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Just 22 miles south of Vera Cruz Mountain Ranch, the resort town of Ruidoso offers fun and excitement for young and old—all year long!

April 11:  Easter Egg Hunt:  Cedar Creek Park, 10:30am sharp! This fun annual event is always held the Saturday before Easter: Have your kids (age 1-10) ‘hunt’ for over 5,000 eggs, visit with the Easter Bunny & Smokey Bear. Fire engine rides, refreshments & lots of prizes. For more info, call 575-257-5030.

April 11: Easter Egg Hunt: All-American Park, Ruidoso Downs, 9am. The Ruidoso Downs Auxiliary will hold a community Easter egg hunt for kids ages 1-10. Everyone is invited!
April 11: Easter in the Park – Alamogordo: Washington Park, Alamogordo NM. Admission is free and so are the ‘eggs’; bring your Easter Basket and come early for the city of Alamogordo’s annual hunt! Info: 575-439-4142

April 12: Outdoor Easter Sunrise Services: Two Rivers Park at 720 Sudderth, behind Ruidoso Visitors Center, 6:30am. ALSO: Community United Methodist Church will also host an Easter Egg Hunt at 9:30 am, and regular Sunday Church service will take place at 220 Junction. For more info, call 575-257-4170.

April 17-26: Waiting in the Wings: April 17-19 & 24-26 Ruidoso Schools Performing Arts Center. A Noel Coward Play, ‘The Wings’ is less than lavish charity home for retired actresses in straitened circumstances who have been stars in their day. For more information call Don Madaris 575-258-3133

April 19-26: Billy The Kid Trail Ride: Ft. Sumner NM. This year’s ride will leave Fort Sumner April 19th, and arrive in Lincoln April 26th. With historically accurate re-enactments, storytelling and more, The Billy the Kid Trail Ride offers a true Western experience, while preserving lands and landmarks. Info: Rex Buchman, 620-794-5332

April 22: Great American Clean-Up & Bank Challenge: Schoolhouse Park, Sudderth, 8am. What better way to celebrate upcoming Earth Day than to help clean up our little corner of the world? Sign-up begins at 8am, then break for lunch and free giveaways at 11am. Info: 575-257-5030

April 23-26: The 5th Annual White Sands International Film Festival. : The 5th Annual White Sands International Film Festival. April 23-26, 2009 will premiere The Land of Space and Time in Alamogordo, NM on April 23rd, 2009 at Allen Theatres Cineplex 10. Award winning filmmakers Michael Lennick and Shirley Guilliford will screen their latest epic. The Land of Space and Time a documentary that spans more than 1,000 years to tell the anecdote and Irony-laden tale of sky and space adventures launched from the enchanted land of New Mexico. For more information contact Elise McMullen, 917-689-0619.

April 24-26: 3rd Annual Kite Festival : April – 24th, 25th, & 26th—Annual Kite Festival Corner of Hull and White Mountain, near Kidz Connection Park. The Ruidoso Parks and Recreation Department and We Cree8 join forces to present the 3rd Annual event. Join us for a wild and brilliant display of kites; bring your own, or buy one here. Hours: Fri. from 1 to 5 p.m. Sat. from 9 to 5 p.m. & Sun. 1-5. Weather permitting. Donations welcome, More Info: Joan or Jeri at WeCree8 575-257-5575 www.RuidosoKiteFestival.com

April 25: The Drowsy Chaperone: Spencer Theater for the Performing Arts, Hwy 220 in Alto, 2pm and 8pm. A high-energy musical within a comedy, this show won more Tony’s than any other show in 2006; 2pm tickets $56 and $59, 8pm tickets $66 and $69. Info: Spencer Box Office, 575-336-4800 or www.spencertheater.com

April 25: Dance with music of the Graham Brothers: The No Scum Allowed Saloon is located in the old ghost town of White Oaks, 12 miles northeast of Carrizozo. Call 575-648-5583 for times.
April 25-26: Artists of White Oaks Tour: White Oaks NM, 10-4. White Oaks Pottery presents an exhibit of the newest works by Ivy Heyman (porcelain), Pam Lewis (jewelry), Lisa Maue (tile), and Suzanne Donazetti (woven metal). Explore functional, affordable and unique pieces in a studio setting; 3 miles east of White Oaks, follow the signs. Info: 575-648-2985

Visit the Ruidoso Chamber of Commerce for more information.

