2012 St. Patrick's Day Balloon Rallye Program

Balloon Rallye

St. Patrick’s DaySt. Patrick’s DaySt. Patrick’s Day

News-BulletinVALENCIA COUNTY

march 17-18 2012

2 • 2012 St. Patrick’s Day Balloon Rallye • Valencia County News-Bulletin • March 14, 2012

2010 St. Patrick’s Day Balloon RallyePilots and Balloons

David Aley, Dreaming of Color, AlbuquerqueRod Baca, Cruise Control, Los LunasScott Collins, Old Yeller, Albuquerque

Murray Conray, Smokey Bear, AlbuquerqueGrant and Peaches Crawford, Jr., Los LunasPeter Cuneo, Sandia Sunrise, AlbuquerqueTrudy Ann DeGraff, Cutie Dink, CorralesDenise Despres, Booboulina, Ceder Crest

Don Boyer, AirRagous, BelenDon Edwards, Paddy, AlbuquerqueDennis Eker, Squawk, Los Ranchos

Scott Esposito, Big Blue, AlbuquerqueKen “Fergie” Ferguson, Itsa Touchie Subject,

AlbuquerqueBarbara Fricke, Sandia Sunrise, Albuquerque

Mike Garcia, Smokey Bear, AlbuquerqueTom Gardner, Ajuua Dreamer, Albuquerque

Gerry Graff, Lofty, AlbuquerqueCharles Humiston, Good As Any, AlbuquerqueMark Heideman, Viking Magic, Albuquerque

Richard Hueschen, Toots, Ceder CrestMichael Korfe, Bumpy, Albuquerque

Fred Lete, Splash, Rio RanchoAlbert Lowenstein, Sunset Rise, Albuquerque

Robert and Sally Lupton, Lady Jester, AlbuquerqueWilliam Manus, Shadow Dancer, AlbuquerqueDon Martindell, Dawn Song II, Albuquerque

Fredric “Phred” McAllister, Silver Hatter, Santa FeNick Meleski, Skyleidoscope, AlbuquerqueRandy Myklebust, Lindstrand, Rio Rancho

Judith Nakamura, Bounce, AlbuquerqueClarke O’Byrne, Viento Encantado, Albuquerque

Ken Paulk, Angel in DZ Skies, AlbuquerqueLichele Pete, Airragous, Albuquerque

Lori Pitman, Black Magic Woman, AlbuquerqueRoger K. Hoppe, Volcanic Motion, Albuquerque

Ron Sanchez, REMAX, AlbuquerqueChuck Schick, Brilliant Shadow, Peralta

L. Jane Schill, Whispering Spirit, AlbuquerqueTom Schroeder, Pirates Treasure, Albuquerque

Mary Ann Slagle-Poteet, Magic Toy, Wolforth, TexasBernard Smatana, Halo, El Paso

Orbin Stone, Blue Southern Angel, Las CrucesAlan Wynn, Smokey Bear, Albuquerque

CRAIG INDEPENDENT TIRE3593 HWY 47 PERALTA, NM • 866-127519236 HWY 314 BELEN, NM • 864-4464

Hand Inspected.every tIre. every tIme.

BRAKES • SHOCKS • STRUTS • ALIGNMENT

MICHEL INProudly sold at

CRAIG INDEPENDENT TIRE

HOURS OF OPERATION

M-F 8AM TO 6PMSAT 8AM TO 4PM

WE ACCEPT

VISA, MASTERCARDDISCOVER, AMEX

Our word and a handshake is what our customers have come to depend on over the last 28 yearsThat’s a Family Tradition that will never change!!

“You name it,we’ll fix it!”

Bobby Gutierrez • Voted “Best Mechanic” in Valencia County!

505-864-8626 • 19512 HWY 85Belen, NM 87002 • Behind Hwy. 85 Auto Parts

Import & Domestic • Tune Ups Brakes • Air Conditioning • Transmissions

Engine Repair • Computer Diagnostics

A u t o m o t i v e , I n c .Bobby’s

Welcome Balloonists!

Bethlehem Trading Post

Buy • Sell • TradeAntiques • Collectibles9am-6pm Mon-Sat • Closed Sunday

505-861-10011300 S. Main St, Belen, NM 87002

Lillian & Johnny

By Brent ruffnerNews-Bulletin Staff [email protected]

BelenGrant Crawford wants to build on a tradition. Crawford, an organizer for this year’s St. Patrick’s

Day Balloon Rallye, is calling for the community’s help to make the event bigger and better.

This year’s event will be held at Belen’s Eagle Park on St. Patrick’s Day, Saturday, March 17, and Sunday, March 18.

The rally will feature about 35 regular hot air bal-loons along with six special shaped balloons. The special shapes include Smokey Bear, Shamrock Patty and Bumpy, a yellow balloon complete with a face, arms and legs.

Crew sign-up begins at 6:30 a.m. and the balloon launch is at 7 a.m. both days. The event is free to the public.

“Every year, we have managed to do it — every year for 28 years,” Crawford said.

But Crawford envisions a bigger turnout for future events and is asking the public to come out and watch and help the balloonists inflate their balloons. He said residents might get a balloon ride or two if they come out to volunteer.

Crawford is a founding member of the Valencia Flying and Retrieval Society, which is raffling off 10 free balloon rides to event visitors.

“Right now, quite frankly we only have a few of us doing all the work to get it going,” Crawford said. “What we want is more community effort.”

