Veterans Day Service

Gospel Light Baptist Church, 1500 Southern Blvd, will have a Veterans Day service today at 11 a.m. An Army color guard and New Mexico Honor Guard will perform. All veterans and military will be honored and will receive a gift. Call 892-9463 for more information.

Founder’s Day Join the Unitarian Universalist Westside Congregation for a Founder’s Day Celebration at 11 a.m. today at 1650 Abrazo Rd.

The event is to celebrate the installation of fabric art banners. Glo Elliott, a charter member who was instrumental in their design and creation, died in August and the banners will be dedicated to her memory.

The public, members and friends are invited to the service and the reception.

Historical society

The Sandoval County Historical Society will meet at 2 p.m. today, at Delavy House Musuem (off US 550, west of Bernalillo between Coronodo State Monument and the Santa Ana Star Casino), to celebrate Author’s Day. The featured speaker will be Don Bullis and many other authors will be present with books for sale.

Refreshments will be served; the program is free to Sandoval County Historical Society members and will be $5 for non-members. For more information, call Martha Liebert at 867-2755.

Parenting classes

Healthy Families Consulting will offer a free, introductory class on “Becoming a Love and Logic Parent,” from 6 to 7 p.m. today, at Unitarian Universalist West Congregation, 1650 Abrazo Rd.

The class teaches skills and techniques to: put a stop to disrespectful behavior; end power struggles; create youngsters who resist society’s pressure to experiment with drugs, alcohol, promiscuity and other potentially dangerous behaviors; learn to communicate and discipline without anger or violence; raise respectful and responsible kids; make parenting fun; and bring parents together as a team, working together to parent effectively.

For more information, call Elissa Chazdon at 710-0236 or e-mail echazdon@cableone.net.

Marine Corps celebration

The Rio Rancho Detachment #1316 Marine Corps League will hold the first United States Marine Corps Birthday Celebration at Santa Ana Star Casino, on Tuesday. Cocktail hour will be from 6 to 7 p.m. and there will be a dinner and celebration from 7 to 10 p.m.

The event will include a no host bar, all-you-can-eat buffet, and a formal cake-cutting ceremony to celebrate the 234th birthday of the United States Marine Corps, as well as guest speakers. The event is open to all Marines and former Marines, and their families, and supporters of the Marine Corps. Tickets are $25 per person and dress is either uniform of the day or semi-formal attire. For tickets or more information, call Paul Caputo at 975-2033 or Ron Cummings at 892-5618.

Veterans Day Ceremony

On Wednesday, a ceremony to recognize Veterans Day will take place at Rio Rancho Veterans Monument Park.

The ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. and will feature guest speakers including Mayor Tom Swisstack. Veterans Monument Park is located off of Southern Boulevard on Pinetree Road and is adjacent to the Esther Bone Memorial Library.

Veterans Day closures

In observance of Veterans Day, city of Rio Rancho offices and facilities will be closed on Wednesday.

For information about the city of Rio Rancho, visit ci.rio-rancho.nm.us.

Special talk

Women Make a Difference is hosting a talk by accomplishment coach Janis Pullen titled “Your Sabotage Cycle: Quit Driving with the Brakes on Before Your Engine Burns Out” from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, at Tanoan Country Club.

Admission is $30 per person, reservations required; call Val Romero at 362-8546.

Veterans honored

San-Bern Federated Repub-lican Women will honor Navy Veterans and the USS New Mexico, a fast-attack nuclear submarine (the second to be named for the 47th state).

Navy League of the United States New Mexico Council member Col. Joe Loisel (Ret) will be one of the speakers on Friday at Chamisa Hills Country Club.

Rod Stewart Capt. US Navy (Ret) will also be there to share his experience. The luncheon is from 11:15a.m. to 1 p.m. at Chamisa Hills Country Club, 500 Country Club Dr. SE. Cost is $15. All Republican women are invited. To RSVP, call Ellen 890-5895.

Christmas preparation

“Put Christ Back in Christmas” will be celebrated on Friday, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the High Desert United Methodist Church in Rio Rancho.

The event is free and open to the public, and will begin with a potluck dinner. Among the activities planned will be an adult workshop, advent materials and children’s activities, all geared toward creating a holiday that centers on the birth of the Christ child. In addition, food items will be collected to create Christmas baskets for the Meadowlark Methodist Food Pantry to give out in December.

Donations that will be needed for the evening event and for the Food Pantry distribution include: plain sugar cookies for the children to decorate, which will be distributed to the Rio Rancho Police and Fire Departments; items such as olives, canned yams or other canned vegetables, canned fruits, boxes of gelatin; and medium to large sized baskets to hold the holiday foods.

