On February 12, 1908, seventeen men set off from New York City on the first around-the-world automobile race in hopes of proving that the newly invented automobile was a practical, durable machine that could endure the demands of the future. This race was the inspiration for Hollywood movies and modern day ‘great races.’ In the picture above, is the 1917 Marmon that won the Great Race of 1995. Margaret Nava shows us this and many other nostalgic cars in Rio Rancho. See the Around Town Section of the Signpost on-line.

DECEMBER 2009

Up Front

• The holidays at Casa Rosa A true community effort By Charlotte Lough
• Property tax increase shocks county residents By Ty Belknap
• County Line By Don E. Leonard, Sandoval County Commission Chairman

Animal News

• Animal Hotline
• Bosque's Paw Prints
• Don’t forget about your pet’s safety during the holiday season By Frances Zeller

Around Town

• Bernalillo swings
• Forget the house—it’s a gingerbread village! By Margaret M. Nava
• A journey through nostalgia By Margaret M. Nava
• Catholic church breaks ground in Northern Rio Rancho By Cari Davis
• District Attorney’s Office holds Annual Sock Drive
• Blessings Day Project gives much-needed help to the community By Nancy Hawks
• Placitas Community Library building nears completion

Arts

• De Profundis to perform in Placitas
• Author Vaunda Nelson to speak in Rio Rancho
• Placitas Artists Series presents December artists
• Corrales Historical Society presents twenty-first annual Fine Crafts Show
• Lifelong passion draws Coleman forward By Keiko Ohnuma

At Home

• What won’t green chile go with? By Francie Zeller
• Ten tips for holiday eating without weight gain By Michelle May, MD
• Flash in the Pan By Ari LeVaux
• Questions of ‘eggspiration‘
• Top ten holiday office party blunders By Debra Fine
• Stop shopping and start thinking By Judith Acosta

Business

• Make charitable contributions carefully By Jason Alderman

Community Bits

• High-tech meets old world in upcoming Santa Fe Found exhibit

Placitas Community Center

• Special Events Calendar
• Sandoval County Senior and Community Centers’ Menu

EcoBeat

• EarthTalk® By the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine
• Harvesting seeds By Carol Scrivner, Santa Ana Garden Center
• BHS student wins honorable mention in writing contest
• More money for local water quality programs
• Advice from the Loser School of Hunting By Ari LeVaux, Writers on the Range
• Gardening with the Masters
• Placitas Recycling Association remembers board member
• Heard around the West By Betsy Marston, High Country News

Health

• Fighting the flu one bite at a time By Christina Schmidt, MS
• The Healthy Geezer By Fred Cicetti
• 20th anniversary edition of America’s Health Rankings™ reveals New Mexico ranks 31st in overall health
• Healthcare symposium: What every business owner should know about healthcare

Night Sky

• December 2009 Sky By Charlie Christmann

Public Safety

• DWI SuperBlitz coming in Bernalillo

Puzzles

• Download the crossword, cryptogram, and Sudoku puzzles

The Gauntlet

• letters, opinions, editorials
• Be grateful for what you have By Michael Aun
• Managing growth and safety in the Town of Bernalillo

Real People

• Lasering—an art form By Bobb Ginn
• EHHA announces holiday lights contest
• Community-based youth choir presents a madrigal gathering By Lynn Rounds
• Mystery unsolved — and that’s a good thing By Jeff Osgood, Writers on the Range
• Service members build history with Bataan Memorial Park By Sgt. Ryan Twist
• Flamenco dance and guitar music at Loma Colorado Main Library

Schoolbag

• An invitation to the holiday party at the Placitas Community Library

Stereogram

• see Gary Priester's stereogram of the month

Time Off

• Christmas on the Pecos River in Carlsbad
• Confessions of an off-road outlaw By Garrett VeneKlasen, Writers on the Range