Kendra Ruminer's Two Cents of Real Estate

Take A Peek At Los Alamos, New Mexico

Tag: Los Alamos New Mexico (Page 10 of 16)

What’s the Deal With Denver Steel?

June 12, 2022 /

All villages, towns, and cities have neighborhoods with names that go way back. Most of these names made perfect sense in the beginning, but the meanings might have been lost over time for any number of reasons. Los Alamos has more than a few oddly named neighborhoods. After all, our most historic area of town is called “Bathtub Row”. But another one of my all time favorites is the “Denver Steels” neighborhood tucked just behind Los Alamos High School on Pueblo Mesa. Believe it or not, the Denver Steels has the dubious honor of being one of the very first single family home neighborhoods in Los Alamos County.

Original drawing of a Denver Steel home

There are a lot of myths about how the Denver Steels got to Los Alamos. Really though, they aren’t myths so much as blended stories about early housing solutions proposed and executed in an effort to ease the housing crisis in Post War Los Alamos.

Myth #1

The homes were shipped here from the Washington State area. I’ve even heard a variation where they were the previous dwellings of steel workers in Washington State, hence the Denver Steels name. Of course, this myth makes no mention of how the word “Denver” came into play.

The truth is that there were temporary houses shipped to Los Alamos from Washington State. The Manhattan Engineer District, or MED, was in charge of operations in 1946. While the Western Area was being built, which was a whole other hassle we’ll talk about some other time, the MED brought 107 “houses” from their plutonium facility in Hanford, WA to Los Alamos. The homes were placed along 10th Street, Rim Road, and Canyon Road. I don’t know about you, but I seriously wish I could’ve been witness to the caravan of 214 flatbed trailers trucking up the Main Hill Road, each with half a Hanford Home strapped onboard. What a sight!

Literally the quote from potential occupants was, “Well, they have indoor plumbing!”

Myth #2

The Denver Steels were originally military troop housing on a base somewhere else in the US. Maybe Denver? There are certainly a number of potential military installations in the Colorado region to choose from. But this myth is once again, not a myth, but a truth based upon another temporary housing solution from our past.

The military installation was Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri and the units were duplexes, triplexes, and quadraplexes. There were 270 units of these wood framed domiciles and honestly they looked like military housing. Each individual “pod” was 672 square feet. The structures were placed on Canyon Road, Manhattan Loop, and what used to be M, O, & P Streets in 1947. Currently those areas are in the vicinity of Myrtle and Pine Streets. At the time of their initial usage, these homes were considered the most desirable housing in Los Alamos. Yet the major complaint was that people wanted single family housing. Sound familiar?

There was a definite military look to these homes.

The Real Story

In late 1947 the Army authorized the purchase of housing for the military officers still stationed here in Los Alamos. At that time there were a lot of pre fab housing experiments going on in the US. You can check out my Lustron Homes post if you want to read more about that. But this shouldn’t be a surprise if you think about it. This was Post War America, the Baby Boomer generation was being born. Families wanted the American Dream they’d fought so hard for and they wanted it now! So the pre fab housing boom created some really interesting options.

Enter the Denver Steels. Or rather, the Denver Metals, as they were originally known. These units had steel I-beam framing and aluminum siding. They were fabricated by a steel company in Denver, Colorado and shipped in pieces to Los Alamos where they were assembled in record time.

718 sq ft of no nonsense utility – All were 2 bedroom and one bathroom

It might surprise you to know that the first 39 of these homes were actually placed over on Rim Road and Quartz not far from the other temporary housing brought to Los Alamos. Perhaps that’s where the myths got jumbled together. None of those 39 original Denver Steels are still around. They went the way of the Hanford homes and the Fort Leonard Wood multi units.

There were originally 251 Denver Steels ordered, but only 200 of them managed to be carefully situated onto Pueblo Mesa. Of those 200, half were reserved for the new civilian security inspectors coming into town. Craig Martin’s book on housing in Los Alamos doesn’t specify where the missing 12 were placed. But it’s probable that they were near the original 39 in an area that underwent multiple overhauls. Truthfully, the Denver Steels weren’t intended to be long term housing options for families in Los Alamos.

