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Building values in December for the village of Ruidoso hit more than $2 million, rebounding nicely from a sluggish November.
Although fewer permits were issued, just 65 compared to 106 the previous month, the value of the construction more than doubled from $996,347 to $2,069.394. Fees collected also increased from $15,987 to $17,839.
Permits for six single-family dwellings helped pump up the value, accounting for $1,567,478. Two were more than $350,000 each, Building Official Shawn Fort reported.
Six different contractors are handling the home building projects. They are LLB Construction, Dig It Construction, Ratliff Custom Homes, Sun Valley Home, Roper Construction and Tower Construction.
In an effort to maintain and improve facilities and services at three popular fee sites in the Las Cruces District, officials with the Bureau of Land Management are proposing to increase visitor fees in 2012, including at Three Rivers Petroglyph Site between Carrizozo and Tularosa.
It would be the first increase at the sites since 1996, when fees first were established. The other sites being considered are the Dripping Springs Natural Area and Aguirre Spring Campground in the Organ Mountains near Las Cruces. The deadline to submit comments is Jan. 23. Read more at RuidosoNews.com…
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)
Ski Apache is at 100 percent. All runs are open. All lifts and the gondola are operating. So far this winter the ski mountain has received 63 inches of snow despite a La Niña forecast for below-average winter precipitation.
“You never trust a weatherman,” Justin Rowland, Ski Apache’s director of operations, said Thursday. “The only people that predict the weather are magicians and fools. I never listen to the weatherman. They tell us, ‘It’s a great year,’ and it’s bad. And they tell us, ‘It’s just OK,’ and it’s stellar. They don’t know. They can tell you if it’s going to snow tomorrow or the next day, but that long-range stuff I don’t trust yet.”
The average full season at Ski Apache sees 180 inches of snow, both natural and manmade. A year ago at this time there were 52 inches of snow on the trails north of Sierra Blanca peak.
The pre-Christmas snowstorm was tops for the mountains, with Ski Apache graced with 24 inches of snow. Three other storms in preceding weeks also weighed in.
“We’re better just in a month,” Rowland said of December.
Rowland said the crowds have been big and skiers and snowboarders have been having a great time.
“We’re 100 percent open and we’re rocking,” Rowland said. “Skiing has been exceptional. The amount, the quality (of snow), the grooming that’s been done on it. We’re able to get on it and make sure it’s groomed out. The weather’s just beautiful. We’ve been busy, really busy. It’s been crowded up there but we’ve been able to get to everybody and take care of them,” Rowland said of the past two weeks.
The pace at Ski Apache is being duplicated the business community.
“It’s unbelievable how many people are up there and how many people are in town,” said Gina Kelley, Ruidoso’s tourism director. “The sidewalks are jammed. I see lots of big families. I see a lot of people carrying a lot of bags. Hopefully our Midtown merchants are seeing the kind of success that it looks like.”
Kelley said people are asking about other things to do in the Ruidoso area, such as snow tubing at Ruidoso Winter Park.
“We’re always a popular Christmas destination but I think that these kinds of conditions we have up at Ski Apache, all it can do is help. I think that’s why we’re seeing so many last-minute people because a lot of people are calling saying the conditions are so perfect.”
Kelley said the feeling from lodgers and Ski Apache is that this Christmas has turned out to be better than a year ago.
Ruidoso Valley Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Marla Lewis agreed. She noted there are a plenty of people in town and more continue to come in.
“From talking with merchants, they’re saying people not only are shopping but they’re also purchasing,” Lewis said. “It could be, from the indications, that there’s an up-tick in the economy and people are starting to feel a little more like spending more money now.”
The lodging sector also has seen a great week.
“The Visitors Center (located in the chamber) has had an incredible amount of phone calls for lodging,” Lewis said Thursday. “By this afternoon, the lodgers will probably be full except for a few that are small condos. We’ve had requests for a number of large parties. They just keep coming in.”
Woooohoooo!!!!! Click here for a current snow report…
Ruidoso‘s Spencer Theater has a fantastic lineup planned throughout the entire winter season. Coming up in January: get your disco pants on and dance!!!
Stayin’ Alive! The world’s number one Bee Gees tribute band!
The Bee Gees have been captivating audiences for more than five decades with their unique vocal sound, while remaining current through all the eras of contemporary music. They’ve thrived on the international music scene longer than any group in pop history, attesting to their extraordinary talent and tenacious adaptability. Because of their distinct and blended harmonies, the brothers Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb fashioned an impossible challenge to those who would pay them homage… until now.
STAYIN’ ALIVE is the world’s #1 tribute to the great Gibbs, an intimate, immediate experience of the brothers live in concert with matching vocals, swirling lights and sexy moves.
DISCO BUFFET MENU (5PM IN THE THEATER’S LOBBY, $20): Green Goddess Salad, Swedish Meatballs & Pasta, Green Bean Almondine, Sourdough Bread, Pineapple Upside Down Cake.
About The Spencer Theater
The Spencer Theater for the Performing Arts opened in October of 1997, creating a year-round venue for world-class performances in theater, music and dance. An aristocrat among theaters, the $22-million structure is splendid and elegant, yet intimate and welcoming. At the heart of the Spencer, in its 514-seat hall, you’ll encounter a powerful experience of the performing arts — outstanding acoustics, intimate seating, and artistry of the highest caliber.
