December to Remember

December is a filled with fun in Las Vegas, NM, from the arts in multiple forms to the Holiday Home Tour sponsored by the Citizens’ Committee for Historic Preservation to the Electric Light Parade, there is plenty to do.

And Las Vegas is a great place to do your holiday shopping. The local stores are stocking up, and by shopping at home you are helping to improve the area economy one dollar at a time.

Christmas 2014 marks the ninth year for the “Cross the Bridge” holiday promotion. For every cumulative $50 spent in LVFIBA participating stores, shoppers get one entry into a drawing for Las Vegas Independent Business Bucks with prizes up to $500. Shop local and it’s a win for everyone.

Now for a sampling of the activities coming up in December for family enjoyment. 

Wednesday, Dec. 3 - The Las Vegas Arts Council Gallery 140 kicks off the month of festivity with its Christmas Show, “Small Works Exhibit and Sale.” The gallery at 140 Bridge Street is open Tuesday – Thursday from 1-4 pm, Fridays from 1-7 pm, and Saturdays from 10 am to 4 pm. 

Thursday, Dec. 4 - Fort Union National Monument is hosting an open house from 2-4 pm at the Visitor Center. The highlight will be a 2:30 ranger-led presentation entitled “Fort Union: Beyond the Fort Walls and in to the Local Communities.” There will be free refreshments, a gift basket giveaway (courtesy of Western National Parks Association), and a 3 o’clock tour of the historic remnants of Fort Union. All merchandise in the park bookstore will be 15 percent off during the Open House. From Las Vegas (28 miles), take I-25 north, exit 366 at Watrous, go eight miles on NM 161. Great photo ops of this historic site, so take your camera.

Nat Gold Players – Opening night for “Nunsense,” in which the Little Sisters of Hoboken discover their cook, Sister Julia, Child of God, has accidentally poisoned 52 of the sisters. In need of funds for the burials, they do a Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland by putting on a musical variety show. The resulting antics make for a show so engaging it has enjoyed more than 5,000 productions worldwide and been translated into 21 languages.

Performances will be at Charlie’s Bakery and Café Event Center. Show times and ticket prices on Dec. 4 and Dec. 12 are $10, $8 for students and $5 for children under five. Doors open at 6:30, show begins at 7. Dinner Theater nights with a roast beef dinner, are Dec. 5 and Dec. 13. Dinner begins at 6 with the show starting at 7. Tickets are $25 each. Dessert Matinee Sundays are Dec. 7 and Dec. 14 with the show starting at 2 p.m. Dessert and coffee served at intermission. Tickets are $15 per person. Tickets are available at Tome on the Range, Love Music or from any member of the Nat Gold Players. For more information call 454-0060. 

The Wind and Percussion Ensembles Dinner and Concert is scheduled on Thursday beginning at 7 pm in the Student Union Building Theater on the Highlands campus. Funds raised will be used to pay for instrument repairs. Tickets are $25,  $20 for students and on sale now. Email yaflores@nmhu.edu or call Mary Martin at 454-3359 to leave a message for Yasmin Flores. NMHU wind ensemble is playing along with the percussion ensemble, a clarinet quartet. Yasmin Flores will perform on clarinet and saxophone with Linda King. 

Friday, Dec. 5 – The 13^th Annual Holiday Home Tour, 5 to 9 pm, sponsored by the Citizens’ Committee for Historic Preservation, will include Victorian homes and historic buildings decorated for the holidays. Music, carolers and refreshments will be provided by host locations. Tickets are on sale at CCHP, 116 Bridge Street, $10 per person. From 5-7 pm there will be an opening reception for the “Memories of Migration: Las Vegas” exhibit at the CCHP office.

Blue Moon-Blue Sky - Nacho Jaramillo

Saturday, Dec. 6 – The Las Vegas City Museum and Rough Rider Memorial at 727 Grand Avenue will host Holiday Music with Norteño Treasure featuring original songs by Juan Ortega performed by Brenda Ortega-Benavidez. The performance begins at 11 am, followed by a Greeting Card Workshop with Anne Bradford starting at noon. For the workshop come any time between 12 and 3 pm to learn how to make unique cards. Supplies provided. Suitable for all ages. 

