Four-Day School Stands, New Business Blooms, H2OMG, Village Updates and More
Catch up with the Cloudcroft Reader's weekly rundown
Cloudcroft Catch-Up: School, Village, and Amenities News
Four-day school weeks stand, Music department hire, Mayor King offers meet-ups, where to dump your brush while the slash pit burns, a recent NMDOH health advisory, and more:
Cloudcroft Schools and other districts are allowed to continue with their four-day school weeks after Chaves County District Judge Dustin K. Hunter ruled the proposed 180-day school calendar rule is unlawful.
The New Mexico School Superintendents Association sued the Public Education Department (PED) over the rule, with Judge Hunter issuing a Temporary Restraining Order last spring.
Requiring a 180-day calendar with five-day school weeks would have affected Cloudcroft’s school budget with increased costs. The proposed 30-day addition to the school year would have raised the price of teacher salaries, utilities, food, transportation and bussing. According to the Cloudcroft Schools Business Office, the change would have cost the district another $ 1.3 million annually, a 20% increase to the budget.
This week, Cloudcroft Schools Superintendent Jocelyne Driscoll-Gillespie told the Reader:
“We won. It's an official rule that we are going to maintain our 4-day school week, and I think all of us districts with a 4-day school week are very excited about it.”
“The state may have 30 days that they can appeal and we're not sure what they'll do. They might, and if they do, we'll continue making our stand so that we can ensure that we maintain the 4-day school week, which is best for our school district.”
New Business Blooms: Roots Flower Co. Opens in Cloudcroft
In their newly remodeled storefront on a crisp January morning, Hannah Dean visits Cloudcroft's fresh floral boutique owner Shanna Waitt.
The Reader is proud to be sponsored in part by great businesses like PVT:
Water We Waiting For: Emergency Council Meeting Turns Town Hall
A severe water shortage has forced the village to approve emergency measures, including daily water deliveries. Local officials report the village's water demand now exceeds production, depleting critical reserves.
"We cannot keep up with it," said Aaron Foster, the village's Water Operator, during an emergency council meeting in January. As a stopgap measure, the council voted unanimously to contract Oasis Enterprises to transport up to 24,000 gallons of potable water daily.
Visit with the Village Leak Hunters: Reader Reels
Cloudcroft Classifieds
Where can I find…?
Helping people make connections in the Cloudcroft community is core to our mission. To better connect people in business in the area, the Reader is launching a classified listings section to help them find what they are looking for.
You’ve seen bulletin boards around the village with business cards posted on them. The Reader aims to be a similar showcase online for service producers in the area—a great, low-cost way for them to reach the people who are looking for what they offer.
As we launch this new service for the area, we are making all classified listings free during our beta phase (through March). However, we reserve the right to refuse any listings for any reason.
We plan to feature categories such as retail, lodging, real estate, property services, jobs, food & drink, classes, and more.
We’ve created a simple order form where you submit your listing for inclusion. If you have any questions, please email us at classifieds@cloudcroftreader.com
Let us help you get connected.
Retail
Drew Gaines Fine Art
Local artist (and The Reader’s Contributing Editor) offers original oil paintings and fine art prints. Many of his works depict the beauty of the surrounding area.
(214) 934-3822 | drewgaines@sbcglobal.net
Aspen & Ivy Boutique
Boutique store and gift shop on Burro Avenue next to the Fat Rabbit and Pine Stump Mall. Shop for bespoke and organic goods, local art, and more.
Text: (512) 788-1349 | saranicole333@gmail.com
Instant Karma
Adventure Within through transformative yoga, Ayurvedic wisdom, nourishing organics, a Fair Trade boutique, and an afternoon Chai Bar. Ask about joining the Veggie Club.
(575) 682-2651 | alex@getinstantkarma.com
Off the Beaten Path
Eclectic art and gifts, just north of Burro on Glorietta Avenue. Handmade local and regional art with a focus on sustainable and recycled materials. Check out their 1Cat Trap, Neuter, and Release Program.
(575) 682-7284 | stuff@offthebeatenpathstuff.com
Black Bear Coffee Shop
We keep everyone in mind when it comes to our menu. We have gluten-, dairy-, and sugar-free options. Our baristas know their stuff and do their best to make your day and drink a piece of mountaintop perfection. Located on the NW corner of Burro Ave.
(987) 654-1239 | @blackbearcoffeenm on Instagram
Cloudcroft Reader is proud to be sponsored in part by great businesses such as Future Real Estate:
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 businesses like Dusty Boots Motel and Cafe, Instant Karma, Off the Beaten Path, Future Real Estate, Ski Cloudcroft, Cloudcroft Therapeutic Massage, High Altitude, Be in the Mountains Yoga, Otero County Electric Cooperative, and the Peñasco Valley Telephone Cooperative.
Let our over 2,000 e-mail subscribers and over 4,700 followers on Facebook see your support of local journalism. Have your business only one click away from our readers.
‘Why We Sponsor the Cloudcroft Reader’
Meet Robin Faux, Co-Owner of Cloudcroft Therapeutic Massage and a business sponsor of the Cloudcroft Reader.
[Sponsorship Testimonial]
“The Cloudcroft Reader fills a need that we've long had in our community: staying up to date on what’s happening in the village.”
"Jim and I appreciate the style in which the stories are told. We like the use of long quotes, allowing your subject and source to speak for themselves.”
“I’m thinking of the article about the village resignations—-quotes from the village employees and trustees gave me a stronger sense of each party’s intentions. I better understood where each person was coming from.”
