Prescribed Burning To Continue on the Mountainair Ranger District

Mountainair, NM – November 30, 2010:   With the shot of precipitation received on the Manzano’s this week, the Mountainair Ranger District will be planning to continue the East Thunderbird Prescribed Burn.


The burn will be in a forest area locally known as the Thunderbird area. This area was thinned within the Thunderbird Ecosystem Management area. The remaining portion to be burned is located on the south side of Forest Road #275. District Fire personnel are watching weather patterns closely and hope to re-enter this area the week of December 6-11 to finish burning approximately 70 acres. The burn will be conducted only if and when weather patterns and available fire personnel are conducive to burning and all fire management objectives can be met.


If you have questions regarding the planned prescribed burn or any other Mountainair Ranger District questions, please call 505-847-2990 or email Adrian Padilla at adrianpadilla@fs.fed.us or Arlene Perea at atperea@fs.fed.us



###END###

Higher Speed Internet Service - Available In Deer Canyon & Scholle!

Recent equipment expansion and upgrades has extended Higher Speed Internet's service area!  Higher Speed can now service folks in Deer Canyon Preserve all the way to Scholle!  If you have never heard of Higher Speed Internet, click here to read my recent review of Higher Speed Internet. 

Folks living beyond DSL and who are using satellite services now have a better option.  Interested in rural high speed internet without the lag time of satellite?  Give me a call or drop me an email at
George@WhisperingRange.com  Phone:  505-847-2220 (Please no calls before 9am and none after 7pm). 

Have A Great Day!

May your day show you how much your circle loves you, may you show your appreciation to those who love you most, may you show gratitude to those who support you, may your day be filled with thanks for every gift you have been blessed with, but most of all, to everyone that loves, supports, and have blessed my life . . . HAVE A GREAT DAY!

Higher Speed Internet in Rural Mountainair Area

Living in rural New Mexico some days is more of a job than an adventure, especially when rural New Mexican's are seeking viable Internet services.  I, like many of you, have probably lived through the deadly dial up years, grant funded Internet providers that have failed, followed by satellite service companies. 

Over all, rural New Mexicans have enjoyed better internet service options, but we are still only offered sub-standard service when compared to our municipal neighbors.  Lucky for me and hopefully others, Higher Speed Internet can now service portions of rural Mountainair.  

If you don't know who Higher Speed Internet is, I can say that I have observed this company for the last 10 years and offer my observations and experience with Higher Speed as a new customer.

• Company Stability & Expansion:  Over the past 10 years, Higher Speed has grown its service area.  During that same 10 year period, our area has had numerous companies - grant driven and out of state companies that have blow into the area, sucked up money, provided minimal to no service and then just disappeared leaving customers searching for service over and over again.
  
  Higher Speed has had the ability to expand its service area over the past 10 years in spite of competition from the "big boys" and grant motivated operators. They have steadily grown the company adding new coverage areas only when they could fully service them.  Higher Speed is in it for the long haul, they are a part of our community, a small business that fully vested here.
   
• Company Ethics: Higher Speed has honored not only their spoken word and hand shake conversations, they have honored their contracts very well. Steve and all of his crew are some of the most honorable and hard working business people I have know in this area. They stand behind everything they do.
   
• Company Customer Service: Higher Speed has gone the extra mile for every customer, their customer service is outstanding in large part based on owner & employees honorable nature further complemented by living in our central mountain region instead of out of state.
      
• Company Knowledge: Steve and all of his crew are knowledgeable in the field. Higher Speed understands the technology they use to provide service, how to help customers who have limited technical skills, and their tech support services are top drawer in my opinion. Higher Speed tech support is a complete turn around from the pat response systems of satellite and other internet service providers.
     
• Community Support: Higher Speed and all of its staff support our area as a community through local purchasing when ever possible, by participating in local groups, organization, and education. As a small business Higher Speed understands that community focus and support is the key to the betterment of our area.
   
• Outage/Down Times:  As an individual and business person I understand that no matter what the service is, there are always problems that come along - just a part of life.  Is Higher Speed perfect, no, but they are continually working toward perfection.   As a new customer of approximately 2 months, I ask Steve about outage and down times.  Steve promised me that he would address outages as quickly as possible and that any down time/outages would depend on the situation at hand. I have experienced two outages since I began using Higher Speed's services and was very impressed with Steve and his staff.  The first outage occurred due to an equipment failure - Higher Speed resolved the issue in under 24 hours over a weekend and were forthcoming as to the nature of the problem. Going the extra mile, Steve has taken steps to reduce the potential of such an outage again.  My second outage was beyond Higher Speed Internets control - a massive power outage from CNME dropped the service but only briefly. 
   
• All Weather Connection:  While using satellite, I would have down time even during clear whether at home because my providers main equipment would experience weather events.  Unlike satellite connections, Higher Speeds signal type works through overcast skies and rain bands. 
   
• Contracts, Fee's & Billing:  I really like Higher Speed billing policy - No Contracts (unless a new customer needs to spread out the installation fee over time).  One time installation fee, and flat rate monthly billing. If you are unhappy with the service, there are no outrageous early termination fees and all parties can go their separate ways unencumbered. 
   
