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Article from The Ruidoso News March 7, 1985By Sharon Makokian, Ruidoso News staff writer

The Ruidoso Valley Chamber of Commerce is in the process of organizing a group of women to serve as official greeters at various functions.

Executive director John Jeffers said the Chamber has had ambassadors in the past. He would like to see the tradition reinstated.

The new group will differ from the old one in a unique way: it will be comprised solely of busi-nesswomen. Jeffers said a similar group in Albu-querque, called the Kachina Greeters, has been very successful.

The group will be open to all chamber business-women on a first-come, first-served basis. Jeffers anticipates having 20 members, divided into two groups of 10. However, if response is very good, the group could have 30 members, forming three teams.

Jeffers said serving as a greeter would provide a good opportunity for businesswomen to get exposure. They will act as hostesses for ground-breakings, ribbon cuttings, visiting dignitaries and special events.

The outfits the greeters wear are being designed in the chamber office. Jeffers said he conceptu-alizes something with a southwestern flair. The participating women would be responsible for purchasing their own uniforms.

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By Jane Terrell

The Ruidoso Valley Greeters presented the first Christ-mas Jubilee shopping extravaganza Nov. 11-12, 1988 at Cree Meadows Country Club. There were 37 mer-chants, gift shop owners, jewelers and gallery repre-sentatives. The president, Mildred Crocker, said the event offered Ruidoso locals and visitors a chance to shop an assortment of merchants under one roof. This first Christmas Jubilee also offered ongoing entertain-ment and Breakfast with Santa and Mrs. Santa Claus.

The second Jubilee came around in 1989 at Carrizo Lodge and there was already a waiting list of those who wanted to participate after the success of the first Jubilee. The third and fourth Jubilees were held at Inn of the Mountain Gods, growing to a three-day event. The Jubilee still had Breakfast with Santa plus a buffet luncheon and a fashion show.

By the time 1992 rolled around, the Jubilee had moved to the new Civic Events Center where the grand opening was held in conjunction with the Jubilee. The merchant booths had grown to 58. There was still the Breakfast with Santa, the luncheon and the fashion show. Since 1992, the Civic Events Center, renamed the Ruidoso Convention Center, has been the home of the Christmas Jubilee.

In 1993, there was a record 68 merchants but instead of the luncheon, there was an afternoon tea and fash-ion show. By 2001, the Jubilee grew to 80 booths – all Lincoln County merchants – showing their wares, plus a full food court representing four local restaurants.

Little has changed since 2001, although the attend-ance has grown. The Convention Center is filled to capacity with all the booths decorated in Christmas paper and ribbons, bright lights and laughter. There is

picture-taking with Santa and Christmas Storytelling too.

One merchant, the Ruidoso Flower Shop, has been to every one of the Christmas Jubilees. There are several others who are right behind in the number of Jubi-lees.

“As a merchant, there is no where I could spend my advertising dollars more wisely,” said Jane Terrell of the Ruidoso Flower Shop, “than to have a booth at Christmas Jubilee where almost 5,000 attendees see what our shop has to offer.”

The Christmas Jubilee began as a showcase for Lin-coln County merchants during a traditionally slow time of year for the area. The Jubilee is open to any Lincoln County merchant who has a business license and a New Mexico gross receipts tax number. The only catch is… you may end up on the waiting list for a possible chance if an available booth opens up. The Christmas Jubilee is always the second weekend in November. See you there!

www.ruidosoflowershop.com353 Sudderth • Ruidoso

575-257-2812800-996-2812

A part of everyChristmas Jubilee

from the beginning!

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Come see us for Carpet Hardwood TileVinyl Window Treatments Laminate

1 5 0 9 S U D D E RT H W W W. G O L D E N YA R N CA R P E T. C O M 5 7 5 . 2 5 7 . 2 0 5 7

Taken from the Greeters’ “Celebrating Twenty Years 1985-2005”

The Ruidoso Valley Greeters, a branch of the Ruidoso Chamber of Commerce, is a self-sustaining, non-profit organization formed for the purpose of promoting busi-ness and tourist development by assisting the Chamber with activities which benefit the Village of Ruidoso and Lincoln County. This includes organizing ribbon cut-tings at new businesses, attending monthly Business After Hours and hosting special programs, events and/or programs.

The original Ruidoso Valley Greeters were Joan Bailey (Zagone), Brenda Buckner, Anita Carpenter, Ann Grif-fith, Kandie Hinderliter, Peggy Lewis, Flo Maul, Shirley McCormick, Lorri McKnight (McMasters), Susan Miller, Moncor, Pat Parnell, Mary Parsons, Betty Patton, Nancy Radziewicz (Mitchell), Jackie Rawlins, Jean Rhoten, Jerry Shaw, Anita Smith, Sonja Smith and Melody Vuicich.