The veteran balloonist said he has approached officials at the village of Los Lunas to help promote the event in the future, and he also wants to get help from the Greater Belen Chamber of Commerce to bring people in from the New Mexico Rail Runner.

He said his plan would be to have one rally in Belen in November and one rally in Los Lunas in March. The Belen rally is a part of the Miracle on Main Street and is currently a city event.

Rhona Espinoza, executive director of the Greater Belen Chamber of Commerce, said she would be in favor of working with the city to create more traffic for the event.

“I will do whatever the city of Belen decides to do,” Espinoza said. “Whatever we can do to promote business and people coming down, I’m on board.”

Crawford said he remembers when there were upwards of 2,000 people that showed up to past bal-loon rallies at Heritage Park in Los Lunas.

He said he wants to eventually see the event grow to around 100 balloons with 15 to 20 special shapes flying in the event.

“Six of us can’t do all of that,” Crawford said. “We can’t raise all the money, get all of the vendors, organize the event and get all the balloons.

“Everybody is working. So what we have done (this year) is cut it back,” he said.

Crawford said this year, only a few vendors are expected to be on scene for the rally. Still, he says, the event will be filled with plenty of entertainment.

Crawford’s “labor of love” is one he hopes to con-tinue well into the future. He said now is the perfect time to figure out specifics for 2013.

“We have started the ball rolling for next year,” Crawford said. “... right now is the time to be plan-ning this. It’s not as big and fancy as it was, but it’s still a lot of excitement.”

He said he and other local balloonists could use the support in the form of a chase crew to both help inflate the balloons and to follow the riders as they land.

Once people experience the excitement for the first time, they are hooked.

Skydivers from Skydive New Mexico, of Belen, is expected to jump from an airplane at about 9 a.m., after the balloons have cleared out from the area.

Emily Cano, of Skydive New Mexico, said there will be a demonstration jump after the balloons clear out on Saturday.

Cano said the group did a balloon jump with other balloonists in February. For that event, 29 jumpers jumped out of 12 balloons.

The demonstration will be by specific licensed people who are trained to jump off a plane onto a field. The jump will be from a Cesna 182 airplane.

Crawford said the balloons should help give young people a positive activity to do when they don’t have anything to do. Interested parties would allow bal-loonists to network with others on weekends to go out and fly.

“You give youth a positive alternative and they’ll be hooked,” Crawford said.

For information on balloons, call Grant Crawford at 379-4565. Anyone who wants more information on Skydive New Mexico, can call 864-7942.

March 14, 2012 • Valencia County News-Bulletin • 2012 St. Patrick’s Day Balloon Rallye • 3

St. Patrick’s Day Balloon Rallye marks 28th year

News-Bulletin file photo

GRANT CRAWFORD, a founding member of the Valencia Flying and Retrieval Society and organizer of the St. Patrick’s Day Balloon Rallye, said he’s already planning for next year’s event, which he hopes to be bigger and better.

Location: Eagle Park in Belen, north of Belen High School

(Note) All flights are weather permitting and at pilot’s discretion

Friday, March 16 7 a.m.: Media/sponsor flights; pilot briefing at

Eagle Park7:30 a.m.: Balloon launches

Saturday, March 176:30 a.m.: Pilot sign-in, crew sign-up7 a.m.: Mandatory pilot briefing at Eagle Park7:30 a.m.: Balloons launch8 a.m.: Special shapes display/tether9 a.m.: Skydive New Mexico demonstration

Sunday, March 186:30 a.m.: Pilot sign-in7:30 a.m.: Balloons launch

Schedule of eventS


News-Bulletin file photos

THE ST. PATRICK’S DAY BALLOON RALLYE, which will be held at Eagle Park in Belen on Saturday, March 17, and Sunday, March 18, is free to the public.

ORGANIZERS OF THE annual hot air balloon rally said 10 lucky visitors to this year’s event will win free balloon rides. Other events include a demonstration by Skydive New Mexico.

1051 San Mateo Blvd SE, Albuquerque(Corner of San Mateo & Kathryn SE 1/2 mile north of Gibson Boulevard)

505-255-3677 ¥ 800-753-4617

www.AHLgrows.com

hydroponic systems ¥ indoor grow lights

seed starting supplies ¥ pest controls

organic potting soils, nutrients & supplements

New MexicoÕs original indoor grow store, since 1993!

has passed the test of time... over 65 years of serving

Belen, Los Lunas, Bosque Farms, Socorro,

Albuquerque, Grants, Moriarty & Southern New Mexico

Hub Furniture

25,000 Sq. Ft. Warehouse

We conduct business the old fashioned way,Taking care of our repeat customers!!!

204 N. Main St. • Belen • 864-4536Statewide Delivery

Rio Abajo Becker Street Festival

Last Saturday of SeptemberFor more information call 505-864-8091

www.belenchamber.org


Shamrock special shape balloon to make appearanceBy Julia M. DenDingerNews-Bulletin Staff [email protected]

It might not have four leaves, but Don Edwards’ shamrock-shaped bal-loon, Paddy, will certainly bring the luck of the Irish to this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Balloon Rallye.

This will mark the 28th year of the ballooning event in Valencia County, which is sponsored by the Valencia Flying and Retrieval Society.

While the rally is usually held on the weekend closest to St. Patrick’s Day, this year, it will again fall on its name-sake weekend, making the appearance of the shamrock all the more apropos.

