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Features

  •
    Wedding Bells: Kluk – McDonald

    Chandra Anne Kluk and Jon Peter McDonald were married Aug. 13, 2016, at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Los Alamos.  
    Father Glenn Jones, of IHM, presided over the double-ring ceremony with Deacons John Sutton and John Heal assisting.
    Brandon Kluk, brother of the bride, and Diana McDonald, sister of the groom, sang “Set me as a Seal” during the lighting of the Unity Candle.  
    A reception followed at Cottonwoods on the Green, which included a dinner catered by Pawel and Dorota Listwan, slide show, photo booth, and dance featuring DJ Matt from Sounds Productions.  
    The wedding colors were coral and grey and the beautiful floral arrangements were provided by Flowers by Gillian.
    Emily and Mike Kluk of White Rock are the bride’s parents, and Merle and (the late) Linda McDonald of Chandler, Arizona, are the groom’s parents. The bride was given away by her father.
    Nichole Kluk, sister of the bride, was the Maid of Honor.  Bridesmaids were Bethany Kluk, sister-in-law of the bride, and friends Celina Ayala, Erika Metcalfe, Lisa Pille, and Madeline Stephens. Jr. Bridesmaids were Madalyn and Michaela Kluk, nieces of the bride. Flower girl was Macyn Kluk, niece of the bride. The guestbook attendants were Diana and Mary, sisters of the groom.

  • Births 4-2-17

    March 15 — A boy. Brayden Layne Aragon. Born to Jessica Martinez-Aragon and Ernest C. Aragon Jr.
    March 21 — A boy. Aiden Talavera. Born to Elicia and Obed Talavera.
    March 24 — A boy. Corban Endeavor Smith. Born to Leanne and David Smith.

  • News for Retirees April 2-8

    April 2-8
    For information, call the Betty Ehart Senior Center (BESC) at 662-8920, the White Rock Senior Center (WRSC) at 672-2034 and “Day Out” (adult day care, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.) at 661-0081. Reservations: by 10 a.m. for lunches.

    Betty Ehart

    MONDAY    
    8:45 a.m.        Cardio
    8:30 a.m.        Tax Preparation
    9:45 a.m.        Pilates
    10 a.m.        Senior Civic Discussion
    11:30 a.m.        Lunch: Fettuccine Chicken             Alfredo
    6 p.m.        Argentine Tango Dancing
    7 p.m.        Ballroom Dancing
    TUESDAY
    8:45 a.m.        Variety Training
    11:30 a.m.        Lunch: Salisbury Steak
    1 p.m.        Party Bridge
    1 p.m.        Party Bridge
    7:30 p.m.        Table Tennis
    WEDNESDAY    
    8:30 a.m.–1 p.m.    LAVA Quilters

  •
    Shelter Report 4-2-17

    The Los Alamos Animal Shelter, 226 East Road, (505) 662-8179, has a great selection of adoptable pets just waiting for their forever home, so come adopt your new best friend today! All adoptable pets are micro-chipped, spayed or neutered, and up-to-date on vaccinations. Shelter hours are 12–6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday, and 12–3 p.m. Sunday.

    Be sure to check out our website at lafos.org, where you can get more information about volunteering, adopting, and donating.

    CATS
     
    Mr. Whiskers—A big tabby cat that is about 4 years old. Changes are a bit stressful for him, so he will likely need a little bit of time to adjust to his new home. He can be independent, but he’s also very sweet and likes to snuggle when he’s in the mood! He is okay with mellow cats, but other dominant males sometimes bother him.
    Lemon—A sweet older cat that was left at the front door of the shelter with no information or history. Lemon is currently in foster care receiving treatment for diabetes; her foster home reports that they call her Sugar, since she’s so sweet! When Lemon is feeling better, she’ll be looking for a mellow home that is understanding of the needs of a diabetic cat.

  • Community Calendar 4-2-17

    TODAY
    Nature Yoga and Trail Run
from 10:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. at the Nature Canter. Practice yoga with Christa Tyson at the nature center, where you have a great view of nature. Optional: Arrive at 10:30 a.m. to join Christa for a pre-yoga run. Cost for yoga or run for $7/$5 for members; yoga and run for $12/$8 for members.

    Feature Film: “Phantom of the Universe” from 7-7:45 p.m. at the Nature Center. Explore dark matter, from the Big Bang to its anticipated discovery at the Large Hadron Collider. Cost is $6 for adults, $4 for children.
     
