The FedEx Express driver has let us know that the supervisor in this area will no longer allow the FedEx driver to pickup your express packages at the Chamber of Commerce. The new driver informed us that his boss said it is not cost efficient to stop by our office every day to check on the pick-up because we do not have an envelope going out everyday.

We at the Chamber are very sorry this is happening again. We have offered this service to the residents of Angel Fire for many years, but without the cooperation of FedEx Express, there is nothing we can do.

Please note this is only FedEx Express. FedEx Ground and UPS Ground are still picking up at the Chamber on a daily basis. Please feel free to drop them off in our foyer.

The Angel Fire Chamber of Commerce will be renting the space next door to the Chamber this summer as a pop-up venue. We have named it Angel Fire Pop-Up Venue.

Do you have Arts, Crafts, or other merchandise you want to sell? Do you want a space to Teach a Workshop, teach a Painting Class or have a Wine Tasting? Maybe you’d like to have a Tea Party or Training on Essentials Oils. Whatever it is you need space for a short time, we can work with you.

Beginning in May the space will be available for 4-day rentals. You may rent it Thursday thru Sunday or Friday thru Monday. Your cost is only $50.00. We will have a calendar, so just come signup. It will be on a first come first serve basis.

What you provide:

1. The product or expertise
2. All of the appropriate certifications and licenses to do business in Angel Fire
3. The manpower
4. Your own advertising

What the Chamber provides:

1. The pop-up secured space for your sale, class, etc.
2. Electricity and internet
3. A calendar of who and what is in the POP Up space in the weekly eBlast, on our Facebook page and on the Calendar of Events page of our website.

Stop by the Chamber to signup!

By Jo Mixon

Activities slow down a little in the Moreno Valley during April and early May. Tourists are not as visible, many locals head for the beach to get a little rest from the seasonal pace we keep, some businesses close to take a breather, do heavy cleaning and regroup for the next season. Now is the time behind the scenes when all of the preparation for what is to come in late spring and summer is at full speed. The weather either cooperates or doesn’t, we don’t mind at all. And although we know there is always a chance of spring snow to come, today the sun is shining.

To kick off the 2019 season, the Angel Fire Golf Course will open on May 15th. Two days later the mountain will resume full service with the opening of the Angel Fire Bike Park, the Chile Express scenic chairlift rides, Zipline Tours, 18-hole Disc Golf on the summit of the mountain, Monte Verde Lake activities and the Olympic Park Tennis and Pickleball Courts. For more information and a complete calendar of activities and chairlift calendar, visit this link, Angel Fire Resort, and then click the Summer tab at the top.

May 4, the National Veterans Wellness and Healing Center begins their monthly Veterans lunches. They are held on the first Saturday of the month welcoming all Veterans to enjoy a free catered lunch.

The Summer Adventures of the Traveling Chamber Chair will take place June 3 to August 23. Someone will win a cash prize of over $250.00. Each week the chair will find it’s way to a different business. It is like a scavenger hunt. To be eligible to win you must find the chair, sit in it, take a selfie and upload it to the Chair’s Facebook page. Then without giving away its location, say something positive about the business.

Balloons Over Angel Fire will take flight on Father’s Day Weekend, June 14 to 17, at the Angel Fire Airport. This year over 40 hot air balloons will take part in the mass ascensions at 7:00 am each morning. Be there early to walk among the balloons as they prepare for take off, visit the vendors on site for coffee, food and merchandise or sign up to crew on a balloon.

Missoula Children’s Theater is back and auditions will be on June 10, followed by a week of rehearsals. Their performance of the Snow Queen will be held on June 15, at Moreno Valley High School. All children are welcome to participate in this annual event, whether a resident or visitor!

Local favorite, Ry Taylor is the opening act for Cool Summer Concerts in the Park on June 14th. Located in Frontier Park, the heart of Angel Fire, the series will be every Friday night from June 14 thru Aug 30. Enjoy live music, Enchanted Circle Brewing Company beer, food vendors and children’s area. Bring your own lawn chairs and blankets to this free family event. (Scroll down for full entertainment line-up.)

The Sunday morning Art + Farmers Market resumes on June 16 and will take place every Sunday morning thru September 1st. (If you would like to participate as a vendor, scroll down for information.)

This year the Annual AAFPO Weekend has moved from the first part of June to June 28 & 29. If you are an Angel Fire homeowner, plan to attend. The AAFPO annual meeting will be on Saturday 29th at the Angel Fire Resort.

Plus, there are so many reasons other than the above events to plan a trip to Angel Fire this summer. Horseback riding with Nancy Burch and Roadrunner Tours is a year-round favorite, attend the interactive Cowboy Evenings Chuckwagon dinners or go on an ATV tour at Bobcat Pass Wilderness Adventures, ride the rapids of the Rio Grande with Far Flung Adventures and New Mexico River Adventures, purchase or rent bikes from the Trailhead Ski & Bike Shop, get all your summer hiking and fishing gear from Mountain Sports of Angel Fire. In July don’t miss Nashville to New Mexico in Eagle Nest, and many more events. In August, Festival Eclectica and Music From Angel Fire Concerts as well as Wine & Wagyu Weekend. All the way into September with the Angel Fire Homebuilders Association Parade of Homes and the Angel Fire Studio Art Tour.

