A Ventana Ranch neighborhood known for breathtaking Christmas displays woke up Saturday morning to find that a group of vandals destroyed decorations outside of several homes. Nate Bywater, who invites the public to a display at his home featuring Bumblebee and Optimus Prime cars decorated for the holiday each weekend, said he heard some noise around 2 a.m. Saturday but didn’t discover the damages until the morning. “At first I thought it was a targeted thing, but apparently it wasn’t because they got everyone in our neighborhood,” Bywater said. “We thought it was because of all the events that we’ve…
Author: Kevin Hendricks
Kevin Hendricks
Kevin, also known as Steak Sauce, is a reporter for the Neighborhood Journal with a focus on the Ventana Ranch area. He has over 14 years of journalism experience, including reporting, editing and page design.
https://www.neighborhoodjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/20221220_200642-1.mp4The girls basketball team from Volcano Vista High School got some revenge Tuesday night with a 57-45 win over La Cueva. La Cueva shocked the Hawks two weeks ago with an upset victory that ended Volcano Vista’s 46-game win streak. This time, the two-time defending state champions had no trouble with the Bears. A look at Tuesday night’s action Previous Next
The 2023 spring season at Paradise Hills Little League doesn’t begin until March, but online registration is open now. The cost for the season is $160 per child, but there is a sibling discount. Registration runs through Jan. 21 with tryouts in February. The registration process is online with all required documentation to be scanned in. Parents will need to provide birth record and three forms of proof of residency. The league boundaries are Paseo del Norte to the south, Golf Course to the east and Bernalillo County lines to the west and north. PHLL Divisions and ages (baseball and…
Music on the Westside is offering new members a holiday deal for the rest of 2022. The music school in Rio Rancho offers a variety of classes that are taught throughout the year. If you sign up by Dec. 31, the school will knock $75 off of your first month’s fees if you use the promo code 75 APS. Music on the Westside teaches thousands of lessons every year to students from age 4 to adults, including students with special needs. Monthly membership plans start at $119 per month with a weekly lesson being offered six days a week. You…
District 17 state Rep. Cynthia Borrego teamed up with the City of Albuquerque’s Family & Community Services Department and the Rio Grande Community Foundation for the second annual Health Fair and Clothing Drive Tuesday afternoon at Taylor Ranch Community Center. Various ways of helping those in need Previous Next The event highlighted community partnerships to support public health for the housed and unhoused this winter by collecting socks, jackets and hygiene items since early December for shelter residents. The Roadmap to Health bus, created by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), was on site to provide free cholesterol…
School ratings are a major factor for prospective homeowners trying to decide what neighborhood to buy in. The Neighborhood Journal will feature a different school in the Northeast and Northwest Albuquerque each week to help you understand how schools in those neighborhoods are performing. Below you will find stats and rankings from Greatschools.org that will help you navigate the school scores in your neighborhood. Taylor Middle School Taylor Middle School was established in 1964 in northwest Albuquerque. GreatSchool Ratings Taylor Middle School has a 5/10 rating, and six reviewers have given the school three out of five stars. TMS is rated as…
Albuquerque Police Department is investigating a crash that caused serious injuries on Friday in northwest Albuquerque. At approximately 11:30p.m. Friday a serious injury, two-vehicle crash occurred at Montano Road NW and Equestrian Drive NW. A silver 2002 Toyota vehicle was traveling eastbound on Montano in the left lane while a red 2019 Chevrolet Camaro was also traveling eastbound on Montano in the left lane at a high rate of speed. The Camaro struck the Toyota vehicle in the rear, causing both vehicles to lose control. The passenger of the Toyota was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the…
Paradise Liquors has been serving up a vast selection of wines, beers and spirits for nearly five years in Ventana Ranch. It is more than just a liquor store though. The Tap, a full bar serving beers and cocktails, is located in the store. Manager Ruperto Baca said Paradise Liquors is unique. “There’s Stone Face; I think it sells package liquor now, but it was a bar first,” Baca said from The Tap Tuesday. “When we started four-and-a-half years ago, it was registers here. The owner decided to put a bar in, and I thought it’d be an awesome idea.…
A fatal shooting that took place early Sunday morning at a party on the westside is under investigation by Albuquerque Police Department Homicide detectives. APD identified the victim Monday as Jada Gonzales, an 18-year-old Albuquerque Academy student. APD is asking for anyone who may have video from the incident to share it with investigators at this Evidence Submission Portal. Officers responded at 12:49 a.m. to a 911 call and a ShotSpotter activation in the area of 5205 La Bajada Road NW. Homicide detectives determined there were at least two shooters who fired guns shortly before 1 a.m. Sunday, during a…
Bumblebee and Optimus Prime from Transformers returned to Ventana Ranch this weekend. Nate Bywater, who helped organize a fundraiser to help his neighbor Dave Plourde (AKA Mr. Christmas), had the iconic cars on display at his house in northwest Albuquerque Friday and Saturday night. Families were able to take pictures with the cars, and there was a donation barrel for non-perishable food items that will go directly to Storehouse New Mexico in front of Bywater’s house. There was also a sign with a QR code that let people donate to help Mr. Christmas. Down the street from Bywater’s house, Mr. Christmas…