View from the Volcano




April 2005
April 2004

Return to Folsom Village

Page hits =1821 since 4/2/05
551 hits 6/13/04 - 4/1/05


News from Folsom, Capulin, & Des Moines

(and other parts nearby)


April 2005
Mike Schoonover, April 2005

It has been a rather wet winter.  A blowing blizzard pummeled the area at the end of March, leaving drifts as high as five feet and closing roads and schools.  A few days before that, another system dumped a load of slush on the highways.  Enough vehicles ended up in the ditch to fill a nice sized car dealership.

The Des Moines school board has opted not to renew the contract of Superintendent Andrea Goode after two years.  The search is on for a replacement.

The Des Moines Demons made it to the game preceding the state championship before succumbing.  The Lady Demons played valiantly in the championship game but came up short against the Fort Sumner Vixens.

The Folsom Fire Department has received its new Class A Pumper and Water Tender trucks.  They are in the process of outfitting and learning to operate them.  The department responded to a kitchen fire in March and managed to contain the damage to mainly one room.  A thousand acre grass fire near mile marker 41 on Hwy 456 was contained by the Rabbit Ear, Kenton, and Sedan volunteer fire departments.  Forty mile per hour winds nearly made this one a disaster, but ample moisture in the grass kept things from getting totally out of hand.

Surveying on Hwy 87 seems to have been completed in anticipation of the new four lane project.  Construction has already started near Texline.

Important Notices

You guys from out of state - slow down on the ice and take a nap when you get tired while driving.

Crime Report

No interesting crime has been reported in the area other than a "rock throwing" incident which resulted in incarceration but no significant injuries.

Volcano Check

Mount Capulin has had a dusting of snow for most of the winter.  It remains standing and is still extinct. We will alert our readers if this changes.

We saw...

Everybody in the ditch, stuck in a drift, or wading through snow at one time or another.

Contact Information

Please visit www.folsomvillage.com for more news and info.

If you have news about the Volcano Area which you would like included in this column, please email it to mike@folsomvillage.com or mail to

Mike Schoonover
Box 465
Folsom, NM 88419

All accurate news is welcome - inaccurate news is only welcome if it is amusing.


April 2004

Mike Schoonover, April 2004


The Volcano Triangle is currently drying out from the latest round of snow, hail, and rain. The area probably received more moisture in the last week and a half than has been recorded previously all winter.

Folsom once again missed out on a state CDBG grant to build a park and community center. Village Clerk Dianne Brown reworked the proposal for the second try and Councilwoman Shelby Schoonover made the presentation in Hobbs, but to no avail. The village did receive $15,000 of state money to begin work on the project.

The Folsom Fire Department is purchasing a new $165,000 Class A Pumper truck which it hopes to receive around October. The truck is being purchased with a loan which will be paid back from the normal funds received from the state. This truck is required to maintain the current insurance rating for the area - this rating determines the cost of homeowner's insurance for residents in the district.

The Folsom Fire Department will also be receiving a $120,000 Water Tender Truck (a big tank on wheels) from the state at no cost to the department. This is part of an initiative to boost the capabilities of fire departments across the state in the face of increasing wild fire risks.

On top of that, the department has purchased over $100,000 worth of equipment and supplies with a FEMA grant made possible largely due to the efforts of Dianne Brown. These additions serve to make the Folsom department a very well prepared station indeed. On a related note, Fire Chief Alfred Newkirk reports with mixed emotions that no fires have been reported in the past year.

Debbie Adams, owner of the Folsom Inn, is currently making major upgrades to her establishment. The west end of the building will be covered with a facade made to look like a street from an old-west town - complete with a bank, saloon, and chuck wagon. A barbecue restaurant and ice cream parlor will be added, along with a shop offering artwork, crafts, gifts and such. This development should add a wonderful attraction to the village, and plans are for it to be complete by Memorial Day weekend.

Important Notices


As of January 1, 2004 controlled burns have required a permit from the state. As of June 1, 2004 burning of household trash will be disallowed entirely.

Crime Report


Folsom suffered a spate of vandalism last month. During one night, the windows were broken out in the Mustang owned by absentee residents Bob and Becky Hill. The vehicle is parked across the street from the Post Office. The following night, vandals broke several windows in the Folsom Supply building owned by Bill Brown and located adjacent to the vehicle. The windows were all broken by means of thrown debris similar in appearance to the pieces of concrete railroad ties which populate the nearby railroad crossings.

Two Sheriff's Deputies from Clayton performed a cursory investigation, but as yet no suspects have been named. Until such time as suspects are announced, the village will postpone building of a new gallows.

Volcano Check


Mount Capulin remains standing and is still extinct. We will alert our readers if this changes.

We saw...

Alfred Newkirk steadfastly manning the post office; Gerard and Li'l Gerard headed for a service call in Big Red One; Kylie Daugherty waving out the window of her mom's school bus; Mary Ann Louden taking a turn at the Volcano center; Walt Stadjuhar and Red walking to the post office; Pierre Peppin working on the Inn; Jason Machuca looking for his dog; Darien Brown in full uniform; Patti, Ginger, and Hannah working at the Sierra Grande, and many more.

Contact Information


Please visit www.folsomvillage.com for more news and info.

If you have news about the Volcano Area which you would like included in this column, please email it to mike@folsomvillage.com or mail to

Mike Schoonover
Box 465
Folsom, NM 88419

All accurate news is welcome - inaccurate news is only welcome if it is amusing.


Return to Folsom Village