The original units were 718 square feet. Every home had two bedrooms and one bathroom and there was no bathtub. Only a shower. There were two models available from the company. The Marquette and the Columbine. Strangely, there were only 2 Marquettes ordered. The rest of the homes were the Columbine model and considering the minimal differences between the two, trying to find those two Marquettes would be like chasing the proverbial needle in the haystack. The most memorable feature of the Denver Steels wasn’t a feature at all. It was the fact that the all metal construction created a bizarre situation of simultaneous sweating and freezing in the wintertime. This resulted in the exterior walls being coated with ice. It would be interesting to know if this worked like natural insulation or not. But considering the mass amount of renovating, remodeling, and updating that has gone on in the Denver Steels in the last 75 years, it would be unlikely that any of the homes still have that unique problem.

Hard to believe that this inviting home ever resembled that original drawing!

Truly, the renaissance of the Denver Steels has been incredible. The area has long been considered a “starter” home neighborhood here in Los Alamos because of the modest square footage of the homes and the reasonable pricing. But some of the remodels have nearly doubled the 718 sq ft homes and in the last two years some of the sale prices of these beautifully updated homes have rivaled those of other “higher end” neighborhoods in town.

This home still has the original front window configuration. Two panes on the right, three on the left!

Though many of the updated versions of the Denver Steels have been added onto, it is sometimes still possible to see the ghost of the original construction if you know what you’re looking for. Take a tour of the neighborhood sometime and you’ll get a peek at the wonderful creativity and ingenuity of homeowners throughout the years.

Can YOU see the original structure?

As always, Craig Martin’s book, Quads, Shoeboxes and Sunken Living Rooms: A History of Los Alamos Housing, has been an invaluable and fascinating resource for this post. If you haven’t already, you should pick one up from the Historical Society’s Website. It’s a great resource for anyone who loves the uniqueness of Los Alamos, or even if it drives you nuts! And as always, if you’re ready to talk Real Estate in Los Alamos, I’m your hometown Real Estate Broker. Give me a call! I’d love to talk with you!

Many Hands Make Work Light

June 4, 2022 /

There’s no doubt that we’ve all experienced that down and out feeling. It could be a natural disaster like a fire or a flood. Maybe it’s a financial disaster such as property theft or loss of a job. Loss comes in many different forms. The key to surviving loss is having a support network to help connect you to the right resources when you need them.

The key to surviving these challenges in life is support. A helping hand. A listening ear. Someone who can hear your story, nod their head, and then say, “I know exactly who to call”. Since 1969, the non-profit Self Help Inc has been doing just that.

Located in Los Alamos County and based out of the Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Self Help Inc offers consultation, advocacy, emergency financial assistance, and seed money grants to Northern New Mexico individuals, families, and businesses. Their goal is to empower others to get back on their feet and become self sustaining and independent. It’s an important mission that takes on all new meaning as this year’s record breaking Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon fire impacts our neighboring communities in Northern New Mexico.

While Self Help Inc primarily helps those in Los Alamos, Taos, Rio Arriba, and Northern Santa Fe County, they have also made a positive impact on other rural communities north of the Santa Fe City line. Their model of helping others focuses on three things, Emergency Financial Assistance, Seed Money Grants, and Resources.

Emergency Relief

Most of us have experienced that moment of fear and utter hopelessness that comes with a financial situation we simply cannot handle. A sudden illness that leaves us unable to pay our rent or mortgage. The car breaking down when we have no money for repairs and desperately need it for day to day transportation. The list goes on and on. Whether it’s help with utility bills in the middle of winter or groceries in a crisis, Self Help Inc has a solution to offer.

Part of their success in helping individuals and families in crisis has come from their creativity. Money isn’t always the answer. Perhaps an individual just got the new job of their dreams, but doesn’t have enough ready cash to purchase clothes or the necessary uniform to get them through their first paycheck. In that case, a few pairs of scrubs could be the answer to everything!

If you know someone in crisis or have experienced an emergency crisis yourself, the key to reaching out for the helping hand. It’s the hardest step and Self Help Inc has tried to make this as easy and painless as possible. Simply fill out their contact form HERE, and one of their experience staff members will reach out to YOU.

