Kendra Ruminer's Two Cents of Real Estate

Take A Peek At Los Alamos, New Mexico

Month: May 2022

What Lessons Did YOU Learn?

May 27, 2022 /

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I did a little rain dance this past week when the clouds finally rolled in and a whole fifty drops of moisture fell from the sky. A rise in humidity and a lowering of the temperature has given the firefighters a helping hand with the Cerro Pelado Fire. Los Alamos is back to the “Ready” Stage of “Ready, Set, Go!” and the haze of smoke hanging over us has lessened.

My question to you, friends and neighbors of Los Alamos, is what did YOU learn through this most recent potential evacuation? Whether your lessons involved places to go, what to take, or even what sources of information are reliable, they are too important not to remember. Let’s make certain it doesn’t take another near evacuation for us to at least have a plan in place.

Where to Go

This question has far more pieces to it than a lot of us imagined. With three kids and more than one pet in my home, the logistics of getting our crew to a safe place took a bit of planning. And that isn’t just because my growing son is more than six feet tall and requires not only space but a serious amount of calorie intake!

I hadn’t anticipated just how anxious my kiddos were about the potential evacuation. Our dogs are current on their standard vaccinations, but if we’d had to kennel them we would have needed a few extra shots I hadn’t counted on. And don’t get me started on our feline friend! It was one heck of a search to find the cat carrier and I know from chatting with friends that they were also seeking animal crates and considering for the first time how they might transport everything from hermit crabs or chickens, to goats, and even horses!

The long and the short of it is, we’re probably going to have to do this again at some point. Perhaps even this year (though I fervently hope not!) and maybe even next year or the year after. So, what did YOU learn about finding a safe place for your family and all of your pets or animal companions? Is there anything YOU can do to make future emergencies easier on your family?

What to Take

This question became the hottest topic on Facebook so far this year! The last time we evacuated in Los Alamos it was 2011. Over a decade ago. So much has changed in a decade. A LOT of the paper documents that we used to consider vital to our evacuation just aren’t necessary anymore. Bank statements and other financial documents are stored in the cloud. Even photographs can be uploaded with the help of technology into a format that can be accessed from a smartphone!

The question then becomes, what can YOU do to streamline the packing process during an emergency? How can you prepare yourself and your family so that when the time comes you simply get your family, your pets, and maybe a quick overnight bag so you can just go?

Who to Trust

This question is far more complicated. The amount of misinformation floating around town and probably coast to coast was unbelievable! There’s not a single doubt that social media became a bit of an enemy as people compared their evacuation plans in the comments and revved one another up until a frenzy of fear and worry added to the smoke hanging over Los Alamos.

It takes a lot of willpower not to give into the urge to troll the various social media sites looking for every scrap of gossip about the fire. It also takes willpower to limit yourself to the National Forest Fire Information website. But choosing what news sources you get your information from can eliminate so many worries! And if you have friends that might be a little prone to drama, now is the time to establish some boundaries when it comes to how much of that drama you’re going to absorb! Boundaries are far easier to establish during low key times rather than waiting until the entire world seems to be going nuts.

Regardless of how you handled yourself in this recent high tension situation, there are lessons to be learned. What worked, what did NOT, or what you think you could make easier for yourself and your family if something happens again. Because it’s probably a sure thing that something will happen again. At some time. We DO live on the edge of the wilderness here in the City on the Hill! But no matter what happens, Los Alamos is a great place to be! And when you’re ready to seek out a hometown Real Estate Broker, give me a call! I’d love to talk Los Alamos with you!

You Can Still Have Fun Outside During Stage 3 Restrictions

May 20, 2022 /

There’s a lot of chatter around Los Alamos about the declaration of Stage 3 Fire Restrictions here in Los Alamos. There’ve also been reports that as of this morning, Thursday May 19, 2022, the National Forests have been closed as well. This move on the part of the Forest Service and Los Alamos County isn’t unlike a stern parent making a decision to limit the activities of their children for very good reasons. Sure. We’re all disappointed. School is about to end, the sky is blue, the sun is hot, and it would be wonderful to escape down to the canyon floor to enjoy a hike in the shade.

But last week we were talking about possible evacuations due to extreme fire danger and the Cerro Pelado fire. So this week, I want to focus on all of the amazing things you can still do here in Los Alamos in order to get outside.

For the Kids

This might be a really great opportunity to reacquaint yourself with the Pajarito Environmental Education Center! The outdoor demonstration gardens and nature play area are still fair game for visitors. Check out their website HERE and plan a visit soon! It’s a great way to get outside and enjoy the fresh air here in town.

Park Hopping

There are very likely more than a few parks here in town that you’re not aware of. It’s highly likely you’ve heard of a Pub Crawl. So why not do a much healthier version and Park Crawl all over Los Alamos County? Pull up a Google Map and type in “Parks in Los Alamos”. I bet you’ll see more than a few on the list that you’ve never heard of in places you’d never expect! Pack a snack and plan on visiting those parks one at at time until you’ve seen them all!

