Rain, Rain, Raton (Santa Fe, Alamogordo, Hobbs: hotels, trip , income)

[hopeful transplant]

Well, here I am in my new home outside of Raton, listening to the rain, watching the lightening, I can't believe it's been almost a week.. I finally have internet service - I didn't realize how addicted I am to the internet and THIS FORUM ! ! I have this contraption set up with my cell phone and my laptop so that I can get connected. I'm not sure I like it much, but at least I'm connected. I'd love to get Wild Blue but not sure if it would be worth the $$$. I love my new home, love the area, love waking up in the morning and seeing Antelope and deer around the house. I know there are lots of bears here, they get into the trash bins everynight (bear proof ya know, but Yogi and family are smarter than the average bear). The dogs decided to test the waters with a buck antelope yesterday morning, but I guess we've taught them well and listened when they were told no. He was snorting and I thought he was ready to have a little Pom on a stick. For the first time in my life I have watched chiles being roasted, didn't buy any because I just don't know what I would do with a bushel of chiles, although the ones I have had have been really good. Have been to Pueblo for furniture and then down to Santa Fe as well. That was a long haul and thought after the fact that it must be quicker to go through Taos than down I-25. I think that is a trip we will have to take once we get settled and before the snow starts. So, I'm happy to be here, and can't get over the beauty of where I now live. I have mountains out my back door and mesas out the front....can it possibly get any better.

[Devin Bent]

Originally Posted by hopeful transplant

Have been to Pueblo for furniture and then down to Santa Fe as well. That was a long haul and thought after the fact that it must be quicker to go through Taos than down I-25. I think that is a trip we will have to take once we get settled and before the snow starts. So, I'm happy to be here, and can't get over the beauty of where I now live. I have mountains out my back door and mesas out the front....can it possibly get any better.

Welcome to New Mexico! Going through Taos will take you through some beautiful country, but I doubt it will save you any time.

Suggestions -- Do the enchanted circle when you get a chance, and do both routes from Taos to Santa Fe -- high road and low road.

Again welcome and enjoy yourself.

[designer]

It will be interesting to see how you like living in Raton as time goes by.
I have lived in southern NM for a few years and have often thought of
moving to Raton myself as I like more green than brown. I do like
the Alamogordo area but it's off the interstate system but Raton is
on I-25. I had a friend who lived in Raton and he loved it but later
got bored and found himself driving to Pueblo quite often. He was a
single professional person so possibly he just wanted to be in a larger
city. I'm curious what you thought about Pueblo? You might have not
seen much of it but I keep hearing how they are really spiffing up
the historical district downtown.

Good luck in Raton.

[chilegal]

Welcome to the State! Enjoy life to the fullest. Love every minute you look outside to see the beauty. Its a great state.
Jane

[gberry]

Having lived in Raton for about 19 years of my life, I must say that the scenery is not to be compared to any other... It is absolutely gorgeous! However, as time goes by, I do hope that the economy (or lack there of), the lack of entertainment, and the general "attitude" of the community do not get you down. With the race track coming in, change is on the horizon and I hope good things transform the community it what it once was. ... Goodluck!

[designer]

Hi Gberry,

I am curious about the general attitude of the community you mentioned.
It seemed sort of stodgy the few times I have visited there but it's difficult
to tell from two or three visits. It seemed to me it would be easy to be
seen as an outsider for some period of time but that was just a feeling I
got. I've lived in large cities most of my life until now after I've retired
and I guess I was somewhat surprised how life works in a smaller town.
I would think that Raton is no exception. The race track and casino
should help the limping economy a little but it might take more than
that but it is quite pretty there and I love the old buildings and
trees in the downtown area.

[Devin Bent]

What does gambling bring to an area?

Many more billboards to dress up the scenery?

More local people ruined by the ready availability of gambling?

Ahh!! One real positive -- more and better used cars on the market as people sell their cars to feed their gambling compulsion.

