At the Alamosa Farmers Market on Oct. 12, Holly Martinez, left, and City Councilor Jamie Dominguez met with people and discussed their concerns.

In 2009, Sam Pace, then a Saguache County commissioner, asked Daniel Johnson, a local firefighter with years of wildfire experience to be involved in a new program called Firewise, to help residents living in forested county areas prepare for wildfires. Up to that point, his experience protecting houses was when a roaring fire was approaching, and we had to decide which houses might survive if we put in some quick work before the flames arrived. 

GREAT SAND DUNES NATIONAL PARK and PRESERVE — On a stunning recent fall afternoon, Park Ranger Patrick Myers conducted a nature walk with park visitors along the Mountville Nature Trail. Myers spoke of the human history of Native Americans, Spanish settlers, Buffalo Soldiers, Japanese-Americans, and World War II soldiers who all used the surrounding areas. 

Alamosa High School crowned its Homecoming royalty at halftime of the boys soccer game against Gunnison.

ALAMOSA — Knowing how to use the computer to make appointments or find a job is almost a requirement these days, and the Alamosa Public Library is here to help.  

ALAMOSA – In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Adams State University Equity Board and El Llamado Hispano, a committee of the Alamosa Chamber of Commerce, organized the San Luis Valley’s Got Talent contest and performance at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, in Richardson Hall Auditorium.  

DEL NORTE — The Rio Grande County Democratic Party is holding its 4th Annual JFK fundraiser dinner on Saturday, Oct. 12, at Colorado Grille and Taphouse, 590 Grand Ave., Del Norte. Doors open at 6 p.m.  Each dinner has featured relevant and interesting Democrat speakers and this year is no exception. The keynote speaker will be State Senator and Senate Majority Whip Julie Gonzales (SD 34).

ALAMOSA – Society Hall is proud to welcome back the Colorado folk – Americana group The River Arkansas at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 13.  The River Arkansas is fronted by former Haunted Windchimes songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mike Clark. In the winter of 2014, Clark penned a collection of songs about heartbreak, love, and escaping the clutches of day-to-day society. The following spring, Clark decided to make that collection into a record. 

DEL NORTE – The Rio Grande National Forest jointly organized and hosted a well-attended meeting in September with numerous Native American Tribes. Working with the San Luis Valley Field Office BLM, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, and the San Luis Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex, the purpose of this event was to review, update and re-commit to a locally special agreement aimed at enhancing the intent of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. 

ALAMOSA —Megan Lang (center) with Tu Casa, accepted a special proclamation from the Alamosa City Council on Oct. 2 honoring Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM).

ALAMOSA – In August, Evergreen Nursing Home, a skilled nursing and rehabilitation center, welcomed Amy Lopez as its new director of nursing. 

SAN LUIS VALLEY — This summer, my garden reminded me of what helps and what hinders in the management of weeds. Early in the summer, we took out a section of old fence for an outdoor project. This created an area of bare soil in the yard and it’s where we stacked building materials used during the project. 

ALAMOSA -— Customers of 7 Brew Coffee, the drive-thru beverage stand located on Main Street, were surprised on Wednesday morning when officers with the Alamosa Police Department (APD) engaged them in conversation while they moved through the line to order coffee.  

TRINIDAD and ALAMOSA — Trinidad State College (TSC) recently marked a milestone, celebrating 30 years as a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). The week-long celebration in Alamosa and Trinidad coincided with National HSI Week, honoring the college's ongoing commitment to fostering educational opportunities for Hispanic students and supporting the diverse communities it serves in southern Colorado. 

ALAMOSA COUNTY — San Luis Valley Trout Unlimited would like to invite everyone to The Kay Watkins Fishing Estate Sale plus our Garage Sale at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4, at the Colorado Farm Brewery.  

ALAMOSA – Society Hall is thrilled to welcome the traditional Celtic music of The Tannahill Weavers to Alamosa on Oct. 4. One of the most influential Celtic bands in history, the band manages to meld the old and the new and present it with fire and grace. 

ALAMOSA — Chris Martinez is a fixture at the Safeway store in Alamosa on weekends, volunteering for Alamosa Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 899. He is selling raffle tickets for the Veterans Day cash raffle to be held on Nov. 11. Tickets are $5 with a chance to win a $700 first prize, $175 second, and $125 third place prize. Martinez also accepts donations to help Veterans. 

The National Pilot’s Association has a free aviation curriculum that any high school in America can adopt. Jay Sarason thought why not bring it to Sargent High School. In fact, he came out of retirement just to teach it. 

ALAMOSA – Allen Theatres, Inc., recently announced the acquisition of the Ski-Hi 6 Theatre in Alamosa, marking a significant milestone in the company’s continued growth and expansion throughout the region. Effective Oct. 1, Allen Theatres officially took over the operation of the beloved local theatre, bringing over a century of experience in cinema entertainment to the Alamosa community. 

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Boys & Girls Clubs of the San Luis Valley (BGCSLV) CEO Aaron Miltenberger was presented with the prestigious Jim Wetherington Southwesterner Award during the Boys & Girls Clubs of America 2024 Southwest Leadership Conference in Oklahoma City, Okla., on Aug. 29.