A washed-out trench near Toboggan Canyon cut off Otero County Electric Cooperative’s large equipment access to its main 69kV transmission line for years, forcing the cooperative to build a new road.

OCEC’s new Vegetation Management program also set the stage for a major fire-mitigation push now underway on the 69kV line that energizes thousands of mountain residents.

It’s the main transmission line powering members in Cloudcroft east through Timberon, Piñon and Mayhill. The line feeds 6,066 meters, nearly a third of OCEC's total active coverage.

The Reader rode along the access road in mid-August with OCEC Vegetation Management and Right-of-Way Supervisor Janscen Davis, who emphasized why the work in this particular location matters.

“It’s below the village, and so there’s a huge community risk if a fire were to get started from the line, from an ignition; it would spread uphill,” Davis said.

Davis said much of his work involves fostering partnerships between the coop, the Forest Service, the Village, property owners, and other local partners.

The stakes aren't hypothetical. Power lines have ignited some of the country's most destructive fires in recent years, including the 2025 Eaton Fire near Los Angeles, which killed 19 people and destroyed more than 9,400 homes after electrical arcing on an idle Southern California Edison tower sparked dry brush.

It's the kind of scenario OCEC's clearance work is designed to prevent.

Entrenched Problem

Erosion below the Toboggan area has cut off crews' access to the line for years. Former Mayor Tim King repeatedly raised the issue at village meetings in 2025.

“We’ve been unable to access that line for years, since 2018,” Davis confirmed.

Growing development — more pavement and rooftops in the village — has increased runoff into aging drainage infrastructure built decades ago, worsening the erosion, Davis said.

“As this ripped through our access, it’s just, you know, we’ve had to adapt to find another way to get in here,” Davis said, standing at the edge of the washout, a steep drop-off where the utility road used to be.

To restore access, crews installed a new culvert and built an access road through the right-of-way — work Davis said will also give line crews, Forest Service personnel and vegetation crews reliable access going forward.

Managing Fire Risk

The access project ties directly into a larger vegetation management effort on the line. The work is expected to include:

• Clearing hazard trees and vegetation within OCEC’s 60-foot right-of-way along roughly 2.5 miles of line.

• A helicopter operation to remove trees from hard-to-access terrain — tentatively set to begin mid-September, weather and FAA clearance permitting.

• A fire-retardant steel mesh, already installed on every pole along the line. “It’s a steel mesh with a rubberized spray on it that, if it does get hot, actually melts and creates a coverage and becomes retardant from the fire crawling up,” Davis said.

OCEC moved away from contracting vegetation management to an in-house program nearly two years ago, led by Davis and arborist Tim Marshall. Marshall and his crew continually work to keep right-of-ways surrounding the coop’s lines clear, remove problem trees, and work outages.

What’s Next

Because of the work, all trails leading into the Toboggan area — including access from the Trestle Trail and pedestrian bridge — will be closed for about a month. Check the USFS website for current closure status.

Crews have already begun cutting down trees, and Davis said the project is underway. The timeline for the helicopter phase remains weather-dependent, with mid-to-late September as the target window.

Trees aren’t being technically logged, which would imply sales of the wood. Davis says many of the trees being removed are too dead for commercial use anyway. Some of the large trees in hard-to-drive spots will be removed by helicopter. And the rest will be masticated, the vegetation chipped up, and left behind.

The Reader will continue to report on this developing story.

WATCH: Video Report

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Reports like these are brought to you in part by support from great companies like:

• Ski Cloudcroft
  The Southernmost ski area in New Mexico.

• Cloudcroft Therapeutic Massage
  Maximizing Movement, Quality of Life Improvement

• High Altitude
  Your favorite little outdoor outfitter on Burro Avenue

• Off the Beaten Path
  Eclectic gifts & original artwork

• Future Real Estate
  Raise your expectations.

• Cloudcroft Art Society
  Located in Old Red Brick Schoolhouse: Holiday and Saturday art shows

• Noisy Water Winery
  Family-owned winery crafting thoughtfully made wines from New Mexico grapes, inspired by mountain living.

• Be in the Mountains Yoga & Massage
  A cozy space for yoga and massage therapy at the Village Plaza

• The Stove and Spa Store
  We offer a variety of services to ensure your hearth and spa dreams are met!

• The Lodge at Cloudcroft
  Landmark Choice Among New Mexico Resorts

• Cloudcroft Art Workshops
  Enhance your artistry while enjoying the beauty and coolness of the mountains!

• Sacramento Camp & Conference Center
  Come to the Mountain — Let God Refresh Your Soul

• Laughing Leaf Dispensary
  Discover a world of wellness at Laughing Leaf

• Instant Karma
  Adventure Within: Transformative Yoga, Ayurvedic Wisdom, Nourishing Organics, Fair Trade Boutique

• Blushing Yucca Esthetics
  ✨ Book your glow-up today✨

• The Elk Shed
  Purveyors of Southwest + Mountain Provisions, Goods & Finery

• The PAC
  Pickleball Addicts of Cloudcroft—Pickleball in the Clouds

• Peñasco Valley Telephone Cooperative
  For all the ways you love to connect

• Bre Hope Media
  Professional photo and video services

• Discover Cloudcroft
  Visit New Mexico’s Mountain Getaway

And readers like you. Will you support our work?

I support local news

The WWTP needs more funding than the village can afford. Plus: The FY ‘24-‘25 audit report, water restrictions, critical library funding at risk, and more at the September 8 council meeting.

Read the full story here:

https://www.cloudcroftreader.com/p/tick-tock-cloudcrofts-on-the-clock

Your Wednesday Review continues after this brief message. Thank you to our sponsor, Off the Beaten Path:

WATCH: Fire Mitigation and Access Project

Felling fellows weigh in on the OCEC fire mitigation and access project on the 69 line that feeds Cloudcroft and the mountain beyond. Plus: a fire mitigation solution on every pole.

Watch VIDEO Report

Discover Cloudcroft:
Visit New Mexico’s Mountain Getaway

www.DiscoverCloudcroft.com

VIDEO: Debbi McCurdy Helipad

Hilary Kitzman reports on the realized life-saving dream of the late McCurdy

The Reader is proud to be sponsored in part by Laughing Leaf:

Promote Your Business

Learn about sponsorship opportunities for your business in support of the Reader. Contact us for more information at sponsorship-info@cloudcroftreader.com

Cloudcroft Reader is proud to be sponsored in part by great companies like:

• Cloudcroft Art Society
  Located in Old Red Brick Schoolhouse: Holiday and Saturday art shows

• Noisy Water Winery
  Family-owned winery crafting thoughtfully made wines from New Mexico grapes, inspired by mountain living.

• Be in the Mountains Yoga & Massage
  A cozy space for yoga and massage therapy at the Village Plaza

• The Stove and Spa Store
  We offer a variety of services to ensure your hearth and spa dreams are met!

• The Lodge at Cloudcroft
  Landmark Choice Among New Mexico Resorts

• Homee
  Your success means our success.

• Cloudcroft Art Workshops
  Enhance your artistry while enjoying the beauty and coolness of the mountains!

• Sacramento Camp & Conference Center
  Come to the Mountain — Let God Refresh Your Soul

• Laughing Leaf Dispensary
  Discover a world of wellness at Laughing Leaf

• Instant Karma
  Adventure Within: Transformative Yoga, Ayurvedic Wisdom, Nourishing Organics, Fair Trade Boutique

• Off the Beaten Path
  Eclectic gifts & original artwork

• Future Real Estate
  Raise your expectations.

• Ski Cloudcroft
  The Southernmost ski area in New Mexico.

• Cloudcroft Therapeutic Massage
  Maximizing Movement, Quality of Life Improvement

• High Altitude
  Your favorite little outdoor outfitter on Burro Avenue

• Blushing Yucca Esthetics
  ✨ Book your glow-up today✨

• The Elk Shed
  Purveyors of Southwest + Mountain Provisions, Goods & Finery

• The PAC
  Pickleball Addicts of Cloudcroft—Pickleball in the Clouds

• Peñasco Valley Telephone Cooperative
  For all the ways you love to connect

• Bre Hope Media
  Professional photo and video services

I support local news

Cloudcroft Stars

Thank you to our great members (listed below) who have helped provide fair, first-hand, insightful coverage of the issues, institutions, and people at the heart of Cloudcroft. Their support makes our reporting possible.

They power “The Voice of the Mountain”

2026

Debra Alldredge, Kathy Lee Alvoid, Gustavo Armas, Jeff Barr, Charlene Basham, Larry/Dee Beck, Dmitry Bizyaev, Elizabeth Blohm, Susan Booth, Mary Bott, Carole Bronston, Anne Calaway, Kathy & Gary Calmia, Evalyn Canham, Alexandra Carilli, James Carlton, Janyce Chesnut, Sam Coats, Jonathan Coker, David Colarusso, Deborah Cole, Stephanie and Brian Collins, Amy Coor, Suzannah Cox, Marietta Crane, Ann Davis, Lee Dean, Aileen Duc, Marina Ellison, Madi Evans, Amy Felix, Wes and Pat Gaskill, Heidi Gibbons, Bing Graffunder, Diana Green, Angela Hagen, Keith Hamilton, William Hanson, Barbara Hartley, Renee Hays, Chris Hearne, Steve Henry, Allen Henson, Karen Highfill, Sonnie Hill, Barbara Hoskins, Michael Johnson, Michael Joiner, Brent Jordan, Cheryl Kaufman, Kurt Kochendarfer, David and Anne Marie Larsen, Michele Law, Diana Lehr, Bill Ley, Robert Mace, Shelby Manford, George Marshall, Ralph McGarity, Carie Mckinney, Tom and Pearl McLaughlin, Terry Means, Carl Milburn, Mike and Marty Mills, Christine Milyard, Monica Morgan, Bill and Pat Neal, Beth Offolter, Joey Pacheco, Tres Paxton, Julie and Eric Pearson, Mira Pepper, April Perez, Sue Preslar, Cheryl Puterbaugh, Laura Robertson, Leah Ross, Nikki Rowling, John Sarrels, Terry Schul, Terry Sharpe, Betty Sheker, Anne Shuttee, John & Jean Simmons, Bruce and Mandi Smaga, Robert Smaltz, Steph Snedden, Anne Spier, Greg and Lisa Spier, Don/Gwen Stowe, Gina Sweeny, Tami Swingler, Debbie Tate, Mark Tatum, Darrel Teaver, Diane Thomas, Patricia Troell, Summit Supply - True Value, Sharon Voelz, Laurel & John Walters/Cronin, Don Watts, Jessie Willett, Jaye Williams

2025

Gerardo & Hilda Acuna, Advanced Septic Pros LLC, Kathy Lee Alvoid, David Amidei, Carolyn Anderson, Gustavo Armas, Jeffrey Barr, Sandra and Jeff Barr, Paul Barrows, Charlene Basham, Larry/Dee Beck, Winner of the Bet, Dmitry Bizyaev, Elizabeth Blohm, Susan Booth, Mary Bott, Jack Britton, Roger Brown, Chris Burton, Cynthia Buttram, Lyn Canham, Alexandra Carilli, Donna G Casey, Dru and Craig Chapman, Janyce Chesnut, Jan Clarence, Sam Coats, Jonathan Coker, David Colarusso, Deborah Cole, Stephanie and Brian Collins, Kirk Cooper, Amy Coor, Jennifer Coughenour, Suzannah Cox, Marietta Crane, Kathleen Crinklaw, Martha & Larry Dahl, Mike & Jill DeGraw, The Cloudcroft Directory, Roger Donnelson, Aileen and Chaz Duc, Kathy Duncan, Virginia Durant, Glenn Edwards, Marina Ellison, Madi Evans, Cynthia S Farmer, Amy Felix, Mark Ferring, Mike Foster, Wes and Pat Gaskill, Robert Giacopasi, Heidi Gibbons, Jim Goodwin, Judy Gordinier, Merrilee Gordon, Bing and Jan Graffunder, Diana Green, Angela Hagen, Keith Hamilton, William Hanson, Barbara Hartley, Bill & Cheri Hass, Renee Hays, Chris Hearne, Stan and Ginger Hearne, Judy Helms, Steven Henry, Sean & Monica Henschel, Allen Henson, Karen Highfill, Sonnie Hill, Barbara Hoskins, Jann Hunter, Nancy Elle Igo, Barbara johnson, Michael Johnson, Brent Jordan, Cheryl Kaufman, Carol & Gary Kelly, Amanda Kemp, Peter Kendall, Jane E Klayman, Jane Klayman, Kurt Kochendarfer, Lynn Kriegshauser, Timothy Kruse, Terry Kyle, Richard F Lamb, David and Anne Marie Larsen, Diana Lehr, Robert Levy, Bill Ley, Tracy Lockhart, Michael London, Robert Mace, Shelby Manford, Kate Mangelsdorf, George Marshall, Jackie Maxon, Sandra McBrayer, Mike & Flora McClung, Rena Mcfarlane, Carie Mckinney, Tom&Pearl McLaughlin, Terry Means, Linda Meyer, Carl Milburn, Christine Milyard, Mike and Marilyn Moffitt, Glena Muncrief, Justin & Marianne Muñoz, Bill and Pat Neal, Kate O’Brien, Gail Overstreet, Joey Pacheco, Dani Park, Amy Parker-Morris, Carol Peacock, Eric Pearson, Julie and Eric Pearson, Mira Pepper, Lesa Provenghi, Barbara Pugh, Cheryl Puterbaugh, Laura Rabon, Charles Ramay, Jean Ramsey, Brian Risinger, Alynn Rivera, Laura Robertson, Dixie Rogers, Leah Ross, Pam Runyan, Andra Sanders, John Sarrels, Terry Schul, Jeanie Schwappach, Dona Sennett, Brian Sharp, Betty Sheker, Anne Shuttee, Rod Slaton, Rodney Slaton, Bruce and Mandi Smaga, Robert Smaltz, Sean Smith, Skip Smith, Steph Snedden, Anne Spier, Greg and Lisa Spier, Valerie Stagaman, Hans Steinhoff, Gina Sweeny, Julie Swift, Tami Swingler, Jeff Taff, Debbie Tate, Mark Tatum, Tod Taylor, Darrel Teaver, Diane Thomas, Brian & Cristy Thomma, William Tippin, Patricia Troell, Summit Supply - True Value, Tammy Vasilatos, Dave Venable, Laurel & John Walters/Cronin, Bill Warren, Don Watts, Della Webb, Christian W Westphal, Jessie Willett, Matt Willett, Kerie van Zeyst, Charlotte Zimmerman

2024

Gerardo Acuna, Hilda Gerardo Acuna, Laryssa Alvarez, Kathy Lee Alvoid, David Amidei, Jim Anderson, Sandra Barr, Rebecca Barrows, Charlene Basham, John Bennett, Greg and Courtney Blackman, Sally and Prentice Blanscett, Susan Booth, Mary Bott, Jack Britton, John Bufton, Cynthia Buttram, Gary Calmia, Lyn Canham, Alexandra Carilli, Donna G Casey, Craig and Dru Chapman, Janyce Chesnut, Sam Coats, Jonathan Coker, Deborah Cole, Brian and Stephanie Collins, Kirk Cooper, Amy Coor, Suzannah Cox, Martha & Larry Dahl, Justin Damron, Ann Davis, Charles Day, Hannah Dean, Roger Donnelson, Aileen Duc, Amy Dunlap, Dana Dunlap, Glenn Edwards, Randy Melton Electric, Waitt Family, Amy Felix, John & Debbie Ferdetta, David Frye, Wes and Pat Gaskill, Heidi Gibbons, Jim Goodwin, Judy Gordinier, Herman Graffunder, Jan Graffunder, Rhonda Grant, Angela Hagen, Linda Hamilton, Cheri Hass, Renee Hays, Richard Hays, April Hearne, Stan and Ginger Hearne, Steven G Henry, Karen Highfill, Sonnie Hill, Barbara Hoskins, Patti Howell, Jann Hunter, Barbara and Bryan Johnson, Michael Johnson, Cheryl Kaufman, Peter Kendall, Kurt Kochendarfer, Tom Krajci, Judith Langlois, David and Anne Marie Larsen, Dennis Latimer, Joshua and Jackie Lee, Diana Lehr, Bill Ley, Tracy Lockhart, Michael London, Guy Lutman, Robert Mace, Dennis Magill, Susan Mahan, Shelby Manford, George Marshall, Carie Mckinney, Tom McLaughlin, Pat McLeod, Terry Means, Linda Meyer, Mike and Stacey Hyman Institute for Philosophical and Future Studies in Makerting, Carl Milburn, Mike and Marty MILLS, Chris Milya, Carla Moore, Glena Muncrief, Earle & Dixie Neill, Earle Neill, Andrea Ohare, Gail Overstreet, Lynn Owen, Amy Parker-Morris, Eric Pearson, Julie and Eric Pearson, Malina Pearson, Nancy Penner, Jackie and Larry Pryor, Barbara Pugh, Cheryl Puterbaugh, Charles Ramay, Dorian Ramirez, Jean Ramsey, Linda Rawson, Pat Ray, Brian Risinger, Laura Robertson, Dixie Rogers, Mario Romero, Tom & Pam Runyan, Andra Sanders, John Sarrels, Barbara Scheuter, Terry Schul, DONA Sennett, Betty Sheker, Bob & Donna Shepherd, Sara Sims, Rod & Barbara Slaton, Rodney Slaton, Bruce and Mandi Smaga, Skip Smith, John Snook, Anne Spier, Lisa & Greg Spier, Valerie Stagaman, Don Stowe, Gina Sweeny, Julie Swift, Debbie Tate, Mark Tatum, Tod Taylor, Diane Thomas, Charles Townley, Summit Supply - True Value, Craig Turner, Dave Venable, Laurel & John Walters/Cronin, Don Watts, Della Webb, Adrienne West, Jessie Willett, Matt Willett, Jim Worthan, Carl Wyatt

Thank you to our supporters. We couldn’t do this without you.

