Letter to the Editor: LAPS Foundation Says Thanks
Good community citizens are not hard to come by in our small town.
We have those who care for the elderly and those who care for the very young.
The Los Alamos Public Schools Foundation wishes to express its sincere thanks to the long-time proprietors of Central Avenue Grill, Min and Monica Park.
In a final act of kindness and with their eye on the many students and teacher in our fine public school system, the Parks invited everyone in the community for a delicious array of appetizers and beverages asking only that those in attendance donate $5 to the LAPS Foundation.
Donations Read More
Eclipse Shots From Overlook Park
The moon initially appears cloudy Sunday as the eclipse event gets underway at Overlook Park. Photo by Brian McCool
Brian McCool and his family purchased the optics in phases off eBay for less than $100. The rest of the telescope was built with parts from local hardware stores. It isn’t much to look at, but that isn’t important, he said.
The telescope used to take this group of shots of Sunday’s eclipse from Overlook Park is a home-built 8-inch reflector on a Dobsonian mount. Photo by Brian McCool
A bit of cloud remains. The man at right looks through a pinhole camera. Photo by Brian Read More
PEEC’s Nature Playtimes Have Changed
Pajarito Environmental Education Center News
The Pajarito Environmental Education Center will have shorter hours for its popular, free Nature Playtimes starting in June, and will also have a new teacher for the preschool program.
Courtesy/PEEC
PEEC’s Nature Playtimes offer a chance for the youngest kids to get out and enjoy nature on the Pajarito Plateau.
Each session offers time to explore outside, a craft or sensory activity, and stories and songs.
The program is free and open to all, with no registration required.
Nature Playtimes have been running from 10-11:30 Read More
Prepare for Upcoming Transit of Venus with PEEC
PAJARITO ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER News:
Paul Mutschlecner. Courtesy Photo
At 7 p.m., Thursday May 24, local scientist Paul Mutschlecner will give a talk at PEEC about the upcoming transit of Venus across the sun.
The talk is free and open to the public, and no registration is required.
And starting at 4 p.m., Tuesday June 5, PEEC will have a telescope available at the Center, at 3540 Orange St., for anyone interested in watching the transit.
On June 5, there will be a rare “transit of Venus” when the planet comes so precisely between the sun and the earth that its Read More
Los Alamos Public Schools Special Board Meeting
LOS ALAMOS PUBLIC SCHOOLS News
Special Board Meeting
Thursday, May 24, 2012 at 5:30 P.M. at the Los Alamos High School Speech Theater
AGENDA
1. Pledge of Allegiance
2. Call to Order
3. Roll Call
4. Presentations and Recommendations of the Superintendent and Information for the Board
4.1 2012/2013 Budget Approval
4.2 Budget Adjustment Requests
4.3 LAMS Construction Project
4.4 LAHS Construction Change Order
5. Adjournment Read More
Bilingual Montessori Students Given ‘Undeniable Advantage’
Courtesy/Montessori
By Kirsten Laskey
The Bilingual Montessori School is on a roll. Since opening its doors in 2008, enrollment has escalated, the location has changed and expanded and Owner Odalys González Fernández has earned a Success Client Award from the Small Business Development Center in 2008
Just what are the secrets behind the school’s success?
“We are known for having a welcoming, friendly atmosphere and nurturing environment,” Fernández said. “What we give parents foremost is peace of mind. We work with parent’s needs, wants, fears and desires. We operate Read More
Mountain’s Green Team Are State Champs!
The Green Team at Mountain Elementary School won the Aluminum Can Roundup State Competition. Photo by Karen Henderson
MOUNTAIN News:
Schools across America recycled more than 4.5 million aluminum beverage cans in the second year of a national recycling competition sponsored by the U.S. can industry nearly doubling last year’s effort.
The Great American Can Roundup raised $100,591 for school activities and local charities across the country.
More than 790 schools from all 50 states participated in the second annual contest, which runs each year from Nov. 15 (America Recycles Day) Read More
Animal Advocates Gather at Coffee Booth
Representatives from the Animal Protection of New Mexico organization made a presentation at the Coffee Booth Saturday to a group of people interested in protecting and caring for animals. Board President Anne Coller, right, with Los Alamos animal advocate Amy Storey. Anne explained that because of the recent announcement by the National Institutes of Health to accept the results of an independent report requested by Sen. Tom Udall and Sen. Jeff Bingaman, the use of chimpanzees in research will stop. The senators are asking NIH to move the surviving chimpanzees at the Alamogordo Primate Read More
Chamisa Students Host Leadership Assembly
Chamisa Elementary School Student Leader Robyn Hollis passes out bracelets to students and adults gathered in Chamisa’s Gymnasium for a leadership rally Monday spotlighting awareness that all students have amazing potential. Photo by Karyl Ann Armbruster
By Karyl Ann Armbruster
Authors Speak Series Presents Dr. Levine Thursday
LIBRARY News:
Mesa Public Library’s Authors Speak Series presents Frances Levine, PhD, Director of the New Mexico History Museum at 7 p.m., Thursday May 24 in the Upstairs Rotunda at Mesa Public Library.
Coummunity members and their out of town guests are welcome to attend and hear Levine speak about an intriguing episode in colonial New Mexico’s history, “In Her Own Voice: Doña Teresa de Aguilera y Roche Takes on the Spanish Inquisition.”
