Free Republic

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has officially claimed another victim. The 49th Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta has been postponed until October 2-10, 2021, which means the 50th event fiesta will now be pushed back until 2022. The decision was made Monday by the all-volunteer Balloon Fiesta board of directors. Matt Guthrie, president of the board, said in a statement, “The safety of our pilots, guests, sponsors, staff and volunteers has always been our top concern and in the wake of COVID-19 and its continued impacts, we must stay dedicated to upholding that commitment.” People who already made reservations...

One Boy Scout died and three others were rescued after being swept away in a flash flood early Saturday, according to the New Mexico State Police. A group of eight Scouts, ages 14 to 17, three crew leaders and one adult ranger were on the two-week trek across the Philmont Scout Ranch, a popular Boy Scout ranch near Cimarron. They were camped near the North Ponil Canyon, 15 miles northeast of the training center. Rain started falling early Saturday morning, flooding parts of the ranch property, according to a news release posted on the ranch’s website. Around 4:30 a.m. Saturday,...

Scouting leaves positive glow http://www.fergusfallsjournal.com/news/2007/feb/02/scouting-leaves-positive-glow/ http://tinyurl.com/yraqhv By Dave Churchill, The Daily Journal Published Friday, February 2, 2007 For reasons unknown, the Northern Lights Council of the Boy Scouts mailed me a copy of its newsletter last week. I don’t have a connection with the council, haven’t had much involvement with the Scouts for several decades, but the newsletter’s arrival was the second reminder this month of my Scouting past. Earlier in January, I was having lunch in a cafeteria-type place and, as I walked to a table with my tray, another diner called out, “Hey, were you at Philmont?” He...

‘More than just a hiking trip’http://www.pittsburghcatholic.org/newsarticles_more.phtml?id=1761 http://tinyurl.com/nvcz3 Friday September 22, 2006 by: Bob DeWitt Brian DeFazio felt the call to the priesthood long before he hiked the rugged mountains of northern New Mexico in July, taking part in a high adventure leadership program with other Catholic Boy Scouts. Now he’s even more certain that he wants to become a priest. Brian, 16, of St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish in Pleasant Hills, may be the first Boy Scout from the Diocese of Pittsburgh to be chosen for the biannual St. George Trek at Philmont Scout Ranch, sponsored by the National Catholic...

Pastor of both Columbia County churches says the union would "ensure their continuation" ALBANY -- Two Columbia County parishes are set to start discussions that are likely to result in their merger, possibly at a new nearby site, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany announced Monday. The Pastoral Councils at Sacred Heart Church in Philmont and the Church of the Holy Cross in West Taghkanic unanimously agreed in August to explore uniting, the diocese said. The Church of the Holy Cross worship space is a former Grange hall built in 1927 that was never intended to be a permanent church....