Downtown Alamogordo, looking west on 10th Street; Jim Griggs Sports Complex; Shops on New York Avenue; Water Tower looking east on Tenth Street; Kids' Kingdom Park; View of Alamogordo from Thunder Road
Humans have lived in the Alamogordo area for at least 11,000 years. The present settlement, established in 1898 to support the construction of theEl Paso and Northeastern Railroad, is an early example of aplanned community. The city was incorporated in 1912. Tourism became an important economic factor with the creation ofWhite Sands National Park in 1933, which is still one of the biggest attractions of the city today. During the 1950s and 1960s, Alamogordo was an unofficial center for research on pilot safety and the development of the United States' space program.
Alamogordo is acharter city with acouncil-manager form of government. City government provides a large number of recreational and leisure facilities for its citizens, including a large park in the center of the city, many smaller parks scattered through the city, a golf course,Alameda Park Zoo, a network of walking paths,Alamogordo Public Library, and a senior citizens' center.Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center is a nonprofit shared military/civilian facility that is also the hospital for Holloman Air Force Base.
Tularosa Basin has been inhabited for at least 11,000 years. There are signs of previous inhabitants in the area such as theClovis culture, theFolsom culture, the peoples of theArchaic period, and theFormative stage.[9] TheMescalero Apache were already living in the Tularosa Basin when the Spanish came in 1534, and Mescalero oral history says they have always lived there.[10] In 1719, the Spanish built a chapel atLa Luz (about 5 miles (8.0 km) from the future site of Alamogordo), although La Luz was not settled until about 1860.[11][12]: 167
The city of Alamogordo was founded in June 1898, when theEl Paso and Northeastern Railroad, headed by Charles Bishop Eddy, extended the railway to the town.[13]: 4, 6–7 Eddy influenced the design of the community, which included large, wide thoroughfares and tree-lined irrigation canals.[14] Charles Eddy's brother, John Arthur Eddy, named the new city. He created aneologism adapted from the Spanish words for "large/fat cottonwood"[15] after a grove of stoutcottonwoods he remembered from thePecos River area.[13]: x–1 However, the word "Almagordo" was not used in the Spanish language.[16] When Alamogordo was laid out in 1898, the east–west streets were given numerical designations, while north–south streets were named after states. The present-day White Sands Boulevard was then called Pennsylvania Avenue.[12]: 42, 44–45
TheWorks Progress Administration, a government program created in 1935 in response to the Great Depression, was responsible for the construction of several government buildings in Alamogordo. These include the Otero County Administration Building at 1101 New York Avenue, aPueblo style building originally constructed as the main U.S. Post Office in 1938. The building is listed in theNational Register of Historic Places. The main entrance portico features frescoes byPeter Hurd, which were completed in 1942.[17]
The Post Office moved out in 1961, and the building was used by a succession of federal agencies and was known as the Federal Building.[citation needed] The last federal agency to occupy it was theUnited States Forest Service who used it as the headquarters of theLincoln National Forest until October 2008, when that agency moved to a newly constructed building.[19][20] In February 2009, ownership of the building was transferred toOtero County government and many government offices were moved from the Courthouse to its new Administration Building .[21][22]
In 1983,Atari, Inc.buried more than 700,000 unsoldAtari 2600 video game cartridges in Alamogordo's landfill.[23] Most notably, Atari discarded many copies of the unpopularE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. This event was often believed to be an urban legend, until it was confirmed by Atari and excavations at the landfill.[24]
Alamogordo briefly made international news in late 2001 when Christ Community Church held a publicbook burning of books in theHarry Potter series, and several other series, on December 30.[25][26][27]
TheTularosa Basin is anendorheic, or closed, basin; that is, no water flows out of it.[31][33] Because of this and because of the geology of the region, water in the basin ishard: it has very hightotal dissolved solids concentrations, in excess of 3,000 mg/L.[31][34] The Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility, aBureau of Reclamation laboratory doing research and development ondesalination ofbrackish water, is located in Alamogordo.[35] The gypsum crystals ofWhite Sands National Park are formed inLake Lucero. Water drains from the mountains carrying dissolved gypsum and collects in Lake Lucero. After the water dries, the winds pick up the gypsum crystals and distribute them over the basin.[30]: 37
Alamogordo has asemi-arid climate (KöppenBSk), bordering adesert climate (BWk), with hot summers and mild winters. Rainfall is low and usually confined tothe monsoon from July to September, when half a typical year's rainfall of 10.63 in (270.0 mm) will occur – although December 1991 did see 5.45 in (138.4 mm). The wettest calendar year has been 1941 with 21.87 in (555.5 mm) and the driest 1952 with 4.85 in (123.2 mm), while the wettest month on record has been September 1941 when 6.94 in (176.3 mm) fell. September 1941 also saw the largest daily rainfall at Alamogordo with 2.60 in (66.0 mm) falling on the 22nd of that month.