Cloudcroft’s sewage treatment plant is running on borrowed time, and the Village Council has yet to vote on the paperwork to replace it.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Chad Johnson of CDM Smith laid out a master plan to tear out the aging plant, a rusted-through trickling filter paired with an aging membrane bioreactor (MBR) system, and replace it with a new MBR package plant.

“Package plant means that a lot of it is manufactured and assembled off-site, so that reduces the construction timeline,” Johnson told the council.

The price tag: $15 million to $17 million. Construction to update the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) will run 12 to 18 months once it starts, weather allowing.

Over the past few years, the village has operated on around or less than a $2 million annual budget, nowhere near the $15 million required to update the WWTP.

Next Steps

After his inaugural meeting as trustee, John Snook spoke with the Reader, Johnson, and WWTP Operator Scott Powell outside the village chambers. Snook noted that to even compete for state funding, the Village must first authorize a Preliminary Engineering Report (PER). Johnson said the required document takes four to six weeks to complete.

The timeline is tight. The council needs to approve the PER, send it to the state, and get it back before trustees travel to Santa Fe in January to lobby for money. Miss the window, and the ask slips a year while the plant keeps aging.

A report from Robert George, an independent expert contracted by the state, warned in an April 2026 letter to NMED’s Construction Programs Bureau that corrosion “has reached the point that catastrophic failure of one (or several) of the key components is imminent,” calling the situation an emergency. Read it here: https://www.cloudcroftreader.com/p/failing-wastewater-treatment-plant

If the state funds arrive in pieces, $5 million one year, $5 million the next, the project gets more expensive, not less, according to Snook. Engineering and construction crews get pulled off once the money runs out, then have to relearn the site when funding resumes. Without state money at all, the fallback is what the Village has been doing: nursing an aging plant along and hoping it holds.

“We need help, and we need it now,” Powell said.

Audit Flags Nine Problems. Eight Old, One New

The Village’s finances got a formal grade Tuesday with improvements since the last audit.

Hannah Lee of Beasley, Mitchell & Co. presented the audit for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. The result: a qualified opinion, meaning auditors couldn’t get enough documentation to sign off cleanly on several account balances. Still, an upgrade from the previous year’s “disclaimer.”

New staffing and procedures are addressing many of the issues.

Trustees Hamilton, Hardwick, and Snook, all in attendance, voted unanimously to approve the resolution to accept the audit.

Nine findings in all. Eight were repeats from the prior year. One finding from previous years explains why the others linger: a previous Village Clerk deleted documents including receipts, invoices, and financial records from the Village’s digital storage system, leaving no way to verify what the money actually paid for. Auditors wrote that the missing paperwork meant the “financial statements were materially misstated.”

That position also controlled every financial step: entering transactions, printing accounts-payable checks, and reconciling bank statements, with no one checking the work. Auditors called that setup an “increased possibility of misstatement or fraud.” More here: https://www.cloudcroftreader.com/p/cloudcrofts-murky-accounting

The village now has Village Clerk Jini Turri and Deputy Clerk Barbara Garcia in office, though the segregation of duties won’t be reflected until after the next audit cycle.

The one new finding: Village bank deposits were under-collateralized by $38,412 at fiscal year-end. New Mexico law requires financial institutions holding public deposits to pledge collateral worth at least 50% of anything above FDIC insurance limits. Lee told trustees it’s a shared responsibility: the bank’s obligation to post it, the Village’s job to confirm it did. She said it’s often triggered by a late, unanticipated deposit landing right before the books close, and that the issue has since been addressed.

Trustees also pressed on budget overruns from FY ‘24-’25 across several funds in a total excess of $1.1 million.

During the audit presentation, it was clarified that these “expenditures in excess of budget” were primarily accounting and classification issues, meaning funds were recorded or paid out of the wrong accounts without formal end-of-year budget adjustments being submitted to the state, rather than actual unauthorized overspending.

This finding was no surprise to the council—Turri had raised the same issue during the budget workshop weekend in May. More on that here: https://www.cloudcroftreader.com/p/down-to-the-brass-tacks-cloudcrofts

Lee told trustees the money wasn’t misspent so much as misfiled, paid out of the wrong account rather than actually exceeding what the Village had. “Those over-expenditures are all listed,” she said. “They were just not accounted for properly, for the most part.” Fixing it requires a formal budget adjustment at year’s end.

Download the full audit report here:

Village Of Cloudcroft 25a Financial Statements Final

595KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

Holiday Weekend Drain

Public Works Supervisor JJ Carrizal told the council that the busy village burned through roughly 700,000 gallons over the holiday weekend, dropping the water tank down to about six feet. Cloudcroft remains under Water Restriction Level 3.

Library Board Down to Two Members, Risking State Funding

Library Director Sandra Barr made an urgent plea for volunteers: the Library Board has only two of its five required members, and neither the board nor the Friends of the Library can hit quorum.

“We need the library board, I plead with you,” Barr told the council. “We don’t have a quorum...we need five people, we only have two.”

The stakes go beyond bylaws. Under state rule 4.5.2.9 NMAC, a public library needs an active board meeting at least twice a year to qualify for State Grants-in-Aid, and it needs current accreditation and a certified director to draw state aid and General Obligation Bond funding.

Barr also flagged the library’s food and clothing drive ahead of fall programming. “Twenty-one percent of the population up here are below the poverty line,” she said. “People need food and clothing.”

Send Offs & Service

Mayor Dusty Wiley began the meeting by presenting a plaque to former trustee Gail McCoy for her years of service on the council. Barr announced in her report that the McCoys’ 75th birthday will be celebrated at the library on September 18 from 5-6 p.m., coinciding with the return of the historic schoolhouse bell.

Wiley proclaimed September 11, 2026, as Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance in Cloudcroft.

And a special thanks from the Reader: resident A/V volunteer Grover Sterling keeps the Village’s YouTube stream running at @CloudcroftNewmexico, giving anyone who missed the room a way to watch it all happen.

Reports like these are brought to you in part by support from great companies like:

• Ski Cloudcroft
  The Southernmost ski area in New Mexico.

• Cloudcroft Therapeutic Massage
  Maximizing Movement, Quality of Life Improvement

• High Altitude
  Your favorite little outdoor outfitter on Burro Avenue

• Off the Beaten Path
  Eclectic gifts & original artwork

• Future Real Estate
  Raise your expectations.

• Cloudcroft Art Society
  Located in Old Red Brick Schoolhouse: Holiday and Saturday art shows

• Homee
  Your success means our success.

• Noisy Water Winery
  Family-owned winery crafting thoughtfully made wines from New Mexico grapes, inspired by mountain living.

• Be in the Mountains Yoga & Massage
  A cozy space for yoga and massage therapy at the Village Plaza

• The Stove and Spa Store
  We offer a variety of services to ensure your hearth and spa dreams are met!

• The Lodge at Cloudcroft
  Landmark Choice Among New Mexico Resorts

• Cloudcroft Art Workshops
  Enhance your artistry while enjoying the beauty and coolness of the mountains!

• Sacramento Camp & Conference Center
  Come to the Mountain — Let God Refresh Your Soul

• Laughing Leaf Dispensary
  Discover a world of wellness at Laughing Leaf

• Instant Karma
  Adventure Within: Transformative Yoga, Ayurvedic Wisdom, Nourishing Organics, Fair Trade Boutique

• Blushing Yucca Esthetics
  ✨ Book your glow-up today✨

• The Elk Shed
  Purveyors of Southwest + Mountain Provisions, Goods & Finery

• The PAC
  Pickleball Addicts of Cloudcroft—Pickleball in the Clouds

• Peñasco Valley Telephone Cooperative
  For all the ways you love to connect

• Bre Hope Media
  Professional photo and video services

• Discover Cloudcroft
  Visit New Mexico’s Mountain Getaway

And readers like you. Will you support our work?

I support local news

Tuesday night, the Village Council elected, by a vote of 3-0, resident John Snook to serve the remainder of the Trustee position occupied by Gail McCoy until her resignation on August 20, 2026. Read the full story

Your Wednesday Review continues after this brief message. Thank you to our sponsor, Noisy Water Winery:

Discover Cloudcroft:
Visit New Mexico’s Mountain Getaway

www.DiscoverCloudcroft.com

VIDEO: Debbi McCurdy Helipad

Hilary Kitzman reports on the realized life-saving dream from the late McCurdy

The Reader is proud to be sponsored in part by Be in the Mountains Yoga & Massage:

Be in the Mountains Yoga & Massage Therapy now offers Ashiatsu massage alongside Vinyasa Flow, Yin Yoga, Thai Yoga, VinYin, and more in their space in the Village Plaza along James Canyon Highway. Bespoke clothing, yoga mats, and lotions are available for purchase.

Promote Your Business

Learn about sponsorship opportunities for your business in support of the Reader. Contact us for more information at sponsorship-info@cloudcroftreader.com

Cloudcroft Reader is proud to be sponsored in part by great companies like:

• Cloudcroft Art Society
  Located in Old Red Brick Schoolhouse: Holiday and Saturday art shows

• Noisy Water Winery
  Family-owned winery crafting thoughtfully made wines from New Mexico grapes, inspired by mountain living.

• Be in the Mountains Yoga & Massage
  A cozy space for yoga and massage therapy at the Village Plaza

• The Stove and Spa Store
  We offer a variety of services to ensure your hearth and spa dreams are met!

• The Lodge at Cloudcroft
  Landmark Choice Among New Mexico Resorts

• Cloudcroft Art Workshops
  Enhance your artistry while enjoying the beauty and coolness of the mountains!

• Sacramento Camp & Conference Center
  Come to the Mountain — Let God Refresh Your Soul

• Laughing Leaf Dispensary
  Discover a world of wellness at Laughing Leaf

• Instant Karma
  Adventure Within: Transformative Yoga, Ayurvedic Wisdom, Nourishing Organics, Fair Trade Boutique

• Off the Beaten Path
  Eclectic gifts & original artwork

• Future Real Estate
  Raise your expectations.

• Ski Cloudcroft
  The Southernmost ski area in New Mexico.

• Cloudcroft Therapeutic Massage
  Maximizing Movement, Quality of Life Improvement

• High Altitude
  Your favorite little outdoor outfitter on Burro Avenue

• Blushing Yucca Esthetics
  ✨ Book your glow-up today✨

• The Elk Shed
  Purveyors of Southwest + Mountain Provisions, Goods & Finery

• The PAC
  Pickleball Addicts of Cloudcroft—Pickleball in the Clouds

• Peñasco Valley Telephone Cooperative
  For all the ways you love to connect

• Bre Hope Media
  Professional photo and video services

I support local news

Cloudcroft Stars

Thank you to our great members (listed below) who have helped provide fair, first-hand, insightful coverage of the issues, institutions, and people at the heart of Cloudcroft. Their support makes our reporting possible.

They power “The Voice of the Mountain”

2026

Debra Alldredge, Kathy Lee Alvoid, Gustavo Armas, Jeff Barr, Charlene Basham, Larry/Dee Beck, Dmitry Bizyaev, Elizabeth Blohm, Susan Booth, Mary Bott, Carole Bronston, Anne Calaway, Kathy & Gary Calmia, Evalyn Canham, Alexandra Carilli, James Carlton, Janyce Chesnut, Sam Coats, Jonathan Coker, David Colarusso, Deborah Cole, Stephanie and Brian Collins, Amy Coor, Suzannah Cox, Marietta Crane, Ann Davis, Lee Dean, Aileen Duc, Marina Ellison, Madi Evans, Amy Felix, Wes and Pat Gaskill, Heidi Gibbons, Bing Graffunder, Diana Green, Angela Hagen, Keith Hamilton, William Hanson, Barbara Hartley, Renee Hays, Chris Hearne, Steve Henry, Allen Henson, Karen Highfill, Sonnie Hill, Barbara Hoskins, Michael Johnson, Michael Joiner, Brent Jordan, Cheryl Kaufman, Kurt Kochendarfer, David and Anne Marie Larsen, Michele Law, Diana Lehr, Bill Ley, Robert Mace, Shelby Manford, George Marshall, Ralph McGarity, Carie Mckinney, Tom and Pearl McLaughlin, Terry Means, Carl Milburn, Mike and Marty Mills, Christine Milyard, Monica Morgan, Bill and Pat Neal, Beth Offolter, Joey Pacheco, Tres Paxton, Julie and Eric Pearson, Mira Pepper, April Perez, Sue Preslar, Cheryl Puterbaugh, Laura Robertson, Leah Ross, Nikki Rowling, John Sarrels, Terry Schul, Terry Sharpe, Betty Sheker, Anne Shuttee, John & Jean Simmons, Bruce and Mandi Smaga, Robert Smaltz, Steph Snedden, Anne Spier, Greg and Lisa Spier, Don/Gwen Stowe, Gina Sweeny, Tami Swingler, Debbie Tate, Mark Tatum, Darrel Teaver, Diane Thomas, Patricia Troell, Summit Supply - True Value, Sharon Voelz, Laurel & John Walters/Cronin, Don Watts, Jessie Willett, Jaye Williams

2025

Gerardo & Hilda Acuna, Advanced Septic Pros LLC, Kathy Lee Alvoid, David Amidei, Carolyn Anderson, Gustavo Armas, Jeffrey Barr, Sandra and Jeff Barr, Paul Barrows, Charlene Basham, Larry/Dee Beck, Winner of the Bet, Dmitry Bizyaev, Elizabeth Blohm, Susan Booth, Mary Bott, Jack Britton, Roger Brown, Chris Burton, Cynthia Buttram, Lyn Canham, Alexandra Carilli, Donna G Casey, Dru and Craig Chapman, Janyce Chesnut, Jan Clarence, Sam Coats, Jonathan Coker, David Colarusso, Deborah Cole, Stephanie and Brian Collins, Kirk Cooper, Amy Coor, Jennifer Coughenour, Suzannah Cox, Marietta Crane, Kathleen Crinklaw, Martha & Larry Dahl, Mike & Jill DeGraw, The Cloudcroft Directory, Roger Donnelson, Aileen and Chaz Duc, Kathy Duncan, Virginia Durant, Glenn Edwards, Marina Ellison, Madi Evans, Cynthia S Farmer, Amy Felix, Mark Ferring, Mike Foster, Wes and Pat Gaskill, Robert Giacopasi, Heidi Gibbons, Jim Goodwin, Judy Gordinier, Merrilee Gordon, Bing and Jan Graffunder, Diana Green, Angela Hagen, Keith Hamilton, William Hanson, Barbara Hartley, Bill & Cheri Hass, Renee Hays, Chris Hearne, Stan and Ginger Hearne, Judy Helms, Steven Henry, Sean & Monica Henschel, Allen Henson, Karen Highfill, Sonnie Hill, Barbara Hoskins, Jann Hunter, Nancy Elle Igo, Barbara johnson, Michael Johnson, Brent Jordan, Cheryl Kaufman, Carol & Gary Kelly, Amanda Kemp, Peter Kendall, Jane E Klayman, Jane Klayman, Kurt Kochendarfer, Lynn Kriegshauser, Timothy Kruse, Terry Kyle, Richard F Lamb, David and Anne Marie Larsen, Diana Lehr, Robert Levy, Bill Ley, Tracy Lockhart, Michael London, Robert Mace, Shelby Manford, Kate Mangelsdorf, George Marshall, Jackie Maxon, Sandra McBrayer, Mike & Flora McClung, Rena Mcfarlane, Carie Mckinney, Tom&Pearl McLaughlin, Terry Means, Linda Meyer, Carl Milburn, Christine Milyard, Mike and Marilyn Moffitt, Glena Muncrief, Justin & Marianne Muñoz, Bill and Pat Neal, Kate O’Brien, Gail Overstreet, Joey Pacheco, Dani Park, Amy Parker-Morris, Carol Peacock, Eric Pearson, Julie and Eric Pearson, Mira Pepper, Lesa Provenghi, Barbara Pugh, Cheryl Puterbaugh, Laura Rabon, Charles Ramay, Jean Ramsey, Brian Risinger, Alynn Rivera, Laura Robertson, Dixie Rogers, Leah Ross, Pam Runyan, Andra Sanders, John Sarrels, Terry Schul, Jeanie Schwappach, Dona Sennett, Brian Sharp, Betty Sheker, Anne Shuttee, Rod Slaton, Rodney Slaton, Bruce and Mandi Smaga, Robert Smaltz, Sean Smith, Skip Smith, Steph Snedden, Anne Spier, Greg and Lisa Spier, Valerie Stagaman, Hans Steinhoff, Gina Sweeny, Julie Swift, Tami Swingler, Jeff Taff, Debbie Tate, Mark Tatum, Tod Taylor, Darrel Teaver, Diane Thomas, Brian & Cristy Thomma, William Tippin, Patricia Troell, Summit Supply - True Value, Tammy Vasilatos, Dave Venable, Laurel & John Walters/Cronin, Bill Warren, Don Watts, Della Webb, Christian W Westphal, Jessie Willett, Matt Willett, Kerie van Zeyst, Charlotte Zimmerman

2024

Gerardo Acuna, Hilda Gerardo Acuna, Laryssa Alvarez, Kathy Lee Alvoid, David Amidei, Jim Anderson, Sandra Barr, Rebecca Barrows, Charlene Basham, John Bennett, Greg and Courtney Blackman, Sally and Prentice Blanscett, Susan Booth, Mary Bott, Jack Britton, John Bufton, Cynthia Buttram, Gary Calmia, Lyn Canham, Alexandra Carilli, Donna G Casey, Craig and Dru Chapman, Janyce Chesnut, Sam Coats, Jonathan Coker, Deborah Cole, Brian and Stephanie Collins, Kirk Cooper, Amy Coor, Suzannah Cox, Martha & Larry Dahl, Justin Damron, Ann Davis, Charles Day, Hannah Dean, Roger Donnelson, Aileen Duc, Amy Dunlap, Dana Dunlap, Glenn Edwards, Randy Melton Electric, Waitt Family, Amy Felix, John & Debbie Ferdetta, David Frye, Wes and Pat Gaskill, Heidi Gibbons, Jim Goodwin, Judy Gordinier, Herman Graffunder, Jan Graffunder, Rhonda Grant, Angela Hagen, Linda Hamilton, Cheri Hass, Renee Hays, Richard Hays, April Hearne, Stan and Ginger Hearne, Steven G Henry, Karen Highfill, Sonnie Hill, Barbara Hoskins, Patti Howell, Jann Hunter, Barbara and Bryan Johnson, Michael Johnson, Cheryl Kaufman, Peter Kendall, Kurt Kochendarfer, Tom Krajci, Judith Langlois, David and Anne Marie Larsen, Dennis Latimer, Joshua and Jackie Lee, Diana Lehr, Bill Ley, Tracy Lockhart, Michael London, Guy Lutman, Robert Mace, Dennis Magill, Susan Mahan, Shelby Manford, George Marshall, Carie Mckinney, Tom McLaughlin, Pat McLeod, Terry Means, Linda Meyer, Mike and Stacey Hyman Institute for Philosophical and Future Studies in Makerting, Carl Milburn, Mike and Marty MILLS, Chris Milya, Carla Moore, Glena Muncrief, Earle & Dixie Neill, Earle Neill, Andrea Ohare, Gail Overstreet, Lynn Owen, Amy Parker-Morris, Eric Pearson, Julie and Eric Pearson, Malina Pearson, Nancy Penner, Jackie and Larry Pryor, Barbara Pugh, Cheryl Puterbaugh, Charles Ramay, Dorian Ramirez, Jean Ramsey, Linda Rawson, Pat Ray, Brian Risinger, Laura Robertson, Dixie Rogers, Mario Romero, Tom & Pam Runyan, Andra Sanders, John Sarrels, Barbara Scheuter, Terry Schul, DONA Sennett, Betty Sheker, Bob & Donna Shepherd, Sara Sims, Rod & Barbara Slaton, Rodney Slaton, Bruce and Mandi Smaga, Skip Smith, John Snook, Anne Spier, Lisa & Greg Spier, Valerie Stagaman, Don Stowe, Gina Sweeny, Julie Swift, Debbie Tate, Mark Tatum, Tod Taylor, Diane Thomas, Charles Townley, Summit Supply - True Value, Craig Turner, Dave Venable, Laurel & John Walters/Cronin, Don Watts, Della Webb, Adrienne West, Jessie Willett, Matt Willett, Jim Worthan, Carl Wyatt

Help us hit 50 by Labor Day. 3 new members to go…

Join us today: Sign Me Up!

