Lincoln County Archives - Southwest Properties, Inc.

Verizon Wireless Completes Purchase of Southeastern New Mexico Rural Market

Verizon Wireless announced today it has completed its purchase of wireless assets in New Mexico RSA #6, owned by E.N.M.R. Telephone Cooperative and its subsidiary Plateau Telecommunications and operated under the brand name Plateau Wireless. The purchase will expand Verizon Wireless’ brand and network footprint in southeastern New Mexico to the counties of Eddy, Chaves, Lea, Otero and a portion of Lincoln that it doesn’t currently serve. Financial terms are not being disclosed.

The purchase includes Plateau Wireless’ Cellular, PCS and AWS spectrum covering the market, as well as customers and related GSM operations. The licenses and the operating assets being acquired cover a population of 259,000 and approximately 26,100 square miles, including state highways U.S. 285, U.S. 54 and U.S. 70. Major population centers include Roswell, Carlsbad, Artesia and Hobbs, N.M.

Verizon Wireless will convert the Plateau Wireless GSM network to CDMA for voice service; and EV-DO (3G) and 4G LTE for data services. Verizon Wireless will serve acquired Plateau Wireless customers, using the existing Plateau Wireless brand name, until the network conversion is complete in 2013. At that time, Plateau Wireless customers will receive a letter from Verizon Wireless explaining their service transition.

“We are excited to expand our presence and coverage in rural New Mexico and to welcome Plateau Wireless’ customers to the nation’s most reliable network. We believe the strength of our network enables people to live better and stronger lives,” said Andres Irlando, president, Southwest Region, for Verizon Wireless.

Verizon Wireless has invested more than $70 billion – more than $6 billion on average every year – since its inception to increase the coverage and capacity of its premier nationwide network, including the building and rapid expansion of its 4G LTE network, which currently is available to more than 75 percent of the U.S. population.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s largest 4G LTE network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves 94.2 million retail customers, including 88.8 million retail postpaid customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 78,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

About E.N.M.R. Telephone Cooperative and Plateau Telecommunications
Formed in 1949 as Eastern New Mexico Rural Telephone Cooperative, E.N.M.R. Telephone Cooperative and its subsidiary Plateau Telecommunications provide advanced telecommunications services (including 16,000 access lines and over 64,000 Internet and wireless subscribers) in all or parts of 18 counties in eastern New Mexico and 12 counties in the Texas Panhandle. Plateau continues its commitment to expand and strengthen the existing network to meet the rapidly changing demands of its customers and remains focused in the investment in and support of the rural communities served.

Mark Your Calendars: Lincoln County Cowboy Symposium October 12, 13 and 14, 2012

Each year, during the second full weekend in October, Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico plays host to the nation’s finest cowboy festival with old west storytellers, noted historians, poets, musicians (including the world famous Texas Playboys), chuckwagon cooks and competitions, chuckwagon cook-offs, western artists and craftsmen for three days of events, cowboy competitions, horse demonstrations, western swing dancing, kids rodeo and educational activities. In 1996, the symposium was selected as the Best Cowboy Cultural Event by the National Cowboy Symposium Association. In addition, the Lincoln County Cowboy Sympsium has been named one of North America’s top 100 events by the American Bus Association.

Tickets on Sale August 1, 2012
8:30 AM, Mountain Time
(575)378-4431
Gatlin Brothers
Friday Night Concert, October 12, 2012

Asleep at the Wheel
Saturday Night Dance, October 13, 2012

The Texas Big Three
Jake Hooker, Billy Mata & Jody Nix
Friday & Saturday Nights

Thursday, October 11, 2012
Plenty of events and music around town Including David Ball and The Pioneer Playboys at the Spencer Theater. Or enjoy a supper show at the Flying J Ranch featuring Floyd Domino Review with Red Volkert, Tommy Allsup, Flying J Wranglers and many other special guests.

Schedule and locations to be announced soon!!

All American Labor Day @ Ruidoso Downs

The All American Futurity: The World’s Richest Quarter Horse Race

The Quarter Horse race that every owner, breeder, trainer and jockey wants to win is Ruidoso Downs’ signature event, the All American Futurity.

Run over 440 yards every Labor Day, the All American Futurity gained its lofty status through unique financial cooperation between the track and horsemen. Ruidoso Downs contributes “added money” to start the race’s purse, and then horse owners make payments to keep their young horses eligible. Many of these payments are made before the horse ever starts in a race.