Temperatures outside of monsoonal storms are very hot during the summer: 89.1 days exceed 90 °F (32.2 °C) and temperatures as high as 110 °F (43.3 °C) occurred on June 22, 1981, and July 8, 1951. During the winter, days are very mild and sunny, but nights are cold, with 32 °F (0 °C) reached on 55.1 mornings during an average winter, although only ten mornings have ever fallen to or below 0 °F (−17.8 °C),[36] with the coldest temperature recorded at Alamogordo being −13 °F (−25.0 °C) during a major cold wave on February 3, 2011. Snow is very rare, with a mean of no more than 4.1 in (10 cm) and a median very close to zero. The most snowfall in one month was 10.0 in (25 cm) in December 1960.
Climate data for Alamogordo, New Mexico, elevation 4,330 feet (1,320 m) (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1913–present)
As of the census of 2020, there were 31,384 people. During the 2000 census, there were 13,704 households, and 9,728 families residing in the city. There were 15,920 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 70.4%White; 5.6%African American, 1.1%Native American, 1.5%Asian, 0.2%Pacific Islander, 12.1% fromsome other race, and 4.2% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 32.0% of the population.[40]: 38
There were 13,704 households, out of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.0% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.07.[40]: 38
In the city the population was spread out, with 28.7% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.1 males.[40]: 39
In 1999, the median income for a household in the city was $30,928, and the median income for a family was $35,673. Males had a median income of $28,163 versus $18,860 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,662. About 13.2% of families and 16.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.9% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.[41]
Alamogordo's and Otero County's July 1, 2008, population were estimated at 35,757 and 62,776 respectively by theUnited States Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program.[42]
Deutsche Schule Alamogordo, a school for children of German Air Force service members and employees at the German Air Force Flying Training Center at Holloman Air Force Base
Previously Alamogordo had a German community due to the presence of theGerman Air Force atHolloman Air Force Base; in 1992 that air force made Holloman its main pilot training center in the United States.[43] Holloman was chosen due to its weather conditions.[44] There was a subdivision called "Little Germany" with houses that had German-style electrical outlets. TheDeutsche Schule Alamogordo educated German children, as did the local schools. Additionally area supermarkets hadGerman cuisine.[45]
By 1999, there were about 1,110 German dependents and 900 German military personnel in Alamogordo.[46] By 2003 there were about 2,000 Germans in Alamogordo. That year there were tensions between Americans and Germans since Germany chose not to join the U.S. in theIraq War.[44]
In 2019, the German military withdrew from the base.[47]
Until the German Air Force left,Oktoberfest was celebrated annually in late September, hosted by the German Air Force atHolloman Air Force Base. The public was invited, and shuttle buses ran between Alamogordo and the base.[48]
Alamogordo is the economic center of Otero County,[49] with nearly half the Otero County population living within the city limits. Alamogordo today has very little manufacturing and has a primarily service and retail economy, driven by tourism, a large nearby military installation and a concentration of military retirees.[50][51] In 2006 the per capita income in Otero County was $22,377 versus per capita income in New Mexico of $29,346.[52]
Retail shops on New York AvenueBuildings in Alamogordo: PreCheck headquarters, Aviator 10 Theater, and the US Department of Agriculture / Forest Service building.