    Gardening for Pollinators
from 1:30-3:30 p.m. at the Nature Center. Join Master Gardener Kate Whealen and learn to select plants that support pollinators. Registration required. Cost is $10 or $8 for members.
    MONDAY
    Sleep Matters/Sleep Apnea and Treatment presentation at 2 p.m. on the third floor at Aspen Ridge Assisted Living, 1010 Sombrillo Court. Presenters are Dr. Roger Wiggins and Patricia Donahue, respiratory therapist of the SW Sleep Center. Refreshments served. No RSVP is necessary.  Los Alamos community, residents and families invited. Call Cynthia Goldblatt, community liaison at 695-8981 for information.

  • Crime Victim’s Week this week

    National Crime Victim’s Week is this week.
    Community collaboration efforts will take place for educational opportunities throughout the week and culminate in resource booths at both Smith’s locations from 1-5 p.m. Friday.
    Project partners will be on hand to answer questions and hand out free t-shirts while supplies last.
    To learn more, contact the Los Alamos Police Department Victim’s Assistant at 663-3511. No police report required.
    To learn more, visit VictimsofCrime.org.

  •
    Famous equestrian to teach jumping...

    Los Alamos Pony Club will host nationally renowned equestrian trainer and instructor Robert Taylor over the weekend of April 8-9.
    Community members are welcome to come and observe the event or participate in the mounted activities.
    Taylor, of TaylorMade Stables in Maryland (taylormadestables.com/robert-taylor.html), will be in town to coach show jumping and mounted games competitors of all levels. This has become an annual event for local riders, who greatly enjoy Taylor’s gruff humor and superb training skills.
    Taylor has been a fixture in the show jumping, competitive driving, foxhunting and mounted games communities internationally for many years, and his daughter Mackenzie won the International Mounted Games Association World individual Championship under-17 in 2012.
    Morning sessions for the Los Alamos clinic will be at the jump arena (behind the main rodeo facility), and focus on jumping skills for horse and rider, and then each afternoon the club will set up for mounted games practice.
    Mounted games participants can sign up to participate even on the same day of the clinic. Both English and Western tack is permitted, as long as everyone has helmets and boots.
    Audience members are welcome at no charge, but are asked to leave dogs at home or keep them leashed at all times for safety.

  • Assets in Action: Life is short —...

    This week, I feel like the column should be called, “It’s all about me,” and “It’s not about me at all.”
    Today starts the long, slow crawl to 50, and the previous year and a half has been a stressful time, to say the least.
    It has been a time to see what you’re made of, grab the bull by the horns and hold on for the ride.
    I’ve always had friends with children a year or two older than our children.
    I highly recommend it, because these little nuggets of wisdom can be stored, like a squirrel stores nuts and pulled out when you really need them.
    So the same might be true of having a friend that is a few years older than you. Perhaps it will help you see what’s ahead and perhaps at the same time, you don’t want to know.
    I had a friend that had already hit the magic age of 50. She had some health problems, but was battling through along the way.
    Then unexpectedly, she died in her sleep. Yep, 50 years old and gone overnight.
    My heart aches for her husband, because he’s just slightly younger than my husband and his life has been uprooted in a flash.

  • County DPU presents ‘Water is Life...

    The Los Alamos Department of Public Utilities is bringing four speakers and a film to the Los Alamos Nature Center from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. April 4.
    The evening will start with a discussion about rivers and local water issues by four speakers followed by a break with refreshments and a chance to meet the speakers. Afterward, they will show the documentary This event is free.
    The four talks are:
    • Where the water we use in Los Alamos comes from, with some thoughts on a sustainable future by Jack Richardson, Deputy Utilities Manager – Gas, Water, Sewer (GWS) for Los Alamos County.
    • The End of the Dam-building Era in the Western US by Steve Harris, Executive Director of Rio Grande Restoration.
    • Rethinking the Rio: the opportunity and challenge of moving low-elevation storage from Elephant Butte to high-elevation reservoirs on the Rio Chama to conserve water from evaporation and restore flows to an ailing river by Jen Pelz, Wild Rivers Program Director at WildEarth Guardians

  • Community Calendar 3-19-17

    TODAY
    Business After Hours hosted by New Mexico Bank & Trust 1475 Central Ave. from 5-7 p.m. For more information, visit losalamoschamber.org.
    THURSDAY
    Nature Yoga at 5:15 p.m. at the Nature Center. Practice yoga with Christa Tyson at the nature center. Cost is $15 for non-members, $12 for members. More information at peecnature.org
    FRIDAY
    Gentle Walks at 9 a.m. at the Nature Center. A gentle walk for which the emphasis is on discovery, not mileage gained. Free.

