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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE NEWSLETTER #48
February 23, 2001
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Dear Subscriber:

I refuse to be suckered into thinking spring is coming to the
Southern Rockies. I know the temperatures have been climbing
into the 50s and the sun has been shining brightly, but it is
characteristic of the weather here to back-hand you with one
more momma of a snowstorm before the greening begins.

In whatever form it comes, we can always use the added moisture.
Because of the vast vegetation in these parts, ground moisture 
is sucked up rapidly by the plant life. While there is still 
snow on the ground and many of the roads are muddy with the 
run-off, it only takes a short period of time before things 
become hazardously dry.

Maybe some day all the posturing will be over and all the lip
service will be paid and the US government will actually do
something about the overgrown conditions of many of our forest
lands. Meanwhile, those of us that live in the woods and those
that love to visit the woods will have to hold our breaths
through another spring, hoping for showers and hoping the
lightning and other sources of fire stay away.

How about those pictures in last week's Newsletter?! I wish I
could take credit for them, but they were submitted by Kit 
Richards of Sunspot and posted in the newsletter by Webmaster 
David Thomas. If you missed these wonderful panoramic images, 
they can be located on Cloudcroft.com's General Information
page.

Don Vanlandingham
Cloudcroft.com

SNOW PHOTO: Here's a photo of snow conditions taken early last
week by Diane Bazar:

http://www.cloudcroft.com/photos/snow.htm

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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. LOOKING AT THE WEATHER
2. VILLAGE NEWS
3. INSIDE THE SHOP -- HIGH ALTITUDE OUTFITTERS
4. CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- THE MOUNTAIN MONTHLY
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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Another week without any added precipitation. The existing snow
cover is still enough for recreation in many areas around the
village, but it is not as much as it was.

Highs are reaching the mid 50s. Lows in the upper 20s/low 30s.
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VILLAGE NEWS
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Several of the county roads in the Cloudcroft area are taking a
beating from the snow run-off.

County Commissioner Michael Nevison told the newsletter last 
week that the county is running short of funds for road repair 
and improvement. Bottom line: it might be a while before new 
gravel is applied to the roads. You can reach Nevison at the 
Cloudcroft Village office: (505) 682-2411.
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INSIDE THE SHOP -- HIGH ALTITUDE OUTFITTERS
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On Burro Street in the newly remodeled Sleepy-Eye building, 
High Altitude Outfitters features mountain bike rentals and 
sales and mountain apparel.
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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- THE MOUNTAIN MONTHLY
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For 13 years the Mountain Monthly has been serving the 
Sacramento Mountain area with a monthly account of local news, 
school happenings and special events. The Mountain Monthly has
a web site (you can find their link on the Links page of 
Cloudcroft.com) and is also available by subscription. Call 
(505) 682-2208.
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Q AND A -- BECAUSE CLOUDCROFT ONLINE READERS WANT TO KNOW
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Q - Why don't they install cooling coils in the skating rink so
they can be sure of a skating surface all winter?

A - For the same reason they can't depend upon snow making
machines to furnish the ski slopes with snow. If the
temperatures do not stay low, the snow and ice making efforts
would only result in premature thawing.

Cloudcroft is too far South to maintain frigid (below freezing)
conditions through-out the winter. Cloudcroft has occasional 
spells of warm weather during the winter months that can last 
for days or weeks at a time, such as the period of mild weather 
we are experiencing now.
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COMING EVENTS
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February 23 -- Village Meeting, Timberon. Otero County Sheriff
Lee -- Speaker. 11am. Timberon Lodge.

February 25, Lake Lucero Tour. White Sands. Call (505) 479-6124
for details.

March 3 -- Photography Workshop. White Sands. 10am - 3pm.
Call (505) 479-6124 for more information.

March 8 -- Sacramento Regional Tree Farm Meeting. Sixteen 
Springs Fire Training Center. 1pm. For information call
Ray Genuske at (505) 687-2089 or Marsha Slane at (505) 687-3520.

March 10 -- 2nd Annual Cloudcroft Dance Theatre-Epicurian Dinner
and Ball. Pavilion. Call (505) 687-3192 for details.

March 24 -- Mayhill Family, Community and Education Club 
Cultural Arts Show. Alamogordo Fairgrounds.

If you have news of a public event, email us.

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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:

Great pictures! Thanks! I have been really wanting something 
to give an idea of the area. We have been wanting to know what 
the area of the ski lift looks like in the winter. Our family 
just recently purchased land up in that area. Still stuck in 
Texas waiting to get in those mountains. Take care.

John Apodaca

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Dear Newsletter:

Thanks so much for publishing the links to those panoramic 
photos, they were almost as good as being there! Thank Kit 
Richards for creating them!

Diana Powell

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Dear Newsletter:

Please re-subscribe me to your newsletter! I don't know what 
happened, but I haven't gotten one for about a month now... 
and, I really miss them. I always send them to my group, and 
they have told me they really are missing them as much as I am!  

Thanking you in advance and please keep up the wonderful work... 
it's terrific and my husband and I truly enjoy them.

Marge Barr
Mayhill, NM

[If you don't get an issue, it is probably because your email
bounced, which can happen occasionally even with a good address.
Just sign up for the newsletter again. You will not receive
multiple copies, even if you subscribe more than once. Also,
don't forget that you can read all of the past newsletters on
Cloudcroft.com.]

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Dear Newsletter:

I enjoy keeping up on the local news via your newsletter. My 
wife and I visited and camped in Cloudcroft last May for the 
first time. We very much enjoyed our visit to your mountains.

Could I ask a favor? I downloaded the picture you had posted of 
the forest fire taken by a fireman. I had it on my desktop for 
viewing every time I booted up my computer. Since then my 
computer crashed and I lost all my files and programs. Could 
someone send me that picture? I probably miss it more than 
anything else I lost.

Thank you
Chuck and Linda Caton 
Wichita Falls, TX

[If you missed this spectacular photo, here it is again:]

http://www.cloudcroft.com/photos/elkfire.htm

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Dear Newsletter:

Thanks for the Newsletter! And thanks for making me homesick. 
I moved from Cloudcroft in 1984, been back off and on, but not 
for the last five years.

Good to see the website as well and keep up with old friends.

Hi to all. 

Sam Drake 
Rio Rancho

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CONTACT INFORMATION
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