Edwards, who has been the event director of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta since June 2010, will be bringing the green behe-moth for the second year in a row.

The shamrock weighs in at a sub-stantial 600 pounds, overwhelming a typical sport balloon’s 250 pounds. It spans 80 feet across and towers 30 feet over most other balloons, coming in at an even 100 feet tall.

The shamrock holds 140,000 cubic feet of hot air once it’s inflated. Edwards said last year, the Saturday event turned out to be a bust for flying the lucky charm, but it got skyward on Sunday.

When you are wrangling that much nylon, you might think getting ready to fly would be an arduous, hours-long process. Edwards says that isn’t true.

“Once you pull onto the field, it takes about 30 to 40 minutes to get it standing,” Edwards said. “Packing it up is a different story. It’s a lot of work.”

Edwards was first exposed to bal-looning in 1986, when he was work-ing for Budweiser in North Carolina. The company held a small rally and someone convinced Edwards to take a balloon ride.

“As soon as we landed, I knew I wanted to do that,” he said.

Edwards said he decided to go with a shamrock special shaped balloon while living in Orlando, Fla. Many of his friends there were Irish and he traveled to Ireland several times.

“I thought a long, long time before I finally had it made,” he said.

And since he’s single, Edwards can dedicate all the time he wants to his hobby.

“A person in a relationship, they might have given up a woman,” he laughed. “But there’s a saying in bal-looning, ‘It might break your leg, but it won’t break your heart.’”

Edwards has taken the balloon to countries such as Thailand, Japan,

Australia and Canada, as well as half a dozen states. He said that while the balloon hasn’t gotten as many requests to fly events as other special shapes, it’s still something people like to see.

“It is a crowd stopper though, a crowd pleaser,” Edwards said. “I’ve been told it needs ‘life’ to it, like eyes, ears and a mouth. It’s just a plain shamrock right now.”

If he does decide to embellish the balloon, the pattern will need to be made and pieces of nylon cut and appliquéed to the envelope.

And like owning any balloon, Edwards says the shamrock is a lot of work and often a fair bit of money.

There’s a joke in ballooning, he says. “How do you make $1 million flying

a balloon?”“Start with $2 million.”He laughs, saying it’s a lifestyle, not

a revenue source.“I wouldn’t trade it for anything,”

Edwards said. “For all the wonderful people I’ve met and the people I fly with.

“We are a pretty close knit com-munity with some really diverse backgrounds — politicians, plumbers, mechanical engineers, carpenters. We have a little of everything.”

Submitted photo

THE SHAMROCK SPECIAL SHAPE balloon, Paddy, piloted by Don Edwards will be bringing a hefty dose of good luck to this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Balloon Rallye.

Submitted photo

DON EDWARDS, the event director of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, will be piloting his shamrock-shaped bal-loon, Paddy, at this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Balloon Rallye in Belen.


Hot air balloonists have their own vocabulary

By UngelBah Daniel-DavilaNews-Bulletin Staff [email protected]

The world of ballooning is filled with a lot of hot air.

That’s why we’ve created an easy-to-follow list of vocabulary, commonly found within the hot air balloon com-munity, so you, too, can keep with the latest balloon lingo.

The following words and their mean-ings come to us from www.grandadven-tureballoon.com.

“56,” “77,” “105,” “180,” etc.: Hot air balloons are often referred to by their size, or capacity in cubic feet. Thus, a balloon with an envelope capacity of 77,000 cubic feet is often called a “77,” and a “105” refers to a balloon with an envelope capacity of 105,000 cubic feet.

Aerostat: A lighter-than-air craft, such as a hot air balloon.

Balloonatic: Fanatic balloon enthu-siast. Someone who eats, drinks and sleeps ballooning. Why else would somebody get up at 4:30 a.m., go out in the cold and do hard manual labor? Answer: Because they’re a balloonatic!

Basket: Also referred to as the gon-dola, is the part of the balloon used to carry the pilot and passengers, fuel tanks and other equipment, usually construct-ed of wicker.

British Thermal Unit (BTU): The quantity of heat necessary to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.

Burner: A device used to ignite and project flammable fuel (usually propane gas) up into the envelope to heat the air that makes the balloon rise.

Certificate of Airworthiness: A bal-loon has to be regularly inspected to make sure the balloon is safe to fly and that all its parts are working properly.

Chase: Also referred to as the recov-ery or retrieve, is the process by which the balloon is tracked during flight and retrieved afterwards by a crew on the ground.

Chase Crew: The crew that chases the balloon, also known as the retrieve crew.

Crown: The top of the balloon enve-lope.

Crown Line: A rope that is fastened to the top of the balloon envelope on one end. The other end is used by a member of the crew to help stabilize the balloon during inflation and deflation.

Drop Line: A rope attached to the basket on one end. It’s usually stowed during flight but can be released by the pilot and secured by the ground crew to maneuver the balloon into or through tight areas.

Envelope: The cloth portion of the balloon that holds the heated air for hot-air balloons or gas for gas balloons.

Fly-in Task: A ballooning event where pilots attempt to fly from a desig-nated distance to a single point, usually a scoring “X.”

Glows: An event in which balloons are illuminated while on ground, usually at night.

Greasy Spoon: A road-side cafe typi-cally serving bacon and eggs, and all the wholesome things balloonists like to eat on the way home from a lovely morning flight.

Hopper: A balloon where the pilot sits underneath the envelope, as opposed to standing in a basket

Inflator Fan: The balloon has to first be filled with cold air using the infla-tor fan before air can be heated by the burner.

