Features

Laural Hardin will talk about beneficial insects for your greenhouse or garden. The talk is 6:30 p.m., June 27 at the Pajarito Environmental Education Center. Cost is $6 per person, or just $5 for PEEC members, and no advance registration is required.
Predacious beneficial insects are becoming the preferred method for treating problem insects in professional greenhouse production and in the backyard garden. Many people are unwittingly destroying beneficial insect populations with poor gardening practices. This workshop will cover the types of beneficial insects and how they can be encouraged thrive, or be safely introduced into your environment.
Hardin is a certified arborist and integrated pest management specialist. She specializes in diagnosing and solving tree and garden problems. With an interest in helping people understand the natural balance in the landscape, Hardin teaches how to avoid most issues by learning to see the root cause.
Also at PEEC, artist and illustrator Lisa Coddington teaches botanical illustration. The all-day class is from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., June 28. Cost $50 or $40 for PEEC members and advance registration is required.

Santa Fe Brewery workers Matt and Andrew Fricek manned one of the many beer vendor booths at Summerfest June 15 at Pajarito Mountain. Among other New Mexico vendors at the festival were Marble Brewery, Second Street, Blue Corn, Mimbres Valley, Sierra Blanca, Taos Mesa, High Desert and more from around the state. 

What is organic?
Organic ingredients are grown without the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers and do not contain genetically modified or other artificial ingredients. Organic meat and dairy come from animals that eat organic feed and are not given growth hormones or antibiotics.
1. Organic products meet stringent standards. Organic certification is the public’s assurance that products have been grown and handled according to strict procedures without persistent toxic chemical imputs.
2. Organic food tastes great. Well-balanced soils produce strong, healthy plants that become nourishing food for people and animals.
3. Organic production reduces health risks. Many EPA-approved pesticides were registered long before extensive research linked these chemicals to cancer and other diseases. 4. Organic farms respect our water resources. The elimination of polluting chemicals and nitrogen leaching, done in combination with soil building, protects and conserves water resources.
5. Organic farmer build healthy soil. Soil is the foundation of the food chain.
6. Organic producers are leaders in innovative research. Organic farmers have led the way, largely at their own expense, with innovative on-farm research aimed at reducing pesticide use and minimizing agriculture’s impact on the environment.

The Santa Fe School of Cooking announces the third season of cooking classes using seasonal organic ingredients from local farmers market from Northern New Mexico. Classes are going on at the school every third Wednesday through December.
Classes are designed using ingredients available during each growing season and led by local chefs. Class participants learn how to create dishes using the organic foods and budget their food bills while using local farm and garden ingredients. The key is creating a nutritious meal for four for under $20.
“Our focus continues to be fast, inexpensive and healthy meals that can be cooked at home and are in harmony with the seasons,” organizer Tony D’Agostino said.
Classes were previously at Kitchen Angels in Santa Fe, but moved to the school this year. “Partnering with the Santa Fe School of Cooking this year adds an additional element of excitement to our schedule of classes.” D’Agostino said.
Representatives from Kitchen Angels, Santa Fe Farmers Market and Home Grown New Mexico have pooled their resources to offer the classes. Classes are at 5:30 p.m. and cost $22 per session.

This past weekend, local aviators tried to light the spark for local youth, with an interest in flying.
The Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 961, hosted the annual Young Eagle Flight Rally at Los Alamos Municipal Airport.
Many local pilots took youth, between the ages of eight and 17, up for a 20-minute spin, in a variety of aircraft, during the three hour period.
As a parent, it is hard to smile and wave as your lips tremble during lift off. Once aloft, the planes seemed to disappear in the sunlight, as your heart travels outside your body for those 20 minutes. The youth were all smiles upon their return with great stories to share.
Will Fox took one student over Mesa Public Library, her favorite spot to be during the summer.
Another young man hoped to see his house in White Rock.
Programs like this offer youth a chance to experience an opportunity like no other. In many cases, an opportunity some could not afford, especially for families with multiple children.
One pilot commented how he has provided more than 100 Eagle Flights throughout the years. Wouldn’t it be marvelous to know if that sparked a passion that is soaring, all pun intended, today.
So well done, flyboys and thanks for such a neat memory.