And while you’re doing your Park Crawl, don’t forget to check out the resting place for a lot of the old playground equipment retired from parks in Los Alamos County, the Miniature Golf Course. Many of you might not realize that Los Alamos County maintains a miniature golf course. During Covid 19 restrictions, the county opted to stop renting equipment, but you can always buy your own and make this activity a regular on your list of cool things to do in town!

For Everyone

Not that everyone can’t play miniature golf, but if you’re itching to get out and about here are a few suggestions for changing up your hiking, biking, walking, riding, running, or dog walking scenery:

Tour the Neighborhoods

Pull up that Google Map again and plan a trip to a neighborhood you’ve never visited before. Be polite to the residents as your walk their streets. Pick up the official Field Guide to Los Alamos Housing and then take yourself on a tour to find the various group housing areas of Los Alamos. Challenge yourself to discover the remaining Lustron Homes. In some of our neighborhoods, nature is just as close as it is out on the trail.

Don’t forget you can still use paved trails such as the Canyon Rim Trail. Try taking one of these in order to connect you to a neighborhood you’ve never visited before. You might be surprised what you find here in Los Alamos.

Tour the Acres

You may or may not know that there is a paved trail that meanders through Pajarito Acres and La Senda in White Rock as well. Perhaps this is your opportunity to explore country living in Los Alamos County and enjoy a walk or a run while enjoying some fresh scenery.

Now, my fellow residents, if you’ve got additional ideas of how to get outside and enjoy yourself despite fire restrictions, put them in the comments of my Facebook Post! I’d love to hear how you keep busy and stay active no matter what season it is. And when you’re ready to join our community here in Los Alamos, give me a call! I’d love to chat Real Estate with you!

What IS Good Information Anyway?

May 11, 2022 /

There is no doubt that a haze of anxiety hangs over Los Alamos. Sure, there’s a layer of smoke from the Cerro Pellado fire too, but the anxiety is a very real thing that many of us feel right now. Whether your anxiety comes from having to evacuate for wildfires in previous years, or it comes from never having done this before and feeling completely out of control, anxiety is still very real and very difficult to deal with. With that in mind, I’ve asked my friends at Los Alamos Family Council for some thoughts about mental health during these difficult times.

The Past

The 2011 Las Conchas fire was the last evacuation of Los Alamos County. That particular fire was burning very hot and moved quite fast. In addition, several of the public notification systems were quite new and there were still a few bugs that needed to be worked out. It’s true that evacuation was haphazard and created the need for residents to throw what they could into a suitcase at 2:00AM in the morning.

In 2000 when Cerro Grande burned parts of Los Alamos, the technology for both wildland firefighting and also emergency management was much less developed. Can you remember back to 2000? Here’s a fact to keep in mind: Facebook wasn’t even created until 2004. Created, not even widely used. Yes. We had Internet in the year 2000, but while information was more readily available, it wasn’t nearly the beast that social media has become.

What We Learned

The best news of all right now is that our emergency planning teams have learned a lot from past fires. Not just here in Los Alamos, but all over the country! When folks here in Los Alamos take a walk at the North Mesa Stables and see almost all of the animals gone, take comfort in realizing they have been preemptively and voluntarily evacuated by their owners in order to make things less hectic if a full scale evacuation actually needs to happen. Horses, cattle, llamas, sheep, goats, and chickens can’t just be loaded into the backseat of an SUV so they can watch a video on the way down to Santa Fe. The logistics involved in moving livestock is considerable. So let’s pause to be glad there won’t be a hundred stock trailers tooling down the mountain with you and your household pets.

The same goes for vulnerable populations like the residents of Sombrillo and Aspen Ridge. Taking time to move these elderly residents allows them to be treated with extra special care. Their caregivers can find appropriate medical facilities to host them and have ample time to make sure their routines and medical needs are kept as intact as possible. So instead of viewing this portion of the preemptive evacuation as alarming, see it as proactive and helpful to you and your family.

Just Another Trip

Picture the last time you boarded an airplane. Are you one of those people who wants an assigned seat and then waits until the last possible second to board so you don’t have to be squished into that airplane seat for hours on end?

Perhaps you’re a family with small kiddos or pets and you take advantage of the early boarding to get your kids on board and settled in. Maybe boarding early lets you set up the tablet and get the livestream going so your children aren’t driving you crazy during the flight. Or maybe your pets need some calming meds so they aren’t completely stressed out during their trip. Either way, there are decisions to be made in order to make traveling easier.

Think about this potential evacuation like an airplane trip. Do you want to stay off the plane (in your own home) until the last possible second or do you just want to get on the plane? Would you rather get someplace and get settled and just plan on being there for a little longer (and nobody can even say what that would look like right now)?

When To Take Your Trip

This decision is really important. But going back to the title of my post, it’s also critical that the decision of when to go, where to go, how to go, and when you plan on returning is made with the help of viable information sources. Don’t get sucked into a race to evacuate created by the recent Facebook Frenzy! This is not a race. Reports from the incident team and Fire Chief Troy Hughes suggest we’re going to have 24 to 48 hours to pack up and go. Be calm and get your information directly from the Community Updates or the Forest Service. Don’t get them from your favorite Facebook Group, Instagram, or Snapchat. Don’t give into someone else’s anxiety. Take a mental step back, check the real news, breathe, and make an active plan with your family. And if you’re really that worried, go!