Tuesday night, the Village Council elected, by a vote of 3-0, resident John Snook to serve the remainder of the Trustee position occupied by Gail McCoy after her resignation on August 20, 2026.

Snook, a mechanical engineer licensed in both New Mexico and Texas, has been a Cloudcroft seasonal for roughly 35 years and became a full-time resident with his wife Carrie in 2023. Though retired, he said he continues to work remotely and has flexibility to serve the community.

He says he volunteered for the trustee position because of the village’s urgent infrastructure needs.

“Without wastewater or water, there’s going to be no village,” Snook said. “I want to try and help the village solve those problems.”

Snook was one of three applicants for the seat. All were male. Trustees cited Snook’s familiarity with the village’s water systems and the immediate challenges facing the village’s water and wastewater systems.

Cloudcroft’s wastewater system is already creating high operating costs as it struggles with aging equipment. The village is currently hauling liquid waste at an estimated cost of about $20,000 per month because existing equipment cannot sufficiently dry the material.

Near-term plans include purchasing a fan press to dewater sludge for roughly $725,000 to $750,000, covered by an existing grant, though installation could require another approximately $150,000. The village may also need additional membranes, previously quoted at about $130,000, because it would change the current treatment setup.

A larger decision is expected soon. Engineering firm CDM Smith is scheduled to present a wastewater master plan to the Council next week that considers repairing the existing system or installing a factory-tested package plant.

Installing a new package plant for waste treatment and disposal seems to be the option preferred by the staff and mayor. The full wastewater replacement project is estimated at $15 million to $16 million and could take about four years.

Snook said his experience can help plan a workable transition: coordinating inlet and outlet tie-ins, preparing the site and foundation, timing construction around Cloudcroft’s seasonal population, and ensuring the system is practical for village staff to operate.

The village also faces broader water-storage needs, including building a 500,000-gallon storage tank.

With solid plans in hand, Mayor Wiley and the Council must lobby the state for the grant money needed to fund the water and wastewater plans and keep the village in compliance with state regulations in the years ahead. Making a credible pitch will be crucial to their success.

WATCH: A vision of planned improvements at the rink

Cloudcroft’s winter tourism calendar has long leaned on something the village can’t control: snow.

When it doesn’t show, neither do the sledders, skiers and day-trippers who fill Burro Street on a good weekend.

That uncertainty may soon be a thing of the past.

Cory and Shea Herman committed to a 20-year lease for a regular draw: a refrigerated ice skating rink that can give the village a winter anchor that doesn’t depend on the forecast.

Last year, the natural rink at Zenith Park could not open due to warm weather, low moisture, and water restrictions, familiar frustrations after decades of hand-laid natural ice in a warming environment.

The switch to glycol-cooled ice should guarantee a 6-month season, during the months when the village’s tourism usually sags.

The Ice Man

Cory Herman’s credentials are hard to top. He has built ice for NHL outdoor games on New Year’s Day and Thanksgiving, most recently for a Tampa Bay game last January.

The Saskatchewan-raised former hockey player got his start running El Paso’s youth hockey program out of the Coliseum. When the ice plant failed five years in, he moved the program to a nearby equestrian center and built it into the El Paso Rhinos, adding a junior team of 18-to-20-year-olds to build a fan base. He says the Rhinos now sell out about 95% of their games at a venue that seats close to 3,000.

The NHL connection came out of a near-disaster. About a decade ago, the Rhinos’ rink was nominated for Hockeyville USA and hosted an NHL game that monsoon weather nearly canceled days beforehand. The two NHL ice technicians who helped Herman save it invited him to join their crew, and he has worked on league outdoor games ever since.

Shea Herman is director of operations for both the Rhinos and the Cloudcroft rink. Cory is overseeing the technical build-out through the couple’s company, Southwest Sports Solutions.

Years of visits to the village, encouragement from the Adams family at Ski Cloudcroft, and a drive past the old rink set the project in motion. Herman signed the lease last fall, and the Village Council approved the ordinance unanimously in October 2025. Trustee and Parks and Rec. Chair Matt Willett confirmed the 20-year term, long enough, village officials say, to treat the rink as a fixture rather than a seasonal experiment.

The Hermans are financing the renovation themselves, and their improvement costs count as credit toward the lease. By late August they had repainted the rink and built a rain catchment system.

Weatherproof Plans, Ice on Demand

For decades, the rink ran on hand-laid ice and hope.

In an interview with the Reader before he stepped away, longtime rink lessee Donald Wiklund described the trial and error of tending outdoor ice at 8,676 feet: checking overnight for the rare cold snap that would let him spray thin layers of water and hope they held. He called the operation "a lot of luck and logic.”

Last winter, the luck ran out. Warm weather, low moisture, and water restrictions kept the rink from opening.

The new system removes the guesswork.

A chiller plant cools glycol pumped beneath the ice slab, fed by on-site rainwater. The ice stays thin, 1.25 to 1.5 inches, groomed by a propane-powered mini-Zamboni sized for the rink. A heater in the glycol lines holds the surface near 26 degrees, because colder ice actually skates worse, Herman said.

Warm spells won’t end the season, either. If temperatures spike mid-tournament, crews can roll an insulated tarp over the ice, like a rain tarp at a baseball game, while the chillers catch up underneath. Play continues instead of getting called off.

Beyond the chiller plant, upgrades include a higher-amp electrical transformer, full glass hockey boards, LED lighting, a renovated concession stand, rubber restroom flooring to protect skate blades, spectator bench seating, and 200 new skates. Concrete work between the skate shack and the rink is underway.

Everything stays within the rink’s original footprint.

What to Expect

The chiller plant is running late. Shea Herman told the Reader last week that the unit has hit a one- to two-week delay with the manufacturer; it had been expected by September 1. Installation dates are being adjusted, and it’s not yet clear whether the delay will push back the start of skating, which is targeted for early to mid-October.

The grand opening will go on regardless: October 31, noon to 10 p.m., with free open skating, face painting, and a costume contest.

Once open, the rink plans five programs for its first season, slated for this October through next March—public skating, learn-to-skate (starting at age 2), learn-to-play hockey, an adult recreational league, and figure skating—a far longer season than the two-to-three-week runs the rink saw in its final natural-ice years.

At the recent August 20 Leadership Cloudcroft tourism think tank, Herman told the group that the rink secured its affiliation with USA Hockey and the Land of Enchantment Amateur Hockey Association, clearing the way to certify coaches, run background checks through USA Hockey’s Safe Sport program, and insure players. The figure skating program will operate under the International Skating Institute (ISI) and focus on beginner-level instruction.

Village leaders and business owners point to the rink, along with events like Ullrfest, as part of the push to give visitors a reason to come up the mountain, even in a dry, brown winter.

Sas-sy Mascot

The rink’s youth and adult hockey program will skate under a new name and identity: the Sasquatch. A logo and full brand were revealed alongside the rink’s website launch on September 1.

After the grand opening, the rink will host the Mountain Top Classic, its first ages-8-and-under hockey tournament, on November 7 and 8. For more info, email cheon@elpasorhinos.com

With an underwriting sponsor in place, the rink is finalizing a free six-week learn-to-skate course for all 467 Cloudcroft Municipal Schools students, scheduled around class periods so kids can walk over during the day.

This is a first step toward Herman's longer-term hope of eventually fielding a high school hockey team out of Cloudcroft. A regulation-size ice sheet would be required for official high school games, though not for practice, so that goal remains years out; Cory's rougher roadmap has a house league, potentially with crossover weekends between El Paso and Cloudcroft teams, arriving in years two or three.

With their recent purchase from John and Michelle Tatum, the Hermans also diversified their investment in Cloudcroft by acquiring the Cloudcroft Sandwich Shop at the Burro St. Exchange.

The Reader will continue to report on paninis, pucks, and this 20-year bet on the village.

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Cloudcroft Stars

Thank you to our great members (listed below) who have helped provide fair, first-hand, insightful coverage of the issues, institutions, and people at the heart of Cloudcroft. Their support makes our reporting possible.

They power “The Voice of the Mountain”

2026

Debra Alldredge, Kathy Lee Alvoid, Gustavo Armas, Jeff Barr, Charlene Basham, Larry/Dee Beck, Dmitry Bizyaev, Elizabeth Blohm, Susan Booth, Mary Bott, Carole Bronston, Anne Calaway, Kathy & Gary Calmia, Evalyn Canham, Alexandra Carilli, James Carlton, Janyce Chesnut, Sam Coats, Jonathan Coker, David Colarusso, Deborah Cole, Stephanie and Brian Collins, Amy Coor, Suzannah Cox, Marietta Crane, Ann Davis, Lee Dean, Aileen Duc, Marina Ellison, Madi Evans, Amy Felix, Wes and Pat Gaskill, Heidi Gibbons, Bing Graffunder, Diana Green, Angela Hagen, Keith Hamilton, William Hanson, Barbara Hartley, Renee Hays, Chris Hearne, Steve Henry, Allen Henson, Karen Highfill, Sonnie Hill, Barbara Hoskins, Michael Johnson, Michael Joiner, Brent Jordan, Cheryl Kaufman, Kurt Kochendarfer, David and Anne Marie Larsen, Michele Law, Diana Lehr, Bill Ley, Robert Mace, Shelby Manford, George Marshall, Ralph McGarity, Carie Mckinney, Tom and Pearl McLaughlin, Terry Means, Carl Milburn, Mike and Marty Mills, Christine Milyard, Monica Morgan, Bill and Pat Neal, Beth Offolter, Joey Pacheco, Tres Paxton, Julie and Eric Pearson, Mira Pepper, April Perez, Sue Preslar, Cheryl Puterbaugh, Laura Robertson, Leah Ross, Nikki Rowling, John Sarrels, Terry Schul, Terry Sharpe, Betty Sheker, Anne Shuttee, John & Jean Simmons, Bruce and Mandi Smaga, Robert Smaltz, Steph Snedden, Anne Spier, Greg and Lisa Spier, Don/Gwen Stowe, Gina Sweeny, Tami Swingler, Debbie Tate, Mark Tatum, Darrel Teaver, Diane Thomas, Patricia Troell, Summit Supply - True Value, Sharon Voelz, Laurel & John Walters/Cronin, Don Watts, Jessie Willett, Jaye Williams

2025

Gerardo & Hilda Acuna, Advanced Septic Pros LLC, Kathy Lee Alvoid, David Amidei, Carolyn Anderson, Gustavo Armas, Jeffrey Barr, Sandra and Jeff Barr, Paul Barrows, Charlene Basham, Larry/Dee Beck, Winner of the Bet, Dmitry Bizyaev, Elizabeth Blohm, Susan Booth, Mary Bott, Jack Britton, Roger Brown, Chris Burton, Cynthia Buttram, Lyn Canham, Alexandra Carilli, Donna G Casey, Dru and Craig Chapman, Janyce Chesnut, Jan Clarence, Sam Coats, Jonathan Coker, David Colarusso, Deborah Cole, Stephanie and Brian Collins, Kirk Cooper, Amy Coor, Jennifer Coughenour, Suzannah Cox, Marietta Crane, Kathleen Crinklaw, Martha & Larry Dahl, Mike & Jill DeGraw, The Cloudcroft Directory, Roger Donnelson, Aileen and Chaz Duc, Kathy Duncan, Virginia Durant, Glenn Edwards, Marina Ellison, Madi Evans, Cynthia S Farmer, Amy Felix, Mark Ferring, Mike Foster, Wes and Pat Gaskill, Robert Giacopasi, Heidi Gibbons, Jim Goodwin, Judy Gordinier, Merrilee Gordon, Bing and Jan Graffunder, Diana Green, Angela Hagen, Keith Hamilton, William Hanson, Barbara Hartley, Bill & Cheri Hass, Renee Hays, Chris Hearne, Stan and Ginger Hearne, Judy Helms, Steven Henry, Sean & Monica Henschel, Allen Henson, Karen Highfill, Sonnie Hill, Barbara Hoskins, Jann Hunter, Nancy Elle Igo, Barbara johnson, Michael Johnson, Brent Jordan, Cheryl Kaufman, Carol & Gary Kelly, Amanda Kemp, Peter Kendall, Jane E Klayman, Jane Klayman, Kurt Kochendarfer, Lynn Kriegshauser, Timothy Kruse, Terry Kyle, Richard F Lamb, David and Anne Marie Larsen, Diana Lehr, Robert Levy, Bill Ley, Tracy Lockhart, Michael London, Robert Mace, Shelby Manford, Kate Mangelsdorf, George Marshall, Jackie Maxon, Sandra McBrayer, Mike & Flora McClung, Rena Mcfarlane, Carie Mckinney, Tom&Pearl McLaughlin, Terry Means, Linda Meyer, Carl Milburn, Christine Milyard, Mike and Marilyn Moffitt, Glena Muncrief, Justin & Marianne Muñoz, Bill and Pat Neal, Kate O’Brien, Gail Overstreet, Joey Pacheco, Dani Park, Amy Parker-Morris, Carol Peacock, Eric Pearson, Julie and Eric Pearson, Mira Pepper, Lesa Provenghi, Barbara Pugh, Cheryl Puterbaugh, Laura Rabon, Charles Ramay, Jean Ramsey, Brian Risinger, Alynn Rivera, Laura Robertson, Dixie Rogers, Leah Ross, Pam Runyan, Andra Sanders, John Sarrels, Terry Schul, Jeanie Schwappach, Dona Sennett, Brian Sharp, Betty Sheker, Anne Shuttee, Rod Slaton, Rodney Slaton, Bruce and Mandi Smaga, Robert Smaltz, Sean Smith, Skip Smith, Steph Snedden, Anne Spier, Greg and Lisa Spier, Valerie Stagaman, Hans Steinhoff, Gina Sweeny, Julie Swift, Tami Swingler, Jeff Taff, Debbie Tate, Mark Tatum, Tod Taylor, Darrel Teaver, Diane Thomas, Brian & Cristy Thomma, William Tippin, Patricia Troell, Summit Supply - True Value, Tammy Vasilatos, Dave Venable, Laurel & John Walters/Cronin, Bill Warren, Don Watts, Della Webb, Christian W Westphal, Jessie Willett, Matt Willett, Kerie van Zeyst, Charlotte Zimmerman

2024

Gerardo Acuna, Hilda Gerardo Acuna, Laryssa Alvarez, Kathy Lee Alvoid, David Amidei, Jim Anderson, Sandra Barr, Rebecca Barrows, Charlene Basham, John Bennett, Greg and Courtney Blackman, Sally and Prentice Blanscett, Susan Booth, Mary Bott, Jack Britton, John Bufton, Cynthia Buttram, Gary Calmia, Lyn Canham, Alexandra Carilli, Donna G Casey, Craig and Dru Chapman, Janyce Chesnut, Sam Coats, Jonathan Coker, Deborah Cole, Brian and Stephanie Collins, Kirk Cooper, Amy Coor, Suzannah Cox, Martha & Larry Dahl, Justin Damron, Ann Davis, Charles Day, Hannah Dean, Roger Donnelson, Aileen Duc, Amy Dunlap, Dana Dunlap, Glenn Edwards, Randy Melton Electric, Waitt Family, Amy Felix, John & Debbie Ferdetta, David Frye, Wes and Pat Gaskill, Heidi Gibbons, Jim Goodwin, Judy Gordinier, Herman Graffunder, Jan Graffunder, Rhonda Grant, Angela Hagen, Linda Hamilton, Cheri Hass, Renee Hays, Richard Hays, April Hearne, Stan and Ginger Hearne, Steven G Henry, Karen Highfill, Sonnie Hill, Barbara Hoskins, Patti Howell, Jann Hunter, Barbara and Bryan Johnson, Michael Johnson, Cheryl Kaufman, Peter Kendall, Kurt Kochendarfer, Tom Krajci, Judith Langlois, David and Anne Marie Larsen, Dennis Latimer, Joshua and Jackie Lee, Diana Lehr, Bill Ley, Tracy Lockhart, Michael London, Guy Lutman, Robert Mace, Dennis Magill, Susan Mahan, Shelby Manford, George Marshall, Carie Mckinney, Tom McLaughlin, Pat McLeod, Terry Means, Linda Meyer, Mike and Stacey Hyman Institute for Philosophical and Future Studies in Makerting, Carl Milburn, Mike and Marty MILLS, Chris Milya, Carla Moore, Glena Muncrief, Earle & Dixie Neill, Earle Neill, Andrea Ohare, Gail Overstreet, Lynn Owen, Amy Parker-Morris, Eric Pearson, Julie and Eric Pearson, Malina Pearson, Nancy Penner, Jackie and Larry Pryor, Barbara Pugh, Cheryl Puterbaugh, Charles Ramay, Dorian Ramirez, Jean Ramsey, Linda Rawson, Pat Ray, Brian Risinger, Laura Robertson, Dixie Rogers, Mario Romero, Tom & Pam Runyan, Andra Sanders, John Sarrels, Barbara Scheuter, Terry Schul, DONA Sennett, Betty Sheker, Bob & Donna Shepherd, Sara Sims, Rod & Barbara Slaton, Rodney Slaton, Bruce and Mandi Smaga, Skip Smith, John Snook, Anne Spier, Lisa & Greg Spier, Valerie Stagaman, Don Stowe, Gina Sweeny, Julie Swift, Debbie Tate, Mark Tatum, Tod Taylor, Diane Thomas, Charles Townley, Summit Supply - True Value, Craig Turner, Dave Venable, Laurel & John Walters/Cronin, Don Watts, Della Webb, Adrienne West, Jessie Willett, Matt Willett, Jim Worthan, Carl Wyatt

Join us today: Sign Me Up!