Key Grab: A competition for which a key is placed on top of a pole; the first one to get to the pole and grab the key wins the prize. The key is sometimes a key to a truck, car or motorcycle.

Mouth: The opening at the base of the balloon envelope through which the flames from the burner passes to heat the air inside the envelope.

Prohibited Zone: A restricted opera-tion zone where balloon launchings and landings are prohibited by the landown-er. In some cases, a minimum altitude restriction may also exist.

Rip-stop Nylon: The material that makes up most of the envelope.

Rosiere: Type of balloon that uses both gas and hot air. Sometimes called a hybrid.


THE MOUTH OF the balloon refers to the opening at the base of the balloon enve-lope through which the flames from the burner passes to heat the air inside the envelope.

n See Vocabulary, Page 15George J.J. Hobbes - OwnerServing Valencia County For Over 34 Years.

Hobbes AccountingP.O. Box 272Peralta, NM 87042

1820 Bosque Farms Blvd.Bosque Farms, NM 87068

www.hobbesaccounting.com (505) 869-3830(505) 869-2896Fax (505) 869-0843

We can help easethe burden

• Bookkeeping • Accounting • Payroll• Income Tax Service • Notary • Electronic Filing

Provider of Accounting and Tax Services

"Tis the season for green. Get with the green"


THE ANNUAL St. Patrick’s Day Balloon Rallye, organized by the Valencia Flying and Retrieval Society, always has a decent amount of balloons flying in the event. The rally has been in Belen for the past several years.


THE SMOKEY BEAR balloon, flown by Mike Garcia, Murray Conray and Alan Wynn, is a crowd favorite at the annual balloon rally in Valencia County.

Submitted photo

SOME OF THE BEST views of the vast middle Rio Grande Valley are seen from hot air balloons. Not only can you see the rural charm of Valencia County, but the area west of the Manzano Mountains is a great place for balloonists to fly. The first balloon rallies in the county were held in what’s referred to as the Tomé Bowl.


n See Crews, Page 10

Chase crews are an important element of ballooningBy Jason W. BrooksNews-Bulletin Staff [email protected]

Even though Joe Ballengee retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1994, a much smaller organization devoted to aeronau-tics would find a place in his life.

That organization would be the Valencia Flying and Retrieval Society.

In the fall of 1995, Ballengee volun-teered as a chase crew member at a bal-loon rally, and that’s when he met Don Boyer of Belen.

Ballengee and his wife, Kelli, became friends with Boyer, and started attend-ing the annual St. Patrick’s Day Balloon Rallye in Valencia County.

The 2012 version of the event, set to be held at Eagle Park in Belen the weekend of March 17, will require tons of volun-teers.

The Ballengees will be at the event, helping with the same balloons and pilots they’ve aided for years.

“You need a chase crew for a lot of things,” said Ballengee, a Placitas resi-dent, “everything from crowd control on the ground during prelaunch to pointing out potential hazards in a landing zone.”

Submitted photo

A CREW hangs on to a “crown line” attached to the top of a balloon. The line is used to hold the balloon upright before a launch, and, in some cases, to help pull the envelope over and keep the crown on one end before packing it up.

Proud Sponsorof the 2012

St. Patrick’s DayBalloon Rallye

GET PAID TO SAVE!Refi nance Your Auto Loan & Get $250.

How It WorksWe are ready to meet or beat your current auto loan rate from another fi nancial institution by 2%, give you $200 cash, and we’ll deposit another $50 to establish your account relationship with us! Plus, no payments for the fi rst 60 days.

What You Get• $200 Instant Cash

• $50 Deposited to Your Account

• 2% Lower Loan Rate

• 60 Days, No Payments

www.secunm.org 505-983-7328 -OR- 800-983-7328

Loan must remain active for at least 12 months, minimum rate of 3.24% and the amount fi nanced must be at least $10,000. On approved credit.

Off er Expires March 31.


St. Patrick’s Day Balloon Rallye SponsorsCity of Belen

Auge’s Sales and ServiceDuke City Redi-Mix

Lowes Home ImprovementHome Depot

New Mexico Foods “Beef Jerky”Walgreens

Mike & Ernest Welding SuppliesRutilio’s Restaurant

Greater Belen Chamber of CommerceRe/Max Gallery

Valencia Flying and Retrieval SocietyRAKS Building Supply

Valencia County News-Bulletin

Let us make your St. Patrick’s Day a wee bit greener.

If you didn’t use H&R Block, bring in your return for a FREE Second Look® Review. We’ll check for missed deductions and credits, to help make sure you get the maximum refund you’re entitled to. We’ll also certify whether or not your original return is accurate. Join the thousands of clients who have received more money with an H&R Block Second Look® Review.

Stop by or call for an appointment today!

8084

Based on Second Look Reviews conducted 2009-2011. Fees apply if you have us prepare a corrected or amended return. Results will vary. If H&R Block makes an error on your return, we’ll pay resulting penalties and interest. If you are audited, we’ll explain your audit notice and the documentation you should provide to the auditor. Participating locations only. Offer good March 14-17, 2012. ©2012 HRB Tax Group, Inc.

We find money others miss.