    Fish Fry Friday from 5-7 p.m. at Immaculate Heart Mary Parish Hall, 3700 Canyon Road. Cost is $10 for Adults, $7 for children.
    SATURDAY
    Bird Walk: Cañada Bonita from 7 a.m.-noon at the Nature Center.
Observe local birds while quietly hiking through conifer forests. Free for members, $5 for non-members.
     
    Rockhound Geology Outing: Driving Tour of the Pajarito Plateau
from 9-11:30 a.m. Enjoy a scenic drive from White Rock to the Valles Caldera with stops along the way to learn about the fascinating geology of the Pajarito Plateau from geologist Patrick Rowe. Cost is  $7 for individuals, $14 for families; $5 for PEEC member individuals; $11 for PEEC member families.
     

  • Arts & Entertainment Calendar 3...

    Art exhibits
    The National Museum of Nuclear Science and History, 601 Eubank SE in Albuquerque, will host “Critical Assembly, the Secrets of Los Alamos 1944: An Installation by American Sculptor Jim Sanborn,” through Oct. 8. This special exhibit, created by world renowned sculptor Jim Sanborn – best known for creating the encrypted “Kryptos” sculpture at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia – invites visitors to explore and study the recreations of the super secret experiments from the Manhattan Project’s atomic bomb program. The museum is open from 9 a.m.- 5 p.m., 361 days a year. For information, visit nuclearmuseum.org, or call 505-245-2137.

    “Oblique Views: Archaeology, Photography and Time.” Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, 710 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe. Photographer Adriel Heisey re-photographed some of Southwest’s most significant archeological sites that Charles Lindbergh and his wife, Anne, photographed in 1929. Exhibit runs through May.

  •
    UNM-LA students consider the LANL...

    In an ongoing effort to help students transition to the workforce, faculty at the University of New Mexico-Los Alamos regularly invite representatives from Los Alamos National Laboratory to campus to speak about opportunities at LANL.
    In late February, Deborah Martinez who works with LANL Human Resources on various engineering related programs, presented an overview of the LANL Institutional Technician Pipeline Job Program. The program provides training and development, as well as entry into career pathways.
    Martinez explained that Post Associates Internships are available for those who have earned an associates degree within the past three years but have little or no relevant experience. Employees will be provided with on-the-job training and mentoring with a senior technician or supervisor. The program is offered through a number of divisions, from Applied Engineering and Technology to the Weapons Systems Engineering division. The electro-mechanical degree program at UNM-LA is designed to prepare students for tech positions in these areas.
    After stating that LANL is looking for people who are adaptable, flexible team players eager to learn, Martinez continued with advice on writing a strong cover letter and a resume that reflects skills appropriate to the job.

  •
    TRAVEL: Surprises abound in OKC

    By Debbie Stone

    Special to the Monitor

  •
    ‘Everyone Does IT’ event kickoff...

    The Los Alamos Nature Center hosted a kickoff event for Everyone Does IT on March 21. This event focused on helping students of all ages learn about computing and information technology.  
    Tables filled with computers and props lined the building and created an interesting juxtaposition to the nature exhibits.
    The Nature Center was also filled with children and adults alike, eager to interact with the electronics available.
    Booth participants included VISIBLE VR Experience, Coder DOJO, Software is Everywhere, Dragon Dash! Photo Booth, Hacking Queen of the Hill, a Supercomputing Challenge, the Atomic Women and recruiting for Los Alamos National Laboratory.  
    Scientist Ambassador Terri Roberts ran the “Software is Everywhere” booth, which was stocked with intriguing gadgets that demonstrated the process of coding. During her explanation of basic computing principles, she said the first programmer was, in fact, a woman, Ada Lovelace.
    “Women need to be in this field!” Roberts said with a smile.  
    Although the event was not focused solely on girls and women, the goal is to increase the pool of people that are pursuing IT.

  • Hike to Window Rock April 8

    Join the Santa Fe National Forest from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. April 8 to as part of the Forest Your Health, a local partnership and health initiative.
    The Window Rock Trail hike will include trash pickup, sign installation, archeological interpretation and campfire finale (hot dogs and s’mores).
    The hike is part of Window Rock and lies north of Española off of the highway to Abiquiu.
    Participants should not bring less than three liters of water, plus lunch, shade hat, sunscreen and clothing layers. The round-trip hike is eight miles.
    Contact Jennifer Sublett for more information and to sign-up for this bi-annual stewardship hike at jasublett@fs.fed.us or 505-753-7331.