Beginning at 6:30, a Reel Cinema Christmas theme sparks up the annual Electric Light Parade, which winds its way through commercial districts. The Las Vegas Arts Council will serve hot spiced cider. Many retail businesses will also be open and providing refreshments. You are encouraged to get your Christmas shopping off to a hometown start by shopping locally. 

Continuing through Dec. 17 – The work of Nacho Jaramillo is on exhibit at Ray Drew Gallery, New Mexico Highlands University.

VANDER MEER BOOKS

VANDER MEER BOOKS

Review: Doing Harm

“Doing Harm” by Kelly Parsons will make you
nervous all over again about going under the knife, but it turns out that in
this case, that’s the least of your worries.

Parsons has done a fine job of creating a
character caught up in his own success, too sure of his abilities, determined
to a fault, ambitious and yet genuinely good at what he does. When disaster
starts to rain down all around him, partly because of his smug over confidence,
but equally because of circumstances beyond his control, he finds his life and
the lives of his family targeted by a masterful Machiavelli.

 

Read more at ... www.vandermeerbooks.com

Arts Council, a key community resource

“If the flag is flying, we’re open!”

Las Vegas Arts Council, 140 Bridge Street, open for business

Domie Gilbert, Nat Gold and Eleanor Nelson are familiar names to those who have worked with the Las Vegas Arts Council over the years. These visionary leaders were among the founders of what has evolved into a vibrant group of artists and patrons whose goal is to promote the arts in Las Vegas.

From its location at 140 Bridge Street the Arts Council is in the heart of a busy commercial district and more connected than ever to the heartbeat of the arts community. The LVAC is a pivotal agency for connecting artists from all disciplines with patrons, and showcasing their work in a space dedicated to that purpose.

Vice president Janet Remenyik, who served for a number of years as LVAC president, has seen the evolution of the organization and observed its adaptability, noting that while the arts council at one time provided a number of summer programs for youth, that focus has shifted to mounting exhibits in different artistic disciplines and hosting salons for creative expression.

“The schools and other agencies took on providing summer arts and youth development programs,” she said. “That meant we could expand our services in other areas.”

Among LVAC’s many successful programs, the Missoula Children’s Theater has likely been the project that draws the most participation and the greatest community response. The coordinators come to town and in a week put on a show with costumes, sets and anything else needed to perform a play using up two 75 local youth between the ages of five and 18.

“It’s something to watch,” Remenyik said. “They get all these children to work together and deliver a performance in five days.”

The People’s Faire, another popular LVAC event, is an annual outdoor show at Carnegie Library Park featuring hand made crafts and original art, storytellers, music and special activities, such as the Kiss a Pig contest. Remenyik said vendors come primarily from Las Vegas and the region.

The 140 Gallery, LVAC’s gallery name, is now open on a schedule, in addition to special events, artists’ receptions and performance salons. Susie Tsyitee, LVAC office manager and board secretary, said public relations for the arts council begins with keeping the gallery open. “We’re reaching out into the community and drawing in people who have never connected with the Arts Council, building relationships with long-time friends of the gallery, recruiting volunteers, and discovering new ways to serve both artists and art lovers.

“If the flag is flying, we’re open!” Tsyitee said. “Appreciating art is not an exclusive hobby for a select few. Many local artists have poured their lives into this area for generations, creating beauty and history through the visual, performing, and participatory arts. Others have traveled to the area and fallen in love with the light, the air, the people, the land, and the art of Northern New Mexico and made their own contributions. We value and honor it all. The Las Vegas Arts Council belongs to the community, desires to serve the community by celebrating our uniqueness and diversity through the protection, development, and promotion of our art and culture.”

“I am not an artist but a patron of the arts,” said Donna Rivas, LVAC president. “I believe that a community must provide a solid platform for artists to show or perform and the people living in the community should have a front row seat in viewing its art and artists.