These items may be dropped off in advance at the church office at 4200 Meadowlark Lane SE, Ste. 6. The office is open Tuesday through Friday, 8:30–11:30 a.m. and 12:30–3:30 p.m.

For more information about the program or to volunteer, contact Pat Murphy at 615-3447 or at quallifewise@aol.com.

University Women

The West Mesa Branch of the American Association of University Women will hold its monthly luncheon meeting at noon on Saturday, at Joe’s Pasta House, 3201 Southern Blvd. Cost for the buffet is $11, which includes tax, tip, and one beverage.

The program will be presented by branch member Jane Komatz, who will discuss the operation of the food bank at her church, which is affiliated with the Roadrunner Food Bank in Albuquerque. 

Call Marj at 897-1150 for reservations by Thursday, Nov. 12. For more information about AAUW or the program, call Cheryl, 307-9118.

Overcoming hate

“Overcoming the Rule of Hate” will be the topic of a special interfaith service at the Unitarian Universalist Westside Congregation on Sunday, Nov. 15, at 11 a.m. Featured during the service will be a Remembering Our Dead candle-lighting ceremony for recent victims who have been murdered because of their gender. The service will celebrate the passage of the Matthew Shepard/James Byrd Act as well as observe the International Transgender Day of Remembrance.

The guest minister for the service will be Rev. Joni Kay Rose. The Unitarian Universalist Westside Congregation is located at 1650 Abrazo Rd. People of all faiths who wish to overcome hatred are welcome to attend. For information, call 896-8192 or 266-3643.

Girls gone green

Girls Gone Green are coming to Rio Rancho on Saturday, Nov. 21.  They will be appearing at 3 p.m. at the Westside Forum, a community outreach program of the Unitarian Universalist Westside Congregation, at 1650 Abrazo Rd.

One may ask who are the Girls Gone Green? What are they up to? This remarkable group of 5th-7th grade girls began at East San Jose (ESJ) Elementary School, a magnet school for Environmental Education. They are passionate about saving the environment. Last spring, Lisa Silva of the New Mexico Solar Energy Association met with ESJ classes and challenged them to see which class could be responsible for getting the most people to change from incandescent bulbs to CFL or compact fluorescent bulbs. One student, Georgina Mendoza, rose to her feet claiming “That’s not enough! I want … the entire school ... all the schools in Albuquerque ... and New Mexico, and the entire country!”

Within a few weeks, other girls joined this challenge, and produced drawings, a name for their club, and even a song, as well as a list of friends to join them. Now these girls have become teachers. Girls Gone Green meet with adults in community venues to explain how to calculate our own “carbon footprint,” the pounds of carbon dioxide, CO2, we generate each year, and then how in simple, easy ways we can “go green” in our own homes. People of all ages will be taught by these students how to take one green step after another.

Mayor’s talk show

The latest episode of Rio Rancho Mayor Tom Swisstack’s talk show has begun airing on the city’s public, education and government cable channels.

In this installment, Swisstack interviews Linda Wedeen, communications manager for Hewlett-Packard’s Rio Rancho site. “Conversations with Mayor Swisstack” can be seen on RioVision cable channels 15 and 22 for those Rio Rancho residents who are Cable One subscribers. The mayor’s talk show airs each day on channel 15 at 6 a.m., 7:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Channel 22 shows this program daily at 8 a.m., 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Approximately every four weeks, a new episode airs on both cable channels in their regular time slots. In addition, episodes are posted to the city’s Web site, ci.rio-rancho.nm.us/mayorswisstack, shortly after a new episode debuts on RioVision. Edit House Productions, LLC is the contracted service provider for the city’s RioVision cable channels. “Conversations with Mayor Swisstack” is directed, produced and edited by RioVision staff. Visit RioVision online at riovision.tv.

Taskforce needs input

The Sign Ordinance Advisory Task Force is seeking input. Citizens are encouraged to attend a public meeting with the task force at 6 p.m. on Thursday at the Sabana Grande Recreation Center, 4110 Sabana Grande Ave.

The Sign Ordinance Advisory Task Force and its membership were established by Rio Rancho City Council with the purpose of reviewing the city’s sign ordinances to ensure that the needs of citizens and businesses are being met. Upon completing their review, the task force will provide a list of recommendations to the council for consideration.

For more information about the task force, including future meeting dates and times, visit the city’s Web site, ci.rio-rancho.nm.us/signordinance.

Grants available

The city of Rio Rancho’s Keep Rio Rancho Beautiful (KRRB) Division is now accepting grant applications for recycling, litter prevention, beautification and environmental education activities which serve the community.

Mini-grants up to $1,000 are available to schools, churches, community-based groups and nonprofits. In total, $4,000 has been provided by New Mexico Clean and Beautiful under the New Mexico Litter Control and Beautification Act.

