NEWS Local news and entertainment since 1969 Entertainment Las Cruces Transportation July 9 - 15, 2021 YOUR RIDE. YOUR WAY. Las Cruces Shuttle – Taxi Guide Charter – Courier Veteran Owned and Operated Since 1985. Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key star in “Schmigadoon!,” Inside What is the premiering Friday on Apple TV+. Call us to make monsoon season? a reservation today! We are Covid-19 Safe-Practice Compliant Call us at 800-288-1784 or for more details 2 x 5.5” ad page 3 FRIDAY, visit www.lascrucesshuttle.com JULY 9, 2021 PHARMACY I Volume 54, Number 28 Providing local, full-service pharmacy needs for all types of facilities. • Assisted Living • Hospice I lascrucesbulletin.com • Long-term care • DD Waiver • Skilled Nursing and more It’s singing! It’s dancing! Call us today! 575-288-1412 Ask your provider if they utilize the many NEWS benefits of R Innovations, such as: Blister or X multi-dose packaging, OTC’s & FREE Delivery. It’s ‘Schmigadoon!’ Learn more about what we do at www.rxinnovationslc.net2 x 4” ad Commercial space flight taking step forward page 17 A&E Noted local artist celebrates Billy the Kid page 24 SPORTS Reds, whites Las Cruces and the blues Olympian living dream page 38 Guitar Slim helps Rio Grande Winery and its customers celebrate the July Fourth weekend. The long holiday weekend coincided with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham lifting all restrictions dealing with the pandemic on July 1. For more on Rio Grande Winery, its new owners and its future, see the story on page 36. BULLETIN PHOTO BY RICHARD COLTHARP 2 | FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2021 LAS CRUCES BULLETIN LAS CRUCES BULLETIN NEWS FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2021 | 3 How to be ‘sun safe’ this summer Here are “sun safe habits” from the U.S. Depart- ment of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmo- spheric Administration (NOAA) to prevent skin and eye damage this summer: • Check NOAA’s UV Index forecast before you go out: www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/stratosphere/ uv_index/uv_current.shtml.ThankThankThankThankThank youYou WesternSky youYou Americanyou to Kappa Members theUnitarian McCuneKappaAssociation and of GammaCFSNMUniversalist Las Foundation of Cruces forUniversity 200 • Apply — and reapplyGive — sunscreen. a Great Use an SPF Gift 30 This Season. broad-spectrum,brand-newChurchAAUW water-resistantforWomen Supporting for GiveSupportforbooks sunscreen for SupportingSupporting Supporting a forat leastChild Kidskids Kids to Reading!a enjoyKidsBook!Kids Reading! Reading! this Reading!Reading! summer! 30 minutes before sun exposure and reapply every two hours. If you are jumping in the water, apply even more frequently. Protect marine life by using a chemical-free, environmentally friendly sunscreen. • Seek shade, wear sunglasses and wear protective clothing. BULLETIN PHOTO BY MIKE COOK Early-morning storm clouds gather over the Organ Mountains. Forecasters are predicting an “average” monsoon season. What to expect this monsoon season www.childrensreadingalliance.org By MIKE COOK And, however you de- been in a drought since closest moisture source CRA PRESENTS Las Cruces Bulletin fine it, this year’s mon- 1999. is the Pacific Ocean, soon season, officially DuBois said the mon- more than 1,000 miles Talking Stories/Cuentos que hablan “Everybody thinks June 15 to Sept. 30, likely soon season means “a west across the Rocky Pajama Party monsoons mean rain,” won’t produce record shift in the wind direc- Mountains. said National Weather rainfall for southern tion” from a southwest When the jet stream A monthly children’s literature discussion Service (NWS) meteorol- New Mexico, Laney said. flow to a more moisture- changes direction, which group series for families ogist Jason Laney. That’s New Mexico usually laden southeast flow usually coincides with not always the case – and gets about 40 percent of across Mexico. He said the onset of summer, Program theme: Finding your voice it’s not even the correct its annual rainfall dur- southern New Mexico, prevailing winds become Presenter: Cassandra Reveles definition. ing the monsoon season, including Las Cruces, is south and southeasterly, A monsoon is actu- said State Climatologist likely to feel more of an Laney said, coming from ally “a seasonal reversal Dave DuBois, Ph.D., who impact from the summer the tropics and the Gulf of winds,” said Laney, is based at New Mexico monsoon than the north- of Mexico and bringing who works in the NWS State University in Las ern part of the state. moisture that doesn’t get El Paso office in Santa Cruces. On average, the Most local winds are lost in the mountains. Teresa, New Mexico, and state gets about 9 inches from the west and south- Combined with higher has been a meteorologist of rain in a calendar west, Laney said, and for 33 years. year, he said, but