SECONDLOOK®REVIEWFREE

Location 1 | Street Address | City, State, Zip000-000-0000

Belen Office600 C West Reinken

Phone: 864-6166

Bosque Farms Office795 Bosque Farms Blvd

Phone: 869-9181

Los Lunas Office1400 Main Street NW Ste G

Phone: 865-2944

455 N. Main St. • Belen“Now buying gold, silver, jewelry, coins. No waiting, get cash today!”

864-8314

Win a Balloon Ride for 2! Drawing to be held Saturday, March 17

at 7am at the Eagle Park near BHS. No purchase required to enter. Winners must be

present at drawing and must be 18 yrs or older or accompanied by parent or legal guardian. For safety,

minimum height restrictions apply. Ride is offered weather-permitting. We regret that we cannot

offer rain checks. Entries only accepted on the Balloon field starting at 6:30am 3/17

2012 St. Patrick’s Day Hot Air Balloon Rallye

Name: _________________________________

Address: _______________________________ ___________________________________

Phone: ________________________________

Email: _________________________________

Valencia Flying & Retrieval Society


Crews: Volunteers help set up, follow balloons and assist with pack upfrom PAGE 8

Chase crews are not an iconic symbol of balloon rallies — not in the visual way, like the balloons themselves. But the crews are the lifeblood of flight personnel.

A small, inexperienced group of volunteers might require a lot of patience among pilots, while a large, veteran crew can make things go much more smoothly.

Any chase crew must defer to the judgement of the pilots, Ballengee says.

“We trust the pilots,” said Ballengee. “They all have their own sense of what they’re comfortable with, especially with winds, and they know what they and their balloons can handle.”

The Ballengees trust Boyer enough to have had their daughter, Cicely, 10 years old at the time, take a balloon ride with him.

However, chase crews don’t simply close their eyes like roller-coaster passengers — they’re involved deeply in the process.

From the moment a truck, van or trailer is unloaded, there’s much to do. Ballengee said a minimum of four people make up a crew, “which is a lot of work with that few,” and he’s seen as many as 25 assigned to one balloon.

There are instruments to set up, uprights to attach

to the basket, and the unrolling of the envelope, or main fabric part of the balloon. In fact, there’s tons of setup before the first flame is lit, and inflating the envelope and getting the basket upright are far down the list of steps.

Chase crews don’t fly in the balloon, although passengers might help the pilot as spotters from their unique above-ground vantage points. The chase crew follows the flight path of the balloon in the recovery vehicle.

The maneuverability of the chase vehicle depends partly on whether it has an attached trailer, and knowledge of local train tracks really helps. The chase driver or one of his passengers communicates with the pilot during flight, usually with a two-way radio.

“Getting across the Rio Grande and Interstate 25 are always issues,” said Ballengee. “And in Valencia County, it helps to know all the little ‘tun-nels’ that go under the interstate.”

Ballengee said there seems to be a thousand concerns a pilot and chase crews may have, rang-ing from weather and safety to correctional-facility flight restrictions, to not flying too low over areas where horses are outdoors (horses don’t seem to love balloons nearly as much as humans do.)

Landing is often an adventure, and as with all elements of ballooning, crews try to think of both safety and consider local residents at the same time.

Chase-vehicle passengers watch for trees, bodies of water, power lines and other obstructions, help-ing the driver track the balloon.

If the chase crew is fortunate, visual contact is seldom, if ever, broken, and the landing is seen and can be easily accessed. These ideal conditions aren’t always met, however, and it may take the chase vehicle some time, effort and creativity to reach the basket.

“The key is to get to the landing site, which could be anywhere, before or at the same time as the bal-loon,” said Ballengee.

It takes considerable muscle to lower and pack up the balloon, he said. The envelope alone can weigh at least 250 pounds.

Ballengee said he’s seen pilots perceive condi-tions completely differently, and decide to fly or not to fly based on their instincts and experience.

“Sometimes, dozens of pilots are taking off around you,” said Ballengee. “And the one you’re crewing for says, ‘Let’s go to breakfast.’”

Submitted photo

JOE BALLENGEE, center, helps hold a balloon envelope open during inflation before a launch. Chase crews are a team of helpers who aid with every element of flight from inflation to landings to packing up the envelope.


News-Bulletin file photos

THE ANNUAL ST. PATRICK’S DAY Balloon Rallye brings spectators from around the state. This year will be no different.

THE ANNUAL BALLOON rally is once again being held at Eagle Park in Belen. An added attraction this year will be a demonstration by Skydive New Mexico, whose members will jump from an airplane after the balloons have left the area.

Office: [email protected]

www.farmersagent.com/rgallegos

1100 C Bosque Farms Blvd.Bosque Farms, NM 87068

I want to be your Insurance Agent!

Renee GallegosInsurance Agent/Owner

Belen221 -A South Main • 861-1132

Martha or Tina

Los Lunas2211 -B Main ST SE • 565-9414

Johnny or Graciella

Come in and see us

Two locations to serve youLoans up to $2,500.00 Subject to liberal guidelines

Refer a friend and get $25.00

526 Sun Ranch Vi l lage Rd, Los Lunas, NM(near Star l ight Theater)

505-866-1280

AKKA Karate USAIS PROUD AND EXCITED TO

ANNOUNCE IT IS NOW

American Kenpo 5.0 is the hybr id of the last generat ion vers ion of American

Kenpo taught direct ly f rom Senior Grand Master Ed Parker to Jef f Speakman

and groundf ight ing introduced by Jef f Speakman’s senior student,

Trever Sherman. This type of combat has been brought back to Kenpo to

create answers to defending against an opponent with these ski l ls in the street.

