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Features

  •
    Final touches
  • The big 100
  • Memorial and drive-in open Saturday

    The water-logged images washed into our minds and refuse to recede. Jagged-hulled boats grounded upon a sea of mud and death. A shaggy dog hobbling through soaked slats of wood, the remnants of a hundred, a thousand homes.

    Women, men, wailing at the edge of a placid sea, the sea that stole their family, their history. The Japanese tsunami took the lives and possessions of more than ten thousand people, and the world opened its heart and hands to help.

  • CASA having unique fundraiser

    Submitted to the Optic

    The Fourth Judicial District Court Appointed Special Advocates Board of Directors is sponsoring a fundraiser called the “No Show Ball”.  

    The concept of the “No Show Ball” is that invitations are sent out to potential donors, and instead of spending money for fancy clothes and tickets, the invitees relax, stay home and make a generous contribution to CASA so that we can continue advocating for abused and neglected children who are living in foster care.

  • Store to have grand opening

    Submitted to the Optic

    Shoppers in Las Vegas have a new place to shop for everyday essentials.  

    Dollar General recently opened a new store at 1008 Mills Avenue and is hosting a grand opening celebration starting at 8 a.m. on Saturday, May 7.

    At the grand opening event, customers will enjoy special deals and free prizes. The first 50 shoppers at the store will receive a $10 Dollar General gift card and the first 200 shoppers will receive a Dollar General tote bag, among other giveaways.

  •
    HU teams help beautify city

    By Margaret McKinney
    Highlands University

    The New Mexico Highlands University soccer and football teams turned out in force April 30 to paint warehouses on 12th Street as part of the third MainStreet de Las Vegas Façade Squad project.

    Cindy Collins, executive director for MainStreet, said the Façade Squad works to revitalize downtown commercial buildings to attract more local customers and visitors. The Façade Squad also works to preserve the history and culture of Las Vegas and build community pride.

  •
    SynergyFest 2011 on Saturday

  • Showers bring artistic flowers

    Imagine a bovine alien in your garden. His eyes don’t mimic almonds, his body doesn’t don the silver suit of a galactic wanderer.

    Rather, he stands on vertical hooves, his exposed trunk an expanse of weathered coil and spring.

    He is the nightmare of a thousand childhood sci-fi movies. He is the height of a gnome, the monster under your bed. His head carries the ragged antennae of a sideshow bull’s horns. He looks cute, terrifying, an oil-pitch sentry. He is the somehow living recycled hothouse buffalo man of Las Vegas sculptor Debbie Morse.

  • Native’s video gets attention

    Jim Terr loves Las Vegas and what makes Las Vegas unique:  our local independent merchants.  

    He produced a video, “Mama Don’t Send Me to the Big-Box Store,” which is receiving lots of notice: more than 5,900 references on Google, when you enter the title in quotes.

  •
    Beauty Queen
  • Here she is — Miss LV Teen

    Submitted to the Optic

    The Miss Las Vegas’ Outstanding Teen Pageant was held on Sunday March 27 at the West Las Vegas High School Cafeteria.  

    Kayla Gonzales was crowned Miss Las Vegas’ Outstanding Teen 2011 and Daniela Montoya was named first runner-up. After the pageant it was revealed that Gonzales would be ineligible to compete at the Miss New Mexico’s Outstanding Teen Pageant because she is a high school graduate.

  • Band concert set for Sunday

    By Margaret McKinney
    Highlands University

    Outstanding Las Vegas middle and high school band students will perform with the New Mexico Highlands University concert band at Band Fest 2011 at 2 p.m. on April 3 at Ilfeld Auditorium.

    The participating band directors call the concert an historic occasion that they hope will build a stronger sense of community between Las Vegas City Schools and West Las Vegas School District.  

  •
    17th annual fiesta this Saturday

    By Margaret McKinney
    New Mexico Highlands

    The 17th Annual New Mexico Highlands University Fiesta de la Hispanidad brings music and dance center stage at Ilfeld Auditorium March 26, 6:30 p.m., for this community celebration of Hispanic culture.

    The cost for the event is $4, and there will be free refreshments and door prizes. Ilfeld Auditorium is at 900 University Ave.

    Fiesta de la Hispanidad is sponsored by New Mexico Highlands University President Jim Fries, the university’s School of Social Work, and Community First Bank of Las Vegas.

  •
    Six competing for teen title

    The Miss Las Vegas Scholarship Organization is sponsoring the Miss Las Vegas’ Outstanding Teen Pageant at 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 27 at the West Las Vegas High School Cafeteria.  

    The Miss Las Vegas’ Outstanding Teen Pageant is a preliminary of Miss America’s Outstanding Teen Pageant.  The phases of competition are interview, talent, sports wear, evening wear and on-stage question.   

  • Healthy Woman event set

    Submitted to the Optic

    Alta Vista Regional Hospital will continue its monthly series of free seminars, health fairs, educational programs and interactive events that will focus on women. Healthy Woman programs are dedicated to improving the emotional, physical and fiscal well-being of both women and the families for which they care.

  • Colors of Love — stroll through...

    By Elizabeth deMare
    Submitted to the Optic

    The world exhales a stark and lonely breath this time of year. Trees as gray and naked as your great grandmother’s bones line the Las Vegas Plaza.

    February makes you consider the world through muddy-colored glasses. Everyone’s a world-class curmudgeon with spit to share. Everyone wants spring, wants tulips and dandelions to sprout from aching, frozen brain.    Any groundhog will tell you that you ain’t gonna get your wish, not for at least four weeks and most likely six.

  • College Night rescheduled

    Submitted to the Optic

    College Night 2011 is rescheduled to Feb. 28 due to a winter storm forecast for Feb. 9.

    New Mexico Highlands University and Luna Community College will sponsor the 12th annual College Night 2011 from 5 p.m to 7:30 p.m. at the Abe Montoya Recreation Center on North Grand  in Las Vegas.    

  • Historian to speak about treaty

    Submitted to the Optic

    Fort Union National Monument, a part of the National Park Service, has announced its monthly Glimpses of the Past program, “Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo,” to be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 17 at the CCHP/Santa Fé Trail Interpretive Center, 116 Bridge St., in Las Vegas.

  • Sustainable home tour Saturday

    By Lloyd Goding
    For the Optic

    Sustainable Las Vegas will be holding their their Annual Sustainable Homes Tour (formerly Solar Homes Tour) on Saturday, Jan. 22. The goal for the tour is to show people real-life examples of utilizing solar energy, and “sustainability” more generally.  These examples range from very low- to higher-tech: drying clothes on clotheslines, growing plants, passive solar heating and cooling, active solar water heating, photovoltaic (solar electric) installations, rainwater catcheent, and water and energy efficiency.

  • Nuestra Historia - We settled San...

    In their petition seeking to secure the San Miguel del Bado Land Grant in 1794, the 52 colonists stated as their primary reason that there was not sufficient water in Santa Fe to sustain the growing population and livestock there. (It appears that drought and an adequate water supply were problems even then). The petitioners also stated that many of them owned small parcels of land in Santa Fe, but it was not sufficient to support their large families.