Alamogordo was founded as a company town to support the building of theEl Paso and Northeastern Railroad,[13]: 2 a portion of the transcontinental railway that was being constructed in the late 19th century. Initially its main industry was timbering for railroad ties.[13]: 1 The railroad founders were also eager to found a major town that would persist after the railroad was completed; they formed the Alamogordo Improvement Company to develop the area,[13]: 5 making Alamogordo an early example of aplanned community. The Alamogordo Improvement Company owned all the land, platted the streets, built the first houses and commercial buildings, donated land for a college, and placed a restrictive covenant on each deed prohibiting the manufacture, distribution, or sale of intoxicating liquor.[13]: 1, 9, 13, 44
Tourism became an important part of the local economy from the creation ofWhite Sands National Monument in 1934.[13]: 53 Construction began on the Alamogordo Army Air Field (the present-dayHolloman Air Force Base) in 1942, and the Federal government has been a strong presence in Alamogordo ever since.[13]: 39, 53 Education has also been an important part of the local economy. In addition to thelocal school system, Alamogordo is home to theNew Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, founded in 1903, and a branch ofNew Mexico State University founded in 1958.[13]: 44, 58 The largest non-government employer in the city is the Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center with 650 employees in 2008.[53]
Holloman Air Force Base, located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) west of the city limits, is the largest employer of Alamogordo residents, and has a major effect on the local economy. According to some estimates, Holloman accounts for half of the Alamogordo economy.[54][55] According to the 49th Fighter Wing Public Affairs office, as of January 2008 Holloman directly employs 6,111 personnel with a gross payroll of $266 million. It indirectly creates another 2,047 jobs with a payroll of $77 million. The estimated amount spent in the community, including payroll, construction projects, supplies, services, health care, and education, is $482 million.[56]
An estimated 6,700 military retirees live in the area. Counting bothUSAF andGerman Air Force personnel there are 1,383 active military and 1,641 military dependents living on base and 2,765 active military and 2,942 military dependents living off base.[56] After 27 years of training at Holloman, the German Air Force left in 2019. They relocated their pilot training toSheppard Air Force Base in Texas.[57]
Otero County Economic Development Council is a nonprofit organization founded in 1984. Its focus has generally been on job creation and recruiting and expanding businesses inOtero County, including helping them satisfy business regulations in New Mexico and lining up funding.[59][60] Its role expanded in 2000, when Alamogordo passed an Economic DevelopmentGross Receipts Tax. OCEDC continues to work to attract businesses, but now it also helps develop the incentive packages that will be paid by the new tax, and a portion of the tax receipts go to fund OCEDC's operating expenses.[61] Formal economic development plans have been adopted by Alamogordo[62] and by Otero County.[63]
OCEDC has recruited several new employers by using financial incentives. A1-800-Flowerscall center opened in November 2001 and received $1.25 million in city rent abatements, a 50% reduction in property taxes from Otero County, and $940,000 in plant training funds from the State of New Mexico.[64][65]A Sunbaked Biscuits cookie factory opened in 2006 and received $800,000 in job-training incentives from the state.[66]When the company went out of business in 2007, Marietta Baking took over the cookie factory and received interest-free loans, job-training incentives, and partial forgiveness of indebtedness for job creation.[67][68]A branch office of PreCheck Inc., a company performing background checks of health-care workers, opened in 2006. PreCheck received $2.4 million in high-wage job creation tax credits, $1.5 million in job-training subsidies, $1.5 million in capital outlay money for roads and infrastructure, a $625,000 allocation from City of Alamogordo for upgrading sewer lines in the area, and 20.8 acres of land from Heritage Group, a developer.[69]
The Otero County Film Office,[70]an office of Otero County Economic Development Council, promotes film-making in Otero County by publicizing potential locations in the county andNew Mexico's film financial incentive programs[71] and by recruitingextras for film productions. It sponsors the Desert Light Film Competition for middle and high school students to encourage learning about the film industry.[72]The 2007 filmTransformers spent $5.5 million in New Mexico and $1 million in Alamogordo.[73]
Flickinger Center for Performing Arts is a venue for concerts and live theater.