These aren’t your average every day fuzzy balls of white wool: these exotic creatures are Barbary Sheep, native to North Africa. Snapped on a sunny day near Vera Cruz Mountain Ranch, this herd is probably descended from the animals released by the Canadian River by the Game and Fish Department back in 1950.

Just one of the many breathtaking sights you can view right outside your window when you own a piece of New Mexico at Vera Cruz Mountain Ranch!

Piercing blue skies and cold nights equal perfect weather for hitting the slopes—and New Mexico’s ski resorts are the perfect place to indulge your passion for this exciting sport. Check out the weather reports and individual resort news at www.skinewmexico.com. For example, you can hit the slopes at Ski Apache for a very reasonable $43 for an adult full day lift ticket. Located just outside the charming town of Ruidoso and minutes from the sprawling vistas of Vera Cruz Mountain Ranch, Ski Apache offers a variety of events during the season, including the family-oriented Hot Chocolate Cup Race, as well as special vacation packages with the Inn of the Mountain Gods.

Spring Canyon Ranch welcomes its latest resident, a cozy three-bedroom log home, custom-built by Pie Town’s very own Log, Stick & Steel. Blending in with the gorgeous Quemado landscape dotted with juniper and piñon trees, the proud owners have over 1500 square feet of indoor space and a full-length porch outdoors to enjoy the pristine high country air and the clear, star-filled evening sky.

With our fantastic current specials, it’s the perfect time to buy your own slice of the “Land of Enchantment!” Spring Canyon Ranch offers a wonderful alternative to city living, a great vacation getaway, retirement home or simply a good investment. Land rarely depreciates—we should know, we’ve been in the business for over 50 years!

Imagine yourself here… and give us a call!

Albuquerque, NM (February, 2009) – ReelzChannel®—TV About Movies(TM), has chosen the state-of-the-art Albuquerque Studios for its new corporate headquarters located in New Mexico’s “Hollywood Southwest.” The network has signed a lease for 30,000 square feet of office and production space, making it the largest long-term tenant at the illustrious facility. The studio has been home to many top film and television productions since 2007, including Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins, Game, The Spirit, Breaking Bad and In Plain Sight.

Build-out of the studio’s office and technical spaces will begin immediately, with a design from Albuquerque-based architecture firm Dekker/Perich/Sabatini. Construction will be managed by Klinger Constructors and will be completed just months after the network’s plans to relocate were announced. The target move-in date is May 1, 2009, when ReelzChannel’s programming, production, Web development, creative services, marketing and communications divisions all will be housed and operated out of one location for the first time.

“Albuquerque Studios provides the right combination of office and studio space to support our streamlined operations,” said Stan E. Hubbard, CEO of ReelzChannel. “We are looking forward to joining the New Mexico community and are thrilled to be so close to the state’s world-class movie and television professionals at this thriving production facility.”

Nick Smerigan, COO of Albuquerque Studios had this to say about The ReelzChannel move, “We are extremely pleased to welcome ReelzChannel to our campus and to our group of leading production related businesses. This is a world-class addition to our facility and to the entire film and television production community here in New Mexico.”

“It comes as no surprise that ReelzChannel has landed at Albuquerque Studios. This network is a great fit for an incredible facility and brings a very fitting component to the overall production center that continues to build at the studio complex.” added Albuquerque Mayor, Martin Chavez.