A three-play sampler by Robert F. Benjamin was performed for the Brown Bag at Fuller Lodge on June 5.
The act was not a group of skits, but rather an interactive theater experience where Benjamin answered audience questions, mainly about what the inspiration for each piece was. Beth Kennedy Jones was on board to cast the actors and direct the stories.
The first play sample, was titled “Treason,” a historical story about the first person who printed the Declaration of Independence in 1777 with all the signatures, who ironic for the times, was a woman. The script was decorated with both old fashioned and modern dialogue weaved together. The back and forth banter between the historically accurate Mary Katharine Goddard — played by Roxanne Tapia, and her male counterpart Edward — played by Warren Houghteling — were an appropriate male vs. female mix of opinions. Idea came from a talk about two years ago by Pat Schroeder, the former congresswoman from Colorado. She spoke of the influence of the “foremothers” of the country. Benjamin was intrigue by the history of Goddard and did some extended research. “The piece is based on history fact, but I threw in my own speculations and opinions,” he said.

Kristi Beguin will offer another of her popular classes, called “Get Grounded,” from 9 a.m. to noon on on Saturday.
After meeting at the Pajarito Environmental Education Center, participants will spend the morning connecting with nature in an unusual way. While traveling scenic trails off the beaten path, attenders will have the chance to explore concepts of natural movement, grounding, mindfulness and balance.
In this age of fast-paced, high-tech lifestyles, this class will allow individuals to slow down, observe, breathe and enjoy the outdoors in a deeply experiential manner.
Kristi Beguin is a scientist, an environmental consultant, and expert herbalist. She has practiced her skills through outdoor activities, martial arts, writing and making medicines. Her medical applications incorporate Western herbal medicine, traditional Chinese medicine and flower essence therapy.
Advance registration is required. The class is designed for adults and costs $25 for non-members or $20 for PEEC members. Further information may be found on the PEEC website, PajaritoEEC.org or by phoning 662-0460.
The class will meet at PEEC (Pajarito Environmental Education Center), 3540 Orange Street, and will then move out to a nearby trail.

Santa Fe
Tree House LCC, 163 Paseo de Peralta
Date inspected: June 6
Violations: One high-risk violation. Paper towels were not available near the hand sink, cloth towels are not allowed and violation was corrected during inspection. One moderate-risk violation. Cutting boards are stained with veggie coloring and must be sanded or replaced. Two low-risk violations. Thermometer must be placed in refrigeration unit where it can be easily seen. Soap dispenser recommended for hand sink in kitchen, soap container was placed inside sink.
Status of Establishment: Approved. No follow up required.

Rio en Medio Senior Center, 1 El Alto Lane
Date inspected: June 6
Violations: None.
Status of Establishment: Approved. No follow up required.

RAAGA, 544-B Agua Fria St.
Date inspected: June 6
Violations: Two high-risk violations. No soap or paper towels at all hand sinks, water draining into bucket. One low-risk violation. No light in wash area, after shielding was missing.
Status of Establishment: Follow up from May 28. Immediate suspension.

Inn on the Paseo, 630 Paseo de Peralta
Date inspected: June 6
Violations: None.
Status of Establishment: Approved for opening. No follow up required.

It’s time to sign up for the annual eighth grade spring break trip to Washington, D.C.
This trip is available to Los Alamos Middle School and home school eighth grade students, and not a school sponsored trip. Sign up online at worldstrides.org using ID Number 94821, or call 1-800-468-5899 using the same ID Number.
For four days and three nights, the students will experience a sightseeing tour in and around Washington, D.C. and Baltimore Maryland. Highlights of the trip include the White House, the International Spy Museum, the Walter Reed Medical Museum, a Capitol tour, the Newseum, the Pentagon Memorial, the Washington Monument, the Holocaust Museum, the Smithsonian Museums, the National Zoo, Arlington Cemetery, night tours of the Presidential Monuments, the Iwo Jima, Korean, the Vietnam Memorials, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, the National Aquarium in Baltimore and much more.
Wreaths will be laid at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.