Author: Scott Albright

School sports and activities are back! Desert Ridge Middle School is offering volleyball, cross-country, tennis and a slew of clubs this semester. Volleyball tryouts at DRMS take place Tuesday, Aug. 25. A completed physical form must be turned into Coach Lucero no later than Wednesday, Aug. 24, to tryout. English and Spanish physical forms can be downloaded at desertridge.aps.edu/athletics-about. Physical, concussion, activity code of conduct, transportation release and athletic participation forms for cross-country can be found at desertridge.aps.edu/crosscountry. Students will compete on courses that are about two miles, with seventh- and eighth-graders running together. There are a total of four…

The work week is almost over, so let the fun begin! Check out some of these events going on in the far Northeast Heights this weekend: 1. Start the weekend off at North Domingo Baca Multigeneration Center with a senior lunch and movie from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 19, or get those gym clothes on for a proper workout. Open play pickleball runs from noon to 2 p.m. on Friday in the gym. Saturday classes and exercise sessions at NDB include jazzercise from 10:20-11:20 a.m., Kung Fu in the aerobics room from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.,…

Albuquerque Academy’s first day of school began with seniors and sixth-graders marching up the main walkway together with parents cheering and clapping for the new and last-year students. Parents followed the students onto a large grassy area where everyone converged to listen to Head of School Julianne Puente give a convocation speech to a crowd of around 2,000. Puente talked about the lessons learned from past mistakes while offering guidance to students, but it was Senate President Mireya Macías who got the crowd riled up with her fiery speech. Macías began by welcoming the new sixth-graders and reminding seniors that…

The Lady Bears were ultimately defeated 3-2 on Albuquerque High’s home turf in their first girls varsity soccer matchup of the season. La Cueva senior Olivia Haddock scored an early goal for the Bears, but the Bulldogs answered quickly after a corner kick ended with the ball in the back of the net for Albuquerque High. The Bulldogs then took a 2-1 lead in the second part of the first half after a shot screamed past La Cueva’s number one. The Lady Bears immediately returned the favor with a goal of their own, tying it up 2-2 before the whistle…

There is still time to register for the Aug. 27 Muddy Dash for free, but not much. Teams interested in signing up at the discounted rate have until midnight Wednesday, Aug. 17, to register. After that, the cost is $60. Participants will run, walk, crawl and slip through a few miles of a mud pit-filled obstacle course until they reach the end. Teams will race in 15-minute interval waves starting at 8 a.m. with the last wave starting at noon. Registration includes a finishers medal, racing bib, Muddy Dash T-shirt and access to the course. The event takes place at…

New Mexico has some of the cheapest gas in the country and Albuquerque some of the cheapest in the state. According to AAA data, the average price of fuel in New Mexico was $3.68 a gallon as of Wednesday, Aug. 17. Kentucky had the lowest average at $3.54 a gallon, and California and Hawaii the highest at $5.34 a gallon. Prices in the Duke City were averaging $3.46, the same as the average for Bernalillo County. Otero County claimed the cheapest average in the state at $3.27 and San Juan County the most expensive at $4.40 a gallon. Prices in…

The film and TV business is booming in New Mexico, and the people behind the scenes want to show you how they make it happen. The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 480 is hosting a Film & TV Expo from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 28, at 8340 Washington Place NE. Learn how films are made, meet the technicians working behind the scenes, get discovered by casting directors, enroll in a movie school or make business connections with one of the film offices. Music, food trucks and basecamp tours will also be available at the expo. The…

Cub Scouts offers more than just fun activities to keep elementary school kids busy after school. They provide opportunities centered around teamwork, citizenship, respect and integrity, health and fitness, physical and online safety, courage, perseverance and fun. Come and see what Pack 491 can provide for your kid, or volunteer to fill an open position, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 17, in the Dennis Chavez Elementary School cafeteria. Pack 491 serves boys and girls in grades K-5 at Dennis Chavez, Hubert Humphrey, EG Ross and North Star Elementary Schools. They meet every third Wednesday of the month. Kids can learn…

District 4 City Councilor Brook Bassan is hosting an Aug. 23 summer picnic at the North Domingo Baca Multigenerational Center to celebrate former Councilor Brad Winter and the Brad Winter Gymnasium. The event is from 6-7:30 p.m. The gymnasium, running track, climbing wall and amphitheater inside the multigenerational center was named after the former District 4 councilor in November 2019. Winter abstained from voting on naming the gym and Councilor Klarissa Peña voted against it at the time. Winter is a pole vaulter who has competed in the Senior Olympics. He served on the city council for 20 years as…

Madison Middle School girls volleyball tryouts take place Monday, Aug. 22, in the main gym from 3:15-5 p.m. The second round of tryouts will be Tuesday, Aug. 23, and round three Wednesday, Aug. 24, also in the main gym from 3:15-5 p.m. Students must have a physical form filled out and dated on or after April 1, 2022, and a grade check from last semester for seventh- and eighth-graders. Documentation should be turned in to coaches or the athletic director before tryouts. To be eligible for tryouts, seventh- and eighth-graders must have had at least a 2.0 grade point average…