Albuquerque Studios – Opened in mid-2007, Albuquerque Studios (www.abqstudios.com) is a purpose-built motion picture and television production facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico and includes some of largest and tallest stages ever built outside of Hollywood. Its 28-acre campus is comprised of 8 world-class soundstages totaling 168,000 square feet, 100,000 square feet of mill / production support space and 100,000 square feet of full service production office space. Soundstages are paired, allowing clients to open two 18,000 sf stages to one, large 36,000 sf as well as open two 24,000 sf stages to one, massive 48,000 sf soundstage 55 feet to the grid. The studio  hosts production on campus and supports production all over the southwest with the help of a full suite of production support departments and partner companies. Albuquerque Studios also acts as facilities manager for the City of Albuquerque-owned historic Santa Fe Railyard facility in downtown Albuquerque for all entertainment related business.

ReelzChannel® —TV About Movies(TM), is the only cable/satellite network and website dedicated to everything about movies. The network and website (http://www.reelzchannel.com) feature entertaining original programs and content that offer a fresh perspective on movies, from behind-the-scenes movie clips and new release movie reviews to the latest movie trailers and suggestions for what to see tonight at home or in the theater. On ReelzChannel.com movie fans can check movie times with local movie theater listings, find new movies currently playing on TV and watch full-length movie trailers. In addition to extensive cable and telco carriage in markets across the country, ReelzChannel TV is carried via satellite on DIRECTV (Channel 238) and DISH Network (Channel 299), and is reaching more than 43 million homes nationwide. Local channel information is available on the website’s home page  through a zip code look-up. Owned by Hubbard Media Group, ReelzChannel will be moving its headquarters from St. Paul to Albuquerque in May 2009. The network also operates out of offices in Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago.

The stage hands and set builders from Warner Bros/Alcon Entertainment are all over Carrizozo, transforming 12th Street into a small-town wasteland. Filming here begins around March 3rd for “The Book of Eli,” starring Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman. The action thriller will film also film in and around Alamogordo, Santa Fe and Albuquerque from February through May 2009. “The Book of Eli” takes place in the not-too-distant future, across the wasteland of what once was America. A lone warrior, Eli (Washington), must fight to bring society the knowledge (the sacred Book of Eli) that could be the key to its redemption. Producers include Joel Silver, Andrew Kosove, Broderick Johnson, and Denzel Washington.

While you’re in town checking out the sets, don’t miss a visit to Vera Cruz Mountain Ranch for look at our magnificent 140-acre lots!

Investment Expands and Enhances Network to Stay Ahead of Growing Demand For Wireless Calling, Data Access, Navigation, Music and More

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., /PRNewswire/ — Wireless users in New Mexico and El Paso, Texas, are making more wireless calls and using more data services thanks to Verizon Wireless’ more than $30 million network investment in 2008. That’s an average of more than $80,000 per day spent to provide customers with the reliable, high-quality service they expect from Verizon Wireless.

The company’s ongoing network investment now totals more than $275 million in New Mexico and El Paso and more than $50 billion nationally over the past eight years. The 2008 enhancements significantly increase the number of calls and data transmissions the Verizon Wireless network can handle.

“Our customers are texting, handling e-mail, downloading music, visiting Web sites, sharing pictures and videos, and making calls at a record pace. Last year in New Mexico and El Paso, wireless data traffic increased nearly 150 percent from 2007,” said Tony Heyman, regional president, Verizon Wireless.

“That’s why we built the nation’s largest and most reliable wireless network, and why we will continue to invest to make it better.”

The 2008 network investment includes adding 10 new cell sites in New Mexico and El Paso, updating and adding capacity to many others, and further improving backup power capabilities to improve network reliability and add new services.

The multi-million dollar enhancement also includes expansion of the company’s 3G high-speed wireless network throughout New Mexico and El Paso. Customers can access advanced wireless services at even faster broadband speeds, including:

  --  V CAST -- a multimedia service that allows customers to stream video
      clips, play cutting-edge 3D games, download full-song music tracks
      over-the-air, and get turn-by-turn audible driving directions and
      traffic updates with VZ Navigator(SM).
  --  Mobile Broadband -- a service that allows customers to wirelessly
      access their e-mail and calendars, the Internet, and other information
      anytime on a secure connection.