There are two amateur theatrical groups in Alamogordo. Alamogordo Music Theatre[74]produces two musical productions annually at theFlickinger Center for Performing Arts. The NMSU-A Theatre on the Hill produces an annual spring performance for young audiences at the Rohovec Fine Arts Center on theNew Mexico State University at Alamogordo campus,[75][76]and an annual Fall performance for general audiences.[77][78]
TheEarth Day Fair is held annually atAlameda Park Zoo. It features a butterfly release, a science fair, activities for children, and information booths from local health agencies and nonprofits.[79]
Otero County Fair is held annually at the County Fairgrounds. It features a rodeo, animal judging, food and game booths, and carnival rides. Nonprofit and government agencies set up information booths in the exhibit hall.[80]
The Cottonwood Arts and Crafts Festival is put on each Labor Day Weekend in Alameda Park by the Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce. It is primarily a showplace for vendors of handmade items, and also features music, entertainment, and food.[81][82]
White Sands Balloon Invitational is held annually. Hot air balloons launch from the Riner-Steinhoff Soccerplex and fromWhite Sands National Park and float over theTularosa Basin.[83]
New Mexico Museum of Space History is a state museum with the International Space Hall of Fame.[84]Flickinger Center for Performing Arts is a 590-seat theater created in 1988 from a re-purposed movie theater. It hosts concerts and live theatrical performances by touring groups, and is the venue for the local amateur group Alamogordo Music Theater.[85][86][87]
Alamogordo Museum of History collects artifacts related to the history of Alamogordo and the Tularosa Basin. It is a private museum, operated by theTularosa Basin Historical Society.[88]Among notable items in the collection is a 47-starUS Flag; New Mexico was the 47th state admitted to the Union, and US flags were made with 47 stars only for one month, untilArizona was admitted.[89]The Museum shop has a large collection of local history books. The Historical Society also publishes its own series of monographs on local history,Pioneer.[90]
American Armed Forces Museum is a museum onU.S. Route 82 near Florida Avenue that opened in 2011. It collects and displays all kinds of military memorabilia from all wars and military engagements.[91]
The Shroud Exhibit And Museum, located in White Sands Mall, showcases a full-sized back-lit photographic transparency of theShroud of Turin, a religious relic believed by some to be the burial cloth ofJesus Christ. They also feature a workingVP8 Image Analyzer, the only one in the world where one can walk in and interact with this old analog computer. This town was founded the same year (1898) that Secundo Pia took the first photograph of the Shroud which started the modern investigation into the Shroud. This is highlighted in the museum. In 1977 in Albuquerque, they held the conference that resulted in the 1978 study of the Shroud with more scientists from New Mexico than any other state. The displayed photograph was created from the 1978 photographs made by Barrie M. Schwortz as part of the Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP). The displays include historical background materials, scientific information, kiosks with a variety of information, videos available for viewing and an exhibit of electronic image analysis of the shroud, among other interesting artifacts.[92][93][94]
The Alameda Park Zoo, the oldest zoo in the southwestern U.S., is located in the city. Several Union-Apache battles were fought nearOliver Lee Memorial State Park.[95]
The Toy Train Depot, New Mexico's first railroad museum and home of America's Park Ride Train Museum.
