County’s Next Quick Start Tennis Program Begins July 30
Courtesy/LAC
By Billy Wilton
When Tanner Stewart grabbed around a child-sized tennis racket, he began to smile.
“The big rackets are really heavy,” said Tanner, who is in the 4 to 7 age group session of the Quick Start Tennis Program. “I like swinging the smaller rackets, I can hit the ball and it’s more fun.”
Tanner was among the 16 children in the 4 to 7 year olds who participated in the Los Alamos County tennis program that ran from July 9 to July 19 at the Canyon Tennis Courts.
Courtesy/LAC
Courtesy/LAC
Following the younger group is an 8-11 year old session which had 14 participants. All equipment Read More
Enjoy Putt-Putt and the Muppets at East Park Tonight
COUNTY News:
The Ponderosa Putt-Putt Tournament is 6-7:30 p.m., today (Wednesday, July 25) at East Park.
Participants will test their skills at the Ponderosa Putt-Putt Tournament. The tournament is broken into three age groups, 5-7, 8-11 and 12+.
Prizes will be awarded for first through third place in each age group.
Call 662-8173 for more information.
The Movies in the Parks is 7:45-10 p.m. today (Wednesday, July 25) at East Park.
The 2012 Series features The Muppets. Bring blankets, pajamas and snacks to watch the movie under the stars.
Weather cancelations are made Read More
Take an Easy Walk to Learn to ID Wildflower
PEEC News:
Courtesy/PEEC
Join Curator Chick Keller of the Pajarito Environmental Education Center’s (PEEC) Jemez Mountain Herbarium for an easy walk to learn the names of local wildflowers.
A plant list will be provided so participants can keep track of what they see.
Get A Good Scrubbing for a Good Cause!
LOS ALAMOS PONY CLUB News:
There’s a fundraiser car wash from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 28 at the Del Norte Credit Union.
The event is being held to benefit the youth leadership and athletics program of Los
Alamos Pony Club.
Bring cars, trucks and even horse trailers for a good scrubbing for a good cause! Read More
Letter to the Editor: Thank You for Saving a Life
The Rotary Club of Los Alamos would like to thank the community for its tremendous support of the United Blood Services (UBS) blood drive held July 12-13 at the First Baptist Church.
As part of the Rotary District 5520 Governor’s Challenge, our Club partnered with the very capable members of the Civitans, under the direction of Luke Ney, and with the Retired Sen-iors Volunteer Program (RSVP), under the leadership of Irene Powell.
Although the need for blood does not decrease during the summer, the number of donors frequently does.
Local blood supplies can fall to dangerously Read More
Mountain School Seeks New Principal
By Carol A. ClarkAs the Aug. 15 start of the new school year draws near, a hiring committee has narrowed down a pool of applicants vying to replace Mountain Elementary School Principal Gerry Washburn.
“We had internal and external candidates apply and we’re hoping to bring this search to a close well before school starts,” Washburn said Tuesday.
Washburn is a non-voting member of the hiring committee who helped coordinate the process.
He left Mountain June 19 after serving three years as principal to become Coordinator of Human Resources for Los Alamos Read More
County Launches Citizen Satisfaction Survey
COUNTY News:
Residents in Los Alamos County may receive a phone call or “person on the street” interview during the next two weeks, asking for their feedback on County government.
The County has been regularly conducting these citizen satisfaction surveys every other year since 1996.
The purpose of the citizen survey is to gather public opinion on a variety of subjects, including satisfaction with County services and programs.
Whenever possible, the County uses the information for reporting on performance measures for service improvements.
The firm under contract to conduct the County’s Read More
Day Journeys to the Middle of Nowhere: South Fork
Travel Column by Kirsten Laskey
Seeing a Whole New Side to South Fork
One of the great things about leaving your front door is that you can encounter anything. Anticipation for what you might stumble upon hums loudly as you move down the road.
I heard that hum of excitement as my parents and I recently drove to South Fork, Colo., despite the fact that I have visited this tiny “burg” several times in the past.
Photo: D&RGW water tower in South Fork. By Kirsten Laskey
My parents own a parcel of land in the area and were members the Rio Grande Club golf course.
I’ve spent many afternoons with my mother, Read More
Counting Down the Days for Free Books for Kids
OTOWI STATION News:
Otowi Station, Los Alamos Rotary Club and Self-Help, Inc., have partnered to provide free books to 500 local disadvantaged schoolchildren through this summer’s “A Book of My Very Own” campaign.
The campaign, which ends Aug. 1, is now halfway to its goal.
The books will be distributed with school supplies for the neediest elementary school children in Los Alamos and surrounding communities, as designated by school counselors.
The project is part of Self-Help’s “Tools for Schools” program.