“LVAC has always been a cornerstone of the community, providing educational opportunities for its residents and artists. Many volunteer hours have been spent laying a strong foundation for the development of the arts in Las Vegas and we have an obligation to continue to build on that foundation,” she said.

Remenyik agrees. “Our job is to make that connection between the artists and the community. When we provide opportunities for artists to show their work, whether it is performance or visual art, the community does respond.”

Rivas said she is pleased to report LVAC is beginning a new fiscal year with a balanced budget.   “Our operating budget comes from members, donations and grants. It is through the generosity of our members that the Las Vegas Arts Council continues to offer its current programs and explore and offer new ones. We rely on membership renewals and donations to keep the Las Vegas Arts Council moving forward. For the arts council to be a thriving community resource we ask that the community continue with its generous support.”

Rivas said the arts in Las Vegas and surrounding area are essential. “The focus for 2014 will be to continue to support and expand the opportunities for artistic growth and expression and to bring the community together in celebration of our rich multicultural heritage.”

For more information about becoming a supporting member of the Las Vegas Arts Council, call 505-425-1085, or drop by the gallery during hours of operation, Wednesday – Saturday, 1 – 4 p.m. Information is also available at www.lasvegasartscouncil.org.

Scheduled exhibits and events at Gallery 140

140 Bridge Street, Las Vegas, New Mexico

March

Youth Art Month (elementary school student exhibit)

March 3-5 (The art of being a spectator)

LV City Schools 3^rd Graders Puppet Theater

April

Ceramics

NMHU Student Art Exhibit

May

Quilt Exhibit

Luna Community College textile students’ exhibit

June

Kevin Tracy: Mixed Media Sculpture

Alex Ellis: Alkyd Paintings

July

Jane Fritz: Watercolors

Jane Lumsden: Sculpture

Missoula Children’s Theater (Date TBA)

From audition to performance in one week.

August

Meadow City Camera Club: Land as Legacy Exhibit

Aug. 23

36^th Annual People’s Faire at Carnegie Library Park

Entertainment, arts and crafts, artists and artisans, town square of non-profit agencies, a day-long celebration of community.

September

Parachute Factor Maker Works

Local Hacker Scouts create at the Parachute Factory, exploring technology, art and culture through hands-on workshops.

Celebrating Summer’s End

Concert at Pendaries (Date TBA)

October

Art Studio Tour preview as a month-long exhibit

Oct. 25-26

Las Vegas Art Studio Tour

Local artisans studio visits, children’s art and Hispanic art exhibits.

Plein Art Paint Out

November

Wearable Art Exhibit

Woven, quilted, knitted, fiber art

Imagination expressed in concept, creativity, originality and skill in construction.

December

Small Works Group Exhibit

Unique, handmade, originally designed art and fine arts and crafts at affordable prices.

(From the Arts Council brochure. For additional information call 505 425-1085)

Chester Nez Shares his story

Code talker Chester Nez and his grandson.

At 92 Chester Nez has experienced more than most in today’s society can begin to imagine, everything from prejudice because of his cultural and ethnic origins, to his time as a soldier on the front lines for months on end without relief.

He sat proudly in his wheelchair at a recent book signing for his memoir Code Talker, written in collaboration with Judith Avila, surrounded by family and admirers. He spoke about his war experiences, and the honor he feels even today for serving in a unique capacity as a warrior with a rifle and a warrior with words – Navajo words.

Growing up in the Checkerboard of the Navajo reservation was not easy, but for young Chester it was a life of beauty structured around work and the joy of family. Spirituality was part and parcel of each day, an ingrained appreciation of the layers of life and nature and how they come together within each person.

When he went to boarding school he was faced with something totally outside his experience. It was rarely fun or joyful. His memoir reveals that Chester used his cultural spirituality to rise above often-cruel circumstances that were demeaning and mean-spirited. Walk in beauty, he often reminded himself, whether he was being threatened by matrons at school, or later when facing the formidable attacks of Japanese soldiers on the various islands where his native language became the secret code that very likely shortened the war and saved many lives.