Help us hit 50 by Labor Day. 8 new members to go…

The fall months in the Sacramentos mean golden aspens and maples, cooler nights, and a packed events calendar before the snow flies, hopefully. Fall is this reporter’s favorite season in the village, with low-key, family-friendly events, great weather, and a slowdown on the shoulder season.

Whether you’re a local or visitor up for a leaf-peeping weekend, here’s the Reader’s rundown.

Fresh Faces

James Sewell Ice Rink: New lease owners and operators Cory and Shea Herman will host the grand opening of the newly refurbished rink at Zenith Park on October 31 from 12–10 pm, with skating, face painting, a costume contest, a trunk-or-treat, and “random giveaways.” Look for our fuller report on the ice rink to be published soon.

Magick Melts: Embark on a quest to High Rolls Mountain Park to find this fantasy food truck. Bespoke jammy grilled sandwiches, like the Alchemy Melt and Enchanted Panini, will cure your craving. Stop for a spell and try the sparkly edible glitter Swedish Creme for dessert.

A Bagel Co.: A fresh coat of charcoal paint marks this new weekends-only breakfast spot on Burro, in the former Maggie’s Shaved Ice location. The family-run joint overnights New York bagels to El Paso, where they share time with their mountain home. Sandwiches and schmears on the menu, open Saturday and Sunday, 7 am to 3 pm. Learn more: Big Apple Bagels Come to Burro

Hotel Cloudcroft: A seven-year-in-the-making passion project for the Geist family, the 17-room boutique hotel is slated to open on Burro Avenue over Labor Day weekend. Trevor Geist and parents Lance and Robin gutted and restored the boardwalk building, channeling Gilded Age elegance with Tiffany-style lighting, gas-lamp-flicker fixtures, and dark wood and steel sourced from roughly 150 antique stores across New Mexico, West Texas, southern Colorado, and Arizona. Get an exclusive first look inside: Hotel Cloudcroft Opens After Seven Years of Renovations: First-Look Photos.

Cloudy’s Neighborhood Market: Just a few yards from Burro, this locally owned grocery is stocked with discovery goods, locally sourced produce, and essentials. Open daily from 10 am to 6 pm. Don’t skip the house-made salsas.

Get Together

Paddle enthusiasts can catch the Cloudcroft Mountain Smash Pickleball Tournament, a fundraiser for Cloudcroft Track & Field, September 5–6 at Zenith Park’s public courts. Sign up at PickleballDen.com.

Also Labor Day weekend: the Cloudcroft Art Society Labor Day Show runs Friday through Sunday, September 4–6, at the Old Red Brick Schoolhouse, and the Battle of the Food Trucks & Craft Show takes over Zenith Park September 5–6 with food trucks, craft vendors, and a People’s Choice vote.

The Cloudcroft Light Opera Company (CLOC) brings the melodrama to Zenith Park with The Inventor’s Daughter, or... The Villain Made a Grab for the Lab, at the CLOC Pavilion in Zenith Park on September 4, 5, 6, 18, and 19 at 7:30 pm. Free admission. Cheer for the hero, boo the Villain, and support local scholarships at the cash concession bar.

Party on with the Labor Day Celebration at the Lodge, Saturday, September 5, noon to 4 pm. Feast on an outdoor BBQ with live music from the Doso Dirtbags. Reservations: 575-682-2566.

The Timberon Volunteer Fire Department hosts a 9/11 remembrance parade and dinner on September 11 at 5:30 pm, with proceeds benefiting the Tunnels to Towers Foundation.

Lumberjack Day is at Ski Cloudcroft on Saturday, September 19, and is free to watch. The competition kicks off at 9 am. Expect food and craft vendors, family fun, and a kids’ halftime show. Details: cloudcroftlumberjackday.com

The next day, cyclists take over Burro for the High Altitude Classic XC Mountain Bike Race Sunday, September 20. Riders start at 10 am at High Altitude Shop downtown, with 10-, 13.5-, and 17-mile course options and awards at 2 pm at Elevation Park.

October 10, join in on a fundraiser for the Cloudcroft Village Parks and Recreation fund: a Bucket Golf tournament at Elevation Park. Talk to Bri Jonnes at High Altitude on Burro to find out how you can support this event.

More Than Books: Packed Fall Library Calendar

The Michael Nivision Public Library has Story Time every Friday from 10:30–11:30 am, plus a Roman Art Lecture on September 3.

The Kids Can entrepreneurship workshop will be held on September 21, followed by a Fall Potluck & Photo Social on September 25, and Bingo Night on October 9.

Make a Halloween weekend of it with Spooky Story Time and the classic village Pumpkin Roll the weekend of October 30-31.

The library’s clothing and food drive runs September 8 through December. Organizers are collecting gently used clothing and non-perishable food items. For more info on any library events: (575) 682-1111.

Scary Fun October

The 15th Annual Haunted Village returns to the Sacramento Mountains Historical Museum & Pioneer Village along Highway 82 on October 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30, and 31, 7–10 pm. Entry is $15; proceeds benefit the museum. Consider yourself warned.

Close to Halloween, the village usually hosts a Pumpkin Roll down the steep Swallow Avenue next to the library. Bring your own gourd.

After chunkin’ pumpkins down the hill, a costume parade down Burro ends at Summit Christian Fellowship’s annual Harvest Festival. Typically, businesses on Burro open up for trick-or-treating. Visit DiscoverCloudcroft.com for timely updates on the Halloween weekend festivities.

Cloudcroft Municipal Schools and the school’s Parent-Teacher Organization host a family-friendly Fall Festival Fundraiser in the Middle School commons and gym, with carnival games, a bouncy house, bingo with prizes, raffles, and a cakewalk. Join the fun and support the schools on October 30 from 5–7:30 pm.

Get outside for two area trail-running events. October 17 and 18, the Cactus to Cloud Sky Race brings New Mexico’s only point-to-point ultra back to Cloudcroft, taking runners from the desert floor at Oliver Lee State Park up to the state’s highest-elevation course. Registration closes October 11: https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=132661

October 8-11, Ruidoso hosts the XTERRA World Championship, where the world’s top off-road triathletes head to Ruidoso as XTERRA marks its 30th anniversary with a long-awaited return to the U.S. The full-distance race features a 1.5K swim in Grindstone Lake, a demanding 27K mountain bike leg across Grindstone Mesa, and a 10K trail run — all against a backdrop of fall color in the Sierra Blanca mountains.

Free public events like yoga, guided hikes, and a welcome celebration with live music run alongside the competition.

Get Outside: Chasing Gold

Mountain leaf-turning season typically peaks in the back half of September into mid-October. A few spots worth the drive or the walk:

Sunspot Highway and Karr Canyon, the classic. Miles of roadside aspen groves, easy to view from the car or pull off for a closer look.

Osha Trail, a gentle 2-mile round-trip loop just outside the village, good for families and popular for wildlife sightings alongside the color. Maples galore, bursting yellow, orange, red, and purple.

Rim Trail, with sweeping panoramic views over the Tularosa Basin. Worth the short climb for the payoff.

The Mexican Canyon Trestle overlook is a scenic sunset photo spot, with the old rail trestle framing the view. Pull off the highway for the vista, or continue towards the village for trailhead parking.

When visiting shared lands, pack it in, pack it out, leave no trace, and respect the wildlife.

Pack layers — mountain mornings and afternoons can swing 30 degrees — and check Village and Lincoln National Forest sites for any fire or trail restrictions or closures before you go.

The Reader is proud to be supported in part by The Stove and Spa Store:

Cloudcroft Reader is proud to be sponsored by great companies like:

• Ski Cloudcroft
  The Southernmost ski area in New Mexico.

• Cloudcroft Therapeutic Massage
  Maximizing Movement, Quality of Life Improvement

• High Altitude
  Your favorite little outdoor outfitter on Burro Avenue

• Off the Beaten Path
  Eclectic gifts & original artwork

• Future Real Estate
  Raise your expectations.

• Cloudcroft Art Society
  Located in Old Red Brick Schoolhouse: Holiday and Saturday art shows

• Noisy Water Winery
  Family-owned winery crafting thoughtfully made wines from New Mexico grapes, inspired by mountain living.

• Be in the Mountains Yoga & Massage
  A cozy space for yoga and massage therapy at the Village Plaza

• The Stove and Spa Store
  We offer a variety of services to ensure your hearth and spa dreams are met!

• The Lodge at Cloudcroft
  Landmark Choice Among New Mexico Resorts

• Cloudcroft Art Workshops
  Enhance your artistry while enjoying the beauty and coolness of the mountains!

• Sacramento Camp & Conference Center
  Come to the Mountain — Let God Refresh Your Soul

• Laughing Leaf Dispensary
  Discover a world of wellness at Laughing Leaf

• Instant Karma
  Adventure Within: Transformative Yoga, Ayurvedic Wisdom, Nourishing Organics, Fair Trade Boutique

• Blushing Yucca Esthetics
  ✨ Book your glow-up today✨

• The Elk Shed
  Purveyors of Southwest + Mountain Provisions, Goods & Finery

• The PAC
  Pickleball Addicts of Cloudcroft—Pickleball in the Clouds

• Peñasco Valley Telephone Cooperative
  For all the ways you love to connect

• Bre Hope Media
  Professional photo and video services

And readers like you. Will you support our work?

I support local news

Cloudcroft Stars

Thank you to our great members (listed below) who have helped provide fair, first-hand, insightful coverage of the issues, institutions, and people at the heart of Cloudcroft. Their support makes our reporting possible.

They power “The Voice of the Mountain”

2026

Debra Alldredge, Kathy Lee Alvoid, Gustavo Armas, Jeff Barr, Charlene Basham, Larry/Dee Beck, Dmitry Bizyaev, Elizabeth Blohm, Susan Booth, Mary Bott, Carole Bronston, Anne Calaway, Kathy & Gary Calmia, Evalyn Canham, Alexandra Carilli, James Carlton, Janyce Chesnut, Sam Coats, Jonathan Coker, David Colarusso, Deborah Cole, Stephanie and Brian Collins, Amy Coor, Suzannah Cox, Marietta Crane, Ann Davis, Lee Dean, Aileen Duc, Marina Ellison, Madi Evans, Amy Felix, Wes and Pat Gaskill, Heidi Gibbons, Bing Graffunder, Diana Green, Angela Hagen, Keith Hamilton, William Hanson, Barbara Hartley, Renee Hays, Chris Hearne, Steve Henry, Allen Henson, Karen Highfill, Sonnie Hill, Barbara Hoskins, Michael Johnson, Michael Joiner, Brent Jordan, Cheryl Kaufman, Kurt Kochendarfer, David and Anne Marie Larsen, Michele Law, Diana Lehr, Bill Ley, Robert Mace, Shelby Manford, George Marshall, Ralph McGarity, Carie Mckinney, Tom and Pearl McLaughlin, Terry Means, Carl Milburn, Mike and Marty Mills, Christine Milyard, Monica Morgan, Bill and Pat Neal, Beth Offolter, Joey Pacheco, Tres Paxton, Julie and Eric Pearson, Mira Pepper, April Perez, Sue Preslar, Cheryl Puterbaugh, Laura Robertson, Leah Ross, Nikki Rowling, John Sarrels, Terry Schul, Terry Sharpe, Betty Sheker, Anne Shuttee, John & Jean Simmons, Bruce and Mandi Smaga, Robert Smaltz, Steph Snedden, Anne Spier, Greg and Lisa Spier, Don/Gwen Stowe, Gina Sweeny, Tami Swingler, Debbie Tate, Mark Tatum, Darrel Teaver, Diane Thomas, Patricia Troell, Summit Supply - True Value, Sharon Voelz, Laurel & John Walters/Cronin, Don Watts, Jessie Willett, Jaye Williams

2025

Gerardo & Hilda Acuna, Advanced Septic Pros LLC, Kathy Lee Alvoid, David Amidei, Carolyn Anderson, Gustavo Armas, Jeffrey Barr, Sandra and Jeff Barr, Paul Barrows, Charlene Basham, Larry/Dee Beck, Winner of the Bet, Dmitry Bizyaev, Elizabeth Blohm, Susan Booth, Mary Bott, Jack Britton, Roger Brown, Chris Burton, Cynthia Buttram, Lyn Canham, Alexandra Carilli, Donna G Casey, Dru and Craig Chapman, Janyce Chesnut, Jan Clarence, Sam Coats, Jonathan Coker, David Colarusso, Deborah Cole, Stephanie and Brian Collins, Kirk Cooper, Amy Coor, Jennifer Coughenour, Suzannah Cox, Marietta Crane, Kathleen Crinklaw, Martha & Larry Dahl, Mike & Jill DeGraw, The Cloudcroft Directory, Roger Donnelson, Aileen and Chaz Duc, Kathy Duncan, Virginia Durant, Glenn Edwards, Marina Ellison, Madi Evans, Cynthia S Farmer, Amy Felix, Mark Ferring, Mike Foster, Wes and Pat Gaskill, Robert Giacopasi, Heidi Gibbons, Jim Goodwin, Judy Gordinier, Merrilee Gordon, Bing and Jan Graffunder, Diana Green, Angela Hagen, Keith Hamilton, William Hanson, Barbara Hartley, Bill & Cheri Hass, Renee Hays, Chris Hearne, Stan and Ginger Hearne, Judy Helms, Steven Henry, Sean & Monica Henschel, Allen Henson, Karen Highfill, Sonnie Hill, Barbara Hoskins, Jann Hunter, Nancy Elle Igo, Barbara johnson, Michael Johnson, Brent Jordan, Cheryl Kaufman, Carol & Gary Kelly, Amanda Kemp, Peter Kendall, Jane E Klayman, Jane Klayman, Kurt Kochendarfer, Lynn Kriegshauser, Timothy Kruse, Terry Kyle, Richard F Lamb, David and Anne Marie Larsen, Diana Lehr, Robert Levy, Bill Ley, Tracy Lockhart, Michael London, Robert Mace, Shelby Manford, Kate Mangelsdorf, George Marshall, Jackie Maxon, Sandra McBrayer, Mike & Flora McClung, Rena Mcfarlane, Carie Mckinney, Tom&Pearl McLaughlin, Terry Means, Linda Meyer, Carl Milburn, Christine Milyard, Mike and Marilyn Moffitt, Glena Muncrief, Justin & Marianne Muñoz, Bill and Pat Neal, Kate O’Brien, Gail Overstreet, Joey Pacheco, Dani Park, Amy Parker-Morris, Carol Peacock, Eric Pearson, Julie and Eric Pearson, Mira Pepper, Lesa Provenghi, Barbara Pugh, Cheryl Puterbaugh, Laura Rabon, Charles Ramay, Jean Ramsey, Brian Risinger, Alynn Rivera, Laura Robertson, Dixie Rogers, Leah Ross, Pam Runyan, Andra Sanders, John Sarrels, Terry Schul, Jeanie Schwappach, Dona Sennett, Brian Sharp, Betty Sheker, Anne Shuttee, Rod Slaton, Rodney Slaton, Bruce and Mandi Smaga, Robert Smaltz, Sean Smith, Skip Smith, Steph Snedden, Anne Spier, Greg and Lisa Spier, Valerie Stagaman, Hans Steinhoff, Gina Sweeny, Julie Swift, Tami Swingler, Jeff Taff, Debbie Tate, Mark Tatum, Tod Taylor, Darrel Teaver, Diane Thomas, Brian & Cristy Thomma, William Tippin, Patricia Troell, Summit Supply - True Value, Tammy Vasilatos, Dave Venable, Laurel & John Walters/Cronin, Bill Warren, Don Watts, Della Webb, Christian W Westphal, Jessie Willett, Matt Willett, Kerie van Zeyst, Charlotte Zimmerman