it’s are very dry because the SEE MONSOON, PAGE 4 Book Title: The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet! by Carmen Agra Deedy WelcomingNew Patients! Friday, July 23 at 7 PM Nicole OswaltGarcia, NP Register at: Pediatrics Antiques,Antiques, Collectibles, Collectibles, Furniture,Furniture, Jewelry, Jewelry, Gifts Gifts https://cutt.ly/skep9er Gently GentlyUsed Used Furniture Furniture Appreciated! Appreciated! COME SHOPTuesdays OUR are 20% NATIVESenior Discount AMERICANDay! FAMILY CARE ANDPEDIATRICS TuesdaysCARPETSDONATE are &20% OTHER SHOPSenior SUPPORTTEXTILES!Discount Day! For more information: Mesilla Valley Hospice 2405 STelshor Blvd. 106 S. Water St. • 575-202-7351 Contact Jennifer Alvarado, DONATET-F 10am-4pm, SHOP Sat 10am-2pm SUPPORT 575-532-1001 MesillaMesillaemporiumlc.com Valley Valley HospiceHospice [email protected] 106106 S. S. Water Water St. •• 575-202-7351575-202-7351 V45095 T-FWed-Fri 10am-4pm, 10am-4pm, Sat Sat 10am-2pm 10am-2pm We accept Medicare, Medicaid, LC1-L emporiumlc.comemporiumlc.com Tricare, CentennialCare and most privateinsurances. 4 | FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2021 NEWS LAS CRUCES BULLETIN State climatologist keeps eye on trends How to join rain-monitoring program If you are interested in state and local weather By MIKE COOK been state Las Vegas while working drawdown possible” this and climate, you might want to join CoCoRaHS (co- Las Cruces Bulletin climatolo- at the Desert Research year, he said. It can store co-RAZ), which stands for Community Collabora- gist since Institute. almost 1 million acre feet tive, Rain, Hail and Snow Network. As New Mexico’s state 2010, and DuBois’ office is in- of water, but only has CoCoRaHS is based at New Mexico State Univer- climatologist, Dave Du- before volved in a number of about 200,000 right now, sity in Las Cruces and includes volunteer precipita- Bois, Ph.D. assesses “the that spent studies regarding New he said. tion observers across the state. effects of climate on the four years Mexico climate and A “change in climate” “It’s a fun and easy way to keep track of the pre- natural environment, with the DAVE DUBOIS weather conditions. For is contributing to the re- cipitation falling (or not falling) in your backyard, agricultural produc- New Mex- example, he is looking duced water level, he said, and it allows you to contribute to a valuable national tion, land and natural ico En- for ways to reduce the because higher tempera- source of weather information,” according to the resources and human vironment Department’s evaporation of water from tures mean more evapo- collaborative’s website. health in New Mexico.” Air Quality Bureau. He reservoirs in the state. ration and an increased Participation in CoCoRaHS requires a high-ca- The office is based at introduced a course called New Mexico’s two- need for water for native pacity, 4 inches-in-diameter rain gauge. The official New Mexico State Univer- Introduction to Air Pollu- decade-long drought has vegetation to survive. CoCoRaHS gauge is on sale for $32.75 at https:// sity, where DuBois also tion at NMSU, and taught significantly reduced DuBois said Las Cruces weatheryourway.com/collections/cocorahs-gauge- oversees the state Com- Air Pollution Control water storage in those broke its official high tem- parts. munity Collaborative, Fundamentals and Me- reservoirs, DuBois said. perature record for June If you want to join, fill out the form at www.coco Rain, Hail and Snow Net- teorology and Climate at Elephant Butte, for ex- rahs.org/application.aspx. work (CoCoRaHS). He’s the University of Nevada ample, is at “the lowest SEE TRENDS, PAGE 10 (2010) and as little as he said, but it will be a inches. It likely will be MONSOON 2.59 inches (2020), Laney significant increase over almost double “the last CONTINUED FROM 3 said. Since 2010, there the first five and one- few years we’ve seen,” have been two “wet” half months of 2021, dur- Laney said. “That’s still summer temperatures, (above average moisture) ing which .48 inches of a positive note in my that change means “a monsoon seasons, seven rain has been recorded world.” better chance for rain,” “dry” (below average) in Las Cruces, which is As of June 11, the NWS Laney said. seasons and two normal 1.22 inches below nor- Climate Prediction Cen- “It has more to do with seasons. The last wet mal, he said. ter showed a 35 percent the wind,” Laney said. season was 2017, which In his “unofficial chance the 2021 monsoon “The rainfall is just a has been followed by forecast,” Laney said season will be below nor- happy byproduct of the three consecutive dry he is “leaning toward a mal, a 33 percent chance monsoon.” seasons. monsoon that’s probably it will be normal and a In the past 11 years, This year, “we’re going going to give us more 32 chance it will be above the Las Cruces area has to get more rain than rain than we’ve gotten normal, he said.