There is something for everyone with plenty of other activities and events filling the summer roster, check it out at Calendar of Events (Events are updated as soon as we are notified) so do not hesitate to make your reservations now. We invite you to come on up for fresh air and fun!

This time of the year in the mountains, it is always fun trying to guess the weather and plan how to dress accordingly. So this morning we checked three different weather websites. It only confounded our confusion and we still do not know what to wear!

We could get rain and/or snow. Both are in the forecast. We could get an inch of snow, we could get 4 to 8 inches of snow, or get your skis back out…we could get 8 to 12 inches of snow. I kid you not! I am sharing all of the forecasts below. Each are reputable weather stations and all disagree greatly about what will happen in Angel Fire tonight. So your guess is as good as mine. And all three could change their mind by the time this is published!

Weather Channel Forecast – For Angel Fire NM April 22, 2019
100% chance of rain/snow: Rain and snow this evening turning to all snow overnight. Low 33.
Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation. 100% Snow accumulating 8 to 12 inches.

National Weather Service – For Angel Fire NM April 22, 2019
Rain showers before midnight, then rain and snow showers likely between midnight and 3:00 am then snow showers likely after 3:00 am. Low around 30.
NE winds 5 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation 80%.
New snow accumulation of around an inch.

AccuWeather – For Angel Fire, NM April 22, 2019
Tonight: Intermittent snow accumulating 4 to 8 inches with a Flash Flood Watch in effect until Tuesday April 23, at 6:00 am

I just put my hummingbird feeders out yesterday. But I don’t think I will put my snow boots away until June! Springtime in the Rockies, got a love it!

Thank you to everyone who helped us celebrate our 37th Anniversary at the Birthday Party we threw ourselves last Thursday night! The fun and shenanigans had everyone filled with laughter
and the food had everyone filled with delicious! (Thanks to Sam and your crew at Zeb’s Restaurant and Bar!)

Congratulations to Charlene Sapien for winning the “No” game and to Christian and Casey who both came in a very close 2nd! Tricksters!

Thanks to the winners, Daniel & Cindy’s tables of peeps, for answering the most correct questions in the Hokie Chamber Trivia Game.

Thank you to all who donated to the Silent Auction and those who bid on the items and to Charmaine for the fabulous birthday cake!

Please enjoy photos below, courtesy of Marcy Archer and Denise Janelle, the two awesome staff members at the Chamber!

Local Chamber CEO Awarded 50K by the National Social Anxiety Foundation for Essay on Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking

WASHINGTON D.C. – Glossophobia, or the fear of public speaking, affects approximately 73 percent of the population. According to the National Social Anxiety Center, it tops the list of the phobias, ahead of spiders, heights and even death. So how can we overcome this crippling anxiety of being in front of the crowd? Local Chamber CEO has been awarded a nice bonus package for her essay on Empowering Women with the 8 steps to Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking.

The NSAF says, “Each year, our inboxes are flooded with stories of survival, pain, hope, courage and determination. The messages of many women, especially single working moms, on how they have overcome inhibitions has advanced to great levels.”

When asked about the award notice, this local Chamber CEO replied without anxiety, “I have experienced the struggle of living as a working single mother and have had to overcome many fears, so this award is absolutely amazing! Too bad it isn’t true, April Fools!”

Happy April Fool’s Day!

Our special guest speaker will be Hannah Johnson, 11 year old daughter of Jarred and Kellie Johnson of Angel Fire. Hannah is one of two recipients of New Mexico’s top youth volunteers. She has been awarded the 2019 Youth Volunteer of the Year by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.

When: April 16, 2019 from 8:00 am to 9:00 am

Where: 3407 Mountain View Blvd., Angel Fire, NM 87710

This is a national honor. She will travel to Washington DC to be recognized and receive her award. Hannah was nominated by Girl Scouts of New Mexico Trails.

By Jo Mixon

Over the course of the years, we get LOTS of calls at the Chamber, asking us various questions that honestly, we have no ability to answer. It is nice to know that people believe we are such a plethora of knowledge (and we try to be) but there are some things beyond our sphere of control. I like to share some of these with you from time to time.

Below are a few things the Chamber does not know or do in response to actual phone calls we have received.

I am sorry, the Chamber does not know which rent house up yonder, you know on that hill, on that circle street, is for rent, nor do we know who the owner is.

I am sorry but the Chamber cannot place your 2 children into ski school classes because you know there is room for just 2 more, even though that lady at the Ski School says they are full.

I am sorry sir but the Chamber cannot get your parking ticket expunged even if you did not know you were parking in a No Parking zone.

I am sorry but the Chamber does not remove snow or cows from your driveway, but we can refer you to someone who does.

I am sorry the Chamber does not know if your relative is buried out on private land in Black Lake, nor could we go scout around to find an unmarked grave.