“We’ve been delighted with the response so far,” said Ellen Read More
Smart House Takes Shape
The Los Alamos County Demonstration Smart House takes shape. Photo by Greg Kendall/ladailypost.com
Staff report
As part of the Los Alamos Department of Public Utilities NEDO project, a 2,418 square foot “Smart House” is being built behind the Century Link Building (formerly Qwest) at 1925 Trinity Dr.
Framing for the building is nearly completed and a ribbon cutting ceremony for the project is scheduled for 2 p.m., Sept. 17.
The demonstration house will be equipped with 3 kW photovoltaic (solar panels), a 20 kWh battery, a home energy management system (HEMS), smart equipment Read More
Local Flash Flood Warning Until 4 p.m.
A Flash Flood Warning was issued at 1:07 p.m. by the National Weather Service in Los Alamos County until 4 p.m. today.
Avoid flood areas. Urgency: Immediate.
From the National Weather Services:
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBUQUERQUE HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR LOS ALAMOS COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO, EAST CENTRAL SANDOVAL COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO AND
EXTREME NORTHWESTERN SANTA FE COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO UNTIL 4 p.m. today.
AT 1 p.m., the NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED VERY HEAVY RAIN FROM A THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES WEST Read More County Building Dog Park Across From Former FEMAville Trailer Site
COUNTY News:
Los Alamos County plans to begin this week building a dog park across the street from the former FEMAville Trailer Site set up in the North Mesa area of town after the Cerro Grande Fire.
Parks crews have started cleaning and clearing the sand and the area for site prep.
The contract for the fencing has been okayed and the sun shelter is expected to be delivered this week.
The new dog park is scheduled for completion by the end of August.
Be Alert for Flash Flooding During Monsoon Season
Illustration
COUNTY News:
Los Alamos County is reminding residents of the dangers of thunderstorms and flash flooding, which could be extremely high in the canyons of Los Alamos, due to last year’s Las Conchas Wildfire.
Flash flooding occurs when precipitation falls too quickly on saturated soil or dry soil that has poor absorption ability.
The runoff collects in low-lying areas and rapidly flows downhill.
Flash floods most often occur in normally dry areas that have recently received precipitation, but may be seen anywhere downstream from the source of the precipitation, even many Read More
Law Enforcement Explorers Hold National Conference
DEA News:
Ft. Collins, Colo. – Nearly 2,500 young men and women from all 50 states will took part in a week-long Law Enforcement & Fire/EMS Explorers Conference on the campus of Colorado State University July16-20.
Students in the program learned law enforcement and fire/EMS skills and tips from some of the highest-ranking law enforcement and fire/EMS officials in the country including the U.S. Secret Service, FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Park Police,
NM Small Businessman Participates in Senate Steering Committee
SonicSEO President Arvind Raichur participates with U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., at a Steering Committee meeting July 18 on Capitol Hill. Courtesy photo
Traffic Advisory: Proceed with Caution on N.M. 4
NMDOT News:
The New Mexico Department of Transportation will continue its chip seal work on N.M. 4 this week between mile marker 59.0 and mile marker 51.5.
Between Monday, July 23 and Thursday, July 26, minor traffic delays can be expected on that stretch of road.
Motorists will encounter one-lane road closures from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.with a flagging operation and pilot car escort.
Drivers are asked to proceed through the work zone with caution and observe traffic control signing and reduced speed limits.
Bicycling through the work zone is “highly discouraged” due to the oily surface, Read More
Inside the Inaugural Microbial Olympics
London prepares for the 2012 (human) Olympics. Photo: avail/Flickr
By Jeffrey Marlow
With global attention focusing on London for the Games of the 30th Olympiad, a parallel competition of superlative ability has gone largely unnoticed.
I’m referring, of course, to the Microbial Olympics, a truth-based but (largely) fictional test of microbial abilities published in Nature Reviews Microbiology.
For the contributors, it’s an exercise in extreme – and occasionally cringe-inducing – punnery: Bacillus Bill and Salmonella Sam serve as announcers, and a spherical contestant is said to be Read More
‘Food on the Hill’: Italian Parmesan Cheese and Herb Bread
“Food on the Hill” by Sue York
Behold, the Artificial Jellyfish: Researchers Create Moving Model, Using Silicone Polymer and Heart Muscle Cells
This is a still shot of the artificial jellyfish. Courtesy/Harvard University-Caltech
ScienceDaily — Using recent advances in marine biomechanics, materials science, and tissue engineering, a team of researchers at Harvard University and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have turned inanimate silicone and living cardiac muscle cells into a freely swimming “jellyfish.”
The finding serves as a proof of concept for reverse engineering a variety of muscular organs and simple life forms. It also suggests a broader definition of what counts as synthetic life Read More
UK Soccer Camp Starts Next Week
The Family YMCA is hosting the UK Soccer Camp program next week July 30 – Aug 3 at North Mesa Field for youth ages 4-16.