Their first monthly meeting was held April 4, 1985 and they are still held on the first Thursday of the month. The Zia symbol is used on one of the service pins earned by Greeters. The reason is “the Zia culture believes that there is a great brotherhood of all things and to be a part of that, you have a sacred obligation to develop and

maintain a strong body, a clear mind, a pure spirit and a devotion to the welfare of your people.”

Melody Vuicich, the first chairman, remembers the Greeters’ out of town promotions being the receptions that were held for political and business leaders. A reception was held for the governor, senators and con-gressmen in the home of Jackie Corbin. Melody felt the crowning achievement was the reception held in Austin, Texas for both the governors of Texas and New Mexico.

While Mildred Crocker was chairman in 1986-1988, the Greeters held a convention for all New Mexico chamber ambassadors. This was the year before the National Association of Chamber Ambassadors was established. The first Christmas Jubilee was in 1988.The Greeters also hosted the annual Horseman’s Gala. During the chairmanship of Clay Adams, 1989-1990, the Greeters hand delivered the invitations to all of the horsemen, top personnel at the Race Track, the Mayor, councilmen and other dignitaries because of a glitch in getting them mailed. Clay remembers that this was one of the largest crowds ever at the Gala.The Greeters began participating in the Ruidoso Arts

Continued on pg. 6

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2 The birth of the Greeters 3 Christmas Jubilee from the beginning 4 Ruidoso Valley Greeter history 11 Business booth listing 12-13 Map 14 Santa’s here! 15 Ruidoso Valley Greeters donations 16 Those turquoise-jacketed gals 17 Greeters uniforms - a brief history 18 Meeting, greeting and a tip of the

Greeter’s hat Business After Hours 19-22 Calendar of Events 22 Storytelling 23 Greeters provide valuable service to the community Ribbon Cuttings and the GreetersA product of the

By Annette Wallace

I have had various duties with the Christmas Jubi-lee but I found my niche with the Santa Room. I never had children of my own but it is always so rewarding to see the children’s eyes light up in awe of seeing Santa. And, of course, there are those that are terrifi ed at the sight of him! After their visit, the Santa elves give each child a toy and a candy cane.

One of our volunteer Santas did not write down anything but talked about hearing the children’s Christmas list wishes. One little boy about the age of 5 was adamant that he wanted his own kitchen from Santa because he loved to cook. A little girl just wanted her Dad to come home safely from Iraq and nothing else. Some of them make you smile, while others pull at your heartstrings.

For years we took Polaroid pictures for $2 each. I believe it was the 2006 Jubilee when we began us-ing the digital cameras. Although the pictures are far superior to the Polaroids, we would occasionally get backed up with larger orders of photos. Thanks to one of our Greeters with great organizational skills, we came up with the idea of putting the number of pictures wanted on a card, then hand-ing it to one of the photographers and that solved the problem!

Whether or not you have children or grandchildren to visit with Santa, you are welcome to stop by and observe the chaos and have a candy cane on us!

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Festival in 1990 when Peggy Wash was chairman. They had a booth selling popcorn, the Festival was held out-doors and it rained. They remember a muddy mess! In June 1991, the Welcome Back Horsemen Party was held at Cree Meadows and hosted by the Greeters.In 1991, the title “Chairman” was replaced by President. The “first” President was Camille Mansell. Bonnie Mattox was President for the grand opening of our new Civic Events Center in 1992. President Sally Burkstaller set up the point system and a lifetime membership category in 1993.During the presidency of Trink Edmonds in 1994-1995, six Greeters attended the National Association of Chamber Ambassadors Conference in Montrose, Colo. While there they were able to land the Conference for Ruidoso in 1997. The Greeters also began to participate in Adopt-A-Highway and volunteered time on Thursday afternoons to support the Chamber. In 1997 they also began volunteering at the Motorcycle Rally.The Greeters with Nelda Lewis as President in 1998-1999 established the Champions of Service award. The Greeters felt that the business people in the community who gave exceptional service needed to be recognized. There is a traveling trophy, a certificate, photo in the newspapers and in the Chamber newsletter and their name on the Chamber marquee. Forms are available to nominate someone for Champion of Service at the Chamber or from any Greeter.In 1999, President Carole Benham and the Greeters adopted Two Rivers Park. It is located on Sudderth behind the Chamber. They purchased new tables and benches and held an ice cream social to initiate the park. In 2001 under President Kaye Kernodle, they donated funds and have their name on the tree house in the Kids Konnection Park. They also assisted with the Home and Garden Show.President Nisha Hoffman had the Greeters running in 2002. They backed a member and her team in the Relay for Life, they were runners for the bridge tournament, they assisted with Fort Stanton LIVE! and the Motorcy-cle Rally, they walked the Aspenfest Parade, they held the Jubilee and hosted Santa at Festival of Lights be-sides the normal ribbon cuttings, Champions of Service and meeting and greeting.In the spring of 2002 the Greeters decided to build the gazebo in Two Rivers Park. It was finished during the presidency of Betty Blair in 2003-2004. Jan Sawyer, President 2004-2005 sums it up best; “All of the Greeter members deserve thanks – when there is a job to be done, someone always steps up, volunteers and it gets done!”