2024

Gerardo Acuna, Hilda Gerardo Acuna, Laryssa Alvarez, Kathy Lee Alvoid, David Amidei, Jim Anderson, Sandra Barr, Rebecca Barrows, Charlene Basham, John Bennett, Greg and Courtney Blackman, Sally and Prentice Blanscett, Susan Booth, Mary Bott, Jack Britton, John Bufton, Cynthia Buttram, Gary Calmia, Lyn Canham, Alexandra Carilli, Donna G Casey, Craig and Dru Chapman, Janyce Chesnut, Sam Coats, Jonathan Coker, Deborah Cole, Brian and Stephanie Collins, Kirk Cooper, Amy Coor, Suzannah Cox, Martha & Larry Dahl, Justin Damron, Ann Davis, Charles Day, Hannah Dean, Roger Donnelson, Aileen Duc, Amy Dunlap, Dana Dunlap, Glenn Edwards, Randy Melton Electric, Waitt Family, Amy Felix, John & Debbie Ferdetta, David Frye, Wes and Pat Gaskill, Heidi Gibbons, Jim Goodwin, Judy Gordinier, Herman Graffunder, Jan Graffunder, Rhonda Grant, Angela Hagen, Linda Hamilton, Cheri Hass, Renee Hays, Richard Hays, April Hearne, Stan and Ginger Hearne, Steven G Henry, Karen Highfill, Sonnie Hill, Barbara Hoskins, Patti Howell, Jann Hunter, Barbara and Bryan Johnson, Michael Johnson, Cheryl Kaufman, Peter Kendall, Kurt Kochendarfer, Tom Krajci, Judith Langlois, David and Anne Marie Larsen, Dennis Latimer, Joshua and Jackie Lee, Diana Lehr, Bill Ley, Tracy Lockhart, Michael London, Guy Lutman, Robert Mace, Dennis Magill, Susan Mahan, Shelby Manford, George Marshall, Carie Mckinney, Tom McLaughlin, Pat McLeod, Terry Means, Linda Meyer, Mike and Stacey Hyman Institute for Philosophical and Future Studies in Makerting, Carl Milburn, Mike and Marty MILLS, Chris Milya, Carla Moore, Glena Muncrief, Earle & Dixie Neill, Earle Neill, Andrea Ohare, Gail Overstreet, Lynn Owen, Amy Parker-Morris, Eric Pearson, Julie and Eric Pearson, Malina Pearson, Nancy Penner, Jackie and Larry Pryor, Barbara Pugh, Cheryl Puterbaugh, Charles Ramay, Dorian Ramirez, Jean Ramsey, Linda Rawson, Pat Ray, Brian Risinger, Laura Robertson, Dixie Rogers, Mario Romero, Tom & Pam Runyan, Andra Sanders, John Sarrels, Barbara Scheuter, Terry Schul, DONA Sennett, Betty Sheker, Bob & Donna Shepherd, Sara Sims, Rod & Barbara Slaton, Rodney Slaton, Bruce and Mandi Smaga, Skip Smith, John Snook, Anne Spier, Lisa & Greg Spier, Valerie Stagaman, Don Stowe, Gina Sweeny, Julie Swift, Debbie Tate, Mark Tatum, Tod Taylor, Diane Thomas, Charles Townley, Summit Supply - True Value, Craig Turner, Dave Venable, Laurel & John Walters/Cronin, Don Watts, Della Webb, Adrienne West, Jessie Willett, Matt Willett, Jim Worthan, Carl Wyatt

Join us today: Sign Me Up!

Help us hit 50 by Labor Day. 8 new members to go…

Your Wednesday Review continues after this brief message. Thank you to our sponsor, PVT:

Wednesday, August 26th Tunnel Maintenance on U.S. Highway 82

The NM Department of Transportation announced that the annual tunnel cleaning will take place on 8/26/26 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., weather permitting. Expect a single-lane closure with a pilot car and some delays.

For updated information, go to: New Mexico Department of Transportation at www.nmroads.com or call 511.

VIDEO: Debbi McCurdy Helipad

Hilary Kitzman reports on the realized life-saving dream from the late McCurdy

Upcoming Trail Closures During Fire Mitigation and Access Project

Last week, the Reader rode along with the Otero County Electric Cooperative Vegetation Management and Right-of-Way Supervisor Janscen Davis to check out the upcoming fire mitigation and access projects along the “69-Line” at Toboggan Canyon.

The work to remove fire fuels and trees that endanger the line that feeds power to the Cloudcroft substation is underway. During the project, expect trail closures in the canyon. Look to the Lincoln National Forest Service website for closures and updates.

We look forward to publishing a fuller report on the projects soon.

The Reader is proud to be sponsored in part by The Lodge:

Promote Your Business

Learn about sponsorship opportunities for your business in support of the Reader. Contact us for more information at sponsorship-info@cloudcroftreader.com

Cloudcroft Reader is proud to be sponsored in part by great companies like:

• Cloudcroft Art Society
  Located in Old Red Brick Schoolhouse: Holiday and Saturday art shows

• Noisy Water Winery
  Family-owned winery crafting thoughtfully made wines from New Mexico grapes, inspired by mountain living.

• Be in the Mountains Yoga & Massage
  A cozy space for yoga and massage therapy at the Village Plaza

• The Stove and Spa Store
  We offer a variety of services to ensure your hearth and spa dreams are met!

• The Lodge at Cloudcroft
  Landmark Choice Among New Mexico Resorts

• Cloudcroft Art Workshops
  Enhance your artistry while enjoying the beauty and coolness of the mountains!

• Sacramento Camp & Conference Center
  Come to the Mountain — Let God Refresh Your Soul

• Laughing Leaf Dispensary
  Discover a world of wellness at Laughing Leaf

• Instant Karma
  Adventure Within: Transformative Yoga, Ayurvedic Wisdom, Nourishing Organics, Fair Trade Boutique

• Off the Beaten Path
  Eclectic gifts & original artwork

• Future Real Estate
  Raise your expectations.

• Ski Cloudcroft
  The Southernmost ski area in New Mexico.

• Cloudcroft Therapeutic Massage
  Maximizing Movement, Quality of Life Improvement

• High Altitude
  Your favorite little outdoor outfitter on Burro Avenue

• Blushing Yucca Esthetics
  ✨ Book your glow-up today✨

• The Elk Shed
  Purveyors of Southwest + Mountain Provisions, Goods & Finery

• The PAC
  Pickleball Addicts of Cloudcroft—Pickleball in the Clouds

• Peñasco Valley Telephone Cooperative
  For all the ways you love to connect

• Bre Hope Media
  Professional photo and video services

And, readers like you. Will you support our work?

I support local news

Take me to the Monthly

Discover Cloudcroft:
Elevate Your Visit

www.DiscoverCloudcroft.com

With a fresh coat of charcoal paint, the new weekends-only Burro Avenue business, A Bagel Co., serves New York-style bagels, sandwiches, and schmears in the building formerly home to Maggie’s Shaved Ice.

Alfredo and Nancy Montoya tell the Reader they’ve always felt like locals, even when living in El Paso. Their family has owned a cabin here for years, and this is where they want to call home.

It was on their first trip to New York that they found their passion. “We fell in love with bagels. Every trip after that, to a new place, we looked for good bagels and just couldn’t find the same quality found in a New York bagel,” Alfredo says.

Search for that Deli Dough

They tried to recreate the bagels they had fallen in love at home with but couldn’t figure out why the bagels in New York tasted significantly better.

After falling short, they went back to New York and did some research. Talking to several shop owners, they were told that it was the soft water. Not only that, but the bagels and recipes went back generations, and that was something they simply couldn’t recreate.

They knew they wanted to bring New York-style bagels to Cloudcroft. So, they overnight them in straight from New York.

“The biggest challenge is the logistics and making sure everything arrives on time for the weekend,” Alfredo says.

Even after making two trips to get what they need, the shop still sells out almost every weekend they’re open.

Family Biz

For now, the shop is only open on weekends.

Alfredo says he and Nancy both work full-time and that the bagel shop is their passion, not their livelihood. Like many other business owners here in Cloudcroft, they understand that there aren’t always busy days and that their full-time jobs need to stay in El Paso. But they do have big plans, they say.

Nancy says their sons Freddy and Mike help them every weekend they can while still going to school full-time.

“It truly is a family business.”

When it came to starting a business in Cloudcroft, they wanted something unique that wouldn’t compete with anyone else in town.

The Montoyas have been most surprised by the amount of support they’ve received—from New York to Cloudcroft.

Cloudcroft Reader is proud to be supported in part by:

• Ski Cloudcroft
  The Southernmost ski area in New Mexico.

• Cloudcroft Therapeutic Massage
  Maximizing Movement, Quality of Life Improvement

• High Altitude
  Your favorite little outdoor outfitter on Burro Avenue

• Off the Beaten Path
  Eclectic gifts & original artwork

• Future Real Estate
  Raise your expectations.

• Cloudcroft Art Society
  Located in Old Red Brick Schoolhouse: Holiday and Saturday art shows

• Noisy Water Winery
  Family-owned winery crafting thoughtfully made wines from New Mexico grapes, inspired by mountain living.

• Be in the Mountains Yoga & Massage
  A cozy space for yoga and massage therapy at the Village Plaza

• The Stove and Spa Store
  We offer a variety of services to ensure your hearth and spa dreams are met!

• The Lodge at Cloudcroft
  Landmark Choice Among New Mexico Resorts

• Cloudcroft Art Workshops
  Enhance your artistry while enjoying the beauty and coolness of the mountains!

• Sacramento Camp & Conference Center
  Come to the Mountain — Let God Refresh Your Soul

• Laughing Leaf Dispensary
  Discover a world of wellness at Laughing Leaf

• Instant Karma
  Adventure Within: Transformative Yoga, Ayurvedic Wisdom, Nourishing Organics, Fair Trade Boutique

• Blushing Yucca Esthetics
  ✨ Book your glow-up today✨

• The Elk Shed
  Purveyors of Southwest + Mountain Provisions, Goods & Finery

• The PAC
  Pickleball Addicts of Cloudcroft—Pickleball in the Clouds

• Peñasco Valley Telephone Cooperative
  For all the ways you love to connect

• Bre Hope Media
  Professional photo and video services

And, readers like you. Will you support our work?

I support local news

Dear Friends,

Since our first note, 32 of your neighbors have stepped up as Cloudcroft Stars. We need 18 more by Labor Day — and right now, a private donor is doubling every pledge, dollar for dollar.

Here’s the coverage that money pays for.

Water. We follow the village’s water from springs to faucet — infrastructure, leaks, budget, solutions, and the geology underneath it all. We stay on the story as it develops, not just one report and done.

Local government. We’ve covered administrative turnover, elections, hires, and funding priorities, and we’ve sat through three years of budget meetings. This month, the village’s newest audit was released. We’re digging in now. Your pledges fund that follow-through, and our analysis is coming soon.

Fire and forest. Active fire reporting, expert guidance on protecting your home, and insurance changes. We tracked the Bluff Springs OHV closure and the recovery that followed, plus the federal layoffs and endangered-species fieldwork happening in our backyard.

We cover the schools, the businesses, and the people of this village too. Every story is part of an ongoing conversation.

No editorials, no sides — just the facts, reported firsthand. And it’s free for every neighbor to read, watch, or listen, whether you’re up the mountain or keeping tabs from El Paso or Midland or Las Cruces.

A pledge of $10 a month — doubled by the match — makes you a Cloudcroft Star and keeps this reporting free for everyone. The match runs through Labor Day.

Can we count on you?

Count Me In!

With gratitude,

Hannah Dean

Sr. Editor and Partner, Cloudcroft Reader

Cloudcroft Stars

Thank you to our great members (listed below) who have helped provide fair, first-hand, insightful coverage of the issues, institutions, and people at the heart of Cloudcroft. Their support makes our reporting possible.

They power “The Voice of the Mountain”

2026

Debra Alldredge, Kathy Lee Alvoid, Gustavo Armas, Jeff Barr, Charlene Basham, Larry/Dee Beck, Dmitry Bizyaev, Elizabeth Blohm, Susan Booth, Mary Bott, Carole Bronston, Anne Calaway, Kathy & Gary Calmia, Evalyn Canham, Alexandra Carilli, James Carlton, Janyce Chesnut, Sam Coats, Jonathan Coker, David Colarusso, Deborah Cole, Stephanie and Brian Collins, Amy Coor, Suzannah Cox, Marietta Crane, Ann Davis, Lee Dean, Aileen Duc, Marina Ellison, Madi Evans, Amy Felix, Wes and Pat Gaskill, Heidi Gibbons, Bing Graffunder, Diana Green, Angela Hagen, Keith Hamilton, William Hanson, Barbara Hartley, Renee Hays, Chris Hearne, Steve Henry, Allen Henson, Karen Highfill, Sonnie Hill, Barbara Hoskins, Michael Johnson, Michael Joiner, Brent Jordan, Cheryl Kaufman, Kurt Kochendarfer, David and Anne Marie Larsen, Michele Law, Diana Lehr, Bill Ley, Robert Mace, Shelby Manford, George Marshall, Ralph McGarity, Carie Mckinney, Tom and Pearl McLaughlin, Terry Means, Carl Milburn, Mike and Marty Mills, Christine Milyard, Monica Morgan, Bill and Pat Neal, Beth Offolter, Joey Pacheco, Tres Paxton, Julie and Eric Pearson, Mira Pepper, April Perez, Sue Preslar, Cheryl Puterbaugh, Laura Robertson, Leah Ross, Nikki Rowling, John Sarrels, Terry Schul, Terry Sharpe, Betty Sheker, Anne Shuttee, John & Jean Simmons, Bruce and Mandi Smaga, Robert Smaltz, Steph Snedden, Anne Spier, Greg and Lisa Spier, Don/Gwen Stowe, Gina Sweeny, Tami Swingler, Debbie Tate, Mark Tatum, Darrel Teaver, Diane Thomas, Patricia Troell, Summit Supply - True Value, Sharon Voelz, Laurel & John Walters/Cronin, Don Watts, Jessie Willett, Jaye Williams

2025

Gerardo & Hilda Acuna, Advanced Septic Pros LLC, Kathy Lee Alvoid, David Amidei, Carolyn Anderson, Gustavo Armas, Jeffrey Barr, Sandra and Jeff Barr, Paul Barrows, Charlene Basham, Larry/Dee Beck, Winner of the Bet, Dmitry Bizyaev, Elizabeth Blohm, Susan Booth, Mary Bott, Jack Britton, Roger Brown, Chris Burton, Cynthia Buttram, Lyn Canham, Alexandra Carilli, Donna G Casey, Dru and Craig Chapman, Janyce Chesnut, Jan Clarence, Sam Coats, Jonathan Coker, David Colarusso, Deborah Cole, Stephanie and Brian Collins, Kirk Cooper, Amy Coor, Jennifer Coughenour, Suzannah Cox, Marietta Crane, Kathleen Crinklaw, Martha & Larry Dahl, Mike & Jill DeGraw, The Cloudcroft Directory, Roger Donnelson, Aileen and Chaz Duc, Kathy Duncan, Virginia Durant, Glenn Edwards, Marina Ellison, Madi Evans, Cynthia S Farmer, Amy Felix, Mark Ferring, Mike Foster, Wes and Pat Gaskill, Robert Giacopasi, Heidi Gibbons, Jim Goodwin, Judy Gordinier, Merrilee Gordon, Bing and Jan Graffunder, Diana Green, Angela Hagen, Keith Hamilton, William Hanson, Barbara Hartley, Bill & Cheri Hass, Renee Hays, Chris Hearne, Stan and Ginger Hearne, Judy Helms, Steven Henry, Sean & Monica Henschel, Allen Henson, Karen Highfill, Sonnie Hill, Barbara Hoskins, Jann Hunter, Nancy Elle Igo, Barbara johnson, Michael Johnson, Brent Jordan, Cheryl Kaufman, Carol & Gary Kelly, Amanda Kemp, Peter Kendall, Jane E Klayman, Jane Klayman, Kurt Kochendarfer, Lynn Kriegshauser, Timothy Kruse, Terry Kyle, Richard F Lamb, David and Anne Marie Larsen, Diana Lehr, Robert Levy, Bill Ley, Tracy Lockhart, Michael London, Robert Mace, Shelby Manford, Kate Mangelsdorf, George Marshall, Jackie Maxon, Sandra McBrayer, Mike & Flora McClung, Rena Mcfarlane, Carie Mckinney, Tom&Pearl McLaughlin, Terry Means, Linda Meyer, Carl Milburn, Christine Milyard, Mike and Marilyn Moffitt, Glena Muncrief, Justin & Marianne Muñoz, Bill and Pat Neal, Kate O’Brien, Gail Overstreet, Joey Pacheco, Dani Park, Amy Parker-Morris, Carol Peacock, Eric Pearson, Julie and Eric Pearson, Mira Pepper, Lesa Provenghi, Barbara Pugh, Cheryl Puterbaugh, Laura Rabon, Charles Ramay, Jean Ramsey, Brian Risinger, Alynn Rivera, Laura Robertson, Dixie Rogers, Leah Ross, Pam Runyan, Andra Sanders, John Sarrels, Terry Schul, Jeanie Schwappach, Dona Sennett, Brian Sharp, Betty Sheker, Anne Shuttee, Rod Slaton, Rodney Slaton, Bruce and Mandi Smaga, Robert Smaltz, Sean Smith, Skip Smith, Steph Snedden, Anne Spier, Greg and Lisa Spier, Valerie Stagaman, Hans Steinhoff, Gina Sweeny, Julie Swift, Tami Swingler, Jeff Taff, Debbie Tate, Mark Tatum, Tod Taylor, Darrel Teaver, Diane Thomas, Brian & Cristy Thomma, William Tippin, Patricia Troell, Summit Supply - True Value, Tammy Vasilatos, Dave Venable, Laurel & John Walters/Cronin, Bill Warren, Don Watts, Della Webb, Christian W Westphal, Jessie Willett, Matt Willett, Kerie van Zeyst, Charlotte Zimmerman