Seed Money Grants

This may be an unfamiliar phrase, but the meaning is pretty darned cool. Seed Money is used to give potential businesses a boost! Perhaps a talented photographer who wants to start a professional business but can’t quite afford all of the equipment necessary. Maybe you’d like to start a business and you’ve got everything ready to go but can’t afford the licensing fees. Seed Money is exactly what it sounds like. The seeds that help to grow your business into a self sustaining, contributing member of the community landscape!

One of the recent businesses helped by Self Help Inc was Muy Salsas in Los Alamos. I think we should all make a donation of gratitude to Self Help Inc in honor of Taco Tuesdays!

Resources

When you feel overwhelmed by circumstance, sometimes the only thing you need is a listening ear and someone to help you decide what the next step is. In the last few years, Self Help Inc has been doing their best to make as many network connections all over Northern New Mexico as they can. These connections enable them to know exactly who to put YOU in touch with when you’re facing a problem and you don’t know what to do. The amazing thing is how much comfort you can get from someone listening to your story and then offering reassurance that this isn’t the first time they’ve known someone facing your situation. It’s comforting to have someone identify possible next steps, and then name resources to help you make those steps happen. So many of us could keep moving forward in life if we only knew what direction to take!

Helping Self Help Inc

In this day and age it’s difficult to know how best to help your community and your world. You can hit any social media platform and be offered thousands of “buttons” that give you the opportunity to donate money to a worthy cause. Whether you’d like to give your time or you want to donate cash, the coolest thing about partnering with Self Help Inc is that your contribution, whether it’s labor or money, is being automatically diversified. Self Help Inc partners with the United Way of New Mexico and more community foundations than I can name off. For a peek at their partners, click on this link. Maybe the most important piece is that supporting Self Help Inc allows you to support our community.

So when you’re ready to help out in Los Alamos, check out Self Help Inc. And when you’re ready to buy and sell real estate in Los Alamos, call me! I love to talk anything Los Alamos and I’m your hometown real estate broker!

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!

Hope & Help For Parents to Be!

April 22, 2022 /

There’s no doubt in my mind that parenting is tough! Not just because you’re tired both physically and emotionally by the everyday tasks of raising your kiddos, but because raising kids these days is expensive! So because spring always feels like the season of babies, I thought it might be a great idea to mention two very special organizations that offer support to parents in our community.

HOPE Pregnancy Center

For many of you, the building right across from the high school fronting Diamond Drive will always be the old “Ed’s Supermarket” building, (more about that in another post!) But around the corner from the entrance to Gracie Barra, you might see the letters H-O-P-E in purple. The letters stand for Health Options Pregnancy Education and the organization is a national faith based non profit that focuses on exactly what it sounds like.

These days HOPE has moved to a location closer to the downtown area in the old bank building at 1650 Trinity Dr. They’re in Suite 107 right across from Sonic and are still helping everyone who walks through their doors.

Testing

The most critical piece of information when you’re worried that you might be pregnant is that first question. Am I? HOPE offers free pregnancy testing to anyone no matter their age or their religious affiliation. This is an incredible service for anyone worried about that all important question. Perhaps you don’t know which test to buy, how to take it, or maybe you’re just too intimidated to even attempt it on your own. After all, if you discover you are pregnant, what then? HOPE offers appointment based testing in a safe, supportive environment. You’ll be treated with respect by someone qualified to help you through the experience regardless of the answer.

Education

Never considered yourself parent material? Don’t worry! HOPE has classes to help you through the uncertainty of pregnancy. Once you’re holding your baby close, HOPE offers classes on parenting to help you navigate the questions surrounding basic baby care and even best practices surrounding discipline, child development, and safety. Sometimes just taking a class makes you feel more secure. After all, kids don’t come with an owners’ manual!

The Baby Boutique

The Baby Boutique is an amazing service offered by HOPE to their families. Stocked with new and gently used baby and toddler gear of every description, the boutique has a “baby bucks” program that offers material help to bridge the gap between what parents need and what they might be able to afford in a tight spot.