Strong demand for Verizon Wireless services continued during the fourth quarter of 2008 with organic growth totaling 1.4 million net customer additions, essentially all of which were retail. Following the recently completed Alltel acquisition, Verizon Wireless now serves more than 80 million customers, excluding markets to be divested.

Truth is, when you read something like “First Chocoholics in U.S. Found in New Mexico?” you can’t hold back a smile. That was the title of a recent article published by the venerable National Geographic News, which stated “Chemical residues found on pottery jar shards reveal that the practice of drinking chocolate had spread at least as far north as Chaco Canyon in northern New Mexico by A.D. 1000 to 1125—400 years earlier than chocolate was thought to have reached what is now the United States.”

Read the full article here and don’t forget they serve free hot chocolate every Saturday after 3:15 PM on the Patio at Ski Apache, just minutes away from Vera Cruz Mountain Ranch!

Aeromexico, the global airline of Latin America, and the New Mexico Economic Development Department announced today that air service between Mexico and New Mexico will become a reality February 9. The first AeroMexico flight from Chihuahua City will depart at 11:05 a.m. MST and touch down at 12:25 p.m. MST at Albuquerque International Sunport. The inaugural flight from Albuquerque to Chihuahua City will depart at 1:10 p.m. MST and arrive at 2:30 p.m. Non-stop service on 50-passenger Embraer ERJ 145 regional jets will be scheduled three days a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Frank Galan, Vice President, U.S. Division, AeroMexico, said, “AeroMexico sees a real need for this service between Albuquerque and Chihuahua because it will expand opportunities for growing international business and tourism. We appreciate the support shown by Governor Richardson and other officials in New Mexico and Chihuahua who helped this route take off.”

Governor Bill Richardson said, “With connecting flights from Monterrey, Guadalajara and Mexico City, tourists and businessmen from Mexico’s largest markets now have direct access to experience all that New Mexico has to offer. And, of course, New Mexicans traveling to Mexico for business or for pleasure can make the same connections.”

New Airline Service Will Support Growth of International Business and Tourism

Governor Richardson, as chairman of the New Mexico-Chihuahua Commission, took the lead in negotiations with AeroMexico, the state of Chihuahua, Chihuahua City and Albuquerque, which culminated in the new link that will increase access for international business and tourism.

“Southern New Mexico has been enjoying the growing numbers of Mexican tourists who have been coming to the state over the last several years,” said New Mexico’s Economic Development Secretary Fred Mondragon, whose department was instrumental in working out the details. “These flights will open the door to make the rest of New Mexico more accessible. Mexico’s growing middle class has money to spend and time to travel – and New Mexico has the cultural and language synergy to be good hosts to them.”

The New Mexico-Chihuahua link modernizes a portion of a travel and trade route that is as old as the presence of Europeans in the Southwest. The Spanish colonial road El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro linked Santa Fe and Taos in New Mexico to Chihuahua City and on to Mexico City and Veracruz on the coast. It was the backbone of trade and commerce into New Mexico from the late 16th century until the opening of the Santa Fe Trail, linking Santa Fe with Kansas, in the early 19th century.

“Albuquerque is very excited to host this international flight and we know that it will greatly benefit not only our community but the state as a whole,” said Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez.

“It will enrich the business and cultural experiences of citizens of both countries as this air route brings us closer together,” said Governor Richardson.

Airline Offers Excellent Value and Award-Winning Service

This new airline service will provide travelers with excellent value based on AeroMexico’s competitive fares and premier style of award-winning service. The airline has been named “Best Airline in Mexico” in 2008 by readers of both Global Traveler and Business Traveler magazines. While on board, passengers will receive complimentary beverages, cocktails and meals at meal times along with attentive, personalized service. In addition, flight schedules provide convenient arrival and departure times to complement the airline’s superior, on-time performance record. Attractively priced vacation packages, which include airfare, hotel accommodations and rental car, will also be available through AeroMexico Vacations.

