Features

The Fuller Lodge Art Center has an element for everyone in the new exhibit “Periodic Table” runs through early June. Dozens of artists from across New Mexico have taken on, and interpreted the Periodic Table in an entire spectrum of reflections, and the result is a truly eclectic collection. 

 The Elements have been described as the basic building blocks that make up our world, and what could be more fun to an artist than playing and rearranging those blocks? 

Really, it’s only fitting in a show based on understanding the world through categorization, an attempt should be made to categorize the exhibit itself. 

This week, I wanted to share a story about an Asset building teacher, during this teacher appreciation week.
Our youngest son will graduate this year from Chamisa Elementary and so will end our formal relationship with the Asset building Cheetah crew.
There was one in particular, that started us on our educational path.
Becky Sims or Mrs. Sims was the kindergarten teacher of all three of our children.
Sims “trained us well,” teaching the parents as well as their children about how to engage in the educational process.
Mrs. Sims formed the relationship of the entire family to the school, the one that not only led to numerous volunteer opportunities, but more importantly, that we were partners in education.
Once during a high school Cookies and Conversation earlier this year, the attendees were asked about their fondest kindergarten memory. One of the students recalled baking in her class on Wednesdays.
Sims and another teacher started a program where sixth grade students are matched with kindergarteners to give the new students an instant friend. The pairs or occasionally trios do art projects, math lessons and sometimes science throughout the year, building friendships and Assets along the way.

The cadets of the Los Alamos NJROTC competed at the State Drill and Fitness Competition in Farmington New Mexico on April 27 against 27 other schools. The cadets exceeded expectations in both performance and professionalism. The awards were; first place: male and female color guard regulation; second place: unarmed inspection, unarmed drill inspection and female color guard inspection; third place: overall fitness, male color guard inspection and regulation and fifth place: unarmed regulation drill. Individual awards went to Jordi Kandarian, second place overall fitness (male category); Rosa Durrer, third place overall fitness (female category); Jordan Parker, third place 800 run; Diego Diaz, fifth place pull ups.

Nine college-bound high school students from Northern New Mexico have been selected for scholarships administered by the J. Robert Oppenheimer Memorial Committee.
 
The students are from Los Alamos, Pojoaque Valley and Santa Fe high schools.
 
The JROMC has awarded nearly 170 scholarships and other awards totaling more than $347,000 since the program was begun in 1984. The philanthropic organization's scholarship program is supported by several endowments; numerous small, individual donations; and major contributions from the Los Alamos National Bank.
 
The J. Robert Oppenheimer Memorial Committee is dedicated to preserving the legacy of Robert Oppenheimer, the first director of Los Alamos' laboratory and one of the most influential scientists of the 20th Century. In addition to its annual scholarship program, the JROMC sponsors each year the Oppenheimer Memorial Lecture.
 
This year's selected students are:
 
Aaron Bao, from Los Alamos High School was awarded the J. Robert Oppenheimer Memorial Scholarship for outstanding promise in science and mathematics.
 

Santa Fe

Kai Sushi and Dining, 720 St. Michael’s Drive
Date inspected: April 16
Violations: Follow up from previous inspection on April 9 showed that all violations have been corrected.
Status of Establishment: Approved. No follow up required.

Sweeney Elementary School, 521 Airport Road
Date inspected: April 22
Violations: One moderate risk violation. Dish racks were discolored, old and need replacement. Four low-risk violations. Discolored and missing ceiling tiles in food prep area. Refrigeration equipment not being used should be removed. Dust accumulation on ventilator ducts.
Status of Establishment: Approved. No follow up required.

Ramirez Thomas Elementary, 2300 Calle Po Ae Pi
Date inspected: April 23
Violations: Two low-risk violations; single service paper dishes were stored on the floor. The walls by the mop sink drain areas are peeling.
Status of Establishment: Approved. No follow-up required.

Fairfield Marriott, 4150 Cerrillos Road
Date inspected: April 23
Violations: None.
Status of Establishment: Approved for pre-opening inspection.

