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DEADLINE: September 20

September 2005 Signpost Community Calendar
To submit a listing to the calendar:
E-mail your calendar listing to: calendar@sandovalsignpost.com. Or go to the Signpost Web site at www.sandovalsignpost.com and click on Calendar or fax your listing to: 867-3870. The deadline for submission is the twentieth of the month prior to publication. The community calendar is a free community service by the Signpost.

Sandoval commission meetings
Unless otherwise noted, all Sandoval County meetings will be held in the county commission chambers, Sandoval County Courthouse, 711 Camino del Pueblo, Bernalillo, New Mexico.

Monthly: Parents Without Partners offers support, education, and friendship to single parents of all ages, regardless of custody. Get-togethers, family outings, socials. All welcome. Wayne—892-2456.

Mondays: Alanon meets at 7:30 p.m. at the Bernalillo Methodist Church, 136 Calle Don Andres, Bernalillo. 239-7370.

Mondays: Alcoholics Anonymous. 6 p.m. If you have a problem with drinking, or even think that you might have a problem, you are welcome! Bernalillo United Methodist Church, 136 Calle Don Andres (behind Abuelita's Restaurant), Bernalillo.

Mondays through Thursdays: Mother’s Day Out, 9-2:30. Placitas Presbyterian Church. $13 per session. 867-5718.

Every first and third Monday: Optimist Club de Sandoval meets at 7 p.m. San Antonio Community Center, Placitas. New members welcome. 867-0567.

Second and fourth Mondays: Grief support group. A free community service available to anyone who is in need of grief and bereavement support following the loss of a loved one. 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. 3150 Carlisle NE, Suite 25 (at Carlisle and Candelaria). Carol Frank, 821-6056.

Tuesdays: Haven House Domestic Violence Support Group for women whose lives have been touched by domestic violence meets from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., at the Rio Rancho First Baptist Church, corner of Rt. 528 and 19th Ave. Topics include: Dynamics of Domestic Violence; Safety Plans; Developing Healthy Relationships; and information about available services. All sessions are confidential and free of charge. Call Haven House, 896-4869, or 1-800-526-7157 for more information.

Tuesdays: Placitas Library Volunteers Meeting. The volunteers meet for education and planning. 7 p.m. Please join us.

First Tuesday: SNAP (The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) New Mexico Chapter support-group meetings. 7 to 9 p.m. Meetings are open to survivors and their immediate families, regardless of any (if any) religious affiliation. Good Shepherd UCC, 7834 Tennyson NE (youth lounge). Steve Rabi, 280-3369; www.snap-newmexico.org.

Fourth Wednesday: Bereavement Support Group for parents who have had a baby die through miscarriage, stillbirth, Sudden Infant Death, or other natural causes within the first year of life. 7-8:30.p.m. The Office of the Medical Investigator, UNM Medical School Campus. 272-2485, 272-3397.

Second Tuesday: Friends of Placitas meets. 7 p.m. Placitas Community Center. Public welcome. 867-5346.

Second Tuesday: New Mexico Democratic Club. 7p.m. Everyone is welcome. Rio Rancho Best Western Inn, Highway. 528 and Sara Road in Rio Rancho.

Third Tuesday: Monthly meeting of RESOLVE, Central New Mexico. RESOLVE provides information and support for those dealing with infertility, pregnancy loss, high-risk pregnancy, making the decision to adopt or life without children. National affiliate support includes professionally led support groups, peer-support gatherings, guest speakers. 291-5066, resolvecentralnm@yahoo.com.

Fourth Tuesday: New Mexico Solar Energy Speakers Programs on renewable energy and energy efficiency. 6:30-8:30 p.m. $8; members-$4. REI, 1550 Mercantile (NW corner of Jefferson and I-25), Albuquerque. July: “Solar Heating and Cooling.” August: “Load Calculation” and “Designing an Off-grid Solar Electric System.” 246-0400, www.nmsea.org.

Tuesdays and Thursdays: AA Meeting at Noon. United Methodist Church, 136 Calle Don Andres, Bernalillo. 771-3701.

Wednesdays: Problems with Alcohol? Thinking Straight, Alcoholics Anonymous Step Study Meeting, 6:00 p.m., every Wednesday, at the Bernalillo Town Hall, Council Chambers, 829 Camino del Pueblo, Bernalillo. For anyone who has a drinking problem. 24-hour AA Help Line: 266-1900.

Wednesdays: Mothers’ Support Group meets, 10-11 a.m., United Way Building, Southern and Unser Boulevard. $3 per session. 896-1250.