• Customer Perks:  Higher Speed Internet gives back to its customers - for every referral that joins Higher Speed Internet, the customer that referred gets a months service for free.
     
• Telecommuting: I have a family member who was to begin tele-working (working from home) this year.  Before hiring Higher Speed our teleworking capacity was greatly reduced because of latency (hesitancy) in signal and bandwidth reductions even for high end satellite services. Since we have been using Higher Speed's service tele-working from our home is now fully possible. 

If any one would like to try out Higher Speed Internet, email me (george@whisperingrange.com) or give me a call 505-847-2220 (please not before 9am or after 7pm) - we can set up an appointment to meet at my office for a test drive. 

Major Yard Sale - Saturday & Sunday

MAJOR YARD SALE!

SATURDAY & SUNDAY (10/23/2010 & 10/24/2010)

9AM - 3PM

411 North Sunset, Mountainiar, New Mexico

(Corner of Cedar & Sunset)

Antiques, collectibles, clothing, jewelry, household goods, painted furniture, bent wood dining chairs, iron dog bed, leather trunk-on-stand, hand-crafted lamps, Equipales chairs/sofa set, original art, art supplies, antique twin bed, 40's oak full bed, Pueblo Deco shelves, books, mid-century butterfly chairs, doors, windows, remodeling supplies, and more, more, more!!!

PRC scrutinizes Mountainair pipeline safety waiver « New Mexico Independent

PRC scrutinizes Mountainair pipeline safety waiver « New Mexico Independent

". . . Mountainair is a potential problem. I suggested we look into the fittings and whether they’re robust. We also heard that the Pipeline Safety Bureau has identified and addressed leaks in the (Mountainair) system that were not connected to these polyethylene fittings.”

I believe that some of the gas pipelines were upgraded in Mountainair when John Romero was Mayor, however, like town water and sewer lines, portions of the Town's infrastructure is outdated, undersized, and needs replaced. Given income levels in the community, Mountainair would be hard pressed to find funding to upgrade the town's infrastructure without financial assistance.

Perhaps Mountainair should consider a local sales tax and/or special assessment of property holders in Mountainair in order to at least come up with matching monies for grants as well as to minimize loans for infrastructure improvement.  Mountainair will be hard pressed to entice new business and industry to town unless it can improve the infrastructure. Without these vital improvements, Mountainair will simply not grow.

Civil War Sequel Tracks Couple’s Adventures Moving West: Edgar, Published by Outskirts Press - PR.com

Mountainair's own Ben Steinlage's novel Edgar is available! 
Below is a portion of the press relase available at PR.com. 


Edgar, by Ben Steinlage, is another gripping story about one of the characters in his first novel, Want To Go West Lady?


This story is about Ida Duncan’s first husband. As in the first novel it begins prior to the Civil War and goes into the Reconstruction. In this novel, readers will get a better feeling of what it was like to fight in the Civil War as well as of the chaos and the lost dignity of the southern people as they try to get their lives together again.


In this battle their salvation was the love shared by the novel’s couple, their children and their friends as they journey to a new life out west.


Civil War Sequel Tracks Couple’s Adventures Moving West: Edgar, Published by Outskirts Press - PR.com

Special Meeting - Torrance County Commission

Special Meeting - Torrance County Commisison
Monday, September 13th, 2010
Administrative Offices of Torrance County
Commission Chambers 205 9th Street
9:00 am

ACTION ITEMS

1.  2010 Tax Rate Setting Order
2.  Resolution 2010-40 Support for Sunzia Southwest Transmission Project
3.  2010-41 Examine Possible Suspension or Debarment of New Vendors


Adjourn

Click Here For PDF of Agenda from Torrance County Web Site

Torrance County Fair Book

Get the 2010 Torrance County Fair Book on line. Click Here For the PDF

Estancia, NM

Estancia, NM
Estancia, New Mexico

By Bill Dolson

It’s hard to imagine that sleepy little Estancia, New Mexico, population 1700, was once a rival to the City of Albuquerque. At the turn of the 19th century, the Mayor of Estancia made a bet with the Mayor of Albuquerque that Estancia would grow to be the greater city. Estancia lost the bet but has managed a win of another kind. Today, it is a healthy example of an endangered species, a viable rural small town, featuring a lifestyle vanishing as fast as the cowboys who still live and work here. It is a time machine you can fly into via an airstrip only a quarter mile off main street. Six family-run restaurants and three gift shops are located within easy walking distance of the tie-downs. You can cool off in the new public pool or just relax under the trees at the historic spring-fed lake. Rub elbows with cowboys at the local saloon and experience a lifestyle that is almost gone.


Click title to read full article.

Whistle Stop ChoCho

This is ChoCho.  Karen Ray Bernauer found her at the train station.  She is about a year old, spayed, and her shots are up to date.  Karen seems to think that poor ChoCho wasn't loved or cared for at her old home and is hoping to find a Good Home that will love and care for her.  Can you give ChoCho a good home?  Do you know of anyone that might be a candidate?  If so, email George@WhisperingRange.com or post a comment via this blog.

