Santa Fe's Latest Community News

A grater that is 1,000 times sharper than other graters, a garlic press that will mince fresh garlic without even taking off the peel … these and more still get Nancy Herring, co-owner of Now We're Cooking, excited after 19 years of owning the only independent kitchen store in Albuquerque.

"For everything that you do in the kitchen," Herring said, "somebody has come up with a way to do it easier."
 Herring and her staff delight in sharing all those many new ways with you. Now We're Cooking, located on the northwest corner of Academy and Wyoming Boulevard, has a wide variety of gadgets and widgets for the kitchen. Herring said she carries brand names that everyone remembers from when they were a kid as well as new and exciting items.

Herring's eyes sparkle as she grabs a Zyliss garlic press (16.95 for a small one and $18.95 for a larger one) and a whole clove of garlic.

"All you have to do is go squish," sh

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 Enjoy the crunch of a crisp, fresh cucumber or the sweetness of a soft, juicy tomato ripened in your garden? Afraid you might not have the room or the time to grow all the fresh fruits and vegetables for your family this summer, but cringing at the thought of store-bought produce? Now, you can enjoy all the perks of gardening, but not all the responsibility.

 Erda Gardens and Learning Center is a community garden of a different sort. At Erda Gardens, members buy shares of the garden for $550 per year before the first seeds are even planted. Then, all summer, members are welcome to volunteer in the garden when they have time, but their membership buys them a portion of all the fruits and vegetables harvested -- about five pounds per week per membership. 

 The crops are evenly distributed weekly to the shareholders. If a harvest is plentiful, then the shareholders enjoy the bounty. However, if the crop is not as full, then the share

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 Stepping into Masks y Mas on Central Avenue will transport you out of the ordinary and into a glimpse of other lives--including the afterlife. Figurines and pictures of skeletons dressed in their finest clothes adorn the walls and countertops.   

 The figurines represent the Mexican celebration of El Dia de los Muertos - Day of the Dead.  On November 1st and 2nd, families remember and honor their departed loved ones through beautiful alters created in their honor filled with flowers, candy and skeletal figurines depicting the deceased in normal activities enjoying themselves. In Mexico, El Dia de los Muertos is only celebrated once a year, but in Masks y Mas, the celebration continues all year long. 

 Kito Torres, owner, studied International Business in Mexico City when he was 18 years old. He said he would bring artwork home with him from his visits and his friends started asking him to bring them some also.

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Authentic colorful Kachinas, hand-woven rugs, intricately-detailed pottery and turquoise jewelry are among the many Native American items sold at wholesale prices at Palms Trading Company.

The Palms, founded in 1933 by Guido Del Frate, was originally a grocery store and deli. Through the years, it has transformed into one of the most popular places to buy clean, authentic Native American merchandise at low prices.

Back in the 1960s, Del Frate would allow local Native Americans to barter for food, said his grandson and current president, Guy Berger. They would bring in jewelry in exchange for a bag of rice or a sack of beans. Del Frate would tuck the jewelry away in his office and go about the business of selling food. Then, when the big grocery store chains opened up in Albuquerque, Del Frate began to lose money. Sales were down and the business was suffering, but he had an office full of jewelry.

One day, Berger said, a traveling salesman came to the store a

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Not all of the fascinating shows this summer will take place in movie theaters. One will be right outside in the night sky -- and The Albuquerque Astronomical Society (TAAS) can help you see, understand and enjoy it.

TAAS is a volunteer organization of amateur astrologers that enjoy observing the night sky. They offer viewing parties throughout the summer with hands-on tutoring on how to navigate the night sky and work a telescope, lessons on astronomy every other month and free loaner telescopes to members. Viewing parties are free to attend and are open to everyone. For more perks from the society, including the loaner telescopes and active use of the organization's observatory outside Belen, membership is open to everyone regardless of age for $30 per person, or $15 for students, educators or active military personnel. Monthly membership meetings are held in Regner Hall at UNM. Visit the Web site at www.taas.org for current time and

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 Getting sick in today's world can be a pretty miserable experience. First, you are feverish, coughing and miserable. Then, the only way to get help most of the time is to drive yourself to an urgent care or emergency room and sit for hours in uncomfortable chairs with other sick people. John Vigil, MD. offers an alternative -- his staff will meet you at the office 24 hours a day or visit you in your home if you prefer.

 Dr. Vigil opened the first Doctor On Call clinic in 2004. The urgent care clinic is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday with doctor visits starting at $85 -- an amount that Vigil said covers about 90 percent of the patients that use the urgent care services. After hours, patients can call and a doctor will meet them at the clinic for an extra $30 fee. Patients also can choose to have the doctor come to their house instead. Home visits start at $150.

