged by William A. (Andy) Olson.

Five questions were posed in the December 26, 2003 edition of
the Cloudcroft Online Newsletter and those same questions were
mailed to each prospective participant.

The respondents' answers to each question are published in
alphabetical order. The respondents were Council Members Brad
Rasch, Barbara Springer and Gary Wood. William A. Olsen,
candidate for election to the Council also participated in this
forum.

Council members David Venable and Erich Weursching did not
respond.

Question 1: WHAT IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM CLOUDCROFT FACES IN THE
NEXT TEN YEARS?

Olsen ---

As I see it, trying to be bigger than we are and taxing
ourselves out of existence could be a problem. There was a 900%
increase in building permits, and a 400% increase in special use
permits in 2003. Not to mention the water availability tax that
was almost forced on us. Yes I know that we have to pay for
services, but give me a break, if we keep going at this rate no
one will be able to afford to live here.

Rasch ---

Biggest problem in next ten years: Electing and maintaining a
Village Council that will control spending. The Council must
concentrate the Village resources on the "needs" of the Village
and not on the "nice to have" extras. Continually raising fees
must be stopped. To continue to flourish, Cloudcroft must be a
place where a labor force can afford to live and business
flourish.

Springer ---

The possibility of drought is the biggest problem Cloudcroft
will face in the next ten years. In a drought, fire danger
increases and water supplies decrease.

As a deterrent to catastrophic fire, Cloudcroft property owners
must create a defensible space around their homes, and thin
trees on their vacant property.

Village government must ensure that our water supply is adequate
to serve our needs. As of today the sustainable yield from our
wells is 162 gpm; last summer is was 303 gpm. The decrease can
be blamed on the current drought. We must find additional
water.

Wood ---

Catastrophic fire and drought are the biggest problems for
Cloudcroft, but the Village Council can't do much about either.
Our biggest addressable problem is with our Emergency Medical
Service and Volunteer Fire Departments which have always been
staffed by volunteers. Recently we have not been able to get
enough people to volunteer. With fewer volunteers, a larger
burden falls on those left. We are now at the point where our
volunteer services will probably need help from paid
professionals. How that will happen and where the Village of
Cloudcroft will come up with the money is a huge problem.

Question 2: WHAT IS THE BIGGEST MISTAKE CLOUDCROFT HAS MADE IN
THE PAST TEN YEARS?

Olsen ---

The biggest mistake. Now that's a tough one, there are so many.
Of course as Human Beings we are prone to make mistakes, that is
how we learn. Creating so many ordinances to protect ourselves
from each other that no one can keep track of them all in order
to create the perfect community, in the perfect place. We
already live in the perfect place; it's up to each individual
to create the perfect community. This village draws people with
its charm, let's quit trying to make it like the places we were
drawn from.

Rasch ---

Biggest mistake: The cumulative effect of increasing (sewer,
water, garbage, building permits, etc.) fees on top of
significant tax increases. This resulted in virtually driving
away the labor force because it has become too expensive to live
in Cloudcroft.

Springer ---

Paving our streets is the biggest mistake we have made in the
past ten years; we should have spent the money on replacing and
repairing our leaky water and sewer lines.

Wood ---

The biggest mistake the Cloudcroft Village Council has made
recently was the elimination of the off-street parking
requirement for new business construction on Burro Avenue. The
result is that new shops can be built without providing new
parking. That will cause an already bad parking problem to get
even worse unless the Village provides more parking. I felt
that part of that requirement for parking should have remained
with the private business owners.

Question 3: WHAT IS YOUR OPINION OF THE CLOUDCROFT POLICE
DEPARTMENT?

Olsen --- In my opinion the police department is handicapped
as far as solving crimes. With the current 48-hour shift it
seems impossible to me to be able to rally investigate crimes,
about the time one officer gets started good the shift is over.
The next officer basically has to start over if he is able to do
anything at all. The current force is set up to handle traffic
violations, not effectively solve crimes. Unfortunately that's
not enough anymore.

Rasch --- My opinion of the Cloudcroft Police Department:
Cloudcroft needs its own Police Department. It's been my
impression of the Cloudcroft Police Chief and Officers I've
known, that they're a serious, dedicated community oriented
group, not given to abuse of power unless absolutely necessary.

Springer --- The best police work is all about crime prevention,
which requires officers to know the community, as our officers
certainly do. I believe they do a good job; they could do a
better job if we hired a clerk to do the paper work that keeps
them off their beats, and we would save money by hiring a
certified, part-time officer to work shifts for which we now
pay our regular officers overtime.