At an event in Las Vegas, N.M., at the Plaza Hotel, Chester responded to questions from the audience about his war experience. Avila, his memoirist set the stage. “Imagine yourself in a different life,” Avila said. “Imagine yourself as a young boy being sent off to boarding school, away from your family, away from everything you know. Imagine yourself going to war.”

Chester was part of a Marine recruitment targeted toward young Navajo men who were fluent in English and Navajo. He didn’t know that at the time, he only knew his country was in jeopardy and as a warrior it was his duty to serve. It wasn’t long before he learned he and 29 other young Native Americans were being asked to develop a code that would baffle the enemy and turn the tide of war in favor of American forces.

And they had 13 weeks to get it done.

The code talkers, down to 29 by the time they entered into the conflict, were at the front lines from day one. While others were getting R&R to recover from shell shock following extended time in the trenches, the code talkers were put back into play on another island, never getting the relief made available to other soldiers.

“What we were doing was necessary,” Chester said. “We had a job to do and we did it.”

He says he does not consider himself a hero. “We were needed and we served.” His unassuming manner hides the soul of a warrior. It is the Navajo way to be respectful and not show off or be prideful. In the case of the code talkers that was easy since their efforts were cloaked in secrecy until 1968. The men continued to go unrecognized until 2000 when Congress authorized the Congressional Gold Medal be struck in their honor. In July 2001, in the Capitol Rotunda, the presentation was made to the original 29 (many of them posthumously), thanks to Senator Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico and Senator Daniel Inuye of Hawaii who sponsored the bill. Code talkers who were trained after the initial 29 (about 400) were recognized with the Congressional Silver Medal several months later.

The original 29 left their homes and their families without notifying anyone where they were going, or what they would be doing, partly because they didn’t know and partly because communication on the reservation was limited. Before they shipped out they wrote home about their military service, but nothing about what they would be doing. That secret would remain with them for decades. Some of them took it to their graves unable to survive after returning home and finding they were still regarded as second class citizens after serving with honor and being respected by their Marine peers. As long as they were soldiers, they had value. When they came home life went on, but they had changed. Worse yet, they couldn’t tell their families so they could be honored among those closest to them.

Chester says this broke many of the men. They turned to drinking or just gave up. Post traumatic stress disorder took its toll. Called shell shock at the time, the symptoms were treated for a few months after the soldiers returned home, but the men lived with the after effects for the rest of their lives.

Chester was fortunate in that his father was a man who understood that spirits of the dead Japanese were haunting his son. Treatment by a medicine man was ordered. The dreams abated after the healing ceremony, but returned later in life.

During Chester’s talk a member of the audience stood and said she worked for the V.A., which now recognizes the healing way ceremonies and the work of medicine men as valuable treatments for Native Americans returning from war zones. The audience applauded loudly and looked to Chester, who nodded gravely. His hearing is poor and most of the communication with Chester during the event was through Avila or his grandson Latham, but he seemed to understand how important this is, that Native American culture and tradition is being respected.

Someone in the audience asked how Chester felt about having the sacred Navajo language used as an instrument of war.

“It was not wrong to use it as a code,” he said. “In the long run we used it to defeat the enemy. It was the best thing we ever did.”

Chester credits his spiritual and cultural background with keeping him steady and focused during wartime, but he also credits the Marines with shaping his life after the war.

“I learned a lot in the service. I respected the traditions. I was treated with respect, and what I went through, they supported and helped me. I am so proud to have served. I am so proud of what we did.”

Back home he faced a rude awakening. When he registered at a federal office in Gallup in 1945, the functionary handling his paperwork took pains to remind him that even though he was wearing a uniform he was still the same, reminding him he wasn’t a “real citizen,” and that he couldn’t even vote, which at the time was true. It wasn’t until 1962 that New Mexico became the last state to approve voting rights for Native Americans.