Volunteering

If you’ve raised your kiddos and are looking for a great way to get involved in the community, check out HOPE’s volunteer page. Put your skills to work organizing baby clothes, doing office work, or offering support to new and expecting parents. Volunteering is the best way to really make friends and carve out your very own niche in a new community. So if you’re looking for ways to expand on my previous post about Newcomers in Los Alamos, this could be the opportunity for you!

First Born of Los Alamos

I’ve mentioned this organization before on my blog, but honestly, if you’re expecting your first child here in Los Alamos, you should really reach out to this program! The most incredible resource they offer is the home visit. Now that Covid restrictions have lessened, home visits are once again taking place. This is an amazing opportunity to have someone come to you with an offer of help. Even if it’s only a piece of advice here or there or a kind smile and a “you’re doing great!” That can be the difference between feeling secure in your parenting and feeling like a hot mess!

The best way to get a good picture of the First Born Program is to check out their introductory video here. Honestly, I can’t tell you about them more effectively than they can tell you themselves!

Regardless of your parenting status, I hope you’ll agree with me that it’s wonderful to be part of a community that offers so many resources for people in every stage of life! I love it here in Los Alamos. And I hope when you decide you want to talk real estate in Los Alamos County, you give me a call!

Shooting Sports in Los Alamos

April 16, 2022 /

You may have already visited Rendija Canyon while in Los Alamos. The canyon is situated at the bottom of Rendija Road, just below Barranca Mesa. Where San Ildefonso Road dead ends just past Dinosaur Park, you’ll find yourself diving down a narrow, curving paved path leading to a rough dirt road. If you followed it too much farther you would essentially leave civilization. Generations of Los Alamos residents have enjoyed off road adventures down there. A gravel parking area hosts plenty of hikers and bikers and trail runners heading for the Rendija Canyon Loop or one of the other plentiful trails. But where the trees thin for a brief span, you might have noticed a collection of well kept metal buildings, some locked gates, and probably a lot of cars.

Los Alamos Sportsmen’s Club

In October of 1947, circa end of World War II, a group of Los Alamos residents formed the LA Rifle Association. They met in an old building in the downtown area to share their love of shooting, practice their skills, and teach anyone interested the basics of shooting and hunting safety.

The Association eventually moved to an outdoor range atop Barranca Mesa. When housing was privatized and multiple phases of housing developments on Barranca Mesa went up, the group relocated to the bottom of Rendija Canyon in the 1960’s. The group was granted a land lease by the then Atomic Energy Commission and today holds a lease from the Department of Energy.

The Purpose

The current Sportsmen’s Club is a non profit organization that includes more than 500 memberships with more than 1000 members from families and organizations of all shapes and sizes. Their purpose is to promote safe enjoyment of shooting sports and to educate the community about the amazing opportunities available to those who enjoy the sport.

The Sportsmen’s Club offers basic shotgun, rifle, and handgun classes to teach beginners how to be safe while enjoying the sport. For Los Alamos residents looking to enjoy some of the hunting opportunities around the state, the club hosts NM Hunter Education Classes. You can see a full offering of training and classes available here.

Programs

The Sportsmen’s Club is one of the only ranges in Northern New Mexico to offer practice for all three phases of competitive clay pigeon shooting for shotgun enthusiasts. Our Los Alamos High School affiliated Junior shotgun team is nationally ranked and one of the best ranked teams in New Mexico! Even if you’re not a competitive shooter, you might really enjoy reliving your Nintendo Duck Hunt experience and challenging yourself with a group of supportive fellow shooters on the shotgun range.

The rifle range offers measured targets from 25 to 300 yards with covered and uncovered shooting stations allowing a variety of methods to be used. If you’re looking for something old school, Los Alamos also hosts a division of the Single Action Shooting Society Single Action is also known as Cowboy Action. So if you’re ready to pull our your Wyatt Earp costume and blast a few targets with either a rifle or a six shooter, you’re in good company!

Speaking of six shooters, there are a number of handgun opportunities at the Sportsmen’s Club. You can even utilize the indoor range on cold or windy days. And if your taste runs more to archery pursuits, the beautiful archery range hosts competitions and educational opportunities as well.