“The Hotshots interview made me feel like I was sitting at the table enjoying a beer with them, savoring their stories. I had a whole new appreciation for the grueling realities of the job.”
“You provide a window into the community free from speculation and assumption.”
Sponsoring the Reader is also good for business:
“As a business sponsor, Cloudcroft Therapeutic Massage, we want our logo and contact information near those stories that matter. It reminds people that we're here. We began our sponsorship in late November when things usually slow down, and I immediately saw the results. I'm still seeing the same client load I saw in the summer.”
“When people read the Cloudcroft Reader and see our logo, they start thinking, ‘I need to book an appointment.’”
“The Reader works for Cloudcroft, and it works for our business.”
Thank you to those members of our community who help make the Cloudcroft Reader possible with their contribution:
Brian & Cristy Thomma, Charles Venable, Sandra McBrayer, Barbara Hartley, Keith Hamilton, Mike & Flora McClung, Hal Payne, Kathy Switzer, Ray Haller, Gary Calmia, Joan Nussbaum, Billy Anders, Don Vanlandingham, Patricia Troell, Meredith Kosse, Anne Shuttee, Mike and Marilyn Moffitt, Sean Smith, Carolyn Anderson, Robert Mace, Don Watts, Matt Willett, John & Debbie Ferdetta, Joshua and Jackie Lee, Jim Anderson, Tom & Pam Runyan, Wes and Pat Gaskill, Charles Townley, Dave Venable, Dennis Latimer, John Bufton, Javier & Patricia Alvillar, Bruce and Mandi Smaga, Skip Smith, Bill Ley, William Hanson, Greg and Courtney Blackman, Roger Donnelson, Laura Robertson, Debbie Tate, James Carlton, Carrie McDonald, Pat McLeod, Angela Hagen, Adrienne West, Julie Swift, Karen Highfill, Michael Johnson, Jack Britton, Tom Krajci, Stan and Joani Watson, Paul McSherry, Jim Worthan, Eric Pearson, Malina Pearson, Peter Kendall, Carl Wyatt, Stan and Ginger Hearne, Earle Neill, April Hearne, Rusty Roots, Nancy Slater, Lacinda & Rodger Walker, Earle Neill, Jim Goodwin, David Amidei, John Bennett, Janyce Chesnut, Rhonda Grant, Chris Milya, Carla Moore, Jackie and Larry Pryor, Dorian Ramirez, Charles Ramay, John and Carrie Snook, Aileen Duc, Mike and Marty Mills, Terry and Joann Means, Susan Booth, Cheryl Kaufman, Sara Sims, Guy Lutman, Hans Steinhoff, Herman Graffunder, Carol Stanfill, Kirk Cooper, Ann Davis, Steven G Henry, Sonnie Hill, Jean Ramsey, John Sarrels, Charlene Basham, Patti Howell, Waitt Family, Mario Romero, Craig and Dru Chapman, Hilda Gerardo Acuna, Jann Hunter, Don Stowe, Amy Parker-Morris, Leah Ross, Sally and Prentice Blanscett, Lyn Canham, Amy Dunlap, Linda Rawson, Renee Hays, Brian Risinger, Charles Day, Mark Tatum, Sam Coats, Brian and Stephanie Collins, Dixie Rogers, Cheri Hass, Laurel & John Walters/Cronin, David and Anne Marie Larsen, Dina Sennett, Summit Supply, Amy Felix, Barbara Pugh, Justin Damron, Dana Dunlap, Dennis Magill, Rod & Barbara Slaton, Diana Lehr, Lyn Canham, George Marshall, Rand Carlson, Andrea Ohare, Diana Lehr, Diane McMahon, Bob & Donna Shepherd, Glena Muncrief, Shelby Manford, Deborah Cole, Mike and Stacey Hyman, Linda Hamilton, Gail Overstreet, Andrew Colglazier, Julie and Eric Pearson, Terry Schul, Rand Carlson, Amy Coor, Suzannah Cox, Barbara and Bryan Johnson, Gina Sweeny, Lynn Owen, Judith Langlois, Diane Thomas, Laryssa Alvarez, Gina Sweeney, Lynn Owen, Brian Risinger, Craig Turner, Carl Wyatt, Betty Sheker, Carie Mckinney, Rebecca Barrows, Judith Langlois, Jim & Francis Curtis, Cheri Hass, Kurt Kochendarfer, Alexandra Carilli, Greg Switzer, J & S Blanchett, Jan Graffunder, Barbara Hoskins, Martha & Larry Dahl, Linda Meyer, Tom McLaughlin, Jessie Willett, Heidi Gibbons, Karen Highfill, Herman Graffunder, Michael Johnson, Anonymous, Cloudcroft Chamber of Commerce, Earle & Dixie Neill, Tracy Lockhart, Bill Sandusky, Sandra Barr, Pat Ray, Robert Mace, Mary Bott, Barbara Scheuter, Cynthia Buttram, Andra Sanders, Tod Taylor, Donna G Casey, Kathy Lee Alvoid, Valerie Stagaman, Nancy Penner, Gerardo Acuna, Marietta Crane, Randy Melton Electric, Michael London, Nikki Castle, Joan Nussbaum, Rachel Truex, Cheryl Puterbaugh, Mark Ferring, Lisa & Greg Spier, Kay Magill, Anne Spier, Mark Tatum, Jonathan Coker, Carl Milburn, Judy Gordinier, Glenn Edwards, Anonymous, John Sarrels, Kenna Darling.
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