Thank you for working together during the pandemic so Angel Fire would remain a Safe Haven to all who live and visit here. We have endured many hardships together. We have lost loved ones, we fought to get those who wanted vaccinated, we worked from home for over a year, we met only by ZOOM or Webinar, we wore masks when outside of our homes, our schools became virtual, we missed weddings, funerals and family gatherings, but we can see a light at the end of the tunnel!
The state of New Mexico is now 100% open. All business, events and activities may resume as normal. Look for items to be added to the calendars of events, although many canceled prior to summer, due to the uncertainty of the pandemic and the time it takes to plan for the event. To stage a successful event it often takes up to a year of planning and advertising. That being said, there is a great line-up of music concerts listed all over Angel Fire, in various venues, throughout the summer. Balloons Over Angel Fire was a great success, as was the new event Mimosas on Main Street. Activities went smooth for the 4th of July and the fireworks over Eagle Nest Lake last night were spectacular! There were and are several Home Tours scheduled by our realtors, lots of events scheduled at the Angel Fire Resort Bike Park and Golf Course, and the Angel Fire Community Center has everything from open court basketball to pickle ball and yoga classes scheduled. You can fish and paddle boat and hike or bike and enjoy it all in groups of friends and family. There are Softball Tournaments on the calendar at Allen Fields, Music from Angel Fire will take place in August, as well as the Angel Fire Studio Art Tour in September. More events will be added to the calendars when groups and organizations send us their event details.
I am happy to say we are being contacted , and are working with, several event coordinators for new and exciting events that will take place in Angel Fire next summer. I have even been contacted by a land owner who may be willing to work with the group who have been wanting to build a skate park in Angel Fire. At least the conversation has been started. That and many other exciting things are going on behind the scenes!
For the events and activities and businesses just now opening, please remember they may be fully open, but that doesn’t mean they are fully staffed. This should be the summer of love, respect and patience. Meaning… love that you are able to once again fill your summer with activities and go to your favorite places (if they are lucky enough to have weathered the shut downs), with your favorite people. Respect they are struggling to get reopened, just to serve you. Patience if it takes a much longer time to get what you want. There may be longer wait times, longer lines to the check out or to get into an event, even the possibility of higher prices. Kindness goes a long way! Love and respect and patience with one another.
Internally in the Village of Angel Fire, love that you alive and you are here! Please respect our ordinances while you are here. Many expect, since we are a vacation or escape from the city for you, anything goes. Not true. This is our home and to maintain it, we have rules and regulations to keep it safe and orderly, not unlike the places you live full time.
A few examples:
- Fire Bans and restrictions are only put into place by Fire Chief Henson when absolutely necessary. We want people to enjoy their time in the mountains, but we have lived through forest fires. The threat of having to evacuate and lose our homes or our water shed is very serious and very real. It’s not worth someone’s desire to have an open campfire, cook out or flip a cigarette butt or match to risk our village going up in flames. So please respect burn bans when they are in place.
- Angel Fire OHV restrictions. I do realize people want to ride their off road vehicles wherever they please when they are in the mountains. Many of our residents find this is a source of loud and unnecessary activity within our village limits. Many want to ride them everywhere and believe they are entitled to do so. Our police department sees it as a matter of public safety that is getting out of hand. More than ever before, there are riders who do not respect the codes and restrictions, damage our dirt streets and our greenbelts and scare wild life and residents. Again, do we want you to have fun while you are in the mountains, absolutely! While doing so, please respect our rules. If you aren’t allowed to ride where you want….simply trailer your vehicle to a place it is permitted. For information on Angel Fire off road restrictions and to read the codes.
- Do Not Leave Your Outside Lights On All Night in residential areas of the mountain. Please be respectful of your neighbors and night sky pollution by turning your exterior lights off at 11:00pm and being sure the lights are within village codes. There have been many more complaints than normal this year about outdoor residential lighting that disturbs neighbors. Village Code 9-7-8 says outside lighting, if provided, shall be arranged so that lights neither unreasonably disturb nearby properties… and shall comply with the New Mexico night sky protection act. Your glaring lights are a nuisance to your neighbors, please be courteous enough to turn them off! People want to be able to sleep with their curtains open and to see the stars, not your house. We are currently writing amendments to the village ordinances to be more specific about night sky protection. See the current ordinance code.
- Household bagged trash disposal has a main home for everyone in the village at 27 Halo Pines Terrace, next door to the Police Department. (Please inform your guests.) The gates are open 24 hours a day, with daily pick up, except on Sunday. Dumpsters are available for bagged household trash and there are several big trailers for corrugated cardboard recycle. Thank you to everyone who has made this successful! The core of our Village has never looked cleaner! When you are cleaning out your garage, collecting pine needles, throwing out old furniture or appliances, have construction items or any other large items to dispose of, they are accepted at the Transfer Collection Center at 55 Camino Grande, open Mon – Fri , 7:00 am to 3:30pm.
- They also accept for recycle: Aluminum cans, Antifreeze, Car batteries, Cell phones, Mercury switches, Motor oil, Printer cartridges, Rechargeable batteries, Thermometers, and Thermostats. Hazardous materials and liquids of any type are not accepted, as per New Mexico law. If in doubt whether an item is recyclable or not, please call 575-377-6967.
Please understand, the Angel Fire Collection Center is a small municipal solid waste facility. It is not a landfill. Everything collected must be hauled off of the mountain. Trash removal in our mountain paradise is an art and an extremely costly precise operation. Thank you for caring enough about the cleanliness of Angel Fire and the surrounding forests that you are as committed as we are to keep it clean and safe. Again respect and patience will play a huge role!
- Slash program: Due to COVID, lack of manpower and equipment this program has gotten very far behind. I assure you, we are working hard to remedy the problem. As of July 1, the trucks were out and running to pick up the slash piles on the ground with permits dating back to late 2019 and all of 2020. Ben Gulley, Solid Waste Superintendent, told me they would start at the top of the mountain, working their way down. It is a big project. Please be patient. This summer, we will issue slash permits, but not slash pick-up permits. Home owners or your contractors or landscapers may trailer your slash to the transfer center. CLICK HERE to view permit. The new “Curtain Burner” is in place and now actively operational, burning slash at the transfer center. Ben tells me it can be used safely 6 hours at a time. Prior to purchasing this piece of equipment, our slash had to be driven off the mountain with all of the other trash we collect.
- Roads: According to Street Superintendent, Richard Cordova, the plan for roadwork will be on sections of Golfview Terrace from St. Andrew to Columbine, then to Lakeview Terrace behind Monte Verde Lake. Next they will go to the east side to work on Cheerful north to Panorama and Royal to El Camino Real, then over to Halo Pines and back over to Navajo on the east again. (These are not GO BOND related)
- Talks have begun with Kit Carson Electric Cooperative, the Village and the Angel Fire Resort for future locations of E.V. charging stations for electric vehicles. More information will follow when we know more.
Village Council meetings are again in person at Village Hall every second and fourth Tuesday of the month at 5:30 pm. Please join us!
Casual Coffee with the Mayor is being scheduled on the 2nd Saturday of each month at 9:00am at Village Hall. If you would like to speak with me or a Village Councilor, please attend. Bring your coffee cup!
Have a great fun filled summer, I hope to see you out and about!
Jo Mixon, Mayor
Village of Angel Fire
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