Chester intermingles his feelings about going off to boarding school and going off to war, perhaps because the comparisons are so radically different. When he went to boarding school there was no respect for his language or his culture. In the Marines he was quickly accepted and received high praise for his work and dedication. His language became a vital factor in the war effort. The military newspaper Chevron couldn’t say enough good things about the Navajo recruits, their strength, endurance, performance and dedication. Nothing was said about their secret mission, but as with all Marines, they had to live up to the physical and rigorous training standards. They out did themselves and continued to be a source of pride for the Marines. Chester said he and the other Navajo men were a little uncomfortable with the recognition but warmed by the respect and acceptance.

His treatment by matrons and other staff at boarding school was anything but respectful. “They would take us so far (going home) and drop us off. We would walk sometimes 15 miles or so to get home. They treated us terrible, terrible. They hit us, kicked us, and picked on the smallest ones who couldn’t fight back.” The value of his education was something that would stay with him. The memories of cruel treatment remain as a reminder of the high cost.

The only time he felt uncomfortable during his military service was when Army personnel stopped him and Francis (another code talker) and accused them of being Japanese. “I speak perfect English,” Chester argued. “How can you think I’m a Japanese?” The soldier was sure the two dark-skinned code talkers had killed American soldiers and stolen their uniforms.

The soldiers marched the code talkers back to camp and presented them for investigation, only to find they were the ones in deep trouble. Chester smiles at the memory, but makes no comment.

If anything distresses him it is that no one seems to care about something that made such a critical difference during wartime. “You try to explain what you went through and they just kick it aside,” he said.

It is interesting to note that the night before Chester’s appearance before more than 200 people in Las Vegas, he had spent six hours in the V.A. hospital receiving a blood transfusion. When it was suggested that perhaps he should postpone his speaking engagement, he was adamant that he meet his obligation. This remarkable veteran can be assured people do want to hear his story. Everyone in the packed room listened intently and many waited more than two hours to buy his memoir. He signed every book and patiently waited while countless people posed with him for a photo. He is the living embodiment of a Navajo who walks in beauty.

Chester Nez’ visit to Las Vegas was coordinated by Joseph and Loretta Baca of KFUN-KLVF Radio and supported by the Native American Club at Highlands and the Highlands Foundation.

Events

The "Maloof House" new on the 2013 tour.

Places With a Past Adds New Properties and Revisits Old Favorites

The 24th year of Places With a Past Historic Homes Tour, a Las Vegas, N.M. celebration of history, architecture and preservation, takes place on Saturday, Aug. 3 as part of Heritage Week festivities. The 2013 tour features eight properties in several of the dozen historic districts around town. The event is the annual fund raiser for the local Citizens’ Committee for Historic Preservation, an organization launched in 1977 after a group of people became concerned that many of the graceful old homes were being torn down or falling prey to neglect.
 
Since then more than 900 buildings have been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Saving the past through conscientious protective ordinances has assured Nuestra Senora de Los Dolores de Las Vegas Grandes (the original name of Las Vegas), would actively preserve and promote the city’s history and how it has shaped it present.
 
Board member Martha McCaffery said the most important thing about the tour this year is that all of the houses are new or have not been on the tour for a very long time.
“To me it is great to have the restored Maloof home featured.  Kathy and Bill Hendrickson have done a great job of restoring it. We are expecting a tour from Albuquerque to come and with the advertising that has been done we are hoping for a large turn out. The money raised by the tour will help LVCCHP fulfill its mission and continue to support activities throughout the year. PWAP is also a chance for us to show everyone what a great place Las Vegas is.”
 

Montezuma Castle, a favorite site on the tour.

In a 1990 CCHP brochure a historian wrote: “The story of early Las Vegas is told not only in architectural styling and details, but also in the locations of these houses, their date of construction and in the stories of the people who built them. Las Vegas is a unique citywide outdoor museum, with examples chronicling New Mexico’s architectural and cultural history from its early Hispanic Traditional low adobe structure in Old Town, to its massive elegant borrowed Victorian styles in the North New Town historic district.”