Community

The Sportsmen Club offers the use of their range for 4-H and Boy Scout activities in an effort to promote the shooting sports in a fun and safe environment. 4-Hers can qualify their projects with the help of mentors while enjoying themselves in the beautiful Rendija landscape. Both the regular scouting activities as well as the mounted troop practice on the range. LAPD and other law enforcement agencies from surrounding jurisdictions utilize our range for their qualifying programs, and the range also frequently hosts ROTC members for educational purposes.

The Future

I’ve heard plenty of rumors lately regarding the club’s future in Los Alamos. The most recent rumor was that there would be a closure of the club and a housing development going up. While Los Alamos is always looking for good places to put houses, Rendija Canyon is realistically very low on the list. The electric services aren’t sufficient to support housing, there is no public water or sewer services, and the costs of installing these basic infrastructure necessities would be astronomical.

At this time, the Sportsmen’s Club has just signed a fifteen year lease with DOE for the property. While there are historic issues with possible unexploded ordinance from the war years and various concerns with land contamination similar to other canyons in the Los Alamos region, none of these things currently affect the club’s use of the land, or the use of the surrounding canyon area for public recreation. For more information about this, check out the club’s home page for a letter from the club president.

Regardless of your personal interest in shooting sports, there is no doubt that this is a unique and amazing opportunity to add to the list of things to do here in Los Alamos. The club hosts several open range days each year for non members to enjoy the facilities. Members welcome anyone to come out and experience target shooting, clay pigeon shooting, or handgun shooting, even providing equipment and tutoring to those who need it. Shooting sports are just one more piece of our Los Alamos History puzzle. And when you’re ready to be a part of Los Alamos, get in touch with me! I’d love to chat Los Alamos Real Estate with you!

Newcomer’s Survival Guide

April 9, 2022 /

There’s no doubt that relocating can be stressful. Buying a new home is always exciting, but each move comes with its own set of unique circumstances. Whether you’re leaving one community for another, moving across country, or just relocating neighborhoods, leaving established relationships in order to dive into new ones is never an easy thing.

As many of us know from first hand experience, moving to Los Alamos has its own set of challenges. But the good news is that there are so very many wonderful resources and opportunities here in the city on the hill. So, if you’re looking for a way to connect with new people and establish yourself in this wonderful community of Los Alamos, prepare to take notes.

For Families & Especially Mothers

If you’ve got kids of any age, the best way to meet new friends is to help your kiddos settle into a new friend group of their own. The first stop in helping your kids find a group is to check out the Family YMCA of Los Alamos. You can see a short brochure of their offerings here. With child care available to younger kids while their parents enjoy an exercise class, the YMCA is a wonderful resource for new families in Los Alamos. Sign your kids up for a team sport, volunteer, and get involved! This can be the first step in meeting new families that share your interests and goals.

And if you’re a mother of a young child, don’t feel as though you’re here all by yourself! Make some time and reach out! Go to a yoga class. Take advantage of the child watch at the Family Y and do something for yourself. Nothing could be more important for you, your kiddo, and your family!

In the past, I’ve spoken about the Family Strengths Network. But I have to say that as a resource for new and existing families in our community, they really know how to offer support! If you visit their website at LAFSN.org, you’ll find a list of support groups, classes, field trips, and activities for everyone. There’s no better way to find people you have things in common with than to take a class or attend a field trip or discussion group. These are perfect places to strike up a conversation and make new friends!

For Everyone

If you’re a happy couple or even a happy single, don’t worry! There are plenty of places for you to find friends and like minded people to just hang out with. The key is to get involved. Remember the Scooby Doo cartoons? The theme song lyrics are, “Come on get involved, there’s a mystery to solve.” I challenge anyone to get out and get involved. Sometimes it becomes an easy habit to sit in your new place and tell yourself you don’t know anybody. It might be true. But you will never know anyone until you get out and get involved!

The Family Y – While you might not need child watch services, the YMCA is a fantastic place to take a yoga class, or use the climbing wall. The listing of available classes has some truly unique opportunities.