Continued from pg. 4

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All Lathered Up 35Artistic Art from Wood 1Beads to Beauty 58Blue Gem 70Bohemian Buffalo 49Buffett’s Candies 74CC Boutique 56Cahoots & Co 60Casa Feliz & Flowers 54Chartreuse Moose 2Cherry Blossom Shoppe 77Circle D Metal Art 52Cloud Nine 67Coco B’s 18D&D Sales 27Deborah Wenzel, Artist 42Deer Trail Pottery 76Discoveries 69Diva Designs 9Double R Bar Studio 14Dream Catcher Jerseys 63Earth N Stone Gallery 50Gems By Dennis 44Grindstone Graphics 17GR Bar Ranch 26Gypsy Hounds 8

Heartlines 28High Plains Art Traders 15Hondo Iris Farm & Gallery 41Jackies 6Jamie Ink 57Jewelry By Alice 55Junque N Jewels 24Kona Cowboy Coffee 21Leathers with Style 33Lia Sophia Jewelry 37Log Cabin Quilts 46Mary Kay Cosmetics 66Misty Mt. Gourmet Shoppe 23Mitchell’s Silver 31Mountain Aire Clothiers 38Mountain Ridge Creations 12Rascally Red’s Jewelry w/ 4Mountain ToppersNo Bones About It 10On Eagles Wings 72One of a Kind 47Photos By Pat 7Piñon Pottery 39Rainwaters 59Real Food 75Red Raccoon 45

Releewood 71Rescued Wood 36Riata Home Interiors 11Ruidoso Flower Shop 43Ruidoso River Museum 20Sabor 32Sacramento Mt. Village 65Sally Sue Jewelry 19San Patricio Berry Farm 29Schlotzsky’s Cinnabons 51Simon Gomez Jeweler & Artist 22Southwest Designs 62Speaking Wood 30Sugarfoot Farm 53Tanner Tradition 16Teresa’s Clay Works 34The Bear Place 25The Bird House 3The Menagerie 73The Three Bears 5Two Deer 13Trent’s Jewelry & Gifts 48Victorian Memories 68Wild Spirit 61Zia Creations 40Zoe 64