Among the many events lived in New Mexico’s Palace of the Governors, the administration of Governor Bernardo López de Mendizábal captures Read More
SFI: Seminar About Why Sex Ratios Vary
SFI News:
John Martin will present the talk, Sex Ratios at Birth Vary with Maternal Residence, Age, Parity and Their Interactions, at 12:15 p.m., Wednesday May 23 in the medium conference room at the Santa Fe Institute.
Martin is a Visiting Research Associate, School of Advanced Research; Professor Emeritus, Department of Anthropology, Arizona State University.
Abstract: The ratio of male to female births [(m/f) x 100] is reported to vary from 100 or less among national populations in southern Africa to 105-6 among national populations in Europe, Asia, and in the United States.
In northern Read More
Local Residents Shoot the Moon
Taken from Overlook Park, this evening’s beginning Moon during the eclipse. Photo by Jennifer Bartram
The full Moon. Photo by Jennifer Bartram
The ending Moon. Photo by Jennifer Bartram
This photo shot from Zuni and Los Pueblos in Los Alamos with a reflection in a Sony HDR-HC-7 movie camera. Photo by Joel M. Williams
The community fills Overlook Park in White Rock to watch tonight’s eclipse. Photo by Norm Delamater
Various devices were utilized to view the eclipse visible from Overlook Park in White Rock this evening. Photo by Norm Delamater
Historic Fires Most Likely Occurred in Spring
By Collin Haffey
The Ecology Group at Bandelier National Monument has been monitoring tree growth on a weekly basis for more than 20 years.
Several trees located in Bandelier are ringed with dendrometer bands or dendrobands, for short.
A dendroband is a small ribbon of metal wrapped around the trunk of the tree and connected to a spring slide that moves as the tree grows and is measured by a Vernier scale. It’s basically a fancy ruler.
This scale enables us to measure a tree’s circumference down to a tenth of a millimeter.
The banded trees are located in three clusters that span the elevation range Read More
Pay Raises Approved for Local Teachers and Staff
Board President Kevin Honnell and Secretary Melanie McKinley, seated, board member David Foster board member Judy Bjarke-McKinsey and board member Dawn Venhaus, not shown, unanamously approved a 3 percent pay hike for teachers and staff during Wednesday’s school board meeting. Courtesy/LAPS
By Kirsten Laskey
Teachers and staff at Los Alamos Public Schools (LAPS) can expect bigger paychecks during the 2012-2013 school year.
The Board of Education unanimously approved a 3 percent pay increase totalling $850,000 during a Special Board Meeting Wednesday night.
Along with the pay Read More
SFI Presents Evolution on ‘Realistic’ Landscapes Tuesday
SFI News:
Peter Schuster of the University of Vienna and Santa Fe Institute external professor will present the talk, Evolution on “Realistic” Landscapes at 12:15 p.m., Tuesday May 22 in the Medium Conference Room at the Santa Fe Institute.
Abstract: Ever since Sewall Wrights publication of the landscape metaphor in 1932 evolutionary optimization is visualized as hill climbing on a rugged landscape. It took more than 50 years before the first reliable data became available that gave an idea how these evolutionary landscapes might look like and only this year the first large Read More
Public invited to PEEC/Pajarito Astronomers Annular Eclipse Event Sunday at Overlook
PEEC News:
One projecting telescope, four viewing telescopes with solar filters and 100 eclipse-viewing glasses will be available at Sunday’s big Annular Eclipse Event at Overlook Park in White Rock.
The Pajarito Astronomers and Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC) are sponsoring the event and will assist people who choose to make simple pinhole viewers at the park. People who have their own telescopes with solar filters are welcome to bring them to view the eclipse.
Thanks to a generous donor, solar viewing glasses will be distributed to the first 100 people who would like Read More
15th Annual Los Alamos Kite Festival Begins Friday
Giant Chess Match Set for Saturday
From 4-7 p.m., Saturday May 19, Mario will take on the Ringling Brother’s Circus in an oversized chess match like no other. Students in the 2-d/3-d and ceramics/sculpture classes have created oversized chess pieces out of paper mache. These pieces range in size from 7-feet tall to 4-feet tall. The chessboard is 24-feet by 24-feet. The two chess matches played by the district chess clubs, will take place at the auxiliary gym at Los Alamos High School. Admission is $2 and concession will be sold. Proceeds benefit the clubs and LAHS Art Room. Courtesy/LAHS Read More
Dance Arts Los Alamos to Feature Graduating Seniors
DANCE ARTS LOS ALAMOS News:
Erin Burr (Odile) and Megan Kelley (Odette) in DALA’s production of Swan Lake. Photo and design by Paulo T. Photography.
Dance Arts Los Alamos is celebrating 20 years of bringing professional dance training and high quality performances to the community.
This weekend, three distinct programs will highlight the accomplishments of dancers ages 3 through adult as well as the talent and diversity of the DALA faculty.
Intermediate and advanced level ballet students will present an abridged version of Swan Lake at 7 p.m., May 18 and 19. All performances will take Read More
A Neutron and Proton Go Into a Bar…
SFI News:
Alaina Levine will conduct a seminar at 12:15 p.m., July 17 in the Noyce Conference Room at the Santa Fe Institute.
Abstract. What did the bartender say to the neutron? What’s the difference between an introverted and an extraverted scientist?
When you think about it, being a scientist is, well, kind of funny.
In this boring, monotonous, time-wasting lecture, science journalist and comedian Alaina Levine will explore humor in science, probe the most comedic aspects of the scientific profession, and relate real-life anecdotes from a science communicator and wannabe nerd who worked Read More