This system made the All American Futurity the world’s first $1-million race for any breed of horse and enabled the All American to become the first $2-million race in Quarter Horse racing. Now the All American Futurity has a purse of $2.4 million and is the richest race for a two-year-old of any breed in North America. Read more and see more at the Ruidoso Downs Racetrack site!

Quarter Horse racing’s biggest races are on Labor Day weekend!

The $2,400,000 All American Futurity is on Labor Day and the $2,234,539 All American Derby is on Sunday, Sept. 2.

Ochoa, Winner 2011 (Courtesy of Ruidoso Downs Racetrack)

“A Land So Strange” @ The Hubbard Museum

Depression Era Rendering of the Altar Sanctuario Chimayo

Over the past four centuries, a distinctive culture has evolved in New Mexico, an area described 400 years ago in the journal of Cabeza de Vaca as Una Tierra Tan Extraña…… A Land So Strange. The Hubbard Museum is proud to present its newest interpretive exhibit, A Land So Strange, which opens Saturday, June 16th, and runs through February 8, 2013.

As the State of New Mexico celebrates its 100th anniversary, A Land So Strange was created and designed by Curator of Exhibits, David Mandel and Curator of Collections, Adele Karolik, to provide a unique and educational journey through nearly 400 years of New Mexico history. With hundreds of artifacts and images from the 16th century to the 20th century, the exhibit tells the story of the Native Americans, the Spanish, and the Euro-Americans who created the New Mexico we experience today.

Take a closer look at materials drawn from collections around the nation that represent these separate cultures at Ruidoso Downs’ The Hubbard Museum, just minutes from Vera Cruz Mountain Ranch.

Hours

9:00 am-4:30 pm daily

Address

26301 Hwy 70 West

Ruidoso Downs, NM 88346

Map

Contact

Phone: 575-378-4142
Email: info@hubbardmuseum.org

Mark Your Calendar: Old Lincoln Days, August 3 – 5

Once one of the wildest of all western towns, Lincoln, Ruidoso is considered by many historians to be the most authentic old west town remaining in the United States. The single road through town was once described as “the most dangerous street in America”. Among the many Lincoln landmarks is the Murphy / Dolan store- which became the Lincoln courthouse and jail- which became famous when Billy the Kid escaped in 1881, killing two deputies in the process. Legend has it – one of the bullet holes from Billy’s gun still decorates the courthouse wall.

Street vendors, food, parade & mountain man camp. Activities happen throughout the day. Join us Friday and Saturday at 8:30pm and Sunday at 3:30pm for the “Last Escape of Billy the Kid” folk pageant. This re-enactment was first presented in 1940 and centers around the life of the legendary outlaw, Billy the Kid. Many of the players are descendants of the original pageant participants!

Mark Your Calendar: Living History at Ft. Stanton, April 21, 2012

The Fort Stanton Garrison will host living history events on the third Saturday of each month through the year—this means you can get in on the action on April 21st. Activities will include flag ceremony, military drill, fatigue (work) details, leisure activities and horse care. Additional activities will include demonstrations of specific skills such as musket firing, horsemanship and field cooking, to name a few.

During these activities, at least one of the Garrison volunteers will be available to talk with visitors to explain the activity taking place and the significance of that activity to the daily life of a soldier at Fort Stanton. Visitors will be able to view activities and may even be invited to participate in some activities for a hands-on experience. In addition to monthly events, Garrison members may be called on to assist with group or special activities where a living historian or historic demonstration will add to the experience of that group or activity.

Fort Stanton was built in 1855 by soldiers of the 1st Dragoon and the 3rd and 8th Infantry Regiments to serve as a base of operations against the Mescalero Apache Indians. It served as a military fortification through 1896. Built of local stone, the sturdy 1855 buildings have lasted to this day. The Fort was named for Captain Henry W. Stanton, killed fighting the Apaches in 1855 near present day Mayhill. Troops marched out from the Fort to search for and fight the Mescalero Indians during numerous campaigns from 1855 until the 1880’s.

For more details and other events at Fort Stanton, click here.

Fort Stanton is located just off the Billy the Kid Scenic Byway (Hwy 380) on Hwy 220 at the Bonito River. The turnoff to Hwy 220 is 4 miles southeast of Capitan on the Byway or 10 miles west of Lincoln, NM.

The Carrizozo Chamber of Commerce Invites YOU to Celebrate New Mexico’s Centennial

Take a guided Tour of Lincoln County
Friday and Saturday, January 6 and 7, 2012
New Mexico’s Centennial Tour of Lincoln County

Friday, January 6, 2012, Carrizozo, Capitan and Alto’s Spencer Theater

Saturday, January 7, Ruidoso Downs’ Coe Ranch, Lincoln and Fort Stanton

Thursday and Sunday spend time touring Ruidoso sites and general area.