A sculpture called "The World's Largest Pistachio" is at McGinn's PistachioLand alongU.S. 54.[96]
The Lady of the Mountain Run is held in December at the Griggs Sportsplex.[97] The race consists of a half marathon, 10K, 5K, or corporate cup relay, and raises money for the needs-based Lady of the Mountain Scholarship Fund at NMSU-Alamogordo.[98] Fun run/walks are popular in Alamogordo, although most are one-shot affairs put on as part of some larger event. One recurring event is Walk Out West, a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) walk held each October inAlameda Park Zoo. It incorporates ahealth fair, live music, and events for children.[99] An offshoot of this is Dance Otero, an informal approach toballroom dancing as a form ofphysical exercise that meets throughout the year.[100] Both programs are run through Otero PATH, a local nonprofit that encourages preventive measures for good health.[101]
There are a number of annual sports events. The Tommy Padilla Memorial Basketball Tournament[102] is an annual event held in March. It is an adult tournament that raises money for scholarships for Alamogordo High School students.[103] TheGus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament is a national program that holds a tournament in Alamogordo each year in May. Prior to 2008 it was hosted by the Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce, and since then by the City of Alamogordo.[104] The city receives 72% of the entry fees and 5% of the gross proceeds taken in by vendors.[104] The event is held annually at Washington Park in conjunction with Saturday in the Park and Armed Forces Day.[105]In 2009 more than 233 teams participated in the tournament.[105] Several golf tournaments are held each year at Desert Lakes Golf Course, including the Robert W. Hamilton Charity Golf Classic.[106]
Alamogordo's sole professional sports team is theWhite Sands Pupfish, a baseball team that played at Jim Griggs Field from 2011 to 2019, in the independentPecos League, but did not play in a four-team, abridged 2020 season hosted in Houston due to pandemic concerns.[107]
Alamogordo has numerous small parks scattered through the city, and a few larger ones. Some notable parks include:[108]
Alameda Park is a city park lying on the west side of White Sands Boulevard between Tenth Street and Indian Wells Road. Most of the park is shaded by cottonwood trees. At the south end of the park isAlameda Park Zoo and at the north end isThe Toy Train Depot, a railroad and toy train museum.[109]
Washington Park is a city park in the center of town, bounded by Washington and Oregon Avenues and running from First Street to Indian Wells Road. City Hall and several other city buildings are located in the park.[108] At the north end of the park is Kids Kingdom,[110] a children's play area with a giant jungle gym.
There are public athletic fields at the Jim R. Griggs Sports Complex, located at the corner of Florida Avenue and Fairgrounds Road, and the Travis C. Hooser Ballfield Complex (also called Walker Field) located at the corner ofU.S. Route 70 and Walker Road.[108]
The Alamogordo Family Recreation Center, at 1100 Oregon Avenue, is a city-owned facility offering a weight room, swimming pool (open seasonally), and basketball gym. There are outdoor tennis courts north of the building.[111]
The Alamogordo Senior Center is a city facility forsenior citizens that provides a social center and an exercise room and serves congregate meals andMeals on Wheels.[112]
The new clubhouse at Desert Lakes Golf Course was constructed in 2007.
Desert Lakes Golf Course is a city-owned golf course located at the south end of town on Hamilton Road at Desert Lakes Road. It is an 18-hole course. The clubhouse houses a restaurant and a pro shop. There is a PGA golf pro on duty at the course.[113]
Not inside the city but nearby are several national and state parks.Oliver Lee Memorial State Park is about 10 miles south onU.S. Route 54, offers camping, hiking, and picnicking.[109]White Sands National Park is located about 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Alamogordo alongU.S. Route 70. The area is in the mountain-ringedTularosa Basin valley area and comprises the southern part of a 275-square-mile (710 km2) field of whitesand dunes composed ofgypsum crystals.[109] TheLincoln National Forest, whose headquarters are in Alamogordo, is a mountainous area that starts about 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Alamogordo and offers hiking, fishing, and camping.[114] The Sidney Paul Gordon Shooting Range, located about 3 miles (4.8 km) north of town at 19 Rock Cliff Road in La Luz, is a supervised range with rifle, pistol, and archery ranges. Several competitions are held at the range each month.[115]
Alamogordo City Hall houses most of the city government administrative functions, as well as the Commission Chambers and the Municipal Court.
Alamogordo was incorporated in 1912.[13]: 136 It is acharter city (also called a home rule city[116]), and the charter is included as Part I of the Code of Ordinances.[117]It has aCouncil-manager government form of government (called Commission/Manager in New Mexico).[117]: Article II There are seven city commissioners, each elected from a district within the city, on staggered 4-year terms.[117]: Article VII The city manager is considered the chief executive officer of the city and is tasked to enforce and implement the City Council's directives and policy.[118] The mayor is a member of the City Council. As of 2018, Richard Boss holds the position of mayor.[119]
Alamogordo's fiscal year ends on June 30 each year; thus Fiscal Year 2008 runs from July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2008. The FY 2008 budget projects income of $61,454,402[120]: 7 and expenditures of $73,655,777.[120]: 5 Sources of City government income and their percentages of the whole were:[120]: 7 gross receipts tax (31%), miscellaneous (23%),grants (22%),user fees (19%), andproperty tax (5%).
