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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE NEWSLETTER #54
April 6, 2001
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Dear Subscriber:

There has been a long-standing rivalry between Cloudcroft and 
our big sister Ruidoso.

It is the belief here in Cloud Country that the Village of
Ruidoso, as a whole, can often be condescending toward
Cloudcroft.

They are bigger. They have more fast food restaurants. They
have a big horse racing track, and we don't, and they have 
more smog and dust than we do. If more is better, then Ruidoso
is better than Cloudcroft.

See? I can't even attempt an honest comparison of the two
communities without becoming snippy.

I think the underlying disparity between Cloudcroft and
Ruidoso is that many Ruidosans feel Cloudcroft would like to 
be just like them; big, progressive and eclectic (I'm not sure
what "eclectic" means, but you see it on lots of signs around 
Ruidoso), when in fact we have no desire to mimic R-town.

If a poll were taken among Cloudcroftians, I don't think many
of them would trade places with Ruidoso. The same goes with the
part-time residents of Cloudcroft; those that live elsewhere but
own property in Cloudcroft and live here every weekend or summer
that they can.

If any of us preferred residence in Ruidoso over Cloudcroft, 
we would have bought property and set up housekeeping there,
instead of here, in the first place. (In 1984 when Peg and I 
first bought property in Cloudcroft, we spent 2 days looking 
for property in Ruidoso with no luck. We looked for about 2 
hours in Cloudcroft before finding what we wanted).

That is what sets Cloudcroft apart from many other towns. Many
people find it necessary to live in bigger cities because that
is where the jobs are. People live in Cloudcroft by choice and
not by necessity. Many Cloudcroftians sacrifice higher pay and
more prominent economic status for the manifest right to live
in a place like this.

Maybe that is why Cloudcroft people are such a close-knit bunch.
Maybe that is why emails to the Newsletter each week have so 
many positive comments from visitors about Cloudcroft and the 
way they were treated by the locals.

Someone once described today's Cloudcroft as Ruidoso 50 years
ago, before Ruidoso got so big and commercial.

Ruidoso is obviously very popular. As Yogi Berra once said, 
"Nobody ever goes there because it's too crowded".

Peg and I spent two days in Ruidoso this week. We were glad to
get away from the heat and wind and back to Cloudcroft.

OK, I'm kidding...but only a little.

Don Vanlandingham
Cloudcroft.com

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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. LOOKING AT THE WEATHER
2. SPECIAL FEATURE -- SOLAR MAX
3. ANOTHER PANORAMIC PHOTO
4. VILLAGE NEWS
5. INSIDE THE SHOP -- FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF CLOUDCROFT
6. CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- TOY TRAIN DEPOT
7. Q AND A...BECAUSE CLOUDCROFT ONLINE READERS WANT TO KNOW
8. COMING EVENTS
9. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
10. CONTACT INFORMATION
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SPECIAL FEATURE -- SOLAR MAX
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We are in the middle of the high point of the 11-year cycle of
activity on the sun, called Solar Max (the last one was 1989).
This fact was emphasized by the discovery last week of a very 
large sunspot by K. S. Balasubramaniam and Michael Sigwarth of 
the National Solar Observatory (Sunspot). 

Fortunately, it didn't fire in our direction:

Here's the Observatory's visitor center site:

http://www.sunspot.noao.edu/PR/pr_new2.html

Here's an excellent site on Solar Max created by NASA.

If you have never visited the Solar Observatory's visitor 
center, you should, and take your kids. The Solar Observatory 
is about 30 minutes from Cloudcroft.

If you can't visit Sunspot, try to visit one of these other 
observatories:

http://www.as.utexas.edu/mcdonald/scope/scope.html

For a high-intensity astronomy experience, consider New Mexico 
Skies:

http://www.nmskies.com/

[Thanks to Kit Richards of Sunspot.]
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ANOTHER PANORAMIC PHOTO
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Another spectacular panoramic photo.

[Thanks Radaak.]
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LOOKING AT THE WEATHER
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It is probably safe to proclaim winter weather as past, until
next fall. It is surprising how quickly things can dry out in
the Sacramento Mountains. Only last week it was wet and muddy.
Now, as it was last April, the fire danger has increased and
locals are anxious for added moisture.

Highs this week have been in the low 60s. Lows in the mid 30s.
The golf courses are open.
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VILLAGE NEWS
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Forest thinning projects continue in April, specifically in the
Twins, 16 Springs, Apache and Silver areas, according to the
Sacramento District Ranger Station.