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Berry Farm29

Zoe deNegri

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TheBearPlace

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MistyMountainGourmet

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SimonGomezJeweler& Artist

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KonaCowboyCo�ee

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BlueGem

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RuidosoFlowerShop

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LincolnCounty

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Jewelryby Alice

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| 13

Seasons

Cahoots [[[[[[

GreetersTableEntrance

Mitchell’sSilver

31

Log CabinQuilts

46

Rainwaters

59

Dream Catchers

63

Bu�ett’s Candies

74

Tanner Traditions

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High PlainsArt Traders

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DoubleR Bar

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Berry Farm29

Zoe deNegri

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MistyMountainGourmet

23

SimonGomezJeweler& Artist

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KonaCowboyCo�ee

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RuidosoRiver

Museum

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Sally SueJewelryCreation

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SugarFootFarm

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CasaFeliz

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BlueGem

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and Gifts

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WildSpirit

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Jewelryby Alice

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BohemianBu�alo

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Oneof aKind

47Piñon

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39RascallyRed’s

Jewelryw/Mtn

Toppers4

ZiaCreations

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LiaSophiaJewelry

37

RescuedWood

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HondoIris Farms

andGallery

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Gemsby

Dennis

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DeborahWenzel,

Artist

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MaryKay

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RealFood

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Deer TrailPottery

76

Beadsto

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Beadsto

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SacramentoMountain

Village

65

Discoveries

69

Victor

ian M

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Mountain Aire

Red Raccoon

68

GR BarRanch

26

Heartlines

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The BirdHouse

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ChartreuseMoose

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Artistic Artfrom Wood

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GypsyHounds

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DivaDesigns

9

Annie’s LittleSure ShotEspresso

No BonesAbout It

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Riata Home Interiors

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D & DSales

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CloudNine

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CherryBlossom

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Door

14 |

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My name is Fred Kilian and I have been one of the Santas at the Jubilee for sev-eral years. It is something I look forward to each year. Last year I was disappoint-ed because I was unable to perform the duties of the “Jolly Ole Guy”. So, I am looking forward to next year when I get to see the smiling, crying, terrifi ed, understanding, believing, non-believing faces of the children and their parents, that stand in line patiently waiting to sit on Santa’s lap.  When they whisper in my ear what they want for Christmas, it’s one of many ways to fi nd out the latest fads in children’s toys. It makes me feel younger and “in the know”.

It’s fun to watch the proud parents hop-ing for the perfect picture for the start of the Christmas season in Ruidoso. It gets everyone in the mood for the com-ing holidays. I think the Jubilee is a great tradition for Ruidoso and hope to be a part of it for many years to come.

S T o r y T e L L i N G & v i S i T W i T h S A N T ASaturday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. • Sunday 12:30 - 3 p.m.

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visit us atthe christmas

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By Jill Harper-Duncan

The Christmas Jubilee is the Ruidoso Valley Greeters’ signature annual event, held the second full weekend of November. It originated to assist the local mer-chants by bringing people to the village during the slowest time of the year. Proceeds go back into the village by way of donations or projects.

Over the years, the Greeters have sponsored a room at the NEST, put picnic tables in Two Rivers Park, built the gazebo at the Chamber, contributed greatly to the mural at the fire station and the Humane Society’s dog park and spaying projects, sponsored the Ruidoso Library’s Teen Project and Books for Babies programs and continue to contribute monthly to the local food banks.

Donations made within the community include:Chamber Music Festival • Community United

Methodist Church • Community Youth Center Ware-house • Festival of Lights • Fort Stanton, Inc.

Gateway Disaster Relief Team • Humane SocietyLincoln County Community Theater • Lincoln County

Food Bank • Lincoln County Sheriff’s PossePeace Village, Inc. • Road Runner Food Bank

Ruidoso Day in Santa Fe • Ruidoso Noon Lions ClubRuidoso Police Department • Ruidoso Public Library

and Friends of the Ruidoso LibraryRuidoso Regional Council for the ArtsRuidoso Valley Chamber of Commerce

Ski Apache Disabled Skiers’ Program • Ski Run Road Challenge • The NEST • Wall of Courage

Donation request forms are available at theChamber of Commerce.

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By Barb O’Leary

The Ruidoso Valley Greeters, those turquoise-jacketed gals you see all over Lincoln County, are a branch of the Ruidoso Valley Chamber of Com-merce. They help support business in the county by holding ribbon cuttings for new businesses; hold surprise monthly Champion of Service Awards that go to a business employee who shows “above and beyond” courtesy, helpfulness, kindness, thoughtfulness, and efficiency to customers; and at-tend Business After Hours where local businesses stay open later to celebrate with food and friendship.

The Greeters work indoors at such venues as the Art Festival, the home and garden show, and the Alto Art tour helping with booth-sitting, collecting money, and helping anyway they can. They work outside in the sun, rain, wind, and maybe even snow. They can be found serving a welcome meal to the bikers

during the giant motorcycle rallies; and marching down the streets of Ruidoso during the Aspenfest parade bringing Santa Claus to town for the holidays. It takes cooperation, hard work and everyone pulling their share- and more- to plan, set up and host their annual three-day Greeter fundraiser, the Christmas Jubilee.

So, what does it take to be a Ruidoso Valley Greeter? It takes a great deal of standing and walking. It takes attending meetings, active participation, attending ribbon cuttings, Customer of Service awards, being on committees, chairing committees, public interac-tion, and public relations. It takes smiling and chat-ting while standing in the rain and wind.

Throughout all this, the Greeters follow a point system for the various activities, meetings, and jobs. They work to attain a 1,000 point pin; a 2,000 point pin and Lifetime Membership; and a feather for each 1,000 points thereafter.

Most of the 30 Ruidoso Valley Greeters are retired; but some still work. All of the Greeters are full-time resi-dents in Lincoln County. They are smart, personable, caring and funny.

At this time, the Ruidoso Valley Greeter organization is full. When a vacancy occurs, a possible new Greeter is recommended by another Greeter. The Member-ship committee reviews the application, interviews the woman, and makes their recommendation to the Executive Board, and then finally to the General organization.