Wednesdays: Parenting group meets at La Buena Vida, Bernalillo, 8 p.m. 867-2383.

First Wednesday: Effective Work Search Skills class offered by the Displaced Homemakers Program of the New Mexico Commission on the Status of Women. Define skills, write an effective resume, tap into the hidden job market, and prepare for today’s interviewing process. 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Barelas Community Center at 801 Barelas Road SW in Albuquerque. Contact Lorraine Bantista at 841-8920 for additional information and registration.

First Wednesday: MOMS Club of Rio Rancho South general meeting. 10 a.m. Free. 994-9687, www.momsclub.org. The MOMS Club (Moms Offering Moms Support) is an international nonprofit organization specifically designed to support at-home mothers. Not based on race, religion, or financial stability. At the First Baptist Church of Rio Rancho across from Intel. Information: 994-9687.

First and third Wednesdays. Village Academy Charter School meets. 6:00 p.m. Old Door Company, 45 Dusty Trail Road, Placitas. Info: VACS, P. O. Box 1247, Placitas, NM 87043.

Second Wednesday: La Leche League of West Mesa meets at 2 p.m. at St. Joseph’s West Mesa Hospital. Support for breast-feeding mothers. 897-9718.

Second Wednesday: Coronado Kennel Club, all-breed obedience kennel club, meets in Bernalillo Town Hall meeting room. 7:30 p.m. 867-4510.

Alternate Wednesdays: Village Academy Governance Council work sessions. San Antonio Mission, Placitas. Open to the public. vacsplacitas@cs.com.

Wednesdays and Fridays: The Bernalillo Badminton Club plays at the Bernalillo Community Center Wednesdays and Fridays, 6-8 p.m. Please call Gary Hansen at 867-2829 for further information.

Thursday evenings: Recovery group. Women with substance abuse problems. 6-7:30 p.m. La Buena Vida, 827 Camino del Pueblo, Bernalillo. 867-2383.

First Thursdays: Placitas Talks on a variety of subjects at the Placitas Library. www.PlacitasCBB.com

Fridays: Water-Wise Garden Maintenance. 9-11 am. Master gardeners on hand to answer gardening questions and provide assistance. Next to the Esther Bone Library, Rio Rancho.

Fridays through late October: The Bernalillo Farmers’/Growers’ Market will be open every Friday, 4-7 pm; locally produced fruits, vegetables, baked goods, cheeses, jams and jellies, plants and landscape items, assorted surprises. Main Street, Bernalillo, between OLOS Church and Dollar Store.

Fridays through August: Children’s Story Hour. A children’s reading and art program at the Placitas Community Library. Each week a story will be read, followed by a related art activity. The program is geared to ages four to seven, but all children are welcome. 9 to 10:30 a.m. 867-3355.

Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. to noon: Children’s reading program. Placitas Community Library, Tierra Madre #1.

Saturdays: New AA Meeting—“One Day At A Time,” 9:00 a.m. Big Book discussion, United Methodist Church (in back), a block West of Abuelita’s Restaurant, 136 West Calle Don Andres, Bernalillo. If you have a problem with drinking, you are welcome!

Second and fourth Saturdays: Reflective safety numbers to identify your home available from Jardineros De Placitas volunteers near the Merc, Placitas. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. These numbers are required by law to help emergency vehicles find you.

Sundays: Join Don and Bob for crullers and conversation at the Placitas Library. 1 Tierra Madre, Placitas.10 am to 1 pm.

Sundays: Placitas Library. Coffee, conversation, and the Times (Los Angeles and New York) 10 a.m.. to 1 p.m.

Through October: Sandoval County Master Gardeners will be on hand at Rio Rancho's Water Wise Garden Fridays from 9 to11 a.m. The Garden is at Pinetree Road next to Veterans Park between the library and the post office.

Through August 28: Placitas digital artist Barry McCormick will be showing new images in the juried photography show "Heart and Bone, Anatomy and Soul," Sol Arts Gallery and Performance Space, 712 Central SE, Albuquerque, 244-004.

Through August 30: Placitas digital artist Barry McCormick will be showing new images at the DA3NM v2.0 Show, South Broadway Cultural Center, 1025 Broadway SE, Albuquerque, (505) 848-1323).

September 8: “Wildly Successful Bird Feeding in Placitas,” a Placitas Talk by Ann Shrewnack, of Placitas and Wild Birds Unlimited, showing the incredible variety of birds we can expect at our feeders and how best to attract them. 7 p.m. Placitas Library. 867-3355.