 There are currently three locations of Doctor O

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 Lights! Camera! Action! Those words have been heard in New Mexico for many years. Movies such as Contact, City Slickers and even parts of Superman have all been filmed in New Mexico. The warm climate and diverse terrain have captured film-makers' attention for many years.

The state capitalized on that love by offering a 25 percent tax rebate on everything purchased in New Mexico for filming and, as of 2007, it is even easier for filmmakers to enjoy the state's vast resources in the largest stages currently in the industry at the Albuquerque Studios.

"For whatever reason New Mexico has been a favorite place to shoot location stuff," said Wayne Rauschenberger chief operating officer for the studios. "The studio just complemented that apparent desire to come here and now filmmakers can do interior shooting in stages that were constructed to be stages instead of empty warehouses."

The full-service stu

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If Sports Illustrated is right, Denver’s lively LoDo (Lower Downtown) is the favorite downtown of National Hockey League players — and probably not just because one of America’s best bookstores, the Tattered Cover, has a store here. With a high concentration of clubs, restaurants, bars, art galleries and shops, anchored by Coors Field and the Pepsi Center, there’s a lot more to do in Denver’s hip, showcase neighborhood than just browsing books.

Today renovated hotels and old brick warehouses converted to pricey new lofts line the neighborhood. Two hundred years ago, though, teepees dotted the prairie along the South Platte River where  the Arapahoe tribe made camp.

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Architecture, history and exercise combine with the WALK Albuquerque tours.
 

WALK Albuquerque offers free downloadable self-guided walking tour maps of six neighborhoods around town at www.walkalbuquerque.org. The maps also are available at any city library.

"The idea is to get people out walking," said Claude Morelli, board member of WALK Albuquerque.  "They are nice little walks intended to highlight the ordinary things that turn out to not be so ordinary."

The Nob Hill walk includes a stroll down the old Route 66 with the neon signs from the 1930's and four locations listed in the National Registry of Historic Places. The residential part of the walk travels through some of best examples of the regionalism that influenced suburban housing tastes in Albuquerque from the late 1920s through the late 1940s.

For an older sense of country in the middle of t

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You might think Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood is all about politicians and legislation, lobbyists and fundraisers. It all definitely happens in and around the State Capitol Building. But take a walking tour around the area and you’ll see funky restaurants, second-hand shops, students, street people, small-business owners, dogwalkers, bicycle riders and alternative lifestyles…all in one of the most densely populated areas in town. Like diversity? Visit Capitol Hill.

With street boundaries from Broadway to Downing and 7th to 20th avenues, this is a mixed-usage neighborhood that runs the gamut. You’ll find the namesake Colorado State Capitol Building and the governor’s mansion, and a number of Victorian homes that function as single-family residences for a lucky few and divided into apartments for most. Businesses are locally owned and tend toward off-the-beaten-path products and services, with a sprinkling of law and public

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A planned mixed-usage area with distinct boundaries, the Lowry neighborhood has garnered awards and plenty of attention since it broke ground in 1996. With retail, education and recreation opportunities, corporate and residential real estate, plus parks and open space all within its three square miles, Lowry is a complete community. The centralized East Denver-West Aurora location is an easy commute to all points in the metro area. Its borders? They’re defined by the previous, gated venue: Lowry Air Force Base.

Lowry stays true to its high-flying history—logos and signage all reflect the traditional U.S. Air Force star. Hangars No. 1 and 2 remain as part of Wings Over the Rockies Aviation & Science Museum, where military planes are displayed indoors and out. Officers’ quarters were transformed into distinctive duplexes, and other government housing and buildings turned into lofts, apartments and business offices. New construct

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Many of Denver’s well-known neighborhoods are anchored by a prominent retail center, park or other distinguishing landmark. Outside of its public golf course, Park Hill is primarily a residential area with a limited number of niche restaurants and retail outlets. Residents represent a variety of ages, incomes and ethnicities. Historic homes are showpieces, but what really puts this place on the map? A clear-cut atmosphere of community pride. Welcome to Park Hill.

Located about five miles from downtown, Park Hill’s east-west borders span Quebec Street to Colorado Boulevard (directly across the street from City Park), and run from Colfax Avenue north to 52nd Street. The area boasts more schools, recreation centers and churches than commercial retail hubs. The few restaurants and shops within its borders are most often small and community-oriented, like its neighborhood library. Public-friendly Park Hill Golf Club, known for its well-kept, decidedly un-citif

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 Frontier Airlines is now offering discounts on flights out Denver International Airport between August 24 and November 17. The deal ends at 9:59 MDT Wednesday, August 4.