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By Jan Sawyer

In March of 1985, the Ruidoso Chamber of Commerce organized a group of women to serve as official greeters. The outfits the Greeters would wear were designed in the chamber office. John Jeffers (the Executive director of the Chamber at that time) said he thought they should have a southwestern flair. All four different uniforms worn by the Greeters since 1985 have had turquoise either as an accent or as the main color, and that color was chosen because it definitely says New Mexico.

In the beginning Greeters bought their own uniforms. A Ruidoso shop called Kaleidoscope owned by Karen Barrows supplied these first uniforms. They consisted of a beige skirt and blouse made of a textured muslin material, and featured a turquoise cummerbund. Each Greeter also wore an identical turquoise bracelet.

The second uniforms were sewn by Gloria Fogerson in 1988, and had a fringed turquoise skirt and a v-shaped fringed tunic that could be worn over a shirt or turtleneck. They were made of a suede–like material. Again, the Greeters bought their own uniforms.

The third uniforms, first worn in 1998, were a southwestern woven print bo-lero jacket of black and turquoise, and these were from Sisters Two, another shop in Ruidoso. The Greeters usu-ally wore black or turquoise tops and black skirts and slacks with these. The organization bought these jackets.

The current uniform is a denim style jacket complete with a zipper - but also of turquoise and black with tiny black sequins scattered over the sur-face. It is worn with turquoise, black or white tops and black slacks or skirts. It was bought in the spring of 2005 from Tricia’s – after almost seven months of debating and looking at various jackets. Did you ever have to get thirty women to agree on one style?

Other than these four uniforms, the Greeters wear summer vests that have trim woven by Jan Sawyer, and sewn by the members themselves. These black vests replaced light turquoise vests in 2001. And for other occasions there are white, turquoise and black polo shirts, sweatshirts, and even a black apron – all embroidered with the Ruidoso Valley Greeter logo.

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By Deborah Douds

Business After Hours (BAH) is a networking event for Chamber Members. Generally held monthly, it gives Chamber Members the opportunity to show off their business, explaining who they are and what they do.

When you attend a Business After Hours you havethe opportunity to meet and network with other members. The best advertising is often word of mouth, so by expanding your base of social contacts and building new relationships, you have an excel-lent opportunity to grow your company. Also it is a good occasion to discuss and share new ideas and/or any problems you may be having with other business owners or attendees.

Business After Hours is a free event open to Chamber Members and their employees. We encourage all members to participate.

By Sally Burkstaller

When the Ruidoso Valley Greeters was first organized it was a co-ed group formed by the Ruidoso Chamber of Commerce as a “hail-fellow, well met” arm to aid in “Meet and Greet” activities to make welcome various impor-tant groups and individuals coming to the Ruidoso area. Member businesses were invited to nominate an em-ployee to serve in the organization, business meetings were held during the lunch hour, and participating employees were given time off to attend functions during business hours.

Within a short time, the Greeters morphed into an all female group, still all professionals, still meeting at noon, but with a wider scope of activities. Soon, retired women indicated a desire to belong. The name of the organization was changed to the present

Ruidoso Valley Greeters, new by-laws and membership requirements were written, uniforms were ordered, and the group essentially be-came what it is today.

The Ruidoso Valley Greeters have enjoyed many hospi-tality assignments. Sena-tors Pete Dominici and Jeff Bingaman; governors Gary Johnson and Bill Richardson and many state representa-

tives have all been welcomed to the area by the Greet-ers. Plus the Greeters have served at registration and hospitality tables at such conventions such as the New Mexico Bar Association. In recent years, the Greeters have joined the local chamber board for Ruidoso Days in Santa Fe. Former Lt. Gov. Diane Denish has formally recognized the Greeters on two occasions, and the Greeters welcomed present Gov. Susana Martinez dur-ing her visit following the 2011 fire.

When invited to participate, the Greeters will continue to support the Chamber and the village in making welcome noteworthy individuals and organizations visiting the town.

| 19

N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 11 Veterans’ Day Tribute: Come

have fun with a free BBQ and live music at this historic saloon, No Scum Allowed! Noon to 5 p.m. For more info, call No Scum Allowed Saloon: 575-648-5583. 933 White Oaks Avenue, White Oaks, NM

11-13 Christmas Jubilee: This Christ-mas Jubilee will be held at the Convention Center sponsored by the Ruidoso Valley Greeters. Shopping, local merchants, food court, Santa Claus, and story-telling. Hours are noon to 6 on the 11th. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. on the 12th and 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. on the 13th. For more info, call (575) 336-7632. 111 Sierra Blanca Dr., Ruidoso, NM