Miss Leslie, 615 Oñate Place
Date inspected: April 24
Violations: None.
Status of Establishment: Approved. Business not yet in operation.

This past winter, two Paper Tiger employees volunteered many hours over the years to help disabled individuals and wounded veterans enjoy the outdoors.
Paper Tiger owner John King and graphic designer Jason Cline taught Mario Chavez to bi-ski as part of the Santa Fe Adaptive Ski Program.
Then Cline spent a week this month at Colorado’s Snowmass resort with the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic getting veterans back on the slopes.
“It was life changing for me,” says Cline of his experience at Snowmass. “Seeing these guys who fought for our country and without limbs, having the time of their lives, it really puts things in perspective. I worked with four students over the week.
Depending on their disability, my co-instructor and I would choose which equipment was needed.”
This was Cline’s first year participating in the Snowmass program. He was recommended for it by King, who had volunteered before. King also got Cline involved in the Santa Fe Adaptive Ski Program several years ago.
King, an avid skier, has been volunteering in adaptive ski programs for people with disabilities for 25 years beginning at Pajarito Mountain in Los Alamos.

The Los Alamos Middle School Hawks had spirits soaring as they participated in, A Minute to Win It, with Assets In Action, just prior to spring break.
    The LAMS Student Council, under the direction of teacher, Linda Bennett, sold tickets, staffed activities and motivated the troops.
“Thanks to the efforts of the Student Council and Assets In Action, all I had to do was say that Minute to Win It was going to happen and secure a date and time,” Principal Rex Kilburn said, “Student Council did a fabulous job coordinating, Ms. Bennett should be very pleased with the work she has done with her Student Council students.”
    The idea, based on the NBC television summer hit, with host Guy Fieri was used to support the staff recognition event known as the Hawk Hubba Bubba Award.
    “The fact that the funds raised go back into an account to celebrate staff underscores and emphasizes the great kids that attend the middle school,” Kilburn said, “All of the adults that work at the middle school are lucky to work with such individuals.”
    The Kilburn crew rose to the challenge when students purchased tickets for 25 cents, for self or staff, to earn a chance to play.

Oh My Goodness, May is here.
It seems like just a few weeks ago the Back to School supplement was out and we were underway, in a new school year.
It is almost time to get ready for summer, hooray and some time off for so many.
Last night, a pride of the Mountain Lions parent population attended an internet safety session to prepare for some additional free time.
Los Alamos Middle School Librarian Lisa Whitacre and Assets In Action provided some information on tips to consider for elementary, middle and high school parents.
Simple guidelines now can help parents for the long technology road ahead.
If you would like some Internet Safety information for yourself, just give us a call.
The first full week of May should be duly noted on your calendar. May 6-10, is Teacher Appreciation week.
The elementary school parent organizations always seem to have their finger on the pulse for this, but it gets a little trickier in the upper grades.
Check out and see if your schools are doing something to acknowledge the staff. You can ask your student if they have a staff member they would like to do something special for, or at least if you know, drop them an email or a card.

The Fuller Lodge hosts a series of Brown Bag Performance Series at noon on the first Wednesday of every month. The free shows present a wide range of programs, from Beethoven to ballet, opera to jazz, chamber music to bagpipes, that have been entertaining Los Alamos music lovers on their midday breaks since 1973. Brown Bag Performances connect performers to the community.  This next month will feature the Ad Hoc Brass Octet.
There are two brass quintets playing regularly in town: High Mesa and Brave New Brass. The two combined forces to play some large ensemble music, something which is hard to accomplish because of the difficulty of coordinating and getting 10 people to agree on a rehearsal and performance schedule. They ended up with four players from one quintet and three from the other, plus one agreeable sub, to give them a combination of eight players. There is a vast collection of Gabrieli double-choirs and other large-group pieces to choose from. The Gabrieli pieces represent the height of polyphonic music from the Renaissance era, and the pieces chosen to showcase that style. They include other Renaissance-era music by composers of that period, such as Bach, Susato and Boismortier. Ad Hoc Brass Octet consists of the following eight players.