Torrance County Planning & Zoning Regular Meeting Agenda

The Torrance County Planning & Zoning board will hold it's next regular meeting on:

Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Call To Order:  9:30am
Agenda Summary Below - (Full Agenda - Click Here)

• Claim of Exemption fo rthe Lands of Villanueva - Tim Oden, Agent.
• Summary Plat Approval for the Lands of Ernie Dean Manker & Lawrence F. Menker - Kathleen & Vincent De Geroge, Applicants.
• Change in Zoning, Valentine Ranch Subdivision - Dainn Bradshaw, Agent.
• Annual Review Conditional Use Permit - TJK Martial Arts. Timoth & Kimberly Neyers, Applicants.

For questions, additional information, or to be added to an agenda, please contact:

Steven J. Guetschow, Planning & Zoning Coordinator
505-246-4761
Email Steve at:  sguetschow@torrancecountynm.org

New Name ~ Larger Coverage Area for Central New Mexico New & Information

Mountainair News and Information has changed its name to Central New Mexico News & Information.  This blog and it's predacessor (Country Chronicles.net) were created to show what a wonderful town and area Mountainair really is.

I became so tired of all of the negativity surrounding Mountainair that I wanted to show case the good things that happen in Mountainair.  With the expansion of social networking, blogs, and world wide coverage via the internet, I wanted to expand the coverage area of the old Country Chronicles.

The Central Mountain area of New Mexico if the best location in the world in this writers opinion - all of our communities are filled with honest, hard working, neighborly people and we can do anything if we work together.

Compliments to Mayor Chester Riley and the Town Council

I wanted to thank Mayor Riley, members of the Town Council, all of the staff and employees from the Town of Mountainair.  All of your efforts at community clean up and repairs are much welcomed and very appreciated!

GOOD JOB EVERYONE ~ THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!

Say Goodbye To Area Code 505

Just a reminder . . . On October 7, 2007, New Mexico will have two area codes. For those of us here in the Mountainair and East Mountain area, lucky us, we will get to keep our existing area code.

Qwest has an Adobe PDF document on line that will help you understand the issue. You can find that file at Important News About The New 575 Area Code In New Mexico . For those of you who are unable to access the information via the interet you can call QWest at:

1-800-244-1111 (Residential)
1-800-244-1111 (Wireless)
1-800-603-6000 (Small Business)

Be sure to double check your phone prefixes for both your land lines as well as your cell phones, both are affected.

Thanks For The Welcome Mountainair Arts !

Country Chronicles - Mountainair News and Information would like to thank Mountainair Arts blog, for such a nice welcome! I agree whole heartedly, our prospective blogs are not competitive and yes . . . the more information we share with the world about Mountainair and our community the better impression we will make as well as dispelling myths and rumors that have circulated about our community for years.

If you folks haven't had the chance to visit the Mountainair Arts blog, Click Here- you will find loads of great information about our local artists and more! Thanks again for such a warm welcome!

Rate Your Roads

Hey everyone! Just thought I would let all know that there is an unofficial poll at the bottom of the blog called "Rate Your Roads". Thought it would be interesting to see what kind of a grade others would give regarding their road conditions. We live off of Torrance County Roads and have not been happy with our road maintenance or condition for a long while now.

Just wondering :) Hope everyone is well and having a FANTASTIC DAY!

Update: If anyone is interested, there is another blog that allows expanded commentary regarding your roads. http://rateyourroads.blogspot.com/ if you want to vent a little, try out this blog - if there are some posts, we will forward the link for the blog to the Torrance County Manager.

Community Blood Drive

The Blood Mobile will be at the Dr. Saul Community Building on;

Date: Monday, July 30, 2007
Time: 10am - 3pm

Walk in donations gratefully accepted. Those who need to schedule and appointment, go to'

http://www.unitedbloodservices.org and Enter Code: Mountainair

See Ya There!

Let It Snow!

Let It Snow . . . Photo taken at Hewett Ranch.

2006 went out with a blast of winter. This storm was what we have all been praying for (well most folks) and gave the kids a chance to snowball fight and build snow forts. Lovely snow and lots of it from the year end storm last week of December 2006. Great for snow pack but unpleasant for our county road conditions.

Welcome!

Many of you already know me but for those of you who don't, I am Edwina Hewett, most folks call me George. Even though I was neither born nor raised in New Mexico, Mountainair is my home.

This blog is being offered as an alternative to the former on line publication (Country Chronicles.net) originally created to give something back to my friends and neighbors; a venue for news by the community, for the community.

We may scrap with each other from time to time, but there is a bond in this community that words can not express. We are friends. We are neighbors. We celebrate our joys and accomplishments together. We attend the same churches, shop the same stores, participate in the same organizations and community events. We support each other in times of trial and tribulation.

Mountainair has many wonderful people and positive things that happen here every day. Share your Mountainair experiences (good & bad) via this blog, and remember, if you don't have enough pride to post your name with your comments, don't leave a message!

(The original CountryChronicles.net publications are still available on line at; http://www.aghewett.com/countrychroniclesnet/)