2024

Gerardo Acuna, Hilda Gerardo Acuna, Laryssa Alvarez, Kathy Lee Alvoid, David Amidei, Jim Anderson, Sandra Barr, Rebecca Barrows, Charlene Basham, John Bennett, Greg and Courtney Blackman, Sally and Prentice Blanscett, Susan Booth, Mary Bott, Jack Britton, John Bufton, Cynthia Buttram, Gary Calmia, Lyn Canham, Alexandra Carilli, Donna G Casey, Craig and Dru Chapman, Janyce Chesnut, Sam Coats, Jonathan Coker, Deborah Cole, Brian and Stephanie Collins, Kirk Cooper, Amy Coor, Suzannah Cox, Martha & Larry Dahl, Justin Damron, Ann Davis, Charles Day, Hannah Dean, Roger Donnelson, Aileen Duc, Amy Dunlap, Dana Dunlap, Glenn Edwards, Randy Melton Electric, Waitt Family, Amy Felix, John & Debbie Ferdetta, David Frye, Wes and Pat Gaskill, Heidi Gibbons, Jim Goodwin, Judy Gordinier, Herman Graffunder, Jan Graffunder, Rhonda Grant, Angela Hagen, Linda Hamilton, Cheri Hass, Renee Hays, Richard Hays, April Hearne, Stan and Ginger Hearne, Steven G Henry, Karen Highfill, Sonnie Hill, Barbara Hoskins, Patti Howell, Jann Hunter, Barbara and Bryan Johnson, Michael Johnson, Cheryl Kaufman, Peter Kendall, Kurt Kochendarfer, Tom Krajci, Judith Langlois, David and Anne Marie Larsen, Dennis Latimer, Joshua and Jackie Lee, Diana Lehr, Bill Ley, Tracy Lockhart, Michael London, Guy Lutman, Robert Mace, Dennis Magill, Susan Mahan, Shelby Manford, George Marshall, Carie Mckinney, Tom McLaughlin, Pat McLeod, Terry Means, Linda Meyer, Mike and Stacey Hyman Institute for Philosophical and Future Studies in Makerting, Carl Milburn, Mike and Marty MILLS, Chris Milya, Carla Moore, Glena Muncrief, Earle & Dixie Neill, Earle Neill, Andrea Ohare, Gail Overstreet, Lynn Owen, Amy Parker-Morris, Eric Pearson, Julie and Eric Pearson, Malina Pearson, Nancy Penner, Jackie and Larry Pryor, Barbara Pugh, Cheryl Puterbaugh, Charles Ramay, Dorian Ramirez, Jean Ramsey, Linda Rawson, Pat Ray, Brian Risinger, Laura Robertson, Dixie Rogers, Mario Romero, Tom & Pam Runyan, Andra Sanders, John Sarrels, Barbara Scheuter, Terry Schul, DONA Sennett, Betty Sheker, Bob & Donna Shepherd, Sara Sims, Rod & Barbara Slaton, Rodney Slaton, Bruce and Mandi Smaga, Skip Smith, John Snook, Anne Spier, Lisa & Greg Spier, Valerie Stagaman, Don Stowe, Gina Sweeny, Julie Swift, Debbie Tate, Mark Tatum, Tod Taylor, Diane Thomas, Charles Townley, Summit Supply - True Value, Craig Turner, Dave Venable, Laurel & John Walters/Cronin, Don Watts, Della Webb, Adrienne West, Jessie Willett, Matt Willett, Jim Worthan, Carl Wyatt

Join us today: Sign Me Up!

Help us hit 50 by Labor Day. 18 new members to go…

Cloudcroft Reader is proud to be sponsored in part by great companies like:

• Ski Cloudcroft
  The Southernmost ski area in New Mexico.

• Cloudcroft Therapeutic Massage
  Maximizing Movement, Quality of Life Improvement

• High Altitude
  Your favorite little outdoor outfitter on Burro Avenue

• Off the Beaten Path
  Eclectic gifts & original artwork

• Future Real Estate
  Raise your expectations.

• Cloudcroft Art Society
  Located in Old Red Brick Schoolhouse: Holiday and Saturday art shows

• Noisy Water Winery
  Family-owned winery crafting thoughtfully made wines from New Mexico grapes, inspired by mountain living.

• Be in the Mountains Yoga & Massage
  A cozy space for yoga and massage therapy at the Village Plaza

• The Stove and Spa Store
  We offer a variety of services to ensure your hearth and spa dreams are met!

• The Lodge at Cloudcroft
  Landmark Choice Among New Mexico Resorts

• Cloudcroft Art Workshops
  Enhance your artistry while enjoying the beauty and coolness of the mountains!

• Sacramento Camp & Conference Center
  Come to the Mountain — Let God Refresh Your Soul

• Laughing Leaf Dispensary
  Discover a world of wellness at Laughing Leaf

• Instant Karma
  Adventure Within: Transformative Yoga, Ayurvedic Wisdom, Nourishing Organics, Fair Trade Boutique

• Blushing Yucca Esthetics
  ✨ Book your glow-up today✨

• The Elk Shed
  Purveyors of Southwest + Mountain Provisions, Goods & Finery

• The PAC
  Pickleball Addicts of Cloudcroft—Pickleball in the Clouds

• Peñasco Valley Telephone Cooperative
  For all the ways you love to connect

• Bre Hope Media
  Professional photo and video services

And, readers like you. Will you support our work?

I support local news

On a sunny weekend afternoon, community members, first responders, elected officials, and representatives from Air Methods, an air medical service, gathered on Mescalero Avenue near the Cloudcroft Disc Golf Course to celebrate the dedication of Cloudcroft’s new emergency medical helipad, a project that many say will save lives for years to come.

The event was both a celebration and a remembrance.

The Debbi McCurdy Memorial Helipad was formally dedicated in honor of Cloudcroft resident Debbi, whose passion and determination helped drive the project forward before her unexpected passing earlier this year.

Family members joined residents, village leaders, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel as the community came together to honor her legacy and mark a significant advancement in emergency medical services for the mountain.

Fire Chief Erich Wuersching spoke to community members: “Debbi McCurdy is the reason why we are here today.”

“Debbi worked really hard to raise money, as did a lot of people in this village,” said Debbi’s sister Patti Cowsert. “And just everybody worked so hard, and today was just such a happy occasion to see everything come together.”

Why the Helipad Matters

For a mountain community where weather, distance, and terrain can complicate emergency responses, rapid air transport can mean the difference between life and death. The helipad provides a designated landing area for medical helicopters responding to critical emergencies across the Sacramento Mountains.

“It’s a really important staple for you guys up here,” said Devin Vierling, Flight Paramedic with Air Methods, an air medical transport company that works closely with our mountain responders. “We know it’s difficult terrain. Hospital access is very difficult, so we’re here to make sure that we can facilitate that transport and do the best we can with that.”

Cloudcroft Stars:

50 New Members by Labor Day

That’s our goal. We are 22 new members away from hitting it.

So we have a question: Is solid, steady, thoughtful reporting on the greater Cloudcroft community worth your support? Do you care? Can you take it or leave it?

If you think the Reader is good for you, your family, friends, and neighbors, now is the time to pitch in and help. Through this drive, every dollar donated will be matched dollar for dollar. Join us today: Sign Me Up!

Count on me

Cloudcroft Reader is proud to be sponsored in part by great companies like:

• Ski Cloudcroft
  The Southernmost ski area in New Mexico.

• Cloudcroft Therapeutic Massage
  Maximizing Movement, Quality of Life Improvement

• High Altitude
  Your favorite little outdoor outfitter on Burro Avenue

• Off the Beaten Path
  Eclectic gifts & original artwork

• Future Real Estate
  Raise your expectations.

• Cloudcroft Art Society
  Located in Old Red Brick Schoolhouse: Holiday and Saturday art shows

• Noisy Water Winery
  Family-owned winery crafting thoughtfully made wines from New Mexico grapes, inspired by mountain living.

• Be in the Mountains Yoga & Massage
  A cozy space for yoga and massage therapy at the Village Plaza

• The Stove and Spa Store
  We offer a variety of services to ensure your hearth and spa dreams are met!

• The Lodge at Cloudcroft
  Landmark Choice Among New Mexico Resorts

• Cloudcroft Art Workshops
  Enhance your artistry while enjoying the beauty and coolness of the mountains!

• Sacramento Camp & Conference Center
  Come to the Mountain — Let God Refresh Your Soul

• Laughing Leaf Dispensary
  Discover a world of wellness at Laughing Leaf

• Instant Karma
  Adventure Within: Transformative Yoga, Ayurvedic Wisdom, Nourishing Organics, Fair Trade Boutique

• Blushing Yucca Esthetics
  ✨ Book your glow-up today✨

• The Elk Shed
  Purveyors of Southwest + Mountain Provisions, Goods & Finery

• The PAC
  Pickleball Addicts of Cloudcroft—Pickleball in the Clouds

• Peñasco Valley Telephone Cooperative
  For all the ways you love to connect

• Bre Hope Media
  Professional photo and video services

And, readers like you. Will you support our work?

I support local news

Take me to the Monthly

Discover Cloudcroft:
Elevate Your Visit

www.DiscoverCloudcroft.com

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Mayor Dusty Wiley confirmed that Cloudcroft Trustee Gail McCoy announced her resignation from the council Thursday, August 20, leaving the village Board of Trustees effective immediately.

McCoy told the Reader:

“I did not haphazardly run for office without knowing this. I already knew that I wanted the job at the library. I mean, everybody in the village knows, dang, they know my whole life, you know? So, I needed the income."

“So, I did my research. I contacted the lawyer, Zach Cook. I contacted Debi Lee. I contacted the Municipal League.“

“The lawyer mentioned to me, well, you shouldn’t be able to do this, but the Municipal League at that time said yes, there was a loophole. And so I took it. Knowing that I would have to recuse myself during the fiduciary-type of resolutions or different things.”

The Reader: Why now?

“When you change from a seasonal employee to part-time, you have to go into PERA, which is the retirement. That’s what’s happeneing right now, as part time, I will have to be paying into PERA. So I’ll start [August 20] at 8 o’clock in the morning. And when I sign that paper, I won’t be a trustee.”

“I think I’ll be more effective in the public. From what I’ve seen on both sides. I think we need more public input. Like workshops and different things that the public could be involved in. Before I became a trustee, I was on the water ordinance committee. That was made of one trustee, the clerk, and the rest of us were citizens.”

“I’ve learned more by being an employee, as far as my trustee position. I’ve seen it from the inside out now.”

At the July council meeting, McCoy said,

"I have seen the library reborn after a long time of shuttered hours and multiple directors.”

“Its reopening was last July. The library has seen a great resurgence of locals, part-time tourists, and all expressing surprising gratitude for the services we provide."

"We live in a tourist town, but also there's 24% of our population is under income or the poverty line. So we provide services that are free — such as computers, photocopying, we even help people. A lady came in today, needed some help, doesn't have a computer at home. We're there."

"The library is not a revenue producing entity and it never will be. It is a public service. It is to offer services to the community. It is to be a community hub.”

Wiley said, “I’d like McCoy as a trustee personally; she gave me different views, different than I would ever have thought of, so I like her as a trustee. And I think she’ll do well working at the library, as well.”

Who Comes Next

In the 2025 election, McCoy ran for her trustee seat unopposed—as did Hamilton and Hardwick.

Her successor fills the seat by appointment. Mayor Dusty Wiley picks the name. The three remaining trustees decide whether it stands.

Wiley said he’ll issue an announcement soliciting letters of interest for the vacant seat. He’s looking for “Anybody that’s got knowledge about the village and has some thoughts, and is willing to put the time in.”

Wiley says applicants should live and be registered to vote within the village.

As for what council environment they’d be stepping into? “I got a great working relationship with all the trustees, at least I feel I do. I think it’s been a real smooth working group at this point,” Wiley says of the current council.

The rules are new. House Bill 298 rewrote parts of New Mexico’s municipal code and took effect on June 20 after being signed in April 2025.

An appointment now requires a majority vote of the governing body members present. The nominee must be a registered voter living in the village.

There is also a clock. If the seat sits empty for 15 days, the board must vote at its next meeting — and keep the item on every agenda thereafter until someone is seated.

Three trustees remain: Keith Hamilton, Danny Hardwick and Matt Willett.

Mayor Wiley sits on the governing body but ordinarily votes only to break a tie.

The appointee would not serve long. An appointed trustee serves until the next regular local election, in 2027. McCoy’s term expires then as well, leaving nothing to fill — so the seat should go on that ballot for a full four years. Whoever is appointed may also run for it.

Cloudcroft has done this before. Trustee Hamilton joined the board by appointment before winning the seat outright.

Learn more about Gail McCoy. Check out Hannah Dean’s April 2025 profile of McCoy in the Reader in April 2025.

Cloudcroft Stars:

50 New Members by Labor Day

That’s our goal. We are 22 new members away from hitting it.

So we have a question: Is solid, steady, thoughtful reporting on the greater Cloudcroft community worth your support? Do you care? Can you take it or leave it?

If you think the Reader is good for you, your family, friends, and neighbors, now is the time to pitch in and help. Through this drive, every dollar donated will be matched dollar for dollar. Join us today: Sign Me Up!

Count on me

Thank you to our great members (listed below) who have helped provide fair, first-hand, insightful coverage of the issues, institutions, and people at the heart of Cloudcroft. Their support makes our reporting possible. They power “The Voice of the Mountain”

2026

Kathy Lee Alvoid, Gustavo Armas, Jeff Barr, Charlene Basham, Dmitry Bizyaev, Elizabeth Blohm, Susan Booth, Mary Bott, Carole Bronston, Anne Calaway, Kathy & Gary Calmia, Lyn Canham, Alexandra Carilli, James Carlton, Janyce Chesnut, Sam Coats, Jonathan Coker, David Colarusso, Deborah Cole, Stephanie Collins, Amy Coor, Suzannah Cox, Marietta Crane, Ann Davis, Lee Dean, Aileen Duc, Marina Ellison, Madi Evans, Amy Felix, Wes and Pat Gaskill, Heidi Gibbons, Bing Graffunder, Diana Green, Angela Hagen, Keith Hamilton, William Hanson, Barbara Hartley, Renee Hays, Chris Hearne, Steve Henry, Allen Henson, Karen Highfill, Sonnie Hill, Barbara Hoskins, Michael Johnson, Michael Joiner, Brent Jordan, Kurt Kochendarfer, David and Anne Marie Larsen, Michele Law, Bill Ley, Robert Mace, Shelby Manford, George Marshall, Ralph McGarity, Carie Mckinney, Carl Milburn, Mike and Marty Mills, Monica Morgan, Bill and Pat Neal, Beth Offolter, Joey Pacheco, Tres Paxton, Julie and Eric Pearson, Mira Pepper, April Perez, Sue Preslar, Cheryl Puterbaugh, Laura Robertson, Leah Ross, Nikki Rowling, John Sarrels, Terry Schul, Terry Sharpe, Betty Sheker, Anne Shuttee, John & Jean Simmons, Bruce and Mandi Smaga, Robert Smaltz, Steph Snedden, Anne Spier, Greg and Lisa Spier, Gina Sweeny, Tami Swingler, Debbie Tate, Mark Tatum, Darrel Teaver, Diane Thomas, Patricia Troell, Summit Supply - True Value, Sharon Voelz, Laurel & John Walters/Cronin, Don Watts, Jessie Willett, Jaye Williams

2025

Gerardo & Hilda Acuna, Advanced Septic Pros LLC, Kathy Lee Alvoid, David Amidei, Carolyn Anderson, Gustavo Armas, Jeffrey Barr, Sandra and Jeff Barr, Paul Barrows, Charlene Basham, Larry/Dee Beck, Winner of the Bet, Dmitry Bizyaev, Elizabeth Blohm, Susan Booth, Mary Bott, Jack Britton, Roger Brown, Chris Burton, Cynthia Buttram, Lyn Canham, Alexandra Carilli, Donna G Casey, Dru and Craig Chapman, Janyce Chesnut, Jan Clarence, Sam Coats, Jonathan Coker, David Colarusso, Deborah Cole, Stephanie and Brian Collins, Kirk Cooper, Amy Coor, Jennifer Coughenour, Suzannah Cox, Marietta Crane, Kathleen Crinklaw, Martha & Larry Dahl, Mike & Jill DeGraw, The Cloudcroft Directory, Roger Donnelson, Aileen and Chaz Duc, Kathy Duncan, Virginia Durant, Glenn Edwards, Marina Ellison, Madi Evans, Cynthia S Farmer, Amy Felix, Mark Ferring, Mike Foster, Wes and Pat Gaskill, Robert Giacopasi, Heidi Gibbons, Jim Goodwin, Judy Gordinier, Merrilee Gordon, Bing and Jan Graffunder, Diana Green, Angela Hagen, Keith Hamilton, William Hanson, Barbara Hartley, Bill & Cheri Hass, Renee Hays, Chris Hearne, Stan and Ginger Hearne, Judy Helms, Steven Henry, Sean & Monica Henschel, Allen Henson, Karen Highfill, Sonnie Hill, Barbara Hoskins, Jann Hunter, Nancy Elle Igo, Barbara johnson, Michael Johnson, Brent Jordan, Cheryl Kaufman, Carol & Gary Kelly, Amanda Kemp, Peter Kendall, Jane E Klayman, Jane Klayman, Kurt Kochendarfer, Lynn Kriegshauser, Timothy Kruse, Terry Kyle, Richard F Lamb, David and Anne Marie Larsen, Diana Lehr, Robert Levy, Bill Ley, Tracy Lockhart, Michael London, Robert Mace, Shelby Manford, Kate Mangelsdorf, George Marshall, Jackie Maxon, Sandra McBrayer, Mike & Flora McClung, Rena Mcfarlane, Carie Mckinney, Tom&Pearl McLaughlin, Linda Meyer, Carl Milburn, Christine Milyard, Mike and Marilyn Moffitt, Glena Muncrief, Justin & Marianne Muñoz, Bill and Pat Neal, Kate O’Brien, Gail Overstreet, Joey Pacheco, Dani Park, Amy Parker-Morris, Carol Peacock, Eric Pearson, Julie and Eric Pearson, Mira Pepper, Lesa Provenghi, Barbara Pugh, Cheryl Puterbaugh, Laura Rabon, Charles Ramay, Jean Ramsey, Brian Risinger, Alynn Rivera, Laura Robertson, Dixie Rogers, Leah Ross, Pam Runyan, Andra Sanders, John Sarrels, Terry Schul, Jeanie Schwappach, Dona Sennett, Brian Sharp, Betty Sheker, Anne Shuttee, Rod Slaton, Rodney Slaton, Bruce and Mandi Smaga, Robert Smaltz, Sean Smith, Skip Smith, Steph Snedden, Anne Spier, Greg and Lisa Spier, Valerie Stagaman, Hans Steinhoff, Gina Sweeny, Julie Swift, Tami Swingler, Jeff Taff, Debbie Tate, Mark Tatum, Tod Taylor, Darrel Teaver, Diane Thomas, Brian & Cristy Thomma, William Tippin, Patricia Troell, Summit Supply - True Value, Chris Vanderlinden, TAMMY vasilatos, Dave Venable, Laurel & John Walters/Cronin, Bill Warren, Don Watts, Della Webb, Christian W Westphal, Jessie Willett, Matt Willett, Kerie van Zeyst, Charlotte Zimmerman