The main newspaper in Alamogordo isAlamogordo Daily News (ADN), owned byMediaNews Group.ADN is published six days a week; on Monday, when it does not appear, subscribers receive theEl Paso Times.[128]ADN also publishesHollogram, a free weekly newspaper distributed at the nearbyHolloman Air Force Base and covering happenings on base.[129]There was no alternative newspapers published in Alamogordo butThe Ink, a freeLas Cruces monthly newspaper devoted to the arts, is distributed in the city. There is now however a free online paper operated ascitizen journalism produced by 2nd Life Media Alamogordo Town News[130][131] The city government publishesCity Profile, a monthly print newsletter that is mailed to all households in the city and is published electronically on the city web site,[132]andCommuniqué, a blog with city news.[133]
One television station,KVBA-LD, broadcasts from Alamogordo. It has a religious format, and a weekly local news magazine broadcast Thursday through Saturday.[134][135]Cable television service is provided by Baja Broadband.[136]
There are two commercial radio broadcast companies, WP Broadcasting and Burt Broadcasting; each operates several stations in several formats.[137][138][139]There are two "listener-supported" radio stations that do not carry advertising but depend on sponsorships and donations.KLAG has a gospel musicradio format and some live coverage of local events, including manyremote broadcasts from civic events.[140]KALH-LP is a low-power FM station that carries avariety radio format, network news on the hour, and local news on some hours.[141]Neither station is anNPR affiliate. The local NPR outlet isKRWG-FM in Las Cruces, which reaches Alamogordo through a localrelay transmitter.[142]
In May 2013, Alamogordo's City Commission approved a deal for Canada-based film production company Fuel Industries to excavate the Atari landfill site.[149] Fuel Entertainment partnered with Xbox Entertainment Studios and Lightbox to makea documentary about the massive 1983Atari video game burial, said to be one of the gaming culture's greatest urban legends. On April 26, 2014, video game archaeologists began sifting through years of trash from the old Alamogordo landfill.[150] The first batch of E.T. games was discovered after about three hours of digging,[151] and hundreds more were found in the mounds of trash and dirt scooped by a backhoe.[152] In the deal between the City of Alamogordo and Fuel Entertainment regarding the excavation, Fuel Entertainment was to be given 250 games or 10 percent of what was found.[150]
The major intercity surface routes from Alamogordo areU.S. Highways 54, 70, and 82, all of which are four-lane roads. The major north–south street within the city is White Sands Boulevard. The Charlie T. Lee Memorial Relief Route, which is designated as U.S. Route 54 and 70, is abypass road constructed to the west of the city in 2001 to relieve congestion on White Sands Boulevard.[153][154]
U.S. Route 70 andU.S. Route 54 traverses through the north and south ends of the city.[153] At the south end of the city, White Sands Boulevard is a major named street that merges into U.S. Route 54/Charles T. Lee Memorial Relief Route, running south toEl Paso, Texas. In the south part of the city, U.S. Route 70 splits from U.S. Route 54 in a southwestern direction towardsHolloman Air Force Base,White Sands National Park,White Sands Missile Range, andLas Cruces. At the north end of the city, White Sands Boulevard and the Charles T. Lee Memorial Relief Route become a merged U.S. Route 54 and U.S. Route 70 running north toTularosa.U.S. Route 82 starts at the same point and runs east toCloudcroft and the mountain communities ofOtero County, and then toArtesia. Meanwhile, in Tularosa, U.S. 70 and U.S. 54 both split in which U.S. 70 heads east through the mountains, and towardsRuidoso andRoswell, while U.S. 54 heads north towardsCarrizozo and keeps going north until it heads east again starting inVaughn.
Z-Trans is the mass transit system, providingparatransit and scheduled service within the city center and to White Sands Mall,Holloman Air Force Base and Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino inMescalero. Z-Trans is unusual in that it is privately owned (by Zia Therapy Center, a non-profit), although it does get some local and state subsidies.[159]
Union Pacific provides railroad freight services. Currently[when?] there is no intercity passenger train service.
