COUNTY News:
In honor of Independence Day, Los Alamos is offering many free events on July 4 to celebrate our freedoms including a fireworks show, Fun Run and naturalization ceremony to welcome our newest Americans.
Families will have the liberty on whether or not to walk or run at the “Firecracker 5K Family Fun Run” on July 4. The walk/run benefits the YMCA, with entry fees for adults at $25; $10 for youth and $15 for YMCA members. T-shirts are included, door prizes will be given away, and prizes will be awarded to the person with the best 4th of July inspired costume. The “Firecracker 5K Family Fun Run,” sponsored by the Family YMCA in Los Alamos, begins at 8 a.m. with check in at 7 a.m. Register online at laymca.org. The event takes place at 1450 Iris St. in Los Alamos.
The thought-provoking gallery exhibit, “Mostly Clear and Partly Cloudy: Climate as Metaphor,” will be on exhibit 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., July 4 at the Mesa Public Library. The exhibit, featuring mixed media work by artists Shaun Gilmore and Janice Wall, explores climate issues through abstraction. An artists’ reception is scheduled the following week 4:30-6:30 p.m. Friday, July 12; followed by a gallery talk 3-4 p.m. Friday, July 26. The exhibit ends Aug. 4. Mesa Public Library is located at 2400 Central Ave. Call 505-662-8253 for details or visit losalamosnm.us/library for details.
The Kiwanis Club is hosting a 4th of July celebration which includes live music, craft and food vendors, parachute landings and a spectacular fireworks show later that evening (drought permitting). Live music 2 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. by Eddy and the Nomads along with Community Winds and a Battle of the Bands will liven up the day. The Kiwanis Club of Los Alamos requests a minimal $5 donation for the event, which will benefit the children with whom they serve. The event starts at 2 p.m. and will take place at Overlook Park in Los Alamos. Call Steve Boerigter for more information at 505-672-4124.
In the true spirit of freedom on Independence Day, Bandelier National Monument will host their second annual naturalization ceremony for 15 candidates who will take the oath to become new U.S. citizens after fulfilling years of requirements. The ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. on July 4 at Bandelier National Park.
Park superintendent Jason Lott will lead the ceremony, as keynote speaker, followed by remarks from Los Alamos County administrator, Harry Burgess, and a representative from Senator Martin Heinrich’s office. The Troop 129 Eagle Scouts will present the colors, and the Rotary Club will provide refreshments.
Atomic City Transit in Los Alamos is offering special bus service for the participants for free. Locals are also welcome to participate, as a way to reaffirm American and personal values. Please catch park shuttles at the Bandelier Visitor Center in White Rock. For more information, call 505-672-3861X517 or visit nps.gov/bandor.
Bandelier National Monument will also host a Nightwalk at Bandelier on Friday, July 5, which is an interpretive program led by park guides. The following evening on Saturday, July 6 from 9 to 11 p.m., the park is also offering a ranger-led constellation tour and telescope viewing with a chance to glimpse the same sky as historic figures like Thomas Jefferson and John Adams once did. Call the park at 505-672-3861X517 for details or visit nps.gov/band. Events are free; however park entry fees apply.
For more information about the city of Los Alamos, visit http://visit.losalamos.com.