2024

Gerardo Acuna, Hilda Gerardo Acuna, Laryssa Alvarez, Kathy Lee Alvoid, David Amidei, Jim Anderson, Sandra Barr, Rebecca Barrows, Charlene Basham, John Bennett, Greg and Courtney Blackman, Sally and Prentice Blanscett, Susan Booth, Mary Bott, Jack Britton, John Bufton, Cynthia Buttram, Gary Calmia, Lyn Canham, Alexandra Carilli, Donna G Casey, Craig and Dru Chapman, Janyce Chesnut, Sam Coats, Jonathan Coker, Deborah Cole, Brian and Stephanie Collins, Kirk Cooper, Amy Coor, Suzannah Cox, Martha & Larry Dahl, Justin Damron, Ann Davis, Charles Day, Hannah Dean, Roger Donnelson, Aileen Duc, Amy Dunlap, Dana Dunlap, Glenn Edwards, Randy Melton Electric, Waitt Family, Amy Felix, John & Debbie Ferdetta, David Frye, Wes and Pat Gaskill, Heidi Gibbons, Jim Goodwin, Judy Gordinier, Herman Graffunder, Jan Graffunder, Rhonda Grant, Angela Hagen, Linda Hamilton, Cheri Hass, Renee Hays, Richard Hays, April Hearne, Stan and Ginger Hearne, Steven G Henry, Karen Highfill, Sonnie Hill, Barbara Hoskins, Patti Howell, Jann Hunter, Barbara and Bryan Johnson, Michael Johnson, Cheryl Kaufman, Peter Kendall, Kurt Kochendarfer, Tom Krajci, Judith Langlois, David and Anne Marie Larsen, Dennis Latimer, Joshua and Jackie Lee, Diana Lehr, Bill Ley, Tracy Lockhart, Michael London, Guy Lutman, Robert Mace, Dennis Magill, Susan Mahan, Shelby Manford, George Marshall, Carie Mckinney, Tom McLaughlin, Pat McLeod, Linda Meyer, Mike and Stacey Hyman Institute for Philosophical and Future Studies in Makerting, Carl Milburn, Mike and Marty MILLS, Chris Milya, Carla Moore, Glena Muncrief, Earle & Dixie Neill, Earle Neill, Andrea Ohare, Gail Overstreet, Lynn Owen, Amy Parker-Morris, Eric Pearson, Julie and Eric Pearson, Malina Pearson, Nancy Penner, Jackie and Larry Pryor, Barbara Pugh, Cheryl Puterbaugh, Charles Ramay, Dorian Ramirez, Jean Ramsey, Linda Rawson, Pat Ray, Brian Risinger, Laura Robertson, Dixie Rogers, Mario Romero, Tom & Pam Runyan, Andra Sanders, John Sarrels, Barbara Scheuter, Terry Schul, DONA Sennett, Betty Sheker, Bob & Donna Shepherd, Sara Sims, Rod & Barbara Slaton, Rodney Slaton, Bruce and Mandi Smaga, Skip Smith, John Snook, Anne Spier, Lisa & Greg Spier, Valerie Stagaman, Don Stowe, Gina Sweeny, Julie Swift, Debbie Tate, Mark Tatum, Tod Taylor, Diane Thomas, Charles Townley, Summit Supply - True Value, Craig Turner, Dave Venable, Laurel & John Walters/Cronin, Don Watts, Della Webb, Adrienne West, Jessie Willett, Matt Willett, Jim Worthan, Carl Wyatt

Join us today: Sign Me Up!

Help us hit 50 by Labor Day. 22 new members to go…

Upcoming Trail Closures During Fire Mitigation and Access Project

Yesterday, the Reader rode along with the Otero County Electric Cooperative Vegetation Management and Right-of-Way Supervisor Janscen Davis to check out the upcoming fire mitigation and access projects along the “69-Line” at Toboggan Canyon.

The work to remove fire fuels and trees that endanger the line that feeds power to the Cloudcroft substation is underway. During the project, expect trail closures in the canyon. Look to the Lincoln National Forest Service website for closures and updates.

We look forward to publishing a fuller report on the projects soon.

Your Wednesday Review continues after this brief message. Thank you to our sponsor, Blushing Yucca Esthetics:

Book My Glow Up

The Reader is proud to be sponsored in part by High Altitude:

Promote Your Business

Learn about sponsorship opportunities for your business in support of the Reader. Contact us for more information at sponsorship-info@cloudcroftreader.com

Cloudcroft Reader is proud to be sponsored in part by great companies like:

• Cloudcroft Art Society
  Located in Old Red Brick Schoolhouse: Holiday and Saturday art shows

• Noisy Water Winery
  Family-owned winery crafting thoughtfully made wines from New Mexico grapes, inspired by mountain living.

• Be in the Mountains Yoga & Massage
  A cozy space for yoga and massage therapy at the Village Plaza

• The Stove and Spa Store
  We offer a variety of services to ensure your hearth and spa dreams are met!

• The Lodge at Cloudcroft
  Landmark Choice Among New Mexico Resorts

• Cloudcroft Art Workshops
  Enhance your artistry while enjoying the beauty and coolness of the mountains!

• Sacramento Camp & Conference Center
  Come to the Mountain — Let God Refresh Your Soul

• Laughing Leaf Dispensary
  Discover a world of wellness at Laughing Leaf

• Instant Karma
  Adventure Within: Transformative Yoga, Ayurvedic Wisdom, Nourishing Organics, Fair Trade Boutique

• Off the Beaten Path
  Eclectic gifts & original artwork

• Future Real Estate
  Raise your expectations.

• Ski Cloudcroft
  The Southernmost ski area in New Mexico.

• Cloudcroft Therapeutic Massage
  Maximizing Movement, Quality of Life Improvement

• High Altitude
  Your favorite little outdoor outfitter on Burro Avenue

• Blushing Yucca Esthetics
  ✨ Book your glow-up today✨

• The Elk Shed
  Purveyors of Southwest + Mountain Provisions, Goods & Finery

• The PAC
  Pickleball Addicts of Cloudcroft—Pickleball in the Clouds

• Peñasco Valley Telephone Cooperative
  For all the ways you love to connect

• Bre Hope Media
  Professional photo and video services

And, readers like you. Will you support our work?

I support local news

Take me to the Monthly

Discover Cloudcroft:
Elevate Your Visit

www.DiscoverCloudcroft.com

If you’ve lived in Cloudcroft for any stretch of time, you’ve been to Allsup’s.

You’ve stopped in for gas, or because the road made you thirsty. And there’s a good chance that when you walked in, Lisa Adams was behind the counter.

Adams retired last month after roughly 25 years at the store. She’d moved up to the mountain from El Paso around 1999, following her son, Kody, who had decided to finish high school in Cloudcroft instead of the city. Her parents had kept property in the area for years, and the family had always loved it.

“We lived in El Paso and it was getting ugly, and it was easier to be up here,” she said. “My son called me and said, ‘I’m going to school up here, what do you think?’ I told him, you’re talking apples and oranges there, dude.” He went and she followed.

She picked up work at Allsup’s shortly after arriving, hired by manager Cheryl Winrow. It wasn’t a position she’d been searching for.

“I didn’t care what I was going to be doing,” she said. “I just needed the job.” She quit briefly for personal reasons, lasted about three or four months at home, and then went back. That was that.

What followed was a quarter-century at one of the few stores that’s a reliable constant in Cloudcroft.

The town hasn’t always had much in the way of year-round retail. Mountain Top Mercantile, Cloudcroft’s only locally owned grocery store, closed over a decade ago, and only recently has that void been filled by Cloudy’s Market. Over the decades, Allsup’s, with its limited but carefully maintained shelves, became somewhat of a community hub.

Adams became a manager and took that role seriously. She tracked what people wanted and pushed for it. Sometimes requested items would draw attention from higher-ups. “I would order stuff that the supervisor would say, what are you doing ordering this?” she recalled. “But if I can find it in the order book, I’m going to get it on the shelf for them.”

For many stretches, the store was the only grocery option on the mountain, which gave it a different weight than most gas stations. Tourists stopped en route to their destinations. Locals stopped in because there was nowhere else. “I did all my shopping at Allsup’s,” Adams said with a laugh. “I very seldom leave the mountain.”

Summer brought snowbirds, older travelers in campers and RVs working their way across the country, and Adams looked forward to it every year. They’d come through once and come back again the next season, checking to see if she was still there. Usually she was.

“They left their mark on all of us to be better people,” she said of those regulars. “They were always so sweet, and it kind of rubbed off on us.”

Over the years she met people from across the United States and Mexico, travelers passing through on mountain roads who wandered in. Movie stars came through occasionally, she’s forgotten the names but not the encounters. She made a habit of asking where people were from. It almost always sparked a conversation.

The winters had their own character. When storms knocked out power and the old store had no generator, Adams and a coworker would stay anyway. A two-person rule kept the place staffed at all times. They dragged Coke cases together for chairs, brought food and books, and waited it out. “We got to know each other a lot better,” she said.

Through all of it, she kept a single goal in mind. “We tried to make it a mom-and-pop store,” she said. “Keep it as family. Everybody that lives here is family, of some sort.”

She’s been retired for about a month now. The first few weeks were fine. Then the small house she shares with her son and his wife on their property started feeling small. She’s been walking the roads to stay busy, checking in on people, staying off the couch. In fact, she’s already picked up part-time work cleaning rooms at The Grand Cloudcroft Hotel.

“I just can’t sit at home,” she said. “That’s my deal.”

With her extra time in retirement, she has daughters in the Dallas area she’s planning to visit. Former regulars still reach out. A daily check-in text from one, a call from another, and she’s still in contact with the current staff at the store.

“The people made my career,” she said. “The people. I’ve very seldom ran into anyone that was not nice.”

Cloudcroft Reader is proud to be sponsored in part by great companies like:

• Cloudcroft Art Society
  Located in Old Red Brick Schoolhouse: Holiday and Saturday art shows

• Noisy Water Winery
  Family-owned winery crafting thoughtfully made wines from New Mexico grapes, inspired by mountain living.

• Be in the Mountains Yoga & Massage
  A cozy space for yoga and massage therapy at the Village Plaza

• The Stove and Spa Store
  We offer a variety of services to ensure your hearth and spa dreams are met!

• The Lodge at Cloudcroft
  Landmark Choice Among New Mexico Resorts

• Cloudcroft Art Workshops
  Enhance your artistry while enjoying the beauty and coolness of the mountains!

• Sacramento Camp & Conference Center
  Come to the Mountain — Let God Refresh Your Soul

• Laughing Leaf Dispensary
  Discover a world of wellness at Laughing Leaf

• Instant Karma
  Adventure Within: Transformative Yoga, Ayurvedic Wisdom, Nourishing Organics, Fair Trade Boutique

• Off the Beaten Path
  Eclectic gifts & original artwork

• Future Real Estate
  Raise your expectations.

• Ski Cloudcroft
  The Southernmost ski area in New Mexico.

• Cloudcroft Therapeutic Massage
  Maximizing Movement, Quality of Life Improvement

• High Altitude
  Your favorite little outdoor outfitter on Burro Avenue

• Blushing Yucca Esthetics
  ✨ Book your glow-up today✨

• The Elk Shed
  Purveyors of Southwest + Mountain Provisions, Goods & Finery

• The PAC
  Pickleball Addicts of Cloudcroft—Pickleball in the Clouds

• Peñasco Valley Telephone Cooperative
  For all the ways you love to connect

• Bre Hope Media
  Professional photo and video services

And, readers like you. Will you support our work?

I support local news

Take me to the Monthly

Discover Cloudcroft:
Elevate Your Visit

www.DiscoverCloudcroft.com

Hotel Cloudcroft is slated to open on Burro Avenue this Labor Day weekend.

It’s a labor of love for the Geist family: Trevor and his parents, Lance and Robin. Since they bought the boardwalk building in 2019, they’ve “completely gutted it,” restored, and built out the boutique hotel.

“Covid really…I mean, it did to everybody what it did to us too, you know. And so we didn’t get to work on it a whole lot,” Trevor said of the time it’s taken from purchasing the property to getting ready to open.

The 17-room lodging channels Gilded Age elegance with Tiffany-style lighting, crystal pendants, gas-lamp-flicker fixtures, and dark wood and steel, all sourced from roughly 150 antique stores across New Mexico, West Texas, southern Colorado, and Arizona.

“We wanted the place to be a place for people to stay where they have all of the modern amenities, they have everything that you would expect out of a new modern hotel, but within it being essentially an homage to the Gilded Age of when Cloudcroft would have originally started at the turn of the century,” Trevor said.

The curved wooden check-in desk once served a bank in Lincoln, NM; the hallway railing is genuine railroad iron; a scrap-steel train sculpture, welded by Lance himself, honors the railroad and lumber industries that built Cloudcroft.

Rooms flanked by the Bear Track and the Western are lacking exterior walls and get a clever fix through light-box “windows” that mimic daylight. Every space is finished with clean, modern drywall, new plumbing, and efficient ceiling mini-splits, so the vintage character is curated rather than worn.

Trevor elaborates on the family project:

“This was a passion project. This wasn’t something we were trying to hit it and turn it around and get it right over.”

“We wanted it exactly the way that we wanted, and we weren’t going to let time frame or anything else get in the way of this place being exactly what our vision was and exactly what we wanted at the end of the day.”

“We’re hoping that we can do things that can elevate this town.”

“It’s going to be a living building. It really will be. It will continually be a living building.” “Everything you see was done for a reason. Everything is purposefully done.”

Most rooms have a single king or queen bed, with the exception of two family suites, which connect a double/twin bunk bed room with its own bathroom to a king-size room.

The showstoppers are the upstairs Honeymoon and Anniversary Suites, each with a king bed, fireplace, soaking tub, and a private balcony overlooking Burro, prime real estate for morning coffee or catching the town’s parades.

See for yourself.

The Reader is proud to sponsor the upcoming Cloudcroft Mountain Smash Pickleball Tournament and fundraiser:

Sign me up

Cloudcroft Reader is proud to be sponsored in part by great companies like:

• Cloudcroft Art Society
  Located in Old Red Brick Schoolhouse: Holiday and Saturday art shows

• Noisy Water Winery
  Family-owned winery crafting thoughtfully made wines from New Mexico grapes, inspired by mountain living.

• Be in the Mountains Yoga & Massage
  A cozy space for yoga and massage therapy at the Village Plaza

• The Stove and Spa Store
  We offer a variety of services to ensure your hearth and spa dreams are met!

• The Lodge at Cloudcroft
  Landmark Choice Among New Mexico Resorts

• Cloudcroft Art Workshops
  Enhance your artistry while enjoying the beauty and coolness of the mountains!

• Sacramento Camp & Conference Center
  Come to the Mountain — Let God Refresh Your Soul

• Laughing Leaf Dispensary
  Discover a world of wellness at Laughing Leaf

• Instant Karma
  Adventure Within: Transformative Yoga, Ayurvedic Wisdom, Nourishing Organics, Fair Trade Boutique

• Off the Beaten Path
  Eclectic gifts & original artwork

• Future Real Estate
  Raise your expectations.

• Ski Cloudcroft
  The Southernmost ski area in New Mexico.

• Cloudcroft Therapeutic Massage
  Maximizing Movement, Quality of Life Improvement

• High Altitude
  Your favorite little outdoor outfitter on Burro Avenue

• Blushing Yucca Esthetics
  ✨ Book your glow-up today✨

• The Elk Shed
  Purveyors of Southwest + Mountain Provisions, Goods & Finery

• The PAC
  Pickleball Addicts of Cloudcroft—Pickleball in the Clouds

• Peñasco Valley Telephone Cooperative
  For all the ways you love to connect

• Bre Hope Media
  Professional photo and video services

• Discover Cloudcroft
  The local go-to guide

  ---

Sign me up!

Scam Alert Issued in Cloudcroft

Tularosa Communications is warning residents about a door-to-door scam reported in Cloudcroft.