Wood --- When I moved to Cloudcroft in 1980, the Village had
one officer who was on call at all times. We now have three
police officers who get a lot of overtime and say that we need
to hire two more officers. Last year the Village Council was
unable to find the money for one extra officer, so I doubt we
have the money for two more. I think it is the obligation of
the Village Council to explore our other options. Many
communities have contracted out their police services. We need
to see if that would make sense for Cloudcroft.

Question 4: WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO HELP PROMOTE COMMERCE IN
CLOUDCROFT?

Olsen --- No one person on a council of four can promise to do
anything without like-minded council members. Encouraging the
creation of businesses to entertain youth, creating fond
memories while insuring tourism in the future. A lot of
visitors I have talked with came here because of their childhood
memories. It may be nice for the adults, but I doubt that very
many fond childhood memories are created shopping up and down
the boardwalk. Not to put down the shops in town, but if we
only target the adults we will miss a huge market. Now and in
the future.

Rasch --- What would I do to promote commerce in Cloudcroft:
Encourage increased tourism through support of the Chamber of
Commerce and increased targeted advertising. Restrict
increasing fees and taxes on the business community by the
Village.

Springer --- Here are three ways we can promote commerce:

A. Increase awareness of Cloudcroft as a prime site for
amateur astronomy.
B. Build a community/convention center. Even though such
facilities usually run a deficit, they attract business and
enhance the local quality of life.
C. Clean up the town. Does Disneyland have trash in the
streets?

Wood --- Cloudcroft's main income comes from the gross receipts
taxes collected by the shops and tourist businesses. The biggest
problem in our business area is the lack of available parking in
the busy season. Since the Village has taken on the
responsibility of parking by removing the off-street parking
requirement, they need to address this problem. I think the
best plan is to obtain the Co-op warehouse in the middle of town
and put in public bathrooms, a covered band stand for street
dances and other events, an unmanned information booth, and a
parking lot.

Question 5: SHOULD CLOUDCROFT GROW LARGER? WHY OR WHY NOT?
Olsen --- Anything that doesn't change grows stagnate! Yes

Cloudcroft has to grow, but it must be a controlled and planned
growth. There are many things to consider during the planning
of growth, among those things is; Will this saddle the people of
the village with excessive FEES and taxes? Next. How the heck
are we going to pay for this growth without hurting the people
who live here? Without growth there would be little need for
real estate, or building contractors, or many other jobs that
many of us depend on for a living.

Rasch --- Should Cloudcroft grow larger? Yes. Through managed
growth as long as we have water and infrastructure to support
the growth. I don't believe in a status quo, you only go
forward or backward.

Springer --- The question is not, SHOULD Cloudcroft grow larger
but, CAN Cloudcroft grow larger? Growth is limited by water
availability. Although we have 850 acre feet per year (afy) of
water rights, the current sustainable yield from our Pumphouse
Canyon wells and springs is only 261 afy, which will not support
an increase in population or commerce.

Wood --- Generally, no. Cloudcroftians do not want Cloudcroft
to grow like Ruidoso. Since we are surrounded by National
Forest, we do not have room to grow anyhow. I have been working
on the land acquisition committee for the Village for fourteen
years to try to get some Forest Service land for getting some
things like the Co-op warehouse out of the middle of town and
baseball fields for our kids. This is all the growing we should,
and probably can, attempt.

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INSIDE THE SHOP -- SLEEPY BEAR TOWNHOUSE
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Whether you enjoy golfing, hiking, hunting, snow skiing,
snowmobiling or just relaxing, you will love this Southwest
style townhouse. This beautiful 3-level townhouse overlooks the
8th hole of the Lodge Golf Course. With 5-1/2 bedrooms and 3
baths, it sleeps 13 comfortably. A fully-equipped kitchen,
satellite TV, fireplace, two decks, spa tub, and washer and dryer
will make your stay one to remember! See the link to our web site
on the Lodging page of Cloudcroft.com:

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

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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- OLIVER LEE PARK
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An important historical area near Cloudcroft.

www.emnrd.state.nm.us/nmparks/PAGES/parks/oliver/oliver.htm

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Q AND A -- BECAUSE CLOUDCROFT ONLINE READERS WANT TO KNOW
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Q - Any chance Cloudcroft may open a movie theater?

A - Stranger things have happened, although we haven't heard of
any such plans.

Small 30 or 40 seat theaters have been popping up around the
country with some success.
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COMING EVENTS
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February 4 -- High Noon Book Discussion Club, Cloudcroft
Library. Noon. The book being discussed is Too Many Cooks
by Rex Stout. Bring your lunch and enjoy the discussion.