As of 2003, the Alamogordo city government was building a network ofbike routes and walking routes. More information and maps are in the Alamogordo Comprehensive Plan.[160]: 42–44 In 2005, the New Mexico Rails-to-Trails Association operated aRails to Trails project to convert old railroad beds to walking trails. Its trail system in Otero County, the Cloud Climbing Rail Trail, is planned to eventually surround Alamogordo.[160]: 45 [161]
Electric power is supplied within the city byPNM Resources.[136] PNM also provides electrical power in theTularosa Basin, while Otero County Electric Cooperative, a member cooperative of Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association and ofTouchstone Energy, serves other areas of the county.[162] Natural gas is supplied within the city byNew Mexico Gas Company.[136]Severn Trent operates both the water andsewage treatment facilities for the City of Alamogordo. Severn Trent maintains all water storage facilities, booster pump stations, city wells and treats the waste water to be re-used by the city to water the parks, Desert Lakes Golf Course and is sold to construction companies for dust control. Rural houses have individual wells.[163]
The Otero County Community Health Council prepares a detailed health profile[167]each year with many facts and figures about health inOtero County. Otero County is ranked in the middle of most health rankings within the state.New Mexico is near the bottom of most national rankings; for example, it was 38th in the United Health Foundation 2007 report, but has been slowly improving (it was 40th in 2005).[168]
Edward Lee Howard, a formerCIA case agent who allegedly gave classified material to the Russians and later defected to the Soviet Union, was an Alamogordo native.[citation needed]
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^"Tularosa Basin".NMWRRI GIS Laboratory. New Mexico State University: New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute. December 4, 2008. Archived fromthe original on May 30, 2010. RetrievedAugust 12, 2009.
^"Community Profile". Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce. Archived fromthe original on April 15, 2009. RetrievedJuly 19, 2009.A national survey rated Alamogordo as one of the 50 healthiest places to live in the U.S.
^Breding, Connie (April 2007). "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at Rohovec".NMSU-A Today.9 (4). Alamogordo, New Mexico: New Mexico State University at Alamogordo:6–7.OCLC51523032.
^"'The Nerd' enters final weekend".Alamogordo Daily News. November 13, 2008.OCLC10674593.
^"Call for artists (The Diary of Anne Frank)".Alamogordo Daily News – ¡Vámonos! insert. September 4, 2009. p. 9.OCLC10674593. Archived fromthe original on July 7, 2011. RetrievedSeptember 4, 2009.A Theatre on the Hill will hold auditions for The Diary of Anne Frank on Saturday, September 12, at 1 pm, and on Sunday, September 13, at 2 pm at the Rohovec Fine Arts Center located on the campus of New Mexico State University in Alamogordo.
^Österreich, Elva (April 23, 2008). "Organizers tout biggest Earth Day Fair yet".Alamogordo Daily News.OCLC10674593.
^London, Laura (August 16, 2007). "County fair gets under way".Alamogordo Daily News.OCLC10674593.
^"WP Broadcasting". WP Broadcasting. March 19, 2009. RetrievedAugust 13, 2009.
^Shinabery, Michael (May 7, 2006). "New station's format is kinda cool".Alamogordo Daily News. p. 5A.OCLC10674593.(about Burt Broadcasting and KQEL-FM)
^"Airmen invade airwaves". United States Air Force, Holloman Air Force Base. May 28, 2008.Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. RetrievedAugust 13, 2009.
^Meadows, Jennifer L. (September 11, 2002). "New radio station goes live for 9-11 tribute".Alamogordo Daily News. p. 10A.OCLC10674593.(about KUPR-FM)
^Coltharp, Richard (March 1, 2005). "Relief route dedicated".Alamogordo Daily News.OCLC10674593.Alamogordo's relief route was dedicated yesterday, not just to a man Charlie T. Lee but to a "way of life."
^Schmittle, Maureen K. (September 2007)."Water Projects for Alamogordo"(PDF).City Profile. City of Alamogordo: 2. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on December 17, 2008. RetrievedMay 31, 2008.
^Alamogordo City Commission Meeting Minutes for November 13, 1990 (Report). City of Alamogordo. pp. 13–16.
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