According to a statement the company posted to Facebook last week, a customer reported that a man identifying himself as “Harry” visited her home claiming to represent a company called “Digital Providers for Telephone Services.” He told the customer he was working on telephone service upgrades and asked for permission to remove copper lines from her property, saying she needed to act quickly. He also reportedly requested prepayment in the form of gift cards — a common scam indicator — and left a contact number, 828-934-9927.

Tularosa Communications said in its post that it has not authorized this individual or company to remove copper lines, equipment, or facilities from any customer’s property.

The company is urging residents not to allow anyone to remove lines or equipment, not to share personal or account information, and to verify a person’s identity with the company directly before allowing any work to be performed. Residents with questions can call Tularosa Communications’ office at 575-585-2700.

Your Wednesday Review continues after this brief message. Thank you to our sponsor, The Elk Shed:

NMRTA Work Day and Annual Meeting Set for August

The New Mexico Rails-to-Trails Association (NMRTA) has two events scheduled this month. First, a trail work day on Saturday, August 15, from 9 a.m. to noon, focused on clean-up around Devil’s Elbow, brushing and maintenance along the trail, plus removal of fallen rocks.

The group is looking for 8-12 volunteers and asks them to bring water, gloves, and sunscreen. Volunteers should meet at the Village Spur Trailhead at 9 a.m. Those who take part will get a free lunch of pizza and soft drinks, plus a complimentary T-shirt afterward. To sign up, visit nmrailstotrails.org/volunteer, email nmrailtrails@gmail.com, or call/text (575) 554-2745.

The following week, NMRTA holds its Annual Meeting on Saturday, August 22, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Lodge Pavilion. Guest speaker Mark Gutzman, a U.S. Forest Service archaeologist who researched Sunspot’s National Register of Historic Places nomination, will share the observatory’s history from its 1947 founding to the National Science Foundation’s decision to relocate solar research to Maui, Hawaii. The agenda also includes a review of last year’s minutes, board nominations and elections, and an annual financial review. All are welcome; RSVP at nmrailstotrails.org/rsvp.

RECA Film Screening Draws Gubernatorial Nominee Deb Haaland and Rep. Gabe Vasquez to Alamogordo

From Alamogordo Town News:

“Democratic gubernatorial nominee Deb Haaland and U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez will join director Lois Lipman Wednesday evening at the Flickinger Center for a screening of the award-winning documentary First We Bombed New Mexico, followed by a discussion and audience Q&A.”

“The event arrives more than a year after Congress finally expanded the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) to include New Mexico’s long-excluded Downwinders — families exposed to radioactive fallout from the world’s first atomic bomb test.”

Learn more about RECA with the Reader:

https://www.cloudcroftreader.com/i/208047412/downwinders-push-to-expand-nuclear-compensation-law

The Reader is proud to be sponsored in part by Future Real Estate:

How's the Market?

Promote Your Business

Learn about sponsorship opportunities for your business in support of the Reader. Contact us for more information at sponsorship-info@cloudcroftreader.com

Cloudcroft Reader is proud to be sponsored in part by great companies like:

• Cloudcroft Art Society
  Located in Old Red Brick Schoolhouse: Holiday and Saturday art shows

• Noisy Water Winery
  Family-owned winery crafting thoughtfully made wines from New Mexico grapes, inspired by mountain living.

• Be in the Mountains Yoga & Massage
  A cozy space for yoga and massage therapy at the Village Plaza

• The Stove and Spa Store
  We offer a variety of services to ensure your hearth and spa dreams are met!

• The Lodge at Cloudcroft
  Landmark Choice Among New Mexico Resorts

• Cloudcroft Art Workshops
  Enhance your artistry while enjoying the beauty and coolness of the mountains!

• Sacramento Camp & Conference Center
  Come to the Mountain — Let God Refresh Your Soul

• Laughing Leaf Dispensary
  Discover a world of wellness at Laughing Leaf

• Instant Karma
  Adventure Within: Transformative Yoga, Ayurvedic Wisdom, Nourishing Organics, Fair Trade Boutique

• Off the Beaten Path
  Eclectic gifts & original artwork

• Future Real Estate
  Raise your expectations.

• Ski Cloudcroft
  The Southernmost ski area in New Mexico.

• Cloudcroft Therapeutic Massage
  Maximizing Movement, Quality of Life Improvement

• High Altitude
  Your favorite little outdoor outfitter on Burro Avenue

• Blushing Yucca Esthetics
  ✨ Book your glow-up today✨

• The Elk Shed
  Purveyors of Southwest + Mountain Provisions, Goods & Finery

• The PAC
  Pickleball Addicts of Cloudcroft—Pickleball in the Clouds

• Peñasco Valley Telephone Cooperative
  For all the ways you love to connect

• Bre Hope Media
  Professional photo and video services

And, readers like you. Will you support our work?

I support local news

Take me to the Monthly

Discover Cloudcroft:
Elevate Your Visit

www.DiscoverCloudcroft.com

Eight months after taking office, the Cloudcroft Village Council settled into an efficient August council meeting, despite the full agenda. A dozen community folks and department heads joined them in the village chambers.

Fire Chief Erich Wuersching told Mayor Dusty Wiley, Trustees Keith Hamilton, Gail McCoy, Danny Hardwick—and Matt Willett, who Zoomed into the meeting—that the Otero County Electric Cooperative (OCEC) has signed a contract for helicopter removal to help thin trees in steep, hard-to-reach terrain along the power line near Lost Lodge.

Wuersching said that the village is piggybacking on that contract to treat its own steep west-facing property.

According to Wuersching, doing the work solo would have run roughly $120,000; sharing mobilization costs with OCEC drops the village’s share to about $10,000. The Reader will continue to report on this developing story.

School Resource Officer Grant Update

Police Chief Roger Schoolcraft confirmed that the department met the August 6 deadline for a state grant to fund a shared school resource officer with Cloudcroft Municipal Schools.

The grant covers 75% of the officer’s salary; the village and the school district each cover 12.5%. The village won’t know if it’s been awarded the grant until late September or early October, and no hiring will begin until that’s confirmed.

Budget: Ahead of Schedule

Mayor Wiley announced that the village is fully certified and ahead of schedule on budget work, having completed the final budget for fiscal year (FY) 2025-’26, and secured DFA approval for the current budget.

Trustees also approved a budget adjustment to catch up on gross receipts tax payments owed to the state from May 2023 through May 2025.

Clerk Jini Turri had formerly set the goal of having the budget in order by December. Wiley said, “We’re way ahead of schedule at this point.”

The Reader will publish the full FY 2026-’27 budget once it is available and will follow up separately on the village’s most recent audit.

Kincaid Fills Out Lodger’s Tax Advisory Board

Trustees unanimously appointed Bre Kincaid to the Lodger’s Tax Advisory Committee. Kincaid is a Cloudcroft-based photographer and cinematographer who also runs Cloudy’s Market, the village’s new grocery store, with her husband, Dylan.

Also on the Agenda

• New hire: Azi Alarcon joins Public Works full-time after working seasonally for the village in the past few summers.

• Open seats: There is one opening on the Planning & Zoning Commission and four openings on the Library Board, which is currently below quorum. Those interested can submit letters of interest to the mayor: ccvillagemayor@cloudcroftvillage.com

• Mountaintop grant: Council adopted the required certifications for a $ 2-million-plus Community Development Block Grant.

Planning and Zoning Commission chair Rick Donnelly announced the commission is working on updating ordinances, village parking, and more. Proposed changes will be discussed with the council at a future public workshop, to be announced.

Reports like this are made possible by the support of companies like:

• Cloudcroft Art Society
  Located in Old Red Brick Schoolhouse: Holiday and Saturday art shows

• Noisy Water Winery
  Family-owned winery crafting thoughtfully made wines from New Mexico grapes, inspired by mountain living.

• Be in the Mountains Yoga & Massage
  A cozy space for yoga and massage therapy at the Village Plaza

• The Stove and Spa Store
  We offer a variety of services to ensure your hearth and spa dreams are met!

• The Lodge at Cloudcroft
  Landmark Choice Among New Mexico Resorts

• Cloudcroft Art Workshops
  Enhance your artistry while enjoying the beauty and coolness of the mountains!

• Sacramento Camp & Conference Center
  Come to the Mountain — Let God Refresh Your Soul

• Laughing Leaf Dispensary
  Discover a world of wellness at Laughing Leaf

• Instant Karma
  Adventure Within: Transformative Yoga, Ayurvedic Wisdom, Nourishing Organics, Fair Trade Boutique

• Off the Beaten Path
  Eclectic gifts & original artwork

• Future Real Estate
  Raise your expectations.

• Ski Cloudcroft
  The Southernmost ski area in New Mexico.

• Cloudcroft Therapeutic Massage
  Maximizing Movement, Quality of Life Improvement

• High Altitude
  Your favorite little outdoor outfitter on Burro Avenue

• Blushing Yucca Esthetics
  ✨ Book your glow-up today✨

• The Elk Shed
  Purveyors of Southwest + Mountain Provisions, Goods & Finery

• The PAC
  Pickleball Addicts of Cloudcroft—Pickleball in the Clouds

• Peñasco Valley Telephone Cooperative
  For all the ways you love to connect

• Bre Hope Media
  Professional photo and video services

• Discover Cloudcroft
  The local go-to guide

The U.S. Forest Service and the state of New Mexico signed a new 20-year Shared Stewardship Agreement on July 22, and while the deal covers every national forest in the state, local officials say it’s too early to know exactly what it will mean on the ground here in Otero County.

“The agreement expands opportunities for timber production, new wood uses, landscape restoration, and reducing wildfire risk to communities, ecosystems, and local economies across New Mexico,” the USFS press release announcing the agreement states.

Jorden Scott, public affairs officer for the Lincoln National Forest, confirmed the agreement applies fully to the Lincoln, but cautioned that no project list has been developed for the forest yet.

“The newly signed Shared Stewardship Agreement covers the entire state of New Mexico, overlapping all of the National Forests within it,” Scott said. “This includes the Lincoln National Forest, so the agreement and the opportunities it creates are fully applicable to the Lincoln.”

What Happens Next

The agreement’s 20-year timeline mirrors the planning horizon the signing parties are working with, according to Scott.

The next concrete step is a regional review, not a Lincoln-specific one: a regional team will review projects across the state that overlap with work on Forest Service lands in New Mexico, then begin prioritizing efforts that could fit under the agreement and fall on the Lincoln.

That review is expected to focus on fire-fuel reduction work, such as thinning, prescribed burns, timber sales, and mastication, with knock-on benefits for watersheds, wildlife habitat, and grazing lands, Scott said.

Official Word

While nothing is finalized, Scott pointed to two ongoing efforts on the Lincoln that could eventually align with the agreement: post-fire recovery work near Ruidoso and forest management activities within the South Sacramento Restoration Project area.

“As planning progresses, we may see alignment with some of our ongoing high-priority efforts,” Scott said, adding that “there are several potential opportunities on the Lincoln and likely within other national forests across New Mexico.”

More clarity should come as the agreement moves into its project-planning phase, Scott’s office indicated, with visibility into what it means for the Lincoln expected to improve from there.

According to a Forest Service press release announcing the signing, the agreement is designed to let state, county, and tribal partners carry out priority projects on federal land where those boundaries overlap, expanding who can do the work, not just how much gets done.

Locally, Scott framed the payoff in terms of capacity: the collaborative approach is meant to strengthen capacity, improve efficiency, and expand the forest’s ability to deliver critical work that benefits not just the forest itself but also the surrounding rural communities.

The agreement builds on a 2019 shared stewardship pact between the Forest Service and New Mexico and advances Executive Order 14225, Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production, which allows the Forest Service to authorize states, counties, and federally recognized tribes to carry out certain projects on federal land.

Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz called it a “20-year commitment” meant to accelerate restoration and reduce wildfire risk across millions of acres across the state.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan-Grisham framed the agreement’s payoff in more immediate terms: more crews thinning overgrown forest and cutting fuel loads before the next fire season.

For now, the Lincoln National Forest’s role in that effort remains a question of when and where, not if, with Scott’s office signaling that updates will follow as regional planning takes shape.

Having a Say: The Southern New Mexico RAC

Residents looking for a direct role in shaping which projects move forward have an avenue outside the Shared Stewardship Agreement itself: the Southern New Mexico Resource Advisory Committee (RAC).

The national forests of southern New Mexico, including the Lincoln, are currently recruiting nine to 15 volunteers for the committee, which recommends how Secure Rural Schools Title II federal funds get spent on projects spanning Grant, Catron, Sierra, Socorro, Lincoln, and Otero counties.

Those funds benefit public lands within the Gila, Lincoln, and Cibola national forests, and committee members vote on projects covering road, trail, and campground maintenance, rangeland support, wildlife habitat restoration, invasive weed control, and watershed protection.

The Forest Service is prioritizing applicants with local knowledge of the region and aiming for a balanced roster that represents organized labor, timber, mining, grazing, environmental groups, elected office, and tribal nations.

How to apply: Interested residents must submit a completed USDA AD-755 interest and background-check form to Southern New Mexico RAC Coordinator Nathaniel Marquard, either by mail (Gila National Forest, Attn: Nathaniel Marquard, 3005 E Camino del Bosque, Silver City, NM 88061) or by email at SM.FS.SouthernNM.RAC@usda.gov.

There is no fixed cutoff. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the committee is full, so early submissions are encouraged.

Sign me up!

Reports like this are made possible by the support of companies like PVT:

The Reader is proud to be sponsored in part by:

• Cloudcroft Art Society
  Located in Old Red Brick Schoolhouse: Holiday and Saturday art shows

• Noisy Water Winery
  Family-owned winery crafting thoughtfully made wines from New Mexico grapes, inspired by mountain living.

• Be in the Mountains Yoga & Massage
  A cozy space for yoga and massage therapy at the Village Plaza

• The Stove and Spa Store
  We offer a variety of services to ensure your hearth and spa dreams are met!

• The Lodge at Cloudcroft
  Landmark Choice Among New Mexico Resorts

• Cloudcroft Art Workshops
  Enhance your artistry while enjoying the beauty and coolness of the mountains!

• Sacramento Camp & Conference Center
  Come to the Mountain — Let God Refresh Your Soul

• Laughing Leaf Dispensary
  Discover a world of wellness at Laughing Leaf

• Instant Karma
  Adventure Within: Transformative Yoga, Ayurvedic Wisdom, Nourishing Organics, Fair Trade Boutique

• Off the Beaten Path
  Eclectic gifts & original artwork

• Future Real Estate
  Raise your expectations.

• Ski Cloudcroft
  The Southernmost ski area in New Mexico.

• Cloudcroft Therapeutic Massage
  Maximizing Movement, Quality of Life Improvement

• High Altitude
  Your favorite little outdoor outfitter on Burro Avenue

• Blushing Yucca Esthetics
  ✨ Book your glow-up today✨

• The Elk Shed
  Purveyors of Southwest + Mountain Provisions, Goods & Finery

• The PAC
  Pickleball Addicts of Cloudcroft—Pickleball in the Clouds

• Peñasco Valley Telephone Cooperative
  For all the ways you love to connect

• Bre Hope Media
  Professional photo and video services

Take me to the Monthly

Discover Cloudcroft:


Elevate Your Visit

www.DiscoverCloudcroft.com

Your Wednesday Review continues after this brief message. Thank you to our sponsor, the Cloudcroft Art Society:

CLOUDCROFT ART SOCIETY PATIO SALE, Saturday, August 15, 2026 | 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Old Red Brick Schoolhouse Community Room (and north patio). Art supplies, art books, donated art, and yard-sale finds.

As Seen in Cloudcroft: Photo Essay

Otero County Electric Cooperative (OCEC) members gathered for the annual meeting last Saturday, August 1, where they heard the annual report and stuck around for a raffle and barbecue lunch provided by the Cloudcroft High School culinary program.

View PHOTOS

The Reader is proud to be sponsored in part by Noisy Water Winery:

Promote Your Business

Learn about sponsorship opportunities for your business in support of the Reader. Contact us for more information at sponsorship-info@cloudcroftreader.com

Cloudcroft Reader is proud to be sponsored in part by great companies like:

• Cloudcroft Art Society
  Located in Old Red Brick Schoolhouse: Holiday and Saturday art shows

• Noisy Water Winery
  Family-owned winery crafting thoughtfully made wines from New Mexico grapes, inspired by mountain living.

• Be in the Mountains Yoga & Massage
  A cozy space for yoga and massage therapy at the Village Plaza

• The Stove and Spa Store
  We offer a variety of services to ensure your hearth and spa dreams are met!

• The Lodge at Cloudcroft
  Landmark Choice Among New Mexico Resorts

• Cloudcroft Art Workshops
  Enhance your artistry while enjoying the beauty and coolness of the mountains!

• Sacramento Camp & Conference Center
  Come to the Mountain — Let God Refresh Your Soul

• Laughing Leaf Dispensary
  Discover a world of wellness at Laughing Leaf

• Instant Karma
  Adventure Within: Transformative Yoga, Ayurvedic Wisdom, Nourishing Organics, Fair Trade Boutique

• Off the Beaten Path
  Eclectic gifts & original artwork

• Future Real Estate
  Raise your expectations.

• Ski Cloudcroft
  The Southernmost ski area in New Mexico.

• Cloudcroft Therapeutic Massage
  Maximizing Movement, Quality of Life Improvement

• High Altitude
  Your favorite little outdoor outfitter on Burro Avenue

• Blushing Yucca Esthetics
  ✨ Book your glow-up today✨

• The Elk Shed
  Purveyors of Southwest + Mountain Provisions, Goods & Finery

• The PAC
  Pickleball Addicts of Cloudcroft—Pickleball in the Clouds

• Peñasco Valley Telephone Cooperative
  For all the ways you love to connect

• Bre Hope Media
  Professional photo and video services

And, readers like you. Will you support our work?

I support local news

Take me to the Monthly

Discover Cloudcroft:
Elevate Your Visit

www.DiscoverCloudcroft.com