Saturday Afternoons: Tutoring in reading available at the Placitas Library by appointment. Call 867-3355 or 867-2433, leave your name and number.

September 1: Sandoval County Commission, 6 p.m., Commission Chambers.

September 3: Art Gallery 66 opens with "No Boundaries," a New Mexico-artist group show. Reception continues through the month, with surprises on weekends. Includes art emporium with Western, pop-art, other vintage collectibles. 367 North Camino del Pueblo. Open Mondays to Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. 867-8666; www.artgallery66.com.

September 3: Katrina Lasko Gallery opening. Group exhibit including Carol Klimek, oil painting and monotypes; Caroline Fischer Siegfried, acrylic painting; Terrence Fehr, abstract watercolors; and Darlene Olivia McElroy, constructions. 1-5 p.m. Exhibit runs through October 3. 336 North Camino del Pueblo, Bernalillo, 505-867-2523.

September 5: Sandoval County nonemergency offices closed in observance of Labor Day.

September 5: Rockin’ R Gallery Annual Western Dinner and Concert benefit for the library and Watermelon Mountain Ranch. Dinner: 5:30 p.m. Concert: 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $30 adult/$15 children and available at the Placitas Library, the Rockin’ R Gallery (867-9595), PetsMarts, or by calling Watermelon Mountain Ranch at 771-0140. An evening of fun, food, dancing at the Rockin’ R Gallery, 03 Homesteads Road, Placitas.

September 7: DWI Planning Council and Law Enforcement Taskforce, 3 p.m., Rio Rancho DPS Substation #5, 5103 Santa Fe Hills Dr., Rio Rancho.

September 7: Water-quality demonstration of lower Las Huertas Creek, by the Surface Water Quality Bureau of the New Mexico Environment Department. NMED will demonstrate stream-survey techniques and sampling, discuss stream integrity. At the Tres Amigos Road crossing of Las Huertas Creek, 10:30 a.m. to noon. See article in this Signpost for directions and more information or call Reid Bandeen, Las Huertas Watershed Project, 867-5477.

September 8: “Wildly Successful Bird Feeding,” with Ann Shewnack of Wild Birds Unlimited. Meet on the Placitas Library portal for an informative discussion of the variety of wild birds we can attract here in Placitas. 7:00 p.m.

September 8: Chamber Music Albuquerque presents a free concert by seven ensembles: Susie Hansen Latin Jazz Band, Jupiter String Quartet, Prairie Winds, San Francisco Guitar Quartet, Edward Simon Trio, Nashville Mandolin Ensemble, Del Sol String Quartet. Music by Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Joseph Haydn, Tito Puente, Aaron Copland, John Williams, John Lennon, Paul McCartney. 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. El Rey Theater, 622 Central Avenue, Albuquerque.

September 9: Deadline for photo entries in "Astro-Images of New Mexico: Portraits from the Foothills of Space" astrophotography contest and exhibition. www.lodestar.unm.edu/events.html and www.taas.org/astroimages.html. For more information, contact Karen Keese at (505) 261-0040 or pr@taas.org.

September 9: Katrina Lasko Gallery opening. Group exhibit including Carol Klimek, oil painting and monotypes; Caroline Fischer Siegfried, acrylic painting; Terrence Fehr, abstract watercolors; and Darlene Olivia McElroy, constructions. 1-5 p.m. Exhibit runs through October 3. 336 North Camino del Pueblo, Bernalillo, 505-867-2523.

September 10: Downhill Phil plays and sings original tunes and popular hits. Guitar, vocals, harmonica. 7 p.m. McCole's Pub.

September 10: Post-Labor Day Las Huertas Creek Cleanup: Join us for a morning of environmental stewardship along Las Huertas Creek. View on-the-ground riparian-restoration efforts by PES K-2. Refreshments provided. Wear sturdy shoes or boots and bring water. Alpha Optimists (grades 4-6) will be on hand with their families to assist. Meet at 9 a.m., Placitas Community Center. Las Placitas Association, www.lasplacitas.org.

September 10: “Advance Directives for End-of-Life Care,” free public lecture. Health care, financial powers of attorney, living wills, do-not-resuscitate orders, and more. Information and forms available. 10 a.m., Manzano Mesa Multigenerational Center, 501 Elizabeth SE. 888-7375.

