Las Candelas de Los Cerrillos (501c3)
Las Candelas de Los Cerrillos - The little candle lights of Cerrillos.
Mission
To make charitable collections and distributions to projects or activities that benefit the citizens of the Village of Cerrillos and its surrounding areas and improve their community in various ways.
Las Candelas meetings started in 1997 when community member, Cathy Weber, sent an open invite to the community to form a Community Association to bring our community together and apply for grants for the good of the village and surrounding area. A group of locals responded, we agreed on the name, and we sent the application to the IRS. We were granted temporary 501c3 status and our first official action was to re-establish the Cerrillos Fiesta, which was formerly run by the TTFD. We applied for a Santa Fe Community Foundation grant and were awarded financial and administrative support to bring back the Fiesta de Los Cerrillos. The Las Candelas Fiesta reboot took place in on June 27, 1998, with a former Cerrillos band, Junior Brown and the Last Mile Ramblers as the headliner. See link below:
https://www.nodepression.com/junior-brown-with-the-last-mile-ramblers-fiesta-de-los-cerrillos-cerrillos-nm/
After that first effort, Las Candelas continued funding Children’s Art projects and community scholarships, and sponsoring project proposals that resulted in: the creation of the Cerrillos Hills Historic Park, 1999 (now the State Park); state funding for a community center, 2001 (which was folded into the purchase of the Cerrillos plaza property and adjoining home for the State Park Visitor Center); and the Children’s Park on River Street, 2011. After the Fiesta to officially open the Cerrillos Hills Historic Park in 2003, LCdLC decided to attempt a town-wide yard sale to encourage wider community participation. (It worked!)
The Los Cerrillos Community Planwas adopted in October, 1999 and Las Candelas members were participants in that planning process. Las Candelas works to support local development under the community plan and village events. The organization and membership is open to all in the Cerrillos community boundary.
The resolution to recognize Las Candelas as the Community Organization (CO) for the Los Cerrillos community planning area was approved, adopted & passed by the BCC on March 29, 2016. The resolution is linked in Downloads.
Las Candelas works with the State and Santa Fe County to make Cerrillos a better place to live. We all love the village and want it safe for our families; nice looking for our guests; safe for our children to walk around; for pets to be under control; to keep our streets graded and the trash picked up.
Las Candelas works to preserve the local history and bring Cerrillos into the future.
This website is sponsored by Las Candelas de Los Cerrillos.
Accomplishments
1998 Town Fiesta - arts, crafts, food & music. Worked with movie company.
2001 Summer & Christmas Art Projects for Youths.
2003 Town Fiesta in conjunction with the opening of Cerrillos Hills County Park.
2004 Donated money for family assistance. Conducted town-wide survey, outcome - preserve trees in town center, assistance to people in need, preserve promotion for movie making, youth activities.
2005 Trimmed village trees, started Historical Society to plaque buildings, held discussion on Cerrillos Hills Historic Park becoming State Park. Worked with movie company.
2006 Further Cerrillos Hills Historic Park discussions & held Cerrillos town wide yard sale.
2007 Used County fire department chipper to remove branches & clean up town from winter storm, funded graffiti removal & held Cerrillos village yard sale event.
2008 Worked with sheriff department to step up neighborhood watch, worked with County and DOT to make sure all directional road signs are up. Held Cerrillos village yard sale. Worked with movie company.
2009 Graffiti removal, County road grading, State sign improvements. Cerrillos Hills State Park opened & held Cerrillos village yard sale.
2010 Worked with movie company. Kept up with graffiti removal & road grading and held Cerrillos village yard sale.
2011 Worked with 4 movie companies, Held Cerrillos village yard sale, kept up with road grading & graffiti, worked with County to put in Children's Playground on River St., sent donation & volunteered with TTVFD Christmas party. Launched cerrillosnewmexico.com website.
2012 Donated money to NM State Parks for Cerrillos Hills State Park visitor center opening, donated towards the Village Fair, gave a Cerrillos History Walk, held Cerrillos village yard sale. Worked with 2 movie companies, registered a Cerrillos liaison for Film Commission. Met with other town representatives & our County Commissioner.
2013 Graffiti removal, County road grading, assisted with a Search & Rescue in the mining district, conducted a History Walk, held Cerrillos village yard sale, helped with Fiesta de Cerrillos, donated to TTVFD Christmas fund.
2014 Kept up with graffiti removal and adopt a mile clean up, held history hike, Cerrillos village yard sale, in support of protecting La Bajada Mesa from gravel mining, in contact with Santa Fe County & their effort to chip seal First Street and build Senior Center in town. Donated for town Christmas decorations.
2015 Contacted Herzog to remove dead utility poles along RR tracks through town, removed any visible graffiti, picked up garbage along Hwy 14 adopt a mile, contacted SFNM about jump starting First Street, annual history hike and Cerrillos village yard sale, donated to Fiesta and TTVFD Christmas party, attended County Zoning meetings. Supported film crew and revised village LCDLC film contract.
Las Candelas De Los Cerrillos
PO Box 795
Cerrillos, NM 87010
info@cerrillosnewmexico.com
President
Todd Brown
(505) 438-3008
Board Members
Todd Yocham
Patricia Brown
Ruth Center
Susan Schneider
Ross Lockridge
Ann Murray
Gretel Wanenmacher
Carol O'Keefe
Becky Walding
Patrick Torres
Vera Simoni
Cynthia Frederick
Robert Egger
Cathy Weber