Now of fer ing Lit t le Dragons’ c lasses (4-6yrs old) , Kids’ Classes, and Adult Classes.

Cal l for more information.


Old Lady in the Shoe to fly at annual balloon rallyBy DeBorah FoxNews-Bulletin Staff [email protected]

Quietly floating on a cottony cloud 500 feet above the Rio Grande Valley, surveying the horizon of varying land formations, basked in sunlit hues of pink, peach, orange and streaks of blue.

This is what sold Amarillo resident Chris Jones on balloon flying.

“It’s absolutely exhilarating,” Jones said. He’s been a hot air balloon enthusiast since 1979 when

his father, Joe T. Jones, bought a balloon after attending the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

“Actually, we went as a family the year before,” Jones said. “We just started playing ever since.”

His father bought the family’s first balloon from his friend, Ken Kelley, who sold balloons at the time, as well as helped run his family’s helium transport busi-ness, Jack B. Kelley, Inc., in Amarillo.

It all came together for the Jones family to make bal-looning a family hobby.

“That first time up in 1978 was a blast,” Jones said. “I went with my sister (Shannon), who is three years older than I am, and we just decided — my dad decided to go ahead and buy one.

“I was 8 years old at the time and grew up with it, crewed for it, and did everything a crew does,” he said.

As he grew older, he became a crew chief, and in 2004, decided he wanted to become a balloon pilot.

“The instructor here in Amarillo said, ‘You need to get your airplane license first,’ which was just more of a challenge for me, because I wanted it anyway.

“So I got that, and I did it in five months,” Jones said. “And he told me it was a little too ambitious for him, so he wasn’t able to teach me.”

Jones had to find another instructor, and he found Buzz Wills in Amarillo.

After earning his private license, he started working with Don Boyer and Mike Shrum, both of Belen, to get his commercial license.

He met them at various balloon rallies, he said.In 2008, he took his first solo flight at the

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta with his dad on board.

Joe Jones is retired now and doesn’t fly anymore, but he often flies with his son.

“He loves to go up with me,” Jones said. Jones has flown balloons in Dallas, Guyman, Okla.,

and cities around New Mexico. The longest distance he has traveled in a balloon is 40 miles.

He has two standard balloons, Serenity, and Quad Nickel, but this year, he will fly his first special shaped balloon, Old Lady in the Shoe.

The balloon belongs to the nonprofit organization, Parents of the Canyon, who purchased the balloon as an attraction for fundraisers the organization conducts to raise money for local charities.

“We received it in October 2011, and we’re getting everything flight worthy on it now,” Jones said. “That’s one of the reasons we’re bringing it to Belen, to do some pilot testing on it to make sure she is flight ready.”

The FAA will be at the rally to do their final inspec-tion on the balloon as well. There are limitations and extra precautions that he will need to take with the tall, special shaped Old Lady in the Shoe balloon, he said.

“I’ve made the St. Pat’s Rallye and the Miracle on Main Street since 2009,” Jones said. “This will be my fourth year.”

The last time he flew in Belen, which was during the Miracle on Main Street event in November, he and Boyer got stuck over the railroad tracks for about 20 minutes. Jones said the sight was “very cool.”

“We weren’t sure where we were going to be able to land or what we were going to be able to do or how our crew was going to get to us,” he said. “It was kind of unnerving, but a wonderful experience. Finally, the winds came and took us off the railroad track.”

Balloonists don’t want to get stuck over a body of water or a forest, but Jones and Boyer hadn’t considered

a railroad track.“We kind of laugh about that,” Jones said.Since 2005, Jones has become an airplane and balloon

pilot, taking an average of 40 flights a year.His crew chief since 2006, Jerry Jones, (no relation) is

well known in Belen, Jones said.“I ended up marrying his daughter in 2009,” Jones

said. “So, his family has become a true balloon family just by proxy, I guess you could say.”

Submitted photo

BALLOON PILOT CHRIS JONES, from Amarillo, Texas, will fly Old Lady in the Shoe, a special shape balloon belong-ing to the nonprofit organization Parents of the Canyon, in the St. Patrick’s Day Balloon Rallye on Saturday, March 17.

n See Jones, Page 13


The crew chief had joked with Jones, telling him he could marry his daughter, but he had to take her last name.

She loves to fly and is also his biggest supporter on the ground, he said.“We couldn’t do all this without her or her dad,” Jones said. He and his wife, Kerri, have a 4-month-old son, Jack.“He’s been around the balloons, and he really likes them,” Jones said. “He’s not

scared of them or anything. He gets excited to see them, so we anticipate another bal-loonist in the family.”

Jones has been privileged to fly a balloon in the No Fly Zone down in Powder Canyon State Park at ballooning events during certain times of the year, and he has flown NASA’s Space Shuttle balloon in Belen.

“To ride in a balloon is an experience you don’t get very often,” Jones said. “The peaceful, serene atmosphere you get in a balloon, you can’t compare to anything else. So, if you have an opportunity to fly in one, take it. It’s one for the bucket list.”

Jones: ‘It’s one for the bucket list’from PAGE 12

Poteets celebrate wedding anniversary at balloon rally

By Mike StearnSNews-Bulletin Staff [email protected]

Tony and Mary Ann Poteet, of Wolfforth, Texas, make it to the St. Patrick’s Day Balloon Rallye in Valencia County every year.

The past eight years have been more special than the first years the couple attended the rally with their dark blue balloon.