FLACL – Or, perhaps you’re more of a bookworm. Volunteer with the Friends of the Library here in Los Alamos and meet some fellow bibliophiles. Find more information about that wonderful group of people here. They collect, catalog, and maintain the Friends of the Library just inside the Mesa Public Library building and do other volunteer work with our county libraries as well as other public service library organizations.

Los Alamos Sportsmen’s Club – Are you an outdoor type who likes to hunt? What about target shooting? Would it interest you to know that one of the top Junior Level Shotgun Shooting teams is located right here in Los Alamos? The Sportsmen’s Club offers training classes for novice and beginner shooters of all ages whether your interest is in sporting clays or target shooting with a pistol or a rifle. Members in the club are active and come from every walk of life. Check out their website for more information.

No matter if you like exercise, books, or target shooting and outdoor pursuits, there is an organization for you in Los Alamos. I hope that you’ve gotten some good ideas on ways to get involved here in Los Alamos. If you’re new to our community, we welcome you! If you’ve been here for years, hopefully you’ve read about an organization that appeals to you. And if you’re ready to join our community here in Los Alamos, please give me a call. I’d love to talk to you!

Good Fences Make Good Neighbors

March 18, 2022 /

The word neighbor might make you smile or groan. So much about liking or not liking your neighbors falls outside of your control. But some things you can control. Things like what kind of fencing you choose. Privacy is a huge part of feeling secure in your home and your fence is what establishes the level of privacy you enjoy.

Planning Your Fence

Here in Los Alamos, the first thing you need to do when planning to upgrade your existing fence or build a new one is to check our county ordinances. You can use this link here. For the most part, if you’re fencing in the back of your home, you need to keep it under six feet in height. If you’re in your front yard, three feet is considered legal. If you have a corner lot or other unique property features, you’ll need to make sure that there aren’t any additional applicable restrictions.

The second thing to ask yourself is what you want your fence to do. Sure. These examples of standard wood fencing are attractive, but will they keep things in or out? Do you have chickens or dogs or children to worry about? How much maintenance do you want to do on your fence?

That beautifully even toned picket fence is going to take a beating in our dry climate. And the UV rays are going to require you to power wash and stain that fence on a yearly basis to even get close to its promised life span. Another frequent complaint of this fencing type is the tendency of the wood posts to dry rot. However, you can look into several different metal post options in order to mitigate that particular problem.

If you’re looking for less maintenance, you might try metal fencing. Some of these wrought iron options are really attractive and can be matched to the spindles on your deck or outdoor staircase.

I realize that when you think metal, you might be thinking about chain link or even barbed wire. While chain link fencing can be an inexpensive option, it doesn’t offer much in the way of privacy. And unless you’re keeping cattle in your yard, barbed wire isn’t going to do anything but add that “rustic” appeal.

Something you might have seen going up in various places around town is masonry walls. There are four to five different varieties of masonry wall, including those covered in stucco, and they can sometimes be combined with other fencing options such as metal or coyote fencing to create a unique and even artistic look to your fence. Masonry walls also have the advantage of being more durable against UV rays and offer good sound buffering. However, they aren’t inexpensive and you’ll likely want to hire a good contractor instead of trying it yourself.

Masonry Walls can be used in several different kinds of fencing combinations.

Location

The other critical piece of planning your fence is the location of your property. How much rock are you going to run into when digging post holes? Are you on the canyon edge? How many bears are you likely to host in your backyard? Are you on the edge of White Rock and prone to sixty mile per hour straight line winds? Does your property have trees to help with the sun’s punishing rays?

All of these questions need to be considered when choosing your best fencing option. Once you’ve determined the material best suited to your needs, you can take a look at budget and the expected lifespan you need from your fence. Keep in mind that part of my “good fences make good neighbors” proverb has to do with choosing a fence that doesn’t offend your neighbors. Talk to them about it. You never know, if you and your neighbors can come to an agreement about what works best for everyone, they might even be willing to help with the cost.

At the end of the day, we’re all neighbors here in Los Alamos. And when you’re ready to talk real estate, give me a call! I’m your hometown real estate expert!

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