Special rates are offered for U.S. destinations Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Mexico destinations are offered Monday through Thursday. Tickets must be bought at Frontierairlines.com.

Sample one-way fares from Denver International Airport include: $29 to Albuquerque and Aspen; $39 to Salt Lake City and Tucson; $49 to Austin, Durango, Omaha and Phoenix; $59 to Boise, Chicago-Midway, Houston-Bush, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Oklahoma City, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Diego, Santa Barbara and St. Louis; $69 to Billings, Bozeman, Long Beach, Rapid City and Wichita; and $79 to Indianapolis, Minneapolis-St. Paul and San Francisco.

One-way fare

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A grass field just outside of Denver caught fire on Monday afternoon. Firefighters say that the fire burned up to 73 acres. The fire is 90 percent contained and should be fully contained Tuesday afternoon.

The fire was burning for hours along C-470 just south of Morrison Road. It was reported Monday afternoon, but no one knows how it was started.

Rain provided some help for the firefighters as they stood by and watched throughout the night. Firefighters reported no change in the fire activity overnight.

 More than 2,000 Colorado businesses, from growers to dispensaries, have applied for a new medical marijuana licences. This provides the first preliminary count of businesses in the state. 

The Colorado Department of Revenue closed its doors on the new medical-marijuana division this past Sunday. The division received 717 applicants for a state dispensary licence, while another 271 applied for a marijuana-product business and another 1,071 applicants filed for a marijuana-growing facility. 

This figure could still rise because of applicants that were postmarked before the due date will still be counted. 

The 2,059 total applicants brought in more that $7 million in fees. On average, that is about $3,400 per business.

Lance Armstrong and Governor Bill Ritter are set to make an announcement for the formation of a new major pro cycling event. Armstrong and Ritter have previously talked about reviving the Coors Classic bicycle race, which in time of existence was the fourth largest bike race in the world. 

Michael Aisner, the director of the Coors Classic,  said Colorado "works" for big pro races. "The whole idea that this thing could come back 22 years after our last event is an extraordinary thing, and I'll tell you there's one reason why: there's not a greater place on this earth than Colorado," also says Aisner. 

The seven-time Tour De France winner Armstrong will lead fans on a ride following the event in Colorado. 

A Douglas County Sheriff's Deputy and a suspect were wounded in exchange of gunfire on Sunday. The sheriff's office say the shooting occurred early Sunday morning on Highway 83 near Franktown, about 20 miles south of Denver.

Deputies were responding to a report of someone with a gun when they spotted the suspect's car. The suspect was reported to have opened fire on the deputies, wounding one of them while the car was stopped. The deputy returned fire and critically wounded the suspect, who was hospitalized. 

The deputy and suspect have not yet been identified, and it is still not clear how many shots were fired. The deputy was treated and released Monday morning.

Investigators are looking into what caused a miniature train to derail at an amusement park southwest of Denver. They are trying to determine if the conductor made a mistake that caused the train to derail, injuring 21 people.

The train went off the rails as it rounded a turn at Tiny Town, a miniature village made up of more than 100 buildings, on Wednesday. A total of 21 people were hurt. 16 passengers were hospitalized with injuries ranging from bumps and bruises, to broken bones. 

According to the Colorado Department of Labor, the regulatory agency overseeing the investigation, said the train's conductor had reported a rapid acceleration just before the train derailed. Investigators are determining if that acceleration was due to operator error or mechanical malfunction. 

Tiny Town was immediately closed after the accident. It is unclear when it will reopen. 

Lettuce, herbs and other vegetables bring more meaning to the third graders at Bandelier Elementary School than just another food on their plates. For them, it is a source of learning, pride and joy.
 

Bandelier Elementary School is one of many Albuquerque schools growing gardens as part of their curriculum. Last year, the Albuquerque Public School District organized a Growing Gardens team to bring the schools together to learn from one another and, possibly, to write a curriculum that other schools can use.
 

Twenty-nine schools responded to the invitation. Of those, about half already have gardens now, one-quarter are revitalizing existing gardens or planning a new garden, and the remainder are dreaming of having a garden, said Jennie McCary, Wellness Manager for Albuquerque Public Schools.

"One student had been having a rough year," said Mary Erwin, a third grade teacher at Bandelier Elementary School. "He kep

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