Their balloon has, what Mary Ann calls, the “NBC peacock” going up one side and down the other.

This year, the couple will be celebrat-ing their eighth anniversary of the mar-riage that the two balloon enthusiasts never thought in their wildest dreams would come to pass in Belen.

After coming to Albuquerque for the Love and Hearts rally on Valentine’s Day, Tony and Mary Ann got a marriage license in Bernalillo County.

“We thought about Santa Fe and Taos, but it just wasn’t right for us,” Tony said. “Mary Ann said we should think about the St. Pat’s Rallye.”

Mary Ann described the event as one of her favorites. Tony notes that the St. Patrick’s Day Balloon Rallye starts off their balloon tours every year

“The valley and flying along the river, it is just such a pretty flight,” Mary Ann said.

“That is where we ended up getting married, so that makes it really special,” Tony said.

But it almost didn’t happen eight years ago. After deciding on where they wanted to tie the knot, finding a preacher became almost as hard as capturing a prevailing wind.

Tony said they searched everywhere and were about to give up. On the last road before returning to Albuquerque, they found a parsonage sign that led to

Brother Kerns.At first, the pastor would not agree to

the ceremony. He said that he required six months of pre-marital counseling.

Tony, now 59, and Mary Ann, now 60, looked at the wise old pastor.

“We are not kids and we are not run-ning away,” Tony told the pastor. “This is not our first rodeo.”

Brother Kerns reluctantly agreed.The morning of March 13, 2004, was

not agreeable for flight. The cloud cover was low and only tethered rides could be given.

They passed out invitations to “go to a wedding right now,” as Mary Ann put it.

The attire was old hiking boots and blue jeans, according to Tony. But there in the park, with balloons tethered and floating as the perfect backdrop, Tony and Mary Ann were married.

“It was kind of rustic,” said Tony.“I think that it was fitting for us,” Mary

Ann said. “We wanted to get married, but we did not want to run off and get mar-ried by ourselves. It was special to have all of our friends there.”

“We have more couples as friends that we have met through the rally,” Tony said. “We have a very good friend in Los Lunas now.”

Flying a hot air balloon is very techni-cal work and a task that requires a crew to work seamlessly together. To navigate fierce winds or calm skies, it takes the pilot and a team working together in unison.

Kind of like a family — a married family.

Tony saw brother Kerns at the rally a couple of years ago.

Like a tethering rope or anchoring line, Brother Kerns aptly smiled and said, “I guess we tied that knot pretty good, didn’t we?”

Submitted photo

TONY AND MARY ANN Poteet, of Texas, were married eight years ago at the annual St. Patrick’s Day Balloon Rallye.

Lucky

leprechaundays

St. Patrick’s Day is Right Around the Corner!

World Finance Corp.203-D Main Street • Belen

Call 864-3777

LOANS$200.00 up to $3,000.00

All loans are subject to our most liberal lending policies. All loans are set up on easy monthly payment plan. Licensed by

the State of New Mexico Department of Consumer Credit.the State of New Mexico Department of Consumer Credit.

Branch Manager - Jodi ChavezHours of Operation:

Mon & Fri 8:30am-6pmTues, Wed, Thurs 8:30am-5:30pm

By ABigAil R. ORtizNews-Bulletin Staff [email protected]

BelenBumpy is a really happy hot air bal-

loon, and one of the special shapes attendees can expect to see at the 28th annual St. Patrick’s Day Balloon Rallye on Saturday, March 17.

His big smile and large eyes spread across its round-shaped balloon as his arms and legs dangle at his sides.

He stands at about 70,000 cubic feet in height, which is smaller than the average 90,000 cubic feet balloon most enthusiasts use, said pilot Mike Korfe.

Bumpy’s happiness is the rea-son why Mike and his wife, Mystie, bought him last year at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

As soon as the balloon was theirs, the couple spread Bumpy over the field and inflated his happy face.

“We wanted to see him and put him on the fiesta field,” Mike said.

The two then flew Bumpy over the crowd of thousands before settling him on the ground.

The couple had fallen in love with Bumpy two years ago when they first saw him, but didn’t know he was for sale.

But Bumpy isn’t the only hot air balloon Mike and Mystie fly around the state in. The Albuquerque couple also have Buzzin’ — a round-shaped balloon covered in yellow, teal, black and white.

Finding his inner balloonistThe 10-year hot air balloon pilot

was introduced to the hobby by a friend, who told Mike, “I found you a balloon. You’re going to be an awe-some pilot.”

Up to that point, Mike had attended a few balloon rallies, but wasn’t an avid lover of hot air balloons, or even knew how to fly one.

But Mike bought a balloon named Karius Away, a 77,000 cubic foot hot air balloon enclosed by black, purple and green hues, anyway.

With a hot air balloon in hand, Mike decided it was time he learned how to fly.

Since Mike didn’t know anybody else who flew hot air balloons in New Mexico, he stopped a balloonist fill-ing up at a gas station with their bal-loon in tow.

The balloonist suggested that he attend an Albuquerque Aerostat Ascension Association’s meeting.

AAAA is a non-profit organization promoting hot air ballooning as a sport, according to its website.

Once there, Mike met pilots and other avid balloonists who helped him learn the ropes.

“I started having fun, going to ral-lies and enjoying people. From there, for me, it was kind of like I wanted more,” Mike said, adding he later received his private and commercial hot air balloon license.

Flying for othersMore than jumping into the bal-

loon’s basket and flying to any des-tination his heart desired, Mike said he enjoyed flying others around the most.

