La Cienega Valley Association

Protecting and preserving our acequia culture and agricultural traditions…

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La Cienega Studio Tour
November 30 and December 1, 2013

LCVA News – October 25, 2013

La Bajada Ranch Committee

The La Bajada Ranch Committee is meeting this afternoon at 4:00 p.m. at the Commission Chambers downtown.

Newsletter

Disappointed on how our newsletter was delivered would be an understatement. As the LCVA's best way of communicating important community news, like a free flu shot clinic, meeting notices, the well monitoring meeting we had yesterday and of course special events like the Halloween Carnival notice it is essential we have a reliable system of delivering news.

That didn't happen this time. Las Lagunitas and the folks in Lower La Cienega didn't get a newsletter and from the sounds of it the rest of the newsletter's distribution in Upper La Cienega and La Cieneguilla was spotty with some residents receiving more than one copy of the newsletter.

This is frustrating and the LCVA will contact the post office to complain but this all too common situation compels us to look at more efficient and effective ways of communicating community issues.

Well Monitoring

The well monitoring meeting yesterday was a real education in what we need to do to monitor the water levels in our area. It will require a system of wells (existing wells) located in geologically and geographically significant areas (identified by the Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources) and regular monitoring. The Bureau will retain the data and provide interpretation of the information.

There is a cost for the monitoring equipment and its installation but the LCVA is already researching grants and other funding sources so there would be no cost to residents who volunteer their wells as part of the monitoring.

There are other parts to monitoring water in our community that we need to address that include spring discharge and seep fluctuations.

Resident water attorney Kyle Harwood has agreed to work with the LCVA to develop a plan to identify the process and cost of the well monitoring project.

More information to follow.

Halloween Carnival

The Halloween Carnival update is below. We have all of our activities staffed but we still need volunteers for set up/decorating, kitchen and clean-up crews.

The community center will be open at 3 p.m. and any assistance is welcome. The chair storage room will be used for the storyteller so we will need help in moving the chairs and tables out and would like to have the room set up before the decorating/set up crew arrives at 4 p.m. Volunteers are needed to help decorate from 4-6 p.m. and 2 6 to 8 foot ladders are needed. The kitchen crew will be on duty from 5:50-8 p.m. The clean up crew goes to work at 8 which will include sweeping and mopping floors. There is a special event scheduled for Sunday so we want to leave the center in good clean shape.

Please consider volunteering for the Halloween which we intend to make an annual event. We still need contribution but at this point cash donations are the most helpful. Any left over funds will be split evenly between the Community Library and LCVA Newsletter.

Activity Stations and Volunteers
Mask Making, Linda Pierson
Corn Husk Dolls, Becky Dickens
Face Painting, Lia Rosen
Guts and Gore, Rosella Jurado de Sena
Cupcake Walk, Mary Dixon, Georgia Romero
Cupcakes, Linda Grill, 24
Storyteller, Katherine Janck
Costume Contest, 3 judges (gift card prizes, 20 $5 Walmart 10 $5 Target, Linda and Joe Grill 35 bat and pumpkin shaped pretzel treats)

Food
4 dozen Hot Dogs and Buns, Carl
Ketchup, Mustard, Relish, Carl
Frito Pies, Simons Harwood Family
2 Boxes Mini-pizzas, Linda Grill, one box
Popcorn Balls, Linda Grill, 40
Drinks: Hot Cider, Coffee, Water, Juices, Carl to pick up

Decorations
Corn Stalks, Green Tractor Farm
Pumpkins (carvers and candles), Las Golondrinas?
Orange and Black Crepe Paper, Mary Dixon
10 Table Cloths, Mary Dixon
Skeletons, Skulls Spider Webs, etc.

Set Up/Decorating, 6 volunteers Mary and Tom Dixon
Food Service, 3 volunteers
Clean Up, 6 volunteers Mary and Tom Dixon

Fund Raising
$100 New Mexico Algae
$100 New Owners Sunrise Springs
$100 Kyle and Ele Simons Harwood
$100 Randy and Maureen Scott