Albuquerque, NM

The New Mexico Free Press is warming up to the challenge of competiting in the Santa Fe Market. However, I doubt that they are even thinking competiting, as they are focusing on community first. By the way if you have community news, events, stories, PSA’s, flood the mailbox with your news. You may have a better chance to have your views read, considered, and responded to.

In addition to reading articles by a fine staff with excellent photographic staff, your input and ideas will add to the paper’s mission. Dust off the thinking caps, PR skills, and idea boxes, and join in adding to this rich opportunity.

I’ve included below a few excerpts from this issue’s articles. There are several “front page” articles worth reading. www.newmexicofreepress.com
Layout and design is terrific. A great place to have excellent ad display.
Also available at local newstands.

I picked snow days, because I’ve kept saying the skiing is still good. It is. Read on.

Snow Days
Story by Rachel Hill/For The Free Press
Photos by Ana June/The Free Press

Sixty-nine trails on 660 acres are available for all kinds of snow sports. “It’s really been average snowfall,” DeJoia said, “but the first two snowstorms of the season were very wet, which makes a great base.”

The most recent storm brought 17 inches of snow to the mountain. DeJoia is in her 13th season at Ski Santa Fe, and noted that this year has definitely been an improvement over the past several. “The past three seasons, we haven’t been able to open the whole mountain until after Christmas,” Dejoia said.

Roland Garcia said he was very glad to see the whole mountain open, as it offers skiers the advantage of a widely varied terrain. “You can get the full range from easy to expert in one area,” Garcia said.

DeJoia, who handles season passes, groups and lift tickets, can foresee exactly when the resort will get a little on the crowded side. While Christmas is a very busy time, this year all Texas schools have the same scheduled spring break — mid-March. “Most groups that visit the Santa Fe Ski Area are from Texas,” DeJoia added, “or Albuquerque.”

However, crowding shouldn’t be too much of a problem, because a new lift was opened last year to provide an alternate way to reach the upper mountain. This is not only a safeguard in case another lift goes out of service, but also adds to the overall lift capacity at the resort: 9,350 skiers per hour can reach any trail they like from 9-4 daily.

The instructors at Ski Santa Fe are quick to explain that they teach in a snow sports school — much more than skiing is available. Snowboarding, telemarking, and racing classes are offered to students aged eight and over.

“We have most boarders learning at the beginning of the season,” Gould observed. “But if someone is only coming for a day or two, they’ll usually take skiing.” Snowboarding takes longer to learn and therefore requires more commitment, Gould said. “At the end of the season, we still have about 65 percent skiers compared to 35 percent boarders.”
Read more…get the paper or www.newmexicofreepress.com

Mike Barnes, a Neighborhood Watch block captain near the Southside Library, cinches up a sign announcing his neighborhood is participating in the program. Officer Louie Montoya, a member of the Santa Fe Police Department’s Crime Prevention Unit, right, helped Barnes get the Neighborhood Watch organized. Here’s your opportunity to read the rest of the story:www.newmexicofreepress.com

I’ve left the “bigger” articles for you to discover. Afterall, my comments, are never the last word. The paper is easily found about town or at: www.newmexicofreepress.com