“After flying all these hours, its more about having people share the experience and that’s why I got Bumpy and what made me love (hot air ballooning) the most,” he said.

Flying passengers in hot air bal-loons can help Mike offset costs asso-

ciated with rally trips, he said. Mike has attended more than 60 hot

air balloon rallies with the furthest one being in North Carolina.

And every rally, no matter the place, adds something special to enjoy while in the air.

But with Bumpy, Mike and Mystie hope to travel around the world.

“We would love to go to a New Zealand rally and one in Japan,” he said.


n See Bumpy, Page 15

Bumpy to bring lots of smiles to this year’s rally

Submitted photo

MIKE AND MYSTIE KORFE, owners of Bumpy, a 70,000 cubic feet special shaped hot air balloon, will be on hand at the 28th annual St. Patrick’s Day Balloon Rallye at Eagle Park in Belen. The owners of the balloon have traveled the country flying Bumpy and other balloons they own.


Bumpy: Feels like you’re floatingfrom PAGE 14

Unlike anything elseFlying in a hot air balloon is unlike any other experience that passengers

soon fall in love with, even those who are afraid of heights will venture into the balloon for a second or third ride.

“They’ll get in and you can see their faces light up and their eyes get so big,” Mike said. “That’s what I enjoy seeing. It really is amazing when you see peoples faces.”

Mike said its a pleasant ride, even for those with the faintest of hearts for heights, because its not like leaving the ground in an airplane, where passen-gers get thrown back into the seat.

“(Passengers) don’t even know when they’re leaving the ground, and I think that’s really what does it for them,” he said. “You don’t feel like you’re flying, just floating. There’s no noise, just the burning. It’s nice and quiet when you’re up there. It’s peaceful.”

Hot air ballooning is something, Mike said, everybody should try at least once.

Vocabulary: Latest balloon lingofrom PAGE 6

Skirt: The cloth segment of the enve-lope below the load cable connections, frequently detachable, often made of Nomex or similar fire-resistant material.

Spotter: Someone who collects bal-loon licence numbers, badges and anor-aks.

Tether: The securing of the balloon

to the ground and raising it up to 150 feet.

Thumbs Up: The signal that the air-space above is clear and you have per-mission to launch.

Zebedee List: The for sale or wanted list for second hand balloons and bal-loon equipment.

Look for us at:Giant and 7-11

We invite you to open you heart to some very special kids. There are many ways you can help. Please call us or

visit our web site to learn more. Thank you!

(505) 565-4470 • ElRanchitoNM.org

Up, Up and Away With The

BalloonsDown On Earth

Go ShoppingShop Valencia County To

Keep Jobs in Valencia County Shop in Valencia County

Before Anywhere Else

660 Main Street NW/Don Pasqual & Main Street Phone (505) 839-3840 FAX (505) 352-3280

Robert Vialpando Mayor Peter Fernandez Administrator

Village of Los Lunas

5¢

Bring in this ad for a 5 cent per pound bonus on aluminum cans and scrap, copper, brass and stainless steel.*

* Bonus valid through April 30, 2012Commercial accounts excluded

from bonus. One bonus per transaction.

Our New Bosque Farms location at 1220 Bosque Farms Blvd (next to Jiffy Lube) - 505-345-2404

Hours: Mon-Sat, 9:30-5:00.

Our Belen location is at 623 South Main (Camino Del Llano on the east side of Main). 505-864-8760

Hours: Tues-Sat, 9:00-5:00. Belen also accepts steel.

Wise Recycling has two convenient locations in Valencia County to serve you.

For more information call(505) 345-2404


Full Color Glossy MagazineGlossy MagazineGlossy MagazineGlossy MagazineGlossy MagazineGlossy MagazineGlossy MagazineGlossy MagazineGlossy MagazineGlossy MagazineGlossy MagazineGlossy MagazineGlossy Magazine

✓New format and size ✓Easier to mail (for relocation packages)

✓15,000 Copies ✓Distributed to hotels, visitors centers and chambers of commerce in our surrounding area. chambers of chambers of chambers of chambers of chambers of chambers of in our surrounding area. in our surrounding area. in our surrounding area. in our surrounding area. in our surrounding area. in our surrounding area. in our surrounding area.

This is the best chance to

tell your story to those who are

visiting Valencia County. visiting Valencia County. visiting Valencia County. visiting Valencia County. visiting Valencia County.

Contact the News-Bulletin advertising department today!

WELCOME TO

Valencia County 2 0 1 2 - 2 0 1 3

advertising department today!advertising department today!advertising department today!advertising department today!advertising department today!advertising department today!advertising department today!advertising department today!advertising department today!advertising department today!advertising department today!

505-864-4472 • 505-865-7477

Full Color Glossy MagazineGlossy Magazine✓✓✓✓

visitors centers and chambers of chambers of chambers of chambers of chambers of in our surrounding area. in our surrounding area. in our surrounding area.

This is the best chance to This is the best chance to This is the best chance to This is the best chance to This is the best chance to This is the best chance to This is the best chance to This is the best chance to This is the best chance to

tell your story to those who are tell your story to those who are tell your story to those who are tell your story to those who are tell your story to those who are tell your story to those who are

in our surrounding area.

tell your story to those who are in our surrounding area.

O F F I C I A L V I S I T O R S G U I D E

Documents

2012 St. Patrick's Day Balloon Rallye Program