[gberry]

The Racino that's planned to open in 2010 will be a lifesaver in more ways than one to the Raton Area... If you have ever lived in the area you will understand how economically depressed the community is... don't believe me... look at all the gorgeous old buildings down town... the doors on the majority of them haven't been open in years... Why? you may ask, well becuase the cost of preservation on those buildings far exceeds what income the business may produce. Seriously look at the stats on the area, graduates leave the area, go to college, graduate with degrees, and never NEVER come back. Those that do, move out soon after arriving simply because WHY in the world would you work in that town for 10-15 dollars an hour with a bachelors degree when a similar town's economy would offer double that... Not only that the community has nothing to offer families, no summer recreation, no winter recreation. The only thing they have (the movie theater) was closed for several years because there just wasn't enough money to keep the business in operating condition. As for adult recreation, there's not a darn thing to do either... There's less than a handful of bars in the town, which are going bankrupt in a hurry. So to your comment on billboards and used cars... bring it on, and bring on the restraunts, hotels, night life, and everything else that comes with the community, who knows the racino might even bring enough money to revamp the schools and get the area kids a recreation facility... As for the attitude of the general population of Raton... everyone is broke, tired of working for pennies, and bored. When people actually do have money to spend, there's no-where in Raton to spend it, forcing the residents to go to Trinidad or Pueblo Colorado for something even remotely stimulating to do...

[Devin Bent]

Originally Posted by gberry

So to your comment on billboards and used cars... bring it on, and bring on the restraunts, hotels, night life, and everything else that comes with the community, who knows the racino might even bring enough money to revamp the schools and get the area kids a recreation facility... As for the attitude of the general population of Raton... everyone is broke, tired of working for pennies, and bored. When people actually do have money to spend, there's no-where in Raton to spend it, forcing the residents to go to Trinidad or Pueblo Colorado for something even remotely stimulating to do...

Perhaps you can deal with billboards and used cars, but you forgot to address my comments about the ruined lives. You want to bring those on also?

I will confess that I don't know what specifically they are planning there in the way of facilities. But in many places the trend is toward a self-contained facility that has everything a person could want. Many of the visitors never step out of the door of the facility and thus the spillover out into the community in the form of other restaurants, etc., is minimal. Jobs are not that great and salaries are not that great and may do little to keep college graduates in the area -- go to college so you can be a dealer, to clean hotel rooms?

There will be management positions -- but not that many and some proportion -- I suspect very high -- will be filled by people brought in from outside.

While there will be increased tax dollars, there will be increased population, disproportionately increased crime, need for expansion of schools, new roads, fire protection, etc. There will also be the expense of dealing with the families who lives have been hurt by the gambling of a family member.

Perhaps your community will come out ahead -- admittedly I don't know -- and it may depend upon your values. But even by a narrow economic accounting, there is certainly no guarantee that a community does come out ahead.

[DOUBLE H]

I lived in Raton for a good portion of 1982. Worked on a CO-2 pipeline that stretched from Walsenburg, Colo. and ended east of Hobbs. I loved it there. The community welcomed us as obviously money was coming to the area. But it wasn't the sole reason. The economy at that time was a bit brighter then than it has been the last decade or so. There were several coal mines going there as well as Trinidad , Colo. and Walsenburg, Colo. Some of the laborers on our crew worked at some of those mines or had friends who worked there. None of them had anything good to say about them. Fast forward to 1984-5. The economy in Colorado and New Mexico started turning sour, particularly in the Pueblo area. The huge C,F,and I plant closed, with thousands of jobs lost. Next to go were the coal plants in the Walsenburg and Trinidad area. They closed. All of them. Raton closed theirs. It was a depressed area to say the least. Double digit unemployment hovered over this area like air pollution over a big city. And once unemployment runs out after your initial claim and your 8 or 10 week extension, the only thing you have to look forward to is refile your next claim in the next 3 months. Been there, done that. In regards to the Raton mines, it was a combination of reasons for the mines shutting down; Corporate mergers, veins in the mines that were non productive, and safety problems that were uncovered by OSHA. I'm only going by info from my friends that worked there, mind you , and this was 25 years ago. But there should be some info on the mining activities by googling Raton.