12 R & R in Ruidoso Block Party: Ruidoso celebrates its special relationship with our Active and Retired Military Personnel with a block party from noon - 4 p.m. Sudderth Drive will be closed between Chase and Center Streets, where we will have live music, a Taste of Ruidoso, a Kid’s Zone, and more. To close out the day’s festivities, the Sons of the Pioneers will be performing at Mountain Annies at 7 p.m. For more info, call 575-257-7395. Sudderth Drive between Chase and Center Streets

13 The Homegrown Boyz Band: from 3 p.m. - 7 p.m. at The Quar-ters Bar and Grill. For more info, call 575-257-9535. 2535 Sud-derth Dr., Ruidoso, NM

17-18 George Lopez: George Lopez is

coming to the Inn of the Moun-tain Gods stage! Lopez has been praised by both audiences and critics for his work as a stand-up comedian, actor and talk show host as well as for his extensive charity work. For more info, call 1-800-545-9011. 287 Carrizo Canyon Road, Mescalero, NM

19 Spencer Park Antique and Collectible Swap Meet: Food, music, free spaces for qualified vendors / artists / craftsmen. From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. weather permitting. Follow the signs from the 4 Way Stop Sign on Hwy. 380 and Hwy. 54. For more info, call 480-299-6441. Spencer Park, Hwy, 380, Carrizozo, NM

20 Blast at the Spencer Theater: BLAST! Winner of the 2001 Tony Award for Best Special Theatri-cal Event and the 2001 Emmy Award for Best Choreography is a virtual explosion of music and theater which uses drum and bugle corps the way Riverdance uses Irish step dancers. Tickets are $79 and performance starts at 7pm. For more info, call (888) 818-7872 or (575) 336-4800. 108 Spencer Rd., Alto, NM

22 Don Williams at the Inn of the Mountain Gods: Don’t miss country singer and song writer, Don Williams, at the Inn of the Mountain Gods! For more info, call 1-800-545-9011. 287

Carrizo Canyon Road Mescalero, NM

D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1 2-4 Walk Through Bethlehem at

the Angus Nazarene Church:

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This is a wonderful walk through time! See a diff erent look at Bethlehem in Jesus’ time. There will be people dressed in costume as well as artisans showing their work and a nativ-ity scene. This is by reservation only! Dec. 2 and 4 times are 6 - 8 p.m. Dec. 3 time is 2 p.m. For more info, call 575-336-8032. Hwy 48 Angus Hill, Alto, NM

3 Miracle on 34th Street: A musi-cal adaptation of the favorite holiday tale by Valentine Davies, made famous by the 1947 Ed-mund Gwenn, Maureen O’Hara and John Payne movie of the same name. Performance starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $79. For more info, call (888) 818-7872 or (575) 336-4800. 108 Spencer Rd., Alto, NM

3 Craft and Christmas Goodies Fair: From 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Mayhill Convention Center For more info, call 575-687-3334 or 575-687-2003

3 Festival of Lights: Beautifully lit and fantastically festive, the Festival of Lights 2011 Parade, bring friends and family for an evening of twinkling lights, hot chocolate and togetherness in the winter wonderland of Ruidoso! Throughout Midtown Ruidoso, beginning at Mechem and Sudderth and continuing to the Chamber of Commerce. Time: 5:30 p.m. For more info, call 575-257-7395

9-11 Walk Through Bethlehem at the Angus Nazarene Church: This is a wonderful walk

through time! See a diff erent look at Bethlehem in Jesus’ time. There will be people

dressed in costume as well as artisans showing their work and

a nativity scene. This is by reser-vation only. 6 - 8 p.m. For more info, call 575-336-8032. Hwy 48 Angus Hill Alto, NM

10 7th Annual Lincoln County Sheriff ’s Posse’s Cowboy Christmas Ball: Come have dinner at Mountain Annie’s and dance the night away, with Jody Nix and the Texas Cowboys! Tickets sell out fast, so get them while you can. For more info, call 575-808-4111. 2710 Sud-derth Dr., Ruidoso

17 Ruidoso Dance Ensemble’s The Nutcracker: A Christmas Classic for the whole family; two delightful family perform-ances. 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets, $28. For more info, call (888) 818-7872 or (575) 336-4800. 108 Spencer Rd., Alto, N

21 Flying J Wranglers Christmas Special: It’s Christmas week cowboy style as the Wranglers return home from their holiday tour. For more info, call (888) 818-7872 or (575) 336-4800. 108 Spencer Rd., Alto, NM