  • LALT looks for producers

    Los Alamos Little Theatre is engaged in producing short staged readings periodically for the Betty Ehart and White Rock senior centers.
    The group is looking for anyone interested in either directing or acting in the staged readings. Because these are brief (10 - 15 minute plays), they are a great opportunity for people who would like to get some experience or practice without a huge investment of time.
    Interested directors or actors should send an e-mail to Pat Beck at pdbeck@aol.com.
    The next time slot for providing a staged reading is in May.

  •
    Bus Driver Appreciation Day...

    Los Alamos Public Schools honored their bus drivers March 17 during National Bus Driver Day.
    “We are truly fortunate in this District to have such a tremendous group of professional drivers and bus assistants. Our team performs their job assignments each day with concern for the safety of students and the public. It is an honor to be a part of this team and district,” said Keith Rosenbaum, LAPS transportation director.
    “Today we celebrated National Bus Driver Day to show our appreciation to the unsung heroes of our community. They get up early every day to guarantee our children get to school on time, safe and sound. The Los Alamos Schools Credit Union wanted show them that we care and that their role in our community is important.  I’d like to thank Bethany for organizing this event and Keith for giving us this opportunity to brighten their day,” said Matt Schmidt of the Los Alamos Schools Credit Union.

  • Community Calendar 3-24-17

    TODAY
    Fish Fry Friday from 5-7 p.m. at Immaculate Heart Mary Parish Hall, 3700 Canyon Road. Cost is $10 for Adults, $7 for children.

    Gentle Walks at 9 a.m. at the Nature Center. A gentle walk for which the emphasis is on discovery, not mileage gained. Free. More information at peecnature.org.

    Astronomy Show at 7 p.m. at the Nature Canter. Explore the night sky from the comfort of the planetarium. Cost is $6 for adults, $4 for children. More information at peecnature.org.
    SATURDAY
    Habitat for Humanity is hosting a Hawaiian at the Pajarito Brew Pub and Grill. Live Hawaiian-themed music. A special menu of Hawaiian and Hawaiian-inspired dishes and beverages. What better way to celebrate the arrival of spring? So don your loudest Hawaiian shirt and your best grass skirt and hula over to a tropical island paradise at the Pajarito Brew Pub and Grill.

    Snowshoe Hike in the Valles Caldera at 1 p.m. at the Nature Center. Join a ranger and PEEC on a 2 - 2.5 hour, easy-to-moderate snowshoe hike in the Valles Caldera National Preserve. Preserve entrance fee. More information at peecnature.org.

    Feature Film: Exoplanets at 2 p.m. at the Nature Center.

  •
    DPU launches app for customers

    The Los Alamos Department of Public Utilities (DPU) announced the launch of its free Los Alamos DPU app Thursday by Smart Energy Systems. 
    The a new cloud-based platform has a friendly interface for DPU customers to access their accounts, track consumption and pay utility bills from their computers or mobile devices, according to department officials.
    In 2015, a DPU customer satisfaction survey revealed that a segment of customers wanted more online functions.
    “Customers under the age of 45 told us that they wanted better ways to do business with us online. We listened and believe the Los Alamos DPU App will allow customers the flexibility and convenience they seek,” said Utilities Manager Tim Glasco, in a statement issued Thursday.  
    Some of the advantages that DPU customers can expect from the Los Alamos DPU app when used on their computers or downloaded to their mobile devices include the ability to:
    • Customize the home screen to create personalized dashboards,
    • View current and historic bills,
    • Make payments with a credit card or electronic check,
    • View current and historic consumption,  
    • Compare personal consumption to the average of all Los Alamos customers’ consumption, and
    • Receive alerts for high or low usage.

  • News for Retirees March 19-25

    March 19-25
    For information, call the Betty Ehart Senior Center (BESC) at 662-8920, the White Rock Senior Center (WRSC) at 672-2034 and “Day Out” (adult day care, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.) at 661-0081. Reservations: by 10 a.m. for lunches.
    Betty Ehart

    MONDAY    
    8:45 a.m.        Cardio
    8:30 a.m.        Tax Preparation
    9:45 a.m.        Pilates
    10 a.m.         Senior Civic Discussion
    10 a.m.        LARSO Advisory Council
    11:30 a.m.        Lunch: Taco Salad
    6 p.m.        Argentine Tango Dancing
    7 p.m.        Ballroom Dancing
    TUESDAY
    8:30 a.m.        Mac Users Group
    8:45 a.m.        Variety Training
    10 a.m.        Computer Users
    11:30 a.m.        Lunch: Salisbury steak
    1 p.m.        Bingo
    1 p.m.        Party Bridge
    7:30 p.m.        Table Tennis