Friday, January 6, 2012
The tour bus will pick up participants at their Ruidoso hotel starting at 8:30 for the drive to Carrizozo. Lincoln County resident Dennis Dunnum will be your host as he explains some of the history of the area on our drive.

Our first stop will be at The Carrizozo Woman’s Club as the members host you with a 10 am brunch* in their registered state and national historic site building. At
the brunch 93-year-old Carrizozo historian Johnson Stearns will share with you some stories of the early times here from his own personal experiences.

Next will be a visit to the Carrizozo Heritage Museum to see exhibits of old-time ranch life and browse the unique gift store full of items of all kinds
for all ages. Formerly this building housed an old ice plant, so this structure is really considered to be a pretty cool place.

From the Museum we will drive down historic 12th Street with a stop at the 408 Gallery, home of the Burros of the Southwest, and enjoy original art available from folks in Town as well as the surrounding area.

Then it will be on to Roy’s Gift Gallery and Olde Time Ice Cream Parlour — the other registered state and national historic site in Town. Enjoy a sample of Roy’s goods from the original fountain built in 1908 and still in operation!
* The Woman’s Club brunch will be quite filling, so there is no planned stop for lunch — only refreshments at Roy’s and a snack before our last stop of the day.

As we leave Town on Highway 54/ Central Avenue, on your right is McDonald Park named in honor of the first Governor of New Mexico, William C. McDonald. Although the Gov is honored here, his resting place is in
White Oaks at the Cedarvale Cemetery.

Capitan’s visit will feature a stop at the Smokey Bear Museum and Park where
you can see a short film about the bear’s life-saving experience and
growth into a national fire fighter. Note: it’s Smokey Bear, not Smokey the Bear.
As we leave Capitan, we will drive by the planned renovation of the old Capitan train depot. The final stop on our way back to Ruidoso will be a guided tour of the
Spencer Theater. The Spencer family has been longtime ranchers in the Carrizozo area, and there are several structures in and around Town that are attributed directly to their generosity and desire to help the community as they lived and worked here.

Your return to your hotel will be around 5 p.m. when you can relax and enjoy dinner on your own.

Saturday, January 7, 2012
The tour bus will pick you up again from your hotel at 8:30. If the weather is inclement, the bus will drive you to each site where possible; otherwise, please wear comfortable shoes and dress in layers for what could be a chilly, but often sunny day in this Land of Enchantment.
After a short drive to the Coe Ranch on Highway 70 east, we will stop at this landmark and hear Lincoln Historian Drew Gomber explain the history of the Lincoln County area starting with this large ranch, which is an important part of this history.

From there, we will go to the historic Town of Lincoln for Drew’s tour of various places, including the Tunstall Store and Court House. This is really Billy the Kid Country, as you will hear. You should enjoy Drew as he has ‘a million’ tales about these former locale wild westerners he will share.
Then we will proceed to Fort Stanton for a true Mexican lunch, a presentation about the Fort and a guided tour of their sites. If the weather is inclement, we will be
able to see the main areas from inside the building where lunch will be served.

Anticipated return to Ruidoso will be around 5:30 p.m. as you enjoy the rest of your time in Ruidoso and Ruidoso Downs with Chambers of Commerce details on sights to enjoy.

REGISTRATION for the Guided Tour of Lincoln County
Friday, January 6, and Saturday, January 7, 2012

In Celebration of New Mexico’s Centennial Per Person Covering:

Bus Transportation $48 To and from hotel both days
Tour Guide $10 Local Carrizozoan Dennis Dunnum
Woman’s Club brunch $22 Full and tasty food at historic site
Carrizozo Museum $10 Historical presentation of ranch life
Roy’s Ice Cream Parlour $10 Tasty treat at second historic site
Smokey Bear Museum $12 Historical movie of Smokey’s life
Snack before Spencer $ 5 Munch on bus; sodas at Theater
Coe Ranch $12 Old ranch with lots of area’s history
Tour of Lincoln $19 Lincoln County War and Billy the Kid
Fort Stanton $22 Tour and lunch
Total Cost $170 Per Person (less hotels)

The Lodge at Sierra Blanca is offering a special room rate of
$69.00 + tax Suites $79.00 + tax Phone: (575) 258-5500
Web site: http://www.lodgeatsierrablanca.com
More information re this Chamber Tour? Call 575-973-1607 or visit http://www.ruidosonow.com/festival-of-lights/ to register today! (scroll down to Jan 6 event for form)