J A N u A r y 2 0 1 2 14 The Pointer Sisters: Don’t miss

the Pointer Sisters in concert at the Inn of the Mountain Gods! For more info, call (800) 545-9011. 287 Carrizo Canyon Road, Mescalero , NM

28 Stayin’ Alive! at the Spen-cer Theater: Stayin’ Alive! The world’s number one Bee Gees tribute band! Performance is at 7 p.m. Tickets are $69. For more info, call (888) 818-7872 or (575) 336-4800. 108 Spencer Rd., Alto, NM

through time! See a diff erent look at Bethlehem in Jesus’ time. There will be people

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F e b r u A r y 2 0 1 2 4 The Texas Tenors at the Spen-

cer Theater: Three ruggedly handsome men in Stetsons who sing tenor! Superb tenors at that, opera and Broadway seasoned with deep musicality, harmonic blending and million dollar smiles. What more could you ask for! For more info, call (888) 818-7872 or (575) 336-4800. 108 Spencer Rd., Alto, NM

12 Valentine Soiree Dinner Dance at the Spencer Theater: Singles and couples alike are invited to celebrate the beauty of love and life at the Guild of the Spencer Theater’s 11th Annual Dinner & Dance Valen-tine Soiree. Taking place on the stage of the Spencer Theater, the celebration includes a gour-met three-course dinner, com-plimentary cocktail and dancing to the Michael Francis Trio. For more info, call (888) 818-7872 or (575) 336-4800. 108 Spencer Rd., Alto, NM

23 Damn Yankees at the Spencer Theater: Home-runs, hit songs and a sizzling siren named Lola have made Damn Yankees a mu-sical comedy favorite. Written by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross (of The Pajama Game fame), this frothy tale of a baseball fanatic who sells his soul to the Devil to help his favorite team win the pennant race won 8 Tony Awards – including Best Musical. For more info, call (888) 818-7872 or (575) 336-4800. 108 Spencer Rd., Alto, NM

m A r c h 2 0 1 2 3 Las Cruces Chamber Orches-

tra: A vivacious young sym-

phony blossomed in the desert nearly 50 years ago when the Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra (LCSO) organized to provide symphonic music to the region. Season after season ever since, the orchestra has performed classical, pops and youth con-certs to standing ovations and rave reviews. For more info, call (888) 818-7872 or (575) 336-4800. 108 Spencer Rd., Alto, NM

16 Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives: Barn-burning honky tonk and hillbilly rock is the hallmark country sound of Marty Stuart, the four-time Grammy winning star who first made his mark on the charts in the 90s. Tickets are $79. Fried chicken pre-show buffet $20. For more info, call (888) 818-7872 or (575) 336-4800. 108 Spencer Rd., Alto, NM

A p r i L 2 0 1 2 14 Country Royalty: Jason Petty

& Carolyn Martin pay tribute to Hank Williams & Patsy Cline. Tickets at $69. Pre-show short rib buffet $20. Performance starts at 7 p.m. For more info, call (888) 818-7872 or (575) 336-4800. 108 Spencer Rd., Alto, NM

21 Spencer’s Theater of Illusion: One of the largest touring magi-cal shows on the road today comes to the Spencer Theater. Tickets are $59. Pre-show roast turkey buffet at 5 p.m. $20. Per-formance starts at 7 p.m.

For more info, call (888) 818-7872 or (575) 336-4800. 108 Spencer Rd., Alto, NM

28 Coppelia at the Spencer Theater: The full-length, classic tale is a livelier, more realistic story than most other ballet

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classics: it’s a heart-warming story about two young lovers and a romantic toy-maker who thinks he has magical powers. Old Dr. Coppelius lets everyone believe his creation, Coppélia, a mechanical doll, is a real person, and so captivating is she that young Franz falls in love with her. Performance is $28 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. For more info, call (888) 818-7872 or (575) 336-4800. 108 Spencer Rd., Alto, NM

m A y 2 0 1 2 5 Gary Puckett and the Union

Gap: During the late 60s Gary Puckett & The Union Gap forged a series of massive chart ballads ‘almost otherworldly in their sheer earnestness, melodrama, and white-bread conservatism,’ says Music Critic Guide’s Jason Ankeny. ‘The group pioneered the hip-to-be-square concept... clad in Civil War-era get-ups (complete with fictitious mili-tary ranks) … Puckett and the Union Gap were in their own way as far-out and singular as any other act of the period.’ Performance is at 7 p.m. Tickets are $69. Pre-show Angus burger buffet dinner $20. For more info, call (888) 818-7872 or (575) 336-4800. 108 Spencer Rd., Alto, NM

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By Nisha Hoffman

A random remark when talking about the Ruidoso Valley Greeters’ Christmas Jubilee was all it took for Storytelling to evolve.