February 20-22 -- Cloudcroft Mardi Gras.

May 8 -- Old Timer's Reunion

May 29, 30 -- Mayfest

June 18, 19, 20 -- Western Roundup

July 10, 11 -- July Jamboree

October 2, 3 -- Oktoberfest

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. The Cloudcroft Art Society will not be meeting in
December or January. The next meeting will be the first Sunday
at 2pm in February.

Cox Canyon Volunteer Fire and Rescue is organizing an
auxiliary unit. If you would like to help support this group
of dedicated men and women, call 682-3084, 682-4664, 682-3719
or 682-3234.

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. For information on
other Senior Center services, see their web site, listed on the
Cloudcroft.com Links button.

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

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.

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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

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
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Dear Newsletter:

We purchased a cabin in Cloudcroft this past summer and have
enjoyed increased time there.

I look forward to the Newsletter and its report on the amount
of snow, or the lack thereof, the temperatures, pictures of
the wildlife, and the village news.

I was called this morning by my heart surgeon to tell me my
heart surgery (aorta valve/trunk replacement) will be next
Thursday. I ask him if we might move it to Friday as I needed
to get the Newsletter from Cloudcroft on that day.

Needless to say he was not amused. Surgeons are surgeons
because they have poor patient-doctor skills. The delay seemed
appropriate to me. Hopefully within a few weeks I can go to
the attic, get the turntable down, gently lift the tone arm and
play favorite 'oldies'. I think it will be therapeutic to my
recovery.

Keep on spinning those stories, they make me smile at the past
and get me up each morning to see what is new.

Ben Vaughan 

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Dear Newsletter:

Don, my family and I just returned from 9 days at a friend's
cabin in Twin Forks. This is the longest period we have spent
in Cloudcroft in the last 20 years. We can’t wait to move there
permanently! Thanks for keeping us up to date.

Guy H. Watkins
Waco, Tx

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Dear Newsletter:

Music does sound better on CD's, especially in the car but I
agree. Those old fashioned 12" disks were great in their own
way.

I'd love for you to address the issue of HDTV, something which
took place during the Clinton era where our beloved Congress
gave the go ahead to eventually make our TV's obsolete and
that's not far away. My gripe regards the government not
telling the TV moguls they would have to broadcast in both
mediums. Sure there's some improvement to the picture but not
enough to warrant being dictated to make the change. 

Richard & Mary King

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Dear Newsletter:

Don, as usual you provide some interesting commentary on our
progressive world.

I too recently got a CD/VCR player. We don't have many CDs, but 
they do sound good. I'm about your age and in about 1960 I
joined the Columbia Record Club to get the 10 free albums with
a years membership.

I still have most of those albums. Some Andre Previn, Dave
Brubeck etc. I didn't have much money then so it wasn't until
1968 that I could get a nice component stereo setup. Dual 1019
changer, Wharfdale speakers, TEAC tape deck and a Heathkit
solid state stereo receiver.

I still have them and they all still work. Thanks for reminding
us of the "good ole" days. I'm not complaining, we've got it
mighty good in this country.

Al Fannin 

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Dear Newsletter:

I had to laugh along with your descriptions of the good-ol'
vinyl days. My husband and I used to practice those torturous
vinyl care procedures with the fervor of priests performing a
church ritual.

You forgot to mention meticulously unboxing and drawing the
wooden-handled velour disk brush across the surface of each
record before every playing, first turning the brush against
the innermost disk surface, and then against the outer surface.
One had to clean that brush with ANOTHER brush after each
cleaning pass! We also sprayed an anti-static gun a few times
across the record before we carefully placed the tone arm, yes,
with its little balance disk poised carefully on top, onto the
album.

You didn't put your vinyl treasures directly into the cardboard
jackets, did you?! Didn't you keep your albums inside
scrupulously clean paper and plastic dust jackets that you
could buy separately in bulk? One also kept the original dust
jacket that came with an album, with all its information,
credits, photos, and lyrics.

I think I miss this 'album art' most about vinyl -- the covers
and the dust jackets. The eye-straining lyrics, credits and
photos inside today's CDs don't qualify as art in any shape or
form. I used to actually display some of my album covers on my
college dorm walls; granted, the musicians on those covers were
awfully good-looking, and I was in demand with all the girls on
my floor!

Continue to help keep our gray matter 'flappin'.

Lyn Canham
Sandia Park, NM

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