-o-

The twice-annual tour of Trinity Site, the scene of the first
atomic bomb test in 1945 will be this Saturday. Call the
Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce for more details: (800) 826-0294
or (505) 437-6120.
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INSIDE THE SHOP -- FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF CLOUDCROFT
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The new First National Bank Cloudcroft Branch building is very
near completion. Officials hope to move from the temporary bank
building and into the new one within a month.

The First National Bank Cloudcroft Branch was Cloudcroft's first
bank, established in 1964.

See our Finance page for a link to their web site.
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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- TOY TRAIN DEPOT
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A favorite recreational attraction for young and old. The Toy
Train Depot features miniature train rides around Alameda Park
and a huge display of working models indoors.

Located on White Sands Blvd in Alamogordo.
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Q AND A -- BECAUSE CLOUDCROFT ONLINE READERS WANT TO KNOW
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Q - Will the ski area lifts be open this year for mountain
bikers? -- Dan Sturdivant

A - Not to the public. There will be a downhill race scheduled
for later this summer, but the lifts will be open to race
participants only. For more information on the race, contact 
Matt at High Altitude Outfitters in Cloudcroft (see their
listing on our Activities page).
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COMING EVENTS
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April 9 thru 12 -- Easter Revival. Cloudcroft Methodist Church.
7pm each night.

April 11 -- Lenten Luncheon. Cloudcroft Methodist Church.

April 14 -- Easter festivities. Easter Egg hunt in Zenith Park.
10am. Easter bonnet contest and parade on Burro Avenue.

April 15 -- Easter Sunrise Service, sponsored by Cloudcroft 
Ministerial Association. First Baptist Church. 7am. A breakfast
will follow.

April 21 -- United Methodist Women TRASH AND TREASURE SALE.
Zenith Park. To contribute items to the sale or for more info
call Susan (505) 687-3067.

April 21 -- Spuds and Duds fashion show. Alamogordo Women's
Club (in association with the Mayhill FCE Club).

April 21-22 -- Rattlesnake show. Otero County Fairgrounds.
Alamogordo. 9am-6pm April 21st. 9am-5pm April 22nd. For info 
call Tom Moore (505) 437-7116.

April 28 -- Lake Lucero Tour. 9am. White Sands National 
Monument. Advanced registration required. Call (505) 479-6124 
or (505) 679-2599 for information.

Cloudcroft Art Society meets the second Thursday of each month
in the Old Red Brick Schoolhouse. Call (505) 682-2494 for more
info.

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

If you have news of public events in the Cloudcroft area, 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:

I received my first newsletter today and absolutely loved it! 
My husband and I have five children and needed a place to get 
away. We couldn't get in anywhere in Ruidoso, so decided to stay
near there in Cloudcroft! (The best thing we have ever done!)

We had the most relaxing, memorable time there. We are very 
interested in purchasing land there to build a home, but have 
no clue where to start. Can you help?

To all of the residents of cloudcroft: you all are the nicest 
people we have ever met. Your little town made a huge impact 
on us.

Thank you. 
James and Brandy Fannon

[Any and all of the real estate companies listed on our Real 
Estate page would be very happy to help you.]

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Dear Newsletter:

You may want to add a zero to that sales tax number. The number
you gave (.618725) may scare people. I think the number should 
be 6.18725% or 0.0618725.

I enjoy your newsletter. Maybe you need to work out some way to
put sweaters on the scout hummingbirds. One got in our trailer
last summer while we were re-doing windows. I thought I had hurt
it trying to catch it, but it flew our of my hand. They are one
of the reasons I keep coming back each year.

Bill Crutcher

[Oops! A number of people pointed out this mistake.]

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Dear Newsletter:

You are RIGHT on the money about electric heaters actually being
cheaper than propane. I used 2 electric heaters in my 32 ft. 
motorhome this entire cold winter, here in PA. It was far less 
than the $1.60 -- $1.80 they are robbing from us for propane. 
I was used to paying 99 cents for propane for years.

You offer a lot of common sense and true wisdom in your 
newsletters. You can tell you were never a politician. {:>) 

Mike 
Carlisle, PA
(Hope to be a resident of Cloudcroft in a year or so....)

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Dear Newsletter:

I know you probably get 100's of these e-mails...but I MUST 
tell you.... I have just received my 2nd newsletter. So much 
fun to read!!!! I wonder, do you have as much fun writing them 
as they are a joy to read?

Thank you for the ray of sunshine from the "cold country"!!! 
(It's just wet down here!!)

Carole Gresham
Axtell, TX

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