The Box Office is open 9-5 Monday through Friday and on show dates until intermission.
Located on Airport Highway 220 in Alto, you can order tickets by phone toll free at (888) 818-7872 or at (575) 336-4800. First time visitors can googlemap “Spencer Theater, Alto, NM” to get directions. Most automotive navigation systems do not map in rural areas (and cell phone service is spotty).
Orders can be placed online 24/7. A printable online order form (.pdf) is also available and can be faxed to (575) 336-0055. The Box Office can also fax an order form to you.
It’s an absolute go! Ski Apache will open Thanksgiving Day. The skiing and snowboarding will come despite La Niña weather forecasts for below-par winter snows.
“I think it’s been positive,” Justin Rowland, Ski Apache’s director of operations, said recenctly from one of the ski mountain’s snow courses. “We have reservations coming in for Thanksgiving. We’re going to have a lot of folks in town for Thanksgiving time. I think the town and ourselves are going to be pleasantly busy.”
Rowland dispelled rumors that Ski Apache would be open only on weekends or holidays.
“We’re going to be operational per normal. You’ll see us seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.”
With just seven inches of snow from the heavens atop the mountain so far this season, snowmaking equipment has been going much of November.
“Man-made snow wise, we’re shaping up pretty good,” Rowland said Thursday. “We got some cold temperatures earlier in the month so we’re able to hammer out chairs three and five, our beginner area. And we’re working diligently right now on Deep Freeze, to have it open for Thanksgiving so we’ve got some expanded skiing for skiers.”
A lot of Deep Freeze’s course is covered, in many places with 18 to 24 inches of produced snow.
“You’re talking maybe a third of the mountain that will be open from the top of Capitan through Deep Freeze,” Rowland said. “Deep Freeze is a fairly popular run for the beginner and beginner/intermediate crowd so it should be a lot of fun.”
An array of new snowmaking equipment, installed in 2009, has greatly enhanced Ski Apache.
“The snowcats, when we have a fleet of those up here and once the snow’s in piles, the snowcats push it around, flatten it out and till it out so you can ski it.”
The additional equipment gives Ski Apache the ability to make snow along the popular run to the peak. It also can cover the entire lower half of the mountain for a total of about 250 acres.
“Once we get this beginner area and Capitan hashed out, we’ll start working our way to the top of the mountain,” Rowland said.
Snowmaking has taken place almost every night this month.
“We’ve had a couple of nights that have been too warm,” Rowland said. “And some really windy nights where it was cold but we chose not to make snow because that wind isn’t really going to help. It blows it all the way to Las Cruces.”
What would be “a lot fun,” Rowland said, would be some natural snow.
“We’re ready to go and get that ready. If you can get a nice foot to two feet of snow out there, we’ll get the groomers out there, get it knocked down, a base packed in so that when you’re skiing you’re not going all the way through that brand new snow to the ground. But it does take some preparation. I know that a lot of skiers and the snowboarders, after we get a snowstorm, sort of expect that some of this upper mountain terrain that wasn’t open is going to be open the next day. Depending on the snow, sometimes it is but sometimes it’s not. Sometimes it takes another day or two of prep for it to be safe for the skiers and snowboarders to traverse on.”
With any luck, Rowland said it will be chairs three, four and five for the opener.
“If you haven’t skied or snowboarded, try one or the other, now is the perfect time to come up. We’ll have these beginner areas open and you’ll have it to yourself and you can learn and get your foot in the door early in the season so you can have a strong foundation for the rest of the season.”
October 14th and 15th, 2011
This will be our 30th Anniversary!
Friday 5:00 pm till 11:00 p.m.
Saturday 12:00 noon till 11:00 p.m. for more info (575) 257-6171
Location: Ruidoso Convention Center
Ruidoso, New Mexico
This year, visitors to the German Oktoberfest will consume 5 million liters of beer, 700,000 chickens, and 400,000 sausages. They will celebrate their 201st birthday and it is considered the largest festival in the world drawing over 7 million of visitors annually. To learn more about the German Oktoberfest click here.
Our food server volunteers have lots of fun.
In contrast here in Ruidoso, we are only celebrating our 30th annual Oktoberfest. We don’t consume near that amount of chickens, sausages, or beer, but we make a good attempt at it, and we have a lot of fun doing it.
The Ruidoso Oktoberfest is produced by Special Events Resource Group (SERG). SERG is a non-profit 501c3 New Mexico Corporation formed with the purpose of providing funds to benefit legitimate and recognized Charities and fund Education Scholarships for the youth of Lincoln County, NM. Since its inception in 1999, SERG has contributed over $155,000 to Lincoln County charities including over $65,000 in scholarships.
Tickets for Ruidoso Oktoberfest:
$8 for one day • $14 for two days
Young Adults age 13 to 18 – $5.00 • $8 for two days
Children under 12 free
both must be accompanied by an adult.
Tickets sold at the door.
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, musicians (including the world famous Texas Playboys), chuckwagon cooks, chuckwagon cookoffs, 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 LCCS has been named one of North America’s top 100 events by the American Bus Association.