Los Alamos is still an amazing place to live! We have so many things to do, beautiful sights to see, and a fascinating history to learn. For right now, I hope that all of you stay safe here in Los Alamos or wherever your plan takes you! If you’re truly feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, the Los Alamos Family Council Counseling Center will remain open until Los Alamos moves to “Go!” status and the counseling center closes to maintain the safety of their employees and the firefighting personnel with boots on the ground. Family Council offers telehealth services anywhere in New Mexico and has resources available for those in need regardless of their insurance or socioeconomic situation. And when things settle down and you’re ready to talk real estate in Los Alamos, give me a call! I’d love to chat with you!

Thanks to Karla Palmer, LMHC, of Los Alamos Family Council for her contribution to this week’s post!

Where Los Alamos Used to Shop

May 1, 2022 /

Along with concerns about the availability of housing, another common theme in Living Los Alamos is wishing there was more shopping. The pandemic certainly hit us hard, but the closing of CB Fox and other long time shopping locations has reminded me that there have been a lot of different stores throughout the years. Some might really surprise you. I’m going to give you a few names, and if you remember some more, please feel free to share them in the comments on Facebook!

Gibson’s Discount Store

If you or your parents were raising families here in Los Alamos in the 1970’s, there’s a really good chance you remember Gibson’s down in White Rock. Yes. White Rock. The Gibson’s building is currently housing Smith’s. But back in it’s heyday, Texas based Gibson’s offered a little bit of everything to the consumers of Los Alamos County. Clothe the family, buy your favorite candy, and even stock up on hunting supplies. Yep. No kidding. In an October 1972 issue of Field & Stream magazine, Gibson Products Co Los Alamos location is listed as being a participant in the great Cedar-Crest Kentucky Pistol Giveaway. Most of the moms from that era recall escaping with the kids to the air conditioned store where they could browse the aisles just for something to do.

TG&Y

If you lived in Los Alamos in 1983 during the now historically infamous Cabbage Patch Christmas Craze, there’s a good chance your mom or your friend’s mom spent a lot of time hanging out at TG&Y from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve. The store held raffles for the last remaining Cabbage Patch Dolls in the days leading up to Christmas. A winning ticket gave you the opportunity to pay $50 for a doll that retailed for $30 when they first came out only a few months before.

The Oklahoma based five and dime store was the place to shop back in the eighties for residents of Los Alamos. In fact, this YouTube video for a 1984 back to school shopping ad is probably going to make you laugh and cry at the same time. (Try not to look at what things cost back then!) TG&Y originally occupied a good chunk of the storefront at the Mari Mac Village Shopping Center where you can now go and hang out at the Pajarito Brewpub. Back in “the day”, Smith’s occupied the Central Avenue side and TG&Y occupied the Trinity Drive side with the chain store “Revco” sandwiched handily between to handle the prescriptions, cosmetics, and other drug store needs of Los Alamos residents.

TG&Y went through several rebrandings, including MrCrory’s and Coast to Coast, and eventually became Bealls before being sold again to Gordman’s, and finally closed thanks mostly to the pandemic of 2020. However, the space is still there so who knows what might pop up in the next few years.

Anthonys

Yet another Oklahoma based chain store used to occupy a large storefront where you can now enjoy a bagel at Ruby K’s. Los Alamos Drug was conveniently located in the corner spot where Starbucks is (until they move to their brand new location), but Anthony’s required the rest of the square footage for their racks of clothing, shelves of shoes, and even an assortment of fabric and sewing supplies for the busy housewives of the seventies and eighties. Here in Los Alamos, it was the place for go for your cowboy boots and brand new jeans for the first day of school. The Anthonys chain went into Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1991, and in 1997 the chain was acquired by Stage Stores Inc. At that time the store in Los Alamos had already been closed. Ironically enough, the remaining Anthonys stores were mostly rebranded Bealls. Go figure.

Now, these aren’t the only places we used to shop. In an upcoming post I’ll be talking about some other stores that used to provide the population with some important necessities for daily life in Los Alamos.

As we look back on the places we used to shop in Los Alamos, I’d like to point out something that’s actually a bit encouraging. The topic of small business in Los Alamos is always something we hear discussed. But all of these stores above went out of business not because of local taxes, unreasonable rent, or other locally based problems. These stores were casualties of retail issues that happened nationally. Every small town in America has had these problems thanks to big box stores and now cyber shopping. Perhaps we should just be patient and see where the next wave of retail fads take us. A few more specialty stores such as Seeking Chameleon or The Cricket Window would be welcome. And while we might pretend to wish we had a Walmart or Target, the truth is that when those bigger box stores move in, it pretty much kills any smaller retail competitors. So hang on, Los Alamos. Shop Small! And when you’re ready to talk buying and selling real estate, give me a call! I’m your hometown real estate agent and I’d love to chat with you!

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