AeroMexico and its subsidiary, AeroMexico Connect, currently operate more than 600 daily flights through the airline’s Mexico City International Airport hub to 40 destinations in Mexico, 12 U.S. locations as well as major cities that include Tokyo, Paris and Buenos Aires in 12 other countries worldwide. U.S. cities served currently are Los Angeles, Ontario (Ca.), San Diego, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Seattle-Tacoma, Houston, San Antonio, Chicago, New York City, Orlando and Miami. Service will be added to Denver on February 1, San Francisco on February 12 and Toronto on March 3. AeroMexico Vacations provides customized vacation travel packages throughout its network. The airline also offers connecting service to other international destinations through its SkyTeam global airline alliance with 11 full member carriers and three associate carriers. AeroMexico has been recognized for its award-winning style of personalized in-flight service, one of the world’s best on-time flight records, the highest safety and quality standards ratings, outstanding reliability and baggage handling performance, and exceptional value based on its competitive fares and superior service. Additional information is available at www.aeromexico.com or 1-800-237-6639.

Calling All Dutch Oven Cooks  (and those who’d like to try their hand at “black pot” cookin’…)!
Come to cook — see how Dutch Oven cooking is done — come to eat — listen to music — or just visit
with the happy crowd at the Southwest New Mexico 7th Annual Dutch Oven Cook-Off on Saturday, March 28 in Glenwood, New Mexico!

The event will be held again at the Glenwood Community Park on CatWalk Road in Glenwood, New Mexico (just an hour north of Silver City).

In previous years, we had cooks from Glenwood, Cliff, Gila, Reserve, Albuquerque, Cuba,
Las Cruces, Silver City (New Mexico) and communities in Arizona.

Everyone is welcome to enter, no matter where you call home! (If you need overnight lodging, there are several unique motels in Glenwood.)

Those interested in entering as a Dutch Oven Cook this year, please contact the Event Organizers:

Leah Jones (Glenwood)  (575) 539-2800          Email ~ leahj@starband.net

Linda Locklar  (Silver City)                   Email ~ lindamanyponies@hotmail.com

Zana Wood  (Las Cruces)  (575) 805.7170    Email ~ loschilehead@msn.com

These ladies can give you all the details, but here are the basics:

Cooking categories are one pot or three pots (Main Dish, Bread, Dessert).  Cooks can enter on their own, or as a team.  Entry fee ~ $ 15 for Single Pot, $ 30 for Three Pots.

Cooks can set up their camp and start their fires at 8:00 am.  Some entrants bring cowboy-camp setups, teepees and tents, and one entry even drives a mule-drawn chuckwagon to camp!  (The Glenwood Park features shady trees and open spaces for camp set-ups)

There will be a Cooks’ Meeting at 9:45 AM. Cooking time is from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm., during which time spectators always enjoy going from camp to camp, seeing “what’s cookin’” and getting to know the cooks. Judging is done on Presentation, Cleanliness, and Taste.

After the Judges have tasted all the dishes and are tabulating their results, here comes the best part of the day ~ about 3:00 pm, Dutch Oven cooks bring their pots to the Pavilion, multitudes of folks show up to purchase Taster Plates ($5.00 for adults, $2.00 for children under 12), and the “Tasters’ Delight” eatin’ begins!  Each Dutch Oven cook will put a spoonful of their dish on each plate, and there are usually about 30-40 different dishes on the buffet line.

We have some musicians lined up to entertain on this special day, and invite others to join in the fun!

Tables and benches are provided for the diners, and after everyone is served, Awards and prizes are presented to the winning cooks.  (Proceeds from this event each year go towards the upkeep of the Glenwood Community Park.)

Glenwood’s Dutch Oven Cook-Off was first started by Wendy Peralta, owner of the Glenwood Trading Post, in 2003.  Each year since, the event has grown — in size, number of cooks, and fun!  This event is reminiscent of the old days when members of small communities would gather for shared food and “visiting.”  This is the seventh annual year for the Dutch Oven, and it promises to be another memorable occasion, one you won’t want to miss!

Dutch oven from the 1890s