Betty Blair and I were trying to come up with a way to contribute to the Jubilee and talk led from Breakfast with Santa and how this had to be retired due to time con-straints and increased numbers of children, to my saying, “I am a storyteller”.

Well, one thing led to another and I said I had been working with schools, libraries, organizations and churches for quite some time. I could dress as Mrs. Santa and tell the children stories before or after they visit with Santa Claus.

From that little discussion in 1999, came Storytelling at the Christmas Jubilee complete with a rocking chair, a Mrs. Santa costume, and a wild twirly hat that every-one enjoys looking at.

Be sure to look for Mrs. Santa during the Christmas Jubilee—a lot of fun and enter-taining too!

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Excerpts from a letter by Brad Treptow, former Executive Director of the Ruidoso Valley Chamber of Commerce, written in approximately 2005 for the Greeters’ 20th an-niversary.

The Ruidoso Valley Greeters are a critical aspect of this community and have been for the past 20 years. I would like to congratulate each and every one of the Greeters on this milestone and wish them success for the next 20 years as well.

This group of volunteer women includes some of the most dedicated individuals in our community. They invest several hours of volunteer time, not just for the Greeters and their activities, but towards other meaningful organizations and activities. These include Fort Stanton, The Ruidoso Visitors Center, local church groups, Hubbard Museum of the American West, as well as several others.

It’s important to put that into perspective with the regular Greeter activities for the past 20 years. The Ruidoso Valley Greeters coordinate and plan ribbon cuttings at a business’ request. They have created and implemented the Champions of Service program recognizing and awarding community service profes-sionals for their dedication and practice of great cus-tomer service. The Greeters also volunteer at several functions including chamber and community events such as the Ruidoso Art Festival, both major motorcy-

cle rallies and other shows.

One of the Ruidoso Valley Greeters largest projects is their Christmas Jubilee. The purpose of this Lincoln County business expo is to foster local shopping for the holiday season. Each and every Greeter works on this event in some capacity and this has been such a success. Furthermore, the monies raised from this project are donated directly back to this community. Evidence of this is the gazebo in Two Rivers Park. The Greeters adopted Two Rivers Park as one of their community service projects. The Greeters have also donated to the Lincoln County Food Bank and have committed to remodeling a room in the new domes-tic violence shelter.

Their commitment to this community is solid. Many, if not all of the Greeters spend time with their children, grandchildren and travel in between all of the activi-ties they coordinate and host. That is the largest com-pliment for the Greeters, how much they accomplish with volunteers given personal commitments outside of the organization’s scope of work. Please join me in congratulating each and every Ruidoso Valley Greeter on their 20th Anniversary and their dedication to our community as well as wishing them success for the next 20 years!

Brad L. Treptow, Executive Director, Ruidoso Valley Chamber of Commerce

By K’Aun Kingsley

Ribbon cuttings are one of the truly fun and reward-ing services the Ruidoso Valley Greeters perform for the community.

Are you a new business that has opened in Lincoln County? Have you moved to a new location? The Greeter organization loves to rally and offer support to these businesses with a big “Welcome!” and a rib-bon cutting complete with giant scissors, a welcome plaque and a giant good luck turquoise bow. It is a special way to introduce new businesses and op-portunities to the area. And besides all of this, the business and its owners get their picture in both local newspapers and free advertising. Can it get any better than that?

Businesses that wish to participate in a ribbon cut-

ting need only to contact the Ruidoso Chamber of Commerce. They will pass along the information and someone from the Greeter organization will call to set up a time for this fun event.

Be sure to watch for a local business near you where there are Greeter women in their turquoise and black jackets, giant scissors, a giant turquoise bow, and pic-tures being taken outside. A fun time is had by all.

COME OUTAND PLAYAT SKI APACHE!

WINTER EVENTS GUIDESAT., NOV. 19 • Warren Miller Film “Like There’s No Tomorrow” at Inn of the Mountain Gods

THURS., NOV. 24 • Opening Day!

SAT., DEC. 17 • Dummy Gelunde Ski Jump & Torchlight Parade

SAT., JAN. 14 • 50th Anniversary Party & Vertical Challenge

FRI., FEB. 3 • Total Mileage Challenge

WED., FEB. 15 • Cross Your Heart Cup

WED., FEB. 29 • SADSP Fun Race & Obstacle Course

Visit SkiApache.com for more information on these fun and exciting events! Season opens

November 24!