Montezuma Castle, a Queen Anne style structure that has risen from the ashes of fires on two separate occasions in it early history, is one of the highlights of the tour. There are seven other equally fascinating properties, including the recently renovated home at 825 7th Street, formerly owned by the Maloof family. Another first timer on the tour is the Judge Leahy House, 1028 7th Street. It is of historic significance for its architectural style and its former owners. This Shingle Style house is dated as pre-1902 and is one of a half dozen Shingle Style houses remaining in New Mexico.
Docents at each location talk about the history of the properties and include interesting facts about the owners at the time the structures were built.
 
This year’s PWAP tour chair is Kathy Hendrickson, a fairly new resident of Las Vegas, and owner of the Maloof house.
 
“While looking for a place to call home a few years back, my husband and I knew Las Vegas was the place as soon as we arrived,” Hendrickson said. “The greeting of the Calumet Gal on the side of the building, the walk up Bridge Street, the beautiful historic homes, and of course, the great people and characters we met from that first day we arrived, made us feel welcomed to the community.”
 Their affection for Las Vegas has grown since their arrival.
 
“We purchased and renovated one of the more prominent homes in town, known locally as the Maloof House. As soon as I saw the house, I knew I wanted to save it. My husband and I spent a lot of time going to the LVCCHP doing research on our home and asking a lot of questions. This led me to my decision to join the CCHP because of their mission to preserve and promote the historic heritage of Las Vegas.
 
“As chairperson of Places With A Past Historic Homes Tour, I am very excited about this upcoming tour, especially because most of the venues are newly renovated and new to the tour, including our home. This is an event that I am particularly passionate about and speaks to my heart, and one of the reasons we love Las Vegas!”

At a Glance:
What: CCHP 2013 People With a Past Tour
When: Aug. 3, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cost:  $20 per person
For more information: 505 425-8803

Entrepreneur Spotlight: Las Vegas, NM

Blowin in the Wind New on Bridge Street

If you haven’t been to Blowin in the Wind you must stop by. Margaret and David Smith have created a beautiful bright space and filled it with irresistible items, much of it treasured mementos from their previous home, a 7,500 square foot property decorated in charming eclectic style. You look at what they have and immediately picture it in your own home.
In my interview with Margaret she talked about what took her away from the area many years ago, and why she and David returned. The couple live in Pendaries and enjoy the challenges and joys of their new shop.

Margaret was born in Rociada, N.M., but didn’t spend much time there. She was adopted by her older sister when she was small and spent most of her growing up years in Colorado. She and David moved back to the area in 2006 from Nine Mile Falls, Wash.

“I have come here on vacation every year since I was born,” Margaret said. “My real mother and the sister who adopted me both died in 2004. I don’t know why, but I had this need to move here. I can’t explain it. I just had to move back to Rociada. Now I live here and vacation from here.”

She said they opened the new shop because her artist husband had it on his bucket list.

“David is a fourth generation carpenter. He makes all the wood urns, bowls, art pieces and pine furniture we are featuring at Blowin in the Wind.”

Formerly his father made many of the sculpture pieces, but David is an artist in his own right.

“We took his parents to Sedona, Ariz., 15 years ago. David’s father fell in love with the wind sculptures. He started making them and hasn’t done any woodworking since. We live in Pendaries and I have many pieces David’s father made for us. Golfers frequently ask to buy them, but I can’t sell them. I used to give my father-in-law’s phone number, and people would order from him. He would ship directly to them. He is 75 now and sells the sculptures out of his yard. He doesn’t want to do the shipping.”

David’s father suggested he make the sculptures and sell them instead, which he has been doing for a number of years.

“David normally sells his art at the annual Pendaries art show every 4th of July. This year the show was cancelled. David had worked all winter and had no room at his shop. We thought it might be a good time to start on that bucket list.

The Smiths looked at a lot options when searching for a location. Initially they were thinking of a small space, but the building at 108 Bridge Street had everything they were looking for, most importantly big windows to showcase David’s wind sculptures.

“This spot was bigger than we were looking for but I told David I could fill it.” And fill it she did. Along with the wind sculptures and wood pieces David makes, Blowin in the Wind carries clothing, jewelry and may other items.