The Chamber will not make sure the naked photos you sent us get to Johnny Depp because he is your soul mate and you have been trying to get these photos to him for years, (he was filming Lone Ranger here at the time) but we will be happy to turn them over to the authorities with your return address and phone number. By the way the photo of your dog is quite cute.

I am sorry but the Chamber does not know the name of that restaurant you went to 20 years ago, even though you do not remember the name or the address, but you really want to go there when you visit us this summer.

I am sorry sir but I do not think you will like the answer to the question you just asked me… “Is there a way off of this mountain without having to go back down a mountain pass? My wife didn’t like that.” We are sort of up in the mountains, the only way out is back down a mountain pass.

And finally, I am sorry but the Chamber is not the weather office, we cannot predict exactly when the snow will fall or how much we will receive, when the mud will be dried up so you can get into your vacation home without a 4 wheel drive or the exact day the leaves will be in peak season in the fall, so you can plan your trip around that date.

Questions? Give us a call, we will do our best to give you direction! Have a great day!

House Bill 206, or the Environmental Review Act, sponsored by Representative Gail Chasey (D – Bernalillo) and Senator Mimi Stewart (D – Bernalillo), was significantly slowed in the House State Government, Elections, and Indian Affairs Committee on Friday. The bill, which would add a significant environmental review process to both publicly and privately financed projects over $2 million and substantially inhibit economic development, faced strong opposition from business groups, energy companies, and local and municipal governments that view the legislation as an unfunded mandate from the state. The committee also heard concerns from Representatives Daymon Ely (D – Bernalillo) and Representative Greg Nibert (R – Chaves and Lincoln) regarding the lack of funding for the nearly $2 million appropriation (and whether that amount was sufficient to cover the bill’s requirements) and whether business was adequately involved as a stakeholder in the development of the bill. The sponsor asked that the bill be rolled over for another committee substitute and an updated Fiscal Impact Report from the Legislative Finance Committee.

House Bill 2, a $7 billion budget representing a double-digit year-over-year increase in spending, passed the House. The vote was 46-23, with all Republicans voting no except for Representative Jane Powdrell Culbert (R-Sandoval). Republicans, led by Jason Harper (R-Sandoval), presented an alternative budget that was rejected on party lines by a vote of 44-24. The House-approved FY 20 budget, now on its way to the Senate, proposes to spend $7 billion of general fund revenues, a 10.8% increase over FY 19. The lion’s share of the new money goes to public education, which increases $449 million or 16%, largely in response to the district court decision in the Yazzie/Martinez case. The general fund reserve sits at $1.6 billion or 22.4% of recurring revenues. A key shortfall continues to be the lack of new funding for LEDA, the closing fund that currently only has $17.5 million in HB 2 funding, far less than the $75 million requested by the Governor to secure major investments in the state. The state’s job training fund, JTIP, also remains underfunded.

SB489 was given a do pass recommendation on a 5-3 vote. Senator Jacob Candelaria (D-Bernalillo), along with cosponsors and a panel of expert witnesses and backed by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, explained the carefully constructed provisions of SB 489 to the Senate Conservation Committee Saturday. If enacted, the bill would vault New Mexico into a new era of electric generation, replacing, in phases, reliance on coal plants with 100% renewable energy, such as wind and solar, by 2045.

HB 31 and SB 437, Minimum Wage Bills Senator Clemente Sanchez, is sponsoring SB 437 and Representative Miguel Garcia is sponsoring HB 31, which has already passed the House. Both were heard on Saturday. Key differences between the two were the tipped wage credit for those receiving more than $30 per month in tips. HB31 eliminates the tipped wage credit while SB437 maintains it. Garcia offered amendments today on Saturday that restored the tipped wage credit to HB31, at a slightly higher amount than SB437 and it is indexed to the cost of living. Now the two key remaining differences are the amount of increase and indexing. In two steps, SB437 would raise the minimum wage to $10 per hour by April 1, 2020. HB31 would step wages up to $10 on July 1, 2019; $11 on July 1, 2020 and $12 on July 1 2021. Starting July 1, 2022, the wage would be indexed to cost of living increases. SB437 contains no indexing leaving the decision about future increases in the hands of the Legislature. It also provides for an $8.50 minimum wage for high school students to encourage employers to give young people a place in the workplace.

HB 356, the Cannabis Regulation Act: This bill would legalize possession of small amounts of cannabis for people over the age of 21, tax and regulate sales of cannabis, and erase prior convictions for cannabis possession. The bill was approved by the committee after a lengthy debate on a vote of 7-3, and heads now to the House Floor. The 140-page bill has broad implications for employers, particularly in the absence of testing technology that would allow for employers to determine whether an employee testing positive for cannabis use is impaired. Representative Greg Nibert (R – Chaves and Lincoln) proposed an amendment to the bill inserting clear language ensuring that none of the bill’s provisions would impact an employers’ right to establish written drug free workplace policies and terminate or otherwise discipline employees testing positive for cannabis in accordance with those policies. The amendment was adopted unanimously, and while this potentially serves to address one of the concerns of the Chamber, but impaired driving continues to be a significant concern. This continues to be one of the most significant pieces of legislation moving through the Roundhouse this session.