September 11: Sandoval County Historical Society meets at Delavy House Museum. Talk by railroad historian Vernon J. Glover, art by Kathy Glidden, Hawaii presentation and luau with Lavinia Correa. The honoree is trainman Luciano Lucero. Free, open to the public. 3 p.m. The museum is off Highway 550, west of Bernalillo, between Coronado State Monument and the Star Casino.

September 13: Lodgers Tax Advisory Board, 4 p.m., Sandoval County Visitors Center, 243 Camino del Pueblo, Bernalillo.

September 15: Commission on Senior Affairs, 12:30 p.m., Placitas Senior Center.

September 15: Sandoval County Commission, 6 p.m., Commission Chambers.

September 17: UNM Senior Day, an introduction to campus life for high-school seniors. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tours of campus and residence halls, lunch at 12:30 p.m., discounted tickets for Lobos-Aggies game (starts at 6:05 p.m.). (505) 277-2260 or 1-(800)-CALL UNM (225-5866), Extension 3.

September 18: Poetry reading (third in the Duende Series) to honor and celebrate the work and life of one of this century's most innovative and influential poets, former Placitas resident Robert Creeley. Open mic follows. Wine tasting and purchase, poetry books by the reader-poets for sale, free snacks, free admission. Anasazi Fields Winery, Placitas. 5 p.m. 867-3062, 897-0285, cirrelda@laalamedapress.com.

September 21: Watershed Project Meeting: 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.. LPA Board Meeting: 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Placitas Community Center. Community members welcome. Reid Bandeen, Las Huertas Watershed Project, 867-5477.

September 22 through 25: Go! Downtown Arts Festival 2005. Jewelry, painting, mixed media, ceramics, photography, fiber, glass, sculpture, printmaking, wood, metal, drawing, and pastels from established and emerging artists. Coffee and food, live music and dance, discounts and specials from surrounding downtown businesses. Preview Gala September 22, 6 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, September 23 and 24, festival runs from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; Sunday, September 25, noon to 5:00 p.m. Free. Ample parking. Gold Avenue and 4th, Albuquerque. www.downtownabq.com/go.

September 25: Placitas Artists Series season premiere concert. Willy Sucre and Friends play string quartets of Beethoven (String Quartet in G Major, op. 18, no. 2), Adagio by Samuel Barber, Dvorák's String Quartet in G Major, op. 61. Sponsored by the PAS Board Members, the concert will be in memory of Emily Sharp. Artists reception, 1:30 p.m., features Barbara Henson, Karl Hofmann, Elizabeth Huffman, Jeanne Weitz. Concert begins at 3 p.m., at Las Placitas Presbyterian Church in Placitas. $15/$12. 867-8080, www.PlacitasArts.org. (See ad, page 2, and Sandoval Arts, this Signpost, for further details.)

September 27: Community Health Alliance Executive Committee, 2:30 p.m., County Health Commons.

September 27: County Planning and Zoning Commission, 6 p.m., Commission Chambers.

September 27: New Mexico Solar Energy Association meeting, followed by "Global Warming," with brief comments by Mel Eisenstadt, an author on the subject, and “Melting Point: Tracking the Global Warming Debate,” previously broadcast on CNN. The event is open to the public and free of charge. 6:00 p.m., at REI, 1550 Mercantile, NW of I-25 and Montaño. (505) 246-0400, www.nmsea.org, for further information and confirmation of time and place.

September 30 through October 2 and October 7 through October 9: Seventeenth annual Rio Grande Arts and Crafts Festival. Award-winning festival features the work of 280 artists and craftsmen from throughout the United States and showcases a wide variety of fine arts and crafts. Ranked among the top 200 art shows in the nation by Sunshine Artist magazine. Southwest corner of I-25 and Paseo del Norte, in the Big Top Tent. $5 adult admission; $7 six-day pass; children under 12 admitted free. 292-7457.

October 2: Community gathering hosted by Placitas Democrats and Friends. Everyone is welcome to attend. Fun family day to thank those in the community who, without regard to party affiliation, have come together to support candidates in the past, and to celebrate the many interests and goals they share. Free hotdogs, finger foods, drinks, helium balloons. Music by Placitas Mountain Band. 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., Placitas Elementary School. Janice Saxton, 867-1139.

October 4: Dr. Eddie Dry, retired UNM tourism director, shares tips on independent travel “By The Seat Of Your Pants.” Learn how to leave the tours and reservations behind and venture out with your Lonely Planet Guide, using local transport, guides, small hotels. Find out how to connect with other travelers and locals to enrich your experience. 7:00 p.m., Hacienda de Placitas.