The grant application, as well as additional guidelines for how grant funding can be used, is available on the city’s Web site, ci.rio-rancho.nm.us, by clicking on KRRB’s Kerby Coyote mascot icon and link located on the right side of the main home page. For more information or questions, contact Jennifer Scacco, KRRB coordinator, at 896-8389 or jscacco@ci.rio-rancho.nm.us.

Applications must be submitted to the KRRB offices located at Rio Rancho City Hall, 3200 Civic Center Circle NE, by 5 p.m. on Dec. 21. Applicants will be notified about the status of their application no later than Jan. 15.

Donations needed

St. Felix Pantry, a nonprofit that provides food, clothing, tutoring and referral services is in need of donations to provide for over 600 families each week. Donations of non-perishable food or clothing may be dropped off at 4020 Barbara Loop SE, Monday through Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to noon.

Monetary donations or gift cars may be dropped off or mailed to P.O. Box 44724, Rio Rancho, NM 87174-4274.

Wine tasting

The Democratic Women of Sandoval County are holding a wine tasting and silent auction event on Sunday, Nov. 15, from 1 to 4 p.m., at the Anasazi Fields Winery, 26 Camino de los Pueblitos, Placitas. Everyone is encouraged to attend. Food, wine and live music for only $15. There will also be auction items. Music will be provided by folk guitarist Rex Barron. For more information, call Janice Saxton at 867-1139.

Early Christmas

Christmas is arriving early all over Rio Rancho as Calvary Chapel prepares to serve as a collection point for Operation Christmas Child. Soon, with the help of Rio Rancho volunteers, the sites will be brimming with festively wrapped shoe boxes full of gifts.

Through Operation Christmas Child, the world’s largest Christmas project, Rio Rancho residents are packing shoe box gifts for children in more than 100 countries suffering from natural disaster, war, terrorism, disease, famine and poverty. From Rio Rancho, the shoe box gifts will be sorted and sent using whatever means necessary — sea containers, trucks, trains, airplanes, boats, camels, even dog sleds — to reach suffering children around the world.

Operation Christmas Child uses tracking technology that allows donors to “follow your box” to the destination country where it will be hand-delivered to a child in need. To register shoe box gifts and find out what country they are delivered to, use the EZ Give donation form found at samaritanspurse.org. Donations can be dropped off at Calvary Chapel, 138 Frontage Rd. NE, on the following dates: Nov. 16–20, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.; Nov. 21, 11 a.m.–noon or by appointment; Nov. 22, 7:30 a.m.–1 p.m.

Call 571-5046 for more information. For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, call (303) 745-9179 or visit samaritanspurse.org.

Crafty arts fair

The Vista Grande Retirement Center, 4101 Meadowlark Lane, will host the “Small but Crafty” Holiday Arts Fair from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21.

Find deals on hand-crafted crochet, knitting, needlework, art and jewelry at this event.

Rio Rancho toy run

The 17th Annual Rio Rancho Toy Run will take place on Sunday, Nov. 22 and will kick off at 11:30 a.m. at Rio Rancho High School, 301 Loma Colorado Dr.

Riders participating in this motorcycle rally must donate one new toy and two non-perishable food items, or make a $20 per person donation.

From the high school the rally will travel along Northern Boulevard, Unser Boulevard, US 550, N.M. 528, and east on Sara Road ending at the Italian-American Association, 1565 Stephanie Street.

At the Italian-American Association there will be music, a bike rodeo, refreshments and a raffle.

For more information call 604-4326 or visit RioRanchoToyRun.org.

This event is made possible by Rio Rancho Toy Run Inc., the Rio Rancho Convention and Visitors Bureau and the city of Rio Rancho.

Winterfest Parade

Registration forms for Rio Rancho’s Winterfest Parade are now available via the city’s Web site, ci.rio-rancho.nm.us/winterfest, or can be obtained at the City Hall offices of the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department.

Forms must be received no later than Dec. 2 to participate. This year’s parade will take place on Saturday, Dec. 12 and will begin at 5:15 p.m. The parade will start at the intersection of Golf Course Road and Southern Boulevard, and travel east where it will conclude near the intersection of Southern Boulevard and NM 528/Pat D’Arco Highway.

At the conclusion of the parade, spectators are encouraged to visit Haynes Park, 2006 Grande Blvd., for the city’s annual Luminaria Tour. More than 12,000 luminarias will be arranged along several different walking paths. This event ends at 9 p.m.

The Winterfest Parade is sponsored by Mayor Tom Swisstack, the Joiner Family and the city’s Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department. For more information about either event, call 891-5015. Rio Rancho City Hall is located at 3200 Civic Center Circle NE.