“These are things I’ve had in storage since we moved  here. I broke my foot the day we moved into our house in Pendaries. By the time I got out of the cast and boot I had gone from a size 0 to a size 10. Once I got out of the cast and boot I lost the weight and that’s why I have so may clothing sizes. I never got a chance to wear most of them so the original tags are still on them, along with the price I have marked them down to. I also have made a dent in my jewelry collection. I call it my artsy fartsy jewelry. It’s not expensive, just fun pieces I have collected over the years. Necklaces start at $15. At that price they won’t last long. I have a ton of candles that start at $2. We also have many New Mexico art pieces I have collected since we moved here.”

It is evident the second you walk into the store that Margaret loves clothing. She intends to expand her stock over time, but for now she invites buyers to check out the spring garments she has on the racks.

“I will start bringing fall and winter clothes in August. The sizes will still be 0 to 10 until next spring when I get to shop again.”

Margaret said the shop’s best selling items are the copper double spinner’s like the one on the store sign, and the Dahlia’s.

“They’re made in copper and any color the customer wants. David does custom orders, and it is up to a two week wait,” she said.

The store is open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Margaret is aided in the store’s operation by sales associate Connie Garcia. For more information call 505 454-1050.

______________________________

This article also appears in Happenstance Magazine, published by Happenstance Publishing. For more information go to www.vandermeerbooks.com.

Destination Las Vegas and San Miguel County

There's always something to do

At 175 Las Vegas has successfully melded multiple characteristics into a colorful mosaic that makes it impossible to have a one-line catch phrase. Las Vegas is a one-of-a-kind community with distinctive features and benefits. We are located in spectacular San Miguel County with its agreeable climate and unbeatable outdoor recreation. The area’s multicultural influences and traditions are among its defining factors and help to make people who visit feel right at home. This site is a development tool for a book which will include interesting tidbits about San Miguel County and the villages where ranch life survives, farms thrive, artists blossom and traditions continue to be honored.

The book’s content will include but not be limited to:

• History
• Climate
• Recreation
• Activities (i.e. Fiesta and Places With a Past Historic Tour)
• Education
• Health Care
• Anecdotes or stories about founding families
• Art and artists
• A section on antiquing

There are many interesting facts about Las Vegas and San Miguel County. To assure the book reflects the heart of this beautiful area, I will gather as much information as possible. The following is a list of probable content. Recommendations for additions to this list are welcome.

Outdoor recreation: Hiking, Fishing, Hunting, Trail Rides, Camping, Boating, McAlister Lake, Storrie Lake, Conchas Lake, Morphy Lake

Events: Places With a Past, Fiesta, Electric Light Parade, People’s Faire, Sabor

Activities: Galleries, Shopping, Antiquing, Lodging, Dining, Wild Flowers

Attractions: Museum, CCHP, UCW, Hermit’s Peak

Of Interest: Movie Making in Las Vegas, Airport, SF Trail Influence, Monastery, Art and Artists, Nat Gold Players

Education: New Mexico Highlands University, Luna Community College, United World College of the American West

Towns and Villages: Pecos

Parks: Fort Union, Pecos Monument, Villaneuva, Wild Life Refuge

History: Founding, Two towns into one, Theater, Architecture, Agriculture, Sustainable living (unique buildings)

The book is in development and for planning purposes the target date for publication is January 2013, earlier if everything comes together. Publication is dependent on acquiring funding.

Why a book about Las Vegas and the area?

• Well written, factual books have credibility
• No other book of this type about Las Vegas and the area exists
• It would be a tool for tourism, convention development and a way to share the Las Vegas and San Miguel County story
• Beneficial as an economic development tool
• A recent wall Street Journal article pointed out that New Mexico overall is losing its appeal because of (among other factors) misconceptions about the state. Las Vegas, An Original in Every Way will tell the true story of Las Vegas and San Miguel County.

If you are reading this as a local, I’m interested in your feedback. Contact me with suggestions at fsvandermeer@gmail.com. If you happened on this site as a web surfer, for current information about Las Vegas and the area go to www.lasvegasnewmexico.com.