Features

By Margaret McKinney
Highlands University

The RJE Comedy Cabaret Tour performs at 7 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday) in Ilfeld Auditorium, 900 University Ave., on the campus of New Mexico Highlands University.

RJE Comedy Cabaret Tour is the largest and highest grossing college comedy tour in the country. The university’s Office of Campus Life is sponsoring the show to kick off spring semester for the campus and community.

The comedy show may contain adult language and content. Viewer discretion is advised.

Submitted to the Optic

The public is invited to an information meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday to learn about foster and adoptive parenting opportunities with New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department. The information meeting will be held at the local CYFD office at 2518 Ridge Runner Road.

Submitted to the Optic

Casting call will be held by Nat Gold Players from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday at the El Zocolo Art Gallery on the Plaza. Cast will be selected for two original one-act plays to be performed at Charlie’s Spic and Span special events center Feb. 20 to Feb. 22. In addition, one of the two plays will be the Nat Gold Players’ entry in the 2015 New Mexico AACTFest in Artesia slated for Feb. 25 to March 21.

Las Vegas Optic
Below are some of the government agencies, banks and schools that will be closed in observance of the Christmas Eve and Christmas holidays.
City of Las Vegas — Closed Dec. 25 and Dec. 26
Trash Pickup — None on Dec. 25
Abelino Montoya Recreation Center — Closed  Dec. 25 and Dec. 26
Carnegie Public Library — Closed  Dec. 25 and Dec. 26
NMDOT District 4 offices — half day Dec. 24, Closed on Dec. 25
San Miguel County Offices — Closed  Dec. 25 and Dec. 26

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Uncle Billy’s Pocket  Circus comes to Las Vegas for a special appearance at 10 a.m. Sunday at St. Paul’s Peace Church. The service will consist of a performance of Uncle Billy’s Pocket Circus, a one-man show consisting of fire eating, juggling, magic, and mine the church’s pastor, Tom Woodward, has performed in nearly every state as well  as in South America and Europe followed by a clown or fool’s vision of the service of the Holy Communion.

CARAMEL PEANUT THUMBPRINTS

Start to finish: 1 hour
Servings: 4 dozen

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups chopped salted peanuts
48 cream center caramel candies (such as Caramel Creams)

Heat the oven to 350 F.

By Dorie Greespan
The Associated Press

Around the world, it’s time for holiday cookies: German springerles rolled out with patterned rolling pins; Dutch speculoos as tall as St. Nick and as intricately detailed as a stained glass window; internationally beloved gingerbread men, women, children and pets; and, of course, the icon of American holiday baking, the butter cookie, a cookie so satisfying we crave it all year long.

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ALBUQUERQUE — If you were, or know, a New Mexico Air National Guardsman stationed in Tuy Hoa, Vietnam, in 1968, Art Sena is looking for you. The reason goes back to a long-ago wish to make Christmas merrier for service personnel at war, and a long-lost box of film.