Have a burning question about Rio Rancho and Sandoval County or anything else for that matter? Send us your queries and in The Observer's Glad You Asked column, we'll do our best to answer them.

Q: "Why is the landfill so close to where people are building their homes? I realize that it might not have been so close in the past, but since it is now, are they planning to move it ever? And if they move it what becomes of the land? Can you build on a landfill ever and if so how long after and what would you build there?"

A: This question comes from a reader who recently moved to Rio Rancho. We checked with Waste Management and here is their reply: "The Rio Rancho landfill was sited at its current location in 1985. In the past three to five years there has been encroachment by residences around the area of the landfill. The landfill will never be moved, but the operation will eventually cease. Plans are to close the current site within the next 10-12 years.

"Once the landfill is closed, the City of Rio Rancho has the option to request a donation of the 101 acres for its own use. The typical uses for closed landfills are, open space, low intensity recreational uses such as Little League or soccer fields, hiking trails, etc. Buildings are not placed on landfills. If the City of Rio Rancho does not exercise its option for the property, Waste Management will retain it and keep it as open space. Waste Management will maintain the integrity of the site and monitor the site for, at least, a 30-year post closure period, whether it or the City of Rio Rancho has ownership."

Q: I live at 660 Campfire here in Rio Rancho. Several months ago the home at 725 had a horrible fire that seems to have devastated the house. I have yet to notice any activity toward repairs. Does the family that lives at that address need assistance? Is there some form outreach that would be appropriate?

A: After checking with Peter Wells Communications & Civic Outreach Division Manager of the City of Rio Rancho, he reports that the owner of the home is working things out with the insurance company, as the house was insured. The owner also had family in Rio Rancho she was staying with, Wells said. Wells is still checking on the situation so keep reading for more information.

Q: What is the meaning of Father's Day?

A: To begin with, don't go thinking that the idea of Father's Day was conceived by Hallmark Greeting Cards. It was originated with Sonora Dodd of Spokane, Wash., while she listened to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart, a widowed Civil War veteran who was left to raise his six children on a farm. A day in June was chosen for the first Father's Day celebration ( June 19, 1910), proclaimed by Spokane's mayor because it was the month of Smart's birth. The first presidential proclamation honoring fathers was issued in 1966 when President Lyndon Johnson designated the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Father's Day has been celebrated annually since 1972 when President Richard Nixon signed the public law that made it permanent.

Q: What is Flag Day?

A: The Fourth of July was traditionally celebrated as America's birthday, but the idea of an annual day specifically celebrating the flag is believed to have first originated in 1885, according to a Web site dedicated specifically to facts on the American flag. BJ Cigrand, a schoolteacher, arranged for the pupils in the Fredonia, Wisc. Public School, District 6, to observe June 14 (the 108th anniversary of the official adoption of The Stars and Stripes) as "Flag Birthday."

On June 14, 1889, George Balch, a kindergarten teacher in New York City, planned appropriate ceremonies for the children of his school, and his idea of observing Flag Day was later adopted by the State Board of Education of New York. On June 14, 1891, the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia held a Flag Day celebration, and on June 14 of the following year, the New York Society of the Sons of the Revolution, celebrated Flag Day. Inspired by these three decades of state and local celebrations, Flag Day - the anniversary of the Flag Resolution of 1777 - was officially established by the Proclamation of President Woodrow Wilson on May 30, 1916. While Flag Day was celebrated in various communities for years after Wilson's proclamation, it was not until Aug. 3, 1949, that President Truman signed an Act of Congress designating June 14 of each year as National Flag Day.

HAVE A QUESTION for Glad You Asked? Send your queries to news@rrobserver.com. The column publishes Thursdays.